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Deuteronomy 3:5 — Word Study

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WLCכָּל־ אֵ֜לֶּה עָרִ֧ים בְּצֻר֛וֹת חוֹמָ֥ה גְבֹהָ֖ה דְּלָתַ֣יִם וּבְרִ֑יחַ לְבַ֛ד מֵעָרֵ֥י הַפְּרָזִ֖י הַרְבֵּ֥ה מְאֹֽד׃

BSAAllkôl [every single one] theseʼêl-leh citiesʻîyr were fortifiedbâtsar [strengthened, made secure] with highgâbôahh [elevated, lofty] wallschôwmâh and gatesdeleth [doors, entrances] and barsbᵉrîyach [locks, bolts] and there werebad many morerâbâh [a great number, exceedingly] unwalled villagespᵉrâzîy [without fortification, open, rural areas, small settlements]

Word
Listen & take awayDeuteronomy 3
English ↓ Download MP3 The Berean Standard Bible chapter audio already hosted for the site's Bible section — verse 5 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 (me.'Od) — no per-word recordings of the Hebrew exist to link to.
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Deuteronomy 3:5quick helps
In a sentenceThe text describes the fortified cities and the many unwalled villages in the region.
What is fortifiedThe cities are described as having high walls, gates, and bars.
What is mentionedThe presence of unwalled villages emphasizes the contrast with the fortified cities.
The hard wordבְּצ֛וּרֹת
Take awayThe cities were well-defended, while the villages were open and vulnerable.
8 commentators on this verse Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them › clause verbרָבָה 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 3:5

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

Context — The Conquest of Og's Citiesgenerated

4At that time we captured all sixty of his cities. There was not a single city we failed to take—the entire region of Argob, the kingdom of Og in Bashan.
5All these cities were fortified with high walls and gates and bars, and there were many more unwalled villages.
6We devoted them to destruction, as we had done to Sihon king of Heshbon, utterly destroying the men, women, and children of every city.
7But all the livestock and plunder of the cities we carried off for ourselves.

Deuteronomy 3:5 describes the cities captured from Og, king of Bashan. The text highlights the fortified nature of these cities, emphasizing their high walls and secure gates. This is part of the broader narrative of Israel's conquest of the land, which includes the destruction of the inhabitants and the taking of their possessions, as seen in Deuteronomy 3:6.


Cross References

ReferenceText (BSB)
1Deuteronomy 1:28Where can we go? Our brothers have made our hearts melt, saying: ‘The people are larger and taller than we are; the cities are large, with walls up to the heavens. We even saw the descendants of the Anakim there.’”
2Numbers 13:28Nevertheless, the people living in the land are strong, and the cities are large and fortified. We even saw the descendants of Anak there.
3Hebrews 11:30By faith the walls of Jericho fell, after the people had marched around them for seven days.

The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 3 references, hung on the phrase they belong to

All these cities were fenced with high walls, gates, and bars; beside unwalled towns a great many.Deuteronomy 1:28 Numbers 13:28 Hebrews 11:30

The Key Word כֹּל, kol-generated

The word כֹּל (kol) means 'all' or 'every single one.' It encompasses totality and is often used to indicate the entirety of something, such as in Genesis 1:31, where God sees all He has made as very good.

In this verse, it emphasizes that every city mentioned was fortified, reinforcing the idea that the region was heavily defended.


How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated

All translations agree on the meaning of כֹּל as 'all' in this context, highlighting the totality of the fortified cities.


Sentence Structuregenerated

The finite verb is implied in the structure, with the subject being כֹּל (all) and the predicate describing the fortified cities. The sentence is structured to list the attributes of these cities, emphasizing their defenses.

Hebrew word order places the subject first, establishing the focus on 'all these cities' before detailing their characteristics.


Septuagint Backgroundgenerated

The Septuagint translates כֹּל as πᾶσαι (pasai), meaning 'all' or 'every,' which aligns closely with the Hebrew meaning.

For בְּצ֛וּרֹת, the Greek word used does not carry the same connotation of fortification, indicating a possible interpretative shift in the translation.


In plain words — the whole versegenerated

Deuteronomy 3:5 tells us that all the cities in this region were fortified with strong walls and gates, indicating their defenses. Additionally, there were many more villages that were not fortified, showing a contrast between the secure cities and the vulnerable villages.


Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated

What does it mean that the cities were fortified?

Fortified means that the cities had strong defenses, including high walls and secure gates, to protect against attacks.

Why are unwalled villages mentioned?

The unwalled villages highlight the contrast with the fortified cities, indicating areas that were more vulnerable and less protected.

What was the significance of capturing these cities?

Capturing these fortified cities was a key part of Israel's conquest and establishment in the land, demonstrating God's support in their victories.

How does this verse relate to the overall narrative of Deuteronomy?

This verse fits into the broader context of Israel's conquests, showing God's faithfulness in giving them the land and the cities within it.


Reflection Questionsgenerated

  1. What does the presence of fortified cities tell us about the challenges Israel faced in their conquest?
  2. How can we understand the significance of the unwalled villages in contrast to the fortified cities?
  3. In what ways does this passage reflect God's protection over Israel during their conquests?
  4. What lessons can we draw from the descriptions of these cities and villages in terms of security and vulnerability?

