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Judges 20:32 — Word Study

Depth

WLCוַיֹּֽאמְרוּ֙ בְּנֵ֣י בִנְיָמִ֔ן נִגָּפִ֥ים הֵ֛ם לְפָנֵ֖ינוּ כְּבָרִאשֹׁנָ֑ה וּבְנֵ֧י יִשְׂרָאֵ֣ל אָמְר֗וּ נָנ֙וּסָה֙ וּֽנְתַקְּנֻ֔הוּ מִן־ הָעִ֖יר אֶל־ הַֽמְסִלּֽוֹת׃

BSAWe are defeating themnâgaph [as at the first, like before] as beforehêm saidʼâmar the Benjamitesbên [sons of Benjamin, descendants of the youngest son of Jacob] But the Israelitesbên [sons of Israel, descendants of Jacob] saidʼâmar Let us retreatnûwç [flee, quickly leave] and draw them awaynâthaq [tear them from, separate them] frommin the cityʻîyr [town, settlement] ontoʼêl the roadsmᵉçillâh [highways, public paths]

Word
Listen & take awayJudges 20
English ↓ Download MP3 The Berean Standard Bible chapter audio already hosted for the site's Bible section — verse 32 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 (Ham.si.Lot) — no per-word recordings of the Hebrew exist to link to.
Take it away
Judges 20:32quick helps
In a sentenceThe Benjamites claim victory, while the Israelites strategize to retreat and lure them away.
Who is speakingThe Benjamites, descendants of Benjamin, and the Israelites, descendants of Jacob.
Where we areIn the midst of a battle, with both sides exchanging tactics.
The hard wordנִגָּפִ֥ים
Take awayThe conflict continues, with each side trying to outmaneuver the other.
5 commentators on this verse Gill, Jamieson, Trapp, Ellicott & more — read them › clause subjectהֵם verbאָמַר 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 20:32

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 Battle of Benjamingenerated

31The Benjamites came out against them and were drawn away from the city. They began to attack the people as before, killing about thirty men of Israel in the fields and on the roads, one of which led up to Bethel and the other to Gibeah.
32“We are defeating them as before,” said the Benjamites. But the Israelites said, “Let us retreat and draw them away from the city onto the roads.”
33So all the men of Israel got up from their places and arrayed themselves at Baal-tamar, and the Israelites in ambush charged from their positions west of Gibeah.
34Then 10,000 select men from all Israel made a frontal assault against Gibeah, and the battle was fierce. But the Benjamites did not realize that disaster was upon them.

Judges 20:32 describes a tense moment in a battle between the Benjamites and the Israelites. The Benjamites assert their success in battle, while the Israelites decide to retreat strategically, aiming to draw their opponents away from the fortified city and into open roads. This reflects the tactical maneuvers often seen in ancient warfare, where positioning and deception played crucial roles.


Cross References

ReferenceText (BSB)
1Joshua 8:15–16Joshua and all Israel let themselves be beaten back before them, and they fled toward the wilderness.

The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 1 reference, hung on the phrase they belong to

Let us fleeJoshua 8:15–16

The Key Word נִגָּפִ֥ים, ni.ga.Fimgenerated

The word נִגָּף (nagaph) is a Niphal participle meaning 'to be defeated' or 'struck down.' It conveys the idea of being overcome or struck, often in the context of battle or conflict. The passive form indicates that the Benjamites are experiencing defeat, emphasizing their vulnerability in this moment of the narrative.

This usage highlights the ongoing struggle and the shifting fortunes of both sides in the battle. The participle form suggests a continuous state of being defeated, which adds to the tension of the scene.


How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated

In this study, the verse is read in the Berean Standard Bible, which uses defeating for נִגָּפִ֥ים.


Sentence Structuregenerated

The main verb, וַיֹּֽאמְרוּ֙ (and they said), governs the sentence, with two clauses following it: one from the Benjamites asserting their victory, and another from the Israelites proposing a tactical retreat. The structure emphasizes the dialogue between the two groups.

The sentence flows from the Benjamites' claim to the Israelites' response, illustrating the back-and-forth nature of their interaction during the battle.


Septuagint Backgroundgenerated

The Septuagint translates נִגָּפִ֥ים as πίπτουσιν, meaning 'they fall' or 'they are falling.' This choice suggests a more immediate sense of defeat, highlighting the urgency of the situation for the Benjamites.

This rendering emphasizes the ongoing nature of the conflict and the immediate consequences of the battle.


In plain words — the whole versegenerated

Judges 20:32 shows the Benjamites claiming victory in battle, while the Israelites plan to retreat and lure them away from the city. This highlights the tactical maneuvers used in battles, emphasizing the importance of strategy in warfare.


Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated

What does it mean that the Benjamites are 'defeated'?

It indicates that the Benjamites are experiencing losses in battle, suggesting a shift in the momentum of the conflict.

Why do the Israelites want to retreat?

They aim to draw the Benjamites away from their stronghold in the city, hoping to gain a tactical advantage.

What is the significance of the phrase 'as before'?

This phrase suggests that the Benjamites have previously experienced success in battle, creating a sense of continuity in their conflict.

How does this verse illustrate the nature of ancient warfare?

It shows the importance of strategy, deception, and the dynamic nature of battle, where fortunes can shift rapidly.


Reflection Questionsgenerated

  1. What strategies can we learn from the Israelites' approach to conflict?
  2. How can we apply lessons from this battle to our own challenges?
  3. What does the phrase 'as before' tell us about the history of this conflict?
  4. In what ways do we see similar patterns of conflict and resolution in our own lives?

Commentators on this verse — 5 expositors, verse by verse

Each of these wrote on Judges 20:32 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.

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

And the children of Benjamin said, they are smitten down before us, as at first,.... At the first battle, which gave them great spirit, and they concluded they should have victory, as before: but the

Read John Gill on Judges 20 →
Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's Commentary

And the children of Israel went up against the children of Benjamin on the third day, and put themselves in array against Gibeah, as at other times. No JFB commentary on these verses.

Read Robert Jamieson on Judges 20 →
John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

Judges 20:32 And the children of Benjamin said, They [are] smitten down before us, as at the first. But the children of Israel said, Let us flee, and draw them from the city unto the highways.Ver. 32. They are smitten down before us.] This was their επινικιον, which they sang too soon; for their destruction was at next door by. But sorry man knoweth not his time. "As the fishes that are taken in an evil net, and as the birds that are caught in the snare, so are the sons of men snared in an evil time, when it falleth suddenly upon them."

Read John Trapp on Judges 20 →
Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(32) Said, Let us flee.—In a later historical style the plan of the feigned flight would have been mentioned earlier. Unto the highways.—This would have the double effect of allowing the ambuscade to cut off their retreat, and of dividing their forces at the point where the roads branched off.

Read Charles John Ellicott on Judges 20 →
AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible

Verse 32. Let us - draw them from the city] They had two reasons for this: 1. They had placed an ambuscade behind Gibeah, which was to enter and burn the city as soon as the Benjamites had left it. 2. It would seem that the slingers, by being within the city and its fortifications, had great advantage against the Israelites by their slings, whom they could not annoy with their swords, unless they got them to the plain country.

Read AdamClarke on Judges 20 →

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

“We are defeating them as before,” said the Benjamites. But the Israelites said, “Let us retreat and draw them away from the city onto the roads.”

WEBWorld English Bible2000

The children of Benjamin said, “They are struck down before us, as at the first.” But the children of Israel said, “Let’s flee, and draw them away from the city to the highways.”

