2 Samuel 22:27 — Word Study

Depth

WLCעִם־ נָבָ֖ר תִּתָּבָ֑ר וְעִם־ עִקֵּ֖שׁ תִּתַּפָּֽל׃

BSAtoʻim the purebârar [holy, upright, having God's nature] You show Yourself purebârar▸ [clean, refined, without sin] but toʻim the crookedʻiqqêsh [twisted, perverted, wicked] You show Yourself shrewdpâthal▸ [astute, hostile, a wrestler against the perverse]

Word

Listen & take away2 Samuel 22

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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 (ti.ta.Pal) — no per-word recordings of the Hebrew exist to link to.

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2 Samuel 22:27quick helps

In a sentenceGod reveals Himself differently based on the character of the person.

Who is speakingDavid, expressing his understanding of God's nature.

Where we areA poetic reflection on God's justice and character.

The hard wordעִקֵּ֖שׁ

Take awayGod's response to people reflects their own nature.

Greek	English	Parsing
עִם־	with	Preposition
נָבָ֖ר	[one who] purifies himself	Verb, Niphal, participle (active) masculine singular
תִּתָּבָ֑ר	you show yourself pure	Verb, Hithpael, imperfect second person masculine singular
וְעִם־	and with	Conjunction, preposition
עִקֵּ֖שׁ	a perverse [person]	Adj
תִּתַּפָּֽל׃	you show yourself twisted	Verb, Hithpael, imperfect second person masculine singular

Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.

4 commentators on this verse Gill, Jamieson, Ellicott, Cambridge & more — read them › clause verbבָּרַר 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 22:27

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

Context — David's Song of Praisegenerated

26To the faithful You show Yourself faithful, to the blameless You show Yourself blameless;

27to the pure You show Yourself pure, but to the crooked You show Yourself shrewd.

28You save an afflicted people, but Your eyes are on the haughty to bring them down.

29For You, O LORD, are my lamp; the LORD lights up my darkness.

2 Samuel 22:27 is part of a larger passage where David praises God for His deliverance and righteousness. In this song, David reflects on how God interacts with different kinds of people — the faithful, the blameless, the pure, and the crooked. This passage emphasizes the justice of God and how He reveals Himself according to the moral state of individuals, providing insight into the nature of divine relationship with humanity.

Cross References

	Reference	Text (BSB)
1	Matthew 5:8	Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.
2	Leviticus 26:23–28	And if in spite of these things you do not accept My discipline, but continue to walk in hostility toward Me,
3	Deuteronomy 28:58–61	If you are not careful to observe all the words of this law which are written in this book, that you may fear this glorious and awesome name—the LORD your God—
4	Psalm 125:5	But those who turn to crooked ways the LORD will banish with the evildoers. Peace be upon Israel.
5	Exodus 18:11	Now I know that the LORD is greater than all other gods, for He did this when they treated Israel with arrogance.”

The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 7 references, hung on the phrase they belong to

the pureMatthew 5:8

forwardLeviticus 26:23–28 Deuteronomy 28:58–61 Psalm 125:5

shew thyself unsavouryExodus 18:11 Psalm 18:26 Isaiah 45:9

Nave’s Topical Bible — the subjects this verse is filed under

EpicDavid's war songPraiseOf DavidGodGlory OfGodJudge, And His JusticeDavid1. King of IsraelPsalmsOf DavidSongWarVictoriesCelebrated in songWicked (People)Punishment Of

The Key Word — נָבָ֖ר, na.Vargenerated

The verb נָבָ֖ר (na.Var) comes from the root meaning to purify. In this context, it describes someone who is pure or holy, reflecting God's nature. The Niphal participle form indicates an active state of being purified, suggesting a continuous or habitual quality of purity.

This word highlights the moral and spiritual state of individuals who are in right standing with God, emphasizing the importance of purity in one's relationship with the divine.

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. The BSB has pure, and so do the KJV and the ASV: all three maintain the emphasis on moral purity.

