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Psalms 73:19 — Word Study

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WLCאֵ֤יךְ הָי֣וּ לְשַׁמָּ֣ה כְרָ֑גַע סָ֥פוּ תַ֝֗מּוּ מִן־ בַּלָּהֽוֹת׃

BSAHowʼêyk [in what manner] suddenlyregaʻ they arehâyâh laid wasteshammâh [become a desolation, destroyed] completelytâmam [utterly, as in a moment] swept awayçûwph [consumed, ended] bymin [from, out of] terrorsballâhâh [horror, dreadful events]

Word
Listen & take awayPsalms 73
English ↓ Download MP3 The Berean Standard Bible chapter audio already hosted for the site's Bible section — verse 19 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 (ba.la.Hot) — no per-word recordings of the Hebrew exist to link to.
Take it away
Psalms 73:19quick helps
In a sentenceThe psalmist expresses astonishment at the sudden destruction of the wicked.
Who is speakingThe psalmist, reflecting on the fate of the wicked.
Where we areIn a meditation on the apparent prosperity of the wicked contrasted with their ultimate demise.
The hard wordבַּלָּהֽוֹת
Take awayDestruction can come suddenly and unexpectedly.
8 commentators on this verse Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them › clause verbהָיָה 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 73:19

Sections marked generated are written from the data on this page rather than by a named author. Everything else — the lexicon entries, the cross references, the manuscript readings, the counts — is quoted from its source unchanged.

Context — The Fate of the Wickedgenerated

18Surely You set them on slick ground; You cast them down into ruin.
19How suddenly they are laid waste, completely swept away by terrors!
20Like one waking from a dream, so You, O Lord, awaken and despise their form.
21When my heart was grieved and I was pierced within,

Psalms 73:19 reflects the psalmist's deep concern over the fate of the wicked, who seem to prosper while the righteous suffer. This verse highlights the suddenness of their destruction, emphasizing that their apparent security is an illusion. The psalmist contrasts their fleeting success with the ultimate reality of God's judgment, which can strike unexpectedly, as seen in the surrounding verses that discuss the wicked's downfall.


Cross References

ReferenceText (BSB)
1Psalm 58:9Before your pots can feel the burning thorns— whether green or dry— He will sweep them away.
2Job 20:5the triumph of the wicked has been brief and the joy of the godless momentary?
3Isaiah 30:13this iniquity of yours is like a breach about to fail, a bulge in a high wall, whose collapse will come suddenly— in an instant!
4Acts 2:23He was delivered up by God’s set plan and foreknowledge, and you, by the hands of the lawless, put Him to death by nailing Him to the cross.
51 Thessalonians 5:3While people are saying, “Peace and security,” destruction will come upon them suddenly, like labor pains on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape.

The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 13 references, hung on the phrase they belong to


The Key Word אֵיךְ, 'eikhgenerated

The word אֵיךְ (*'eikh*) is an interrogative particle that expresses wonder or surprise, often translated as 'how?'. It can also imply 'where', and is used in contexts of lamentation. The parsing indicates it functions as a particle, emphasizing the psalmist's astonishment at the sudden fate of the wicked.

In this verse, אֵיךְ introduces the observation of their destruction, setting a tone of incredulity at the abruptness of their demise.


How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated

All translations agree on the rendering of אֵיךְ as 'how', maintaining the sense of surprise in the context of the wicked's destruction.


Sentence Structuregenerated

The main clause of the verse is governed by the verb הָי֣וּ, they have become, with additional phrases providing detail about their fate. The structure emphasizes the suddenness of their destruction, with the adverbial phrase אֵיךְ leading the statement.

The presence of multiple verbs, including סָ֥פוּ and תַ֝֗מּוּ, indicates a progression in the description of the wicked's fate, reinforcing the abruptness of their end.


Septuagint Backgroundgenerated

The Septuagint translates אֵיךְ as πῶς (*pōs*), which similarly conveys astonishment. This choice reflects the translators' intent to capture the emotional weight of the psalmist's observation.

The Greek word for destruction, ἐρήμωσιν, corresponds to the Hebrew לְשַׁמָּ֣ה, indicating a direct connection in meaning between the two texts.


In plain words — the whole versegenerated

Psalms 73:19 highlights the suddenness of the wicked's destruction. The psalmist is astonished that they can be laid waste so quickly, swept away by terrors. This verse serves as a reminder that their apparent prosperity is fleeting and that God's judgment can come unexpectedly.


Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated

What does it mean that the wicked are laid waste suddenly?

It indicates that their destruction can occur unexpectedly, emphasizing the transient nature of their success.

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

This verse encapsulates the tension between the prosperity of the wicked and the ultimate justice of God, which is a central theme throughout the psalm.

What kind of terrors are being referred to?

The terrors likely refer to the calamities and judgments that befall the wicked, leading to their sudden downfall.

Why does the psalmist express surprise at their destruction?

The psalmist is astonished because the wicked often appear to thrive, making their abrupt downfall seem shocking and unexpected.


Reflection Questionsgenerated

  1. In what ways have I seen sudden changes in circumstances around me?
  2. How does this verse challenge my understanding of justice and prosperity?
  3. What can I learn from the psalmist's perspective on the fate of the wicked?
  4. How can I apply the message of this verse to my own life and faith?

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

The early Church Fathers, including Augustine, reflect on this verse to discuss the suddenness of the wicked's destruction and the implications for understanding divine justice.

Augustine of HippoExposition on Psalms 73 354–430
"How have they become a desolation suddenly?" [Psalms 73:19]. He is wondering at them, understanding unto the last things.
Early Church Fathers on Psalms 73 →

Commentators on this verse — 8 expositors, verse by verse

Each of these wrote on Psalms 73:19 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.

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

How are they brought into desolation, as in a moment?.... Very suddenly, which is often the case of wicked men, who cry Peace and safety, and sudden destruction comes upon them, 1 Thessalonians 5:3,

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

Until I went into the sanctuary of God; then understood I their end. -The victory which he gained over his doubts in the sanctuary when he understood the end of the godless. Verse 17.

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

Their fall is wonderful, both for its soreness and for its suddenness. Consumed with terrors; either, with the horrors of their own minds; or rather, with God’ s dreadful judgments unexpectedly seizing upon them.

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

Psalms 73:19 How are they [brought] into desolation, as in a moment! they are utterly consumed with terrors.Ver. 19. How are they brought into desolation! &c.] Such as the psalmist expresseth by an exclamation, caused by an admiration at God’ s dreadfull judgments which his faith beheld as present and unavoidable, and such as astonied the beholders. See it in the literal and mystical Babylon, Jeremiah 51:37; Jeremiah 51:41 Revelation 18:10; Revelation 18:17. They are utterly consumed with terrors] Heb. They are ended, they are consumed with troublesome frights; especially when from their death beds they behold that three-fold terrible spectacle, death, judgment, hell, and all to be passed…

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

(19) In a moment.—Literally, in a wink. (Comp. “In the twinkling of an eye.”)

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

Verse 19. Are they brought into desolation] This is often a literal fact. I have known several cases where persons, very rich, have by sudden losses been brought into desolation as in a moment; in consequence of which they were utterly consumed in terrors.

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

19. How are they become a desolation in a moment! They are at an end, they are consumed with terrors. The word terrors, found here only in the Psalter, is a favourite word in Job in similar connexions (Psalms 18:11; Psalms 18:14, &c.).

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

How are they brought into desolation, as in a moment! - How suddenly and unexpectedly does destruction come upon them!

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

How suddenly they are laid waste, completely swept away by terrors!

WEBWorld English Bible2000

How they are suddenly destroyed! They are completely swept away with terrors.

MSBMajority Standard Bible2022

How suddenly they are laid waste, completely swept away by terrors!

NETBNew English Translation2006

How desolate they become in a mere moment! Terrifying judgments make their demise complete!

Tyndale line

KJVKing James Version1611

How are they brought into desolation, as in a moment! they are utterly consumed with terrors.

ASVAmerican Standard Version1901

How are they become a desolation in a moment! They are utterly consumed with terrors.

RVARevised Version, American1894

How are they become a desolation in a moment! they are utterly consumed with terrors.

NWBWebster's Bible1833

How are they brought into desolation, as in a moment! they are utterly consumed with terrors.

GNVGeneva Bible1599

How suddenly are they destroyed, perished and horribly consumed,

Strictly literal

DBYDarby Translation1890

How are they suddenly made desolate! they pass away, consumed with terrors.

YLTYoung's Literal Translation1862

How have they become a desolation as in a moment, They have been ended — consumed from terrors.

LSVLiteral Standard Version2020

How they have become a desolation as in a moment, || They have been ended—consumed from terrors.

