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Isaiah 12:2 — Word Study

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WLCהִנֵּ֨ה אֵ֧ל יְשׁוּעָתִ֛י אֶבְטַ֖ח וְלֹ֣א אֶפְחָ֑ד כִּֽי־ עָזִּ֤י וְזִמְרָת֙ יָ֣הּ יְהוָ֔ה וַֽיְהִי־ לִ֖י לִֽישׁוּעָֽה׃

BSASurelyhinnêh Godʼêl [the Almighty, my Savior] is my salvationyᵉshûwʻâh [deliverance, victory] I will trustbâṭach [have faith, rely] and notlôʼ be afraidpâchad [dread, fear] Forkîy the LORDYâhh [Jah, Yehovah] GODYᵉhôvâh is my strengthʻôz [power, might] and my songzimrâth [praise, melody] and He also has becomehâyâh salvationyᵉshûwʻâh [rescue, liberation]

Word
Listen & take awayIsaiah 12
English ↓ Download MP3 The Berean Standard Bible chapter audio already hosted for the site's Bible section — verse 2 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 (Li.shu.'Ah) — no per-word recordings of the Hebrew exist to link to.
Take it away
Isaiah 12:2quick helps
In a sentenceIsaiah expresses confidence in God as his salvation and strength, proclaiming trust over fear.
Who is speakingIsaiah, declaring his personal faith and experience with God.
Where we areA song of praise for God's deliverance, set in a context of joy and gratitude.
The hard wordיְשׁוּעָתִי
Take awayGod is both the source of strength and the reason for joy.
8 commentators on this verse Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them › clause subjectאֵל verbבָּטַח 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 — Isaiah 12:2

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 — A Song of Praise for Salvationgenerated

1In that day you will say: “O LORD, I will praise You. Although You were angry with me, Your anger has turned away, and You have comforted me.
2Surely God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid. For the LORD GOD is my strength and my song, and He also has become my salvation.”
3With joy you will draw water from the springs of salvation,
4and on that day you will say: “Give praise to the LORD; proclaim His name! Make His works known among the peoples; declare that His name is exalted.

Isaiah 12:2 emphasizes the joy and confidence that comes from recognizing God as one's salvation. This verse is part of a larger passage that celebrates God's deliverance, encouraging the faithful to proclaim His greatness and share the joy of salvation with others. The surrounding verses highlight the transformation from fear to trust, showcasing God's comforting presence and strength.


Cross References

ReferenceText (BSB)
1Isaiah 7:14Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call Him Immanuel.
2Isaiah 9:6–7For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given, and the government will be upon His shoulders. And He will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
3Isaiah 45:17–22But Israel will be saved by the LORD with an everlasting salvation; you will not be put to shame or humiliated, to ages everlasting.
4Psalm 27:1The LORD is my light and my salvation— whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life— whom shall I dread?
5Jeremiah 3:23Surely deception comes from the hills, and commotion from the mountains. Surely the salvation of Israel is in the LORD our God.

The Key Word יְשׁוּעָתִי, ye.shu.'a.Tigenerated

The Hebrew word יְשׁוּעָה (yeshu'ah) means salvation and encompasses concepts of deliverance, victory, and welfare. It is derived from a root meaning to save, emphasizing both physical and spiritual rescue.

In this verse, it highlights the personal nature of salvation, as Isaiah declares it as my salvation, indicating a deep, personal relationship with God as the source of his deliverance.


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 verse is structured around a series of clauses, with the finite verb אֶבְטַח (I will trust) as the central action. It is supported by a negation וְלֹא (and not) and a subsequent verb אֶפְחָד (I will be in dread), creating a contrast between trust and fear.

The order emphasizes Isaiah's declaration of faith, leading with his trust in God before addressing his fears, which is a common rhetorical strategy in Hebrew poetry.


Septuagint Backgroundgenerated

In the Septuagint, יְשׁוּעָה is rendered as σωτηρίαν (sōtērian), which also means salvation but carries a connotation of preservation or safety. This choice reflects a broader interpretation of salvation that includes ongoing protection.

The use of σωτηρίαν indicates the translators' understanding of salvation not only as a one-time event but as a continuous state of being saved or preserved by God.


In plain words — the whole versegenerated

Isaiah 12:2 expresses the prophet's confidence in God, stating that God is his personal salvation. Isaiah declares his trust in God and chooses not to fear, recognizing God as his strength and song. This verse is a powerful affirmation of faith and the joy that comes from knowing God as a deliverer.


Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated

What does Isaiah mean by 'God is my salvation'?

Isaiah is expressing that God is the source of his deliverance and safety, indicating a personal relationship where God actively saves and protects him.

Why does Isaiah say he will not be afraid?

Isaiah's declaration of trust in God is a choice to rely on God's strength rather than succumbing to fear, reflecting a common theme in the Bible where faith overcomes fear.

What is the significance of God being described as both strength and song?

By referring to God as his strength and song, Isaiah highlights the dual nature of God's support: providing physical strength and inspiring joy through praise.

How does this verse connect to the surrounding context?

This verse is part of a larger song of praise that celebrates God's deliverance, emphasizing the transformation from despair to joy and the communal aspect of proclaiming God's greatness.


Reflection Questionsgenerated

  1. In what ways have I experienced God as my salvation in my life?
  2. How can I cultivate a deeper trust in God amidst my fears?
  3. What songs or praises do I offer to God in response to His strength in my life?
  4. How does understanding God as my strength change the way I face challenges?

Commentators on this verse — 8 expositors, verse by verse

Each of these wrote on Isaiah 12:2 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.

