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Judges 5:24 — Word Study

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WLCתְּבֹרַךְ֙ מִנָּשִׁ֔ים יָעֵ֕ל אֵ֖שֶׁת חֶ֣בֶר הַקֵּינִ֑י מִנָּשִׁ֥ים בָּאֹ֖הֶל תְּבֹרָֽךְ׃

BSAMost blessedbârak [highly favored, praised] among womenʼishshâh [is] JaelYâʻêl [a brave Canaanite woman] the wifeʼishshâh [partner, companion] of HeberCheber [comrade, friend] the KeniteQêynîy [a member of the Kenite tribe] most blessedbârak [highly honored, esteemed] of tent-dwellingʼôhel [nomadic, living in a portable home] womenʼishshâh [females, wives]

Word
Listen & take awayJudges 5
English ↓ Download MP3 The Berean Standard Bible chapter audio already hosted for the site's Bible section — verse 24 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 (te.vo.Rakh) — no per-word recordings of the Hebrew exist to link to.
Take it away
Judges 5:24quick helps
In a sentenceJael, the wife of Heber the Kenite, is praised as the most blessed among women for her courageous act.
Who is speakingDeborah, the prophetess and judge of Israel, celebrates Jael's bravery.
Where we areThis verse is part of a song of victory sung by Deborah after Israel's triumph over their enemies.
The hard wordתְּבֹרַךְ
Take awayJael's actions are highlighted as exemplary, earning her a special blessing.
8 commentators on this verse Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them › clause verbבָּרַךְ 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 5:24

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 Song of Deborahgenerated

23‘Curse Meroz,’ says the angel of the LORD. ‘Bitterly curse her inhabitants; for they did not come to help the LORD, to help the LORD against the mighty.’
24Most blessed among women is Jael, the wife of Heber the Kenite, most blessed of tent-dwelling women.
25He asked for water, and she gave him milk. In a magnificent bowl she brought him curds.
26She reached for the tent peg, her right hand for the workman’s hammer. She struck Sisera and crushed his skull; she shattered and pierced his temple.

Judges 5:24 celebrates the bravery of Jael, who played a pivotal role in Israel's victory by killing Sisera, the enemy general. This verse highlights her as the most blessed among women, contrasting her with others and emphasizing her unique honor. The song, attributed to Deborah, reflects on the theme of divine intervention and the valor of women in Israel's history.


Cross References

ReferenceText (BSB)
1Judges 4:17Meanwhile, Sisera had fled on foot to the tent of Jael, the wife of Heber the Kenite, because there was peace between Jabin king of Hazor and the house of Heber the Kenite.
2Genesis 14:19and he blessed Abram and said: “Blessed be Abram by God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth,
3Proverbs 31:31Give her the fruit of her hands, and let her works praise her at the gates.
4Luke 1:28–42The angel appeared to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you. ”

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

Blessed above women shall Jael the wife of Heber the Kenite be, blessed shall she be above women in the tent.Judges 4:17 Genesis 14:19 Proverbs 31:31 Luke 1:28–42

The Key Word תְּבֹרַךְ, te.vo.raKhgenerated

The verb בָּרַךְ (*barak*) means 'to bless' and is derived from a root meaning 'to kneel.' It encompasses a range of meanings including 'to praise' and 'to honor.' In this context, it signifies a high level of favor and esteem bestowed upon Jael for her courageous act against Sisera.

The Pual form indicates that Jael is the recipient of the blessing, highlighting her esteemed status among women. This blessing is not just a general praise but a recognition of her specific actions that contributed to Israel's victory.


How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated

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


Sentence Structuregenerated

The main verb תְּבֹרַךְ governs the sentence, establishing Jael's blessed status. The structure includes several noun phrases that describe Jael and her relationship to Heber, as well as a prepositional phrase indicating her dwelling.

The arrangement emphasizes Jael's unique position among women, with the repeated phrase מִנָּשִׁים highlighting her distinction as the most blessed of tent-dwelling women.


Septuagint Backgroundgenerated

The Septuagint translates תְּבֹרַךְ as εὐλογηθείη, which carries a similar connotation of being blessed. This choice reflects the translators' intent to convey the honor associated with Jael's actions in a way that resonates with Greek-speaking audiences.

The use of γυναιχὶν for מִנָּשִׁים indicates a specific focus on women, reinforcing the emphasis on Jael's exceptional status among them.


In plain words — the whole versegenerated

Judges 5:24 tells us that Jael, the wife of Heber the Kenite, is celebrated as the most blessed among women for her courageous act of killing Sisera. This verse highlights her unique honor among women, particularly those who dwell in tents, reflecting her bravery and the importance of her actions in Israel's victory.


Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated

Why is Jael considered the most blessed among women?

Jael is recognized for her bravery in killing Sisera, the enemy general, which played a crucial role in Israel's victory, earning her a unique place of honor.

What does the term 'tent-dwelling women' refer to?

The term refers to women who live in tents, often associated with a nomadic lifestyle, highlighting Jael's identity and role within her cultural context.

How does Jael's story connect to the broader narrative of Israel's history?

Jael's actions are part of the larger story of Israel's struggle against oppression, showcasing the role of women in pivotal moments of their history.

What can we learn from Jael's bravery?

Jael's courage serves as an example of how individuals can make significant impacts through decisive actions, even in challenging circumstances.


Reflection Questionsgenerated

  1. What qualities of Jael can I emulate in my own life?
  2. How can I recognize and honor the contributions of women in my community?
  3. In what ways can I show courage in the face of challenges?
  4. What does it mean to be 'blessed' in today's context?

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

Jerome quotes this verse to highlight Jael's blessed status among women, comparing her to other notable women in Scripture.

