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Numbers 4:29 — Word Study

Depth

WLCבְּנֵ֖י מְרָרִ֑י לְמִשְׁפְּחֹתָ֥ם לְבֵית־ אֲבֹתָ֖ם תִּפְקֹ֥ד אֹתָֽם׃

BSAAs for the sonsbên [descendants, offspring] of MerariMᵉrârîy [bitter, a son of Levi] you are to numberpâqad [reckon, count] themʼêth by their clansmishpâchâh [families, tribes] and familiesʼâb [households, father's houses]

Word
Listen & take awayNumbers 4
English ↓ Download MP3 The Berean Standard Bible chapter audio already hosted for the site's Bible section — verse 29 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 ('o.Tam) — no per-word recordings of the Hebrew exist to link to.
Take it away
Numbers 4:29quick helps
In a sentenceMoses is instructed to count the descendants of Merari by their family groups.
Who is speakingGod, giving instructions to Moses regarding the Levites.
Where we areThis verse is part of the instructions for the organization of the Levites' service.
The hard wordתִּפְקֹ֥ד
Take awayThe counting emphasizes the importance of family and clan in the Israelite community.
4 commentators on this verse Gill, Jamieson, Cambridge, Whedon & more — read them › clause verbפָּקַד 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 — Numbers 4:29

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 — Instructions for the Levitesgenerated

28This is the service of the Gershonite clans at the Tent of Meeting, and their duties shall be under the direction of Ithamar son of Aaron the priest.
29As for the sons of Merari, you are to number them by their clans and families,
30from thirty to fifty years old, counting everyone who comes to serve in the work of the Tent of Meeting.
31This is the duty for all their service at the Tent of Meeting: to carry the frames of the tabernacle with its crossbars, posts, and bases,

Numbers 4:29 provides specific instructions for counting the sons of Merari, one of the families of the Levites, as part of their organization for service in the Tent of Meeting. This counting is essential for maintaining order and ensuring that each clan fulfills its designated role in the community, reflecting the structured nature of Israelite worship and service.


Cross References

ReferenceText (BSB)
1Numbers 3:33–35From Merari came the clans of the Mahlites and Mushites; these were the Merarite clans.

The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 1 reference, hung on the phrase they belong to

As for the sons of Merari, thou shalt number them after their families, by the house of their fathers;Numbers 3:33–35

The Key Word תִּפְקֹ֥ד, tif.Kodgenerated

The verb פָּקַד (paqad) means to appoint, visit, or oversee. It carries a sense of authority and responsibility, often implying the act of counting or enrolling, as seen in this context.

The imperfect form indicates an ongoing action, suggesting that this is a task Moses is to carry out. This word is significant in the context of the census and organization of the Levite clans.


How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated

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


Sentence Structuregenerated

The verse contains one main verb, תִּפְקֹ֥ד, you will enroll, which governs the entire clause. The structure reveals a clear directive to Moses regarding the counting of the clans.

The phrase structure includes a noun phrase for the subject, followed by prepositional phrases that detail how to carry out the counting, emphasizing the familial and tribal organization.


Septuagint Backgroundgenerated

The Septuagint translates בְּנֵי as υἱοὶ (huioi), meaning 'sons,' which aligns closely with the Hebrew meaning of descendants.

The verb תִּפְקֹ֥ד is rendered as ἐπισκέψασθε (episképsasthe), which carries a connotation of oversight or care, indicating a broader responsibility than just counting.


In plain words — the whole versegenerated

Numbers 4:29 tells Moses to count the sons of Merari by their clans and families. This counting is important for organizing the Levites' service in the Tent of Meeting, showing the significance of family and clan in Israelite society.


Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated

What does it mean to number the sons of Merari?

It means to count and organize them by their family groups for their roles in the service of the Tent of Meeting.

Why is the counting of clans important?

Counting the clans ensures that each family fulfills its specific responsibilities within the community, maintaining order and structure.

Who were the sons of Merari?

The sons of Merari were descendants of Merari, one of the sons of Levi, who played a significant role in the Levitical service.

What does the term 'clans' refer to?

The term 'clans' refers to family groups or tribes within the larger community of Israel, emphasizing the importance of family ties.


