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Jeremiah 10:21 — Word Study

Depth

WLCכִּ֤י נִבְעֲרוּ֙ הָֽרֹעִ֔ים וְאֶת־ יְהוָ֖ה לֹ֣א דָרָ֑שׁוּ עַל־ כֵּן֙ לֹ֣א הִשְׂכִּ֔ילוּ וְכָל־ מַרְעִיתָ֖ם נָפֽוֹצָה׃ ס

BSAForkîy the shepherdsrâʻâh [pastors, spiritual leaders] have become senselessbâʻar [brutish, stupid, without spiritual discernment] they do notlôʼ seekdârash [inquire of, ask for guidance from] the LORDYᵉhôvâh [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] Thereforeʻal they have notlôʼ prosperedsâkal [been successful, acted wisely] and all theirkôl flockmirʻîyth [people under their care, congregation] is scatteredpûwts [dispersed, broken apart]

Word
Listen & take awayJeremiah 10
English ↓ Download MP3 The Berean Standard Bible chapter audio already hosted for the site's Bible section — verse 21 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 (na.Fo.tzah) — no per-word recordings of the Hebrew exist to link to.
Take it away
Jeremiah 10:21quick helps
In a sentenceThe shepherds have become foolish and do not seek the LORD, resulting in their failure and the scattering of their flock.
Who is speakingThe prophet Jeremiah, addressing the spiritual leaders of Israel.
Where we areA warning about the consequences of neglecting spiritual leadership, set within a larger context of judgment.
The hard wordנִבְעֲרוּ
Take awayFailure to seek God leads to spiritual and communal disarray.
7 commentators on this verse Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them › clause verbבָּעַר 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 — Jeremiah 10:21

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 Consequences of Neglectful Shepherdsgenerated

20My tent is destroyed, and all its ropes are snapped. My sons have departed from me and are no more. I have no one left to pitch my tent or set up my curtains.
21For the shepherds have become senseless; they do not seek the LORD. Therefore they have not prospered, and all their flock is scattered.
22Listen! The sound of a report is coming— a great commotion from the land to the north. The cities of Judah will be made a desolation, a haunt for jackals.
23I know, O LORD, that a man’s way is not his own; no one who walks directs his own steps.

Jeremiah 10:21 reveals the dire state of Israel's spiritual leadership. The shepherds, or spiritual leaders, have become senseless and fail to seek the LORD, leading to their lack of success and the scattering of the people under their care. This passage serves as a stark reminder of the responsibilities of leaders to guide and nurture their flock, as echoed throughout the prophetic literature, including in Ezekiel 34:2-5.


Cross References

ReferenceText (BSB)
1Jeremiah 10:8–14But they are altogether senseless and foolish, instructed by worthless idols made of wood!
2Jeremiah 2:8The priests did not ask, ‘Where is the LORD?’ The experts in the law no longer knew Me, and the leaders rebelled against Me. The prophets prophesied by Baal and followed useless idols.
3Jeremiah 5:31The prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests rule by their own authority. My people love it so, but what will you do in the end?
4Jeremiah 8:9The wise will be put to shame; they will be dismayed and trapped. Since they have rejected the word of the LORD, what wisdom do they really have?
5Jeremiah 12:10Many shepherds have destroyed My vineyard; they have trampled My plot of ground. They have turned My pleasant field into a desolate wasteland.

The Key Word נִבְעֲרוּ, niv.'a.Rugenerated

The verb נִבְעֲרוּ (niv'aru) is in the Niphal form, indicating a passive or reflexive action, meaning 'they have behaved stupidly' or 'they have become brutish.' This reflects a state of moral and spiritual dullness, where leaders fail to discern the truth.

This word emphasizes the seriousness of the shepherds' failure to seek the LORD, which is a critical aspect of their role. Their foolishness leads not only to personal failure but also to the scattering of the community they are meant to protect.


How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated

In this study, we reference the Berean Standard Bible, which uses behaved stupidly for נִבְעֲרוּ.


Sentence Structuregenerated

The finite verb נִבְעֲרוּ governs the main clause, indicating the shepherds' foolishness. The structure includes additional clauses that elaborate on their failure to seek the LORD and the consequences of their actions.

The syntax highlights the cause-and-effect relationship: because the shepherds do not seek the LORD, they do not prosper, leading to the scattering of their flock.


Septuagint Backgroundgenerated

The Septuagint translates נִבְעֲרוּ as ἠφρονεύσαντο, which carries the meaning of becoming foolish or lacking understanding. This choice reflects a similar concern for the moral state of the leaders.

The use of this Greek term suggests a direct interpretation of the Hebrew's emphasis on spiritual discernment and the consequences of neglecting it.


In plain words — the whole versegenerated

Jeremiah 10:21 explains that the shepherds, or leaders, have become foolish and do not seek the LORD. As a result, they have not succeeded, and their flock has been scattered. This highlights the importance of spiritual leadership and the consequences of neglecting one's responsibilities.


Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated

What does it mean that the shepherds have become senseless?

It means that the leaders have lost their spiritual discernment and understanding, failing to guide the people correctly.

Why is seeking the LORD important for leaders?

Seeking the LORD is essential for leaders to gain wisdom and guidance, which enables them to lead their people effectively.

What are the consequences of the shepherds not seeking the LORD?

The consequences include a lack of prosperity for the leaders and the scattering of the people they are supposed to care for.

How does this passage relate to other parts of the Bible?

This theme of negligent leadership and its consequences is echoed in other prophetic books, such as Ezekiel and Isaiah, where the responsibilities of leaders are highlighted.


Reflection Questionsgenerated

  1. In what ways can leaders today ensure they are seeking the LORD in their decisions?
  2. How can I support spiritual leaders in my community to help them fulfill their responsibilities?
  3. What are some signs of spiritual neglect that I should be aware of in leadership?
  4. How can I personally seek the LORD more diligently in my own life?

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

The early church fathers reference this verse to discuss the responsibilities of spiritual leaders and the consequences of their actions, emphasizing the need for discernment and guidance.

