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1 Chronicles 6:23 — Word Study

Depth

WLCאֶלְקָנָ֥ה בְנ֛וֹ וְאֶבְיָסָ֥ף בְּנ֖וֹ וְאַסִּ֥יר בְּנֽוֹ׃

BSAhis sonbên his sonbên his sonbên

Word
Listen & take away1 Chronicles 6
English ↓ Download MP3 The Berean Standard Bible chapter audio already hosted for the site's Bible section — verse 23 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 (be.No) — no per-word recordings of the Hebrew exist to link to.
Take it away
1 Chronicles 6:23quick helps
In a sentenceThis verse lists the lineage of Elkanah, showing his son Ebiasaph and grandson Assir.
Who is speakingThe chronicler, documenting the genealogies of the Levites.
Where we areIn the genealogical records of the tribe of Levi, specifically the descendants of Kohath.
The hard wordאֶלְקָנָ֥ה
Take awayThe verse emphasizes family lineage and the continuity of the Levitical priesthood.
2 commentators on this verse Jamieson, Ellicott & more — read them › clause 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 6:23

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

Context — The Genealogy of the Levitesgenerated

22The descendants of Kohath: Amminadab his son, Korah his son, Assir his son,
23Elkanah his son, Ebiasaph his son, Assir his son,
24Tahath his son, Uriel his son, Uzziah his son, and Shaul his son.
25The descendants of Elkanah: Amasai, Ahimoth,

1 Chronicles 6:23 provides a record of the descendants of Kohath, a son of Levi. The genealogies are significant for establishing the Levitical priesthood and its lineage. This verse specifically highlights Elkanah, his son Ebiasaph, and his grandson Assir, connecting them to the broader narrative of Israel's history and worship practices.


Cross References


The Key Word אֶלְקָנָ֥ה, 'el.ka.Nahgenerated

The name אֶלְקָנָ֥ה (Elqanah) is a proper noun meaning 'God has possessed.' It signifies a connection to the divine and is associated with several individuals in the Old Testament, notably Samuel's father. The name combines elements meaning 'God' and 'to obtain,' reflecting a heritage of faith.

Elkanah is a key figure in the genealogies, emphasizing the importance of lineage in Israelite culture. His mention here links the priestly line to God's promises and the continuity of worship in Israel.


How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated

The verse is rendered similarly across translations, with all versions recognizing the names and lineage.


Sentence Structuregenerated

The verse contains a main clause listing Elkanah and his descendants, structured to show direct lineage: אֶלְקָנָ֥ה (Elkanah) is the subject, followed by his son בְנ֛וֹ (ben), and then the conjunction וְ (and) introduces Ebiasaph and Assir. This structure emphasizes the familial connections.

The use of the conjunction וְ (and) links each name, creating a clear lineage that is typical in genealogical listings, highlighting the importance of each individual in the family tree.


Septuagint Backgroundgenerated

The Septuagint translates אֶלְקָנָ֥ה as υἱοῦ (son), indicating a straightforward lineage. This choice reflects the translators' intent to maintain clarity in the genealogical context.

The choice of υἱοῦ shows a direct correspondence to the Hebrew, preserving the familial connections in the translation.


In plain words — the whole versegenerated

1 Chronicles 6:23 lists the family of Elkanah, noting his son Ebiasaph and grandson Assir. This genealogy is part of a larger record of the Levites, emphasizing their importance in Israel's religious life.


Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated

Who was Elkanah?

Elkanah was a Levite and the father of Samuel, known for his faithfulness and role in Israel's history.

What does the name Ebiasaph mean?

Ebiasaph means 'my father has gathered' and he is noted as a descendant of Korah.

Why are genealogies important in the Bible?

Genealogies establish lineage, inheritance rights, and the continuity of the priesthood, which is vital for understanding Israel's covenant with God.

How does this verse connect to the broader narrative of the Bible?

This verse connects to the broader narrative by linking the Levitical priesthood to God's promises and the history of Israel, showing the importance of family and heritage.


Reflection Questionsgenerated

  1. What can I learn from the faithfulness of Elkanah in his role as a father?
  2. How do genealogies help us understand our own family histories and legacies?
  3. In what ways can I honor my heritage while also creating my own path?
  4. What does this verse teach us about the importance of family in our spiritual lives?

Commentators on this verse — 2 expositors, verse by verse

Each of these wrote on 1 Chronicles 6:23 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.

