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2 Kings 2:17 — Word Study

Depth

WLCוַיִּפְצְרוּ־ ב֥וֹ עַד־ בֹּ֖שׁ וַיֹּ֣אמֶר שְׁלָ֑חוּ וַֽיִּשְׁלְחוּ֙ חֲמִשִּׁ֣ים אִ֔ישׁ וַיְבַקְשׁ֥וּ שְׁלֹשָֽׁה־ יָמִ֖ים וְלֹ֥א מְצָאֻֽהוּ׃

BSABut when they pressedpâtsar [urged, insisted] to the point ofʻad embarrassmentbûwsh [ashamed, feeling guilt] he saidʼâmar Send [them]shâlach [dispatch, let them go] And they sentshâlach [dispatched, sent away] fiftychămishshîym [a group of fifty] menʼîysh who searched forbâqash [sought, looked for] threeshâlôwsh [a period of three] daysyôwm but did notlôʼ find [Elijah]mâtsâʼ [discover, locate]

Word
Listen & take away2 Kings 2
English ↓ Download MP3 The Berean Standard Bible chapter audio already hosted for the site's Bible section — verse 17 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 (me.tza.'U.hu) — no per-word recordings of the Hebrew exist to link to.
Take it away
2 Kings 2:17quick helps
In a sentenceElisha is pressed to send men to search for Elijah, but they fail to find him.
Who is speakingElisha, responding to the insistence of his companions.
Where we areThe narrative continues after the search for Elijah has begun.
The hard wordבּוֹשׁ
Take awayElisha's reluctance turns to acceptance under pressure.
8 commentators on this verse Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them › clause verbפָּצַר 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 Kings 2:17

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

Context — The Search for Elijahgenerated

16“Look now,” they said to Elisha, “we your servants have fifty valiant men. Please let them go and search for your master. Perhaps the Spirit of the LORD has taken him up and put him on one of the mountains or in one of the valleys.” “Do not send them,” Elisha replied.
17But when they pressed him to the point of embarrassment, he said, “Send them.” And they sent fifty men, who searched for three days but did not find Elijah.
18When they returned to Elisha, who was staying in Jericho, he said to them, “Didn’t I tell you not to go?”
19Then the men of the city said to Elisha, “Please note, our lord, that the city’s location is good, as you can see. But the water is bad and the land is unfruitful.”

2 Kings 2:17 recounts the moment when Elisha's companions insist on sending a search party for Elijah after he has been taken up by the Spirit of the LORD. Despite their efforts, they do not find him, highlighting the mystery of Elijah's departure and the challenges faced by Elisha as he assumes leadership.


Cross References

ReferenceText (BSB)
12 Samuel 18:22–23Ahimaaz son of Zadok, however, persisted and said to Joab, “Regardless of whatever may happen, please let me also run behind the Cushite!” “My son,” Joab replied, “why do you want to run, since you will not receive a reward?”
2Luke 11:8I tell you, even though he will not get up to provide for him because of his friendship, yet because of the man’s persistence, he will get up and give him as much as he needs.
3Romans 10:2For I testify about them that they are zealous for God, but not on the basis of knowledge.
4Hebrews 11:5By faith Enoch was taken up so that he did not see death: “He could not be found, because God had taken him away.” For before he was taken, he was commended as one who pleased God.

The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 4 references, hung on the phrase they belong to

found him notHebrews 11:5

The Key Word בּוֹשׁ, boshgenerated

The verb בּוֹשׁ (bosh) means 'to be ashamed' and conveys feelings of guilt or disappointment. It is used in various contexts to describe emotional states, particularly when someone is disconcerted or delayed in action.

In this verse, it illustrates Elisha's sense of embarrassment as he is pressed by his companions to send men to search for Elijah. The use of this verb emphasizes the emotional weight of the situation.


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 יִּפְצְרוּ (they urged) governs the main clause, with several phrases hanging off it: a prepositional phrase indicating the extent of their insistence, a second clause expressing Elisha's response, and a final clause detailing the actions taken by the men sent to search.

The structure highlights the pressure exerted on Elisha and his eventual compliance, showing a clear progression from insistence to action.


Septuagint Backgroundgenerated

The Septuagint translates בּוֹשׁ as ᾐσξύνετο (aischyneto), which also means 'to be ashamed.' This choice retains the emotional nuance of the Hebrew, indicating that the translators recognized the significance of Elisha's feelings in this moment.

The use of παρεβιάσαντο for וַיִּפְצְרוּ suggests a strong insistence, aligning with the Hebrew meaning of pressing or urging.


In plain words — the whole versegenerated

2 Kings 2:17 describes how Elisha's companions pressed him to send men to search for Elijah after he was taken up by the Spirit of the LORD. Despite sending fifty men to look for three days, they did not find him, illustrating the mystery surrounding Elijah's departure.


Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated

Why did Elisha feel ashamed?

Elisha felt ashamed because he was pressured by his companions to send men to search for Elijah, which he initially did not want to do.