ILTInterlinear Literal Translation2000

How are they brought into desolation, as in a moment! they perish, they come to their end with terrific events.

ULBUnlocked Literal Bible2017

How they become a wilderness in a moment! They come to an end and are finished in awful terrors.

From the Latin

DRADouay-Rheims (Challoner)1899

Deliver not up to beasts the souls that confess to thee: and forget not to the end the souls of thy poor.

Simplified

FBVFree Bible Version2020

How quickly they're destroyed! They come to a terrifying end.

BBEBible in Basic English1949

How suddenly are they wasted! fears are the cause of their destruction.

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.

clauseadverbialאֵ֤יךְhow!verbהָי֣וּthey.have.becomeprepositional phrase · prepositionalלְ(into).aשַׁמָּ֣הwasteprepositional phrase · prepositionalכְlikeרָ֑גַעa.momentclauseverbסָ֥פוּthey.come.to.an.endclauseverbתַ֝֗מּוּthey.are.finishedprepositional phrase · prepositionalמִןfromבַּלָּהֽוֹתsudden.terror(s)

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


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

The Masoretic Text and the Septuagint largely agree in their wording, with 7 of the 8 words matched. The Septuagint's rendering maintains the core message of sudden destruction, though its word order differs.

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

אֵ֤יךְ הָי֣וּ לְשַׁמָּ֣ה כְרָ֑גַע סָ֥פוּ תַ֝֗מּוּ מִן־ בַּלָּהֽוֹת׃

Septuagintthe Greek the translators chose, word by word
אֵ֤יךְπῶςהָי֣וּἐγένοντοלְשַׁמָּ֣הἐρήμωσινכְרָ֑גַעἐχάπιναסָ֥פוּἐχέλιπονתַ֝֗מּוּἀπώλοντοמִן־διὰ

7 of the 8 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 73:19אֵיךְhow!how!אֵיךְהָיָהthey have bthey have becomהָיָהשַׁמָּהa wastea wasteשַׁמָּהרֶ֫גַעlike a momelike a momentרֶ֫גַעסוּףthey come tthey come to anסוּףתָּמַםthey are fithey are finishתָּמַםמִן־fromfromמִן־בַּלָּהָהsudden terrsudden terrorבַּלָּהָהאַיwhere?where?אַישָׁמֵםbe desolatbe desolate: deשָׁמֵםרָגַעto disturbto disturbרָגַעבָּלַהּto troubleto troubleבָּלַהּהָוָאto fallto fallהָוָאמֵןstringstringמֵןשַׁמָּהhorror: dehorror: destroyשַׁמָּהשְׁרֵקָהhissinghissingשְׁרֵקָהקְלָלָהcursecurseקְלָלָהחָרַדto trembleto trembleחָרַדמְעַטlittlelittleמְעַטבְּהֵמָהanimalanimalבְּהֵמָהרָעָבfaminefamineרָעָבעַדtilltillעַדרָחַקto removeto removeרָחַקיָתַרto remainto remainיָתַרצַלְמָ֫וֶתshadowshadowצַלְמָ֫וֶתאַ֫יִןnothingnothingאַ֫יִן
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 73:19

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.

how! they have become a waste like a moment they come to an end they are finished from sudden terror
אֵ֤יךְ'eikh how! H349 Particle
82× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
In the Bible, this word means 'how' or 'where', like in Genesis when God asks Adam 'where are you'. It's also used to express surprise or excitement.
Amplified meaning
in what manner
Tyndale gloss
how?
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

אֵיךְ (*'eyk*) and its variants express the concept of 'how?' in various contexts, functioning as both interrogative and exclamatory forms. The entries indicate that it can also imply 'where' and is used in expressions of lamentation or satisfaction. The word appears in different spellings, reflecting its usage in the Old Testament.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

אֵיךְ 69 adv.

interrog. How?

as an exclam. How!

base

אֵיכָה adv.

interrog. In what manner?

exclam. How!

Where?

base

אֵיכָ֫כָה (Ct) אֵֽיכָכָ֫ה (Est) How?

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H349a אֵיךְ . interrog. How?

. as an exclam. How!

H349b אֵיכָה . interrog. In what manner?

. as an exclam. How!

H349c אֵיכָ֫כָה (Ct) אֵֽיכָכָ֫ה (Est) How?

