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Proverbs 30:18 — Word Study

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WLCשְׁלֹשָׁ֣ה הֵ֭מָּה נִפְלְא֣וּ מִמֶּ֑נִּי וְ֝אַרְבָּעָ֗ה לֹ֣א יְדַעְתִּֽים׃

BSATherehêm are three [things]shâlôwsh [a specific quantity, thrice] too wonderfulpâlâʼ [amazing, beyond understanding] for memin fourʼarbaʻ [a complete set, a foursome] that I cannotlôʼ understandyâdaʻ [know, comprehend, or grasp]

Word
Listen & take awayProverbs 30
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 (ye.da'.Tim) — no per-word recordings of the Hebrew exist to link to.
Take it away
Proverbs 30:18quick helps
In a sentenceThe speaker identifies three things that are too wonderful to grasp and adds a fourth that eludes understanding.
Who is speakingThe speaker remains anonymous, expressing personal limits of understanding.
Where we areThis verse is part of a list of wonders that highlight the mysteries of life.
The hard wordנִפְלְא֣וּ
Take awaySome things in life are beyond comprehension.
8 commentators on this verse Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them › clause subjectהֵמָּה verbפָּלָא 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 30:18

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 Wonders of Lifegenerated

17As for the eye that mocks a father and scorns obedience to a mother, may the ravens of the valley pluck it out and young vultures devour it.
18There are three things too wonderful for me, four that I cannot understand:
19the way of an eagle in the sky, the way of a snake on a rock, the way of a ship at sea, and the way of a man with a maiden.
20This is the way of an adulteress: She eats and wipes her mouth and says, ‘I have done nothing wrong.’

Proverbs 30:18 presents a reflection on the mysteries of existence, emphasizing the limitations of human understanding. The speaker lists three things that are beyond comprehension and adds a fourth, setting the stage for a deeper exploration of the wonders of creation, as seen in the subsequent verses that describe the ways of nature and humanity.


Cross References

ReferenceText (BSB)
1Job 42:3You asked, ‘Who is this who conceals My counsel without knowledge?’ Surely I spoke of things I did not understand, things too wonderful for me to know.
2Psalm 139:6Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain.

The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 2 references, hung on the phrase they belong to


The Key Word שְׁלֹשָׁ֣ה, she.lo.Shahgenerated

The word שָׁלֹשׁ (*shalosh*) is an adjective that means 'three' or 'thrice.' It is used to denote specific quantities and can also refer to the ordinal 'third.' This word appears frequently in the Hebrew Bible, emphasizing the significance of the number three in various contexts.

As a primitive number, its usage is straightforward, and it is often associated with completeness or a set of three items. The parsing as an adjective indicates its role in describing the noun that follows, in this case, 'things.'


How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated

All translations agree on the rendering of שְׁלֹשָׁ֣ה as 'three' and אַרְבָּעָ֗ה as 'four.' Each version captures the essence of the speaker's wonder at these incomprehensible aspects of life.


Sentence Structuregenerated

The structure of the verse is straightforward, with the main clause stating the existence of three things followed by a subordinate clause introducing a fourth. The finite verb נִפְלְא֣וּ governs the subject הֵ֭מָּה, indicating that 'they are wonderful.'

The Hebrew word order places emphasis on the three things first, followed by the fourth, highlighting the speaker's sense of wonder and limitation in understanding.


Septuagint Backgroundgenerated

The Septuagint translates שְׁלֹשָׁ֣ה as τρία, maintaining the same numerical significance. This choice reflects a direct correspondence with the Hebrew, emphasizing the universality of the concept of three.

The Greek word ἀδύνατά captures the essence of being unable to comprehend, paralleling the Hebrew נִפְלְא֣וּ, reinforcing the theme of mystery.


In plain words — the whole versegenerated

Proverbs 30:18 tells us there are three things that are too wonderful for the speaker, and a fourth that is beyond understanding. This verse reflects on the mysteries of life and nature, suggesting that some things are simply beyond human comprehension.


Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated

What does the speaker mean by 'three things too wonderful'?

The speaker indicates that there are aspects of life and creation that are extraordinary and cannot be fully understood.

Why does the speaker add a fourth thing?

The addition of a fourth thing emphasizes the depth of mystery and the limits of human understanding.

How does this verse relate to the rest of the chapter?

