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Job 16:8 — Word Study

Depth

WLCוַֽ֭תִּקְמְטֵנִי לְעֵ֣ד הָיָ֑ה וַיָּ֥קָם בִּ֥י כַ֝חֲשִׁ֗י בְּפָנַ֥י יַעֲנֶֽה׃

BSAYou have bound meqâmaṭ [seized, filled with wrinkles] [and] it has becomehâyâh a witnessʻêd [testimony, evidence] my frailtykachash [leanness, physical weakness] rises upqûwm and testifiesʻânâh [bears witness, gives answer] against mepânîym [to my face, in my presence]

Word
Listen & take awayJob 16
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 (ya.'a.Neh) — no per-word recordings of the Hebrew exist to link to.
Take it away
Job 16:8quick helps
In a sentenceJob expresses his feeling of being bound and how his weakness stands as a witness against him.
Who is speakingJob, lamenting his suffering and the state of his body.
Where we areIn a moment of deep anguish, Job reflects on his condition and the testimony it bears.
The hard wordעֵד
Take awayJob feels trapped, and his frailty is a constant reminder of his plight.
8 commentators on this verse Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them › clause verbהָיָה 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 16:8

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 — Job's Lamentgenerated

7Surely He has now exhausted me; You have devastated all my family.
8You have bound me, and it has become a witness; my frailty rises up and testifies against me.
9His anger has torn me and opposed me; He gnashes His teeth at me. My adversary pierces me with His eyes.
10They open their mouths against me and strike my cheeks with contempt; they join together against me.

Job 16:8 captures Job's despair as he feels bound and accused by his own weakness. In the surrounding verses, he articulates his suffering and the sense of injustice he perceives in his situation. This moment reflects the broader themes of suffering and divine justice found throughout the book of Job, where Job grapples with his undeserved afflictions and seeks understanding of his plight.


Cross References

ReferenceText (BSB)
1Job 10:17You produce new witnesses against me and multiply Your anger toward me. Hardships assault me in wave after wave.
2Ruth 1:21I went away full, but the LORD has brought me back empty. Why call me Naomi? After all, the LORD has testified against me, and the Almighty has afflicted me.”
3Ephesians 5:27and to present her to Himself as a glorious church, without stain or wrinkle or any such blemish, but holy and blameless.
4Psalm 106:15So He granted their request, but sent a wasting disease upon them.
5Isaiah 10:16Therefore the Lord GOD of Hosts will send a wasting disease among Assyria’s stout warriors, and under his pomp will be kindled a fire like a burning flame.

The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 6 references, hung on the phrase they belong to


The Key Word עֵד, le.'Edgenerated

The word עֵד (ed) means witness or testimony, referring to someone who observes or experiences events and can provide evidence of them. It is often used in legal contexts within the Hebrew Bible, indicating the importance of reliable testimony in establishing truth.

In this verse, it signifies that Job's condition has become a witness against him, highlighting his frailty and suffering. The use of this term emphasizes the weight of Job's physical state as he confronts his adversities.


How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated

All translations agree on the rendering of עֵד as 'witness' in this verse, maintaining the weight of Job's testimony about his suffering.


Sentence Structuregenerated

The structure of the verse centers around the finite verb תִּקְמְטֵ (tikmeṭeni), which governs the main action of being seized. This verb is followed by a series of clauses that elaborate on the consequences of that action.

The clauses build upon each other: the first describes Job being bound, the second states that this binding has become a witness, and the subsequent phrases detail the rising of his frailty and its testimony against him.


Septuagint Backgroundgenerated

The Septuagint translates עֵד as μαρτύριον (martyrion), which carries a similar meaning of testimony or witness. This choice reflects a consistent understanding of Job's condition as something that bears witness to his suffering.

This translation aligns with the Hebrew, emphasizing the role of Job's frailty as a testimony in the face of his trials.


