Job 37:10 — Word Study
WLCמִנִּשְׁמַת־ אֵ֥ל יִתֶּן־ קָ֑רַח וְרֹ֖חַב מַ֣יִם בְּמוּצָֽק׃
BSABy the breathnᵉshâmâh [divine, life-giving] of Godʼêl [the supreme Being, Strength] the iceqerach [frost, rock crystal] is formednâthan▸ and the waterymayim expansesrôchab [wide waters, lakes/streams] are frozenmûwtsaq [made narrow, constrained]
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| מִנִּשְׁמַת־ | from [the] breath of | Preposition, noun common feminine singular construct |
| אֵ֥ל | God | Noun common, masculine singular absolute |
| יִתֶּן־ | it gives | Verb, Qal, imperfect third person masculine singular |
| קָ֑רַח | ice | Noun common, masculine singular absolute |
| וְרֹ֖חַב | and [the] breadth of | Conjunction, noun common masculine singular construct |
| מַ֣יִם | [the] waters | Noun common, masculine plural absolute |
| בְּמוּצָֽק׃ | [is] constraint | Preposition, noun common masculine singular absolute |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | By the breath of God the ice is formed and the watery expanses are frozen. |
| KJV | By the breath of God frost is given: and the breadth of the waters is straitened. |
| ASV | By the breath of God ice is given; And the breadth of the waters is straitened. |
| YLT | From the breath of God is frost given, And the breadth of waters is straitened, |
| WEB | By the breath of God, ice is given, and the width of the waters is frozen. |
| BBE | By the breath of God ice is made, and the wide waters are shut in. |
The translations agree on the meaning of the verse, with no significant differences noted.
The sentence has a main clause followed by two noun phrases, indicating the effects of God's breath.
8 commentators on this verse
Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them ›
clause
verbנָתַן
The sentence as the grammar sees it Open the tree ›
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 37:10
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 — God's Sovereignty Over Naturegenerated
Job 37:10 describes the power of God in creating ice and freezing waters, emphasizing His control over the elements. This verse is part of a broader poetic discourse on God's might, where Job reflects on the natural phenomena that reveal divine authority. The surrounding verses illustrate the tempest's origin and God's command over the weather, showing His omnipotence in creation and nature.
Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Job 38:29–30 | From whose womb does the ice emerge? Who gives birth to the frost from heaven, |
| 2 | Psalm 78:47 | He killed their vines with hailstones and their sycamore-figs with sleet. |
| 3 | Psalm 147:16–18 | He spreads the snow like wool; He scatters the frost like ashes; |
The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 3 references, hung on the phrase they belong to
The Key Word — נְשָׁמָה, mi.nish.mat-generated
The word נְשָׁמָה (neshama) means 'breath' and is derived from the root meaning 'to puff' or 'wind'. It encompasses the breath of God as well as the breath of living beings, indicating a divine inspiration and the life-giving aspect of breath.
In this verse, it signifies the powerful and creative force of God, highlighting that it is by His breath that ice is formed. This word connects to the idea of life and vitality, emphasizing God's role as the source of creation.
How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated
The translations generally agree on the meaning of the verse.
Sentence Structuregenerated
The main verb is יִתֶּן, it gives, which governs the noun phrase קָ֑רַח, ice. The structure emphasizes the action of God giving breath, which results in the formation of ice and the freezing of waters.
The sentence is structured with a prepositional phrase indicating the source of the action, followed by the noun phrase that serves as the subject, and concludes with another prepositional phrase that describes the state of the waters.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
In the Septuagint, נְשָׁמָה is rendered as πνοῆς (pnoēs), which means 'breath' or 'spirit'. This choice emphasizes the life-giving aspect of God's breath.
The translation reflects a similar understanding of God's creative power, aligning with the Hebrew text's portrayal of God's breath as the force behind the formation of ice and the freezing of waters.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
Job 37:10 explains that it is by God's breath that ice is formed and the waters are frozen. This verse highlights God's power over nature and His ability to create and control the elements.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
It signifies God's creative power and life-giving force, indicating that it is by His breath that ice is formed.
This verse reflects the overarching theme of God's sovereignty and power in the natural world, a key focus in the Book of Job.
It illustrates the direct connection between God's will and the physical world, showing that He has authority over creation.
Most translations convey a similar meaning, emphasizing that it is by God's breath that ice and frozen waters come into existence.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- How does understanding God's power over nature affect my view of creation?
