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Psalms 139:18 — Word Study

Depth

WLCאֶ֭סְפְּרֵם מֵח֣וֹל יִרְבּ֑וּן הֱ֝קִיצֹ֗תִי וְעוֹדִ֥י עִמָּֽךְ׃

BSA[If] I were to count themçâphar [to recount, as a scribe records] they would outnumberrâbâh [be more in number than] the grains of sandchôwl [like the particles of the desert] and when I awakeqûwts [am roused, wake up] I am stillʻôwd [continue to be, remain] with Youʻim [in Your presence, together]

Word
Listen & take awayPsalms 139
English ↓ Download MP3 The Berean Standard Bible chapter audio already hosted for the site's Bible section — verse 18 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 ('i.Makh) — no per-word recordings of the Hebrew exist to link to.
Take it away
Psalms 139:18quick helps
In a sentenceThe psalmist reflects on the countless thoughts of God and affirms His constant presence.
Who is speakingThe psalmist, expressing a personal connection with God.
Where we areIn a meditation on God's omniscience and companionship.
The hard wordיִרְבּ֑וּן
Take awayGod's thoughts are innumerable, and His presence is unwavering.
8 commentators on this verse Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them › clause verbקִיץ 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 139:18

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 — Reflections on God's Thoughts and Presencegenerated

17How precious to me are Your thoughts, O God, how vast is their sum!
18If I were to count them, they would outnumber the grains of sand; and when I awake, I am still with You.
19O God, that You would slay the wicked— away from me, you bloodthirsty men—
20who speak of You deceitfully; Your enemies take Your name in vain.

Psalm 139:18 is part of a meditation on the vastness of God's thoughts and the psalmist's recognition of God's constant presence. The psalmist marvels at how God's thoughts outnumber the grains of sand, illustrating the depth of God's care and attention. This passage invites reflection on the relationship between the Creator and His creation, emphasizing that even in waking moments, the psalmist remains in communion with God.


Cross References

ReferenceText (BSB)
1Psalm 40:12For evils without number surround me; my sins have overtaken me, so that I cannot see. They are more than the hairs of my head, and my heart has failed within me.
2Psalm 139:3You search out my path and my lying down; You are aware of all my ways.
3Psalm 3:5I lie down and sleep; I wake again, for the LORD sustains me.
4Psalm 16:8–11I have set the LORD always before me. Because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken.
5Psalm 17:15As for me, I will behold Your face in righteousness; when I awake, I will be satisfied in Your presence.

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

they are morePsalm 40:12

The Key Word יִרְבּ֑וּן, yir.Bungenerated

The verb יִרְבּ֑וּן (yir.bun) is a third-person masculine plural form of the root רָבָה (rabah), meaning to multiply or increase. It indicates that something will become numerous or abundant, suggesting a significant growth or increase in quantity.

In this verse, it conveys the idea that the thoughts of God are not only numerous but exceed even the vastness of sand grains, which emphasizes the infinite nature of God's thoughts compared to the finite understanding of humanity.


How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated

The translations consistently agree on the meaning of יִרְבּ֑וּן as 'they will be numerous.' There are no significant differences in how this word is rendered across the versions.


Sentence Structuregenerated

The structure of the verse centers around two main clauses: the first expresses the act of counting and the second the state of being awake. The finite verb אֶ֭סְפְּרֵם ('Es.pe.rem) governs the first clause, indicating the action of counting.

The second clause begins with the verb הֱ֝קִיצֹ֗תִי (he.ki.Tzo.ti), which indicates the act of waking up, while the adverbial עוֹדִ֥י (ve.'o.Di) emphasizes the continuity of being with God.


Septuagint Backgroundgenerated

The Septuagint translates יִרְבּ֑וּן as πληθυνθήσονται (plēthynthēsontai), which carries a similar meaning of becoming numerous. This choice reflects the translators' understanding of abundance in relation to God's thoughts.

The translation choice aligns with the Hebrew meaning, reinforcing the concept of God's thoughts being beyond counting.


In plain words — the whole versegenerated

Psalm 139:18 expresses how the psalmist feels about God's thoughts, saying that if he tried to count them, they would be more than the grains of sand. Even when he wakes up, he acknowledges that he is still with God.


Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated

What does it mean that God's thoughts are more numerous than the grains of sand?

It signifies the vastness and depth of God's thoughts towards humanity, which are countless and beyond human comprehension.

How does the psalmist feel about being with God?

The psalmist expresses a sense of comfort and assurance in knowing that he is always in God's presence.

What is the significance of waking up in this verse?

Waking up symbolizes a new awareness and the continuation of the relationship with God, emphasizing that His presence is constant.

Why does the psalmist choose to compare God's thoughts to sand?

The comparison to sand illustrates the multitude and the seemingly infinite nature of God's thoughts, highlighting their abundance.


Reflection Questionsgenerated

  1. How do I perceive God's thoughts towards me in my daily life?
  2. In what ways can I cultivate a greater awareness of God's presence?
  3. What does it mean for me to be 'with' God in my waking moments?
  4. How can I express gratitude for the countless ways God cares for me?

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

Early Church Father Augustine of Hippo references this verse to discuss the abundance of God's thoughts.

Augustine of HippoExposition on Psalms 139 354–430
"I will number them, and they shall be multiplied above the sand" [Psalms 139:18].
Early Church Fathers on Psalms 139 →

Commentators on this verse — 8 expositors, verse by verse

Each of these wrote on Psalms 139:18 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.

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

If I should count them, they are more in number than the sand,...., That is, if I should attempt to do it, it would be as vain and fruitless as to attempt to count the sands upon the seashore, which are innumerable; Psalms 11:5.

Read John Gill on Psalms 139 →
Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's Commentary

If I should count them, they are more in number than the sand: when I awake, I am still with thee. If I should count them, they are more in number than the sand - "which cannot be measured nor numbered" (Hosea 1:10).

Read Robert Jamieson on Psalms 139 →
Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy Bible

To wit, by my thoughts and meditations. Thy wonderful counsels and works on my behalf come constantly into my mind, not only in the day time, but even in the night season, which is commonly devoted to rest and sleep; whensoever I awake, either in the night or in the morning. These are my last thoughts when I lie down, and my first when I rise.

Read Matthew Poole on Psalms 139 →
John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

Psalms 139:18 [If] I should count them, they are more in number than the sand: when I awake, I am still with thee.Ver. 18. If I should count them, &c.] q.d. They are infinite and immmerable. Archimedes, that great mathematician, bragged, that he could number all the sands in the habitable and inhabitable world, but no man ever believed him. See 1 Samuel 13:5 2 Samuel 17:11 Psalms 78:27. When I awake, I am still with thee] Still taken up with some holy contemplation of thy works and wisdom. These thoughts I fall asleep with, and these I awake with. As I rake up my fire overnight, so I find it in the morning.

Read John Trapp on Psalms 139 →
Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(18) If I should . . .—The original is more expressive:— “Let me count them—more than the sand they are many: I have awaked—and still with thee.” With the countless mysteries of creation and providence the poet is so occupied, that they are his first waking thought; or, perhaps, as the Hebrew suggests, his dreams are continued into his early thoughts. “Is not the vision He? tho’ He be not that which He seems? Dreams are true while they last; and do we not live in dreams?” : Higher Pantheism.

Read Charles John Ellicott on Psalms 139 →
AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible

Verse 18. If I should count them] I should be glad to enumerate so many interesting particulars: but they are beyond calculation. When I awake] Thou art my Governor and Protector night and day. I am still with thee.] All my steps in life are ordered by thee: I cannot go out of thy presence; I am ever under the influence of thy Spirit. The subject, from the 14th verse to the 16th Psalms 139:14-16 inclusive, might have been much more particularly illustrated, but we are taught, by the peculiar delicacy of expression in the Sacred Writings, to avoid, as in this case, the entering too minutely into anatomical details. I would, however, make an additional observation on the subject in the 15th…

Read AdamClarke on Psalms 139 →
CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

18. moe] For this archaism cp. Psalms 69:4. when I awake &c.] His last thoughts as he falls asleep are of God; and when he awakes, he finds himself still in His Presence, still occupied in contemplating the mystery of His Being. Cp. Psalms 63:6. The Targum, “I awake in the world to come, and I am still with Thee”; and Symm. “I shall awake, and I shall be for ever with Thee,” interpret the words of the resurrection, but this cannot be their original meaning.

