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Psalms 75:3 — Word Study

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WLCנְֽמֹגִ֗ים אֶ֥רֶץ וְכָל־ יֹשְׁבֶ֑יהָ אָנֹכִ֨י תִכַּ֖נְתִּי עַמּוּדֶ֣יהָ סֶּֽלָה׃

BSAforkîy to takelâqach meetingmôwʻêd Iʼănîy [I myself, I alone] uprightnessmêyshâr to judgeshâphaṭ

Word
Listen & take awayPsalms 75
English ↓ Download MP3 The Berean Standard Bible chapter audio already hosted for the site's Bible section — verse 3 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 (Se.lah) — no per-word recordings of the Hebrew exist to link to.
Take it away
Psalms 75:3quick helps
In a sentenceThe psalmist declares that when the earth and its inhabitants tremble, it is God who sustains its foundations.
Who is speakingThe psalmist, speaking on behalf of God.
Where we areA poetic declaration about God's sovereignty over the earth and its inhabitants.
The hard wordנְֽמֹגִ֗ים
Take awayGod is the one who holds everything steady.
8 commentators on this verse Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them › clause subjectH595 verbכִּי 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 75:3

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 — God's Sovereignty in Judgmentgenerated

2“When I choose a time, I will judge fairly.
3When the earth and all its dwellers quake, it is I who bear up its pillars. Selah
4I say to the proud, ‘Do not boast,’ and to the wicked, ‘Do not lift up your horn.
5Do not lift up your horn against heaven or speak with an outstretched neck.’”

Psalms 75:3 emphasizes God's control over the earth and its inhabitants, asserting that He is the one who supports the pillars of the earth when everything shakes. This verse is part of a larger discourse on divine judgment, where God declares His authority over all creation, as seen in the surrounding verses that speak of His timing and fairness in judgment.


Cross References

ReferenceText (BSB)
1Psalm 60:1–3You have rejected us, O God; You have broken us; You have been angry; restore us!
2Psalm 78:60–72He abandoned the tabernacle of Shiloh, the tent He had pitched among men.
31 Samuel 31:1–7Now the Philistines fought against Israel, and the men of Israel fled before them, and many fell slain on Mount Gilboa.
4Isaiah 24:1–12Behold, the LORD lays waste the earth and leaves it in ruins. He will twist its surface and scatter its inhabitants—
51 Samuel 18:7And as the women danced, they sang out: “Saul has slain his thousands, and David his tens of thousands.”

The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 10 references, hung on the phrase they belong to

pillars1 Samuel 2:8

The Key Word נְֽמֹגִ֗ים, ne.mo.Gimgenerated

The word נְֽמֹגִ֗ים (ne.mo.Gim) is a participle form of the verb מוּג (muwg), meaning 'to melt.' It indicates a state of being where the earth is figuratively melting away or trembling under pressure. The Niphal form suggests a passive or reflexive action, indicating that the earth is not just melting by itself but is acted upon.

In this context, it conveys a sense of instability and fear among the inhabitants of the earth. The psalmist uses this imagery to highlight the contrast between the chaos of the world and God's unwavering support, emphasizing that even in tumultuous times, He is the one who holds everything together.


How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated

This study reads the verse in the Berean Standard Bible, which uses quakes for נְֽמֹגִ֗ים.


Sentence Structuregenerated

The finite verb תִכַּ֖נְתִּי (ti.Kan.ti), meaning 'I put in order,' governs the sentence, with the subject אָנֹכִ֨י ('a.no.Khi) following it. The structure emphasizes God's active role in maintaining stability.

The sentence presents a main clause followed by a subordinate clause that describes the condition of the earth and its inhabitants. This arrangement highlights the contrast between the trembling earth and God's sustaining power.


Septuagint Backgroundgenerated

The Septuagint translates the verb נְֽמֹגִ֗ים with the Greek word ὅταν (hotan), which means 'when.' This choice reflects a direct correspondence to the Hebrew, emphasizing the timing of God's intervention when the earth quakes.

The LXX does not provide a full equivalent for all Hebrew terms, indicating a more interpretative approach in some areas, while still conveying the overarching theme of divine authority.


In plain words — the whole versegenerated

Psalms 75:3 states that when the earth and all its inhabitants tremble, it is God who holds up its pillars. This verse emphasizes God's power and control over the world, assuring that He is the one who stabilizes everything even in times of trouble.


Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated

What does it mean that the earth and its inhabitants quake?

It signifies a state of fear or instability, where the very foundations of the earth seem to be shaken, reflecting turmoil or judgment.

How does God bear up the pillars of the earth?

God sustains the earth and its inhabitants, ensuring stability and order in the midst of chaos, symbolized by the pillars.

What is the significance of the word 'Selah'?

Selah is a musical term indicating a pause for reflection, inviting the reader or listener to contemplate the weight of the preceding statements.

How does this verse relate to God's judgment?

This verse is part of a larger context that emphasizes God's authority and fairness in judgment, asserting that He is in control of the earth and its events.


Reflection Questionsgenerated

  1. What does it mean for me to trust in God's stability when the world around me feels shaky?
  2. How can I recognize God's hand in maintaining order in my life during chaotic times?
  3. In what ways can I reflect on God's sovereignty as I encounter challenges?
  4. How does understanding God's role as the one who bears up the pillars of the earth affect my view of the world?

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

Augustine of Hippo references this verse to discuss the consequences of sin, noting its implications on the earth's stability.

Augustine of HippoExposition on Psalms 75 354–430
But now what? "The earth has flowed down" [Psalms 75:3]. If the earth has flowed down, whence has it flowed down except by sins? Therefore also they are called delinquencies.
Early Church Fathers on Psalms 75 →

Commentators on this verse — 8 expositors, verse by verse

Each of these wrote on Psalms 75:3 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.

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

The earth and all the inhabitants thereof are dissolved,.... Or "melted" (p); the inhabitants, through fear and dread of the righteous Judge, appearing in the clouds of heaven, and of the wrath that

Read John Gill on Psalms 75 →
Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's Commentary

The earth and all the inhabitants thereof are dissolved: I bear up the pillars of it. Selah.

Read Robert Jamieson on Psalms 75 →
Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy Bible

Dissolved; or, melted, consumed or destroyed; partly by the ill government of Saul and Ish-bosheth, and the great officers of state and war under them; and partly by intestine divisions and wars. I bear up the pillars of it: howsoever I am traduced by mine enemies as the great disturber of the land, I must do myself this right, to affirm that, under God, I do support and establish it, by maintaining religion and justice, and by setting us good magistrates, and encouraging good ministers, and good men, which are indeed the pillars of a nation.

Read Matthew Poole on Psalms 75 →
John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

Psalms 75:3 The earth and all the inhabitants thereof are dissolved: I bear up the pillars of it. Selah.Ver. 3. The earth and all the inhabitants thereof are dissolved] Both Church and commonwealth here are utterly out of order; I shall endeavour mine utmost to set all to rights, and so to preserve the world from ruin, which subsisteth by and for the sake of God’ s Israel, Absque stationibus non staret mundus. I bear up the pillars of it] Semen sanctum statumen terrae, Isaiah 6:13, The holy seed upholdeth the state. David did (as Lucan saith of Cato), toti genitum se credere mundo; Jesus Christ much more; he is the true Atlas, upholding all things by the word of his power, Hebrews 1:3.

Read John Trapp on Psalms 75 →
Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(3) The earth . . .—Better— “Are earth and all its inhabitants dissolved? It was I adjusted its pillars.” (See Hannah’s song, 1 Samuel 2:8.) Though the crisis be such that all is confusion and anarchy (comp. Isaiah 24:19-20 for the figure), there is no cause for fear; there is still a Ruler in heaven, He who built up the edifice which now seems to totter to its fall. The verb rendered in the Authorised Version “bear up,” is used in Job 28:15, Isaiah 40:12 in the sense of “weighing” or “measuring;” but with the same allusion to the creative work of God. Here it plainly means, so to adjust the pillars as to make them equal to the weight they have to bear. The “pillars” are the “mountains,” as…

Read Charles John Ellicott on Psalms 75 →
AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible

Verse 3. The earth and all the inhabitants thereof are dissolved] They all depend on me; and whenever I withdraw the power by which they exist and live, they are immediately dissolved. I bear up the pillars of it.] By the word of my power all things are upheld, and without me nothing can subsist. Those who consider this Psalm to have been written by David before he was anointed king over ALL Israel, understand the words thus: "All is at present in a state of confusion; violence and injustice reign: but when 'I shall receive the whole congregation,' when all the tribes shall acknowledge me as king, I will reorganize the whole constitution. It is true that the land and all its inhabitants are…

