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Isaiah 40:16 — Word Study

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WLCוּלְבָנ֕וֹן אֵ֥ין דֵּ֖י בָּעֵ֑ר וְחַיָּת֔וֹ אֵ֥ין דֵּ֖י עוֹלָֽה׃ ס

BSALebanonLᵉbânôwn [a mountain range in Israel, named for its white snow or limestone peaks] [is] notʼayin sufficientday [lacking, inadequate] for fuelbâʻar [to burn, for a fire] nor its animalschay [beasts, living creatures] enoughday [sufficient, ample] for a burnt offeringʻôlâh [a step or stairs, often used to describe the ascent to the altar for a sacrifice]

Word
Listen & take awayIsaiah 40
English ↓ Download MP3 The Berean Standard Bible chapter audio already hosted for the site's Bible section — verse 16 is in this chapter.
Hebrew ↓ Download MP3 The Masoretic text of this chapter, read aloud. Read by Abraham Shmuelof, courtesy of Audio Scriptures International. Chapter divisions by the Academy of Ancient Languages..
Say the word Each Hebrew word carries its transliteration (o.Lah) — no per-word recordings of the Hebrew exist to link to.
Take it away
Isaiah 40:16quick helps
In a sentenceThe verse expresses that Lebanon and its animals are insufficient for offerings to God.
What is being compared?Lebanon's resources are contrasted with the needs of burnt offerings.
Where we areThis verse is part of a larger passage emphasizing God's greatness over nations.
The hard wordדֵּ֖י
Take awayHuman resources cannot meet divine requirements.
8 commentators on this verse Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them › clause subjectוְ verbבָּעַר 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 40:16

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

Context — God's Sovereignty Over Nationsgenerated

15Surely the nations are like a drop in a bucket; they are considered a speck of dust on the scales; He lifts up the islands like fine dust.
16Lebanon is not sufficient for fuel, nor its animals enough for a burnt offering.
17All the nations are as nothing before Him; He regards them as nothingness and emptiness.
18To whom will you liken God? To what image will you compare Him?

Isaiah 40:16 emphasizes that Lebanon, despite its grandeur, cannot provide enough fuel for offerings, illustrating the inadequacy of human resources in comparison to God's majesty. The surrounding verses highlight the insignificance of nations before God, reinforcing the theme of divine supremacy.


Cross References

ReferenceText (BSB)
1Psalm 40:6Sacrifice and offering You did not desire, but my ears You have opened. Burnt offerings and sin offerings You did not require.
2Psalm 50:10–12for every beast of the forest is Mine— the cattle on a thousand hills.
3Micah 6:6–7With what shall I come before the LORD when I bow before the God on high? Should I come to Him with burnt offerings, with year-old calves?
4Hebrews 10:5–10Therefore, when Christ came into the world, He said: “Sacrifice and offering You did not desire, but a body You prepared for Me.

The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 4 references, hung on the phrase they belong to


The Key Word דֵּ֖י, deigenerated

The word דַּי (dei) means 'sufficiency' or 'enough.' It appears only three times in the Old Testament, indicating a lack of adequacy when it comes to offerings. The parsing shows it as a masculine singular construct noun, suggesting it refers to a specific measure of sufficiency.

In this verse, it indicates that Lebanon does not provide enough fuel for the sacrifices, underscoring the idea that no earthly resource can fulfill the divine requirements for worship.


How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated

This study reads the verse in the Berean Standard Bible, which uses sufficient to translate דֵּ֖י.


Sentence Structuregenerated

The finite verb בָּעֵ֑ר, burning, governs the entire verse, with two noun phrases and two adverbial phrases connected to it. The structure emphasizes the insufficiency of Lebanon and its animals for offerings.

The subject of the verse is לְבָנ֕וֹן (Lebanon), which is followed by the negation אֵ֥ין (not), leading to the verb and its complements.