What does it mean to press someone to the point of embarrassment?

To press someone to the point of embarrassment means to insist or urge them so strongly that they feel uncomfortable or guilty about their reluctance.

How many men were sent to search for Elijah?

Fifty men were sent to search for Elijah, as indicated in the verse.

What was the outcome of the search?

The outcome of the search was that they did not find Elijah after searching for three days.


Reflection Questionsgenerated

  1. In what situations have I felt pressured to act against my better judgment?
  2. How do I respond to pressure from others when I feel uncertain?
  3. What can I learn from Elisha's experience about leadership and decision-making?
  4. How do feelings of shame or embarrassment influence my actions?

Commentators on this verse — 8 expositors, verse by verse

Each of these wrote on 2 Kings 2:17 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.

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

And when they urged him until he was ashamed,.... To deny them any longer, being so very pressing and importunate: he said, send; lest they should think he had not the respect for his master he

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

And when they urged him till he was ashamed, he said, Send. They sent therefore fifty men; and they sought three days, but found him not. No JFB commentary on these verses.

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

Till he was ashamed, i.e. to wit, to deny them any longer, lest they should think his denial proceeded from a neglect of his master, or a contempt of the sons of the prophets, or a secret content he took in his master’ s loss, that he might have his honour and power. Or, till they were ashamed, because he did so oft and so obstinately deny their request.

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

2 Kings 2:17 And when they urged him till he was ashamed, he said, Send. They sent therefore fifty men; and they sought three days, but found him not.Ver. 17. He said, Send.] Since you have such a mind to it; though you are sure to lose your labour, But found him not.] Tired with three days’ search, they turn back as wise as they went. Some men are best satisfied when they have wearied themselves in their own ways. Nothing will teach them wit but disappointments.

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

(17) Urged him.—Genesis 33:11. Till he was ashamed.—Literally, unto being ashamed. The pronoun is not expressed in the Hebrew. “They pressed upon him, ‘ad bôsh,” means “until he was embarrassed, disconcerted, put out of countenance.” (Comp. 2 Kings 8:11; Judges 3:25.) Thenius prefers “they carried their importunity to a shameless length;” Keil and Bähr, “until he was disappointed in the hope of dissuading them.” (Comp. Psalms 22:5.)

Read Charles John Ellicott on 2 Kings 2 →
AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible

Verse 17. Till he was ashamed] He saw they would not be satisfied unless they made the proposed search; he felt therefore that he could not, with any good grace, resist their importunity any longer.

Read AdamClarke on 2 Kings 2 →
CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

17. till he was ashamed] i.e. to refuse longer so urgent, though as he knew resultless, a petition. There is no pronoun expressed in the original. Hence some have thought the expression meant ‘to a shameful extent’ and was to be applied to the undue persistence of the petitioners. But the same phrase occurs in Judges 3:25 of Eglon’s servants who waited till they were ashamed to wait longer. Here it implies that Elisha was at a loss how to refuse them any longer. His narrative was unprecedented in its character, and if they refused to be persuaded by that, he had no more that he could do.

Read Cambridge on 2 Kings 2 →
Albert Barnes1798–1870Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Till he was ashamed - i. e. to refuse them any longer.

Read Albert Barnes on 2 Kings 2 →

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

But when they pressed him to the point of embarrassment, he said, “Send them.” And they sent fifty men, who searched for three days but did not find Elijah.

WEBWorld English Bible2000

When they urged him until he was ashamed, he said, “Send them.” Therefore they sent fifty men; and they searched for three days, but didn’t find him.

MSBMajority Standard Bible2022

But when they pressed him to the point of embarrassment, he said, “Send them.” And they sent fifty men, who searched for three days but did not find Elijah.

NETBNew English Translation2006

But they were so insistent, he became embarrassed. So he said, “Send them out.” They sent the fifty men out and they looked for three days, but could not find Elijah.

Tyndale line

KJVKing James Version1611

And when they urged him till he was ashamed, he said, Send. They sent therefore fifty men; and they sought three days, but found him not.

ASVAmerican Standard Version1901

And when they urged him till he was ashamed, he said, Send. They sent therefore fifty men; and they sought three days, but found him not.

RVARevised Version, American1894

And when they urged him till he was ashamed, he said, Send. They sent therefore fifty men; and they sought three days, but found him not.

NWBWebster's Bible1833

And when they urged him till he was ashamed, he said, Send. They sent therefore fifty men; and they sought three days, but found him not.

GNVGeneva Bible1599

Yet they were instant vpon him, til he was ashamed: wherefore he saide, Sende. So they sent fiftie men, which sought three dayes, but founde him not.

Strictly literal

DBYDarby Translation1890

And they pressed him till he was ashamed, and he said, Send. They sent therefore fifty men, and they sought three days, but did not find him.

