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Psalms 69:4 — Word Study

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WLCרַבּ֤וּ׀ מִשַּׂעֲר֣וֹת רֹאשִׁי֮ שֹׂנְאַ֪י חִ֫נָּ֥ם עָצְמ֣וּ מַ֭צְמִיתַי אֹיְבַ֣י שֶׁ֑קֶר אֲשֶׁ֥ר לֹא־ גָ֝זַ֗לְתִּי אָ֣ז אָשִֽׁיב׃

BSAbe weary/toilyâgaʻ to callqârâʼ to scorchchârar throatgârôwn to endkâlâh eyeʻayin to waityâchal Godʼĕlôhîym

Word
Listen & take awayPsalms 69
English ↓ Download MP3 The Berean Standard Bible chapter audio already hosted for the site's Bible section — verse 4 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 ('a.Shiv) — no per-word recordings of the Hebrew exist to link to.
Take it away
Psalms 69:4quick helps
In a sentenceThe psalmist laments the overwhelming hatred he faces from his enemies without cause.
Who is speakingThe psalmist, expressing his distress and innocence.
Where we areIn a lament, the psalmist pleads his case before God.
The hard wordחִ֫נָּ֥ם
Take awayThe psalmist feels unjustly persecuted and must contend with false accusations.
8 commentators on this verse Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them › clause verbיָגֵעַ 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 69:4

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 Lament of Distressgenerated

3I am weary from my crying; my throat is parched. My eyes fail, looking for my God.
4Those who hate me without cause outnumber the hairs of my head; many are those who would destroy me— my enemies for no reason. Though I did not steal, I must repay.
5You know my folly, O God, and my guilt is not hidden from You.
6May those who hope in You not be ashamed through me, O Lord GOD of Hosts; may those who seek You not be dishonored through me, O God of Israel.

Psalm 69:4 expresses the deep anguish of the psalmist, who feels surrounded by enemies who hate him without cause. This verse highlights the intensity of his suffering, as he compares the number of those who oppose him to the hairs on his head. The psalmist's cry for justice and acknowledgment of his innocence resonates throughout the psalm, as he seeks God's intervention against his unjust accusers.


Cross References

ReferenceText (BSB)
1John 15:25But this is to fulfill what is written in their Law: ‘They hated Me without reason.’
21 Peter 2:22“He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in His mouth.”
3Psalm 40:12For evils without number surround me; my sins have overtaken me, so that I cannot see. They are more than the hairs of my head, and my heart has failed within me.
4Psalm 7:3–5O LORD my God, if I have done this, if injustice is on my hands,
5Psalm 35:12–19They repay me evil for good, to the bereavement of my soul.

The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 11 references, hung on the phrase they belong to

more thanPsalm 40:12

The Key Word רַבּ֤וּ, ra.Bugenerated

The verb רַבּוּ (ra.Bu) means 'they are many' and conveys the idea of multiplication or increase. It is used in a perfect tense here, indicating a completed action in the past. The psalmist emphasizes the overwhelming number of his enemies, illustrating the extent of his persecution.

This word is built from the root רָבַב (rabab), which means to be or become many or much, and it appears frequently in contexts that describe growth or abundance. The psalmist's choice of this word underscores his feeling of being outnumbered and overwhelmed by those who oppose him.


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 רַבּוּ (ra.Bu) governs the entire clause, establishing the subject of the psalmist's lament. The structure emphasizes the overwhelming number of enemies he faces, with additional phrases providing context about their unjust hatred.

The sentence flows with a series of noun phrases and verb clauses, building a vivid picture of the psalmist's plight. The arrangement highlights the contrast between the psalmist's innocence and the hostility he experiences.


Septuagint Backgroundgenerated

The Septuagint translates רַבּוּ as ἐκοπίασα (ekopiasa), which means 'I labored' or 'I toiled.' This choice reflects a different nuance, suggesting not just the quantity of enemies but also the effort and struggle the psalmist faces against them.

This translation choice may indicate an interpretation that emphasizes the psalmist's active engagement with his suffering rather than merely stating the number of adversaries.


In plain words — the whole versegenerated

Psalm 69:4 shows the psalmist feeling overwhelmed by enemies who hate him without reason. He compares their number to the hairs on his head, expressing his distress and the injustice of his situation. Despite not having wronged anyone, he feels the need to repay for something he did not take.


Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated

What does the psalmist mean by 'those who hate me without cause'?

The psalmist refers to enemies who oppose him unjustly, indicating that their hatred is not based on any wrongdoing on his part.

How does the psalmist express the number of his enemies?

He compares them to the hairs on his head, illustrating that they are numerous and overwhelming.

What does the psalmist mean by needing to repay?

He feels a sense of obligation to make restitution, even though he claims not to have stolen or wronged anyone.

What is the significance of the phrase 'without cause'?

It emphasizes the unjust nature of the hatred he faces, highlighting the theme of wrongful persecution.


Reflection Questionsgenerated

  1. In what ways have I experienced unjust treatment or misunderstanding from others?
  2. How can I respond to hostility or hatred in my own life, especially when it's undeserved?
  3. What does it mean to seek restitution or make amends in situations where I feel wronged?
  4. How can I find comfort in God's presence when I feel overwhelmed by my circumstances?

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

Early church fathers referenced this verse to discuss themes of injustice and the suffering of Christ, highlighting the psalmist's prophetic voice.

TertullianAN ANSWER TO THE JEWS 10 c. 155–220
Christ did not speak deceitfully but displayed all justice and humility. He did not suffer that kind of death [crucifixion] for anything he had done but so that those things that the prophets had predicted would happen to him through you…
Early Church Fathers on Psalms 69 →
Augustine of HippoExposition on Psalms 69 354–430
Thus "there have been multiplied above the hairs of My head they that hate Me gratis" [Psalms 69:4].
Early Church Fathers on Psalms 69 →
Augustine of HippoTRACTATES ON THE GOSPEL OF John 79:2 354–430
Just as it was said to Jesus, "Why, then, will you die if you have not committed a sin that deserves the death penalty?" Immediately he answered, "I do what the Father has commanded me so that the world may know that I love the Father.
Early Church Fathers on Psalms 69 →

Commentators on this verse — 8 expositors, verse by verse

Each of these wrote on Psalms 69:4 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.

