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Proverbs 4:26 — Word Study

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WLCפַּ֭לֵּס מַעְגַּ֣ל רַגְלֶ֑ךָ וְֽכָל־ דְּרָכֶ֥יךָ יִכֹּֽנוּ׃

BSAMake a levelpâlaç [straight, smooth] pathmaʻgâl for your feetregel [steps, journey] and allkôl [every aspect of] your waysderek [roads, manner of life] will be surekûwn [established, firmly set, confirmed, secure, stable]

Word
Listen & take awayProverbs 4
English ↓ Download MP3 The Berean Standard Bible chapter audio already hosted for the site's Bible section — verse 26 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 (yi.Ko.nu) — no per-word recordings of the Hebrew exist to link to.
Take it away
Proverbs 4:26quick helps
In a sentenceThe verse advises to create a smooth path for one's steps, ensuring a secure journey.
Who is speakingThe wise teacher, instructing on the importance of a straight path.
Where we areIn a series of practical instructions on living wisely.
The hard wordפַּ֭לֵּס
Take awayA well-prepared path leads to stability in life.
8 commentators on this verse Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them › clause verbפָּלַס 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 4:26

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 — Practical Wisdom for Daily Livinggenerated

24Put away deception from your mouth; keep your lips from perverse speech.
25Let your eyes look forward; fix your gaze straight ahead.
26Make a level path for your feet, and all your ways will be sure.
27Do not swerve to the right or to the left; turn your feet away from evil.

Proverbs 4:26 is part of a larger section where the teacher offers guidance on avoiding deception and focusing on a righteous path. The verses preceding and following this one emphasize the importance of integrity in speech and vision, culminating in the call to create a level path for one's actions. This teaching aligns with the broader themes of wisdom literature, which often stresses the significance of moral and ethical living.


Cross References

ReferenceText (BSB)
1Proverbs 5:6She does not consider the path of life; she does not know that her ways are unstable.
2Psalm 119:59I considered my ways and turned my steps to Your testimonies.
3Ezekiel 18:28Because he considered and turned from all the transgressions he had committed, he will surely live; he will not die.
4Haggai 1:5–7Now this is what the LORD of Hosts says: “Consider carefully your ways.
5Ephesians 5:15–17Pay careful attention, then, to how you walk, not as unwise but as wise,

The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 10 references, hung on the phrase they belong to


The Key Word פַּ֭לֵּס, Pa.lesgenerated

The verb פָּלַס (Pa.les) means to make level or smooth, suggesting the act of preparing a path for safe travel. It conveys the idea of weighing options or balancing decisions, emphasizing careful consideration in one's journey.

In the Piel form, it indicates a deliberate action, such as smoothing a road or thoughtfully weighing one's choices. This reflects the importance of intentionality in one's life decisions, ensuring that the path taken is both clear and secure.


How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated

All translations agree on the rendering of פַּ֭לֵּס as make level, emphasizing the need for a straight path.


Sentence Structuregenerated

The main verb פַּ֭לֵּס governs the whole verse, with a noun phrase following it that describes the object — the path for one's feet. The structure emphasizes the action of making a level path as foundational to the assurance of one's ways.

The sentence is straightforward, with a clear cause-and-effect relationship: making a level path leads to sure ways. This clarity reflects the practical nature of wisdom literature.


Septuagint Backgroundgenerated

The Septuagint translates פַּ֭לֵּס with ὀρθὰς (orthas), meaning 'straight'. This choice emphasizes the importance of a straight path in the context of moral and ethical living.

The use of ὀρθὰς suggests a focus on uprightness and integrity, aligning with the overall message of the verse about ensuring a secure journey.


In plain words — the whole versegenerated

Proverbs 4:26 tells us to make a level path for our feet, which means to prepare our way carefully. If we do this, all our ways will be secure. This verse teaches us the importance of planning and living wisely.


Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated

What does it mean to make a level path?

Making a level path means preparing a clear and safe way for one's actions and decisions, ensuring stability in life.

Why is it important for all my ways to be sure?

Having sure ways means that one's actions are reliable and lead to positive outcomes, reflecting a life lived with wisdom.