Septuagint Backgroundgenerated

In the Septuagint, לְבָנ֕וֹן is rendered as δὲ, indicating a transition rather than a direct translation. This choice reflects a different emphasis in the Greek text.

The word דֵּ֖י is translated as ἱκανὰ, which also conveys the idea of sufficiency but may carry a slightly different nuance in the context of Greek thought.


In plain words — the whole versegenerated

Isaiah 40:16 states that Lebanon cannot provide enough fuel, nor can its animals suffice for a burnt offering. This highlights that human resources are inadequate for divine worship.


Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated

What does it mean that Lebanon is not sufficient for fuel?

It emphasizes that even the grand resources of Lebanon cannot meet God's requirements for offerings.

Why are animals mentioned in this verse?

Animals are part of the sacrificial system, and their insufficiency highlights the limitations of earthly offerings.

What is the significance of burnt offerings?

Burnt offerings were a way to seek atonement and express devotion to God, showing the importance of adequate offerings.

How does this verse relate to the surrounding context?

It fits into a larger theme of God's supremacy over nations and the inadequacy of human efforts to honor Him.


Reflection Questionsgenerated

  1. In what ways do I rely on my own resources instead of trusting in God's sufficiency?
  2. How can I better understand the concept of sacrifice in my life today?
  3. What does this verse teach me about the nature of God's requirements?
  4. How can I apply the idea of sufficiency in my worship and offerings to God?

Commentators on this verse — 8 expositors, verse by verse

Each of these wrote on Isaiah 40:16 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.

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

And Lebanon is not sufficient to burn,.... The trees of it, as the Targum; these are not sufficient to burn a sacrifice with, suitable to the dignity and majesty of God, and as his justice can

Read John Gill on Isaiah 40 →
Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's Commentary

And Lebanon is not sufficient to burn, nor the beasts thereof sufficient for a burnt offering.

Read Robert Jamieson on Isaiah 40 →
Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy Bible

And although he is pleased to accept of poor and small sacrifices from his people, yet if men were to offer a sacrifice agreeable to his infinite excellency, the whole forest of Lebanon could not afford either a sufficient number of beasts to be sacrificed, or a sufficient quantity of wood to consume the sacrifice.

Read Matthew Poole on Isaiah 40 →
John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

Isaiah 40:16 And Lebanon [is] not sufficient to burn, nor the beasts thereof sufficient for a burnt offering.Ver. 16. And Lebanon is not sufficient to burn.] So infinitely great is God; so absolutely insufficient is man to give God satisfaction. Let those think on this who talk of setting off with God, and of making amends, by their good deeds, for their bad.

Read John Trapp on Isaiah 40 →
Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(16) Lebanon is not sufficient.—The thought is the same as that of Psa 50:10-12. Lebanon is chosen as the type of the forests that supply the wood for burnt-offerings, in which Judah was comparatively poor. In Nehemiah’s organisation of the Temple ritual the task of supplying wood for this purpose was assigned by lot to priests or Levites (Nehemiah 10:34).

Read Charles John Ellicott on Isaiah 40 →
AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible

Verse 16. And Lebanon is not sufficient] The image is beautiful and uncommon. It has been imitated by an apocryphal writer, who however comes far short of the original: - "For all sacrifice is too little for a sweet savour unto thee: And all the fat is not sufficient for thy burnt-offering." Judith 16:16. Does not the prophet mean here that all the burnt-offerings and sacrifices that could be offered were insufficient to atone for sin? That the nations were as nothing before him, not merely because of his immensity, but because of their insufficiency to make any atonement by their oblations for the iniquities which they had committed? Therefore the Redeemer was to come to Zion, &c.

Read AdamClarke on Isaiah 40 →
CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

16. So infinitely great is Jehovah that the forests of Lebanon would not yield fuel enough, nor its wild animals victims enough, for a holocaust worthy of Him.

Read Cambridge on Isaiah 40 →
Albert Barnes1798–1870Barnes' Notes on the Bible

And Lebanon - The expression here refers to the trees or the cedars of Lebanon. Thus it is rendered by the Chaldee: ‘And the trees of Lebanon.’ For a description of Lebanon, see the note at Isaiah 10:34.

