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Amos 5:7 — Word Study

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WLCהַהֹפְכִ֥ים לְלַעֲנָ֖ה מִשְׁפָּ֑ט וּצְדָקָ֖ה לָאָ֥רֶץ הִנִּֽיחוּ׃

BSAThere are those who turnhâphak [pervert, distort] justicemishpâṭ [God's righteous judgment] into wormwoodlaʻănâh [a poisonous plant] righteousnesstsᵉdâqâh [moral virtue, God's attribute] to the groundʼerets [the land, the earth, the world]

Word
Listen & take awayAmos 5
English ↓ Download MP3 The Berean Standard Bible chapter audio already hosted for the site's Bible section — verse 7 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 (hi.Ni.chu) — no per-word recordings of the Hebrew exist to link to.
Take it away
Amos 5:7quick helps
In a sentenceAmos warns against those who corrupt justice and disregard righteousness.
Who is speakingThe prophet Amos, addressing Israel.
Where we areIn a call to seek the Lord, Amos highlights moral failures.
The hard wordלְלַעֲנָ֖ה
Take awayJustice is being corrupted, and righteousness is being rejected.
8 commentators on this verse Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them › clause verbנוח 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 — Amos 5:7

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 Call of Amosgenerated

6Seek the LORD and live, or He will sweep like fire through the house of Joseph; it will devour everything, with no one at Bethel to extinguish it.
7There are those who turn justice into wormwood and cast righteousness to the ground.
8He who made the Pleiades and Orion, who turns darkness into dawn and darkens day into night, who summons the waters of the sea and pours them over the face of the earth— the LORD is His name—
9He flashes destruction on the strong, so that fury comes upon the stronghold.

Amos 5:7 describes a grave situation where some people are perverting justice and casting aside righteousness. This verse is part of a larger message where Amos calls the people of Israel to recognize their moral failures and seek the Lord to avoid impending judgment. The surrounding verses emphasize the consequences of such actions and the need for genuine repentance.


Cross References

ReferenceText (BSB)
1Amos 5:11–12Therefore, because you trample on the poor and exact from him a tax of grain, you will never live in the stone houses you have built; you will never drink the wine from the lush vineyards you have planted.
2Amos 6:12“Do horses gallop on the cliffs? Does one plow the sea with oxen? But you have turned justice into poison and the fruit of righteousness into wormwood—
3Deuteronomy 29:18Make sure there is no man or woman, clan or tribe among you today whose heart turns away from the LORD our God to go and worship the gods of those nations. Make sure there is no root among you that bears such poisonous and bitter fruit,
4Isaiah 1:23Your rulers are rebels, friends of thieves. They all love bribes and chasing after rewards. They do not defend the fatherless, and the plea of the widow never comes before them.
5Isaiah 5:7For the vineyard of the LORD of Hosts is the house of Israel, and the men of Judah are the plant of His delight. He looked for justice, but saw bloodshed; for righteousness, but heard a cry of distress.

The Key Word הָפַךְ, ha.ho.fe.Khimgenerated

The word הָפַךְ (haphak) is a verb meaning to turn or overturn, indicating a significant change or reversal. It is often used in contexts that imply moral or ethical distortion, as seen in this verse where justice is turned into something bitter and harmful.

The parsing as a qal participle suggests ongoing action, indicating that these individuals are habitually engaged in the act of turning justice into something corrupt. This underscores the seriousness of their actions and the impact on society.


How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated

This study reads the verse in the Berean Standard Bible, so the BSB is the wording every comparison below is made against.


Sentence Structuregenerated

The main verb is הֹפְכִ֥ים, those who turn, which governs the actions described in the verse. The structure includes two noun phrases that serve as objects — מִשְׁפָּ֑ט and צְדָקָ֖ה, representing justice and righteousness respectively.

The phrase לְלַעֲנָ֖ה indicates the transformation of justice into wormwood, while the action of casting righteousness to the ground is expressed through the verb הִנִּֽיחוּ, they thrust down. This structure emphasizes the moral decline being described.


Septuagint Backgroundgenerated

In the Septuagint, the Hebrew הָפַךְ is rendered as ποιῶν (poion), meaning 'doing' or 'making'. This choice reflects a broader interpretation, suggesting active involvement in the corruption of justice.

The term for wormwood is translated as ὕψος (hypsos), which may indicate a focus on elevation or height, possibly emphasizing the bitterness associated with the consequences of injustice.


