Proverbs 8:25 — Word Study
WLCבְּטֶ֣רֶם הָרִ֣ים הָטְבָּ֑עוּ לִפְנֵ֖י גְבָע֣וֹת חוֹלָֽלְתִּי׃
BSABeforeṭerem [in the time preceding, prior to] ◂the mountainshar [hills, elevated regions] were settledṭâbaʻ■ [established, sunk into place] beforepânîym [prior to, in the time preceding] the hillsgibʻâh [small hills] I was brought forthchûwl■ [born, begotten, given birth to]
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| בְּטֶ֣רֶם | before | Preposition |
| הָרִ֣ים | mountains | Noun common, masculine plural absolute |
| הָטְבָּ֑עוּ | they were planted | Verb, Hophal, perfect third person common plural |
| לִפְנֵ֖י | before | Preposition, noun common masculine plural construct |
| גְבָע֣וֹת | [the] hills | Noun common, feminine plural absolute |
| חוֹלָֽלְתִּי׃ | I was brought forth | Verb, Pual, perfect first person common singular |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | Before the mountains were settled, before the hills, I was brought forth, |
| KJV | Before the mountains were settled, before the hills was I brought forth: |
| ASV | Before the mountains were settled, Before the hills was I brought forth; |
| YLT | Before mountains were sunk, Before heights, I was brought forth. |
| WEB | Before the mountains were settled in place, before the hills, I was born; |
| BBE | Before the mountains were put in their places, before the hills was my birth: |
The translations agree on the core meaning, focusing on the existence of Wisdom before creation.
The main clause stands out with the subject at the end, emphasizing the speaker's existence before the physical world.
6 commentators on this verse
Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them ›
clause
subjectהַר
verbטָבַע
The sentence as the grammar sees it Open the tree ›
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 8:25
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 Origin of Wisdomgenerated
Proverbs 8:25 presents Wisdom as a figure who existed before creation, emphasizing its eternal nature and role in the formation of the world. This passage reflects on the time before mountains and hills were established, highlighting the pre-creation existence of Wisdom. The verses surrounding this one further elaborate on the creative acts of God, providing a backdrop to the significance of Wisdom's existence.
Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Job 15:7–8 | Were you the first man ever born? Were you brought forth before the hills? |
| 2 | Job 38:4–11 | Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth? Tell Me, if you have understanding. |
| 3 | Psalm 90:2 | Before the mountains were born or You brought forth the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting You are God. |
| 4 | Psalm 102:25–28 | In the beginning You laid the foundations of the earth, and the heavens are the work of Your hands. |
| 5 | Hebrews 1:10 | And: “In the beginning, O Lord, You laid the foundations of the earth, and the heavens are the work of Your hands. |
The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 5 references, hung on the phrase they belong to
The Key Word — חוֹלָֽלְתִּי, cho.Lal.tigenerated
The verb חוּל (chuwl) means to bring forth, and in this context, it conveys the idea of being born or begotten. It is a Pual verb, suggesting a passive action where the subject is the recipient of the action. This word encompasses a range of meanings, including childbirth and intense emotions, but here it specifically indicates the emergence of Wisdom.
The use of this verb implies that Wisdom has a distinct origin, emphasizing its pre-existence before the physical world. The choice of this verb highlights the significance of Wisdom in the creative process and its foundational role in the universe.
How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated
The translations generally agree on the meaning of חוֹלָֽלְתִּי as 'I was brought forth.' All versions convey the idea of existence prior to creation, maintaining the essence of the original Hebrew.
Sentence Structuregenerated
The structure of the verse is built around the main verb חוֹלָֽלְתִּי, I was brought forth, which stands at the end of the sentence, indicating the culmination of the preceding clauses. The verse begins with two prepositional phrases, בְּטֶ֣רֶם and לִפְנֵ֖י, both meaning 'before,' which set the temporal context for the actions described.
The clauses describe the state of creation, with the mountains and hills being established before the speaker's existence, emphasizing the speaker's pre-creation status.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
In the Septuagint, the Hebrew בְּטֶ֣רֶם is rendered as τοῦ (tou), indicating a direct translation that maintains the temporal aspect of the original. This choice reflects a consistent understanding of the timing of Wisdom's existence.
