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Psalms 51:15 — Word Study

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WLCאֲ֭דֹנָי שְׂפָתַ֣י תִּפְתָּ֑ח וּ֝פִ֗י יַגִּ֥יד תְּהִלָּתֶֽךָ׃

BSAto learnlâmad to transgresspâshaʻ wayderek sinnerchaṭṭâʼ to(wards)ʼêl to returnshûwb

Word
Listen & take awayPsalms 51
English ↓ Download MP3 The Berean Standard Bible chapter audio already hosted for the site's Bible section — verse 15 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 (te.hi.la.Te.kha) — no per-word recordings of the Hebrew exist to link to.
Take it away
Psalms 51:15quick helps
In a sentenceThe psalmist asks God to open his lips so that he can praise Him.
Who is speakingThe psalmist, David, addressing God directly.
Where we areIn a penitential psalm, expressing a desire for restoration and worship.
The hard wordתִּפְתָּ֑ח
Take awayThe psalmist's lips must be opened to declare God's praise.
8 commentators on this verse Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them › clause verbהוּא 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 51:15

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 Restorationgenerated

14Deliver me from bloodguilt, O God, the God of my salvation, and my tongue will sing of Your righteousness.
15O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth will declare Your praise.
16For You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it; You take no pleasure in burnt offerings.
17The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and a contrite heart, O God, You will not despise.

Psalm 51:15 is part of a heartfelt plea from David, expressing his deep remorse and desire for forgiveness. In this psalm, he acknowledges his sin and seeks God's mercy, asking for the ability to praise God as a response to his restoration. This verse emphasizes the connection between divine forgiveness and the act of worship, as seen in the surrounding verses, where David speaks of his tongue singing of God's righteousness and the sacrifices of a contrite heart.


Cross References

ReferenceText (BSB)
1Genesis 44:16“What can we say to my lord?” Judah replied. “How can we plead? How can we justify ourselves? God has exposed the iniquity of your servants. We are now my lord’s slaves—both we and the one who was found with the cup.”
21 Samuel 2:9He guards the steps of His faithful ones, but the wicked perish in darkness; for by his own strength shall no man prevail.
3Ezekiel 16:63so that when I make atonement for all you have done, you will remember and be ashamed and never again open your mouth because of your disgrace, declares the Lord GOD.”
4Matthew 22:12‘Friend,’ he asked, ‘how did you get in here without wedding clothes?’ But the man was speechless.
5Romans 3:19Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be silenced and the whole world held accountable to God.

The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 12 references, hung on the phrase they belong to


The Key Word תִּפְתָּ֑ח, tif.Tachgenerated

The verb תִּפְתָּ֑ח (tif.Tach) is in the imperfect tense, indicating an ongoing or future action. It means 'to open' and carries the connotation of releasing or loosening, which is essential for the psalmist's intention to speak.

This opening is not merely physical; it symbolizes the readiness to proclaim God's glory. The request for God to open his lips reflects a reliance on divine action for the ability to worship authentically.


How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated

In the Berean Standard Bible, the verse uses open for תִּפְתָּ֑ח, which is consistent across the KJV, ASV, and others.


Sentence Structuregenerated

The main verb תִּפְתָּ֑ח governs the structure of the verse. It is accompanied by a noun phrase שְׂפָתַ֣י (my lips) and a subsequent clause that describes the outcome of this action: יַגִּ֥יד (will declare).

The Hebrew word order emphasizes the psalmist's plea, starting with the direct address to God, followed by the request and the intended action of declaration.


Septuagint Backgroundgenerated

The Septuagint translates תִּפְתָּ֑ח with διδάχω (didacho), meaning 'to teach' or 'to declare'. This choice suggests a broader interpretation, where the act of opening lips is linked to instruction or proclamation.

This reflects a nuanced understanding of the psalmist's desire not just to speak, but to convey a message of praise and worship.


In plain words — the whole versegenerated

Psalm 51:15 expresses David's plea for God to open his lips so he can praise Him. This verse highlights the importance of divine help in worship and the connection between forgiveness and praise.


Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated

What does it mean for God to open my lips?

It signifies a request for divine assistance to enable the speaker to express praise and worship authentically.

Why is declaring praise important?

Declaring praise acknowledges God's greatness and goodness, serving as an expression of gratitude and worship.

How does this verse relate to the theme of repentance?

