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Jeremiah 5:8 — Word Study

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WLCסוּסִ֥ים מְיֻזָּנִ֖ים מַשְׁכִּ֣ים הָי֑וּ אִ֛ישׁ אֶל־ אֵ֥שֶׁת רֵעֵ֖הוּ יִצְהָֽלוּ׃

BSAThey arehâyâh well-fedzûwn [full of desire, like horses after a meal of grain] lustyshâkâh [virile, wanting sex] stallionsçûwç [horses, often referring to chariot horses] eachʼîysh neighingtsâhal [to cry out, gleam or be cheerful] afterʼêl his neighbor’srêaʻ [a companion, fellow or friend] wifeʼishshâh [a female person, or animal]

Word
Listen & take awayJeremiah 5
English ↓ Download MP3 The Berean Standard Bible chapter audio already hosted for the site's Bible section — verse 8 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 (yitz.Ha.lu) — no per-word recordings of the Hebrew exist to link to.
Take it away
Jeremiah 5:8quick helps
In a sentenceThe people are compared to well-fed horses, driven by lustful desires.
Who is speakingThe LORD, expressing His frustration with the people's behavior.
Where we areIn a passage where God addresses the unfaithfulness of His people.
The hard wordמְיֻזָּנִ֖ים
Take awayThe comparison highlights the rampant immorality among the people.
8 commentators on this verse Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them › clause verbיזן The sentence as the grammar sees it Open the tree ›
How rare are these words?in the Old Testament

2 of 9 occur nowhere else in the Old Testament — words chosen on purpose.

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 5:8

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 Unfaithfulness of God’s Peoplegenerated

7“Why should I forgive you? Your children have forsaken Me and sworn by gods that are not gods. I satisfied their needs, yet they committed adultery and assembled at the houses of prostitutes.
8They are well-fed, lusty stallions, each neighing after his neighbor’s wife.
9Should I not punish them for these things?” declares the LORD. “Should I not avenge Myself on such a nation as this?
10Go up through her vineyards and ravage them, but do not finish them off. Strip off her branches, for they do not belong to the LORD.

Jeremiah 5:8 describes the people of Israel as being like well-fed horses, driven by their desires, particularly in their pursuit of infidelity. This imagery emphasizes the lack of restraint and the moral decay within the nation, as they are drawn to their neighbors' wives. The surrounding verses reveal God's disappointment and the consequences of their actions, illustrating a broader theme of unfaithfulness and judgment throughout the book of Jeremiah.


Cross References

ReferenceText (BSB)
1Jeremiah 13:27Your adulteries and lustful neighings, your shameless prostitution on the hills and in the fields— I have seen your detestable acts. Woe to you, O Jerusalem! How long will you remain unclean?”
2Genesis 39:9No one in this house is greater than I am. He has withheld nothing from me except you, because you are his wife. So how could I do such a great evil and sin against God?”
3Exodus 20:14–17You shall not commit adultery.
4Deuteronomy 5:18–21You shall not commit adultery.
52 Samuel 11:2–4One evening David got up from his bed and strolled around on the roof of the palace. And from the roof he saw a woman bathing—a very beautiful woman.

The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 7 references, hung on the phrase they belong to


The Key Word מְיֻזָּנִ֖ים, me.yu.za.Nimgenerated

The word יָזַן (yazan) means to feed or nourish, and in this context, it describes those who are well-fed and plump, suggesting an abundance that leads to lustful behavior. The participle form indicates an ongoing state of being well-fed, which parallels the imagery of horses that are full of desire after a meal.

This word appears only once in the Old Testament, emphasizing the specific context of Jeremiah's message about the people's indulgence. The passive participle suggests that they have been made this way, perhaps indicating a lack of self-control or divine judgment leading to their current state.


How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated

All translations agree on the meaning of מְיֻזָּנִ֖ים as well-fed, reflecting the same idea of abundance and desire.


Sentence Structuregenerated

The finite verb הָי֑וּ, they are, governs the entire sentence, with a noun phrase following it that describes the subject. The structure emphasizes the state of being, linking the subjects to their lustful actions.