Where they part company is עִקֵּ֖שׁ — the KJV translates it as crooked, while the DRA uses perverted, and the ULB opts for twisted. This shows a variation in how the moral state of the person is characterized.

Sentence Structuregenerated

The verse consists of two main clauses, each beginning with a verb: תִּתָּבָ֑ר and תִּתַּפָּֽל. The structure indicates a parallelism between the two ideas, contrasting the responses of God based on the nature of the individuals.

The first clause focuses on the pure, while the second addresses the crooked, highlighting the contrasting ways God reveals Himself.

Septuagint Backgroundgenerated

In the Septuagint, נָבָ֖ר is rendered as ἐκλεκτοῦ, meaning 'chosen' or 'select'. This choice may imply a broader sense of being set apart for a specific purpose, aligning with the idea of purity.

The word עִקֵּ֖שׁ is translated as στρεβλοῦ, which also carries connotations of being twisted or distorted, emphasizing the moral deviation of the person described.

In plain words — the whole versegenerated

2 Samuel 22:27 explains that God shows Himself in different ways depending on whether a person is pure or crooked. To the pure, He reveals His purity, while to the crooked, He shows His shrewdness. This verse highlights the relationship between God's character and the moral state of individuals.

Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated

What does it mean for God to show Himself pure?

It means that God reveals His holiness and righteousness to those who are pure in heart and character.

How does God show Himself to the crooked?

God reveals His shrewdness and wisdom, often in a way that confronts their moral corruption.

Why is purity important in this verse?

Purity signifies a right relationship with God, allowing individuals to experience His goodness and favor.

What can we learn from the contrast between the pure and the crooked?

We learn that our moral choices influence how we experience God's presence and actions in our lives.

Reflection Questionsgenerated

In what ways can I strive for purity in my own life?
How do I perceive God's character in relation to my actions?
What does it mean to me that God shows Himself differently to the pure and the crooked?
How can I help others understand the importance of purity in their relationship with God?

Commentators on this verse — 4 expositors, verse by verse

Each of these wrote on 2 Samuel 22:27 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.

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

With the pure thou wilt show thyself pure; and with the froward thou wilt show thyself unsavoury. [See comments on Psalms 18:26].

Read John Gill on 2 Samuel 22 →

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

With the pure thou wilt shew thyself pure; and with the froward thou wilt shew thyself unsavoury. No JFB commentary on this verse.

Read Robert Jamieson on 2 Samuel 22 →

Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(27) Unsavoury.—Rather, froward, for although the form here is anomalous, it is the same word, and has the same reference to the previous word as in the psalm.

Read Charles John Ellicott on 2 Samuel 22 →

CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

27. with the pure, &c.] Properly one who purifies himself. Cp. 1 John 3:3; Matthew 5:8; Psalms 73:1. thou wilt shew thyself unsavoury] Better, perverse. The man who is froward, morally distorted and perverse, is given over by God to follow his own perverseness, till it brings him to destruction. Cp. Leviticus 26:23-24; Romans 1:28; Revelation 22:11; and as an illustration, cp. the history of Balaam (Numbers 22:20).

Read Cambridge on 2 Samuel 22 →

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

to the pure You show Yourself pure, but to the crooked You show Yourself shrewd.

WEBWorld English Bible2000

With the pure you will show yourself pure. With the crooked you will show yourself shrewd.

MSBMajority Standard Bible2022

to the pure You show Yourself pure, but to the crooked You show Yourself shrewd.

NETBNew English Translation2006

You prove to be reliable to one who is blameless, but you prove to be deceptive to one who is perverse.

Tyndale line

KJVKing James Version1611

With the pure thou wilt shew thyself pure; and with the froward thou wilt shew thyself unsavoury.

ASVAmerican Standard Version1901

With the pure thou wilt show thyself pure; And with the perverse thou wilt show thyself froward.

