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Proverbs 31:30 — Word Study

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WLCשֶׁ֣קֶר הַ֭חֵן וְהֶ֣בֶל הַיֹּ֑פִי אִשָּׁ֥ה יִרְאַת־ יְ֝הוָ֗ה הִ֣יא תִתְהַלָּֽל׃

BSACharmchên [deceptive, false allure] is deceptivesheqer [vanity, emptiness] and beautyyŏphîy [physical attractiveness, pleasing appearance] is fleetinghebel [transitory, temporary] but a womanʼishshâh [female person, wife] who fearsyârêʼ [reveres, has awe for] the LORDYᵉhôvâh [Yehovah, the supreme God] is to be praisedhâlal [honored, celebrated]

Word
Listen & take awayProverbs 31
English ↓ Download MP3 The Berean Standard Bible chapter audio already hosted for the site's Bible section — verse 30 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 (tit.ha.Lal) — no per-word recordings of the Hebrew exist to link to.
Take it away
Proverbs 31:30quick helps
In a sentenceThe verse contrasts the fleeting nature of charm and beauty with the lasting value of a woman who fears the LORD.
Who is speakingThe author of Proverbs, traditionally attributed to King Solomon.
Where we arePart of a concluding section on the virtues of a noble woman, emphasizing her worth.
The hard wordשֶׁ֫קֶר
Take awayTrue value lies in reverence for God, not in outward appearances.
8 commentators on this verse Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them › clause subjectהִיא verbהָלַל 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 31:30

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 Virtuous Womangenerated

28Her children rise up and call her blessed; her husband praises her as well:
29“Many daughters have done noble things, but you surpass them all!”
30Charm is deceptive and beauty is fleeting, but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised.
31Give her the fruit of her hands, and let her works praise her at the gates.

Proverbs 31:30 is part of a passage that extols the qualities of a virtuous woman, highlighting that while charm and beauty are temporary, a woman who fears the LORD is truly worthy of praise. This section emphasizes the importance of inner character over outward appearance, aligning with the biblical theme of valuing godliness and wisdom.


Cross References

ReferenceText (BSB)
1Proverbs 6:25Do not lust in your heart for her beauty or let her captivate you with her eyes.
2Proverbs 11:22Like a gold ring in a pig’s snout is a beautiful woman who lacks discretion.
32 Samuel 14:25Now there was not a man in all Israel as handsome and highly praised as Absalom. From the sole of his foot to the top of his head, he did not have a single flaw.
4Esther 1:11–12to bring Queen Vashti before him, wearing her royal crown, to display her beauty to the people and officials. For she was beautiful to behold.
5Ezekiel 16:15But because of your fame, you trusted in your beauty and played the harlot. You lavished your favors on everyone who passed by, and your beauty was theirs for the asking.

The Key Word יְ֝הוָ֗ה, Yah.wehgenerated

The key word here is יְ֝הוָ֗ה (Yahweh), which is the proper name for God in the Hebrew Bible, signifying His eternal and self-existent nature. This name is often used to denote the covenant relationship between God and His people.

In this verse, the fear of Yahweh is presented as the ultimate virtue, contrasting with the deceptive allure of charm and the fleeting nature of beauty. The parsing indicates that this is a noun, emphasizing the reverence and awe that should be directed towards God.


How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated

Translations generally agree on the meaning of the verse.


Sentence Structuregenerated

The structure of the verse consists of several clauses, with the main predicate being שֶׁ֣קֶר (deception) and הֶ֣בֶל (vanity). The subject is introduced with הִ֣יא (she), leading into the concluding clause that emphasizes praise for the woman who fears the LORD.

This sentence structure highlights the contrast between the temporary qualities of charm and beauty and the enduring virtue of reverence for God.


Septuagint Backgroundgenerated

The Septuagint translates שֶׁ֣קֶר as ψευδεῖς (pseudéis), emphasizing the idea of falsehood. This choice reflects a similar understanding of deception as transient and unreliable.

The translation of יְ֝הוָ֗ה is consistent with the Hebrew meaning, maintaining the significance of the divine name throughout the text.


In plain words — the whole versegenerated

Proverbs 31:30 teaches that while charm and beauty may be deceptive and fleeting, a woman who reveres the LORD is truly worthy of praise. This highlights the importance of inner character over outward appearances.


Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated

What does it mean that charm is deceptive?

Charm can mislead people into thinking someone is valuable based on appearance alone, rather than on their character.

Why is beauty described as fleeting?

Beauty is temporary and can change over time, whereas a woman's reverence for God is enduring.

What does it mean to fear the LORD?

Fearing the LORD involves having a deep respect and reverence for God, recognizing His authority and holiness.

Why is a woman who fears the LORD praised?

She is praised because her reverence for God reflects her character and values, which are more important than physical beauty.


Reflection Questionsgenerated

  1. How can I cultivate a deeper fear of the LORD in my life?
  2. In what ways have I seen the temporary nature of charm and beauty in my own experiences?
  3. How can I encourage others to value inner character over outward appearance?
  4. What qualities do I admire in women who demonstrate a strong faith in God?

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

Bede comments on this verse to illustrate the importance of inner virtue over outward charm and beauty.

BedeCommentary on Proverbs c. 673–735
"Grace is deceitful, and beauty is vain," etc. "Grace" is the praise that a person receives from men is deceitful, and "beauty" of chastity or good works which the soul shows to men is vain if it lacks the fear of God.
Early Church Fathers on Proverbs 31 →

Commentators on this verse — 8 expositors, verse by verse

Each of these wrote on Proverbs 31:30 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.

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

Favour is deceitful, and beauty [is] vain,.... A well favoured look, a graceful countenance, symmetry and proportion of parts, natural or artificial beauty, are vain and deceitful; oftentimes under

Read John Gill on Proverbs 31 →
Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's Commentary

Who can find a virtuous woman? for her price is far above rubies. The praises of a virtuous woman; forming a Hebrew acrostic. The 22 years begin with the several 22 letters of the Hebrew alphabet consecutively; M.

Read Robert Jamieson on Proverbs 31 →
Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy Bible

Favour; comeliness; or, as the next clause explains it, beauty, which commonly gives women favour or acceptation with those who behold them. These are the words either, 1. Of her husband, continuing to praise her. Or, 2. Of Bathsheba, giving the sum of what she had said in few words. Is deceitful; partly, because it gives a false representation of the person, being ofttimes a cover to a most deformed soul, and to many evil and hateful qualities; partly, because it doth not give a man that content and satisfaction which at first view he promised to himself from it; and partly, because it is soon lost, not only by death, but by many diseases and contingencies. That feareth the Lord; which…

Read Matthew Poole on Proverbs 31 →
John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

Proverbs 31:30 Favour [is] deceitful, and beauty [is] vain: [but] a woman [that] feareth the LORD, she shall be praised.Ver. 30. Favour is deceitful.] Some marry by their eyes, and some by their fingers’ ends. Dos, non Deus, makes such marriages, but they commonly prove unhappy. There is esh, esh, fire, fire, of debate and discord between that ish and ishah, that man and wife, where Jah is not the matchmaker, as the Cabbalists have collected. Favour will fade, and beauty wither; a herd of pox will mar the fairest face, and of a Nireus make a Thersites. Forma bonum fragile est, saith one poet; Res est forma fugax, saith another. But better than they both the prophet Isaiah, "All flesh is…

Read John Trapp on Proverbs 31 →
Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(30) Favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain.—Outward graces do not last; praise that will be real and enduring is for those only who fear the Lord, and, out of regard for Him, perform the duties of life as the “virtuous woman” here described.

Read Charles John Ellicott on Proverbs 31 →
AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible

Verse 30. Favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain, c.] III. Here is the summing up of the character. 1. Favour, חן chen, grace of manner may be deceitful, many a fair appearance of this kind is put on, assumed for certain secular or more unworthy purposes it is learned by painful drilling in polished seminaries, and, being the effect of mere physical discipline, it continues while the restraint lasts; but it is שקר sheker, a lie, a mere semblance, an outward varnish. It is not the effect of internal moral regulation; it is an outside, at which the inside murmurs; and which, because not ingenuous, is a burden to itself. 2. Beauty, היפי haiyophi, elegance of shape, symmetry of features…

Read AdamClarke on Proverbs 31 →
CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

30. that feareth the Lord] Thus does Wisdom, true ever to herself, return in her last utterance to her first (Proverbs 1:7), and place once again the crown on the head of the godly.

