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Lamentations 3:14 — Word Study

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WLCהָיִ֤יתִי שְּׂחֹק֙ לְכָל־ עַמִּ֔י נְגִינָתָ֖ם כָּל־ הַיּֽוֹם׃

BSAI amhâyâh [become, have been made] a laughingstocksᵉchôwq [derision, object of scorn] to allkôl [every, the entire] my peopleʻam [nation, community] they mock me in songnᵉgîynâh [laugh at, scorn, music, instrumental music] all day longkôl [every, the whole, a 24-hour period, a figurative space of time]

Word
Listen & take awayLamentations 3
English ↓ Download MP3 The Berean Standard Bible chapter audio already hosted for the site's Bible section — verse 14 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 (hai.Yom) — no per-word recordings of the Hebrew exist to link to.
Take it away
Lamentations 3:14quick helps
In a sentenceThe speaker feels ridiculed and mocked by their community.
Who is speakingThe speaker is expressing personal anguish, referring to themselves.
Where we areThis verse is part of a lament, reflecting deep sorrow and isolation.
The hard wordשְּׂחֹק
Take awayThe speaker's pain is amplified by public mockery.
7 commentators on this verse Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them › clause verbהָיָה 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 — Lamentations 3:14

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

Context — The Lament of the Afflictedgenerated

13He pierced my kidneys with His arrows.
14I am a laughingstock to all my people; they mock me in song all day long.
15He has filled me with bitterness; He has intoxicated me with wormwood.
16He has ground my teeth with gravel and trampled me in the dust.

Lamentations 3:14 expresses the deep sorrow of an individual who feels like a target of ridicule among their own people. This verse captures the essence of their emotional state as they are mocked and scorned through song, highlighting the pain of being an object of derision in a communal setting. It reflects a broader theme of suffering and alienation found throughout the book of Lamentations.


Cross References

ReferenceText (BSB)
1Lamentations 3:63When they sit and when they rise, see how they mock me in song.
2Nehemiah 4:2–4before his associates and the army of Samaria, saying, “What are these feeble Jews doing? Can they restore the wall by themselves? Will they offer sacrifices? Will they complete it in a day? Can they bring these burnt stones back to life from the mounds of rubble?”
3Job 30:1–9“But now they mock me, men younger than I am, whose fathers I would have refused to entrust with my sheep dogs.
4Psalm 22:6–7But I am a worm and not a man, scorned by men and despised by the people.
5Psalm 35:15–16But when I stumbled, they assembled in glee; they gathered together against me. Assailants I did not know slandered me without ceasing.

The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 14 references, hung on the phrase they belong to


The Key Word שְּׂחֹק, se.Chokgenerated

The word שְּׂחֹק (sechok) refers to laughter, but in this context, it emphasizes mockery and scorn. It is derived from a root meaning to laugh and can denote both joyful laughter and derision. The use of this term here indicates that the speaker is not just laughed at but is made a subject of scorn.

In this verse, the speaker identifies as a שְּׂחֹק, illustrating their status as an object of derision. This word encapsulates the painful experience of being mocked, particularly through song, which adds a layer of humiliation to their suffering.


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 sentence contains a main clause with the finite verb הָיִ֤יתִי, I have become, which establishes the speaker's state of being. This is followed by a noun phrase describing the object of their ridicule and another clause that details how they are mocked.

The structure emphasizes the speaker's transformation into a laughingstock, with the mocking occurring continuously throughout the day, highlighting the relentless nature of their suffering.


Septuagint Backgroundgenerated

The Septuagint translates הָיִ֤יתִי as ἐγενήθην, meaning 'I have become.' This choice indicates a direct correspondence with the Hebrew, maintaining the sense of transformation.

For שְּׂחֹק, the Greek word γέλως is used, which also conveys the idea of laughter but does not carry the same connotation of mockery as in the Hebrew. This suggests a slight softening of the tone in the Greek translation.


