Menu

Psalms 25:3 — Word Study

Depth

WLCגַּ֣ם כָּל־ קֹ֭וֶיךָ לֹ֣א יֵבֹ֑שׁוּ יֵ֝בֹ֗שׁוּ הַבּוֹגְדִ֥ים רֵיקָֽם׃

BSASurelygam nonelôʼ [no one, all] who wait for Youqâvâh [to await, patiently expect] will be put to shamebûwsh [be humiliated, disappointed] [but] those who engage in treacherybâgad without causerêyqâm [empty, without purpose] will be disgracedbûwsh [shamed, confounded]

Word
Listen & take awayPsalms 25
English ↓ Download MP3 The Berean Standard Bible chapter audio already hosted for the site's Bible section — verse 3 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 (rei.Kam) — no per-word recordings of the Hebrew exist to link to.
Take it away
Psalms 25:3quick helps
In a sentenceThe psalmist assures that those who wait for God will not be ashamed, while the unfaithful will face disgrace.
Who is speakingThe psalmist, expressing trust in God.
Where we areIn a prayerful reflection on trust and faithfulness.
The hard wordיֵבֹ֑שׁוּ
Take awayWaiting on God is a source of strength and assurance.
8 commentators on this verse Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them › clause verbבּוֹשׁ 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 25:3

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 Prayer for Guidance and Deliverancegenerated

2in You, my God, I trust. Do not let me be put to shame; do not let my enemies exult over me.
3Surely none who wait for You will be put to shame; but those who are faithless without cause will be disgraced.
4Show me Your ways, O LORD; teach me Your paths.
5Guide me in Your truth and teach me, for You are the God of my salvation; all day long I wait for You.

Psalm 25:3 expresses the psalmist's confidence that those who wait on God will not be put to shame, contrasting them with the faithless who act treacherously. This psalm reflects a deep trust in God's faithfulness and serves as a reminder of the importance of waiting on Him, as seen in the surrounding verses that call for guidance and teaching from the Lord.


Cross References

ReferenceText (BSB)
1Psalm 27:14Wait patiently for the LORD; be strong and courageous. Wait patiently for the LORD!
2Psalm 33:20Our soul waits for the LORD; He is our help and our shield.
3Psalm 37:34Wait for the LORD and keep His way, and He will raise you up to inherit the land. When the wicked are cut off, you will see it.
4Psalm 40:1–3I waited patiently for the LORD; He inclined to me and heard my cry.
5Psalm 62:1–5In God alone my soul finds rest; my salvation comes from Him.

The Key Word קֹ֭וֶיךָ, Koei.chagenerated

The Hebrew word קָוָה (qavah) is a verb that means to wait, expect, or gather together. It conveys a sense of anticipation and hope, often in the context of waiting for God's intervention or help.

In this verse, it emphasizes the act of patiently waiting for God, highlighting the expectation that accompanies such waiting. The participle form indicates an ongoing action, suggesting that those who wait for God are actively engaged in their faith.


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 main verb of the verse is יֵבֹ֑שׁוּ, they will be ashamed, which governs the entire clause. The structure contrasts two groups: those who wait for God and those who act treacherously.

The sentence is built around the assurance that waiting on God leads to honor, while unfaithfulness leads to disgrace, creating a clear dichotomy in the psalmist's message.


Septuagint Backgroundgenerated

The Septuagint translates קֹ֭וֶיךָ as ἐλπίζοντες, meaning 'those who hope'. This choice emphasizes a broader sense of expectation and trust in God, aligning with the theme of waiting.

The Greek word καταισχυνθῶσιν corresponds to יֵבֹ֑שׁוּ, indicating that the translators understood the shame involved as a consequence of unfaithfulness.


In plain words — the whole versegenerated

Psalm 25:3 assures that those who wait for God will not be ashamed, while those who act treacherously will face disgrace. The psalmist emphasizes the importance of trusting in God and waiting for His help.


Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated

What does it mean to wait for God?

Waiting for God involves trusting in His timing and seeking His guidance, often in prayer and reflection.

Why will the faithless be disgraced?

The faithless act treacherously, which leads to their downfall and shame, contrasting with the honor of those who trust in God.

