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Isaiah 23:5 — Word Study

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WLCכַּֽאֲשֶׁר־ שֵׁ֖מַע לְמִצְרָ֑יִם יָחִ֖ילוּ כְּשֵׁ֥מַע צֹֽר׃

BSAWhenʼăsher the report [reaches]shêmaʻ [news, announcement, rumor] EgyptMitsrayim [a country in northeastern Africa] they will writhe in agonychûwl [twist, whirl, be in agony, sorely pained, deeply distressed] over the newsshêmaʻ [report, fame, sound] of TyreTsôr [a major Phoenician city, a strategic port]

Word
Listen & take awayIsaiah 23
English ↓ Download MP3 The Berean Standard Bible chapter audio already hosted for the site's Bible section — verse 5 is in this chapter.
Hebrew ↓ Download MP3 The Masoretic text of this chapter, read aloud. Read by Abraham Shmuelof, courtesy of Audio Scriptures International. Chapter divisions by the Academy of Ancient Languages..
Say the word Each Hebrew word carries its transliteration (Tzor) — no per-word recordings of the Hebrew exist to link to.
Take it away
Isaiah 23:5quick helps
In a sentenceThe verse describes the reaction of Egypt upon hearing news of Tyre.
Who is speakingThe prophet Isaiah, conveying a message about the fate of Tyre.
Where we areIn a prophecy concerning Tyre and its impact on surrounding nations.
The hard wordיָחִילוּ
Take awayThe news of Tyre's fate causes deep distress in Egypt.
8 commentators on this verse Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them › clause subjectשֵׁמַע verbחיל 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 23:5

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

Context — The Prophecy Against Tyregenerated

4Be ashamed, O Sidon, the stronghold of the sea, for the sea has spoken: “I have not been in labor or given birth. I have not raised young men or brought up young women.”
5When the report reaches Egypt, they will writhe in agony over the news of Tyre.
6Cross over to Tarshish; wail, O inhabitants of the coastland!
7Is this your jubilant city, whose origin is from antiquity, whose feet have taken her to settle far away?

Isaiah 23:5 speaks of the distress that will come to Egypt upon hearing about Tyre's downfall. This prophecy highlights the interconnectedness of nations and the far-reaching consequences of Tyre's fate, as Tyre was a significant city for trade and influence in the region. The context of this verse relates to the broader theme of judgment against nations that oppose God, as seen throughout the book of Isaiah.


Cross References

ReferenceText (BSB)
1Isaiah 19:16In that day the Egyptians will be like women. They will tremble with fear beneath the uplifted hand of the LORD of Hosts, when He brandishes it against them.
2Exodus 15:14–16The nations will hear and tremble; anguish will grip the dwellers of Philistia.
3Joshua 2:9–11and said to them, “I know that the LORD has given you this land and that the fear of you has fallen on us, so that all who dwell in the land are melting in fear of you.
4Ezekiel 26:15–21This is what the Lord GOD says to Tyre: ‘Will not the coastlands quake at the sound of your downfall, when the wounded groan at the slaughter in your midst?
5Ezekiel 27:29–36All who handle the oars will abandon their ships. The sailors and all the captains of the sea will stand on the shore.

The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 7 references, hung on the phrase they belong to


The Key Word יָחִילוּ, ya.Chi.lugenerated

The verb יָחִילוּ (*ya.chilu*) is derived from the root חיל (*chuwl*), which means to twist or writhe. In this context, it conveys the idea of people being in anguish or distress, indicating a strong emotional or physical reaction. The parsing shows that it is a third-person masculine plural imperfect verb, suggesting that the people of Egypt will experience this anguish in response to the news.

This word captures the intensity of their reaction, emphasizing that the news of Tyre's fate will not just be heard but felt deeply, causing turmoil and pain.


How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated

The translations generally agree on the meaning of the verse.


