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Psalms 118:6 — Word Study

Depth

WLCיְהוָ֣ה לִ֭י לֹ֣א אִירָ֑א מַה־ יַּעֲשֶׂ֖ה לִ֣י אָדָֽם׃

BSAThe LORD [is]Yᵉhôvâh [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] I will notlôʼ [absolutely not] be afraidyârêʼ [to fear, revere] Whatmâh [how, in what way] can manʼâdâm [the human, Adam] doʻâsâh [make, accomplish]

Word
Listen & take awayPsalms 118
English ↓ Download MP3 The Berean Standard Bible chapter audio already hosted for the site's Bible section — verse 6 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 ('a.Dam) — no per-word recordings of the Hebrew exist to link to.
Take it away
Psalms 118:6quick helps
In a sentenceThe psalmist expresses confidence in God's protection, declaring that he will not fear what humans can do to him.
Who is speakingThe psalmist, affirming his trust in the Lord.
Where we areA declaration of faith in the face of adversity, situated within a context of distress.
The hard wordיָרֵא
Take awayGod's presence dispels fear.
6 commentators on this verse Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them › clause subjectיהוה verbיָרֵא 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 118:6

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 Declaration of Trustgenerated

5In my distress I called to the LORD, and He answered and set me free.
6The LORD is on my side; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?
7The LORD is on my side; He is my helper. Therefore I will look in triumph on those who hate me.
8It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in man.

Psalm 118:6 is part of a larger psalm that celebrates God's steadfast love and faithfulness. The psalmist acknowledges his distress but confidently asserts that the Lord is his ally. This theme of trust in God recurs throughout the psalm, reinforcing the belief that divine assistance outweighs human threats, as seen in verses like Psalm 118:5 and Psalm 118:7.


Cross References

ReferenceText (BSB)
1Psalm 27:1–3The LORD is my light and my salvation— whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life— whom shall I dread?
2Psalm 46:1–11God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in times of trouble.
3Psalm 56:4–9In God, whose word I praise— in God I trust. I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?
4Psalm 146:5Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the LORD his God,
5Isaiah 51:12“I, even I, am He who comforts you. Why should you be afraid of mortal man, of a son of man who withers like grass?

The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 9 references, hung on the phrase they belong to


The Key Word יְהוָ֣ה, Yah.wehgenerated

The name יְהוָ֣ה (Yahweh) signifies the self-existent and eternal nature of God. It is a proper noun used to denote the God of Israel, often translated as 'the Lord'. This name is deeply rooted in the Jewish faith and represents a covenant relationship with His people.

In this verse, the psalmist proclaims that Yahweh is on his side, emphasizing God's active support and presence. This assurance leads to the declaration of fearlessness in the face of human opposition.


How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated

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


Sentence Structuregenerated

The main clause is introduced by the subject יְהוָ֣ה, Yahweh, indicating the source of the psalmist's confidence. This is followed by a negation לֹ֣א, not, which frames the psalmist's declaration of fearlessness.

The structure of the verse highlights the relationship between God's presence and the psalmist's response to fear. The finite verb אִירָ֑א, will be afraid, is directly contrasted with the subject's confidence in God's protection.


Septuagint Backgroundgenerated

The Septuagint translates יְהוָ֣ה as κύριος (kyrios), meaning 'Lord'. This choice reflects a common practice in Greek translations to denote the divine name, emphasizing the authority and sovereignty of God.

The word יָרֵא is rendered as φοβηθήσομαι (phobēthēsomai), which conveys a sense of being afraid or terrified. This translation aligns with the original Hebrew meaning but may carry a stronger connotation of fear.


In plain words — the whole versegenerated

Psalm 118:6 expresses the psalmist's confidence in God's protection. He declares that since the Lord is on his side, he will not be afraid of what people can do to him. This reflects a deep trust in God's presence and support during times of trouble.


Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated

What does it mean that the Lord is on my side?

It signifies that God is actively supporting and helping the psalmist, providing assurance and strength.

Why should the psalmist not be afraid?

The psalmist trusts in God's power and presence, believing that no human can ultimately harm him when God is his protector.

How does this verse relate to fear?

It highlights the contrast between fear and faith, showing that trust in God can dispel fear of human threats.

What can we learn from this verse?

We can learn the importance of relying on God's presence in our lives, especially during challenging times.


