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Numbers 8:25 — Word Study

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WLCוּמִבֶּן֙ חֲמִשִּׁ֣ים שָׁנָ֔ה יָשׁ֖וּב מִצְּבָ֣א הָעֲבֹדָ֑ה וְלֹ֥א יַעֲבֹ֖ד עֽוֹד׃

BSABut at the agebên [of maturity, fifty years old] of fiftychămishshîym they must retireshûwb [cease waiting upon the service, stop serving] from performingtsâbâʼ the workʻăbôdâh [service, ministry, labor] and nolôʼ longerʻôwd [shall not, will not] serveʻâbad [work, minister, be in bondage]

Word
Listen & take awayNumbers 8
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 (od) — no per-word recordings of the Hebrew exist to link to.
Take it away
Numbers 8:25quick helps
In a sentenceAt fifty years old, Levites must stop their service in the Tabernacle.
Who is speakingThe LORD is giving instructions to Moses.
Where we areThis verse is part of the regulations for the Levites regarding their service.
The hard wordיָשׁ֖וּב
Take awayThe age of fifty marks a transition in responsibilities for the Levites.
5 commentators on this verse Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Cambridge & more — read them › clause verbשׁוּב 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 8:25

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 — Regulations for the Levitesgenerated

23And the LORD said to Moses,
24“This applies to the Levites: Men twenty-five years of age or older shall enter to perform the service in the work at the Tent of Meeting.
25But at the age of fifty, they must retire from performing the work and no longer serve.
26After that, they may assist their brothers in fulfilling their duties at the Tent of Meeting, but they themselves are not to do the work. This is how you are to assign responsibilities to the Levites.”

Numbers 8:25 provides guidelines for the Levites, indicating that they are to retire from active service at the age of fifty. This reflects a structured approach to ministry, allowing for a transition in roles while still enabling them to assist their fellow Levites. The surrounding verses, particularly Numbers 8:24 and Numbers 8:26, elaborate on the responsibilities and duties expected of them before and after this age.


Cross References

ReferenceText (BSB)
1Numbers 4:23from thirty to fifty years old, counting everyone who comes to serve in the work at the Tent of Meeting.
22 Timothy 4:7I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.

The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 2 references, hung on the phrase they belong to

cease waiting upon the service thereofNumbers 4:23 2 Timothy 4:7

The Key Word יָשׁ֖וּב, ya.Shuvgenerated

The verb יָשׁ֖וּב (ya.Shuv) means 'he will turn back' or 'he will return.' It is a third person masculine singular verb in the imperfect tense, indicating an action that will take place in the future. In this context, it signifies the Levites' cessation from their service duties.

This word can also imply a broader sense of returning to a previous state or position, which in this case is the retirement from active ministry. The use of this verb emphasizes the transition in the Levites' roles as they age.


How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated

All translations agree that the Levites must retire from service at fifty years old.


Sentence Structuregenerated

The main verb of the verse is יָשׁ֖וּב, he will turn back, which governs the sentence. The structure includes several phrases: a prepositional phrase indicating age, a noun phrase specifying the number, and another noun phrase describing the service.

The Hebrew word order places emphasis on the age of fifty, highlighting it as a significant marker for the Levites' transition from active service.


Septuagint Backgroundgenerated

The Septuagint translates יָשׁ֖וּב as ἀποστήσεται, meaning 'he will withdraw' or 'he will depart.' This choice indicates a subtle shift in focus from merely turning back to actively withdrawing from service, suggesting a more definitive cessation.

This reflects the translators' interpretation of the Levites' retirement as a formal exit from their duties.


In plain words — the whole versegenerated

Numbers 8:25 states that Levites must retire from their service at the age of fifty. They will no longer perform their duties but may assist their fellow Levites. This shows a structured approach to their ministry and responsibilities.


Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated

What does it mean for the Levites to retire at fifty?

Retiring at fifty signifies a transition in their responsibilities, allowing them to assist rather than serve actively.

Why is the age of fifty significant?

Fifty is seen as a mature age, marking a time when Levites were expected to step back from active service.

Can Levites still assist after retirement?

Yes, after retirement, Levites may assist their brothers but are not to perform the work themselves.

What does this verse tell us about service in the Tabernacle?

