Menu

Psalms 119:83 — Word Study

Depth

WLCכִּֽי־ הָ֭יִיתִי כְּנֹ֣אד בְּקִיט֑וֹר חֻ֝קֶּ֗יךָ לֹ֣א שָׁכָֽחְתִּי׃

BSAThoughkîy I amhâyâh [like a bottle, have become] like a wineskinnôʼd [blackened, shriveled up] dried up by smokeqîyṭôwr [a thick cloud] I do notlôʼ [yet, still] forgetshâkach [am oblivious to, mislay] Your statuteschôq [decrees, laws, divine rules]

Word
Listen & take awayPsalms 119
English ↓ Download MP3 The Berean Standard Bible chapter audio already hosted for the site's Bible section — verse 83 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 (sha.Kha.che.ti) — no per-word recordings of the Hebrew exist to link to.
Take it away
Psalms 119:83quick helps
In a sentenceThe psalmist expresses his deep distress, comparing himself to a wineskin that has dried up from smoke, yet he remains committed to remembering God's laws.
Who is speakingThe psalmist, reflecting on his suffering and the importance of God's statutes.
Where we areThis verse is part of a meditation on suffering and faithfulness, situated within Psalm 119, which emphasizes the value of God's word.
The hard wordנֹאד
Take awayEven in despair, the psalmist does not forget God's commands.
8 commentators on this verse Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them › clause verbהָיָה 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 119:83

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 — Meditation on Suffering and God's Statutesgenerated

82My eyes fail, looking for Your promise; I ask, “When will You comfort me?”
83Though I am like a wineskin dried up by smoke, I do not forget Your statutes.
84How many days must Your servant wait? When will You execute judgment on my persecutors?
85The arrogant have dug pits for me in violation of Your law.

Psalm 119:83 reflects the psalmist's feelings of desolation, likening himself to a wineskin that has dried up due to smoke. This imagery conveys a sense of loss and vulnerability. Despite his suffering, he affirms his commitment to God's statutes, emphasizing the importance of divine laws in his life. This verse is part of a larger meditation on the trials faced by the faithful and their reliance on God's guidance, as seen in the surrounding verses of Psalm 119.


Cross References

ReferenceText (BSB)
1Psalm 22:15My strength is dried up like a potsherd, and my tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth. You lay me in the dust of death.
2Psalm 102:3–4For my days vanish like smoke, and my bones burn like glowing embers.
3Job 30:30My skin grows black and peels, and my bones burn with fever.
4Psalm 119:16–61I will delight in Your statutes; I will not forget Your word.

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

like a bottle in the smokePsalm 22:15 Psalm 102:3–4 Job 30:30

The Key Word הָיָה, Ha.yi.tigenerated

The verb הָיָה (hayah) means 'to be' or 'to become' and is used here in the perfect tense, indicating a completed action. The psalmist expresses that he has become like a wineskin, emphasizing a transformation due to his circumstances.

This word conveys a state of existence or condition, highlighting the psalmist's feeling of being dried up and empty, akin to a wineskin that has lost its contents.


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 הָיָה (hayah), I have become, governs the sentence, with a simile and a prepositional phrase providing context. The structure emphasizes the psalmist's condition as a result of his experiences.

The phrase כְּנֹ֣אד (like a skin-bottle) is a noun phrase that complements the verb, illustrating the psalmist's state of being, while the prepositional phrase בְּקִיט֑וֹר (in smoke) adds depth to the imagery.


Septuagint Backgroundgenerated

The Septuagint translates הָיָה as ἐγενήθην, which also means 'I became.' This choice retains the sense of transformation found in the Hebrew, indicating a change in the psalmist's state.

The Greek word ἀσκὸς is used for נֹאד, which also means 'wineskin.' This reflects a direct correspondence in meaning, maintaining the imagery of a container that has lost its purpose.


In plain words — the whole versegenerated

Psalm 119:83 describes the psalmist's feelings of being dried up and empty like a wineskin due to his suffering. Despite this, he remains committed to remembering God's laws and decrees.


Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated

What does it mean to be like a wineskin dried up by smoke?

This imagery conveys a sense of desolation and emptiness, reflecting the psalmist's feelings of being worn down by his circumstances.

Why does the psalmist emphasize not forgetting God's statutes?

The psalmist highlights the importance of God's laws as a source of guidance and strength, even in times of distress.

How does this verse relate to the surrounding verses in Psalm 119?

This verse is part of a larger meditation on suffering and faithfulness, where the psalmist continually affirms his reliance on God's word.

What can we learn from the psalmist's experience?