Read AdamClarke on Psalms 75 →
CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

3. The first line virtually forms the protasis of the sentence: Though the earth &c.; I have set up the pillars of it. Though all the world is in terror and confusion, I (emphatic) have established a moral order in it. The material world is often compared to a building with its foundations and pillars (1 Samuel 2:8; Job 9:6; Job 38:4 ff.); and the moral world is described by the same figure. Cp. Psalms 11:3; Psalms 82:5. I bear up] Lit. I have proportioned, or, adjusted by line and measure. The rendering of R.V. marg., When the earth … I set up, will mean that when confusion reigns, God re-establishes order: but it is better to understand the perfect tense (I have set up) of the fundamental…

Read Cambridge on Psalms 75 →
Albert Barnes1798–1870Barnes' Notes on the Bible

The earth and all the inhabitants thereof are dissolved - The word rendered “dissolved” means properly to melt, to flow down; then, to melt away, to pine away, to perish. Isaiah 64:7; Job 30:22; Nahum 1:5; Psalms 107:26.

Read Albert Barnes on Psalms 75 →

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 the earth and all its dwellers quake, it is I who bear up its pillars. Selah

WEBWorld English Bible2000

The earth and all its inhabitants quake. I firmly hold its pillars. Selah.

MSBMajority Standard Bible2022

When the earth and all its dwellers quake, it is I who bear up its pillars. Selah

NETBNew English Translation2006

When the earth and all its inhabitants dissolve in fear, I make its pillars secure.” (Selah)

Tyndale line

KJVKing James Version1611

The earth and all the inhabitants thereof are dissolved: I bear up the pillars of it. Selah.

ASVAmerican Standard Version1901

The earth and all the inhabitants thereof are dissolved: I have set up the pillars of it. [Selah

RVARevised Version, American1894

The earth and all the inhabitants thereof are dissolved: I have set up the pillars of it. Selah

NWBWebster's Bible1833

The earth and all its inhabitants are dissolved: I bear up the pillars of it. Selah.

GNVGeneva Bible1599

The earth and all the inhabitantes thereof are dissolued: but I will establish the pillars of it. Selah.

Strictly literal

DBYDarby Translation1890

The earth and all the inhabitants thereof are dissolved: I have established its pillars. Selah.

YLTYoung's Literal Translation1862

Melted is the earth and all its inhabitants, I — I have pondered its pillars. Selah.

LSVLiteral Standard Version2020

The earth and all its inhabitants are melted, || I have pondered its pillars. Selah.

ILTInterlinear Literal Translation2000

(75:4) The earth and all her inhabitants are melting away: I myself establish firmly her pillars.” Selah.

ULBUnlocked Literal Bible2017

Though the earth and all the inhabitants shake in fear, I make steady the earth's pillars. Selah

From the Latin

DRADouay-Rheims (Challoner)1899

And his place is in peace: and his abode in Sion:

Simplified

FBVFree Bible Version2020

When the earth quakes, and all its inhabitants tremble, I am the one who holds it steady. Selah.

BBEBible in Basic English1949

When the earth and all its people become feeble, I am the support of its pillars. (Selah.)

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.

clauseverbנְֽמֹגִ֗ים[are].melting.awaynoun phrase · subjectאֶ֥רֶץ[the].earthוְandnoun phraseכָלallnoun phraseיֹשְׁבֶ֑יinhabitantsהָitsclausesubjectאָנֹכִ֨יIverbתִכַּ֖נְתִּיI.put.in.ordernoun phrase · objectעַמּוּדֶ֣יpillarsהָitsclauseסֶּֽלָהSelah

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 show some correspondence, with 4 out of the 8 words matched. However, the Septuagint's word order and articles differ from the Hebrew text, indicating a varied interpretive approach.

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

נְֽמֹגִ֗ים אֶ֥רֶץ וְכָל־ יֹשְׁבֶ֑יהָ אָנֹכִ֨י תִכַּ֖נְתִּי עַמּוּדֶ֣יהָ סֶּֽלָה׃

Septuagintthe Greek the translators chose, word by word
נְֽמֹגִ֗יםὅτανאֶ֥רֶץλάβωוְכָל־ἐγὼיֹשְׁבֶ֑יהָκρινῶ