Read Albert Barnes on Isaiah 40 →

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

Lebanon is not sufficient for fuel, nor its animals enough for a burnt offering.

WEBWorld English Bible2000

Lebanon is not sufficient to burn, nor its animals sufficient for a burnt offering.

MSBMajority Standard Bible2022

Lebanon is not sufficient for fuel, nor its animals enough for a burnt offering.

NETBNew English Translation2006

Not even Lebanon could supply enough firewood for a sacrifice; its wild animals would not provide enough burnt offerings.

Tyndale line

KJVKing James Version1611

And Lebanon is not sufficient to burn, nor the beasts thereof sufficient for a burnt offering.

ASVAmerican Standard Version1901

And Lebanon is not sufficient to burn, nor the beasts thereof sufficient for a burnt-offering.

RVARevised Version, American1894

And Lebanon is not sufficient to burn, nor the beasts thereof sufficient for a burnt offering.

NWBWebster's Bible1833

And Lebanon is not sufficient to burn, nor the beasts of it sufficient for a burnt-offering.

GNVGeneva Bible1599

And Lebanon is not sufficient for fire, nor the beastes thereof sufficient for a burnt offering.

Strictly literal

DBYDarby Translation1890

And Lebanon is not sufficient to burn, nor the beasts thereof sufficient for a burnt-offering.

YLTYoung's Literal Translation1862

And Lebanon is not sufficient to burn, Nor its beasts sufficient for a burnt-offering.

LSVLiteral Standard Version2020

And Lebanon is not sufficient to burn, || Nor its beasts sufficient for a burnt-offering.

ILTInterlinear Literal Translation2000

And Lebanon is not sufficient for burning, and its beasts do not suffice for burnt-offering.

ULBUnlocked Literal Bible2017

Lebanon is not sufficient fuel, nor its wild animals sufficient for a burnt offering.

From the Latin

DRADouay-Rheims (Challoner)1899

And Libanus shall not be enough to burn, nor the beasts thereof sufficient for a burnt offering.

Simplified

FBVFree Bible Version2020

All the wood in Lebanon for a fire and all its animals as a sacrifice wouldn't be enough to provide a burnt offering.

BBEBible in Basic English1949

And Lebanon is not enough to make a fire with, or all its cattle enough for a burned offering.

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.

וּandclausesubjectלְבָנ֕וֹןLebanonadverbialאֵ֥יןnotnoun phrase · predicateדֵּ֖י[is].sufficiencyclauseverbבָּעֵ֑רof.burningוְandclausenoun phrase · subjectחַיָּת֔animal[s]וֹitsadverbialאֵ֥יןnotnoun phrase · predicateדֵּ֖י[are].sufficiencyעוֹלָֽהof.burnt.offering

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


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

The Masoretic Text and the Septuagint align closely, with 7 of the 8 words matching. The Dead Sea Scrolls also support the Masoretic Text, with some words restored by editors, indicating a high degree of consistency across these ancient manuscripts.

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

וּלְבָנ֕וֹן אֵ֥ין דֵּ֖י בָּעֵ֑ר וְחַיָּת֔וֹ אֵ֥ין דֵּ֖י עוֹלָֽה׃ ס

Septuagintthe Greek the translators chose, word by word
וּלְבָנ֕וֹןδὲאֵ֥יןοὐξבָּעֵ֑רκαῦσινוְחַיָּת֔וֹτετράποδαאֵ֥יןοὐξדֵּ֖יἱκανὰעוֹלָֽה׃ סὁλοκάρπωσιν

7 of the 8 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

ולבנון אין די בער וחית׳ו אין די עולה

8 words on the leather.

