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Hosea 7:16 — Word Study

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WLCיָשׁ֣וּבוּ׀ לֹ֣א עָ֗ל הָיוּ֙ כְּקֶ֣שֶׁת רְמִיָּ֔ה יִפְּל֥וּ בַחֶ֛רֶב שָׂרֵיהֶ֖ם מִזַּ֣עַם לְשׁוֹנָ֑ם ז֥וֹ לַעְגָּ֖ם בְּאֶ֥רֶץ מִצְרָֽיִם׃

BSAThey turnshûwb [return, come back] but notlôʼ to the Most Highʻal [the supreme God, above all] they arehâyâh like a faultyrᵉmîyâh [deceitful, useless] bowqesheth Their leaderssar [princes, rulers] will fallnâphal by the swordchereb [cutting instrument, weapon] for the cursingzaʻam [rage, indignation] of their tonguelâshôwn [language, speech] for thiszôw [this situation, circumstance] they will be ridiculedlaʻag [scoffed, mocked] in the landʼerets [country, territory] of EgyptMitsrayim [a nation in northeastern Africa]

Word
Listen & take awayHosea 7
English ↓ Download MP3 The Berean Standard Bible chapter audio already hosted for the site's Bible section — verse 16 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 (mitz.Ra.yim) — no per-word recordings of the Hebrew exist to link to.
Take it away
Hosea 7:16quick helps
In a sentenceIsrael turns away from God and faces the consequences of their actions.
Who is speakingThe prophet Hosea, addressing the people of Israel.
Where we areA warning about Israel's unfaithfulness and impending judgment.
The hard wordרְמִיָּ֔ה
Take awayTurning away from God leads to destruction and mockery.
8 commentators on this verse Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them › clause subjectזוֹ verbשׁוּב The sentence as the grammar sees it Open the tree ›
How rare are these words?in the Old Testament

Every word here is used elsewhere in the Old Testament.

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 7:16

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 — The Warning of Hoseagenerated

13Woe to them, for they have strayed from Me! Destruction to them, for they have rebelled against Me! Though I would redeem them, they speak lies against Me.
14They do not cry out to Me from their hearts when they wail upon their beds. They slash themselves for grain and new wine, but turn away from Me.
15Although I trained and strengthened their arms, they plot evil against Me.
16They turn, but not to the Most High; they are like a faulty bow. Their leaders will fall by the sword for the cursing of their tongue; for this they will be ridiculed in the land of Egypt.

Hosea 7:16 describes Israel's failure to turn back to God, despite their actions. They are compared to a faulty bow, indicating their unreliability. The verse warns that their leaders will face judgment due to their words, leading to ridicule in Egypt, a symbol of their captivity and shame. This reflects the broader themes of Hosea, where the prophet calls Israel to repentance and highlights the consequences of their rebellion.


Cross References

ReferenceText (BSB)
1Hosea 6:4What shall I do with you, O Ephraim ? What shall I do with you, O Judah? For your loyalty is like a morning mist, like the early dew that vanishes.
2Hosea 8:14Israel has forgotten his Maker and built palaces; Judah has multiplied its fortified cities. But I will send fire upon their cities, and it will consume their citadels.
3Hosea 11:7My people are bent on turning from Me. Though they call to the Most High, He will by no means exalt them.
4Psalm 78:37Their hearts were disloyal to Him, and they were unfaithful to His covenant.
5Jeremiah 3:10Yet in spite of all this, her unfaithful sister Judah did not return to Me with all her heart, but only in pretense,” declares the LORD.

The Key Word יָשׁוּבוּ, ya.Shu.vugenerated

The verb שׁוּב (shuwb) means 'to turn back' or 'to return.' In this context, it indicates Israel's attempt to turn, but not towards God. The parsing as an imperfect third person masculine plural suggests ongoing action — they are continually turning, yet not to the Most High.

The use of this verb emphasizes the futility of their actions, as they are not genuinely repenting or returning to the true source of help and salvation.


How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated

This study reads the verse in the Berean Standard Bible, so the BSB is the wording every comparison below is made against.


Sentence Structuregenerated

The main verb יָשׁוּבוּ governs the sentence, indicating the action of turning. The structure includes a negation with לֹא that emphasizes the failure to turn to God.

The sentence then describes the consequences of their actions, with a comparison to a faulty bow and a statement about their leaders falling by the sword, illustrating the severe repercussions of their unfaithfulness.


Septuagint Backgroundgenerated

The Septuagint translates יָשׁוּבוּ as ἀπεστράφησαν, meaning 'they turned away.' This choice indicates a more definitive action of turning away from God, rather than merely failing to turn towards Him.

This translation reflects a broader interpretation of Israel's actions, emphasizing their complete departure from the divine path.


In plain words — the whole versegenerated

Hosea 7:16 shows that Israel turns away from God, which leads to their leaders being judged and mocked in Egypt. This verse highlights the consequences of their actions and the importance of returning to God.


Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated

What does it mean that they turn but not to the Most High?

It indicates that Israel is attempting to return or change direction, but they are not genuinely seeking God or repenting.

Why are their leaders said to fall by the sword?

This suggests that their leaders will face judgment and destruction due to their unfaithfulness and the consequences of their words.

What does the comparison to a faulty bow signify?

It symbolizes Israel's unreliability and inability to defend themselves or achieve their aims, much like a broken weapon.

Why will they be ridiculed in Egypt?

Egypt represents a place of shame and captivity; being ridiculed there emphasizes the severity of their downfall.


Reflection Questionsgenerated

  1. In what ways have I turned away from God, and how can I return to Him?
  2. What are the consequences of my words and actions in my relationships?
  3. How can I ensure that I am relying on God rather than my own strength?
  4. What lessons can I learn from Israel's unfaithfulness to avoid making the same mistakes?

Commentators on this verse — 8 expositors, verse by verse

Each of these wrote on Hosea 7:16 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.

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

They return, [but] not to the most High,.... To Egypt, and not to Jerusalem, and the temple there, and the worship of it; to their idols, and not to him whose name alone is Jehovah, and is the most

Read John Gill on Hosea 7 →
Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's Commentary

They return, but not to the most High: they are like a deceitful bow: their princes shall fall by the sword for the rage of their tongue: this shall be their derision in the land of Egypt.

