Psalms 65:12 — Word Study
WLCיִ֭רְעֲפוּ נְא֣וֹת מִדְבָּ֑ר וְ֝גִ֗יל גְּבָע֥וֹת תַּחְגֹּֽרְנָה׃
BSAoverflowrâʻaph▸ [are filled to abundance, drip with plenty]
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| יִ֭רְעֲפוּ | they drip | Verb, Qal, imperfect third person masculine plural |
| נְא֣וֹת | [the] pastures of | Noun common, feminine plural construct |
| מִדְבָּ֑ר | [the] wilderness | Noun common, masculine singular absolute |
| וְ֝גִ֗יל | and rejoicing | Conjunction, noun common masculine singular absolute |
| גְּבָע֥וֹת | [the] hills | Noun common, feminine plural absolute |
| תַּחְגֹּֽרְנָה׃ | they gird on | Verb, Qal, imperfect third person feminine plural |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | The pastures of the wilderness overflow; the hills are robed with joy. |
| KJV | They drop upon the pastures of the wilderness: and the little hills rejoice on every side. |
| ASV | They drop upon the pastures of the wilderness; And the hills are girded with joy. |
| YLT | Drop do the pastures of a wilderness, And joy of the heights Thou girdest on. |
| WEB | The wilderness grasslands overflow. The hills are clothed with gladness. |
| BBE | Falling on the grass of the waste land: and the little hills are glad on every side. |
Where they part company is in phrasing, but all translations convey the essence of overflowing abundance.
The sentence consists of two main clauses connected by a conjunction, illustrating the relationship between the overflowing pastures and the joyful hills.
8 commentators on this verse
Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them ›
clause
subjectמַעְגָּל
verbעָטַר
The sentence as the grammar sees it Open the tree ›
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 65:12
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 Abundance of God's Creationgenerated
Psalm 65:12 celebrates the overflowing abundance of the wilderness and the joy of the hills. This imagery reflects the psalmist's gratitude for God's provision, as seen in the preceding verses that describe how God nurtures the earth and blesses its growth. The entire psalm emphasizes the relationship between creation and the Creator, illustrating how nature responds to divine care.
Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Psalm 104:10–13 | He sends forth springs in the valleys; they flow between the mountains. |
| 2 | Job 38:26–27 | to bring rain on a barren land, on a desert where no man lives, |
| 3 | Psalm 65:6 | You formed the mountains by Your power, having girded Yourself with might. |
| 4 | Isaiah 55:9–13 | “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so My ways are higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts. |
| 5 | Isaiah 61:10–11 | I will rejoice greatly in the LORD, my soul will exult in my God; for He has clothed me with garments of salvation and wrapped me in a robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom wears a priestly headdress, as a bride adorns herself with her jewels. |
The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 5 references, hung on the phrase they belong to
The Key Word — יִ֭רְעֲפוּ, Yir.'a.fugenerated
The verb יִ֭רְעֲפוּ (Yir.'a.fu) is a Qal imperfect form, meaning 'they drip' or 'they overflow'. It conveys the idea of abundance, suggesting that the pastures are not just full but overflowing with goodness.
This word is rooted in the concept of gentle flowing, often associated with water. The use of this verb here indicates a rich and generous provision, enhancing the imagery of a flourishing landscape.
How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated
In the Berean Standard Bible, the word is rendered as overflow, which aligns with the KJV and ASV.
Sentence Structuregenerated
The finite verb יִ֭רְעֲפוּ governs the main idea of the verse, indicating what the pastures do. The structure is straightforward, with the subject being the pastures and the hills, and the action of overflowing and being robed with joy.
The sentence consists of two main clauses connected by a conjunction, illustrating the relationship between the overflowing pastures and the joyful hills.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
The Septuagint translates יִ֭רְעֲפוּ as ἐνιαυτοῦ, which suggests a focus on the cyclical nature of abundance, possibly indicating a yearly cycle of growth and blessing.
