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Psalms 124:1 — Word Study

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WLCלוּלֵ֣י יְ֭הוָה שֶׁהָ֣יָה לָ֑נוּ יֹֽאמַר־ נָ֝א יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃

BSAA songshîyr of ascentsmaʻălâh Of DavidDâvid If the LORDYᵉhôvâh [Yehovah, the self-existent God] had notlûwlêʼ beenhâyâh [present, helping] let IsraelYisrâʼêl [God's chosen people] nownâʼ declareʼâmar [say, proclaim, confess]

Word
Listen & take awayPsalms 124
English ↓ Download MP3 The Berean Standard Bible chapter audio already hosted for the site's Bible section — verse 1 opens the 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 (Yis.ra.'El) — no per-word recordings of the Hebrew exist to link to.
Take it away
Psalms 124:1quick helps
In a sentenceThe psalmist reflects on Israel's reliance on the Lord's presence during times of trouble.
Who is speakingThe psalmist, speaking on behalf of Israel.
Where we areThis verse serves as an introduction to a communal declaration of God's faithfulness.
The hard wordלוּלֵ֣י
Take awayThe Lord's support is essential for Israel's survival.
7 commentators on this verse Gill, Jamieson, Trapp, AdamClarke & more — read them › clause subjectהַ verbיהוה 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 124:1

Sections marked generated are written from the data on this page rather than by a named author. Everything else — the lexicon entries, the cross references, the manuscript readings, the counts — is quoted from its source unchanged.

Context — The Assurance of God's Helpgenerated

1If the LORD had not been on our side— let Israel now declare—
2if the LORD had not been on our side when men attacked us,
3when their anger flared against us, then they would have swallowed us alive,
4then the floods would have engulfed us, then the torrent would have overwhelmed us,

Psalm 124:1 introduces a reflection on the necessity of the Lord's support for Israel, emphasizing that without Him, they would not have survived adversities. The psalmist calls upon the nation to acknowledge this divine assistance, setting the stage for a communal declaration of faith and gratitude. The subsequent verses elaborate on the dangers faced and the deliverance experienced, reinforcing the theme of reliance on God.


Cross References

ReferenceText (BSB)
1Psalm 120:1In my distress I cried to the LORD, and He answered me.
2Psalm 121:1I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come?
3Psalm 122:1I was glad when they said to me, “Let us go to the house of the LORD.”
4Psalm 123:1I lift up my eyes to You, the One enthroned in heaven.
5Psalm 124:1If the LORD had not been on our side— let Israel now declare—

The Key Word לוּלֵ֣י, lu.Leigenerated

The word לוּלֵי (luwle') is a particle meaning 'if not' or 'unless.' It indicates a conditional situation, emphasizing the importance of the Lord's presence in the lives of His people. The parsing as a particle suggests it introduces a hypothetical scenario, underlining the dependence on divine intervention.

This word appears frequently in the Hebrew Bible, often highlighting exceptions or conditions. Its use here sets a tone of urgency and reliance, suggesting that without God's help, Israel would face dire consequences.


How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated

Translations generally agree on the meaning of לוּלֵי as 'if not.' The BSB, KJV, ASV, YLT, WEB, and BBE all convey this conditional sense.


Sentence Structuregenerated

The main clause is introduced by the finite verb שֶׁהָ֣יָה, who was, which anchors the statement about the Lord's presence. This clause is followed by a prepositional phrase that specifies the context of the Lord's support.

The structure emphasizes the conditional nature of the statement, with the subject יְ֭הוָה and the verb הָ֣יָה forming the core of the assertion, while the imperative יֹֽאמַר־ invites Israel to respond.


Septuagint Backgroundgenerated

The Septuagint translates לוּלֵי as ὠιδὴ, which suggests a focus on a song or declaration. This choice indicates a communal acknowledgment of God's help, aligning with the psalm's intent.

The Greek rendering reflects a similar understanding of the necessity of divine support, though it may emphasize the communal aspect of declaration more than the Hebrew.


In plain words — the whole versegenerated

Psalm 124:1 expresses that if the Lord had not been present to help Israel, they would not have survived their troubles. The psalmist calls on Israel to recognize and declare the importance of God's support in their lives.


Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated

What does 'if the Lord had not been on our side' mean?

