Menu

Job 19:2 — Word Study

Depth

WLCעַד־ אָ֭נָה תּוֹגְי֣וּן נַפְשִׁ֑י וּֽתְדַכְּאוּנַ֥נִי בְמִלִּֽים׃

BSAHow longʻad [till when, until what point] will you tormentyâgâh [vex, afflict] menephesh and crush medâkâʼ [break, bruise] with [your] wordsmillâh [speech, utterances, words that have power]

Word
Listen & take awayJob 19
English ↓ Download MP3 The Berean Standard Bible chapter audio already hosted for the site's Bible section — verse 2 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 (ve.mi.Lim) — no per-word recordings of the Hebrew exist to link to.
Take it away
Job 19:2quick helps
In a sentenceJob questions how long he will be tormented and crushed by the words of his friends.
Who is speakingJob, responding to his friends who have been reproaching him.
Where we areJob's lament in the midst of his suffering, addressing the emotional pain caused by their words.
The hard wordתּוֹגְי֣וּן
Take awayJob feels deeply afflicted by the words spoken against him.
8 commentators on this verse Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them › clause 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 19:2

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 Response to His Friendsgenerated

1Then Job answered:
2“How long will you torment me and crush me with your words?
3Ten times now you have reproached me; you shamelessly mistreat me.
4Even if I have truly gone astray, my error concerns me alone.

Job 19:2 captures Job's anguish as he pleads for relief from the torment inflicted by the words of his friends. He expresses his frustration over their accusations and the emotional pain they cause him, emphasizing the depth of his suffering. This moment is part of a larger dialogue in which Job defends his integrity amidst intense scrutiny and judgment from those around him.


Cross References

ReferenceText (BSB)
1Job 8:2“How long will you go on saying such things? The words of your mouth are a blustering wind.
2Job 18:2“How long until you end these speeches? Show some sense, and then we can talk.
3Psalm 13:1How long, O LORD? Will You forget me forever? How long will You hide Your face from me?
4Revelation 6:10And they cried out in a loud voice, “How long, O Lord, holy and true, until You avenge our blood and judge those who dwell upon the earth?”
5Job 27:2“As surely as God lives, who has deprived me of justice— the Almighty, who has embittered my soul—

The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 15 references, hung on the phrase they belong to


The Key Word תּוֹגְי֣ון, tog.Yungenerated

The verb תּוֹגְי֣ון (tog.Yun) is a Hiphil imperfect form, indicating an ongoing action of causing grief or affliction. It is derived from a root that conveys the sense of suffering or vexation, and here it specifically refers to the torment Job feels due to the words directed at him.

This word highlights the emotional and psychological impact of verbal attacks, illustrating how deeply words can affect a person's well-being. Job's use of this term underscores the seriousness of his plight and the weight of the accusations he faces.


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 finite verb תּוֹגְי֣ון governs the main clause, with a prepositional phrase introducing the object of torment, נַ֥נִי (me), followed by a conjunction and another verb phrase indicating the action of crushing. The structure emphasizes Job's direct appeal to his friends regarding their hurtful words.

The arrangement of the sentence reflects Job's emotional state, with the verb of torment placed prominently, highlighting his plea for understanding and relief from their verbal assaults.


Septuagint Backgroundgenerated

The Septuagint translates the verb תּוֹגְי֣ון as ποιήσετε, meaning 'you will do' or 'you will make.' This choice suggests a broader interpretation of the act of torment, emphasizing the active role of Job's friends in causing his suffering through their words.

This rendering may imply a more intentional and deliberate infliction of pain, highlighting the relational dynamics between Job and his friends.


In plain words — the whole versegenerated

Job 19:2 shows Job asking how long he will be tormented and crushed by the words of his friends. He feels deeply hurt by their accusations, expressing his pain and pleading for relief from their verbal attacks.


Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated

What does Job mean by 'torment me with your words'?

Job is expressing the emotional pain and distress caused by the accusations and criticisms of his friends.

Why does Job ask 'How long'?

Job's question reflects his desperation and desire for an end to his suffering, indicating that he feels overwhelmed by the ongoing torment.

What role do words play in Job's suffering?

Words can inflict deep emotional wounds, and Job's lament highlights the power of speech to cause pain and distress.

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

This verse encapsulates Job's struggle with the judgment of his friends and his plea for understanding, reflecting the broader themes of suffering and the search for justice in the book.


