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Leviticus 11:8 — Word Study

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WLCמִבְּשָׂרָם֙ לֹ֣א תֹאכֵ֔לוּ וּבְנִבְלָתָ֖ם לֹ֣א תִגָּ֑עוּ טְמֵאִ֥ים הֵ֖ם לָכֶֽם׃

BSAYou must not eatʼâkal [under any circumstances] their meatbâsâr [flesh] or touchnâgaʻ [make contact with] their carcassesnᵉbêlâh [dead bodies] theyhêm are uncleanṭâmêʼ [considered, regarded as, impure, ceremonially defiled]

Word
Listen & take awayLeviticus 11
English ↓ Download MP3 The Berean Standard Bible chapter audio already hosted for the site's Bible section — verse 8 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 11:8quick helps
In a sentenceGod instructs the Israelites not to eat certain animals or touch their dead bodies, as they are considered unclean.
Who is speakingGod, giving dietary laws to the Israelites.
Where we areIn the context of the laws regarding clean and unclean animals in Leviticus.
The hard wordטְמֵאִ֥ים
Take awayThe laws are clear: certain animals are not to be consumed or even touched.
6 commentators on this verse Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them › clause subjectהֵם verbאָכַל 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 11:8

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

7And the pig, though it has a split hoof completely divided, does not chew the cud; it is unclean for you.
8You must not eat their meat or touch their carcasses; they are unclean for you.
9Of all the creatures that live in the water, whether in the seas or in the streams, you may eat anything with fins and scales.
10But the following among all the teeming life and creatures in the water are detestable to you: everything in the seas or streams that does not have fins and scales.

Leviticus 11:8 provides specific instructions from God regarding the dietary practices of the Israelites. This verse emphasizes the importance of distinguishing between clean and unclean animals, which is a recurring theme throughout the book of Leviticus. The laws serve to maintain the Israelites' ritual purity and set them apart as God's chosen people, as seen in the surrounding verses that outline various clean and unclean creatures.


Cross References

ReferenceText (BSB)
1Leviticus 5:2Or if a person touches anything unclean—whether the carcass of any unclean wild animal or livestock or crawling creature—even if he is unaware of it, he is unclean and guilty.
2Isaiah 52:11Depart, depart, go out from there! Touch no unclean thing; come out from it, purify yourselves, you who carry the vessels of the LORD.
3Hosea 9:3They will not remain in the land of the LORD; Ephraim will return to Egypt and eat unclean food in Assyria.
4Matthew 15:11–20A man is not defiled by what enters his mouth, but by what comes out of it.”
5Mark 7:2–15and they saw some of His disciples eating with hands that were defiled—that is, unwashed.

The Key Word מִבְּשָׂרָם, mi.be.sa.Ramgenerated

The word בָּשָׂר (basar) means 'flesh' and can refer to the physical body of humans or animals. It emphasizes the tangible aspect of what is being prohibited in this verse. The parsing indicates it is a noun in a construct state, meaning it is connected to the possessive suffix, indicating 'their flesh.'

In this context, the emphasis is on the prohibition of consuming the flesh of certain animals, highlighting the laws of purity that the Israelites are to follow. The use of the construct form suggests a close relationship between the animals and their flesh, reinforcing the seriousness of the command.


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 finite verb תֹאכֵ֔לוּ (to eat) governs the main clause, which is followed by another verb תִגָּ֑עוּ (you will touch). The structure indicates two prohibitions, making it clear that both actions are forbidden.

The sentence is constructed with a series of clauses that emphasize the prohibitions regarding the flesh and carcasses of these animals. The use of the conjunction וּ (and) connects the two prohibitions, indicating they are both part of the same command.


Septuagint Backgroundgenerated

In the Septuagint, the Hebrew מִבְּשָׂרָם is rendered as ἀπὸ (from), which indicates a separation from the flesh of these animals. This choice narrows the focus to the act of abstaining from their meat.