This verse sets up a series of observations about the wonders of nature and human behavior that follow, illustrating the theme of mystery.

What can we learn from this verse?

We can recognize that there are mysteries in life that may never be fully understood, encouraging humility in our pursuit of knowledge.


Reflection Questionsgenerated

  1. What are some mysteries in my life that I find difficult to understand?
  2. How can acknowledging the limits of my understanding help me in my daily life?
  3. In what ways do I see the wonders of creation around me?
  4. How can I embrace the mysteries of life rather than feeling frustrated by them?

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

Early Church Fathers have commented on this verse, interpreting its meaning in the context of divine mysteries and human understanding.

Hippolytus of RomeHippolytus Exegetical Fragments c. 170–235
"There be three things which I cannot understand, and the fourth I know not: the tracks of an eagle flying," i.e., Christ's ascension;
Early Church Fathers on Proverbs 30 →
Ambrose of MilanExposition of the Christian Faith 5.3.40-41 c. 339–397
An eagle and a ship and a serpent are not of one family and nature but of a distinguishable and different substance, and yet they are three.
Early Church Fathers on Proverbs 30 →
BedeCommentary on Proverbs c. 673–735
Three things are difficult for me, etc. As far as history is concerned, it is as it is written; but because he speaks through parables, the way of an eagle in the sky is difficult to find: that is, the subtlety of the enemy,
Early Church Fathers on Proverbs 30 →

Commentators on this verse — 8 expositors, verse by verse

Each of these wrote on Proverbs 30:18 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.

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

There be three [things which] are too wonderful for me,.... Which were above his reach and comprehension; what he could not find out, nor account for, nor sufficiently admire; yea, four things which

Read John Gill on Proverbs 30 →
Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's Commentary

There be three things which are too wonderful for me, yea, four which I know not: There be three (things) ... yea, four which I know not: The way of an eagle in the air, the way of a serpent upon a

Read Robert Jamieson on Proverbs 30 →
Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy Bible

The way whereof I cannot trace or find out.

Read Matthew Poole on Proverbs 30 →
John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

Proverbs 30:18 There be three [things which] are too wonderful for me, yea, four which I know not:Ver. 18. There be three things which are too wonderful.] The wisest man that is cannot give a reason for all things; such as the ebbing and flowing of the sea, of the colours in the rainbow, of the strength of the nether chap, and of the heat in the stomach, which consumeth all other things, and yet not the parts about it. Agur here confesseth himself gravelled in four things at least, and benighted.

Read John Trapp on Proverbs 30 →
Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(18) Too wonderful for me.—The wonder in Agur’s eyes seems to be that none of the four leave any trace behind them. (Comp. Wis 5:10 sqq.) For a spiritual interpretation of these and other passages in this chapter, comp. Bishop Wordsworth’s Commentary.

Read Charles John Ellicott on Proverbs 30 →
CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

18–20. Four things that are inscrutable.

Read Cambridge on Proverbs 30 →
Albert Barnes1798–1870Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Another enigma. The four things of Pro 30:16 agreed in the common point of insatiableness; the four now mentioned agree in this, that they leave no trace behind them.

Read Albert Barnes on Proverbs 30 →
Daniel Denison Whedon1808–1885Whedon's Commentary on the Bible

18, 19. Too wonderful — As we have in the preceding verses several illustrations of the insatiable, so we have in these examples of the mysterious.

Read Daniel Denison Whedon on Proverbs 30 →

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

There are three things too wonderful for me, four that I cannot understand:

WEBWorld English Bible2000

“There are three things which are too amazing for me, four which I don’t understand:

MSBMajority Standard Bible2022

There are three things too wonderful for me, four that I cannot understand:

NETBNew English Translation2006

There are three things that are too wonderful for me, four that I do not understand:

Tyndale line

KJVKing James Version1611

There be three things which are too wonderful for me, yea, four which I know not:

ASVAmerican Standard Version1901

There are three things which are too wonderful for me, Yea, four which I know not:

RVARevised Version, American1894

There be three things which are too wonderful for me, yea, four which I know not:

NWBWebster's Bible1833

There are three things which are too wonderful for me, yes, four which I know not:

GNVGeneva Bible1599

There be three thinges hid from me: yea, foure that I knowe not,

Strictly literal

DBYDarby Translation1890

There are three [things] too wonderful for me, and four that I know not:

YLTYoung's Literal Translation1862

Three things have been too wonderful for me, Yea, four that I have not known:

LSVLiteral Standard Version2020

Three things have been too wonderful for me, || Indeed, four that I have not known:

ILTInterlinear Literal Translation2000

Three things there are which are too wonderful for me; and four, which I know not:

ULBUnlocked Literal Bible2017

There are three things that are too wonderful for me, four that I do not understand:

From the Latin

DRADouay-Rheims (Challoner)1899

Three things are hard to me, and the fourth I am utterly ignorant of.

