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Isaiah 41:12 — Word Study

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WLCתְּבַקְשֵׁם֙ וְלֹ֣א תִמְצָאֵ֔ם אַנְשֵׁ֖י מַצֻּתֶ֑ךָ יִהְי֥וּ כְאַ֛יִן וּכְאֶ֖פֶס אַנְשֵׁ֥י מִלְחַמְתֶּֽךָ׃

BSAYou will seekbâqash [diligently search for] but will notlôʼ find themmâtsâʼ [discover or attain] Those who wage warmilchâmâh [engage in, or make, battle, conflict] will comehâyâh to nothingʼayin [be reduced to, or become, as nothing, without existence]

Word
Listen & take awayIsaiah 41
English ↓ Download MP3 The Berean Standard Bible chapter audio already hosted for the site's Bible section — verse 12 is in this chapter.
Hebrew ↓ Download MP3 The Masoretic text of this chapter, read aloud. Read by Abraham Shmuelof, courtesy of Audio Scriptures International. Chapter divisions by the Academy of Ancient Languages..
Say the word Each Hebrew word carries its transliteration (mil.cham.Te.kha) — no per-word recordings of the Hebrew exist to link to.
Take it away
Isaiah 41:12quick helps
In a sentenceThe verse assures that those who oppose you will ultimately come to nothing.
Who is speakingThe Lord, addressing Israel in a time of distress.
Where we areA message of comfort and assurance in the midst of conflict.
The hard wordתְּבַקְשֵׁם
Take awayEven diligent searching will yield no trace of your enemies.
7 commentators on this verse Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them › clause verbהָיָה The sentence as the grammar sees it Open the tree ›
How rare are these words?in the Old Testament

1 of 10 occurs nowhere else in the Old Testament — a word chosen on purpose.

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 41:12

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

Context — The Assurance of God's Helpgenerated

11Behold, all who rage against you will be ashamed and disgraced; those who contend with you will be reduced to nothing and will perish.
12You will seek them but will not find them. Those who wage war against you will come to nothing.
13For I am the LORD your God, who takes hold of your right hand and tells you: Do not fear, I will help you.
14Do not fear, O worm of Jacob, O few men of Israel. I will help you,” declares the LORD. “Your Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel.

Isaiah 41:12 offers a promise that those who seek to harm Israel will ultimately fail. The surrounding verses emphasize God's protection and support for His people, assuring them that their enemies will be rendered powerless. This passage is part of a larger discourse where God reassures Israel of His presence and help in times of trouble, echoing similar themes found in Isaiah 41:10.


Cross References

ReferenceText (BSB)
1Job 20:7–9he will perish forever, like his own dung; those who had seen him will ask, ‘Where is he?’
2Psalm 37:35–36I have seen a wicked, ruthless man flourishing like a well-rooted native tree,

The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 2 references, hung on the phrase they belong to


The Key Word תְּבַקְשֵׁם, te.vak.Shemgenerated

The verb בָּקַשׁ (baqash) means to seek or search out, often in a context of earnest desire or need. The Piel form used here indicates a more intense effort, suggesting a diligent search.

In this verse, it conveys the idea that despite a thorough search for those who oppose you, they will not be found, emphasizing their complete absence and defeat.


How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated

This study reads the verse in the Berean Standard Bible, so the BSB is the wording every comparison below is made against.


Sentence Structuregenerated

The verse consists of two main clauses: the first clause is a statement about seeking and finding, while the second clause describes the fate of those who wage war. The finite verb תְּבַקְשֵׁם governs the first clause, indicating the action of seeking.

The structure emphasizes the contrast between the act of searching and the ultimate futility of that search, highlighting the certainty of the outcome for the enemies of Israel.


Septuagint Backgroundgenerated

The Septuagint translates תְּבַקְשֵׁם as αὐτοὺς, indicating a direct correspondence to the Hebrew term for 'them.' This choice reflects a straightforward rendering without additional interpretive layers.

The use of οὐ for the Hebrew וְלֹא maintains the negation, ensuring that the meaning of not finding remains intact.