In plain words — the whole versegenerated

Job 16:8 shows Job feeling overwhelmed by his suffering. He feels bound, and he believes that his weakness stands as a witness against him. This verse captures his deep sense of despair and the reality of his physical condition.


Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated

What does Job mean by 'it has become a witness'?

Job is expressing that his suffering and frailty serve as evidence against him, highlighting his vulnerable state.

How does Job's frailty testify against him?

His physical weakness is a constant reminder of his suffering and his perceived guilt, making him feel judged by his own condition.

What is the significance of the word 'witness' in this context?

The term 'witness' emphasizes the idea that Job's suffering is not just personal but serves as a testimony to the injustices he faces.

How does this verse connect to the overall theme of Job's suffering?

It encapsulates Job's struggle with his condition and his quest for understanding in the face of his afflictions.


Reflection Questionsgenerated

  1. In what ways do I feel bound by my own weaknesses or circumstances?
  2. How can I find hope in my struggles, similar to how Job seeks understanding?
  3. What does it mean for my experiences to serve as a testimony in my life?
  4. How can I support others who are feeling overwhelmed by their own challenges?

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

Early commentary from Gregory the Dialogist reflects on Job's grief and the oppression felt by the Church in the face of wickedness.

Gregory the DialogistMorals on the Book of Job, Book XIII c. 540–604
Ver. 8. But now my grief has oppressed me, and my limbs are brought to nought. Holy Church is oppressed by her grief, when she beholds the wicked grow to a height in their wickedness;
Early Church Fathers on Job 16 →

Commentators on this verse — 8 expositors, verse by verse

Each of these wrote on Job 16:8 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.

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

And thou hast filled me with wrinkles,.... Not through old age, but through affliction, which had sunk his flesh, and made furrows in him, so that he looked older than he was, and was made old

Read John Gill on Job 16 →
Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's Commentary

And thou hast filled me with wrinkles, which is a witness against me: and my leanness rising up in me beareth witness to my face.

Read Robert Jamieson on Job 16 →
Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy Bible

Thou hast filled me with wrinkles, by consuming all my fat and flesh. Which is a witness against me; Heb. which is a witness of the reality, and greatness, and just cause of my sorrows. Or, which is become or made a witness, i.e. is produced by my friends as a witness of God’ s wrath, and of my hypocrisy and impiety. Rising up in me, i.e. which is in me. Or, rising up against me, as witnesses use to rise and stand up against a guilty person to accuse him. Beareth witness to my face; as witnesses are to accuse a person to his face, openly and evidently, so as any that look on my face may plainly discern it. But this clause may be rendered thus, my leanness in my face (i.e. which appears in…

Read Matthew Poole on Job 16 →
John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

Job 16:8 And thou hast filled me with wrinkles, [which] is a witness [against me]: and my leanness rising up in me beareth witness to my face.Ver. 8. Thou hast filled me with wrinkles, which is a witness against me] viz. That I am an afflicted man, but yet not a wicked man, such as Elipbaz had described by his pinguis aqualiculus (Persius), those collops in his flank, Job 15:27. Thou hast made me all wrinkled (so Brougbton rendereth it); or, Thou hast wrinkled me. The Hebrew word is found in Job only; but in the Rabbis more frequently. Grief had made furrows in Job’ s face, and his tears had often filled them. And my leanness rising up in me] sc. By the continuance of my sores and sorrows…

Read John Trapp on Job 16 →
Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(8) Witness against me.—As in Job 10:17. The wrinkles in his body, caused by the disease, were a witness against him; and certainly, in the eyes of his friends, they furnished unquestionable proof of his guilt.

Read Charles John Ellicott on Job 16 →
AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible

Verse 8. Thou hast filled me with wrinkles] If Job's disease were the elephantiasis, in which the whole skin is wrinkled as the skin of the elephant, from which this species of leprosy has taken its name, these words would apply most forcibly to it; but the whole passage, through its obscurity, has been variously rendered. Calmet unites it with the preceding, and Houbigant is not very different. He translates thus: - "For my trouble hath now weakened all my frame, and brought wrinkles over me: he is present as a witness, and ariseth against me, who telleth lies concerning me; he openly contradicts me to my face." Mr. Good translates nearly in the same way; others still differently.

