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Psalms 81:11 — Word Study

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WLCוְלֹא־ שָׁמַ֣ע עַמִּ֣י לְקוֹלִ֑י וְ֝יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל לֹא־ אָ֥בָה לִֽי׃

BSAIʼânôkîy The LordYᵉhôvâh Godʼĕlôhîym to ascendʻâlâh landʼerets EgyptMitsrayim to enlargerâchab lippeh to fillmâlêʼ

Word
Listen & take awayPsalms 81
English ↓ Download MP3 The Berean Standard Bible chapter audio already hosted for the site's Bible section — verse 11 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 (Li) — no per-word recordings of the Hebrew exist to link to.
Take it away
Psalms 81:11quick helps
In a sentenceGod laments that His people, Israel, have not listened or obeyed Him.
Who is speakingThe LORD, addressing His people.
Where we areA declaration of disobedience in a psalm reflecting on Israel's history.
The hard wordאָבָה
Take awayThe refusal to listen leads to a separation from God's will.
8 commentators on this verse Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them › clause subjectמִצְרַיִם verbאֱלֹהִים 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 81:11

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 — A Lament over Disobediencegenerated

10I am the LORD your God, who brought you up out of Egypt. Open wide your mouth, and I will fill it.
11But My people would not listen to Me, and Israel would not obey Me.
12So I gave them up to their stubborn hearts to follow their own devices.
13If only My people would listen to Me, if Israel would follow My ways,

Psalms 81:11 expresses God's sorrow over His people's refusal to listen and obey. This verse is part of a larger reflection on Israel's history, where God reminds them of His past deliverance and their current disobedience. The surrounding verses highlight God's desire for His people to follow His ways and the consequences of their stubborn hearts, as seen in Psalm 81:10 and Psalm 81:12.


Cross References

ReferenceText (BSB)
1Psalm 106:12–13Then they believed His promises and sang His praise.
2Jeremiah 2:11–13Has a nation ever changed its gods, though they are no gods at all? Yet My people have exchanged their Glory for useless idols.
3Jeremiah 7:23–24but this is what I commanded them: Obey Me, and I will be your God, and you will be My people. You must walk in all the ways I have commanded you, so that it may go well with you.
4Zechariah 7:11But they refused to pay attention and turned a stubborn shoulder; they stopped up their ears from hearing.
5Exodus 32:1Now when the people saw that Moses was delayed in coming down from the mountain, they gathered around Aaron and said, “Come, make us gods who will go before us. As for this Moses who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has happened to him!”

The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 8 references, hung on the phrase they belong to


The Key Word אָבָה, 'A.vahgenerated

The Hebrew word אָבָה (abah) means to be willing or to consent. It indicates a disposition of acquiescence or acceptance, often in the context of obedience to God’s commands. In this verse, it emphasizes Israel's unwillingness to yield to God's voice.

This word appears in various forms throughout the Old Testament, often indicating a willingness to follow or accept, sometimes in both positive and negative contexts. Here, it underscores the gravity of Israel's refusal to obey.


How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated

The translations of this verse generally agree, rendering the key terms consistently.


Sentence Structuregenerated

The main finite verb in this verse is שָׁמַ֣ע, it listened, which governs the subject עַמִּ֣י, my people, and is complemented by a prepositional phrase לְקוֹלִ֑י, to My voice. The structure emphasizes the relationship between the people and God's call.

The second part of the sentence follows a similar structure with the verb אָ֥בָה, it yielded, and the subject יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל, Israel, indicating their refusal to obey.


Septuagint Backgroundgenerated

In the Septuagint, the Hebrew שָׁמַ֣ע is rendered as θεός (Theos), which translates to 'God.' This reflects a focus on divine authority and presence in the act of listening.

The translation of אָבָה as στόμα (stoma, meaning 'mouth') indicates a shift in focus from willingness to the act of speaking or proclaiming, which may suggest a different interpretative angle on Israel's disobedience.


In plain words — the whole versegenerated

Psalms 81:11 shows that God is disappointed because His people, Israel, did not listen to Him or obey His commands. This reflects a broader theme of the psalm, where God desires His people to follow Him and warns of the consequences of their stubbornness.


Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated

What does it mean that God's people did not listen?

It means that they ignored God's voice and commands, choosing instead to follow their own ways.

Why is Israel referred to as 'My people'?

This title signifies a special relationship between God and Israel, indicating that they are chosen and called by Him.