Read Robert Jamieson on Hosea 7 →
Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy Bible

They return; they sometimes have given some signs of returning, as when Jehu destroyed Baal, or Hoshea gave liberty to Israel to go up to Jerusalem (if it be true which some affirm of him); and if I were sure Hoshea did this, I should think the prophet aimed at it; in this they return, but not to the Most High; Jehu fell off to the calves, and Hoshea’ s reign was wicked too much, though the reigns of other kings were more wicked; what show soever of repentance among them, yet they never thoroughly repented, never fully embraced the law of God. They are like a deceitful bow; all was done (as the similitude elegantly sets it forth) in mere hypocrisy; though they seemed bent for and aiming at…

Read Matthew Poole on Hosea 7 →
John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

Hosea 7:16 They return, [but] not to the most High: they are like a deceitful bow: their princes shall fall by the sword for the rage of their tongue: this [shall be] their derision in the land of Egypt.Ver. 16. They return, but not to the most High] Gnal for Gnelion by contraction; as Jah for Jehovah; so afterwards, Hosea 11:7 2 Samuel 23:1. Return they do, or seem to do at least (for it is their hypocrisy that is here described), but not to the most High: to whom then? to idols, or human helps, or anything rather, and sooner, than to God. Jehu went far in the work of reformation, and made a great flaunt at first, as if he would have done as much that way as ever Josiah did; but he and his…

Read John Trapp on Hosea 7 →
Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(16) Like a deceitful bow.—Religious observance has the appearance of a bow with the arrow on the string, apparently aimed at some object, but the string being slack, the aim is diverted. The “raving insolence of their tongue” may mean the boasts that were made of the friendship of King Shebaka of Egypt, who made Israel his tool. In the land of Egypt they would thus become objects of derision. (Comp. Isaiah’s warning to his countrymen, Isaiah 30:1-8.)

Read Charles John Ellicott on Hosea 7 →
AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible

Verse 16. They return, but not to the Most High] They go to their idols. They are like a deceitful bow] Which, when it is reflexed, in order to be strung, suddenly springs back into its quiescent curve; for the eastern bows stand in their quiescent state in a curve, something like [curved figure "C"]; and in order to be strung must be bended back in the opposite direction. This bending of the bow requires both strength and skill; and if not properly done, it will fly back, and regain its former position; and in this recoil endanger the archer-may even break an arm. I have been in this danger myself in bending the Asiatic bow. For want of this knowledge not one commentator has hit the…

Read AdamClarke on Hosea 7 →
CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

16. They return, but not to the most High] Rather, They turn (i.e. shift or change), but not upwards (as Hosea 11:7). They are not content with passive complaints; they have reached a turning-point in their history, but their way only leads them further and further from the ‘knowledge of God.’ like a deceitful bow] i.e. like a bow which shoots an arrow in a wrong direction, ‘not upwards’, towards Israel’s ‘strong rock’, but earthwards. Cf. the same figure in Psalms 78:57. for the rage of their tongue] ‘Rage’; or insolence (i.e. towards God). The root-meaning (as gathered from Arabic) is to make a grumbling sound, like an irritated camel. Hence the appropriateness of the mention of the…

Read Cambridge on Hosea 7 →
Albert Barnes1798–1870Barnes' Notes on the Bible

They return, but not to the most High - God exhorts by Jeremiah, “If thou wilt return, O Israel, saith the Lord, return unto Me” Jeremiah 4:1.

Read Albert Barnes on Hosea 7 →

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

They turn, but not to the Most High; they are like a faulty bow. Their leaders will fall by the sword for the cursing of their tongue; for this they will be ridiculed in the land of Egypt.

WEBWorld English Bible2000

They return, but not to the Most High. They are like a faulty bow. Their princes will fall by the sword for the rage of their tongue. This will be their derision in the land of Egypt.

MSBMajority Standard Bible2022

They turn, but not to the Most High; they are like a faulty bow. Their leaders will fall by the sword for the cursing of their tongue; for this they will be ridiculed in the land of Egypt.

NETBNew English Translation2006

They turn to Baal; they are like an unreliable bow. Their leaders will fall by the sword because their prayers to Baal have made me angry. So people will disdain them in the land of Egypt.

Tyndale line

KJVKing James Version1611

They return, but not to the most High: they are like a deceitful bow: their princes shall fall by the sword for the rage of their tongue: this shall be their derision in the land of Egypt.

ASVAmerican Standard Version1901

They return, but not to him that is on high; they are like a deceitful bow; their princes shall fall by the sword for the rage of their tongue: this shall be their derision in the land of Egypt.

RVARevised Version, American1894

They return, but not to him that is on high; they are like a deceitful bow: their princes shall fall by the sword for the rage of their tongue: this shall be their derision in the land of Egypt.

NWBWebster's Bible1833

They return, but not to the most High: they are like a deceitful bow: their princes shall fall by the sword for the rage of their tongue: this shall be their derision in the land of Egypt.

GNVGeneva Bible1599

They returne, but not to the most high: they are like a deceitfull bowe: their princes shall fall by the sword, for the rage of their tongues: this shall be their derision in the land of Egypt.

Strictly literal

DBYDarby Translation1890

They return, [but] not to the [Most] High: they are like a deceitful bow. Their princes shall fall by the sword for the rage of their tongue: this shall be their derision in the land of Egypt.

YLTYoung's Literal Translation1862

They turn back — not to the Most High, They have been as a deceitful bow, Fall by sword do their princes, From the insolence of their tongue, This [is] their derision in the land of Egypt!

LSVLiteral Standard Version2020

They turn back—not to the Most High, || They have been as a deceitful bow, || Their princes fall by sword, || From the insolence of their tongue, || This [is] their derision in the land of Egypt!”

ILTInterlinear Literal Translation2000

They never return upward: they are like a deceitful bow: by the sword shall their princes fall because of the rage of their tongue; this shall be their derision in the land of Egypt.

ULBUnlocked Literal Bible2017

They return, but they do not return to me, the Most High. They are like a slack bow. Their officials will fall by the sword because of the insolence of their tongues. This will become their mockery in the land of Egypt.

From the Latin

DRADouay-Rheims (Challoner)1899

They returned, that they might be without yoke: they became like a deceitful bow: their princes shall fall by the sword, for the rage of their tongue. This is their derision in the land of Egypt.

Simplified

FBVFree Bible Version2020

They turn, but not to the Most High; they are like a useless bow. Their leaders will be killed by the sword because of their cursing. Because of this they will be ridiculed in Egypt.

BBEBible in Basic English1949

They have gone to what is of no value; they are like a false bow; their captains will come to destruction by the sword, and their ruler by my wrath; for this, the land of Egypt will make sport of them.

