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1 Chronicles 6:42 — Word Study

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WLCבֶּן־ אֵיתָ֥ן בֶּן־ זִמָּ֖ה בֶּן־ שִׁמְעִֽי׃

BSAthe sonbên [descendant, male child]

Word
Listen & take away1 Chronicles 6
English ↓ Download MP3 The Berean Standard Bible chapter audio already hosted for the site's Bible section — verse 42 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 (shim.'I) — no per-word recordings of the Hebrew exist to link to.
Take it away
1 Chronicles 6:42quick helps
In a sentenceThis verse lists the lineage of Shimei through his descendants.
Who is speakingThe chronicler, documenting the genealogy of the Levites.
Where we areIn the genealogical records of the Levites in 1 Chronicles.
The hard wordבֶּן־
Take awayThe verse emphasizes familial relationships and heritage.
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 6:42

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

41the son of Ethni, the son of Zerah, the son of Adaiah,
42the son of Ethan, the son of Zimmah, the son of Shimei,
43the son of Jahath, the son of Gershom, the son of Levi.
44On the left were their kinsmen, the sons of Merari: Ethan the son of Kishi, the son of Abdi, the son of Malluch,

1 Chronicles 6:42 provides a record of the descendants of Shimei, tracing his lineage through Ethan and Zimmah. This genealogical detail highlights the importance of family lines among the Levites, who played a significant role in the religious life of Israel. The chronicler meticulously documents these relationships to affirm the heritage and roles of the Levites in worship and service to God.


Cross References


The Key Word בֶּן־, ben-generated

The word בֶּן (ben) means 'son' or 'male child' and encompasses a wide range of meanings, including descendants and heirs. It signifies familial relationships and is often used in genealogical contexts to denote lineage.

In this verse, בֶּן connects each name in the lineage, indicating that Ethan is the son of Zimmah, and Zimmah is the son of Shimei. This construction emphasizes the importance of ancestry and inheritance within the Israelite community.


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 structure of this verse is straightforward, with the finite verb implied and multiple phrases linked by the repeated use of בֶּן־ (ben-). Each phrase identifies a father-son relationship, creating a clear lineage.

The repetition of בֶּן־ emphasizes the generational connections, showing how each name is part of a larger family tree, which is a common feature in Hebrew genealogical writing.


Septuagint Backgroundgenerated

The Septuagint uses καὶ (kai), meaning 'and,' to connect the names in the lineage. This choice reflects a straightforward addition of names without altering the meaning of the original Hebrew.

The Greek translation maintains the familial connections but does not replicate the Hebrew structure of 'son of,' indicating a more simplified approach to genealogy.


In plain words — the whole versegenerated

1 Chronicles 6:42 lists the descendants of Shimei, showing that Ethan is the son of Zimmah, who is the son of Shimei. This verse highlights the importance of family lines among the Levites.


Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated

Why is genealogy important in the Bible?

Genealogy serves to establish identity, heritage, and the fulfillment of God's promises through specific family lines.

What does the name Ethan mean?

Ethan means enduring and is associated with wisdom in the Bible.

Who was Shimei?

Shimei was a common name among Israelites, including a notable figure who was the brother of David.

What role did Levites play in Israel?

Levites were responsible for religious duties, including temple service and teaching the law.


Reflection Questionsgenerated

  1. How does understanding genealogy enhance your reading of biblical texts?
  2. What can you learn from the names and their meanings in this lineage?
  3. Why do you think the chronicler emphasized the Levite lineage?
  4. How does this verse connect to the overall narrative of the Israelites?

Commentators on this verse — 2 expositors, verse by verse

Each of these wrote on 1 Chronicles 6:42 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.

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

The son of Ethan, the son of Zimmah, the son of Shimei, Ethan - or Jeduthun (1 Chronicles 9:16; 2 Chronicles 35:15). Shimei.

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

(39-43) The pedigree of Asaph the Gershonite, traced back through thirteen names to Levi. That of Heman names twenty ancestors for the same period of time. This is one more illustration of the common usage of overleaping names in these genealogies.

