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1 Samuel 30:11 — Word Study

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WLCוַֽיִּמְצְא֤וּ אִישׁ־ מִצְרִי֙ בַּשָּׂדֶ֔ה וַיִּקְח֥וּ אֹת֖וֹ אֶל־ דָּוִ֑ד וַיִּתְּנוּ־ ל֥וֹ לֶ֙חֶם֙ וַיֹּ֔אכַל וַיַּשְׁקֻ֖הוּ מָֽיִם׃

BSANow [his men] foundmâtsâʼ [encountered, came across] an EgyptianMitsrîy [a man from the country of Egypt, a foreigner] in the fieldsâdeh [a land used for cultivation, an open area] and broughtlâqach himʼêth toʼêl DavidDâvid [the king of Israel, their leader] They gavenâthan watermayim [a liquid, a source of refreshment] to drinkshâqâh and foodlechem [bread, grain, nourishment] to eatʼâkal

Word
Listen & take away1 Samuel 30
English ↓ Download MP3 The Berean Standard Bible chapter audio already hosted for the site's Bible section — verse 11 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 (Ma.yim) — no per-word recordings of the Hebrew exist to link to.
Take it away
1 Samuel 30:11quick helps
In a sentenceDavid's men find an Egyptian in the field and provide him with care.
Who is speakingThe narrative describes David's men, acting under his leadership.
Where we areThis event occurs during David's pursuit of the Amalekites.
The hard wordמִצְרִי
Take awayDavid's men show compassion by aiding a stranger in need.
6 commentators on this verse Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them › clause verbמָצָא 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 Samuel 30:11

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 Pursuit of the Amalekitesgenerated

10because two hundred men were too exhausted to cross the brook. But David and four hundred men continued in pursuit.
11Now his men found an Egyptian in the field and brought him to David. They gave the man water to drink and food to eat—
12a piece of a fig cake and two clusters of raisins. So he ate and was revived, for he had not had any food or water for three days and three nights.
13Then David asked him, “To whom do you belong, and where are you from?” “I am an Egyptian,” he replied, “the slave of an Amalekite. My master abandoned me three days ago when I fell ill.

1 Samuel 30:11 describes a moment when David's men, while pursuing the Amalekites, come across an Egyptian man in the field. This encounter highlights themes of mercy and assistance during a time of distress. The men provide the Egyptian with food and water, demonstrating their compassion amidst their own challenges.


Cross References

ReferenceText (BSB)
1Deuteronomy 15:7–11If there is a poor man among your brothers within any of the gates in the land that the LORD your God is giving you, then you are not to harden your heart or shut your hand from your poor brother.
2Deuteronomy 23:7Do not despise an Edomite, for he is your brother. Do not despise an Egyptian, because you lived as a foreigner in his land.
3Proverbs 25:21If your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat, and if he is thirsty, give him water to drink.
4Matthew 25:35For I was hungry and you gave Me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave Me something to drink, I was a stranger and you took Me in,
5Luke 10:36–37Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?”

The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 6 references, hung on the phrase they belong to


The Key Word מָצָא, vai.yim.tze.'Ugenerated

The verb מָצָא (matsa') means 'to find' or 'to encounter'. It encompasses a range of actions, such as discovering something lost or coming upon a person unexpectedly. In this verse, it indicates that David's men came across the Egyptian man, suggesting an element of chance or providence in their journey.

The parsing as a sequential imperfect third person masculine plural indicates that this action is ongoing and completed in the past, emphasizing the moment of discovery. The verb's usage here reflects the importance of recognizing and responding to those in need.


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 action is governed by the finite verb וַיִּמְצְא֤וּ, and they found, which leads into a series of phrases detailing the encounter. The structure shows a sequence of actions: finding the Egyptian, bringing him to David, and providing him with food and drink.

The Hebrew word order places emphasis on the actions of David's men, with the verb preceding the subject, highlighting their initiative in the situation.


Septuagint Backgroundgenerated

The Septuagint translates מָצָא as εὑρίσκουσιν, which means 'they find'. This choice maintains the sense of discovery while aligning with the Greek language's nuances.

The use of the Greek term suggests a direct encounter, similar to the Hebrew, but may carry a slightly different connotation regarding the nature of the finding.


In plain words — the whole versegenerated

1 Samuel 30:11 tells how David's men found an Egyptian man in the field while pursuing the Amalekites. They showed kindness by giving him food and water, demonstrating compassion for someone in need.


Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated

What does it mean that David's men found an Egyptian?

It signifies an unexpected encounter that leads to an act of kindness, reflecting the importance of compassion even in difficult circumstances.

Why did they give him food and water?

Providing sustenance was a way to care for someone in distress and reflects the values of hospitality and mercy in the biblical narrative.

What can we learn from David's men in this situation?

Their actions teach us the importance of helping those in need, regardless of the circumstances we face ourselves.

How does this story connect to other biblical themes?

It connects to themes of mercy and compassion found throughout the Bible, such as in Matthew 25:35, where helping others is emphasized.


Reflection Questionsgenerated

  1. How can I show compassion to someone in need this week?
  2. What does this story teach me about the importance of helping others?
  3. In what ways can I be more aware of those around me who may need assistance?
  4. How does this passage encourage me to act in my own community?

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

Early commentators reference this passage to discuss themes of mercy and the treatment of the weak, providing insights into the moral lessons drawn from the text.

Gregory the DialogistForty Gospel Homilies, Homily 36 c. 540–604
The poor and the feeble, the blind and the lame, are called and come because the weak and the despised in this world are often quicker to hear the voice of God,
Early Church Fathers on 1 Samuel 30 →
BedeCommentary on Samuel c. 673–735
And they found an Egyptian man in the field, etc. The Catholic teachers hastening to engage in the battle with the heretics often find men abandoned by them, notable for the dark stain of their sins,
Early Church Fathers on 1 Samuel 30 →

Commentators on this verse — 6 expositors, verse by verse

Each of these wrote on 1 Samuel 30:11 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.