MSBMajority Standard Bible2022

“We are defeating them as before,” said the Benjamites. But the Israelites said, “Let us retreat and draw them away from the city onto the roads.”

NETBNew English Translation2006

Then the Benjaminites said, “They are defeated just as before.” But the Israelites said, “Let’s retreat and lure them away from the city into the main roads.”

Tyndale line

KJVKing James Version1611

And the children of Benjamin said, They are smitten down before us, as at the first. But the children of Israel said, Let us flee, and draw them from the city unto the highways.

ASVAmerican Standard Version1901

And the children of Benjamin said, They are smitten down before us, as at the first. But the children of Israel said, Let us flee, and draw them away from the city unto the highways.

RVARevised Version, American1894

And the children of Benjamin said, They are smitten down before us, as at the first. But the children of Israel said, Let us rise, and draw them away from the city unto the highways.

NWBWebster's Bible1833

And the children of Benjamin said, They are smitten down before us, as at the first. But the children of Israel said, Let us flee, and draw them from the city to the highways.

GNVGeneva Bible1599

(For the children of Beniamin sayd, They are fallen before vs, as at the first. But the children of Israel saide, Let vs flee and plucke them away from the citie vnto the hie wayes)

Strictly literal

DBYDarby Translation1890

And the children of Benjamin said, They are smitten down before us, as at the first. And the children of Israel said, Let us flee, that we may draw them from the city to the highways.

YLTYoung's Literal Translation1862

And the sons of Benjamin say, 'They are smitten before us as at the beginning;' but the sons of Israel said, 'Let us flee, and draw them away out of the city, unto the highways.'

LSVLiteral Standard Version2020

And the sons of Benjamin say, “They are struck before us as at the beginning”; but the sons of Israel said, “Let us flee, and draw them away out of the city, to the highways.”

ILTInterlinear Literal Translation2000

And the children of Benjamin said, They are defeated before us, as at the first. But the children of Israel said, Let us flee, and draw them from the city unto the highways.

ULBUnlocked Literal Bible2017

Then the people of Benjamin said, “They are defeated and they are running away from us, just as at first.” But the soldiers of Israel said, “Let us run back and draw them away from the city to the roads.”

From the Latin

DRADouay-Rheims (Challoner)1899

For they thought to cut them off, as they did before. But they artfully feigning a flight, designed to draw them away from the city, and by their seeming to flee to bring them to the highways aforesaid.

Simplified

FBVFree Bible Version2020

“We're defeating them, just like before,” the Benjamites shouted. But the Israelites said, “Let's run away from them and lure them away from the town towards the roads.”

BBEBible in Basic English1949

And the children of Benjamin said, They are giving way before us as at first. But the children of Israel said, Let us go in flight and get them away from the town, into the highways.

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.

וַandclauseverbיֹּֽאמְרוּ֙they.saidnoun phrase · subjectבְּנֵ֣יthe.descendantsבִנְיָמִ֔ןof.Benjaminclauseverbנִגָּפִ֥ים[are].defeatedsubjectהֵ֛םtheyprepositional phrase · prepositionalלְbeforenoun phraseפָנֵ֖ינוּusprepositional phrase · prepositionalכְּasprepositional phraseבָatnoun phrasethe.formerרִאשֹׁנָ֑ה[time]וּandclausenoun phrase · subjectבְנֵ֧יthe.peopleיִשְׂרָאֵ֣לof.Israelverbאָמְר֗וּthey.saidclauseclauseverbנָנ֨וּסָה֙let.us.fleeוּֽandclauseverbנְתַקְּנֻ֔weobjectהוּwill.draw.him.awayprepositional phrase · prepositionalמִןfromnoun phraseהָtheעִ֖ירcityprepositional phrase · prepositionalאֶלtonoun phraseהַֽtheמְסִלּֽוֹתhighways

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 largely agree, with 15 of the 16 words matched in the translation. This consistency indicates a strong preservation of the text across these traditions.

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

וַיֹּֽאמְרוּ֙ בְּנֵ֣י בִנְיָמִ֔ן נִגָּפִ֥ים הֵ֛ם לְפָנֵ֖ינוּ כְּבָרִאשֹׁנָ֑ה וּבְנֵ֧י יִשְׂרָאֵ֣ל אָמְר֗וּ נָנ֙וּסָה֙ וּֽנְתַקְּנֻ֔הוּ מִן־ הָעִ֖יר אֶל־ הַֽמְסִלּֽוֹת׃

Septuagintthe Greek the translators chose, word by word
וַיֹּֽאמְרוּ֙εἶπανבְּנֵ֣יυἱοὶבִנְיָמִ֔ןβενιαμινהֵ֛םπίπτουσινלְפָנֵ֖ינוּἡμῶνכְּבָרִאשֹׁנָ֑הπρῶτονוּבְנֵ֧יυἱοὶיִשְׂרָאֵ֣לισραηλאָמְר֗וּεἶπονנָנ֙וּסָה֙φύγωμενוּֽנְתַקְּנֻ֔הוּαὐτοὺςמִן־ἀπὸהָעִ֖ירπόλεωςאֶל־εἰςהַֽמְסִלּֽוֹת׃ὁδούς

15 of the 16 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 20:32אָמַרand they saand they saidאָמַרבֵּן[the] desce[the] descendanבֵּןבִּנְיָמִיןBenjaminBenjaminבִּנְיָמִיןנָגַף[are] defea[are] defeatedנָגַףהֵ֫מָּהtheytheyהֵ֫מָּהפָּנֶהbefore usbefore usפָּנֶהרִאשׁוֹןas at the fas at the formeרִאשׁוֹןבֵּןand [the] pand [the] peoplבֵּןיִשְׂרָאֵלIsraelIsraelיִשְׂרָאֵלאָמַרthey saidthey saidאָמַרנוּסlet us fleelet us fleeנוּסנָתַקand we willand we will draנָתַקמִן־fromfromמִן־עִירthe citythe cityעִיראֶלtotoאֶלמְסִלָּהthe highwaythe highwaysמְסִלָּהבָּנָהto buildto buildבָּנָהבֵּןson: childson: childבֵּןהֲלַךְto goto goהֲלַךְפָּנָהCorner (GaCorner (Gate)פָּנָהרִאשָׁהbeginningbeginningרִאשָׁהשָׂרָהto striveto striveשָׂרָהעוּרto rouseto rouseעוּרסָלַלto buildto buildסָלַלמֵןstringstringמֵןכֹּהthusthusכֹּהיהוהYHWH/GodYHWH/GodיהוהעַמּוֹןAmmonAmmonעַמּוֹןרְאוּבֵןReubenReubenרְאוּבֵןגִּבְעָהGibeahGibeahגִּבְעָהמַטֶּהtribetribeמַטֶּהמַגֵּפָהplagueplagueמַגֵּפָהאָיַבenemyenemyאָיַבמְרִיrebellionrebellionמְרִי
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 20:32

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 said [the] descendants of Benjamin [are] defeated they before us as at the former [time] and [the] people of Israel they said let us flee and we will draw away him from the city to the highways
וַיֹּֽאמְרוּ֙vai.yo.me.Ru and they said H559 Verb · Qal · sequential imperfect third person masculine plural
5,309× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This Hebrew word means to say or speak, and it's used in many different ways in the Bible. It can mean to command, promise, or think, and it's translated in the KJV as 'answer', 'appoint', or 'command'.
Tyndale gloss
to say
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

