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Psalms 73:16 — Word Study

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WLCוָֽ֭אֲחַשְּׁבָה לָדַ֣עַת זֹ֑את עָמָ֖ל ה֣וּא בְעֵינָֽי׃

BSAWhen I triedchâshab [thought, pondered, attempted to understand] to understandyâdaʻ [to know, comprehend, grasp] all thiszôʼth [these things, this situation] ithûwʼ was troublesomeʻâmâl [seemed, appeared, became, too painful, wearisome, a burden] in my sightʻayin [before my eyes, in my view, to me]

Word
Listen & take awayPsalms 73
English ↓ Download MP3 The Berean Standard Bible chapter audio already hosted for the site's Bible section — verse 16 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 (ve.'ei.Nai) — no per-word recordings of the Hebrew exist to link to.
Take it away
Psalms 73:16quick helps
In a sentenceThe psalmist reflects on his struggle to comprehend the prosperity of the wicked.
Who is speakingThe psalmist, expressing personal turmoil and confusion.
Where we areA moment of introspection amidst a broader reflection on the fate of the wicked.
The hard wordעָמָ֖ל
Take awayUnderstanding can be burdensome when faced with troubling realities.
8 commentators on this verse Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them › clause subjectהוּא 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 73:16

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 — Reflections on the Prosperity of the Wickedgenerated

15If I had said, “I will speak this way,” then I would have betrayed Your children.
16When I tried to understand all this, it was troublesome in my sight
17until I entered God’s sanctuary; then I discerned their end.
18Surely You set them on slick ground; You cast them down into ruin.

Psalm 73:16 reveals the psalmist's struggle to understand the apparent ease and success of the wicked, which causes him distress. He grapples with the disparity between their fate and that of the righteous, leading him to seek clarity and understanding. This moment of confusion is crucial as it sets the stage for his eventual realization of God's justice, as seen in the following verses.


Cross References

ReferenceText (BSB)
1Psalm 36:6Your righteousness is like the highest mountains; Your judgments are like the deepest sea. O LORD, You preserve man and beast.
2Psalm 77:19Your path led through the sea, Your way through the mighty waters, but Your footprints were not to be found.
3Psalm 97:2Clouds and darkness surround Him; righteousness and justice are His throne’s foundation.
4Proverbs 30:2–3Surely I am the most ignorant of men, and I lack the understanding of a man.
5Ecclesiastes 8:17I saw every work of God, and that a man is unable to comprehend the work that is done under the sun. Despite his efforts to search it out, he cannot find its meaning; even if the wise man claims to know, he is unable to comprehend.

The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 9 references, hung on the phrase they belong to


The Key Word עָמָ֖ל, 'a.Malgenerated

The Hebrew word עָמָל ('amal) refers to trouble, labor, or toil. It encompasses a range of meanings including physical and mental effort, as well as sorrow and mischief. The psalmist uses this term to express the emotional burden he feels while trying to comprehend the situation.

This word is a noun in the singular form, indicating a specific instance of trouble or labor that weighs heavily on the psalmist's mind. It captures the essence of his struggle as he attempts to reconcile his observations with his understanding of God's justice.


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 of the verse is אֲחַשְּׁבָה, and I thought, which governs the entire sentence. This verb is followed by an infinitive phrase explaining what the psalmist attempted to understand, and a noun phrase that serves as the predicate, describing the nature of his thoughts.

The structure places emphasis on the psalmist's internal struggle, with the main action of thinking leading to the realization of his burdened perception. The syntax reflects a flow of thought that culminates in the acknowledgment of the emotional toll this understanding has taken.


Septuagint Backgroundgenerated

The Septuagint translates אֲחַשְּׁבָה as ὑπέλαβον, which means I perceived. This choice suggests a shift from mere thought to a deeper level of understanding or insight, indicating that the psalmist's contemplation led him to a more profound realization.

The use of κόπος for עָמָ֖ל reflects a similar burden of labor or toil, emphasizing the weight of the psalmist's struggle in trying to comprehend the situation.


In plain words — the whole versegenerated

Psalm 73:16 shows the psalmist's deep frustration as he tries to understand why the wicked seem to prosper while he struggles. He finds this contemplation to be a heavy burden, indicating the emotional toll it takes on him.


Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated

What does the psalmist mean by 'troublesome'?

The psalmist describes his struggle to understand the prosperity of the wicked, which feels burdensome and painful to him.