Read Cambridge on Psalms 139 →
Albert Barnes1798–1870Barnes' Notes on the Bible

If I should count them - If I could count them. They are more in number than the sand - Numberless as the sand on the sea-shore.

Read Albert Barnes on Psalms 139 →

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

If I were to count them, they would outnumber the grains of sand; and when I awake, I am still with You.

WEBWorld English Bible2000

If I would count them, they are more in number than the sand. When I wake up, I am still with you.

MSBMajority Standard Bible2022

If I were to count them, they would outnumber the grains of sand; and when I awake, I am still with You.

NETBNew English Translation2006

If I tried to count them, they would outnumber the grains of sand. Even if I finished counting them, I would still have to contend with you.

Tyndale line

KJVKing James Version1611

If I should count them, they are more in number than the sand: when I awake, I am still with thee.

ASVAmerican Standard Version1901

If I should count them, they are more in number than the sand: When I awake, I am still with thee.

RVARevised Version, American1894

If I should count them, they are more in number than the sand: when I awake, I am still with thee.

NWBWebster's Bible1833

If I should count them, they are more in number than the sand: when I awake, I am still with thee.

GNVGeneva Bible1599

If I should count them, they are moe then the sand: when I wake, I am still with thee.

Strictly literal

DBYDarby Translation1890

[If] I would count them, they are more in number than the sand. When I awake, I am still with thee.

YLTYoung's Literal Translation1862

I recount them! than the sand they are more, I have waked, and I am still with Thee.

LSVLiteral Standard Version2020

I recount them! They are more than the sand, || I have awoken, and I am still with You.

ILTInterlinear Literal Translation2000

Should I count them, they would be more numerous than the sand: I awake, and I am still with thee.

ULBUnlocked Literal Bible2017

If I tried to count them, they would be more in number than the sand. When I awake, I am still with you.

Simplified

FBVFree Bible Version2020

If I tried to count them, they would be more than every grain of sand. Yet when I awake I am still with you.

BBEBible in Basic English1949

If I made up their number, it would be more than the grains of sand; when I am awake, I am still with you.

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.

clauseverbאֶ֭סְפְּרֵIobjectםwill.count.themclauseprepositional phrase · prepositionalמֵmoreח֣וֹלthan.sandverb phrase · verbיִרְבּ֑וּtheyןwill.be.numerousclauseverbהֱ֝קִיצֹ֗תִיI.awokeוְandclauseadverbialעוֹדִ֥stillsubjectיIprepositional phrase · predicateעִמָּֽ[am].withךְyou

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


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

The Masoretic Text and the Septuagint agree on the wording of this verse, maintaining the same essential meaning. The Dead Sea Scrolls also align closely with the Masoretic Text, preserving the same words and structure.

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

אֶ֭סְפְּרֵם מֵח֣וֹל יִרְבּ֑וּן הֱ֝קִיצֹ֗תִי וְעוֹדִ֥י עִמָּֽךְ׃

Septuagintthe Greek the translators chose, word by word
אֶ֭סְפְּרֵםαὐτούςמֵח֣וֹלἄμμονיִרְבּ֑וּןπληθυνθήσονταιהֱ֝קִיצֹ֗תִיἐχηγέρθηνוְעוֹדִ֥יεἰμὶעִמָּֽךְ׃σοῦ

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

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

אספר׳ם מחול ירבו׳ן הקיצותי ועוד עמ׳כה

6 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 139:18סָפַרI will counI will count thסָפַרחוֹלmore than smore than sandחוֹלרָבָהthey will bthey will be nuרָבָהקִיץI awokeI awokeקִיץעוֹדand still Iand still Iעוֹדעִם[am] with y[am] with youעִםחוּלto twist: to twist: trembחוּלעוּדto upholdto upholdעוּדעָמַםto darkento darkenעָמַםרָבַבto multiplto multiply tenרָבַבקַ֫יִץto summerto summerקַ֫יִץיָקַץto awaketo awakeיָקַץעֶזְרָאEzraEzraעֶזְרָאשָׁפָןrock badgerock badgerשָׁפָןיָם(Mt. Ephro(Mt. Ephron in יָםשָׂפָהlipslipsשָׂפָהפָּרָהbe fruitfube fruitfulפָּרָהמָעַטto diministo diminishמָעַטשֵׁנָהsleepsleepשֵׁנָהעוּרto rouseto rouseעוּריָסַףto addto addיָסַףאֶ֫פֶסendendאֶ֫פֶסשָׁכַבto lie dowto lie down: laשָׁכַבקָבַרto buryto buryקָבַר
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 139:18

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.