Reflection Questionsgenerated

  1. How can understanding family and clan structures in the Bible help us today?
  2. What responsibilities do we have in our own families or communities that reflect the organization seen in the Levite clans?
  3. In what ways can we ensure that everyone in our community has a role or responsibility?
  4. How does the concept of counting or enrolling relate to our understanding of belonging in a community?

Commentators on this verse — 4 expositors, verse by verse

Each of these wrote on Numbers 4:29 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.

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

As for the sons of Merari,.... The third and youngest son of Levi: thou shalt number them after their families, by the house of their fathers; which is the form of expression used of them all; [See comments on Numbers 4:2].

Read John Gill on Numbers 4 →
Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's Commentary

As for the sons of Merari, thou shalt number them after their families, by the house of their fathers; As for the sons of Merari.

Read Robert Jamieson on Numbers 4 →
CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

29–33. The Merarites and their duties. They carry (in wagons Numbers 7:8) the wooden framework of the Dwelling, and everything else of wood—bars, pillars and pins (or rather pegs)—the silver bases (R.V. ‘sockets’) of the framework and the bronze bases of the pillars of the court.

Read Cambridge on Numbers 4 →
Daniel Denison Whedon1808–1885Whedon's Commentary on the Bible

SERVICE OF THE SONS OF GERSHON, Numbers 4:21-28.The special service assigned to this great family of Levites was the transportation of the cloth and skin coverings of the tabernacle, with its

Read Daniel Denison Whedon on Numbers 4 →

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

As for the sons of Merari, you are to number them by their clans and families,

WEBWorld English Bible2000

“As for the sons of Merari, you shall count them by their families, by their fathers’ houses;

MSBMajority Standard Bible2022

As for the sons of Merari, you are to number them by their clans and families,

NETBNew English Translation2006

“As for the sons of Merari, you are to number them by their families and by their clans.

Tyndale line

KJVKing James Version1611

¶ As for the sons of Merari, thou shalt number them after their families, by the house of their fathers;

ASVAmerican Standard Version1901

As for the sons of Merari, thou shalt number them by their families, by their fathers’ houses;

RVARevised Version, American1894

As for the sons of Merari, thou shalt number them by their families, by their fathers’ houses;

NWBWebster's Bible1833

As for the sons of Merari, thou shalt number them after their families, by the house of their fathers;

GNVGeneva Bible1599

Thou shalt nomber the sonnes of Merari by their families, and by the houses of their fathers:

Strictly literal

DBYDarby Translation1890

The sons of Merari: after their families, according to their fathers' houses shalt thou number them;

YLTYoung's Literal Translation1862

'The sons of Merari, by their families, by the house of their fathers, thou dost number them;

LSVLiteral Standard Version2020

The sons of Merari, by their families, by the house of their fathers—you number them;

ILTInterlinear Literal Translation2000

The sons of Merari, shalt thou number after their families, by their divisions;

ULBUnlocked Literal Bible2017

You must count the descendants of Merari by their clans, and order them by their ancestor's families,

From the Latin

DRADouay-Rheims (Challoner)1899

Thou shalt reckon up the sons of Merari also by the families and houses of their fathers,

Simplified

FBVFree Bible Version2020

Register the descendants of Merari, according to their family and father's line.

BBEBible in Basic English1949

The sons of Merari are to be numbered by families, in the order of their fathers' 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.

clauseclausenoun phraseבְּנֵ֖יthe.descendantsמְרָרִ֑יof.Merariclauseprepositional phrase · prepositionalprepositional phraseלְtonoun phraseמִשְׁפְּחֹתָ֥clansםtheirprepositional phraseלְtonoun phraseבֵיתthe.housenoun phraseאֲבֹתָ֖their.ancestorsםtheirverbתִּפְקֹ֥דyou.will.enrollnoun phrase · objectאֹתָֽםthem

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


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

The Masoretic Text and the Septuagint agree closely, with all seven words matched. The Samaritan Pentateuch differs slightly, using משׁפחותם (clan) and אבותם (father), but the overall meaning remains consistent.