How can I learn to wait on God?

Learning to wait on God can involve prayer, reading Scripture, and reflecting on His past faithfulness in your life.

What is the significance of shame in this verse?

Shame signifies the consequences of unfaithfulness, while the assurance of honor for those who wait on God highlights the rewards of faith.


Reflection Questionsgenerated

  1. In what areas of my life do I need to practice waiting on God?
  2. How can I encourage others to trust in God's timing?
  3. What are some examples of faithfulness I can look for in my daily life?
  4. How does understanding the consequences of unfaithfulness affect my relationship with God?

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

Early Church Fathers commented on this verse, emphasizing the themes of trust and waiting on God in their teachings.

Augustine of HippoExposition on Psalms 25 354–430
"And let not my enemies mock me." And let them not mock me, who by ensnaring me with serpent-like and secret suggestions, and prompting me with "Well done, well done," have brought me down to this.
Early Church Fathers on Psalms 25 →
Theodoret of CyrusCOMMENTARY ON THE Psalms 25:2 c. 393–460
I have a sufficient basis for hope, he is saying, in those who already believe in you and enjoy your aid. You are in the habit of showing care for them, while confounding those given to lawlessness.
Early Church Fathers on Psalms 25 →
CassiodorusEXPLANATION OF THE Psalms 25:4 c. 485–585
Waiting for God means waiting courageously during the suffering of evils so that when he comes in his judgment he may grant what the spirit of the devoted person was seeking.
Early Church Fathers on Psalms 25 →

Commentators on this verse — 8 expositors, verse by verse

Each of these wrote on Psalms 25:3 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.

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

Yea, let none that wait on thee be ashamed,.... David not only prays for himself, but for other saints, as it becomes the people of God to do; for them they waited on the Lord in public worship,

Read John Gill on Psalms 25 →
Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's Commentary

Yea, let none that wait on thee be ashamed: let them be ashamed which transgress without cause. Let none ... be ashamed - a prayer based on a fundamental principle of God a dealings.

Read Robert Jamieson on Psalms 25 →
Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy Bible

Let none that wait on thee be ashamed, with me and for me; for if I be frustrated, all that trust in thee will be discouraged and upbraided with my example. Let them be ashamed; blast their wicked designs and hopes. Which transgress, or prevaricate, or deal perfidiously with me, violating their faith given to me. Without a cause; without any provocation of mine, or without any sufficient reason.

Read Matthew Poole on Psalms 25 →
John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

Psalms 25:3 Yea, let none that wait on thee be ashamed: let them be ashamed which transgress without cause.Ver. 3. Yea, let none that wait on thee be ashamed] Be nosed and twitted with my disappointments, as they are sure to be if I be repulsed by thee and worsted by mine enemies; all thy praying people shall have it cast in their teeth and laid in their dish. Let them be ashamed which transgress without cause] Let shame be sent to the right owner, even to those that deal disloyally, unprovoked on my part. And so it was; for Ahithophel hanged himself; Absalom was trussed up by the hand of God, and despatched by Joab; the people that conspired with him partly perished by the sword, and…

Read John Trapp on Psalms 25 →
Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(3) Wait on thee.—More literally, as in LXX., wait for thee, with idea of strong endurance. The root means to make strong by twisting. (Comp. Psalms 25:5; Psalms 25:21, where the same word occurs, though in a different conjugation.) The Vulgate has qui sustinent te, “who maintain thee,” i.e., as their God. The Authorised Version is in error in following the imperative of the LXX. in this verse. It should run, none that wait for thee shall be ashamed.Transgress without cause.—Better, practise treachery in vain. The Hebrew word is translated dealt treacherously, Judges 9:23. Without cause.—Literally, empty.

Read Charles John Ellicott on Psalms 25 →
AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible

Verse 3. Let none that wait on thee be ashamed] Though he had burden enough of his own, he felt for others in similar circumstances, and became an intercessor in their behalf. Transgress without cause.] Perhaps בוגדים bogedim may here mean idolatrous persons. "Let not them that wait upon and worship thee be ashamed: but they shall be ashamed who vainly worship, or trust in false gods." See Malachi 2:11-16. The Chaldeans have evil entreated us, and oppressed us: they trust in their idols, let them see the vanity of their idolatry.