The arrangement of the sentence highlights the characteristics of the subjects, with the participial phrase מְיֻזָּנִ֖ים directly modifying the noun phrase סוּסִ֥ים, creating a vivid image of well-fed horses, which enhances the overall meaning of the passage.


Septuagint Backgroundgenerated

In the Septuagint, the word סוּס is rendered as ἵπποι (hippoi), which also means 'horses.' This choice maintains the original imagery of strength and desire associated with horses, reflecting the same themes found in the Hebrew text.

The translation of מְיֻזָּנִ֖ים is not explicitly noted, but the overall context remains consistent with the Hebrew, emphasizing the indulgent nature of the subjects.


In plain words — the whole versegenerated

Jeremiah 5:8 compares the people of Israel to well-fed horses, driven by their lustful desires. This imagery highlights their unfaithfulness, particularly in their pursuit of others' wives. The surrounding verses reveal God's disappointment with their actions and the consequences that follow.


Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated

What does it mean that the people are compared to horses?

The comparison emphasizes their lack of restraint and overwhelming desires, particularly in their immoral pursuits.

Why does God express frustration with the people's behavior?

God is frustrated because the people have turned away from Him and engaged in adultery, despite His provision for them.

How does this verse reflect the broader themes in Jeremiah?

This verse illustrates the moral decay and unfaithfulness of Israel, which is a recurring theme throughout the book of Jeremiah.

What can we learn from this imagery of horses?

The imagery serves as a warning against unchecked desires and the consequences of straying from faithfulness.


Reflection Questionsgenerated

  1. In what areas of my life do I experience unchecked desires similar to those described in this verse?
  2. How can I cultivate self-control in my actions and thoughts to avoid the pitfalls of lust?
  3. What does this passage teach me about the nature of unfaithfulness and its consequences?
  4. How can I apply the lessons from this verse to my relationships with others?

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

The early church fathers referenced this verse to illustrate the irrational behavior of the people, comparing them to lustful animals.

IrenaeusAGAINST HERESIES 5:8.3 c. 130–202
The prophets compare them to irrational animals, because of the irrationality of their conduct: “They have become like horses lusting for females.
Early Church Fathers on Jeremiah 5 →
Clement of AlexandriaThe Instructor Book 1 c. 150–215
At another time, he speaks of us under the figure of a colt. He means by that that we are unyoked to evil, unsubdued by wickedness, unaffected and high-spirited only with him our Father.
Early Church Fathers on Jeremiah 5 →
Clement of AlexandriaThe Stromata Book 3 c. 150–215
If birth is an evil, then the blasphemers must place the Lord who went through birth and the virgin who gave him birth in the category of evil.
Early Church Fathers on Jeremiah 5 →

Commentators on this verse — 8 expositors, verse by verse

Each of these wrote on Jeremiah 5:8 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.

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

They were as fed horses in the morning,.... Adulterers are compared to horses, because they are very salacious and lustful creatures; wherefore the Septuagint renders the word: "horses are become mad

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

They were as fed horses in the morning: every one neighed after his neighbour's wife. In the morning - (Isaiah 5:11).

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

Fed horses, to note the greatness and unruliness of their lust, pampered horses being most wanton, like that . In the morning: it is questioned whether morning relates to horses or to men; if to horses, then they are compared to stallions, that having been fed to the full over-night, and lain at ease, in the morning they are most lusty; but rather it seems to relate to men, showing that they were very early in going about their filthinesses, , following their uncleanness with as great eagerness as it is said that drunkards follow strong drink, . Every one neighed after his neighbour’ s wife, i.e. with an impetuous earnestness and unwearied hunting, they sought after the adulteresses to…

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

Jeremiah 5:8 They were [as] fed horses in the morning: every one neighed after his neighbour’ s wife.Ver. 8. They were as fed horses,] As stallions and stone horses, that are ιππομανεις, mare mad, as the Septuagint have it. Libido effrons et plus quam pecuina.