In plain words — the whole versegenerated

Isaiah 41:12 promises that those who seek to harm Israel will not be found. The verse reassures God's people that their enemies will ultimately come to nothing, emphasizing God's protection and support.


Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated

What does it mean that you will seek them but will not find them?

It means that despite efforts to locate those who oppose you, they will be completely absent and defeated, signifying God's protection over His people.

How does this verse relate to God's assurance of help?

This verse is part of a broader message where God reassures Israel of His presence and support, promising that their enemies will not prevail against them.

What can we learn from the phrase 'those who wage war against you will come to nothing'?

It highlights the ultimate futility of opposing God's people and serves as a reminder of God's sovereignty and power over all adversaries.

Why is the act of seeking emphasized in this verse?

The emphasis on seeking underscores the earnestness of the search, contrasting it with the certainty of finding nothing, which reinforces the idea of total defeat for the enemies.


Reflection Questionsgenerated

  1. In what ways have I experienced God's protection in my life?
  2. How can I apply the assurance of this verse when facing challenges or opposition?
  3. What does it mean for me to trust that my adversaries will come to nothing?
  4. How can I encourage others to find comfort in God's promises of help and support?

Commentators on this verse — 7 expositors, verse by verse

Each of these wrote on Isaiah 41:12 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.

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

Ver. 12 Thou shall seek them, and shalt not find them,.... They not existing, or being fled into holes and corners, to rocks and mountains, to hide themselves from the wrath of the Lamb, Revelation

Read John Gill on Isaiah 41 →
Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's Commentary

Thou shalt seek them, and shalt not find them, even them that contended with thee: they that war against thee shall be as nothing, and as a thing of nought.

Read Robert Jamieson on Isaiah 41 →
Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy Bible

Thou shalt seek them, and shalt not find them; they shall be so totally consumed, that although thou searchest for them, thou shalt not be able to find them any where in the world. Shall be as nothing, and as a thing of nought; shall be utterly brought to nought. The thing is twice repeated, to show the certainty and greatness of their destruction.

Read Matthew Poole on Isaiah 41 →
John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

Isaiah 41:12 Thou shalt seek them, and shalt not find them, [even] them that contended with thee: they that war against thee shall be as nothing, and as a thing of nought.Ver. 12. Even them that contended with thee.] Heb., The men of thy contention - thy contendents, such as this eristical age hath more than a good many. By the Quakers’ wild fancies and rude practices we may see how cross-grained these people are in contradicting everything. Many men’ s spirits, saith one, today lie like that haven in Acts 27:12, toward the south-west and north-west, two opposite points.

Read John Trapp on Isaiah 41 →
Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(11, 12) Behold . . .—The choice of the Servant has, as its complement, the indignation of Jehovah against those who attack him, and this thought is emphasised by a four-fold iteration. “They that strive with thee, &c,” represents the Hebrew idiom, the men of thy conflict, which stands emphatically at the end of each clause.

Read Charles John Ellicott on Isaiah 41 →
CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

11–13. Humanly speaking Israel has cause for fear, being surrounded by opponents; but they shall be put to utter confusion. 11f. incensed] lit. “inflamed,” as in ch. Isaiah 45:24; Son 1:6. The precise form occurs only in these passages. they that strive … them that contend … they that war] Lit. men of thy contention … strife … warfare; a climax which Delitzsch renders by adversarii, inimici, hostes. These expressions are emphatic and stand at the end of their respective clauses, and to each are attached two (logical) predicates; hence in Isaiah 41:11 we should read (as R.V. nearly): they shall be as nothing, and shall perish—the men etc. thou shalt seek and not find them that &c.] Cf. ch.…

Read Cambridge on Isaiah 41 →
Albert Barnes1798–1870Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Thou shalt seek them - This denotes that it would be impossible to find them, for they should cease to exist.

Read Albert Barnes on Isaiah 41 →

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

You will seek them but will not find them. Those who wage war against you will come to nothing.

WEBWorld English Bible2000

You will seek them, and won’t find them, even those who contend with you. Those who war against you will be as nothing, as a nonexistent thing.

MSBMajority Standard Bible2022

You will seek them but will not find them. Those who wage war against you will come to nothing.