In plain words — the whole versegenerated

Amos 5:7 warns that some people are turning justice into something bitter and throwing righteousness to the ground. This reflects a serious moral failure, as justice and righteousness are central to God's character and His expectations for His people.


Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated

What does turning justice into wormwood mean?

It signifies corrupting justice, making it bitter and harmful, rather than upholding it as a standard of fairness and righteousness.

Why is righteousness cast to the ground?

This act symbolizes the rejection and disregard for moral virtue and God's standards, showing a deep moral decline.

How does this verse relate to God's judgment?

The verse highlights the consequences of moral failures, indicating that such actions lead to God's judgment against those who pervert justice.

What can we learn from Amos 5:7?

We are reminded of the importance of upholding justice and righteousness in our own lives and communities, reflecting God's character.


Reflection Questionsgenerated

  1. In what ways do I see justice being corrupted in my community?
  2. How can I actively promote righteousness in my daily life?
  3. What steps can I take to seek justice for those who are oppressed?
  4. How does this verse challenge my understanding of morality and ethics?

Commentators on this verse — 8 expositors, verse by verse

Each of these wrote on Amos 5:7 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.

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

Ye who turn judgment to wormwood,.... This seems to be spoken to kings and judges, as Aben Ezra and Kimchi observe; in whose hands is the administration of justice, and who often pervert it, as these

Read John Gill on Amos 5 →
Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's Commentary

Ye who turn judgment to wormwood, and leave off righteousness in the earth, Ye who turn judgment to wormwood - i:e. pervert it to most bitter wrong. As justice is sweet, so injustice is bitterness to the injured.

Read Robert Jamieson on Amos 5 →
Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy Bible

Ye; rulers and judges. Judgment; the righteous sentence of the law, the equity of it, which is sweet and pleasing to just men, and safe for all. Wormwood; proverbially understood, bitterness, grief, injustice, and oppression. Leave off righteousness; make it to cease in your courts of judicature, and tread it under foot. In the earth; or among men, in the land: the latter part of this verse explains the former.

Read Matthew Poole on Amos 5 →
John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

Amos 5:7 Ye who turn judgment to wormwood, and leave off righteousness in the earth,Ver. 7. Ye who turn judgment to wormwood] Ye grandees and governors of the people, that turn the sweetest thing into the sourest (as corruptio optimi pessima), right into wrong dealing; that follow the administration of justice as a trade only, with an unquenchable and unconscionable desire of gain; not caring what becomes of righteousness, but leaving it off in the earth, or rather not leaving it at all upon earth ( terras Astraea reliquit), but chasing it out of the world as much as in you lieth; while you cast it down to the ground, and tread it underfoot, Daniel 8:12, while you oppress the just, crush…

Read John Trapp on Amos 5 →
Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(7) Is placed after Amos 5:9 by Ewald, since Amos 5:7-8 stand in the Heb. without any connecting-link. The holy thing “judgment” is perverted into the bitter thing “wormwood,” that which is execrated. Leave off.—Or rather, cast down righteousness to the earth, i.e., by false judgments and unjust decrees. Pusey sees here the analogue of the humiliation of the Holy One by wicked hands, when He was crowned with thorns, and fell beneath His cross.

Read Charles John Ellicott on Amos 5 →
AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible

Verse 7. Ye who turn judgment to wormwood] Who pervert judgment; causing him who obtains his suit to mourn sorely over the expenses he has incurred in gaining his right.

Read AdamClarke on Amos 5 →
CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

7. Jehovah demands righteousness: the prophet, with passion and indignation, declares abruptly how far Israel is from righteousness, and then proceeds to announce again the doom which it may in consequence confidently expect. As before (Amos 2:6-8, Amos 4:1), Israel’s crying sin is neglect of civil justice, and oppression of the poor: it is the aristocracy who arouse the moral indignation of Amos, as afterwards, in Judah, they aroused that of Isaiah, Micah, and Jeremiah. turn judgment to wormwood] Instead of being something wholesome and grateful, it is bitter and cruel to those who have to receive it. For wormwood (always as a figure for something bitter), cf. Amos 6:12; Jeremiah 9:15…

Read Cambridge on Amos 5 →
Albert Barnes1798–1870Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Ye who turn - Those whom he calls to seek God, were people filled with all injustice, who turned the sweetness of justice into the bitterness of wormwood .

