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Job 9:12 — Word Study

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WLCהֵ֣ן יַ֭חְתֹּף מִ֣י יְשִׁיבֶ֑נּוּ מִֽי־ יֹאמַ֥ר אֵ֝לָ֗יו מַֽה־ תַּעֲשֶֽׂה׃

BSAIfhên He takes awaychâthaph [snatches, seizes] whomîy [what person, no one] can stop Himshûwb [hinder, prevent] Whomîy [what person, dare anyone] dares to askʼâmar Himʼêl [say unto, speak to] Whatmâh [how, why] are You doingʻâsâh [making, acting]

Word
Listen & take awayJob 9
English ↓ Download MP3 The Berean Standard Bible chapter audio already hosted for the site's Bible section — verse 12 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 (ta.'a.Seh) — no per-word recordings of the Hebrew exist to link to.
Take it away
Job 9:12quick helps
In a sentenceJob questions the ability of anyone to challenge God's actions.
Who is speakingJob, expressing his thoughts on God's sovereignty.
Where we areIn a discourse on God's power and human limitations.
The hard wordיַ֭חְתֹּף
Take awayNo one can stop God from acting.
8 commentators on this verse Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them › clause subjectמִי verbחָתַף The sentence as the grammar sees it Open the tree ›
How rare are these words?in the Old Testament

1 of 9 occurs nowhere else in the Old Testament — a word chosen on purpose.

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 9:12

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

Context — Job's Reflection on God's Sovereigntygenerated

11Were He to pass by me, I would not see Him; were He to move, I would not recognize Him.
12If He takes away, who can stop Him? Who dares to ask Him, ‘What are You doing?’
13God does not restrain His anger; the helpers of Rahab cower beneath Him.
14How then can I answer Him or choose my arguments against Him?

Job 9:12 reflects Job's contemplation of God's unchallengeable authority. He acknowledges that if God decides to take something away, no one can intervene or question His motives. This verse is part of Job's broader discourse on human limitations in understanding divine actions, emphasizing the vast gap between God's omnipotence and human frailty.


Cross References

ReferenceText (BSB)
1Job 23:13But He is unchangeable, and who can oppose Him? He does what He desires.
2Job 34:29But when He remains silent, who can condemn Him? When He hides His face, who can see Him? Yet He watches over both man and nation,
3Daniel 4:35All the peoples of the earth are counted as nothing, and He does as He pleases with the army of heaven and the peoples of the earth. There is no one who can restrain His hand or say to Him, ‘What have You done?’”
4Ephesians 1:11In Him we were also chosen as God’s own, having been predestined according to the plan of Him who works out everything by the counsel of His will,
5Job 11:10If He comes along to imprison you, or convenes a court, who can stop Him?

The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 12 references, hung on the phrase they belong to

hinder himJob 11:10

The Key Word יַ֭חְתֹּף, Yach.tofgenerated

The verb חָתַף (chathaph) means to seize or snatch away. In this context, it conveys the idea of God abruptly taking away something from a person. This action is sudden and beyond human control, highlighting God's absolute authority.

The parsing shows this verb is in the imperfect tense, third person masculine singular, indicating an ongoing or habitual action. Job uses this word to stress that God's decisions are final and cannot be contested by anyone.


How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated

This study reads the verse in the Berean Standard Bible, so the BSB is the wording every comparison below is made against.


Sentence Structuregenerated

The verse consists of two main clauses, both beginning with the interrogative pronoun מִי (mi), meaning 'who?'. The first clause asks about the ability to stop God, while the second questions who would dare to ask Him about His actions.

The structure emphasizes the rhetorical nature of Job's questions, highlighting the futility of human attempts to challenge divine authority.


Septuagint Backgroundgenerated

The Septuagint translates יַ֭חְתֹּף as ἀπαλλάχῃ (apallachē), meaning 'to be taken away'. This choice reflects a similar understanding of God's ability to remove or snatch away, aligning with the Hebrew meaning.

The Greek rendering maintains the emphasis on God's sovereignty and the inability of humans to intervene in His decisions.


