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2 Chronicles 31:9 — Word Study

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WLCוַיִּדְרֹ֣שׁ יְחִזְקִיָּ֗הוּ עַל־ הַכֹּֽהֲנִ֛ים וְהַלְוִיִּ֖ם עַל־ הָעֲרֵמֽוֹת׃

BSAThen HezekiahChizqîyâh [inquired of, sought insight from] questioneddârash [to seek, ask about] the priestskôhên [spiritual leaders, mediators] and LevitesLêvîyîy [descendants of Levi, worship assistants] aboutʻal [concerning, regarding] the heapsʻârêm [piles, accumulations of goods]

Word
Listen & take away2 Chronicles 31
English ↓ Download MP3 The Berean Standard Bible chapter audio already hosted for the site's Bible section — verse 9 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 (ha.'a.re.Mot) — no per-word recordings of the Hebrew exist to link to.
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2 Chronicles 31:9quick helps
In a sentenceHezekiah asked the priests and Levites about the heaps of contributions.
Who is speakingHezekiah, king of Judah, who sought to understand the situation.
Where we areA moment of inquiry following a significant gathering of offerings.
The hard wordדָּרַשׁ
Take awayHezekiah's leadership involved seeking clarity on the people's contributions.
6 commentators on this verse Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them › clause subjectיְחִזְקִיָּהוּ verbדָּרַשׁ 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 — 2 Chronicles 31:9

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 — Hezekiah's Inquirygenerated

8When Hezekiah and his officials came and viewed the heaps, they blessed the LORD and His people Israel.
9Then Hezekiah questioned the priests and Levites about the heaps,
10and Azariah, the chief priest of the household of Zadok, answered him, “Since the people began to bring their contributions into the house of the LORD, we have had enough to eat and there is plenty left over, because the LORD has blessed His people; this great abundance is what is left over.”
11Then Hezekiah commanded them to prepare storerooms in the house of the LORD, and they did so.

2 Chronicles 31:9 describes a moment when King Hezekiah sought to understand the contributions brought to the house of the LORD. This inquiry followed a time of blessing where the people had generously given, leading Hezekiah to ensure proper stewardship of these resources. His leadership is marked by a desire for accountability and clarity regarding the spiritual and material state of the community.


Cross References


The Key Word דָּרַשׁ, vai.yid.Roshgenerated

The verb דָּרַשׁ (darash) means to seek or inquire. It carries the connotation of diligently searching or investigating, often in a spiritual context, such as seeking God or understanding His will. In this verse, it indicates Hezekiah's proactive approach to leadership by asking questions to gain insight.

This verb appears in the Qal form, indicating a simple action of seeking. Hezekiah's inquiry reflects a responsible and engaged ruler who desires to understand the situation fully, ensuring that the contributions are being managed appropriately.


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 finite verb וַיִּדְרֹ֣שׁ (vai.yid.Rosh), and he inquired, governs the sentence. It is followed by two noun phrases: יְחִזְקִיָּ֗הוּ (Hezekiah) as the subject and הַכֹּֽהֲנִ֛ים (the priests) and וְהַלְוִיִּ֖ם (and the Levites) as the objects of inquiry.

The structure emphasizes Hezekiah's role as the subject actively seeking information from the priests and Levites regarding the heaps, highlighting the importance of leadership in understanding community contributions.


Septuagint Backgroundgenerated

The Septuagint translates דָּרַשׁ as ἐπυνθάνετο (he inquired), which suggests a similar action of seeking information. This choice reflects a consistent understanding of Hezekiah's inquiry as a deliberate act of seeking knowledge.

The Greek term conveys the same essence of inquiry, illustrating the continuity between the Hebrew and Greek texts in emphasizing the importance of understanding the contributions made by the people.


In plain words — the whole versegenerated

2 Chronicles 31:9 tells us that King Hezekiah asked the priests and Levites about the heaps of contributions. He wanted to ensure that the offerings were being handled properly and to understand the situation regarding the abundance brought to the house of the LORD.


Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated

Why did Hezekiah question the priests and Levites?

Hezekiah sought to understand the contributions being made to the house of the LORD and ensure they were managed properly.

What does the term 'heaps' refer to?

The heaps refer to the piles or accumulations of goods and contributions brought by the people.

What was the significance of Hezekiah's inquiry?