Read AdamClarke on Job 16 →
CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

8. The verse reads, Thou hast laid hold of me, and it is become a witness against me; And my leanness riseth up against me; it beareth witness to my face. By God’s seizing or laying hold of him Job means his afflictions. These afflictions sent by God were assumed by all to be witnesses of his guilt; his emaciation from disease rose up and testified to his face that he was a sinner. Such was the construction all men put on his calamities, and under this impression they all turned away from him, thinking him one stricken of God and afflicted (Isaiah 53:4). See on ch. Job 1:11, and cf. Isaiah 3:9.

Read Cambridge on Job 16 →
Albert Barnes1798–1870Barnes' Notes on the Bible

And thou hast filled me with wrinkles - Noyes renders this, “and thou hast seized hold of me, which is a witness against me.” Wemyss, “since thou hast bound me with chains, witnesses come forward.”

Read Albert Barnes on Job 16 →

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

You have bound me, and it has become a witness; my frailty rises up and testifies against me.

WEBWorld English Bible2000

You have shriveled me up. This is a witness against me. My leanness rises up against me. It testifies to my face.

MSBMajority Standard Bible2022

You have bound me, and it has become a witness; my frailty rises up and testifies against me.

NETBNew English Translation2006

You have seized me, and it has become a witness; my leanness has risen up against me and testifies against me.

Tyndale line

KJVKing James Version1611

And thou hast filled me with wrinkles, which is a witness against me: and my leanness rising up in me beareth witness to my face.

ASVAmerican Standard Version1901

And thou hast laid fast hold on me, which is a witness against me: And my leanness riseth up against me, It testifieth to my face.

RVARevised Version, American1894

And thou hast laid fast hold on me, which is a witness against me: and my leanness riseth up against me, it testifieth to my face.

NWBWebster's Bible1833

And thou hast filled me with wrinkles, which is a witness against me : and my leanness rising up in me beareth witness to my face.

GNVGeneva Bible1599

And hast made me full of wrinkles which is a witnesse thereof, and my leannes ryseth vp in me, testifying the same in my face.

Strictly literal

DBYDarby Translation1890

Thou hast shrivelled me up! it is become a witness; and my leanness riseth up against me, it beareth witness to my face.

YLTYoung's Literal Translation1862

And Thou dost loathe me, For a witness it hath been, And rise up against me doth my failure, In my face it testifieth.

LSVLiteral Standard Version2020

And You loathe me, || For it has been a witness, || And my failure rises up against me, || It testifies in my face.

ILTInterlinear Literal Translation2000

And thou hast filled me with wrinkles, they are my witnesses; and my leanness riseth up for me, giveth its testimony to my face.

ULBUnlocked Literal Bible2017

You have made me dry up, which itself is a witness against me; the leanness of my body rises up against me, and it testifies against my face.

From the Latin

DRADouay-Rheims (Challoner)1899

But now my sorrow hath oppressed me, and all my limbs are brought to nothing.

Simplified

FBVFree Bible Version2020

You have made me shrivel up, which is a witness against me; my thin body testifies against me.

BBEBible in Basic English1949

It has come up as a witness against me, and the wasting of my flesh makes answer to my face.

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.

וַֽ֭andclauseverbתִּקְמְטֵyouobjectנִיhave.seized.meclauseprepositional phrase · prepositionalלְ(into).aעֵ֣דwitnessverbהָיָ֑הit.has.becomeוַandclauseverbיָּ֥קָםit.has.risen.upprepositional phrase · prepositionalבִּ֥onיmenoun phrase · subjectכַ֝חֲשִׁ֗leannessיmyclauseprepositional phrase · prepositionalבְּinnoun phraseפָנַ֥faceיmyverbיַעֲנֶֽהit.testifies

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 in their wording for this verse, with all eight words matching. This indicates a strong consistency in the transmission of this text across these traditions.