- In what ways can I see God's breath or spirit at work in my life?
- How can I acknowledge God's sovereignty in the challenges I face?
- What does this verse teach me about the relationship between God and the natural world?
The early church on this verse — how the Fathers read it
Early commentary on Job reflects on God's power in creation. Here is a quotation from Gregory the Dialogist, who discusses the significance of God's breath in forming ice.
When God bloweth, the ice congeals. And the waters are again poured forth abundantly. Because, as the Holy Spirit breathed on the hearts of the faithful, and conferred greater miracles of power,Early Church Fathers on Job 37 →
Commentators on this verse — 8 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on Job 37:10 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire BibleBy the breath of God frost is given,.... By the word of God, as the Targum; at his command it is, at his word it comes, and at his word it goes, Psalms 147:15; or by his will, as Ben Gersom
Read John Gill on Job 37 →Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's CommentaryBy the breath of God frost is given: and the breadth of the waters is straitened. Frost - rather, ice. The breath of God - poetically for the ice-producing north wind.
Read Robert Jamieson on Job 37 →Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy BibleBy the breath of God, i.e. by the word of God, as this very phrase is explained, ; by his will or appointment, to which as the principal cause all these works are ascribed. The breadth of the waters is straitened; the frost dries up the waters in great measure, and bringeth the remainder into a narrower compass, as we see.
Read Matthew Poole on Job 37 →John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New TestamentsJob 37:10 By the breath of God frost is given: and the breadth of the waters is straitened.Ver. 10. By the breath of God frost is given] Frost is the excess of cold by the blowing of the coldest winds, which are here called, "The breath of God"; these congeal the waters, and turn them into ice, contracting them into a narrower room. Hence it is, that as any country is more northerly, so it is colder; the sea also is frozen and impassable. And the breadth of the waters is straitened] This the same again in other words, though some understand it to be hail; when the broad flowing water in the clouds by the force of the cold is narrowed up into hail. All this is of the Lord. Fides non in…
Read John Trapp on Job 37 →Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers(10) The breadth of the waters is straitened.—Firm, like a molten mass.
Read Charles John Ellicott on Job 37 →AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the BibleVerse 10. By the breath of God frost is given] The freezing of water, though it is generally allowed to be the effect of cold, and has been carefully examined by the most eminent philosophers, is still involved in much mystery; and is a very proper subject to be produced among the great things which God doeth, and which we cannot comprehend, Job 37:5. Water, when frozen, becomes solid, and increases considerably in bulk. The expansive power in freezing is so great, that, if water be confined in a gun-barrel, it will split the solid metal throughout its whole length. Bombshells have been filled with water, and plugged tight, and exposed to cold air, when they have been rent, though the shell…
Read AdamClarke on Job 37 →CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges10. By the breath of God frost] Rather, ice. The wind is the breath of God as the thunder is His voice. This cold breath gives ice.
Read Cambridge on Job 37 →Albert Barnes1798–1870Barnes' Notes on the BibleBy the breath of God frost is given - Not by the violent north wind, or by the whirlwind of the south, but God seems to “breathe” in a gentle manner, and the earth is covered with hoary frost.
Read Albert Barnes on Job 37 →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
By the breath of God the ice is formed and the watery expanses are frozen.
By the breath of God, ice is given, and the width of the waters is frozen.
By the breath of God the ice is formed and the watery expanses are frozen.
The breath of God produces ice, and the breadth of the waters freeze solid.
Tyndale line
By the breath of God frost is given: and the breadth of the waters is straitened.
By the breath of God ice is given; And the breadth of the waters is straitened.
By the breath of God ice is given: and the breadth of the waters is straitened.
By the breath of God frost is given: and the breadth of the waters is straitened.
At the breath of God the frost is giuen, and the breadth of the waters is made narrowe.
Strictly literal
By the breath of God ice is given; and the breadth of the waters is straitened.
From the breath of God is frost given, And the breadth of waters is straitened,
From the breath of God is frost given, || And the breadth of waters is constricted,
From the breathing of God ice is given, and the broad waters become solid.
By the breath of God ice is given; the expanse of the waters is frozen like metal.
From the Latin
When God bloweth there cometh frost, and again the waters are poured out abundantly.
Simplified
God's breath produces ice, freezing the surface of water solid.
By the breath of God ice is made, and the wide waters are shut in.
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.