NETBNew English Translation2006

When you will look for your opponents, you will not find them; your enemies will be reduced to absolutely nothing.

Tyndale line

KJVKing James Version1611

Thou shalt seek them, and shalt not find them, even them that contended with thee: they that war against thee shall be as nothing, and as a thing of nought.

ASVAmerican Standard Version1901

Thou shalt seek them, and shalt not find them, even them that contend with thee: they that war against thee shall be as nothing, and as a thing of nought.

RVARevised Version, American1894

Thou shalt seek them, and shalt not find them, even them that contend with thee: they that war against thee shall be as nothing, and as a thing of nought.

NWBWebster's Bible1833

Thou shalt seek them, and shalt not find them, even them that contended with thee: they that war against thee shall be as nothing, and as a thing of naught.

GNVGeneva Bible1599

Thou shalt seeke them and shalt not finde them: to wit, the men of thy strife, for they shall be as nothing, and the men that warre against thee, as a thing of nought.

Strictly literal

DBYDarby Translation1890

Thou shalt seek them, and shalt not find them — them that contend with thee; they that war against thee shall be as nothing, and as a thing of nought.

YLTYoung's Literal Translation1862

Thou seekest them, and findest them not, The men who debate with thee, They are as nothing, yea, as nothing, The men who war with thee.

LSVLiteral Standard Version2020

You seek them, and do not find them, || The men who debate with you, || They are as nothing, indeed, as nothing, || The men who war with you.

ILTInterlinear Literal Translation2000

Thou wilt seek them, and shalt not find them, the men that contend with thee; they shall be as naught and as nothing, the men that make war against thee.

ULBUnlocked Literal Bible2017

You will seek and will not find those who contended with you; those who warred against you will be like nothing, absolutely nothing.

From the Latin

DRADouay-Rheims (Challoner)1899

Thou shalt seek them, and shalt not find the men that resist thee: they shall be as nothing: and as a thing consumed the men that war against thee.

Simplified

FBVFree Bible Version2020

Even though you look for your enemies, you won't find them. Those who attack you will become absolutely nothing.

BBEBible in Basic English1949

You will make search for your haters but they will not be there; those who make war against you will be as nothing and will come to destruction.

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.

clauseverbתְּבַקְשֵׁyouobjectם֙will.seek.themוְandclauseadverbialלֹ֣אnotverbתִמְצָאֵ֔younoun phrase · objectםwill.find.themnoun phraseאַנְשֵׁ֖יthe.peoplenoun phraseמַצֻּתֶ֑your.strifeךָyourclauseverbיִהְי֥וּthey.will.beprepositional phrase · prepositionalprepositional phraseכְasאַ֛יִןnothingוּandprepositional phraseכְasאֶ֖פֶסnothingnoun phrase · subjectאַנְשֵׁ֥יthe.peoplenoun phraseמִלְחַמְתֶּֽyour.warfareךָyour

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 9 of the 10 words matched. The Dead Sea Scrolls also support the Masoretic Text, with minor restorations in the fragments indicating consistency in the message.

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

תְּבַקְשֵׁם֙ וְלֹ֣א תִמְצָאֵ֔ם אַנְשֵׁ֖י מַצֻּתֶ֑ךָ יִהְי֥וּ כְאַ֛יִן וּכְאֶ֖פֶס אַנְשֵׁ֥י מִלְחַמְתֶּֽךָ׃

Septuagintthe Greek the translators chose, word by word
תְּבַקְשֵׁם֙αὐτοὺςוְלֹ֣אοὐתִמְצָאֵ֔םεὕρῃςאַנְשֵׁ֖יἀνθρώπουςמַצֻּתֶ֑ךָσέכְאַ֛יִןοὐκוּכְאֶ֖פֶסἔσονταιאַנְשֵׁ֥יοἱמִלְחַמְתֶּֽךָ׃σε

9 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 — 1Q8a copy a thousand years older than the Leningrad Codex

תבקש׳ם ולא תמצא׳ם אנשי מצת׳ך יהיו כאין וכאפס אנשי מלחמת׳ך

8 words on the leather — 2 partly restored.