The psalmist's experience teaches us the importance of holding on to our faith and God's commandments, even in difficult times.


Reflection Questionsgenerated

  1. In what ways can I relate to the psalmist's feelings of emptiness or desolation?
  2. How can I ensure that I remember God's laws in my own life, especially during challenging times?
  3. What are some practical steps I can take to strengthen my faith when I feel overwhelmed?
  4. How does the imagery of a wineskin help me understand the importance of being filled with God's word?

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

The early Church Father Augustine of Hippo comments on this verse, using it to illustrate the contrast between spiritual and carnal desires.

Augustine of HippoExposition on Psalms 119 354–430
But when spiritual desires burn, carnal desires without doubt cool: on this account follows, "Since I have become like a bottle in the frost,
Early Church Fathers on Psalms 119 →

Commentators on this verse — 8 expositors, verse by verse

Each of these wrote on Psalms 119:83 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.

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

For I am become like a bottle in the smoke,.... Like a bottle made of the skins of beasts, as was usual in those times and countries: hence we read of old and new bottles, and of their rending, Jude 9:13 Matthew 9:17.

Read John Gill on Psalms 119 →
Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's Commentary

For I am become like a bottle in the smoke; yet do I not forget thy statutes.

Read Robert Jamieson on Psalms 119 →
Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy Bible

In the smoke; hung up in a smoking chimney. My natural moisture is dried and burnt up; I am withered, and deformed, and despised, and my case grows worse and worse every day.

Read Matthew Poole on Psalms 119 →
John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

Psalms 119:83 For I am become like a bottle in the smoke; [yet] do I not forget thy statutes.Ver. 83. For I am become like a bottle in the smoke] Shrivelled, wrinkled, withered, dried up. My body by long suffering is but a bag of bones, and that black and sooty; confer Psalms 32:3; Psalms 102:3. My soul in danger of being bereft of all spiritual moisture. Yet do I not forget thy statutes] Nay, I do the rather remember them, and fetch relief from them.

Read John Trapp on Psalms 119 →
Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(83) A bottle in the smoke.—The insertion of yet by our translators shows that they understood this as a figure of abject misery. The wine-skin would, of course, shrivel, if hung above a fire, and would afford an apt image of the effect of trouble on an individual or community. “As wine-skin in the smoke my heart is sere and dried.” Some think that as a bottle hung up anywhere in an ancient house would be in the smoke, nothing more is implied than its being set aside; but this is too weak. We find in the ancient poets allusion to the custom of mellowing wine by heat: “Prodit fumoso condita vina cado.”—OVID: Fast. v. 517. (Comp. Hor. Ode iii. 8, 9, 10). And so some understand the image here…

Read Charles John Ellicott on Psalms 119 →
AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible

Verse 83. Like a bottle in the smoke] In the eastern countries their bottles are made of skins; one of these hung in the smoke must soon be parched and shrivelled up. This represents the exhausted state of his body and mind by long bodily affliction and mental distress.

Read AdamClarke on Psalms 119 →
CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

83. For I am become like a wineskin in the smoke; yet &c.] As a wineskin out of use hung up among the rafters of the roof grows shrivelled and blackened by the smoke till it almost loses its original appearance, so the Psalmist is growing emaciated and disfigured by suffering and sorrow till he can scarcely be recognised. Cp. Psalms 109:24. Some commentators suppose that there is a reference to the custom of mellowing wine by putting it in the smoke (cp. “amphorae fumum bibere institutae,” Horace, Odes, iii. 8. 11), and that the figure means that the Psalmist is being exposed to suffering to soften and mature his character, though the process is being continued so long that he is becoming…

Read Cambridge on Psalms 119 →
Albert Barnes1798–1870Barnes' Notes on the Bible

For I am become like a bottle in the smoke - Bottles in the East were commonly made of skins. See the notes at Matthew 9:17.

Read Albert Barnes on Psalms 119 →

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

Though I am like a wineskin dried up by smoke, I do not forget Your statutes.

WEBWorld English Bible2000

For I have become like a wineskin in the smoke. I don’t forget your statutes.

MSBMajority Standard Bible2022

Though I am like a wineskin dried up by smoke, I do not forget Your statutes.

NETBNew English Translation2006

For I am like a wineskin dried up in smoke. I do not forget your statutes.

Tyndale line

KJVKing James Version1611

For I am become like a bottle in the smoke; yet do I not forget thy statutes.

ASVAmerican Standard Version1901

For I am become like a wine-skin in the smoke; Yet do I not forget thy statutes.

RVARevised Version, American1894

For I am become like a bottle in the smoke; yet do I not forget thy statutes.

