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Psalms 88:17 — Word Study

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WLCסַבּ֣וּנִי כַ֭מַּיִם כָּל־ הַיּ֑וֹם הִקִּ֖יפוּ עָלַ֣י יָֽחַד׃

BSAonʻal

Word
Listen & take awayPsalms 88
English ↓ Download MP3 The Berean Standard Bible chapter audio already hosted for the site's Bible section — verse 17 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 (Ya.chad) — no per-word recordings of the Hebrew exist to link to.
Take it away
Psalms 88:17quick helps
In a sentenceThe psalmist expresses a feeling of being overwhelmed and surrounded by troubles.
Who is speakingA psalmist, reflecting on deep distress and isolation.
Where we areIn a lament, the psalmist describes ongoing suffering and the feeling of being trapped.
The hard wordסַבּ֣וּנִי
Take awayThe imagery of water conveys a sense of being engulfed and enclosed.
8 commentators on this verse Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them › clause verbצָמַת 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 88:17

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 of Distressgenerated

15From my youth I was afflicted and near death. I have borne Your terrors; I am in despair.
16Your wrath has swept over me; Your terrors have destroyed me.
17All day long they engulf me like water; they enclose me on every side.
18You have removed my beloved and my friend; darkness is my closest companion.

Psalm 88:17 is part of a lament where the psalmist is expressing profound despair and a sense of being overwhelmed by troubles. The verses surrounding this one detail the psalmist's suffering and isolation, emphasizing the emotional weight of their situation. This lamentation reflects a deep cry for help in the face of relentless affliction, as seen in the preceding verses where the psalmist speaks of being afflicted since youth and bearing the terrors of God.


Cross References

ReferenceText (BSB)
1Psalm 22:16For dogs surround me; a band of evil men encircles me; they have pierced my hands and feet.
2Psalm 42:7Deep calls to deep in the roar of Your waterfalls; all Your breakers and waves have rolled over me.
3Psalm 69:1–2Save me, O God, for the waters are up to my neck.
4Psalm 116:3The ropes of death entangled me; the anguish of Sheol overcame me; I was confronted by trouble and sorrow.
5Job 16:12–13I was at ease, but He shattered me; He seized me by the neck and crushed me. He has set me up as His target;

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


The Key Word סַבּ֣וּנִי, sa.Bu.nigenerated

The Hebrew word סָבַב (savav) means to turn or surround, indicating a range of actions such as encompassing or enclosing. In this verse, it conveys the sense of being completely surrounded by troubles, akin to being engulfed by water.

The parsing indicates that it is a verb in the perfect tense, third person plural, suggesting a completed action by multiple subjects. This emphasizes the ongoing nature of the psalmist's distress, as they feel continually surrounded.


How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated

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


Sentence Structuregenerated

The main verb of the verse is סַבּ֣וּנִי, they have surrounded me, which governs the entire sentence. This verb is followed by a prepositional phrase כַ֭מַּיִם, like water, and an adverbial phrase יָֽחַד, altogether, indicating the manner and extent of the action.

The structure emphasizes the feeling of being surrounded and overwhelmed, with the imagery of water enhancing the emotional weight of the psalmist's experience.


Septuagint Backgroundgenerated

In the Septuagint, the Hebrew word סַבּ֣וּנִי is rendered as ἐμὲ, which translates to me. This choice indicates a direct focus on the psalmist's personal experience of being surrounded.

The Greek word διῆλθον is used for כַ֭מַּיִם, suggesting a sense of passing through or being overwhelmed, which aligns with the imagery of water in the Hebrew text.


In plain words — the whole versegenerated

Psalm 88:17 describes the psalmist's feeling of being overwhelmed by troubles, comparing their distress to being engulfed by water. The verse highlights the experience of being surrounded on all sides, emphasizing the depth of despair.


Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated

What does it mean to be surrounded like water?

This imagery conveys a sense of being completely overwhelmed and trapped by circumstances, much like being engulfed by a flood.

Why does the psalmist feel this way?

