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Hosea 13:5 — Word Study

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WLCאֲנִ֥י יְדַעְתִּ֖יךָ בַּמִּדְבָּ֑ר בְּאֶ֖רֶץ תַּלְאֻבֽוֹת׃

BSAIʼănîy knew youyâdaʻ [to know, to ascertain by seeing, to learn] in the wildernessmidbâr [a desert or open field, like the one the Israelites wandered in] in the landʼerets [the soil or ground, a country, territory, or region] of droughttalʼûwbâh [a severe lack of water, desiccation]

Word
Listen & take awayHosea 13
English ↓ Download MP3 The Berean Standard Bible chapter audio already hosted for the site's Bible section — verse 5 is in this chapter.
Hebrew ↓ Download MP3 The Masoretic text of this chapter, read aloud. Read by Abraham Shmuelof, courtesy of Audio Scriptures International. Chapter divisions by the Academy of Ancient Languages..
Say the word Each Hebrew word carries its transliteration (tal.'u.Vot) — no per-word recordings of the Hebrew exist to link to.
Take it away
Hosea 13:5quick helps
In a sentenceGod reveals His intimate knowledge of Israel during their time in the wilderness.
Who is speakingThe LORD, addressing Israel.
Where we areIn a passage reflecting on Israel's history and relationship with God.
The hard wordיְדַעְתִּ֖יךָ
Take awayGod's knowledge of His people is deep and personal, especially in their struggles.
8 commentators on this verse Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them › clause subjectאֲנִי The sentence as the grammar sees it Open the tree ›
How rare are these words?in the Old Testament

1 of 5 occurs nowhere else in the Old Testament — a word chosen on purpose.

Bars are logarithmic — אֵת, the commonest word in the Hebrew Bible, stands about 11,000 times, so a linear scale would leave everything else invisible. Click a row to open that word.

Deep Study — Hosea 13:5

Sections marked generated are written from the data on this page rather than by a named author. Everything else — the lexicon entries, the cross references, the manuscript readings, the counts — is quoted from its source unchanged.

Context — God's Relationship with Israelgenerated

4Yet I am the LORD your God ever since the land of Egypt; you know no God but Me, for there is no Savior besides Me.
5I knew you in the wilderness, in the land of drought.
6When they had pasture, they became satisfied; when they were satisfied, their hearts became proud, and as a result they forgot Me.
7So like a lion I will pounce on them; like a leopard I will lurk by the path.

Hosea 13:5 reflects on how the LORD knew Israel intimately during their time in the wilderness, a period marked by trials and dependence on Him. This verse emphasizes God's ongoing relationship with His people, reminding them of His faithfulness since their deliverance from Egypt, as noted in the preceding verse Hosea 13:4.


Cross References

ReferenceText (BSB)
1Exodus 2:25God saw the Israelites and took notice.
2Psalm 1:6For the LORD guards the path of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish.
3Psalm 31:7I will be glad and rejoice in Your loving devotion, for You have seen my affliction; You have known the anguish of my soul.
4Psalm 142:3Although my spirit grows faint within me, You know my way. Along the path I travel they have hidden a snare for me.
5Nahum 1:7

The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 12 references, hung on the phrase they belong to

great droughtPsalm 63:1

The Key Word יְדַעְתִּ֖יךָ, ye.da'.Ti.khagenerated

The verb יָדַע (yada`) is a perfect form, indicating a completed action in the past. It conveys a deep sense of knowledge, not just intellectual but relational, suggesting familiarity and recognition. This word captures the essence of God's intimate awareness of His people.

In this context, the use of the first-person singular pronoun אֲנִי (aniy) emphasizes God's personal connection to Israel. The phrase יְדַעְתִּ֖יךָ (ye.da'.Ti.kha) directly addresses the people, highlighting the depth of His knowledge and care for them during their time of hardship.


How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated

The translations agree that the verse conveys God's intimate knowledge of Israel during their wilderness experience.


Sentence Structuregenerated

The main clause is governed by the verb יְדַעְתִּ֖יךָ, I knew you, which is followed by two prepositional phrases: בַּמִּדְבָּ֑ר (in the wilderness) and בְּאֶ֖רֶץ (in the land), both providing context for where this knowledge occurred.

