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Psalms 22:5 — Word Study

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WLCאֵלֶ֣יךָ זָעֲק֣וּ וְנִמְלָ֑טוּ בְּךָ֖ בָטְח֣וּ וְלֹא־ בֽוֹשׁוּ׃

BSAthey trustedbâṭach [put their faith, had confidence]

Word
Listen & take awayPsalms 22
English ↓ Download MP3 The Berean Standard Bible chapter audio already hosted for the site's Bible section — verse 5 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 (Vo.o.shu) — no per-word recordings of the Hebrew exist to link to.
Take it away
Psalms 22:5quick helps
In a sentenceThe psalmist recounts how the faithful cried out to God and found deliverance.
Who is speakingThe psalmist, reflecting on the experiences of their ancestors.
Where we areThis verse is part of a lament that acknowledges both past trust in God and present distress.
The hard wordנִמְלָ֑טוּ
Take awayCrying out to God leads to rescue and trust in Him prevents shame.
7 commentators on this verse Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them › clause verbבָּטַח 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 22:5

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

Context — A Psalm of Lamentgenerated

4In You our fathers trusted; they trusted and You delivered them.
5They cried out to You and were set free; they trusted in You and were not disappointed.
6But I am a worm and not a man, scorned by men and despised by the people.
7All who see me mock me; they sneer and shake their heads:

Psalm 22:5 highlights the theme of trust in God during times of distress. The psalmist recalls how their ancestors called out to God in urgent need and were saved. This verse serves as a reminder of the faithfulness of God to those who trust in Him, contrasting the psalmist's current feelings of despair in the following verses.


Cross References

ReferenceText (BSB)
1Psalm 99:6–7Moses and Aaron were among His priests; Samuel was among those who called on His name. They called to the LORD and He answered.
2Psalm 106:44Nevertheless He heard their cry; He took note of their distress.
3Judges 4:3Then the Israelites cried out to the LORD, because Jabin had nine hundred chariots of iron, and he had harshly oppressed the Israelites for twenty years.
4Judges 6:6Israel was greatly impoverished by Midian, and the Israelites cried out to the LORD.
5Judges 10:10–16Then the Israelites cried out to the LORD, saying, “We have sinned against You, for we have indeed forsaken our God and served the Baals.”

The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 14 references, hung on the phrase they belong to


The Key Word נִמְלָ֑טוּ, nimlātūgenerated

The verb נִמְלָטוּ (nimlātū) is a Niphal perfect form, indicating that the action has been completed by an external agent. It means 'to escape' or 'to be delivered', often used in contexts of salvation from danger. This word emphasizes the idea of being rescued from peril, aligning with the psalmist's acknowledgment of God's deliverance.

The use of this verb in the context of crying out to God suggests that deliverance is a response to faith and trust. The Niphal form implies that the subject is acted upon, reinforcing the notion that it is God who delivers those who call on Him.


How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated

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


Sentence Structuregenerated

The structure of the verse is governed by a series of verbs connected by conjunctions. The main actions are זָעֲק֣וּ (they cried out), וְנִמְלָ֑טוּ (and they were delivered), and בָטְח֣וּ (they trusted), with the final verb בֽוֹשׁוּ (they were ashamed) serving as a conclusion to the actions described.

The order of the verbs emphasizes the sequence of actions: first, the cry for help, followed by deliverance, and then the expression of trust. This structure highlights the relationship between calling out to God and receiving His aid.


Septuagint Backgroundgenerated

The Septuagint translates נִמְלָ֑טוּ as ἡμῶν (of us), which shifts the focus from a direct action of deliverance to an inclusion within a community of faith. This choice may reflect an interpretive angle emphasizing collective trust in God.

The Greek word ἤλπισαν is used for בָטְח֣וּ, suggesting a notion of hope or expectation, which aligns with the Hebrew meaning of trust but carries a slightly different connotation in the Greek context.