Read Cambridge on Proverbs 31 →
Albert Barnes1798–1870Barnes' Notes on the Bible

The last lesson of the book is the same as the first. The fear of the Lord is the condition of all womanly, as well as of all manly, excellence.

Read Albert Barnes on Proverbs 31 →

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

Charm is deceptive and beauty is fleeting, but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised.

WEBWorld English Bible2000

Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain; but a woman who fears Yahweh, she shall be praised.

MSBMajority Standard Bible2022

Charm is deceptive and beauty is fleeting, but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised.

NETBNew English Translation2006

Charm is deceitful and beauty is fleeting, but a woman who fears the Lord will be praised.

Tyndale line

KJVKing James Version1611

Favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain: but a woman that feareth the LORD, she shall be praised.

ASVAmerican Standard Version1901

Grace is deceitful, and beauty is vain; But a woman that feareth Jehovah, she shall be praised.

RVARevised Version, American1894

Favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain: but a woman that feareth the LORD, she shall be praised.

NWBWebster's Bible1833

Favor is deceitful, and beauty is vain: but a woman that feareth the LORD, she shall be praised.

GNVGeneva Bible1599

Fauour is deceitfull, and beautie is vanitie: but a woman that feareth the Lord, she shall be praysed.

Strictly literal

DBYDarby Translation1890

Gracefulness is deceitful and beauty is vain; a woman [that] feareth Jehovah, she shall be praised.

YLTYoung's Literal Translation1862

The grace [is] false, and the beauty [is] vain, A woman fearing Jehovah, she may boast herself.

LSVLiteral Standard Version2020

Favor [is] deceitful, and beauty [is] vain, || A woman fearing YHWH, she may boast herself.

ILTInterlinear Literal Translation2000

False is grace, and vain is beauty: a woman only that feareth the Lord shall indeed be praised.

ULBUnlocked Literal Bible2017

Elegance is deceptive, beauty is vain, but a woman who fears Yahweh, she will be praised.

From the Latin

DRADouay-Rheims (Challoner)1899

Favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain: the woman that feareth the Lord, she shall be praised.

Simplified

FBVFree Bible Version2020

Charm can deceive, and beauty fades, but a woman who honors the Lord should be praised.

BBEBible in Basic English1949

Fair looks are a deceit, and a beautiful form is of no value; but a woman who has the fear of the Lord is to be praised.

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.

clauseclausepredicateשֶׁ֣קֶר[is].deceptionnoun phrase · subjectהַ֭(the)חֵןgraceוְand.[is]clausepredicateהֶ֣בֶלvanitynoun phrase · subjectהַ(the)יֹּ֑פִיbeautyclauseclausenoun phraseאִשָּׁ֥הa.womannoun phraseיִרְאַתfearingיְ֝הוָ֗ה(of).Yahwehclausesubjectהִ֣יאsheverbתִתְהַלָּֽלshe.will.be.praised

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 show alignment in the core message of the verse, although only 4 of the 9 words match directly. The Septuagint's rendering reflects its own syntactical choices while conveying the same essential themes.

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

שֶׁ֣קֶר הַ֭חֵן וְהֶ֣בֶל הַיֹּ֑פִי אִשָּׁ֥ה יִרְאַת־ יְ֝הוָ֗ה הִ֣יא תִתְהַלָּֽל׃

Septuagintthe Greek the translators chose, word by word
שֶׁ֣קֶרψευδεῖςהַ֭חֵןἀρέσκειαιוְהֶ֣בֶלμάταιονאִשָּׁ֥הγυνὴ

