Psalms 124:4 — Word Study
WLCאֲ֭זַי הַמַּ֣יִם שְׁטָפ֑וּנוּ נַ֗֜חְלָה עָבַ֥ר עַל־ נַפְשֵֽׁנוּ׃
BSAthenʼăzay the floodsmayim [like a rushing torrent, overwhelming waters] would have engulfed usshâṭaph■ [swept over, submerged] [then] the torrentnachal [stream, waters] would have overwhelmedʻâbar■ [gone over, overflowed] usnephesh
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| אֲ֭זַי | then | Adverb |
| הַמַּ֣יִם | the waters | Particle, noun common masculine plural absolute |
| שְׁטָפ֑וּנוּ | they had overflowed us | Verb qal perfect third person common plural, suffix |
| נַ֗֜חְלָה | a torrent | Noun common masculine singular absolute, suffix |
| עָבַ֥ר | it had passed | Verb, Qal, perfect third person masculine singular |
| עַל־ | over | Preposition |
| נַפְשֵֽׁנוּ׃ | self our | Noun common feminine singular construct, suffix |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | then the floods would have engulfed us, then the torrent would have overwhelmed us, |
| KJV | Then the waters had overwhelmed us, the stream had gone over our soul: |
| ASV | Then the waters had overwhelmed us, The stream had gone over our soul; |
| YLT | Then the waters had overflowed us, The stream passed over our soul, |
| WEB | then the waters would have overwhelmed us, the stream would have gone over our soul. |
| BBE | We would have been covered by the waters; the streams would have gone over our soul; |
All translations agree on the imagery of floods and torrents overwhelming the people.
The verse consists of a main clause followed by a subordinate clause, emphasizing the severity of the threat.
7 commentators on this verse
Gill, Jamieson, Trapp, Ellicott & more — read them ›
clause
verbעָבַר
The sentence as the grammar sees it Open the tree ›
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 124:4
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 Danger of Floodsgenerated
Psalm 124:4 presents a vivid metaphor for the threats faced by the people, likening their struggles to being engulfed by floods and torrents. This imagery highlights the perilous situations that can arise, emphasizing the need for divine protection. The psalmist reflects on how, without God's intervention, they would have been overwhelmed by these dangers, as seen in the surrounding verses that describe the anger of their enemies and the potential for destruction.
Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Psalm 18:4 | The cords of death encompassed me; the torrents of chaos overwhelmed me. |
| 2 | Psalm 42:7 | Deep calls to deep in the roar of Your waterfalls; all Your breakers and waves have rolled over me. |
| 3 | Psalm 69:15 | Do not let the floods engulf me or the depths swallow me up; let not the Pit close its mouth over me. |
| 4 | Isaiah 8:7–8 | the Lord will surely bring against them the mighty floodwaters of the Euphrates — the king of Assyria and all his pomp. It will overflow its channels and overrun its banks. |
| 5 | Isaiah 28:2 | Behold, the Lord has one who is strong and mighty. Like a hailstorm or destructive tempest, like a driving rain or flooding downpour, he will smash that crown to the ground. |
The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 10 references, hung on the phrase they belong to
The Key Word — שְׁטָפ֑וּנוּ, she.ta.Fu.nugenerated
The verb שְׁטָף (shataph) means to overflow or gush, often used to depict a strong flow of water. In this verse, it suggests the idea of being swept away or submerged by powerful waters, emphasizing the force and danger of the situation.
The parsing indicates that this is a third-person plural perfect verb, showing that the action has been completed in the past. This implies that the floods had already overflowed the people, creating a sense of urgency and past threat.
How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated
The verse is presented in the Berean Standard Bible, and comparisons are made against the KJV, ASV, YLT, WEB, and BBE.
Sentence Structuregenerated
The finite verb שְׁטָף governs the structure of the verse, with two clauses that describe the floods and torrents. The first clause presents the floods engulfing the people, while the second clause describes the torrents overwhelming them. This structure highlights the escalating nature of the danger.