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

בְּנֵ֖י מְרָרִ֑י לְמִשְׁפְּחֹתָ֥ם לְבֵית־ אֲבֹתָ֖ם תִּפְקֹ֥ד אֹתָֽם׃

Septuagintthe Greek the translators chose, word by word
בְּנֵ֖יυἱοὶמְרָרִ֑יμεραριלְמִשְׁפְּחֹתָ֥םαὐτῶνלְבֵית־οἴκουςאֲבֹתָ֖םαὐτῶνתִּפְקֹ֥דἐπισκέψασθεאֹתָֽם׃αὐτούς

7 of the 7 words are matched. This is the word-by-word correspondence, not the Septuagint's own sentence — its word order and its articles are its own.

Samaritan Pentateuchthe Torah as the Samaritan community kept it

בני מררי למשׁפחותם לבית אבותם תפקד אתם

2 words differ from the Masoretic Text: משׁפחותם (clan), אבותם (father)

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.

Numbers 4:29בֵּן[the] desce[the] descendanבֵּןמְרָרִיMerariMerariמְרָרִימִשְׁפָּחָהto clans thto clans theirמִשְׁפָּחָהבֵּיתto [the] hoto [the] house בֵּיתאָבancestors tancestors theirאָבפָּקַדyou will enyou will enrollפָּקַדאֵתthe object the object markאֵתבָּנָהto buildto buildבָּנָהמָרַרto provoketo provokeמָרַרשָׁפָהbe barebe bareשָׁפָהאוֹתsign: mirasign: miraculouאוֹתעַמּוֹןAmmonAmmonעַמּוֹןרְאוּבֵןReubenReubenרְאוּבֵןמוּשִׁיMushiMushiמוּשִׁימַחְלִיMahliMahliמַחְלִיתּוֹלֵדוֹתgenerationgenerationתּוֹלֵדוֹתאוֹצָרtreasuretreasureאוֹצָרקָבַרto buryto buryקָבַראֵםmothermotherאֵםמִשְׁפָּחָהfamilyfamilyמִשְׁפָּחָהמִגְרָשׁpasturepastureמִגְרָשׁ
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 Numbers 4:29

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.

[the] descendants of Merari to clans their to [the] house of ancestors their you will enroll the object marker them
בְּנֵ֖יbe.Nei [the] descendants of H1121 Noun common · masculine plural construct
4,943× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
In the Bible, this word means a son or descendant, and can also refer to a grandson, nation, or quality. It appears in 1 Chronicles 24, describing a Levite named Beno. The word is used to show family relationships and inheritance.
Amplified meaning
descendants, offspring
Tyndale gloss
son: child
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

בֵּן (ben) means 'son' or 'male child' and encompasses a wide range of meanings, including descendants, young animals, and even figurative uses like sparks or arrows. It can refer to members of a tribe or class and is used in various contexts throughout the Old Testament, such as in 1 Chronicles 24:26. The word is derived from a root meaning 'to build' and implies a connection to family or lineage.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

בֵּן 4870 n.m. son

son, male child, born of a woman

children (male and female)

youth, young men

the young of animals

of plant shoots

fig. of lifeless things, sparks, stars, arrows

member of a guild, order or class

of animals son of (the) herd

ב׳ as n. relat. followed by word of quality, characteristic, etc.

n. relat. of age

base

בְּנוֹ 1 Ch 24:26, 27 as n.pr.m. in AV, RV, but render: the sons of Jaaziah his son, & the sons of Merari by Jaaziah his son, cf. VB & Be Öt.

done

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H1121a בֵּן son . son, male child, born of a woman

. children (male and female)

. youth, young men

. the young of animals

. of plant shoots

. fig. of lifeless things, sparks, stars, arrows

. . member of a guild, order or class

. of animals son of (the) herd

. ב׳ as n. relat. followed by word of quality, characteristic, etc.

