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Proverbs 9:14 — Word Study

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WLCוְֽ֭יָשְׁבָה לְפֶ֣תַח בֵּיתָ֑הּ עַל־ כִּ֝סֵּ֗א מְרֹ֣מֵי קָֽרֶת׃

BSAShe sitsyâshab [dwells, remains] at the doorpethach [entrance, threshold] of her housebayith [dwelling place, home] onʻal a seatkiççêʼ [throne, place of authority] in the heightsmârôwm [high places, elevated areas] of the cityqereth [town, urban center]

Word
Listen & take awayProverbs 9
English ↓ Download MP3 The Berean Standard Bible chapter audio already hosted for the site's Bible section — verse 14 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 (Ka.ret) — no per-word recordings of the Hebrew exist to link to.
Take it away
Proverbs 9:14quick helps
In a sentenceThe woman named Folly is depicted as sitting at the entrance of her house, calling out to those passing by.
Who is speakingThe speaker is the author of Proverbs, describing the character of Folly.
Where we areThis verse is part of a larger passage contrasting wisdom and folly.
The hard wordיָשְׁבָה
Take awayFolly is portrayed as taking a prominent position in the city, inviting the simple.
8 commentators on this verse Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them › clause verbיָשַׁב 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 9:14

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 Contrast of Wisdom and Follygenerated

13The woman named Folly is loud; she is naive and knows nothing.
14She sits at the door of her house, on a seat in the heights of the city,
15calling out to those who pass by, who make their paths straight.
16“Whoever is simple, let him turn in here!” she says to him who lacks judgment.

Proverbs 9:14 illustrates the character of Folly, who sits at the entrance of her house, symbolizing her accessibility and the invitation she extends to those who lack wisdom. This verse is part of a broader discourse in Proverbs that contrasts the virtues of wisdom with the pitfalls of folly, emphasizing the choices individuals face in their pursuit of understanding. The surrounding verses highlight Folly's loudness and naivety, contrasting with the wisdom that calls for discernment.


Cross References

ReferenceText (BSB)
1Proverbs 7:10–12Then a woman came out to meet him, with the attire of a harlot and cunning of heart.

The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 1 reference, hung on the phrase they belong to


The Key Word יָשְׁבָה, Ve.ya.she.vahgenerated

The verb יָשַׁב (yashab) is a perfect tense verb meaning 'to sit' or 'to dwell'. It indicates a state of being or permanence, suggesting that Folly is firmly established at the entrance of her house.

This usage emphasizes her role as a figure of temptation, inviting those who pass by to engage with her. The verb's form indicates that she is actively occupying this position, making her presence known to those in the city.


How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated

The translations of this verse agree in portraying Folly as sitting at the door of her house.


Sentence Structuregenerated

The main verb in the verse is יָשְׁבָה, she sits, which governs the entire sentence. The sentence structure includes a prepositional phrase describing her location, followed by noun phrases that specify her dwelling and the elevated place in the city.

The word order emphasizes her position at the entrance of her house, suggesting her role as an inviting figure in the urban landscape.


Septuagint Backgroundgenerated

The Septuagint translates יָשְׁבָה with the Greek word ἐκάθισεν (ekathisen), meaning 'she sat'. This choice reflects a direct correspondence in meaning, maintaining the sense of her established position.

The Greek word choice does not expand or alter the meaning significantly, keeping the focus on her role as a figure of folly.


In plain words — the whole versegenerated

Proverbs 9:14 describes Folly sitting at the entrance of her house, symbolizing her active role in inviting the simple to her. This verse is part of a larger passage that contrasts wisdom with folly, highlighting the choices individuals face in their pursuit of understanding.


Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated

What does it mean that Folly sits at the door of her house?

This imagery suggests that Folly is easily accessible and actively inviting those who lack wisdom to engage with her.

How does this verse relate to the theme of wisdom and folly?

It contrasts the character of Folly with the virtues of wisdom, emphasizing the dangers of being led astray by temptation.

What is the significance of her position in the city?

Her elevated position symbolizes authority and prominence, making her invitations more enticing to those passing by.