JeromeVerse 21. c. 347–420
Because the shepherds acted foolishly and did not seek the Lord: therefore, they did not understand, and the whole flock was scattered.
Early Church Fathers on Jeremiah 10 →
Cyril of AlexandriaCOMMENTARY ON LUKE, HOMILY 126 c. 376–444
The Lord protested against their wickedness through the voice of the prophet, saying, “Alas for the shepherds, who destroy and scatter the sheep of my inheritance,” and again,
Early Church Fathers on Jeremiah 10 →
Theodoret of CyrusOn Jeremiah 3:10 c. 393–460
He refers to the kings and priests as [stupid] shepherds because they were the guardians of this wandering people.
Early Church Fathers on Jeremiah 10 →

Commentators on this verse — 7 expositors, verse by verse

Each of these wrote on Jeremiah 10:21 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.

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

For the pastors are become brutish,.... The "kings" of Judah, so the Targum, Jarchi, and Kimchi, as Jehoiakim and Zedekiah; though it need not be restrained to these only, but may include all

Read John Gill on Jeremiah 10 →
Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's Commentary

For the pastors are become brutish, and have not sought the LORD: therefore they shall not prosper, and all their flocks shall be scattered. Pastors - the rulers, civil and religious.

Read Robert Jamieson on Jeremiah 10 →
Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy Bible

The pastors are become brutish; not that the prophet takes off all blame from the people, but that he layeth it chiefly upon the rulers of church and state; for so is pastor taken frequently. See , And have not sought the Lord; not sought unto him, and taken him into their counsels. Therefore they shall not prosper: the prophet gives the reason why nothing went well with them, namely, because there was no regard had to godliness, without which we cannot expect a blessing upon any thing. All their flocks shall be scattered, i.e. all that have been committed to their care shall be carried unto Babylon, and divers of them dispersed abroad into several countries for their sakes.

Read Matthew Poole on Jeremiah 10 →
John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

Jeremiah 10:21 For the pastors are become brutish, and have not sought the LORD: therefore they shall not prosper, and all their flocks shall be scattered.Ver. 21. For the pastors are become brutish.] The corrupt prophets and priests, who seduced the people from the truth, were persons that made no conscience of prayer; hence all went to wrack and ruin.

Read John Trapp on Jeremiah 10 →
Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(21) The pastors.—The “shepherds,” used, as in Jeremiah 2:8; Jeremiah 3:15, and elsewhere, of rulers generally, rather than of priests as such. Therefore they shall not prosper.—Better, therefore they have not done wisely. This is the primary meaning of the word (that of prosperity, as the result of prudence, the secondary), and is adopted by the LXX., Vulg., and most other versions. All their flocks.—Literally, all their pasture, the place, or the act, of pasturing, taken practically for the sheep that fed on it.

Read Charles John Ellicott on Jeremiah 10 →
AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible

Verse 21. The pastors are become brutish] The king and his counsellors, who, by refusing to pay the promised tribute to Nebuchadnezzar, had kindled a new war.

Read AdamClarke on Jeremiah 10 →
Daniel Denison Whedon1808–1885Whedon's Commentary on the Bible

21. Pastors are… brutish — Compare Jeremiah 2:8, etc. Shall not prosper — Rather, have not dealt wisely, and hence their flocks shall be scattered.

Read Daniel Denison Whedon on Jeremiah 10 →

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

For the shepherds have become senseless; they do not seek the LORD. Therefore they have not prospered, and all their flock is scattered.

WEBWorld English Bible2000

For the shepherds have become brutish, and have not inquired of Yahweh. Therefore they have not prospered, and all their flocks have scattered.

MSBMajority Standard Bible2022

For the shepherds have become senseless; they do not seek the LORD. Therefore they have not prospered, and all their flock is scattered.

NETBNew English Translation2006

For our leaders are stupid. They have not sought the Lord’s advice. So they do not act wisely, and the people they are responsible for have all been scattered.

Tyndale line

KJVKing James Version1611

For the pastors are become brutish, and have not sought the LORD: therefore they shall not prosper, and all their flocks shall be scattered.

ASVAmerican Standard Version1901

For the shepherds are become brutish, and have not inquired of Jehovah: therefore they have not prospered, and all their flocks are scattered.

RVARevised Version, American1894

For the shepherds are become brutish, and have not inquired of the LORD: therefore they have not prospered, and all their flocks are scattered.

NWBWebster's Bible1833

For the pastors have become brutish, and have not sought the LORD: therefore they shall not prosper, and all their flocks shall be scattered.

GNVGeneva Bible1599

For the Pastours are become beasts, and haue not sought the Lord: therefore haue they none vnderstanding: and all the flockes of their pastures are scattered.

Strictly literal

DBYDarby Translation1890

For the shepherds are become brutish, and have not sought Jehovah; therefore have they not acted wisely, and all their flock is scattered.

YLTYoung's Literal Translation1862

For the shepherds have become brutish, And Jehovah they have not sought, Therefore they have not acted wisely, And all their flock is scattered.

LSVLiteral Standard Version2020

For the shepherds have become brutish, || And they have not sought YHWH, || Therefore they have not acted wisely, || And all their flock is scattered.

ILTInterlinear Literal Translation2000

For the shepherds were brutish, and the Lord had they not sought; therefore have they not prospered, and all their flocks are scattered.

ULBUnlocked Literal Bible2017

For the shepherds are stupid and they do not seek Yahweh; so they have not prospered, and all their flock has been scattered.

From the Latin

DRADouay-Rheims (Challoner)1899

Because the pastors have done foolishly, and have not sought the Lord: therefore have they not understood, and all their flock is scattered.

Simplified

FBVFree Bible Version2020

The “shepherds” have become stupid—they don't ask the Lord for advice. That's why they have failed, and all their flock has been scattered.

BBEBible in Basic English1949

For the keepers of the sheep have become like beasts, not looking to the Lord for directions: so they have not done wisely and all their flocks have been put to flight.

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.

כִּ֤י(dm)clauseverbנִבְעֲרוּ֙they.are.stupidnoun phrase · subjectהָֽtheרֹעִ֔יםshepherdsוְandclausenoun phrase · objectאֶת(et)יְהוָ֖הYahwehadverbialלֹ֣אnotverbדָרָ֑שׁוּthey.have.soughtconjunction phraseprepositional phraseעַלthereforeכֵּן֙clauseadverbialלֹ֣אnotverbהִשְׂכִּ֔ילוּthey.have.prosperedוְandclausenoun phrase · subjectכָלallnoun phraseמַרְעִיתָ֖flockםtheirverbנָפֽוֹצָהit.has.been.scattered

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


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

The Masoretic Text aligns with the Septuagint in most of its wording, affirming the depiction of the shepherds' failure. The Dead Sea Scrolls show one word on the leather, with the rest supplied by an editor, indicating a similar understanding of the text's message.

