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Psalms 107:18 — Word Study

Depth

WLCכָּל־ אֹ֭כֶל תְּתַעֵ֣ב נַפְשָׁ֑ם וַ֝יַּגִּ֗יעוּ עַד־ שַׁ֥עֲרֵי מָֽוֶת׃

BSATheynephesh loathedtaʻâb [abhorred, detested] allkôl [every kind of] foodʼôkel [meat, sustenance, nourishment] and drew nearnâgaʻ [came close, approached] toʻad the gatesshaʻar [doors, entrances] of deathmâveth [the end of life, mortal extinction]

Word
Listen & take awayPsalms 107
English ↓ Download MP3 The Berean Standard Bible chapter audio already hosted for the site's Bible section — verse 18 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 (Ma.vet) — no per-word recordings of the Hebrew exist to link to.
Take it away
Psalms 107:18quick helps
In a sentenceThe psalmist describes a dire situation where people, overwhelmed by their suffering, detest food and approach death.
Who is speakingThe psalmist, reflecting on the plight of the afflicted.
Where we areIn a poetic reflection on human suffering and divine deliverance.
The hard wordתְּתַעֵ֣ב
Take awayThe depth of despair can lead to a rejection of sustenance.
8 commentators on this verse Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them › clause verbתַּעָב 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 107:18

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 Cry of the Afflictedgenerated

17Fools, in their rebellious ways, and through their iniquities, suffered affliction.
18They loathed all food and drew near to the gates of death.
19Then they cried out to the LORD in their trouble, and He saved them from their distress.
20He sent forth His word and healed them; He rescued them from the Pit.

Psalm 107:18 reflects on the suffering of those who, in their distress, come to loathe food and approach the brink of death. This verse is part of a larger narrative that addresses the consequences of rebellion and the mercy of God in response to cries for help, as seen in the surrounding verses. The psalmist illustrates the physical and emotional toll of affliction, emphasizing the need for divine intervention.


Cross References

ReferenceText (BSB)
1Job 33:19–22A man is also chastened on his bed with pain and constant distress in his bones,
2Psalm 9:13Be merciful to me, O LORD; see how my enemies afflict me! Lift me up from the gates of death,
3Psalm 88:3For my soul is full of troubles, and my life draws near to Sheol.
4Isaiah 38:10I said, “In the prime of my life I must go through the gates of Sheol and be deprived of the remainder of my years.”

The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 4 references, hung on the phrase they belong to

abhorrethJob 33:19–22

The Key Word תְּתַעֵ֣ב, te.ta.'Evgenerated

The verb תְּתַעֵ֣ב (te.ta.'Ev) is a Piel form, indicating a strong action, meaning to abhor or detest. It conveys a deep emotional response, often in a moral or ritual context, suggesting a rejection of what is normally sustaining.

This word is used to describe a profound level of disgust, illustrating how the afflicted feel about food in their suffering. It emphasizes the severity of their condition, where even the most basic sustenance becomes repulsive.


How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated

In this study, the verse is primarily read in the Berean Standard Bible, which uses loathed to convey the strong emotion attached to the rejection of food.


Sentence Structuregenerated

The finite verbs תְּתַעֵ֣ב (it loathed) and וַיַּגִּ֗יעוּ (and they reached) govern the verse. The structure indicates a cause-and-effect relationship between the loathing of food and the approach to death.

The Hebrew word order places emphasis on the loathing as the primary action, followed by the consequence of drawing near to death, highlighting the severity of the situation.


Septuagint Backgroundgenerated

In the Septuagint, the Hebrew word תְּתַעֵ֣ב is rendered as ἐβδελύχατο (ebdeluthato), which also conveys a sense of strong disgust or loathing. This choice aligns closely with the emotional weight of the Hebrew term.

The Greek translation reflects a similar understanding of the depth of despair experienced by the afflicted, emphasizing their rejection of food in their suffering.


In plain words — the whole versegenerated

Psalm 107:18 describes people who are suffering so much that they detest food and are close to death. This verse is part of a larger message about how those in distress can call out to God for help, which is seen in the following verses.


Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated

What does it mean to loathe food?

To loathe food means to have such a strong aversion to it that one cannot bear to eat it, often due to extreme distress or suffering.

Why do they draw near to the gates of death?