The Septuagint's rendering of טְמֵאִ֥ים as ἀκάθαρτα (unclean) aligns closely with the Hebrew meaning, reinforcing the concept of ritual impurity.


In plain words — the whole versegenerated

Leviticus 11:8 tells the Israelites that they must not eat the meat of certain animals or touch their dead bodies, as these animals are considered unclean. This command is part of the laws given to maintain their purity and distinction as God's people.


Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated

Why are certain animals considered unclean?

Certain animals are considered unclean due to the dietary laws given by God, which serve to set the Israelites apart and maintain their ritual purity.

What does it mean to be unclean in this context?

To be unclean means to be in a state of ritual impurity, which can affect one's ability to participate in religious practices and community life.

Are these dietary laws still applicable today?

The applicability of these dietary laws varies among different religious traditions; some continue to observe them, while others do not.

How do these laws reflect God's holiness?

These laws reflect God's holiness by emphasizing the importance of purity and separation from things that are considered impure or defiled.


Reflection Questionsgenerated

  1. What significance do these dietary laws hold for the Israelites in their relationship with God?
  2. How can understanding these laws help us appreciate the concept of purity in a spiritual sense?
  3. In what ways can we apply the principle of separation from what is unclean in our own lives?
  4. What does this verse teach us about obedience to God's commands?

Commentators on this verse — 6 expositors, verse by verse

Each of these wrote on Leviticus 11:8 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.

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

Of their flesh shall ye not eat,.... Meaning, not of swine only, but of the camel, coney, and hare: and their carcass shall ye not touch; which must not be understood of touching them in any sense;

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

Of their flesh shall ye not eat, and their carcase shall ye not touch; they are unclean to you. No JFB commentary on this verse.

Read Robert Jamieson on Leviticus 11 →
Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy Bible

Ye shall not touch, to wit, in order to eating, as may be gathered by comparing this with . For since the fat and the skins of some of the forbidden creatures were useful for medicinal and other good uses, and were used by good men; see ; it is not probable that God would have them cast away. Thus God forbad the making of images, Exodus 20, not absolutely and universally, but in order to the worshipping of them, as Christian interpreters agree. Or, they were here forbidden to touch them, to wit, unnecessarily; and if he that touched them for some necessary use were polluted by it, it was but a slight and transient pollution, ending at evening, as appears from ,25, &c.

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

Leviticus 11:8 Of their flesh shall ye not eat, and their carcase shall ye not touch; they [are] unclean to you.Ver. 8. Of their flesh shall ye not eat.] Not above the quantity of an olive, say the Jew doctors, who will needs be mending magnificat, adding to the law.

Read John Trapp on Leviticus 11 →
Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(8) Of their flesh ye shall not eat.—During the second Temple the prohibition was defined to extend to the smallest quantity. If any one ate a piece of flesh less even than the size of an olive he was chastised with stripes. And their carcase shall ye not touch.—As contact with a human dead body, which was regarded as the most defiling of all, was only forbidden to the priests (see Leviticus 21:1-3), hence the prohibition here addressed to the whole nation was interpreted during the second Temple to apply simply to the occasions when the Israelites came to Jerusalem on the pilgrimage festivals. Contact with a carcase of an unclean animal on these visits precluded the worshipper from…

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

8. their carcases ye shall not touch] The word carcase is the same as that translated ‘that which dieth of itself’ (Leviticus 17:15; Deuteronomy 14:21). Here and in Deuteronomy 14:8 contact with the dead bodies of these unclean animals is prohibited.

Read Cambridge 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

You must not eat their meat or touch their carcasses; they are unclean for you.

WEBWorld English Bible2000

You shall not eat their meat. You shall not touch their carcasses. They are unclean to you.

MSBMajority Standard Bible2022

You must not eat their meat or touch their carcasses; they are unclean for you.

NETBNew English Translation2006

You must not eat from their meat and you must not touch their carcasses; they are unclean to you.