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

They that hate me without a cause,.... As the Jews did; see John 15:18; for he did no injury to the persons or properties of men; but went about continually doing good, both to their souls and

Read John Gill on Psalms 69 →
Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's Commentary

They that hate me without a cause are more than the hairs of mine head: they that would destroy me, being mine enemies wrongfully, are mighty: then I restored that which I took not away.

Read Robert Jamieson on Psalms 69 →
Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy Bible

Without a cause; without any injury or occasion given them by me. Restored that which I took not away; either because they unjustly and violently forced me to it, or because I was willing to do it to my own wrong for peace sake. By this one kind of wrong he understands all those injuries and violences which they practised against him.

Read Matthew Poole on Psalms 69 →
John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

Psalms 69:4 They that hate me without a cause are more than the hairs of mine head: they that would destroy me, [being] mine enemies wrongfully, are mighty: then I restored [that] which I took not away.Ver. 4. They that hate me without a cause, &c.] Christ, besides his inward fears and griefs caused by the sense of his Father’ s wrath for our sins, was set against and assaulted both by men and devils (in that three hours’ darkness especially) with utmost might and malice. Then I restored that which I took not away.] Quod non rapui reddebam. David was dealt with as a felon or false dealer. Christ also was crucified for saying that he was the Son of God, John 19:7, though he held it no…

Read John Trapp on Psalms 69 →
Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(4) They that would destroy me . . .—Properly, my exterminators. It seems a piece of hypercriticism to object to this as too strong a word. It is a very allowable prolepsis. At the same time the parallelism would be improved by adopting, as Ewald suggests, the Syriac reading “my enemies without are more numerous than my bones,” and the construction would be the same as in Psalms 40:12. Wrongfully.—Better, without cause. Comp. Psalms 35:19. Then I restored.—Rather, what I did not steal I must then restore, possibly a proverbial saying to express harsh and unjust treatment. Comp. Ps. Xxxv. 11; Jeremiah 15:10.

Read Charles John Ellicott on Psalms 69 →
AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible

Verse 4. Then I restored that which I took not away.] I think, with Calmet, that this is a sort of proverbial expression, like such as these, "Those who suffered the wrong, pay the costs." Delirant reges, plectuntur Achivi. "Kings sin, and the people are punished." "The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the children's teeth are set on edge." Our fathers have grievously sinned against the Lord, and we their posterity suffer for it. See on Psalms 69:12. Some have applied it to our Lord. I restored, by my suffering and death, that image of God and the Divine favour, which I took not away. That is, In my human nature I expiated the crime that human beings had committed against God. But such…

Read AdamClarke on Psalms 69 →
CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

4. The number and the virulence of his foes, and the groundlessness of their hostility. For the language comp. Psalms 40:12; Psalms 35:19; Psalms 38:19. The quotation in John 15:25 agrees with the LXX. moe] This archaism for ‘more,’ which has disappeared from modern Bibles, is restored by Scrivener in accordance with the original edition of 1611. they that would destroy me] R.V., they that would cut me off. Ewald and others follow the Syr. in reading this line, ‘More numerous than my bones are they that are mine enemies falsely.’ The parallelism of the first two lines of the verse is improved by the change, which involves only a slight alteration of the consonants; but the comparison is not…

Read Cambridge on Psalms 69 →
Albert Barnes1798–1870Barnes' Notes on the Bible

They that hate me without a cause - Without any just reason; without any provocation on my part.

Read Albert Barnes on Psalms 69 →

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

Those who hate me without cause outnumber the hairs of my head; many are those who would destroy me— my enemies for no reason. Though I did not steal, I must repay.

WEBWorld English Bible2000

Those who hate me without a cause are more than the hairs of my head. Those who want to cut me off, being my enemies wrongfully, are mighty. I have to restore what I didn’t take away.

MSBMajority Standard Bible2022

Those who hate me without cause outnumber the hairs of my head; many are those who would destroy me—my enemies for no reason. Though I did not steal, I must repay.

NETBNew English Translation2006

Those who hate me without cause are more numerous than the hairs of my head. Those who want to destroy me, my enemies for no reason, outnumber me. They make me repay what I did not steal!

Tyndale line

KJVKing James Version1611

They that hate me without a cause are more than the hairs of mine head: they that would destroy me, being mine enemies wrongfully, are mighty: then I restored that which I took not away.

ASVAmerican Standard Version1901

They that hate me without a cause are more than the hairs of my head: They that would cut me off, being mine enemies wrongfully, are mighty: That which I took not away I have to restore.

RVARevised Version, American1894

They that hate me without a cause are more than the hairs of mine head: they that would cut me off, being mine enemies wrongfully, are mighty: then I restored that which I took not away.

NWBWebster's Bible1833

They that hate me without a cause are more than the hairs of my head: they that would destroy me, being my enemies wrongfully, are mighty: then I restored that which I took not away.

GNVGeneva Bible1599

They that hate mee without a cause, are moe then the heares of mine heade: they that would destroy mee, and are mine enemies falsly, are mightie, so that I restored that which I tooke not.

Strictly literal

DBYDarby Translation1890

They that hate me without a cause are more than the hairs of my head; they that would destroy me, being mine enemies wrongfully, are mighty: then I restored that which I took not away.

YLTYoung's Literal Translation1862

Those hating me without cause Have been more than the hairs of my head, Mighty have been my destroyers, My lying enemies, That which I took not away — I bring back.

LSVLiteral Standard Version2020

Those hating me without cause || Have been more than the hairs of my head, || Mighty have been my destroyers, || My lying enemies, || That which I did not take away—I bring back.

ILTInterlinear Literal Translation2000

(69:5) More than the hairs of my head are those that hate me without a cause; numerous are those that would destroy me, that are my enemies wrongfully: what I have not robbed shall I now restore.