The Hebrew word order places emphasis on the verbs, illustrating the action of being overwhelmed and the immediacy of the threat posed by the waters.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
The Septuagint translates שְׁטָף with ἡμᾶς, indicating a direct correspondence to the Hebrew's meaning of being swept away. This choice emphasizes the same sense of danger present in the original text.
The use of ξείμαρρον for the concept of torrents suggests a similar understanding of overwhelming waters, reinforcing the imagery of peril faced by the people.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
Psalm 124:4 describes how floods and torrents threaten to engulf the people. The psalmist uses this imagery to illustrate the dangers they face and emphasizes the need for God's protection against such overwhelming forces.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
The floods and torrents represent overwhelming dangers and threats that can engulf and destroy.
Divine protection is crucial because without it, the people would be overwhelmed by their enemies and the dangers they face.
This verse connects to the previous and following verses, which describe the anger of enemies and the potential for destruction, illustrating the overall theme of deliverance.
We learn the importance of seeking divine help and recognizing the threats that can overwhelm us in life.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- What are some overwhelming situations I have faced, and how did I seek help?
- How can I recognize the dangers in my life and seek divine protection?
- In what ways can I support others who are feeling overwhelmed by their circumstances?
- What does this verse teach me about the importance of faith in times of trouble?
The early church on this verse — how the Fathers read it
Early comments on this verse, such as those from Augustine of Hippo, reflect on the dangers faced by the people and the need for divine rescue.
..."When their fury was enraged upon us." They are now in anger, they now openly rage: "perchance the water had drowned us" [Psalms 124:4].Early Church Fathers on Psalms 124 →
Commentators on this verse — 7 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on Psalms 124:4 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire BibleThen the waters had overwhelmed us,.... People, comparable to waters for their multitude, Strength, force, and impetuosity; which bear down all before them, and against which there is no standing;
Read John Gill on Psalms 124 →Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's CommentaryThen the waters had overwhelmed us, the stream had gone over our soul: Then the waters had overwhelmed us.
Read Robert Jamieson on Psalms 124 →John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New TestamentsPsalms 124:4 Then the waters had overwhelmed us, the stream had gone over our soul:Ver. 4. Then the waters had overwhelmed us] As once the Red Sea did the Egyptians, or as the general deluge did the old world. The stream had gone over our soul] Neither could we have withstood it by any art or industry.
Read John Trapp on Psalms 124 →Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers(4) Waters.—The sudden transition in the imagery from the earthquake to the flood is characteristic of Hebrew poetry. (For the flood, see Psalms 18:4; Psalms 18:16; Psalms 69:14; Psalms 144:7.) Stream.—The torrent swollen with the winter rain. (Comp. Isaiah 8:7-8.)
Read Charles John Ellicott on Psalms 124 →CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges4. For the figure cp. Psalms 18:16; Psalms 69:1-2; Psalms 69:15; Isaiah 8:7-8; Lamentations 3:54. the stream] The torrent, suddenly swollen by a storm. Cp. Judges 5:21. had gone over our soul] Overwhelmed us and put an end to our existence.
Read Cambridge on Psalms 124 →Albert Barnes1798–1870Barnes' Notes on the BibleThen the waters had overwhelmed us - Our destruction would have been as if the waves of the ocean had overwhelmed us. The stream had gone over our soul - The torrent would have swept us away. Compare Psalms 18:4, Psalms 18:16.
Read Albert Barnes on Psalms 124 →Daniel Denison Whedon1808–1885Whedon's Commentary on the Bible4. The waters… overwhelmed us—Probably an allusion to Exodus 14:27-28. The stream—The mountain torrent. These, in the rainy season, are terrible, and against them no art or power of man can prevail.
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
then the floods would have engulfed us, then the torrent would have overwhelmed us,
then the waters would have overwhelmed us, the stream would have gone over our soul.
then the floods would have engulfed us, then the torrent would have overwhelmed us,
The water would have overpowered us; the current would have overwhelmed us.