Read AdamClarke on Psalms 25 →
CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

3. Render with R.V. Yea, none that wait on thee shall be ashamed: They shall be ashamed that deal treacherously without cause. The words are not a prayer, but the expression of a conviction corresponding to and justifying the prayer of Psa 25:2. Cp. Romans 5:3-5. It certainly gains in point if the last clause of Psa 25:5 is joined to Psalms 25:1, and the Psalmist has already spoken of himself as one of “those who wait on Jehovah.” which transgress] Rather as R.V., that deal treacherously: a word used of faithless, treacherous conduct towards men (Judges 9:23), or God (Jeremiah 3:20): here of the faithless desertion of God which is the opposite of patiently waiting upon Him. Cp. Psalms…

Read Cambridge on Psalms 25 →
Albert Barnes1798–1870Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Yea, let none that wait on thee be ashamed - To “wait on the Lord” is an expression denoting true piety, as indicating our dependence on him, and as implying that we look to Him for the command that

Read Albert Barnes on Psalms 25 →

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

Surely none who wait for You will be put to shame; but those who are faithless without cause will be disgraced.

WEBWorld English Bible2000

Yes, no one who waits for you will be shamed. They will be shamed who deal treacherously without cause.

MSBMajority Standard Bible2022

Surely none who wait for You will be put to shame; but those who engage in treachery without cause will be disgraced.

NETBNew English Translation2006

Certainly none who rely on you will be humiliated. Those who deal in treachery will be thwarted and humiliated.

Tyndale line

KJVKing James Version1611

Yea, let none that wait on thee be ashamed: let them be ashamed which transgress without cause.

ASVAmerican Standard Version1901

Yea, none that wait for thee shall be put to shame: They shall be put to shame that deal treacherously without cause.

RVARevised Version, American1894

Yea, none that wait on thee shall be ashamed: they shall be ashamed that deal treacherously without cause.

NWBWebster's Bible1833

Also, let none that wait on thee be ashamed: let them be ashamed who transgress without cause.

GNVGeneva Bible1599

So all that hope in thee, shall not be ashamed: but let them be confounded, that transgresse without cause.

Strictly literal

DBYDarby Translation1890

Yea, none that wait on thee shall be ashamed: they shall be ashamed that deal treacherously without cause.

YLTYoung's Literal Translation1862

Also let none waiting on Thee be ashamed, Let the treacherous dealers without cause be ashamed.

LSVLiteral Standard Version2020

Also let none waiting on You be ashamed, || Let the treacherous dealers without cause be ashamed.

ILTInterlinear Literal Translation2000

Yea, none that wait on thee will be put to shame: let those be put to shame who deal treacherously without cause.

ULBUnlocked Literal Bible2017

May no one who hopes in you be disgraced may those who act treacherously without cause be ashamed!

From the Latin

DRADouay-Rheims (Challoner)1899

For thy mercy is before my eyes; and I am well pleased with thy truth.

Simplified

FBVFree Bible Version2020

No one who trusts in you will be humiliated, but humiliation comes to those who are deliberately dishonest.

BBEBible in Basic English1949

Let no servant of yours be put to shame; may those be shamed who are false without cause.

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


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

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

clausenoun phrase · subjectגַּ֣םalsonoun phraseכָּלallnoun phraseקֹ֭וֶי[thoseךָwho].wait.for.youadverbialלֹ֣אnotverbיֵבֹ֑שׁוּthey.will.be.ashamedclauseverbיֵ֝בֹ֗שׁוּthey.will.be.ashamednoun phrase · subjectהַ[thosenoun phraseclauseverbבּוֹגְדִ֥יםwho].act.treacherouslyadverbialרֵיקָֽםwithout.cause

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 align closely, with all eight words matched. The Dead Sea Scrolls show one word on the leather and several supplied by an editor, indicating some textual restoration but maintaining the overall message.