Read Albert Barnes on Amos 5 →

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

There are those who turn justice into wormwood and cast righteousness to the ground.

WEBWorld English Bible2000

You who turn justice to wormwood, and cast down righteousness to the earth!

MSBMajority Standard Bible2022

There are those who turn justice into wormwood and cast righteousness to the ground.

NETBNew English Translation2006

The Israelites turn justice into bitterness; they throw what is fair and right to the ground.

Tyndale line

KJVKing James Version1611

Ye who turn judgment to wormwood, and leave off righteousness in the earth,

ASVAmerican Standard Version1901

Ye who turn justice to wormwood, and cast down righteousness to the earth,

RVARevised Version, American1894

Ye who turn judgment to wormwood, and cast down righteousness to the earth;

NWBWebster's Bible1833

Ye who turn judgment to wormwood, and leave off righteousness on the earth,

GNVGeneva Bible1599

They turne iudgement to wormewood, and leaue off righteousnes in the earth.

Strictly literal

DBYDarby Translation1890

Ye who turn judgment to wormwood, and cast down righteousness to the earth,

YLTYoung's Literal Translation1862

Ye who are turning to wormwood judgment, And righteousness to the earth have put down,

LSVLiteral Standard Version2020

You who are turning judgment to wormwood, || And have put down righteousness to the earth!”

ILTInterlinear Literal Translation2000

Ye who change justice into wormwood, and cast down righteousness to the earth!

ULBUnlocked Literal Bible2017

Those people turn justice into a bitter thing and throw righteousness down to the ground!”

From the Latin

DRADouay-Rheims (Challoner)1899

You that turn judgment into wormwood, and forsake justice in the land,

Simplified

FBVFree Bible Version2020

You twist justice and make it bitter, you throw integrity to the ground.

BBEBible in Basic English1949

You who make the work of judging a bitter thing, crushing down righteousness to the earth;

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.

clausenoun phraseהַOnoun phraseclauseclauseverbהֹפְכִ֥ים[you.who].turnprepositional phrase · prepositionalלְintoלַעֲנָ֖הwormwoodobjectמִשְׁפָּ֑טjusticeוּandclauseobjectצְדָקָ֖הrighteousnessprepositional phrase · prepositionalלָtonoun phrasetheאָ֥רֶץgroundverbהִנִּֽיחוּthey.thrust.down

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


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

The Masoretic Text of Amos 5:7 states that those who turn justice into wormwood and cast righteousness to the ground are described as הַהֹפְכִ֥ים לְלַעֲנָ֖ה מִשְׁפָּ֑ט וּצְדָקָ֖ה לָאָ֥רֶץ הִנִּֽיחוּ׃. The Septuagint agrees with the Masoretic Text in meaning, as it matches all six words in a word-by-word correspondence, although the word order and articles differ due to the nature of Greek syntax. There are no significant differences noted in the Samaritan Pentateuch or the Dead Sea Scrolls for this verse, indicating a strong consistency across these ancient witnesses.

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

הַהֹפְכִ֥ים לְלַעֲנָ֖ה מִשְׁפָּ֑ט וּצְדָקָ֖ה לָאָ֥רֶץ הִנִּֽיחוּ׃

Septuagintthe Greek the translators chose, word by word
הַהֹפְכִ֥יםποιῶνלְלַעֲנָ֖הὕψοςמִשְׁפָּ֑טκρίμαוּצְדָקָ֖הδικαιοσύνηνלָאָ֥רֶץγῆνהִנִּֽיחוּ׃ἔθηκεν

6 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.

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.

Amos 5:7הָפַךְO those [whO those [who] tהָפַךְלַעֲנָהinto wormwointo wormwoodלַעֲנָהמִשְׁפָּטjusticejusticeמִשְׁפָּטצְדָקָהand righteoand righteousneצְדָקָהאֶ֫רֶץto the grouto the groundאֶ֫רֶץנוּחַthey thrustthey thrust dowנוּחַשָׁפַטto judgeto judgeשָׁפַטצָדֵקto justifyto justifyצָדֵקיָנוּםJanimJanimיָנוּםלָבָןwhitewhiteלָבָןשֵׂעָרhairhairשֵׂעָררֹאשׁpoisonpoisonרֹאשׁשָׁקָהto water: to water: waterשָׁקָהחֻקָּהstatutestatuteחֻקָּהחֹקstatute: dstatute: decreeחֹקמִשְׁפָּטjustice: jjustice: judgemמִשְׁפָּטצַדִּיקrighteousrighteousצַדִּיקכְּנַ֫עַןCanaanCanaanכְּנַ֫עַןמִצְרַ֫יִם(Sea of) E(Sea of) Egyptמִצְרַ֫יִםשָׁקַטto quietto quietשָׁקַטחֵמָהragerageחֵמָה
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 Amos 5:7

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.

