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Psalms 8:1 — Word Study

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WLCיְהוָ֤ה אֲדֹנֵ֗ינוּ מָֽה־ אַדִּ֣יר שִׁ֭מְךָ בְּכָל־ הָאָ֑רֶץ אֲשֶׁ֥ר תְּנָ֥ה ה֝וֹדְךָ֗ עַל־ הַשָּׁמָֽיִם׃

BSAFor the choirmasternâtsach According toʻal GittithGittîyth A Psalmmizmôwr of DavidDâvid

Word
Listen & take awayPsalms 8
English ↓ Download MP3 The Berean Standard Bible chapter audio already hosted for the site's Bible section — verse 1 opens the 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 (ha.sha.Ma.yim) — no per-word recordings of the Hebrew exist to link to.
Take it away
Psalms 8:1quick helps
In a sentenceThe psalmist marvels at the majesty of God's name and His glory above the heavens.
Who is speakingThe psalmist, reflecting on God's greatness.
Where we areA hymn of praise, celebrating God's sovereignty and glory.
The hard wordאַדִּ֣יר
Take awayGod's glory is established above the heavens, reflecting His majesty.
8 commentators on this verse Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them › clause 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 8:1

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 Majesty of God's Namegenerated

1O LORD, our Lord, how majestic is Your name in all the earth! You have set Your glory above the heavens.
2From the mouths of children and infants You have ordained praise on account of Your adversaries, to silence the enemy and avenger.
3When I behold Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, the moon and the stars, which You have set in place—
4what is man that You are mindful of him, or the son of man that You care for him?

Psalm 8:1 expresses awe at the greatness of God's name throughout the earth and highlights His glory above the heavens. This psalm invites reflection on humanity's place in God's creation and His care for us, as further explored in the subsequent verses.


Cross References

ReferenceText (BSB)
1Psalm 81:1Sing for joy to God our strength; make a joyful noise to the God of Jacob.
2Psalm 84:1How lovely is Your dwelling place, O LORD of Hosts!
3Psalm 8:9O LORD, our Lord, how majestic is Your name in all the earth!
4Psalm 63:1O God, You are my God. Earnestly I seek You; my soul thirsts for You. My body yearns for You in a dry and weary land without water.
5Psalm 145:1I will exalt You, my God and King; I will bless Your name forever and ever.

The Key Word אַדִּ֣יר, 'a.Dirgenerated

The word אַדִּ֣יר (addiyr) conveys a sense of majesty and greatness. It describes not only the power of God but also encompasses excellence and nobility. This term is often used in a poetic context to highlight the splendor of divine attributes.

The absence of a grammatical marker suggests that אַדִּ֣יר stands as a predicate, emphasizing the quality of God's name as majestic. The psalmist uses this term to elevate the discussion of God's identity and reputation in the context of creation.


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 verse comprises two main clauses, with the first clause introducing the subject and the second expressing the action. The structure emphasizes the majesty of God's name and the establishment of His glory.

The first clause, יְהוָ֤ה אֲדֹנֵ֗ינוּ (O Lord, our Lord), serves as a powerful invocation, while the second clause, אֲשֶׁ֥ר תְּנָ֥ה ה֝וֹדְךָ֗ עַל־ הַשָּׁמָֽיִם (You have set Your glory above the heavens), provides a direct statement of God's action.


Septuagint Backgroundgenerated

The Septuagint translates אַדִּ֣יר as ληνῶν, suggesting a broader interpretation that may emphasize the idea of strength or might. This choice reflects the translators' understanding of God's attributes.

The use of εἰς for עַל indicates a directional nuance, implying God's glory is not just above but also directed towards the heavens, enhancing the sense of His majesty.


In plain words — the whole versegenerated

Psalm 8:1 praises God for His majestic name and glory. The psalmist marvels at how God's greatness is evident throughout the earth and above the heavens, inviting us to reflect on our relationship with Him.


Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated

What does it mean that God's name is majestic?

God's name being majestic signifies His greatness, power, and the high regard in which He is held, reflecting His character and authority over all creation.

Why does the psalmist mention the heavens?

The heavens are mentioned to highlight the extent of God's glory, showing that it surpasses even the highest realms of creation.

How can we understand our place in relation to God's majesty?

Recognizing God's majesty helps us understand our smallness and dependence on Him, fostering humility and reverence in our relationship with the Creator.

What is the significance of praising God from the mouths of children?

Praising God from the mouths of children emphasizes the purity and simplicity of faith, illustrating that even the least among us can recognize and declare God's greatness.


Reflection Questionsgenerated

  1. In what ways do I see God's majesty reflected in creation around me?
  2. How can I express my awe for God's name in my daily life?
  3. What does it mean for me to recognize God's glory above the heavens?
  4. How can I cultivate a heart of praise like that of a child?

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

Early church fathers have commented on this verse to illustrate God's majesty and the significance of His name in relation to creation.

