Menu

Proverbs 10:24 — Word Study

Depth

WLCמְגוֹרַ֣ת רָ֭שָׁע הִ֣יא תְבוֹאֶ֑נּוּ וְתַאֲוַ֖ת צַדִּיקִ֣ים יִתֵּֽן׃

BSAWhat the wicked [man]râshâʻ [morally wrong, guilty of sin, unrighteous] dreadsmᵉgôwrah [fears, is afraid of] will overtake himbôwʼ [come upon, meet] but the desiretaʼăvâh [longing, aspiration] of the righteoustsaddîyq [just, made right with God] will be grantednâthan [given, provided]

Word
Listen & take awayProverbs 10
English ↓ Download MP3 The Berean Standard Bible chapter audio already hosted for the site's Bible section — verse 24 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 (yi.Ten) — no per-word recordings of the Hebrew exist to link to.
Take it away
Proverbs 10:24quick helps
In a sentenceThe verse contrasts the fate of the wicked with the fulfillment of the desires of the righteous.
Who is speakingThe author of Proverbs, likely Solomon, reflecting on moral truths.
Where we areIn a section discussing the outcomes of different moral behaviors.
The hard wordמְגוֹרַ֣ת
Take awayFear can lead to one's downfall, while righteousness brings fulfillment.
8 commentators on this verse Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them › clause subjectהִיא verbנָתַן 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 — Proverbs 10:24

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 Outcomes of Righteousness and Wickednessgenerated

23The fool delights in shameful conduct, but a man of understanding has wisdom.
24What the wicked man dreads will overtake him, but the desire of the righteous will be granted.
25When the whirlwind passes, the wicked are no more, but the righteous are secure forever.
26Like vinegar to the teeth and smoke to the eyes, so is the slacker to those who send him.

Proverbs 10:24 highlights the contrasting destinies of the wicked and the righteous. The wicked person fears what is to come, while the righteous person can expect their desires to be fulfilled. This theme is common in the book of Proverbs, emphasizing the moral order of the world and the consequences of one's actions, as seen in the surrounding verses.


Cross References

ReferenceText (BSB)
1Job 3:25For the thing I feared has overtaken me, and what I dreaded has befallen me.
2Job 15:21Sounds of terror fill his ears; in his prosperity the destroyer attacks him.
3Hebrews 10:27but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume all adversaries.
4Psalm 21:2You have granted his heart’s desire and have not withheld the request of his lips. Selah
5Psalm 37:4Delight yourself in the LORD, and He will give you the desires of your heart.

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


The Key Word מְגוֹרַ֣ת, me.go.Ratgenerated

The word מְגוֹרַ֣ת (megorah) is a feminine noun meaning fear or terror, derived from the root מָגוֹר (māgôr), which relates to fright. It captures the essence of dread experienced by the wicked, indicating a profound sense of fear regarding their fate.

In this verse, it emphasizes that the wicked man's fears will ultimately confront him, illustrating the idea that his apprehensions are not unfounded but rather a reflection of his moral state.


How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated

In this study, we reference the Berean Standard Bible (BSB), which uses dreads for מְגוֹרַ֣ת, aligning with the KJV and ASV, both of which also choose fear.


Sentence Structuregenerated

The verse consists of two main clauses connected by a conjunction: the first describes the fate of the wicked, and the second states the outcome for the righteous. The finite verb in the first clause is תְבוֹאֶ֑נּוּ, it will come to him, indicating what will happen to the wicked.

The second clause introduces the subject וְתַאֲוַ֖ת (the desire), which is paired with the verb יִתֵּֽן (will be given), showing a clear contrast between the two groups.


Septuagint Backgroundgenerated

In the Septuagint, the Hebrew רָשָׁע is rendered as ἀσεβὴς (asebēs), which carries a similar meaning of wickedness but emphasizes irreverence towards God. This choice reflects a broader understanding of moral failure.

The word תַאֲוָה is translated as ἐπιθυμία (epithymia), which also conveys desire but can imply a stronger longing or craving, suggesting a deeper emotional aspect to the desires of the righteous.