How can I apply this verse in my daily life?

You can apply this verse by being intentional in your decisions, seeking to align your actions with your values, and ensuring that your path is clear.

What does this verse teach about wisdom?

This verse teaches that wisdom involves careful planning and consideration of one's actions to ensure a secure and stable life.


Reflection Questionsgenerated

  1. In what areas of my life do I need to make a level path?
  2. How can I ensure that my decisions lead to stability and security?
  3. What practices can I adopt to align my actions with my values?
  4. How does this verse encourage me to think about my journey in life?

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

Early Church Fathers referenced this verse to emphasize the importance of living a straight path in faith and actions, as seen in their writings.

Origen of AlexandriaFRAGMENTS ON Luke 209 (Luke 14:12-14) c. 185–253
“Invite the poor,” he says, those who are poor in words, so that you can make them rich. Invite “the crippled,” those whose minds are injured, so that you can heal them.
Early Church Fathers on Proverbs 4 →
Cyril of AlexandriaLETTER 31:3 c. 376–444
We remember holy Scripture crying out, “Make straight the path for your feet, and direct your ways.” They who honor the straight paths “run toward the goal to the prize of the heavenly calling in Christ.” But those who pay no heed to the…
Early Church Fathers on Proverbs 4 →
BedeCommentary on Proverbs c. 673–735
Make straight paths for your feet. Namely, that you do not err in actions or faith. And all your ways will be established. May you not be swayed from your good purpose by fickleness of mind.
Early Church Fathers on Proverbs 4 →

Commentators on this verse — 8 expositors, verse by verse

Each of these wrote on Proverbs 4:26 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.

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

Ponder the path of thy feet,.... Consider well what path it is, whether right or wrong; or weigh it in the balances of thought, as Aben Ezra; or rather in the balances of the word, and see whether it agrees with that or not.

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

Ponder the path of thy feet, and let all thy ways be established. Ponder the path of thy feet, and let all thy ways be established. The object of the tempter is to prevent your doing so (Proverbs 5:6).

Read Robert Jamieson on Proverbs 4 →
Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy Bible

Ponder the path of thy feet; consider thine actions before thou doest them, and see that they agree with the rule. Let all thy ways be established; let thine actions be uniformly and constantly good in spite of all temptations to the contrary. Or, let thy ways be directed or disposed aright, as this Hebrew word signifies. Or, thy ways shall be established. So this is a promise to confirm the foregoing precept. If thou dost ponder them, thou mayst expect God’ s blessing and good success in them.

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

Proverbs 4:26 Ponder the path of thy feet, and let all thy ways be established.Ver. 26. Ponder the path of thy feet.] Viz., By the weights of the word. Look to thine affections, for by these maids Satan woes the mistress. Take heed where you set gunpowder, since fire is in your hearts. Augustine thanks God that his heart and the temptation did not meet together. Walk accurately, tread right, ακριβωςορθοποδειν; step warily; lift not up one foot till you find firm footing for another, as those in Psalms 35:6. The way of this world is like the vale of Siddim, slimy and slippery: Cavete. Beware, We have an Eve, a tempter (each one) within us, our own flesh, saith Bernard. And Nemo sibi de suo…

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

(26) Ponder the path of thy feet.—Rather, make it smooth, level: take all obstacles out of it which may prevent thy going in the way God is leading thee. Comp. the directions to cut off even the hand or the foot that offends (Matthew 18:8). This verse is quoted in Hebrews 12:13. Let all thy ways be established.—Or, directed aright; see that they lead straight to the end (Psalms 119:5).

Read Charles John Ellicott on Proverbs 4 →
AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible

Verse 26. Ponder the path of thy feet] Weigh well the part thou shouldst act in life. See that thou contract no bad habits.

Read AdamClarke on Proverbs 4 →
CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

26. ponder] So R.V. marg., weigh carefully; but R.V. text has make level, &c., with which agrees LXX. ὀρθὰςτροχιὰςποίεισοῖςποσίν: “make straight paths for thy feet.” So Hebrews 12:13. See Proverbs 5:21. established] Or, ordered aright, R.V. marg.

