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Job 4:2 — Word Study

Depth

WLCהֲנִסָּ֬ה דָבָ֣ר אֵלֶ֣יךָ תִּלְאֶ֑ה וַעְצֹ֥ר בְּ֝מִלִּ֗ין מִ֣י יוּכָֽל׃

BSAIf one venturesnâçâh [tries, assays] a worddâbâr [a matter, a thing] with youʼêl will you be weariedlâʼâh [grieved, disgusted] Yet whomîy [what person] canyâkôl keepʻâtsâr from speakingmillâh [withhold, restrain, uttering words, expressing thoughts]

Word
Listen & take awayJob 4
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 (yu.Khal) — no per-word recordings of the Hebrew exist to link to.
Take it away
Job 4:2quick helps
In a sentenceEliphaz questions whether Job will be weary if someone speaks to him, suggesting that speaking is inevitable.
Who is speakingEliphaz the Temanite, responding to Job.
Where we areIn a dialogue where Eliphaz addresses Job directly, seeking to understand his reaction.
The hard wordהֲנִסָּ֬ה
Take awayThe act of speaking is unavoidable, even in difficult conversations.
8 commentators on this verse Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them › clause subjectמִי verbלָאָה 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 4:2

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 — Eliphaz's Response to Jobgenerated

1Then Eliphaz the Temanite replied:
2“If one ventures a word with you, will you be wearied? Yet who can keep from speaking?
3Surely you have instructed many, and have strengthened their feeble hands.
4Your words have steadied those who stumbled; you have braced the knees that were buckling.

Job 4:2 presents Eliphaz the Temanite speaking to Job, questioning if Job will be wearied by a word spoken to him. Eliphaz implies that even if Job feels burdened, the necessity of communication remains. This dialogue reflects the tension in Job's suffering and the responses of his friends, who seek to understand and address his plight.


Cross References

ReferenceText (BSB)
12 Corinthians 2:4–6For through many tears I wrote you out of great distress and anguish of heart, not to grieve you but to let you know how much I love you.
22 Corinthians 7:8–10Even if I caused you sorrow by my letter, I do not regret it. Although I did regret it, I now see that my letter caused you sorrow, but only for a short time.
3Job 32:18–20For I am full of words, and my spirit within me compels me.
4Jeremiah 6:11But I am full of the LORD’s wrath; I am tired of holding it back. “Pour it out on the children in the street, and on the young men gathered together. For both husband and wife will be captured, the old and the very old alike.
5Jeremiah 20:9If I say, “I will not mention Him or speak any more in His name,” His message becomes a fire burning in my heart, shut up in my bones, and I become weary of holding it in, and I cannot prevail.

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

withhold himself from speakingJob 32:18–20 Jeremiah 6:11 Jeremiah 20:9 Acts 4:20

The Key Word הֲנִסָּ֬ה, ha.ni.Sahgenerated

The word נָסָה (nasah) means to test or try, often indicating an attempt to prove worth or character. In this context, it suggests that speaking to Job is a challenge or a risk, as it may provoke a weary response.

The parsing indicates that it is a perfect tense verb in the piel form, suggesting a completed action. This highlights the idea that the act of venturing a word is not just a casual remark but a deliberate attempt to engage with Job's situation.


How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated

This study reads the verse in the Berean Standard Bible, which uses ventures to translate הֲנִסָּ֬ה.


Sentence Structuregenerated

The sentence is structured around two main clauses: the first asks if Job will be wearied by a word, while the second poses a rhetorical question about the ability to refrain from speaking. This structure emphasizes the inevitability of expression in the face of suffering.

The verb נִסָּ֬ה (ni.Sah) serves as the focal point of the first clause, with תִּלְאֶ֑ה (til.Eh) and יוּכָֽל (yu.Khal) as key verbs in the subsequent thoughts. The arrangement of clauses reflects a natural flow of inquiry and response.


Septuagint Backgroundgenerated

In the Septuagint, the Hebrew הֲנִסָּ֬ה is rendered as πολλάκις (G4178), meaning 'often' or 'frequently'. This choice suggests a broader interpretation, emphasizing the commonality of the experience of speaking in difficult situations.

The translation of תִּלְאֶ֑ה as κόπῳ (G2873), meaning 'weariness', aligns closely with the original intent, maintaining the sense of emotional fatigue in the context of communication.


