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Proverbs 13:14 — Word Study

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WLCתּוֹרַ֣ת חָ֭כָם מְק֣וֹר חַיִּ֑ים לָ֝ס֗וּר מִמֹּ֥קְשֵׁי מָֽוֶת׃

BSAThe teachingtôwrâh [instruction, law] of the wisechâkâm [skilled, prudent] is a fountainmâqôwr [source of life, spring] of lifechay [physical and spiritual] turning oneçûwr [to turn aside, depart] from the snaresmôwqêsh [traps, dangers] of deathmâveth [physical and spiritual ruin]

Word
Listen & take awayProverbs 13
English ↓ Download MP3 The Berean Standard Bible chapter audio already hosted for the site's Bible section — verse 14 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 (Ma.vet) — no per-word recordings of the Hebrew exist to link to.
Take it away
Proverbs 13:14quick helps
In a sentenceWise teaching provides life and guides one away from danger.
Who is speakingThe author of Proverbs, reflecting on wisdom.
Where we areIn a collection of sayings about wisdom and its benefits.
The hard wordתּוֹרַת
Take awayWisdom is a source of life, steering one clear of death.
7 commentators on this verse Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them › clause 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 13:14

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 — Wisdom's Instructiongenerated

13He who despises instruction will pay the penalty, but the one who respects a command will be rewarded.
14The teaching of the wise is a fountain of life, turning one from the snares of death.
15Good understanding wins favor, but the way of the faithless is difficult.
16Every prudent man acts with knowledge, but a fool displays his folly.

Proverbs 13:14 emphasizes the value of wisdom's teaching, portraying it as a life-giving source that protects individuals from the dangers of death. This verse is part of a larger discourse on the importance of heeding wise counsel, as seen in surrounding verses like Proverbs 13:13 and Proverbs 13:15, which highlight the consequences of ignoring instruction and the rewards of understanding.


Cross References

ReferenceText (BSB)
1Proverbs 9:11For through wisdom your days will be multiplied, and years will be added to your life.
2Proverbs 10:11The mouth of the righteous is a fountain of life, but the mouth of the wicked conceals violence.
3Proverbs 14:27The fear of the LORD is a fountain of life, turning a man from the snares of death.
4Proverbs 16:22Understanding is a fountain of life to its possessor, but the discipline of fools is folly.
5Proverbs 15:24The path of life leads upward for the wise, that he may avoid going down to Sheol.

The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 9 references, hung on the phrase they belong to


The Key Word תּוֹרַת, to.Ratgenerated

The word תּוֹרָה (to.Rah) is a feminine singular noun that conveys the concept of instruction or law. It is derived from a root meaning to teach or guide, and it encompasses various forms of divine and human guidance, including the commandments given to Israel.

In this verse, it signifies the teachings of wise individuals that serve as a moral compass, directing one towards life and away from destructive paths. The parsing indicates its role as a construct noun, linking it closely to the following word, חָכָם.


How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated

This study references the Berean Standard Bible, which uses the phrase the teaching of the wise.


Sentence Structuregenerated

The finite verb סוּר (to turn aside) governs the structure of the verse, indicating the action taken in response to the teaching of the wise. The sentence is organized around this verb, with the subject and predicate clearly defined.

The phrase תּוֹרַת חָכָם serves as the subject, while the rest of the sentence elaborates on its significance as a source of life and its protective role against death. The structure emphasizes the relationship between wisdom and the avoidance of danger.


Septuagint Backgroundgenerated

In the Septuagint, תּוֹרָה is rendered as νόμος (nomos), which means 'law'. This choice reflects a focus on the legal and instructional aspects of wisdom, aligning with its role in guiding behavior.

The use of πηγὴ (pēgē) for 'fountain' in the LXX further emphasizes the life-giving nature of wise teaching, similar to the Hebrew context.


In plain words — the whole versegenerated

Proverbs 13:14 teaches that wise instruction is like a fountain of life, helping people avoid the traps that lead to death. It highlights the importance of listening to wise counsel for a fulfilling and safe life.


Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated

What does it mean that the teaching of the wise is a fountain of life?

It means that wise instruction provides essential guidance and sustenance for both physical and spiritual well-being.

How can one turn from the snares of death?

By following wise teachings and making choices that align with moral and ethical principles.

What are the snares of death?

These refer to temptations and dangers that can lead to spiritual or physical ruin.