Why is understanding this situation so difficult for the psalmist?

The apparent success of the wicked contrasts sharply with the psalmist's own experiences, leading to confusion and emotional distress.

What does this verse reveal about the psalmist's faith?

Despite his confusion, the psalmist is actively seeking understanding, which reflects a desire to reconcile his observations with his beliefs about God's justice.

How does this verse connect to the overall theme of Psalm 73?

This verse captures a pivotal moment in the psalmist's journey, highlighting his internal conflict before he ultimately finds clarity in God's presence.


Reflection Questionsgenerated

  1. Have I ever felt troubled trying to understand the circumstances of my life or the lives of others?
  2. What steps can I take to seek clarity when faced with difficult situations?
  3. How can I support others who are struggling to understand their own challenges?
  4. In what ways does my faith help me navigate times of confusion and doubt?

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

Early Church Fathers, like Augustine, reference this verse to discuss the psalmist's struggle with understanding the prosperity of the wicked.

Augustine of HippoSERMON 15A.2 354–430
But because the psalmist realized afterward—as he goes on to say in the same psalm, "When I tried to understand this," and he added, "it was a wearisome task," why the wicked have all the luck;
Early Church Fathers on Psalms 73 →
Augustine of HippoExposition on Psalms 73 354–430
And what follows? That he might not reprobate, he did what? "And I undertook to know" [Psalms 73:16]. May God be with him in order that he may know.
Early Church Fathers on Psalms 73 →

Commentators on this verse — 8 expositors, verse by verse

Each of these wrote on Psalms 73:16 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.

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

When I thought to know this,.... How to reconcile the prosperity of the wicked, and the afflictions of the righteous, to the perfections of God, and his wise providence in the government of the

Read John Gill on Psalms 73 →
Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's Commentary

Behold, these are the ungodly, who prosper in the world; they increase in riches. -The mental conflict which resulted in the Psalmist's mind from the anomalous prosperity of sinners. Verse 12.

Read Robert Jamieson on Psalms 73 →
Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy Bible

To know this; to find out the reason of this mysterious course of thy providence. It was too painful for me; I was gravelled with the difficulty.

Read Matthew Poole on Psalms 73 →
John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

Psalms 73:16 When I thought to know this, it [was] too painful for me;Ver. 16. When I thought to know this, it was too painful for me] Heb. it was labour in mine eyes, labour in vain, I could do no good on it, sed labyrinthis et Maeandris inextricabilibus implicabar, I did but tread a maze, for God’ s judgments are unsearchable, and his ways (of providence) are past finding out; they are far above the reach of human reason.

Read John Trapp on Psalms 73 →
Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(16) When I thought . . .—i.e., when I reflected in order to know this—when I tried to think the matter out, get at the bottom of it. (For the sense of the verb, comp. Psalms 78:5; Proverbs 16:9.) It was too painful.—See margin.

Read Charles John Ellicott on Psalms 73 →
AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible

Verse 16. When I thought to know this] When I reviewed the history of our fathers, I saw that, though thou hadst from time to time hidden thy face because of their sins, yet thou hadst never utterly abandoned them to their adversaries; and it was not reasonable to conclude that thou wouldst do now what thou hadst never done before; and yet the continuance of our captivity, the oppressive hardships which we suffer, and the small prospect there is of release, puzzle me again. These things have been very painful to me.

Read AdamClarke on Psalms 73 →
CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

15–28. Faith triumphant in the conviction of an ultimate judgement and the consciousness of the supreme blessedness of fellowship with God.

Read Cambridge on Psalms 73 →
Albert Barnes1798–1870Barnes' Notes on the Bible

When I thought to know this - When I endeavored to comprehend this, or to explain it to myself. The idea is that he “thought” on the subject, or “meditated” on it with a view to be able to understand it.

Read Albert Barnes on Psalms 73 →

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

When I tried to understand all this, it was troublesome in my sight

WEBWorld English Bible2000

When I tried to understand this, it was too painful for me—

MSBMajority Standard Bible2022

When I tried to understand all this, it was troublesome in my sight

NETBNew English Translation2006

When I tried to make sense of this, it was troubling to me.