The verse is part of a penitential psalm where the psalmist seeks forgiveness and restoration, indicating that true worship follows repentance.

What is the significance of the phrase 'my mouth will declare'?

It emphasizes the active role of the speaker in proclaiming God's attributes and deeds, highlighting the importance of vocal worship.


Reflection Questionsgenerated

  1. In what ways do I express my praise to God in my daily life?
  2. How can I rely on God's help to speak words of worship and gratitude?
  3. What does it mean to have a contrite heart in the context of worship?
  4. How can I encourage others to declare God's praise?

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

The early church fathers reference this verse to discuss themes of repentance and the nature of true worship, highlighting the importance of a humble spirit in approaching God.

Epistle of BarnabasThe Epistle of Barnabas, Chapter II c. 130
To us, then, He declares, "A sacrifice [pleasing] to God is a broken spirit; a smell of sweet savour to the Lord is a heart that glorifieth Him that made it." We ought therefore, brethren, carefully to inquire concerning our salvation,
Early Church Fathers on Psalms 51 →
Gregory of NazianzusON HIS FATHER’S SILENCE, ORATION 16:2 c. 329–390
I have not yet alluded to the true and first wisdom, for which our wonderful husbandman and shepherd is conspicuous. The first wisdom is a life worthy of praise,
Early Church Fathers on Psalms 51 →
John ChrysostomON THE EPISTLE TO THE Hebrews 9:8 c. 347–407
Other things too must be added to humbleness of mind if it is such as the blessed David knew, when he said, “A broken and a contrite heart God will not despise.” For that which is broken does not rise up, does not strike,
Early Church Fathers on Psalms 51 →

Commentators on this verse — 8 expositors, verse by verse

Each of these wrote on Psalms 51:15 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.

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

O Lord, open thou my lips,.... The Targum adds, "in the late"; which were shut with a sense of sin, with shame of it, and sorrow for it; and though they were in some measure opened in prayer to God

Read John Gill on Psalms 51 →
Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's Commentary

Then will I teach transgressors thy ways; and sinners shall be converted unto thee.

Read Robert Jamieson on Psalms 51 →
Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy Bible

Open thou my lips; which are shut with shame, and grief, and horror. Restore unto me the opportunity, and ability, and liberty which formerly I had of speaking to thee with freedom, and boldness, and familiarity, as this phrase signifies, 24:27 ,20.

Read Matthew Poole on Psalms 51 →
John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

Psalms 51:15 O Lord, open thou my lips; and my mouth shall shew forth thy praise.Ver. 15. O Lord, open thou my lips] Which now I find stopped and sealed up, as it were, with the sin that doth so easily beset me; so that whereas I promised before to "sing aloud of thy righteousness," this I shall never be able to do without thy special furtherance, nisi verba suppedites et tanquam praeeas, unless thou please to supply me both with affections and expressions, as well as with matter of praise. And my mouth shall show forth thy praise] David had not been dumb till now, all the while he lay in his sin, but all he did was but liplabour, and therefore lost labour. Daniel confesseth the like of…

Read John Trapp on Psalms 51 →
Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(15) My lips.—Comp. Psalms 71:15. The sense of forgiveness is like a glad morning to song-birds.

Read Charles John Ellicott on Psalms 51 →
AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible

Verse 15. O Lord, open thou my lips] My heart is believing unto righteousness; give me thy peace, that my tongue may make confession unto salvation. He could not praise God for pardon till he felt that God had pardoned him; then his lips would be opened, and his tongue would show forth the praise of his Redeemer.

Read AdamClarke on Psalms 51 →
CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

15. open thou] Lit. as P.B. V., thou shalt open, i.e. when thou openest. Not the occasion for praise only, but the power to praise aright is the gift of God. Cp. Psalms 40:3. In this verse and the preceding one there may be an allusion to the public worship of God. Cp. Psalms 26:6-7. He may be tacitly comparing himself to the leper who has been pronounced clean, and restored to that fellowship with the congregation from which he had been excluded.

Read Cambridge on Psalms 51 →
Albert Barnes1798–1870Barnes' Notes on the Bible

O Lord, open thou my lips - That is, by taking away my guilt; by giving me evidence that my sins are forgiven; by taking this burden from me, and filling my heart with the joy of pardon.