JeromeJudges 5:24 c. 347–420
Blessed among women, Jael, the wife of Heber the Kenite. Among women, namely Sarah, Rebecca, Rachel, Leah, and almost all women. Let her be blessed in the temple, the Lord is understood, so that her memorial may be there, just like Judith.
Early Church Fathers on Judges 5 →

Commentators on this verse — 8 expositors, verse by verse

Each of these wrote on Judges 5:24 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.

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

Blessed above women shall Jael the wife of Heber the Kenite be,.... Under the same influence that Meroz was cursed, Jael is blessed, the one for not helping Israel in a public way, the other for

Read John Gill on Judges 5 →
Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's Commentary

Blessed above women shall Jael the wife of Heber the Kenite be, blessed shall she be above women in the tent. Blessed above women shall Jael ... be.

Read Robert Jamieson on Judges 5 →
Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy Bible

Blessed above women; celebrated, and praised, and endowed with all sorts of blessings more than they. But of this fact of Jael’ s, See Poole "". In the tent; in her tent or habitation, in her house and family, and all her affairs; for she and hers dwelt in tents. The tent is here mentioned in allusion to the place where this fact was done.

Read Matthew Poole on Judges 5 →
John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

Judges 5:24 Blessed above women shall Jael the wife of Heber the Kenite be, blessed shall she be above women in the tent.Ver. 24. Above women in the tent.] A fit place for women to be found in, but not for the men of Meroz; they should have been active in the field against the Church’ s enemies, as she was in her tent. Others that were more remote are blamed: but they are bitterly cursed, and that by the authority of the angel.

Read John Trapp on Judges 5 →
Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(24) Blessed above women.—Jael would be regarded as a patriotic heroine, whose daring had secured to Israel the fruits of their victory. The morals of that early age were not sufficiently enlightened to understand that treachery and assassination are never justifiable, however good may be the end in view. But, as serious moralists, even in the nineteenth century, have held up to admiration the murder of Marat by Charlotte Corday, and have even given to her the title of “the Angel of Assassination,” we can hardly be surprised that Deborah should exult in Jael’s heroism, and her choice of the right side, without expressing—perhaps even without the degree of later moral enlightenment which…

Read Charles John Ellicott on Judges 5 →
AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible

Verse 24. Blessed above women shall Jael - be] She shall be highly celebrated as a most heroic woman; all the Israelitish women shall glory in her. I do not understand these words as expressive of the Divine approbation towards Jael. See the observations at the end of Jdg 4:24. The word bless, both in Hebrew and Greek, often signifies to praise, to speak well of, to celebrate. This is most probably its sense here.

Read AdamClarke on Judges 5 →
CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

24. The courageous devotion of Jael is set effectively against the unpatriotic selfishness of Meroz. Jael here receives enthusiastic praise for what strikes us as nothing less than a treacherous murder. According to the standards of the times, however, it would not appear in this light at all, and such are the standards by which we must judge the morality of the deed. the wife of Heber the Kenite] interrupts the parallelism and spoils the rhythm of the verse; it is evidently a gloss from Judges 4:17, where the words are in place. women in the tent] The Bedouin are described as dwellers in tents Judges 4:11, Judges 8:11; Jeremiah 35:7.

Read Cambridge on Judges 5 →
Albert Barnes1798–1870Barnes' Notes on the Bible

The blessing here pronounced is in strong contrast with the curse of Meroz. Deborah speaks of Jael’s deed by the light of her own age, which did not make manifest the evil of guile and bloodshed; the light in ours does.

Read Albert Barnes on Judges 5 →

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

Most blessed among women is Jael, the wife of Heber the Kenite, most blessed of tent-dwelling women.

WEBWorld English Bible2000

“Jael shall be blessed above women, the wife of Heber the Kenite; blessed shall she be above women in the tent.

MSBMajority Standard Bible2022

Most blessed among women is Jael, the wife of Heber the Kenite, most blessed of tent-dwelling women.

NETBNew English Translation2006

The most rewarded of women should be Jael, the wife of Heber the Kenite! She should be the most rewarded of women who live in tents.

Tyndale line

KJVKing James Version1611

Blessed above women shall Jael the wife of Heber the Kenite be, blessed shall she be above women in the tent.

ASVAmerican Standard Version1901

Blessed above women shall Jael be, The wife of Heber the Kenite; Blessed shall she be above women in the tent.

RVARevised Version, American1894

Blessed above women shall Jael be, the wife of Heber the Kenite, blessed shall she be above women in the tent.

NWBWebster's Bible1833

Blessed above women shall Jael the wife of Heber the Kenite be, blessed shall she be above women in the tent.

GNVGeneva Bible1599

Iael the wife of Heber the Kenite shall be blessed aboue other women: blessed shall she be aboue women dwelling in tentes.

Strictly literal

DBYDarby Translation1890

Blessed above women shall Jael the wife of Heber the Kenite be, Blessed above women in the tent!

YLTYoung's Literal Translation1862

Blessed above women is Jael, Wife of Heber the Kenite, Above women in the tent she is blessed.

LSVLiteral Standard Version2020

Above women is Jael, || The wife of Heber the Kenite, || She is blessed above women in the tent.

ILTInterlinear Literal Translation2000

Blessed above [other] women shall be Ja'el the wife of Cheber the Kenite, above [other] women [dwelling] in the tent may she be blessed.

ULBUnlocked Literal Bible2017

Jael is blessed more than all other women, Jael (the wife of Heber the Kenite), she is more blessed than all the women who live in tents.

From the Latin

DRADouay-Rheims (Challoner)1899

Blessed among women be Jahel the wife of Haber the Cinite, and blessed be she in her tent.

Simplified

FBVFree Bible Version2020

Jael, the wife of Heber the Kenite is to be praised the most among women. She deserves praise above all other women who live in tents.

