Menu

Deuteronomy 14:10 — Word Study

Depth

WLCוְכֹ֨ל אֲשֶׁ֧ר אֵֽין־ ל֛וֹ סְנַפִּ֥יר וְקַשְׂקֶ֖שֶׂת לֹ֣א תֹאכֵ֑לוּ טָמֵ֥א ה֖וּא לָכֶֽם׃ ס

BSAbut you may notlôʼ eatʼâkal anythingkôl [that lives in the water] thatʼăsher does notʼayin have finsçᵉnappîyr [collective] and scalesqasqeseth [a coat of mail] ithûwʼ is uncleanṭâmêʼ [considered, spiritually impure]

Word
Listen & take awayDeuteronomy 14
English ↓ Download MP3 The Berean Standard Bible chapter audio already hosted for the site's Bible section — verse 10 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 (la.Khem) — no per-word recordings of the Hebrew exist to link to.
Take it away
Deuteronomy 14:10quick helps
In a sentenceThis verse states that anything from the water without fins and scales is unclean and should not be eaten.
Who is speakingMoses, conveying God's dietary laws to the Israelites.
Where we areThe laws concerning clean and unclean animals in Deuteronomy.
The hard wordטָמֵא
Take awayCertain aquatic creatures are deemed unclean and prohibited for consumption.
2 commentators on this verse Jamieson, Cambridge & more — read them › clause subjectהוּא verbאָכַל 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 — Deuteronomy 14:10

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 — Dietary Laws in Deuteronomygenerated

9Of all the creatures that live in the water, you may eat anything with fins and scales,
10but you may not eat anything that does not have fins and scales; it is unclean for you.
11You may eat any clean bird,
12but these you may not eat: the eagle, the bearded vulture, the black vulture,

Deuteronomy 14:10 provides specific dietary instructions for the Israelites, emphasizing the importance of distinguishing between clean and unclean animals. This verse is part of a larger section that outlines what is permissible to eat, reflecting God's standards for holiness among His people. The dietary laws serve not only as health guidelines but also as a means to maintain spiritual purity, as seen throughout the Torah.


Cross References


The Key Word טָמֵא, ta.Me'generated

The Hebrew word טָמֵא (tame') means 'unclean' and indicates a state of spiritual impurity. It is derived from a root that conveys defilement, particularly in a religious context. This word is significant in the context of the dietary laws, as it defines what is permissible to eat and what is not, highlighting the importance of maintaining holiness.

In this verse, טָמֵא is used to categorize aquatic creatures that lack fins and scales as unclean. This classification is essential for the Israelites, as it reflects their covenant relationship with God and the standards He sets for them.


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 תֹאכֵ֑לוּ, you will eat, which governs the entire clause. The structure includes a subject followed by a predicate, with additional phrases providing details about what is being discussed.

The sentence emphasizes the prohibition by placing the fin and scale requirement before the final declaration of being unclean, highlighting the conditions under which consumption is forbidden.


Septuagint Backgroundgenerated

The Septuagint translates טָמֵא with ἀκάθαρτα, which carries a similar meaning of 'unclean' but can also imply a broader sense of ritual impurity. This choice reflects the translators' understanding of the spiritual implications of dietary laws.

The Greek term ἀκάθαρτα suggests a more pronounced emphasis on the spiritual defilement associated with consuming unclean animals, aligning with the overall theme of purity in the Hebrew text.


In plain words — the whole versegenerated

Deuteronomy 14:10 states that you should not eat anything from the water that does not have fins and scales, as it is considered unclean for you. This law is part of God's instructions to the Israelites about what they can and cannot eat.


Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated

What does it mean for something to be considered unclean?

In this context, being unclean refers to a spiritual impurity that disqualifies certain foods from being eaten by the Israelites.

Why are fins and scales significant in this dietary law?

Fins and scales are signs of clean aquatic animals, which God has designated as permissible for consumption, reflecting His standards for holiness.

How do these dietary laws apply to us today?

While the specific dietary laws may not apply to Christians today, they highlight the importance of obedience to God's commands and the concept of spiritual purity.

What can we learn from the distinction between clean and unclean animals?

This distinction teaches us about God's holiness and the need to maintain purity in our lives, both physically and spiritually.