Simplified

FBVFree Bible Version2020

These three things are amazingly hard for me, four things I just can't understand:

BBEBible in Basic English1949

There are three things, the wonder of which overcomes me, even four things outside my knowledge:

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.

clauseclauseשְׁלֹשָׁ֣הthree.[things]clausesubjectהֵ֭מָּהtheyverbנִפְלְא֣וּthey.are.[too].wonderfulprepositional phrase · prepositionalמִמֶּ֑forנִּיmeוְ֝andclauseclauseאַרְבָּעָ֗הfour.[things]clauseadverbialלֹ֣אnotverbיְדַעְתִּֽיIobjectםknow.them

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 matching. This consistency highlights the preservation of the verse's meaning across different traditions.

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

שְׁלֹשָׁ֣ה הֵ֭מָּה נִפְלְא֣וּ מִמֶּ֑נִּי וְ֝אַרְבָּעָ֗ה לֹ֣א יְדַעְתִּֽים׃

Septuagintthe Greek the translators chose, word by word
שְׁלֹשָׁ֣הτρίαנִפְלְא֣וּἀδύνατάמִמֶּ֑נִּיμοιוְ֝אַרְבָּעָ֗הκαὶלֹ֣אοὐκיְדַעְתִּֽים׃ἐπιγινώσκω

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 30:18שָׁלֹשׁthree [thinthree [things]שָׁלֹשׁהֵ֫מָּהtheytheyהֵ֫מָּהפָּלָאthey are [tthey are [too] פָּלָאמִן־for mefor meמִן־אַרְבַּעand four [tand four [thingאַרְבַּעלֹאnotnotלֹאיָדַעI know themI know themיָדַעהֲלַךְto goto goהֲלַךְרָבַעto squareto squareרָבַעשָׁלִthirdthirdשָׁלִמֵןstringstringמֵןמֵאָהhundredhundredמֵאָהפַּ֫עַםbeatbeatפַּ֫עַםמְרִיrebellionrebellionמְרִיסֵ֫פֶרscroll: doscroll: documenסֵ֫פֶרנֶ֫דֶרvowvowנֶ֫דֶרחֶ֫סֶדkindnesskindnessחֶ֫סֶדרָחַקto removeto removeרָחַקיָתַרto remainto remainיָתַרעָשָׂרtentenעָשָׂריָכֹלbe ablebe ableיָכֹלעוֹדstillstillעוֹדאֲנִיIIאֲנִיבִּיןto understto understandבִּין
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 30:18

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.

three [things] they they are [too] wonderful for me and four [things] not I know them
שְׁלֹשָׁ֣הshe.lo.Shah three [things] H7969 Adj
432× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This Hebrew word means three or thrice, and is used to describe quantities or repetitions in the Bible. It appears in various forms, including three, third, and thirteen.
Amplified meaning
a specific quantity, thrice
Tyndale gloss
three
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word שָׁלֹשׁ (*shalosh*) means 'three' or 'triad.' It can also refer to the ordinal 'third' and is used in various contexts, including multiplication as 'thrice.' The entries consistently define it as a primitive number without significant disagreement.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

שָׁלֹשׁ, שָׁלוֹשׁ, שְׁלֹשָׁה 430 n.m. et f. a three, triad

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H7969 שָׁלֹשׁ, שָׁלוֹשׁ, שְׁלֹשָׁה a three, triad

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

7969 shalowsh shaw-loshe'

or shalosh {shaw-loshe'}; masculine shlowshah {shel-o-shaw'};

or shloshah {shel-o-shaw'}; a primitive number; three;

occasionally (ordinal) third, or (multipl.) thrice:--+ fork,

+ often(-times), third, thir(-teen, -teenth), three, + thrice.

