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Proverbs 3:18 — Word Study

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WLCעֵץ־ חַיִּ֣ים הִ֭יא לַמַּחֲזִיקִ֣ים בָּ֑הּ וְֽתֹמְכֶ֥יהָ מְאֻשָּֽׁר׃ פ

BSAShehûwʼ [a tree of life] is a treeʻêts [a strong and firm object] of lifechay [physical and spiritual vitality] to those who embracechâzaq [eagerly, with strong desire, lay hold of, grasp] and those who lay hold of hertâmak [firmly, with confidence, retain, seize] are blessedʼâshar [truly, deeply, happy, guided, and content]

Word
Listen & take awayProverbs 3
English ↓ Download MP3 The Berean Standard Bible chapter audio already hosted for the site's Bible section — verse 18 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 (me.'u.Shar) — no per-word recordings of the Hebrew exist to link to.
Take it away
Proverbs 3:18quick helps
In a sentenceWisdom is depicted as a tree of life, providing vitality and blessing to those who embrace and hold fast to her.
Who is speakingThe author of Proverbs, traditionally Solomon, speaks about wisdom in a personified form.
Where we areThis verse is part of a larger discourse on the benefits of wisdom, emphasizing her value.
The hard wordמְאֻשָּֽׁר
Take awayEmbracing wisdom leads to a life that is truly blessed.
8 commentators on this verse Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them › clause subjectהִיא verbאָשַׁר 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 3:18

Sections marked generated are written from the data on this page rather than by a named author. Everything else — the lexicon entries, the cross references, the manuscript readings, the counts — is quoted from its source unchanged.

Context — The Value of Wisdomgenerated

17All her ways are pleasant, and all her paths are peaceful.
18She is a tree of life to those who embrace her, and those who lay hold of her are blessed.
19The LORD founded the earth by wisdom and established the heavens by understanding.
20By His knowledge the watery depths were broken open, and the clouds dripped with dew.

Proverbs 3:18 illustrates the profound benefits of wisdom, likening her to a tree of life that nourishes and sustains those who seek her. The preceding verses highlight the pleasantness and peace found in her ways, establishing a theme of the importance of wisdom in life. This metaphor resonates with the biblical understanding of life and vitality, as seen in other passages like Proverbs 11:30 and Genesis 2:9.


Cross References

ReferenceText (BSB)
1Proverbs 11:30The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, and he who wins souls is wise.
2Proverbs 13:12Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but desire fulfilled is a tree of life.
3Genesis 2:9Out of the ground the LORD God gave growth to every tree that is pleasing to the eye and good for food. And in the middle of the garden were the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
4Genesis 3:22Then the LORD God said, “Behold, the man has become like one of Us, knowing good and evil. And now, lest he reach out his hand and take also from the tree of life, and eat, and live forever...”
5Revelation 22:2down the middle of the main street of the city. On either side of the river stood a tree of life, bearing twelve kinds of fruit and yielding a fresh crop for each month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations.

The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 5 references, hung on the phrase they belong to

She is a tree of life to them that lay hold upon her: and happy is every one that retaineth her.Proverbs 11:30 Proverbs 13:12 Genesis 2:9 Genesis 3:22 Revelation 22:2

The Key Word עֵץ, 'etz-generated

The word עֵץ ('etz) refers to a tree or wood, emphasizing strength and firmness. It can denote various forms of trees and wood products, reflecting its solid nature and connection to life.

In this verse, wisdom is metaphorically described as a tree of life, suggesting that it provides essential nourishment and vitality to those who embrace it. This highlights the significance of wisdom in both physical and spiritual contexts.


How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated

All translations agree on the rendering of key terms in this verse, emphasizing the idea that wisdom is a source of life and blessing.


Sentence Structuregenerated

The finite verb מַּחֲזִיקִ֣ים (maḥaziqim) governs the main clause, indicating the action of holding fast. The structure includes a noun phrase describing wisdom and prepositional phrases that clarify the relationship between those who embrace wisdom and the blessings they receive.

The arrangement emphasizes the subject, wisdom, and the actions of those who engage with her, reinforcing the central theme of the verse.


Septuagint Backgroundgenerated

The Septuagint uses the Greek word χύλον (chulon) to translate עֵץ, indicating a focus on the concept of a tree. This choice aligns with the metaphorical imagery of wisdom as a source of life.

The translation reflects a consistent understanding of the text, maintaining the metaphorical significance of wisdom as life-giving.