RVARevised Version, American1894

With the pure thou wilt shew thyself pure; and with the perverse thou wilt shew thyself froward.

NWBWebster's Bible1833

With the pure thou wilt show thyself pure; and with the froward thou wilt contend.

GNVGeneva Bible1599

With the pure thou wilt shewe thy selfe pure, and with the frowarde thou wilt shew thy selfe frowarde.

Strictly literal

DBYDarby Translation1890

With the pure thou dost shew thyself pure; And with the perverse thou dost shew thyself contrary.

YLTYoung's Literal Translation1862

With the pure Thou shewest Thyself pure, And with the perverse Thou shewest Thyself a wrestler.

LSVLiteral Standard Version2020

With the pure You show Yourself pure, || And with the perverse You show Yourself a wrestler.

ILTInterlinear Literal Translation2000

With the pure thou wilt show thyself pure; and with the perverse thou wilt wage a contest.

ULBUnlocked Literal Bible2017

With the pure you show yourself pure, but you are perverse to the twisted.

From the Latin

DRADouay-Rheims (Challoner)1899

With the elect thou wilt be elect: and with the perverse thou wilt be perverted.

Simplified

FBVFree Bible Version2020

You show yourself pure to those who are pure, but you show yourself astute to those who are crafty.

BBEBible in Basic English1949

He who is holy will see that you are holy; but to the man whose way is not straight you will be a hard judge.

Word by word, the decisions they made

עִקֵּ֖שׁ'i.Kesh a perverse [person] H6141 2 different renderings

pervertedDRA

twistedULB

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.

clauseprepositional phrase · prepositionalעִםwithנָבָ֖ר[one.who].purifies.himselfverbתִּתָּבָ֑רyou.show.yourself.pureוְandclauseprepositional phrase · prepositionalעִםwithעִקֵּ֖שׁa.perverse.[person]verbתִּתַּפָּֽלyou.show.yourself.twisted

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 align closely, with five out of six words matched. The Dead Sea Scrolls show some restoration, with two words partly restored and four supplied entirely by an editor, indicating some textual uncertainty.

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

עִם־ נָבָ֖ר תִּתָּבָ֑ר וְעִם־ עִקֵּ֖שׁ תִּתַּפָּֽל׃

Septuagintthe Greek the translators chose, word by word

עִם־μετὰנָבָ֖רἐκλεκτοῦוְעִם־μετὰעִקֵּ֖שׁστρεβλοῦתִּתַּפָּֽל׃στρεβλωθήσῃ

5 of the 6 words are matched. This is the word-by-word correspondence, not the Septuagint's own sentence — its word order and its articles are its own.

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

[עם] נבר תתבר [ועם] [עקש] [תתפתל]

nothing on the leather here — 2 partly restored, 4 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.

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 22:27

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.

עִם־ with נָבָ֖ר [one who] purifies himself תִּתָּבָ֑ר you show yourself pure וְעִם־ and with עִקֵּ֖שׁ a perverse [person]תִּתַּפָּֽל׃ you show yourself twisted

“with [one who] purifies himself you show yourself pure and with a perverse [person] you show yourself twisted”

עִם־'im- with H5973 Preposition ¶

1,052× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×

In plain English

Meaning

This Hebrew word means with or together, like when God is with his people in Exodus 33:14-15. It's used to describe accompaniment or association, and can also mean against or beside. The word is used to convey a sense of relationship or proximity between people or things.