Gregory of NazianzusON THEOLOGY, THEOLOGICAL ORATION 2(28).3 c. 329–390
The Majesty, or as holy David calls it, the Glory, is manifested among the creatures that it has produced and governs. These are the back parts of God, which he leaves behind him,
Early Church Fathers on Psalms 8 →
John ChrysostomCOMMENTARY ON THE Psalms 8:1 c. 347–407
“How wonderful your name.” Through this name, in fact, death was dissolved, demons imprisoned in bonds, heaven opened, gates of paradise thrown wide, the Spirit sent down, slaves made free, enemies become sons, strangers become heirs,
Early Church Fathers on Psalms 8 →
Augustine of HippoExposition on Psalms 8 354–430
Accordingly it is said, "O Lord, our Lord, how admirable is Your Name in all the earth!" [Psalms 8:1].
Early Church Fathers on Psalms 8 →

Commentators on this verse — 8 expositors, verse by verse

Each of these wrote on Psalms 8:1 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.

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

O Lord our God,.... Jehovah, the one God, who is Lord of all angels and men, and in an especial manner Lord and King of saints; how excellent [is] thy name in all the earth!

Read John Gill on Psalms 8 →
Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's Commentary

O LORD our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth! who hast set thy glory above the heavens. Title. - Upon Gittith.

Read Robert Jamieson on Psalms 8 →
Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy Bible

Psalms 8 The same title is prefixed to 84:1. Gittith also is supposed to be the name of a tune, or song, or instrument so called, because it was either invented or much used in Gath. Some render it for the wine-presses and say it was to be sung at the time of vintage. It is a great question among interpreters, whether this Psalm speak of man in general, and of the honour which God put upon him in his creation; or only of the man Christ Jesus. Possibly both may be reconciled and put together, and the controversy, if rightly stated, may be ended. For the scope and business of this Psalm seems plainly to be this, to display and celebrate the great love and kindness of God to mankind, not only…

Read Matthew Poole on Psalms 8 →
John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

Psalms 8:1 « To the chief Musician upon Gittith, A Psalm of David. » O LORD our Lord, how excellent [is] thy name in all the earth! who hast set thy glory above the heavens.To the chief Musician upon Gittith] Upon the cittern, or gittern, brought from Gath, saith the Chaldee paraphrast; or, that was used by the sons of Obed Edom, the Gittite, 2 Samuel 6:10; or, that was sung at the wine presses, as the Greek hath it, for a thanksgiving in time of vintage: This last Aben Ezra disliketh, though I see no reason why he should, Vani heroines exponunt de torculari (Aben-Ezra). Ver. 1. O Lord our Lord, &c.] The scope of this whole psalm is, to set us a wondering at and magnifying the majesty and…

Read John Trapp on Psalms 8 →
Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(1) O Lord our Lord.—Jehovah our Lord. For the first time in the Book of Psalms the personal feeling is consciously lost sight of in a larger, a national, or possibly human feeling. The poet recognises God’s relation to the whole of mankind as to the whole material creation. Thus the hymn appropriately lent itself to the use of the congregation in public worship, though it does not follow that this was the object of its composition. Excellent.—The LXX. and Vulg., “wonderful.” Better, great or exalted.Who hast set . . .—The. translation of this clause is uncertain. It must be determined by the parallelism, and by the fact that the poet, in Psalms 8:4, merely expands the thought he had before…

Read Charles John Ellicott on Psalms 8 →
AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible

PSALM VIII The glory and excellence of God manifested by his works, 1, 2; particularly in the starry heavens, 3; in man, 4; in his formation, 5; and in the dominion which God has given him over the earth, the air, the sea, and their inhabitants, 6-8: in consequence of which God's name is celebrated over all the earth, 9. NOTES ON PSALM VIII The inscription to this Psalm is the following: To the chief Musician upon Gittith, A Psalm of David. This has been metaphrased, "To the conqueror, concerning the wine-presses;" and has been supposed to be a Psalm intended for the time of vintage: and as that happened about the time of the year in which it is supposed the world was created, hence there…

Read AdamClarke on Psalms 8 →
CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

1, 2. The fundamental thought and motive of the Psalm:—the revelation of Jehovah’s majesty on earth.

Read Cambridge on Psalms 8 →
Albert Barnes1798–1870Barnes' Notes on the Bible

O Lord - Hebrew, יהוה Yahweh. It is an address to God by his chosen and special title, Exodus 3:14. Compare the notes at Isaiah 1:2.

Read Albert Barnes on Psalms 8 →

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

O LORD, our Lord, how majestic is Your name in all the earth! You have set Your glory above the heavens.

WEBWorld English Bible2000

Yahweh, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! You have set your glory above the heavens!

MSBMajority Standard Bible2022

For the choirmaster. According to Gittith. A Psalm of David. O LORD, our Lord, how majestic is Your name in all the earth! You have set Your glory above the heavens.

