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Proverbs 21:19 — Word Study

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WLCט֗וֹב שֶׁ֥בֶת בְּאֶֽרֶץ־ מִדְבָּ֑ר מֵאֵ֖שֶׁת מִדְיָנִ֣ים וָכָֽעַס׃

BSABetterṭôwb [more pleasant, advantageous] to liveyâshab [to dwell, reside] in the desertʼerets [wilderness, a land uninhabited] than with a contentiousmâdôwn [quarrelsome] and ill-temperedkaʻaç [angry, vexed] wifeʼishshâh [woman, female companion]

Word
Listen & take awayProverbs 21
English ↓ Download MP3 The Berean Standard Bible chapter audio already hosted for the site's Bible section — verse 19 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 (va.Kha.'as) — no per-word recordings of the Hebrew exist to link to.
Take it away
Proverbs 21:19quick helps
In a sentenceThe proverb compares the hardship of living in the wilderness to the difficulties of being with a quarrelsome and angry wife.
Who is speakingThe author of Proverbs, offering wisdom on relationships.
Where we areIn a section discussing the nature of relationships and their impact on well-being.
The hard wordמִדְיָן
Take awayLiving in isolation is preferable to enduring strife in a relationship.
6 commentators on this verse Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them › clause verbיָשַׁב 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 21:19

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 on Relationshipsgenerated

18The wicked become a ransom for the righteous, and the faithless for the upright.
19Better to live in the desert than with a contentious and ill-tempered wife.
20Precious treasures and oil are in the dwelling of the wise, but a foolish man consumes them.
21He who pursues righteousness and loving devotion finds life, righteousness, and honor.

Proverbs 21:19 contrasts the solitude of the wilderness with the challenges of living with a contentious wife. This verse is part of a broader discourse on relationships and the wisdom of choosing peace over conflict. The surrounding verses emphasize the value of righteousness and the consequences of foolishness, illustrating the importance of harmony in one's home, as seen in Proverbs 21:18 and 21:20.


Cross References

ReferenceText (BSB)
1Proverbs 21:9Better to live on a corner of the roof than to share a house with a quarrelsome wife.
2Psalm 55:6–7I said, “Oh, that I had wings like a dove! I would fly away and find rest.
3Psalm 120:5–6Woe to me that I dwell in Meshech, that I live among the tents of Kedar!
4Jeremiah 9:2If only I had a traveler’s lodge in the wilderness, I would abandon my people and depart from them, for they are all adulterers, a crowd of faithless people.

The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 4 references, hung on the phrase they belong to


The Key Word טוֹב, Tovgenerated

The word טוֹב (tov) is an adjective that means good or pleasant, covering a range of meanings from agreeable to ethical goodness. It is often used to describe beneficial situations or happy states, suggesting that what is good brings welfare and prosperity.

In this verse, it indicates that living in the wilderness is a better option than being with a contentious wife, highlighting the preference for peace and tranquility over conflict.


How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated

In the Berean Standard Bible, the verse uses better to convey the comparative sense of the situation.


Sentence Structuregenerated

The finite verb שֶׁ֥בֶת, to dwell, governs the structure of the verse, which consists of a main clause stating the comparison and a series of prepositional phrases detailing where and with whom one would rather dwell.

The word order emphasizes the contrast between the wilderness and the contentious wife, making the choice clear and direct.


Septuagint Backgroundgenerated

The Septuagint translates טוֹב as κρεῖσσον (kreisson), meaning 'better.' This choice aligns closely with the Hebrew, reinforcing the comparative nature of the statement.

The Greek term for wilderness, ἐρήμῳ (erēmō), similarly conveys the idea of a desolate place, maintaining the original context of isolation.


In plain words — the whole versegenerated

Proverbs 21:19 tells us that it is better to live in the wilderness than to be with a quarrelsome and angry wife. This highlights the value of peace over conflict in relationships.


Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated

What does it mean to be contentious?

To be contentious means to be quarrelsome or prone to conflict, often leading to strife in relationships.

Why is living in the wilderness considered better?

Living in the wilderness is seen as preferable to enduring constant conflict, suggesting that solitude can be more peaceful than a troubled relationship.

