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Isaiah 34:12 — Word Study

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WLCחֹרֶ֥יהָ וְאֵֽין־ שָׁ֖ם מְלוּכָ֣ה יִקְרָ֑אוּ וְכָל־ שָׂרֶ֖יהָ יִ֥הְיוּ אָֽפֶס׃

BSANoʼayin nobleschôr [of high rank, pure ones] will be left to proclaimqârâʼ a kingmᵉlûwkâh [to establish a kingdom] and allkôl her princessar [rulers, leaders] will comehâyâh to nothingʼepheç [result in, amount to, emptiness, void]

Word
Listen & take awayIsaiah 34
English ↓ Download MP3 The Berean Standard Bible chapter audio already hosted for the site's Bible section — verse 12 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 ('A.fes) — no per-word recordings of the Hebrew exist to link to.
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Isaiah 34:12quick helps
In a sentenceThe verse states that there will be no nobles left to proclaim a king, and all princes will come to nothing.
Who is speakingThe prophet Isaiah speaks of the fate of Edom.
Where we areThis verse is part of a prophecy concerning the desolation of Edom.
The hard wordחֹרֶ֥יהָ
Take awayThe absence of leadership leads to emptiness.
8 commentators on this verse Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them › clause verbקָרָא 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 34:12

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 Desolation of Edomgenerated

11The desert owl and screech owl will possess it, and the great owl and raven will dwell in it. The LORD will stretch out over Edom a measuring line of chaos and a plumb line of destruction.
12No nobles will be left to proclaim a king, and all her princes will come to nothing.
13Her towers will be overgrown with thorns, her fortresses with thistles and briers. She will become a haunt for jackals, an abode for ostriches.
14The desert creatures will meet with hyenas, and one wild goat will call to another. There the night creature will settle and find her place of repose.

Isaiah 34:12 describes the impending desolation of Edom, emphasizing that there will be no noble leaders left to establish a kingdom, and all its princes will ultimately amount to nothing. This reflects a broader theme in Isaiah of judgment against nations that oppose God, highlighting the futility of human power in the absence of divine favor.


Cross References

ReferenceText (BSB)
1Isaiah 3:6–8A man will seize his brother within his father’s house: “You have a cloak—you be our leader! Take charge of this heap of rubble.”
2Ecclesiastes 10:16–17Woe to you, O land whose king is a youth, and whose princes feast in the morning.
3Isaiah 41:24Behold, you are nothing and your work is of no value. Anyone who chooses you is detestable.
41 Corinthians 8:4So about eating food sacrificed to idols: We know that an idol is nothing at all in the world, and that there is no God but one.
51 Corinthians 13:2If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have absolute faith so as to move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.

The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 6 references, hung on the phrase they belong to


The Key Word חֹרֶ֥יהָ, cho.Rei.hagenerated

The word חֹר (choresh) signifies a noble or pure individual, often associated with high rank or birth. It is derived from a root that implies purity, as something cleansed by fire. In this context, it indicates a lack of noble leaders who could proclaim a king.

The parsing indicates that it is a masculine plural noun with a construct form, meaning it is linked to a suffix indicating possession. The absence of these nobles underscores the desolation that will befall Edom.


How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated

In this study, the verse is read in the Berean Standard Bible, which translates the key phrase as nobles and princes.


Sentence Structuregenerated

The verse consists of two main clauses connected by a conjunction: the first clause states that no nobles will be left, and the second clause asserts that all princes will come to nothing. The structure emphasizes the complete lack of leadership in Edom.

The finite verbs יִקְרָ֑אוּ (yikra'u) and יִ֥הְיוּ (yihyu) govern the actions described, indicating what will happen to the nobles and princes.


Septuagint Backgroundgenerated

In the Septuagint, the Hebrew word חֹרֶ֥יהָ is rendered as οἱ (hoi), which means 'the'. This choice simplifies the expression, focusing on the absence of nobility without emphasizing their qualities.

The Greek translation reflects a narrowing of the original Hebrew meaning, indicating a more general absence of leadership rather than highlighting the nobility of those who are missing.


In plain words — the whole versegenerated

Isaiah 34:12 states that there will be no nobles left to proclaim a king, and all the princes will come to nothing. This verse emphasizes the complete lack of leadership and the resulting emptiness in Edom.


Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated

What does it mean that no nobles will be left?