In plain words — the whole versegenerated

Job 9:12 asks who can stop God if He decides to take something away, and who would dare to question Him about His actions. This verse highlights the power of God and the limitations of human understanding.


Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated

What does Job mean by asking who can stop God?

Job is emphasizing God's absolute power and the futility of human resistance against divine will.

Why does Job question who would dare to ask God what He is doing?

This reflects the reverence and fear people should have toward God's decisions, acknowledging His authority.

How does this verse relate to the overall theme of the Book of Job?

It illustrates Job's struggle to comprehend God's ways and the limitations of human perspective in the face of divine sovereignty.

What can we learn from Job's questions about God's actions?

We learn to approach God's decisions with humility, recognizing that His ways are beyond our understanding.


Reflection Questionsgenerated

  1. In what ways do I struggle to accept God's sovereignty in my life?
  2. How can I respond to situations where I feel powerless against circumstances?
  3. What does it mean for me to trust God when I don't understand His actions?
  4. How can I cultivate a deeper reverence for God's authority in my daily life?

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

An early commentary from Gregory the Dialogist discusses Job's questions about God's sudden inquiries, emphasizing the need for humility in the face of divine scrutiny.

Gregory the DialogistMorals on the Book of Job, Book IX c. 540–604
If He question on a sudden, who will answer Him? God 'questions suddenly' when He calls us unexpectedly to the strict searching of His scrutiny.
Early Church Fathers on Job 9 →

Commentators on this verse — 8 expositors, verse by verse

Each of these wrote on Job 9:12 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.

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

Behold, he taketh away,.... There are some things God never takes away from his people; he never takes away his love from them, he always rests in that towards them, let them be in what condition

Read John Gill on Job 9 →
Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's Commentary

Behold, he taketh away, who can hinder him? who will say unto him, What doest thou? Behold, he taketh away, who can hinder him? who will say unto him, What doest thou?

Read Robert Jamieson on Job 9 →
Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy Bible

If he determine to take away from any man his children, or servants, or estate, as he hath done from me, who is able to restrain him from doing it? or who dare presume to reprove him for it? And therefore far be it from me to quarrel with God, whereof you untruly accuse me.

Read Matthew Poole on Job 9 →
John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

Job 9:12 Behold, he taketh away, who can hinder him? who will say unto him, What doest thou?Ver. 12. Behold, he taketh away] Raptim aufert; He snatcheth away, or taketh by force, as a lion doth his prey, or a thief doth another man’ s goods. Confer Proverbs 23:28. Which if he do, who can repel or turn him back? Here Job plainly alludeth to the taking away of his children, servants, and cattle, the likelihood also of losing his life (according to the Chaldee paraphrast) by his present miseries; which, if it should befall him from God, it would not be safe for him to cavil, or once question God’ s proceeding, to urge him to restitution, or charge him with oppression; since he is chief Lord of…

Read John Trapp on Job 9 →
Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(12) What doest thou?—Putting the case even that God were, so to say, in the wrong, and the assailant, yet even then He would maintain His cause from sheer might, and crush His adversary.

Read Charles John Ellicott on Job 9 →
AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible

Verse 12. He taketh away] He never gives, but he is ever lending: and while the gift is useful or is improved, he permits it to remain; but when it becomes useless or is misused, he recalls it. Who can hinder him?] Literally, Who can cause him to restore it? What doest thou?] He is supreme, and will give account of none of his matters. He is infinitely wise, and cannot mistake. He is infinitely kind, and can do nothing cruel. He is infinitely good, and can do nothing wrong. No one, therefore, should question either his motives or his operations.

Read AdamClarke on Job 9 →
CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

12. It is irresistible and irresponsible. taketh away] Carries off, as a beast of prey its booty. who can hinder him] Or, turn him back.

Read Cambridge on Job 9 →
Albert Barnes1798–1870Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Behold, he taketh away - Property, friends, or life. Who can hinder him? - Margin, turn him away. Or, rather, “who shall cause him to restore?” that is, who can bring back what he takes away?

Read Albert Barnes on Job 9 →

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 He takes away, who can stop Him? Who dares to ask Him, ‘What are You doing?’