In plain words — the whole versegenerated

Proverbs 10:24 tells us that what the wicked man fears will happen to him, while the desires of the righteous will be fulfilled. This verse contrasts the outcomes for those who live morally wrong lives with those who are just and right.


Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated

What does it mean that the wicked man dreads something?

It indicates that the wicked are often aware of their wrongdoings and fear the consequences that may follow.

What kind of desires are granted to the righteous?

The desires of the righteous are those that align with God's will, reflecting their moral integrity and aspirations.

How does this verse relate to the overall message of Proverbs?

It underscores the theme that righteousness leads to positive outcomes while wickedness leads to negative consequences.

Can this verse be applied to modern life?

Yes, it serves as a reminder that our actions and moral choices have consequences, influencing our experiences and outcomes.


Reflection Questionsgenerated

  1. What fears do I have that might reflect my own moral choices?
  2. How can I align my desires with righteousness to ensure fulfillment?
  3. In what ways can I encourage others to pursue righteousness?
  4. What practical steps can I take to overcome fear and live righteously?

The early church on this verse — how the Fathers read it

Ancient commentators have noted the moral implications of this verse. Bede reflects on the fear of the wicked and its consequences.

BedeCommentary on Proverbs c. 673–735
What the wicked fears shall come upon him, etc. He speaks of that wicked one who sins knowingly. Therefore, the wicked fear to see the strict judge;
Early Church Fathers on Proverbs 10 →

Commentators on this verse — 8 expositors, verse by verse

Each of these wrote on Proverbs 10:24 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.

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

The fear of the wicked, it shall come upon him,.... What he dreads in his own mind will be his unhappy case, sooner or later it comes upon him; his fear of distresses, calamities, and judgments in

Read John Gill on Proverbs 10 →
Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's Commentary

The fear of the wicked, it shall come upon him: but the desire of the righteous shall be granted.

Read Robert Jamieson on Proverbs 10 →
Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy Bible

The fear; the evils which he feareth, or hath cause to fear, as fear is oft taken. Shall be granted; God will not only prevent the mischiefs which they fear, but grant them the good things which they desire.

Read Matthew Poole on Proverbs 10 →
John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

Proverbs 10:24 The fear of the wicked, it shall come upon him: but the desire of the righteous shall be granted.Ver. 24. The fear of the wicked shall come upon him.] "A sound of fear is in his ears: in prosperity the destroyer shall come upon him." Pessimus in dubiis Augur Timor. Thus it befell Cain, Saul, Belshazzar, Pilate (who, for fear of Caesar, delivered up Christ to be crucified, and was afterwards by the same Caesar kicked off the bench - yea, off the stage of the world), those wicked Jews that feared that the Romans would come and take away both their place and nation, which accordingly befell them some forty years after, at which time some of them also killed themselves, lest they…

Read John Trapp on Proverbs 10 →
Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(24) The fear of the wicked—i.e., that of which he is afraid. (Comp. Isaiah 66:4; Hebrews 10:27.) The desire of the righteous shall be granted.—For they submit their will to the will of God, and pray for what He sees best for them, which accordingly He grants; moreover, the Holy Spirit also aids them, making intercession for them “according to the will of God” (Romans 8:27).

Read Charles John Ellicott on Proverbs 10 →
AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible

Verse 24. The fear of the wicked] The wicked is full of fears and alarms; and all that he has dreaded and more than he has dreaded, shall come upon him. The righteous is always desiring more of the salvation of God, and God will exceed even his utmost desires.

Read AdamClarke on Proverbs 10 →
Albert Barnes1798–1870Barnes' Notes on the Bible

The fear - i. e., The thing feared (compare the marginal reference). Shall be granted - Or, He (Yahweh) giveth the desire of the righteous.

Read Albert Barnes on Proverbs 10 →
Daniel Denison Whedon1808–1885Whedon's Commentary on the Bible

24. The fear of the wicked — That is, that which is feared. Shall come upon him — Usually in the present life, certainly in the life to come. There is no avoiding punishment but by avoiding sin.

