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Psalms 34:10 — Word Study

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WLCכְּ֭פִירִים רָשׁ֣וּ וְרָעֵ֑בוּ וְדֹרְשֵׁ֥י יְ֝הוָ֗ה לֹא־ יַחְסְר֥וּ כָל־ טֽוֹב׃

BSAthe LORDYᵉhôvâh [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God]

Word
Listen & take awayPsalms 34
English ↓ Download MP3 The Berean Standard Bible chapter audio already hosted for the site's Bible section — verse 10 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 (Tov) — no per-word recordings of the Hebrew exist to link to.
Take it away
Psalms 34:10quick helps
In a sentenceThe psalm contrasts the needs of young lions with the abundance of those who seek the LORD.
Who is speakingThe psalmist, addressing the faithful.
Where we areIn a section about the blessings of fearing the LORD.
The hard wordכְּ֭פִירִים
Take awayEven the strong may lack, but those who seek God will have all they need.
8 commentators on this verse Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them › clause subjectיָרֵא verbאֵת 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 34:10

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

Context — The Blessings of Fearing the LORDgenerated

9Fear the LORD, you His saints, for those who fear Him lack nothing.
10Young lions go lacking and hungry, but those who seek the LORD lack no good thing.
11Come, children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the LORD.
12Who is the man who delights in life, who desires to see good days?

Psalm 34:10 presents a vivid contrast between the plight of young lions, typically seen as strong and powerful, and the security experienced by those who seek the LORD. The surrounding verses emphasize the importance of reverence for God, promising that those who fear Him will lack nothing essential. This psalm encourages believers to trust in God's provision and care, highlighting the difference between worldly strength and divine sustenance.


Cross References

ReferenceText (BSB)
1Psalm 104:21The young lions roar for their prey and seek their food from God.
2Job 4:10–11The lion may roar, and the fierce lion may growl, yet the teeth of the young lions are broken.
3Luke 1:51–53He has performed mighty deeds with His arm; He has scattered those who are proud in the thoughts of their hearts.
4Psalm 84:11For the LORD God is a sun and a shield; the LORD gives grace and glory; He withholds no good thing from those who walk with integrity.
5Matthew 6:32For the Gentiles strive after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them.

The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 5 references, hung on the phrase they belong to


The Key Word כְּ֭פִירִים, Ke.fi.rimgenerated

The word כְּפִיר (*kefir*) specifically refers to 'young lions,' emphasizing their strength yet vulnerability. It is a masculine plural noun, suggesting a group of young lions, which contrasts with the following statements about lack and hunger.

This term is built from a root meaning 'to cover,' which may connect to the protective nature of a lion's mane or the enclosure of a village. The psalmist uses this imagery to illustrate that even the mightiest creatures can experience need, thereby underscoring the reliability of God for those who seek Him.


How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated

In the Berean Standard Bible, the verse uses go lacking and hungry to describe the young lions, while the KJV and ASV similarly convey the same meaning.


Sentence Structuregenerated

The verse consists of two main clauses connected by 'but', with the first clause focusing on the young lions and their needs, and the second clause addressing those who seek the LORD. The structure highlights the contrast between physical strength and spiritual reliance.

The finite verbs in the verse are רָשׁ֣וּ and רָעֵ֑בוּ, both describing the state of the young lions, while יַחְסְר֥וּ describes the lack experienced by those who do not seek the LORD.


Septuagint Backgroundgenerated

In the Septuagint, the Hebrew כְּפִירִים is rendered as φοβήθητε, which carries a sense of fear or reverence. This choice emphasizes the potential danger and vulnerability of even the strongest creatures, aligning with the psalm's message of reliance on God.

The translation reflects the understanding that true strength lies not in physical prowess but in seeking the divine, a theme prevalent in both the Hebrew text and its Greek interpretation.


In plain words — the whole versegenerated

Psalm 34:10 tells us that even strong young lions can go hungry, while those who seek the LORD will not lack any good thing. This verse reassures believers that God provides for those who trust in Him, contrasting human strength with divine provision.


Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated

What does it mean to seek the LORD?

To seek the LORD means to actively pursue a relationship with God, to trust in Him, and to look to Him for guidance and provision.

Why does the psalmist compare young lions to those who seek the LORD?

The comparison highlights that even the strongest creatures can experience lack, while those who seek God will find all they need, emphasizing God's faithfulness.

What does it mean that those who seek the LORD lack no good thing?