The psalmist expresses a deep sense of despair and isolation, feeling as though troubles have surrounded them throughout their life.

How can this verse relate to my own experiences?

Many people can relate to feelings of being overwhelmed by challenges or difficulties, making this verse resonate with those who have faced similar struggles.

What does 'altogether' signify in this context?

The term 'altogether' emphasizes the completeness of the psalmist's situation, indicating that the feeling of being surrounded is total and inescapable.


Reflection Questionsgenerated

  1. In what areas of my life do I feel overwhelmed or surrounded by challenges?
  2. How can I find comfort in knowing that others have experienced similar feelings of despair?
  3. What steps can I take to seek help when I feel engulfed by my circumstances?
  4. How does this psalm encourage me to express my feelings of distress to God?

Commentators on this verse — 8 expositors, verse by verse

Each of these wrote on Psalms 88:17 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.

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

They came round about me daily like water,.... That is, the terrors of the Lord, the sorrows of death and hell, Psalms 18:4, this was the Messiah's case, when it was with him as is expressed Psalms

Read John Gill on Psalms 88 →
Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's Commentary

They came round about me daily like water; they compassed me about together. They came round about me daily like water. "They," i:e., "thy terrors" (Psalms 88:16). They compassed me about together - all at one time.

Read Robert Jamieson on Psalms 88 →
Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy Bible

As the waters of the sea encompass him which is in the midst and bottom of it.

Read Matthew Poole on Psalms 88 →
John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

Psalms 88:17 They came round about me daily like water; they compassed me about together.Ver. 17. They compassed me about] As the water compasseth the earth like a girdle.

Read John Trapp on Psalms 88 →
Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(17) They—i.e., the terrors or horrors, now likened to a flood, a figure of frequent occurrence. (See Psalms 18:16, &c.)

Read Charles John Ellicott on Psalms 88 →
AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible

Verse 17. They came round about me daily like water] Besides his spiritual conflicts, he had many enemies to grapple with. The waves of God's displeasure broke over him, and his enemies came around him like water, increasing more and more, rising higher and higher, till he was at last on the point of being submerged in the flood.

Read AdamClarke on Psalms 88 →
CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

17. They have surrounded me like water all the day long; They have encompassed me about together. The figure of Psa 88:16 is continued. The flood of calamity threatens to engulf him, and there is none (Psalms 88:18) to stretch out a helping hand to the drowning man.

Read Cambridge on Psalms 88 →
Albert Barnes1798–1870Barnes' Notes on the Bible

They came round about me daily like water - Margin, “as in” Hebrew, all the day. That is, his troubles seemed to be like the waves of the sea cohnstantly breaking on the shore. See Psalms 42:7.

Read Albert Barnes on Psalms 88 →

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

All day long they engulf me like water; they enclose me on every side.

WEBWorld English Bible2000

They came around me like water all day long. They completely engulfed me.

MSBMajority Standard Bible2022

All day long they engulf me like water; they enclose me on every side.

NETBNew English Translation2006

They surround me like water all day long; they join forces and encircle me.

Tyndale line

KJVKing James Version1611

They came round about me daily like water; they compassed me about together.

ASVAmerican Standard Version1901

They came round about me like water all the day long; They compassed me about together.

RVARevised Version, American1894

They came round about me like water all the day long; they compassed me about together.

NWBWebster's Bible1833

They came around me daily like water; they encompassed me together.

GNVGeneva Bible1599

They came round about me dayly like water, and compassed me together.

Strictly literal

DBYDarby Translation1890

They have surrounded me all the day like water; they have compassed me about together.

YLTYoung's Literal Translation1862

They have surrounded me as waters all the day, They have gone round against me together,

LSVLiteral Standard Version2020

They have surrounded me as waters all the day, || They have gone around against me together,

ILTInterlinear Literal Translation2000

(88:18) They encompass me like water all the time; they have closed in round about me together.

ULBUnlocked Literal Bible2017

They surround me like water all the day long; they have all encircled me.

