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Judges 17:1 — Word Study

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WLCוַֽיְהִי־ אִ֥ישׁ מֵֽהַר־ אֶפְרָ֖יִם וּשְׁמ֥וֹ מִיכָֽיְהוּ׃

BSANowhâyâh a manʼîysh [of great importance, a male person] namedshêm from the hill countryhar [mountainous region] of EphraimʼEphrayim [doubly fruitful, a tribe of Israel]

Word
Listen & take awayJudges 17
English ↓ Download MP3 The Berean Standard Bible chapter audio already hosted for the site's Bible section — verse 1 opens the 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 (mi.Kha.ye.hu) — no per-word recordings of the Hebrew exist to link to.
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Judges 17:1quick helps
In a sentenceA man named Micah from the hill country of Ephraim is introduced.
Who is speakingThe narrator presents Micah, a significant figure from Ephraim.
Where we areThe opening of a narrative about Micah's actions and family.
The hard wordמִיכָֽיְהוּ
Take awayMicah's name signifies a relationship to God.
8 commentators on this verse Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them › clause subjectאִישׁ verbהָיָה 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 — Judges 17:1

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 Story of Micahgenerated

1Now a man named Micah from the hill country of Ephraim
2said to his mother, “The eleven hundred shekels of silver that were taken from you and about which I heard you utter a curse—I have the silver here with me; I took it.” Then his mother said, “Blessed be my son by the LORD!”
3And when he had returned the eleven hundred shekels of silver to his mother, she said, “I wholly dedicate the silver to the LORD for my son’s benefit, to make a graven image and a molten idol. Therefore I will now return it to you.”
4So he returned the silver to his mother, and she took two hundred shekels of silver and gave them to a silversmith, who made them into a graven image and a molten idol. And they were placed in the house of Micah.

Judges 17:1 introduces Micah, a man from the hill country of Ephraim, setting the stage for a narrative that explores themes of idolatry and familial relationships. This context is significant as it highlights the moral and spiritual decline during the time of the judges, as seen throughout the book of Judges.


Cross References

ReferenceText (BSB)
1Judges 10:1After the time of Abimelech, a man of Issachar, Tola son of Puah, the son of Dodo, rose up to save Israel. He lived in Shamir, in the hill country of Ephraim.
2Joshua 15:9From the hilltop the border curved to the spring of the Waters of Nephtoah, proceeded to the cities of Mount Ephron, and then bent around toward Baalah (that is, Kiriath-jearim).
3Joshua 17:14–18Then the sons of Joseph said to Joshua, “Why have you given us only one portion as an inheritance? We have many people, because the LORD has blessed us abundantly.”

The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 3 references, hung on the phrase they belong to


The Key Word מִיכָֽיְהוּ, mi.Kha.ye.hugenerated

The name מִיכָֽיְהוּ (MiKhaYeHu) means 'who is like God.' It reflects a common naming convention in Hebrew culture, where names often convey a theological or moral significance.

Micah is a proper noun, indicating a specific individual, and appears multiple times in the biblical narrative, including references to other figures named Micah. This name emphasizes the connection to God, suggesting a desired resemblance or relationship.


How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated

The verse is translated in the Berean Standard Bible, which uses the term Micah consistently across translations, including the KJV, ASV, and WEB.


Sentence Structuregenerated

The finite verb וַֽיְהִי־ (vay.hi-, 'and he was') governs the main clause, establishing the subject as Micah. The structure is straightforward, presenting a subject followed by a prepositional phrase indicating location.

The word order emphasizes Micah's identity and origin, with the subject preceding the description of his location, which is typical in Hebrew narrative.


Septuagint Backgroundgenerated

The Septuagint translates וַֽיְהִי־ as ἐγένετο, indicating a transition into a new narrative moment. This choice reflects a common Greek narrative style.

The translation maintains the essence of the Hebrew text, ensuring that the introduction of Micah retains its significance in the Greek context.


In plain words — the whole versegenerated

Judges 17:1 tells us about a man named Micah from the hill country of Ephraim. The introduction sets the stage for the story of Micah and his family, highlighting themes of idolatry and personal relationships in the context of Israel's history.


Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated

What does Micah's name signify?

Micah means 'who is like God,' indicating a connection to divine qualities or attributes.

Why is Ephraim significant in the Bible?

Ephraim is a prominent tribe in Israel, known for its historical importance and as the name of Joseph's son.

What themes are explored in Micah's story?

Micah's narrative explores themes of idolatry, family dynamics, and the spiritual state of Israel during the time of the judges.

How does Micah's introduction set the tone for the story?

The introduction of Micah establishes him as a key figure, foreshadowing the events that will unfold and the moral implications of his actions.


Reflection Questionsgenerated

  1. What does Micah's name tell us about his identity and purpose?
  2. How does the location of Ephraim contribute to the understanding of Micah's story?
  3. In what ways can the themes in Micah's narrative be relevant to contemporary life?
  4. What can we learn from Micah's actions and decisions in the context of his family and community?

Commentators on this verse — 8 expositors, verse by verse

Each of these wrote on Judges 17:1 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.

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

And there was a man of Mount Ephraim,.... This and the four following chapters contain an history of facts, which were done not after the death of Samson, as some have thought, and as they may seem

Read John Gill on Judges 17 →
Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's Commentary

And there was a man of mount Ephraim, whose name was Micah. A man of mount Ephraim - i:e., the mountainous parts of Ephraim.

Read Robert Jamieson on Judges 17 →
Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy Bible

JUDGES CHAPTER 17 Micah stealeth money of his mother; then confesseth and restoreth it. She dedicates it to the Lord; maketh images: he sets them up in the house of his gods; and consecrates one of his sons for his priest; there being then no magistrates in Israel, . A Levite travelling that way, he hireth and consecrateth him to be his priest, ; is confident that God would therefore favour and bless him, . The things mentioned here, and in the following chapters, did not happen in the order in which they are put; but much sooner, even presently after the death of the elders that overlived Joshua, , as appears by divers passages; as first, Because the place called Mahaneh-dan, or the camp…

Read Matthew Poole on Judges 17 →
John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

Judges 17:1 And there was a man of mount Ephraim, whose name [was] Micah.Ver. 1. And there was a man.] The Vulgate hath it, And at that time there was a man, &c. And some Rabbins say that this fell out soon after Samson’ s death. But they do better who place this story and the rest that follow, to the end of this book, in the interim between the elders that survived Joshua and the judges that next followed. See Judges 2:11; Judges 5:14.

Read John Trapp on Judges 17 →
Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(1) There was.—The Vulg. has, “there was at that time” which is an error, for these events happened before the days of Samson. A man of mount Ephraim.—The hill-district of Ephraim, as in Judges 2:9. The Talmud (Sanhedr. 103, b) says that he lived at Garab, not far from Shiloh, but the name (“a blotch”) is probably a term of scorn (Deuteronomy 28:27). Similarly, we find in Perachim, 117, a, that he lived at Bochi. (See Judges 2:1-5.) Most of the idolatrous violations of the second commandment occurred in the northern kingdom (Gideon, Judges 8:27; Micah, Judges 17; Jeroboam, 1 Kings 12, 13). These apostasies were not a worship of other gods, but a worship of the true God under unauthorised…

Read Charles John Ellicott on Judges 17 →
AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible

CHAPTER XVII Micah, an Ephraimite, restores to his mother eleven hundred shekels of silver, which he had taken from her, 1, 2. She dedicates this to God; and out of a part of it makes a graven image and a molten image, and gets them up tn the house of Micah, 3, 4; who consecrates one of his sons to be his priest, 5. He afterwards finds a Levite, whom he consecrates for a priest, and gives him annually ten shekels of silver, with his food and clothing, 6-13. NOTES ON CHAP. XVII Verse 1. And there was a man of Mount Ephraim] It is extremely difficult to fix the chronology of this and the following transactions. Some think them to be here in their natural order; others, that they happened in…

Read AdamClarke on Judges 17 →
CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

1. the hill country of Ephraim] See on Judges 3:27. In view of its subsequent connexion with the sanctuary at Dan, some think that Micah’s house was at Beth-el. The narrative, however, leaves the situation vague; it may imply that he lived somewhere on the road which ran northwards along the Central Highlands, Judges 18:13.

