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Numbers 6:25 — Word Study

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WLCיָאֵ֨ר יְהוָ֧ה׀ פָּנָ֛יו אֵלֶ֖יךָ וִֽיחֻנֶּֽךָּ׃ ס

BSAmay the LORDYᵉhôvâh [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] cause His facepânîym [presence, being in front of] to shineʼôwr [give light, illuminate] upon youʼêl and be gracious to youchânan [show kindness, favor]

Word
Listen & take awayNumbers 6
English ↓ Download MP3 The Berean Standard Bible chapter audio already hosted for the site's Bible section — verse 25 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 (Vi.chu.Ne.ka) — no per-word recordings of the Hebrew exist to link to.
Take it away
Numbers 6:25quick helps
In a sentenceThe verse is a blessing asking God to shine His presence upon the people and show them favor.
Who is speakingThe LORD, identified as Yehovah, the covenant Name of God.
Where we areThis verse is part of the priestly blessing given to the Israelites.
The hard wordיָאֵ֨ר
Take awayThe blessing is a request for divine presence and kindness.
3 commentators on this verse Gill, Poole, Whedon & more — read them › clause subjectיהוה verbאוֹר 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 6:25

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

Context — The Priestly Blessinggenerated

24‘May the LORD bless you and keep you;
25may the LORD cause His face to shine upon you and be gracious to you;
26may the LORD lift up His countenance toward you and give you peace.’
27So they shall put My name on the Israelites, and I will bless them.”

Numbers 6:25 is part of a blessing that the LORD instructs Aaron and his sons to speak over the Israelites. This blessing emphasizes God's desire to be present with His people and to show them kindness. It reflects the intimate relationship between God and Israel, highlighting His protective and gracious nature.


Cross References

ReferenceText (BSB)
1Psalm 21:6For You grant him blessings forever; You cheer him with joy in Your presence.
2Psalm 31:16Make Your face shine on Your servant; save me by Your loving devotion.
3Psalm 67:1May God be gracious to us and bless us, and cause His face to shine upon us, Selah
4Psalm 80:1–3Hear us, O Shepherd of Israel, who leads Joseph like a flock; You who sit enthroned between the cherubim, shine forth
5Psalm 119:135Make Your face shine upon Your servant, and teach me Your statutes.

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


The Key Word יָאֵ֨ר, ya.'Ergenerated

The verb אוֹר (or) means to give light or illuminate. It is a Hiphil form, indicating that the subject (the LORD) causes something to happen, in this case, the shining of His face. This word conveys both physical and spiritual illumination, suggesting a divine presence that brings clarity and warmth.

The use of this verb in the context of a blessing implies a desire for God's favor and guidance to be evident in the lives of the recipients.


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 main verb יָאֵ֨ר governs the blessing, with two phrases following: a noun phrase indicating the subject, יְהוָ֧ה (the LORD), and a second clause that includes another verb, וִֽיחֻנֶּֽךָּ (and may He show favor). The structure emphasizes the actions of God towards the people.

The Hebrew word order places the subject first, highlighting the LORD's active role in the blessing, followed by the desired actions directed towards the people.


Septuagint Backgroundgenerated

The Septuagint translates יָאֵ֨ר with ἐπιφάναι, which means to appear or shine forth. This choice emphasizes the manifestation of God's presence and favor.

The Greek translation captures the essence of the Hebrew text, focusing on the illumination and presence of the divine.


In plain words — the whole versegenerated

Numbers 6:25 expresses a blessing from the LORD, asking Him to shine His face upon the people and be gracious to them. This verse is part of a larger priestly blessing meant to convey God's favor and presence.


Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated

What does it mean for the LORD's face to shine upon someone?

It signifies God's presence and favor, illuminating their life with His guidance and kindness.

Why is this blessing important?

It establishes a sense of divine protection and grace, reminding the people of their special relationship with God.

How can we see God's face shining upon us today?

Through acts of kindness, guidance in our decisions, and a sense of peace that comes from His presence in our lives.

What does it mean for God to be gracious?

Being gracious means that God shows kindness and favor, often in ways that we do not deserve, reflecting His love and mercy.


Reflection Questionsgenerated

  1. How can I recognize God's presence in my life?
  2. In what ways can I show kindness to others as a reflection of God's grace?
  3. What does it mean for me to seek God's favor in my daily life?
  4. How can I share the blessings of God's presence with those around me?

Commentators on this verse — 3 expositors, verse by verse

Each of these wrote on Numbers 6:25 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.

