Menu

Psalms 118:22 — Word Study

Depth

WLCאֶ֭בֶן מָאֲס֣וּ הַבּוֹנִ֑ים הָ֝יְתָ֗ה לְרֹ֣אשׁ פִּנָּֽה׃

BSAThe stoneʼeben [cornerstone, chief stone] the buildersbânâh [constructors, architects] rejectedmâʼaç [spurned, refused] has becomehâyâh [come to be, been established as] the cornerstonerôʼsh [head, chief]

Word
Listen & take awayPsalms 118
English ↓ Download MP3 The Berean Standard Bible chapter audio already hosted for the site's Bible section — verse 22 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 (pi.Nah) — no per-word recordings of the Hebrew exist to link to.
Take it away
Psalms 118:22quick helps
In a sentenceThis verse declares that the stone rejected by builders has become the cornerstone.
Who is speakingThe psalmist, reflecting on God's actions.
Where we areIn a psalm of thanksgiving, celebrating God's salvation.
The hard wordאֶ֫בֶן
Take awayWhat is despised can become foundational.
8 commentators on this verse Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them › clause verbמָאַס 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 118:22

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 — A Psalm of Thanksgivinggenerated

21I will give You thanks, for You have answered me, and You have become my salvation.
22The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone.
23This is from the LORD, and it is marvelous in our eyes.
24This is the day that the LORD has made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.

Psalms 118:22 is part of a psalm that expresses gratitude for God's deliverance and salvation. The psalmist reflects on how what was rejected has been transformed into something of great significance, emphasizing God's ability to bring about unexpected outcomes. This theme resonates throughout the psalm, culminating in a celebration of God's marvelous works, as seen in the surrounding verses.


Cross References

ReferenceText (BSB)
1Matthew 21:42Jesus said to them, “Have you never read in the Scriptures: ‘The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone. This is from the Lord, and it is marvelous in our eyes’ ?
2Mark 12:10–11Have you never read this Scripture: ‘The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone.
3Luke 20:17But Jesus looked directly at them and said, “Then what is the meaning of that which is written: ‘The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone’ ?
4Acts 4:11This Jesus is ‘the stone you builders rejected, which has become the cornerstone.’
5Ephesians 2:20–22built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus Himself as the cornerstone.

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

the headZechariah 4:7

The Key Word אֶ֫בֶן, 'E.vengenerated

The Hebrew word אֶ֫בֶן (*eben*) signifies 'stone' and can refer to various types, including building stones and precious gems. It is often used metaphorically to represent strength or stability, highlighting its importance in construction and symbolism within the biblical text.

In this verse, it specifically refers to a stone that has been rejected by builders but has become the cornerstone, illustrating a transformation from something deemed worthless to something foundational and essential.


How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated

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


Sentence Structuregenerated

The finite verb מָאֲס֣וּ, they rejected, governs the entire verse, with a noun phrase as the subject and a prepositional phrase describing the state of the stone. The structure emphasizes the action of rejection leading to the stone's new status.

The order of the Hebrew words places emphasis on the stone's transformation, highlighting the contrast between its rejection and its eventual status as the cornerstone.


Septuagint Backgroundgenerated

The Septuagint translates אֶ֫בֶן as λίθον (lithon), which also means 'stone' and carries the same foundational significance. This choice reinforces the idea of the stone's importance and its role in construction.

The verb מָאֲס֣וּ is rendered as ἀπεδοκίμασαν (apedokimasan), which conveys a strong sense of rejection, aligning with the Hebrew meaning.


In plain words — the whole versegenerated

Psalms 118:22 tells us that the builders rejected a stone, but that stone has become the cornerstone. This highlights how something that was once dismissed can become essential and foundational.


Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated

What does it mean that the stone was rejected?

The rejection signifies that the stone was not valued by the builders, illustrating how people often overlook what is truly important.

Why is the cornerstone significant?

The cornerstone is crucial in construction; it determines the position of the entire structure, symbolizing something that holds great importance.

How does this verse relate to the theme of salvation?

It reflects the idea that God's chosen ones may be rejected by others but can still fulfill a vital purpose in His plan.

What can we learn from the transformation of the stone?

We learn that God can take what is despised and make it central to His work, encouraging us to see value in the overlooked.


