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Isaiah 40:3 — Word Study

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WLCק֣וֹל קוֹרֵ֔א בַּמִּדְבָּ֕ר פַּנּ֖וּ דֶּ֣רֶךְ יְהוָ֑ה יַשְּׁרוּ֙ בָּעֲרָבָ֔ה מְסִלָּ֖ה לֵאלֹהֵֽינוּ׃

BSAA voiceqôwl [of one crying, a sound] of one callingqârâʼ Preparepânâh [make ready, clear the path] the wayderek [road, path, or journey] for the LORDYᵉhôvâh [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] in the wildernessmidbâr [desert, open field] make a straightyâshar [create, construct, level, smooth] highwaymᵉçillâh [raised road, public path] for our Godʼĕlôhîym [Elohim, the supreme God] in the desertʻărâbâh [wilderness, Arabah]

Word
Listen & take awayIsaiah 40
English ↓ Download MP3 The Berean Standard Bible chapter audio already hosted for the site's Bible section — verse 3 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 (le.lo.Hei.nu) — no per-word recordings of the Hebrew exist to link to.
Take it away
Isaiah 40:3quick helps
In a sentenceA voice calls for preparation of the way for the LORD in the wilderness.
Who is speakingThe voice of one calling in the wilderness.
Where we areThe opening of a prophetic message in Isaiah.
The hard wordק֣וֹל
Take awayPreparation is needed for the coming of the LORD.
8 commentators on this verse Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them › clause subjectקוֹל 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 40:3

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 Voice in the Wildernessgenerated

2“Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and proclaim to her that her forced labor has been completed; her iniquity has been pardoned. For she has received from the hand of the LORD double for all her sins.”
3A voice of one calling: “Prepare the way for the LORD in the wilderness; make a straight highway for our God in the desert.
4Every valley shall be lifted up, and every mountain and hill made low; the uneven ground will become smooth, and the rugged land a plain.
5And the glory of the LORD will be revealed, and all humanity together will see it. For the mouth of the LORD has spoken.”

Isaiah 40:3 introduces a prophetic call for preparation, emphasizing the need to make way for the LORD in a desolate place. This theme resonates throughout the prophetic literature, indicating a time of restoration and divine visitation. The surrounding verses reinforce the message of comfort and hope for Jerusalem, as seen in Isaiah 40:2 and 40:4.


Cross References

ReferenceText (BSB)
1Matthew 3:1–3In those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the wilderness of Judea
2Mark 1:2–5As it is written in Isaiah the prophet: “Behold, I will send My messenger ahead of You, who will prepare Your way.”
3Luke 3:2–6during the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John son of Zechariah in the wilderness.
4John 1:23John replied in the words of Isaiah the prophet: “I am a voice of one calling in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way for the Lord.’”
5Isaiah 35:8And there will be a highway called the Way of Holiness. The unclean will not travel it— only those who walk in the Way— and fools will not stray onto it.

The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 14 references, hung on the phrase they belong to


The Key Word ק֣וֹל, Kolgenerated

The noun קוֹל (Kol) means 'voice' or 'sound.' It can refer to the sound of a person speaking, an animal, or a musical instrument. In this verse, it signifies a prophetic voice calling out, urging preparation for the LORD.

This word appears frequently in the Old Testament, often associated with divine communication. Its usage here highlights the urgency and importance of the message being conveyed.


How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated

The translations agree on the rendering of קוֹל as 'voice' and maintain the imperative nature of the verbs in the context of preparation.


Sentence Structuregenerated

The verse consists of a main clause introduced by the subject ק֣וֹל (Kol) and the participle קוֹרֵ֔א (ko.Re'), with a series of imperative verbs that direct the action: פַּנּ֖וּ (pa.Nu) and יַשְּׁרוּ (ya.she.Ru).

The structure emphasizes the call to action, with the voice commanding the people to prepare the way for the LORD, highlighting the urgency of the message.


Septuagint Backgroundgenerated

The Septuagint translates קוֹל as φωνὴ (phōnē), which also means 'voice' but carries a connotation of sound that is more general. This choice reflects the translators' intent to convey the significance of the voice calling out.

The Greek word βοῶντος (boōntos) for קוֹרֵ֔א emphasizes the loudness of the call, suggesting a strong, urgent appeal.


In plain words — the whole versegenerated

Isaiah 40:3 speaks of a voice calling out in the wilderness, instructing to prepare the way for the LORD. This verse emphasizes the importance of making a clear path for God in desolate places, indicating a time of divine intervention and restoration.


Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated

What does it mean to prepare the way for the LORD?

Preparing the way for the LORD involves making ready one's heart and surroundings for God's presence and action, symbolizing repentance and readiness for divine intervention.

Why is the wilderness significant in this verse?

The wilderness represents a place of solitude and preparation, often associated with spiritual renewal and the journey of the Israelites, highlighting the transformative power of God's presence.