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

וַֽ֭תִּקְמְטֵנִי לְעֵ֣ד הָיָ֑ה וַיָּ֥קָם בִּ֥י כַ֝חֲשִׁ֗י בְּפָנַ֥י יַעֲנֶֽה׃

Septuagintthe Greek the translators chose, word by word
וַֽ֭תִּקְמְטֵנִיμουלְעֵ֣דμαρτύριονהָיָ֑הἐγενήθηוַיָּ֥קָםἀνέστηבִּ֥יἐμοὶכַ֝חֲשִׁ֗יμουבְּפָנַ֥יμουיַעֲנֶֽה׃ἀνταπεκρίθη

8 of the 8 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 16:8קָמַטand you havand you have seקָמַטעֵדa witnessa witnessעֵדהָיָהit has becoit has becomeהָיָהלֵבand it has and it has riseלֵבנִיon meon meנִיכַּ֫חַשׁleanness myleanness myכַּ֫חַשׁפָּנֶהin face myin face myפָּנֶהעוּןit testifieit testifiesעוּןעוּדto upholdto upholdעוּדכָּחַשׁto deceiveto deceiveכָּחַשׁפָּנָהCorner (GaCorner (Gate)פָּנָהעָנָהbe occupiebe occupiedעָנָההָוָאto fallto fallהָוָאשֶׁ֫קֶרdeceptiondeceptionשֶׁ֫קֶרנֶ֫דֶרvowvowנֶ֫דֶרעֵדwitnesswitnessעֵדסָתַרto hideto hideסָתַרנוּסto fleeto fleeנוּסאִיּוֹבJobJobאִיּוֹבשָׁוַעto cryto cryשָׁוַע
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 16:8

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.

and you have seized me a witness it has become and it has risen up on me leanness my in face my it testifies
וַֽ֭תִּקְמְטֵנִיVa.tik.me.te.ni and you have seized me H7059 Verb qal sequential imperfect second person masculine singular · suffix
2× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
The Hebrew word qâmaṭ means to seize or destroy something, like cutting down a tree or filling something with wrinkles. It appears in the Bible as a way to describe sudden or forceful actions, such as in battles or natural disasters. This word is used to convey a sense of power or intensity.
Amplified meaning
seized, filled with wrinkles
Tyndale gloss
to seize
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

קָמַט (qamat) is a Hebrew verb meaning to seize or pluck. It is primarily used in the Qal form to indicate the act of seizing and in the Pual form to describe being snatched away prematurely. The entries suggest a focus on destruction or the act of cutting down, but do not provide specific Old Testament references.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

[קָמַט] vb. seize

Qal and thou didst seize me.

Pu. be snatched (untimely)

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H7059 קָמַט

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

7059 qamat kaw-mat'

a primitive root; to pluck, i.e. destroy:--cut down, fill

with wrinkles.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

קָמַט (qa.mat) — to seize.

1) to seize

1a) (Qal) to seize

1b) (Pual) to be snatched away prematurely

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Conj | V-Qal-ConsecImperf-2ms | Suff — Verb qal sequential imperfect second person masculine singular · suffix
Hc/Vqw2ms/Sp1bs
and you have seized me a witness it has become and it has risen up on me leanness my in face my it testifies
לְעֵ֣דle.'Ed a witness H5707 Preposition · noun common masculine singular absolute
70× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This Hebrew word means witness or testimony, describing someone who sees or experiences something. It's used in the Bible to talk about people who testify to what they've seen, like in Deuteronomy when describing legal witnesses.
Amplified meaning
testimony, evidence
Tyndale gloss
witness
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

עֵד (ed) means 'witness' and encompasses both the act of witnessing and the person who testifies. It is derived from a root suggesting emphatic affirmation. The term can refer to evidence of things or to individuals providing testimony.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