It means that without God's presence and support, Israel would have faced destruction in times of trouble.

Why does the psalmist call on Israel to declare?

The psalmist wants Israel to acknowledge and proclaim God's faithfulness and help in their lives.

How does this verse relate to the following verses?

The following verses elaborate on the dangers Israel faced and how God's intervention saved them from those threats.

What is the significance of the word 'declare'?

It emphasizes the importance of publicly acknowledging God's help and faithfulness, reinforcing communal faith.


Reflection Questionsgenerated

  1. In what ways have I experienced God's support in my life?
  2. How can I acknowledge and declare God's help in my community?
  3. What challenges might I face without relying on God's presence?
  4. How does this verse encourage me to trust in God's faithfulness?

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

Early Church Fathers, such as Augustine, reference this verse to discuss reliance on God's support during trials.

Augustine of HippoExposition on Psalms 124 354–430
"If the Lord Himself had not been in us, now may Israel say" [Psalms 124:1]...When? "When men rose up against us" [Psalms…
Early Church Fathers on Psalms 124 →
Augustine of HippoSERMON 335F.2 354–430
The holy martyrs, you see, did not rely on themselves but asked for relief from Christ. That is why they were also victorious.
Early Church Fathers on Psalms 124 →

Commentators on this verse — 7 expositors, verse by verse

Each of these wrote on Psalms 124:1 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.

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

If [it had not been] the Lord who was on our side,.... Or, "was for us" (h).

Read John Gill on Psalms 124 →
Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's Commentary

If it had not been the LORD who was on our side, now may Israel say; Psalms 124:1-8.-Israel declares how inevitably she must have been swallowed up if the Lord had not been on our side (Psalms

Read Robert Jamieson on Psalms 124 →
John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

Psalms 124:1 « A Song of degrees of David. » If [it had not been] the LORD who was on our side, now may Israel say;Ver. 1. If it had not been the Lord, &c.] God may far better say than our Henry VIII, Cui adhaereo, praeest, He whose part I take is sure to prevail. But Christ hath ever been the Church’ s champion, and hence she is insuperable. The Chaptain of the Lord’ s hosts is Captain of our salvation, Joshua 5:14 Hebrews 2:10.

Read John Trapp on Psalms 124 →
AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible

PSALM CXXIV A thanksgiving of the godly for extraordinary deliverances, 1-4. The great danger they were in, 7. Their confidence in God, 8. NOTES ON PSALM CXXIV In our present Hebrew copies this Psalm is attributed to David, לדוד ledavid; but this inscription is wanting in three of Kennicott's and De Rossi's MSS., as also in the Septuagint, Syriac, Vulgate, AEthiopic, and Arabic; and in most of the ancient fathers, Greek and Latin, who found no other inscription in their copies of the text than A Psalm of degrees. It was composed long after David's days; and appears to be either a thanksgiving for their deliverance from the Babylonish captivity, or for a remarkable deliverance from some…

Read AdamClarke on Psalms 124 →
CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

1–5. Unless Jehovah had taken our part, we should have been destroyed by our enemies.

Read Cambridge on Psalms 124 →
Albert Barnes1798–1870Barnes' Notes on the Bible

If it had not been the Lord who was on our side - Unless it was Yahweh who was with us.

Read Albert Barnes on Psalms 124 →
Daniel Denison Whedon1808–1885Whedon's Commentary on the Bible

1. If it had not been—The Hebrew is abrupt and elliptical, If not, or unless, Jehovah was for us. Alexander proposes, as tantamount, “What if the Lord had not been for us?” leaving the answer to the imagination of the reader.

Read Daniel Denison Whedon on Psalms 124 →

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

If the LORD had not been on our side— let Israel now declare—

WEBWorld English Bible2000

If it had not been Yahweh who was on our side, let Israel now say,

MSBMajority Standard Bible2022

A song of ascents. Of David. If the LORD had not been on our side—let Israel now declare—

NETBNew English Translation2006

“If the Lord had not been on our side” – let Israel say this! –

Tyndale line

KJVKing James Version1611

If it had not been the LORD who was on our side, now may Israel say;

ASVAmerican Standard Version1901

If it had not been Jehovah who was on our side, Let Israel now say,

RVARevised Version, American1894

If it had not been the LORD who was on our side, let Israel now say;