The structure emphasizes the relationship between God and Israel, with the wilderness serving as a significant backdrop for their journey and dependence on Him.


Septuagint Backgroundgenerated

The Septuagint translates יְדַעְתִּ֖יךָ as σε, indicating a direct and personal address to Israel. This choice underscores the intimate relationship God has with His people, aligning with the Hebrew understanding of knowing someone deeply.

The Greek word ἐγὼ for 'I' also emphasizes the personal nature of God's declaration, reinforcing the connection between the speaker and the audience.


In plain words — the whole versegenerated

Hosea 13:5 tells us that God knew Israel during their time in the wilderness, a challenging period after their escape from Egypt. This verse highlights God's deep understanding and relationship with His people, especially in times of need.


Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated

What does it mean that God knew Israel in the wilderness?

It signifies God's intimate understanding and relationship with His people during a difficult time, emphasizing His guidance and care.

Why is the wilderness significant in this verse?

The wilderness represents a place of testing and dependence on God, highlighting the challenges Israel faced after leaving Egypt.

How does this verse relate to God's promises?

It illustrates God's faithfulness and His ongoing relationship with Israel, reminding them of His presence and support in their journey.

What can we learn from God's knowledge of His people?

We can understand that God is intimately aware of our struggles and is present with us in our own wilderness experiences.


Reflection Questionsgenerated

  1. In what ways have I experienced God's presence during difficult times in my life?
  2. How can I deepen my relationship with God, knowing He desires to know me intimately?
  3. What does it mean for me to recognize God's guidance in my own wilderness experiences?
  4. How can I support others who are going through their own times of drought or struggle?

The early church on this verse — how the Fathers read it

Early church commentary, such as that from Jerome, reflects on God's relationship with Israel, emphasizing His knowledge of them in their struggles.

JeromeCommentary on Hosea 13:5-6 c. 347–420
"But I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt: and thou shalt know no God but me, and there is no saviour beside me. I knew thee in the desert, in the land of drought.
Early Church Fathers on Hosea 13 →

Commentators on this verse — 8 expositors, verse by verse

Each of these wrote on Hosea 13:5 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.

John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

I did know thee in the wilderness,.... Where there were no food nor drink, where were scorpions, serpents, and beasts of prey; there the Lord knew them, owned them, and showed a fatherly affection

Read John Gill on Hosea 13 →
Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's Commentary

I did know thee in the wilderness, in the land of great drought. I did know thee in the wilderness - i:e., did acknowledge thee as mine, and so took care of thee (Psalms 144:3; Amos 3:2).

Read Robert Jamieson on Hosea 13 →
Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy Bible

I did know, owned, took care of, guided, and supplied, thee, O Israel, in thy fathers, in the wilderness; through which for forty years together thou wast moving, and foundest nothing for thy sustenance but what my miraculous goodness and power gave thee; through those many deserts thou never didst want. In the land of great drought; in the parched sands, where were no refreshing showers, no rivers or springs of water, to suffice so many cattle and men; where thou wentest as it were through flames and on sands, scorching as embers of a fire, a place fit for none but fiery serpents, or salamanders (if any such).

Read Matthew Poole on Hosea 13 →
John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

Hosea 13:5 I did know thee in the wilderness, in the land of great drought.Ver. 5. I knew thee in the wilderness, in a place of great drought] In terra torridissima, where I gave thee pluviam escatilem et petram aquatilem, as Tertullian phraseth it, where I gave thee bread from heaven, set the flint abroach, kept thy clothes whole and fit, kept back thine enemies, led thee by a pillar of cloud, sent thee in flesh at even and bread in the morning, served thee as never prince was served in his greatest pomp, Psalms 78:20; Psalms 78:24. And wilt thou yet kiss the calf, qui te nec servat, nec satiat, ut ego? who neither saveth thee, nor satisfieth thee, as I have done? not suffering thee to…

Read John Trapp on Hosea 13 →
AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible

Verse 5. I did know thee] I approved of thee; I loved thee; and by miraculously providing for thee in that land of drought, I demonstrated my love.

Read AdamClarke on Hosea 13 →
CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

5. I did know, &c.] Better, It was I that knew, &c. ‘To know’=‘to take favourable notice of’, as Psalms 1:6 and often. in the land of great drought] Or, ‘of burning thirst’ (the word occurs nowhere else). Comp. the description in Hosea 2:3.