It means that God will provide for the needs of those who trust in Him, ensuring that they have everything necessary for their well-being.

How can I seek the LORD in my life?

You can seek the LORD through prayer, reading the Scriptures, worship, and being part of a community that encourages faith and trust in God.


Reflection Questionsgenerated

  1. In what areas of my life do I need to trust God more fully for provision?
  2. How can I actively seek the LORD in my daily routine?
  3. What does it mean for me to lack no good thing when I trust in God?
  4. How can I encourage others to seek the LORD and experience His provision?

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

Early Church Fathers referenced this psalm to illustrate the stability and goodness of God's provision for those who seek Him.

Basil of CaesareaHOMILIES ON THE Psalms 16:7 (Psalms 34) c. 330–379
Wealth is unstable and like a wave accustomed to change hither and thither by the violence of the wind.… God himself is absolute Good, and they who seek him will not be without him.
Early Church Fathers on Psalms 34 →
Arnobius the YoungerCOMMENTARY ON THE Psalms 34 5th c.
The rich dwell in uncertainty concerning the things the world gives. The riches that God gives do not fail, but they remain because these riches arise in the fear of the Lord.
Early Church Fathers on Psalms 34 →

Commentators on this verse — 8 expositors, verse by verse

Each of these wrote on Psalms 34:10 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.

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

The young lions do lack, and suffer hunger,.... According to Apollinarius, "the needy rich, whom famine presses;'' see Job 4:10; but they that seek the Lord; by prayer, diligently, with their whole

Read John Gill on Psalms 34 →
Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's Commentary

The young lions do lack, and suffer hunger: but they that seek the LORD shall not want any good thing. The young lions.

Read Robert Jamieson on Psalms 34 →
Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy Bible

The young lions; either, 1. Properly: see . Or, 2. Metaphorically so called, the great potentates of the earth, who are oft so called, as . Shall not want any good thing, which is necessary and truly good for them, all circumstances considered; of which God alone is a competent judge. And therefore although God doth usually take a special care to supply the wants of good men, and hath oft done it by extraordinary ways, when ordinary have failed, yet sometimes he knows, and it is certainly true, that wants and crosses are more needful and useful to them than bread, and in such cases it is a greater mercy of God to deny them supplies than to grant them.

Read Matthew Poole on Psalms 34 →
John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

Psalms 34:10 The young lions do lack, and suffer hunger: but they that seek the LORD shall not want any good [thing].Ver. 10. The young lions do lack and suffer hunger] And yet they will have it, if it is to be had. Haec est sceleratorum imago, saith Beza. Lionlike wicked oppressors, rich cormorants, as the Septuagint render it, who live on the spoil of poor people, and are never satisfied, do yet perish with famine, as Eliphaz saith of the old lion, Job 4:11; and come oft to great poverty, so that they pine away and miserably perish, Donec misere tabescant (Beza.) But they that seek the Lord] That, content with his blessing alone, seek not their nourishment any other way but from his hand…

Read John Trapp on Psalms 34 →
Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(10) Young lions.—See Note, Psalms 17:12. The young lion is the emblem of power and self-resource. Yet these sometimes lack, but the earnest seekers after Divine truth and righteousness never. Instead of “lions,” the LXX. and Vulgate have “the rich.”

Read Charles John Ellicott on Psalms 34 →
AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible

Verse 10. The young lions do lack] Instead of כפירים kephirim, the young lions, one of Kennicott's MSS. has כבירים cabbirim, "powerful men." The Vulgate, Septuagint, AEthiopic, Syriac, Arabic, and Anglo-Saxon have the same reading. Houbigant approves of this; and indeed the sense and connection seem to require it. My old Psalter reads: - The Ryche had nede; and thai hungerd: but sekand Lard sal noght be lessed of alle gode. That es, says the paraphrase, with outen lessyng thai sal have God; that es alle gode; for in God is al gode.

Read AdamClarke on Psalms 34 →
CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

10. The young lions] Best understood literally, not as a metaphor for the rich (LXX πλούσιοι, though possibly from a different reading), or powerful oppressors (Psalms 35:17). The sense is that the strongest beasts of prey, most capable of providing for themselves, may suffer want (Job 4:11); not so God’s people. Cp. Psalms 23:1. For the touching connexion of these words with St Columba’s last hours see Ker’s Psalms in History and Biography, p. 62. He was transcribing the Psalter, and at this verse he laid down his pen. “Here at the end of the page I must stop; what follows let Baithen write.” “The last verse he had written,” says his biographer Adamnan, “was very applicable to the saint…

Read Cambridge on Psalms 34 →
Albert Barnes1798–1870Barnes' Notes on the Bible

The young lions do lack and suffer hunger - That is, they often do it, as compared with the friends of God. The allusion is especially to the “young” lions who are not able to go forth themselves in search of food.

