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Isaiah 61:4 — Word Study

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WLCוּבָנוּ֙ חָרְב֣וֹת עוֹלָ֔ם שֹׁמְמ֥וֹת רִֽאשֹׁנִ֖ים יְקוֹמֵ֑מוּ וְחִדְּשׁוּ֙ עָ֣רֵי חֹ֔רֶב שֹׁמְמ֖וֹת דּ֥וֹר וָדֽוֹר׃

BSAThey will rebuildbânâh [restore to a former state, renovate] the ancientʻôwlâm [old, former] ruinschorbâh they will restoreqûwm [reestablish, revive] the places longriʼshôwn [cities, towns] devastatedshâmêm [laid waste, destroyed] they will renewchâdash [rebuild, revitalize] the ruinedchôreb [desolate, devastated] citiesʻîyr the desolationsshâmêm [places of destruction, wastelands] of manydôwr [several, numerous] generationsdôwr [periods of time, ages]

Word
Listen & take awayIsaiah 61
English ↓ Download MP3 The Berean Standard Bible chapter audio already hosted for the site's Bible section — verse 4 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 (va.Dor) — no per-word recordings of the Hebrew exist to link to.
Take it away
Isaiah 61:4quick helps
In a sentenceThis verse promises restoration and renewal for places that have long been in ruins.
Who is speakingThe prophet Isaiah, conveying God's message of hope.
Where we areIn a passage that speaks of God's restoration of His people and their land.
The hard wordחָרְב֣וֹת
Take awayGod will bring about a significant transformation of desolation into renewal.
8 commentators on this verse Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them › clause verbבָּנָה 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 61:4

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 Promise of Restorationgenerated

3to console the mourners in Zion— to give them a crown of beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, and a garment of praise for a spirit of despair. So they will be called oaks of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that He may be glorified.
4They will rebuild the ancient ruins; they will restore the places long devastated; they will renew the ruined cities, the desolations of many generations.
5Strangers will stand and feed your flocks, and foreigners will be your plowmen and vinedressers.
6But you will be called the priests of the LORD; they will speak of you as ministers of our God; you will feed on the wealth of nations, and you will boast in their riches.

Isaiah 61:4 speaks of a future time when God will restore His people and their land. This verse is part of a larger passage that emphasizes God's intention to bring comfort and renewal to those who have suffered. The preceding verses highlight the blessings that will come to the mourners in Zion, establishing a theme of hope and restoration throughout this section of Isaiah.


Cross References

ReferenceText (BSB)
1Isaiah 49:6–8He says: “It is not enough for You to be My Servant, to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the protected ones of Israel. I will also make You a light for the nations, to bring My salvation to the ends of the earth.”
2Isaiah 58:12Your people will rebuild the ancient ruins; you will restore the age-old foundations; you will be called Repairer of the Breach, Restorer of the Streets of Dwelling.
3Ezekiel 36:23–26I will show the holiness of My great name, which has been profaned among the nations—the name you have profaned among them. Then the nations will know that I am the LORD, declares the Lord GOD, when I show My holiness in you before their eyes.
4Amos 9:14–15I will restore My people Israel from captivity; they will rebuild and inhabit the ruined cities. They will plant vineyards and drink their wine; they will make gardens and eat their fruit.

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

And they shall build the old wastes, they shall raise up the former desolations, and they shall repair the waste cities, the desolations of many generations.Isaiah 49:6–8 Isaiah 58:12 Ezekiel 36:23–26 Amos 9:14–15

The Key Word בָּנָה, u.va.Nugenerated

The Hebrew word בָּנָה (banah) means "to build" and encompasses various forms such as rebuilding, establishing, and making permanent. It can refer to physical construction, like building a house or family, as well as metaphorical uses, such as the establishment of restored exiles.

In this verse, it indicates a collective action: they will rebuild, suggesting a communal effort to restore what has been lost. The parsing as a sequential perfect third person common plural shows that this action is definitive and will occur in the future.


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. The BSB has rebuild, and so do the KJV and the ASV: all three keep the theological freight of בָּנָה.

Where others part company with the BSB they part company over a real fork in the lexicon, not over style. Restore (YLT) emphasizes the act of bringing back to a former state, while renew (WEB) focuses on revitalization, highlighting different aspects of the restoration process.


Sentence Structuregenerated

The verse consists of three main clauses, each beginning with a verb: וּבָנוּ֙ (and they will rebuild), יְקוֹמֵ֑מוּ (they will raise up), and וְחִדְּשׁוּ֙ (and they will renew). Each verb governs a noun phrase that specifies what is being rebuilt, raised, or renewed.

The structure emphasizes a series of actions that will lead to the restoration of desolate places, showcasing a powerful promise of transformation.


Septuagint Backgroundgenerated

The Septuagint translates בָּנָה as οἰκοδομήσουσιν (they will build), which carries a similar meaning of construction and restoration. This choice reflects a direct connection to the Hebrew intent of rebuilding and signifies God's active role in the restoration process.

The Greek word ἐρήμους for חָרְבָּה emphasizes desolation, aligning with the Hebrew concept of ruins and destruction.


In plain words — the whole versegenerated

Isaiah 61:4 promises that God will restore places that have been devastated. The verse speaks of rebuilding ancient ruins, renewing ruined cities, and bringing life back to desolate areas that have suffered for many generations.


Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated

What does it mean to rebuild ancient ruins?

Rebuilding ancient ruins symbolizes restoring what has been lost or destroyed, both physically and spiritually, reflecting God's promise of renewal for His people.

Why are the places described as long devastated?

The term 'long devastated' indicates that these places have suffered destruction over an extended period, often due to sin or disobedience, and now God promises to restore them.

What is the significance of the phrase 'the desolations of many generations'?

This phrase emphasizes the depth of destruction experienced over time, highlighting the long-standing impact of sin and the hope for renewal that God offers.

How does this verse relate to God's promises in other parts of the Bible?

This verse connects to other promises of restoration found in the Scriptures, such as in Ezekiel 36:23-26, where God promises to cleanse and restore His people.


Reflection Questionsgenerated

  1. In what areas of my life do I need to seek God's restoration and renewal?
  2. How can I actively participate in rebuilding and renewing my community?
  3. What does it mean for me to trust in God's promises of restoration?
  4. How can I encourage others who are experiencing desolation or devastation?

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

Early church fathers reference this verse to discuss God's work through His people, emphasizing the theme of restoration and hope.