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

The Lord make his face to shine upon thee,.... Cause himself, the sun of righteousness, to arise and shine upon them, and give both spiritual light and heat unto them; grant his gracious presence,

Read John Gill on Numbers 6 →
Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy Bible

upon thee, i.e. Smile upon thee: this is opposed to the hiding of his face, and to the covering himself or his face with a cloud; and it is explained by the following words, be gracious unto thee. Others expound it of illumination or direction, and the revelation of himself and of his will to them.

Read Matthew Poole on Numbers 6 →
Daniel Denison Whedon1808–1885Whedon's Commentary on the Bible

25. Make his face shine — The Targum adds, “when occupied in the law, and reveal to thee its secrets.” Anthropomorphic descriptions of God and boldness of metaphor are characteristic of Hebrew poetry.

Read Daniel Denison Whedon on Numbers 6 →

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

may the LORD cause His face to shine upon you and be gracious to you;

WEBWorld English Bible2000

Yahweh make his face to shine on you, and be gracious to you.

MSBMajority Standard Bible2022

may the LORD cause His face to shine upon you and be gracious to you;

NETBNew English Translation2006

The Lord make his face to shine upon you, and be gracious to you;

Tyndale line

KJVKing James Version1611

The LORD make his face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee:

ASVAmerican Standard Version1901

Jehovah make his face to shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee:

RVARevised Version, American1894

The LORD make his face to shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee:

NWBWebster's Bible1833

The LORD make his face to shine upon thee, and be gracious to thee:

GNVGeneva Bible1599

The Lord make his face shine vpon thee, and be merciful vnto thee,

Strictly literal

DBYDarby Translation1890

Jehovah make his face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee;

YLTYoung's Literal Translation1862

'Jehovah cause His face to shine upon thee, and favour thee;

LSVLiteral Standard Version2020

YHWH cause His face to shine on you, || And favor you;

ILTInterlinear Literal Translation2000

The Lord make his face shine unto thee, and be gracious to thee;

ULBUnlocked Literal Bible2017

May Yahweh make his face shine on you and be gracious to you.

From the Latin

DRADouay-Rheims (Challoner)1899

The Lord shew his face to thee, and have mercy on thee.

Simplified

FBVFree Bible Version2020

May the Lord smile on you and be gracious to you.

BBEBible in Basic English1949

May the light of the Lord's face be shining on you in grace:

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.

clauseverbיָאֵ֨רmay.he.make.shinesubjectיְהוָ֧הYahwehnoun phrase · objectפָּנָ֛יfaceוhisprepositional phrase · prepositionalאֵלֶ֖יtoךָyouוִֽandclauseverbיחֻנֶּֽmayobjectךָּhe.show.favor.to.you

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


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

The Masoretic Text matches the Septuagint closely, with all five words corresponding directly. The Samaritan Pentateuch differs by using the word יאיר (Jair) instead of יָאֵ֨ר, which may suggest a different nuance or tradition in the blessing.

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

יָאֵ֨ר יְהוָ֧ה׀ פָּנָ֛יו אֵלֶ֖יךָ וִֽיחֻנֶּֽךָּ׃ ס

Septuagintthe Greek the translators chose, word by word
יָאֵ֨רἐπιφάναιיְהוָ֧ה׀κύριοςפָּנָ֛יוαὐτοῦאֵלֶ֖יךָσὲוִֽיחֻנֶּֽךָּ׃ סσε

5 of the 5 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

יאיר יהוה פניו אליך ויחנך

1 word differs from the Masoretic Text: יאיר (Jair)

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 6:25אוֹרmay he makemay he make shiאוֹריהוהYahwehYahwehיהוהפָּנֶהface hisface hisפָּנֶהאֶלto youto youאֶלחָנַןand may he and may he showחָנַןהָיָהto beto beהָיָהפָּנָהCorner (GaCorner (Gate)פָּנָהחָנָהto campto campחָנָהנֵרlamplampנֵראוֹרlightlightאוֹרנְאֻםutteranceutteranceנְאֻםצָבָאarmyarmyצָבָאסָתַרto hideto hideסָתַרנוּסto fleeto fleeנוּספָּלַלto prayto prayפָּלַליִרְמְיָ֫הJeremiahJeremiahיִרְמְיָ֫הלָוָהto jointo joinלָוָה
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 6:25

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.

may he make shine Yahweh face his to you and may he show favor to you
יָאֵ֨רya.'Er may he make shine H215 Verb · Hiphil · jussive third person masculine singular
43× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
Or means to give light, whether physically or spiritually, as in Psalm 119:105 where God's word is a light to our path.
Amplified meaning
give light, illuminate
Tyndale gloss
to light
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

אוֹר (or) is a Hebrew verb meaning to be or become light, covering various contexts such as shining of the sun, illumination by celestial bodies, and lighting lamps. It has different forms: Qal (to shine), Niphal (to be illuminated), and Hiphil (to give light). The entries emphasize both literal and metaphorical uses, including making one's face shine and enlightening the eyes.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

[אוֹר] 43 vb. be or become light

Qal;—become light, shine of sun (esp. in early morn.)