BBEBible in Basic English1949

Blessings be on Jael, more than on all women! Blessings greater than on any in the tents!

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.

clauseverbתְּבֹרַךְ֙she.will.be.blessedprepositional phrase · prepositionalמִmoreנָּשִׁ֔יםthan.womennoun phrase · subjectיָעֵ֕לJaelnoun phraseאֵ֖שֶׁתthe.wifenoun phraseחֶ֣בֶרof.Hebernoun phraseהַtheקֵּינִ֑יKeniteclauseprepositional phrase · prepositionalמִmorenoun phraseנָּשִׁ֥יםthan.womenprepositional phraseבָּinnoun phrasetheאֹ֖הֶלtentverbתְּבֹרָֽךְshe.will.be.blessed

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 closely, with all words matching in this verse. This consistency across witnesses underscores the significance of Jael's blessing and her role in the narrative.

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

תְּבֹרַךְ֙ מִנָּשִׁ֔ים יָעֵ֕ל אֵ֖שֶׁת חֶ֣בֶר הַקֵּינִ֑י מִנָּשִׁ֥ים בָּאֹ֖הֶל תְּבֹרָֽךְ׃

Septuagintthe Greek the translators chose, word by word
תְּבֹרַךְ֙εὐλογηθείηמִנָּשִׁ֔יםγυναιχὶνיָעֵ֕לιαηλאֵ֖שֶׁתγυνὴחֶ֣בֶרξαβερהַקֵּינִ֑יκιναίουמִנָּשִׁ֥יםγυναικῶνבָּאֹ֖הֶלσκηναῖςתְּבֹרָֽךְ׃εὐλογηθείη

9 of the 9 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 5:24בָּרַךְshe will beshe will be bleבָּרַךְאִשָּׁהmore than wmore than womenאִשָּׁהיָעֵלJaelJaelיָעֵלאִשָּׁה[the] wife [the] wife ofאִשָּׁהחֶ֫בֶרHeberHeberחֶ֫בֶרקֵינִיthe Kenitethe Keniteקֵינִיאִשָּׁהmore than wmore than womenאִשָּׁהאֹ֫הֶלin the tentin the tentאֹ֫הֶלבָּרַךְshe will beshe will be bleבָּרַךְאִישׁmanmanאִישׁאֱנוֹשׁhumanhumanאֱנוֹשׁקַ֫יִןKeniteKeniteקַ֫יִןאָהַלto shineto shineאָהַליָעֵלgoatgoatיָעֵלחֶ֫בֶרspellspellחֶ֫בֶרטַףchildchildטַףנָכְרִיforeignforeignנָכְרִיאָרַרto curseto curseאָרַרחֶ֫בֶרHeberHeberחֶ֫בֶרקֵינִיKeniteKeniteקֵינִימַלְכִּיאֵלMalchielMalchielמַלְכִּיאֵליָעֵלJaelJaelיָעֵליְרַחְמְאֵלִיJerahmeeliJerahmeeliteיְרַחְמְאֵלִימוֹעֵדmeetingmeetingמוֹעֵדפֶּ֫תַחentranceentranceפֶּ֫תַח
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 5:24

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.

she will be blessed more than women Jael [the] wife of Heber the Kenite more than women in the tent she will be blessed
תְּבֹרַךְ֙te.vo.raKh she will be blessed H1288 Verb · Pual · imperfect third person feminine singular
330× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
To bless means to praise or honor God, often by kneeling in worship. In the Bible, people bless God and God blesses people, showing favor and care for them, as seen in the story of Abraham and his descendants.
Amplified meaning
highly favored, praised
Tyndale gloss
to bless
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word בָּרַךְ (*barak*) is built from a primitive root meaning 'to kneel' and encompasses a range of meanings including 'to bless' and 'to curse.' It can refer to blessing God or men, as well as the act of kneeling in adoration. The entries note that it can also imply a curse in certain contexts, reflecting a nuanced use in greetings and farewells.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

[בָּרַךְ] 329 vb. kneel, bless

Qal

kneel down

bless

Niph. bless oneself

Pi.

bless God, adore with bended knees

God blesses

men bless men

salute, greet, with an invocation of blessing

bless, with the antithetical meaning curse from the greeting in departing, saying adieu to, taking leave of; but rather a blessing overdone and so really a curse as in vulgar English as well as in the Shemitic cognates

Pu.

pass. to be blessed, adored

prospered by God

have prosperity invoked, by Balaam

in gratitude

Hiph. and he made his camel kneel

Hithp. bless oneself, congratulate oneself in his heart

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H1288 בָּרַךְ kneel, bless .. kneel down

. bless

. bless oneself

. . bless God, adore with bended knees

. God blesses

. men bless men

. salute, greet, with an invocation of blessing

. bless, with the antithetical meaning curse from the greeting in departing, saying adieu to, taking leave of; but rather a blessing overdone and so really a curse as in vulgar English as well as in the Shemitic cognates

. . pass. to be blessed, adored

. prospered by God

. have prosperity invoked, by Balaam

. in gratitude

. and he made his camel kneel

. bless oneself, congratulate oneself in his heart

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

1288 barak baw-rak'

a primitive root; to kneel; by implication to bless God (as

an act of adoration), and (vice-versa) man (as a benefit);

also (by euphemism) to curse (God or the king, as treason):--X

abundantly, X altogether, X at all, blaspheme, bless,

congratulate, curse, X greatly, X indeed, kneel (down),

praise, salute, X still, thank.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

בָּרַךְ (ba.rakh) — to bless.