Tyndale gloss

with

Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers

Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

עִם (im) is a preposition meaning 'with' and covers a range of relationships, including companionship, locality, and possession. It can imply actions done jointly, equality, or even opposition in contexts like combat. The related form מֵעִם (me.im) means 'from with' or 'beside.' The entries reflect various nuances but do not present significant disagreement.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

עִם prep. with

of fellowship and companionship

of aid

Of actions done jointly with another

If the common action be of the nature of a contest or combat, with in the sense of against

Of dealing with a person, or of the relation in which one stands with, or towards, another

Of a common lot together with the wicked

Of equality or resemblance generally aid

Of time, as long as

Of a locality, close to, beside

Of persons, עִם is spec.

in the house or family or service of

In possession of

In the custody or care of

Beside = except

With = friendly with

Idiom. of a thought or purpose present with one

Metaph. together with = in spite of, notwithstanding

base

מֵעִם 72 from with or beside

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H5973a עִם with . of fellowship and companionship

. Of a locality, close to, beside

. Of persons, עִם is spec. . in the house or family or service of

. In possession of

. In the custody or care of

. Beside = except

. With = friendly with

. Idiom. of a thought or purpose present with one

. Metaph. together with = in spite of, notwithstanding

H5973b מֵעִם from with, beside

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

5973 `im eem

from 6004; adverb or preposition, with (i.e. in conjunction

with), in varied applications; specifically, equally with;

often with prepositional prefix (and then usually

unrepresented in English):--accompanying, against, and, as (X

long as), before, beside, by (reason of), for all, from

(among, between), in, like, more than, of, (un-)to,

with(-al).

see HEBREW for 06004

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

עִם (im) — with.

1) with

1a) with

1b) against

1c) toward

1d) as long as

מֵעִם (me.im) — from with.

1a) beside, except

1b) in spite of

Morphologythe parsing behind the code

Berean parsing

Prep — Preposition
HR

The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance

עִםwith×שָׁכַבto lie down: lay down×קָבַרto bury×לָחַםto fight×חֶ֫סֶדkindness×לֵבָבheart×מִלְחָמָהbattle×

“with [one who] purifies himself you show yourself pure and with a perverse [person] you show yourself twisted”

נָבָ֖רna.Var [one who] purifies himself H1305 Verb · Niphal · participle (active) masculine singular ¶

18× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×

In plain English

Meaning

To purify means to make something clean and bright, like polishing metal. In the Bible, it involves removing sin and imperfections to become pure and holy before God.

Amplified meaning

holy, upright, having God's nature

Tyndale gloss

to purify

Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers

Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

בָּרַר (barar) is a Hebrew verb meaning to purify, select, or choose. It encompasses a range of actions including cleansing, polishing, and testing. The word appears in various forms, such as purging or proving oneself, and is notably used in the context of making something bright or clean. There are no significant disagreements among the lexicons regarding its meanings.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

[בָּרַר] vb. purify, select

Qal

purge out, purify

choose, select, only Pt. and in Chronicler

cleanse, make shining, polish

test, prove

Niph. purify oneself

Pi. purify

Hiph.

purify, cleanse

polish arrows

Hithp.

purify oneself

shew oneself pure, just, kind

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H1305 [בָּרַר] purify, select .. purge out, purify

. choose, select, only Pt. and in Chronicler

. cleanse, make shining, polish

. test, prove

. purify oneself

. purify

. . purify, cleanse

. polish arrows

. . purify oneself

. shew oneself pure, just, kind

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

1305 barar baw-rar'

a primitive root; to clarify (i.e. brighten), examine,

select:--make bright, choice, chosen, cleanse (be clean),

clearly, polished, (shew self) pure(-ify), purge (out).

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

בָּרַר (ba.rar) — to purify.

1) to purify, select, polish, choose, purge, cleanse or make bright, test or prove

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to purge, purge out, purify

1a2) to choose, select

1a3) to cleanse, make shining, polish

1a4) to test, prove

1b) (Niphal) to purify oneself

1c) (Piel) to purify

1d) (Hiphil)

1d1) to purify

1d2) to polish arrows

1e) (Hithpael)

1e1) to purify oneself

1e2) to show oneself pure, just, kind

Morphologythe parsing behind the code

Berean parsing

V-Niphal — Verb · Niphal · participle (active) masculine singular
HVNrmsa

The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance

עִםwith×בָּרַרto purify×עִקֵּשׁtwisted×שָׂפָהlips×שֵׁםname×חֵץarrow×צָרַףto refine×לָבֵןto whiten×

“with [one who] purifies himself you show yourself pure and with a perverse [person] you show yourself twisted”

תִּתָּבָ֑רti.ta.Var you show yourself pure H1305 Verb · Hithpael · imperfect second person masculine singular ¶

18× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×

In plain English

Meaning

To purify means to make something clean and bright, like polishing metal. In the Bible, it involves removing sin and imperfections to become pure and holy before God.

