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Psalms 78:44 — Word Study

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WLCוַיַּהֲפֹ֣ךְ לְ֭דָם יְאֹרֵיהֶ֑ם וְ֝נֹזְלֵיהֶ֗ם בַּל־ יִשְׁתָּיֽוּן׃

BSAHe turnedhâphak [completely changed, overturned] their riversyᵉʼôr [streams, watercourses] to blooddâm [the liquid that flows through the body] and from their streamsnâzal [floods, canals] they could notbal [were able, had the power, nothing, absent] drinkshâthâh [consume, feast]

Word
Listen & take awayPsalms 78
English ↓ Download MP3 The Berean Standard Bible chapter audio already hosted for the site's Bible section — verse 44 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 (yish.ta.Yun) — no per-word recordings of the Hebrew exist to link to.
Take it away
Psalms 78:44quick helps
In a sentenceGod transformed the rivers of Egypt into blood, making the water undrinkable.
Who is speakingThe psalmist recounts God's mighty acts in Egypt.
Where we areThis verse is part of a historical recounting of God's wonders during the Exodus.
The hard wordהָפַךְ
Take awayGod's power can radically change the natural order.
8 commentators on this verse Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them › clause verbהָפַךְ 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 78:44

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 Wonders in Egyptgenerated

43when He performed His signs in Egypt and His wonders in the fields of Zoan.
44He turned their rivers to blood, and from their streams they could not drink.
45He sent swarms of flies that devoured them, and frogs that devastated them.
46He gave their crops to the grasshopper, the fruit of their labor to the locust.

Psalm 78:44 describes how God performed miraculous signs in Egypt, specifically turning the rivers into blood, which is a reference to the plagues that afflicted the Egyptians. This event highlights God's judgment and power over nature, as He intervened in the lives of the Israelites and the Egyptians. The psalmist is recalling these events to remind the people of God's might and the consequences of disobedience.


Cross References

ReferenceText (BSB)
1Psalm 105:29He turned their waters to blood and caused their fish to die.
2Exodus 7:17–21This is what the LORD says: By this you will know that I am the LORD. Behold, with the staff in my hand I will strike the water of the Nile, and it will turn to blood.
3Revelation 16:3–6And the second angel poured out his bowl into the sea, and it turned to blood like that of the dead, and every living thing in the sea died.

The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 3 references, hung on the phrase they belong to


The Key Word הָפַךְ, vai.ya.ha.Fokhgenerated

The verb הָפַךְ (haphak) means to turn or overturn, indicating a complete transformation. In this context, it signifies God's authority to change the natural state of water into blood, emphasizing a radical reversal.

This action reflects God's power over creation, showcasing His ability to perform wonders that defy natural laws. The parsing as a sequential imperfect verb indicates that this was a deliberate act by God, not a mere occurrence.


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 הָפַךְ, He turned, which governs the entire sentence. It is followed by a prepositional phrase indicating what was turned, and a second clause that describes the result of that action.

The structure emphasizes the transformation of the rivers into blood, with the subsequent inability to drink from the streams serving as the consequence of God's action.


Septuagint Backgroundgenerated

The Septuagint translates הָפַךְ as μετέστρεψεν, which means 'to turn around' or 'to change.' This choice reflects a similar understanding of the act of transformation, aligning with the Hebrew meaning.

The use of ποταμοὺς for יְאֹרֵיהֶן indicates a broader interpretation of watercourses, encompassing rivers and streams, which aligns with the context of the plagues in Egypt.


In plain words — the whole versegenerated

Psalm 78:44 tells us that God turned the rivers of Egypt into blood, making the water undrinkable. This act was part of the plagues that God sent upon Egypt to demonstrate His power and judgment.


Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated

What does it mean that God turned the rivers to blood?

This signifies God's judgment against Egypt, showing His power to control nature and the consequences of disobedience.

Why is blood significant in the Bible?

Blood often symbolizes life, sacrifice, and judgment, making this transformation a powerful image of God's authority.

How does this verse relate to the Exodus story?

This verse recalls one of the plagues God inflicted on Egypt, which was a pivotal event in the liberation of the Israelites.

What can we learn from this verse?

We learn about God's sovereignty and the seriousness of His judgments, as well as His ability to intervene in the natural world.


Reflection Questionsgenerated

  1. In what ways have I seen God's power at work in my life?
  2. How can I better understand the significance of blood in the biblical narrative?
  3. What does this verse teach me about God's judgment?
  4. How can I apply the lessons from the plagues to my own life today?

