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Deuteronomy 18:4 — Word Study

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WLCרֵאשִׁ֨ית דְּגָֽנְךָ֜ תִּֽירֹשְׁךָ֣ וְיִצְהָרֶ֗ךָ וְרֵאשִׁ֛ית גֵּ֥ז צֹאנְךָ֖ תִּתֶּן־ לּֽוֹ׃

BSAYou are to givenâthan the firstfruitsrêʼshîyth [the beginning harvest, the best part] of your graindâgân [wheat, staple food] new winetîyrôwsh [freshly squeezed, fermented] and oilyitshâr [for anointing, ceremonial purposes] and the firstrêʼshîyth wool shearedgêz [fleece] from your flocktsôʼn [sheep, figurative people]

Word
Listen & take awayDeuteronomy 18
English ↓ Download MP3 The Berean Standard Bible chapter audio already hosted for the site's Bible section — verse 4 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 (lo) — no per-word recordings of the Hebrew exist to link to.
Take it away
Deuteronomy 18:4quick helps
In a sentenceGod instructs the Israelites to give the best of their harvest and livestock to the priests.
Who is speakingMoses, relaying God's commands to the Israelites.
Where we areInstructions regarding the offerings to the priests within the laws given to Israel.
The hard wordרֵאשִׁית
Take awayThe first and best belongs to God.
7 commentators on this verse Gill, Jamieson, Trapp, Ellicott & more — read them › clause verbנָתַן 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 18:4

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 — Instructions for Offeringsgenerated

3This shall be the priests’ share from the people who offer a sacrifice, whether a bull or a sheep: the priests are to be given the shoulder, the jowls, and the stomach.
4You are to give them the firstfruits of your grain, new wine, and oil, and the first wool sheared from your flock.
5For the LORD your God has chosen Levi and his sons out of all your tribes to stand and minister in His name for all time.
6Now if a Levite moves from any town of residence throughout Israel and comes in all earnestness to the place the LORD will choose,

Deuteronomy 18:4 provides guidance on the offerings that the Israelites are to give to the priests. It emphasizes the importance of giving the firstfruits of their harvest and livestock, which symbolizes honoring God with the best of what they have. This instruction is part of a larger set of laws aimed at establishing a holy community dedicated to serving God and supporting the priestly class.


Cross References

ReferenceText (BSB)
1Deuteronomy 26:9–10And He brought us to this place and gave us this land, a land flowing with milk and honey.
2Exodus 22:29You must not hold back offerings from your granaries or vats. You are to give Me the firstborn of your sons.
3Exodus 23:19Bring the best of the firstfruits of your soil to the house of the LORD your God. You must not cook a young goat in its mother’s milk.
4Leviticus 23:10–17“Speak to the Israelites and say, ‘When you enter the land that I am giving you and you reap its harvest, you are to bring to the priest a sheaf of the firstfruits of your harvest.
5Numbers 18:12–24I give you all the freshest olive oil and all the finest new wine and grain that the Israelites give to the LORD as their firstfruits.

The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 8 references, hung on the phrase they belong to

the fleeceJob 21:20

The Key Word רֵאשִׁית, re.Shitgenerated

The word רֵאשִׁית (re'shiyth) means 'beginning' or 'chief.' It is derived from a root meaning 'first' and conveys the concept of the first in time, order, or rank. In this context, it refers to the firstfruits of the harvest, highlighting the importance of offering the best to God.

This term is used multiple times throughout the Hebrew Bible to signify primacy and importance, as seen in Exodus 23:19, where it describes the best of the harvest. The call to give the firstfruits reflects a broader principle of prioritizing God in one's offerings.


How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated

In this study, we reference the Berean Standard Bible (BSB), which uses the term firstfruits.


Sentence Structuregenerated

The main verb of the verse is תִּתֶּן, you will give, which governs the entire sentence. The structure includes a series of noun phrases that specify what is to be given: the firstfruits of grain, new wine, oil, and fleece.