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. The Septuagint matches 6 of the 7 words found in the Hebrew text, indicating a strong consistency in the translation of this verse.
מִנִּשְׁמַת־ אֵ֥ל יִתֶּן־ קָ֑רַח וְרֹ֖חַב מַ֣יִם בְּמוּצָֽק׃
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.
Lexicons — every word in Job 37:10
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.
נְשָׁמָה (nshamah) means 'breath' and encompasses various forms of breath, including that of God and man, as well as the spirit or soul. It is derived from the root meaning 'to puff' or 'wind' and can refer to both divine inspiration and the vital breath of living beings. The Aramaic equivalent is נִשְׁמָא (nish.ma).
נְשָׁמָה n.f. breath
base
H5397 נְשָׁמָה breath
5397 nshamah nesh-aw-maw'
from 5395; a puff, i.e. wind, angry or vital breath, divine
inspiration, intellect. or (concretely) an animal:--blast,
(that) breath(-eth), inspiration, soul, spirit.
see HEBREW for 05395
נְשָׁמָה (ne.sha.mah) — breath.
1) breath, spirit
1a) breath (of God)
1b) breath (of man)
1c) every breathing thing
1d) spirit (of man)
Aramaic equivalent: nish.ma (נִשְׁמָא "breath" H5396)
Prep | N-fs — Preposition · noun common feminine singular constructHR/Ncfsc
ov:
(1) In Anglo-Saxon, had the meaning "from," "away from" (as the strengthened form "off" has still), and was not used for genitive or possessive relations, these being expressed by special case-forms. In the Norman period, however, "of" was taken to represent the French de (a use well developed by the time of Chaucer), and in the Elizabethan period both senses of "of" were in common use. But after about 1600 the later force of the word became predominant, and in the earlier sense (which is now practically obsolete) it was replaced by other prepositions. In consequence the King James Version (and in some cases the Revised Version (British and American)) contains many uses of "of" that are no longer familiar--most of them, to be sure, causing no difficulty, but there still being a few responsible for real obscurities.
OF, preposition ov. [Gr.]
1. From or out of; proceeding from, as the cause, source, means, author or agent bestowing.
I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered to you. 1 Corinthians 11:1.
For it was of the Lord to harden their hearts. Joshua 11:1.
It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed.
Lamentations 3:1.
The whole disposing thereof is of the Lord. Proverbs 16:1.
Go, inquire of the Lord for me. 2 Chronicles 34:2.
That holy thing that shall be born of thee. Luke 1:1.
Hence of is the sign of the genitive case, the case that denotes production; as the son of man, the son proceeding from man, produced from man. This is the primary sense, although we now say, produced by man. 'Part of these were slain; ' that is, a number separate, for part denotes a division; the sense then is, a number from or out of the whole were slain. So also, 'some of these were slain; ' that is…
The Hebrew word אֵל (*'el*) primarily means 'god' and conveys the idea of might or strength. It can refer to the one true God of Israel, as well as to other deities, angels, and mighty men. The entries highlight its use in various contexts, including nature and power, but do not present significant disagreement among lexicons.
אֵל n.m. god, but with various subordinate applications to express the idea of might
applied to men of might and rank
angels
gods of the nations
Ēl
as characterizing mighty things in nature
God, the one only and true God of Israel
אֵל strength, power
base
H410 אֵל god, but with various subordinate applications to express the idea of might . applied to men of might and rank
. angels
. gods of the nations
. Ēl
. as characterizing mighty things in nature
. God, the one only and true God of Israel
. אֵל strength, power
410 'el ale
shortened from 352; strength; as adjective, mighty;
especially the Almighty (but used also of any deity):--God
(god), X goodly, X great, idol, might(-y one), power, strong.
Compare names in "-el."
see HEBREW for 0352
אֵל (el) — God.
This name means god, god-like one, mighty one, strength, power
Another name of ye.ho.vah (יהוה "LORD" H3068G)
אֵל (el) — El (Berith).
This name means god, god-like one, mighty one, strength, power
Combined with "Berith" (berith בְּרִית H1286)
אֵל (el) — El (Elohe).
Another name of ye.ho.vah (יהוה "LORD" H3068G)
This name means god, god-like one, mighty one, strength, power
Combined with "God" (elohim אֱלֹהִים H0430)
אֵל (el) — El (Most High).