Hezekiah's inquiry reflects his leadership and responsibility in managing the spiritual and material resources of the community.

How did the priests and Levites respond to Hezekiah's question?

The priests and Levites provided answers about the abundance of contributions and how they were being utilized.


Reflection Questionsgenerated

  1. What does it mean to seek understanding in my own life, as Hezekiah did?
  2. How can I ensure that I am being responsible with the resources I have, like Hezekiah?
  3. In what ways can I inquire about the needs of my community, similar to how Hezekiah questioned the priests and Levites?
  4. What steps can I take to be a good steward of the blessings I receive?

Commentators on this verse — 6 expositors, verse by verse

Each of these wrote on 2 Chronicles 31:9 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.

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

Then Hezekiah questioned with the priests and the Levites concerning the heaps. How they came to be so large, or why they let them lie where they did.

Read John Gill on 2 Chronicles 31 →
Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's Commentary

Then Hezekiah questioned with the priests and the Levites concerning the heaps. Hezekiah questioned with the priests and the Levites concerning the heaps.

Read Robert Jamieson on 2 Chronicles 31 →
Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy Bible

How it came to pass that no more of their provision was spent, and that there yet remained such great heaps of it.

Read Matthew Poole on 2 Chronicles 31 →
John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

2 Chronicles 31:9 Then Hezekiah questioned with the priests and the Levites concerning the heaps.Ver. 9. Concerning the heaps.] See on 2 Chronicles 31:7.

Read John Trapp on 2 Chronicles 31 →
Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(9) Then Hezekiah questioned with the priests and the Levites.—And Hezekiah asked the priests, &c. The construction is dârash ‘al. (Comp. 2 Samuel 11:3; 1 Samuel 28:7.) The king wished to know how it was the heaps of offerings were so large.

Read Charles John Ellicott on 2 Chronicles 31 →
Albert Barnes1798–1870Barnes' Notes on the Bible

“Hezekiah questioned” in order to know whether the ministering priests and Levites had had their maintenance out of the tithes, and whether the accumulation which he saw was clear surplus.

Read Albert Barnes on 2 Chronicles 31 →

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

Then Hezekiah questioned the priests and Levites about the heaps,

WEBWorld English Bible2000

Then Hezekiah questioned the priests and the Levites about the heaps.

MSBMajority Standard Bible2022

Then Hezekiah questioned the priests and Levites about the heaps,

NETBNew English Translation2006

When Hezekiah asked the priests and Levites about the heaps,

Tyndale line

KJVKing James Version1611

Then Hezekiah questioned with the priests and the Levites concerning the heaps.

ASVAmerican Standard Version1901

Then Hezekiah questioned the priests and the Levites concerning the heaps.

RVARevised Version, American1894

Then Hezekiah questioned with the priests and the Levites concerning the heaps.

NWBWebster's Bible1833

Then Hezekiah questioned with the priests and the Levites concerning the heaps.

GNVGeneva Bible1599

And Hezekiah questioned with the Priests and the Leuites concerning the heapes.

Strictly literal

DBYDarby Translation1890

And Hezekiah questioned the priests and the Levites concerning the heaps.

YLTYoung's Literal Translation1862

and Hezekiah inquireth at the priests and the Levites concerning the heaps,

LSVLiteral Standard Version2020

and Hezekiah inquires at the priests and the Levites concerning the heaps,

ILTInterlinear Literal Translation2000

Then made Hezekiah inquiry of the priests and the Levites concerning the heaps.

ULBUnlocked Literal Bible2017

Then Hezekiah questioned the priests and the Levites about the heaps.

From the Latin

DRADouay-Rheims (Challoner)1899

And Ezechias asked the priests and the Levites, why the heaps lay so.

Simplified

FBVFree Bible Version2020

Hezekiah asked the priests and Levites about what had been collected.

BBEBible in Basic English1949

Then Hezekiah put questions to the priests and Levites about the store of goods.

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.