4 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 75:3מוּג[are] melti[are] melting aמוּגאֶ֫רֶץ[the] earth[the] earthאֶ֫רֶץכֹּלand alland allכֹּליָשַׁבinhabitantsinhabitants itsיָשַׁבאָֽנֹכִ֫יIIאָֽנֹכִ֫יתָּכַןI put in orI put in orderתָּכַןעַמּוּדpillars itspillars itsעַמּוּדסֶ֫לָהSelahSelahסֶ֫לָהכָּלַלto perfectto perfectכָּלַלעָמַדto stand: to stand: standעָמַדסָלָהto rejectto rejectסָלָהגִּבְעָהGibeatGibeatגִּבְעָהיָשַׁבto dwellto dwellיָשַׁבכְּנַ֫עַןCanaanCanaanכְּנַ֫עַןמִצְרַ֫יִם(Sea of) E(Sea of) Egyptמִצְרַ֫יִםעֵדָהcongregaticongregationעֵדָהעֲבֹדָהserviceserviceעֲבֹדָהבֶּ֫טַחsecuritysecurityבֶּ֫טַחכְּנַעֲנִיCanaanitesCanaanitessכְּנַעֲנִיצָוָהto commandto commandצָוָהמִצְוָהcommandmencommandmentמִצְוָהלִבָּהheartheartלִבָּהדֶּ֫רֶךְway: roadway: roadדֶּ֫רֶךְאֶ֫דֶןsocketsocketאֶ֫דֶןעָנָןcloudcloudעָנָןזמרto singto singזמר
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 75:3

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.

[are] melting away [the] earth and all inhabitants its I I put in order pillars its Selah
נְֽמֹגִ֗יםne.mo.Gim [are] melting away H4127 Verb · Niphal · participle (active) masculine plural
17× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
To melt means to soften or dissolve, and can also describe feeling faint or fearful. In the Bible, it is used to describe times when people are overwhelmed or weakened, such as in the book of Psalms.
Tyndale gloss
to melt
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

מוּג (muwg) is a Hebrew verb meaning to melt. It can refer to the literal act of melting or softening, as well as figuratively to describe feelings of fear or helplessness. The entries indicate various forms, including causing something to melt and melting away. There is a slight variation in the nuances of its figurative meanings across the lexicons.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

מוּג vb. melt

Qal

melt

trans. cause to melt

Niph. melt away, fig. for be helpless, disorganized

Po‛l. soften, dissolve

Po‛. Hithpo‛l. mely; hyperb. for flow

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H4127 מוּג melt .. melt

. trans. cause to melt

. melt away, fig. for be helpless, disorganized

. soften, dissolve

. mely; hyperb. for flow

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

4127 muwg moog

a primitive root; to melt, i.e. literally (to soften, flow

down, disappear), or figuratively (to fear, faint):--consume,

dissolve, (be) faint(-hearted), melt (away), make soft.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

מוּג (mug) — to melt.

1) to melt, cause to melt

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to melt, faint

1a2) to cause to melt

1b) (Niphal) to melt away

1c) (Polel) to soften, dissolve, dissipate

1d) (Hithpolel) to melt, flow

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
HVNrmpa — Verb · Niphal · participle (active) masculine plural
HVNrmpa
[are] melting away [the] earth and all inhabitants its I I put in order pillars its Selah
אֶ֥רֶץ'E.retz [the] earth H776 Noun common · feminine singular absolute
2,504× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
The land or earth refers to the soil or ground, and can also mean a country, territory, or region. In the Bible, it is used to describe the earth and its inhabitants, and is often translated as 'land' or 'country'.
Tyndale gloss
land: soil
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

אֶ֫רֶץ (erets) is a feminine noun meaning 'earth' or 'land.' It encompasses various meanings, including the whole earth, specific territories like Canaan, and even inhabitants of the land. It can refer to soil, ground, or regions, and is used in phrases related to distance and the living. There is a note on the plural form אֲרָצוֹת, which mainly appears in later texts to denote multiple lands.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

אֶ֫רֶץ n. f. & (seld.) m. earth, land

earth, whole earth (opp. to a part)

earth, opp. to heaven, sky

earth = inhabitants of earth

land =

country, territory

district, region

trial territory

piece of ground

specif. land of Canaan, or Israel

= inhabitants of land

used even of Shᵉʼôl

ground, surface of ground

soil, as productive

אֶרֶץ in phrases

people of the land

in measurements of distance

the country of the plain, level or plain country

land of the living

end(s) of the earth

pl. אֲרָצוֹת is almost wholly late; it denotes lands, countries, often in contrast to Canaan, lands of the nations, etc.