Cyril of AlexandriaCOMMENTARY ON Isaiah 5:5.61:4-7 c. 376–444
For the Savior cultivates us through the holy people of faith. And these are called God’s coworkers.… And the gladness will be everlasting;
Early Church Fathers on Isaiah 61 →
Theodoret of CyrusCOMMENTARY ON Isaiah 19:61.7 c. 393–460
This is said to the holy apostles, “Do not be distressed when you are persecuted, tortured and disgraced among all and endure death of a thousand vanities.
Early Church Fathers on Isaiah 61 →

Commentators on this verse — 8 expositors, verse by verse

Each of these wrote on Isaiah 61:4 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.

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

And they shall build the old wastes,.... The captives set at liberty, and who are called trees of righteousness, and the planting of the Lord; righteous and good men, who shall be employed in the

Read John Gill on Isaiah 61 →
Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's Commentary

And they shall build the old wastes, they shall raise up the former desolations, and they shall repair the waste cities, the desolations of many generations.

Read Robert Jamieson on Isaiah 61 →
Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy Bible

See . As it is applied to gospel times, the meaning may be, that Gentilism, which was as a wilderness overgrown with briers and thorns, shall be cultivated; and those cities and provinces of the Gentiles that lay as it were waste, void of all true religion, shall now by the ministry of the word be edified in the true worship of God.

Read Matthew Poole on Isaiah 61 →
John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

Isaiah 61:4 And they shall build the old wastes, they shall raise up the former desolations, and they shall repair the waste cities, the desolations of many generations.Ver. 4. And they shall build the old wastes.] Desolationes saeculi, the Gentiles that have long lain forlorn and desolate, as ruined houses; or the wild waste, shall, by the apostles and other doctors of the Church, be brought to Christ, and built up in holiness. And they shall repair.] The same thing is four different times said over for better assurance, and to set forth the miracle.

Read John Trapp on Isaiah 61 →
Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(4) They shall build the old wastes . . .—Literally the waste places of olden time: i.e., not merely the cities that had fallen into ruins during the exile, but those that had been lying waste for generations. The words are parallel with those of Isa 58:12. By some commentators strangers is supplied from Isaiah 61:5 as the implied subject, as in Isaiah 60:10. Here, however, it would seem as if the prophet looked on the rebuilding as being Israel’s own work, while service of another kind was assigned to the aliens.

Read Charles John Ellicott on Isaiah 61 →
AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible

Verse 4. "And they that spring from thee"] A word is lost here likewise. After ובנו ubanu, "they shall build," add ממך mimmecha, they that spring from thee. Four MSS. have it so, (two of them ancient,) and one of mine has it in the margin, and it is confirmed by Isaiah 58:12, where the sentence is the very same, this word being here added. Kimchi makes the same remark: "the word ממך mimmecha is omitted here; but is found in Isaiah 58:12." The desolations of many generations] It seems that these words cannot refer to the Jews in the Babylonish captivity, for they were not there many generations; but it may refer to their dispersions and state of ruin since the advent of our Lord; and…

Read AdamClarke on Isaiah 61 →
CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

4. Comp. ch. Isaiah 49:8, Isaiah 58:12, Isaiah 60:10.

Read Cambridge on Isaiah 61 →
Albert Barnes1798–1870Barnes' Notes on the Bible

And they shall build the old wastes - (See the notes at Isaiah 58:12).

Read Albert Barnes on Isaiah 61 →

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

They will rebuild the ancient ruins; they will restore the places long devastated; they will renew the ruined cities, the desolations of many generations.

WEBWorld English Bible2000

They will rebuild the old ruins. They will raise up the former devastated places. They will repair the ruined cities that have been devastated for many generations.

MSBMajority Standard Bible2022

They will rebuild the ancient ruins; they will restore the places long devastated; they will renew the ruined cities, the desolations of many generations.

NETBNew English Translation2006

They will rebuild the perpetual ruins and restore the places that were desolate; they will reestablish the ruined cities, the places that have been desolate since ancient times.

Tyndale line

KJVKing James Version1611

¶ And they shall build the old wastes, they shall raise up the former desolations, and they shall repair the waste cities, the desolations of many generations.

ASVAmerican Standard Version1901

And they shall build the old wastes, they shall raise up the former desolations, and they shall repair the waste cities, the desolations of many generations.

RVARevised Version, American1894

And they shall build the old wastes, they shall raise up the former desolations, and they shall repair the waste cities, the desolations of many generations.

NWBWebster's Bible1833

And they shall build the old wastes, they shall raise up the former desolations, and they shall repair the waste cities, the desolations of many generations.

GNVGeneva Bible1599

And they shall builde the olde waste places, and raise vp the former desolations, and they shall repaire the cities that were desolate and waste through many generations.

Strictly literal

DBYDarby Translation1890

And they shall build the old wastes, they shall raise up the former desolations, and they shall repair the waste cities, the places desolate from generation to generation.

YLTYoung's Literal Translation1862

And they have built the wastes of old, The desolations of the ancients they raise up, And they have renewed waste cities, The desolations of generation and generation.

LSVLiteral Standard Version2020

And they have built the ancient ruins, || They raise up the desolations of the ancients, || And they have renewed ruined cities, || The desolations of generation and generation.

ILTInterlinear Literal Translation2000

And they shall build up the ancient ruins, desolate places of former times shall they raise up, and they shall renew ruined cities, the desolate places of many generations.

ULBUnlocked Literal Bible2017

They will rebuild the ancient ruins; they will restore the former desolations. They will restore the ruined cities, the desolations from many former generations.

From the Latin

DRADouay-Rheims (Challoner)1899

And they shall build the places that have been waste from of old, and shall raise up ancient ruins, and shall repair the desolate cities, that were destroyed for generation and generation.

Simplified

FBVFree Bible Version2020

They will rebuild the old ruins; they will restore places abandoned long ago; they will restore towns that were destroyed, places left desolate for generation after generation.

BBEBible in Basic English1949

And they will be building again the old broken walls, and will make new the old waste places, and will put up again the towns which have been waste for long generations.

Word by word, the decisions they made

רִֽאשֹׁנִ֖יםri.sho.Nim former H7223 3 different renderings
formerASV DBY GNV ILT KJV NWB RVA ULB WEB
citiesBSB DRA LSV MSB NETB YLT
townsBBE FBV

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.