In plain words — the whole versegenerated

Lamentations 3:14 describes a person who feels humiliated and mocked by their own community. They express that they have become a target of ridicule, with others singing mocking songs about them throughout the day.


Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated

What does it mean to be a laughingstock?

To be a laughingstock means to be ridiculed or scorned by others, often in a public or humiliating way.

How does this verse reflect the speaker's emotional state?

The verse conveys feelings of deep sorrow and isolation, as the speaker is openly mocked by their community, emphasizing their pain.

What role does song play in this mockery?

Song amplifies the humiliation, as being mocked through music adds a layer of public derision to the speaker's suffering.

Why is the speaker's experience significant?

The speaker's experience highlights the broader themes of suffering and alienation in Lamentations, reflecting the collective pain of a community in distress.


Reflection Questionsgenerated

  1. How can I relate to the feelings of being mocked or ridiculed by others?
  2. What are some ways I can support those who feel like outcasts or laughingstocks?
  3. In what situations have I felt like my struggles were publicly mocked?
  4. How can I find comfort in my own moments of derision, knowing that others have faced similar experiences?

Commentators on this verse — 7 expositors, verse by verse

Each of these wrote on Lamentations 3:14 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.

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

I was a derision to all my people,.... So Jeremiah was to the people of the Jews, and especially to his townsmen, the men of Anathoth, Jeremiah 20:7; but if he represents the body of the people,

Read John Gill on Lamentations 3 →
Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's Commentary

He hath caused the arrows of his quiver to enter into my reins. Arrows - literally, sons of His quiver (cf. Job 6:4, "The arrows of the Almighty are within me, the poison whereof drinketh up my spirit"). Verse 14.

Read Robert Jamieson on Lamentations 3 →
Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy Bible

Though some think the prophet speaks this of himself, yet, considering he hath all along spoken in the name of the people, it is not probable, which makes a difficulty, how the people could be a derision to themselves? It seemeth therefore ill translated, and that it should have been, I was a derision to all people, leaving out my, that is, to all foreigners, to whom the Jews were made a derision and a hissing; there only wants the last letter in ymu and it is well observed by the learned author of the English Annotations, that the like defect is to be found, as to the same word, , compared with , so that is not a pronoun affix, (upon which supposal our translators go,) but one of the…

Read Matthew Poole on Lamentations 3 →
John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

Lamentations 3:14 I was a derision to all my people; [and] their song all the day.Ver. 14. I was a derision, to all my people.] Or, To all peoples. Our Saviour suffered all this and much more for us. And their song all the day.] Or, Their lute, or kit, whom they played on at pleasure, and desired no better sport.

Read John Trapp on Lamentations 3 →
Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(14) I was a derision.—The personal experience of the prophet breaks through the succession of imagery. The arrows that pierced to the quick were the taunts of the mockers who derided him (Jeremiah 20:7). “Their song.” (Comp. Job 30:9.)

Read Charles John Ellicott on Lamentations 3 →
CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

14. a derision] See on Jeremiah 20:7 f., and cp. Job 12:4; Job 30:1-9; Psalms 69:12.

Read Cambridge on Lamentations 3 →
Daniel Denison Whedon1808–1885Whedon's Commentary on the Bible

14. My people — “There is no reason, but the contrary, for changing (with Ewald) ‘my people’ into peoples.” — R. PAYNE SMITH, in the Speaker’s Commentary.

Read Daniel Denison Whedon on Lamentations 3 →

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

I am a laughingstock to all my people; they mock me in song all day long.

WEBWorld English Bible2000

I have become a derision to all my people, and their song all day long.

MSBMajority Standard Bible2022

I am a laughingstock to all my people; they mock me in song all day long.

NETBNew English Translation2006

I have become the laughingstock of all people, their mocking song all day long.

Tyndale line

KJVKing James Version1611

I was a derision to all my people; and their song all the day.

ASVAmerican Standard Version1901

I am become a derision to all my people, and their song all the day.