Read Albert Barnes on Psalms 51 →

The verse in English, compared — 16 translations, and where they part company

Every translation on this page is a decision someone had to make and commit to. Read down a column and you see one translator's judgement; read across a row and you see the range the Greek actually allows. The BSB is the wording the rest of this page is measured against, so it is listed first.

Modern formal

BSBBerean Standard Bible2020

O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth will declare Your praise.

WEBWorld English Bible2000

Lord, open my lips. My mouth will declare your praise.

MSBMajority Standard Bible2022

O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth will declare Your praise.

NETBNew English Translation2006

O Lord, give me the words! Then my mouth will praise you.

Tyndale line

KJVKing James Version1611

O Lord, open thou my lips; and my mouth shall shew forth thy praise.

ASVAmerican Standard Version1901

O Lord, open thou my lips; And my mouth shall show forth thy praise.

RVARevised Version, American1894

O Lord, open thou my lips; and my mouth shall shew forth thy praise.

NWBWebster's Bible1833

O LORD, open thou my lips; and my mouth shall show forth thy praise.

GNVGeneva Bible1599

Open thou my lippes, O Lord, and my mouth shall shewe foorth thy praise.

Strictly literal

DBYDarby Translation1890

Lord, open my lips, and my mouth shall declare thy praise.

YLTYoung's Literal Translation1862

O Lord, my lips thou dost open, And my mouth declareth Thy praise.

LSVLiteral Standard Version2020

O Lord, you open my lips, || And my mouth declares Your praise.

ILTInterlinear Literal Translation2000

(51:17) O Lord, open thou my lips, and my mouth shall declare thy praise.

ULBUnlocked Literal Bible2017

Lord, open my lips, and my mouth will express your praise.

Simplified

FBVFree Bible Version2020

Lord, open my lips so I can speak your praise!

BBEBible in Basic English1949

O Lord, let my lips be open, so that my mouth may make clear your praise.

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.

clauseclausenoun phraseאֲ֭דֹנָLordיmyclauseclausenoun phrase · objectשְׂפָתַ֣lipsיmyverbתִּפְתָּ֑חyou.will.openוּ֝andclausenoun phrase · subjectפִ֗mouthיmyverbיַגִּ֥ידit.will.declarenoun phrase · objectתְּהִלָּתֶֽpraiseךָyour

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


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

The Masoretic Text and the Septuagint agree in their wording for Psalm 51:15, with all six words matched. The Septuagint's word order differs but conveys the same essential meaning.

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

אֲ֭דֹנָי שְׂפָתַ֣י תִּפְתָּ֑ח וּ֝פִ֗י יַגִּ֥יד תְּהִלָּתֶֽךָ׃

Septuagintthe Greek the translators chose, word by word
אֲ֭דֹנָיδιδάχωשְׂפָתַ֣יὁδούςתִּפְתָּ֑חσουוּ֝פִ֗יἐπὶיַגִּ֥ידσὲתְּהִלָּתֶֽךָ׃ἐπιστρέψουσιν

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

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 51:15אָדוֹןO LordO Lordאָדוֹןשָׂפָהlips mylips myשָׂפָהפָּתַחyou will opyou will openפָּתַחפֶּהand mouth mand mouth myפֶּהנָגַדit will decit will declareנָגַדתְּהִלָּהpraise yourpraise yourתְּהִלָּהסָפָהto snatchto snatchסָפָהפָּאָהto cleaveto cleaveפָּאָההָלַלto shineto shineהָלַלאָדוֹןlordlordאָדוֹןיהוהYHWH/GodYHWH/Godיהוהכֹּהthusthusכֹּהיְרִיעָהcurtaincurtainיְרִיעָהלָשׁוֹןtonguetongueלָשׁוֹןפִּתּוּחַengravingengravingפִּתּוּחַדָּלdoordoorדָּלאֹמֶרwordwordאֹמֶרפָּתַחto opento openפָּתַחקָרָאto encountto encounter: mקָרָאתִּפְאָרָהbeautybeautyתִּפְאָרָהשִׁירsongsongשִׁיר
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 51:15

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.