וַandclauseverbיִּדְרֹ֣שׁhe.enquiredsubjectיְחִזְקִיָּ֗הוּHezekiahprepositional phrase · prepositionalעַלtonoun phrasenoun phraseהַtheכֹּֽהֲנִ֛יםpriestsוְandnoun phraseהַtheלְוִיִּ֖םLevitesprepositional phrase · prepositionalעַלonnoun phraseהָtheעֲרֵמֽוֹתheaps

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


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

The Masoretic Text reads: וַיִּדְרֹ֣שׁ יְחִזְקִיָּ֗הוּ עַל־ הַכֹּֽהֲנִ֛ים וְהַלְוִיִּ֖ם עַל־ הָעֲרֵמֽוֹת׃. The Septuagint matches closely with six of the seven words, indicating a strong agreement between the two texts on this verse.

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

וַיִּדְרֹ֣שׁ יְחִזְקִיָּ֗הוּ עַל־ הַכֹּֽהֲנִ֛ים וְהַלְוִיִּ֖ם עַל־ הָעֲרֵמֽוֹת׃

Septuagintthe Greek the translators chose, word by word
וַיִּדְרֹ֣שׁἐπυνθάνετοיְחִזְקִיָּ֗הוּεζεκιαςהַכֹּֽהֲנִ֛יםἱερέωνוְהַלְוִיִּ֖םλευιτῶνעַל־ὑπὲρהָעֲרֵמֽוֹת׃σωρῶν

6 of the 7 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.

2 Chronicles 31:9דָּרַשׁand he enquand he enquiredדָּרַשׁחִזְקִיָּהוּHezekiahHezekiahחִזְקִיָּהוּעַלtotoעַלכֹּהֵןthe prieststhe priestsכֹּהֵןלֵוִיand the Levand the Levitesלֵוִיעַלononעַלעֲרֵמָהthe heapsthe heapsעֲרֵמָהחָזַקto strengtto strengthen: חָזַקעַלheightheightעַללֵוִיLeviLeviלֵוִיעָרַםto pile upto pile upעָרַםכָּהַןto ministeto ministerכָּהַןכִּפֶּרto atoneto atoneכִּפֶּרכִּסֵּאthronethroneכִּסֵּאבַּעַלבַּעַללֵבָבheartheartלֵבָביְשַׁעְיָ֫הוּJeshaiahJeshaiahיְשַׁעְיָ֫הוּחָלָהbe weak: wbe weak: weakחָלָהאֶלְעָזָרEleazarEleazarאֶלְעָזָרצָדוֹקZadokZadokצָדוֹקכֹּהֵןpriestpriestכֹּהֵןעֲבֹדָהserviceserviceעֲבֹדָהחֹ֫דֶשׁmonthmonthחֹ֫דֶשׁ
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 2 Chronicles 31:9

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 he enquired Hezekiah to the priests and the Levites on the heaps
וַיִּדְרֹ֣שׁvai.yid.Rosh and he enquired H1875 Verb · Qal · sequential imperfect third person masculine singular
164× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
To seek or ask is the meaning of this Hebrew word, often used to describe seeking God or worshiping him. It can also mean to investigate or enquire about something.
Amplified meaning
to seek, ask about
Tyndale gloss
to seek
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

דָּרַשׁ (darash) is a Hebrew verb meaning to seek or inquire. It encompasses a range of actions from frequenting a place to consulting deities in prayer and worship. The word can imply a diligent search or demand, and it appears in both Qal and Niphal forms, indicating various nuances of seeking and being sought. The entries do not present any significant disagreement.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

דָּרַשׁ 162 vb. resort to, seek

Qal

(tread a place,) resort to, frequent

seek, consult, inquire of

seek deity in prayer and worship

seek, with idea of demanding, require

inquire, investigate (a matter)

ask for, require, demand

seek with application, study, follow, practise

seek with care, care for

Niph.

let oneself be inquired of, consulted, only of God

be sought out

be required, of blood

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H1875 דָּרַשׁ resort to, seek

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

1875 darash daw-rash'

a primitive root; properly, to tread or frequent; usually to

follow (for pursuit or search); by implication, to seek or

ask; specifically to worship:--ask, X at all, care for, X

diligently, inquire, make inquisition, (necro-)mancer,

question, require, search, seek (for, out), X surely.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

דָּרַשׁ (da.rash) — to seek.