RVARevised Version, American1894

I am become a derision to all my people; and their song all the day.

NWBWebster's Bible1833

I was a derision to all my people; and their song all the day.

GNVGeneva Bible1599

I was a derision to all my people, and their song all the day.

Strictly literal

DBYDarby Translation1890

I am become a derision to all my people; their song all the day.

YLTYoung's Literal Translation1862

I have been a derision to all my people, Their song all the day.

LSVLiteral Standard Version2020

I have been a derision to all my people, || Their song all the day.

ILTInterlinear Literal Translation2000

I am become a laughing-stock to all my people, their [jeering] song all the day.

ULBUnlocked Literal Bible2017

I became a laughingstock to all my people, the object of their taunting all day long.

From the Latin

DRADouay-Rheims (Challoner)1899

He. I am made a derision to all my people, their song all the day long.

Simplified

FBVFree Bible Version2020

Now everyone laughs at me, singing songs that mock me all day long.

BBEBible in Basic English1949

I have become the sport of all the peoples; I am their song all the day.

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.

clauseclauseverbהָיִ֤יתִיI.have.becomeobjectשְּׂחֹק֙a.laughing-stockprepositional phrase · prepositionalלְtonoun phraseכָלallnoun phraseעַמִּ֔peopleיmyclausenoun phrase · objectנְגִינָתָ֖songםtheir.tauntnoun phrase · adverbialכָּלallnoun phraseהַtheיּֽוֹםday

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 on the wording of this verse, with all words matched in translation. This alignment indicates a consistent understanding of the speaker's lament across these ancient texts.

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

הָיִ֤יתִי שְּׂחֹק֙ לְכָל־ עַמִּ֔י נְגִינָתָ֖ם כָּל־ הַיּֽוֹם׃

Septuagintthe Greek the translators chose, word by word
הָיִ֤יתִיἐγενήθηνשְּׂחֹק֙γέλωςלְכָל־παντὶעַמִּ֔יμουנְגִינָתָ֖םαὐτῶνכָּל־ὅληνהַיּֽוֹם׃ἡμέραν

7 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.

Lamentations 3:14הָיָהI have becoI have becomeהָיָהשְׂחֹקa laughingsa laughingstockשְׂחֹקכֹּלto allto allכֹּלעַםpeople mypeople myעַםנְגִינָהtaunt song taunt song theiנְגִינָהכֹּלallallכֹּליוֹםthe daythe dayיוֹםכָּלַלto perfectto perfectכָּלַלשָׂחַקto laughto laughשָׂחַקעָמַםto darkento darkenעָמַםנָגַןto playto playנָגַןהָוָאto fallto fallהָוָאעֵדָהcongregaticongregationעֵדָהעֲבֹדָהserviceserviceעֲבֹדָהכְּסִילfoolfoolכְּסִילמוֹאָב(Plains of(Plains of) MoaמוֹאָבמַשְׂכִּילMaskilMaskilמַשְׂכִּילנָצַחto conductto conductנָצַחשְׁבִיעִיseventhseventhשְׁבִיעִישַׁבָּתSabbathSabbathשַׁבָּת
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 Lamentations 3:14

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.

I have become a laughingstock to all people my taunt song their all the day
הָיִ֤יתִיha.Yi.ti I have become H1961 Verb · Qal · perfect first person common singular
3,562× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
The Hebrew word for to be means to exist or come into being. It is used to describe something that happens or comes to pass, like in Genesis where God creates the world.
Amplified meaning
become, have been made
Tyndale gloss
to be
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word הָיָה (hayah) is a primitive root meaning to exist or become, and it encompasses a range of meanings including to happen, occur, and come to pass. It is often used in narrative contexts, particularly in phrases like "and it came to pass." The word can also denote a state of being or existence, and it appears frequently in various forms throughout the Old Testament.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

הָיָה 3570 vb. fall out, come to pass, become, be

Qal

Fall out, happen

occur, take place, come about, come to pass

esp. & very oft., come about, come to pass

וַיְהִי and it came to pass that, most often (c. 292 t.)

rarely also Pf. c. וְ conj. וְהָיָה

less oft. וְהָיָה Pf. consec. and it shall come to pass, or frequentat. came to pass (repeatedly, etc.)