Sentence Structuregenerated

The main verb יָחִילוּ governs the clause, describing the subject's response to the news. The structure is straightforward, with the prepositional phrase לְמִצְרָ֑יִם indicating the destination of the report, followed by a relative clause introduced by כַּֽאֲשֶׁר־ that specifies the timing of the event.

The word order emphasizes the action of hearing and its immediate emotional consequence, highlighting the urgency of the news reaching Egypt.


Septuagint Backgroundgenerated

The Septuagint translates יָחִילוּ with the Greek word ἐνταραχθήσονται (entarachthēsontai), meaning 'they will be disturbed' or 'agitated.' This choice suggests a broader interpretation of the emotional response, indicating not just anguish but also a state of turmoil or disturbance.

This rendering reflects the translators' understanding of the psychological impact of the news on the Egyptians, aligning with the overall theme of distress in the prophecy.


In plain words — the whole versegenerated

Isaiah 23:5 tells us that when Egypt hears the news about Tyre, they will be in great anguish. This reaction highlights the importance of Tyre as a city and the impact of its fate on surrounding nations.


Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated

What does it mean for Egypt to writhe in agony?

It means that the people of Egypt will experience deep emotional pain and distress upon hearing the news of Tyre's downfall.

Why is Tyre significant in this prophecy?

Tyre was a major Phoenician city known for its trade and influence, and its destruction would have far-reaching effects on neighboring nations like Egypt.

How does this verse connect to the broader themes in Isaiah?

This verse reflects the theme of judgment against nations that oppose God and the interconnectedness of their fates.

What can we learn from Egypt's reaction to the news?

We can learn about the seriousness of the events that unfold in the world and how they affect not just the immediate parties involved but also surrounding nations.


Reflection Questionsgenerated

  1. In what ways do I see the consequences of one nation's actions affecting others today?
  2. How can I be more aware of the news I consume and its impact on my emotions?
  3. What does this verse teach me about the importance of community and interconnectedness?
  4. How can I respond to distressing news in a way that reflects my faith?

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

Early interpretations of this verse, such as Jerome's commentary, highlight the significance of Tyre's destruction and its impact on neighboring nations like Egypt.

JeromeVerse 5 c. 347–420
When it is heard in Egypt, they will grieve when they hear about Tyre. This is clear, that after the Egyptians hear about the most powerful and neighboring nation being destroyed by a long siege,
Early Church Fathers on Isaiah 23 →

Commentators on this verse — 8 expositors, verse by verse

Each of these wrote on Isaiah 23:5 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.

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

As at the report concerning Egypt,.... Its future destruction prophesied of, Isaiah 19:1 or what had in times past befallen it when the ten plagues were inflicted on it, and Pharaoh and his host were

Read John Gill on Isaiah 23 →
Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's Commentary

As at the report concerning Egypt, so shall they be sorely pained at the report of Tyre.

Read Robert Jamieson on Isaiah 23 →
Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy Bible

According to this translation the sense is, All the neighbouring nations shall be no less terrified at the tidings of lite destruction of Tyrus, than they were of old upon the report of God’ s former and dreadful judgments upon the Egyptians, of which see ,11, because they shall despair of resisting that enemy against whom that vast and potent city, which was deemed impregnable, could not defend itself. But the words are by the LXX., and other both ancient and later interpreters, rendered otherwise, and that very agreeably to the Hebrew text, When the report (to wit, of the destruction of Tyre) came, or shall come, (which word is easily understood, as it is above, , and in other texts of…

Read Matthew Poole on Isaiah 23 →
John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

Isaiah 23:5 As at the report concerning Egypt, [so] shall they be sorely pained at the report of Tyre.Ver. 5. As at the report concerning Egypt,] i.e, Concerning their overthrow once at the Red Sea. They are also shortly to be overrun by Nebuchadnezzar, to whom God hath promised Egypt, as his pay for his pains taken in taking Tyre.