Dead Sea Scrolls — 5Q3a copy a thousand years older than the Leningrad Codex

[ולבנון] [אין] [די] [בער] [וחית׳ו] אין [די] [עולה]

nothing on the leather here — 1 partly restored, 7 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 40:16לְבָנוֹןand Lebanonand Lebanonלְבָנוֹןאַ֫יִןnotnotאַ֫יִןדַּי[is] suffic[is] sufficiencדַּיבָּעַרburningburningבָּעַרחַיand animal[and animal[s] iחַיאַ֫יִןnotnotאַ֫יִןדַּי[is] suffic[is] sufficiencדַּיעֹלָהburnt offerburnt offeringעֹלָהלְבַבheartheartלְבַבאַ֫יִןwhere?where?אַ֫יִןבַּ֫עַרstupidstupidבַּ֫עַרחָיָהto liveto liveחָיָהעָלָהto ascend:to ascend: riseעָלָהעָ֫וֶלinjusticeinjusticeעָ֫וֶלכְּמוֹlikelikeכְּמוֹרִיקvainvainרִיקבַ֫עַלבַ֫עַלחוֹחַthistlethistleחוֹחַלֶהָבָהflameflameלֶהָבָהכָּבָהto quenchto quenchכָּבָהעוֹףbirdbirdעוֹףשָׂדַיfieldfieldשָׂדַישֶׁ֫לֶםpeace offepeace offeringשֶׁ֫לֶםתָּמִידcontinuallcontinuallyתָּמִיד
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 40:16

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

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

and Lebanon not [is] sufficiency of burning and animal[s] its not [is] sufficiency of burnt offering
וּלְבָנ֕וֹןu.le.va.Non and Lebanon H3844 Conjunction · noun proper
71× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
Lebanon is a mountain range in Israel, named for its white snow or limestone peaks, often mentioned in Psalms and other books.
Amplified meaning
a mountain range in Israel, named for its white snow or limestone peaks
Tyndale gloss
(Valley of) Lebanon
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

לְבָנוֹן (le.van.on) refers to Lebanon, a mountain range in Palestine known for its whiteness, likely due to its snow-capped peaks. The term is derived from a root meaning 'white' and is associated with various geographical features, including valleys and houses in the region. It appears in contexts describing the northern border of Israel.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

לְבָנוֹן 71 n.pr.mont. Lebanon

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H3844 לְבָנוֹן Lebanon

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

3844 Lbanown leb-aw-nohn'

from 3825; (the) white mountain (from its snow); Lebanon, a

mountain range in Palestine:--Lebanon.

see HEBREW for 03825

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

לְבָנוֹן (le.va.non) — Lebanon.

§ Lebanon = "whiteness"

a wooded mountain range on the northern border of Israel

לְבָנוֹן (le.va.non) — (Mount) Lebanon.

§ Lebanon = "whiteness"

a wooded mountain range on the northern border of Israel

לְבָנוֹן (le.va.non) — (Valley of) Lebanon.

Combined with biq.ah (בִּקְעָה " Valley" H1237I)

§ Lebanon = "whiteness"

a wooded mountain range on the northern border of Israel

לְבָנוֹן (le.va.non) — (House of the Forest of) Lebanon.

Combined with ba.yit (בַּ֫יִת "House" H1004K)

§ Lebanon = "whiteness"

a wooded mountain range on the northern border of Israel

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Conj | N-proper — Conjunction · noun proper
HC/Npl
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

leb'-a-non (lebanon; Septuagint Libanos; Vulgate (Jerome's Latin Bible, 390-405 A.D.) Libanus):

1. Name:

Derived from the root labhen, "to be white," probably from the snow which covers its summits the greater part of the year. "White mountains" are found in almost every country. The light color of the upper limestone may, however, form a sufficient reason for the name. In prose the article is usually connected with the name. In poetry it is more often without the article. In the Septuagint, however, the article is generally present both in prose and poetry.