How can we apply this verse to our lives?

It serves as a reminder to be discerning about the voices we listen to and the choices we make in our pursuit of wisdom.


Reflection Questionsgenerated

  1. What are some ways I can discern between wisdom and folly in my own life?
  2. How can I guard myself against invitations that lead to folly?
  3. In what areas do I find myself easily tempted by folly?
  4. How can I seek out wisdom in my daily decisions?

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

Bede comments on this verse, interpreting Folly's position as a representation of arrogance and pride in contrast to the virtues of wisdom.

BedeCommentary on Proverbs c. 673–735
On a high place of the city. He speaks of wisdom as giving her voice in the high and elevated places; but she rises in the sublimity of virtues, this one elevates herself in the arrogance of pride.
Early Church Fathers on Proverbs 9 →

Commentators on this verse — 8 expositors, verse by verse

Each of these wrote on Proverbs 9:14 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.

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

For she sitteth at the door of her house, e.] Idle and inactive, looking out for her prey not active and laborious, as Wisdom, building her house, killing her beasts, furnishing her table, and

Read John Gill on Proverbs 9 →
Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's Commentary

For she sitteth at the door of her house, on a seat in the high places of the city, For she sitteth at the door of her house, on a seat in the high places of the city - even as Wisdom cries "in the

Read Robert Jamieson on Proverbs 9 →
Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy Bible

Which notes her idleness and impudence, and diligence in watching for occasions of sin.

Read Matthew Poole on Proverbs 9 →
John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

Proverbs 9:14 For she sitteth at the door of her house, on a seat in the high places of the city,Ver. 14. For she sitteth at the door.] In a harlot’ s habit, to see and be seen; the guise and garb of harlots. Cicero wittily compareth the Greek tongue to an ambitious strumpet, quae multo luxu superfluat, which overlasheth in too much bravery; but the Latin tongue to an honest and modest matron, cui nihil deest quod ad honestum pertineat mundiciem, that wants nothing pertaining to a necessary neatness. Such a like comparison between wisdom and folly is here made by Solomon.

Read John Trapp on Proverbs 9 →
Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(14) She sitteth at the door of her house.—She does not care, like Wisdom, to send forth her maidens “to seek and to save that which was lost” (Luke 19:10); she contents herself with sitting at ease, just outside her own door, and calling to the passers-by.

Read Charles John Ellicott on Proverbs 9 →
AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible

Verse 14. For she sitteth at the door of her house] Her conduct here marks at once her folly, impudence, and poverty. See above on Proverbs 7:6, &c., where the reader will find a similar character.

Read AdamClarke on Proverbs 9 →
CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

Proverbs 9:13-18. The Introduction, or first main division of the Book, ends with the contrasted picture of Folly. She too has her house, at the door of which she sits (Proverbs 9:14); she too, though the charm of secrecy is added to her enticements (Proverbs 9:17), is seen flaunting shamelessly, in the high places of the city (Proverbs 9:14), and bruits abroad her noisy invitation, not only to attract the vicious (Proverbs 9:16), but to beguile, if it may be, the passers by who are going right on their way (Proverbs 9:15).

Read Cambridge on Proverbs 9 →
Albert Barnes1798–1870Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Contrast with Proverbs 9:1, etc. The foolish woman has her house, but it is no stately palace with seven pillars, like the home of Wisdom.

Read Albert Barnes on Proverbs 9 →

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

She sits at the door of her house, on a seat in the heights of the city,

WEBWorld English Bible2000

She sits at the door of her house, on a seat in the high places of the city,

MSBMajority Standard Bible2022

She sits at the door of her house, on a seat in the heights of the city,

NETBNew English Translation2006

So she sits at the door of her house, on a seat at the highest point of the city,

Tyndale line

KJVKing James Version1611

For she sitteth at the door of her house, on a seat in the high places of the city,

ASVAmerican Standard Version1901

And she sitteth at the door of her house, On a seat in the high places of the city,

RVARevised Version, American1894

And she sitteth at the door of her house, on a seat in the high places of the city,

