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Psalms 89:25 — Word Study

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WLCוְשַׂמְתִּ֣י בַיָּ֣ם יָד֑וֹ וּֽבַנְּהָר֥וֹת יְמִינֽוֹ׃

BSAfaithfulnessʼĕmûwnâh kindnesschêçêd withʻim nameshêm to exaltrûwm hornqeren

Word
Listen & take awayPsalms 89
English ↓ Download MP3 The Berean Standard Bible chapter audio already hosted for the site's Bible section — verse 25 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 (ye.mi.No) — no per-word recordings of the Hebrew exist to link to.
Take it away
Psalms 89:25quick helps
In a sentenceGod declares His authority over the sea and rivers, symbolizing His power and control.
Who is speakingThe psalmist, speaking about God's promise.
Where we areThis verse is part of a promise regarding God's faithfulness to His chosen one.
The hard wordשַׂמְתִּי
Take awayGod's hand signifies His power and governance over creation.
8 commentators on this verse Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them › clause verbאֱמוּנָה 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 89:25

Sections marked generated are written from the data on this page rather than by a named author. Everything else — the lexicon entries, the cross references, the manuscript readings, the counts — is quoted from its source unchanged.

Context — God's Promise of Faithfulnessgenerated

24My faithfulness and loving devotion will be with him, and through My name his horn will be exalted.
25I will set his hand over the sea, and his right hand upon the rivers.
26He will call to Me, ‘You are my Father, my God, the Rock of my salvation.’
27I will indeed appoint him as My firstborn, the highest of the kings of the earth.

Psalms 89:25 is part of a larger passage where God promises to be faithful to His chosen one. The psalmist emphasizes God's commitment to support and empower, highlighting the significance of His hand over the sea and rivers. This reflects God's sovereignty and the assurance of His protection and guidance.


Cross References

ReferenceText (BSB)
1Psalm 2:8Ask Me, and I will make the nations Your inheritance, the ends of the earth Your possession.
2Psalm 72:8–11May he rule from sea to sea, and from the Euphrates to the ends of the earth.
3Psalm 80:11It sent out its branches to the Sea, and its shoots toward the River.
41 Kings 4:21And Solomon reigned over all the kingdoms from the Euphrates to the land of the Philistines, as far as the border of Egypt. These kingdoms offered tribute and served Solomon all the days of his life.
5Revelation 11:15Then the seventh angel sounded his trumpet, and loud voices called out in heaven: “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ, and He will reign forever and ever.”

The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 5 references, hung on the phrase they belong to


The Key Word שַׂמְתִּי, ve.sam.Tigenerated

The verb שׂוּם (sum) means to place or set, with a broad application in the Hebrew Bible. It can refer to appointing, establishing, or laying something upon. The parsing indicates this is a sequential perfect first person common singular verb, showing that the action is completed from the speaker's perspective.

In this context, the act of setting His hand signifies God's authority and control over the natural world, emphasizing His role as a sovereign ruler.


How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated

The translations generally agree on the meaning of שַׂמְתִּי as set.


Sentence Structuregenerated

The verse consists of two main clauses connected by a conjunction: וְשַׂמְתִּי (and I will set) introduces the action, followed by two prepositional phrases detailing where this hand is set: בַיָּם (over the sea) and בַנְּהָר֥וֹת (upon the rivers).

The structure emphasizes the parallelism between the sea and the rivers, highlighting God's comprehensive authority over both.


Septuagint Backgroundgenerated

The Septuagint translates שַׂמְתִּי with ἀλήθειά, indicating a focus on truth and reality, which may suggest a broader interpretation of God's sovereignty.

This choice reflects the translators' understanding of God's power not just in a physical sense but also in a spiritual or truthful context.


In plain words — the whole versegenerated

Psalms 89:25 expresses God's promise to set His hand over the sea and His right hand upon the rivers, indicating His control and power over these bodies of water. This verse highlights God's faithfulness to His chosen one and His sovereign authority.


Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated

What does it mean that God sets His hand over the sea?