Read Cambridge on Hosea 13 →
Albert Barnes1798–1870Barnes' Notes on the Bible

I did know thee in the wilderness - “God so knew them, as to deserve to be known by them.

Read Albert Barnes on Hosea 13 →
Daniel Denison Whedon1808–1885Whedon's Commentary on the Bible

5. The loving care of Jehovah manifested itself in a special manner during the wanderings in the desert, when hunger and thirst threatened to destroy them.

Read Daniel Denison Whedon on Hosea 13 →

The verse in English, compared — 17 translations, and where they part company

Every translation on this page is a decision someone had to make and commit to. Read down a column and you see one translator's judgement; read across a row and you see the range the Greek actually allows. The BSB is the wording the rest of this page is measured against, so it is listed first.

Modern formal

BSBBerean Standard Bible2020

I knew you in the wilderness, in the land of drought.

WEBWorld English Bible2000

I knew you in the wilderness, in the land of great drought.

MSBMajority Standard Bible2022

I knew you in the wilderness, in the land of drought.

NETBNew English Translation2006

I cared for you in the wilderness, in the dry desert where no water was.

Tyndale line

KJVKing James Version1611

¶ I did know thee in the wilderness, in the land of great drought.

ASVAmerican Standard Version1901

I did know thee in the wilderness, in the land of great drought.

RVARevised Version, American1894

I did know thee in the wilderness, in the land of great drought.

NWBWebster's Bible1833

I did know thee in the wilderness, in the land of great drouth.

GNVGeneva Bible1599

I did knowe thee in the wildernesse, in the land of drought.

Strictly literal

DBYDarby Translation1890

I knew thee in the wilderness, in the land of drought.

YLTYoung's Literal Translation1862

I — I have known thee in a wilderness, In a land of droughts.

LSVLiteral Standard Version2020

I have known you in a wilderness, || In a land of droughts.

ILTInterlinear Literal Translation2000

I myself did provide for thee in the wilderness, in the land of great drought.

ULBUnlocked Literal Bible2017

I knew you in the wilderness, in the land of great dryness.

From the Latin

DRADouay-Rheims (Challoner)1899

I knew thee in the desert, in the land of the wilderness.

Simplified

FBVFree Bible Version2020

I looked after you in the wilderness; in that dry desert land it was like pasture to them

BBEBible in Basic English1949

I had knowledge of you in the waste land where no water was.

Counted from the translations carried on this site, not from a survey of every English Bible. A rendering shared by many versions is usually inherited rather than independently arrived at — the Tyndale line in particular runs through most of them.


The sentence as the grammar sees it — from the MACULA Hebrew treebank

This is not our own analysis: it is the scholarly syntax tree for the verse, showing how the clause actually holds together.

clausesubjectאֲנִ֥יIverbיְדַעְתִּ֖יIobjectךָknew.youprepositional phrase · prepositionalprepositional phraseבַּinnoun phrasetheמִּדְבָּ֑רwildernessprepositional phraseבְּinnoun phraseאֶ֖רֶץa.landתַּלְאֻבֽוֹתof.drought(s)

Boxes are the grammarian's groupings — clause, noun phrase, prepositional phrase.


The four witnesses to this verse — Masoretic, Septuagint, Samaritan, Qumran

The Masoretic Text and the Septuagint agree closely in wording, with all five words matched. The Dead Sea Scrolls show one word on the leather, with the rest supplied by an editor, indicating some textual preservation but not a complete agreement.

Masoretic TextLeningrad Codex, c. AD 1008 — the text this page is built on

אֲנִ֥י יְדַעְתִּ֖יךָ בַּמִּדְבָּ֑ר בְּאֶ֖רֶץ תַּלְאֻבֽוֹת׃

Septuagintthe Greek the translators chose, word by word
אֲנִ֥יἐγὼיְדַעְתִּ֖יךָσεבַּמִּדְבָּ֑רἐρήμῳבְּאֶ֖רֶץγῇתַּלְאֻבֽוֹת׃ἀοικήτῳ

5 of the 5 words are matched. This is the word-by-word correspondence, not the Septuagint's own sentence — its word order and its articles are its own.

