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1 Chronicles 11:16 — Word Study

Depth

WLCוְדָוִ֖יד אָ֣ז בַּמְּצוּדָ֑ה וּנְצִ֣יב פְּלִשְׁתִּ֔ים אָ֖ז בְּבֵ֥ית לָֽחֶם׃

BSAAt that timeʼâz [then, in a past moment] DavidDâvid [the youngest son of Jesse, a king of Israel] was in the strongholdmâtsûwd [a fortress, a place of protection] and the garrisonnᵉtsîyb [a military post, a station of soldiers] of the PhilistinesPᵉlishtîy [people from the region of Philistia] was at BethlehemBêyth Lechem [the house of bread, a city in Judah]

Word
Listen & take away1 Chronicles 11
English ↓ Download MP3 The Berean Standard Bible chapter audio already hosted for the site's Bible section — verse 16 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 (La.chem) — no per-word recordings of the Hebrew exist to link to.
Take it away
1 Chronicles 11:16quick helps
In a sentenceDavid is in a stronghold while the Philistine garrison is stationed at Bethlehem.
Who is speakingThe narrator describes the situation of David.
Where we areThe context is a time of conflict between David and the Philistines.
The hard wordמְצוּדָה
Take awayDavid is in a place of safety while danger surrounds him.
4 commentators on this verse Jamieson, Trapp, Ellicott, Cambridge & more — read them › clause subjectדָּוִד 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 — 1 Chronicles 11:16

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 — David's Strongholdgenerated

15Three of the thirty chief men went down to David, to the rock at the cave of Adullam, while a company of Philistines was encamped in the Valley of Rephaim.
16At that time David was in the stronghold, and the garrison of the Philistines was at Bethlehem.
17David longed for water and said, “Oh, that someone would get me a drink of water from the well near the gate of Bethlehem!”
18So the Three broke through the Philistine camp, drew water from the well at the gate of Bethlehem, and brought it back to David. But he refused to drink it; instead, he poured it out to the LORD,

1 Chronicles 11:16 places David in a stronghold during a time of conflict with the Philistines, who have established a garrison at Bethlehem. This moment highlights David's precarious position as he seeks safety while surrounded by enemies. The surrounding verses provide insight into the military dynamics of the time, showcasing David's leadership and the loyalty of his men in the face of danger.


Cross References

ReferenceText (BSB)
11 Samuel 22:1So David left Gath and took refuge in the cave of Adullam. When his brothers and the rest of his father’s household heard about it, they went down to him there.
21 Samuel 23:25and Saul and his men went to seek him. When David was told about it, he went down to the rock and stayed in the Wilderness of Maon. And when Saul heard of this, he pursued David there.
3Psalm 142:1I cry aloud to the LORD; I lift my voice to the LORD for mercy.
41 Samuel 10:5After that you will come to Gibeah of God, where the Philistines have an outpost. As you approach the city, you will meet a group of prophets coming down from the high place, preceded by harps, tambourines, flutes, and lyres, and they will be prophesying.
51 Samuel 13:4–23And all Israel heard the news: “Saul has attacked an outpost of the Philistines, and now Israel has become a stench to the Philistines!” Then the people were summoned to join Saul at Gilgal.

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


The Key Word דָּוִד, ve.da.Vidgenerated

The word דָּוִד (David) refers to the second king of Israel, known as the youngest son of Jesse. His name means 'beloved' and he is a central figure in Israel's history, with a lineage that includes many notable descendants. The parsing indicates that it is a proper noun, specifically a masculine noun, emphasizing his identity as a significant historical and biblical character.

David's mention here underscores his role as a leader during a tumultuous period, highlighting his strength and the challenges he faced. The lexicons consistently affirm his importance and familial connections, with no significant disagreements among them.


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 in the sentence is הָיָה, was, which governs the structure. The sentence describes David's location and the position of the Philistine garrison, with two prepositional phrases detailing where each is situated.

The Hebrew word order places emphasis on David's situation first, indicating his importance in this context, followed by the information about the Philistines, which serves to highlight the tension of the moment.


Septuagint Backgroundgenerated

The Septuagint translates דָּוִד as δαυιδ, maintaining the name's significance and identity. This consistency across translations indicates the importance of David's character in both the Hebrew and Greek texts.