How does this verse relate to other wisdom literature?

This verse reflects common themes in wisdom literature, emphasizing the importance of harmony and the consequences of strife in relationships.

What can this verse teach us about relationships?

It teaches that maintaining peace is crucial, and sometimes it is better to be alone than to be in a toxic relationship.


Reflection Questionsgenerated

  1. In what ways can I seek to promote peace in my relationships?
  2. Have I ever found myself preferring solitude over conflict? What led to that decision?
  3. How can I apply the wisdom of this proverb in my daily interactions?
  4. What are some practical steps I can take to avoid contentious behavior in my relationships?

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

The early church fathers quoted this verse to discuss the nature of relationships and the importance of piety in women, as seen in the Apostolic Constitutions.

Apostolic ConstitutionsCONSTITUTIONS OF THE HOLY APOSTLES c. 375–380
“It is better to dwell in the wilderness than with a contentious and an angry woman.” You wives, therefore, demonstrate your piety by your modesty and meekness to all outside the church, whether they are women or men,
Early Church Fathers on Proverbs 21 →
Nilus of SinaiCONSTITUTIONS OF THE HOLY APOSTLES 1:3.10 d. c. 430
“It is better to dwell in the wilderness than with a contentious and an angry woman.” You wives, therefore, demonstrate your piety by your modesty and meekness to all outside the church, whether they are women or men,
Early Church Fathers on Proverbs 21 →

Commentators on this verse — 6 expositors, verse by verse

Each of these wrote on Proverbs 21:19 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.

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

[It is] better to dwell in the wilderness,.... Where persons live without shelter, and are not only exposed to storms and tempests, but to beasts of prey; where is want of the necessaries of life,

Read John Gill on Proverbs 21 →
Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's Commentary

It is better to dwell in the wilderness, than with a contentious and an angry woman. Compare Proverbs 21:9.

Read Robert Jamieson on Proverbs 21 →
Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy Bible

Than, understand, in a wide house, as it is expressed above, , and as the opposition here requires.

Read Matthew Poole on Proverbs 21 →
John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

Proverbs 21:19 [It is] better to dwell in the wilderness, than with a contentious and an angry woman.Ver. 19. It is better to dwell in the wilderness.] Among ravenous beasts and venomous serpents, in greatest danger, and want of all necessary accommodation. This is so much worse than the housetop, as an angry and vexatious woman - which, like a mad dog, bites all about her, and makes them as mad as herself - is worse than her that is not so much angry as unquiet, brawling (as dogs bark sometimes in the night) of custom or fancy, and not provoked by any.

Read John Trapp on Proverbs 21 →
CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

19. wilderness] regarded, as the parallel requires, not as a barren, but as a solitary place. angry] Or, fretful, R.V. text; or, a contentious woman and vexation, R.V. marg. The LXX. introduce a third characteristic, chattering, γλωσσώδης.

Read Cambridge on Proverbs 21 →
Daniel Denison Whedon1808–1885Whedon's Commentary on the Bible

19. In… wilderness — αΰψφξγαψ, (beerets midhbar,) in the pasture lands, the uncultivated regions, those not occupied by the dwellings of man. Angry woman — A fretful, morose, or contentious woman.

Read Daniel Denison Whedon on Proverbs 21 →

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

Better to live in the desert than with a contentious and ill-tempered wife.

WEBWorld English Bible2000

It is better to dwell in a desert land, than with a contentious and fretful woman.

MSBMajority Standard Bible2022

Better to live in the desert than with a contentious and ill-tempered wife.

NETBNew English Translation2006

It is better to live in a desert land than with a quarrelsome and easily-provoked woman.

Tyndale line

KJVKing James Version1611

It is better to dwell in the wilderness, than with a contentious and an angry woman.

ASVAmerican Standard Version1901

It is better to dwell in a desert land, Than with a contentious and fretful woman.

RVARevised Version, American1894

It is better to dwell in a desert land, than with a contentious and fretful woman.

NWBWebster's Bible1833

It is better to dwell in the wilderness, than with a contentious and an angry woman.

GNVGeneva Bible1599

It is better to dwell in the wildernesse, then with a contentious and angry woman.

