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Deuteronomy 14:19 — Word Study

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WLCוְכֹל֙ שֶׁ֣רֶץ הָע֔וֹף טָמֵ֥א ה֖וּא לָכֶ֑ם לֹ֖א יֵאָכֵֽלוּ׃

BSAAllkôl [every, including all types of] flyingʻôwph insectssherets [winged creeping things, swarming creatures] are uncleanṭâmêʼ [spiritually impure, defiled] they may notlôʼ [shall not, are not allowed to] be eatenʼâkal [consumed, devoured]

Word
Listen & take awayDeuteronomy 14
English ↓ Download MP3 The Berean Standard Bible chapter audio already hosted for the site's Bible section — verse 19 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 (ye.'a.Khe.lu) — no per-word recordings of the Hebrew exist to link to.
Take it away
Deuteronomy 14:19quick helps
In a sentenceThe verse outlines dietary restrictions regarding flying insects, declaring them unclean.
What is unclean?All flying insects are labeled as unclean and not permissible to eat.
Who is it for?This command is directed to the Israelites, indicating their dietary laws.
The hard wordטָמֵא
Take awayThe dietary laws highlight the distinction between clean and unclean animals.
3 commentators on this verse Gill, 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 14:19

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

18the stork, any kind of heron, the hoopoe, or the bat.
19All flying insects are unclean for you; they may not be eaten.
20But you may eat any clean bird.
21You are not to eat any carcass; you may give it to the foreigner residing within your gates, and he may eat it, or you may sell it to a foreigner. For you are a holy people belonging to the LORD your God. You must not cook a young goat in its mother’s milk.

Deuteronomy 14:19 is part of a larger section detailing the dietary laws for the Israelites, emphasizing what is clean and unclean. This verse specifically addresses flying insects, which are deemed unclean and thus not to be consumed. The surrounding verses provide additional examples of clean and unclean animals, reinforcing the importance of these laws in maintaining ritual purity among the people of Israel.


Cross References

ReferenceText (BSB)
1Leviticus 11:20–23All flying insects that walk on all fours are detestable to you.
2Philippians 3:19Their end is destruction, their god is their belly, and their glory is in their shame. Their minds are set on earthly things.

The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 2 references, hung on the phrase they belong to


The Key Word טָמֵא, ta.Me'generated

The word טָמֵא (tame') means 'unclean' and indicates a state of spiritual impurity. It is used in the context of dietary laws to signify what is permissible and what is not. The parsing as an adjective shows that it describes the state of the flying insects mentioned in the verse.

This concept of being unclean is significant in the context of Israelite law, as it relates to holiness and the requirements for maintaining a pure community. The term appears frequently in Leviticus and other texts, highlighting its relevance in discussions of ritual cleanliness.


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 clause of the verse is structured around the finite verb טָמֵא, is unclean, which serves as the predicate. It is followed by the subject הוּא, it, and an adverbial negation לֹא, not, leading to the verb phrase יֵאָכֵֽלוּ, they will be eaten.

The sentence structure emphasizes the unclean status of flying insects, with the negation clearly indicating that they are not to be consumed. The straightforward arrangement of clauses reflects the clarity of the dietary law being presented.


Septuagint Backgroundgenerated

In the Septuagint, the Hebrew word טָמֵא is rendered as ἀκάθαρτα, which also means 'unclean' and carries the same connotation of ritual impurity. This choice reinforces the idea that the dietary laws are consistent across both Hebrew and Greek texts.

The Greek term ἀκάθαρτα emphasizes the spiritual implications of consuming unclean animals, aligning with the Hebrew understanding of טָמֵא.


In plain words — the whole versegenerated

Deuteronomy 14:19 states that all flying insects are unclean and should not be eaten. This is part of the dietary laws for the Israelites, which distinguish between clean and unclean animals. The verse emphasizes the importance of these laws in maintaining spiritual purity.


Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated

What does it mean for an insect to be unclean?

An unclean insect is one that is considered spiritually impure, and thus not permissible for consumption according to the dietary laws given to the Israelites.

Why are dietary laws important in the Bible?

Dietary laws serve to maintain ritual purity among the Israelites and to set them apart as a holy people, as commanded by God.

Are there any exceptions to these dietary laws?

The laws specify certain clean animals that can be eaten, but flying insects are universally deemed unclean without exception.

How do these laws apply today?

While the dietary laws were specifically for the Israelites, they can still offer insights into the concepts of purity and holiness in a broader spiritual context.


Reflection Questionsgenerated

  1. What significance do dietary laws hold in my understanding of spiritual purity?
  2. How can I apply the principles of cleanliness and holiness in my daily life?
  3. In what ways do I distinguish between what is acceptable and unacceptable in my own life?
  4. How do these ancient laws inform my understanding of God's character and His expectations for His people?