In plain words — the whole versegenerated

Job 4:2 shows Eliphaz asking Job if he will be weary if someone speaks to him. He suggests that speaking is unavoidable, even when it may be difficult. This reflects the challenges of communication in times of suffering.


Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated

What does Eliphaz mean by 'ventures a word'?

Eliphaz is indicating that speaking to Job is a challenge, suggesting that it may provoke a weary or negative response.

Why does Eliphaz ask if Job will be wearied?

He is concerned about Job's emotional state and whether his words will add to Job's burden.

What is the significance of the rhetorical question about who can refrain from speaking?

This highlights the inevitability of expression, suggesting that even in difficult conversations, speaking out is a natural response.

How does this verse reflect the overall theme of the Book of Job?

It illustrates the struggle between suffering and communication, as Job's friends attempt to engage with his pain while navigating their own discomfort.


Reflection Questionsgenerated

  1. How do I respond when others speak to me during difficult times?
  2. What are some ways I can communicate effectively without adding to someone else's burden?
  3. In what situations do I find it hardest to speak up, and why?
  4. How can I encourage others to share their thoughts and feelings openly?

Commentators on this verse — 8 expositors, verse by verse

Each of these wrote on Job 4:2 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.

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

[If] we assay to commune with thee, wilt thou be grieved?.... Eliphaz speaks in the name of himself and his two friends, who had doubtless consulted together, and compared their sentiments of Job;

Read John Gill on Job 4 →
Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's Commentary

If we assay to commune with thee, wilt thou be grieved? but who can withhold himself from speaking? If we assay to commune. Umbreit makes two questions, 'May we attempt a word with thee?

Read Robert Jamieson on Job 4 →
Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy Bible

Wilt thou be grieved? or, (without a note of interrogation,) thou wilt be grieved. Our words will undoubtedly vex thee, and not comfort thee, as we intended and desired to do. We must not use words of comfort, but of sharp reproof, which will be irksome to thee; and this makes me desire to be silent, if it were possible. Who can withhold himself from speaking, when he hears such unreasonable and ungodly words coming from such a person as thou art, whereby thou dost accuse thy Maker, and reproach his providence, and contemn his blessings? No man who hath any respect to God, or love to thee, can forbear reproving thee.

Read Matthew Poole on Job 4 →
John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

Job 4:2 [If] we assay to commune with thee, wilt thou be grieved? but who can withhold himself from speaking?Ver. 2. If we assay to commune with thee] Or may we assay to commune with thee? Art thou in case to be counselled? and will not an essay to this purpose further trouble thy patience and distemper thee? The ear which tasteth words (as the mouth doth meat), if filled with choler, can relish no comfort; and the easiest medicines, or mildest waters, are troublesome to sore eyes (Basil. Orat. 12). Honey causeth pain to exulcerate parts, though in itself it be sweet and medicinal; children, though at other times they like it and lick it in, yet they will not endure to have it come near…

Read John Trapp on Job 4 →
Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

IV.(2) If we assay.—Rather, perhaps, Has one ever assayed? or, Has a word ever been tried? It appears from Job 29:9-10, that Job was held in great honour and reverence by all, and Eliphaz regarded him with awe such as would have constrained him to be silent, but he is so convinced that Job is wrong and deserves reproof, that he cannot refrain from speaking. He strikes a note, however, which the friends all sound, namely, that it is the wicked who suffer, and that all who suffer must be wicked. This, in a variety of forms, is the sum and substance of what they have to say.

Read Charles John Ellicott on Job 4 →
AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible

Verse 2. If we assay to commune with thee] As if he had said, Should I and my friends endeavour to reason with thee ever so mildly, because we shall have many things to say by way of reprehension, thou wilt be grieved and faint; and this we may reasonably infer from the manner in which thou bearest thy present afflictions. Yet as thou hast uttered words which are injurious to thy Maker, who can forbear speaking? It is our duty to rise up on the part of God, though thereby we shall grieve him who is our friend. This was a plausible beginning, and certainly was far from being insincere.

Read AdamClarke on Job 4 →
CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

2. If we assay to commune] lit. if one should assay a word with thee. be grieved] This word is rendered thou faintest, Job 4:5. It means to be weary; this may be equivalent either to be impatient, Isaiah 1:14, or to be exhausted. It is difficult to decide here. We may render, leaving the ambiguity, will it be too much for thee? Eliphaz speaks unwillingly, and would spare Job, but he is compelled by the frame of mind in which he sees his friend.