It signifies that there will be a total absence of leadership in Edom, leading to chaos and desolation.

How does this verse relate to the overall message of Isaiah?

This verse reflects the theme of divine judgment against nations that oppose God, illustrating the futility of human power without divine support.

What is the significance of the princes coming to nothing?

It indicates that the ruling class will ultimately fail and result in emptiness, highlighting the consequences of turning away from God.

How does this verse apply today?

It serves as a reminder of the importance of righteous leadership and the consequences of neglecting divine guidance.


Reflection Questionsgenerated

  1. What qualities do you think are important for a leader to possess?
  2. How can we ensure that our leaders are guided by principles that reflect God's will?
  3. In what ways can we prepare ourselves to lead in our communities?
  4. What lessons can we learn from the downfall of Edom regarding leadership and authority?

Commentators on this verse — 8 expositors, verse by verse

Each of these wrote on Isaiah 34:12 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.

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

They shall call the nobles thereof to the kingdom, but none [shall be] there,.... They shall call them to take upon them the kingdom and government, and there shall be none to do it, or that will

Read John Gill on Isaiah 34 →
Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's Commentary

They shall call the nobles thereof to the kingdom, but none shall be there, and all her princes shall be nothing.

Read Robert Jamieson on Isaiah 34 →
Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy Bible

They shall call the nobles thereof to the kingdom, but none shall be there; they shall endeavour to heal their breaches, but in vain; the remnant of the people shall seek for any fit person, and offer the kingdom to him; but they shall not find any such who shall be willing to undertake the government. Shall be nothing; either shall be lost and cut off, or shall have no courage or strength left in them.

Read Matthew Poole on Isaiah 34 →
John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

Isaiah 34:12 They shall call the nobles thereof to the kingdom, but none [shall be] there, and all her princes shall be nothing.Ver. 12. They shall call the nobles thereof to the kingdom.] The Venetians have magistrates called pregadi; because at first men were prayed to take the office, and to help to govern the State: but here were none left for such a purpose.

Read John Trapp on Isaiah 34 →
Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(12) They shall call the nobles thereof . . .—The monarchy of Edom seems to have been elective, its rulers being known, not as kings, but by the title which the English version renders by “dukes” (Genesis 36:15-43). It will be noticed that no chief in the list of dukes is the son of his predecessor. Isaiah fore tells as part of the utter collapse of Edom that there shall be neither electors nor any to elect.

Read Charles John Ellicott on Isaiah 34 →
CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

12. They shall call the nobles … there] A very obscure sentence, probably through a defect in the text. The rendering of E.V. might be maintained if with Prof. Weir we suppose a transposition of words in the original; the inference being that the monarchy in Edom was elective (cf. Genesis 36:31 ff.). More likely, however, “her nobles” is the subject of a sentence the rest of which is now lost; and the following words are to be translated “and there is no kingdom there which they may proclaim.”

Read Cambridge on Isaiah 34 →
Albert Barnes1798–1870Barnes' Notes on the Bible

They shall call the nobles thereof to the kingdom - A more correct rendering of this would be, ‘As to the nobles, they shall call them, but there shall be there no kingdom.’ The idea is, that the

Read Albert Barnes on Isaiah 34 →
Daniel Denison Whedon1808–1885Whedon's Commentary on the Bible

11, 12. The picture of a solitary, foul, and marshy land, and of disgusting animals and birds, taking complete possession thereof, is a favourite one with Isaiah, (see Isaiah 13:20-22; Isaiah 14:23,) and others copy him.

Read Daniel Denison Whedon on Isaiah 34 →

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

No nobles will be left to proclaim a king, and all her princes will come to nothing.

WEBWorld English Bible2000

They shall call its nobles to the kingdom, but none shall be there; and all its princes shall be nothing.

MSBMajority Standard Bible2022

No nobles will be left to proclaim a king, and all her princes will come to nothing.

NETBNew English Translation2006

Her nobles will have nothing left to call a kingdom and all her officials will disappear.

Tyndale line

KJVKing James Version1611

They shall call the nobles thereof to the kingdom, but none shall be there, and all her princes shall be nothing.

ASVAmerican Standard Version1901

They shall call the nobles thereof to the kingdom, but none shall be there; and all its princes shall be nothing.

RVARevised Version, American1894

They shall call the nobles thereof to the kingdom, but none shall be there; and all her princes shall be nothing.