Tyndale line
Then the waters had overwhelmed us, the stream had gone over our soul:
Then the waters had overwhelmed us, The stream had gone over our soul;
Then the waters had overwhelmed us, the stream had gone over our soul:
Then the waters had overwhelmed us, the stream had gone over our soul:
Then the waters had drowned vs, and the streame had gone ouer our soule:
Strictly literal
Then the waters had overwhelmed us, a torrent had gone over our soul;
Then the waters had overflowed us, The stream passed over our soul,
Then the waters had overflowed us, || The stream passed over our soul,
Then would the waters have overwhelmed us, the stream would have passed over our soul;
The water would have swept us away; the torrent would have overwhelmed us.
From the Latin
Do good, O Lord, to those that are good, and to the upright of heart.
Simplified
Like a flood they would have swept over us; like a rushing torrent they would have submerged us.
We would have been covered by the waters; the streams would have gone over our soul;
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.
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 in their wording, with six of the seven words matched. This consistency indicates a shared understanding of the imagery and message conveyed in this verse.
אֲ֭זַי הַמַּ֣יִם שְׁטָפ֑וּנוּ נַ֗֜חְלָה עָבַ֥ר עַל־ נַפְשֵֽׁנוּ׃
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.
Lexicons — every word in Psalms 124:4
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.
אֲזַי (azay) is a Hebrew word that means 'then' or 'in that case.' It is likely a dialectical form of אָז and is derived from a root associated with time. The entries consistently emphasize its use in temporal contexts.
אֲזַי = אָז (prob. a dialectic form) then, in that case
base
H233 אֲזַי
233 'azay az-ah'ee
probably from 227; at that time:--then.
see HEBREW for 0227
אֲזַי (a.zay) — in that case.
then, in that case
Adv — AdverbHD
מַי (mayim) is a Hebrew word meaning 'water' and is used in the plural form. It encompasses various meanings, including literal water, urine, and metaphorical uses related to refreshment or danger. The entries indicate it is derived from a primitive noun and is primarily referenced in contexts involving water.
[מַי] 580 n.m. only pl. מַ֫יִם waters, water
base
H4325 מַי only pl. מַ֫יִם waters, water
4325 mayim mah'-yim
dual of a primitive noun (but used in a singular sense);
water; figuratively, juice; by euphemism, urine, semen:--+
piss, wasting, water(-ing, (-course, -flood, -spring)).
מַי (ma.yim) — water.
1) water, waters
1a) water
1b) water of the feet, urine
1c) of danger, violence, transitory things, refreshment (fig.)
מַי (ma.yim) — Water (Gate).
This name means water, refreshment
Art | N-mp — Particle · noun common masculine plural absoluteHTd/Ncmpa
wo'-terz (mayim, plural of may, "water"; in the New Testament hudor, "water"; kindunois potamon (2Co 11:26), the King James Version "perils of waters," is in the Revised Version (British and American) "perils of rivers"): In the New Testament there is frequent reference to the water of baptism. Pilate washes his hands with water to signify his guiltlessness. Jesus tells the Samaritan woman of the living water. The Lamb shall guide the redeemed unto fountains of waters of life.
The uses of mayim are well classified in BDB, especially the figurative references, as follows: a symbol of distress, "when thou passest through the waters" (Isa 43:2); of force, "like the breach of waters" (2Sa 5:20); of that which is overwhelming, "a…
The Hebrew word שָׁטַף (shataph) is a primitive root meaning to overflow or wash off. It encompasses actions such as gushing, inundating, and cleansing, with various forms indicating different nuances like being swept away or rinsed out. The entries consistently highlight its connection to flowing and washing, without significant disagreement among the lexicons.
שָׁטַף vb. overflow, rinse or wash off
Qal
overflow
flow, run
lit., rinse or wash off
Niph. be rinsed out, off
Pu. it shall be scoured and rinsed.
base
H7857 שָׁטַף overflow, rinse or wash off
7857 shataph shaw-taf'
a primitive root; to gush; by implication, to inundate,
cleanse; by analogy, to gallop, conquer:--drown,
(over-)flow(- whelm, rinse, run, rush, (throughly) wash
(away).
שָׁטַף (sha.taph) — to overflow.