NWBWebster's Bible1833

A Song of degrees of David. If it had not been the LORD who was on our side, now may Israel say;

GNVGeneva Bible1599

A song of degrees, or Psalme of David. If the Lord had not bene on our side, (may Israel now say)

Strictly literal

DBYDarby Translation1890

If it had not been Jehovah who was for us — oh let Israel say —

YLTYoung's Literal Translation1862

A Song of the Ascents, by David. Save [for] Jehovah — who hath been for us, (Pray, let Israel say),

LSVLiteral Standard Version2020

A SONG OF THE ASCENTS. BY DAVID. If YHWH had not been for us || (Pray, let Israel say),

ILTInterlinear Literal Translation2000

“A song of the degrees by David.” If it had not been the Lord who was for us, so should Israel say;

ULBUnlocked Literal Bible2017

“If Yahweh had not been on our side,” let Israel say now,

From the Latin

DRADouay-Rheims (Challoner)1899

They that trust in the Lord shall be as mount Sion: he shall not be moved for ever that dwelleth

Simplified

FBVFree Bible Version2020

If the Lord hadn't been for us, what would have happened? Let everyone in Israel say:

BBEBible in Basic English1949

If it had not been the Lord who was on our side (let Israel now say);

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 · subjectשִׁ֥ירthe.songnoun phraseהַֽofמַּעֲל֗וֹתthe.ascentsprepositional phrase · predicateלְofדָ֫וִ֥דDavidלוּלֵ֣יif.notclausesubjectיְ֭הוָה[it.were].Yahwehnoun phrase · predicaterelpשֶׁwhoclauseverbהָ֣יָהhe.wasprepositional phrase · prepositionalלָ֑forנוּusclauseverbיֹֽאמַרlet.it.sayadverbialנָ֝אpleasesubjectיִשְׂרָאֵֽלIsrael

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 largely agree, with six of the seven words matching. This consistency highlights the preservation of the verse's core message across different traditions.

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

לוּלֵ֣י יְ֭הוָה שֶׁהָ֣יָה לָ֑נוּ יֹֽאמַר־ נָ֝א יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃

Septuagintthe Greek the translators chose, word by word
לוּלֵ֣יὠιδὴיְ֭הוָהτῶνשֶׁהָ֣יָהἀναβαθμῶνלָ֑נוּεἰיֹֽאמַר־ὅτιיִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃κύριος

6 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.

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 124:1לוּלֵאif notif notלוּלֵאיהוהYahwehYahwehיהוההָיָהwho waswho wasהָיָהנוּfor usfor usנוּאָמַרlet it saylet it sayאָמַרנָאpleasepleaseנָאיִשְׂרָאֵלIsraelIsraelיִשְׂרָאֵללוּififלוּהָיָהto beto beהָיָהשָׂרָהto striveto striveשָׂרָההָוָאto fallto fallהָוָאאָזthenthenאָזעָמַדto stand: to stand: standעָמַדנְאֻםutteranceutteranceנְאֻםצָבָאarmyarmyצָבָאכֹּהthusthusכֹּהיהוהYHWH/GodYHWH/Godיהוהחֵןfavorfavorחֵןעַתָּ֫הnownowעַתָּ֫השֵׁ֫בֶטtribetribeשֵׁ֫בֶטקָדוֹשׁholyholyקָדוֹשׁ
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 124:1

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.

if not Yahweh who was for us let it say please Israel
לוּלֵ֣יlu.Lei if not H3884 Particle
14× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
Unless or if not, this word is used to show an exception or a condition. It is often translated as except or unless in English Bibles.
Tyndale gloss
unless
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

לוּלֵא (luwle') means 'if not' or 'unless.' It is derived from two other Hebrew words, indicating conditions or exceptions. The term appears in various contexts, emphasizing situations that depend on a negative condition.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

לוּלֵא, elsewhere לוּלֵי 10 if not, unless

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H3884 לוּלֵא if not, unless

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

3884 luwle' loo-lay'

or luwley {loo lay'}; from 3863 and 3808; if not:--except,

had not, if (...not), unless, were it not that.

see HEBREW for 03863

see HEBREW for 03808

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

לוּלֵא (lu.le) — unless.

unless, if not, except

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Conj — Particle
HTc
The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
if not Yahweh who was for us let it say please Israel
יְ֭הוָהYah.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 self-existent 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
if not Yahweh who was for us let it say please Israel
שֶׁהָ֣יָהshe.Ha.yah who was H1961 Particle · verb qal perfect third person masculine 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
present, helping
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
Rel | V-Qal-Perf-3ms — Particle · verb qal perfect third person masculine singular
HTr/Vqp3ms
if not Yahweh who was for us let it say please Israel
לָ֑נוּLa.nu for us H9035 Preposition · suffix
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

נוּ (nu) — us.