Commentators on this verse — 8 expositors, verse by verse

Each of these wrote on Deuteronomy 3:5 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.

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

All these cities were fenced with high walls, gates, and bars,.... That is, all the cities in the kingdom of Bashan; and though they were, it hindered not their falling into the hands of the

Read John Gill on Deuteronomy 3 →
Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's Commentary

All these cities were fenced with high walls, gates, and bars; beside unwalled towns a great many. No JFB commentary on this verse.

Read Robert Jamieson on Deuteronomy 3 →
Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy Bible

High walls, gates, and bars; which may encourage you in your attempt upon Canaan, notwithstanding the fenced cities which the spies told you of, and you must expect to find.

Read Matthew Poole on Deuteronomy 3 →
John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

Deuteronomy 3:5 All these cities [were] fenced with high walls, gates, and bars; beside unwalled towns a great many.Ver. 5. All those cities.] And they were threescore. How well might Moses have been styled πτολιπορθης? or, as King Demetrius was, Poliorcetes, the city taker?

Read John Trapp on Deuteronomy 3 →
Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(4, 5) These details are not given in Numbers. Professor Porter, in the Griant Cities of Bashan, has well described the impression made upon him by verifying this description in detail. “The whole of Bashan,” he says, “is not larger than an ordinary English county.” That “sixty walled cities, ‘besides unwalled towns a great many,’ should exist in a small province, at such a remote age, far from the sea, with no rivers and little commerce, appeared to be inexplicable. Inexplicable, mysterious though it appeared, it was true. On the spot, with my own eyes, I had now verified it. A list of more than one hundred ruined cities and villages, situated in these mountains alone, I had in my hands…

Read Charles John Ellicott on Deuteronomy 3 →
CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

5. the unwalled towns] Heb. towns of the Perazi, or country-folk; perazôth, Ezekiel 38:11, are open, rural places in contrast to fenced cities.

Read Cambridge on Deuteronomy 3 →
Albert Barnes1798–1870Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Gates, and bars - literally, “Double gates and a bar.” The stone doors of Bashan, their height pointing to a race of great stature, and the numerous cities (deserted) exist to illustrate the statements of these verses.

Read Albert Barnes on Deuteronomy 3 →
Daniel Denison Whedon1808–1885Whedon's Commentary on the Bible

5. These cities were fenced — The ruins of these cities are seen to-day.

Read Daniel Denison Whedon on Deuteronomy 3 →

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 these cities were fortified with high walls and gates and bars, and there were many more unwalled villages.

WEBWorld English Bible2000

All these were cities fortified with high walls, gates, and bars, in addition to a great many villages without walls.

MSBMajority Standard Bible2022

All these cities were fortified with high walls and gates and bars, and there were many more unwalled villages.

NETBNew English Translation2006

All of these cities were fortified by high walls, gates, and locking bars; in addition there were a great many open villages.

Tyndale line

KJVKing James Version1611

All these cities were fenced with high walls, gates, and bars; beside unwalled towns a great many.

ASVAmerican Standard Version1901

All these were cities fortified with high walls, gates, and bars; besides the unwalled towns a great many.

RVARevised Version, American1894

All these were cities fenced with high walls, gates, and bars; beside the unwalled towns a great many.

NWBWebster's Bible1833

All these cities were fortified with high walls, gates, and bars; besides unwalled towns a great number.

GNVGeneva Bible1599

All these cities were fenced with hie walles, gates and barres, beside vnwalled townes a great many.

Strictly literal

DBYDarby Translation1890

All these cities were fortified with high walls, gates, and bars; besides unwalled towns very many.

YLTYoung's Literal Translation1862

All these [are] cities fenced with high walls, two-leaved doors and bar, apart from cities of villages very many;

LSVLiteral Standard Version2020

All these [are] cities fortified with high walls, double gates, and bar, apart from very many cities of the open place;

ILTInterlinear Literal Translation2000

all these were fortified cities, with high walls, gates, and bars; besides the unwalled towns, which were a great many.

ULBUnlocked Literal Bible2017

These were all cities fortified with high walls, gates, and bars; this was besides very many unwalled villages.

From the Latin

DRADouay-Rheims (Challoner)1899

All the cities were fenced with very high walls, and with gates and bars, besides innumerable towns that had no walls.

Simplified

FBVFree Bible Version2020

All of these towns were fortified with high walls and gates with bars. There were many more villages as well, those that didn't have walls.

BBEBible in Basic English1949

All these towns had high walls round them with doors and locks; and in addition we took a great number of unwalled towns.

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 · subjectכָּלallאֵ֜לֶּהthesenoun phrase · predicatenoun phraseעָרִ֧ים[were].citiesבְּצֻר֛וֹתfortifiednoun phrasenoun phraseחוֹמָ֥הwallגְבֹהָ֖הhighדְּלָתַ֣יִםgatesוּandבְרִ֑יחַbar[s]prepositional phrase · prepositionalלְapartnoun phraseבַ֛דapartprepositional phraseמֵfromnoun phrasenoun phraseעָרֵ֥יthe.citiesnoun phraseהַofפְּרָזִ֖יthe.hamlet-dweller[s]noun phraseadjective phraseהַרְבֵּ֥הmanyמְאֹֽדvery

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


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

The Masoretic Text presents a consistent reading with the Septuagint, which matches 12 of the 13 words. The Samaritan Pentateuch differs slightly by using the word 'bald' instead of the Hebrew term for 'high walls.'