Strictly literal

DBYDarby Translation1890

It is better to dwell in a desert land. than with a contentious and irritable woman.

YLTYoung's Literal Translation1862

Better to dwell in a wilderness land, Than [with] a woman of contentions and anger.

LSVLiteral Standard Version2020

Better to dwell in a wilderness land, || Than [with] a woman of contentions and anger.

ILTInterlinear Literal Translation2000

It is better to dwell in a desert land, than with a quarrelsome and vexatious woman.

ULBUnlocked Literal Bible2017

It is better to live in the desert than with a quarreling and angry wife.

From the Latin

DRADouay-Rheims (Challoner)1899

It is better to dwell in a wilderness, than with a quarrelsome and passionate woman.

Simplified

FBVFree Bible Version2020

It's better to live in a desert than with an argumentative and bad-tempered wife.

BBEBible in Basic English1949

It is better to be living in a waste land, than with a bitter-tongued and angry woman.

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.

clausepredicateט֗וֹב[is].goodnoun phrase · subjectclauseverbשֶׁ֥בֶתto.dwellprepositional phrase · prepositionalבְּinnoun phraseאֶֽרֶץa.landמִדְבָּ֑רof.wildernessprepositional phrase · prepositionalמֵmorenoun phraseאֵ֖שֶׁתthan.a.womannoun phraseמִדְיָנִ֣יםof.contentionsוָandכָֽעַסanger

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 their wording, with six of the seven words matched. The Septuagint's structure differs, but its translation reflects the same sentiments expressed in the Hebrew.

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

ט֗וֹב שֶׁ֥בֶת בְּאֶֽרֶץ־ מִדְבָּ֑ר מֵאֵ֖שֶׁת מִדְיָנִ֣ים וָכָֽעַס׃

Septuagintthe Greek the translators chose, word by word
ט֗וֹבκρεῖσσονשֶׁ֥בֶתοἰκεῖνבְּאֶֽרֶץ־γῇמִדְבָּ֑רἐρήμῳמֵאֵ֖שֶׁתγυναικὸςוָכָֽעַס׃ὀργίλου

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 21:19טוֹב[is] good[is] goodטוֹביָשַׁבto dwellto dwellיָשַׁבאֶ֫רֶץin a land oin a land ofאֶ֫רֶץמִדְבָּרwildernesswildernessמִדְבָּראִשָּׁהmore than amore than a womאִשָּׁהדִּיןcontentionscontentionsדִּיןכַּ֫עַסand angerand angerכַּ֫עַסכָּעַסto provoketo provokeכָּעַסטוֹבbe pleasinbe pleasingטוֹבדָבַרto speak: to speak: speakדָבַראִישׁmanmanאִישׁאֱנוֹשׁhumanhumanאֱנוֹשׁמָדוֹןstrifestrifeמָדוֹןיָשָׁרJasharJasharיָשָׁרמַרְאֶהappearanceappearanceמַרְאֶהבֶּ֫טַחsecuritysecurityבֶּ֫טַחכְּנַעֲנִיCanaanitesCanaanitessכְּנַעֲנִיכְּנַ֫עַןCanaanCanaanכְּנַ֫עַןמִצְרַ֫יִם(Sea of) E(Sea of) Egyptמִצְרַ֫יִםצִןZinZinצִןסִינַיSinaiSinaiסִינַיטַףchildchildטַףנָכְרִיforeignforeignנָכְרִיחֲבַרfellowfellowחֲבַרפִּנָּהcornercornerפִּנָּה
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 21:19

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.

[is] good to dwell in a land of wilderness more than a woman of contentions and anger
ט֗וֹבTov [is] good H2896 Adj
538× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
In the Bible, this Hebrew word means good or welfare, describing something that is beneficial or pleasing, like a good deed or a happy time. It is used in many contexts, including Genesis and Psalms. This word is often translated as 'good' or 'beautiful'.
Amplified meaning
more pleasant, advantageous
Tyndale gloss
pleasant
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

טוֹב (tov) is a Hebrew word meaning good or pleasant, encompassing a wide range of meanings from agreeable to the senses to ethical goodness. It can function as an adjective, noun, or adverb, referring to things like welfare, happiness, and prosperity. The feminine form, טוֹבָה (tovah), specifically denotes welfare or good things.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

