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Proverbs 4:22 — Word Study

Depth

WLCכִּֽי־ חַיִּ֣ים הֵ֭ם לְמֹצְאֵיהֶ֑ם וּֽלְכָל־ בְּשָׂר֥וֹ מַרְפֵּֽא׃

BSAForkîy [because of this reason] theyhêm are lifechay [alive, full of vitality] to those who find themmâtsâʼ [discover, attain] and healthmarpêʼ [healing, wholeness] to the wholekôl [all, entire] bodybâsâr [flesh, physical being]

Word
Listen & take awayProverbs 4
English ↓ Download MP3 The Berean Standard Bible chapter audio already hosted for the site's Bible section — verse 22 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 (mar.Pe') — no per-word recordings of the Hebrew exist to link to.
Take it away
Proverbs 4:22quick helps
In a sentenceThe verse emphasizes the vital role of wisdom and understanding in bringing life and health.
Who is speakingThe author of Proverbs, traditionally attributed to Solomon, instructs the reader.
Where we areThis verse is part of a larger discourse on the importance of wisdom and its benefits.
The hard wordמַרְפֵּא
Take awayWisdom is essential for life and health.
6 commentators on this verse Gill, Jamieson, Trapp, Ellicott & more — read them › clause subjectהֵם 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 4:22

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 Benefits of Wisdomgenerated

21Do not lose sight of them; keep them within your heart.
22For they are life to those who find them, and health to the whole body.
23Guard your heart with all diligence, for from it flow springs of life.
24Put away deception from your mouth; keep your lips from perverse speech.

Proverbs 4:22 highlights the significance of wisdom and understanding, stating that they are essential for life and health. This verse is part of a broader teaching on the value of adhering to wise counsel and keeping one's heart aligned with understanding. The surrounding verses encourage the reader to guard their heart and avoid deception, emphasizing the holistic benefits of wisdom.


Cross References

ReferenceText (BSB)
1Proverbs 4:4–10he taught me and said, “Let your heart lay hold of my words; keep my commands and you will live.
2Proverbs 3:8This will bring healing to your body and refreshment to your bones.
3Proverbs 12:18Speaking rashly is like a piercing sword, but the tongue of the wise brings healing.
4Jeremiah 33:6Nevertheless, I will bring to it health and healing, and I will heal its people and reveal to them the abundance of peace and truth.

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


The Key Word חַיִּים, chai.Yimgenerated

The word חַיִּים (chai.Yim) is a masculine plural noun derived from the root חַי (chay), which means 'alive' or 'living.' It encompasses physical life, vitality, and spiritual existence, indicating a state of being full of life and energy.

In this verse, it signifies that wisdom brings a sense of vitality and sustenance to those who embrace it, directly linking the pursuit of wisdom to the experience of life itself.


How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated

This study reads the verse in the Berean Standard Bible, so the BSB is the wording every comparison below is made against.


Sentence Structuregenerated

The main verb is חַיִּ֣ים, are life, with two phrases following: a prepositional phrase indicating the recipients of this life and a noun phrase describing the health provided. The structure emphasizes the relationship between wisdom and its life-giving properties.

The subject הֵ֭ם (they) refers to the teachings or words of wisdom, while the predicate מַרְפֵּֽא (health) highlights its beneficial effects on the body.


Septuagint Backgroundgenerated

In the Septuagint, the Hebrew חַיִּים is rendered as ζωὴ (zōē), which also means 'life.' This choice reinforces the idea of vitality and existence.

The term מַרְפֵּא corresponds to ἴασις (iasis), meaning 'healing.' This reflects a focus on restoration and wholeness, emphasizing the health aspect of wisdom.


In plain words — the whole versegenerated

Proverbs 4:22 states that wisdom and understanding are vital for those who find them, providing life and health to the entire body. This verse emphasizes the importance of keeping wisdom close to one's heart and the benefits it brings to overall well-being.


Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated

What does it mean that wisdom is life to those who find it?

It means that embracing wisdom leads to a more vibrant and fulfilling life, both physically and spiritually.

How does wisdom contribute to health?

Wisdom provides guidance that can lead to better choices, resulting in physical health and emotional well-being.

What is the significance of the phrase 'to the whole body'?