NWBWebster's Bible1833

For I am become like a bottle in the smoke; yet I do not forget thy statutes.

GNVGeneva Bible1599

For I am like a bottell in the smoke: yet doe I not forget thy statutes.

Strictly literal

DBYDarby Translation1890

For I am become like a bottle in the smoke; I do not forget thy statutes.

YLTYoung's Literal Translation1862

For I have been as a bottle in smoke, Thy statutes I have not forgotten.

LSVLiteral Standard Version2020

For I have been as a bottle in smoke, || I have not forgotten Your statutes.

ILTInterlinear Literal Translation2000

For I am become like a bottle in the smoke: [yet] do I not forget thy statutes.

ULBUnlocked Literal Bible2017

For I have become like a wineskin in the smoke; I do not forget your statutes.

Simplified

FBVFree Bible Version2020

I've become like a wineskin that's been shriveled up by smoke, but I have not forgotten to do as you say.

BBEBible in Basic English1949

For I have become like a wine-skin black with smoke; but I still keep the memory of your rules.

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


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

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

כִּֽי(dm)clauseverbהָ֭יִיתִיI.have.becomeprepositional phrase · prepositionalכְּlikenoun phraseנֹ֣אדa.skin-bottleprepositional phraseבְּinקִיט֑וֹרsmokeclausenoun phrase · objectחֻ֝קֶּ֗יdecreesךָyouradverbialלֹ֣אnotverbשָׁכָֽחְתִּיI.have.forgotten

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


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

The Masoretic Text is consistent with the Septuagint and the Dead Sea Scrolls, which also reflect the imagery of the psalmist's condition. The scrolls contain some restored words but agree on the overall message of the verse.

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

כִּֽי־ הָ֭יִיתִי כְּנֹ֣אד בְּקִיט֑וֹר חֻ֝קֶּ֗יךָ לֹ֣א שָׁכָֽחְתִּי׃

Septuagintthe Greek the translators chose, word by word
כִּֽי־ὅτιהָ֭יִיתִיἐγενήθηνכְּנֹ֣אדἀσκὸςבְּקִיט֑וֹרπάξνῃחֻ֝קֶּ֗יךָσουלֹ֣אοὐκשָׁכָֽחְתִּי׃ἐπελαθόμην

7 of the 7 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 — 4Q89a copy a thousand years older than the Leningrad Codex

[כי] הייתי כנאוד בקיטור [חקי׳ך] [לא] [שכחתי]

2 words on the leather — 1 partly restored, 4 supplied entire by an editor.

Dead Sea Scrolls — 11Q5a copy a thousand years older than the Leningrad Codex

כי עשית׳ני כנאוד בקיטור חסד׳כה לוא שכחתי

7 words on the leather.

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 119:83כִּיforforכִּיהָיָהI have becoI have becomeהָיָהנֹאדlike a skinlike a skin-botנֹאדקִיטוֹרin smokein smokeקִיטוֹרחֹקdecrees youdecrees yourחֹקלֹאnotnotלֹאשָׁכַחI have forgI have forgotteשָׁכַחקָטַרto offer: to offer: burnקָטַרחָקַקto decreeto decreeחָקַקהָוָאto fallto fallהָוָאיָדַעto knowto knowיָדַעבָּלֶהoldoldבָּלֶהיַ֫יִןwinewineיַ֫יִןכִּבְשָׁןkilnkilnכִּבְשָׁןלָמַדto learn: to learn: teachלָמַדמִצְוָהcommandmencommandmentמִצְוָהיָכֹלbe ablebe ableיָכֹלעוֹדstillstillעוֹדנֵ֫צַחperpetuityperpetuityנֵ֫צַח
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 119:83

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

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

for I have become like a skin-bottle in smoke decrees your not I have forgotten
כִּֽי־ki- for H3588 Particle
4,483× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
A conjunction used to show cause or connection, as in Genesis 2:23 where Adam says the woman is bone of his bone because she was taken out of him. It is often translated as 'for', 'because', or 'since'.
Tyndale gloss
for
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

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

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

כִּי conj. that, for, when

that

Of time, when, of the past

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

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

Because, since

base

כִּי אם־

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

that if

for if

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

limiting the prec. clause, except

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

after an oath, surely

base

כִּי עַל כֵּן forasmuch as

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H3588a כִּי that, for, when . that

. . Of time, when, of the past

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

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

. Because, since

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

. for if

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

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

. after an oath, surely

H3588c כִּי עַל כֵּן forasmuch as

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

3588 kiy kee

a primitive particle (the full form of the prepositional

prefix) indicating causal relations of all kinds, antecedent

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

whether, while, whom, yea, yet.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

כִּי (ki) — for.

