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Psalms 107:35 — Word Study

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WLCיָשֵׂ֣ם מִ֭דְבָּר לַֽאֲגַם־ מַ֑יִם וְאֶ֥רֶץ צִ֝יָּ֗ה לְמֹצָ֥אֵי מָֽיִם׃

BSAHe turnssûwm [makes, transforms] a desertmidbâr [wilderness, barren land] into poolsʼăgam [standing water] of watermayim [refreshment, source of life] and a drytsîyâh [parched, barren] landʼerets [earth, territory] into flowing springsmôwtsâʼ [gushing, abundant, fountains, water sources]

Word
Listen & take awayPsalms 107
English ↓ Download MP3 The Berean Standard Bible chapter audio already hosted for the site's Bible section — verse 35 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.yim) — no per-word recordings of the Hebrew exist to link to.
Take it away
Psalms 107:35quick helps
In a sentenceGod transforms a barren wilderness into a source of life and refreshment.
Who is speakingThe psalmist, reflecting on God's power to change desolate places.
Where we areThis verse is part of a psalm celebrating God's providence and care.
The hard wordיָשֵׂ֣ם
Take awayGod's ability to bring forth life from lifelessness.
7 commentators on this verse Gill, Poole, Trapp, Ellicott & more — read them › clause verbשׂים 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 107:35

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 Transformative Powergenerated

34and fruitful land into fields of salt, because of the wickedness of its dwellers.
35He turns a desert into pools of water and a dry land into flowing springs.
36He causes the hungry to settle there, that they may establish a city in which to dwell.
37They sow fields and plant vineyards that yield a fruitful harvest.

Psalms 107:35 illustrates God's miraculous ability to change desolate regions into flourishing landscapes. This verse emphasizes His power to provide sustenance and life where there was once only barrenness. The surrounding verses highlight God's care for the needy and His provision of a place for them to dwell, reinforcing the theme of divine intervention in human circumstances.


Cross References

ReferenceText (BSB)
1Psalm 114:8who turned the rock into a pool, the flint into a fountain of water!
2Numbers 21:16–18From there they went on to Beer, the well where the LORD said to Moses, “Gather the people so that I may give them water.”
32 Kings 3:16–20and he said, “This is what the LORD says: ‘Dig this valley full of ditches.’
4Isaiah 35:6–7Then the lame will leap like a deer and the mute tongue will shout for joy. For waters will gush forth in the wilderness, and streams in the desert.
5Isaiah 41:17–19The poor and needy seek water, but there is none; their tongues are parched with thirst. I, the LORD, will answer them; I, the God of Israel, will not forsake them.

The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 7 references, hung on the phrase they belong to


The Key Word יָשֵׂ֣ם, ya.Semgenerated

The verb שׂים (sum) means to set, place, or make, and is used throughout the Bible in various contexts. Here, it conveys the action of transforming a desolate wilderness into a life-giving pool of water. The jussive form indicates a divine command or will, emphasizing God's authority in the transformation.

This word's root meaning encompasses a wide range of applications, from appointing to establishing. In this verse, it signifies God's active role in creating abundance from scarcity, a theme prevalent in the psalms.


How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated

In this study, we reference the Berean Standard Bible, which uses turns for יָשֵׂ֣ם.


Sentence Structuregenerated

The main verb יָשֵׂ֣ם, He turns, governs the entire verse, with two significant noun phrases following it: מִדְבָּר (a wilderness) and אֶרֶץ (a dry land). The structure emphasizes God's transformative action over the desolate landscape.

The sentence flows from the transformation of the wilderness into pools of water, and the dry land into springs, illustrating a clear cause-and-effect relationship that highlights God's creative power.


Septuagint Backgroundgenerated

The Septuagint translates יָשֵׂ֣ם as ἔθετο (he placed), which conveys a similar sense of setting or establishing. This choice reflects the translators' understanding of God's active role in creation and transformation.

For מִדְבָּר, the Greek word ἔρημον (wilderness) carries the same meaning, indicating a consistent interpretation of the desolate landscape.


In plain words — the whole versegenerated

Psalms 107:35 shows how God can change a barren desert into pools of water and a dry land into flowing springs. This verse highlights God's power to provide life and refreshment in places that seem lifeless. It reminds us of His ability to care for those in need and to transform their circumstances.


Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated

What does it mean that God turns a desert into pools of water?

This signifies God's power to bring life and refreshment to barren places, illustrating His ability to provide for those in need.

How does this verse relate to God's care for His people?

It emphasizes that God actively transforms desolate situations into sources of sustenance and life, reflecting His providential care.