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

ואנשי מצת׳כה יהיו כאין וכאפס אנשי מלחמת׳כה

7 words of the verse are on this fragment. The rest of the verse is not on it.

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 41:12בָּקַשׁyou will seyou will seek tבָּקַשׁלֹאand notand notלֹאמָצָאyou will fiyou will find tמָצָאאֱנוֹשׁ[the] peopl[the] people ofאֱנוֹשׁמַצּוּתstrife yourstrife yourמַצּוּתהָיָהthey will bthey will beהָיָהאַ֫יִןas nothingas nothingאַ֫יִןאֶ֫פֶסand as nothand as nothingאֶ֫פֶסאֱנוֹשׁ[the] peopl[the] people ofאֱנוֹשׁמִלְחָמָהwarfare youwarfare yourמִלְחָמָהאָנַשׁbe incurabbe incurableאָנַשׁנָצָהto strugglto struggleנָצָהאָפֵסto endto endאָפֵסלָחַםto fightto fightלָחַםהָוָאto fallto fallהָוָאאַ֫יִןwhere?where?אַ֫יִןבְּלִיַּ֫עַלBelial: woBelial: worthleבְּלִיַּ֫עַלעַיAiAiעַינֶ֫פֶשׁsoulsoulנֶ֫פֶשׁדָּרַשׁto seekto seekדָּרַשׁיָכֹלbe ablebe ableיָכֹלעוֹדstillstillעוֹדחֵןfavorfavorחֵןבָּקַשׁto seekto seekבָּקַשׁכְּמוֹlikelikeכְּמוֹעָצַרto restraito restrainעָצַרגּוּרto sojournto sojournגּוּרעָרַךְto arrangeto arrangeעָרַךְ
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 41:12

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

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

you will seek them and not you will find them [the] people of strife your they will be as nothing and as nothing [the] people of warfare your
תְּבַקְשֵׁם֙te.vak.Shem you will seek them H1245 Verb piel imperfect second person masculine singular · suffix
225× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This Hebrew verb means to seek or search for something. In Psalm 105:4, it's used to encourage seeking God's face. It's also used in 1 Samuel 28:8 where Saul seeks a medium.
Amplified meaning
diligently search for
Tyndale gloss
to seek
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

בָּקַשׁ (baqash) is a Hebrew verb meaning to seek or search out, often in the context of worship or prayer. It encompasses a range of actions including asking, desiring, and requiring. The verb can appear in different forms, such as Piel and Pual, indicating various nuances of seeking or being sought.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

[בָּקַשׁ] 224 vb. seek

Pi.

seek to find

seek to secure

seek the face

desire, demand

require, exact

exact equivalent or penalty for

(late) ask, request

Pu. be sought

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H1245 בָּקַשׁ seek

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

1245 baqash baw-kash'

a primitive root; to search out (by any method, specifically

in worship or prayer); by implication, to strive after:--ask,

beg, beseech, desire, enquire, get, make inquisition, procure,

(make) request, require, seek (for).

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

בָּקַשׁ (ba.qash) — to seek.

1) to seek, require, desire, exact, request

1a) (Piel)

1a1) to seek to find

1a2) to seek to secure

1a3) to seek the face

1a4) to desire, demand

1a5) to require, exact

1a6) to ask, request

1b) (Pual) to be sought

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
V-Piel-Imperf-2ms | Suff — Verb piel imperfect second person masculine singular · suffix
HVpi2ms/Sp3mp
you will seek them and not you will find them [the] people of strife your they will be as nothing and as nothing [the] people of warfare your
וְלֹ֣אve.Lo' and not H3808 Conjunction · particle
5,170× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
The Hebrew word for not or no is used to indicate absence or negation, as when God says no to the Israelites' requests, or when they disobey His commands.
Tyndale gloss
not
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

לֹא (lo') is a Hebrew word meaning 'not' or 'no.' It serves as a simple negation and can imply absence or prohibition. The word can also be used in various contexts, often combined with other particles for emphasis or clarification. Its Aramaic equivalent is לָא (la), which also means 'not.'