Read Cambridge on Job 4 →
Albert Barnes1798–1870Barnes' Notes on the Bible

If we assay to commune with thee - Margin, A word. Hebrew - הנסה דבר dâbâr hanı̂câh.

Read Albert Barnes on Job 4 →

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

“If one ventures a word with you, will you be wearied? Yet who can keep from speaking?

WEBWorld English Bible2000

“If someone ventures to talk with you, will you be grieved? But who can withhold himself from speaking?

MSBMajority Standard Bible2022

“If one ventures a word with you, will you be wearied? Yet who can keep from speaking?

NETBNew English Translation2006

“If someone should attempt a word with you, will you be impatient? But who can refrain from speaking ?

Tyndale line

KJVKing James Version1611

If we assay to commune with thee, wilt thou be grieved? but who can withhold himself from speaking?

ASVAmerican Standard Version1901

If one assay to commune with thee, wilt thou be grieved? But who can withhold himself from speaking?

RVARevised Version, American1894

If one assay to commune with thee, wilt thou be grieved? but who can withhold himself from speaking?

NWBWebster's Bible1833

If we essay to commune with thee, wilt thou be grieved? but who can refrain from speaking?

GNVGeneva Bible1599

If we assay to commune with thee, wilt thou be grieued? but who can withholde himselfe from speaking?

Strictly literal

DBYDarby Translation1890

If a word were essayed to thee, wouldest thou be grieved? But who can refrain from speaking?

YLTYoung's Literal Translation1862

Hath one tried a word with thee? — Thou art weary! And to keep in words who is able?

LSVLiteral Standard Version2020

“Has one tried a word with you? You are weary! And who is able to keep in words?

ILTInterlinear Literal Translation2000

If we essay to address a word to thee, wilt thou be wearied? yet who is able to refrain from speaking?

ULBUnlocked Literal Bible2017

If anyone tries to speak with you, will you be impatient? But who can stop himself from speaking?

From the Latin

DRADouay-Rheims (Challoner)1899

If we begin to speak to thee, perhaps thou wilt take it ill, but who can withhold the words he hath conceived?

Simplified

FBVFree Bible Version2020

“Could I say a word? I don't want to upset you but who could keep quiet and not respond?

BBEBible in Basic English1949

If one says a word, will it be a weariness to you? but who is able to keep from saying what is in his mind?

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.

clauseהֲdidclauseverbנִסָּ֬הsomeone.attempt?objectדָבָ֣רa.wordprepositional phrase · prepositionalאֵלֶ֣יtoךָyouclauseverbתִּלְאֶ֑הwill.you.be.impatient?וַandclauseclause · objectverbעְצֹ֥רto.restrainprepositional phrase · prepositionalבְּ֝(in)מִלִּ֗יןwordssubjectמִ֣יwho?verbיוּכָֽלis.he.able

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 for Job 4:2. However, the Septuagint's translation reflects a different word order and some variations in the specific terms used, which may indicate interpretative choices by the translators.

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

הֲנִסָּ֬ה דָבָ֣ר אֵלֶ֣יךָ תִּלְאֶ֑ה וַעְצֹ֥ר בְּ֝מִלִּ֗ין מִ֣י יוּכָֽל׃

Septuagintthe Greek the translators chose, word by word
הֲנִסָּ֬הπολλάκιςדָבָ֣רλελάληταιתִּלְאֶ֑הκόπῳוַעְצֹ֥רἰσξὺνבְּ֝מִלִּ֗יןσουמִ֣יτίςיוּכָֽל׃ὑποίσει

7 of the 8 words are matched. This is the word-by-word correspondence, not the Septuagint's own sentence — its word order and its articles are its own.