טוֹב adj. pleasant, agreeable, good

pleasant, agreeable to the senses

pleasant to the higher nature, giving pleasure, happiness, prosperity, and so agreeable, pleasing, well

good, excellent, of its kind

good, rich, valuable in estimation

good, appropriate, becoming

c. מִן compar. = better

of man's sensuous nature, glad, happy, prosperous

of man's intellectual nature, good understanding

good, kind, benign

good (ethical), right

base

טוֹב n.m. a good thing, benefit, welfare

welfare, prosperity, happiness

good things

good = benefit

moral good

base

טוֹבָה n.f. welfare, benefit, good things, good

welfare, prosperity, happiness

good things

bounty, good

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H2896a טוֹב pleasant, agreeable, good . pleasant, agreeable to the senses

. pleasant to the higher nature, giving pleasure, happiness, prosperity, and so agreeable, pleasing, well

. good, excellent, of its kind

. good, rich, valuable in estimation

. good, appropriate, becoming

. c. מִן compar. =better

. of man's sensuous nature, glad, happy, prosperous

. of man's intellectual nature, good understanding

. good, kind, benign

. good (ethical), right

H2896b טוֹב a good thing, benefit, welfare H2896c טוֹבָה welfare, benefit, good things, good

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

2896 towb tobe

from 2895; good (as an adjective) in the widest sense; used

likewise as a noun, both in the masculine and the feminine,

the singular and the plural (good, a good or good thing, a

good man or woman; the good, goods or good things, good men or

women), also as an adverb (well):--beautiful, best, better,

bountiful, cheerful, at ease, X fair (word), (be in) favour,

fine, glad, good (deed, -lier, -liest, -ly, -ness, -s),

graciously, joyful, kindly, kindness, liketh (best), loving,

merry, X most, pleasant, + pleaseth, pleasure, precious,

prosperity, ready, sweet, wealth, welfare, (be) well

((-favoured)).

see HEBREW for 02895

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

טוֹב (tov) — pleasant.

adj

1) good, pleasant, agreeable

1a) pleasant, agreeable (to the senses)

1b) pleasant (to the higher nature)

1c) good, excellent (of its kind)

1d) good, rich, valuable in estimation

1e) good, appropriate, becoming

1f) better (comparative)

1g) glad, happy, prosperous (of man's sensuous nature)

1h) good understanding (of man's intellectual nature)

1i) good, kind, benign

1j) good, right (ethical)

Aramaic equivalent: tav (טָב "fine" H2869)

טוֹב (tov) — good.

1) a good thing, benefit, welfare

1a) welfare, prosperity, happiness

1b) good things (collective)

1c) good, benefit

1d) moral good

טוֹבָה (to.vah) — welfare.

1) welfare, benefit, good things

1a) welfare, prosperity, happiness

1b) good things (collective)

1c) bounty

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

good (Tobh, Tubh, yaTabh; agathos, agathon, kalos, kalon): In English "good" is used in various senses, most of which are represented in the Bible.

(1) In the Old Testament the commonest word is Tobh, occurring very frequently and translated in a great variety of ways. Of the different shades of meaning, which frequently run into each other, the following may be distinguished:

(a) Possessing desirable qualities, beneficial, agreeable, e.g. "good for food" (Ge 2:9); "We will do thee good" (Nu 10:29); Who will show us any good?" (Ps 4:6); "good tidings of good" (Isa 52:7).

[is] good to dwell in a land of wilderness more than a woman of contentions and anger
שֶׁ֥בֶתShe.vet to dwell H3427 Verb · Qal · infinitive construct common
1,079× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This verb means to sit or dwell, and can also mean to remain or abide. It's used in the Bible to describe people living in a place or staying with someone, like in the book of Genesis.
Amplified meaning
to dwell, reside
Tyndale gloss
to dwell
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

יָשַׁב (yashab) is a Hebrew verb meaning to sit, remain, or dwell. It encompasses a range of actions from simply sitting down to more complex ideas like establishing a home or causing a place to be inhabited. The entries indicate various forms, including Qal (to sit), Niphal (to be inhabited), and Hiphil (to cause to dwell). There is an Aramaic equivalent, יְתִב (ye.tiv), meaning 'to dwell'.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