It signifies God's authority and power over creation, indicating that He governs the natural world.

Why are both the sea and rivers mentioned?

The sea and rivers represent different aspects of God's creation, emphasizing His control over both vast and flowing waters.

How does this verse relate to God's faithfulness?

This verse reassures the reader of God's unwavering support and commitment to His chosen ones.

What is the significance of the right hand?

In biblical literature, the right hand often symbolizes strength and favor, indicating God's powerful support.


Reflection Questionsgenerated

  1. In what areas of my life do I need to recognize God's authority and power?
  2. How can I trust in God's faithfulness as expressed in this verse?
  3. What does it mean for me to have God's hand upon my life?
  4. How can I reflect God's strength and guidance to others around me?

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

Early Christian writers, such as Augustine of Hippo, referenced this verse to discuss God's rule over the Gentiles and His authority.

Augustine of HippoExposition on Psalms 89 354–430
"I will set His hand also in the sea" [Psalms 89:25]: that is, He shall rule over the Gentiles;
Early Church Fathers on Psalms 89 →

Commentators on this verse — 8 expositors, verse by verse

Each of these wrote on Psalms 89:25 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.

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

I will set his hand also in the sea,.... Which is expressive not of his dominion over the sea, and of his power and authority over all things in it, which: he has by right of creation, and as

Read John Gill on Psalms 89 →
Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's Commentary

Then thou spakest in vision to thy holy one, and saidst, I have laid help upon one that is mighty; I have exalted one chosen out of the people.

Read Robert Jamieson on Psalms 89 →
Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy Bible

I will set his hand, i.e. establish his power and dominion. In the sea; the midland sea. The rivers, to wit, Euphrates, called rivers in the plural number, as Nilus also is, ,4, in regard of divers branches of it, and rivers which flow into it. So here is a description of the uttermost bounds of the Promised Land, , to which the Israelitish power was extended by David and Solomon.

Read Matthew Poole on Psalms 89 →
John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

Psalms 89:25 I will set his hand also in the sea, and his right hand in the rivers.Ver. 25. I will set his hand also in the sea] He shall be a vice-god, Daniel 12:7 Revelation 10:1. Herodotus saith that the Aeginetae gave the Persians earth and water, in token of subjection to Darius, their king. Christ is the true κοσμοκρατωρ, a title anciently usurped by Sesostris, king of Egypt. Qui Pharos currus regum cervicibus egit.

Read John Trapp on Psalms 89 →
Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(25) In the sea.—A reference, as in Psalms 72:8; Psalms 80:11, to the limits of the Solomonic kingdom, the Mediterranean and the Euphrates. For the figure we may compare a saying attributed by Curtius to some Scythian ambassadors, who addressed Alexander in these terms: “If the gods had given thee a body as great as thy mind, the whole world would not be able to contain thee. Thou wouldst reach with one hand to the east, and with the other to the west.”

Read Charles John Ellicott on Psalms 89 →
AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible

Verse 25. I will set his hand also in the sea] This was literally fulfilled in David. Hand signifies power or authority; he set his hand on the sea in conquering the Philistines, and extending his empire along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea, from Tyre to Pelusium. All the coasts of the Red Sea, the Persian Gulf, and the Arabic Ocean, might be said to have been under his government, for they all paid tribute to him or his son Solomon. His right hand in the rivers] First, the Euphrates: he subjected all Syria, and even a part of Mesopotamia; 2 Samuel 8:3; 1 Chronicles 18:3. He also took Damascus, and consequently had his hand or authority over the river Chrysorrhoes, or Baraddi; and in…

Read AdamClarke on Psalms 89 →
CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

25. in the sea … in the rivers] R.V., on the sea … on the rivers; i.e. I will extend his dominion to the Mediterranean on the west, and to the Euphrates on the north-east, the boundaries of the land according to ancient promise. See Genesis 15:18; Exodus 23:31; Deuteronomy 11:24; 1 Kings 4:24; cp. Psalms 72:8; Psalms 80:11. The plural rivers is a poetical generalisation, or may denote the Euphrates and its canals.

