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Psalms 34:20 — Word Study

Depth

WLCשֹׁמֵ֥ר כָּל־ עַצְמוֹתָ֑יו אַחַ֥ת מֵ֝הֵ֗נָּה לֹ֣א נִשְׁבָּֽרָה׃

BSAallkôl [every one of]

Word
Listen & take awayPsalms 34
English ↓ Download MP3 The Berean Standard Bible chapter audio already hosted for the site's Bible section — verse 20 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 (nish.Ba.rah) — no per-word recordings of the Hebrew exist to link to.
Take it away
Psalms 34:20quick helps
In a sentenceThe Lord protects every part of the righteous person's being, ensuring none of it is harmed.
Who is speakingThe psalmist, reflecting on God's care for the righteous.
Where we areThis verse is part of a psalm that contrasts the fate of the righteous with that of the wicked.
The hard wordנִשְׁבָּֽרָה
Take awayGod's protection is comprehensive; nothing essential to the righteous will be lost.
8 commentators on this verse Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them › clause verbרַב 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 34:20

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 Assurance of God's Protectiongenerated

19Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the LORD delivers him from them all.
20He protects all his bones; not one of them will be broken.
21Evil will slay the wicked, and the haters of the righteous will be condemned.
22The LORD redeems His servants, and none who take refuge in Him will be condemned.

Psalm 34:20 emphasizes God's protective nature over the righteous, assuring that all parts of their being are safe. This verse follows a declaration of the Lord's deliverance from afflictions, illustrating the comprehensive nature of His care. The surrounding verses contrast the fate of the righteous with that of the wicked, highlighting the security found in God.


Cross References

ReferenceText (BSB)
1Psalm 35:10All my bones will exclaim, “Who is like You, O LORD, who delivers the afflicted from the aggressor, the poor and needy from the robber?”
2Psalm 91:12They will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.
3Daniel 6:22–24My God sent His angel and shut the mouths of the lions. They have not hurt me, for I was found innocent in His sight, and I have done no wrong against you, O king.”
4John 19:36Now these things happened so that the Scripture would be fulfilled: “Not one of His bones will be broken.”

The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 4 references, hung on the phrase they belong to

He keepeth all his bones: not one of them is broken.Psalm 35:10 Psalm 91:12 Daniel 6:22–24 John 19:36

The Key Word שֹׁמֵ֥ר, sho.Mergenerated

The verb שֹׁמֵר (*sho.Mer*) is a participle form of שָׁמַר (*shamar*), meaning to keep, guard, or protect. This word conveys a sense of active vigilance, suggesting that God is constantly watching over and safeguarding His people.

In this verse, it emphasizes that God's protection extends to every aspect of the righteous person's life, ensuring their well-being and security.


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 שֹׁמֵר, He protects, governs the sentence, with the object כָּל־עַצְמוֹתָיו (all his bones) following it. The structure emphasizes the comprehensive nature of God's protection.

The clause לֹא נִשְׁבָּֽרָה (not one will be broken) serves as a negation, reinforcing the assurance that none of the righteous will suffer harm.


Septuagint Backgroundgenerated

In the Septuagint, the Hebrew verb שֹׁמֵר is rendered as ῥύσεται, which means 'will rescue' or 'will save.' This choice emphasizes not just protection but also the act of delivering from danger.

The translation reflects a broader understanding of God's role, indicating that His protection includes active intervention in the lives of the righteous.


In plain words — the whole versegenerated

Psalm 34:20 tells us that God protects every part of the righteous person's being, ensuring that not a single bone will be broken. This assurance follows a statement about the Lord's deliverance from troubles, emphasizing His care and security for those who trust in Him.


Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated

What does it mean that God protects all his bones?

This phrase signifies that God watches over every aspect of a person's life, ensuring their complete well-being.

Why does the verse emphasize that not one bone will be broken?

This emphasizes the totality of God's protection, indicating that nothing essential to the righteous will suffer harm.

How does this verse relate to the overall message of Psalm 34?

Psalm 34 contrasts the experiences of the righteous and the wicked, assuring that God delivers and protects those who seek refuge in Him.

What can we learn from this verse about God's character?

This verse reveals God's faithfulness and commitment to safeguarding His people, demonstrating that He is a reliable protector.