Read Cambridge on Judges 17 →
Albert Barnes1798–1870Barnes' Notes on the Bible

See the introduction to the Book of Judges. The only point of contact with the preceding history of Samson is, that we are still concerned with the tribe of Dan. See Judges 18:1-2, note.

Read Albert Barnes on Judges 17 →

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

Now a man named Micah from the hill country of Ephraim

WEBWorld English Bible2000

There was a man of the hill country of Ephraim, whose name was Micah.

MSBMajority Standard Bible2022

Now a man named Micah from the hill country of Ephraim

NETBNew English Translation2006

There was a man named Micah from the Ephraimite hill country.

Tyndale line

KJVKing James Version1611

And there was a man of mount Ephraim, whose name was Micah.

ASVAmerican Standard Version1901

And there was a man of the hill-country of Ephraim, whose name was Micah.

RVARevised Version, American1894

And there was a man of the hill country of Ephraim, whose name was Micah.

NWBWebster's Bible1833

And there was a man of mount Ephraim, whose name was Micah.

GNVGeneva Bible1599

There was a man of mount Ephraim, whose name was Michah,

Strictly literal

DBYDarby Translation1890

And there was a man of mount Ephraim, whose name was Micah.

YLTYoung's Literal Translation1862

And there is a man of the hill-country of Ephraim, and his name [is] Micah,

LSVLiteral Standard Version2020

And there is a man of the hill-country of Ephraim, and his name [is] Micah,

ILTInterlinear Literal Translation2000

And there was a man of the mountain of Ephraim, whose name was Michayhu.

ULBUnlocked Literal Bible2017

There was a man in the hill country of Ephraim, and his name was Micah.

From the Latin

DRADouay-Rheims (Challoner)1899

There was at that time a man of mount Ephraim whose name was Michas,

Simplified

FBVFree Bible Version2020

A man named Micah from the hill country of Ephraim

BBEBible in Basic English1949

Now there was a man of the hill-country of Ephraim named Micah.

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.

וַֽandclauseverbיְהִיhe.wassubjectאִ֥ישׁa.manprepositional phrase · prepositionalמֵֽfromnoun phraseהַרthe.hill.countryאֶפְרָ֖יִםof.Ephraimוּandclausenoun phrase · subjectשְׁמ֥nameוֹhispredicateמִיכָֽיְהוּ[was].Micaiah

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 agree on the wording of Judges 17:1, with all six words matched in the Hebrew and Greek versions, indicating a strong textual consistency between these witnesses.

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

וַֽיְהִי־ אִ֥ישׁ מֵֽהַר־ אֶפְרָ֖יִם וּשְׁמ֥וֹ מִיכָֽיְהוּ׃

Septuagintthe Greek the translators chose, word by word
וַֽיְהִי־ἐγένετοאִ֥ישׁἀνὴρמֵֽהַר־ὄρουςאֶפְרָ֖יִםεφραιμוּשְׁמ֥וֹαὐτῷמִיכָֽיְהוּ׃μιξαιας

6 of the 6 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.

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.

Judges 17:1הָיָהand he wasand he wasהָיָהאִישׁa mana manאִישׁהַרfrom [the] from [the] hillהַראֶפְרַ֫יִםEphraimEphraimאֶפְרַ֫יִםשֵׁםand name hiand name hisשֵׁםמִיכָֽיְהוּ[was] Micai[was] Micaiahמִיכָֽיְהוּשׂוּםto set: mato set: makeשׂוּםהָוָאto fallto fallהָוָאאֱנוֹשׁhumanhumanאֱנוֹשׁאִשָּׁהwomanwomanאִשָּׁההַרmountainmountainהַראֶפְרָ֫תָהEphrathEphrathאֶפְרָ֫תָהמִיכָיָ֫הוּMicaiahMicaiahמִיכָיָ֫הוּרֵעַneighborneighborרֵעַגִּבְעָהGibeatGibeatגִּבְעָהאֶפְרַ֫יִםEphraimEphraimאֶפְרַ֫יִםמְנַשֶּׁהMosesMosesמְנַשֶּׁההַרmountain: mountain: mountהַרקָרָאto call: cto call: call tקָרָאיָדָהto give thto give thanksיָדָהיִמְלָהImlahImlahיִמְלָהשׁוּבto return:to return: retuשׁוּב
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 Judges 17:1