1) to wash, rinse, overflow, engulf, rinse or wash off
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to overflow
1a2) to flow, run
1a3) to rinse or wash off
1b) (Niphal) to be swept away, be rinsed out
1c) (Pual) to be rinsed, be scoured and rinsed
V-Qal-Perf-3cp | Suff — Verb qal perfect third person common plural · suffixHVqp3cp/Sp1bp
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
נַ֫חַל (*nachal*) primarily refers to a torrent or stream, often associated with a valley or wadi where water flows, particularly in winter. It can also denote a shaft of a mine. Additionally, the term may relate to palm trees in certain contexts. The word appears in various forms in the Old Testament, including references in Psalms and Ezekiel.
נַ֫חַל n.m. torrent, torrent-valley, wady
base
[נַ֫חַל] n.[m.] perh. palm-tree;—only pl. abs., Nu 24:6
ref
H5158a נַ֫חַל torrent, torrent-valley, wady H5158b נַ֫חַל perh. palm-tree
5158 nachal nakh'-al
or (feminine) nachlah (Psalm 124:4) {nakh'-law}; or nachalah
(Ezekiel 47:19; 48:28) {nakh-al-aw'}; from 5157 in its
original sense; a stream, especially a winter torrent; (by
implication) a (narrow) valley (in which a brook runs); also a
shaft (of a mine):--brook, flood, river, stream, valley.
see HEBREW for 05157
נַ֫חַל (na.chal) — torrent: river.
: river/bed
1) torrent, valley, wadi, torrent-valley
1a) torrent
1b) torrent-valley, wadi (as stream bed)
1c) shaft (of mine)
Also means: na.chal (נַ֫חַל ": valley" H5158N)
נַ֫חַל (na.chal) — palm-tree.
palm-tree
נַ֫חַל (na.chal) — Brook.
§ palm-tree
נַ֫חַל (na.chal) — (Eshcol) Valley.
Combined with esh.kol (אֶשְׁכֹּל " of Eshcol" H0812H)
§ palm-tree
נַ֫חַל (na.chal) — (Shittim) Valley.
Combined with shit.tim (שִׁטִּים " of Shittim" H7851H)
§ palm-tree
נַ֫חַל (na.chal) — (Sorek) Valley.
Combined with s.vo.req (שֹׂרֵק " of Sorek" H7796)
§ palm-tree
נַ֫חַל (na.chal) — Brook.
§ palm-tree
נַ֫חַל (na.chal) — Brook.
palm-tree
Another name of shi.chor (שִׁיחוֹר "Shihor" H7883G)
נַ֫חַל (na.chal) — Brook.
palm-tree
Another name of shi.chor (שִׁיחוֹר "Shihor" H7883G)
N-ms | Suff — Noun common masculine singular absolute · suffixHNcmsa/Sd
The Hebrew word עָבַר (abar) is a versatile verb meaning to pass over, through, or by, and it encompasses a range of actions including crossing, traversing, and alienating. It can also imply causing something to pass or be transferred, as well as emotional states like anger in its Hithpael form. The entries highlight its use in various contexts, though they do not provide specific verse references.
עָבַר 648 vb. pass over, through, by, pass on
Qal
pass over
Pass beyond
Pass through, traverse
pass along by
pass by
sweep by, of scourge
be past, over, of time
pass along (from hand to hand)
Pass on, go on
Pass away
Niph. Impf. a stream which cannot be forded
Pi.
his bull impregnateth
cause one to cross river
cause something to pass over
make over to
devote children to (לְ) heathen god
pass along (from hand to hand)
cause to pass through
let pass through
cause to pass by
let pass by
cause arrow to pass beyond
cause to pass under rod, for counting
cause to pass away, take away
Hiph.