Reflection Questionsgenerated

  1. In what areas of my life have I experienced rejection, and how can I see those experiences as part of God's plan?
  2. How can I recognize and value what others might overlook in my community?
  3. What does it mean to me that something rejected can become foundational?
  4. How can I apply the lesson of this verse to my own life and the lives of those around me?

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

Early Church Fathers referenced this verse to discuss the nature of Christ's rejection and significance. Their quotes are presented here, illustrating their theological interpretations.

TertullianAGAINST MARCION 5.17 c. 155–220
Thus we find from this passage also, that Christ possessed a body of flesh, such as was able to endure the cross. “When, therefore,
Early Church Fathers on Psalms 118 →
TertullianAGAINST MARCION 4.35 c. 155–220
For Jesus tells them [the disciples] that “the Son of man must suffer many things and be rejected,” before his coming, at which his kingdom will be really revealed.
Early Church Fathers on Psalms 118 →
CyprianTreatise IV. On the Lord's Prayer 35 c. 200–258
Likewise at the setting of the sun and at the end of the day necessarily there must again be prayer. For since Christ is the true Sun and the true Day, as the sun and the day of the world recede,
Early Church Fathers on Psalms 118 →

Commentators on this verse — 8 expositors, verse by verse

Each of these wrote on Psalms 118:22 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.

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

The stone [which] the builders refused,.... This is not Zerubabel, according to the sense of some Jews, as Theodoret suggests; nor the people of Israel, as Jarchi and Kimchi; nor David, as the

Read John Gill on Psalms 118 →
Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's Commentary

The stone which the builders refused is become the head stone of the corner. The stone which the builders refused is become the head stone of the corner.

Read Robert Jamieson on Psalms 118 →
Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy Bible

The commonwealth of Israel and the church of God are here and elsewhere in Scripture compared to a building, wherein as the people are the stones and the matter, so the princes and rulers are the builders, whose office it was to erect, and support, and improve the building, and to use their wisdom and power in choosing fit materials for the several parts and purposes of the building, and in the rejection of what was unprofitable and inconvenient. And these master-builders rejected David as an obscure, and treacherous, and rebellious person, fit to be not only laid aside and thrown away, but also to be crushed to pieces. And so their successors rejected Christ as an enemy to Moses, a friend…

Read Matthew Poole on Psalms 118 →
John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

Psalms 118:22 The stone [which] the builders refused is become the head [stone] of the corner.Ver. 22. The stone which the builders refused] David, and the Son of David were by those, who seemed to be somewhat laid aside, and slighted as abjects and refuse ones; but wisdom was ever justified of her children. Is become the head stone of the corner] Lapis diatonus sive frontatus, whereby the Church is supported, as the sides and weight of a building are by a principal binding cornerstone, against all blasts.

Read John Trapp on Psalms 118 →
Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(22) The stone.—Better, a stone. There is no article. Israel is, of course, this stone, rejected as of no account in the political plans of those who were trying to shape the destinies of the Eastern nations at their own pleasure, but in the purpose of God destined to a chief place in the building up of history. The image is developed by Isaiah 28:16-17, and prepared, by the Messianic hope poured into it, for the use of Christ Himself and the repeated applications of it to Him by the apostles (Matthew 21:42-44; Acts 4:11; 1 Peter 2:7; Ephesians 2:20; see New Testament Commentary).

Read Charles John Ellicott on Psalms 118 →
AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible

Verse 22. - 23. The stone which the builders refused] See a full elucidation of these two verses in Clarke's notes on "Matthew 21:42".

Read AdamClarke on Psalms 118 →
CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

22. The stone which the builders rejected Is become the head of the corner. A metaphor from building. The ‘corner-stone’ bonding the walls together was a most important part of the structure. A large and strong stone was needed for the purpose. It is mentioned along with the foundation (Jeremiah 51:26; Job 38:6) of which it formed part (Isaiah 28:16); and so possibly the meaning here is ‘the chief cornerstone’ of the foundation. But ‘the head of the corner’ is more naturally explained to be the top-stone (Zechariah 4:7), not only bonding the walls together, but completing the building. Israel is the ‘head corner-stone.’ The powers of the world flung it aside as useless, but God destined it…

Read Cambridge on Psalms 118 →
Albert Barnes1798–1870Barnes' Notes on the Bible

The stone which the builders refused - See the notes at Matthew 21:42-43. Compare Mark 12:10-11; Acts 4:11; 1 Peter 2:7.