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

the son of Ethan, the son of Zimmah, the son of Shimei,

WEBWorld English Bible2000

the son of Ethan, the son of Zimmah, the son of Shimei,

MSBMajority Standard Bible2022

the son of Ethan, the son of Zimmah, the son of Shimei,

NETBNew English Translation2006

son of Ethan, son of Zimmah, son of Shimei,

Tyndale line

KJVKing James Version1611

The son of Ethan, the son of Zimmah, the son of Shimei,

ASVAmerican Standard Version1901

the son of Ethan, the son of Zimmah, the son of Shimei,

RVARevised Version, American1894

the son of Ethan, the son of Zimmah, the son of Shimei;

NWBWebster's Bible1833

The son of Ethan, the son of Zimmah, the son of Shimei,

GNVGeneva Bible1599

The sonne of Ethan, the sonne of Zimmah, the sonne of Shimei,

Strictly literal

DBYDarby Translation1890

the son of Ethan, the son of Zimmah, the son of Shimei,

YLTYoung's Literal Translation1862

son of Ethan, son of Zimmah, son of Shimei,

LSVLiteral Standard Version2020

son of Ethan, son of Zimmah, son of Shimei,

ILTInterlinear Literal Translation2000

(6:27) The son of Ethan, the son of Zimmah, the son of Shim'i,

ULBUnlocked Literal Bible2017

Adaiah was the son of Ethan. Ethan was the son of Zimmah. Zimmah was the son of Shimei.

From the Latin

DRADouay-Rheims (Challoner)1899

The son of Ethan, the son of Zamma, the son of Semei.

Simplified

FBVFree Bible Version2020

the son of Ethan, the son of Zimmah, the son of Shimei,

BBEBible in Basic English1949

The son of Ethan, the son of Zimmah, the son of Shimei,

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 · predicateבֶּןthe.sonnoun phraseאֵיתָ֥ןof.Ethannoun phraseבֶּןthe.sonnoun phraseזִמָּ֖הof.Zimmahnoun phraseבֶּןthe.sonשִׁמְעִֽיof.Shimei

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 five of the six words matching directly. The Septuagint's word order and articles differ but do not change the fundamental lineage being described.

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

בֶּן־ אֵיתָ֥ן בֶּן־ זִמָּ֖ה בֶּן־ שִׁמְעִֽי׃

Septuagintthe Greek the translators chose, word by word
בֶּן־καὶאֵיתָ֥ןτοῖςבֶּן־υἱοῖςזִמָּ֖הααρωνבֶּן־ἔδωκαν

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 6:42בֵּן[the] son o[the] son ofבֵּןאֵיתָןEthanEthanאֵיתָןבֵּן[the] son o[the] son ofבֵּןזִמָּהZimmahZimmahזִמָּהבֵּן[the] son o[the] son ofבֵּןשִׁמְעִיShimeiShimeiשִׁמְעִיבָּנָהto buildto buildבָּנָהשֶׁ֫מַעsoundsoundשֶׁ֫מַעאֵיתָןstrongstrongאֵיתָןזִמָּהwickednesswickednessזִמָּהעַמּוֹןAmmonAmmonעַמּוֹןרְאוּבֵןReubenReubenרְאוּבֵןכַּלְכֹּלCalcolCalcolכַּלְכֹּלאֶזְרָחִיEzrahiteEzrahiteאֶזְרָחִייוֹאָחJoahJoahיוֹאָחבֵּןson: childson: childבֵּןלִבְנִיLibniLibniלִבְנִיכּוֹנַנְיָ֫הוּConaniahConaniahכּוֹנַנְיָ֫הוּ
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 6:42

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.