The Greek word ὄρη (orē) is used for הָרִ֣ים, reinforcing the geographical context of mountains, while the verb ἑδρασθῆναι corresponds to הָטְבָּ֑עוּ, emphasizing the act of being established.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
Proverbs 8:25 speaks of Wisdom's existence before the creation of mountains and hills. It asserts that Wisdom was brought forth before these elements of the physical world were established, highlighting its eternal nature and foundational role in creation.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
It signifies that Wisdom has an origin and was present before the creation of the world, emphasizing its importance in the order of creation.
Mountains and hills often symbolize stability and permanence, and their establishment before Wisdom highlights the foundational role of Wisdom in the creation process.
This verse illustrates the idea that Wisdom existed before creation, suggesting that it played a critical role in the formation of the world.
Related passages include Job 38:4–11 and Psalm 90:2, which also reflect on the creation and the eternal nature of God.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- How does understanding Wisdom's pre-existence impact my view of creation?
- In what ways can I seek wisdom in my own life, knowing it existed before the world?
- What does this verse teach me about the relationship between God and creation?
- How can I apply the principles of wisdom in my daily decisions and actions?
The early church on this verse — how the Fathers read it
The early Church Fathers referenced this verse to discuss the nature of Wisdom and its relationship to creation, highlighting its eternal existence and significance.
Let us consider [that] our Savior is a “reflection of glory.” The reflection of glory has not been begotten just once and no longer begotten.Early Church Fathers on Proverbs 8 →
He who was established before time was already begotten, not only before the earth but also before the mountains and the hills. And because wisdom is certainly referring to itself in this passage, it says more than is heard.Early Church Fathers on Proverbs 8 →
Whether he is eternally begotten or not, I do not yet say, until I have looked into the statement, “Before all the hills he begets me” more accurately. But I cannot see the necessity of their conclusion.Early Church Fathers on Proverbs 8 →
Commentators on this verse — 6 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on Proverbs 8:25 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire BibleBefore the mountains were settled,.... "Plunged" (l), or fixed in the earth; and which was done by the great strength of the Lord, upon their proper bases, Psalms 65:6; and which were "aborigine", or
Read John Gill on Proverbs 8 →Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's CommentaryBefore the mountains were settled, before the hills was I brought forth: Before the mountains were settled, before the hills was I brought forth.
Read Robert Jamieson on Proverbs 8 →Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy BibleSettled; or, fixed by their roots in the earth.
Read Matthew Poole on Proverbs 8 →John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New TestamentsProverbs 8:25 Before the mountains were settled, before the hills was I brought forth:Ver. 25. Was I brought forth.] Or, Begotten. Thus wisdom describes her eternity in human words and expressions, for our better apprehension. Which while Arius either knew not, or weighed not, he herehence took occasion to oppose the Deity of our Saviour, and to propagate that damnable error in the Eastern Churches, to the ruin of many souls. This arch-heretic Arius sitting on the stool to ease nature at Constantinople, voided there his entrails. And now Mohammedanism is there as the excrement of Arius.
Read John Trapp on Proverbs 8 →Albert Barnes1798–1870Barnes' Notes on the BibleCompare Psalms 90:2. What the Psalmist said of Yahweh, the teacher here asserts of Wisdom; she was before the everlasting hills.
Read Albert Barnes on Proverbs 8 →Daniel Denison Whedon1808–1885Whedon's Commentary on the Bible25. Settled — Hebrew, sunk, as a foundation; founded. Brought forth — Same word as in preceding verse.
Read Daniel Denison Whedon on Proverbs 8 →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
Before the mountains were settled, before the hills, I was brought forth,
Before the mountains were settled in place, before the hills, I was born;
Before the mountains were settled, before the hills, I was brought forth,
before the mountains were set in place – before the hills – I was born,
Tyndale line
Before the mountains were settled, before the hills was I brought forth:
Before the mountains were settled, Before the hills was I brought forth;
Before the mountains were settled, before the hills was I brought forth:
Before the mountains were settled, before the hills was I brought forth.
Before the mountaines were setled: and before the hilles, was I begotten.
Strictly literal
Before the mountains were settled, before the hills was I brought forth;
Before mountains were sunk, Before heights, I was brought forth.
Before mountains were sunk, || Before heights, I was brought forth.
Before the mountains were yet sunk down, before the hills was I brought forth:
Before the mountains were settled and before the hills, I was born.
From the Latin
The mountains with their huge bulk had not as yet been established: before the hills I was brought forth:
Simplified
I was born before the mountains or the hills had been formed,
Before the mountains were put in their places, before the hills was my birth:
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.
Boxes are the grammarian's groupings — clause, noun phrase, prepositional phrase.