I will count them more than sand they will be numerous ! I awoke and still I [am] with you
אֶ֭סְפְּרֵם'Es.pe.rem I will count them H5608 Verb qal imperfect first person common singular · suffix
159× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This word refers to a scribe or secretary who records or inscribes information. It is used in the Bible to describe someone who counts or enumerates things. The KJV translates it as 'scribe, tell, writer'.
Amplified meaning
to recount, as a scribe records
Tyndale gloss
to recount
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

סָפַר (safar) is a Hebrew verb meaning to count or recount, with various forms indicating actions like declaring or rehearsing. The noun form סֹפֵר (sofer) refers to a scribe or secretary. The entries highlight its use in contexts of enumeration and record-keeping, but do not present significant disagreement among lexicons.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

סָפַר 107 vb. count, Pi. recount, relate

Qal 27

count things, to learn their number

number = take account of, carefully observe and consider, reckon

Niph. be counted, numbered

Pi. 67 recount, rehearse, declare

Pu. be recounted, related, rehearsed

base

סֹפֵר, סוֹפֵר n.m. enumerator, muster-officer, secretary, scribe

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H5608a סָפַר count, Pi. recount, relate .. count things, to learn their number

. number = take account of, carefully observe and consider, reckon

. be counted, numbered

. recount, rehearse, declare

. be recounted, related, rehearsed

H5608b סֹפֵר, סוֹפֵר enumerator, muster-officer, secretary, scribe

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

5608 caphar saw-far'

a primitive root; properly, to score with a mark as a tally

or record, i.e. (by implication) to inscribe, and also to

enumerate; intensively, to recount, i.e. celebrate:--commune,

(ac-)count; declare, number, + penknife, reckon, scribe, shew

forth, speak, talk, tell (out), writer.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

סָפַר (sa.phar) — to recount.

v

1) to count, recount, relate

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to count (things)

1a2) to number, take account of, reckon

1b) (Niphal) to be counted, be numbered

1c) (Piel) to recount, rehearse, declare

1c1) to recount (something), rehearse

1c2) to talk

1c3) to count exactly or accurately

1d) (Pual) to be recounted, be rehearsed, be related

סֹפֵר (so.pher) — secretary.

1) enumerator, muster-officer, secretary, scribe

1a) enumerator, muster-officer, secretary

1b) learned man, scribe

Aramaic equivalent: sa.pher (סָפִר "scribe" H5613)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
V-Qal-Imperf-1cs | Suff — Verb qal imperfect first person common singular · suffix
HVqi1cs/Sp3mp
I will count them more than sand they will be numerous ! I awoke and still I [am] with you
מֵח֣וֹלme.Chol more than sand H2344 Preposition · noun common masculine singular absolute
23× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This word refers to sand, describing it as round or whirling particles. It is used in the Bible to talk about the desert or beach, and is often translated simply as 'sand'.
Amplified meaning
like the particles of the desert
Tyndale gloss
sand
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

חוֹל (chol) means 'sand,' possibly derived from the idea of turning or whirling particles. The entries consistently define it as sand, with no significant disagreement among the lexicons.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

חוֹל n.m. sand (perh. as turning or whirling)

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H2344 חוֹל sand (perh. as turning or whirling)

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

2344 chowl khole

from 2342; sand (as round or whirling particles):--sand.

see HEBREW for 02342

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

חוֹל (chol) — sand.

sand

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

(chol; ammos; a variant of the more usual psammos; compare amathos, psamathos): Sand is principally produced by the grinding action of waves. This is accompanied by chemical solution, with the result that the more soluble constituents of the rock diminish in amount or disappear and the sands tend to become more or less purely silicious, silica or quartz being a common constituent of rocks and very Insoluble. The rocks of Palestine are so largely composed of limestone that the shore and dune sands are unusually calcareous, containing from 10 to 20 per cent of calcium carbonate. This is subject to solution and redeposition as a cement between the sand grains, binding them together to form the porous sandstone of the seashore, which is easily worked and is much used in building.