Dead Sea Scrolls — 4Q78a copy a thousand years older than the Leningrad Codex

[אני] [ידעתי׳כה] [במדבר] [בארץ] תלאבות

1 word on the leather — 4 supplied entire by an editor.

Four traditions, not one. “On the leather” means the letters physically survive on the scroll, as against letters an editor has supplied to fill a hole in it — a restoration is a scholar’s reading, not a reading of the manuscript. Words in [square brackets] are supplied; the notes count them apart from what survives.


The map of this verse — what each word keeps company with

This is a map of two things, both counted rather than judged. Company kept: which words stand within three words of each of these, anywhere in the Hebrew Bible — the thicker the line, the more often the pair meet compared with chance. Built from: the words a word is made out of, taken from its own Strong’s entry. It is not a map of meaning: nothing here claims two words mean the same thing. Click any circle to see the numbers behind it.

Hosea 13:5אֲנִיIIאֲנִייָדַעI knew youI knew youיָדַעמִדְבָּרin the wildin the wilderneמִדְבָּראֶ֫רֶץin a land oin a land ofאֶ֫רֶץתַּלְאֻבָהdroughtdroughtתַּלְאֻבָהאָֽנֹכִ֫יIIאָֽנֹכִ֫ידָבַרto speak: to speak: speakדָבַרלַ֫הַבflameflameלַ֫הַבנְאֻםutteranceutteranceנְאֻםיָדַעto knowto knowיָדַעאֲנִיIIאֲנִיבִּיןto understto understandבִּיןצִןZinZinצִןסִינַיSinaiSinaiסִינַיכְּנַ֫עַןCanaanCanaanכְּנַ֫עַןמִצְרַ֫יִם(Sea of) E(Sea of) Egyptמִצְרַ֫יִם
meets it a little oftener than chancemeets it far oftener than chancebuilt from the same roottwo words of the verse share ita word of this versea related word

Lexicons — every word in Hosea 13:5

One dossier per word, with every reference work grouped by kind — Hebrew lexicons, morphology, Bible dictionaries, topical chains and the English of the translators themselves. The verse sits at the head of each block with the word under study lit, so you never lose your place. The panel above gives the short answer; this is the long one, and it is the part of the page worth indexing.

Every entry below is the lexicographer's own text. On the Hebrew: Brown-Driver-Briggs entire and its gloss set, Strong's Hebrew Dictionary, and Tyndale House's Translators Brief lexicon. Where a cell says a work has no entry, that work genuinely has none for this word.

I I knew you in the wilderness in a land of drought
אֲנִ֥י'a.Ni I H589 Pronoun
874× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This Hebrew word is a simple way of saying 'I' or 'me', often used for emphasis. It is used by people like David in the Psalms to express their thoughts and feelings. The word is a basic part of the Hebrew language.
Tyndale gloss
I
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

אֲנִי, transliterated as aniy, is a first-person singular pronoun meaning 'I' or 'me.' It is often used for emphasis and can also imply possession, as in 'mine' or 'myself.' The word is derived from a form that indicates self-reference, and it appears in various contexts throughout the Old Testament.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

אֲנִי, אָ֑נִי pron. 1s. comm. I

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H589 אֲנִי, אָ֑נִי I

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

589 'aniy an-ee'

contracted from 595; I:--I, (as for) me, mine, myself, we, X

which, X who.

see HEBREW for 0595

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

אֲנִי (a.ni) — I.

I (first pers. sing. -usually used for emphasis)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Pron — Pronoun
HPp1bs
I I knew you in the wilderness in a land of drought
יְדַעְתִּ֖יךָye.da'.Ti.kha I knew you H3045 Verb qal perfect first person common singular · suffix
945× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
The Hebrew word for to know means to ascertain by seeing, and is used in many senses, including to learn, perceive, and recognize, as seen in various KJV translations.
Amplified meaning
to know, to ascertain by seeing, to learn
Tyndale gloss
to know
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

יָדַע (yada`) is a Hebrew verb meaning 'to know,' encompassing a wide range of senses including perception, recognition, and experience. It can refer to knowing someone intimately or being skilled in a task. The word has various forms, indicating actions such as making known or being made known. Lexicons note its use in both literal and figurative contexts, but there is no significant disagreement among them.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

