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Proverbs 19:9 — Word Study

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WLCעֵ֣ד שְׁ֭קָרִים לֹ֣א יִנָּקֶ֑ה וְיָפִ֖יחַ כְּזָבִ֣ים יֹאבֵֽד׃ פ

BSAA falsesheqer [deceptive, untrue] witnessʻêd [one who testifies, provides testimony] will notlôʼ [never] go unpunishednâqâh [without penalty, acquitted] and one who pours outpûwach [speaks, utters] lieskâzâb [deceit, falsehoods] will perishʼâbad [be destroyed, lost]

Word
Listen & take awayProverbs 19
English ↓ Download MP3 The Berean Standard Bible chapter audio already hosted for the site's Bible section — verse 9 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 (yo.Ved) — no per-word recordings of the Hebrew exist to link to.
Take it away
Proverbs 19:9quick helps
In a sentenceProverbs warns that false witnesses face consequences, while those who spread lies will face destruction.
Who is speakingThe author of Proverbs, likely Solomon, conveying wisdom about honesty.
Where we areThis verse is part of a collection of sayings emphasizing moral behavior.
The hard wordשְׁ֭קָרִים
Take awayTruth matters; deceit leads to downfall.
6 commentators on this verse Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them › clause verbנָקָה 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 19:9

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 Literature of Proverbsgenerated

8He who acquires wisdom loves himself; one who safeguards understanding will find success.
9A false witness will not go unpunished, and one who pours out lies will perish.
10Luxury is unseemly for a fool— how much worse for a slave to rule over princes!
11A man’s insight gives him patience, and his virtue is to overlook an offense.

Proverbs 19:9 presents a stark warning about the consequences of dishonesty. The verse emphasizes that a false witness will not escape punishment, while those who spread lies will ultimately face destruction. This teaching fits within the broader context of Proverbs, which often contrasts wisdom and folly, urging adherence to truth and integrity in speech and action.


Cross References

ReferenceText (BSB)
1Isaiah 9:15–17The head is the elder and honorable man, and the tail is the prophet who teaches lies.
2Jeremiah 23:25–32“I have heard the sayings of the prophets who prophesy lies in My name: ‘I had a dream! I had a dream!’
3Jeremiah 28:15–17Then the prophet Jeremiah said to the prophet Hananiah, “Listen, Hananiah! The LORD did not send you, but you have persuaded this people to trust in a lie.
4Jeremiah 29:31–32“Send a message telling all the exiles what the LORD says concerning Shemaiah the Nehelamite. Because Shemaiah has prophesied to you—though I did not send him—and has made you trust in a lie,
5Ezekiel 13:22Because you have disheartened the righteous with your lies, even though I have caused them no grief, and because you have encouraged the wicked not to turn from their evil ways to save their lives,

The Key Word עֵד, 'edgenerated

The word עֵד ('ed) is a noun meaning 'witness' and refers to someone who testifies or provides testimony. It is derived from a root that suggests emphatic affirmation, indicating a strong connection to the act of witnessing or the person testifying.

In this verse, the emphasis is on the consequences that await a false witness, highlighting the importance of honesty and integrity in legal and moral contexts.


How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated

The verse is rendered in the Berean Standard Bible as well as in the KJV and ASV, which share the phrase 'A false witness will not go unpunished'.


Sentence Structuregenerated

The main clause is introduced with עֵ֣ד, witness, and is followed by two additional clauses: one detailing the punishment for false witnesses and another regarding those who speak lies. The structure emphasizes the consequences of dishonesty.

The finite verbs יִנָּקֶ֑ה (he will go unpunished) and יֹאבֵֽד (he will perish) anchor the clauses, indicating the outcomes tied to the actions described.


Septuagint Backgroundgenerated

In the Septuagint, the Hebrew עֵד is rendered as μάρτυς (martys), which also means 'witness'. This choice maintains the focus on testimony and its implications.

The translation of שְׁ֭קָרִים as ψευδὴς (pseudēs) indicates a focus on the nature of the lies, emphasizing their deceptive quality.


In plain words — the whole versegenerated

Proverbs 19:9 warns that a false witness will face punishment, while those who speak lies will be destroyed. This verse teaches the importance of truthfulness and the consequences of deceit.


Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated

What does it mean for a false witness to not go unpunished?

It means that those who give false testimony will face consequences for their actions, indicating that justice will prevail.

Why is lying considered so serious in this verse?