NWBWebster's Bible1833

They shall call her nobles to the kingdom, but none shall be there, and all her princes shall be nothing.

GNVGeneva Bible1599

The nobles thereof shall call to the kingdome, and there shalbe none, and all the princes thereof shalbe as nothing.

Strictly literal

DBYDarby Translation1890

Of her nobles who should proclaim the kingdom, none are there; and all her princes shall be nought.

YLTYoung's Literal Translation1862

[To] the kingdom her freemen they call, But there are none there, And all her princes are at an end.

LSVLiteral Standard Version2020

They call her nobles [to] the kingdom, || But there are none there, || And all her princes are at an end.

ILTInterlinear Literal Translation2000

Their nobles—no one is there they could call [to] the kingdom, and all its princes shall be no more.

ULBUnlocked Literal Bible2017

Her nobles will have nothing left to call a kingdom, and all her princes will be nothing.

From the Latin

DRADouay-Rheims (Challoner)1899

The nobles thereof shall not be there: they shall call rather upon the king, and all the princes thereof shall be nothing.

Simplified

FBVFree Bible Version2020

Its nobles won't have anything to call a kingdom; all its princes will be gone.

BBEBible in Basic English1949

The jackals will be there, and her great ones will be gone; they will say, There is no longer a kingdom there, and all her chiefs will have come to an end.

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.

clauseclausenoun phraseחֹרֶ֥יnoblesהָitsוְandclausepredicateאֵֽיןthere.[will].not.[be]adverbialשָׁ֖םthereclauseobjectמְלוּכָ֣ה[that.which].a.kingshipverbיִקְרָ֑אוּpeople.will.callוְandclausenoun phrase · subjectכָלallnoun phraseשָׂרֶ֖יprincesהָitsverbיִ֥הְיוּthey.will.beobjectאָֽפֶסnothing

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 both agree on the wording of this verse, confirming the absence of nobles and the futility of princes. The Septuagint matches 6 of the 9 words, showing a close alignment with the Hebrew text.

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

חֹרֶ֥יהָ וְאֵֽין־ שָׁ֖ם מְלוּכָ֣ה יִקְרָ֑אוּ וְכָל־ שָׂרֶ֖יהָ יִ֥הְיוּ אָֽפֶס׃

Septuagintthe Greek the translators chose, word by word
חֹרֶ֥יהָοἱוְאֵֽין־ἔσονταιוְכָל־καὶשָׂרֶ֖יהָοἱיִ֥הְיוּἔσονταιאָֽפֶס׃ἀπώλειαν

6 of the 9 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

וחרי׳ה ואין שמ׳ה מלוכה יקראו וכול שרי׳ה יהיו כאפס

9 words on the leather.

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 34:12חֹרnobles itsnobles itsחֹראַ֫יִןand there nand there notאַ֫יִןשָׁםtherethereשָׁםמְלוּכָה[will be th[will be that wמְלוּכָהקָרָאpeople willpeople will calקָרָאכֹּלand alland allכֹּלשַׂרprinces itsprinces itsשַׂרהָיָהthey will bthey will beהָיָהאֶ֫פֶסnothingnothingאֶ֫פֶסחָרַרto scorchto scorchחָרַרכָּלַלto perfectto perfectכָּלַלשָׂרַרto ruleto ruleשָׂרַראָפֵסto endto endאָפֵסאַ֫יִןwhere?where?אַ֫יִןאֲשֶׁרwhichwhichאֲשֶׁרמָלַךְto reignto reignמָלַךְקָרָאto encountto encounter: mקָרָאהָוָאto fallto fallהָוָאגּוּרto sojournto sojournגּוּרסָגָןrulerrulerסָגָןרִיבto contendto contendרִיבכְּמוֹlikelikeכְּמוֹנָדַחto banishto banishנָדַחאֱלִישָׁמָעElishamaElishamaאֱלִישָׁמָעזֶ֫רַעseedseedזֶ֫רַעצוֹםfastfastצוֹםשֵׁםnamenameשֵׁם
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 34:12

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.

nobles its and there not there [will be that which] a kingship people will call and all princes its they will be nothing
חֹרֶ֥יהָcho.Rei.ha nobles its H2715 Noun common masculine plural construct · suffix
13× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
In the original Hebrew, this word means noble or pure, like something made clean by fire. It describes someone of high rank or birth, like a freeborn person. It appears in various Bible translations as 'noble'.
Amplified meaning
of high rank, pure ones
Tyndale gloss
noble
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