ULBUnlocked Literal Bible2017

Those who hate me without a cause are more than the hairs on my head; those who would cut me off, being my enemies for wrong reasons, are mighty; what I did not steal, I have to give back.

From the Latin

DRADouay-Rheims (Challoner)1899

Let them be turned backward, and blush for shame that desire evils to me: Let them be presently turned away blushing for shame that say to me: Tis well, tis well.

Simplified

FBVFree Bible Version2020

Those who hate me for no reason are more than the number of hairs on my head. Many enemies try to destroy me by telling lies. How can I give back what I didn't steal?

BBEBible in Basic English1949

Those who have hate for me without cause are greater in number than the hairs of my head; those who are against me, falsely desiring my destruction, are very strong; I gave back what I had not taken away.

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.

clauseverbרַבּ֤וּthey.are.manyprepositional phrase · prepositionalמִmorenoun phraseשַּׂעֲר֣וֹתthan.the.hairsnoun phraseרֹאשִׁmy.headי֮mynoun phrase · subjectclauseverbשֹׂנְאַ֪[thoseobjectיwho].hate.meadverbialחִ֫נָּ֥םwithout.causeclauseverbעָצְמ֣וּthey.are.numerousnoun phrase · subjectnoun phraseמַ֭צְמִיתַ[thoseיwho].destroy.meadjective phraseclauseverbאֹיְבַ֣enemiesobjectיmyadverbialשֶׁ֑קֶרfalsehoodclausenoun phrase · objectrelpאֲשֶׁ֥ר[that].whichclauseadverbialלֹאnotverbגָ֝זַ֗לְתִּיI.stoleadverbialאָ֣זthenverbאָשִֽׁיבI.will.return

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


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

The Masoretic Text states that those who hate the speaker without cause outnumber the hairs on his head, emphasizing the intensity of his enemies. The Septuagint, while it has a different structure and word order, does not provide a direct translation of this verse, making it difficult to compare directly. The Dead Sea Scrolls fragment includes some words that suggest a similar theme of distress and opposition but does not preserve the full context of the verse as found in the Masoretic Text. Overall, the Masoretic Text stands as the primary witness for this verse, with the other witnesses either differing significantly or lacking completeness.

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

רַבּ֤וּ׀ מִשַּׂעֲר֣וֹת רֹאשִׁי֮ שֹׂנְאַ֪י חִ֫נָּ֥ם עָצְמ֣וּ מַ֭צְמִיתַי אֹיְבַ֣י שֶׁ֑קֶר אֲשֶׁ֥ר לֹא־ גָ֝זַ֗לְתִּי אָ֣ז אָשִֽׁיב׃

Septuagintthe Greek the translators chose, word by word
רַבּ֤וּ׀ἐκοπίασαרֹאשִׁי֮ἐβραγξίασενשֹׂנְאַ֪יμουחִ֫נָּ֥םἐχέλιπονעָצְמ֣וּὀφθαλμοίמַ֭צְמִיתַיμουשֶׁ֑קֶרμου

7 of the 14 words are matched. This is the word-by-word correspondence, not the Septuagint's own sentence — its word order and its articles are its own.

Dead Sea Scrolls — 4Q83a copy a thousand years older than the Leningrad Codex

[יגעתי] [בקרא׳י] [נחר] גרונ׳י כליו שנ׳י בחיל לאלה׳י ישראל

9 words of the verse are on this fragment — 2 partly restored, 3 supplied entire by an editor.

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


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

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

Psalms 69:4רָבַבthey are mathey are manyרָבַבשַׂעֲרָהmore than [more than [the]שַׂעֲרָהרֹאשׁhead myhead myרֹאשׁשָׂנֵא[those who][those who] hatשָׂנֵאחִנָּםwithout cauwithout causeחִנָּםעָצֹםthey are nuthey are numeroעָצֹםצָמַת[those who][those who] desצָמַתאָיַבenemies myenemies myאָיַבשֶׁ֫קֶרfalsehoodfalsehoodשֶׁ֫קֶראֲשֶׁר[that] whic[that] whichאֲשֶׁרלֹאnotnotלֹאגָּזַלI stoleI stoleגָּזַלאָזthenthenאָזשׁוּבI will retuI will returnשׁוּבחֵןfavorfavorחֵןעֶ֫צֶםboneboneעֶ֫צֶםשָׁקַרto dealto dealשָׁקַררְבָבָהmyriadmyriadרְבָבָהרְבִיבִיםshowershowerרְבִיבִיםשֵׂעָרhairhairשֵׂעָראָיַבbe hostilebe hostileאָיַבמְשׁוּבָהfaithlessnfaithlessnessמְשׁוּבָהעָצֹםbe vastbe vastעָצֹםנָפַלto fall: fto fall: fallנָפַלרֹאשׁheadheadרֹאשׁעֲטָרָהcrowncrownעֲטָרָהנָשִׂיאleaderleaderנָשִׂיאאָהֵבto love: lto love: loverאָהֵבשֶׁ֫קֶרdeceptiondeceptionשֶׁ֫קֶרפֶּ֫צַעwoundwoundפֶּ֫צַערֶ֫שֶׁתnetnetרֶ֫שֶׁתרָבַבto multiplto multiplyרָבַב
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 69:4

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.

they are many more than [the] hairs of head my [those who] hate me without cause they are numerous [those who] destroy me enemies my falsehood [that] which not I stole then I will return
רַבּ֤וּ׀ra.Bu they are many H7231 Verb · Qal · perfect third person common plural
21× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
Means to multiply or increase, used in Genesis to describe God's promise to make Abraham's descendants numerous.
Tyndale gloss
to multiply
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

רָבַב (rabab) is a Hebrew verb meaning to be or become many or much. It conveys the idea of increase, especially in number, and can also imply multiplication by the myriad. The entries suggest a range of meanings, including becoming great or long in terms of journey, and the Pual form specifically refers to ten thousands.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

[רָבַב] vb. be or become, many, much

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H7231 רָבַב be or become, many, much

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

7231 rabab raw-bab'

a primitive root; properly, to cast together (compare 7241),

i.e. increase, especially in number; also (as denominative

from 7233) to multiply by the myriad:--increase, be

many(-ifold), be more, multiply, ten thousands.

see HEBREW for 07241

see HEBREW for 07233

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

רָבַב (ra.vav) — to multiply.

