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Psalms 87:6 — Word Study

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WLCיְֽהוָ֗ה יִ֭סְפֹּר בִּכְת֣וֹב עַמִּ֑ים זֶ֖ה יֻלַּד־ שָׁ֣ם סֶֽלָה׃

BSAThe LORDYᵉhôvâh [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] will recordçâphar [count, write down] in the registerkâthab [list, catalog] of the peoplesʻam [nations, groups of people] Thiszeh one was bornyâlad [person, individual, begotten, given birth to] [in Zion]shâm [the city of God, the place of His presence] Selahçelâh [a pause, a moment of reflection]

Word
Listen & take awayPsalms 87
English ↓ Download MP3 The Berean Standard Bible chapter audio already hosted for the site's Bible section — verse 6 is in this chapter.
Hebrew ↓ Download MP3 The Masoretic text of this chapter, read aloud. Read by Abraham Shmuelof, courtesy of Audio Scriptures International. Chapter divisions by the Academy of Ancient Languages..
Say the word Each Hebrew word carries its transliteration (Se.lah) — no per-word recordings of the Hebrew exist to link to.
Take it away
Psalms 87:6quick helps
In a sentenceThe LORD will record the names of those born in Zion.
Who is speakingThe LORD, who is affirming the significance of Zion.
Where we areA declaration about the people born in Zion, emphasizing their importance.
The hard wordיְֽהוָ֗ה
Take awayThe act of recording signifies belonging to God's people.
8 commentators on this verse Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them › clause subjectיהוה verbסָפַר 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 87:6

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 Significance of Ziongenerated

4“I will mention Rahab and Babylon among those who know Me— along with Philistia, Tyre, and Cush — when I say, ‘This one was born in Zion.’”
5And it will be said of Zion: “This one and that one were born in her, and the Most High Himself will establish her.”
6The LORD will record in the register of the peoples: “This one was born in Zion.” Selah
7Singers and pipers will proclaim, “All my springs of joy are in You.”

Psalm 87:6 speaks of the LORD's intention to record those who are born in Zion, highlighting the special status of Zion as a place of divine presence. This passage reflects a broader theme in the Psalms where the identity and destiny of God's people are celebrated, as seen in the surrounding verses that mention other nations and their connection to Zion.


Cross References

ReferenceText (BSB)
1Psalm 22:30Posterity will serve Him; they will declare the Lord to a new generation.
2Isaiah 4:3Whoever remains in Zion and whoever is left in Jerusalem will be called holy— all in Jerusalem who are recorded among the living—
3Ezekiel 9:4“Go throughout the city of Jerusalem,” said the LORD, “and put a mark on the foreheads of the men sighing and groaning over all the abominations committed there.”
4Ezekiel 13:9My hand will be against the prophets who see false visions and speak lying divinations. They will not belong to the council of My people or be recorded in the register of the house of Israel, nor will they enter the land of Israel. Then you will know that I am the Lord GOD.
5Luke 10:20Nevertheless, do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.”

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


The Key Word יְֽהוָ֗ה, Yah.wehgenerated

The name יְהוָ֗ה (Yahweh) is the proper name of the God of Israel, indicating His eternal and self-existent nature. It is often translated as 'the LORD' and is deeply connected to God's covenant with His people, emphasizing His role as their protector and guide.

In this verse, יְהוָ֗ה serves as the subject who actively records, signifying His authority and involvement in the lives of those born in Zion. This name encapsulates the relationship between God and His people, underscoring the importance of Zion as a spiritual birthplace.


How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated

This study reads the verse in the Berean Standard Bible, so the BSB is the wording every comparison below is made against.


Sentence Structuregenerated

The main verb is יִ֭סְפֹּר, he will count, which governs the entire verse. It is followed by a prepositional phrase indicating what is being recorded, a clause that identifies the subject of the recording, and an adverbial phrase specifying the location.

The structure emphasizes the action of the LORD in recording, with the focus on the peoples and the significant declaration about those born in Zion.


Septuagint Backgroundgenerated

The Septuagint translates יְֽהוָ֗ה as κύριος (kurios), meaning 'Lord' and retaining the divine authority associated with the Hebrew name. This choice reflects a continuity of meaning across translations.

The Greek word διηγήσεται is used for יִ֭סְפֹּר, indicating a narrative style that emphasizes recounting or telling, which aligns with the Hebrew's focus on recording.