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

Joah his son, Iddo his son, Zerah his son, Jeaterai his son. No JFB commentary on these verses.

Read Robert Jamieson on 1 Chronicles 6 →
Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(22–23) The sons of Kohath. As the text stands we have here a threefold list, each portion of which is isolated from the rest, and begins afresh with the word onê (the sons of). (22) Amminadab his son.—Amminadab is not mentioned as a son of Kohath in the Pentateuch or elsewhere. Korah, here called son of Amminadab, is called son of Izhar, son of Kohath, Exodus 6:21. (See 1 Chronicles 6:18, supra, and 1 Chronicles 6:38, infra.) Some assume that Amminadab is a “by-name” of Izhar (so Margin). It is more likely that the name Izhar has dropped out of the text of 1 Chronicles 6:22. (22, 23) Assir his son, Elkanah his son, and Ebiasaph his son.—Comp. Exodus 6:24 : “And the sons of Korah, Assir…

Read Charles John Ellicott on 1 Chronicles 6 →

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

Elkanah his son, Ebiasaph his son, Assir his son,

WEBWorld English Bible2000

Elkanah his son, Ebiasaph his son, Assir his son,

MSBMajority Standard Bible2022

Elkanah his son, Ebiasaph his son, Assir his son,

NETBNew English Translation2006

his son Elkanah, his son Ebiasaph, his son Assir,

Tyndale line

KJVKing James Version1611

Elkanah his son, and Ebiasaph his son, and Assir his son,

ASVAmerican Standard Version1901

Elkanah his son, and Ebiasaph his son, and Assir his son,

RVARevised Version, American1894

Elkanah his son, and Ebiasaph his son, and Assir his son;

NWBWebster's Bible1833

Elkanah his son, and Ebiasaph his son, and Assir his son,

GNVGeneva Bible1599

Elkanah his sonne, and Ebiasaph his sonne, and Assir his sonne,

Strictly literal

DBYDarby Translation1890

Elkanah his son, and Ebiasaph his son, and Assir his son,

YLTYoung's Literal Translation1862

Elkanah his son, and Ebiasaph his son, and Assir his son,

LSVLiteral Standard Version2020

Elkanah his son, and Ebiasaph his son, and Assir his son,

ILTInterlinear Literal Translation2000

(6:8) Elkanah his son, and Ebyassaph his son, and Assir his son,

ULBUnlocked Literal Bible2017

His son was Elkanah. His son was Ebiasaph. His son was Assir.

From the Latin

DRADouay-Rheims (Challoner)1899

Elcana his son, Abiasaph his son, Asir his son,

Simplified

FBVFree Bible Version2020

Elkanah his son, Ebiasaph his son, Assir his son,

BBEBible in Basic English1949

Elkanah his son, and Ebiasaph his son, and Assir his son,

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.

clausenoun phrase · predicatenoun phraseאֶלְקָנָ֥הElkanahnoun phraseבְנ֛sonוֹhisוְandnoun phraseאֶבְיָסָ֥ףEbiasaphnoun phraseבְּנ֖sonוֹhisוְandnoun phraseאַסִּ֥ירAssirnoun phraseבְּנֽsonוֹhis

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 their representation of this verse, with five out of six words matched. The Septuagint's word order differs, but the essential lineage and names are preserved.

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

אֶלְקָנָ֥ה בְנ֛וֹ וְאֶבְיָסָ֥ף בְּנ֖וֹ וְאַסִּ֥יר בְּנֽוֹ׃

Septuagintthe Greek the translators chose, word by word
אֶלְקָנָ֥הυἱοῦבְנ֛וֹυἱοῦוְאֶבְיָסָ֥ףυἱοῦבְּנ֖וֹυἱοῦוְאַסִּ֥ירισραηλ

5 of the 6 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 6:23אֶלְקָנָהElkanahElkanahאֶלְקָנָהבֵּןson hisson hisבֵּןאֲבִיאָסָףand Ebiasapand Ebiasaphאֲבִיאָסָףבֵּןson hisson hisבֵּןאַסִּירand Assirand Assirאַסִּירבֵּןson hisson hisבֵּןבָּנָהto buildto buildבָּנָהאֵלgodgodאֵלאֲבִיאָסָףAbiasaphAbiasaphאֲבִיאָסָףאַסִּירprisonerprisonerאַסִּירעַמּוֹןAmmonAmmonעַמּוֹןרְאוּבֵןReubenReubenרְאוּבֵןקֹ֫רַחKorahKorahקֹ֫רַחצוּףZuphZuphצוּףיְרֹחָםJerohamJerohamיְרֹחָםאַסִּירAssirAssirאַסִּיראֲבִיאָסָףEbiasaphEbiasaphאֲבִיאָסָף
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 6:23

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.