Read John Trapp on Isaiah 23 →
Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(5) As at the report concerning Egypt . . .—Better, When the report cometh to Egypt . . . The news of the capture of Tyre would cause dismay in Egypt, partly because the export trade of their corn depended upon it, partly because it had served as a kind of outpost against the Assyrians, who, under Sargon (Records of the Past, vii. 34) and Sennacherib (2 Kings 18:21; 2 Kings 19:8), were pressing on against the Ethiopian dynasty then dominant in Egypt.

Read Charles John Ellicott on Isaiah 23 →
CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

5. The verse should be read as in R.V. When the report cometh to Egypt, they shall be sorely pained at the report of Tyre. Assyria being the common enemy of Egypt and Tyre, the report of the latter’s fall is received with the utmost anxiety in Egypt.

Read Cambridge on Isaiah 23 →
Albert Barnes1798–1870Barnes' Notes on the Bible

As at the report concerning Egypt - According to our translation, this verse would seem to mean that the Sidonians and other nations had been pained or grieved at the report of the calamities that

Read Albert Barnes on Isaiah 23 →
Daniel Denison Whedon1808–1885Whedon's Commentary on the Bible

5. Concerning Egypt — The translation seems better thus: “At what time the report cometh to Egypt they shall bewail at the report of Tyre.” For the loss of Tyre is the loss of Egypt’s market for her products.

Read Daniel Denison Whedon on Isaiah 23 →

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

When the report reaches Egypt, they will writhe in agony over the news of Tyre.

WEBWorld English Bible2000

When the report comes to Egypt, they will be in anguish at the report of Tyre.

MSBMajority Standard Bible2022

When the report reaches Egypt, they will writhe in agony over the news of Tyre.

NETBNew English Translation2006

When the news reaches Egypt, they will be shaken by what has happened to Tyre.

Tyndale line

KJVKing James Version1611

As at the report concerning Egypt, so shall they be sorely pained at the report of Tyre.

ASVAmerican Standard Version1901

When the report cometh to Egypt, they shall be sorely pained at the report of Tyre.

RVARevised Version, American1894

When the report cometh to Egypt, they shall be sorely pained at the report of Tyre.

NWBWebster's Bible1833

As at the report concerning Egypt, so shall they be sorely pained at the report of Tyre.

GNVGeneva Bible1599

When the fame commeth to the Egyptians, they shall be sorie, concerning the rumour of Tyrus.

Strictly literal

DBYDarby Translation1890

— When the report came into Egypt, they were sorely pained at the news of Tyre.

YLTYoung's Literal Translation1862

As [at] the report of Egypt they are pained, So [at] the report of Tyre.

LSVLiteral Standard Version2020

As they are pained [at] the report of Egypt, || So [at] the report of Tyre.

ILTInterlinear Literal Translation2000

As at the report concerning Egypt, so shall they tremble at the report of Tyre.

ULBUnlocked Literal Bible2017

When the report comes to Egypt, they will be grieved concerning Tyre.

From the Latin

DRADouay-Rheims (Challoner)1899

When it shall be heard in Egypt, they will be sorry when they shall hear of Tyre:

Simplified

FBVFree Bible Version2020

When the news about Tyre reaches Egypt they will be in agony.

BBEBible in Basic English1949

When the news comes to Egypt they will be bitterly pained at the fate of Tyre.

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.

clauseprepositional phrase · prepositionalכַּֽwhenrelpאֲשֶׁרwhenclausesubjectשֵׁ֖מַעa.reportprepositional phrase · predicateלְ[is].toמִצְרָ֑יִםEgyptverbיָחִ֖ילוּpeople.will.be.in.anguishprepositional phrase · prepositionalכְּlikenoun phraseשֵׁ֥מַעthe.reportצֹֽרof.Tyre

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 Dead Sea Scrolls show agreement in the wording of this verse, with the Septuagint providing a slightly different interpretation through its Greek translation. The Dead Sea Scrolls confirm the essential elements of the verse, although some words are restored by editors.