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


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

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

Job 4:2נָסָה¿ did someo¿ did someone aנָסָהדָּבָרa worda wordדָּבָראֶלto youto youאֶללָאָהwill you bewill you be impלָאָהעָצַרand to restand to restrainעָצַרמִלָּהwordswordsמִלָּהמִיwho?who?מִייָכֹלis he ableis he ableיָכֹלדָבַרto speak: to speak: speakדָבַרמָלַלto speakto speakמָלַלמָהwhat?what?מָהמַ֫עַןbecausebecauseמַ֫עַןאֵלgodgodאֵליֶ֫תֶרremainderremainderיֶ֫תֶרסֵ֫פֶרscroll: doscroll: documenסֵ֫פֶרפָּלַלto prayto prayפָּלַליִרְמְיָ֫הJeremiahJeremiahיִרְמְיָ֫הכּוּלto sustainto sustainכּוּלשָׁתַןto urinateto urinateשָׁתַןמַגֵּפָהplagueplagueמַגֵּפָהאָזַןto listento listenאָזַןאֹמֶרwordwordאֹמֶריָעַדto appointto appointיָעַדכְּמוֹlikelikeכְּמוֹפָּתָהto open wito open wideפָּתָהאוּלַיperhapsperhapsאוּלַי
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 4:2

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.

¿ did someone attempt a word to you will you be impatient? and to restrain words who? is he able
הֲנִסָּ֬הha.ni.Sah ¿ did someone attempt H5254 Particle · verb piel perfect third person masculine singular
36× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This Hebrew word means to test or try something, often to prove its worth or character. It is used in stories like Job, where God allows Satan to test Job's faith. The idea of testing is also seen in the wilderness, where the Israelites were tested by God.
Amplified meaning
tries, assays
Tyndale gloss
to test
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

נָסָה (nasah) is a Hebrew verb meaning to test or try. It encompasses actions like attempting, proving, and tempting, though not in a modern context. The word is built from a primitive root and is primarily used in the Piel form. All entries agree on its core meanings without significant disagreement.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

[נָסָה] vb. Pi. test, try

test, try

attempt, assay, try to do a thing

test, try, prove, tempt [but not in the modern sense of the word]

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H5254 נָסָה Pi. test, try . test, try

. attempt, assay, try to do a thing

. test, try, prove, tempt [but not in the modern sense of the word]

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

5254 nacah naw-saw'

a primitive root; to test; by implication, to

attempt:--adventure, assay, prove, tempt, try.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

נָסָה (na.sah) — to test.

: test

1) to test, try, prove, tempt, assay, put to the proof or test

1a) (Piel)

1a1) to test, try

1a2) to attempt, assay, try

1a3) to test, try, prove, tempt

נָסָה (na.sah) — to test: try.

: try/attempt

1) to test, try, prove, tempt, assay, put to the proof or test

1a) (Piel)

1a1) to test, try

1a2) to attempt, assay, try

1a3) to test, try, prove, tempt

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Part | V-Niphal-Perf-3ms — Particle · verb piel perfect third person masculine singular
HTi/Vpp3ms
¿ did someone attempt a word to you will you be impatient? and to restrain words who? is he able
דָבָ֣רda.Var a word H1697 Noun common · masculine singular absolute
1,442× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
A word or thing, like a matter or affair, as seen in the book of Chronicles where it refers to the events and words of kings. It can also mean a cause or reason for something.
Amplified meaning
a matter, a thing
Tyndale gloss
Chronicles
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

דָּבָר (dabar) means 'word' or 'speech' and encompasses a range of meanings including discourse, saying, and matter. It can refer to anything spoken or a topic of discussion, extending to concepts like business or affairs. The entries consistently highlight its use in various contexts, but do not indicate any significant disagreement among lexicographers.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

דָּבָר 1439 n.m. speech, word

sg. speech, discourse, saying, word, as the sum of that which is spoken

sg. saying, utterance, sentence, as a section of a discourse

sg. a word, words

sg. matter, affair, thing about which one speaks

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H1697 דָּבָר speech, word . sg. speech, discourse, saying, word, as the sum of that which is spoken

. sg. saying, utterance, sentence, as a section of a discourse

. sg. a word, words

. sg. matter, affair, thing about which one speaks

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

1697 dabar daw-baw'

from 1696; a word; by implication, a matter (as spoken of) or

thing; adverbially, a cause:--act, advice, affair, answer, X

any such (thing), because of, book, business, care, case,

cause, certain rate, + chronicles, commandment, X

commune(-ication), + concern(-ing), + confer, counsel, +

dearth, decree, deed, X disease, due, duty, effect, +

eloquent, errand, (evil favoured-)ness, + glory, + harm, hurt,

+ iniquity, + judgment, language, + lying, manner, matter,

message, (no) thing, oracle, X ought, X parts, + pertaining, +

please, portion, + power, promise, provision, purpose,

question, rate, reason, report, request, X (as hast) said,

sake, saying, sentence, + sign, + so, some (uncleanness),

somewhat to say, + song, speech, X spoken, talk, task, + that,

X there done, thing (concerning), thought, + thus, tidings,

what(-soever), + wherewith, which, word, work.

see HEBREW for 01696

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

דָּבָר (da.var) — word.

