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Jeremiah 48:6 — Word Study

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WLCנֻ֖סוּ מַלְּט֣וּ נַפְשְׁכֶ֑ם וְתִֽהְיֶ֕ינָה כַּעֲרוֹעֵ֖ר בַּמִּדְבָּֽר׃

BSAFleenûwç [save your lives, escape] Runmâlaṭ for your livesnephesh [soul, living being] Becomehâyâh like a juniperʻărôwʻêr [heath, scrawny tamarisk tree] in the desertmidbâr [wilderness, open field]

Word
Listen & take awayJeremiah 48
English ↓ Download MP3 The Berean Standard Bible chapter audio already hosted for the site's Bible section — verse 6 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 (ba.mid.Bar) — no per-word recordings of the Hebrew exist to link to.
Take it away
Jeremiah 48:6quick helps
In a sentenceJeremiah urges the people to escape for their lives and to take on the resilience of a juniper in the wilderness.
Who is speakingThe prophet Jeremiah, delivering a message of urgency to the people.
Where we areIn a warning about impending destruction, urging immediate action.
The hard wordנֻ֖סוּ
Take awayThe call to flee is urgent; survival is at stake.
8 commentators on this verse Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them › clause verbנוּס 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 48:6

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 Prophecy Against Moabgenerated

5For on the ascent to Luhith they weep bitterly as they go, and on the descent to Horonaim cries of distress resound over the destruction:
6‘Flee! Run for your lives! Become like a juniper in the desert. ’
7Because you trust in your works and treasures, you too will be captured, and Chemosh will go into exile with his priests and officials.
8The destroyer will move against every city, and not one town will escape. The valley will also be ruined, and the high plain will be destroyed, as the LORD has said.

Jeremiah 48:6 is part of a prophecy against Moab, where the people are warned of destruction and urged to flee for their lives. The context reveals a sense of urgency and despair as the prophet describes the dire consequences of their situation. This passage highlights the need for immediate action to escape impending danger, much like the instructions given to Lot in Genesis 19:17.


Cross References

ReferenceText (BSB)
1Jeremiah 51:6Flee from Babylon! Escape with your lives! Do not be destroyed in her punishment. For this is the time of the LORD’s vengeance; He will pay her what she deserves.
2Genesis 19:17As soon as the men had brought them out, one of them said, “Run for your lives! Do not look back, and do not stop anywhere on the plain! Flee to the mountains, or you will be swept away!”
3Psalm 11:1In the LORD I take refuge. How then can you say to me: “Flee like a bird to your mountain!
4Proverbs 6:4–5Allow no sleep to your eyes or slumber to your eyelids.
5Matthew 24:16–18then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains.

The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 10 references, hung on the phrase they belong to


The Key Word נֻ֖סוּ, Nu.sugenerated

The verb נוּס (nus) is an imperative form, commanding the people to flee or escape. It conveys a sense of urgency and the necessity of quick action in the face of danger. This word is commonly used in the Hebrew Bible to describe fleeing from threats, emphasizing the importance of survival.

In this context, the command to flee is not merely about physical escape but also about preserving life. The urgency is underscored by its grammatical form, as it directly addresses the people, calling them to act swiftly to save themselves.


How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated

This study reads the verse in the Berean Standard Bible, which translates the command as Flee!


Sentence Structuregenerated

The main verb נֻ֖סוּ (flee) governs the entire verse, with two additional verbs מַלְּט֣וּ (save) and תִֽהְיֶ֕ינָה (may be) following it. This structure highlights the urgency of the commands given to the people.

The phrase כַּעֲרוֹעֵ֖ר (like a juniper bush) serves as a simile, illustrating how the people should adapt to their harsh environment. The overall structure emphasizes the need for immediate action and resilience.


Septuagint Backgroundgenerated

The Septuagint translates נֻ֖סוּ as φεύγετε (G5343), which also means 'to flee.' This choice maintains the urgency of the command in the Greek context, emphasizing the need for escape.

The translation of כַּעֲרוֹעֵ֖ר as ὥσπερ (G5618) indicates a direct comparison to the juniper, reinforcing the metaphor of resilience in a barren landscape.