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

349 'eyk ake

also eykah {ay-kaw'}; and teykakah {ay-kaw'-kah}; prolonged

from 335; how? or how!; also where:--how, what.

see HEBREW for 0335

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

אֵיךְ (ekh) — how?.

interrog adv

how?

אֵיכָה (e.khah) — how?.

interrog adv

1) how?

interj

2) how! (in lamentation)

3) expression of satisfaction

אֵיכָ֫כָה (e.kha.khah) — how?.

how?

Another spelling of ekh (אֵיךְ "how?" H0349A)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Part — Particle
HTi
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

Represents various Hebrew and Greek words, interrogative, interjectional and relative. Its different uses refer to

(1) the manner or way, e.g. Ge 44:34, "How shall I go up to my father?" ('ekh); Mt 6:28, "how they grow" (pos); 1Co 15:35, "How are the dead raised?";

(2) degree, extent, frequently, "how great" (Da 4:3, mah; Mr 5:19, hosos, "how much"); "how many" (Mt 27:13, posos); "how much" (Ac 9:13, hosos); "how much more" (Mt 7:11, posos;

how! they have become a waste like a moment they come to an end they are finished from sudden terror
הָי֣וּha.Yu they have become H1961 Verb · Qal · perfect third person common plural
3,562× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
The Hebrew word for to be means to exist or come into being. It is used to describe something that happens or comes to pass, like in Genesis where God creates the world.
Tyndale gloss
to be
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word הָיָה (hayah) is a primitive root meaning to exist or become, and it encompasses a range of meanings including to happen, occur, and come to pass. It is often used in narrative contexts, particularly in phrases like "and it came to pass." The word can also denote a state of being or existence, and it appears frequently in various forms throughout the Old Testament.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

הָיָה 3570 vb. fall out, come to pass, become, be

Qal

Fall out, happen

occur, take place, come about, come to pass

esp. & very oft., come about, come to pass

וַיְהִי and it came to pass that, most often (c. 292 t.)

rarely also Pf. c. וְ conj. וְהָיָה

less oft. וְהָיָה Pf. consec. and it shall come to pass, or frequentat. came to pass (repeatedly, etc.)

Come into being, become

abs., in lively narrative, arise, appear, come

sq. prep.

become

sq. pred. noun (to be viewed as implicit accus.)

sq. pred. adj.

become like

sq. pred. לְ pers.

sq. לְ pred.

oft. c. לְ pred. לְ pers.

with עַל and לְ

sts. c. לְ pers. only = became the property of, come into the possession of

Be (often with subbordinate idea of becoming)

exist, be in existence

abide, remain, continue

with word of locality, be in or at a place, be situated, stand, lie

as copula, joining subj. & pred.

Read the full entry →
Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H1961 הָיָה fall out, come to pass, become, be .. . . Fall out, happen

. occur, take place, come about, come to pass

. esp. & very oft., come about, come to pass . . וַיְהִי and it came to pass that, most often (c. 292 t.)

. rarely also Pf. c. וְ conj. וְהָיָה

. less oft. וְהָיָה Pf. consec. and it shall come to pass, or frequentat. came to pass (repeatedly, etc.)

. Come into being, become . . abs., in lively narrative, arise, appear, come

. sq. prep.

. become . sq. pred. noun (to be viewed as implicit accus.)

. sq. pred. adj.

. become like

. sq. pred. + לְ pers.

. sq. לְ pred.

. oft. c. לְ pred. + לְ pers.

. with עַל and לְ

. sts. c. לְ pers. only = became the property of, come into the possession of

. Be (often with subbordinate idea of becoming) . exist, be in existence

. abide, remain, continue

Read the full entry →
Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

1961 hayah haw-yaw

a primitive root (compare 1933); to exist, i.e. be or become,

come to pass (always emphatic, and not a mere copula or

auxiliary):--beacon, X altogether, be(-come), accomplished,

committed, like), break, cause, come (to pass), do, faint,

fall, + follow, happen, X have, last, pertain, quit

(one-)self, require, X use.

see HEBREW for 01933

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

הָיָה (ha.yah) — to be.