See Rock, III, (2).

Figurative:

Thompson Chain Reference topics

of the sea (figurative)

Ge 22:17; Ho 1:10; Heb 11:12; Re 20:8

I will count them more than sand they will be numerous ! I awoke and still I [am] with you
יִרְבּ֑וּןyir.Bun they will be numerous ! H7235 Verb qal imperfect third person masculine plural · suffix
227× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This word means to increase or grow, like a plant shooting up. It is used in the Bible to describe something getting bigger or more abundant. The KJV translates it as abundance or bring up.
Amplified meaning
be more in number than
Tyndale gloss
to multiply
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

רָבָה (rabah) is a Hebrew verb meaning to increase or multiply, encompassing ideas of becoming great, numerous, or abundant. It has various forms, including Qal (to become many), Piel (to make large), and Hiphil (to make much). The word also appears in a context related to shooting in Genesis 21:20. There is a noted Aramaic equivalent, רְבָה.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

[רָבָה] 225 vb. be, or become, much, many, great

Qal 59

become many, numerous

be great

grow great (Aramaism)

Pi. 4 make large, increase

Hiph. 162

make much or many

make great, obj. pers.

base

[רָבָה] vb. shoot;—only Qal Gn 21:20

ref

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H7235a רָבָה be, or become, much, many, great .. become many, numerous

. . be great

. grow great (Aramaism)

. make large, increase

. . make much or many

. make great, obj. pers.

H7235b רָבָה shoot

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

7235 rabah raw-baw'

a primitive root; to increase (in whatever respect):--(bring

in) abundance (X -antly), + archer (by mistake for 7232), be

in authority, bring up, X continue, enlarge, excel,

exceeding(-ly), be full of, (be, make) great(-er, -ly,

X -ness), grow up, heap, increase, be long, (be, give, have,

make, use) many (a time), (any, be, give, give the, have) more

(in number), (ask, be, be so, gather, over, take, yield) much

(greater, more), (make to) multiply, nourish, plenty(-eous), X

process (of time), sore, store, thoroughly, very.

see HEBREW for 07232

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

רָבָה (ra.vah) — to multiply.

1) be or become great, be or become many, be or become much, be or become numerous

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to become many, become numerous, multiply (of people, animals, things)

1a2) to be or grow great

1b) (Piel) to make large, enlarge, increase, become many

1c) (Hiphil)

1c1) to make much, make many, have many

1c1a) to multiply, increase

1c1b) to make much to do, do much in respect of, transgress greatly

1c1c) to increase greatly or exceedingly

1c2) to make great, enlarge, do much

Aramaic equivalent: re.vah (רְבָה "to grow great" H7236)

רָבָה (ra.vah) — to shoot.

(Qal) to shoot

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
V-Qal-Imperf-3mp | Suff — Verb qal imperfect third person masculine plural · suffix
HVqi3mp/Sn
I will count them more than sand they will be numerous ! I awoke and still I [am] with you
הֱ֝קִיצֹ֗תִיhe.ki.Tzo.ti I awoke H6974 Verb · Hiphil · perfect first person common singular
22× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
In the Bible, this word means to wake up or be awake, like when God told Samuel to arise and anoint a new king in 1 Samuel 16:3. It can also mean to be watchful, as in Psalm 102:7.
Amplified meaning
am roused, wake up
Tyndale gloss
to awake
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

קִיץ (quts) is a Hebrew verb meaning to awake or wake up, primarily in the Hiphil form, which indicates causing to awaken. The entries emphasize its literal and figurative use, relating to the abruptness of waking, and suggest a connection to similar roots. There are no significant disagreements among the lexicons.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

[קִיץ] vb. Hiph. awake

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H6974 [קִיץ] Hiph. awake

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

6974 quwts koots

a primitive root (identical with 6972 through the idea of

abruptness in starting up from sleep (compare 3364)); to awake

(literally or figuratively):--arise, (be) (a-)wake, watch.

see HEBREW for 06972

see HEBREW for 03364

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

קִיץ (quts) — to awake.