1) to be or become many, be or become much, be or become great

1a)(Qal)

1a1) to be or become many

1a2) to be or become great

1a3) to be long (of journey)

2) (Pual) ten thousands

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
HVqp3cp — Verb · Qal · perfect third person common plural
HVqp3cp
English usagewhat the translators’ English meant
Webster's Dictionary (1828), Webster's Unabridged (1913), Webster's Dictionary (1806)

MANY, adjective men'ny.

1. Numerous; comprising a great number of individuals.

Thou shalt be a father of many nations. Genesis 17:4.

Not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called. 1 Corinthians 1:26.

MANY are the afflictions of the righteous. Psalms 34:12.

It is often preceded by as or so, and followed by so, indicating an equal number.

As many books as you take, so many shall be charged to your account.

So many laws argue so many sins.

It is followed by as.

As many as were willing-hearted brought bracelets. Exodus 34:1.

It precedes an or a, before a noun in the singular number.

Full many a gem of purest ray serene.

2. In low language, preceded by too, it denotes powerful or much; as, they are too many for us.

MANY, noun men'ny. A multitude; a great number of individuals; the people.

O thou fond many

The vulgar and the many are fit only to be led or driven.

they are many more than [the] hairs of head my [those who] hate me without cause they are numerous [those who] destroy me enemies my falsehood [that] which not I stole then I will return
מִשַּׂעֲר֣וֹתmi.sa.'a.Rot more than [the] hairs of H8185 Preposition · noun common feminine plural construct
7× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This word means hair or hairiness, describing something covered in hair. In the Bible, hair was a symbol of strength and beauty. It's mentioned in the story of Samson.
Tyndale gloss
hair
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

שַׂעֲרָה (sa`arah) refers to hair, specifically a single hair or hairiness. It is a feminine noun derived from the root word for hair. The entries consistently define it in this way, with no significant disagreement among the lexicons.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

שַׂעֲרָה n.f. a hair, nom. unit

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H8185 שַׂעֲרָה

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

8185 sa`arah sah-ar-aw'

feminine of 8181; hairiness:--hair.

see HEBREW for 08181

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

שַׂעֲרָה (sa.a.rah) — hair.

a single hair

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
HR/Ncfpc — Preposition · noun common feminine plural construct
HR/Ncfpc
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

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.

English usagewhat the translators’ English meant
Webster's Dictionary (1828), Webster's Unabridged (1913), Webster's Dictionary (1806)

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…

The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
they are many more than [the] hairs of head my [those who] hate me without cause they are numerous [those who] destroy me enemies my falsehood [that] which not I stole then I will return
רֹאשִׁי֮ro.Shi head my H7218 Noun common masculine singular construct · suffix
600× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This Hebrew word means chief or prince, and is used to describe leaders in the Bible, such as in the book of 1 Samuel. It signifies a position of authority and importance.
Tyndale gloss
head
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

רֹאשׁ (ro'sh) means 'head' and encompasses various meanings related to position and rank. It can refer to the head of a person or animal, the top of a mountain, or a chief in various contexts, such as a city or nation. The word also signifies beginnings and sums, appearing in phrases related to enumeration. Additionally, it serves as a proper noun for 'Rosh,' a title for a chief or prince.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

רֹאשׁ 599 n.m.

(c. 230 t.) head, of human being

head, of animals

top (88 t.)

height, of stars

head = chief (man)

= chief (city)

chief nation

= chief (place, position)

= chief priest

= head of a family

head = front, leader's place

of time, beginning, of night watch

of things, river-heads

chief, choicest, best, of spices

head = division of army, company, band

= sum, esp. in phr. take sum of, enumerate

other phr.

base

רֹאשׁ n.pr.gent. Rôsh

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H7218a רֹאשׁ . . (c. 230 t.) head, of human being

. head, of animals

. . top (88 t.)

. height, of stars

. . head = chief (man)

. = chief (city)

. chief nation

. = chief (place, position)

. = chief priest

. = head of a family

. . head = front, leader's place

. of time, beginning, of night watch

. of things, river-heads

. chief, choicest, best, of spices

. head = division of army, company, band

. = sum, esp. in phr. take sum of, enumerate

. other phr.

H7218b רֹאשׁ n. pr. gent. Rôsh

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

7218 ro'sh roshe

from an unused root apparently meaning to shake; the head (as

most easily shaken), whether literal or figurative (in many

applications, of place, time, rank, itc.):--band, beginning,

captain, chapiter, chief(-est place, man, things), company,

end, X every (man), excellent, first, forefront, ((be-))head,

height, (on) high(-est part, (priest)), X lead, X poor,

principal, ruler, sum, top.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

רֹאשׁ (rosh) — head.

: head

1) head, top, summit, upper part, chief, total, sum, height, front, beginning

1a) head (of man, animals)

1b) top, tip (of mountain)

1c) height (of stars)

1d) chief, head (of man, city, nation, place, family, priest)

1e) head, front, beginning

1f) chief, choicest, best

1g) head, division, company, band

1h) sum

רֹאשׁ (rosh) — prince.

Rosh, a tite for a chief or prince

רֹאשׁ (rosh) — head: leader.

: leader

1) head, top, summit, upper part, chief, total, sum, height, front, beginning

1a) head (of man, animals)

1b) top, tip (of mountain)

1c) height (of stars)

1d) chief, head (of man, city, nation, place, family, priest)

1e) head, front, beginning

1f) chief, choicest, best

1g) head, division, company, band

1h) sum

רֹאשׁ (rosh) — head: top.