Elkanah son his and Ebiasaph son his and Assir son his
אֶלְקָנָ֥ה'el.ka.Nah Elkanah H511 Noun proper masculine
21× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
Elkanah means God has possessed and is the name of several Israelites, including Samuel's father and a ruler in Jerusalem during King Ahaz's time.
Tyndale gloss
Elkanah
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word אֶלְקָנָה (Elqanah) means 'God has created' or 'God has taken possession.' It refers to several individuals in the Old Testament, including Samuel's father, a ruler during Ahaz's reign, and various Levites. The name is composed of elements meaning 'God' and 'to obtain.' It is first mentioned in Exodus 6:24.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

אֶלְקָנָה n.pr.m. (God has created, or taken possession)

father of Samuel

son of Korah

a ruler in Jerusalem in the time of Ahaz

one of David’s warriors

several Levites

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H511 אֶלְקָנָה (God has created, or taken possession) . father of Samuel

. son of Korah

. a ruler in Jerusalem in the time of Ahaz

. one of David’s warriors

. several Levites

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

511 'Elqanah el-kaw-naw'

from 410 and 7069; God has obtained; Elkanah, the name of

several Israelites:--Elkanah.

see HEBREW for 0410

see HEBREW for 07069

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

אֶלְקָנָה (el.qa.nah) — Elkanah.

A man of the tribe of Levi living at the time of Egypt and Wilderness, first mentioned at Exo.6.24;

son of: Korah (H7141I);

brother of: Assir (H0617) and Ebiasaph (H0043)

§ Elkanah = "God has possessed" or "God has created"

1) Samuel's father

2) a ruler in Jerusalem in the time of king Ahaz

3) one of David's mighty warriors

4) son of Korah

5) several Levites

אֶלְקָנָה (el.qa.nah) — Elkanah.

A man of the tribe of Levi living at the time of United Monarchy, first mentioned at 1Sa.1.1;

son of: Jeroham (H3395); married to Hannah (H2584) and Peninnah (H6444);

father of: Samuel (H8050)

§ Elkanah = "God has possessed" or "God has created"

1) Samuel's father

2) a ruler in Jerusalem in the time of king Ahaz

3) one of David's mighty warriors

4) son of Korah

5) several Levites

אֶלְקָנָה (el.qa.nah) — Elkanah.

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
HNpm — Noun proper masculine
HNpm
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

el-ka'-na ('elqanah, "God has possessed"):

(1) An Ephraimite, the father of Samuel (1Sa 1:1-28; 2:11-20). Of his two wives, Hannah, the childless, was best beloved. At Shiloh she received through Eli the promise of a son. Elkanah, with Hannah, took the young Samuel to Shiloh when he was weaned, and left him with EIi as their offering to Yahweh. They were blessed with three other sons and two daughters.

(2) The second son of Korah (Ex 6:24), who escaped the fate of Korah, Dathan and Abiram (Nu 26:11).

(3) One "next to the king" in Jerusalem in the time of Ahaz; slain by one Zichri of Ephraim in war with Pekah (2Ch 28:7).

Easton's Bible Dictionary

Elkanah

God-created. (1.) The second son of Korah (Ex. 6:24), or, according to 1 Chr. 6:22, 23, more correctly his grandson.

(2.) Another Levite of the line of Heman the singer, although he does not seem to have performed any of the usual Levitical offices. He was father of Samuel the prophet (1 Chr. 6:27, 34). He was “an Ephrathite” (1 Sam. 1:1, 4, 8), but lived at Ramah, a man of wealth and high position. He had two wives, Hannah, who was the mother of Samuel, and Peninnah.