Reflection Questionsgenerated

  1. In what situations do I need to remind myself that the Lord is on my side?
  2. How can I cultivate a deeper trust in God's protection in my daily life?
  3. What are some fears I need to surrender to God, knowing He is my helper?
  4. How can I encourage others to trust in God's presence during their struggles?

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

Early Church Fathers referenced this psalm to discuss God's protection and the believer's response to fear, offering insights into its application in their contexts.

CyprianTreatise XI. Exhortation to Martyrdom 5:10 c. 200–258
The injuries and punishments of persecutions are not to be feared, because the Lord is greater in protecting than the devil in assaulting.
Early Church Fathers on Psalms 118 →
Athanasius of AlexandriaDiscourses Against the Arians 3.29.54 c. 296–373
And how should Christ, who said to Abraham, “Fear not, for I am with you,” and encouraged Moses against Pharaoh and said to the son of Nun, “Be strong and of a good courage,” himself be terrified before Herod and Pilate? Furthermore,
Early Church Fathers on Psalms 118 →
Augustine of HippoExposition on Psalms 118 354–430
The Lord is my helper; I will not fear what man does unto me
Early Church Fathers on Psalms 118 →

Commentators on this verse — 6 expositors, verse by verse

Each of these wrote on Psalms 118:6 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.

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

The Lord [is] on my side,.... Or "for me" (s); he was on the side of David, hence all his prosperity and victories, the wonderful things done by him, his exaltation to the throne, and the

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

I called upon the LORD in distress: the LORD answered me, and set me in a large place. -At the beginning (Psalms 118:5) and at the close of this division (Psalms 118:13-14) the salvation already received is described.

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

A frail and impotent creature in himself, and much more when he is opposed to the Almighty God.

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

Psalms 118:6 The LORD [is] on my side; I will not fear: what can man do unto me?Ver. 6. I will not fear, &c.] See Psalms 56:4; Psalms 56:11.

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

6. From Psalms 56:9; Psalms 56:11. Cited in Hebrews 13:6.

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

The Lord is on my side - Margin, as in Hebrew,” for me.” The Lord is with me. He is my helper. He defends my cause. I will not fear - I have nothing to be afraid of.

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 LORD is on my side; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?

WEBWorld English Bible2000

Yahweh is on my side. I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?

MSBMajority Standard Bible2022

The LORD is on my side; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?

NETBNew English Translation2006

The Lord is on my side, I am not afraid! What can people do to me?

Tyndale line

KJVKing James Version1611

The LORD is on my side; I will not fear: what can man do unto me?

ASVAmerican Standard Version1901

Jehovah is on my side; I will not fear: What can man do unto me?

RVARevised Version, American1894

The LORD is on my side; I will not fear: what can man do unto me?

NWBWebster's Bible1833

The LORD is on my side; I will not fear: what can man do to me?

GNVGeneva Bible1599

The Lord is with mee: therefore I will not feare what man can doe vnto me.

Strictly literal

DBYDarby Translation1890

Jehovah is for me, I will not fear; what can man do unto me?

YLTYoung's Literal Translation1862

Jehovah [is] for me, I do not fear what man doth to me.

LSVLiteral Standard Version2020

YHWH [is] for me, || I do not fear what man does to me.

ILTInterlinear Literal Translation2000

The Lord is for me; I will not fear: what can a man do unto me?

ULBUnlocked Literal Bible2017

Yahweh is with me; I will not be afraid; what can man do to me?

From the Latin

DRADouay-Rheims (Challoner)1899

Then shall I not be confounded, when I shall look into all thy commandments.

Simplified

FBVFree Bible Version2020

The Lord is with me, so I have nothing to fear. No one can harm me.

BBEBible in Basic English1949

The Lord is on my side; I will have no fear: what is man able to do to me?

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.

clausesubjectיְהוָ֣הYahwehprepositional phrase · predicateלִ֭[is].forיmeclauseadverbialלֹ֣אnotverbאִירָ֑אI.will.be.afraidclauseobjectמַהwhat?verbיַּעֲשֶׂ֖הwill.he.doprepositional phrase · prepositionalלִ֣toיmesubjectאָדָֽםanyone

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


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

The Masoretic Text reads יְהוָ֣ה לִ֭י לֹ֣א אִירָ֑א מַה־ יַּעֲשֶׂ֖ה לִ֣י אָדָֽם׃. The Septuagint matches this closely, with all eight words corresponding directly, indicating a strong textual agreement. The Dead Sea Scrolls, while partially restored, also align with the Masoretic Text, confirming the essential reading.