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

Behold, God [is] my salvation,.... Or Saviour; that is, Christ, who is God, the great God, and so fit to be a Saviour, and is one, was appointed by the Father, provided in covenant, promised in the

Read John Gill on Isaiah 12 →
Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's Commentary

Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and not be afraid: for the LORD JEHOVAH is my strength and my song; he also is become my salvation. The Lord JEHOVAH - Hebrew, Yah, Yahweh.

Read Robert Jamieson on Isaiah 12 →
Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy Bible

God is my salvation; my salvation hath not been brought to pass by man, but by the almighty power of God.

Read Matthew Poole on Isaiah 12 →
John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

Isaiah 12:2 Behold, God [is] my salvation; I will trust, and not be afraid: for the LORD JEHOVAH [is] my strength and [my] song; he also is become my salvation.Ver. 2. Behold, God is my salvation.] Let such take notice of it as said when time was, there is no help for him in God; salvation itself cannot save him. "Behold," and "My": there is much matter in this adverb and that pronoun, saith an interpreter. Behold, God is my Jesus; so Jerome readeth it. According to that of old Simeon "Mine eyes have seen thy salvation." And in this and the next verse salvation is thrice mentioned, so sweet it was to those that thus sang of it. I will trust, and not be afraid.] There is an elegance in the…

Read John Trapp on Isaiah 12 →
Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(2) Behold, God is my salvation . . .—The words admit of the rendering, Behold the God of my salvation. In either construction “salvation” is taken, as in the New Testament (John 4:22; 1 Peter 1:9-10), as meaning more than mere deliverance from danger, and including the highest spiritual blessings. The Lord Jehovah . . .—The Hebrew here and in Isaiah 26:4 presents the exceptional combination of the two Divine Names (Yah Yahveh). (See Psalms 68:4.) With this exception the second clause of the verse is a verbal reproduction of Exo 15:2.

Read Charles John Ellicott on Isaiah 12 →
AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible

Verse 2. The Lord JEHOVAH] The word יה Yah read here is probably a mistake; and arose originally from the custom of the Jewish scribes, who, when they found a line too short for the word, wrote as many letters as filled it, and then began the next line with the whole word. In writing the word יהוה Jehovah, the line might terminate with יה Yah, the two first letters; and then at the beginning of the next line the whole word יהוה Yehovah would be written. This might give rise to יה יהוה Yah Yehovah. The יה Yah is wanting here in two of Dr. Kennicott's MSS., in one ancient MS. of my own, and in the Septuagint, Vulgate, Syriac, and Arabic. See Houbigant and De Rossi. My song] The pronoun is…

Read AdamClarke on Isaiah 12 →
CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

2. Behold, God is my salvation] Better: Behold the God of my salvation (Psalms 88:1). The second half of the verse is repeated almost verbally from Exodus 15:2 my song] the personal suff. is omitted in Hebr., probably through defective writing. the Lord JEHOVAH] Hebr. Yah Yahveh, a combination only recurring in ch. Isaiah 26:4. Since LXX. and other versions have only one Divine name here it is possible that the second was added in explanation of the rarer contracted form “Jah.” my salvation] The word here used (yìshû‘âh) is not found in genuine prophecies of Isaiah (unless ch. Isaiah 33:2; Isaiah 33:6 be exceptions).

Read Cambridge on Isaiah 12 →
Albert Barnes1798–1870Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Behold, God is my salvation - Or, God is the author, or source, of my salvation. It has not been brought about by any human hands, but is to be traced directly to him.

Read Albert Barnes on Isaiah 12 →

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

Surely God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid. For the LORD GOD is my strength and my song, and He also has become my salvation.”

WEBWorld English Bible2000

Behold, God is my salvation. I will trust, and will not be afraid; for Yah, Yahweh, is my strength and song; and he has become my salvation.”

MSBMajority Standard Bible2022

Surely God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid. For the LORD GOD is my strength and my song, and He also has become my salvation.”

NETBNew English Translation2006

Look, God is my deliverer! I will trust in him and not fear. For the Lord gives me strength and protects me; he has become my deliverer.”

Tyndale line

KJVKing James Version1611

Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and not be afraid: for the LORD JEHOVAH is my strength and my song; he also is become my salvation.

ASVAmerican Standard Version1901

Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and will not be afraid: for Jehovah, even Jehovah, is my strength and song; and he is become my salvation.

RVARevised Version, American1894

Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and will not be afraid: for the LORD JEHOVAH is my strength and song; and he is become my salvation.

NWBWebster's Bible1833

Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and not be afraid: for the LORD JEHOVAH is my strength and my song; he also is become my salvation.

GNVGeneva Bible1599

Beholde, God is my saluation: I will trust, and will not feare: for ye Lord God is my strength and song: he also is become my saluation.

Strictly literal

DBYDarby Translation1890

Behold, God is my salvation: I will trust, and not be afraid; for Jah, Jehovah, is my strength and song, and he is become my salvation.

YLTYoung's Literal Translation1862

Lo, God [is] my salvation, I trust, and fear not, For my strength and song [is] Jah Jehovah, And He is to me for salvation.

LSVLiteral Standard Version2020

Behold, God [is] my salvation, I trust, and do not fear, || For my strength and song [is] YAH—YHWH, || And He is to me for salvation.

ILTInterlinear Literal Translation2000

Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust him; for my strength and song is Yah the Eternal: and he is become my salvation.”

ULBUnlocked Literal Bible2017

See, God is my salvation; I will trust and will not fear, for Yahweh, yes, Yahweh is my strength and song. He has become my salvation.”