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

גַּ֣ם כָּל־ קֹ֭וֶיךָ לֹ֣א יֵבֹ֑שׁוּ יֵ֝בֹ֗שׁוּ הַבּוֹגְדִ֥ים רֵיקָֽם׃

Septuagintthe Greek the translators chose, word by word
גַּ֣םκαὶכָּל־πάντεςקֹ֭וֶיךָσεלֹ֣אοὐיֵבֹ֑שׁוּκαταισξυνθῶσινיֵ֝בֹ֗שׁוּαἰσξυνθήτωσανהַבּוֹגְדִ֥יםἀνομοῦντεςרֵיקָֽם׃κενῆς

8 of the 8 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 — 11Q7a copy a thousand years older than the Leningrad Codex

[גם] [כול] [קווי׳כה] [לוא] [יבושו] [יבושו] הבוגדים ריקם

1 word on the leather — 1 partly restored, 6 supplied entire by an editor.

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 25:3גַּםalsoalsoגַּםכֹּלallallכֹּלקָוָה[those who][those who] waiקָוָהלֹאnotnotלֹאבּוֹשׁthey will bthey will be asבּוֹשׁבּוֹשׁthey will bthey will be asבּוֹשׁבָּגַדthose [who]those [who] actבָּגַדרֵיקָםin vainin vainרֵיקָםכָּלַלto perfectto perfectכָּלַלרֵיקworthlessworthlessרֵיקחָפֵרbe ashamedbe ashamedחָפֵרכָּלַםbe humiliabe humiliatedכָּלַםתְּמוֹלyesterdayyesterdayתְּמוֹלשִׁלְשֹׁםthree daysthree days agoשִׁלְשֹׁםעֵדָהcongregaticongregationעֵדָהעֲבֹדָהserviceserviceעֲבֹדָהיָחַלto wait: wto wait: waitיָחַליָכֹלbe ablebe ableיָכֹלעוֹדstillstillעוֹדרָזִיwastingwastingרָזִיבּוֹשׁbe ashamedbe ashamedבּוֹשׁשׁוּבto return:to return: retuשׁוּב
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 25:3

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.

also all [those who] wait for you not they will be ashamed they will be ashamed those [who] act treacherously in vain
גַּ֣םgam also H1571 Adverb
769× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
Also means 'even' or 'too', used for emphasis or to connect ideas, like 'both...and' or 'neither...nor'. It can introduce a climax or show contrast.
Tyndale gloss
also
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

גַּם (gam) is an adverb meaning 'also' or 'moreover,' indicating addition or emphasis. It can express various nuances, such as 'even,' 'indeed,' or 'but.' The term is often used in a correlational manner, as in 'both...and.' It appears in contexts that require clarification or reinforcement of a statement.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

גַּם 768 adv. denoting addition, also, moreover, yea

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H1571 גַּם denoting addition, also, moreover, yea

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

1571 gam gam

by contraction from an unused root meaning to gather;

properly, assemblage; used only adverbially also, even, yea,

though; often repeated as correl. both...and:--again, alike,

also, (so much) as (soon), both (so)...and , but, either...or,

even, for all, (in) likewise (manner), moreover,

nay...neither, one, then(-refore), though, what, with, yea.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

גַּם (gam) — also.

1) also, even, indeed, moreover, yea

1a) also, moreover (giving emphasis)

1b) neither, neither...nor (with negative)

1c) even (for stress)

1d) indeed, yea (introducing climax)

1e) also (of correspondence or retribution)

1f) but, yet, though (adversative)

1g) even, yea, yea though (with 'when' in hypothetical case)

2) (TWOT) again, alike

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
DirObjM — Adverb
HD
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

ol'-so: In the Greek kai, when it is equivalent to "also" or "even," is always placed before the word or phrase which it is intended to emphasize (e.g. Ac 12:3; 1 Joh 4:21). Mt 6:14 should therefore read, "Your heavenly Father will forgive you also"; Lu 6:13, "Whom also he named apostles"; Heb 8:6, "The mediator of a better covenant also"; and 1Th 4:14, `If we believe that Jesus died and rose again, so also (we believe that) those who are fallen asleep in Jesus, God will bring with Him.'