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

26. Ponder — The word means, first, to make level; secondly, to weigh; and then, metaphorically, to consider, deliberate. Some render, Make smooth or straight the path, etc.

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

Make a level path for your feet, and all your ways will be sure.

WEBWorld English Bible2000

Make the path of your feet level. Let all of your ways be established.

MSBMajority Standard Bible2022

Make a level path for your feet, and all your ways will be sure.

NETBNew English Translation2006

Make the path for your feet level, so that all your ways may be established.

Tyndale line

KJVKing James Version1611

Ponder the path of thy feet, and let all thy ways be established.

ASVAmerican Standard Version1901

Make level the path of thy feet, And let all thy ways be established.

RVARevised Version, American1894

Make level the path of thy feet, and let all thy ways be established.

NWBWebster's Bible1833

Ponder the path of thy feet, and let all thy ways be established.

GNVGeneva Bible1599

Ponder the path of thy feete, and let all thy waies be ordred aright.

Strictly literal

DBYDarby Translation1890

Ponder the path of thy feet, and let all thy ways be well-ordered.

YLTYoung's Literal Translation1862

Ponder thou the path of thy feet, And all thy ways [are] established.

LSVLiteral Standard Version2020

Ponder the path of your feet, || And all your ways [are] established.

ILTInterlinear Literal Translation2000

Balance well the track of thy foot, and let all thy ways be firmly right.

ULBUnlocked Literal Bible2017

Make a level path for your foot; then all your ways will be secure.

From the Latin

DRADouay-Rheims (Challoner)1899

Make straight the path for thy feet, and all thy ways shall be established.

Simplified

FBVFree Bible Version2020

Pay attention to the path you decide to follow, and you'll be safe wherever you go.

BBEBible in Basic English1949

Keep a watch on your behaviour; let all your ways be rightly ordered.

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.

clauseverbפַּ֭לֵּסmake.levelnoun phrase · objectמַעְגַּ֣לthe.tracknoun phraseרַגְלֶ֑your.footךָyourוְֽandclausenoun phrase · subjectכָלallnoun phraseדְּרָכֶ֥יwaysךָyourverbיִכֹּֽנוּlet.them.be.steadfast

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


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

The Masoretic Text and the Septuagint agree closely, with all six words matched. This indicates a strong consistency in the transmission of the text across these two traditions.

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

פַּ֭לֵּס מַעְגַּ֣ל רַגְלֶ֑ךָ וְֽכָל־ דְּרָכֶ֥יךָ יִכֹּֽנוּ׃

Septuagintthe Greek the translators chose, word by word
פַּ֭לֵּסὀρθὰςמַעְגַּ֣לτροξιὰςרַגְלֶ֑ךָσοῖςוְֽכָל־καὶדְּרָכֶ֥יךָσουיִכֹּֽנוּ׃κατεύθυνε

6 of the 6 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 4:26פָּלַסmake levelmake levelפָּלַסמַעְגָּל[the] track[the] track ofמַעְגָּלרֶ֫גֶלfoot yourfoot yourרֶ֫גֶלכֹּלand alland allכֹּלדֶּ֫רֶךְways yourways yourדֶּ֫רֶךְכּוּןlet them belet them be steכּוּןרָגַלto spyto spyרָגַלכָּלַלto perfectto perfectכָּלַלדָּרַךְto treadto treadדָּרַךְעָגֹלroundroundעָגֹלמַעְגָּלtracktrackמַעְגָּלפָּלַסto envyto envyפָּלַסמֵישָׁרuprightnesuprightnessמֵישָׁרבֹּ֫הֶןthumb/big thumb/big toeבֹּ֫הֶןיְמָנִיrightrightיְמָנִיעֵדָהcongregaticongregationעֵדָהעֲבֹדָהserviceserviceעֲבֹדָהפָּנָהCorner (GaCorner (Gate)פָּנָהצָפוֹןZaphonZaphonצָפוֹןתֵּבֵלworldworldתֵּבֵלכִּסֵּאthronethroneכִּסֵּא
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 4:26