Tyndale line

KJVKing James Version1611

When I thought to know this, it was too painful for me;

ASVAmerican Standard Version1901

When I thought how I might know this, It was too painful for me;

RVARevised Version, American1894

When I thought how I might know this, it was too painful for me;

NWBWebster's Bible1833

When I thought to know this, it was too painful for me;

GNVGeneva Bible1599

Then thought I to know this, but it was too painefull for me,

Strictly literal

DBYDarby Translation1890

When I thought to be able to know this, it was a grievous task in mine eyes;

YLTYoung's Literal Translation1862

And I think to know this, Perverseness it [is] in mine eyes,

LSVLiteral Standard Version2020

And I think to know this, || It [is] perverseness in my eyes,

ILTInterlinear Literal Translation2000

And when I should think to know this, it would be trouble in my eyes;

ULBUnlocked Literal Bible2017

Though I tried to understand these things, it was too difficult for me.

From the Latin

DRADouay-Rheims (Challoner)1899

Thine is the day, and thine is the night: thou hast made the morning light and the sun.

Simplified

FBVFree Bible Version2020

So I thought about it and tried to understand, but it looked like a lot of hard work to me—

BBEBible in Basic English1949

When my thoughts were turned to see the reason of this, it was a weariness in my eyes;

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.

וָֽ֭andclauseverb phrase · verbאֲחַשְּׁבָIהthoughtprepositional phrase · prepositionalלָtoclauseverbדַ֣עַתknowobjectזֹ֑אתthisclausepredicateעָמָ֖ל[was].troublesubjectה֣וּאitprepositional phrase · prepositionalבְinnoun phraseעֵינָֽeyesיmy

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


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

The Masoretic Text of Psalms 73:16 reads, "וָֽ֭אֲחַשְּׁבָה לָדַ֣עַת זֹ֑את עָמָ֖ל ה֣וּא בְעֵינָֽי׃" which translates to, "When I tried to understand all this, it was troublesome in my sight." The Septuagint agrees with the Masoretic Text, as all six words correspond directly, although the word order and articles differ due to the nature of Greek syntax. There are no significant differences noted in the Samaritan Pentateuch or the Dead Sea Scrolls for this verse, indicating a strong consistency across these ancient witnesses.

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

וָֽ֭אֲחַשְּׁבָה לָדַ֣עַת זֹ֑את עָמָ֖ל ה֣וּא בְעֵינָֽי׃

Septuagintthe Greek the translators chose, word by word
וָֽ֭אֲחַשְּׁבָהὑπέλαβονלָדַ֣עַתγνῶναιזֹ֑אתτοῦτοעָמָ֖לκόποςה֣וּאἐστὶνבְעֵינָֽי׃μου

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 73:16חָשַׁבand I thougand I thought !חָשַׁביָדַעto knowto knowיָדַעזֶהthisthisזֶהעָמָל[was] troub[was] troubleעָמָלהוּאititהוּאעַ֫יִןin view myin view myעַ֫יִןעָמַלto toilto toilעָמַלשֶׂהשֶׂהמַחֲשָׁבָהplotplotמַחֲשָׁבָהכַּרְמֶלplantationplantationכַּרְמֶלאֲנִיIIאֲנִיבִּיןto understto understandבִּיןתּוֹרָהinstructioinstructionתּוֹרָהשִׁירsongsongשִׁיראָ֫וֶןevil: wickevil: wickednesאָ֫וֶןטָמֵאuncleanuncleanטָמֵאעֵתtimetimeעֵתחֵןfavorfavorחֵןיָשָׁרJasharJasharיָשָׁר
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 73:16

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.

and I thought ! to know this [was] trouble it in view my
וָֽ֭אֲחַשְּׁבָהVa.'a.cha.she.vah and I thought ! H2803 Verb piel sequential imperfect first person common singular · suffix
124× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
To devise means to think or plan something, often in a clever way. In the Bible, it can mean to plot or contrive, as seen in the story of David and Goliath.
Amplified meaning
thought, pondered, attempted to understand
Tyndale gloss
to devise: count
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word חָשַׁב (chashab) is a primitive root meaning to think, account, or devise. It encompasses a range of actions including planning, valuing, and inventing, both for humans and in relation to God. The entries indicate various grammatical forms, such as Qal, Niphal, Piel, and Hithpael, each reflecting different nuances of thought and consideration.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

חָשַׁב vb. think, account

Qal

of man:

think, account

devise, plan, mean

charge, impute

esteem, value, regard

invent ingenious and artistic things

of God:

think

devise, plan, mean

inpute, reckon

esteem, value, regard

invent ingenious and artistic things

Niph.