Read Albert Barnes on Psalms 118 →

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

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

Modern formal

BSBBerean Standard Bible2020

The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone.

WEBWorld English Bible2000

The stone which the builders rejected has become the cornerstone.

MSBMajority Standard Bible2022

The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone.

NETBNew English Translation2006

The stone which the builders discarded has become the cornerstone.

Tyndale line

KJVKing James Version1611

The stone which the builders refused is become the head stone of the corner.

ASVAmerican Standard Version1901

The stone which the builders rejected Is become the head of the corner.

RVARevised Version, American1894

The stone which the builders rejected is become the head of the corner.

NWBWebster's Bible1833

The stone which the builders refused is become the head stone of the corner.

GNVGeneva Bible1599

The stone, which the builders refused, is the head of the corner.

Strictly literal

DBYDarby Translation1890

[The] stone which the builders rejected hath become the head of the corner:

YLTYoung's Literal Translation1862

A stone the builders refused Hath become head of a corner.

LSVLiteral Standard Version2020

A stone the builders refused || Has become head of a corner.

ILTInterlinear Literal Translation2000

The stone which the builders rejected is become the chief corner-stone.

ULBUnlocked Literal Bible2017

The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone.

From the Latin

DRADouay-Rheims (Challoner)1899

Remove from reproach and contempt: because I have sought after thy testimonies.

Simplified

FBVFree Bible Version2020

The stone rejected by the builders has turned out to be the chief cornerstone.

BBEBible in Basic English1949

The stone which the builders put on one side has become the chief stone of the building.

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 · subjectאֶ֭בֶןa.stoneclauseverbמָאֲס֣וּ[which].they.rejectednoun phrase · subjectהַtheבּוֹנִ֑יםbuildersverbהָ֝יְתָ֗הit.has.becomeprepositional phrase · prepositionalלְ(into).[the]noun phraseרֹ֣אשׁheadפִּנָּֽהof.[the].corner

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


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

The Masoretic Text and the Septuagint agree closely in this verse, with all six words matched. The Septuagint reflects the same ideas as the Hebrew text, emphasizing the transformation of the rejected stone into the cornerstone.

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

אֶ֭בֶן מָאֲס֣וּ הַבּוֹנִ֑ים הָ֝יְתָ֗ה לְרֹ֣אשׁ פִּנָּֽה׃

Septuagintthe Greek the translators chose, word by word
אֶ֭בֶןλίθονמָאֲס֣וּἀπεδοκίμασανהַבּוֹנִ֑יםοἰκοδομοῦντεςהָ֝יְתָ֗הἐγενήθηלְרֹ֣אשׁκεφαλὴνפִּנָּֽה׃γωνίας

6 of the 6 words are matched. This is the word-by-word correspondence, not the Septuagint's own sentence — its word order and its articles are its own.

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 118:22אֶ֫בֶןa stonea stoneאֶ֫בֶןמָאַס[which] the[which] they reמָאַסבָּנָהthe builderthe buildersבָּנָההָיָהit has becoit has becomeהָיָהרֹאשׁ[the] head [the] head ofרֹאשׁפִּנָּה[the] corne[the] cornerפִּנָּהבָּנָהto buildto buildבָּנָההָוָאto fallto fallהָוָאפִּנָּהCornerCornerפִּנָּהיָקָרpreciouspreciousיָקָרלוּחַtablettabletלוּחַיַעַןbecausebecauseיַעַןחוֹמָהwallwallחוֹמָהמִזְבֵּחַaltaraltarמִזְבֵּחַעֲטָרָהcrowncrownעֲטָרָהנָשִׂיאleaderleaderנָשִׂיאקֶ֫רֶןhornhornקֶ֫רֶןאַרְבַּעfourfourאַרְבַּע
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 118:22

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.