It emphasizes the importance of structure and age in the roles of those serving in the Tabernacle.


Reflection Questionsgenerated

  1. What does retiring from service at fifty teach us about the value of different roles in ministry?
  2. How can we apply the principle of transitioning responsibilities in our own lives?
  3. In what ways can older generations support younger ones in their service?
  4. What does this say about the importance of age and experience in leadership?

Commentators on this verse — 5 expositors, verse by verse

Each of these wrote on Numbers 8:25 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.

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

And from the age of fifty years they shall cease waiting upon the service [thereof],.... The heavy service of it: and shall serve no more; by bearing and carrying the vessels of the sanctuary upon

Read John Gill on Numbers 8 →
Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's Commentary

And from the age of fifty years they shall cease waiting upon the service thereof, and shall serve no more: From ... fifty ... they shall cease waiting ... - i:e., on the laborious and exhausting parts of their work.

Read Robert Jamieson on Numbers 8 →
Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy Bible

i.e. Upon the difficult and cumbersome part of their work.

Read Matthew Poole on Numbers 8 →
CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

5–26. The Levites Numbers 8:5-22. Their purification and dedication, Numbers 8:23-26. The age of service. The passage is an expansion of Num 3:5-13, with the addition of the rite of purification. The Levites are inferior to the priests, and are therefore merely cleansed from the ceremonial pollution of ordinary life, while the priests receive something higher, an actual quality which the Hebrews called ‘holiness,’ i.e. not moral excellence, but separation, exclusiveness (Exodus 29, Leviticus 8).

Read Cambridge on Numbers 8 →
Daniel Denison Whedon1808–1885Whedon's Commentary on the Bible

AGE LIMITS TO SERVICE, Numbers 8:23-26.There is great propriety in fixing the limits of active service in the case of all who are set apart to an office for life.

Read Daniel Denison Whedon on Numbers 8 →

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

But at the age of fifty, they must retire from performing the work and no longer serve.

WEBWorld English Bible2000

and from the age of fifty years they shall retire from doing the work, and shall serve no more,

MSBMajority Standard Bible2022

But at the age of fifty, they must retire from performing the work and no longer serve.

NETBNew English Translation2006

and at the age of fifty years they must retire from performing the work and may no longer work.

Tyndale line

KJVKing James Version1611

And from the age of fifty years they shall cease waiting upon the service thereof, and shall serve no more:

ASVAmerican Standard Version1901

and from the age of fifty years they shall cease waiting upon the work, and shall serve no more,

RVARevised Version, American1894

and from the age of fifty years they shall cease waiting upon the work, and shall serve no more;

NWBWebster's Bible1833

And from the age of fifty years they shall cease waiting upon the service of it , and shall serve no more:

GNVGeneva Bible1599

And after the age of fiftie yeere, they shall cease from executing the office, and shall serue no more:

Strictly literal

DBYDarby Translation1890

And from fifty years old he shall retire from the labour of the service, and shall serve no more;

YLTYoung's Literal Translation1862

and from a son of fifty years he doth return from the host of the service, and doth not serve any more,

LSVLiteral Standard Version2020

and from a son of fifty years he returns from the host of the service, and does not serve anymore,

ILTInterlinear Literal Translation2000

And from the age of fifty years shall he go out of the ranks of the service, and he shall serve no more;

ULBUnlocked Literal Bible2017

They must stop serving in this way at the age of fifty years. At that age they must not serve any longer.

From the Latin

DRADouay-Rheims (Challoner)1899

And when they shall have accomplished the fiftieth year of their age, they shall cease to serve:

Simplified

FBVFree Bible Version2020

However, once they reach the age of fifty they need to retire from the work and won't serve any longer.

BBEBible in Basic English1949

But after they are fifty years old, they are to give up their work and do no more;

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.

וּandclauseprepositional phrase · prepositionalמִfromnoun phraseבֶּן֙a.sonnoun phraseחֲמִשִּׁ֣יםof.fiftyשָׁנָ֔הyear[s]verbיָשׁ֖וּבhe.will.turn.backprepositional phrase · prepositionalמִfromnoun phraseצְּבָ֣אthe.servicenoun phraseהָofעֲבֹדָ֑הthe.serviceוְandclauseadverbialלֹ֥אnotverbיַעֲבֹ֖דhe.will.serveadverbialעֽוֹדagain

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 Septuagint has a similar structure, though it presents a different word order and choice of terms.