4 of the 9 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 31:30שֶׁ֫קֶר[is] decept[is] deceptionשֶׁ֫קֶרחֵןgracegraceחֵןהֶ֫בֶלand [is] vaand [is] vanityהֶ֫בֶליֳפִיbeautybeautyיֳפִיאִשָּׁהa womana womanאִשָּׁהיָרֵאfearingfearingיָרֵאיהוהYahwehYahwehיהוההוּאshesheהוּאהָלַלshe will beshe will be praהָלַלשָׁקַרto dealto dealשָׁקַרחָנַןbe gracioube graciousחָנַןהָבַלto become to become vainהָבַליָפָהbe beautifbe beautifulיָפָהיָרֵאto fearto fearיָרֵאהָיָהto beto beהָיָהאִישׁmanmanאִישׁאֱנוֹשׁhumanhumanאֱנוֹשׁעֵדwitnesswitnessעֵדנָבָאto prophesto prophesyנָבָאמָצָאto findto findמָצָאעַ֫יִןeyeeyeעַ֫יִןקֹהֶ֫לֶתpreacherpreacherקֹהֶ֫לֶתרְעוּתlonginglongingרְעוּתכָּלַלto perfectto perfectכָּלַלכָּלִילentireentireכָּלִילטַףchildchildטַףנָכְרִיforeignforeignנָכְרִי
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 31:30

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] deception grace and [is] vanity beauty a woman fearing Yahweh she she will be praised
שֶׁ֣קֶרShe.ker [is] deception H8267 Noun common · masculine singular absolute
113× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This word refers to deception or falsehood, often implying a sense of betrayal or disappointment. It's used in the Bible to describe lies, false testimony, or deceitful behavior, like in Psalm 116:11, where the psalmist says all men are liars.
Amplified meaning
vanity, emptiness
Tyndale gloss
deception
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

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

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

שֶׁ֫קֶר 113 n.m. deception, disappointment, falsehood

deception, what deceives, disappoints, and betrays one

deceit, fraud, wrong

injurious falsehood, in testimony

falsity, of false or self-deceived prophets

lie, falsehood, in gen.

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

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

. deceit, fraud, wrong

. injurious falsehood, in testimony

. falsity, of false or self-deceived prophets

. lie, falsehood, in gen.

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

8267 sheqer sheh'-ker

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

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

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

(thing), wrongfully.

see HEBREW for 08266

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

שֶׁ֫קֶר (she.qer) — deception.

1) lie, deception, disappointment, falsehood

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

1b) deceit, fraud, wrong

1b1) fraudulently, wrongfully (as adverb)

1c) falsehood (injurious in testimony)

1c1) testify falsehood, false oath, swear falsely

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

1e) lie, falsehood (in general)

1e1) false tongue

1f) in vain

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-ms — Noun common · masculine singular absolute
HNcmsa
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
Nave's Topical Bible

→ INSTANCES OF

By Satan Ge 3:4

Abraham, in stating that Sarah was his sister Ge 12:13; 20:2

Isaac, in stating that his wife was his sister Ge 26:7

Jacob and Rebekah, in imposing Jacob on his father, and Jacob's impersonating Esau Ge 27:6-23

Jacob's sons, in entrapping the Shechemites Ge 34:13-31

In representing to their father that Joseph had been destroyed by wild beasts Ge 37:29-35

Joseph, in his ruse with his brothers Ge 42; 43; 44

The Gibeonites, in misrepresenting their habitat Jos 9:3-15

[is] deception grace and [is] vanity beauty a woman fearing Yahweh she she will be praised
הַ֭חֵןHa.chen grace H2580 Particle · noun common masculine singular absolute
69× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This Hebrew word means showing kindness or favor to someone, like God's graciousness to humanity. It appears in the Bible as 'favor' or 'grace'.
Amplified meaning
deceptive, false allure
Tyndale gloss
favor
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

חֵן (chen) refers to favor or grace, encompassing meanings like kindness, beauty, and elegance. It can denote both subjective qualities, such as graciousness, and objective attributes, like pleasantness. The term appears in various contexts within the Old Testament, highlighting its multifaceted nature.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

חֵן n.m. favour, grace

favour, grace, elegance

favour, acceptance

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H2580 חֵן favour, grace . favour, grace, elegance

. favour, acceptane

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

2580 chen khane

from 2603; graciousness, i.e. subjective (kindness, favor) or

objective (beauty):--favour, grace(-ious), pleasant, precious,

(well-)favoured.

see HEBREW for 02603

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

חֵן (chen) — favor.

