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Psalms 106:33 — Word Study

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WLCכִּֽי־ הִמְר֥וּ אֶת־ רוּח֑וֹ וַ֝יְבַטֵּ֗א בִּשְׂפָתָֽיו׃

BSAForkîy [because of their actions] they rebelled againstmârâh [resisted, disobeyed] His Spiritrûwach [the breath of life, divine presence] and [Moses] spoke rashlybâṭâʼ [uttered words, pronounced judgment, without thinking, unadvisedly] with his lipssâphâh [language, words]

Word
Listen & take awayPsalms 106
English ↓ Download MP3 The Berean Standard Bible chapter audio already hosted for the site's Bible section — verse 33 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 (bis.fa.Tav) — no per-word recordings of the Hebrew exist to link to.
Take it away
Psalms 106:33quick helps
In a sentenceThe verse reflects on the rebellion of the people against God's Spirit and Moses' thoughtless words.
Who is speakingThe psalmist recounts the actions of the Israelites and Moses.
Where we areThis verse is part of a historical reflection on the Israelites' journey and their failures.
The hard wordהִמְר֥וּ
Take awayRebellion against God leads to rash actions and words.
8 commentators on this verse Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them › clause verbמָרָה 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 — Psalms 106:33

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 Rebellion of Israelgenerated

32At the waters of Meribah they angered the LORD, and trouble came to Moses because of them.
33For they rebelled against His Spirit, and Moses spoke rashly with his lips.
34They did not destroy the peoples as the LORD had commanded them,
35but they mingled with the nations and adopted their customs.

Psalm 106:33 describes the moment when the Israelites rebelled against God's Spirit, leading to Moses speaking rashly. This reflects a broader narrative of disobedience and its consequences, as seen in the preceding verses where the people angered the LORD at Meribah. The psalmist uses this account to highlight the failures of both the people and their leader, Moses, in their journey through the wilderness.


Cross References

ReferenceText (BSB)
1Numbers 20:10–11Then Moses and Aaron gathered the assembly in front of the rock, and Moses said to them, “Listen now, you rebels, must we bring you water out of this rock?”
2Psalm 39:1I said, “I will watch my ways so that I will not sin with my tongue; I will guard my mouth with a muzzle as long as the wicked are present.”
3Psalm 141:3Set a guard, O LORD, over my mouth; keep watch at the door of my lips.
4Genesis 30:1When Rachel saw that she was not bearing any children for Jacob, she envied her sister. “Give me children, or I will die!” she said to Jacob.
5Genesis 35:16–18Later, they set out from Bethel, and while they were still some distance from Ephrath, Rachel began to give birth, and her labor was difficult.

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


The Key Word הִמְר֥וּ, him.Rugenerated

The verb מָרָה (marah) means to rebel or resist authority. In this context, it indicates a defiance against God's Spirit, showing a stubborn refusal to submit to divine guidance.

The Hiphil form indicates that the action is caused by the subject, emphasizing the people's active role in their rebellion. This word appears multiple times in the Hebrew Bible, often in contexts of disobedience and contention.


How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated

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


Sentence Structuregenerated

The main verb הִמְר֥וּ governs the clause, indicating the action of rebellion. It is followed by a direct object marked by אֶת־, which points to God's Spirit, and then a second clause introduced by וַ֝יְבַטֵּ֗א, indicating Moses' action of speaking.

The structure emphasizes the cause-and-effect relationship between the people's rebellion and Moses' rash speech, showing how disobedience leads to unwise actions.


Septuagint Backgroundgenerated

In the Septuagint, the Hebrew הִמְר֥וּ is translated as παρεπίκραναν, which conveys a similar sense of rebellion or contention. This choice reflects the translators' understanding of the gravity of the Israelites' actions.

The Greek term used for Moses' speech, διέστειλεν, suggests a more forceful or emphatic expression, indicating that his words were not only rash but also carried significant weight in the context of their rebellion.


In plain words — the whole versegenerated

Psalm 106:33 tells us that the Israelites rebelled against God's Spirit, which led Moses to speak rashly. This verse highlights the consequences of disobedience and the importance of careful speech, especially in leadership.


Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated

What does it mean to rebel against God's Spirit?

Rebelling against God's Spirit means resisting His guidance and authority, often leading to actions that go against His will.

Why did Moses speak rashly?

Moses spoke rashly due to the frustration and anger caused by the people's rebellion, which clouded his judgment.

What can we learn from this verse about our words?

This verse teaches us the importance of speaking thoughtfully and wisely, especially when leading others.