וּandclauseverbבָנוּ֙they.will.rebuildnoun phrase · objectחָרְב֣וֹת[the].ruinsעוֹלָ֔םof.antiquityclausenoun phrase · objectשֹׁמְמ֥וֹת[the].desolate.[places]רִֽאשֹׁנִ֖יםof.[the].forefathersverbיְקוֹמֵ֑מוּthey.will.raise.upוְandclauseverbחִדְּשׁוּ֙they.will.renewnoun phrase · objectnoun phraseעָ֣רֵי[the].citiesחֹ֔רֶבof.devastationnoun phraseשֹׁמְמ֖וֹת[the].desolate.[places]noun phraseדּ֥וֹרof.a.generationוָandדֽוֹרa.generation

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


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

The Masoretic Text is supported by the Septuagint and the Dead Sea Scrolls, which agree on the essential wording of the verse. The scrolls provide partial matches, indicating some restoration by editors, but the core message remains consistent across these ancient witnesses.

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

וּבָנוּ֙ חָרְב֣וֹת עוֹלָ֔ם שֹׁמְמ֥וֹת רִֽאשֹׁנִ֖ים יְקוֹמֵ֑מוּ וְחִדְּשׁוּ֙ עָ֣רֵי חֹ֔רֶב שֹׁמְמ֖וֹת דּ֥וֹר וָדֽוֹר׃

Septuagintthe Greek the translators chose, word by word
וּבָנוּ֙οἰκοδομήσουσινחָרְב֣וֹתἐρήμουςעוֹלָ֔םαἰωνίαςשֹׁמְמ֥וֹתἐχηρημωμέναςרִֽאשֹׁנִ֖יםπρότερονיְקוֹמֵ֑מוּἐχαναστήσουσινוְחִדְּשׁוּ֙καινιοῦσινעָ֣רֵיπόλειςחֹ֔רֶבἐρήμουςשֹׁמְמ֖וֹתἐχηρημωμένας

10 of the 12 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

ובנו חרבות עולם שוממות ריאשונים יקוממו וחדשו ערי חורב שוממות דור ודור יקוממו

13 words on the leather.

Dead Sea Scrolls — 4Q66a copy a thousand years older than the Leningrad Codex

[ובנו] [חרבות] [עולם] [שממות] ראשנים יקוממו וחדשו ערי [חרב] [שממות] [דור] [ודור]

3 words on the leather — 1 partly restored, 8 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 61:4בָּנָהand they wiand they will rבָּנָהחָרְבָּה[the] ruins[the] ruins ofחָרְבָּהעוֹלָםantiquityantiquityעוֹלָםשָׁמֵם[the] desol[the] desolate שָׁמֵםרִאשׁוֹןformerformerרִאשׁוֹןלֵבthey will rthey will raiseלֵבחָדַשׁand they wiand they will rחָדַשׁעִיר[the] citie[the] cities ofעִירחֹ֫רֶבdevastationdevastationחֹ֫רֶבשָׁמֵם[the] desol[the] desolate שָׁמֵםדּוֹרa generatioa generationדּוֹרדּוֹרand a generand a generatioדּוֹרדּוּרדּוּרעָלַםto concealto concealעָלַםרִאשָׁהbeginningbeginningרִאשָׁהעוּרto rouseto rouseעוּרחֹ֫רֶבdroughtdroughtחֹ֫רֶבחֶ֫רֶבswordswordחֶ֫רֶבשָׁרַקto whistleto whistleשָׁרַקנָוֶהpasturepastureנָוֶהזֵ֫כֶרmemorialmemorialזֵ֫כֶרחוֹמָהwallwallחוֹמָהמִזְבֵּחַaltaraltarמִזְבֵּחַשַׁמָּהhorror: dehorror: destroyשַׁמָּהשְׁמָמָהDesolateDesolateשְׁמָמָהעַדperpetuityperpetuityעַדדּוֹרgenerationgenerationדּוֹראַחֲרוֹןlastlastאַחֲרוֹןלוּחַtablettabletלוּחַנֶ֫דֶרvowvowנֶ֫דֶר
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 61:4

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

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

and they will rebuild [the] ruins of antiquity [the] desolate [places] former they will raise up and they will renew [the] cities of devastation [the] desolate [places] of a generation and a generation
וּבָנוּ֙u.va.Nu and they will rebuild H1129 Verb · Qal · sequential perfect third person common plural
376× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
The Hebrew word bânâh means to build something, like a house or a family. It can also mean to establish or repair something, and is used in various contexts throughout the Bible.
Amplified meaning
restore to a former state, renovate
Tyndale gloss
to build
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word בָּנָה (banah) means "to build" and encompasses various forms such as rebuilding, establishing, and making permanent. It can refer to physical construction, like building a house or family, as well as metaphorical uses, such as the establishment of restored exiles. The entries indicate that it can also imply being built up, particularly in the context of a childless wife becoming a mother.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

בָּנָה 373 vb. build

Qal build

Niph.

be built

be rebuilt

(fig.) of restored exiles, = established

established, made permanent

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H1129 בָּנָה build .build

.. . be built

. be rebuilt

. . (fig.) of restored exiles, = established

. established, made permanent

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

1129 banah baw-naw'

a primitive root; to build (literally and

figuratively):--(begin to) build(-er), obtain children, make,

repair, set (up), X surely.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

בָּנָה (ba.nah) — to build.

1) to build, rebuild, establish, cause to continue

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to build, rebuild

1a2) to build a house (ie, establish a family)

1b) (Niphal)

1b1) to be built

1b2) to be rebuilt

1b3) established (of restored exiles) (fig.)