From the Latin

DRADouay-Rheims (Challoner)1899

And in thy name they shall rejoice all the day, and in thy justice they shall be exalted.

Simplified

FBVFree Bible Version2020

They surround me all the time like floodwaters, swallowing me up.

BBEBible in Basic English1949

They are round me all the day like water; they have made a circle about 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.

clauseverbסַבּ֣וּtheyobjectנִיhave.surrounded.meprepositional phrase · prepositionalכַ֭likenoun phrase(the)מַּיִםwaternoun phrase · adverbialכָּלallnoun phraseהַtheיּ֑וֹםdayclauseverbהִקִּ֖יפוּthey.have.surroundedprepositional phrase · prepositionalעָלַ֣(on)יmeadverbialיָֽחַדaltogether

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


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

The Masoretic Text presents the verse as סַבּ֣וּנִי כַ֭מַּיִם כָּל־ הַיּ֑וֹם הִקִּ֖יפוּ עָלַ֣י יָֽחַד׃, which is closely matched by the Septuagint in terms of wording. The Dead Sea Scrolls fragment contains parts of the verse but is not fully intact, showing some restoration.

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

סַבּ֣וּנִי כַ֭מַּיִם כָּל־ הַיּ֑וֹם הִקִּ֖יפוּ עָלַ֣י יָֽחַד׃

Septuagintthe Greek the translators chose, word by word
סַבּ֣וּנִיἐμὲכַ֭מַּיִםδιῆλθονכָּל־σουהַיּ֑וֹםσουהִקִּ֖יפוּἐχετάραχάνעָלַ֣יμε

6 of the 7 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 — 4Q98ca copy a thousand years older than the Leningrad Codex

על׳י עברו [חרוני׳כה] [בעותי׳כה]

4 words of the verse are on this fragment — 2 partly restored, 2 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 88:17סָבַבthey have sthey have surroסָבַבמַיlike waterlike waterמַיכֹּלallallכֹּליוֹםthe daythe dayיוֹםנָקַףthey have sthey have surroנָקַףעַלmemeעַליַ֫חַדaltogetheraltogetherיַ֫חַדכָּלַלto perfectto perfectכָּלַליָחַדbe joinedbe joinedיָחַדעַלheightheightעַלדָּלdoordoorדָּלרָחַץto wash: wto wash: washרָחַץשָׁתָהto drinkto drinkשָׁתָהעֵדָהcongregaticongregationעֵדָהעֲבֹדָהserviceserviceעֲבֹדָהשְׁבִיעִיseventhseventhשְׁבִיעִישַׁבָּתSabbathSabbathשַׁבָּתפַּ֫עַםbeatbeatפַּ֫עַםעֶשֶׂרtentenעֶשֶׂרכִּפֶּרto atoneto atoneכִּפֶּרכִּסֵּאthronethroneכִּסֵּאיָעַדto appointto appointיָעַדרוּןto overcomto overcomeרוּן
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 88:17

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.

they have surrounded me like water all the day they have surrounded me altogether
סַבּ֣וּנִיsa.Bu.ni they have surrounded me H5437 Verb qal perfect third person common plural · suffix
161× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
To turn or surround is the meaning of this Hebrew word, which can be used literally or figuratively. It appears in the Bible to describe changing direction or surrounding something.
Tyndale gloss
to turn: turn
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word סָבַב (savav) means to turn or go around, encompassing a range of actions such as surrounding, marching, and changing direction. It is built from a primitive root and has various applications, both literal and figurative, including transforming or enclosing. The entries detail its uses in different verbal forms, but do not present any significant disagreement among lexicons.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

סָבַב vb. turn about, go around, surround

Qal

turn, intrans.

march, or walk, around

go partly round, circle, skirt

make a round, or circuit, go about to

surround, encompass

Niph.

turn oneself against, close round upon

turn round (from a direct course)

esp. of boundary: turn round from, toward

pass. be turned over to, into the power of

Pi. to change, transform, the aspect of the matter

Po‛.

encompass (with protection)

come about, assemble round

march or go about

enclose, envelop

Hiph.

turn (trans.), cause to turn

bring over (i.e. to allegiance)

turn into, of changing name

= bring round, of changing name

cause to go around

surround with (acc.) wall

perh. also encompass (as foe)

Hoph.

be turned, of cart wheel

surrounded, i.e. set, of jewels

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H5437 סָבַב turn about, go around, surround .. turn, intrans.