In plain words — the whole versegenerated

Proverbs 3:18 describes wisdom as a tree of life, suggesting that those who embrace her will find true blessings. This verse emphasizes the importance of seeking wisdom for a fulfilling life.


Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated

What does it mean that wisdom is a tree of life?

This metaphor indicates that wisdom provides essential nourishment and vitality, both physically and spiritually, to those who seek and embrace it.

How can I embrace wisdom in my daily life?

Embracing wisdom involves seeking knowledge, understanding, and applying it in your decisions and actions to lead a fulfilling life.

What are the blessings mentioned in this verse?

The blessings refer to happiness, guidance, and contentment that come from holding fast to wisdom.

How does this verse relate to other biblical teachings on wisdom?

This verse aligns with other scriptures that emphasize the value of wisdom, such as Proverbs 11:30, which also highlights the life-giving nature of wisdom.


Reflection Questionsgenerated

  1. In what ways have I experienced the blessings of wisdom in my life?
  2. How can I actively seek and embrace wisdom in my daily decisions?
  3. What practices can help me hold fast to wisdom and its teachings?
  4. How does understanding wisdom as a tree of life change my perspective on its value?

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

Early Church Fathers, such as Origen, reference this verse to discuss the nature of wisdom and its role in spiritual life, highlighting its significance as a source of nourishment and guidance.

Origen of AlexandriaHOMILIES ON Leviticus 16:4.3 c. 185–253
I turn to the most wise Solomon as a witness when he said about wisdom, “The tree of life is for all who embrace it.” Therefore, if “wisdom is the tree of life,” without a doubt, there is another tree of prudence,
Early Church Fathers on Proverbs 3 →
Origen of AlexandriaHOMILIES ON Joshua 8:6 c. 185–253
These things must be understood to be said figuratively; for Christ himself is called “the tree of life.” Just as by other things Christ is disclosed to be priest and victim and altar, and one understanding is not prevented by the other,
Early Church Fathers on Proverbs 3 →
Origen of AlexandriaON PRAYER 2:27.10 c. 185–253
It is just this needful bread that seems to me to be otherwise termed in Scripture a “tree of life.” If a person stretches his hand to it and takes of it, he will live forever.
Early Church Fathers on Proverbs 3 →

Commentators on this verse — 8 expositors, verse by verse

Each of these wrote on Proverbs 3:18 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.

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

She [is] a tree of life,.... Or "lives" (b); so Christ is called, Revelation 2:7; in allusion to the tree of life in the garden of Eden, Genesis 2:9; he being the author of life, natural, spiritual,

Read John Gill on Proverbs 3 →
Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's Commentary

She is a tree of life to them that lay hold upon her: and happy is every one that retaineth her. She is a tree of life to them that lay hold upon her.

Read Robert Jamieson on Proverbs 3 →
Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy Bible

She is a tree of life; she is a certain pledge and mean of everlasting life and happiness. He alludes to that tree of life, 3:22; which if eaten by man in Paradise before his fall, should have perpetually preserved him in life, and health, and rigour; and intimates that this is the only restorer of that life which we have lost by sin. That lay hold upon her; that eagerly pursue after her, and when they overtake her do greedily and gladly apprehend and embrace her, as the Hebrew word signifies. That retaineth her; that holdeth her fast, and is constantly resolved not to forsake her.

Read Matthew Poole on Proverbs 3 →
John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

Proverbs 3:18 She [is] a tree of life to them that lay hold upon her: and happy [is every one] that retaineth her.Ver. 18. She is a tree of life.] A tree that giveth life and quickeneth: or, as one interprets it, a most assured sign of eternal life; whatsoever it is, he alludeth, no doubt, to the tree mentioned in Genesis 2:9; Genesis 3:22. And happy is every one that retaineth her.] Though despised by the world as a poor sneak, a contemptible capative. We usually call a poor man a poor soul; a poor soul may be a rich Christian; as Roger, surnamed Paupere censu, was son to Roger Bishop of Salisbury, who made him Chancellor of England. Goodwin’ s Catal., p. 388.

Read John Trapp on Proverbs 3 →
Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(18) A tree of life.—Evidently an allusion to Genesis 2, 3. No mention is made of it except in Proverbs (Proverbs 11:30; Proverbs 13:12; Proverbs 15:4) and Revelation (Proverbs 2:7; Proverbs 22:2).

