Psalms 104:30 — Word Study
WLCתְּשַׁלַּ֣ח ר֭וּחֲךָ יִבָּרֵא֑וּן וּ֝תְחַדֵּ֗שׁ פְּנֵ֣י אֲדָמָֽה׃
BSAWhen You sendshâlach▸ [release, dispatch] Your Spiritrûwach [breath of life, divine energy] they are createdbârâʼ▸ [brought into existence, formed] and You renewchâdash▸ [restore, revitalize] the facepânîym [surface, presence] of the earthʼădâmâh [land, ground]
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| תְּשַׁלַּ֣ח | you send forth | Verb, Piel, imperfect second person masculine singular |
| ר֭וּחֲךָ | spirit your | Noun common feminine singular construct, suffix |
| יִבָּרֵא֑וּן | they are created ! | Verb niphal imperfect third person masculine plural, suffix |
| וּ֝תְחַדֵּ֗שׁ | and you may renew | Conjunction, verb piel second person masculine singular |
| פְּנֵ֣י | [the] surface of | Noun common, masculine plural construct |
| אֲדָמָֽה׃ | [the] ground | Noun common, feminine singular absolute |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | When You send Your Spirit, they are created, and You renew the face of the earth. |
| KJV | Thou sendest forth thy spirit, they are created: and thou renewest the face of the earth. |
| ASV | Thou sendest forth thy Spirit, they are created; And thou renewest the face of the ground. |
| YLT | Thou sendest out Thy Spirit, they are created, And Thou renewest the face of the ground. |
| WEB | You send out your Spirit and they are created. You renew the face of the ground. |
| BBE | If you send out your spirit, they are given life; you make new the face of the earth. |
Where they part company is in the interpretation of יִבָּרֵא֑וּן — see How Translations Differ.
The sentence is structured around a main clause with two subordinate clauses detailing the outcomes of God's action.
8 commentators on this verse
Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them ›
clause
verbשָׁלַח
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 — Psalms 104:30
Sections marked generated are written from the data on this page rather than by a named author. Everything else — the lexicon entries, the cross references, the manuscript readings, the counts — is quoted from its source unchanged.
Context — God's Creative Powergenerated
Psalm 104:30 speaks of the transformative power of God's Spirit in creation. The psalmist reflects on how God's Spirit is essential for life and renewal, emphasizing the relationship between the divine and the earth. This verse is part of a larger meditation on God's majesty and His works in nature, as seen in the surrounding verses that describe the earth's response to God's presence.
Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Psalm 33:6 | By the word of the LORD the heavens were made, and all the stars by the breath of His mouth. |
| 2 | Job 26:13 | By His breath the skies were cleared; His hand pierced the fleeing serpent. |
| 3 | Job 33:4 | The Spirit of God has made me, and the breath of the Almighty gives me life. |
| 4 | Isaiah 32:14–15 | For the palace will be forsaken, the busy city abandoned. The hill and the watchtower will become caves forever— the delight of wild donkeys and a pasture for flocks— |
| 5 | Ezekiel 37:9 | Then He said to me, “Prophesy to the breath; prophesy, son of man, and tell the breath that this is what the Lord GOD says: Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe into these slain, so that they may live!” |
The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 10 references, hung on the phrase they belong to
The Key Word — תְּשַׁלַּ֣ח, te.sha.Lachgenerated
The verb שָׁלַח (shalach) means 'to send,' indicating an action of dispatching or releasing. In this verse, it refers specifically to God sending His Spirit, which is essential for creation and renewal.
The Piel form of the verb suggests a more intensive action, emphasizing the active role of God in sending forth His Spirit. This highlights God's sovereignty and involvement in the ongoing process of creation.
How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated
All translations agree that God sends His Spirit to create and renew the earth.
Sentence Structuregenerated
The main verb of the verse is תְּשַׁלַּ֣ח, you send, which governs the subsequent clauses describing the actions that follow: the creation of life and the renewal of the earth.
The structure shows a sequence of actions: first, the sending of the Spirit, followed by the creation and renewal processes, demonstrating a cause-and-effect relationship.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
The Septuagint translates תְּשַׁלַּ֣ח as ἐχαποστελεῖς, which carries the meaning of sending forth. This choice reflects a similar understanding of God's action in creation.