In plain words — the whole versegenerated

Jeremiah 48:6 contains a call for the people of Moab to flee and save their lives, comparing their need for survival to that of a juniper bush in the wilderness. This urgent message highlights the danger they face and the necessity of quick action.


Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated

What does it mean to flee like a juniper?

The comparison suggests resilience and adaptability in a harsh environment, indicating that just as a juniper survives in the wilderness, the people must also find a way to endure.

Why is the command to flee so urgent?

The urgency reflects the imminent danger facing the people of Moab, emphasizing the need for immediate action to escape destruction.

What does the term 'soul' refer to in this context?

In this context, 'soul' refers to the essence of life, highlighting the importance of preserving one's life amidst danger.

How does this verse connect to other biblical themes?

This verse connects to themes of deliverance and escape found throughout the Bible, such as the Israelites fleeing Egypt and Lot escaping Sodom.


Reflection Questionsgenerated

  1. In what areas of my life do I need to take urgent action to escape danger or harm?
  2. How can I cultivate resilience like the juniper bush in my own life?
  3. What does it mean for me to preserve my 'soul' in challenging circumstances?
  4. How can I help others who are in danger to find safety and escape?

Commentators on this verse — 8 expositors, verse by verse

Each of these wrote on Jeremiah 48:6 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.

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

Flee, save your lives,.... These are either the words of the Moabites, their cry of destruction mentioned in the latter part of Jer 48:5; who, seeing nothing but ruin before their eyes, advise one

Read John Gill on Jeremiah 48 →
Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's Commentary

Flee, save your lives, and be like the heath in the wilderness. Flee, save your lives. They exhort one another to flee. Be like the heath - or the juniper (see note, Jeremiah 17:6).

Read Robert Jamieson on Jeremiah 48 →
Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy Bible

It is of no great moment whether we understand these as the words of the Moabites, calling one to another to flee, and save their lives, though they lost all they had, and left themselves as bare as a naked tree; or as the words of the prophets speaking to the Moabites to the same sense.

Read Matthew Poole on Jeremiah 48 →
John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

Jeremiah 48:6 Flee, save your lives, and be like the heath in the wilderness.Ver. 6. Flee, save your lives.] Whatever else ye lose. And be like the heath in the wilderness.] Which is little worth. See Jeremiah 17:6. Sit there sad and solitary.

Read John Trapp on Jeremiah 48 →
Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(6) Be like the heath in the wilderness.—Here, as in Jeremiah 17:6, the stunted solitary shrub in the desert is taken as the type of desolation. The LXX., which adopts the meaning in Jeremiah 17:6, here strangely enough gives “as a wild ass in the wilderness.” Psalms 11:1 gives us an example of a like comparison. Here probably there is, as before, a paronomasia on the name of the Moabite city Aroer, which closely resembles the Hebrew word for “heath.” In thus finding an ominous significance in the names of cities, Jeremiah follows in the wake of Micah 1.

Read Charles John Ellicott on Jeremiah 48 →
AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible

Verse 6. Flee, save your lives] The enemy is in full pursuit of you. Be like the heath] כערוער caaroer, "like Aroer;" which some take for a city, others for a blasted or withered tree. It is supposed that a place of this name lay towards the north, in the land of the Ammonites, on a branch of the river Jabbok; surrounded by deserts. Save yourselves by getting into the wilderness, where the pursuing foe will scarcely think it worth his while to follow you, as the wilderness itself must soon destroy you.

Read AdamClarke on Jeremiah 48 →
CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

6. the heath] See on Jeremiah 17:6. The LXX read somewhat differently from MT., rendering wild ass (as shy and difficult to capture). This is probably right. Cp. Job 39:5.

Read Cambridge on Jeremiah 48 →
Albert Barnes1798–1870Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Like the heath - Or, Like a destitute man. See the marginal reference note.

Read Albert Barnes on Jeremiah 48 →

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

‘Flee! Run for your lives! Become like a juniper in the desert. ’

WEBWorld English Bible2000

Flee! Save your lives! Be like the juniper bush in the wilderness.