1) to awake, wake up

1a) (Hiphil) to awaken, arouse, show signs of waking, awake

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
V-Hiphil-Perf-1cs — Verb · Hiphil · perfect first person common singular
HVhp1cs
I will count them more than sand they will be numerous ! I awoke and still I [am] with you
וְעוֹדִ֥יve.'o.Di and still I H5750 Conjunction · suffix
490× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
The word 'still' means something continues or happens again, like in Genesis 29:26 and Isaiah 2:11. It can also mean 'more' or 'additionally'.
Amplified meaning
continue to be, remain
Tyndale gloss
still
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

עוֹד (owd) primarily denotes a sense of iteration or continuance, functioning mostly as an adverb meaning 'still,' 'yet,' or 'again.' It can also imply addition or repetition, as in 'more' or 'besides.' The word appears in various contexts throughout the Old Testament, emphasizing persistence or continuation.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

עוֹד and (14 t.) עֹד subst. a going round, continuance, but used mostly as adv. acc. still, yet, again, besides

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H5750 עוֹד and (14 t.) עֹד subst. a going round, continuance, but used mostly as adv. acc. still, yet, again, besides

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

5750 `owd ode

or rod {ode}; from 5749; properly, iteration or continuance;

used only adverbially (with or without preposition), again,

repeatedly, still, more:--again, X all life long, at all,

besides, but, else, further(-more), henceforth, (any) longer,

(any) more(-over), X once, since, (be) still, when, (good,

the) while (having being), (as, because, whether, while) yet

(within).

see HEBREW for 05749

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

עוֹד (od) — still.

subst

1) a going round, continuance

adv

2) still, yet, again, besides

2a) still, yet (of continuance or persistence)

2b) still, yet, more (of addition or repetition)

2c) again

2d) still, moreover, besides

Aramaic equivalent: od (עוֹד "still" H5751)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Conj | Adv | Suff — Conjunction · suffix
HC/Acmsc/Sp1bs
I will count them more than sand they will be numerous ! I awoke and still I [am] with you
עִמָּֽךְ׃'i.Makh [am] with you H5973 Preposition · suffix
1,052× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This Hebrew word means with or together, like when God is with his people in Exodus 33:14-15. It's used to describe accompaniment or association, and can also mean against or beside. The word is used to convey a sense of relationship or proximity between people or things.
Amplified meaning
in Your presence, together
Tyndale gloss
with
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

עִם (im) is a preposition meaning 'with' and covers a range of relationships, including companionship, locality, and possession. It can imply actions done jointly, equality, or even opposition in contexts like combat. The related form מֵעִם (me.im) means 'from with' or 'beside.' The entries reflect various nuances but do not present significant disagreement.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

עִם prep. with

of fellowship and companionship

of aid

Of actions done jointly with another

If the common action be of the nature of a contest or combat, with in the sense of against

Of dealing with a person, or of the relation in which one stands with, or towards, another

Of a common lot together with the wicked

Of equality or resemblance generally aid

Of time, as long as

Of a locality, close to, beside

Of persons, עִם is spec.

in the house or family or service of

In possession of

In the custody or care of

Beside = except

With = friendly with

Idiom. of a thought or purpose present with one

Metaph. together with = in spite of, notwithstanding

base

מֵעִם 72 from with or beside

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H5973a עִם with . of fellowship and companionship

. Of a locality, close to, beside

. Of persons, עִם is spec. . in the house or family or service of

. In possession of

. In the custody or care of

. Beside = except

. With = friendly with

. Idiom. of a thought or purpose present with one

. Metaph. together with = in spite of, notwithstanding

H5973b מֵעִם from with, beside

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

5973 `im eem

from 6004; adverb or preposition, with (i.e. in conjunction

with), in varied applications; specifically, equally with;

often with prepositional prefix (and then usually

unrepresented in English):--accompanying, against, and, as (X

long as), before, beside, by (reason of), for all, from

(among, between), in, like, more than, of, (un-)to,

with(-al).

see HEBREW for 06004

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

עִם (im) — with.

1) with

1a) with

1b) against

1c) toward

1d) as long as

מֵעִם (me.im) — from with.

1a) beside, except

1b) in spite of

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Prep | Suff — Preposition · suffix
HR/Sp2ms
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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