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Job 28:23 — Word Study

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WLCאֱ֭לֹהִים הֵבִ֣ין דַּרְכָּ֑הּ וְ֝ה֗וּא יָדַ֥ע אֶת־ מְקוֹמָֽהּ׃

BSABut Godʼĕlôhîym [the supreme Creator, Elohim] understandsbîyn [to discern, have insight into] its wayderek [path, journey, or manner of action] and Hehûwʼ knowsyâdaʻ [to ascertain by seeing, to perceive] its placemâqôwm [location, resting-place, or condition]

Word
Listen & take awayJob 28
English ↓ Download MP3 The Berean Standard Bible chapter audio already hosted for the site's Bible section — verse 23 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 (me.ko.Mah) — no per-word recordings of the Hebrew exist to link to.
Take it away
Job 28:23quick helps
In a sentenceGod understands the way of wisdom and knows its place.
Who is speakingJob, reflecting on the nature of divine wisdom.
Where we areIn a poetic section discussing the inaccessibility of wisdom.
The hard wordאֱלֹהִים
Take awayGod's understanding surpasses human comprehension.
8 commentators on this verse Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them › clause subjectאֱלֹהִים verbבִּין 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 28:23

Sections marked generated are written from the data on this page rather than by a named author. Everything else — the lexicon entries, the cross references, the manuscript readings, the counts — is quoted from its source unchanged.

Context — The Search for Wisdomgenerated

22Abaddon and Death say, ‘We have heard a rumor about it.’
23But God understands its way, and He knows its place.
24For He looks to the ends of the earth and sees everything under the heavens.
25When God fixed the weight of the wind and measured out the waters,

Job 28:23 reflects on the elusive nature of wisdom, emphasizing that while humanity seeks it, only God fully understands its path and knows its resting place. This passage is part of a larger discourse on the value of wisdom and the limits of human understanding, contrasting divine knowledge with human ignorance.


Cross References

ReferenceText (BSB)
1Psalm 19:7The Law of the LORD is perfect, reviving the soul; the testimony of the LORD is trustworthy, making wise the simple.
2Psalm 147:5Great is our Lord, and mighty in power; His understanding has no limit.
3Proverbs 2:6For the LORD gives wisdom; from His mouth come knowledge and understanding.
4Proverbs 8:14Counsel and sound judgment are mine; I have insight and strength.
5Matthew 11:27All things have been entrusted to Me by My Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal Him.

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


The Key Word אֱלֹהִים, 'E.lo.Himgenerated

The word אֱלֹהִים ('E.lo.Him) is a plural noun that often refers to the supreme God, reflecting divine majesty and power. It can denote not only the singular God of Israel but also other divine beings or judges, depending on context.

In this verse, it underscores God's unique authority and understanding, highlighting that He alone discerns the path of wisdom. The use of this term emphasizes the contrast between human limitations and divine omniscience.


How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated

The translations agree here, rendering אֱלֹהִים as God in all versions listed.


Sentence Structuregenerated

The main finite verb is הֵבִ֣ין, he understands, which governs the first clause about God's understanding. The second clause, יָדַ֥ע, he knows, follows, indicating a parallel structure that emphasizes both understanding and knowledge.

The sentence structure places emphasis on God's actions: first, His understanding of the way, and second, His knowledge of the place, creating a rhythm that highlights the completeness of divine wisdom.


Septuagint Backgroundgenerated

In the Septuagint, אֱלֹהִים is rendered as θεὸς (Theos), which denotes the same supreme deity. This choice reinforces the understanding of God as the ultimate source of wisdom.

The Greek translation captures the essence of the Hebrew text, maintaining the focus on God's omniscience and authority over wisdom.


In plain words — the whole versegenerated

Job 28:23 tells us that God understands the way of wisdom and knows its place. This verse emphasizes that while humans may seek wisdom, only God fully comprehends its path and resting place.


Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated

What does it mean that God understands the way of wisdom?

It means that God has complete insight into how wisdom operates and the journey it takes, which is beyond human understanding.

Why is the knowledge of wisdom significant?