Drawing near to the gates of death symbolizes being on the brink of death, indicating a serious condition where life is threatened.

What is the significance of this verse in the context of the psalm?

This verse highlights the human experience of suffering and the desperation that can lead individuals to feel they have lost all hope.

How does this verse relate to the theme of divine deliverance?

The verse sets the stage for the subsequent verses, which illustrate how, despite their suffering, the afflicted can cry out to the Lord and receive salvation.


Reflection Questionsgenerated

  1. In what ways have I experienced feelings of despair, and how did I cope with them?
  2. How can I support others who are going through difficult times, similar to the affliction described in this psalm?
  3. What does this verse teach me about the importance of seeking help in times of distress?
  4. How can I apply the themes of suffering and deliverance in my own life or in the lives of those around me?

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

Early commentary on this verse includes a reflection by Augustine of Hippo, who discusses the implications of loathing food in the context of spiritual and physical affliction.

Augustine of HippoExposition on Psalms 107 354–430
"Their soul abhorred all manner of meat" [Psalms 107:18]. Now they suffer satiety. They are sick of satiety. They are in danger from satiety.
Early Church Fathers on Psalms 107 →

Commentators on this verse — 8 expositors, verse by verse

Each of these wrote on Psalms 107:18 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.

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

Their soul abhorreth all manner of meat,.... Not only bread and common food, but dainty meat, the most delicious fare, Job 33:20, in which they most delighted in time of health, and too much indulged

Read John Gill on Psalms 107 →
Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's Commentary

Their soul abhorreth all manner of meat; and they draw near unto the gates of death. Their soul abhorreth all manner of meat - through sickness (Job 33:20; Psalms 103:3).

Read Robert Jamieson on Psalms 107 →
Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy Bible

Their soul; either themselves with all their soul; or their appetite, as the soul is taken, . Abhorreth all manner of meat; which is a Usual effect of great sickness. They draw near unto the gates of death; they are sick well nigh unto death.

Read Matthew Poole on Psalms 107 →
John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

Psalms 107:18 Their soul abhorreth all manner of meat; and they draw near unto the gates of death.Ver. 18. Their soul abhorreth] That is, their stomach loatheth it as unsavoury, though it be never so dainty: an appetite to our meat is an inconconceivable mercy, and, as we say, a sign of health. And they draw near unto the gates of death] Iam ipsum mortis limen pulsant; as till then little sense of sin or fear of the wrath to come. See Job 30:19-23.

Read John Trapp on Psalms 107 →
Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(18) Soul.—The Hebrew word for soul is very commonly used for strong appetite (see Psalms 107:9), so that we might paraphrase,” their appetite is turned to loathing.” Comp. this verse with Job 33:20.

Read Charles John Ellicott on Psalms 107 →
AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible

Verse 18. Their soul abhorreth all manner of meat] A natural description of a sick man: appetite is gone, and all desire for food fails; nutriment is no longer necessary, for death has seized upon the whole frame. See a similar image, Job 33:20.

Read AdamClarke on Psalms 107 →
CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

18. Their soul loatheth all manner of food, And they draw nigh unto the gates of death. Cp. Psalms 9:13; Psalms 88:3. For the archaism of P.B.V. ‘hard at death’s door,’ cp. note on Psalms 63:8.

Read Cambridge on Psalms 107 →
Albert Barnes1798–1870Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Their soul abhorreth all manner of meat - All food; all that is to be eaten.

Read Albert Barnes on Psalms 107 →

The verse in English, compared — 16 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

They loathed all food and drew near to the gates of death.

WEBWorld English Bible2000

Their soul abhors all kinds of food. They draw near to the gates of death.

MSBMajority Standard Bible2022

They loathed all food and drew near to the gates of death.

NETBNew English Translation2006

They lost their appetite for all food, and they drew near the gates of death.

Tyndale line

KJVKing James Version1611

Their soul abhorreth all manner of meat; and they draw near unto the gates of death.

ASVAmerican Standard Version1901

Their soul abhorreth all manner of food; And they draw near unto the gates of death.

RVARevised Version, American1894

Their soul abhorreth all manner of meat; and they draw near unto the gates of death.

NWBWebster's Bible1833

Their soul abhorreth all manner of food; and they draw near to the gates of death.