The translation of מְצוּדָה as ἐν shows a direct correspondence, emphasizing David's position in a stronghold. The choice of words in the Septuagint aligns with the protective connotation of the Hebrew term.


In plain words — the whole versegenerated

1 Chronicles 11:16 tells us that David was in a stronghold while the Philistines had a garrison at Bethlehem. This shows David's need for safety during a time of conflict, highlighting the challenges he faced as a leader.


Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated

What does it mean that David was in a stronghold?

A stronghold is a place of safety and protection, indicating that David sought refuge from the Philistine threat.

Why were the Philistines at Bethlehem?

Bethlehem was a strategic location, and the Philistines likely occupied it to exert control over the region and challenge David's authority.

What is the significance of David's location?

David's position in a stronghold reflects his role as a military leader, highlighting the ongoing conflict with the Philistines and his need for strategic defense.

How does this verse connect to other events in David's life?

This moment is part of a larger narrative of David's rise to power and his struggles against the Philistines, which are chronicled throughout the books of Samuel and Chronicles.


Reflection Questionsgenerated

  1. What can we learn from David's reliance on strongholds during times of danger?
  2. How does the presence of the Philistines at Bethlehem affect our understanding of David's leadership?
  3. In what ways can we seek safety and protection in our own lives, similar to David's stronghold?
  4. How does this verse inform our understanding of the historical context of Israel during David's reign?

Commentators on this verse — 4 expositors, verse by verse

Each of these wrote on 1 Chronicles 11:16 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.

Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's Commentary

Now three of the thirty captains went down to the rock to David, into the cave of Adullam; and the host of the Philistines encamped in the valley of Rephaim. No JFB commentary on these verses.

Read Robert Jamieson on 1 Chronicles 11 →
John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

1 Chronicles 11:16 And David [was] then in the hold, and the Philistines’ garrison [was] then at Bethlehem. 1 Chronicles 11:17 And David longed, and said, Oh that one would give me drink of the water of the well of Bethlehem, that [is] at the gate! Ver. 16-17. See on 2 Samuel 23:14-17.

Read John Trapp on 1 Chronicles 11 →
Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(16) The hold.—The stronghold or rock-fortress of Adullam (2 Samuel 5:17; 2 Samuel 23:14). The Philistines’ garrison.—An outpost; for their army was camping near Jerusalem.

Read Charles John Ellicott on 1 Chronicles 11 →
CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

16. in the hold] Cp. note on the cave of Adullam (1 Chronicles 11:15). the Philistines’ garrison] R.V. the garrison of the Philistines. The word may however mean “the Philistine governor” (so read in 1 Samuel 13:3-4 for the same Heb. word). The parallel passage however (2 Samuel 23:14) has “the garrison of the Philistines.”

Read Cambridge on 1 Chronicles 11 →

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

At that time David was in the stronghold, and the garrison of the Philistines was at Bethlehem.

WEBWorld English Bible2000

David was then in the stronghold, and the garrison of the Philistines was in Bethlehem at that time.

MSBMajority Standard Bible2022

At that time David was in the stronghold, and the garrison of the Philistines was at Bethlehem.

NETBNew English Translation2006

David was in the stronghold at the time, while a Philistine garrison was in Bethlehem.

Tyndale line

KJVKing James Version1611

And David was then in the hold, and the Philistines’ garrison was then at Beth-lehem.

ASVAmerican Standard Version1901

And David was then in the stronghold, and the garrison of the Philistines was then in Beth-lehem.

RVARevised Version, American1894

And David was then in the hold, and the garrison of the Philistines was then in Beth-lehem.

NWBWebster's Bible1833

And David was then in the hold, and the Philistines' garrison was then at Beth-lehem.

GNVGeneva Bible1599

And when Dauid was in the hold, the Philistims garison was at Beth-lehem.

Strictly literal

DBYDarby Translation1890

And David was then in the stronghold; and the Philistines' garrison was then at Bethlehem.

YLTYoung's Literal Translation1862

and David [is] then in the fortress, and the station of the Philistines [is] then in Beth-Lehem,

LSVLiteral Standard Version2020

and David [is] then in the fortress, and the station of the Philistines [is] then in Beth-Lehem,

ILTInterlinear Literal Translation2000

And David was then in the strong-hold, and an outpost of the Philistines was then at Beth-lechem.