Reflection Questionsgenerated

  1. What are some ways we can maintain spiritual purity in our daily lives?
  2. How do we discern what is clean or unclean in our own lives today?
  3. In what ways can understanding these dietary laws deepen our appreciation for God's holiness?
  4. How can we apply the principles of these laws to our interactions with others?

Commentators on this verse — 2 expositors, verse by verse

Each of these wrote on Deuteronomy 14:10 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.

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

And every beast that parteth the hoof, and cleaveth the cleft into two claws, and cheweth the cud among the beasts, that ye shall eat. No JFB commentary on these verses.

Read Robert Jamieson on Deuteronomy 14 →
CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

On Clean And Unclean Animals (Deuteronomy 14:3-20) First, some remarks are necessary on the form of the deuteronomic list. While most of the names have been reasonably identified with animals still found in Palestine—the credit of this is largely due to Canon Tristram—yet full success in such identification is not, and may never be, possible. Especially precarious is the equation of the names with single species. The names are generic, not specific. They are popular. They give proofs of a close observation of the structure and habits of the animals. But the statement that the hare and the rock-badger chew the cud is not correct; though Arab hunters still assert this of the rock-badger (see…

Read Cambridge on Deuteronomy 14 →

The verse in English, compared — 17 translations, and where they part company

Every translation on this page is a decision someone had to make and commit to. Read down a column and you see one translator's judgement; read across a row and you see the range the Greek actually allows. The BSB is the wording the rest of this page is measured against, so it is listed first.

Modern formal

BSBBerean Standard Bible2020

but you may not eat anything that does not have fins and scales; it is unclean for you.

WEBWorld English Bible2000

You shall not eat whatever doesn’t have fins and scales. It is unclean to you.

MSBMajority Standard Bible2022

but you may not eat anything that does not have fins and scales; it is unclean for you.

NETBNew English Translation2006

but whatever does not have fins and scales you may not eat; it is ritually impure to you.

Tyndale line

KJVKing James Version1611

And whatsoever hath not fins and scales ye may not eat; it is unclean unto you.

ASVAmerican Standard Version1901

and whatsoever hath not fins and scales ye shall not eat; it is unclean unto you.

RVARevised Version, American1894

and whatsoever hath not fins and scales ye shall not eat; it is unclean unto you.

NWBWebster's Bible1833

And whatever hath not fins and scales ye may not eat; it is unclean to you.

GNVGeneva Bible1599

And whatsoeuer hath no finnes nor scales, ye shall not eate: it shall be vncleane vnto you.

Strictly literal

DBYDarby Translation1890

but whatsoever hath not fins and scales ye shall not eat: it shall be unclean unto you.

YLTYoung's Literal Translation1862

and anything which hath not fins and scales ye do not eat; unclean it [is] to you.

LSVLiteral Standard Version2020

and anything which does not have fins and scales you do not eat—it [is] unclean to you.

ILTInterlinear Literal Translation2000

And whatsoever hath not fins and scales shall ye not eat; it is unclean unto you.

ULBUnlocked Literal Bible2017

but whatever has no fins and scales you must not eat; they are unclean to you.

From the Latin

DRADouay-Rheims (Challoner)1899

Such as are without fins and scales, you shall not eat, because they are unclean.

Simplified

FBVFree Bible Version2020

But you must not eat anything that does not have fins and scales. You must treat them as unclean.

BBEBible in Basic English1949

But any which have no skin-plates or wings for swimming, you may not take; they are unclean for you.

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.

וְandclausenoun phrase · objectכֹ֨לallrelpאֲשֶׁ֧רthatclausepredicateאֵֽיןthere.[belong].notprepositional phrase · prepositionalל֛toוֹitnoun phrase · subjectסְנַפִּ֥ירfinוְandקַשְׂקֶ֖שֶׂתscaleadverbialלֹ֣אnotverbתֹאכֵ֑לוּyou.will.eatclausepredicateטָמֵ֥א[is].uncleansubjectה֖וּאitprepositional phrase · prepositionalלָtoכֶֽםyou

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


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

The Masoretic Text is supported by the Samaritan Pentateuch, which agrees word for word with the Hebrew. The Septuagint matches 10 of the 11 words, maintaining the essential meaning while presenting it in a different order.