In plain words — the whole versegenerated

Psalm 22:5 describes how the ancestors of the psalmist cried out to God in times of need and were saved. They trusted in God and were not put to shame. This verse emphasizes the importance of calling on God for help and the assurance that He will deliver those who trust in Him.


Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated

What does it mean to cry out to God?

Crying out to God signifies a deep need for help, often in distress, and reflects a reliance on His power and mercy.

How does trust in God relate to deliverance?

Trusting in God is portrayed as a prerequisite for deliverance; those who have faith in Him are assured of His saving help.

What can we learn from the experiences of the ancestors mentioned?

The experiences of the ancestors serve as examples of faith, showing that calling on God leads to rescue and that He is faithful to His promises.

Why is the concept of shame important in this verse?

The mention of not being ashamed highlights the confidence that believers can have in God's deliverance, contrasting the feelings of shame that come from failure or disappointment.


Reflection Questionsgenerated

  1. In what areas of my life do I need to cry out to God for help?
  2. How can I strengthen my trust in God during difficult times?
  3. What examples from my own life reflect God's deliverance?
  4. How can I encourage others to trust in God based on my experiences?

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

The early church fathers often referenced this psalm to discuss themes of deliverance and faith. Here, Augustine of Hippo comments on the significance of crying out to God for salvation.

Augustine of HippoExposition on Psalms 22 354–430
"They cried unto You, and were saved." They cried unto You, not in the words of sins, from which salvation is far; and therefore were they saved.
Early Church Fathers on Psalms 22 →

Commentators on this verse — 7 expositors, verse by verse

Each of these wrote on Psalms 22:5 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.

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

They cried unto thee, and were delivered,.... As the Israelites did in Egyptian bondage, and as they in later times did when in distress; see Exodus 2:23; c.

Read John Gill on Psalms 22 →
Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's Commentary

They cried unto thee, and were delivered: they trusted in thee, and were not confounded. No JFB commentary on this verse.

Read Robert Jamieson on Psalms 22 →
Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy Bible

i.e. Not disappointed of that for which they prayed and hoped.

Read Matthew Poole on Psalms 22 →
John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

Psalms 22:5 They cried unto thee, and were delivered: they trusted in thee, and were not confounded.Ver. 5. They cried unto thee] Having first trusted: it is the prayer of faith that does the deed. And were not confounded] Deo confisi, nunquam confusi. I trust God and shall never be confounded.

Read John Trapp on Psalms 22 →
AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible

Verse 5. They cried unto thee] So do I. THEY were delivered; so may I. THEY trusted in thee; I also trust in thee. And were not confounded; and is it likely that I shall be put to confusion?

Read AdamClarke on Psalms 22 →
CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

1–10. The pleading cry of the forsaken and persecuted servant of God.

Read Cambridge on Psalms 22 →
Albert Barnes1798–1870Barnes' Notes on the Bible

They cried unto thee - They offered earnest prayer and supplication. And were delivered - From dangers and trials. They trusted in thee, and were not confounded - They were not disappointed.

Read Albert Barnes on Psalms 22 →

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

They cried out to You and were set free; they trusted in You and were not disappointed.

WEBWorld English Bible2000

They cried to you, and were delivered. They trusted in you, and were not disappointed.

MSBMajority Standard Bible2022

They cried out to You and were set free; they trusted in You and were not disappointed.

NETBNew English Translation2006

To you they cried out, and they were saved; in you they trusted and they were not disappointed.

Tyndale line

KJVKing James Version1611

They cried unto thee, and were delivered: they trusted in thee, and were not confounded.

ASVAmerican Standard Version1901

They cried unto thee, and were delivered: They trusted in thee, and were not put to shame.

RVARevised Version, American1894

They cried unto thee, and were delivered: they trusted in thee, and were not ashamed.

NWBWebster's Bible1833

They cried to thee, and were delivered: they trusted in thee, and were not confounded.

GNVGeneva Bible1599

They called vpon thee, and were deliuered: they trusted in thee, and were not confounded.