Tyndale line

KJVKing James Version1611

Of their flesh shall ye not eat, and their carcase shall ye not touch; they are unclean to you.

ASVAmerican Standard Version1901

Of their flesh ye shall not eat, and their carcasses ye shall not touch; they are unclean unto you.

RVARevised Version, American1894

Of their flesh ye shall not eat, and their carcases ye shall not touch; they are unclean unto you.

NWBWebster's Bible1833

Of their flesh shall ye not eat, and their carcass shall ye not touch; they are unclean to you.

GNVGeneva Bible1599

Of their flesh shall yee not eate, and their carkeise shall yee not touch: for they shall bee vncleane to you.

Strictly literal

DBYDarby Translation1890

Of their flesh shall ye not eat, and their carcase shall ye not touch: they shall be unclean unto you.

YLTYoung's Literal Translation1862

'Of their flesh ye do not eat, and against their carcase ye do not come — unclean they [are] to you.

LSVLiteral Standard Version2020

You do not eat of their flesh, and you do not come against their carcass—they [are] unclean to you.

ILTInterlinear Literal Translation2000

Of their flesh shall ye not eat, and their carcass shall ye not touch; they are unclean unto you.

ULBUnlocked Literal Bible2017

You must not eat any of their meat, nor touch their carcasses. They are unclean to you.

From the Latin

DRADouay-Rheims (Challoner)1899

The flesh of these you shall not eat, nor shall you touch their carcasses, because they are unclean to you.

Simplified

FBVFree Bible Version2020

You are not to eat their meat or touch their dead bodies. They are unclean for you.

BBEBible in Basic English1949

Their flesh may not be used for food, and their dead bodies may not even be touched; they are unclean 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.

clauseprepositional phrase · prepositionalמִanynoun phraseבְּשָׂרָofם֙their.meatadverbialלֹ֣אnotverbתֹאכֵ֔לוּyou.must.eatוּandclauseprepositional phrase · prepositionalבְ(in)noun phraseנִבְלָתָ֖carcassםtheiradverbialלֹ֣אnotverbתִגָּ֑עוּyou.will.touchclausepredicateטְמֵאִ֥ים[are].uncleansubjectהֵ֖םtheyprepositional 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 states, "מִבְּשָׂרָם֙ לֹ֣א תֹאכֵ֔לוּ וּבְנִבְלָתָ֖ם לֹ֣א תִגָּ֑עוּ טְמֵאִ֥ים הֵ֖ם לָכֶֽם׃" The Septuagint aligns closely with the Masoretic Text, matching 9 of the 9 words, though its word order and articles differ due to its translation style. The Samaritan Pentateuch agrees with the Masoretic Text word for word. The Dead Sea Scrolls contain a fragment with 3 words visible, with 1 word partly restored and 5 supplied by an editor, but they also convey the same essential message as the Masoretic Text.

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

מִבְּשָׂרָם֙ לֹ֣א תֹאכֵ֔לוּ וּבְנִבְלָתָ֖ם לֹ֣א תִגָּ֑עוּ טְמֵאִ֥ים הֵ֖ם לָכֶֽם׃

Septuagintthe Greek the translators chose, word by word
מִבְּשָׂרָם֙ἀπὸלֹ֣אοὐתֹאכֵ֔לוּφάγεσθεוּבְנִבְלָתָ֖םαὐτῶνלֹ֣אοὐξתִגָּ֑עוּἅψεσθεטְמֵאִ֥יםἀκάθαρταהֵ֖םταῦταלָכֶֽם׃ὑμῖν

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.

Samaritan Pentateuchthe Torah as the Samaritan community kept it

מבשׂרם לא תאכלו ובנבלתם לא תגעו טמאים הם לכם

Agrees with the Masoretic Text here, word for word.