What are the consequences of not obeying God?

The consequences include separation from God and the inability to receive His blessings and guidance.

How can we ensure we listen to God today?

We can listen to God through prayer, reading Scripture, and being attentive to His guidance in our lives.


Reflection Questionsgenerated

  1. In what ways have I not listened to God's voice in my life?
  2. How can I be more attentive to God's commands and guidance?
  3. What are some examples of God's faithfulness that I can reflect on?
  4. How can I encourage others to listen and obey God's voice?

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

Augustine of Hippo references this verse in his exposition, highlighting God's communication with His people.

Augustine of HippoExposition on Psalms 81 354–430
"And My people obeyed not My voice" [Psalms 81:11]. For He would not speak these things except to His own people.
Early Church Fathers on Psalms 81 →

Commentators on this verse — 8 expositors, verse by verse

Each of these wrote on Psalms 81:11 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.

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

But my people would not hearken to my voice,.... Neither as exhorting them to the above duties, nor as promising the above favours; would neither hearken to the voice of the law, nor to the voice of

Read John Gill on Psalms 81 →
Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's Commentary

But my people would not hearken to my voice; and Israel would none of me. But my people would not hearken to my voice; and Israel would none of me.

Read Robert Jamieson on Psalms 81 →
Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy Bible

Or, did not assent to me, or acquiesce in me, or obey me, or my commands.

Read Matthew Poole on Psalms 81 →
John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

Psalms 81:11 But my people would not hearken to my voice; and Israel would none of me.Ver. 11. But my people would not hearken] Here beginneth the second part of the psalm, which is objurgatory, and very suitable to the season of the year at that feast, that if it were a fruitful year the Israelites might see and acknowledge God’ s goodness therein; as, if otherwise, they might accuse themselves, and not the Lord. Israel would none] Heb. acquiesced not in me, was not well affected to me, but had hearts full of harlotry, Perplexis cogitationibus (Vat.).

Read John Trapp on Psalms 81 →
AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible

Verse 11. Israel would none of me.] לא אבה לי lo abah li, They willed me not, they would not have me for their God.

Read AdamClarke on Psalms 81 →
CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

11, 12. Israel’s disobedience and its punishment.

Read Cambridge on Psalms 81 →
Albert Barnes1798–1870Barnes' Notes on the Bible

But my people ... - See Psalms 78:10-11, Psalms 78:17-19. “And Israel would none of me.” Literally, “Did not will me;” that is, “did not incline to me; were not attached to me; were not disposed to

Read Albert Barnes on Psalms 81 →
Daniel Denison Whedon1808–1885Whedon's Commentary on the Bible

11. But my people would not hearken—The doubt of Psa 81:8 has become a reality. Would none of me—Were not inclined to me; had not a willing mind toward me.

Read Daniel Denison Whedon on Psalms 81 →

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

But My people would not listen to Me, and Israel would not obey Me.

WEBWorld English Bible2000

But my people didn’t listen to my voice. Israel desired none of me.

MSBMajority Standard Bible2022

But My people would not listen to Me, and Israel would not obey Me.

NETBNew English Translation2006

But my people did not obey me; Israel did not submit to me.

Tyndale line

KJVKing James Version1611

But my people would not hearken to my voice; and Israel would none of me.

ASVAmerican Standard Version1901

But my people hearkened not to my voice; And Israel would none of me.

RVARevised Version, American1894

But my people hearkened not to my voice; and Israel would none of me.

NWBWebster's Bible1833

But my people would not hearken to my voice; and Israel would not obey me.

GNVGeneva Bible1599

But my people would not heare my voyce, and Israel would none of me.

Strictly literal

DBYDarby Translation1890

But my people hearkened not to my voice, and Israel would none of me.

YLTYoung's Literal Translation1862

But, My people hearkened not to My voice, And Israel hath not consented to Me.

LSVLiteral Standard Version2020

But My people did not listen to My voice, || And Israel has not consented to Me.

ILTInterlinear Literal Translation2000

(81:12) But my people did not hearken to my voice; and Israel was not willing [to follow] me.

ULBUnlocked Literal Bible2017

But my people did not listen to my words; Israel did not obey me.

Simplified

FBVFree Bible Version2020

But my people didn't listen to me. Israel didn't want anything to do with me.

BBEBible in Basic English1949

But my people did not give ear to my voice; Israel would have nothing to do with me.

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.