NWBWebster's Bible1833

For she sitteth at the door of her house, on a seat in the high places of the city,

GNVGeneva Bible1599

But she sitteth at the doore of her house on a seate in the hie places of the citie,

Strictly literal

DBYDarby Translation1890

And she sitteth at the entry of her house, on a seat in the high places of the city,

YLTYoung's Literal Translation1862

And she hath sat at the opening of her house, On a throne — the high places of the city,

LSVLiteral Standard Version2020

And she has sat at the opening of her house, || On a throne—the high places of the city,

ILTInterlinear Literal Translation2000

And she sitteth at the door of her house, upon a chair in the high places of the town.

ULBUnlocked Literal Bible2017

She sits at the door of her house, on a seat in the highest places of the town.

From the Latin

DRADouay-Rheims (Challoner)1899

Sat at the door of her house, upon a seat, in a high place of the city,

Simplified

FBVFree Bible Version2020

She sits at the door of her house, on a seat in the high places of the town,

BBEBible in Basic English1949

Seated at the door of her house, in the high places of the town,

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.

וְֽ֭andclauseverbיָשְׁבָהshe.sitsprepositional phrase · prepositionalלְtonoun phraseפֶ֣תַחthe.doorwaynoun phraseבֵּיתָ֑her.houseהּherprepositional phrase · prepositionalעַלonnoun phraseכִּ֝סֵּ֗אa.seatnoun phraseמְרֹ֣מֵי[the].heightsקָֽרֶתof.[the].town

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 seven words matched. This indicates a strong consistency in how this verse has been transmitted through different traditions.

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

וְֽ֭יָשְׁבָה לְפֶ֣תַח בֵּיתָ֑הּ עַל־ כִּ֝סֵּ֗א מְרֹ֣מֵי קָֽרֶת׃

Septuagintthe Greek the translators chose, word by word
וְֽ֭יָשְׁבָהἐκάθισενלְפֶ֣תַחθύραιςבֵּיתָ֑הּτοῦעַל־ἐπὶכִּ֝סֵּ֗אδίφρουמְרֹ֣מֵיἐμφανῶςקָֽרֶת׃πλατείαις

7 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 9:14יָשַׁבand she sitand she sitsיָשַׁבפֶּ֫תַחto [the] doto [the] doorwaפֶּ֫תַחבֵּיתhouse herhouse herבֵּיתעַלononעַלכִּסֵּאa seata seatכִּסֵּאמָרוֹם[the] heigh[the] heights oמָרוֹםקֶ֫רֶת[the] town[the] townקֶ֫רֶתבָּנָהto buildto buildבָּנָהפָּתַחto opento openפָּתַחכָּסָהto coverto coverכָּסָהרוּםto exaltto exaltרוּםקָרָהto meetto meetקָרָהעַלheightheightעַלבֶּ֫טַחsecuritysecurityבֶּ֫טַחכְּנַעֲנִיCanaanitesCanaanitessכְּנַעֲנִימָסָךְcoveringcoveringמָסָךְמוֹעֵדmeetingmeetingמוֹעֵדאוֹצָרtreasuretreasureאוֹצָרכִּפֶּרto atoneto atoneכִּפֶּרכִּסֵּאthronethroneכִּסֵּאמַלְכוּתroyaltyroyaltyמַלְכוּתסֶ֫לַעcragcragסֶ֫לַעקָדוֹשׁholyholyקָדוֹשׁמָרוֹםheightheightמָרוֹםשַׁ֫עַרgategateשַׁ֫עַר
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 9:14

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.

and she sits to [the] doorway of house her on a seat [the] heights of [the] town
וְֽ֭יָשְׁבָהVe.ya.she.vah and she sits H3427 Verb · Qal · sequential perfect third person feminine singular
1,079× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This verb means to sit or dwell, and can also mean to remain or abide. It's used in the Bible to describe people living in a place or staying with someone, like in the book of Genesis.
Amplified meaning
dwells, remains
Tyndale gloss
to dwell
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