1b4) established (made permanent)

1b5) to be built up (of childless wife becoming the mother of a family through the children of a concubine)

Aramaic equivalent: be.nah (בְּנָה "to build" H1124)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Conj | V-Qal-3cp — Verb · Qal · sequential perfect third person common plural
Hc/Vqq3cp
and they will rebuild [the] ruins of antiquity [the] desolate [places] former they will raise up and they will renew [the] cities of devastation [the] desolate [places] of a generation and a generation
חָרְב֣וֹתcha.re.Vot [the] ruins of H2723 Noun common · feminine plural construct
42× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This word refers to a place that has been laid waste or destroyed, often due to war or disaster. In the Bible, it is used to describe the consequences of sin and disobedience. The prophet Ezekiel used this word to describe a desolate city.
Tyndale gloss
desolation
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word חָרְבָּה (chorbah) refers to waste, desolation, or ruin. It is derived from the root meaning drought and implies a place that has been laid waste or destroyed. The entries consistently emphasize its association with desolation and ruin.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

חָרְבָּה n.f. waste, desolation, ruin

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H2723 חָרְבָּה waste, desolation, ruin

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

2723 chorbah khor-baw'

feminine of 2721; properly, drought, i.e. (by implication) a

desolation:--decayed place, desolate (place, -tion),

destruction, (laid) waste (place).

see HEBREW for 02721

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

חׇרְבָּה (chor.bah) — desolation.

a place laid waste, ruin, waste, desolation

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-fp — Noun common · feminine plural construct
HNcfpc
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

ov:

(1) In Anglo-Saxon, had the meaning "from," "away from" (as the strengthened form "off" has still), and was not used for genitive or possessive relations, these being expressed by special case-forms. In the Norman period, however, "of" was taken to represent the French de (a use well developed by the time of Chaucer), and in the Elizabethan period both senses of "of" were in common use. But after about 1600 the later force of the word became predominant, and in the earlier sense (which is now practically obsolete) it was replaced by other prepositions. In consequence the King James Version (and in some cases the Revised Version (British and American)) contains many uses of "of" that are no longer familiar--most of them, to be sure, causing no difficulty, but there still being a few responsible for real obscurities.

English usagewhat the translators’ English meant
Webster's Dictionary (1828), Webster's Unabridged (1913), Webster's Dictionary (1806)

OF, preposition ov. [Gr.]

1. From or out of; proceeding from, as the cause, source, means, author or agent bestowing.

I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered to you. 1 Corinthians 11:1.

For it was of the Lord to harden their hearts. Joshua 11:1.

It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed.

Lamentations 3:1.

The whole disposing thereof is of the Lord. Proverbs 16:1.

Go, inquire of the Lord for me. 2 Chronicles 34:2.

That holy thing that shall be born of thee. Luke 1:1.

Hence of is the sign of the genitive case, the case that denotes production; as the son of man, the son proceeding from man, produced from man. This is the primary sense, although we now say, produced by man. 'Part of these were slain; ' that is, a number separate, for part denotes a division; the sense then is, a number from or out of the whole were slain. So also, 'some of these were slain; ' that is…

and they will rebuild [the] ruins of antiquity [the] desolate [places] former they will raise up and they will renew [the] cities of devastation [the] desolate [places] of a generation and a generation
עוֹלָ֔םo.Lam antiquity H5769 Noun common · masculine singular absolute
438× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This word means forever or always, describing something that lasts an eternity. It is used in the Bible to describe God's eternal nature and his lasting promises.
Amplified meaning
old, former
Tyndale gloss
forever: antiquity
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

עוֹלָם (owlam) refers to concepts of long duration, antiquity, and futurity, encompassing meanings like eternity and perpetual existence. It is derived from a root meaning 'concealed' or 'the vanishing point.' The term is used to describe both ancient times and an indefinite future, indicating continuity and everlastingness.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

עוֹלָם 439 n.m. long duration, antiquity, futurity

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H5769 עוֹלָם long duration, antiquity, futurity

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

5769 `owlam o-lawm'

or lolam {o-lawm'}; from 5956; properly, concealed, i.e. the

vanishing point; generally, time out of mind (past or future),

i.e. (practically) eternity; frequentatively, adverbial

(especially with prepositional prefix) always:--alway(-s),

ancient (time), any more, continuance, eternal, (for,

(n-))ever(-lasting, -more, of old), lasting, long (time), (of)

old (time), perpetual, at any time, (beginning of the) world

(+ without end). Compare 5331, 5703.

see HEBREW for 05956

see HEBREW for 05331

see HEBREW for 05703

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

עוֹלָם (o.lam) — forever: enduring.

: enduring/eternal

1) long duration, antiquity, futurity, for ever, ever, everlasting, evermore, perpetual, old, ancient, world

1a) ancient time, long time (of past)

1b) (of future)

1b1) for ever, always

1b2) continuous existence, perpetual

1b3) everlasting, indefinite or unending future, eternity

עוֹלָם (o.lam) — Everlasting.

This name means long duration, everlasting, perpetual

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

עוֹלָם (o.lam) — forever: any time.

: any_time

1) long duration, antiquity, futurity, for ever, ever, everlasting, evermore, perpetual, old, ancient, world

1a) ancient time, long time (of past)

1b) (of future)

1b1) for ever, always

1b2) continuous existence, perpetual

1b3) everlasting, indefinite or unending future, eternity

עוֹלָם (o.lam) — forever: antiquity.

: old/ancient

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-ms — Noun common · masculine singular absolute
HNcmsa
and they will rebuild [the] ruins of antiquity [the] desolate [places] former they will raise up and they will renew [the] cities of devastation [the] desolate [places] of a generation and a generation
שֹׁמְמ֥וֹתsho.me.Mot [the] desolate [places] H8074 Verb · Qal · participle (active) feminine plural
86× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
The word 'shamem' means to be desolate or devastated, like a place left empty and destroyed, often used to describe the aftermath of war or disaster.
Amplified meaning
laid waste, destroyed
Tyndale gloss
be desolate: destroyed
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

שָׁמֵם (shamem) is a Hebrew verb meaning to be desolated or appalled. It is built from a primitive root and encompasses a range of meanings including to stun, devastate, and cause horror. The verb appears in various forms, such as Qal, Niphal, and Hiphil, indicating different nuances like being made desolate or causing desolation.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

[שָׁמֵם] vb. be desolated, appalled

Qal

be desolated

be appalled, awestruck

Niph.

be desolated

be appalled

Pō‛.

I sat appalled

transit. appalling, causing horror

Hiph.

devastate, ravage

appal

inwardly trans., shewing horror

Hoph. all the days of (its) being desolate

Hithpō‛.

be appalled, astounded

cause oneself desolation, ruin

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H8074 [שָׁמֵם] be desolated, appalled

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

8074 shamem shaw-mame'

a primitive root; to stun (or intransitively, grow numb),

i.e. devastate or (figuratively) stupefy (both usually in a

passive sense):--make amazed, be astonied, (be an)

astonish(-ment), (be, bring into, unto, lay, lie, make)

desolate(-ion, places), be destitute, destroy (self), (lay,

lie, make) waste, wonder.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

שָׁמֵם (sha.mem) — be desolate: destroyed.