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 he was a man from [the] hill country of Ephraim and name his [was] Micaiah
וַֽיְהִי־vay.hi- and he was H1961 Verb · Qal · sequential imperfect third person masculine singular
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
Conj | V-Qal-ConsecImperf-3ms — Verb · Qal · sequential imperfect third person masculine singular
Hc/Vqw3ms
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

ha: The fifth letter of the Hebrew alphabet; transliterated in this Encyclopedia as "h." It came also to be used for the number 5. For name, etc., see ALPHABET.

and he was a man from [the] hill country of Ephraim and name his [was] Micaiah
אִ֥ישׁ'ish a man H376 Noun common · masculine singular absolute
1,664× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
The Hebrew word for man, referring to a male person or individual, is used in the Bible to describe humans in contrast to God or animals, as seen in Genesis and Psalms. It can also mean husband or servant. In the KJV, it is translated as man or male.
Amplified meaning
of great importance, a male person
Tyndale gloss
man
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word אִישׁ (iysh) means 'man' and can refer to an individual male, a husband, or a human being in general. It encompasses various meanings, including champion and great man, and can also imply 'whosoever' or 'each.' The word is built from a root suggesting existence and is used throughout the Old Testament.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

אִישׁ 2166 n.m. man (= vir)

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H376 אִישׁ man (= vir)

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

376 'iysh eesh

contracted for 582 (or perhaps rather from an unused root

meaning to be extant); a man as an individual or a male

person; often used as an adjunct to a more definite term (and

in such cases frequently not expressed in

translation):--also, another, any (man), a certain, +

champion, consent, each, every (one), fellow, (foot-,

husband-)man, (good-, great, mighty) man, he, high (degree),

him (that is), husband, man(-kind), + none, one, people,

person, + steward, what (man) soever, whoso(-ever), worthy.

Compare 802.

see HEBREW for 0582

see HEBREW for 0802

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

אִישׁ (ish) — man.

: man

1) man

1a) man, male (in contrast to woman, female)

1b) husband

1c) human being, person (in contrast to God)

1d) servant

1e) mankind

1f) champion

1g) great man

2) whosoever

3) each (adjective)

אִישׁ (ish) — man: husband.

: husband

1) man

1a) man, male (in contrast to woman, female)

1b) husband

1c) human being, person (in contrast to God)

1d) servant

1e) mankind

1f) champion

1g) great man

2) whosoever

3) each (adjective)

אִישׁ (ish) — man: anyone.

: anyone/someone

1) man

1a) man, male (in contrast to woman, female)

1b) husband

1c) human being, person (in contrast to God)

1d) servant

1e) mankind

1f) champion

1g) great man

2) whosoever

3) each (adjective)

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

See ANTHROPOLOGY.

Easton's Bible Dictionary

Man

(1.) Heb. ‘Adam, used as the proper name of the first man. The name is derived from a word meaning “to be red,” and thus the first man was called Adam because he was formed from the red earth. It is also the generic name of the human race (Gen. 1:26, 27; 5:2; 8:21; Deut. 8:3). Its equivalents are the Latin homo and the Greek anthropos (Matt. 5:13, 16). It denotes also man in opposition to woman (Gen. 3:12; Matt. 19:10).