Lying undermines trust and can lead to injustice, making it a serious moral failing that has repercussions.

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

This verse aligns with Proverbs' emphasis on wisdom, integrity, and the moral order of the universe, where truth is upheld.

What can we learn about honesty from this verse?

We learn that honesty is crucial and that deceitful behavior ultimately leads to negative outcomes.


Reflection Questionsgenerated

  1. In what situations have I seen dishonesty lead to negative consequences?
  2. How can I ensure that I am a truthful witness in my own life?
  3. What steps can I take to promote honesty in my community?
  4. How does understanding the consequences of lies affect my behavior and decisions?

Commentators on this verse — 6 expositors, verse by verse

Each of these wrote on Proverbs 19:9 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.

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

A false witness shall not be unpunished,.... [See comments on Proverbs 19:5]; and [he that] speaketh lies shall perish; or "be lost", shall be undone for ever; he shall not enter into the holy city,

Read John Gill on Proverbs 19 →
Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's Commentary

A false witness shall not be unpunished, and he that speaketh lies shall perish. No JFB commentary on this verse.

Read Robert Jamieson on Proverbs 19 →
Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy Bible

This was said before, , and seems to be here repeated, either for its great use and weight in human society, and to show how much God abhors such practices; or to show the pernicious effects of this sin, and consequently of all other sins, one eminent kind being put for all the rest, and this in opposition to the good effects of wisdom or piety, which he declared in the foregoing verse.

Read Matthew Poole on Proverbs 19 →
John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

Proverbs 19:9 A false witness shall not be unpunished, and [he that] speaketh lies shall perish.Ver. 9. A false witness, &c.] See Proverbs 19:5.

Read John Trapp on Proverbs 19 →
CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

9. shall perish] We have, shall not escape, in the otherwise identical proverb of Pro 19:5 above.

Read Cambridge on Proverbs 19 →
Daniel Denison Whedon1808–1885Whedon's Commentary on the Bible

9. A false witness shall not be unpunished — This is the same as Proverbs 19:5, except one word, shall perish, or be lost, as in a wilderness.

Read Daniel Denison Whedon on Proverbs 19 →

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

A false witness will not go unpunished, and one who pours out lies will perish.

WEBWorld English Bible2000

A false witness shall not be unpunished. He who utters lies shall perish.

MSBMajority Standard Bible2022

A false witness will not go unpunished, and one who pours out lies will perish.

NETBNew English Translation2006

A false witness will not go unpunished, and the one who spouts out lies will perish.

Tyndale line

KJVKing James Version1611

A false witness shall not be unpunished, and he that speaketh lies shall perish.

ASVAmerican Standard Version1901

A false witness shall not be unpunished; And he that uttereth lies shall perish.

RVARevised Version, American1894

A false witness shall not be unpunished; and he that uttereth lies shall perish.

NWBWebster's Bible1833

A false witness shall not be unpunished, and he that speaketh lies shall perish.

GNVGeneva Bible1599

A false witnes shall not be vnpunished: and he that speaketh lyes, shall perish.

Strictly literal

DBYDarby Translation1890

A false witness shall not be held innocent, and he that uttereth lies shall perish.

YLTYoung's Literal Translation1862

A false witness is not acquitted, And whoso breatheth out lies perisheth.

LSVLiteral Standard Version2020

A false witness is not acquitted, || And whoever breathes out lies perishes.

ILTInterlinear Literal Translation2000

A false witness shall not remain unpunished, and he that uttereth lies shall perish.

ULBUnlocked Literal Bible2017

A false witness will not go unpunished, but the one who breathes out lies will perish.

From the Latin

DRADouay-Rheims (Challoner)1899

A false witness shall not be unpunished: and he that speaketh lies, shall perish.

Simplified

FBVFree Bible Version2020

A false witness will be punished; people who tell lies will perish.

BBEBible in Basic English1949

A false witness will not go without punishment, and the breather out of deceit will be cut off.

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 · subjectעֵ֣דa.witnessשְׁ֭קָרִיםof.liesadverbialלֹ֣אnotverbיִנָּקֶ֑הhe.will.go.unpunishedוְandclausenoun phrase · subjectclauseverbיָפִ֖יחַhe.breathes.outobjectכְּזָבִ֣יםliesverbיֹאבֵֽדhe.will.perish

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


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

The Masoretic Text and the Septuagint largely agree in content, with five of the seven words matched. The Septuagint's word order and articles differ, but the essential message remains consistent.