2. General Description:

The Lebanon range proper borders the east coast of the Mediterranean, for a distance of 100 miles, running North-Northeast and South-Southwest from the mouth of the Litany river, the classic Leontes (which enters the sea a little North of Tyre), to the mouth of the Eleuthurus (Nahr el-Kebir), a few miles North of…

Easton's Bible Dictionary

Lebanon

White, “the white mountain of Syria,” is the loftiest and most celebrated mountain range in Syria. It is a branch running southward from the Caucasus, and at its lower end forking into two parallel ranges, the eastern or Anti-Lebanon, and the western or Lebanon proper. They enclose a long valley (Josh. 11:17) of from 5 to 8 miles in width, called by Roman writers Coele-Syria, now called el-Buka’a, “the valley,” a prolongation of the valley of the Jordan.

Lebanon proper, Jebel es-Sharki, commences at its southern extremity in the gorge of the Leontes, the ancient Litany, and extends north-east, parallel to the Mediterranean coast, as far as the river Eleutherus, at the plain of Emesa, “the entering of Hamath” (Num. 34:8;

a mountain range in the north of Palestine. The name Lebanon signifies white, and was applied either on account of snow which, during a great part of the year, cover its whole summit, or on account of the white color of its limestone cliffs and peaks. It is the "white mountain" --the Mont Blane of Palestine. Lebanon is represented in Scripture as lying upon the northern border of the land of Israel. (1:7; 11:24; Joshua 1:4) Two distinct ranges bear this name. They run in parallel lines from southwest to northeast for about 90 geographical miles, enclosing between them a long, fertile valley from five to eight miles wide, anciently called Coele-Syria . The western range is the "Libanus" of the old geographers and the Lebanon of Scripture. The eastern range was called "Anti-Libanus" by geographers, and "Lebanon toward the sunrising" by…

American Tract Society Bible Dictionary

White, a long chain of mountains on the north of Palestine, so named from the whitish limestone of which they are composed and in part perhaps from their snowy whiteness in winter. It consists of two main ridges running northeast and southwest, nearly parallel with each other and with the coast of the Mediterranean. See view in SIDON. The western ridge was called Libanus by the Greeks, and the eastern AntiLibanus. Between them lies a long valley called Coele-Syria, that is, Hollow Syria, and the "valley of Lebanon," Jos 11:17, at present Bukkah. It opens towards the north, but is exceedingly narrow towards the south, where the river Litany, anciently Orontes, issues form the valley and flows west to the sea, north of Tyre. The western ridge is generally higher than the eastern, and several of its peaks are thought to be towards…

and Lebanon not [is] sufficiency of burning and animal[s] its not [is] sufficiency of burnt offering
אֵ֥ין'ein not H369 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
Part — Noun common · masculine singular construct
HNcmsc
and Lebanon not [is] sufficiency of burning and animal[s] its not [is] sufficiency of burnt offering
דֵּ֖יdei [is] sufficiency of H1767 Noun common · masculine singular construct
39× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This word means enough or sufficiency, like having enough food or water. It is used in phrases like 'according to the abundance of' in 2 Corinthians. The KJV translates it as 'enough' or 'sufficient'.
Amplified meaning
lacking, inadequate
Tyndale gloss
sufficiency
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

דַּי (day) means 'sufficiency' or 'enough.' It appears only three times in the Old Testament and is often used with prepositions to express concepts like 'according to' or 'out of the abundance of.' The entries indicate its use as both a noun and adverb, but do not provide a clear derivation.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

דַּי subst. sufficiency, enough

absol. thrice only

Combined with בְּ, כְּ, and esp. מִן

בְּדֵי

כְּדֵי according to the sufficiency, or abundance, of

מִדֵי out of the abundance of, hence as often as

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H1767 דַּי sufficiency, enough . absol. thrice only

. Combined with בְּ, כְּ, and esp. מִן . בְּדֵי

. כְּדֵי according to the sufficiency, or abundance, of

. מִדֵי out of the abundance of, hence as often as

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

1767 day dahee

of uncertain derivation; enough (as noun or adverb), used

chiefly with preposition in phrases:--able, according to,

after (ability), among, as (oft as), (more than) enough, from,

in, since, (much as is) sufficient(-ly), too much, very, when.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

דַּי (day) — sufficiency.