Read Daniel Denison Whedon on Proverbs 10 →

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

What the wicked man dreads will overtake him, but the desire of the righteous will be granted.

WEBWorld English Bible2000

What the wicked fear will overtake them, but the desire of the righteous will be granted.

MSBMajority Standard Bible2022

What the wicked man dreads will overtake him, but the desire of the righteous will be granted.

NETBNew English Translation2006

What the wicked fears will come on him; what the righteous desire will be granted.

Tyndale line

KJVKing James Version1611

The fear of the wicked, it shall come upon him: but the desire of the righteous shall be granted.

ASVAmerican Standard Version1901

The fear of the wicked, it shall come upon him; And the desire of the righteous shall be granted.

RVARevised Version, American1894

The fear of the wicked, it shall come upon him: and the desire of the righteous shall be granted.

NWBWebster's Bible1833

The fear of the wicked, it shall come upon him: but the desire of the righteous shall be granted.

GNVGeneva Bible1599

That which the wicked feareth, shall come vpon him: but God wil graunt the desire of the righteous.

Strictly literal

DBYDarby Translation1890

The fear of a wicked [man], it shall come upon him; but the desire of the righteous shall be granted.

YLTYoung's Literal Translation1862

The feared thing of the wicked it meeteth him, And the desire of the righteous is given.

LSVLiteral Standard Version2020

The feared thing of the wicked meets him, || And the desire of the righteous is given.

ILTInterlinear Literal Translation2000

What the wicked dreadeth, that will come upon him: but the longing of the righteous will God grant.

ULBUnlocked Literal Bible2017

The fear of the wicked person will overtake him, but the desire of righteous people will be granted.

From the Latin

DRADouay-Rheims (Challoner)1899

That which the wicked feareth, shall come upon him: to the just their desire shall be given.

Simplified

FBVFree Bible Version2020

What the wicked fear will happen to them, while what good people hope for will be granted.

BBEBible in Basic English1949

The thing feared by the evil-doer will come to him, but the upright man will get his desire.

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 phraseמְגוֹרַ֣ת[the].fearרָ֭שָׁעof.a.wicked.[person]clausesubjectהִ֣יאitverbתְבוֹאֶ֑itadverbialנּוּwill.come.to.himוְand.[the]clausenoun phrase · objectתַאֲוַ֖תdesireצַדִּיקִ֣יםof.righteous.[people]verbיִתֵּֽןsomeone.will.give

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


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

The Masoretic Text of Proverbs 10:24 states, 'מְגוֹרַ֣ת רָ֭שָׁע הִ֣יא תְבוֹאֶ֑נּוּ וְתַאֲוַ֖ת צַדִּיקִ֣ים יִתֵּֽן׃', which translates to 'What the wicked man dreads will overtake him, but the desire of the righteous will be granted.' The Septuagint, while not providing a direct translation of this verse, shares some words with the Masoretic Text, indicating partial agreement. However, the specific wording and structure differ significantly, as the Septuagint reflects its own syntax and articles. There are no surviving versions from the Samaritan Pentateuch or the Dead Sea Scrolls for this verse, so we cannot compare their readings to the Masoretic Text.

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

מְגוֹרַ֣ת רָ֭שָׁע הִ֣יא תְבוֹאֶ֑נּוּ וְתַאֲוַ֖ת צַדִּיקִ֣ים יִתֵּֽן׃

Septuagintthe Greek the translators chose, word by word
רָ֭שָׁעἀσεβὴςוְתַאֲוַ֖תἐπιθυμίαצַדִּיקִ֣יםδικαίουיִתֵּֽן׃δεκτή

4 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.

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.