What is the significance of the imagery of water in this verse?

Water symbolizes life, refreshment, and sustenance, highlighting God's provision and the abundance He brings to desolate places.

How does this verse connect with other scriptures about God's provision?

It echoes themes found in other passages, such as Isaiah 35:6-7, where God provides water in the wilderness, demonstrating His ongoing care for His creation.


Reflection Questionsgenerated

  1. In what areas of my life do I need to see God's transformative power?
  2. How can I trust God to provide for my needs in seemingly barren situations?
  3. What does this verse teach me about God's character as a provider?
  4. How can I be a source of refreshment and life to those around me?

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

Augustine of Hippo comments on this verse, illustrating God's power to transform desolation into abundance.

Augustine of HippoExposition on Psalms 107 354–430
"He made the wilderness to be a standing water, and the dry ground to be outgoings of waters" [Psalms 107:35].
Early Church Fathers on Psalms 107 →

Commentators on this verse — 7 expositors, verse by verse

Each of these wrote on Psalms 107:35 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.

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

He turneth the wilderness into a standing water,.... On the other hand, when it is the pleasure of God, a country uncultivated and like a desert, he makes it fruitful as one that is well watered and

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

Into a standing water; into a well-watered and fruitful land.

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

Psalms 107:35 He turneth the wilderness into a standing water, and dry ground into watersprings.Ver. 35. He turneth the wilderness, &c.] Some places, again, God (to show his power and providence) of sterile maketh to become fertile; Polonia, for instance, and other northern countries. Germany and France were of old full of woods and lakes, as Caesar and Tacitus testify; now it is otherwise. So in America to this day. So various desert places of Egypt and Ethiopia, when once they became Christians, became fruitful.

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

(35) Standing water.—Or, a pool of water. (See Isaiah 35:7; Isaiah 41:18-19; Isaiah 42:15.) The dependence of this psalm on these passages in Isaiah is indubitable. But the images are employed in a different manner. The prophet only thinks of the joy of returning Israel (Psalms 107:39-41). But here the thought is that in the reverses of fortune, which even the chosen nation must be prepared for, God will intervene to protect and save. But the construction is very awkward, owing to the mode in which, in Psalms 107:40, two clauses from Job 12:21; Job 12:24 are introduced.

Read Charles John Ellicott on Psalms 107 →
CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

35. He hath turned a wilderness into a pool of water, and a dry land into watersprings:

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

He turneth the wilderness into a standing water - A pool; a lake. See the notes at Isaiah 35:6-7.

Read Albert Barnes on Psalms 107 →
Daniel Denison Whedon1808–1885Whedon's Commentary on the Bible

33-42. These verses comprehend the last two strophes, the first ending with Psalms 107:38, and the latter with Psalms 107:42. The whole comprises a description of what God can do in his sovereign grace and judgment with a nation.

Read Daniel Denison Whedon 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

He turns a desert into pools of water and a dry land into flowing springs.

WEBWorld English Bible2000

He turns a desert into a pool of water, and a dry land into water springs.

MSBMajority Standard Bible2022

He turns a desert into pools of water and a dry land into flowing springs.

NETBNew English Translation2006

As for his people, he turned a desert into a pool of water, and a dry land into springs of water.

Tyndale line

KJVKing James Version1611

He turneth the wilderness into a standing water, and dry ground into watersprings.

ASVAmerican Standard Version1901

He turneth a wilderness into a pool of water, And a dry land into watersprings.

RVARevised Version, American1894

He turneth a wilderness into a pool of water, and a dry land into watersprings.

NWBWebster's Bible1833

He turneth the wilderness into a standing water, and dry ground into water-springs.

GNVGeneva Bible1599

Againe hee turneth the wildernesse into pooles of water, and the drie lande into water springs.

Strictly literal

DBYDarby Translation1890

He maketh the wilderness into a pool of water, and the dry land into water-springs;

YLTYoung's Literal Translation1862

He maketh a wilderness become a pool of water, And a dry land become fountains of waters.

LSVLiteral Standard Version2020

He makes a wilderness become a pool of water, || And a dry land become fountains of waters.

ILTInterlinear Literal Translation2000

He changeth the wilderness into a pool of water, and desert land into water-springs.

ULBUnlocked Literal Bible2017

He turns the wilderness into a pool of water and dry land into springs of water.

Simplified

FBVFree Bible Version2020

But he also turns around and makes pools of water in the desert, and makes water springs flow in a dry and dusty land.

BBEBible in Basic English1949

He makes a waste land into a place of water, and a dry land into water-springs.