1) sufficiency, enough

1a) enough

1b) for, according to the abundance of, out of the abundance of, as often as

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-ms — Noun common · masculine singular construct
HNcmsc
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…

and Lebanon not [is] sufficiency of burning and animal[s] its not [is] sufficiency of burnt offering
בָּעֵ֑רba.'Er burning H1197 Verb · Piel · infinitive construct common
94× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
To be brutish means to be stupid or barbarous, and can also refer to consuming something by fire or eating. It is used to describe someone who is dull-hearted or unreceptive.
Amplified meaning
to burn, for a fire
Tyndale gloss
to burn: burn
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word בָּעַר (ba'ar) has two primary meanings: to burn or consume, and to be brutish or stupid. It encompasses actions related to fire, such as kindling and burning, as well as figurative uses like consuming guilt. Additionally, it can denote a state of dullness or lack of receptiveness. The lexicons provide various nuances, particularly in how the burning aspect can relate to wrath or destruction.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

[בָּעַר] vb. burn, consume

Qal burn

Pi.

kindle

burn

fig. consume, utterly remove

Pu. burn (i.e. be supplied with fire), of fire-jar

Hiph.

kindle

burn up

base

[בָּעַר] vb. denom. be brutish

Qal be stupid, dull-hearted, unreceptive

Niph. brutish, stupid

Pi. feed, graze

Hiph. cause to be grazed over

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H1197a [בָּעַר] burn, consume .burn

. . kindle

. burn

. fig. consume, utterly remove

. burn (i.e. be supplied with fire), of fire-jar

. . kindle

. burn up

H1197b [בָּעַר] vb. denom. be brutish .be stupid, dull-hearted, unreceptive

. brutish, stupid

. feed, graze

. cause to be grazed over

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

1197 ba`ar baw-ar'

a primitive root; to kindle, i.e. consume (by fire or by

eating); also (as denominative from 1198) to be(-come)

brutish:--be brutish, bring (put, take) away, burn, (cause to)

eat (up), feed, heat, kindle, set ((on fire)), waste.

see HEBREW for 01198

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

בָּעַר (ba.ar) — to burn: burn.

: burn/ignite

1) to burn, consume, kindle, be kindled

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to begin to burn, be kindled, start burning

1a2) to burn, be burning

1a3) to burn, consume

1a4) Jehovah's wrath, human wrath (fig.)

1b) (Piel)

1b1) to kindle, burn

1b2) to consume, remove (of guilt) (fig.)

1c) (Hiphil)

1c1) to kindle

1c2) to burn up

1c3) to consume (destroy)

1d) (Pual) to burn

בָּעַר (ba.ar) — be brutish.

v denom

1) to be stupid, brutish, barbarous

1a) (Qal) to be stupid, dull-hearted, unreceptive

1b) (Niphal) to be stupid, dull-hearted

1c) (Piel) to feed, graze

1d) (Hiphil) to cause to be grazed over

בָּעַר (ba.ar) — to burn: destroy.

: destroy

1) to burn, consume, kindle, be kindled

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to begin to burn, be kindled, start burning

1a2) to burn, be burning

1a3) to burn, consume

1a4) Jehovah's wrath, human wrath (fig.)