Niph.—become lighted up of day-break

Hiph.—

give light, of sun, moon & stars

light up, cause to shine, shine

light a lamp

lighten, of the eyes

make shine, of face of God

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H215 אוֹר be or become light .—become light, shine of sun (esp. in early morn.)

.—become lighted up of day-break

.— . give light, of sun, moon & stars

. light up, cause to shine, shine

. light a lamp

. lighten, of the eyes

. make shine, of face of God

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

215 'owr ore

a primitive root; to be (causative, make) luminous (literally

and metaphorically):--X break of day, glorious, kindle, (be,

en-, give, show) light (-en, -ened), set on fire, shine.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

אוֹר (or) — to light.

1) to be or become light, shine

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to become light (day)

1a2) to shine (of the sun)

1a3) to become bright

1b) (Niphal)

1b1) to be illuminated

1b2) to become lighted up

1c) (Hiphil)

1c1) to give light, shine (of sun, moon, and stars)

1c2) to illumine, light up, cause to shine, shine

1c3) to kindle, light (candle, wood)

1c4) lighten (of the eyes, his law, etc)

1c5) to make shine (of the face)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
V-Hiphil-Juss-3ms — Verb · Hiphil · jussive third person masculine singular
HVhj3ms
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

shin: The Hebrew words 'ahal, 'or, halal, zahar, zarach, yapha`, naghah, `ashath and qaran are all translated "shine." All indicate either the direct or indirect diffusion of beams of light. In a direct and literal sense the word "shine" is used of the heavenly bodies, or of candles, and fire (Job 18:5; 25:5 the King James Version; Job 29:3; 31:26; 2Ki 3:22). In a figurative sense it is used of reflected light or brightness, in any sense (Ex 34:29 f,35; Isa 60:1; Eze 43:2; Da 12:3). God as the sun of righteousness…

may he make shine Yahweh face his to you and may he show favor to you
יְהוָ֧ה׀Yah.weh Yahweh H3068 Noun proper
6,528× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
Yehovah is another name for God, often translated as 'the Lord'. It is a national name for God in the Jewish faith. This name is used throughout the Old Testament.
Amplified meaning
Yehovah, The covenant Name of God
Tyndale gloss
The Lord
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

יְהֹוָה (ye.ho.vah) is the proper name of the God of Israel, often rendered as Jehovah or the Lord. It signifies the self-existent or eternal nature of God. The name is closely associated with the revelation to Moses in Exodus 3:12-15 and is used in conjunction with other terms to denote sacred places. Some scholars suggest it derives from a root meaning 'to bring into being.'

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

יהוה c. 6823 i.e. יַהְוֶה n.pr.dei Yahweh, the proper name of the God of Israel—(1. MT יְהֹוָה 6518 (Qr אֲדֹנָי), or יֱהֹוִה 305 (Qr אֱלֹהִים) 2. Many recent scholars explain יַהְוֶה as Hiph. of הוה (= היה) the one bringing into being, life-giver)

יהוה is not used by E in Gn, but is given Ex 3:12-15 as the name of the God who revealed Himself to Moses at Horeb

יהוה is used with אלהים and suffixes, especially in D

the phrase † אֲנִי יהוה is noteworthy

יהוה is also used with several predicates, to form sacred names of holy places of Yahweh

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H3068 יהוה i.e. יַהְוֶה n. pr. dei Yahweh, the proper name of the God of Israel

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

3068 Yhovah yeh-ho-vaw'

from 1961; (the) self-Existent or Eternal; Jehovah, Jewish

national name of God:--Jehovah, the Lord. Compare 3050, 3069.

see HEBREW for 01961

see HEBREW for 03050

see HEBREW for 03069

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

יְהֹוָה (ye.ho.vah) — LORD.

Jehovah = "the existing One"

1) the proper name of the one true God

1a) unpronounced except with the vowel pointings of a.do.na (אֲדֹנָי "Lord" H0136)

יְהֹוָה (ye.ho.vah) — The Lord.