ULBUnlocked Literal Bible2017

At that time David was in his stronghold, a cave, while the Philistines had established their camp at Bethlehem.

From the Latin

DRADouay-Rheims (Challoner)1899

And David was in a hold, and the garrison of the Philistines in Bethlehem.

Simplified

FBVFree Bible Version2020

At the time David was in the stronghold, and the Philistine garrison was in Bethlehem.

BBEBible in Basic English1949

At that time David had taken cover in the strong place, and an armed force of the Philistines was in Beth-lehem.

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.

וְandclausesubjectדָוִ֖ידDavidadverbialאָ֣זthenprepositional phrase · predicateבַּ[was].innoun phrasetheמְּצוּדָ֑הstrongholdוּandclausenoun phrase · subjectנְצִ֣יבa.garrisonפְּלִשְׁתִּ֔יםof.Philistinesadverbialאָ֖זthenprepositional phrase · predicateבְּ[was]

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 in this verse, with seven of the eight words matched. The Septuagint's word order differs, but the essential meaning remains consistent, affirming the historical context of David's situation.

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

וְדָוִ֖יד אָ֣ז בַּמְּצוּדָ֑ה וּנְצִ֣יב פְּלִשְׁתִּ֔ים אָ֖ז בְּבֵ֥ית לָֽחֶם׃

Septuagintthe Greek the translators chose, word by word
וְדָוִ֖ידδαυιδאָ֣זτότεבַּמְּצוּדָ֑הἐνוּנְצִ֣יבκαὶפְּלִשְׁתִּ֔יםἀλλοφύλωνאָ֖זτότεבְּבֵ֥יתἐν

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.

1 Chronicles 11:16דָּוִדand Davidand Davidדָּוִדאָזthenthenאָזמְצוּדָה[was] in th[was] in the stמְצוּדָהנְצִיבand [the] gand [the] garriנְצִיבפְּלִשְׁתִּי[the] Phili[the] Philistinפְּלִשְׁתִּיאָזthenthenאָזבֵּית[was] at Be[was] at Beth-בֵּיתבֵּית-lehem-lehemבֵּיתבֵּיתplaceplaceבֵּיתנָצַבto standto standנָצַבפְּלֶ֫שֶׁתPhilistiaPhilistiaפְּלֶ֫שֶׁתדּוֹדbelovedbelovedדּוֹדמָצוֹדsiegeworksiegeworkמָצוֹדמְצוּדָהnetnetמְצוּדָהפָּשַׁעto transgrto transgressפָּשַׁעאֶפְרָ֫תָהEphrathEphrathאֶפְרָ֫תָהמִזְמוֹרmelodymelodyמִזְמוֹרנָצַחto conductto conductנָצַחפָּלַטto escapeto escapeפָּלַטרֶ֫שֶׁתnetnetרֶ֫שֶׁתאֱדוֹםEdomEdomאֱדוֹםאָזthenthenאָזסֶ֫רֶןlordlordסֶ֫רֶןנָכָהto smiteto smiteנָכָה
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 1 Chronicles 11:16

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 David then [was] in the stronghold and [the] garrison of [the] Philistines then [was] at Beth- -lehem
וְדָוִ֖ידve.da.Vid and David H1732 Conjunction · noun proper masculine
1,075× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
David was the youngest son of Jesse and a king of Judah, first mentioned in Ruth 4:17, and an ancestor of Jesus.
Amplified meaning
the youngest son of Jesse, a king of Israel
Tyndale gloss
David
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

דָּוִד (David) refers to the second king of Israel, known as the youngest son of Jesse. The name means 'beloved' and is associated with a significant lineage, including many siblings and notable descendants like Solomon. The entries highlight his familial connections and historical context, with no significant disagreement among the lexicons.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

דָּוִד, דָּוִיד 1066 n.pr.m. David

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H1732 דָּוִד, דָּוִיד David

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

1732 David daw-veed'

rarely (fully); Daviyd {daw-veed'}; from the same as 1730;

loving; David, the youngest son of Jesse:--David.

see HEBREW for 01730

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

דָּוִד (da.vid) — David.