The Hebrew word order emphasizes the offerings to be given, with the most important items listed first, reflecting their significance in worship.


Septuagint Backgroundgenerated

In the Septuagint, רֵאשִׁית is rendered as ἀπαρξὴν, which also conveys the idea of the first or chief offering. This choice aligns with the Hebrew meaning but may suggest a slightly different emphasis in the Greek context.

The Greek translation captures the essence of the original Hebrew, maintaining the focus on the importance of the firstfruits in worship.


In plain words — the whole versegenerated

Deuteronomy 18:4 instructs the Israelites to give the firstfruits of their grain, new wine, oil, and fleece from their sheep to the priests. This is a reminder to honor God with the best of what they have, reflecting their devotion and gratitude.


Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated

What does it mean to give the firstfruits?

Giving the firstfruits means offering the best and first part of the harvest and livestock to God, symbolizing dedication and honor.

Why are the priests given these offerings?

The priests are supported through these offerings as they serve in the temple and minister to the people on behalf of God.

What significance does the fleece hold?

The fleece represents the best of the sheep, and giving it to the priests signifies honoring God with the best of one's livestock.

How does this instruction reflect on our giving today?

This instruction encourages believers to prioritize giving their best to God, whether in resources, time, or service.


Reflection Questionsgenerated

  1. How can I ensure that I am giving my best to God in my life?
  2. What are some practical ways I can support those who serve in ministry?
  3. In what areas of my life do I need to prioritize my offerings to God?
  4. How does understanding the significance of firstfruits change my perspective on giving?

Commentators on this verse — 7 expositors, verse by verse

Each of these wrote on Deuteronomy 18:4 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.

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

The firstfruit also of thy corn, and of thy wine, and of thy oil,.... This is the "terumah", or heave offering, the offering of the firstfruits; what the measure or quantity was is not declared, but

Read John Gill on Deuteronomy 18 →
Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's Commentary

The firstfruit also of thy corn, of thy wine, and of thine oil, and the first of the fleece of thy sheep, shalt thou give him. No JFB commentary on these verses.

Read Robert Jamieson on Deuteronomy 18 →
John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

Deuteronomy 18:4 The firstfruit [also] of thy corn, of thy wine, and of thine oil, and the first of the fleece of thy sheep, shalt thou give him.Ver. 4. The firstfruits also.] Pliny tells us, that among the Romans also no man might taste of his own corn, wine, or other fruits, priusquam Sacerdotes primitias libassent, till the priests had offered the firstfruits, and made their use of them. Plin., Hist., lib. xviii.

Read John Trapp on Deuteronomy 18 →
Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

XVIII. Deuteronomy 18:1-5. THE PBIESTS’ DUE.(1) The priests the Levites, (and) all the tribe of Levi.—The fact that there is no “and” here in the original, and the look of the sentence in English, might dispose a superficial reader to find some ground here for the theory that priest and Levite are not distinguished in Deuteronomy. No such idea occurred to Rashi. He says, “all the tribe of Levi, not only those that are perfect (who can serve), but those who have a blemish (and cannot).” The distinction between priest and Levite has already been sufficiently noted on Deuteronomy 11:6; Deuteronomy 17:9. The passage is evidently on the same lines with Numbers 18:18-21, which see. (3) The…

Read Charles John Ellicott on Deuteronomy 18 →
AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible

Verse 4. The first-fruit also of thy corn, of thy wine, and of thine oil, &c.] All these firstfruits and firstlings were the Lord's portion, and these he gave to the priests.

Read AdamClarke on Deuteronomy 18 →
CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

4. the firstfruits] or, it may be, the best. Heb. reshîth, not bikkûrim (Deuteronomy 12:6). See Deuteronomy 26:2 f.; cp. E, Exodus 23:19, J, Exodus 34:26, and P, Numbers 18:12. On corn, wine and oil, see Deuteronomy 7:13, Deuteronomy 12:17, Deuteronomy 14:23, Deuteronomy 25:19-19. The first or best, of the fleece is mentioned only here.