. n. relat. of age

H1121b בְּנוֹ as n. pr. m. in AV, RV, but render: the sons of Jaaziah his son, & the sons of Merari by Jaaziah his son

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

1121 ben bane

from 1129; a son (as a builder of the family name), in the

widest sense (of literal and figurative relationship,

including grandson, subject, nation, quality or condition,

etc., (like 1, 251, etc.)):--+ afflicted, age, (Ahoh-)

(Ammon-) (Hachmon-) (Lev-)ite, (anoint-)ed one, appointed to,

(+) arrow, (Assyr-) (Babylon-) (Egypt-) (Grec-)ian, one born,

bough, branch, breed, + (young) bullock, + (young) calf, X

came up in, child, colt, X common, X corn, daughter, X of

first, + firstborn, foal, + very fruitful, + postage, X in, +

kid, + lamb, (+) man, meet, + mighty, + nephew, old, (+)

people, + rebel, + robber, X servant born, X soldier, son, +

spark, + steward, + stranger, X surely, them of, + tumultuous

one, + valiant(-est), whelp, worthy, young (one), youth.

see HEBREW for 01129

see HEBREW for 01

see HEBREW for 0251

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

בֵּן (ben) — son: child.

: child/son

בְּנוֹ (be.no) — Beno.

A man of the tribe of Levi living at the time of Divided Monarchy, first mentioned at 1Ch.24.26;

son of: Jaaziah (H3269);

brother of: Shoham (H7719), Zaccur (H2139I) and Ibri (H5681)

§ Beno = "his son"

the sons of Jaaziah and the sons of Merari by Jaahziah (his son)

בֵּן (ben) — son: descendant/people.

: descendant, people, tribe, nation

A sub-meaning of ben (בֵּן ": child" H1121)

§ : child/son

בֵּן (ben) — son: young animal.

: calf/lamb/young(ANIMAL)

A sub-meaning of ben (בֵּן ": child" H1121)

§ : descendant

בֵּן (ben) — son: type of.

: rebel/son(Belial)

A sub-meaning of ben (בֵּן ": child" H1121)

§ : people/men/nation/tribe

בֵּן (ben) — son.

: [inheriting]son/heir

A sub-meaning of ben (בֵּן ": child" H1121)

בֵּן (ben) — son: warrior.

: warrior/son(strong)

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-mp — Noun common · masculine plural construct
HNcmpc
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] descendants of Merari to clans their to [the] house of ancestors their you will enroll the object marker them
מְרָרִ֑יme.ra.Ri Merari H4847 Noun proper masculine
36× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
Merari was a man in the Bible, the third son of Levi and head of a family of Levites. His name means 'bitter' and he's mentioned in Genesis as an ancestor of the tribe of Levi.
Amplified meaning
bitter, a son of Levi
Tyndale gloss
Merari
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

מְרָרִי (Merari) refers to a son of Levi and the head of a prominent Levitical family. The name is derived from a root meaning 'bitter.' Merari is mentioned in the context of the Israelite tribes, specifically in Genesis 46:11, and is noted as the brother of Gershon and Kohath, and the father of Mahli and Mushi.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

מְרָרִי n.pr.m. a son of Levi, and head of a chief Levit. family

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H4847 מְרָרִי a son of Levi, and head of a chief Levit. family

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

4847 Mrariy mer-aw-ree'

from 4843; bitter; Merari, an Israelite:--Merari. See also

4848.

see HEBREW for 04843

see HEBREW for 04848

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

מְרָרִי (me.ra.ri) — Merari.

A man of the tribe of Levi living at the time of Egypt and Wilderness, first mentioned at Gen.46.11;

son of: Levi (H3878);

brother of: Gershon (H1648), Kohath (H6955) and Jochebed (H3115);

father of: Mahli (H4249), Mushi (H4187) and Jaaziah (H3269)

Also named: me.ra.ri (מְרָרִי "Merari" H4848)

§ Merari = "bitter"

the 3rd son of Levi and head of a Levitical family

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-proper — Noun proper masculine
HNpm
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

me-ra'-ri (merari, "bitter"; Mararei):

(1) The 3rd son of Levi, his brothers, Gershon and Kohath, being always mentioned together with him (Ge 46:11; Ex 6:16). He was among those 70 who went down to Egypt with Jacob (Ge 46:8,11; compare 46:26 and Ex 1:5).

(2) The family of Merari, descendants of above, and always (with one exception, for which see MERARITES) spoken of as "sons of Merari" in numerous references, such as 1Ch 6:1,16,19,29, which only repeat without additional information the references to be found in the body of this article. We early find them divided into two families, the Mahli and Mushi (

American Tract Society Bible Dictionary

The youngest of Levi’s three sons, born in Canaan, and head of a family of the Levites, Ge 46:11; Ex 6:16; Nu 3:17; 1Ch 6:1. In the journey through the wilderness they were charged with the framework of the tabernacle, to carry from one place of encampment to another, and there set it up, Nu 4:29-33; 7:8. Twelve cities were assigned to them beyond Jordan, Jos 21:7,34-40.