חֹר (chor) primarily means 'noble' and can imply a sense of purity or whiteness, derived from the cleansing power of fire. The word is associated with nobility and freeborn status, indicating a high rank. It is linked to the root words for 'white' and 'shining,' but there are no significant disagreements among the lexicons.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

[חֹר] n.m. noble, late

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H2715 [חֹר] noble

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

2715 chor khore

or (fully) chowr {khore}; from 2787; properly, white or pure

(from the cleansing or shining power of fire (compare 2751);

hence (figuratively) noble (in rank):--noble.

see HEBREW for 02787

see HEBREW for 02751

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

חֹר (chor) — noble.

a noble, freeborn one

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-mp | Suff — Noun common masculine plural construct · suffix
HNcmpc/Sp3fs
nobles its and there not there [will be that which] a kingship people will call and all princes its they will be nothing
וְאֵֽין־ve.'ein- and there not H369 Conjunction · noun common masculine singular construct
789× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This word means nothing or not, often used to indicate the absence of something, as in Genesis 1:2 where the earth was without form. It emphasizes the idea of something lacking or non-existent.
Tyndale gloss
nothing
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

אַ֫יִן (ayin) primarily means 'nothing' or 'nought' and serves as a negative particle indicating absence or negation, such as 'is not' or 'there is not.' It can also express lack of possession or existence. The word is derived from a root meaning to be non-existent, and it appears frequently in various grammatical constructions.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

אַ֫יִן, אָ֑֫יִן cstr. אֵין subst. prop. nothing, nought

to nothing, as nothing

cstr. אֵין, very freq. as particle of negation, is not, are not, was not, were not

אֵין לְ׳, with subst., or pron., there is (was) not to … = … have, has, had, etc. not

in circumst. clauses

with inf. and ל׳, it is not to …

with prefixes

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H369 אַ֫יִן, אָ֑֫יִן cstr. אֵין subst. prop. nothing, nought . to nothing, as nothing

. cstr. אֵין, very freq. as particle of negation, is not, are not, was not, were not

. אֵין לְ׳, with subst., or pron., there is (was) not to … = … have, has, had, etc. not

. in circumst. clauses

. with inf. and ל׳, it is not to …

. with prefixes

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

369 'ayin ah'-yin

as if from a primitive root meaning to be nothing or not

exist; a non-entity; generally used as a negative

particle:--else, except, fail, (father-)less, be gone,

in(-curable), neither, never, no (where), none, nor, (any,

thing), not, nothing, to nought, past, un(-searchable),

well-nigh, without. Compare 370.

see HEBREW for 0370

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

אַ֫יִן (a.yin) — nothing.

1) nothing, not, nought n

1a) nothing, nought neg

1b) not

1c) to have not (of possession) adv

1d) without w/prep

1e) for lack of

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Conj | Part — Conjunction · noun common masculine singular construct
HC/Ncmsc
nobles its and there not there [will be that which] a kingship people will call and all princes its they will be nothing
שָׁ֖םsham there H8033 Adverb
834× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
The Hebrew word sham means there or then, often used to describe a location or point in time. It can also mean thither or thence, indicating movement or direction. This word is used frequently in the Bible to provide context and clarify the setting of a story.
Tyndale gloss
there
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

שָׁם (sham) is a Hebrew adverb meaning 'there' or 'thither,' indicating a location or direction. It can also refer to a point in time, translating to 'then.' The word is derived from a relative pronoun and is used in various contexts, including movement and temporal references.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

שָׁם adv. there, thither

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H8033 שָׁם there, thither

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

8033 sham shawm

a primitive particle (rather from the relative pronoun, 834);

there (transferring to time) then; often thither, or

thence:--in it, + thence, there (-in, + of, + out), +

thither, + whither.

see HEBREW for 0834

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

שָׁם (sham) — there.

1) there, thither

1a) there

1b) thither (after verbs of motion)

1c) from there, thence

1d) then (as an adverb of time)

Aramaic equivalent: tam.mah (תַּמָּה "there" H8536)

שָׁם (sham) — (Jerusalem) Is There.