How does this verse relate to the overall narrative of the Israelites in the wilderness?

It reflects a pattern of disobedience among the Israelites, showing how their lack of faith led to consequences for both them and their leader.


Reflection Questionsgenerated

  1. In what ways have I resisted guidance in my life, similar to the Israelites?
  2. How can I ensure that my words reflect wisdom and thoughtfulness, especially in difficult situations?
  3. What steps can I take to be more aware of the impact of my speech on others?
  4. How does understanding the context of this verse help me apply its lessons today?

Commentators on this verse — 8 expositors, verse by verse

Each of these wrote on Psalms 106:33 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.

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

Because they provoked his spirit;.... Though he was a very meek man, meeker than any upon the face of the earth, Numbers 12:2, yet, being greatly provoked, let fall some passionate and undue

Read John Gill on Psalms 106 →
Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's Commentary

Yea, they despised the pleasant land, they believed not his word: (1) The people's distrust of the Lord's word as to Canaan after hearing the spies' report (Psalms 106:24-27).

Read Robert Jamieson on Psalms 106 →
Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy Bible

He spake unadvisedly: so this word is thought to signify, . Or, he spake, as the word commonly signifies. Not that it was in itself a sin to speak, but because he spake when he should have been silent; or he spake to the people, when God commanded him only to speak to the rock, ; or, he spake, to wit, the provocation of his spirit, or such words as were agreeable to it, and might be expected from it. He mentions not here what Moses spake, because that was fully known from the history, and because he would throw a veil over Moses’ s infirmity, and rather imply than express his fault.

Read Matthew Poole on Psalms 106 →
John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

Psalms 106:33 Because they provoked his spirit, so that he spake unadvisedly with his lips.Ver. 33. Because they provoked his spirit] So that he was in a pelt to the grieving of God’ s good Spirit within him, Ephesians 4:30-31. O tantaene animis coelestibus irae? So that he spake unadvisedly] Some render it only, he spake, or he pronounced; he should not have spoken at all to the people, as having no order from God so to do in that transaction, but only to the rock. Whereas he not only smote the rock, and smote it twice, but spake to the people, and spake rashly, or idly (the Greek word βαττολογεω is thought to come from the Hebrew Bata here used), yea, bitterly, calling them rebels, and…

Read John Trapp on Psalms 106 →
Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(33) They provoked his spirit.—The natural interpretation is to take this of Moses’ spirit. So LXX. and Vulg., “they embittered his spirit.” The usage of the phrase is, however, in favour of referring the words to the temper of the people towards God,” they rebelled against His spirit.” Spake unadvisedly.—Compare the same verb with the same addition, “with the lips,” in Leviticus 5:4. This interpretation of the fault of Moses is partial. A comparison of all the historical narratives shows that it was rather for a momentary lapse into the despairing spirit of the people, than for addressing them as rebels, that Moses was excluded from the Promised Land.

Read Charles John Ellicott on Psalms 106 →
AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible

Verse 33. They provoked his spirit] המרו himru, from מרה marah, to rebel: they brought it into a rebellious state; he was soured and irritated, and was off his guard. So that he spake unadvisedly with his lips.] For this sentence we have only these two words in the Hebrew, ויבטא בשפתיו vayebatte bisephathaiv, he stuttered or stammered with his lips, indicating that he was transported with anger. See the notes on Numbers 20:10-12.

Read AdamClarke on Psalms 106 →
CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

33. Because they were rebellious against his spirit, And he spake rashly with his lips. The cause of Jehovah’s anger and Moses’ punishment was the rebellion of the Israelites against the guidance of God’s spirit, and the rash utterance of Moses which was its consequence. Moses’ speech “Hear now, ye rebels! out of this cliff must we fetch you water?” and his striking the rock when he was commanded to speak to it, indicates that his sin consisted in impatience and want of faith. The usage of the verb and the parallel of Isa 63:10 are decisive in favour of taking his spirit to mean God’s spirit not Moses’ spirit: and though the term rebellion is applied to the conduct of Moses and Aaron in…

Read Cambridge on Psalms 106 →
Albert Barnes1798–1870Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Because they provoked his spirit - literally, “They made his spirit bitter,” or they embittered his soul.

Read Albert Barnes on Psalms 106 →

The verse in English, compared — 17 translations, and where they part company

Every translation on this page is a decision someone had to make and commit to. Read down a column and you see one translator's judgement; read across a row and you see the range the Greek actually allows. The BSB is the wording the rest of this page is measured against, so it is listed first.