1) to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out

1a) (Qal)

1a1) ---

1a1a) to happen, fall out, occur, take place, come about, come to pass

1a1b) to come about, come to pass

1a2) to come into being, become

1a2a) to arise, appear, come

1a2b) to become

1a2b1) to become

1a2b2) to become like

1a2b3) to be instituted, be established

1a3) to be

1a3a) to exist, be in existence

1a3b) to abide, remain, continue (with word of place or time)

1a3c) to stand, lie, be in, be at, be situated (with word of locality)

1a3d) to accompany, be with

1b) (Niphal)

1b1) to occur, come to pass, be done, be brought about

1b2) to be done, be finished, be gone

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
V-Qal-Perf-3cp — Verb · Qal · perfect third person common plural
HVqp3cp
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

be-kum':

(1) Greek ginomai, used in New Testament for a change of state, corresponding to Hebrew hayah of Old Testament. Compare Mt 18:3 with De 27:9.

(2) For what is fitting, suitable, proper, in New Testament: "prepei" (Mt 3:15; Eph 5:3; 1Ti 2:10); in Old Testament, na'awah, na'ah, Ps 93:5: "Holiness becometh thy house." in this sense, the adverb "becomingly" must be interpreted: "Walk becomingly toward them that are without" (1Th 4:12), i.e. in a way that is consistent with your profession.

how! they have become a waste like a moment they come to an end they are finished from sudden terror
לְשַׁמָּ֣הle.sha.Mah a waste H8047 Preposition · noun common feminine singular absolute
39× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
Shammâh refers to a state of horror or ruin, often describing a waste or desolate land. It can also mean consternation or appalment, and is used in the Bible to describe the aftermath of war or disaster.
Amplified meaning
become a desolation, destroyed
Tyndale gloss
horror: destroyed
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

שַׁמָּה (shammah) refers to concepts of waste and horror, indicating destruction or desolation. It encompasses meanings such as appalment and ruin, often related to land or cities. The word is derived from another Hebrew root, שָׁמַם (shamam), which also conveys similar themes of devastation.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

שַׁמָּה n.f. waste, appalment

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H8047 שַׁמָּה waste, appalment

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

8047 shammah sham-maw'

from 8074; ruin; by implication,

consternation:--astonishment, desolate(-ion), waste,

wonderful thing.

see HEBREW for 08074

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

שַׁמָּה (sham.mah) — horror: destroyed.

: destroyed/waste

1) waste, horror, appalment

1a) a waste (of land, city, etc)

1b) appalment, horror

Also means: sham.mah (שַׁמָּה ": appalled" H8047H)

שַׁמָּה (sham.mah) — horror: appalled.

: appalled

1) waste, horror, appalment

1a) a waste (of land, city, etc)

1b) appalment, horror

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Prep | N-fs — Preposition · noun common feminine singular absolute
HR/Ncfsa
how! they have become a waste like a moment they come to an end they are finished from sudden terror
כְרָ֑גַעkhe.Ra.ga' like a moment H7281 Preposition · noun common masculine singular absolute
22× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This word describes a very short space of time, like the blink of an eye. It can be translated as a moment, instant, or suddenly.
Tyndale gloss
moment
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

רֶ֫גַע (rega) refers to a very brief period of time, translated as 'moment' or 'instant.' It can denote a short space of time, such as 'for a moment' or 'in a moment.' The word is derived from a root meaning 'to wink,' emphasizing its fleeting nature.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

רֶ֫גַע n.m. a moment

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H7281 רֶ֫גַע a moment

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

7281 rega` reh'-gah

from 7280. a wink (of the eyes), i.e. a very short space of

time:--instant, moment, space, suddenly.

see HEBREW for 07280

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

רֶ֫גַע (re.ga) — moment.

1) a moment

adv

2) for a moment, at one moment...at another moment

with prep

3) in a moment

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Prep | N-ms — Preposition · noun common masculine singular absolute
HR/Ncmsa
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

mo'-ment (regha`, "a wink"; atomos, "an atom," stigme, "a point," parautika, immediately," "forthwith"): "Moment" is not used in Scripture for a division of time, but for an instant of time, as the wink or twinkling of the eye (Ex 33:5; Nu 16:21,45; La 4:6; 1Co 15:52), or for a short period of time (Job 20:5; Ps 30:5; Isa 26:20; 2Co 4:17). The division of the hour into sixty minutes was certainly known in Babylonia, and the Jews were made acquainted with it, at…

how! they have become a waste like a moment they come to an end they are finished from sudden terror
סָ֥פוּSa.fu they come to an end H5486 Verb · Qal · perfect third person common plural
7× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This Hebrew word means to cease or come to an end, often used to describe the end of something, like a period of time or a life. It is used in the Bible to describe the end of a season or a person's life, as seen in the book of Psalms.
Amplified meaning
consumed, ended
Tyndale gloss
to cease
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