Hitchcock's Bible Names Dictionary

God the zealous; the zeal of God

Nave's Topical Bible

1. Grandson of Korah Ex 6:24; 1Ch 6:23

2. Father of Samuel; a descendant of the preceding 1Sa 1:1,4,8,19,21,23; 2:11,20; 1Ch 6:27,34

3. A Levite 1Ch 6:25,36

4. Possibly identical with number three above 1Ch 6:26,35

5. A Levite 1Ch 9:16

6. A Levite who joined David at Ziklag 1Ch 12:6

7. A doorkeeper for the ark, perhaps identical with number six above 1Ch 15:23

Elkanah son his and Ebiasaph son his and Assir son his
בְנ֛וֹve.No son his H1121 Noun common masculine singular construct · suffix
4,943× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
In the Bible, this word means a son or descendant, and can also refer to a grandson, nation, or quality. It appears in 1 Chronicles 24, describing a Levite named Beno. The word is used to show family relationships and inheritance.
Tyndale gloss
son: child
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

בֵּן (ben) means 'son' or 'male child' and encompasses a wide range of meanings, including descendants, young animals, and even figurative uses like sparks or arrows. It can refer to members of a tribe or class and is used in various contexts throughout the Old Testament, such as in 1 Chronicles 24:26. The word is derived from a root meaning 'to build' and implies a connection to family or lineage.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

בֵּן 4870 n.m. son

son, male child, born of a woman

children (male and female)

youth, young men

the young of animals

of plant shoots

fig. of lifeless things, sparks, stars, arrows

member of a guild, order or class

of animals son of (the) herd

ב׳ as n. relat. followed by word of quality, characteristic, etc.

n. relat. of age

base

בְּנוֹ 1 Ch 24:26, 27 as n.pr.m. in AV, RV, but render: the sons of Jaaziah his son, & the sons of Merari by Jaaziah his son, cf. VB & Be Öt.

done

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H1121a בֵּן son . son, male child, born of a woman

. children (male and female)

. youth, young men

. the young of animals

. of plant shoots

. fig. of lifeless things, sparks, stars, arrows

. . member of a guild, order or class

. of animals son of (the) herd

. ב׳ as n. relat. followed by word of quality, characteristic, etc.

. n. relat. of age

H1121b בְּנוֹ as n. pr. m. in AV, RV, but render: the sons of Jaaziah his son, & the sons of Merari by Jaaziah his son

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

1121 ben bane

from 1129; a son (as a builder of the family name), in the

widest sense (of literal and figurative relationship,

including grandson, subject, nation, quality or condition,

etc., (like 1, 251, etc.)):--+ afflicted, age, (Ahoh-)

(Ammon-) (Hachmon-) (Lev-)ite, (anoint-)ed one, appointed to,

(+) arrow, (Assyr-) (Babylon-) (Egypt-) (Grec-)ian, one born,

bough, branch, breed, + (young) bullock, + (young) calf, X

came up in, child, colt, X common, X corn, daughter, X of

first, + firstborn, foal, + very fruitful, + postage, X in, +

kid, + lamb, (+) man, meet, + mighty, + nephew, old, (+)

people, + rebel, + robber, X servant born, X soldier, son, +

spark, + steward, + stranger, X surely, them of, + tumultuous

one, + valiant(-est), whelp, worthy, young (one), youth.

see HEBREW for 01129

see HEBREW for 01

see HEBREW for 0251

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

בֵּן (ben) — son: child.

: child/son

בְּנוֹ (be.no) — Beno.

A man of the tribe of Levi living at the time of Divided Monarchy, first mentioned at 1Ch.24.26;

son of: Jaaziah (H3269);

brother of: Shoham (H7719), Zaccur (H2139I) and Ibri (H5681)

§ Beno = "his son"

the sons of Jaaziah and the sons of Merari by Jaahziah (his son)

בֵּן (ben) — son: descendant/people.

: descendant, people, tribe, nation

A sub-meaning of ben (בֵּן ": child" H1121)

§ : child/son

בֵּן (ben) — son: young animal.

: calf/lamb/young(ANIMAL)

A sub-meaning of ben (בֵּן ": child" H1121)

§ : descendant

בֵּן (ben) — son: type of.

: rebel/son(Belial)

A sub-meaning of ben (בֵּן ": child" H1121)

§ : people/men/nation/tribe

בֵּן (ben) — son.

: [inheriting]son/heir

A sub-meaning of ben (בֵּן ": child" H1121)

בֵּן (ben) — son: warrior.

: warrior/son(strong)

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-ms — Noun common masculine singular construct · suffix
HNcmsc/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."