Modern formal

BSBBerean Standard Bible2020

For they rebelled against His Spirit, and Moses spoke rashly with his lips.

WEBWorld English Bible2000

because they were rebellious against his spirit, he spoke rashly with his lips.

MSBMajority Standard Bible2022

For they rebelled against His Spirit, and Moses spoke rashly with his lips.

NETBNew English Translation2006

for they aroused his temper, and he spoke rashly.

Tyndale line

KJVKing James Version1611

Because they provoked his spirit, so that he spake unadvisedly with his lips.

ASVAmerican Standard Version1901

Because they were rebellious against his spirit, And he spake unadvisedly with his lips.

RVARevised Version, American1894

Because they were rebellious against his spirit, and he spake unadvisedly with his lips.

NWBWebster's Bible1833

Because they provoked his spirit, so that he spoke unadvisedly with his lips.

GNVGeneva Bible1599

Because they vexed his spirite, so that hee spake vnaduisedly with his lippes.

Strictly literal

DBYDarby Translation1890

For they provoked his spirit, so that he spoke unadvisedly with his lips.

YLTYoung's Literal Translation1862

For they have provoked his spirit, And he speaketh wrongfully with his lips.

LSVLiteral Standard Version2020

For they have provoked his spirit, || And he speaks wrongfully with his lips.

ILTInterlinear Literal Translation2000

Because they had embittered his spirit, and so he spoke thoughtlessly with his lips.

ULBUnlocked Literal Bible2017

They made Moses bitter, and he spoke rashly.

From the Latin

DRADouay-Rheims (Challoner)1899

He hath turned rivers into a wilderness: and the sources of water into dry ground:

Simplified

FBVFree Bible Version2020

They upset him so much that he spoke without thinking in the heat of the moment.

BBEBible in Basic English1949

For they made his spirit bitter, and he said unwise things.

Counted from the translations carried on this site, not from a survey of every English Bible. A rendering shared by many versions is usually inherited rather than independently arrived at — the Tyndale line in particular runs through most of them.


The sentence as the grammar sees it — from the MACULA Hebrew treebank

This is not our own analysis: it is the scholarly syntax tree for the verse, showing how the clause actually holds together.

כִּֽי(dm)clauseverbהִמְר֥וּthey.rebelled.towardnoun phrase · objectאֶת(et)noun phraseרוּח֑spiritוֹhisוַ֝andclauseverbיְבַטֵּ֗אhe.spoke.rashlyprepositional phrase · prepositionalבִּwithnoun phraseשְׂפָתָֽיlipsוhis

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 largely agree in their wording for this verse, with five out of six words matching directly. This consistency indicates a shared understanding of the events described.

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

כִּֽי־ הִמְר֥וּ אֶת־ רוּח֑וֹ וַ֝יְבַטֵּ֗א בִּשְׂפָתָֽיו׃

Septuagintthe Greek the translators chose, word by word
כִּֽי־ὅτιהִמְר֥וּπαρεπίκρανανרוּח֑וֹαὐτοῦוַ֝יְבַטֵּ֗אδιέστειλενבִּשְׂפָתָֽיו׃αὐτοῦ

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.

Psalms 106:33כִּיforforכִּימָרָהthey rebellthey rebelled tמָרָהאֵתthe object the object markאֵתרוּחַspirit hisspirit hisרוּחַבָּטָהand he spokand he spoke raבָּטָהשָׂפָהwith lips hwith lips hisשָׂפָהאוֹתsign: mirasign: miraculouאוֹתרִיחַto smellto smellרִיחַסָפָהto snatchto snatchסָפָהיָדַעto knowto knowיָדַעסָרַרto rebelto rebelסָרַרפֶּהliplipפֶּהמִגְרָשׁpasturepastureמִגְרָשׁנְשָׁמָהbreathbreathנְשָׁמָהקָדִיםeasteastקָדִיםשָׂפָהlipslipsשָׂפָהיְרִיעָהcurtaincurtainיְרִיעָהלָשׁוֹןtonguetongueלָשׁוֹן
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 Psalms 106:33

One dossier per word, with every reference work grouped by kind — Hebrew lexicons, morphology, Bible dictionaries, topical chains and the English of the translators themselves. The verse sits at the head of each block with the word under study lit, so you never lose your place. The panel above gives the short answer; this is the long one, and it is the part of the page worth indexing.