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

וּמִבֶּן֙ חֲמִשִּׁ֣ים שָׁנָ֔ה יָשׁ֖וּב מִצְּבָ֣א הָעֲבֹדָ֑ה וְלֹ֥א יַעֲבֹ֖ד עֽוֹד׃

Septuagintthe Greek the translators chose, word by word
וּמִבֶּן֙ἀπὸיָשׁ֖וּבἀποστήσεταιמִצְּבָ֣אἀπὸהָעֲבֹדָ֑הλειτουργίαςוְלֹ֥אοὐκיַעֲבֹ֖דἐργᾶταιעֽוֹד׃ἔτι

7 of the 9 words are matched. This is the word-by-word correspondence, not the Septuagint's own sentence — its word order and its articles are its own.

Samaritan Pentateuchthe Torah as the Samaritan community kept it

ומבן חמשׁים שׁנה ישׁוב מצבא העבדה ולא יעבד עוד

Agrees with the Masoretic Text here, word for word.

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 8:25בֵּןand from a and from a son בֵּןחֲמִשִּׁיםfiftyfiftyחֲמִשִּׁיםשָׁנָהyear[s]year[s]שָׁנָהשׁוּבhe will turhe will turn baשׁוּבצָבָאfrom [the] from [the] servצָבָאעֲבֹדָהthe servicethe serviceעֲבֹדָהלֹאand notand notלֹאעָבַדhe will serhe will serveעָבַדעוֹדagainagainעוֹדבָּנָהto buildto buildבָּנָהשָׁנָהto changeto changeשָׁנָהצָבָאto serveto serveצָבָאעָבַדto serveto serveעָבַדעוּדto upholdto upholdעוּדחָמֵשׁfivefiveחָמֵשׁעַמּוֹןAmmonAmmonעַמּוֹןרְאוּבֵןReubenReubenרְאוּבֵןמֵאָהhundredhundredמֵאָהמָלַךְto reignto reignמָלַךְעֶשְׂרִיםtwentytwentyעֶשְׂרִיםשְׁבִיתcaptivitycaptivityשְׁבִיתחָרוֹןburning anburning angerחָרוֹןכֹּהthusthusכֹּהנְאֻםutteranceutteranceנְאֻםמְלָאכָהworkworkמְלָאכָהיָכֹלbe ablebe ableיָכֹלעוֹדstillstillעוֹד
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 8:25

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.

and from a son of fifty year[s] he will turn back from [the] service of the service and not he will serve again
וּמִבֶּן֙u.mi.Ben and from a son of H1121 Conjunction · preposition · noun common masculine singular 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
of maturity, fifty years old
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
Conj | Prep | N-ms — Conjunction · preposition · noun common masculine singular construct
HC/R/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…

and from a son of fifty year[s] he will turn back from [the] service of the service and not he will serve again
חֲמִשִּׁ֣יםcha.mi.Shim fifty H2572 Adj
163× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This Hebrew word simply means the number fifty, used in various biblical contexts like measurements and quantities. It appears in Leviticus and Numbers.
Tyndale gloss
fifty
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

חֲמִשִּׁים (chamishshiym) means 'fifty' and is a cardinal number. It can also refer to a multiple of fifty or the ordinal number 'fiftieth.' The entries consistently define it as a numerical term without significant variation.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

חֲמִשִּׁים 164 n.pl. (a) fifty

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H2572 חֲמִשִּׁים (a) fifty

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

2572 chamishshiym kham-ish-sheem'

multiple of 2568; fifty:--fifty.

see HEBREW for 02568

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

חֲמִשִּׁים (cha.mish.shim) — fifty.