cause to pass over, bring over
he made to pass across with chains of gold
base
[עָבַר] vb. denom. Hithp. be arrogant, infuriate oneself
base
H5674a עָבַר pass over, through, by, pass on .. pass over
. Pass beyond
. Pass through, traverse
. . pass along by
. pass by
. sweep by, of scourge
. be past, over, of time
. pass along (from hand to hand)
. Pass on, go on
. Pass away
. Impf. a stream which cannot be forded
. . his bull impregnateth . cause one to cross river
. cause something to pass over
. make over to
. devote children to (לְ) heathen god
. pass along (from hand to hand)
. . cause to pass through
. let pass through
. . cause to pass by
. let pass by
. cause arrow to pass beyond
. cause to pass under rod, for counting
. cause to pass away, take away
. . cause to pass over, bring over
. he made to pass across with chains of gold
H5674b עָבַר vb. denom. Hithp. be arrogant, infuriate oneself
5674 `abar aw-bar'
a primitive root; to cross over; used very widely of any
transition (literal or figurative; transitive, intransitive,
intensive, causative); specifically, to cover (in
copulation):--alienate, alter, X at all, beyond, bring (over,
through), carry over, (over-)come (on, over), conduct (over),
convey over, current, deliver, do away, enter, escape, fail,
gender, get over, (make) go (away, beyond, by, forth, his way,
in, on, over, through), have away (more), lay, meddle,
overrun, make partition, (cause to, give, make to, over)
pass(-age, along, away, beyond, by, -enger, on, out, over,
through), (cause to, make) + proclaim(-amation), perish,
provoke to anger, put away, rage, + raiser of taxes, remove,
send over, set apart, + shave, cause to (make) sound, X
speedily, X sweet smelling, take (away), (make to)
transgress(-or), translate, turn away, (way-)faring man, be
wrath.
עָבַר (a.var) — to pass.
1) to pass over or by or through, alienate, bring, carry, do away, take, take away, transgress
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to pass over, cross, cross over, pass over, march over, overflow, go over
1a2) to pass beyond
1a3) to pass through, traverse
1a3a) passers-through (participle)
1a3b) to pass through (the parts of victim in covenant)
1a4) to pass along, pass by, overtake and pass, sweep by
1a4a) passer-by (participle)
1a4b) to be past, be over
1a5) to pass on, go on, pass on before, go in advance of, pass along, travel, advance
1a6) to pass away
1a6a) to emigrate, leave (one's territory)
1a6b) to vanish
1a6c) to perish, cease to exist
1a6d) to become invalid, become obsolete (of law, decree)
1a6e) to be alienated, pass into other hands
1b) (Niphal) to be crossed
1c) (Piel) to impregnate, cause to cross
1d) (Hiphil)
V-Qal-Perf-3ms — Verb · Qal · perfect third person masculine singularHVqp3ms
The Hebrew word עַל (*al*) is a preposition meaning 'upon' and encompasses a wide range of meanings, including 'on account of,' 'beside,' 'above,' and 'against.' It can indicate physical placement, emotional burdens, or duties imposed on a person. The entries also note its use in idiomatic expressions and with verbs of motion. There is a mention of its function as a conjunction in certain contexts.
כִּי עַל כֵּן forasmuch as
base
עַל, עָ֑ל
subst. height
As prep. upon, and hence on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against
Upon, of the substratum upon which an object in any way rests, or on which an action is performed
—
of clothing, etc., which any one wears
With verbs of covering or protecting, even though the cover or veil be not over or above the thing covered, but around or before it
Of what rests heavily upon a person, or is a burden to him
Of a duty, payment, care, etc., imposed upon a person, or devolving on him
על is used idiom. to give pathos to the expression of an emotion, by emphasizing the person who is its subject, and who, as it were, feels it acting upon him
חָיָה עַל to live upon (as upon a foundation or support)
H5921a עַל, עָ֑ל . As prep. upon, and hence on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against . Upon, of the substratum upon which an object in any way rests, or on which an action is performed . — . of clothing, etc., which any one wears
. With verbs of covering or protecting, even though the cover or veil be not over or above the thing covered, but around or before it
. Of what rests heavily upon a person, or is a burden to him
. Of a duty, payment, care, etc., imposed upon a person, or devolving on him
. על is used idiom. to give pathos to the expression of an emotion, by emphasizing the person who is its subject, and who, as it were, feels it acting upon him
. חָיָה עַל to live upon (as upon a foundation or support)
5921 `al al
properly, the same as 5920 used as a preposition (in the
singular or plural often with prefix, or as conjunction with a
particle following); above, over, upon, or against (yet always
in this last relation with a downward aspect) in a great
variety of applications (as follow):--above, according
to(-ly), after, (as) against, among, and, X as, at, because
of, beside (the rest of), between, beyond the time, X both
and, by (reason of), X had the charge of, concerning for, in
(that), (forth, out) of, (from) (off), (up-)on, over, than,
through(-out), to, touching, X with.