From the Latin

DRADouay-Rheims (Challoner)1899

Behold, God is my saviour, I will deal confidently, and will not fear: O because the Lord is my strength, and my praise, and he is become my salvation.

Simplified

FBVFree Bible Version2020

Look! God is my salvation! I will trust in him and I won't be afraid! For the Lord is my strength and song, and he has saved me!”

BBEBible in Basic English1949

See, God is my salvation; I will have faith in the Lord, without fear: for the Lord Jah is my strength and song; and he has become my salvation.

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.

clauseclauseהִנֵּ֨הhere!clausesubjectאֵ֧לGodnoun phrase · predicateיְשׁוּעָתִ֛salvationי[is].myclauseclauseverbאֶבְטַ֖חI.will.trustוְandclauseadverbialלֹ֣אnotverbאֶפְחָ֑דI.will.be.in.dreadכִּֽי(dm)clausenoun phrase · predicatenoun phraseעָזִּ֤mightי[is].myוְandזִמְרָת֙strengthnoun phrase · subjectיָ֣הּYahwehיְהוָ֔הYahwehוַֽandclauseverbיְהִיhe.has.becomeprepositional phrase · prepositionalלִ֖forיmyprepositional phrase · prepositionalלִֽ(into)ישׁוּעָֽהsalvation

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


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

The Masoretic Text of Isaiah 12:2 reads: "הִנֵּ֨ה אֵ֧ל יְשׁוּעָתִ֛י אֶבְטַ֖ח וְלֹ֣א אֶפְחָ֑ד כִּֽי־ עָזִּ֤י וְזִמְרָת֙ יָ֣הּ יְהוָ֔ה וַֽיְהִי־ לִ֖י לִֽישׁוּעָֽה׃" The Septuagint has a nearly identical reading, matching 13 of the 14 words, though its word order and articles differ. The Dead Sea Scrolls, specifically 1Qisaa, also align closely with the Masoretic Text, stating: "הנה אל אל ישועת׳י אבטח ולוא אפחד כיא עוז׳י וזמרת יה יהוה היהא ל׳י לישועה." The other Dead Sea Scrolls (4Q56 and 4Q59) contain partial restorations and largely agree with the Masoretic Text, confirming the overall consistency among these ancient witnesses.

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

הִנֵּ֨ה אֵ֧ל יְשׁוּעָתִ֛י אֶבְטַ֖ח וְלֹ֣א אֶפְחָ֑ד כִּֽי־ עָזִּ֤י וְזִמְרָת֙ יָ֣הּ יְהוָ֔ה וַֽיְהִי־ לִ֖י לִֽישׁוּעָֽה׃

Septuagintthe Greek the translators chose, word by word
הִנֵּ֨הἰδοὺאֵ֧לθεόςיְשׁוּעָתִ֛יμουאֶבְטַ֖חπεποιθὼςוְלֹ֣אοὐאֶפְחָ֑דφοβηθήσομαιכִּֽי־διότιעָזִּ֤יμουוְזִמְרָת֙καὶיְהוָ֔הκύριοςוַֽיְהִי־ἐγένετόלִ֖יμοιלִֽישׁוּעָֽה׃σωτηρίαν

13 of the 14 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 — 1Qisaaa copy a thousand years older than the Leningrad Codex

הנה אל אל ישועת׳י אבטח ולוא אפחד כיא עוז׳י וזמרת יה יהוה היהא ל׳י לישועה

15 words on the leather.

Dead Sea Scrolls — 4Q56a copy a thousand years older than the Leningrad Codex

[הנה] [אל] [ישועת׳י] [אבטח] [ולא] אפחד [כי] [עז׳י] [וזמרת] [יה] [יהוה] [ויהי] [ל׳י] [לישועה]

1 word on the leather — 13 supplied entire by an editor.

Dead Sea Scrolls — 4Q59a copy a thousand years older than the Leningrad Codex

[הנה] [אל] [ישועת׳י] [אבטח] [ולא] [אפחד] [כי] [עז׳י] [וזמרת] [יה] יהוה ויהי [ל׳י] [לישועה]

1 word on the leather — 1 partly restored, 12 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.

Isaiah 12:2הִנֵּהhere!here!הִנֵּהאֵלGodGodאֵליְשׁוּעָה[is] salvat[is] salvation יְשׁוּעָהבָּטַחI will trusI will trustבָּטַחלֹאand notand notלֹאפָּחַדI will be iI will be in drפָּחַדכִּיforforכִּיעֹז[is] might [is] might myעֹזזִמְרָהand strengtand strengthזִמְרָהיָהּYahwehYahwehיָהּיהוהYahwehYahwehיהוההָיָהand he has and he has becoהָיָהנִיof meof meנִייְשׁוּעָהsalvationsalvationיְשׁוּעָהאַ֫יִלramramאַ֫יִליָשַׁעto saveto saveיָשַׁעעָזַזbe strongbe strongעָזַזזמרto singto singזמרהָיָהto beto beהָיָההֵןlook!look!הֵןחָסָהto seek reto seek refugeחָסָהיהוהThe LordThe Lordיהוההָוָאto fallto fallהָוָאיָהּLORDLORDיָהּגִּילto rejoiceto rejoiceגִּילנֶ֫גַעplagueplagueנֶ֫גַעחֲלוֹםdreamdreamחֲלוֹםקַנָּאjealousjealousקַנָּאשַׁדַּיAlmightyAlmightyשַׁדַּימָגֵןshieldshieldמָגֵןשֶׁ֫קֶרdeceptiondeceptionשֶׁ֫קֶריָכֹלbe ablebe ableיָכֹל
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 Isaiah 12:2

