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Leviticus 11:12 — Word Study

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WLCכֹּ֣ל אֲשֶׁ֥ר אֵֽין־ ל֛וֹ סְנַפִּ֥יר וְקַשְׂקֶ֖שֶׂת בַּמָּ֑יִם שֶׁ֥קֶץ ה֖וּא לָכֶֽם׃

BSAEverythingkôl [all, the entirety] in the watermayim [liquid, source of refreshment] thatʼăsher does notʼayin finsçᵉnappîyr [collectively, as a fish] and scalesqasqeseth [a coat of mail, armor] shall be detestablesheqets [is considered, an abomination, utterly disgusting]

Word
Listen & take awayLeviticus 11
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 (la.Khem) — no per-word recordings of the Hebrew exist to link to.
Take it away
Leviticus 11:12quick helps
In a sentenceThis verse outlines the dietary restrictions regarding aquatic creatures without fins and scales.
Who is speakingThe Lord, providing guidelines for the Israelites.
Where we areIn the context of laws concerning clean and unclean animals.
The hard wordשֶׁקֶץ
Take awayCertain aquatic creatures are deemed unacceptable for consumption.
5 commentators on this verse Gill, Jamieson, Trapp, Cambridge & more — read them › clause subjectהוּא 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 — Leviticus 11:12

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 — Dietary Laws in Leviticusgenerated

11They shall be an abomination to you; you must not eat their meat, and you must detest their carcasses.
12Everything in the water that does not have fins and scales shall be detestable to you.
13Additionally, you are to detest the following birds, and they must not be eaten because they are detestable: the eagle, the bearded vulture, the black vulture,
14the kite, any kind of falcon,

Leviticus 11:12 provides specific instructions regarding what the Israelites are permitted to eat from the waters. This verse emphasizes the importance of distinguishing between clean and unclean animals, a recurring theme in the dietary laws set forth in this chapter. The guidelines serve to maintain the holiness and purity of the Israelite community as they follow God's commandments.


Cross References


The Key Word כֹּל, kolgenerated

The word כֹּל (kol) means 'all' or 'the entirety.' It signifies totality and encompasses everything within a specified category. In this verse, it refers to everything in the water, indicating a comprehensive scope of the dietary restriction.

Used frequently throughout the Old Testament, כֹּל emphasizes the inclusivity of the command, highlighting that no aquatic creature lacking fins and scales is acceptable for consumption.


How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated

In this study, the verse is examined according to the Berean Standard Bible, which uses the term detestable.


Sentence Structuregenerated

The main clause is governed by the subject כֹּל (kol), meaning 'all', followed by a relative clause introduced by אֲשֶׁר (asher), specifying the creatures in question. The structure clearly delineates what is being referred to and the conditions that render them unacceptable.

The verb phrase שֶׁקֶץ (sheqets) serves as the predicate, indicating the nature of the subject, which is further emphasized by the prepositional phrase לָכֶם (laKhem), indicating that these creatures are detestable 'to you.'


Septuagint Backgroundgenerated

The Septuagint translates כֹּל as πάντα (panta), meaning 'all,' which aligns closely with the Hebrew meaning and reinforces the totality of the dietary prohibition.

The Greek word βδέλυγμα (bdelugma) is used for שֶׁקֶץ, indicating a strong sense of disgust and repulsion, similar to the original Hebrew connotation.


In plain words — the whole versegenerated

Leviticus 11:12 states that any creature in the water that lacks fins and scales is considered detestable to the Israelites. This verse is part of the laws given to help the people maintain purity in their diet, distinguishing between clean and unclean animals.


Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated

What does it mean for something to be detestable?

In this context, detestable refers to something that is considered an abomination or filthy, which should not be consumed.

Why are fins and scales significant?

Fins and scales are characteristics of clean fish in the dietary laws, serving as a guideline for the Israelites to determine what is acceptable to eat.

Are there other dietary laws in Leviticus?

Yes, Leviticus contains several dietary laws that outline what animals are clean and unclean, including guidelines for land animals, birds, and insects.

How do these laws apply today?

The application of these dietary laws varies among different religious groups, with some observing them strictly while others view them as part of the ancient covenant with Israel.