Proverbs 10:24מְגוֹרָה[the] fear [the] fear ofמְגוֹרָהרָשָׁעa wicked [pa wicked [persoרָשָׁעהוּאititהוּאבּוֹאit will comit will come toבּוֹאתַּאֲוָהand [the] dand [the] desirתַּאֲוָהצַדִּיקrighteous [righteous [peopצַדִּיקנָתַןsomeone wilsomeone will giנָתַןאָוָהto desireto desireאָוָהרָשַׁעbe wickedbe wickedרָשַׁעצָדֵקto justifyto justifyצָדֵקמָגוֹרterrorterrorמָגוֹרצַדִּיקrighteousrighteousצַדִּיקאָבַדto perishto perishאָבַדטָמֵאuncleanuncleanטָמֵאעֵתtimetimeעֵתשֶׁ֫מֶשׁsunsunשֶׁ֫מֶשׁמַאֲכָלfoodfoodמַאֲכָלרָשָׁעwickedwickedרָשָׁעעָ֫וֶלinjusticeinjusticeעָ֫וֶלנַחֲלָהinheritancinheritanceנַחֲלָהזֶ֫רַעseedseedזֶ֫רַע
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 Proverbs 10:24

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] fear of a wicked [person] it it will come to him and [the] desire of righteous [people] someone will give
מְגוֹרַ֣תme.go.Rat [the] fear of H4034 Noun common · feminine singular construct
2× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This word means fear or being scared, like when someone is afraid of something. It is used in the Bible to describe a feeling of terror or dread. The KJV translates it simply as fear.
Amplified meaning
fears, is afraid of
Tyndale gloss
fear
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

מְגוֹרָה (megorah) is a feminine noun meaning fear or terror. It is derived from the root word מָגוֹר (māgôr), which also relates to fright. The entries consistently emphasize its association with fear, without significant disagreement among the lexicons.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

[מְגוֹרָה] n.f. fear, terror

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H4034 [מְגוֹרָה] fear, terror

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

4034 mgowrah meg-o-raw'

feminine of 4032; affright:--fear.

see HEBREW for 04032

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

מְגוֹרָה (me.go.rah) — fear.

fear, terror

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-fs — Noun common · feminine singular construct
HNcfsc
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] fear of a wicked [person] it it will come to him and [the] desire of righteous [people] someone will give
רָ֭שָׁעRa.sho' a wicked [person] H7563 Noun common · masculine singular absolute
263× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This word describes someone who is morally wrong, a bad person who is guilty of crime or sin against God or others. It is used to describe the wicked in biblical stories, such as in the book of Genesis.
Amplified meaning
morally wrong, guilty of sin, unrighteous
Tyndale gloss
wicked
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

רָשָׁע (rasha`) refers to someone who is wicked or criminal, encompassing meanings such as guilty and ungodly. It is derived from a root that implies moral wrongdoing. The term is used to describe individuals who are hostile to God or guilty of sin against others.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

רָשָׁע 263 adj. wicked, criminal

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H7563 רָשָׁע wicked, criminal

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

7563 rasha` raw-shaw'

from 7561; morally wrong; concretely, an (actively) bad

person:--+ condemned, guilty, ungodly, wicked (man), that did

wrong.

see HEBREW for 07561

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

רָשָׁע (ra.sah) — wicked.

1) wicked, criminal

1a) guilty one, one guilty of crime (subst)

1b) wicked (hostile to God)

1c) wicked, guilty of sin (against God or man)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Adj — Noun common · masculine singular absolute
HNcmsa
[the] fear of a wicked [person] it it will come to him and [the] desire of righteous [people] someone will give
הִ֣יאhi' it H1931 Pronoun
1,879× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This word is a pronoun meaning 'he', 'she', or 'it', used to refer to a person or thing. It is used in the Bible to emphasize a subject or make it clear who is being talked about.
Tyndale gloss
he/she/it
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

הוּא (hu) is a third-person singular pronoun meaning he, she, or it, used for emphasis or when no verb is present. It can also refer to oneself or serve as a demonstrative pronoun. The word has various nuances, including resuming the subject with emphasis or expressing it unobtrusively. It can indicate 'that' or 'those' when used with the definite article.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

הוּא m. הִיא f., pron. of the 3rd ps. sing. he, she, used also (in both genders) for the neuter it

an emph. he (she, it, they), sometimes equivalent to himself (herself, itself, themselves), or (esp. with the art.) that (those)

It resumes the subj. with emph.