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

כָּל־ אֵ֜לֶּה עָרִ֧ים בְּצֻר֛וֹת חוֹמָ֥ה גְבֹהָ֖ה דְּלָתַ֣יִם וּבְרִ֑יחַ לְבַ֛ד מֵעָרֵ֥י הַפְּרָזִ֖י הַרְבֵּ֥ה מְאֹֽד׃

Septuagintthe Greek the translators chose, word by word
כָּל־πᾶσαιעָרִ֧יםπόλειςבְּצֻר֛וֹתὀξυραίחוֹמָ֥הτείξηגְבֹהָ֖הὑψηλάדְּלָתַ֣יִםπύλαιוּבְרִ֑יחַμοξλοίלְבַ֛דπλὴνמֵעָרֵ֥יπόλεωνהַפְּרָזִ֖יφερεζαίωνהַרְבֵּ֥הπολλῶνמְאֹֽד׃σφόδρα

12 of the 13 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 אלה ערים בצרות חומה גבחה דלתים ובריח לבד מערי הפרזי הרבה מאד

1 word differs from the Masoretic Text: גבחה (bald)

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 3:5כֹּלallallכֹּלאֵ֫לֶּהthesetheseאֵ֫לֶּהעִיר[were] citi[were] citiesעִירבָּצַרfortifiedfortifiedבָּצַרחוֹמָהwallwallחוֹמָהגָּבֹהַּhighhighגָּבֹהַּדָּלgatesgatesדָּלבְּרִיחַand bar[s]and bar[s]בְּרִיחַבַּדapartapartבַּדעִירfrom [the] from [the] citiעִירפְּרָזִיthe hamlet-the hamlet-dwelפְּרָזִירָבָהmanymanyרָבָהמְאֹדveryveryמְאֹדעוּרto rouseto rouseעוּרכָּלַלto perfectto perfectכָּלַלאֵלthesetheseאֵלבָּצִירvintagevintageבָּצִירגָּבַהּto exultto exultגָּבַהּדָּלָהto draw (uto draw (up/outדָּלָהבָּרַחto fleeto fleeבָּרַחבָּדַדbe alonebe aloneבָּדַדפְּרָזָהvillagevillageפְּרָזָהרָבַבto multiplto multiply tenרָבַבאוּדfirebrandfirebrandאוּדמִגְרָשׁpasturepastureמִגְרָשׁלָכַדto captureto captureלָכַדעֵדָהcongregaticongregationעֵדָהעֲבֹדָהserviceserviceעֲבֹדָהתּוֹלֵדוֹתgenerationgenerationתּוֹלֵדוֹתאַלּוּףtametameאַלּוּףגַּלheapheapגַּל
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 3:5

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.

all these [were] cities fortified wall high gates and bar[s] apart from [the] cities of the hamlet-dweller[s] many very
כָּל־kol- all H3605 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
every single one
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
N-ms — Noun common · masculine singular absolute
HNcmsa
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
all these [were] cities fortified wall high gates and bar[s] apart from [the] cities of the hamlet-dweller[s] many very
אֵ֜לֶּה'E.leh these H428 Particle
746× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This Hebrew word is used to point out specific people or things, like saying 'these' or 'those'. It appears in the book of Genesis, where God says 'let there be light' and separates the light from the darkness.
Tyndale gloss
these
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

אֵ֫לֶּה (el-leh) means 'these' and is used in various grammatical contexts, often in apposition to a noun with a pronoun suffix. It can appear with or without the definite article and is sometimes paired with other terms like וְאֵלֶּה (and these). The word conveys a sense of proximity or specification, referring to particular items or people.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

אֵ֫לֶּה pr.pl.m. & f. these

in appos. to a subst. with a pron. suff. (always without the article)

repeated, אלה … ואלה, these … those

with the art. (but only after a subst. determined likewise by the art.)

with preps.

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H428 אֵ֫לֶּה these . in appos. to a subst. with a pron. suff. (always without the article)

. repeated, אלה … ואלה, these … those

. with the art. (but only after a subst. determined likewise by the art.)

. with preps.

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

428 'el-leh ale'-leh

prolonged from 411; these or those:--an- (the) other; one

sort, so, some, such, them, these (same), they, this, those,

thus, which, who(-m).

see HEBREW for 0411

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

אֵ֫לֶּה (el.leh) — these.