MSBMajority Standard Bible2022

‘Flee! Run for your lives! Become like a juniper in the desert.’

NETBNew English Translation2006

They will hear, ‘Run! Save yourselves! Even if you must be like a lonely shrub in the desert!’

Tyndale line

KJVKing James Version1611

Flee, save your lives, and be like the heath in the wilderness.

ASVAmerican Standard Version1901

Flee, save your lives, and be like the heath in the wilderness.

RVARevised Version, American1894

Flee, save your lives, and be like the heath in the wilderness.

NWBWebster's Bible1833

Flee, save your lives, and be like the heath in the wilderness.

GNVGeneva Bible1599

Flee and saue your liues, and be like vnto the heath in the wildernesse.

Strictly literal

DBYDarby Translation1890

Flee, save your lives, and be like a shrub in the wilderness.

YLTYoung's Literal Translation1862

Flee ye, deliver yourselves, Ye are as a naked thing in a wilderness.

LSVLiteral Standard Version2020

Flee, deliver yourselves, || You are as a naked thing in a wilderness.

ILTInterlinear Literal Translation2000

Flee, save your life, and be ye like the solitary tree in the wilderness.

ULBUnlocked Literal Bible2017

Flee! Save your lives and become like a juniper bush in the wilderness.

From the Latin

DRADouay-Rheims (Challoner)1899

Flee, save your lives: and be as heath in the wilderness.

Simplified

FBVFree Bible Version2020

Run away! Save yourselves! Be like a scrawny tamarisk tree in the desert!

BBEBible in Basic English1949

Go in flight, get away with your lives, and let your faces be turned to Aroer in the Arabah.

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.

clauseverbנֻ֖סוּfleeclauseverbמַלְּט֣וּsavenoun phrase · objectנַפְשְׁlifeכֶ֑םyourוְsoclauseverbתִֽהְיֶ֕ינָהthat.they.may.beprepositional phrase · prepositionalכַּlikeעֲרוֹעֵ֖רa.juniper.bushprepositional phrase · prepositionalבַּinnoun phrasetheמִּדְבָּֽרwilderness

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


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

The Masoretic Text reads נֻ֖סוּ מַלְּט֣וּ נַפְשְׁכֶ֑ם וְתִֽהְיֶ֕ינָה כַּעֲרוֹעֵ֖ר בַּמִּדְבָּֽר׃, while the Septuagint matches five of the six words, indicating a strong agreement in the message, although the word order and structure differ.

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

נֻ֖סוּ מַלְּט֣וּ נַפְשְׁכֶ֑ם וְתִֽהְיֶ֕ינָה כַּעֲרוֹעֵ֖ר בַּמִּדְבָּֽר׃

Septuagintthe Greek the translators chose, word by word
נֻ֖סוּφεύγετεנַפְשְׁכֶ֑םὑμῶνוְתִֽהְיֶ֕ינָהἔσεσθεכַּעֲרוֹעֵ֖רὥσπερבַּמִּדְבָּֽר׃ἐρήμῳ

5 of the 6 words are matched. This is the word-by-word correspondence, not the Septuagint's own sentence — its word order and its articles are its own.

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


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

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

Jeremiah 48:6נוּסfleefleeנוּסמָלַטsavesaveמָלַטנֶ֫פֶשׁlife yourlife yourנֶ֫פֶשׁהָיָהso they mayso they may beהָיָהעֲרוֹעֵרlike a junilike a juniper עֲרוֹעֵרמִדְבָּרin the wildin the wilderneמִדְבָּרנָפַשׁbe refreshbe refreshedנָפַשׁעָרַרto stripto stripעָרַרדָבַרto speak: to speak: speakדָבַרהָוָאto fallto fallהָוָאאֲרָםAramAramאֲרָםנוּסto fleeto fleeנוּסבָּקַשׁto seekto seekבָּקַשׁחַיalivealiveחַיצִןZinZinצִןסִינַיSinaiSinaiסִינַי
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 48:6

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.

flee save life your so they may be like a juniper bush in the wilderness
נֻ֖סוּNu.su flee H5127 Verb · Qal · imperative second person masculine plural
159× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
To flee means to quickly leave a place, like escaping from danger, as seen in the Bible when David fled from King Saul. It can also mean to disappear or vanish. In the book of Psalms, it describes God delivering his people from harm.
Amplified meaning
save your lives, escape
Tyndale gloss
to flee
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

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

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

נוּס 160 vb. flee, escape

Qal

flee

escape

take flight, depart, disappear

fly (to the attack) on horseback.