What is the role of the voice in this passage?

The voice serves as a messenger, calling people to action and reminding them of the need to prepare for God's coming, emphasizing the urgency of the message.

How does this verse connect to the New Testament?

This verse is quoted in the New Testament to describe John the Baptist's ministry, emphasizing the continuity of God's message and the call to prepare for Jesus' arrival.


Reflection Questionsgenerated

  1. How can I prepare my heart for God's presence in my life?
  2. What areas of my life need to be made straight or clear for God?
  3. In what ways can I be a voice calling for others to prepare for the LORD?
  4. How does understanding this verse enhance my view of God's work in the world?

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

Early church writers used this verse to discuss the prophetic role of John the Baptist and the preparation for Christ's coming.

TertullianAGAINST MARCION 4.33 c. 155–220
Since even then by Isaiah it was Christ, the Word and the Spirit of the Creator who prophetically described John as “the voice of one crying in the wilderness to prepare the way of the Lord.” And [he] was about to come forth for the…
Early Church Fathers on Isaiah 40 →
Origen of AlexandriaHOMILIES ON THE GOSPEL OF Luke 21:5 c. 185–253
The Lord wants to find in you a path by which he can enter into your souls and make his journey. Prepare for him the path of which it is said, “Make straight his path.” “The voice of one crying in the desert”—the voice cries,
Early Church Fathers on Isaiah 40 →
Origen of AlexandriaCOMMENTARY ON THE GOSPEL OF John 6:103 c. 185–253
Now the way of the Lord is made straight in two ways: by contemplation, which is clarified by truth unmixed with falsehood, and by activity, which follows sound contemplation of the appropriate action to be taken,
Early Church Fathers on Isaiah 40 →

Commentators on this verse — 8 expositors, verse by verse

Each of these wrote on Isaiah 40:3 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.

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

The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness,.... Not the voice of the Holy Ghost, as Jarchi; but of John the Baptist, as is attested by all the evangelists, Matthew 3:3 and by John himself, John

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

The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the LORD, make straight in the desert a highway for our God. The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness.

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

The voice; an abrupt and imperfect speech, such as there are many in the Hebrew language. Methinks I hear a voice; or, a voice shall be heard. Of him that crieth in the wilderness; which words declare the place either, 1. Where the cry was made; or, 2. Where the way was to be prepared, as it is expressed in the following clause, which is added to explain this. And such places being commonly pathless, and many ways incommodious to passengers, it was the more necessary to prepare a way there. But both come to one thing, for the cry was to be in that place which was to be prepared. This place seems to be understood immediately of the deliverance of the Jews out of Babylon, and of smoothing…

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

Isaiah 40:3 The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the LORD, make straight in the desert a highway for our God.Ver. 3. The voice of him that crieth.] See Matthew 3:1-3; John 1:25, but Luke citeth this text more fully than the other evangelists, applying it to the Baptist crying in the wilderness - sc., of Judea, where he first preached, or, as some sense it, in the ears of a waste and wild people. Hereby is meant the world, saith one, void of God’ s grace, barren in all virtue, having no pleasing abode, nor sure direction of any good way in it, being full of horror and accursed. Diod.

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

(3) The voice of him that crieth . . .—The laws of Hebrew parallelism require a different punctuation: A voice of one crying, In the wilderness, prepare ye . . . The passage is memorable as having been deliberately taken by the Baptist as defining his own mission (John 1:23). As here the herald is not named, so he was content to efface himself—to be a voice or nothing. The image is drawn from the march of Eastern kings, who often boast, as in the Assyrian inscriptions of Sennacherib and Assurbanipal (Records of the Past, i. 95, vii. 64), of the roads they have made in trackless deserts. The wilderness is that which lay between the Euphrates and Judah, the journey of the exiles through it…

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

Verse 3. The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness - "A voice crieth, In the wilderness"] The idea is taken from the practice of eastern monarchs, who, whenever they entered upon an expedition or took a journey, especially through desert and unpractised countries, sent harbingers before them to prepare all things for their passage, and pioneers to open the passes, to level the ways, and to remove all impediments. The officers appointed to superintend such preparations the Latins call stratores. Ipse (Johannes Baptista) se stratorem vocat Messiae, cujus esset alta et elata voce homines in desertis locis habitantes ad itinera et vias Regi mox venturo sternendas et reficiendas hortari. -…

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

Ch. Isaiah 40:1-11. The PrologueThis first proclamation of glad tidings to Zion (see ch. Isaiah 41:27) is a passage of singular beauty, breathing the spirit of new-born hope and enthusiasm with which the prophet enters on his work. The announcement of a miraculous restoration of the exiles to their own land is the central theme of his prophecy, and the point around which all the ideas of the book crystallize. As yet the historical fact is but dimly outlined, the writer’s mind being occupied with its ideal significance as a revelation of the glory and the gracious character of Jehovah (Isaiah 40:5; Isaiah 40:10 f.). His state of mind borders on ecstasy; his ears are filled with the music of…

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

The voice of him that crieth - Lowth and Noyes render this, ‘A voice crieth,’ and annex the phrase ‘in the wilderness’ to the latter part of the sentence: A voice crieth, ‘In the wilderness prepare

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

A voice of one calling: “Prepare the way for the LORD in the wilderness; make a straight highway for our God in the desert.