In plain words — the whole versegenerated

Psalm 87:6 tells us that the LORD will record the names of those who are born in Zion. This emphasizes the importance of Zion as a place where God's people are recognized and valued.


Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated

What does it mean that the LORD will record in the register of the peoples?

It signifies that God acknowledges and values those who are born in Zion, marking them as part of His people.

Why is Zion significant in this verse?

Zion represents the city of God, a place of His presence, and being born there indicates a special status among God's people.

What does 'Selah' mean in this context?

Selah is a term indicating a pause for reflection, inviting the reader to contemplate the significance of the statement made.

How does this verse relate to other nations mentioned?

The verse highlights that while other nations are acknowledged, those born in Zion hold a unique position in God's plan.


Reflection Questionsgenerated

  1. In what ways do I see God's hand in my own life, similar to how He records those born in Zion?
  2. How can I better understand my identity as part of God's people?
  3. What does it mean for me to be 'born in Zion' in a spiritual sense?
  4. How can I take moments of reflection, like 'Selah', in my daily life to appreciate God's work?

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

An early commentary on this verse comes from Augustine of Hippo, who reflects on the significance of Zion and God's relationship with His people.

Augustine of HippoExposition on Psalms 87 354–430
As though it were said, How do ye know this? All of us have sung these Psalms: and Christ, Man for our sake, God before us, sings within us all.
Early Church Fathers on Psalms 87 →

Commentators on this verse — 8 expositors, verse by verse

Each of these wrote on Psalms 87:6 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.

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

The Lord shall count when he writeth up the people, ]. Not in the Lamb's book of life for that was written from eternity, Revelation 13:8 but in the writing of the house of Israel, among the living

Read John Gill on Psalms 87 →
Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's Commentary

The LORD shall count, when he writeth up the people, that this man was born there. Selah.

Read Robert Jamieson on Psalms 87 →
Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy Bible

The people; or, his people. So it is only a defect of the pronoun his, which is very frequent, and easily understood out of the foregoing word, the Lord. The sense is, when God, the Maker and Governor of this city, shall take a survey of all his citizens and subjects. It is an allusion to princes or governors of cities that use to write and keep a register of all their people. Hence holy then and true Israelites are said to be written among the living in Jerusalem, ; or, in the writing of the house of Israel, .

Read Matthew Poole on Psalms 87 →
John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

Psalms 87:6 The LORD shall count, when he writeth up the people, [that] this [man] was born there. Selah.Ver. 6. The Lord shall count when he writeth up the people] When he maketh his cease book (called the writing of the house of Israel, Ezekiel 13:9, the Lord’ s book of remembrance, Malachi 3:16, the register of the living in Jerusalem, Isaiah 4:3), he shall muster them in the roll of his soldiers, number them in the catalogue of his citizens, call them in the nomenclature of his disciples, &c. A glorious privilege surely.

Read John Trapp on Psalms 87 →
Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(6) The proud boast of the preceding verse is repeated here with allusion to the census or birth-register of citizens. (See Ezekiel 13:9; Isaiah 4:3; Psalms 69:28, Note.) No doubt these lists were often produced or appealed to in triumph to mark the superiority of a native of Jerusalem over those born at a distance.

Read Charles John Ellicott on Psalms 87 →
AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible

Verse 6. The Lord shall count, when he writeth up the people] בכתוב עמים bichthob ammim, in the register of the people. When he takes account of those who dwell in Jerusalem, he will particularly note those who were born in Zion. This has an easy spiritual meaning. When God takes an account of all professing Christians, he will set apart those for inhabitants of the New Jerusalem who were born in Zion, who were born again, received a new nature, and were fitted for heaven.

Read AdamClarke on Psalms 87 →
CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

6. Jehovah shall reckon, when he registers the peoples, ‘This one was born there.’ Jehovah holds His census of the nations, and writes their names down in His book. One after another of them He registers as ‘born in Zion.’ It is the official confirmation of their rights of citizenship. Allusions to the registers of citizens are found in Psalms 69:28; Isaiah 4:3; Ezekiel 13:9; and the importance attached to genealogical registers appears in Ezra 2:62.

Read Cambridge on Psalms 87 →
Albert Barnes1798–1870Barnes' Notes on the Bible

The Lord shall count - That is, God himself will honor those who are so born. In the previous verse, the effect of such a birth was described as securing honor from human beings.