Come into being, become

abs., in lively narrative, arise, appear, come

sq. prep.

become

sq. pred. noun (to be viewed as implicit accus.)

sq. pred. adj.

become like

sq. pred. לְ pers.

sq. לְ pred.

oft. c. לְ pred. לְ pers.

with עַל and לְ

sts. c. לְ pers. only = became the property of, come into the possession of

Be (often with subbordinate idea of becoming)

exist, be in existence

abide, remain, continue

with word of locality, be in or at a place, be situated, stand, lie

as copula, joining subj. & pred.

Read the full entry →
Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H1961 הָיָה fall out, come to pass, become, be .. . . Fall out, happen

. occur, take place, come about, come to pass

. esp. & very oft., come about, come to pass . . וַיְהִי and it came to pass that, most often (c. 292 t.)

. rarely also Pf. c. וְ conj. וְהָיָה

. less oft. וְהָיָה Pf. consec. and it shall come to pass, or frequentat. came to pass (repeatedly, etc.)

. Come into being, become . . abs., in lively narrative, arise, appear, come

. sq. prep.

. become . sq. pred. noun (to be viewed as implicit accus.)

. sq. pred. adj.

. become like

. sq. pred. + לְ pers.

. sq. לְ pred.

. oft. c. לְ pred. + לְ pers.

. with עַל and לְ

. sts. c. לְ pers. only = became the property of, come into the possession of

. Be (often with subbordinate idea of becoming) . exist, be in existence

. abide, remain, continue

Read the full entry →
Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

1961 hayah haw-yaw

a primitive root (compare 1933); to exist, i.e. be or become,

come to pass (always emphatic, and not a mere copula or

auxiliary):--beacon, X altogether, be(-come), accomplished,

committed, like), break, cause, come (to pass), do, faint,

fall, + follow, happen, X have, last, pertain, quit

(one-)self, require, X use.

see HEBREW for 01933

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

הָיָה (ha.yah) — to be.

1) to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out

1a) (Qal)

1a1) ---

1a1a) to happen, fall out, occur, take place, come about, come to pass

1a1b) to come about, come to pass

1a2) to come into being, become

1a2a) to arise, appear, come

1a2b) to become

1a2b1) to become

1a2b2) to become like

1a2b3) to be instituted, be established

1a3) to be

1a3a) to exist, be in existence

1a3b) to abide, remain, continue (with word of place or time)

1a3c) to stand, lie, be in, be at, be situated (with word of locality)

1a3d) to accompany, be with

1b) (Niphal)

1b1) to occur, come to pass, be done, be brought about

1b2) to be done, be finished, be gone

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
V-Qal-Perf-1cs — Verb · Qal · perfect first person common singular
HVqp1cs
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

be-kum':

(1) Greek ginomai, used in New Testament for a change of state, corresponding to Hebrew hayah of Old Testament. Compare Mt 18:3 with De 27:9.

(2) For what is fitting, suitable, proper, in New Testament: "prepei" (Mt 3:15; Eph 5:3; 1Ti 2:10); in Old Testament, na'awah, na'ah, Ps 93:5: "Holiness becometh thy house." in this sense, the adverb "becomingly" must be interpreted: "Walk becomingly toward them that are without" (1Th 4:12), i.e. in a way that is consistent with your profession.