1) fifty

1a) fifty (cardinal number)

1b) a multiple of fifty (with other numbers)

1c) fiftieth (ordinal number)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Adj — Adj
HAcmpa
and from a son of fifty year[s] he will turn back from [the] service of the service and not he will serve again
שָׁנָ֔הsha.Nah year[s] H8141 Noun common · feminine singular absolute
877× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This word also means a year, like when Abraham was 100 years old in Genesis 21. It is used to describe a period of time, age, or a lifetime.
Tyndale gloss
year
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

שָׁנָה (shaneh) means 'year' and is derived from the root meaning to change or revolve. It encompasses various aspects of time, including divisions of time, measures of age, and even a lifetime. The Aramaic equivalent is שְׁנָה (she.nah), also meaning 'year'.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

שָׁנָה 877 n.f. year (etym. v. √[v.ek.aa])

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H8141 שָׁנָה year (etym. v. √[8138a])

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

8141 shaneh shaw-neh'

(in plura or (feminine) shanah {shaw-naw'}; from 8138; a year

(as a revolution of time):--+ whole age, X long, + old,

year(X -ly).

see HEBREW for 08138

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

שָׁנָה (sha.neh) — year.

1) year

1a) as division of time

1b) as measure of time

1c) as indication of age

1d) a lifetime (of years of life)

Aramaic equivalent: she.nah (שְׁנָה "year" H8140)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
HNcfsa — Noun common · feminine singular absolute
HNcfsa
and from a son of fifty year[s] he will turn back from [the] service of the service and not he will serve again
יָשׁ֖וּבya.Shuv he will turn back H7725 Verb · Qal · imperfect third person masculine singular
1,057× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This Hebrew word means to return or turn back, and can be used literally or figuratively. It is often used to describe someone returning to God or repenting from sin, as seen in the book of Psalms and the prophets.
Amplified meaning
cease waiting upon the service, stop serving
Tyndale gloss
to return: return
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word שׁוּב (shuwb) means to turn back or return, covering a wide range of contexts including physical, spiritual, and relational. It can denote returning to a previous state, repenting, or even apostatizing. The entries describe various forms and uses, including bringing back, restoring, and refreshing. Notably, it can also imply a change in course of action.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

שׁוּב 1056 vb. turn back, return

Qal 683;—turn back, return:

turn back

return, come or go back

esp. return unto

of dying

of revival from death

fig. of human relations:

return to leader, king

= change so as to appoach (in purpose, desire)

turn, i.e. resort to

return to a physical condition

abs. = change course of action

fig., specif. of spiritual relations:

turn back from God = apostatize

of י׳, turn away

turn back to God (= seek penitently)

abs. repent

turn back from evil

of י׳

of י׳, return (to shew favour)

of inanimate things (sts. personified, or treated as things of life):

denoting repetition, etc.

trans.

Pō‛l.

bring back

fig. restore, refresh

restore, repair

lead away (enticingly)

shew turning = apostatize

Hiph. 353 cause to return, bring back

bring back into bondage

put back

= draw back

= give back, restore

= relinguish

= give in payment, requital

bring one back (from dead)

bring back heart

= refresh

Read the full entry →
Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H7725 שׁוּב turn back, return .—turn back, return: . turn back

. return, come or go back

. esp. return unto

. . of dying

. of revival from death

. fig. of human relations: . return to leader, king

. = change so as to appoach (in purpose, desire)

. turn, i.e. resort to

. return to a physical condition

. abs. = change course of action

. fig., specif. of spiritual relations: . turn back from God = apostatize

. of י׳, turn away

. turn back to God (= seek penitently)

. abs. repent

. turn back from evil

. of י׳

. of י׳, return (to shew favour)

. of inanimate things (sts. personified, or treated as things of life):

. denoting repetition, etc.

. trans.

. . bring back

. . fig. restore, refresh

. restore, repair

. lead away (enticingly)

. shew turning = apostatize

. cause to return, bring back . . bring back into bondage

. put back

. = draw back

. = give back, restore

. = relinguish

. = give in payment, requital

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Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

7725 shuwb shoob

a primitive root; to turn back (hence, away) transitively or

intransitively, literally or figuratively (not necessarily

with the idea of return to the starting point); generally to

retreat; often adverbial, again:--((break, build, circumcise,

dig, do anything, do evil, feed, lay down, lie down, lodge,

make, rejoice, send, take, weep)) X again, (cause to) answer

(+ again), X in any case (wise), X at all, averse, bring

(again, back, home again), call (to mind), carry again (back),

cease, X certainly, come again (back), X consider, +

continually, convert, deliver (again), + deny, draw back,

fetch home again, X fro, get (oneself) (back) again, X give

(again), go again (back, home), (go) out, hinder, let, (see)

more, X needs, be past, X pay, pervert, pull in again, put

(again, up again), recall, recompense, recover, refresh,

relieve, render (again), requite, rescue, restore, retrieve,

Read the full entry →
Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

שׁוּב (shuv) — to return: return.