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

And they found an Egyptian in the field,.... As they passed along, lying there, having been sick, and was half starved, almost dead: and brought him to David; to know what was to be done with him;

Read John Gill on 1 Samuel 30 →
Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's Commentary

And they found an Egyptian in the field, and brought him to David, and gave him bread, and he did eat; and they made him drink water; They found an Egyptian ...

Read Robert Jamieson on 1 Samuel 30 →
Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy Bible

They found an Egyptian, whom by his habit they guessed to be a soldier that had been engaged in that expedition. They made him drink water; partly out of humanity and compassion to a perishing creature; and partly in prudence, that by him they might learn the true state of their enemies

Read Matthew Poole on 1 Samuel 30 →
John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

1 Samuel 30:11 And they found an Egyptian in the field, and brought him to David, and gave him bread, and he did eat; and they made him drink water;Ver. 11. And they found an Egyptian in the field.] Cast off, sick and ready to perish, by his cruel master - much unlike that good centurion in the gospel - but provided by God to be a guide to David, and a means of ruin to his wretched master, and the rest of his company.

Read John Trapp on 1 Samuel 30 →
Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(11) An Egyptian.—The Amalekites, as above stated, were a nomad race; their wanderings would have taken them to the frontiers of Egypt, hence the probability of their having Egyptian slaves in their tribe. The savage nature of these untamed sons of the desert has been already commented upon when the war of extermination with Amalek was discussed. They seem to have been a ruthless, cruel race, the scourge of the desert, and of the people dwelling near its borders. From the narrative, they had evidently many camels in their force (1 Samuel 30:17), so the abandonment of the sick slave, left, without food or water, to die of hunger, was a needless act of barbarity on their part.

Read Charles John Ellicott on 1 Samuel 30 →
CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

11. bread] Food: what it was is specified in the next verse: a piece of fig-cake and two lumps of raisins. See on 1 Samuel 25:18. The Sept. (B) omits the raisins.

Read Cambridge on 1 Samuel 30 →

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

Now his men found an Egyptian in the field and brought him to David. They gave the man water to drink and food to eat—

WEBWorld English Bible2000

They found an Egyptian in the field, and brought him to David, and gave him bread, and he ate; and they gave him water to drink.

MSBMajority Standard Bible2022

Now his men found an Egyptian in the field and brought him to David. They gave the man water to drink and food to eat—

NETBNew English Translation2006

Then they found an Egyptian in the field and brought him to David. They gave him bread to eat and water to drink.

Tyndale line

KJVKing James Version1611

¶ And they found an Egyptian in the field, and brought him to David, and gave him bread, and he did eat; and they made him drink water;

ASVAmerican Standard Version1901

And they found an Egyptian in the field, and brought him to David, and gave him bread, and he did eat; and they gave him water to drink;

RVARevised Version, American1894

And they found an Egyptian in the field, and brought him to David, and gave him bread, and he did eat; and they gave him water to drink:

NWBWebster's Bible1833

And they found an Egyptian in the field, and brought him to David, and gave him bread, and he ate; and they made him drink water;

GNVGeneva Bible1599

And they found an Egyptian in the fielde, and brought him to Dauid, and gaue him bread and he did eat, and they gaue him water to drinke.

Strictly literal

DBYDarby Translation1890

And they found an Egyptian in the field, and brought him to David, and gave him bread, and he ate; and they gave him water to drink,

YLTYoung's Literal Translation1862

and they find a man, an Egyptian, in the field, and take him unto David, and give to him bread, and he eateth, and they cause him to drink water,

LSVLiteral Standard Version2020

and they find a man, an Egyptian, in the field, and take him to David, and give bread to him, and he eats, and they cause him to drink water,

ILTInterlinear Literal Translation2000

And they found an Egyptian man in the field, and took him to David, and gave him bread, and he did eat; and they made him drink water;

ULBUnlocked Literal Bible2017

They found an Egyptian in a field and brought him to David; they gave him bread, and he ate; they gave him water to drink;

From the Latin

DRADouay-Rheims (Challoner)1899

And they found an Egyptian in the field, and brought him to David: and they gave him bread to eat, and water to drink,

Simplified

FBVFree Bible Version2020

They came across an Egyptian in the countryside and they took him to David. They gave him some food to eat and water to drink.

BBEBible in Basic English1949

And in the fields they saw an Egyptian whom they took to David, and they gave him bread, and he had a meal, and they gave him water for drink;

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.

וַֽandclauseverbיִּמְצְא֤וּthey.foundnoun phrase · objectאִישׁa.manמִצְרִי֙Egyptianprepositional phrase · prepositionalבַּinnoun phrasethe.openשָּׂדֶ֔הcountryוַandclauseverbיִּקְח֥וּthey.tooknoun phrase · objectאֹת֖וֹhimprepositional phrase · prepositionalאֶלtoדָּוִ֑דDavidוַandclauseverbיִּתְּנוּthey.gaveprepositional phrase · prepositionalל֥toוֹhimobjectלֶ֨חֶם֙breadוַandclauseverbיֹּ֔אכַלhe.ateוַandclauseverbיַּשְׁקֻ֖theyobjectהוּgave.him.to.drinksecond objectמָֽיִםwater

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


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

The Masoretic Text and the Septuagint agree on the wording of this verse, with a complete match in the number of words and their meanings. This consistency indicates a stable transmission of the text across these traditions.