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

לֹא or לוֹא adv. not

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H3808 לֹא or לוֹא not

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

3808 lo' lo

or lowi {lo}; or loh (Deut. 3:11) {lo}; a primitive particle;

not (the simple or abs. negation); by implication, no; often

used with other particles (as follows):--X before, + or else,

ere, + except, ig(-norant), much, less, nay, neither, never,

no((-ne), -r, (-thing)), (X as though...,(can-), for) not (out

of), of nought, otherwise, out of, + surely, + as truly as, +

of a truth, + verily, for want, + whether, without.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

לֹא (lo) — not.

1) not, no

1a) not (with verb-absolute prohibition)

1b) not (with modifier-negation)

1c) nothing (subst)

1d) without (with particle)

1e) before (of time)

Aramaic equivalent: la (לָא "not" H3809)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Conj | Part — Conjunction · particle
HC/Tn
The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
you will seek them and not you will find them [the] people of strife your they will be as nothing and as nothing [the] people of warfare your
תִמְצָאֵ֔םtim.tza.'Em you will find them H4672 Verb qal imperfect second person masculine singular · suffix
455× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
Matsa means to find or attain something, whether it is a physical object, a person, or a condition, as seen in various KJV translations.
Amplified meaning
discover or attain
Tyndale gloss
to find
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

מָצָא (matsa') is a Hebrew verb meaning to find or attain. It encompasses a range of actions, including discovering something lost, encountering someone, or coming upon a situation. The word can also imply being present or sufficient. Lexicons note various forms and uses, including Qal, Niphal, and Hiphil, which indicate different nuances of finding and encountering.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

מָצָא 452 vb. attain to, find

Qal

find

find out

= come upon, light upon

noteworthy phrases

Niph. pass. of Qal, be found

Hiph.

cause to find, attain

cause to light upon, come upon, come

cause to encounter

present unto

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H4672 מָצָא attain to, find

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

4672 matsa' maw-tsaw'

a primitive root; properly, to come forth to, i.e. appear or

exist; transitively, to attain, i.e. find or acquire;

figuratively, to occur, meet or be present:--+ be able,

befall, being, catch, X certainly, (cause to) come (on, to, to

hand), deliver, be enough (cause to) find(-ing, occasion,

out), get (hold upon), X have (here), be here, hit, be left,

light (up-)on, meet (with), X occasion serve, (be) present,

ready, speed, suffice, take hold on.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

מָצָא (ma.tsa) — to find.

1) to find, attain to

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to find

1a1a) to find, secure, acquire, get (thing sought)

1a1b) to find (what is lost)

1a1c) to meet, encounter

1a1d) to find (a condition)

1a1e) to learn, devise

1a2) to find out

1a2a) to find out

1a2b) to detect

1a2c) to guess

1a3) to come upon, light upon

1a3a) to happen upon, meet, fall in with

1a3b) to hit

1a3c) to befall

1b) (Niphal)

1b1) to be found

1b1a) to be encountered, be lighted upon, be discovered

1b1b) to appear, be recognised

1b1c) to be discovered, be detected

1b1d) to be gained, be secured

1b2) to be, be found

1b2a) to be found in

1b2b) to be in the possession of

1b2c) to be found in (a place), happen to be

1b2d) to be left (after war)

1b2e) to be present

1b2f) to prove to be

1b2g) to be found sufficient, be enough

1c) (Hiphil)

1c1) to cause to find, attain

1c2) to cause to light upon, come upon, come

1c3) to cause to encounter

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
V-Qal-Imperf-2ms | Suff — Verb qal imperfect second person masculine singular · suffix
HVqi2ms/Sp3mp
you will seek them and not you will find them [the] people of strife your they will be as nothing and as nothing [the] people of warfare your
אַנְשֵׁ֖י'an.Shei [the] people of H582 Noun common · masculine plural construct
566× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
Enosh refers to a human or mankind in general, used to describe individuals or people as a whole in the Bible.
Tyndale gloss
human
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

אֱנוֹשׁ (enowsh) refers to man or mankind, often used in a poetic context. It denotes a mortal individual, distinguishing humans from more dignified terms for man. The word encompasses both singular and collective meanings, indicating people or persons in general. Its Aramaic equivalent is אֱנָשׁ (e.nash), also meaning 'man'.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

אֱנוֹשׁ n.m. man, mankind, mostly poet.

of individ.

coll. men

man, mankind

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H582 אֱנוֹשׁ man, mankind, mostly poet.

