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2 Samuel 2:12 — Word Study

Depth

WLCוַיֵּצֵא֙ אַבְנֵ֣ר בֶּן־ נֵ֔ר וְעַבְדֵ֖י אִֽישׁ־ בֹּ֣שֶׁת בֶּן־ שָׁא֑וּל מִֽמַּחֲנַ֖יִם גִּבְעֽוֹנָה׃

BSAOne day AbnerʼAbnêr [army captain] sonbên of NerNêr and the servantsʻebed [or slaves, attendants] of Ish-boshethʼÎysh-Bôsheth [Eshbaal] sonbên of SaulShâʼûwl marched outyâtsâʼ [went out, came out] from MahanaimMachănayim [two camps, a place east of the Jordan River] to GibeonGibʻôwn [a Levitical city, el-Jib]

Word
Listen & take away2 Samuel 2
English ↓ Download MP3 The Berean Standard Bible chapter audio already hosted for the site's Bible section — verse 12 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 (giv.'o.nah) — no per-word recordings of the Hebrew exist to link to.
Take it away
2 Samuel 2:12quick helps
In a sentenceAbner and Ish-bosheth's servants left Mahanaim to march toward Gibeon.
Who is speakingThe narrative describes events involving Abner, a key military leader.
Where we areThis verse occurs during a time of political tension following Saul's death.
The hard wordיָצָא
Take awayAbner is taking action, moving his forces in a significant military maneuver.
8 commentators on this verse Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them › clause verbיָצָא 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 Samuel 2:12

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 Rise of David's Kingdomgenerated

11And the length of time that David was king in Hebron over the house of Judah was seven years and six months.
12One day Abner son of Ner and the servants of Ish-bosheth son of Saul marched out from Mahanaim to Gibeon.
13So Joab son of Zeruiah, along with the servants of David, marched out and met them by the pool of Gibeon. And the two camps took up positions on opposite sides of the pool.
14Then Abner said to Joab, “Let us have the young men get up and compete before us.” “Let them get up,” Joab replied.

2 Samuel 2:12 describes a pivotal moment when Abner, the commander of Saul's army, leads his troops out of Mahanaim to Gibeon. This march reflects the ongoing struggle for power in Israel after Saul's death, as Abner supports Ish-bosheth, Saul's son, in his claim to the throne. The events set the stage for the conflict between the houses of Saul and David, as seen in the following verses.


Cross References

ReferenceText (BSB)
12 Samuel 17:14Then Absalom and all the men of Israel said, “The advice of Hushai the Archite is better than that of Ahithophel.” For the LORD had purposed to thwart the good counsel of Ahithophel in order to bring disaster on Absalom.
2Genesis 32:2When Jacob saw them, he said, “This is the camp of God.” So he named that place Mahanaim.
3Joshua 9:3But the people of Gibeon, having heard what Joshua had done to Jericho and Ai,
4Joshua 10:2–4So Adoni-zedek and his people were greatly alarmed, because Gibeon was a great city, like one of the royal cities; it was larger than Ai, and all its men were mighty.
5Joshua 18:25Gibeon, Ramah, Beeroth,

The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 5 references, hung on the phrase they belong to

A. M. 2951. B.C. 1053. Mahanaim2 Samuel 17:14 Genesis 32:2

The Key Word יָצָא, vai.ye.Tze'generated

The verb יָצָא (yatsa') means 'to go out' or 'to come out.' It can describe various actions, such as leaving a location or emerging from a situation. In this verse, it indicates Abner's decisive action as he leads his forces, emphasizing the movement from one place to another.

The parsing as a sequential imperfect third person masculine singular indicates that this action is part of a narrative sequence. It highlights Abner's role as an active participant in the unfolding events, suggesting a sense of immediacy and importance.


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 יָצָא governs the entire verse, with a noun phrase as the subject: אַבְנֵ֣ר (Abner), followed by a series of noun phrases that describe his companions and their origin. The structure emphasizes Abner's leadership in this military movement.

The sentence flows from the subject to the action, indicating a clear progression of events. The prepositional phrases specify the origin and destination, establishing the geographical context of the action.


Septuagint Backgroundgenerated

The Septuagint translates יָצָא as ἐχῆλθεν (echēlthen), which also means 'went out.' This choice aligns closely with the Hebrew meaning, maintaining the sense of movement.

The use of ἐχῆλθεν suggests a straightforward translation without additional interpretation, focusing on the act of departure.


In plain words — the whole versegenerated

2 Samuel 2:12 tells us that one day, Abner, the son of Ner, and the servants of Ish-bosheth, the son of Saul, marched out from Mahanaim to Gibeon. This action marks a significant military movement in the struggle for power after Saul's death.


Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated

Who was Abner?

Abner was a cousin of King Saul and the commander of his army, playing a crucial role in the events following Saul's death.

What does Ish-bosheth mean?

Ish-bosheth means 'man of shame' and refers to Saul's son, who ruled Israel for a time after Saul's death.

What is the significance of Mahanaim?

Mahanaim means 'two camps' and is significant as a location east of the Jordan River where important events in Israel's history took place.

What happened at Gibeon?

Gibeon was a strategic location where Abner's forces met those of Joab, leading to a significant confrontation.


Reflection Questionsgenerated

  1. What can we learn about leadership from Abner's actions in this verse?
  2. How does the movement from Mahanaim to Gibeon reflect the political tensions of the time?
  3. In what ways do the actions of Abner and Ish-bosheth demonstrate their commitment to their cause?
  4. How do geographical locations like Mahanaim and Gibeon play a role in the narrative of Israel's history?

Commentators on this verse — 8 expositors, verse by verse

Each of these wrote on 2 Samuel 2:12 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.

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

And Abner the son of Ner,.... Who was before captain of Saul's host, and now of Ishbosheth's: and the servants of Ishbosheth the son of Saul; who seem to be not only his domestic servants, that

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

And Abner the son of Ner, and the servants of Ishbosheth the son of Saul, went out from Mahanaim to Gibeon. Abner ... and the servants of Ish-bosheth ... went out from Mahanaim to Gibeon.

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

The servants of Ish-bosheth, i.e. his officers and commanders, and their army. To Gibeon, in the country of Benjamin, , near Judah, to fight with David’ s army, and to bring back the rest of the kingdom to Saul’ s house.

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

2 Samuel 2:12 And Abner the son of Ner, and the servants of Ishbosheth the son of Saul, went out from Mahanaim to Gibeon.Ver. 12. Went out from Mahanaim to Gibeon.] The same with Gibeah of Saul; hither he came with his host, to chastise Judah for their revolt from the house of Saul.