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.

clauseclauseverbיָשֵׂ֣םhe.madeobjectמִ֭דְבָּרa.wildernessprepositional phrase · prepositionalלַֽintonoun phraseאֲגַםa.poolמַ֑יִםof.waterוְandclausenoun phrase · objectאֶ֥רֶץa.landצִ֝יָּ֗הof.drynessprepositional phrase · prepositionalלְintonoun phraseמֹצָ֥אֵיspringsמָֽיִםof.water

Boxes are the grammarian's groupings — clause, noun phrase, prepositional phrase.


The four witnesses to this verse — Masoretic, Septuagint, Samaritan, Qumran

The Masoretic Text states, "He turns a desert into pools of water and a dry land into flowing springs." The Septuagint agrees with the Masoretic Text in meaning, although its word order and articles differ due to its Greek structure. The Dead Sea Scrolls (4Q88) also align with the Masoretic Text's message, but four words were supplied by an editor, indicating some missing text in the manuscript. Overall, the primary witnesses—Masoretic Text, Septuagint, and Dead Sea Scrolls—convey a consistent theme of transformation from barrenness to abundance.

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

יָשֵׂ֣ם מִ֭דְבָּר לַֽאֲגַם־ מַ֑יִם וְאֶ֥רֶץ צִ֝יָּ֗ה לְמֹצָ֥אֵי מָֽיִם׃

Septuagintthe Greek the translators chose, word by word
יָשֵׂ֣םἔθετοמִ֭דְבָּרἔρημονלַֽאֲגַם־λίμναςמַ֑יִםὑδάτωνוְאֶ֥רֶץγῆνצִ֝יָּ֗הἄνυδρονלְמֹצָ֥אֵיδιεχόδουςמָֽיִם׃ὑδάτων

8 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

[ישם] [מדבר] [לאגם] [מים] ארץ ציה למבועי מים

4 words on the leather — 4 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 107:35שׂוּםhe madehe madeשׂוּםמִדְבָּרa wildernesa wildernessמִדְבָּראֲגַםinto a poolinto a pool ofאֲגַםמַיwaterwaterמַיאֶ֫רֶץand a landand a landאֶ֫רֶץצִיָּהdrydryצִיָּהמוֹצָאinto springinto springs ofמוֹצָאמַיwaterwaterמַידָבַרto speak: to speak: speakדָבַריָצָאto come outo come out: coיָצָארָחַץto wash: wto wash: washרָחַץשָׁתָהto drinkto drinkשָׁתָהשַׁמָּהhorror: dehorror: destroyשַׁמָּהשְׁמָמָהDesolateDesolateשְׁמָמָהצִןZinZinצִןסִינַיSinaiSinaiסִינַיצִיָּהdrynessdrynessצִיָּהמַעְיָןspringspringמַעְיָןכְּנַ֫עַןCanaanCanaanכְּנַ֫עַןמִצְרַ֫יִם(Sea of) E(Sea of) Egyptמִצְרַ֫יִםאֲגַםpoolpoolאֲגַםצָמָאthirstthirstצָמָאמוֹבָאentranceentranceמוֹבָאצוּרָהdesigndesignצוּרָה
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 107:35

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.

he made a wilderness into a pool of water and a land dry into springs of water
יָשֵׂ֣םya.Sem he made H7760 Verb · Qal · jussive third person masculine singular
585× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This Hebrew word means to put or place something, and is used in many different ways in the Bible, such as to appoint or determine something. It is first used in Genesis to describe God's creation. In the KJV, it is translated as 'appoint' or 'set' in various contexts.
Amplified meaning
makes, transforms
Tyndale gloss
to set: make
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word שׂוּם (sum) is a verb meaning to put, place, or set, with a wide range of applications including appointing, establishing, and making. It can also refer to laying something upon or directing it. There is a related noun שׂוּמָה (sumah), which may denote a token of unluckiness. The entries do not present any significant disagreement.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

שׂוּם, שִׂים 582 vb. put, place, set

Qal

put, set, in a place

put something upon

put, lay, set

put, c. בֵּין

set, direct

set, ordain, in a place

set, establish a law, statute

set, found a nation

set, appoint (as ruler, official)

set, constitute, make

set, determine, fix, bounds

set, station, at a post

put in position, sacred bread, sword, staves, bars

set up altars

= plant, wheat

set, fix (countenance)

make a thing, or pers. (acc.), for, transform into

make, constitute

work, bring to pass

appoint, give

set, fix (countenance)

Hiph. I will make him for a sign

Hoph. there was set before him

base

שׂוּמָה perhaps n. f. token of unluckiness, scowl;—2 S 13:32

ref

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H7760a שׂוּם, שִׂים put, place, set .. . put, set, in a place