Why is wisdom compared to a fountain?

A fountain symbolizes a continuous source of life and refreshment, much like the benefits derived from wise teaching.


Reflection Questionsgenerated

  1. In what ways have I experienced the benefits of wise teaching in my own life?
  2. How can I apply the teachings of wise individuals to avoid pitfalls in my daily decisions?
  3. What are some examples of snares that can lead to spiritual death in today's world?
  4. How can I cultivate wisdom in my own life to become a source of guidance for others?

Commentators on this verse — 7 expositors, verse by verse

Each of these wrote on Proverbs 13:14 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.

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

The law of the wise [is] a fountain of life,.... Or "doctrine" (n); the doctrine of those who are taught by the word, and are wise unto salvation; the words or doctrines of the wise, which are given

Read John Gill on Proverbs 13 →
Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's Commentary

The law of the wise is a fountain of life, to depart from the snares of death. The law of the wise (is) a fountain of life, to depart from the snares of death.

Read Robert Jamieson on Proverbs 13 →
Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy Bible

The law; the doctrine, instruction, or counsel; as the word law is frequently understood in Scripture. Of the wise; of holy men, who are commonly called wise, as sinners are called fools, in this book.

Read Matthew Poole on Proverbs 13 →
John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

Proverbs 13:14 The law of the wise [is] a fountain of life, to depart from the snares of death.Ver. 14. The law of the wise is as a well of life.] Or, The law to the wise is a fountain, &c., whence he may draw the best directions and helps to holiness and happiness. It confines him to live in that element where he would live - as if one were confined to paradise, where he would be - though there were no such law. The wicked, on the contrary, leaps over the pale after profit and pleasure, and falls upon the snares of death, as Shimei sought his servants and lost himself.

Read John Trapp on Proverbs 13 →
Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(14) The law of the wise.—Or, rather, his instruction. (Comp. Proverbs 10:11.) Snares of death.—Set by the devil (2 Timothy 2:26).

Read Charles John Ellicott on Proverbs 13 →
AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible

Verse 14. The law of the wise is a fountain of life] Perhaps it would be better to translate, "The law is to the wise man a fountain of life." It is the same to him as the "vein of lives," מקור חיים mekor chaiyim, the great aorta which transmits the blood from the heart to every part of the body. There seems to be here an allusion to the garden of paradise, to the tree of lives, to the tempter, to the baleful issue of that temptation, and to the death entailed on man by his unwisely breaking the law of his God.

Read AdamClarke on Proverbs 13 →
Daniel Denison Whedon1808–1885Whedon's Commentary on the Bible

14. The law — Instruction, precepts. Is a fountain of life, to depart — That is, to cause or enable one to depart. From the snares of death — “An established formula for the description of mortal perils.” — Zockler.

Read Daniel Denison Whedon on Proverbs 13 →

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

The teaching of the wise is a fountain of life, turning one from the snares of death.

WEBWorld English Bible2000

The teaching of the wise is a spring of life, to turn from the snares of death.

MSBMajority Standard Bible2022

The teaching of the wise is a fountain of life, turning one from the snares of death.

NETBNew English Translation2006

Instruction from the wise is like a life-giving fountain, to turn a person from deadly snares.

Tyndale line

KJVKing James Version1611

The law of the wise is a fountain of life, to depart from the snares of death.

ASVAmerican Standard Version1901

The law of the wise is a fountain of life, That one may depart from the snares of death.

RVARevised Version, American1894

The law of the wise is a fountain of life, to depart from the snares of death.

NWBWebster's Bible1833

The law of the wise is a fountain of life, to depart from the snares of death.

GNVGeneva Bible1599

The instruction of a wise man is as the welspring of life, to turne away from the snares of death.

Strictly literal

DBYDarby Translation1890

The teaching of the wise [man] is a fountain of life, to turn away from the snares of death.

YLTYoung's Literal Translation1862

The law of the wise [is] a fountain of life, To turn aside from snares of death.

LSVLiteral Standard Version2020

The law of the wise [is] a fountain of life, || To turn aside from snares of death.

ILTInterlinear Literal Translation2000

The instruction of the wise is a source of life, [teaching] to avoid the snares of death.

ULBUnlocked Literal Bible2017

The teaching of a wise person is a fountain of life, turning you away from the snares of death.

From the Latin

DRADouay-Rheims (Challoner)1899

The law of the wise is a fountain of life, that he may decline from the ruin of death.