אָמַר (amar) is a Hebrew verb meaning 'to say' or 'to utter,' with a broad range of uses including to promise, command, or even boast. It appears in various forms, such as in the Qal (to say), Niphal (to be told), and Hiphil (to avow). The entries highlight its versatility in both spoken and internal contexts, though no specific verse is noted.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

אָמַר 5287 vb. utter, say

Qal

Say

Say in the heart (= think)

Promise

Command (esp. late)

Niph. be said, told

Hiph. avow, avouch (lit. cause to declare)

Hithp. act proudly, boast

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H559 אָמַר utter, say .. Say

. Say in the heart (= think)

. Promise

. Command (esp. late)

. be said, told

. avow, avouch (lit. cause to declare)

. act proudly, boast

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

559 'amar aw-mar'

a primitive root; to say (used with great

latitude):--answer, appoint, avouch, bid, boast self, call,

certify, challenge, charge, + (at the, give) command(-ment),

commune, consider, declare, demand, X desire, determine, X

expressly, X indeed, X intend, name, X plainly, promise,

publish, report, require, say, speak (against, of), X still, X

suppose, talk, tell, term, X that is, X think, use (speech),

utter, X verily, X yet.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

אָמַר (a.mar) — to say.

1) to say, speak, utter

1a) (Qal) to say, to answer, to say in one's heart, to think, to command, to promise, to intend

1b) (Niphal) to be told, to be said, to be called

1c) (Hithpael) to boast, to act proudly

1d) (Hiphil) to avow, to avouch

Aramaic equivalent: a.mar (אֲמַר "to say" H0560)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Conj | V-Qal-ConsecImperf-3mp — Verb · Qal · sequential imperfect third person masculine plural
Hc/Vqw3mp
The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
and they said [the] descendants of Benjamin [are] defeated they before us as at the former [time] and [the] people of Israel they said let us flee and we will draw away him from the city to the highways
בְּנֵ֣יbe.Nei [the] descendants of H1121 Noun common · masculine plural construct
4,943× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
In the Bible, this word means a son or descendant, and can also refer to a grandson, nation, or quality. It appears in 1 Chronicles 24, describing a Levite named Beno. The word is used to show family relationships and inheritance.
Amplified meaning
sons of Benjamin, descendants of the youngest son of Jacob
Tyndale gloss
son: child
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

בֵּן (ben) means 'son' or 'male child' and encompasses a wide range of meanings, including descendants, young animals, and even figurative uses like sparks or arrows. It can refer to members of a tribe or class and is used in various contexts throughout the Old Testament, such as in 1 Chronicles 24:26. The word is derived from a root meaning 'to build' and implies a connection to family or lineage.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

בֵּן 4870 n.m. son

son, male child, born of a woman

children (male and female)

youth, young men

the young of animals

of plant shoots

fig. of lifeless things, sparks, stars, arrows

member of a guild, order or class

of animals son of (the) herd

ב׳ as n. relat. followed by word of quality, characteristic, etc.

n. relat. of age

base

בְּנוֹ 1 Ch 24:26, 27 as n.pr.m. in AV, RV, but render: the sons of Jaaziah his son, & the sons of Merari by Jaaziah his son, cf. VB & Be Öt.

done

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H1121a בֵּן son . son, male child, born of a woman

. children (male and female)

. youth, young men

. the young of animals

. of plant shoots

. fig. of lifeless things, sparks, stars, arrows

. . member of a guild, order or class

. of animals son of (the) herd

. ב׳ as n. relat. followed by word of quality, characteristic, etc.

. n. relat. of age

H1121b בְּנוֹ as n. pr. m. in AV, RV, but render: the sons of Jaaziah his son, & the sons of Merari by Jaaziah his son

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

1121 ben bane

from 1129; a son (as a builder of the family name), in the

widest sense (of literal and figurative relationship,

including grandson, subject, nation, quality or condition,

etc., (like 1, 251, etc.)):--+ afflicted, age, (Ahoh-)

(Ammon-) (Hachmon-) (Lev-)ite, (anoint-)ed one, appointed to,

(+) arrow, (Assyr-) (Babylon-) (Egypt-) (Grec-)ian, one born,

bough, branch, breed, + (young) bullock, + (young) calf, X

came up in, child, colt, X common, X corn, daughter, X of

first, + firstborn, foal, + very fruitful, + postage, X in, +

kid, + lamb, (+) man, meet, + mighty, + nephew, old, (+)

people, + rebel, + robber, X servant born, X soldier, son, +

spark, + steward, + stranger, X surely, them of, + tumultuous

one, + valiant(-est), whelp, worthy, young (one), youth.

see HEBREW for 01129

see HEBREW for 01

see HEBREW for 0251

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

בֵּן (ben) — son: child.

: child/son

בְּנוֹ (be.no) — Beno.

A man of the tribe of Levi living at the time of Divided Monarchy, first mentioned at 1Ch.24.26;

son of: Jaaziah (H3269);

brother of: Shoham (H7719), Zaccur (H2139I) and Ibri (H5681)

§ Beno = "his son"

the sons of Jaaziah and the sons of Merari by Jaahziah (his son)

בֵּן (ben) — son: descendant/people.

: descendant, people, tribe, nation

A sub-meaning of ben (בֵּן ": child" H1121)

§ : child/son

בֵּן (ben) — son: young animal.

: calf/lamb/young(ANIMAL)

A sub-meaning of ben (בֵּן ": child" H1121)

§ : descendant

בֵּן (ben) — son: type of.

: rebel/son(Belial)

A sub-meaning of ben (בֵּן ": child" H1121)

§ : people/men/nation/tribe

בֵּן (ben) — son.

: [inheriting]son/heir

A sub-meaning of ben (בֵּן ": child" H1121)

בֵּן (ben) — son: warrior.

: warrior/son(strong)

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-mp — 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 said [the] descendants of Benjamin [are] defeated they before us as at the former [time] and [the] people of Israel they said let us flee and we will draw away him from the city to the highways
בִנְיָמִ֔ןvin.ya.Min Benjamin H1144 Noun proper masculine
166× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
Benjamin means son of the right hand, referring to the youngest son of Jacob and the tribe that descended from him. The term is first used in Genesis 35:18. Benjamin was a brother of Joseph and a half-brother of Reuben and others.
Tyndale gloss
(Gate of) Benjamin
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word בִּנְיָמִין (i.e., *Binyamiyn*) means 'son of the right hand.' It refers primarily to Benjamin, the youngest son of Jacob and Rachel, as well as to the tribe descended from him. The entries also mention a son of Bilhan and several individuals from the time of Ezra. Notably, the name is associated with various contexts in the Old Testament.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

בִּנְיָמִין n.pr.m. 166 (son of (the) right hand)—

youngest son of Jacob, so called by him, but Rachel, the mother, who died at Benjamin's birth, called בֶּן־אוֹנִ֑י (q.v.)

son of Bilhan and great-grandson of Benjamin

a Jew of Ezra's time

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H1144 בִּנְיָמִין . youngest son of Jacob, so called by him, but Rachel, the mother, who died at Benjamin's birth, called בֶּן־אוֹנִ֑י (q.v.)

. son of Bilhan and great-grandson of Benjamin

. a Jew of Ezra's time

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

1144 Binyamiyn bin-yaw-mene'

from 1121 and 3225; son of (the) right hand; Binjamin,

youngest son of Jacob; also the tribe descended from him, and

its territory:--Benjamin.

see HEBREW for 01121

see HEBREW for 03225

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

בִּנְיָמִין (bin.ya.min) — Benjamin.