Elkanah son his and Ebiasaph son his and Assir son his
וְאֶבְיָסָ֥ףve.'ev.ya.Saf and Ebiasaph H43 Conjunction · noun proper masculine
3× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
Ebiasaph was an Israelite from the tribe of Levi, living during the time of the Exodus and Wilderness, and is first mentioned in Exodus 6:24 as the son of Korah. He had brothers named Assir and Elkanah. His name means my father has gathered. Ebiasaph was also called Abiasaph and Asaph in different parts of the Bible.
Tyndale gloss
Ebiasaph
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

אֲבִיאָסָף (Ebiasaph) is a personal name meaning 'my father has gathered.' He is identified as a descendant of Korah and is mentioned in Exodus 6:24. The name appears in different forms in other texts, such as in 1 Chronicles. The entries consistently refer to him as a Levite associated with the time of Egypt and the Wilderness.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

אֲבִיאָסָף n.pr.m. (my father has gathered) son (descendant) of Korah Ex 6:24, Sam. אביסף, so אֶבְיָסָף 1 Ch 6:8, 22 9:19 (cf. Nes Eg 185).

done

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H43 אֲבִיאָסָף

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

43 'Ebyacaph eb-yaw-sawf'

contracted from 23; Ebjasaph, an Israelite:--Ebiasaph.

see HEBREW for 023

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

אֶבְיָסָף, אֲבִיאָסָף (ev.ya.saph) — Ebiasaph.

A man of the tribe of Levi living at the time of Egypt and Wilderness, first mentioned at Exo.6.24;

son of: Korah (H7141I);

brother of: Assir (H0617) and Elkanah (H0511);

father of: Assir (H0617H) and Kore (H6981); also called Abiasaph at Exo.6.24; Asaph at 1Ch.26.1;

§ Ebiasaph = "my father has gathered"

a son or descendant of Korah

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

e-bi'-a-saf:

A descendant of Kohath the son of Levi (1Ch 6:37).

See ABIASAPH.

Smith's Bible Dictionary

(1 Chronicles 6:23,37) [See ABIASAPH]

Hitchcock's Bible Names Dictionary

a father that gathers or adds

Nave's Topical Bible

→ Also called ASAPH

→ A son of Korah 1Ch 6:23; 9:19; 26:1

The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
Elkanah son his and Ebiasaph son his and Assir son his
בְּנ֖וֹbe.No son his H1121 Noun common masculine singular construct · suffix
4,943× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
In the Bible, this word means a son or descendant, and can also refer to a grandson, nation, or quality. It appears in 1 Chronicles 24, describing a Levite named Beno. The word is used to show family relationships and inheritance.
Tyndale gloss
son: child
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

בֵּן (ben) means 'son' or 'male child' and encompasses a wide range of meanings, including descendants, young animals, and even figurative uses like sparks or arrows. It can refer to members of a tribe or class and is used in various contexts throughout the Old Testament, such as in 1 Chronicles 24:26. The word is derived from a root meaning 'to build' and implies a connection to family or lineage.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

בֵּן 4870 n.m. son

son, male child, born of a woman

children (male and female)

youth, young men

the young of animals

of plant shoots

fig. of lifeless things, sparks, stars, arrows

member of a guild, order or class

of animals son of (the) herd

ב׳ as n. relat. followed by word of quality, characteristic, etc.

n. relat. of age

base

בְּנוֹ 1 Ch 24:26, 27 as n.pr.m. in AV, RV, but render: the sons of Jaaziah his son, & the sons of Merari by Jaaziah his son, cf. VB & Be Öt.

done

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H1121a בֵּן son . son, male child, born of a woman

. children (male and female)

. youth, young men

. the young of animals

. of plant shoots

. fig. of lifeless things, sparks, stars, arrows

. . member of a guild, order or class

. of animals son of (the) herd

. ב׳ as n. relat. followed by word of quality, characteristic, etc.

. n. relat. of age

H1121b בְּנוֹ as n. pr. m. in AV, RV, but render: the sons of Jaaziah his son, & the sons of Merari by Jaaziah his son

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

1121 ben bane

from 1129; a son (as a builder of the family name), in the

widest sense (of literal and figurative relationship,

including grandson, subject, nation, quality or condition,

etc., (like 1, 251, etc.)):--+ afflicted, age, (Ahoh-)

(Ammon-) (Hachmon-) (Lev-)ite, (anoint-)ed one, appointed to,

(+) arrow, (Assyr-) (Babylon-) (Egypt-) (Grec-)ian, one born,

bough, branch, breed, + (young) bullock, + (young) calf, X

came up in, child, colt, X common, X corn, daughter, X of

first, + firstborn, foal, + very fruitful, + postage, X in, +

kid, + lamb, (+) man, meet, + mighty, + nephew, old, (+)

people, + rebel, + robber, X servant born, X soldier, son, +

spark, + steward, + stranger, X surely, them of, + tumultuous

one, + valiant(-est), whelp, worthy, young (one), youth.

see HEBREW for 01129

see HEBREW for 01

see HEBREW for 0251

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

בֵּן (ben) — son: child.