: word/speech/command

1) speech, word, speaking, thing

1a) speech

1b) saying, utterance

1c) word, words

1d) business, occupation, acts, matter, case, something, manner (by extension)

דָּבָר (da.var) — word: speaking.

: speaking

1) speech, word, speaking, thing

1a) speech

1b) saying, utterance

1c) word, words

1d) business, occupation, acts, matter, case, something, manner (by extension)

דָּבָר (da.var) — word: thing.

: thing/matter

1) speech, word, speaking, thing

1a) speech

1b) saying, utterance

1c) word, words

1d) business, occupation, acts, matter, case, something, manner (by extension)

דָּבָר (da.var) — word: promised.

: promised/duty

1) speech, word, speaking, thing

1a) speech

1b) saying, utterance

1c) word, words

1d) business, occupation, acts, matter, case, something, manner (by extension)

דָּבָר (da.var) — word: deed.

: deed

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-ms — Noun common · masculine singular absolute
HNcmsa
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

wurd: The commonest term in the Old Testament for "word" is dabhar (also "matter" "thing"); in the New Testament logos ("reason," "discourse," "speech"); but also frequently rhema. Rhema is a "word" in itself considered; logos is a spoken word, with reference generally to that which is in the speaker's mind. Some of the chief applications of the terms may thus be exhibited:

(1) We have the word of Yahweh (or God; see below)

(a) as the revelation to the patriarch, prophet, or inspired person (Ge 15:1; Ex 20:1; Nu 22:38, etc.);

(b) as spoken forth by the prophet (Ex 4:30; 34:1; 2Ki 7:1;

One of the titles of the second person of the Trinity, indicating perhaps that by his acts and teachings God is revealed, somewhat as thought is by words, 1Jo 1:1 5:7 Re 19:13. "The word of the Lord" was a common phrase in the Old Testament, always denoting some revelation of Jehovah. Long before the coming of Christ, the Jewish paraphrasts of the Bible used "The Word" in the passage where Jehovah occurred in the original; and the term was familiar to Jewish writers as the name of a divine being, the Son of God.

To show its true meaning and its application to our Savior, was of great importance to John, the last of the inspired writers, in whose later years certain errors as to the person of Christ, borrowed from Eastern philosophy, had begun to creep into the Christian church. He describes "The Word" as a personal and divine Being…

Nave's Topical Bible

→ A title of Jesus Joh 1:1,14; 1Jo 5:7; Re 19:13

→ See JESUS, NAMES OF

¿ did someone attempt a word to you will you be impatient? and to restrain words who? is he able
אֵלֶ֣יךָ'e.Lei.kha to you H413 Preposition · suffix
5,518× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This Hebrew word means 'to' or 'toward', showing direction or movement. It appears in many books, including Genesis and Exodus, to indicate where someone is going. The KJV translates it in various ways, like 'about', 'according to', or 'against'.
Tyndale gloss
to(wards)
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word אֶל (el) is primarily a preposition indicating motion towards or direction to a person or place. It can also imply entering a limit, presence at a location, or a hostile direction (against). Additionally, it may express concepts such as concerning, in addition to, or according to. The entries highlight its versatility in both physical and metaphorical contexts.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

אֶל (nearly always followed by Makkeph),

prep. denoting motion to or direction towards (whether physical or mental).of motion to or unto a person or place

Where the limit is actually entered, into

Of direction towards anything

Where the motion or direction implied appears from the context to be of a hostile character, אֶל = against

Unto sometimes acquires from the context the sense of in addition to

Metaph. in regard to, concerning, on account of

Of rule or standard according to (rare)

Expressing presence at a spot, against, at, by, not merely after verbs implying motion

Prefixed to other preps. it combines with them the idea of motion or direction to

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H413 אֶל (nearly always followed by Makkeph), . of motion to or unto a person or place