Commentators on this verse — 8 expositors, verse by verse

Each of these wrote on Psalms 78:44 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.

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

And had turned their rivers into blood,.... The river Nile and its seven streams; this was the first of the plagues of Egypt, Exodus 7:20, and was a just retaliation for drowning the infants of the

Read John Gill on Psalms 78 →
Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's Commentary

How oft did they provoke him in the wilderness, and grieve him in the desert!

Read Robert Jamieson on Psalms 78 →
Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy Bible

The several branches and streams of the river Nilus, and those many rivulets which they brought from it.

Read Matthew Poole on Psalms 78 →
John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

Psalms 78:44 And had turned their rivers into blood; and their floods, that they could not drink.Ver. 44. And had turned their rivers into blood, &c.] Seven of those ten plagues of Egypt are here instanced, to aggravate the forgetfulness or perfidy of the Israelites. Good turns aggravate unkindness, and our offences are increased by our obligations. And their floods, that they could not drink] Usque adeo ut aquae potabiles totam, alioqui stagnantem Aegyptum, deficerent. The Rabbis say (who told them I know not) that out of the same vessel an Egyptian drank blood and an Israelite water (Midras Tilling).

Read John Trapp on Psalms 78 →
AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible

Verse 44. Turned their rivers into blood] See on Exodus 7:20.

Read AdamClarke on Psalms 78 →
CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

44. And turned their rivers into blood, And their streams, that they could not drink. See Exodus 7:17 ff. The word for ‘rivers’ (y’ôr) is one specially used of the Nile and its canals.

Read Cambridge on Psalms 78 →
Albert Barnes1798–1870Barnes' Notes on the Bible

And had turned their rivers into blood - Exodus 7:20. There was properly but one river in Egypt - the Nile.

Read Albert Barnes on Psalms 78 →
Daniel Denison Whedon1808–1885Whedon's Commentary on the Bible

43, 44. Field of Zoan—See on Psalms 78:12. Rivers into blood—This was the first plague. Exodus 7:20-21. The plural, rivers, includes the Nile with its arms and canals. Isaiah 19:6-8; Ezekiel 29:3-5; Ezekiel 29:9-10.

Read Daniel Denison Whedon on Psalms 78 →

The verse in English, compared — 16 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

He turned their rivers to blood, and from their streams they could not drink.

WEBWorld English Bible2000

he turned their rivers into blood, and their streams, so that they could not drink.

MSBMajority Standard Bible2022

He turned their rivers to blood, and from their streams they could not drink.

NETBNew English Translation2006

He turned their rivers into blood, and they could not drink from their streams.

Tyndale line

KJVKing James Version1611

And had turned their rivers into blood; and their floods, that they could not drink.

ASVAmerican Standard Version1901

And turned their rivers into blood, And their streams, so that they could not drink.

RVARevised Version, American1894

And turned their rivers into blood, and their streams, that they could not drink.

NWBWebster's Bible1833

And had turned their rivers into blood; and their floods, that they could not drink.

GNVGeneva Bible1599

And turned their riuers into blood, and their floods, that they could not drinke.

Strictly literal

DBYDarby Translation1890

And turned their rivers into blood, and their streams, that they could not drink;

YLTYoung's Literal Translation1862

And He turneth to blood their streams, And their floods they drink not.

LSVLiteral Standard Version2020

And He turns their streams to blood, || And they do not drink their floods.

ILTInterlinear Literal Translation2000

And he changed their rivers into blood; and their running streams, that they could not drink [of them].

ULBUnlocked Literal Bible2017

He turned the Egyptians' rivers to blood so that they could not drink from their streams.

Simplified

FBVFree Bible Version2020

There he turned their rivers and their streams into blood so that no one could drink from them.

BBEBible in Basic English1949

So that their rivers were turned to blood, and they were not able to get drink from their streams.

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.

וַandclauseverbיַּהֲפֹ֣ךְhe.turnedprepositional phrase · prepositionalלְ֭intoדָםbloodnoun phrase · objectיְאֹרֵיcanalsהֶ֑םtheirוְ֝andclausenoun phrase · objectנֹזְלֵיstreamsהֶ֗םtheiradverbialבַּלnotverb phrase · verbיִשְׁתָּיֽוּtheyןdrank

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 agree in their wording for this verse, with all six words matched between the two versions. This consistency underscores the reliability of the account of God's miraculous acts.