Simplified

FBVFree Bible Version2020

The teaching of the wise is like a fountain of life, so you can avoid the snares of death.

BBEBible in Basic English1949

The teaching of the wise is a fountain of life, turning men away from the nets of death.

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.

clausenoun phrase · subjectתּוֹרַ֣ת[the].instructionחָ֭כָםof.a.wise.[person]noun phrase · predicateמְק֣וֹר[is].a.fountainחַיִּ֑יםof.lifeprepositional phrase · prepositionalלָ֝toclauseverbס֗וּרturn.asideprepositional phrase · prepositionalמִfrom.[the]noun phraseמֹּ֥קְשֵׁיsnaresמָֽוֶתof.death

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


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

תּוֹרַת חָכָם מְק֣וֹר חַיִּ֑ים לָ֝ס֗וּר מִמֹּ֥קְשֵׁי מָֽוֶת is preserved in the Masoretic Text. The Septuagint aligns closely, with six out of seven words matching, indicating a strong consistency in the transmission of this verse across traditions.

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

תּוֹרַ֣ת חָ֭כָם מְק֣וֹר חַיִּ֑ים לָ֝ס֗וּר מִמֹּ֥קְשֵׁי מָֽוֶת׃

Septuagintthe Greek the translators chose, word by word
תּוֹרַ֣תνόμοςחָ֭כָםσοφοῦמְק֣וֹרπηγὴחַיִּ֑יםζωῆςמִמֹּ֥קְשֵׁיπαγίδοςמָֽוֶת׃θανεῖται

6 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 13:14תּוֹרָה[the] instr[the] instructiתּוֹרָהחָכָםa wise [pera wise [person]חָכָםמָקוֹר[is] a foun[is] a fountainמָקוֹרחַיlifelifeחַיסוּרto turn asito turn asideסוּרמוֹקֵשׁfrom [the] from [the] snarמוֹקֵשׁמָ֫וֶתdeathdeathמָ֫וֶתיָרָאto shootto shootיָרָאחָכַםbe wisebe wiseחָכַםקוּרto digto digקוּרחָיָהto liveto liveחָיָהיָקֹשׁto snareto snareיָקֹשׁמוּתto dieto dieמוּתסֵ֫פֶרscroll: doscroll: documenסֵ֫פֶרכָּתַבto writeto writeכָּתַבכְּסִילfoolfoolכְּסִילדַּ֫עַתknowledgeknowledgeדַּ֫עַתיָבֵשׁto witherto witherיָבֵשׁחַיalivealiveחַיעוֹףbirdbirdעוֹףשָׂדַיfieldfieldשָׂדַישְׂמֹאלleftleftשְׂמֹאלבָּמָהhigh placehigh placeבָּמָהפַּחsnaresnareפַּחמָ֫וֶתdeathdeathמָ֫וֶת
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 13:14

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] instruction of a wise [person] [is] a fountain of life to turn aside from [the] snares of death
תּוֹרַ֣תto.Rat [the] instruction of H8451 Noun common · feminine singular construct
219× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
The Hebrew word for instruction or law, referring to the Ten Commandments or the first five books of the Bible, guiding human behavior and moral code.
Amplified meaning
instruction, law
Tyndale gloss
instruction
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

תּוֹרָה (towrah) encompasses concepts of direction, instruction, and law, particularly relating to divine or human guidance. It refers to legal directives, customs, and teachings, including the Decalogue and the Pentateuch. The entries highlight its use in various contexts, such as prophetic and priestly instruction, but do not present significant disagreement among lexicons.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

תּוֹרָה n.f. direction, instruction, law

instruction

law (prop. direction)

custom, manner

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H8451 תּוֹרָה direction, instruction, law . instruction

. law (prop. direction)

. custom, manner

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

8451 towrah to-raw'

or torah {to-raw'}; from 3384; a precept or statute,

especially the Decalogue or Pentateuch:--law.

see HEBREW for 03384

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

תּוֹרָה (to.rah) — instruction.