The four witnesses to this verse — Masoretic, Septuagint, Samaritan, Qumran
The Masoretic Text states, "בְּטֶ֣רֶם הָרִ֣ים הָטְבָּ֑עוּ לִפְנֵ֖י גְבָע֣וֹת חוֹלָֽלְתִּי׃" which translates to "Before the mountains were settled, before the hills, I was brought forth." The Septuagint has a similar structure, with five of the six words matching the Hebrew text, indicating a strong agreement in the core message. However, the exact wording and order differ due to the nature of translation. The Samaritan Pentateuch and the Dead Sea Scrolls do not provide additional variations for this verse, confirming the consistency of the Masoretic Text in this instance.
בְּטֶ֣רֶם הָרִ֣ים הָטְבָּ֑עוּ לִפְנֵ֖י גְבָע֣וֹת חוֹלָֽלְתִּי׃
5 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.
Lexicons — every word in Proverbs 8:25
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.
טֶ֫רֶם (terem) is an adverb meaning 'not yet' or 'before.' It is derived from an unused root that suggests interruption or suspension. This word appears in the Old Testament only once, in Ruth 3:14, where it conveys a sense of time prior to an event.
טֶ֫רֶם 54, once (Ru 3:14 Kt) טְרוֹם, adv. of time not yet, ere, before that
base
H2962 טֶ֫רֶם, once טְרוֹם adv. of time not yet, ere, before, that
2962 terem teh'-rem
from an unused root apparently meaning to interrupt or
suspend; properly, non-occurrence; used adverbially, not yet
or before:--before, ere, not yet.
טֶ֫רֶם (te.rem) — before.
before, not yet, before that
Prep | Adv — PrepositionHR/Acbsa
be-for': The translation of a great variety of Hebrew and Greek words. "Haran died before (the English Revised Version "in the presence of," literally "before the face of") his father Terah" (Ge 11:28). To be "before" God is to enjoy His favor (Ps 31:22). "The Syrians before" (Isa 9:12 the Revised Version, margin "on the east," as "behind," owing to the position of Canaan, relative to Syria, implies the west).
הַר (har) means 'mountain' or 'hill,' and can refer to a range of hills or hill-country. It is derived from a root that suggests elevation and can be used figuratively. The entries consistently highlight its geographical connotations without significant disagreement.
הַר 568 n.m. mountain, hill, hill-country
mountain, hill
hill-country, mountain-region
base
H2022 הַר mountain, hill, hill-country
2022 har har
a shortened form of 2042; a mountain or range of hills
(sometimes used figuratively):--hill (country), mount(-ain), X
promotion.
see HEBREW for 02042
הַר (har) — mountain: mount.
: mount/hill
hill, mountain, hill country, mount
הַר (har) — mountain: hill country.
: hill_country
hill, mountain, hill country, mount
A sub-meaning of har (הַר ": mount" H2022)
N-mp — Noun common · masculine plural absoluteHNcmpa
Are among the most sublime and impressive of the Creator’s works on earth, and from the noblest and most enduring monuments of great events. Most of the mountains of Scripture thus stand as witnesses for God—every view of their lofty summits, and every recurrence to them in thought reminding us of the sacred facts and truths connected with them. Thus Mount Ararat is a standing memorial of the deluge of man’s sin, God’s justice, and God’s mercy. Mount Sinai asserts the terrors of the divine law. Mount Carmel summons us, like the prophet Elijah of old, not to "halt between two opinions;" but if Jehovah is God, to love and serve him. The mount of the Transfiguration still shines with the glory of the truths there taught, and Mounts Ebal and Gerizim still echo the curses and the blessings once so solemnly pronounced from them. So Mount Hor, Nebo, Lebanon, and Gilboa have been signalized by…
- The elevated parts of the earth
Ge 7:19,20
- GOD
. Formed
. Set fast
. Gives strength to
. Weighs, in a balance
. Waters, from his chambers
The Hebrew word טָבַע (taba`) primarily means to sink or to settle down. It can refer to sinking in a physical sense, such as drowning or being planted, and also has connotations of being fastened or settled. The entries indicate various grammatical forms, including intransitive and passive uses.
טָבַע vb. sink, sink down
Qal sink, sink down, intrans.
Pu. be sunk
Hiph. be sunk; of pedestals of the earth, as settled, planted
base
H2883 טָבַע sink, sink down .sink, sink down, intrans.
. be sunk
. be sunk; of pedestals of the earth, as settled, planted
2883 taba` taw-bah'
a primitive root; to sink:--drown, fasten, settle, sink.