This choice reflects a broader interpretation of the Hebrew text, emphasizing the ongoing provision of God in nature.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
Psalm 65:12 describes how the wilderness pastures are overflowing with abundance and how the hills are filled with joy. This verse illustrates the beauty and richness of God's creation, showing how nature responds to His provision.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
It signifies that the land is fertile and abundant, reflecting God's blessings on creation.
The hills are personified, suggesting that they too celebrate the abundance and beauty of the landscape.
This verse highlights the relationship between God and creation, emphasizing how nature flourishes under His care.
Verses like Psalm 104:10–13 and Isaiah 55:9–13 also celebrate God's provision and the flourishing of nature.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- How do I see God's provision in my own life and surroundings?
- What are some ways I can appreciate and care for the natural world as a reflection of God's creation?
- In what ways can I express joy in my life, similar to how the hills are described in this verse?
- How does understanding the abundance in nature affect my perspective on God's blessings?
The early church on this verse — how the Fathers read it
Augustine of Hippo quotes this verse to illustrate the abundance of God's provision in creation.
"The ends of the desert shall grow fat, and the hills shall be encircled with exultation" [Psalms 65:12]. Plains, hills, ends of the desert, the same are also men.Early Church Fathers on Psalms 65 →
Commentators on this verse — 8 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on Psalms 65:12 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire BibleThey drop [upon] the pastures of the wilderness,.... As well as upon the ploughed land, and turn them into a fruitful field; which may denote the Gentile world, whither the Gospel was sent by Christ,
Read John Gill on Psalms 65 →Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's CommentaryThou visitest the earth, and waterest it: thou greatly enrichest it with the river of God, which is full of water: thou preparest them corn, when thou hast so provided for it.
Read Robert Jamieson on Psalms 65 →Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy BibleThey, God’ s paths, drop upon the pastures of the wilderness; which, though neglected by men, are furnished by God with food for wild beasts, which, being his creatures, he careth for by this means. The little hills; the hills of Canaan, which for the generality of them were but small, if compared with the great and high mountains in divers parts of the world. He mentions the hills, because these being most dry and parched with the sun, most need and are most refreshed with the rain. Rejoice on every side; as being moistened and satisfied with rain in all parts and sides of them.
Read Matthew Poole on Psalms 65 →John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New TestamentsPsalms 65:12 They drop [upon] the pastures of the wilderness: and the little hills rejoice on every side.Ver. 12. Rejoice on every side] Heb. Are girded with joy, which in time of drought seems to be clad in sackcloth.
Read John Trapp on Psalms 65 →Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers(12) They drop upon.—Supply “fatness” from the last verse. And the little hills.—See margin. The freshness and beauty of plant life, which suddenly, as by a miracle, in Eastern lands clothes the hill-sides, resembles a fair mantle thrown round their shoulders, as if to deck them for some festival.
Read Charles John Ellicott on Psalms 65 →AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the BibleVerse 12. The pastures of the wilderness] Even the places which are not cultivated have their sufficiency of moisture, so as to render them proper places of pasturage for cattle. The terms wilderness and desert, in the Sacred Writings, mean, in general, places not inhabited and uncultivated, though abounding with timber, bushes, and herbage. The little hills rejoice] Literally, The hills gird themselves with exultation. The metaphor appears to be taken from the frisking of lambs, bounding of kids, and dancing of shepherds and shepherdesses, in the joy-inspiring summer season.
Read AdamClarke on Psalms 65 →CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges12. the pastures of the wilderness] Jeremiah 9:10; Jeremiah 23:10; Joe 1:19-20; Joe 2:22. ‘Wilderness’ denotes the open uncultivated country used for pasturage, in contrast to the cultivated land or ‘field.’ and the little hills &c.] R.V., And the hills are girded with joy. For the personification of nature cp. Psalms 96:11 ff; Isaiah 44:23; &c.
Read Cambridge on Psalms 65 →Albert Barnes1798–1870Barnes' Notes on the BibleThey drop upon the pastures of the wilderness - The waste places, or the waste parts of the land; the uncultivated places, the places of rocks and sands.