Compare 7991.

see HEBREW for 07991

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

שָׁלֹשׁ (sha.losh) — three.

1) three, triad

1a) 3, 300, third

Aramaic equivalent: te.lat (תְּלָת "three" H8532)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Adj — Adj
HAcbsa
three [things] they they are [too] wonderful for me and four [things] not I know them
הֵ֭מָּהHe.mah they H1992 Pronoun
553× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This Hebrew word is used to refer to a group of men, emphasizing that it is specifically them. It is often translated as 'they' or 'them' in the Bible, and appears in books like Exodus and Isaiah.
Tyndale gloss
they(masc.)
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

הֵ֫מָּה (hemmah) is a masculine plural pronoun meaning 'they.' The entries indicate that it can also mean 'these,' 'the same,' or refer to people in an emphatic context. There is no significant disagreement among the lexicons regarding its usage.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

הֵ֫מָּה and הֵם (without appreciable distinction in usage, except prob. in so far as the longer or shorter form was better adapted to the rhythm of particular sentences) pron. 3 pl. masc. they

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H1992 הֵ֫מָּה, הֵם (without appreciable distinction in usage, except prob. in so far as the longer or shorter form was better adapted to the rhythm of particular sentences) they

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

1992 hem haym

or (prolonged) hemmah {haym'-maw}; masculine plural from

1981; they (only used when emphatic):--it, like, X (how, so)

many (soever, more as) they (be), (the) same, X so, X such,

their, them, these, they, those, which, who, whom, withal, ye.

see HEBREW for 01981

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

הֵ֫מָּה (hem.mah) — they(masc.).

they, these, the same, who

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Pron — Pronoun
HPp3mp
three [things] they they are [too] wonderful for me and four [things] not I know them
נִפְלְא֣וּnif.le.'U they are [too] wonderful H6381 Verb · Niphal · perfect third person common plural
71× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This Hebrew word means to wonder or be amazed, often at something great or difficult. It describes God's power and miracles in the Bible, like in the book of Psalms. The KJV translates it as 'marvelous' or 'wonderful'.
Amplified meaning
amazing, beyond understanding
Tyndale gloss
to wonder
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word פָּלָא (pala') is a verb that conveys the idea of being extraordinary or wonderful. It can describe actions that are difficult to perform or understand, as well as marvelous acts of God, particularly in judgment and redemption. The word can also refer to making special offerings or showing oneself in a marvelous way.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

[פָּלָא] 71 vb. denom. Niph. etc., be surpassing, extraordinary

Niph.

be beyond one's power, difficult to do

be difficult to understand

be extraordinary, wonderful

as subst., marvellous things

= wonderful acts of י׳ in judgement and redemption

Pi. make a special votive offering

Hiph.

do a hard or difficult thing

make wonderful, do wondrously

of God working wonders in doing

Hithp. thou dost shew thyself marvellous (act inexplicably) against me

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H6381 פָּלָא vb. denom. Niph. etc., be surpassing, extraordinary . . be beyond one's power, difficult to do

. be difficult to understand

. . be extraordinary, wonderful

. as subst., marvellous things

. = wonderful acts of י׳ in judgement and redemption

. make a special votive offering

. . do a hard or difficult thing

. make wonderful, do wondrously

. of God working wonders in doing

. thou dost shew thyself marvellous (act inexplicably) against me

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

6381 pala' paw-law'

a primitive root; properly, perhaps to separate, i.e.

distinguish (literally or figuratively); by implication, to be

(causatively, make) great, difficult, wonderful:--accomplish,

(arise...too, be too) hard, hidden, things too high, (be, do,

do a, shew) marvelous(-ly, -els, things, work), miracles,

perform, separate, make singular, (be, great, make)

wonderful(-ers, -ly, things, works), wondrous (things,

works, -ly).

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

פָּלָא (pa.la) — to wonder.