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

(8) They were as fed horses in the morning.—Better, As fed stallion horses they rove about. The animal passion is taken, as in Ezekiel 23:20, (1) as answering to the same passion in man; (2) as symbolical of the lust for idolatrous ritual. (Comp. Jeremiah 2:24.)

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

Verse 8. After his neighbour's wife.] This may have been literally true, as the abominations of idolatry, in which they were so deeply practised, would necessarily produce such a state of things as that here mentioned.

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

8. The Hebrew of the first clause is obscure. The reading “fed horses,” which is to be preferred, represents the consonants of MT. (K’thibh), though the verb which they form is found elsewhere only in cognate languages (meaning to feed). The mg. of MT. (Ḳ ?’ri) is of uncertain signification, but probably is from a root giving a sense equivalent to the word dealt with in the next note. in the morning] Hebrew grammar forbids this rendering, while mg. roaming at large connects it with a root from which it cannot, strictly speaking, be drawn. It is best, with a slight change in MT., to take it as meaning stallions. See Dr. p. 345.

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

In the morning - Render, they rove about. Some prefer, “(horses) from Mesech.”

Read Albert Barnes on Jeremiah 5 →

The verse in English, compared — 17 translations, and where they part company

Every translation on this page is a decision someone had to make and commit to. Read down a column and you see one translator's judgement; read across a row and you see the range the Greek actually allows. The BSB is the wording the rest of this page is measured against, so it is listed first.

Modern formal

BSBBerean Standard Bible2020

They are well-fed, lusty stallions, each neighing after his neighbor’s wife.

WEBWorld English Bible2000

They were as fed horses roaming at large. Everyone neighed after his neighbor’s wife.

MSBMajority Standard Bible2022

They are well-fed, lusty stallions, each neighing after his neighbor’s wife.

NETBNew English Translation2006

They are like lusty, well-fed stallions. Each of them lusts after his neighbor’s wife.

Tyndale line

KJVKing James Version1611

They were as fed horses in the morning: every one neighed after his neighbour’s wife.

ASVAmerican Standard Version1901

they were as fed horses roaming at large; every one neighed after his neighbor’s wife.

RVARevised Version, American1894

They were as fed horses in the morning: every one neighed after his neighbour’s wife.

NWBWebster's Bible1833

They were as fed horses in the morning: every one neighed after his neighbor's wife.

GNVGeneva Bible1599

They rose vp in the morning like fed horses: for euery man neyed after his neighbours wife.

Strictly literal

DBYDarby Translation1890

[As] well fed horses, they roam about, every one neigheth after his neighbour's wife.

YLTYoung's Literal Translation1862

Fed horses — they have been early risers, Each to the wife of his neighbour they neigh.

LSVLiteral Standard Version2020

Fed horses—they have been early risers, || They each neigh to the wife of his neighbor.

ILTInterlinear Literal Translation2000

As robust horses they rose by times in the morning: every one neighed after the wife of his neighbor.

ULBUnlocked Literal Bible2017

They were horses in heat. They roamed about wanting to mate. Each man neighed to his neighbor's wife.

From the Latin

DRADouay-Rheims (Challoner)1899

They are become as amorous horses and stallions, every one neighed after his neighbor’s wife.

Simplified

FBVFree Bible Version2020

They're like virile stallions wanting sex, each of them neighing with lust after his neighbor's wife.

BBEBible in Basic English1949

They were full of desire, like horses after a meal of grain: everyone went after his neighbour's wife.

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.

clausenoun phrase · objectnoun phraseסוּסִ֥יםhorsesמְיֻזָּנִ֖יםwell.fedמַשְׁכִּ֣יםlustfulverbהָי֑וּthey.areclauseadverbialאִ֛ישׁeveryoneprepositional phrase · prepositionalאֶלtonoun phraseאֵ֥שֶׁתthe.wifenoun phraseרֵעֵ֖his.neighborהוּhisverbיִצְהָֽלוּthey.neigh

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


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

The Masoretic Text and the Septuagint largely agree in their wording for this verse, with 8 of the 9 words matching. The Septuagint reflects the same themes and imagery present in the Hebrew text, maintaining the focus on the people's behavior.