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

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

Hiph.

put to flight

drive hastily to a safe place

cause to disappear, hide

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H5127 נוּס flee, escape

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

5127 nuwc noos

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

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

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

lift up a standard.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

נוּס (nus) — to flee.

1) to flee, escape

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to flee

1a2) to escape

1a3) to take flight, m depart, disappear

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

1b) (Polel) to drive at

1c) (Hithpolel) to take flight

1d) (Hiphil)

1d1) to put to flight

1d2) to drive hastily

1d3) to cause to disappear, hide

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

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
V-Qal-Impv-2mp — Verb · Qal · imperative second person masculine plural
HVqv2mp
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

fle.

See FLY.

flee save life your so they may be like a juniper bush in the wilderness
מַלְּט֣וּma.le.Tu save H4422 Verb · Piel · imperative second person masculine plural
95× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This verb means to escape or be delivered, like slipping away to safety. It is used in the Bible to describe people being saved from danger, like in the book of Psalms. The KJV translates it as deliver or escape.
Tyndale gloss
to escape
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

מָלַט (malat) is a Hebrew verb primarily meaning to escape or slip away. It encompasses various nuances such as delivering, saving, and even giving birth in specific contexts. The entries indicate that it can refer to both physical escape and the act of laying eggs. There is no significant disagreement among the lexicons regarding its meanings.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

[מָלַט] vb. slip away (not in Qal)

Niph.

slip away

escape

pass. be delivered

Pi.

lay (eggs)

let escape

deliver

Hiph.

give birth to a male child

deliver

Hithp.

slip forth, escape (sparks of fire from jaws of crocodile)

escape

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H4422 מָלַט slip away . . slip away

. escape

. pass. be delivered

. . lay (eggs)

. let escape

. deliver

. . give birth to a male child

. deliver

. . slip forth, escape (sparks of fire from jaws of crocodile)

. escape

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

4422 malat maw-lat'

a primitive root; properly, to be smooth, i.e. (by

implication) to escape (as if by slipperiness); causatively,

to release or rescue; specifically, to bring forth young, emit

sparks:--deliver (self), escape, lay, leap out, let alone,

let go, preserve, save, X speedily, X surely.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

מָלַט (ma.lat) — to escape.

1) to slip away, escape, deliver, save, be delivered

1a)(Niphal)

1a1) to slip away

1a2) to escape

1a3) to be delivered

1b) (Piel)

1b1) to lay, let slip out (of eggs)

1b2) to let escape

1b3) to deliver, save (life)

1c) (Hiphil)

1c1) to give birth to

1c2) to deliver

1d) (Hithpael)

1d1) to slip forth, slip out, escape

1d2) to escape

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
V-Piel-Impv-2mp — Verb · Piel · imperative second person masculine plural
HVpv2mp
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

sav: In the sense "except," the word came into English through the French (sauf) and is fairly common (38 times, in addition to "saving," the King James Version Ec 5:11; Am 9:8; Mt 5:32; Lu 4:27; Re 2:17). It represents no particular Hebrew or Greek terms but is employed wherever it seems useful. It is still in good (slightly archaic) use, and the Revised Version (British and American) has few modifications (De 15:4 the King James Version; Ps 18:31, etc.), but the English Revised Version has dropped "saving" in

flee save life your so they may be like a juniper bush in the wilderness
נַפְשְׁכֶ֑םnaf.she.Khem life your H5315 Noun common feminine singular construct · suffix
754× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
The Hebrew word for soul or living being, used in the Bible to describe the essence of a person or animal. It encompasses the ideas of life, breath, and vitality, and is translated as 'soul' or 'creature' in the KJV. This word is central to biblical concepts of humanity and existence.
Amplified meaning
soul, living being
Tyndale gloss
soul
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word נֶ֫פֶשׁ (*nephesh*) broadly means 'soul' or 'living being,' encompassing concepts like life, self, person, desire, and emotion. It is derived from the root meaning 'to breathe' and signifies both physical and mental aspects of existence. The lexicons note its use in various contexts, including as the seat of appetites and emotions, though its application to will and character is uncertain.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

נֶ֫פֶשׁ 756 n.f. soul, living being, life, self, person, desire, appetite, emotion, and passion

= that which breathes, the breathing substance or being

The נפשׁ becomes a living being

The נפשׁ is specif.