Amplified meaning

clean, refined, without sin

Tyndale gloss

to purify

Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers

Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

[בָּרַר] vb. purify, select

Qal

purge out, purify

choose, select, only Pt. and in Chronicler

cleanse, make shining, polish

test, prove

Niph. purify oneself

Pi. purify

Hiph.

purify, cleanse

polish arrows

Hithp.

purify oneself

shew oneself pure, just, kind

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H1305 [בָּרַר] purify, select .. purge out, purify

. choose, select, only Pt. and in Chronicler

. cleanse, make shining, polish

. test, prove

. purify oneself

. purify

. . purify, cleanse

. polish arrows

. . purify oneself

. shew oneself pure, just, kind

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

1305 barar baw-rar'

a primitive root; to clarify (i.e. brighten), examine,

select:--make bright, choice, chosen, cleanse (be clean),

clearly, polished, (shew self) pure(-ify), purge (out).

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

בָּרַר (ba.rar) — to purify.

1) to purify, select, polish, choose, purge, cleanse or make bright, test or prove

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to purge, purge out, purify

1a2) to choose, select

1a3) to cleanse, make shining, polish

1a4) to test, prove

1b) (Niphal) to purify oneself

1c) (Piel) to purify

1d) (Hiphil)

1d1) to purify

1d2) to polish arrows

1e) (Hithpael)

1e1) to purify oneself

1e2) to show oneself pure, just, kind

Morphologythe parsing behind the code

Berean parsing

V-Niphal-Imperf-2ms — Verb · Hithpael · imperfect second person masculine singular
HVti2ms

The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance

עִםwith×בָּרַרto purify×עִקֵּשׁtwisted×שָׂפָהlips×שֵׁםname×חֵץarrow×צָרַףto refine×לָבֵןto whiten×

“with [one who] purifies himself you show yourself pure and with a perverse [person] you show yourself twisted”

וְעִם־ve.'im- and with H5973 Conjunction · preposition ¶

1,052× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×

In plain English

Meaning

Tyndale gloss

with

Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers

Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

עִם prep. with

of fellowship and companionship

of aid

Of actions done jointly with another

If the common action be of the nature of a contest or combat, with in the sense of against

Of dealing with a person, or of the relation in which one stands with, or towards, another

Of a common lot together with the wicked

Of equality or resemblance generally aid

Of time, as long as

Of a locality, close to, beside

Of persons, עִם is spec.

in the house or family or service of

In possession of

In the custody or care of

Beside = except

With = friendly with

Idiom. of a thought or purpose present with one

Metaph. together with = in spite of, notwithstanding

base

מֵעִם 72 from with or beside

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H5973a עִם with . of fellowship and companionship

. Of a locality, close to, beside

. Of persons, עִם is spec. . in the house or family or service of

. In possession of

. In the custody or care of

. Beside = except

. With = friendly with

. Idiom. of a thought or purpose present with one

. Metaph. together with = in spite of, notwithstanding

H5973b מֵעִם from with, beside

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

5973 `im eem

from 6004; adverb or preposition, with (i.e. in conjunction

with), in varied applications; specifically, equally with;

often with prepositional prefix (and then usually

unrepresented in English):--accompanying, against, and, as (X

long as), before, beside, by (reason of), for all, from

(among, between), in, like, more than, of, (un-)to,

with(-al).

see HEBREW for 06004

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

עִם (im) — with.