YLTYoung's Literal Translation1862

And they press upon him, till he is ashamed, and he saith, 'Send ye;' and they send fifty men, and they seek three days, and have not found him;

LSVLiteral Standard Version2020

And they press on him, until he is ashamed, and he says, “Send”; and they send fifty men, and they seek three days, and have not found him;

ILTInterlinear Literal Translation2000

And they urged him till he was ashamed, when he said, Send. And they sent fifty men; and they sought three days, but found him not.

ULBUnlocked Literal Bible2017

But when they urged Elisha until he was ashamed, he said, “Send them.” Then they sent fifty men, and they looked for three days, but did not find him.

From the Latin

DRADouay-Rheims (Challoner)1899

But they pressed him, till he consented, and said: Send. And they sent fifty men: and they sought three days but found him not.

Simplified

FBVFree Bible Version2020

But they went on trying to persuade him until he was too embarrassed to say no. “Go ahead and send them,” he told them. So they sent fifty men, who searched for Elijah for three days but couldn't find him.

BBEBible in Basic English1949

But when they kept on requesting him, he was shamed and said, Send, then. So they sent fifty men; but after searching for three days, they came back without having seen him.

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.

וַandclauseverbיִּפְצְרוּthey.urgedprepositional phrase · prepositionalב֥(in)וֹhimprepositional phrase · prepositionalעַדuntilclauseverbבֹּ֖שׁwas.ashamedוַandclauseverbיֹּ֣אמֶרhe.saidclauseverbשְׁלָ֑חוּsend.[them]וַֽandclauseverbיִּשְׁלְחוּ֙they.sent.outnoun phrase · objectחֲמִשִּׁ֣יםfiftyאִ֔ישׁmanוַandclauseverbיְבַקְשׁ֥וּthey.searchednoun phrase · adverbialשְׁלֹשָֽׁהthreeיָמִ֖יםdaysוְandclauseadverbialלֹ֥אnotverbמְצָאֻֽtheyobjectהוּfound.him

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 in their wording for this verse, with a complete match of the 14 words in the Hebrew text. This consistency indicates a shared understanding of the narrative across these ancient versions.

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

וַיִּפְצְרוּ־ ב֥וֹ עַד־ בֹּ֖שׁ וַיֹּ֣אמֶר שְׁלָ֑חוּ וַֽיִּשְׁלְחוּ֙ חֲמִשִּׁ֣ים אִ֔ישׁ וַיְבַקְשׁ֥וּ שְׁלֹשָֽׁה־ יָמִ֖ים וְלֹ֥א מְצָאֻֽהוּ׃

Septuagintthe Greek the translators chose, word by word
וַיִּפְצְרוּ־παρεβιάσαντοב֥וֹαὐτὸνעַד־ἕωςבֹּ֖שׁᾐσξύνετοוַיֹּ֣אמֶרεἶπενשְׁלָ֑חוּἀποστείλατεוַֽיִּשְׁלְחוּ֙ἀπέστειλανחֲמִשִּׁ֣יםπεντήκονταאִ֔ישׁἄνδραςוַיְבַקְשׁ֥וּἐζήτησανשְׁלֹשָֽׁה־τρεῖςיָמִ֖יםἡμέραςוְלֹ֥אοὐξמְצָאֻֽהוּ׃αὐτόν

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.

2 Kings 2:17פָּצַרand they urand they urgedפָּצַרוֹhimhimוֹעַדuntiluntilעַדבּוֹשׁwas ashamedwas ashamedבּוֹשׁאָמַרand he saidand he saidאָמַרשָׁלַחsend [them]send [them]שָׁלַחשָׁלַחand they seand they sent oשָׁלַחחֲמִשִּׁיםfiftyfiftyחֲמִשִּׁיםאִישׁmanmanאִישׁבָּקַשׁand they seand they searchבָּקַשׁשָׁלֹשׁthreethreeשָׁלֹשׁיוֹםdaysdaysיוֹםלֹאand notand notלֹאמָצָאthey found they found himמָצָאעַדperpetuityperpetuityעַדחָמֵשׁfivefiveחָמֵשׁאֱנוֹשׁhumanhumanאֱנוֹשׁאִשָּׁהwomanwomanאִשָּׁהשָׁלִthirdthirdשָׁלִחָפְשִׁיfreefreeחָפְשִׁימַלְאָךְmessengermessengerמַלְאָךְמֵאָהhundredhundredמֵאָהמְאֹדmuchmuchמְאֹדלָקַחto take: tto take: takeלָקַחמָתַיhowhowמָתַיעֶ֫רֶבeveningeveningעֶ֫רֶבחָפֵרbe ashamedbe ashamedחָפֵרכָּלַםbe humiliabe humiliatedכָּלַםכֹּהthusthusכֹּהיהוהYHWH/GodYHWH/Godיהוהרֵעַneighborneighborרֵעַנֶ֫פֶשׁsoulsoulנֶ֫פֶשׁ
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 Kings 2:17