A man of the tribe of Benjamin living at the time of the Patriarchs, first mentioned at Gen.35.18;

son of: Israel (H3478) and Rachel (H7354);

brother of: Joseph (H3130);

half-brother of: Reuben (H7205), Simeon (H8095), Levi (H3878), Judah (H3063), Dan (H1835H), Naphtali (H5321), Gad (H1410), Asher (H0836), Issachar (H3485), Zebulun (H2074) and Dinah (H1783);

father of: Bela (H1106A), Becher (H1071), Ashbel (H0788), Gera (H1617), Naaman (H5283), Ehi (H0278), Rosh (H7220), Muppim (H4649), Huppim (H2650H), Ard (H0714), Ahiram (H0297) and Jediael (H3043); also called Jamin at 1Sa.9.1,4; 22.7; 1x

§ Benjamin = "son of the right hand"

1) Jacob's and Rachel's youngest son, Joseph's full brother

2) son of Bilhan, great-grandson of Benjamin

3) a Benjamite, one of the sons of Harim, in the time of Ezra who had taken a strange wife

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

ben'-ja-min (binyamin, or binyamin; Beniaein, Beniamin):

1. The Patriarch:

The youngest of Jacob's sons. His mother Rachel died in giving him birth. As she felt death approaching she called him Benoni, "son of my sorrow." Fearing, probably, that this might bode evil for the child--for names have always preserved a peculiar significance in the East--Jacob called him Benjamin, "son of the fight hand" (Ge 35:17 ff). He alone of Jacob's sons was born in Palestine, between Bethel and Ephrath. Later in the chapter, in the general enumeration of the children born in Paddan-ar am, the writer fails to except Benjamin (Ge 35:24). Joseph was his full brother. In the history where Benjamin appears as an object of solicitude to his father and brothers, we must not forget that he was already a…

Easton's Bible Dictionary

Benjamin

Son of my right hand. (1.) The younger son of Jacob by Rachel (Gen. 35:18). His birth took place at Ephrath, on the road between Bethel and Bethlehem, at a short distance from the latter place. His mother died in giving him birth, and with her last breath named him Ben-oni, son of my pain, a name which was changed by his father into Benjamin. His posterity are called Benjamites (Gen. 49:27; Deut. 33:12; Josh. 18:21).

The tribe of Benjamin at the Exodus was the smallest but one (Num. 1:36, 37; Ps. 68:27). During the march its place was along with Manasseh…

Smith's Bible Dictionary

(son of the right hand, fortunate). The youngest of the children of Jacob. His birth took place on the road between Bethel and Bethlehem, near the latter, B.C. 1729. His mother, Rachel, died in the act of giving him birth, naming him with her last breath Ben-oni (son of my sorrow). This was by Jacob changed into Benjamin. (Genesis 35:16,18) Until the journeys of Jacob’s sons and Jacob himself into Egypt we hear nothing of Benjamin. Nothing personal is known of him. Henceforward the history of Benjamin is the history of the tribe. A man of the tribe of Benjamin, son of bilhan, and the head of a family of warriors. (1 Chronicles 7:10) One of the "sons of Harim," an Israelite in the time of Ezra who had married a foreign wife. (Ezra…

The youngest son of Jacob and Rachel, Ge 35:16-18. Rachel died immediately after he was born, and with her last breath named him Ben-oni, the son of my sorrow; but Jacob called him Benjamin, son of my right hand. He was a great comfort to his father, who saw in him the beloved wife he had buried, and Joseph whose loss he mourned. He could hardly be persuaded to let him go with his brethren to Egypt, Ge 42:38. The tribe of Benjamin was small at first and was almost exterminated in the days of the Judges, Jud 20:1-48, but afterwards greatly increased, 2Ch 14:8 17:17. It was valiant, Ge 49:27, and "beloved of the Lord,"…

and they said [the] descendants of Benjamin [are] defeated they before us as at the former [time] and [the] people of Israel they said let us flee and we will draw away him from the city to the highways
נִגָּפִ֥יםni.ga.Fim [are] defeated H5062 Verb · Niphal · participle (active) masculine plural
49× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
To strike or smite is the meaning of this Hebrew word, used in Joshua to describe battles and in Psalms to describe God's judgment. It can also mean to stumble or hurt someone, and is used in various contexts throughout the Bible.
Amplified meaning
as at the first, like before
Tyndale gloss
to strike
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word נָגַף (nagaph) is a primitive root meaning to strike or smite. It covers various actions such as to push, defeat, or inflict harm, and can also refer to stumbling. The word appears in different forms, including Qal (to strike), Niphal (to be stricken), and Hithpael (to stumble).

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

נָגַף vb. strike, smite

Qal strike, smite

Niph. be smitten

Hithp. = stumble

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H5062 נָגַף

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

5062 nagaph naw-gaf'

a primitive root; to push, gore, defeat, stub (the toe),

inflict (a disease):--beat, dash, hurt, plague, slay, smite

(down), strike, stumble, X surely, put to the worse.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

נָגַף (na.gaph) — to strike.

1) to strike, smite

1a) (Qal) to strike, smite

1b) (Niphal) to be stricken, be smitten

1c) (Hithpael) to stumble

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
V-Niphal — Verb · Niphal · participle (active) masculine plural
HVNrmpa
and they said [the] descendants of Benjamin [are] defeated they before us as at the former [time] and [the] people of Israel they said let us flee and we will draw away him from the city to the highways
הֵ֛םhem they H1992 Pronoun
553× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This Hebrew word is used to refer to a group of men, emphasizing that it is specifically them. It is often translated as 'they' or 'them' in the Bible, and appears in books like Exodus and Isaiah.
Tyndale gloss
they(masc.)
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

הֵ֫מָּה (hemmah) is a masculine plural pronoun meaning 'they.' The entries indicate that it can also mean 'these,' 'the same,' or refer to people in an emphatic context. There is no significant disagreement among the lexicons regarding its usage.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

הֵ֫מָּה and הֵם (without appreciable distinction in usage, except prob. in so far as the longer or shorter form was better adapted to the rhythm of particular sentences) pron. 3 pl. masc. they

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H1992 הֵ֫מָּה, הֵם (without appreciable distinction in usage, except prob. in so far as the longer or shorter form was better adapted to the rhythm of particular sentences) they

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

1992 hem haym

or (prolonged) hemmah {haym'-maw}; masculine plural from

1981; they (only used when emphatic):--it, like, X (how, so)

many (soever, more as) they (be), (the) same, X so, X such,

their, them, these, they, those, which, who, whom, withal, ye.

see HEBREW for 01981

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

הֵ֫מָּה (hem.mah) — they(masc.).

they, these, the same, who

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Pron — Pronoun
HPp3mp
and they said [the] descendants of Benjamin [are] defeated they before us as at the former [time] and [the] people of Israel they said let us flee and we will draw away him from the city to the highways
לְפָנֵ֖ינוּle.fa.Nei.nu before us H6440 Preposition · noun common masculine plural construct · suffix
2,127× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This word means face or presence, like being in front of someone or something. It's used in many contexts, like in Genesis, Exodus, and Psalms, to describe interactions and relationships.
Tyndale gloss
face
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word פָּנֶה (*pāneh*) is a noun meaning 'face' or 'presence,' and it appears in various contexts, including the faces of seraphim and animals, as well as the surface of the ground. It can also function as an adverb meaning 'before' or 'in front of.' The word is built from a root that suggests turning or facing, and it encompasses a wide range of applications, both literal and figurative.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