וְandclauseadverbialלֹאnotverbשָׁמַ֣עit.listenednoun phrase · subjectעַמִּ֣peopleיmyprepositional phrase · prepositionalלְtonoun phraseקוֹלִ֑voiceיmyוְ֝andclausesubjectיִשְׂרָאֵ֗לIsraeladverbialלֹאnotverbאָ֥בָהit.yieldedprepositional phrase · prepositionalלִֽtoיme

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


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

The Masoretic Text, Septuagint, and the Dead Sea Scrolls show agreement in the core message of the verse, with the Masoretic Text and the Septuagint matching word-for-word. The Dead Sea Scrolls contain some restored words but maintain the essence of the original text.

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

וְלֹא־ שָׁמַ֣ע עַמִּ֣י לְקוֹלִ֑י וְ֝יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל לֹא־ אָ֥בָה לִֽי׃

Septuagintthe Greek the translators chose, word by word
וְלֹא־κύριοςשָׁמַ֣עθεόςעַמִּ֣ילְקוֹלִ֑יἐκוְ֝יִשְׂרָאֵ֗לαἰγύπτουלֹא־πλάτυνονאָ֥בָהστόμαלִֽי׃καὶ

8 of the 8 words are matched. This is the word-by-word correspondence, not the Septuagint's own sentence — its word order and its articles are its own.

Dead Sea Scrolls — Mas1ea copy a thousand years older than the Leningrad Codex

[אנכי] [יהוה] [אלהי׳ך] [המעל׳ך] מארץ מצרים [הרחב] [פי׳ך] [ואמלא׳הו]

2 words on the leather — 7 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 81:11לֹאand notand notלֹאשָׁמַעit listenedit listenedשָׁמַעעַםpeople mypeople myעַםקוֹלto voice myto voice myקוֹליִשְׂרָאֵלand Israeland Israelיִשְׂרָאֵללֹאnotnotלֹאאָבָהit yieldedit yieldedאָבָהנִיto meto meנִיעָמַםto darkento darkenעָמַםשָׂרָהto striveto striveשָׂרָהיָכֹלbe ablebe ableיָכֹלעוֹדstillstillעוֹדקוֹלvoice: souvoice: soundקוֹלקָשַׁבto listento listenקָשַׁבתְּרוּעָהshoutshoutתְּרוּעָהשֹׁפָרtrumpettrumpetשֹׁפָרשֵׁ֫בֶטtribetribeשֵׁ֫בֶטקָדוֹשׁholyholyקָדוֹשׁשָׁחַתto ruinto ruinשָׁחַתעֵצָהcounselcounselעֵצָה
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 81:11

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 not it listened people my to voice my and Israel not it yielded to me
וְלֹא־ve.lo'- and not H3808 Conjunction · particle
5,170× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
The Hebrew word for not or no is used to indicate absence or negation, as when God says no to the Israelites' requests, or when they disobey His commands.
Tyndale gloss
not
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

לֹא (lo') is a Hebrew word meaning 'not' or 'no.' It serves as a simple negation and can imply absence or prohibition. The word can also be used in various contexts, often combined with other particles for emphasis or clarification. Its Aramaic equivalent is לָא (la), which also means 'not.'

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

לֹא or לוֹא adv. not

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H3808 לֹא or לוֹא not

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

3808 lo' lo

or lowi {lo}; or loh (Deut. 3:11) {lo}; a primitive particle;

not (the simple or abs. negation); by implication, no; often

used with other particles (as follows):--X before, + or else,

ere, + except, ig(-norant), much, less, nay, neither, never,

no((-ne), -r, (-thing)), (X as though...,(can-), for) not (out

of), of nought, otherwise, out of, + surely, + as truly as, +

of a truth, + verily, for want, + whether, without.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

לֹא (lo) — not.

1) not, no

1a) not (with verb-absolute prohibition)

1b) not (with modifier-negation)

1c) nothing (subst)

1d) without (with particle)

1e) before (of time)

Aramaic equivalent: la (לָא "not" H3809)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
HC/Tn — Conjunction · particle
HC/Tn
The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
and not it listened people my to voice my and Israel not it yielded to me
שָׁמַ֣עsha.Ma' it listened H8085 Verb · Qal · perfect third person masculine singular
1,160× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
To hear and listen is what this Hebrew word means, often implying attention and obedience. In Exodus and Deuteronomy, it is used when God speaks to the people, and they must listen and obey.
Tyndale gloss
to hear: hear
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word שָׁמַע (shama`) means 'to hear' and encompasses a range of meanings including listening, obeying, and proclaiming. It is built from a primitive root and can imply attention and understanding. The entries highlight various grammatical forms, such as Qal, Niphal, Piel, and Hiphil, indicating different nuances of hearing and obeying. There is no significant disagreement among the lexicons regarding its meanings.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

שָׁמַע 1152 vb. hear

Qal 1052

subj. pers. hum.