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

(12) To Gibeon.—Gibeon, in the territory of Benjamin, had become noted in the original conquest of the land as the only city which succeeded, though by craft, in making a league with the conquerors (Joshua 9). It was five and a half miles north-west from Jerusalem, and at a long distance both from Mahanaim and from Hebron. Here the generals of the rival monarchs met, possibly by design, but more likely each engaged in the effort to extend their respective masters’ sway over the tribe of Benjamin.

Read Charles John Ellicott on 2 Samuel 2 →
CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

12–17. War between Ish-bosheth and David. The Combat at Gibeon 12. went out] The technical expression for going to war. Cp. 1 Samuel 18:30. After establishing Ish-bosheth’s power over all Israel, Abner turned his arms against Judah, and marched with his army from Ish-bosheth’s capital, Mahanaim, to Gibeon, where David’s army under the command of Joab met him. to Gibeon] The site of Gibeon (=belonging to, or built on, a hill) is fixed with certainty on a rounded hill five miles N.W. of Jerusalem, which still bears the name El-Jib. Gibeon was the largest of the four cities of the Hivites (Joshua 10:2), famous for the stratagem by which its inhabitants procured a treaty from Joshua (Joshua 9:3…

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

This expedition to Gibeon may have been for the purpose of shifting his metropolis to his own tribe of Benjamin, and to his family place, “Gibeah of Saul,” close to Gibeon, with the further purpose

Read Albert Barnes on 2 Samuel 2 →
Daniel Denison Whedon1808–1885Whedon's Commentary on the Bible

THE BATTLE OF GIBEON, 2 Samuel 2:12-32. 12. Went out from Mahanaim — That is, marched out from the capital of the kingdom of Ishbosheth.

Read Daniel Denison Whedon on 2 Samuel 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

One day Abner son of Ner and the servants of Ish-bosheth son of Saul marched out from Mahanaim to Gibeon.

WEBWorld English Bible2000

Abner the son of Ner, and the servants of Ishbosheth the son of Saul, went out from Mahanaim to Gibeon.

MSBMajority Standard Bible2022

One day Abner son of Ner and the servants of Ish-bosheth son of Saul marched out from Mahanaim to Gibeon.

NETBNew English Translation2006

Then Abner son of Ner and the servants of Ish-bosheth son of Saul went out from Mahanaim to Gibeon.

Tyndale line

KJVKing James Version1611

¶ And Abner the son of Ner, and the servants of Ish-bosheth the son of Saul, went out from Mahanaim to Gibeon.

ASVAmerican Standard Version1901

And Abner the son of Ner, and the servants of Ish-bosheth the son of Saul, went out from Mahanaim to Gibeon.

RVARevised Version, American1894

And Abner the son of Ner, and the servants of Ish-bosheth the son of Saul, went out from Mahanaim to Gibeon.

NWBWebster's Bible1833

And Abner the son of Ner, and the servants of Ish-bosheth the son of Saul, went out from Mahanaim to Gibeon.

GNVGeneva Bible1599

And Abner the sonne of Ner, and the seruantes of Ish-bosheth the sonne of Saul went out of Mahanaim to Gibeon.

Strictly literal

DBYDarby Translation1890

And Abner the son of Ner, and the servants of Ishbosheth the son of Saul, went out from Mahanaim to Gibeon.

YLTYoung's Literal Translation1862

And Abner son of Ner goeth out, and servants of Ish-Bosheth son of Saul, from Mahanaim to Gibeon.

LSVLiteral Standard Version2020

And Abner son of Ner goes out, and servants of Ish-Bosheth son of Saul, from Mahanaim to Gibeon.

ILTInterlinear Literal Translation2000

And there went out Abner the son of Ner, and the servants of Ish-bosheth the son of Saul, from Machanayim to Gib'on.

ULBUnlocked Literal Bible2017

Abner son of Ner, and the servants of Ishbosheth son of Saul, went out from Mahanaim to Gibeon.

From the Latin

DRADouay-Rheims (Challoner)1899

And Abner the son of Ner, and the servants of Isboseth the son of Saul, went out from the camp to Gabaon.

Simplified

FBVFree Bible Version2020

One day Abner and Ishbosheth's men left Mahanaim and went to the town of Gibeon.

BBEBible in Basic English1949

And Abner, the son of Ner, with the servants of Saul's son Ish-bosheth, went out from Mahanaim to Gibeon.

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.

וַandclauseverbיֵּצֵא֙he.went.outnoun phrase · subjectnoun phraseאַבְנֵ֣רAbnernoun phraseבֶּןthe.sonנֵ֔רof.Nerוְandnoun phraseעַבְדֵ֖יthe.servantsnoun phrasenoun phraseבֶּןthe.sonשָׁא֑וּלof.Saulprepositional phrase · prepositionalprepositional phraseמִֽfromמַּחֲנַ֖יִםMahanaimprepositional phrasenoun phraseגִּבְעֽוֹנָtoהGibeon

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


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

The Masoretic Text (MT) states, "וַיֵּצֵא֙ אַבְנֵ֣ר בֶּן־ נֵ֔ר וְעַבְדֵ֖י אִֽישׁ־ בֹּ֣שֶׁת בֶּן־ שָׁא֑וּל מִֽמַּחֲנַ֖יִם גִּבְעֽוֹנָה׃" The Septuagint (LXX) aligns closely with the MT, as 9 of the 11 words match, although the word order and articles differ due to the Greek language structure. The Dead Sea Scrolls (4Q51) also reflect the MT but contain some partially restored words and several supplied by an editor, indicating that while they share a similar core, there are differences in preservation and restoration efforts. Overall, the MT and LXX agree in substance, while the Dead Sea Scrolls show some editorial intervention.

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

וַיֵּצֵא֙ אַבְנֵ֣ר בֶּן־ נֵ֔ר וְעַבְדֵ֖י אִֽישׁ־ בֹּ֣שֶׁת בֶּן־ שָׁא֑וּל מִֽמַּחֲנַ֖יִם גִּבְעֽוֹנָה׃

Septuagintthe Greek the translators chose, word by word
וַיֵּצֵא֙ἐχῆλθενאַבְנֵ֣רαβεννηρבֶּן־υἱὸςנֵ֔רνηρוְעַבְדֵ֖יπαῖδεςבֶּן־υἱοῦשָׁא֑וּלσαουλמִֽמַּחֲנַ֖יִםμαναεμגִּבְעֽוֹנָה׃γαβαων

9 of the 11 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.