. . march, or walk, around

. go partly round, circle, skirt

. make a round, or circuit, go about to

. surround, encompass

. . . turn oneself against, close round upon

. turn round (from a direct course)

. esp. of boundary: turn round from, toward

. pass. be turned over to, into the power of

. to change, transform, the aspect of the matter

. . encompass (with protection)

. come about, assemble round

. march or go about

. enclose, envelop

. . . turn (trans.), cause to turn

. bring over (i.e. to allegiance)

. turn into, of changing name

. = bring round, of changing name

. . cause to go around

. surround with (acc.) wall

. perh. also encompass (as foe)

. . be turned, of cart wheel

. surrounded, i.e. set, of jewels

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

5437 cabab saw-bab'

a primitive root; to revolve, surround, or border; used in

various applications, literally and figuratively (as

follows):--bring, cast, fetch, lead, make, walk, X whirl, X

round about, be about on every side, apply, avoid, beset

(about), besiege, bring again, carry (about), change, cause to

come about, X circuit, (fetch a) compass (about, round),

drive, environ, X on every side, beset (close, come, compass,

go, stand) round about, inclose, remove, return, set, sit

down, turn (self) (about, aside, away, back).

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

סָבַב (sa.vav) — to turn: turn.

: turn/bring_around

1) to turn, turn about or around or aside or back or towards, go about or around, surround, encircle, change direction

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to turn, turn about, be brought round, change

1a2) to march or walk around, go partly around, circle about, skirt, make a round, make a circuit, go about to, surround, encompass

1b) (Niphal)

1b1) to turn oneself, close round, turn round

1b2) to be turned over to

1c) (Piel) to turn about, change, transform

1d) (Poel)

1d1) to encompass, surround

1d2) to come about, assemble round

1d3) to march, go about

1d4) to enclose, envelop

1e) (Hiphil)

1e1) to turn, cause to turn, turn back, reverse, bring over, turn into, bring round

1e2) to cause to go around, surround, encompass

1f) (Hophal)

1f1) to be turned

1f2) to be surrounded

סָבַב (sa.vav) — to turn: surround.

: surround/go_round

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
HVqp3cp/Sp1bs — Verb qal perfect third person common plural · suffix
HVqp3cp/Sp1bs
they have surrounded me like water all the day they have surrounded me altogether
כַ֭מַּיִםKha.ma.yim like water H4325 Preposition · noun common masculine plural absolute
581× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This word means water, referring to a liquid or a source of refreshment. It appears in the Bible as a literal and figurative term, including references to wasting or urine. The word is used in various contexts, such as in Genesis and Leviticus.
Tyndale gloss
Water (Gate)
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

מַי (mayim) is a Hebrew word meaning 'water' and is used in the plural form. It encompasses various meanings, including literal water, urine, and metaphorical uses related to refreshment or danger. The entries indicate it is derived from a primitive noun and is primarily referenced in contexts involving water.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

[מַי] 580 n.m. only pl. מַ֫יִם waters, water

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H4325 מַי only pl. מַ֫יִם waters, water

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

4325 mayim mah'-yim

dual of a primitive noun (but used in a singular sense);

water; figuratively, juice; by euphemism, urine, semen:--+

piss, wasting, water(-ing, (-course, -flood, -spring)).

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

מַי (ma.yim) — water.

1) water, waters

1a) water

1b) water of the feet, urine

1c) of danger, violence, transitory things, refreshment (fig.)

מַי (ma.yim) — Water (Gate).