NETBNew English Translation2006

O Lord, our Lord, how magnificent is your reputation throughout the earth! You reveal your majesty in the heavens above!

Tyndale line

KJVKing James Version1611

O LORD our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth! who hast set thy glory above the heavens.

ASVAmerican Standard Version1901

O Jehovah, our Lord, How excellent is thy name in all the earth, Who hast set thy glory upon the heavens!

RVARevised Version, American1894

O LORD, our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth! who hast set thy glory upon the heavens.

NWBWebster's Bible1833

To the chief Musician upon Gittith, A Psalm of David. O LORD our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth! who hast set thy glory above the heavens.

GNVGeneva Bible1599

To him that excelleth on Gittith. A Psalme of Dauid. O Lord our Lord, how excellent is thy Name in all the worlde! which hast set thy glory aboue the heauens.

Strictly literal

DBYDarby Translation1890

Jehovah our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth! who hast set thy majesty above the heavens.

YLTYoung's Literal Translation1862

To the Overseer, 'On the Gittith.' A Psalm of David. Jehovah, our Lord, How honourable Thy name in all the earth! Who settest thine honour on the heavens.

LSVLiteral Standard Version2020

TO THE OVERSEER. ON THE GITTITH. A PSALM OF DAVID. YHWH, our Lord, || How majestic [is] Your Name in all the earth, || Who have set Your splendor on the heavens!

ILTInterlinear Literal Translation2000

“To the chief musician upon Gittith, a psalm of David.” (8:2) O Eternal One our Lord, how excellent is thy name on all the earth! thou who hast set thy majesty above the heavens.

ULBUnlocked Literal Bible2017

Yahweh our Lord, how magnificent is your name in all the earth, you who reveal your glory in the heavens above.

From the Latin

DRADouay-Rheims (Challoner)1899

Unto the end, for the presses: a psalm of David.

Simplified

FBVFree Bible Version2020

Lord, our Lord, your magnificent reputation fills the earth! Your majesty is greater than the heavens above,

BBEBible in Basic English1949

O Lord, our Lord, whose glory is higher than the heavens, how noble is your name in all the earth!

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.

clauseclausenoun phraseיְהוָ֤הO.Yahwehnoun phraseאֲדֹנֵ֗יlord(s)נוּourclauseadjective phrase · predicateמָֽהhow!אַדִּ֣ירmajesticnoun phrase · subjectשִׁ֭מְnameךָ[is].yourprepositional phrase · prepositionalבְּinnoun phraseכָלallnoun phraseהָtheאָ֑רֶץearthclauserelpאֲשֶׁ֥ר[the.one].whoclauseverb phrase · verbתְּנָ֥setהnoun phrase · objectה֝וֹדְsplendorךָ֗yourprepositional phrase · prepositionalעַלabovenoun phraseהַtheשָּׁמָֽיִםheavens

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 agreement, with six of the twelve words matched. The Dead Sea Scrolls fragment contains five words from the verse, although three were supplied by an editor, indicating partial preservation.

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

יְהוָ֤ה אֲדֹנֵ֗ינוּ מָֽה־ אַדִּ֣יר שִׁ֭מְךָ בְּכָל־ הָאָ֑רֶץ אֲשֶׁ֥ר תְּנָ֥ה ה֝וֹדְךָ֗ עַל־ הַשָּׁמָֽיִם׃

Septuagintthe Greek the translators chose, word by word
יְהוָ֤הεἰςאֲדֹנֵ֗ינוּὑπὲρמָֽה־τῶνאַדִּ֣ירληνῶνשִׁ֭מְךָτῷבְּכָל־δαυιδ

6 of the 12 words are matched. This is the word-by-word correspondence, not the Septuagint's own sentence — its word order and its articles are its own.

Dead Sea Scrolls — 5/6hev1ba copy a thousand years older than the Leningrad Codex

[למנצח] [על] [הגתית] מזמור לדוד

5 words of the verse are on this fragment — 3 supplied entire by an editor.

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


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

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

Psalms 8:1יהוהO YahwehO Yahwehיהוהאָדוֹןlord ourlord ourאָדוֹןמָהhow!how!מָהאַדִּירmajesticmajesticאַדִּירשֵׁם[is] name y[is] name yourשֵׁםכֹּלin allin allכֹּלאֶ֫רֶץthe earththe earthאֶ֫רֶץאֲשֶׁר[the one] w[the one] whoאֲשֶׁרנָתַןset !set !נָתַןהוֹדsplendor yosplendor yourהוֹדעַלaboveaboveעַלשָׁמַיthe heavensthe heavensשָׁמַיהָיָהto beto beהָיָהאָדַרbe glorioube gloriousאָדַרשׂוּםto set: mato set: makeשׂוּםכָּלַלto perfectto perfectכָּלַלעַלheightheightעַלנְאֻםutteranceutteranceנְאֻםצָבָאarmyarmyצָבָאבִּיpleasepleaseבִּיחֵןfavorfavorחֵןכָּ֫כָהthusthusכָּ֫כָהפָּעַלto workto workפָּעַלשָׁדַדto ruinto ruinשָׁדַדאֶ֫רֶזcedarcedarאֶ֫רֶזקָרָאto call: cto call: call tקָרָאיָדָהto give thto give thanksיָדָהעֵדָהcongregaticongregationעֵדָהעֲבֹדָהserviceserviceעֲבֹדָהכְּנַ֫עַןCanaanCanaanכְּנַ֫עַן
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 8:1

