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Leviticus 7:26 — Word Study

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WLCוְכָל־ דָּם֙ לֹ֣א תֹאכְל֔וּ בְּכֹ֖ל מוֹשְׁבֹתֵיכֶ֑ם לָע֖וֹף וְלַבְּהֵמָֽה׃

BSAYou must notlôʼ [under any circumstances] eatʼâkal the blooddâm [the liquid that flows through the body] of any birdʻôwph [fowl, winged creature] or animalbᵉhêmâh [beast, living creature] in anykôl of your dwellingsmôwshâb [houses, places of residence, seats]

Word
Listen & take awayLeviticus 7
English ↓ Download MP3 The Berean Standard Bible chapter audio already hosted for the site's Bible section — verse 26 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 (ve.la.be.he.Mah) — no per-word recordings of the Hebrew exist to link to.
Take it away
Leviticus 7:26quick helps
In a sentenceThis verse prohibits the consumption of blood from any bird or animal.
Who is speakingThe instruction is given by God to the Israelites.
Where we areThis command is part of the laws concerning sacrifices and dietary restrictions.
The hard wordדָּם
Take awayBlood is sacred and must not be consumed.
7 commentators on this verse Gill, Jamieson, Trapp, Ellicott & more — read them › clause 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 7:26

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

25If anyone eats the fat of an animal from which an offering made by fire may be presented to the LORD, the one who eats it must be cut off from his people.
26You must not eat the blood of any bird or animal in any of your dwellings.
27If anyone eats blood, that person must be cut off from his people.’”
28Then the LORD said to Moses,

Leviticus 7:26 is part of a series of laws given to the Israelites concerning what they may and may not eat. These laws were intended to set the Israelites apart from other nations and to establish a standard of holiness. The prohibition against consuming blood emphasizes the sacredness of life and the importance of following God's commands.


Cross References

ReferenceText (BSB)
1Leviticus 3:17This is a permanent statute for the generations to come, wherever you live: You must not eat any fat or any blood.”
2Leviticus 17:10–14If anyone from the house of Israel or a foreigner living among them eats any blood, I will set My face against that person and cut him off from among his people.
3Genesis 9:4But you must not eat meat with its lifeblood still in it.
41 Samuel 14:33–34Then someone reported to Saul: “Look, the troops are sinning against the LORD by eating meat with the blood still in it.” “You have broken faith,” said Saul. “Roll a large stone over here at once.”
5Ezekiel 33:25Therefore tell them that this is what the Lord GOD says: ‘You eat meat with the blood in it, lift up your eyes to your idols, and shed blood. Should you then possess the land?

The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 10 references, hung on the phrase they belong to


The Key Word דָּם, damgenerated

The Hebrew word דָּם (dam) means 'blood' and refers to the vital fluid that circulates in the bodies of living creatures. It is often associated with life itself, as blood is essential for sustaining life. The use of this word in the Bible carries significant religious meaning, particularly in the context of sacrifices and atonement.

In this verse, the prohibition against eating blood underscores the seriousness of the command. Blood symbolizes life, and consuming it would be seen as a violation of the sanctity of life. This command reflects God's desire for His people to respect life and adhere to His dietary laws.


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 תֹאכְל֔וּ (you must eat) governs the main clause, with several phrases detailing what is prohibited: דָּם (blood), בְּכֹ֖ל (in all of), and מוֹשְׁבֹתֵיכֶ֑ם (your dwelling places). The structure emphasizes the totality of the prohibition.

The Hebrew word order places the prohibition first, highlighting its importance. The prepositional phrases clarify the context and scope of the command.


Septuagint Backgroundgenerated

In the Septuagint, דָּם is rendered as αἷμα (haima), which also means 'blood.' This choice maintains the original meaning while aligning with Greek terminology. The use of αἷμα emphasizes the significance of blood in both cultures as a vital substance linked to life.

The LXX translation reflects a consistent understanding of the sacredness of blood, similar to its Hebrew counterpart.