This translation aligns closely with the Hebrew meaning, emphasizing the active role of God's Spirit in both creating and renewing.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
Psalm 104:30 tells us that when God sends His Spirit, life is created and the earth is renewed. This verse highlights the importance of God's Spirit in bringing about creation and revitalizing the world.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
It signifies God's active role in creation and renewal, showing that life comes from His divine presence.
It indicates that God's Spirit is essential for restoring and revitalizing the earth, emphasizing His ongoing work in creation.
The term 'created' underscores God's power to bring forth life and new beginnings, reflecting His creative authority.
It aligns with other scriptures that highlight the Spirit's role in creation and renewal, such as in Genesis 1:2.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- In what ways have I experienced renewal in my life through God's Spirit?
- How can I be more aware of the Spirit's work in creation around me?
- What does it mean for me to seek the Spirit's guidance in my daily life?
- How can I participate in God's ongoing work of renewal in the world?
The early church on this verse — how the Fathers read it
Augustine of Hippo references this verse to illustrate the power of God's Spirit in creation, emphasizing its significance in his theological reflections.
And see what follows: "You shall send forth Your Spirit, and they shall be made" [Psalms 104:30].Early Church Fathers on Psalms 104 →
Commentators on this verse — 8 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on Psalms 104:30 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire BibleThou sendest forth thy Spirit, they are created,.... Thy Holy Spirit, as the Targum, who was at first concerned in the creation of all things, the heavens and the earth, and man upon it, Genesis 1:2
Read John Gill on Psalms 104 →Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's CommentaryThese wait all upon thee; that thou mayest give them their meat in due season. -All God's creatures obtain from Him their food in due season.
Read Robert Jamieson on Psalms 104 →Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy BibleThy spirit; either, 1. That spirit by which they live, which is called the spirit of a beast, , which is called their breath or spirit, (for the word is the same there and here,) , and here may be called God’ s spirit, because it was given and preserved by him. Or rather, 2. Thy quickening spirit; for here seems to be an opposition between their spirit, , and thy spirit here, and this latter is mentioned as the creating or productive cause of the former. And this may be understood either, 1. Of the Holy Ghost; to whom, no less than to the Father and the Son, the work of creation is ascribed, . Or rather, 2. That quickening power of God by which he produceth life in the creatures from time…
Read Matthew Poole on Psalms 104 →John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New TestamentsPsalms 104:30 Thou sendest forth thy spirit, they are created: and thou renewest the face of the earth.Ver. 30. Thou sendest forth thy spirit] Virtutem vivificam. They are created] Others of the same kind are; and so the face of the earth is renewed, while another generation springeth up. This is matter of praise to their Maker.
Read John Trapp on Psalms 104 →Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers(30) Spirit.—Rather, breath, as in Psalms 104:29. We must not here think of the later theological doctrine of the Holy Spirit. The psalmist evidently regards the breath of God only as the vivifying power that gives matter a distinct and individual, but transient, existence. Even in the speculative book of Ecclesiastes, the idea of a human soul having a permanent separate existence does not make its appearance. At death the dust, no longer animate, returns to the earth as it was, and the breath, which had given it life, returns to God who gave it—gave it as an emanation, to be resumed unto Himself when its work was done. Still less, then, must we look in poetry for any more developed…
Read Charles John Ellicott on Psalms 104 →AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the BibleVerse 30. Thou sendest forth thy spirit, they are created] יבראון yibbareun, "They are created again." And thou renewest the face of the earth.] Do not these words plainly imply a resurrection of the bodies which have died, been dissolved, or turned to dust? And is not the brute creation principally intended here? Is it not on this account it is said, Psalms 104:31, "the glory of the Lord shall endure for ever, (לעולם leolam,)" to be manifest in those times which are secret, when Jehovah himself shall rejoice in his works; when the brute creation shall be delivered from the bondage of its corruption? See the notes on Romans 8:19-23.
Read AdamClarke on Psalms 104 →CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges30. But life not death rules in Nature. A new generation takes the place of the old. Creation continues, for God is perpetually sending forth His spirit, and renewing the face of the earth with fresh life.
Read Cambridge on Psalms 104 →Albert Barnes1798–1870Barnes' Notes on the BibleThou sendest forth thy spirit, they are created - That is, New races are created in their place, or start up as if they were created directly by God.