WEBWorld English Bible2000

Behold, he snatches away. Who can hinder him? Who will ask him, ‘What are you doing?’

MSBMajority Standard Bible2022

If He takes away, who can stop Him? Who dares to ask Him, ‘What are You doing?’

NETBNew English Translation2006

If he snatches away, who can turn him back? Who dares to say to him, ‘What are you doing?’

Tyndale line

KJVKing James Version1611

Behold, he taketh away, who can hinder him? who will say unto him, What doest thou?

ASVAmerican Standard Version1901

Behold, he seizeth the prey, who can hinder him? Who will say unto him, What doest thou?

RVARevised Version, American1894

Behold, he seizeth the prey, who can hinder him? who will say unto him, What doest thou?

NWBWebster's Bible1833

Behold, he taketh away, who can hinder him? who will say to him, What doest thou?

GNVGeneva Bible1599

Behold, when he taketh a pray, who can make him to restore it? who shall say vnto him, What doest thou?

Strictly literal

DBYDarby Translation1890

Behold, he taketh away: who will hinder him? Who will say unto him, What doest thou?

YLTYoung's Literal Translation1862

Lo, He snatches away, who bringeth it back? Who saith unto Him, 'What dost Thou?'

LSVLiteral Standard Version2020

Behold, He snatches away, who brings it back? Who says to Him, What [are] You doing?

ILTInterlinear Literal Translation2000

Behold, were he to snatch aught away, who could hold him back? who would say unto him, What dost thou?

ULBUnlocked Literal Bible2017

If he takes something away, who can stop him? Who can say to him, 'What are you doing?'

From the Latin

DRADouay-Rheims (Challoner)1899

If he examine on a sudden, who shall answer him? or who can say: Why dost thou so?

Simplified

FBVFree Bible Version2020

If he takes away, who can prevent him? Who is going to ask him, ‘What are you doing?’

BBEBible in Basic English1949

If he puts out his hand to take, by whom may it be turned back? who may say to him, What are you doing?

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.

clauseclauseהֵ֣ןthere!clauseverbיַ֭חְתֹּףhe.will.snatch.awayclausesubjectמִ֣יwho?verbיְשִׁיבֶ֑willobjectנּוּhe.turn.him.backclausesubjectמִֽיwho?verbיֹאמַ֥רwill.he.sayprepositional phrase · prepositionalאֵ֝לָ֗יtoוhimclause · objectobjectמַֽהwhat?verbתַּעֲשֶֽׂהare.you.doing

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


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

The Masoretic Text and the Septuagint agree closely in their wording for Job 9:12. The Septuagint matches the Hebrew word-for-word, confirming the consistency of the message across these texts.

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

הֵ֣ן יַ֭חְתֹּף מִ֣י יְשִׁיבֶ֑נּוּ מִֽי־ יֹאמַ֥ר אֵ֝לָ֗יו מַֽה־ תַּעֲשֶֽׂה׃

Septuagintthe Greek the translators chose, word by word
הֵ֣ןἐὰνיַ֭חְתֹּףἀπαλλάχῃמִ֣יτίςיְשִׁיבֶ֑נּוּἀποστρέψειמִֽי־τίςיֹאמַ֥רἐρεῖאֵ֝לָ֗יוαὐτῷמַֽה־τίתַּעֲשֶֽׂה׃ἐποίησας

9 of the 9 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 9:12הֵןthere!there!הֵןחָתַףhe will snahe will snatch חָתַףמִיwho?who?מִישׁוּבwill he turwill he turn baשׁוּבמִיwho?who?מִיאָמַרwill he saywill he sayאָמַראֶלto himto himאֶלמָהwhat?what?מָהעָשָׂהare you doiare you doingעָשָׂהמָהwhat?what?מָהיהוהYHWH/GodYHWH/Godיהוהיָעַדto appointto appointיָעַדכְּמוֹlikelikeכְּמוֹיָפֶהbeautifulbeautifulיָפֶהשְׁבִיתcaptivitycaptivityשְׁבִיתחָרוֹןburning anburning angerחָרוֹןכֹּהthusthusכֹּהפָּלַלto prayto prayפָּלַליִרְמְיָ֫הJeremiahJeremiahיִרְמְיָ֫הכָּ֫כָהthusthusכָּ֫כָהפָּעַלto workto workפָּעַלמְלָאכָהworkworkמְלָאכָהתּוֹעֵבַהabominatioabominationתּוֹעֵבַה
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 9:12