A king of the tribe of Judah living at the time of United Monarchy, first mentioned at Rut.4.17;

son of: Jesse (H3448) and Nahash (H5176I);

brother of: Eliab (H0446I), Abinadab (H0041I), Shimeah (H8093), Zeruiah (H6870), Abigail (H0026H)(?), Nethanel (H5417H), Raddai (H7288), Ozem (H0684) and Elihu (H0453J); married to Michal (H4324), Abigail (H0026), Ahinoam (H0293H), Maacah (H4601I), Haggith (H2294), Abital (H0037), Eglah (H5698) and Bathsheba (H1339);

father of: Amnon (H0550), Chileab (H3609), Absalom (H0053), Adonijah (H0138), Shephatiah (H8203), Ithream (H3507), Shammua (H8051H), Shobab (H7727), Nathan (H5416), Solomon (H8010), Ibhar (H2984), Elishua (H0474), Nepheg (H5298H), Japhia (H3309I), Elishama (H0476H), Eliada (H0450), Eliphelet (H0467), Tamar (H8559H), Elpelet (H0467I), Nogah (H5052) and Jerimoth (H3406N)

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Conj | N-proper — Conjunction · noun proper masculine
HC/Npm
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

da'-vid (dawidh, or dawidh, "beloved"; Daueid, also in New Testament, Dauid, Dabid; see Thayer's Lexicon):

I. NAME AND GENEALOGY

II. EARLY YEARS

1. Shepherd

2. Slinger

3. Harpist

4. Poet

5. Psalmist

6. Tribesman

III. IN THE SERVICE OF SAUL

1. David First Meets Saul

2. His First Exploit

3. Envy of Saul and Flight of David

4. Jonathan and David

IV. DAVID IN EXILE

1. David as Outlaw

2. David Joins the Philistines

V. DAVID AS KING

1. Civil War

2. Conquests Abroad

3. Political Situation

4. The Ark

VI. DOMESTIC LIFE

1. His Wives and Children

2. Domestic Troubles

VII. HIS OFFICIALS

1. Prophets

2. Priests

3. Military Officers

4. Other Officials

5. Mutual Rivalry

VIII. PERSONAL CHARACTER OF DAVID

1. Chronicles

2. Psalms

3. Complex Character

4. Physical Courage

5. Moral Courage

6. Prudence

7. Strategy

8. Nobility

9. David in Relation to His Family

10. David in Relation to His Friends

11. His Success

12. His Foreign Friends

13. Nemesis

Easton's Bible Dictionary

David

Beloved, the eighth and youngest son of Jesse, a citizen of Bethlehem. His father seems to have been a man in humble life. His mother’s name is not recorded. Some think she was the Nahash of 2 Sam. 17:25. As to his personal appearance, we only know that he was red-haired, with beautiful eyes and a fair face (1 Sam. 16:12; 17:42).

His early occupation was that of tending his father’s sheep on the uplands of Judah. From what we know of his after history, doubtless he frequently beguiled his time, when thus engaged, with his shepherd’s flute, while he drank in the many lessons taught him by the varied scenes spread around him. His first recorded exploits were his encounters with the wild beasts of the field. He mentions that with his own unaided hand he slew a lion and also a…

Smith's Bible Dictionary

(well-beloved), the son of Jesse. His life may be divided into three portions: His youth before his introduction to the court of Saul; His relations with Saul; His reign. The early life of David contains in many important respects the antecedents of his future career. It appears that David was the youngest son, probably the youngest child, of a family of ten, and was born in Bethlehem B.C. 1085. The first time that David appears in history at once admits us to the whole family circle. The annual sacrificial feast is being held when Samuel appears, sent by God to anoint one of Jesse’s sons as they pass before him, (1 Samuel 16:6-10) Samuel sends for the youngest, David, who was "keeping the sheep," and anoints him. (1 Samuel 16:11-13) As David stood before Samuel we are enabled to…