a stone [which] they rejected the builders it has become [the] head of [the] corner
אֶ֭בֶן'E.ven a stone H68 Noun common · feminine singular absolute
273× 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 a stone, which could be a rock, a weight, or even a precious gem. It is used to describe a variety of objects, from building materials to hailstones. The KJV translates it as stone or weight.
Amplified meaning
cornerstone, chief stone
Tyndale gloss
stone: weight
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word אֶ֫בֶן (*eben*) means 'stone' and encompasses various types, including common stones, precious stones, and stones used as weights or tools. It can also refer to metaphorical uses, such as a hardened heart or sinking in water. The entries highlight its physical and symbolic significance, with no notable disagreements among lexicons.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

אֶ֫בֶן 274 n.f. stone

in natural state

stone, as material

precious stone, gen. with modifying word

stone containing metal, = ore

a weight, as orig. stone

plummet

objects like stone

in sim. (mostly poet.) of sinking in water

In topogr. terms

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H68 אֶ֫בֶן stone . in natural state

. stone, as material

. precious stone, gen. with modifying word

. stone containing metal, = ore

. a weight, as orig. stone

. plummet

. objects like stone

. in sim. (mostly poet.) of sinking in water

. In topogr. terms

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

68 'eben eh'-ben

from the root of 1129 through the meaning to build; a

stone:--+ carbuncle, + mason, + plummet, (chalk-, hail-,

head-, sling-)stone(-ny), (divers) weight(-s).

see HEBREW for 01129

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

אֶ֫בֶן (e.ven) — stone.

: stone

1) stone (large or small)

1a) common stone (in natural state)

1b) stone, as material

1b1) of tablets

1b2) marble, hewn stones

1c) precious stones, stones of fire

1d) stones containing metal (ore), tool for work or weapon

1e) weight

1f) plummet (stones of destruction) also made of metal

1g) stonelike objects, eg hailstones, stony heart, ice

1h) sacred object, as memorial Samuel set up to mark where God helped Israel to defeat the Philistines

1i) (simile)

1i1) sinking in water, motionlessness

1i2) strength, firmness, solidity

1i3) commonness

1j) (metaph)

1j1) petrified with terror

1j2) perverse, hard heart

אֶ֫בֶן (e.ven) — stone: weight.

: weight

1) stone (large or small)

1a) common stone (in natural state)

1b) stone, as material

1b1) of tablets

1b2) marble, hewn stones

1c) precious stones, stones of fire

1d) stones containing metal (ore), tool for work or weapon

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-fs — Noun common · feminine singular absolute
HNcfsa
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
Easton's Bible Dictionary

Stone

Stones were commonly used for buildings, also as memorials of important events (Gen. 28:18; Josh. 24:26, 27; 1 Sam. 7:12, etc.). They were gathered out of cultivated fields (Isa. 5:2; comp. 2 Kings 3:19). This word is also used figuratively of believers (1 Pet. 2:4, 5), and of the Messiah (Ps. 118:22; Isa. 28:16; Matt. 21:42; Acts 4:11, etc.). In…

American Tract Society Bible Dictionary

The allusion in Re 2:17 may be to the practice at the Olympic games of giving the successful competitor a white stone, inscribed with his name and the value of his prize; or to the mode of balloting with black and white stones on the question of the acquittal of an accused person, or his admission to certain privileges; if the stones deposited in the urn by the judges were all white, the decision was favorable. In early ages, flint-stone knives were in common use, instead of steel, Ex 4:25 Jos 5:2.

It was also customary to raise a heap or mound of stones in commemoration of any remarkable event, Ge 31:46 Jos 4:5-7 7:26 8:29…

a stone [which] they rejected the builders it has become [the] head of [the] corner
מָאֲס֣וּma.'a.Su [which] they rejected H3988 Verb · Qal · perfect third person common plural
76× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
To spurn or reject something is what this Hebrew word means. In Genesis 37:35, it is used to describe how Jacob felt when his sons told him Joseph had died.
Amplified meaning
spurned, refused
Tyndale gloss
to reject
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

מָאַס (ma'ac) is a Hebrew verb primarily meaning to reject or despise. It can also denote the action of flowing or running in its Niph'al form. The entries highlight its usage in contexts of refusal and disdain, with no significant disagreement among lexicons regarding its meanings.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

[מָאַס] vb. reject

Qal

reject, refuse

despise

Niph. be rejected

base

[מָאַס] vb. Niph. flow, run

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H3988a מָאַס reject H3988b מָאַס Niph. flow, run

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

3988 ma'ac maw-as'

a primitive root; to spurn; also (intransitively) to

disappear:--abhor, cast away (off), contemn, despise, disdain,

(become) loathe(some), melt away, refuse, reject, reprobate, X

utterly, vile person.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

מָאַס (ma.as) — to reject.