be accounted, thought, esteemed

be computed, reckoned

be imputed to any one

Pi.

think upon, consider, be mindful of

think to do, devise, plan

count, reckon, the years since a sale of land

Hithp. among the nations it shall not reckon itself

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H2803 חָשַׁב think, account .. of man: . think, account

. devise, plan, mean

. charge, impute

. esteem, value, regard

. invent ingenious and artistic things

. of God: . think

. devise, plan, mean

. inpute, reckon

. esteem, value, regard

. invent ingenious and artistic things

. . be accounted, thought, esteemed

. be computed, reckoned

. be imputed to any one

. . think upon, consider, be mindful of

. think to do, devise, plan

. count, reckon, the years since a sale of land

. among the nations it shall not reckon itself

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

2803 chashab khaw-shab'

a primitive root; properly, to plait or interpenetrate, i.e.

(literally) to weave or (gen.) to fabricate; figuratively, to

plot or contrive (usually in a malicious sense); hence (from

the mental effort) to think, regard, value, compute:--(make)

account (of), conceive, consider, count, cunning (man, work,

workman), devise, esteem, find out, forecast, hold, imagine,

impute, invent, be like, mean, purpose, reckon(-ing be made),

regard, think.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

חָשַׁב (cha.shav) — to devise: design.

: design/skillful

1) to think, plan, esteem, calculate, invent, make a judgment, imagine, count

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to think, account

1a2) to plan, devise, mean

1a3) to charge, impute, reckon

1a4) to esteem, value, regard

1a5) to invent

1b) (Niphal)

1b1) to be accounted, be thought, be esteemed

1b2) to be computed, be reckoned

1b3) to be imputed

1c) (Piel)

1c1) to think upon, consider, be mindful of

1c2) to think to do, devise, plan

1c3) to count, reckon

1d) (Hithpael) to be considered

חָשַׁב (cha.shav) — to devise: count.

: count/regard_as

1) to think, plan, esteem, calculate, invent, make a judgment, imagine, count

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to think, account

1a2) to plan, devise, mean

1a3) to charge, impute, reckon

1a4) to esteem, value, regard

1a5) to invent

1b) (Niphal)

1b1) to be accounted, be thought, be esteemed

1b2) to be computed, be reckoned

1b3) to be imputed

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Conj | V-Piel-ConsecImperf-1cs | Suff — Verb piel sequential imperfect first person common singular · suffix
Hc/Vpw1cs/Sh
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

thot: The most frequent word in the Old Testament (machashebheth, from the verb chashabh, "to think") refers to a "device," or a purpose firmly fixed, as in the passage in Isa (55:7-9) where the "thought" of God and of man are contrasted (compare Ps 40:5; 92:5; Jer 29:11). In the New Testament dialogismos (Mt 15:19; 1Co 3:20), refers to the inner reasoning or deliberation of one with himself.

See THINK.

and I thought ! to know this [was] trouble it in view my
לָדַ֣עַתla.Da.'at to know H3045 Preposition · verb qal infinitive construct common
945× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
The Hebrew word for to know means to ascertain by seeing, and is used in many senses, including to learn, perceive, and recognize, as seen in various KJV translations.
Amplified meaning
to know, comprehend, grasp
Tyndale gloss
to know
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

יָדַע (yada`) is a Hebrew verb meaning 'to know,' encompassing a wide range of senses including perception, recognition, and experience. It can refer to knowing someone intimately or being skilled in a task. The word has various forms, indicating actions such as making known or being made known. Lexicons note its use in both literal and figurative contexts, but there is no significant disagreement among them.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

יָדַע 943 vb. know

Qal

know, learn to know

perceive

perceive and see; find out and discern

discriminate, distinguish

know by experience

recognize, admit, acknowledge, confess

consider

not know = not expect

know a person, be acquainted with

know a person carnally, of sexual intercourse

know how, to do a thing, be able to do it

be skilful in

abs. have knowledge, be wise

Niph.

be made known, be or become known, of things

make oneself known of pers.

be perceived

be instructed

Pi. cause to know

Pu. known

Hiph. make known, declare

Hoph. made known

Hithp. make oneself known

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H3045 יָדַע know .. . know, learn to know

. perceive

. perceive and see; find out and discern

. discriminate, distinguish

. know by experience

. recognize, admit, acknowledge, confess

. consider

. not know = not expect

. know a person, be acquainted with

. know a person carnally, of sexual intercourse

. . know how, to do a thing, be able to do it

. be skilful in

. abs. have knowledge, be wise

. . be made known, be or become known, of things

. make oneself known of pers.