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

וְכֹ֨ל אֲשֶׁ֧ר אֵֽין־ ל֛וֹ סְנַפִּ֥יר וְקַשְׂקֶ֖שֶׂת לֹ֣א תֹאכֵ֑לוּ טָמֵ֥א ה֖וּא לָכֶֽם׃ ס

Septuagintthe Greek the translators chose, word by word
וְכֹ֨לπάνταאֲשֶׁ֧רὅσαאֵֽין־οὐκל֛וֹαὐτοῖςסְנַפִּ֥ירπτερύγιαוְקַשְׂקֶ֖שֶׂתλεπίδεςלֹ֣אοὐתֹאכֵ֑לוּφάγεσθεטָמֵ֥אἀκάθαρταלָכֶֽם׃ סὑμῖν

10 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.

Samaritan Pentateuchthe Torah as the Samaritan community kept it

וכל אשׁר אין לו סנפיר וקשׂקשׂת לא תאכלו טמא הוא לכם

Agrees with the Masoretic Text here, word for word.

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.

Deuteronomy 14:10כֹּלand alland allכֹּלאֲשֶׁרthatthatאֲשֶׁראַ֫יִןnotnotאַ֫יִןוֹ[belongs] t[belongs] to itוֹסְנַפִּירfinfinסְנַפִּירקַשְׂקֶ֫שֶׂתand scaleand scaleקַשְׂקֶ֫שֶׂתלֹאnotnotלֹאאָכַלyou will eayou will eatאָכַלטָמֵא[is] unclea[is] uncleanטָמֵאהוּאititהוּאכֶםto youto youכֶםכָּלַלto perfectto perfectכָּלַלטָמֵאto defileto defileטָמֵאאַ֫יִןwhere?where?אַ֫יִןעֵדָהcongregaticongregationעֵדָהעֲבֹדָהserviceserviceעֲבֹדָהצָוָהto commandto commandצָוָהכְּמוֹlikelikeכְּמוֹקַשְׂקֶ֫שֶׂתscalescaleקַשְׂקֶ֫שֶׂתמַיWater (GatWater (Gate)מַיסְנַפִּירfinfinסְנַפִּיריְאֹרstreamstreamיְאֹריָכֹלbe ablebe ableיָכֹלעוֹדstillstillעוֹדשָׁתָהto drinkto drinkשָׁתָהלֶ֫חֶםfoodfoodלֶ֫חֶםנְבֵלָהcarcasscarcassנְבֵלָהטָהוֹרpurepureטָהוֹרטָמֵאuncleanuncleanטָמֵא
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 Deuteronomy 14:10

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 all that not [belongs] to it fin and scale not you will eat [is] unclean it to you
וְכֹ֨לve.Khol and all H3605 Conjunction · noun common masculine singular absolute
5,415× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
The Hebrew word for 'all' or 'everything' is used throughout the Bible, like in Genesis 1:31, where God sees all He has made as very good. It encompasses the entirety of something, whether people, things, or situations.
Amplified meaning
that lives in the water
Tyndale gloss
all
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

כֹּל (kol) means 'all' or 'the whole.' It can refer to totality, including every person or thing, and is often used with a following genitive to specify what is included. The term can also denote a broader sense of everything in existence or all circumstances of life. The lexicons do not show significant disagreement on its meanings.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

כֹּל once כּוֹל n.m. the whole, all

with foll. gen. (as usually) the whole of, to be rendered, however, often in our idiom, to avoid stiffness, any or every

Absolutely:

without the art., all things, all

with the art. הַכֹּל

where the sense is limited by the context to things (or persons) just mentioned

in a wider sense, all, whether of all mankind or of all living things, the universe, or of all the circumstances of life (chiefly late)

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H3605 כֹּל once כּוֹל the whole, all . with foll. gen. (as usually) the whole of, to be rendered, however, often in our idiom, to avoid stiffness, any or every

. Absolutely: . without the art., all things, all

. with the art. הַכֹּל . where the sense is limited by the context to things (or persons) just mentioned

. in a wider sense, all, whether of all mankind or of all living things, the universe, or of all the circumstances of life (chiefly late)

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

3605 kol kole

or (Jer. 33:8) kowl {kole}; from 3634; properly, the whole;

hence, all, any or every (in the singular only, but often in a

plural sense):--(in) all (manner, (ye)), altogether, any

(manner), enough, every (one, place, thing), howsoever, as

many as, (no-)thing, ought, whatsoever, (the) whole,

whoso(-ever).

see HEBREW for 03634

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

כֹּל (kol) — all.