also all [those who] wait for you not they will be ashamed they will be ashamed those [who] act treacherously in vain
כָּל־kol- all H3605 Noun common · masculine singular construct
5,415× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
The Hebrew word for 'all' or 'everything' is used throughout the Bible, like in Genesis 1:31, where God sees all He has made as very good. It encompasses the entirety of something, whether people, things, or situations.
Tyndale gloss
all
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

כֹּל (kol) means 'all' or 'the whole.' It can refer to totality, including every person or thing, and is often used with a following genitive to specify what is included. The term can also denote a broader sense of everything in existence or all circumstances of life. The lexicons do not show significant disagreement on its meanings.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

כֹּל once כּוֹל n.m. the whole, all

with foll. gen. (as usually) the whole of, to be rendered, however, often in our idiom, to avoid stiffness, any or every

Absolutely:

without the art., all things, all

with the art. הַכֹּל

where the sense is limited by the context to things (or persons) just mentioned

in a wider sense, all, whether of all mankind or of all living things, the universe, or of all the circumstances of life (chiefly late)

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H3605 כֹּל once כּוֹל the whole, all . with foll. gen. (as usually) the whole of, to be rendered, however, often in our idiom, to avoid stiffness, any or every

. Absolutely: . without the art., all things, all

. with the art. הַכֹּל . where the sense is limited by the context to things (or persons) just mentioned

. in a wider sense, all, whether of all mankind or of all living things, the universe, or of all the circumstances of life (chiefly late)

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

3605 kol kole

or (Jer. 33:8) kowl {kole}; from 3634; properly, the whole;

hence, all, any or every (in the singular only, but often in a

plural sense):--(in) all (manner, (ye)), altogether, any

(manner), enough, every (one, place, thing), howsoever, as

many as, (no-)thing, ought, whatsoever, (the) whole,

whoso(-ever).

see HEBREW for 03634

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

כֹּל (kol) — all.

1) all, the whole

1a) all, the whole of

1b) any, each, every, anything

1c) totality, everything

Aramaic equivalent: kol (כֹּל "all" H3606)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
HNcmsc — Noun common · masculine singular construct
HNcmsc
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

ol: Used in various combinations, and with different meanings.

(1) All along, "Weeping all along as he went" (Jer 41:6), i.e. throughout the whole way he went, feigning equal concern with the men from Shiloh, etc., for the destruction of the Temple, so as to put them off their guard.

(2) All in all, "That God may be all in all" (1Co 15:28, Greek: panta en pasin, "all things in all (persons and) things"). "The universe, with all it comprises, will wholly answer to God's will and reflect His mind" (Dummelow).

(3) All one, "It is all one" (Job 9:22), "it makes no difference whether I live or die."

(4) At all, "If thy father miss me at all" (1Sa 20:6), "in any way," "in the least."

The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
also all [those who] wait for you not they will be ashamed they will be ashamed those [who] act treacherously in vain
קֹ֭וֶיךָKoei.cha [those who] wait for you H6960 Verb qal participle (active) masculine plural common · suffix
49× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This Hebrew word means to collect or gather things together, and can also mean to wait patiently for something. It is used in Psalms and Proverbs to describe waiting on God.
Amplified meaning
to await, patiently expect
Tyndale gloss
to await
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

קָוָה (qavah) is a Hebrew verb that encompasses the meanings of waiting, expecting, and collecting. It can refer to eagerly waiting or lying in wait, as well as the act of gathering together. The word appears in different forms, including Qal and Piel, indicating various nuances of waiting and collecting.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

[קָוָה] vb. wait for

Qal those waiting for

Pi.

wait, or look eagerly, for

lie in wait for

wait (linger) for

base

[קָוָה] vb. collect;—Niph. be collected

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H6960a קָוָה wait for . wait, or look eagerly, for

. lie in wait for

. wait (linger) for

H6960b קָוָה collect;—Niph. be collected

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

6960 qavah kaw-vaw'

a primitive root; to bind together (perhaps by twisting),

i.e. collect; (figuratively) to expect:--gather (together),

look, patiently, tarry, wait (for, on, upon).

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

קָוָה (qa.vah) — to await.

1) to wait, look for, hope, expect

1a) (Qal) waiting (participle)

1b) (Piel)

1b1) to wait or look eagerly for

1b2) to lie in wait for

1b3) to wait for, linger for

קָוָה (qa.vah) — to collect.