Read Albert Barnes on Psalms 87 →

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

The LORD will record in the register of the peoples: “This one was born in Zion.” Selah

WEBWorld English Bible2000

Yahweh will count, when he writes up the peoples, “This one was born there.” Selah.

MSBMajority Standard Bible2022

The LORD will record in the register of the peoples: “This one was born in Zion.” Selah

NETBNew English Translation2006

The Lord writes in the census book of the nations, “This one was born there.” (Selah)

Tyndale line

KJVKing James Version1611

The LORD shall count, when he writeth up the people, that this man was born there. Selah.

ASVAmerican Standard Version1901

Jehovah will count, when he writeth up the peoples, This one was born there. [Selah

RVARevised Version, American1894

The LORD shall count, when he writeth up the peoples, this one was born there. Selah

NWBWebster's Bible1833

The LORD shall count, when he writeth up the people, that this man was born there. Selah.

GNVGeneva Bible1599

The Lord shall count, when hee writeth the people, He was borne there. Selah.

Strictly literal

DBYDarby Translation1890

Jehovah will count, when he inscribeth the peoples, This [man] was born there. Selah.

YLTYoung's Literal Translation1862

Jehovah doth recount in the describing of the peoples, 'This [one] was born there.' Selah.

LSVLiteral Standard Version2020

YHWH recounts in the describing of the peoples, “This [one] was born there.” Selah.

ILTInterlinear Literal Translation2000

The Lord will number when he writeth down nations. “This man was born there.” Selah.

ULBUnlocked Literal Bible2017

Yahweh writes in the census book of the nations, “This one was born there.” Selah

From the Latin

DRADouay-Rheims (Challoner)1899

Free among the dead. Like the slain sleeping in the sepulchres, whom thou rememberest no more: and they are cast off from thy hand.

Simplified

FBVFree Bible Version2020

When the Lord registers the nations, he will write, “They were born there.” Selah.

BBEBible in Basic English1949

The Lord will keep in mind, when he is writing the records of the people, that this man had his birth there. (Selah.)

Counted from the translations carried on this site, not from a survey of every English Bible. A rendering shared by many versions is usually inherited rather than independently arrived at — the Tyndale line in particular runs through most of them.


The sentence as the grammar sees it — from the MACULA Hebrew treebank

This is not our own analysis: it is the scholarly syntax tree for the verse, showing how the clause actually holds together.

clausesubjectיְֽהוָ֗הYahwehverbיִ֭סְפֹּרhe.will.countprepositional phrase · prepositionalבִּwhenclauseverbכְת֣וֹבrecordsobjectעַמִּ֑יםpeoplesclause · objectsubjectזֶ֖הthis.oneverbיֻלַּדhe.was.bornadverbialשָׁ֣םthereclauseסֶֽלָהSelah

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


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

The Masoretic Text and the Septuagint largely agree on the wording of this verse, with seven of the eight words matching. The Septuagint's phrasing and structure, however, reflect its own interpretative choices.

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

יְֽהוָ֗ה יִ֭סְפֹּר בִּכְת֣וֹב עַמִּ֑ים זֶ֖ה יֻלַּד־ שָׁ֣ם סֶֽלָה׃

Septuagintthe Greek the translators chose, word by word
יְֽהוָ֗הκύριοςיִ֭סְפֹּרδιηγήσεταιבִּכְת֣וֹבγραφῇעַמִּ֑יםλαῶνזֶ֖הτούτωνיֻלַּד־γεγενημένωνסֶֽלָה׃διάψαλμα

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

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


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

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

Psalms 87:6יהוהYahwehYahwehיהוהסָפַרhe will couhe will countסָפַרכָּתַבwhen recordwhen recordsכָּתַבעַםpeoplespeoplesעַםזֶהthis onethis oneזֶהיָלַדhe was bornhe was bornיָלַדשָׁםtherethereשָׁםסֶ֫לָהSelahSelahסֶ֫לָההָיָהto beto beהָיָהעָמַםto darkento darkenעָמַםסָלָהto rejectto rejectסָלָהזֶהthisthisזֶהזֹהthisthisזֹהאֲשֶׁרwhichwhichאֲשֶׁרנְאֻםutteranceutteranceנְאֻםצָבָאarmyarmyצָבָאעֶזְרָאEzraEzraעֶזְרָאשָׁפָןrock badgerock badgerשָׁפָןסֵ֫פֶרscroll: doscroll: documenסֵ֫פֶרלוּחַtablettabletלוּחַאַיwhere?where?אַיהֶ֫בֶלvanityvanityהֶ֫בֶלשֶׁ֫לַחShelahShelahשֶׁ֫לַחהָרָהto conceivto conceiveהָרָהנָדַחto banishto banishנָדַחגּוּרto sojournto sojournגּוּר
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 87:6

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.