יָשַׁב 1090 vb. sit, remain, dwell

Qal

sit

sit, sit down

sit down

sit = be set (as a jewel)

remain, stay, tarry

with special emphasis of qualifying phr.

dwell, have one’s abode

of a land or city, sit, abide, seated in its place, fig. for be inhabited

Niph. be inhabited, of land

Pi. and they shall set their encampments in thee

Hiph.

cause to sit

cause to abide

cause to dwell

cause cities to be inhabited

marry (prop. give a dwelling to)

Hoph. and ye be made to dwell alone in the midst of the land

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H3427 יָשַׁב sit, remain, dwell

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

3427 yashab yaw-shab'

a primitive root; properly, to sit down (specifically as

judge. in ambush, in quiet); by implication, to dwell, to

remain; causatively, to settle, to marry:--(make to)

abide(-ing), continue, (cause to, make to) dwell(-ing), ease

self, endure, establish, X fail, habitation, haunt, (make to)

inhabit(-ant), make to keep (house), lurking, X marry(-ing),

(bring again to) place, remain, return, seat, set(- tle),

(down-)sit(-down, still, -ting down, -ting (place) -uate),

take, tarry.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

יָשַׁב (ya.shav) — to dwell.

1) to dwell, remain, sit, abide

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to sit, sit down

1a2) to be set

1a3) to remain, stay

1a4) to dwell, have one's abode

1b) (Niphal) to be inhabited

1c) (Piel) to set, place

1d) (Hiphil)

1d1) to cause to sit

1d2) to cause to abide, set

1d3) to cause to dwell

1d4) to cause (cities) to be inhabited

1d5) to marry (give an dwelling to)

1e) (Hophal)

1e1) to be inhabited

1e2) to make to dwell

Aramaic equivalent: ye.tiv (יְתִב "to dwell" H3488)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
V-Qal-Inf-a — Verb · Qal · infinitive construct common
HVqcc
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

dwel:

(1) In the Old Testament "dwell" is a translation of 9 words, of which by far the most frequent is yashabh, "to sit down," translated "dwell" over 400 times (Ge 4:20; Jos 20:4; 1Ch 17:1,4,5, etc.); also very frequently "sit," and sometimes "abide," "inhabit," "remain." Another word often rendered "dwell" is shakhan or shakhen ("to settle down"), from which is derived the rabbinic word shekhinah (literally, "that which dwells"), the light on the mercy-seat which symbolized the Divine presence (Ex 25:8, etc.). In order to avoid appearing to localize the Divine Being, wherever God is said to "dwell" in a place, the Targum renders that He "causes His Shekinah to dwell"…

Easton's Bible Dictionary

Dwell

Tents were in primitive times the common dwellings of men. Houses were afterwards built, the walls of which were frequently of mud (Job 24:16; Matt. 6:19, 20) or of sun-dried bricks.

God “dwells in light” (1 Tim. 6:16; 1 John 1:7), in heaven (Ps. 123:1), in his church (Ps. 9:11; 1 John 4:12). Christ dwelt on earth in the days of his humiliation (John 1:14). He now dwells in the hearts of his people (Eph.…

[is] good to dwell in a land of wilderness more than a woman of contentions and anger
בְּאֶֽרֶץ־be.'e.retz- in a land of H776 Preposition · noun common feminine singular construct
2,504× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
The land or earth refers to the soil or ground, and can also mean a country, territory, or region. In the Bible, it is used to describe the earth and its inhabitants, and is often translated as 'land' or 'country'.
Amplified meaning
wilderness, a land uninhabited
Tyndale gloss
land: soil
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

אֶ֫רֶץ (erets) is a feminine noun meaning 'earth' or 'land.' It encompasses various meanings, including the whole earth, specific territories like Canaan, and even inhabitants of the land. It can refer to soil, ground, or regions, and is used in phrases related to distance and the living. There is a note on the plural form אֲרָצוֹת, which mainly appears in later texts to denote multiple lands.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

אֶ֫רֶץ n. f. & (seld.) m. earth, land

earth, whole earth (opp. to a part)

earth, opp. to heaven, sky

earth = inhabitants of earth

land =

country, territory

district, region

trial territory

piece of ground

specif. land of Canaan, or Israel

= inhabitants of land

used even of Shᵉʼôl

ground, surface of ground

soil, as productive

אֶרֶץ in phrases

people of the land

in measurements of distance

the country of the plain, level or plain country

land of the living

end(s) of the earth

pl. אֲרָצוֹת is almost wholly late; it denotes lands, countries, often in contrast to Canaan, lands of the nations, etc.