The נפשׁ as the essential of man stands for the man himself

נפשׁ = seat of the appetites, in all periods (46 t.)

נ׳ = seat of emotions and passions

נפשׁ is used occasionally for mental acts

נפשׁ for acts of the will is dub.

נפשׁ = character is still more dub.

נ׳ in D

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H5315 נֶ֫פֶשׁ soul, living being, life, self, person, desire, appetite, emotion, and passion . = that which breathes, the breathing substance or being

. The נפשׁ becomes a living being

. The נפשׁ is specif.

. The נפשׁ as the essential of man stands for the man himself

. נפשׁ = seat of the appetites, in all periods (46 t.)

. נ׳ = seat of emotions and passions

. נפשׁ is used occasionally for mental acts

. נפשׁ for acts of the will is dub.

. נפשׁ = character is still more dub.

. נ׳ in D

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

5315 nephesh neh'-fesh

from 5314; properly, a breathing creature, i.e. animal of

(abstractly) vitality; used very widely in a literal,

accommodated or figurative sense (bodily or mental):--any,

appetite, beast, body, breath, creature, X dead(-ly), desire,

X (dis-)contented, X fish, ghost, + greedy, he, heart(-y),

(hath, X jeopardy of) life (X in jeopardy), lust, man, me,

mind, mortally, one, own, person, pleasure, (her-, him-, my-,

thy-)self, them (your)-selves, + slay, soul, + tablet, they,

thing, (X she) will, X would have it.

see HEBREW for 05314

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

נֶ֫פֶשׁ (ne.phesh) — soul.

1) soul, self, life, creature, person, appetite, mind, living being, desire, emotion, passion

1a) that which breathes, the breathing substance or being, soul, the inner being of man

1b) living being

1c) living being (with life in the blood)

1d) the man himself, self, person or individual

1e) seat of the appetites

1f) seat of emotions and passions

1g) activity of mind

1g1) uncertain

1h) activity of the will

1h1) uncertain

1i) activity of the character

1i1) uncertain

נֶ֫פֶשׁ (ne.phesh) — soul: life.

1) soul, self, life, creature, person, appetite, mind, living being, desire, emotion, passion

1a) that which breathes, the breathing substance or being, soul, the inner being of man

1b) living being

1c) living being (with life in the blood)

1d) the man himself, self, person or individual

1e) seat of the appetites

1f) seat of emotions and passions

1g) activity of mind

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-cs | Suff — Noun common feminine singular construct · suffix
HNcfsc/Sp2mp
flee save life your so they may be like a juniper bush in the wilderness
וְתִֽהְיֶ֕ינָהve.tih.Yei.nah so they may be H1961 Conjunction · verb qal third person feminine plural
3,562× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
The Hebrew word for to be means to exist or come into being. It is used to describe something that happens or comes to pass, like in Genesis where God creates the world.
Tyndale gloss
to be
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word הָיָה (hayah) is a primitive root meaning to exist or become, and it encompasses a range of meanings including to happen, occur, and come to pass. It is often used in narrative contexts, particularly in phrases like "and it came to pass." The word can also denote a state of being or existence, and it appears frequently in various forms throughout the Old Testament.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

הָיָה 3570 vb. fall out, come to pass, become, be

Qal

Fall out, happen

occur, take place, come about, come to pass

esp. & very oft., come about, come to pass

וַיְהִי and it came to pass that, most often (c. 292 t.)

rarely also Pf. c. וְ conj. וְהָיָה

less oft. וְהָיָה Pf. consec. and it shall come to pass, or frequentat. came to pass (repeatedly, etc.)