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

[מבשר׳ם] [לא] [תאכלו] [ובנבלת׳ם] [לא] תגעו טמאים הם ל׳כם

3 words on the leather — 1 partly restored, 5 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 11:8בָּשָׂרany of meatany of meat theבָּשָׂרלֹאnotnotלֹאאָכַלyou must eayou must eatאָכַלנְבֵלָהand carcassand carcass theנְבֵלָהלֹאnotnotלֹאנָגַעyou will toyou will touchנָגַעטָמֵא[are] uncle[are] uncleanטָמֵאהֵ֫מָּהtheytheyהֵ֫מָּהכֶםto youto youכֶםבָּשַׂרto bear tito bear tidingsבָּשַׂרנָבֵלbe senselebe senselessנָבֵלטָמֵאto defileto defileטָמֵאהֲלַךְto goto goהֲלַךְיָכֹלbe ablebe ableיָכֹלעוֹדstillstillעוֹדנְבֵלָהcarcasscarcassנְבֵלָהעוֹרskinskinעוֹרעֶ֫צֶםboneboneעֶ֫צֶםשָׁתָהto drinkto drinkשָׁתָהלֶ֫חֶםfoodfoodלֶ֫חֶםטְרֵפָהtorn animatorn animalטְרֵפָהמַאֲכָלfoodfoodמַאֲכָלטָמֵאuncleanuncleanטָמֵאטָהוֹרpurepureטָהוֹרמְרִיrebellionrebellionמְרִיסֵ֫פֶרscroll: doscroll: documenסֵ֫פֶר
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 11:8

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.

any of meat their not you must eat and carcass their not you will touch [are] unclean they to you
מִבְּשָׂרָם֙mi.be.sa.Ram any of meat their H1320 Preposition · noun common masculine singular construct · suffix
270× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
The Hebrew word for flesh refers to the body or a person, and can also describe living things or animals. In the Bible, it is used to describe humans and animals, as in Genesis and Leviticus.
Amplified meaning
flesh
Tyndale gloss
flesh
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

בָּשָׂר (basar) means 'flesh' and encompasses various meanings, including the physical body, kinship, and a euphemism for male genitalia. It can refer to humans, animals, and all living things, highlighting the frailty of man in relation to God. The entries consistently emphasize its bodily and relational aspects.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

בָּשָׂר 266 n.m. flesh

of the body

flesh for the body itself

male organ of generation (euphemism)

flesh for kindred, blood-relations

man over against God as frail or erring

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H1320 בָּשָׂר flesh . of the body

. flesh for the body itself

. male organ of generation (euphemism)

. flesh for kindred, blood-relations

. man over against God as frail or erring

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

1320 basar baw-sawr'

from 1319; flesh (from its freshness); by extension, body,

person; also (by euphem.) the pudenda of a man:--body, (fat,

lean) flesh(-ed), kin, (man-)kind, + nakedness, self, skin.

see HEBREW for 01319

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

בָּשָׂר (ba.sar) — flesh.

1) flesh

1a) of the body

1a1) of humans

1a2) of animals

1b) the body itself

1c) male organ of generation (euphemism)

1d) kindred, blood-relations

1e) flesh as frail or erring (man against God)

1f) all living things

1g) animals

1h) mankind

Aramaic equivalent: be.shar (בְּשַׁר "flesh" H1321)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Prep | N-ms | Suff — Preposition · noun common masculine singular construct · suffix
HR/Ncmsc/Sp3mp
any of meat their not you must eat and carcass their not you will touch [are] unclean they to you
לֹ֣אlo' not H3808 Particle
5,170× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
The Hebrew word for not or no is used to indicate absence or negation, as when God says no to the Israelites' requests, or when they disobey His commands.
Tyndale gloss
not
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

לֹא (lo') is a Hebrew word meaning 'not' or 'no.' It serves as a simple negation and can imply absence or prohibition. The word can also be used in various contexts, often combined with other particles for emphasis or clarification. Its Aramaic equivalent is לָא (la), which also means 'not.'