1b) (Piel)

1b1) to kindle, burn

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
V-Piel-Inf-a — Verb · Piel · infinitive construct common
HVpcc
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
Nave's Topical Bible

→ As a punishment

→ See PUNISHMENT

and Lebanon not [is] sufficiency of burning and animal[s] its not [is] sufficiency of burnt offering
וְחַיָּת֔וֹve.chai.ya.To and animal[s] its H2416 Conjunction · noun common feminine singular construct · suffix
498× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
In the Bible, this word means life or being alive. It can refer to physical life, like in Genesis 1:20, or spiritual life, like in Psalm 30:5.
Amplified meaning
beasts, living creatures
Tyndale gloss
alive
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word חַי (*chay*) means 'alive' or 'living' and covers a range of meanings related to life, including living beings, vitality, and freshness. It can refer to God, animals, vegetation, and even concepts like appetite and community. Variants include חַיָּה (*chayyah*), meaning 'living thing' or 'animal,' and חַיִּים (*chayim*), which emphasizes life and sustenance.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

חַי adj. alive, living

of God, as the living one, the fountain of life

of man

of animals, alive, living

animals and man

(dub.) of vegetation, as thorns, green

of water, fresh

(dub.) lively, active

reviving

base

[חַי] n.[m.] kinsfolk, pl. sf. 1 S 18:18

ref

חַיָּה n.f. living thing, animal

animal

in general

wild animals, on account of their vital energy and activity

living beings, of the cherubic chariot

life, only in late poetry

appetite, activity of hunger

revival, renewal

base

חַיָּה n.f. community

base

חַיִּים n.m. pl. abstr. emph. life

life: physical

life: as welfare and happiness in king's presence

sustenance, maintenance

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H2416a חַי alive, living . . of God, as the living one, the fountain of life

. of man

. of animals, alive, living

. animals and man

. (dub.) of vegetation, as thorns, green

. of water, fresh

. (dub.) lively, active

. reviving

H2416b חַי kinsfolk H2416c חַיָּה living thing, animal . animal . in general

. wild animals, on account of their vital energy and activity

. living beings, of the cherubic chariot

. life, only in late poetry

. appetite, activity of hunger

. revival, renewal

H2416d חַיָּה community H2416e חַיִּים pl. abstr. emph. life . life: physical

. life: as welfare and happiness in king's presence

. sustenance, maintenance

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

2416 chay khah'-ee

from 2421; alive; hence, raw (flesh); fresh (plant, water,

year), strong; also (as noun, especially in the feminine

singular and masculine plural) life (or living thing), whether

literally or figuratively:--+ age, alive, appetite, (wild)

beast, company, congregation, life(-time), live(-ly), living

(creature, thing), maintenance, + merry, multitude, + (be)

old, quick, raw, running, springing, troop.

see HEBREW for 02421

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

חַי (chay) — alive.

adj

1) living, alive

1a) green (of vegetation)

1b) flowing, fresh (of water)

1c) lively, active (of man)

1d) reviving (of the springtime)

Aramaic equivalent: chay (חַי "living" H2417)

חַי (chay) — kinsfolk.

kinsfolk

חַיָּה (chay.yah) — living thing.

1) living thing, animal

1a) animal

1b) life

1c) appetite

1d) revival, renewal

Aramaic equivalent: che.va (חֵיוָא "beast" H2423)

חַיָּה (chay.yah) — community.

community

חַיִּים (chay.yim) — life.

1) life (abstract emphatic)

1a) life

1b) sustenance, maintenance

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Conj | N-fs | Suff — Conjunction · noun common feminine singular construct · suffix
HC/Ncfsc/Sp3ms
and Lebanon not [is] sufficiency of burning and animal[s] its not [is] sufficiency of burnt offering
אֵ֥ין'ein not H369 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
HNcmsc — Noun common · masculine singular construct
HNcmsc
and Lebanon not [is] sufficiency of burning and animal[s] its not [is] sufficiency of burnt offering
דֵּ֖יdei [is] sufficiency of H1767 Noun common · masculine singular construct
39× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This word means enough or sufficiency, like having enough food or water. It is used in phrases like 'according to the abundance of' in 2 Corinthians. The KJV translates it as 'enough' or 'sufficient'.
Amplified meaning
sufficient, ample
Tyndale gloss
sufficiency
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

דַּי (day) means 'sufficiency' or 'enough.' It appears only three times in the Old Testament and is often used with prepositions to express concepts like 'according to' or 'out of the abundance of.' The entries indicate its use as both a noun and adverb, but do not provide a clear derivation.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