O Lord lips my you will open and mouth my it will declare praise your
אֲ֭דֹנָי'A.do.nai O Lord H136 Noun proper
440× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
Adonay is a title used to refer to God, spoken in place of Yahweh as a sign of reverence and respect. It is used throughout the Bible to address God or refer to Him in a formal way. Adonay is a term of worship and devotion.
Tyndale gloss
Lord
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

אֲדֹנָי (Adonay) means 'Lord' and is an emphatic form of another Hebrew word for lord. It is used specifically as a title for God, often in place of Yahweh to show reverence. Variations include אֲדֹנִי and אֲדֹנַי, which help distinguish divine from human references.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

אָדוֹן n.m. lord (אֲדֹנִי, אֲדֹנַי, אֲדֹנָי are variations of Mass. pointing to distinguish divine reference fr. human. Pl., with few exc. an intens. pl. of rank; word takes sf. as pl. in all other pers.; so doubtless here. Orig. reading prob. in all cases אֲדֹנַי; אֲדֹנִי now found in J 51 t.)

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H136 אָדוֹן lord (אֲדֹנִי, אֲדֹנַי, אֲדֹנָי are variations of Mass. pointing to distinguish divine reference fr. human. Pl., with few exc. an intens. pl. of rank; word takes sf. as pl. in all other pers.; so doubtless here. Orig. reading prob. in all cases אֲדֹנַי; אֲדֹנִי now found in J 51 t.)

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

136 'Adonay ad-o-noy'

am emphatic form of 113; the Lord (used as a proper name of

God only):--(my) Lord.

see HEBREW for 0113

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

אֲדֹנָי (a.do.nai) — Lord.

Lord - a title, spoken in place of Yahweh in Jewish display of reverence

Another name of ye.ho.vah (יהוה "LORD" H3068G)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
HNpt — Noun proper
HNpt
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
Easton's Bible Dictionary

Lord

There are various Hebrew and Greek words so rendered.

(1.) Heb. Jehovah, has been rendered in the English Bible LORD, printed in small capitals. This is the proper name of the God of the Hebrews. The form “Jehovah” is retained only in Ex. 6:3; Ps. 83:18; Isa. 12:2; 26:4, both in the Authorized and the Revised Version.

(2.) Heb. ‘adon, means one possessed of absolute control. It denotes a master, as of slaves (Gen. 24:14, 27), or a ruler of his subjects (45:8), or a husband, as lord of his wife (18:12).

The old plural form of this Hebrew word is ’adonai. From a superstitious reverence for the name “Jehovah,” the Jews, in reading their Scriptures, whenever that name…

Smith's Bible Dictionary

[GOD]

American Tract Society Bible Dictionary

This name belongs to God by preeminence; and in this sense ought never to be given to any creature. Jesus Christ, as the Messiah, the Son of God, and equal with the Father, is often called Lord in Scripture, especially in the writing of Paul. The word LORD, in the English Bible, when printed in small capitals, stands always for JEHOVAH in the Hebrew. See JEHOVAH.

Nave's Topical Bible

→ A prince Jos 13:3; Jud 3:3; 1Sa 5:8; 6:4

→ See GOD

→ See JESUS

O Lord lips my you will open and mouth my it will declare praise your
שְׂפָתַ֣יse.fa.Tai lips my H8193 Noun common masculine plural construct · suffix
176× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This word refers to lips or language, and can also mean the edge or border of something. It is used in the Bible to describe the shore of a sea or the edge of a cup.
Tyndale gloss
lips
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word שָׂפָה (*saphah*) encompasses meanings related to 'lip,' 'speech,' and 'edge.' It is derived from concepts of termination, suggesting boundaries like the edge of a vessel or the bank of a river. The word can refer to physical lips, language, or the edges of various objects, including shores.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

שָׂפָה 176 n.f. lip, speech, edge

lip

language

edge: shore of sea; bank of river

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H8193 שָׂפָה lip, speech, edge . lip

. language

. edge: shore of sea; bank of river

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

8193 saphah saw-faw'

or (in dual and plural) sepheth {sef-eth'}; probably from

5595 or 8192 through the idea of termination (compare 5490);

the lip (as a natural boundary); by implication, language; by

analogy, a margin (of a vessel, water, cloth, etc.):--band,

bank, binding, border, brim, brink, edge, language, lip,

prating, ((sea-))shore, side, speech, talk, (vain) words.

see HEBREW for 05595

see HEBREW for 08192

see HEBREW for 05490

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

שָׂפָה (sa.phah) — lips.

: lips/mouth

1) lip, language, speech, shore, bank, brink, brim, side, edge, border, binding

1a) lip (as body part)

1b) language

1c) edge, shore, bank (of cup, sea, river, etc)

שָׂפָה (sa.phah) — lip: words.