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.

clauseverbיָשׁ֣וּבוּthey.turnadverbialלֹ֣אnotadverbialעָ֗לheightclauseverbהָיוּ֙they.have.becomeprepositional phrase · prepositionalכְּlikenoun phraseקֶ֣שֶׁתa.bowרְמִיָּ֔הof.deceitclauseverbיִפְּל֥וּthey.will.fallprepositional phrase · prepositionalבַbynoun phrasetheחֶ֛רֶבswordnoun phrase · subjectשָׂרֵיleadersהֶ֖םtheirprepositional phrase · prepositionalמִfromnoun phraseזַּ֣עַםthe.indignationnoun phraseלְשׁוֹנָ֑their.tongueםtheirclausesubjectז֥וֹthisnoun phrase · predicateלַעְגָּ֖be].their.mockeryם[willprepositional phrase · prepositionalבְּinnoun phraseאֶ֥רֶץthe.landמִצְרָֽיִםof.Egypt

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 largely agree, with 13 of the 15 words matching in the Septuagint's translation. The Dead Sea Scrolls also align closely, with some words partly restored and others supplied by an editor, indicating a significant level of textual consistency across these witnesses.

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

יָשׁ֣וּבוּ׀ לֹ֣א עָ֗ל הָיוּ֙ כְּקֶ֣שֶׁת רְמִיָּ֔ה יִפְּל֥וּ בַחֶ֛רֶב שָׂרֵיהֶ֖ם מִזַּ֣עַם לְשׁוֹנָ֑ם ז֥וֹ לַעְגָּ֖ם בְּאֶ֥רֶץ מִצְרָֽיִם׃

Septuagintthe Greek the translators chose, word by word
יָשׁ֣וּבוּ׀ἀπεστράφησανלֹ֣אοὐθένהָיוּ֙ἐγένοντοכְּקֶ֣שֶׁתτόχονרְמִיָּ֔הἐντεταμένονיִפְּל֥וּπεσοῦνταιבַחֶ֛רֶבῥομφαίᾳשָׂרֵיהֶ֖םἄρξοντεςמִזַּ֣עַםἀπαιδευσίανלְשׁוֹנָ֑םαὐτῶνז֥וֹοὗτοςבְּאֶ֥רֶץγῇמִצְרָֽיִם׃αἰγύπτῳ

13 of the 15 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 — 4Q82a copy a thousand years older than the Leningrad Codex

[ישובו] [לוא] [על] [היו] כקשת הרומיה יפלו בחרב [שרי׳הם] [מזעם] [לשונ׳ם] [זו] [לעג׳ם] [בארץ] [מצרים]

3 words on the leather — 1 partly restored, 11 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 7:16שׁוּבthey turnthey turnשׁוּבלֹאnotnotלֹאעַלheightheightעַלהָיָהthey have bthey have becomהָיָהקֶ֫שֶׁתlike a bow like a bow ofקֶ֫שֶׁתרְמִיָּהslacknessslacknessרְמִיָּהנָפַלthey will fthey will fallנָפַלחֶ֫רֶבby the sworby the swordחֶ֫רֶבשַׂרleaders theleaders theirשַׂרזַ֫עַםfrom [the] from [the] indiזַ֫עַםלָשׁוֹןtongue theitongue theirלָשׁוֹןזוֹthisthisזוֹלַ֫עַג[will be] m[will be] mockeלַ֫עַגאֶ֫רֶץin [the] lain [the] land oאֶ֫רֶץמִצְרַ֫יִםEgyptEgyptמִצְרַ֫יִםעָלָהto ascend:to ascend: riseעָלָהקָשָׁהto hardento hardenקָשָׁהרָמָהto shootto shootרָמָהחָרֵבto dryto dryחָרֵבשָׂרַרto ruleto ruleשָׂרַרזָעַםbe indignabe indignantזָעַםלָשַׁןto slanderto slanderלָשַׁןלָעַגto mockto mockלָעַגהָוָאto fallto fallהָוָאפָּלַלto prayto prayפָּלַלזֶהthisthisזֶהמָצוֹרEgyptEgyptמָצוֹרחָרוֹןburning anburning angerחָרוֹןחָלָלslain: kilslain: killedחָלָלשְׁבִיתcaptivitycaptivityשְׁבִיתיָכֹלbe ablebe ableיָכֹלעוֹדstillstillעוֹדקָרָאto call: cto call: call tקָרָא
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 7:16

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.

they turn not height they have become like a bow of slackness they will fall by the sword leaders their from [the] indignation of tongue their this [will be] mockery their in [the] land of Egypt
יָשׁ֣וּבוּ׀ya.Shu.vu they turn H7725 Verb · Qal · imperfect third person masculine plural
1,057× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This Hebrew word means to return or turn back, and can be used literally or figuratively. It is often used to describe someone returning to God or repenting from sin, as seen in the book of Psalms and the prophets.
Amplified meaning
return, come back
Tyndale gloss
to return: return
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word שׁוּב (shuwb) means to turn back or return, covering a wide range of contexts including physical, spiritual, and relational. It can denote returning to a previous state, repenting, or even apostatizing. The entries describe various forms and uses, including bringing back, restoring, and refreshing. Notably, it can also imply a change in course of action.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

שׁוּב 1056 vb. turn back, return

Qal 683;—turn back, return:

turn back

return, come or go back

esp. return unto

of dying

of revival from death

fig. of human relations:

return to leader, king

= change so as to appoach (in purpose, desire)

turn, i.e. resort to

return to a physical condition

abs. = change course of action

fig., specif. of spiritual relations:

turn back from God = apostatize

of י׳, turn away

turn back to God (= seek penitently)

abs. repent

turn back from evil

of י׳

of י׳, return (to shew favour)

of inanimate things (sts. personified, or treated as things of life):

denoting repetition, etc.

trans.

Pō‛l.

bring back

fig. restore, refresh

restore, repair

lead away (enticingly)

shew turning = apostatize

Hiph. 353 cause to return, bring back

bring back into bondage

put back

= draw back

= give back, restore

= relinguish

= give in payment, requital

bring one back (from dead)

bring back heart

= refresh

Read the full entry →
Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H7725 שׁוּב turn back, return .—turn back, return: . turn back

. return, come or go back

. esp. return unto

. . of dying

. of revival from death

. fig. of human relations: . return to leader, king

. = change so as to appoach (in purpose, desire)

. turn, i.e. resort to

. return to a physical condition

. abs. = change course of action

. fig., specif. of spiritual relations: . turn back from God = apostatize

. of י׳, turn away

. turn back to God (= seek penitently)

. abs. repent

. turn back from evil

. of י׳

. of י׳, return (to shew favour)

. of inanimate things (sts. personified, or treated as things of life):

. denoting repetition, etc.