Where, however, the pron. follows the pred., its position gives it the minimum of emphasis, and it expresses (or resumes) the subject as unobtrusively as possible

It anticipates (as it seems) the subject

As an emph. predicate, of God

In a neuter sense, that, it (of an action, occurrence, matte, etc.)

With the art.: so regularly when joined to a subst. defined itself by the art.

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H1931 הוּא, הִיא he, she, used also (in both genders) for the neuter it . an emph. he (she, it, they), sometimes equivalent to himself (herself, itself, themselves), or (esp. with the art.) that (those)

. It resumes the subj. with emph.

. Where, however, the pron. follows the pred., its position gives it the minimum of emphasis, and it expresses (or resumes) the subject as unobtrusively as possible

. It anticipates (as it seems) the subject

. As an emph. predicate, of God

. In a neuter sense, that, it (of an action, occurrence, matte, etc.)

. With the art.: so regularly when joined to a subst. defined itself by the art.

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

1931 huw' hoo

of which the feminine (beyond the Pentateuch) is hiyw {he}; a

primitive word, the third person pronoun singular, he (she or

it); only expressed when emphatic or without a verb; also

(intensively) self, or (especially with the article) the same;

sometimes (as demonstrative) this or that; occasionally

(instead of copula) as or are:--he, as for her, him(-self),

it, the same, she (herself), such, that (...it), these, they,

this, those, which (is), who.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

הוּא (hu) — he/she/it.

pron 3p s

1) he, she, it

1a) himself (with emphasis)

1b) resuming subj with emphasis

1c) (with minimum emphasis following predicate)

1d) (anticipating subj)

1e) (emphasising predicate)

1f) that, it (neuter) demons pron

2) that (with article)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
HPp3fs — Pronoun
HPp3fs
The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
[the] fear of a wicked [person] it it will come to him and [the] desire of righteous [people] someone will give
תְבוֹאֶ֑נּוּte.vo.'E.nu it will come to him H935 Verb qal imperfect third person feminine singular · suffix
2,573× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This verb means to go or come, and is used in many contexts, such as entering a place or approaching someone, as seen in the book of Genesis. It can also mean to abide or apply, and is translated in various ways in the KJV Bible. This term is related to the name Lebo Hamath.
Amplified meaning
come upon, meet
Tyndale gloss
Lebo
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

בּוֹא (bo) is a Hebrew verb meaning to come or go in, with a wide range of applications including entering, arriving, and bringing in. It can refer to both physical movement and abstract concepts like events coming to pass. The verb appears in various forms, such as Qal (to come), Hiphil (to cause to come), and Hophal (to be brought). There is no significant disagreement among lexicons regarding its meanings.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

בּוֹא 2569 vb. come in, come, go in, go

Qal

come in

come (approach, arrive)

go, i.e. walk, associate with

go from speaker, but with limit of motion given

Hiph.

cause to come in, bring in (conduct, lead, obj. persons and animals)

cause to come, bring, bring near, etc. (animate obj.)

Hoph.

be brought in (of pers. and things)

be brought

be introduced, put

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H935 בּוֹא come in, come, go in, go .. come in

. come (approach, arrive)

. go, i.e. walk, associate with

. go from speaker, but with limit of motion given

. . cause to come in, bring in (conduct, lead, obj. persons and animals)

. cause to come, bring, bring near, etc. (animate obj.)

. . be brought in (of pers. and things)

. be brought

. be introduced, put

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

935 bow' bo

a primitive root; to go or come (in a wide variety of

applications):--abide, apply, attain, X be, befall, +

besiege, bring (forth, in, into, to pass), call, carry, X

certainly, (cause, let, thing for) to come (against, in, out,

upon, to pass), depart, X doubtless again, + eat, + employ,

(cause to) enter (in, into, -tering, -trance, -try), be

fallen, fetch, + follow, get, give, go (down, in, to war),

grant, + have, X indeed, (in-)vade, lead, lift (up), mention,

pull in, put, resort, run (down), send, set, X (well) stricken

(in age), X surely, take (in), way.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

בּוֹא (bo) — to come (in): come.