Dead Sea Scrolls — 4Q51a copy a thousand years older than the Leningrad Codex

ויצא אבנר [בן] [נר] [ועבדי] [איש] [בשת] [בן] [שאול] [ממחנים] גבעונ׳ה

2 words on the leather — 1 partly restored, 8 supplied entire by an editor.

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 Samuel 2:12יָצָאand he wentand he went outיָצָאאֲבִינֵרAbnerAbnerאֲבִינֵרבֵּן[the] son o[the] son ofבֵּןנֵרNerNerנֵרעֶ֫בֶדand [the] sand [the] servaעֶ֫בֶדאִישׁ־בֹ֫שֶׁתIsh-Ish-אִישׁ־בֹ֫שֶׁתאִישׁ־בֹ֫שֶׁתboshethboshethאִישׁ־בֹ֫שֶׁתבֵּן[the] son o[the] son ofבֵּןשָׁאוּלSaulSaulשָׁאוּלמַחֲנַיִםfrom Mahanafrom MahanaimמַחֲנַיִםגִּבְעוֹןGibeon towaGibeon towardsגִּבְעוֹןבָּנָהto buildto buildבָּנָהאִישׁmanmanאִישׁאָבfatherfatherאָבעָבַדto serveto serveעָבַדנֵרlamplampנֵרשָׁאַלto askto askשָׁאַלמַחֲנֶהcampcampמַחֲנֶהגֶּ֫בַעGebaGebaגֶּ֫בַעעַמּוֹןAmmonAmmonעַמּוֹןרְאוּבֵןReubenReubenרְאוּבֵןשָׁאוּלShaulShaulשָׁאוּלקָרָאto encountto encounter: mקָרָאגּוֹרָלallottedallottedגּוֹרָלנֵרNerNerנֵריוֹאָבJoabJoabיוֹאָבצוּרZurZurצוּרקִישׁKishKishקִישׁאָמָהmaidservanmaidservantאָמָה
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 Samuel 2:12

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 went out Abner [the] son of Ner and [the] servants of Ish- bosheth [the] son of Saul from Mahanaim Gibeon towards
וַיֵּצֵא֙vai.ye.Tze' and he went out H3318 Verb · Qal · sequential imperfect third person masculine singular
1,067× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
In the Bible, this Hebrew word means to go out or come out, and it's used in many different ways, like leaving a place or starting a new journey, as seen in Genesis and Exodus.
Amplified meaning
went out, came out
Tyndale gloss
to come out: come
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

יָצָא (yatsa') is a Hebrew verb meaning to go or come out, with various applications including departure, escape, and emergence. It can refer to both animate and inanimate subjects and emphasizes the idea of origin or source. The verb appears in different forms, such as Qal, Hiphil, and Hophal, indicating actions like leading out or being brought forth.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

יָצָא 1068 vb. go or come out

Qal

go or come out or forth

from (מִן) a place

go forth from (the presence of) a person

in technical senses

of flight, involving escape

depart

of inanimate things

with especial emphasis on idea of origin, source

of children as going forth from loins (of father)

go forth to a place

go forward, proceed to or toward something

come or go forth, with esp. ref. to purpose or result

of combinations

Hiph.

cause to go or come out, bring out, lead out

fig. obj. persons, bring out of (מִן) distress, etc.

bring out animals

inanimate obj.

fig. subj. י׳, bring forth from (מִן)

Hoph. be brought forth

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H3318 יָצָא go or come out .. go or come out or forth . from (מִן) a place

. go forth from (the presence of) a person

. in technical senses

. of flight, involving escape

. depart

. of inanimate things

. with especial emphasis on idea of origin, source

. of children as going forth from loins (of father)

. . go forth to a place

. go forward, proceed to or toward something

. come or go forth, with esp. ref. to purpose or result

. of combinations

. . cause to go or come out, bring out, lead out

. fig. obj. persons, bring out of (מִן) distress, etc.

. bring out animals

. inanimate obj.

. fig. subj. י׳, bring forth from (מִן)

. be brought forth

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

3318 yatsa' yaw-tsaw'

a primitive root; to go (causatively, bring) out, in a great

variety of applications, literally and figuratively, direct

and proxim.:--X after, appear, X assuredly, bear out, X

begotten, break out, bring forth (out, up), carry out, come

(abroad, out, thereat, without), + be condemned,

depart(-ing, -ure), draw forth, in the end, escape, exact,

fail, fall (out), fetch forth (out), get away (forth, hence,

out), (able to, cause to, let) go abroad (forth, on, out),

going out, grow, have forth (out), issue out, lay (lie) out,

lead out, pluck out, proceed, pull out, put away, be risen, X

scarce, send with commandment, shoot forth, spread, spring

out, stand out, X still, X surely, take forth (out), at any

time, X to (and fro), utter.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

יָצָא (ya.tsa) — to come out: come.

: come/go_out/escape

1) to go out, come out, exit, go forth

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to go or come out or forth, depart

1a2) to go forth (to a place)

1a3) to go forward, proceed to (to or toward something)

1a4) to come or go forth (with purpose or for result)

1a5) to come out of

1b) (Hiphil)

1b1) to cause to go or come out, bring out, lead out

1b2) to bring out of

1b3) to lead out

1b4) to deliver

1c) (Hophal) to be brought out or forth

יָצָא (ya.tsa) — to come out: send.

: send/take_out/release

1) to go out, come out, exit, go forth

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to go or come out or forth, depart

1a2) to go forth (to a place)

1a3) to go forward, proceed to (to or toward something)

1a4) to come or go forth (with purpose or for result)

1a5) to come out of

1b) (Hiphil)

1b1) to cause to go or come out, bring out, lead out

1b2) to bring out of

1b3) to lead out

1b4) to deliver

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Conj | V-Qal-ConsecImperf-3ms — Verb · Qal · sequential imperfect third person masculine singular
Hc/Vqw3ms
and he went out Abner [the] son of Ner and [the] servants of Ish- bosheth [the] son of Saul from Mahanaim Gibeon towards
אַבְנֵ֣ר'av.Ner Abner H74 Noun proper masculine
63× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
Abner was a prominent Israelite, cousin of King Saul, and army captain, who played a key role in the book of 1 Samuel.
Amplified meaning
army captain
Tyndale gloss
Abner
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word אֲבִינֵר (*Abner*) refers to a man from the tribe of Benjamin, specifically a cousin of Saul and a captain in his army. The name is derived from elements meaning 'father' and 'light,' suggesting 'my father is a lamp.' Abner is first mentioned in 1 Samuel 14:50 and is noted for being treacherously killed by Joab.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

אֲבִינֵר n.pr.m. (my father is Nêr, or is a lamp)—cousin of Saul, and captain of host

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H74 אֲבִינֵר

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

74 'Abner ab-nare'

or (fully) nAbiyner {ab-ee-nare'}; from 1 and 5216; father of

light (i.e. enlightening); Abner, an Israelite:--Abner.

see HEBREW for 01

see HEBREW for 05216

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

אֲבִינֵר (av.ner) — Abner.