Another name of ye.ho.vah (יהוה "LORD" H3068G)
This name means god, god-like one, mighty one, strength, power
Combined with "Most High" (el.yon עֶלְיוֹן H5945B)
אֵל (el) — god.
: god
1) god, god-like one, mighty one
1a) mighty men, men of rank, mighty heroes
1b) angels
1c) god, false god, (demons, imaginations)
1d) God, the one true God, Jehovah
2) mighty things in nature
3) strength, power
N-ms — Noun common · masculine singular absoluteHNcmsa
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
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.
(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…
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…
The Hebrew word נָתַן (natan) means 'to give' and encompasses a wide range of applications such as putting, setting, and making. It can also indicate actions like bestowing, delivering, and assigning. The entries describe its use in various forms, including Qal, Niphal, and Hophal, but do not present any significant disagreements among lexicons.
נָתַן 2007 vb. give, put, set
Qal 1917
give
Put, set
Make, constitute
Niph.
82be given
Be put, set
Hoph.
be given, bestowed
= be given to one for wife
be put upon
base
H5414 נָתַן give, put, set .. give
. Put, set
. Make, constitute
. . be given
. Be put, set
. . . be given, bestowed
. = be given to one for wife
. be put upon
5414 nathan naw-than'
a primitive root; to give, used with greatest latitude of
application (put, make, etc.):--add, apply, appoint, ascribe,
assign, X avenge, X be ((healed)), bestow, bring (forth,
hither), cast, cause, charge, come, commit, consider, count, +
cry, deliver (up), direct, distribute, do, X doubtless, X
without fail, fasten, frame, X get, give (forth, over, up),
grant, hang (up), X have, X indeed, lay (unto charge, up),
(give) leave, lend, let (out), + lie, lift up, make, + O that,
occupy, offer, ordain, pay, perform, place, pour, print, X
pull , put (forth), recompense, render, requite, restore, send
(out), set (forth), shew, shoot forth (up), + sing, + slander,
strike, (sub-)mit, suffer, X surely, X take, thrust, trade,
turn, utter, + weep, + willingly, + withdraw, + would (to)
God, yield.
נָתַן (na.tan) — to give: give.
: give/deliver/send/produce
1) to give, put, set
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to give, bestow, grant, permit, ascribe, employ, devote, consecrate, dedicate, pay wages, sell, exchange, lend, commit, entrust, give over, deliver up, yield produce, occasion, produce, requite to, report, mention, utter, stretch out, extend
1a2) to put, set, put on, put upon, set, appoint, assign, designate
1a3) to make, constitute
1b) (Niphal)
1b1) to be given, be bestowed, be provided, be entrusted to, be granted to, be permitted, be issued, be published, be uttered, be assigned
1b2) to be set, be put, be made, be inflicted
1c) (Hophal)
1c1) to be given, be bestowed, be given up, be delivered up
1c2) to be put upon
נָתַן (na.tan) — to give: put.
: put/set/apppoint
1) to give, put, set
1a) (Qal)
V-Qal-Imperf-3ms — Verb · Qal · imperfect third person masculine singularHVqi3ms
קֶ֫רַח (qerach) refers to ice and frost, describing smooth, cold forms like ice crystals. It is derived from the root meaning 'bald' or 'smooth.' The term encompasses frost, ice, and by extension, rock crystal. It appears in contexts relating to cold weather phenomena.
קֶ֫רַח n.m. frost, ice
base
H7140 קֶ֫רַח
7140 qerach keh'-rakh
or qorach {ko'-rakh}; from 7139; ice (as if bald, i.e.
smooth); hence, hail; by resemblance, rock crystal:--crystal,
frost, ice.
see HEBREW for 07139
קֶ֫רַח (qe.rach) — ice.
1) frost, ice, ice crystal
1a) frost (of night)
1b) ice
N-ms — Noun common · masculine singular absoluteHNcmsa
is (qerach): Ice is almost unknown in Palestine and Syria except on the highest mountains. At moderate heights of less than 4,000 ft. a little ice may form during the night in winter, but the warm rays of the sun melt it the next day. A great quantity of snow is packed away in caves in the mountains during the winter, and is thus preserved for use in the summer months. The word is found in the Bible in three places where it describes God's power. "Out of whose womb came the ice? And the .... frost" (Job 38:29); "By the breath of God ice is given" (Job 37:10); "He casteth forth his ice like morsels" (Ps 147:17).
Ice
Frequently mentioned (Job 6:16; 38:29; Ps. 147:17, etc.). (See CRYSTAL.)