1) to resort to, seek, seek with care, enquire, require

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to resort to, frequent (a place), (tread a place)

1a2) to consult, enquire of, seek

1a2a) of God

1a2b) of heathen gods, necromancers

1a3) to seek deity in prayer and worship

1a3a) God

1a3b) heathen deities

1a4) to seek (with a demand), demand, require

1a5) to investigate, enquire

1a6) to ask for, require, demand

1a7) to practice, study, follow, seek with application

1a8) to seek with care, care for

1b) (Niphal)

1b1) to allow oneself to be enquired of, consulted (only of God)

1b2) to be sought, be sought out

1b3) to be required (of blood)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Conj | V-Qal-ConsecImperf-3ms — Verb · Qal · sequential imperfect third person masculine singular
Hc/Vqw3ms
and he enquired Hezekiah to the priests and the Levites on the heaps
יְחִזְקִיָּ֗הוּye.chiz.ki.Ya.hu Hezekiah H2396 Noun proper masculine
127× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
Hezekiah was a king of Judah who served Jehovah and removed idolatrous practices. He was the son of Ahaz and Abijah, and a great-great-grandfather of Zephaniah the prophet. His name means Jehovah is my strength.
Amplified meaning
inquired of, sought insight from
Tyndale gloss
Hezekiah
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

חִזְקִיָּהוּ (Hizqiyahu) means "Jehovah is my strength" and refers primarily to Hezekiah, the 12th king of Judah, known for his religious reforms. The name is derived from the roots meaning 'to strengthen' and 'Jah' (a form of Jehovah). Hezekiah is noted for his lineage as a descendant of David and is mentioned in various contexts, including his role during the Divided Monarchy and the Exile.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

חִזְקִיָּהוּ, חִזְקִיָּה, יְחִזְקִיָּהוּ, יְחִזְקִיָּה n.pr.m. (י׳ hath strengthened, י׳ strengtheneth)

son of Ahaz, King of Judah

great-great-grandson pf proph. Zephaniah

man of royal Davidic line

head of a family of returned exiles

an Ephraimite, Ahaz’s time

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H2396 חִזְקִיָּהוּ, חִזְקִיָּה, יְחִזְקִיָּהוּ, יְחִזְקִיָּה (י׳ hath strengthened, י׳ strengtheneth)

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

2396 Chizqiyah khiz-kee-yaw'

or Chizqiyahuw {khiz-kee-yaw'-hoo}; also Ychizqiyah

{yekh-iz-kee-yaw'}; or Ychizqiyahuw {yekh-iz-kee-yaw'-hoo};

from 2388 and 3050; strengthened of Jah; Chizkijah, a king of

Judah, also the name of two other Israelites:--Hezekiah,

Hizkiah, Hizkijah. Compare 3169.

see HEBREW for 02388

see HEBREW for 03050

see HEBREW for 03169

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

חִזְקִיָּהוּ (chiz.qiy.yah) — Hezekiah.

A king of the tribe of Judah living at the time of Divided Monarchy, first mentioned at 2Ki.16.20;

son of: Ahaz (H0271) and Abi (H0021);

brother of: Maaseiah (H4641J); married to Hephzibah (H2657);

father of: Manasseh (H4519H)

§ Hezekiah or Hizkiah or Hizkijah = "Jehovah is my strength"

1) 12th king of Judah, son of Ahaz and Abijah; a good king in that he served Jehovah and did away with idolatrous practices

2) great-great-grandfather of Zephaniah the prophet

3) son of Neariah, a descendant of David

4) head of a family of returning exiles in the time of Nehemiah

חִזְקִיָּהוּ (chiz.qiy.yah) — Hizkiah.

A man of the tribe of Judah living at the time of Divided Monarchy, only mentioned at 1Ch.3.23;

son of: Neariah (H5294);

brother of: Elioenai (H0454B) and Azrikam (H5840)

§ Hezekiah or Hizkiah or Hizkijah = "Jehovah is my strength"

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-proper — Noun proper masculine
HNpm
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
Easton's Bible Dictionary

Hezekiah

Whom Jehovah has strengthened. (1.) Son of Ahaz (2 Kings 18:1; 2 Chr. 29:1), whom he succeeded on the throne of the kingdom of Judah. He reigned twenty-nine years (B.C. 726-697). The history of this king is contained in 2 Kings 18:20, Isa. 36-39, and 2 Chr. 29-32. He is spoken of as a great and good king. In public life he followed the example of his great-granfather Uzziah. He set himself to abolish idolatry from his kingdom, and among other things which he did for this end, he destroyed the “brazen serpent,” which had been removed to Jerusalem, and had become an object of idolatrous worship (Num. 21:9). A great reformation was wrought in the kingdom of Judah in…