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

כִּ֤י נִבְעֲרוּ֙ הָֽרֹעִ֔ים וְאֶת־ יְהוָ֖ה לֹ֣א דָרָ֑שׁוּ עַל־ כֵּן֙ לֹ֣א הִשְׂכִּ֔ילוּ וְכָל־ מַרְעִיתָ֖ם נָפֽוֹצָה׃ ס

Septuagintthe Greek the translators chose, word by word
כִּ֤יὅτιנִבְעֲרוּ֙ἠφρονεύσαντοוְאֶת־καὶלֹ֣אοὐκדָרָ֑שׁוּἐχεζήτησανעַל־διὰכֵּן֙τοῦτοלֹ֣אοὐκהִשְׂכִּ֔ילוּἐνόησενוְכָל־πᾶσαמַרְעִיתָ֖םνομὴנָפֽוֹצָה׃ סδιεσκορπίσθησαν

12 of the 14 words are matched. This is the word-by-word correspondence, not the Septuagint's own sentence — its word order and its articles are its own.

Dead Sea Scrolls — 4Q71a copy a thousand years older than the Leningrad Codex

[כי] [נבערו] [הרעים] [ואת] [יהוה] [לא] דרשו [על] [כן] [לא] [השכילו] [וכל] [מרעית׳ם] [נפוצה]

1 word on the leather — 13 supplied entire by an editor.

Four traditions, not one. “On the leather” means the letters physically survive on the scroll, as against letters an editor has supplied to fill a hole in it — a restoration is a scholar’s reading, not a reading of the manuscript. Words in [square brackets] are supplied; the notes count them apart from what survives.


The map of this verse — what each word keeps company with

This is a map of two things, both counted rather than judged. Company kept: which words stand within three words of each of these, anywhere in the Hebrew Bible — the thicker the line, the more often the pair meet compared with chance. Built from: the words a word is made out of, taken from its own Strong’s entry. It is not a map of meaning: nothing here claims two words mean the same thing. Click any circle to see the numbers behind it.

Jeremiah 10:21כִּיforforכִּיבָּעַרthey have bthey have behavבָּעַרבֵּית־עֵ֫קֶדthe shepherthe shepherdsבֵּית־עֵ֫קֶדאֵתand the objand the object אֵתיהוהYahwehYahwehיהוהלֹאnotnotלֹאדָּרַשׁthey have sthey have soughדָּרַשׁעַלthere-there-עַלכֵּן-fore-foreכֵּןלֹאnotnotלֹאשָׂכַלthey have pthey have prospשָׂכַלכֹּלand alland allכֹּלמַרְעִיתflock theirflock theirמַרְעִיתפּוּץit has beenit has been scaפּוּץבַּ֫עַרstupidstupidבַּ֫עַראוֹתsign: mirasign: miraculouאוֹתהָיָהto beto beהָיָהכּוּןto establito establish: pכּוּןכָּלַלto perfectto perfectכָּלַלבֵּית־עֵ֫קֶדHouse of SHouse of Shepheבֵּית־עֵ֫קֶדעַלheightheightעַליָכֹלbe ablebe ableיָכֹלעוֹדstillstillעוֹדיָדַעto knowto knowיָדַעלֶהָבָהflameflameלֶהָבָהכָּבָהto quenchto quenchכָּבָהרָבַץto stretchto stretchרָבַץעֵ֫דֶרflockflockעֵ֫דֶרמִגְרָשׁpasturepastureמִגְרָשׁנְאֻםutteranceutteranceנְאֻםצָבָאarmyarmyצָבָאבַּעַלבַּעַל
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 Jeremiah 10:21

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.

for they have behaved stupidly the shepherds and the object marker Yahweh not they have sought there- -fore not they have prospered and all flock their it has been scattered
כִּ֤יki for H3588 Particle
4,483× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
A conjunction used to show cause or connection, as in Genesis 2:23 where Adam says the woman is bone of his bone because she was taken out of him. It is often translated as 'for', 'because', or 'since'.
Tyndale gloss
for
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

כִּי (ki) is a conjunction primarily meaning 'that,' 'for,' or 'when.' It indicates causal relationships and can express conditions like 'if' or 'though.' The word is versatile, appearing in various contexts to convey certainty, exception, or concession. Notably, it can combine with other particles to modify its meaning, such as in the phrase כִּי אם־ (ki im), meaning 'that if.'

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

כִּי conj. that, for, when

that

Of time, when, of the past

elsewhere כִּי has a force approximating to if, though it usu. represents a case as more likely to occur than אִם

when or if, with a concessive force, i.e. though

Because, since

base

כִּי אם־

each part. retaining its independent force, and relating to a different clause:

that if

for if

(About 140 t.) the two particles being closely conjoined, and relating to the same clause—

limiting the prec. clause, except

the if being neglected, and treated as pleonastic, so that the clause is no longer a limitation of the preceding clause but a contradiction of it: but rather, but

after an oath, surely

base

כִּי עַל כֵּן forasmuch as

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H3588a כִּי that, for, when . that

. . Of time, when, of the past

. elsewhere כִּי has a force approximating to if, though it usu. represents a case as more likely to occur than אִם

. when or if, with a concessive force, i.e. though

. Because, since

H3588b כִּי אם־ . each part. retaining its independent force, and relating to a different clause: . that if

. for if

. (About 140 t.) the two particles being closely conjoined, and relating to the same clause— . limiting the prec. clause, except

. the if being neglected, and treated as pleonastic, so that the clause is no longer a limitation of the preceding clause but a contradiction of it: but rather, but

. after an oath, surely

H3588c כִּי עַל כֵּן forasmuch as

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

3588 kiy kee

a primitive particle (the full form of the prepositional

prefix) indicating causal relations of all kinds, antecedent

or consequent; (by implication) very widely used as a relative

conjunction or adverb (as below); often largely modified by

other particles annexed:--and, + (forasmuch, inasmuch,

where-)as, assured(-ly), + but, certainly, doubtless, + else,

even, + except, for, how, (because, in, so, than) that, +

nevertheless, now, rightly, seeing, since, surely, then,

therefore, + (al- )though, + till, truly, + until, when,

whether, while, whom, yea, yet.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

כִּי (ki) — for.