This knowledge is significant because it highlights God's unique position as the source of all wisdom, contrasting with human limitations.

How does this verse relate to the search for wisdom?

This verse illustrates that while wisdom is sought after, it is ultimately God who knows its true nature and purpose.

What can we learn from God's understanding of wisdom?

We can learn to trust in God's wisdom and seek His guidance in our pursuit of knowledge and understanding.


Reflection Questionsgenerated

  1. In what areas of my life do I need to seek God's wisdom more earnestly?
  2. How can I better recognize the ways in which God has guided me?
  3. What does it mean to me that God knows the place of wisdom?
  4. How can I apply the understanding that God has a greater insight into my life than I do?

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

The early Church Fathers have commented on this verse, noting God's understanding of wisdom and its implications for human knowledge.

Gregory the DialogistMorals on the Book of Job, Book XIX c. 540–604
God understandeth the way thereof; and He knoweth the place thereof. This Wisdom coeternal with God has 'a way' in one sense, and in another sense 'a place;' but only a 'place,' if a person understand it a place not local.
Early Church Fathers on Job 28 →

Commentators on this verse — 8 expositors, verse by verse

Each of these wrote on Job 28:23 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.

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

God understandeth the way thereof,.... And he only; not the way that men can come at the knowledge of wisdom, which at present appears to be past finding out; but rather the way which wisdom itself

Read John Gill on Job 28 →
Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's Commentary

God understandeth the way thereof, and he knoweth the place thereof. God hath, and is Himself wisdom. So He alone "understandeth the way thereof, and knoweth the place thereof."

Read Robert Jamieson on Job 28 →
Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy Bible

God, i.e. God alone; as appears by the denial of it to all other things. The way thereof; either the way how it is to be obtained; or rather, the methods or courses which it takes in the management of all affairs in the world, together with its grounds and ends in them. The place thereof; where it dwells, which is only in his own breast and mind, and in the best of men but in part, and only as far as it pleaseth him to afford it.

Read Matthew Poole on Job 28 →
John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

Job 28:23 God understandeth the way thereof, and he knoweth the place thereof.Ver. 23. God understandeth the way thereof] The only wise God, who alone knows her price, knows her retreat. Haec sunt inferni et morris verba, saith Brentius; those are the words of hell and of death. But we may better take them, as spoken by Job himself; which yet are to be understood, not as if Job thought that there was any place, apart from God, where his wisdom might be sought; or any way, out of himself, to go to it. But these things are spoken after the manner of men, saith Merlin; for wisdom is in God, yea, God is wisdom itself. For the wisdom of God is nothing else but the most wise God; since whatsoever…

Read John Trapp on Job 28 →
Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(23) God understandeth the way thereof.—God is the author of wisdom, and His fear is the beginning thereof; so with His infinite knowledge of the universe He cannot but be cognisant of the place and way thereof. It is to be observed that while the foundation of wisdom is said to be coeval with that of the world, the very existence of wisdom in relation to man implied the existence of evil, because except by departing from evil there could for man be no wisdom, though evil itself may undoubtedly involve and imply the deflection from a previously existing right. Wrong, for example, is what is wrung aside from the right. The two ideas which Job starts with are man’s ignorance of the price and…

Read Charles John Ellicott on Job 28 →
AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible

Verse 23. God understandeth the way thereof] It can only be taught by a revelation from himself. Instead of הבין hebin, understandeth, six MSS. have הכין hechin, disposed or established. This reading is also supported by the Septuagint; ὉΘεοςευσυνεστησεναυτηςὁδον, "God hath well established her way:" falsely rendered bene cognovit, hath well known, in the Latin version of the Septuagint in the London Polyglot; but bene constituit, hath well established, in the Complutensian, Antwerp, and Paris Polyglots.

Read AdamClarke on Job 28 →
CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

23–28. Wisdom can nowhere be found either by man or by any creature (Job 28:21), only by the Creator. God knoweth the place of it and is in possession of it, for He is the maker and upholder of the universe with all its agencies. And He has assigned to man as his wisdom the fear of the Lord.