1) all, the whole

1a) all, the whole of

1b) any, each, every, anything

1c) totality, everything

Aramaic equivalent: kol (כֹּל "all" H3606)

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

ol: Used in various combinations, and with different meanings.

(1) All along, "Weeping all along as he went" (Jer 41:6), i.e. throughout the whole way he went, feigning equal concern with the men from Shiloh, etc., for the destruction of the Temple, so as to put them off their guard.

(2) All in all, "That God may be all in all" (1Co 15:28, Greek: panta en pasin, "all things in all (persons and) things"). "The universe, with all it comprises, will wholly answer to God's will and reflect His mind" (Dummelow).

(3) All one, "It is all one" (Job 9:22), "it makes no difference whether I live or die."

(4) At all, "If thy father miss me at all" (1Sa 20:6), "in any way," "in the least."

The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
and all that not [belongs] to it fin and scale not you will eat [is] unclean it to you
אֲשֶׁ֧ר'a.Sher that H834 Particle
5,500× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This Hebrew word is a conjunction that connects ideas and events in the Bible, like in the book of Genesis, where it's used to describe the relationship between God and His creation.
Tyndale gloss
which
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word אֲשֶׁר (*asher*) is a relative pronoun that can mean 'who,' 'which,' or 'that.' It serves various grammatical functions, including as an adverb or conjunction, indicating relationships between clauses, places, or conditions. Variants like בַאֲשֶׁר (*ba-asher*), מֵאֲשֶׁר (*me-asher*), and כַּאֲשֶׁר (*ka-asher*) expand its usage to specific contexts such as location, causation, and time.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

אֲשֶׁר part. of relation A sign of relation, bringing the clause introduced by it into relation with an antecedent clause.

base

בַאֲשֶׁר

in (that) which

adv. in (the place) where

conj. in that, inasmuch as

on account of whom?

base

מֵאֲשֶׁר

from (or than) that which

adv. from (the place) where

conj. from (the fact) that …, since

base

כַּאֲשֶׁר conj. according as, as, when

according to that which, according as, as

with a causal force, in so far as, since

with a temporal force, when

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H834a אֲשֶׁר part. of relation A sign of relation, bringing the clause introduced by it into relation with an antecedent clause. H834b בַאֲשֶׁר . in (that) which

. adv. in (the place) where

. conj. in that, inasmuch as

. on account of whom?

H834c מֵאֲשֶׁר . from (or than) that which

. adv. from (the place) where

. conj. from (the fact) that …, since

H834d כַּאֲשֶׁר conj. according as, as, when . according to that which, according as, as

. with a causal force, in so far as, since

. with a temporal force, when

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

834 'aher ash-er'

a primitive relative pronoun (of every gender and number);

who, which, what, that; also (as an adverb and a conjunction)

when, where, how, because, in order that, etc.:--X after, X

alike, as (soon as), because, X every, for, + forasmuch, +

from whence, + how(-soever), X if, (so) that ((thing) which,

wherein), X though, + until, + whatsoever, when, where

(+ -as, -in, -of, -on, -soever, -with), which, whilst, +

whither(- soever), who(-m, -soever, -se). As it is

indeclinable, it is often accompanied by the personal pronoun

expletively, used to show the connection.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

אֲשֶׁר (a.sher) — which.

A: 1) (relative part.)

1a) which, who

1b) that which

2) (conj)

2a) that (in obj clause)

2b) when

2c) since

2d) as

2e) conditional if

B: Beth+ 1) in (that) which

2) (adv)

2a) where

3) (conj)

3a) in that, inasmuch as

3b) on account of

C: Mem+ 1) from (or than) that which

2) from (the place) where

3) from (the fact) that, since

D: Kaph+

1) (conj.), according as, as, when

1a) according to that which, according as, as

1b) with a causal force: in so far as, since

1c) with a temporal force: when

בַאֲשֶׁר (ba.a.sher) — in which.