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

וַיַּהֲפֹ֣ךְ לְ֭דָם יְאֹרֵיהֶ֑ם וְ֝נֹזְלֵיהֶ֗ם בַּל־ יִשְׁתָּיֽוּן׃

Septuagintthe Greek the translators chose, word by word
וַיַּהֲפֹ֣ךְμετέστρεψενלְ֭דָםαἷμαיְאֹרֵיהֶ֑םποταμοὺςוְ֝נֹזְלֵיהֶ֗םκαὶבַּל־μὴיִשְׁתָּיֽוּן׃πίωσιν

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 78:44הָפַךְand he turnand he turnedהָפַךְדָּםinto bloodinto bloodדָּםיְאֹרcanals theicanals theirיְאֹרנָזַלand streamsand streams theנָזַלבַּלnotnotבַּלשָׁתָהthey drank they drank !שָׁתָהדָּמַםto silenceto silence: staדָּמַםבָּלָהto become to become oldבָּלָהשָׁקָהto water: to water: waterשָׁקָהלָבָןwhitewhiteלָבָןשֵׂעָרhairhairשֵׂעָרזָרַקto scatterto scatterזָרַקנָקִיinnocentinnocentנָקִידָּגָהfishfishדָּגָהשַׁ֫חַקcloudcloudשַׁ֫חַקבְּאֵרwellwellבְּאֵרמוֹטto shaketo shakeמוֹטשֵׁכָרstrong dristrong drinkשֵׁכָריַ֫יִןwinewineיַ֫יִן
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 78:44

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 he turned into blood canals their and streams their not they drank !
וַיַּהֲפֹ֣ךְvai.ya.ha.Fokh and he turned H2015 Verb · Qal · sequential imperfect third person masculine singular
94× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
To overturn means to turn something around or change it completely, often implying a reversal or transformation. This can be seen in the Bible when something is turned upside down or changed radically.
Amplified meaning
completely changed, overturned
Tyndale gloss
to overturn
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

הָפַךְ (haphak) is a Hebrew verb meaning to turn or overturn, with implications of change and transformation. It can describe actions like turning back, being reversed, or even being perverse. The entries highlight various grammatical forms, including reflexive and passive uses, indicating a wide range of applications in the Old Testament.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

הָפַךְ vb. turn, overturn

Qal

trans.

turn, turn about, turn over

overturn, overthrow

turn = change, transform

intrans.

turn, turn back

turn = change, change into

Niph.

reflex. & intrans.

turn oneself, turn, turn back

turn = change (oneself)

be perverse

pass.

be turned, turn over to

be reversed

be turned, changed

be overturned, overthrown

be upturned, of subterran. work of miners

Hithp.

turn this way & that, every way

transform oneself

Hoph. there have been turned upon me terrors

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H2015 הָפַךְ turn, overturn .. trans. . turn, turn about, turn over

. overturn, overthrow

. turn = change, transform

. intrans. . turn, turn back

. turn = change, change into

. . reflex. & intrans. . turn oneself, turn, turn back

. turn = change (oneself)

. be perverse

. pass. . be turned, turn over to

. be reversed

. be turned, changed

. be overturned, overthrown

. be upturned, of subterran. work of miners

. . turn this way & that, every way

. transform oneself

. there have been turned upon me terrors

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

2015 haphak haw-fak'

a primitive root; to turn about or over; by implication, to

change, overturn, return, pervert:--X become, change, come, be

converted, give, make (a bed), overthrow (-turn), perverse,

retire, tumble, turn (again, aside, back, to the contrary,

every way).

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

הָפַךְ (ha.phakh) — to overturn.

1) to turn, overthrow, overturn

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to overturn, overthrow

1a2) to turn, turn about, turn over, turn around

1a3) to change, transform

1b) (Niphal)

1b1) to turn oneself, turn, turn back

1b2) to change oneself

1b3) to be perverse

1b4) to be turned, be turned over, be changed, be turned against

1b5) to be reversed

1b6) to be overturned, be overthrown

1b7) to be upturned

1c) (Hithpael)

1c1) to transform oneself

1c2) to turn this way and that, turn every way

1d) (Hophal) to turn on someone

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Conj | V-Qal-ConsecImperf-3ms — Verb · Qal · sequential imperfect third person masculine singular
Hc/Vqw3ms
and he turned into blood canals their and streams their not they drank !
לְ֭דָםLe.dom into blood H1818 Preposition · noun common masculine singular absolute
360× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
Blood refers to the liquid that flows through the body, essential for life. In the Bible, blood is often used to symbolize life, guilt, or sacrifice, as seen in the story of Jesus' crucifixion.
Amplified meaning
the liquid that flows through the body
Tyndale gloss
blood
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