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

סוּסִ֥ים מְיֻזָּנִ֖ים מַשְׁכִּ֣ים הָי֑וּ אִ֛ישׁ אֶל־ אֵ֥שֶׁת רֵעֵ֖הוּ יִצְהָֽלוּ׃

Septuagintthe Greek the translators chose, word by word
סוּסִ֥יםἵπποιמַשְׁכִּ֣יםθηλυμανεῖςהָי֑וּἐγενήθησανאִ֛ישׁἕκαστοςאֶל־ἐπὶאֵ֥שֶׁתγυναῖκαרֵעֵ֖הוּαὐτοῦיִצְהָֽלוּ׃ἐξρεμέτιζον

8 of the 9 words are matched. This is the word-by-word correspondence, not the Septuagint's own sentence — its word order and its articles are its own.

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


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

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

Jeremiah 5:8סוּסhorseshorsesסוּסזוּןwell fedwell fedזוּןשָׁכָהlustfullustfulשָׁכָההָיָהthey arethey areהָיָהאִישׁeveryoneeveryoneאִישׁאֶלtotoאֶלאִשָּׁה[the] wife [the] wife ofאִשָּׁהרֵעַneighbor hineighbor hisרֵעַצָהַלthey neighthey neighצָהַלאֱנוֹשׁhumanhumanאֱנוֹשׁאִישׁmanmanאִישׁפָּרָשׁhorsehorseפָּרָשׁשָׁכַםto riseto riseשָׁכַםהָוָאto fallto fallהָוָאאִשָּׁהwomanwomanאִשָּׁהבֵּית־עֵ֫קֶדHouse of SHouse of Shepheבֵּית־עֵ֫קֶדפֶּ֫רֶדmulemuleפֶּ֫רֶדמֶרְכָּבָהchariotchariotמֶרְכָּבָהרֵעַneighborneighborרֵעַפָּלַלto prayto prayפָּלַליִרְמְיָ֫הJeremiahJeremiahיִרְמְיָ֫הטַףchildchildטַףנָכְרִיforeignforeignנָכְרִינָאַףto commit to commit adultנָאַףרוּןto overcomto overcomeרוּןשָׂמַחto rejoiceto rejoiceשָׂמַח
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 5:8

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.

horses well fed lustful they are everyone to [the] wife of neighbor his they neigh
סוּסִ֥יםsu.Sim horses H5483 Noun common · masculine plural absolute
140× 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 a horse, often referring to chariot horses. It also describes a swallow due to its swift flight, as seen in the book of Jeremiah. The word is used to describe strong and fast animals.
Amplified meaning
horses, often referring to chariot horses
Tyndale gloss
swallow
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

סוּס (sus) refers to both a 'swallow' and a 'horse,' derived from a root meaning to skip or leap. The word captures the swift nature of both the bird and the animal, often associated with chariot horses in the context of the Old Testament. There is a note in the entries about a comparison with another Hebrew word, but no significant disagreement among the lexicons.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

סוּס n.[m.] swallow or swift

base

סוּס 138 n.m. horse

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H5483a סוּס swallow or swift H5483b סוּס horse

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

5483 cuwc soos

or cuc {soos}; from an unused root meaning to skip (properly,

for joy); a horse (as leaping); also a swallow (from its rapid

flight):--crane, horse((-back, -hoof)). Compare 6571.

see HEBREW for 06571

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

סוּס (sus) — swallow.

swallow, swift

סוּס (sus) — Horse (Gate).

This name means horse

סוּס (sus) — horse.