1) to be marvellous, be wonderful, be surpassing, be extraordinary, separate by distinguishing action

1a) (Niphal)

1a1) to be beyond one's power, be difficult to do

1a2) to be difficult to understand

1a3) to be wonderful, be extraordinary

1a3a) marvellous (participle)

1b) (Piel) to separate (an offering)

1c) (Hiphil)

1c1) to do extraordinary or hard or difficult thing

1c2) to make wonderful, do wondrously

1d) (Hithpael) to show oneself wonderful or marvellous

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
V-Niphal-Perf-3cp — Verb · Niphal · perfect third person common plural
HVNp3cp
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
Nave's Topical Bible

→ A name of the Messiah Isa 9:6

→ See Jud 13:18

→ See JESUS, NAMES OF

three [things] they they are [too] wonderful for me and four [things] not I know them
מִמֶּ֑נִּיmi.Me.ni for me H4480 Preposition · suffix
1,189× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This Hebrew word means a portion or part of something, and is often used to show the relationship between things, like from or out of something.
Tyndale gloss
from
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word מִן־ (*min*) is a preposition meaning 'from' or 'out of,' indicating separation or origin. It covers various uses, including temporal references, comparisons, and causal relationships. Additionally, it can denote a portion when used as a noun מֵן (*men*). The entries highlight its versatility in expressing different nuances of separation and position.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

מִן־, and מִ, before יְ, prep. expressing the idea of separation, hence out of, from, on account of, off, on the side of, since, above, than, so that not

with verbs expressing (or implying) separation or removal

from, against

מן also, without a verb of similar significance, sometimes expresses the idea of separation, away from, far from

of position, off, on the side of, on

Out of, Gk. ἐκ, Lat. ex

Partitively

Of time—

as marking the terminus a quo, the anterior limit of a continuous period from, since

as marking the period immediately succeeding the limit after

towards, to

(וְעַד) עַד … מִן from … even to

In comparisons, beyond, above

מן is prefixed to an infin.:

with causal force, from, on account of, through

after verbs implying restraint, prevention, cessation, etc.

with a temporal force, since, after

Once as a conj. before a finite verb. that

In compounds:

base

Read the full entry →
Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H4480a מִן־, מִ, prep. expressing the idea of separation, hence out of, from, on account of, off, on the side of, since, above, than, so that not . with verbs expressing (or implying) separation or removal . from, against

. מן also, without a verb of similar significance, sometimes expresses the idea of separation, away from, far from

. of position, off, on the side of, on

. Out of, Gk. ἐκ, Lat. ex

. Partitively

. Of time— . as marking the terminus a quo, the anterior limit of a continuous period from, since

. as marking the period immediately succeeding the limit after

. towards, to

. (וְעַד) עַד … מִן from … even to

. In comparisons, beyond, above

. מן is prefixed to an infin.: . with causal force, from, on account of, through

. after verbs implying restraint, prevention, cessation, etc.

. with a temporal force, since, after

. Once as a conj. before a finite verb. that

Read the full entry →
Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

4480 min min

or minniy {min-nee'}; or minney (constructive plural)

{min-nay'}; (Isaiah 30:11); for 4482; properly, a part of;

hence (prepositionally), from or out of in many senses (as

follows):--above, after, among, at, because of, by (reason

of), from (among), in, X neither, X nor, (out) of, over,

since, X then, through, X whether, with.

see HEBREW for 04482

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

מִן־ (min) — from.

prep

1) from, out of, on account of, off, on the side of, since, above, than, so that not, more than

1a) from (expressing separation), off, on the side of

1b) out of

1b1) (with verbs of proceeding, removing, expelling)

1b2) (of material from which something is made)

1b3) (of source or origin)

1c) out of, some of, from (partitively)

1d) from, since, after (of time)

1e) than, more than (in comparison)

1f) from...even to, both...and, either...or

1g) than, more than, too much for (in comparisons)

1h) from, on account of, through, because (with infinitive)

conj

2) that

Aramaic equivalent: min (מִן־ "from" H4481)

מֵן (men) — portion.

n.m.

portion

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Prep | Suff — Preposition · suffix
HR/Sp1bs
three [things] they they are [too] wonderful for me and four [things] not I know them
וְ֝אַרְבָּעָ֗הve.'ar.ba' and four [things] H702 Conjunction
318× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
The number four is a simple counting number in Hebrew, used to describe quantities of things, such as people, objects, or groups.
Amplified meaning
a complete set, a foursome
Tyndale gloss
four
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

אַרְבַּע (arba) means 'four' in Hebrew. It is a masculine noun derived from the root associated with the number four. The entries consistently affirm this meaning without any significant disagreement among lexicons.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

אַרְבַּע, אַרְבָּעָה four

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H702 אַרְבַּע, אַרְבָּעָה four