י׳ (God) subj.

Niph. 42 be heard, of voice, sound

be heard of

be regarded, obeyed

= (favourable) hearing was granted to their voice.

Pi. he caused the people to hear

Hiph. 63

of man

י׳ subj.

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H8085 שָׁמַע hear

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

8085 shama` shaw-mah'

a primitive root; to hear intelligently (often with

implication of attention, obedience, etc.; causatively, to

tell, etc.):--X attentively, call (gather) together, X

carefully, X certainly, consent, consider, be content,

declare, X diligently, discern, give ear, (cause to, let, make

to) hear(-ken, tell), X indeed, listen, make (a) noise, (be)

obedient, obey, perceive, (make a) proclaim(-ation), publish,

regard, report, shew (forth), (make a) sound, X surely, tell,

understand, whosoever (heareth), witness.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

שָׁמַע (sha.ma) — to hear: hear.

: hear

v

1) to hear, listen to, obey

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to hear (perceive by ear)

1a2) to hear of or concerning

1a3) to hear (have power to hear)

1a4) to hear with attention or interest, listen to

1a5) to understand (language)

1a6) to hear (of judicial cases)

1a7) to listen, give heed

1a7a) to consent, agree

1a7b) to grant request

1a8) to listen to, yield to

1a9) to obey, be obedient

1b) (Niphal)

1b1) to be heard (of voice or sound)

1b2) to be heard of

1b3) to be regarded, be obeyed

1c) (Piel) to cause to hear, call to hear, summon

1d) (Hiphil)

1d1) to cause to hear, tell, proclaim, utter a sound

1d2) to sound aloud (musical term)

1d3) to make proclamation, summon

1d4) to cause to be heard

n m

2) sound

שָׁמַע (sha.ma) — to hear: obey.

: obey

v

1) to hear, listen to, obey

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to hear (perceive by ear)

1a2) to hear of or concerning

1a3) to hear (have power to hear)

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
HVqp3ms — Verb · Qal · perfect third person masculine singular
HVqp3ms
and not it listened people my to voice my and Israel not it yielded to me
עַמִּ֣י'a.Mi people my H5971 Noun common masculine singular construct · suffix
1,873× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
A people or nation is what this Hebrew word represents, like the nation of Israel in Exodus 33:13. It can also mean a tribe, troops, or attendants, and is used to describe a group of people gathered together. The word is often used to refer to the people of God.
Tyndale gloss
Amaw
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

עַם (am) primarily means 'people' or 'nation,' referring to a collective group, often in the context of tribes such as those of Israel. It can also denote kinsmen or compatriots. The term appears in various contexts, including military and familial references. There is a mention of a specific individual named Ammi in Song of Solomon 6:12.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

עַם, עָם 1810 n.m. people

a people, nation

= smaller units

= common people

people in gen., persons

phrases

base

[עַם] n.[m.] kinsman (on father's side)

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H5971a עַם, עָם people H5971b עַם kinsman (on father's side)

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

5971 `am am

from 6004; a people (as a congregated unit); specifically, a

tribe (as those of Israel); hence (collectively) troops or

attendants; figuratively, a flock:--folk, men, nation,

people.

see HEBREW for 06004

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

עַם (am) — people.

: people/nation

1) nation, people

1a) people, nation

1b) persons, members of one's people, compatriots, country-men

עַם (am) — kinsman.

kinsman, kindred

עַם (am) — Ammi.

A man living at the time of United Monarchy, only mentioned at Sng.6.12

§ kinsman, kindred

עַם (am) — People's (Gate).

§ kinsman, kindred

עַם (am) — (Ibleam)-am.

Combined with yiv.le.am (יִבְלְעָם "Ibleam" H2991)

§ kinsman, kindred

עַם (am) — Amaw.

This name means nation, people

עַם (am) — people: soldiers.

: soldiers/army

1) nation, people

1a) people, nation

1b) persons, members of one's people, compatriots, country-men

עַם (am) — people: creatures.