: destroyed/deserted

1) to be desolate, be appalled, stun, stupefy

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to be desolated, be deflowered, be deserted, be appalled

1a2) to be appalled, be awestruck

1b) (Niphal)

1b1) to be desolated, be made desolate

1b2) to be appalled

1c) (Polel)

1c1) to be stunned

1c2) appalling, causing horror (participle)

1c2a) horror-causer, appaller (subst)

1d) (Hiphil)

1d1) to devastate, ravage, make desolated

1d2) to appal, show horror

1e) (Hophal) to lay desolate, be desolated

1f) (Hithpolel)

1f1) to cause to be desolate

1f2) to be appalled, be astounded

1f3) to cause oneself desolation, cause oneself ruin

שָׁמֵם (sha.mem) — be desolate: appalled.

: appalled

1) to be desolate, be appalled, stun, stupefy

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to be desolated, be deflowered, be deserted, be appalled

1a2) to be appalled, be awestruck

1b) (Niphal)

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
V-Qal — Verb · Qal · participle (active) feminine plural
HVqrfpa
and they will rebuild [the] ruins of antiquity [the] desolate [places] former they will raise up and they will renew [the] cities of devastation [the] desolate [places] of a generation and a generation
רִֽאשֹׁנִ֖יםri.sho.Nim former H7223 Adj
182× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This word means 'first' or 'primary', referring to something that comes before others in time, place, or rank. It is used to describe the first or most important thing in a series or list.
Amplified meaning
cities, towns
Tyndale gloss
first
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word רִאשׁוֹן (*ri'shown*) means 'first' and can refer to something that is primary, former, or chief. It encompasses meanings related to time, rank, and location, indicating ancestors or previous things. The entries consistently emphasize its use as an adjective and adverb, with no significant disagreement noted among the lexicons.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

רִאשׁוֹן 182 adj. former, first, chief

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H7223 רִאשׁוֹן former, first, chief

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

7223 ri'shown ree-shone'

or riishon {ree-shone'}; from 7221; first, in place, time or

rank (as adjective or noun):--ancestor, (that were)

before(-time), beginning, eldest, first, fore(-father)

(-most), former (thing), of old time, past.

see HEBREW for 07221

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

רִאשׁוֹן (ri.shon) — first.

: first

adj

1) first, primary, former

1a) former (of time)

1a1) ancestors

1a2) former things

1b) foremost (of location)

1c) first (in time)

1d) first, chief (in degree)

adv

2) first, before, formerly, at first

רִאשׁוֹן (ri.shon) — first: previous.

: previous

adj

1) first, primary, former

1a) former (of time)

1a1) ancestors

1a2) former things

1b) foremost (of location)

1c) first (in time)

1d) first, chief (in degree)

adv

2) first, before, formerly, at first

רִאשׁוֹן (ri.shon) — first: chief.

: chief

adj

1) first, primary, former

1a) former (of time)

1a1) ancestors

1a2) former things

1b) foremost (of location)

1c) first (in time)

1d) first, chief (in degree)

adv

2) first, before, formerly, at first

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Adj — Adj
HAompa
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

for'-mer:

The word in the sense of "maker," "framer," occurs only in Jer 51:19, "He is the former (from yatsar, "to form") of all things." The adjective, in the sense of preceding in the order of time, is commonly in Hob the translation of ri'shon, "first," "foremost" (Ge 40:13; Nu 21:26; De 24:4, etc.); in Greek of proteros (Eph 4:22; Heb 10:32; 1Pe 1:14); and in two cases (Ac 1:1; Re 21:4) of protos, where…

and they will rebuild [the] ruins of antiquity [the] desolate [places] former they will raise up and they will renew [the] cities of devastation [the] desolate [places] of a generation and a generation
יְקוֹמֵ֑מוּye.ko.Me.mu they will raise up H6965 Verb · Piel · imperfect third person masculine plural
628× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
Qum means to rise or stand up, used in various contexts like rising to power or standing firm, as seen in Jeremiah and Ezra.
Amplified meaning
reestablish, revive
Tyndale gloss
(Leb)-kamai
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word קוּם (qum) is a primitive root meaning 'to rise' and encompasses a range of actions such as standing, becoming powerful, and establishing. It can imply a sudden or hostile rise, as well as the act of fulfilling or confirming something. The entries also note various grammatical forms, indicating its use in different contexts, including raising up or causing to stand.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

לֵב קָמָי prob. late Atbash Je 51:1.

ref

קוּם 628 vb. arise, stand up, stand

Qal 460

arise

arise, in hostile sense (oft. with idea of suddenness)

arise, abs., = become powerful

arise = come on the scene, appear, of leader, prophet

arise for, i.e. to become

arise for action

arise (out of inaction), introducing some specific deed

esp. arise = start, make a move, to go somewhere

stand

Pi.

fulfil

confirm, ratify

confirm, establish

impose, an obligation

Pō‛l. raise up

Hithpō‛l. raise oneself, = rise up

Hiph.

146cause to arise, raise

raise, set up, stones

erect, build

fig, of setting up law

raise up = bring on the scene

raise up = rouse, stir up

instigate, build

fig, of setting up law

raise up = constitute

cause to stand

Hoph. be raised up

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H6965a לֵב קָמָי prob. late Atbash H6965b קוּם arise, stand up, stand .. arise

. arise, in hostile sense (oft. with idea of suddenness)

. arise, abs., = become powerful

. arise = come on the scene, appear, of leader, prophet

. arise for, i.e. to become

. . arise for action

. arise (out of inaction), introducing some specific deed

. esp. arise = start, make a move, to go somewhere

. stand

. . fulfil

. . confirm, ratify

. confirm, establish

. impose, an obligation

. raise up

. raise oneself, = rise up

. . cause to arise, raise

. . raise, set up, stones

. erect, build

. fig, of setting up law

. raise up = bring on the scene

. . raise up = rouse, stir up

. instigate, build

. fig, of setting up law

. raise up = constitute

. cause to stand

. be raised up

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

6965 quwm koom

a primitive root; to rise (in various applications, literal,

figurative, intensive and causative):--abide, accomplish, X

be clearer, confirm, continue, decree, X be dim, endure, X

enemy, enjoin, get up, make good, help, hold, (help to) lift

up (again), make, X but newly, ordain, perform, pitch, raise

(up), rear (up), remain, (a-)rise (up) (again, against), rouse

up, set (up), (e-)stablish, (make to) stand (up), stir up,

strengthen, succeed, (as-, make) sure(-ly), (be) up(-hold, -

rising).

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

קָמָי (qa.may) — (Leb)-kamai.