Smith's Bible Dictionary

(the might of Jehovah). Twelfth king of Judah, son of the apostate Ahaz and Abi or Abijah, ascended the throne at the age of 25, B.C. 726. Hezekiah was one of the three most perfect kings of Judah. (2 Kings 18:5) Ecclus. 49:4. His first act was to purge and repair and reopen with splendid sacrifices and perfect ceremonial the temple. He also destroyed a brazen serpent, said to have been the one used by Moses in the miraculous healing of the Israelites, (Numbers 21:9) which had become an object of adoration. When the kingdom of Israel had fallen, Hezekiah invited the scattered inhabitants to a peculiar passover, which was continued for the unprecedented period of fourteen days. (2 Chronicles 29:30,31) At the head of a repentant…

American Tract Society Bible Dictionary

A pious king of Judah, succeeded his father Ahaz about 726 B. C., and died about 698 B. C. His history is contained in 2Ki 18:12-21 2Ch 29:1-32:33. Compare Isa 36:1-38:22. His reign is memorable for his faithful efforts to restore the worship of Jehovah; for his pride and presumption towards the Assyrians; for the distractions of their invading host in answer to his prayer; for his sickness and humiliation, and the prolonging of his life fifteen years of peace. He was succeeded by the unworthy Manasseh.

Hitchcock's Bible Names Dictionary

strength of the Lord

and he enquired Hezekiah to the priests and the Levites on the heaps
עַל־'al- to H5921 Preposition
5,774× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This Hebrew word means on or above something, like a physical object or a situation. It can also imply a sense of responsibility or accountability, as in being on behalf of someone.
Amplified meaning
concerning, regarding
Tyndale gloss
upon
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word עַל (*al*) is a preposition meaning 'upon' and encompasses a wide range of meanings, including 'on account of,' 'beside,' 'above,' and 'against.' It can indicate physical placement, emotional burdens, or duties imposed on a person. The entries also note its use in idiomatic expressions and with verbs of motion. There is a mention of its function as a conjunction in certain contexts.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

כִּי עַל כֵּן forasmuch as

base

עַל, עָ֑ל

subst. height

As prep. upon, and hence on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against

Upon, of the substratum upon which an object in any way rests, or on which an action is performed

of clothing, etc., which any one wears

With verbs of covering or protecting, even though the cover or veil be not over or above the thing covered, but around or before it

Of what rests heavily upon a person, or is a burden to him

Of a duty, payment, care, etc., imposed upon a person, or devolving on him

על is used idiom. to give pathos to the expression of an emotion, by emphasizing the person who is its subject, and who, as it were, feels it acting upon him

חָיָה עַל to live upon (as upon a foundation or support)

Read the full entry →
Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H5921a עַל, עָ֑ל . As prep. upon, and hence on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against . Upon, of the substratum upon which an object in any way rests, or on which an action is performed . — . of clothing, etc., which any one wears

. With verbs of covering or protecting, even though the cover or veil be not over or above the thing covered, but around or before it

. Of what rests heavily upon a person, or is a burden to him

. Of a duty, payment, care, etc., imposed upon a person, or devolving on him

. על is used idiom. to give pathos to the expression of an emotion, by emphasizing the person who is its subject, and who, as it were, feels it acting upon him

. חָיָה עַל to live upon (as upon a foundation or support)

Read the full entry →
Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

5921 `al al

properly, the same as 5920 used as a preposition (in the

singular or plural often with prefix, or as conjunction with a

particle following); above, over, upon, or against (yet always

in this last relation with a downward aspect) in a great

variety of applications (as follow):--above, according

to(-ly), after, (as) against, among, and, X as, at, because

of, beside (the rest of), between, beyond the time, X both

and, by (reason of), X had the charge of, concerning for, in

(that), (forth, out) of, (from) (off), (up-)on, over, than,

through(-out), to, touching, X with.

see HEBREW for 05920

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

עַל (al) — upon.

prep

1) upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against

1a) upon, on the ground of, on the basis of, on account of, because of, therefore, on behalf of, for the sake of, for, with, in spite of, notwithstanding, concerning, in the matter of, as regards