In plain words — the whole versegenerated

Leviticus 7:26 clearly states that the Israelites must not eat the blood of any bird or animal in their dwellings. This command highlights the importance of respecting life and following God's dietary laws.


Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated

Why is consuming blood prohibited?

Consuming blood is prohibited because it symbolizes life, and God commands His people to respect the sanctity of life.

What does this verse tell us about dietary laws?

This verse indicates that dietary laws are meant to set the Israelites apart and instill a sense of holiness regarding what they consume.

How does this command relate to sacrifices?

The prohibition against consuming blood is closely tied to sacrificial practices, where blood is seen as sacred and used for atonement.

What can we learn from this command today?

This command reminds us of the importance of respecting life and adhering to the principles of holiness in our choices.


Reflection Questionsgenerated

  1. How do I understand the significance of blood in my own life and faith?
  2. What dietary practices do I observe that reflect my values and beliefs?
  3. In what ways can I honor the sanctity of life in my daily choices?
  4. How can I apply the principles of holiness found in this command to my life today?

Commentators on this verse — 7 expositors, verse by verse

Each of these wrote on Leviticus 7:26 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.

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

Moreover ye shall eat no manner of blood,.... Of any of the above creatures, or any other, even of any clean creature, and much less of an unclean one: [whether it be] of fowl or of beast; of all sorts and kinds.

Read John Gill on Leviticus 7 →
Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's Commentary

And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, Ye shall eat no manner of fat.

Read Robert Jamieson on Leviticus 7 →
John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

Leviticus 7:26 Moreover ye shall eat no manner of blood, [whether it be] of fowl or of beast, in any of your dwellings.Ver. 26. Ye shall eat no manner of blood.] This signified, (1.) That we should learn to honour holy things, and not to make a mock of them by employing them to common use; (2.) That we should be most careful not to shed man’ s blood for the satisfying of our lust. See Leviticus 17:11-12 Genesis 9:4-5 Deuteronomy 12:13.

Read John Trapp on Leviticus 7 →
Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(26) Moreover ye shall eat. . . . —Better, and ye shall eat no blood in all your dwellings. That is, this law is binding upon the Israelites wherever they may dwell. (See Leviticus 3:17.) Whether it be of fowl or of beast.—It extends to all fowls and quadrupeds, whether they are legally prescribed as sacrifices or not; but not to fishes, locusts, creeping things, &c., which are not prescribed in the dietary laws as unclean.

Read Charles John Ellicott on Leviticus 7 →
CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

Fat and Blood prohibited (22–27) The Peace-Offering being the only sacrifice which was partly consumed by the offerer, any rule as to portions of the animal that were not to be eaten would appropriately be added to the regulations concerning this sacrifice. Accordingly, in ch. 3, which treats of the Peace-Offering, the prohibition of fat and blood occurs in a short form (Leviticus 7:17). It is repeated here in connexion with the preceding regulations about Peace-Offerings. The fat which is prohibited is that contained in the portions reserved as an offering made by fire unto the Lord, described at length in chs. 3, 4 and Leviticus 7:3-5. They were the same in the Peace-, Guilt-, and…

Read Cambridge on Leviticus 7 →
Albert Barnes1798–1870Barnes' Notes on the Bible

No manner of blood - See Leviticus 17:10-15.

Read Albert Barnes on Leviticus 7 →
Daniel Denison Whedon1808–1885Whedon's Commentary on the Bible

26. Ye shall eat no… blood — To this prohibition there is no exception.It has especial respect to the atoning blood of sacrifice, first of the type and then of the great Antitype.

Read Daniel Denison Whedon on Leviticus 7 →

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 the blood of any bird or animal in any of your dwellings.

WEBWorld English Bible2000

You shall not eat any blood, whether it is of bird or of animal, in any of your dwellings.

MSBMajority Standard Bible2022

You must not eat the blood of any bird or animal in any of your dwellings.