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.

there! he will snatch away who? will he turn back him who? will he say to him what? are you doing
הֵ֣ןhen there! H2005 Particle
316× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
An expression meaning look or behold, used to get someone's attention, like in the prophet Isaiah's writings. It can also express surprise or introduce a hypothetical situation.
Tyndale gloss
look!
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

הֵן (hen) is a demonstrative adverb or interjection meaning 'lo!' or 'behold!'. It is primarily used to draw attention to a fact that prompts action or leads to a conclusion. The word can also express surprise and is less common than its counterpart הִנֵּה (hinneh). Additionally, it can function hypothetically as 'if'.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

הֵן 100 demonstr.adv. or interj. lo!, behold (on etym. v. הִנֵּה), less widely used than הִנֵּה, and in prose mostly confined to calling attention to some fact upon which action is to be taken, or a conclusion based

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H2005 הֵן demonstr. adv. or interj. lo!, behold (on etym. v. הִנֵּה), less widely used than הִנֵּה, and in prose mostly confined to calling attention to some fact upon which action is to be taken, or a conclusion based

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

2005 hen hane

a primitive particle; lo!; also (as expressing surprise)

if:--behold, if, lo, though.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

הֵן (hen) — look!.

interj

1) behold, lo, though hypothetical part

2) if

Aramaic equivalent: hen (הֵן "look!" H2006A)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Part — Particle
HTj
there! he will snatch away who? will he turn back him who? will he say to him what? are you doing
יַ֭חְתֹּףYach.tof he will snatch away H2862 Verb · Qal · imperfect third person masculine singular
1× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
To seize or clutch something means to grab it tightly, often suddenly. This word is used to describe taking something away from someone.
Amplified meaning
snatches, seizes
Tyndale gloss
to seize
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

חָתַף (chathaph) is a primitive root meaning to seize or snatch away. It is used in the Qal form, as noted in Job 9:12, where it conveys the action of taking away or clutching something.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

[חָתַף] vb. seize, snatch away—Qal Jb 9:12

ref

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H2862 חָתַף

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

2862 chathaph khaw-thaf'

a primitive root; to clutch:--take away.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

חָתַף (cha.taph) — to seize.

(Qal) to seize, take away, snatch away

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
V-Qal-Imperf-3ms — Verb · Qal · imperfect third person masculine singular
HVqi3ms
there! he will snatch away who? will he turn back him who? will he say to him what? are you doing
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, no one
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
there! he will snatch away who? will he turn back him who? will he say to him what? are you doing
יְשִׁיבֶ֑נּוּye.shi.Ve.nu will he turn back him H7725 Verb hiphil imperfect third person masculine singular · suffix
1,057× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This Hebrew word means to return or turn back, and can be used literally or figuratively. It is often used to describe someone returning to God or repenting from sin, as seen in the book of Psalms and the prophets.
Amplified meaning
hinder, prevent
Tyndale gloss
to return: return
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word שׁוּב (shuwb) means to turn back or return, covering a wide range of contexts including physical, spiritual, and relational. It can denote returning to a previous state, repenting, or even apostatizing. The entries describe various forms and uses, including bringing back, restoring, and refreshing. Notably, it can also imply a change in course of action.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

שׁוּב 1056 vb. turn back, return

Qal 683;—turn back, return:

turn back

return, come or go back

esp. return unto

of dying

of revival from death

fig. of human relations:

return to leader, king

= change so as to appoach (in purpose, desire)

turn, i.e. resort to

return to a physical condition

abs. = change course of action

fig., specif. of spiritual relations:

turn back from God = apostatize

of י׳, turn away

turn back to God (= seek penitently)

abs. repent

turn back from evil

of י׳

of י׳, return (to shew favour)

of inanimate things (sts. personified, or treated as things of life):

denoting repetition, etc.

trans.