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 urged him until was ashamed and he said send [them] and they sent out fifty man and they searched three days and not they found him
וַיִּפְצְרוּ־vai.yif.tze.ru- and they urged H6484 Verb · Qal · sequential imperfect third person masculine plural
7× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This verb means to press or push, and can also imply being stubborn or arrogant. It is used in different contexts, such as pushing or pressing something, or displaying insolence. The KJV translates it as press, urge, or stubbornness.
Amplified meaning
urged, insisted
Tyndale gloss
to press
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

פָּצַר (patsar) is a Hebrew verb meaning to push or press. It can refer to physical actions in the Qal form, while the Hiphil form conveys a sense of insolence or arrogance. The entries highlight its figurative use to indicate a dulling or stunning effect.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

[פָּצַר] vb. push, press

Qal push, press, upon physically

Hiph. to display pushing

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H6484 פָּצַר push, press

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

6484 patsar paw-tsar'

a primitive root; to peck at, i.e. (figuratively) stun or

dull:--press, urge, stubbornness.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

פָּצַר (pa.tsar) — to press.

1) to press, push

1a) (Qal) to push, press

1b) (Hiphil) be insolent, display pushing (arrogance, presumption)

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 urged him until was ashamed and he said send [them] and they sent out fifty man and they searched three days and not they found him
ב֥וֹvo 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
HR/Sp3ms — Preposition · suffix
HR/Sp3ms
and they urged him until was ashamed and he said send [them] and they sent out fifty man and they searched three days and not they found him
עַד־'ad- until H5704 Preposition
1,261× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This Hebrew word means until or as far as, describing a point in time or space. It's used in the Bible to set boundaries or limits, like in Exodus when describing the Israelites' journey.
Tyndale gloss
till
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

עַד (ad) primarily functions as a preposition, adverb, or conjunction meaning 'until,' 'up to,' or 'as far as.' It can denote spatial, temporal, or degree-related contexts, such as 'even to' or 'while.' The entries indicate its use in poetry and in various combinations, but there is no significant disagreement among the lexicons regarding its meanings.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

עַד, in poetry עֲדֵי prep. as far as, even to, up to, until, while

prep.

of space

Of time

Of degree

conj.

until

While

Of degree, to the point that, so that even (rare)

עַד לְ, a strengthened form for עַד. Thus

of space

Of time

Of degree

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H5704 עַד, in poetry עֲדֵי as far as, even to, up to, until, while . prep. . of space

. Of time

. Of degree

. conj. . until

. While

. Of degree, to the point that, so that even (rare)

. עַד לְ, a strengthened form for עַד. Thus . of space

. Of time

. Of degree

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

5704 `ad ad

properly, the same as 5703 (used as a preposition, adverb or

conjunction; especially with a preposition); as far (or long,

or much) as, whether of space (even unto) or time (during,

while, until) or degree (equally with):--against, and, as,

at, before, by (that), even (to), for(-asmuch as),

(hither-)to, + how long, into, as long (much) as, (so) that,

till, toward, until, when, while, (+ as) yet.

see HEBREW for 05703

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

עַד (ad) — till.

prep

1) as far as, even to, until, up to, while, as far as

1a) of space

1a1) as far as, up to, even to

1b) in combination

1b1) from...as far as, both...and (with 'min' -from)

1c) of time

1c1) even to, until, unto, till, during, end

1d) of degree

1d1) even to, to the degree of, even like

conj

2) until, while, to the point that, so that even

Aramaic equivalent: ad (עַד "till" H5705)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Prep — Preposition
HR
and they urged him until was ashamed and he said send [them] and they sent out fifty man and they searched three days and not they found him
בֹּ֖שׁbosh was ashamed H954 Verb · Qal · infinitive construct common
127× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
To be ashamed is what this Hebrew word means, implying a feeling of guilt or disappointment. It is used to describe someone who is disconcerted or delayed, like in the story of Adam and Eve. Shame is a strong emotion.
Amplified meaning
ashamed, feeling guilt
Tyndale gloss
be ashamed
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

בּוֹשׁ (buwsh) is a Hebrew root meaning 'to be ashamed.' It encompasses feelings of shame, disappointment, and disconcertion. The verb appears in various forms, including Qal (to feel shame), Piel (to delay in shame), and Hiphil (to put to shame). The entries indicate a range of uses, from personal feelings of shame to actions that cause shame to others.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

בּוֹשׁ 109 vb. be ashamed

Qal

abs. feel shame

sq. מִן, be ashamed of, i.e. disconcerted, disappointed by reason of

with obj. I am ashamed to ask

Polel delay (in shame)

Hiph.

put to shame

put to shame

act shamefully

to be put to shame

be ashamed

Hithp. ashamed before one another

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H954 בּוֹשׁ be ashamed

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

954 buwsh boosh

a primitive root; properly, to pale, i.e. by implication to

be ashamed; also (by implication) to be disappointed or

delayed:--(be, make, bring to, cause, put to, with,

a-)shamed(-d), be (put to) confounded(-fusion), become dry,

delay, be long.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

בּוֹשׁ (bush) — be ashamed.