1) favour, grace, charm

1a) favour, grace, elegance

1b) favour, acceptance

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

gras:

1. The Word Charis:

In the English New Testament the word "grace" is always a translation of (charis), a word that occurs in the Greek text something over 170 times (the reading is uncertain in places). In secular Greek of all periods it is also a very common word, and in both Biblical and secular Greek it is used with far more meanings than can be represented by any one term in English Primarily

(a) the word seems to denote pleasant external appearance, "gracefulness" "loveliness"; compare the personificaion in the Graces." Such a use is found in Lu 4:22, where `wondered at the charm of his words' is a good translation; and similarly in Col 4:6.

Easton's Bible Dictionary

Grace

(1.) Of form or person (Prov. 1:9; 3:22; Ps. 45:2). (2.) Favour, kindness, friendship (Gen. 6:8; 18:3; 19:19; 2 Tim. 1:9). (3.) God’s forgiving mercy (Rom. 11:6; Eph. 2:5). (4.) The gospel as distinguished from the law (John 1:17; Rom. 6:14; 1 Pet. 5:12). (5.) Gifts freely bestowed by God; as miracles, prophecy, tongues (Rom. 15:15;

Favor, mercy. Divine grace is the free and undeserved love and favor of God towards man as a sinner, especially as exhibited in the plan of redemption through Jesus Christ, Joh 1:17 3:16 Ro 3:24-26. It is only by the free grace of god that we embrace the offers of mercy, and appropriate to ourselves the blessings graciously purchased by redeeming blood.

The "GRACE OF GOD," spontaneous, unmerited, self-directed, and almighty, is the source of the whole scheme of redemption, Ro 11:6 2Ti 1:9. With it are united "the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ," who gave himself for sinners; and that of "the Spirit of grace," by whom alone the grace offered by the Father and purchased by the…

Torrey's New Topical Textbook

- God is the God of all

1Pe 5:10

- God is the Giver of

Ps 84:11; Jas 1:17

- God's throne, the throne of

Heb 4:16

- The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of

Zec 12:10; Heb 10:29

- Was upon Christ

Lu 2:40; Joh 3:24

- Christ spoke with

Ps 45:2; Lu 4:22

- Christ was full of

Joh 1:14

- Came by Christ

[is] deception grace and [is] vanity beauty a woman fearing Yahweh she she will be praised
וְהֶ֣בֶלve.He.vel and [is] vanity H1892 Conjunction · noun common masculine singular absolute
73× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
Hebel means emptiness or vanity, describing something transitory and unsatisfactory, like a breath of air. It appears in the book of Ecclesiastes, where Solomon writes about life's fleeting nature. The KJV translates it as vanity or altogether.
Amplified meaning
transitory, temporary
Tyndale gloss
vanity
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

הֶ֫בֶל (hevel) refers to vapour or breath, and is often associated with concepts of emptiness or vanity, indicating something transitory and unsatisfactory. The word can function as an adverb meaning 'vainly.' It is derived from a root meaning 'to breathe' and appears in contexts discussing the fleeting nature of life.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

הֶ֫בֶל 73 n.m. vapour, breath

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H1892 הֶ֫בֶל vapour, breath

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

1892 hebel heh'bel

or (rarely in the abs.) habel {hab-ale'}; from 1891;

emptiness or vanity; figuratively, something transitory and

unsatisfactory; often used as an adverb:--X altogether, vain,

vanity.

see HEBREW for 01891

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

הֶ֫בֶל (he.vel) — vanity.

1) vapour, breath

1a) breath, vapour

1b) vanity (fig.)

adv

2) vainly

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Conj | N-ms — Conjunction · noun common masculine singular absolute
HC/Ncmsa
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
American Tract Society Bible Dictionary

Does not usually denote, in Scripture, self-conceit or personal pride, 2Pe 2:18, but sometimes emptiness and fruitlessness, Job 7:3 Ps 144:4 Ec 1:1-18. It often denotes wickedness, particularly falsehood, De 32:21 Ps 4:2 24:4 119:37, and sometimes idols and idol-worship, 2Ki 17:15 Jer 2:5 18:15 Jon 2:8. Compare Paul’s expression, "they turned the truth of God into a lie,"

