Menu

Job 13:11 — Word Study

Depth

WLCהֲלֹ֣א שְׂ֭אֵתוֹ תְּבַעֵ֣ת אֶתְכֶ֑ם וּ֝פַחְדּ֗וֹ יִפֹּ֥ל עֲלֵיכֶֽם׃

BSAWould His majestysᵉʼêth [excellence, glory] notlôʼ terrify youbâʻath [make afraid, startle] Would the dread of Himpachad [fear, terror, His presence, His power] not fallnâphal [come upon, overwhelm] upon youʻal

Word
Listen & take awayJob 13
English ↓ Download MP3 The Berean Standard Bible chapter audio already hosted for the site's Bible section — verse 11 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 ('a.lei.Khem) — no per-word recordings of the Hebrew exist to link to.
Take it away
Job 13:11quick helps
In a sentenceJob questions whether God's majesty and dread should not invoke fear.
Who is speakingJob, addressing his friends in a moment of defense.
Where we areJob is responding to accusations, emphasizing God's power.
The hard wordשְׂאֵתוֹ
Take awayThe majesty of God should instill a profound fear.
8 commentators on this verse Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them › clause verbבָּעַת 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 — Job 13:11

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 — Job's Defense Against His Friendsgenerated

10Surely He would rebuke you if you secretly showed partiality.
11Would His majesty not terrify you? Would the dread of Him not fall upon you?
12Your maxims are proverbs of ashes; your defenses are defenses of clay.
13Be silent, and I will speak. Then let come to me what may.

Job 13:11 presents Job questioning whether the majesty of God should not invoke fear in those who confront Him. In this context, Job is defending himself against the accusations of his friends, who believe his suffering is due to hidden sin. He emphasizes the overwhelming nature of God's presence and the fear it should inspire, paralleling other scriptures that speak of the fear of God, such as Psalm 119:120 and Jeremiah 5:22.


Cross References

ReferenceText (BSB)
1Psalm 119:120My flesh trembles in awe of You; I stand in fear of Your judgments.
2Jeremiah 5:22Do you not fear Me?” declares the LORD. “Do you not tremble before Me, the One who set the sand as the boundary for the sea, an enduring barrier it cannot cross? The waves surge, but they cannot prevail. They roar but cannot cross it.
3Jeremiah 10:10But the LORD is the true God; He is the living God and eternal King. The earth quakes at His wrath, and the nations cannot endure His indignation.
4Matthew 10:28Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Instead, fear the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell.
5Revelation 15:3–4and they sang the song of God’s servant Moses and of the Lamb: “Great and wonderful are Your works, O Lord God Almighty! Just and true are Your ways, O King of the nations!

The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 8 references, hung on the phrase they belong to


The Key Word שְׂאֵתוֹ, Se.'e.tovgenerated

The word שְׂאֵת (s'eth) refers to majesty or elevation, indicating a sense of dignity or grandeur. It is often used to describe God's exaltation, highlighting His supreme authority and power. In this verse, it underscores the overwhelming nature of God's presence, which should terrify those who encounter it.

This noun in the construct form, combined with the suffix, points directly to God's majesty, suggesting that Job's friends should recognize the gravity of their situation when standing before such greatness.


How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated

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


Sentence Structuregenerated

The verse is structured around two main clauses, both beginning with a rhetorical question: הֲלֹ֣א (ha.Lo') introduces the inquiries about God's majesty and dread. The first clause focuses on whether His majesty terrifies, while the second questions if His dread falls upon the listeners.

The Hebrew word order emphasizes the majesty and dread, placing them at the forefront of Job's argument, highlighting their significance in the context of divine fear.


Septuagint Backgroundgenerated

The Septuagint translates שְׂאֵתוֹ as αὐτοῦ (autou), meaning 'His.' This choice reflects a direct acknowledgment of God's majesty, aligning with the Hebrew's emphasis on His greatness.

The Greek word used for dread corresponds well with the Hebrew, indicating a consistent understanding of the fear inspired by God's presence.


In plain words — the whole versegenerated

Job 13:11 asks if God's majesty should not terrify us and if the dread of Him should not fall upon us. Job is making a point about the fear that should accompany an encounter with God's greatness, especially in light of the accusations he faces from his friends.


Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated

What does Job mean by God's majesty?