WEBWorld English Bible2000

The voice of one who calls out, “Prepare the way of Yahweh in the wilderness! Make a level highway in the desert for our God.

MSBMajority Standard Bible2022

A voice of one calling: “Prepare the way for the LORD in the wilderness; make a straight highway for our God in the desert.

NETBNew English Translation2006

A voice cries out, “In the wilderness clear a way for the Lord; construct in the desert a road for our God.

Tyndale line

KJVKing James Version1611

¶ The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the LORD, make straight in the desert a highway for our God.

ASVAmerican Standard Version1901

The voice of one that crieth, Prepare ye in the wilderness the way of Jehovah; make level in the desert a highway for our God.

RVARevised Version, American1894

The voice of one that crieth, Prepare ye in the wilderness the way of the LORD, make straight in the desert a highway for our God.

NWBWebster's Bible1833

The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the LORD, make straight in the desert a highway for our God.

GNVGeneva Bible1599

A voyce cryeth in the wildernesse, Prepare ye the way of the Lord: make streight in the desert a path for our God.

Strictly literal

DBYDarby Translation1890

The voice of one crying in the wilderness: Prepare ye the way of Jehovah, make straight in the desert a highway for our God!

YLTYoung's Literal Translation1862

A voice is crying — in a wilderness — Prepare ye the way of Jehovah, Make straight in a desert a highway to our God.

LSVLiteral Standard Version2020

A voice is crying in a wilderness: “Prepare the way of YHWH, || Make straight in a desert a highway for our God.

ILTInterlinear Literal Translation2000

A voice calleth out, In the wilderness make ye clear the way of the Lord, make straight in the desert a highway for God.

ULBUnlocked Literal Bible2017

A voice cries out, “In the wilderness prepare the way of Yahweh; make straight in the Arabah a highway for our God.”

From the Latin

DRADouay-Rheims (Challoner)1899

The voice of one crying in the desert: Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make straight in the wilderness the paths of our God.

Simplified

FBVFree Bible Version2020

A voice is heard calling, “Prepare the way for the Lord in the wilderness, make a straight highway for our God through the desert.

BBEBible in Basic English1949

A voice of one crying, Make ready in the waste land the way of the Lord, make level in the lowland a highway for our God.

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.

clausesubjectק֣וֹלa.voiceverbקוֹרֵ֔א[is].callingclauseprepositional phrase · prepositionalבַּinnoun phrasetheמִּדְבָּ֕רwildernessverbפַּנּ֖וּmake.clearnoun phrase · objectדֶּ֣רֶךְthe.wayיְהוָ֑הof.Yahwehclauseverbיַשְּׁרוּ֙make.straightprepositional phrase · prepositionalבָּinnoun phrasethe.desertעֲרָבָ֔הplainobjectמְסִלָּ֖הa.highwayprepositional phrase · prepositionalלֵfornoun phraseאלֹהֵֽיGodנוּour

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 (1Qisaa) agree closely, with both preserving the essential wording of the verse. The Septuagint matches seven out of ten words, indicating significant textual consistency across these ancient witnesses.

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

ק֣וֹל קוֹרֵ֔א בַּמִּדְבָּ֕ר פַּנּ֖וּ דֶּ֣רֶךְ יְהוָ֑ה יַשְּׁרוּ֙ בָּעֲרָבָ֔ה מְסִלָּ֖ה לֵאלֹהֵֽינוּ׃

Septuagintthe Greek the translators chose, word by word
ק֣וֹלφωνὴקוֹרֵ֔אβοῶντοςבַּמִּדְבָּ֕רἐρήμῳפַּנּ֖וּἑτοιμάσατεדֶּ֣רֶךְὁδὸνיְהוָ֑הκυρίουלֵאלֹהֵֽינוּ׃ἡμῶν

7 of the 10 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

קול קורא במדבר פנו דרך יהוה וישרו בערבה מסלה לאלוהי׳נו

10 words on the leather.

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

[קול] [קורא] [במדבר] [פנו] [דרך] יהוה ישרו [בערבה] [מסלה] [לאלהי׳נו]

2 words on the leather — 8 supplied entire by an editor.