Come into being, become

abs., in lively narrative, arise, appear, come

sq. prep.

become

sq. pred. noun (to be viewed as implicit accus.)

sq. pred. adj.

become like

sq. pred. לְ pers.

sq. לְ pred.

oft. c. לְ pred. לְ pers.

with עַל and לְ

sts. c. לְ pers. only = became the property of, come into the possession of

Be (often with subbordinate idea of becoming)

exist, be in existence

abide, remain, continue

with word of locality, be in or at a place, be situated, stand, lie

as copula, joining subj. & pred.

Read the full entry →
Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H1961 הָיָה fall out, come to pass, become, be .. . . Fall out, happen

. occur, take place, come about, come to pass

. esp. & very oft., come about, come to pass . . וַיְהִי and it came to pass that, most often (c. 292 t.)

. rarely also Pf. c. וְ conj. וְהָיָה

. less oft. וְהָיָה Pf. consec. and it shall come to pass, or frequentat. came to pass (repeatedly, etc.)

. Come into being, become . . abs., in lively narrative, arise, appear, come

. sq. prep.

. become . sq. pred. noun (to be viewed as implicit accus.)

. sq. pred. adj.

. become like

. sq. pred. + לְ pers.

. sq. לְ pred.

. oft. c. לְ pred. + לְ pers.

. with עַל and לְ

. sts. c. לְ pers. only = became the property of, come into the possession of

. Be (often with subbordinate idea of becoming) . exist, be in existence

. abide, remain, continue

Read the full entry →
Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

1961 hayah haw-yaw

a primitive root (compare 1933); to exist, i.e. be or become,

come to pass (always emphatic, and not a mere copula or

auxiliary):--beacon, X altogether, be(-come), accomplished,

committed, like), break, cause, come (to pass), do, faint,

fall, + follow, happen, X have, last, pertain, quit

(one-)self, require, X use.

see HEBREW for 01933

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

הָיָה (ha.yah) — to be.

1) to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out

1a) (Qal)

1a1) ---

1a1a) to happen, fall out, occur, take place, come about, come to pass

1a1b) to come about, come to pass

1a2) to come into being, become

1a2a) to arise, appear, come

1a2b) to become

1a2b1) to become

1a2b2) to become like

1a2b3) to be instituted, be established

1a3) to be

1a3a) to exist, be in existence

1a3b) to abide, remain, continue (with word of place or time)

1a3c) to stand, lie, be in, be at, be situated (with word of locality)

1a3d) to accompany, be with

1b) (Niphal)

1b1) to occur, come to pass, be done, be brought about

1b2) to be done, be finished, be gone

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Conj | V-Qal-Imperf-2fp — Conjunction · verb qal third person feminine plural
HC/Vqu3fp
flee save life your so they may be like a juniper bush in the wilderness
כַּעֲרוֹעֵ֖רka.'a.ro.'Er like a juniper bush H6176 Preposition · noun common masculine singular absolute
2× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
The Hebrew word for a juniper tree, which can also mean naked or stripped, is used in the Bible to describe a type of evergreen tree. In the KJV, it is sometimes translated as health. This word is used to describe a specific type of tree in the Bible.
Amplified meaning
heath, scrawny tamarisk tree
Tyndale gloss
juniper
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

עֲרוֹעֵר (arow'er) likely refers to a type of tree or bush, possibly a juniper or cypress. The word is built from a reduplicated form related to the concept of nudity or being stripped. Its meanings include both the physical plant and a sense of being destitute.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

עֲרוֹעֵר n.[m.] prob. a tree or bush; juniper?

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H6176 עֲרוֹעֵר prob. a tree or bush; juniper?

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

6176 `arow`er ar-o-ayr'

or sarear {ar-awr'}; from 6209 reduplicated; a juniper (from

its nudity of situation):--health.

see HEBREW for 06209

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

עֲרוֹעֵר (a.ro.er) — juniper.