[the] son of Ethan [the] son of Zimmah [the] son of Shimei
בֶּן־ben- [the] son of H1121 Noun common · masculine singular construct
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.
Amplified meaning
descendant, male child
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
Conj | Prep | N-mp — Noun common · masculine singular construct
HNcmsc
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…

[the] son of Ethan [the] son of Zimmah [the] son of Shimei
אֵיתָ֥ן'ei.Tan Ethan H387 Noun proper masculine
8× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
Ethan is a name in the Bible, given to four different Israelites, including a Levite who lived during the United Monarchy. The name Ethan means enduring and is mentioned in 1 Chronicles.
Tyndale gloss
Ethan
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

אֵיתָן (Eythan) refers to a wise man and is associated with the meaning 'enduring.' The term identifies several individuals in the Old Testament, including an Ezrahite known for his wisdom and various descendants of Levi. The entries note that Ethan is mentioned in contexts related to the United and Divided Monarchy, with specific references in 1 Kings and 1 Chronicles.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

אֵיתָן n.pr.m. a wise man

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H387 אֵיתָן a wise man

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

387 'Eythan ay-thawn'

the same as 386; permanent; Ethan, the name of four

Israelites:--Ethan.

see HEBREW for 0386

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

אֵיתָן (e.tan) — Ethan.

A man living at the time of United Monarchy, first mentioned at 1Ki.4.31;

son of: Mahol (H4235);

brother of: Heman (H1968), Calcol (H3633) and Darda (H1862)

§ Ethan = "enduring"

1) an Ezrahite known for his wisdom

2) a grandson of Judah, father of Azariah

3) a Kohathite descendant of Levi

4) a Merarite son of Kushaiah, descendant of Levi

אֵיתָן (e.tan) — Ethan.

A man of the tribe of Judah living before Israel's Monarchy, first mentioned at 1Ch.2.6;

son of: Zerah (H2226I);

brother of: Zabdi (H2067), Heman (H1968H), Calcol (H3633H) and Dara (H1873);

father of: Azariah (H5838I)

§ Ethan = "enduring"

1) an Ezrahite known for his wisdom

2) a grandson of Judah, father of Azariah

3) a Kohathite descendant of Levi

4) a Merarite son of Kushaiah, descendant of Levi

אֵיתָן (e.tan) — Ethan.

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

e'-than ('ethan, "firm," "enduring"; Gaithan):

(1) A wise man with whom Solomon is compared (1Ki 4:31). Called there "Ethan the Ezrahite," to whom the title of Ps 89 ascribes the authorship of that poem.

(2) A "son of Kishi," or "Kishaiah," of the Merari branch of the Levites, and, along with Heman and Asaph, placed by David over the service of song (1Ch 6:44; 15:17,19).

See JEDUTHUN.

(3) An ancestor of Asaph of the Gershomite branch of the Levites (1Ch 6:42).

Easton's Bible Dictionary

Ethan

Firm. (1.) “The Ezrahite,” distinguished for his wisdom (1 Kings 4:31). He is named as the author of the 89th Psalm. He was of the tribe of Levi.

(2.) A Levite of the family of Merari, one of the leaders of the temple music (1 Chr. 6:44; 15:17, 19). He was probably the same as Jeduthun. He is supposed by some to be the same also as (1).

Smith's Bible Dictionary

(enduring). Ethan the Ezrahite, one of the four sons of Mahol, whose wisdom was excelled by Solomon. (1 Kings 4:31; 1 Chronicles 2:6) His name is in the title of (Psalms 89:1) Son of Kishi or Kushaiah; a Merarite Levite, head of that family in the time of King David, (1 Chronicles 6:44) and spoken of as a "singer." With Heman and Asaph, the heads of the other two families of Levites, Ethan was appointed to sound with cymbals. (1 Chronicles 15:17,19) A Gershonite Levite, one of the ancestors of Asaph the singer. (1 Chronicles 6:42) Hebr 27. (B.C. 1420.)

American Tract Society Bible Dictionary

1. One of four men renowned for wisdom, though excelled by Solomon, 1Ki 4:31 1Ch 2:6. He appears to have been a son of Zerah or Ezra, and grandson of the patriarch Judah.