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

This name means there, thither

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
HD — Adverb
HD
nobles its and there not there [will be that which] a kingship people will call and all princes its they will be nothing
מְלוּכָ֣הme.lu.Khah [will be that which] a kingship H4410 Noun common · feminine singular absolute
24× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
Melukah refers to a kingdom or realm, describing a king's domain or territory. It is related to the concept of royalty and kingship in the Bible.
Amplified meaning
to establish a kingdom
Tyndale gloss
kingship
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

מְלוּכָה (mluḵāh) refers to kingship or royalty and is derived from a feminine passive participle of the root word for ruling. It encompasses concepts related to a realm or kingly office, as noted in various lexicons.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

מְלוּכָה n.f. kingship, royalty

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H4410 מְלוּכָה kingship, royalty

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

4410 mluwkah mel-oo-kaw'

feminine passive participle of 4427; something ruled, i.e. a

realm:--kingsom, king's, X royal.

see HEBREW for 04427

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

מְלוּכָה (me.lu.khah) — kingship.

kingship, royalty, kingly office

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-fs — Noun common · feminine singular absolute
HNcfsa
nobles its and there not there [will be that which] a kingship people will call and all princes its they will be nothing
יִקְרָ֑אוּyik.Ra.'u people will call H7121 Verb · Qal · imperfect third person masculine plural
733× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This Hebrew word means to call out to someone or something, often by name. It's used in many situations, like calling for help or reading aloud. In Genesis, God calls out to Adam in the Garden.
Tyndale gloss
to call: call to
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word קָרָא (qara') is a primitive root meaning to call, proclaim, or read. It encompasses a range of actions including calling out, crying for help, reading aloud, and summoning. The word can also imply being called or named in various contexts. There are no significant disagreements among the lexicons regarding its meanings.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

קָרָא 724 vb. call, proclaim, read

Qal

call, cry, utter a loud sound

call, cry

call unto some one

cry for help

proclaim

read aloud

read to oneself

summon

call = name

Niph.

reflex.

pass. be called

Pu. be called

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H7121 קָרָא call, proclaim, read .. . call, cry, utter a loud sound

. call, cry

. . call unto some one

. cry for help

. proclaim

. . read aloud

. read to oneself

. summon

. call = name

. . reflex.

. pass. be called

. be called

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

7121 qara' kaw-raw'

a primitive root (rather identical with 7122 through the idea

of accosting a person met); to call out to (i.e. properly,

address by name, but used in a wide variety of

applications):--bewray (self), that are bidden, call (for,

forth, self, upon), cry (unto), (be) famous, guest, invite,

mention, (give) name, preach, (make) proclaim(- ation),

pronounce, publish, read, renowned, say.

see HEBREW for 07122

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

קָרָא (qa.ra) — to call: call to.

: call_to/invite/entreat

1) to call, call out, recite, read, cry out, proclaim

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to call, cry, utter a loud sound

1a2) to call unto, cry (for help), call (with name of God)

1a3) to proclaim

1a4) to read aloud, read (to oneself), read

1a5) to summon, invite, call for, call and commission, appoint, call and endow

1a6) to call, name, give name to, call by

1b) (Niphal)

1b1) to call oneself

1b2) to be called, be proclaimed, be read aloud, be summoned, be named

1c) (Pual) to be called, be named, be called out, be chosen

קָרָא (qa.ra) — to call: call by.

: call_by/name

1) to call, call out, recite, read, cry out, proclaim

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to call, cry, utter a loud sound

1a2) to call unto, cry (for help), call (with name of God)

1a3) to proclaim

1a4) to read aloud, read (to oneself), read

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
Easton's Bible Dictionary

Call

(1.) To cry for help, hence to pray (Gen. 4:26). Thus men are said to “call upon the name of the Lord” (Acts 2:21; 7:59; 9:14; Rom. 10:12; 1 Cor. 1:2).

(2.) God calls with respect to men when he designates them to some special office (Ex. 31:2; Isa. 22:20; Acts 13:2), and when he invites them to accept his offered grace (Matt. 9:13; 11:28; 22:4).