A man of the tribe of Benjamin living at the time of United Monarchy, first mentioned at 1Sa.14.50;

son of: Ner (H5369);

father of: Jaasiel (H3300H)

§ Abner = "my father is a lamp"

Saul's cousin and army captain, treacherously slain by Joab

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

ab'-ner ('abhner; in 1Sa 14:50 the Hebrew has the fuller form, 'abhiner, Abiner; compare Abiram by the side of Abram; meaning, "my father is a lamp"): Captain of the host under Saul and Ishbosheth (Eshbaal). He was Saul's cousin; Ner the father of Abner and Kish the father of Saul being brothers, the sons of Abiel (1Sa 14:50 f). In 1Ch 8:33; 9:39 the text appears to be faulty; read: And Ner begat Abner, and Kish begat Saul. According to 1Ch 27:21 Abner had a son by the name of Jaasiel. Abner was to Saul what Joab was to David. Despite the many wars waged by Saul, we hear little of Abner during Saul's lifetime. Not even in the account' of the battle of Gilboa is mention…

Easton's Bible Dictionary

Abner

Father of light; i.e., “enlightening”, the son of Ner and uncle of Saul. He was commander-in-chief of Saul’s army (1 Sam. 14:50; 17:55; 20:25). He first introduced David to the court of Saul after the victory over Goliath (1 Sam. 17:57). After the death of Saul, David was made king over Judah, and reigned in Hebron. Among the other tribes there was a feeling of hostility to Judah; and Abner, at the head of Ephraim, fostered this hostility in the interest of the house of Saul, whose son Ish-bosheth he caused to be proclaimed king (2 Sam. 2:8). A state of war existed between these two kings. A battle fatal to Abner, who was the leader of Ish-boseth’s army, was fought with David’s army under Joab at Gibeon (

(father of light). Son of Ner, who was the brother of Kish, (1 Chronicles 9:36) the father of Saul. (B.C. 1063.) Abner, therefore, was Saul’s first cousin, and was made by him commander-in-chief of his army. (1 Samuel 14:51; 17:57; 26:5-14) After the death of Saul David was proclaimed king of Judah; and some time subsequently Abner proclaimed Ish-bosheth, Saul’s son, king of Israel. War soon broke out between the two rival kings, and a "very sore battle" was fought at Gibeon between the men of Israel under Abner and the men of Judah under Joab. (1 Chronicles 2:16) Abner had married Rizpah, Saul’s concubine, and this, according to the views of Oriental courts, might be so interpreted as to imply a design upon the throne.…

American Tract Society Bible Dictionary

The son of Ner, Saul’s uncle, and the general of his armies, 1Sa 14:50. For seven years after Saul’s death, he supported Ish-bosheth; but being reproved by him for his conduct towards Rizpah, he undertook to unite the whole kingdom under David. He was, however, treacherously slain by Joab, either to revenge the death of Asahel, Joab’s brother, who Abner had formerly killed, or more probably from jealousy. David abhorred this perfidious act, and composed an elegy on his death, 2Sa 2:8 3:33. He also charged Solomon to punish the crime of Joab with death, 1Ki 2:5,6.

and he went out Abner [the] son of Ner and [the] servants of Ish- bosheth [the] son of Saul from Mahanaim Gibeon towards
בֶּן־ben- [the] son of H1121 Noun common · masculine singular construct
4,943× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
In the Bible, this word means a son or descendant, and can also refer to a grandson, nation, or quality. It appears in 1 Chronicles 24, describing a Levite named Beno. The word is used to show family relationships and inheritance.
Tyndale gloss
son: child
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

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

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

בֵּן 4870 n.m. son

son, male child, born of a woman

children (male and female)

youth, young men

the young of animals

of plant shoots

fig. of lifeless things, sparks, stars, arrows

member of a guild, order or class

of animals son of (the) herd

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

n. relat. of age

base

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

done

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

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

. children (male and female)

. youth, young men

. the young of animals

. of plant shoots

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

. . member of a guild, order or class

. of animals son of (the) herd

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

. n. relat. of age

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

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

1121 ben bane

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

widest sense (of literal and figurative relationship,

including grandson, subject, nation, quality or condition,

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

see HEBREW for 01129

see HEBREW for 01

see HEBREW for 0251

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

בֵּן (ben) — son: child.

: child/son

בְּנוֹ (be.no) — Beno.

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

son of: Jaaziah (H3269);

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

§ Beno = "his son"

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

בֵּן (ben) — son: descendant/people.

: descendant, people, tribe, nation

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

§ : child/son

בֵּן (ben) — son: young animal.

: calf/lamb/young(ANIMAL)

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

§ : descendant

בֵּן (ben) — son: type of.

: rebel/son(Belial)

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

§ : people/men/nation/tribe

בֵּן (ben) — son.

: [inheriting]son/heir

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

בֵּן (ben) — son: warrior.

: warrior/son(strong)

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-ms — Noun common · masculine singular construct
HNcmsc
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

ov:

(1) In Anglo-Saxon, had the meaning "from," "away from" (as the strengthened form "off" has still), and was not used for genitive or possessive relations, these being expressed by special case-forms. In the Norman period, however, "of" was taken to represent the French de (a use well developed by the time of Chaucer), and in the Elizabethan period both senses of "of" were in common use. But after about 1600 the later force of the word became predominant, and in the earlier sense (which is now practically obsolete) it was replaced by other prepositions. In consequence the King James Version (and in some cases the Revised Version (British and American)) contains many uses of "of" that are no longer familiar--most of them, to be sure, causing no difficulty, but there still being a few responsible for real obscurities.

English usagewhat the translators’ English meant
Webster's Dictionary (1828), Webster's Unabridged (1913), Webster's Dictionary (1806)

OF, preposition ov. [Gr.]

1. From or out of; proceeding from, as the cause, source, means, author or agent bestowing.

I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered to you. 1 Corinthians 11:1.