Read Albert Barnes on Psalms 34 →

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

Young lions go lacking and hungry, but those who seek the LORD lack no good thing.

WEBWorld English Bible2000

The young lions do lack, and suffer hunger, but those who seek Yahweh shall not lack any good thing.

MSBMajority Standard Bible2022

Young lions go lacking and hungry, but those who seek the LORD lack no good thing.

NETBNew English Translation2006

Even young lions sometimes lack food and are hungry, but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing.

Tyndale line

KJVKing James Version1611

The young lions do lack, and suffer hunger: but they that seek the LORD shall not want any good thing.

ASVAmerican Standard Version1901

The young lions do lack, and suffer hunger; But they that seek Jehovah shall not want any good thing.

RVARevised Version, American1894

The young lions do lack, and suffer hunger: but they that seek the LORD shall not want any good thing.

NWBWebster's Bible1833

The young lions do lack, and suffer hunger: but they that seek the LORD shall not want any good thing .

GNVGeneva Bible1599

The lyons doe lacke and suffer hunger, but they, which seeke the Lord, shall want nothing that is good.

Strictly literal

DBYDarby Translation1890

The young lions are in need and suffer hunger; but they that seek Jehovah shall not want any good.

YLTYoung's Literal Translation1862

Young lions have lacked and been hungry, And those seeking Jehovah lack not any good,

LSVLiteral Standard Version2020

Young lions have lacked and been hungry, || And those seeking YHWH do not lack any good,

ILTInterlinear Literal Translation2000

(34:11) The young lions do lack, and suffer hunger; but those who seek the Lord shall not want any good.

ULBUnlocked Literal Bible2017

The young lions sometimes lack food and suffer hunger, but those who seek Yahweh will not lack anything good.

From the Latin

DRADouay-Rheims (Challoner)1899

All my bones shall say: Lord, who is like to thee? Who deliverest the poor from the hand of them that are stronger than he; the needy and the poor from them that strip him.

Simplified

FBVFree Bible Version2020

Lions may grow weak and hungry, but those who trust in the Lord have all that is good.

BBEBible in Basic English1949

The young lions are in need and have no food; but those who are looking to the Lord will have every good thing.

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.

clauseclausesubjectכְּ֭פִירִיםyoung.lionsverbרָשׁ֣וּthey.are.in.wantוְandclauseverbרָעֵ֑בוּthey.are.hungryוְandclausenoun phrase · subjectדֹרְשֵׁ֥י[those.who].seekיְ֝הוָ֗ה(of).Yahwehadverbialלֹאnotverbיַחְסְר֥וּthey.lacknoun phrase · objectכָלanyטֽוֹבgood.[thing]

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


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

The Masoretic Text and the Septuagint largely agree on the wording of this verse, with eight of the nine words matching. This consistency indicates a stable transmission of the text across these traditions, with only minor variations in word order.

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

כְּ֭פִירִים רָשׁ֣וּ וְרָעֵ֑בוּ וְדֹרְשֵׁ֥י יְ֝הוָ֗ה לֹא־ יַחְסְר֥וּ כָל־ טֽוֹב׃

Septuagintthe Greek the translators chose, word by word
כְּ֭פִירִיםφοβήθητεוְרָעֵ֑בוּἅγιοιוְדֹרְשֵׁ֥יὅτιיְ֝הוָ֗הοὐκלֹא־ὑστέρημαיַחְסְר֥וּτοῖςכָל־φοβουμένοιςטֽוֹב׃αὐτόν

8 of the 9 words are matched. This is the word-by-word correspondence, not the Septuagint's own sentence — its word order and its articles are its own.

Four traditions, not one. “On the leather” means the letters physically survive on the scroll, as against letters an editor has supplied to fill a hole in it — a restoration is a scholar’s reading, not a reading of the manuscript. Words in [square brackets] are supplied; the notes count them apart from what survives.