Read Cambridge on Deuteronomy 18 →
Daniel Denison Whedon1808–1885Whedon's Commentary on the Bible

4. Fleece — In this verse, in addition to the perquisites enumerated in Numbers 18:12, there is added the regulation with regard to the fleece of the sheep.

Read Daniel Denison Whedon on Deuteronomy 18 →

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

You are to give them the firstfruits of your grain, new wine, and oil, and the first wool sheared from your flock.

WEBWorld English Bible2000

You shall give him the first fruits of your grain, of your new wine, and of your oil, and the first of the fleece of your sheep.

MSBMajority Standard Bible2022

You are to give them the firstfruits of your grain, new wine, and oil, and the first wool sheared from your flock.

NETBNew English Translation2006

You must give them the best of your grain, new wine, and olive oil, as well as the best of your wool when you shear your flocks.

Tyndale line

KJVKing James Version1611

The firstfruit also of thy corn, of thy wine, and of thine oil, and the first of the fleece of thy sheep, shalt thou give him.

ASVAmerican Standard Version1901

The first-fruits of thy grain, of thy new wine, and of thine oil, and the first of the fleece of thy sheep, shalt thou give him.

RVARevised Version, American1894

The firstfruits of thy corn, of thy wine, and of thine oil, and the first of the fleece of thy sheep, shalt thou give him.

NWBWebster's Bible1833

The first-fruit also of thy corn, of thy wine, and of thy oil, and the first of the fleece of thy sheep, shalt thou give him.

GNVGeneva Bible1599

The first fruites also of thy corne, of thy wine, and of thine oyle, and the first of the fleece of thy sheepe shalt thou giue him.

Strictly literal

DBYDarby Translation1890

The firstfruits [also] of thy corn, of thy new wine, and of thine oil, and the firstfruits of the shearing of thy sheep, shalt thou give him;

YLTYoung's Literal Translation1862

the first of thy corn, of thy new wine, and of thine oil, and the first of the fleece of thy flock, thou dost give to him;

LSVLiteral Standard Version2020

you give to him the first of your grain, of your new wine, and of your oil, and the first of the fleece of your flock;

ILTInterlinear Literal Translation2000

The first-fruit of thy corn, of thy wine, and of thy oil, and the first shearing of thy sheep, shalt thou give him.

ULBUnlocked Literal Bible2017

The firstfruits of your grain, of your new wine, and of your oil, and the first of the fleece of your sheep, you must give him.

From the Latin

DRADouay-Rheims (Challoner)1899

The firstfruits also of corn, of wine, and of oil, and a part of the wool from the shearing of their sheep.

Simplified

FBVFree Bible Version2020

You are to provide them with the firstfruits of your grain, new wine, and olive oil, as well as the first wool sheared from your flock.

BBEBible in Basic English1949

And in addition you are to give him the first of your grain and wine and oil, and the first wool cut from your sheep.

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 phrase · objectnoun phraseרֵאשִׁ֨יתthe.firstnoun phraseדְּגָֽנְyour.grainךָ֜yournoun phraseתִּֽירֹשְׁwineךָ֣your.newוְandnoun phraseיִצְהָרֶ֗your.freshךָoilוְandnoun phraseרֵאשִׁ֛יתthe.firstnoun phraseגֵּ֥זof.the.fleecenoun phraseצֹאנְyour.sheepךָ֖yourverbתִּתֶּןyou.will.giveprepositional phrase · prepositionalלּֽtoוֹhim

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 consistent with the Septuagint and the Samaritan Pentateuch in this verse, with all versions agreeing on the wording and meaning of the offerings to the priests.