: return

1) to return, turn back

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to turn back, return

1a1a) to turn back

1a1b) to return, come or go back

1a1c) to return unto, go back, come back

1a1d) of dying

1a1e) of human relations (fig)

1a1f) of spiritual relations (fig)

1a1f1) to turn back (from God), apostatise

1a1f2) to turn away (of God)

1a1f3) to turn back (to God), repent

1a1f4) turn back (from evil)

1a1g) of inanimate things

1a1h) in repetition

1b) (Polel)

1b1) to bring back

1b2) to restore, refresh, repair (fig)

1b3) to lead away (enticingly)

1b4) to show turning, apostatise

1c) (Pual) restored (participle)

1d) (Hiphil) to cause to return, bring back

1d1) to bring back, allow to return, put back, draw back, give back, restore, relinquish, give in payment

1d2) to bring back, refresh, restore

1d3) to bring back, report to, answer

1d4) to bring back, make requital, pay (as recompense)

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
V-Qal-Imperf-3ms — Verb · Qal · imperfect third person masculine singular
HVqi3ms
The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
and from a son of fifty year[s] he will turn back from [the] service of the service and not he will serve again
מִצְּבָ֣אmi.tze.Va' from [the] service of H6635 Preposition · noun common masculine singular construct
485× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This Hebrew word means a large group of people or things, often referring to an army or a campaign, and is also used to describe the Lord's hosts. It appears in the Bible as a name for God, emphasizing His power and authority. In the KJV, it's translated as 'host' or 'army'.
Tyndale gloss
army
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word צָבָא (*tsaba'*) primarily means 'army' or 'warfare,' encompassing organized groups for battle, divine hosts, and even celestial bodies. It can also refer to service or duty in a military context. The term appears in various forms, including צְבָאוֹת (*tsaba'ot*), which denotes the 'hosts' of the Lord, particularly in relation to God's role in warfare.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

צָבָא 485 n.m. army, war, warfare

army, host

war, warfare, service

service

צְבָאוֹת, in name of י׳ as God of war, prob. first in time of warlike David (some connect with sacred ark, but ark older)

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H6635a צָבָא army, war, warfare . army, host

. war, warfare, service

. service

H6635b צְבָאוֹת army, war, warfare . army, host

. war, warfare, service

. service

. צְבָאוֹת, in name of י׳ as God of war, prob. first in time of warlike David (some connect with sacred ark, but ark older)

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

6635 tsaba' tsaw-baw'

or (feminine) tsbadah {tseb-aw-aw'}; from 6633; a mass of

persons (or figuratively, things), especially reg. organized

for war (an army); by implication, a campaign, literally or

figuratively (specifically, hardship, worship):--appointed

time, (+) army, (+) battle, company, host, service, soldiers,

waiting upon, war(-fare).

see HEBREW for 06633

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

צָבָא (tsa.va) — army.

: army

1) that which goes forth, army, war, warfare, host

1a) army, host

1a1) host (of organised army)

1a2) host (of angels)

1a3) of sun, moon, and stars

1a4) of whole creation

1b) war, warfare, service, go out to war

1c) service

צָבָא (tsa.va) — Hosts.

The Hosts (of the Lord)

Another name of ye.ho.vah (יהוה "LORD" H3068G)

צָבָא (tsa.va) — army: war.

: war

1) that which goes forth, army, war, warfare, host

1a) army, host

1a1) host (of organised army)

1a2) host (of angels)

1a3) of sun, moon, and stars

1a4) of whole creation

1b) war, warfare, service, go out to war

1c) service

צָבָא (tsa.va) — army: duty.