עֵד 69 n.m. witness (prob. fr. reiterating, hence emphatically affirming)

witness, testimony, evidence, of things

witness, a person

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H5707 עֵד witness (prob. fr. reiterating, hence emphatically affirming) . witness, testimony, evidence, of things

. witness, a person

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

5707 `ed ayd

contracted from 5749 ; concretely, a witness; abstractly,

testimony; specifically, a recorder, i.e. prince:--witness.

see HEBREW for 05749

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

עֵד (ed) — witness.

1) witness

1a) witness, testimony, evidence (of things)

1b) witness (of people)

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

wit'-nes (nouns `edh, and `edhah, and verb `anah; martus, with all derivative words and their compounds): The word "witness" is used of inanimate things, e.g. the heap of stones testifying to the covenant between Jacob and Laban (Ge 31:44-54), and the So of Moses. (De 31:19,21). The main use of the word is forensic, and from this use all other applications are naturally derived. Important legal agreements required the attestation of witnesses, as in the case of the purchase of property, or a betrothal (Ru 4:1-11, where we are told that the ancient form of attestation was by a man drawing off his shoe and giving it to his neighbor).

Easton's Bible Dictionary

Witness

More than one witness was required in criminal cases (Deut. 17:6; 19:15). They were the first to execute the sentence on the condemned (Deut. 13:9; 17:7; 1 Kings 21:13; Matt. 27:1; Acts 7:57, 58). False witnesses were liable to punishment (Deut. 19:16-21). It was also an offence to refuse to bear witness (Lev. 5:1).

Smith's Bible Dictionary

Among people with whom writing is not common the evidence of a transaction is given by some tangible memorial or significant ceremony: Abraham gave seven ewe-lambs to Abimelech as an evidence of his property in the well of Beersheba. Jacob raised a heap of stones, "the heap of witness." as a boundary-mark between himself and Laban. (Genesis 21:30; 31:47,52) The tribes of Reuben and Gad raised an "altar" as a witness to the covenant between themselves and the rest of the nation. Joshua set up a stone as an evidence of the allegiance promised by Israel to God. (Joshua 22:10,26,34; 24:26,27) But written evidence was by no means unknown to the Jews. Divorce was to be proved by a written document. (24:1,3) In civil contracts, at least in later times documentary evidence was required…

American Tract Society Bible Dictionary

One who testifies to any fact from his own personal knowledge. Under the Mosaic law, two witnesses under oath were necessary to convict a person charged with a capital crime, Nu 35:30; and if the criminal was stoned, the witnesses were bound to cast the first stones, De 17:6-7 Ac 7:58. The Greek word for witness is MARTYR, which see.

The apostles were witnesses, in proclaiming to the world the facts of the gospel, Ac 1:8,22 2:32 2Pe 1:12,16-18; and Christ is a "faithful witness," in testifying to men of heavenly things, Joh 3:12

and you have seized me a witness it has become and it has risen up on me leanness my in face my it testifies
הָיָ֑הha.Yah it has become H1961 Verb · Qal · perfect third person masculine singular
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-3ms — Verb · Qal · perfect third person masculine singular
HVqp3ms
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

be-kum':

(1) Greek ginomai, used in New Testament for a change of state, corresponding to Hebrew hayah of Old Testament. Compare Mt 18:3 with De 27:9.