יָדַע 943 vb. know

Qal

know, learn to know

perceive

perceive and see; find out and discern

discriminate, distinguish

know by experience

recognize, admit, acknowledge, confess

consider

not know = not expect

know a person, be acquainted with

know a person carnally, of sexual intercourse

know how, to do a thing, be able to do it

be skilful in

abs. have knowledge, be wise

Niph.

be made known, be or become known, of things

make oneself known of pers.

be perceived

be instructed

Pi. cause to know

Pu. known

Hiph. make known, declare

Hoph. made known

Hithp. make oneself known

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H3045 יָדַע know .. . know, learn to know

. perceive

. perceive and see; find out and discern

. discriminate, distinguish

. know by experience

. recognize, admit, acknowledge, confess

. consider

. not know = not expect

. know a person, be acquainted with

. know a person carnally, of sexual intercourse

. . know how, to do a thing, be able to do it

. be skilful in

. abs. have knowledge, be wise

. . be made known, be or become known, of things

. make oneself known of pers.

. be perceived

. be instructed

. cause to know

. known

. make known, declare

. made known

. make oneself known

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

3045 yada` yaw-dah'

a primitive root; to know (properly, to ascertain by seeing);

used in a great variety of senses, figuratively, literally,

euphemistically and inferentially (including observation,

care, recognition; and causatively, instruction, designation,

punishment, etc.) (as follow):--acknowledge, acquaintance(-ted

with), advise, answer, appoint, assuredly, be aware,

(un-)awares, can(-not), certainly, comprehend, consider, X

could they, cunning, declare, be diligent, (can, cause to)

discern, discover, endued with, familiar friend, famous, feel,

can have, be (ig-)norant, instruct, kinsfolk, kinsman, (cause

to let, make) know, (come to give, have, take) knowledge, have

(knowledge), (be, make, make to be, make self) known, + be

learned, + lie by man, mark, perceive, privy to, X

prognosticator, regard, have respect, skilful, shew, can (man

of) skill, be sure, of a surety, teach, (can) tell,

Read the full entry →
Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

יָדַע (ya.da) — to know.

1) to know

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to know

1a1a) to know, learn to know

1a1b) to perceive

1a1c) to perceive and see, find out and discern

1a1d) to discriminate, distinguish

1a1e) to know by experience

1a1f) to recognise, admit, acknowledge, confess

1a1g) to consider

1a2) to know, be acquainted with

1a3) to know (a person carnally)

1a4) to know how, be skilful in

1a5) to have knowledge, be wise

1b) (Niphal)

1b1) to be made known, be or become known, be revealed

1b2) to make oneself known

1b3) to be perceived

1b4) to be instructed

1c) (Piel) to cause to know

1d) (Poal) to cause to know

1e) (Pual)

1e1) to be known

1e2) known, one known, acquaintance (participle)

1f) (Hiphil) to make known, declare

1g) (Hophal) to be made known

1h) (Hithpael) to make oneself known, reveal oneself

Aramaic equivalent: ye.da (יְדַע "to know" H3046)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
V-Qal-Perf-1cs | Suff — Verb qal perfect first person common singular · suffix
HVqp1cs/Sp2ms
I I knew you in the wilderness in a land of drought
בַּמִּדְבָּ֑רba.mid.Bar in the wilderness H4057 Preposition · noun common masculine singular absolute
271× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
The wilderness refers to a desert or open field, like the one the Israelites wandered in after leaving Egypt. It can also mean a place of solitude or a region without many people. In the Bible, it is often associated with the journey to the Promised Land.
Amplified meaning
a desert or open field, like the one the Israelites wandered in
Tyndale gloss
mouth
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

מִדְבָּר (midbar) primarily means 'mouth' in the sense of an organ of speech, but it also refers to 'wilderness' or 'desert.' The word is derived from a root meaning to drive, suggesting open fields for pasturing cattle. It encompasses various forms of uninhabited land and is notably used in contexts related to the wilderness, such as the Wilderness of Sinai.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

[מִדְבָּר] n.m. mouth, as organ of speech, Ct 4:3

ref

מִדְבָר 270 n.m. wilderness

tracts of land, used for the pasturage of flocks and herds

uninhabited land

large tracts of such land bearing various names, in certain districts of which there might be towns and cities

fig.