Job is referring to the greatness and authority of God, which should inspire awe and fear.

Why does Job emphasize fear in this verse?

He emphasizes fear to highlight the seriousness of confronting God, especially when his friends are judging him.

How does this verse relate to the overall theme of Job?

It reflects Job's struggle to understand his suffering in light of God's greatness and the need for reverence before Him.

What can we learn about the fear of God from this verse?

This verse teaches that recognizing God's majesty should lead us to a healthy fear of Him, acknowledging His power and authority.


Reflection Questionsgenerated

  1. In what ways do I recognize God's majesty in my life?
  2. How can I cultivate a deeper sense of reverence and fear of God?
  3. What does it mean for me to stand in awe of God's power?
  4. How can I respond to God's greatness in my daily actions and choices?

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

Ishodad of Merv comments on Job's fear of God and the terror He inspires, reflecting on the implications for Job's friends.

Ishodad of MervCOMMENTARY ON Job 13:11 9th c.
The author seems to say that Job’s friends will abstain from pronouncing reproaches, because of the fear of God and the terror that he inspires.
Early Church Fathers on Job 13 →

Commentators on this verse — 8 expositors, verse by verse

Each of these wrote on Job 13:11 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.

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

Shall not his excellency make you afraid,.... To commit sin, any sin, and particularly that just mentioned, which they might expect to be reproved for; there is an excellency in the name of God,

Read John Gill on Job 13 →
Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's Commentary

Shall not his excellency make you afraid? and his dread fall upon you? Shall not his excellency make you afraid? and his dread fall upon you? Make you afraid?

Read Robert Jamieson on Job 13 →
Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy Bible

His excellency; his infinite wisdom, which sees your secret falsehoods; and his justice and power, which can and will punish you for it. Make you afraid of speaking rashly or falsely of his ways and counsels.

Read Matthew Poole on Job 13 →
John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

Job 13:11 Shall not his excellency make you afraid? and his dread fall upon you?Ver. 11. Shall not his excellency make you afraid?] Heb. His highness, his majesty, his surpassing sublimity and transcendent glory; shall not this frighten you, and rein you in from wrongly dealing and warping? "Who would not fear thee, O King of nations? for to thee doth it appertain," Jeremiah 10:7. And, "Fear ye not me? saith the Lord: will ye not tremble at my presence?" Jeremiah 5:22. If an earthly king be so dread a sovereign; if the glory of angels hath so terrified the best saints on earth, that they could hardly outlive such an apparition; what shall we think of the great and terrible God, as he is…

Read John Trapp on Job 13 →
AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible

Verse 11. His dread fall upon you?] The very apprehension of his wrath is sufficient to crush you to nothing.

Read AdamClarke on Job 13 →
CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

11. his excellency] His majesty affright you. They shall be paralyzed when they stand before God who searches the heart.

Read Cambridge on Job 13 →
Albert Barnes1798–1870Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Shall not his excellency - His exaltation שׂאת śe'êth from נשׂא nâśâ' to exalt, to lift up), or his majesty, Genesis 49:3. Make you afraid - Fill you with awe and reverence.

Read Albert Barnes on Job 13 →
Daniel Denison Whedon1808–1885Whedon's Commentary on the Bible

11. His dread fall upon you — Pineda gives, in this place, a Spanish proverb, The hill and the stones are God’s: that is, the vantage ground is his.

Read Daniel Denison Whedon on Job 13 →

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

Would His majesty not terrify you? Would the dread of Him not fall upon you?

WEBWorld English Bible2000

Won’t his majesty make you afraid and his dread fall on you?

MSBMajority Standard Bible2022

Would His majesty not terrify you? Would the dread of Him not fall upon you?

NETBNew English Translation2006

Would not his splendor terrify you and the fear he inspires fall on you?

Tyndale line

KJVKing James Version1611

Shall not his excellency make you afraid? and his dread fall upon you?

ASVAmerican Standard Version1901

Shall not his majesty make you afraid, And his dread fall upon you?

RVARevised Version, American1894

Shall not his excellency make you afraid, and his dread fall upon you?

NWBWebster's Bible1833

Shall not his excellence make you afraid? and his dread fall upon you?

GNVGeneva Bible1599

Shall not his excellencie make you afraid? and his feare fall vpon you?