Combined with lev (לֵב "Leb" H3820B)

§ -Kamai = "my adversary"

Leb-kamai, i.e., people of Gambulai

קוּם (qum) — to arise: rise.

: rise/get_going

1) to rise, arise, stand, rise up, stand up

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to arise

1a2) to arise (hostile sense)

1a3) to arise, become powerful

1a4) to arise, come on the scene

1a5) to stand

1a5a) to maintain oneself

1a5b) to be established, be confirmed

1a5c) to stand, endure

1a5d) to be fixed

1a5e) to be valid

1a5f) to be proven

1a5g) to be fulfilled

1a5h) to persist

1a5i) to be set, be fixed

1b) (Piel)

1b1) to fulfil

1b2) to confirm, ratify, establish, impose

1c) (Polel) to raise up

1d) (Hithpael) to raise oneself, rise up

1e) (Hiphil)

1e1) to cause to arise, raise

1e2) to raise, set up, erect, build

1e3) to raise up, bring on the scene

1e4) to raise up, rouse, stir up, investigate

1e5) to raise up, constitute

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
V-o-Imperf-3mp — Verb · Piel · imperfect third person masculine plural
HVpi3mp
and they will rebuild [the] ruins of antiquity [the] desolate [places] former they will raise up and they will renew [the] cities of devastation [the] desolate [places] of a generation and a generation
וְחִדְּשׁוּ֙ve.chi.de.Shu and they will renew H2318 Verb · Piel · sequential perfect third person common plural
10× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This Hebrew word means to renew or repair something, making it new again. It is used in the Bible to describe rebuilding or restoring something, and can also mean to renew oneself. The KJV translates it as 'renew' or 'repair'.
Amplified meaning
rebuild, revitalize
Tyndale gloss
to renew
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

חָדַשׁ (chadash) is a Hebrew verb meaning to be new, renew, or repair. It is primarily used in the Piel and Hithpael forms, indicating actions like making something new or renewing oneself. The entries emphasize the idea of renewal and restoration, with a notable example of renewal likened to the rejuvenation of youth, as seen in the phrase about eagles.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

[חָדַשׁ] vb. only Pi. (and Hithp.) renew, repair

Pi.

renew, make anew

repair

Hithp. thy youth reneweth itself, like the eagle.

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H2318 [חָדַשׁ] only Pi. (and Hithp.) renew, repair

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

2318 chadash khaw-dash'

a primitive root; to be new; causatively, to rebuild:--renew,

repair.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

חָדַשׁ (cha.dash) — to renew.

1) to be new, renew, repair

1a) (Piel)

1a1) to renew, make anew

1a2) to repair

1b) (Hithpael) to renew oneself

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Conj | V-Piel-3cp — Verb · Piel · sequential perfect third person common plural
Hc/Vpq3cp
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

re-nu': The word is used in various senses:

(1) of material things, e.g. Ps 104:30; here it means to give a new appearance, to refresh, to restore the face of the earth;

(2) in 1Sa 11:14, to establish more firmly the kingdom by reinstalling King Saul;

(3) in 2Ch 15:8, to rebuild or repair the broken altar;

(4) in La 5:21, "renew our days," restore the favors of former days;

(5) in Isa 41:1, `let them gather together, or marshal their strongest arguments for answer';

(6) in Ps 103:5; Isa 40:31, it refers to the…

The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
and they will rebuild [the] ruins of antiquity [the] desolate [places] former they will raise up and they will renew [the] cities of devastation [the] desolate [places] of a generation and a generation
עָ֣רֵי'A.rei [the] cities of H5892 Noun common · masculine plural construct
1,090× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
In the Bible, this word refers to a city or town, often a place with a wall or a watchman. It is used to describe a settlement or encampment, like the city of Ai, which is mentioned in the book of Joshua. The word is used to identify specific locations in the Bible.
Tyndale gloss
excitement
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word עִיר (*'iyr*) has meanings related to both excitement and city. It can denote excitement, particularly of terror or rage, as well as refer to a city or town, indicating a place that is guarded or inhabited. The entries suggest a broad application, from fortified cities to simple encampments. There is a specific mention of a man named Ir in 1 Chronicles 4:12.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

עִיר n.[m.] excitement;—of terror; of rage

base

עִיר 1092 n.f. city, town

city, town, abode of men

of fortress in a city

appar. fortified place, of any size

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H5892a עִיר excitement;—of terror; of rage H5892b עִיר city, town . city, town, abode of men

. of fortress in a city

. appar. fortified place, of any size

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

5892 `iyr eer

or (in the plural) par {awr}; or ayar (Judges 10:4)

{aw-yar'}; from 5782 a city (a place guarded by waking or a

watch) in the widest sense (even of a mere encampment or

post):--Ai (from margin), city, court (from margin), town.

see HEBREW for 05782

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

עִיר (ir) — excitement.

1) excitement, anguish

1a) of terror

עִיר (ir) — city.

1) city, town (a place of waking, guarded)

1a) city, town (a place of waking, guarded)

1a) city, town

עִיר (ir) — City (of On).

Combined with on (אֹן "On" H0204)

This name means city, town

Another name of on (אֹן "On" H0204)

עִיר (ir) — Ir-.

#A man of the tribe of Judah living at the time of Divided Monarchy, only mentioned at 1Ch.4.12;

son of: Tehinnah (H8468)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-fp — 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…

and they will rebuild [the] ruins of antiquity [the] desolate [places] former they will raise up and they will renew [the] cities of devastation [the] desolate [places] of a generation and a generation
חֹ֔רֶבCho.rev devastation H2721 Noun common · masculine singular absolute
16× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
The Bible uses this word to describe a state of drought or desolation, often as a result of sin. In the book of Deuteronomy, Moses warned the Israelites of desolation if they disobeyed God. It is also used in the book of Jeremiah.
Amplified meaning
desolate, devastated
Tyndale gloss
drought
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

חֹ֫רֶב (choreb) refers to concepts of dryness and desolation, encompassing meanings such as drought, heat, and parching conditions. It is built from the idea of being dry or desolate, and can denote both physical and metaphorical states of barrenness. The entries consistently highlight these themes without significant disagreement.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

חֹ֫רֶב n.m. dryness, drought, heat

dryness

drought

parching heat

base

חֹ֫רֶב n.[m.] desolation

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H2721a חֹ֫רֶב dryness, drought, heat . dryness

. drought

. parching heat

H2721b חֹ֫רֶב desolation

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

2721 choreb kho'-reb

a collaterally form of 2719; drought or

desolation:--desolation, drought, dry, heat, X utterly, waste.

see HEBREW for 02719

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

חֹ֫רֶב (cho.rev) — drought.