[פָּנֶה], pl. פָּנִים 2123 n.m. face, also faces

face, faces

presence, person

technically, see one's face, i.e. appear before one, in one's presence

face of seraphim

face of animals

face (= surface) of ground

as adv.loc. before

for other phrases

with prepositions

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H6440 פָּנֶה, pl. פָּנִים face, also faces . . face, faces

. . presence, person

. technically, see one's face, i.e. appear before one, in one's presence

. face of seraphim

. face of animals

. face (= surface) of ground

. as adv. loc. before

. for other phrases

. with prepositions

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

6440 paniym paw-neem'

plural (but always as singular) of an unused noun (paneh

{paw-neh'}; from 6437); the face (as the part that turns);

used in a great variety of applications (literally and

figuratively); also (with prepositional prefix) as a

preposition (before, etc.):--+ accept, a-(be- )fore(-time),

against, anger, X as (long as), at, + battle, + because (of),

+ beseech, countenance, edge, + employ, endure, + enquire,

face, favour, fear of, for, forefront(-part), form(-er

time, -ward), from, front, heaviness, X him(-self), +

honourable, + impudent, + in, it, look(-eth) (- s), X me, +

meet, X more than, mouth, of, off, (of) old (time), X on,

open, + out of, over against, the partial, person, + please,

presence, propect, was purposed, by reason of, + regard, right

forth, + serve, X shewbread, sight, state, straight, + street,

X thee, X them(-selves), through (+ - out), till, time(-s)

Read the full entry →
Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

פָּנֶה (pa.neh) — face: before.

: before/to/front

1) face

1a) face, faces

1b) presence, person

1c) face (of seraphim or cherubim)

1d) face (of animals)

1e) face, surface (of ground)

1f) as adv of loc/temp

1f1) before and behind, toward, in front of, forward, formerly, from beforetime, before

1g) with prep

1g1) in front of, before, to the front of, in the presence of, in the face of, at the face or front of, from the presence of, from before, from before the face of

פָּנֶה (pa.neh) — face.

: face

1) face

1a) face, faces

1b) presence, person

1c) face (of seraphim or cherubim)

1d) face (of animals)

1e) face, surface (of ground)

1f) as adv of loc/temp

1f1) before and behind, toward, in front of, forward, formerly, from beforetime, before

1g) with prep

1g1) in front of, before, to the front of, in the presence of, in the face of, at the face or front of, from the presence of, from before, from…

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
HR/Ncmpc/Sp1bp — Preposition · noun common masculine plural construct · suffix
HR/Ncmpc/Sp1bp
English usagewhat the translators’ English meant
Webster's Dictionary (1828), Webster's Unabridged (1913), Webster's Dictionary (1806)

US, pronoun objective case of we.

Give us this day our daily bread.

Us , pron. [OE. us, AS. s; akin to OFries. & OS. s, D. ons, G. uns, Icel. & Sw. oss, Dan. os, Goth. uns, L. nos we, us, Gr. we, Skr. nas us. . Cf. Nostrum, Our.] The persons speaking, regarded as an object; ourselves; — the objective case of we. See We. “Tell us a tale.” Chaucer.

Give us this day our daily bread. Matt. vi. 11.

Us, pron. oblique case of we

The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
and they said [the] descendants of Benjamin [are] defeated they before us as at the former [time] and [the] people of Israel they said let us flee and we will draw away him from the city to the highways
כְּבָרִאשֹׁנָ֑הke.va.ri.sho.Nah as at the former [time] H7223 Preposition · preposition
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.
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
HR/Rd/Aofsa — Preposition · preposition
HR/Rd/Aofsa
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

tim: The basis of the Hebrew measurement of time was the day and the lunar month, as with the Semites generally. The division of the day into hours was late, probably not common until after the exile, although the sun-dial of Ahaz (2Ki 20:9; Isa 38:8) would scent to indicate some division of the day into periods of some sort, as we know the night was divided, The word used for "hour" is Aramaic she`a' (sha`ta'), and does not occur in the Old Testament until the Book of Daniel (4:33; 5:5), and even there it stands for an indefinite period for which "time" would answer as well.

1. The Day:

The term "day" (yom) was in use from the earliest times, as is indicated in the story of the Creation (Ge 1). It there doubtless denotes an indefinite period, but is marked off by "evening and…

American Tract Society Bible Dictionary

Besides the ordinary uses of this word, the Bible sometimes employs it to denote a year, as in Da 4:16; or a prophetic year, consisting of three hundred and sixty natural year, a day being taken for a year. Thus in Da 7:25 12:7, the phrase "a time, times, and the dividing of a time" is supposed to mean three and a half prophetic years, or 1,260 natural years. This period is elsewhere paralleled by the expression, "forty-two months," each month including thirty years, Re 11:2-3 12:6,14 13:5.

Nave's Topical Bible

→ Beginning of Ge 1:1,14

→ Epochs of

Before the flood Jos 24:2

→ The exodus Ex 19:1; 40:17; 1Ki 6:1

→ Daniel' s reckoning of time, and times, and half times Da 7:25; 12:7

→ Indicated by a sun-dial 2Ki 20:9-11; Isa 38:8

→ Division of, into watches Ex 14:24; 1Sa 11:11; Mt 14:25; Mr 6:48

Torrey's New Topical Textbook

- The duration of the world

Job 22:16; Re 10:6

- The measure of the continuance of anything

Jud 18:31

- An appointed season

Ne 2:6; Ec 3:1,17

- COMPUTED BY

. Years

Ge 15:13; 2Sa 21:1; Da 9:2

. Months

Nu 10:10; 1Ch 27:1; Job 3:6

. Weeks

and they said [the] descendants of Benjamin [are] defeated they before us as at the former [time] and [the] people of Israel they said let us flee and we will draw away him from the city to the highways
וּבְנֵ֧יu.ve.Nei and [the] people of H1121 Conjunction · noun common masculine plural construct
4,943× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
In the Bible, this word means a son or descendant, and can also refer to a grandson, nation, or quality. It appears in 1 Chronicles 24, describing a Levite named Beno. The word is used to show family relationships and inheritance.
Amplified meaning
sons of Israel, descendants of Jacob
Tyndale gloss
son: child
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

בֵּן (ben) means 'son' or 'male child' and encompasses a wide range of meanings, including descendants, young animals, and even figurative uses like sparks or arrows. It can refer to members of a tribe or class and is used in various contexts throughout the Old Testament, such as in 1 Chronicles 24:26. The word is derived from a root meaning 'to build' and implies a connection to family or lineage.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

בֵּן 4870 n.m. son

son, male child, born of a woman

children (male and female)

youth, young men

the young of animals

of plant shoots

fig. of lifeless things, sparks, stars, arrows

member of a guild, order or class

of animals son of (the) herd

ב׳ as n. relat. followed by word of quality, characteristic, etc.

n. relat. of age

base

בְּנוֹ 1 Ch 24:26, 27 as n.pr.m. in AV, RV, but render: the sons of Jaaziah his son, & the sons of Merari by Jaaziah his son, cf. VB & Be Öt.

done

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H1121a בֵּן son . son, male child, born of a woman

. children (male and female)

. youth, young men

. the young of animals

. of plant shoots

. fig. of lifeless things, sparks, stars, arrows

. . member of a guild, order or class

. of animals son of (the) herd

. ב׳ as n. relat. followed by word of quality, characteristic, etc.