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

רֵאשִׁ֨ית דְּגָֽנְךָ֜ תִּֽירֹשְׁךָ֣ וְיִצְהָרֶ֗ךָ וְרֵאשִׁ֛ית גֵּ֥ז צֹאנְךָ֖ תִּתֶּן־ לּֽוֹ׃

Septuagintthe Greek the translators chose, word by word
דְּגָֽנְךָ֜σουתִּֽירֹשְׁךָ֣σουוְיִצְהָרֶ֗ךָσουוְרֵאשִׁ֛יתἀπαρξὴνגֵּ֥זκουρῶνצֹאנְךָ֖σουתִּתֶּן־δώσειςלּֽוֹ׃αὐτῷ

8 of the 9 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

ראשׁית דגנך תירשׁך ויצהרך וראשׁית גז צאנך תתן לו

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 18:4רֵאשִׁית[the] first[the] first ofרֵאשִׁיתדָּגָןgrain yourgrain yourדָּגָןתִּירוֹשׁnew wine yonew wine yourתִּירוֹשׁיִצְהָרand fresh oand fresh oil yיִצְהָררֵאשִׁיתand [the] fand [the] firstרֵאשִׁיתגֵּז[the] fleec[the] fleece ofגֵּזצֹאןsheep yoursheep yourצֹאןנָתַןyou will giyou will giveנָתַןוֹto himto himוֹרֹאשׁheadheadרֹאשׁדָּגָהto multiplto multiplyדָּגָהיָרַשׁto possessto possess: posיָרַשׁצָהַרto pressto pressצָהַרגָּזַזto shearto shearגָּזַזעֲרִיסָהdoughdoughעֲרִיסָהאוֹןstrengthstrengthאוֹןתִּירוֹשׁnew winenew wineתִּירוֹשׁיִצְהָרoiloilיִצְהָרדָּגָןgraingrainדָּגָןבָּקַרcattlecattleבָּקַרבֵּית־עֵ֫קֶדHouse of SHouse of Shepheבֵּית־עֵ֫קֶדנַחֲלָהinheritancinheritanceנַחֲלָהזֶ֫רַעseedseedזֶ֫רַע
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 18:4

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.

[the] first of grain your new wine your and fresh oil your and [the] first of [the] fleece of sheep your you will give to him
רֵאשִׁ֨יתre.Shit [the] first of H7225 Noun common · feminine singular construct
51× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This Hebrew word refers to the beginning or first part of something, like the firstfruits of a harvest. It is used in Exodus 23:19 to describe the best of the harvest. The idea is to give God the best.
Amplified meaning
the beginning harvest, the best part
Tyndale gloss
first: beginning
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

רֵאשִׁית (re'shiyth) means 'beginning' or 'chief.' It is derived from a root meaning 'first' and covers concepts like the first in time, order, or rank, including firstfruits. The entries consistently emphasize its meanings related to primacy and importance.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

רֵאשִׁית n.f. beginning, chief

beginning

first

first, chief

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H7225 רֵאשִׁית beginning, chief . . beginning

. first

. first, chief

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

7225 re'shiyth ray-sheeth'

from the same as 7218; the first, in place, time, order or

rank (specifically, a firstfruit):--beginning, chief(-est),

first(-fruits, part, time), principal thing.

see HEBREW for 07218

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

רֵאשִׁית (re.shit) — first: beginning.

: beginning

1) first, beginning, best, chief

1a) beginning

1b) first

1c) chief

1d) choice part

Also means: re.shit (רֵאשִׁית ": best" H7225H)

רֵאשִׁית (re.shit) — first: best.