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

לֹא or לוֹא adv. not

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H3808 לֹא or לוֹא not

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

3808 lo' lo

or lowi {lo}; or loh (Deut. 3:11) {lo}; a primitive particle;

not (the simple or abs. negation); by implication, no; often

used with other particles (as follows):--X before, + or else,

ere, + except, ig(-norant), much, less, nay, neither, never,

no((-ne), -r, (-thing)), (X as though...,(can-), for) not (out

of), of nought, otherwise, out of, + surely, + as truly as, +

of a truth, + verily, for want, + whether, without.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

לֹא (lo) — not.

1) not, no

1a) not (with verb-absolute prohibition)

1b) not (with modifier-negation)

1c) nothing (subst)

1d) without (with particle)

1e) before (of time)

Aramaic equivalent: la (לָא "not" H3809)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
HTn — Particle
HTn
The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
any of meat their not you must eat and carcass their not you will touch [are] unclean they to you
תֹאכֵ֔לוּto.Khe.lu you must eat H398 Verb · Qal · imperfect second person masculine plural
810× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This word means to eat or devour, and it's used in many stories, including when Jesus fed the 5000 with fish and bread in the book of Matthew. It's about taking in nourishment and being satisfied.
Amplified meaning
under any circumstances
Tyndale gloss
to eat
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

אָכַל (akal) means 'to eat' and encompasses a wide range of meanings, including literal consumption by humans and animals, as well as figurative uses like devouring by fire or destruction. It can describe actions such as feeding or causing to eat, and it also appears in contexts of oppression and destruction. The verb has various forms, indicating different subjects and nuances.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

אָכַל 806 vb. eat

Qal

eat, human subject

of beasts, birds, etc., eat, devour

fig. of fire, devour, consume

of sword, devour, slay

in genl., devour, consume, destroy

fig. of oppression, devour the poor

Niph.

be eaten by man

be devoured by fire, consumed

be wasted, destroyed, of flesh

Pu. be consumed

Hiph.

cause to eat, feed with

cause to devoure, obj. sword

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H398 אָכַל eat .. eat, human subject

. of beasts, birds, etc., eat, devour

. fig. of fire, devour, consume

. of sword, devour, slay

. in genl., devour, consume, destroy

. fig. of oppression, devour the poor

. . be eaten by man

. be devoured by fire, consumed

. be wasted, destroyed, of flesh

. be consumed

. . cause to eat, feed with

. cause to devoure, obj. sword

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

398 'akal aw-kal'

a primitive root; to eat (literally or figuratively):--X at

all, burn up, consume, devour(-er, up), dine, eat(-er, up),

feed (with), food, X freely, X in...wise(-deed, plenty), (lay)

meat, X quite.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

אָכַל (a.khal) — to eat.

1) to eat, devour, burn up, feed

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to eat (human subject)

1a2) to eat, devour (of beasts and birds)

1a3) to devour, consume (of fire)

1a4) to devour, slay (of sword)

1a5) to devour, consume, destroy (inanimate subjects - ie, pestilence, drought)

1a6) to devour (of oppression)

1b) (Niphal)

1b1) to be eaten (by men)

1b2) to be devoured, consumed (of fire)

1b3) to be wasted, destroyed (of flesh)

1c) (Pual)

1c1) to cause to eat, feed with

1c2) to cause to devour

1d) (Hiphil)

1d1) to feed

1d2) to cause to eat

1e) (Piel)

1e1) consume

Aramaic equivalent: a.khal (אֲכַל "to devour" H0399)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
V-Qal-Imperf-2mp — Verb · Qal · imperfect second person masculine plural
HVqi2mp
any of meat their not you must eat and carcass their not you will touch [are] unclean they to you
וּבְנִבְלָתָ֖םu.ve.niv.la.Tam and carcass their H5038 Conjunction · preposition · noun common feminine singular construct · suffix
48× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This Hebrew word refers to a dead body or carcass, whether human or animal, often translated as 'dead body' or 'carcass'. It can also symbolize an idol.
Amplified meaning
dead bodies
Tyndale gloss
carcass
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