1b) above, beyond, over (of excess)

1c) above, over (of elevation or pre-eminence)

1d) upon, to, over to, unto, in addition to, together with, with (of addition)

1e) over (of suspension or extension)

1f) by, adjoining, next, at, over, around (of contiguity or proximity)

1g) down upon, upon, on, from, up upon, up to, towards, over towards, to, against (with verbs of motion)

1h) to (as a dative)

[כִּי] עַל [כֵּן] ([ki] al [ken]) — as.

conj

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Prep — Preposition
HR
The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
and he enquired Hezekiah to the priests and the Levites on the heaps
הַכֹּֽהֲנִ֛יםha.ko.ha.Nim the priests H3548 Particle · noun common masculine plural absolute
750× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
In the Bible, a priest is a person who serves God and leads others in worship, like the Levitical priests in Exodus. They were responsible for making sacrifices and following God's laws. This term is also used to describe Jesus as a priest-king.
Amplified meaning
spiritual leaders, mediators
Tyndale gloss
priest
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

כֹּהֵן (kohen) means 'priest' and is derived from the active participle of a related root. It encompasses various types of priests, including Levitical, Aaronic, and even pagan priests, as well as chief rulers or principal officers. The term is used in contexts referring to both Jewish and non-Jewish priestly roles.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

כֹּהֵן 750 n.m. priest

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H3548 כֹּהֵן priest

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

3548 kohen ko-hane'

active participle of 3547; literally, one officiating, a

priest; also (by courtesy) an acting priest (although a

layman):--chief ruler, X own, priest, prince, principal

officer.

see HEBREW for 03547

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

כֹּהֵן (ko.hen) — priest.

1) priest, principal officer or chief ruler

1a) priest-king (Melchizedek, Messiah)

1b) pagan priests

1c) priests of Jehovah

1d) Levitical priests

1e) Zadokite priests

1f) Aaronic priests

1g) the high priest

Aramaic equivalent: ka.hen (כָּהֵן "priest" H3549)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Art | N-mp — Particle · noun common masculine plural absolute
HTd/Ncmpa
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
Torrey's New Topical Textbook

- First notice of persons acting as

Ge 4:3,4

- During patriarchal age heads of families acted as

Ge 8:20; 12:8; 35:7

- After the exodus young men (first-born) deputed to act as

Ex 24:5; 19:22

- The sons of Aaron appointed as, by perpetual statute

Ex 29:9; 40:15

- All except seed of Aaron excluded from being

Nu 3:10; 16:40; 18:7

- Sanctified by God for the office

Ex 29:44

- Publicly consecrated

Ex 28:3; Nu 3:3

- CEREMONIES AT CONSECRATION OF

. Washing in water

and he enquired Hezekiah to the priests and the Levites on the heaps
וְהַלְוִיִּ֖םve.hal.vi.Yim and the Levites H3881 Conjunction · particle · noun gentilic masculine plural absolute
291× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
A Levite is a descendant of Levi, one of Jacob's 12 sons, mentioned in Genesis 29:34. Levi's brothers include Reuben, Simeon, and Judah. His descendants played a key role in Israel's spiritual life.
Amplified meaning
descendants of Levi, worship assistants
Tyndale gloss
Levi
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

לֵוִי (Leviy) refers to a Levite, a member of the tribe of Levi, which is the third son of Jacob and Leah. This term encompasses the descendants of Levi, who were set apart for religious duties. The word is linked to the Hebrew root for 'joining,' reflecting the tribe's special role in service to God. It first appears in Genesis 29:34.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

לֵוִי 291 adj.gent. Levite

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H3881 לֵוִי Levite

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

3881 Leviyiy lay-vee-ee'

or Leviy {lay-vee'}; patronymically from 3878; a Levite or

descendant of Levi:--Leviite.

see HEBREW for 03878

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

לֵוִי (le.viy.yi) — Levi.