. trans.

. . bring back

. . fig. restore, refresh

. restore, repair

. lead away (enticingly)

. shew turning = apostatize

. cause to return, bring back . . bring back into bondage

. put back

. = draw back

. = give back, restore

. = relinguish

. = give in payment, requital

Read the full entry →
Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

7725 shuwb shoob

a primitive root; to turn back (hence, away) transitively or

intransitively, literally or figuratively (not necessarily

with the idea of return to the starting point); generally to

retreat; often adverbial, again:--((break, build, circumcise,

dig, do anything, do evil, feed, lay down, lie down, lodge,

make, rejoice, send, take, weep)) X again, (cause to) answer

(+ again), X in any case (wise), X at all, averse, bring

(again, back, home again), call (to mind), carry again (back),

cease, X certainly, come again (back), X consider, +

continually, convert, deliver (again), + deny, draw back,

fetch home again, X fro, get (oneself) (back) again, X give

(again), go again (back, home), (go) out, hinder, let, (see)

more, X needs, be past, X pay, pervert, pull in again, put

(again, up again), recall, recompense, recover, refresh,

relieve, render (again), requite, rescue, restore, retrieve,

Read the full entry →
Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

שׁוּב (shuv) — to return: return.

: return

1) to return, turn back

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to turn back, return

1a1a) to turn back

1a1b) to return, come or go back

1a1c) to return unto, go back, come back

1a1d) of dying

1a1e) of human relations (fig)

1a1f) of spiritual relations (fig)

1a1f1) to turn back (from God), apostatise

1a1f2) to turn away (of God)

1a1f3) to turn back (to God), repent

1a1f4) turn back (from evil)

1a1g) of inanimate things

1a1h) in repetition

1b) (Polel)

1b1) to bring back

1b2) to restore, refresh, repair (fig)

1b3) to lead away (enticingly)

1b4) to show turning, apostatise

1c) (Pual) restored (participle)

1d) (Hiphil) to cause to return, bring back

1d1) to bring back, allow to return, put back, draw back, give back, restore, relinquish, give in payment

1d2) to bring back, refresh, restore

1d3) to bring back, report to, answer

1d4) to bring back, make requital, pay (as recompense)

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
V-Qal-Imperf-3mp — Verb · Qal · imperfect third person masculine plural
HVqi3mp
The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
they turn not height they have become like a bow of slackness they will fall by the sword leaders their from [the] indignation of tongue their this [will be] mockery their in [the] land of Egypt
לֹ֣אlo' not H3808 Particle
5,170× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
The Hebrew word for not or no is used to indicate absence or negation, as when God says no to the Israelites' requests, or when they disobey His commands.
Tyndale gloss
not
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

לֹא (lo') is a Hebrew word meaning 'not' or 'no.' It serves as a simple negation and can imply absence or prohibition. The word can also be used in various contexts, often combined with other particles for emphasis or clarification. Its Aramaic equivalent is לָא (la), which also means 'not.'

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

לֹא or לוֹא adv. not

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H3808 לֹא or לוֹא not

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

3808 lo' lo

or lowi {lo}; or loh (Deut. 3:11) {lo}; a primitive particle;

not (the simple or abs. negation); by implication, no; often

used with other particles (as follows):--X before, + or else,

ere, + except, ig(-norant), much, less, nay, neither, never,

no((-ne), -r, (-thing)), (X as though...,(can-), for) not (out

of), of nought, otherwise, out of, + surely, + as truly as, +

of a truth, + verily, for want, + whether, without.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

לֹא (lo) — not.

1) not, no

1a) not (with verb-absolute prohibition)

1b) not (with modifier-negation)

1c) nothing (subst)

1d) without (with particle)

1e) before (of time)

Aramaic equivalent: la (לָא "not" H3809)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Part — Particle
HTn
The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
they turn not height they have become like a bow of slackness they will fall by the sword leaders their from [the] indignation of tongue their this [will be] mockery their in [the] land of Egypt
עָ֗ל'Al height H5920 Noun common · masculine singular absolute
4× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This word refers to something high up, like a great height or even God Himself. It can also mean something is above or high up, like in Psalm 92:8 where God is the most High.
Amplified meaning
the supreme God, above all
Tyndale gloss
height
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

עַל (al) primarily means 'height' and can refer to the Most High, specifically God. It serves as a preposition meaning 'upon' or 'above,' indicating elevation, addition, or proximity. The word is built from the root meaning 'to rise' and has a broad range of uses, including idiomatic expressions and various grammatical functions.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

עַל, עָ֑ל

subst. height

As prep. upon, and hence on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against

Upon, of the substratum upon which an object in any way rests, or on which an action is performed

of clothing, etc., which any one wears

With verbs of covering or protecting, even though the cover or veil be not over or above the thing covered, but around or before it

Of what rests heavily upon a person, or is a burden to him

Of a duty, payment, care, etc., imposed upon a person, or devolving on him

על is used idiom. to give pathos to the expression of an emotion, by emphasizing the person who is its subject, and who, as it were, feels it acting upon him

חָיָה עַל to live upon (as upon a foundation or support)

Of the ground or basis, on which a thing is done

Read the full entry →
Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H5920 עַל, עָ֑ל I. subst. height

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

5920 `al al

from 5927; properly, the top; specifically, the highest (i.e.

God); also (adverb) aloft, to Jehovah:--above, high, most

High.

see HEBREW for 05927

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

עַל (al) — Most High.

Another name of ye.ho.vah (יהוה "LORD" H3068G)

עַל (al) — height.

subst

1) height

adv

2) above, upwards, on high

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-ms — Noun common · masculine singular absolute
HNcmsa
The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
they turn not height they have become like a bow of slackness they will fall by the sword leaders their from [the] indignation of tongue their this [will be] mockery their in [the] land of Egypt
הָיוּ֙ha.Yu they have become H1961 Verb · Qal · perfect third person common plural
3,562× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
The Hebrew word for to be means to exist or come into being. It is used to describe something that happens or comes to pass, like in Genesis where God creates the world.
Tyndale gloss
to be
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word הָיָה (hayah) is a primitive root meaning to exist or become, and it encompasses a range of meanings including to happen, occur, and come to pass. It is often used in narrative contexts, particularly in phrases like "and it came to pass." The word can also denote a state of being or existence, and it appears frequently in various forms throughout the Old Testament.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

הָיָה 3570 vb. fall out, come to pass, become, be

Qal

Fall out, happen

occur, take place, come about, come to pass

esp. & very oft., come about, come to pass

וַיְהִי and it came to pass that, most often (c. 292 t.)

rarely also Pf. c. וְ conj. וְהָיָה

less oft. וְהָיָה Pf. consec. and it shall come to pass, or frequentat. came to pass (repeatedly, etc.)