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

1a) that

1a1) yea, indeed

1b) when (of time)

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

1c) because, since (causal connection)

1d) but (after negative)

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

1f) but rather, but

1g) except that

1h) only, nevertheless

1i) surely

1j) that is

1k) but if

1l) for though

1m) forasmuch as, for therefore

כִּי [אם] (ki im) — that if: except.

1) except if

1a) but if

1b) even though

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

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

1a) that

1a1) yea, indeed

1b) when (of time)

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

1c) because, since (causal connection)

1d) but (after negative)

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

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

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

The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
for I have become like a skin-bottle in smoke decrees your not I have forgotten
הָ֭יִיתִיHa.yi.ti I have become H1961 Verb · Qal · perfect first person common 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
like a bottle, have become
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-1cs — Verb · Qal · perfect first person common singular
HVqp1cs
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.

for I have become like a skin-bottle in smoke decrees your not I have forgotten
כְּנֹ֣אדke.Nod like a skin-bottle H4997 Preposition · noun common masculine singular absolute
6× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
A 'nô''d' is a container made of skin or leather, used to hold liquids like wine or water. In the Bible, it is often translated as 'bottle' or 'wineskin', and is used to describe a common household item in ancient times.
Amplified meaning
blackened, shriveled up
Tyndale gloss
wineskin
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

נֹאד (nod) refers to a skin or leather bag used for holding fluids, commonly understood as a wineskin or bottle. The word's origins are uncertain, and it appears in various contexts in the Old Testament related to containers for liquids.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

נֹאד n.m. skin-bottle, skin

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H4997 נֹאד

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

4997 no'd node

or noywd {node}; also (feminine) no)dah {no-daw'}; from an

unused root of uncertain signification; a (skin or leather)

bag (for fluids):--bottle.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

נֹאד (nod) — wineskin.

skin, bottle, skin-bottle

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

bot'-'-l (chemeth, no'-dh, nebhel, baqbuq, 'obh; askos): The most literal rendering of all the words for bottle in English Versions of the Bible is "skin," or "wine-skin," the Revised Version (British and American). The primitive bottle among eastern peoples was really a bag made from skins, tanned or untanned, of kid, goat, cow, camel or buffalo--in most cases drawn off of the animal entire, after the legs and head were cut off, and, when filled, grotesquely retaining the shape of the animal. The skins in common use today, as in ancient times no doubt, for holding water milk, butter and cheese, have the hair left on and are far from cleanly-looking. Those used for wine and oil are tanned by means of oak bark and seasoning in smoke, a process that gives a peculiar astringency of flavor to the wine kept in them, and gave rise to the parable of Jesus about putting new wine into old…

Easton's Bible Dictionary

Bottle

A vessel made of skins for holding wine (Josh. 9:4. 13; 1 Sam. 16:20; Matt. 9:17; Mark 2:22; Luke 5:37, 38), or milk (Judg. 4:19), or water (Gen. 21:14, 15, 19), or strong drink (Hab. 2:15).

Earthenware vessels were also similarly used (Jer. 19:1-10; 1 Kings 14:3; Isa. 30:14). In

The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
for I have become like a skin-bottle in smoke decrees your not I have forgotten
בְּקִיט֑וֹרbe.ki.Tor in smoke H7008 Preposition · noun common masculine singular absolute
4× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
In the Bible, this word means a thick cloud of smoke, like the kind that rises from a fire. It appears in the book of Exodus to describe the smoke from the mountain when God gave Moses the Ten Commandments. This image is also used in Psalm 119 to describe God's presence.
Amplified meaning
a thick cloud
Tyndale gloss
smoke
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

קִיטוֹר (qiytowr) refers to thick smoke or fume, derived from the root meaning 'to smoke.' The entries consistently describe it as a type of cloud or vapor, emphasizing its density. There are no significant disagreements among the lexicons regarding its meaning.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

קִיטוֹר n.m. thick smoke

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H7008 קִיטוֹר thick smoke

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

7008 qiytowr kee-tore'

or qiytor {kee-tore'}; from 6999; a fume, i.e.

cloud:--smoke, vapour.

see HEBREW for 06999

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

קִיטוֹר (qi.tor) — smoke.

thick smoke, smoke

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

smok: Used figuratively of the divine jealousy (De 29:20) and anger (Ps 74:1); symbolic of the glory of the divine holiness (Isa 4:5; 6:4; Re 15:8).