Reflection Questionsgenerated

  1. In what areas of my life do I need to trust in God's protection?
  2. How can I remind myself of God's faithfulness during difficult times?
  3. What does it mean for me to seek refuge in the Lord?
  4. How can I share the assurance of God's protection with others?

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

Early Church Fathers referenced this verse to discuss God's protection and the spiritual significance of bones in the faithful's lives.

Basil of CaesareaHOMILIES ON THE Psalms 16:13 (Psalms 34) c. 330–379
There should also be certain bones of the inner person in which the bond of union and harmony of spiritual powers is collected.
Early Church Fathers on Psalms 34 →
Augustine of HippoExposition on Psalms 34 354–430
"The Lord keeps all their bones: not one of them shall be broken" [Psalms 34:20]: this also, Brethren, let us not receive carnally. Bones are the firm supports of the faithful.
Early Church Fathers on Psalms 34 →

Commentators on this verse — 8 expositors, verse by verse

Each of these wrote on Psalms 34:20 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.

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

He keepeth all his bones; not one of them is broken. This is literally true of Christ, in whom the type of the passover lamb had its accomplishment, and this passage also; see Exodus 12:46; and seems

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

He keepeth all his bones: not one of them is broken. He keepeth ... is broken. God, even if He permits calamity to befall the godly, will overrule the seeming evil to everlasting good.

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

All his bones, i.e. all the parts and members of their bodies, which are synecdochically expressed by the bones, which are the stay and strength of the rest. God will not suffer any mischief to befall him; though he may be oft afflicted, yet he shall not be destroyed. But these words, though they are here spoken of the righteous men in general, of whom they are true in a metaphorical sense; yet they had a further meaning in them, being designed by the Spirit of God (which dictated to David, not only the matter, but the very words and expressions) to signify a great mystery, that none of Christ’ s bones should be broken; to which purpose they are alleged, .

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

Psalms 34:20 He keepeth all his bones: not one of them is broken.Ver. 20. He keepeth all his bones] Which are very many. Perhaps, saith Aben Ezra here, David had been scourged by the Philistines, but his bones were not broken, nor were our Saviour’ s, John 19:36.

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

(20) Broken.—See John 19:36, N. Test. Commentary.

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

Verse 20. He keepeth all his bones] He takes care of his life; and if he have scars, they are honourable ones.

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

20. As breaking the bones is a forcible metaphor for the torture of pain that racks the bodily framework (Psalms 51:8; Isaiah 38:13), or for cruel oppression (Micah 3:3), so keeping them denotes the safe preservation of the man’s whole being. See note on Psalms 6:2. This passage as well as Exodus 12:46 may have been present to the Evangelist’s mind as fulfilled in Christ (John 19:36). The promise to the righteous man found an unexpectedly literal realisation in the passion of the perfectly Righteous One.

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

He keepeth all his bones - That is, he preserves or guards the righteous. Not one of them is broken - Perhaps there is a direct and immediate allusion here to what the psalmist had himself experienced.

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

He protects all his bones; not one of them will be broken.

WEBWorld English Bible2000

He protects all of his bones. Not one of them is broken.

MSBMajority Standard Bible2022

He protects all his bones; not one of them will be broken.

NETBNew English Translation2006

He protects all his bones; not one of them is broken.

Tyndale line

KJVKing James Version1611

He keepeth all his bones: not one of them is broken.

ASVAmerican Standard Version1901

He keepeth all his bones: Not one of them is broken.

RVARevised Version, American1894

He keepeth all his bones: not one of them is broken.

NWBWebster's Bible1833

He keepeth all his bones: not one of them is broken.

GNVGeneva Bible1599

He keepeth all his bones: not one of them is broken.

Strictly literal

DBYDarby Translation1890

He keepeth all his bones; not one of them is broken.

YLTYoung's Literal Translation1862

He is keeping all his bones, One of them hath not been broken.

LSVLiteral Standard Version2020

He is keeping all his bones, || Not one of them has been broken.

ILTInterlinear Literal Translation2000

(34:21) He watcheth all his bones: not one of them is broken.

ULBUnlocked Literal Bible2017

He keeps all his bones, not one of them will be broken.

From the Latin

DRADouay-Rheims (Challoner)1899

For they spoke indeed peaceably to me; and speaking in the anger of the earth they devised guile.