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

עֵ֣ד שְׁ֭קָרִים לֹ֣א יִנָּקֶ֑ה וְיָפִ֖יחַ כְּזָבִ֣ים יֹאבֵֽד׃ פ

Septuagintthe Greek the translators chose, word by word
עֵ֣דμάρτυςשְׁ֭קָרִיםψευδὴςלֹ֣אοὐκכְּזָבִ֣יםκακίανיֹאבֵֽד׃ פἀπολεῖται

5 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 19:9עֵדa witness oa witness ofעֵדשֶׁ֫קֶרliesliesשֶׁ֫קֶרלֹאnotnotלֹאנָקָהhe will go he will go unpuנָקָהפּוּחַand he may and he may breaפּוּחַכָּזָבliesliesכָּזָבאָבַדhe will perhe will perishאָבַדעוּדto upholdto upholdעוּדשָׁקַרto dealto dealשָׁקַרכָּזַבto lieto lieכָּזַבשֶׁ֫קֶרdeceptiondeceptionשֶׁ֫קֶרעֵדwitnesswitnessעֵדנָבָאto prophesto prophesyנָבָאיָכֹלbe ablebe ableיָכֹלעוֹדstillstillעוֹדפֶּ֫שַׁעtransgresstransgressionפֶּ֫שַׁעצֵלshadowshadowצֵלכָּזָבlielieכָּזָבפּוּחַto breatheto breatheפּוּחַקָסַםto divineto divineקָסַםתִּקְוָהcordcordתִּקְוָהשָׁמַדto destroyto destroyשָׁמַד
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 19:9

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.

a witness of lies not he will go unpunished and he may breathe out lies he will perish
עֵ֣ד'ed a witness of H5707 Noun common · masculine singular construct
70× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This Hebrew word means witness or testimony, describing someone who sees or experiences something. It's used in the Bible to talk about people who testify to what they've seen, like in Deuteronomy when describing legal witnesses.
Amplified meaning
one who testifies, provides testimony
Tyndale gloss
witness
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

עֵד (ed) means 'witness' and encompasses both the act of witnessing and the person who testifies. It is derived from a root suggesting emphatic affirmation. The term can refer to evidence of things or to individuals providing testimony.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

עֵד 69 n.m. witness (prob. fr. reiterating, hence emphatically affirming)

witness, testimony, evidence, of things

witness, a person

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H5707 עֵד witness (prob. fr. reiterating, hence emphatically affirming) . witness, testimony, evidence, of things

. witness, a person

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

5707 `ed ayd

contracted from 5749 ; concretely, a witness; abstractly,

testimony; specifically, a recorder, i.e. prince:--witness.

see HEBREW for 05749

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

עֵד (ed) — witness.

1) witness

1a) witness, testimony, evidence (of things)

1b) witness (of people)

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…

a witness of lies not he will go unpunished and he may breathe out lies he will perish
שְׁ֭קָרִיםShe.ka.rim lies H8267 Noun common · masculine plural absolute
113× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This word refers to deception or falsehood, often implying a sense of betrayal or disappointment. It's used in the Bible to describe lies, false testimony, or deceitful behavior, like in Psalm 116:11, where the psalmist says all men are liars.
Amplified meaning
deceptive, untrue
Tyndale gloss
deception
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

שֶׁ֫קֶר (sheqer) refers to deception, falsehood, and disappointment. It encompasses various forms of deceit, including fraud and wrongful testimony. The word is built from the root associated with untruths and can imply sham or lying. It is used in contexts involving false prophets and general dishonesty.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

שֶׁ֫קֶר 113 n.m. deception, disappointment, falsehood

deception, what deceives, disappoints, and betrays one

deceit, fraud, wrong

injurious falsehood, in testimony

falsity, of false or self-deceived prophets

lie, falsehood, in gen.

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H8267 שֶׁ֫קֶר deception, disappointment, falsehood . deception, what deceives, disappoints, and betrays one

. deceit, fraud, wrong

. injurious falsehood, in testimony

. falsity, of false or self-deceived prophets

. lie, falsehood, in gen.

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

8267 sheqer sheh'-ker

from 8266; an untruth; by implication, a sham (often

adverbial):--without a cause, deceit(-ful),

false(-hood, -ly), feignedly, liar, + lie, lying, vain

(thing), wrongfully.

see HEBREW for 08266

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

שֶׁ֫קֶר (she.qer) — deception.