1) with

1a) with

1b) against

1c) toward

1d) as long as

מֵעִם (me.im) — from with.

1a) beside, except

1b) in spite of

Morphologythe parsing behind the code

Berean parsing

Conj | Prep — Conjunction · preposition
HC/R

The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance

עִםwith×שָׁכַבto lie down: lay down×קָבַרto bury×לָחַםto fight×חֶ֫סֶדkindness×לֵבָבheart×מִלְחָמָהbattle×

“with [one who] purifies himself you show yourself pure and with a perverse [person] you show yourself twisted”

עִקֵּ֖שׁ'i.Kesh a perverse [person] H6141 Adj ¶

11× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×

In plain English

Meaning

The Hebrew word for something that is twisted or distorted, and can also refer to someone who is being false or perverse. It is used to describe something that is not straight or honest. The KJV translates it as crooked or froward.

Amplified meaning

twisted, perverted, wicked

Tyndale gloss

twisted

Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers

Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

עִקֵּשׁ (iqqesh) means twisted or perverted, conveying a sense of distortion or crookedness. It is derived from the root word עָקַשׁ (‘aqash), which also relates to these themes. The entries consistently emphasize its negative connotations, describing something that is false or morally corrupt.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

עִקֵּשׁ adj. twisted, perverted

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H6141 עִקֵּשׁ twisted, perverted

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

6141 `iqqesh ik-kashe'

from 6140; distorted; hence, false:--crooked, froward,

perverse.

see HEBREW for 06140

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

עִקֵּשׁ (iq.qesh) — twisted.

twisted, distorted, crooked, perverse, perverted

Morphologythe parsing behind the code

Berean parsing

Adj — Adj
HAamsa

The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance

בָּרַרto purify×פָּתַלto twist×לֵבheart×רוּשׁbe poor×הָלַךְto go: walk×תֹּםintegrity×דֶּ֫רֶךְway: road×הוּאhe/she/it×

“with [one who] purifies himself you show yourself pure and with a perverse [person] you show yourself twisted”

תִּתַּפָּֽל׃ti.ta.Pal you show yourself twisted H6617 Verb · Hithpael · imperfect second person masculine singular ¶

5× 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 twist or struggle, often used to describe someone being morally corrupt or wrestling with God. It appears in various forms, such as being twisted or wrestling. This concept is seen in the actions of those who oppose God's will.

Amplified meaning

astute, hostile, a wrestler against the perverse

Tyndale gloss

to twist

Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers

Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

פָּתַל (pathal) means to twist or struggle, with a focus on being tortuous or morally froward. It can describe both literal twisting and figurative wrestling, as noted in various contexts. The entries highlight its usage in different forms, such as the Niphal and Hithpael, but do not present any significant disagreements among the lexicons.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

[פָּתַל] vb. twist

Niph. I have wrestled (lit. twisted myself) with; the plan of the tortuous; anything tortuous and twisted

Hithp. with the twisted thou dost deal tortuously

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H6617 פָּתַל twist . I have wrestled (lit. twisted myself) with; the plan of the tortuous; anything tortuous and twisted

. with the twisted thou dost deal tortuously

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

6617 pathal paw-thal'

a primitive root; to twine, i.e. (literally) to struggle or

(figuratively) be (morally) tortuous:--(shew self) froward,

shew self unsavoury, wrestle.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

פָּתַל (pa.tal) — to twist.

1) to twist

1a) (Niphal)

1a1) to be twisted

1a2) to wrestle

1b) (Hithpael) to be twisted

Morphologythe parsing behind the code

Berean parsing

V-Hithpael-Imperf-2ms — Verb · Hithpael · imperfect second person masculine singular
HVti2ms

The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance

עִקֵּשׁtwisted×עִםwith×בָּרַרto purify×

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.

2 Samuel 22:27 — Word Study

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Deep Study — 2 Samuel 22:27

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