Reflection Questionsgenerated

  1. How can I be more mindful of the words I use and their impact on others?
  2. In what situations have I felt tormented by the words of others, and how did I respond?
  3. What can I learn from Job's response to his friends about handling criticism?
  4. How does this verse challenge me to consider the power of speech in my own life?

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

The early church father Gregory the Dialogist interprets Job's lament as a reflection of the emotional turmoil caused by the words of others, emphasizing the significance of speech in human relationships.

Gregory the DialogistMorals on the Book of Job, Book XIV c. 540–604
How long will ye vex my soul, and break me in pieces with words? HISTORICAL INTERPRETATION The sayings of the holy man, as we have already often said, are to be understood sometimes in his own person, sometimes in the voice of the Head,
Early Church Fathers on Job 19 →

Commentators on this verse — 8 expositors, verse by verse

Each of these wrote on Job 19:2 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.

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

How long will ye vex my soul,.... Which of all vexation is the worst; not only his bones were vexed, but his soul also, as David's was, Psalms 6:2.

Read John Gill on Job 19 →
Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's Commentary

How long will ye vex my soul, and break me in pieces with words? How long ... - retorting Bildad's words (Job 18:2). Admitting the punishment to be deserved, is it kind thus ever to be harping on this to the sufferer?

Read Robert Jamieson on Job 19 →
Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy Bible

With mere empty words, void of sense or argument; with your impertinent and unedifying discourses, and bitter reproaches, as it followeth.

Read Matthew Poole on Job 19 →
John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

Job 19:2 How long will ye vex my soul, and break me in pieces with words?Ver. 2. How long will ye vex my soul?] viz. With your furious and reproachful charges and criminations? Have I not misery enough already, but you must lay more load of scorn and contempt upon me; and so go on to trouble me by adding to my saddest sorrows, such as pierce to the very soul? Call you this comforting an afflicted friend? Hoccine est maestum consolari? How long will ye break me in pieces with words?] Words also have their weight, and if hard and harsh, Leniter volant, non leniter violant. Like mauls, they break the heart in pieces; like a rack, they torment it, Psalms 42:10. As with a murdering weapon in my…

Read John Trapp on Job 19 →
Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

XIX.(2) How long?—Job begins as Bildad himself had begun in both cases. His last speech had been so offensive and unfeeling that Job may well ask “How long will ye vex my soul, and break me in pieces with words?” Moreover, Bildad had infused a kind of personal malice into his charges, which Job felt most keenly, so that he is constrained to ask, “If indeed I have erred, doth not my error remain with myself? I alone suffer for it, and ye do not even sympathise or suffer with me.”

Read Charles John Ellicott on Job 19 →
AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible

Verse 2. How long will ye vex my soul] Every thing that was irritating, vexatious, and opprobrious, his friends had recourse to, in order to support their own system, and overwhelm him. Not one of them seems to have been touched with a feeling of tenderness towards him, nor does a kind expression drop at any time from their lips! They were called friends; but this term, in reference to them, must be taken in the sense of cold-blooded acquaintances. However, there are many in the world that go under the sacred name of friends, who, in times of difficulty, act a similar part. Job's friends have been, by the general consent of posterity, consigned to endless infamy. May all those who follow…

Read AdamClarke on Job 19 →
CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

Job, forsaken of God and men, and without hope in this life, rises to the assurance that God will yet appear to vindicate him, and that his eyes shall see him on his side in joy 2–5. Job expresses his impatience of his friends’ words; and repudiates the inferences of his guilt which they draw from his calamities, declaring that his calamities are due to the unjust dealing of God.

Read Cambridge on Job 19 →
Albert Barnes1798–1870Barnes' Notes on the Bible

How long will ye vex my soul? - Perhaps designing to reply to the taunting speech of Bildad; Job 18:2.

Read Albert Barnes on Job 19 →

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

“How long will you torment me and crush me with your words?

WEBWorld English Bible2000

“How long will you torment me, and crush me with words?

MSBMajority Standard Bible2022

“How long will you torment me and crush me with your words?

NETBNew English Translation2006

“How long will you torment me and crush me with your words?

Tyndale line

KJVKing James Version1611

How long will ye vex my soul, and break me in pieces with words?

ASVAmerican Standard Version1901

How long will ye vex my soul, And break me in pieces with words?

RVARevised Version, American1894

How long will ye vex my soul and break me in pieces with words?

NWBWebster's Bible1833

How long will ye vex my soul, and break me in pieces with words?

GNVGeneva Bible1599

Howe long will yee vexe my soule, and torment me with wordes?