: words/language

1) lip, language, speech, shore, bank, brink, brim, side, edge, border, binding

1a) lip (as body part)

1b) language

1c) edge, shore, bank (of cup, sea, river, etc)

שָׂפָה (sa.phah) — lip: edge.

: edge/border/opening

1) lip, language, speech, shore, bank, brink, brim, side, edge, border, binding

1a) lip (as body part)

1b) language

1c) edge, shore, bank (of cup, sea, river, etc)

שָׂפָה (sa.phah) — lip: shore.

: shore/bank(of_sea/river)

1) lip, language, speech, shore, bank, brink, brim, side, edge, border, binding

1a) lip (as body part)

1b) language

1c) edge, shore, bank (of cup, sea, river, etc)

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
HNcmpc/Sp1bs — Noun common masculine plural construct · suffix
HNcmpc/Sp1bs
O Lord lips my you will open and mouth my it will declare praise your
תִּפְתָּ֑חtif.Tach you will open H6605 Verb · Qal · imperfect second person masculine singular
144× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This verb means to engrave or carve, and is used in Exodus to describe the intricate carvings on the furniture of the tabernacle.
Tyndale gloss
to open
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

פָּתַח (pathach) is a Hebrew verb meaning 'to open' and can refer to various actions such as opening doors, loosening restraints, or engraving. It has different forms, including Qal (to open), Niphal (to be opened), and Piel (to engrave). The entries highlight its literal and figurative uses, but there is some overlap in meaning regarding its applications in opening and engraving.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

פָּתַח vb. open

Qal open sack

Niph. be opened

Pi. be opened

free, i.e. ungird, camels

loosen (and remove) sack-cloth

open gates, doors

Hithp. loosen thee the fetters of thy neck

base

[פָּתַח] vb. Pi. engrave

Pu. stones engraved with the engravings of a signet.

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H6605a פָּתַח open .open sack

. be opened

. be opened . free, i.e. ungird, camels

. loosen (and remove) sack-cloth

. open gates, doors

. loosen thee the fetters of thy neck

H6605b פָּתַח Pi. engrave

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

6605 pathach paw-thakh'

a primitive root; to open wide (literally or figuratively);

specifically, to loosen, begin, plough, carve:--appear, break

forth, draw (out), let go free, (en-)grave(-n), loose (self),

(be, be set) open(-ing), put off, ungird, unstop, have vent.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

פָּתַח (pa.tach) — to open.

1) to open

1a) (Qal) to open

1b) (Niphal) to be opened, be let loose, be thrown open

1c) (Piel)

1c1) to free

1c2) to loosen

1c3) to open, open oneself

1d) (Hithpael) to loose oneself

Aramaic equivalent: pe.tach (פְּתַח "to open" H6606)

פָּתַח (pa.tach) — to engrave.

1) to carve, engrave

1a) (Piel) to engrave

1b) (Pual) to be engraved

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
HVqi2ms — Verb · Qal · imperfect second person masculine singular
HVqi2ms
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

o'-p'-n: In the Old Testament represents chiefly pathach, but also other words, as galah, "to uncover"; of the opening of the eyes in vision, etc. (thus Balaam, Nu 22:31; 24:4; compare Job 33:16; 36:10; Ps 119:18; Jer 32:11,14). In the New Testament the usual word is anoigo (of opening of mouth, eyes, heavens, doors, etc.). A peculiar word, trachelizomai (literally, to have the neck bent back, to be laid bare), is used for "laid open" before God in Heb 4:13.

O Lord lips my you will open and mouth my it will declare praise your
וּ֝פִ֗יu.Fi and mouth my H6310 Conjunction · noun common masculine singular construct · suffix
498× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
In the Bible, this Hebrew word refers to the mouth, lips, or edge of something, and can also mean a portion or side of something. It is often used to describe speech or the act of speaking. This word appears in various forms, such as mouth, lip, or edge.
Tyndale gloss
lip
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word פֶּה (*peh*) means 'mouth' and encompasses various meanings, including the mouth of a person or animal, as well as openings or orifices. It can also refer to speech, edges, and portions. Additionally, it denotes a weight equal to one third of a shekel, found in 1 Samuel 13:21.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

פֶּה 485 n.m. mouth

mouth, of man, organ of eating and drinking

external organ

much oftener, as organ of speech, of man

as laughing; panting

of God

of idols

of musical instr. = sound

of animals; hence of edge of sword

mouth = opening, orifice

extremity, end

= portion

with preps.