American Tract Society Bible Dictionary

Beloved, the youngest son of Jesse, of the tribe of Judah, born in Bethlehem B. C. 1085; one of the most remarkable men in either sacred of secular history. His life is fully recorded in 1Sa 16:1 1Ki 2:46. He was "the Lord’s anointed," chosen by God to be king of Israel instead of Saul, and consecrated to that office by the venerable prophet Samuel long before he actually came to the throne, 1Sa 16:1-13, for which God prepared him by the gift of his Spirit, and a long course of vicissitudes and dangers. In his early pastoral life he distinguished himself by his boldness, fidelity, and faith in God; and while yet a youth was summoned to court, as one expert in music, valiant, prudent in behavior, and comely in person. He…

and David then [was] in the stronghold and [the] garrison of [the] Philistines then [was] at Beth- -lehem
אָ֣ז'az then H227 Adverb
141× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This Hebrew word refers to a past time or place, often used to describe something that happened earlier. It can also be used as a conjunction to show a cause-and-effect relationship. In the Bible, it appears in books like Genesis and Isaiah.
Amplified meaning
then, in a past moment
Tyndale gloss
then
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

אָז (az) is a demonstrative adverb meaning 'at that time' or 'then,' used for both temporal and logical expressions. It can refer to past events or indicate a condition for future actions. The related form מֵאָז (me.az) means 'from that time' or 'since.' The entries highlight its use in various contexts without significant disagreement.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

אָז adv. at that time, then whether expressing duration, or inception (= thereupon).

strictly temporal

expressing logical sequence strictly

base

מֵאָז lit. from that time

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H227a אָז at that time, then H227b מֵאָז, once

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

227 'az awz

a demonstrative adverb; at that time or place; also as a

conjunction, therefore:--beginning, for, from, hitherto, now,

of old, once, since, then, at which time, yet.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

אָז (az) — then.

1) then, at that time

1a) temporal expressions

1a1) then (past)

1a2) then, if...then (future)

1a3) earlier

1b) logical expressions

1b1) in that case

1b2) that (being so)

מֵאָז (me.az) — the past.

1) in time past, of old

2)from time of, since

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Adv — Adverb
HD
and David then [was] in the stronghold and [the] garrison of [the] Philistines then [was] at Beth- -lehem
בַּמְּצוּדָ֑הba.me.tzu.Dah [was] in the stronghold H4686 Preposition · noun common feminine singular absolute
21× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
Matsud is a fortress or strong hold, like a castle or net, used for protection and capture, as mentioned in Psalm 31:4. It is a place of safety and security.
Amplified meaning
a fortress, a place of protection
Tyndale gloss
net
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

מְצוּדָה (matsuwdah) refers to both a net or prey and a stronghold or fastness. The word encompasses concepts of capture and defense, indicating a place of safety or a means of hunting. It appears in contexts related to both physical capture and strategic locations.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

מְצוּדָה n.f. net, prey

base

מְצוּדָה n.f. fastness, stronghold

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H4686a מְצוּדָה net, prey H4686b מְצוּדָה fastness, stronghold

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

4686 matsuwd maw-tsood'

or (feminine) mtsuwdah {mets-oo-daw'}; or mtsudah

{mets-oo-daw'}; for 4685; a net, or (abstractly) capture; also

a fastness; --castle, defense, fort(-ress), (strong) hold, be

hunted, net, snare, strong place.

see HEBREW for 04685

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

מְצוּדָה (ma.tsu.dah) — net.

1) net, prey, net prey

1a) net

1b) prey

מְצוּדָה (ma.tsu.dah) — fortress.

fastness, stronghold

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Prep | N-cs — Preposition · noun common feminine singular absolute
HRd/Ncfsa
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

strong'-hold.

See FORTIFIED CITIES, IV, 1.

and David then [was] in the stronghold and [the] garrison of [the] Philistines then [was] at Beth- -lehem
וּנְצִ֣יבu.ne.Tziv and [the] garrison of H5333 Conjunction · noun common masculine singular construct
11× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
The Hebrew word for a garrison or military post, like the ones established by King Solomon. It appears in 1 Kings 4:19, where Solomon's administrative districts are listed. This word describes a place of military strength and control.
Amplified meaning
a military post, a station of soldiers
Tyndale gloss
garrison
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

נְצִיב (netsīb) refers to something stationary, including meanings like pillar, prefect, or military post. It can denote a garrison or an officer in a position of authority. The word is built from a root meaning to stand firm, and it appears in contexts related to authority and structure.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

נְצִיב n.m. pillar, prefect, also appar. garrison, post

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H5333 נְצִיב pillar, prefect, also appar. garrison, post

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

5333 ntsiyb nets-eeb'

or ntsib {nets-eeb'}; from 5324; something stationary, i.e. a

prefect, a military post, a statue:--garrison, officer,

pillar.

see HEBREW for 05324

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

נְצִיב (ne.tsiv) — garrison.