דָּם (dam) means 'blood' and refers to the blood of both humans and animals. It is often associated with death, particularly when shed, and can also figuratively denote the juice of grapes or bloodshed. The term carries religious significance and is used in various contexts, including references to guilt and innocence.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

דָּם 300 n.m. blood

blood of man or animal

usually blood become visible

blood used with religious significance

fig. of wine

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H1818 דָּם blood

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

1818 dam dawm

from 1826 (compare 119); blood (as that which when shed

causes death) of man or an animal; by analogy, the juice of

the grape; figuratively (especially in the plural) bloodshed

(i.e. drops of blood):--blood(-y, -guiltiness, (-thirsty), +

innocent.

see HEBREW for 01826

see HEBREW for 0119

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

דָּם (dam) — blood.

1) blood

1a) of wine (fig.)

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

blud (dam, probably from 'adham "to be red"; haima): Used in the Old Testament to designate the life principle in either animal or vegetable, as the blood of man or the juice of the grape (Le 17:11, et al.); in the New Testament for the blood of an animal, the atoning blood of Christ, and in both Old Testament and New Testament in a figurative sense for bloodshed or murder (Ge 37:26; Ho 4:2; Re 16:6).

1. Primitive Ideas:

Although the real function of the blood in the human system was not fully known until the fact of its circulation was established by William Harvey in 1615, nevertheless from the earliest times a singular mystery has been attached to it by all peoples. Blood…

Easton's Bible Dictionary

Blood

(1.) As food, prohibited in Gen. 9:4, where the use of animal food is first allowed. Comp. Deut. 12:23; Lev. 3:17; 7:26; 17:10-14. The injunction to abstain from blood is renewed in the decree of the council of Jerusalem (Acts 15:29). It has been held by some, and we think correctly, that this law of prohibition was only ceremonial and temporary; while others regard it as still binding on all. Blood was eaten by the Israelites after the battle of Gilboa (1 Sam. 14:32-34).

(2.) The blood of sacrifices was caught by the priest in a basin, and then sprinkled seven times on the altar; that of the passover on the…

Smith's Bible Dictionary

To blood is ascribed in Scripture the mysterious sacredness which belongs to life, and God reserved it to himself when allowing man the dominion over and the use of the lower animals for food. Thus reserved, it acquires a double power: (1) that of sacrificial atonement; and (2) that of becoming a curse when wantonly shed, unless duly expiated. (Genesis 9:4; Leviticus 7:26; 17:11-13)

American Tract Society Bible Dictionary

The life of all animals was regarded as especially in the blood, which was a sacred and essential part of the sacrifices offered to God, Heb 9:22. It was solemnly sprinkled upon the altar and the mercy seat, "for it is the blood that maketh atonement for the soul," Le 17:1-16 the life of the victim for the life of the sinner. It was therefore most sacredly associated with the blood of the Lamb of God which "cleanseth us from all sin," Eph 1:7 1Jo 1:7. Hence the strict prohibition renewed in Ac 15:29. In direct opposition to this are the heathen customs of drinking the blood of animals and even of men- of eating raw flesh, with the blood, and even fresh cut from the living…

and he turned into blood canals their and streams their not they drank !
יְאֹרֵיהֶ֑םye.'o.rei.Hem canals their H2975 Noun common masculine plural construct · suffix
65× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
A stream or river, like the Nile, is what this word refers to. It can also mean a canal, watercourse, or even a mining shaft, emphasizing the flow of water.
Amplified meaning
streams, watercourses
Tyndale gloss
stream
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

יְאֹר (ye'or) refers to a stream or canal, specifically associated with the Nile River in Egypt. It encompasses various watercourses, including collateral canals and trenches, and can also denote rivers in general. The term is of Egyptian origin and highlights the significance of the Nile as a primary water source.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

יְאֹר, יְאוֹר n.m. stream of the Nile, stream, canal

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H2975 יְאֹר, יְאוֹר stream of the Nile, stream, canal

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

2975 y`or yeh-ore'

of Egyptian origin; a channel, e.g. a fosse, canal, shaft;

specifically the Nile, as the one river of Egypt, including

its collateral trenches; also the Tigris, as the main river of

Assyria:--brook, flood, river, stream.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

יְאֹר (ye.or) — Nile.

This name means river, stream, canal

Also named: shi.chor (שִׁיחוֹר "Nile" H7883H)

יְאֹר (ye.or) — stream.