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

וַֽיִּמְצְא֤וּ אִישׁ־ מִצְרִי֙ בַּשָּׂדֶ֔ה וַיִּקְח֥וּ אֹת֖וֹ אֶל־ דָּוִ֑ד וַיִּתְּנוּ־ ל֥וֹ לֶ֙חֶם֙ וַיֹּ֔אכַל וַיַּשְׁקֻ֖הוּ מָֽיִם׃

Septuagintthe Greek the translators chose, word by word
וַֽיִּמְצְא֤וּεὑρίσκουσινאִישׁ־ἄνδραמִצְרִי֙αἰγύπτιονבַּשָּׂדֶ֔הἀγρῷוַיִּקְח֥וּλαμβάνουσινאֹת֖וֹαὐτὸνאֶל־πρὸςדָּוִ֑דδαυιδוַיִּתְּנוּ־διδόασινל֥וֹαὐτῷלֶ֙חֶם֙ἄρτονוַיֹּ֔אכַלἔφαγενוַיַּשְׁקֻ֖הוּαὐτὸνמָֽיִם׃ὕδωρ

14 of the 14 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 Samuel 30:11מָצָאand they foand they foundמָצָאאִישׁa mana manאִישׁמִצְרִיEgyptianEgyptianמִצְרִישָׂדַיin the openin the open couשָׂדַילָקַחand they toand they tookלָקַחאֵתthe object the object markאֵתאֶלtotoאֶלדָּוִדDavidDavidדָּוִדנָתַןand they gaand they gaveנָתַןוֹto himto himוֹלֶ֫חֶםbreadbreadלֶ֫חֶםאָכַלand he ateand he ateאָכַלשָׁקָהand they gaand they gave tשָׁקָהמַיwaterwaterמַיאִשָּׁהwomanwomanאִשָּׁהמִצְרַ֫יִם(Sea of) E(Sea of) Egyptמִצְרַ֫יִםאוֹתsign: mirasign: miraculouאוֹתלָחַםto fightto fightלָחַםאֱנוֹשׁhumanhumanאֱנוֹשׁדּוֹדbelovedbelovedדּוֹדשָׁכַרbe drunkbe drunkשָׁכַרשָׁתָהto drinkto drinkשָׁתָהחֵןfavorfavorחֵןבָּקַשׁto seekto seekבָּקַשׁרֵעַneighborneighborרֵעַהָגָרHagarHagarהָגָרחֲניִתspearspearחֲניִתעֵ֫שֶׂבvegetationvegetationעֵ֫שֶׂבכֶּרֶםvineyardvineyardכֶּרֶםמוּסָרdisciplinedisciplineמוּסָרמִגְרָשׁpasturepastureמִגְרָשׁפָּלַלto prayto prayפָּלַל
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 Samuel 30:11

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 they found a man Egyptian in the open country and they took the object marker him to David and they gave to him bread and he ate and they gave to drink him water
וַֽיִּמְצְא֤וּvai.yim.tze.'U and they found H4672 Verb · Qal · sequential imperfect third person masculine plural
455× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
Matsa means to find or attain something, whether it is a physical object, a person, or a condition, as seen in various KJV translations.
Amplified meaning
encountered, came across
Tyndale gloss
to find
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

מָצָא (matsa') is a Hebrew verb meaning to find or attain. It encompasses a range of actions, including discovering something lost, encountering someone, or coming upon a situation. The word can also imply being present or sufficient. Lexicons note various forms and uses, including Qal, Niphal, and Hiphil, which indicate different nuances of finding and encountering.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

מָצָא 452 vb. attain to, find

Qal

find

find out

= come upon, light upon

noteworthy phrases

Niph. pass. of Qal, be found

Hiph.

cause to find, attain

cause to light upon, come upon, come

cause to encounter

present unto

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H4672 מָצָא attain to, find

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

4672 matsa' maw-tsaw'

a primitive root; properly, to come forth to, i.e. appear or

exist; transitively, to attain, i.e. find or acquire;

figuratively, to occur, meet or be present:--+ be able,

befall, being, catch, X certainly, (cause to) come (on, to, to

hand), deliver, be enough (cause to) find(-ing, occasion,

out), get (hold upon), X have (here), be here, hit, be left,

light (up-)on, meet (with), X occasion serve, (be) present,

ready, speed, suffice, take hold on.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

מָצָא (ma.tsa) — to find.

1) to find, attain to

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to find

1a1a) to find, secure, acquire, get (thing sought)

1a1b) to find (what is lost)

1a1c) to meet, encounter

1a1d) to find (a condition)

1a1e) to learn, devise

1a2) to find out

1a2a) to find out

1a2b) to detect

1a2c) to guess

1a3) to come upon, light upon

1a3a) to happen upon, meet, fall in with

1a3b) to hit

1a3c) to befall

1b) (Niphal)

1b1) to be found

1b1a) to be encountered, be lighted upon, be discovered

1b1b) to appear, be recognised

1b1c) to be discovered, be detected

1b1d) to be gained, be secured

1b2) to be, be found

1b2a) to be found in

1b2b) to be in the possession of

1b2c) to be found in (a place), happen to be

1b2d) to be left (after war)

1b2e) to be present

1b2f) to prove to be

1b2g) to be found sufficient, be enough

1c) (Hiphil)

1c1) to cause to find, attain

1c2) to cause to light upon, come upon, come

1c3) to cause to encounter

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Conj | V-Qal-ConsecImperf-3mp — Verb · Qal · sequential imperfect third person masculine plural
Hc/Vqw3mp
and they found a man Egyptian in the open country and they took the object marker him to David and they gave to him bread and he ate and they gave to drink him water
אִישׁ־'ish- a man H376 Noun common · masculine singular absolute
1,664× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
The Hebrew word for man, referring to a male person or individual, is used in the Bible to describe humans in contrast to God or animals, as seen in Genesis and Psalms. It can also mean husband or servant. In the KJV, it is translated as man or male.
Tyndale gloss
man
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word אִישׁ (iysh) means 'man' and can refer to an individual male, a husband, or a human being in general. It encompasses various meanings, including champion and great man, and can also imply 'whosoever' or 'each.' The word is built from a root suggesting existence and is used throughout the Old Testament.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

אִישׁ 2166 n.m. man (= vir)

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H376 אִישׁ man (= vir)

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

376 'iysh eesh

contracted for 582 (or perhaps rather from an unused root

meaning to be extant); a man as an individual or a male

person; often used as an adjunct to a more definite term (and

in such cases frequently not expressed in

translation):--also, another, any (man), a certain, +

champion, consent, each, every (one), fellow, (foot-,

husband-)man, (good-, great, mighty) man, he, high (degree),

him (that is), husband, man(-kind), + none, one, people,

person, + steward, what (man) soever, whoso(-ever), worthy.