Hitchcock's Bible Names Dictionary

bitter; to provoke

[the] descendants of Merari to clans their to [the] house of ancestors their you will enroll the object marker them
לְמִשְׁפְּחֹתָ֥םle.mish.pe.cho.Tam to clans their H4940 Preposition · noun common feminine plural construct · suffix
303× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This word refers to a family or clan, and can also mean a tribe or nation, such as the people of Israel, emphasizing the importance of family ties.
Amplified meaning
families, tribes
Tyndale gloss
family
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

מִשְׁפָּחָה (mishpachah) refers to a clan or family, encompassing a circle of relatives and extending to tribes or peoples. It can also denote a class of persons, species of animals, or kinds of things. The entries highlight its various uses, including guilds and aristocrats, but do not present any significant disagreement.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

מִשְׁפָּחָה 303 n.f. clan

clan

= guild

= species, kind

pl. = aristocrats

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H4940 מִשְׁפָּחָה clan . clan

. = guild

. = species, kind

. pl. = aristocrats

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

4940 mishpachah mish-paw-khaw'

from 8192 (compare 8198); a family, i.e. circle of relatives;

figuratively, a class (of persons), a species (of animals) or

sort (of things); by extens. a tribe or people:--family,

kind(-red).

see HEBREW for 08192

see HEBREW for 08198

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

מִשְׁפָּחָה (mish.pa.chah) — family.

1) clan, family

1a) clan

1a1) family

1a2) tribe

1a3) people, nation

1b) guild

1c) species, kind

1d) aristocrats

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Prep | N-fp | Suff — Preposition · noun common feminine plural construct · suffix
HR/Ncfpc/Sp3mp
[the] descendants of Merari to clans their to [the] house of ancestors their you will enroll the object marker them
לְבֵית־le.veit- to [the] house of H1004 Preposition · noun common masculine singular construct
2,049× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
The Hebrew word for house refers to a dwelling place, including a family home, temple, or even the human body. It appears in various contexts, such as the temple in Jerusalem or the household of a family. In the Bible, it is often used to describe a place of worship or a family's living space.
Tyndale gloss
place
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word בַּיִת (*bayith*) means 'house' and encompasses a wide range of meanings, including dwelling, family, and place. It can refer to physical structures, such as homes and temples, as well as metaphorical uses like the body or household affairs. The word is built from the root related to 'between' and appears in various contexts throughout the Old Testament.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

בֵּית fem. of בַּיִן, בֵּין prep. between

base

בַּ֫יִת 2034 n.m. house

house

place

receptacle

of house as containing a family

household, family (592 t.)

house, including household affairs

lit. housewards, hence metaph. inwards

מִבַּיִת

adv. on the inside

prep. within

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H1004a בֵּית fem. of בַּיִן, בֵּין prep. between H1004b בַּ֫יִת house

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

1004 bayith bah'-yith

probably from 1129 abbreviated; a house (in the greatest

variation of applications, especially family, etc.):--court,

daughter, door, + dungeon, family, + forth of, X great as

would contain, hangings, home(born), (winter)house(-hold),

inside(-ward), palace, place, + prison, + steward, + tablet,

temple, web, + within(-out).

see HEBREW for 01129

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

בֵּית (bet) — place.

nm

place, origin, between

בַּ֫יִת (ba.yit) — house: home.

: home/temple/building

nm

1) house

1a) house, dwelling habitation

1b) shelter or abode of animals

1c) human bodies (fig.)

1d) of Sheol

1e) of abode of light and darkness

1f) of land of Ephraim

2) place

3) receptacle

4) home, house as containing a family

5) household, family

5a) those belonging to the same household

5b) family of descendants, descendants as organized body

6) household affairs

7) inwards (metaph.)