1) lie, deception, disappointment, falsehood

1a) deception (what deceives or disappoints or betrays one)

1b) deceit, fraud, wrong

1b1) fraudulently, wrongfully (as adverb)

1c) falsehood (injurious in testimony)

1c1) testify falsehood, false oath, swear falsely

1d) falsity (of false or self-deceived prophets)

1e) lie, falsehood (in general)

1e1) false tongue

1f) in vain

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-mp — Noun common · masculine plural absolute
HNcmpa
a witness of lies not he will go unpunished and he may breathe out lies he will perish
לֹ֣אlo' not H3808 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.
Amplified meaning
never
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
Part — Particle
HTn
The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
a witness of lies not he will go unpunished and he may breathe out lies he will perish
יִנָּקֶ֑הyi.na.Keh he will go unpunished H5352 Verb · Niphal · imperfect third person masculine singular
44× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
To be or make clean, either physically or morally, as seen in the book of Psalms where David asks God to cleanse him. This word is also used to describe being free from guilt or punishment. It appears in various forms throughout the Old Testament.
Amplified meaning
without penalty, acquitted
Tyndale gloss
to clear
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

נָקָה (naqah) is a Hebrew verb meaning to be clean or free from guilt, and it can also imply being empty or desolate. The entries indicate that it encompasses a range of meanings, including acquitting someone of guilt, being exempt from punishment, and being purged or cleaned out. The lexicons suggest various nuances, but they consistently focus on themes of innocence and cleanliness.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

[נָקָה] vb. be empty(?), clean

Qal Inf. Abs.

Niph.

be cleaned out

be clean, free from guilt, innocent

be free, exempt from punishment

free, exempt from obligation

Pi.

hold innocent, acquit

leave unpunished

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H5352 נָקָה be empty(?), clean .Inf. Abs.

. . be cleaned out

. be clean, free from guilt, innocent

. be free, exempt from punishment

. free, exempt from obligation

. . hold innocent, acquit

. leave unpunished

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

5352 naqah naw-kaw'

a primitive root; to be (or make) clean (literally or

figuratively); by implication (in an adverse sense) to be

bare, i.e. extirpated:--acquit X at all, X altogether, be

blameless, cleanse, (be) clear(-ing), cut off, be desolate, be

free, be (hold) guiltless, be (hold) innocent, X by no means,

be quit, be (leave) unpunished, X utterly, X wholly.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

נָקָה (na.qah) — to clear.

1) to be empty, be clear, be pure, be free, be innocent, be desolate, be cut off

1a) (Qal) to be empty, be clean, be pure

1b) (Niphal)

1b1) to be cleaned out, be purged out

1b2) to be clean, be free from guilt, be innocent

1b3) to be free, be exempt from punishment

1b4) to be free, be exempt from obligation

1c) (Piel)

1c1) to hold innocent, acquit

1c2) to leave unpunished

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
V-Niphal-Imperf-3ms — Verb · Niphal · imperfect third person masculine singular
HVNi3ms
a witness of lies not he will go unpunished and he may breathe out lies he will perish
וְיָפִ֖יחַve.ya.Fi.ach and he may breathe out H6315 Conjunction · verb qal third person masculine singular
14× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This Hebrew word means to breathe or blow air, and is used in various ways, such as to fan a breeze or kindle a fire. It can also mean to utter or speak. In the Bible, it appears in contexts like Exodus and Psalms, describing God's breath or a person's utterance.
Amplified meaning
speaks, utters
Tyndale gloss
to breathe
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

פּוּחַ (puwach) is a primitive root meaning to breathe or blow. It encompasses actions such as puffing, fanning, and uttering, and can also imply excitement or inflaming. The verb appears in various forms, including Qal and Hiphil, indicating different nuances like causing to exhale or expressing wrath.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

[פּוּחַ] vb. breathe, blow

Qal until the day breathes, i.e. grows cool

Hiph.

cause garden to exhale

puff, snort, against

with the fire of my wrath will I blow against thee

excite, inflame city

puff = pant for it

breathe out, utter

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H6315 פּוּחַ

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

6315 puwach poo'akh

a primitive root; to puff, i.e. blow with the breath or air;

hence, to fan (as a breeze), to utter, to kindle (a fire), to

scoff:--blow (upon), break, puff, bring into a snare, speak,

utter.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

פּוּחַ (pu.ach) — to breathe.