GNVGeneva Bible1599

Their soule abhorreth al meat, and they are brought to deaths doore.

Strictly literal

DBYDarby Translation1890

Their soul abhorreth all manner of food, and they draw near unto the gates of death:

YLTYoung's Literal Translation1862

All food doth their soul abominate, And they come nigh unto the gates of death,

LSVLiteral Standard Version2020

Their soul detests all food, || And they come near to the gates of death,

ILTInterlinear Literal Translation2000

All manner of food their soul abhorreth; and they draw near unto the gates of death;

ULBUnlocked Literal Bible2017

They lost their desire to eat any food, and they came close to the gates of death.

Simplified

FBVFree Bible Version2020

They didn't want to eat; they were at death's door.

BBEBible in Basic English1949

They are disgusted by all food, and they come near to the doors of death.

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.

clausenoun phrase · objectכָּלallאֹ֭כֶלfoodverbתְּתַעֵ֣בit.loathednoun phrase · subjectנַפְשָׁ֑throatםtheirוַ֝andclauseverbיַּגִּ֗יעוּthey.reachedprepositional phrase · prepositionalעַדtonoun phraseשַׁ֥עֲרֵי[the].gatesמָֽוֶתof.death

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 are largely in agreement, with seven of the eight words matching directly. The Dead Sea Scrolls show some restoration, with one word partially supplied, indicating a consistent transmission of the text despite some damage.

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

כָּל־ אֹ֭כֶל תְּתַעֵ֣ב נַפְשָׁ֑ם וַ֝יַּגִּ֗יעוּ עַד־ שַׁ֥עֲרֵי מָֽוֶת׃

Septuagintthe Greek the translators chose, word by word
כָּל־πᾶνאֹ֭כֶלβρῶμαתְּתַעֵ֣בἐβδελύχατοנַפְשָׁ֑םψυξὴוַ֝יַּגִּ֗יעוּἤγγισανעַד־ἕωςשַׁ֥עֲרֵיπυλῶν

7 of the 8 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.

Dead Sea Scrolls — 4Q88a copy a thousand years older than the Leningrad Codex

[כל] [אכל] [תתעב] נפש׳ם [ויגיעו] [עד] [שערי] מות

1 word on the leather — 1 partly restored, 6 supplied entire by an editor.

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 107:18כֹּלallallכֹּלאֹ֫כֶלfoodfoodאֹ֫כֶלתַּעָבit loathedit loathedתַּעָבנֶ֫פֶשׁthroat theithroat theirנֶ֫פֶשׁנָגַעand they reand they reacheנָגַעעַדtotoעַדשַׁ֫עַר[the] gates[the] gates ofשַׁ֫עַרמָ֫וֶתdeathdeathמָ֫וֶתכָּלַלto perfectto perfectכָּלַלאָכַלto eatto eatאָכַלנָפַשׁbe refreshbe refreshedנָפַשׁשָׁעַרto calculato calculateשָׁעַרמוּתto dieto dieמוּתעַדperpetuityperpetuityעַדעֵדָהcongregaticongregationעֵדָהעֲבֹדָהserviceserviceעֲבֹדָהשָׁבַרto buy grato buy grainשָׁבַרנֶ֫שֶׁךְinterestinterestנֶ֫שֶׁךְשִׁקֵּץto detestto detestשִׁקֵּץבָּקַשׁto seekto seekבָּקַשׁחַיalivealiveחַיטָמֵאuncleanuncleanטָמֵאנְבֵלָהcarcasscarcassנְבֵלָהמָתַיhowhowמָתַיעֶ֫רֶבeveningeveningעֶ֫רֶבמָדַדto measureto measureמָדַד
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 107:18

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.

all food it loathed throat their and they reached to [the] gates of death
כָּל־kol- all H3605 Noun common · masculine singular construct
5,415× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
The Hebrew word for 'all' or 'everything' is used throughout the Bible, like in Genesis 1:31, where God sees all He has made as very good. It encompasses the entirety of something, whether people, things, or situations.
Amplified meaning
every kind of
Tyndale gloss
all
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

כֹּל (kol) means 'all' or 'the whole.' It can refer to totality, including every person or thing, and is often used with a following genitive to specify what is included. The term can also denote a broader sense of everything in existence or all circumstances of life. The lexicons do not show significant disagreement on its meanings.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