1) set over, something placed, pillar, prefect, garrison, post

1a) pillar

1b) prefect, deputy

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Conj | N-ms — Conjunction · noun common masculine singular construct
HC/Ncmsc
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

ov:

(1) In Anglo-Saxon, had the meaning "from," "away from" (as the strengthened form "off" has still), and was not used for genitive or possessive relations, these being expressed by special case-forms. In the Norman period, however, "of" was taken to represent the French de (a use well developed by the time of Chaucer), and in the Elizabethan period both senses of "of" were in common use. But after about 1600 the later force of the word became predominant, and in the earlier sense (which is now practically obsolete) it was replaced by other prepositions. In consequence the King James Version (and in some cases the Revised Version (British and American)) contains many uses of "of" that are no longer familiar--most of them, to be sure, causing no difficulty, but there still being a few responsible for real obscurities.

English usagewhat the translators’ English meant
Webster's Dictionary (1828), Webster's Unabridged (1913), Webster's Dictionary (1806)

OF, preposition ov. [Gr.]

1. From or out of; proceeding from, as the cause, source, means, author or agent bestowing.

I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered to you. 1 Corinthians 11:1.

For it was of the Lord to harden their hearts. Joshua 11:1.

It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed.

Lamentations 3:1.

The whole disposing thereof is of the Lord. Proverbs 16:1.

Go, inquire of the Lord for me. 2 Chronicles 34:2.

That holy thing that shall be born of thee. Luke 1:1.

Hence of is the sign of the genitive case, the case that denotes production; as the son of man, the son proceeding from man, produced from man. This is the primary sense, although we now say, produced by man. 'Part of these were slain; ' that is, a number separate, for part denotes a division; the sense then is, a number from or out of the whole were slain. So also, 'some of these were slain; ' that is…

and David then [was] in the stronghold and [the] garrison of [the] Philistines then [was] at Beth- -lehem
פְּלִשְׁתִּ֔יםpe.lish.Tim [the] Philistines H6430 Noun gentilic · masculine plural absolute
288× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
A Philistine is a person from the region of Philistia, which was inhabited by immigrants from other places. The Philistines were known for their conflicts with the Israelites, as recorded in the Bible. They were a distinct ethnic group.
Amplified meaning
people from the region of Philistia
Tyndale gloss
(Sea of the) Philistines
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word פְּלִשְׁתִּי (*pelishtiy*) means 'Philistine' and refers to an inhabitant of Philistia, with roots indicating they are descendants of Mizraim who immigrated from Caphtor. It is derived from the lemma for Philistia, פְּלֶ֫שֶׁת (*peleshet*), and is first mentioned in Genesis 10:14.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

פְּלִשְׁתִּי 288 adj.gent. Philistine

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H6430 פְּלִשְׁתִּי Philistine

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

6430 Plishtiy pel-ish-tee'

patrial from 6429; a Pelishtite or inhabitant of

Pelesheth:--Philistine.

see HEBREW for 06429

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

פְּלִשְׁתִּי (pe.lish.ti) — Philistine.

Philistine = "immigrants"

an inhabitant of Philistia; descendants of Mizraim who immigrated from Caphtor (Crete?) to the western seacoast of Canaan

Another spelling of pe.le.shet (פְּלֶ֫שֶׁת "Philistia" H6429)

פְּלִשְׁתִּי (pe.lish.ti) — Philistine.

A Philistine living at the time of the Patriarchs, first mentioned at Gen.10.14;

son of: Casluhim (H3695)

§ Philistine = "immigrants"

an inhabitant of Philistia; descendants of Mizraim who immigrated from Caphtor (Crete?) to the western seacoast of Canaan

פְּלִשְׁתִּי (pe.lish.ti) — (Sea of the) Philistines.