O those [who] turn into wormwood justice and righteousness to the ground they thrust down
הַהֹפְכִ֥יםha.ho.fe.Khim O those [who] turn H2015 Particle · verb qal participle (active) masculine plural
94× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
To overturn means to turn something around or change it completely, often implying a reversal or transformation. This can be seen in the Bible when something is turned upside down or changed radically.
Amplified meaning
pervert, distort
Tyndale gloss
to overturn
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

הָפַךְ (haphak) is a Hebrew verb meaning to turn or overturn, with implications of change and transformation. It can describe actions like turning back, being reversed, or even being perverse. The entries highlight various grammatical forms, including reflexive and passive uses, indicating a wide range of applications in the Old Testament.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

הָפַךְ vb. turn, overturn

Qal

trans.

turn, turn about, turn over

overturn, overthrow

turn = change, transform

intrans.

turn, turn back

turn = change, change into

Niph.

reflex. & intrans.

turn oneself, turn, turn back

turn = change (oneself)

be perverse

pass.

be turned, turn over to

be reversed

be turned, changed

be overturned, overthrown

be upturned, of subterran. work of miners

Hithp.

turn this way & that, every way

transform oneself

Hoph. there have been turned upon me terrors

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H2015 הָפַךְ turn, overturn .. trans. . turn, turn about, turn over

. overturn, overthrow

. turn = change, transform

. intrans. . turn, turn back

. turn = change, change into

. . reflex. & intrans. . turn oneself, turn, turn back

. turn = change (oneself)

. be perverse

. pass. . be turned, turn over to

. be reversed

. be turned, changed

. be overturned, overthrown

. be upturned, of subterran. work of miners

. . turn this way & that, every way

. transform oneself

. there have been turned upon me terrors

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

2015 haphak haw-fak'

a primitive root; to turn about or over; by implication, to

change, overturn, return, pervert:--X become, change, come, be

converted, give, make (a bed), overthrow (-turn), perverse,

retire, tumble, turn (again, aside, back, to the contrary,

every way).

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

הָפַךְ (ha.phakh) — to overturn.

1) to turn, overthrow, overturn

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to overturn, overthrow

1a2) to turn, turn about, turn over, turn around

1a3) to change, transform

1b) (Niphal)

1b1) to turn oneself, turn, turn back

1b2) to change oneself

1b3) to be perverse

1b4) to be turned, be turned over, be changed, be turned against

1b5) to be reversed

1b6) to be overturned, be overthrown

1b7) to be upturned

1c) (Hithpael)

1c1) to transform oneself

1c2) to turn this way and that, turn every way

1d) (Hophal) to turn on someone

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Art | V-Qal — Particle · verb qal participle (active) masculine plural
HTd/Vqrmpa
O those [who] turn into wormwood justice and righteousness to the ground they thrust down
לְלַעֲנָ֖הle.la.'a.Nah into wormwood H3939 Preposition · noun common feminine singular absolute
8× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
Wormwood is a poisonous plant, often used to symbolize bitterness. It is mentioned in the Bible as a metaphor for something accursed or evil, and is sometimes translated as hemlock or wormwood.
Amplified meaning
a poisonous plant
Tyndale gloss
wormwood
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

לַעֲנָה (la'anah) refers to wormwood, a plant often associated with bitterness and poison. The term is derived from a root that suggests a meaning related to cursing. It is mentioned in contexts that highlight its harmful qualities.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

לַעֲנָה n.f. wormwood

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H3939 לַעֲנָה wormwood

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

3939 la`anah lah-an-aw'

from an unused root supposed to mean to curse; wormwood

(regarded as poisonous, and therefore accursed):--hemlock,

wormwood.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

לַעֲנָה (la.a.nah) — wormwood.