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H6310 פֶּה mouth . . mouth, of man, organ of eating and drinking

. external organ

. . much oftener, as organ of speech, of man

. as laughing; panting

. of God

. of idols

. of musical instr. = sound

. of animals

. mouth = opening, orifice

. . extremity, end

. = portion

. with preps.

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

6310 peh peh

from 6284; the mouth (as the means of blowing), whether

literal or figurative (particularly speech); specifically

edge, portion or side; adverbially (with preposition)

according to:--accord(-ing as, -ing to), after, appointment,

assent, collar, command(-ment), X eat, edge, end, entry, +

file, hole, X in, mind, mouth, part, portion, X (should)

say(-ing), sentence, skirt, sound, speech, X spoken, talk,

tenor, X to, + two-edged, wish, word.

see HEBREW for 06284

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

פֶּה (peh) — lip.

: lip/mouth

peh

1) mouth

1a) mouth (of man)

1b) mouth (as organ of speech)

1c) mouth (of animals)

1d) mouth, opening, orifice (of a well, river, etc)

1e) extremity, end pim

2) a weight equal to one third of a shekel, occurs only in 1Sa 13:21

פֶּה (peh) — lip: edge.

: edge

peh

1) mouth

1a) mouth (of man)

1b) mouth (as organ of speech)

1c) mouth (of animals)

1d) mouth, opening, orifice (of a well, river, etc)

1e) extremity, end pim

2) a weight equal to one third of a shekel, occurs only in 1Sa 13:21

פֶּה (peh) — lip: word.

: word/command

peh

1) mouth

1a) mouth (of man)

1b) mouth (as organ of speech)

1c) mouth (of animals)

1d) mouth, opening, orifice (of a well, river, etc)

1e) extremity, end pim

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
HC/Ncmsc/Sp1bs — Conjunction · noun common masculine singular construct · suffix
HC/Ncmsc/Sp1bs
O Lord lips my you will open and mouth my it will declare praise your
יַגִּ֥ידya.Gid it will declare H5046 Verb · Hiphil · imperfect third person masculine singular
371× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
To tell or declare something openly, as in Genesis 3:11 where God asks Adam to tell the truth. It means to stand boldly and announce something to someone present. In Exodus 32:27, Moses tells the Levites to declare their actions to the people.
Tyndale gloss
to tell
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

נָגַד (nagad) is a Hebrew verb meaning to declare or tell, with implications of being conspicuous or manifesting something. It covers a range of meanings including to announce, report, and make known, often through spoken word. The entries indicate that it can also mean to expose or predict, and in the Hophil form, it refers to something being told or reported.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

[נָגַד] 363 vb. be conspicuous

Hiph. declare, tell

Hoph. be told, announced, reported

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H5046 נָגַד be conspicuous . declare, tell

. be told, announced, reported

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

5046 nagad naw-gad'

a primitive root; properly, to front, i.e. stand boldly out

opposite; by implication (causatively), to manifest;

figuratively, to announce (always by word of mouth to one

present); specifically, to expose, predict, explain,

praise:--bewray, X certainly, certify, declare(-ing),

denounce, expound, X fully, messenger, plainly, profess,

rehearse, report, shew (forth), speak, X surely, tell, utter.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

נָגַד (na.gad) — to tell.

1) to be conspicuous, tell, make known

1a) (Hiphil) to tell, declare

1a1) to tell, announce, report

1a2) to declare, make known, expound

1a3) to inform of

1a4) to publish, declare, proclaim

1a5) to avow, acknowledge, confess

1a5a) messenger (participle)

1b) (Hophal) to be told, be announced, be reported

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
HVhi3ms — Verb · Hiphil · imperfect third person masculine singular
HVhi3ms
O Lord lips my you will open and mouth my it will declare praise your
תְּהִלָּתֶֽךָ׃te.hi.la.Te.kha praise your H8416 Noun common feminine singular construct · suffix
57× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
Tehillah means praise or a song of praise, often directed towards God. It can also refer to a hymn or an act of public praise, acknowledging God's qualities or deeds.
Tyndale gloss
praise
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word תְּהִלָּה (*tehillah*) means praise, specifically in the form of a song or hymn. It encompasses acts of adoration and thanksgiving directed towards God, as well as general public praise and the qualities of God that warrant such praise. The word is derived from a root meaning to laud.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