Compare 802.

see HEBREW for 0582

see HEBREW for 0802

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

אִישׁ (ish) — man.

: man

1) man

1a) man, male (in contrast to woman, female)

1b) husband

1c) human being, person (in contrast to God)

1d) servant

1e) mankind

1f) champion

1g) great man

2) whosoever

3) each (adjective)

אִישׁ (ish) — man: husband.

: husband

1) man

1a) man, male (in contrast to woman, female)

1b) husband

1c) human being, person (in contrast to God)

1d) servant

1e) mankind

1f) champion

1g) great man

2) whosoever

3) each (adjective)

אִישׁ (ish) — man: anyone.

: anyone/someone

1) man

1a) man, male (in contrast to woman, female)

1b) husband

1c) human being, person (in contrast to God)

1d) servant

1e) mankind

1f) champion

1g) great man

2) whosoever

3) each (adjective)

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

See ANTHROPOLOGY.

Easton's Bible Dictionary

Man

(1.) Heb. ‘Adam, used as the proper name of the first man. The name is derived from a word meaning “to be red,” and thus the first man was called Adam because he was formed from the red earth. It is also the generic name of the human race (Gen. 1:26, 27; 5:2; 8:21; Deut. 8:3). Its equivalents are the Latin homo and the Greek anthropos (Matt. 5:13, 16). It denotes also man in opposition to woman (Gen. 3:12; Matt. 19:10).

(2.) Heb. ‘ish, like the Latin vir and Greek aner, denotes properly a man in opposition to a woman (1 Sam. 17:33;

→ CREATED Ge 1:26,27; 2:7; 5:1,2; De 4:32; Job 4:17; 10:2,3,8,9; 31:15; 33:4; 35:10; Ps 8:5; 100:3; 119:73; 138:8; 139:14; Ec 7:29; Isa 17:7; 42:5; 43:7; 45:12; 64:8; Jer 27:5; Zec 12:1; Mal 2:10; Mr 10:6; Heb 2:7

See CREATED IN THE IMAGE OF GOD, below

The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
and they found a man Egyptian in the open country and they took the object marker him to David and they gave to him bread and he ate and they gave to drink him water
מִצְרִי֙mitz.Ri Egyptian H4713 Noun gentilic · masculine singular absolute
70× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
In the Bible, this word refers to an Egyptian, someone from the country of Egypt. It appears in the Old Testament, describing people from this northeastern African nation. Egyptians are mentioned in books like Genesis and Exodus.
Amplified meaning
a man from the country of Egypt, a foreigner
Tyndale gloss
Egyptian
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

מִצְרִי (mitsriy) is an adjective meaning 'Egyptian,' derived from the noun for Egypt, מִצְרַ֫יִם (mitsrajim). It refers to an inhabitant or citizen of Egypt. The entries consistently define it in relation to Egypt without significant disagreement.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

מִצְרִי adj. gent. Egyptian

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H4713 מִצְרִי adj. gent. Egyptian

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

4713 Mitsriy mits-ree'

from 4714; a Mitsrite, or inhabitant of

Mitsrajim:--Egyptian, of Egypt.

see HEBREW for 04714

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

מִצְרִי (mits.ri) — Egyptian.

Group of mits.ra.yim (מִצְרַ֫יִם "Egypt" H4714G)

§ Egyptian, of Egypt "double straits"

Egyptian-an inhabitant or citizen of Egypt

an Egyptian

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Ngmsa — Noun gentilic · masculine singular absolute
HNgmsa
and they found a man Egyptian in the open country and they took the object marker him to David and they gave to him bread and he ate and they gave to drink him water
בַּשָּׂדֶ֔הba.sa.Deh in the open country H7704 Preposition · noun common masculine singular absolute
334× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
A field or land is what this word represents, often referring to a flat area of land used for cultivation or as a habitat for wild animals, as described in the book of Genesis. It can also mean a plain or a country, as opposed to a mountain or sea. This term is used in the story of Ruth and Boaz.
Amplified meaning
a land used for cultivation, an open area
Tyndale gloss
field
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

שָׂדַי (saday) and שָׂדֶה (sadeh) both refer to a field or land, encompassing cultivated areas, open fields, and regions opposed to mountains or seas. The terms can denote specific portions of ground and are associated with wildlife habitats. They derive from a root meaning to spread out, indicating flat, expansive areas.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

שָׂדַי n.m. field, land

cultivated field

home of wild beasts

plain, opp. mt.

land, opp. sea

base

שָׂדֶה 819 n.m. id. [u.ak.ab]

(ordinary contr. form)open field, country

definite portion of ground, field, land

land, opp. sea

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H7704a שָׂדַי field, land . cultivated field

. home of wild beasts

. plain, opp. mt.

. land, opp. sea

H7704b שָׂדֶה id. [7704a] . open field, country

. definite portion of ground, field, land

. land, opp. sea

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

7704 sadeh saw-deh'

or saday {saw-dah'-ee}; from an unused root meaning to spread

out; a field (as flat):--country, field, ground, land, soil,

X wild.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

שָׂדַי (sa.day) — Sirion.

This name means field, land, plain

Another spelling of cher.mon (חֶרְמוֹן "(Mount )Hermon" H2768)

שָׂדֶה (sa.deh) — land: soil.

: soil

1) field, land

1a) open field, country

1b) definite portion of ground, field, land

1c) land (opposed to sea)

שָׂדֶה (sa.deh) — land: country.

: country/field

1) field, land

1a) open field, country

1b) definite portion of ground, field, land

1c) land (opposed to sea)

שָׂדֶה (sa.deh) — Field (of the Launderer).