: duty

1) that which goes forth, army, war, warfare, host

1a) army, host

1a1) host (of organised army)

1a2) host (of angels)

1a3) of sun, moon, and stars

1a4) of whole creation

1b) war, warfare, service, go out to war

1c) service

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Prep | N-cs — 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…

and from a son of fifty year[s] he will turn back from [the] service of the service and not he will serve again
הָעֲבֹדָ֑הha.'a.vo.Dah the service H5656 Particle · noun common feminine singular absolute
145× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This Hebrew word means service or work, including serving God or others. It appears in various forms in the Bible, such as in Exodus and Deuteronomy, to describe labor or ministry.
Amplified meaning
service, ministry, labor
Tyndale gloss
service
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

עֲבֹדָה (abodah) refers to various forms of labor or service, including the work of a servant or slave, the service of captives or subjects, and the service of God. It is built from the root word for work and encompasses a range of meanings related to labor and ministry.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

עֲבֹדָה, and (Chr) עֲבוֹדָה 146 n.f. labour, servicelabour, work

labour of servant or slave

labour, service of captives or subjects

service of God

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H5656 עֲבֹדָה, and עֲבוֹדָה labour . labour, work

. labour of servant or slave

. labour, service of captives or subjects

. service of God

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

5656 `abodah ab-o-daw'

or mabowdah {ab-o-daw'}; from 5647; work of any kind:--act,

bondage, + bondservant, effect, labour, ministering(-try),

office, service(-ile, -itude), tillage, use, work, X wrought.

see HEBREW for 05647

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

עֲבֹדָה (a.vo.dah) — service.

: service[as_servant/slave]

1) labour, service

1a) labour, work

1b) labour (of servant or slave)

1c) labour, service (of captives or subjects)

1d) service (of God)

עֲבֹדָה (a.vo.dah) — service: ministry.

: ministry[for_God]/tabernacle]

1) labour, service

1a) labour, work

1b) labour (of servant or slave)

1c) labour, service (of captives or subjects)

1d) service (of God)

עֲבֹדָה (a.vo.dah) — service: work.

: work/labour

1) labour, service

1a) labour, work

1b) labour (of servant or slave)

1c) labour, service (of captives or subjects)

1d) service (of God)

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

sur'-vis: Six Hebrew, two Aramaic and four Greek words are so rendered.

1. In the Old Testament:

In the Old Testament the word most used for "service" is

(1) `abhodhah, from `abhadh, which is the general word, meaning "to work" and so "to serve," "to till," also "to enslave." The noun means "bondage," "labor," "ministering," "service," "tillage," "work," "use." The word is used in describing work in the fields (Ex 1:14, et al.), work in the tabernacle (Ex 27:19, et al.), sanctuary service (Nu 7:9), service of Yahweh (Nu 8:11), Levitical or priestly service (Nu 8:22), kingly service (

and from a son of fifty year[s] he will turn back from [the] service of the service and not he will serve again
וְלֹ֥אve.Lo' and not H3808 Conjunction · particle
5,170× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
The Hebrew word for not or no is used to indicate absence or negation, as when God says no to the Israelites' requests, or when they disobey His commands.
Tyndale gloss
not
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

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

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

לֹא or לוֹא adv. not

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H3808 לֹא or לוֹא not

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

3808 lo' lo

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

לֹא (lo) — not.

1) not, no

1a) not (with verb-absolute prohibition)

1b) not (with modifier-negation)

1c) nothing (subst)

1d) without (with particle)

1e) before (of time)

Aramaic equivalent: la (לָא "not" H3809)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Conj | Part — Conjunction · particle
HC/Tn
The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
and from a son of fifty year[s] he will turn back from [the] service of the service and not he will serve again
יַעֲבֹ֖דya.'a.Vod he will serve H5647 Verb · Qal · imperfect third person masculine singular
288× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
To serve or work is the meaning of this verb, which can also imply slavery or bondage, as seen in the story of the Israelites in Egypt. It is used to describe various types of work or service, including serving God or other people. The word has different forms and meanings in different contexts.
Amplified meaning
work, minister, be in bondage
Tyndale gloss
to serve
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

עָבַד (abad) is a Hebrew verb meaning to work or serve, encompassing a range of activities from laboring for others to serving God, including Levitical service. It can also refer to the cultivation of land or the act of enslaving. The word appears in various forms, indicating different nuances of service and labor.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

עָבַד 290 vb. work, serve

Qal

labour, work, do work

work for another, serve him by labour

serve as subjects

serve God

serve י׳ with Levitical service

Niph.

be tilled, of land

dub. cultivated field

Pu. worked

Hiph.