NETBNew English Translation2006

And you must not eat any blood of the birds or the domesticated land animals in any of the places where you live.

Tyndale line

KJVKing James Version1611

Moreover ye shall eat no manner of blood, whether it be of fowl or of beast, in any of your dwellings.

ASVAmerican Standard Version1901

And ye shall eat no manner of blood, whether it be of bird or of beast, in any of your dwellings.

RVARevised Version, American1894

And ye shall eat no manner of blood, whether it be of fowl or of beast, in any of your dwellings.

NWBWebster's Bible1833

Moreover, ye shall eat no manner of blood, whether of fowl or of beast, in any of your dwellings.

GNVGeneva Bible1599

Neither shall ye eate any blood, either of foule, or of beast in all your dwellings.

Strictly literal

DBYDarby Translation1890

And no blood shall ye eat in any of your dwellings, whether it be of fowl or of cattle.

YLTYoung's Literal Translation1862

'And any blood ye do not eat in all your dwellings, of fowl, or of beast;

LSVLiteral Standard Version2020

And you do not eat any blood in all your dwellings, of bird, or of beast;

ILTInterlinear Literal Translation2000

Moreover ye shall eat no manner of blood, in any of your dwellings, whether it be of fowl or of cattle.

ULBUnlocked Literal Bible2017

You must eat no blood whatsoever in any of your houses, whether it is from a bird or an animal.

From the Latin

DRADouay-Rheims (Challoner)1899

Moreover you shall not eat the blood of any creature whatsoever, whether of birds or beasts.

Simplified

FBVFree Bible Version2020

You must not eat the blood of any bird or animal in any of your homes.

BBEBible in Basic English1949

And you are not to take for food any blood, of bird or of beast, in any of your houses.

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.

וְandclausenoun phrase · objectכָלanyדָּם֙bloodadverbialלֹ֣אnotverbתֹאכְל֔וּyou.must.eatprepositional phrase · prepositionalבְּinnoun phraseכֹ֖לallnoun phraseמוֹשְׁבֹתֵיplacesכֶ֑םyour.dwellingprepositional phrase · prepositionalprepositional phraseלָofnoun phrase(the)ע֖וֹףbird[s]וְandprepositional phraseלַofnoun phrase(the)בְּהֵמָֽהlivestock

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 Samaritan Pentateuch, which agrees word for word. The Dead Sea Scrolls show partial restoration, indicating some text is missing, but the preserved words align with the Masoretic Text.

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

וְכָל־ דָּם֙ לֹ֣א תֹאכְל֔וּ בְּכֹ֖ל מוֹשְׁבֹתֵיכֶ֑ם לָע֖וֹף וְלַבְּהֵמָֽה׃

Septuagintthe Greek the translators chose, word by word
וְכָל־πᾶνדָּם֙αἷμαלֹ֣אοὐκתֹאכְל֔וּἔδεσθεבְּכֹ֖לπάσῃמוֹשְׁבֹתֵיכֶ֑םὑμῶνלָע֖וֹףπετεινῶνוְלַבְּהֵמָֽה׃κτηνῶν

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

Samaritan Pentateuchthe Torah as the Samaritan community kept it

וכל דם לא תאכלו בכל מושׁבתיכם לעוף ולבהמה

Agrees with the Masoretic Text here, word for word.

Dead Sea Scrolls — 4Q26ba copy a thousand years older than the Leningrad Codex

[וכול] [דם] [לא] [תאכלו] [בכול] מושבתי׳כם לעוף [ולבהמה]

