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Deuteronomy 33:6 — Word Study

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WLCיְחִ֥י רְאוּבֵ֖ן וְאַל־ יָמֹ֑ת וִיהִ֥י מְתָ֖יו מִסְפָּֽר׃ ס

BSALet ReubenRᵉʼûwbên [the firstborn son of Jacob, ancestor of the tribe] livechâyâh [have life, be revived] and notʼal [never, under no circumstances] diemûwth [perish, cease to exist] norhâyâh [not, lest] his menmath [a few men, a small number] be fewmiçpâr [small in number, limited]

Word
Listen & take awayDeuteronomy 33
English ↓ Download MP3 The Berean Standard Bible chapter audio already hosted for the site's Bible section — verse 6 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 (mis.Par) — no per-word recordings of the Hebrew exist to link to.
Take it away
Deuteronomy 33:6quick helps
In a sentenceMoses expresses a wish for Reuben to live and not die, ensuring his descendants are not few.
Who is speakingMoses, blessing the tribes of Israel.
Where we areThe final blessings of Moses to the tribes, as he prepares to depart.
The hard wordיְחִ֥י
Take awayThe desire for life and continuity for the tribe of Reuben.
8 commentators on this verse Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them › clause subjectרְאוּבֵן verbחָיָה 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 33:6

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 — Moses' Blessing to the Tribes of Israelgenerated

5So the LORD became King in Jeshurun when the leaders of the people gathered, when the tribes of Israel came together.
6Let Reuben live and not die, nor his men be few.”
7And concerning Judah he said: “O LORD, hear the cry of Judah and bring him to his people. With his own hands he defends his cause, but may You be a help against his foes.”
8Concerning Levi he said: “Give Your Thummim to Levi and Your Urim to Your godly one, whom You tested at Massah and contested at the waters of Meribah.

Deuteronomy 33:6 presents Moses' blessings to the tribes of Israel, where he specifically addresses Reuben, the firstborn son of Jacob. Moses expresses a desire for Reuben to live and thrive, emphasizing the importance of his descendants. This blessing reflects the significance of Reuben's role within the nation of Israel and the hope for a prosperous future for his tribe.


Cross References

ReferenceText (BSB)
1Genesis 49:3–4Reuben, you are my firstborn, my might, and the beginning of my strength, excelling in honor, excelling in power.
2Numbers 32:31–32The Gadites and Reubenites replied, “As the LORD has spoken to your servants, so we will do.
3Joshua 22:1–9Then Joshua summoned the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh

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

Let Reuben live, and not die; and let not his men be few.Genesis 49:3–4 Numbers 32:31–32 Joshua 22:1–9

The Key Word יְחִ֥י, ye.Chigenerated

The Hebrew verb חָיָה (chayah) means to live or have life, with implications of revival and sustenance. In this context, Moses is invoking a blessing for Reuben to enjoy life and vitality, which is crucial for the continuation of his lineage.

The jussive form indicates a wish or desire, emphasizing Moses' heartfelt plea for Reuben's well-being. This verb captures the essence of life and existence, highlighting the importance of Reuben's future and his role among the tribes.


How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated

This study reads the verse in the Berean Standard Bible, which uses live for יְחִ֥י and die for יָמֹ֑ת.


Sentence Structuregenerated

The main verb יְחִ֥י governs the sentence, expressing a wish for Reuben's life. The structure includes a negative clause with אַל indicating a prohibition against death, followed by a clause regarding the number of his men.

The Hebrew word order places emphasis on Reuben's life first, highlighting the priority of this blessing.


Septuagint Backgroundgenerated

The Septuagint translates יְחִ֥י as ζήτω (zētō), meaning 'let him live.' This choice reflects a direct wish for life, aligning closely with the Hebrew intent.

The use of ἀποθανέτω for יָמֹ֑ת indicates a strong emphasis on the prohibition of death, mirroring the Hebrew structure.


In plain words — the whole versegenerated

Deuteronomy 33:6 shows Moses blessing Reuben, asking for him to live and not die, and wishing that his descendants would not be few. This reflects the importance of Reuben's lineage and role among the tribes of Israel.


Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated

What does Moses mean by 'let Reuben live'?

Moses is expressing a desire for Reuben to have a long life and a prosperous future, emphasizing the importance of his descendants.

Why does Moses say 'nor his men be few'?

This phrase indicates a wish for Reuben's tribe to flourish and grow in number, ensuring their strength within Israel.

What is the significance of Reuben being mentioned first?

As the firstborn son of Jacob, Reuben holds a prominent position, and his blessing sets the tone for the blessings of the other tribes.

How does this blessing relate to Reuben's past actions?

Moses' blessing seeks to overcome Reuben's previous transgressions, hoping for restoration and a positive legacy for his descendants.


Reflection Questionsgenerated

  1. In what ways can I seek to support and uplift those around me, like Moses did for Reuben?
  2. How can I ensure that my actions contribute to the well-being and growth of my community?
  3. What does it mean for me to 'live' fully in my own life, and how can I encourage others to do the same?
  4. How can I learn from Reuben's story to avoid pitfalls and strive for a positive legacy?