Pō‛l.

bring back

fig. restore, refresh

restore, repair

lead away (enticingly)

shew turning = apostatize

Hiph. 353 cause to return, bring back

bring back into bondage

put back

= draw back

= give back, restore

= relinguish

= give in payment, requital

bring one back (from dead)

bring back heart

= refresh

Read the full entry →
Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H7725 שׁוּב turn back, return .—turn back, return: . turn back

. return, come or go back

. esp. return unto

. . of dying

. of revival from death

. fig. of human relations: . return to leader, king

. = change so as to appoach (in purpose, desire)

. turn, i.e. resort to

. return to a physical condition

. abs. = change course of action

. fig., specif. of spiritual relations: . turn back from God = apostatize

. of י׳, turn away

. turn back to God (= seek penitently)

. abs. repent

. turn back from evil

. of י׳

. of י׳, return (to shew favour)

. of inanimate things (sts. personified, or treated as things of life):

. denoting repetition, etc.

. trans.

. . bring back

. . fig. restore, refresh

. restore, repair

. lead away (enticingly)

. shew turning = apostatize

. cause to return, bring back . . bring back into bondage

. put back

. = draw back

. = give back, restore

. = relinguish

. = give in payment, requital

Read the full entry →
Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

7725 shuwb shoob

a primitive root; to turn back (hence, away) transitively or

intransitively, literally or figuratively (not necessarily

with the idea of return to the starting point); generally to

retreat; often adverbial, again:--((break, build, circumcise,

dig, do anything, do evil, feed, lay down, lie down, lodge,

make, rejoice, send, take, weep)) X again, (cause to) answer

(+ again), X in any case (wise), X at all, averse, bring

(again, back, home again), call (to mind), carry again (back),

cease, X certainly, come again (back), X consider, +

continually, convert, deliver (again), + deny, draw back,

fetch home again, X fro, get (oneself) (back) again, X give

(again), go again (back, home), (go) out, hinder, let, (see)

more, X needs, be past, X pay, pervert, pull in again, put

(again, up again), recall, recompense, recover, refresh,

relieve, render (again), requite, rescue, restore, retrieve,

Read the full entry →
Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

שׁוּב (shuv) — to return: return.

: return

1) to return, turn back

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to turn back, return

1a1a) to turn back

1a1b) to return, come or go back

1a1c) to return unto, go back, come back

1a1d) of dying

1a1e) of human relations (fig)

1a1f) of spiritual relations (fig)

1a1f1) to turn back (from God), apostatise

1a1f2) to turn away (of God)

1a1f3) to turn back (to God), repent

1a1f4) turn back (from evil)

1a1g) of inanimate things

1a1h) in repetition

1b) (Polel)

1b1) to bring back

1b2) to restore, refresh, repair (fig)

1b3) to lead away (enticingly)

1b4) to show turning, apostatise

1c) (Pual) restored (participle)

1d) (Hiphil) to cause to return, bring back

1d1) to bring back, allow to return, put back, draw back, give back, restore, relinquish, give in payment

1d2) to bring back, refresh, restore

1d3) to bring back, report to, answer

1d4) to bring back, make requital, pay (as recompense)

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
V-Hiphil-Imperf-3ms | Suff — Verb hiphil imperfect third person masculine singular · suffix
HVhi3ms/Sp3ms
The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
there! he will snatch away who? will he turn back him who? will he say to him what? are you doing
מִֽי־mi- 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, dare anyone
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
there! he will snatch away who? will he turn back him who? will he say to him what? are you doing
יֹאמַ֥רyo.Mar will he say H559 Verb · Qal · imperfect third person masculine singular
5,309× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This Hebrew word means to say or speak, and it's used in many different ways in the Bible. It can mean to command, promise, or think, and it's translated in the KJV as 'answer', 'appoint', or 'command'.
Tyndale gloss
to say
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

אָמַר (amar) is a Hebrew verb meaning 'to say' or 'to utter,' with a broad range of uses including to promise, command, or even boast. It appears in various forms, such as in the Qal (to say), Niphal (to be told), and Hiphil (to avow). The entries highlight its versatility in both spoken and internal contexts, though no specific verse is noted.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