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

[קול] [קורא] [במדבר] [פנו] [דרך] [יהוה] ישרו בערבה מסלה לאלהי׳נו

3 words on the leather — 1 partly restored, 6 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 40:3קוֹלa voicea voiceקוֹלקָרָא[is] callin[is] callingקָרָאמִדְבָּרin the wildin the wilderneמִדְבָּרפָּנָהmake clearmake clearפָּנָהדֶּ֫רֶךְ[the] way o[the] way ofדֶּ֫רֶךְיהוהYahwehYahwehיהוהיָשַׁרmake straigmake straightיָשַׁרעֲרָבָהin the desein the desert pעֲרָבָהמְסִלָּהa highwaya highwayמְסִלָּהאֱלֹהִיםfor God ourfor God ourאֱלֹהִיםדָבַרto speak: to speak: speakדָבַרדָּרַךְto treadto treadדָּרַךְהָיָהto beto beהָיָהעָרַבto grow dato grow darkעָרַבסָלַלto buildto buildסָלַלקָרָאto encountto encounter: mקָרָאאֱלֹהַּgodgodאֱלֹהַּצָפוֹןZaphonZaphonצָפוֹןתְּרוּעָהshoutshoutתְּרוּעָהשֹׁפָרtrumpettrumpetשֹׁפָרצוֹםfastfastצוֹםשֵׁםnamenameשֵׁםצִןZinZinצִןסִינַיSinaiSinaiסִינַיפָּנָהCorner (GaCorner (Gate)פָּנָהנְאֻםutteranceutteranceנְאֻםצָבָאarmyarmyצָבָאאֹ֫רַחwaywayאֹ֫רַח
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 40:3

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.

a voice [is] calling in the wilderness make clear [the] way of Yahweh make straight in the desert plain a highway for God our
ק֣וֹלKol a voice H6963 Noun common · masculine singular absolute
506× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
A voice or sound, it can refer to the sound of a person speaking, an animal, or a musical instrument. In the Bible, it is often used to describe God's voice or the sound of praise and worship.
Amplified meaning
of one crying, a sound
Tyndale gloss
voice: sound
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

קוֹל (qol) primarily means 'voice' or 'sound,' encompassing various contexts such as music, noise, and even thunder. It can also denote lightness or frivolity. The word is built from a root meaning to call aloud and appears in various forms throughout the Old Testament, including a reference in Jeremiah 3:9.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

קוֹל 506 n.m. sound, voice

base

קֹל n.[m.] lightness, frivolity;—Je 3:9

ref

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H6963a קוֹל sound, voice H6963b קֹל lightness, frivolity

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

6963 qowl kole

or qol {kole}; from an unused root meaning to call aloud; a

voice or sound:--+ aloud, bleating, crackling, cry (+ out),

fame, lightness, lowing, noise, + hold peace, (pro-)claim,

proclamation, + sing, sound, + spark, thunder(-ing), voice, +

yell.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

קוֹל (qol) — voice.

: voice/shout/loud

1) voice, sound, noise

1a) voice

1b) sound (of instrument)

קֹל (qol) — frivolity.

lightness, frivolity

קוֹל (qol) — voice: sound.

: sound/noise

1) voice, sound, noise

1a) voice

1b) sound (of instrument)

קוֹל (qol) — voice: thunder.

: thunder

1) voice, sound, noise

1a) voice

1b) sound (of instrument)

קוֹל (qol) — voice: message.

: message/proclaim

1) voice, sound, noise

1a) voice

1b) sound (of instrument)

קוֹל (qol) — voice: [sound of].

: [sound_of](THING)

1) voice, sound, noise

1a) voice

1b) sound (of instrument)

קוֹל (qol) — voice: listen.

: listen

1) voice, sound, noise

1a) voice

1b) sound (of instrument)

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

vois.

See BATH KOL.

Nave's Topical Bible

→ OF GOD Eze 1:24,28; 10:5; Joh 5:37; 12:28-30; Ac 7:31; 9:4,7; 26:14,15

See ANTHROPOMORPHISMS

a voice [is] calling in the wilderness make clear [the] way of Yahweh make straight in the desert plain a highway for God our
קוֹרֵ֔אko.Re' [is] calling H7121 Verb · Qal · participle (active) masculine singular
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 — Verb · Qal · participle (active) masculine singular
HVqrmsa
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

kol'-ing (klesis, from kaleo, "I call"): Is a New Testament expression. The word is used chiefly by Paul, though the idea and term are found also elsewhere. It has a definite, technical sense, the invitation given to men by God to accept salvation in His kingdom through Jesus Christ. This invitation is given outwardly by the preaching of the gospel, inwardly by the work of the Holy Spirit. With reference to Israel, it is on the part of God irrevocable, not repented of. Having in His eternal counsel called this people, He entrusted them with great gifts, and because He did thus enrich them, He also, in the course of time, summoned them to fulfill the task of initiating the world into the way of salvation, and of preparing salvation for the world. Therefore, He will not desert His people, for He Will not revoke that call (Ro 11:29).…