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

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
HR/Sp1bp — Preposition · suffix
HR/Sp1bp
English usagewhat the translators’ English meant
Webster's Dictionary (1828), Webster's Unabridged (1913), Webster's Dictionary (1806)

US, pronoun objective case of we.

Give us this day our daily bread.

Us , pron. [OE. us, AS. s; akin to OFries. & OS. s, D. ons, G. uns, Icel. & Sw. oss, Dan. os, Goth. uns, L. nos we, us, Gr. we, Skr. nas us. . Cf. Nostrum, Our.] The persons speaking, regarded as an object; ourselves; — the objective case of we. See We. “Tell us a tale.” Chaucer.

Give us this day our daily bread. Matt. vi. 11.

Us, pron. oblique case of we

if not Yahweh who was for us let it say please Israel
יֹֽאמַר־yo.mar- let it say H559 Verb · Qal · imperfect third person masculine singular
5,309× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This Hebrew word means to say or speak, and it's used in many different ways in the Bible. It can mean to command, promise, or think, and it's translated in the KJV as 'answer', 'appoint', or 'command'.
Amplified meaning
say, proclaim, confess
Tyndale gloss
to say
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

אָמַר (amar) is a Hebrew verb meaning 'to say' or 'to utter,' with a broad range of uses including to promise, command, or even boast. It appears in various forms, such as in the Qal (to say), Niphal (to be told), and Hiphil (to avow). The entries highlight its versatility in both spoken and internal contexts, though no specific verse is noted.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

אָמַר 5287 vb. utter, say

Qal

Say

Say in the heart (= think)

Promise

Command (esp. late)

Niph. be said, told

Hiph. avow, avouch (lit. cause to declare)

Hithp. act proudly, boast

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H559 אָמַר utter, say .. Say

. Say in the heart (= think)

. Promise

. Command (esp. late)

. be said, told

. avow, avouch (lit. cause to declare)

. act proudly, boast

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

559 'amar aw-mar'

a primitive root; to say (used with great

latitude):--answer, appoint, avouch, bid, boast self, call,

certify, challenge, charge, + (at the, give) command(-ment),

commune, consider, declare, demand, X desire, determine, X

expressly, X indeed, X intend, name, X plainly, promise,

publish, report, require, say, speak (against, of), X still, X

suppose, talk, tell, term, X that is, X think, use (speech),

utter, X verily, X yet.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

אָמַר (a.mar) — to say.

1) to say, speak, utter

1a) (Qal) to say, to answer, to say in one's heart, to think, to command, to promise, to intend

1b) (Niphal) to be told, to be said, to be called

1c) (Hithpael) to boast, to act proudly

1d) (Hiphil) to avow, to avouch

Aramaic equivalent: a.mar (אֲמַר "to say" H0560)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
V-Qal-Juss-3ms — Verb · Qal · imperfect third person masculine singular
HVqi3ms
The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
if not Yahweh who was for us let it say please Israel
נָ֝אna' please H4994 Particle
404× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
The Hebrew word 'nâ'' is used to express a polite request, like 'please' or 'I pray', and is often added to verbs to make them more polite. In the Bible, it appears in passages like Ezra's reading of the law to the people.
Tyndale gloss
please
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

נָא (na') is a Hebrew particle used primarily for entreaty or exhortation, meaning 'I pray,' 'now,' or 'please.' It often appears attached to verbs in the imperative or future forms, and can also modify interjections, adverbs, or conjunctions. The entries consistently emphasize its role in expressing a plea or request.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

נָא part. of entreaty or exhortation, I (we) pray, now (enclitic)

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H4994 נָא I (we) pray, now (enclitic)

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

4994 na' naw

a primitive particle of incitement and entreaty, which may

usually be rendered: "I pray," "now," or "then"; added mostly

to verbs (in the Imperative or Future), or to interjections,

occasionally to an adverb or conjunction:--I beseech (pray)

thee (you), go to, now, oh.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

נָא (na) — please.