The map of this verse — what each word keeps company with

This is a map of two things, both counted rather than judged. Company kept: which words stand within three words of each of these, anywhere in the Hebrew Bible — the thicker the line, the more often the pair meet compared with chance. Built from: the words a word is made out of, taken from its own Strong’s entry. It is not a map of meaning: nothing here claims two words mean the same thing. Click any circle to see the numbers behind it.

Psalms 34:10כְּפִירyoung lionsyoung lionsכְּפִיררוּשׁthey are inthey are in wanרוּשׁרָעֵבand they arand they are huרָעֵבדָּרַשׁand [those and [those who]דָּרַשׁיהוהYahwehYahwehיהוהלֹאnotnotלֹאחָסֵרthey lackthey lackחָסֵרכֹּלanyanyכֹּלטוֹבgood [thinggood [thing]טוֹבכִּפֶּרto atoneto atoneכִּפֶּרהָיָהto beto beהָיָהכָּלַלto perfectto perfectכָּלַלטוֹבbe pleasinbe pleasingטוֹבגּוּרwhelpwhelpגּוּרשְׁאָגָהroaringroaringשְׁאָגָהעָשִׁירrichrichעָשִׁירעִקֵּשׁtwistedtwistedעִקֵּשׁכֹּחַreptilereptileכֹּחַנֶ֫פֶשׁsoulsoulנֶ֫פֶשׁבַּעַלבַּעַללֵבָבheartheartלֵבָבנְאֻםutteranceutteranceנְאֻםצָבָאarmyarmyצָבָאיָכֹלbe ablebe ableיָכֹלעוֹדstillstillעוֹדבֶּ֫טֶןbelly: abdbelly: abdomenבֶּ֫טֶןחֲמִשִּׁיםfiftyfiftyחֲמִשִּׁים
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 34:10

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.

young lions they are in want and they are hungry and [those who] seek Yahweh not they lack any good [thing]
כְּ֭פִירִיםKe.fi.rim young lions H3715 Noun common · masculine plural absolute
32× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This word can mean either a village or a young lion. It is used in the Bible to describe a place or an animal, like a lion with a mane. The KJV translates it as lion or village.
Tyndale gloss
lion
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word כְּפִיר (*kefir*) primarily means 'young lion,' while its plural form כְּפִירִים (*kefirim*) likely refers to 'villages.' The word is built from the root associated with 'covering,' suggesting a connection to both young lions and enclosed spaces. It appears in Nehemiah 6:2.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

כְּפִיר n.m. young lion

base

כְּפִירִים Ne 6:2, prob. = foregoing [כְּפִירָה] (𝔊 al. n. appell. = villages).

done

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H3715a כְּפִיר young lion H3715b כְּפִירִים prob. = כְּפִירָה

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

3715 kphiyr kef-eer'

from 3722; a village (as covered in by walls); also a young

lion (perhaps as covered with a mane):--(young) lion, village.

Compare 3723.

see HEBREW for 03722

see HEBREW for 03723

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

כְּפִיר (ke.phir) — lion.

young lion

כְּפִירִים (ke.phi.rim) — Hakkephirim.

village

Another name of o.no (אוֹנוֹ "Ono" H0207)

כְּפִירִים (ke.phi.rim) — villages.

village

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
HNcmpa — Noun common · masculine plural absolute
HNcmpa
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
Easton's Bible Dictionary

Lions

The most powerful of all carnivorous animals. Although not now found in Palestine, they must have been in ancient times very numerous there. They had their lairs in the forests (Jer. 5:6; 12:8; Amos 3:4), in the caves of the mountains (Cant. 4:8; Nah. 2:12), and in the canebrakes on the banks of the Jordan (Jer. 49:19; 50:44; Zech. 11:3).

No fewer than at least six different words are used in the Old Testament for the lion. (1.) Gor (i.e., a “suckling”), the lion’s whelp (Gen. 49:9;

young lions they are in want and they are hungry and [those who] seek Yahweh not they lack any good [thing]
רָשׁ֣וּra.Shu they are in want H7326 Verb · Qal · perfect third person common plural
24× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
To be poor or destitute, often used to describe someone who lacks material possessions or is in need, as seen in the story of the poor widow in Mark 12:42. This verb can also be used to describe someone who is spiritually poor or lacking.
Tyndale gloss
be poor
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

רוּשׁ (ruwsh) means to be poor or in want, covering the state of lacking resources or necessities. It can refer to a poor man or the action of impoverishing oneself, as noted in various forms like the Qal and Hithpolel. The entries indicate a focus on destitution and neediness.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

[רוּשׁ or רִישׁ] 24 vb. be in want, poor

Qal young lions are in want and hunger

Hithpō‛lēl one impoverishing himself

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H7326 [רוּשׁ or רִישׁ] be in want, poor

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

7326 ruwsh roosh

a primitive root; to be destitute:--lack, needy, (make self)

poor (man).