This phrase emphasizes that the benefits of wisdom are comprehensive, affecting all aspects of a person's life.

Why should we keep wisdom within our hearts?

Keeping wisdom in our hearts ensures that we are continually guided by it, leading to a life filled with vitality and health.


Reflection Questionsgenerated

  1. In what ways have I experienced the life-giving effects of wisdom in my own life?
  2. How can I better seek out and apply wisdom to improve my health and well-being?
  3. What practices can I adopt to keep wisdom close to my heart?
  4. How does understanding the connection between wisdom and health change my perspective on daily choices?

Commentators on this verse — 6 expositors, verse by verse

Each of these wrote on Proverbs 4:22 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.

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

For they [are] life unto those that find them,.... The words or doctrines of Christ, whose type Solomon was, are to be found in the field of the Scriptures, by diligent searching for them; and being

Read John Gill on Proverbs 4 →
Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's Commentary

For they are life unto those that find them, and health to all their flesh.

Read Robert Jamieson on Proverbs 4 →
John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

Proverbs 4:22 For they [are] life unto those that find them, and health to all their flesh.Ver. 22. For they are life.] And health unto all their flesh] Sin is the cause of sickness. "Sin no more, lest a worse thing come unto thee." But "the joy of the Lord is a man’ s strength"; and such "a merry heart doeth good, like a medicine." As sin is a universal sickness, like those diseases wherein physicians say are corruptio totius substantiae, a corruption of the whole substance, as the heretic, &c.; so grace is a Catholicon, a general cure, like the herb Panace, whdch is said to be good for all diseases; whence also, saith Pliny, it hath its name. A παν et ακεω.

Read John Trapp on Proverbs 4 →
Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(22) For they are life . . .—Comp. 1 Timothy 4:8, “Godliness is profitable unto all things, having the promise of the life that now is, (the highest happiness that man can attain to now, peace of mind,) and of that which is to come,” the assurance of a joyful resurrection.

Read Charles John Ellicott on Proverbs 4 →
CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

Ninth Address. Chap. 4. Proverbs 4:20-2722. their flesh] Lit. his flesh, i.e. the flesh of every one of them. This individualising the teaching, by a sudden change from the plural to the singular number occurs again, Proverbs 3:18.

Read Cambridge on Proverbs 4 →
Daniel Denison Whedon1808–1885Whedon's Commentary on the Bible

22. They are life — The pure words of the instructor are healthful and life-giving; a healing medicine for all the woes which flesh is heir to. Compare Proverbs 3:8, and Proverbs 3:2; Proverbs 3:16; Proverbs 4:13.

Read Daniel Denison Whedon on Proverbs 4 →

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

For they are life to those who find them, and health to the whole body.

WEBWorld English Bible2000

For they are life to those who find them, and health to their whole body.

MSBMajority Standard Bible2022

For they are life to those who find them, and health to the whole body.

NETBNew English Translation2006

for they are life to those who find them and healing to one’s entire body.

Tyndale line

KJVKing James Version1611

For they are life unto those that find them, and health to all their flesh.

ASVAmerican Standard Version1901

For they are life unto those that find them, And health to all their flesh.

RVARevised Version, American1894

For they are life unto those that find them, and health to all their flesh.

NWBWebster's Bible1833

For they are life to those that find them, and health to all their flesh.

GNVGeneva Bible1599

For they are life vnto those that find them, and health vnto all their flesh.

Strictly literal

DBYDarby Translation1890

For they are life unto those that find them, and health to all their flesh.

YLTYoung's Literal Translation1862

For life they [are] to those finding them, And to all their flesh healing.

LSVLiteral Standard Version2020

For they [are] life to those finding them, || And healing to all their flesh.

ILTInterlinear Literal Translation2000

For they are life unto every one of those that find them, and to all his body a healing.

ULBUnlocked Literal Bible2017

For my words are life to those who find them and health to their whole body.

From the Latin

DRADouay-Rheims (Challoner)1899

For they are life to those that find them, and health to all flesh.

Simplified

FBVFree Bible Version2020

for they are life to anyone who finds them, and make the whole body healthy.

BBEBible in Basic English1949

For they are life to him who gets them, and strength to all his flesh.

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.