1) to bless, kneel

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to kneel

1a2) to bless

1b) (Niphal) to be blessed, bless oneself

1c) (Piel) to bless

1d) (Pual) to be blessed, be adored

1e) (Hiphil) to cause to kneel

1f) (Hithpael) to bless oneself

2) (TWOT) to praise, salute, curse

Aramaic equivalent: be.rakh (בְּרַךְ "to bless" H1289)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
V-Pual-Imperf-3fs — Verb · Pual · imperfect third person feminine singular
HVPi3fs
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

bles'-ed (barukh): Where God is referred to, this word has the sense of "praise," as in 1Sa 25:32, "Blessed be Yahweh, the God of Israel." But where man is in mind it is used in the sense of "happy" or "favored," and most frequently so in the Psalms and the Gospels, as for example, "Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the wicked" (Ps 1:1); "Blessed art thou among women" (Lu 1:42); "Blessed are the poor in spirit" (Mt 5:3).

See BEATITUDES.

she will be blessed more than women Jael [the] wife of Heber the Kenite more than women in the tent she will be blessed
מִנָּשִׁ֔יםmi.na.Shim more than women H802 Preposition · noun common masculine plural absolute
781× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
The Hebrew word for woman, used to describe a female person, wife, or animal, appears in many biblical passages, including Genesis and Exodus, and is often translated as woman, wife, or female.
Tyndale gloss
woman
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

אִשָּׁה (ishshah) means 'woman,' 'wife,' or 'female.' It can refer to a woman in general, a wife in relation to a man, or the female of animals. The term also has distributive and reciprocal uses, indicating 'each woman' from her neighbor. The word is derived from the masculine forms אִישׁ (ish) and אִישָׁה (ishah), indicating a broad range of meanings.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

אִשָּׁה 773 n.f. woman, wife, female

woman

Wife (woman belonging to a man, usually cstr. or sf.)

Female of animals

With distrib. & recipr. sense, each woman from her neighbor; each one

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H802 אִשָּׁה woman, wife, female . woman

. Wife (woman belonging to a man, usually cstr. or sf.)

. Female of animals

. With distrib. & recipr. sense, each woman from her neighbor; each one

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

802 'ishshah ish-shaw'

feminine of 376 or 582; irregular plural, nashiym

{naw-sheem'}; a woman (used in the same wide sense as

582):--(adulter)ess, each, every, female, X many, + none,

one, + together, wife, woman. Often unexpressed in English.

see HEBREW for 0376

see HEBREW for 0582

see HEBREW for 0582

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

אִשָּׁה (ish.shah) — woman.

: woman

1) woman, wife, female

1a) woman (opposite of man)

1b) wife (woman married to a man)

1c) female (of animals)

1d) each, every (pronoun)

אִשָּׁה (ish.shah) — woman: wife.

: wife/widow

1) woman, wife, female

1a) woman (opposite of man)

1b) wife (woman married to a man)

1c) female (of animals)

1d) each, every (pronoun)

אִשָּׁה (ish.shah) — woman: another.

: another

1) woman, wife, female

1a) woman (opposite of man)

1b) wife (woman married to a man)

1c) female (of animals)

1d) each, every (pronoun)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Prep | N-fp — Preposition · noun common masculine plural absolute
HR/Ncmpa
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
Smith's Bible Dictionary

The position of women in the Hebrew commonwealth contrasts favorably with that which in the present day is assigned to them generally in eastern countries. The most salient point of contrast in the usages of ancient as compared with modern Oriental society was the large amount of liberty enjoyed by women. Instead of being immured in a harem, or appearing in public with the face covered. The wives and maidens of ancient times mingled freely and openly with the other sex in the duties and amenities of ordinary life. Rebekah travelled on a camel with her face unveiled until she came into the presence of her affianced. (Genesis 24:64,65) Jacob saluted Rachel with a kiss in the presence of the shepherds. (Genesis 29:11) Women played no inconsiderable part in public celebrations (

Nave's Topical Bible

→ Creation of Ge 1:27; 2:21,22

→ Named Ge 2:23

→ Fall of, and curse upon Ge 3:1-16; 2Co 11:3; 1Ti 2:14

→ Promise to Ge 3:15

→ Had separate apartments in dwellings Ge 24:67; 31:33; Es 2:9,11

→ Veiled the face Ge 24:65

→ See VAIL

→ Vows of Nu 30:3-16

Thompson Chain Reference topics

(A) MISCELLANEOUS TOPICS relating to (Select Reading Prov. 31)

Pr 31:1-31

(1) Creation and Temptation of

Ge 1:27; 2:22; 3:1,6,13; 2Co 11:3; 1Ti 2:14

(2) Rights of

Nu 27:1-8

(3) The Subjection of

Ge 3:16; 1Co 11:3; 14:34; Eph 5:22; 1Ti 2:11; 1Pe 3:1,5

(4) As Wives

she will be blessed more than women Jael [the] wife of Heber the Kenite more than women in the tent she will be blessed
יָעֵ֕לya.'El Jael H3278 Noun proper feminine
6× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
Jael was a brave Canaanite woman who lived before Israel's monarchy, known for killing the general Sisera while he slept. She was married to Heber the Kenite. Her name means 'mountain goat'.
Amplified meaning
a brave Canaanite woman
Tyndale gloss
Jael
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

יָעֵל (Ya'el) refers to Jael, a woman from the Old Testament known for killing the general Sisera. She is described as the wife of Heber the Kenite and is first mentioned in Judges 4:17. The name is linked to the meaning "mountain goat." The entries consistently identify her role and significance in the biblical narrative.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

יָעֵל n.pr.f. wife of Heber the Kenite slayer of Sisera

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H3278 יָעֵל

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

3278 Ya`el yaw-ale'

the same as 3277; Jael, a Canaanite:--Jael.

see HEBREW for 03277

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

יָעֵל (ya.el) — Jael.