Read Cambridge on Psalms 89 →
Albert Barnes1798–1870Barnes' Notes on the Bible

I will set his hand also in the sea ... - His dominion shall extend from the sea on the one hand to the rivers on the other.

Read Albert Barnes on Psalms 89 →

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

I will set his hand over the sea, and his right hand upon the rivers.

WEBWorld English Bible2000

I will set his hand also on the sea, and his right hand on the rivers.

MSBMajority Standard Bible2022

I will set his hand over the sea, and his right hand upon the rivers.

NETBNew English Translation2006

I will place his hand over the sea, his right hand over the rivers.

Tyndale line

KJVKing James Version1611

I will set his hand also in the sea, and his right hand in the rivers.

ASVAmerican Standard Version1901

I will set his hand also on the sea, And his right hand on the rivers.

RVARevised Version, American1894

I will set his hand also on the sea, and his right hand on the rivers.

NWBWebster's Bible1833

I will set his hand also in the sea, and his right hand in the rivers.

GNVGeneva Bible1599

I will set his hand also in the sea, and his right hand in the floods.

Strictly literal

DBYDarby Translation1890

And I will set his hand in the sea, and his right hand in the rivers.

YLTYoung's Literal Translation1862

And I have set on the sea his hand, And on the rivers his right hand.

LSVLiteral Standard Version2020

And I have set his hand on the sea, || And his right hand on the rivers.

ILTInterlinear Literal Translation2000

(89:26) And I will place on the sea his hand, and on the rivers his right hand.

ULBUnlocked Literal Bible2017

I will place his hand over the sea and his right hand over the rivers.

Simplified

FBVFree Bible Version2020

I will extend his rule from the Mediterranean Sea to the Euphrates River.

BBEBible in Basic English1949

I will put his hand in the sea, and his right hand in the rivers.

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.

וְandclauseclauseverbשַׂמְתִּ֣יI.will.setprepositional phrase · prepositionalבַonnoun phrasetheיָּ֣םseanoun phrase · objectיָד֑handוֹhisוּֽandclauseprepositional phrase · prepositionalבַonnoun phrasetheנְּהָר֥וֹתriversnoun phrase · objectיְמִינֽhandוֹhis.right

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


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

The Masoretic Text and the Septuagint agree on the wording of this verse, showing consistency in the translation of the Hebrew terms into Greek. Both texts convey the same message regarding God's authority over the sea and rivers.

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

וְשַׂמְתִּ֣י בַיָּ֣ם יָד֑וֹ וּֽבַנְּהָר֥וֹת יְמִינֽוֹ׃

Septuagintthe Greek the translators chose, word by word
וְשַׂמְתִּ֣יἀλήθειάבַיָּ֣םκαὶיָד֑וֹμουוּֽבַנְּהָר֥וֹתκαὶיְמִינֽוֹ׃ὀνόματί

5 of the 5 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 89:25שׂוּםand I will and I will setשׂוּםיָםon the seaon the seaיָםיָדhand hishand hisיָדנָהָרand on the and on the riveנָהָריָמִיןright [handright [hand] hiיָמִיןכַּףpalmpalmכַּףנָהַרto flowto flowנָהַריָמַןto go righto go rightיָמַןשַׁמָּהhorror: dehorror: destroyשַׁמָּהשְׁמָמָהDesolateDesolateשְׁמָמָהסוּףreedreedסוּףפֵּאָהsidesideפֵּאָהחָזָקstrongstrongחָזָקנָצַלto rescueto rescueנָצַלכְּבָרChebarChebarכְּבָרפְּרָתEuphratesEuphratesפְּרָתשְׂמֹאלleftleftשְׂמֹאלשׁוֹקleglegשׁוֹק
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 89:25