1) I (we) pray, now, please

1a) used in entreaty or exhortation

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Part — Particle
HTj
if not Yahweh who was for us let it say please Israel
יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃Yis.ra.'El Israel H3478 Noun proper
2,508× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
Israel is the symbolic name of Jacob, also referring to his descendants. Jacob, son of Isaac and Rebekah, had 12 sons who became the tribes of Israel, as told in Genesis 25:26. His story is crucial to the Bible's narrative.
Amplified meaning
God's chosen people
Tyndale gloss
Israel
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

יִשְׂרָאֵל (Yisra'el) refers to both the second name of Jacob, meaning 'God prevails,' and the name of the Hebrew nation descended from him. It is derived from roots meaning 'to rule' and 'God.' The term encompasses Jacob's descendants and is used historically for the northern kingdom of Israel and the nation as a whole after the Babylonian exile.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

יִשְׂרָאֵל 2507 n.pr.m. et gent. Israel (Ēl persisteth, persevereth)

n.pr.m. second name of Jacob

n.pr.gent. name of Hebrew nation

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H3478 יִשְׂרָאֵל Israel (Ēl persisteth, persevereth) . n. pr. m. second name of Jacob

. n. pr. gent. name of Hebrew nation

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

3478 Yisra'el yis-raw-ale'

from 8280 and 410; he will rule as God; Jisrael, a symbolical

name of Jacob; also (typically) of his posterity:

--Israel.

see HEBREW for 08280

see HEBREW for 0410

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

יִשְׂרָאֵל (yis.ra.el) — Israel.

A man living at the time of the Patriarchs, first mentioned at Gen.25.26;

son of: Isaac (H3327) and Rebekah (H7259);

brother of: Esau (H6215); married to Rachel (H7354), Leah (H3812), Zilpah (H2153) and Bilhah (H1090A);

father of: Reuben (H7205), Simeon (H8095), Levi (H3878), Judah (H3063), Dan (H1835H), Naphtali (H5321), Gad (H1410), Asher (H0836), Issachar (H3485), Zebulun (H2074), Dinah (H1783), Joseph (H3130) and Benjamin (H1144); also called Jacob frequently

§ Israel = "God prevails"

1) the second name for Jacob given to him by God after his wrestling with the angel at Peniel

2) the name of the descendants and the nation of the descendants of Jacob

2a) the name of the nation until the death of Solomon and the split

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-proper — Noun proper
HNpl
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

iz'-ra-el.

See JACOB.

Easton's Bible Dictionary

Israel

The name conferred on Jacob after the great prayer-struggle at Peniel (Gen. 32:28), because “as a prince he had power with God and prevailed.” (See JACOB.) This is the common name given to Jacob’s descendants. The whole people of the twelve tribes are called “Israelites,” the “children of Israel” (Josh. 3:17; 7:25; Judg. 8:27; Jer. 3:21), and the “house of Israel” (Ex. 16:31; 40:38).

This name Israel is sometimes used emphatically for the true Israel (Ps. 73:1: Isa. 45:17; 49:3;

Smith's Bible Dictionary

(the prince that prevails with God). The name given, (Genesis 32:28) to Jacob after his wrestling with the angel, (Hosea 12:4) at Peniel. Gesenius interprets Israel "soldier of God." It became the national name of the twelve tribes collectively. They are so called in (Exodus 3:16) and afterward. It is used in a narrower sense, excluding Judah, in (1 Samuel 11:8; 2 Samuel 20:1; 1 Kings 12:16) Thenceforth it was assumed and accepted as the name of the northern kingdom. After the Babylonian captivity, the returned exiles resumed the name Israel as the designation of…

American Tract Society Bible Dictionary

Who prevails with God, a name given to Jacob, after having wrestled with the Angel-Jehovah at Penuel. Ge 32:1,2,28,30 Ho 12:3. See JACOB. By the name Israel is sometimes understood all the posterity of Israel, the seed of Jacob, 1Co 10:18; sometimes all true believers, his spiritual seed, Ro 9:6; and sometimes the kingdom of Israel, or the ten tribes, as distinct from the kingdom of Judah.

The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
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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