. put something upon

. put, lay, set

. put, c. בֵּין

. set, direct

. . set, ordain, in a place

. set, establish a law, statute

. set, found a nation

. set, appoint (as ruler, official)

. set, constitute, make

. set, determine, fix, bounds

. . set, station, at a post

. put in position, sacred bread, sword, staves, bars

. set up altars

. = plant, wheat

. set, fix (countenance)

. . make a thing, or pers. (acc.), for, transform into

. make, constitute

. work, bring to pass

. appoint, give

. set, fix (countenance)

. I will make him for a sign

. there was set before him

H7760b שׂוּמָה perhaps n. f. token of unluckiness, scowl

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

7760 suwm soom

or siym {seem}; a primitive root; to put (used in a great

variety of applications, literal, figurative, inferentially,

and elliptically):--X any wise, appoint, bring, call (a

name), care, cast in, change, charge, commit, consider,

convey, determine, + disguise, dispose, do, get, give, heap

up, hold, impute, lay (down, up), leave, look, make (out),

mark, + name, X on, ordain, order, + paint, place, preserve,

purpose, put (on), + regard, rehearse, reward, (cause to) set

(on, up), shew, + stedfastly, take, X tell, + tread down,

((over-))turn, X wholly, work.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

שׂוּם (sum) — to set: make.

: make/establish

1) to put, place, set, appoint, make

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to put, set, lay, put or lay upon, lay (violent) hands on

1a2) to set, direct, direct toward

1a2a) to extend (compassion) (fig)

1a3) to set, ordain, establish, found, appoint, constitute, make, determine, fix

1a4) to set, station, put, set in place, plant, fix

1a5) to make, make for, transform into, constitute, fashion, work, bring to pass, appoint, give

1b) (Hiphil) to set or make for a sign

1c) (Hophal) to be set

שׂוּמָה (su.mah) — fate.

token of unluckiness, scowl

שׂוּם (sum) — to set: put.

: put/give

1) to put, place, set, appoint, make

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to put, set, lay, put or lay upon, lay (violent) hands on

1a2) to set, direct, direct toward

1a2a) to extend (compassion) (fig)

1a3) to set, ordain, establish, found, appoint, constitute, make, determine, fix

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
V-Qal-Imperf-3ms — Verb · Qal · jussive third person masculine singular
HVqj3ms
he made a wilderness into a pool of water and a land dry into springs of water
מִ֭דְבָּרMid.bor a wilderness H4057 Noun common · masculine singular absolute
271× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
The wilderness refers to a desert or open field, like the one the Israelites wandered in after leaving Egypt. It can also mean a place of solitude or a region without many people. In the Bible, it is often associated with the journey to the Promised Land.
Amplified meaning
wilderness, barren land
Tyndale gloss
mouth
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

מִדְבָּר (midbar) primarily means 'mouth' in the sense of an organ of speech, but it also refers to 'wilderness' or 'desert.' The word is derived from a root meaning to drive, suggesting open fields for pasturing cattle. It encompasses various forms of uninhabited land and is notably used in contexts related to the wilderness, such as the Wilderness of Sinai.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

[מִדְבָּר] n.m. mouth, as organ of speech, Ct 4:3

ref

מִדְבָר 270 n.m. wilderness

tracts of land, used for the pasturage of flocks and herds

uninhabited land

large tracts of such land bearing various names, in certain districts of which there might be towns and cities

fig.

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H4057a מִדְבָּר mouth, as organ of speech H4057b מִדְבָר wilderness

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

4057 midbar mid-bawr'

from 1696 in the sense of driving; a pasture (i.e. open

field, whither cattle are driven); by implication, a desert;

also speech (including its organs):--desert, south, speech,

wilderness.

see HEBREW for 01696

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

מִדְבָּר (mid.bar) — mouth.

1) mouth

1a) mouth (as organ of speech)

מִדְבָּר (mid.bar) — wilderness.

1) wilderness

1a) pasture

1b) uninhabited land, wilderness

1c) large tracts of wilderness (around cities)

1d) wilderness (fig.)

מִדְבָּר (mid.bar) — Wilderness (of Sinai).

This name means wilderness, uninhabited land

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

wil'-der-nes.

See DESERT; JUDAEA, WILDERNESS OF; WANDERINGS OF ISRAEL.