Read Albert Barnes on Psalms 65 →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
The pastures of the wilderness overflow; the hills are robed with joy.
The wilderness grasslands overflow. The hills are clothed with gladness.
The pastures of the wilderness overflow; the hills are robed with joy.
The pastures in the wilderness glisten with moisture, and the hills are clothed with joy.
Tyndale line
They drop upon the pastures of the wilderness: and the little hills rejoice on every side.
They drop upon the pastures of the wilderness; And the hills are girded with joy.
They drop upon the pastures of the wilderness: and the hills are girded with joy.
They drop upon the pastures of the wilderness: and the little hills rejoice on every side.
They drop vpon the pastures of the wildernesse: and the hils shalbe compassed with gladnes.
Strictly literal
They drop upon the pastures of the wilderness, and the hills are girded with gladness.
Drop do the pastures of a wilderness, And joy of the heights Thou girdest on.
The pastures of a wilderness drop, || And You gird the hills with joy.
(65:13) The pastures of the wilderness are dropping [with plenty]: and the hills are girt with gladness.
The pastures in the wilderness drip with dew, and the hills are clothed with joy.
From the Latin
Thou hast set men over our heads. We have passed through tire and water, and thou hast brought us out into a refreshment.
Simplified
The pastures in the wilderness grow lush; the hillsides are clothed in bright flowers.
Falling on the grass of the waste land: and the little hills are glad on every side.
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.
Boxes are the grammarian's groupings — clause, noun phrase, prepositional phrase.
The four witnesses to this verse — Masoretic, Septuagint, Samaritan, Qumran
The Masoretic Text reads יִ֭רְעֲפוּ נְא֣וֹת מִדְבָּ֑ר וְ֝גִ֗יל גְּבָע֥וֹת תַּחְגֹּֽרְנָה׃, while the Septuagint matches only 3 of the 6 words. This indicates some differences in translation and interpretation, though the core message remains consistent.
יִ֭רְעֲפוּ נְא֣וֹת מִדְבָּ֑ר וְ֝גִ֗יל גְּבָע֥וֹת תַּחְגֹּֽרְנָה׃
3 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.
Lexicons — every word in Psalms 65:12
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.
רָעַף (ra`aph) is a primitive root meaning to drip or trickle. It appears in both the Qal and Hiphil forms, indicating the action of dripping or distilling. The entries consistently emphasize this meaning without significant disagreement.
[רָעַף] vb. trickle, drip
Qal of clouds
Hiph. trickle
base
H7491 [רָעַף] trickle, drip
7491 ra`aph raw-af'
a primitive root; to drip:--distil, drop (down).
רָעַף (ra.aph) — to drip.
1) to trickle, drip
1a) (Qal) to trickle, drip
1b) (Hiphil) to trickle
V-Qal-Imperf-3mp | Suff — Verb · Qal · imperfect third person masculine pluralHVqi3mp
נָאָה (na'ah) refers to a pasture or meadow, indicating a pleasant place or habitation. It is derived from a root that suggests a home or dwelling. The entries consistently emphasize its meanings related to living spaces and pastoral settings.
[נָוָה] n.f. pasture, meadow
base
H4999 נָאָה pasture, meadow
4999 na'ah naw-aw'
from 4998; a home; figuratively, a pasture:--habitation,
house, pasture, pleasant place.
see HEBREW for 04998
נָוָה (na.ah) — habitation.
1) pasture, abode, abode of shepherd, habitation, meadow
1a) pasture, meadow
1b) abode
HNcfpc — Noun common · feminine plural constructHNcfpc
ov:
(1) In Anglo-Saxon, had the meaning "from," "away from" (as the strengthened form "off" has still), and was not used for genitive or possessive relations, these being expressed by special case-forms. In the Norman period, however, "of" was taken to represent the French de (a use well developed by the time of Chaucer), and in the Elizabethan period both senses of "of" were in common use. But after about 1600 the later force of the word became predominant, and in the earlier sense (which is now practically obsolete) it was replaced by other prepositions. In consequence the King James Version (and in some cases the Revised Version (British and American)) contains many uses of "of" that are no longer familiar--most of them, to be sure, causing no difficulty, but there still being a few responsible for real obscurities.