Commentators on this verse — 3 expositors, verse by verse

Each of these wrote on Deuteronomy 14:19 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.

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

And every creeping thing that flieth is unclean,.... Which the Targum of Jonathan thus paraphrases; "all flies and wasps (or hornets), and worms of lentiles and of beans, which are separated from

Read John Gill on Deuteronomy 14 →
Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's Commentary

And every creeping thing that flieth is unclean unto you: they shall not be eaten. Every creeping thing that flieth is unclean unto you.

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

19. all winged creeping things are unclean] Lit. swarming things that fly, all winged insects. To this Leviticus 11:21 f. adds that go upon all fours and excepts from the rule such as have jointed legs above their feet to leap on the earth, i.e. various kinds of leaping locusts, as distinguished from the running locust (see Shipley and Cook, art. ‘Locust’ in E.B.). They come under the clean insects of the next v.

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

All flying insects are unclean for you; they may not be eaten.

WEBWorld English Bible2000

All winged creeping things are unclean to you. They shall not be eaten.

MSBMajority Standard Bible2022

All flying insects are unclean for you; they may not be eaten.

NETBNew English Translation2006

and any winged thing on the ground are impure to you – they may not be eaten.

Tyndale line

KJVKing James Version1611

And every creeping thing that flieth is unclean unto you: they shall not be eaten.

ASVAmerican Standard Version1901

And all winged creeping things are unclean unto you: they shall not be eaten.

RVARevised Version, American1894

And all winged creeping things are unclean unto you: they shall not be eaten.

NWBWebster's Bible1833

And every creeping animal that flieth is unclean to you: they shall not be eaten.

GNVGeneva Bible1599

And euery creeping thing that flieth, shall be vncleane vnto you: it shall not be eaten.

Strictly literal

DBYDarby Translation1890

And every winged crawling thing shall be unclean unto you; they shall not be eaten.

YLTYoung's Literal Translation1862

and every teeming thing which is flying, unclean it [is] to you; they are not eaten;

LSVLiteral Standard Version2020

And every teeming thing which is flying—it [is] unclean to you; they are not eaten;

ILTInterlinear Literal Translation2000

And every winged insect is unclean unto you: it shall not be eaten.

ULBUnlocked Literal Bible2017

All winged, swarming things are unclean to you; they must not be eaten.

From the Latin

DRADouay-Rheims (Challoner)1899

Every thing that creepeth, and hath little wings, shall be unclean, and shall not be eaten.

Simplified

FBVFree Bible Version2020

All insects that fly are unclean to you; you must not eat them.

BBEBible in Basic English1949

Every winged thing which goes flat on the earth is unclean to you and may not be used as food.

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.

וְandclauseclausenoun phraseכֹל֙everynoun phraseשֶׁ֣רֶץ(the).swarming.thingnoun phraseהָofע֔וֹףthe.insectclausepredicateטָמֵ֥א[is].uncleansubjectה֖וּאitprepositional phrase · prepositionalלָtoכֶ֑םyouclauseadverbialלֹ֖אnotverbיֵאָכֵֽלוּthey.will.be.eaten

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


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

The Masoretic Text and the Septuagint agree on the wording of the verse, with both texts identifying flying insects as unclean. However, the Samaritan Pentateuch differs slightly, using תאכלו (you shall eat) and מהם (from them), indicating a variation in the phrasing but not in the overall meaning.

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

וְכֹל֙ שֶׁ֣רֶץ הָע֔וֹף טָמֵ֥א ה֖וּא לָכֶ֑ם לֹ֖א יֵאָכֵֽלוּ׃

Septuagintthe Greek the translators chose, word by word
וְכֹל֙πάνταשֶׁ֣רֶץἑρπετὰהָע֔וֹףπετεινῶνטָמֵ֥אἀκάθαρταה֖וּאἐστινלָכֶ֑םὑμῖνלֹ֖אοὐיֵאָכֵֽלוּ׃φάγεσθε

8 of the 8 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

כל שׁרץ העוף טמא הוא לכם לא תאכלו מהם

2 words differ from the Masoretic Text: תאכלו (eat), מהם (from)

Dead Sea Scrolls — 4Q45a copy a thousand years older than the Leningrad Codex

[וכל] [שרץ] [העוף] [טמא] הוא ל׳כם לא תאוכל

3 words on the leather — 1 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.