I have become a laughingstock to all people my taunt song their all the day
שְּׂחֹק֙se.Chok a laughingstock H7814 Noun common · masculine singular absolute
15× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This Hebrew word for laughter can also mean mockery or scorn, as seen in Genesis when Ishmael laughed at Isaac. It can be joyful or hollow, and is often used to describe the ridicule of others. In Psalms, it is used to describe God's laughter at the wicked.
Amplified meaning
derision, object of scorn
Tyndale gloss
laughter
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

שְׂחֹק (sechok) refers to laughter, encompassing both joyful and mocking expressions. It can denote merriment, derision, or being a laughing stock. The word is derived from a root meaning to laugh, and it appears in contexts of both joy and scorn.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

שְׂחֹק, שְׂחוֹק n.[m.] laughter, derision, sport

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H7814 שְׂחֹק, שְׂחוֹק

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

7814 schowq sekh-oke'

or schoq {sekh-oke'}; from 7832; laughter (in merriment or

defiance):--derision, laughter(-ed to scorn, -ing), mocked,

sport.

see HEBREW for 07832

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

שְׂחֹק (se.choq) — laughter.

1) laughter, laughing stock, mocking, derision

1a) laughter

1a1) joyful

1a2) hollow

1b) derision (of object)

1c) sport

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-ms — Noun common · masculine singular absolute
HNcmsa
I have become a laughingstock to all people my taunt song their all the day
לְכָל־le.khol to all H3605 Preposition · noun common masculine singular construct
5,415× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
The Hebrew word for 'all' or 'everything' is used throughout the Bible, like in Genesis 1:31, where God sees all He has made as very good. It encompasses the entirety of something, whether people, things, or situations.
Amplified meaning
every, the entire
Tyndale gloss
all
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

כֹּל (kol) means 'all' or 'the whole.' It can refer to totality, including every person or thing, and is often used with a following genitive to specify what is included. The term can also denote a broader sense of everything in existence or all circumstances of life. The lexicons do not show significant disagreement on its meanings.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

כֹּל once כּוֹל n.m. the whole, all

with foll. gen. (as usually) the whole of, to be rendered, however, often in our idiom, to avoid stiffness, any or every

Absolutely:

without the art., all things, all

with the art. הַכֹּל

where the sense is limited by the context to things (or persons) just mentioned

in a wider sense, all, whether of all mankind or of all living things, the universe, or of all the circumstances of life (chiefly late)

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H3605 כֹּל once כּוֹל the whole, all . with foll. gen. (as usually) the whole of, to be rendered, however, often in our idiom, to avoid stiffness, any or every

. Absolutely: . without the art., all things, all

. with the art. הַכֹּל . where the sense is limited by the context to things (or persons) just mentioned

. in a wider sense, all, whether of all mankind or of all living things, the universe, or of all the circumstances of life (chiefly late)

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

3605 kol kole

or (Jer. 33:8) kowl {kole}; from 3634; properly, the whole;

hence, all, any or every (in the singular only, but often in a

plural sense):--(in) all (manner, (ye)), altogether, any

(manner), enough, every (one, place, thing), howsoever, as

many as, (no-)thing, ought, whatsoever, (the) whole,

whoso(-ever).

see HEBREW for 03634

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

כֹּל (kol) — all.

1) all, the whole

1a) all, the whole of

1b) any, each, every, anything

1c) totality, everything

Aramaic equivalent: kol (כֹּל "all" H3606)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Prep | N-ms — Preposition · noun common masculine singular construct
HR/Ncmsc
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

ol: Used in various combinations, and with different meanings.

(1) All along, "Weeping all along as he went" (Jer 41:6), i.e. throughout the whole way he went, feigning equal concern with the men from Shiloh, etc., for the destruction of the Temple, so as to put them off their guard.

(2) All in all, "That God may be all in all" (1Co 15:28, Greek: panta en pasin, "all things in all (persons and) things"). "The universe, with all it comprises, will wholly answer to God's will and reflect His mind" (Dummelow).

(3) All one, "It is all one" (Job 9:22), "it makes no difference whether I live or die."

(4) At all, "If thy father miss me at all" (1Sa 20:6), "in any way," "in the least."