Read Charles John Ellicott on Proverbs 3 →
AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible

Verse 18. She is a tree of life] עץ חיים ets chaiyim, "the tree of lives," alluding most manifestly to the tree so called which God in the beginning planted in the garden of Paradise, by eating the fruit of which all the wastes of nature might have been continually repaired, so as to prevent death for ever. This is an opinion which appears probable enough. The blessings which wisdom-true religion-gives to men, preserve them in life, comfort them through life, cause them to triumph in death, and ensure them a glorious immortality.

Read AdamClarke on Proverbs 3 →
CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

18. a tree of life] The tree of life, Genesis 2, 3 is referred to again in this Book (Proverbs 11:30, Proverbs 13:12, Proverbs 15:4), and only besides in the Bible in Revelation 2:7; Revelation 22:2. The tree of the knowledge of good and evil was a tree of death: “in the day that thou eatest thereof, thou shalt surely die.” The tree of Wisdom is a tree of life. Proverbs 3:19-20. And the wisdom which is thus profitable to man, is none other than that by which God erected the firm fabric of earth and heaven, and furnished it with such storehouses of force and fertility, as “the waters that are under, and the waters that are above the firmament.” In our present Hebrew text a new paragraph…

Read Cambridge on Proverbs 3 →
Albert Barnes1798–1870Barnes' Notes on the Bible

This and the other references in Proverbs Proverbs 11:30; Proverbs 13:12; Proverbs 15:4 are the only allusions in any book of the Old Testament, after Genesis, to the “tree” itself, or to its spiritual significance.

Read Albert Barnes on Proverbs 3 →

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

She is a tree of life to those who embrace her, and those who lay hold of her are blessed.

WEBWorld English Bible2000

She is a tree of life to those who lay hold of her. Happy is everyone who retains her.

MSBMajority Standard Bible2022

She is a tree of life to those who embrace her, and those who lay hold of her are blessed.

NETBNew English Translation2006

She is like a tree of life to those who obtain her, and everyone who grasps hold of her will be blessed.

Tyndale line

KJVKing James Version1611

She is a tree of life to them that lay hold upon her: and happy is every one that retaineth her.

ASVAmerican Standard Version1901

She is a tree of life to them that lay hold upon her: And happy is every one that retaineth her.

RVARevised Version, American1894

She is a tree of life to them that lay hold upon her: and happy is every one that retaineth her.

NWBWebster's Bible1833

She is a tree of life to them that lay hold upon her: and happy is every one that retaineth her.

GNVGeneva Bible1599

She is a tree of life to them that lay holde on her, and blessed is he that retaineth her.

Strictly literal

DBYDarby Translation1890

She is a tree of life to them that lay hold upon her; and happy is he that retaineth her.

YLTYoung's Literal Translation1862

A tree of life she [is] to those laying hold on her, And whoso is retaining her [is] happy.

LSVLiteral Standard Version2020

She [is] a tree of life to those laying hold on her, || And whoever is retaining her [is] blessed.

ILTInterlinear Literal Translation2000

A tree of life is she to those that lay hold on her: and every one that firmly graspeth her will be made happy.

ULBUnlocked Literal Bible2017

She is a tree of life to those who take hold of it, those who hold on to it are happy.

From the Latin

DRADouay-Rheims (Challoner)1899

She is a tree of life to them that lay hold on her: and he that shall retain her is blessed.

Simplified

FBVFree Bible Version2020

Wisdom is a tree of life to everyone who embraces her, blessing those who accept her.

BBEBible in Basic English1949

She is a tree of life to all who take her in their hands, and happy is everyone who keeps her.

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 · predicateעֵץ[is].a.treeחַיִּ֣יםof.lifesubjectהִ֭יאsheprepositional phrase · prepositionalלַtonoun phrase[thosenoun phraseclauseverbמַּחֲזִיקִ֣יםwho].take.holdprepositional phrase · prepositionalבָּ֑onהּherוְֽandclausenoun phrase · subjectתֹמְכֶ֥י[thoseהָwho].hold.fast.to.herverbמְאֻשָּֽׁר[is].called.blessed

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 agree closely in their wording, with all seven words in the verse matched. This consistency highlights the stability of the text across different traditions.