→ A consequence of the fall Ro 8:20

→ Every man has Ps 39:11

→ Every state of man is Ps 62:9

→ Man, at his best estate, is Ps 39:5

→ Man is similar to Ps 144:4

→ The thoughts of man are Ps 94:11

→ The days of man are Job 7:16; Ec 6:12

→ Childhood and youth are Ec 11:10

Torrey's New Topical Textbook

- A consequence of the fall

Ro 8:20

- Every man is

Ps 39:11

- Every state of man is

Ps 62:9

- Man at his best estate is

Ps 39:5

- Man is like to

Ps 144:4

- The thoughts of man are

Ps 94:11

- The days of man are

Job 7:16; Ec 6:12

- Childhood and youth are

Ec 11:10

- The beauty of man is

Ps 39:11; Pr 31:30

[is] deception grace and [is] vanity beauty a woman fearing Yahweh she she will be praised
הַיֹּ֑פִיhai.Yo.fi beauty H3308 Particle · noun common masculine singular absolute
19× 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 beauty, describing something pleasing and attractive. In Psalm 27:4, it describes the beauty of God's presence. The word is used to convey a sense of wonder and awe.
Amplified meaning
physical attractiveness, pleasing appearance
Tyndale gloss
beauty
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

יֳפִי (yophiy) means 'beauty' and is derived from the root word represented by Strong's H3302. The entries consistently define it as a noun referring to beauty, without any significant disagreement among the lexicons.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

[יֳפִי] n.m. beauty

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H3308 [יֳפִי] beauty

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

3308 yophiy yof-ee'

from 3302; beauty:--beauty.

see HEBREW for 03302

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

יֳפִי (yo.phi) — beauty.

beauty

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

bu'-ti: The space allotted to this topic allows liberty only for the statement of two problems to students of the Bible. They should give distinct attention to the interblending of aesthetics with ethics in the Scripture. They should observe the extent and meaning of aesthetics in Nature.

1. Aesthetics in Scripture:

That the Bible is an ethical book is evident. Righteousness in all the relations of man as a moral being is the key to its inspiration, the guiding light to correct understanding of its utterance. But it is everywhere inspired and writ in an atmosphere of aesthetics. Study will bring out this fact from Genesis to Revelation. The first pair make their appearance in a garden where grew "every tree that is pleasant to the sight" (Ge 2:9), and the last vision for the race is an abode in a city whose gates are of pearl and…

Nave's Topical Bible

→ Vanity of Ps 39:11; Pr 6:25; 31:30; Isa 3:24; Eze 16:14; 28:17

→ Wastes away Ps 39:11; 49:14

→ INSTANCES OF

Sarah Ge 12:11

Rebekah Ge 24:16

Rachel Ge 29:17

Joseph Ge 39:6

Moses Ex 2:2; Heb 11:23

David 1Sa 16:12,18

[is] deception grace and [is] vanity beauty a woman fearing Yahweh she she will be praised
אִשָּׁ֥ה'i.Shah a woman H802 Noun common · feminine singular absolute
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
female person, wife
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
N-fs — Noun common · feminine singular absolute
HNcfsa
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

woom'-an ('ishshah, "a woman" (feminine of 'ish, "a man"]; gune, "a woman" "wife"):

I. IN THE CREATIVE PLAN

II. IN OLD TESTAMENT TIMES

1. Prominence of Women

2. Social Equality

3. Marriage Laws

4. Inheritance

5. Domestic Duties

6. Dress and Ornaments

7. Religious Devotion and Service

(1) in Idolatry and False Religion

(2) in Spiritual Religion

III. INTER-TESTAMENTAL ERA

IV. IN NEW TESTAMENT TIMES

1. Mary and Elisabeth

2. Jesus and Women

3. In the Early Church

4. Official Service

5. Widows

6. Deaconesses

IV. LATER TIMES

1. Changes in Character and Condition

2. Notable Examples of Christian Womanhood

3. Woman in the 20th Century

The generic term "man" includes woman. In the narrative of the creation (Ge 1:26,27) Adam is a collective term for mankind. It may signify human being, male or female, or humanity entire. "God said, Let us make man .... and let them"…

Easton's Bible Dictionary

Woman

Was “taken out of man” (Gen. 2:23), and therefore the man has the preeminence. “The head of the woman is the man;” but yet honour is to be shown to the wife, “as unto the weaker vessel” (1 Cor. 11:3, 8, 9; 1 Pet. 3:7). Several women are mentioned in Scripture as having been endowed with prophetic gifts, as Miriam (Ex. 15:20), Deborah (Judg. 4:4, 5), Huldah (2 Kings 22:14), Noadiah (Neh. 6:14), Anna (Luke 2:36, 37), and the daughters of Philip the evangelist…