1) these

1a) used before antecedent

1b) used following antecedent

Aramaic equivalent: el.leh (אֵלֶּה "these" H0429)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Pron — Particle
HTm
all these [were] cities fortified wall high gates and bar[s] apart from [the] cities of the hamlet-dweller[s] many very
עָרִ֧ים'a.Rim [were] cities H5892 Noun common · masculine plural absolute
1,090× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
In the Bible, this word refers to a city or town, often a place with a wall or a watchman. It is used to describe a settlement or encampment, like the city of Ai, which is mentioned in the book of Joshua. The word is used to identify specific locations in the Bible.
Tyndale gloss
excitement
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word עִיר (*'iyr*) has meanings related to both excitement and city. It can denote excitement, particularly of terror or rage, as well as refer to a city or town, indicating a place that is guarded or inhabited. The entries suggest a broad application, from fortified cities to simple encampments. There is a specific mention of a man named Ir in 1 Chronicles 4:12.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

עִיר n.[m.] excitement;—of terror; of rage

base

עִיר 1092 n.f. city, town

city, town, abode of men

of fortress in a city

appar. fortified place, of any size

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H5892a עִיר excitement;—of terror; of rage H5892b עִיר city, town . city, town, abode of men

. of fortress in a city

. appar. fortified place, of any size

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

5892 `iyr eer

or (in the plural) par {awr}; or ayar (Judges 10:4)

{aw-yar'}; from 5782 a city (a place guarded by waking or a

watch) in the widest sense (even of a mere encampment or

post):--Ai (from margin), city, court (from margin), town.

see HEBREW for 05782

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

עִיר (ir) — excitement.

1) excitement, anguish

1a) of terror

עִיר (ir) — city.

1) city, town (a place of waking, guarded)

1a) city, town (a place of waking, guarded)

1a) city, town

עִיר (ir) — City (of On).

Combined with on (אֹן "On" H0204)

This name means city, town

Another name of on (אֹן "On" H0204)

עִיר (ir) — Ir-.

#A man of the tribe of Judah living at the time of Divided Monarchy, only mentioned at 1Ch.4.12;

son of: Tehinnah (H8468)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-fp — Noun common · masculine plural absolute
HNcmpa
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
Smith's Bible Dictionary

The earliest notice in Scripture of city-building is of Enoch by Cain, in the land of his exile. (Genesis 4:17) After the confusion of tongues the descendants of Nimrod founded Babel, Erech, Accad and Calneh, in the land of Shinar, and Asshur, a branch from the same stock, built Nineveh, Rehoboth-by-the-river, Calah and Resen, the last being "a great city." The earliest description of a city, properly so called, is that of Sodom, (Genesis 19:1-22) Even before the time of Abraham there were cities in Egypt, (Genesis 12:14,15; Numbers 13:22) and the Israelites, during their sojourn there, were employed in building or fortifying the "treasure cities" of Pithom and Raamses.…

Nave's Topical Bible

→ Ancient Ge 4:17; 10:10-12

→ Fortified Nu 32:36; De 9:1; Jos 10:20; 14:12; 2Ch 8:5; 11:10-12; 17:2,19; 21:3; Isa 23:11

→ Gates of

See GATES

→ Designated as

Royal Jos 10:2; 1Sa 27:5; 2Sa 12:26; 1Ch 11:7

Treasure Ge 41:48; Ex 1:11;

- First mention of

Ge 4:17

- Designed for habitations

Ps 107:7,36

- Often built to perpetuate a name

Ge 11:4

- Often founded and enlarged by blood and rapine

Mic 3:10; Hab 2:12

- BUILT

. Of brick and slime

Ge 11:3

. Of stone and wood

Ps 102:14; Eze 26:12

. Of brick and mortar

Ex 1:11,14

. On solid foundations

Thompson Chain Reference topics

(1) General References to

Ge 11:4; 18:24; 41:48; Nu 13:28; De 6:10; 2Ki 13:25

Ps 55:9; Mic 5:14

(2) Fenced

Nu 32:17; De 3:5; Jos 10:20; 2Ki 18:13; 2Ch 14:6; 17:2

2Ch 19:5; 21:3; 33:14; Jer 5:17

all these [were] cities fortified wall high gates and bar[s] apart from [the] cities of the hamlet-dweller[s] many very
בְּצֻר֛וֹתbe.tzu.Rot fortified H1219 Adj
37× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This word means to gather or fortify, often used to describe harvesting grapes or building strong walls. It appears in the Bible to describe the gathering of crops, such as in the book of Isaiah. It can also mean to restrain or make something inaccessible.
Amplified meaning
strengthened, made secure
Tyndale gloss
to gather/restrain/fortify
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

בָּצַר (batsar) is a Hebrew verb meaning to cut off or make inaccessible, often through fortification. It can refer to gathering grapes, as well as to restraining or enclosing something. The word encompasses various forms, including being withheld or fortified, and is associated with secrets or inaccessible things.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

[בָּצַר] vb. cut off, make inaccessible (esp. by fortifying), enclose

Qal cut off, grape-clusters; hence grape-gathering, -gatherer; fig. cut off (= take away)

Niph. be withheld

Pi. fortify

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H1219 [בָּצַר] cut off, make inaccessible (esp. by fortifying), enclose .cut off, grape-clusters; hence grape-gathering, -gatherer; fig. cut off (= take away)

. be withheld

. fortify

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

1219 batsar baw-tsar'

a primitive root; to clip off; specifically (as denominative

from 1210) to gather grapes; also to be isolated (i.e.

inaccessible by height or fortification):--cut off,

(de-)fenced, fortify, (grape) gather(-er), mighty things,

restrain, strong, wall (up), withhold.

see HEBREW for 01210

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

בָּצַר (ba.tsar) — to gather/restrain/fortify.