Read Cambridge on Job 28 →
Albert Barnes1798–1870Barnes' Notes on the Bible

God understandeth the way thereof - These are doubtless the words of Job. The meaning is, that the reason of the divine dispensations could be known only to God himself. He had given no clew by which man could discover this.

Read Albert Barnes on Job 28 →

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

But God understands its way, and He knows its place.

WEBWorld English Bible2000

“God understands its way, and he knows its place.

MSBMajority Standard Bible2022

But God understands its way, and He knows its place.

NETBNew English Translation2006

God understands the way to it, and he alone knows its place.

Tyndale line

KJVKing James Version1611

God understandeth the way thereof, and he knoweth the place thereof.

ASVAmerican Standard Version1901

God understandeth the way thereof, And he knoweth the place thereof.

RVARevised Version, American1894

God understandeth the way thereof, and he knoweth the place thereof.

NWBWebster's Bible1833

God understandeth the way of it, and he knoweth its place.

GNVGeneva Bible1599

But God vnderstandeth the way thereof, and he knoweth the place thereof.

Strictly literal

DBYDarby Translation1890

God understandeth the way thereof, and he knoweth its place:

YLTYoung's Literal Translation1862

God hath understood its way, And He hath known its place.

LSVLiteral Standard Version2020

God has understood its way, || And He has known its place.

ILTInterlinear Literal Translation2000

God [alone] understandeth her way, and he knoweth her place;

ULBUnlocked Literal Bible2017

God understands the way to it; he knows its place.

From the Latin

DRADouay-Rheims (Challoner)1899

God understandeth the way of it, and he knoweth the place thereof.

Simplified

FBVFree Bible Version2020

Only God understands the path to wisdom; he knows where it is found.

BBEBible in Basic English1949

God has knowledge of the way to it, and of its resting-place;

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.

clausesubjectאֱ֭לֹהִיםGodverbהֵבִ֣יןhe.understandsnoun phrase · objectדַּרְכָּ֑wayהּitsוְ֝andclausesubjectה֗וּאheverbיָדַ֥עhe.knowsnoun phrase · objectאֶת(et)noun phraseמְקוֹמָֽplaceהּits

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


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

The Masoretic Text and the Septuagint largely agree in their wording, with six out of seven words matching. This consistency supports the reliability of the text across different traditions.

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

אֱ֭לֹהִים הֵבִ֣ין דַּרְכָּ֑הּ וְ֝ה֗וּא יָדַ֥ע אֶת־ מְקוֹמָֽהּ׃

Septuagintthe Greek the translators chose, word by word
אֱ֭לֹהִיםθεὸςהֵבִ֣יןσυνέστησενדַּרְכָּ֑הּτὴνוְ֝ה֗וּאαὐτὸςיָדַ֥עοἶδενמְקוֹמָֽהּ׃τὸν

6 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 28:23אֱלֹהִיםGodGodאֱלֹהִיםבִּיןhe understahe understandsבִּיןדֶּ֫רֶךְway itsway itsדֶּ֫רֶךְהוּאand heand heהוּאיָדַעhe knowshe knowsיָדַעאֵתthe object the object markאֵתמָקוֹםplace itsplace itsמָקוֹםדָּרַךְto treadto treadדָּרַךְאוֹתsign: mirasign: miraculouאוֹתלֵב(Leb)-kama(Leb)-kamaiלֵבאֱלֹהַּgodgodאֱלֹהַּאַחֵרanotheranotherאַחֵראֲרוֹןarkarkאֲרוֹןדַּ֫עַתknowledgeknowledgeדַּ֫עַתחָכָםwisewiseחָכָםפָּנָהCorner (GaCorner (Gate)פָּנָהצָפוֹןZaphonZaphonצָפוֹןטָמֵאuncleanuncleanטָמֵאעֵתtimetimeעֵתאֲנִיIIאֲנִיבִּיןto understto understandבִּיןמִגְרָשׁpasturepastureמִגְרָשׁבָּחַרto chooseto chooseבָּחַרשָׁחַטto slaughtto slaughterשָׁחַט
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 28:23

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.