A woman living before Israel's Monarchy, first mentioned at Jdg.4.17; married to Heber (H2268H)

§ Jael = "mountain goat"

the wife of Heber the Kenite who killed the general Sisera as he slept by driving a peg through his temples into the ground

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-proper — Noun proper feminine
HNpf
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

ja'-el (ya`el, "a wild or mountain goat," as in Ps 104:18; Iael): The wife of Heber the Kenite and the slayer of Sisera (Jud 4:17-22; 5:2-31). Jael emerges from obscurity by this single deed, and by the kindest construction can hardly be said to have reached an enviable fame. The history of this event is clear. For years Jabin the king of Canaan had oppressed Israel. For twenty years the Israelites had been subject to him, and, in largest measure, the instrument of their subjugation had been Sisera, the king's general, the "man of the iron chariots." Deborah, a prophetess of Israel, by her passion for freedom, had roused the tribes of Israel to do battle against Sisera. They defeated him at "Taanach by the waters of Megiddo," but Sisera sought in flight to save himself. He came…

Easton's Bible Dictionary

Jael

Mountain-goat, the wife of Heber the Kenite (Judg. 4:17-22). When the Canaanites were defeated by Barak, Sisera, the captain of Jabin’s army, fled and sought refuge with the friendly tribe of Heber, beneath the oaks of Zaanaim. As he drew near, Jael invited him to enter her tent. He did so, and as he lay wearied on the floor he fell into a deep sleep. She then took in her left hand one of the great wooden pins (“nail”) which fastened down the cords of the tent, and in her right hand the mallet, or “hammer,” used for driving it into the ground, and stealthily approaching her sleeping guest, with one well-directed blow drove the nail through his temples into the earth (Judg. 5:27). She then led Barak, who was in pursuit, into her tent, and boastfully showed him what she had…

Smith's Bible Dictionary

(mountain goat), the wife of Heber the Kenite. (B.C. 1316.) In the headlong rout which followed the defeat of the Canaanites by Barak, at Megiddo on the plain of Esdraelon, Sisera, their general, fled to the tent of the Kenite chieftainess, at Kedesh in Naphtali, four miles northwest of Lake Merom. He accepted Jael’s invitation to enter, and she flung a mantle over him as he lay wearily on the floor. When thirst prevented sleep, and he asked for water, she brought him buttermilk in her choicest vessel. At last, with a feeling of perfect security, he feel into a deep sleep. Then it was that Jael took one of the great wooden pins which fastened down the cords of the tent, and with one terrible blow with a mallet dashed it through Sisera’s temples deep into the earth. (Judges 5:27) She then waited to meet the pursuing Barak, and led him…

American Tract Society Bible Dictionary

Wife of Heber the Kenite, slew Sisera, general of the Canaanitish army, who had fled to her tent, which was then temporarily on the western border of the plain of Esdraelon. Jael took her opportunity, and while he was sleeping, drove a large nail or tent-pin through his temples, Jud 4:17-23. The life of Sisera was undoubtedly forfeited to the Israelites by the usages of war, and probably to society by his crimes. Besides this, the life or honor of Jael may have been in danger, or her feelings of hospitality may have been overpowered by a sudden impulse to avenge the oppressed Israelites, with whom she was allied by blood. The song of Deborah celebrates the act as one of justice and heroism, and as a divine judgement which, as well as the defeat of Sisera’s host, was the more disgraceful to him for being wrought by a woman,

she will be blessed more than women Jael [the] wife of Heber the Kenite more than women in the tent she will be blessed
אֵ֖שֶׁת'E.shet [the] wife of H802 Noun common · feminine singular construct
781× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
The Hebrew word for woman, used to describe a female person, wife, or animal, appears in many biblical passages, including Genesis and Exodus, and is often translated as woman, wife, or female.
Amplified meaning
partner, companion
Tyndale gloss
woman
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

אִשָּׁה (ishshah) means 'woman,' 'wife,' or 'female.' It can refer to a woman in general, a wife in relation to a man, or the female of animals. The term also has distributive and reciprocal uses, indicating 'each woman' from her neighbor. The word is derived from the masculine forms אִישׁ (ish) and אִישָׁה (ishah), indicating a broad range of meanings.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

אִשָּׁה 773 n.f. woman, wife, female

woman

Wife (woman belonging to a man, usually cstr. or sf.)

Female of animals

With distrib. & recipr. sense, each woman from her neighbor; each one

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H802 אִשָּׁה woman, wife, female . woman

. Wife (woman belonging to a man, usually cstr. or sf.)

. Female of animals

. With distrib. & recipr. sense, each woman from her neighbor; each one

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

802 'ishshah ish-shaw'

feminine of 376 or 582; irregular plural, nashiym

{naw-sheem'}; a woman (used in the same wide sense as

582):--(adulter)ess, each, every, female, X many, + none,

one, + together, wife, woman. Often unexpressed in English.

see HEBREW for 0376

see HEBREW for 0582

see HEBREW for 0582

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

אִשָּׁה (ish.shah) — woman.

: woman

1) woman, wife, female

1a) woman (opposite of man)

1b) wife (woman married to a man)

1c) female (of animals)

1d) each, every (pronoun)

אִשָּׁה (ish.shah) — woman: wife.

: wife/widow

1) woman, wife, female

1a) woman (opposite of man)

1b) wife (woman married to a man)

1c) female (of animals)

1d) each, every (pronoun)

אִשָּׁה (ish.shah) — woman: another.