כִּֽי(dm)clausepredicateחַיִּ֣ים[are].lifesubjectהֵ֭םtheyprepositional phrase · prepositionalלְtonoun phraseמֹצְאֵי[thoseהֶ֑םwho].find.themוּֽandclauseprepositional phrase · prepositionalלְtonoun phraseכָלallnoun phraseבְּשָׂר֥fleshוֹhispredicateמַרְפֵּֽאhealing

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


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

The Masoretic Text of Proverbs 4:22 states, 'For they are life to those who find them, and health to the whole body.' The Septuagint, while closely aligned with the Masoretic Text, has a different word order and structure, but it essentially conveys the same meaning. The exact wording of the Septuagint is not provided here, but it is noted that six out of seven words match the Hebrew text. There are no significant differences in meaning between the two texts, as both emphasize the life-giving and healing qualities of the words referenced in this verse.

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

כִּֽי־ חַיִּ֣ים הֵ֭ם לְמֹצְאֵיהֶ֑ם וּֽלְכָל־ בְּשָׂר֥וֹ מַרְפֵּֽא׃

Septuagintthe Greek the translators chose, word by word
חַיִּ֣יםζωὴהֵ֭םἐστινלְמֹצְאֵיהֶ֑םαὐτὰςוּֽלְכָל־πάσῃבְּשָׂר֥וֹσαρκὶמַרְפֵּֽא׃ἴασις

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 4:22כִּיforforכִּיחַי[are] life[are] lifeחַיהֵ֫מָּהtheytheyהֵ֫מָּהמָצָאto [those wto [those who] מָצָאכֹּלand to alland to allכֹּלבָּשָׂרflesh hisflesh hisבָּשָׂרמַרְפֵּאhealthhealthמַרְפֵּאחָיָהto liveto liveחָיָההֲלַךְto goto goהֲלַךְכָּלַלto perfectto perfectכָּלַלבָּשַׂרto bear tito bear tidingsבָּשַׂררָפָאto healto healרָפָאיָדַעto knowto knowיָדַעעוֹףbirdbirdעוֹףשָׂדַיfieldfieldשָׂדַימְרִיrebellionrebellionמְרִיסֵ֫פֶרscroll: doscroll: documenסֵ֫פֶרחֵןfavorfavorחֵןבָּקַשׁto seekto seekבָּקַשׁעֵדָהcongregaticongregationעֵדָהעֲבֹדָהserviceserviceעֲבֹדָהעוֹרskinskinעוֹרעֶ֫צֶםboneboneעֶ֫צֶםבְּעָתָהterrorterrorבְּעָתָהפֶּתַעsuddennesssuddennessפֶּתַע
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 4:22

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.

for [are] life they to [those who] find them and to all flesh his health
כִּֽי־ki- for H3588 Particle
4,483× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
A conjunction used to show cause or connection, as in Genesis 2:23 where Adam says the woman is bone of his bone because she was taken out of him. It is often translated as 'for', 'because', or 'since'.
Amplified meaning
because of this reason
Tyndale gloss
for
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

כִּי (ki) is a conjunction primarily meaning 'that,' 'for,' or 'when.' It indicates causal relationships and can express conditions like 'if' or 'though.' The word is versatile, appearing in various contexts to convey certainty, exception, or concession. Notably, it can combine with other particles to modify its meaning, such as in the phrase כִּי אם־ (ki im), meaning 'that if.'

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

כִּי conj. that, for, when

that

Of time, when, of the past

elsewhere כִּי has a force approximating to if, though it usu. represents a case as more likely to occur than אִם

when or if, with a concessive force, i.e. though

Because, since

base

כִּי אם־

each part. retaining its independent force, and relating to a different clause:

that if

for if

(About 140 t.) the two particles being closely conjoined, and relating to the same clause—

limiting the prec. clause, except

the if being neglected, and treated as pleonastic, so that the clause is no longer a limitation of the preceding clause but a contradiction of it: but rather, but

after an oath, surely

base

כִּי עַל כֵּן forasmuch as

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H3588a כִּי that, for, when . that

. . Of time, when, of the past

. elsewhere כִּי has a force approximating to if, though it usu. represents a case as more likely to occur than אִם