see HEBREW for 05920
עַל (al) — upon.
prep
1) upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against
1a) upon, on the ground of, on the basis of, on account of, because of, therefore, on behalf of, for the sake of, for, with, in spite of, notwithstanding, concerning, in the matter of, as regards
1b) above, beyond, over (of excess)
1c) above, over (of elevation or pre-eminence)
1d) upon, to, over to, unto, in addition to, together with, with (of addition)
1e) over (of suspension or extension)
1f) by, adjoining, next, at, over, around (of contiguity or proximity)
1g) down upon, upon, on, from, up upon, up to, towards, over towards, to, against (with verbs of motion)
1h) to (as a dative)
[כִּי] עַל [כֵּן] ([ki] al [ken]) — as.
conj
HR — PrepositionHR
The Hebrew word נֶ֫פֶשׁ (*nephesh*) broadly means 'soul' or 'living being,' encompassing concepts like life, self, person, desire, and emotion. It is derived from the root meaning 'to breathe' and signifies both physical and mental aspects of existence. The lexicons note its use in various contexts, including as the seat of appetites and emotions, though its application to will and character is uncertain.
נֶ֫פֶשׁ 756 n.f. soul, living being, life, self, person, desire, appetite, emotion, and passion
= that which breathes, the breathing substance or being
The נפשׁ becomes a living being
The נפשׁ is specif.
The נפשׁ as the essential of man stands for the man himself
נפשׁ = seat of the appetites, in all periods (46 t.)
נ׳ = seat of emotions and passions
נפשׁ is used occasionally for mental acts
נפשׁ for acts of the will is dub.
נפשׁ = character is still more dub.
נ׳ in D
base
H5315 נֶ֫פֶשׁ soul, living being, life, self, person, desire, appetite, emotion, and passion . = that which breathes, the breathing substance or being
. The נפשׁ becomes a living being
. The נפשׁ is specif.
. The נפשׁ as the essential of man stands for the man himself
. נפשׁ = seat of the appetites, in all periods (46 t.)
. נ׳ = seat of emotions and passions
. נפשׁ is used occasionally for mental acts
. נפשׁ for acts of the will is dub.
. נפשׁ = character is still more dub.
. נ׳ in D
5315 nephesh neh'-fesh
from 5314; properly, a breathing creature, i.e. animal of
(abstractly) vitality; used very widely in a literal,
accommodated or figurative sense (bodily or mental):--any,
appetite, beast, body, breath, creature, X dead(-ly), desire,
X (dis-)contented, X fish, ghost, + greedy, he, heart(-y),
(hath, X jeopardy of) life (X in jeopardy), lust, man, me,
mind, mortally, one, own, person, pleasure, (her-, him-, my-,
thy-)self, them (your)-selves, + slay, soul, + tablet, they,
thing, (X she) will, X would have it.
see HEBREW for 05314
נֶ֫פֶשׁ (ne.phesh) — soul.
1) soul, self, life, creature, person, appetite, mind, living being, desire, emotion, passion
1a) that which breathes, the breathing substance or being, soul, the inner being of man
1b) living being
1c) living being (with life in the blood)
1d) the man himself, self, person or individual
1e) seat of the appetites
1f) seat of emotions and passions
1g) activity of mind
1g1) uncertain
1h) activity of the will
1h1) uncertain
1i) activity of the character
1i1) uncertain
נֶ֫פֶשׁ (ne.phesh) — soul: life.
1) soul, self, life, creature, person, appetite, mind, living being, desire, emotion, passion
1a) that which breathes, the breathing substance or being, soul, the inner being of man
1b) living being
1c) living being (with life in the blood)
1d) the man himself, self, person or individual
1e) seat of the appetites
1f) seat of emotions and passions
1g) activity of mind
N-cs | Suff — Noun common feminine singular construct · suffixHNcfsc/Sp1bp