Combined with ka.vas (כָּבַס "Washer's" H3526)

This name means field, land

שָׂדֶה (sa.deh) — land: wildlife.

: wild(animals/plants)

1) field, land

1a) open field, country

1b) definite portion of ground, field, land

1c) land (opposed to sea)

שָׂדַי (sa.day) — field.

1) field, land

1a) cultivated field

1b) of home of wild beasts

1c) plain (opposed to mountain)

1d) land (opposed to sea)

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

kun'-tri ('erets, "land," sadheh, "field"; agros, "field," chora, "region"): The foregoing are the principal words rendered "country" in English Versions of the Bible, though we find also 'adhamah, "earth" (Jon 4:2); 'i, "island" (Jer 47:4 the King James Version); gelilah, "circuit" (Eze 47:8 the King James Version); chebhel, "rope" (De 3:14); maqom, "place" (Ge 29:26 the King James Version); nepheth,"hill" or "height" (Jos 17:11 the King James Version); genos, "race" (Ac 4:36 the King James Version); ge, "earth"…

Nave's Topical Bible

→ LOVE OF Jud 5:1-31; 2Sa 10:12; Ne 1:1-11; 2:1-20; 5:1-18; Ps 137:1-6

The Jews held religion and country as one (a theocracy), therefore

See CHURCH, LOVE OF

→ See also PATRIOTISM

and they found a man Egyptian in the open country and they took the object marker him to David and they gave to him bread and he ate and they gave to drink him water
וַיִּקְח֥וּvai.yik.Chu and they took H3947 Verb · Qal · sequential imperfect third person masculine plural
966× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This Hebrew word means to take or get something, and it is used in many different ways in the Bible. It can mean to take a wife, to take possession of something, or to receive a gift. For example, in Genesis 2:22, God takes a rib from Adam to create Eve.
Tyndale gloss
to take: take
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word לָקַח (*laqach*) means 'to take' and encompasses a wide range of actions, including to receive, seize, capture, and carry away. It can refer to taking something in hand, taking a wife, or even taking vengeance. The verb has various forms indicating different nuances, such as being taken away or captured.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

לָקַח 965 vb. take

Qal

take, take in hand

take and carry along with oneself

take from, or out of

take, carry away

take away from, so as to deprive of

esp. take away life

take to or for a person

take up, upon = put upon

= fetch

take = lead, conduct (with or without contact)

take = capture, seize

take = carry off

in phr. take vengeance

Niph.

be captured, of ark

be taken away, removed

be taken, brought unto

Pu.

be taken from, out of

= be stolen from

be taken captive

be taken away, removed

Hoph.

be taken, brought unto

be taken out of

be taken away from

Hithp. lit. fire taking hold of itself, of lightning

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H3947 לָקַח take .. take, take in hand

. take and carry along with oneself

. . take from, or out of

. take, carry away

. take away from, so as to deprive of

. esp. take away life

. take to or for a person

. take up, upon = put upon

. = fetch

. take = lead, conduct (with or without contact)

. take = capture, seize

. take = carry off

. in phr. take vengeance

. . be captured, of ark

. be taken away, removed

. be taken, brought unto

. . be taken from, out of

. = be stolen from

. be taken captive

. be taken away, removed

. . be taken, brought unto

. be taken out of

. be taken away from

. lit. fire taking hold of itself, of lightning

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

3947 laqach law-kakh'

a primitive root; to take (in the widest variety of

applications):--accept, bring, buy, carry away, drawn, fetch,

get, infold, X many, mingle, place, receive(-ing), reserve,

seize, send for, take (away, -ing, up), use, win.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

לָקַח (la.qach) — to take: take.

: take

1) to take, get, fetch, lay hold of, seize, receive, acquire, buy, bring, marry, take a wife, snatch, take away

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to take, take in the hand

1a2) to take and carry along

1a3) to take from, take out of, take, carry away, take away

1a4) to take to or for a person, procure, get, take possession of, select, choose, take in marriage, receive, accept

1a5) to take up or upon, put upon

1a6) to fetch

1a7) to take, lead, conduct

1a8) to take, capture, seize

1a9) to take, carry off 1a10) to take (vengeance)

1b) (Niphal)

1b1) to be captured

1b2) to be taken away, be removed

1b3) to be taken, brought unto

1c) (Pual)

1c1) to be taken from or out of

1c2) to be stolen from

1c3) to be taken captive

1c4) to be taken away, be removed

1d) (Hophal)

1d1) to be taken unto, be brought unto

1d2) to be taken out of

1d3) to be taken away

1e) (Hithpael)

1e1) to take hold of oneself

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Conj | V-Qal-ConsecImperf-3mp — Verb · Qal · sequential imperfect third person masculine plural
Hc/Vqw3mp
The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
and they found a man Egyptian in the open country and they took the object marker him to David and they gave to him bread and he ate and they gave to drink him water
אֹת֖וֹ'o.To the object marker him H853 Particle · suffix
10,946× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
In the original Hebrew, this word points out the object of a verb or preposition, like 'namely' or 'even'. It appears in many books, including Genesis and Exodus. It's not directly translated in English, but helps clarify the meaning of sentences.
Tyndale gloss
[Obj.]
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

אֵת (eth) is primarily a grammatical marker in Hebrew, indicating the definite direct object of a verb. It is not translated into English and typically precedes nouns that are definite. The word is derived from a demonstrative sense of entity, related to the Hebrew word for 'self.' Its Aramaic equivalent is יָת (yat).