. when or if, with a concessive force, i.e. though

. Because, since

H3588b כִּי אם־ . each part. retaining its independent force, and relating to a different clause: . that if

. for if

. (About 140 t.) the two particles being closely conjoined, and relating to the same clause— . limiting the prec. clause, except

. the if being neglected, and treated as pleonastic, so that the clause is no longer a limitation of the preceding clause but a contradiction of it: but rather, but

. after an oath, surely

H3588c כִּי עַל כֵּן forasmuch as

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

3588 kiy kee

a primitive particle (the full form of the prepositional

prefix) indicating causal relations of all kinds, antecedent

or consequent; (by implication) very widely used as a relative

conjunction or adverb (as below); often largely modified by

other particles annexed:--and, + (forasmuch, inasmuch,

where-)as, assured(-ly), + but, certainly, doubtless, + else,

even, + except, for, how, (because, in, so, than) that, +

nevertheless, now, rightly, seeing, since, surely, then,

therefore, + (al- )though, + till, truly, + until, when,

whether, while, whom, yea, yet.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

כִּי (ki) — for.

1) that, for, because, when, as though, as, because that, but, then, certainly, except, surely, since

1a) that

1a1) yea, indeed

1b) when (of time)

1b1) when, if, though (with a concessive force)

1c) because, since (causal connection)

1d) but (after negative)

1e) that if, for if, indeed if, for though, but if

1f) but rather, but

1g) except that

1h) only, nevertheless

1i) surely

1j) that is

1k) but if

1l) for though

1m) forasmuch as, for therefore

כִּי [אם] (ki im) — that if: except.

1) except if

1a) but if

1b) even though

כִּי [עַל כֵּן] (ki [al ken]) — for as that: since.

1) that, for, because, when, as though, as, because that, but, then, certainly, except, surely, since

1a) that

1a1) yea, indeed

1b) when (of time)

1b1) when, if, though (with a concessive force)

1c) because, since (causal connection)

1d) but (after negative)

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Conj — Particle
HTc
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

for (ki (conjunction), le, from 'el (preposition), and various other words. In the New Testament also the words are various, chiefly gar, kai gar, hoti (conjunctions); anti apo eis dia (accusative), epi (dative and accusative), peri (genitive), pros (genitive and accusative), huper (genitive) (prepositions)): the English Revised Version and the American Standard Revised Version give in many cases more literal or more accurate renderings than those in the King James Version.

In the New Testament the most important preps. from a doctrinal point of view are anti, "face to face," "over against," "instead," "on behalf of," peri, "around," "about," "concerning," huper, "over," "on behalf of." The first has been claimed as stating the substitutionary nature of Christ's sacrifice as contrasted with huper and peri, more frequently used of it. But, although anti in the New Testament often means…

The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
for [are] life they to [those who] find them and to all flesh his health
חַיִּ֣יםchai.Yim [are] 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
alive, full of 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

for [are] life they to [those who] find them and to all flesh his health
הֵ֭םhem 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
for [are] life they to [those who] find them and to all flesh his health
לְמֹצְאֵיהֶ֑םle.mo.tze.'ei.Hem to [those who] find them H4672 Preposition · verb qal participle (active) masculine plural common · suffix
455× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
Matsa means to find or attain something, whether it is a physical object, a person, or a condition, as seen in various KJV translations.
Amplified meaning
discover, attain
Tyndale gloss
to find
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

מָצָא (matsa') is a Hebrew verb meaning to find or attain. It encompasses a range of actions, including discovering something lost, encountering someone, or coming upon a situation. The word can also imply being present or sufficient. Lexicons note various forms and uses, including Qal, Niphal, and Hiphil, which indicate different nuances of finding and encountering.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

מָצָא 452 vb. attain to, find

Qal

find

find out

= come upon, light upon

noteworthy phrases

Niph. pass. of Qal, be found

Hiph.

cause to find, attain

cause to light upon, come upon, come

cause to encounter

present unto

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H4672 מָצָא attain to, find

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

4672 matsa' maw-tsaw'

a primitive root; properly, to come forth to, i.e. appear or

exist; transitively, to attain, i.e. find or acquire;

figuratively, to occur, meet or be present:--+ be able,

befall, being, catch, X certainly, (cause to) come (on, to, to

hand), deliver, be enough (cause to) find(-ing, occasion,

out), get (hold upon), X have (here), be here, hit, be left,

light (up-)on, meet (with), X occasion serve, (be) present,

ready, speed, suffice, take hold on.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

מָצָא (ma.tsa) — to find.