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

כַּֽאֲשֶׁר־ שֵׁ֖מַע לְמִצְרָ֑יִם יָחִ֖ילוּ כְּשֵׁ֥מַע צֹֽר׃

Septuagintthe Greek the translators chose, word by word
כַּֽאֲשֶׁר־δὲשֵׁ֖מַעἀκουστὸνלְמִצְרָ֑יִםαἰγύπτῳכְּשֵׁ֥מַעπερὶצֹֽר׃τύρου

5 of the 6 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

כאשר שמע למצרים יחילו כשמע צר

6 words on the leather.

Dead Sea Scrolls — 4Q55a copy a thousand years older than the Leningrad Codex

[כאשר] שמע למצרים יחילו [כשמע] [צר]

2 words on the leather — 1 partly restored, 3 supplied entire by an editor.

Dead Sea Scrolls — 1Q8a copy a thousand years older than the Leningrad Codex

כאשר שמע [למצרים] [יחילו]

4 words of the verse are on this fragment — 2 partly restored, 2 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 23:5אֲשֶׁרwhenwhenאֲשֶׁרשֶׁ֫מַעa reporta reportשֶׁ֫מַעמִצְרַ֫יִם[is] to Egy[is] to Egyptמִצְרַ֫יִםחוּלpeople willpeople will be חוּלשֶׁ֫מַעlike [the] like [the] repoשֶׁ֫מַעצֹרTyreTyreצֹרשָׁמַעto hear: hto hear: hearשָׁמַעמָצוֹרEgyptEgyptמָצוֹרצֹרflintflintצֹרשְׁבָאShebaShebaשְׁבָאצָוָהto commandto commandצָוָהכּוּשׁEthiopiaEthiopiaכּוּשׁפַּרְעֹהPharaohPharaohפַּרְעֹהטֶ֫רֶםbeforebeforeטֶ֫רֶםחִירָםHiramHiramחִירָםחִירָםHiramHiramחִירָם
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 23:5

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

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

when a report [is] to Egypt people will be in anguish like [the] report of Tyre
כַּֽאֲשֶׁר־ka.'a.Sher- when H834 Preposition · particle
5,500× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This Hebrew word is a conjunction that connects ideas and events in the Bible, like in the book of Genesis, where it's used to describe the relationship between God and His creation.
Tyndale gloss
which
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word אֲשֶׁר (*asher*) is a relative pronoun that can mean 'who,' 'which,' or 'that.' It serves various grammatical functions, including as an adverb or conjunction, indicating relationships between clauses, places, or conditions. Variants like בַאֲשֶׁר (*ba-asher*), מֵאֲשֶׁר (*me-asher*), and כַּאֲשֶׁר (*ka-asher*) expand its usage to specific contexts such as location, causation, and time.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

אֲשֶׁר part. of relation A sign of relation, bringing the clause introduced by it into relation with an antecedent clause.

base

בַאֲשֶׁר

in (that) which

adv. in (the place) where

conj. in that, inasmuch as

on account of whom?

base

מֵאֲשֶׁר

from (or than) that which

adv. from (the place) where

conj. from (the fact) that …, since

base

כַּאֲשֶׁר conj. according as, as, when

according to that which, according as, as

with a causal force, in so far as, since

with a temporal force, when

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H834a אֲשֶׁר part. of relation A sign of relation, bringing the clause introduced by it into relation with an antecedent clause. H834b בַאֲשֶׁר . in (that) which

. adv. in (the place) where

. conj. in that, inasmuch as

. on account of whom?

H834c מֵאֲשֶׁר . from (or than) that which

. adv. from (the place) where

. conj. from (the fact) that …, since

H834d כַּאֲשֶׁר conj. according as, as, when . according to that which, according as, as

. with a causal force, in so far as, since

. with a temporal force, when

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

834 'aher ash-er'

a primitive relative pronoun (of every gender and number);

who, which, what, that; also (as an adverb and a conjunction)

when, where, how, because, in order that, etc.:--X after, X

alike, as (soon as), because, X every, for, + forasmuch, +

from whence, + how(-soever), X if, (so) that ((thing) which,

wherein), X though, + until, + whatsoever, when, where

(+ -as, -in, -of, -on, -soever, -with), which, whilst, +

whither(- soever), who(-m, -soever, -se). As it is

indeclinable, it is often accompanied by the personal pronoun

expletively, used to show the connection.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

אֲשֶׁר (a.sher) — which.