Nave's Topical Bible

→ FIGURATIVE Isa 6:4; Ho 13:3

The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
for I have become like a skin-bottle in smoke decrees your not I have forgotten
חֻ֝קֶּ֗יךָchu.Kei.cha decrees your H2706 Noun common masculine plural construct · suffix
127× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
In the Bible, this Hebrew word means a decree or law given by God, like the Ten Commandments. It appears in books like Exodus and Deuteronomy, guiding the Israelites' actions. This concept is essential to understanding God's expectations.
Amplified meaning
decrees, laws, divine rules
Tyndale gloss
statute: decree
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

חֹק (choq) refers to something prescribed, such as a statute, ordinance, or limit. It encompasses a range of meanings, including prescribed tasks, portions, and decrees, whether from God or man. The plural form, חֻקִּים, denotes multiple enactments or statutes. The entries consistently emphasize its legal and prescriptive nature.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

חֹק 127 n.m. something prescribed, a statute or due

prescribed task

prescribed-portion or allowance of food

action prescribed for oneself, resolve

prescribed due of the priest from offerings

prescribed limit, boundary

enactment, decree, ordinance of either God or man

pl. חֻקִּים enactments, statutes of a law

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H2706 חֹק something prescribed, a statute or due . prescribed task

. prescribed-portion or allowance of food

. action prescribed for oneself, resolve

. prescribed due of the priest from offerings

. prescribed limit, boundary

. enactment, decree, ordinance of either God or man

. pl. חֻקִּים enactments, statutes of a law

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

2706 choq khoke

from 2710; an enactment; hence, an appointment (of time,

space, quantity, labor or usage):--appointed, bound,

commandment, convenient, custom, decree(-d), due, law,

measure, X necessary, ordinance(- nary), portion, set time,

statute, task.

see HEBREW for 02710

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

חֹק (choq) — statute: decree.

: decree

1) statute, ordinance, limit, something prescribed, due

1a) prescribed task

1b) prescribed portion

1c) action prescribed (for oneself), resolve

1d) prescribed due

1e) prescribed limit, boundary

1f) enactment, decree, ordinance

1f1) specific decree

1f2) law in general

1g) enactments, statutes

1g1) conditions

1g2) enactments

1g3) decrees

1g4) civil enactments prescribed by God

חֹק (choq) — statute: portion.

: portion

1) statute, ordinance, limit, something prescribed, due

1a) prescribed task

1b) prescribed portion

1c) action prescribed (for oneself), resolve

1d) prescribed due

1e) prescribed limit, boundary

1f) enactment, decree, ordinance

1f1) specific decree

1f2) law in general

1g) enactments, statutes

1g1) conditions

1g2) enactments

1g3) decrees

1g4) civil enactments prescribed by God

חֹק (choq) — statute: allotment.

: allotment/boundary

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-mp | Suff — Noun common masculine plural construct · suffix
HNcmpc/Sp2ms
for I have become like a skin-bottle in smoke decrees your not I have forgotten
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
yet, still
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
for I have become like a skin-bottle in smoke decrees your not I have forgotten
שָׁכָֽחְתִּי׃sha.Kha.che.ti I have forgotten H7911 Verb · Qal · perfect first person common singular
102× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
To forget something means to mislay it or be oblivious to it. This Hebrew word is used in the Bible to describe when people forget things, like God's commands. The KJV translates it as 'to forget' or 'at all'.
Amplified meaning
am oblivious to, mislay
Tyndale gloss
to forget
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word שָׁכַח (shakach) means 'to forget' and encompasses various nuances such as ignoring or ceasing to care. It can appear in different forms, including Qal (to forget), Niphal (to be forgotten), and Hiphil (to cause to forget). The entries highlight its primitive root nature and its usage in contexts where memory or attention is lacking.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

שָׁכַח 102 vb. forget

Qal 86 forget

Niph. be forgotten

Pi. י׳ hath caused to forget

Hiph. to make my people forget my name

Hithp. they were forgotten in the city.

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H7911 שָׁכַח forget

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

7911 shakach shaw-kakh'

or shakeach {shaw-kay'-akh}; a primitive root; to mislay,

i.e. to be oblivious of, from want of memory or attention:--X

at all, (cause to) forget.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

שָׁכַח (sha.khach) — to forget.

1) to forget, ignore, wither

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to forget

1a2) to cease to care

1b) (Niphal) to be forgotten

1c) (Piel) to cause to forget

1d) (Hiphil) to make or cause to forget

1e) (Hithpael) to be forgotten

Aramaic equivalent: she.khach (שְׁכַח "to find" H7912)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
V-Qal-Perf-1cs — Verb · Qal · perfect first person common singular
HVqp1cs
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