1) river, stream, canal, Nile, Nile-canal

1a) stream, river (Nile)

1b) Nile-arms, Nile-canals

1c) watercourses

1d) shafts (mining)

1e) river (in general)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-mp | Suff — Noun common masculine plural construct · suffix
HNcmpc/Sp3mp
and he turned into blood canals their and streams their not they drank !
וְ֝נֹזְלֵיהֶ֗םve.no.ze.lei.Hem and streams their H5140 Conjunction · verb qal participle (active) masculine plural common · suffix
16× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This Hebrew word means to flow or drip, like a stream or flood, and is used to describe the movement of water. It appears in descriptions of natural wonders, like rivers and waterfalls. In the Bible, it is used in Isaiah 44:3 to describe God's blessings flowing like a river.
Amplified meaning
floods, canals
Tyndale gloss
to flow
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

נָזַל (nazal) is a Hebrew verb meaning to flow or trickle. It encompasses various forms of flowing, including distilling and shedding liquid. The term appears in both the Qal and Hiphil stems, indicating both a simple action of flowing and causing something to flow. The poetic usage suggests a rich imagery associated with water and movement.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

[נָזַל] vb. flow, trickle, drop, distil (poet.)

Qal

flow

distil

Hiph. cause to flow

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H5140 [נָזַל] flow, trickle, drop, distil (poet.)

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

5140 nazal naw-zal'

a primitive root; to drip, or shed by trickling:--distil,

drop, flood, (cause to) flow(-ing), gush out, melt, pour

(down), running water, stream.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

נָזַל (na.zal) — to flow.

1) to flow, distil, flow forth or down, trickle, drop

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to flow

1a1a) streams, floods (participle)

1a2) to distil

1b) (Hiphil) to cause to flow

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Conj | V-Qal | Suff — Conjunction · verb qal participle (active) masculine plural common · suffix
HC/Vqrmpc/Sp3mp
The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
and he turned into blood canals their and streams their not they drank !
בַּל־bal- not H1077 Particle
73× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
In the Bible, this Hebrew word means not or nothing, often used to show something is absent or non-existent. It appears in various forms, like lest or neither. The KJV Bible translates it in different ways, including not or none.
Amplified meaning
were able, had the power, nothing, absent
Tyndale gloss
not
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

בַּל (bal) is an adverb meaning 'not' or 'none.' It conveys a sense of negation, indicating absence or failure. The word is derived from a root that implies nothingness and can also be used in contexts like 'lest' or 'neither.' The entries consistently emphasize its function as a negation in various forms.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

בַּל 69 adv. not

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H1077 בַּל not

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

1077 bal bal

from 1086; properly, a failure; by implication nothing;

usually (adverb) not at all; also lest:--lest, neither, no,

none (that...), not (any), nothing.

see HEBREW for 01086

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

בַּל (bal) — not.

not, hardly, else

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Part — Particle
HTn
and he turned into blood canals their and streams their not they drank !
יִשְׁתָּיֽוּן׃yish.ta.Yun they drank ! H8354 Verb qal imperfect third person masculine plural · suffix
217× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
In the Bible, this Hebrew word means to drink, and it's used in many ways, like drinking from a cup or feasting. It's also used to describe being drunk or taking part in a big celebration. We see it in stories like the Last Supper in Matthew 26:27.
Amplified meaning
consume, feast
Tyndale gloss
to drink
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

שָׁתָה (shathah) means 'to drink' and can refer to both literal drinking and figurative uses, such as feasting or experiencing God's wrath. It is a primitive root that appears in various forms, including Qal and Niphal, indicating actions like drinking and being drunk. The lexicons note its connection to the Aramaic equivalent שְׁתָה (she.tah), but do not present significant disagreements.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

שָׁתָה 217 vb. drink

Qal 216

Niph. all which is (may be) drunk

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H8354 שָׁתָה drink

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

8354 shathah shaw-thaw'

a primitive root; to imbibe (literally or figuratively):--X

assuredly, banquet, X certainly, drink(-er, -ing), drunk

(X -ard), surely. (Prop. intensive of 8248.)

see HEBREW for 08248

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

שָׁתָה (sha.tah) — to drink.

1) to drink

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to drink

1a1a) of drinking cup of God's wrath, of slaughter, of wicked deeds (fig)

1a2) to feast

1b) (Niphal) to be drunk

Aramaic equivalent: she.tah (שְׁתָה "to drink" H8355)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
V-Qal-Imperf-3mp | Suff — Verb qal imperfect third person masculine plural · suffix
HVqi3mp/Sn
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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