A: 1) (relative part.)

1a) which, who

1b) that which

2) (conj)

2a) that (in obj clause)

2b) when

2c) since

2d) as

2e) conditional if

B: Beth+ 1) in (that) which

2) (adv)

2a) where

3) (conj)

3a) in that, inasmuch as

3b) on account of

C: Mem+ 1) from (or than) that which

2) from (the place) where

3) from (the fact) that, since

D: Kaph+

1) (conj.), according as, as, when

1a) according to that which, according as, as

1b) with a causal force: in so far as, since

1c) with a temporal force: when

בַאֲשֶׁר (ba.a.sher) — in which.

1) in (that) which

2) (adv)

2a) where

3) (conj)

3a) in that, inasmuch as

3b) on account of

מֵאֲשֶׁר (me.a.sher) — whence.

1) from (or than) that which

2) from (the place) where

3) from (the fact) that, since

כַּאֲשֶׁר (ka.a.sher) — as which.

conj

1) according as, as, when

1a) according to that which, according as, as

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Prep | Rel — Preposition · particle
HR/Tr
The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
when a report [is] to Egypt people will be in anguish like [the] report of Tyre
שֵׁ֖מַעShe.ma' a report H8088 Noun common · masculine singular absolute
18× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This word refers to a report, rumor, or announcement, something that is heard or spoken. In the Bible, it is used to describe news, fame, or a loud noise, often in books like Genesis and Isaiah.
Amplified meaning
news, announcement, rumor
Tyndale gloss
sound
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

שֶׁ֫מַע (shema`) refers to both 'sound' and 'hearing' or 'report.' It is derived from a root meaning to hear and encompasses concepts like announcement and rumor. The word appears in contexts related to auditory experiences, including Psalm 150:5. There is a variant form, שֹׁ֫מַע (sho.ma), which also means 'report.'

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

[שֶׁ֫מַע] n.[m.] sound;—ψ 150:5

ref

שֵׁ֫מַע n.[m.] hearing, report

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H8088a שֶׁ֫מַע sound H8088b שֵׁ֫מַע hearing, report

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

8088 shema` shay'-mah

from 8085; something heard, i.e. a sound, rumor,

announcement; abstractly, audience:--bruit, fame, hear(-ing),

loud, report, speech, tidings.

see HEBREW for 08085

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

שֶׁ֫מַע (she.ma) — sound.

sound

שֵׁ֫מַע (she.ma) — report.

report, a hearing

Also means: sho.ma (שֹׁ֫מַע "report" H8089)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-ms — Noun common · masculine singular absolute
HNcmsa
when a report [is] to Egypt people will be in anguish like [the] report of Tyre
לְמִצְרָ֑יִםle.mitz.Ra.yim [is] to Egypt H4714 Preposition · 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 country 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
Prep | N-proper — Preposition · noun proper
HR/Npl
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…

when a report [is] to Egypt people will be in anguish like [the] report of Tyre
יָחִ֖ילוּya.Chi.lu people will be in anguish H2342 Verb · Qal · imperfect third person masculine plural
58× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This Hebrew word means to twist or whirl, and can describe dancing, pain, or fear. It is used to convey strong emotions or physical struggles, such as childbirth or great fear.
Amplified meaning
twist, whirl, be in agony, sorely pained, deeply distressed
Tyndale gloss
to twist: tremble
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word חוּל (chuwl) is built from a primitive root meaning to twist or whirl. It covers a range of meanings, including to dance, writhe in pain, bear children, and wait anxiously. The word can also imply strength or firmness, as noted in some entries. Various forms indicate different nuances, such as being made to writhe or suffering anguish.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