Come into being, become

abs., in lively narrative, arise, appear, come

sq. prep.

become

sq. pred. noun (to be viewed as implicit accus.)

sq. pred. adj.

become like

sq. pred. לְ pers.

sq. לְ pred.

oft. c. לְ pred. לְ pers.

with עַל and לְ

sts. c. לְ pers. only = became the property of, come into the possession of

Be (often with subbordinate idea of becoming)

exist, be in existence

abide, remain, continue

with word of locality, be in or at a place, be situated, stand, lie

as copula, joining subj. & pred.

Read the full entry →
Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H1961 הָיָה fall out, come to pass, become, be .. . . Fall out, happen

. occur, take place, come about, come to pass

. esp. & very oft., come about, come to pass . . וַיְהִי and it came to pass that, most often (c. 292 t.)

. rarely also Pf. c. וְ conj. וְהָיָה

. less oft. וְהָיָה Pf. consec. and it shall come to pass, or frequentat. came to pass (repeatedly, etc.)

. Come into being, become . . abs., in lively narrative, arise, appear, come

. sq. prep.

. become . sq. pred. noun (to be viewed as implicit accus.)

. sq. pred. adj.

. become like

. sq. pred. + לְ pers.

. sq. לְ pred.

. oft. c. לְ pred. + לְ pers.

. with עַל and לְ

. sts. c. לְ pers. only = became the property of, come into the possession of

. Be (often with subbordinate idea of becoming) . exist, be in existence

. abide, remain, continue

Read the full entry →
Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

1961 hayah haw-yaw

a primitive root (compare 1933); to exist, i.e. be or become,

come to pass (always emphatic, and not a mere copula or

auxiliary):--beacon, X altogether, be(-come), accomplished,

committed, like), break, cause, come (to pass), do, faint,

fall, + follow, happen, X have, last, pertain, quit

(one-)self, require, X use.

see HEBREW for 01933

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

הָיָה (ha.yah) — to be.

1) to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out

1a) (Qal)

1a1) ---

1a1a) to happen, fall out, occur, take place, come about, come to pass

1a1b) to come about, come to pass

1a2) to come into being, become

1a2a) to arise, appear, come

1a2b) to become

1a2b1) to become

1a2b2) to become like

1a2b3) to be instituted, be established

1a3) to be

1a3a) to exist, be in existence

1a3b) to abide, remain, continue (with word of place or time)

1a3c) to stand, lie, be in, be at, be situated (with word of locality)

1a3d) to accompany, be with

1b) (Niphal)

1b1) to occur, come to pass, be done, be brought about

1b2) to be done, be finished, be gone

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
V-Qal-Perf-3cp — Verb · Qal · perfect third person common plural
HVqp3cp
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

be-kum':

(1) Greek ginomai, used in New Testament for a change of state, corresponding to Hebrew hayah of Old Testament. Compare Mt 18:3 with De 27:9.

(2) For what is fitting, suitable, proper, in New Testament: "prepei" (Mt 3:15; Eph 5:3; 1Ti 2:10); in Old Testament, na'awah, na'ah, Ps 93:5: "Holiness becometh thy house." in this sense, the adverb "becomingly" must be interpreted: "Walk becomingly toward them that are without" (1Th 4:12), i.e. in a way that is consistent with your profession.

they turn not height they have become like a bow of slackness they will fall by the sword leaders their from [the] indignation of tongue their this [will be] mockery their in [the] land of Egypt
כְּקֶ֣שֶׁתke.Ke.shet like a bow of H7198 Preposition · noun common feminine singular construct
76× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
The Hebrew word for bow refers to a weapon used for hunting or battle, but also symbolizes strength and is used to describe a rainbow. In the Bible, it appears in Genesis and other books. It represents power and beauty.
Tyndale gloss
bow
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

קֶ֫שֶׁת (qesheth) primarily means 'bow,' referring to a weapon for hunting or battle, and can also denote 'rainbow.' It is derived from a root meaning to bend, suggesting strength. The term encompasses both literal and figurative uses, including references to archers and might.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

קֶ֫שֶׁת n.f. bow

bow

rainbow

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H7198 קֶ֫שֶׁת bow . bow

. rainbow

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

7198 qesheth keh'-sheth

from 7185 in the original sense (of 6983) of bending: a bow,

for shooting (hence, figuratively, strength) or the iris:--X

arch(-er), + arrow, bow((-man, -shot)).

see HEBREW for 07185

see HEBREW for 06983

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

קֶ֫שֶׁת (qe.shet) — bow.

1) bow

1a) bow (for hunting, battle)

1b) bowmen, archers

1c) bow (fig. of might)

1d) rainbow

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Prep | N-fs — 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…

they turn not height they have become like a bow of slackness they will fall by the sword leaders their from [the] indignation of tongue their this [will be] mockery their in [the] land of Egypt
רְמִיָּ֔הre.mi.Yah slackness H7423 Noun common · feminine singular absolute
15× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
Remiyah refers to slackness or deceit, describing someone who is idle or treacherous, as seen in various KJV translations. It implies a lack of effort or loyalty.
Amplified meaning
deceitful, useless
Tyndale gloss
deceit
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

רְמִיָּה (rmiyah) refers to both deceit and slackness. It is derived from the root word for remissness and encompasses meanings such as treachery, guile, and idleness. The entries indicate a dual focus on moral failure and a lack of diligence, but do not provide specific verse references.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

רְמִיָּה n.f. deceit, treachery

base

רְמִיָּה n.f. laxness, slackness

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H7423a רְמִיָּה deceit, treachery H7423b רְמִיָּה laxness, slackness

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

7423 rmiyah rem-ee-yaw'

from 7411; remissness, treachery:--deceit(- ful, -fully),

false, guile, idle, slack, slothful.

see HEBREW for 07411

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

רְמִיָּה (re.miy.yah) — deceit.

deceit, treachery

רְמִיָּה (re.miy.yah) — slackness.

laxness, slackness, slackening

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-fs — Noun common · feminine singular absolute
HNcfsa
they turn not height they have become like a bow of slackness they will fall by the sword leaders their from [the] indignation of tongue their this [will be] mockery their in [the] land of Egypt
יִפְּל֥וּyi.pe.Lu they will fall H5307 Verb · Qal · imperfect third person masculine plural
435× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
In the Bible, this Hebrew word means to fall, and it's used in many ways, like falling down, failing, or being defeated. It appears in books like Genesis and Isaiah. God's people often fell away from Him, but He always offered a way back.
Tyndale gloss
to fall: fall
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