Strictly literal

DBYDarby Translation1890

They cried unto thee, and were delivered; they confided in thee, and were not confounded.

YLTYoung's Literal Translation1862

Unto Thee they cried, and were delivered, In Thee they trusted, and were not ashamed.

LSVLiteral Standard Version2020

To You they cried, and were delivered, || In You they trusted, and were not disappointed.

ILTInterlinear Literal Translation2000

(22:6) Unto thee they cried, and were delivered: in thee they trusted, and were not put to shame.

ULBUnlocked Literal Bible2017

They cried to you and they were rescued. They trusted in you and were not disappointed.

From the Latin

DRADouay-Rheims (Challoner)1899

Thou hast prepared a table before me against them that afflict me. Thou hast anointed my head with oil; and my chalice which inebriateth me, how goodly is it!

Simplified

FBVFree Bible Version2020

They cried out to you for help, and they were saved. They trusted in you and were not defeated.

BBEBible in Basic English1949

They sent up their cry to you and were made free: they put their faith in you and were not put to shame.

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.

clauseprepositional phrase · prepositionalאֵלֶ֣יtoךָyouverbזָעֲק֣וּthey.cried.outוְandclauseverbנִמְלָ֑טוּthey.were.deliveredclauseprepositional phrase · prepositionalבְּinךָ֖youverbבָטְח֣וּthey.trustedוְandclauseadverbialלֹאnotverbבֽוֹשׁוּthey.were.ashamed

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


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

The Masoretic Text reads: "אֵלֶ֣יךָ זָעֲק֣וּ וְנִמְלָ֑טוּ בְּךָ֖ בָטְח֣וּ וְלֹא־ בֽוֹשׁוּ׃" The Septuagint agrees with the Masoretic Text in six of the seven words, although its word order and articles differ, reflecting a different syntactical structure. The Dead Sea Scrolls fragment contains five words from the verse but does not provide a complete text, so it cannot be fully compared to the Masoretic Text. Overall, the Septuagint aligns closely with the Masoretic Text, while the Dead Sea Scrolls offer partial support without complete agreement.

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

אֵלֶ֣יךָ זָעֲק֣וּ וְנִמְלָ֑טוּ בְּךָ֖ בָטְח֣וּ וְלֹא־ בֽוֹשׁוּ׃

Septuagintthe Greek the translators chose, word by word
אֵלֶ֣יךָσοὶזָעֲק֣וּἤλπισανוְנִמְלָ֑טוּἡμῶνבְּךָ֖καὶבָטְח֣וּἐρρύσωוְלֹא־αὐτούς

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.

Dead Sea Scrolls — 5/6hev1ba copy a thousand years older than the Leningrad Codex

ב׳ך בטחו אבתי׳נו בטחו ותפלט׳מו

5 words of the verse are on this fragment. The rest of the verse is not on it.

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 22:5אֶלto youto youאֶלזָעַקthey cried they cried outזָעַקמָלַטand they weand they were dמָלַטךָּin youin youךָּבָּטַחthey trustethey trustedבָּטַחלֹאand notand notלֹאבּוֹשׁthey were athey were ashamבּוֹשׁחָסָהto seek reto seek refugeחָסָהפָּלַלto prayto prayפָּלַליִרְמְיָ֫הJeremiahJeremiahיִרְמְיָ֫היָלַלto wailto wailיָלַלשָׁוַעto cryto cryשָׁוַענוּסto fleeto fleeנוּסמָגֵןshieldshieldמָגֵןשֶׁ֫קֶרdeceptiondeceptionשֶׁ֫קֶריָכֹלbe ablebe ableיָכֹלעוֹדstillstillעוֹדחָפֵרbe ashamedbe ashamedחָפֵרכָּלַםbe humiliabe humiliatedכָּלַם
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 22:5

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.