Easton's Bible Dictionary

Wilderness

(1.) Heb. midhbar, denoting not a barren desert but a district or region suitable for pasturing sheep and cattle (Ps. 65:12; Isa. 42:11; Jer. 23:10; Joel 1:19; 2:22); an uncultivated place. This word is used of the wilderness of Beersheba (Gen. 21:14), on the southern border of Palestine; the wilderness of the Red Sea (Ex. 13:18); of Shur (15:22), a portion of the Sinaitic peninsula; of Sin (17:1), Sinai (Lev. 7:38), Moab (Deut. 2:8), Judah (

American Tract Society Bible Dictionary

See DESERT.

Nave's Topical Bible

→ Wandering of the Israelites in, see ISRAEL

→ Typical of the sinner' s state De 32:10

→ Jesus' temptation in Mt 4:1; Mr 1:12,13; Lu 4:1

→ See DESERT

he made a wilderness into a pool of water and a land dry into springs of water
לַֽאֲגַם־la.'a.gam- into a pool of H98 Preposition · noun common masculine singular construct
9× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
A pool or marsh, often used to describe a body of calm or troubled water, like a pond or swamp, as seen in the Bible's descriptions of natural settings.
Amplified meaning
standing water
Tyndale gloss
pool
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

אֲגַם (agam) refers to a type of pool or marsh, specifically a troubled or muddy one. It can denote any kind of pool or pond and is associated with swamp reeds or rushes. The word is derived from a root meaning to collect water, indicating its connection to standing water.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

אֲגַם n.[m.] troubled pool

troubled or muddy (gloomy) pools or marshes

any pool, pond

swamp-reed, rush

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H98 אֲגַם troubled pool

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

98 'agam ag-am'

from an unused root (meaning to collect as water); a marsh;

hence a rush (as growing in swamps); hence a stockade of

reeds:--pond, pool, standing (water).

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

אֲגַם (a.gam) — pool.

1) pool, troubled pool

1a) troubled or muddy (gloomy) pools, marshes

1b) any pool, pond

1c) swamp reeds, reeds, rush(es)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Prep | N-ms — Preposition · noun common masculine singular construct
HR/Ncmsc
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

ov:

(1) In Anglo-Saxon, had the meaning "from," "away from" (as the strengthened form "off" has still), and was not used for genitive or possessive relations, these being expressed by special case-forms. In the Norman period, however, "of" was taken to represent the French de (a use well developed by the time of Chaucer), and in the Elizabethan period both senses of "of" were in common use. But after about 1600 the later force of the word became predominant, and in the earlier sense (which is now practically obsolete) it was replaced by other prepositions. In consequence the King James Version (and in some cases the Revised Version (British and American)) contains many uses of "of" that are no longer familiar--most of them, to be sure, causing no difficulty, but there still being a few responsible for real obscurities.

English usagewhat the translators’ English meant
Webster's Dictionary (1828), Webster's Unabridged (1913), Webster's Dictionary (1806)

OF, preposition ov. [Gr.]

1. From or out of; proceeding from, as the cause, source, means, author or agent bestowing.

I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered to you. 1 Corinthians 11:1.

For it was of the Lord to harden their hearts. Joshua 11:1.

It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed.

Lamentations 3:1.

The whole disposing thereof is of the Lord. Proverbs 16:1.

Go, inquire of the Lord for me. 2 Chronicles 34:2.

That holy thing that shall be born of thee. Luke 1:1.

Hence of is the sign of the genitive case, the case that denotes production; as the son of man, the son proceeding from man, produced from man. This is the primary sense, although we now say, produced by man. 'Part of these were slain; ' that is, a number separate, for part denotes a division; the sense then is, a number from or out of the whole were slain. So also, 'some of these were slain; ' that is…

he made a wilderness into a pool of water and a land dry into springs of water
מַ֑יִםMa.yim water H4325 Noun common · masculine plural absolute
581× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This word means water, referring to a liquid or a source of refreshment. It appears in the Bible as a literal and figurative term, including references to wasting or urine. The word is used in various contexts, such as in Genesis and Leviticus.
Amplified meaning
refreshment, source of life
Tyndale gloss
Water (Gate)
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

מַי (mayim) is a Hebrew word meaning 'water' and is used in the plural form. It encompasses various meanings, including literal water, urine, and metaphorical uses related to refreshment or danger. The entries indicate it is derived from a primitive noun and is primarily referenced in contexts involving water.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

[מַי] 580 n.m. only pl. מַ֫יִם waters, water

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H4325 מַי only pl. מַ֫יִם waters, water

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

4325 mayim mah'-yim

dual of a primitive noun (but used in a singular sense);

water; figuratively, juice; by euphemism, urine, semen:--+

piss, wasting, water(-ing, (-course, -flood, -spring)).

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

מַי (ma.yim) — water.