טָבַע (ta.va) — to sink.
1) to sink, sink into, sink down, pierce, settle down, drown, be settled, be planted
1a) (Qal) to sink, sink down
1b)(Pual) to be sunk
1c) (Hophal) to cause to sink
V-Hophal-Perf-3cp — Verb · Hophal · perfect third person common pluralHVHp3cp
The Hebrew word פָּנֶה (*pāneh*) is a noun meaning 'face' or 'presence,' and it appears in various contexts, including the faces of seraphim and animals, as well as the surface of the ground. It can also function as an adverb meaning 'before' or 'in front of.' The word is built from a root that suggests turning or facing, and it encompasses a wide range of applications, both literal and figurative.
[פָּנֶה], pl. פָּנִים 2123 n.m. face, also faces
face, faces
presence, person
technically, see one's face, i.e. appear before one, in one's presence
face of seraphim
face of animals
face (= surface) of ground
as adv.loc. before
for other phrases
with prepositions
base
H6440 פָּנֶה, pl. פָּנִים face, also faces . . face, faces
. . presence, person
. technically, see one's face, i.e. appear before one, in one's presence
. face of seraphim
. face of animals
. face (= surface) of ground
. as adv. loc. before
. for other phrases
. with prepositions
6440 paniym paw-neem'
plural (but always as singular) of an unused noun (paneh
{paw-neh'}; from 6437); the face (as the part that turns);
used in a great variety of applications (literally and
figuratively); also (with prepositional prefix) as a
preposition (before, etc.):--+ accept, a-(be- )fore(-time),
against, anger, X as (long as), at, + battle, + because (of),
+ beseech, countenance, edge, + employ, endure, + enquire,
face, favour, fear of, for, forefront(-part), form(-er
time, -ward), from, front, heaviness, X him(-self), +
honourable, + impudent, + in, it, look(-eth) (- s), X me, +
meet, X more than, mouth, of, off, (of) old (time), X on,
open, + out of, over against, the partial, person, + please,
presence, propect, was purposed, by reason of, + regard, right
forth, + serve, X shewbread, sight, state, straight, + street,
X thee, X them(-selves), through (+ - out), till, time(-s)
פָּנֶה (pa.neh) — face: before.
: before/to/front
1) face
1a) face, faces
1b) presence, person
1c) face (of seraphim or cherubim)
1d) face (of animals)
1e) face, surface (of ground)
1f) as adv of loc/temp
1f1) before and behind, toward, in front of, forward, formerly, from beforetime, before
1g) with prep
1g1) in front of, before, to the front of, in the presence of, in the face of, at the face or front of, from the presence of, from before, from before the face of
פָּנֶה (pa.neh) — face.
: face
1) face
1a) face, faces
1b) presence, person
1c) face (of seraphim or cherubim)
1d) face (of animals)
1e) face, surface (of ground)
1f) as adv of loc/temp
1f1) before and behind, toward, in front of, forward, formerly, from beforetime, before
1g) with prep
1g1) in front of, before, to the front of, in the presence of, in the face of, at the face or front of, from the presence of, from before, from…
Prep | N-cp — Preposition · noun common masculine plural constructHR/Ncmpc
be-for': The translation of a great variety of Hebrew and Greek words. "Haran died before (the English Revised Version "in the presence of," literally "before the face of") his father Terah" (Ge 11:28). To be "before" God is to enjoy His favor (Ps 31:22). "The Syrians before" (Isa 9:12 the Revised Version, margin "on the east," as "behind," owing to the position of Canaan, relative to Syria, implies the west).
גִּבְעָה (gib'ah) means 'hill' and refers to a small elevation of land. It can denote a place of worship or be used in place names, often associated with illicit worship. The word is feminine and is derived from a related term for a hillock. It appears in various contexts, including poetic uses.
גִּבְעָה n.f. hill
base
H1389 גִּבְעָה hill
1389 gib`ah ghib-aw'
feminine from the same as 1387; a hillock:--hill, little
hill.
see HEBREW for 01387
גִּבְעָה (giv.ah) — Gibeath-(elohim).
Gibeath - a place or worship
This name means hill
1a) hill
גִּבְעָה (giv.ah) — Gibeath-(haaraloth).
This name means hill
Another name of gil.gal (גִּלְגָּל "Gilgal" H1537G)
גִּבְעָה (giv.ah) — hill.
1) hill
1a) hill (lower than a mountain)
1b) as a place of illicit worship
1c) poetic for mountain
1d) used in place names
גִּבְעָה (giv.ah) — Gibeat.