1) in (that) which

2) (adv)

2a) where

3) (conj)

3a) in that, inasmuch as

3b) on account of

מֵאֲשֶׁר (me.a.sher) — whence.

1) from (or than) that which

2) from (the place) where

3) from (the fact) that, since

כַּאֲשֶׁר (ka.a.sher) — as which.

conj

1) according as, as, when

1a) according to that which, according as, as

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Rel — Particle
HTr
The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
and all that not [belongs] to it fin and scale not you will eat [is] unclean it to you
אֵֽין־'ein- not H369 Noun common · masculine singular construct
789× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This word means nothing or not, often used to indicate the absence of something, as in Genesis 1:2 where the earth was without form. It emphasizes the idea of something lacking or non-existent.
Tyndale gloss
nothing
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

אַ֫יִן (ayin) primarily means 'nothing' or 'nought' and serves as a negative particle indicating absence or negation, such as 'is not' or 'there is not.' It can also express lack of possession or existence. The word is derived from a root meaning to be non-existent, and it appears frequently in various grammatical constructions.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

אַ֫יִן, אָ֑֫יִן cstr. אֵין subst. prop. nothing, nought

to nothing, as nothing

cstr. אֵין, very freq. as particle of negation, is not, are not, was not, were not

אֵין לְ׳, with subst., or pron., there is (was) not to … = … have, has, had, etc. not

in circumst. clauses

with inf. and ל׳, it is not to …

with prefixes

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H369 אַ֫יִן, אָ֑֫יִן cstr. אֵין subst. prop. nothing, nought . to nothing, as nothing

. cstr. אֵין, very freq. as particle of negation, is not, are not, was not, were not

. אֵין לְ׳, with subst., or pron., there is (was) not to … = … have, has, had, etc. not

. in circumst. clauses

. with inf. and ל׳, it is not to …

. with prefixes

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

369 'ayin ah'-yin

as if from a primitive root meaning to be nothing or not

exist; a non-entity; generally used as a negative

particle:--else, except, fail, (father-)less, be gone,

in(-curable), neither, never, no (where), none, nor, (any,

thing), not, nothing, to nought, past, un(-searchable),

well-nigh, without. Compare 370.

see HEBREW for 0370

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

אַ֫יִן (a.yin) — nothing.

1) nothing, not, nought n

1a) nothing, nought neg

1b) not

1c) to have not (of possession) adv

1d) without w/prep

1e) for lack of

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Part — Noun common · masculine singular construct
HNcmsc
and all that not [belongs] to it fin and scale not you will eat [is] unclean it to you
ל֛וֹlo [belongs] to it H9033 Preposition · suffix
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

וֹ (o) — him.

Personal object pronoun - suffix for propositions and verbs without an object: 3rd person masculine singular

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
HRd/Sp3ms — Preposition · suffix
HRd/Sp3ms
and all that not [belongs] to it fin and scale not you will eat [is] unclean it to you
סְנַפִּ֥ירse.na.Pir fin H5579 Noun common · masculine singular absolute
5× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This word refers to a fin, collectively. It is used to describe the fins of fish in the Bible. The term is simple and to the point.
Amplified meaning
collective
Tyndale gloss
fin
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word סְנַפִּיר (senapir) means 'fin' and refers to fins collectively. Its derivation is uncertain, and it is used in the context of aquatic creatures in the Old Testament.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

סְנַפִּיר n.[m.] fin

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H5579 סְנַפִּיר fin

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

5579 cnappiyr sen-ap-peer'

of uncertain derivation; a fin (collectively):--fins.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

סְנַפִּיר (se.nap.pir) — fin.

fin

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

See FISH.

and all that not [belongs] to it fin and scale not you will eat [is] unclean it to you
וְקַשְׂקֶ֖שֶׂתve.kas.Ke.set and scale H7193 Conjunction · noun common feminine singular absolute
8× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This Hebrew word refers to the scales of a fish or a coat of mail, like the armor worn by King Saul in 1 Samuel 17:38. It describes something that protects or covers. The KJV Bible translates it as mail or scale.
Amplified meaning
a coat of mail
Tyndale gloss
scale
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

קַשְׂקֶ֫שֶׂת (*qasqeseth*) refers to a scale, particularly that of fish or other aquatic animals. It is derived from a root meaning to shed, akin to bark. The term can also denote a coat of mail made of overlapping metal plates. The entries consistently emphasize its connection to scales, with no significant disagreement among the lexicons.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

קַשְׂקֶ֫שֶׂת n.f. scale of fish, etc.