The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
I have become a laughingstock to all people my taunt song their all the day
עַמִּ֔י'a.Mi people my H5971 Noun common masculine singular construct · suffix
1,873× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
A people or nation is what this Hebrew word represents, like the nation of Israel in Exodus 33:13. It can also mean a tribe, troops, or attendants, and is used to describe a group of people gathered together. The word is often used to refer to the people of God.
Amplified meaning
nation, community
Tyndale gloss
Amaw
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

עַם (am) primarily means 'people' or 'nation,' referring to a collective group, often in the context of tribes such as those of Israel. It can also denote kinsmen or compatriots. The term appears in various contexts, including military and familial references. There is a mention of a specific individual named Ammi in Song of Solomon 6:12.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

עַם, עָם 1810 n.m. people

a people, nation

= smaller units

= common people

people in gen., persons

phrases

base

[עַם] n.[m.] kinsman (on father's side)

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H5971a עַם, עָם people H5971b עַם kinsman (on father's side)

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

5971 `am am

from 6004; a people (as a congregated unit); specifically, a

tribe (as those of Israel); hence (collectively) troops or

attendants; figuratively, a flock:--folk, men, nation,

people.

see HEBREW for 06004

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

עַם (am) — people.

: people/nation

1) nation, people

1a) people, nation

1b) persons, members of one's people, compatriots, country-men

עַם (am) — kinsman.

kinsman, kindred

עַם (am) — Ammi.

A man living at the time of United Monarchy, only mentioned at Sng.6.12

§ kinsman, kindred

עַם (am) — People's (Gate).

§ kinsman, kindred

עַם (am) — (Ibleam)-am.

Combined with yiv.le.am (יִבְלְעָם "Ibleam" H2991)

§ kinsman, kindred

עַם (am) — Amaw.

This name means nation, people

עַם (am) — people: soldiers.

: soldiers/army

1) nation, people

1a) people, nation

1b) persons, members of one's people, compatriots, country-men

עַם (am) — people: creatures.

: creatures

1) nation, people

1a) people, nation

1b) persons, members of one's people, compatriots, country-men

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-ms | Suff — Noun common masculine singular construct · suffix
HNcmsc/Sp1bs
I have become a laughingstock to all people my taunt song their all the day
נְגִינָתָ֖םne.gi.na.Tam taunt song their H5058 Noun common feminine singular construct · suffix
14× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This word refers to music or song, especially instrumental music played on a stringed instrument. In the Bible, it is used to describe the music played by musicians or the songs sung by worshipers.
Amplified meaning
laugh at, scorn, music, instrumental music
Tyndale gloss
music
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

נְגִינָה (ngiynah) refers to music, particularly instrumental music associated with stringed instruments. It can also denote a song or poem set to music, including taunting or mocking songs. The term appears in contexts related to musical performance, as seen in Psalm 61's title.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

[נְגִינָה] n.f. music

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H5058 [נְגִינָה] music

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

5058 ngiynah neg-ee-naw'

or ngiynath (Psa. 61:title) {neg-ee-nath'}; from 5059;

properly, instrumental music; by implication, a stringed

instrument; by extension, a poem set to music; specifically,

an epigram:--stringed instrument, musick, Neginoth (plural),

song.

see HEBREW for 05059

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

נְגִינָה (ne.gi.nah) — music.

1) music, song, taunt song

1a) music (of stringed instrument)

1b) song

1b1) taunting or mocking song

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-fs | Suff — Noun common feminine singular construct · suffix
HNcfsc/Sp3mp
I have become a laughingstock to all people my taunt song their all the day
כָּל־kol- all H3605 Noun common · masculine singular construct
5,415× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
The Hebrew word for 'all' or 'everything' is used throughout the Bible, like in Genesis 1:31, where God sees all He has made as very good. It encompasses the entirety of something, whether people, things, or situations.
Amplified meaning
every, the whole, a 24-hour period, a figurative space of time
Tyndale gloss
all
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