כֹּל once כּוֹל n.m. the whole, all

with foll. gen. (as usually) the whole of, to be rendered, however, often in our idiom, to avoid stiffness, any or every

Absolutely:

without the art., all things, all

with the art. הַכֹּל

where the sense is limited by the context to things (or persons) just mentioned

in a wider sense, all, whether of all mankind or of all living things, the universe, or of all the circumstances of life (chiefly late)

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H3605 כֹּל once כּוֹל the whole, all . with foll. gen. (as usually) the whole of, to be rendered, however, often in our idiom, to avoid stiffness, any or every

. Absolutely: . without the art., all things, all

. with the art. הַכֹּל . where the sense is limited by the context to things (or persons) just mentioned

. in a wider sense, all, whether of all mankind or of all living things, the universe, or of all the circumstances of life (chiefly late)

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

3605 kol kole

or (Jer. 33:8) kowl {kole}; from 3634; properly, the whole;

hence, all, any or every (in the singular only, but often in a

plural sense):--(in) all (manner, (ye)), altogether, any

(manner), enough, every (one, place, thing), howsoever, as

many as, (no-)thing, ought, whatsoever, (the) whole,

whoso(-ever).

see HEBREW for 03634

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

כֹּל (kol) — all.

1) all, the whole

1a) all, the whole of

1b) any, each, every, anything

1c) totality, everything

Aramaic equivalent: kol (כֹּל "all" H3606)

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

ol: Used in various combinations, and with different meanings.

(1) All along, "Weeping all along as he went" (Jer 41:6), i.e. throughout the whole way he went, feigning equal concern with the men from Shiloh, etc., for the destruction of the Temple, so as to put them off their guard.

(2) All in all, "That God may be all in all" (1Co 15:28, Greek: panta en pasin, "all things in all (persons and) things"). "The universe, with all it comprises, will wholly answer to God's will and reflect His mind" (Dummelow).

(3) All one, "It is all one" (Job 9:22), "it makes no difference whether I live or die."

(4) At all, "If thy father miss me at all" (1Sa 20:6), "in any way," "in the least."

The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
all food it loathed throat their and they reached to [the] gates of death
אֹ֭כֶל'O.khel food H400 Noun common · masculine singular absolute
43× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This Hebrew word refers to food or a meal, including cereal, meat, and other supplies. It is used in stories about everyday life, like eating and sharing meals.
Amplified meaning
meat, sustenance, nourishment
Tyndale gloss
food
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

אֹ֫כֶל (okel) means food and encompasses a range of meanings including meal, meat, and food supply. It is derived from the root word for eating. The entries highlight its use in various contexts, such as meals and victuals, but do not indicate any significant disagreement among the lexicons.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

אֹ֫כֶל 40 n.m. food

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H400 אֹ֫כֶל food

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

400 'okel o'-kel

from 398; food:--eating, food, meal(-time), meat, prey,

victuals.

see HEBREW for 0398

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

אֹ֫כֶל (o.khel) — food.

1) food

1a) cereal

1b) meat

2) food supply

3) meal, dinner

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

food:

I. VEGETABLE FOODS

1. Primitive Habits

2. Cereals

3. Leguminous Plants

4. Food of Trees

II. ANIMAL FOOD

LITERATURE

In a previous article (see BREAD) it has been shown that in the Bible "bread" usually stands for food in general and how this came to be so. In a complementary article on MEALS the methods of preparing and serving food will be dealt with. This article is devoted specifically to the foodstuffs of the Orient, more especially to articles of food in use among the Hebrews in Bible times. These are divisible into two main classes.