Reflection Questionsgenerated

  1. What dietary restrictions do I find most challenging to understand or follow?
  2. How can I apply the principles of purity and holiness in my own life today?
  3. In what ways do I discern what is acceptable or unacceptable in my own choices?
  4. How do these dietary laws reflect the relationship between the Israelites and God?

Commentators on this verse — 5 expositors, verse by verse

Each of these wrote on Leviticus 11:12 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.

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

Whatsoever hath no fins nor scales in the waters,.... Which is repeated that they might take particular notice of this law, and be careful to observe it, this being the only sign given: that [shall

Read John Gill on Leviticus 11 →
Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's Commentary

Whatsoever hath no fins nor scales in the waters, that shall be an abomination unto you. Whatsoever hath no fins nor scales ... Fins are pectoral, ventral, dorsal, anal, and caudal. True fish have all, or at least some, of these.

Read Robert Jamieson on Leviticus 11 →
John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

Leviticus 11:12 Whatsoever hath no fins nor scales in the waters, that [shall be] an abomination unto you.Ver. 12. Whatsoever hath no fins nor scales.] These are little in motion or action, and so not so wholesome as eels and lampreys, that lie lazily in the mud.

Read John Trapp on Leviticus 11 →
CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

Ch. Leviticus 11:1-23 [51]. The Distinction between Clean and Unclean Food [51] For the sources from which this ch. comes, and its relation from a critical point of view to Deuteronomy 14:3 ff. see App. I (c), pp. 162 f.One principle underlying this distinction appears to have been that animals which were recognised as in any way objects of worship by heathen neighbours, or even supposed by them to be connected with unseen supernatural beings, were to be considered unclean. See Bertholet in KHC., introd. note to this ch. But in other cases the prohibition probably rested on the animal’s repulsive appearance or uncleanly habits, or on sanitary or totemistic grounds. See Driver, Deut. p. 164…

Read Cambridge on Leviticus 11 →
Daniel Denison Whedon1808–1885Whedon's Commentary on the Bible

FISHES, Leviticus 11:9-12.No species of fish are here mentioned; the possession of both fins and scales is the line of demarcation between the clean and the unclean.

Read Daniel Denison Whedon on Leviticus 11 →

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

Everything in the water that does not have fins and scales shall be detestable to you.

WEBWorld English Bible2000

Whatever has no fins nor scales in the waters is an abomination to you.

MSBMajority Standard Bible2022

Everything in the water that does not have fins and scales shall be detestable to you.

NETBNew English Translation2006

Any creature in the water that does not have both fins and scales is detestable to you.

Tyndale line

KJVKing James Version1611

Whatsoever hath no fins nor scales in the waters, that shall be an abomination unto you.

ASVAmerican Standard Version1901

Whatsoever hath no fins nor scales in the waters, that is an abomination unto you.

RVARevised Version, American1894

Whatsoever hath no fins nor scales in the waters, that is an abomination unto you.

NWBWebster's Bible1833

Whatever hath no fins nor scales in the waters, that shall be an abomination to you.

GNVGeneva Bible1599

Whatsoeuer hath not fins nor skales in the waters, that shalbe abomination vnto you.

Strictly literal

DBYDarby Translation1890

Whatever in the waters hath no fins and scales, that shall be an abomination unto you.

YLTYoung's Literal Translation1862

'Any one that hath not fins and scales in the waters — an abomination it [is] to you.

LSVLiteral Standard Version2020

Anything that does not have fins and scales in the waters—it [is] an abomination to you.

ILTInterlinear Literal Translation2000

Whatsoever hath not fins and scales in the waters, shall be an abomination unto you.

ULBUnlocked Literal Bible2017

Whatever has no fins or scales in the water must be detested by you.

From the Latin

DRADouay-Rheims (Challoner)1899

All that have not fins and scales, in the waters, shall be unclean.

Simplified

FBVFree Bible Version2020

All such water creatures that don't have fins and scales are to be repulsive to you.

BBEBible in Basic English1949

Anything in the water which has no special parts for swimming and no thin plates on its skin is disgusting to you.