Deuteronomy 14:19כֹּלand everyand everyכֹּלשֶׁ֫רֶץswarming thswarming thing שֶׁ֫רֶץעוֹףthe insectthe insectעוֹףטָמֵא[is] unclea[is] uncleanטָמֵאהוּאititהוּאכֶםto youto youכֶםלֹאnotnotלֹאאָכַלthey will bthey will be eaאָכַלשָׁרַץto swarmto swarmשָׁרַץכָּלַלto perfectto perfectכָּלַלעוּףto flyto flyעוּףטָמֵאto defileto defileטָמֵאעֵדָהcongregaticongregationעֵדָהעֲבֹדָהserviceserviceעֲבֹדָהעוֹףbirdbirdעוֹףבְּהֵמָהanimalanimalבְּהֵמָהשָׁמַיheavenheavenשָׁמַינְבֵלָהcarcasscarcassנְבֵלָהטָהוֹרpurepureטָהוֹרטָמֵאuncleanuncleanטָמֵאעֵתtimetimeעֵתיָכֹלbe ablebe ableיָכֹלעוֹדstillstillעוֹדשָׁתָהto drinkto drinkשָׁתָהלֶ֫חֶםfoodfoodלֶ֫חֶם
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 14:19

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 every swarming thing of the insect [is] unclean it to you not they will be eaten
וְכֹל֙ve.Khol and every H3605 Conjunction · noun common masculine singular construct
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
every, including all types of
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 construct
HC/Ncmsc
The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
and every swarming thing of the insect [is] unclean it to you not they will be eaten
שֶׁ֣רֶץShe.retz swarming thing of H8318 Noun common · masculine singular construct
15× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This Hebrew word means a swarm of small animals like insects or reptiles, often found in the book of Genesis. It describes a large group of tiny creatures moving together. In the Bible, it is used to describe the abundance of God's creation.
Amplified meaning
winged creeping things, swarming creatures
Tyndale gloss
swarm
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

שֶׁ֫רֶץ (sherets) refers to swarmers or swarming things, encompassing a variety of small creatures like insects, reptiles, and other animals. It is derived from a related term indicating a swarm or active mass of minute animals. The entries consistently describe it as a collective noun for these types of creatures.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

שֶׁ֫רֶץ n.m. coll. swarmers, swarming things

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H8318 שֶׁ֫רֶץ swarmers, swarming things

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

8318 sherets sheh'-rets

from 8317; a swarm, i.e. active mass of minute

animals:--creep(-ing thing), move(-ing creature).

see HEBREW for 08317

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

שֶׁ֫רֶץ (she.rets) — swarm.

1) teeming or swarming things, creepers, swarmers

1a) of insects, animals, small reptiles, quadrupeds

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

ov:

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

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

OF, preposition ov. [Gr.]

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

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

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

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

Lamentations 3:1.

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

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

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

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

and every swarming thing of the insect [is] unclean it to you not they will be eaten
הָע֔וֹףha.'of the insect H5775 Particle · noun common masculine singular absolute
71× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
In the Bible, this word simply means a bird, like the ones that fly in the sky. It appears in many books, including Genesis and Psalms, often symbolizing freedom.
Tyndale gloss
bird
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

עוֹף (owph) refers to flying creatures, including birds and insects. It is derived from the root meaning to cover with wings, emphasizing the aspect of flight. The term encompasses various types of fowl and winged insects, and it is noted in the Aramaic as well. There are no significant disagreements among the lexicons regarding its meaning.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

עוֹף 70 n.m. coll. flying creatures, fowls, insects

fowl, birds

winged insects

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H5775 עוֹף flying creatures, fowls, insects . fowl, birds

. winged insects

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

5775 `owph ofe

from 5774; a bird (as covered with feathers, or rather as

covering with wings), often collectively:--bird, that flieth,

flying, fowl.

see HEBREW for 05774

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

עוֹף (oph) — bird.

1) flying creatures, fowl, insects, birds

1a) fowl, birds

1b) winged insects

Aramaic equivalent: oph (עוֹף "bird" H5776)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Art | N-ms — Particle · noun common masculine singular absolute
HTd/Ncmsa
and every swarming thing of the insect [is] unclean it to you not they will be eaten
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
spiritually impure, defiled
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 every swarming thing of the insect [is] unclean it to you not they will be eaten
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
HPp3ms — Pronoun
HPp3ms
The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
and every swarming thing of the insect [is] unclean it to you not they will be eaten
לָכֶ֑םla.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
and every swarming thing of the insect [is] unclean it to you not they will be eaten
לֹ֖אlo' 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.
Amplified meaning
shall not, are not allowed to
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 every swarming thing of the insect [is] unclean it to you not they will be eaten
יֵאָכֵֽלוּ׃ye.'a.Khe.lu they will be eaten H398 Verb · Niphal · imperfect third 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.
Amplified meaning
consumed, devoured
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-Niphal-Imperf-3mp — Verb · Niphal · imperfect third person masculine plural
HVNi3mp
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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