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

יְהוָ֣ה לִ֭י לֹ֣א אִירָ֑א מַה־ יַּעֲשֶׂ֖ה לִ֣י אָדָֽם׃

Septuagintthe Greek the translators chose, word by word
יְהוָ֣הκύριοςלִ֭יἐμοὶלֹ֣אοὐאִירָ֑אφοβηθήσομαιמַה־τίיַּעֲשֶׂ֖הποιήσειלִ֣יμοιאָדָֽם׃ἄνθρωπος

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 — 4Q84a copy a thousand years older than the Leningrad Codex

יהוה ל׳י לא [אירא] מה יעשה ל׳י אדם

5 words on the leather — 2 partly restored, 1 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 118:6יהוהYahwehYahwehיהוהנִי[is] for me[is] for meנִילֹאnotnotלֹאיָרֵאI will be aI will be afraiיָרֵאמָהwhat?what?מָהעָשָׂהwill he dowill he doעָשָׂהנִיto meto meנִיאָדָםanyoneanyoneאָדָםהָיָהto beto beהָיָהאָדֹםto reddento reddenאָדֹםנְאֻםutteranceutteranceנְאֻםצָבָאarmyarmyצָבָאיָכֹלbe ablebe ableיָכֹלעוֹדstillstillעוֹדחָתַתto to be dto to be dismayחָתַתאַלnotnotאַלכָּ֫כָהthusthusכָּ֫כָהפָּעַלto workto workפָּעַלמְלָאכָהworkworkמְלָאכָהתּוֹעֵבַהabominatioabominationתּוֹעֵבַהדְּמוּתlikenesslikenessדְּמוּתבְּהֵמָהanimalanimalבְּהֵמָה
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 118:6

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.

Yahweh [is] for me not I will be afraid what? will he do to me anyone
יְהוָ֣הYah.weh Yahweh H3068 Noun proper
6,528× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
Yehovah is another name for God, often translated as 'the Lord'. It is a national name for God in the Jewish faith. This name is used throughout the Old Testament.
Amplified meaning
Yehovah, The covenant Name of God
Tyndale gloss
The Lord
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

יְהֹוָה (ye.ho.vah) is the proper name of the God of Israel, often rendered as Jehovah or the Lord. It signifies the self-existent or eternal nature of God. The name is closely associated with the revelation to Moses in Exodus 3:12-15 and is used in conjunction with other terms to denote sacred places. Some scholars suggest it derives from a root meaning 'to bring into being.'

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

יהוה c. 6823 i.e. יַהְוֶה n.pr.dei Yahweh, the proper name of the God of Israel—(1. MT יְהֹוָה 6518 (Qr אֲדֹנָי), or יֱהֹוִה 305 (Qr אֱלֹהִים) 2. Many recent scholars explain יַהְוֶה as Hiph. of הוה (= היה) the one bringing into being, life-giver)

יהוה is not used by E in Gn, but is given Ex 3:12-15 as the name of the God who revealed Himself to Moses at Horeb

יהוה is used with אלהים and suffixes, especially in D

the phrase † אֲנִי יהוה is noteworthy

יהוה is also used with several predicates, to form sacred names of holy places of Yahweh

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H3068 יהוה i.e. יַהְוֶה n. pr. dei Yahweh, the proper name of the God of Israel

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

3068 Yhovah yeh-ho-vaw'

from 1961; (the) self-Existent or Eternal; Jehovah, Jewish

national name of God:--Jehovah, the Lord. Compare 3050, 3069.

see HEBREW for 01961

see HEBREW for 03050

see HEBREW for 03069

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

יְהֹוָה (ye.ho.vah) — LORD.

Jehovah = "the existing One"

1) the proper name of the one true God

1a) unpronounced except with the vowel pointings of a.do.na (אֲדֹנָי "Lord" H0136)

יְהֹוָה (ye.ho.vah) — The Lord.

Another name of ye.ru.sha.laim (יְרוּשָׁלִַ֫ם, יְרוּשְׁלֵם "Jerusalem" H3389)

יְהֹוָה (ye.ho.vah) — (Jerusalem of) the Lord.

Combined with ye.ru.sha.laim (יְרוּשָׁלִַ֫ם, יְרוּשְׁלֵם "Jerusalem" H3389)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-proper — Noun proper
HNpt
The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
Yahweh [is] for me not I will be afraid what? will he do to me anyone
לִ֭יli [is] for me H9030 Preposition · suffix
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

נִי (ni) — me.