1) horse

1a) chariot horses

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-mp — Noun common · masculine plural absolute
HNcmpa
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
American Tract Society Bible Dictionary

Were anciently less used for labor, in Bible land, than oxen and asses. They were used by princes and warriors, both with and without chariots, Ex 14:9,23 Es 6:8 Ec 10:7. The finest description of the war-horse ever written is found in one of the most ancient books, Job 39:19-25. Horses were common in Egypt, Ge 47:17 50:9 So 1:9; but the Jews were at first forbidden to go there for them, De 17:16, or the keep any large number, Jos 11:6

horses well fed lustful they are everyone to [the] wife of neighbor his they neigh
מְיֻזָּנִ֖יםme.yu.za.Nim well fed H2109 Verb · Pual · participle (passive) masculine plural
1× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
The Hebrew word means to feed or nourish, and is related to being plump or well-fed. It is used in the Bible to describe providing food for someone or something. In the KJV, it is translated as feed.
Amplified meaning
full of desire, like horses after a meal of grain
Tyndale gloss
to feed
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

זוּן (zuwn) is a Hebrew verb meaning to feed. It is derived from a primitive root that suggests the idea of nourishing or being plump. The entries note that it appears in contexts such as well-fed horses in Jeremiah 5:8. The related form יָזַן (yazan) also means to feed, but its usage is less clear.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

[זוּן] vb. feed

Hoph. Je 5:8 well-fed horses, fig. of adulterers

base

[יזן] vb. only Pu. Pt. pl. Je 5:8; mng. dub.

ref

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H2109a זוּן feed H2109b יזן only Pu. Pt. pl.; mng. dub.

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

2109 zuwn zoon

a primitive root; perhaps properly, to be plump, i.e.

(transitively) to nourish:--feed.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

זוּן (zun) — to feed.

1) to feed

1a) (Hophal) to be well fed

יָזַן (ya.zan) — to feed.

(Pual) meaning uncertain

Aramaic equivalent: zun (זוּן "to feed" H2110)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
V-Pual-Inf-c — Verb · Pual · participle (passive) masculine plural
HVPsmpa
horses well fed lustful they are everyone to [the] wife of neighbor his they neigh
מַשְׁכִּ֣יםmash.Kim lustful H7904 Verb · Hiphil · participle (active) masculine plural
1× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This Hebrew word means to wander or roam, often due to lust, and is first used in a context where it seems to describe a strong desire. It appears to be related to a sense of searching or longing. In some cases, it is translated as 'in the morning'.
Amplified meaning
virile, wanting sex
Tyndale gloss
to lust
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

שָׁכָה (shakah) is a Hebrew verb that primarily means to roam, often associated with lustful behavior. The entries suggest uncertainty about its precise meaning, particularly in its Hiphil form, which may imply a state of being lustful. The term is linked to the idea of horses roaming freely, indicating a lack of restraint.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

[שָׁכָה] vb. Hiph. usu. horses … roaming at large they have become

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H7904 שָׁכָה

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

7904 shakah shaw-kaw'

a primitive root; to roam (through lust):--in the morning

(by mistake for 7925).

see HEBREW for 07925

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

שָׁכָה (sha.khah) — to lust.

1) (Hiphil) lustful (participle)

1a) meaning uncertain

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
V-Hiphil — Verb · Hiphil · participle (active) masculine plural
HVhrmpa
horses well fed lustful they are everyone to [the] wife of neighbor his they neigh
הָי֑וּha.Yu they are H1961 Verb · Qal · perfect third person common 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
V-Qal-Perf-3cp — Verb · Qal · perfect third person common plural
HVqp3cp
horses well fed lustful they are everyone to [the] wife of neighbor his they neigh
אִ֛ישׁ'ish everyone H376 Noun common · masculine singular absolute
1,664× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
The Hebrew word for man, referring to a male person or individual, is used in the Bible to describe humans in contrast to God or animals, as seen in Genesis and Psalms. It can also mean husband or servant. In the KJV, it is translated as man or male.
Tyndale gloss
man
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

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

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

אִישׁ 2166 n.m. man (= vir)

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H376 אִישׁ man (= vir)

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

376 'iysh eesh

contracted for 582 (or perhaps rather from an unused root

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

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

in such cases frequently not expressed in

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

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

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

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

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

Compare 802.

see HEBREW for 0582

see HEBREW for 0802

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

אִישׁ (ish) — man.