יָשַׁב (yashab) is a Hebrew verb meaning to sit, remain, or dwell. It encompasses a range of actions from simply sitting down to more complex ideas like establishing a home or causing a place to be inhabited. The entries indicate various forms, including Qal (to sit), Niphal (to be inhabited), and Hiphil (to cause to dwell). There is an Aramaic equivalent, יְתִב (ye.tiv), meaning 'to dwell'.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

יָשַׁב 1090 vb. sit, remain, dwell

Qal

sit

sit, sit down

sit down

sit = be set (as a jewel)

remain, stay, tarry

with special emphasis of qualifying phr.

dwell, have one’s abode

of a land or city, sit, abide, seated in its place, fig. for be inhabited

Niph. be inhabited, of land

Pi. and they shall set their encampments in thee

Hiph.

cause to sit

cause to abide

cause to dwell

cause cities to be inhabited

marry (prop. give a dwelling to)

Hoph. and ye be made to dwell alone in the midst of the land

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H3427 יָשַׁב sit, remain, dwell

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

3427 yashab yaw-shab'

a primitive root; properly, to sit down (specifically as

judge. in ambush, in quiet); by implication, to dwell, to

remain; causatively, to settle, to marry:--(make to)

abide(-ing), continue, (cause to, make to) dwell(-ing), ease

self, endure, establish, X fail, habitation, haunt, (make to)

inhabit(-ant), make to keep (house), lurking, X marry(-ing),

(bring again to) place, remain, return, seat, set(- tle),

(down-)sit(-down, still, -ting down, -ting (place) -uate),

take, tarry.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

יָשַׁב (ya.shav) — to dwell.

1) to dwell, remain, sit, abide

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to sit, sit down

1a2) to be set

1a3) to remain, stay

1a4) to dwell, have one's abode

1b) (Niphal) to be inhabited

1c) (Piel) to set, place

1d) (Hiphil)

1d1) to cause to sit

1d2) to cause to abide, set

1d3) to cause to dwell

1d4) to cause (cities) to be inhabited

1d5) to marry (give an dwelling to)

1e) (Hophal)

1e1) to be inhabited

1e2) to make to dwell

Aramaic equivalent: ye.tiv (יְתִב "to dwell" H3488)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Conj | V-Qal-Perf-3fs — Verb · Qal · sequential perfect third person feminine singular
Hc/Vqq3fs
and she sits to [the] doorway of house her on a seat [the] heights of [the] town
לְפֶ֣תַחle.Fe.tach to [the] doorway of H6607 Preposition · noun common masculine singular construct
164× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
A pethach is an entrance or doorway, like the gates of Jerusalem or the door to the temple, often symbolizing transition or access to a new place.
Amplified meaning
entrance, threshold
Tyndale gloss
entrance
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

פֶּ֫תַח (pethach) refers to an opening, such as a doorway or entrance. It is derived from a root meaning to open and encompasses terms like gate and entrance way. The entries consistently highlight its literal and figurative uses, but do not provide specific verse references.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

פֶּ֫תַח 164 n.m. opening, doorway, entrance

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H6607 פֶּ֫תַח opening, doorway, entrance

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

6607 pethach peh'-thakh

from 6605; an opening (literally), i.e. door (gate) or

entrance way:--door, entering (in), entrance (-ry), gate,

opening, place.

see HEBREW for 06605

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

פֶּ֫תַח (pe.tach) — entrance.

opening, doorway, entrance

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Prep | N-ms — Preposition · noun common masculine singular construct
HR/Ncmsc
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…

and she sits to [the] doorway of house her on a seat [the] heights of [the] town
בֵּיתָ֑הּbei.Tah house her H1004 Noun common masculine singular construct · suffix
2,049× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
The Hebrew word for house refers to a dwelling place, including a family home, temple, or even the human body. It appears in various contexts, such as the temple in Jerusalem or the household of a family. In the Bible, it is often used to describe a place of worship or a family's living space.
Amplified meaning
dwelling place, home
Tyndale gloss
place
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word בַּיִת (*bayith*) means 'house' and encompasses a wide range of meanings, including dwelling, family, and place. It can refer to physical structures, such as homes and temples, as well as metaphorical uses like the body or household affairs. The word is built from the root related to 'between' and appears in various contexts throughout the Old Testament.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