Personal object pronoun - suffix for propositions and verbs without an object: 1st person singular

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
HR/Sp1bs — Preposition · suffix
HR/Sp1bs
Yahweh [is] for me not I will be afraid what? will he do to me anyone
לֹ֣אlo' not H3808 Particle
5,170× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
The Hebrew word for not or no is used to indicate absence or negation, as when God says no to the Israelites' requests, or when they disobey His commands.
Amplified meaning
absolutely not
Tyndale gloss
not
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

לֹא (lo') is a Hebrew word meaning 'not' or 'no.' It serves as a simple negation and can imply absence or prohibition. The word can also be used in various contexts, often combined with other particles for emphasis or clarification. Its Aramaic equivalent is לָא (la), which also means 'not.'

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

לֹא or לוֹא adv. not

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H3808 לֹא or לוֹא not

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

3808 lo' lo

or lowi {lo}; or loh (Deut. 3:11) {lo}; a primitive particle;

not (the simple or abs. negation); by implication, no; often

used with other particles (as follows):--X before, + or else,

ere, + except, ig(-norant), much, less, nay, neither, never,

no((-ne), -r, (-thing)), (X as though...,(can-), for) not (out

of), of nought, otherwise, out of, + surely, + as truly as, +

of a truth, + verily, for want, + whether, without.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

לֹא (lo) — not.

1) not, no

1a) not (with verb-absolute prohibition)

1b) not (with modifier-negation)

1c) nothing (subst)

1d) without (with particle)

1e) before (of time)

Aramaic equivalent: la (לָא "not" H3809)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Part — Particle
HTn
The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
Yahweh [is] for me not I will be afraid what? will he do to me anyone
אִירָ֑א'i.Ra' I will be afraid H3372 Verb · Qal · imperfect first person common singular
315× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This Hebrew word means to fear or revere, and is used to describe being afraid or standing in awe of something, like God's power. It appears in the Bible to convey a sense of respect or reverence. In the KJV, it's translated as 'affright' or 'reverence'.
Amplified meaning
to fear, revere
Tyndale gloss
to fear
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

יָרֵא (yare') is a Hebrew verb meaning to fear or be afraid, encompassing a range of meanings from reverence and honor to causing terror. It appears in various forms, including Qal (to fear), Niphal (to be fearful), and Piel (to terrify). The entries highlight its moral and emotional dimensions, emphasizing awe and respect, particularly in relation to the divine.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

יָרֵא vb. fear

Qal

fear, be afraid

stand in awe of

fear, reverence, honour

Niph.

be fearful, dreadful

cause astonishment and awe

inspire reverence, godly fear, and awe

Piel. make afraid, terrify

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H3372 יָרֵא fear .. fear, be afraid

. stand in awe of

. fear, reverence, honour

. . be fearful, dreadful

. cause astonishment and awe

. inspire reverence, godly fear, and awe

. make afraid, terrify

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

3372 yare' yaw-ray'

a primitive root; to fear; morally, to revere; caus. to

frighten:--affright, be (make) afraid, dread(-ful), (put in)

fear(-ful, -fully, -ing), (be had in) reverence(-end), X see,

terrible (act, -ness, thing).

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

יָרֵא (ya.re) — to fear.

: frightening(DANGER)

1) to fear, revere, be afraid

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to fear, be afraid

1a2) to stand in awe of, be awed

1a3) to fear, reverence, honour, respect

1b) (Niphal)

1b1) to be fearful, be dreadful, be feared

1b2) to cause astonishment and awe, be held in awe

1b3) to inspire reverence or godly fear or awe

1c) (Piel) to make afraid, terrify

2) (TWOT) to shoot, pour

יָרֵא (ya.re) — to fear: revere.

: awesome(god)

1) to fear, revere, be afraid

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to fear, be afraid

1a2) to stand in awe of, be awed

1a3) to fear, reverence, honour, respect

1b) (Niphal)

1b1) to be fearful, be dreadful, be feared

1b2) to cause astonishment and awe, be held in awe

1b3) to inspire reverence or godly fear or awe

1c) (Piel) to make afraid, terrify

2) (TWOT) to shoot, pour

Also means: ya.re (יָרֵא ": frightening" H3372)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
V-Qal-Imperf-1cs — Verb · Qal · imperfect first person common singular
HVqi1cs
Yahweh [is] for me not I will be afraid what? will he do to me anyone
מַה־mah- what? H4100 Pronoun
753× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This Hebrew word means what or how, often used to ask questions or express surprise, like in Genesis when God asks Adam what he has done. It can also mean why or when, and is used in various ways throughout the Old Testament. It appears in many KJV translations, including how or what.
Amplified meaning
how, in what way
Tyndale gloss
what?
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