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.

clauseclausenoun phrasenoun phraseכֹּ֣לallrelpאֲשֶׁ֥רthatclausepredicateאֵֽיןthere.[belong].notprepositional phrase · prepositionalל֛toוֹitnoun phrase · subjectסְנַפִּ֥ירfinוְandקַשְׂקֶ֖שֶׂתscaleprepositional phraseבַּinnoun phrasetheמָּ֑יִםwatersclausepredicateשֶׁ֥קֶץ[is].a.detestable.thingsubjectה֖וּאitprepositional phrase · prepositionalלָtoכֶֽםyou

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


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

The Masoretic Text is supported by the Septuagint and the Samaritan Pentateuch, which agree word for word. The Dead Sea Scrolls show some restoration, but the essential message remains consistent with the Masoretic Text.

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

כֹּ֣ל אֲשֶׁ֥ר אֵֽין־ ל֛וֹ סְנַפִּ֥יר וְקַשְׂקֶ֖שֶׂת בַּמָּ֑יִם שֶׁ֥קֶץ ה֖וּא לָכֶֽם׃

Septuagintthe Greek the translators chose, word by word
כֹּ֣לπάνταאֲשֶׁ֥רὅσαאֵֽין־οὐκל֛וֹαὐτοῖςסְנַפִּ֥ירπτερύγιαוְקַשְׂקֶ֖שֶׂתλεπίδεςבַּמָּ֑יִםὕδατιשֶׁ֥קֶץβδέλυγμαה֖וּאἐστινלָכֶֽם׃ὑμῖν

10 of the 10 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.

Samaritan Pentateuchthe Torah as the Samaritan community kept it

וכל אשׁר אין לו סנפיר וקשׂקשׂת במים שׁקץ הוא לכם

Agrees with the Masoretic Text here, word for word.

Dead Sea Scrolls — Mas1ba copy a thousand years older than the Leningrad Codex

כל אשר אין ל׳ו סנפיר וקשקשת במים [שקץ] [הוא] [ל׳כם]

6 words on the leather — 1 partly restored, 3 supplied entire by an editor.

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.

Leviticus 11:12כֹּלallallכֹּלאֲשֶׁרthatthatאֲשֶׁראַ֫יִןnotnotאַ֫יִןוֹ[belong] to[belong] to itוֹסְנַפִּירfinfinסְנַפִּירקַשְׂקֶ֫שֶׂתand scaleand scaleקַשְׂקֶ֫שֶׂתמַיin the watein the watersמַישֶׁ֫קֶץ[is] a dete[is] a detestabשֶׁ֫קֶץהוּאititהוּאכֶםto youto youכֶםכָּלַלto perfectto perfectכָּלַלשִׁקֵּץto detestto detestשִׁקֵּץאַ֫יִןwhere?where?אַ֫יִןטָמֵאuncleanuncleanטָמֵאעֵדָהcongregaticongregationעֵדָהעֲבֹדָהserviceserviceעֲבֹדָהצָוָהto commandto commandצָוָהכְּמוֹlikelikeכְּמוֹקַשְׂקֶ֫שֶׂתscalescaleקַשְׂקֶ֫שֶׂתמַיWater (GatWater (Gate)מַיסְנַפִּירfinfinסְנַפִּיריְאֹרstreamstreamיְאֹררָחַץto wash: wto wash: washרָחַץשָׁתָהto drinkto drinkשָׁתָהבָּשָׂרfleshfleshבָּשָׂרעֵתtimetimeעֵת
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 Leviticus 11:12

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.

all that not [belong] to it fin and scale in the waters [is] a detestable thing it to you
כֹּ֣לkol all H3605 Noun common · masculine singular absolute
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
all, the entirety
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 absolute
HNcmsa
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
all that not [belong] to it fin and scale in the waters [is] a detestable thing it to you
אֲשֶׁ֥ר'a.Sher that H834 Particle
5,500× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This Hebrew word is a conjunction that connects ideas and events in the Bible, like in the book of Genesis, where it's used to describe the relationship between God and His creation.
Tyndale gloss
which
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word אֲשֶׁר (*asher*) is a relative pronoun that can mean 'who,' 'which,' or 'that.' It serves various grammatical functions, including as an adverb or conjunction, indicating relationships between clauses, places, or conditions. Variants like בַאֲשֶׁר (*ba-asher*), מֵאֲשֶׁר (*me-asher*), and כַּאֲשֶׁר (*ka-asher*) expand its usage to specific contexts such as location, causation, and time.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