1) naked, stripped, destitute

2) tree or bush

2a) probably juniper or cypress

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

(1) (ceneh, Ex 3:2-4; De 33:16; batos, Mr 12:26; Lu 6:44, "bramble bush"; 20:37; Ac 7:30,35. All the Old Testament references and the New Testament references, except Lu 6:44, are to the same "bush," namely, Moses' "burning bush"). From its etymology ceneh clearly denotes a "thorny" plant, as does the corresponding batos in the Septuagint and New Testament. In the Latin versions rubus, i.e. "bramble," is used as equivalent. Several varieties of bramble flourish in Palestine, of which the most common is Rubus discolor, but this is not an indigenous plant in Sinai. It…

Easton's Bible Dictionary

Bush

In which Jehovah appeared to Moses in the wilderness (Ex. 3:2; Acts 7:30). It is difficult to say what particular kind of plant or bush is here meant. Probably it was the mimosa or acacia. The words “in the bush” in Mark 12:26; Luke 20:37, mean “in the passage or paragraph on the bush;” i.e., in Ex. 3.

Smith's Bible Dictionary

The Hebrew word seneh occurs only in those passages which refer to Jehovah’s appearance to Moses "in the flame of fire in the bush." (Exodus 3:2,3,4; 33:16) It is quite impossible to say what kind of thorn bush is intended; but it was probably the acacia a small variety of the shittim tree found in the Sinai region.

flee save life your so they may be like a juniper bush in the wilderness
בַּמִּדְבָּֽר׃ba.mid.Bar in the wilderness H4057 Preposition · noun common masculine singular absolute
271× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
The wilderness refers to a desert or open field, like the one the Israelites wandered in after leaving Egypt. It can also mean a place of solitude or a region without many people. In the Bible, it is often associated with the journey to the Promised Land.
Amplified meaning
wilderness, open field
Tyndale gloss
mouth
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

מִדְבָּר (midbar) primarily means 'mouth' in the sense of an organ of speech, but it also refers to 'wilderness' or 'desert.' The word is derived from a root meaning to drive, suggesting open fields for pasturing cattle. It encompasses various forms of uninhabited land and is notably used in contexts related to the wilderness, such as the Wilderness of Sinai.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

[מִדְבָּר] n.m. mouth, as organ of speech, Ct 4:3

ref

מִדְבָר 270 n.m. wilderness

tracts of land, used for the pasturage of flocks and herds

uninhabited land

large tracts of such land bearing various names, in certain districts of which there might be towns and cities

fig.

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H4057a מִדְבָּר mouth, as organ of speech H4057b מִדְבָר wilderness

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

4057 midbar mid-bawr'

from 1696 in the sense of driving; a pasture (i.e. open

field, whither cattle are driven); by implication, a desert;

also speech (including its organs):--desert, south, speech,

wilderness.

see HEBREW for 01696

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

מִדְבָּר (mid.bar) — mouth.

1) mouth

1a) mouth (as organ of speech)

מִדְבָּר (mid.bar) — wilderness.

1) wilderness

1a) pasture

1b) uninhabited land, wilderness

1c) large tracts of wilderness (around cities)

1d) wilderness (fig.)

מִדְבָּר (mid.bar) — Wilderness (of Sinai).

This name means wilderness, uninhabited land

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

wil'-der-nes.

See DESERT; JUDAEA, WILDERNESS OF; WANDERINGS OF ISRAEL.

Easton's Bible Dictionary

Wilderness

(1.) Heb. midhbar, denoting not a barren desert but a district or region suitable for pasturing sheep and cattle (Ps. 65:12; Isa. 42:11; Jer. 23:10; Joel 1:19; 2:22); an uncultivated place. This word is used of the wilderness of Beersheba (Gen. 21:14), on the southern border of Palestine; the wilderness of the Red Sea (Ex. 13:18); of Shur (15:22), a portion of the Sinaitic peninsula; of Sin (17:1), Sinai (Lev. 7:38), Moab (Deut. 2:8), Judah (

American Tract Society Bible Dictionary

See DESERT.

Nave's Topical Bible

→ Wandering of the Israelites in, see ISRAEL

→ Typical of the sinner' s state De 32:10

→ Jesus' temptation in Mt 4:1; Mr 1:12,13; Lu 4:1

→ See DESERT

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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