8) (TWOT) temple

adv

9) on the inside

prep

10) within

בַּ֫יִת (ba.yit) — Beth-(ashbea).

nm

This name is used for a house, habitation

Combined with ash.be.a (אַשְׁבֵּעַ "Ashbea" H0791)

בַּ֫יִת (ba.yit) — Beth (Haggan).

nm

This name is used for a house, habitation

Combined with hag (גַּן "Haggan" H1588)

בַּ֫יִת (ba.yit) — Beth-(togarmah).

nm

This name is used for a house, habitation

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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
[the] descendants of Merari to clans their to [the] house of ancestors their you will enroll the object marker them
אֲבֹתָ֖ם'a.vo.Tam ancestors their H1 Noun common feminine plural construct · suffix
1,213× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
In Hebrew, this word means father, whether literal or figurative. It is used to describe God as the father of his people, as well as human fathers like Abraham. The word is about a paternal relationship or authority.
Amplified meaning
households, father's houses
Tyndale gloss
father
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

אָב (av) means 'father' and encompasses various roles such as the literal father of an individual, God as the father of His people, and the head of a household or clan. It can also refer to an ancestor, originator of a profession, or a figure of respect and protection. Notably, it can imply a ruler or chief in later contexts.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

אָב 1101 n.m. father

father of individual

of God as father of his people

head of household, family or clan

ancestor

originator or patron of a class, profession, or art

fig. of producer, generator

fig. of benevolence & protection

term of respect & honor

specif., ruler, chief (late)

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H1 אָב father . father of individual

. of God as father of his people

. head of household, family or clan

. ancestor

. originator or patron of a class, profession, or art

. fig. of producer, generator

. fig. of benevolence & protection

. term of respect & honor

. specif., ruler, chief (late)

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

1 'ab awb

a primitive word; father, in a literal and immediate, or

figurative and remote application):--chief,

(fore-)father(-less), X patrimony, principal. Compare names

in "Abi-".

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

אָב (av) — father.

1) father of an individual

2) of God as father of his people

3) head or founder of a household, group, family, or clan

4) ancestor

4a) grandfather, forefathers - of person

4b) of people

5) originator or patron of a class, profession, or art

6) of producer, generator (fig.)

7) of benevolence and protection (fig.)

8) term of respect and honour

9) ruler or chief (spec.)

Also means: av (אַב "father" H0002)

אָב (av) — (Huram)-abi.

A man living at the time of United Monarchy, first mentioned at 1Ki.7.13; also called Huram-abi (KJV: "Huram my father's") at 2Ch.2.13; 4.16;

Combined with chi.ram (חִירָם "Hiram" H2438H)

אָב (av) — father of.

The father of Gibeon, also known as Abiel - a man of the tribe of Benjamin living at the time of United Monarchy, first mentioned at 1Sa.9.1;

son of: Zeror (H6872C); married to Maacah (H4601N);

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Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-mp | Suff — Noun common feminine plural construct · suffix
HNcfpc/Sp3mp
[the] descendants of Merari to clans their to [the] house of ancestors their you will enroll the object marker them
תִּפְקֹ֥דtif.Kod you will enroll H6485 Verb · Qal · imperfect second person masculine singular
303× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This word means to visit or oversee, and can imply a range of actions, from friendly to hostile. It is used in various contexts, including appointing, avenging, or delivering something into someone's care. The KJV translates it in many ways, including appoint, avenge, or commit.
Amplified meaning
reckon, count
Tyndale gloss
to reckon: list
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

פָּקַד (paqad) is a Hebrew verb that encompasses a range of meanings including to attend to, visit, muster, appoint, and punish. It can imply oversight or care, as well as the act of seeking or lacking something. The word can also be used in various grammatical forms, indicating actions such as being appointed or being visited upon. The plural form פְּקוּדִים refers to musterings or expenses.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

פָּקַד 303 vb. attend to, visit, muster, appoint

Qal

pay attention to, observe (with care, practical interest)

attend to, in act, see to

seek (with interest, desire)

seek in vain, need, miss, lack

specif. visit, c. acc., for different purposes

c. עַל pers., visit upon

pass in review, muster (nearly = number), c. acc.

appoint

Niph.

be (sought, i.e. needed) missed, lacking

be visited (graciously)

be visited upon, עַל pers.

be appointed

Pi. (intens.) muster a host

Pu. be passed in review; be caused to miss, deprived

Hithp. be mustered

Hothp. id.