אֲשֶׁר part. of relation A sign of relation, bringing the clause introduced by it into relation with an antecedent clause.

base

בַאֲשֶׁר

in (that) which

adv. in (the place) where

conj. in that, inasmuch as

on account of whom?

base

מֵאֲשֶׁר

from (or than) that which

adv. from (the place) where

conj. from (the fact) that …, since

base

כַּאֲשֶׁר conj. according as, as, when

according to that which, according as, as

with a causal force, in so far as, since

with a temporal force, when

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H834a אֲשֶׁר part. of relation A sign of relation, bringing the clause introduced by it into relation with an antecedent clause. H834b בַאֲשֶׁר . in (that) which

. adv. in (the place) where

. conj. in that, inasmuch as

. on account of whom?

H834c מֵאֲשֶׁר . from (or than) that which

. adv. from (the place) where

. conj. from (the fact) that …, since

H834d כַּאֲשֶׁר conj. according as, as, when . according to that which, according as, as

. with a causal force, in so far as, since

. with a temporal force, when

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

834 'aher ash-er'

a primitive relative pronoun (of every gender and number);

who, which, what, that; also (as an adverb and a conjunction)

when, where, how, because, in order that, etc.:--X after, X

alike, as (soon as), because, X every, for, + forasmuch, +

from whence, + how(-soever), X if, (so) that ((thing) which,

wherein), X though, + until, + whatsoever, when, where

(+ -as, -in, -of, -on, -soever, -with), which, whilst, +

whither(- soever), who(-m, -soever, -se). As it is

indeclinable, it is often accompanied by the personal pronoun

expletively, used to show the connection.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

אֲשֶׁר (a.sher) — which.

A: 1) (relative part.)

1a) which, who

1b) that which

2) (conj)

2a) that (in obj clause)

2b) when

2c) since

2d) as

2e) conditional if

B: Beth+ 1) in (that) which

2) (adv)

2a) where

3) (conj)

3a) in that, inasmuch as

3b) on account of

C: Mem+ 1) from (or than) that which

2) from (the place) where

3) from (the fact) that, since

D: Kaph+

1) (conj.), according as, as, when

1a) according to that which, according as, as

1b) with a causal force: in so far as, since

1c) with a temporal force: when

בַאֲשֶׁר (ba.a.sher) — in which.

1) in (that) which

2) (adv)

2a) where

3) (conj)

3a) in that, inasmuch as

3b) on account of

מֵאֲשֶׁר (me.a.sher) — whence.

1) from (or than) that which

2) from (the place) where

3) from (the fact) that, since

כַּאֲשֶׁר (ka.a.sher) — as which.

conj

1) according as, as, when

1a) according to that which, according as, as

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Rel — Particle
HTr
The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
all that not [belong] to it fin and scale in the waters [is] a detestable thing it to you
אֵֽין־'ein- not H369 Noun common · masculine singular construct
789× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This word means nothing or not, often used to indicate the absence of something, as in Genesis 1:2 where the earth was without form. It emphasizes the idea of something lacking or non-existent.
Tyndale gloss
nothing
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

אַ֫יִן (ayin) primarily means 'nothing' or 'nought' and serves as a negative particle indicating absence or negation, such as 'is not' or 'there is not.' It can also express lack of possession or existence. The word is derived from a root meaning to be non-existent, and it appears frequently in various grammatical constructions.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

אַ֫יִן, אָ֑֫יִן cstr. אֵין subst. prop. nothing, nought

to nothing, as nothing

cstr. אֵין, very freq. as particle of negation, is not, are not, was not, were not

אֵין לְ׳, with subst., or pron., there is (was) not to … = … have, has, had, etc. not

in circumst. clauses

with inf. and ל׳, it is not to …

with prefixes

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H369 אַ֫יִן, אָ֑֫יִן cstr. אֵין subst. prop. nothing, nought . to nothing, as nothing