1) to collect, bind together

1a) (Niphal) to be collected

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
V-Qal | Suff — Verb qal participle (active) masculine plural common · suffix
HVqrmpc/Sp2ms
also all [those who] wait for you not they will be ashamed they will be ashamed those [who] act treacherously in vain
לֹ֣אlo' not H3808 Particle
5,170× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
The Hebrew word for not or no is used to indicate absence or negation, as when God says no to the Israelites' requests, or when they disobey His commands.
Amplified meaning
no one, all
Tyndale gloss
not
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

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

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

לֹא or לוֹא adv. not

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H3808 לֹא or לוֹא not

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

3808 lo' lo

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

לֹא (lo) — not.

1) not, no

1a) not (with verb-absolute prohibition)

1b) not (with modifier-negation)

1c) nothing (subst)

1d) without (with particle)

1e) before (of time)

Aramaic equivalent: la (לָא "not" H3809)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Part — Particle
HTn
The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
also all [those who] wait for you not they will be ashamed they will be ashamed those [who] act treacherously in vain
יֵבֹ֑שׁוּye.Vo.shu they will be ashamed H954 Verb · Qal · imperfect third person masculine 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.
Amplified meaning
be humiliated, disappointed
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
V-Qal-Imperf-3mp — Verb · Qal · imperfect third person masculine plural
HVqi3mp
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…

also all [those who] wait for you not they will be ashamed they will be ashamed those [who] act treacherously in vain
יֵ֝בֹ֗שׁוּye.Vo.shu they will be ashamed H954 Verb · Qal · imperfect third person masculine 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.
Amplified meaning
shamed, confounded
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
V-Qal-Imperf-3mp — Verb · Qal · imperfect third person masculine plural
HVqi3mp
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…

also all [those who] wait for you not they will be ashamed they will be ashamed those [who] act treacherously in vain
הַבּוֹגְדִ֥יםha.bog.Dim those [who] act treacherously H898 Particle · verb qal participle (active) masculine plural
49× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
To act treacherously means to be deceitful or unfaithful, as seen in Job 31:27-28, where Job denies acting treacherously. It involves covering or hiding one's true intentions, often to pillage or offend others.
Tyndale gloss
to act treacherously
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

בָּגַד (bagad) is a Hebrew verb meaning to act treacherously or deceitfully. It is derived from a root that suggests covering or acting covertly, and it encompasses actions such as offending or being unfaithful. The term appears in various contexts in the Old Testament, highlighting themes of betrayal and unfaithfulness.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

[בָּגַד] vb. act or deal treacherously

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H898 בָּגַד act or deal treacherously

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

898 bagad baw-gad'

a primitive root; to cover (with a garment); figuratively, to

act covertly; by implication, to pillage:--deal deceitfully

(treacherously, unfaithfully), offend, transgress(-or),

(depart), treacherous (dealer, -ly, man), unfaithful(-ly,

man), X very.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

בָּגַד (ba.gad) — to act treacherously.

1) to act treacherously, deceitfully, deal treacherously

1a) (Qal) to act or deal treacherously, faithlessly, deceitfully, offend

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Art | V-Qal — Particle · verb qal participle (active) masculine plural
HTd/Vqrmpa
also all [those who] wait for you not they will be ashamed they will be ashamed those [who] act treacherously in vain
רֵיקָֽם׃rei.Kam in vain H7387 Adverb
16× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This Hebrew word means doing something empty or without purpose, like acting in vain. It is used in the Bible to describe actions that have no real effect. In the KJV, it is translated as 'without cause' or 'in vain'.
Amplified meaning
empty, without purpose
Tyndale gloss
emptily
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

רֵיקָם (reyqam) means 'emptily' or 'vainly,' indicating a state of being empty or without effect. It can refer to actions done in vain or without cause. The word is built from a root that conveys emptiness and ineffectiveness, and it appears in contexts where something is done without result.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

רֵיקָם adv. emptily, vainly

in empty condition, empty = with empty hands

in vain, without effect

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H7387 רֵיקָם emptily, vainly . in empty condition, empty = with empty hands

. in vain, without effect

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

7387 reyqam ray-kawm'

from 7386; emptily; figuratively (objective) ineffectually,

(subjective) undeservedly:--without cause, empty, in vain,

void.

see HEBREW for 07386

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

רֵיקָם (re.qam) — emptily.