. n. relat. of age

H1121b בְּנוֹ as n. pr. m. in AV, RV, but render: the sons of Jaaziah his son, & the sons of Merari by Jaaziah his son

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

1121 ben bane

from 1129; a son (as a builder of the family name), in the

widest sense (of literal and figurative relationship,

including grandson, subject, nation, quality or condition,

etc., (like 1, 251, etc.)):--+ afflicted, age, (Ahoh-)

(Ammon-) (Hachmon-) (Lev-)ite, (anoint-)ed one, appointed to,

(+) arrow, (Assyr-) (Babylon-) (Egypt-) (Grec-)ian, one born,

bough, branch, breed, + (young) bullock, + (young) calf, X

came up in, child, colt, X common, X corn, daughter, X of

first, + firstborn, foal, + very fruitful, + postage, X in, +

kid, + lamb, (+) man, meet, + mighty, + nephew, old, (+)

people, + rebel, + robber, X servant born, X soldier, son, +

spark, + steward, + stranger, X surely, them of, + tumultuous

one, + valiant(-est), whelp, worthy, young (one), youth.

see HEBREW for 01129

see HEBREW for 01

see HEBREW for 0251

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

בֵּן (ben) — son: child.

: child/son

בְּנוֹ (be.no) — Beno.

A man of the tribe of Levi living at the time of Divided Monarchy, first mentioned at 1Ch.24.26;

son of: Jaaziah (H3269);

brother of: Shoham (H7719), Zaccur (H2139I) and Ibri (H5681)

§ Beno = "his son"

the sons of Jaaziah and the sons of Merari by Jaahziah (his son)

בֵּן (ben) — son: descendant/people.

: descendant, people, tribe, nation

A sub-meaning of ben (בֵּן ": child" H1121)

§ : child/son

בֵּן (ben) — son: young animal.

: calf/lamb/young(ANIMAL)

A sub-meaning of ben (בֵּן ": child" H1121)

§ : descendant

בֵּן (ben) — son: type of.

: rebel/son(Belial)

A sub-meaning of ben (בֵּן ": child" H1121)

§ : people/men/nation/tribe

בֵּן (ben) — son.

: [inheriting]son/heir

A sub-meaning of ben (בֵּן ": child" H1121)

בֵּן (ben) — son: warrior.

: warrior/son(strong)

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Conj | N-mp — Conjunction · noun common masculine plural construct
HC/Ncmpc
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 said [the] descendants of Benjamin [are] defeated they before us as at the former [time] and [the] people of Israel they said let us flee and we will draw away him from the city to the highways
יִשְׂרָאֵ֣לYis.ra.'El Israel H3478 Noun proper
2,508× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
Israel is the symbolic name of Jacob, also referring to his descendants. Jacob, son of Isaac and Rebekah, had 12 sons who became the tribes of Israel, as told in Genesis 25:26. His story is crucial to the Bible's narrative.
Tyndale gloss
Israel
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

יִשְׂרָאֵל (Yisra'el) refers to both the second name of Jacob, meaning 'God prevails,' and the name of the Hebrew nation descended from him. It is derived from roots meaning 'to rule' and 'God.' The term encompasses Jacob's descendants and is used historically for the northern kingdom of Israel and the nation as a whole after the Babylonian exile.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

יִשְׂרָאֵל 2507 n.pr.m. et gent. Israel (Ēl persisteth, persevereth)

n.pr.m. second name of Jacob

n.pr.gent. name of Hebrew nation

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H3478 יִשְׂרָאֵל Israel (Ēl persisteth, persevereth) . n. pr. m. second name of Jacob

. n. pr. gent. name of Hebrew nation

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

3478 Yisra'el yis-raw-ale'

from 8280 and 410; he will rule as God; Jisrael, a symbolical

name of Jacob; also (typically) of his posterity:

--Israel.

see HEBREW for 08280

see HEBREW for 0410

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

יִשְׂרָאֵל (yis.ra.el) — Israel.

A man living at the time of the Patriarchs, first mentioned at Gen.25.26;

son of: Isaac (H3327) and Rebekah (H7259);

brother of: Esau (H6215); married to Rachel (H7354), Leah (H3812), Zilpah (H2153) and Bilhah (H1090A);

father of: Reuben (H7205), Simeon (H8095), Levi (H3878), Judah (H3063), Dan (H1835H), Naphtali (H5321), Gad (H1410), Asher (H0836), Issachar (H3485), Zebulun (H2074), Dinah (H1783), Joseph (H3130) and Benjamin (H1144); also called Jacob frequently

§ Israel = "God prevails"

1) the second name for Jacob given to him by God after his wrestling with the angel at Peniel

2) the name of the descendants and the nation of the descendants of Jacob

2a) the name of the nation until the death of Solomon and the split

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

iz'-ra-el.

See JACOB.

Easton's Bible Dictionary

Israel

The name conferred on Jacob after the great prayer-struggle at Peniel (Gen. 32:28), because “as a prince he had power with God and prevailed.” (See JACOB.) This is the common name given to Jacob’s descendants. The whole people of the twelve tribes are called “Israelites,” the “children of Israel” (Josh. 3:17; 7:25; Judg. 8:27; Jer. 3:21), and the “house of Israel” (Ex. 16:31; 40:38).

This name Israel is sometimes used emphatically for the true Israel (Ps. 73:1: Isa. 45:17; 49:3;

Smith's Bible Dictionary

(the prince that prevails with God). The name given, (Genesis 32:28) to Jacob after his wrestling with the angel, (Hosea 12:4) at Peniel. Gesenius interprets Israel "soldier of God." It became the national name of the twelve tribes collectively. They are so called in (Exodus 3:16) and afterward. It is used in a narrower sense, excluding Judah, in (1 Samuel 11:8; 2 Samuel 20:1; 1 Kings 12:16) Thenceforth it was assumed and accepted as the name of the northern kingdom. After the Babylonian captivity, the returned exiles resumed the name Israel as the designation of…

American Tract Society Bible Dictionary

Who prevails with God, a name given to Jacob, after having wrestled with the Angel-Jehovah at Penuel. Ge 32:1,2,28,30 Ho 12:3. See JACOB. By the name Israel is sometimes understood all the posterity of Israel, the seed of Jacob, 1Co 10:18; sometimes all true believers, his spiritual seed, Ro 9:6; and sometimes the kingdom of Israel, or the ten tribes, as distinct from the kingdom of Judah.

The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
and they said [the] descendants of Benjamin [are] defeated they before us as at the former [time] and [the] people of Israel they said let us flee and we will draw away him from the city to the highways
אָמְר֗וּ'a.me.Ru they said H559 Verb · Qal · perfect third person common plural
5,309× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This Hebrew word means to say or speak, and it's used in many different ways in the Bible. It can mean to command, promise, or think, and it's translated in the KJV as 'answer', 'appoint', or 'command'.
Tyndale gloss
to say
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

אָמַר (amar) is a Hebrew verb meaning 'to say' or 'to utter,' with a broad range of uses including to promise, command, or even boast. It appears in various forms, such as in the Qal (to say), Niphal (to be told), and Hiphil (to avow). The entries highlight its versatility in both spoken and internal contexts, though no specific verse is noted.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

אָמַר 5287 vb. utter, say

Qal

Say

Say in the heart (= think)

Promise

Command (esp. late)

Niph. be said, told

Hiph. avow, avouch (lit. cause to declare)

Hithp. act proudly, boast

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H559 אָמַר utter, say .. Say

. Say in the heart (= think)

. Promise

. Command (esp. late)

. be said, told

. avow, avouch (lit. cause to declare)

. act proudly, boast

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

559 'amar aw-mar'

a primitive root; to say (used with great

latitude):--answer, appoint, avouch, bid, boast self, call,

certify, challenge, charge, + (at the, give) command(-ment),

commune, consider, declare, demand, X desire, determine, X

expressly, X indeed, X intend, name, X plainly, promise,

publish, report, require, say, speak (against, of), X still, X

suppose, talk, tell, term, X that is, X think, use (speech),

utter, X verily, X yet.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

אָמַר (a.mar) — to say.