1) law, direction, instruction

1a) instruction, direction (human or divine)

1a1) body of prophetic teaching

1a2) instruction in Messianic age

1a3) body of priestly direction or instruction

1a4) body of legal directives

1b) law

1b1) law of the burnt offering

1b2) of special law, codes of law

1c) custom, manner

1d) the Deuteronomic or Mosaic Law

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] instruction of a wise [person] [is] a fountain of life to turn aside from [the] snares of death
חָ֭כָםCha.khom a wise [person] H2450 Adj
138× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This word means wise or skilled, describing someone intelligent or crafty, like a cunning man or a prudent leader.
Amplified meaning
skilled, prudent
Tyndale gloss
wise
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word חָכָם (*chakam*) means 'wise' and encompasses various aspects of wisdom, including skillfulness in technical work, shrewdness, and ethical understanding. It can refer to a class of learned individuals, including those involved in astrology and magic. The word is derived from a related term, חָכַם (*chakam*), which also relates to intelligence and craftiness.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

חָכָם adj. wise

skilful in technical work

wise in the administration of affairs

shrewd, crafty, cunning

pl. class of learned and shrewd men, incl. astrologers, magicians and the like

prudent

wise, ethically and religiously

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H2450 חָכָם wise . skilful in technical work

. wise in the administration of affairs

. shrewd, crafty, cunning

. pl. class of learned and shrewd men, incl. astrologers, magicians and the like

. prudent

. wise, ethically and religiously

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

2450 chakam khaw-kawm'

from 2449; wise, (i.e. intelligent, skilful or

artful):--cunning (man), subtil, ((un-)), wise((hearted),

man).

see HEBREW for 02449

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

חָכָם (cha.kham) — wise.

1) wise, wise (man)

1a) skilful (in technical work)

1b) wise (in administration)

1c) shrewd, crafty, cunning, wily, subtle

1d) learned, shrewd (class of men)

1e) prudent

1f) wise (ethically and religiously)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Adj — Adj
HAamsa
[the] instruction of a wise [person] [is] a fountain of life to turn aside from [the] snares of death
מְק֣וֹרme.Kor [is] a fountain of H4726 Noun common · masculine singular construct
18× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
Maqor means a fountain or a source of water, like a spring or a well. It can also refer to the source of happiness, wisdom, or life. This term is used to describe a source of something valuable or life-giving.
Amplified meaning
source of life, spring
Tyndale gloss
fountain
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

מָקוֹר (maqowr) refers to a source or fountain, typically of water, but also extends to figurative meanings such as joy, wisdom, and progeny. It can denote a spring, the flow of blood, or even the source of menstruation. The term is derived from a root meaning 'to dig' and is associated with various contexts in the Old Testament.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

מָקוֹר n.m. spring, fountain (app. orig. well)

spring of water

fig. of eye

source of menstruous blood

= flow of blood after child-birth

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H4726 מָקוֹר

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

4726 maqowr maw-kore'

or maqor {maw-kore'}; from 6979; properly, something dug,

i.e. a (general) source (of water, even when naturally

flowing; also of tears, blood (by euphemism, of the female

pudenda); figuratively, of happiness, wisdom,

progeny):--fountain, issue, spring, well(-spring).

see HEBREW for 06979

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

מָקוֹר (ma.qor) — fountain.

1) spring, fountain

1a) spring

1a1) of source of life, joy, purification (fig.)

1b) of the eye (fig.)

1c) source (of menstruous blood)

1d) flow (of blood after child birth)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-ms — Noun common · masculine singular construct
HNcmsc
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] instruction of a wise [person] [is] a fountain of life to turn aside from [the] snares of death
חַיִּ֑יםchai.Yim life H2416 Noun common · masculine plural absolute
498× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
In the Bible, this word means life or being alive. It can refer to physical life, like in Genesis 1:20, or spiritual life, like in Psalm 30:5.
Amplified meaning
physical and spiritual
Tyndale gloss
alive
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word חַי (*chay*) means 'alive' or 'living' and covers a range of meanings related to life, including living beings, vitality, and freshness. It can refer to God, animals, vegetation, and even concepts like appetite and community. Variants include חַיָּה (*chayyah*), meaning 'living thing' or 'animal,' and חַיִּים (*chayim*), which emphasizes life and sustenance.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

חַי adj. alive, living

of God, as the living one, the fountain of life

of man

of animals, alive, living

animals and man

(dub.) of vegetation, as thorns, green

of water, fresh

(dub.) lively, active

reviving

base

[חַי] n.[m.] kinsfolk, pl. sf. 1 S 18:18

ref

חַיָּה n.f. living thing, animal

animal

in general

wild animals, on account of their vital energy and activity

living beings, of the cherubic chariot

life, only in late poetry

appetite, activity of hunger

revival, renewal

base

חַיָּה n.f. community

base

חַיִּים n.m. pl. abstr. emph. life

life: physical

life: as welfare and happiness in king's presence

sustenance, maintenance

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H2416a חַי alive, living . . of God, as the living one, the fountain of life