1) wormwood

1a) bitterness (metaph.)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Prep | N-fs — Preposition · noun common feminine singular absolute
HR/Ncfsa
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

wurm'-wood (la'anah (De 29:18; Pr 5:4; Jer 9:15; 23:15; La 3:15,19; Am 5:7; 6:12, the King James Version hemlock); apsinthos (Re 8:11)): What the Hebrew la`anah may have been is obscure; it is clear it was a bitter substance and it is usually associated with "gall"; in the Septuagint it is variously translated, but never by apsinthos, "wormwood." Nevertheless all ancient tradition supports the English Versions of the Bible translation. The genus Artemisia (Natural Order Compositae), "wormwood," has five species of shrubs or herbs found in Palestine (Post), any one of…

Easton's Bible Dictionary

Wormwood

Heb. la’anah, the Artemisia absinthium of botanists. It is noted for its intense bitterness (Deut. 29:18; Prov. 5:4; Jer. 9:15; Amos 5:7). It is a type of bitterness, affliction, remorse, punitive suffering. In Amos 6:12 this Hebrew word is rendered “hemlock” (R.V., “wormwood”). In the symbolical language of the Apocalypse (Rev. 8:10, 11) a star is represented as falling on the waters of the earth, causing the third part of the water to turn wormwood.

Smith's Bible Dictionary

Four kinds of wormwood are found in Palestine-- Artemisia nilotica , A. Judaica , A. fructicosa and A. cinerea . The word occurs frequently in the Bible, and generally in a metaphorical sense. In (Jeremiah 9:15; 23:15; Lamentations 3:15,19) wormwood is symbolical of bitter calamity and sorrow; unrighteous judges are said to "turn judgment to wormwood." (Amos 5:7) The Orientals typified sorrows, cruelties and calamities of any kind by plants of a poisonous or bitter nature.

American Tract Society Bible Dictionary

La 3:15, an intensely bitter and poisonous plant, a symbol for whatever is nauseous and destructive, De 29:18 Jer 9:15. The fruits of vicious indulgence are "better as wormwood," Pr 5:3; and injustice and oppression are like wormwood and gall, Am 5:7 6:12.

The Chaldee paraphrase calls it "the wormwood of death." In Re 8:10-11, the star called wormwood seems to denote a mighty prince, or power of the air, the instrument, in its fall, of sore judgments on large numbers of the wicked. Compare Da 10:20-21

O those [who] turn into wormwood justice and righteousness to the ground they thrust down
מִשְׁפָּ֑טmish.Pat justice H4941 Noun common · masculine singular absolute
422× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
Mishpat means justice or judgment, and is often used to describe God's righteous judgment, as well as human laws and decisions, in books like Deuteronomy and Isaiah.
Amplified meaning
God's righteous judgment
Tyndale gloss
justice: judgement
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word מִשְׁפָּט (mishpat) primarily means judgment or justice and encompasses various aspects such as legal rights, ordinances, and decisions. It is derived from a root meaning to pronounce a verdict, covering both human and divine law. The entries highlight its application in legal contexts, including the act of deciding cases and the attributes of justice and rectitude.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

מִשְׁפָּט 422 n.m. judgment

judgment

justice, right, rectitude

ordinance

decision

one's (legal) right, privilege, due

proper, fitting, measure

custom, manner

what manner of

plan

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H4941 מִשְׁפָּט judgment . judgment

. justice, right, rectitude

. ordinance

. decision

. one's (legal) right, privilege, due

. . proper, fitting, measure

. custom, manner

. what manner of

. plan

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

4941 mishpat mish-pawt'

from 8199; properly, a verdict (favorable or unfavorable)

pronounced judicially, especially a sentence or formal decree

(human or (participant's) divine law, individual or

collective), including the act, the place, the suit, the

crime, and the penalty; abstractly, justice, including a

participant's right or privilege (statutory or customary), or

even a style:--+ adversary, ceremony, charge, X crime,

custom, desert, determination, discretion, disposing, due,

fashion, form, to be judged, judgment, just(-ice, -ly),

(manner of) law(-ful), manner, measure, (due) order,

ordinance, right, sentence, usest, X worthy, + wrong.

see HEBREW for 08199

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

מִשְׁפָּט (mish.pat) — justice: judgement.