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

עֵץ־ חַיִּ֣ים הִ֭יא לַמַּחֲזִיקִ֣ים בָּ֑הּ וְֽתֹמְכֶ֥יהָ מְאֻשָּֽׁר׃ פ

Septuagintthe Greek the translators chose, word by word
עֵץ־χύλονחַיִּ֣יםζωῆςהִ֭יאἐστιלַמַּחֲזִיקִ֣יםἀντεξομένοιςבָּ֑הּαὐτῆςוְֽתֹמְכֶ֥יהָτοῖςמְאֻשָּֽׁר׃ פἀσφαλής

7 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 3:18עֵץ[is] a tree[is] a tree ofעֵץחַיlifelifeחַיהוּאshesheהוּאחָזַקto [those wto [those who] חָזַקהָon heron herהָתָּמַךְand [those and [those who]תָּמַךְאָשַׁר[are] calle[are] called blאָשַׁרעָצָהto shutto shutעָצָהחָיָהto liveto liveחָיָהשִׁטָּהacaciaacaciaשִׁטָּהאֶ֫רֶזcedarcedarאֶ֫רֶזעוֹףbirdbirdעוֹףשָׂדַיfieldfieldשָׂדַיטָמֵאuncleanuncleanטָמֵאעֵתtimetimeעֵתבֶ֫דֶקbreachbreachבֶ֫דֶקאָמֵץto strengtto strengthenאָמֵץבֵּיתבֵּיתעָרִיץruthlessruthlessעָרִיץתָּעָהto go astrto go astrayתָּעָההָלַלto shineto shineהָלַל
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 3:18

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] a tree of life she to [those who] take hold on her and [those who] hold fast to her [are] called blessed
עֵץ־'etz- [is] a tree of H6086 Noun common · masculine singular construct
330× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This Hebrew word for tree or wood refers to a strong and firm object, like a tree or a wooden plank, as seen in the carpentry work of Jesus' earthly father Joseph in Matthew 13:55.
Amplified meaning
a strong and firm object
Tyndale gloss
tree: wood
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

עֵץ (ets) refers to a tree or wood, encompassing various forms such as timber, sticks, and planks. It can denote both singular and plural trees, as well as specific uses like gallows and firewood. The word is derived from a root meaning firmness, indicating its solid nature.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

עֵץ 329 n.m. tree, trees, wood

(c. 150 t.)

a standing tree

coll. trees

(c. 175 t.; c. 120 t. pl., to denote pieces [or articles] of wood)

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H6086 עֵץ tree, trees, wood . (c. 150 t.) . a standing tree

. coll. trees

. (c. 175 t.; c. 120 t. pl., to denote pieces [or articles] of wood)

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

6086 `ets ates

from 6095; a tree (from its firmness); hence, wood (plural

sticks):--+ carpenter, gallows, helve, + pine, plank, staff,

stalk, stick, stock, timber, tree, wood.

see HEBREW for 06095

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

עֵץ (ets) — tree: wood.

: wood

1) tree, wood, timber, stock, plank, stalk, stick, gallows

1a) tree, trees

1b) wood, pieces of wood, gallows, firewood, cedar-wood, woody flax

עֵץ (ets) — tree.

: tree

1) tree, wood, timber, stock, plank, stalk, stick, gallows

1a) tree, trees

1b) wood, pieces of wood, gallows, firewood, cedar-wood, woody flax

עֵץ (ets) — tree: stick.

: stick/log

1) tree, wood, timber, stock, plank, stalk, stick, gallows

1a) tree, trees

1b) wood, pieces of wood, gallows, firewood, cedar-wood, woody flax

עֵץ (ets) — tree: stake.

: stake/shaft

1) tree, wood, timber, stock, plank, stalk, stick, gallows

1a) tree, trees

1b) wood, pieces of wood, gallows, firewood, cedar-wood, woody flax

עֵץ (ets) — tree: carpenter.

: carpenter/wood(worker)

1) tree, wood, timber, stock, plank, stalk, stick, gallows

1a) tree, trees

Read the full entry →
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…

[is] a tree of life she to [those who] take hold on her and [those who] hold fast to her [are] called blessed
חַיִּ֣יםchai.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 vitality
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

[is] a tree of life she to [those who] take hold on her and [those who] hold fast to her [are] called blessed
הִ֭יאhi' she H1931 Pronoun
1,879× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This word is a pronoun meaning 'he', 'she', or 'it', used to refer to a person or thing. It is used in the Bible to emphasize a subject or make it clear who is being talked about.
Amplified meaning
a tree of life
Tyndale gloss
he/she/it
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

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

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

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

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

It resumes the subj. with emph.

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

It anticipates (as it seems) the subject

As an emph. predicate, of God

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

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

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

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

. It resumes the subj. with emph.