1) dryness, drought, heat

1a) dryness

1b) drought

1c) parching heat

חֹ֫רֶב (cho.rev) — desolation.

desolation

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-ms — Noun common · masculine singular absolute
HNcmsa
and they will rebuild [the] ruins of antiquity [the] desolate [places] former they will raise up and they will renew [the] cities of devastation [the] desolate [places] of a generation and a generation
שֹׁמְמ֖וֹתsho.me.Mot [the] desolate [places] of H8074 Verb · Qal · participle (active) feminine plural common
86× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
The word 'shamem' means to be desolate or devastated, like a place left empty and destroyed, often used to describe the aftermath of war or disaster.
Amplified meaning
places of destruction, wastelands
Tyndale gloss
be desolate: destroyed
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

שָׁמֵם (shamem) is a Hebrew verb meaning to be desolated or appalled. It is built from a primitive root and encompasses a range of meanings including to stun, devastate, and cause horror. The verb appears in various forms, such as Qal, Niphal, and Hiphil, indicating different nuances like being made desolate or causing desolation.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

[שָׁמֵם] vb. be desolated, appalled

Qal

be desolated

be appalled, awestruck

Niph.

be desolated

be appalled

Pō‛.

I sat appalled

transit. appalling, causing horror

Hiph.

devastate, ravage

appal

inwardly trans., shewing horror

Hoph. all the days of (its) being desolate

Hithpō‛.

be appalled, astounded

cause oneself desolation, ruin

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H8074 [שָׁמֵם] be desolated, appalled

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

8074 shamem shaw-mame'

a primitive root; to stun (or intransitively, grow numb),

i.e. devastate or (figuratively) stupefy (both usually in a

passive sense):--make amazed, be astonied, (be an)

astonish(-ment), (be, bring into, unto, lay, lie, make)

desolate(-ion, places), be destitute, destroy (self), (lay,

lie, make) waste, wonder.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

שָׁמֵם (sha.mem) — be desolate: destroyed.

: destroyed/deserted

1) to be desolate, be appalled, stun, stupefy

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to be desolated, be deflowered, be deserted, be appalled

1a2) to be appalled, be awestruck

1b) (Niphal)

1b1) to be desolated, be made desolate

1b2) to be appalled

1c) (Polel)

1c1) to be stunned

1c2) appalling, causing horror (participle)

1c2a) horror-causer, appaller (subst)

1d) (Hiphil)

1d1) to devastate, ravage, make desolated

1d2) to appal, show horror

1e) (Hophal) to lay desolate, be desolated

1f) (Hithpolel)

1f1) to cause to be desolate

1f2) to be appalled, be astounded

1f3) to cause oneself desolation, cause oneself ruin

שָׁמֵם (sha.mem) — be desolate: appalled.

: appalled

1) to be desolate, be appalled, stun, stupefy

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to be desolated, be deflowered, be deserted, be appalled

1a2) to be appalled, be awestruck

1b) (Niphal)

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
V-Qal — Verb · Qal · participle (active) feminine plural common
HVqrfpc
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

ov:

(1) In Anglo-Saxon, had the meaning "from," "away from" (as the strengthened form "off" has still), and was not used for genitive or possessive relations, these being expressed by special case-forms. In the Norman period, however, "of" was taken to represent the French de (a use well developed by the time of Chaucer), and in the Elizabethan period both senses of "of" were in common use. But after about 1600 the later force of the word became predominant, and in the earlier sense (which is now practically obsolete) it was replaced by other prepositions. In consequence the King James Version (and in some cases the Revised Version (British and American)) contains many uses of "of" that are no longer familiar--most of them, to be sure, causing no difficulty, but there still being a few responsible for real obscurities.

English usagewhat the translators’ English meant
Webster's Dictionary (1828), Webster's Unabridged (1913), Webster's Dictionary (1806)

OF, preposition ov. [Gr.]

1. From or out of; proceeding from, as the cause, source, means, author or agent bestowing.

I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered to you. 1 Corinthians 11:1.

For it was of the Lord to harden their hearts. Joshua 11:1.

It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed.

Lamentations 3:1.

The whole disposing thereof is of the Lord. Proverbs 16:1.

Go, inquire of the Lord for me. 2 Chronicles 34:2.

That holy thing that shall be born of thee. Luke 1:1.

Hence of is the sign of the genitive case, the case that denotes production; as the son of man, the son proceeding from man, produced from man. This is the primary sense, although we now say, produced by man. 'Part of these were slain; ' that is, a number separate, for part denotes a division; the sense then is, a number from or out of the whole were slain. So also, 'some of these were slain; ' that is…

and they will rebuild [the] ruins of antiquity [the] desolate [places] former they will raise up and they will renew [the] cities of devastation [the] desolate [places] of a generation and a generation
דּ֥וֹרDor a generation H1755 Noun common · masculine singular absolute
167× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This word refers to a period of time or a generation of people. It is used in the Bible to describe a group of people living at the same time. In the book of Psalms, it describes a generation of people who follow God.
Amplified meaning
several, numerous
Tyndale gloss
generation
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word דּוֹר (dor) encompasses meanings related to a period or generation, often emphasizing the transitory nature of life. It can refer to a specific age, a class of people living at a certain time, or a dwelling place. The entries suggest a focus on both the temporal and spatial aspects of existence.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

דּוֹר, דֹּר n.m. period, generation, dwelling

period, age, generation, mostly poet.

of men living at a particular time (period, age), generation, as transitory

generation characterized by quality or condition, class of men

dwelling-place, habitation

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H1755 דּוֹר, דֹּר period, generation, dwelling . period, age, generation, mostly poet.

. of men living at a particular time (period, age), generation, as transitory

. generation characterized by quality or condition, class of men

. dwelling-place, habitation

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

1755 dowr dore

or (shortened) dor {dore}; from 1752; properly, a revolution

of time, i.e. an age or generation; also a dwelling:--age, X

evermore, generation, (n-)ever, posterity.

see HEBREW for 01752

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

דּוֹר (dor) — generation.