I. Vegetable Foods.

1. Primitive Habits:

Orientals in general are vegetarians, rather than flesh eaters. There is some reason to believe that primitive man was a vegetarian (see Ge 2:16; 3:2,6). It would seem, indeed, from a comparison of Ge 1:29 f…

Easton's Bible Dictionary

Food

Originally the Creator granted the use of the vegetable world for food to man (Gen. 1:29), with the exception mentioned (2:17). The use of animal food was probably not unknown to the antediluvians. There is, however, a distinct law on the subject given to Noah after the Deluge (Gen. 9:2-5). Various articles of food used in the patriarchal age are mentioned in Gen. 18:6-8; 25:34; 27:3, 4; 43:11. Regarding the food of the Israelites in Egypt, see Ex. 16:3; Num. 11:5. In the wilderness their ordinary food was miraculously supplied in the manna. They had also quails (Ex.…

The diet of eastern nations has been in all ages light and simple. Vegetable food was more used than animal. The Hebrews used a great variety of articles, (John 21:5) to give a relish to bread. Milk and its preparations hold a conspicuous place in eastern diet, as affording substantial nourishment; generally int he form of the modern leben , i.e. sour milk. Authorized Version "butter;" (Genesis 18:8; Judges 5:25; 2 Samuel 17:29) Fruit was another source of subsistence: figs stood first in point of importance; they were generally dried and pressed into cakes. Grapes were generally eaten in a dried state as raisins. Of vegetables we have most frequent notice of lentils…

American Tract Society Bible Dictionary

In ancient the food of a people was more entirely the product of their own country than in our day. Palestine was favored with an abundance of animal food, grain, and vegetables. But throughout the East, vegetable food is more used than animal. Bread was the principal food. Grain of various kinds, beans, lentils, onions, grapes, together with olive oil, honey, and the milk of goats and cows were the ordinary fare. The wandering Arabs live much upon a coarse black bread. A very common dish in Syria is rice, with shreds of meat, vegetables, olive oil, etc., intermixed. A similar dish, made with beans, lentils, and various kinds of pulse, was in frequent use at an earlier age, Ge 25:29-34 2Ki 4:38-1.

all food it loathed throat their and they reached to [the] gates of death
תְּתַעֵ֣בte.ta.'Ev it loathed H8581 Verb · Piel · imperfect third person feminine singular
22× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
To abhor or detest something is what this Hebrew word means, and it is often used in a moral or ritual sense. It can also mean to cause something to be detested.
Amplified meaning
abhorred, detested
Tyndale gloss
to abhor
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

תַּעָב (ta'av) is a Hebrew verb meaning to abhor or loathe. It encompasses various forms, including being abhorred (Niphal), regarding something as an abomination (Piel), and causing something to be abominable (Hiphil). The term is used in both ritual and ethical contexts, reflecting a strong moral detestation.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

[תַּעָב] vb. denom. Niph. Pi.

Niph. be abhorred

Pi.

regard as an abomination, abhor

cause to be an abomination

Hiph. make abominable, do abominably

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H8581 תַּעָב vb. denom. Niph. Pi. . be abhorred

. . regard as an abomination, abhor

. cause to be an abomination

. make abominable, do abominably

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

8581 ta`ab taw-ab'

a primitive root; to loathe, i.e. (morally) detest:--(make

to be) abhor(-red), (be, commit more, do) abominable(-y), X

utterly.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

תַּעָב (ta.av) — to abhor.

1) to abhor, be abominable, do abominably

1a) (Niphal) to be abhorred, be detested

1a1) in the ritual sense

1a2) in the ethical sense

1b) (Piel)

1b1) to loathe, abhor, regard as an abomination

1b1a) in the ritual sense

1b1b) in the ethical sense

1b2) to cause to be an abomination

1c) (Hiphil) to make abominable, do abominably

1c1) in the ritual sense

1c2) in the ethical sense

Also means: ta.av (תָּאַב "to loathe" H8374)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
V-Piel-Imperf-3fs — Verb · Piel · imperfect third person feminine singular
HVpi3fs
all food it loathed throat their and they reached to [the] gates of death
נַפְשָׁ֑םnaf.Sham throat their H5315 Noun common feminine singular construct · suffix
754× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
The Hebrew word for soul or living being, used in the Bible to describe the essence of a person or animal. It encompasses the ideas of life, breath, and vitality, and is translated as 'soul' or 'creature' in the KJV. This word is central to biblical concepts of humanity and existence.
Tyndale gloss
soul
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word נֶ֫פֶשׁ (*nephesh*) broadly means 'soul' or 'living being,' encompassing concepts like life, self, person, desire, and emotion. It is derived from the root meaning 'to breathe' and signifies both physical and mental aspects of existence. The lexicons note its use in various contexts, including as the seat of appetites and emotions, though its application to will and character is uncertain.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

נֶ֫פֶשׁ 756 n.f. soul, living being, life, self, person, desire, appetite, emotion, and passion

= that which breathes, the breathing substance or being

The נפשׁ becomes a living being

The נפשׁ is specif.