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

. It anticipates (as it seems) the subject

. As an emph. predicate, of God

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

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

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

1931 huw' hoo

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

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

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

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

sometimes (as demonstrative) this or that; occasionally

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

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

this, those, which (is), who.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

הוּא (hu) — he/she/it.

pron 3p s

1) he, she, it

1a) himself (with emphasis)

1b) resuming subj with emphasis

1c) (with minimum emphasis following predicate)

1d) (anticipating subj)

1e) (emphasising predicate)

1f) that, it (neuter) demons pron

2) that (with article)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Pron — Pronoun
HPp3fs
The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
[is] a tree of life she to [those who] take hold on her and [those who] hold fast to her [are] called blessed
לַמַּחֲזִיקִ֣יםla.ma.cha.zi.Kim to [those who] take hold H2388 Preposition · verb hiphil participle (active) masculine plural
291× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
To strengthen means to be strong or courageous, and can also mean to seize or conquer, as seen in various KJV translations.
Amplified meaning
eagerly, with strong desire, lay hold of, grasp
Tyndale gloss
to strengthen: strengthen
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word חָזַק (chazaq) means to be strong or to strengthen. It encompasses a range of meanings including to support, encourage, and make firm, as well as to seize or hold fast. The word can be used in various forms, such as to strengthen oneself or to display strength. There is no significant disagreement among lexicons regarding its meanings.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

חָזַק 291 vb. be or grow firm, strong, strengthen

Qal

intrans. be or grow strong

transit. only strengthened him not

Pi.

make strong (physically)

strengthen the hands (acc.) of anyone, sustain, encourage

make strong = bold, encourage

make firm

make rigid, hard, i.e. perverse, obstinate, harden

Hiph.

make strong, strengthen

make firm, the kingdom

display strength

make severe, of battle

support

= repair

prevail

esp. take or keep hold of, seize, grasp

Hithp.

strengthen oneself

put forth strength, use one's strength

withstand

hold strongly with

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H2388 חָזַק be or grow firm, strong, strengthen .. intrans. be or grow strong

. transit. only strengthened him not

. . make strong (physically)

. strengthen the hands (acc.) of anyone, sustain, encourage

. make strong = bold, encourage

. make firm

. make rigid, hard, i.e. perverse, obstinate, harden

. . . make strong, strengthen

. make firm, the kingdom

. display strength

. make severe, of battle

. support

. = repair

. prevail

. esp. take or keep hold of, seize, grasp

. . strengthen oneself

. put forth strength, use one's strength

. withstand

. hold strongly with

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

2388 chazaq khaw-zak'

a primitive root; to fasten upon; hence, to seize, be strong

(figuratively, courageous, causatively strengthen, cure, help,

repair, fortify), obstinate; to bind, restrain, conquer:--aid,

amend, X calker, catch, cleave, confirm, be constant,

constrain, continue, be of good (take) courage(-ous, -ly),

encourage (self), be established, fasten, force, fortify, make

hard, harden, help, (lay) hold (fast), lean, maintain, play

the man, mend, become (wax) mighty, prevail, be recovered,

repair, retain, seize, be (wax) sore, strengthen (self), be

stout, be (make, shew, wax) strong(-er), be sure, take (hold),

be urgent, behave self valiantly, withstand.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

חָזַק (cha.zaq) — to strengthen: strengthen.

: strengthen/support/encourage

1) to strengthen, prevail, harden, be strong, become strong, be courageous, be firm, grow firm, be resolute, be sore

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to be strong, grow strong

1a1a) to prevail, prevail upon

1a1b) to be firm, be caught fast, be secure

1a1c) to press, be urgent

1a1d) to grow stout, grow rigid, grow hard (bad sense)

1a1e) to be severe, be grievous

1a2) to strengthen

1b) (Piel)

1b1) to make strong

1b2) to restore to strength, give strength

1b3) to strengthen, sustain, encourage

1b4) to make strong, make bold, encourage

1b5) to make firm

1b6) to make rigid, make hard

1c) (Hiphil)

1c1) to make strong, strengthen

1c2) to make firm

1c3) to display strength

1c4) to make severe

1c5) to support

1c6) to repair

1c7) to prevail, prevail upon

1c8) to have or take or keep hold of, retain, hold up, sustain, support

1c9) to hold, contain

1d) (Hithpael)

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Prep | V-Hiphil — Preposition · verb hiphil participle (active) masculine plural
HRd/Vhrmpa
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

hold: In the American Standard Revised Version frequently "stronghold" (Jud 9:49; 1Sa 22:4; 24:22; 2Sa 5:17; 23:14; 1Ch 11:16; 12:16). See FORTIFICATION. In Re 18:2 for the King James Version "cage" (phulake) the Revised Version (British and American) substitutes, as in first clause, "hold," and in the margin "prison."