. Where the limit is actually entered, into

. Of direction towards anything

. Where the motion or direction implied appears from the context to be of a hostile character, אֶל = against

. Unto sometimes acquires from the context the sense of in addition to

. Metaph. in regard to, concerning, on account of

. Of rule or standard according to (rare)

. Expressing presence at a spot, against, at, by, not merely after verbs implying motion

. Prefixed to other preps. it combines with them the idea of motion or direction to

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

413 'el ale

(but only used in the shortened constructive form sel {el});

a primitive particle; properly, denoting motion towards, but

occasionally used of a quiescent position, i.e. near, with or

among; often in general, to:--about, according to ,after,

against, among, as for, at, because(-fore, -side), both...and,

by, concerning, for, from, X hath, in(- to), near, (out) of,

over, through, to(-ward), under, unto, upon, whether,

with(-in).

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

אֶל (el) — to(wards).

1) to, toward, unto (of motion)

2) into (limit is actually entered)

2a) in among

3) toward (of direction, not necessarily physical motion)

4) against (motion or direction of a hostile character)

5) in addition to, to

6) concerning, in regard to, in reference to, on account of

7) according to (rule or standard)

8) at, by, against (of one's presence)

9) in between, in within, to within, unto (idea of motion to)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Prep | Suff — Preposition · suffix
HR/Sp2ms
¿ did someone attempt a word to you will you be impatient? and to restrain words who? is he able
תִּלְאֶ֑הtil.'Eh will you be impatient? H3811 Verb · Qal · imperfect second person masculine singular
19× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
Means to be or make weary, disgusted, or tired, like in Psalm 6:8 where David is weary of crying. It can also mean to be impatient or grieved.
Amplified meaning
grieved, disgusted
Tyndale gloss
be weary
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

לָאָה (la'ah) is a Hebrew verb meaning to be weary or impatient. It encompasses various forms, including being tired or grieved, and can describe both the state of weariness and the act of causing weariness in others. The word appears in different stems, such as Qal, Niphal, and Hiphil, indicating nuances in its usage.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

[לָאָה] vb. be weary, impatient

Qal be weary

Niph. be weary of doing a thing, make oneself weary in doing something, weary (i.e. strenuously exert) oneself

Hiph. weary, make weary, exhaust

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H3811 לָאָה be weary, impatient

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

3811 la'ah law-aw'

a primitive root; to tire; (figuratively) to be (or make)

disgusted:--faint, grieve, lothe, (be, make) weary (selves).

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

לָאָה (la.ah) — be weary.

1) to be weary, be impatient, be grieved, be offended

1a) (Qal) to be weary, be impatient

1b) (Niphal) to be tired of something, weary oneself

1c) (Hiphil) to weary, make weary, exhaust

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
V-Qal-Imperf-2ms — Verb · Qal · imperfect second person masculine singular
HVqi2ms
¿ did someone attempt a word to you will you be impatient? and to restrain words who? is he able
וַעְצֹ֥רva'.Tzor and to restrain H6113 Conjunction · verb qal infinitive construct common
47× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This Hebrew word means to restrain or hold back, often used in the context of controlling one's actions or emotions. In the book of Psalms, it describes God's power to restrain evil. The word can also mean to assemble or rule over something.
Tyndale gloss
to restrain
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

עָצַר (atsar) is a Hebrew verb meaning to restrain or retain. It encompasses a range of actions such as holding back, stopping, and withholding. The entries indicate it can be used in various forms, including Qal and Niphal, to express both active and passive restraint. There are no significant disagreements among the lexicons regarding its meanings.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

עָצַר 46 vb. restrain, retain

Qal

restrain

(late) retain

Niph. be restrained, stayed

.

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H6113 עָצַר restrain, retain

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

6113 `atsar aw-tsar'

a primitive root; to inclose; by analogy, to hold back; also

to maintain, rule, assemble:--X be able, close up, detain,

fast, keep (self close, still), prevail, recover, refrain, X

reign, restrain, retain, shut (up), slack, stay, stop,

withhold (self).

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

עָצַר (a.tsar) — to restrain.