: judgement/punishment

1) judgment, justice, ordinance

1a) judgment

1a1) act of deciding a case

1a2) place, court, seat of judgment

1a3) process, procedure, litigation (before judges)

1a4) case, cause (presented for judgment)

1a5) sentence, decision (of judgment)

1a6) execution (of judgment)

1a7) time (of judgment)

1b) justice, right, rectitude (attributes of God or man)

1c) ordinance

1d) decision (in law)

1e) right, privilege, due (legal)

1f) proper, fitting, measure, fitness, custom, manner, plan

מִשְׁפָּט (mish.pat) — justice.

: justice/right/righteousness

1) judgment, justice, ordinance

1a) judgment

1a1) act of deciding a case

1a2) place, court, seat of judgment

1a3) process, procedure, litigation (before judges)

1a4) case, cause (presented for judgment)

1a5) sentence, decision (of judgment)

1a6) execution (of judgment)

1a7) time (of judgment)

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

jus'-tis (tsedhaqah; tsedheq; dikaiosune): The original Hebrew and Greek words are the same as those rendered "righteousness." This is the common rendering, and in about half the cases where we have "just" and "justice" in the King James Version, the American Standard Revised Version has changed to "righteous" and "righteousness." It must be constantly borne in mind that the two ideas are essentially the same.

See RIGHTEOUSNESS.

1. Human Justice:

Justice had primarily to do with conduct in relation to others, especially with regard to the rights of others. It is applied to business, where just weights and measures are demanded (Le 19:35,36; De 25:13-16; Am 8:5; Pr 11:1; 16:11…

Easton's Bible Dictionary

Justice

Is rendering to every one that which is his due. It has been distinguished from equity in this respect, that while justice means merely the doing what positive law demands, equity means the doing of what is fair and right in every separate case.

American Tract Society Bible Dictionary

A principle of righteousness and equity, controlling our conduct, and securing a due regard to all the rights of others-their persons, property, character, and interests. It has to do, not with pecuniary transactions alone, but with all our intercourse with society. It forms a chief element of the character approved in God’s word; and a truly just man has but to "love mercy, and walk humbly with God," to fulfil all righteousness. Justice in magistrates, rulers, and judges, must be fearless and impartial, and all its decisions such as will bear revision before the court of heaven, De 1:16,17 2Sa 23:3 2Ch 19:6-10. Judgement is peculiarly the prerogative of God, and every earthly tribunal lies under the shadow of the "great white…

Nave's Topical Bible

→ General scriptures concerning Ex 23:1-3,6-8; Le 19:13-15; De 16:18-20; 25:1-4; Ezr 7:26; Ps 72:1,2; 82:2-4; Pr 17:15,26; 18:5,17; 20:8; 22:27; 24:23; 28:21; 29:26; Ec 3:16,17; 5:8; 7:7; Isa 1:17; 56:1; 59:14,15; Jer 22:1-4; La 3:35,36; Am 5:7,11,12;

O those [who] turn into wormwood justice and righteousness to the ground they thrust down
וּצְדָקָ֖הu.tze.da.Kah and righteousness H6666 Conjunction · noun common feminine singular absolute
157× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
Encompasses the idea of righteousness, including justice, virtue, and morality, often describing God's attribute or the standard for human behavior. It is used to describe the ideal for personal conduct and societal norms, emphasizing the importance of living a righteous life.
Amplified meaning
moral virtue, God's attribute
Tyndale gloss
righteousness
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

צְדָקָה (tsdaqah) means 'righteousness' and encompasses various aspects such as justice, truthfulness, and ethical rightness. It can refer to God's attribute of sovereignty, righteousness in governance, and even justification or salvation. The term also implies righteous acts and has an Aramaic equivalent, צִדְקָה (tsid.qah).

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

צְדָקָה 157 n.f. righteousness

righteousness, in government

God's attribute as sovereign

righteousness, in a case or cause

righteousness = truthfulness

righteousness, as ethically right

righteousness as vindicated, justification, salvation, etc.

pl. righteous acts

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H6666 צְדָקָה righteousness . righteousness, in government

. God's attribute as sovereign

. righteousness, in a case or cause

. righteousness = truthfulness

. righteousness, as ethically right

. righteousness as vindicated, justification, salvation, etc.

. pl. righteous acts

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

6666 tsdaqah tsed-aw-kaw'

from 6663; rightness (abstractly), subjectively (rectitude),

objectively (justice), morally (virtue) or figuratively

(prosperity):--justice, moderately, right(-eous)

(act, -ly, -ness).

see HEBREW for 06663

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

צְדָקָה (tse.da.qah) — righteousness.