. of man

. of animals, alive, living

. animals and man

. (dub.) of vegetation, as thorns, green

. of water, fresh

. (dub.) lively, active

. reviving

H2416b חַי kinsfolk H2416c חַיָּה living thing, animal . animal . in general

. wild animals, on account of their vital energy and activity

. living beings, of the cherubic chariot

. life, only in late poetry

. appetite, activity of hunger

. revival, renewal

H2416d חַיָּה community H2416e חַיִּים pl. abstr. emph. life . life: physical

. life: as welfare and happiness in king's presence

. sustenance, maintenance

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

2416 chay khah'-ee

from 2421; alive; hence, raw (flesh); fresh (plant, water,

year), strong; also (as noun, especially in the feminine

singular and masculine plural) life (or living thing), whether

literally or figuratively:--+ age, alive, appetite, (wild)

beast, company, congregation, life(-time), live(-ly), living

(creature, thing), maintenance, + merry, multitude, + (be)

old, quick, raw, running, springing, troop.

see HEBREW for 02421

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

חַי (chay) — alive.

adj

1) living, alive

1a) green (of vegetation)

1b) flowing, fresh (of water)

1c) lively, active (of man)

1d) reviving (of the springtime)

Aramaic equivalent: chay (חַי "living" H2417)

חַי (chay) — kinsfolk.

kinsfolk

חַיָּה (chay.yah) — living thing.

1) living thing, animal

1a) animal

1b) life

1c) appetite

1d) revival, renewal

Aramaic equivalent: che.va (חֵיוָא "beast" H2423)

חַיָּה (chay.yah) — community.

community

חַיִּים (chay.yim) — life.

1) life (abstract emphatic)

1a) life

1b) sustenance, maintenance

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-mp — Noun common · masculine plural absolute
HNcmpa
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

lif (chayyim, nephesh, ruach, chayah; zoe, psuche, bios, pneuma):

I. THE TERMS

II. THE OLD TESTAMENT TEACHING

1. Popular Use of the Term

2. Complexity of the Idea

III. IN THE APOCRYPHA

IV. IN THE NEW TESTAMENT

1. In the Synoptic Gospels

2. In the Fourth Gospel

3. In the Ac of the Apostles

4. In the Writings of Paul

5. In the Writings of John

6. In the Other Books of the New Testament

LITERATURE

I. The Terms.

Of the Hebrew terms, chayah is the verb which means "to live," "to have life," or the vital principle, "to continue to live," or "to live prosperously." In the Piel it signifies "to give life, or preserve, or quicken and restore life." The Hiphil is much like the Piel. The noun hayyim generally used in the plural is an abstract noun meaning "life," i.e. the possession of the vital principle with its energies and activities. Nephesh often means "living being" or "creature." Sometimes it has the…

Easton's Bible Dictionary

Life

Generally of physical life (Gen. 2:7; Luke 16:25, etc.); also used figuratively (1) for immortality (Heb. 7:16); (2) conduct or manner of life (Rom. 6:4); (3) spiritual life or salvation (John 3:16, 17, 18, 36); (4) eternal life (Matt. 19:16, 17; John 3:15); of God and Christ as the absolute source and cause of all life (John 1:4; 5:26, 39; 11:25; 12:50).

American Tract Society Bible Dictionary

In the Bible, is either natural, Ge 3:17; spiritual, that of the renewed soul, Ro 8:6; or eternal, a holy and blissful immortality, Joh 3:36 Ro 6:23. Christ is the great Author of natural life, Col 1:16; and also of spiritual and eternal life; Joh 14:6 6:47. He has purchased these by laying down his own life; and gives them freely to his people, Joh 10:11,28. He is the spring of all their spiritual life on earth, Ga 2:20; will raise them up at the last day; and…

Nave's Topical Bible

→ MISCELLANY OF MINOR SUB-TOPICS

Breath of Ge 2:7

Called SPIRIT OF GOD Job 27:3

Tree of Ge 2:9; 3:22,24; Pr 3:18; 13:12; Re 2:7

→ (SACREDNESS OF, an inference from what is taught in the law concerning murder)