God he understands way its and he he knows the object marker place its
אֱ֭לֹהִים'E.lo.Him God H430 Noun common · masculine plural absolute
2,603× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
The Hebrew word for God, elohim, refers to the one supreme God, and is sometimes used to show respect to judges or magistrates. It is also used to describe angels or mighty beings. This word is closely related to the name of the Lord, Yahweh, and is often translated as God or gods in the Bible.
Amplified meaning
the supreme Creator, Elohim
Tyndale gloss
God
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

אֱלֹהִים (elohiym) is a plural noun meaning 'gods' or 'God,' often referring to the supreme deity in the Old Testament. It encompasses divine beings, rulers, and judges, reflecting divine majesty and power. The term can also denote angels and is used in a superlative sense. Notably, it is sometimes combined with יהוה (YHWH), the personal name of God.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

אֱלֹהִים 2570 n.m.pl.

pl. in number.

rulers, judges, either as divine representatives at sacred places or as reflecting divine majesty and power

divine ones, superhuman beings including God and angels

angels

gods

pl. intensive

god or goddess

godlike one

works of God, or things belongng to him

God

הָאֱלֹהִים the (true) God

אֱלֹהִים = God

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H430 אֱלֹהִים n. m. pl. . pl. in number. . rulers, judges, either asdivine representatives at sacred places or as reflecting divine majesty and power

. divine ones, superhuman beings including God and angels

. angels

. gods

. pl. intensive . god or goddess

. godlike one

. works of God, or things belongng to him

. God

. הָאֱלֹהִים the (true) God

. אֱלֹהִים = God

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

430 'elohiym el-o-heem'

plural of 433; gods in the ordinary sense; but specifically

used (in the plural thus, especially with the article) of the

supreme God; occasionally applied by way of deference to

magistrates; and sometimes as a superlative:--angels, X

exceeding, God (gods)(-dess, -ly), X (very) great, judges, X

mighty.

see HEBREW for 0433

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

אֱלֹהִים (e.lo.him) — God.

This name means "gods" (plural intensive-singular meaning), "God"

Another name of ye.ho.vah (יהוה "LORD" H3068G)

אֱלֹהִים (e.lo.him) — (LORD)-Elohe.

Combined with ye.ho.vah (יהוה "LORD" H3068)

אֱלֹהִים (e.lo.him) — (Gibeath)-elohim.

Combined with giv.ah (גִּבְעָה "Gibeath" H1389)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-mp — Noun common · masculine plural absolute
HNcmpa
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

god ('Elohim, 'El, [`Elyon], Shadday, Yahweh; Theos):

I. INTRODUCTION TO THE GENERAL IDEA

1. The Idea in Experience and in Thought

2. Definition of the Idea

3. The Knowledge of God

4. Ethnic Ideas of God

(1) Animism

(2) Fetishism

(3) Idolatry

(4) Polytheism

(5) Henotheism

(6) Pantheism

(7) Deism

(8) Semitic Monolatry

(9) Monotheism

II. THE IDEA OF GOD IN THE OLD TESTAMENT

1. The Course of Its Development

2. Forms of Its Manifestation

(1) The Face or Countenance of God

(2) The Voice and Word of God

(3) The Glory of God

(4) The Angel of God

(5) The Spirit of God

(6) The Name of God

(7) Occasional Forms

3. The Names of God

(1) Generic

(2) Attributive

(3) Yahweh

4. Pre-prophetic Conceptions of God

(1) Yahweh Alone Is the God of Israel

(a) His Early Worship

(b) Popular Religion

(c) Polytheistic Tendencies

(i) Coordination

(ii) Assimilation

(iii) Disintegration

(d) No Hebrew Goddesses

(e) Human Sacrifices

Easton's Bible Dictionary

God

(A.S. and Dutch God; Dan. Gud; Ger. Gott), the name of the Divine Being. It is the rendering (1) of the Hebrew ’El, from a word meaning to be strong; (2) of ’Eloah_, plural _’Elohim. The singular form, Eloah, is used only in poetry. The plural form is more commonly used in all parts of the Bible, The Hebrew word Jehovah (q.v.), the only other word generally employed to denote the Supreme Being, is uniformly rendered in the Authorized Version by “LORD,” printed in small capitals. The existence of God is taken for granted in the Bible. There is nowhere any argument to prove it. He who disbelieves this truth is spoken of as one devoid of understanding (Ps. 14:1).