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.

here! God [is] salvation my I will trust and not I will be in dread for [is] might my and strength Yahweh Yahweh and he has become of me salvation
הִנֵּ֨הhi.Neh here! H2009 Particle
843× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This Hebrew word is an expression that means 'behold' or 'look', often used to draw attention to something. It appears in Genesis and Isaiah, and is translated as 'behold' or 'lo' in the KJV.
Tyndale gloss
behold
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

הִנֵּה (hinneh) is a Hebrew word meaning 'behold' or 'lo!' It serves as a demonstrative particle used to draw attention, appearing in contexts such as Genesis 19:2. The word is derived from a prolongation of another Hebrew term, but the entries do not provide further details on its usage beyond this.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

הִנֵּה, once הִנֶּה־ Gn 19:2, demonstr.part. lo!, behold!

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H2009 הִנֵּה, הִנֶּה־ lo!, behold!

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

2009 hinneh hin-nay'

prolongation for 2005; lo!:--behold, lo, see.

see HEBREW for 02005

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

הִנֵּה (hin.neh) — behold.

behold, lo, see, if

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Part — Particle
HTj
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

her, in composition:

here! God [is] salvation my I will trust and not I will be in dread for [is] might my and strength Yahweh Yahweh and he has become of me salvation
אֵ֧ל'el God H410 Noun common · masculine singular absolute
241× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
In the Bible, 'el means strength or power, and is often used to refer to God or false gods. It describes something or someone as mighty or powerful, like the Almighty. This concept is central to understanding the Bible's view of God.
Amplified meaning
the Almighty, my Savior
Tyndale gloss
god
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word אֵל (*'el*) primarily means 'god' and conveys the idea of might or strength. It can refer to the one true God of Israel, as well as to other deities, angels, and mighty men. The entries highlight its use in various contexts, including nature and power, but do not present significant disagreement among lexicons.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

אֵל n.m. god, but with various subordinate applications to express the idea of might

applied to men of might and rank

angels

gods of the nations

Ēl

as characterizing mighty things in nature

God, the one only and true God of Israel

אֵל strength, power

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H410 אֵל god, but with various subordinate applications to express the idea of might . applied to men of might and rank

. angels

. gods of the nations

. Ēl

. as characterizing mighty things in nature

. God, the one only and true God of Israel

. אֵל strength, power

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

410 'el ale

shortened from 352; strength; as adjective, mighty;

especially the Almighty (but used also of any deity):--God

(god), X goodly, X great, idol, might(-y one), power, strong.

Compare names in "-el."

see HEBREW for 0352

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

אֵל (el) — God.

This name means god, god-like one, mighty one, strength, power

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

אֵל (el) — El (Berith).

This name means god, god-like one, mighty one, strength, power

Combined with "Berith" (berith בְּרִית H1286)

אֵל (el) — El (Elohe).

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

This name means god, god-like one, mighty one, strength, power

Combined with "God" (elohim אֱלֹהִים H0430)

אֵל (el) — El (Most High).

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

This name means god, god-like one, mighty one, strength, power

Combined with "Most High" (el.yon עֶלְיוֹן H5945B)

אֵל (el) — god.

: god

1) god, god-like one, mighty one

1a) mighty men, men of rank, mighty heroes

1b) angels

1c) god, false god, (demons, imaginations)

1d) God, the one true God, Jehovah

2) mighty things in nature

3) strength, power

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-ms — Noun common · masculine singular absolute
HNcmsa
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

god ('Elohim, 'El, [`Elyon], Shadday, Yahweh; Theos):

I. INTRODUCTION TO THE GENERAL IDEA

1. The Idea in Experience and in Thought

2. Definition of the Idea

3. The Knowledge of God

4. Ethnic Ideas of God

(1) Animism

(2) Fetishism

(3) Idolatry

(4) Polytheism

(5) Henotheism

(6) Pantheism

(7) Deism

(8) Semitic Monolatry

(9) Monotheism

II. THE IDEA OF GOD IN THE OLD TESTAMENT

1. The Course of Its Development

2. Forms of Its Manifestation

(1) The Face or Countenance of God

(2) The Voice and Word of God

(3) The Glory of God

(4) The Angel of God

(5) The Spirit of God

(6) The Name of God

(7) Occasional Forms

3. The Names of God

(1) Generic

(2) Attributive

(3) Yahweh

4. Pre-prophetic Conceptions of God

(1) Yahweh Alone Is the God of Israel

(a) His Early Worship

(b) Popular Religion

(c) Polytheistic Tendencies

(i) Coordination

(ii) Assimilation

(iii) Disintegration

(d) No Hebrew Goddesses

(e) Human Sacrifices

Easton's Bible Dictionary

God

(A.S. and Dutch God; Dan. Gud; Ger. Gott), the name of the Divine Being. It is the rendering (1) of the Hebrew ’El, from a word meaning to be strong; (2) of ’Eloah_, plural _’Elohim. The singular form, Eloah, is used only in poetry. The plural form is more commonly used in all parts of the Bible, The Hebrew word Jehovah (q.v.), the only other word generally employed to denote the Supreme Being, is uniformly rendered in the Authorized Version by “LORD,” printed in small capitals. The existence of God is taken for granted in the Bible. There is nowhere any argument to prove it. He who disbelieves this truth is spoken of as one devoid of understanding (Ps. 14:1).

The arguments generally adduced by theologians in proof of the being of God are:

(1.) The a priori argument, which is the testimony afforded by reason.