Read Albert Barnes on Psalms 104 →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
When You send Your Spirit, they are created, and You renew the face of the earth.
You send out your Spirit and they are created. You renew the face of the ground.
When You send Your Spirit, they are created, and You renew the face of the earth.
When you send your life-giving breath, they are created, and you replenish the surface of the ground.
Tyndale line
Thou sendest forth thy spirit, they are created: and thou renewest the face of the earth.
Thou sendest forth thy Spirit, they are created; And thou renewest the face of the ground.
Thou sendest forth thy spirit, they are created; and thou renewest the face of the ground.
Thou sendest forth thy spirit, they are created: and thou renewest the face of the earth.
Againe if thou send forth thy spirit, they are created, and thou renuest the face of the earth.
Strictly literal
Thou sendest forth thy spirit, they are created, and thou renewest the face of the earth.
Thou sendest out Thy Spirit, they are created, And Thou renewest the face of the ground.
You send out Your Spirit, they are created, || And You renew the face of the ground.
Thou sendest forth thy spirit, they are created; and thou renewest the face of the earth.
When you send out your Spirit, they are created, and you renew the countryside.
From the Latin
Their land brought forth frogs, in the inner chambers of their kings.
Simplified
When you send your breath, they are created, and life covers the earth again.
If you send out your spirit, they are given life; you make new the face of the earth.
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 and the Dead Sea Scrolls agree on the wording of this verse, confirming that the essential elements of God's sending His Spirit and the resulting creation and renewal are consistent across these ancient witnesses.
תְּשַׁלַּ֣ח ר֭וּחֲךָ יִבָּרֵא֑וּן וּ֝תְחַדֵּ֗שׁ פְּנֵ֣י אֲדָמָֽה׃
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.
תשלח רוח׳כה ויבראו׳ן ותחדש פני אדמה
6 words on the leather.
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 Psalms 104:30
One dossier per word, with every reference work grouped by kind — Hebrew lexicons, morphology, Bible dictionaries, topical chains and the English of the translators themselves. The verse sits at the head of each block with the word under study lit, so you never lose your place. The panel above gives the short answer; this is the long one, and it is the part of the page worth indexing.
Every entry below is the lexicographer's own text. On the Hebrew: Brown-Driver-Briggs entire and its gloss set, Strong's Hebrew Dictionary, and Tyndale House's Translators Brief lexicon. Where a cell says a work has no entry, that work genuinely has none for this word.
The Hebrew word שָׁלַח (shalach) is a primitive root meaning 'to send' with a wide range of applications. It can refer to sending away, stretching out (especially a hand), or letting go. The entries indicate various forms, including sending off, casting out, and setting free. Notably, it can also imply divorce or being sent away in a marital context.
שָׁלַח 814 vb. send
Qal
send: human subj.
send: subj. י׳ (God)
stretch out, esp. acc. hand
rarely send away: human subj.
let loose
Niph. letters were sent
Pi.
send off, away, human subj.
send away, subj. י׳
give over
cast out
send out, forth
let go, set free
shoot forth branches
let down
shoot
Phrases
Pu. be sent off (started on journey); be put away, divorced, of wife; be impelled(?)
Hiph. and I (י׳) will send
base
H7971 שָׁלַח send .. send: human subj.
. send: subj. י׳ (God)
. stretch out, esp. acc. hand
. rarely send away: human subj.
. let loose
. letters were sent
. . send off, away, human subj.
. . send away, subj. י׳
. give over
. cast out
. send out, forth
. let go, set free
. shoot forth branches
. let down
. shoot
. Phrases
. be sent off (started on journey); be put away, divorced, of wife; be impelled(?)
. and I (י׳) will send
7971 shalach shaw-lakh'
a primitive root; to send away, for, or out (in a great
variety of applications):--X any wise, appoint, bring (on the
way), cast (away, out), conduct, X earnestly, forsake, give
(up), grow long, lay, leave, let depart (down, go, loose),
push away, put (away, forth, in, out), reach forth, send
(away, forth, out), set, shoot (forth, out), sow, spread,
stretch forth (out).
שָׁלַח (sha.lach) — to send: depart.