Another name of ye.ru.sha.laim (יְרוּשָׁלִַ֫ם, יְרוּשְׁלֵם "Jerusalem" H3389)

יְהֹוָה (ye.ho.vah) — (Jerusalem of) the Lord.

Combined with ye.ru.sha.laim (יְרוּשָׁלִַ֫ם, יְרוּשְׁלֵם "Jerusalem" H3389)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-proper — Noun proper
HNpt
The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
may he make shine Yahweh face his to you and may he show favor to you
פָּנָ֛יוpa.Nav face his H6440 Noun common masculine plural construct · suffix
2,127× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This word means face or presence, like being in front of someone or something. It's used in many contexts, like in Genesis, Exodus, and Psalms, to describe interactions and relationships.
Amplified meaning
presence, being in front of
Tyndale gloss
face
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word פָּנֶה (*pāneh*) is a noun meaning 'face' or 'presence,' and it appears in various contexts, including the faces of seraphim and animals, as well as the surface of the ground. It can also function as an adverb meaning 'before' or 'in front of.' The word is built from a root that suggests turning or facing, and it encompasses a wide range of applications, both literal and figurative.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

[פָּנֶה], pl. פָּנִים 2123 n.m. face, also faces

face, faces

presence, person

technically, see one's face, i.e. appear before one, in one's presence

face of seraphim

face of animals

face (= surface) of ground

as adv.loc. before

for other phrases

with prepositions

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H6440 פָּנֶה, pl. פָּנִים face, also faces . . face, faces

. . presence, person

. technically, see one's face, i.e. appear before one, in one's presence

. face of seraphim

. face of animals

. face (= surface) of ground

. as adv. loc. before

. for other phrases

. with prepositions

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

6440 paniym paw-neem'

plural (but always as singular) of an unused noun (paneh

{paw-neh'}; from 6437); the face (as the part that turns);

used in a great variety of applications (literally and

figuratively); also (with prepositional prefix) as a

preposition (before, etc.):--+ accept, a-(be- )fore(-time),

against, anger, X as (long as), at, + battle, + because (of),

+ beseech, countenance, edge, + employ, endure, + enquire,

face, favour, fear of, for, forefront(-part), form(-er

time, -ward), from, front, heaviness, X him(-self), +

honourable, + impudent, + in, it, look(-eth) (- s), X me, +

meet, X more than, mouth, of, off, (of) old (time), X on,

open, + out of, over against, the partial, person, + please,

presence, propect, was purposed, by reason of, + regard, right

forth, + serve, X shewbread, sight, state, straight, + street,

X thee, X them(-selves), through (+ - out), till, time(-s)

Read the full entry →
Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

פָּנֶה (pa.neh) — face: before.

: before/to/front

1) face

1a) face, faces

1b) presence, person

1c) face (of seraphim or cherubim)

1d) face (of animals)

1e) face, surface (of ground)

1f) as adv of loc/temp

1f1) before and behind, toward, in front of, forward, formerly, from beforetime, before

1g) with prep

1g1) in front of, before, to the front of, in the presence of, in the face of, at the face or front of, from the presence of, from before, from before the face of

פָּנֶה (pa.neh) — face.

: face

1) face

1a) face, faces

1b) presence, person

1c) face (of seraphim or cherubim)

1d) face (of animals)

1e) face, surface (of ground)

1f) as adv of loc/temp

1f1) before and behind, toward, in front of, forward, formerly, from beforetime, before

1g) with prep

1g1) in front of, before, to the front of, in the presence of, in the face of, at the face or front of, from the presence of, from before, from…

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-cp | Suff — Noun common masculine plural construct · suffix
HNcmpc/Sp3ms
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

hiz: Used often in the King James Version with reference to a neuter or inanimate thing, or to a lower animal (Ge 1:11, "after his kind"; Le 1:16, "pluck away his crop"; Ac 12:10, "of his own accord"; 1Co 15:38, "his own body"), etc. the Revised Version (British and American) substitutes "its."