Philistine = "immigrants"

an inhabitant of Philistia; descendants of Mizraim who immigrated from Caphtor (Crete?) to the western seacoast of Canaan

Another name of ga.dol (גָּדוֹל "Great( Sea)" H1419J)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Ngmpa — Noun gentilic · masculine plural absolute
HNgmpa
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

fi-lis'-tinz, fil'-is-tinz, fil'-is-tinz (pelishtim; Phulistieim, allophuloi):

I. OLD TESTAMENT NOTICES

1. Race and Origin

2. Religion

3. Individual Philistines Mentioned

4. Title of Ruler and Circumcision

5. History in the Old Testament to Death of Saul

6. History Continued to Time of Ahaz

7. Later Notices

II. MONUMENTAL NOTICES

1. Palestinian Excavations

2. Egyptian Monuments

3. Assyrian Texts

III. THE CRETAN THEORY

1. Cherethim and Kretes

2. Caphtor and Keft

IV. DAVID'S GUARDS

1. The "Cherethi" and the "Pelethi" Not Mercenaries

2. Meaning of These Terms

3. Native Hebrews

4. Review

LITERATURE

I. Old Testament Notices.

1. Race and Origin:

The Philistines were an uncircumcised people inhabiting the shore plain between Gezer and Gaza in Southwestern Palestine (see PHILISTIA). The name Palestine itself (Hebrew pelesheth) refers to their country. The word means "migrants," and they came from another country. They…

Easton's Bible Dictionary

Philistines

(Gen. 10:14, R.V.; but in A.V., “Philistim”), a tribe allied to the Phoenicians. They were a branch of the primitive race which spread over the whole district of the Lebanon and the valley of the Jordan, and Crete and other Mediterranean islands. Some suppose them to have been a branch of the Rephaim (2 Sam. 21:16-22). In the time of Abraham they inhabited the south-west of Judea, Abimelech of Gerar being their king (Gen. 21:32, 34; 26:1). They are, however, not noticed among the Canaanitish tribes mentioned in the Pentateuch. They are spoken of by Amos (9:7) and Jeremiah (47:4) as from Caphtor, i.e., probably Crete, or, as some think, the Delta of Egypt. In the whole record from Exodus to Samuel they are…

Smith's Bible Dictionary

(immigrants), The origin of the Philistines is nowhere expressly stated in the Bible; but as the prophets describe them as "the Philistines-from Caphtor," (Amos 9:7) and "the remnant of the maritime district of Caphtor" (Jeremiah 47:4) it is prima facie probable that they were the Caphtorim which came out of Caphtor" who expelled the Avim from their territory and occupied it; in their place, (2:23) and that these again were the Caphtorim mentioned in the Mosaic genealogical table among the descendants of Mizraim. (Genesis 10:14) It has been generally assumed that Caphtor represents Crete, and that the Philistines migrated from that island, either directly or through Egypt, into Palestine. But the name Caphtor is more probably…

American Tract Society Bible Dictionary

A celebrated people, who inhabited the southern seacoast of Canaan, which from them took the name of Philistia, Ps 60:8 108:9, or Palestine. They seem originally to have migrated form Egypt to Caphtor, by which some understand Crete, and others with the ancients Cappadocia, Ge 10:14, and thence to have passed over to Palestine under the name of Caphtorim, where they drove out the Avim, who dwelt from Hazerim to Azzah, that is, Gaza, and swelt in their stead, De 2:23. The country they inhabited lay between the higher land of Judea and the Mediterranean, and was in the main a level and fertile territory. It resembles our own western prairies; and bears splendid crops year after year, though miserably cultivated and never manured.

and David then [was] in the stronghold and [the] garrison of [the] Philistines then [was] at Beth- -lehem
אָ֖ז'az then H227 Adverb
141× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This Hebrew word refers to a past time or place, often used to describe something that happened earlier. It can also be used as a conjunction to show a cause-and-effect relationship. In the Bible, it appears in books like Genesis and Isaiah.
Tyndale gloss
then
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

אָז (az) is a demonstrative adverb meaning 'at that time' or 'then,' used for both temporal and logical expressions. It can refer to past events or indicate a condition for future actions. The related form מֵאָז (me.az) means 'from that time' or 'since.' The entries highlight its use in various contexts without significant disagreement.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

אָז adv. at that time, then whether expressing duration, or inception (= thereupon).

strictly temporal

expressing logical sequence strictly

base

מֵאָז lit. from that time

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H227a אָז at that time, then H227b מֵאָז, once

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

227 'az awz

a demonstrative adverb; at that time or place; also as a

conjunction, therefore:--beginning, for, from, hitherto, now,

of old, once, since, then, at which time, yet.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

אָז (az) — then.