to you they cried out and they were delivered in you they trusted and not they were ashamed
אֵלֶ֣יךָ'e.Lei.kha to you H413 Preposition · suffix
5,518× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This Hebrew word means 'to' or 'toward', showing direction or movement. It appears in many books, including Genesis and Exodus, to indicate where someone is going. The KJV translates it in various ways, like 'about', 'according to', or 'against'.
Tyndale gloss
to(wards)
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word אֶל (el) is primarily a preposition indicating motion towards or direction to a person or place. It can also imply entering a limit, presence at a location, or a hostile direction (against). Additionally, it may express concepts such as concerning, in addition to, or according to. The entries highlight its versatility in both physical and metaphorical contexts.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

אֶל (nearly always followed by Makkeph),

prep. denoting motion to or direction towards (whether physical or mental).of motion to or unto a person or place

Where the limit is actually entered, into

Of direction towards anything

Where the motion or direction implied appears from the context to be of a hostile character, אֶל = against

Unto sometimes acquires from the context the sense of in addition to

Metaph. in regard to, concerning, on account of

Of rule or standard according to (rare)

Expressing presence at a spot, against, at, by, not merely after verbs implying motion

Prefixed to other preps. it combines with them the idea of motion or direction to

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H413 אֶל (nearly always followed by Makkeph), . of motion to or unto a person or place

. Where the limit is actually entered, into

. Of direction towards anything

. Where the motion or direction implied appears from the context to be of a hostile character, אֶל = against

. Unto sometimes acquires from the context the sense of in addition to

. Metaph. in regard to, concerning, on account of

. Of rule or standard according to (rare)

. Expressing presence at a spot, against, at, by, not merely after verbs implying motion

. Prefixed to other preps. it combines with them the idea of motion or direction to

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

413 'el ale

(but only used in the shortened constructive form sel {el});

a primitive particle; properly, denoting motion towards, but

occasionally used of a quiescent position, i.e. near, with or

among; often in general, to:--about, according to ,after,

against, among, as for, at, because(-fore, -side), both...and,

by, concerning, for, from, X hath, in(- to), near, (out) of,

over, through, to(-ward), under, unto, upon, whether,

with(-in).

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

אֶל (el) — to(wards).

1) to, toward, unto (of motion)

2) into (limit is actually entered)

2a) in among

3) toward (of direction, not necessarily physical motion)

4) against (motion or direction of a hostile character)

5) in addition to, to

6) concerning, in regard to, in reference to, on account of

7) according to (rule or standard)

8) at, by, against (of one's presence)

9) in between, in within, to within, unto (idea of motion to)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
HR/Sp2ms — Preposition · suffix
HR/Sp2ms
to you they cried out and they were delivered in you they trusted and not they were ashamed
זָעֲק֣וּza.'a.Ku they cried out H2199 Verb · Qal · perfect third person common plural
73× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This verb means to cry out for help or announce something publicly, often in a loud voice, like a herald calling people together. It is used in the Bible to describe people crying out to God for aid. It can also mean to summon or assemble people.
Tyndale gloss
to cry out
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

זָעַק (za`aq) is a Hebrew verb meaning to cry out or call for help, often in a context of distress or need. It can also refer to assembling or summoning people, particularly for military purposes. The word has various forms, including Qal, Niphal, and Hiphil, indicating different nuances of calling or gathering.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

[זָעַק] vb. cry, cry out, call

Qal

call, to one's aid

cry, cry out, in need

Niph. be called together, assemble, join

Hiph.

call, call out, or together, for military service

make a crying

have proclamation made

call out, or at

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H2199 זָעַק cry, cry out, call .. call, to one's aid

. cry, cry out, in need

. be called together, assemble, join

. . call, call out, or together, for military service

. make a crying

. have proclamation made

. call out, or at

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

2199 za`aq zaw-ak'

a primitive root; to shriek (from anguish or danger); by

analogy, (as a herald) to announce or convene publicly:--

assemble, call (together), (make a) cry (out), come with such

a company, gather (together), cause to be proclaimed.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

זָעַק (za.aq) — to cry out.