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

אֵת the mark of the accusative, prefixed as a rule only to nouns that are definite

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H853 אֵת the mark of the accusative, prefixed as a rule only to nouns that are definite

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

853 'eth ayth

apparent contracted from 226 in the demonstrative sense of

entity; properly, self (but generally used to point out more

definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or

namely):--(as such unrepresented in English).

see HEBREW for 0226

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

אֵת (et) — [Obj.].

sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative

Aramaic equivalent: yat (יָת "whom" H3487)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
DirObjM | Suff — Particle · suffix
HTo/Sp3ms
The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
and they found a man Egyptian in the open country and they took the object marker him to David and they gave to him bread and he ate and they gave to drink him water
אֶל־'el- to H413 Preposition
5,518× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This Hebrew word means 'to' or 'toward', showing direction or movement. It appears in many books, including Genesis and Exodus, to indicate where someone is going. The KJV translates it in various ways, like 'about', 'according to', or 'against'.
Tyndale gloss
to(wards)
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word אֶל (el) is primarily a preposition indicating motion towards or direction to a person or place. It can also imply entering a limit, presence at a location, or a hostile direction (against). Additionally, it may express concepts such as concerning, in addition to, or according to. The entries highlight its versatility in both physical and metaphorical contexts.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

אֶל (nearly always followed by Makkeph),

prep. denoting motion to or direction towards (whether physical or mental).of motion to or unto a person or place

Where the limit is actually entered, into

Of direction towards anything

Where the motion or direction implied appears from the context to be of a hostile character, אֶל = against

Unto sometimes acquires from the context the sense of in addition to

Metaph. in regard to, concerning, on account of

Of rule or standard according to (rare)

Expressing presence at a spot, against, at, by, not merely after verbs implying motion

Prefixed to other preps. it combines with them the idea of motion or direction to

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H413 אֶל (nearly always followed by Makkeph), . of motion to or unto a person or place

. Where the limit is actually entered, into

. Of direction towards anything

. Where the motion or direction implied appears from the context to be of a hostile character, אֶל = against

. Unto sometimes acquires from the context the sense of in addition to

. Metaph. in regard to, concerning, on account of

. Of rule or standard according to (rare)

. Expressing presence at a spot, against, at, by, not merely after verbs implying motion

. Prefixed to other preps. it combines with them the idea of motion or direction to

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

413 'el ale

(but only used in the shortened constructive form sel {el});

a primitive particle; properly, denoting motion towards, but

occasionally used of a quiescent position, i.e. near, with or

among; often in general, to:--about, according to ,after,

against, among, as for, at, because(-fore, -side), both...and,

by, concerning, for, from, X hath, in(- to), near, (out) of,

over, through, to(-ward), under, unto, upon, whether,

with(-in).

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

אֶל (el) — to(wards).

1) to, toward, unto (of motion)

2) into (limit is actually entered)

2a) in among

3) toward (of direction, not necessarily physical motion)

4) against (motion or direction of a hostile character)

5) in addition to, to

6) concerning, in regard to, in reference to, on account of

7) according to (rule or standard)

8) at, by, against (of one's presence)

9) in between, in within, to within, unto (idea of motion to)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Prep — Preposition
HR
and they found a man Egyptian in the open country and they took the object marker him to David and they gave to him bread and he ate and they gave to drink him water
דָּוִ֑דda.Vid David H1732 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 king of Israel, their leader
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
N-proper — Noun proper masculine
HNpm
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 they found a man Egyptian in the open country and they took the object marker him to David and they gave to him bread and he ate and they gave to drink him water
וַיִּתְּנוּ־vai.yi.te.nu- and they gave H5414 Verb · Qal · sequential imperfect third person masculine plural
2,011× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This word means to give, put, or set something, with a wide range of applications. It appears in many books, including Genesis and Exodus, describing God's actions and human interactions. The word is used to convey giving, selling, or exchanging something.
Tyndale gloss
to give: give
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word נָתַן (natan) means 'to give' and encompasses a wide range of applications such as putting, setting, and making. It can also indicate actions like bestowing, delivering, and assigning. The entries describe its use in various forms, including Qal, Niphal, and Hophal, but do not present any significant disagreements among lexicons.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

נָתַן 2007 vb. give, put, set

Qal 1917

give

Put, set

Make, constitute

Niph.

82be given

Be put, set

Hoph.

be given, bestowed

= be given to one for wife

be put upon

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H5414 נָתַן give, put, set .. give

. Put, set

. Make, constitute

. . be given

. Be put, set

. . . be given, bestowed

. = be given to one for wife

. be put upon

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

5414 nathan naw-than'

a primitive root; to give, used with greatest latitude of

application (put, make, etc.):--add, apply, appoint, ascribe,

assign, X avenge, X be ((healed)), bestow, bring (forth,

hither), cast, cause, charge, come, commit, consider, count, +

cry, deliver (up), direct, distribute, do, X doubtless, X

without fail, fasten, frame, X get, give (forth, over, up),

grant, hang (up), X have, X indeed, lay (unto charge, up),

(give) leave, lend, let (out), + lie, lift up, make, + O that,

occupy, offer, ordain, pay, perform, place, pour, print, X

pull , put (forth), recompense, render, requite, restore, send

(out), set (forth), shew, shoot forth (up), + sing, + slander,

strike, (sub-)mit, suffer, X surely, X take, thrust, trade,

turn, utter, + weep, + willingly, + withdraw, + would (to)

God, yield.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

נָתַן (na.tan) — to give: give.

: give/deliver/send/produce

1) to give, put, set

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to give, bestow, grant, permit, ascribe, employ, devote, consecrate, dedicate, pay wages, sell, exchange, lend, commit, entrust, give over, deliver up, yield produce, occasion, produce, requite to, report, mention, utter, stretch out, extend

1a2) to put, set, put on, put upon, set, appoint, assign, designate

1a3) to make, constitute

1b) (Niphal)

1b1) to be given, be bestowed, be provided, be entrusted to, be granted to, be permitted, be issued, be published, be uttered, be assigned

1b2) to be set, be put, be made, be inflicted

1c) (Hophal)

1c1) to be given, be bestowed, be given up, be delivered up

1c2) to be put upon

נָתַן (na.tan) — to give: put.