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H776 אֶ֫רֶץ n. f. & (seld.) m. earth, land . . earth, whole earth (opp. to a part)

. earth, opp. to heaven, sky

. earth = inhabitants of earth

. land = . country, territory

. district, region

. trial territory

. piece of ground

. specif. land of Canaan, or Israel

. = inhabitants of land

. used even of Shᵉʼôl

. . ground, surface of ground

. soil, as productive

. אֶרֶץ in phrases . people of the land

. in measurements of distance

. the country of the plain, level or plain country

. land of the living

. end(s) of the earth

. pl. אֲרָצוֹת is almost wholly late; it denotes lands, countries, often in contrast to Canaan, lands of the nations, etc.

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

776 'erets eh'-rets

from an unused root probably meaning to be firm; the earth

(at large, or partitively a land):--X common, country, earth,

field, ground, land, X natins, way, + wilderness, world.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

אֶ֫רֶץ (e.rets) — land: country/planet.

: country/field

1) land, earth

1a) earth

1a1) whole earth (as opposed to a part)

1a2) earth (as opposed to heaven)

1a3) earth (inhabitants)

1b) land

1b1) country, territory

1b2) district, region

1b3) tribal territory

1b4) piece of ground

1b5) land of Canaan, Israel

1b6) inhabitants of land

1b7) Sheol, land without return, (under) world

1b8) city (-state)

1c) ground, surface of the earth

1c1) ground

1c2) soil

1d) (in phrases)

1d1) people of the land

1d2) space or distance of country (in measurements of distance)

1d3) level or plain country

1d4) land of the living

1d5) end(s) of the earth

1e) (almost wholly late in usage)

1e1) lands, countries

1e1a) often in contrast to Canaan

אֶ֫רֶץ (e.rets) — land: soil.

: soil

1) land, earth

1a) earth

1a1) whole earth (as opposed to a part)

1a2) earth (as opposed to heaven)

1a3) earth (inhabitants)

1b) land

1b1) country, territory

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
HNcfsa — Noun common · feminine singular absolute
HNcfsa
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

urth ('adhamah, 'erets, 'aphar; ge, oikoumene):

In a hilly limestone country like Palestine, the small amount of iron oxide in the rocks tends to be oxidized, and thereby to give a prevailing reddish color to the soil. This is especially the case on relatively barren hills where there is little organic matter present to prevent reddening and give a more blackish tinge.

'Adhamah (compare 'adham, "a man," and Adam) is from 'adham, "to be red," and is used in the senses: "earth" (Ex 20:24), "land" (Ps 105:35), a "land" or country (Isa 14:2), "ground" (Ge 4:11), "the earth" (Ge 7:4).

Easton's Bible Dictionary

Earth

(1.) In the sense of soil or ground, the translation of the word adamah’. In Gen. 9:20 “husbandman” is literally “man of the ground or earth.” Altars were to be built of earth (Ex. 20:24). Naaman asked for two mules’ burden of earth (2 Kings 5:17), under the superstitious notion that Jehovah, like the gods of the heathen, could be acceptably worshipped only on his own soil.

(2). As the rendering of ’erets, it means the whole world (Gen. 1:2); the land as opposed to the sea (1:10). Erets also denotes a country (21:32); a plot of ground (23:15); the ground on which a man stands (33:3); the inhabitants of the earth (6:1; 11:1); all the world except Israel (

Smith's Bible Dictionary

The term is used in two widely-different senses: (1) for the material of which the earth’s surface is composed; (2) as the name of the planet on which man dwells. The Hebrew language discriminates between these two by the use of separate terms, adamah for the former, erets for the latter. Adamah is the earth in the sense of soil or ground, particularly as being susceptible of cultivation. (Genesis 2:7) Erets is applied in a more or less extended sense-- (1) to the whole world, (Genesis 1:1) (2) to land as opposed to sea, (Genesis 1:10) (3) to a country, (Genesis 21:32) (4) to a plot of ground, (Genesis 23:15) and (5) to…

American Tract Society Bible Dictionary

In both Hebrew and Greek the same word is used to denote the earth as a whole, and a particular land. Only the context can enable us to decide in which of these senses it is to be taken in a given passage.