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

רוּשׁ (rush) — be poor.

1) to be poor, be in want, lack

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to be poor

1a2) to be in want or hunger

1a3) poor man (subst)

1b)(Hithpolel) one impoverishing himself (participle)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
HVqp3cp — Verb · Qal · perfect third person common plural
HVqp3cp
young lions they are in want and they are hungry and [those who] seek Yahweh not they lack any good [thing]
וְרָעֵ֑בוּve.ra.'E.vu and they are hungry H7456 Conjunction · verb qal perfect third person common plural
13× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
To be hungry is what this Hebrew verb means, and it is used in stories like Exodus and Matthew to describe physical need. Hunger is a basic human experience, and the Bible often uses it to illustrate spiritual longing.
Tyndale gloss
be hungry
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

רָעֵב (ra`eb) is a Hebrew verb meaning 'to be hungry.' It is a primitive root that can also imply allowing someone to hunger. The entries indicate its use in both the Qal and Hiphil stems, covering the basic state of hunger and the act of causing hunger.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

רָעֵב vb. be hungry

Qal be hungry

Hiph. allow one to hunger

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H7456 רָעֵב be hungry

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

7456 ra`eb raw-abe'

a primitive root; to hunger:--(suffer to) famish, (be, have,

suffer, suffer to) hunger(-ry).

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

רָעֵב (ra.ev) — be hungry.

1) to be hungry, be voracious

1a) (Qal) to be hungry

1b) (Hiphil) to allow one to be hungry, allow to hunger

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
HC/Vqp3cp — Conjunction · verb qal perfect third person common plural
HC/Vqp3cp
The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
young lions they are in want and they are hungry and [those who] seek Yahweh not they lack any good [thing]
וְדֹרְשֵׁ֥יve.do.re.Shei and [those who] seek H1875 Conjunction · verb qal participle (active) masculine plural common
164× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
To seek or ask is the meaning of this Hebrew word, often used to describe seeking God or worshiping him. It can also mean to investigate or enquire about something.
Tyndale gloss
to seek
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

דָּרַשׁ (darash) is a Hebrew verb meaning to seek or inquire. It encompasses a range of actions from frequenting a place to consulting deities in prayer and worship. The word can imply a diligent search or demand, and it appears in both Qal and Niphal forms, indicating various nuances of seeking and being sought. The entries do not present any significant disagreement.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

דָּרַשׁ 162 vb. resort to, seek

Qal

(tread a place,) resort to, frequent

seek, consult, inquire of

seek deity in prayer and worship

seek, with idea of demanding, require

inquire, investigate (a matter)

ask for, require, demand

seek with application, study, follow, practise

seek with care, care for

Niph.

let oneself be inquired of, consulted, only of God

be sought out

be required, of blood

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H1875 דָּרַשׁ resort to, seek

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

1875 darash daw-rash'

a primitive root; properly, to tread or frequent; usually to

follow (for pursuit or search); by implication, to seek or

ask; specifically to worship:--ask, X at all, care for, X

diligently, inquire, make inquisition, (necro-)mancer,

question, require, search, seek (for, out), X surely.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

דָּרַשׁ (da.rash) — to seek.

1) to resort to, seek, seek with care, enquire, require

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to resort to, frequent (a place), (tread a place)

1a2) to consult, enquire of, seek

1a2a) of God

1a2b) of heathen gods, necromancers

1a3) to seek deity in prayer and worship

1a3a) God

1a3b) heathen deities

1a4) to seek (with a demand), demand, require

1a5) to investigate, enquire

1a6) to ask for, require, demand

1a7) to practice, study, follow, seek with application

1a8) to seek with care, care for

1b) (Niphal)

1b1) to allow oneself to be enquired of, consulted (only of God)