1) to say, speak, utter

1a) (Qal) to say, to answer, to say in one's heart, to think, to command, to promise, to intend

1b) (Niphal) to be told, to be said, to be called

1c) (Hithpael) to boast, to act proudly

1d) (Hiphil) to avow, to avouch

Aramaic equivalent: a.mar (אֲמַר "to say" H0560)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
V-Qal-Perf-3cp — Verb · Qal · perfect third person common plural
HVqp3cp
The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
and they said [the] descendants of Benjamin [are] defeated they before us as at the former [time] and [the] people of Israel they said let us flee and we will draw away him from the city to the highways
נָנ֙וּסָה֙na.Nu.sah let us flee H5127 Verb · Qal · infinitive construct first person common plural
159× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
To flee means to quickly leave a place, like escaping from danger, as seen in the Bible when David fled from King Saul. It can also mean to disappear or vanish. In the book of Psalms, it describes God delivering his people from harm.
Amplified meaning
flee, quickly leave
Tyndale gloss
to flee
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

נוּס (nus) is a Hebrew verb meaning to flee or escape. It encompasses various nuances, including taking flight, disappearing, or driving hastily to safety. The word appears in different forms, such as Qal, Polel, Hithpolel, and Hiphil, indicating actions like fleeing, causing to disappear, or putting to flight. An Aramaic equivalent is noted as נוּד (nud).

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

נוּס 160 vb. flee, escape

Qal

flee

escape

take flight, depart, disappear

fly (to the attack) on horseback.

Po‛lel the breath of י׳ driveth at it, driveth it on

Hithpo‛l. in order to take flight before the bow

Hiph.

put to flight

drive hastily to a safe place

cause to disappear, hide

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H5127 נוּס flee, escape

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

5127 nuwc noos

a primitive root; to flit, i.e. vanish away (subside, escape;

causatively, chase, impel, deliver):--X abate, away, be

displayed, (make to) flee (away, -ing), put to flight, X hide,

lift up a standard.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

נוּס (nus) — to flee.

1) to flee, escape

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to flee

1a2) to escape

1a3) to take flight, m depart, disappear

1a4) to fly (to the attack) on horseback

1b) (Polel) to drive at

1c) (Hithpolel) to take flight

1d) (Hiphil)

1d1) to put to flight

1d2) to drive hastily

1d3) to cause to disappear, hide

Aramaic equivalent: nud (נוּד "to flee" H5111)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
V-Qal-1cp — Verb · Qal · infinitive construct first person common plural
HVqc1cp
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

fle.

See FLY.

and they said [the] descendants of Benjamin [are] defeated they before us as at the former [time] and [the] people of Israel they said let us flee and we will draw away him from the city to the highways
וּֽנְתַקְּנֻ֔הוּu.ne.ta.ke.Nu.hu and we will draw away him H5423 Verb qal sequential perfect first person common plural · suffix
27× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
To tear or pull something away from something else, like pulling a plant out of the ground or separating two things, is what this word means, and it can also describe being separated or torn apart.
Amplified meaning
tear them from, separate them
Tyndale gloss
to tear
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

נָתַק (nathaq) is a Hebrew verb meaning to pull, draw, or tear away. It encompasses various actions such as breaking, lifting, and rooting out, with different nuances in its grammatical forms, including Qal, Niphal, Piel, Hiphil, and Hophal. The entries indicate that it can refer to both active and passive forms of tearing or drawing away.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

[נָתַק] vb. pull, draw, tear away, apart, off

Qal

draw away

draw or pull off

pull, tear away

Niph.

be drawn away

be torn apart, or in two, snapped

be separated

Pi.

tear apart, snap

tear out, up

Hiph.

draw away

drag them away

Hoph. they were drawn away from the city

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H5423 נָתַק pull, draw, tear away, apart, off

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

5423 nathaq naw-thak'

a primitive root; to tear off:--break (off), burst, draw

(away), lift up, pluck (away, off), pull (out), root out.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

נָתַק (na.taq) — to tear.

1) to pull or tear or draw off or away or apart, draw out, pluck up, break, lift, root out

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to draw away

1a2) to draw or pull off

1a3) to pull or tear away

1b) (Niphal)

1b1) to be drawn away, be drawn out

1b2) to be torn apart or in two, be snapped

1b3) to be separated

1c) (Piel)

1c1) to tear apart, snap

1c2) to tear out, tear up, tear away

1d) (Hiphil)

1d1) to draw away

1d2) to drag away

1e) (Hophal) to be drawn away

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Conj | V-Qal-1cp | Suff — Verb qal sequential perfect first person common plural · suffix
Hc/Vqq1cp/Sp3ms
and they said [the] descendants of Benjamin [are] defeated they before us as at the former [time] and [the] people of Israel they said let us flee and we will draw away him from the city to the highways
מִן־min- from H4480 Preposition
1,189× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This Hebrew word means a portion or part of something, and is often used to show the relationship between things, like from or out of something.
Tyndale gloss
from
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word מִן־ (*min*) is a preposition meaning 'from' or 'out of,' indicating separation or origin. It covers various uses, including temporal references, comparisons, and causal relationships. Additionally, it can denote a portion when used as a noun מֵן (*men*). The entries highlight its versatility in expressing different nuances of separation and position.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

מִן־, and מִ, before יְ, prep. expressing the idea of separation, hence out of, from, on account of, off, on the side of, since, above, than, so that not

with verbs expressing (or implying) separation or removal

from, against

מן also, without a verb of similar significance, sometimes expresses the idea of separation, away from, far from

of position, off, on the side of, on

Out of, Gk. ἐκ, Lat. ex

Partitively

Of time—

as marking the terminus a quo, the anterior limit of a continuous period from, since

as marking the period immediately succeeding the limit after

towards, to

(וְעַד) עַד … מִן from … even to

In comparisons, beyond, above

מן is prefixed to an infin.:

with causal force, from, on account of, through

after verbs implying restraint, prevention, cessation, etc.

with a temporal force, since, after

Once as a conj. before a finite verb. that

In compounds:

base

Read the full entry →
Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H4480a מִן־, מִ, prep. expressing the idea of separation, hence out of, from, on account of, off, on the side of, since, above, than, so that not . with verbs expressing (or implying) separation or removal . from, against

. מן also, without a verb of similar significance, sometimes expresses the idea of separation, away from, far from

. of position, off, on the side of, on

. Out of, Gk. ἐκ, Lat. ex

. Partitively

. Of time— . as marking the terminus a quo, the anterior limit of a continuous period from, since

. as marking the period immediately succeeding the limit after

. towards, to

. (וְעַד) עַד … מִן from … even to

. In comparisons, beyond, above

. מן is prefixed to an infin.: . with causal force, from, on account of, through

. after verbs implying restraint, prevention, cessation, etc.