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 I will set on the sea hand his and on the rivers right [hand] his
וְשַׂמְתִּ֣יve.sam.Ti and I will set H7760 Verb · Qal · sequential perfect first person common singular
585× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This Hebrew word means to put or place something, and is used in many different ways in the Bible, such as to appoint or determine something. It is first used in Genesis to describe God's creation. In the KJV, it is translated as 'appoint' or 'set' in various contexts.
Tyndale gloss
to set: make
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word שׂוּם (sum) is a verb meaning to put, place, or set, with a wide range of applications including appointing, establishing, and making. It can also refer to laying something upon or directing it. There is a related noun שׂוּמָה (sumah), which may denote a token of unluckiness. The entries do not present any significant disagreement.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

שׂוּם, שִׂים 582 vb. put, place, set

Qal

put, set, in a place

put something upon

put, lay, set

put, c. בֵּין

set, direct

set, ordain, in a place

set, establish a law, statute

set, found a nation

set, appoint (as ruler, official)

set, constitute, make

set, determine, fix, bounds

set, station, at a post

put in position, sacred bread, sword, staves, bars

set up altars

= plant, wheat

set, fix (countenance)

make a thing, or pers. (acc.), for, transform into

make, constitute

work, bring to pass

appoint, give

set, fix (countenance)

Hiph. I will make him for a sign

Hoph. there was set before him

base

שׂוּמָה perhaps n. f. token of unluckiness, scowl;—2 S 13:32

ref

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H7760a שׂוּם, שִׂים put, place, set .. . put, set, in a place

. put something upon

. put, lay, set

. put, c. בֵּין

. set, direct

. . set, ordain, in a place

. set, establish a law, statute

. set, found a nation

. set, appoint (as ruler, official)

. set, constitute, make

. set, determine, fix, bounds

. . set, station, at a post

. put in position, sacred bread, sword, staves, bars

. set up altars

. = plant, wheat

. set, fix (countenance)

. . make a thing, or pers. (acc.), for, transform into

. make, constitute

. work, bring to pass

. appoint, give

. set, fix (countenance)

. I will make him for a sign

. there was set before him

H7760b שׂוּמָה perhaps n. f. token of unluckiness, scowl

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

7760 suwm soom

or siym {seem}; a primitive root; to put (used in a great

variety of applications, literal, figurative, inferentially,

and elliptically):--X any wise, appoint, bring, call (a

name), care, cast in, change, charge, commit, consider,

convey, determine, + disguise, dispose, do, get, give, heap

up, hold, impute, lay (down, up), leave, look, make (out),

mark, + name, X on, ordain, order, + paint, place, preserve,

purpose, put (on), + regard, rehearse, reward, (cause to) set

(on, up), shew, + stedfastly, take, X tell, + tread down,

((over-))turn, X wholly, work.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

שׂוּם (sum) — to set: make.

: make/establish

1) to put, place, set, appoint, make

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to put, set, lay, put or lay upon, lay (violent) hands on

1a2) to set, direct, direct toward

1a2a) to extend (compassion) (fig)

1a3) to set, ordain, establish, found, appoint, constitute, make, determine, fix

1a4) to set, station, put, set in place, plant, fix

1a5) to make, make for, transform into, constitute, fashion, work, bring to pass, appoint, give

1b) (Hiphil) to set or make for a sign

1c) (Hophal) to be set

שׂוּמָה (su.mah) — fate.

token of unluckiness, scowl

שׂוּם (sum) — to set: put.

: put/give

1) to put, place, set, appoint, make

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to put, set, lay, put or lay upon, lay (violent) hands on

1a2) to set, direct, direct toward

1a2a) to extend (compassion) (fig)

1a3) to set, ordain, establish, found, appoint, constitute, make, determine, fix

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Hc/Vqq1cs — Verb · Qal · sequential perfect first person common singular
Hc/Vqq1cs
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

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

and I will set on the sea hand his and on the rivers right [hand] his
בַיָּ֣םvai.Yam on the sea H3220 Preposition · noun common masculine singular absolute
396× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
Refers to a large body of water like the Mediterranean Sea or a sea in general, sometimes specifically the west or seaward direction.
Tyndale gloss
(Mt. Ephron in the) West
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