נָפַל (naphal) is a Hebrew verb meaning 'to fall,' encompassing a wide range of applications, including falling by accident, experiencing violent death, or going to ruin. It can also refer to prostrating oneself, attacking, or causing someone to fall. The term appears in various contexts throughout the Old Testament, often indicating physical or metaphorical downfall.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

נָפַל 433 vb. fall, lie

Qal 366

fall, by accident

Esp. of violent death

fig. = go to ruin, perish, etc.

fig. = experience calamity

fall, of a city

Fall prostrate

fall = prostrate oneself before

fall upon one's neck, in embrace

Fall upon = attack

desert or fall away to, go over to

Fig., of deep sleep

Other idiomatic uses

= lie; = lie prostrate

Hiph.

cause to fall

Of causing death; = overthrow, bring to destruction

Esp. of casting lot

Fig., let drop, cause to fail

cause deep sleep to fall

Other idioms

Hithp. throw, or prostrate oneself

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H5307 נָפַל fall, lie .. fall, by accident

. . Esp. of violent death

. fig. = go to ruin, perish, etc.

. fig. = experience calamity

. fall, of a city

. . Fall prostrate

. fall = prostrate oneself before

. fall upon one's neck, in embrace

. . Fall upon = attack

. desert or fall away to, go over to

. Fig., of deep sleep

. Other idiomatic uses

. = lie; = lie prostrate

. . cause to fall

. Of causing death; = overthrow, bring to destruction

. Esp. of casting lot

. Fig., let drop, cause to fail

. cause deep sleep to fall

. Other idioms

. throw, or prostrate oneself

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

5307 naphal naw-fal'

a primitive root; to fall, in a great variety of applications

(intransitive or causative, literal or figurative):--be

accepted, cast (down, self, (lots), out), cease, die, divide

(by lot), (let) fail, (cause to, let, make, ready to) fall

(away, down, -en, -ing), fell(-ing), fugitive, have

(inheritance), inferior, be judged (by mistake for 6419), lay

(along), (cause to) lie down, light (down), be (X hast) lost,

lying, overthrow, overwhelm, perish, present(-ed, -ing), (make

to) rot, slay, smite out, X surely, throw down.

see HEBREW for 06419

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

נָפַל (na.phal) — to fall: fall.

: fall/drop/fail

1) to fall, lie, be cast down, fail

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to fall

1a2) to fall (of violent death)

1a3) to fall prostrate, prostrate oneself before

1a4) to fall upon, attack, desert, fall away to, go away to, fall into the hand of

1a5) to fall short, fail, fall out, turn out, result

1a6) to settle, waste away, be offered, be inferior to

1a7) to lie, lie prostrate

1b) (Hiphil)

1b1) to cause to fall, fell, throw down, knock out, lay prostrate

1b2) to overthrow

1b3) to make the lot fall, assign by lot, apportion by lot

1b4) to let drop, cause to fail (fig.)

1b5) to cause to fall

1c) (Hithpael)

1c1) to throw or prostrate oneself, throw oneself upon

1c2) to lie prostrate, prostrate oneself

1d) (Pilel) to fall

נָפַל (na.phal) — to fall: deserting.

: deserting

1) to fall, lie, be cast down, fail

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to fall

1a2) to fall (of violent death)

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
V-Qal-Imperf-3mp — Verb · Qal · imperfect third person masculine plural
HVqi3mp
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

fol (vb.): The idea of falling is most frequently expressed in Hebrew by naphal, but also by many other words; in Greek by pipto, and its compounds. The uses of the word in Scripture are very varied. There is the literal falling by descent; the falling of the countenance in sorrow, shame, anger, etc. (Ge 4:5,6); the falling in battle (Ge 14:10; Nu 14:3, etc.); the falling into trouble, etc. (Pr 24:16,17); prostration in supplication and reverence (Ge 17:3; Nu 14:5, etc.); falling of the Spirit of Yahweh (Eze 11:5

they turn not height they have become like a bow of slackness they will fall by the sword leaders their from [the] indignation of tongue their this [will be] mockery their in [the] land of Egypt
בַחֶ֛רֶבva.Che.rev by the sword H2719 Preposition · noun common feminine singular absolute
413× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
A sword or cutting instrument is what this Hebrew word refers to, including knives and tools for cutting stone. It is used in the Bible to describe weapons and sharp objects.
Amplified meaning
cutting instrument, weapon
Tyndale gloss
sword
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

חֶ֫רֶב (chereb) means 'sword' and can also refer to other cutting instruments like knives and tools. It is derived from a root meaning 'drought,' highlighting its destructive nature. The term is used in various contexts in the Old Testament, primarily to denote weapons.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

חֶ֫רֶב 411 n.f. sword (as weapon)

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H2719 חֶ֫רֶב sword (as weapon)

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

2719 chereb kheh'-reb

from 2717; drought; also a cutting instrument (from its

destructive effect), as a knife, sword, or other sharp

implement:--axe, dagger, knife, mattock, sword, tool.

see HEBREW for 02717

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

חֶ֫רֶב (che.rev) — sword.

1) sword, knife

1a) sword

1b) knife

1c) tools for cutting stone

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

sord.

See ARMOR, III, 5.

Easton's Bible Dictionary

Sword

Of the Hebrew was pointed, sometimes two-edged, was worn in a sheath, and suspended from the girdle (Ex. 32:27; 1 Sam. 31:4; 1 Chr. 21:27; Ps. 149:6: Prov. 5:4; Ezek. 16:40; 21:3-5).