1) period, generation, habitation, dwelling

1a) period, age, generation (period of time)

1b) generation (those living during a period)

1c) generation (characterised by quality, condition, class of men)

1d) dwelling-place, habitation

Aramaic equivalent: dar (דָּר "generation" H1859)

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

jen-er-a'-shun (Latin generatio, from genero, "beget"):

(1) The translation

(a) of dor, "circle," "generation," hence, "age," "period," "cycle": "many generations" (De 32:7);

(b) the people of any particular period or those born about the same time: "Righteous before me in this generation" (Ge 7:1); "four generations" (Job 42:16);

(c) the people of a particular class or sort, with some implied reference to hereditary quality; the wicked (De 32:5; Pr 30:11); the righteous (Ps 14:5; 112:2).

(2) toledhoth, "births," hence

Easton's Bible Dictionary

Generation

Gen. 2:4, “These are the generations,” means the “history.” 5:1, “The book of the generations,” means a family register, or history of Adam. 37:2, “The generations of Jacob” = the history of Jacob and his descendants. 7:1, “In this generation” = in this age. Ps. 49:19, “The generation of his fathers” = the dwelling of his fathers, i.e., the grave. Ps. 73:15, “The generation of thy children” = the contemporary race. Isa. 53:8, “Who shall declare his generation?” = His manner of life who shall declare? or rather = His race, posterity, shall be so numerous that no one shall be able to declare it.

Smith's Bible Dictionary

In the long-lived patriarchal age a generation seems to have been computed at 100 years, (Genesis 15:16) comp. Genesis15:13 and Eccl 12:40 But subsequently the reckoning was the same which has been adopted by modern civilized nations, viz. from thirty to forty years (Job 42:16) (Generation is also used to signify the men of an age or time, as contemporaries, (Genesis 6:9; Isaiah 53:8) posterity , especially in legal formulae, (Leviticus 3:17) etc.; fathers, or ancestors. (Psalms 49:19)

American Tract Society Bible Dictionary

Besides the common acceptation of this word, as signifying race, descent, lineage, it is used for the history and genealogy of a person, as in Ge 5:1, "the book of the generations of Adam," that is, the history of Adam’s creation and of his posterity. So in Ge 2:4, "The generations of the heavens and of the earth," that is, their genealogy, so to speak, the history of the creation of heaven and earth; also in Mt 1:1, "The book of the generation of Jesus Christ," that is, the genealogy of Jesus Christ," that is, the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the history of his descent and life. "The present generation" comprises all those who are now alive; "This generation shall not pass till all be fulfilled," some now living shall witness the…

and they will rebuild [the] ruins of antiquity [the] desolate [places] former they will raise up and they will renew [the] cities of devastation [the] desolate [places] of a generation and a generation
וָדֽוֹר׃va.Dor and a generation H1755 Conjunction · noun common masculine singular absolute
167× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This word refers to a period of time or a generation of people. It is used in the Bible to describe a group of people living at the same time. In the book of Psalms, it describes a generation of people who follow God.
Amplified meaning
periods of time, ages
Tyndale gloss
generation
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word דּוֹר (dor) encompasses meanings related to a period or generation, often emphasizing the transitory nature of life. It can refer to a specific age, a class of people living at a certain time, or a dwelling place. The entries suggest a focus on both the temporal and spatial aspects of existence.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

דּוֹר, דֹּר n.m. period, generation, dwelling

period, age, generation, mostly poet.

of men living at a particular time (period, age), generation, as transitory

generation characterized by quality or condition, class of men

dwelling-place, habitation

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H1755 דּוֹר, דֹּר period, generation, dwelling . period, age, generation, mostly poet.

. of men living at a particular time (period, age), generation, as transitory

. generation characterized by quality or condition, class of men

. dwelling-place, habitation

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

1755 dowr dore

or (shortened) dor {dore}; from 1752; properly, a revolution

of time, i.e. an age or generation; also a dwelling:--age, X

evermore, generation, (n-)ever, posterity.

see HEBREW for 01752

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

דּוֹר (dor) — generation.

1) period, generation, habitation, dwelling

1a) period, age, generation (period of time)

1b) generation (those living during a period)

1c) generation (characterised by quality, condition, class of men)

1d) dwelling-place, habitation

Aramaic equivalent: dar (דָּר "generation" H1859)

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

jen-er-a'-shun (Latin generatio, from genero, "beget"):

(1) The translation

(a) of dor, "circle," "generation," hence, "age," "period," "cycle": "many generations" (De 32:7);

(b) the people of any particular period or those born about the same time: "Righteous before me in this generation" (Ge 7:1); "four generations" (Job 42:16);

(c) the people of a particular class or sort, with some implied reference to hereditary quality; the wicked (De 32:5; Pr 30:11); the righteous (Ps 14:5; 112:2).

(2) toledhoth, "births," hence

Easton's Bible Dictionary

Generation

Gen. 2:4, “These are the generations,” means the “history.” 5:1, “The book of the generations,” means a family register, or history of Adam. 37:2, “The generations of Jacob” = the history of Jacob and his descendants. 7:1, “In this generation” = in this age. Ps. 49:19, “The generation of his fathers” = the dwelling of his fathers, i.e., the grave. Ps. 73:15, “The generation of thy children” = the contemporary race. Isa. 53:8, “Who shall declare his generation?” = His manner of life who shall declare? or rather = His race, posterity, shall be so numerous that no one shall be able to declare it.

Smith's Bible Dictionary

In the long-lived patriarchal age a generation seems to have been computed at 100 years, (Genesis 15:16) comp. Genesis15:13 and Eccl 12:40 But subsequently the reckoning was the same which has been adopted by modern civilized nations, viz. from thirty to forty years (Job 42:16) (Generation is also used to signify the men of an age or time, as contemporaries, (Genesis 6:9; Isaiah 53:8) posterity , especially in legal formulae, (Leviticus 3:17) etc.; fathers, or ancestors. (Psalms 49:19)

American Tract Society Bible Dictionary

Besides the common acceptation of this word, as signifying race, descent, lineage, it is used for the history and genealogy of a person, as in Ge 5:1, "the book of the generations of Adam," that is, the history of Adam’s creation and of his posterity. So in Ge 2:4, "The generations of the heavens and of the earth," that is, their genealogy, so to speak, the history of the creation of heaven and earth; also in Mt 1:1, "The book of the generation of Jesus Christ," that is, the genealogy of Jesus Christ," that is, the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the history of his descent and life. "The present generation" comprises all those who are now alive; "This generation shall not pass till all be fulfilled," some now living shall witness the…

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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