יָם (yam) means 'sea' and refers to various large bodies of water, including the Mediterranean, Red, and Dead Seas, as well as the Sea of Galilee. It can also denote a mighty river like the Nile and has geographical implications, indicating directions such as west or south. The term is derived from a root meaning to roar, suggesting the noise of breaking surf.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

יָם 390 n.m. sea

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H3220 יָם sea

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

3220 yam yawm

from an unused root meaning to roar; a sea (as breaking in

noisy surf) or large body of water; specifically (with the

article), the Mediterranean Sea; sometimes a large river, or

an artifical basin; locally, the west, or (rarely) the

south:--sea (X -faring man, (-shore)), south, west (-ern,

side, -ward).

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

יָם (yam) — sea.

: sea

1) sea

1a) Mediterranean Sea

1b) Red Sea

1c) Dead Sea

1d) Sea of Galilee

1e) sea (general)

1f) mighty river (Nile)

1g) the sea (the great basin in the temple court)

1h) seaward, west, westward

יָם (yam) — sea: west.

: west

1) sea

1a) Mediterranean Sea

1b) Red Sea

1c) Dead Sea

1d) Sea of Galilee

1e) sea (general)

1f) mighty river (Nile)

1g) the sea (the great basin in the temple court)

1h) seaward, west, westward

יָם (yam) — (Mt. Ephron in the) West.

This name means sea, seaward, westward

Another name of eph.ron (עֶפְרוֹן "(Mount )Ephron" H6085H)

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

se (yam; thalassa; in Ac 27:5 pelagos): The Mediterranean is called ha-yam ha-gadhol, "the great sea" (Nu 34:6; Jos 1:4; Eze 47:10, etc.); ha-yam ha-'acharon, "the hinder," or "western sea" (De 11:24; 34:2; Joe 2:20; Zec 14:8); yam pelishtim, "the sea of the Philis" (Ex 23:31); the King James Version translates yam yapho' in Ezr 3:7 by "sea of Joppa," perhaps rightly.

Smith's Bible Dictionary

The sea, yam , is used in Scripture to denote-- "The gathering of the waters," "the Ocean." (Genesis 1:2,10; 30:13) etc. Some portion of this, as the Mediterranean Sea, called the "hinder," the "western" and the "utmost" sea, (11:24; 34:2; Joel 2:20) "sea of the Philistines," (Exodus 23:31) "the great sea," (Numbers 36:6,7; Joshua 15:47) "the sea." Genesis49:13; Psal 80:11 Also frequently of the Red Sea. (Exodus 15:4) [RED SEA SEA] Inland lakes termed seas, as the Salt or Dead Sea. [See the special article] Any…

American Tract Society Bible Dictionary

The Hebrews give the name of sea to any large collection of water, Job 14:11; as to the lakes of Tiberias and Asphaltites, and also to the rivers Nile and Euphrates, Isa 11:15 18:2 21:1 Jer 51:36,42. The principal seas mentioned in Scripture are the following:

1. The GREAT SEA, the Mediterranean, called also the Hinder or Western Sea. Indeed, the Hebrew word for sea, meaning the Mediterranean, is often put for the west. The Great Sea is 2,200 miles long, and in the widest part 1,200 miles in width. In many places it is so deep as to give no soundings. It is little affected by tides, but is often agitated by violent winds. The prevailing direction of the wind in spring is from the southeast and southwest and from the northeast…

Nave's Topical Bible

→ Creation of Ge 1:9,10; Ps 95:5; 148:4,5

→ Lake Galilee calmed by Jesus Mt 8:24-26; Mr 4:37-39

→ Jesus walked upon Lake Galilee Mt 14:25-31

→ The Dead, to be given up by the, at the resurrection Re 20:13

→ SYMBOLICAL

In Daniel' s vision Da 7:2,3

In John' s apocalyptic vision Re 4:6; 8:8,9; 10:2,5,6,8; 13:1; 15:2; 16:3; 21:1

and I will set on the sea hand his and on the rivers right [hand] his
יָד֑וֹya.Do hand his H3027 Noun common both singular construct · suffix
1,619× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
In the Bible, 'yad' refers to an open hand, symbolizing power or direction. It can also mean strength or a part of something, like a side or a share. The word is used in many contexts, including anatomy and everyday life.
Tyndale gloss
hand
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