דַּי subst. sufficiency, enough

absol. thrice only

Combined with בְּ, כְּ, and esp. מִן

בְּדֵי

כְּדֵי according to the sufficiency, or abundance, of

מִדֵי out of the abundance of, hence as often as

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H1767 דַּי sufficiency, enough . absol. thrice only

. Combined with בְּ, כְּ, and esp. מִן . בְּדֵי

. כְּדֵי according to the sufficiency, or abundance, of

. מִדֵי out of the abundance of, hence as often as

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

1767 day dahee

of uncertain derivation; enough (as noun or adverb), used

chiefly with preposition in phrases:--able, according to,

after (ability), among, as (oft as), (more than) enough, from,

in, since, (much as is) sufficient(-ly), too much, very, when.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

דַּי (day) — sufficiency.

1) sufficiency, enough

1a) enough

1b) for, according to the abundance of, out of the abundance of, as often as

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-ms — Noun common · masculine singular construct
HNcmsc
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…

and Lebanon not [is] sufficiency of burning and animal[s] its not [is] sufficiency of burnt offering
עוֹלָֽה׃ סo.Lah burnt offering H5930 Noun common · feminine singular absolute
287× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This word refers to a step or stairs, often used to describe the ascent to the altar for a burnt offering. In the Bible, it can also mean a holocaust or sacrifice, like in Leviticus.
Amplified meaning
a step or stairs, often used to describe the ascent to the altar for a sacrifice
Tyndale gloss
burnt offering
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

עֹלָה (olah) refers to both a whole burnt-offering and an ascent or stairway. It is derived from a feminine active participle of the root meaning to go up. The term is used in contexts related to sacrifices, particularly in the Old Testament, where it signifies offerings that ascend in smoke. The entries consistently highlight its dual meaning without significant disagreement.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

עֹלָה 286 n.f. whole burnt-offering

base

[עֹלָה] n.f. ascent, stairway, Ez 40:26 Kt

ref

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H5930a עֹלָה whole burnt-offering H5930b עֹלָה ascent, stairway

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

5930 `olah o-law'

or mowlah {o-law'}; feminine active participle of 5927; a

step or (collectively, stairs, as ascending); usually a

holocaust (as going up in smoke):--ascent, burnt offering

(sacrifice), go up to. See also 5766.

see HEBREW for 05927

see HEBREW for 05766

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

עֹלָה (o.lah) — burnt offering.

whole burnt offering

Aramaic equivalent: a.lah (עֲלָת "burnt offering" H5928)

עֹלָה (o.lah) — ascent.

ascent, stairway, steps

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-fs — Noun common · feminine singular absolute
HNcfsa
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
Easton's Bible Dictionary

Burnt offering

Hebrew olah; i.e., “ascending,” the whole being consumed by fire, and regarded as ascending to God while being consumed. Part of every offering was burnt in the sacred fire, but this was wholly burnt, a “whole burnt offering.” It was the most frequent form of sacrifice, and apparently the only one mentioned in the book of Genesis. Such were the sacrifices offered by Abel (Gen. 4:3, 4, here called minhah; i.e., “a gift”), Noah (Gen. 8:20), Abraham (Gen. 22:2, 7, 8, 13), and by the Hebrews in Egypt (Ex. 10:25).

The law of Moses afterwards prescribed the occasions and the manner in which burnt sacrifices were to be offered. There were “the continual…

Smith's Bible Dictionary

The word is applied to the offering which was wholly consumed by fire on the altar, and the whole of which, except the refuse ashes "ascended" in the smoke to God. The meaning of the whole burnt offering was that which is the original idea of all sacrifice, the offering by the sacrificer of himself, soul and body, to God--the submission of his will to the will of the Lord. The ceremonies of the burnt offering are given in detail in the book of Leviticus. [SACRIFICE]

Nave's Topical Bible

→ See OFFERINGS, BURNT

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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