Smith's Bible Dictionary

(good). Throughout the Hebrew Scriptures two chief names are used for the one true divine Being--ELOHIM, commonly translated God in our version, and JEHOVAH, translated Lord . Elohim is the plural of Eloah (in Arabic Allah); it is often used in the short form EL (a word signifying strength , as in EL-SHADDAI, God Almighty, the name by which God was specially known to the patriarchs. (Genesis 17:1; 28:3; Exodus 6:3) The etymology is uncertain, but it is generally agreed that the primary idea is that of strength, power of effect , and that it properly describes God in that character in which he is exhibited to all men in his works, as the creator, sustainer and supreme governor of the world. The plural form of Elohim has given rise to much discussion. The fanciful idea that it…

American Tract Society Bible Dictionary

This name, the derivation of which is uncertain, we give to that eternal, infinite, perfect, and incomprehensible Being, the Creator of all things, who preserves and governs all by his almighty power and wisdom, and is the only proper object of worship. The proper Hebrew name for God is JEHOVAH, which signifies He is. But the Jews, from a feeling of reverence, avoid pronouncing this name, substituting for it, wherever it occurs in the sacred test, the word ADONAI, Lord; except in the expression, ADONAI JEHOVAH, Lord Jehovah, for which they put, ADONAI ELOHIM, Lord God. This usage, which is not without an element of superstition, is very ancient, dating its origin some centuries before Christ; but there is no good ground for assuming its existence in the days of the inspired Old Testament writers. The proper word for God is ELOHIM, which is plural in its form, being thus used to signify…

here! God [is] salvation my I will trust and not I will be in dread for [is] might my and strength Yahweh Yahweh and he has become of me salvation
יְשׁוּעָתִ֛יye.shu.'a.Ti [is] salvation my H3444 Noun common feminine singular construct · suffix
78× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
Salvation means being saved or delivered from something, like trouble or danger, and can also mean victory or prosperity, as seen in the Bible's promises of God's deliverance.
Amplified meaning
deliverance, victory
Tyndale gloss
salvation
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

יְשׁוּעָה (yeshu'ah) refers to concepts of salvation, deliverance, and welfare, often with a spiritual dimension. It is derived from a root meaning to save and encompasses ideas of victory and prosperity. The term is used in contexts related to divine aid and protection, emphasizing both physical and spiritual deliverance.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

יְשׁוּעָה n.f. salvation

welfare, prosperity

deliverance

salvation by God, primarily from external evils, but often with added spiritual idea

victory

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H3444 יְשׁוּעָה salvation . welfare, prosperity

. deliverance

. salvation by God, primarily from external evils, but often with added spiritual idea

. victory

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

3444 yshuw`ah yesh-oo'-aw

feminine passive participle of 3467; something saved, i.e.

(abstractly) deliverance; hence, aid, victory,

prosperity:--deliverance, health, help(-ing), salvation, save,

saving (health), welfare.

see HEBREW for 03467

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

יְשׁוּעָה (ye.shu.ah) — salvation.

1) salvation, deliverance

1a) welfare, prosperity

1b) deliverance

1c) salvation (by God)

1d) victory

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-fs | Suff — Noun common feminine singular construct · suffix
HNcfsc/Sp1bs
here! God [is] salvation my I will trust and not I will be in dread for [is] might my and strength Yahweh Yahweh and he has become of me salvation
אֶבְטַ֖ח'ev.Tach I will trust H982 Verb · Qal · imperfect first person common singular
120× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
To trust means to have confidence or faith in something or someone, like the Israelites trusting in God to lead them through the desert, as seen in Psalm 23.
Amplified meaning
have faith, rely
Tyndale gloss
to trust
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

בָּטַח (batach) is a Hebrew verb meaning to trust or have confidence. It conveys a sense of security and boldness, both in a personal sense and when causing others to feel secure. The entries indicate its use in different forms, such as Qal and Hiphil, covering aspects of trust and confidence.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

בָּטַח vb. trust

Qal

trust

be confident

Hiph. cause to trust, make secure

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H982 בָּטַח trust . trust

. be confident

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

982 batach baw-takh'

a primitive root; properly, to hie for refuge (but not so

precipitately as 2620); figuratively, to trust, be confident

or sure:--be bold (confident, secure, sure), careless (one,

woman), put confidence, (make to) hope, (put, make to) trust.

see HEBREW for 02620

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

בָּטַח (ba.tach) — to trust.

1) to trust

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to trust, trust in

1a2) to have confidence, be confident

1a3) to be bold

1a4) to be secure

1b) (Hiphil)

1b1) to cause to trust, make secure

2) (TWOT) to feel safe, be careless

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
V-Qal-Imperf-1cs — Verb · Qal · imperfect first person common singular
HVqi1cs
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
Nave's Topical Bible

→ See FAITH

Torrey's New Topical Textbook

- God is the true object of

Ps 65:5

- The fear of God leads to

Pr 14:26

- ENCOURAGEMENTS TO

. The everlasting strength of God

Isa 26:4

. The goodness of God

Na 1:7

. The loving-kindness of God

Ps 36:7

. The rich bounty of God

1Ti 6:17

. The care of God for us

1Pe 5:7

. Former deliverances

Ps 9:10; 2Co 1:10

- Should be with the whole heart

Pr 3:5

- Should be from youth up

here! God [is] salvation my I will trust and not I will be in dread for [is] might my and strength Yahweh Yahweh and he has become of me salvation
וְלֹ֣אve.Lo' and not H3808 Conjunction · 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
Conj | Part — Conjunction · particle
HC/Tn
The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
here! God [is] salvation my I will trust and not I will be in dread for [is] might my and strength Yahweh Yahweh and he has become of me salvation
אֶפְחָ֑ד'ef.Chad I will be in dread H6342 Verb · Qal · imperfect first person common singular
25× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This Hebrew word means to feel fear or dread, like being startled by a sudden alarm. It appears in the Bible when people are in awe or fear of God. The book of Proverbs uses it to describe the fear of the Lord.
Amplified meaning
dread, fear
Tyndale gloss
to dread
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