1) to reject, despise, refuse

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to reject, refuse

1a2) to despise

1b) (Niphal) to be rejected

מָאַס (ma.as) — to flow.

(Niphal) to flow, run

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
V-Qal-Perf-3cp — Verb · Qal · perfect third person common plural
HVqp3cp
a stone [which] they rejected the builders it has become [the] head of [the] corner
הַבּוֹנִ֑יםha.bo.Nim the builders H1129 Particle · verb qal participle (active) masculine plural
376× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
The Hebrew word bânâh means to build something, like a house or a family. It can also mean to establish or repair something, and is used in various contexts throughout the Bible.
Amplified meaning
constructors, architects
Tyndale gloss
to build
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word בָּנָה (banah) means "to build" and encompasses various forms such as rebuilding, establishing, and making permanent. It can refer to physical construction, like building a house or family, as well as metaphorical uses, such as the establishment of restored exiles. The entries indicate that it can also imply being built up, particularly in the context of a childless wife becoming a mother.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

בָּנָה 373 vb. build

Qal build

Niph.

be built

be rebuilt

(fig.) of restored exiles, = established

established, made permanent

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H1129 בָּנָה build .build

.. . be built

. be rebuilt

. . (fig.) of restored exiles, = established

. established, made permanent

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

1129 banah baw-naw'

a primitive root; to build (literally and

figuratively):--(begin to) build(-er), obtain children, make,

repair, set (up), X surely.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

בָּנָה (ba.nah) — to build.

1) to build, rebuild, establish, cause to continue

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to build, rebuild

1a2) to build a house (ie, establish a family)

1b) (Niphal)

1b1) to be built

1b2) to be rebuilt

1b3) established (of restored exiles) (fig.)

1b4) established (made permanent)

1b5) to be built up (of childless wife becoming the mother of a family through the children of a concubine)

Aramaic equivalent: be.nah (בְּנָה "to build" H1124)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Art | V-Qal — Particle · verb qal participle (active) masculine plural
HTd/Vqrmpa
a stone [which] they rejected the builders it has become [the] head of [the] corner
הָ֝יְתָ֗הha.ye.Tah it has become H1961 Verb · Qal · perfect third person feminine singular
3,562× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
The Hebrew word for to be means to exist or come into being. It is used to describe something that happens or comes to pass, like in Genesis where God creates the world.
Amplified meaning
come to be, been established as
Tyndale gloss
to be
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word הָיָה (hayah) is a primitive root meaning to exist or become, and it encompasses a range of meanings including to happen, occur, and come to pass. It is often used in narrative contexts, particularly in phrases like "and it came to pass." The word can also denote a state of being or existence, and it appears frequently in various forms throughout the Old Testament.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

הָיָה 3570 vb. fall out, come to pass, become, be

Qal

Fall out, happen

occur, take place, come about, come to pass

esp. & very oft., come about, come to pass

וַיְהִי and it came to pass that, most often (c. 292 t.)

rarely also Pf. c. וְ conj. וְהָיָה

less oft. וְהָיָה Pf. consec. and it shall come to pass, or frequentat. came to pass (repeatedly, etc.)

Come into being, become

abs., in lively narrative, arise, appear, come

sq. prep.

become

sq. pred. noun (to be viewed as implicit accus.)

sq. pred. adj.

become like

sq. pred. לְ pers.

sq. לְ pred.

oft. c. לְ pred. לְ pers.

with עַל and לְ

sts. c. לְ pers. only = became the property of, come into the possession of

Be (often with subbordinate idea of becoming)

exist, be in existence

abide, remain, continue

with word of locality, be in or at a place, be situated, stand, lie

as copula, joining subj. & pred.

Read the full entry →
Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H1961 הָיָה fall out, come to pass, become, be .. . . Fall out, happen

. occur, take place, come about, come to pass

. esp. & very oft., come about, come to pass . . וַיְהִי and it came to pass that, most often (c. 292 t.)