מָה (mah) is a Hebrew word primarily used as an interrogative particle meaning 'what?' or 'how?'. It can also function as an indefinite pronoun, encompassing meanings like 'anything' or 'whatever'. The word is versatile, appearing in various adverbial forms and often used with prefixes to express different nuances, such as reason or manner.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

מָה, rarely מָה־, מַה־, מַה‍ּ, מֶה, מַ‍ּ, מָ—pron.interrog. and indef. what? how? aught

interrog. what?

Used adverbially

Indef. pron.

With preps.

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H4100 מָה, rarely מָה־, מַה־, מַה‍ּ, מֶה, מַ‍ּ, מָ—pron. interrog. and indef. what? how? aught . interrog. what?

. Used adverbially

. Indef. pron.

. With preps.

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

4100 mah maw

or mah {mah}; or ma {maw}; or ma {mah}; also meh {meh}; a

primitive particle; properly, interrogative what? (including

how? why? when?); but also exclamation, what! (including

how!), or indefinitely what (including whatever, and even

relatively, that which); often used with prefixes in various

adverbial or conjunctive senses:--how (long, oft, (-

soever)), (no-)thing, what (end, good, purpose, thing),

whereby(-fore, -in, -to, -with), (for) why.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

מָה (mah) — what?.

interr pron

1) what, how, of what kind

1a) (interrogative)

1a1) what?

1a2) of what kind

1a3) what? (rhetorical)

1a4) whatsoever, whatever, what

1b) (adverb)

1b1) how, how now

1b2) why

1b3) how! (exclamation)

1c) (with prep)

1c1) wherein?, whereby?, wherewith?, by what means?

1c2) because of what?

1c3) the like of what?

1c3a) how much?, how many?, how often?

1c3b) for how long?

1c4) for what reason?, why?, to what purpose?

1c5) until when?, how long?, upon what?, wherefore?

indef pron

2) anything, aught, what may

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Part — Pronoun
HPi
The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
Yahweh [is] for me not I will be afraid what? will he do to me anyone
יַּעֲשֶׂ֖הya.'a.Seh will he do H6213 Verb · Qal · imperfect third person masculine singular
2,629× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This verb means to make or do something, and is used over 2,600 times in the Bible. It is first used in Genesis 1:7 to describe God's creation of the world and is also used in Exodus 31:5 to describe the work of skilled craftsmen.
Amplified meaning
make, accomplish
Tyndale gloss
to make
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

עָשָׂה (asah) is a Hebrew verb meaning to do or make, encompassing a wide range of actions such as producing, preparing, and observing. It can refer to both concrete and abstract activities, including making offerings and attending to tasks. The verb also has forms indicating passive meanings, such as being made or offered. Notably, the Piel form refers to pressing or squeezing.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

עָשָׂה 2622 vb. do, make

Qal 2524

do (1560 t.)

deal with

oft. in phr. do kindness with

abs. act, act with effect

make (670 t.)

produce, yield

prepare, esp. of dressing and cooking food

make offering

attend to, put in order

observe, celebrate, religious festival

acquire property of various kinds

appoint priests

bring about of י׳’s effecting a deliverance

use

spend, pass, days of life

Niph.

97be done

be made, of concr. things

be produced from vine

be prepared, of food

be offered

be observed, passover

be used

Pu. I was made

base

[עָשָׂה] vb. Pi. press, squeeze

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H6213a עָשָׂה do, make .. . do (1560 + t.)

. deal with

. oft. in phr. do kindness with

. abs. act, act with effect

. . make (670 + t.)