פָּחַד (pachad) is a Hebrew verb meaning to dread or fear. It encompasses being startled or filled with awe, with various forms indicating different intensities of dread. The root conveys a sense of alarm and reverence, appearing in contexts that evoke both fear and respect.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

פָּחַד vb. dread, be in dread, in awe

Qal

be in dread

be in awe

Pi. be in great dread

Hiph. filled my bones with dread

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H6342 פָּחַד dread, be in dread, in awe

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

6342 pachad paw-kkad'

a primitive root; to be startled (by a sudden alarm); hence,

to fear in general:--be afraid, stand in awe, (be in) fear,

make to shake.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

פָּחַד (pa.chad) — to dread.

1) to fear, tremble, revere, dread, be in awe or dread

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to be in dread

1a2) to be in awe

1b) (Piel) to be in great dread

1c) (Hiphil) to cause to dread

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
V-Qal-Imperf-1cs — Verb · Qal · imperfect first person common singular
HVqi1cs
here! God [is] salvation my I will trust and not I will be in dread for [is] might my and strength Yahweh Yahweh and he has become of me salvation
כִּֽי־ki- for H3588 Particle
4,483× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
A conjunction used to show cause or connection, as in Genesis 2:23 where Adam says the woman is bone of his bone because she was taken out of him. It is often translated as 'for', 'because', or 'since'.
Tyndale gloss
for
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

כִּי (ki) is a conjunction primarily meaning 'that,' 'for,' or 'when.' It indicates causal relationships and can express conditions like 'if' or 'though.' The word is versatile, appearing in various contexts to convey certainty, exception, or concession. Notably, it can combine with other particles to modify its meaning, such as in the phrase כִּי אם־ (ki im), meaning 'that if.'

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

כִּי conj. that, for, when

that

Of time, when, of the past

elsewhere כִּי has a force approximating to if, though it usu. represents a case as more likely to occur than אִם

when or if, with a concessive force, i.e. though

Because, since

base

כִּי אם־

each part. retaining its independent force, and relating to a different clause:

that if

for if

(About 140 t.) the two particles being closely conjoined, and relating to the same clause—

limiting the prec. clause, except

the if being neglected, and treated as pleonastic, so that the clause is no longer a limitation of the preceding clause but a contradiction of it: but rather, but

after an oath, surely

base

כִּי עַל כֵּן forasmuch as

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H3588a כִּי that, for, when . that

. . Of time, when, of the past

. elsewhere כִּי has a force approximating to if, though it usu. represents a case as more likely to occur than אִם

. when or if, with a concessive force, i.e. though

. Because, since

H3588b כִּי אם־ . each part. retaining its independent force, and relating to a different clause: . that if

. for if

. (About 140 t.) the two particles being closely conjoined, and relating to the same clause— . limiting the prec. clause, except

. the if being neglected, and treated as pleonastic, so that the clause is no longer a limitation of the preceding clause but a contradiction of it: but rather, but

. after an oath, surely

H3588c כִּי עַל כֵּן forasmuch as

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

3588 kiy kee

a primitive particle (the full form of the prepositional

prefix) indicating causal relations of all kinds, antecedent

or consequent; (by implication) very widely used as a relative

conjunction or adverb (as below); often largely modified by

other particles annexed:--and, + (forasmuch, inasmuch,

where-)as, assured(-ly), + but, certainly, doubtless, + else,

even, + except, for, how, (because, in, so, than) that, +

nevertheless, now, rightly, seeing, since, surely, then,

therefore, + (al- )though, + till, truly, + until, when,

whether, while, whom, yea, yet.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

כִּי (ki) — for.

1) that, for, because, when, as though, as, because that, but, then, certainly, except, surely, since

1a) that

1a1) yea, indeed

1b) when (of time)

1b1) when, if, though (with a concessive force)

1c) because, since (causal connection)

1d) but (after negative)

1e) that if, for if, indeed if, for though, but if

1f) but rather, but

1g) except that

1h) only, nevertheless

1i) surely

1j) that is

1k) but if

1l) for though

1m) forasmuch as, for therefore

כִּי [אם] (ki im) — that if: except.

1) except if

1a) but if

1b) even though

כִּי [עַל כֵּן] (ki [al ken]) — for as that: since.

1) that, for, because, when, as though, as, because that, but, then, certainly, except, surely, since

1a) that

1a1) yea, indeed

1b) when (of time)

1b1) when, if, though (with a concessive force)

1c) because, since (causal connection)

1d) but (after negative)

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Conj — Particle
HTc
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

for (ki (conjunction), le, from 'el (preposition), and various other words. In the New Testament also the words are various, chiefly gar, kai gar, hoti (conjunctions); anti apo eis dia (accusative), epi (dative and accusative), peri (genitive), pros (genitive and accusative), huper (genitive) (prepositions)): the English Revised Version and the American Standard Revised Version give in many cases more literal or more accurate renderings than those in the King James Version.