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H4057a מִדְבָּר mouth, as organ of speech H4057b מִדְבָר wilderness

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

4057 midbar mid-bawr'

from 1696 in the sense of driving; a pasture (i.e. open

field, whither cattle are driven); by implication, a desert;

also speech (including its organs):--desert, south, speech,

wilderness.

see HEBREW for 01696

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

מִדְבָּר (mid.bar) — mouth.

1) mouth

1a) mouth (as organ of speech)

מִדְבָּר (mid.bar) — wilderness.

1) wilderness

1a) pasture

1b) uninhabited land, wilderness

1c) large tracts of wilderness (around cities)

1d) wilderness (fig.)

מִדְבָּר (mid.bar) — Wilderness (of Sinai).

This name means wilderness, uninhabited land

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Prep | N-ms — Preposition · noun common masculine singular absolute
HRd/Ncmsa
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

wil'-der-nes.

See DESERT; JUDAEA, WILDERNESS OF; WANDERINGS OF ISRAEL.

Easton's Bible Dictionary

Wilderness

(1.) Heb. midhbar, denoting not a barren desert but a district or region suitable for pasturing sheep and cattle (Ps. 65:12; Isa. 42:11; Jer. 23:10; Joel 1:19; 2:22); an uncultivated place. This word is used of the wilderness of Beersheba (Gen. 21:14), on the southern border of Palestine; the wilderness of the Red Sea (Ex. 13:18); of Shur (15:22), a portion of the Sinaitic peninsula; of Sin (17:1), Sinai (Lev. 7:38), Moab (Deut. 2:8), Judah (

American Tract Society Bible Dictionary

See DESERT.

Nave's Topical Bible

→ Wandering of the Israelites in, see ISRAEL

→ Typical of the sinner' s state De 32:10

→ Jesus' temptation in Mt 4:1; Mr 1:12,13; Lu 4:1

→ See DESERT

I I knew you in the wilderness in a land of drought
בְּאֶ֖רֶץbe.'E.retz in a land of H776 Preposition · noun common feminine singular construct
2,504× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
The land or earth refers to the soil or ground, and can also mean a country, territory, or region. In the Bible, it is used to describe the earth and its inhabitants, and is often translated as 'land' or 'country'.
Amplified meaning
the soil or ground, a country, territory, or region
Tyndale gloss
land: soil
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

אֶ֫רֶץ (erets) is a feminine noun meaning 'earth' or 'land.' It encompasses various meanings, including the whole earth, specific territories like Canaan, and even inhabitants of the land. It can refer to soil, ground, or regions, and is used in phrases related to distance and the living. There is a note on the plural form אֲרָצוֹת, which mainly appears in later texts to denote multiple lands.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

אֶ֫רֶץ n. f. & (seld.) m. earth, land

earth, whole earth (opp. to a part)

earth, opp. to heaven, sky

earth = inhabitants of earth

land =

country, territory

district, region

trial territory

piece of ground

specif. land of Canaan, or Israel

= inhabitants of land

used even of Shᵉʼôl

ground, surface of ground

soil, as productive

אֶרֶץ in phrases

people of the land

in measurements of distance

the country of the plain, level or plain country

land of the living

end(s) of the earth

pl. אֲרָצוֹת is almost wholly late; it denotes lands, countries, often in contrast to Canaan, lands of the nations, etc.

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H776 אֶ֫רֶץ n. f. & (seld.) m. earth, land . . earth, whole earth (opp. to a part)

. earth, opp. to heaven, sky

. earth = inhabitants of earth

. land = . country, territory

. district, region

. trial territory

. piece of ground

. specif. land of Canaan, or Israel

. = inhabitants of land

. used even of Shᵉʼôl

. . ground, surface of ground

. soil, as productive

. אֶרֶץ in phrases . people of the land

. in measurements of distance

. the country of the plain, level or plain country

. land of the living

. end(s) of the earth

. pl. אֲרָצוֹת is almost wholly late; it denotes lands, countries, often in contrast to Canaan, lands of the nations, etc.