1) to restrain, retain, close up, shut, withhold, refrain, stay, detain

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to restrain, halt, stop

1a2) to retain

1b) (Niphal) to be restrained, be stayed, be under restraint

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Conj | V-Qal-Inf-a — Conjunction · verb qal infinitive construct common
HC/Vqcc
¿ did someone attempt a word to you will you be impatient? and to restrain words who? is he able
בְּ֝מִלִּ֗יןbe.mi.Lin 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
withhold, restrain, uttering words, expressing thoughts
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

¿ did someone attempt a word to you will you be impatient? and to restrain words who? is he able
מִ֣יmi who? H4310 Pronoun
423× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This word is used to ask questions like who, whose, or whom. It can also be used to express a wish, like would that or whoever. It appears in many forms throughout the Bible, often in phrases like O that or what.
Amplified meaning
what person
Tyndale gloss
who?
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

מִי (mi) is an interrogative pronoun primarily used to ask about persons, meaning 'who?' or 'whose?'. It can also appear in rhetorical questions and has some idiomatic uses, such as 'who among...?' or 'whosoever'. The word is rarely applied to things, and its forms can vary in emphasis.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

מִי 423 pron.interrog. who? of persons

מִי is rarely used of things, and usually where persons are understood or implied

in the gen. whose

in an indirect qu.

מִי ב׳ who among … ?

strengthened and emph. forms of interrog.

various rhetorical uses whose

מִי may sometimes be rendered whosoever, though, as the examples will shew, it does not really mean it

once, following a verb, any one

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H4310 מִי who? of persons . מִי is rarely used of things, and usually where persons are understood or implied

. in the gen. whose

. in an indirect qu.

. מִי ב׳ who among … ?

. strengthened and emph. forms of interrog.

. various rhetorical uses whose

. מִי may sometimes be rendered whosoever, though, as the examples will shew, it does not really mean it

. once, following a verb, any one

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

4310 miy me

an interrogative pronoun of persons, as 4100 is of things,

who? (occasionally, by a peculiar idiom, of things); also

(indefinitely) whoever; often used in oblique construction

with prefix or suffix:--any (man), X he, X him, + O that!

what, which, who(-m, -se, -soever), + would to God.

see HEBREW for 04100

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

מִי (mi) — who?.

who?, whose?, whom?, would that, whoever, whosoever

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Part — Pronoun
HPi
¿ did someone attempt a word to you will you be impatient? and to restrain words who? is he able
יוּכָֽל׃yu.Khal is he able H3201 Verb · Qal · imperfect third person masculine singular
194× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This Hebrew word means to be able or have power, used in various contexts, such as overcoming or enduring, and is translated as 'be able' or 'have power' in the KJV.
Tyndale gloss
be able
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

יָכֹל (yakol) is a Hebrew verb meaning 'to be able' or 'to have power.' It encompasses a range of abilities, including physical, moral, and constitutional strength, as well as the capacity to endure or prevail. The entries highlight its use in various contexts, but do not provide specific verse references.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

יָכֹל, יָכוֹל 193 vb. be able, have power, prevail, endure

Qal

be able, to do a thing,, whether ability be physical, moral, constitutional, or dependent on external authority

prevail

abs. have ability, strength, only neg.

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H3201 יָכֹל, יָכוֹל be able, have power, prevail, endure .. be able, to do a thing,, whether ability be physical, moral, constitutional, or dependent on external authority

. prevail

. abs. have ability, strength, only neg.

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

3201 yakol yaw-kole'

or (fuller) yakowl {yaw-kole'}; a primitive root; to be able,

literally (can, could) or morally (may, might):--be able, any

at all (ways), attain, can (away with, (-not)), could, endure,

might, overcome, have power, prevail, still, suffer.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

יָכֹל (ya.khol) — be able.

1) to prevail, overcome, endure, have power, be able

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to be able, be able to gain or accomplish, be able to endure, be able to reach

1a2) to prevail, prevail over or against, overcome, be victor

1a3) to have ability, have strength

Aramaic equivalent: ye.khel (יְכִל "be able" H3202)

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

a'-b'-l: The Greek dunamai, "to have power," may refer either to inherent strength, or to the absence of in external obstacles, or to what may be allowable or permitted. The Greek ischuo, as in Lu 13:24; Joh 21:6, refers always to the first of the above meanings. The use of the word as an adjective the King James Version of 2Co 3:6, is misleading, and has been properly changed in the Revised Version (British and American) into "sufficient as ministers," i.e. "hath fitted us to be ministers."

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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