Strictly literal

DBYDarby Translation1890

How long will ye vex my soul, and crush me with words?

YLTYoung's Literal Translation1862

Till when do ye afflict my soul, And bruise me with words?

LSVLiteral Standard Version2020

“Until when do you afflict my soul, || And bruise me with words?

ILTInterlinear Literal Translation2000

How long will ye grieve my soul, and crush me with words?

ULBUnlocked Literal Bible2017

“How long will you make me suffer and break me into pieces with words?

From the Latin

DRADouay-Rheims (Challoner)1899

How long do you afflict my soul, and break me in pieces with words?

Simplified

FBVFree Bible Version2020

“How long will you go on tormenting me? How long will you go on crushing me with words?

BBEBible in Basic English1949

How long will you make my life bitter, crushing me with words?

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.

clauseprepositional phrase · prepositionalעַדuntilאָ֭נָהwhen?verb phrase · verbתּוֹגְי֣וּwillןyou.grievenoun phrase · objectנַפְשִׁ֑selfיmyוּֽandclauseverbתְדַכְּאוּwillobjectנַ֥נִיyou.crush.me?prepositional phrase · prepositionalבְwithמִלִּֽיםwords

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, with all six words matched in the Hebrew and Greek texts. This consistency indicates a strong preservation of the original meaning across these traditions.

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

עַד־ אָ֭נָה תּוֹגְי֣וּן נַפְשִׁ֑י וּֽתְדַכְּאוּנַ֥נִי בְמִלִּֽים׃

Septuagintthe Greek the translators chose, word by word
עַד־ἕωςאָ֭נָהτίνοςתּוֹגְי֣וּןποιήσετεנַפְשִׁ֑יμουוּֽתְדַכְּאוּנַ֥נִיμεבְמִלִּֽים׃λόγοις

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

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


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

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

Job 19:2עַדuntiluntilעַדאָןwhen?when?אָןיָגָהwill you towill you tormenיָגָהנֶ֫פֶשׁself myself myנֶ֫פֶשׁדָּכָאand will yoand will you crדָּכָאמִלָּהwith wordswith wordsמִלָּהאַ֫יִןwhere?where?אַ֫יִןנָפַשׁbe refreshbe refreshedנָפַשׁמָלַלto speakto speakמָלַלעַדperpetuityperpetuityעַדדָּכָהto crushto crushדָּכָהמָתַיhowhowמָתַיעֶ֫רֶבeveningeveningעֶ֫רֶבדּוֹדbelovedbelovedדּוֹדרֹבabundanceabundanceרֹבנֶ֫פֶשׁsoulsoulנֶ֫פֶשׁבָּקַשׁto seekto seekבָּקַשׁחַיalivealiveחַיעָנִיafflictedafflictedעָנִיזְרוֹעַarmarmזְרוֹעַאָזַןto listento listenאָזַןאֹמֶרwordwordאֹמֶר
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 19:2

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.

until when? will you torment ! self my and will you crush? me with words
עַד־'ad- until H5704 Preposition
1,261× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This Hebrew word means until or as far as, describing a point in time or space. It's used in the Bible to set boundaries or limits, like in Exodus when describing the Israelites' journey.
Amplified meaning
till when, until what point
Tyndale gloss
till
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

עַד (ad) primarily functions as a preposition, adverb, or conjunction meaning 'until,' 'up to,' or 'as far as.' It can denote spatial, temporal, or degree-related contexts, such as 'even to' or 'while.' The entries indicate its use in poetry and in various combinations, but there is no significant disagreement among the lexicons regarding its meanings.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

עַד, in poetry עֲדֵי prep. as far as, even to, up to, until, while

prep.

of space

Of time

Of degree

conj.

until

While

Of degree, to the point that, so that even (rare)

עַד לְ, a strengthened form for עַד. Thus

of space

Of time

Of degree

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H5704 עַד, in poetry עֲדֵי as far as, even to, up to, until, while . prep. . of space

. Of time

. Of degree

. conj. . until

. While

. Of degree, to the point that, so that even (rare)

. עַד לְ, a strengthened form for עַד. Thus . of space

. Of time

. Of degree

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

5704 `ad ad

properly, the same as 5703 (used as a preposition, adverb or

conjunction; especially with a preposition); as far (or long,

or much) as, whether of space (even unto) or time (during,

while, until) or degree (equally with):--against, and, as,

at, before, by (that), even (to), for(-asmuch as),

(hither-)to, + how long, into, as long (much) as, (so) that,

till, toward, until, when, while, (+ as) yet.