: creatures

1) nation, people

1a) people, nation

1b) persons, members of one's people, compatriots, country-men

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
HNcmsc/Sp1bs — Noun common masculine singular construct · suffix
HNcmsc/Sp1bs
and not it listened people my to voice my and Israel not it yielded to me
לְקוֹלִ֑יle.ko.Li to voice my H6963 Preposition · noun common masculine singular construct · suffix
506× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
A voice or sound, it can refer to the sound of a person speaking, an animal, or a musical instrument. In the Bible, it is often used to describe God's voice or the sound of praise and worship.
Tyndale gloss
voice: sound
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

קוֹל (qol) primarily means 'voice' or 'sound,' encompassing various contexts such as music, noise, and even thunder. It can also denote lightness or frivolity. The word is built from a root meaning to call aloud and appears in various forms throughout the Old Testament, including a reference in Jeremiah 3:9.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

קוֹל 506 n.m. sound, voice

base

קֹל n.[m.] lightness, frivolity;—Je 3:9

ref

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H6963a קוֹל sound, voice H6963b קֹל lightness, frivolity

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

6963 qowl kole

or qol {kole}; from an unused root meaning to call aloud; a

voice or sound:--+ aloud, bleating, crackling, cry (+ out),

fame, lightness, lowing, noise, + hold peace, (pro-)claim,

proclamation, + sing, sound, + spark, thunder(-ing), voice, +

yell.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

קוֹל (qol) — voice.

: voice/shout/loud

1) voice, sound, noise

1a) voice

1b) sound (of instrument)

קֹל (qol) — frivolity.

lightness, frivolity

קוֹל (qol) — voice: sound.

: sound/noise

1) voice, sound, noise

1a) voice

1b) sound (of instrument)

קוֹל (qol) — voice: thunder.

: thunder

1) voice, sound, noise

1a) voice

1b) sound (of instrument)

קוֹל (qol) — voice: message.

: message/proclaim

1) voice, sound, noise

1a) voice

1b) sound (of instrument)

קוֹל (qol) — voice: [sound of].

: [sound_of](THING)

1) voice, sound, noise

1a) voice

1b) sound (of instrument)

קוֹל (qol) — voice: listen.

: listen

1) voice, sound, noise

1a) voice

1b) sound (of instrument)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
HR/Ncmsc/Sp1bs — Preposition · noun common masculine singular construct · suffix
HR/Ncmsc/Sp1bs
and not it listened people my to voice my and Israel not it yielded to me
וְ֝יִשְׂרָאֵ֗לve.Yis.ra.'El and Israel H3478 Conjunction · noun proper
2,508× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
Israel is the symbolic name of Jacob, also referring to his descendants. Jacob, son of Isaac and Rebekah, had 12 sons who became the tribes of Israel, as told in Genesis 25:26. His story is crucial to the Bible's narrative.
Tyndale gloss
Israel
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

יִשְׂרָאֵל (Yisra'el) refers to both the second name of Jacob, meaning 'God prevails,' and the name of the Hebrew nation descended from him. It is derived from roots meaning 'to rule' and 'God.' The term encompasses Jacob's descendants and is used historically for the northern kingdom of Israel and the nation as a whole after the Babylonian exile.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

יִשְׂרָאֵל 2507 n.pr.m. et gent. Israel (Ēl persisteth, persevereth)

n.pr.m. second name of Jacob

n.pr.gent. name of Hebrew nation

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H3478 יִשְׂרָאֵל Israel (Ēl persisteth, persevereth) . n. pr. m. second name of Jacob

. n. pr. gent. name of Hebrew nation

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

3478 Yisra'el yis-raw-ale'

from 8280 and 410; he will rule as God; Jisrael, a symbolical

name of Jacob; also (typically) of his posterity:

--Israel.

see HEBREW for 08280

see HEBREW for 0410

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

יִשְׂרָאֵל (yis.ra.el) — Israel.

A man living at the time of the Patriarchs, first mentioned at Gen.25.26;

son of: Isaac (H3327) and Rebekah (H7259);

brother of: Esau (H6215); married to Rachel (H7354), Leah (H3812), Zilpah (H2153) and Bilhah (H1090A);

father of: Reuben (H7205), Simeon (H8095), Levi (H3878), Judah (H3063), Dan (H1835H), Naphtali (H5321), Gad (H1410), Asher (H0836), Issachar (H3485), Zebulun (H2074), Dinah (H1783), Joseph (H3130) and Benjamin (H1144); also called Jacob frequently

§ Israel = "God prevails"

1) the second name for Jacob given to him by God after his wrestling with the angel at Peniel

2) the name of the descendants and the nation of the descendants of Jacob

2a) the name of the nation until the death of Solomon and the split

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Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
HC/Npl — Conjunction · noun proper
HC/Npl
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

iz'-ra-el.