Yahweh he will count when records peoples this one he was born there Selah
יְֽהוָ֗הYah.weh 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.
Amplified meaning
Yehovah, The covenant Name of God
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
N-proper — Noun proper
HNpt
The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
Yahweh he will count when records peoples this one he was born there Selah
יִ֭סְפֹּרYis.por he will count H5608 Verb · Qal · imperfect third person masculine singular
159× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This word refers to a scribe or secretary who records or inscribes information. It is used in the Bible to describe someone who counts or enumerates things. The KJV translates it as 'scribe, tell, writer'.
Amplified meaning
count, write down
Tyndale gloss
to recount
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

סָפַר (safar) is a Hebrew verb meaning to count or recount, with various forms indicating actions like declaring or rehearsing. The noun form סֹפֵר (sofer) refers to a scribe or secretary. The entries highlight its use in contexts of enumeration and record-keeping, but do not present significant disagreement among lexicons.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

סָפַר 107 vb. count, Pi. recount, relate

Qal 27

count things, to learn their number

number = take account of, carefully observe and consider, reckon

Niph. be counted, numbered

Pi. 67 recount, rehearse, declare

Pu. be recounted, related, rehearsed

base

סֹפֵר, סוֹפֵר n.m. enumerator, muster-officer, secretary, scribe

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H5608a סָפַר count, Pi. recount, relate .. count things, to learn their number

. number = take account of, carefully observe and consider, reckon

. be counted, numbered

. recount, rehearse, declare

. be recounted, related, rehearsed

H5608b סֹפֵר, סוֹפֵר enumerator, muster-officer, secretary, scribe

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

5608 caphar saw-far'

a primitive root; properly, to score with a mark as a tally

or record, i.e. (by implication) to inscribe, and also to

enumerate; intensively, to recount, i.e. celebrate:--commune,

(ac-)count; declare, number, + penknife, reckon, scribe, shew

forth, speak, talk, tell (out), writer.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

סָפַר (sa.phar) — to recount.

v

1) to count, recount, relate

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to count (things)

1a2) to number, take account of, reckon

1b) (Niphal) to be counted, be numbered

1c) (Piel) to recount, rehearse, declare

1c1) to recount (something), rehearse

1c2) to talk

1c3) to count exactly or accurately

1d) (Pual) to be recounted, be rehearsed, be related

סֹפֵר (so.pher) — secretary.

1) enumerator, muster-officer, secretary, scribe

1a) enumerator, muster-officer, secretary

1b) learned man, scribe

Aramaic equivalent: sa.pher (סָפִר "scribe" H5613)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
V-Qal-Imperf-3ms — Verb · Qal · imperfect third person masculine singular
HVqi3ms
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

kount (caphar, manah; psephizo): Used of arithmetical computation "to number" (Ps 139:18; Nu 23:10); also for kathabh, "to reckon," to indicate classification among or identification with, "count for a stranger" (Job 19:15); "count for his enemy" (Job 33:10). In the New Testament the arithmetical computation is less prominent, except in the sense of "calculate," psephizo, sumpsephizo, "to reckon with pebbles," each pebble representing a unit (Lu 14:28; Ac 19:19); of moral estimate, hegeomai and logizomai (Php…

Yahweh he will count when records peoples this one he was born there Selah
בִּכְת֣וֹבbikh.Tov when records H3789 Preposition · verb qal infinitive construct common
224× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
To write or record something, including inscribing or engraving. It is used in various contexts, such as writing down a decree or subscribing to an agreement. This word is about putting thoughts or ideas into written form.
Amplified meaning
list, catalog
Tyndale gloss
to write
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word כָּתַב (*kathab*) means 'to write' and encompasses various forms of writing, including recording, enrolling, and decreeing. It can also refer to something being written or recorded. The entries indicate that it is a primitive root with frequent usage in different contexts.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

כָּתַב 223 vb. write

Qal

write

= write down, describe in writing

= register, enroll

= decree

Niph.

be written

= be written down, recorded

Pi. frequent.