1) to put to shame, be ashamed, be disconcerted, be disappointed

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to feel shame

1a2) to be ashamed, disconcerted, disappointed (by reason of)

1b) (Piel) to delay (in shame)

1c) (Hiphil)

1c1) to put to shame

1c2) to act shamefully

1c3) to be ashamed

1d) (Hithpolel) to be ashamed before one another

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
V-Qal-Inf-a — Verb · Qal · infinitive construct common
HVqcc
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

a-shamd': Almost exclusively moral in significance; confusion or abashment through consciousness of guilt or of its exposure. Often including also a sense of terror or fear because of the disgrace connected with the performance of some action. Capacity for shame indicates that moral sense (conscience) is not extinct. "Ashamed" occurs 96 out of 118 times in the Old Testament. Hebrew bosh, "to feel shame" (Latin, pudere), with derivatives occurs 80 times; kalam, "to shame," including the thought of "disgrace," "reproach"; chapher, "to blush": hence shame because of frustrated plans (uniformly in the Revised Version (British and American) "confounded"); Greek aischunomai, "suffused with shame," passive only and its compounds. Uses:

(1) A few times, of actual embarrassment, as of Hazael before the steadfast look of Elisha (2Ki 8:11; see…

and they urged him until was ashamed and he said send [them] and they sent out fifty man and they searched three days and not they found him
וַיֹּ֣אמֶרvai.Yo.mer and he said H559 Verb · Qal · sequential imperfect third person masculine singular
5,309× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This Hebrew word means to say or speak, and it's used in many different ways in the Bible. It can mean to command, promise, or think, and it's translated in the KJV as 'answer', 'appoint', or 'command'.
Tyndale gloss
to say
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

אָמַר (amar) is a Hebrew verb meaning 'to say' or 'to utter,' with a broad range of uses including to promise, command, or even boast. It appears in various forms, such as in the Qal (to say), Niphal (to be told), and Hiphil (to avow). The entries highlight its versatility in both spoken and internal contexts, though no specific verse is noted.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

אָמַר 5287 vb. utter, say

Qal

Say

Say in the heart (= think)

Promise

Command (esp. late)

Niph. be said, told

Hiph. avow, avouch (lit. cause to declare)

Hithp. act proudly, boast

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H559 אָמַר utter, say .. Say

. Say in the heart (= think)

. Promise

. Command (esp. late)

. be said, told

. avow, avouch (lit. cause to declare)

. act proudly, boast

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

559 'amar aw-mar'

a primitive root; to say (used with great

latitude):--answer, appoint, avouch, bid, boast self, call,

certify, challenge, charge, + (at the, give) command(-ment),

commune, consider, declare, demand, X desire, determine, X

expressly, X indeed, X intend, name, X plainly, promise,

publish, report, require, say, speak (against, of), X still, X

suppose, talk, tell, term, X that is, X think, use (speech),

utter, X verily, X yet.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

אָמַר (a.mar) — to say.

1) to say, speak, utter

1a) (Qal) to say, to answer, to say in one's heart, to think, to command, to promise, to intend

1b) (Niphal) to be told, to be said, to be called

1c) (Hithpael) to boast, to act proudly

1d) (Hiphil) to avow, to avouch

Aramaic equivalent: a.mar (אֲמַר "to say" H0560)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Conj | V-Qal-ConsecImperf-3ms — Verb · Qal · sequential imperfect third person masculine singular
Hc/Vqw3ms
The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
and they urged him until was ashamed and he said send [them] and they sent out fifty man and they searched three days and not they found him
שְׁלָ֑חוּshe.La.chu send [them] H7971 Verb · Qal · imperative second person masculine plural
847× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
To send or depart is the meaning of this Hebrew word, which has various applications in the Bible. It can describe sending someone or something away, or letting something go.
Amplified meaning
dispatch, let them go
Tyndale gloss
to send: depart
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word שָׁלַח (shalach) is a primitive root meaning 'to send' with a wide range of applications. It can refer to sending away, stretching out (especially a hand), or letting go. The entries indicate various forms, including sending off, casting out, and setting free. Notably, it can also imply divorce or being sent away in a marital context.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

שָׁלַח 814 vb. send

Qal

send: human subj.

send: subj. י׳ (God)

stretch out, esp. acc. hand

rarely send away: human subj.

let loose

Niph. letters were sent

Pi.

send off, away, human subj.

send away, subj. י׳

give over

cast out

send out, forth

let go, set free

shoot forth branches

let down

shoot

Phrases

Pu. be sent off (started on journey); be put away, divorced, of wife; be impelled(?)

Hiph. and I (י׳) will send

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H7971 שָׁלַח send .. send: human subj.

. send: subj. י׳ (God)

. stretch out, esp. acc. hand

. rarely send away: human subj.

. let loose

. letters were sent

. . send off, away, human subj.