It is a symbol of divine chastisement (Deut. 32:25; Ps. 7:12; 78:62), and of a slanderous tongue (Ps. 57:4; 64:3; Prov. 12:18). The word of God is likened also to a…

Smith's Bible Dictionary

[ARMS, ARMOR]

Nave's Topical Bible

→ Used by

Gideon Jud 7:20

Goliath 1Sa 21:9

Peter Mt 26:51; Joh 18:10

→ David' s army equipped with 1Ch 21:5

→ To be beaten into plowshares Isa 2:4; Mic 4:3

→ Made of plowshares Joe 3:10

→ Two-edged Heb 4:12; Re 1:16; 2:12

→ FIGURATIVE

Of war Ge 27:40

they turn not height they have become like a bow of slackness they will fall by the sword leaders their from [the] indignation of tongue their this [will be] mockery their in [the] land of Egypt
שָׂרֵיהֶ֖םsa.rei.Hem leaders their H8269 Noun common masculine plural construct · suffix
421× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
A leader or person in charge, like a prince or captain, as seen in the Bible with King David and other rulers.
Amplified meaning
princes, rulers
Tyndale gloss
ruler
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

שַׂר (sar) refers to a leader or ruler, encompassing a range of meanings from prince and chief to official and captain. It denotes various ranks, including military commanders and religious leaders, and can also imply a noble or merchant of high status. The word is derived from a root meaning 'to rule'.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

שַׂר 420 n.m. chieftain, chief, ruler, official, captain, prince

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H8269 שַׂר chieftain, chief, ruler, official, captain, prince

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

8269 sar sar

from 8323; a head person (of any rank or class):--captain

(that had rule), chief (captain), general, governor, keeper,

lord, ((-task- ))master, prince(-ipal), ruler, steward.

see HEBREW for 08323

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

שַׂר (sar) — ruler.

1) prince, ruler, leader, chief, chieftain, official, captain

1a) chieftain, leader

1b) vassal, noble, official (under king)

1c) captain, general, commander (military)

1d) chief, head, overseer (of other official classes)

1e) heads, princes (of religious office)

1f) elders (of representative leaders of people)

1g) merchant-princes (of rank and dignity)

1h) patron-angel

1i) Ruler of rulers (of God)

1j) warden

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-mp | Suff — Noun common masculine plural construct · suffix
HNcmpc/Sp3mp
they turn not height they have become like a bow of slackness they will fall by the sword leaders their from [the] indignation of tongue their this [will be] mockery their in [the] land of Egypt
מִזַּ֣עַםmi.Za.'am from [the] indignation of H2195 Preposition · noun common masculine singular construct
22× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This word refers to intense anger or fury, often used to describe God's displeasure with sin. In Deuteronomy 9:19, it is used to describe God's indignation towards the Israelites for worshiping a golden calf. It is a strong feeling of anger or rage.
Amplified meaning
rage, indignation
Tyndale gloss
indignation
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

זַ֫עַם (za`am) refers to indignation or anger, particularly in the context of God's displeasure with sin. It is derived from the root word for frothing at the mouth, emphasizing a strong emotional response. The entries consistently highlight its use to convey fury and rage.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

זַ֫עַם n.m. indignation

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H2195 זַ֫עַם indignation

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

2195 za`am zah'-am

from 2194; strictly froth at the mouth, i.e. (figuratively)

fury (especially of God's displeasure with sin):--angry,

indignation, rage.

see HEBREW for 02194

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

זַ֫עַם (za.am) — indignation.

anger, indignation

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Prep | N-ms — Preposition · noun common masculine singular construct
HR/Ncmsc
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…

they turn not height they have become like a bow of slackness they will fall by the sword leaders their from [the] indignation of tongue their this [will be] mockery their in [the] land of Egypt
לְשׁוֹנָ֑םle.sho.Nam tongue their H3956 Noun common both singular construct · suffix
117× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
The tongue, used for eating, speaking, or describing a language. In the Bible, it appears in many books, including Genesis 11:1 and Acts 2:4.
Amplified meaning
language, speech
Tyndale gloss
tongue
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word לָשׁוֹן (*lashon*) primarily means 'tongue,' referring to both the organ of speech in humans and animals. It can also denote 'language' and has figurative uses, such as a 'tongue-shaped' wedge or bay. The entries highlight its literal and metaphorical applications, but do not present any significant disagreements among the lexicons.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

לָשׁוֹן n.m. and (more oft.) f. tongue

tongue of men

= language

tongue of animals

tongue of fire

= (tongue-shaped) wedge of gold

= (tongue-shaped) bay of sea

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H3956 לָשׁוֹן tongue . tongue of men

. = language

. tongue of animals

. tongue of fire

. = (tongue-shaped) wedge of gold

. = (tongue-shaped) bay of sea

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

3956 lashown law-shone'

or lashon {law-shone'}; also (in plural) feminine lshonah

{lesh-o-naw'}; from 3960; the tongue (of man or animals), used

literally (as the instrument of licking, eating, or speech),

and figuratively (speech, an ingot, a fork of flame, a cove of

water):--+ babbler,bay, + evil speaker, language, talker,

tongue, wedge.

see HEBREW for 03960

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

לָשׁוֹן (la.shon) — tongue.

: tongue/words

1) tongue

1a) tongue (of men)

1a1) tongue (literal)

1a2) tongue (organ of speech)

1b) language

1c) tongue (of animals)

1d) tongue (of fire)

1e) wedge, bay of sea (tongue-shaped)

לָשׁוֹן (la.shon) — tongue: language.

: language

1) tongue

1a) tongue (of men)

1a1) tongue (literal)

1a2) tongue (organ of speech)

1b) language

1c) tongue (of animals)

1d) tongue (of fire)

1e) wedge, bay of sea (tongue-shaped)

לָשׁוֹן (la.shon) — tongue: bar.

: bar/projection/bay

1) tongue

1a) tongue (of men)

1a1) tongue (literal)

1a2) tongue (organ of speech)

1b) language

1c) tongue (of animals)

1d) tongue (of fire)

1e) wedge, bay of sea (tongue-shaped)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-cs | Suff — Noun common both singular construct · suffix
HNcbsc/Sp3mp
they turn not height they have become like a bow of slackness they will fall by the sword leaders their from [the] indignation of tongue their this [will be] mockery their in [the] land of Egypt
ז֥וֹzo this H2097 Particle
2× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
In the Bible, this word is used to point out something specific, like in Genesis 2:23 where Adam says 'this is now bone of my bones'. It's a way of saying 'this one' or 'that one'.
Amplified meaning
this situation, circumstance
Tyndale gloss
this
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

זוֹ (zow) is a demonstrative pronoun meaning 'this' or 'that.' It appears in contexts such as Hosea 7:16 and Psalm 132:12. The entries indicate that it can function as a relative pronoun as well, but there is no significant disagreement among the lexicons regarding its meaning or usage.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

זוֹ i.q. זֹה (q.v.): only Ho 7:16b this is their derision; and (as relat.) ψ 132:12 and my testimony which

ref

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H2097 זוֹ

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

2097 zow zo

for 2088; this or that:--that, this.

see HEBREW for 02088

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

זוֹ (zo) — this.

demons pron

1) this, such rel pron f

2) which

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Pron — Particle
HTm
they turn not height they have become like a bow of slackness they will fall by the sword leaders their from [the] indignation of tongue their this [will be] mockery their in [the] land of Egypt
לַעְגָּ֖םla'.Gam [will be] mockery their H3933 Noun common masculine singular construct · suffix
7× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
Derision or scoffing is what this word is all about, describing a strong feeling of contempt or mocking.
Amplified meaning
scoffed, mocked
Tyndale gloss
derision
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

לַ֫עַג (la'ag) refers to mocking or derision, and it can also denote stammering. It is derived from the root word associated with scorn and is used in contexts that involve ridicule. The entries consistently emphasize its meanings related to mockery and scorn.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

לַ֫עַג n.[m.] mocking, derision, (barbarous) stammering

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H3933 לַ֫עַג

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

3933 la`ag lah'-ag

from 3932; derision, scoffing:--derision, scorn (-ing).

see HEBREW for 03932

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

לַ֫עַג (la.ag) — derision.