1) then, at that time

1a) temporal expressions

1a1) then (past)

1a2) then, if...then (future)

1a3) earlier

1b) logical expressions

1b1) in that case

1b2) that (being so)

מֵאָז (me.az) — the past.

1) in time past, of old

2)from time of, since

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
HD — Adverb
HD
and David then [was] in the stronghold and [the] garrison of [the] Philistines then [was] at Beth- -lehem
בְּבֵ֥יתbe.Veit [was] at Beth- H1035 Preposition · noun proper
82× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
Beth-lehem means house of bread, a place in Zebulun. The name describes a location known for its food production, later becoming famous as Jesus' birthplace in the New Testament.
Amplified meaning
the house of bread, a city in Judah
Tyndale gloss
Bethlehem
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

בֵּית לֶ֫חֶם (Beyth Lechem) means 'house of bread' and refers to two locations in ancient Palestine: one in Judah, known as the birthplace of David, and another in Zebulun, northwest of Nazareth. The word is built from the roots for 'house' and 'bread'.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

בֵּית לֶ֫חֶם 41 n.pr.loc.

in Judah, 2 hours south of Jerusalem; birth-place of David

in Zeb., 7 m. NW. of Nazareth

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H1035 בֵּית לֶ֫חֶם . in Judah, 2 hours south of Jerusalem; birth-place of David

. in Zeb., 7 m. NW. of Nazareth

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

1035 Beyth Lechem bayth leh'-khem

from 1004 and 3899; house of bread; Beth- Lechem, a place in

Palestine:--Beth-lehem.

see HEBREW for 01004

see HEBREW for 03899

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

בֵּית לֶ֫חֶם (bet le.chem) — Bethlehem.

§ Beth-lehem = "house of bread (food)"

a city in Judah, birthplace of David

בֵּית לֶ֫חֶם (bet le.chem) — Bethlehem.

§ Beth-lehem = "house of bread (food)"

a place in Zebulun

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-proper — Preposition · noun proper
HR/Npl
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
Easton's Bible Dictionary

Beth

Occurs frequently as the appellation for a house, or dwelling-place, in such compounds as the words immediately following:

Smith's Bible Dictionary

the most general word for a house or habitation. It has the special meaning of a temple or house of worship Beth is more frequently employed in compound names of places than any other word.

American Tract Society Bible Dictionary

House, forms a part of many compounds names of places, and sometimes means the place or dwelling; and at others the temple. This word becomes Beit in modern Arabic.

and David then [was] in the stronghold and [the] garrison of [the] Philistines then [was] at Beth- -lehem
לָֽחֶם׃La.chem -lehem H1035 Noun proper
82× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
Beth-lehem means house of bread, a place in Zebulun. The name describes a location known for its food production, later becoming famous as Jesus' birthplace in the New Testament.
Tyndale gloss
Bethlehem
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

בֵּית לֶ֫חֶם (Beyth Lechem) means 'house of bread' and refers to two locations in ancient Palestine: one in Judah, known as the birthplace of David, and another in Zebulun, northwest of Nazareth. The word is built from the roots for 'house' and 'bread'.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

בֵּית לֶ֫חֶם 41 n.pr.loc.

in Judah, 2 hours south of Jerusalem; birth-place of David

in Zeb., 7 m. NW. of Nazareth

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H1035 בֵּית לֶ֫חֶם . in Judah, 2 hours south of Jerusalem; birth-place of David

. in Zeb., 7 m. NW. of Nazareth

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

1035 Beyth Lechem bayth leh'-khem

from 1004 and 3899; house of bread; Beth- Lechem, a place in

Palestine:--Beth-lehem.

see HEBREW for 01004

see HEBREW for 03899

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

בֵּית לֶ֫חֶם (bet le.chem) — Bethlehem.

§ Beth-lehem = "house of bread (food)"

a city in Judah, birthplace of David

בֵּית לֶ֫חֶם (bet le.chem) — Bethlehem.

§ Beth-lehem = "house of bread (food)"

a place in Zebulun

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
HNpl — Noun proper
HNpl
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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