. . send away, subj. י׳

. give over

. cast out

. send out, forth

. let go, set free

. shoot forth branches

. let down

. shoot

. Phrases

. be sent off (started on journey); be put away, divorced, of wife; be impelled(?)

. and I (י׳) will send

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

7971 shalach shaw-lakh'

a primitive root; to send away, for, or out (in a great

variety of applications):--X any wise, appoint, bring (on the

way), cast (away, out), conduct, X earnestly, forsake, give

(up), grow long, lay, leave, let depart (down, go, loose),

push away, put (away, forth, in, out), reach forth, send

(away, forth, out), set, shoot (forth, out), sow, spread,

stretch forth (out).

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

שָׁלַח (sha.lach) — to send: depart.

: depart/send

1) to send, send away, let go, stretch out

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to send

1a2) to stretch out, extend, direct

1a3) to send away

1a4) to let loose

1b) (Niphal) to be sent

1c) (Piel)

1c1) to send off or away or out or forth, dismiss, give over, cast out

1c2) to let go, set free

1c3) to shoot forth (of branches)

1c4) to let down

1c5) to shoot

1d) (Pual) to be sent off, be put away, be divorced, be impelled

1e) (Hiphil) to send

שָׁלַח (sha.lach) — to send: let go.

: let_go/free

1) to send, send away, let go, stretch out

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to send

1a2) to stretch out, extend, direct

1a3) to send away

1a4) to let loose

1b) (Niphal) to be sent

1c) (Piel)

1c1) to send off or away or out or forth, dismiss, give over, cast out

1c2) to let go, set free

1c3) to shoot forth (of branches)

1c4) to let down

1c5) to shoot

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
V-Qal-Impv-2mp — Verb · Qal · imperative second person masculine plural
HVqv2mp
and they urged him until was ashamed and he said send [them] and they sent out fifty man and they searched three days and not they found him
וַֽיִּשְׁלְחוּ֙vai.yish.le.Chu and they sent out H7971 Verb · Qal · sequential imperfect third person masculine plural
847× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
To send or depart is the meaning of this Hebrew word, which has various applications in the Bible. It can describe sending someone or something away, or letting something go.
Amplified meaning
dispatched, sent away
Tyndale gloss
to send: depart
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word שָׁלַח (shalach) is a primitive root meaning 'to send' with a wide range of applications. It can refer to sending away, stretching out (especially a hand), or letting go. The entries indicate various forms, including sending off, casting out, and setting free. Notably, it can also imply divorce or being sent away in a marital context.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

שָׁלַח 814 vb. send

Qal

send: human subj.

send: subj. י׳ (God)

stretch out, esp. acc. hand

rarely send away: human subj.

let loose

Niph. letters were sent

Pi.

send off, away, human subj.

send away, subj. י׳

give over

cast out

send out, forth

let go, set free

shoot forth branches

let down

shoot

Phrases

Pu. be sent off (started on journey); be put away, divorced, of wife; be impelled(?)

Hiph. and I (י׳) will send

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H7971 שָׁלַח send .. send: human subj.

. send: subj. י׳ (God)

. stretch out, esp. acc. hand

. rarely send away: human subj.

. let loose

. letters were sent

. . send off, away, human subj.

. . send away, subj. י׳

. give over

. cast out

. send out, forth

. let go, set free

. shoot forth branches

. let down

. shoot

. Phrases

. be sent off (started on journey); be put away, divorced, of wife; be impelled(?)

. and I (י׳) will send

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

7971 shalach shaw-lakh'

a primitive root; to send away, for, or out (in a great

variety of applications):--X any wise, appoint, bring (on the

way), cast (away, out), conduct, X earnestly, forsake, give

(up), grow long, lay, leave, let depart (down, go, loose),

push away, put (away, forth, in, out), reach forth, send

(away, forth, out), set, shoot (forth, out), sow, spread,

stretch forth (out).

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

שָׁלַח (sha.lach) — to send: depart.

: depart/send

1) to send, send away, let go, stretch out

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to send

1a2) to stretch out, extend, direct

1a3) to send away

1a4) to let loose

1b) (Niphal) to be sent

1c) (Piel)

1c1) to send off or away or out or forth, dismiss, give over, cast out

1c2) to let go, set free

1c3) to shoot forth (of branches)

1c4) to let down

1c5) to shoot

1d) (Pual) to be sent off, be put away, be divorced, be impelled

1e) (Hiphil) to send

שָׁלַח (sha.lach) — to send: let go.