Easton's Bible Dictionary

Calling

A profession, or as we usually say, a vocation (1 Cor. 7:20). The “hope of your calling” in Eph. 4:4 is the hope resulting from your being called into the kingdom of God.

a voice [is] calling in the wilderness make clear [the] way of Yahweh make straight in the desert plain a highway for God our
בַּמִּדְבָּ֕רba.mid.Bar in the wilderness H4057 Preposition · noun common masculine singular absolute
271× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
The wilderness refers to a desert or open field, like the one the Israelites wandered in after leaving Egypt. It can also mean a place of solitude or a region without many people. In the Bible, it is often associated with the journey to the Promised Land.
Amplified meaning
desert, open field
Tyndale gloss
mouth
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

מִדְבָּר (midbar) primarily means 'mouth' in the sense of an organ of speech, but it also refers to 'wilderness' or 'desert.' The word is derived from a root meaning to drive, suggesting open fields for pasturing cattle. It encompasses various forms of uninhabited land and is notably used in contexts related to the wilderness, such as the Wilderness of Sinai.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

[מִדְבָּר] n.m. mouth, as organ of speech, Ct 4:3

ref

מִדְבָר 270 n.m. wilderness

tracts of land, used for the pasturage of flocks and herds

uninhabited land

large tracts of such land bearing various names, in certain districts of which there might be towns and cities

fig.

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H4057a מִדְבָּר mouth, as organ of speech H4057b מִדְבָר wilderness

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

4057 midbar mid-bawr'

from 1696 in the sense of driving; a pasture (i.e. open

field, whither cattle are driven); by implication, a desert;

also speech (including its organs):--desert, south, speech,

wilderness.

see HEBREW for 01696

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

מִדְבָּר (mid.bar) — mouth.

1) mouth

1a) mouth (as organ of speech)

מִדְבָּר (mid.bar) — wilderness.

1) wilderness

1a) pasture

1b) uninhabited land, wilderness

1c) large tracts of wilderness (around cities)

1d) wilderness (fig.)

מִדְבָּר (mid.bar) — Wilderness (of Sinai).

This name means wilderness, uninhabited land

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

wil'-der-nes.

See DESERT; JUDAEA, WILDERNESS OF; WANDERINGS OF ISRAEL.

Easton's Bible Dictionary

Wilderness

(1.) Heb. midhbar, denoting not a barren desert but a district or region suitable for pasturing sheep and cattle (Ps. 65:12; Isa. 42:11; Jer. 23:10; Joel 1:19; 2:22); an uncultivated place. This word is used of the wilderness of Beersheba (Gen. 21:14), on the southern border of Palestine; the wilderness of the Red Sea (Ex. 13:18); of Shur (15:22), a portion of the Sinaitic peninsula; of Sin (17:1), Sinai (Lev. 7:38), Moab (Deut. 2:8), Judah (

American Tract Society Bible Dictionary

See DESERT.

Nave's Topical Bible

→ Wandering of the Israelites in, see ISRAEL

→ Typical of the sinner' s state De 32:10

→ Jesus' temptation in Mt 4:1; Mr 1:12,13; Lu 4:1

→ See DESERT

a voice [is] calling in the wilderness make clear [the] way of Yahweh make straight in the desert plain a highway for God our
פַּנּ֖וּpa.Nu make clear H6437 Verb · Piel · imperative second person masculine plural
135× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This Hebrew word means to turn or face something, like looking at a corner or a gate. It appears in descriptions of daily life and interactions, like in Genesis and Psalms. It's about changing direction or focus.
Amplified meaning
make ready, clear the path
Tyndale gloss
Corner (Gate)
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

פָּנָה (panah) is a Hebrew verb meaning to turn, with various implications such as turning toward, away, or doing something. It can refer to both physical and figurative actions, like looking or regarding something. The entries indicate it can also mean to decline or approach, and it has different forms, including Qal, Piel, and Hiphil, each with specific nuances.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

פָּנָה 135 vb. turn

Qal 117

turn toward

turn from

turn and do a thing

turn, decline

turn toward, approach

turn and look, look

of inanimate things, face

esp. fig. look at, regard

look for = expect

fig. look at = consider

Hiph.

turn

make a turn, shew (signs of) turning

Hoph. be ye turned back!

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H6437 פָּנָה turn .. . turn toward

. turn from

. turn and do a thing

. turn, decline

. turn toward, approach

. . turn and look, look

. of inanimate things, face

. esp. fig. look at, regard

. look for = expect

. fig. look at = consider

. . turn

. make a turn, shew (signs of) turning

. be ye turned back!

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

6437 panah paw-naw'

a primitive root; to turn; by implication, to face, i.e.

appear, look, etc.:--appear, at (even-)tide, behold, cast

out, come on, X corner, dawning, empty, go away, lie, look,

mark, pass away, prepare, regard, (have) respect (to),

(re-)turn (aside, away, back, face, self), X right (early).

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

פָּנָה (pa.nah) — to turn.