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.

make level [the] track of foot your and all ways your let them be steadfast
פַּ֭לֵּסPa.les make level H6424 Verb · Piel · imperative second person masculine singular
6× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This verb means to weigh or balance things, like preparing a road or thinking deeply. In the Bible, it can also mean to envy or ponder something. It appears in various forms, like 'make' or 'weigh'.
Amplified meaning
straight, smooth
Tyndale gloss
to envy
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

פָּלַס (palas) is a verb that primarily means to weigh or make level. It can also imply preparing a road by rolling it flat or mentally weighing options. The entries highlight its use in the Piel form, emphasizing actions like weighing out or smoothing surfaces.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

[פָּלַס] vb. Pi. denom. weigh, make level

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H6424 פָּלַס vb. Pi. denom. weigh, make level

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

6424 palac paw-las'

a primitive root; properly, to roll flat, i.e. prepare (a

road); also to revolve, i.e. weigh (mentally):--make, ponder,

weigh.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

פָּלַס (pa.las) — to envy.

1) (Piel) to weigh, make level, balance

1a) to weigh out

1b) to make level or smooth

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
V-Piel-Impv-2ms — Verb · Piel · imperative second person masculine singular
HVpv2ms
The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
make level [the] track of foot your and all ways your let them be steadfast
מַעְגַּ֣לma'.Gal [the] track of H4570 Noun common · masculine singular construct
16× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This word refers to a path or track, either physical or figurative. It can also describe a circular rampart or entrenchment. In the Bible, it is translated as path, trench, or way.
Tyndale gloss
track
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

מַעְגָּל (ma`gal) refers to a track or entrenchment, with meanings that include a literal path or figurative way. It can also denote a circular rampart or trench. The entries consistently emphasize its use in contexts related to movement or fortification.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

מַעְגָּל n.m. 1. entrenchment. 2. track

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H4570 מַעְגָּל 1. entrenchment. 2. track

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

4570 ma`gal mah-gawl'

or feminine mapgalah {mah-gaw-law'}; from the same as 5696; a

track (literally or figuratively); also a rampart (as

circular):--going, path, trench, way((-side)).

see HEBREW for 05696

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

מַעְגָּל (ma.gal) — track.

1) entrenchment, track

1a) circumvallation, entrenchment

1b) track

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

ov:

(1) In Anglo-Saxon, had the meaning "from," "away from" (as the strengthened form "off" has still), and was not used for genitive or possessive relations, these being expressed by special case-forms. In the Norman period, however, "of" was taken to represent the French de (a use well developed by the time of Chaucer), and in the Elizabethan period both senses of "of" were in common use. But after about 1600 the later force of the word became predominant, and in the earlier sense (which is now practically obsolete) it was replaced by other prepositions. In consequence the King James Version (and in some cases the Revised Version (British and American)) contains many uses of "of" that are no longer familiar--most of them, to be sure, causing no difficulty, but there still being a few responsible for real obscurities.

English usagewhat the translators’ English meant
Webster's Dictionary (1828), Webster's Unabridged (1913), Webster's Dictionary (1806)

OF, preposition ov. [Gr.]

1. From or out of; proceeding from, as the cause, source, means, author or agent bestowing.

I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered to you. 1 Corinthians 11:1.

For it was of the Lord to harden their hearts. Joshua 11:1.

It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed.

Lamentations 3:1.

The whole disposing thereof is of the Lord. Proverbs 16:1.

Go, inquire of the Lord for me. 2 Chronicles 34:2.

That holy thing that shall be born of thee. Luke 1:1.