The arguments generally adduced by theologians in proof of the being of God are:

(1.) The a priori argument, which is the testimony afforded by reason.

Smith's Bible Dictionary

(good). Throughout the Hebrew Scriptures two chief names are used for the one true divine Being--ELOHIM, commonly translated God in our version, and JEHOVAH, translated Lord . Elohim is the plural of Eloah (in Arabic Allah); it is often used in the short form EL (a word signifying strength , as in EL-SHADDAI, God Almighty, the name by which God was specially known to the patriarchs. (Genesis 17:1; 28:3; Exodus 6:3) The etymology is uncertain, but it is generally agreed that the primary idea is that of strength, power of effect , and that it properly describes God in that character in which he is exhibited to all men in his works, as the creator, sustainer and supreme governor of the world. The plural form of Elohim has given rise to much discussion. The fanciful idea that it…

American Tract Society Bible Dictionary

This name, the derivation of which is uncertain, we give to that eternal, infinite, perfect, and incomprehensible Being, the Creator of all things, who preserves and governs all by his almighty power and wisdom, and is the only proper object of worship. The proper Hebrew name for God is JEHOVAH, which signifies He is. But the Jews, from a feeling of reverence, avoid pronouncing this name, substituting for it, wherever it occurs in the sacred test, the word ADONAI, Lord; except in the expression, ADONAI JEHOVAH, Lord Jehovah, for which they put, ADONAI ELOHIM, Lord God. This usage, which is not without an element of superstition, is very ancient, dating its origin some centuries before Christ; but there is no good ground for assuming its existence in the days of the inspired Old Testament writers. The proper word for God is ELOHIM, which is plural in its form, being thus used to signify…

God he understands way its and he he knows the object marker place its
הֵבִ֣יןhe.Vin he understands H995 Verb · Hiphil · perfect third person masculine singular
170× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
To understand or discern, this verb means to separate mentally and know something with your mind, as seen in Proverbs where it talks about gaining insight.
Amplified meaning
to discern, have insight into
Tyndale gloss
to understand
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

בִּין (biyn) is a Hebrew verb meaning to discern or understand. It encompasses a range of meanings including perceiving, considering, and teaching, with various forms indicating different nuances, such as being intelligent or discreet. The entries highlight its use in contexts requiring mental separation or insight, but do not present any significant disagreement among lexicographers.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

בִּין vb. discern

Qal

perceive

understand, know (with mind)

observe, mark, give heed to, distinguish, consider (with attention)

have discernment, insight, understanding

Niph. be intelligent, discreet, discerning, distinguish, have understanding

Po. he attentively considereth him

Hiph.

understand

give heed to, attend to, observe, discern

give understanding, make understand, teach

Hithp.

shew oneself attentive, consider diligently

get understanding, understand

shew oneself to have understanding

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H995 בִּין discern .. perceive

. understand, know (with mind)

. observe, mark, give heed to, distinguish, consider (with attention)

. have discernment, insight, understanding

. be intelligent, discreet, discerning, distinguish, have understanding

. he attentively considereth him

. . understand

. give heed to, attend to, observe, discern

. give understanding, make understand, teach

. . shew oneself attentive, consider diligently

. get understanding, understand

. shew oneself to have understanding

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

995 biyn bene

a primitive root; to separate mentally (or distinguish),

i.e.(generally) understand:--attend, consider, be cunning,

diligently, direct, discern, eloquent, feel, inform, instruct,

have intelligence, know, look well to, mark, perceive, be

prudent, regard, (can) skill(-full), teach, think, (cause,

make to, get, give, have) understand(-ing), view, (deal)

wise(-ly, man).

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

בִּין (bin) — to understand.