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.

O Yahweh lord our how! majestic [is] name your in all the earth [the one] who set ! splendor your above the heavens
יְהוָ֤הYah.weh O Yahweh H3068 Noun proper
6,528× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
Yehovah is another name for God, often translated as 'the Lord'. It is a national name for God in the Jewish faith. This name is used throughout the Old Testament.
Tyndale gloss
The Lord
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

יְהֹוָה (ye.ho.vah) is the proper name of the God of Israel, often rendered as Jehovah or the Lord. It signifies the self-existent or eternal nature of God. The name is closely associated with the revelation to Moses in Exodus 3:12-15 and is used in conjunction with other terms to denote sacred places. Some scholars suggest it derives from a root meaning 'to bring into being.'

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

יהוה c. 6823 i.e. יַהְוֶה n.pr.dei Yahweh, the proper name of the God of Israel—(1. MT יְהֹוָה 6518 (Qr אֲדֹנָי), or יֱהֹוִה 305 (Qr אֱלֹהִים) 2. Many recent scholars explain יַהְוֶה as Hiph. of הוה (= היה) the one bringing into being, life-giver)

יהוה is not used by E in Gn, but is given Ex 3:12-15 as the name of the God who revealed Himself to Moses at Horeb

יהוה is used with אלהים and suffixes, especially in D

the phrase † אֲנִי יהוה is noteworthy

יהוה is also used with several predicates, to form sacred names of holy places of Yahweh

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H3068 יהוה i.e. יַהְוֶה n. pr. dei Yahweh, the proper name of the God of Israel

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

3068 Yhovah yeh-ho-vaw'

from 1961; (the) self-Existent or Eternal; Jehovah, Jewish

national name of God:--Jehovah, the Lord. Compare 3050, 3069.

see HEBREW for 01961

see HEBREW for 03050

see HEBREW for 03069

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

יְהֹוָה (ye.ho.vah) — LORD.

Jehovah = "the existing One"

1) the proper name of the one true God

1a) unpronounced except with the vowel pointings of a.do.na (אֲדֹנָי "Lord" H0136)

יְהֹוָה (ye.ho.vah) — The Lord.

Another name of ye.ru.sha.laim (יְרוּשָׁלִַ֫ם, יְרוּשְׁלֵם "Jerusalem" H3389)

יְהֹוָה (ye.ho.vah) — (Jerusalem of) the Lord.

Combined with ye.ru.sha.laim (יְרוּשָׁלִַ֫ם, יְרוּשְׁלֵם "Jerusalem" H3389)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
HNpt — Noun proper
HNpt
The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
O Yahweh lord our how! majestic [is] name your in all the earth [the one] who set ! splendor your above the heavens
אֲדֹנֵ֗ינוּ'a.do.Nei.nu lord our H113 Noun common masculine plural construct · suffix
333× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
The Hebrew word ʼâdôwn refers to a lord or master, and can be used to describe human leaders or God. It emphasizes the person's power and control over others or things, and is often translated as lord or master.
Tyndale gloss
lord
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word אָדוֹן (*'adown*) means 'lord' and is derived from a root meaning to rule. It covers a range of meanings, referring to both human and divine authority, including terms like master, king, and superintendent. Variations exist for divine references, such as אֲדֹנָי (*Adonai*), distinguishing God from human lords.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

אָדוֹן n.m. lord (אֲדֹנִי, אֲדֹנַי, אֲדֹנָי are variations of Mass. pointing to distinguish divine reference fr. human. Pl., with few exc. an intens. pl. of rank; word takes sf. as pl. in all other pers.; so doubtless here. Orig. reading prob. in all cases אֲדֹנַי; אֲדֹנִי now found in J 51 t.)

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H113 אָדוֹן lord

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

113 'adown aw-done'

or (shortened) adon {aw-done'}; from an unused root (meaning

to rule); sovereign, i.e. controller (human or divine):--

lord, master, owner. Compare also names beginning with

"Adoni-".

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

אָדוֹן (a.don) — lord.