1) to breathe, blow

1a) (Qal) to breathe

1b) (Hiphil)

1b1) to cause to exhale or breathe

1b2) to puff, snort

1b3) to excite, inflame

1b4) to puff, pant for it

1b5) to breathe out, utter

1b6) to blow, blast

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Conj | V-Hiphil-Imperf-3ms — Conjunction · verb qal third person masculine singular
HC/Vqu3ms
a witness of lies not he will go unpunished and he may breathe out lies he will perish
כְּזָבִ֣יםke.za.Vim lies H3577 Noun common · masculine plural absolute
31× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
A lie or falsehood is what this word represents, whether it is a literal untruth or a figurative idol, and is often used to describe the deceitful nature of humanity.
Amplified meaning
deceit, falsehoods
Tyndale gloss
lie
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

כָּזָב (kazab) refers to a lie or falsehood, encompassing meanings like deceit and untruth. It is derived from a root that suggests the concept of deception. The entries consistently describe it as a term for falsehood without significant disagreement among lexicons.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

כָּזָב n.m. lie, falsehood, deceptive thing

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H3577 כָּזָב lie, falsehood, deceptive thing

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

3577 kazab kaw-zawb'

from 3576; falsehood; literally (untruth) or figuratively

(idol):--deceitful, false, leasing, + liar, lie, lying.

see HEBREW for 03576

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

כָּזָב (ka.zav) — lie.

a lie, untruth, falsehood, deceptive thing

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-mp — Noun common · masculine plural absolute
HNcmpa
a witness of lies not he will go unpunished and he may breathe out lies he will perish
יֹאבֵֽד׃ פyo.Ved he will perish H6 Verb · Qal · imperfect third person masculine singular
184× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
To perish means to be destroyed or lost, whether it's a person, animal, or thing, like the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah in Genesis 19.
Amplified meaning
be destroyed, lost
Tyndale gloss
to perish
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

אָבַד (abad) is a Hebrew verb meaning to perish or be lost. It encompasses a range of meanings, including dying, vanishing, and destruction, often in a moral or judgment context. The word appears in various forms in the Old Testament, with uses related to individuals, nations, and inanimate objects. The lexicons indicate that it can also imply causing something to perish or stray.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

אָבַד vb. perish (M I אבד, As. abâtu Dl W 184 Aram אֲבַד, Syriac).—

Qal Pf. א׳ Nu 21:30 +; אָבְדוּ ψ 10:16 + (+ Ez 6:3 𝔊 Co) etc.; Impf. יֹאבַד Jb 3:3 Je 4:9; יֹאבֵ֑ד Jb 20:7 + 2t.; 3fs. תֹּאבַד Dt 22:3 + 4t.; תֹּאבֵ֑ד Jb 8:13 + 3t.; יֹאבְדוּ Ju 5:31 + 3t.; יֹאבֵ֑דוּ Jb 4:9 +; 3fpl. וַתֹּאבַדְנָה֙ I S 9:3; תֹּאבֵדוּן Dt 4:26 +; נֹאבֵ֑ד Jon 1:6

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Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H6 אָבַד perish .. perish, die, of individuals

. fig. perish, vanish, subj. memory

. be lost, strayed

. . cause to perish, destroy, kill

. fig. cause to vanish, blot out, do away with

. cause to stray, lose

. . destroy, put to death, in judgment

. fig. obj. name of kings; hope; voice of mirth etc.

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

6 'abad aw-bad'

a primitive root; properly, to wander away, i.e. lose

oneself; by implication to perish (causative,

destroy):--break, destroy(- uction), + not escape, fail,

lose, (cause to, make) perish, spend, X and surely, take, be

undone, X utterly, be void of, have no way to flee.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

אָבַד (a.vad) — to perish.

1) perish, vanish, go astray, be destroyed

1a) (Qal)

1a1) perish, die, be exterminated

1a2) perish, vanish (fig.)

1a3) be lost, strayed

1b) (Piel)

1b1) to destroy, kill, cause to perish, to give up (as lost), exterminate

1b2) to blot out, do away with, cause to vanish, (fig.)

1b3) cause to stray, lose

1c) (Hiphil)

1c1) to destroy, put to death

1c1a) of divine judgment

1c2) object name of kings (fig.)

Aramaic equivalent: a.vad (אֲבַד "to destroy" H0007)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
V-Qal-Imperf-3ms — Verb · Qal · imperfect third person masculine singular
HVqi3ms
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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