: man

1) man

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

1b) husband

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

1d) servant

1e) mankind

1f) champion

1g) great man

2) whosoever

3) each (adjective)

אִישׁ (ish) — man: husband.

: husband

1) man

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

1b) husband

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

1d) servant

1e) mankind

1f) champion

1g) great man

2) whosoever

3) each (adjective)

אִישׁ (ish) — man: anyone.

: anyone/someone

1) man

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

1b) husband

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

1d) servant

1e) mankind

1f) champion

1g) great man

2) whosoever

3) each (adjective)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-ms — Noun common · masculine singular absolute
HNcmsa
The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
horses well fed lustful they are everyone to [the] wife of neighbor his they neigh
אֶל־'el- to H413 Preposition
5,518× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This Hebrew word means 'to' or 'toward', showing direction or movement. It appears in many books, including Genesis and Exodus, to indicate where someone is going. The KJV translates it in various ways, like 'about', 'according to', or 'against'.
Tyndale gloss
to(wards)
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

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

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

אֶל (nearly always followed by Makkeph),

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

Where the limit is actually entered, into

Of direction towards anything

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

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

Metaph. in regard to, concerning, on account of

Of rule or standard according to (rare)

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

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

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

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

. Where the limit is actually entered, into

. Of direction towards anything

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

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

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

. Of rule or standard according to (rare)

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

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

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

413 'el ale

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

a primitive particle; properly, denoting motion towards, but

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

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

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

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

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

with(-in).

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

אֶל (el) — to(wards).

1) to, toward, unto (of motion)

2) into (limit is actually entered)

2a) in among

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

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

5) in addition to, to

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

7) according to (rule or standard)

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

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

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Prep — Preposition
HR
horses well fed lustful they are everyone to [the] wife of neighbor his they neigh
אֵ֥שֶׁת'E.shet [the] wife of H802 Noun common · feminine singular construct
781× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
The Hebrew word for woman, used to describe a female person, wife, or animal, appears in many biblical passages, including Genesis and Exodus, and is often translated as woman, wife, or female.
Amplified meaning
a female person, or animal
Tyndale gloss
woman
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

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

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

אִשָּׁה 773 n.f. woman, wife, female

woman

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

Female of animals

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

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H802 אִשָּׁה woman, wife, female . woman

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

. Female of animals

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

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

802 'ishshah ish-shaw'

feminine of 376 or 582; irregular plural, nashiym

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

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

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

see HEBREW for 0376

see HEBREW for 0582

see HEBREW for 0582

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

אִשָּׁה (ish.shah) — woman.

: woman

1) woman, wife, female

1a) woman (opposite of man)

1b) wife (woman married to a man)

1c) female (of animals)

1d) each, every (pronoun)

אִשָּׁה (ish.shah) — woman: wife.

: wife/widow

1) woman, wife, female

1a) woman (opposite of man)

1b) wife (woman married to a man)

1c) female (of animals)

1d) each, every (pronoun)

אִשָּׁה (ish.shah) — woman: another.

: another

1) woman, wife, female

1a) woman (opposite of man)

1b) wife (woman married to a man)

1c) female (of animals)

1d) each, every (pronoun)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-fs — Noun common · feminine singular construct
HNcfsc
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

ov:

(1) In Anglo-Saxon, had the meaning "from," "away from" (as the strengthened form "off" has still), and was not used for genitive or possessive relations, these being expressed by special case-forms. In the Norman period, however, "of" was taken to represent the French de (a use well developed by the time of Chaucer), and in the Elizabethan period both senses of "of" were in common use. But after about 1600 the later force of the word became predominant, and in the earlier sense (which is now practically obsolete) it was replaced by other prepositions. In consequence the King James Version (and in some cases the Revised Version (British and American)) contains many uses of "of" that are no longer familiar--most of them, to be sure, causing no difficulty, but there still being a few responsible for real obscurities.