see HEBREW for 05703

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

עַד (ad) — till.

prep

1) as far as, even to, until, up to, while, as far as

1a) of space

1a1) as far as, up to, even to

1b) in combination

1b1) from...as far as, both...and (with 'min' -from)

1c) of time

1c1) even to, until, unto, till, during, end

1d) of degree

1d1) even to, to the degree of, even like

conj

2) until, while, to the point that, so that even

Aramaic equivalent: ad (עַד "till" H5705)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Prep — Preposition
HR
until when? will you torment ! self my and will you crush? me with words
אָ֭נָה'A.nah when? H575 Particle
41× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
The Hebrew word for 'where' is used to ask about location or direction, like in Genesis 3:9 and Exodus 2:13. It can also mean 'when' or 'how long'.
Tyndale gloss
where?
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

אָן (an) is an adverb meaning 'where?' or 'whither?'. It can also refer to time, asking 'when?' or 'how long?'. The word is derived from a root meaning to indicate place or time, and it is used in contexts that inquire about location or duration.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

אָן adv. where? or whither?

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H575 אָן where? or whither?

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

575 'an awn

or manah {aw-naw'}; contracted from 370; where?; hence,

whither?, when?; also hither and thither:--+ any (no)

whither, now, where, whither(-soever).

see HEBREW for 0370

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

אָן (an) — where?.

1) where?, whither? (of place)

2) when?, until when?, how long? (of time)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
HTi — Particle
HTi
until when? will you torment ! self my and will you crush? me with words
תּוֹגְי֣וּןtog.Yun will you torment ! H3013 Verb hiphil imperfect second person masculine plural · suffix
8× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This Hebrew word means to cause or feel grief, as seen in the Bible when people suffer or are afflicted, like in the book of Jeremiah.
Amplified meaning
vex, afflict
Tyndale gloss
to suffer
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

יָגָה (yagah) is a Hebrew verb meaning to suffer or grieve. It encompasses various forms, including causing grief (Hiphil), grieving (Niphal), and to grieve (Piel). The entries consistently emphasize the themes of affliction and sorrow, with no significant disagreement among the lexicons.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

[יָגָה] vb. suffer

Niph. grieved

Pi. grieve

Hiph. cause grief or sorrow

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H3013 יָגָה suffer . grieved

. grieve

. cause grief or sorrow

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

3013 yagah yaw-gaw'

a primitive root; to grieve:--afflict, cause grief, grieve,

sorrowful, vex.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

יָגָה (ya.gah) — to suffer.

1) to afflict, grieve, suffer, cause grief

1a) (Niphal) grieved, grieving (participle)

1b) (Piel) to grieve

1c) (Hiphil) to cause grief, cause sorrow

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
V-Hiphil-Imperf-2mp | Suff — Verb hiphil imperfect second person masculine plural · suffix
HVhi2mp/Sn
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
Easton's Bible Dictionary

Torment

Gr. basanos (Matt. 4:24), the “touch-stone” of justice; hence inquisition by torture, and then any disease which racks and tortures the limbs.

Thompson Chain Reference topics

of the wicked

Lu 16:23; Re 14:11; 16:10; 18:10; 20:10

--SEE Fire, FUTURE STATE OF THE WICKED

Hell, FUTURE STATE OF THE WICKED

& FUTURE STATE OF THE WICKED

& HELL

& HELL

Gnashing of Teeth, TEETH GNASHING OF

& TEETH GNASHING OF

The Wicked, WICKED

The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
until when? will you torment ! self my and will you crush? me with words
נַפְשִׁ֑יnaf.Shi self my H5315 Noun common feminine singular construct · suffix
754× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
The Hebrew word for soul or living being, used in the Bible to describe the essence of a person or animal. It encompasses the ideas of life, breath, and vitality, and is translated as 'soul' or 'creature' in the KJV. This word is central to biblical concepts of humanity and existence.
Tyndale gloss
soul
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

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

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

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

= that which breathes, the breathing substance or being

The נפשׁ becomes a living being

The נפשׁ is specif.

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

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

נ׳ = seat of emotions and passions

נפשׁ is used occasionally for mental acts

נפשׁ for acts of the will is dub.

נפשׁ = character is still more dub.

נ׳ in D

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

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

. The נפשׁ becomes a living being

. The נפשׁ is specif.