1) justice, righteousness

1a) righteousness (in government)

1a1) of judge, ruler, king

1a2) of law

1a3) of Davidic king Messiah

1b) righteousness (of God's attribute)

1c) righteousness (in a case or cause)

1d) righteousness, truthfulness

1e) righteousness (as ethically right)

1f) righteousness (as vindicated), justification, salvation

1f1) of God

1f2) prosperity (of people)

1g) righteous acts

Aramaic equivalent: tsid.qah (צִדְקָה "righteousness" H6665)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Conj | N-fs — Conjunction · noun common feminine singular absolute
HC/Ncfsa
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

ri'-chus-nes (tsaddiq, adjective, "righteous," or occasionally "just" tsedheq, noun, occasionally = "riahteousness," occasionally = "justice"; dikaios, adjective, dikaiosune, noun, from dike, whose first meaning seems to have been "custom"; the general use suggested conformity to a standard: righteousness, "the state of him who is such as he ought to be" (Thayer)):

1. Double Aspect of Righteousness: Changing and Permanent

2. Social Customs and Righteousness

3. Changing Conception of Character of God: Obligations of Power

4. Righteousness as Inner

5. Righteousness as Social

6. Righteousness as Expanding in Content with Growth in Ideals of Human Worth

LITERATURE

1. Double Aspect of Righteousness: Changing and Permanent:

In Christian thought the idea of righteousness contains both a permanent and a changing element. The fixed element is the will to do right; the changing factor is the conception of…

Easton's Bible Dictionary

Righteousness

See JUSTIFICATION.

American Tract Society Bible Dictionary

Rectitude, justice, holiness; an essential perfection of God’s character, Job 36:3; Isa 51:5-8; Joh 17:25; and of his administration, Ge 18:25; Ro 3:21,22; 10:3. It is the wonder of grace that as the righteous guardian of the law, he can acquit the unrighteous. "The righteousness of Christ" includes his spotless holiness, his perfect obedience the law demands; and "the righteousness of faith" is that imputed to the sinner who believes in Christ. With reference to personal character, righteousness is used both for uprightness between man and man, and for true religion,

→ By faith Ge 15:6; Ro 4:3,5,9,11,13,20,22,24

→ Garment of Job 29:14; Mt 22:11-14

→ Counted (regarded) for the sake of obedience De 6:25; Job 33:26

→ FRUITS OF De 6:25; Jos 22:31; Ps 1:3; 15:1-5; 24:3-5; 101:3,4; 106:3; 112:4-8; Pr 2:5-20; 10:2,16; 11:5,6,18,19,30; 12:28; 13:6; 14:34; 21:3; 29:7; Isa…

O those [who] turn into wormwood justice and righteousness to the ground they thrust down
לָאָ֥רֶץla.'A.retz to the ground H776 Preposition · noun common feminine singular absolute
2,504× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
The land or earth refers to the soil or ground, and can also mean a country, territory, or region. In the Bible, it is used to describe the earth and its inhabitants, and is often translated as 'land' or 'country'.
Amplified meaning
the land, the earth, the world
Tyndale gloss
land: soil
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

אֶ֫רֶץ (erets) is a feminine noun meaning 'earth' or 'land.' It encompasses various meanings, including the whole earth, specific territories like Canaan, and even inhabitants of the land. It can refer to soil, ground, or regions, and is used in phrases related to distance and the living. There is a note on the plural form אֲרָצוֹת, which mainly appears in later texts to denote multiple lands.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

אֶ֫רֶץ n. f. & (seld.) m. earth, land

earth, whole earth (opp. to a part)

earth, opp. to heaven, sky

earth = inhabitants of earth

land =

country, territory

district, region

trial territory

piece of ground

specif. land of Canaan, or Israel

= inhabitants of land

used even of Shᵉʼôl

ground, surface of ground

soil, as productive

אֶרֶץ in phrases

people of the land

in measurements of distance

the country of the plain, level or plain country

land of the living

end(s) of the earth

pl. אֲרָצוֹת is almost wholly late; it denotes lands, countries, often in contrast to Canaan, lands of the nations, etc.