1) firm, strong, lord, master

1a) lord, master

1a1) reference to men

1a1a) superintendent of household, of affairs

1a1b) master

1a1c) king

1a2) reference to God

1a2a) the Lord God

1a2b) Lord of the whole earth

1b) lords, kings

1b1) reference to men

1b1a) proprietor of hill of Samaria

1b1b) master

1b1c) husband

1b1d) prophet

1b1e) governor

1b1f) prince

1b1g) king

1b2) reference to God

1b2a) Lord of lords (probably = "thy husband, Yahweh")

1c) my lord, my master

1c1) reference to men

1c1a) master

1c1b) husband

1c1c) prophet

1c1d) prince

1c1e) king

1c1f) father

1c1g) Moses

1c1h) priest

1c1i) theophanic angel

1c1j) captain

1c1k) general recognition of superiority

1c2) reference to God

1c2a) my Lord, my Lord and my God

1c2b) Adonai (parallel with Yahweh)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
HNcmpc/Sp1bp — Noun common masculine plural construct · suffix
HNcmpc/Sp1bp
O Yahweh lord our how! majestic [is] name your in all the earth [the one] who set ! splendor your above the heavens
מָֽה־mah- how! H4100 Pronoun
753× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This Hebrew word means what or how, often used to ask questions or express surprise, like in Genesis when God asks Adam what he has done. It can also mean why or when, and is used in various ways throughout the Old Testament. It appears in many KJV translations, including how or what.
Tyndale gloss
what?
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

מָה (mah) is a Hebrew word primarily used as an interrogative particle meaning 'what?' or 'how?'. It can also function as an indefinite pronoun, encompassing meanings like 'anything' or 'whatever'. The word is versatile, appearing in various adverbial forms and often used with prefixes to express different nuances, such as reason or manner.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

מָה, rarely מָה־, מַה־, מַה‍ּ, מֶה, מַ‍ּ, מָ—pron.interrog. and indef. what? how? aught

interrog. what?

Used adverbially

Indef. pron.

With preps.

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H4100 מָה, rarely מָה־, מַה־, מַה‍ּ, מֶה, מַ‍ּ, מָ—pron. interrog. and indef. what? how? aught . interrog. what?

. Used adverbially

. Indef. pron.

. With preps.

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

4100 mah maw

or mah {mah}; or ma {maw}; or ma {mah}; also meh {meh}; a

primitive particle; properly, interrogative what? (including

how? why? when?); but also exclamation, what! (including

how!), or indefinitely what (including whatever, and even

relatively, that which); often used with prefixes in various

adverbial or conjunctive senses:--how (long, oft, (-

soever)), (no-)thing, what (end, good, purpose, thing),

whereby(-fore, -in, -to, -with), (for) why.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

מָה (mah) — what?.

interr pron

1) what, how, of what kind

1a) (interrogative)

1a1) what?

1a2) of what kind

1a3) what? (rhetorical)

1a4) whatsoever, whatever, what

1b) (adverb)

1b1) how, how now

1b2) why

1b3) how! (exclamation)

1c) (with prep)

1c1) wherein?, whereby?, wherewith?, by what means?

1c2) because of what?

1c3) the like of what?

1c3a) how much?, how many?, how often?

1c3b) for how long?

1c4) for what reason?, why?, to what purpose?

1c5) until when?, how long?, upon what?, wherefore?

indef pron

2) anything, aught, what may

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
HPi — Pronoun
HPi
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;

O Yahweh lord our how! majestic [is] name your in all the earth [the one] who set ! splendor your above the heavens
אַדִּ֣יר'a.Dir majestic H117
27× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
Describes something or someone as great or powerful, such as the mighty waters of the sea in Psalm 107.
Tyndale gloss
great
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

אַדִּיר (addiyr) means majestic and conveys a sense of greatness or power. It can describe large entities like the sea or trees, as well as kings, nations, and noble figures. The word is built from a root meaning wide or large, with a range that includes excellent, glorious, and noble.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

אַדִּיר adj. majestic

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H117 אַדִּיר majestic

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

117 'addiyr ad-deer'

from 142; wide or (generally) large; figuratively,

powerful:--excellent, famous, gallant, glorious, goodly,

lordly, mighty(- ier one), noble, principal, worthy.

see HEBREW for 0142

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

אַדִּיר (ad.dir) — great.

1) great, majestic

1a) of waters of sea

1b) of a tree

1c) of kings, nations, gods

2) great one, majestic one

2a) of nobles, chieftains, servants

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
HAamsa
HAamsa
O Yahweh lord our how! majestic [is] name your in all the earth [the one] who set ! splendor your above the heavens
שִׁ֭מְךָShim.kha [is] name your H8034 Noun common masculine singular construct · suffix
864× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
In the Bible, a name represents a person's identity, honor, and character, like God's name symbolizing His power and authority. It appears in Genesis and other books, often referring to God's name or a person's reputation. This concept is central to understanding biblical identity.
Tyndale gloss
name
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

שֵׁם (shem) means 'name' and encompasses various meanings such as reputation, fame, and glory. It can refer to the designation of God and is often associated with memorials or monuments. The word is built from a primitive root and highlights individuality and honor. There is a mention of its use in relation to false gods, which is forbidden.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

שֵׁם 864 n.m. name (√ unknown)

of river, beasts, city, i.e. exact designation of it

usu. of pers.