(2.) Heb. ‘ish, like the Latin vir and Greek aner, denotes properly a man in opposition to a woman (1 Sam. 17:33;

→ CREATED Ge 1:26,27; 2:7; 5:1,2; De 4:32; Job 4:17; 10:2,3,8,9; 31:15; 33:4; 35:10; Ps 8:5; 100:3; 119:73; 138:8; 139:14; Ec 7:29; Isa 17:7; 42:5; 43:7; 45:12; 64:8; Jer 27:5; Zec 12:1; Mal 2:10; Mr 10:6; Heb 2:7

See CREATED IN THE IMAGE OF GOD, below

The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
and he was a man from [the] hill country of Ephraim and name his [was] Micaiah
מֵֽהַר־me.har- from [the] hill country of H2022 Preposition · noun common masculine singular construct
546× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
A mountain or hill, sometimes used to describe a spiritual high point. In the Bible, it can refer to a real mountain or a figurative one. The word is often translated as hill or mount.
Amplified meaning
mountainous region
Tyndale gloss
mountain: mount
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

הַר (har) means 'mountain' or 'hill,' and can refer to a range of hills or hill-country. It is derived from a root that suggests elevation and can be used figuratively. The entries consistently highlight its geographical connotations without significant disagreement.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

הַר 568 n.m. mountain, hill, hill-country

mountain, hill

hill-country, mountain-region

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H2022 הַר mountain, hill, hill-country

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

2022 har har

a shortened form of 2042; a mountain or range of hills

(sometimes used figuratively):--hill (country), mount(-ain), X

promotion.

see HEBREW for 02042

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

הַר (har) — mountain: mount.

: mount/hill

hill, mountain, hill country, mount

הַר (har) — mountain: hill country.

: hill_country

hill, mountain, hill country, mount

A sub-meaning of har (הַר ": mount" H2022)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Prep | N-ms — Preposition · noun common masculine singular construct
HR/Ncmsc
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 he was a man from [the] hill country of Ephraim and name his [was] Micaiah
אֶפְרָ֖יִם'ef.Ra.yim Ephraim H669 Noun proper masculine
180× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
Ephraim means doubly fruitful, referring to Joseph's son and the tribe that descended from him. The tribe of Ephraim was a significant part of Israel's history. Ephraim is also the name of a region in the Bible.
Amplified meaning
doubly fruitful, a tribe of Israel
Tyndale gloss
Ephraim
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

אֶפְרַ֫יִם (Ephrayim) refers to Ephraim, a son of Joseph and Asenath, and the tribe descended from him. The term signifies 'double fruit' and encompasses various meanings, including a geographical region, a chief gate of Jerusalem, and a reference to the northern kingdom. Notably, it appears in Genesis 41:52.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

אֶפְרַ֫יִם n.pr.m. Ephraim

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H669 אֶפְרַ֫יִם Ephraim

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

669 'Ephrayim ef-rah'-yim

dual of masculine form of 672; double fruit; Ephrajim, a son

of Joseph; also the tribe descended from him, and its

territory:--Ephraim, Ephraimites.

see HEBREW for 0672

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

אֶפְרַ֫יִם (eph.ra.yim) — Ephraim.

A man living at the time of the Patriarchs, first mentioned at Gen.41.52;

son of: Joseph (H3130) and Asenath (H0621);

brother of: Manasseh (H4519);

father of: Shuthelah (H7803), Becher (H1071H), Tahan (H8465), Ezer (H5827), Elead (H0496) and Beriah (H1283H); also called Ephrathite (NIV: Ephraimite) at 1Sa.1.1; Ephron (Qere, KJV: Ephrain) at 2Ch.13.19;

§ Ephraim = "double ash-heap: I shall be doubly fruitful"

1) second son of Joseph, blessed by him and given preference over first son, Manasseh

2) the tribe, Ephraim

3) the mountain country of Ephraim

4) sometimes used name for the northern kingdom (Hosea or Isaiah)

5) a city near Baal-hazor

6) a chief gate of Jerusalem

אֶפְרַ֫יִם (eph.ra.yim) — Ephraim (Gate).