1) to gather, restrain, fence, fortify, make inaccessible, enclose

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to cut off

1a2) fortified, cut off, made inaccessible (pass participle)

1a3) secrets, mysteries, inaccessible things (subst)

1b) (Niphal) to be withheld

1c) (Piel) to fortify

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Adj — Adj
HAafpa
all these [were] cities fortified wall high gates and bar[s] apart from [the] cities of the hamlet-dweller[s] many very
חוֹמָ֥הcho.Mah wall H2346 Noun common · feminine singular absolute
133× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
A wall of protection, like the walls of Jerusalem, provided safety and security for the people. It appears in the Bible as a physical barrier. The Israelites built walls around their cities for defense.
Tyndale gloss
wall
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

חוֹמָה (chowmah) refers to a wall, typically understood as a protective barrier. It is derived from a root meaning to join, and is often used to describe city walls or the walls of buildings. The term can also be applied figuratively, such as in reference to the waters of the Red Sea.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

חוֹמָה 133 n.f. wall (as protection)

usu. term for wall of city

wall of a building

fig. of waters of Red Sea

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H2346 חוֹמָה wall (as protection)

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

2346 chowmah kho-maw'

feminine active participle of an unused root apparently

meaning to join; a wall of protection:--wall, walled.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

חוֹמָה (cho.mah) — wall.

wall

חוֹמָה (cho.mah) — (Broad) Wall.

wall

Combined with ra.chav (רָחָב "Broad" H7342)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-fs — Noun common · feminine singular absolute
HNcfsa
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

wol.

See ARCHITECTURE; CITY; FORTIFICATION; HOUSE; JERUSALEM; VILLAGE.

Easton's Bible Dictionary

Wall

Cities were surrounded by walls, as distinguished from “unwalled villages” (Ezek. 38:11; Lev. 25:29-34). They were made thick and strong (Num. 13:28; Deut. 3:5). Among the Jews walls were built of stone, some of those in the temple being of great size (1 Kings 6:7; 7:9-12; 20:30; Mark 13:1, 2). The term is used metaphorically of security and safety (Isa. 26:1; 60:18; Rev. 21:12-20). (See FENCE.)

all these [were] cities fortified wall high gates and bar[s] apart from [the] cities of the hamlet-dweller[s] many very
גְבֹהָ֖הge.vo.Hah high H1364 Adj
41× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
High means elevated or powerful, like a tall mountain or a proud person, as described in Proverbs where pride comes before a fall.
Amplified meaning
elevated, lofty
Tyndale gloss
high
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word גָּבֹהַּ (*gaboah*) means high or exalted, covering meanings such as tall, lofty, and haughty. It can also refer to loftiness as a noun. The word is derived from a root meaning to elevate or be elevated, and it appears in contexts that emphasize height or pride.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

גָּבֹהַּ adj. high, exalted

high, lofty, tall

exalted in station

haughty

n.[m.] loftiness

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H1364 גָּבֹהַּ high, exalted . high, lofty, tall

. exalted in station

. haughty

. n. [m.] loftiness

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

1364 gaboahh gaw-bo'-ah

or (fully) gabowahh {gaw-bo'-ah}; from 1361; elevated (or

elated), powerful, arrogant:--haughty, height, high(-er),

lofty, proud, X exceeding proudly.

see HEBREW for 01361

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

גָּבֹהַּ (ga.vo.ah) — high.

adj

1) high, exalted

1a) high, tall

1b) high (in position)

1c) proud, haughty

n m

2) loftiness

Also means: ga.vah (גָּבֹהַּ "high" H1362)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Adj — Adj
HAafsa
all these [were] cities fortified wall high gates and bar[s] apart from [the] cities of the hamlet-dweller[s] many very
דְּלָתַ֣יִםde.la.Ta.yim gates H1817 Noun common · feminine dual absolute
88× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
A door is something that swings, like the valve of a door or gate. In the Bible, doors can represent entrance or access, as seen in Psalm 141:3 where David asks God to set a door on his lips.
Amplified meaning
doors, entrances
Tyndale gloss
door
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

דָּל (dal), דָּלָה (da.lah), and דֶּ֫לֶת (de.let) all refer to a 'door' or 'gate' in Hebrew. The entries indicate various uses, including literal doors and figurative meanings, such as a door of a chamber or even metaphorical doors in poetry. Notably, dal is mentioned in Psalm 141:3.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

[דָּל] n.[m.] door only fig.: ψ 141:3.

ref

[דָּלָה] n.f. door, Is 26:20 fig., door of chamber in which people (personified) hides

ref

דֶּ֫לֶת n.f. door

door of house

door of room

gates of city

in other senses

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H1817a דָּל door H1817b דָּלָה door H1817c דֶּ֫לֶת door

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

1817 deleth deh'-leth

from 1802; something swinging, i.e. the valve of a

door:--door (two-leaved), gate, leaf, lid. (In Psa. 141:3,

dal, irreg.).

see HEBREW for 01802

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

דָּל (dal) — door.

door (fig.)