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

582 'enowsh en-oshe'

from 605; properly, a mortal (and thus differing from the

more dignified 120); hence, a man in general (singly or

collectively):--another, X (blood-)thirsty, certain,

chap(-man); divers, fellow, X in the flower of their age,

husband, (certain, mortal) man, people, person, servant, some

( X of them), + stranger, those, + their trade. It is often

unexpressed in the English versions, especially when used in

apposition with another word . Compare 376.

see HEBREW for 0605

see HEBREW for 0120

see HEBREW for 0376

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

אֱנוֹשׁ (e.nosh) — human.

1) man, mortal man, person, mankind

1a) of an individual

1b) men (collective)

1c) man, mankind

Aramaic equivalent: e.nash (אֱנָשׁ "man" H0606)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
HNcmpc — Noun common · masculine plural construct
HNcmpc
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…

you will seek them and not you will find them [the] people of strife your they will be as nothing and as nothing [the] people of warfare your
מַצֻּתֶ֑ךָma.tzu.Te.kha strife your H4695 Noun common feminine singular construct · suffix
1× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

[מַצּוּת] n.f. id. [מַצָּה];—only sf. Is 41:12

ref

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H4695 [מַצּוּת] id. [מַצָּה]

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

4695 matstsuwth mats-tsooth'

from 5327; a quarrel:--that contended.

see HEBREW for 05327

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

מַצּוּת (mats.tsut) — strife.

strife, contention

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
HNcfsc/Sp2ms — Noun common feminine singular construct · suffix
HNcfsc/Sp2ms
you will seek them and not you will find them [the] people of strife your they will be as nothing and as nothing [the] people of warfare your
יִהְי֥וּyih.Yu they will be H1961 Verb · Qal · imperfect third person masculine plural
3,562× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
The Hebrew word for to be means to exist or come into being. It is used to describe something that happens or comes to pass, like in Genesis where God creates the world.
Tyndale gloss
to be
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

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

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

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

Qal

Fall out, happen

occur, take place, come about, come to pass

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

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

rarely also Pf. c. וְ conj. וְהָיָה

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

Come into being, become

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

sq. prep.

become

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

sq. pred. adj.

become like

sq. pred. לְ pers.

sq. לְ pred.

oft. c. לְ pred. לְ pers.

with עַל and לְ

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

Be (often with subbordinate idea of becoming)

exist, be in existence

abide, remain, continue

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

as copula, joining subj. & pred.

Read the full entry →
Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

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

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

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

. rarely also Pf. c. וְ conj. וְהָיָה

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

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

. sq. prep.

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

. sq. pred. adj.

. become like

. sq. pred. + לְ pers.

. sq. לְ pred.

. oft. c. לְ pred. + לְ pers.

. with עַל and לְ

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

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

. abide, remain, continue

Read the full entry →
Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

1961 hayah haw-yaw

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

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

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

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

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

(one-)self, require, X use.

see HEBREW for 01933

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

הָיָה (ha.yah) — to be.

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

1a) (Qal)

1a1) ---

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

1a1b) to come about, come to pass

1a2) to come into being, become

1a2a) to arise, appear, come

1a2b) to become

1a2b1) to become

1a2b2) to become like

1a2b3) to be instituted, be established

1a3) to be

1a3a) to exist, be in existence

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

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

1a3d) to accompany, be with

1b) (Niphal)

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

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

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

See TESTAMENT.