For it was of the Lord to harden their hearts. Joshua 11:1.

It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed.

Lamentations 3:1.

The whole disposing thereof is of the Lord. Proverbs 16:1.

Go, inquire of the Lord for me. 2 Chronicles 34:2.

That holy thing that shall be born of thee. Luke 1:1.

Hence of is the sign of the genitive case, the case that denotes production; as the son of man, the son proceeding from man, produced from man. This is the primary sense, although we now say, produced by man. 'Part of these were slain; ' that is, a number separate, for part denotes a division; the sense then is, a number from or out of the whole were slain. So also, 'some of these were slain; ' that is…

and he went out Abner [the] son of Ner and [the] servants of Ish- bosheth [the] son of Saul from Mahanaim Gibeon towards
נֵ֔רNer Ner H5369 Noun proper masculine
17× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
Ner was an Israelite man who lived during the time of the United Monarchy. He is mentioned in the Bible as the father of several sons, including Kish, and is an ancestor of King Saul. Ner is also known as Jeiel in some parts of the Bible.
Tyndale gloss
Ner
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word נֵר (*ner*) primarily refers to a personal name, specifically a man from the tribe of Benjamin, known as the father of Abner and Kish, and mentioned in 1 Samuel. The word also means 'lamp.' The entries note that Ner is possibly the same individual in different contexts, but there is no significant disagreement among the lexicons.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

נֵר n.pr.m.

father of Abner

father of Kish

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H5369 נֵר

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

5369 Ner nare

the same as 5216; lamp; Ner, an Israelite:--Ner.

see HEBREW for 05216

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

נֵר (ner) — Ner.

A man of the tribe of Benjamin living at the time of United Monarchy, first mentioned at 1Sa.14.50;

son of: Abiel (H0022) and Maacah (H4601N);

brother of: Kish (H7027), Abdon (H5658J), Zur (H6698I), Baal (H1168B), Nadab (H5070J), Gedor (H1446I), Ahio (H0283I), Zecher (H2144) and Mikloth (H4732);

father of: Abner (H0074)

§ Ner = "lamp"

1) son of Jehiel, father of Kish, and grandfather of king Saul

2) father of Abner, the uncle of Saul

2a) perhaps the same as 1

נֵר (ner) — Ner.

A man of the tribe of Benjamin living at the time of United Monarchy, first mentioned at 1Sa.9.1;

son of: Zeror (H6872C); married to Maacah (H4601N);

father of: Kish (H7027), Ner (H5369), Abdon (H5658J), Zur (H6698I), Baal (H1168B), Nadab (H5070J), Gedor (H1446I), Ahio (H0283I), Zecher (H2144) and Mikloth (H4732); also called Jeiel (Ketiv: Jeuel; KJV: Jehiel) at 1Ch.9.35; Ner at 1Ch.8.33; 9.39;

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

ner (ner, "lamp"): Father of Abner (1Sa 14:50 f; 26:5,14, etc.); grandfather of Saul (1Ch 8:33). Other references, though adding no further information are 2Sa 2:8,12; 3:23,25; 28; 37; 1Ki 2:5,32, etc.

Easton's Bible Dictionary

Ner

Light, the father of Kish (1 Chr. 8:33). 1 Sam. 14:51 should be read, “Kish, the father of Saul, and Ner, the father of Abner, were the sons of Abiel.” And hence this Kish and Ner were brothers, and Saul and Abner were first cousins (comp. 1 Chr. 9:36).

Smith's Bible Dictionary

(a light or lamp), son of Jehiel, according to (1 Chronicles 8:33) father of Abner, and grandfather of King Saul. (B.C. 1140.) Abner was, therefore, uncle to Saul, as is expressly stated in (1 Samuel 14:50)

Hitchcock's Bible Names Dictionary

a lamp; new-tilled land

and he went out Abner [the] son of Ner and [the] servants of Ish- bosheth [the] son of Saul from Mahanaim Gibeon towards
וְעַבְדֵ֖יve.'av.Dei and [the] servants of H5650 Conjunction · noun common masculine plural construct
801× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This word refers to a servant or slave, often in the context of serving God or a human master. It can also describe a prophet or Levite. The KJV translates it as bondage, bondman, or servant.
Amplified meaning
or slaves, attendants
Tyndale gloss
servant/slave
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word עֶ֫בֶד (*ebed*) means 'slave' or 'servant' and encompasses various roles, including household servants, subjects, and worshippers of God. It can also refer to Israel as a collective servant of God and is used in polite address among equals. The word is derived from a root meaning 'to work' or 'to serve'.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

עֶ֫בֶד 799 n.m. slave, servant

slave, servant of household

Subjects, of chief

Servants, worshippers of God

Servant of י׳, in a special sense

Israel as a people is servant of י׳

In polite address of equals or superiors the Hebrews used עַבְדְּךָ thy servant = 1 pers. sing., I

Phrases

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H5650 עֶ֫בֶד slave, servant . slave, servant of household

. Subjects, of chief

. Servants, worshippers of God

. Servant of י׳, in a special sense

. Israel as a people is servant of י׳

. In polite address of equals or superiors the Hebrews used עַבְדְּךָ thy servant = 1 pers. sing., I

. Phrases

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

5650 `ebed eh'-bed

from 5647; a servant:--X bondage, bondman, (bond-)servant,

(man-)servant.

see HEBREW for 05647

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

עֶ֫בֶד (e.ved) — servant/slave.

1) slave, servant

1a) slave, servant, man-servant

1b) subjects

1c) servants, worshippers (of God)

1d) servant (in special sense as prophets, Levites etc)

1e) servant (of Israel)

1f) servant (as form of address between equals)

Aramaic equivalent: a.vad (עֲבַד "servant/slave" H5649)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Conj | N-mp — Conjunction · noun common masculine plural construct
HC/Ncmpc
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

ov:

(1) In Anglo-Saxon, had the meaning "from," "away from" (as the strengthened form "off" has still), and was not used for genitive or possessive relations, these being expressed by special case-forms. In the Norman period, however, "of" was taken to represent the French de (a use well developed by the time of Chaucer), and in the Elizabethan period both senses of "of" were in common use. But after about 1600 the later force of the word became predominant, and in the earlier sense (which is now practically obsolete) it was replaced by other prepositions. In consequence the King James Version (and in some cases the Revised Version (British and American)) contains many uses of "of" that are no longer familiar--most of them, to be sure, causing no difficulty, but there still being a few responsible for real obscurities.