1) mocking, derision, stammering

1a) mocking, derision

1b) stammerings

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-ms | Suff — Noun common masculine singular construct · suffix
HNcmsc/Sp3mp
they turn not height they have become like a bow of slackness they will fall by the sword leaders their from [the] indignation of tongue their this [will be] mockery their in [the] land of Egypt
בְּאֶ֥רֶץbe.'E.retz in [the] 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
country, territory
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…

they turn not height they have become like a bow of slackness they will fall by the sword leaders their from [the] indignation of tongue their this [will be] mockery their in [the] land of Egypt
מִצְרָֽיִם׃mitz.Ra.yim Egypt H4714 Noun proper
641× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This word means Egypt, a country in northeastern Africa, and is used in the Bible to describe the land and its people. It appears in books like Genesis and Isaiah, often referring to the Nile River and the Egyptians. Egypt is an important setting for many biblical events.
Amplified meaning
a nation in northeastern Africa
Tyndale gloss
(Sea of) Egypt
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

מִצְרַ֫יִם (mitsrayim) refers to Egypt, a country in northeastern Africa known for the Nile River. The term can denote both the land and its inhabitants, the Egyptians. It is derived from a dual form suggesting Upper and Lower Egypt, and is linked to the biblical figure Mizraim, a son of Ham. The lexicons note its significance in the context of the table of nations.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

מִצְרַ֫יִם 681 n.pr.terr. et gent. Egypt, Egyptians

of land, Egypt

combinations

of people:

in table of nations, personif. as second son of Ham

= Egypt (as a people), Egyptians

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H4714 מִצְרַ֫יִם Egypt, Egyptians . . of land, Egypt

. combinations

. of people: . in table of nations, personif. as second son of Ham

. = Egypt (as a people), Egyptians

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

4714 Mitsrayim mits-rah'-yim

dual of 4693; Mitsrajim, i.e. Upper and Lower Egypt:--Egypt,

Egyptians, Mizraim.

see HEBREW for 04693

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

מִצְרַ֫יִם (mits.ra.yim) — Egypt.

§ Egypt = "land of the Copts"

a country at the northeastern section of Africa, adjacent to Palestine, and through which the Nile flows

Egyptians = "double straits"

מִצְרַ֫יִם (mits.ra.yim) — Egypt.

A man living at the time of the Patriarchs, first mentioned at Gen.10.6;

son of: Ham (H2526);

brother of: Canaan (H3667), Cush (H3568) and Put (H6316);

father of: Ludim (H3866), Anamim (H6047), Lehabim (H3853), Naphtuhim (H5320), Pathrusim (H6625), Casluhim (H3695) and Caphtorim (H3732)

§ Egypt = "land of the Copts"

1) a country at the northeastern section of Africa, adjacent to Palestine, and through which the Nile flows

Egyptians = "double straits"

adj

2) the inhabitants or natives of Egypt

מִצְרַ֫יִם (mits.ra.yim) — (Sea of) Egypt.

§ Egypt = "land of the Copts"

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-proper — Noun proper
HNpl
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

e'-jipt:

I. THE COUNTRY

1. The Basis of the Land 2. The Nile Valley 3. Earliest Human Remains 4. Climate 5. Conditions of Life 6. The Nile 7. The Fauna 8. The Flora 9. The Prehistoric Races

II. THE HISTORY

1. 1st and 2nd Ages: Prehistoric 2. 3d Age: Ist and IInd Dynasties 3. 4th Age: IIIrd through VIth Dynasties 4. 5th Age: VIIth through XIVth Dynasties 5. 6th Age: XVth through XXIVth Dynasties 6. 7th Age: XXVth Dynasty to Roman Times 7. 8th Age: Arabic 8. Early Foreign Connections

III. THE OLD TESTAMENT CONNECTIONS

1. Semitic Connections 2. Abramic Times 3. Circumcision 4. Joseph 5. Descent into Egypt 6. The Oppression 7. The Historic Position 8. The Plagues 9. Date of the Exodus 10. Route of the Exodus 11. Numbers of the Exodus 12. Israel in Canaan 13. Hadad 14. Pharaoh's Daughter 15. Shishak 16. Zerakh 17. The Ethiopians 18. Tahpanhes 19. Hophra 20. The Jews of Syene 21. The New Jerusalem…

Easton's Bible Dictionary

Egypt

The land of the Nile and the pyramids, the oldest kingdom of which we have any record, holds a place of great significance in Scripture.

The Egyptians belonged to the white race, and their original home is still a matter of dispute. Many scholars believe that it was in Southern Arabia, and recent excavations have shown that the valley of the Nile was originally inhabited by a low-class population, perhaps belonging to the Nigritian stock, before the Egyptians of history entered it. The ancient Egyptian language, of which the latest form is Coptic, is distantly connected with the Semitic family of speech.

Egypt consists geographically of two halves, the northern being the Delta, and the southern Upper Egypt, between Cairo and the First Cataract. In the Old Testament, Northern or Lower Egypt is called Mazor, “the fortified land” (Isa.…

A celebrated country in the north of Africa, at the eastern part of the Mediterranean Sea. The Hebrews called it Mizraim, Ge 10:6, and hence it is now called by the Arabs, Mizr. The Greeks and Romans called it Aegyptus, whence Egypt; but the origin of this name is unknown.

The habitable land of Egypt is for the most part a great valley, through which the river Nile pours its waters, extending in a straight line from north to south, and skirted on the east and west by ranges of mountains, which approach and recede from the river more or less in different parts. Where this valley terminates, towards the north, the Nile divides itself, about forty or fifty miles from the seacoast, into several arms, which inclose the so-called Delta. The ancients numbered seven arms and mouths; the eastern was that of Pelusium, now that of Tineh; and the…

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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