nothing on the leather here — 2 partly restored, 6 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 7:26כֹּלand anyand anyכֹּלדָּםbloodbloodדָּםלֹאnotnotלֹאאָכַלyou must eayou must eatאָכַלכֹּלin all ofin all ofכֹּלמוֹשָׁבdwelling pldwelling placesמוֹשָׁבעוֹףof bird[s]of bird[s]עוֹףבְּהֵמָהand of liveand of livestocבְּהֵמָהכָּלַלto perfectto perfectכָּלַלדָּמַםto silenceto silence: staדָּמַםיָשַׁבto dwellto dwellיָשַׁבעוּףto flyto flyעוּףעֵדָהcongregaticongregationעֵדָהעֲבֹדָהserviceserviceעֲבֹדָהזָרַקto scatterto scatterזָרַקנָקִיinnocentinnocentנָקִייָכֹלbe ablebe ableיָכֹלעוֹדstillstillעוֹדשָׁתָהto drinkto drinkשָׁתָהלֶ֫חֶםfoodfoodלֶ֫חֶםמַאֲכָלfoodfoodמַאֲכָלפַּ֫עַםbeatbeatפַּ֫עַםבְּהֵמָהanimalanimalבְּהֵמָהשָׁמַיheavenheavenשָׁמַיעוֹףbirdbirdעוֹףאָדָםthe man (Athe man (Adam)אָדָם
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 7:26

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.

and any blood not you must eat in all of dwelling places your of bird[s] and of livestock
וְכָל־ve.khol and any H3605 Conjunction · 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.
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 — Conjunction · noun common masculine singular construct
HC/Ncmsc
The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
and any blood not you must eat in all of dwelling places your of bird[s] and of livestock
דָּם֙dam blood H1818 Noun common · masculine singular absolute
360× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
Blood refers to the liquid that flows through the body, essential for life. In the Bible, blood is often used to symbolize life, guilt, or sacrifice, as seen in the story of Jesus' crucifixion.
Amplified meaning
the liquid that flows through the body
Tyndale gloss
blood
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

דָּם (dam) means 'blood' and refers to the blood of both humans and animals. It is often associated with death, particularly when shed, and can also figuratively denote the juice of grapes or bloodshed. The term carries religious significance and is used in various contexts, including references to guilt and innocence.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

דָּם 300 n.m. blood

blood of man or animal

usually blood become visible

blood used with religious significance

fig. of wine

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H1818 דָּם blood

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

1818 dam dawm

from 1826 (compare 119); blood (as that which when shed

causes death) of man or an animal; by analogy, the juice of

the grape; figuratively (especially in the plural) bloodshed

(i.e. drops of blood):--blood(-y, -guiltiness, (-thirsty), +

innocent.

see HEBREW for 01826

see HEBREW for 0119

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

דָּם (dam) — blood.

1) blood

1a) of wine (fig.)

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

blud (dam, probably from 'adham "to be red"; haima): Used in the Old Testament to designate the life principle in either animal or vegetable, as the blood of man or the juice of the grape (Le 17:11, et al.); in the New Testament for the blood of an animal, the atoning blood of Christ, and in both Old Testament and New Testament in a figurative sense for bloodshed or murder (Ge 37:26; Ho 4:2; Re 16:6).

1. Primitive Ideas:

Although the real function of the blood in the human system was not fully known until the fact of its circulation was established by William Harvey in 1615, nevertheless from the earliest times a singular mystery has been attached to it by all peoples. Blood…

Easton's Bible Dictionary

Blood

(1.) As food, prohibited in Gen. 9:4, where the use of animal food is first allowed. Comp. Deut. 12:23; Lev. 3:17; 7:26; 17:10-14. The injunction to abstain from blood is renewed in the decree of the council of Jerusalem (Acts 15:29). It has been held by some, and we think correctly, that this law of prohibition was only ceremonial and temporary; while others regard it as still binding on all. Blood was eaten by the Israelites after the battle of Gilboa (1 Sam. 14:32-34).