כֹּל (kol) means 'all' or 'the whole.' It can refer to totality, including every person or thing, and is often used with a following genitive to specify what is included. The term can also denote a broader sense of everything in existence or all circumstances of life. The lexicons do not show significant disagreement on its meanings.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

כֹּל once כּוֹל n.m. the whole, all

with foll. gen. (as usually) the whole of, to be rendered, however, often in our idiom, to avoid stiffness, any or every

Absolutely:

without the art., all things, all

with the art. הַכֹּל

where the sense is limited by the context to things (or persons) just mentioned

in a wider sense, all, whether of all mankind or of all living things, the universe, or of all the circumstances of life (chiefly late)

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H3605 כֹּל once כּוֹל the whole, all . with foll. gen. (as usually) the whole of, to be rendered, however, often in our idiom, to avoid stiffness, any or every

. Absolutely: . without the art., all things, all

. with the art. הַכֹּל . where the sense is limited by the context to things (or persons) just mentioned

. in a wider sense, all, whether of all mankind or of all living things, the universe, or of all the circumstances of life (chiefly late)

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

3605 kol kole

or (Jer. 33:8) kowl {kole}; from 3634; properly, the whole;

hence, all, any or every (in the singular only, but often in a

plural sense):--(in) all (manner, (ye)), altogether, any

(manner), enough, every (one, place, thing), howsoever, as

many as, (no-)thing, ought, whatsoever, (the) whole,

whoso(-ever).

see HEBREW for 03634

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

כֹּל (kol) — all.

1) all, the whole

1a) all, the whole of

1b) any, each, every, anything

1c) totality, everything

Aramaic equivalent: kol (כֹּל "all" H3606)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-ms — Noun common · masculine singular construct
HNcmsc
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

ol: Used in various combinations, and with different meanings.

(1) All along, "Weeping all along as he went" (Jer 41:6), i.e. throughout the whole way he went, feigning equal concern with the men from Shiloh, etc., for the destruction of the Temple, so as to put them off their guard.

(2) All in all, "That God may be all in all" (1Co 15:28, Greek: panta en pasin, "all things in all (persons and) things"). "The universe, with all it comprises, will wholly answer to God's will and reflect His mind" (Dummelow).

(3) All one, "It is all one" (Job 9:22), "it makes no difference whether I live or die."

(4) At all, "If thy father miss me at all" (1Sa 20:6), "in any way," "in the least."

The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
I have become a laughingstock to all people my taunt song their all the day
הַיּֽוֹם׃hai.Yom the day H3117 Particle · noun common masculine singular absolute
2,306× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
The Hebrew word 'yom' refers to a day, which can be a literal 24-hour period or a figurative space of time. It is used in the Bible to describe a wide range of time periods, from a single day to a year or a lifetime. The word 'yom' is used in many different contexts throughout the Bible.
Tyndale gloss
day
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

יוֹם (yowm) means 'day' and refers to a division of time, contrasting with night. It can denote a literal 24-hour period, a general time span, or even a year. The term is used in various contexts, including the 'day of Yahweh,' which signifies a time of divine judgment. It also appears in phrases indicating temporal references like today, yesterday, and tomorrow.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

יוֹם 2285 n.m. day

day, opp. night

Day as division of time

יוֹם י׳ day of Yahweh, chiefly as time of his coming in judgment, involving often blessedness for righteous

Pl. days of anyone

Days

יוֹם = time

Phrases

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H3117 יוֹם day . day, opp. night

. Day as division of time

. יוֹם י׳ day of Yahweh, chiefly as time of his coming in judgment, involving often blessedness for righteous

. Pl. days of anyone

. Days

. יוֹם = time

. Phrases

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

3117 yowm yome

from an unused root meaning to be hot; a day (as the warm

hours), whether literal (from sunrise to sunset, or from one

sunset to the next), or figurative (a space of time defined by

an associated term), (often used adverb):--age, + always, +

chronicals, continually(-ance), daily, ((birth-), each, to)

day, (now a, two) days (agone), + elder, X end, + evening, +

(for) ever(-lasting, -more), X full, life, as (so) long as

(... live), (even) now, + old, + outlived, + perpetually,

presently, + remaineth, X required, season, X since, space,

then, (process of) time, + as at other times, + in trouble,

weather, (as) when, (a, the, within a) while (that), X whole

(+ age), (full) year(-ly), + younger.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

יוֹם (yom) — day.