In the New Testament the most important preps. from a doctrinal point of view are anti, "face to face," "over against," "instead," "on behalf of," peri, "around," "about," "concerning," huper, "over," "on behalf of." The first has been claimed as stating the substitutionary nature of Christ's sacrifice as contrasted with huper and peri, more frequently used of it. But, although anti in the New Testament often means…

The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
here! God [is] salvation my I will trust and not I will be in dread for [is] might my and strength Yahweh Yahweh and he has become of me salvation
עָזִּ֤י'a.Zi [is] might my H5797 Noun common masculine singular construct · suffix
92× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
Describes strength or might, including physical power, social status, or boldness, like the strength of God or a strong leader.
Amplified meaning
power, might
Tyndale gloss
strength
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

עֹז (oz) refers to strength or might, encompassing material, physical, personal, social, and political dimensions. It can denote boldness or impudence and is associated with the might of God. The word is built from the root related to strength and power, with various applications noted in the entries.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

עֹז, and (rarely) עוֹז n.m. strength, might

material and physical

personal, social, and political

might of י׳

= boldness, impudence

= stronghold

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H5797 עֹז, and (rarely) עוֹז strength, might . material and physical

. personal, social, and political

. might of י׳

. = boldness, impudence

. = stronghold

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

5797 `oz oze

or (fully) rowz {oze}; from 5810; strength in various

applications (force, security, majesty, praise):--boldness,

loud, might, power, strength, strong.

see HEBREW for 05810

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

עֹז (oz) — strength.

1) might, strength

1a) material or physical

1b) personal or social or political

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-ms | Suff — Noun common masculine singular construct · suffix
HNcmsc/Sp1bs
here! God [is] salvation my I will trust and not I will be in dread for [is] might my and strength Yahweh Yahweh and he has become of me salvation
וְזִמְרָת֙ve.zim.Rat and strength H2176 Conjunction · noun common feminine singular absolute
3× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This word means song or instrumental music, implying praise. It is used to describe joyful music.
Amplified meaning
praise, melody
Tyndale gloss
song
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

זִמְרָה (zimrah) refers to a melody or song, particularly one that is a form of praise to God. It is associated with instrumental music and singing. The word is derived from a root that also relates to the concept of song, emphasizing its musical and celebratory nature.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

זִמְרָה n.f. melody, song, in praise of י׳

of instrumental music

of singing

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H2176 זִמְרָה melody, song, in praise of י׳

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

2176 zimrath zim-rawth'

from 2167; instrumental music; by implication, praise:--song.

see HEBREW for 02167

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

זִמְרָת (zim.rat) — song.

song of praise, song, music, melody

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Conj | N-fs — Conjunction · noun common feminine singular absolute
HC/Ncfsa
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
Nave's Topical Bible

→ A title given to Jehovah 1Sa 15:29

The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
here! God [is] salvation my I will trust and not I will be in dread for [is] might my and strength Yahweh Yahweh and he has become of me salvation
יָ֣הּyah Yahweh H3050 Noun proper masculine
50× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
Jah is a shortened form of the name LORD, used in many compounds, such as names ending in -iah or -jah. It appears in the Bible as a way to refer to God.
Amplified meaning
Jah, Yehovah
Tyndale gloss
LORD
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

יָהּ (Yahh) is a shortened form of יהוה (YHWH), meaning 'LORD.' It appears in early Hebrew poetry and is often found in names ending with '-iah' or '-jah.' The entries confirm its use as a sacred name, but do not provide specific verse references.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

יָהּ 60 n.pr.dei contr. fr. יהוה, first appears in early poems

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H3050 יָהּ n. pr. dei contr. fr. יהוה, first appears in early poems

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

3050 Yahh yaw

contraction for 3068, and meaning the same; Jah, the sacred

name:--Jah, the Lord, most vehement. Compare names in "-iah,"

"- jah."

see HEBREW for 03068

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

יָהּ (yah) — LORD.

A shortened form of the name ye.ho.vah (יהוה "LORD" H3068)

used in many compounds as the letters 'Je' or 'jah'

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-proper — Noun proper masculine
HNpm
here! God [is] salvation my I will trust and not I will be in dread for [is] might my and strength Yahweh Yahweh and he has become of me salvation
יְהוָ֔הYah.weh Yahweh H3068 Noun proper
6,528× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
Yehovah is another name for God, often translated as 'the Lord'. It is a national name for God in the Jewish faith. This name is used throughout the Old Testament.
Tyndale gloss
The Lord
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

יְהֹוָה (ye.ho.vah) is the proper name of the God of Israel, often rendered as Jehovah or the Lord. It signifies the self-existent or eternal nature of God. The name is closely associated with the revelation to Moses in Exodus 3:12-15 and is used in conjunction with other terms to denote sacred places. Some scholars suggest it derives from a root meaning 'to bring into being.'

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

יהוה c. 6823 i.e. יַהְוֶה n.pr.dei Yahweh, the proper name of the God of Israel—(1. MT יְהֹוָה 6518 (Qr אֲדֹנָי), or יֱהֹוִה 305 (Qr אֱלֹהִים) 2. Many recent scholars explain יַהְוֶה as Hiph. of הוה (= היה) the one bringing into being, life-giver)

יהוה is not used by E in Gn, but is given Ex 3:12-15 as the name of the God who revealed Himself to Moses at Horeb

יהוה is used with אלהים and suffixes, especially in D

the phrase † אֲנִי יהוה is noteworthy

יהוה is also used with several predicates, to form sacred names of holy places of Yahweh

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H3068 יהוה i.e. יַהְוֶה n. pr. dei Yahweh, the proper name of the God of Israel

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

3068 Yhovah yeh-ho-vaw'

from 1961; (the) self-Existent or Eternal; Jehovah, Jewish

national name of God:--Jehovah, the Lord. Compare 3050, 3069.

see HEBREW for 01961

see HEBREW for 03050

see HEBREW for 03069

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

יְהֹוָה (ye.ho.vah) — LORD.