= reputation

esp. as giving a man a kind of posthumous life, esp. in his sons

name, as designation of God

of false gods, use forbidden

= memorial, monument

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H8034 שֵׁם name (√ unknown)

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

8034 shem shame

a primitive word (perhaps rather from 7760 through the idea

of definite and conspicuous position; compare 8064); an

appellation, as a mark or memorial of individuality; by

implication honor, authority, character:--+ base,

(in-)fame(-ous), named(-d), renown, report.

see HEBREW for 07760

see HEBREW for 08064

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

שֵׁם (shem) — name.

1) name

1a) name

1b) reputation, fame, glory

1c) the Name (as designation of God)

1d) memorial, monument

Aramaic equivalent: shum (שֻׁם "name" H8036)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
HNcmsc/Sp2ms — Noun common masculine singular construct · suffix
HNcmsc/Sp2ms
O Yahweh lord our how! majestic [is] name your in all the earth [the one] who set ! splendor your above the heavens
בְּכָל־be.khol in all H3605 Preposition · 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
HR/Ncmsc — Preposition · noun common masculine singular construct
HR/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
O Yahweh lord our how! majestic [is] name your in all the earth [the one] who set ! splendor your above the heavens
הָאָ֑רֶץha.'A.retz the earth H776 Particle · 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
HTd/Ncfsa — Particle · noun common feminine singular absolute
HTd/Ncfsa
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

O Yahweh lord our how! majestic [is] name your in all the earth [the one] who set ! splendor your above the heavens
אֲשֶׁ֥ר'a.Sher [the one] who H834 Particle
5,500× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This Hebrew word is a conjunction that connects ideas and events in the Bible, like in the book of Genesis, where it's used to describe the relationship between God and His creation.
Tyndale gloss
which
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

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

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

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

base

בַאֲשֶׁר

in (that) which

adv. in (the place) where

conj. in that, inasmuch as

on account of whom?

base

מֵאֲשֶׁר

from (or than) that which

adv. from (the place) where

conj. from (the fact) that …, since

base

כַּאֲשֶׁר conj. according as, as, when

according to that which, according as, as

with a causal force, in so far as, since

with a temporal force, when

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

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

. adv. in (the place) where

. conj. in that, inasmuch as

. on account of whom?

H834c מֵאֲשֶׁר . from (or than) that which

. adv. from (the place) where

. conj. from (the fact) that …, since

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

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

. with a temporal force, when

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

834 'aher ash-er'

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

indeclinable, it is often accompanied by the personal pronoun

expletively, used to show the connection.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

אֲשֶׁר (a.sher) — which.

A: 1) (relative part.)

1a) which, who

1b) that which

2) (conj)

2a) that (in obj clause)

2b) when

2c) since

2d) as

2e) conditional if

B: Beth+ 1) in (that) which

2) (adv)

2a) where

3) (conj)

3a) in that, inasmuch as

3b) on account of

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

2) from (the place) where

3) from (the fact) that, since

D: Kaph+

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

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

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

1c) with a temporal force: when

בַאֲשֶׁר (ba.a.sher) — in which.

1) in (that) which

2) (adv)

2a) where

3) (conj)

3a) in that, inasmuch as

3b) on account of

מֵאֲשֶׁר (me.a.sher) — whence.

1) from (or than) that which

2) from (the place) where

3) from (the fact) that, since

כַּאֲשֶׁר (ka.a.sher) — as which.

conj

1) according as, as, when

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

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
HTr — Particle
HTr
The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
O Yahweh lord our how! majestic [is] name your in all the earth [the one] who set ! splendor your above the heavens
תְּנָ֥הte.Nah set ! H5414 Verb qal imperative second person masculine singular · suffix
2,011× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This word means to give, put, or set something, with a wide range of applications. It appears in many books, including Genesis and Exodus, describing God's actions and human interactions. The word is used to convey giving, selling, or exchanging something.
Tyndale gloss
to give: give
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word נָתַן (natan) means 'to give' and encompasses a wide range of applications such as putting, setting, and making. It can also indicate actions like bestowing, delivering, and assigning. The entries describe its use in various forms, including Qal, Niphal, and Hophal, but do not present any significant disagreements among lexicons.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

נָתַן 2007 vb. give, put, set

Qal 1917

give

Put, set

Make, constitute

Niph.