: another

1) woman, wife, female

1a) woman (opposite of man)

1b) wife (woman married to a man)

1c) female (of animals)

1d) each, every (pronoun)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-fs — Noun common · feminine singular construct
HNcfsc
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…

she will be blessed more than women Jael [the] wife of Heber the Kenite more than women in the tent she will be blessed
חֶ֣בֶרChe.ver Heber H2268 Noun proper masculine
11× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
Heber was a man in the Bible, including a Kenite and three Israelites, with the name meaning 'comrade'. One Heber was the husband of Jael, who killed Sisera, and is mentioned in the book of Judges. Heber is also the name of several other biblical figures.
Amplified meaning
comrade, friend
Tyndale gloss
Heber
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

חֶ֫בֶר (chever) refers to several individuals in the Old Testament, including a Kenite husband of Jael, a man from the tribe of Asher, and members of the tribes of Judah and Benjamin. The name means 'comrade.' Notably, the Kenite Heber is recognized for his role in the story of Sisera's defeat. There are multiple figures named Heber, each with distinct genealogies.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

חֶ֫בֶר, חֵ֫בֶר n.pr.m.

the Kenite, husband of Deborah

a man of Asher

name in Judah

a Benjamite

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H2268 חֶ֫בֶר, חֵ֫בֶר . the Kenite, husband of Deborah

. a man of Asher

. name in Judah

. a Benjamite

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

2268 Cheber kheh'-ber

the same as 2267; community; Cheber, the name of a Kenite and

of three Israelites:--Heber.

see HEBREW for 02267

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

חֶ֫בֶר (che.ver) — Heber.

A man of the tribe of Asher living at the time of Egypt and Wilderness, first mentioned at Gen.46.17;

son of: Beriah (H1283);

brother of: Malchiel (H4439);

father of: Japhlet (H3310), Shomer (H7763H), Hotham (H2369) and Shua (H7774)

Also named: chev.ri (חֶבְרִי "Heberite" H2277)

§ Heber = "comrade"

1) the Kenite, husband of Jael, who slew Sisera by driving a nail into his temple

2) grandson of Asher from whom came the Heberites

3) father of Socho, a Judahite

4) a Benjamite

5) another Benjamite

6) a Gadite

חֶ֫בֶר (che.ver) — Heber.

A man living before Israel's Monarchy, first mentioned at Jdg.4.11; married to Jael (H3278)

§ Heber = "comrade"

1) the Kenite, husband of Jael, who slew Sisera by driving a nail into his temple

2) grandson of Asher from whom came the Heberites

3) father of Socho, a Judahite

4) a Benjamite

5) another Benjamite

6) a Gadite

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

he'-ber (chebher, "associate" or, possibly, "enchanter"; Eber): A name occurring several times in the Old Testament as the name of an individual or of a clan.

(1) A member of the tribe of Asher and son of Beraiah (Ge 46:17; Nu 26:45; 1Ch 7:31 f).

(2) A Kenite, husband of Jael, who deceptively slew Sisera, captain of the army of Jabin, a Canaanite king (Jud 4:17; 5:24). He had separated himself from the main body of the Kenites, which accounts for his tent being near Kedesh, the place of Sisera's disastrous battle (Jud 4:11).

Easton's Bible Dictionary

Heber

Passing over. (1.) Son of Beriah and grandson of Asher (Gen. 46:17; 1 Chr. 7:31, 32).

(2.) The Kenite (Judg. 4:11, 17; 5:24), a descendant of Hobab. His wife Jael received Sisera (q.v.) into her tent and then killed him.

(3.) 1 Chr. 4:18.

(4.) A Benjamite (1 Chr. 8:17).

(5.) A Gadite (5:13). (See EBER.)

Smith's Bible Dictionary

(alliance). Grandson of the patriarch Asher, (Genesis 46:17; Numbers 26:45; 1 Chronicles 7:31) from whom came the Heberites. (Numbers 26:45) The patriarch Eber. (Luke 3:35) [EBER] The father of Socho; a Judite. (1 Chronicles 4:18) A Benjamite. (1 Chronicles 8:17) A Benjamite. (1 Chronicles 8:22) A Gadite. (1 Chronicles 5:13) The husband of Jael, who slew Sisera by driving a nail into his temple. (

American Tract Society Bible Dictionary

1. An ancestor of the Hebrews, Lu 3:35. See HEBREWS

2. A Kenite descended from Hobab, Moses’ father-in-law. He resided in the northern part of Canaan, and seems to have been a man of note in his day. His wife Jael slew Sisera with her own hand, Jud 4:11,17 5:24.

she will be blessed more than women Jael [the] wife of Heber the Kenite more than women in the tent she will be blessed
הַקֵּינִ֑יha.kei.Ni the Kenite H7017 Particle · noun gentilic masculine singular absolute
12× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
The Kenite tribe, first mentioned in Genesis 15:19, was a group of people who lived between southern Palestine and the Sinai mountains, known for their skill as smiths, and were related to Moses' father-in-law. They were descended from Heber or Hobab. The name Kenite means smiths.
Amplified meaning
a member of the Kenite tribe
Tyndale gloss
Kenite
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

קֵינִי (Qeyniy) refers to the Kenites, a group associated with the tribe of Kajin, often linked to smithing. The term appears in various contexts, including its mention in Genesis 15:19. The entries indicate that the Kenites settled among the Amalekites and were related to figures like Heber and Hobab.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

קֵינִי adj.gent. (dwelling in N. Isr.); elsewhere as n.gent.coll. settled among Amal.

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H7017 קֵינִי settled among Amal.

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

7017 Qeyniy kay-nee'

or Qiyniy (1 Chron. 2:55) {kee-nee'}; patronymic from 7014; a

Kenite or member of the tribe of Kajin:--Kenite.

see HEBREW for 07014

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

קֵינִי (qe.ni) — Kenite.