: come/go_in

1) to go in, enter, come, go, come in

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to enter, come in

1a2) to come

1a2a) to come with

1a2b) to come upon, fall or light upon, attack (enemy)

1a2c) to come to pass

1a3) to attain to

1a4) to be enumerated

1a5) to go

1b) (Hiphil)

1b1) to lead in

1b2) to carry in

1b3) to bring in, cause to come in, gather, cause to come, bring near, bring against, bring upon

1b4) to bring to pass

1c) (Hophal)

1c1) to be brought, brought in

1c2) to be introduced, be put

לְב֥וֹא (bo) — Lebo-(Hamath).

This name means to go in, enter

Combined with cha.mat (חֲמָת "Hamath" H2574)

בּוֹא (bo) — to come (in): towards.

: towards/entrance

1) to go in, enter, come, go, come in

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to enter, come in

1a2) to come

1a2a) to come with

1a2b) to come upon, fall or light upon, attack (enemy)

1a2c) to come to pass

1a3) to attain to

1a4) to be enumerated

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
V-Qal-Imperf-3fs | Suff — Verb qal imperfect third person feminine singular · suffix
HVqi3fs/Sp3ms
The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
[the] fear of a wicked [person] it it will come to him and [the] desire of righteous [people] someone will give
וְתַאֲוַ֖תve.ta.'a.Vat and [the] desire of H8378 Conjunction · noun common feminine singular construct
20× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This word means desire or longing, and can refer to a positive or negative yearning. In the Bible, it is used to describe the desires of the heart, as seen in Psalm 38:9. It can also imply a delight or satisfaction.
Amplified meaning
longing, aspiration
Tyndale gloss
desire
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

תַּאֲוָה (ta'avah) means 'desire' and encompasses a range of meanings including longing, appetite, and covetousness. It can refer to both a subjective feeling of satisfaction and an objective charm or delight. The term is used in various contexts, sometimes with negative connotations such as lust or greed.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

תַּאֲוָה n.f. desire

thing desired

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H8378 תַּאֲוָה desire

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

8378 ta'avah tah-av-aw'

from 183 (abbreviated); a longing; by implication, a delight

(subjectively, satisfaction, objectively, a charm):--dainty,

desire, X exceedingly, X greedily, lust(ing), pleasant. See

also 6914.

see HEBREW for 0183

see HEBREW for 06914

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

תַּאֲוָה (ta.a.vah) — desire.

1) desire

1a) desire, wish, longings of one's heart

1a1) lust, appetite, covetousness (bad sense)

1b) thing desired, object of desire

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Conj | N-fs — Conjunction · noun common feminine singular construct
HC/Ncfsc
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] fear of a wicked [person] it it will come to him and [the] desire of righteous [people] someone will give
צַדִּיקִ֣יםtza.di.Kim righteous [people] H6662 Adj
206× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
Means being just or righteous, as seen in government, personal conduct, or character, often describing someone made right with God. It appears in descriptions of King David and other biblical leaders. The concept is central to the Bible's teachings on morality and ethics.
Amplified meaning
just, made right with God
Tyndale gloss
righteous
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

צַדִּיק (tsaddiyq) means just or righteous, covering various aspects such as lawful behavior, moral conduct, and being justified by God. It is derived from a related root and is used to describe individuals who are upright in character and actions.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

צַדִּיק 206 adj. just, righteous

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H6662 צַדִּיק just, righteous

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

6662 tsaddiyq tsad-deek'

from 6663; just:--just, lawful, righteous (man).

see HEBREW for 06663

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

צַדִּיק (tsad.diq) — righteous.