Strictly literal

DBYDarby Translation1890

Shall not his excellency terrify you? and his dread fall upon you?

YLTYoung's Literal Translation1862

Doth not His excellency terrify you? And His dread fall upon you?

LSVLiteral Standard Version2020

Does His excellence not terrify you? And His dread fall on you?

ILTInterlinear Literal Translation2000

Doth not his excellency terrify you? and his dread fall upon you?

ULBUnlocked Literal Bible2017

Will not his majesty terrify you, and the dread of him fall upon you?

From the Latin

DRADouay-Rheims (Challoner)1899

As soon as he shall move himself, he shall trouble you: and his dread shall fall upon you.

Simplified

FBVFree Bible Version2020

Isn't his majesty terrifying to you? Aren't you so afraid of him you're paralyzed?

BBEBible in Basic English1949

Will not his glory put you in fear, so that your hearts will be overcome before him?

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.

clauseהֲ?clauseלֹ֣אnotclauseclausenoun phrase · subjectשְׂ֭אֵתmajestyוֹhisverbתְּבַעֵ֣תwill.it.terrifynoun phrase · objectאֶתְכֶ֑םyouוּ֝andclausenoun phrase · subjectפַחְדּ֗dreadוֹhisverbיִפֹּ֥לwill.it.fall?prepositional phrase · prepositionalעֲלֵיonכֶֽםyou

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


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

The Masoretic Text and the Septuagint agree closely in this verse, with all words matched. The Septuagint reflects the same meaning as the Hebrew, though the word order differs.

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

הֲלֹ֣א שְׂ֭אֵתוֹ תְּבַעֵ֣ת אֶתְכֶ֑ם וּ֝פַחְדּ֗וֹ יִפֹּ֥ל עֲלֵיכֶֽם׃

Septuagintthe Greek the translators chose, word by word
הֲלֹ֣אοὐξὶשְׂ֭אֵתוֹαὐτοῦתְּבַעֵ֣תστροβήσειאֶתְכֶ֑םὑμᾶςוּ֝פַחְדּ֗וֹαὐτοῦיִפֹּ֥לἐπιπεσεῖταιעֲלֵיכֶֽם׃ὑμῖν

7 of the 7 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.

Job 13:11לֹא¿ not¿ notלֹאשְׂאֵתmajesty hismajesty hisשְׂאֵתבָּעַתwill it terwill it terrifyבָּעַתאֵתthe object the object markאֵתפַּ֫חַדand dread hand dread hisפַּ֫חַדנָפַלwill it falwill it fall?נָפַלעַלon youon youעַלפָּחַדto dreadto dreadפָּחַדנָשָׂאto lift: rto lift: raiseנָשָׂאאוֹתsign: mirasign: miraculouאוֹתפָּלַלto prayto prayפָּלַלעַלheightheightעַליָכֹלbe ablebe ableיָכֹלעוֹדstillstillעוֹדסַפַּ֫חַתscabscabסַפַּ֫חַתלָבָןwhitewhiteלָבָןאֵימָהterrorterrorאֵימָהנַ֫חַלBrookBrookנַ֫חַלמִגְרָשׁpasturepastureמִגְרָשׁפַּ֫חַתpitpitפַּ֫חַתגּוֹרָלallottedallottedגּוֹרָלחָלָלslain: kilslain: killedחָלָלכִּפֶּרto atoneto atoneכִּפֶּרכִּסֵּאthronethroneכִּסֵּא
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 Job 13:11

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.

¿ not majesty his will it terrify the object marker you and dread his will it fall? on you
הֲלֹ֣אha.Lo' ¿ not H3808 Particle · 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 | Part — Particle · particle
HTi/Tn
The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
¿ not majesty his will it terrify the object marker you and dread his will it fall? on you
שְׂ֭אֵתוֹSe.'e.tov majesty his H7613 Noun common feminine singular construct · suffix
14× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
In the Bible, elevation can refer to a physical rise in the land or a sense of pride and dignity. It is used to describe the exaltation of God and the dignity of kings. The word appears in books like Psalms and Proverbs.
Amplified meaning
excellence, glory
Tyndale gloss
elevation
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

שְׂאֵת (s'eth) refers to concepts of elevation and dignity, including exaltation, swelling, and uprising. It is derived from a root meaning to rise up. The word encompasses both physical and figurative senses of elevation, such as rank or character. Notably, it can also refer to a leprous scab in a more literal context.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

שְׂאֵת n.f. 1. exaltation, dignity. 2. swelling. 3. uprising

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H7613 שְׂאֵת 1. exaltation, dignity. 2. swelling. 3. uprising

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

7613 s'eth seh-ayth'

from 5375; an elevation or leprous scab; figuratively,

elation or cheerfulness; exaltation in rank or character:--

be accepted, dignity, excellency, highness, raise up self,

rising.

see HEBREW for 05375

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

שְׂאֵת (se.et) — elevation.