The נפשׁ as the essential of man stands for the man himself

נפשׁ = seat of the appetites, in all periods (46 t.)

נ׳ = seat of emotions and passions

נפשׁ is used occasionally for mental acts

נפשׁ for acts of the will is dub.

נפשׁ = character is still more dub.

נ׳ in D

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H5315 נֶ֫פֶשׁ soul, living being, life, self, person, desire, appetite, emotion, and passion . = that which breathes, the breathing substance or being

. The נפשׁ becomes a living being

. The נפשׁ is specif.

. The נפשׁ as the essential of man stands for the man himself

. נפשׁ = seat of the appetites, in all periods (46 t.)

. נ׳ = seat of emotions and passions

. נפשׁ is used occasionally for mental acts

. נפשׁ for acts of the will is dub.

. נפשׁ = character is still more dub.

. נ׳ in D

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

5315 nephesh neh'-fesh

from 5314; properly, a breathing creature, i.e. animal of

(abstractly) vitality; used very widely in a literal,

accommodated or figurative sense (bodily or mental):--any,

appetite, beast, body, breath, creature, X dead(-ly), desire,

X (dis-)contented, X fish, ghost, + greedy, he, heart(-y),

(hath, X jeopardy of) life (X in jeopardy), lust, man, me,

mind, mortally, one, own, person, pleasure, (her-, him-, my-,

thy-)self, them (your)-selves, + slay, soul, + tablet, they,

thing, (X she) will, X would have it.

see HEBREW for 05314

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

נֶ֫פֶשׁ (ne.phesh) — soul.

1) soul, self, life, creature, person, appetite, mind, living being, desire, emotion, passion

1a) that which breathes, the breathing substance or being, soul, the inner being of man

1b) living being

1c) living being (with life in the blood)

1d) the man himself, self, person or individual

1e) seat of the appetites

1f) seat of emotions and passions

1g) activity of mind

1g1) uncertain

1h) activity of the will

1h1) uncertain

1i) activity of the character

1i1) uncertain

נֶ֫פֶשׁ (ne.phesh) — soul: life.

1) soul, self, life, creature, person, appetite, mind, living being, desire, emotion, passion

1a) that which breathes, the breathing substance or being, soul, the inner being of man

1b) living being

1c) living being (with life in the blood)

1d) the man himself, self, person or individual

1e) seat of the appetites

1f) seat of emotions and passions

1g) activity of mind

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-cs | Suff — Noun common feminine singular construct · suffix
HNcfsc/Sp3mp
all food it loathed throat their and they reached to [the] gates of death
וַ֝יַּגִּ֗יעוּvai.ya.Gi.'u and they reached H5060 Verb · Hiphil · sequential imperfect third person masculine plural
150× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This Hebrew word means to touch or reach something, and can also mean to strike or defeat someone. It is used in Exodus to describe God's power and in Psalms to describe human emotions. The word has various translations, including beat, bring, and plague.
Amplified meaning
came close, approached
Tyndale gloss
to touch
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

נָגַע (naga`) is a Hebrew verb meaning to touch, reach, or strike. It encompasses a range of actions from physical contact to figurative implications like arriving or acquiring. The word can also denote being stricken or defeated, particularly in battle or by disease. The entries indicate various grammatical forms, including Qal, Niph, Piel, Pual, and Hiphil, each with specific nuances.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

נָגַע 150 vb. touch, reach, strike

Qal

touch

of י׳ touching earth, mountains, etc.

nearly = strike, pass. stricken

touch = harm

reach, extend to

Niph. be stricken, defeated (in battle), i.e. feign to be so

Pi. strike (with leprosy, 2 acc.)

Pu. be stricken by diseases

Hiph. cause to touch; reach, approach, arrive

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H5060 נָגַע touch, reach, strike .. . touch

. of י׳ touching earth, mountains, etc.

. nearly = strike, pass. stricken

. touch = harm

. reach, extend to

. be stricken, defeated (in battle), i.e. feign to be so

. strike (with leprosy, 2 acc.)