The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
may he make shine Yahweh face his to you and may he show favor to you
אֵלֶ֖יךָ'e.Lei.kha to you H413 Preposition · suffix
5,518× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This Hebrew word means 'to' or 'toward', showing direction or movement. It appears in many books, including Genesis and Exodus, to indicate where someone is going. The KJV translates it in various ways, like 'about', 'according to', or 'against'.
Tyndale gloss
to(wards)
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word אֶל (el) is primarily a preposition indicating motion towards or direction to a person or place. It can also imply entering a limit, presence at a location, or a hostile direction (against). Additionally, it may express concepts such as concerning, in addition to, or according to. The entries highlight its versatility in both physical and metaphorical contexts.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

אֶל (nearly always followed by Makkeph),

prep. denoting motion to or direction towards (whether physical or mental).of motion to or unto a person or place

Where the limit is actually entered, into

Of direction towards anything

Where the motion or direction implied appears from the context to be of a hostile character, אֶל = against

Unto sometimes acquires from the context the sense of in addition to

Metaph. in regard to, concerning, on account of

Of rule or standard according to (rare)

Expressing presence at a spot, against, at, by, not merely after verbs implying motion

Prefixed to other preps. it combines with them the idea of motion or direction to

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H413 אֶל (nearly always followed by Makkeph), . of motion to or unto a person or place

. Where the limit is actually entered, into

. Of direction towards anything

. Where the motion or direction implied appears from the context to be of a hostile character, אֶל = against

. Unto sometimes acquires from the context the sense of in addition to

. Metaph. in regard to, concerning, on account of

. Of rule or standard according to (rare)

. Expressing presence at a spot, against, at, by, not merely after verbs implying motion

. Prefixed to other preps. it combines with them the idea of motion or direction to

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

413 'el ale

(but only used in the shortened constructive form sel {el});

a primitive particle; properly, denoting motion towards, but

occasionally used of a quiescent position, i.e. near, with or

among; often in general, to:--about, according to ,after,

against, among, as for, at, because(-fore, -side), both...and,

by, concerning, for, from, X hath, in(- to), near, (out) of,

over, through, to(-ward), under, unto, upon, whether,

with(-in).

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

אֶל (el) — to(wards).

1) to, toward, unto (of motion)

2) into (limit is actually entered)

2a) in among

3) toward (of direction, not necessarily physical motion)

4) against (motion or direction of a hostile character)

5) in addition to, to

6) concerning, in regard to, in reference to, on account of

7) according to (rule or standard)

8) at, by, against (of one's presence)

9) in between, in within, to within, unto (idea of motion to)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Prep | Suff — Preposition · suffix
HRd/Sp2ms
may he make shine Yahweh face his to you and may he show favor to you
וִֽיחֻנֶּֽךָּ׃ סVi.chu.Ne.ka and may he show favor to you H2603 Conjunction · verb qal third person masculine singular · suffix
78× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This Hebrew word means to show kindness or favor, often by bending or stooping to help someone in need, as seen in the actions of God towards his people.
Amplified meaning
show kindness, favor
Tyndale gloss
be gracious
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

חָנַן (chanan) is a Hebrew verb meaning to show favor or be gracious. It encompasses various forms, including being pitied, directing favor, and seeking favor through imploration. The word can also mean to be loathsome, as noted in Job 19:17. The lexicons provide a range of uses, primarily focusing on kindness and mercy.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

חָנַן vb. shew favour, be gracious

Qal favour, shew favour

Niph. be pitied

Po‛el direct favour to

Hoph. be shewn favour, consideration

Hithp. seek or implore favour

base

[חָנַן] be loathsome—only Jb 19:17

ref

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H2603a חָנַן shew favour, be gracious .favour, shew favour

. be pitied

.direct favour to

. be shewn favour, consideration

. seek or implore favour

H2603b חָנַן be loathsome

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

2603 chanan khaw-nan'

a primitive root (compare 2583); properly, to bend or stoop

in kindness to an inferior; to favor, bestow; causatively to

implore (i.e. move to favor by petition):--beseech, X fair,

(be, find, shew) favour(-able), be (deal, give, grant

(gracious(-ly), intreat, (be) merciful, have (shew) mercy (on,

upon), have pity upon, pray, make supplication, X very.

see HEBREW for 02583

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

חָנַן (cha.nan) — be gracious.

1) to be gracious, show favour, pity

1a) (Qal) to show favour, be gracious

1b) (Niphal) to be pitied

1c) (Piel) to make gracious, make favourable, be gracious

1d) (Poel) to direct favour to, have mercy on

1e) (Hophal) to be shown favour, be shown consideration

1f) (Hithpael) to seek favour, implore favour

חָנַן (cha.nan) — be loathsome.

to be loathsome

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Conj | V-Qal-Juss-3ms | Suff — Conjunction · verb qal third person masculine singular · suffix
HC/Vqu3ms/Sp2ms
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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