1) that, for, because, when, as though, as, because that, but, then, certainly, except, surely, since

1a) that

1a1) yea, indeed

1b) when (of time)

1b1) when, if, though (with a concessive force)

1c) because, since (causal connection)

1d) but (after negative)

1e) that if, for if, indeed if, for though, but if

1f) but rather, but

1g) except that

1h) only, nevertheless

1i) surely

1j) that is

1k) but if

1l) for though

1m) forasmuch as, for therefore

כִּי [אם] (ki im) — that if: except.

1) except if

1a) but if

1b) even though

כִּי [עַל כֵּן] (ki [al ken]) — for as that: since.

1) that, for, because, when, as though, as, because that, but, then, certainly, except, surely, since

1a) that

1a1) yea, indeed

1b) when (of time)

1b1) when, if, though (with a concessive force)

1c) because, since (causal connection)

1d) but (after negative)

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Conj — Particle
HTc
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

for (ki (conjunction), le, from 'el (preposition), and various other words. In the New Testament also the words are various, chiefly gar, kai gar, hoti (conjunctions); anti apo eis dia (accusative), epi (dative and accusative), peri (genitive), pros (genitive and accusative), huper (genitive) (prepositions)): the English Revised Version and the American Standard Revised Version give in many cases more literal or more accurate renderings than those in the King James Version.

In the New Testament the most important preps. from a doctrinal point of view are anti, "face to face," "over against," "instead," "on behalf of," peri, "around," "about," "concerning," huper, "over," "on behalf of." The first has been claimed as stating the substitutionary nature of Christ's sacrifice as contrasted with huper and peri, more frequently used of it. But, although anti in the New Testament often means…

The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
for they have behaved stupidly the shepherds and the object marker Yahweh not they have sought there- -fore not they have prospered and all flock their it has been scattered
נִבְעֲרוּ֙niv.'a.Ru they have behaved stupidly H1197 Verb · Niphal · perfect third person common plural
94× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
To be brutish means to be stupid or barbarous, and can also refer to consuming something by fire or eating. It is used to describe someone who is dull-hearted or unreceptive.
Amplified meaning
brutish, stupid, without spiritual discernment
Tyndale gloss
to burn: burn
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word בָּעַר (ba'ar) has two primary meanings: to burn or consume, and to be brutish or stupid. It encompasses actions related to fire, such as kindling and burning, as well as figurative uses like consuming guilt. Additionally, it can denote a state of dullness or lack of receptiveness. The lexicons provide various nuances, particularly in how the burning aspect can relate to wrath or destruction.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

[בָּעַר] vb. burn, consume

Qal burn

Pi.

kindle

burn

fig. consume, utterly remove

Pu. burn (i.e. be supplied with fire), of fire-jar

Hiph.

kindle

burn up

base

[בָּעַר] vb. denom. be brutish

Qal be stupid, dull-hearted, unreceptive

Niph. brutish, stupid

Pi. feed, graze

Hiph. cause to be grazed over

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H1197a [בָּעַר] burn, consume .burn

. . kindle

. burn

. fig. consume, utterly remove

. burn (i.e. be supplied with fire), of fire-jar

. . kindle

. burn up

H1197b [בָּעַר] vb. denom. be brutish .be stupid, dull-hearted, unreceptive

. brutish, stupid

. feed, graze

. cause to be grazed over

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

1197 ba`ar baw-ar'

a primitive root; to kindle, i.e. consume (by fire or by

eating); also (as denominative from 1198) to be(-come)

brutish:--be brutish, bring (put, take) away, burn, (cause to)

eat (up), feed, heat, kindle, set ((on fire)), waste.

see HEBREW for 01198

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

בָּעַר (ba.ar) — to burn: burn.

: burn/ignite

1) to burn, consume, kindle, be kindled

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to begin to burn, be kindled, start burning

1a2) to burn, be burning

1a3) to burn, consume

1a4) Jehovah's wrath, human wrath (fig.)

1b) (Piel)

1b1) to kindle, burn

1b2) to consume, remove (of guilt) (fig.)

1c) (Hiphil)

1c1) to kindle

1c2) to burn up

1c3) to consume (destroy)

1d) (Pual) to burn

בָּעַר (ba.ar) — be brutish.

v denom

1) to be stupid, brutish, barbarous

1a) (Qal) to be stupid, dull-hearted, unreceptive

1b) (Niphal) to be stupid, dull-hearted

1c) (Piel) to feed, graze

1d) (Hiphil) to cause to be grazed over

בָּעַר (ba.ar) — to burn: destroy.

: destroy

1) to burn, consume, kindle, be kindled

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to begin to burn, be kindled, start burning

1a2) to burn, be burning

1a3) to burn, consume

1a4) Jehovah's wrath, human wrath (fig.)

1b) (Piel)

1b1) to kindle, burn

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
V-Niphal-Perf-3cp — Verb · Niphal · perfect third person common plural
HVNp3cp
for they have behaved stupidly the shepherds and the object marker Yahweh not they have sought there- -fore not they have prospered and all flock their it has been scattered
הָֽרֹעִ֔יםha.ro.'Im the shepherds H7462 Particle · verb qal participle (active) masculine plural
177× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This verb means to care for or tend to someone or something, like a shepherd with his flock. It can also mean to rule over or associate with someone as a friend, and is sometimes used to describe a close relationship.
Amplified meaning
pastors, spiritual leaders
Tyndale gloss
House of Shepherds
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word רָעָה (*ra'ah*) is built from a primitive root meaning to tend or pasture a flock. It covers a range of meanings including to graze, rule, associate with, and befriend. The term appears in contexts related to shepherding and companionship, with a specific mention of the 'binding-house of shepherds' in 2 Kings 10:12.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

בֵּית־עֵ֫קֶד הָרֹעִים perh. n.pr.loc. (binding-house of the shepherds) 2 K 10:12

base

רָעָה 167 vb. pasture, tend, graze

Qal

trans.

intrans.

Niph. poss.