English usagewhat the translators’ English meant
Webster's Dictionary (1828), Webster's Unabridged (1913), Webster's Dictionary (1806)

OF, preposition ov. [Gr.]

1. From or out of; proceeding from, as the cause, source, means, author or agent bestowing.

I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered to you. 1 Corinthians 11:1.

For it was of the Lord to harden their hearts. Joshua 11:1.

It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed.

Lamentations 3:1.

The whole disposing thereof is of the Lord. Proverbs 16:1.

Go, inquire of the Lord for me. 2 Chronicles 34:2.

That holy thing that shall be born of thee. Luke 1:1.

Hence of is the sign of the genitive case, the case that denotes production; as the son of man, the son proceeding from man, produced from man. This is the primary sense, although we now say, produced by man. 'Part of these were slain; ' that is, a number separate, for part denotes a division; the sense then is, a number from or out of the whole were slain. So also, 'some of these were slain; ' that is…

and he went out Abner [the] son of Ner and [the] servants of Ish- bosheth [the] son of Saul from Mahanaim Gibeon towards
אִֽישׁ־'ish- Ish- H378 Noun proper masculine
22× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
Ish-bosheth was King Saul's son, who ruled Israel for 7 years, as told in 2 Samuel 2:8-17. He was also known as Eshbaal and was the brother of Jonathan. His story is found in 2 Samuel.
Amplified meaning
Eshbaal
Tyndale gloss
Ish-bosheth
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

אִישׁ־בֹ֫שֶׁת (Iysh-Bosheth) means 'man of shame' and refers to a son of King Saul, who ruled as king of Israel for seven years while David was king over Judah. The name is derived from two Hebrew words meaning 'man' and 'shame.' Ish-bosheth is first mentioned in 2 Samuel 2:8 and is also known as Eshbaal.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

אִישׁ־בֹ֫שֶׁת n.pr.m. Ishbosheth

son of Saul, & king of Isr., with David as rival

one of Dvd’s heroes

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H378 אִישׁ־בֹ֫שֶׁת

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

378 'Iysh-Bosheth eesh-bo'-sheth

from 376 and 1322; man of shame; Ish- Bosheth, a son of King

Saul:--Ish-bosheth.

see HEBREW for 0376

see HEBREW for 01322

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

אִישׁ־בֹ֫שֶׁת (ish-bo.shet) — Ish-bosheth.

A man of the tribe of Benjamin living at the time of United Monarchy, first mentioned at 2Sa.2.8;

son of: Saul (H7586G);

brother of: Jonathan (H3083H), Abinadab (H0041H), Malchi-shua (H4444), Merab (H4764), Michal (H4324), Armoni (H0764), Mephibosheth (H4648H)

Also named: esh.ba.al (אֶשְׁבַּעַל "Eshbaal" H0792)

§ Ishbosheth = "man of shame"

surviving son of Saul, king of Israel for 7 years while David was king over Judah; succeeded by David who united the kingdom

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

('ish): In the following Hebrew proper names, a prefix meaning "man of," or, collectively, "men of": Ish-bosheth, Ishhod, Ish-tob (but the Revised Version (British and American) correctly "the men of Tob").

See also ESHBAAL; ESHBAN; ISCARIOT.

and he went out Abner [the] son of Ner and [the] servants of Ish- bosheth [the] son of Saul from Mahanaim Gibeon towards
בֹּ֣שֶׁתBo.shet bosheth H378 Noun proper masculine
22× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
Ish-bosheth was King Saul's son, who ruled Israel for 7 years, as told in 2 Samuel 2:8-17. He was also known as Eshbaal and was the brother of Jonathan. His story is found in 2 Samuel.
Tyndale gloss
Ish-bosheth
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

אִישׁ־בֹ֫שֶׁת (Iysh-Bosheth) means 'man of shame' and refers to a son of King Saul, who ruled as king of Israel for seven years while David was king over Judah. The name is derived from two Hebrew words meaning 'man' and 'shame.' Ish-bosheth is first mentioned in 2 Samuel 2:8 and is also known as Eshbaal.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

אִישׁ־בֹ֫שֶׁת n.pr.m. Ishbosheth

son of Saul, & king of Isr., with David as rival

one of Dvd’s heroes

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H378 אִישׁ־בֹ֫שֶׁת

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

378 'Iysh-Bosheth eesh-bo'-sheth

from 376 and 1322; man of shame; Ish- Bosheth, a son of King

Saul:--Ish-bosheth.

see HEBREW for 0376

see HEBREW for 01322

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

אִישׁ־בֹ֫שֶׁת (ish-bo.shet) — Ish-bosheth.

A man of the tribe of Benjamin living at the time of United Monarchy, first mentioned at 2Sa.2.8;

son of: Saul (H7586G);

brother of: Jonathan (H3083H), Abinadab (H0041H), Malchi-shua (H4444), Merab (H4764), Michal (H4324), Armoni (H0764), Mephibosheth (H4648H)

Also named: esh.ba.al (אֶשְׁבַּעַל "Eshbaal" H0792)

§ Ishbosheth = "man of shame"

surviving son of Saul, king of Israel for 7 years while David was king over Judah; succeeded by David who united the kingdom

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
HNpm — Noun proper masculine
HNpm
and he went out Abner [the] son of Ner and [the] servants of Ish- bosheth [the] son of Saul from Mahanaim Gibeon towards
בֶּן־ben- [the] son of H1121 Noun common · masculine singular construct
4,943× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
In the Bible, this word means a son or descendant, and can also refer to a grandson, nation, or quality. It appears in 1 Chronicles 24, describing a Levite named Beno. The word is used to show family relationships and inheritance.
Tyndale gloss
son: child
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

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

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

בֵּן 4870 n.m. son

son, male child, born of a woman

children (male and female)

youth, young men

the young of animals

of plant shoots

fig. of lifeless things, sparks, stars, arrows

member of a guild, order or class

of animals son of (the) herd

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

n. relat. of age

base

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

done

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

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

. children (male and female)

. youth, young men

. the young of animals

. of plant shoots

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

. . member of a guild, order or class

. of animals son of (the) herd

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

. n. relat. of age

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

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

1121 ben bane

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

widest sense (of literal and figurative relationship,

including grandson, subject, nation, quality or condition,

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

see HEBREW for 01129

see HEBREW for 01

see HEBREW for 0251

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

בֵּן (ben) — son: child.

: child/son

בְּנוֹ (be.no) — Beno.

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

son of: Jaaziah (H3269);

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

§ Beno = "his son"

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

בֵּן (ben) — son: descendant/people.