: put/set/apppoint

1) to give, put, set

1a) (Qal)

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Conj | V-Qal-ConsecImperf-3mp — Verb · Qal · sequential imperfect third person masculine plural
Hc/Vqw3mp
The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
and they found a man Egyptian in the open country and they took the object marker him to David and they gave to him bread and he ate and they gave to drink him water
ל֥וֹlo to him H9033 Preposition · suffix
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

וֹ (o) — him.

Personal object pronoun - suffix for propositions and verbs without an object: 3rd person masculine singular

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
HRd/Sp3ms — Preposition · suffix
HRd/Sp3ms
and they found a man Egyptian in the open country and they took the object marker him to David and they gave to him bread and he ate and they gave to drink him water
לֶ֙חֶם֙le.chem bread H3899 Noun common · masculine singular absolute
298× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This Hebrew word refers to food, especially bread or grain. It's used throughout the Bible to describe meals, sacrifices, and daily life, highlighting the importance of food in ancient Israelite culture.
Amplified meaning
bread, grain, nourishment
Tyndale gloss
food
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

לֶ֫חֶם (lechem) means bread or food, encompassing items like grain and provisions for both humans and animals. It is derived from a related root and is used in various contexts, particularly in the Old Testament. The entries consistently emphasize its primary association with bread, though they also acknowledge its broader meaning as food.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

לֶ֫חֶם 296 n.m. and (rarely) f. bread, food

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H3899 לֶ֫חֶם bread, food

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

3899 lechem lekh'-em

from 3898; food (for man or beast), especially bread, or

grain (for making it):--((shew-))bread, X eat, food, fruit,

loaf, meat, victuals. See also 1036.

see HEBREW for 03898

see HEBREW for 01036

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

לֶ֫חֶם (le.chem) — food.

: food(eating)

1) bread, food, grain

1a) bread

1a1) bread

1a2) bread-corn

1b) food (in general)

לֶ֫חֶם (le.chem) — food: bread.

: bread/loaf

1) bread, food, grain

1a) bread

1a1) bread

1a2) bread-corn

1b) food (in general)

לֶ֫חֶם (le.chem) — food: allowance.

: allowance

1) bread, food, grain

1a) bread

1a1) bread

1a2) bread-corn

1b) food (in general)

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

bred (lechem; artos):

I. DIETARY PREEMINENCE

II. MATERIALS

1. Barley

2. Wheat

3. Three Kinds of Flour

III. BREAD-MAKING

1. Grinding

2. Kneading

3. Baking

(1) Hot Stones

(2) Baking Pans

4. Ovens

(1) The Bowl-Oven

(2) The Jar-Oven

(3) The Pit-Oven

5. Forms of Baked Bread

6. Work for Women

IV. SANCTITY AND SYMBOLISM OF BREAD

1. Sanctity

2. Symbolism

LITERATURE

The art of bread-making is very ancient. It was even known to the Egyptians at a very early day (Wilkinson, Ancient Egyptians), to the Hebrews of the Exodus (Nowack, Lehrbuch der hebr. Archaologie) and, of course, to the Greeks and Romans of a later day. Bread played a large part in the vocabulary and in the life of the ancient Hebrews.

I. Dietary Preeminence.

(1) In the East bread is primary, other articles of food merely accessory; while in the West meat and other things chiefly constitute the meal, and bread is merely secondary. Accordingly "bread" in…

Easton's Bible Dictionary

Bread

Among the Jews was generally made of wheat (Ex. 29:2; Judg. 6:19), though also sometimes of other grains (Gen. 14:18; Judg. 7:13). Parched grain was sometimes used for food without any other preparation (Ruth 2:14).

Bread was prepared by kneading in wooden bowls or “kneading troughs” (Gen. 18:6; Ex. 12:34; Jer. 7:18). The dough was mixed with leaven and made into thin cakes, round or oval, and then baked. The bread eaten at the Passover was always…

Smith's Bible Dictionary

The preparation of bread as an article of food dates from a very early period. (Genesis 18:6) The corn or grain employed was of various sorts. The best bread was made of wheat, but "barley" and spelt were also used. (John 6:9,13; Isaiah 28:25) The process of making bread was as follows: the flour was first mixed with water or milk; it was then kneaded with the hands (in Egypt with the feet also) in a small wooden bowl or "kneading-trough" until it became dough. (Exodus 12:34,39; 2 Samuel 13:3; Jeremiah 7:18) When the kneading was completed, leaven was generally added [LEAVEN]; but when the time for preparation was short…

American Tract Society Bible Dictionary

A word which in Scripture is often put for food in general, Ge 3:19 18:5 28:20 Ex 2:20 Le 11:3. Manna is called bread from heaven, Ex 16:4. Bread, in the proper and literal sense, usually means cakes made of wheaten flour; barely being used chiefly by the poor and for feeding horses. The wheat was ground daily, in small stone mills; the flour was made into dough in a wooden trough, and subsequently leavened, Ex 12:34 Ho 7:4. It was then made into cakes, and baked.

and they found a man Egyptian in the open country and they took the object marker him to David and they gave to him bread and he ate and they gave to drink him water
וַיֹּ֔אכַלvai.Yo.khal and he ate H398 Verb · Qal · sequential imperfect third person masculine singular
810× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This word means to eat or devour, and it's used in many stories, including when Jesus fed the 5000 with fish and bread in the book of Matthew. It's about taking in nourishment and being satisfied.
Tyndale gloss
to eat
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

אָכַל (akal) means 'to eat' and encompasses a wide range of meanings, including literal consumption by humans and animals, as well as figurative uses like devouring by fire or destruction. It can describe actions such as feeding or causing to eat, and it also appears in contexts of oppression and destruction. The verb has various forms, indicating different subjects and nuances.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

אָכַל 806 vb. eat

Qal

eat, human subject

of beasts, birds, etc., eat, devour

fig. of fire, devour, consume

of sword, devour, slay

in genl., devour, consume, destroy

fig. of oppression, devour the poor

Niph.

be eaten by man

be devoured by fire, consumed

be wasted, destroyed, of flesh

Pu. be consumed

Hiph.

cause to eat, feed with

cause to devoure, obj. sword

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H398 אָכַל eat .. eat, human subject

. of beasts, birds, etc., eat, devour

. fig. of fire, devour, consume

. of sword, devour, slay

. in genl., devour, consume, destroy

. fig. of oppression, devour the poor

. . be eaten by man

. be devoured by fire, consumed

. be wasted, destroyed, of flesh

. be consumed

. . cause to eat, feed with

. cause to devoure, obj. sword

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

398 'akal aw-kal'

a primitive root; to eat (literally or figuratively):--X at

all, burn up, consume, devour(-er, up), dine, eat(-er, up),

feed (with), food, X freely, X in...wise(-deed, plenty), (lay)

meat, X quite.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

אָכַל (a.khal) — to eat.