: day/when/time/period

1) day, time, year

1a) day (as opposed to night)

1b) day (24 hour period)

1b1) as defined by evening and morning in Genesis 1

1b2) as a division of time

1b2a) a working day, a day's journey

1c) days, lifetime (pl.)

1d) time, period (general)

1e) year

1f) temporal references

1f1) today

1f2) yesterday

1f3) tomorrow

יוֹם (yom) — day: old.

: old/(full/many)[days]

1) day, time, year

1a) day (as opposed to night)

1b) day (24 hour period)

1b1) as defined by evening and morning in Genesis 1

1b2) as a division of time

1b2a) a working day, a day's journey

1c) days, lifetime (pl.)

1d) time, period (general)

1e) year

1f) temporal references

1f1) today

1f2) yesterday

1f3) tomorrow

יוֹם (yom) — day: year.

: year[of_days]

1) day, time, year

1a) day (as opposed to night)

1b) day (24 hour period)

1b1) as defined by evening and morning in Genesis 1

1b2) as a division of time

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
HTd/Ncmsa — Particle · noun common masculine singular absolute
HTd/Ncmsa
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

da (yom; hemera): This common word has caused some trouble to plain readers, because they have not noticed that the word is used in several different senses in the English Bible. When the different uses of the word are understood the difficulty of interpretation vanishes. We note several different uses of the word:

(1) It sometimes means the time from daylight till dark. This popular meaning is easily discovered by the context, e. g. Ge 1:5; 8:22, etc. The marked periods of this daytime were morning, noon and night, as with us. See Ps 55:17. The early hours were sometimes called "the cool of the day" (Ge 3:8). After the exile the day. or daytime was divided into twelve hours and the night into twelve (see

Day

The Jews reckoned the day from sunset to sunset (Lev. 23:32). It was originally divided into three parts (Ps. 55:17). “The heat of the day” (1 Sam. 11:11; Neh. 7:3) was at our nine o’clock, and “the cool of the day” just before sunset (Gen. 3:8). Before the Captivity the Jews divided the night into three watches, (1) from sunset to midnight (Lam. 2:19); (2) from midnight till the cock-crowing (Judg. 7:19); and (3) from the cock-crowing till sunrise (Ex.…

The variable length of the natural day at different seasons led in the very earliest times to the adoption of the civil day (or one revolution of the sun) as a standard of time. The Hebrews reckoned the day from evening to evening, (Leviticus 23:32) deriving it from (Genesis 1:5) "the evening and the morning were the first day." The Jews are supposed, like the modern Arabs, to have adopted from an early period minute specifications of the parts of the natural day. Roughly, indeed, they were content to divide it into "morning, evening and noonday," (Psalms 55:17) but when they wished for greater accuracy they pointed to six unequal parts, each of which was again subdivided. These are held to have been -- "the dawn." "Sunrise."…

American Tract Society Bible Dictionary

The day is distinguished into natural, civil, and artificial. The natural day is one revolution of the earth on its axis. The civil day is that, the beginning and the end of which are determined by the custom of any nation. The Hebrews began their day in the evening, Le 23:32; the Babylonians at sunrise; and we begin at midnight. The artificial day is the time of the sun’s continuance above the horizon, which is unequal according to different seasons, on account of the obliquity of the equator. The sacred writers generally divide the day into twelve hours. The sixth hour always ends at noon throughout the year; and the twelfth hour is the last hour before sunset. But in summer, all the hours of the day were longer than in winter, while those of night were shorter. See HOURS, and THREE.

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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