. rarely also Pf. c. וְ conj. וְהָיָה

. less oft. וְהָיָה Pf. consec. and it shall come to pass, or frequentat. came to pass (repeatedly, etc.)

. Come into being, become . . abs., in lively narrative, arise, appear, come

. sq. prep.

. become . sq. pred. noun (to be viewed as implicit accus.)

. sq. pred. adj.

. become like

. sq. pred. + לְ pers.

. sq. לְ pred.

. oft. c. לְ pred. + לְ pers.

. with עַל and לְ

. sts. c. לְ pers. only = became the property of, come into the possession of

. Be (often with subbordinate idea of becoming) . exist, be in existence

. abide, remain, continue

Read the full entry →
Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

1961 hayah haw-yaw

a primitive root (compare 1933); to exist, i.e. be or become,

come to pass (always emphatic, and not a mere copula or

auxiliary):--beacon, X altogether, be(-come), accomplished,

committed, like), break, cause, come (to pass), do, faint,

fall, + follow, happen, X have, last, pertain, quit

(one-)self, require, X use.

see HEBREW for 01933

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

הָיָה (ha.yah) — to be.

1) to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out

1a) (Qal)

1a1) ---

1a1a) to happen, fall out, occur, take place, come about, come to pass

1a1b) to come about, come to pass

1a2) to come into being, become

1a2a) to arise, appear, come

1a2b) to become

1a2b1) to become

1a2b2) to become like

1a2b3) to be instituted, be established

1a3) to be

1a3a) to exist, be in existence

1a3b) to abide, remain, continue (with word of place or time)

1a3c) to stand, lie, be in, be at, be situated (with word of locality)

1a3d) to accompany, be with

1b) (Niphal)

1b1) to occur, come to pass, be done, be brought about

1b2) to be done, be finished, be gone

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
V-Qal-Perf-3fs — Verb · Qal · perfect third person feminine singular
HVqp3fs
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

be-kum':

(1) Greek ginomai, used in New Testament for a change of state, corresponding to Hebrew hayah of Old Testament. Compare Mt 18:3 with De 27:9.

(2) For what is fitting, suitable, proper, in New Testament: "prepei" (Mt 3:15; Eph 5:3; 1Ti 2:10); in Old Testament, na'awah, na'ah, Ps 93:5: "Holiness becometh thy house." in this sense, the adverb "becomingly" must be interpreted: "Walk becomingly toward them that are without" (1Th 4:12), i.e. in a way that is consistent with your profession.

a stone [which] they rejected the builders it has become [the] head of [the] corner
לְרֹ֣אשׁle.Rosh [the] head of H7218 Preposition · noun common masculine singular construct
600× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This Hebrew word means chief or prince, and is used to describe leaders in the Bible, such as in the book of 1 Samuel. It signifies a position of authority and importance.
Amplified meaning
head, chief
Tyndale gloss
head
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

רֹאשׁ (ro'sh) means 'head' and encompasses various meanings related to position and rank. It can refer to the head of a person or animal, the top of a mountain, or a chief in various contexts, such as a city or nation. The word also signifies beginnings and sums, appearing in phrases related to enumeration. Additionally, it serves as a proper noun for 'Rosh,' a title for a chief or prince.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

רֹאשׁ 599 n.m.

(c. 230 t.) head, of human being

head, of animals

top (88 t.)

height, of stars

head = chief (man)

= chief (city)

chief nation

= chief (place, position)

= chief priest

= head of a family

head = front, leader's place

of time, beginning, of night watch

of things, river-heads

chief, choicest, best, of spices

head = division of army, company, band

= sum, esp. in phr. take sum of, enumerate

other phr.

base

רֹאשׁ n.pr.gent. Rôsh

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H7218a רֹאשׁ . . (c. 230 t.) head, of human being

. head, of animals

. . top (88 t.)

. height, of stars

. . head = chief (man)

. = chief (city)

. chief nation

. = chief (place, position)

. = chief priest

. = head of a family

. . head = front, leader's place

. of time, beginning, of night watch

. of things, river-heads

. chief, choicest, best, of spices

. head = division of army, company, band

. = sum, esp. in phr. take sum of, enumerate

. other phr.