סוּף (soof) is a Hebrew verb meaning to come to an end or cease. It is built from a primitive root and covers meanings related to termination or consumption. The verb appears in both the Qal and Hiphil forms, indicating different nuances of ending or making an end. Its Aramaic equivalent is also noted.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

[סוּף] vb. come to an end, cease

Qal come to an end

Hiph. make an end of

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H5486 [סוּף] come to an end, cease

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

5486 cuwph soof

a primitive root; to snatch away, i.e. terminate:--consume,

have an end, perish, X be utterly.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

סוּף (suph) — to cease.

1) to cease, come to an end

1a) (Qal) to come to an end

1b) (Hiphil) to make an end

Aramaic equivalent: suph (סוּף "be fulfilled" H5487)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
V-Qal-Perf-3cp — Verb · Qal · perfect third person common plural
HVqp3cp
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

qets, 'ephec, kalah; telos, sunteleo:

The end of anything is its termination, hence, also, final object or purpose.

It is the translation of several Hebrew and Greek words, chiefly in the Old Testament of qets (properly, "a cutting off") and other words from the same root (Ge 6:13, "The end of all flesh is come before me"); 'acharith, "hinder part," is also frequently translated "end" (De 11:12; Ps 37:37,38, American Revised Version: "There is a happy end to the man of peace .... The end of the wicked shall be cut off"; the English Revised Version "latter end" (Ps 37:37), margin "reward" or "future posterity"; Ps 73:17

Easton's Bible Dictionary

End

In Heb. 13:7, is the rendering of the unusual Greek word ekbasin, meaning “outcome”, i.e., death. It occurs only elsewhere in 1 Cor. 10:13, where it is rendered “escape.”

how! they have become a waste like a moment they come to an end they are finished from sudden terror
תַ֝֗מּוּTa.mu they are finished H8552 Verb · Qal · perfect third person common plural
63× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
To finish or complete something, either in a good or bad sense, like when God finished creating the world in Genesis. It can also mean to be consumed or destroyed. The KJV Bible uses words like accomplish, cease, or have done to translate it.
Amplified meaning
utterly, as in a moment
Tyndale gloss
to finish
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

תָּמַם (tamam) is a Hebrew verb meaning to be complete or finished. It encompasses a range of meanings, including to accomplish, cease, be consumed, or be sound and upright. The word can be used in various forms, such as Qal, Hiphil, and Hithpael, indicating different nuances of completion or integrity.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

[תָּמַם], תַּם vb. be complete, finished

Qal

be finished, completed

be finished, come to an end, cease

be complete, of number

be consumed, exhausted, spent

be finished, consumed, destroyed

be complete, sound, unimpaired

twice, very strangely

Hiph.

finish, complete, perfect, a matter

finish, cease doing a thing

complete, sum up

destroy uncleanness

causative: make sound thy ways.

Hithp. deal in integrity with

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H8552 [תָּמַם], תַּם be complete, finished

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

8552 tamam taw-mam'

a primitive root; to complete, in a good or a bad sense,

literal, or figurative, transitive or intransitive (as

follows):--accomplish, cease, be clean (pass-)ed, consume,

have done, (come to an, have an, make an) end, fail, come to

the full, be all gone, X be all here, be (make) perfect, be

spent, sum, be (shew self) upright, be wasted, whole.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

תָּמַם (ta.mam) — to finish.

1) to be complete, be finished, be at an end

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to be finished, be completed

1a1a) completely, wholly, entirely (as auxiliary with verb)

1a2) to be finished, come to an end, cease

1a3) to be complete (of number)

1a4) to be consumed, be exhausted, be spent

1a5) to be finished, be consumed, be destroyed

1a6) to be complete, be sound, be unimpaired, be upright (ethically)

1a7) to complete, finish

1a8) to be completely crossed over

1b) (Niphal) to be consumed

1c) (Hiphil)

1c1) to finish, complete, perfect

1c2) to finish, cease doing, leave off doing

1c3) to complete, sum up, make whole

1c4) to destroy (uncleanness)