חוּל [חִיל] vb. whirl, dance, writhe

Qal

dance

twist, writhe

whirl, whirl about

Po‛lel

dance

writhe in travail with, bear, bring forth (poet.)

wait anxiously

Po‛lal

be made to writhe

be brought forth

Hiph. cause to be in anguish

Hoph. be born

Hithpol.

whirling

writhing, suffering torture

wait longingly

Hithpalp. and she writhed in anxiety

base

[חול, חִיל] vb. be firm, strong

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H2342a חוּל [חִיל] whirl, dance, writhe .. dance

. twist, writhe

. whirl, whirl about

.. dance

. writhe in travail with, bear, bring forth (poet.)

. wait anxiously

.. be made to writhe

. be brought forth

. cause to be in anguish

. be born

. . whirling

. writhing, suffering torture

. wait longingly

. and she writhed in anxiety

H2342b חול, חִיל br firm, strong

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

2342 chuwl khool

or chiyl {kheel}; a primitive root; properly, to twist or

whirl (in a circular or spiral manner), i.e. (specifically) to

dance, to writhe in pain (especially of parturition) or fear;

figuratively, to wait, to pervert:--bear, (make to) bring

forth, (make to) calve, dance, drive away, fall grievously

(with pain), fear, form, great, grieve, (be) grievous, hope,

look, make, be in pain, be much (sore) pained, rest, shake,

shapen, (be) sorrow(-ful), stay, tarry, travail (with pain),

tremble, trust, wait carefully (patiently), be wounded.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

חוּל (chul) — to twist: tremble.

: tremble/fear

1) to twist, whirl, dance, writhe, fear, tremble, travail, be in anguish, be pained

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to dance

1a2) to twist, writhe

1a3) to whirl, whirl about

1b) (Polel)

1b1) to dance

1b2) to writhe (in travail with), bear, bring forth

1b3) to wait anxiously

1c) (Pulal)

1c1) to be made to writhe, be made to bear

1c2) to be brought forth

1d) (Hophal) to be born

1e) (Hithpolel)

1e1) whirling (participle)

1e2) writhing, suffering torture (participle)

1e3) to wait longingly

1f) (Hithpalpel) to be distressed

חִיל (chil) — be firm.

to be firm, strong

חוּל (chul) — to twist: give birth.

: give_birth

1) to twist, whirl, dance, writhe, fear, tremble, travail, be in anguish, be pained

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to dance

1a2) to twist, writhe

1a3) to whirl, whirl about

1b) (Polel)

1b1) to dance

1b2) to writhe (in travail with), bear, bring forth

1b3) to wait anxiously

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

an'-gwish: Extreme distress of body, mind or spirit; excruciating pain or suffering of soul, e.g. excessive grief, remorse, despair. Chiefly expressed in Old Testament, by four derivatives of tsuq, "straitened," "pressed," and tsar, and two derivatives signifying "straitness," "narrowness," hence distress; also shabhats, "giddiness," "confusion of mind"; hul "to twist" with pain, "writhe." So in the New Testament, thlipsis, "a pressing together," hence affliction, tribulation, stenochoria, "narrowness of place," hence extreme affliction; sunoche, "a holding together," hence distress. The fundamental idea in these various terms is pressure--being straitened, compressed into a narrow place, or pain through physical or mental torture. Used of the physical agony of child-birth (Jer 4:31; 6:24; 49:24; 50:43;

when a report [is] to Egypt people will be in anguish like [the] report of Tyre
כְּשֵׁ֥מַעke.She.ma' like [the] report of H8088 Preposition · noun common masculine singular construct
18× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This word refers to a report, rumor, or announcement, something that is heard or spoken. In the Bible, it is used to describe news, fame, or a loud noise, often in books like Genesis and Isaiah.
Amplified meaning
report, fame, sound
Tyndale gloss
sound
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

שֶׁ֫מַע (shema`) refers to both 'sound' and 'hearing' or 'report.' It is derived from a root meaning to hear and encompasses concepts like announcement and rumor. The word appears in contexts related to auditory experiences, including Psalm 150:5. There is a variant form, שֹׁ֫מַע (sho.ma), which also means 'report.'