Hence of is the sign of the genitive case, the case that denotes production; as the son of man, the son proceeding from man, produced from man. This is the primary sense, although we now say, produced by man. 'Part of these were slain; ' that is, a number separate, for part denotes a division; the sense then is, a number from or out of the whole were slain. So also, 'some of these were slain; ' that is…

make level [the] track of foot your and all ways your let them be steadfast
רַגְלֶ֑ךָrag.Le.kha foot your H7272 Noun common feminine singular construct · suffix
247× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This word also means a foot, like when God says he will tread on the wicked in Malachi 4:3. It's used to describe human and animal feet, as well as the base of objects like tables or idols.
Amplified meaning
steps, journey
Tyndale gloss
foot
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

רֶ֫גֶל (regel) means 'foot' and can refer to a foot or leg in various contexts, including anthropomorphic references to God and other beings. It also implies steps or paces. The word is derived from a root meaning related to walking, and it appears in multiple forms, such as feet and paces.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

רֶ֫גֶל 247 n.f. foot

foot

three times (feet, paces)

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H7272 רֶ֫גֶל foot . foot

. three times (feet, paces)

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

7272 regel reh'-gel

from 7270; a foot (as used in walking); by implication, a

step; by euphem. the pudenda:--X be able to endure, X

according as, X after, X coming, X follow,

((broken-))foot((-ed, -stool)), X great toe, X haunt, X

journey, leg, + piss, + possession, time.

see HEBREW for 07270

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

רֶ֫גֶל (re.gel) — foot.

1) foot

1a) foot, leg

1b) of God (anthropomorphic)

1c) of seraphim, cherubim, idols, animals, table

1d) according to the pace of (with prep)

1e) three times (feet, paces)

Aramaic equivalent: re.gal (רְגַל "foot" H7271)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-fs | Suff — Noun common feminine singular construct · suffix
HNcfsc/Sp2ms
make level [the] track of foot your and all ways your let them be steadfast
וְֽכָל־ve.khol and all H3605 Conjunction · 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
every aspect of
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 | N-ms — Conjunction · noun common masculine singular construct
HC/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
make level [the] track of foot your and all ways your let them be steadfast
דְּרָכֶ֥יךָde.ra.Khei.kha ways your H1870 Noun common masculine plural construct · suffix
708× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
Derek refers to a road or path, and can also mean a way of life or manner of action. It is often used to describe a journey or direction, and can be used figuratively to describe a person's character or moral path.
Amplified meaning
roads, manner of life
Tyndale gloss
way: road
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

דֶּ֫רֶךְ (derek) means way, road, or journey, and can refer to both literal paths and figurative courses of life or actions. It encompasses various aspects such as direction, manner, and moral character, often highlighting the nature of one's conduct. The term is used in both positive and negative contexts, reflecting the moral implications of one's path.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

דֶּ֫רֶךְ 715 n.m. way, road, distance, journey, manner

way, road, path

journey

of direction, almost or quite = toward

way, manner

fig. of course of life, or action, undertakings

of moral action and character

of duty

specif.: in good sense

oftener in bad sense

way of י׳

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H1870 דֶּ֫רֶךְ way, road, distance, journey, manner . way, road, path

. journey

. of direction, almost or quite = toward

. way, manner

. fig. of course of life, or action, undertakings

. . of moral action and character

. of duty

. specif.: in good sense

. oftener in bad sense

. way of י׳

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

1870 derek deh'-rek

from 1869; a road (as trodden); figuratively, a course of

life or mode of action, often adverb:--along, away, because

of, + by, conversation, custom, (east-)ward, journey, manner,

passenger, through, toward, (high-) (path-)way(-side),

whither(-soever).

see HEBREW for 01869

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

דֶּ֫רֶךְ (de.rekh) — way: conduct.

: conduct/lifestyle

1) way, road, distance, journey, manner

1a) road, way, path

1b) journey

1c) direction

1d) manner, habit, way

1e) of course of life (fig.)

1f) of moral character (fig.)

דֶּ֫רֶךְ (de.rekh) — Way.

This name means way, road

דֶּ֫רֶךְ (de.rekh) — (King's) Highway.

This name means way, road

Combined with me.lekh (מֶ֫לֶךְ "King's" H4428I)

דֶּ֫רֶךְ (de.rekh) — way: direction.

: direction

1) way, road, distance, journey, manner

1a) road, way, path

1b) journey

1c) direction

1d) manner, habit, way

1e) of course of life (fig.)

1f) of moral character (fig.)

דֶּ֫רֶךְ (de.rekh) — way: road.