: depart/send
1) to send, send away, let go, stretch out
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to send
1a2) to stretch out, extend, direct
1a3) to send away
1a4) to let loose
1b) (Niphal) to be sent
1c) (Piel)
1c1) to send off or away or out or forth, dismiss, give over, cast out
1c2) to let go, set free
1c3) to shoot forth (of branches)
1c4) to let down
1c5) to shoot
1d) (Pual) to be sent off, be put away, be divorced, be impelled
1e) (Hiphil) to send
שָׁלַח (sha.lach) — to send: let go.
: let_go/free
1) to send, send away, let go, stretch out
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to send
1a2) to stretch out, extend, direct
1a3) to send away
1a4) to let loose
1b) (Niphal) to be sent
1c) (Piel)
1c1) to send off or away or out or forth, dismiss, give over, cast out
1c2) to let go, set free
1c3) to shoot forth (of branches)
1c4) to let down
1c5) to shoot
V-Piel-Imperf-2ms — Verb · Piel · imperfect second person masculine singularHVpi2ms
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…
רוּחַ (ruach) means breath, wind, or spirit. It encompasses various meanings, including the breath of life, emotional disposition, and the spirit of God. The term can refer to both physical phenomena, like wind, and abstract concepts, such as moral character or mental acts. Notably, it is used frequently in the context of divine inspiration and the Holy Spirit.
רוּחַ 378 n.f. (less oft. m.) breath, wind, spirit
breath of mouth or nostrils (33 t.)
wind (117 t.)
spirit, as that which breathes quickly in animation or agitation = temper, disposition (76 t.)
spirit of the living, breathing being
spirit as seat of emotion
occasionally (and late) = seat or organ of mental acts
rarely of the will
רוּחַ esp. of moral character
spirit of God (94 t.)
base
H7307 רוּחַ breath, wind, spirit . breath of mouth or nostrils (33 t.)
. wind (117 t.)
. spirit, as that which breathes quickly in animation or agitation = temper, disposition (76 t.)
. spirit of the living, breathing being
. spirit as seat of emotion
. occasionally (and late) = seat or organ of mental acts
. rarely of the will
. רוּחַ esp. of moral character
. spirit of God (94 t.)
7307 ruwach roo'-akh
from 7306; wind; by resemblance breath, i.e. a sensible (or
even violent) exhalation; figuratively, life, anger,
unsubstantiality; by extension, a region of the sky; by
resemblance spirit, but only of a rational being (including
its expression and functions):--air, anger, blast, breath, X
cool, courage, mind, X quarter, X side, spirit((-ual)),
tempest, X vain, ((whirl-))wind(-y).
see HEBREW for 07306
רוּחַ (ru.ach) — spirit.
: spirit
1) wind, breath, mind, spirit
1a) breath
1b) wind
1b1) of heaven
1b2) quarter (of wind), side
1b3) breath of air
1b4) air, gas
1b5) vain, empty thing
1c) spirit (as that which breathes quickly in animation or agitation)
1c1) spirit, animation, vivacity, vigour
1c2) courage
1c3) temper, anger
1c4) impatience, patience
1c5) spirit, disposition (as troubled, bitter, discontented)
1c6) disposition (of various kinds), unaccountable or uncontrollable impulse
1c7) prophetic spirit
1d) spirit (of the living, breathing being in man and animals)
1d1) as gift, preserved by God, God's spirit, departing at death, disembodied being
1e) spirit (as seat of emotion)
1e1) desire
1e2) sorrow, trouble
1f) spirit
1f1) as seat or organ of mental acts
1f2) rarely of the will
1f3) as seat especially of moral character
N-cs | Suff — Noun common feminine singular construct · suffixHNcfsc/Sp2ms
בָּרָא (bara') is a Hebrew verb primarily meaning to create or shape, often with God as the subject. It encompasses the creation of the heavens, earth, and new circumstances, and can also refer to cutting down or out. Additionally, it has a secondary meaning related to becoming fat or making oneself fat, as noted in 1 Samuel 2:29.
בָּרָא 53 vb. shape, create
Qal Pf.—shape, fashion, create
Niph.—Pass.
be created
with reference to birth
of something new, astonishing
Pi.
cut down
cut out
base
[בָּרָא] vb. be fat—Hiph. 1 S 2:29 to make yourself fat.
ref
H1254a בָּרָא shape, create .Pf.—shape, fashion, create
.—Pass. . be created
. with reference to birth
. of something new, astonishing
. . cut down
. cut out
H1254b בָּרָא be fat
1254 bara' baw-raw'
a primitive root; (absolutely) to create; (qualified) to cut
down (a wood), select, feed (as formative processes):--
choose, create (creator), cut down, dispatch, do, make (fat).