English usagewhat the translators’ English meant
Webster's Dictionary (1828), Webster's Unabridged (1913), Webster's Dictionary (1806)

OF, preposition ov. [Gr.]

1. From or out of; proceeding from, as the cause, source, means, author or agent bestowing.

I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered to you. 1 Corinthians 11:1.

For it was of the Lord to harden their hearts. Joshua 11:1.

It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed.

Lamentations 3:1.

The whole disposing thereof is of the Lord. Proverbs 16:1.

Go, inquire of the Lord for me. 2 Chronicles 34:2.

That holy thing that shall be born of thee. Luke 1:1.

Hence of is the sign of the genitive case, the case that denotes production; as the son of man, the son proceeding from man, produced from man. This is the primary sense, although we now say, produced by man. 'Part of these were slain; ' that is, a number separate, for part denotes a division; the sense then is, a number from or out of the whole were slain. So also, 'some of these were slain; ' that is…

horses well fed lustful they are everyone to [the] wife of neighbor his they neigh
רֵעֵ֖הוּre.'E.hu neighbor his H7453 Noun common masculine singular construct · suffix
188× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
A neighbor or friend is what this word means, describing someone close to you. It can also refer to a companion, fellow citizen, or another person, and is often translated as brother or friend.
Amplified meaning
a companion, fellow or friend
Tyndale gloss
neighbor
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

רֵעַ (rea`) refers to a friend, companion, or fellow, emphasizing close associations such as brotherhood or intimacy. It can also denote a neighbor or another person in a broader sense. The word is derived from a root meaning 'to associate.'

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

רֵעַ 187 n.m. friend, companion, fellow

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H7453 רֵעַ friend, companion, fellow

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

7453 rea` ray'-ah

or reya2 {ray'-ah}; from 7462; an associate (more or less

close):--brother, companion, fellow, friend, husband, lover,

neighbour, X (an-)other.

see HEBREW for 0reya2

see HEBREW for 07462

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

רֵעַ (re.a) — neighbor.

1) friend, companion, fellow, another person

1a) friend, intimate

1b) fellow, fellow-citizen, another person (weaker sense)

1c) other, another (reciprocal phrase)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-ms | Suff — Noun common masculine singular construct · suffix
HNcmsc/Sp3ms
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

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

horses well fed lustful they are everyone to [the] wife of neighbor his they neigh
יִצְהָֽלוּ׃yitz.Ha.lu they neigh H6670 Verb · Qal · imperfect third person masculine plural
9× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
To shine means to gleam or be cheerful, and can also be used to describe the clear sounds of animals or humans, such as shouting or neighing. This word is used to describe something that is radiant and full of life.
Amplified meaning
to cry out, gleam or be cheerful
Tyndale gloss
to cry out
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

צָהַל (tsahal) is a Hebrew verb that primarily means to neigh or cry shrilly, often associated with animal sounds. It can also mean to shine or make something shine, particularly in its Hiphil form. The range of meanings includes expressions of joy or distress, as well as clear vocalizations. Psalm 104:15 is noted for its use of this word.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

[צָהַל] vb. neigh, cry shrilly

base

[צָהַל] vb. Hiph. make shining;—ψ 104:15.

ref

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H6670a צָהַל neigh, cry shrilly H6670b צָהַל Hiph. make shining

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

6670 tsahal tsaw-hal'

a prim root; to gleam, i.e. (figuratively) be cheerful; by

transf. to sound clear (of various animal or human

expressions):--bellow, cry aloud (out), lift up, neigh,

rejoice, make to shine, shout.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

צָהַל (tsa.hal) — to cry out.

1) to neigh, cry shrilly

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to neigh (of men as stallions-fig.)

1a2) (Piel) to cry shrilly (in distress)

צָהַל (tsa.hal) — to shine.

(Hiphil) to make shining

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
V-Qal-Imperf-3mp — Verb · Qal · imperfect third person masculine plural
HVqi3mp
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

na (tsahal, "to cry aloud," "neigh"): Figuratively used to indicate lustful desire (Jer 5:8; compare Jer 13:29).

The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
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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