. be perceived

. be instructed

. cause to know

. known

. make known, declare

. made known

. make oneself known

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

3045 yada` yaw-dah'

a primitive root; to know (properly, to ascertain by seeing);

used in a great variety of senses, figuratively, literally,

euphemistically and inferentially (including observation,

care, recognition; and causatively, instruction, designation,

punishment, etc.) (as follow):--acknowledge, acquaintance(-ted

with), advise, answer, appoint, assuredly, be aware,

(un-)awares, can(-not), certainly, comprehend, consider, X

could they, cunning, declare, be diligent, (can, cause to)

discern, discover, endued with, familiar friend, famous, feel,

can have, be (ig-)norant, instruct, kinsfolk, kinsman, (cause

to let, make) know, (come to give, have, take) knowledge, have

(knowledge), (be, make, make to be, make self) known, + be

learned, + lie by man, mark, perceive, privy to, X

prognosticator, regard, have respect, skilful, shew, can (man

of) skill, be sure, of a surety, teach, (can) tell,

Read the full entry →
Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

יָדַע (ya.da) — to know.

1) to know

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to know

1a1a) to know, learn to know

1a1b) to perceive

1a1c) to perceive and see, find out and discern

1a1d) to discriminate, distinguish

1a1e) to know by experience

1a1f) to recognise, admit, acknowledge, confess

1a1g) to consider

1a2) to know, be acquainted with

1a3) to know (a person carnally)

1a4) to know how, be skilful in

1a5) to have knowledge, be wise

1b) (Niphal)

1b1) to be made known, be or become known, be revealed

1b2) to make oneself known

1b3) to be perceived

1b4) to be instructed

1c) (Piel) to cause to know

1d) (Poal) to cause to know

1e) (Pual)

1e1) to be known

1e2) known, one known, acquaintance (participle)

1f) (Hiphil) to make known, declare

1g) (Hophal) to be made known

1h) (Hithpael) to make oneself known, reveal oneself

Aramaic equivalent: ye.da (יְדַע "to know" H3046)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Prep | V-Qal-Inf-a — Preposition · verb qal infinitive construct common
HR/Vqcc
and I thought ! to know this [was] trouble it in view my
זֹ֑אתZot this H2063 Particle
604× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This Hebrew word means this or that, often used to point out something specific. It appears in various forms throughout the Old Testament.
Amplified meaning
these things, this situation
Tyndale gloss
this
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

זֹאת (zot) is a demonstrative pronoun and adverb meaning 'this' or 'here.' It can stand alone or be used in apposition to a noun, often serving as a predicate. The word can also attach enclitically to interrogative pronouns to add emphasis. In poetry, it may function as a relative pronoun, though this is rare.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

זֶה demonstr.pron. and adv.; fem. זֹאת, once זֹאתָה; this, here

standing alone

In appos. to subst.

More oft. as pred.

It is attached enclitically, almost as an adv., to certain words, esp. interrog. pronouns, to impart, in a manner often not reproducible in Engl. idiom, directness and force, bringing the question or statement made into close relation with the speaker.

In poetry, as a relative pron. (rare)

With prefixes (in special senses)

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H2063 זֶה demonstr. pron. and adv.; fem. זֹאת, once זֹאתָה; this, here . standing alone

. In appos. to subst.

. More oft. as pred.

. It is attached enclitically, almost as an adv., to certain words, esp. interrog. pronouns, to impart, in a manner often not reproducible in Engl. idiom, directness and force, bringing the question or statement made into close relation with the speaker.

. In poetry, as a relative pron. (rare)

. With prefixes (in special senses)

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

2063 zo'th zothe'

irregular feminine of 2089; this (often used adverb):--

hereby (-in, -with), it, likewise, the one (other, same), she,

so (much), such (deed), that, therefore, these, this (thing),

thus.

see HEBREW for 02089

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

זֹאת (zot) — this.