1) water, waters

1a) water

1b) water of the feet, urine

1c) of danger, violence, transitory things, refreshment (fig.)

מַי (ma.yim) — Water (Gate).

This name means water, refreshment

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-mp — Noun common · masculine plural absolute
HNcmpa
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

wo'-ter (mayim; hudor):

(1) The Greek philosophers believed water to be the original substance and that all things were made from it. The Koran states, "From water we have made all things." In the story of the creation (Ge 1:2) water plays an elemental part.

(2) Because of the scarcity of water in Palestine it is especially appreciated by the people there. They love to go and sit by a stream of running water. Men long for a taste of the water of their native village (1Ch 11:17). A town or village is known throughout the country for the quality of its water, which is described by many adjectives, such as "light," "heavy," etc.

(3) The rainfall is the only source of supply of water for Palestine. The moisture is carried up from the sea in clouds and falls on the hills as rain or snow.…

American Tract Society Bible Dictionary

See CISTERN and WELLS.

In Isa 35:7, the Hebrew word for "parched ground" that shall become a pool of water, is the same with the Arabic term for the mirage, a peculiar optical illusion by which travelers in hot and dry deserts think they see broad lakes and flowing waters; they seem to discern the very ripple of the waves, and the swaying of tail trees on the margin in the cool breeze; green hills and houses and city ramparts rise before the astonished sight, recede as the traveler advances, and at length melt away in the hot haze. Not so the blessings of the gospel; they are no alluring mockery, but real waters of everlasting life, Isa 55:1 Joh 4:14 Re 22:1. Compare

Nave's Topical Bible

→ Creation of Ps 148:4,5

→ Covered the whole earth Ge 1:9

→ Daily allowance of Eze 4:11

→ City waterworks 2Ki 20:20

→ Vision of, by Ezekiel Eze 47:1-5

→ Of separation Nu 19:2-22

→ Libation of 1Sa 7:6

→ Irrigation with

See IRRIGATION

→ Miraculously supplied

To the Israelites Ex 17:1,6; Nu 20:11

To Samson Jud 15:19

Torrey's New Topical Textbook

- One of the elements of the world

Ge 1:2

- GOD ORIGINALLY

. Created the firmament to divide

Ge 1:6,7

. Collected into one place

Ge 1:9

. Created fowls and fishes, &c from

Ge 1:20,21

- Necessary to vegetation

Ge 2:5,6; Job 14:9; Isa 1:30

- Some plants particularly require

Job 8:11

- Necessary to the comfort and happiness of man

Isa 41:17; Zec 9:11

- COLLECTED IN

. Springs

he made a wilderness into a pool of water and a land dry into springs of water
וְאֶ֥רֶץve.'E.retz and a land H776 Conjunction · noun common feminine singular construct
2,504× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
The land or earth refers to the soil or ground, and can also mean a country, territory, or region. In the Bible, it is used to describe the earth and its inhabitants, and is often translated as 'land' or 'country'.
Amplified meaning
earth, territory
Tyndale gloss
land: soil
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

אֶ֫רֶץ (erets) is a feminine noun meaning 'earth' or 'land.' It encompasses various meanings, including the whole earth, specific territories like Canaan, and even inhabitants of the land. It can refer to soil, ground, or regions, and is used in phrases related to distance and the living. There is a note on the plural form אֲרָצוֹת, which mainly appears in later texts to denote multiple lands.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

אֶ֫רֶץ n. f. & (seld.) m. earth, land

earth, whole earth (opp. to a part)

earth, opp. to heaven, sky

earth = inhabitants of earth

land =

country, territory

district, region

trial territory

piece of ground

specif. land of Canaan, or Israel

= inhabitants of land

used even of Shᵉʼôl

ground, surface of ground

soil, as productive

אֶרֶץ in phrases

people of the land

in measurements of distance

the country of the plain, level or plain country

land of the living

end(s) of the earth

pl. אֲרָצוֹת is almost wholly late; it denotes lands, countries, often in contrast to Canaan, lands of the nations, etc.

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H776 אֶ֫רֶץ n. f. & (seld.) m. earth, land . . earth, whole earth (opp. to a part)

. earth, opp. to heaven, sky

. earth = inhabitants of earth

. land = . country, territory

. district, region

. trial territory

. piece of ground

. specif. land of Canaan, or Israel

. = inhabitants of land

. used even of Shᵉʼôl

. . ground, surface of ground

. soil, as productive

. אֶרֶץ in phrases . people of the land

. in measurements of distance

. the country of the plain, level or plain country

. land of the living

. end(s) of the earth

. pl. אֲרָצוֹת is almost wholly late; it denotes lands, countries, often in contrast to Canaan, lands of the nations, etc.