Easton's Bible Dictionary

Hold

A fortress, the name given to David’s lurking-places (1 Sam. 22:4, 5; 24:22).

[is] a tree of life she to [those who] take hold on her and [those who] hold fast to her [are] called blessed
בָּ֑הּBah on her H9034 Preposition · suffix
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

הָ (ha) — her.

Personal object pronoun - suffix for propositions and verbs without an object: 3rd person feminine singular

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
HR/Sp3fs — Preposition · suffix
HR/Sp3fs
[is] a tree of life she to [those who] take hold on her and [those who] hold fast to her [are] called blessed
וְֽתֹמְכֶ֥יהָve.to.me.Khei.ha and [those who] hold fast to her H8551 Conjunction · verb qal participle (active) masculine plural common · suffix
21× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This Hebrew word means to grasp or hold something, like taking hold of a person or object. It is used in books like Genesis and Psalms to describe helping or supporting someone.
Amplified meaning
firmly, with confidence, retain, seize
Tyndale gloss
to grasp
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word תָּמַךְ (tamak) is a primitive root meaning to grasp, support, or attain. It covers actions like holding fast, maintaining, and helping. The Qal form includes meanings such as to hold up or keep, while the Niphal form suggests being seized or held. There are no significant disagreements among the lexicons.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

[תָּמַךְ] vb. grasp, support, attain

Qal

grasp, lay hold of

hold up, support

hold, keep

Niph. in the cords of his sin is he seized

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H8551 תָּמַךְ grasp, support, attain

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

8551 tamak taw-mak'

a primitive root; to sustain; by implication, to obtain, keep

fast; figuratively, to help, follow close:--(take, up-)hold

(up), maintain, retain, stay (up).

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

תָּמַךְ (ta.makh) — to grasp.

1) to grasp, hold, support, attain, lay hold of, hold fast

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to grasp, lay hold of, attain

1a2) to hold up, support

1a3) to hold, keep

1a4) to take hold of each other

1b) (Niphal) to be seized, be held

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Conj | V-Qal | Suff — Conjunction · verb qal participle (active) masculine plural common · suffix
HC/Vqrmpc/Sp3fs
[is] a tree of life she to [those who] take hold on her and [those who] hold fast to her [are] called blessed
מְאֻשָּֽׁר׃ פme.'u.Shar [are] called blessed H833 Verb · Pual · participle (passive) masculine singular
16× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
To bless means to make someone happy or content. In the Bible, it can also mean to guide or lead someone in the right direction, like in the book of Psalms.
Amplified meaning
truly, deeply, happy, guided, and content
Tyndale gloss
to bless
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

אָשַׁר (ashar) is a Hebrew verb meaning to go straight or advance, with a range of meanings including to lead, bless, or make happy. It is used in various forms, such as Qal (to go straight), Piel (to lead on), and Pual (to be made happy). The entries emphasize its figurative sense of progress and righteousness.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

[אָשַׁר] vb. go straight, go on, advance

Qal go straight on in the way of understanding

Pi.

intensive go straight on, advance

causative lead on

set right, righten

pronounce happy, call blessed

Pu.

be led on

be made happy, blessed

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H833 אָשַׁר go straight, go on, advance

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

833 'ashar aw-shar'

or rasher {aw-share'}; a primitive root; to be straight (used

in the widest sense, especially to be level, right, happy);

figuratively, to go forward, be honest, proper:--(call, be)

bless(-ed, happy), go, guide, lead, relieve.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

אָשַׁר (a.shar) — to bless.

1) to go straight, walk, go on, advance, make progress

1a)(Qal) to go straight on, make progress

1b) (Piel)

1b1) to go straight on, advance

1b2) to lead on (causative)

1b3) to set right, righten

1b4) to pronounce happy, call blessed

1c) (Pual)

1c1) to be advanced, be led on

1c2) to be made happy, be blessed

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
V-Pual-Inf-c — Verb · Pual · participle (passive) masculine singular
HVPsmsa
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

bles'-ed (barukh): Where God is referred to, this word has the sense of "praise," as in 1Sa 25:32, "Blessed be Yahweh, the God of Israel." But where man is in mind it is used in the sense of "happy" or "favored," and most frequently so in the Psalms and the Gospels, as for example, "Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the wicked" (Ps 1:1); "Blessed art thou among women" (Lu 1:42); "Blessed are the poor in spirit" (Mt 5:3).

See BEATITUDES.

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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