: best

1) first, beginning, best, chief

1a) beginning

1b) first

1c) chief

1d) choice part

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-fs — Noun common · feminine singular construct
HNcfsc
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…

[the] first of grain your new wine your and fresh oil your and [the] first of [the] fleece of sheep your you will give to him
דְּגָֽנְךָ֜de.ga.ne.Kha grain your H1715 Noun common masculine singular construct · suffix
40× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
Dagan refers to grain or wheat, a staple food in ancient Israel. In Genesis 41:35, Joseph advised Pharaoh to store grain during the good years to prepare for famine, and in Leviticus 23:10, the Israelites were instructed to offer a sheaf of grain as an offering.
Amplified meaning
wheat, staple food
Tyndale gloss
grain
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

דָּגָן (dagan) refers to grain or corn, specifically cereals like wheat. It is derived from a root meaning 'increase.' The entries consistently emphasize its agricultural context, relating to the produce of the land.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

דָּגָן n.m. corn, grain (of cereals)

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H1715 דָּגָן corn, grain (of cereals)

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

1715 dagan daw-gawn'

from 1711; properly, increase, i.e. grain:--corn ((floor)),

wheat.

see HEBREW for 01711

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

דָּגָן (da.gan) — grain.

wheat, cereal, grain, corn

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-ms | Suff — Noun common masculine singular construct · suffix
HNcmsc/Sp2ms
[the] first of grain your new wine your and fresh oil your and [the] first of [the] fleece of sheep your you will give to him
תִּֽירֹשְׁךָ֣ti.ro.she.Kha new wine your H8492 Noun common masculine singular construct · suffix
38× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
New wine, freshly squeezed from grapes, is the meaning of this Hebrew word. It can also refer to fermented wine, but that is less common. The KJV translates it as new or sweet wine.
Amplified meaning
freshly squeezed, fermented
Tyndale gloss
new wine
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

תִּירוֹשׁ (tiyrowsh) refers to must or fresh grape juice, indicating wine that is newly pressed. The term can imply fermented wine but primarily denotes new or sweet wine. It is derived from a root meaning expulsion, suggesting the process of pressing grapes.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

תִּירוֹשׁ n.m. must, fresh or new wine

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H8492 תִּירוֹשׁ must, fresh or new wine

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

8492 tiyrowsh tee-roshe'

or tiyrosh {tee-roshe'}; from 3423 in the sense of expulsion;

must or fresh grape-juice (as just squeezed out); by

implication (rarely) fermented wine:--(new, sweet) wine.

see HEBREW for 03423

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

תִּירוֹשׁ (ti.rosh) — new wine.

wine, fresh or new wine, must, freshly pressed wine

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-ms | Suff — Noun common masculine singular construct · suffix
HNcmsc/Sp2ms
[the] first of grain your new wine your and fresh oil your and [the] first of [the] fleece of sheep your you will give to him
וְיִצְהָרֶ֗ךָve.yitz.ha.Re.kha and fresh oil your H3323 Conjunction · noun common masculine singular construct · suffix
23× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
Oil that produces light, often used for anointing and ceremonial purposes, as described in Exodus. It symbolizes purity and is used in sacred rituals. This type of oil is mentioned in the context of priestly duties.
Amplified meaning
for anointing, ceremonial purposes
Tyndale gloss
oil
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

יִצְהָר (yits-hawr) refers to fresh or newly appeared oil, often associated with producing light. It can also imply anointing oil, indicating its use in ceremonial contexts. The word is derived from a root meaning to shine or produce light, emphasizing its purity and brightness.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

יִצְהָר n.[m.] fresh oil (newly appeared)

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H3323 יִצְהָר fresh oil (newly appeared)

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

3323 yitshar yits-hawr'

from 6671; oil (as producing light); figuratively,

anointing:--+ anointed oil.

see HEBREW for 06671

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

יִצְהָר (yits.har) — oil.

fresh oil, shining (pure) oil

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Conj | N-ms | Suff — Conjunction · noun common masculine singular construct · suffix
HC/Ncmsc/Sp2ms
[the] first of grain your new wine your and fresh oil your and [the] first of [the] fleece of sheep your you will give to him
וְרֵאשִׁ֛יתve.re.Shit and [the] first of H7225 Conjunction · noun common feminine singular construct
51× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This Hebrew word refers to the beginning or first part of something, like the firstfruits of a harvest. It is used in Exodus 23:19 to describe the best of the harvest. The idea is to give God the best.
Tyndale gloss
first: beginning
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