יָד (yad) means 'hand' and can also refer to strength or power in a figurative sense. It encompasses various technical uses, such as a sign or monument, parts or shares, and even specific components in construction, like axle-trees and supports for the laver. The word is versatile, appearing in both literal and metaphorical contexts.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

יָד 1604 n.f. hand

hand

Fig. = strength, power

Fig. = side

יָד is used in various special, technical senses:—

sign, monument

part, fractional part or share

time, repetition

axle-trees

stays, supports for laver

tenons on sides of boards of tabernacle

a (beckoning) hand

יַד with prep.

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H3027 יָד hand . hand

. Fig. = strength, power

. Fig. = side

. יָד is used in various special, technical senses:— . sign, monument

. part, fractional part or share

. time, repetition

. axle-trees

. stays, supports for laver

. tenons on sides of boards of tabernacle

. a (beckoning) hand

. יַד with prep.

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

3027 yad yawd

a primitive word; a hand (the open one (indicating power,

means, direction, etc.), in distinction from 3709, the closed

one); used (as noun, adverb, etc.) in a great variety of

applications, both literally and figuratively, both proximate

and remote (as follows):--(+ be) able, X about, + armholes,

at, axletree, because of, beside, border, X bounty, + broad,

(broken-)handed, X by, charge, coast, + consecrate, +

creditor, custody, debt, dominion, X enough, + fellowship,

force, X from, hand(-staves, -y work), X he, himself, X in,

labour, + large, ledge, (left-)handed, means, X mine,

ministry, near, X of, X order, ordinance, X our, parts, pain,

power, X presumptuously, service, side, sore, state, stay,

draw with strength, stroke, + swear, terror, X thee, X by

them, X themselves, X thine own, X thou, through, X throwing,

+ thumb, times, X to, X under, X us, X wait on, (way-)side,

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Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

יָד (yad) — hand.

: hand/arm[anatomy]

1) hand

1a) hand (of man)

1b) strength, power (fig.)

1c) side (of land), part, portion (metaph.) (fig.)

1d) (various special, technical senses)

1d1) sign, monument

1d2) part, fractional part, share

1d3) time, repetition

1d4) axle-trees, axle

1d5) stays, support (for laver)

1d6) tenons (in tabernacle)

1d7) a phallus, a hand (meaning unsure)

1d8) wrists

יָד (yad) — hand: power.

: hand/arm[anatomy]

1) hand

1a) hand (of man)

1b) strength, power (fig.)

1c) side (of land), part, portion (metaph.) (fig.)

1d) (various special, technical senses)

1d1) sign, monument

1d2) part, fractional part, share

1d3) time, repetition

1d4) axle-trees, axle

1d5) stays, support (for laver)

1d6) tenons (in tabernacle)

1d7) a phallus, a hand (meaning unsure)

1d8) wrists

יָד (yad) — hand: themselves.

: hand/arm[anatomy]

1) hand

1a) hand (of man)

1b) strength, power (fig.)

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
HNcbsc/Sp3ms — Noun common both singular construct · suffix
HNcbsc/Sp3ms
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

hiz: Used often in the King James Version with reference to a neuter or inanimate thing, or to a lower animal (Ge 1:11, "after his kind"; Le 1:16, "pluck away his crop"; Ac 12:10, "of his own accord"; 1Co 15:38, "his own body"), etc. the Revised Version (British and American) substitutes "its."

and I will set on the sea hand his and on the rivers right [hand] his
וּֽבַנְּהָר֥וֹתu.va.ne.ha.Rot and on the rivers H5104 Conjunction · preposition · noun common feminine plural absolute
119× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
In the Bible, a river symbolizes prosperity, like the Nile or Euphrates, and is often used figuratively. It appears in Genesis and Exodus, describing the life-giving waters of the Promised Land. This word is also used to describe underground streams.
Tyndale gloss
river
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

נָהָר (nahar) means 'stream' or 'river' and can refer to various water bodies, including the Nile and Euphrates. It also has a figurative sense of prosperity. The word is derived from a root meaning related to flowing water and has an Aramaic equivalent, נְהַר (ne.har).