. cstr. אֵין, very freq. as particle of negation, is not, are not, was not, were not

. אֵין לְ׳, with subst., or pron., there is (was) not to … = … have, has, had, etc. not

. in circumst. clauses

. with inf. and ל׳, it is not to …

. with prefixes

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

369 'ayin ah'-yin

as if from a primitive root meaning to be nothing or not

exist; a non-entity; generally used as a negative

particle:--else, except, fail, (father-)less, be gone,

in(-curable), neither, never, no (where), none, nor, (any,

thing), not, nothing, to nought, past, un(-searchable),

well-nigh, without. Compare 370.

see HEBREW for 0370

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

אַ֫יִן (a.yin) — nothing.

1) nothing, not, nought n

1a) nothing, nought neg

1b) not

1c) to have not (of possession) adv

1d) without w/prep

1e) for lack of

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Part — Noun common · masculine singular construct
HNcmsc
all that not [belong] to it fin and scale in the waters [is] a detestable thing it to you
ל֛וֹlo [belong] to it H9033 Preposition · suffix
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

וֹ (o) — him.

Personal object pronoun - suffix for propositions and verbs without an object: 3rd person masculine singular

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
HRd/Sp3ms — Preposition · suffix
HRd/Sp3ms
all that not [belong] to it fin and scale in the waters [is] a detestable thing it to you
סְנַפִּ֥ירse.na.Pir fin H5579 Noun common · masculine singular absolute
5× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This word refers to a fin, collectively. It is used to describe the fins of fish in the Bible. The term is simple and to the point.
Amplified meaning
collectively, as a fish
Tyndale gloss
fin
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word סְנַפִּיר (senapir) means 'fin' and refers to fins collectively. Its derivation is uncertain, and it is used in the context of aquatic creatures in the Old Testament.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

סְנַפִּיר n.[m.] fin

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H5579 סְנַפִּיר fin

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

5579 cnappiyr sen-ap-peer'

of uncertain derivation; a fin (collectively):--fins.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

סְנַפִּיר (se.nap.pir) — fin.

fin

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

See FISH.

all that not [belong] to it fin and scale in the waters [is] a detestable thing it to you
וְקַשְׂקֶ֖שֶׂתve.kas.Ke.set and scale H7193 Conjunction · noun common feminine singular absolute
8× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This Hebrew word refers to the scales of a fish or a coat of mail, like the armor worn by King Saul in 1 Samuel 17:38. It describes something that protects or covers. The KJV Bible translates it as mail or scale.
Amplified meaning
a coat of mail, armor
Tyndale gloss
scale
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

קַשְׂקֶ֫שֶׂת (*qasqeseth*) refers to a scale, particularly that of fish or other aquatic animals. It is derived from a root meaning to shed, akin to bark. The term can also denote a coat of mail made of overlapping metal plates. The entries consistently emphasize its connection to scales, with no significant disagreement among the lexicons.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

קַשְׂקֶ֫שֶׂת n.f. scale of fish, etc.

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H7193 קַשְׂקֶ֫שֶׂת scale of fish, etc.

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

7193 qasqeseth kas-keh'-seth

by reduplication from an unused root meaning to shale off as

bark; a scale (of a fish); hence a coat of mail (as composed

of or covered with jointed plates of metal):--mail, scale.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

קַשְׂקֶ֫שֶׂת (qas.qe.set) — scale.

scale (of fish, water animals)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Conj | N-fs — Conjunction · noun common feminine singular absolute
HC/Ncfsa
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

skal.

See SIEGE 4, (e); WEIGHTS AND MEASURES.

all that not [belong] to it fin and scale in the waters [is] a detestable thing it to you
בַּמָּ֑יִםba.Ma.yim in the waters H4325 Preposition · noun common masculine plural absolute
581× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This word means water, referring to a liquid or a source of refreshment. It appears in the Bible as a literal and figurative term, including references to wasting or urine. The word is used in various contexts, such as in Genesis and Leviticus.
Amplified meaning
liquid, source of refreshment
Tyndale gloss
Water (Gate)
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

מַי (mayim) is a Hebrew word meaning 'water' and is used in the plural form. It encompasses various meanings, including literal water, urine, and metaphorical uses related to refreshment or danger. The entries indicate it is derived from a primitive noun and is primarily referenced in contexts involving water.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

[מַי] 580 n.m. only pl. מַ֫יִם waters, water

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H4325 מַי only pl. מַ֫יִם waters, water

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

4325 mayim mah'-yim

dual of a primitive noun (but used in a singular sense);

water; figuratively, juice; by euphemism, urine, semen:--+

piss, wasting, water(-ing, (-course, -flood, -spring)).