Ancestors of Heber (H2268H) or Hobab (H2246), first mentioned at Gen.15.19

Also named: qa.yin (קַ֫יִן "Kenite" H7014)

§ Kenite = "smiths"

the tribe from which the father-in-law of Moses was a member and which lived in the area between southern Palestine and the mountains of Sinai

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Art | Ngmsa — Particle · noun gentilic masculine singular absolute
HTd/Ngmsa
she will be blessed more than women Jael [the] wife of Heber the Kenite more than women in the tent she will be blessed
מִנָּשִׁ֥יםmi.na.Shim more than women H802 Preposition · noun common masculine plural absolute
781× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
The Hebrew word for woman, used to describe a female person, wife, or animal, appears in many biblical passages, including Genesis and Exodus, and is often translated as woman, wife, or female.
Amplified meaning
females, wives
Tyndale gloss
woman
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

אִשָּׁה (ishshah) means 'woman,' 'wife,' or 'female.' It can refer to a woman in general, a wife in relation to a man, or the female of animals. The term also has distributive and reciprocal uses, indicating 'each woman' from her neighbor. The word is derived from the masculine forms אִישׁ (ish) and אִישָׁה (ishah), indicating a broad range of meanings.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

אִשָּׁה 773 n.f. woman, wife, female

woman

Wife (woman belonging to a man, usually cstr. or sf.)

Female of animals

With distrib. & recipr. sense, each woman from her neighbor; each one

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H802 אִשָּׁה woman, wife, female . woman

. Wife (woman belonging to a man, usually cstr. or sf.)

. Female of animals

. With distrib. & recipr. sense, each woman from her neighbor; each one

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

802 'ishshah ish-shaw'

feminine of 376 or 582; irregular plural, nashiym

{naw-sheem'}; a woman (used in the same wide sense as

582):--(adulter)ess, each, every, female, X many, + none,

one, + together, wife, woman. Often unexpressed in English.

see HEBREW for 0376

see HEBREW for 0582

see HEBREW for 0582

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

אִשָּׁה (ish.shah) — woman.

: woman

1) woman, wife, female

1a) woman (opposite of man)

1b) wife (woman married to a man)

1c) female (of animals)

1d) each, every (pronoun)

אִשָּׁה (ish.shah) — woman: wife.

: wife/widow

1) woman, wife, female

1a) woman (opposite of man)

1b) wife (woman married to a man)

1c) female (of animals)

1d) each, every (pronoun)

אִשָּׁה (ish.shah) — woman: another.

: another

1) woman, wife, female

1a) woman (opposite of man)

1b) wife (woman married to a man)

1c) female (of animals)

1d) each, every (pronoun)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Prep | N-fp — Preposition · noun common masculine plural absolute
HR/Ncmpa
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
Smith's Bible Dictionary

The position of women in the Hebrew commonwealth contrasts favorably with that which in the present day is assigned to them generally in eastern countries. The most salient point of contrast in the usages of ancient as compared with modern Oriental society was the large amount of liberty enjoyed by women. Instead of being immured in a harem, or appearing in public with the face covered. The wives and maidens of ancient times mingled freely and openly with the other sex in the duties and amenities of ordinary life. Rebekah travelled on a camel with her face unveiled until she came into the presence of her affianced. (Genesis 24:64,65) Jacob saluted Rachel with a kiss in the presence of the shepherds. (Genesis 29:11) Women played no inconsiderable part in public celebrations (

Nave's Topical Bible

→ Creation of Ge 1:27; 2:21,22

→ Named Ge 2:23

→ Fall of, and curse upon Ge 3:1-16; 2Co 11:3; 1Ti 2:14

→ Promise to Ge 3:15

→ Had separate apartments in dwellings Ge 24:67; 31:33; Es 2:9,11

→ Veiled the face Ge 24:65

→ See VAIL

→ Vows of Nu 30:3-16

Thompson Chain Reference topics

(A) MISCELLANEOUS TOPICS relating to (Select Reading Prov. 31)

Pr 31:1-31

(1) Creation and Temptation of

Ge 1:27; 2:22; 3:1,6,13; 2Co 11:3; 1Ti 2:14

(2) Rights of

Nu 27:1-8

(3) The Subjection of

Ge 3:16; 1Co 11:3; 14:34; Eph 5:22; 1Ti 2:11; 1Pe 3:1,5

(4) As Wives

she will be blessed more than women Jael [the] wife of Heber the Kenite more than women in the tent she will be blessed
בָּאֹ֖הֶלba.'O.hel in the tent H168 Preposition · noun common masculine singular absolute
345× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
The Hebrew word for a tent, often used to describe the tabernacle or a nomad's home. In Exodus 33:7-11, it refers to the sacred tent where God meets with Moses.
Amplified meaning
nomadic, living in a portable home
Tyndale gloss
tent
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word אֹ֫הֶל (*ohel*) means 'tent' and is derived from a root meaning 'to be conspicuous.' It encompasses various meanings, including a nomad's tent, a dwelling or home, and specifically refers to the sacred tent used for worship, known as the tabernacle. The entries consistently highlight its association with transience and habitation.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

אֹ֫הֶל 343 n.m. tent

tent of nomad

dwelling, habitation

the sacred tent used in worship of God

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H168 אֹ֫הֶל tent

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

168 'ohel o'-hel

from 166; a tent (as clearly conspicuous from a

distance):--covering, (dwelling)(place), home, tabernacle,

tent.

see HEBREW for 0166

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

אֹ֫הֶל (o.hel) — tent.

: tent

1) tent

1a) nomad's tent, and thus symbolic of wilderness life, transience

1b) dwelling, home, habitation

1c) the sacred tent of Jehovah (the tabernacle)

Also means: o.hel (אֹ֫הֶל ": home" H0168H)

אֹ֫הֶל (o.hel) — tent: home.