§ Ephraim = "double ash-heap: I shall be doubly fruitful"

a chief gate of Jerusalem

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-proper — Noun proper masculine
HNpm
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
Easton's Bible Dictionary

Ephraim

Double fruitfulness (“for God had made him fruitful in the land of his affliction”). The second son of Joseph, born in Egypt (Gen. 41:52; 46:20). The first incident recorded regarding him is his being placed, along with his brother Manasseh, before their grandfather, Jacob, that he might bless them (48:10; comp. 27:1). The intention of Joseph was that the right hand of the aged patriarch should be placed on the head of the elder of the two; but Jacob set Ephraim the younger before his brother, “guiding his hands wittingly.” Before Joseph’s death, Ephraim’s family had reached the third generation (Gen. 50:23).

Smith's Bible Dictionary

a city "in the district near the wilderness" to which our Lord retired with his disciples when threatened with violence by the priests. (John 11:54)

American Tract Society Bible Dictionary

The second son of Joseph, born in Egypt, Ge 41:52. Although the youngest, he yet had the chief blessing of his grandfather Jacob, and the tribe was always more distinguished than that of Manasseh, Ge 48:8-20 Nu 2:18-21. The portion of Ephraim was large and central, and embraced some of the most fertile land in all Canaan. It extended from the Mediterranean across to the Jordan, north of the portions of Dan and Benjamin and included Shiloh, Shechem, etc. A range of mountainous country, which runs through it, is called "the mountains of Ephraim," or "mount Ephraim." This extends also farther south into the portion of Judah, and is there called "the mountains of Judah." Samaria, the capital of the ten tribes, being in Ephraim…

Hitchcock's Bible Names Dictionary

fruitful; increasing

and he was a man from [the] hill country of Ephraim and name his [was] Micaiah
וּשְׁמ֥וֹu.she.Mo and name his H8034 Conjunction · noun common masculine singular construct · suffix
864× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
In the Bible, a name represents a person's identity, honor, and character, like God's name symbolizing His power and authority. It appears in Genesis and other books, often referring to God's name or a person's reputation. This concept is central to understanding biblical identity.
Tyndale gloss
name
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

שֵׁם (shem) means 'name' and encompasses various meanings such as reputation, fame, and glory. It can refer to the designation of God and is often associated with memorials or monuments. The word is built from a primitive root and highlights individuality and honor. There is a mention of its use in relation to false gods, which is forbidden.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

שֵׁם 864 n.m. name (√ unknown)

of river, beasts, city, i.e. exact designation of it

usu. of pers.

= reputation

esp. as giving a man a kind of posthumous life, esp. in his sons

name, as designation of God

of false gods, use forbidden

= memorial, monument

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H8034 שֵׁם name (√ unknown)

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

8034 shem shame

a primitive word (perhaps rather from 7760 through the idea

of definite and conspicuous position; compare 8064); an

appellation, as a mark or memorial of individuality; by

implication honor, authority, character:--+ base,

(in-)fame(-ous), named(-d), renown, report.

see HEBREW for 07760

see HEBREW for 08064

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

שֵׁם (shem) — name.

1) name

1a) name

1b) reputation, fame, glory

1c) the Name (as designation of God)

1d) memorial, monument

Aramaic equivalent: shum (שֻׁם "name" H8036)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Conj | N-ms | Suff — Conjunction · noun common masculine singular construct · suffix
HC/Ncmsc/Sp3ms
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

hiz: Used often in the King James Version with reference to a neuter or inanimate thing, or to a lower animal (Ge 1:11, "after his kind"; Le 1:16, "pluck away his crop"; Ac 12:10, "of his own accord"; 1Co 15:38, "his own body"), etc. the Revised Version (British and American) substitutes "its."

and he was a man from [the] hill country of Ephraim and name his [was] Micaiah
מִיכָֽיְהוּ׃mi.Kha.ye.hu [was] Micaiah H4321 Noun proper masculine
21× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
Micah means who is like God, the name of several Israelites, including a prophet who predicted King Ahab's defeat. It first appears in Judges 17:1 and is also found in 1 Kings 22:8. Micah is a significant figure in the Bible.
Tyndale gloss
Micah
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

מִיכָֽיְהוּ (Micaiah) refers to a name meaning 'who is like God.' It designates several individuals, including a prophet from Samaria, son of Imlah, who predicted King Ahab's downfall, and another son of Gemariah during Jeremiah's time. The entries note its use in contexts from the period of the judges to the divided monarchy.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

מִיכָֽיְהוּ n.pr.m. (so on an Isr. scarab)

an Ephraimite

a prophet, the son of Imlah

a contemp. of Jer.