Simplified

FBVFree Bible Version2020

He keeps them safe—not a single one of their bones will be broken.

BBEBible in Basic English1949

He keeps all his bones: not one of them is broken.

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.

clauseverbשֹׁמֵ֥ר[he.is].keepingnoun phrase · objectכָּלallnoun phraseעַצְמוֹתָ֑יbonesוhisclausenoun phrase · subjectnumeral phraseאַחַ֥תoneprepositional phraseמֵ֝ofהֵ֗נָּהthemadverbialלֹ֣אnotverbנִשְׁבָּֽרָהit.is.broken

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


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

The Masoretic Text of Psalms 34:20 states, "He protects all his bones; not one of them will be broken," which is preserved in the Septuagint with six out of seven words matching, although the word order and articles differ due to the nature of the Greek translation. The Samaritan Pentateuch and the Dead Sea Scrolls do not provide alternative readings for this verse, so there is no significant variation noted in those witnesses, confirming the integrity of the Masoretic Text in this instance.

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

שֹׁמֵ֥ר כָּל־ עַצְמוֹתָ֑יו אַחַ֥ת מֵ֝הֵ֗נָּה לֹ֣א נִשְׁבָּֽרָה׃

Septuagintthe Greek the translators chose, word by word
שֹׁמֵ֥רπολλαὶעַצְמוֹתָ֑יוκαὶאַחַ֥תἐκמֵ֝הֵ֗נָּהαὐτῶνלֹ֣אῥύσεταιנִשְׁבָּֽרָה׃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.

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 34:20שָׁמַר[he is] kee[he is] keepingשָׁמַרכֹּלallallכֹּלעֶ֫צֶםbones hisbones hisעֶ֫צֶםאֶחָדoneoneאֶחָדהֶןfrom themfrom themהֶןלֹאnotnotלֹאשָׁבַרit is brokeit is brokenשָׁבַרכָּלַלto perfectto perfectכָּלַלעָצֹםbe vastbe vastעָצֹםחָדַדto go eithto go either waחָדַדשָׂבַרto inspectto inspectשָׂבַרמִשְׁמֶ֫רֶתchargechargeמִשְׁמֶ֫רֶתמִצְוָהcommandmencommandmentמִצְוָהעֵדָהcongregaticongregationעֵדָהעֲבֹדָהserviceserviceעֲבֹדָהבָּשָׂרfleshfleshבָּשָׂרכֶּ֫בֶשׂlamblambכֶּ֫בֶשׂאַ֫יִלramramאַ֫יִליָכֹלbe ablebe ableיָכֹלעוֹדstillstillעוֹדמַצֵּבָהpillarpillarמַצֵּבָהגָּדַעto cut dowto cut down/offגָּדַע
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 34:20

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.

[he is] keeping all bones his one from them not it is broken
שֹׁמֵ֥רsho.Mer [he is] keeping H8104 Verb · Qal · participle (active) masculine singular
469× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
To keep or obey means to protect, attend to, or guard something, like keeping a promise or watching over someone, as seen in the commands to observe the Sabbath.
Tyndale gloss
to keep: obey
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word שָׁמַר (*shamar*) is a primitive root meaning to keep, guard, or observe. It encompasses a wide range of actions including protecting, waiting for, and celebrating obligations like the Sabbath. The verb appears in various forms, indicating nuances such as being on guard or refraining from certain actions. It is used extensively in the Old Testament, reflecting both physical and moral vigilance.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

שָׁמַר 465 vb. keep, watch, preserve

Qal 425

keep, have charge of

keep, guard, captives

hence, watch for, wait for

watch, observe

keep, retain, of storing up (food)

keep within bounds, restrain

observe, celebrate

keep sabbath

of other obligations

observe = follow dictates of (prudence, justice, kindness, wisdom)

sts. י׳ subj.

keep, reserve, weeks of harvest

Niph.

36be on one's guard

keep oneself, refrain, abstain

be kept, guarded

Pi. those paying regard to false vanities

Hithp. I kept myself from

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H8104 שָׁמַר keep, watch, preserve .. . keep, have charge of

. keep, guard, captives

. hence, watch for, wait for

. watch, observe

. . keep, retain, of storing up (food)

. keep within bounds, restrain

. . observe, celebrate

. keep sabbath

. of other obligations

. observe = follow dictates of (prudence, justice, kindness, wisdom)

. sts. י׳ subj.