דָּלָה (da.lah) — door.

door (fig., door of chamber in which people (personified) hide)

דֶּ֫לֶת (de.let) — door.

1) door, gate

1a) a door

1b) a gate

1c) (fig.)

1c1) of chest lid

1c2) of crocodile jaws

1c3) of doors of the heavens

1c4) of an easily-accessible woman

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-fd — Noun common · feminine dual absolute
HNcfda
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
Nave's Topical Bible

→ Of cities De 3:5; Jos 6:26; 1Sa 23:7; 2Sa 18:24; 2Ch 8:5

→ Made of iron Ac 12:10

→ Made of wood Ne 1:3

→ Made of brass Ps 107:16; Isa 45:2

→ Double doors Isa 45:1; Eze 41:24

Torrey's New Topical Textbook

- Design of

Isa 62:10

- MADE OF

. Brass

Ps 107:16; Isa 45:2

. Iron

Ac 12:10

- Often two-leaved

Isa 45:1

- Fastened with bars of iron

Ps 107:16; Isa 45:2

- MADE TO

. Cities

1Ki 17:10

. Houses

Lu 16:20; Ac 12:14

. Temples

Ac 3:2

. Palaces

Es 5:13

. Prisons

Thompson Chain Reference topics

(1) Of Cities and Towns as places of Business

Ge 23:10; 34:20; De 16:18; 21:19; 22:15; Jos 20:4; Ru 4:1

2Sa 15:2; 1Ki 22:10; Pr 1:21; 22:22; Jer 14:2; Zec 8:16

(2) Punishment of Criminals outside of

De 17:5; Jer 20:2; Heb 13:12

(3) Of Jerusalem

all these [were] cities fortified wall high gates and bar[s] apart from [the] cities of the hamlet-dweller[s] many very
וּבְרִ֑יחַu.ve.Ri.ach and bar[s] H1280 Conjunction · noun common masculine singular absolute
40× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
A bar or bolt, often made of wood, used to secure city gates or as a symbol of tribulation. It represents a fortress or a prison.
Amplified meaning
locks, bolts
Tyndale gloss
bar
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

בְּרִיחַ (briyach) refers to a bar, particularly one made of wood, often associated with city gates. It can also metaphorically denote tribulation or a fortress, suggesting confinement or protection. The word is derived from a root meaning 'to bolt' or 'secure'.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

בְּרִיחַ n.m. bar

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H1280 בְּרִיחַ bar

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

1280 briyach ber-ee'-akh

from 1272; a bolt:--bar, fugitive.

see HEBREW for 01272

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

בְּרִיחַ (be.ri.ach) — bar.

1) bar

1a) of wood

1b) of city gates

2) of tribulation, a fortress, of the earth as a prison (fig.)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Conj | N-ms — Conjunction · noun common masculine singular absolute
HC/Ncmsa
all these [were] cities fortified wall high gates and bar[s] apart from [the] cities of the hamlet-dweller[s] many very
לְבַ֛דle.Vad apart H905 Preposition · noun common masculine singular construct
200× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
The Hebrew word 'bad' can mean alone, apart, or a separate part of something, like a branch or a bar. It's used to describe something that's only or except for something else.
Tyndale gloss
alone: pole
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

בַּד (bad) refers to separation or being alone, often indicating a part or branch of something. It can denote physical separation, such as limbs or bars, as well as figurative uses like 'chief of a city.' The entries consistently highlight meanings related to being apart or alone, with no significant disagreement among the lexicons.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

בַּד, בָּ֑ד n.m. separation, concr. part

prop. in a state of separation, alone, by itself

concr. part

parts, specif. extended from something

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H905 בַּד, בָּ֑ד separation, concr. part . prop. in a state of separation, alone, by itself

. concr. part

. parts, specif. extended from something

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

905 bad bad

from 909; properly, separation; by implication, a part of the

body, branch of a tree, bar for carrying; figuratively, chief

of a city; especially (with prepositional prefix) as an

adverb, apart, only, besides:--alone, apart, bar, besides,

branch, by self, of each alike, except, only, part, staff,

strength.

see HEBREW for 0909

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

בַּד (bad) — alone: pole.

: pole

1) alone, by itself, besides, a part, separation, being alone

1a) separation, alone, by itself

1a1) only (adv)

1a2) apart from, besides (prep)

1b) part

1c) parts (eg limbs, shoots), bars

בַּד (bad) — alone.

: alone

1) alone, by itself, besides, a part, separation, being alone

1a) separation, alone, by itself

1a1) only (adv)

1a2) apart from, besides (prep)

1b) part

1c) parts (eg limbs, shoots), bars

בַּד (bad) — alone: each.

: each

1) alone, by itself, besides, a part, separation, being alone

1a) separation, alone, by itself

1a1) only (adv)

1a2) apart from, besides (prep)

1b) part

1c) parts (eg limbs, shoots), bars

בַּד (bad) — alone: besides.