Every entry below is the lexicographer's own text. On the Hebrew: Brown-Driver-Briggs entire and its gloss set, Strong's Hebrew Dictionary, and Tyndale House's Translators Brief lexicon. Where a cell says a work has no entry, that work genuinely has none for this word.

for they rebelled toward the object marker spirit his and he spoke rashly with lips his
כִּֽי־ki- for H3588 Particle
4,483× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
A conjunction used to show cause or connection, as in Genesis 2:23 where Adam says the woman is bone of his bone because she was taken out of him. It is often translated as 'for', 'because', or 'since'.
Amplified meaning
because of their actions
Tyndale gloss
for
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

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

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

כִּי conj. that, for, when

that

Of time, when, of the past

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

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

Because, since

base

כִּי אם־

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

that if

for if

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

limiting the prec. clause, except

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

after an oath, surely

base

כִּי עַל כֵּן forasmuch as

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H3588a כִּי that, for, when . that

. . Of time, when, of the past

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

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

. Because, since

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

. for if

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

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

. after an oath, surely

H3588c כִּי עַל כֵּן forasmuch as

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

3588 kiy kee

a primitive particle (the full form of the prepositional

prefix) indicating causal relations of all kinds, antecedent

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

whether, while, whom, yea, yet.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

כִּי (ki) — for.

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

1a) that

1a1) yea, indeed

1b) when (of time)

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

1c) because, since (causal connection)

1d) but (after negative)

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

1f) but rather, but

1g) except that

1h) only, nevertheless

1i) surely

1j) that is

1k) but if

1l) for though

1m) forasmuch as, for therefore

כִּי [אם] (ki im) — that if: except.

1) except if

1a) but if

1b) even though

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

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

1a) that

1a1) yea, indeed

1b) when (of time)

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

1c) because, since (causal connection)

1d) but (after negative)

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

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

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

The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
for they rebelled toward the object marker spirit his and he spoke rashly with lips his
הִמְר֥וּhim.Ru they rebelled toward H4784 Verb · Hiphil · perfect third person common plural
45× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
To rebel means to resist or disobey authority, often in a stubborn or defiant way. In the Bible, it's used to describe people's disobedience towards God or their parents.
Amplified meaning
resisted, disobeyed
Tyndale gloss
to rebel
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

מָרָה (marah) is a Hebrew verb meaning to be contentious or rebellious. It encompasses actions of disobedience, particularly towards authority figures like parents or God. The entries indicate that it can also imply causing bitterness or provoking resistance. The word appears in various forms, such as Qal and Hiphil, which denote different aspects of rebellion and disobedience.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

מָרָה vb. be contentious, refractory, rebellious

Qal be disobedient, rebellious

Hiph. shew disobedience, rebelliousness

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H4784 מָרָה be contentious, refractory, rebellious

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

4784 marah maw-raw'

a primitive root; to be (causatively, make) bitter (or

unpleasant); (figuratively) to rebel (or resist; causatively,

to provoke):--bitter, change, be disobedient, disobey,

grievously, provocation, provoke(-ing), (be) rebel

(against, -lious).

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

מָרָה (ma.rah) — to rebel.

1) to be contentious, be rebellious, be refractory, be disobedient towards, be rebellious against

1a) (Qal) to be disobedient, be rebellious

1a1) towards father

1a2) towards God

1b) (Hiphil) to show rebelliousness, show disobedience, disobey

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
V-Hiphil-Perf-3cp — Verb · Hiphil · perfect third person common plural
HVhp3cp
for they rebelled toward the object marker spirit his and he spoke rashly with lips his
אֶת־'et- the object marker H853 Particle
10,946× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
In the original Hebrew, this word points out the object of a verb or preposition, like 'namely' or 'even'. It appears in many books, including Genesis and Exodus. It's not directly translated in English, but helps clarify the meaning of sentences.
Tyndale gloss
[Obj.]
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

אֵת (eth) is primarily a grammatical marker in Hebrew, indicating the definite direct object of a verb. It is not translated into English and typically precedes nouns that are definite. The word is derived from a demonstrative sense of entity, related to the Hebrew word for 'self.' Its Aramaic equivalent is יָת (yat).

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

אֵת the mark of the accusative, prefixed as a rule only to nouns that are definite

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H853 אֵת the mark of the accusative, prefixed as a rule only to nouns that are definite

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

853 'eth ayth

apparent contracted from 226 in the demonstrative sense of

entity; properly, self (but generally used to point out more

definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or

namely):--(as such unrepresented in English).

see HEBREW for 0226

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

אֵת (et) — [Obj.].

sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative

Aramaic equivalent: yat (יָת "whom" H3487)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
HTo — Particle
HTo
The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
for they rebelled toward the object marker spirit his and he spoke rashly with lips his
רוּח֑וֹru.Cho spirit his H7307 Noun common feminine singular construct · suffix
378× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
In the Bible, this word for spirit refers to the breath of life, the wind, or a person's mind and emotions, as seen in the book of Ezekiel.
Amplified meaning
the breath of life, divine presence
Tyndale gloss
spirit
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

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.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

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

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

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.)