: descendant, people, tribe, nation

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

§ : child/son

בֵּן (ben) — son: young animal.

: calf/lamb/young(ANIMAL)

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

§ : descendant

בֵּן (ben) — son: type of.

: rebel/son(Belial)

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

§ : people/men/nation/tribe

בֵּן (ben) — son.

: [inheriting]son/heir

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

בֵּן (ben) — son: warrior.

: warrior/son(strong)

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-ms — Noun common · masculine singular construct
HNcmsc
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

ov:

(1) In Anglo-Saxon, had the meaning "from," "away from" (as the strengthened form "off" has still), and was not used for genitive or possessive relations, these being expressed by special case-forms. In the Norman period, however, "of" was taken to represent the French de (a use well developed by the time of Chaucer), and in the Elizabethan period both senses of "of" were in common use. But after about 1600 the later force of the word became predominant, and in the earlier sense (which is now practically obsolete) it was replaced by other prepositions. In consequence the King James Version (and in some cases the Revised Version (British and American)) contains many uses of "of" that are no longer familiar--most of them, to be sure, causing no difficulty, but there still being a few responsible for real obscurities.

English usagewhat the translators’ English meant
Webster's Dictionary (1828), Webster's Unabridged (1913), Webster's Dictionary (1806)

OF, preposition ov. [Gr.]

1. From or out of; proceeding from, as the cause, source, means, author or agent bestowing.

I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered to you. 1 Corinthians 11:1.

For it was of the Lord to harden their hearts. Joshua 11:1.

It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed.

Lamentations 3:1.

The whole disposing thereof is of the Lord. Proverbs 16:1.

Go, inquire of the Lord for me. 2 Chronicles 34:2.

That holy thing that shall be born of thee. Luke 1:1.

Hence of is the sign of the genitive case, the case that denotes production; as the son of man, the son proceeding from man, produced from man. This is the primary sense, although we now say, produced by man. 'Part of these were slain; ' that is, a number separate, for part denotes a division; the sense then is, a number from or out of the whole were slain. So also, 'some of these were slain; ' that is…

and he went out Abner [the] son of Ner and [the] servants of Ish- bosheth [the] son of Saul from Mahanaim Gibeon towards
שָׁא֑וּלsha.'Ul Saul H7586 Noun proper masculine
407× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
Shaul is a personal name meaning desired, given to several individuals in the Bible, including a Benjamite who became the first king of Israel and a Levite living during the time of the Divided Monarchy. He is mentioned in 1 Chronicles and 1 Samuel.
Tyndale gloss
Shaul
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

שָׁאוּל (Sha'uwl) means 'asked' and is associated with several figures in the Old Testament, most notably Saul, the first king of Israel from the tribe of Benjamin. The entries indicate that the name can refer to multiple individuals, including an early king of Edom and a Levite. The name is derived from a passive participle form, suggesting a connection to the act of asking.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

שָׁאוּל n.pr.m. (= asked)

397 1st king of Isr.

a king of Edom

a son of Simeon

a Levite

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H7586 שָׁאוּל (= asked)

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

7586 Sha'uwl shaw-ool'

passive participle of 7592; asked; Shaul, the name of an

Edomite and two Israelites:--Saul, Shaul.

see HEBREW for 07592

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

שָׁאוּל (sha.ul) — Saul.

A king of the tribe of Benjamin living at the time of United Monarchy, first mentioned at 1Sa.9.2;

son of: Kish (H7027); married to Ahinoam (H0293) and Rizpah (H7532);

father of: Jonathan (H3083H), Abinadab (H0041H), Malchi-shua (H4444), Merab (H4764), Michal (H4324), Ish-bosheth (H0378), Armoni (H0764), Mephibosheth (H4648H)

§ Saul or Shaul = "desired"

1) a Benjamite, son of Kish, and the 1st king of Israel

2) an early king of Edom and a successor of Samlah

3) a son of Simeon

4) a Levite, son of Uzziah

שָׁאוּל (sha.ul) — Shaul.

A man of the tribe of Simeon living at the time of Egypt and Wilderness, first mentioned at Gen.46.10;

son of: Simeon (H8095) and Canaanite_woman (H3669);

brother of: Jemuel (H3223), Jamin (H3226), Ohad (H0161), Jachin (H3199) and Zerah (H2226L);

father of: Shallum (H7967K)

Also named: sha.u.li (שָׁאוּלִי "Shaulite" H7587)

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

sol (sha'ul; Saoul):

(1) The first king of Israel.

I. EARLY HISTORY

1. Name and Meaning

2. Genealogy

3. Home and Station

4. Sources for Life

5. Election as King

6. Reasons for It

II. REIGN AND FALL

1. His First Action

2. Army Reorganized

3. Battle of Michmash

4. Defeats the Amalekites

5. Deposition Pronounced

6. David Introduced to Saul

7. Two Accounts

8. Saul's Envy of David

9. Attempts to Get Rid of David

10. David Spares Saul

11. Saul's Divided Energies

12. Consults a Necromancer

13. Battle of Gilboa

14. Double Accounts

15. Saul's Posterity

III. CHARACTER

1. Book of Chronicles

2. Saul's Failings

3. His Virtue

4. David's Elegy

I. Early History.

1. Name and Meaning:

The name Saul is usually regarded as simply the passive participle of the verb "to ask," and so meaning "asked" (compare 1Sa 8:4 ff), but the gentilic adjective sha'uli (

Saul

Asked for. (1.) A king of Edom (Gen. 36:37, 38); called Shaul in 1 Chr. 1:48.