: besides/apart from

1) alone, by itself, besides, a part, separation, being alone

1a) separation, alone, by itself

1a1) only (adv)

1a2) apart from, besides (prep)

1b) part

1c) parts (eg limbs, shoots), bars

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Prep | N-ms — Preposition · noun common masculine singular construct
HR/Ncmsc
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

a-part' (badh, "separation," i.e. alone, by oneself; niddah, "uncleanness" i.e. something put away: "an abomination"): In Zec 12:12-14 the former word is used eleven times with powerful effect to indicate the separation of families and the isolation of wives through excessive grief in Jerusalem on account of the slain Messiah. The latter word signifies removal from ceremonial uncleanness (Le 15:19; 18:19; Eze 22:10). In Greek, kat' idian, "by themselves," of marked significance as expressing Christ's desire for privacy in prayer, alone or with His disciples; either in a desert (Mt 14:13); a mountain (Mt 14:23); or a…

all these [were] cities fortified wall high gates and bar[s] apart from [the] cities of the hamlet-dweller[s] many very
מֵעָרֵ֥יme.'a.Rei from [the] cities of H5892 Preposition · noun common masculine plural construct
1,090× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
In the Bible, this word refers to a city or town, often a place with a wall or a watchman. It is used to describe a settlement or encampment, like the city of Ai, which is mentioned in the book of Joshua. The word is used to identify specific locations in the Bible.
Tyndale gloss
excitement
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word עִיר (*'iyr*) has meanings related to both excitement and city. It can denote excitement, particularly of terror or rage, as well as refer to a city or town, indicating a place that is guarded or inhabited. The entries suggest a broad application, from fortified cities to simple encampments. There is a specific mention of a man named Ir in 1 Chronicles 4:12.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

עִיר n.[m.] excitement;—of terror; of rage

base

עִיר 1092 n.f. city, town

city, town, abode of men

of fortress in a city

appar. fortified place, of any size

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H5892a עִיר excitement;—of terror; of rage H5892b עִיר city, town . city, town, abode of men

. of fortress in a city

. appar. fortified place, of any size

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

5892 `iyr eer

or (in the plural) par {awr}; or ayar (Judges 10:4)

{aw-yar'}; from 5782 a city (a place guarded by waking or a

watch) in the widest sense (even of a mere encampment or

post):--Ai (from margin), city, court (from margin), town.

see HEBREW for 05782

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

עִיר (ir) — excitement.

1) excitement, anguish

1a) of terror

עִיר (ir) — city.

1) city, town (a place of waking, guarded)

1a) city, town (a place of waking, guarded)

1a) city, town

עִיר (ir) — City (of On).

Combined with on (אֹן "On" H0204)

This name means city, town

Another name of on (אֹן "On" H0204)

עִיר (ir) — Ir-.

#A man of the tribe of Judah living at the time of Divided Monarchy, only mentioned at 1Ch.4.12;

son of: Tehinnah (H8468)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
HR/Ncmpc — Preposition · noun common masculine plural construct
HR/Ncmpc
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…

all these [were] cities fortified wall high gates and bar[s] apart from [the] cities of the hamlet-dweller[s] many very
הַפְּרָזִ֖יha.pe.ra.Zi the hamlet-dweller[s] H6521 Particle · noun common masculine singular absolute
3× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This word means a person who lives in a village or rural area, often in a small settlement without walls. In the book of Judges, it describes the people living in the countryside. The term is often translated as 'villager' in the KJV.
Amplified meaning
without fortification, open, rural areas, small settlements
Tyndale gloss
villager
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

פְּרָזִי (praziy) refers to a villager or hamlet-dweller, indicating someone who lives in a rural or open region. The word is derived from a root meaning 'rustic' and emphasizes a connection to village life. It appears in contexts related to rural settings, but specific verses are not mentioned in the entries.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

פְּרָזִי n.[m.] hamlet-dweller

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H6521 פְּרָזִי hamlet-dweller

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

6521 praziy per-aw-zee'

or prowziy {per-o-zee'}; from 6519; a rustic:--village.

see HEBREW for 06519

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

פְּרָזִי (pe.ra.zi) — villager.

1) villager, rural dweller, hamlet-dweller

2) (TWOT) open region

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Art | N-ms — Particle · noun common masculine singular absolute
HTd/Ncmsa
The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
all these [were] cities fortified wall high gates and bar[s] apart from [the] cities of the hamlet-dweller[s] many very
הַרְבֵּ֥הhar.Beh many H7235 Verb · Hiphil · infinitive absolute
227× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This word means to increase or grow, like a plant shooting up. It is used in the Bible to describe something getting bigger or more abundant. The KJV translates it as abundance or bring up.
Amplified meaning
a great number, exceedingly
Tyndale gloss
to multiply
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

רָבָה (rabah) is a Hebrew verb meaning to increase or multiply, encompassing ideas of becoming great, numerous, or abundant. It has various forms, including Qal (to become many), Piel (to make large), and Hiphil (to make much). The word also appears in a context related to shooting in Genesis 21:20. There is a noted Aramaic equivalent, רְבָה.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

[רָבָה] 225 vb. be, or become, much, many, great

Qal 59

become many, numerous

be great

grow great (Aramaism)

Pi. 4 make large, increase

Hiph. 162

make much or many

make great, obj. pers.

base

[רָבָה] vb. shoot;—only Qal Gn 21:20

ref

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H7235a רָבָה be, or become, much, many, great .. become many, numerous

. . be great

. grow great (Aramaism)

. make large, increase

. . make much or many

. make great, obj. pers.