Thus in Mt 27:45 we might, so far as the original word is concerned, render either "there was darkness over all the land," or over all the earth. The expression "all the earth" is sometimes used hyperbolically for a large portion of it, Ezr 1:2. The word is used of the whole world, etc. In a moral sense, earthly is opposed to what is heavenly, spiritual and holy, Joh 3:31 1Co 15:47 Col 3:2

[are] melting away [the] earth and all inhabitants its I I put in order pillars its Selah
וְכָל־ve.khol and all H3605 Conjunction · noun common masculine singular construct
5,415× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
The Hebrew word for 'all' or 'everything' is used throughout the Bible, like in Genesis 1:31, where God sees all He has made as very good. It encompasses the entirety of something, whether people, things, or situations.
Tyndale gloss
all
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

כֹּל (kol) means 'all' or 'the whole.' It can refer to totality, including every person or thing, and is often used with a following genitive to specify what is included. The term can also denote a broader sense of everything in existence or all circumstances of life. The lexicons do not show significant disagreement on its meanings.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

כֹּל once כּוֹל n.m. the whole, all

with foll. gen. (as usually) the whole of, to be rendered, however, often in our idiom, to avoid stiffness, any or every

Absolutely:

without the art., all things, all

with the art. הַכֹּל

where the sense is limited by the context to things (or persons) just mentioned

in a wider sense, all, whether of all mankind or of all living things, the universe, or of all the circumstances of life (chiefly late)

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H3605 כֹּל once כּוֹל the whole, all . with foll. gen. (as usually) the whole of, to be rendered, however, often in our idiom, to avoid stiffness, any or every

. Absolutely: . without the art., all things, all

. with the art. הַכֹּל . where the sense is limited by the context to things (or persons) just mentioned

. in a wider sense, all, whether of all mankind or of all living things, the universe, or of all the circumstances of life (chiefly late)

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

3605 kol kole

or (Jer. 33:8) kowl {kole}; from 3634; properly, the whole;

hence, all, any or every (in the singular only, but often in a

plural sense):--(in) all (manner, (ye)), altogether, any

(manner), enough, every (one, place, thing), howsoever, as

many as, (no-)thing, ought, whatsoever, (the) whole,

whoso(-ever).

see HEBREW for 03634

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

כֹּל (kol) — all.

1) all, the whole

1a) all, the whole of

1b) any, each, every, anything

1c) totality, everything

Aramaic equivalent: kol (כֹּל "all" H3606)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
HC/Ncmsc — Conjunction · noun common masculine singular construct
HC/Ncmsc
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

ol: Used in various combinations, and with different meanings.

(1) All along, "Weeping all along as he went" (Jer 41:6), i.e. throughout the whole way he went, feigning equal concern with the men from Shiloh, etc., for the destruction of the Temple, so as to put them off their guard.

(2) All in all, "That God may be all in all" (1Co 15:28, Greek: panta en pasin, "all things in all (persons and) things"). "The universe, with all it comprises, will wholly answer to God's will and reflect His mind" (Dummelow).

(3) All one, "It is all one" (Job 9:22), "it makes no difference whether I live or die."

(4) At all, "If thy father miss me at all" (1Sa 20:6), "in any way," "in the least."

The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
[are] melting away [the] earth and all inhabitants its I I put in order pillars its Selah
יֹשְׁבֶ֑יהָyo.she.Vei.ha inhabitants its H3427 Verb qal participle (active) masculine plural common · suffix
1,079× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This verb means to sit or dwell, and can also mean to remain or abide. It's used in the Bible to describe people living in a place or staying with someone, like in the book of Genesis.
Tyndale gloss
to dwell
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

יָשַׁב (yashab) is a Hebrew verb meaning to sit, remain, or dwell. It encompasses a range of actions from simply sitting down to more complex ideas like establishing a home or causing a place to be inhabited. The entries indicate various forms, including Qal (to sit), Niphal (to be inhabited), and Hiphil (to cause to dwell). There is an Aramaic equivalent, יְתִב (ye.tiv), meaning 'to dwell'.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

יָשַׁב 1090 vb. sit, remain, dwell

Qal

sit

sit, sit down

sit down

sit = be set (as a jewel)

remain, stay, tarry

with special emphasis of qualifying phr.

dwell, have one’s abode

of a land or city, sit, abide, seated in its place, fig. for be inhabited

Niph. be inhabited, of land

Pi. and they shall set their encampments in thee

Hiph.

cause to sit

cause to abide

cause to dwell

cause cities to be inhabited

marry (prop. give a dwelling to)