Nave's Topical Bible

→ PERSONAL

By Christ Isa 55:5

→ TO SPECIAL RELIGIOUS DUTY

OF ABRAHAM Ge 12:1-3; Isa 51:2; Heb 11:8

MOSES Ex 3:2,4,10; 4:1-16; Ps 105:26; Ac 7:34,35

AARON AND HIS SONS Ex 4:14-16

See above, and Ps 105:26; Ex 28:1; Heb 5:4

nobles its and there not there [will be that which] a kingship people will call and all princes its they will be nothing
וְכָל־ve.khol and all H3605 Conjunction · noun common masculine singular construct
5,415× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
The Hebrew word for 'all' or 'everything' is used throughout the Bible, like in Genesis 1:31, where God sees all He has made as very good. It encompasses the entirety of something, whether people, things, or situations.
Tyndale gloss
all
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

כֹּל (kol) means 'all' or 'the whole.' It can refer to totality, including every person or thing, and is often used with a following genitive to specify what is included. The term can also denote a broader sense of everything in existence or all circumstances of life. The lexicons do not show significant disagreement on its meanings.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

כֹּל once כּוֹל n.m. the whole, all

with foll. gen. (as usually) the whole of, to be rendered, however, often in our idiom, to avoid stiffness, any or every

Absolutely:

without the art., all things, all

with the art. הַכֹּל

where the sense is limited by the context to things (or persons) just mentioned

in a wider sense, all, whether of all mankind or of all living things, the universe, or of all the circumstances of life (chiefly late)

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H3605 כֹּל once כּוֹל the whole, all . with foll. gen. (as usually) the whole of, to be rendered, however, often in our idiom, to avoid stiffness, any or every

. Absolutely: . without the art., all things, all

. with the art. הַכֹּל . where the sense is limited by the context to things (or persons) just mentioned

. in a wider sense, all, whether of all mankind or of all living things, the universe, or of all the circumstances of life (chiefly late)

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

3605 kol kole

or (Jer. 33:8) kowl {kole}; from 3634; properly, the whole;

hence, all, any or every (in the singular only, but often in a

plural sense):--(in) all (manner, (ye)), altogether, any

(manner), enough, every (one, place, thing), howsoever, as

many as, (no-)thing, ought, whatsoever, (the) whole,

whoso(-ever).

see HEBREW for 03634

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

כֹּל (kol) — all.

1) all, the whole

1a) all, the whole of

1b) any, each, every, anything

1c) totality, everything

Aramaic equivalent: kol (כֹּל "all" H3606)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Conj | N-ms — Conjunction · noun common masculine singular construct
HC/Ncmsc
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

ol: Used in various combinations, and with different meanings.

(1) All along, "Weeping all along as he went" (Jer 41:6), i.e. throughout the whole way he went, feigning equal concern with the men from Shiloh, etc., for the destruction of the Temple, so as to put them off their guard.

(2) All in all, "That God may be all in all" (1Co 15:28, Greek: panta en pasin, "all things in all (persons and) things"). "The universe, with all it comprises, will wholly answer to God's will and reflect His mind" (Dummelow).

(3) All one, "It is all one" (Job 9:22), "it makes no difference whether I live or die."

(4) At all, "If thy father miss me at all" (1Sa 20:6), "in any way," "in the least."

The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
nobles its and there not there [will be that which] a kingship people will call and all princes its they will be nothing
שָׂרֶ֖יהָsa.Rei.ha princes its H8269 Noun common masculine plural construct · suffix
421× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
A leader or person in charge, like a prince or captain, as seen in the Bible with King David and other rulers.
Amplified meaning
rulers, leaders
Tyndale gloss
ruler
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

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

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

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

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

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

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

8269 sar sar

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

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

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

see HEBREW for 08323

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

שַׂר (sar) — ruler.

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

1a) chieftain, leader

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

1c) captain, general, commander (military)

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

1e) heads, princes (of religious office)

1f) elders (of representative leaders of people)

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

1h) patron-angel

1i) Ruler of rulers (of God)

1j) warden

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-mp | Suff — Noun common masculine plural construct · suffix
HNcmpc/Sp3fs
nobles its and there not there [will be that which] a kingship people will call and all princes its they will be nothing
יִ֥הְיוּYih.yu they will be H1961 Verb · Qal · imperfect third person masculine plural
3,562× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
The Hebrew word for to be means to exist or come into being. It is used to describe something that happens or comes to pass, like in Genesis where God creates the world.
Tyndale gloss
to be
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

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

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

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

Qal

Fall out, happen

occur, take place, come about, come to pass

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

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

rarely also Pf. c. וְ conj. וְהָיָה

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

Come into being, become

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

sq. prep.

become

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

sq. pred. adj.

become like

sq. pred. לְ pers.

sq. לְ pred.

oft. c. לְ pred. לְ pers.

with עַל and לְ

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

Be (often with subbordinate idea of becoming)

exist, be in existence

abide, remain, continue

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

as copula, joining subj. & pred.