רֵאשִׁית (re'shiyth) means 'beginning' or 'chief.' It is derived from a root meaning 'first' and covers concepts like the first in time, order, or rank, including firstfruits. The entries consistently emphasize its meanings related to primacy and importance.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

רֵאשִׁית n.f. beginning, chief

beginning

first

first, chief

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H7225 רֵאשִׁית beginning, chief . . beginning

. first

. first, chief

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

7225 re'shiyth ray-sheeth'

from the same as 7218; the first, in place, time, order or

rank (specifically, a firstfruit):--beginning, chief(-est),

first(-fruits, part, time), principal thing.

see HEBREW for 07218

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

רֵאשִׁית (re.shit) — first: beginning.

: beginning

1) first, beginning, best, chief

1a) beginning

1b) first

1c) chief

1d) choice part

Also means: re.shit (רֵאשִׁית ": best" H7225H)

רֵאשִׁית (re.shit) — first: best.

: best

1) first, beginning, best, chief

1a) beginning

1b) first

1c) chief

1d) choice part

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Conj | N-fs — Conjunction · noun common feminine singular construct
HC/Ncfsc
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…

[the] first of grain your new wine your and fresh oil your and [the] first of [the] fleece of sheep your you will give to him
גֵּ֥זgez [the] fleece of H1488 Noun common · masculine singular construct
4× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This word refers to a fleece, the woolly coat of a sheep, or mown grass. Gideon used a fleece to test God in Judges 6. It can also mean a shearing or mowing.
Amplified meaning
fleece
Tyndale gloss
fleece
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

גֵּז (gez) refers to shearing or mowing, particularly in the context of fleece or mown grass. It is derived from a root meaning to shear, and its usage encompasses both the act of shearing and the result, such as fleece or cut grass.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

גֵּז n.[m.] shearing, mowing

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H1488 גֵּז shearing, mowing

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

1488 gez gaze

from 1494; a fleece (as shorn); also mown grass:--fleece,

mowing, mown grass.

see HEBREW for 01494

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

גֵּז (gez) — fleece.

1) a shearing, mowing

1a) shearing, that sheared off

1b) a mowing, mown grass

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…

[the] first of grain your new wine your and fresh oil your and [the] first of [the] fleece of sheep your you will give to him
צֹאנְךָ֖tzo.ne.Kha sheep your H6629 Noun common both singular construct · suffix
274× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This word refers to a flock of sheep or goats, and is sometimes used to describe people in a figurative sense. It is also associated with the Sheep Gate in Jerusalem, a significant location in biblical times.
Amplified meaning
sheep, figurative people
Tyndale gloss
Sheep (Gate)
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

צֹאן (tso'n) refers to small cattle, specifically sheep and goats, and is used to denote a flock or flocks. It can also be used metaphorically to describe a multitude. The term appears in contexts such as Psalm 144:13, where it emphasizes the collective nature of these animals.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

צֹאן 273 n.coll.f. small cattle, sheep and goats, flock, flocks

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H6629 צֹאן small cattle, sheep and goats, flock, flocks

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

6629 tso'n tsone

or tsaown (Psalm 144:13) {tseh-one'}; from an unused root

meaning to migrate; a collective name for a flock (of sheep or

goats); also figuratively (of men):--(small) cattle, flock

(+ -s), lamb (+ -s), sheep((-cote, -fold, -shearer, -herds)).

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

צֹאן (tson) — flock.

1) small cattle, sheep, sheep and goats, flock, flocks

1a) small cattle (usually of sheep and goats)

1b) of multitude (simile)

1c) of multitude (metaphor)

צֹאן (tson) — Sheep (Gate).