Hoph. and ye be made to dwell alone in the midst of the land

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H3427 יָשַׁב sit, remain, dwell

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

3427 yashab yaw-shab'

a primitive root; properly, to sit down (specifically as

judge. in ambush, in quiet); by implication, to dwell, to

remain; causatively, to settle, to marry:--(make to)

abide(-ing), continue, (cause to, make to) dwell(-ing), ease

self, endure, establish, X fail, habitation, haunt, (make to)

inhabit(-ant), make to keep (house), lurking, X marry(-ing),

(bring again to) place, remain, return, seat, set(- tle),

(down-)sit(-down, still, -ting down, -ting (place) -uate),

take, tarry.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

יָשַׁב (ya.shav) — to dwell.

1) to dwell, remain, sit, abide

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to sit, sit down

1a2) to be set

1a3) to remain, stay

1a4) to dwell, have one's abode

1b) (Niphal) to be inhabited

1c) (Piel) to set, place

1d) (Hiphil)

1d1) to cause to sit

1d2) to cause to abide, set

1d3) to cause to dwell

1d4) to cause (cities) to be inhabited

1d5) to marry (give an dwelling to)

1e) (Hophal)

1e1) to be inhabited

1e2) to make to dwell

Aramaic equivalent: ye.tiv (יְתִב "to dwell" H3488)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
HVqrmpc/Sp3fs — Verb qal participle (active) masculine plural common · suffix
HVqrmpc/Sp3fs
[are] melting away [the] earth and all inhabitants its I I put in order pillars its Selah
אָנֹכִ֨י'a.no.Khi I H595 Pronoun
359× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This simple Hebrew word just means 'I', referring to the speaker, like in Genesis 27 where Esau says 'I' when talking to his father Isaac.
Tyndale gloss
I
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word אָֽנֹכִ֫י (*anokiy*) is a first-person singular pronoun meaning 'I' or 'me.' It is a variant spelling of אֲנִי (*ani*), which also means 'I.' The entries confirm its use as a personal pronoun without significant disagreement among lexicons.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

אָֽנֹכִ֫י, אָנֹ֑כִי pron. 1s. comm. I

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H595 אָֽנֹכִ֫י, אָנֹ֑כִי I

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

595 'anokiy aw-no-kee'

sometimes {aw-no'-kee}; a primitive pro.; I:--I, me, X

which.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

אָֽנֹכִ֫י (a.no.khi) — I.

I (first pers. sing.)

Another spelling of a.ni (אֲנִי, אָֽנֹכִ֫י "I" H0589)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
HPp1bs — Pronoun
HPp1bs
[are] melting away [the] earth and all inhabitants its I I put in order pillars its Selah
תִכַּ֖נְתִּיti.Kan.ti I put in order H8505 Verb · Piel · perfect first person common singular
18× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
Means to measure or balance something, like weighing goods in trade, or estimating the value of something, as in Proverbs 24. It involves evaluating or testing something to determine its worth.
Tyndale gloss
to measure
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

תָּכַן (takan) is a Hebrew verb meaning to regulate, measure, or estimate. It encompasses actions like weighing, balancing, and adjusting to standards. The entries indicate various forms, including Qal (to estimate), Niphal (to be estimated), and Piel (to mete out). There are no significant disagreements among the lexicons regarding its meanings.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

[תָּכַן] vb. regulate, measure, estimate

Qal estimate

Niph.

by him are actions estimated.

be adjusted to the standard, i.e. right, equitable

Pi. mete out

Pu. the silver which was measured out.

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H8505 [תָּכַן] regulate, measure, estimate

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

8505 takan taw-kan'

a primitive root; to balance, i.e. measure out (by weight or

dimension); figuratively, arrange, equalize, through the idea

of levelling (ment. estimate, test):--bear up, direct, be

((un-))equal, mete, ponder, tell, weigh.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

תָּכַן (ta.khan) — to measure.

1) to regulate, measure, estimate, ponder, balance, make even, level, weigh, be equal, be weighed out, test, prove

1a) (Qal) estimate (participle)

1b) (Niphal)

1b1) to be estimated

1b2) to be made even or right, be adjusted to the standard

1c) (Piel) to weigh out, mete out

1d) (Pual)

1d1) to be weighed out, be measured out

1d2) measured out (participle)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
HVpp1cs — Verb · Piel · perfect first person common singular
HVpp1cs
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

or'-der (`arakh, "to arrange"; tassein ( diatassein, taxis, tagma)): "Order" in Biblical phrases may indicate

(1) arrangement in rows,

(2) sequence in time,

(3) classification and organization,

(4) likeness or manner,

(5) regulation, direction or command, or

(6) the declaring of a will.