אָמַר 5287 vb. utter, say

Qal

Say

Say in the heart (= think)

Promise

Command (esp. late)

Niph. be said, told

Hiph. avow, avouch (lit. cause to declare)

Hithp. act proudly, boast

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H559 אָמַר utter, say .. Say

. Say in the heart (= think)

. Promise

. Command (esp. late)

. be said, told

. avow, avouch (lit. cause to declare)

. act proudly, boast

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

559 'amar aw-mar'

a primitive root; to say (used with great

latitude):--answer, appoint, avouch, bid, boast self, call,

certify, challenge, charge, + (at the, give) command(-ment),

commune, consider, declare, demand, X desire, determine, X

expressly, X indeed, X intend, name, X plainly, promise,

publish, report, require, say, speak (against, of), X still, X

suppose, talk, tell, term, X that is, X think, use (speech),

utter, X verily, X yet.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

אָמַר (a.mar) — to say.

1) to say, speak, utter

1a) (Qal) to say, to answer, to say in one's heart, to think, to command, to promise, to intend

1b) (Niphal) to be told, to be said, to be called

1c) (Hithpael) to boast, to act proudly

1d) (Hiphil) to avow, to avouch

Aramaic equivalent: a.mar (אֲמַר "to say" H0560)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
V-Qal-Imperf-3ms — Verb · Qal · imperfect third person masculine singular
HVqi3ms
The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
there! he will snatch away who? will he turn back him who? will he say to him what? are you doing
אֵ֝לָ֗יו'e.Lav to him 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'.
Amplified meaning
say unto, speak to
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/Sp3ms
there! he will snatch away who? will he turn back him who? will he say to him what? are you doing
מַֽה־mah- what? H4100 Pronoun
753× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This Hebrew word means what or how, often used to ask questions or express surprise, like in Genesis when God asks Adam what he has done. It can also mean why or when, and is used in various ways throughout the Old Testament. It appears in many KJV translations, including how or what.
Amplified meaning
how, why
Tyndale gloss
what?
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

מָה (mah) is a Hebrew word primarily used as an interrogative particle meaning 'what?' or 'how?'. It can also function as an indefinite pronoun, encompassing meanings like 'anything' or 'whatever'. The word is versatile, appearing in various adverbial forms and often used with prefixes to express different nuances, such as reason or manner.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

מָה, rarely מָה־, מַה־, מַה‍ּ, מֶה, מַ‍ּ, מָ—pron.interrog. and indef. what? how? aught

interrog. what?

Used adverbially

Indef. pron.

With preps.

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H4100 מָה, rarely מָה־, מַה־, מַה‍ּ, מֶה, מַ‍ּ, מָ—pron. interrog. and indef. what? how? aught . interrog. what?

. Used adverbially

. Indef. pron.

. With preps.

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

4100 mah maw

or mah {mah}; or ma {maw}; or ma {mah}; also meh {meh}; a

primitive particle; properly, interrogative what? (including

how? why? when?); but also exclamation, what! (including

how!), or indefinitely what (including whatever, and even

relatively, that which); often used with prefixes in various

adverbial or conjunctive senses:--how (long, oft, (-

soever)), (no-)thing, what (end, good, purpose, thing),

whereby(-fore, -in, -to, -with), (for) why.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

מָה (mah) — what?.

interr pron

1) what, how, of what kind

1a) (interrogative)

1a1) what?

1a2) of what kind

1a3) what? (rhetorical)

1a4) whatsoever, whatever, what

1b) (adverb)

1b1) how, how now

1b2) why

1b3) how! (exclamation)

1c) (with prep)

1c1) wherein?, whereby?, wherewith?, by what means?

1c2) because of what?

1c3) the like of what?

1c3a) how much?, how many?, how often?

1c3b) for how long?

1c4) for what reason?, why?, to what purpose?