1) to turn

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to turn toward or from or away

1a2) to turn and do

1a3) to turn, decline (of day)

1a4) to turn toward, approach (of evening)

1a5) to turn and look, look, look back or at or after or for

1b) (Piel) to turn away, put out of the way, make clear, clear away

1c) (Hiphil)

1c1) to turn

1c2) to make a turn, show signs of turning, turn back

1d) (Hophal) to be turned back

פָּנָה (pa.nah) — Corner (Gate).

This name means corner, to turn, to turn back

Another spelling of pin.nah (פִּנָּה "Corner( Gate)" H6438)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
V-Piel-Impv-2mp — Verb · Piel · imperative second person masculine plural
HVpv2mp
a voice [is] calling in the wilderness make clear [the] way of Yahweh make straight in the desert plain a highway for God our
דֶּ֣רֶךְDe.rekh [the] way of H1870 Noun common · both singular construct
708× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
Derek refers to a road or path, and can also mean a way of life or manner of action. It is often used to describe a journey or direction, and can be used figuratively to describe a person's character or moral path.
Amplified meaning
road, path, or journey
Tyndale gloss
way: road
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

דֶּ֫רֶךְ (derek) means way, road, or journey, and can refer to both literal paths and figurative courses of life or actions. It encompasses various aspects such as direction, manner, and moral character, often highlighting the nature of one's conduct. The term is used in both positive and negative contexts, reflecting the moral implications of one's path.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

דֶּ֫רֶךְ 715 n.m. way, road, distance, journey, manner

way, road, path

journey

of direction, almost or quite = toward

way, manner

fig. of course of life, or action, undertakings

of moral action and character

of duty

specif.: in good sense

oftener in bad sense

way of י׳

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H1870 דֶּ֫רֶךְ way, road, distance, journey, manner . way, road, path

. journey

. of direction, almost or quite = toward

. way, manner

. fig. of course of life, or action, undertakings

. . of moral action and character

. of duty

. specif.: in good sense

. oftener in bad sense

. way of י׳

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

1870 derek deh'-rek

from 1869; a road (as trodden); figuratively, a course of

life or mode of action, often adverb:--along, away, because

of, + by, conversation, custom, (east-)ward, journey, manner,

passenger, through, toward, (high-) (path-)way(-side),

whither(-soever).

see HEBREW for 01869

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

דֶּ֫רֶךְ (de.rekh) — way: conduct.

: conduct/lifestyle

1) way, road, distance, journey, manner

1a) road, way, path

1b) journey

1c) direction

1d) manner, habit, way

1e) of course of life (fig.)

1f) of moral character (fig.)

דֶּ֫רֶךְ (de.rekh) — Way.

This name means way, road

דֶּ֫רֶךְ (de.rekh) — (King's) Highway.

This name means way, road

Combined with me.lekh (מֶ֫לֶךְ "King's" H4428I)

דֶּ֫רֶךְ (de.rekh) — way: direction.

: direction

1) way, road, distance, journey, manner

1a) road, way, path

1b) journey

1c) direction

1d) manner, habit, way

1e) of course of life (fig.)

1f) of moral character (fig.)

דֶּ֫רֶךְ (de.rekh) — way: road.

: road/route

1) way, road, distance, journey, manner

1a) road, way, path

1b) journey

1c) direction

1d) manner, habit, way

1e) of course of life (fig.)

1f) of moral character (fig.)

דֶּ֫רֶךְ (de.rekh) — way: journey.

: journey

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-cs — Noun common · both singular construct
HNcbsc
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…

a voice [is] calling in the wilderness make clear [the] way of Yahweh make straight in the desert plain a highway for God our
יְהוָ֑הYah.weh Yahweh H3068 Noun proper
6,528× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
Yehovah is another name for God, often translated as 'the Lord'. It is a national name for God in the Jewish faith. This name is used throughout the Old Testament.
Amplified meaning
Yehovah, The covenant Name of God
Tyndale gloss
The Lord
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

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

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

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

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

יהוה is used with אלהים and suffixes, especially in D

the phrase † אֲנִי יהוה is noteworthy

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

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

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

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

3068 Yhovah yeh-ho-vaw'

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

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

see HEBREW for 01961

see HEBREW for 03050

see HEBREW for 03069

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

יְהֹוָה (ye.ho.vah) — LORD.

Jehovah = "the existing One"

1) the proper name of the one true God

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

יְהֹוָה (ye.ho.vah) — The Lord.