Jehovah = "the existing One"

1) the proper name of the one true God

1a) unpronounced except with the vowel pointings of a.do.na (אֲדֹנָי "Lord" H0136)

יְהֹוָה (ye.ho.vah) — The Lord.

Another name of ye.ru.sha.laim (יְרוּשָׁלִַ֫ם, יְרוּשְׁלֵם "Jerusalem" H3389)

יְהֹוָה (ye.ho.vah) — (Jerusalem of) the Lord.

Combined with ye.ru.sha.laim (יְרוּשָׁלִַ֫ם, יְרוּשְׁלֵם "Jerusalem" H3389)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-proper — Noun proper
HNpt
The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
here! God [is] salvation my I will trust and not I will be in dread for [is] might my and strength Yahweh Yahweh and he has become of me salvation
וַֽיְהִי־vay.hi- and he has become H1961 Verb · Qal · sequential imperfect third person masculine singular
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.

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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

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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
Conj | V-Qal-ConsecImperf-3ms — Verb · Qal · sequential imperfect third person masculine singular
Hc/Vqw3ms
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.

here! God [is] salvation my I will trust and not I will be in dread for [is] might my and strength Yahweh Yahweh and he has become of me salvation
לִ֖יli of me H9030 Preposition · suffix
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

נִי (ni) — me.

Personal object pronoun - suffix for propositions and verbs without an object: 1st person singular

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
HR/Sp1bs — Preposition · suffix
HR/Sp1bs
here! God [is] salvation my I will trust and not I will be in dread for [is] might my and strength Yahweh Yahweh and he has become of me salvation
לִֽישׁוּעָֽה׃Li.shu.'Ah salvation H3444 Preposition · noun common feminine singular absolute
78× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
Salvation means being saved or delivered from something, like trouble or danger, and can also mean victory or prosperity, as seen in the Bible's promises of God's deliverance.
Amplified meaning
rescue, liberation
Tyndale gloss
salvation
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

יְשׁוּעָה (yeshu'ah) refers to concepts of salvation, deliverance, and welfare, often with a spiritual dimension. It is derived from a root meaning to save and encompasses ideas of victory and prosperity. The term is used in contexts related to divine aid and protection, emphasizing both physical and spiritual deliverance.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

יְשׁוּעָה n.f. salvation

welfare, prosperity

deliverance

salvation by God, primarily from external evils, but often with added spiritual idea

victory

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H3444 יְשׁוּעָה salvation . welfare, prosperity

. deliverance

. salvation by God, primarily from external evils, but often with added spiritual idea

. victory

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

3444 yshuw`ah yesh-oo'-aw

feminine passive participle of 3467; something saved, i.e.

(abstractly) deliverance; hence, aid, victory,

prosperity:--deliverance, health, help(-ing), salvation, save,

saving (health), welfare.

see HEBREW for 03467

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

יְשׁוּעָה (ye.shu.ah) — salvation.

1) salvation, deliverance

1a) welfare, prosperity

1b) deliverance

1c) salvation (by God)

1d) victory

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

sal-va'-shun:

I. IN THE OLD TESTAMENT

1. General

2. Individualism

3. Faith

4. Moral Law

5. Sacrifices

6. Ritual Law

II. INTERMEDIATE LITERATURE

1. General

2. The Law

III. THE TEACHING OF CHRIST

1. The Baptist

2. Kingdom of God

3. Present and Future

4. Individualism

5. Moral Progress

6. Forgiveness

7. Person of Christ

8. Notes

IV. PAUL

1. General

2. Moral Progress

3. The Spirit

4. Mystical Union

5. Forgiveness

6. Atonement

7. Summary

8. Notes

V. THE REST OF THE NEW TESTAMENT: SUMMARY

1. John

2. Hebrews

3. Peter

4. Summary

LITERATURE

In English Versions of the Bible the words "salvation" "save," are not technical theological terms, but denote simply "deliverance," in almost any sense the latter word can have. In systematic theology, however, "salvation" denotes the whole process by which man is delivered from all that would prevent his attaining to the highest good that God has prepared for him. Or, by a transferred sense…

Easton's Bible Dictionary

Salvation

This word is used of the deliverance of the Israelites from the Egyptians (Ex. 14:13), and of deliverance generally from evil or danger. In the New Testament it is specially used with reference to the great deliverance from the guilt and the pollution of sin wrought out by Jesus Christ, “the great salvation” (Heb. 2:3). (See REDEMPTION; REGENERATION.)

American Tract Society Bible Dictionary

Means, strictly, deliverance; and so it is used of temporal deliverance, victory, in Ge 14:13 1Sa 14:45. But as the spiritual deliverance from sin and death, through the Redeemer, Mt 1:21, is a far greater salvation, so this word has come to be used mostly only in this moral and spiritual sense; and implies not only this deliverance, but also the consequences of it, namely, eternal life and happiness in the kingdom of out Lord, 2Co 7:10 Eph 1:13. It is most justly described as a "great salvation," Heb 2:3.

Nave's Topical Bible

→ ILLUSTRATED BY

A horn Ps 18:2; Lu 1:69

A tower 2Sa 22:51

A helmet Isa 59:17; Eph 6:17

A shield 2Sa 22:36

A lamp Isa 62:1

A cup Ps 116:13

Clothing 2Ch 6:41; Ps 132:16; 149:4; Isa 61:10

Wells Isa 12:3

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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