Someone from the tribe of Levi living at the time of the Patriarchs, first mentioned at Gen.29.34;

son of: Israel (H3478) and Leah (H3812);

brother of: Reuben (H7205), Simeon (H8095), Judah (H3063), Issachar (H3485), Zebulun (H2074) and Dinah (H1783);

half-brother of: Dan (H1835H), Naphtali (H5321), Gad (H1410), Asher (H0836), Joseph (H3130) and Benjamin (H1144);

father of: Gershon (H1648), Kohath (H6955), Merari (H4847) and Jochebed (H3115)

Another name of le.vi (לֵוִי "Levi" H3878)

§ Levite, of Levi "joined to"

1) the descendants of Levi, the 3rd son of Jacob by Leah

1a) the tribe descended from Levi specially set aside by God for His service

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Conj | Art | Ngmpa — Conjunction · particle · noun gentilic masculine plural absolute
HC/Td/Ngmpa
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

le'-vits.

See PRIESTS AND LEVITES.

Smith's Bible Dictionary

(descendants of Levi). Sometimes the name extends to the whole tribe, the priests included, (Exodus 6:25; Leviticus 25:32; Numbers 35:2; Joshua 21:3,41) etc; sometimes only to those members of the tribe who were not priests, and as distinguished from them. Sometimes again it is added as an epithet of the smaller portion of the tribe, and we read of "the priests the Levites." (Joshua 3:3; Ezekiel 44:15) The history of the tribe and of the functions attached to its several orders is essential to any right apprehension of the history of Israel as a people. It will fall…

American Tract Society Bible Dictionary

All the descendants of Levi may be comprised under this name, Ex 6:16,25 Jos 3:3, (see LEVI;) but chiefly those who were employed in the lower services in the temple, by which they were distinguished from the priests, who were of the race of Levi by Aaron, and were employed in higher offices, Nu 3:6-10 18:2-7. God chose the Levites for the service of his tabernacle and temple, instead of the firstborn of all Israel, to whom such duties naturally belonged, and who were already sacred to God in memory of the great deliverance in Egypt. Ex 13:1-22 Nu 3:12,13,39-51. In the wilderness, the Levites took charge of the tabernacle…

Nave's Topical Bible

→ (The descendants of Levi)

→ Set apart as ministers of religion Nu 1:47-54; 3:6-16; 16:9; 26:57-62; De 10:8; 1Ch 15:2

→ Substituted in the place of the firstborn children Nu 3:12,41-45; 8:14,16-18; 18:6

→ Religious zeal of Ex 32:26-28; De 33:9,10; Mal 2:4,5

→ Consecration of Nu 8:6-21

→ Sedition among, led by Korah, Dathan, Abiram, and On, on account of jealousy toward Moses and Aaron Nu 16; with 4:19,20

and he enquired Hezekiah to the priests and the Levites on the heaps
עַל־'al- on H5921 Preposition
5,774× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This Hebrew word means on or above something, like a physical object or a situation. It can also imply a sense of responsibility or accountability, as in being on behalf of someone.
Tyndale gloss
upon
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word עַל (*al*) is a preposition meaning 'upon' and encompasses a wide range of meanings, including 'on account of,' 'beside,' 'above,' and 'against.' It can indicate physical placement, emotional burdens, or duties imposed on a person. The entries also note its use in idiomatic expressions and with verbs of motion. There is a mention of its function as a conjunction in certain contexts.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

כִּי עַל כֵּן forasmuch as

base

עַל, עָ֑ל

subst. height

As prep. upon, and hence on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against

Upon, of the substratum upon which an object in any way rests, or on which an action is performed

of clothing, etc., which any one wears

With verbs of covering or protecting, even though the cover or veil be not over or above the thing covered, but around or before it

Of what rests heavily upon a person, or is a burden to him

Of a duty, payment, care, etc., imposed upon a person, or devolving on him

על is used idiom. to give pathos to the expression of an emotion, by emphasizing the person who is its subject, and who, as it were, feels it acting upon him

חָיָה עַל to live upon (as upon a foundation or support)

Read the full entry →
Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H5921a עַל, עָ֑ל . As prep. upon, and hence on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against . Upon, of the substratum upon which an object in any way rests, or on which an action is performed . — . of clothing, etc., which any one wears

. With verbs of covering or protecting, even though the cover or veil be not over or above the thing covered, but around or before it

. Of what rests heavily upon a person, or is a burden to him

. Of a duty, payment, care, etc., imposed upon a person, or devolving on him

. על is used idiom. to give pathos to the expression of an emotion, by emphasizing the person who is its subject, and who, as it were, feels it acting upon him

. חָיָה עַל to live upon (as upon a foundation or support)