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

נָהָר 120 n.m. stream, river

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H5104 נָהָר stream, river

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

5104 nahar naw-hawr'

from 5102; a stream (including the sea; expec. the Nile,

Euphrates, etc.); figuratively, prosperity:--flood, river.

see HEBREW for 05102

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

נָהָר (na.har) — River.

This name means stream, river

Another name of pe.rat (פְּרָת "Euphrates" H6578)

נָהָר (na.har) — river.

1) stream, river

1a) stream, river

1b) (underground) streams

Aramaic equivalent: ne.har (נְהַר "river" H5103H)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
HC/Rd/Ncfpa — Conjunction · preposition · noun common feminine plural absolute
HC/Rd/Ncfpa
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
Torrey's New Topical Textbook

- Source of

Job 28:10; Ps 104:8,10

- Enclosed within banks

Da 12:5

- Flow through valleys

Ps 104:8,10

- SOME OF

. Great and mighty

Ge 15:18; Ps 74:15

. Deep

Eze 47:5; Zec 10:11

. Broad

Isa 33:21

. Rapid

Jud 5:21

. Parted into many streams

Ge 2:10; Isa 11:5

and I will set on the sea hand his and on the rivers right [hand] his
יְמִינֽוֹ׃ye.mi.No right [hand] his H3225 Noun common feminine singular construct · suffix
140× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
Benjamin was a son of Israel and Rachel, and the brother of Joseph, mentioned in Genesis 35:18. The name also refers to the right hand or south direction.
Tyndale gloss
[Ben]jamin
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word יָמִין (*yamiyn*) means 'right hand' or 'right side,' and it can also refer to the direction south, as the right hand points south when facing east. It is derived from the root word for 'to be strong' and covers various contexts, including body parts and directional references.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

יָמִין 137 n.f. right hand

right hand

of situation on, or direction toward the right

of other parts of the body

= south, because when facing east the right hand is toward the south

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H3225 יָמִין right hand . right hand

. of situation on, or direction toward the right

. of other parts of the body

. = south, because when facing east the right hand is toward the south

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

3225 yamiyn yaw-meen'

from 3231; the right hand or side (leg, eye) of a person or

other object (as the stronger and more dexterous); locally,

the south:--+ left-handed, right (hand, side), south.

see HEBREW for 03231

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

יָמִין (ya.min) — right.

1) right, right hand, right side

1a) right hand

1b) right (of direction)

1c) south (the direction of the right hand when facing East)

Also means: ya.min (יָמִין ": south" H3225H)

יָמִין (ya.min) — right: south.

1) right, right hand, right side

1a) right hand

1b) right (of direction)

1c) south (the direction of the right hand when facing East)

יָמִין (ya.min) — [Ben]jamin.

A man of the tribe of Benjamin living at the time of the Patriarchs, first mentioned at Gen.35.18;

son of: Israel (H3478) and Rachel (H7354);

brother of: Joseph (H3130);

half-brother of: Reuben (H7205), Simeon (H8095), Levi (H3878), Judah (H3063), Dan (H1835H), Naphtali (H5321), Gad (H1410), Asher (H0836), Issachar (H3485), Zebulun (H2074) and Dinah (H1783);

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
HNcfsc/Sp3ms — Noun common feminine singular construct · suffix
HNcfsc/Sp3ms
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

hiz: Used often in the King James Version with reference to a neuter or inanimate thing, or to a lower animal (Ge 1:11, "after his kind"; Le 1:16, "pluck away his crop"; Ac 12:10, "of his own accord"; 1Co 15:38, "his own body"), etc. the Revised Version (British and American) substitutes "its."

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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