(2) For what is fitting, suitable, proper, in New Testament: "prepei" (Mt 3:15; Eph 5:3; 1Ti 2:10); in Old Testament, na'awah, na'ah, Ps 93:5: "Holiness becometh thy house." in this sense, the adverb "becomingly" must be interpreted: "Walk becomingly toward them that are without" (1Th 4:12), i.e. in a way that is consistent with your profession.

and you have seized me a witness it has become and it has risen up on me leanness my in face my it testifies
וַיָּ֥קָםvai.Ya.kom and it has risen up H6965 Verb · Qal · sequential imperfect third person masculine singular
628× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
Qum means to rise or stand up, used in various contexts like rising to power or standing firm, as seen in Jeremiah and Ezra.
Tyndale gloss
(Leb)-kamai
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word קוּם (qum) is a primitive root meaning 'to rise' and encompasses a range of actions such as standing, becoming powerful, and establishing. It can imply a sudden or hostile rise, as well as the act of fulfilling or confirming something. The entries also note various grammatical forms, indicating its use in different contexts, including raising up or causing to stand.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

לֵב קָמָי prob. late Atbash Je 51:1.

ref

קוּם 628 vb. arise, stand up, stand

Qal 460

arise

arise, in hostile sense (oft. with idea of suddenness)

arise, abs., = become powerful

arise = come on the scene, appear, of leader, prophet

arise for, i.e. to become

arise for action

arise (out of inaction), introducing some specific deed

esp. arise = start, make a move, to go somewhere

stand

Pi.

fulfil

confirm, ratify

confirm, establish

impose, an obligation

Pō‛l. raise up

Hithpō‛l. raise oneself, = rise up

Hiph.

146cause to arise, raise

raise, set up, stones

erect, build

fig, of setting up law

raise up = bring on the scene

raise up = rouse, stir up

instigate, build

fig, of setting up law

raise up = constitute

cause to stand

Hoph. be raised up

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H6965a לֵב קָמָי prob. late Atbash H6965b קוּם arise, stand up, stand .. arise

. arise, in hostile sense (oft. with idea of suddenness)

. arise, abs., = become powerful

. arise = come on the scene, appear, of leader, prophet

. arise for, i.e. to become

. . arise for action

. arise (out of inaction), introducing some specific deed

. esp. arise = start, make a move, to go somewhere

. stand

. . fulfil

. . confirm, ratify

. confirm, establish

. impose, an obligation

. raise up

. raise oneself, = rise up

. . cause to arise, raise

. . raise, set up, stones

. erect, build

. fig, of setting up law

. raise up = bring on the scene

. . raise up = rouse, stir up

. instigate, build

. fig, of setting up law

. raise up = constitute

. cause to stand

. be raised up

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

6965 quwm koom

a primitive root; to rise (in various applications, literal,

figurative, intensive and causative):--abide, accomplish, X

be clearer, confirm, continue, decree, X be dim, endure, X

enemy, enjoin, get up, make good, help, hold, (help to) lift

up (again), make, X but newly, ordain, perform, pitch, raise

(up), rear (up), remain, (a-)rise (up) (again, against), rouse

up, set (up), (e-)stablish, (make to) stand (up), stir up,

strengthen, succeed, (as-, make) sure(-ly), (be) up(-hold, -

rising).

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

קָמָי (qa.may) — (Leb)-kamai.

Combined with lev (לֵב "Leb" H3820B)

§ -Kamai = "my adversary"

Leb-kamai, i.e., people of Gambulai

קוּם (qum) — to arise: rise.

: rise/get_going

1) to rise, arise, stand, rise up, stand up

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to arise

1a2) to arise (hostile sense)

1a3) to arise, become powerful

1a4) to arise, come on the scene

1a5) to stand

1a5a) to maintain oneself

1a5b) to be established, be confirmed

1a5c) to stand, endure

1a5d) to be fixed

1a5e) to be valid

1a5f) to be proven

1a5g) to be fulfilled

1a5h) to persist

1a5i) to be set, be fixed

1b) (Piel)

1b1) to fulfil

1b2) to confirm, ratify, establish, impose

1c) (Polel) to raise up

1d) (Hithpael) to raise oneself, rise up

1e) (Hiphil)

1e1) to cause to arise, raise

1e2) to raise, set up, erect, build

1e3) to raise up, bring on the scene

1e4) to raise up, rouse, stir up, investigate

1e5) to raise up, constitute

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Conj | V-Qal-ConsecImperf-3ms — Verb · Qal · sequential imperfect third person masculine singular
Hc/Vqw3ms
and you have seized me a witness it has become and it has risen up on me leanness my in face my it testifies
בִּ֥יbi on me H9030 Preposition · suffix
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

נִי (ni) — me.