. keep, reserve, weeks of harvest

. . be on one's guard

. keep oneself, refrain, abstain

. be kept, guarded

. those paying regard to false vanities

. I kept myself from

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

8104 shamar shaw-mar'

a primitive root; properly, to hedge about (as with thorns),

i.e. guard; generally, to protect, attend to, etc.:--beward,

be circumspect, take heed (to self), keep(-er, self), mark,

look narrowly, observe, preserve, regard, reserve, save

(self), sure, (that lay) wait (for), watch(-man).

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

שָׁמַר (sha.mar) — to keep: obey.

: obey/observe

1) to keep, guard, observe, give heed

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to keep, have charge of

1a2) to keep, guard, keep watch and ward, protect, save life

1a2a) watch, watchman (participle)

1a3) to watch for, wait for

1a4) to watch, observe

1a5) to keep, retain, treasure up (in memory)

1a6) to keep (within bounds), restrain

1a7) to observe, celebrate, keep (sabbath or covenant or commands), perform (vow)

1a8) to keep, preserve, protect

1a9) to keep, reserve

1b) (Niphal)

1b1) to be on one's guard, take heed, take care, beware

1b2) to keep oneself, refrain, abstain

1b3) to be kept, be guarded

1c) (Piel) to keep, pay heed

1d) (Hithpael) to keep oneself from

שָׁמַר (sha.mar) — to keep: guard.

: guard

1) to keep, guard, observe, give heed

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to keep, have charge of

1a2) to keep, guard, keep watch and ward, protect, save life

1a2a) watch, watchman (participle)

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
HVqrmsa — Verb · Qal · participle (active) masculine singular
HVqrmsa
[he is] keeping all bones his one from them not it is broken
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.
Amplified meaning
every one of
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
Conj | Prep | N-ms | Suff — 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
[he is] keeping all bones his one from them not it is broken
עַצְמוֹתָ֑יוatz.mo.Tav bones his H6106 Noun common feminine plural construct · suffix
126× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
In the original Hebrew, this word refers to a bone or the body, and can also mean the substance or essence of something. It is used in many parts of the Bible, including in the book of Genesis and Psalms, to describe the physical body.
Tyndale gloss
bone
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

עֶ֫צֶם (etsem) primarily means 'bone' but extends to concepts of substance and self. It can refer to the physical body, limbs, or essence. The word is derived from a root related to strength, indicating a connection between physicality and identity.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

עֶ֫צֶם 125 n.f. bone, substance, self

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H6106 עֶ֫צֶם bone, substance, self

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

6106 `etsem eh'tsem

from 6105; a bone (as strong); by extension, the body;

figuratively, the substance, i.e. (as pron.) selfsame:--body,

bone, X life, (self-)same, strength, X very.

see HEBREW for 06105

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

עֶ֫צֶם (e.tsem) — bone.

: bone/limb

1) bone, essence, substance

1a) bone

1a1) body, limbs, members, external body

1b) bone (of animal)

1c) substance, self

עֶ֫צֶם (e.tsem) — bone: same.

: same/very

1) bone, essence, substance

1a) bone

1a1) body, limbs, members, external body

1b) bone (of animal)

1c) substance, self

עֶ֫צֶם (e.tsem) — bone: body.

: body

1) bone, essence, substance

1a) bone

1a1) body, limbs, members, external body

1b) bone (of animal)

1c) substance, self

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
HNcfpc/Sp3ms — Noun common feminine plural construct · suffix
HNcfpc/Sp3ms
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

hiz: Used often in the King James Version with reference to a neuter or inanimate thing, or to a lower animal (Ge 1:11, "after his kind"; Le 1:16, "pluck away his crop"; Ac 12:10, "of his own accord"; 1Co 15:38, "his own body"), etc. the Revised Version (British and American) substitutes "its."

[he is] keeping all bones his one from them not it is broken
אַחַ֥ת'a.Chat one H259 Noun common · feminine singular absolute
971× 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 one or united, and is used to describe something that is single or unique. It is often translated as one, first, or alone. For example, in Genesis 1:5, God calls the light day and the darkness night, and separates them into one thing from another.
Tyndale gloss
one
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

אֶחָד (echad) means 'one' and is derived from a numeral. It encompasses meanings such as each, every, a certain, and can serve as an indefinite article. It is also used as an ordinal to denote 'first' and appears in various combinations, including eleven. The entries consistently emphasize its numerical and qualitative aspects.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

אֶחָד 972 adj.num. one

one

= each, every

= a certain

= indef. art.

only, & (fem.) once

one … another, one … the other

as ordinal first

in combin.