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

776 'erets eh'-rets

from an unused root probably meaning to be firm; the earth

(at large, or partitively a land):--X common, country, earth,

field, ground, land, X natins, way, + wilderness, world.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

אֶ֫רֶץ (e.rets) — land: country/planet.

: country/field

1) land, earth

1a) earth

1a1) whole earth (as opposed to a part)

1a2) earth (as opposed to heaven)

1a3) earth (inhabitants)

1b) land

1b1) country, territory

1b2) district, region

1b3) tribal territory

1b4) piece of ground

1b5) land of Canaan, Israel

1b6) inhabitants of land

1b7) Sheol, land without return, (under) world

1b8) city (-state)

1c) ground, surface of the earth

1c1) ground

1c2) soil

1d) (in phrases)

1d1) people of the land

1d2) space or distance of country (in measurements of distance)

1d3) level or plain country

1d4) land of the living

1d5) end(s) of the earth

1e) (almost wholly late in usage)

1e1) lands, countries

1e1a) often in contrast to Canaan

אֶ֫רֶץ (e.rets) — land: soil.

: soil

1) land, earth

1a) earth

1a1) whole earth (as opposed to a part)

1a2) earth (as opposed to heaven)

1a3) earth (inhabitants)

1b) land

1b1) country, territory

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Prep | N-cs — Preposition · noun common feminine singular construct
HR/Ncfsc
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

ov:

(1) In Anglo-Saxon, had the meaning "from," "away from" (as the strengthened form "off" has still), and was not used for genitive or possessive relations, these being expressed by special case-forms. In the Norman period, however, "of" was taken to represent the French de (a use well developed by the time of Chaucer), and in the Elizabethan period both senses of "of" were in common use. But after about 1600 the later force of the word became predominant, and in the earlier sense (which is now practically obsolete) it was replaced by other prepositions. In consequence the King James Version (and in some cases the Revised Version (British and American)) contains many uses of "of" that are no longer familiar--most of them, to be sure, causing no difficulty, but there still being a few responsible for real obscurities.

English usagewhat the translators’ English meant
Webster's Dictionary (1828), Webster's Unabridged (1913), Webster's Dictionary (1806)

OF, preposition ov. [Gr.]

1. From or out of; proceeding from, as the cause, source, means, author or agent bestowing.

I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered to you. 1 Corinthians 11:1.

For it was of the Lord to harden their hearts. Joshua 11:1.

It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed.

Lamentations 3:1.

The whole disposing thereof is of the Lord. Proverbs 16:1.

Go, inquire of the Lord for me. 2 Chronicles 34:2.

That holy thing that shall be born of thee. Luke 1:1.

Hence of is the sign of the genitive case, the case that denotes production; as the son of man, the son proceeding from man, produced from man. This is the primary sense, although we now say, produced by man. 'Part of these were slain; ' that is, a number separate, for part denotes a division; the sense then is, a number from or out of the whole were slain. So also, 'some of these were slain; ' that is…

I I knew you in the wilderness in a land of drought
תַּלְאֻבֽוֹת׃tal.'u.Vot drought H8514 Noun common · feminine plural absolute
1× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This Hebrew word means drought or desiccation, describing a severe lack of water. It is used in the Bible to describe a great drought that affected the land. The word is associated with times of famine and hardship.
Amplified meaning
a severe lack of water, desiccation
Tyndale gloss
drought
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

תַּלְאֻבָה (tal'uwbah) refers to a state of drought or desiccation. It is noted in the plural form in the context of Hosea 13:6, indicating a significant intensity of drought. The word is derived from another Hebrew term, but the entries do not provide further details on its construction.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

[תַּלְאֻבָה] n.f. drought;—only pl. intens., Ho 13:6.

ref

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H8514 תַּלְאֻבָה, תַּלְאוּבָה

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

8514 tal'uwbah tal-oo-baw'

from 3851; desiccation:--great drought.

see HEBREW for 03851

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

תַּלְאֻבָה (tal.u.vah) — drought.

drought

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-fp — Noun common · feminine plural absolute
HNcfpa
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

drout. See FAMINE.

Easton's Bible Dictionary

Drought

From the middle of May to about the middle of August the land of Palestine is dry. It is then the “drought of summer” (Gen. 31:40; Ps. 32:4), and the land suffers (Deut. 28:23: Ps. 102:4), vegetation being preserved only by the dews (Hag. 1:11). (See DEW.)