Personal object pronoun - suffix for propositions and verbs without an object: 1st person singular

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
HR/Sp1bs — Preposition · suffix
HR/Sp1bs
and you have seized me a witness it has become and it has risen up on me leanness my in face my it testifies
כַ֝חֲשִׁ֗יkha.cha.Shi leanness my H3585 Noun common masculine singular construct · suffix
6× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
A lie or deception, like the hypocrisy Jesus condemned in Matthew 23:27. It can also refer to physical weakness or emaciation, as in Proverbs 14:25.
Amplified meaning
leanness, physical weakness
Tyndale gloss
lie
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

כַּ֫חַשׁ (kachash) refers to both lying or deception and physical leanness or emaciation, suggesting a failure of flesh. The word is derived from a root that emphasizes the idea of failure. It encompasses both literal and figurative meanings, with no significant disagreement among lexicons.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

כַּ֫חַשׁ n.m. 1. lying. 2. leanness

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H3585 כַּ֫חַשׁ

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

3585 kachash kakh'-ash

from 3584; literally, a failure of flesh, i.e. emaciation;

figuratively, hypocrisy:--leanness, lies, lying.

see HEBREW for 03584

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

כַּ֫חַשׁ (ka.chash) — lie.

1) lying, deception

2) leanness, failure

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-ms | Suff — Noun common masculine singular construct · suffix
HNcmsc/Sp1bs
and you have seized me a witness it has become and it has risen up on me leanness my in face my it testifies
בְּפָנַ֥יbe.fa.Nai in face my H6440 Preposition · noun common masculine plural construct · suffix
2,127× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This word means face or presence, like being in front of someone or something. It's used in many contexts, like in Genesis, Exodus, and Psalms, to describe interactions and relationships.
Amplified meaning
to my face, in my presence
Tyndale gloss
face
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word פָּנֶה (*pāneh*) is a noun meaning 'face' or 'presence,' and it appears in various contexts, including the faces of seraphim and animals, as well as the surface of the ground. It can also function as an adverb meaning 'before' or 'in front of.' The word is built from a root that suggests turning or facing, and it encompasses a wide range of applications, both literal and figurative.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

[פָּנֶה], pl. פָּנִים 2123 n.m. face, also faces

face, faces

presence, person

technically, see one's face, i.e. appear before one, in one's presence

face of seraphim

face of animals

face (= surface) of ground

as adv.loc. before

for other phrases

with prepositions

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H6440 פָּנֶה, pl. פָּנִים face, also faces . . face, faces

. . presence, person

. technically, see one's face, i.e. appear before one, in one's presence

. face of seraphim

. face of animals

. face (= surface) of ground

. as adv. loc. before

. for other phrases

. with prepositions

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

6440 paniym paw-neem'

plural (but always as singular) of an unused noun (paneh

{paw-neh'}; from 6437); the face (as the part that turns);

used in a great variety of applications (literally and

figuratively); also (with prepositional prefix) as a

preposition (before, etc.):--+ accept, a-(be- )fore(-time),

against, anger, X as (long as), at, + battle, + because (of),

+ beseech, countenance, edge, + employ, endure, + enquire,

face, favour, fear of, for, forefront(-part), form(-er

time, -ward), from, front, heaviness, X him(-self), +

honourable, + impudent, + in, it, look(-eth) (- s), X me, +

meet, X more than, mouth, of, off, (of) old (time), X on,

open, + out of, over against, the partial, person, + please,

presence, propect, was purposed, by reason of, + regard, right

forth, + serve, X shewbread, sight, state, straight, + street,

X thee, X them(-selves), through (+ - out), till, time(-s)

Read the full entry →
Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

פָּנֶה (pa.neh) — face: before.