OF, preposition ov. [Gr.]
1. From or out of; proceeding from, as the cause, source, means, author or agent bestowing.
I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered to you. 1 Corinthians 11:1.
For it was of the Lord to harden their hearts. Joshua 11:1.
It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed.
Lamentations 3:1.
The whole disposing thereof is of the Lord. Proverbs 16:1.
Go, inquire of the Lord for me. 2 Chronicles 34:2.
That holy thing that shall be born of thee. Luke 1:1.
Hence of is the sign of the genitive case, the case that denotes production; as the son of man, the son proceeding from man, produced from man. This is the primary sense, although we now say, produced by man. 'Part of these were slain; ' that is, a number separate, for part denotes a division; the sense then is, a number from or out of the whole were slain. So also, 'some of these were slain; ' that is…
מִדְבָּר (midbar) primarily means 'mouth' in the sense of an organ of speech, but it also refers to 'wilderness' or 'desert.' The word is derived from a root meaning to drive, suggesting open fields for pasturing cattle. It encompasses various forms of uninhabited land and is notably used in contexts related to the wilderness, such as the Wilderness of Sinai.
[מִדְבָּר] n.m. mouth, as organ of speech, Ct 4:3
ref
מִדְבָר 270 n.m. wilderness
tracts of land, used for the pasturage of flocks and herds
uninhabited land
large tracts of such land bearing various names, in certain districts of which there might be towns and cities
fig.
base
H4057a מִדְבָּר mouth, as organ of speech H4057b מִדְבָר wilderness
4057 midbar mid-bawr'
from 1696 in the sense of driving; a pasture (i.e. open
field, whither cattle are driven); by implication, a desert;
also speech (including its organs):--desert, south, speech,
wilderness.
see HEBREW for 01696
מִדְבָּר (mid.bar) — mouth.
1) mouth
1a) mouth (as organ of speech)
מִדְבָּר (mid.bar) — wilderness.
1) wilderness
1a) pasture
1b) uninhabited land, wilderness
1c) large tracts of wilderness (around cities)
1d) wilderness (fig.)
מִדְבָּר (mid.bar) — Wilderness (of Sinai).
This name means wilderness, uninhabited land
HNcmsa — Noun common · masculine singular absoluteHNcmsa
wil'-der-nes.
See DESERT; JUDAEA, WILDERNESS OF; WANDERINGS OF ISRAEL.
Wilderness
(1.) Heb. midhbar, denoting not a barren desert but a district or region suitable for pasturing sheep and cattle (Ps. 65:12; Isa. 42:11; Jer. 23:10; Joel 1:19; 2:22); an uncultivated place. This word is used of the wilderness of Beersheba (Gen. 21:14), on the southern border of Palestine; the wilderness of the Red Sea (Ex. 13:18); of Shur (15:22), a portion of the Sinaitic peninsula; of Sin (17:1), Sinai (Lev. 7:38), Moab (Deut. 2:8), Judah (
See DESERT.
גִּיל (giyl) primarily refers to rejoicing or joy, but it also denotes a circle or age, suggesting a connection to youth or a period of time. The word is built from the root associated with joy and can imply a sense of revolution or change over time. It appears in contexts related to gladness and youth.
ref
H1524a גִּיל rejoicing H1524b גִּיל circle, age
1524 giyl gheel
from 1523; a revolution (of time, i.e. an age); also joy:--X
exceedingly, gladness, X greatly, joy, rejoice(-ing), sort.
see HEBREW for 01523
גִּיל (gil) — rejoicing.
a rejoicing
גִּיל (gil) — youth.
a circle, young age
HC/Ncmsa — Conjunction · noun common masculine singular absoluteHC/Ncmsa
גִּבְעָה (gib'ah) means 'hill' and refers to a small elevation of land. It can denote a place of worship or be used in place names, often associated with illicit worship. The word is feminine and is derived from a related term for a hillock. It appears in various contexts, including poetic uses.