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H3789 כָּתַב write .. write

. = write down, describe in writing

. = register, enroll

. = decree

. . be written

. = be written down, recorded

. frequent.

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

3789 kathab kaw-thab'

a primitive root; to grave, by implication, to write

(describe, inscribe, prescribe, subscribe):--describe, record,

prescribe, subscribe, write(-ing, -ten).

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

כָּתַב (ka.tav) — to write.

1) to write, record, enrol

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to write, inscribe, engrave, write in, write on

1a2) to write down, describe in writing

1a3) to register, enrol, record

1a4) to decree

1b) (Niphal)

1b1) to be written

1b2) to be written down, be recorded, be enrolled

1c) (Piel) to continue writing

Aramaic equivalent: ke.tav (כְּתַב "to write" H3790)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Prep | V-Qal-Inf-a — Preposition · verb qal infinitive construct common
HR/Vqcc
Yahweh he will count when records peoples this one he was born there Selah
עַמִּ֑ים'a.Mim peoples H5971 Noun common · masculine plural absolute
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.
Amplified meaning
nations, groups of people
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
N-mp — Noun common · masculine plural absolute
HNcmpa
Yahweh he will count when records peoples this one he was born there Selah
זֶ֖הzeh this one H2088 Particle
1,180× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This word is a pronoun meaning this or that, used to point out a specific person or thing. It appears in many contexts, including Genesis and Psalms, to indicate something specific. The KJV translates it as he, here, or it.
Tyndale gloss
this
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

זֶה (zeh) is a demonstrative pronoun meaning 'this' or 'here.' It can stand alone, be used appositively, or function as a predicate. The word can also attach enclitically to interrogative pronouns, adding emphasis and directness. In poetry, it may serve as a relative pronoun, though this usage is rare.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

זֶה demonstr.pron. and adv.; fem. זֹאת, once זֹאתָה; this, here

standing alone

In appos. to subst.

More oft. as pred.

It is attached enclitically, almost as an adv., to certain words, esp. interrog. pronouns, to impart, in a manner often not reproducible in Engl. idiom, directness and force, bringing the question or statement made into close relation with the speaker.

In poetry, as a relative pron. (rare)

With prefixes (in special senses)

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H2088 זֶה demonstr. pron. and adv.; fem. זֹאת, once זֹאתָה; this, here . standing alone

. In appos. to subst.

. More oft. as pred.

. It is attached enclitically, almost as an adv., to certain words, esp. interrog. pronouns, to impart, in a manner often not reproducible in Engl. idiom, directness and force, bringing the question or statement made into close relation with the speaker.

. In poetry, as a relative pron. (rare)

. With prefixes (in special senses)

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

2088 zeh zeh

a primitive word; the masculine demonstrative pronoun, this

or that:--he, X hence, X here, it(-self), X now, X of him, the

one...the other, X than the other, (X out of) the (self) same,

such (a one) that, these, this (hath, man), on this side...on

that side, X thus, very, which. Compare 2063, 2090, 2097,

2098.

see HEBREW for 02063

see HEBREW for 02090

see HEBREW for 02097

see HEBREW for 02098

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

זֶה (zeh) — this.

1) this, this one, here, which, this...that, the one...the other, another, such

1a) (alone)

1a1) this one

1a2) this...that, the one...the other, another

1b) (appos to subst)

1b1) this

1c) (as predicate)

1c1) this, such

1d) (enclitically)

1d1) then

1d2) who, whom

1d3) how now, what now

1d4) what now

1d5) wherefore now

1d6) behold here

1d7) just now

1d8) now, now already

1e) (poetry)

1e1) wherein, which, those who

1f) (with prefixes)

1f1) in this (place) here, then

1f2) on these conditions, herewith, thus provided, by, through this, for this cause, in this matter

1f3) thus and thus

1f4) as follows, things such as these, accordingly, to that effect, in like manner, thus and thus

1f5) from here, hence, on one side...on the other side

1f6) on this account

1f7) in spite of this, which, whence, how

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

wun.

See NUMBER.