compel to labour as slaves

make to serve as subjects

cause to serve God

Hoph. be led or enticed to serve

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H5647 עָבַד work, serve .. labour, work, do work

. work for another, serve him by labour

. serve as subjects

. serve God

. serve י׳ with Levitical service

. . be tilled, of land

. dub. cultivated field

. worked

. . compel to labour as slaves

. make to serve as subjects

. cause to serve God

. be led or enticed to serve

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

5647 `abad aw-bad'

a primitive root; to work (in any sense); by implication, to

serve, till, (causatively) enslave, etc.:--X be, keep in

bondage, be bondmen, bond-service, compel, do, dress, ear,

execute, + husbandman, keep, labour(-ing man, bring to pass,

(cause to, make to) serve(-ing, self), (be, become)

servant(-s), do (use) service, till(-er), transgress (from

margin), (set a) work, be wrought, worshipper,

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

עָבַד (a.vad) — to serve.

: serve[someone]

1) to work, serve

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to labour, work, do work

1a2) to work for another, serve another by labour

1a3) to serve as subjects

1a4) to serve (God)

1a5) to serve (with Levitical service)

1b) (Niphal)

1b1) to be worked, be tilled (of land)

1b2) to make oneself a servant

1c) (Pual) to be worked

1d) (Hiphil)

1d1) to compel to labour or work, cause to labour, cause to serve

1d2) to cause to serve as subjects

1e) (Hophal) to be led or enticed to serve

עָבַד (a.vad) — to serve: minister.

: minister/serve[God/tabernacle/temple]/worship

1) to work, serve

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to labour, work, do work

1a2) to work for another, serve another by labour

1a3) to serve as subjects

1a4) to serve (God)

1a5) to serve (with Levitical service)

1b) (Niphal)

1b1) to be worked, be tilled (of land)

1b2) to make oneself a servant

1c) (Pual) to be worked

1d) (Hiphil)

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
V-Qal-Imperf-3ms — Verb · Qal · imperfect third person masculine singular
HVqi3ms
and from a son of fifty year[s] he will turn back from [the] service of the service and not he will serve again
עֽוֹד׃od again H5750 Adv
490× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
The word 'still' means something continues or happens again, like in Genesis 29:26 and Isaiah 2:11. It can also mean 'more' or 'additionally'.
Amplified meaning
shall not, will not
Tyndale gloss
still
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

עוֹד (owd) primarily denotes a sense of iteration or continuance, functioning mostly as an adverb meaning 'still,' 'yet,' or 'again.' It can also imply addition or repetition, as in 'more' or 'besides.' The word appears in various contexts throughout the Old Testament, emphasizing persistence or continuation.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

עוֹד and (14 t.) עֹד subst. a going round, continuance, but used mostly as adv. acc. still, yet, again, besides

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H5750 עוֹד and (14 t.) עֹד subst. a going round, continuance, but used mostly as adv. acc. still, yet, again, besides

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

5750 `owd ode

or rod {ode}; from 5749; properly, iteration or continuance;

used only adverbially (with or without preposition), again,

repeatedly, still, more:--again, X all life long, at all,

besides, but, else, further(-more), henceforth, (any) longer,

(any) more(-over), X once, since, (be) still, when, (good,

the) while (having being), (as, because, whether, while) yet

(within).

see HEBREW for 05749

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

עוֹד (od) — still.

subst

1) a going round, continuance

adv

2) still, yet, again, besides

2a) still, yet (of continuance or persistence)

2b) still, yet, more (of addition or repetition)

2c) again

2d) still, moreover, besides

Aramaic equivalent: od (עוֹד "still" H5751)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Adv — Adv
HAcmsa
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

a-gen': Advb. denoting repetition; in New Testament, generally for palin, "back," "once more." Occasionally, it has the force of a connective, synonymous with "moreover," as in Ro 15:10 ff; 1Co 3:20, etc. The expression "born again" of the King James Version, Joh 3:3,7; 1Pe 1:23, translating the Greek "anothen" and "ana" in composition, becomes in the Revised Version (British and American) "anew," i.e. "over again." As these particles mean "from above" and "up," their use as indicating repetition is sometimes disputed, but without further foundation than that "again" does not exhaust the meaning.

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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