1) to eat, devour, burn up, feed

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to eat (human subject)

1a2) to eat, devour (of beasts and birds)

1a3) to devour, consume (of fire)

1a4) to devour, slay (of sword)

1a5) to devour, consume, destroy (inanimate subjects - ie, pestilence, drought)

1a6) to devour (of oppression)

1b) (Niphal)

1b1) to be eaten (by men)

1b2) to be devoured, consumed (of fire)

1b3) to be wasted, destroyed (of flesh)

1c) (Pual)

1c1) to cause to eat, feed with

1c2) to cause to devour

1d) (Hiphil)

1d1) to feed

1d2) to cause to eat

1e) (Piel)

1e1) consume

Aramaic equivalent: a.khal (אֲכַל "to devour" H0399)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Conj | V-Qal-ConsecImperf-3ms — Verb · Qal · sequential imperfect third person masculine singular
Hc/Vqw3ms
and they found a man Egyptian in the open country and they took the object marker him to David and they gave to him bread and he ate and they gave to drink him water
וַיַּשְׁקֻ֖הוּvai.yash.Ku.hu and they gave to drink him H8248 Verb hiphil sequential imperfect third person masculine plural · suffix
61× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This verb means to give water or a drink to someone or something, often used in stories like Genesis and Exodus. It describes providing sustenance and care, like God giving water to the Israelites in the desert.
Tyndale gloss
to water: watering
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word שָׁקָה (sha.qah) is a primitive root meaning to cause to drink or to water. It covers the act of giving drink to both animals and plants, as well as the concept of irrigation. The entries indicate various grammatical forms, including Hiphil, Pual, and Niphal, with no significant disagreement among lexicons.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

[שָׁקָה] vb. Hiph. cause to drink water, give to drink

Hiph. water, irrigate, ground

water, give drink to

Pu. the marrow of his bones is watered, (refreshed, invigorated).

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H8248 שָׁקָה Hiph. cause to drink water, give to drink

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

8248 shaqah shaw-kaw'

a primitive root; to quaff, i.e. (causatively) to irrigate or

furnish a potion to:--cause to (give, give to, let, make to)

drink, drown, moisten, water. See 7937, 8354.

see HEBREW for 07937

see HEBREW for 08354

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

שָׁקָה (sha.qah) — to water: watering.

: watering(ANIMALS/PLANTS)

1) to give to drink, irrigate, drink, water, cause to drink water

1a) (Hiphil)

1a1) to water, irrigate

1a2) to water, give drink to

1b) (Pual) to be watered

1c) (Niphal) variant

שָׁקָה (sha.qah) — to water: drink.

: drink(PEOPLE)

1) to give to drink, irrigate, drink, water, cause to drink water

1a) (Hiphil)

1a1) to water, irrigate

1a2) to water, give drink to

1b) (Pual) to be watered

1c) (Niphal) variant

שָׁקָה (sha.qah) — to water: cupbearer.

: cupbearer

1) to give to drink, irrigate, drink, water, cause to drink water

1a) (Hiphil)

1a1) to water, irrigate

1a2) to water, give drink to

1b) (Pual) to be watered

1c) (Niphal) variant

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Conj | V-Hiphil-ConsecImperf-3mp | Suff — Verb hiphil sequential imperfect third person masculine plural · suffix
Hc/Vhw3mp/Sp3ms
and they found a man Egyptian in the open country and they took the object marker him to David and they gave to him bread and he ate and they gave to drink him water
מָֽיִם׃Ma.yim water H4325 Noun common · masculine plural absolute
581× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This word means water, referring to a liquid or a source of refreshment. It appears in the Bible as a literal and figurative term, including references to wasting or urine. The word is used in various contexts, such as in Genesis and Leviticus.
Amplified meaning
a liquid, a source of refreshment
Tyndale gloss
Water (Gate)
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

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

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

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

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H4325 מַי only pl. מַ֫יִם waters, water

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

4325 mayim mah'-yim

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

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

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

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

מַי (ma.yim) — water.

1) water, waters

1a) water

1b) water of the feet, urine

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

מַי (ma.yim) — Water (Gate).

This name means water, refreshment

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-mp — Noun common · masculine plural absolute
HNcmpa
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

wo'-ter (mayim; hudor):

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

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

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

American Tract Society Bible Dictionary

See CISTERN and WELLS.

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

Nave's Topical Bible

→ Creation of Ps 148:4,5

→ Covered the whole earth Ge 1:9

→ Daily allowance of Eze 4:11

→ City waterworks 2Ki 20:20

→ Vision of, by Ezekiel Eze 47:1-5

→ Of separation Nu 19:2-22

→ Libation of 1Sa 7:6

→ Irrigation with

See IRRIGATION

→ Miraculously supplied

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

To Samson Jud 15:19

Torrey's New Topical Textbook

- One of the elements of the world

Ge 1:2

- GOD ORIGINALLY

. Created the firmament to divide

Ge 1:6,7

. Collected into one place

Ge 1:9

. Created fowls and fishes, &c from

Ge 1:20,21

- Necessary to vegetation

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

- Some plants particularly require

Job 8:11

- Necessary to the comfort and happiness of man

Isa 41:17; Zec 9:11

- COLLECTED IN

. Springs

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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