See JACOB.

Easton's Bible Dictionary

Israel

The name conferred on Jacob after the great prayer-struggle at Peniel (Gen. 32:28), because “as a prince he had power with God and prevailed.” (See JACOB.) This is the common name given to Jacob’s descendants. The whole people of the twelve tribes are called “Israelites,” the “children of Israel” (Josh. 3:17; 7:25; Judg. 8:27; Jer. 3:21), and the “house of Israel” (Ex. 16:31; 40:38).

This name Israel is sometimes used emphatically for the true Israel (Ps. 73:1: Isa. 45:17; 49:3;

Smith's Bible Dictionary

(the prince that prevails with God). The name given, (Genesis 32:28) to Jacob after his wrestling with the angel, (Hosea 12:4) at Peniel. Gesenius interprets Israel "soldier of God." It became the national name of the twelve tribes collectively. They are so called in (Exodus 3:16) and afterward. It is used in a narrower sense, excluding Judah, in (1 Samuel 11:8; 2 Samuel 20:1; 1 Kings 12:16) Thenceforth it was assumed and accepted as the name of the northern kingdom. After the Babylonian captivity, the returned exiles resumed the name Israel as the designation of…

American Tract Society Bible Dictionary

Who prevails with God, a name given to Jacob, after having wrestled with the Angel-Jehovah at Penuel. Ge 32:1,2,28,30 Ho 12:3. See JACOB. By the name Israel is sometimes understood all the posterity of Israel, the seed of Jacob, 1Co 10:18; sometimes all true believers, his spiritual seed, Ro 9:6; and sometimes the kingdom of Israel, or the ten tribes, as distinct from the kingdom of Judah.

The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
and not it listened people my to voice my and Israel not it yielded to me
לֹא־lo'- not H3808 Particle
5,170× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
The Hebrew word for not or no is used to indicate absence or negation, as when God says no to the Israelites' requests, or when they disobey His commands.
Tyndale gloss
not
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

לֹא (lo') is a Hebrew word meaning 'not' or 'no.' It serves as a simple negation and can imply absence or prohibition. The word can also be used in various contexts, often combined with other particles for emphasis or clarification. Its Aramaic equivalent is לָא (la), which also means 'not.'

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

לֹא or לוֹא adv. not

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H3808 לֹא or לוֹא not

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

3808 lo' lo

or lowi {lo}; or loh (Deut. 3:11) {lo}; a primitive particle;

not (the simple or abs. negation); by implication, no; often

used with other particles (as follows):--X before, + or else,

ere, + except, ig(-norant), much, less, nay, neither, never,

no((-ne), -r, (-thing)), (X as though...,(can-), for) not (out

of), of nought, otherwise, out of, + surely, + as truly as, +

of a truth, + verily, for want, + whether, without.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

לֹא (lo) — not.

1) not, no

1a) not (with verb-absolute prohibition)

1b) not (with modifier-negation)

1c) nothing (subst)

1d) without (with particle)

1e) before (of time)

Aramaic equivalent: la (לָא "not" H3809)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
HTn — Particle
HTn
The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
and not it listened people my to voice my and Israel not it yielded to me
אָ֥בָה'A.vah it yielded H14 Verb · Qal · perfect third person masculine singular
54× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
To be willing or consent is the meaning of this Hebrew word, which involves being acquiescent or accepting. It is used in various contexts, including being willing to obey or follow.
Tyndale gloss
be willing
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word אָבָה (*abah*) means to be willing or to consent. It is a primitive root that conveys ideas of acquiescence and desire. The word appears in various forms and contexts throughout the Old Testament, often indicating a willingness to yield or accept, sometimes in both positive and negative senses.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

אָבָה vb. be willing, consent (cf. As. abîtu, command, Dl W, Eth. Ethiopic refuse, Ar. Arabic, id., Nejd be willing So De Jes 3, p. 26; LCB 1880, 817)—