: home

1) tent

1a) nomad's tent, and thus symbolic of wilderness life, transience

1b) dwelling, home, habitation

1c) the sacred tent of Jehovah (the tabernacle)

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

tent ('ohel; skene; 'ohel is a derivative of 'ahal, "to be clear," "to shine"; hence, 'ohel, "to be conspicuous from a distance"): In the great stretches of uncultivated lands in the interior of Syria or Arabia, which probably have much the same aspect today as in Abraham's time, it is an easy matter to espy an encampment of roving Bedouin, "a nation .... that dwelleth without care .... that have neither gates nor bars" (Jer 49:31). The peaks of their black (compare So 1:5) goats' hair tents stand out in contrast against the lighter colors of the soil.

There seems to be little doubt about the antiquity of the Arab tent, and one can rightly believe that-the dwelling-places of Abraham, Sarah, Jacob, and their descendants were made on the same pattern and of the same materials (

Easton's Bible Dictionary

Tent

(1.) Heb. ‘ohel (Gen. 9:21, 27). This word is used also of a dwelling or habitation (1 Kings 8:66; Isa. 16:5; Jer. 4:20), and of the temple (Ezek. 41:1). When used of the tabernacle, as in 1 Kings 1:39, it denotes the covering of goat’s hair which was placed over the mishcan.

(2.) Heb. mishcan (Cant. 1:8), used also of a dwelling (Job 18:21; Ps. 87:2), the grave (

Among the leading characteristics of the nomad races, those two have always been numbered whose origin has been ascribed to Jabal the son of Lameth, (Genesis 4:20) viz., to be tent-dwellers and keepers of cattle. The same may be said of the forefathers of the Hebrew race; nor was it until the return into Canaan from Egypt that the Hebrews became inhabitants of cities. An Arab tent is called beit , "house;" its covering consists of stuff, about three quarters of a yard broad, made of black goat’s-hair, (Solomon 1:5) laid parallel with the tent’s length. This is sufficient to resist the heaviest rain. The tent-poles or columns are usually nine in number, placed in three groups; but many tents have only one pole, others two or three. The ropes which hold the tent in its place are fastened, not to the tent-cover itself, but to loops…

American Tract Society Bible Dictionary

Dwelling in tents was very general in ancient times among Eastern nations, Ge 4:20; their way of life being pastoral, locomotion became necessary for pasturage, and dwellings adapted for such a life became indispensable, Isa 38:12. The patriarchs Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob dwelt in tents, Ge 18:1 Heb 11:9; and on the exodus of the Israelites from Egypt, throughout their peregrinations until they obtained the promised land, and to some extent afterwards, they adopted the same kind of habitation. See BOOTHS. Hence the expression. "Every man to his tents, O Israel," etc.,

she will be blessed more than women Jael [the] wife of Heber the Kenite more than women in the tent she will be blessed
תְּבֹרָֽךְ׃te.vo.Rakh she will be blessed H1288 Verb · Pual · imperfect third person feminine singular
330× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
To bless means to praise or honor God, often by kneeling in worship. In the Bible, people bless God and God blesses people, showing favor and care for them, as seen in the story of Abraham and his descendants.
Amplified meaning
highly honored, esteemed
Tyndale gloss
to bless
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word בָּרַךְ (*barak*) is built from a primitive root meaning 'to kneel' and encompasses a range of meanings including 'to bless' and 'to curse.' It can refer to blessing God or men, as well as the act of kneeling in adoration. The entries note that it can also imply a curse in certain contexts, reflecting a nuanced use in greetings and farewells.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

[בָּרַךְ] 329 vb. kneel, bless

Qal

kneel down

bless

Niph. bless oneself

Pi.

bless God, adore with bended knees

God blesses

men bless men

salute, greet, with an invocation of blessing

bless, with the antithetical meaning curse from the greeting in departing, saying adieu to, taking leave of; but rather a blessing overdone and so really a curse as in vulgar English as well as in the Shemitic cognates

Pu.

pass. to be blessed, adored

prospered by God

have prosperity invoked, by Balaam

in gratitude

Hiph. and he made his camel kneel

Hithp. bless oneself, congratulate oneself in his heart

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H1288 בָּרַךְ kneel, bless .. kneel down

. bless

. bless oneself

. . bless God, adore with bended knees

. God blesses

. men bless men

. salute, greet, with an invocation of blessing

. bless, with the antithetical meaning curse from the greeting in departing, saying adieu to, taking leave of; but rather a blessing overdone and so really a curse as in vulgar English as well as in the Shemitic cognates

. . pass. to be blessed, adored

. prospered by God

. have prosperity invoked, by Balaam

. in gratitude

. and he made his camel kneel

. bless oneself, congratulate oneself in his heart

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

1288 barak baw-rak'

a primitive root; to kneel; by implication to bless God (as

an act of adoration), and (vice-versa) man (as a benefit);

also (by euphemism) to curse (God or the king, as treason):--X

abundantly, X altogether, X at all, blaspheme, bless,

congratulate, curse, X greatly, X indeed, kneel (down),

praise, salute, X still, thank.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

בָּרַךְ (ba.rakh) — to bless.

1) to bless, kneel

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to kneel

1a2) to bless

1b) (Niphal) to be blessed, bless oneself

1c) (Piel) to bless

1d) (Pual) to be blessed, be adored

1e) (Hiphil) to cause to kneel

1f) (Hithpael) to bless oneself

2) (TWOT) to praise, salute, curse

Aramaic equivalent: be.rakh (בְּרַךְ "to bless" H1289)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
V-Pual-Imperf-3fs — Verb · Pual · imperfect third person feminine singular
HVPi3fs
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

bles'-ed (barukh): Where God is referred to, this word has the sense of "praise," as in 1Sa 25:32, "Blessed be Yahweh, the God of Israel." But where man is in mind it is used in the sense of "happy" or "favored," and most frequently so in the Psalms and the Gospels, as for example, "Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the wicked" (Ps 1:1); "Blessed art thou among women" (Lu 1:42); "Blessed are the poor in spirit" (Mt 5:3).

See BEATITUDES.

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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