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

702 'arba` ar-bah'

masculine oarbaah {ar-baw-aw'}; from 7251; four:--four.

see HEBREW for 07251

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

אַרְבַּע (ar.ba) — four.

four

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Conj | Adj — Conjunction
HC/Acbsa
three [things] they they are [too] wonderful for me and four [things] not I know them
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.
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
three [things] they they are [too] wonderful for me and four [things] not I know them
יְדַעְתִּֽים׃ye.da'.Tim I know them H3045 Verb qal perfect first person common singular · suffix
945× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
The Hebrew word for to know means to ascertain by seeing, and is used in many senses, including to learn, perceive, and recognize, as seen in various KJV translations.
Amplified meaning
know, comprehend, or grasp
Tyndale gloss
to know
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

יָדַע (yada`) is a Hebrew verb meaning 'to know,' encompassing a wide range of senses including perception, recognition, and experience. It can refer to knowing someone intimately or being skilled in a task. The word has various forms, indicating actions such as making known or being made known. Lexicons note its use in both literal and figurative contexts, but there is no significant disagreement among them.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

יָדַע 943 vb. know

Qal

know, learn to know

perceive

perceive and see; find out and discern

discriminate, distinguish

know by experience

recognize, admit, acknowledge, confess

consider

not know = not expect

know a person, be acquainted with

know a person carnally, of sexual intercourse

know how, to do a thing, be able to do it

be skilful in

abs. have knowledge, be wise

Niph.

be made known, be or become known, of things

make oneself known of pers.

be perceived

be instructed

Pi. cause to know

Pu. known

Hiph. make known, declare

Hoph. made known

Hithp. make oneself known

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H3045 יָדַע know .. . know, learn to know

. perceive

. perceive and see; find out and discern

. discriminate, distinguish

. know by experience

. recognize, admit, acknowledge, confess

. consider

. not know = not expect

. know a person, be acquainted with

. know a person carnally, of sexual intercourse

. . know how, to do a thing, be able to do it

. be skilful in

. abs. have knowledge, be wise

. . be made known, be or become known, of things

. make oneself known of pers.

. be perceived

. be instructed

. cause to know

. known

. make known, declare

. made known

. make oneself known

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

3045 yada` yaw-dah'

a primitive root; to know (properly, to ascertain by seeing);

used in a great variety of senses, figuratively, literally,

euphemistically and inferentially (including observation,

care, recognition; and causatively, instruction, designation,

punishment, etc.) (as follow):--acknowledge, acquaintance(-ted

with), advise, answer, appoint, assuredly, be aware,

(un-)awares, can(-not), certainly, comprehend, consider, X

could they, cunning, declare, be diligent, (can, cause to)

discern, discover, endued with, familiar friend, famous, feel,

can have, be (ig-)norant, instruct, kinsfolk, kinsman, (cause

to let, make) know, (come to give, have, take) knowledge, have

(knowledge), (be, make, make to be, make self) known, + be

learned, + lie by man, mark, perceive, privy to, X

prognosticator, regard, have respect, skilful, shew, can (man

of) skill, be sure, of a surety, teach, (can) tell,

Read the full entry →
Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

יָדַע (ya.da) — to know.

1) to know

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to know

1a1a) to know, learn to know

1a1b) to perceive

1a1c) to perceive and see, find out and discern

1a1d) to discriminate, distinguish

1a1e) to know by experience

1a1f) to recognise, admit, acknowledge, confess

1a1g) to consider

1a2) to know, be acquainted with

1a3) to know (a person carnally)

1a4) to know how, be skilful in

1a5) to have knowledge, be wise

1b) (Niphal)

1b1) to be made known, be or become known, be revealed

1b2) to make oneself known

1b3) to be perceived

1b4) to be instructed

1c) (Piel) to cause to know

1d) (Poal) to cause to know

1e) (Pual)

1e1) to be known

1e2) known, one known, acquaintance (participle)

1f) (Hiphil) to make known, declare

1g) (Hophal) to be made known

1h) (Hithpael) to make oneself known, reveal oneself

Aramaic equivalent: ye.da (יְדַע "to know" H3046)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
V-Qal-Perf-1cs | Suff — Verb qal perfect first person common singular · suffix
HVqp1cs/Sp3mp
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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