1b2) to be sought, be sought out

1b3) to be required (of blood)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
HC/Vqrmpc — Conjunction · verb qal participle (active) masculine plural common
HC/Vqrmpc
young lions they are in want and they are hungry and [those who] seek Yahweh not they lack any good [thing]
יְ֝הוָ֗הYah.weh Yahweh H3068 Noun proper
6,528× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
Yehovah is another name for God, often translated as 'the Lord'. It is a national name for God in the Jewish faith. This name is used throughout the Old Testament.
Amplified meaning
Yehovah, The covenant Name of God
Tyndale gloss
The Lord
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

יְהֹוָה (ye.ho.vah) is the proper name of the God of Israel, often rendered as Jehovah or the Lord. It signifies the self-existent or eternal nature of God. The name is closely associated with the revelation to Moses in Exodus 3:12-15 and is used in conjunction with other terms to denote sacred places. Some scholars suggest it derives from a root meaning 'to bring into being.'

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

יהוה c. 6823 i.e. יַהְוֶה n.pr.dei Yahweh, the proper name of the God of Israel—(1. MT יְהֹוָה 6518 (Qr אֲדֹנָי), or יֱהֹוִה 305 (Qr אֱלֹהִים) 2. Many recent scholars explain יַהְוֶה as Hiph. of הוה (= היה) the one bringing into being, life-giver)

יהוה is not used by E in Gn, but is given Ex 3:12-15 as the name of the God who revealed Himself to Moses at Horeb

יהוה is used with אלהים and suffixes, especially in D

the phrase † אֲנִי יהוה is noteworthy

יהוה is also used with several predicates, to form sacred names of holy places of Yahweh

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H3068 יהוה i.e. יַהְוֶה n. pr. dei Yahweh, the proper name of the God of Israel

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

3068 Yhovah yeh-ho-vaw'

from 1961; (the) self-Existent or Eternal; Jehovah, Jewish

national name of God:--Jehovah, the Lord. Compare 3050, 3069.

see HEBREW for 01961

see HEBREW for 03050

see HEBREW for 03069

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

יְהֹוָה (ye.ho.vah) — LORD.

Jehovah = "the existing One"

1) the proper name of the one true God

1a) unpronounced except with the vowel pointings of a.do.na (אֲדֹנָי "Lord" H0136)

יְהֹוָה (ye.ho.vah) — The Lord.

Another name of ye.ru.sha.laim (יְרוּשָׁלִַ֫ם, יְרוּשְׁלֵם "Jerusalem" H3389)

יְהֹוָה (ye.ho.vah) — (Jerusalem of) the Lord.

Combined with ye.ru.sha.laim (יְרוּשָׁלִַ֫ם, יְרוּשְׁלֵם "Jerusalem" H3389)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-proper — Noun proper
HNpt
The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
young lions they are in want and they are hungry and [those who] seek Yahweh not they lack any good [thing]
לֹא־lo'- 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.
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
HTn — Particle
HTn
The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
young lions they are in want and they are hungry and [those who] seek Yahweh not they lack any good [thing]
יַחְסְר֥וּyach.se.Ru they lack H2637 Verb · Qal · imperfect third person masculine plural
23× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
To lack or be without something is what this word means. It describes a state of need or shortage, often used in stories of struggle or hardship. The Bible talks about lack in books like Psalms and Proverbs.
Tyndale gloss
to lack
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

חָסֵר (chacer) is a Hebrew verb meaning to lack or be without. It encompasses various nuances such as diminishing, decreasing, and causing something to be lacking. The entries indicate its use in different forms, including Qal, Piel, and Hiphil, which reflect its active and causative aspects.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

חָסֵר vb. lack, need, be lacking, decrease

Qal

lack

be lacking

diminish, decrease

Pi. cause to lack

Hiph. cause to be lacking, fail

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H2637 חָסֵר lack, need, be lacking, decrease .. lack

. be lacking

. diminish, decrease

. cause to lack

. cause to be lacking, fail

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

2637 chacer khaw-sare'

a primitive root; to lack; by implication, to fail, want,

lessen:--be abated, bereave, decrease, (cause to) fail, (have)

lack, make lower, want.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

חָסֵר (cha.ser) — to lack.