בֵּית fem. of בַּיִן, בֵּין prep. between

base

בַּ֫יִת 2034 n.m. house

house

place

receptacle

of house as containing a family

household, family (592 t.)

house, including household affairs

lit. housewards, hence metaph. inwards

מִבַּיִת

adv. on the inside

prep. within

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H1004a בֵּית fem. of בַּיִן, בֵּין prep. between H1004b בַּ֫יִת house

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

1004 bayith bah'-yith

probably from 1129 abbreviated; a house (in the greatest

variation of applications, especially family, etc.):--court,

daughter, door, + dungeon, family, + forth of, X great as

would contain, hangings, home(born), (winter)house(-hold),

inside(-ward), palace, place, + prison, + steward, + tablet,

temple, web, + within(-out).

see HEBREW for 01129

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

בֵּית (bet) — place.

nm

place, origin, between

בַּ֫יִת (ba.yit) — house: home.

: home/temple/building

nm

1) house

1a) house, dwelling habitation

1b) shelter or abode of animals

1c) human bodies (fig.)

1d) of Sheol

1e) of abode of light and darkness

1f) of land of Ephraim

2) place

3) receptacle

4) home, house as containing a family

5) household, family

5a) those belonging to the same household

5b) family of descendants, descendants as organized body

6) household affairs

7) inwards (metaph.)

8) (TWOT) temple

adv

9) on the inside

prep

10) within

בַּ֫יִת (ba.yit) — Beth-(ashbea).

nm

This name is used for a house, habitation

Combined with ash.be.a (אַשְׁבֵּעַ "Ashbea" H0791)

בַּ֫יִת (ba.yit) — Beth (Haggan).

nm

This name is used for a house, habitation

Combined with hag (גַּן "Haggan" H1588)

בַּ֫יִת (ba.yit) — Beth-(togarmah).

nm

This name is used for a house, habitation

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-ms | Suff — Noun common masculine singular construct · suffix
HNcmsc/Sp3fs
The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
and she sits to [the] doorway of house her on a seat [the] heights of [the] town
עַל־'al- on H5921 Preposition
5,774× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This Hebrew word means on or above something, like a physical object or a situation. It can also imply a sense of responsibility or accountability, as in being on behalf of someone.
Tyndale gloss
upon
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word עַל (*al*) is a preposition meaning 'upon' and encompasses a wide range of meanings, including 'on account of,' 'beside,' 'above,' and 'against.' It can indicate physical placement, emotional burdens, or duties imposed on a person. The entries also note its use in idiomatic expressions and with verbs of motion. There is a mention of its function as a conjunction in certain contexts.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

כִּי עַל כֵּן forasmuch as

base

עַל, עָ֑ל

subst. height

As prep. upon, and hence on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against

Upon, of the substratum upon which an object in any way rests, or on which an action is performed

of clothing, etc., which any one wears

With verbs of covering or protecting, even though the cover or veil be not over or above the thing covered, but around or before it

Of what rests heavily upon a person, or is a burden to him

Of a duty, payment, care, etc., imposed upon a person, or devolving on him

על is used idiom. to give pathos to the expression of an emotion, by emphasizing the person who is its subject, and who, as it were, feels it acting upon him

חָיָה עַל to live upon (as upon a foundation or support)

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Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H5921a עַל, עָ֑ל . As prep. upon, and hence on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against . Upon, of the substratum upon which an object in any way rests, or on which an action is performed . — . of clothing, etc., which any one wears

. With verbs of covering or protecting, even though the cover or veil be not over or above the thing covered, but around or before it

. Of what rests heavily upon a person, or is a burden to him

. Of a duty, payment, care, etc., imposed upon a person, or devolving on him

. על is used idiom. to give pathos to the expression of an emotion, by emphasizing the person who is its subject, and who, as it were, feels it acting upon him