In many passages it is difficult if not impossible to determine from the English text alone in which of these senses the word is used.

1. Arrangement in Rows:

The fundamental idea suggested by the Hebrew, Greek and English words is that of arrangement in rows. Thus "order" is used in the Bible of arranging wood for an altar (Le 1:7; 1Ki 18:33; compare Hebrew Ge 22:9; Isa 30:33); of laying out…

[are] melting away [the] earth and all inhabitants its I I put in order pillars its Selah
עַמּוּדֶ֣יהָ'a.mu.Dei.ha pillars its H5982 Noun common masculine plural construct · suffix
111× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
In the Bible, this Hebrew word refers to a pillar or column, often used as a symbol of strength or support. It can also describe a platform or a stand, like a column of smoke rising into the air. The word is used in various contexts, including architecture and nature.
Tyndale gloss
pillar
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

עַמּוּד (ammuwd) means 'pillar' or 'column,' referring to a vertical support structure. It can denote both a physical pillar and a platform. The word is derived from a root meaning 'to stand.' The entries consistently emphasize its architectural connotation, with no significant disagreement noted among the lexicons.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

עַמּוּד, עַמֻּד 110 n.m. pillar, column

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H5982 עַמּוּד, עַמֻּד pillar, column

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

5982 `ammuwd am-mood'

or ammud {am-mood'}; from 5975; a column (as standing); also

a stand, i.e. platform:--X apiece, pillar.

see HEBREW for 05975

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

עַמּוּד (am.mud) — pillar.

1) pillar, column

1a) pillar

1b) column, upright

1c) column (of smoke)

עַמּוּד (am.mud) — (Hall of) Pillars.

Combined with u.lam (אוּלָם "Hall" H0197)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
HNcmpc/Sp3fs — Noun common masculine plural construct · suffix
HNcmpc/Sp3fs
[are] melting away [the] earth and all inhabitants its I I put in order pillars its Selah
סֶּֽלָה׃Se.lah Selah H5542 Particle
74× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
Selah is a musical term in the Bible that signals a pause or interruption in the music, like a rest in a song, often used in Psalms. It is a technical term that sets a moment for reflection and contemplation, as seen in Psalm 3:2.
Tyndale gloss
Selah
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

סֶ֫לָה (selah) means to lift up or exalt. It is primarily recognized as a musical term indicating a pause or interruption, often found in the Psalms. The word is derived from a root meaning 'suspension' and appears frequently in the context of music, suggesting accentuation.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

סֶ֫לָה vb. lift up, or exalt;—this interpr. agrees with usage: 71 t. in 39 ψψ, 3 t. Hb 3

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H5542 סֶ֫לָה lift up, or exalt

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

5542 celah seh'-law

from 5541; suspension (of music), i.e. pause:--Selah.

see HEBREW for 05541

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

סֶ֫לָה (se.lah) — Selah.

§ 1) to lift up, exalt

1a) Selah

1a1) a technical musical term probably showing accentuation, pause, interruption

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

se'-la.

See MUSIC, II, 1.

Easton's Bible Dictionary

Selah

A word frequently found in the Book of Psalms, and also in Hab. 3:9, 13, about seventy-four times in all in Scripture. Its meaning is doubtful. Some interpret it as meaning “silence” or “pause;” others, “end,” “a louder strain,” “piano,” etc. The LXX. render the word by daplasma i.e., “a division.”

Smith's Bible Dictionary

This word, which is found only in the poetical books of the Old Testament, occurs seventy-one times in the Psalms and three times in Habakkuk. It is probably a term which had a meaning in the musical nomenclature of the Hebrews, though what that meaning may have been is now a matter of pure conjecture. (Gesenius and Ewald and others think it has much the same meaning as our interlude,--a pause in the voices singing, while the instruments perform alone.)

American Tract Society Bible Dictionary

A musical term which occurs seventy-three times in the Psalms, and is found also in Hab 3:3,9,13. It usually occurs at the end of a period or apostrophe, but sometimes at the end only of a clause. This difficult word, it is now generally believed, was a direction for a meditative pause in the singing of a psalm, during which perhaps there was an instrumental interlude.

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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