H7235b רָבָה shoot

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

7235 rabah raw-baw'

a primitive root; to increase (in whatever respect):--(bring

in) abundance (X -antly), + archer (by mistake for 7232), be

in authority, bring up, X continue, enlarge, excel,

exceeding(-ly), be full of, (be, make) great(-er, -ly,

X -ness), grow up, heap, increase, be long, (be, give, have,

make, use) many (a time), (any, be, give, give the, have) more

(in number), (ask, be, be so, gather, over, take, yield) much

(greater, more), (make to) multiply, nourish, plenty(-eous), X

process (of time), sore, store, thoroughly, very.

see HEBREW for 07232

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

רָבָה (ra.vah) — to multiply.

1) be or become great, be or become many, be or become much, be or become numerous

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to become many, become numerous, multiply (of people, animals, things)

1a2) to be or grow great

1b) (Piel) to make large, enlarge, increase, become many

1c) (Hiphil)

1c1) to make much, make many, have many

1c1a) to multiply, increase

1c1b) to make much to do, do much in respect of, transgress greatly

1c1c) to increase greatly or exceedingly

1c2) to make great, enlarge, do much

Aramaic equivalent: re.vah (רְבָה "to grow great" H7236)

רָבָה (ra.vah) — to shoot.

(Qal) to shoot

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
V-Hiphil-Ptc — Verb · Hiphil · infinitive absolute
HVhaa
English usagewhat the translators’ English meant
Webster's Dictionary (1828), Webster's Unabridged (1913), Webster's Dictionary (1806)

MANY, adjective men'ny.

1. Numerous; comprising a great number of individuals.

Thou shalt be a father of many nations. Genesis 17:4.

Not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called. 1 Corinthians 1:26.

MANY are the afflictions of the righteous. Psalms 34:12.

It is often preceded by as or so, and followed by so, indicating an equal number.

As many books as you take, so many shall be charged to your account.

So many laws argue so many sins.

It is followed by as.

As many as were willing-hearted brought bracelets. Exodus 34:1.

It precedes an or a, before a noun in the singular number.

Full many a gem of purest ray serene.

2. In low language, preceded by too, it denotes powerful or much; as, they are too many for us.

MANY, noun men'ny. A multitude; a great number of individuals; the people.

O thou fond many

The vulgar and the many are fit only to be led or driven.

all these [were] cities fortified wall high gates and bar[s] apart from [the] cities of the hamlet-dweller[s] many very
מְאֹֽד׃me.'Od very H3966
300× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
Meod means 'much' or 'very' and is used to emphasize something. It can mean 'exceedingly' or 'greatly' and is often used to show strong feelings or actions.
Tyndale gloss
much
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

מְאֹד (m`od) refers to concepts of muchness, force, and abundance. It serves as an adverb meaning exceedingly or greatly, often used to intensify other words. The entries highlight its use in various idioms to express magnitude or degree, with a focus on might and intensity.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

מְאֹד n.m. muchness, force, abundance, exceedingly

force, might

in diff. idioms (298 t.) to express the idea of exceedingly, greatly, very (whether of magnitude or degree)

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H3966 מְאֹד muchness, force, abundance, exceedingly . force, might

. in diff. idiomns (298 t.) to express the idea of exceedingly, greatly, very (whether of magnitude or degree)

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

3966 m`od meh-ode'

from the same as 181; properly, vehemence, i.e. (with or

without preposition) vehemently; by implication, wholly,

speedily, etc. (often with other words as an intensive or

superlative; especially when repeated):--diligently,

especially, exceeding(-ly), far, fast, good, great(-ly), X

louder and louder, might(-ily, -y), (so) much, quickly, (so)

sore, utterly, very (+ much, sore), well.

see HEBREW for 0181

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

מְאֹד (me.od) — much.

adv

1) exceedingly, much

subst

2) might, force, abundance

n m

3) muchness, force, abundance, exceedingly

3a) force, might

3b) exceedingly, greatly, very (idioms showing magnitude or degree)

3b1) exceedingly

3b2) up to abundance, to a great degree, exceedingly

3b3) with muchness, muchness

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
HAcmsa
HAcmsa
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

ver'-i: As adjective (from verus, "true"), "true," "real," "actual," etc. (Ge 27:21,24, "my very son Esau"; Jos 10:27, "this very day"; Joh 7:26, "the very Christ," etc.); chiefly as adverb, "in a high degree," "extremely." As ab adverb it is commonly in the Old Testament the translation of me'odh, and in the New Testament represents, as adjective and adverb, several Greek words, as alethos, "truly" (Joh 7:26, above), autos (Joh 14:11, "the very works' sake"; Ro 13:6), sphodra (Mt 18:31, "very sorry," the…

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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