Hiph.

c. acc. pers. set (over), make overseer

c. acc. rei (implic.)

commit, entrust

deposit

Hoph.

be visited in punishment

be deposited

be made overseer

base

[פְּקוּדִים] n.pl.[m.] abstr. musterings, i.e. expenses;—cstr. Ex 38:21

ref

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H6485a פָּקַד attend to, visit, muster, appoint .. . . pay attention to, observe (with care, practical interest)

. attend to, in act, see to

. seek (with interest, desire)

. seek in vain, need, miss, lack

. specif. visit, c. acc., for different purposes

. c. עַל pers., visit upon

. pass in review, muster (nearly = number), c. acc.

. appoint

. . be (sought, i.e. needed) missed, lacking

. be visited (graciously)

. be visited upon, עַל pers.

. be appointed

. (intens.) muster a host

. be passed in review; be caused to miss, deprived

. be mustered

. id.

. . c. acc. pers. set (over), make overseer

. c. acc. rei (implic.) . commit, entrust

. deposit

. . be visited in punishment

. be deposited

. be made overseer

H6485b פְּקוּדִים n. pl. [m.] abstr. musterings, i.e. expenses

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

6485 paqad paw-kad'

a primitive root; to visit (with friendly or hostile intent);

by analogy, to oversee, muster, charge, care for, miss,

deposit, etc.:--appoint, X at all, avenge, bestow, (appoint

to have the, give a) charge, commit, count, deliver to keep,

be empty, enjoin, go see, hurt, do judgment, lack, lay up,

look, make, X by any means, miss, number, officer, (make)

overseer, have (the) oversight, punish, reckon, (call to)

remember(-brance), set (over), sum, X surely, visit, want.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

פָּקַד (pa.qad) — to reckon: list.

: list/count

1) to attend to, muster, number, reckon, visit, punish, appoint, look after, care for

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to pay attention to, observe

1a2) to attend to

1a3) to seek, look about for

1a4) to seek in vain, need, miss, lack

1a5) to visit

1a6) to visit upon, punish

1a7) to pass in review, muster, number

1a8) to appoint, assign, lay upon as a charge, deposit

1b) (Niphal)

1b1) to be sought, be needed, be missed, be lacking

1b2) to be visited

1b3) to be visited upon

1b4) to be appointed

1b5) to be watched over

1c) (Piel) to muster, call up

1d) (Pual) to be passed in review, be caused to miss, be called, be called to account

1e) (Hiphil)

1e1) to set over, make overseer, appoint an overseer

1e2) to commit, entrust, commit for care, deposit

1f) (Hophal)

1f1) to be visited

1f2) to be deposited

1f3) to be made overseer, be entrusted

1g) (Hithpael) numbered

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
V-Qal-Imperf-2ms — Verb · Qal · imperfect second person masculine singular
HVqi2ms
[the] descendants of Merari to clans their to [the] house of ancestors their you will enroll the object marker them
אֹתָֽם׃'o.Tam the object marker them H853 Particle · suffix
10,946× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
In the original Hebrew, this word points out the object of a verb or preposition, like 'namely' or 'even'. It appears in many books, including Genesis and Exodus. It's not directly translated in English, but helps clarify the meaning of sentences.
Tyndale gloss
[Obj.]
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

אֵת (eth) is primarily a grammatical marker in Hebrew, indicating the definite direct object of a verb. It is not translated into English and typically precedes nouns that are definite. The word is derived from a demonstrative sense of entity, related to the Hebrew word for 'self.' Its Aramaic equivalent is יָת (yat).

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

אֵת the mark of the accusative, prefixed as a rule only to nouns that are definite

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H853 אֵת the mark of the accusative, prefixed as a rule only to nouns that are definite

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

853 'eth ayth

apparent contracted from 226 in the demonstrative sense of

entity; properly, self (but generally used to point out more

definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or

namely):--(as such unrepresented in English).

see HEBREW for 0226

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

אֵת (et) — [Obj.].

sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative

Aramaic equivalent: yat (יָת "whom" H3487)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
DirObjM | Suff — Particle · suffix
HTo/Sp3mp
The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
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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