: road/route

1) way, road, distance, journey, manner

1a) road, way, path

1b) journey

1c) direction

1d) manner, habit, way

1e) of course of life (fig.)

1f) of moral character (fig.)

דֶּ֫רֶךְ (de.rekh) — way: journey.

: journey

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-cp | Suff — Noun common masculine plural construct · suffix
HNcmpc/Sp2ms
make level [the] track of foot your and all ways your let them be steadfast
יִכֹּֽנוּ׃yi.Ko.nu let them be steadfast H3559 Verb · Niphal · imperfect third person masculine plural
217× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This verb means to set something up or establish it, like setting up a tent or appointing someone to a position, as seen in Isaiah 7:14.
Amplified meaning
established, firmly set, confirmed, secure, stable
Tyndale gloss
to establish: prepare
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

כּוּן (kuwn) is a Hebrew verb meaning to establish or prepare. It encompasses a range of meanings, including to be firm, to fix, to direct, and to be ready, with applications in both literal and figurative contexts. The entries indicate various forms of the verb, such as Niph'al (to be established) and Hiph'il (to establish), but there is a note on a noun form, נָכוֹן (nakhon), meaning 'blow'.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

[כּוּן] 218 vb. prob. be firm, only in der. conj.

Niph.

be set up, established, fixed

in a moral sense, be directed aright, of ways

prepare, be ready

pass. be prepared, of judgments

Hiph.

establish, set up

fix, so as to be ready, make ready, prepare, a gift

provide for, provide, furnish

direct one's face toward

arrange, order

Hoph.

be established, of throne

be prepared for

Po‛lēl.

set up, establish

constitute, make, a man (in womb)

fix, so as to be ready

direct

Po‛lal. be established

Hithpo‛l. be established

base

נָכוֹן n. [m.] = blow Jb 12:5

ref

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H3559a כּוּן prob. be firm, only in der. conj. . . be set up, established, fixed

. in a moral sense, be directed aright, of ways

. prepare, be ready

. pass. be prepared, of judgments

. . establish, set up

. . fix, so as to be ready, make ready, prepare, a gift

. provide for, provide, furnish

. direct one's face toward

. arrange, order

. . be established, of throne

. be prepared for

. . set up, establish

. constitute, make, a man (in womb)

. fix, so as to be ready

. direct

. be established

. be established

H3559b נָכוֹן n. [m.] = blow

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

3559 kuwn koon

a primitive root; properly, to be erect (i.e. stand

perpendicular); hence (causatively) to set up, in a great

variety of applications, whether literal (establish, fix,

prepare, apply), or figurative (appoint, render sure, proper

or prosperous):--certain(-ty), confirm, direct, faithfulness,

fashion, fasten, firm, be fitted, be fixed, frame, be meet,

ordain, order, perfect, (make) preparation, prepare (self),

provide, make provision, (be, make) ready, right, set (aright,

fast, forth), be stable, (e-)stablish, stand, tarry, X very

deed.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

כּוּן (kun) — to establish: prepare.

: prepare/direct

1) to be firm, be stable, be established

1a) (Niphal)

1a1) to be set up, be established, be fixed

1a1a) to be firmly established

1a1b) to be established, be stable, be secure, be enduring

1a1c) to be fixed, be securely determined

1a2) to be directed aright, be fixed aright, be steadfast (moral sense)

1a3) to prepare, be ready

1a4) to be prepared, be arranged, be settled

1b) (Hiphil)

1b1) to establish, set up, accomplish, do, make firm

1b2) to fix, make ready, prepare, provide, provide for, furnish

1b3) to direct toward (moral sense)

1b4) to arrange, order

1c) (Hophal)

1c1) to be established, be fastened

1c2) to be prepared, be ready

1d) (Polel)

1d1) to set up, establish

1d2) to constitute, make

1d3) to fix

1d4) to direct

1e) (Pulal) to be established, be prepared

1f) (Hithpolel) to be established, be restored

נָכוֹן (na.khon) — blow.

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
V-Niphal-Imperf-3mp — Verb · Niphal · imperfect third person masculine plural
HVNi3mp
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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