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

מַי (ma.yim) — water.

1) water, waters

1a) water

1b) water of the feet, urine

1c) of danger, violence, transitory things, refreshment (fig.)

מַי (ma.yim) — Water (Gate).

This name means water, refreshment

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Prep | N-mp — Preposition · noun common masculine plural absolute
HRd/Ncmpa
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

wo'-terz (mayim, plural of may, "water"; in the New Testament hudor, "water"; kindunois potamon (2Co 11:26), the King James Version "perils of waters," is in the Revised Version (British and American) "perils of rivers"): In the New Testament there is frequent reference to the water of baptism. Pilate washes his hands with water to signify his guiltlessness. Jesus tells the Samaritan woman of the living water. The Lamb shall guide the redeemed unto fountains of waters of life.

The uses of mayim are well classified in BDB, especially the figurative references, as follows: a symbol of distress, "when thou passest through the waters" (Isa 43:2); of force, "like the breach of waters" (2Sa 5:20); of that which is overwhelming, "a…

all that not [belong] to it fin and scale in the waters [is] a detestable thing it to you
שֶׁ֥קֶץShe.ketz [is] a detestable thing H8263 Noun common · masculine singular absolute
11× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This word means something that is detestable or an abomination, like the idols in Deuteronomy 7:25. It refers to things that are considered filthy or unclean.
Amplified meaning
is considered, an abomination, utterly disgusting
Tyndale gloss
detestation
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

שֶׁ֫קֶץ (sheqets) refers to a detestable thing or abomination, often associated with idolatrous objects and filth. It is built from the root meaning of filth and carries a strong connotation of detestation. The term appears in contexts related to uncleanliness and idolatry.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

שֶׁ֫קֶץ n.m. detestation, detestable thing

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H8263 שֶׁ֫קֶץ detestation, detestable thing

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

8263 sheqets sheh'-kets

from 8262; filth, i.e. (figuratively and specifically) an

idolatrous object:--abominable(-tion).

see HEBREW for 08262

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

שֶׁ֫קֶץ (she.qets) — detestation.

detestable thing or idol, an unclean thing, an abomination, detestation

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-ms — Noun common · masculine singular absolute
HNcmsa
all that not [belong] to it fin and scale in the waters [is] a detestable thing it to you
ה֖וּאhu' it H1931 Pronoun
1,879× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This word is a pronoun meaning 'he', 'she', or 'it', used to refer to a person or thing. It is used in the Bible to emphasize a subject or make it clear who is being talked about.
Tyndale gloss
he/she/it
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

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

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

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

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

It resumes the subj. with emph.

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

It anticipates (as it seems) the subject

As an emph. predicate, of God

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

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

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

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

. It resumes the subj. with emph.

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

. It anticipates (as it seems) the subject

. As an emph. predicate, of God

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

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

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

1931 huw' hoo

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

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

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

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

sometimes (as demonstrative) this or that; occasionally

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

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

this, those, which (is), who.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

הוּא (hu) — he/she/it.

pron 3p s

1) he, she, it

1a) himself (with emphasis)

1b) resuming subj with emphasis

1c) (with minimum emphasis following predicate)

1d) (anticipating subj)

1e) (emphasising predicate)

1f) that, it (neuter) demons pron

2) that (with article)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
HPp3ms — Pronoun
HPp3ms
The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
all that not [belong] to it fin and scale in the waters [is] a detestable thing it to you
לָכֶֽם׃la.Khem to you H9036 Preposition · suffix
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

כֶם (khem) — you.

Personal object pronoun - suffix for propositions and verbs without an object: 2nd person masculine plural

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
HRd/Sp2mp — Preposition · suffix
HRd/Sp2mp
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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