1) this, this one, here, which, this...that, the one...the other, such

1a) (alone)

1a1) this one

1a2) this...that, the one...the other, another

1b) (appos to subst)

1b1) this

1c) (as predicate)

1c1) this, such

1d) (enclitically)

1d1) then

1d2) who, whom

1d3) how now, what now

1d4) what now

1d5) wherefore now

1d6) behold here

1d7) just now

1d8) now, now already

1e) (poetry)

1e1) wherein, which, those who

1f) (with prefixes)

1f1) in this (place) here, then

1f2) on these conditions, herewith, thus provided, by, through this, for this cause, in this matter

1f3) thus and thus

1f4) as follows, things such as these, accordingly, to that effect, in like manner, thus and thus

1f5) from here, hence, on one side...on the other side

1f6) on this account

1f7) in spite of this, which, whence, how

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Pron — Particle
HTm
and I thought ! to know this [was] trouble it in view my
עָמָ֖ל'a.Mal [was] trouble H5999 Noun common · both singular absolute
55× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This word refers to trouble or hard work that causes worry or pain, whether physical or mental, like the struggles of the Israelites in the book of Exodus.
Amplified meaning
seemed, appeared, became, too painful, wearisome, a burden
Tyndale gloss
trouble
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

עָמָל (amal) refers to trouble, labor, or toil. It encompasses a range of meanings including physical and mental effort, as well as sorrow and mischief. The word is built from a root that conveys the idea of wearing effort and can imply grievance or wickedness. It appears in contexts related to suffering and toil.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

עָמָל n.m. f. trouble, labor, toil

trouble (∥ sorrow): one’s own suffering

trouble, mischief, as done to others

toil, labour (late in Heb.)

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H5999 עָמָל trouble, labor, toil

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

5999 `amal aw-mawl'

from 5998; toil, i.e. wearing effort; hence, worry, wheth. of

body or mind:--grievance(-vousness), iniquity, labour,

mischief, miserable(-sery), pain(-ful), perverseness, sorrow,

toil, travail, trouble, wearisome, wickedness.

see HEBREW for 05998

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

עָמָל (a.mal) — trouble.

1) toil, trouble, labour

1a) trouble

1b) trouble, mischief

1c) toil, labour

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-cs — Noun common · both singular absolute
HNcbsa
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
Nave's Topical Bible

→ BORROWING Mt 6:25-34; Mr 5:35,36; Joh 14:1; 16:6,7; Php 4:6; 1Pe 5:7

See AFFLICTION

See SUFFERING

→ INSTANCES OF

Israelites at the Red Sea Ex 14:10-12

About water Ex 15:23-25; 17:2,3; Nu 20:1-13

Food Ex 16:2,3; Nu 11:4-33

When Moses waited upon the mountain Ex 32:1

and I thought ! to know this [was] trouble it in view my
ה֣וּאHu' it H1931 Pronoun
1,879× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This word is a pronoun meaning 'he', 'she', or 'it', used to refer to a person or thing. It is used in the Bible to emphasize a subject or make it clear who is being talked about.
Tyndale gloss
he/she/it
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

הוּא (hu) is a third-person singular pronoun meaning he, she, or it, used for emphasis or when no verb is present. It can also refer to oneself or serve as a demonstrative pronoun. The word has various nuances, including resuming the subject with emphasis or expressing it unobtrusively. It can indicate 'that' or 'those' when used with the definite article.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

הוּא m. הִיא f., pron. of the 3rd ps. sing. he, she, used also (in both genders) for the neuter it

an emph. he (she, it, they), sometimes equivalent to himself (herself, itself, themselves), or (esp. with the art.) that (those)

It resumes the subj. with emph.

Where, however, the pron. follows the pred., its position gives it the minimum of emphasis, and it expresses (or resumes) the subject as unobtrusively as possible

It anticipates (as it seems) the subject

As an emph. predicate, of God

In a neuter sense, that, it (of an action, occurrence, matte, etc.)

With the art.: so regularly when joined to a subst. defined itself by the art.

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H1931 הוּא, הִיא he, she, used also (in both genders) for the neuter it . an emph. he (she, it, they), sometimes equivalent to himself (herself, itself, themselves), or (esp. with the art.) that (those)

. It resumes the subj. with emph.

. Where, however, the pron. follows the pred., its position gives it the minimum of emphasis, and it expresses (or resumes) the subject as unobtrusively as possible

. It anticipates (as it seems) the subject

. As an emph. predicate, of God

. In a neuter sense, that, it (of an action, occurrence, matte, etc.)

. With the art.: so regularly when joined to a subst. defined itself by the art.