1) just, lawful, righteous

1a) just, righteous (in government)

1b) just, right (in one's cause)

1c) just, righteous (in conduct and character)

1d) righteous (as justified and vindicated by God)

1e) right, correct, lawful

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Adj — Adj
HAampa
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

pe'-p'-l: In English Versions of the Bible represents something over a dozen Hebrew and Greek words. Of these, in the Old Testament, `am, is overwhelmingly the most common (about 2,000 times), with le'om, and goy, next in order; but the various Hebrew words are used with very little or no difference in force (e.g. Pr 14:28; but, on the other hand, in Ps 44 contrast verses 12 and 14). Of the changes introduced by the Revised Version (British and American) the only one of significance (cited explicitly in the Preface to the English Revised Version) is the frequent use of the plural "peoples" (strangely avoided in the King James Version except Re 10:11; 17:15), where other nations than Israel are in question. So, for instance, in Ps…

[the] fear of a wicked [person] it it will come to him and [the] desire of righteous [people] someone will give
יִתֵּֽן׃yi.Ten someone will give H5414 Verb · Qal · imperfect third person masculine singular
2,011× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This word means to give, put, or set something, with a wide range of applications. It appears in many books, including Genesis and Exodus, describing God's actions and human interactions. The word is used to convey giving, selling, or exchanging something.
Amplified meaning
given, provided
Tyndale gloss
to give: give
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word נָתַן (natan) means 'to give' and encompasses a wide range of applications such as putting, setting, and making. It can also indicate actions like bestowing, delivering, and assigning. The entries describe its use in various forms, including Qal, Niphal, and Hophal, but do not present any significant disagreements among lexicons.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

נָתַן 2007 vb. give, put, set

Qal 1917

give

Put, set

Make, constitute

Niph.

82be given

Be put, set

Hoph.

be given, bestowed

= be given to one for wife

be put upon

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H5414 נָתַן give, put, set .. give

. Put, set

. Make, constitute

. . be given

. Be put, set

. . . be given, bestowed

. = be given to one for wife

. be put upon

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

5414 nathan naw-than'

a primitive root; to give, used with greatest latitude of

application (put, make, etc.):--add, apply, appoint, ascribe,

assign, X avenge, X be ((healed)), bestow, bring (forth,

hither), cast, cause, charge, come, commit, consider, count, +

cry, deliver (up), direct, distribute, do, X doubtless, X

without fail, fasten, frame, X get, give (forth, over, up),

grant, hang (up), X have, X indeed, lay (unto charge, up),

(give) leave, lend, let (out), + lie, lift up, make, + O that,

occupy, offer, ordain, pay, perform, place, pour, print, X

pull , put (forth), recompense, render, requite, restore, send

(out), set (forth), shew, shoot forth (up), + sing, + slander,

strike, (sub-)mit, suffer, X surely, X take, thrust, trade,

turn, utter, + weep, + willingly, + withdraw, + would (to)

God, yield.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

נָתַן (na.tan) — to give: give.

: give/deliver/send/produce

1) to give, put, set

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to give, bestow, grant, permit, ascribe, employ, devote, consecrate, dedicate, pay wages, sell, exchange, lend, commit, entrust, give over, deliver up, yield produce, occasion, produce, requite to, report, mention, utter, stretch out, extend

1a2) to put, set, put on, put upon, set, appoint, assign, designate

1a3) to make, constitute

1b) (Niphal)

1b1) to be given, be bestowed, be provided, be entrusted to, be granted to, be permitted, be issued, be published, be uttered, be assigned

1b2) to be set, be put, be made, be inflicted

1c) (Hophal)

1c1) to be given, be bestowed, be given up, be delivered up

1c2) to be put upon

נָתַן (na.tan) — to give: put.

: put/set/apppoint

1) to give, put, set

1a) (Qal)

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
V-Qal-Imperf-3ms — Verb · Qal · imperfect third person masculine singular
HVqi3ms
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

(nathan, yahabh, sum; didomi): "Give" is a very common word in the Old Testament. It is most frequently the translation of nathan, "to give" (Ge 1:29; 3:6; Ex 2:9; De 18,20, etc., over 800 instances); nathan is also translated "to give up" (De 23:14; Isa 43:6; Ho 11:8); of yahabh, "to give" (Ge 30:1; 1Ch 16:28 the King James Version). In Ps 55:22 we have the perfect with suffix, "Cast thy burden upon Yahweh," margin "what he hath given thee"; elsewhere it is…

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.

Everything we make is available for free because of a generous community of supporters.

Donate