. חָיָה עַל to live upon (as upon a foundation or support)

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Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

5921 `al al

properly, the same as 5920 used as a preposition (in the

singular or plural often with prefix, or as conjunction with a

particle following); above, over, upon, or against (yet always

in this last relation with a downward aspect) in a great

variety of applications (as follow):--above, according

to(-ly), after, (as) against, among, and, X as, at, because

of, beside (the rest of), between, beyond the time, X both

and, by (reason of), X had the charge of, concerning for, in

(that), (forth, out) of, (from) (off), (up-)on, over, than,

through(-out), to, touching, X with.

see HEBREW for 05920

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

עַל (al) — upon.

prep

1) upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against

1a) upon, on the ground of, on the basis of, on account of, because of, therefore, on behalf of, for the sake of, for, with, in spite of, notwithstanding, concerning, in the matter of, as regards

1b) above, beyond, over (of excess)

1c) above, over (of elevation or pre-eminence)

1d) upon, to, over to, unto, in addition to, together with, with (of addition)

1e) over (of suspension or extension)

1f) by, adjoining, next, at, over, around (of contiguity or proximity)

1g) down upon, upon, on, from, up upon, up to, towards, over towards, to, against (with verbs of motion)

1h) to (as a dative)

[כִּי] עַל [כֵּן] ([ki] al [ken]) — as.

conj

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Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Prep — Preposition
HR
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
Easton's Bible Dictionary

On

Light; the sun, (Gen. 41:45, 50), the great seat of sun-worship, called also Bethshemesh (Jer. 43:13) and Aven (Ezek. 30:17), stood on the east bank of the Nile, a few miles north of Memphis, and near Cairo, in the north-east. The Vulgate and the LXX. Versions have “Heliopolis” (“city of the sun”) instead of On in Genesis and of Aven in Ezekiel. The “city of destruction” Isaiah speaks of (19:18, marg. “of Heres;” Heb. ‘Ir-ha-heres, which some MSS. read Ir-ha-heres, i.e., “city of the sun”) may be the name given to On, the prophecy being that the time will come when that city which was known as the “city of the sun-god” shall become the “city of destruction” of the sun-god, i.e., when idolatry shall cease, and the worship…

Smith's Bible Dictionary

(abode or city of the sun), a town of lower Egypt, called BETH-SHEMESH in (Jeremiah 43:13) On is better known under its Greek name Heliopolis. It was situated on the east side of the Pelusiac branch of the Nile, just below the point of the Delta, and about twenty miles northeast of Memphis. The chief object of worship at Heliopolis was the sun, whose temple, described by Strabo, is now only represented by the single beautiful obelisk, of red granite so feet 2 inches high above the pedestal which has stood for more than 4000 years, having been erected by Usirtesen, the second king of the twelfth dynasty. Heliopolis was anciently famous for its learning, and Eudoxus and Plato studied under its priests. The first mention of this place in the Bible is in the history of Joseph, to whom we read Pharaoh gave "to wife Asenath the daughter…

American Tract Society Bible Dictionary

See HELIOPOLIS.

Hitchcock's Bible Names Dictionary

pain; force; iniquity

The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
and she sits to [the] doorway of house her on a seat [the] heights of [the] town
כִּ֝סֵּ֗אki.Se' a seat H3678 Noun common · masculine singular absolute
135× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
In the Bible, this word means a throne, symbolizing a seat of power or authority, often canopied or covered. It is used to describe the throne of God or a king, representing royal dignity and power.
Amplified meaning
throne, place of authority
Tyndale gloss
throne
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

כִּסֵּא (kis.se) refers to a seat of honour or throne, often associated with royal dignity and authority. It is derived from a root meaning 'covered' and encompasses meanings like stool and seat. The entries consistently highlight its significance in both literal and figurative contexts.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

כִּסֵּא, כִּסֵּה 133 n.m. seat of honour, throne

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H3678 כִּסֵּא, כִּסֵּה seat of honour, throne

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

3678 kicce' kis-say'

or kicceh {kis-say'}; from 3680; properly, covered, i.e. a

throne (as canopied):--seat, stool, throne.

see HEBREW for 03680

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

כִּסֵּא (kis.se) — throne.