1c5) to make sound

1d) (Hithpael) to deal in integrity, act uprightly

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
V-Qal-Perf-3cp — Verb · Qal · perfect third person common plural
HVqp3cp
how! they have become a waste like a moment they come to an end they are finished from sudden terror
מִן־min- from H4480 Preposition
1,189× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This Hebrew word means a portion or part of something, and is often used to show the relationship between things, like from or out of something.
Amplified meaning
from, out of
Tyndale gloss
from
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word מִן־ (*min*) is a preposition meaning 'from' or 'out of,' indicating separation or origin. It covers various uses, including temporal references, comparisons, and causal relationships. Additionally, it can denote a portion when used as a noun מֵן (*men*). The entries highlight its versatility in expressing different nuances of separation and position.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

מִן־, and מִ, before יְ, prep. expressing the idea of separation, hence out of, from, on account of, off, on the side of, since, above, than, so that not

with verbs expressing (or implying) separation or removal

from, against

מן also, without a verb of similar significance, sometimes expresses the idea of separation, away from, far from

of position, off, on the side of, on

Out of, Gk. ἐκ, Lat. ex

Partitively

Of time—

as marking the terminus a quo, the anterior limit of a continuous period from, since

as marking the period immediately succeeding the limit after

towards, to

(וְעַד) עַד … מִן from … even to

In comparisons, beyond, above

מן is prefixed to an infin.:

with causal force, from, on account of, through

after verbs implying restraint, prevention, cessation, etc.

with a temporal force, since, after

Once as a conj. before a finite verb. that

In compounds:

base

Read the full entry →
Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H4480a מִן־, מִ, prep. expressing the idea of separation, hence out of, from, on account of, off, on the side of, since, above, than, so that not . with verbs expressing (or implying) separation or removal . from, against

. מן also, without a verb of similar significance, sometimes expresses the idea of separation, away from, far from

. of position, off, on the side of, on

. Out of, Gk. ἐκ, Lat. ex

. Partitively

. Of time— . as marking the terminus a quo, the anterior limit of a continuous period from, since

. as marking the period immediately succeeding the limit after

. towards, to

. (וְעַד) עַד … מִן from … even to

. In comparisons, beyond, above

. מן is prefixed to an infin.: . with causal force, from, on account of, through

. after verbs implying restraint, prevention, cessation, etc.

. with a temporal force, since, after

. Once as a conj. before a finite verb. that

Read the full entry →
Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

4480 min min

or minniy {min-nee'}; or minney (constructive plural)

{min-nay'}; (Isaiah 30:11); for 4482; properly, a part of;

hence (prepositionally), from or out of in many senses (as

follows):--above, after, among, at, because of, by (reason

of), from (among), in, X neither, X nor, (out) of, over,

since, X then, through, X whether, with.

see HEBREW for 04482

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

מִן־ (min) — from.

prep

1) from, out of, on account of, off, on the side of, since, above, than, so that not, more than

1a) from (expressing separation), off, on the side of

1b) out of

1b1) (with verbs of proceeding, removing, expelling)

1b2) (of material from which something is made)

1b3) (of source or origin)

1c) out of, some of, from (partitively)

1d) from, since, after (of time)

1e) than, more than (in comparison)

1f) from...even to, both...and, either...or

1g) than, more than, too much for (in comparisons)

1h) from, on account of, through, because (with infinitive)

conj

2) that

Aramaic equivalent: min (מִן־ "from" H4481)

מֵן (men) — portion.

n.m.

portion

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Prep — Preposition
HR
how! they have become a waste like a moment they come to an end they are finished from sudden terror
בַּלָּהֽוֹת׃ba.la.Hot sudden terror H1091 Noun common · feminine plural absolute
10× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This word means terror or destruction, causing alarm and trouble. It is used to describe dreadful events in the Bible, such as wars and disasters.
Amplified meaning
horror, dreadful events
Tyndale gloss
terror
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

בַּלָּהָה (ballahah) refers to concepts of terror, calamity, and destruction. It is derived from a root meaning alarm and primarily denotes dreadful events or troubles. The entries consistently emphasize its association with fear and disastrous occurrences, without notable disagreements among the lexicons.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

בַּלָּהָה n.f. terror, dreadful event, calamity, destruction

only pl. terrors

calamity

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H1091 בַּלָּהָה terror, dreadful event, calamity, destruction

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

1091 ballahah bal-law-haw'

from 1089; alarm; hence, destruction:--terror, trouble.

see HEBREW for 01089

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

בַּלָּהָה (bal.la.hah) — terror.

terror, destruction, calamity, dreadful event

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-fp — Noun common · feminine plural absolute
HNcfpa
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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