Yahweh he will count when records peoples this one he was born there Selah
יֻלַּד־yu.lad- he was born H3205 Verb · Pual · perfect third person masculine singular
496× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
In the Bible, this Hebrew word means to give birth or beget a child, like when Eve gave birth to Cain in Genesis 4:1. It can also mean to help someone give birth, like a midwife. This word is used in many KJV translations, including Genesis and Isaiah.
Amplified meaning
person, individual, begotten, given birth to
Tyndale gloss
to beget
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word יָלַד (*yalad*) means to bear, bring forth, or beget, and it encompasses various forms of childbirth and lineage declaration. It can refer to both the act of giving birth and the role of a midwife. The entries also note its use in contexts of distress and wicked behavior, as well as in reference to birthdays.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

יָלַד 497 vb. bear, bring forth, beget

Qal

bear, bring forth

less often beget

of both parents

Niph. be born

Pi. cause (or help) to bring forth, viz., assist or tend as midwife

Pu. be born

Hiph.

beget (a father a child)

bear

Hoph. day of one's being born = birthday

Hithp. declared their pedigree

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H3205 יָלַד bear, bring forth, beget .. bear, bring forth

. less often beget

. of both parents

. be born

. cause (or help) to bring forth, viz., assist or tend as midwife

. be born

. . beget (a father a child)

. bear

. day of one's being born = birthday

. declared their pedigree

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

3205 yalad yaw-lad'

a primitive root; to bear young; causatively, to beget;

medically, to act as midwife; specifically, to show

lineage:--bear, beget, birth((-day)), born, (make to) bring

forth (children, young), bring up, calve, child, come, be

delivered (of a child), time of delivery, gender, hatch,

labour, (do the office of a) midwife, declare pedigrees, be

the son of, (woman in, woman that) travail(-eth, -ing woman).

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

יָלַד (ya.lad) — to beget.

1) to bear, bringforth, beget, gender, travail

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to bear, bring forth

1a1a) of child birth

1a1b) of distress (simile)

1a1c) of wicked (behaviour)

1a2) to beget

1b) (Niphal) to be born

1c) (Piel)

1c1) to cause or help to bring forth

1c2) to assist or tend as a midwife

1c3) midwife (participle)

1d) (Pual) to be born

1e) (Hiphil)

1e1) to beget (a child)

1e2) to bear (fig. -of wicked bringing forth iniquity)

1f) (Hophal) day of birth, birthday (infinitive)

1g) (Hithpael) to declare one's birth (pedigree)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
V-Pual-Perf-3ms — Verb · Pual · perfect third person masculine singular
HVPp3ms
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

See BORN.

Yahweh he will count when records peoples this one he was born there Selah
שָׁ֣םsham there H8033 Adverb
834× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
The Hebrew word sham means there or then, often used to describe a location or point in time. It can also mean thither or thence, indicating movement or direction. This word is used frequently in the Bible to provide context and clarify the setting of a story.
Amplified meaning
the city of God, the place of His presence
Tyndale gloss
there
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

שָׁם (sham) is a Hebrew adverb meaning 'there' or 'thither,' indicating a location or direction. It can also refer to a point in time, translating to 'then.' The word is derived from a relative pronoun and is used in various contexts, including movement and temporal references.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

שָׁם adv. there, thither

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H8033 שָׁם there, thither

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

8033 sham shawm

a primitive particle (rather from the relative pronoun, 834);

there (transferring to time) then; often thither, or

thence:--in it, + thence, there (-in, + of, + out), +

thither, + whither.

see HEBREW for 0834

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

שָׁם (sham) — there.

1) there, thither

1a) there

1b) thither (after verbs of motion)

1c) from there, thence

1d) then (as an adverb of time)

Aramaic equivalent: tam.mah (תַּמָּה "there" H8536)

שָׁם (sham) — (Jerusalem) Is There.

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

This name means there, thither

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Adv — Adverb
HD
Yahweh he will count when records peoples this one he was born there Selah
סֶֽלָה׃Se.lah Selah H5542 Particle
74× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
Selah is a musical term in the Bible that signals a pause or interruption in the music, like a rest in a song, often used in Psalms. It is a technical term that sets a moment for reflection and contemplation, as seen in Psalm 3:2.
Amplified meaning
a pause, a moment of reflection
Tyndale gloss
Selah
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

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

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

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

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H5542 סֶ֫לָה lift up, or exalt

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

5542 celah seh'-law

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

see HEBREW for 05541

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

סֶ֫לָה (se.lah) — Selah.

§ 1) to lift up, exalt

1a) Selah

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

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

se'-la.

See MUSIC, II, 1.

Easton's Bible Dictionary

Selah

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

Smith's Bible Dictionary

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

American Tract Society Bible Dictionary

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

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

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