רֹ֫חַב (rochab) refers to width or breadth, encompassing both literal and figurative uses. It is derived from the root word meaning to be wide. The term appears in various contexts, indicating expanse or largeness.
רֹ֫חַב 101 n.[m.] breadth, width
base
H7341 רֹ֫חַב breadth, width
7341 rochab ro'-khab
from 7337; width (literally or figuratively):--breadth,
broad, largeness, thickness, wideness.
see HEBREW for 07337
רֹ֫חַב (ro.chav) — width.
breadth, width, expanse
Conj | N-ms — Conjunction · noun common masculine singular constructHC/Ncmsc
ov:
(1) In Anglo-Saxon, had the meaning "from," "away from" (as the strengthened form "off" has still), and was not used for genitive or possessive relations, these being expressed by special case-forms. In the Norman period, however, "of" was taken to represent the French de (a use well developed by the time of Chaucer), and in the Elizabethan period both senses of "of" were in common use. But after about 1600 the later force of the word became predominant, and in the earlier sense (which is now practically obsolete) it was replaced by other prepositions. In consequence the King James Version (and in some cases the Revised Version (British and American)) contains many uses of "of" that are no longer familiar--most of them, to be sure, causing no difficulty, but there still being a few responsible for real obscurities.
OF, preposition ov. [Gr.]
1. From or out of; proceeding from, as the cause, source, means, author or agent bestowing.
I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered to you. 1 Corinthians 11:1.
For it was of the Lord to harden their hearts. Joshua 11:1.
It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed.
Lamentations 3:1.
The whole disposing thereof is of the Lord. Proverbs 16:1.
Go, inquire of the Lord for me. 2 Chronicles 34:2.
That holy thing that shall be born of thee. Luke 1:1.
Hence of is the sign of the genitive case, the case that denotes production; as the son of man, the son proceeding from man, produced from man. This is the primary sense, although we now say, produced by man. 'Part of these were slain; ' that is, a number separate, for part denotes a division; the sense then is, a number from or out of the whole were slain. So also, 'some of these were slain; ' that is…
מַי (mayim) is a Hebrew word meaning 'water' and is used in the plural form. It encompasses various meanings, including literal water, urine, and metaphorical uses related to refreshment or danger. The entries indicate it is derived from a primitive noun and is primarily referenced in contexts involving water.
[מַי] 580 n.m. only pl. מַ֫יִם waters, water
base
H4325 מַי only pl. מַ֫יִם waters, water
4325 mayim mah'-yim
dual of a primitive noun (but used in a singular sense);
water; figuratively, juice; by euphemism, urine, semen:--+
piss, wasting, water(-ing, (-course, -flood, -spring)).
מַי (ma.yim) — water.
1) water, waters
1a) water
1b) water of the feet, urine
1c) of danger, violence, transitory things, refreshment (fig.)
מַי (ma.yim) — Water (Gate).
This name means water, refreshment
N-mp — Noun common · masculine plural absoluteHNcmpa
wo'-terz (mayim, plural of may, "water"; in the New Testament hudor, "water"; kindunois potamon (2Co 11:26), the King James Version "perils of waters," is in the Revised Version (British and American) "perils of rivers"): In the New Testament there is frequent reference to the water of baptism. Pilate washes his hands with water to signify his guiltlessness. Jesus tells the Samaritan woman of the living water. The Lamb shall guide the redeemed unto fountains of waters of life.
The uses of mayim are well classified in BDB, especially the figurative references, as follows: a symbol of distress, "when thou passest through the waters" (Isa 43:2); of force, "like the breach of waters" (2Sa 5:20); of that which is overwhelming, "a…
מוּצָק (muwtsaq) refers to concepts of constraint and distress, indicating a sense of narrowness or anguish. It is derived from the root meaning 'narrowness' and is used in contexts that evoke feelings of being straitened or in distress.
מוּצָק, מוּצַק n.[m.] constraint, distress
base
H4164 מוּצָק, מוּצַק constraint, distress
4164 muwtsaq moo-tsak'
or muwtsaq {moo-tsawk'}; from 3332; narrowness; figuratively,
distress:--anguish, is straitened, straitness.
see HEBREW for 03332
מוּצָק (mu.tsaq) — constraint.
constraint, distress
Prep | N-ms — Preposition · noun common masculine singular absoluteHR/Ncmsa