: top/best

1) head, top, summit, upper part, chief, total, sum, height, front, beginning

1a) head (of man, animals)

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
HNcmsc/Sp1bs — Noun common masculine singular construct · suffix
HNcmsc/Sp1bs
they are many more than [the] hairs of head my [those who] hate me without cause they are numerous [those who] destroy me enemies my falsehood [that] which not I stole then I will return
שֹׂנְאַ֪יso.ne.'Ai [those who] hate me H8130 Verb qal participle (active) masculine plural common · suffix
146× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
To hate means to feel intense dislike or hostility, as seen in the actions of enemies or foes in the Bible. It can also describe God's hatred of sin.
Tyndale gloss
to hate
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

שָׂנֵא (sane') is a primitive root meaning 'to hate.' It covers various forms of hatred, including personal animosity and enmity, and can refer to both humans and God. The word appears in different grammatical forms, with uses in Qal, Niphal, and Piel, indicating actions of hating or being hated. Its Aramaic equivalent is שְׂנָא.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

שָׂנֵא 145 vb. hate

Qal 128 hate

Niph. is hated

Pi. enemy

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H8130 שָׂנֵא hate

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

8130 sane' saw-nay'

a primitive root; to hate (personally):--enemy, foe, (be)

hate(-ful, -r), odious, X utterly.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

שָׂנֵא (sa.ne) — to hate.

1) to hate, be hateful

1a) (Qal) to hate

1a1) of man

1a2) of God

1a3) hater, one hating, enemy (participle) (subst)

1b) (Niphal) to be hated

1c) (Piel) hater (participle)

1c1) of persons, nations, God, wisdom

Aramaic equivalent: se.ne (שְׂנָא "to hate" H8131)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
HVqrmpc/Sp1bs — Verb qal participle (active) masculine plural common · suffix
HVqrmpc/Sp1bs
they are many more than [the] hairs of head my [those who] hate me without cause they are numerous [those who] destroy me enemies my falsehood [that] which not I stole then I will return
חִ֫נָּ֥םchi.Nam without cause H2600 Adverb
32× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
For nothing means something is done without a reason or cost. It can also mean something is done in vain or without purpose. This concept is seen in various Bible stories and teachings.
Tyndale gloss
for nothing
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

חִנָּם (chinnam) means 'for nothing' or 'gratis,' indicating something given without cost or reason. It conveys ideas of being free, undeserved, or in vain. The word is derived from a root meaning 'to be devoid of advantage.' Various lexicons emphasize its use in contexts that highlight lack of purpose or cause.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

חִנָּם subst., used chiefly in the accus. as adv.—lit. out of favour; i.e.

gratis, gratuitously, for nothing

for no purpose, in vain

gratuitously, without cause, undeservedly

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H2600 חִנָּם lit. out of favour; i.e. . gratis, gratuitously, for nothing

. for no purpose, in vain

. gratuitously, without cause, undeservedly

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

2600 chinnam khin-nawm'

from 2580; gratis, i.e. devoid of cost, reason or

advantage:--without a cause (cost, wages), causeless, to cost

nothing, free(-ly), innocent, for nothing (nought, in vain.

see HEBREW for 02580

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

חִנָּם (chin.nam) — for nothing.

1) freely, for nothing, without cause

1a) gratis, gratuitously, for nothing

1b) for no purpose, in vain

1c) gratuitously, without cause, undeservedly

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

kos: In both the King James Version and the Revised Version (British and American) "for this cause" (the King James Version "cause") occurs in Ex 9:16 as the rendering of ba`abhur zo'th = "in order that"; "to the end that"; so also in Da 2:12 for kol-qebhel denah, and in 2Ch 32:20 the King James Version for `al-zo'th, where RVS read "because of." In the New Testament the word is used adverbially in the translation of several Greek phrases: heneka toutou (Mt 19:5; Mr 10:7); dia touto, Joh 12:27; Ro 1:26; 13:6; 15:9…

Nave's Topical Bible

→ See ACTIONS AT LAW

they are many more than [the] hairs of head my [those who] hate me without cause they are numerous [those who] destroy me enemies my falsehood [that] which not I stole then I will return
עָצְמ֣וּ'a.tze.Mu they are numerous H6105 Verb · Qal · perfect third person common plural
20× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This verb means to shut one's eyes tightly or to become powerful, and can also mean to break or crunch bones. It is used in various contexts, including in the books of Psalms and Isaiah. The idea of being strong is central to this word.
Tyndale gloss
be vast
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

עָצֹם (atsam) has two main meanings: to be vast, mighty, or numerous, and to shut the eyes. The word can describe strength or abundance in the Qal form, while the Hiphil form indicates making something strong. Additionally, it can refer to the act of closing the eyes, with variations in intensity noted in the entries.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

[עָצֹם], עָצַם vb. be vast, mighty, numerous

Qal

be mighty

be numerous

Hiph. make strong

base

[עָצַם] vb. shut the eyes

Qal shutteth his eyes from seeing

Pi. he hath tightly shut your eyes

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H6105a עָצֹם, עָצַם be vast, mighty, numerous .. be mighty

. be numerous

. make strong

H6105b עָצַם shut the eyes

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

6105 `atsam aw-tsam'

a primitive root; to bind fast, i.e. close (the eyes);

intransitively, to be (causatively, make) powerful or

numerous; denominatively (from 6106) to crunch the

bones:--break the bones, close, be great, be increased, be

(wax) mighty(-ier), be more, shut, be(-come, make)

strong(-er).

see HEBREW for 06106

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

עָצֹם (a.tsom) — be vast.

1) to be vast, be numerous, be mighty

1a)(Qal)

1a1) to be mighty

1a2) to be numerous

1b) (Hiphil) to make strong, make mighty

עָצַם (a.tsam) — to shut eyes.