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

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

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

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

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-cs | Suff — Noun common feminine singular construct · suffix
HNcfsc/Sp3ms
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

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

for they rebelled toward the object marker spirit his and he spoke rashly with lips his
וַ֝יְבַטֵּ֗אvay.va.Te' and he spoke rashly H981 Verb · Piel · sequential imperfect third person masculine singular
4× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
To speak rashly means to talk thoughtlessly or angrily, as when someone pronounces judgment without thinking, like the Israelites did in the wilderness.
Amplified meaning
uttered words, pronounced judgment, without thinking, unadvisedly
Tyndale gloss
to speak rashly
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

בָּטָה (bata') is a primitive root meaning to speak rashly or thoughtlessly. It covers the idea of babbling or vociferating angrily, with forms indicating both a participle and a more active sense. The entries consistently emphasize the notion of unadvised speech.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

[בָּטָה, בָּטָא] vb. speak rashly, thoughtlessly

Qal one that babbleth

Pi. speak rashly, unadvisedly

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H981 בָּטָה, בָּטָא speak rashly, thoughtlessly

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

981 bata' baw-taw'

or batah {baw-taw'}; a primitive root; to babble; hence, to

vociferate angrily:--pronounce, speak (unadvisedly).

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

בָּטָה (ba.tah) — to speak rashly.

1) to speak rashly or angrily, speak thoughtlessly

1a) (Qal) one that babbles, speaks rashly (part.)

1b) (Piel) to speak rashly, unadvisedly

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Conj | V-Piel-ConsecImperf-3ms — Verb · Piel · sequential imperfect third person masculine singular
Hc/Vpw3ms
The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
for they rebelled toward the object marker spirit his and he spoke rashly with lips his
בִּשְׂפָתָֽיו׃bis.fa.Tav with lips his H8193 Preposition · noun common feminine dual construct · suffix
176× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This word refers to lips or language, and can also mean the edge or border of something. It is used in the Bible to describe the shore of a sea or the edge of a cup.
Amplified meaning
language, words
Tyndale gloss
lips
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word שָׂפָה (*saphah*) encompasses meanings related to 'lip,' 'speech,' and 'edge.' It is derived from concepts of termination, suggesting boundaries like the edge of a vessel or the bank of a river. The word can refer to physical lips, language, or the edges of various objects, including shores.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

שָׂפָה 176 n.f. lip, speech, edge

lip

language

edge: shore of sea; bank of river

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H8193 שָׂפָה lip, speech, edge . lip

. language

. edge: shore of sea; bank of river

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

8193 saphah saw-faw'

or (in dual and plural) sepheth {sef-eth'}; probably from

5595 or 8192 through the idea of termination (compare 5490);

the lip (as a natural boundary); by implication, language; by

analogy, a margin (of a vessel, water, cloth, etc.):--band,

bank, binding, border, brim, brink, edge, language, lip,

prating, ((sea-))shore, side, speech, talk, (vain) words.

see HEBREW for 05595

see HEBREW for 08192

see HEBREW for 05490

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

שָׂפָה (sa.phah) — lips.

: lips/mouth

1) lip, language, speech, shore, bank, brink, brim, side, edge, border, binding

1a) lip (as body part)

1b) language

1c) edge, shore, bank (of cup, sea, river, etc)

שָׂפָה (sa.phah) — lip: words.

: words/language

1) lip, language, speech, shore, bank, brink, brim, side, edge, border, binding

1a) lip (as body part)

1b) language

1c) edge, shore, bank (of cup, sea, river, etc)

שָׂפָה (sa.phah) — lip: edge.

: edge/border/opening

1) lip, language, speech, shore, bank, brink, brim, side, edge, border, binding

1a) lip (as body part)

1b) language

1c) edge, shore, bank (of cup, sea, river, etc)

שָׂפָה (sa.phah) — lip: shore.

: shore/bank(of_sea/river)

1) lip, language, speech, shore, bank, brink, brim, side, edge, border, binding

1a) lip (as body part)

1b) language

1c) edge, shore, bank (of cup, sea, river, etc)

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Prep | N-fd | Suff — Preposition · noun common feminine dual construct · suffix
HR/Ncfdc/Sp3ms
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

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

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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