בָּרָא (ba.ra) — to create.
1) to create, shape, form
1a) (Qal) to shape, fashion, create (always with God as subject)
1a1) of heaven and earth
1a2) of individual man
1a3) of new conditions and circumstances
1a4) of transformations
1b) (Niphal) to be created
1b1) of heaven and earth
1b2) of birth
1b3) of something new
1b4) of miracles
1c) (Piel)
1c1) to cut down
1c2) to cut out
בָּרָא (ba.ra) — to fatten.
1) to be fat
1a) (Hiphil) to make yourselves fat
V-Niphal-Imperf-3mp | Suff — Verb niphal imperfect third person masculine plural · suffixHVNi3mp/Sn
חָדַשׁ (chadash) is a Hebrew verb meaning to be new, renew, or repair. It is primarily used in the Piel and Hithpael forms, indicating actions like making something new or renewing oneself. The entries emphasize the idea of renewal and restoration, with a notable example of renewal likened to the rejuvenation of youth, as seen in the phrase about eagles.
[חָדַשׁ] vb. only Pi. (and Hithp.) renew, repair
Pi.
renew, make anew
repair
Hithp. thy youth reneweth itself, like the eagle.
base
H2318 [חָדַשׁ] only Pi. (and Hithp.) renew, repair
2318 chadash khaw-dash'
a primitive root; to be new; causatively, to rebuild:--renew,
repair.
חָדַשׁ (cha.dash) — to renew.
1) to be new, renew, repair
1a) (Piel)
1a1) to renew, make anew
1a2) to repair
1b) (Hithpael) to renew oneself
Conj | V-Piel-Imperf-2ms — Conjunction · verb piel second person masculine singularHC/Vpu2ms
re-nu': The word is used in various senses:
(1) of material things, e.g. Ps 104:30; here it means to give a new appearance, to refresh, to restore the face of the earth;
(2) in 1Sa 11:14, to establish more firmly the kingdom by reinstalling King Saul;
(3) in 2Ch 15:8, to rebuild or repair the broken altar;
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…
N-cp — Noun common · masculine plural constructHNcmpc
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.
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…
אֲדָמָה (adamah) refers to ground or land, encompassing meanings such as tilled soil, a specific plot of land, and the earth's visible surface. It can denote territory or the whole inhabited earth, and it is also the name of a city in Naphtali. The word is derived from a root meaning 'red,' likely referring to the color of soil.
אֲדָמָה 224 n.f. ground, land (as tilled)
ground (as tilled, yielding sustenance)
piece of ground, landed property
earth as material substance
ground as earth's visible surface
land, territory, country
whole earth, inhabited earth
n. pr. loc. city in Naphtali
base
H127 אֲדָמָה ground, land . ground (as tilled, yielding sustenance)
. piece of ground, landed property
. earth as material substance
. ground as earth's visible surface
. land, territory, country
. whole earth, inhabited earth
. n. pr. loc. city in Naphtali
127 'adamah ad-aw-maw'
from 119; soil (from its general redness):--country, earth,
ground, husband(-man) (-ry), land.
see HEBREW for 0119
אֲדָמָה (a.da.mah) — land: soil.
: soil
1) ground, land
1a) ground (as general, tilled, yielding sustenance)
1b) piece of ground, a specific plot of land
1c) earth substance (for building or constructing)
1d) ground as earth's visible surface
1e) land, territory, country
1f) whole inhabited earth
1g) city in Naphtali
אֲדָמָה (a.da.mah) — land: country.
: country
1) ground, land
1a) ground (as general, tilled, yielding sustenance)
1b) piece of ground, a specific plot of land
1c) earth substance (for building or constructing)
1d) ground as earth's visible surface
1e) land, territory, country
1f) whole inhabited earth
1g) city in Naphtali
אֲדָמָה (a.da.mah) — land: planet.
: planet
1) ground, land
1a) ground (as general, tilled, yielding sustenance)
1b) piece of ground, a specific plot of land
1c) earth substance (for building or constructing)
1d) ground as earth's visible surface
N-fs — Noun common · feminine singular absoluteHNcfsa