(2.) The son of Kish (probably his only son, and a child of prayer, “asked for”), of the tribe of Benjamin, the first king of the Jewish nation. The singular providential circumstances connected with his election as king are recorded in 1 Sam. 8-10. His father’s she-asses had strayed, and Saul was sent with a servant to seek for them. Leaving his home at Gibeah (10:5, “the hill of God,” A.V.; lit., as in R.V. marg., “Gibeah of God”), Saul and his servant went toward the north-west over Mount Ephraim, and then turning north-east they came to “the land of Shalisha,” and thence eastward to the land of Shalim, and at length came to the district of Zuph, near Samuel’s home at Ramah (9:5-10). At this point…

Smith's Bible Dictionary

(desired), more accurately Shaul. One of the early kings of Edom, and successor of Samlah. (Genesis 36:37,38; 1 Chronicles 1:48) (B.C. after 1450.) The first king of Israel, the son of Kish, and of the tribe of Benjamin. (B.C, 1095-1055.) His character is in part illustrated by the fierce, wayward, fitful nature of the tribe and in part accounted for by the struggle between the old and new systems in which he found himself involved. To this we must add a taint of madness. which broke out in violent frenzy at times leaving him with long lucid intervals. He was remarkable for his strength and activity, (2 Samuel 1:25) and, like the Homeric heroes, of gigantic stature, taller by head and shoulders than the rest of the people, and…

American Tract Society Bible Dictionary

The son of Kish, of the tribe of Benjamin, the first king of the Israelites, anointed by Samuel, B. C. 1091, and after a reign of forty years filled with various events, slain with his sons on Mount Gilboa. He was succeeded by David, who was his son-in-law, and whom he had endeavored to put to death. His history is contained in 1Sa 10:1-31:13. It is a sad and admonitory narrative. The morning of his reign was bright with special divine favors, both providential, and spiritual, 1Sa 9:20 10:1-11,24,25. But he soon began to disobey God, and was rejected as unworthy to found a line of kings; his sins and misfortunes multiplied, and his sun went down in gloom. In his first war with the Ammonites, God was with him; but then follow his presumptuous sacrifice, in the absence of Samuel…

and he went out Abner [the] son of Ner and [the] servants of Ish- bosheth [the] son of Saul from Mahanaim Gibeon towards
מִֽמַּחֲנַ֖יִםmi.ma.cha.Na.yim from Mahanaim H4266 Preposition · noun proper
13× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
Mahanaim was a place in Palestine where Jacob met angels, and its name means 'two camps'. It's east of the Jordan River and is an important location in biblical history.
Amplified meaning
two camps, a place east of the Jordan River
Tyndale gloss
Mahanaim
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

מַחֲנַיִם (Machanayim) means 'two camps' and refers to a location east of the Jordan River, named after Jacob's encounter with angels. It is a dual form derived from another Hebrew word meaning 'camp.' The entries consistently identify it as a geographical place in Palestine.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

מַחֲנַיִם n.pr.loc. (two camps) E. of Jordan; name from Jacob's meeting angels

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H4266 מַחֲנַיִם (two camps) E. of Jordan; name from Jacob's meeting angels

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

4266 Machanayim makh-an-ah'-yim

dual of 4264; double camp; Machanajim, a place in

Palestine:--Mahanaim.

see HEBREW for 04264

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

מַחֲנַיִם (ma.cha.na.yim) — Mahanaim.

§ Mahanaim = "two camps"

a place east of the Jordan, named from Jacob's encounter with angels

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Prep | N-proper — Preposition · noun proper
HR/Npl
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

ma-ha-na'-im (machanayim; the Greek is different in every case where the name occurs, Codex Vaticanus and Codex Alexandrinus also giving variant forms; the dual form may be taken as having arisen from an old locative ending, as, e.g. yerushala(y)im from an original yerushalem. In Ge 32:21 machaneh is evidently a parallel form and should be rendered as a proper name, Mahaneh, i.e. Mahanaim): The city must have been one of great strength. It lay East of the Jordan, and is first mentioned in the history of Jacob. Here he halted after parting from Laban, before the passage of the Jabbok (Ge 31:2), "and the angels of God met him." Possibly it was the site of an ancient sanctuary. It is next noticed in defining the boundaries of tribal territory East of the Jordan. It lay on the border…

Easton's Bible Dictionary

Mahanaim

Two camps, a place near the Jabbok, beyond Jordan, where Jacob was met by the “angels of God,” and where he divided his retinue into “two hosts” on his return from Padan-aram (Gen. 32:2). This name was afterwards given to the town which was built at that place. It was the southern boundary of Bashan (Josh. 13:26, 30), and became a city of the Levites (21:38). Here Saul’s son Ishbosheth reigned (2 Sam. 2:8, 12), while David reigned at Hebron. Here also, after a troubled reign, Ishbosheth was murdered by two of his own bodyguard (2 Sam. 4:5-7), who brought his head to David at Hebron, but were, instead of being rewarded, put to death by him for their cold-blooded…

Smith's Bible Dictionary

a town on the east of the Jordan. The name signifies two hosts or two camps,and was given to it by Jacob, because he there met "the angels of God." (Genesis 32:1,2) We next meet with it in the records of the conquest. (Joshua 13:26,30) It was within the territory of Gad, (Joshua 21:38,39) and therefore on the south side of the torrent Jabbok. The town with its "suburbs" was allotted to the service of the Merarite Levites. (Joshua 21:39; 1 Chronicles 6:80) Mahanaim had become in the time of the monarchy a place of mark. (2 Samuel 2:8,12) David took refuge there when…

American Tract Society Bible Dictionary

Two hosts, a place so named because a host of angels here met the host of Jacob, on his return from Padan-aram, Ge 32:1-2. It lay north of the Jabbok and near Penuel, and afterwards became a Levitical city in the tribe of Gad, Jos 21:38. It was apparently a town of some strength; for Ishbosheth lived there during his short reign, and David took refuge there during Absalom’s rebellion, 2Sa 2:8 17:24,27.

and he went out Abner [the] son of Ner and [the] servants of Ish- bosheth [the] son of Saul from Mahanaim Gibeon towards
גִּבְעֽוֹנָה׃giv.'o.nah Gibeon towards H1391 Noun proper · suffix
38× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
Gibeon was a Levitical city in the region of Benjamin, located about 5 miles from Jerusalem, and is now known as el-Jib. The name means hill city, and it is mentioned in various KJV translations as Gibeon.
Amplified meaning
a Levitical city, el-Jib
Tyndale gloss
Gibeon
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

גִּבְעוֹן (Gib`own) refers to Gibeon, a Levitical city in the tribe of Benjamin, described as a 'hill city.' It is located near modern 'el-Jib,' about 5 miles from Jerusalem. The word is derived from a root meaning 'hilly,' linking it to its geographical features.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

גִּבְעוֹן n.pr.loc. Levitical city in tribe of Benjamin; cf. also as n.pr.m.

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H1391 גִּבְעוֹן Levitical city in tribe of Benjamin

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

1391 Gib`own ghib-ohn'

from the same as 1387; hilly; Gibon, a place in

Palestine:--Gibeon.

see HEBREW for 01387

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

גִּבְעוֹן (giv.on) — Gibeon.

§ Gibeon = "hill city"

a Levitical city of Benjamin, modern 'el-Jib', which lies 5 miles or 8 km from Jerusalem

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-proper | Suff — Noun proper · suffix
HNpl/Sd
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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