. produce, yield

. prepare, esp. of dressing and cooking food

. make offering

. attend to, put in order

. observe, celebrate, religious festival

. acquire property of various kinds

. appoint priests

. bring about of י׳’s effecting a deliverance

. use

. spend, pass, days of life

. . be done

. . be made, of concr. things

. be produced from vine

. be prepared, of food

. be offered

. be observed, passover

. be used

. I was made

H6213b עָשָׂה Pi. press, squeeze

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

6213 `asah aw-saw'

a primitive root; to do or make, in the broadest sense and

widest application (as follows):--accomplish, advance,

appoint, apt, be at, become, bear, bestow, bring forth,

bruise, be busy, X certainly, have the charge of, commit, deal

(with), deck, + displease, do, (ready) dress(-ed), (put in)

execute(-ion), exercise, fashion, + feast, (fight-)ing man, +

finish, fit, fly, follow, fulfill, furnish, gather, get, go

about, govern, grant, great, + hinder, hold ((a feast)), X

indeed, + be industrious, + journey, keep, labour, maintain,

make, be meet, observe, be occupied, offer, + officer, pare,

bring (come) to pass, perform, pracise, prepare, procure,

provide, put, requite, X sacrifice, serve, set, shew, X sin,

spend, X surely, take, X thoroughly, trim, X very, + vex, be

(warr-)ior, work(-man), yield, use.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

עָשָׂה (a.sah) — to make: do.

: do/perform

1) to do, fashion, accomplish, make

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to do, work, make, produce

1a1a) to do

1a1b) to work

1a1c) to deal (with)

1a1d) to act, act with effect, effect

1a2) to make

1a2a) to make

1a2b) to produce

1a2c) to prepare

1a2d) to make (an offering)

1a2e) to attend to, put in order

1a2f) to observe, celebrate

1a2g) to acquire (property)

1a2h) to appoint, ordain, institute

1a2i) to bring about

1a2j) to use

1a2k) to spend, pass

1b) (Niphal)

1b1) to be done

1b2) to be made

1b3) to be produced

1b4) to be offered

1b5) to be observed

1b6) to be used

1c) (Pual) to be made

עָשָׂה (a.sah) — to press.

(Piel) to press, squeeze

עָשָׂה (a.sah) — to make.

: make(OBJECT)

1) to do, fashion, accomplish, make

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to do, work, make, produce

1a1a) to do

1a1b) to work

1a1c) to deal (with)

1a1d) to act, act with effect, effect

1a2) to make

1a2a) to make

1a2b) to produce

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
V-Qal-Imperf-3ms — Verb · Qal · imperfect third person masculine singular
HVqi3ms
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

ha: The fifth letter of the Hebrew alphabet; transliterated in this Encyclopedia as "h." It came also to be used for the number 5. For name, etc., see ALPHABET.

Yahweh [is] for me not I will be afraid what? will he do to me anyone
לִ֣יli to me H9030 Preposition · suffix
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

נִי (ni) — me.

Personal object pronoun - suffix for propositions and verbs without an object: 1st person singular

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
HR/Sp1bs — Preposition · suffix
HR/Sp1bs
Yahweh [is] for me not I will be afraid what? will he do to me anyone
אָדָֽם׃'a.Dam anyone H120 Noun common · masculine singular absolute
551× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
Adam was the first human, created by God and mentioned in Genesis 2:19, who married Eve and had sons including Cain, Abel, and Seth.
Amplified meaning
the human, Adam
Tyndale gloss
the man (Adam)
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

אָדָם (adam) refers to 'man' or 'mankind,' encompassing both individual humans and the species as a whole. It is also the name of the first man in the Bible, Adam, who is mentioned in various verses, including Genesis 2:19. The term can denote a city in the Jordan valley as well. The entries indicate a range of meanings, but there is no significant disagreement among them.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

אָדָם 560 n.m. Gn 1:27 man, mankind

a man = human being

coll. man, mankind

n.pr.m. Adam, first man (without art.)

n.pr.loc. city in Jordan valley (as built?)

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H120 אָדָם man, mankind . a man = human being

. coll. man, mankind

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

120 'adam aw-dawm'

from 119; ruddy i.e. a human being (an individual or the

species, mankind, etc.):--X another, + hypocrite, + common

sort, X low, man (mean, of low degree), person.

see HEBREW for 0119

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

אָדָם (a.dam) — man.

1) man, mankind

1a) man, human being

1b) man, mankind (much more frequently intended sense in OT)

1c) Adam, first man

1d) city in Jordan valley

אָדָם (a.dam) — the man (Adam).

The first named man living at the time before the Flood, first mentioned at Gen.2.19;

married to Eve (H2332);

father of: Cain (H7014B), Abel (H1893) and Seth (H8352); also translated "man" at Gen.2.19,21,23; 3.8,9,20; 5.2; "mankind" at Deu.32.8; "others" at Job.31.33;

Another spelling of a.dam (אָדָם "Adam" H0121)

man, human being

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-ms — Noun common · masculine singular absolute
HNcmsa
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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