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H7193 קַשְׂקֶ֫שֶׂת scale of fish, etc.

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

7193 qasqeseth kas-keh'-seth

by reduplication from an unused root meaning to shale off as

bark; a scale (of a fish); hence a coat of mail (as composed

of or covered with jointed plates of metal):--mail, scale.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

קַשְׂקֶ֫שֶׂת (qas.qe.set) — scale.

scale (of fish, water animals)

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

skal.

See SIEGE 4, (e); WEIGHTS AND MEASURES.

and all that not [belongs] to it fin and scale not you will eat [is] unclean it to you
לֹ֣אlo' not H3808 Particle
5,170× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
The Hebrew word for not or no is used to indicate absence or negation, as when God says no to the Israelites' requests, or when they disobey His commands.
Tyndale gloss
not
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

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

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

לֹא or לוֹא adv. not

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H3808 לֹא or לוֹא not

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

3808 lo' lo

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

לֹא (lo) — not.

1) not, no

1a) not (with verb-absolute prohibition)

1b) not (with modifier-negation)

1c) nothing (subst)

1d) without (with particle)

1e) before (of time)

Aramaic equivalent: la (לָא "not" H3809)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Part — Particle
HTn
The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
and all that not [belongs] to it fin and scale not you will eat [is] unclean it to you
תֹאכֵ֑לוּto.Khe.lu you will eat H398 Verb · Qal · imperfect second person masculine plural
810× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This word means to eat or devour, and it's used in many stories, including when Jesus fed the 5000 with fish and bread in the book of Matthew. It's about taking in nourishment and being satisfied.
Tyndale gloss
to eat
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

אָכַל (akal) means 'to eat' and encompasses a wide range of meanings, including literal consumption by humans and animals, as well as figurative uses like devouring by fire or destruction. It can describe actions such as feeding or causing to eat, and it also appears in contexts of oppression and destruction. The verb has various forms, indicating different subjects and nuances.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

אָכַל 806 vb. eat

Qal

eat, human subject

of beasts, birds, etc., eat, devour

fig. of fire, devour, consume

of sword, devour, slay

in genl., devour, consume, destroy

fig. of oppression, devour the poor

Niph.

be eaten by man

be devoured by fire, consumed

be wasted, destroyed, of flesh

Pu. be consumed

Hiph.

cause to eat, feed with

cause to devoure, obj. sword

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H398 אָכַל eat .. eat, human subject

. of beasts, birds, etc., eat, devour

. fig. of fire, devour, consume

. of sword, devour, slay

. in genl., devour, consume, destroy

. fig. of oppression, devour the poor

. . be eaten by man

. be devoured by fire, consumed

. be wasted, destroyed, of flesh

. be consumed

. . cause to eat, feed with

. cause to devoure, obj. sword

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

398 'akal aw-kal'

a primitive root; to eat (literally or figuratively):--X at

all, burn up, consume, devour(-er, up), dine, eat(-er, up),

feed (with), food, X freely, X in...wise(-deed, plenty), (lay)

meat, X quite.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

אָכַל (a.khal) — to eat.

1) to eat, devour, burn up, feed

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to eat (human subject)

1a2) to eat, devour (of beasts and birds)

1a3) to devour, consume (of fire)

1a4) to devour, slay (of sword)

1a5) to devour, consume, destroy (inanimate subjects - ie, pestilence, drought)

1a6) to devour (of oppression)

1b) (Niphal)

1b1) to be eaten (by men)

1b2) to be devoured, consumed (of fire)

1b3) to be wasted, destroyed (of flesh)

1c) (Pual)

1c1) to cause to eat, feed with

1c2) to cause to devour

1d) (Hiphil)

1d1) to feed

1d2) to cause to eat

1e) (Piel)