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

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

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

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-proper — Noun proper
HNpt
The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
a voice [is] calling in the wilderness make clear [the] way of Yahweh make straight in the desert plain a highway for God our
יַשְּׁרוּ֙ya.she.Ru make straight H3474 Verb · Piel · imperative second person masculine plural
25× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
To be straight or smooth is the meaning of this Hebrew word, often used to describe something as right or pleasant. It is used in Proverbs 11:5 to describe a righteous person, and in Psalm 23:3 to describe a path that is straight and right.
Amplified meaning
create, construct, level, smooth
Tyndale gloss
to smooth
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

יָשַׁר (yashar) is a Hebrew root meaning to be smooth, straight, or right. It encompasses various nuances, including being upright, pleasing, and just. The word can also imply directing or leading someone along a straight path. Notably, it appears in ethical contexts, emphasizing straightforwardness and integrity.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

יָשַׁר vb. be smooth, straight, right

Qal

go straight

fig., be pleasing, agreeable, right

in ethical sense, straightforward, upright

Pi.

make smooth, straight

lead straight along, direct

esteem right, approve

Pu. gold made level, laid smoothly out, upon the graven work

Hiph. let thine eyelids look straight before thee

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H3474 יָשַׁר be smooth, straight, right

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

3474 yashar yaw-shar'

a primitive root; to be straight or even; figuratively, to be

(causatively, to make) right, pleasant, prosperous:--direct,

fit, seem good (meet), + please (will), be (esteem, go) right

(on), bring (look, make, take the) straight (way), be

upright(-ly).

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

יָשַׁר (ya.shar) — to smooth.

1) to be right, be straight, be level, be upright, be just, be lawful, be smooth

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to go straight

1a2) to be pleasing, be agreeable, be right (fig.)

1a3) to be straightforward, be upright

1b) (Piel)

1b1) to make right, make smooth, make straight

1b2) to lead, direct, lead straight along

1b3) to esteem right, approve

1c) (Pual) to be made level, be laid smoothly out

1d) (Hiphil) to make straight, look straight

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
V-Piel-Impv-2mp — Verb · Piel · imperative second person masculine plural
HVpv2mp
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
Nave's Topical Bible

→ Name of a street in Damascus Ac 9:11

→ FIGURATIVE

Of righteousness, “straight paths,” Isa 40:3,4; Mt 3:3; Heb 12:13

a voice [is] calling in the wilderness make clear [the] way of Yahweh make straight in the desert plain a highway for God our
בָּעֲרָבָ֔הba.'a.ra.Vah in the desert plain H6160 Preposition · noun common feminine singular absolute
61× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
The Arabah is a desert plain near the Jordan River, stretching to the Red Sea, and is often translated as wilderness or desert in the Bible. It is mentioned in books like Numbers and Deuteronomy.
Amplified meaning
wilderness, Arabah
Tyndale gloss
plain
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

עֲרָבָה (arabah) refers to a desert plain or steppe, often associated with the generally sterile valley of the Jordan and its extension to the Red Sea. It encompasses meanings like wilderness and champaign. The term appears in various contexts, including references to specific locations like the Brook of Arabah and the Plains of Moab.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

עֲרָבָה 61 n.f. desert-plain, steppe

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H6160 עֲרָבָה desert-plain, steppe

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

6160 `arabah ar-aw-baw'

from 6150 (in the sense of sterility); a desert; especially

(with the article prefix) the (generally) sterile valley of

the Jordan and its continuation to the Red Sea:--Arabah,

champaign, desert, evening, heaven, plain, wilderness. See

also 1026.

see HEBREW for 06150

see HEBREW for 01026

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

עֲרָבָה (a.ra.vah) — Arabah.

§ desert plain, steppe, desert, wilderness

עֲרָבָה (a.ra.vah) — (Brook of) the Arabah.

Combined with na.chal (נַ֫חַל "Brook" H5158K)

§ desert plain, steppe, desert, wilderness

עֲרָבָה (a.ra.vah) — Plains (of Moab).

Combined with mo.av (מוֹאָב " of Moab" H4124I)

§ desert plain, steppe, desert, wilderness

עֲרָבָה (a.ra.vah) — (Beth)-arabah.

desert plain, steppe, desert, wilderness

Another spelling of bet ha.a.ra.vah (בֵּית הָֽעֲרָבָה "Beth-arabah" H1026)

עֲרָבָה (a.ra.vah) — (Sea of) the Arabah.

Another name of me.lach (מֶ֫לַח "Salt( Sea)" H4417G)

עֲרָבָה (a.ra.vah) — plain.

§ desert plain, steppe, desert, wilderness

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

plan

(1) kikkar, "circle" "talent," or "round loaf";

(2) mishor, from yashar, "to be level"; compare Arabic maisur, "that which is easy";

(3) biqah; compare Arabic baq`at, "a plot of ground" or "a wet meadow";

(4) `arabhah;

(5) shephelah;

(6) topos pedinos (Lu 6:17);

(7) 'elon; compare elah, and 'allon "oak" (Ge 35:4,8, etc.); also 'elah, "Elah" (1Sa 17:2);

(8) 'abhel):

See NATURAL FEATURES.