Hiph. v.

base

[רָעָה] vb. prob. associate with

Qal cherish faithfulness

Hithp. do not make companionship with a bad-tempered man

base

[רָעָה] vb. denom. Pi. be a special friend;—Ju 14:20

ref

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H7462a בֵּית־עֵ֫קֶד הָרֹעִים binding-house of shepherds H7462b רָעָה pasture, tend, graze H7462c רָעָה prob. associate with H7462d רָעָה vb. denom. Pi. be a special friend

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

7462 ra`ah raw-aw'

a primitive root; to tend a flock; i.e. pasture it;

intransitively, to graze (literally or figuratively);

generally to rule; by extension, to associate with (as a

friend):--X break, companion, keep company with, devour, eat

up, evil entreat, feed, use as a friend, make friendship with,

herdman, keep (sheep)(-er), pastor, + shearing house,

shepherd, wander, waste.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

בֵּית־עֵ֫קֶד הָרֹעִים (bet-e.qed ha.ro.im) — House of Shepherds.

Ra'ah = "pasturing"

perh. "binding-house of the shepherds"

רָעָה (ra.ah) — to pasture.

1) to pasture, tend, graze, feed

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to tend, pasture

1a1a) to shepherd

1a1b) of ruler, teacher (fig)

1a1c) of people as flock (fig)

1a1d) shepherd, herdsman (subst)

1a2) to feed, graze

1a2a) of cows, sheep etc (literal)

1a2b) of idolater, Israel as flock (fig)

1b) (Hiphil) shepherd, shepherdess

Also means: ro.i (רֹעִי "to shepherd" H7473)

רָעָה (ra.ah) — to accompany.

1) to associate with, be a friend of (meaning probable)

1a) (Qal) to associate with

1b) (Hithpael) to be companions

רָעָה (ra.ah) — to befriend.

(Piel) to be a special friend

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Art | V-Qal — Particle · verb qal participle (active) masculine plural
HTd/Vqrmpa
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
Torrey's New Topical Textbook

- Early mention of

Ge 4:2

- Usually carried a scrip or bag

1Sa 17:40

- Carried a staff or rod

Le 27:32; Ps 23:4

- Dwelt in tents while tending their flocks

So 1:8; Isa 38:12

- Members of the family both male and female acted as

Ge 29:6; 1Sa 16:11; 17:15

- Had hired keepers under them

1Sa 17:20

- The unfaithfulness of hireling, alluded to

Joh 10:12

Thompson Chain Reference topics

general references to

Ge 4:2; 13:5; 29:9; 37:2; 46:32; Ex 2:17; 3:1; 1Sa 16:11; 17:20

1Ch 4:39; Am 3:12; Mt 25:32; Lu 2:8

for they have behaved stupidly the shepherds and the object marker Yahweh not they have sought there- -fore not they have prospered and all flock their it has been scattered
וְאֶת־ve.'Et and the object marker H853 Conjunction · particle
10,946× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
In the original Hebrew, this word points out the object of a verb or preposition, like 'namely' or 'even'. It appears in many books, including Genesis and Exodus. It's not directly translated in English, but helps clarify the meaning of sentences.
Tyndale gloss
[Obj.]
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

אֵת (eth) is primarily a grammatical marker in Hebrew, indicating the definite direct object of a verb. It is not translated into English and typically precedes nouns that are definite. The word is derived from a demonstrative sense of entity, related to the Hebrew word for 'self.' Its Aramaic equivalent is יָת (yat).

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

אֵת the mark of the accusative, prefixed as a rule only to nouns that are definite

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H853 אֵת the mark of the accusative, prefixed as a rule only to nouns that are definite

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

853 'eth ayth

apparent contracted from 226 in the demonstrative sense of

entity; properly, self (but generally used to point out more

definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or

namely):--(as such unrepresented in English).

see HEBREW for 0226

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

אֵת (et) — [Obj.].

sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative

Aramaic equivalent: yat (יָת "whom" H3487)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
HC/To — Conjunction · particle
HC/To
The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
for they have behaved stupidly the shepherds and the object marker Yahweh not they have sought there- -fore not they have prospered and all flock their it has been scattered
יְהוָ֖הYah.weh Yahweh H3068 Noun proper
6,528× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
Yehovah is another name for God, often translated as 'the Lord'. It is a national name for God in the Jewish faith. This name is used throughout the Old Testament.
Amplified meaning
Yehovah, The covenant Name of God
Tyndale gloss
The Lord
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

יְהֹוָה (ye.ho.vah) is the proper name of the God of Israel, often rendered as Jehovah or the Lord. It signifies the self-existent or eternal nature of God. The name is closely associated with the revelation to Moses in Exodus 3:12-15 and is used in conjunction with other terms to denote sacred places. Some scholars suggest it derives from a root meaning 'to bring into being.'

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

יהוה c. 6823 i.e. יַהְוֶה n.pr.dei Yahweh, the proper name of the God of Israel—(1. MT יְהֹוָה 6518 (Qr אֲדֹנָי), or יֱהֹוִה 305 (Qr אֱלֹהִים) 2. Many recent scholars explain יַהְוֶה as Hiph. of הוה (= היה) the one bringing into being, life-giver)

יהוה is not used by E in Gn, but is given Ex 3:12-15 as the name of the God who revealed Himself to Moses at Horeb

יהוה is used with אלהים and suffixes, especially in D

the phrase † אֲנִי יהוה is noteworthy

יהוה is also used with several predicates, to form sacred names of holy places of Yahweh

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H3068 יהוה i.e. יַהְוֶה n. pr. dei Yahweh, the proper name of the God of Israel

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

3068 Yhovah yeh-ho-vaw'

from 1961; (the) self-Existent or Eternal; Jehovah, Jewish

national name of God:--Jehovah, the Lord. Compare 3050, 3069.

see HEBREW for 01961

see HEBREW for 03050

see HEBREW for 03069

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

יְהֹוָה (ye.ho.vah) — LORD.

Jehovah = "the existing One"

1) the proper name of the one true God

1a) unpronounced except with the vowel pointings of a.do.na (אֲדֹנָי "Lord" H0136)

יְהֹוָה (ye.ho.vah) — The Lord.

Another name of ye.ru.sha.laim (יְרוּשָׁלִַ֫ם, יְרוּשְׁלֵם "Jerusalem" H3389)

יְהֹוָה (ye.ho.vah) — (Jerusalem of) the Lord.