American Tract Society Bible Dictionary

Is spoken of in Scripture as the beloved and honored companion and helpmeet, not the servant, of man, Ge 2:23,24, created as the necessary completion of man, Ge 3:16 1Co 11:3,8,9 14:34,35 1Ti 2:11-14, yet specially qualified for that sphere, and as necessary in it as man in his. Man and woman are indeed essentially one, the natural qualities of each so responding to those of the other as to lay the foundation of the most tender and abiding unity. The Bible thus raised the Jewish woman high above the woman of heathenism; and the Old Testament contains some of the finest portraitures of female character. But still greater is the contrast between the women of heathenism and…

Torrey's New Topical Textbook

- Origin and cause of the name

Ge 2:23

- ORIGINALLY MADE

. By God in his own image

Ge 1:27

. From one of Adam's ribs

Ge 2:21,22

. For man

1Co 11:9

. To be an helpmeet for man

Ge 2:18,20

. Subordinate to man

1Co 11:3

. To be the glory of man

1Co 11:7

- Deceived by Satan

Ge 3:1-6; 2Co 11:3; 1Ti 2:14

- Led man to disobey God

[is] deception grace and [is] vanity beauty a woman fearing Yahweh she she will be praised
יִרְאַת־yir.'at- fearing H3373 Adj
64× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This word describes someone who is afraid or fearful, and is also used to convey a sense of reverence or respect. It's often translated as 'afraid' in the KJV. In the Bible, it's used to describe people's reactions to God or scary situations.
Amplified meaning
reveres, has awe for
Tyndale gloss
afraid
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

יָרֵא (yare') is an adjective and verb derived from the root יָרֵא (H3372), meaning 'to fear.' It encompasses meanings such as 'afraid' and 'reverent.' The entries indicate a moral aspect to fear, suggesting a sense of reverence alongside being fearful.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

יָרֵא adj. verb. v. supr. [j.df.aa] Pt.

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H3373 יָרֵא adj. verb. v. supr. [3372] Pt.

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

3373 yare' yaw-ray'

from 3372; fearing; morally, reverent:--afraid, fear (-ful).

see HEBREW for 03372

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

יָרֵא (ya.re) — afraid.

fearing, reverent, afraid

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Adj — Adj
HAafsc
[is] deception grace and [is] vanity beauty a woman fearing Yahweh she she will be praised
יְ֝הוָ֗הYah.weh Yahweh H3068 Noun proper
6,528× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
Yehovah is another name for God, often translated as 'the Lord'. It is a national name for God in the Jewish faith. This name is used throughout the Old Testament.
Amplified meaning
Yehovah, the supreme God
Tyndale gloss
The Lord
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

יְהֹוָה (ye.ho.vah) is the proper name of the God of Israel, often rendered as Jehovah or the Lord. It signifies the self-existent or eternal nature of God. The name is closely associated with the revelation to Moses in Exodus 3:12-15 and is used in conjunction with other terms to denote sacred places. Some scholars suggest it derives from a root meaning 'to bring into being.'

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

יהוה c. 6823 i.e. יַהְוֶה n.pr.dei Yahweh, the proper name of the God of Israel—(1. MT יְהֹוָה 6518 (Qr אֲדֹנָי), or יֱהֹוִה 305 (Qr אֱלֹהִים) 2. Many recent scholars explain יַהְוֶה as Hiph. of הוה (= היה) the one bringing into being, life-giver)

יהוה is not used by E in Gn, but is given Ex 3:12-15 as the name of the God who revealed Himself to Moses at Horeb

יהוה is used with אלהים and suffixes, especially in D

the phrase † אֲנִי יהוה is noteworthy

יהוה is also used with several predicates, to form sacred names of holy places of Yahweh

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H3068 יהוה i.e. יַהְוֶה n. pr. dei Yahweh, the proper name of the God of Israel

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

3068 Yhovah yeh-ho-vaw'

from 1961; (the) self-Existent or Eternal; Jehovah, Jewish

national name of God:--Jehovah, the Lord. Compare 3050, 3069.

see HEBREW for 01961

see HEBREW for 03050

see HEBREW for 03069

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

יְהֹוָה (ye.ho.vah) — LORD.