1) to cry, cry out, call, call for help

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to call (to one's aid)

1a2) to cry, cry out (in need)

1b) (Niphal) to be assembled, be called together, be joined together

1c) (Hiphil)

1c1) to call, call out, call together, summon

1c2) to make a crying, proclaim

1c3) to have a proclamation made

1c4) to call out to, call out at

Aramaic equivalent: ze.iq (זְעִ֑ק "to cry out" H2200)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
HVqp3cp — Verb · Qal · perfect third person common plural
HVqp3cp
to you they cried out and they were delivered in you they trusted and not they were ashamed
וְנִמְלָ֑טוּve.nim.La.tu and they were delivered H4422 Conjunction · verb niphal perfect third person common plural
95× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This verb means to escape or be delivered, like slipping away to safety. It is used in the Bible to describe people being saved from danger, like in the book of Psalms. The KJV translates it as deliver or escape.
Tyndale gloss
to escape
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

מָלַט (malat) is a Hebrew verb primarily meaning to escape or slip away. It encompasses various nuances such as delivering, saving, and even giving birth in specific contexts. The entries indicate that it can refer to both physical escape and the act of laying eggs. There is no significant disagreement among the lexicons regarding its meanings.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

[מָלַט] vb. slip away (not in Qal)

Niph.

slip away

escape

pass. be delivered

Pi.

lay (eggs)

let escape

deliver

Hiph.

give birth to a male child

deliver

Hithp.

slip forth, escape (sparks of fire from jaws of crocodile)

escape

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H4422 מָלַט slip away . . slip away

. escape

. pass. be delivered

. . lay (eggs)

. let escape

. deliver

. . give birth to a male child

. deliver

. . slip forth, escape (sparks of fire from jaws of crocodile)

. escape

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

4422 malat maw-lat'

a primitive root; properly, to be smooth, i.e. (by

implication) to escape (as if by slipperiness); causatively,

to release or rescue; specifically, to bring forth young, emit

sparks:--deliver (self), escape, lay, leap out, let alone,

let go, preserve, save, X speedily, X surely.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

מָלַט (ma.lat) — to escape.

1) to slip away, escape, deliver, save, be delivered

1a)(Niphal)

1a1) to slip away

1a2) to escape

1a3) to be delivered

1b) (Piel)

1b1) to lay, let slip out (of eggs)

1b2) to let escape

1b3) to deliver, save (life)

1c) (Hiphil)

1c1) to give birth to

1c2) to deliver

1d) (Hithpael)

1d1) to slip forth, slip out, escape

1d2) to escape

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
HC/VNp3cp — Conjunction · verb niphal perfect third person common plural
HC/VNp3cp
to you they cried out and they were delivered in you they trusted and not they were ashamed
בְּךָ֖be.Kha in you H9031 Preposition · suffix
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

ךָּ (ka) — you.

Personal object pronoun - suffix for propositions and verbs without an object: 2nd person masculine singular

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
HR/Sp2ms — Preposition · suffix
HR/Sp2ms
to you they cried out and they were delivered in you they trusted and not they were ashamed
בָטְח֣וּva.te.Chu they trusted H982 Verb · Qal · perfect third person common plural
120× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
To trust means to have confidence or faith in something or someone, like the Israelites trusting in God to lead them through the desert, as seen in Psalm 23.
Amplified meaning
put their faith, had confidence
Tyndale gloss
to trust
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

בָּטַח (batach) is a Hebrew verb meaning to trust or have confidence. It conveys a sense of security and boldness, both in a personal sense and when causing others to feel secure. The entries indicate its use in different forms, such as Qal and Hiphil, covering aspects of trust and confidence.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

בָּטַח vb. trust

Qal

trust

be confident

Hiph. cause to trust, make secure

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H982 בָּטַח trust . trust

. be confident

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

982 batach baw-takh'

a primitive root; properly, to hie for refuge (but not so

precipitately as 2620); figuratively, to trust, be confident

or sure:--be bold (confident, secure, sure), careless (one,

woman), put confidence, (make to) hope, (put, make to) trust.

see HEBREW for 02620

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

בָּטַח (ba.tach) — to trust.