1c5) until when?, how long?, upon what?, wherefore?

indef pron

2) anything, aught, what may

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Part — Pronoun
HPi
The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
there! he will snatch away who? will he turn back him who? will he say to him what? are you doing
תַּעֲשֶֽׂה׃ta.'a.Seh are you doing H6213 Verb · Qal · imperfect second person masculine singular
2,629× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This verb means to make or do something, and is used over 2,600 times in the Bible. It is first used in Genesis 1:7 to describe God's creation of the world and is also used in Exodus 31:5 to describe the work of skilled craftsmen.
Amplified meaning
making, acting
Tyndale gloss
to make
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

עָשָׂה (asah) is a Hebrew verb meaning to do or make, encompassing a wide range of actions such as producing, preparing, and observing. It can refer to both concrete and abstract activities, including making offerings and attending to tasks. The verb also has forms indicating passive meanings, such as being made or offered. Notably, the Piel form refers to pressing or squeezing.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

עָשָׂה 2622 vb. do, make

Qal 2524

do (1560 t.)

deal with

oft. in phr. do kindness with

abs. act, act with effect

make (670 t.)

produce, yield

prepare, esp. of dressing and cooking food

make offering

attend to, put in order

observe, celebrate, religious festival

acquire property of various kinds

appoint priests

bring about of י׳’s effecting a deliverance

use

spend, pass, days of life

Niph.

97be done

be made, of concr. things

be produced from vine

be prepared, of food

be offered

be observed, passover

be used

Pu. I was made

base

[עָשָׂה] vb. Pi. press, squeeze

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H6213a עָשָׂה do, make .. . do (1560 + t.)

. deal with

. oft. in phr. do kindness with

. abs. act, act with effect

. . make (670 + t.)

. produce, yield

. prepare, esp. of dressing and cooking food

. make offering

. attend to, put in order

. observe, celebrate, religious festival

. acquire property of various kinds

. appoint priests

. bring about of י׳’s effecting a deliverance

. use

. spend, pass, days of life

. . be done

. . be made, of concr. things

. be produced from vine

. be prepared, of food

. be offered

. be observed, passover

. be used

. I was made

H6213b עָשָׂה Pi. press, squeeze

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

6213 `asah aw-saw'

a primitive root; to do or make, in the broadest sense and

widest application (as follows):--accomplish, advance,

appoint, apt, be at, become, bear, bestow, bring forth,

bruise, be busy, X certainly, have the charge of, commit, deal

(with), deck, + displease, do, (ready) dress(-ed), (put in)

execute(-ion), exercise, fashion, + feast, (fight-)ing man, +

finish, fit, fly, follow, fulfill, furnish, gather, get, go

about, govern, grant, great, + hinder, hold ((a feast)), X

indeed, + be industrious, + journey, keep, labour, maintain,

make, be meet, observe, be occupied, offer, + officer, pare,

bring (come) to pass, perform, pracise, prepare, procure,

provide, put, requite, X sacrifice, serve, set, shew, X sin,

spend, X surely, take, X thoroughly, trim, X very, + vex, be

(warr-)ior, work(-man), yield, use.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

עָשָׂה (a.sah) — to make: do.

: do/perform

1) to do, fashion, accomplish, make

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to do, work, make, produce

1a1a) to do

1a1b) to work

1a1c) to deal (with)

1a1d) to act, act with effect, effect

1a2) to make

1a2a) to make

1a2b) to produce

1a2c) to prepare

1a2d) to make (an offering)

1a2e) to attend to, put in order

1a2f) to observe, celebrate

1a2g) to acquire (property)

1a2h) to appoint, ordain, institute

1a2i) to bring about

1a2j) to use

1a2k) to spend, pass

1b) (Niphal)

1b1) to be done

1b2) to be made

1b3) to be produced

1b4) to be offered

1b5) to be observed

1b6) to be used

1c) (Pual) to be made

עָשָׂה (a.sah) — to press.

(Piel) to press, squeeze

עָשָׂה (a.sah) — to make.

: make(OBJECT)

1) to do, fashion, accomplish, make

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to do, work, make, produce

1a1a) to do

1a1b) to work

1a1c) to deal (with)

1a1d) to act, act with effect, effect

1a2) to make

1a2a) to make

1a2b) to produce

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
V-Qal-Imperf-2ms — Verb · Qal · imperfect second person masculine singular
HVqi2ms
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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