1) vainly, emptily

1a) in empty condition, empty, emptily

1b) in vain, without effect, vainly

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Adv — Adverb
HD
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

van: The adjective of "vanity," and representing the same Hebrew and Greek words as does the latter, with a few additions (chiefly kenos, "empty," and its compounds in the New Testament). And "vain" can always be replaced by its synonym "empty," often with advantage in modern English (Job 15:2; 1Co 15:14, etc.). The exception is the phrase "in vain," and even there the interchange can be made if some (understood) noun such as "ways" be added. So "to take God's name in vain" (Ex 20:7; De 5:11) means simply to take it for an "empty" ("not good") purpose.

Sources on this page. Lexicons and dictionaries imported from the CrossWire SWORD modules — Abbott-Smith, Strong's, Dodson, the Intermediate Liddell-Scott-Jones, Robinson and Packard, Webster and Cawdrey. Thayer’s Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament (Harper, 1889 — Grimm’s Wilke’s Clavis Novi Testamenti, translated, revised and enlarged by Joseph Henry Thayer) is public domain and is set here from the Internet Archive page scan greekenglishlex00grim; it is uncorrected OCR, marked as such on the entry itself, and the Strong’s numbers — which Thayer’s own edition does not carry — were matched by lemma against the other modules on this page. Trench’s Synonyms of the New Testament (Macmillan, 1880) and Moulton and Milligan’s Vocabulary of the Greek Testament (Hodder & Stoughton, 1930, which entered the United States public domain on 1 January 2026) are set from Internet Archive page scans synonymsofnewtes00treniala and vocabularyofgree00mouluoft, and are likewise uncorrected OCR matched to Strong’s numbers by lemma. Trench treats a group of words at once, so the same essay stands on the page of each word it compares. The Mounce Concise Greek-English Dictionary is © 1993 and is used here by permission for non-commercial use, www.teknia.com/greek-dictionary. The full Liddell-Scott-Jones and the Hebrew word data (TAHOT) come from STEPBible.org, CC BY 4.0. Brown-Driver-Briggs is the OpenScriptures digitisation, public domain. Syntax analysis is the Nestle 1904 Lowfat treebank (biblicalhumanities.org); the concordance and morphology are built from the tagged Nestle 1904 text. Septuagint occurrences use the Open Scriptures Septuagint lemma index, derived from CCAT (University of Pennsylvania) and the Rahlfs 1935 dataset by Eliran Wong, CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 — used here on a non-commercial ministry site. Greek of Josephus and Barnabas from the Perseus Digital Library, CC BY-SA 4.0. Commentaries and the Ante-Nicene Fathers are public-domain texts hosted on this site. Everyday Greek from the Duke Databank of Documentary Papyri, CC BY 3.0, with dates and provenance from the Heidelberger Gesamtverzeichnis. Philo and the Apostolic Fathers from Open Greek and Latin (First1KGreek), CC BY-SA 4.0. The apparatus and the fifth Greek column are the SBL Greek New Testament, © 2010 SBL and Logos Bible Software, CC BY 4.0. The Latin is the Clementine Vulgate (public domain); the Syriac New Testament is the ETCBC edition (MIT licence). The Hebrew behind the Greek is computed here from the Septuagint index and TAHOT, not taken from any aligned edition. The translation spread and the per-word edition marks come from the Translators Amalgamated Greek NT (STEPBible, CC BY 4.0); clause roles from the Nestle 1904 Lowfat treebank (CC BY-SA 4.0); place identifications and their confidence from OpenBible.info Bible Geocoding (CC BY 4.0), with map tiles © OpenStreetMap contributors. Gospel parallels are computed here from shared uncommon vocabulary, not taken from any printed harmony. Cross references are the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge and the subject headings are Nave’s Topical Bible, both public domain. Works under Creative Commons licences are used unchanged apart from markup removal.

Everything we make is available for free because of a generous community of supporters.

Donate