Combined with ye.ru.sha.laim (יְרוּשָׁלִַ֫ם, יְרוּשְׁלֵם "Jerusalem" H3389)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-proper — Noun proper
HNpt
The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
for they have behaved stupidly the shepherds and the object marker Yahweh not they have sought there- -fore not they have prospered and all flock their it has been scattered
לֹ֣אlo' not H3808 Particle
5,170× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
The Hebrew word for not or no is used to indicate absence or negation, as when God says no to the Israelites' requests, or when they disobey His commands.
Tyndale gloss
not
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

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

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

לֹא or לוֹא adv. not

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H3808 לֹא or לוֹא not

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

3808 lo' lo

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

לֹא (lo) — not.

1) not, no

1a) not (with verb-absolute prohibition)

1b) not (with modifier-negation)

1c) nothing (subst)

1d) without (with particle)

1e) before (of time)

Aramaic equivalent: la (לָא "not" H3809)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Part — Particle
HTn
The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
for they have behaved stupidly the shepherds and the object marker Yahweh not they have sought there- -fore not they have prospered and all flock their it has been scattered
דָרָ֑שׁוּda.Ra.shu they have sought H1875 Verb · Qal · perfect third person common plural
164× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
To seek or ask is the meaning of this Hebrew word, often used to describe seeking God or worshiping him. It can also mean to investigate or enquire about something.
Amplified meaning
inquire of, ask for guidance from
Tyndale gloss
to seek
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

דָּרַשׁ (darash) is a Hebrew verb meaning to seek or inquire. It encompasses a range of actions from frequenting a place to consulting deities in prayer and worship. The word can imply a diligent search or demand, and it appears in both Qal and Niphal forms, indicating various nuances of seeking and being sought. The entries do not present any significant disagreement.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

דָּרַשׁ 162 vb. resort to, seek

Qal

(tread a place,) resort to, frequent

seek, consult, inquire of

seek deity in prayer and worship

seek, with idea of demanding, require

inquire, investigate (a matter)

ask for, require, demand

seek with application, study, follow, practise

seek with care, care for

Niph.

let oneself be inquired of, consulted, only of God

be sought out

be required, of blood

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H1875 דָּרַשׁ resort to, seek

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

1875 darash daw-rash'

a primitive root; properly, to tread or frequent; usually to

follow (for pursuit or search); by implication, to seek or

ask; specifically to worship:--ask, X at all, care for, X

diligently, inquire, make inquisition, (necro-)mancer,

question, require, search, seek (for, out), X surely.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

דָּרַשׁ (da.rash) — to seek.

1) to resort to, seek, seek with care, enquire, require

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to resort to, frequent (a place), (tread a place)

1a2) to consult, enquire of, seek

1a2a) of God

1a2b) of heathen gods, necromancers

1a3) to seek deity in prayer and worship

1a3a) God

1a3b) heathen deities

1a4) to seek (with a demand), demand, require

1a5) to investigate, enquire

1a6) to ask for, require, demand

1a7) to practice, study, follow, seek with application

1a8) to seek with care, care for

1b) (Niphal)

1b1) to allow oneself to be enquired of, consulted (only of God)

1b2) to be sought, be sought out

1b3) to be required (of blood)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
V-Qal-Perf-3cp — Verb · Qal · perfect third person common plural
HVqp3cp
for they have behaved stupidly the shepherds and the object marker Yahweh not they have sought there- -fore not they have prospered and all flock their it has been scattered
עַל־'al- there- H5921 Preposition
5,774× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This Hebrew word means on or above something, like a physical object or a situation. It can also imply a sense of responsibility or accountability, as in being on behalf of someone.
Tyndale gloss
upon
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word עַל (*al*) is a preposition meaning 'upon' and encompasses a wide range of meanings, including 'on account of,' 'beside,' 'above,' and 'against.' It can indicate physical placement, emotional burdens, or duties imposed on a person. The entries also note its use in idiomatic expressions and with verbs of motion. There is a mention of its function as a conjunction in certain contexts.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

כִּי עַל כֵּן forasmuch as

base

עַל, עָ֑ל

subst. height

As prep. upon, and hence on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against

Upon, of the substratum upon which an object in any way rests, or on which an action is performed

of clothing, etc., which any one wears

With verbs of covering or protecting, even though the cover or veil be not over or above the thing covered, but around or before it

Of what rests heavily upon a person, or is a burden to him

Of a duty, payment, care, etc., imposed upon a person, or devolving on him

על is used idiom. to give pathos to the expression of an emotion, by emphasizing the person who is its subject, and who, as it were, feels it acting upon him

חָיָה עַל to live upon (as upon a foundation or support)

Read the full entry →
Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H5921a עַל, עָ֑ל . As prep. upon, and hence on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against . Upon, of the substratum upon which an object in any way rests, or on which an action is performed . — . of clothing, etc., which any one wears

. With verbs of covering or protecting, even though the cover or veil be not over or above the thing covered, but around or before it

. Of what rests heavily upon a person, or is a burden to him

. Of a duty, payment, care, etc., imposed upon a person, or devolving on him

. על is used idiom. to give pathos to the expression of an emotion, by emphasizing the person who is its subject, and who, as it were, feels it acting upon him

. חָיָה עַל to live upon (as upon a foundation or support)

Read the full entry →
Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

5921 `al al

properly, the same as 5920 used as a preposition (in the

singular or plural often with prefix, or as conjunction with a

particle following); above, over, upon, or against (yet always

in this last relation with a downward aspect) in a great

variety of applications (as follow):--above, according

to(-ly), after, (as) against, among, and, X as, at, because

of, beside (the rest of), between, beyond the time, X both

and, by (reason of), X had the charge of, concerning for, in

(that), (forth, out) of, (from) (off), (up-)on, over, than,

through(-out), to, touching, X with.

see HEBREW for 05920

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

עַל (al) — upon.

prep

1) upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against

1a) upon, on the ground of, on the basis of, on account of, because of, therefore, on behalf of, for the sake of, for, with, in spite of, notwithstanding, concerning, in the matter of, as regards

1b) above, beyond, over (of excess)

1c) above, over (of elevation or pre-eminence)

1d) upon, to, over to, unto, in addition to, together with, with (of addition)

1e) over (of suspension or extension)

1f) by, adjoining, next, at, over, around (of contiguity or proximity)

1g) down upon, upon, on, from, up upon, up to, towards, over towards, to, against (with verbs of motion)

1h) to (as a dative)

[כִּי] עַל [כֵּן] ([ki] al [ken]) — as.

conj

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Prep — Preposition
HR
The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
for they have behaved stupidly the shepherds and the object marker Yahweh not they have sought there- -fore not they have prospered and all flock their it has been scattered
כֵּן֙ken -fore H3651 Adverb
771× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
In the Bible, this Hebrew word means 'so' or 'thus', often used to show agreement or confirmation, like in the book of Genesis. It can also mean 'rightly' or 'justly', as in doing something the correct way. It appears in various forms throughout the Old Testament.
Tyndale gloss
right
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word כֵּן (*ken*) is built from the root meaning 'set upright.' It functions as an adjective meaning 'right,' 'veritable,' or 'honest,' and as an adverb meaning 'so,' 'therefore,' or 'thus.' It appears in various contexts, often indicating manner or relation, and is used in phrases like 'forasmuch as.'