This name means hill
Another spelling of giv.ah (גִּבְעָה "Gibeah" H1390H)
N-fp — Noun common · feminine plural absoluteHNcfpa
From the Hebrew Gibeah, meaning a curved round hill. But our translators have also employed the same English word for the very different term har , which has a much more extended sense than gibeah , meaning a whole district. For instance, in (Exodus 24:4) the "hill" is the same which is elsewhere in the same chapter, vs. (Exodus 24:12,13,18) etc., and book consistently and accurately rendered "mount" and "mountain." The "country of the hills," in (1:7; Joshua 9:1; 10:40; 11:16) is the elevated district of Judah, Benjamin and Ephraim, which is correctly called "the mountain" in the earliest descriptions of Palestine, (Numbers 13:29) and in many subsequent passages.
The Hebrew word חוּל (chuwl) is built from a primitive root meaning to twist or whirl. It covers a range of meanings, including to dance, writhe in pain, bear children, and wait anxiously. The word can also imply strength or firmness, as noted in some entries. Various forms indicate different nuances, such as being made to writhe or suffering anguish.
חוּל [חִיל] vb. whirl, dance, writhe
Qal
dance
twist, writhe
whirl, whirl about
Po‛lel
dance
writhe in travail with, bear, bring forth (poet.)
wait anxiously
Po‛lal
be made to writhe
be brought forth
Hiph. cause to be in anguish
Hoph. be born
Hithpol.
whirling
writhing, suffering torture
wait longingly
Hithpalp. and she writhed in anxiety
base
[חול, חִיל] vb. be firm, strong
base
H2342a חוּל [חִיל] whirl, dance, writhe .. dance
. twist, writhe
. whirl, whirl about
.. dance
. writhe in travail with, bear, bring forth (poet.)
. wait anxiously
.. be made to writhe
. be brought forth
. cause to be in anguish
. be born
. . whirling
. writhing, suffering torture
. wait longingly
. and she writhed in anxiety
H2342b חול, חִיל br firm, strong
2342 chuwl khool
or chiyl {kheel}; a primitive root; properly, to twist or
whirl (in a circular or spiral manner), i.e. (specifically) to
dance, to writhe in pain (especially of parturition) or fear;
figuratively, to wait, to pervert:--bear, (make to) bring
forth, (make to) calve, dance, drive away, fall grievously
(with pain), fear, form, great, grieve, (be) grievous, hope,
look, make, be in pain, be much (sore) pained, rest, shake,
shapen, (be) sorrow(-ful), stay, tarry, travail (with pain),
tremble, trust, wait carefully (patiently), be wounded.
חוּל (chul) — to twist: tremble.
: tremble/fear
1) to twist, whirl, dance, writhe, fear, tremble, travail, be in anguish, be pained
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to dance
1a2) to twist, writhe
1a3) to whirl, whirl about
1b) (Polel)
1b1) to dance
1b2) to writhe (in travail with), bear, bring forth
1b3) to wait anxiously
1c) (Pulal)
1c1) to be made to writhe, be made to bear
1c2) to be brought forth
1d) (Hophal) to be born
1e) (Hithpolel)
1e1) whirling (participle)
1e2) writhing, suffering torture (participle)
1e3) to wait longingly
1f) (Hithpalpel) to be distressed
חִיל (chil) — be firm.
to be firm, strong
חוּל (chul) — to twist: give birth.
: give_birth
1) to twist, whirl, dance, writhe, fear, tremble, travail, be in anguish, be pained
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to dance
1a2) to twist, writhe
1a3) to whirl, whirl about
1b) (Polel)
1b1) to dance
1b2) to writhe (in travail with), bear, bring forth
1b3) to wait anxiously
V-O-Perf-1cs — Verb · Pual · perfect first person common singularHVPp1cs
forth: "Forth," adverb (from "for"), signifies movement
(1) forward,
(2) out of,
(3) beyond a certain boundary.
In a few instances in the Old Testament it is the translation of the preposition `al, properly "above," "upon" (2Ki 11:15; 2Ch 23:14; Am 7:17 the King James Version), and of chuts, "without" (Ge 39:13; Jud 19:25). "Forth" is often used as an expletive of various verbs, as "break (forth)," "bring (forth)," "call (forth)," etc. In the Gospel of John it is the translation of exo, "without," as "Lazarus, come forth" (11:43; so 15:6; 19:4 the King James Version…