1) to discern, understand, consider

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to perceive, discern

1a2) to understand, know (with the mind)

1a3) to observe, mark, give heed to, distinguish, consider

1a4) to have discernment, insight, understanding

1b) (Niphal) to be discerning, intelligent, discreet, have understanding

1c) (Hiphil)

1c1) to understand

1c2) to cause to understand, give understanding, teach

1d) (Hithpolel) to show oneself discerning or attentive, consider diligently

1e) (Polel) to teach, instruct

2) (TWOT) prudent, regard

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
V-Hiphil-Perf-3ms — Verb · Hiphil · perfect third person masculine singular
HVhp3ms
God he understands way its and he he knows the object marker place its
דַּרְכָּ֑הּdar.Kah way its H1870 Noun common both singular construct · suffix
708× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
Derek refers to a road or path, and can also mean a way of life or manner of action. It is often used to describe a journey or direction, and can be used figuratively to describe a person's character or moral path.
Amplified meaning
path, journey, or manner of action
Tyndale gloss
way: road
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

דֶּ֫רֶךְ (derek) means way, road, or journey, and can refer to both literal paths and figurative courses of life or actions. It encompasses various aspects such as direction, manner, and moral character, often highlighting the nature of one's conduct. The term is used in both positive and negative contexts, reflecting the moral implications of one's path.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

דֶּ֫רֶךְ 715 n.m. way, road, distance, journey, manner

way, road, path

journey

of direction, almost or quite = toward

way, manner

fig. of course of life, or action, undertakings

of moral action and character

of duty

specif.: in good sense

oftener in bad sense

way of י׳

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H1870 דֶּ֫רֶךְ way, road, distance, journey, manner . way, road, path

. journey

. of direction, almost or quite = toward

. way, manner

. fig. of course of life, or action, undertakings

. . of moral action and character

. of duty

. specif.: in good sense

. oftener in bad sense

. way of י׳

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

1870 derek deh'-rek

from 1869; a road (as trodden); figuratively, a course of

life or mode of action, often adverb:--along, away, because

of, + by, conversation, custom, (east-)ward, journey, manner,

passenger, through, toward, (high-) (path-)way(-side),

whither(-soever).

see HEBREW for 01869

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

דֶּ֫רֶךְ (de.rekh) — way: conduct.

: conduct/lifestyle

1) way, road, distance, journey, manner

1a) road, way, path

1b) journey

1c) direction

1d) manner, habit, way

1e) of course of life (fig.)

1f) of moral character (fig.)

דֶּ֫רֶךְ (de.rekh) — Way.

This name means way, road

דֶּ֫רֶךְ (de.rekh) — (King's) Highway.

This name means way, road

Combined with me.lekh (מֶ֫לֶךְ "King's" H4428I)

דֶּ֫רֶךְ (de.rekh) — way: direction.

: direction

1) way, road, distance, journey, manner

1a) road, way, path

1b) journey

1c) direction

1d) manner, habit, way

1e) of course of life (fig.)

1f) of moral character (fig.)

דֶּ֫רֶךְ (de.rekh) — way: road.

: road/route

1) way, road, distance, journey, manner

1a) road, way, path

1b) journey

1c) direction

1d) manner, habit, way

1e) of course of life (fig.)

1f) of moral character (fig.)

דֶּ֫רֶךְ (de.rekh) — way: journey.

: journey

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-cs | Suff — Noun common both singular construct · suffix
HNcbsc/Sp3fs
God he understands way its and he he knows the object marker place its
וְ֝ה֗וּאve.Hu' and he H1931 Conjunction · pronoun
1,879× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This word is a pronoun meaning 'he', 'she', or 'it', used to refer to a person or thing. It is used in the Bible to emphasize a subject or make it clear who is being talked about.
Tyndale gloss
he/she/it
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

הוּא (hu) is a third-person singular pronoun meaning he, she, or it, used for emphasis or when no verb is present. It can also refer to oneself or serve as a demonstrative pronoun. The word has various nuances, including resuming the subject with emphasis or expressing it unobtrusively. It can indicate 'that' or 'those' when used with the definite article.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

הוּא m. הִיא f., pron. of the 3rd ps. sing. he, she, used also (in both genders) for the neuter it

an emph. he (she, it, they), sometimes equivalent to himself (herself, itself, themselves), or (esp. with the art.) that (those)

It resumes the subj. with emph.