Nave's Topical Bible

→ THE MENTAL FACULTY

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

See BLESSINGS, CONTINGENT UPON OBEDIENCE

See CHOICE

See CONTINGENCY

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

you will seek them and not you will find them [the] people of strife your they will be as nothing and as nothing [the] people of warfare your
כְאַ֛יִןkhe.'A.yin as nothing H369 Preposition · noun common masculine singular absolute
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.
Amplified meaning
be reduced to, or become, as nothing, without existence
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
Prep | N-ms — Preposition · noun common masculine singular absolute
HR/Ncmsa
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

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

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

you will seek them and not you will find them [the] people of strife your they will be as nothing and as nothing [the] people of warfare your
וּכְאֶ֖פֶסu.khe.'E.fes and as nothing H657 Conjunction · preposition · noun common masculine singular absolute
44× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This word can mean the soles of the feet or the ankles, but it can also mean an end or a stop to something. In Deuteronomy 28:35, it describes a curse that will afflict the Israelites from the soles of their feet to the top of their head.
Tyndale gloss
end
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

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

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

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

end, extremity

Expressing non-existence

base

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

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

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

. Expressing non-existence

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

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

657 'ephec eh'-fes

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

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

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

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

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

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

(cause).

see HEBREW for 0656

see HEBREW for 06466

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

אֶ֫פֶס (e.phes) — end.

1) ceasing, end, finality

2) expressing non-existence

אֹ֫פֶס (o.phes) — soles.

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

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
HC/R/Ncmsa — Conjunction · preposition · noun common masculine singular absolute
HC/R/Ncmsa
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

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

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

you will seek them and not you will find them [the] people of strife your they will be as nothing and as nothing [the] people of warfare your
אַנְשֵׁ֥י'an.Shei [the] people of H582 Noun common · masculine plural construct
566× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
Enosh refers to a human or mankind in general, used to describe individuals or people as a whole in the Bible.
Tyndale gloss
human
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

אֱנוֹשׁ (enowsh) refers to man or mankind, often used in a poetic context. It denotes a mortal individual, distinguishing humans from more dignified terms for man. The word encompasses both singular and collective meanings, indicating people or persons in general. Its Aramaic equivalent is אֱנָשׁ (e.nash), also meaning 'man'.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

אֱנוֹשׁ n.m. man, mankind, mostly poet.

of individ.

coll. men

man, mankind

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H582 אֱנוֹשׁ man, mankind, mostly poet.

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

582 'enowsh en-oshe'

from 605; properly, a mortal (and thus differing from the

more dignified 120); hence, a man in general (singly or

collectively):--another, X (blood-)thirsty, certain,

chap(-man); divers, fellow, X in the flower of their age,

husband, (certain, mortal) man, people, person, servant, some

( X of them), + stranger, those, + their trade. It is often

unexpressed in the English versions, especially when used in

apposition with another word . Compare 376.

see HEBREW for 0605

see HEBREW for 0120

see HEBREW for 0376

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

אֱנוֹשׁ (e.nosh) — human.

1) man, mortal man, person, mankind

1a) of an individual

1b) men (collective)

1c) man, mankind

Aramaic equivalent: e.nash (אֱנָשׁ "man" H0606)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
HNcmpc — Noun common · masculine plural construct
HNcmpc
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…

you will seek them and not you will find them [the] people of strife your they will be as nothing and as nothing [the] people of warfare your
מִלְחַמְתֶּֽךָ׃mil.cham.Te.kha warfare your H4421 Noun common feminine singular construct · suffix
320× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This word means battle or war, describing a fight or conflict. It is used in the Bible to talk about wars and battles, like the ones in the book of Joshua. The KJV translates it as battle or fight.
Amplified meaning
engage in, or make, battle, conflict
Tyndale gloss
battle
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

מִלְחָמָה (milchamah) means 'battle' or 'war.' It is derived from the root word for fighting and encompasses both specific engagements and the broader concept of warfare. The entries consistently define it in this way, with no significant disagreement among the lexicons.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

מִלְחָמָה 319 n.f. battle, war

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H4421 מִלְחָמָה battle, war

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

4421 milchamah mil-khaw-maw'

from 3898 (in the sense of fighting); a battle (i.e. the

engagement); generally, war (i.e. warfare):--battle,

fight(-ing), war((-rior)).

see HEBREW for 03898

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

מִלְחָמָה (mil.cha.mah) — battle.

battle, war

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-fs | Suff — Noun common feminine singular construct · suffix
HNcfsc/Sp2ms
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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