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H776 אֶ֫רֶץ n. f. & (seld.) m. earth, land . . earth, whole earth (opp. to a part)

. earth, opp. to heaven, sky

. earth = inhabitants of earth

. land = . country, territory

. district, region

. trial territory

. piece of ground

. specif. land of Canaan, or Israel

. = inhabitants of land

. used even of Shᵉʼôl

. . ground, surface of ground

. soil, as productive

. אֶרֶץ in phrases . people of the land

. in measurements of distance

. the country of the plain, level or plain country

. land of the living

. end(s) of the earth

. pl. אֲרָצוֹת is almost wholly late; it denotes lands, countries, often in contrast to Canaan, lands of the nations, etc.

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

776 'erets eh'-rets

from an unused root probably meaning to be firm; the earth

(at large, or partitively a land):--X common, country, earth,

field, ground, land, X natins, way, + wilderness, world.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

אֶ֫רֶץ (e.rets) — land: country/planet.

: country/field

1) land, earth

1a) earth

1a1) whole earth (as opposed to a part)

1a2) earth (as opposed to heaven)

1a3) earth (inhabitants)

1b) land

1b1) country, territory

1b2) district, region

1b3) tribal territory

1b4) piece of ground

1b5) land of Canaan, Israel

1b6) inhabitants of land

1b7) Sheol, land without return, (under) world

1b8) city (-state)

1c) ground, surface of the earth

1c1) ground

1c2) soil

1d) (in phrases)

1d1) people of the land

1d2) space or distance of country (in measurements of distance)

1d3) level or plain country

1d4) land of the living

1d5) end(s) of the earth

1e) (almost wholly late in usage)

1e1) lands, countries

1e1a) often in contrast to Canaan

אֶ֫רֶץ (e.rets) — land: soil.

: soil

1) land, earth

1a) earth

1a1) whole earth (as opposed to a part)

1a2) earth (as opposed to heaven)

1a3) earth (inhabitants)

1b) land

1b1) country, territory

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Prep | N-cs — Preposition · noun common feminine singular absolute
HRd/Ncfsa
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
Nave's Topical Bible

→ Man made from Ge 2:7; 3:19,23; Job 4:19; 33:6

→ Animals made from Ge 2:19

→ Vegetables come from Ge 2:9

→ Cursed Ge 3:17; 5:29

O those [who] turn into wormwood justice and righteousness to the ground they thrust down
הִנִּֽיחוּ׃hi.Ni.chu they thrust down H5117 Verb · Hiphil · perfect third person common plural
142× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
To rest means to settle down and remain in one place, and can be used literally or figuratively. This verb appears in many parts of the Bible, including Exodus 20:11 and Matthew 11:28.
Tyndale gloss
to rest
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

נוּחַ (nuwach) is a Hebrew verb meaning to rest or settle down. It encompasses a wide range of applications, including both literal and figurative uses, such as to dwell, be quiet, or let something remain. The verb can appear in various forms, indicating actions like causing rest or allowing to depart. It is noted for its versatility in expressing different aspects of rest and stillness.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

נוּחַ vb. rest

Qal

rest, settle down and remain

repose, be quiet, have rest

Hiph.

cause to rest = give rest to

cause to rest (i.e. light) upon

lay or set down, deposit, let lie

let remain, leave (in present condition)

leave = depart from

abandon

let alone (refrain from interfering with)

permit

Hoph.

no rest is granted to us

as subst. = space left, open space

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H5117 נוּחַ rest

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

5117 nuwach noo'-akh

a primitive root; to rest, i.e. settle down; used in a great

variety of applications, literal and figurative, intransitive,

transitive and causative (to dwell, stay, let fall, place, let

alone, withdraw, give comfort, etc.):--cease, be confederate,

lay, let down, (be) quiet, remain, (cause to, be at, give,

have, make to) rest, set down. Compare 3241.

see HEBREW for 03241

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

נוּחַ (nu.ach) — to rest.

1) to rest

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to rest, settle down and remain

1a2) to repose, have rest, be quiet

1b) (Hiph)

1b1) to cause to rest, give rest to, make quiet

1b2) to cause to rest, cause to alight, set down

1b3) to lay or set down, deposit, let lie, place

1b4) to let remain, leave

1b5) to leave, depart from

1b6) to abandon

1b7) to permit

1c) (Hoph)

1c1) to obtain rest, be granted rest

1c2) to be left, be placed

1c3) open space (subst)

Also means: ya.nach (יָנַח "to rest" H3240)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
HVhp3cp — Verb · Hiphil · perfect third person common plural
HVhp3cp
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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