See HOMICIDE

Long life promised to obedient children Ex 20:12; De 5:16

To those who keep the commandments De 4:40; 22:7

Vanity of Ec 1; 2; 3; 4; 5; 6; 7

Hated Ec 2:17

[the] instruction of a wise [person] [is] a fountain of life to turn aside from [the] snares of death
לָ֝ס֗וּרla.Sur to turn aside H5493 Preposition · verb qal infinitive construct common
300× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
To turn aside or remove is the meaning of this verb, used in various forms throughout the Bible. It can mean to depart, avoid, or put something away, and is often used in the context of turning away from sin or wrongdoing, as seen in the actions of prophets and leaders in the Old Testament.
Amplified meaning
to turn aside, depart
Tyndale gloss
to turn aside: remove
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

סוּר (sur) is a Hebrew verb meaning to turn aside or depart. It encompasses a range of actions including removal, avoidance, and coming to an end. The word can be used in various forms, such as causing something to turn aside or be taken away. It appears in contexts involving both literal and figurative departures.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

סוּר and [שׂוּר] 300 vb. turn aside

Qal

turn aside, out of one's course

depart

of lifeless things = be removed

= come to an end

Pô‛lēl he turned aside my ways (my steps)

Hiph.

cause to (turn aside,) depart, common word for remove, take away

rarer uses

Pô‛lēl be taken away, removed

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H5493 סוּר, שׂוּר turn aside .. turn aside, out of one's course

. depart

. of lifeless things = be removed

. = come to an end

.he turned aside my ways (my steps)

. . cause to (turn aside,) depart, common word for remove, take away

. rarer uses

.be taken away, removed

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

5493 cuwr soor

or suwr (Hosea 9:12) {soor}; a primitive root; to turn off

(literal or figurative):--be(-head), bring, call back,

decline, depart, eschew, get (you), go (aside), X grievous,

lay away (by), leave undone, be past, pluck away, put (away,

down), rebel, remove (to and fro), revolt, X be sour, take

(away, off), turn (aside, away, in), withdraw, be without.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

סוּר (sur) — to turn aside: remove.

: remove

1) to turn aside, depart

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to turn aside, turn in unto

1a2) to depart, depart from way, avoid

1a3) to be removed

1a4) to come to an end

1b) (Polel) to turn aside

1c) (Hiphil)

1c1) to cause to turn aside, cause to depart, remove, take away, put away, depose

1c2) to put aside, leave undone, retract, reject, abolish

1d) (Hophal) to be taken away, be removed

סוּר (sur) — to turn aside: depart.

: depart

1) to turn aside, depart

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to turn aside, turn in unto

1a2) to depart, depart from way, avoid

1a3) to be removed

1a4) to come to an end

1b) (Polel) to turn aside

1c) (Hiphil)

1c1) to cause to turn aside, cause to depart, remove, take away, put away, depose

1c2) to put aside, leave undone, retract, reject, abolish

1d) (Hophal) to be taken away, be removed

סוּר (sur) — to turn aside: turn aside.

: turn_aside/deflect

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Prep | V-Qal-Inf-a — Preposition · verb qal infinitive construct common
HR/Vqcc
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

a-sid': "Distinct from others," "privately," such is the sense of the word in 2Ki 4:4; Mr 7:33. Also "to withdraw" (Lu 9:10 the King James Version; Ac 23:19: hupochoreo, also anachoreo). One is said to have turned aside when he departs from the path of rectitude (Ps 14:3; Sirach 2:7; 1Ti 1:6). In a figurative sense it is used to express the thought of putting aside, to renounce, every hindrance or impediment to a consecrated earnest Christian life (Heb 12:1: apotithemi).

[the] instruction of a wise [person] [is] a fountain of life to turn aside from [the] snares of death
מִמֹּ֥קְשֵׁיmi.Mo.ke.shei from [the] snares of H4170 Preposition · noun common masculine plural construct
27× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
A snare or trap, this word is used to describe a device to catch animals. In the Bible, it is also used figuratively to describe being trapped by sin or temptation, as seen in the book of Proverbs.
Amplified meaning
traps, dangers
Tyndale gloss
snare
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

מוֹקֵשׁ (mowqesh) refers to a bait or lure used in trapping, particularly in a fowler's net, and can also mean a snare in a figurative sense. It is derived from a root meaning to catch, and its implications include a noose or hook for capturing animals. The entries consistently describe it as a snare or trap.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