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H4321 מִיכָֽיְהוּ, מִיכָהוּ

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

4321 Miykayhuw me-kaw-yeh-hoo'

or Mikayhuw (Jeremiah 36:11) {me-kaw-yeh-hoo'}; abbrev. for

4322; Mikajah, the name of three Israelites:--Micah, Micaiah,

Michaiah.

see HEBREW for 04322

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

מִיכָֽיְהוּ (mi.kha.ye.hu) — Micaiah.

A prophet living at the time of Divided Monarchy, first mentioned at 1Ki.22.8;

son of: Imlah (H3229)

§ Micah or Micaiah or Michaiah = "who is like God"

1) an Ephraimite during the period of the judges

2) son of Imlah and a prophet of Samaria who predicted the defeat and death of king Ahab of Israel

3) son of Gemariah in the time of Jeremiah

מִיכָֽיְהוּ (mi.kha.ye.hu) — Micaiah.

A man living at the time of Divided Monarchy, first mentioned at Jer.36.11;

son of: Gemariah (H1587H)

§ Micah or Micaiah or Michaiah = "who is like God"

1) an Ephraimite during the period of the judges

2) son of Imlah and a prophet of Samaria who predicted the defeat and death of king Ahab of Israel

3) son of Gemariah in the time of Jeremiah

מִיכָֽיְהוּ (mi.kha.ye.hu) — Micah.

A man living before Israel's Monarchy, first mentioned at Jdg.17.1

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
HNpm — Noun proper masculine
HNpm
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

mi-ka'-ya, mi-ki'-a (mikhayahu, "who is like Yah?"; Meichaias): A frequently occurring Old Testament name occasionally contracted to MICA or MICAH (which see). In the King James Version it is usually spelled "Michaiah."

(1) The mother of Abijah (2Ch 13:2, the King James Version "Michaiah"). The parallel passage (1Ki 15:2; compare 2Ch 11:20) indicates that Michaiah here is a corruption of MAACAH (which see) (so the Septuagint).

(2) The father of Achbor (2Ki 22:12, the King James Version "Michaiah").

See MICAH, (5).

(3) A prince of Judah sent by Jehoshaphat to teach in the cities of Judah (2Ch 17:7, the King James Version…

Easton's Bible Dictionary

Micaiah

Who is like Jehovah?, the son of Imlah, a faithful prophet of Samaria (1 Kings 22:8-28). Three years after the great battle with Ben-hadad (20:29-34), Ahab proposed to Jehoshaphat, king of Judah, that they should go up against Ramoth-Gilead to do battle again with Ben-hadad. Jehoshaphat agreed, but suggested that inquiry should be first made “at the word of Jehovah.” Ahab’s prophets approved of the expedition; but Jehoshaphat, still dissatisfied, asked if there was no other prophet besides the four hundred that had appeared, and was informed of this Micaiah. He was sent for from prison, where he had been confined, probably on account of some prediction disagreeable to Ahab; and he condemned the expedition, and prophesied that it would end, as it did, in disaster. We hear nothing further of this prophet. Some have supposed that…

Smith's Bible Dictionary

(who is like God?). Micahiah, the son of Imlah, was a prophet of Samaria, who in the last year of the reign of Ahab king of Israel predicted his defeat and death, B.C. 897. (1 Kings 22:1-35; 2 Chronicles 18:1) ...

American Tract Society Bible Dictionary

1. A faithful and fearless prophet, consulted by King Ahab at the demand of Jehoshaphat as to the issue of their proposed campaign against the Syrians. He was imprisoned to abide the event, which coincided with his predictions and probably secured his release, 1Ki 22:8-38. Ahab’s conduct in this matter displays the amazing folly of sins against light.

2. A prince of Judah, who seconded the efforts of Jehoshaphat to instruct and reform the people of Judah, 2Ki 17:7-9.

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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