גִּבְעָה n.f. hill
base
H1389 גִּבְעָה hill
1389 gib`ah ghib-aw'
feminine from the same as 1387; a hillock:--hill, little
hill.
see HEBREW for 01387
גִּבְעָה (giv.ah) — Gibeath-(elohim).
Gibeath - a place or worship
This name means hill
1a) hill
גִּבְעָה (giv.ah) — Gibeath-(haaraloth).
This name means hill
Another name of gil.gal (גִּלְגָּל "Gilgal" H1537G)
גִּבְעָה (giv.ah) — hill.
1) hill
1a) hill (lower than a mountain)
1b) as a place of illicit worship
1c) poetic for mountain
1d) used in place names
גִּבְעָה (giv.ah) — Gibeat.
This name means hill
Another spelling of giv.ah (גִּבְעָה "Gibeah" H1390H)
HNcfpa — Noun common · feminine plural absoluteHNcfpa
From the Hebrew Gibeah, meaning a curved round hill. But our translators have also employed the same English word for the very different term har , which has a much more extended sense than gibeah , meaning a whole district. For instance, in (Exodus 24:4) the "hill" is the same which is elsewhere in the same chapter, vs. (Exodus 24:12,13,18) etc., and book consistently and accurately rendered "mount" and "mountain." The "country of the hills," in (1:7; Joshua 9:1; 10:40; 11:16) is the elevated district of Judah, Benjamin and Ephraim, which is correctly called "the mountain" in the earliest descriptions of Palestine, (Numbers 13:29) and in many subsequent passages.
חָגַר (chagar) is a Hebrew verb meaning to gird or to put on a belt. It is a primitive root that conveys the action of binding or restraining oneself, often in preparation for action. The entries consistently emphasize its use in the context of girding on clothing or armor.
[חָגַר] vb. gird, gird on, gird oneself
base
H2296 [חָגַר] gird, gird on, gird oneself
2296 chagar khaw-gar'
a primitive root; to gird on (as a belt, armor, etc.):--be
able to put on, be afraid, appointed, gird, restrain, X on
every side.
חָגַר (cha.gar) — to gird.
1) to gird, gird on, gird oneself, put on a belt
1a)(Qal)
1a1) to gird
1a2) to gird on, bind on
1a3) to gird oneself
HVqi3fp — Verb · Qal · imperfect third person feminine pluralHVqi3fp
On
Light; the sun, (Gen. 41:45, 50), the great seat of sun-worship, called also Bethshemesh (Jer. 43:13) and Aven (Ezek. 30:17), stood on the east bank of the Nile, a few miles north of Memphis, and near Cairo, in the north-east. The Vulgate and the LXX. Versions have “Heliopolis” (“city of the sun”) instead of On in Genesis and of Aven in Ezekiel. The “city of destruction” Isaiah speaks of (19:18, marg. “of Heres;” Heb. ‘Ir-ha-heres, which some MSS. read Ir-ha-heres, i.e., “city of the sun”) may be the name given to On, the prophecy being that the time will come when that city which was known as the “city of the sun-god” shall become the “city of destruction” of the sun-god, i.e., when idolatry shall cease, and the worship…
(abode or city of the sun), a town of lower Egypt, called BETH-SHEMESH in (Jeremiah 43:13) On is better known under its Greek name Heliopolis. It was situated on the east side of the Pelusiac branch of the Nile, just below the point of the Delta, and about twenty miles northeast of Memphis. The chief object of worship at Heliopolis was the sun, whose temple, described by Strabo, is now only represented by the single beautiful obelisk, of red granite so feet 2 inches high above the pedestal which has stood for more than 4000 years, having been erected by Usirtesen, the second king of the twelfth dynasty. Heliopolis was anciently famous for its learning, and Eudoxus and Plato studied under its priests. The first mention of this place in the Bible is in the history of Joseph, to whom we read Pharaoh gave "to wife Asenath the daughter…
See HELIOPOLIS.
pain; force; iniquity