1) to shut (the eyes), close (the eyes)

1a) (Qal) to shut (the eyes)

1b) (Piel) to shut tightly (the eyes)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
HVqp3cp — Verb · Qal · perfect third person common plural
HVqp3cp
they are many more than [the] hairs of head my [those who] hate me without cause they are numerous [those who] destroy me enemies my falsehood [that] which not I stole then I will return
מַ֭צְמִיתַיMatz.mi.tai [those who] destroy me H6789 Verb hiphil participle (active) masculine plural common · suffix
15× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
To destroy something means to completely get rid of it, like God destroying evil in Psalm 37:38. This word appears in the Bible to describe total annihilation. It is often used in a literal sense, such as in war, but also figuratively, like in Ezekiel 28:16.
Tyndale gloss
to destroy
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

צָמַת (tsamath) is a Hebrew verb meaning to put an end to or exterminate. It encompasses various forms, including to destroy, cut off, or vanish, with nuances in different stems indicating actions like being annihilated or causing annihilation. The entries highlight its use in contexts of termination and destruction, but do not present any significant disagreement among the lexicons.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

[צָמַת] vb. put an end to, exterminate

Qal they have put an end to my life

Niph. be ended, annihilated

Pi. hath put an end to me

Pi‛lēl thine alarms have annihilated me

Hiph. exterminate, annihilate

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H6789 צָמַת put an end to, exterminate .they have put an end to my life

. be ended, annihilated

. hath put an end to me

.thine alarms have annihilated me

. exterminate, annihilate

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

6789 tsamath tsaw-math'

a primitive root; to extirpate (literally or

figuratively):--consume, cut off, destroy, vanish.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

צָמַת (tsa.mat) — to destroy.

1) to put an end to, cut off, destroy, exterminate, extirpate

1a) (Qal) to put an end to, terminate

1b) (Niphal) to be ended, be annihilated, be exterminated

1c) (Piel) to put an end to

1d) (Pilel) to be exterminated, be annihilated

1e) (Hiphil) to exterminate, annihilate

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
HVhrmpc/Sp1bs — Verb hiphil participle (active) masculine plural common · suffix
HVhrmpc/Sp1bs
they are many more than [the] hairs of head my [those who] hate me without cause they are numerous [those who] destroy me enemies my falsehood [that] which not I stole then I will return
אֹיְבַ֣י'o.ye.Vai enemies my H341 Verb qal participle (active) masculine plural common · suffix
283× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This Hebrew word means enemy or adversary, referring to someone who hates or opposes another person or nation. It is used to describe personal or national enemies in the Bible.
Tyndale gloss
enemy
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

אֹיֵב (oyeb) means 'enemy' or 'foe,' indicating hostility. It can refer to personal or national adversaries. The word is derived from the active participle of another root, אָיַב (ayab), which also conveys the sense of being hostile.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

[אָיַב] 283 vb. be hostile to (enemy = אֹיֵב)

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H341 אָיַב be hostile to (enemy = אֹיֵב)

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

341 'oyeb o-yabe'

or (fully) owyeb {o-yabe'}; active participle of 340;

hating; an adversary:--enemy, foe.

see HEBREW for 0340

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

אֹיֵב (o.yev) — enemy.

1) (Qal) enemy

1a) personal

1b) national

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
HVqrmpc/Sp1bs — Verb qal participle (active) masculine plural common · suffix
HVqrmpc/Sp1bs
they are many more than [the] hairs of head my [those who] hate me without cause they are numerous [those who] destroy me enemies my falsehood [that] which not I stole then I will return
שֶׁ֑קֶרShe.ker falsehood H8267 Noun common · masculine singular absolute
113× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This word refers to deception or falsehood, often implying a sense of betrayal or disappointment. It's used in the Bible to describe lies, false testimony, or deceitful behavior, like in Psalm 116:11, where the psalmist says all men are liars.
Tyndale gloss
deception
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

שֶׁ֫קֶר (sheqer) refers to deception, falsehood, and disappointment. It encompasses various forms of deceit, including fraud and wrongful testimony. The word is built from the root associated with untruths and can imply sham or lying. It is used in contexts involving false prophets and general dishonesty.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

שֶׁ֫קֶר 113 n.m. deception, disappointment, falsehood

deception, what deceives, disappoints, and betrays one

deceit, fraud, wrong

injurious falsehood, in testimony

falsity, of false or self-deceived prophets

lie, falsehood, in gen.

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H8267 שֶׁ֫קֶר deception, disappointment, falsehood . deception, what deceives, disappoints, and betrays one

. deceit, fraud, wrong

. injurious falsehood, in testimony

. falsity, of false or self-deceived prophets

. lie, falsehood, in gen.

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

8267 sheqer sheh'-ker

from 8266; an untruth; by implication, a sham (often

adverbial):--without a cause, deceit(-ful),

false(-hood, -ly), feignedly, liar, + lie, lying, vain

(thing), wrongfully.

see HEBREW for 08266

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

שֶׁ֫קֶר (she.qer) — deception.

1) lie, deception, disappointment, falsehood

1a) deception (what deceives or disappoints or betrays one)

1b) deceit, fraud, wrong

1b1) fraudulently, wrongfully (as adverb)

1c) falsehood (injurious in testimony)

1c1) testify falsehood, false oath, swear falsely

1d) falsity (of false or self-deceived prophets)

1e) lie, falsehood (in general)

1e1) false tongue

1f) in vain

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

fols'-hood.

See LYING.