: let_go/free

1) to send, send away, let go, stretch out

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to send

1a2) to stretch out, extend, direct

1a3) to send away

1a4) to let loose

1b) (Niphal) to be sent

1c) (Piel)

1c1) to send off or away or out or forth, dismiss, give over, cast out

1c2) to let go, set free

1c3) to shoot forth (of branches)

1c4) to let down

1c5) to shoot

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 urged him until was ashamed and he said send [them] and they sent out fifty man and they searched three days and not they found him
חֲמִשִּׁ֣יםcha.mi.Shim fifty H2572 Noun common · masculine plural absolute
163× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This Hebrew word simply means the number fifty, used in various biblical contexts like measurements and quantities. It appears in Leviticus and Numbers.
Amplified meaning
a group of fifty
Tyndale gloss
fifty
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

חֲמִשִּׁים (chamishshiym) means 'fifty' and is a cardinal number. It can also refer to a multiple of fifty or the ordinal number 'fiftieth.' The entries consistently define it as a numerical term without significant variation.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

חֲמִשִּׁים 164 n.pl. (a) fifty

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H2572 חֲמִשִּׁים (a) fifty

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

2572 chamishshiym kham-ish-sheem'

multiple of 2568; fifty:--fifty.

see HEBREW for 02568

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

חֲמִשִּׁים (cha.mish.shim) — fifty.

1) fifty

1a) fifty (cardinal number)

1b) a multiple of fifty (with other numbers)

1c) fiftieth (ordinal number)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Adj — Noun common · masculine plural absolute
HNcmpa
and they urged him until was ashamed and he said send [them] and they sent out fifty man and they searched three days and not they found him
אִ֔ישׁ'Ish 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
N-ms — 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 urged him until was ashamed and he said send [them] and they sent out fifty man and they searched three days and not they found him
וַיְבַקְשׁ֥וּvay.vak.Shu and they searched H1245 Verb · Piel · sequential imperfect third person masculine plural
225× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This Hebrew verb means to seek or search for something. In Psalm 105:4, it's used to encourage seeking God's face. It's also used in 1 Samuel 28:8 where Saul seeks a medium.
Amplified meaning
sought, looked for
Tyndale gloss
to seek
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

בָּקַשׁ (baqash) is a Hebrew verb meaning to seek or search out, often in the context of worship or prayer. It encompasses a range of actions including asking, desiring, and requiring. The verb can appear in different forms, such as Piel and Pual, indicating various nuances of seeking or being sought.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

[בָּקַשׁ] 224 vb. seek

Pi.

seek to find

seek to secure

seek the face

desire, demand

require, exact

exact equivalent or penalty for

(late) ask, request

Pu. be sought

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H1245 בָּקַשׁ seek

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

1245 baqash baw-kash'

a primitive root; to search out (by any method, specifically

in worship or prayer); by implication, to strive after:--ask,

beg, beseech, desire, enquire, get, make inquisition, procure,

(make) request, require, seek (for).

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

בָּקַשׁ (ba.qash) — to seek.

1) to seek, require, desire, exact, request

1a) (Piel)

1a1) to seek to find

1a2) to seek to secure

1a3) to seek the face

1a4) to desire, demand

1a5) to require, exact

1a6) to ask, request

1b) (Pual) to be sought

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Conj | V-Piel-ConsecImperf-3mp — Verb · Piel · sequential imperfect third person masculine plural
Hc/Vpw3mp
and they urged him until was ashamed and he said send [them] and they sent out fifty man and they searched three days and not they found him
שְׁלֹשָֽׁה־she.lo.shah- three H7969 Noun common · both singular absolute
432× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This Hebrew word means three or thrice, and is used to describe quantities or repetitions in the Bible. It appears in various forms, including three, third, and thirteen.
Amplified meaning
a period of three
Tyndale gloss
three
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word שָׁלֹשׁ (*shalosh*) means 'three' or 'triad.' It can also refer to the ordinal 'third' and is used in various contexts, including multiplication as 'thrice.' The entries consistently define it as a primitive number without significant disagreement.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

שָׁלֹשׁ, שָׁלוֹשׁ, שְׁלֹשָׁה 430 n.m. et f. a three, triad

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H7969 שָׁלֹשׁ, שָׁלוֹשׁ, שְׁלֹשָׁה a three, triad

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

7969 shalowsh shaw-loshe'

or shalosh {shaw-loshe'}; masculine shlowshah {shel-o-shaw'};

or shloshah {shel-o-shaw'}; a primitive number; three;

occasionally (ordinal) third, or (multipl.) thrice:--+ fork,

+ often(-times), third, thir(-teen, -teenth), three, + thrice.

Compare 7991.

see HEBREW for 07991

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

שָׁלֹשׁ (sha.losh) — three.

1) three, triad

1a) 3, 300, third

Aramaic equivalent: te.lat (תְּלָת "three" H8532)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Adj — Noun common · both singular absolute
HNcbsa
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

(shalosh; treis).

See NUMBER.