Where, however, the pron. follows the pred., its position gives it the minimum of emphasis, and it expresses (or resumes) the subject as unobtrusively as possible

It anticipates (as it seems) the subject

As an emph. predicate, of God

In a neuter sense, that, it (of an action, occurrence, matte, etc.)

With the art.: so regularly when joined to a subst. defined itself by the art.

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H1931 הוּא, הִיא he, she, used also (in both genders) for the neuter it . an emph. he (she, it, they), sometimes equivalent to himself (herself, itself, themselves), or (esp. with the art.) that (those)

. It resumes the subj. with emph.

. Where, however, the pron. follows the pred., its position gives it the minimum of emphasis, and it expresses (or resumes) the subject as unobtrusively as possible

. It anticipates (as it seems) the subject

. As an emph. predicate, of God

. In a neuter sense, that, it (of an action, occurrence, matte, etc.)

. With the art.: so regularly when joined to a subst. defined itself by the art.

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

1931 huw' hoo

of which the feminine (beyond the Pentateuch) is hiyw {he}; a

primitive word, the third person pronoun singular, he (she or

it); only expressed when emphatic or without a verb; also

(intensively) self, or (especially with the article) the same;

sometimes (as demonstrative) this or that; occasionally

(instead of copula) as or are:--he, as for her, him(-self),

it, the same, she (herself), such, that (...it), these, they,

this, those, which (is), who.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

הוּא (hu) — he/she/it.

pron 3p s

1) he, she, it

1a) himself (with emphasis)

1b) resuming subj with emphasis

1c) (with minimum emphasis following predicate)

1d) (anticipating subj)

1e) (emphasising predicate)

1f) that, it (neuter) demons pron

2) that (with article)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Conj | Pron — Conjunction · pronoun
HC/Pp3ms
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

ha: The fifth letter of the Hebrew alphabet; transliterated in this Encyclopedia as "h." It came also to be used for the number 5. For name, etc., see ALPHABET.

The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
God he understands way its and he he knows the object marker place its
יָדַ֥עya.Da' he knows H3045 Verb · Qal · perfect third person masculine singular
945× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
The Hebrew word for to know means to ascertain by seeing, and is used in many senses, including to learn, perceive, and recognize, as seen in various KJV translations.
Amplified meaning
to ascertain by seeing, to perceive
Tyndale gloss
to know
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

יָדַע (yada`) is a Hebrew verb meaning 'to know,' encompassing a wide range of senses including perception, recognition, and experience. It can refer to knowing someone intimately or being skilled in a task. The word has various forms, indicating actions such as making known or being made known. Lexicons note its use in both literal and figurative contexts, but there is no significant disagreement among them.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

יָדַע 943 vb. know

Qal

know, learn to know

perceive

perceive and see; find out and discern

discriminate, distinguish

know by experience

recognize, admit, acknowledge, confess

consider

not know = not expect

know a person, be acquainted with

know a person carnally, of sexual intercourse

know how, to do a thing, be able to do it

be skilful in

abs. have knowledge, be wise

Niph.

be made known, be or become known, of things

make oneself known of pers.

be perceived

be instructed

Pi. cause to know

Pu. known

Hiph. make known, declare

Hoph. made known

Hithp. make oneself known

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H3045 יָדַע know .. . know, learn to know

. perceive

. perceive and see; find out and discern

. discriminate, distinguish

. know by experience

. recognize, admit, acknowledge, confess

. consider

. not know = not expect

. know a person, be acquainted with

. know a person carnally, of sexual intercourse

. . know how, to do a thing, be able to do it

. be skilful in

. abs. have knowledge, be wise

. . be made known, be or become known, of things

. make oneself known of pers.