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

כֵּן adj. right, veritable, honest

right

veritable, true

pl. concr. honest (men)

base

כִּי עַל כֵּן forasmuch as

base

כֵּן adv. so

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H3651a כֵּן adj. right, veritable, honest H3651b כִּי עַל כֵּן forasmuch as H3651c כֵּן so

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

3651 ken kane

from 3559; properly, set upright; hence (figuratively as

adjective) just; but usually (as adverb or conjunction)

rightly or so (in various applications to manner, time and

relation; often with other particles):--+ after that

(this, -ward, -wards), as ... as, + (for-)asmuch as yet, + be

(for which) cause, + following, howbeit, in (the) like

(manner, -wise), X the more, right, (even) so, state,

straightway, such (thing), surely, + there (where)-fore, this,

thus, true, well, X you.

see HEBREW for 03559

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

כֵּן (ken) — right.

adv

adj

1) right, just, honest, true, veritable

1a) right, just, honest

1b) correct

1c) true, veritable

[כִּי עַל] כֵּן ([ki al] ken) — as.

adv

forasmuch as, since

כֵּן (ken) — so.

adv

1) so, therefore, thus

1a) thus, so

1b) just so

1c) therefore

1d) so...as (paired with adv)

1e) then

1f) forasmuch as (in phrase)

1g) (with prep)

1g1) therefore, this being so (specific)

1g2) hitherto

1g3) therefore, on this ground (general)

1g4) afterwards

1g5) in such case

Aramaic equivalent: ken (כֵּן "thus" H3652)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
HD — Adverb
HD
The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
for they have behaved stupidly the shepherds and the object marker Yahweh not they have sought there- -fore not they have prospered and all flock their it has been scattered
לֹ֣אlo' not H3808 Particle
5,170× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
The Hebrew word for not or no is used to indicate absence or negation, as when God says no to the Israelites' requests, or when they disobey His commands.
Tyndale gloss
not
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

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

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

לֹא or לוֹא adv. not

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H3808 לֹא or לוֹא not

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

3808 lo' lo

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

לֹא (lo) — not.

1) not, no

1a) not (with verb-absolute prohibition)

1b) not (with modifier-negation)

1c) nothing (subst)

1d) without (with particle)

1e) before (of time)

Aramaic equivalent: la (לָא "not" H3809)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Part — Particle
HTn
The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
for they have behaved stupidly the shepherds and the object marker Yahweh not they have sought there- -fore not they have prospered and all flock their it has been scattered
הִשְׂכִּ֔ילוּhis.Ki.lu they have prospered H7919 Verb · Hiphil · perfect third person common plural
62× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
To be circumspect means to be careful and thoughtful in your actions. In the Bible, this word is used to describe someone who is intelligent and prudent, like Solomon in 1 Kings 3:12.
Amplified meaning
been successful, acted wisely
Tyndale gloss
be prudent
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word שָׂכַל (*sakal*) is a primitive root meaning to be prudent or circumspect. It encompasses a range of meanings including to consider, understand, teach, and prosper. The word can also refer to laying something crosswise in its Piel form. Notably, it appears in contexts that emphasize insight and wisdom.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

שָׂכַל vb. be prudent

Qal be prudent, circumspect

Hiph.

look at

give attention to, consider, ponder

have insight, comprehension

cause to consider, give insight, teach

act circumspectly, prudently

prosper, have success

cause to prosper

base

[שָׂכַל] vb. Pi. lay crosswise;—Gn 48:14 (J)

ref

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H7919a שָׂכַל be prudent .be prudent, circumspect

. . look at

. give attention to, consider, ponder

. have insight, comprehension

. cause to consider, give insight, teach

. act circumspectly, prudently

. prosper, have success

. cause to prosper

H7919b שָׂכַל Pi. lay crosswise

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

7919 sakal saw-kal'

a primitive root; to be (causatively, make or act)

circumspect and hence, intelligent:--consider, expert,

instruct, prosper, (deal) prudent(-ly), (give) skill(-ful),

have good success, teach, (have, make to) understand(-ing),

wisdom, (be, behave self, consider, make) wise(- ly), guide

wittingly.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

שָׂכַל (sa.khal) — be prudent.

1) to be prudent, be circumspect, wisely understand, prosper

1a) (Qal) to be prudent, be circumspect

1b) (Hiphil)

1b1) to look at or upon, have insight

1b2) to give attention to, consider, ponder, be prudent

1b3) to have insight, have comprehension

1b3a) insight, comprehension (subst)

1b4) to cause to consider, give insight, teach

1b4a) the teachers, the wise

1b5) to act circumspectly, act prudently, act wisely

1b6) to prosper, have success

1b7) to cause to prosper

Aramaic equivalent: se.khal (שְׂכַל "to contemplate" H7920)

שָׂכַל (sa.khal) — to cross hands.