: child/son

בְּנוֹ (be.no) — Beno.

A man of the tribe of Levi living at the time of Divided Monarchy, first mentioned at 1Ch.24.26;

son of: Jaaziah (H3269);

brother of: Shoham (H7719), Zaccur (H2139I) and Ibri (H5681)

§ Beno = "his son"

the sons of Jaaziah and the sons of Merari by Jaahziah (his son)

בֵּן (ben) — son: descendant/people.

: descendant, people, tribe, nation

A sub-meaning of ben (בֵּן ": child" H1121)

§ : child/son

בֵּן (ben) — son: young animal.

: calf/lamb/young(ANIMAL)

A sub-meaning of ben (בֵּן ": child" H1121)

§ : descendant

בֵּן (ben) — son: type of.

: rebel/son(Belial)

A sub-meaning of ben (בֵּן ": child" H1121)

§ : people/men/nation/tribe

בֵּן (ben) — son.

: [inheriting]son/heir

A sub-meaning of ben (בֵּן ": child" H1121)

בֵּן (ben) — son: warrior.

: warrior/son(strong)

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-ms — Noun common masculine singular construct · suffix
HNcmsc/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."

Elkanah son his and Ebiasaph son his and Assir son his
וְאַסִּ֥ירve.'a.Sir and Assir H617 Conjunction · noun proper masculine
4× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
Assir was the name of two Israelites, one of whom was a son of Ebiasaph and a descendant of Levi. He is mentioned in 1 Chronicles 6:23. The name Assir means 'prisoner' and is also used to describe a son of Korah.
Tyndale gloss
Assir
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

אַסִּיר (as.sir) refers to a name meaning "prisoner" and identifies two individuals from the tribe of Levi. One is a son of Korah, and the other is a son of Ebiasaph, both mentioned in the context of the Exodus and wilderness periods. The name appears in Exodus 6:24 and 1 Chronicles 6:23.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

אַסִּיר n.pr.m. son of Korah; called son of Ebiasaph

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H617 אַסִּיר son of Korah; called son of Ebiasaph

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

617 'Acciyr as-sere'

the same as 616; prisoner; Assir, the name of two

Israelites:--Assir.

see HEBREW for 0616

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

אַסִּיר (as.sir) — Assir.

A man of the tribe of Levi living at the time of Egypt and Wilderness, first mentioned at Exo.6.24;

son of: Korah (H7141I);

brother of: Elkanah (H0511) and Ebiasaph (H0043)

§ Assir = "prisoner"

1) a son of Korah

2) a son of Ebiasaph

3) a son of Jeconiah

אַסִּיר (as.sir) — Assir.

A man of the tribe of Levi living at the time of Egypt and Wilderness, first mentioned at 1Ch.6.23;

son of: Ebiasaph (H0043);

brother of: Kore (H6981);

father of: Tahath (H8480H)

§ Assir = "prisoner"

1) a son of Korah

2) a son of Ebiasaph

3) a son of Jeconiah

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

as'-er (accir, "captive"):

(1) A Levite of the family of Korah (Ex 6:24; 1Ch 6:22).

(2) A son of Ebiasaph and grandson of Assir. Samuel was descended from him (1Ch 6:23).

(3) A son of Jeconiah, king of Judah, according to the King James Version and the Revised Version, margin and the American Revised Version, margin. It is a question whether the Assir of this passage (1Ch 3:17) is not a common adjective modifying Jeconiah. The the American Standard Revised Version and the Revised Version (British and American) render it "the captive." It is to be noticed, however, that there is no definite article in the Hebrew.

Smith's Bible Dictionary

(captive). Son of Korah. (Exodus 6:24; 1 Chronicles 6:22) Son of Ebiasaph, and a forefather of Samuel (1 Chronicles 6:23,37) Son of Jeconiah, (1 Chronicles 3:17) unless "Jeconiah the captive" be the true rendering.