American Tract Society Bible Dictionary

Was an evil to which Palestine was naturally subject, as no rain fell from May to September. During these months of summer, the ground became parched and cleft, the streams and springs became dry, and vegetation was kept from extinction by the dews at night and by artificial irrigation. If rain did not come in its season and abundantly, the distress was general and dreadful. A drought therefore is threatened as one of God’s sorest judgments, Job 24:19 Jer 50:38 Joe 1:10-20 Hag 1:11; and there are many allusions to its horrors in Scripture, De 28:23 Ps 32:4 102:4.

Nave's Topical Bible

→ General scriptures concerning Ge 31:40; 1Ki 17:18; Jer 14:1-6

→ Sent by God as a judgment De 28:23,24; 1Ki 8:35; 2Ch 6:26; 7:13; Ho 13:15

→ See FAMINE

→ See METEOROLOGY

→ See RAIN

→ FIGURATIVE Ps 32:4; Isa 44:3

Sources on this page. Lexicons and dictionaries imported from the CrossWire SWORD modules — Abbott-Smith, Strong's, Dodson, the Intermediate Liddell-Scott-Jones, Robinson and Packard, Webster and Cawdrey. Thayer’s Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament (Harper, 1889 — Grimm’s Wilke’s Clavis Novi Testamenti, translated, revised and enlarged by Joseph Henry Thayer) is public domain and is set here from the Internet Archive page scan greekenglishlex00grim; it is uncorrected OCR, marked as such on the entry itself, and the Strong’s numbers — which Thayer’s own edition does not carry — were matched by lemma against the other modules on this page. Trench’s Synonyms of the New Testament (Macmillan, 1880) and Moulton and Milligan’s Vocabulary of the Greek Testament (Hodder & Stoughton, 1930, which entered the United States public domain on 1 January 2026) are set from Internet Archive page scans synonymsofnewtes00treniala and vocabularyofgree00mouluoft, and are likewise uncorrected OCR matched to Strong’s numbers by lemma. Trench treats a group of words at once, so the same essay stands on the page of each word it compares. The Mounce Concise Greek-English Dictionary is © 1993 and is used here by permission for non-commercial use, www.teknia.com/greek-dictionary. The full Liddell-Scott-Jones and the Hebrew word data (TAHOT) come from STEPBible.org, CC BY 4.0. Brown-Driver-Briggs is the OpenScriptures digitisation, public domain. Syntax analysis is the Nestle 1904 Lowfat treebank (biblicalhumanities.org); the concordance and morphology are built from the tagged Nestle 1904 text. Septuagint occurrences use the Open Scriptures Septuagint lemma index, derived from CCAT (University of Pennsylvania) and the Rahlfs 1935 dataset by Eliran Wong, CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 — used here on a non-commercial ministry site. Greek of Josephus and Barnabas from the Perseus Digital Library, CC BY-SA 4.0. Commentaries and the Ante-Nicene Fathers are public-domain texts hosted on this site. Everyday Greek from the Duke Databank of Documentary Papyri, CC BY 3.0, with dates and provenance from the Heidelberger Gesamtverzeichnis. Philo and the Apostolic Fathers from Open Greek and Latin (First1KGreek), CC BY-SA 4.0. The apparatus and the fifth Greek column are the SBL Greek New Testament, © 2010 SBL and Logos Bible Software, CC BY 4.0. The Latin is the Clementine Vulgate (public domain); the Syriac New Testament is the ETCBC edition (MIT licence). The Hebrew behind the Greek is computed here from the Septuagint index and TAHOT, not taken from any aligned edition. The translation spread and the per-word edition marks come from the Translators Amalgamated Greek NT (STEPBible, CC BY 4.0); clause roles from the Nestle 1904 Lowfat treebank (CC BY-SA 4.0); place identifications and their confidence from OpenBible.info Bible Geocoding (CC BY 4.0), with map tiles © OpenStreetMap contributors. Gospel parallels are computed here from shared uncommon vocabulary, not taken from any printed harmony. Cross references are the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge and the subject headings are Nave’s Topical Bible, both public domain. Works under Creative Commons licences are used unchanged apart from markup removal.

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