. be perceived

. be instructed

. cause to know

. known

. make known, declare

. made known

. make oneself known

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

3045 yada` yaw-dah'

a primitive root; to know (properly, to ascertain by seeing);

used in a great variety of senses, figuratively, literally,

euphemistically and inferentially (including observation,

care, recognition; and causatively, instruction, designation,

punishment, etc.) (as follow):--acknowledge, acquaintance(-ted

with), advise, answer, appoint, assuredly, be aware,

(un-)awares, can(-not), certainly, comprehend, consider, X

could they, cunning, declare, be diligent, (can, cause to)

discern, discover, endued with, familiar friend, famous, feel,

can have, be (ig-)norant, instruct, kinsfolk, kinsman, (cause

to let, make) know, (come to give, have, take) knowledge, have

(knowledge), (be, make, make to be, make self) known, + be

learned, + lie by man, mark, perceive, privy to, X

prognosticator, regard, have respect, skilful, shew, can (man

of) skill, be sure, of a surety, teach, (can) tell,

Read the full entry →
Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

יָדַע (ya.da) — to know.

1) to know

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to know

1a1a) to know, learn to know

1a1b) to perceive

1a1c) to perceive and see, find out and discern

1a1d) to discriminate, distinguish

1a1e) to know by experience

1a1f) to recognise, admit, acknowledge, confess

1a1g) to consider

1a2) to know, be acquainted with

1a3) to know (a person carnally)

1a4) to know how, be skilful in

1a5) to have knowledge, be wise

1b) (Niphal)

1b1) to be made known, be or become known, be revealed

1b2) to make oneself known

1b3) to be perceived

1b4) to be instructed

1c) (Piel) to cause to know

1d) (Poal) to cause to know

1e) (Pual)

1e1) to be known

1e2) known, one known, acquaintance (participle)

1f) (Hiphil) to make known, declare

1g) (Hophal) to be made known

1h) (Hithpael) to make oneself known, reveal oneself

Aramaic equivalent: ye.da (יְדַע "to know" H3046)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
V-Qal-Perf-3ms — Verb · Qal · perfect third person masculine singular
HVqp3ms
God he understands way its and he he knows the object marker place its
אֶת־'et- the object marker H853 Particle
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 — Particle
HTo
The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
God he understands way its and he he knows the object marker place its
מְקוֹמָֽהּ׃me.ko.Mah place its H4725 Noun common masculine singular construct · suffix
401× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
Maqom means a place or location, like a city or a region. It can also refer to a condition of the body or mind. This term is used to describe a wide range of locations and situations.
Amplified meaning
location, resting-place, or condition
Tyndale gloss
place
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

מָקוֹם (maqom) means 'place' and encompasses a variety of contexts, including a standing place, station, or post. It can refer to human abodes, localities, regions, and even figurative conditions of body or mind. The term is derived from a root meaning 'standing' and is used broadly in the Old Testament.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

מָקוֹם, מָקֹם 399 n.m. standing-place, place

standing-place

station, where soldiers are placed

post, office

place where a thing belongs

esp.

place of human abode

of י׳’s abode

place

in gen. place, locality, spot

space, room

space, distance, between

region, quarter, direction

peculiar uses

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H4725 מָקוֹם, מָקֹם standing-place, place . . standing-place

. station, where soldiers are placed

. post, office

. . place where a thing belongs

. esp. . place of human abode

. of י׳’s abode

. place

. in gen. place, locality, spot

. . space, room

. space, distance, between

. region, quarter, direction

. peculiar uses

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

4725 maqowm maw-kome'

or maqom {maw-kome'}; also (feminine) mqowmah {mek-o-mah'};

or mqomah {mek-o-mah'}; from 6965; properly, a standing, i.e.

a spot; but used widely of a locality (general or specific);

also (figuratively) of a condition (of body or

mind):--country, X home, X open, place, room, space, X

whither(-soever).

see HEBREW for 06965

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

מָקוֹם (ma.qom) — place.

1) standing place, place

1a) standing place, station, post, office

1b) place, place of human abode

1c) city, land, region

1d) place, locality, spot

1e) space, room, distance

1f) region, quarter, direction

1g) give place to, instead of

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-ms | Suff — Noun common masculine singular construct · suffix
HNcmsc/Sp3fs
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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