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H776 אֶ֫רֶץ n. f. & (seld.) m. earth, land . . earth, whole earth (opp. to a part)

. earth, opp. to heaven, sky

. earth = inhabitants of earth

. land = . country, territory

. district, region

. trial territory

. piece of ground

. specif. land of Canaan, or Israel

. = inhabitants of land

. used even of Shᵉʼôl

. . ground, surface of ground

. soil, as productive

. אֶרֶץ in phrases . people of the land

. in measurements of distance

. the country of the plain, level or plain country

. land of the living

. end(s) of the earth

. pl. אֲרָצוֹת is almost wholly late; it denotes lands, countries, often in contrast to Canaan, lands of the nations, etc.

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

776 'erets eh'-rets

from an unused root probably meaning to be firm; the earth

(at large, or partitively a land):--X common, country, earth,

field, ground, land, X natins, way, + wilderness, world.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

אֶ֫רֶץ (e.rets) — land: country/planet.

: country/field

1) land, earth

1a) earth

1a1) whole earth (as opposed to a part)

1a2) earth (as opposed to heaven)

1a3) earth (inhabitants)

1b) land

1b1) country, territory

1b2) district, region

1b3) tribal territory

1b4) piece of ground

1b5) land of Canaan, Israel

1b6) inhabitants of land

1b7) Sheol, land without return, (under) world

1b8) city (-state)

1c) ground, surface of the earth

1c1) ground

1c2) soil

1d) (in phrases)

1d1) people of the land

1d2) space or distance of country (in measurements of distance)

1d3) level or plain country

1d4) land of the living

1d5) end(s) of the earth

1e) (almost wholly late in usage)

1e1) lands, countries

1e1a) often in contrast to Canaan

אֶ֫רֶץ (e.rets) — land: soil.

: soil

1) land, earth

1a) earth

1a1) whole earth (as opposed to a part)

1a2) earth (as opposed to heaven)

1a3) earth (inhabitants)

1b) land

1b1) country, territory

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Prep | N-cs — Preposition · noun common feminine singular construct
HR/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…

[is] good to dwell in a land of wilderness more than a woman of contentions and anger
מִדְבָּ֑רmid.Bar wilderness H4057 Noun common · masculine singular absolute
271× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
The wilderness refers to a desert or open field, like the one the Israelites wandered in after leaving Egypt. It can also mean a place of solitude or a region without many people. In the Bible, it is often associated with the journey to the Promised Land.
Tyndale gloss
mouth
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

מִדְבָּר (midbar) primarily means 'mouth' in the sense of an organ of speech, but it also refers to 'wilderness' or 'desert.' The word is derived from a root meaning to drive, suggesting open fields for pasturing cattle. It encompasses various forms of uninhabited land and is notably used in contexts related to the wilderness, such as the Wilderness of Sinai.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

[מִדְבָּר] n.m. mouth, as organ of speech, Ct 4:3

ref

מִדְבָר 270 n.m. wilderness

tracts of land, used for the pasturage of flocks and herds

uninhabited land

large tracts of such land bearing various names, in certain districts of which there might be towns and cities

fig.

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H4057a מִדְבָּר mouth, as organ of speech H4057b מִדְבָר wilderness

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

4057 midbar mid-bawr'

from 1696 in the sense of driving; a pasture (i.e. open

field, whither cattle are driven); by implication, a desert;

also speech (including its organs):--desert, south, speech,

wilderness.

see HEBREW for 01696

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

מִדְבָּר (mid.bar) — mouth.

1) mouth

1a) mouth (as organ of speech)

מִדְבָּר (mid.bar) — wilderness.