Read the full entry →
Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

5921 `al al

properly, the same as 5920 used as a preposition (in the

singular or plural often with prefix, or as conjunction with a

particle following); above, over, upon, or against (yet always

in this last relation with a downward aspect) in a great

variety of applications (as follow):--above, according

to(-ly), after, (as) against, among, and, X as, at, because

of, beside (the rest of), between, beyond the time, X both

and, by (reason of), X had the charge of, concerning for, in

(that), (forth, out) of, (from) (off), (up-)on, over, than,

through(-out), to, touching, X with.

see HEBREW for 05920

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

עַל (al) — upon.

prep

1) upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against

1a) upon, on the ground of, on the basis of, on account of, because of, therefore, on behalf of, for the sake of, for, with, in spite of, notwithstanding, concerning, in the matter of, as regards

1b) above, beyond, over (of excess)

1c) above, over (of elevation or pre-eminence)

1d) upon, to, over to, unto, in addition to, together with, with (of addition)

1e) over (of suspension or extension)

1f) by, adjoining, next, at, over, around (of contiguity or proximity)

1g) down upon, upon, on, from, up upon, up to, towards, over towards, to, against (with verbs of motion)

1h) to (as a dative)

[כִּי] עַל [כֵּן] ([ki] al [ken]) — as.

conj

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
HR — Preposition
HR
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
Easton's Bible Dictionary

On

Light; the sun, (Gen. 41:45, 50), the great seat of sun-worship, called also Bethshemesh (Jer. 43:13) and Aven (Ezek. 30:17), stood on the east bank of the Nile, a few miles north of Memphis, and near Cairo, in the north-east. The Vulgate and the LXX. Versions have “Heliopolis” (“city of the sun”) instead of On in Genesis and of Aven in Ezekiel. The “city of destruction” Isaiah speaks of (19:18, marg. “of Heres;” Heb. ‘Ir-ha-heres, which some MSS. read Ir-ha-heres, i.e., “city of the sun”) may be the name given to On, the prophecy being that the time will come when that city which was known as the “city of the sun-god” shall become the “city of destruction” of the sun-god, i.e., when idolatry shall cease, and the worship…

Smith's Bible Dictionary

(abode or city of the sun), a town of lower Egypt, called BETH-SHEMESH in (Jeremiah 43:13) On is better known under its Greek name Heliopolis. It was situated on the east side of the Pelusiac branch of the Nile, just below the point of the Delta, and about twenty miles northeast of Memphis. The chief object of worship at Heliopolis was the sun, whose temple, described by Strabo, is now only represented by the single beautiful obelisk, of red granite so feet 2 inches high above the pedestal which has stood for more than 4000 years, having been erected by Usirtesen, the second king of the twelfth dynasty. Heliopolis was anciently famous for its learning, and Eudoxus and Plato studied under its priests. The first mention of this place in the Bible is in the history of Joseph, to whom we read Pharaoh gave "to wife Asenath the daughter…

American Tract Society Bible Dictionary

See HELIOPOLIS.

Hitchcock's Bible Names Dictionary

pain; force; iniquity

The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
and he enquired Hezekiah to the priests and the Levites on the heaps
הָעֲרֵמֽוֹת׃ha.'a.re.Mot the heaps H6194 Particle · noun common feminine plural absolute
11× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This Hebrew word means a heap or pile, often referring to a sheaf of grain. It appears in the Bible as a heap of corn. In Genesis, it describes a large amount of food.
Amplified meaning
piles, accumulations of goods
Tyndale gloss
heap
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

עֲרֵמָה (arem) means 'heap' or 'pile' and can specifically refer to a sheaf, particularly in the context of grain. The word is derived from a root meaning to 'heap up' and is found in contexts such as Jeremiah 50:26. The entries consistently emphasize its meaning related to accumulation.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

עֲרֵמָה n.f. heap

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H6194 עֲרֵמָה heap

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

6194 `arem aw-rame'

(Jer. 50:26 or (feminine) aremah {ar-ay-maw'}; from 6192; a

heap; specifically, a sheaf:--heap (of corn), sheaf.

see HEBREW for 06192

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

עֲרֵמָה (a.re.mah) — heap.

heap, pile

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Art | N-fp — Particle · noun common feminine plural absolute
HTd/Ncfpa
The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
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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