. be stricken by diseases

. cause to touch; reach, approach, arrive

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

5060 naga` naw-gah'

a primitive root; properly, to touch, i.e. lay the hand upon

(for any purpose; euphem., to lie with a woman); by

implication, to reach (figuratively, to arrive, acquire);

violently, to strike (punish, defeat, destroy, etc.):--beat,

(X be able to) bring (down), cast, come (nigh), draw near

(nigh), get up, happen, join, near, plague, reach (up), smite,

strike, touch.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

נָגַע (na.ga) — to touch.

1) to touch, reach, strike

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to touch

1a2) to strike

1a3) to reach, extend to

1a4) to be stricken

1a4a) stricken (participle)

1b) (Niphal) to be stricken, be defeated

1c) (Piel) to strike

1d) (Pual) to be stricken (by disease)

1e) (Hiphil) to cause to touch, reach, approach, arrive

1e1) to cause to touch, apply

1e2) to reach, extend, attain, arrive, come

1e3) to approach (of time)

1e4) to befall (of fate)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Conj | V-Hiphil-ConsecImperf-3mp — Verb · Hiphil · sequential imperfect third person masculine plural
Hc/Vhw3mp
all food it loathed throat their and they reached to [the] gates of death
עַד־'ad- to H5704 Preposition
1,261× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This Hebrew word means until or as far as, describing a point in time or space. It's used in the Bible to set boundaries or limits, like in Exodus when describing the Israelites' journey.
Tyndale gloss
till
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

עַד (ad) primarily functions as a preposition, adverb, or conjunction meaning 'until,' 'up to,' or 'as far as.' It can denote spatial, temporal, or degree-related contexts, such as 'even to' or 'while.' The entries indicate its use in poetry and in various combinations, but there is no significant disagreement among the lexicons regarding its meanings.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

עַד, in poetry עֲדֵי prep. as far as, even to, up to, until, while

prep.

of space

Of time

Of degree

conj.

until

While

Of degree, to the point that, so that even (rare)

עַד לְ, a strengthened form for עַד. Thus

of space

Of time

Of degree

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H5704 עַד, in poetry עֲדֵי as far as, even to, up to, until, while . prep. . of space

. Of time

. Of degree

. conj. . until

. While

. Of degree, to the point that, so that even (rare)

. עַד לְ, a strengthened form for עַד. Thus . of space

. Of time

. Of degree

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

5704 `ad ad

properly, the same as 5703 (used as a preposition, adverb or

conjunction; especially with a preposition); as far (or long,

or much) as, whether of space (even unto) or time (during,

while, until) or degree (equally with):--against, and, as,

at, before, by (that), even (to), for(-asmuch as),

(hither-)to, + how long, into, as long (much) as, (so) that,

till, toward, until, when, while, (+ as) yet.

see HEBREW for 05703

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

עַד (ad) — till.

prep

1) as far as, even to, until, up to, while, as far as

1a) of space

1a1) as far as, up to, even to

1b) in combination

1b1) from...as far as, both...and (with 'min' -from)

1c) of time

1c1) even to, until, unto, till, during, end

1d) of degree

1d1) even to, to the degree of, even like

conj

2) until, while, to the point that, so that even

Aramaic equivalent: ad (עַד "till" H5705)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Prep — Preposition
HR
all food it loathed throat their and they reached to [the] gates of death
שַׁ֥עֲרֵיSha.'a.rei [the] gates of H8179 Noun common · masculine plural construct
374× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
In the Bible, this Hebrew word means a gate or door, often referring to city entrances or temple doors, like in Genesis and Exodus. It can also symbolize a meeting place or marketplace. The word is used to describe important locations in the Bible.
Amplified meaning
doors, entrances
Tyndale gloss
gate
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

שַׁ֫עַר (sha'ar) means 'gate' and is derived from a root that signifies an opening. It encompasses various types of gates, including those of cities, palaces, and temples, as well as metaphorical uses like 'gate of heaven.' The entries consistently highlight its role as an entrance or threshold.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

שַׁ֫עַר 373 n.m. gate

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H8179 שַׁ֫עַר gate

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

8179 sha`ar shah'-ar

from 8176 in its original sense; an opening, i.e. door or

gate:--city, door, gate, port (X -er).

see HEBREW for 08176

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

שַׁ֫עַר (sha.ar) — gate.