(Piel) to lay crosswise, cross (hands)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
V-Hiphil-Perf-3cp — Verb · Hiphil · perfect third person common plural
HVhp3cp
for they have behaved stupidly the shepherds and the object marker Yahweh not they have sought there- -fore not they have prospered and all flock their it has been scattered
וְכָל־ve.khol and all H3605 Conjunction · noun common masculine singular construct
5,415× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
The Hebrew word for 'all' or 'everything' is used throughout the Bible, like in Genesis 1:31, where God sees all He has made as very good. It encompasses the entirety of something, whether people, things, or situations.
Tyndale gloss
all
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

כֹּל (kol) means 'all' or 'the whole.' It can refer to totality, including every person or thing, and is often used with a following genitive to specify what is included. The term can also denote a broader sense of everything in existence or all circumstances of life. The lexicons do not show significant disagreement on its meanings.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

כֹּל once כּוֹל n.m. the whole, all

with foll. gen. (as usually) the whole of, to be rendered, however, often in our idiom, to avoid stiffness, any or every

Absolutely:

without the art., all things, all

with the art. הַכֹּל

where the sense is limited by the context to things (or persons) just mentioned

in a wider sense, all, whether of all mankind or of all living things, the universe, or of all the circumstances of life (chiefly late)

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H3605 כֹּל once כּוֹל the whole, all . with foll. gen. (as usually) the whole of, to be rendered, however, often in our idiom, to avoid stiffness, any or every

. Absolutely: . without the art., all things, all

. with the art. הַכֹּל . where the sense is limited by the context to things (or persons) just mentioned

. in a wider sense, all, whether of all mankind or of all living things, the universe, or of all the circumstances of life (chiefly late)

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

3605 kol kole

or (Jer. 33:8) kowl {kole}; from 3634; properly, the whole;

hence, all, any or every (in the singular only, but often in a

plural sense):--(in) all (manner, (ye)), altogether, any

(manner), enough, every (one, place, thing), howsoever, as

many as, (no-)thing, ought, whatsoever, (the) whole,

whoso(-ever).

see HEBREW for 03634

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

כֹּל (kol) — all.

1) all, the whole

1a) all, the whole of

1b) any, each, every, anything

1c) totality, everything

Aramaic equivalent: kol (כֹּל "all" H3606)

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

ol: Used in various combinations, and with different meanings.

(1) All along, "Weeping all along as he went" (Jer 41:6), i.e. throughout the whole way he went, feigning equal concern with the men from Shiloh, etc., for the destruction of the Temple, so as to put them off their guard.

(2) All in all, "That God may be all in all" (1Co 15:28, Greek: panta en pasin, "all things in all (persons and) things"). "The universe, with all it comprises, will wholly answer to God's will and reflect His mind" (Dummelow).

(3) All one, "It is all one" (Job 9:22), "it makes no difference whether I live or die."

(4) At all, "If thy father miss me at all" (1Sa 20:6), "in any way," "in the least."

The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
for they have behaved stupidly the shepherds and the object marker Yahweh not they have sought there- -fore not they have prospered and all flock their it has been scattered
מַרְעִיתָ֖םmar.'i.Tam flock their H4830 Noun common feminine singular construct · suffix
10× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
Refers to the act of caring for sheep or goats, like a shepherd. It can also mean the animals themselves, as in a flock. This word is used in the Bible to describe the work of a shepherd.
Amplified meaning
people under their care, congregation
Tyndale gloss
pasturing
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

מַרְעִית (mir`iyth) refers to concepts related to pasturing and shepherding, including pasturage and a flock. It is derived from a root meaning to feed. The term encompasses both the act of grazing and the collective group of animals being tended.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

[מַרְעִית] n.f. pasturing, shepherding, pasturage

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H4830 [מַרְעִית] pasturing, shepherding, pasturage

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

4830 mir`iyth meer-eeth'

from 7462 in the sense of feeding; pasturage; concretely, a

flock:--flock, pasture.

see HEBREW for 07462

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

מַרְעִית (mir.it) — pasturing.

1) pasturing, pasturage, shepherding

1a) pasturing, shepherding

1b) pasturage

1c) flock (meton)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-fs | Suff — Noun common feminine singular construct · suffix
HNcfsc/Sp3mp
for they have behaved stupidly the shepherds and the object marker Yahweh not they have sought there- -fore not they have prospered and all flock their it has been scattered
נָפֽוֹצָה׃ סna.Fo.tzah it has been scattered H6327 Verb · Niphal · perfect third person feminine singular
67× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
To shatter means to break something into pieces, either physically or figuratively. It can also mean to disperse or scatter people or things, as seen in various Bible translations.
Amplified meaning
dispersed, broken apart
Tyndale gloss
to scatter
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word פּוּץ (puwts) primarily means to scatter or disperse, applicable to both people and armies. It can also convey the idea of flowing or overflowing. The noun form מֵפִיץ (mephits) refers to a scatterer. Additionally, it has connotations of breaking or shattering, as seen in related forms.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

[פּוּץ] vb. be dispersed, scattered

Qal be dispersed, disperse; be scattered, of enemies

Niph.

be scattered, of army

be spread abroad, of peoples

Hiph.

trans. scatter

intrans. scatter

base

מֵפִיץ n.m. scatterer, disperser

base

פּוּץ vb. flow, overflow

base

[פָּצַץ] vb. break (Ar. break, break asunder; Nab. break asunder; Syr. crush)

Pō‛. a hammer which shatters rock.

Pilp. he [God] dashed me in pieces (fig.).

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H6327a פּוּץ be dispersed, scattered .be dispersed, disperse; be scattered, of enemies

. . be scattered, of army

. be spread abroad, of peoples

. . trans. scatter

. intrans. scatter

H6327b מֵפִיץ scatterer, disperser H6327c פּוּץ flow, overflow H6327d [פָּצַץ] break (Ar. break, break asunder; Nab. break asunder; Syr. crush) . a hammer which shatters rock.

. he [God] dashed me in pieces (fig.).

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

6327 puwts poots

a primitive root; to dash in pieces, literally or

figuratively (especially to disperse):--break (dash, shake)

in (to) pieces, cast (abroad), disperse (selves), drive,

retire, scatter (abroad), spread abroad.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

פּוּץ (puts) — to scatter.

1) to scatter, be dispersed, be scattered

1a) (Qal) to be dispersed, be scattered

1b) (Niphal)

1b1) to be scattered

1b2) to be spread abroad

1c) (Hiphil) to scatter

1d) Hithpael) scatter

מֵפִיץ (me.phits) — scatterer.

n.m.

scatterer

פּוּץ (puts) — to flow.

(Qal) to flow, overflow

פָּצַץ (pa.tsats) — to shatter.

1) to break

1a) (Polel) to shatter

1b) (Pilpel) to dash to pieces

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
V-Niphal-Perf-3fs — Verb · Niphal · perfect third person feminine singular
HVNp3fs
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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