(2.) The blood of sacrifices was caught by the priest in a basin, and then sprinkled seven times on the altar; that of the passover on the…

Smith's Bible Dictionary

To blood is ascribed in Scripture the mysterious sacredness which belongs to life, and God reserved it to himself when allowing man the dominion over and the use of the lower animals for food. Thus reserved, it acquires a double power: (1) that of sacrificial atonement; and (2) that of becoming a curse when wantonly shed, unless duly expiated. (Genesis 9:4; Leviticus 7:26; 17:11-13)

American Tract Society Bible Dictionary

The life of all animals was regarded as especially in the blood, which was a sacred and essential part of the sacrifices offered to God, Heb 9:22. It was solemnly sprinkled upon the altar and the mercy seat, "for it is the blood that maketh atonement for the soul," Le 17:1-16 the life of the victim for the life of the sinner. It was therefore most sacredly associated with the blood of the Lamb of God which "cleanseth us from all sin," Eph 1:7 1Jo 1:7. Hence the strict prohibition renewed in Ac 15:29. In direct opposition to this are the heathen customs of drinking the blood of animals and even of men- of eating raw flesh, with the blood, and even fresh cut from the living…

and any blood not you must eat in all of dwelling places your of bird[s] and of livestock
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.
Amplified meaning
under any circumstances
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
Part — Particle
HTn
The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
and any blood not you must eat in all of dwelling places your of bird[s] and of livestock
תֹאכְל֔וּto.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.
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
and any blood not you must eat in all of dwelling places your of bird[s] and of livestock
בְּכֹ֖לbe.Khol in all of 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.
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
HR/Ncmsc — Preposition · noun common masculine singular construct
HR/Ncmsc
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

ov:

(1) In Anglo-Saxon, had the meaning "from," "away from" (as the strengthened form "off" has still), and was not used for genitive or possessive relations, these being expressed by special case-forms. In the Norman period, however, "of" was taken to represent the French de (a use well developed by the time of Chaucer), and in the Elizabethan period both senses of "of" were in common use. But after about 1600 the later force of the word became predominant, and in the earlier sense (which is now practically obsolete) it was replaced by other prepositions. In consequence the King James Version (and in some cases the Revised Version (British and American)) contains many uses of "of" that are no longer familiar--most of them, to be sure, causing no difficulty, but there still being a few responsible for real obscurities.

English usagewhat the translators’ English meant
Webster's Dictionary (1828), Webster's Unabridged (1913), Webster's Dictionary (1806)

OF, preposition ov. [Gr.]

1. From or out of; proceeding from, as the cause, source, means, author or agent bestowing.

I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered to you. 1 Corinthians 11:1.

For it was of the Lord to harden their hearts. Joshua 11:1.

It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed.

Lamentations 3:1.

The whole disposing thereof is of the Lord. Proverbs 16:1.

Go, inquire of the Lord for me. 2 Chronicles 34:2.

That holy thing that shall be born of thee. Luke 1:1.

Hence of is the sign of the genitive case, the case that denotes production; as the son of man, the son proceeding from man, produced from man. This is the primary sense, although we now say, produced by man. 'Part of these were slain; ' that is, a number separate, for part denotes a division; the sense then is, a number from or out of the whole were slain. So also, 'some of these were slain; ' that is…

The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
and any blood not you must eat in all of dwelling places your of bird[s] and of livestock
מוֹשְׁבֹתֵיכֶ֑םmo.she.vo.tei.Khem dwelling places your H4186 Noun common feminine plural construct · suffix
44× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
A seat can refer to a physical place of sitting or a gathering of people, like an assembly. It can also mean a dwelling place or location, and is sometimes used to describe a group of people living together.
Amplified meaning
houses, places of residence, seats
Tyndale gloss
seat
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

מוֹשָׁב (mowshab) refers to a seat or dwelling-place, encompassing meanings such as assembly, location, and the act of dwelling. It can denote both a physical site and an abstract concept of a session or time of dwelling. The word suggests a community of dwellers or those who sit together.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

מוֹשָׁב n.m. seat, assembly, dwelling-place, dwelling, dwellers

seat

sitting = those sitting, sitting company or assembly

dwelling-place of people, tribe, etc.

alm. = abstr. dwelling

= house

situation of city; location of image

time of dwelling

coll. = those dwelling

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H4186 מוֹשָׁב seat, assembly, dwelling-place, dwelling, dwellers . . seat

. sitting = those sitting, sitting company or assembly

. . dwelling-place of people, tribe, etc.