Jehovah = "the existing One"

1) the proper name of the one true God

1a) unpronounced except with the vowel pointings of a.do.na (אֲדֹנָי "Lord" H0136)

יְהֹוָה (ye.ho.vah) — The Lord.

Another name of ye.ru.sha.laim (יְרוּשָׁלִַ֫ם, יְרוּשְׁלֵם "Jerusalem" H3389)

יְהֹוָה (ye.ho.vah) — (Jerusalem of) the Lord.

Combined with ye.ru.sha.laim (יְרוּשָׁלִַ֫ם, יְרוּשְׁלֵם "Jerusalem" H3389)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-proper — Noun proper
HNpt
The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
[is] deception grace and [is] vanity beauty a woman fearing Yahweh she she will be praised
הִ֣יאhi' 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.
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
HPp3fs — Pronoun
HPp3fs
The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
[is] deception grace and [is] vanity beauty a woman fearing Yahweh she she will be praised
תִתְהַלָּֽל׃tit.ha.Lal she will be praised H1984 Verb · Hithpael · imperfect third person feminine singular
165× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
To be foolish means to act wildly or make a show, like the prophets of Baal in 1 Kings 18:29. It can also mean to celebrate or boast, as in Psalm 38:5.
Amplified meaning
honored, celebrated
Tyndale gloss
to shine
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word הָלַל (halal) is a primitive root that encompasses meanings related to shining, boasting, and foolishness. It can signify to praise or celebrate, often in a clamorously foolish manner, and includes the idea of making a boast or being made a fool of. The entries indicate a range of uses, from expressing God's favor to acting madly.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

[הָלַל] vb. shine

Qal when it, viz. his lamp, shone upon my head, fig. of God’s favour.

Hiph. flash forth light

base

[הָלַל] vb. be boastful, Pi. praise

Qal be boastful

Pi.

praise man or woman

usually praise י׳

appar. boast, make one’s boast

Pu. be praised

Hithpa. glory, boast, make one’s boast

Po‛el make into a fool, make a fool of

Po‛al of laughter I said, It is mad (folly)

Hithpo. act madly, or like a madman

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H1984a הָלַל shine H1984b הָלַל be boastful, Pi. praise H1984c הָלַל be boastful, Pi. praise .be boastful

. . praise man or woman

. usually praise י׳

. appar. boast, make one’s boast

. be praised

. glory, boast, make one’s boast

.make into a fool, make a fool of

.of laughter I said, It is mad (folly)

. act madly, or like a madman

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

1984 halal haw-lal'

a primitive root; to be clear (orig. of sound, but usually of

color); to shine; hence, to make a show, to boast; and thus to

be (clamorously) foolish; to rave; causatively, to celebrate;

also to stultify:--(make) boast (self), celebrate, commend,

(deal, make), fool(- ish, -ly), glory, give (light), be (make,

feign self) mad (against), give in marriage, (sing, be worthy

of) praise, rage, renowned, shine.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

הָלַל (ha.lal) — to shine.

1) to shine

1a) (Qal) to shine (fig. of God's favour)

1b) (Hiphil) to flash forth light

הָלַל (ha.lal) — to boast: praise.

: praise

1) to praise, boast, be boastful

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to be boastful

1a2) boastful ones, boasters (participle)

1b) (Piel)

1b1) to praise

1b2) to boast, make a boast

1c) (Pual)

1c1) to be praised, be made praiseworthy, be commended, be worthy of praise

1d) (Hithpael) to boast, glory, make one's boast

הָלַל (ha.lal) — to be foolish.

1) (Poel) to make a fool of, make into a fool

1f) (Hithpoel) to act madly, act like a madman

הָלַל (ha.lal) — to boast: boast.

: boast

1) to praise, boast, be boastful

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to be boastful

1a2) boastful ones, boasters (participle)

1b) (Piel)

1b1) to praise

1b2) to boast, make a boast

1c) (Pual)

1c1) to be praised, be made praiseworthy, be commended, be worthy of praise

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
V-Hithpael-Imperf-3fs — Verb · Hithpael · imperfect third person feminine singular
HVti3fs
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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