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H259 אֶחָד one . one

. = each, every

. = a certain

. = indef. art.

. only, & (fem.) once

. one … another, one … the other

. as ordinal first

. in combin.

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

259 'echad ekh-awd'

a numeral from 258; properly, united, i.e. one; or (as an

ordinal) first:--a, alike, alone, altogether, and,

any(-thing), apiece, a certain, (dai-)ly, each (one), +

eleven, every, few, first, + highway, a man, once, one, only,

other, some, together,

see HEBREW for 0258

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

אֶחָד (e.chad) — one.

1) one (number)

1a) one (number)

1b) each, every

1c) a certain

1d) an (indefinite article)

1e) only, once, once for all

1f) one...another, the one...the other, one after another, one by one

1g) first

1h) eleven (in combination), eleventh (ordinal)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
HNcfsa — Noun common · feminine singular absolute
HNcfsa
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

wun.

See NUMBER.

[he is] keeping all bones his one from them not it is broken
מֵ֝הֵ֗נָּהme.He.nah from them H9039 Preposition · pronoun
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

הֶן (hen) — them.

Personal object pronoun - suffix for propositions and verbs without an object: 3rd person feminine plural

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
HR/Pp3fp — Preposition · pronoun
HR/Pp3fp
[he is] keeping all bones his one from them not it is broken
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.
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
[he is] keeping all bones his one from them not it is broken
נִשְׁבָּֽרָה׃nish.Ba.rah it is broken H7665 Verb · Niphal · perfect third person feminine singular
147× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This word means to break or shatter something, either physically or emotionally. It can also mean to burst or rupture, and is often used to describe intense violence or destruction. In the Bible, it's translated as break or crush.
Tyndale gloss
to break
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

שָׁבַר (shabar) means to break or shatter, with various nuances including breaking in pieces, causing to break out (like bringing to birth), and being broken or crushed. It appears in different forms, such as Qal, Niphal, Piel, Hiphil, and Hophal, indicating active and passive meanings. The lexicons do not present any significant disagreements.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

שָׁבַר 148 vb. break, break in pieces

Qal 53 break, lit.

Niph. 57 be broken

Pi. 26 shatter, break

Hiph. cause to break out, i.e. bring to the birth

Hoph. be broken, shattered (in heart)

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H7665 שָׁבַר break, break in pieces .break, lit.

. be broken

. shatter, break

. cause to break out, i.e. bring to the birth

. be broken, shattered (in heart)

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

7665 shabar shaw-bar'

a primitive root; to burst (literally or

figuratively):--break (down, off, in pieces, up),

broken((-hearted)), bring to the birth, crush, destroy, hurt,

quench, X quite, tear, view (by mistake for 7663).

see HEBREW for 07663

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

שָׁבַר (sha.var) — to break.

1) to break, break in pieces

1a) (Qal)

1a1) break, break in or down, rend violently, wreck, crush, quench

1a2) to break, rupture (fig)

1b) (Niphal)

1b1) to be broken, be maimed, be crippled, be wrecked

1b2) to be broken, be crushed (fig)

1c) (Piel) to shatter, break

1d) (Hiphil) to cause to break out, bring to the birth

1e) (Hophal) to be broken, be shattered

Aramaic equivalent: te.var (תְּבַר "to break" H8406)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
HVNp3fs — Verb · Niphal · perfect third person feminine singular
HVNp3fs
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

bro'-k'-n: Occurs both as past participle of the verb translated "to break" and as an adjective, the former use will be dealt with here only so far as verbs occur which are thus translated but do not present the non-participial forms. Such are: meroach = "bruised," "emasculated" (Le 21:20); chathath = "to frustrate," hence, "to break down" either by violence or by confusion and fear (1Sa 2:10; Jer 48:20,39); dakhah = "to collapse" (Ps 44:19; 51:8); ratsats = "to crack in pieces" "crush" (Ec 12:6); kathath = "to bruise or violently strike," "break in pieces" (Isa…

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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