This name means water, refreshment

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

wo'-ter (mayim; hudor):

(1) The Greek philosophers believed water to be the original substance and that all things were made from it. The Koran states, "From water we have made all things." In the story of the creation (Ge 1:2) water plays an elemental part.

(2) Because of the scarcity of water in Palestine it is especially appreciated by the people there. They love to go and sit by a stream of running water. Men long for a taste of the water of their native village (1Ch 11:17). A town or village is known throughout the country for the quality of its water, which is described by many adjectives, such as "light," "heavy," etc.

(3) The rainfall is the only source of supply of water for Palestine. The moisture is carried up from the sea in clouds and falls on the hills as rain or snow.…

American Tract Society Bible Dictionary

See CISTERN and WELLS.

In Isa 35:7, the Hebrew word for "parched ground" that shall become a pool of water, is the same with the Arabic term for the mirage, a peculiar optical illusion by which travelers in hot and dry deserts think they see broad lakes and flowing waters; they seem to discern the very ripple of the waves, and the swaying of tail trees on the margin in the cool breeze; green hills and houses and city ramparts rise before the astonished sight, recede as the traveler advances, and at length melt away in the hot haze. Not so the blessings of the gospel; they are no alluring mockery, but real waters of everlasting life, Isa 55:1 Joh 4:14 Re 22:1. Compare

Nave's Topical Bible

→ Creation of Ps 148:4,5

→ Covered the whole earth Ge 1:9

→ Daily allowance of Eze 4:11

→ City waterworks 2Ki 20:20

→ Vision of, by Ezekiel Eze 47:1-5

→ Of separation Nu 19:2-22

→ Libation of 1Sa 7:6

→ Irrigation with

See IRRIGATION

→ Miraculously supplied

To the Israelites Ex 17:1,6; Nu 20:11

To Samson Jud 15:19

Torrey's New Topical Textbook

- One of the elements of the world

Ge 1:2

- GOD ORIGINALLY

. Created the firmament to divide

Ge 1:6,7

. Collected into one place

Ge 1:9

. Created fowls and fishes, &c from

Ge 1:20,21

- Necessary to vegetation

Ge 2:5,6; Job 14:9; Isa 1:30

- Some plants particularly require

Job 8:11

- Necessary to the comfort and happiness of man

Isa 41:17; Zec 9:11

- COLLECTED IN

. Springs

they have surrounded me like water all the day they have surrounded me altogether
כָּל־kol- all H3605 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
HNcmsc — Noun common · masculine singular construct
HNcmsc
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
they have surrounded me like water all the day they have surrounded me altogether
הַיּ֑וֹםhai.Yom the day H3117 Particle · noun common masculine singular absolute
2,306× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
The Hebrew word 'yom' refers to a day, which can be a literal 24-hour period or a figurative space of time. It is used in the Bible to describe a wide range of time periods, from a single day to a year or a lifetime. The word 'yom' is used in many different contexts throughout the Bible.
Tyndale gloss
day
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

יוֹם (yowm) means 'day' and refers to a division of time, contrasting with night. It can denote a literal 24-hour period, a general time span, or even a year. The term is used in various contexts, including the 'day of Yahweh,' which signifies a time of divine judgment. It also appears in phrases indicating temporal references like today, yesterday, and tomorrow.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

יוֹם 2285 n.m. day

day, opp. night

Day as division of time

יוֹם י׳ day of Yahweh, chiefly as time of his coming in judgment, involving often blessedness for righteous

Pl. days of anyone

Days

יוֹם = time

Phrases

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H3117 יוֹם day . day, opp. night

. Day as division of time

. יוֹם י׳ day of Yahweh, chiefly as time of his coming in judgment, involving often blessedness for righteous

. Pl. days of anyone

. Days

. יוֹם = time

. Phrases

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

3117 yowm yome

from an unused root meaning to be hot; a day (as the warm

hours), whether literal (from sunrise to sunset, or from one

sunset to the next), or figurative (a space of time defined by

an associated term), (often used adverb):--age, + always, +

chronicals, continually(-ance), daily, ((birth-), each, to)

day, (now a, two) days (agone), + elder, X end, + evening, +

(for) ever(-lasting, -more), X full, life, as (so) long as

(... live), (even) now, + old, + outlived, + perpetually,

presently, + remaineth, X required, season, X since, space,

then, (process of) time, + as at other times, + in trouble,

weather, (as) when, (a, the, within a) while (that), X whole

(+ age), (full) year(-ly), + younger.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

יוֹם (yom) — day.