1e1) consume

Aramaic equivalent: a.khal (אֲכַל "to devour" H0399)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
V-Qal-Imperf-2mp — Verb · Qal · imperfect second person masculine plural
HVqi2mp
and all that not [belongs] to it fin and scale not you will eat [is] unclean it to you
טָמֵ֥אta.Me' [is] unclean H2931 Adj
88× 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 be unclean in a spiritual sense, often due to sin or impurity, as seen in Leviticus. It can refer to people, places, or things. The concept is key to understanding biblical purity laws.
Amplified meaning
considered, spiritually impure
Tyndale gloss
unclean
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

טָמֵא (tame') means 'unclean' and is derived from a root that conveys a sense of defilement or pollution, particularly in a religious context. It covers ethical, religious, and ritual impurity, and can refer to both people and places.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

טָמֵא adj. unclean

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H2931 טָמֵא unclean

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

2931 tame' taw-may'

from 2930; foul in a relig. sense:--defiled, + infamous,

polluted(-tion), unclean.

see HEBREW for 02930

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

טָמֵא (ta.me) — unclean.

1) unclean, impure

1a) ethically and religiously

1b) ritually

1c) of places

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Adj — Adj
HAamsa
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
American Tract Society Bible Dictionary

See CLEAN.

Nave's Topical Bible

→ (Ceremonially speaking)

Creatures designated as such Le 11; De 14

→ See UNCLEANNESS

and all that not [belongs] to it fin and scale not you will eat [is] unclean it to you
ה֖וּאhu' it H1931 Pronoun
1,879× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This word is a pronoun meaning 'he', 'she', or 'it', used to refer to a person or thing. It is used in the Bible to emphasize a subject or make it clear who is being talked about.
Tyndale gloss
he/she/it
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

הוּא (hu) is a third-person singular pronoun meaning he, she, or it, used for emphasis or when no verb is present. It can also refer to oneself or serve as a demonstrative pronoun. The word has various nuances, including resuming the subject with emphasis or expressing it unobtrusively. It can indicate 'that' or 'those' when used with the definite article.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

הוּא m. הִיא f., pron. of the 3rd ps. sing. he, she, used also (in both genders) for the neuter it

an emph. he (she, it, they), sometimes equivalent to himself (herself, itself, themselves), or (esp. with the art.) that (those)

It resumes the subj. with emph.

Where, however, the pron. follows the pred., its position gives it the minimum of emphasis, and it expresses (or resumes) the subject as unobtrusively as possible

It anticipates (as it seems) the subject

As an emph. predicate, of God

In a neuter sense, that, it (of an action, occurrence, matte, etc.)

With the art.: so regularly when joined to a subst. defined itself by the art.

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H1931 הוּא, הִיא he, she, used also (in both genders) for the neuter it . an emph. he (she, it, they), sometimes equivalent to himself (herself, itself, themselves), or (esp. with the art.) that (those)

. It resumes the subj. with emph.

. Where, however, the pron. follows the pred., its position gives it the minimum of emphasis, and it expresses (or resumes) the subject as unobtrusively as possible

. It anticipates (as it seems) the subject

. As an emph. predicate, of God

. In a neuter sense, that, it (of an action, occurrence, matte, etc.)

. With the art.: so regularly when joined to a subst. defined itself by the art.

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

1931 huw' hoo

of which the feminine (beyond the Pentateuch) is hiyw {he}; a

primitive word, the third person pronoun singular, he (she or

it); only expressed when emphatic or without a verb; also

(intensively) self, or (especially with the article) the same;

sometimes (as demonstrative) this or that; occasionally

(instead of copula) as or are:--he, as for her, him(-self),

it, the same, she (herself), such, that (...it), these, they,

this, those, which (is), who.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

הוּא (hu) — he/she/it.

pron 3p s

1) he, she, it

1a) himself (with emphasis)

1b) resuming subj with emphasis

1c) (with minimum emphasis following predicate)

1d) (anticipating subj)

1e) (emphasising predicate)

1f) that, it (neuter) demons pron

2) that (with article)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Pron — Pronoun
HPp3ms
The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
and all that not [belongs] to it fin and scale not you will eat [is] unclean it to you
לָכֶֽם׃ סla.Khem to you H9036 Preposition · suffix
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

כֶם (khem) — you.

Personal object pronoun - suffix for propositions and verbs without an object: 2nd person masculine plural

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
HRd/Sp2mp — Preposition · suffix
HRd/Sp2mp
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.

Everything we make is available for free because of a generous community of supporters.

Donate