1) to lack, be without, decrease, be lacking, have a need

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to lack

1a2) to be lacking

1a3) to diminish, decrease

1b) (Piel) to cause to lack

1c) (Hiphil) to cause to be lacking

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
HVqi3mp — Verb · Qal · imperfect third person masculine plural
HVqi3mp
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

(forms of chacer, "to lack," ayin, "nought"): This word in its various forms has the usual meaning of "want," "need," "deficiency." There is but little change in the use of the word in the different versions. Sometimes one of the common synonyms is exchanged for the word itself, e.g. in the Old Testament, 1Sa 21:15 the Revised Version (British and American) has "lack" ("Do I lack madmen?") where the King James Version has "need of"; Pr 5:23, "for lack," instead of "without"; 6:32, "void of" for "lacketh"; 10:21, "lack" for "want"; 31:11, "lack" for "need"; Isa 59:15, "lacking" for "faileth." In the New Testament "lack" is the translation of hustereo, literally, "to be behind," and endees, "in want." In

young lions they are in want and they are hungry and [those who] seek Yahweh not they lack any good [thing]
כָל־khol- any H3605 Noun common · masculine singular absolute
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
HNcmsa — Noun common · masculine singular absolute
HNcmsa
The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
young lions they are in want and they are hungry and [those who] seek Yahweh not they lack any good [thing]
טֽוֹב׃Tov good [thing] H2896
538× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
In the Bible, this Hebrew word means good or welfare, describing something that is beneficial or pleasing, like a good deed or a happy time. It is used in many contexts, including Genesis and Psalms. This word is often translated as 'good' or 'beautiful'.
Tyndale gloss
pleasant
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

טוֹב (tov) is a Hebrew word meaning good or pleasant, encompassing a wide range of meanings from agreeable to the senses to ethical goodness. It can function as an adjective, noun, or adverb, referring to things like welfare, happiness, and prosperity. The feminine form, טוֹבָה (tovah), specifically denotes welfare or good things.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

טוֹב adj. pleasant, agreeable, good

pleasant, agreeable to the senses

pleasant to the higher nature, giving pleasure, happiness, prosperity, and so agreeable, pleasing, well

good, excellent, of its kind

good, rich, valuable in estimation

good, appropriate, becoming

c. מִן compar. = better

of man's sensuous nature, glad, happy, prosperous

of man's intellectual nature, good understanding

good, kind, benign

good (ethical), right

base

טוֹב n.m. a good thing, benefit, welfare

welfare, prosperity, happiness

good things

good = benefit

moral good

base

טוֹבָה n.f. welfare, benefit, good things, good

welfare, prosperity, happiness

good things

bounty, good

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H2896a טוֹב pleasant, agreeable, good . pleasant, agreeable to the senses

. pleasant to the higher nature, giving pleasure, happiness, prosperity, and so agreeable, pleasing, well

. good, excellent, of its kind

. good, rich, valuable in estimation

. good, appropriate, becoming

. c. מִן compar. =better

. of man's sensuous nature, glad, happy, prosperous

. of man's intellectual nature, good understanding

. good, kind, benign

. good (ethical), right

H2896b טוֹב a good thing, benefit, welfare H2896c טוֹבָה welfare, benefit, good things, good

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

2896 towb tobe

from 2895; good (as an adjective) in the widest sense; used

likewise as a noun, both in the masculine and the feminine,

the singular and the plural (good, a good or good thing, a

good man or woman; the good, goods or good things, good men or

women), also as an adverb (well):--beautiful, best, better,

bountiful, cheerful, at ease, X fair (word), (be in) favour,

fine, glad, good (deed, -lier, -liest, -ly, -ness, -s),

graciously, joyful, kindly, kindness, liketh (best), loving,

merry, X most, pleasant, + pleaseth, pleasure, precious,

prosperity, ready, sweet, wealth, welfare, (be) well

((-favoured)).

see HEBREW for 02895

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

טוֹב (tov) — pleasant.

adj

1) good, pleasant, agreeable

1a) pleasant, agreeable (to the senses)

1b) pleasant (to the higher nature)

1c) good, excellent (of its kind)

1d) good, rich, valuable in estimation

1e) good, appropriate, becoming

1f) better (comparative)

1g) glad, happy, prosperous (of man's sensuous nature)

1h) good understanding (of man's intellectual nature)

1i) good, kind, benign

1j) good, right (ethical)

Aramaic equivalent: tav (טָב "fine" H2869)

טוֹב (tov) — good.

1) a good thing, benefit, welfare

1a) welfare, prosperity, happiness

1b) good things (collective)

1c) good, benefit

1d) moral good

טוֹבָה (to.vah) — welfare.

1) welfare, benefit, good things

1a) welfare, prosperity, happiness

1b) good things (collective)

1c) bounty

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
HAamsa
HAamsa
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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