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

776 'erets eh'-rets

from an unused root probably meaning to be firm; the earth

(at large, or partitively a land):--X common, country, earth,

field, ground, land, X natins, way, + wilderness, world.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

אֶ֫רֶץ (e.rets) — land: country/planet.

: country/field

1) land, earth

1a) earth

1a1) whole earth (as opposed to a part)

1a2) earth (as opposed to heaven)

1a3) earth (inhabitants)

1b) land

1b1) country, territory

1b2) district, region

1b3) tribal territory

1b4) piece of ground

1b5) land of Canaan, Israel

1b6) inhabitants of land

1b7) Sheol, land without return, (under) world

1b8) city (-state)

1c) ground, surface of the earth

1c1) ground

1c2) soil

1d) (in phrases)

1d1) people of the land

1d2) space or distance of country (in measurements of distance)

1d3) level or plain country

1d4) land of the living

1d5) end(s) of the earth

1e) (almost wholly late in usage)

1e1) lands, countries

1e1a) often in contrast to Canaan

אֶ֫רֶץ (e.rets) — land: soil.

: soil

1) land, earth

1a) earth

1a1) whole earth (as opposed to a part)

1a2) earth (as opposed to heaven)

1a3) earth (inhabitants)

1b) land

1b1) country, territory

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Conj | N-cs — Conjunction · noun common feminine singular construct
HC/Ncfsc
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

((1) 'erets;

(2) 'adhamah;

(3) sadheh,

"a piece of land";

(4) ge, "earth";

(5) agros, "field";

(6) chora, "region";

(7) chorion, diminutive of chora;

(8) xeros, "dry land";

(9) 'ezrach, "native" the King James Version "born in the land," "born among you," the Revised Version (British and American) "home-born" (Le 19:34; 14:16; Nu 15:30); "like a green tree in its native soil" (Ps 37:35)):

'Erets occurs hundreds of times and is used in much the same way as 'adhamah, which also occurs often: e.g. "land of Egypt," 'erets mitsrayim (Ge 13:10), and 'adhmath mitsrayim (Ge 47:20). The other words occur less often, and are used in the…

Nave's Topical Bible

→ Appeared on the third creative day Ge 1:9

→ Original title to, from God Ge 13:14-17; 15:7; Ex 23:31; Le 25:23

→ Bought and sold Ge 23:3-18; 33:19; Ac 4:34; 5:1-8

→ Sale and redemption of, laws concerning Le 25:15,16,23-33; 27:17-24; Nu 36:4; Jer 32:7-16,25,44; Eze 46:18

he made a wilderness into a pool of water and a land dry into springs of water
צִ֝יָּ֗הtzi.Yah dry H6723 Noun common · feminine singular absolute
16× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This word describes a dry and barren place, like a desert or wilderness, often used in the Bible to depict a lack of water or fertility in a land.
Amplified meaning
parched, barren
Tyndale gloss
dryness
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

צִיָּה (tsiyah) refers to dryness or drought, stemming from a root that means to parch. It encompasses concepts of aridity, barren land, and wilderness. The term is used in contexts related to desolate or dry places.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

צִיָּה n.f. dryness, drought

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H6723 צִיָּה dryness, drought

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

6723 tsiyah tsee-yaw'

from an unused root meaning to parch; aridity; concretely, a

desert:--barren, drought, dry (land, place), solitary place,

wilderness.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

צִיָּה (tsiy.yah) — dryness.

dryness, drought, desert

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-fs — Noun common · feminine singular absolute
HNcfsa
he made a wilderness into a pool of water and a land dry into springs of water
לְמֹצָ֥אֵיle.mo.Tza.'ei into springs of H4161 Preposition · noun common masculine plural construct
27× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
Exit refers to a way out or a place of departure, like a gate or a door. In 1 Samuel 17:52, it describes the Israelites' escape route from the Philistines. This term can also mean the rising of the sun or the source of a river.
Amplified meaning
gushing, abundant, fountains, water sources
Tyndale gloss
exit
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

מוֹצָא (mowtsa') refers to a place or act of going forth, encompassing meanings like exit, source, or spring. It can denote various concepts such as the rising of the sun, exportation, and even a mine. The entries highlight its use in contexts related to movement and production, but do not indicate any significant disagreement among lexicons.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

מוֹצָא n.m. place or act of going forth, issue, export, source, spring

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H4161 מוֹצָא place or act of going forth, issue, export, source, spring

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

4161 mowtsa' mo-tsaw'

or motsai {mo-tsaw'}; from 3318; a going forth, i.e. (the

act) an egress, or (the place) an exit; hence, a source or

product; specifically, dawn, the rising of the sun (the East),

exportation, utterance, a gate, a fountain, a mine, a meadow

(as producing grass):--brought out, bud, that which came

out, east, going forth, goings out, that which (thing that) is

gone out, outgoing, proceeded out, spring, vein,

(water-)course (springs).

see HEBREW for 03318

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

מוֹצָא (mo.tsa) — exit.