Read the full entry →
Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

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

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

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

. rarely also Pf. c. וְ conj. וְהָיָה

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

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

. sq. prep.

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

. sq. pred. adj.

. become like

. sq. pred. + לְ pers.

. sq. לְ pred.

. oft. c. לְ pred. + לְ pers.

. with עַל and לְ

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

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

. abide, remain, continue

Read the full entry →
Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

1961 hayah haw-yaw

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

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

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

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

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

(one-)self, require, X use.

see HEBREW for 01933

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

הָיָה (ha.yah) — to be.

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

1a) (Qal)

1a1) ---

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

1a1b) to come about, come to pass

1a2) to come into being, become

1a2a) to arise, appear, come

1a2b) to become

1a2b1) to become

1a2b2) to become like

1a2b3) to be instituted, be established

1a3) to be

1a3a) to exist, be in existence

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

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

1a3d) to accompany, be with

1b) (Niphal)

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

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

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

See TESTAMENT.

Nave's Topical Bible

→ THE MENTAL FACULTY

Freedom of, recognized by God Ge 4:6-10; De 5:29; 1Ki 20:42; Isa 1:18-20; 43:26; Jer 36:3,7; Joh 7:17

See BLESSINGS, CONTINGENT UPON OBEDIENCE

See CHOICE

See CONTINGENCY

→ OF GOD, THE SUPREME RULE OF DUTY Mt 6:10; 12:50; 26:39,42; Mr 3:35; 14:36; Lu 11:2; 22:42; Joh 4:34; 5:30; 6:38-40; Ac…

nobles its and there not there [will be that which] a kingship people will call and all princes its they will be nothing
אָֽפֶס׃'A.fes nothing H657 Noun common · masculine singular absolute
44× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This word can mean the soles of the feet or the ankles, but it can also mean an end or a stop to something. In Deuteronomy 28:35, it describes a curse that will afflict the Israelites from the soles of their feet to the top of their head.
Amplified meaning
result in, amount to, emptiness, void
Tyndale gloss
end
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word אֶ֫פֶס (*'ephec*) primarily means 'ceasing' or 'end,' and it can express non-existence. It also refers to the dual form אֹ֫פֶס (*'ofes*), which denotes the 'soles' or 'ankles' as the two extremities of the feet. The entries highlight its usage in various contexts, including adverbial forms indicating absence or limitation.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

אֶ֫פֶס, אָ֑פֶס n.m. prop. ceasing, hence

end, extremity

Expressing non-existence

base

[אֹ֫פֶס] n.[m.] only in the du. lit. the two extremities, i.e. either the soles of the feet, or the ankles

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H657a אֶ֫פֶס, אָ֑פֶס prop. ceasing, hence . end, extremity

. Expressing non-existence

H657b אֹ֫פֶס only in the du. lit. the two extremities, i.e. either the soles of the feet, or the ankles

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

657 'ephec eh'-fes

from 656; cessation, i.e. an end (especially of the earth);

often used adverb, no further; also (like 6466) the ankle (in

the dual), as being the extremity of the leg or foot:--ankle,

but (only), end, howbeit, less than nothing, nevertheless

(where), no, none (beside), not (any, -withstanding), thing of

nought, save(-ing), there, uttermost part, want, without

(cause).

see HEBREW for 0656

see HEBREW for 06466

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

אֶ֫פֶס (e.phes) — end.

1) ceasing, end, finality

2) expressing non-existence

אֹ֫פֶס (o.phes) — soles.

the two extremities, i.e. either the soles of the feet or the ankles

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

nuth'-ing (lo', lo' @me'umah, etc.; medeis, oudeis): "Nothing" is represented by various words and phrases, often with lo', which is properly a substantive with the meaning of "nothing." Most frequently we have lo' me'umah, "not anything" (Ge 40:15; Jud 14:6).

Other forms are lo' dhabhar, "not anything"; (Ge 19:8); lo'khol, "not any(thing)" (Ge 11:6; Pr 13:7); la' (Aramaic), "no," "nothing" (Da 4:35, "as nothing"); 'ephec, "end," "cessation" (Isa 34:12); bilti, "without," "save," "not" (

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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