H7218b רֹאשׁ n. pr. gent. Rôsh

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

7218 ro'sh roshe

from an unused root apparently meaning to shake; the head (as

most easily shaken), whether literal or figurative (in many

applications, of place, time, rank, itc.):--band, beginning,

captain, chapiter, chief(-est place, man, things), company,

end, X every (man), excellent, first, forefront, ((be-))head,

height, (on) high(-est part, (priest)), X lead, X poor,

principal, ruler, sum, top.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

רֹאשׁ (rosh) — head.

: head

1) head, top, summit, upper part, chief, total, sum, height, front, beginning

1a) head (of man, animals)

1b) top, tip (of mountain)

1c) height (of stars)

1d) chief, head (of man, city, nation, place, family, priest)

1e) head, front, beginning

1f) chief, choicest, best

1g) head, division, company, band

1h) sum

רֹאשׁ (rosh) — prince.

Rosh, a tite for a chief or prince

רֹאשׁ (rosh) — head: leader.

: leader

1) head, top, summit, upper part, chief, total, sum, height, front, beginning

1a) head (of man, animals)

1b) top, tip (of mountain)

1c) height (of stars)

1d) chief, head (of man, city, nation, place, family, priest)

1e) head, front, beginning

1f) chief, choicest, best

1g) head, division, company, band

1h) sum

רֹאשׁ (rosh) — head: top.

: top/best

1) head, top, summit, upper part, chief, total, sum, height, front, beginning

1a) head (of man, animals)

Read the full entry →
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…

a stone [which] they rejected the builders it has become [the] head of [the] corner
פִּנָּֽה׃pi.Nah [the] corner H6438 Noun common · feminine singular absolute
29× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This word refers to a corner or an angle, like a pinnacle or a chief ruler. It's used in descriptions of buildings, cities, and leaders in the Bible, like in Exodus and Isaiah.
Tyndale gloss
corner
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

פִּנָּה (pinnah) means 'corner' and can refer to the corner of square objects or figuratively to a chief or chieftain. It is derived from a related word meaning 'to turn.' The entries indicate its use in contexts like a bulwark or pinnacle, but do not provide specific verse references.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

פִּנָּה 28 n.f. corner

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H6438 פִּנָּה corner

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

6438 pinnah pin-naw'

feminine of 6434; an angle; by implication, a pinnacle;

figuratively, a chieftain:--bulwark, chief, corner, stay,

tower.

see HEBREW for 06434

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

פִּנָּה (pin.nah) — Corner (Gate).

This name means corner, to turn, to turn back

פִּנָּה (pin.nah) — corner.

1) corner

1a) corner (of square objects)

1b) corner (of ruler or chief-fig.)

Also means: pen (פֵּן "Corner" H6434)

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

kor'-ner (miqtsoa`, pe'ah, pinnah; arche, gonia, akrogoniaios): In Ex 26:24; Eze 41:22; 46:21,22, miqtsoa`, "angle" is translated "corner"; pe'ah, "side," "quarter" and pinnah "corner," "front," "chief," are more frequently so translated, e.g. Ex 25:26; Le 19:9; Jer 9:26; 25:23; and Ex 27:2; 1Ki 7:34; Ps 118:22; Isa 28:16 ("corner-stone"); Jer 51:26.…

Easton's Bible Dictionary

Corner

The angle of a house (Job 1:19) or a street (Prov. 7:8). “Corners” in Neh. 9:22 denotes the various districts of the promised land allotted to the Israelites. In Num. 24:17, the “corners of Moab” denotes the whole land of Moab. The “corner of a field” (Lev. 19:9; 23:22) is its extreme part, which was not to be reaped. The Jews were prohibited from cutting the “corners,” i.e., the extremities, of the hair and whiskers running round the ears (Lev. 19:27; 21:5). The “four corners of the earth” in Isa. 11:12 and…

Smith's Bible Dictionary

The "corner" of the field was not allowed, (Leviticus 19:9) to be wholly reaped. It formed a right of the poor to carry off what was so left, and this was a part of the maintenance from the soil to which that class were entitled. Under the scribes, minute legislation fixed one-sixtieth as the portion of a field which was to be left for the legal "corner." The proportion being thus fixed, all the grain might be reaped, and enough to satisfy the regulation subsequently separated from the whole crop. This "corner" was, like the gleaning, tithe-free.

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.

Everything we make is available for free because of a generous community of supporters.

Donate