1) wilderness

1a) pasture

1b) uninhabited land, wilderness

1c) large tracts of wilderness (around cities)

1d) wilderness (fig.)

מִדְבָּר (mid.bar) — Wilderness (of Sinai).

This name means wilderness, uninhabited land

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

wil'-der-nes.

See DESERT; JUDAEA, WILDERNESS OF; WANDERINGS OF ISRAEL.

Easton's Bible Dictionary

Wilderness

(1.) Heb. midhbar, denoting not a barren desert but a district or region suitable for pasturing sheep and cattle (Ps. 65:12; Isa. 42:11; Jer. 23:10; Joel 1:19; 2:22); an uncultivated place. This word is used of the wilderness of Beersheba (Gen. 21:14), on the southern border of Palestine; the wilderness of the Red Sea (Ex. 13:18); of Shur (15:22), a portion of the Sinaitic peninsula; of Sin (17:1), Sinai (Lev. 7:38), Moab (Deut. 2:8), Judah (

American Tract Society Bible Dictionary

See DESERT.

Nave's Topical Bible

→ Wandering of the Israelites in, see ISRAEL

→ Typical of the sinner' s state De 32:10

→ Jesus' temptation in Mt 4:1; Mr 1:12,13; Lu 4:1

→ See DESERT

[is] good to dwell in a land of wilderness more than a woman of contentions and anger
מֵאֵ֖שֶׁתme.'E.shet more than a woman of H802 Preposition · noun common feminine singular construct
781× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
The Hebrew word for woman, used to describe a female person, wife, or animal, appears in many biblical passages, including Genesis and Exodus, and is often translated as woman, wife, or female.
Amplified meaning
woman, female companion
Tyndale gloss
woman
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

אִשָּׁה (ishshah) means 'woman,' 'wife,' or 'female.' It can refer to a woman in general, a wife in relation to a man, or the female of animals. The term also has distributive and reciprocal uses, indicating 'each woman' from her neighbor. The word is derived from the masculine forms אִישׁ (ish) and אִישָׁה (ishah), indicating a broad range of meanings.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

אִשָּׁה 773 n.f. woman, wife, female

woman

Wife (woman belonging to a man, usually cstr. or sf.)

Female of animals

With distrib. & recipr. sense, each woman from her neighbor; each one

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H802 אִשָּׁה woman, wife, female . woman

. Wife (woman belonging to a man, usually cstr. or sf.)

. Female of animals

. With distrib. & recipr. sense, each woman from her neighbor; each one

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

802 'ishshah ish-shaw'

feminine of 376 or 582; irregular plural, nashiym

{naw-sheem'}; a woman (used in the same wide sense as

582):--(adulter)ess, each, every, female, X many, + none,

one, + together, wife, woman. Often unexpressed in English.

see HEBREW for 0376

see HEBREW for 0582

see HEBREW for 0582

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

אִשָּׁה (ish.shah) — woman.

: woman

1) woman, wife, female

1a) woman (opposite of man)

1b) wife (woman married to a man)

1c) female (of animals)

1d) each, every (pronoun)

אִשָּׁה (ish.shah) — woman: wife.

: wife/widow

1) woman, wife, female

1a) woman (opposite of man)

1b) wife (woman married to a man)

1c) female (of animals)

1d) each, every (pronoun)

אִשָּׁה (ish.shah) — woman: another.

: another

1) woman, wife, female

1a) woman (opposite of man)

1b) wife (woman married to a man)

1c) female (of animals)

1d) each, every (pronoun)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Prep | N-fs — Preposition · noun common feminine singular construct
HR/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…

[is] good to dwell in a land of wilderness more than a woman of contentions and anger
מִדְיָנִ֣יםme.do.nim contentions H4079 Noun common · masculine plural absolute
10× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
Means contention or strife, describing a quarrel or dispute, as seen in the KJV translation of brawling or contention.
Tyndale gloss
contention
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

מִדְיָן (midyan) refers to strife or contention, indicating a state of disagreement or conflict. The term is associated with brawling and is derived from a variation of another Hebrew word for contention. It appears in contexts relating to disputes or arguments.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