(1) Kikkar, when meaning "plain" usually refers to the alluvial plain about Jericho near the north end of the Dead Sea: "Plain (the Revised Version margin "circle") of the Jordan" (Ge 13:10,11; 1Ki 7:46;

Plain

(1.) Heb. ‘abel (Judg. 11:33), a “grassy plain” or “meadow.” Instead of “plains of the vineyards,” as in the Authorized Version, the Revised Version has “Abel-cheramim” (q.v.), comp. Judg. 11:22; 2 Chr. 16:4.

(2.) Heb. ‘elon (Gen. 12:6; 13:18; 14:13; 18:1; Deut. 11:30; Judg. 9:6), more correctly “oak,” as in the Revised Version; margin, “terebinth.”

(3.) Heb. bik’ah (Gen. 11:2; Neh. 6:2;

a voice [is] calling in the wilderness make clear [the] way of Yahweh make straight in the desert plain a highway for God our
מְסִלָּ֖הme.si.Lah a highway H4546 Noun common · feminine singular absolute
27× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This word means a raised highway or public road, like the ones built by King Solomon. It is used in books like Numbers and Isaiah to describe paths and roadways.
Amplified meaning
raised road, public path
Tyndale gloss
highway
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

מְסִלָּה (mesillah) means 'highway' and refers to a thoroughfare, which can be literal, like a public road, or figurative, such as a path or course. It is derived from the root word for 'to tread' or 'to walk' (H5549). The entries consistently emphasize its meaning related to roads and pathways.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

מְסִלָּה n.f. highway

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H4546 מְסִלָּה highway

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

4546 mcillah mes-il-law'

from 5549; a thoroughfare (as turnpiked), literally or

figuratively; specifically a viaduct, a staircase:--causeway,

course, highway, path, terrace.

see HEBREW for 05549

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

מְסִלָּה (me.sil.lah) — highway.

highway, raised way, public road

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-fs — Noun common · feminine singular absolute
HNcfsa
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

hi'-wa.

See ROAD; WAY.

Easton's Bible Dictionary

Highway

A raised road for public use. Such roads were not found in Palestine; hence the force of the language used to describe the return of the captives and the advent of the Messiah (Isa. 11:16; 35:8; 40:3; 62:10) under the figure of the preparation of a grand thoroughfare for their march.

During their possession of Palestine the Romans constructed several important highways, as they did in all countries which they ruled.

a voice [is] calling in the wilderness make clear [the] way of Yahweh make straight in the desert plain a highway for God our
לֵאלֹהֵֽינוּ׃le.lo.Hei.nu for God our H430 Preposition · noun common masculine plural construct · suffix
2,603× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
The Hebrew word for God, elohim, refers to the one supreme God, and is sometimes used to show respect to judges or magistrates. It is also used to describe angels or mighty beings. This word is closely related to the name of the Lord, Yahweh, and is often translated as God or gods in the Bible.
Amplified meaning
Elohim, the supreme God
Tyndale gloss
God
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

אֱלֹהִים (elohiym) is a plural noun meaning 'gods' or 'God,' often referring to the supreme deity in the Old Testament. It encompasses divine beings, rulers, and judges, reflecting divine majesty and power. The term can also denote angels and is used in a superlative sense. Notably, it is sometimes combined with יהוה (YHWH), the personal name of God.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

אֱלֹהִים 2570 n.m.pl.

pl. in number.

rulers, judges, either as divine representatives at sacred places or as reflecting divine majesty and power

divine ones, superhuman beings including God and angels

angels

gods

pl. intensive

god or goddess

godlike one

works of God, or things belongng to him

God

הָאֱלֹהִים the (true) God

אֱלֹהִים = God

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H430 אֱלֹהִים n. m. pl. . pl. in number. . rulers, judges, either asdivine representatives at sacred places or as reflecting divine majesty and power

. divine ones, superhuman beings including God and angels

. angels

. gods

. pl. intensive . god or goddess

. godlike one

. works of God, or things belongng to him

. God

. הָאֱלֹהִים the (true) God

. אֱלֹהִים = God

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

430 'elohiym el-o-heem'

plural of 433; gods in the ordinary sense; but specifically

used (in the plural thus, especially with the article) of the

supreme God; occasionally applied by way of deference to

magistrates; and sometimes as a superlative:--angels, X

exceeding, God (gods)(-dess, -ly), X (very) great, judges, X

mighty.

see HEBREW for 0433

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

אֱלֹהִים (e.lo.him) — God.

This name means "gods" (plural intensive-singular meaning), "God"

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

אֱלֹהִים (e.lo.him) — (LORD)-Elohe.

Combined with ye.ho.vah (יהוה "LORD" H3068)

אֱלֹהִים (e.lo.him) — (Gibeath)-elohim.

Combined with giv.ah (גִּבְעָה "Gibeath" H1389)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Prep | N-mp | Suff — Preposition · noun common masculine plural construct · suffix
HR/Ncmpc/Sp1bp
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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