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

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

. נ׳ = seat of emotions and passions

. נפשׁ is used occasionally for mental acts

. נפשׁ for acts of the will is dub.

. נפשׁ = character is still more dub.

. נ׳ in D

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

5315 nephesh neh'-fesh

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

see HEBREW for 05314

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

נֶ֫פֶשׁ (ne.phesh) — soul.

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

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

1b) living being

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

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

1e) seat of the appetites

1f) seat of emotions and passions

1g) activity of mind

1g1) uncertain

1h) activity of the will

1h1) uncertain

1i) activity of the character

1i1) uncertain

נֶ֫פֶשׁ (ne.phesh) — soul: life.

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

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

1b) living being

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

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

1e) seat of the appetites

1f) seat of emotions and passions

1g) activity of mind

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-cs | Suff — Noun common feminine singular construct · suffix
HNcfsc/Sp1bs
until when? will you torment ! self my and will you crush? me with words
וּֽתְדַכְּאוּנַ֥נִיu.te.da.ke.'u.Na.ni and will you crush? me H1792 Conjunction · verb piel second person masculine plural · suffix
18× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This verb means to crush or bruise something, and can be used literally or figuratively. It is often translated as 'crush', 'bruise', or 'oppress' in English Bibles.
Amplified meaning
break, bruise
Tyndale gloss
to crush
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

דָּכָא (daka') is a Hebrew verb meaning to crush or be crushed. It encompasses various forms, indicating actions like bruising, breaking, and being contrite. The entries highlight its use in different grammatical aspects, such as the Niphal (to be crushed) and Piel (to crush). The word conveys both literal and figurative senses of destruction and humility.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

[דָּכָא] vb. crush, poet.

not in Qal;Niph. crushed, fig. = contrite ones

Pi. crush

Pu. crushed, broken in pieces, shattered

Hithp. crushed

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H1792 דָּכָא crush poet. . crushed, fig. = contrite ones

. crush

. crushed, broken in pieces, shattered

. crushed

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

1792 daka' daw-kaw'

a primitive root (compare 1794); to crumble; transitively, to

bruise (literally or figuratively):--beat to pieces, break (in

pieces), bruise, contrite, crush, destroy, humble, oppress,

smite.

see HEBREW for 01794

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

דָּכָא (da.kah) — to crush.

1) to crush, be crushed, be contrite, be broken

1a) (Niphal)

1a1) to be crushed

1a2) to be contrite (fig.)

1b) (Piel) to crush

1c) (Pual)

1c1) to be crushed, be shattered

1c2) to be made contrite

1d) (Hithpael) to allow oneself to be crushed

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Conj | V-Piel-Imperf-2mp | Suff — Conjunction · verb piel second person masculine plural · suffix
HC/Vpu2mp/Sp1bs
The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
until when? will you torment ! self my and will you crush? me with words
בְמִלִּֽים׃ve.mi.Lim with words H4405 Preposition · noun common masculine plural absolute
38× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This Hebrew word means a word or speech, and can also refer to a topic or subject. It's used in the Bible to describe what people say or talk about.
Amplified meaning
speech, utterances, words that have power
Tyndale gloss
speech
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

מִלָּה (millah) means 'word' or 'speech' and can refer to a discourse or topic. It is derived from a root that suggests collective speech or utterance. The term encompasses various forms of communication, including answers and by-words. The Aramaic equivalent is also מִלָּה.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

מִלָּה n.f. word, speech, utterance

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H4405 מִלָּה

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

4405 millah mil-law'

from 4448 (plural masculine as if from milleh {mil-leh'}; a

word; collectively, a discourse; figuratively, a topic:--+

answer, by-word, matter, any thing (what) to say, to

speak(-ing), speak, talking, word.

see HEBREW for 04448

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

מִלָּה (mil.lah) — speech.

word, speech, utterance

Aramaic equivalent: mil.lah (מִלָּה "word" H4406)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Prep | N-fp — Preposition · noun common masculine plural absolute
HR/Ncmpa
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
Nave's Topical Bible

→ Of Jesus

Gracious Lu 4:22

Are spirit and life Joh 6:63

Of eternal life Joh 6:68

Will judge Joh 12:47,48

→ Of the wise

As goads, and as well-fastened nails Ec 12:11

Gracious Ec 10:12

→ Spoken at the proper moment Pr 15:23; Isa 50:4

→ Aptly spoken, like apples of gold in filigree of silver Pr 25:11

→ Of the complete man, gentle Jas 3:2

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