Nave's Topical Bible

→ General scriptures concerning Ex 20:16; 23:1; Le 6:2-7; 19:11,12,16; Job 13:4; 21:34; 27:4; 31:5,6,33; 36:4; Ps 5:6,9; 10:7; 12:2,3; 28:3; 31:18; 34:13; 36:3; 50:19,20; 52:2-5; 55:21,23; 58:3; 59:12; 62:4; 63:11; 101:5,7; 109:2; 116:11; 119:29,69,163; 120:2-4; 144:8,11; Pr 2:12-15; 3:3; 6:12,13,17-19; 10:9,10,18,31; 11:9; 12:17,19,20,22; 13:5; 14:5,8,25; 17:4,7; 19:5,9,22,28; 20:17; 21:6; 26:18,19,24-26,28; 27:14; Ec 5:6; Isa 28:15; 32:7; 57:11; 59:3,4,12,13; 63:8;

they are many more than [the] hairs of head my [those who] hate me without cause they are numerous [those who] destroy me enemies my falsehood [that] which not I stole then I will return
אֲשֶׁ֥ר'a.Sher [that] which H834 Particle
5,500× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This Hebrew word is a conjunction that connects ideas and events in the Bible, like in the book of Genesis, where it's used to describe the relationship between God and His creation.
Tyndale gloss
which
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word אֲשֶׁר (*asher*) is a relative pronoun that can mean 'who,' 'which,' or 'that.' It serves various grammatical functions, including as an adverb or conjunction, indicating relationships between clauses, places, or conditions. Variants like בַאֲשֶׁר (*ba-asher*), מֵאֲשֶׁר (*me-asher*), and כַּאֲשֶׁר (*ka-asher*) expand its usage to specific contexts such as location, causation, and time.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

אֲשֶׁר part. of relation A sign of relation, bringing the clause introduced by it into relation with an antecedent clause.

base

בַאֲשֶׁר

in (that) which

adv. in (the place) where

conj. in that, inasmuch as

on account of whom?

base

מֵאֲשֶׁר

from (or than) that which

adv. from (the place) where

conj. from (the fact) that …, since

base

כַּאֲשֶׁר conj. according as, as, when

according to that which, according as, as

with a causal force, in so far as, since

with a temporal force, when

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H834a אֲשֶׁר part. of relation A sign of relation, bringing the clause introduced by it into relation with an antecedent clause. H834b בַאֲשֶׁר . in (that) which

. adv. in (the place) where

. conj. in that, inasmuch as

. on account of whom?

H834c מֵאֲשֶׁר . from (or than) that which

. adv. from (the place) where

. conj. from (the fact) that …, since

H834d כַּאֲשֶׁר conj. according as, as, when . according to that which, according as, as

. with a causal force, in so far as, since

. with a temporal force, when

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

834 'aher ash-er'

a primitive relative pronoun (of every gender and number);

who, which, what, that; also (as an adverb and a conjunction)

when, where, how, because, in order that, etc.:--X after, X

alike, as (soon as), because, X every, for, + forasmuch, +

from whence, + how(-soever), X if, (so) that ((thing) which,

wherein), X though, + until, + whatsoever, when, where

(+ -as, -in, -of, -on, -soever, -with), which, whilst, +

whither(- soever), who(-m, -soever, -se). As it is

indeclinable, it is often accompanied by the personal pronoun

expletively, used to show the connection.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

אֲשֶׁר (a.sher) — which.

A: 1) (relative part.)

1a) which, who

1b) that which

2) (conj)

2a) that (in obj clause)

2b) when

2c) since

2d) as

2e) conditional if

B: Beth+ 1) in (that) which

2) (adv)

2a) where

3) (conj)

3a) in that, inasmuch as

3b) on account of

C: Mem+ 1) from (or than) that which

2) from (the place) where

3) from (the fact) that, since

D: Kaph+

1) (conj.), according as, as, when

1a) according to that which, according as, as

1b) with a causal force: in so far as, since

1c) with a temporal force: when

בַאֲשֶׁר (ba.a.sher) — in which.

1) in (that) which

2) (adv)

2a) where

3) (conj)

3a) in that, inasmuch as

3b) on account of

מֵאֲשֶׁר (me.a.sher) — whence.

1) from (or than) that which

2) from (the place) where

3) from (the fact) that, since

כַּאֲשֶׁר (ka.a.sher) — as which.

conj

1) according as, as, when

1a) according to that which, according as, as

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
HTr — Particle
HTr
The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
they are many more than [the] hairs of head my [those who] hate me without cause they are numerous [those who] destroy me enemies my falsehood [that] which not I stole then I will return
לֹא־lo'- not H3808 Particle
5,170× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
The Hebrew word for not or no is used to indicate absence or negation, as when God says no to the Israelites' requests, or when they disobey His commands.
Tyndale gloss
not
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

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

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

לֹא or לוֹא adv. not

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H3808 לֹא or לוֹא not

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

3808 lo' lo

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

לֹא (lo) — not.

1) not, no

1a) not (with verb-absolute prohibition)

1b) not (with modifier-negation)

1c) nothing (subst)

1d) without (with particle)

1e) before (of time)

Aramaic equivalent: la (לָא "not" H3809)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
HTn — Particle
HTn
The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
they are many more than [the] hairs of head my [those who] hate me without cause they are numerous [those who] destroy me enemies my falsehood [that] which not I stole then I will return
גָ֝זַ֗לְתִּיga.Zal.ti I stole H1497 Verb · Qal · perfect first person common singular
30× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This verb means to take something by force, like plundering or robbing, and is used in stories like David and Goliath in 1 Samuel 17. It can also mean to strip or flay something, and is often associated with violence.
Tyndale gloss
to plunder
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

גָּזַל (gazal) is a Hebrew verb that means to tear away, seize, or rob. It is built from a primitive root and covers actions like plundering or taking away by force. The verb appears in both the Qal and Niphal forms, indicating direct action and a passive state of being robbed, respectively.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

גָּזַל vb. tear away, seize, rob

Qal tear away, rob

Niph. subj. sleep

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H1497 גָּזַל tear away, seize, rob

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

1497 gazal gaw-zal'

a primitive root; to pluck off; specifically to flay, strip

or rob:--catch, consume, exercise (robbery), pluck (off), rob,

spoil, take away (by force, violence), tear.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

גָּזַל (ga.zal) — to plunder.