נְבֵלָה (nevelah) refers to a carcass or corpse, applicable to both humans and animals. It can also denote carrion and, in a figurative sense, an idol. The word is derived from a root meaning 'to be flabby' and encompasses the idea of a dead body, whether it died naturally or otherwise.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

נְבֵלָה n.f. carcass, corpse

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H5038 נְבֵלָה carcass, corpse

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

5038 nbelah neb-ay-law'

from 5034; a flabby thing, i.e. a carcase or carrion (human

or bestial, often collectively); figuratively, an idol:--

(dead) body, (dead) carcase, dead of itself, which died,

(beast) that (which) dieth of itself.

see HEBREW for 05034

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

נְבֵלָה (ne.ve.lah) — carcass.

1) carcass, corpse

1a) of humans, idols, animals

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Conj | Prep | N-fs | Suff — Conjunction · preposition · noun common feminine singular construct · suffix
HC/R/Ncfsc/Sp3mp
any of meat their not you must eat and carcass their not you will touch [are] unclean they to you
לֹ֣אlo' not H3808 Particle
5,170× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
The Hebrew word for not or no is used to indicate absence or negation, as when God says no to the Israelites' requests, or when they disobey His commands.
Tyndale gloss
not
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

לֹא (lo') is a Hebrew word meaning 'not' or 'no.' It serves as a simple negation and can imply absence or prohibition. The word can also be used in various contexts, often combined with other particles for emphasis or clarification. Its Aramaic equivalent is לָא (la), which also means 'not.'

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

לֹא or לוֹא adv. not

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H3808 לֹא or לוֹא not

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

3808 lo' lo

or lowi {lo}; or loh (Deut. 3:11) {lo}; a primitive particle;

not (the simple or abs. negation); by implication, no; often

used with other particles (as follows):--X before, + or else,

ere, + except, ig(-norant), much, less, nay, neither, never,

no((-ne), -r, (-thing)), (X as though...,(can-), for) not (out

of), of nought, otherwise, out of, + surely, + as truly as, +

of a truth, + verily, for want, + whether, without.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

לֹא (lo) — not.

1) not, no

1a) not (with verb-absolute prohibition)

1b) not (with modifier-negation)

1c) nothing (subst)

1d) without (with particle)

1e) before (of time)

Aramaic equivalent: la (לָא "not" H3809)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
HTn — Particle
HTn
The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
any of meat their not you must eat and carcass their not you will touch [are] unclean they to you
תִגָּ֑עוּti.Ga.'u you will touch H5060 Verb · Qal · imperfect second person masculine plural
150× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This Hebrew word means to touch or reach something, and can also mean to strike or defeat someone. It is used in Exodus to describe God's power and in Psalms to describe human emotions. The word has various translations, including beat, bring, and plague.
Amplified meaning
make contact with
Tyndale gloss
to touch
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

נָגַע (naga`) is a Hebrew verb meaning to touch, reach, or strike. It encompasses a range of actions from physical contact to figurative implications like arriving or acquiring. The word can also denote being stricken or defeated, particularly in battle or by disease. The entries indicate various grammatical forms, including Qal, Niph, Piel, Pual, and Hiphil, each with specific nuances.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

נָגַע 150 vb. touch, reach, strike

Qal

touch

of י׳ touching earth, mountains, etc.

nearly = strike, pass. stricken

touch = harm

reach, extend to

Niph. be stricken, defeated (in battle), i.e. feign to be so

Pi. strike (with leprosy, 2 acc.)

Pu. be stricken by diseases

Hiph. cause to touch; reach, approach, arrive

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H5060 נָגַע touch, reach, strike .. . touch

. of י׳ touching earth, mountains, etc.

. nearly = strike, pass. stricken

. touch = harm

. reach, extend to

. be stricken, defeated (in battle), i.e. feign to be so

. strike (with leprosy, 2 acc.)