מוֹקֵשׁ n.m. prop. a bait or lure in a fowler's net; then fig. a snare

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H4170 מוֹקֵשׁ prop. a bait or lure in a fowler's net; then fig. a snare

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

4170 mowqesh mo-kashe'

or moqesh {mo-kashe'}; from 3369; a noose (for catching

animals) (literally or figuratively): by implication, a hook

(for the nose):--be ensnared, gin, (is) snare(-d), trap.

see HEBREW for 03369

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

מוֹקֵשׁ (mo.qesh) — snare.

bait, lure, snare

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Prep | N-mp — Preposition · noun common masculine plural construct
HR/Ncmpc
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] instruction of a wise [person] [is] a fountain of life to turn aside from [the] snares of death
מָֽוֶת׃Ma.vet death H4194 Noun common · masculine singular absolute
156× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
In the Bible, this word refers to death, whether natural or violent, and is used in books like Genesis and Isaiah. It can also mean the place of the dead, or a state of ruin. This concept is seen in the story of Moses, where death is a punishment for disobedience.
Amplified meaning
physical and spiritual ruin
Tyndale gloss
death
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

מָ֫וֶת (maveth) means 'death' and encompasses various aspects such as natural or violent death, the state of being dead, and the realm of the dead (hades). It can also refer to pestilence or ruin. The word is derived from a root meaning 'to die' and has an Aramaic equivalent, מוֹת (mot).

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

מָ֫וֶת 161 n.m. death

death, opp. life

death by violence

state of death or place of death

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H4194 מָ֫וֶת death

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

4194 maveth maw'-veth

from 4191; death (natural or violent); concretely, the dead,

their place or state (hades); figuratively, pestilence,

ruin:--(be) dead((-ly)), death, die(-d).

see HEBREW for 04191

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

מָ֫וֶת (ma.vet) — death.

1) death, dying, Death (personified), realm of the dead

1a) death

1b) death by violence (as a penalty)

1c) state of death, place of death

Aramaic equivalent: mot (מוֹת "death" H4193)

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

(maweth; thanatos):

PHYSIOLOGICAL AND FIGURATIVE VIEW

The word "Death" is used in the sense of

(1) the process of dying (Ge 21:16);

(2) the period of decease (Ge 27:7);

(3) as a possible synonym for poison (2Ki 4:40);

(4) as descriptive of person in danger of perishing (Jud 15:18; "in deaths oft" 2Co 11:23). In this sense the shadow of death is a familiar expression in Job, the Psalms and the Prophets;

(5) death is personified in 1Co 15:55 and Re 20:14. Deliverance from this catastrophe is called the "issues from…

Easton's Bible Dictionary

Death

May be simply defined as the termination of life. It is represented under a variety of aspects in Scripture: (1.) “The dust shall return to the earth as it was” (Eccl. 12:7).

(2.) “Thou takest away their breath, they die” (Ps. 104:29).

(3.) It is the dissolution of “our earthly house of this tabernacle” (2 Cor. 5:1); the “putting off this tabernacle” (2 Pet. 1:13, 14).

(4.) Being “unclothed” (2 Cor. 5:3, 4).

(5.) “Falling on sleep” (Ps. 76:5; Jer. 51:39;

Is taken in Scripture, first, for the separation of body and soul, the first death, Ge 25:11; secondly, for alienation from God, and exposure to his wrath, 1Jo 3:14, etc.; thirdly, for the second death, that of eternal damnation. Death was the penalty affixed to Adam’s transgression, Ge 2:17 3:19; and all his posterity are transgressors, and share the curse inflicted upon him. CHRIST is "our life." All believers share his life, spiritually and eternally; and though sin and bodily is taken away, and in the resurrection the last enemy shall be trampled under foot, Ro 5:12-21 1Co 15:1-58.

Nave's Topical Bible

→ Miscellaneous Subjects

Called GIVING UP THE GHOST Ge 25:8; 35:29; La 1:19; Ac 5:10

KING OF TERRORS Job 18:14

A CHANGE Job 14:14

GOING TO THY FATHERS Ge 15:15; 25:8; 35:29

PUTTING OFF THIS TABERNACLE 2Pe 1:14

REQUIRING THE SOUL Lu 12:20

GOING THE WAY WHENCE THERE IS NO RETURN Job 16:22

BEING GATHERED TO OUR PEOPLE Ge 49:33

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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