1) seat (of honour), throne, seat, stool

1a) seat (of honour), throne

1b) royal dignity, authority, power (fig.)

כִּסֵּא (kis.se) — (Hall of) the Throne.

Combined with u.lam (אוּלָם "Hall" H0197I)

This name means throne, seat

כִּסֵּא (kis.se) — throne: seat.

1) seat (of honour), throne, seat, stool

1a) seat (of honour), throne

1b) royal dignity, authority, power (fig.)

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

set: This word is used to translate the Hebrew words (moshabh, shebheth, kicce', and tekhunah), once (Job 23:3). It translates the Greek word (kathedra) (Mt 21:12; 23:2; Mr 11:15), and "chief seat" translates the compound word (protokathedria) (Mt 23:6; Mr 12:39; Lu 20:46). In the King James Version it translates (thronos) (Lu 1:52; Re 2:13; 4:4; 11:16; 13:2; 16:10), which the Revised Version (British and American) renders "throne." It denotes a place or…

and she sits to [the] doorway of house her on a seat [the] heights of [the] town
מְרֹ֣מֵיme.Ro.mei [the] heights of H4791 Noun common · masculine plural construct
54× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This word refers to a high or elevated place, either physically or figuratively. It can describe a location, such as a mountain, or a state of being, like pride or haughtiness. It is used in various books of the Bible.
Amplified meaning
high places, elevated areas
Tyndale gloss
height
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

מָרוֹם (marowm) means 'height' and encompasses both concrete and abstract uses, referring to elevated places, elevation, and even pride. It can describe physical heights or be used figuratively for dignity and nobility. The word is poetically used in the Old Testament, with its root linked to the concept of altitude.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

מָרוֹם n.m. height (poet.)

height, elevation (concr.), elevated place

alone = height of heaven

adv. fig., = proudly

fig. of nobles

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H4791 מָרוֹם height (poet.)

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

4791 marowm maw-rome'

from 7311; altitude, i.e. concretely (an elevated place),

abstractly (elevation, figuratively (elation), or adverbially

(aloft):--(far) above, dignity, haughty, height, (most, on)

high (one, place), loftily, upward.

see HEBREW for 07311

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

מָרוֹם (ma.rom) — height.

1) height

1a) height, elevation, elevated place

1a1) in a high place (adv)

1b) height

1c) proudly (adv)

1d) of nobles (fig.)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-mp — Noun common · masculine plural construct
HNcmpc
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…

and she sits to [the] doorway of house her on a seat [the] heights of [the] town
קָֽרֶת׃Ka.ret [the] town H7176 Noun common · feminine singular absolute
5× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This word means a city or town, a place where people live and work together. It is used to describe various cities in the Bible, including Jerusalem. The KJV translates it as 'city'.
Amplified meaning
town, urban center
Tyndale gloss
town
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

קֶ֫רֶת (qereth) refers to a town or city. It is derived from the root word meaning 'to build' and is used in the context of urban settlements. The entries consistently define it as a city or town, with no significant disagreement among the lexicons.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

[קֶ֫רֶת] n.f. town, city

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H7176 קֶ֫רֶת

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

7176 qereth keh'-reth

from 7136 in the sense of building; a city:--city.

see HEBREW for 07136

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

קֶ֫רֶת (qe.ret) — town.

city, town

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-fs — Noun common · feminine singular absolute
HNcfsa
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

toun: This word is used to represent a number of different Hob terms in the Old Testament.

(1) When any explanatory word or attendant circumstances show that a "city" was unwalled, and sometimes in the contrary case (1Sa 23:7), the Hebrew `ir is translated "town" by the King James Version, and the Revised Version (British and American) generally agrees with it (De 3:5; 1Sa 27:5; Es 9:19).

(2) Both the King James Version and the Revised Version (British and American) translate chawwoth by "towns" (Nu 32:41; Jos 13:30; 1Ki…

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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