: day/when/time/period

1) day, time, year

1a) day (as opposed to night)

1b) day (24 hour period)

1b1) as defined by evening and morning in Genesis 1

1b2) as a division of time

1b2a) a working day, a day's journey

1c) days, lifetime (pl.)

1d) time, period (general)

1e) year

1f) temporal references

1f1) today

1f2) yesterday

1f3) tomorrow

יוֹם (yom) — day: old.

: old/(full/many)[days]

1) day, time, year

1a) day (as opposed to night)

1b) day (24 hour period)

1b1) as defined by evening and morning in Genesis 1

1b2) as a division of time

1b2a) a working day, a day's journey

1c) days, lifetime (pl.)

1d) time, period (general)

1e) year

1f) temporal references

1f1) today

1f2) yesterday

1f3) tomorrow

יוֹם (yom) — day: year.

: year[of_days]

1) day, time, year

1a) day (as opposed to night)

1b) day (24 hour period)

1b1) as defined by evening and morning in Genesis 1

1b2) as a division of time

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
HTd/Ncmsa — Particle · noun common masculine singular absolute
HTd/Ncmsa
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

da (yom; hemera): This common word has caused some trouble to plain readers, because they have not noticed that the word is used in several different senses in the English Bible. When the different uses of the word are understood the difficulty of interpretation vanishes. We note several different uses of the word:

(1) It sometimes means the time from daylight till dark. This popular meaning is easily discovered by the context, e. g. Ge 1:5; 8:22, etc. The marked periods of this daytime were morning, noon and night, as with us. See Ps 55:17. The early hours were sometimes called "the cool of the day" (Ge 3:8). After the exile the day. or daytime was divided into twelve hours and the night into twelve (see

Day

The Jews reckoned the day from sunset to sunset (Lev. 23:32). It was originally divided into three parts (Ps. 55:17). “The heat of the day” (1 Sam. 11:11; Neh. 7:3) was at our nine o’clock, and “the cool of the day” just before sunset (Gen. 3:8). Before the Captivity the Jews divided the night into three watches, (1) from sunset to midnight (Lam. 2:19); (2) from midnight till the cock-crowing (Judg. 7:19); and (3) from the cock-crowing till sunrise (Ex.…

The variable length of the natural day at different seasons led in the very earliest times to the adoption of the civil day (or one revolution of the sun) as a standard of time. The Hebrews reckoned the day from evening to evening, (Leviticus 23:32) deriving it from (Genesis 1:5) "the evening and the morning were the first day." The Jews are supposed, like the modern Arabs, to have adopted from an early period minute specifications of the parts of the natural day. Roughly, indeed, they were content to divide it into "morning, evening and noonday," (Psalms 55:17) but when they wished for greater accuracy they pointed to six unequal parts, each of which was again subdivided. These are held to have been -- "the dawn." "Sunrise."…

American Tract Society Bible Dictionary

The day is distinguished into natural, civil, and artificial. The natural day is one revolution of the earth on its axis. The civil day is that, the beginning and the end of which are determined by the custom of any nation. The Hebrews began their day in the evening, Le 23:32; the Babylonians at sunrise; and we begin at midnight. The artificial day is the time of the sun’s continuance above the horizon, which is unequal according to different seasons, on account of the obliquity of the equator. The sacred writers generally divide the day into twelve hours. The sixth hour always ends at noon throughout the year; and the twelfth hour is the last hour before sunset. But in summer, all the hours of the day were longer than in winter, while those of night were shorter. See HOURS, and THREE.