1) to find, attain to

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to find

1a1a) to find, secure, acquire, get (thing sought)

1a1b) to find (what is lost)

1a1c) to meet, encounter

1a1d) to find (a condition)

1a1e) to learn, devise

1a2) to find out

1a2a) to find out

1a2b) to detect

1a2c) to guess

1a3) to come upon, light upon

1a3a) to happen upon, meet, fall in with

1a3b) to hit

1a3c) to befall

1b) (Niphal)

1b1) to be found

1b1a) to be encountered, be lighted upon, be discovered

1b1b) to appear, be recognised

1b1c) to be discovered, be detected

1b1d) to be gained, be secured

1b2) to be, be found

1b2a) to be found in

1b2b) to be in the possession of

1b2c) to be found in (a place), happen to be

1b2d) to be left (after war)

1b2e) to be present

1b2f) to prove to be

1b2g) to be found sufficient, be enough

1c) (Hiphil)

1c1) to cause to find, attain

1c2) to cause to light upon, come upon, come

1c3) to cause to encounter

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Prep | V-Qal | Suff — Preposition · verb qal participle (active) masculine plural common · suffix
HR/Vqrmpc/Sp3mp
for [are] life they to [those who] find them and to all flesh his health
וּֽלְכָל־u.le.khol- and to all H3605 Conjunction · preposition · noun common masculine singular construct
5,415× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
The Hebrew word for 'all' or 'everything' is used throughout the Bible, like in Genesis 1:31, where God sees all He has made as very good. It encompasses the entirety of something, whether people, things, or situations.
Amplified meaning
all, entire
Tyndale gloss
all
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

כֹּל (kol) means 'all' or 'the whole.' It can refer to totality, including every person or thing, and is often used with a following genitive to specify what is included. The term can also denote a broader sense of everything in existence or all circumstances of life. The lexicons do not show significant disagreement on its meanings.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

כֹּל once כּוֹל n.m. the whole, all

with foll. gen. (as usually) the whole of, to be rendered, however, often in our idiom, to avoid stiffness, any or every

Absolutely:

without the art., all things, all

with the art. הַכֹּל

where the sense is limited by the context to things (or persons) just mentioned

in a wider sense, all, whether of all mankind or of all living things, the universe, or of all the circumstances of life (chiefly late)

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H3605 כֹּל once כּוֹל the whole, all . with foll. gen. (as usually) the whole of, to be rendered, however, often in our idiom, to avoid stiffness, any or every

. Absolutely: . without the art., all things, all

. with the art. הַכֹּל . where the sense is limited by the context to things (or persons) just mentioned

. in a wider sense, all, whether of all mankind or of all living things, the universe, or of all the circumstances of life (chiefly late)

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

3605 kol kole

or (Jer. 33:8) kowl {kole}; from 3634; properly, the whole;

hence, all, any or every (in the singular only, but often in a

plural sense):--(in) all (manner, (ye)), altogether, any

(manner), enough, every (one, place, thing), howsoever, as

many as, (no-)thing, ought, whatsoever, (the) whole,

whoso(-ever).

see HEBREW for 03634

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

כֹּל (kol) — all.

1) all, the whole

1a) all, the whole of

1b) any, each, every, anything

1c) totality, everything

Aramaic equivalent: kol (כֹּל "all" H3606)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Conj | Prep | N-ms — Conjunction · preposition · noun common masculine singular construct
HC/R/Ncmsc
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

ol: Used in various combinations, and with different meanings.

(1) All along, "Weeping all along as he went" (Jer 41:6), i.e. throughout the whole way he went, feigning equal concern with the men from Shiloh, etc., for the destruction of the Temple, so as to put them off their guard.

(2) All in all, "That God may be all in all" (1Co 15:28, Greek: panta en pasin, "all things in all (persons and) things"). "The universe, with all it comprises, will wholly answer to God's will and reflect His mind" (Dummelow).

(3) All one, "It is all one" (Job 9:22), "it makes no difference whether I live or die."