. alm. = abstr. dwelling

. = house

. situation of city; location of image

. time of dwelling

. coll. = those dwelling

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

4186 mowshab mo-shawb'

or moshab {mo-shawb'}; from 3427; a seat; figuratively, a

site; abstractly, a session; by extension an abode (the place

or the time); by implication, population:--assembly, dwell

in, dwelling(-place), wherein (that) dwelt (in), inhabited

place, seat, sitting, situation, sojourning.

see HEBREW for 03427

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

מוֹשָׁב (mo.shav) — seat.

1) seat, assembly, dwelling-place, dwelling, dwellers

1a) seat, sitting, those sitting, sitting company or assembly

1b) dwelling place, dwelling

1c) situation, location

1d) time of dwelling

1e) those dwelling, dweller

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-mp | Suff — Noun common feminine plural construct · suffix
HNcfpc/Sp2mp
and any blood not you must eat in all of dwelling places your of bird[s] and of livestock
לָע֖וֹףla.'of of bird[s] H5775 Preposition · noun common masculine singular absolute
71× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
In the Bible, this word simply means a bird, like the ones that fly in the sky. It appears in many books, including Genesis and Psalms, often symbolizing freedom.
Amplified meaning
fowl, winged creature
Tyndale gloss
bird
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

עוֹף (owph) refers to flying creatures, including birds and insects. It is derived from the root meaning to cover with wings, emphasizing the aspect of flight. The term encompasses various types of fowl and winged insects, and it is noted in the Aramaic as well. There are no significant disagreements among the lexicons regarding its meaning.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

עוֹף 70 n.m. coll. flying creatures, fowls, insects

fowl, birds

winged insects

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H5775 עוֹף flying creatures, fowls, insects . fowl, birds

. winged insects

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

5775 `owph ofe

from 5774; a bird (as covered with feathers, or rather as

covering with wings), often collectively:--bird, that flieth,

flying, fowl.

see HEBREW for 05774

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

עוֹף (oph) — bird.

1) flying creatures, fowl, insects, birds

1a) fowl, birds

1b) winged insects

Aramaic equivalent: oph (עוֹף "bird" H5776)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Prep | N-ms — Preposition · noun common masculine singular absolute
HRd/Ncmsa
and any blood not you must eat in all of dwelling places your of bird[s] and of livestock
וְלַבְּהֵמָֽה׃ve.la.be.he.Mah and of livestock H929 Conjunction · preposition · noun common feminine singular absolute
190× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This word refers to animals, especially large quadruped mammals. It's used in the Bible to describe livestock, wild beasts, and other creatures. It appears in stories of creation, farming, and wildlife.
Amplified meaning
beast, living creature
Tyndale gloss
animal
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

בְּהֵמָה (bhemah) refers to a beast or animal, typically denoting domesticated livestock or cattle, and occasionally wild beasts. It is derived from a root that suggests being mute, implying a 'dumb beast.' The term encompasses all living creatures other than humans, with a specific mention of large quadrupeds.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

בְּהֵמָה 187 n.f. beast, animal, cattle

of living creatures other than man

opp. also to wild beasts

rarely of wild beasts, esp. carnivora

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H929 בְּהֵמָה beast, animal, cattle . of living creatures other than man

. opp. also to wild beasts

. rarely of wild beasts, esp. carnivora

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

929 bhemah be-hay-maw'

from an unused root (probably meaning to be mute); properly,

a dumb beast; especially any large quadruped or animal (often

collective):--beast, cattle.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

בְּהֵמָה (be.he.mah) — animal.

1) beast, cattle, animal

1a) beasts (coll of all animals)

1b) cattle, livestock (of domestic animals)

1c) wild beasts

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Conj | Prep | N-fs — Conjunction · preposition · noun common feminine singular absolute
HC/Rd/Ncfsa
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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