2. A Levite, son of Kishi, and one of the three masters of the temple music, 1Ch 6:44 15:17-19. He would seem to be the same as Jeduthun, 1Ch 25:1 2Ch 35:15.

3. A person to whom Ps 89:1-52 is inscribed.

[the] son of Ethan [the] son of Zimmah [the] son of Shimei
בֶּן־ben- [the] son of H1121 Noun common · masculine singular construct
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
HNcmsc — Noun common · masculine singular construct
HNcmsc
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…

[the] son of Ethan [the] son of Zimmah [the] son of Shimei
זִמָּ֖הzi.Mah Zimmah H2155 Noun proper masculine
3× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
Zimmah was the name of two Israelites who lived during the time of the Divided Monarchy. One was a Levite and the father of Joah, and the name Zimmah means a plotter or a schemer.
Tyndale gloss
Zimmah
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

זִמָּה (zimmah) refers to a name associated with several Levites from the Gershonite clan, particularly during the Divided Monarchy. The name means 'plotter' and is linked to individuals such as Zimmah, son of Jahath, and another Zimmah, son of Shimei, who may be the same person. He is mentioned in 1 Chronicles 6:20 and 2 Chronicles 29:12.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

זִמָּה n.pr.m. of several Levites (Gershonites)

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H2155 זִמָּה

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

2155 Zimmah zim-maw'

the same as 2154; Zimmah, the name of two

Israelites:--Zimmah.

see HEBREW for 02154

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

זִמָּה (zim.mah) — Zimmah.

A man of the tribe of Levi living at the time of Divided Monarchy, first mentioned at 1Ch.6.20;

son of: Shimei (H8096V);

father of: Joah (H3098H)

§ Zimmah = "plotter"

1) a Gershonite Levite, son of Jahath

2) another Gershonite, son of Shimei; perhaps the same as 1 above

3) father or ancestor of Joah, a Gershonite in the reign of Hezekiah

זִמָּה (zim.mah) — Zimmah.

A man living at the time of Divided Monarchy, only mentioned at 2Ch.29.12;

father of: Joah (H3098K)

§ Zimmah = "plotter"

1) a Gershonite Levite, son of Jahath

2) another Gershonite, son of Shimei; perhaps the same as 1 above

3) father or ancestor of Joah, a Gershonite in the reign of Hezekiah

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

zim'-a (zimmah, perhaps "device," "plan"): A Gershonite Levite (1Ch 6:20 (Hebrew, verse 5); also in 6:42 (Hebrew verse 27); 2Ch 29:12). See Curtis, Chronicles, 130, 134 ff.

Easton's Bible Dictionary

Zimmah

Mischief. (1.) A Gershonite Levite (1 Chr. 6:20).

(2.) Another Gershonite Levite (1 Chr. 6:42).

(3.) The father of Joah (2 Chr. 29:12).

Smith's Bible Dictionary

(purpose). A Gershonite Levite, son of Jahath. (1 Chronicles 6:20) (B.C. after 1706.) Another Gershonite, son of Shimei, (1 Chronicles 6:42) possibly the same as the preceding. Father of ancestor of Joab, a Gershonite in the reign of Hezekiah. (2 Chronicles 29:12) (B.C. before 726.) At a much earlier period we find the same collocation of names, Zimmah and Joah as father and son. (1 Chronicles 6:20)

Hitchcock's Bible Names Dictionary

thought; wickedness

The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
[the] son of Ethan [the] son of Zimmah [the] son of Shimei
בֶּן־ben- [the] son of H1121 Noun common · masculine singular construct
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
HNcmsc — Noun common · masculine singular construct
HNcmsc
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…

[the] son of Ethan [the] son of Zimmah [the] son of Shimei
שִׁמְעִֽי׃shim.'I Shimei H8096 Noun proper masculine
43× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
Shimei was a common name among Israelites, with at least 20 people having this name. One notable Shimei was the brother of David and son of Jesse, who lived during the United Monarchy.
Tyndale gloss
Shimei
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word שִׁמְעִי (*Shim'i*) means 'renowned' and refers to various individuals in the Old Testament, primarily from the tribes of Benjamin and Levi. It is associated with several notable figures, including a Levite and a Benjamite, and appears in contexts ranging from the time of David to the post-exilic period. The entries highlight multiple bearers of the name, but do not indicate any significant disagreement among lexicographers.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

שִׁמְעִי 43 n.pr.m.

in Benj.

a Ramathite

Levites

brother of Zerub.

in Simeon

in Reuben

1

post-ex. names

grandfather of Mordecai

2

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H8096 שִׁמְעִי . in Benj.