(4) At all, "If thy father miss me at all" (1Sa 20:6), "in any way," "in the least."

The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
for [are] life they to [those who] find them and to all flesh his health
בְּשָׂר֥וֹbe.sa.Ro flesh his H1320 Noun common masculine singular construct · suffix
270× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
The Hebrew word for flesh refers to the body or a person, and can also describe living things or animals. In the Bible, it is used to describe humans and animals, as in Genesis and Leviticus.
Amplified meaning
flesh, physical being
Tyndale gloss
flesh
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

בָּשָׂר (basar) means 'flesh' and encompasses various meanings, including the physical body, kinship, and a euphemism for male genitalia. It can refer to humans, animals, and all living things, highlighting the frailty of man in relation to God. The entries consistently emphasize its bodily and relational aspects.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

בָּשָׂר 266 n.m. flesh

of the body

flesh for the body itself

male organ of generation (euphemism)

flesh for kindred, blood-relations

man over against God as frail or erring

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H1320 בָּשָׂר flesh . of the body

. flesh for the body itself

. male organ of generation (euphemism)

. flesh for kindred, blood-relations

. man over against God as frail or erring

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

1320 basar baw-sawr'

from 1319; flesh (from its freshness); by extension, body,

person; also (by euphem.) the pudenda of a man:--body, (fat,

lean) flesh(-ed), kin, (man-)kind, + nakedness, self, skin.

see HEBREW for 01319

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

בָּשָׂר (ba.sar) — flesh.

1) flesh

1a) of the body

1a1) of humans

1a2) of animals

1b) the body itself

1c) male organ of generation (euphemism)

1d) kindred, blood-relations

1e) flesh as frail or erring (man against God)

1f) all living things

1g) animals

1h) mankind

Aramaic equivalent: be.shar (בְּשַׁר "flesh" H1321)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-ms | Suff — Noun common masculine singular construct · suffix
HNcmsc/Sp3ms
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

hiz: Used often in the King James Version with reference to a neuter or inanimate thing, or to a lower animal (Ge 1:11, "after his kind"; Le 1:16, "pluck away his crop"; Ac 12:10, "of his own accord"; 1Co 15:38, "his own body"), etc. the Revised Version (British and American) substitutes "its."

for [are] life they to [those who] find them and to all flesh his health
מַרְפֵּֽא׃mar.Pe' health H4832 Noun common · masculine singular absolute
16× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
Means healing or a cure, like medicine. It can also mean deliverance or a state of being calm and peaceful. This word is used in the Bible to describe physical and emotional healing.
Amplified meaning
healing, wholeness
Tyndale gloss
healing
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

מַרְפֵּא (marpe') refers to healing, cure, and health, often in a figurative sense. It is derived from the root meaning 'curative' and can imply both literal medicine and abstract concepts like deliverance or placidity. The term encompasses various aspects of health, including the idea of being incurable.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

מַרְפֵּא, מַרְפֵּה n.m. healing, cure, health (usu. fig.)

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H4832 מַרְפֵּא, מַרְפֵּה healing, cure, health (usu. fig.)

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

4832 marpe' mar-pay'

from 7495; properly, curative, i.e. literally (concretely) a

medicine, or (abstractly) a cure; figuratively (concretely)

deliverance, or (abstractly) placidity:--((in-))cure(-able),

healing(-lth), remedy, sound, wholesome, yielding.

see HEBREW for 07495

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

מַרְפֵּא (mar.pe) — healing.

1) health, healing, cure

1a) healing, cure

1b) health, profit, sound (of mind)

1c) healing

1c1) incurable (with negative)

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

helth (shalom, yeshu`ah, 'arukhah; riph'uth, 'arukhah; soteria, hugiaino): Shalom is part of the formal salutation still common in Palestine. In this sense it is used in Ge 43:28; 2Sa 20:9; the stem word means "peace," and is used in many varieties of expression relating to security, success and good bodily health. Yeshu`ah, which specifically means deliverance or help, occurs in the refrain of Ps 42:11; 43:5, as well as in Ps 67:2; in the American Standard Revised Version it is rendered "help." Riph'uth is literally, "healing," and is found only in Pr 3:8. Marpe' also means healing of the body, but is used in a…

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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