1) to tear away, seize, plunder, tear off, pull off, rob, take away by force

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to tear away, rob

1a2) to seize, plunder (with acc cognate)

1b) (Niphal)

1b1) to be robbed

1b2) to be taken away

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
HVqp1cs — Verb · Qal · perfect first person common singular
HVqp1cs
they are many more than [the] hairs of head my [those who] hate me without cause they are numerous [those who] destroy me enemies my falsehood [that] which not I stole then I will return
אָ֣ז'az then H227 Adverb
141× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This Hebrew word refers to a past time or place, often used to describe something that happened earlier. It can also be used as a conjunction to show a cause-and-effect relationship. In the Bible, it appears in books like Genesis and Isaiah.
Tyndale gloss
then
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

אָז (az) is a demonstrative adverb meaning 'at that time' or 'then,' used for both temporal and logical expressions. It can refer to past events or indicate a condition for future actions. The related form מֵאָז (me.az) means 'from that time' or 'since.' The entries highlight its use in various contexts without significant disagreement.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

אָז adv. at that time, then whether expressing duration, or inception (= thereupon).

strictly temporal

expressing logical sequence strictly

base

מֵאָז lit. from that time

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H227a אָז at that time, then H227b מֵאָז, once

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

227 'az awz

a demonstrative adverb; at that time or place; also as a

conjunction, therefore:--beginning, for, from, hitherto, now,

of old, once, since, then, at which time, yet.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

אָז (az) — then.

1) then, at that time

1a) temporal expressions

1a1) then (past)

1a2) then, if...then (future)

1a3) earlier

1b) logical expressions

1b1) in that case

1b2) that (being so)

מֵאָז (me.az) — the past.

1) in time past, of old

2)from time of, since

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
HD — Adverb
HD
they are many more than [the] hairs of head my [those who] hate me without cause they are numerous [those who] destroy me enemies my falsehood [that] which not I stole then I will return
אָשִֽׁיב׃'a.Shiv I will return H7725 Verb · Hiphil · imperfect first person common singular
1,057× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This Hebrew word means to return or turn back, and can be used literally or figuratively. It is often used to describe someone returning to God or repenting from sin, as seen in the book of Psalms and the prophets.
Tyndale gloss
to return: return
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word שׁוּב (shuwb) means to turn back or return, covering a wide range of contexts including physical, spiritual, and relational. It can denote returning to a previous state, repenting, or even apostatizing. The entries describe various forms and uses, including bringing back, restoring, and refreshing. Notably, it can also imply a change in course of action.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

שׁוּב 1056 vb. turn back, return

Qal 683;—turn back, return:

turn back

return, come or go back

esp. return unto

of dying

of revival from death

fig. of human relations:

return to leader, king

= change so as to appoach (in purpose, desire)

turn, i.e. resort to

return to a physical condition

abs. = change course of action

fig., specif. of spiritual relations:

turn back from God = apostatize

of י׳, turn away

turn back to God (= seek penitently)

abs. repent

turn back from evil

of י׳

of י׳, return (to shew favour)

of inanimate things (sts. personified, or treated as things of life):

denoting repetition, etc.

trans.

Pō‛l.

bring back

fig. restore, refresh

restore, repair

lead away (enticingly)

shew turning = apostatize

Hiph. 353 cause to return, bring back

bring back into bondage

put back

= draw back

= give back, restore

= relinguish

= give in payment, requital

bring one back (from dead)

bring back heart

= refresh

Read the full entry →
Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H7725 שׁוּב turn back, return .—turn back, return: . turn back

. return, come or go back

. esp. return unto

. . of dying

. of revival from death

. fig. of human relations: . return to leader, king

. = change so as to appoach (in purpose, desire)

. turn, i.e. resort to

. return to a physical condition

. abs. = change course of action

. fig., specif. of spiritual relations: . turn back from God = apostatize

. of י׳, turn away

. turn back to God (= seek penitently)

. abs. repent

. turn back from evil

. of י׳

. of י׳, return (to shew favour)

. of inanimate things (sts. personified, or treated as things of life):

. denoting repetition, etc.

. trans.

. . bring back

. . fig. restore, refresh

. restore, repair

. lead away (enticingly)

. shew turning = apostatize

. cause to return, bring back . . bring back into bondage

. put back

. = draw back

. = give back, restore

. = relinguish

. = give in payment, requital

Read the full entry →
Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

7725 shuwb shoob

a primitive root; to turn back (hence, away) transitively or

intransitively, literally or figuratively (not necessarily

with the idea of return to the starting point); generally to

retreat; often adverbial, again:--((break, build, circumcise,

dig, do anything, do evil, feed, lay down, lie down, lodge,

make, rejoice, send, take, weep)) X again, (cause to) answer

(+ again), X in any case (wise), X at all, averse, bring

(again, back, home again), call (to mind), carry again (back),

cease, X certainly, come again (back), X consider, +

continually, convert, deliver (again), + deny, draw back,

fetch home again, X fro, get (oneself) (back) again, X give

(again), go again (back, home), (go) out, hinder, let, (see)

more, X needs, be past, X pay, pervert, pull in again, put

(again, up again), recall, recompense, recover, refresh,

relieve, render (again), requite, rescue, restore, retrieve,

Read the full entry →
Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

שׁוּב (shuv) — to return: return.

: return

1) to return, turn back

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to turn back, return

1a1a) to turn back

1a1b) to return, come or go back

1a1c) to return unto, go back, come back

1a1d) of dying

1a1e) of human relations (fig)

1a1f) of spiritual relations (fig)

1a1f1) to turn back (from God), apostatise

1a1f2) to turn away (of God)

1a1f3) to turn back (to God), repent

1a1f4) turn back (from evil)

1a1g) of inanimate things

1a1h) in repetition

1b) (Polel)

1b1) to bring back

1b2) to restore, refresh, repair (fig)

1b3) to lead away (enticingly)

1b4) to show turning, apostatise

1c) (Pual) restored (participle)

1d) (Hiphil) to cause to return, bring back

1d1) to bring back, allow to return, put back, draw back, give back, restore, relinquish, give in payment

1d2) to bring back, refresh, restore

1d3) to bring back, report to, answer

1d4) to bring back, make requital, pay (as recompense)

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
HVhi1cs — Verb · Hiphil · imperfect first person common singular
HVhi1cs
The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
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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