1) elevation, exaltation, dignity, swelling, uprising

1a) dignity, exaltation, loftiness

1b) swelling

1c) uprising

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-fs | Suff — Noun common feminine singular construct · suffix
HNcfsc/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."

¿ not majesty his will it terrify the object marker you and dread his will it fall? on you
תְּבַעֵ֣תte.va.'Et will it terrify H1204 Verb · Piel · imperfect third person feminine singular
16× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This Hebrew word means to terrify or startle someone, causing them to be overtaken by sudden fear or panic. It is used to describe a strong emotional response to a situation.
Amplified meaning
make afraid, startle
Tyndale gloss
to terrify
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

בָּעַת (ba`ath) is a primitive root meaning to terrify or startle. It covers a range of actions, including overwhelming or assailing someone, and is often used in a poetic context. The verb can appear in various forms, such as being terrified (Niphal) or actively terrifying (Piel).

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

[בָּעַת] vb. fall upon, startle, terrify

Niph. be terrified

Pi. (mostly poet.)

fall upon; overwhelm; assail

terrify

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H1204 [בָּעַת] fall upon, startle, terrify . be terrified

. (mostly poet.) . fall upon; overwhelm; assail

. terrify

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

1204 ba`ath baw-ath'

a primitive root; to fear:--affright, be (make) afraid,

terrify, trouble.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

בָּעַת (ba.at) — to terrify.

1) to terrify, startle, fall upon, dismay, be overtaken by sudden terror

1a) (Niphal) to be terrified

1b) (Piel)

1b1) to fall upon, overwhelm

1b2) to terrify

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
V-Piel-Imperf-3fs — Verb · Piel · imperfect third person feminine singular
HVpi3fs
¿ not majesty his will it terrify the object marker you and dread his will it fall? on you
אֶתְכֶ֑ם'et.Khem the object marker you H853 Particle · suffix
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
HTo/Sp2mp — Particle · suffix
HTo/Sp2mp
The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
¿ not majesty his will it terrify the object marker you and dread his will it fall? on you
וּ֝פַחְדּ֗וֹu.fach.Do and dread his H6343 Conjunction · noun common masculine singular construct · suffix
49× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This word refers to a feeling of terror or dread, often caused by something sudden or frightening. In the Bible, it describes the fear of God or the dread of His judgment. The prophet Isaiah used it to describe the terror of God's wrath.
Amplified meaning
fear, terror, His presence, His power
Tyndale gloss
dread
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

פַּ֫חַד (pachad) refers to the concept of dread or terror, often indicating both the feeling of fear and the object that inspires it. The word is derived from a root meaning to be alarmed, and it encompasses a range of meanings related to fear and terror.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

פַּ֫חַד 49 n.m. dread

dread

= object of dread

as design. dei

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H6343 פַּ֫חַד dread . dread

. = object of dread

. as design. dei

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

6343 pachad pakh'-ad

from 6342; a (sudden) alarm (properly, the object feared, by

implication, the feeling):--dread(-ful), fear, (thing) great

(fear, -ly feared), terror.

see HEBREW for 06342

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

פַּ֫חַד (pa.chad) — dread.

1) terror, dread

1a) dread

1b) object of dread

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Conj | N-ms | Suff — Conjunction · noun common masculine singular construct · suffix
HC/Ncmsc/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."