תְּהִלָּה n.f. praise, song of praise

praise, adoration, thanksgiving, paid to י׳

the act of general, public, praise

praise-song, as title

qualities, deeds, etc., of י׳, demanding praise

renown, fame, glory

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H8416 תְּהִלָּה praise, song of praise . praise, adoration, thanksgiving, paid to י׳

. the act of general, public, praise

. praise-song, as title

. qualities, deeds, etc., of י׳, demanding praise

. renown, fame, glory

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

8416 thillah teh-hil-law'

from 1984; laudation; specifically (concretely) a

hymn:--praise.

see HEBREW for 01984

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

תְּהִלָּה (te.hil.lah) — praise.

1) praise, song or hymn of praise

1a) praise, adoration, thanksgiving (paid to God)

1b) act of general or public praise

1c) praise-song (as title)

1d) praise (demanded by qualities or deeds or attributes of God)

1e) renown, fame, glory

1e1) of Damascus, God

1e2) object of praise, possessor of renown (fig)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
HNcfsc/Sp2ms — Noun common feminine singular construct · suffix
HNcfsc/Sp2ms
Sources on this page. Lexicons and dictionaries imported from the CrossWire SWORD modules — Abbott-Smith, Strong's, Dodson, the Intermediate Liddell-Scott-Jones, Robinson and Packard, Webster and Cawdrey. Thayer’s Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament (Harper, 1889 — Grimm’s Wilke’s Clavis Novi Testamenti, translated, revised and enlarged by Joseph Henry Thayer) is public domain and is set here from the Internet Archive page scan greekenglishlex00grim; it is uncorrected OCR, marked as such on the entry itself, and the Strong’s numbers — which Thayer’s own edition does not carry — were matched by lemma against the other modules on this page. Trench’s Synonyms of the New Testament (Macmillan, 1880) and Moulton and Milligan’s Vocabulary of the Greek Testament (Hodder & Stoughton, 1930, which entered the United States public domain on 1 January 2026) are set from Internet Archive page scans synonymsofnewtes00treniala and vocabularyofgree00mouluoft, and are likewise uncorrected OCR matched to Strong’s numbers by lemma. Trench treats a group of words at once, so the same essay stands on the page of each word it compares. The Mounce Concise Greek-English Dictionary is © 1993 and is used here by permission for non-commercial use, www.teknia.com/greek-dictionary. The full Liddell-Scott-Jones and the Hebrew word data (TAHOT) come from STEPBible.org, CC BY 4.0. Brown-Driver-Briggs is the OpenScriptures digitisation, public domain. Syntax analysis is the Nestle 1904 Lowfat treebank (biblicalhumanities.org); the concordance and morphology are built from the tagged Nestle 1904 text. Septuagint occurrences use the Open Scriptures Septuagint lemma index, derived from CCAT (University of Pennsylvania) and the Rahlfs 1935 dataset by Eliran Wong, CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 — used here on a non-commercial ministry site. Greek of Josephus and Barnabas from the Perseus Digital Library, CC BY-SA 4.0. Commentaries and the Ante-Nicene Fathers are public-domain texts hosted on this site. Everyday Greek from the Duke Databank of Documentary Papyri, CC BY 3.0, with dates and provenance from the Heidelberger Gesamtverzeichnis. Philo and the Apostolic Fathers from Open Greek and Latin (First1KGreek), CC BY-SA 4.0. The apparatus and the fifth Greek column are the SBL Greek New Testament, © 2010 SBL and Logos Bible Software, CC BY 4.0. The Latin is the Clementine Vulgate (public domain); the Syriac New Testament is the ETCBC edition (MIT licence). The Hebrew behind the Greek is computed here from the Septuagint index and TAHOT, not taken from any aligned edition. The translation spread and the per-word edition marks come from the Translators Amalgamated Greek NT (STEPBible, CC BY 4.0); clause roles from the Nestle 1904 Lowfat treebank (CC BY-SA 4.0); place identifications and their confidence from OpenBible.info Bible Geocoding (CC BY 4.0), with map tiles © OpenStreetMap contributors. Gospel parallels are computed here from shared uncommon vocabulary, not taken from any printed harmony. Cross references are the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge and the subject headings are Nave’s Topical Bible, both public domain. Works under Creative Commons licences are used unchanged apart from markup removal.

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