. a Ramathite

. Levites

. brother of Zerub.

. in Simeon

. in Reuben

. 1

. post-ex. names

. grandfather of Mordecai

. 2

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

8096 Shim`iy shim-ee'

from 8088; famous; Shimi, the name of twenty

Israelites:--Shimeah (from the margin), Shimei, Shimhi,

Shimi.

see HEBREW for 08088

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

שִׁמְעִי (shim.i) — Shimei.

A man of the tribe of Levi living at the time of Egypt and Wilderness, first mentioned at Exo.6.17;

son of: Gershon (H1648);

brother of: Libni (H3845G);

father of: Jahath (H3189I), Zizah (H2126), Jeush (H3266J) and Beriah (H1283J)

Also named: shim.i (שִׁמְעִי "Shimeite" H8097)

§ Shimei or Shimhi or Shimi or Shimea = "renowned"

1) a Benjamite, son of Gera of the house of Saul in the time of David

2) a Benjamite, son of Elah and commissariat officer in the time of Solomon

3) the Ramathite in charge of the vineyards of David

4) son of Gershon and grandson of Levi

5) a Levite, son of Jeduthun and chief of the 10th division of singers in the time of David

6) a Levite of the sons of Heman who took part in the purification of the temple in the time of king Hezekiah of Judah

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

shim'-e-i (shim`i, possibly "hear me (El)" or "(Jah)"; Semeei, Semei): A name of frequent occurrence throughout the Old Testament records, sometimes varying slightly in form in English Versions of the Bible. The King James Version has "Shimi" in Ex 6:17; "Shimhi" in 1Ch 8:21; "Shimeah" in 2Sa 21:21. the Revised Version (British and American) has "Shimeites" in Zec 12:13, where the King James Version has "Shimei," and Nu 3:21 for the King James Version "Shimites." English Versions of the Bible has "Shema" in 1Ch 8:13,21 margin for the "Shimei" of 8:21. In all others…

Easton's Bible Dictionary

Shimei

Famous. (1.) A son of Gershon, and grandson of Levi (Num. 3:18; 1 Chr. 6:17, 29); called Shimi in Ex. 6:17.

(2.) A Benjamite of the house of Saul, who stoned and cursed David when he reached Bahurim in his flight from Jerusalem on the occasion of the rebellion of Absalom (2 Sam. 16:5-13). After the defeat of Absalom he “came cringing to the king, humbly suing for pardon, bringing with him a thousand of his Benjamite tribesmen, and representing that he was heartily sorry for his crime, and had hurried the first of all the house of Israel to offer homage to the king” (19:16-23). David forgave him; but on his death-bed he gave Solomon special instructions regarding Shimei…

Smith's Bible Dictionary

(renowned). Son of Gershon the son of Levi, (Numbers 3:18; 1 Chronicles 6:17,29; 23:7,9,10; Zechariah 12:13) called SHIMI in (Exodus 6:17) (B.C. after 1706.) Shimei the son of Gera, a Benjamite of the house of Saul, who lived at Bahurim. (B.C. 1023.) When David and his suite were seen descending the long defile, on his flight from Absolom, (2 Samuel 16:5-13) the whole feeling of the clan of Benjamin burst forth without restraint in the person of Shimei. He ran along the ridge, cursing and throwing stones at the king and is companions. The next meeting was very different. The king was now returning from his successful…

Hitchcock's Bible Names Dictionary

Shimi, that hears or obeys; my reputation; my fame

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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