they have surrounded me like water all the day they have surrounded me altogether
הִקִּ֖יפוּhi.Ki.fu they have surrounded H5362 Verb · Hiphil · perfect third person common plural
19× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This word means to surround or go around something, like making a circle or enclosing an area. It can also imply a sense of violence or attack, like beating or knocking something down. In the Bible, it is used to describe God's presence surrounding his people.
Tyndale gloss
to strike
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

נָקַף (naqaph) is a Hebrew verb with meanings related to striking and surrounding. It can denote striking off or going around, encompassing, or completing a circuit. The entries suggest it covers both violent actions, like cutting down, and more passive ones, like surrounding or encompassing. There is no significant disagreement among the lexicons.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

[נָקַף] vb. strike off

Niph. and the thickets of the forest shall be struck away

Pi. after my skin, which they have struck off

base

[נָקַף] vb. go around (intrans.)

Qal let feasts go around

Hiph.

go around, surround, encompass

make the round, i.e. complete the circuit

make round, round off (lit.)

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H5362a נָקַף strike off H5362b נָקַף go around (intrans.) .let feasts go around

. . go around, surround, encompass

. make the round, i.e. complete the circuit

. make round, round off (lit.)

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

5362 naqaph naw-kaf'

a primitive root; to strike with more or less violence (beat,

fell, corrode); by implication (of attack) to knock together,

i.e. surround or circulate:--compass (about, -ing), cut down,

destroy, go round (about), inclose, round.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

נָקַף (na.qaph) — to strike.

1) to strike, strike off

1a) (Piel) to strike off skin

Aramaic equivalent: ne.qash (נְקַשׁ "to knock" H5368)

נָקַף (na.qaph) — to surround.

1) to go around, compass, round

1a) (Qal) to go around

1b) (Hiphil)

1b1) to go around, surround, encompass, enclose

1b2) to make the round, complete the circuit

1b3) to make round, round off

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
HVhp3cp — Verb · Hiphil · perfect third person common plural
HVhp3cp
they have surrounded me like water all the day they have surrounded me altogether
עָלַ֣י'a.Lai me H5921 Preposition · suffix
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)

Read the full entry →
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)

Read the full entry →
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 | Suff — Preposition · suffix
HR/Sp1bs
The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
they have surrounded me like water all the day they have surrounded me altogether
יָֽחַד׃Ya.chad altogether H3162 Noun common · masculine singular absolute
141× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This adverb means together, describing people doing something in unity, like in Psalm 133:1.
Tyndale gloss
unitedness
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

יַ֫חַד (yachad) refers to the concept of unitedness or being together. It can function as a noun meaning 'unitedness' and as an adverb meaning 'together.' The word is built from a root that emphasizes unity and is used in various contexts in the Old Testament.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

יַ֫חַד 45 n.[m.] unitedness

as subst.

elsewhere always in acc. as adv. in union, together

base

יָחְדָּו 92 adv. together

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H3162a יַ֫חַד unitedness . as subst.

. elsewhere always in acc. as adv. in union, together

H3162b יָחְדָּו adv. together

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

3162 yachad yakh'-ad

from 3161; properly, a unit, i.e. (adverb) unitedly:--alike,

at all (once), both, likewise, only, (al-)together, withal.

see HEBREW for 03161

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

יַ֫חַד (ya.chad) — unitedness.

1) union, unitedness

יָחְדָּו (yach.dav) — together.

adv

together

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
HNcmsa — Noun common · masculine singular absolute
HNcmsa
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

ol-too-geth'-er: Representing five Hebrew and three Greek originals, which variously signify

(1) "together"; i.e. all, e.g. `all men, high and low, weighed together in God's balance are lighter than vanity' (Ps 62:9); so also Ps 53:3; Jer 10:8.

(2) "all": so the Revised Version (British and American), Isa 10:8: "Are not my princes all of them kings?"

(3) "with one accord have broken the yoke"; so the Revised Version (British and American), Jer 5:5.

(4) "completely," "entirely," "fully": "so as not to destroy him altogether" (2Ch 12:12; compare

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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