. be stricken by diseases

. cause to touch; reach, approach, arrive

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

5060 naga` naw-gah'

a primitive root; properly, to touch, i.e. lay the hand upon

(for any purpose; euphem., to lie with a woman); by

implication, to reach (figuratively, to arrive, acquire);

violently, to strike (punish, defeat, destroy, etc.):--beat,

(X be able to) bring (down), cast, come (nigh), draw near

(nigh), get up, happen, join, near, plague, reach (up), smite,

strike, touch.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

נָגַע (na.ga) — to touch.

1) to touch, reach, strike

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to touch

1a2) to strike

1a3) to reach, extend to

1a4) to be stricken

1a4a) stricken (participle)

1b) (Niphal) to be stricken, be defeated

1c) (Piel) to strike

1d) (Pual) to be stricken (by disease)

1e) (Hiphil) to cause to touch, reach, approach, arrive

1e1) to cause to touch, apply

1e2) to reach, extend, attain, arrive, come

1e3) to approach (of time)

1e4) to befall (of fate)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
V-Qal-Imperf-2mp — Verb · Qal · imperfect second person masculine plural
HVqi2mp
any of meat their not you must eat and carcass their not you will touch [are] unclean they to you
טְמֵאִ֥יםte.me.'Im [are] unclean H2931 Adj
88× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
In the Bible, this Hebrew word means to be unclean in a spiritual sense, often due to sin or impurity, as seen in Leviticus. It can refer to people, places, or things. The concept is key to understanding biblical purity laws.
Amplified meaning
considered, regarded as, impure, ceremonially defiled
Tyndale gloss
unclean
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

טָמֵא (tame') means 'unclean' and is derived from a root that conveys a sense of defilement or pollution, particularly in a religious context. It covers ethical, religious, and ritual impurity, and can refer to both people and places.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

טָמֵא adj. unclean

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H2931 טָמֵא unclean

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

2931 tame' taw-may'

from 2930; foul in a relig. sense:--defiled, + infamous,

polluted(-tion), unclean.

see HEBREW for 02930

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

טָמֵא (ta.me) — unclean.

1) unclean, impure

1a) ethically and religiously

1b) ritually

1c) of places

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Adj — Adj
HAampa
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
American Tract Society Bible Dictionary

See CLEAN.

Nave's Topical Bible

→ (Ceremonially speaking)

Creatures designated as such Le 11; De 14

→ See UNCLEANNESS

any of meat their not you must eat and carcass their not you will touch [are] unclean they to you
הֵ֖םhem they H1992 Pronoun
553× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This Hebrew word is used to refer to a group of men, emphasizing that it is specifically them. It is often translated as 'they' or 'them' in the Bible, and appears in books like Exodus and Isaiah.
Tyndale gloss
they(masc.)
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

הֵ֫מָּה (hemmah) is a masculine plural pronoun meaning 'they.' The entries indicate that it can also mean 'these,' 'the same,' or refer to people in an emphatic context. There is no significant disagreement among the lexicons regarding its usage.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

הֵ֫מָּה and הֵם (without appreciable distinction in usage, except prob. in so far as the longer or shorter form was better adapted to the rhythm of particular sentences) pron. 3 pl. masc. they

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H1992 הֵ֫מָּה, הֵם (without appreciable distinction in usage, except prob. in so far as the longer or shorter form was better adapted to the rhythm of particular sentences) they

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

1992 hem haym

or (prolonged) hemmah {haym'-maw}; masculine plural from

1981; they (only used when emphatic):--it, like, X (how, so)

many (soever, more as) they (be), (the) same, X so, X such,

their, them, these, they, those, which, who, whom, withal, ye.

see HEBREW for 01981

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

הֵ֫מָּה (hem.mah) — they(masc.).

they, these, the same, who

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Pron — Pronoun
HPp3mp
any of meat their not you must eat and carcass their not you will touch [are] unclean they 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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