. with a temporal force, since, after

. Once as a conj. before a finite verb. that

Read the full entry →
Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

4480 min min

or minniy {min-nee'}; or minney (constructive plural)

{min-nay'}; (Isaiah 30:11); for 4482; properly, a part of;

hence (prepositionally), from or out of in many senses (as

follows):--above, after, among, at, because of, by (reason

of), from (among), in, X neither, X nor, (out) of, over,

since, X then, through, X whether, with.

see HEBREW for 04482

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

מִן־ (min) — from.

prep

1) from, out of, on account of, off, on the side of, since, above, than, so that not, more than

1a) from (expressing separation), off, on the side of

1b) out of

1b1) (with verbs of proceeding, removing, expelling)

1b2) (of material from which something is made)

1b3) (of source or origin)

1c) out of, some of, from (partitively)

1d) from, since, after (of time)

1e) than, more than (in comparison)

1f) from...even to, both...and, either...or

1g) than, more than, too much for (in comparisons)

1h) from, on account of, through, because (with infinitive)

conj

2) that

Aramaic equivalent: min (מִן־ "from" H4481)

מֵן (men) — portion.

n.m.

portion

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Prep — Preposition
HR
and they said [the] descendants of Benjamin [are] defeated they before us as at the former [time] and [the] people of Israel they said let us flee and we will draw away him from the city to the highways
הָעִ֖ירha.'Ir the city H5892 Particle · noun common feminine singular absolute
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.
Amplified meaning
town, settlement
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
Art | N-fs — Particle · noun common feminine singular absolute
HTd/Ncfsa
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

sit'-i (`ir, qiryah; polis):

I. THE CANAANITE CITY

1. Origin

2. Extent

3. Villages

4. Sites

5. External Appearance

6. General

II. THE CITY OF THE JEWISH OCCUPATION

1. Tower or Stronghold

2. High Place

3. Broad Place

4. Streets

5. General Characteristics

III. STORE CITIES

IV. LEVITICAL CITIES

LITERATURE

I. The Canaanite City.

1. Origin:

The development of the Canaanite city has been traced by Macalister in his report on the excavation at Gezer (Palestine Exploration Fund Statement, 1904, 108 ff). It originated on the slopes of a bare rocky spur, in which the Neolithic Troglodytes quarried their habitations out of the solid rock, the stones therefrom being used to form a casing to the earthen ramparts, with which the site was afterwards surrounded and which served as a protection against the intrusion of enemies. Later Semitic intruders occupied the site, stone houses were built, and high stone defense…

Easton's Bible Dictionary

City

The earliest mention of city-building is that of Enoch, which was built by Cain (Gen. 4:17). After the confusion of tongues, the descendants of Nimrod founded several cities (10:10-12). Next, we have a record of the cities of the Canaanites, Sidon, Gaza, Sodom, etc. (10:12, 19; 11:3, 9; 36:31-39). The earliest description of a city is that of Sodom (19:1-22). Damascus is said to be the oldest existing city in the world. Before the time of Abraham there were cities in Egypt (Num. 13:22). The Israelites in Egypt were employed in building the “treasure cities” of Pithom and Raamses (Ex. 1:11); but it does not seem that they had any cities of their own in Goshen (Gen.…

and they said [the] descendants of Benjamin [are] defeated they before us as at the former [time] and [the] people of Israel they said let us flee and we will draw away him from the city to the highways
אֶל־'el- to H413 Preposition
5,518× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This Hebrew word means 'to' or 'toward', showing direction or movement. It appears in many books, including Genesis and Exodus, to indicate where someone is going. The KJV translates it in various ways, like 'about', 'according to', or 'against'.
Tyndale gloss
to(wards)
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word אֶל (el) is primarily a preposition indicating motion towards or direction to a person or place. It can also imply entering a limit, presence at a location, or a hostile direction (against). Additionally, it may express concepts such as concerning, in addition to, or according to. The entries highlight its versatility in both physical and metaphorical contexts.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

אֶל (nearly always followed by Makkeph),

prep. denoting motion to or direction towards (whether physical or mental).of motion to or unto a person or place

Where the limit is actually entered, into

Of direction towards anything

Where the motion or direction implied appears from the context to be of a hostile character, אֶל = against

Unto sometimes acquires from the context the sense of in addition to

Metaph. in regard to, concerning, on account of

Of rule or standard according to (rare)

Expressing presence at a spot, against, at, by, not merely after verbs implying motion

Prefixed to other preps. it combines with them the idea of motion or direction to

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H413 אֶל (nearly always followed by Makkeph), . of motion to or unto a person or place

. Where the limit is actually entered, into

. Of direction towards anything

. Where the motion or direction implied appears from the context to be of a hostile character, אֶל = against

. Unto sometimes acquires from the context the sense of in addition to

. Metaph. in regard to, concerning, on account of

. Of rule or standard according to (rare)

. Expressing presence at a spot, against, at, by, not merely after verbs implying motion

. Prefixed to other preps. it combines with them the idea of motion or direction to

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

413 'el ale

(but only used in the shortened constructive form sel {el});

a primitive particle; properly, denoting motion towards, but

occasionally used of a quiescent position, i.e. near, with or

among; often in general, to:--about, according to ,after,

against, among, as for, at, because(-fore, -side), both...and,

by, concerning, for, from, X hath, in(- to), near, (out) of,

over, through, to(-ward), under, unto, upon, whether,

with(-in).

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

אֶל (el) — to(wards).

1) to, toward, unto (of motion)

2) into (limit is actually entered)

2a) in among

3) toward (of direction, not necessarily physical motion)

4) against (motion or direction of a hostile character)

5) in addition to, to

6) concerning, in regard to, in reference to, on account of

7) according to (rule or standard)

8) at, by, against (of one's presence)

9) in between, in within, to within, unto (idea of motion to)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Prep — Preposition
HR
and they said [the] descendants of Benjamin [are] defeated they before us as at the former [time] and [the] people of Israel they said let us flee and we will draw away him from the city to the highways
הַֽמְסִלּֽוֹת׃Ham.si.Lot the highways H4546 Particle · noun common feminine plural absolute
27× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This word means a raised highway or public road, like the ones built by King Solomon. It is used in books like Numbers and Isaiah to describe paths and roadways.
Amplified meaning
highways, public paths
Tyndale gloss
highway
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

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

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

מְסִלָּה n.f. highway

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H4546 מְסִלָּה highway

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

4546 mcillah mes-il-law'

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

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

course, highway, path, terrace.

see HEBREW for 05549

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

מְסִלָּה (me.sil.lah) — highway.

highway, raised way, public road

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Art | N-fp — Particle · noun common feminine plural absolute
HTd/Ncfpa
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
Smith's Bible Dictionary

Though during the sway of the Romans over Palestine they made a few substantial roads for their carts and chariots, yet for the most of the time, as today, the Jews had nothing such as we call roads, but only footpaths through which animals walk in single file. These are never cared for, no repairs are made or obstacles removed. This fact brings into striking prominence the figure of repairing a highway for the return Of the captives, or the coming of the great King. On special occasions kings had roads prepared for the progress of their armies, or their own going from place to place. --ED.

Nave's Topical Bible

→ FIGURATIVE Pr 16:17; Isa 11:16; 35:8-10; 40:3,4; Mt 3:3; 7:13,14

See ROADS

See WAY

Torrey's New Topical Textbook

- Roads for public use

Nu 20:19; De 2:27

- Called the king's highway

Nu 20:17

- Marked out by heaps of stones

Jer 31:21

- Generally broad

Jud 20:32,45; Mt 7:13

- Generally straight

1Sa 6:12; Isa 40:3

- Made to all cities of refuge

De 19:2,3

- Often made in deserts

Isa 40:3

- INFESTED WITH

. Serpents

Ge 49:17

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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