1) act or place of going out or forth, issue, export, source, spring

1a) a going forth

1a1) rising (sun), going forth of a command

1a2) goings forth, those going forth

1a3) way out, exit

1b) that which goes forth

1b1) utterance

1b2) export

1c) place of going forth

1c1) source or spring (of water)

1c2) place of departure

1c3) east (of sun)

1c4) mine (of silver)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Prep | N-mp — Preposition · noun common masculine plural construct
HR/Ncmpc
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…

he made a wilderness into a pool of water and a land dry into springs of water
מָֽיִם׃Ma.yim water H4325 Noun common · masculine plural absolute
581× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This word means water, referring to a liquid or a source of refreshment. It appears in the Bible as a literal and figurative term, including references to wasting or urine. The word is used in various contexts, such as in Genesis and Leviticus.
Tyndale gloss
Water (Gate)
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

מַי (mayim) is a Hebrew word meaning 'water' and is used in the plural form. It encompasses various meanings, including literal water, urine, and metaphorical uses related to refreshment or danger. The entries indicate it is derived from a primitive noun and is primarily referenced in contexts involving water.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

[מַי] 580 n.m. only pl. מַ֫יִם waters, water

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H4325 מַי only pl. מַ֫יִם waters, water

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

4325 mayim mah'-yim

dual of a primitive noun (but used in a singular sense);

water; figuratively, juice; by euphemism, urine, semen:--+

piss, wasting, water(-ing, (-course, -flood, -spring)).

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

מַי (ma.yim) — water.

1) water, waters

1a) water

1b) water of the feet, urine

1c) of danger, violence, transitory things, refreshment (fig.)

מַי (ma.yim) — Water (Gate).

This name means water, refreshment

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
HNcmpa — Noun common · masculine plural absolute
HNcmpa
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

wo'-ter (mayim; hudor):

(1) The Greek philosophers believed water to be the original substance and that all things were made from it. The Koran states, "From water we have made all things." In the story of the creation (Ge 1:2) water plays an elemental part.

(2) Because of the scarcity of water in Palestine it is especially appreciated by the people there. They love to go and sit by a stream of running water. Men long for a taste of the water of their native village (1Ch 11:17). A town or village is known throughout the country for the quality of its water, which is described by many adjectives, such as "light," "heavy," etc.

(3) The rainfall is the only source of supply of water for Palestine. The moisture is carried up from the sea in clouds and falls on the hills as rain or snow.…

American Tract Society Bible Dictionary

See CISTERN and WELLS.

In Isa 35:7, the Hebrew word for "parched ground" that shall become a pool of water, is the same with the Arabic term for the mirage, a peculiar optical illusion by which travelers in hot and dry deserts think they see broad lakes and flowing waters; they seem to discern the very ripple of the waves, and the swaying of tail trees on the margin in the cool breeze; green hills and houses and city ramparts rise before the astonished sight, recede as the traveler advances, and at length melt away in the hot haze. Not so the blessings of the gospel; they are no alluring mockery, but real waters of everlasting life, Isa 55:1 Joh 4:14 Re 22:1. Compare

Nave's Topical Bible

→ Creation of Ps 148:4,5

→ Covered the whole earth Ge 1:9

→ Daily allowance of Eze 4:11

→ City waterworks 2Ki 20:20

→ Vision of, by Ezekiel Eze 47:1-5

→ Of separation Nu 19:2-22

→ Libation of 1Sa 7:6

→ Irrigation with

See IRRIGATION

→ Miraculously supplied

To the Israelites Ex 17:1,6; Nu 20:11

To Samson Jud 15:19

Torrey's New Topical Textbook

- One of the elements of the world

Ge 1:2

- GOD ORIGINALLY

. Created the firmament to divide

Ge 1:6,7

. Collected into one place

Ge 1:9

. Created fowls and fishes, &c from

Ge 1:20,21

- Necessary to vegetation

Ge 2:5,6; Job 14:9; Isa 1:30

- Some plants particularly require

Job 8:11

- Necessary to the comfort and happiness of man

Isa 41:17; Zec 9:11

- COLLECTED IN

. Springs

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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