82be given

Be put, set

Hoph.

be given, bestowed

= be given to one for wife

be put upon

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H5414 נָתַן give, put, set .. give

. Put, set

. Make, constitute

. . be given

. Be put, set

. . . be given, bestowed

. = be given to one for wife

. be put upon

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

5414 nathan naw-than'

a primitive root; to give, used with greatest latitude of

application (put, make, etc.):--add, apply, appoint, ascribe,

assign, X avenge, X be ((healed)), bestow, bring (forth,

hither), cast, cause, charge, come, commit, consider, count, +

cry, deliver (up), direct, distribute, do, X doubtless, X

without fail, fasten, frame, X get, give (forth, over, up),

grant, hang (up), X have, X indeed, lay (unto charge, up),

(give) leave, lend, let (out), + lie, lift up, make, + O that,

occupy, offer, ordain, pay, perform, place, pour, print, X

pull , put (forth), recompense, render, requite, restore, send

(out), set (forth), shew, shoot forth (up), + sing, + slander,

strike, (sub-)mit, suffer, X surely, X take, thrust, trade,

turn, utter, + weep, + willingly, + withdraw, + would (to)

God, yield.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

נָתַן (na.tan) — to give: give.

: give/deliver/send/produce

1) to give, put, set

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to give, bestow, grant, permit, ascribe, employ, devote, consecrate, dedicate, pay wages, sell, exchange, lend, commit, entrust, give over, deliver up, yield produce, occasion, produce, requite to, report, mention, utter, stretch out, extend

1a2) to put, set, put on, put upon, set, appoint, assign, designate

1a3) to make, constitute

1b) (Niphal)

1b1) to be given, be bestowed, be provided, be entrusted to, be granted to, be permitted, be issued, be published, be uttered, be assigned

1b2) to be set, be put, be made, be inflicted

1c) (Hophal)

1c1) to be given, be bestowed, be given up, be delivered up

1c2) to be put upon

נָתַן (na.tan) — to give: put.

: put/set/apppoint

1) to give, put, set

1a) (Qal)

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
HVqv2ms/Sh — Verb qal imperative second person masculine singular · suffix
HVqv2ms/Sh
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

Few words in the English language have such a rich variety of meaning and are used in so rich a variety of idiomatic expression as the word "set." A glance at any of the great dictionaries will convince anyone of the truth of this statement. The Standard Dictionary devotes three and a half columns to the word. In its primary meaning it there denotes 22 distinct things, in its secondary meaning 17 more, while 18 distinct phrases are given in which it is used, in some cases again in a variety of meanings. It is indeed a word calculated to drive a foreigner to despair. Some 70 Hebrew and about 30 Greek words in the original tongues of the Holy Scriptures have been rendered by the word "set," in the King James Version and also in the Revised Version (British and American). A careful comparative study of the original and of translations in other tongues will at once indicate that a lack of…

The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
O Yahweh lord our how! majestic [is] name your in all the earth [the one] who set ! splendor your above the heavens
ה֝וֹדְךָ֗hod.kha splendor your H1935 Noun common masculine singular construct · suffix
24× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This word describes something as glorious or majestic, like God's splendor in Psalm 138:5. It's about an impressive appearance or grandeur.
Tyndale gloss
splendor
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word הוֹד (*hod*) encompasses meanings related to splendour, majesty, and vigour, primarily in a poetic context. It is derived from an unused root and conveys concepts of grandeur and beauty, as noted in various lexicons.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

הוֹד n.m. splendour, majesty, vigour (chiefly poet.)

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H1935 הוֹד splendour, majesty, vigour (chiefly poet.)

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

1935 howd hode

from an unused root; grandeur (i.e. an imposing form and

appearance):--beauty, comeliness, excellency, glorious, glory,

goodly, honour, majesty.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

הוֹד (hod) — splendor.

splendour, majesty, vigour

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
HNcmsc/Sp2ms — Noun common masculine singular construct · suffix
HNcmsc/Sp2ms
O Yahweh lord our how! majestic [is] name your in all the earth [the one] who set ! splendor your above the heavens
עַל־'al- above H5921 Preposition
5,774× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This Hebrew word means on or above something, like a physical object or a situation. It can also imply a sense of responsibility or accountability, as in being on behalf of someone.
Tyndale gloss
upon
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word עַל (*al*) is a preposition meaning 'upon' and encompasses a wide range of meanings, including 'on account of,' 'beside,' 'above,' and 'against.' It can indicate physical placement, emotional burdens, or duties imposed on a person. The entries also note its use in idiomatic expressions and with verbs of motion. There is a mention of its function as a conjunction in certain contexts.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

כִּי עַל כֵּן forasmuch as

base

עַל, עָ֑ל

subst. height

As prep. upon, and hence on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against

Upon, of the substratum upon which an object in any way rests, or on which an action is performed

of clothing, etc., which any one wears

With verbs of covering or protecting, even though the cover or veil be not over or above the thing covered, but around or before it