מָדוֹן n.m. strife, contention

strife, contention

object of contention

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H4079 דִּין, דּוּן

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

4079 midyan mid-yawn'

a variation for 4066:--brawling, contention(-ous).

see HEBREW for 04066

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

מִדְיָן (mid.yan) — contention.

strife, contention

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
HNcmpa — Noun common · masculine plural absolute
HNcmpa
The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
[is] good to dwell in a land of wilderness more than a woman of contentions and anger
וָכָֽעַס׃va.Kha.'as and anger H3708 Conjunction · noun common masculine singular absolute
25× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This noun refers to the feeling of anger or frustration, like in Deuteronomy 32 where it describes God's vexation with the Israelites. It can also mean grief or provocation. It's a strong negative emotion.
Amplified meaning
angry, vexed
Tyndale gloss
vexation
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

כַּ֫עַס (ka.as) refers to feelings of vexation and anger, encompassing grief and provocation. It is derived from a root that suggests a sense of irritation or sorrow. The word appears in contexts relating to both human and divine emotions, indicating a range of feelings from frustration to wrath.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

כַּ֫עַס n.m. vexation, anger

base

כַּ֫עַשׂ n.m.

vexation, grief

vexation, anger

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H3708a כַּ֫עַס vexation, anger H3708b כַּ֫עַשׂ . vexation, grief

. vexation, anger

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

3708 ka`ac kah'-as

or (in Job) kaoas {kah'-as}; from 3707; vexation: -anger,

angry, grief, indignation, provocation, provoking, X sore,

sorrow, spite, wrath.

see HEBREW for 03707

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

כַּ֫עַס (ka.as) — vexation.

anger, vexation

Also means: ka.as (כַּ֫עַשׂ "vexation" H3708B)

כַּ֫עַשׂ (ka.as) — vexation.

1) anger, vexation, provocation, grief

1a) vexation

1a1) of men

1a2) of God

1b) vexation, grief, frustration

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Conj | N-ms — Conjunction · noun common masculine singular absolute
HC/Ncmsa
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

an'-ger: In the Old Testament, the translation of several Hebrew words, especially of 'aph (lit. "nostril," "countenance"), which is used some 45 times of human, 177 times of Divine, anger (OHL). The word occurs rarely in the New Testament (Mr 3:5; Eph 4:31; Col 3:8; Re 14:10), its place being taken by the word "wrath" (see WRATH). As a translation of words denoting God's "anger," the English word is unfortunate so far as it may seem to imply selfish, malicious or vindictive personal feeling. The anger of God is the response of His holiness to outbreaking sin. Particularly when it culminates in action is it rightly called Has "wrath." The Old Testament doctrine of God's anger…

Easton's Bible Dictionary

Anger

The emotion of instant displeasure on account of something evil that presents itself to our view. In itself it is an original susceptibility of our nature, just as love is, and is not necessarily sinful. It may, however, become sinful when causeless, or excessive, or protracted (Matt. 5:22; Eph. 4:26; Col. 3:8). As ascribed to God, it merely denotes his displeasure with sin and with sinners (Ps. 7:11).

American Tract Society Bible Dictionary

A violent emotion of a painful nature, sometimes arising spontaneously upon just occasion, but usually characterized in the Bible as a great sin, Mt 5:22 Eph 4:31 Col 3:8. Even when just, our anger should be mitigated by a due consideration of the circumstances of the offence and the state of mind of the offender; of the folly and ill-results of this passion; of the claims of the gospel, and of our own need of forgiveness from others, but especially from God, Mt 6:15. Anger is in Scripture frequently attributed to God, Mt 7:11 28:20; not that he is liable to those violent emotions which this passion produces, but…

Nave's Topical Bible

→ General scriptures concerning Ge 4:6; 49:7; 2Ch 28:9; Job 5:2; 19:29; Ps 37:8; 55:3; 76:10; Pr 6:34; 12:16; 14:17,29; 15:1,18; 16:14,29,32; 17:14; 19:11,12,19; 21:24; 22:24,25; 25:28; 27:3,4; 29:8,9,22; 30:33; Ec 7:9; Ho 7:16; Am 1:11; Jon 4:4; Mt 5:22; 2Co 12:20;

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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