Qal (c. לֹא, אַל exc. Is 1:19 Jb 39:9; in Hex. rare & Only JED, incl. Lv 26:21); Pf. אָבָה Ex 10:27 + אָבוּ Ju 19:25 + 7 t.; אָבוּא Is 28:12 (Sta § 31 R.2; Kö I, 414); Impf. יֹאבֶה Dt 29:19 + 2 t.; 2 ms. juss. תֹּבֵֽא Pr 1:10 (Sta § 143 e 1 nn; Kö I, 578 f) etc.; Pt. אֹבִים Ez 3:7;—be willing, sq. Inf.…

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Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H14 אָבָה be willing, consent

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

14 'abah aw-baw'

a primitive root; to breathe after, i.e. (figuratively) to be

acquiescent:--consent, rest content will, be willing.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

אָבָה (a.vah) — be willing.

1) to be willing, consent

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to be willing

1a2) to consent, yield to, accept

1a3) to desire

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
HVqp3ms — Verb · Qal · perfect third person masculine singular
HVqp3ms
and not it listened people my to voice my and Israel not it yielded to me
לִֽי׃Li to me H9030 Preposition · suffix
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

נִי (ni) — me.

Personal object pronoun - suffix for propositions and verbs without an object: 1st person singular

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
HR/Sp1bs — Preposition · suffix
HR/Sp1bs
Sources on this page. Lexicons and dictionaries imported from the CrossWire SWORD modules — Abbott-Smith, Strong's, Dodson, the Intermediate Liddell-Scott-Jones, Robinson and Packard, Webster and Cawdrey. Thayer’s Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament (Harper, 1889 — Grimm’s Wilke’s Clavis Novi Testamenti, translated, revised and enlarged by Joseph Henry Thayer) is public domain and is set here from the Internet Archive page scan greekenglishlex00grim; it is uncorrected OCR, marked as such on the entry itself, and the Strong’s numbers — which Thayer’s own edition does not carry — were matched by lemma against the other modules on this page. Trench’s Synonyms of the New Testament (Macmillan, 1880) and Moulton and Milligan’s Vocabulary of the Greek Testament (Hodder & Stoughton, 1930, which entered the United States public domain on 1 January 2026) are set from Internet Archive page scans synonymsofnewtes00treniala and vocabularyofgree00mouluoft, and are likewise uncorrected OCR matched to Strong’s numbers by lemma. Trench treats a group of words at once, so the same essay stands on the page of each word it compares. The Mounce Concise Greek-English Dictionary is © 1993 and is used here by permission for non-commercial use, www.teknia.com/greek-dictionary. The full Liddell-Scott-Jones and the Hebrew word data (TAHOT) come from STEPBible.org, CC BY 4.0. Brown-Driver-Briggs is the OpenScriptures digitisation, public domain. Syntax analysis is the Nestle 1904 Lowfat treebank (biblicalhumanities.org); the concordance and morphology are built from the tagged Nestle 1904 text. Septuagint occurrences use the Open Scriptures Septuagint lemma index, derived from CCAT (University of Pennsylvania) and the Rahlfs 1935 dataset by Eliran Wong, CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 — used here on a non-commercial ministry site. Greek of Josephus and Barnabas from the Perseus Digital Library, CC BY-SA 4.0. Commentaries and the Ante-Nicene Fathers are public-domain texts hosted on this site. Everyday Greek from the Duke Databank of Documentary Papyri, CC BY 3.0, with dates and provenance from the Heidelberger Gesamtverzeichnis. Philo and the Apostolic Fathers from Open Greek and Latin (First1KGreek), CC BY-SA 4.0. The apparatus and the fifth Greek column are the SBL Greek New Testament, © 2010 SBL and Logos Bible Software, CC BY 4.0. The Latin is the Clementine Vulgate (public domain); the Syriac New Testament is the ETCBC edition (MIT licence). The Hebrew behind the Greek is computed here from the Septuagint index and TAHOT, not taken from any aligned edition. The translation spread and the per-word edition marks come from the Translators Amalgamated Greek NT (STEPBible, CC BY 4.0); clause roles from the Nestle 1904 Lowfat treebank (CC BY-SA 4.0); place identifications and their confidence from OpenBible.info Bible Geocoding (CC BY 4.0), with map tiles © OpenStreetMap contributors. Gospel parallels are computed here from shared uncommon vocabulary, not taken from any printed harmony. Cross references are the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge and the subject headings are Nave’s Topical Bible, both public domain. Works under Creative Commons licences are used unchanged apart from markup removal.

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