This name means sheep and goats

Also named: probatikos (προβατικός "Sheep Gate" G4262)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-cs | Suff — Noun common both singular construct · suffix
HNcbsc/Sp2ms
[the] first of grain your new wine your and fresh oil your and [the] first of [the] fleece of sheep your you will give to him
תִּתֶּן־ti.ten- you will give H5414 Verb · Qal · imperfect second person masculine singular
2,011× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This word means to give, put, or set something, with a wide range of applications. It appears in many books, including Genesis and Exodus, describing God's actions and human interactions. The word is used to convey giving, selling, or exchanging something.
Tyndale gloss
to give: give
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word נָתַן (natan) means 'to give' and encompasses a wide range of applications such as putting, setting, and making. It can also indicate actions like bestowing, delivering, and assigning. The entries describe its use in various forms, including Qal, Niphal, and Hophal, but do not present any significant disagreements among lexicons.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

נָתַן 2007 vb. give, put, set

Qal 1917

give

Put, set

Make, constitute

Niph.

82be given

Be put, set

Hoph.

be given, bestowed

= be given to one for wife

be put upon

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H5414 נָתַן give, put, set .. give

. Put, set

. Make, constitute

. . be given

. Be put, set

. . . be given, bestowed

. = be given to one for wife

. be put upon

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

5414 nathan naw-than'

a primitive root; to give, used with greatest latitude of

application (put, make, etc.):--add, apply, appoint, ascribe,

assign, X avenge, X be ((healed)), bestow, bring (forth,

hither), cast, cause, charge, come, commit, consider, count, +

cry, deliver (up), direct, distribute, do, X doubtless, X

without fail, fasten, frame, X get, give (forth, over, up),

grant, hang (up), X have, X indeed, lay (unto charge, up),

(give) leave, lend, let (out), + lie, lift up, make, + O that,

occupy, offer, ordain, pay, perform, place, pour, print, X

pull , put (forth), recompense, render, requite, restore, send

(out), set (forth), shew, shoot forth (up), + sing, + slander,

strike, (sub-)mit, suffer, X surely, X take, thrust, trade,

turn, utter, + weep, + willingly, + withdraw, + would (to)

God, yield.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

נָתַן (na.tan) — to give: give.

: give/deliver/send/produce

1) to give, put, set

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to give, bestow, grant, permit, ascribe, employ, devote, consecrate, dedicate, pay wages, sell, exchange, lend, commit, entrust, give over, deliver up, yield produce, occasion, produce, requite to, report, mention, utter, stretch out, extend

1a2) to put, set, put on, put upon, set, appoint, assign, designate

1a3) to make, constitute

1b) (Niphal)

1b1) to be given, be bestowed, be provided, be entrusted to, be granted to, be permitted, be issued, be published, be uttered, be assigned

1b2) to be set, be put, be made, be inflicted

1c) (Hophal)

1c1) to be given, be bestowed, be given up, be delivered up

1c2) to be put upon

נָתַן (na.tan) — to give: put.

: put/set/apppoint

1) to give, put, set

1a) (Qal)

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
V-Qal-Imperf-2ms — Verb · Qal · imperfect second person masculine singular
HVqi2ms
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

(nathan, yahabh, sum; didomi): "Give" is a very common word in the Old Testament. It is most frequently the translation of nathan, "to give" (Ge 1:29; 3:6; Ex 2:9; De 18,20, etc., over 800 instances); nathan is also translated "to give up" (De 23:14; Isa 43:6; Ho 11:8); of yahabh, "to give" (Ge 30:1; 1Ch 16:28 the King James Version). In Ps 55:22 we have the perfect with suffix, "Cast thy burden upon Yahweh," margin "what he hath given thee"; elsewhere it is…

The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
[the] first of grain your new wine your and fresh oil your and [the] first of [the] fleece of sheep your you will give to him
לּֽוֹ׃lo to him 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
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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