Of what rests heavily upon a person, or is a burden to him

Of a duty, payment, care, etc., imposed upon a person, or devolving on him

על is used idiom. to give pathos to the expression of an emotion, by emphasizing the person who is its subject, and who, as it were, feels it acting upon him

חָיָה עַל to live upon (as upon a foundation or support)

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Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H5921a עַל, עָ֑ל . As prep. upon, and hence on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against . Upon, of the substratum upon which an object in any way rests, or on which an action is performed . — . of clothing, etc., which any one wears

. With verbs of covering or protecting, even though the cover or veil be not over or above the thing covered, but around or before it

. Of what rests heavily upon a person, or is a burden to him

. Of a duty, payment, care, etc., imposed upon a person, or devolving on him

. על is used idiom. to give pathos to the expression of an emotion, by emphasizing the person who is its subject, and who, as it were, feels it acting upon him

. חָיָה עַל to live upon (as upon a foundation or support)

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Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

5921 `al al

properly, the same as 5920 used as a preposition (in the

singular or plural often with prefix, or as conjunction with a

particle following); above, over, upon, or against (yet always

in this last relation with a downward aspect) in a great

variety of applications (as follow):--above, according

to(-ly), after, (as) against, among, and, X as, at, because

of, beside (the rest of), between, beyond the time, X both

and, by (reason of), X had the charge of, concerning for, in

(that), (forth, out) of, (from) (off), (up-)on, over, than,

through(-out), to, touching, X with.

see HEBREW for 05920

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

עַל (al) — upon.

prep

1) upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against

1a) upon, on the ground of, on the basis of, on account of, because of, therefore, on behalf of, for the sake of, for, with, in spite of, notwithstanding, concerning, in the matter of, as regards

1b) above, beyond, over (of excess)

1c) above, over (of elevation or pre-eminence)

1d) upon, to, over to, unto, in addition to, together with, with (of addition)

1e) over (of suspension or extension)

1f) by, adjoining, next, at, over, around (of contiguity or proximity)

1g) down upon, upon, on, from, up upon, up to, towards, over towards, to, against (with verbs of motion)

1h) to (as a dative)

[כִּי] עַל [כֵּן] ([ki] al [ken]) — as.

conj

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Prep — Preposition
HR
The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
O Yahweh lord our how! majestic [is] name your in all the earth [the one] who set ! splendor your above the heavens
הַשָּׁמָֽיִם׃ha.sha.Ma.yim the heavens H8064 Particle · noun common masculine plural absolute
421× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
The Hebrew word for heaven or sky, it refers to the visible universe and the abode of God. It is often used in the Bible to describe the dwelling place of celestial bodies.
Tyndale gloss
heaven
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word שָׁמַיִם (*shamayim*) is a dual noun meaning 'heavens' or 'sky.' It refers to the visible heavens where celestial bodies are found, as well as the abode of God. The dual form may suggest both the arch of the sky and the higher ether. It is noted in contexts such as Elijah's ascent in a whirlwind.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

[שָׁמַי] n.m. only pl. שָׁמַיִם 421 heavens, sky

visible heavens, sky, where stars, etc., are

phrases

as abode of God

Elijah taken up הַשּׁ׳ in whirlwind

הַשּׁ׳ personified in various relations

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H8064 שָׁמַי only pl. שָׁמַיִם heavens, sky . . visible heavens, sky, where stars, etc., are

. phrases

. . as abode of God

. Elijah taken up הַשּׁ׳ in whirlwind

. הַשּׁ׳ personified in various relations

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

8064 shamayim shaw-mah'-yim

dual of an unused singular shameh {shaw-meh'}; from an unused

root meaning to be lofty; the sky (as aloft; the dual perhaps

alluding to the visible arch in which the clouds move, as well

as to the higher ether where the celestial bodies

revolve):--air, X astrologer, heaven(-s).

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

שָׁמַיִם (sha.ma.yim) — heaven.

1) heaven, heavens, sky

1a) visible heavens, sky

1a1) as abode of the stars

1a2) as the visible universe, the sky, atmosphere, etc

1b) Heaven (as the abode of God)

Aramaic equivalent: sha.ma.yin (שָׁמַ֫יִן "heaven" H8065)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
HTd/Ncmpa — Particle · noun common masculine plural absolute
HTd/Ncmpa
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

hev'-'nz (shamayim; ouranoi): On the physical heavens see ASTRONOMY; WORLD. Above these, in popular conception, were the celestial heavens, the abode of God and of the hosts of angels (Ps 11:4; 103:19-21; Isa 66:1; Re 4:2; 5:11; compare Da 7:10), though it was recognized that Yahweh's presence was not confined to any region (1Ki 8:27). Later Judaism reckoned seven heavens. The apostle Paul speaks of himself as caught up into "the third heaven," which he evidently identifies with Paradise (2Co 12:2).

See HEAVENLY.

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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