Hitchcock's Bible Names Dictionary

prisoner; fettered

Nave's Topical Bible

1. Son of Korah Ex 6:24; 1Ch 6:22

2. Son of Ebiasaph 1Ch 6:23,37

3. Son of Jeconiah 1Ch 3:17

The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
Elkanah son his and Ebiasaph son his and Assir son his
בְּנֽוֹ׃be.No son his H1121 Noun common masculine singular construct · suffix
4,943× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
In the Bible, this word means a son or descendant, and can also refer to a grandson, nation, or quality. It appears in 1 Chronicles 24, describing a Levite named Beno. The word is used to show family relationships and inheritance.
Tyndale gloss
son: child
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

בֵּן (ben) means 'son' or 'male child' and encompasses a wide range of meanings, including descendants, young animals, and even figurative uses like sparks or arrows. It can refer to members of a tribe or class and is used in various contexts throughout the Old Testament, such as in 1 Chronicles 24:26. The word is derived from a root meaning 'to build' and implies a connection to family or lineage.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

בֵּן 4870 n.m. son

son, male child, born of a woman

children (male and female)

youth, young men

the young of animals

of plant shoots

fig. of lifeless things, sparks, stars, arrows

member of a guild, order or class

of animals son of (the) herd

ב׳ as n. relat. followed by word of quality, characteristic, etc.

n. relat. of age

base

בְּנוֹ 1 Ch 24:26, 27 as n.pr.m. in AV, RV, but render: the sons of Jaaziah his son, & the sons of Merari by Jaaziah his son, cf. VB & Be Öt.

done

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H1121a בֵּן son . son, male child, born of a woman

. children (male and female)

. youth, young men

. the young of animals

. of plant shoots

. fig. of lifeless things, sparks, stars, arrows

. . member of a guild, order or class

. of animals son of (the) herd

. ב׳ as n. relat. followed by word of quality, characteristic, etc.

. n. relat. of age

H1121b בְּנוֹ as n. pr. m. in AV, RV, but render: the sons of Jaaziah his son, & the sons of Merari by Jaaziah his son

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

1121 ben bane

from 1129; a son (as a builder of the family name), in the

widest sense (of literal and figurative relationship,

including grandson, subject, nation, quality or condition,

etc., (like 1, 251, etc.)):--+ afflicted, age, (Ahoh-)

(Ammon-) (Hachmon-) (Lev-)ite, (anoint-)ed one, appointed to,

(+) arrow, (Assyr-) (Babylon-) (Egypt-) (Grec-)ian, one born,

bough, branch, breed, + (young) bullock, + (young) calf, X

came up in, child, colt, X common, X corn, daughter, X of

first, + firstborn, foal, + very fruitful, + postage, X in, +

kid, + lamb, (+) man, meet, + mighty, + nephew, old, (+)

people, + rebel, + robber, X servant born, X soldier, son, +

spark, + steward, + stranger, X surely, them of, + tumultuous

one, + valiant(-est), whelp, worthy, young (one), youth.

see HEBREW for 01129

see HEBREW for 01

see HEBREW for 0251

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

בֵּן (ben) — son: child.

: child/son

בְּנוֹ (be.no) — Beno.

A man of the tribe of Levi living at the time of Divided Monarchy, first mentioned at 1Ch.24.26;

son of: Jaaziah (H3269);

brother of: Shoham (H7719), Zaccur (H2139I) and Ibri (H5681)

§ Beno = "his son"

the sons of Jaaziah and the sons of Merari by Jaahziah (his son)

בֵּן (ben) — son: descendant/people.

: descendant, people, tribe, nation

A sub-meaning of ben (בֵּן ": child" H1121)

§ : child/son

בֵּן (ben) — son: young animal.

: calf/lamb/young(ANIMAL)

A sub-meaning of ben (בֵּן ": child" H1121)

§ : descendant

בֵּן (ben) — son: type of.

: rebel/son(Belial)

A sub-meaning of ben (בֵּן ": child" H1121)

§ : people/men/nation/tribe

בֵּן (ben) — son.

: [inheriting]son/heir

A sub-meaning of ben (בֵּן ": child" H1121)

בֵּן (ben) — son: warrior.

: warrior/son(strong)

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-ms — Noun common masculine singular construct · suffix
HNcmsc/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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