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

1931 huw' hoo

of which the feminine (beyond the Pentateuch) is hiyw {he}; a

primitive word, the third person pronoun singular, he (she or

it); only expressed when emphatic or without a verb; also

(intensively) self, or (especially with the article) the same;

sometimes (as demonstrative) this or that; occasionally

(instead of copula) as or are:--he, as for her, him(-self),

it, the same, she (herself), such, that (...it), these, they,

this, those, which (is), who.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

הוּא (hu) — he/she/it.

pron 3p s

1) he, she, it

1a) himself (with emphasis)

1b) resuming subj with emphasis

1c) (with minimum emphasis following predicate)

1d) (anticipating subj)

1e) (emphasising predicate)

1f) that, it (neuter) demons pron

2) that (with article)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Pron — Pronoun
HPp3ms
The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
and I thought ! to know this [was] trouble it in view my
בְעֵינָֽי׃ve.'ei.Nai in view my H5869 Preposition · noun common feminine dual construct · suffix
887× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This word can mean a spring or fountain, but also refers to the eye or a source of something. It is often translated as affliction, outward appearance, or countenance, and is used in various contexts throughout the Bible.
Amplified meaning
before my eyes, in my view, to me
Tyndale gloss
eye
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word עַ֫יִן (*'ayin*) means 'eye' and can refer to both the physical organ and its figurative uses, such as mental qualities and desires. It also denotes a 'spring' or 'fountain' of water. The entries highlight various phrases and contexts, including appearances and expressions of emotion, but do not indicate any significant disagreement among lexicons.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

עַ֫יִן 859 n.f. eye

lit. as physical organ

eyes as showing mental qualities

desire of the eyes, abominations of the eyes

Fig. of mental and physical faculties, acts and states

Transferred mngs.:

visible surface of earth

appearance

gleam, sparkle

Other phrases are: an eye for an eye; eye to eye; in the presence of, in full view of; of business transaction; on the forehead

base

עַ֫יִן n.f. spring (of water). Particular springs are:

ע׳ חֲרֹר Ju 7:1

ע׳ הַקּוֹרֵא (partridge-spring) Ju 15:19

ע׳ רֹגֵל near Jerus.

ע׳ הַתַּנִּין (dragon-spring)

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H5869a עַ֫יִן eye . lit. as physical organ

. . eyes as showing mental qualities

. desire of the eyes, abominations of the eyes

. Fig. of mental and physical faculties, acts and states

. Transferred mngs.: . visible surface of earth

. appearance

. gleam, sparkle

. Other phrases are: an eye for an eye; eye to eye; in the presence of, in full view of; of business transaction; on the forehead

H5869b עַ֫יִן spring (of water)

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

5869 `ayin ah'-yin

probably a primitive word; an eye (literally or

figuratively); by analogy, a fountain (as the eye of the

landscape):--affliction, outward appearance, + before, +

think best, colour, conceit, + be content, countenance, +

displease, eye((-brow), (-d), -sight), face, + favour,

fountain, furrow (from the margin), X him, + humble,

knowledge, look, (+ well), X me, open(-ly), + (not) please,

presence, + regard, resemblance, sight, X thee, X them, +

think, X us, well, X you(-rselves).

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

עַ֫יִן (a.yin) — eye.

: eye

1) eye

1a) eye

1a1) of physical eye

1a2) as showing mental qualities

1a3) of mental and spiritual faculties (fig.)

עַ֫יִן (a.yin) — Fountain (Gate).

§ spring, fountain

עַ֫יִן (a.yin) — Fountain of.

§ spring, fountain

עַ֫יִן (a.yin) — eye: seeing.

: seeing

1) eye

1a) eye

1a1) of physical eye

1a2) as showing mental qualities

1a3) of mental and spiritual faculties (fig.)

עַ֫יִן (a.yin) — eye: appearance.

: appearance

1) eye

1a) eye

1a1) of physical eye

1a2) as showing mental qualities

1a3) of mental and spiritual faculties (fig.)

עַ֫יִן (a.yin) — eye: before(the eyes).

: before(the_eyes)

1) eye

1a) eye

1a1) of physical eye

1a2) as showing mental qualities

1a3) of mental and spiritual faculties (fig.)

עַ֫יִן (a.yin) — eye: sin.

: sin

1) eye

1a) eye

1a1) of physical eye

1a2) as showing mental qualities

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Prep | N-cd | Suff — Preposition · noun common feminine dual construct · suffix
HR/Ncfdc/Sp1bs
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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