American Tract Society Bible Dictionary

The phrase "three days and three nights," Mt 12:40, was equivalent in Hebrew to the English "three days;" the Jews employing the expression "a day and a night" to denote our "day" of twentyfour hours. Nor did "three days," 1Sa 30:13, literally "this third day," according to their usage, necessarily include the whole of three days, but a part of three days, a continuous period including one whole day of twenty-four hours, and a portion of the day preceding it and the day following it. Compare Ge 7:12,17 1Sa 30:12-13.

and they urged him until was ashamed and he said send [them] and they sent out fifty man and they searched three days and not they found him
יָמִ֖יםya.Mim days H3117 Noun common · masculine plural absolute
2,306× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
The Hebrew word 'yom' refers to a day, which can be a literal 24-hour period or a figurative space of time. It is used in the Bible to describe a wide range of time periods, from a single day to a year or a lifetime. The word 'yom' is used in many different contexts throughout the Bible.
Tyndale gloss
day
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

יוֹם (yowm) means 'day' and refers to a division of time, contrasting with night. It can denote a literal 24-hour period, a general time span, or even a year. The term is used in various contexts, including the 'day of Yahweh,' which signifies a time of divine judgment. It also appears in phrases indicating temporal references like today, yesterday, and tomorrow.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

יוֹם 2285 n.m. day

day, opp. night

Day as division of time

יוֹם י׳ day of Yahweh, chiefly as time of his coming in judgment, involving often blessedness for righteous

Pl. days of anyone

Days

יוֹם = time

Phrases

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H3117 יוֹם day . day, opp. night

. Day as division of time

. יוֹם י׳ day of Yahweh, chiefly as time of his coming in judgment, involving often blessedness for righteous

. Pl. days of anyone

. Days

. יוֹם = time

. Phrases

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

3117 yowm yome

from an unused root meaning to be hot; a day (as the warm

hours), whether literal (from sunrise to sunset, or from one

sunset to the next), or figurative (a space of time defined by

an associated term), (often used adverb):--age, + always, +

chronicals, continually(-ance), daily, ((birth-), each, to)

day, (now a, two) days (agone), + elder, X end, + evening, +

(for) ever(-lasting, -more), X full, life, as (so) long as

(... live), (even) now, + old, + outlived, + perpetually,

presently, + remaineth, X required, season, X since, space,

then, (process of) time, + as at other times, + in trouble,

weather, (as) when, (a, the, within a) while (that), X whole

(+ age), (full) year(-ly), + younger.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

יוֹם (yom) — day.

: day/when/time/period

1) day, time, year

1a) day (as opposed to night)

1b) day (24 hour period)

1b1) as defined by evening and morning in Genesis 1

1b2) as a division of time

1b2a) a working day, a day's journey

1c) days, lifetime (pl.)

1d) time, period (general)

1e) year

1f) temporal references

1f1) today

1f2) yesterday

1f3) tomorrow

יוֹם (yom) — day: old.

: old/(full/many)[days]

1) day, time, year

1a) day (as opposed to night)

1b) day (24 hour period)

1b1) as defined by evening and morning in Genesis 1

1b2) as a division of time

1b2a) a working day, a day's journey

1c) days, lifetime (pl.)

1d) time, period (general)

1e) year

1f) temporal references

1f1) today

1f2) yesterday

1f3) tomorrow

יוֹם (yom) — day: year.

: year[of_days]

1) day, time, year

1a) day (as opposed to night)

1b) day (24 hour period)

1b1) as defined by evening and morning in Genesis 1

1b2) as a division of time

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-mp — Noun common · masculine plural absolute
HNcmpa
and they urged him until was ashamed and he said send [them] and they sent out fifty man and they searched three days and not they found him
וְלֹ֥אve.Lo' and not H3808 Conjunction · particle
5,170× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
The Hebrew word for not or no is used to indicate absence or negation, as when God says no to the Israelites' requests, or when they disobey His commands.
Tyndale gloss
not
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

לֹא (lo') is a Hebrew word meaning 'not' or 'no.' It serves as a simple negation and can imply absence or prohibition. The word can also be used in various contexts, often combined with other particles for emphasis or clarification. Its Aramaic equivalent is לָא (la), which also means 'not.'

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

לֹא or לוֹא adv. not

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H3808 לֹא or לוֹא not

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

3808 lo' lo

or lowi {lo}; or loh (Deut. 3:11) {lo}; a primitive particle;

not (the simple or abs. negation); by implication, no; often

used with other particles (as follows):--X before, + or else,

ere, + except, ig(-norant), much, less, nay, neither, never,

no((-ne), -r, (-thing)), (X as though...,(can-), for) not (out

of), of nought, otherwise, out of, + surely, + as truly as, +

of a truth, + verily, for want, + whether, without.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

לֹא (lo) — not.

1) not, no

1a) not (with verb-absolute prohibition)

1b) not (with modifier-negation)

1c) nothing (subst)

1d) without (with particle)

1e) before (of time)

Aramaic equivalent: la (לָא "not" H3809)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Conj | Part — Conjunction · particle
HC/Tn
The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
and they urged him until was ashamed and he said send [them] and they sent out fifty man and they searched three days and not they found him
מְצָאֻֽהוּ׃me.tza.'U.hu they found him H4672 Verb qal perfect third person common plural · suffix
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
discover, locate
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
V-Qal-Perf-3cp | Suff — Verb qal perfect third person common plural · suffix
HVqp3cp/Sp3ms
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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