¿ not majesty his will it terrify the object marker you and dread his will it fall? on you
יִפֹּ֥לyi.Pol will it fall? H5307 Verb · Qal · imperfect third person masculine singular
435× 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 to fall, and it's used in many ways, like falling down, failing, or being defeated. It appears in books like Genesis and Isaiah. God's people often fell away from Him, but He always offered a way back.
Amplified meaning
come upon, overwhelm
Tyndale gloss
to fall: fall
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

נָפַל (naphal) is a Hebrew verb meaning 'to fall,' encompassing a wide range of applications, including falling by accident, experiencing violent death, or going to ruin. It can also refer to prostrating oneself, attacking, or causing someone to fall. The term appears in various contexts throughout the Old Testament, often indicating physical or metaphorical downfall.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

נָפַל 433 vb. fall, lie

Qal 366

fall, by accident

Esp. of violent death

fig. = go to ruin, perish, etc.

fig. = experience calamity

fall, of a city

Fall prostrate

fall = prostrate oneself before

fall upon one's neck, in embrace

Fall upon = attack

desert or fall away to, go over to

Fig., of deep sleep

Other idiomatic uses

= lie; = lie prostrate

Hiph.

cause to fall

Of causing death; = overthrow, bring to destruction

Esp. of casting lot

Fig., let drop, cause to fail

cause deep sleep to fall

Other idioms

Hithp. throw, or prostrate oneself

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H5307 נָפַל fall, lie .. fall, by accident

. . Esp. of violent death

. fig. = go to ruin, perish, etc.

. fig. = experience calamity

. fall, of a city

. . Fall prostrate

. fall = prostrate oneself before

. fall upon one's neck, in embrace

. . Fall upon = attack

. desert or fall away to, go over to

. Fig., of deep sleep

. Other idiomatic uses

. = lie; = lie prostrate

. . cause to fall

. Of causing death; = overthrow, bring to destruction

. Esp. of casting lot

. Fig., let drop, cause to fail

. cause deep sleep to fall

. Other idioms

. throw, or prostrate oneself

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

5307 naphal naw-fal'

a primitive root; to fall, in a great variety of applications

(intransitive or causative, literal or figurative):--be

accepted, cast (down, self, (lots), out), cease, die, divide

(by lot), (let) fail, (cause to, let, make, ready to) fall

(away, down, -en, -ing), fell(-ing), fugitive, have

(inheritance), inferior, be judged (by mistake for 6419), lay

(along), (cause to) lie down, light (down), be (X hast) lost,

lying, overthrow, overwhelm, perish, present(-ed, -ing), (make

to) rot, slay, smite out, X surely, throw down.

see HEBREW for 06419

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

נָפַל (na.phal) — to fall: fall.

: fall/drop/fail

1) to fall, lie, be cast down, fail

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to fall

1a2) to fall (of violent death)

1a3) to fall prostrate, prostrate oneself before

1a4) to fall upon, attack, desert, fall away to, go away to, fall into the hand of

1a5) to fall short, fail, fall out, turn out, result

1a6) to settle, waste away, be offered, be inferior to

1a7) to lie, lie prostrate

1b) (Hiphil)

1b1) to cause to fall, fell, throw down, knock out, lay prostrate

1b2) to overthrow

1b3) to make the lot fall, assign by lot, apportion by lot

1b4) to let drop, cause to fail (fig.)

1b5) to cause to fall

1c) (Hithpael)

1c1) to throw or prostrate oneself, throw oneself upon

1c2) to lie prostrate, prostrate oneself

1d) (Pilel) to fall

נָפַל (na.phal) — to fall: deserting.

: deserting

1) to fall, lie, be cast down, fail

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to fall

1a2) to fall (of violent death)

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
V-Qal-Imperf-3ms — Verb · Qal · imperfect third person masculine singular
HVqi3ms
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

fol (vb.): The idea of falling is most frequently expressed in Hebrew by naphal, but also by many other words; in Greek by pipto, and its compounds. The uses of the word in Scripture are very varied. There is the literal falling by descent; the falling of the countenance in sorrow, shame, anger, etc. (Ge 4:5,6); the falling in battle (Ge 14:10; Nu 14:3, etc.); the falling into trouble, etc. (Pr 24:16,17); prostration in supplication and reverence (Ge 17:3; Nu 14:5, etc.); falling of the Spirit of Yahweh (Eze 11:5

¿ not majesty his will it terrify the object marker you and dread his will it fall? on you
עֲלֵיכֶֽם׃'a.lei.Khem on you H5921 Preposition · suffix
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 | Suff — Preposition · suffix
HR/Sp2mp
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.

Everything we make is available for free because of a generous community of supporters.

Donate