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

[שֶׁ֫מַע] n.[m.] sound;—ψ 150:5

ref

שֵׁ֫מַע n.[m.] hearing, report

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H8088a שֶׁ֫מַע sound H8088b שֵׁ֫מַע hearing, report

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

8088 shema` shay'-mah

from 8085; something heard, i.e. a sound, rumor,

announcement; abstractly, audience:--bruit, fame, hear(-ing),

loud, report, speech, tidings.

see HEBREW for 08085

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

שֶׁ֫מַע (she.ma) — sound.

sound

שֵׁ֫מַע (she.ma) — report.

report, a hearing

Also means: sho.ma (שֹׁ֫מַע "report" H8089)

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…

when a report [is] to Egypt people will be in anguish like [the] report of Tyre
צֹֽר׃Tzor Tyre H6865 Noun proper
42× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
Tyre refers to a city on the Mediterranean coast, mentioned in the Bible as a major Phoenician city, translated as Tyre or Tyrus, meaning a rock. It appears in books like Matthew and Acts. The city was an important trade center.
Amplified meaning
a major Phoenician city, a strategic port
Tyndale gloss
Tyre
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

צֹר (tsor) refers to Tyre, a well-known Phoenician city located on the Mediterranean coast. The word is associated with the meaning of 'rock' and is linked to the Hebrew word for rock, צור (tsur). The entries consistently identify it as a proper noun and a significant location in ancient Palestine.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

צֹר, צוֹר n.pr.loc. Tyre, famous Phoenician city

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H6865 צֹר, צוֹר Tyre, famous Phoenician city

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

6865 Tsor tsore

or Tsowr {tsore}; the same as 6864; a rock; Tsor, a place in

Palestine:--Tyre, Tyrus.

see HEBREW for 06864

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

צֹר (tsor) — Tyre.

§ Tyre or Tyrus = "a rock"

the Phoenician city on the Mediterranean coast

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

tir (tsowr. tsor, "rock"' Turos, "Tyrus"; modern Sur):

1. Physical Features:

The most noted of the Phoenician cities situated on the coast, lat. 33ø 17 minutes, about 20 miles South of Sidon and about 35 North of Carmel. The date of its foundation is uncertain, but it was later than that of Sidon. It is mentioned in the travels of the Egyptian Mohar, dating probably from the 14th century BC, and in the Tell el-Amarna Letters of about the same period. Herodotus describes the temple of Hercules at Tyre and says it was built 2,300 years before his time, which would carry back the beginning of the city to more than 2700 BC. It was a double city, one part on an island, a short distance from the shore, and the other on the mainland opposite. The island city had two harbors, connected by a canal, one looking North and the other South. The island was rocky and the city was fortitled on the land…

Easton's Bible Dictionary

Tyre

A rock, now es-Sur; an ancient Phoenician city, about 23 miles, in a direct line, north of Acre, and 20 south of Sidon. Sidon was the oldest Phoenician city, but Tyre had a longer and more illustrious history. The commerce of the whole world was gathered into the warehouses of Tyre. “Tyrian merchants were the first who ventured to navigate the Mediterranean waters; and they founded their colonies on the coasts and neighbouring islands of the AEgean Sea, in Greece, on the northern coast of Africa, at Carthage and other places, in Sicily and Corsica, in Spain at Tartessus, and even beyond the pillars of Hercules at Gadeira (Cadiz)” (Driver’s Isaiah). In the time of David a friendly alliance was entered into between the Hebrews and the Tyrians, who were long ruled over by their native kings (2 Sam. 5:11;

Hitchcock's Bible Names Dictionary

Tyrus, strength; rock; sharp

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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