1) to trust

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to trust, trust in

1a2) to have confidence, be confident

1a3) to be bold

1a4) to be secure

1b) (Hiphil)

1b1) to cause to trust, make secure

2) (TWOT) to feel safe, be careless

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
V-Qal-Perf-3cp — Verb · Qal · perfect third person common plural
HVqp3cp
to you they cried out and they were delivered in you they trusted and not they were ashamed
וְלֹא־ve.lo'- and not H3808 Conjunction · particle
5,170× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
The Hebrew word for not or no is used to indicate absence or negation, as when God says no to the Israelites' requests, or when they disobey His commands.
Tyndale gloss
not
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

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

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

לֹא or לוֹא adv. not

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H3808 לֹא or לוֹא not

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

3808 lo' lo

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

לֹא (lo) — not.

1) not, no

1a) not (with verb-absolute prohibition)

1b) not (with modifier-negation)

1c) nothing (subst)

1d) without (with particle)

1e) before (of time)

Aramaic equivalent: la (לָא "not" H3809)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
HC/Tn — Conjunction · particle
HC/Tn
The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
to you they cried out and they were delivered in you they trusted and not they were ashamed
בֽוֹשׁוּ׃Vo.o.shu they were ashamed H954 Verb · Qal · perfect third person common plural
127× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
To be ashamed is what this Hebrew word means, implying a feeling of guilt or disappointment. It is used to describe someone who is disconcerted or delayed, like in the story of Adam and Eve. Shame is a strong emotion.
Tyndale gloss
be ashamed
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

בּוֹשׁ (buwsh) is a Hebrew root meaning 'to be ashamed.' It encompasses feelings of shame, disappointment, and disconcertion. The verb appears in various forms, including Qal (to feel shame), Piel (to delay in shame), and Hiphil (to put to shame). The entries indicate a range of uses, from personal feelings of shame to actions that cause shame to others.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

בּוֹשׁ 109 vb. be ashamed

Qal

abs. feel shame

sq. מִן, be ashamed of, i.e. disconcerted, disappointed by reason of

with obj. I am ashamed to ask

Polel delay (in shame)

Hiph.

put to shame

put to shame

act shamefully

to be put to shame

be ashamed

Hithp. ashamed before one another

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H954 בּוֹשׁ be ashamed

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

954 buwsh boosh

a primitive root; properly, to pale, i.e. by implication to

be ashamed; also (by implication) to be disappointed or

delayed:--(be, make, bring to, cause, put to, with,

a-)shamed(-d), be (put to) confounded(-fusion), become dry,

delay, be long.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

בּוֹשׁ (bush) — be ashamed.

1) to put to shame, be ashamed, be disconcerted, be disappointed

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to feel shame

1a2) to be ashamed, disconcerted, disappointed (by reason of)

1b) (Piel) to delay (in shame)

1c) (Hiphil)

1c1) to put to shame

1c2) to act shamefully

1c3) to be ashamed

1d) (Hithpolel) to be ashamed before one another

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
HVqp3cp — Verb · Qal · perfect third person common plural
HVqp3cp
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

a-shamd': Almost exclusively moral in significance; confusion or abashment through consciousness of guilt or of its exposure. Often including also a sense of terror or fear because of the disgrace connected with the performance of some action. Capacity for shame indicates that moral sense (conscience) is not extinct. "Ashamed" occurs 96 out of 118 times in the Old Testament. Hebrew bosh, "to feel shame" (Latin, pudere), with derivatives occurs 80 times; kalam, "to shame," including the thought of "disgrace," "reproach"; chapher, "to blush": hence shame because of frustrated plans (uniformly in the Revised Version (British and American) "confounded"); Greek aischunomai, "suffused with shame," passive only and its compounds. Uses:

(1) A few times, of actual embarrassment, as of Hazael before the steadfast look of Elisha (2Ki 8:11; see…

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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