: before/to/front

1) face

1a) face, faces

1b) presence, person

1c) face (of seraphim or cherubim)

1d) face (of animals)

1e) face, surface (of ground)

1f) as adv of loc/temp

1f1) before and behind, toward, in front of, forward, formerly, from beforetime, before

1g) with prep

1g1) in front of, before, to the front of, in the presence of, in the face of, at the face or front of, from the presence of, from before, from before the face of

פָּנֶה (pa.neh) — face.

: face

1) face

1a) face, faces

1b) presence, person

1c) face (of seraphim or cherubim)

1d) face (of animals)

1e) face, surface (of ground)

1f) as adv of loc/temp

1f1) before and behind, toward, in front of, forward, formerly, from beforetime, before

1g) with prep

1g1) in front of, before, to the front of, in the presence of, in the face of, at the face or front of, from the presence of, from before, from…

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Prep | N-cp | Suff — Preposition · noun common masculine plural construct · suffix
HR/Ncmpc/Sp1bs
The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
and you have seized me a witness it has become and it has risen up on me leanness my in face my it testifies
יַעֲנֶֽה׃ya.'a.Neh it testifies H6030 Verb · Qal · imperfect third person masculine singular
332× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This verb means to sing or make music, but also to respond or give an answer. In the Bible, it is used to describe praising God in song or responding to a question. The KJV translates it as 'sing' or 'answer'.
Amplified meaning
bears witness, gives answer
Tyndale gloss
to dwell
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word עָנָה (*anah*) is built from a primitive root meaning to heed or pay attention, covering a range of meanings including to answer, respond, testify, and sing. It appears in contexts where one responds to speech or circumstances, and can also refer to singing. The lexicons indicate that it can imply both verbal responses and musical expression.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

[עוּן] vb. dwell

base

עָנָה 316 vb. answer, respond

Qal

answer, respond to sthg. said, actual or implied

respond to an occasion, speak in view of circumstances

money meets all demands

specif. respond as a witness, testify

less oft. make response as one accused (respondent)

Niph.

make answer

be answered

Hiph. wholly dub.; causes all things to respond in the joy of his heart

base

עָנָה vb. sing

Qal sing, utter tunefully

Pi. sing sweetly of it

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H6030a עוּן dwell H6030b עָנָה answer, respond .. answer, respond to sthg. said, actual or implied

. . respond to an occasion, speak in view of circumstances

. money meets all demands

. . specif. respond as a witness, testify

. less oft. make response as one accused (respondent)

. . make answer

. be answered

. wholly dub.; causes all things to respond in the joy of his heart

H6030c עָנָה sing

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

6030 `anah aw-naw'

a primitive root; properly, to eye or (generally) to heed,

i.e. pay attention; by implication, to respond; by extens. to

begin to speak; specifically to sing, shout, testify,

announce:--give account, afflict (by mistake for 6031),

(cause to, give) answer, bring low (by mistake for 6031), cry,

hear, Leannoth, lift up, say, X scholar, (give a) shout, sing

(together by course), speak, testify, utter, (bear) witness.

See also 1042, 1043.

see HEBREW for 06031

see HEBREW for 06031

see HEBREW for 01042

see HEBREW for 01043

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

עוּן (un) — to dwell.

(Qal) to dwell

עָנָה (a.nah) — to answer.

1) to answer, respond, testify, speak, shout

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to answer, respond to

1a2) to testify, respond as a witness

1b) (Niphal)

1b1) to make answer

1b2) to be answered, receive answer

Aramaic equivalent: a.nah (עֲנָה "to answer" H6032)

עָנָה (a.nah) — to sing.

(Qal) to sing, utter tunefully

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
V-Qal-Imperf-3ms — Verb · Qal · imperfect third person masculine singular
HVqi3ms
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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