: gate

1) gate

1a) gate (of entrance)

1b) gate (of space inside gate, i.e. marketplace, public meeting place)

1b1) city, town

1c) gate (of palace, royal castle, temple, court of tabernacle)

1d) heaven

שַׁ֫עַר (sha.ar) — gate: town.

: town

1) gate

1a) gate (of entrance)

1b) gate (of space inside gate, i.e. marketplace, public meeting place)

1b1) city, town

1c) gate (of palace, royal castle, temple, court of tabernacle)

1d) heaven

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…

all food it loathed throat their and they reached to [the] gates of death
מָֽוֶת׃Ma.vet death H4194 Noun common · masculine singular absolute
156× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
In the Bible, this word refers to death, whether natural or violent, and is used in books like Genesis and Isaiah. It can also mean the place of the dead, or a state of ruin. This concept is seen in the story of Moses, where death is a punishment for disobedience.
Amplified meaning
the end of life, mortal extinction
Tyndale gloss
death
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

מָ֫וֶת (maveth) means 'death' and encompasses various aspects such as natural or violent death, the state of being dead, and the realm of the dead (hades). It can also refer to pestilence or ruin. The word is derived from a root meaning 'to die' and has an Aramaic equivalent, מוֹת (mot).

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

מָ֫וֶת 161 n.m. death

death, opp. life

death by violence

state of death or place of death

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H4194 מָ֫וֶת death

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

4194 maveth maw'-veth

from 4191; death (natural or violent); concretely, the dead,

their place or state (hades); figuratively, pestilence,

ruin:--(be) dead((-ly)), death, die(-d).

see HEBREW for 04191

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

מָ֫וֶת (ma.vet) — death.

1) death, dying, Death (personified), realm of the dead

1a) death

1b) death by violence (as a penalty)

1c) state of death, place of death

Aramaic equivalent: mot (מוֹת "death" H4193)

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

(maweth; thanatos):

PHYSIOLOGICAL AND FIGURATIVE VIEW

The word "Death" is used in the sense of

(1) the process of dying (Ge 21:16);

(2) the period of decease (Ge 27:7);

(3) as a possible synonym for poison (2Ki 4:40);

(4) as descriptive of person in danger of perishing (Jud 15:18; "in deaths oft" 2Co 11:23). In this sense the shadow of death is a familiar expression in Job, the Psalms and the Prophets;

(5) death is personified in 1Co 15:55 and Re 20:14. Deliverance from this catastrophe is called the "issues from…

Easton's Bible Dictionary

Death

May be simply defined as the termination of life. It is represented under a variety of aspects in Scripture: (1.) “The dust shall return to the earth as it was” (Eccl. 12:7).

(2.) “Thou takest away their breath, they die” (Ps. 104:29).

(3.) It is the dissolution of “our earthly house of this tabernacle” (2 Cor. 5:1); the “putting off this tabernacle” (2 Pet. 1:13, 14).

(4.) Being “unclothed” (2 Cor. 5:3, 4).

(5.) “Falling on sleep” (Ps. 76:5; Jer. 51:39;

Is taken in Scripture, first, for the separation of body and soul, the first death, Ge 25:11; secondly, for alienation from God, and exposure to his wrath, 1Jo 3:14, etc.; thirdly, for the second death, that of eternal damnation. Death was the penalty affixed to Adam’s transgression, Ge 2:17 3:19; and all his posterity are transgressors, and share the curse inflicted upon him. CHRIST is "our life." All believers share his life, spiritually and eternally; and though sin and bodily is taken away, and in the resurrection the last enemy shall be trampled under foot, Ro 5:12-21 1Co 15:1-58.

Nave's Topical Bible

→ Miscellaneous Subjects

Called GIVING UP THE GHOST Ge 25:8; 35:29; La 1:19; Ac 5:10

KING OF TERRORS Job 18:14

A CHANGE Job 14:14

GOING TO THY FATHERS Ge 15:15; 25:8; 35:29

PUTTING OFF THIS TABERNACLE 2Pe 1:14

REQUIRING THE SOUL Lu 12:20

GOING THE WAY WHENCE THERE IS NO RETURN Job 16:22

BEING GATHERED TO OUR PEOPLE Ge 49:33

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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