The early church on this verse — how the Fathers read it

Aphrahat the Persian Sage references this verse to argue for Reuben's absolution from past sins, highlighting the significance of Moses' blessing.

Aphrahat the Persian SageDEMONSTRATION 8.8 c. 270–345
Moses wished by his priestly power to absolve Reuben from his transgression and sin, in that he had lain with Bilhah, his father’s concubine, so that when his brothers should rise, he might not be cut off from their number.
Early Church Fathers on Deuteronomy 33 →

Commentators on this verse — 8 expositors, verse by verse

Each of these wrote on Deuteronomy 33:6 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.

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

Let Reuben live, and not die,.... As a tribe, continue and not be extinct, though they should not excel, because of the sin of their progenitor; and it may have a special regard to the preservation

Read John Gill on Deuteronomy 33 →
Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's Commentary

Let Reuben live, and not die; and let not his men be few. Let Reuben live, and not die. Although deprived of the honour and privileges of primogeniture, he was still to hold rank as one of the tribes of Israel.

Read Robert Jamieson on Deuteronomy 33 →
Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy Bible

Though Reuben deserve to be cut off, or greatly diminished and obscured, according to Jacob’ s prediction, ; yet God will spare them, and give them a name and portion among the tribes of Israel, and bless them with increase of their numbers.

Read Matthew Poole on Deuteronomy 33 →
John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

Deuteronomy 33:6 Let Reuben live, and not die; and let [not] his men be few.Ver. 6. Let Reuben live, and not die.] Let him have a nail and a name in God’ s house, notwithstanding the heinousness of his sin, and the severity of Jacob’ s sentence.

Read John Trapp on Deuteronomy 33 →
Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(6) Let Reuben live, and not die.—“‘Live’ in this world.” says Rashi, “and ‘not die’ in the world to come.” That his misdeed should not be remembered (Genesis 35:22). Rashi also notices the juxtaposition of this record with the sentence, “the sons of Jacob were twelve.” Reuben was not cut off, but he was disinherited (1 Chronicles 5:1), and his father’s blessing had so much in it of disapproval, that Moses’ prayer for him was not unnecessary. And let not his men be few.—The sentence is difficult. The LXX. insert Simeon, “let Simeon be many in number.” But there is no need for this. The most terrible destruction ever wrought in Israel by the word of Moses came on Dathan and Abiram (who were…

Read Charles John Ellicott on Deuteronomy 33 →
AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible

Verse 6. Let Reuben live, and not die] Though his life and his blessings have been forfeited by his transgression with his father's concubine, Genesis 49:3-4; and in his rebellion with Korah, Numbers 16:1-3, c., let him not become extinct as a tribe in Israel. "It is very usual," says Mr. Ainsworth, "in the Scripture, to set down things of importance and earnestness, by affirmation of the one part, and denial of the other Isaiah 38:1: Thou shalt die, and not live; Numbers 4:19: That they may live, and not die; Psalms 118:17: I shall not die, but live; Genesis 43:8: That we may live, and not die; Jeremiah 20:14: Cursed be the day - let not that day be blessed; 1 John 2:4: He is a liar, and…

Read AdamClarke on Deuteronomy 33 →
CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

(2–9). Four Laws: Of Right to Enter the Congregation There shall not enter any eunuch (Deuteronomy 33:1); nor the son of an unlawful marriage, nor descendants (Deuteronomy 33:2); nor Ammonite, nor Moabite, nor descendants (Deuteronomy 33:3-6); but the third generation of Edomite or Egyptian may enter (Deuteronomy 33:7 f.).—These laws have negative openings like the preceding and like the series which follow in Deuteronomy 33:15-20 (Deuteronomy 33:16-21) after the interrupting law, Deuteronomy 33:9-14 (Deuteronomy 33:10-15); hence possibly their position just here. The form of address to Israel does not appear till Deuteronomy 33:4 a (Deuteronomy 33:5 a) where it is Pl., but in Deuteronomy…

Read Cambridge on Deuteronomy 33 →
Albert Barnes1798–1870Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Let not his men be few - literally, “a number,” i. e., “a small number,” such as could be easily counted (compare Genesis 34:30 note).

Read Albert Barnes on Deuteronomy 33 →

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

Let Reuben live and not die, nor his men be few.”

WEBWorld English Bible2000

“Let Reuben live, and not die; Nor let his men be few.”

MSBMajority Standard Bible2022

Let Reuben live and not die, nor his men be few.”

NETBNew English Translation2006

May Reuben live and not die, and may his people multiply.

Tyndale line

KJVKing James Version1611

¶ Let Reuben live, and not die; and let not his men be few.

ASVAmerican Standard Version1901

Let Reuben live, and not die; Nor let his men be few.

RVARevised Version, American1894

Let Reuben live, and not die; Yet let his men be few.

NWBWebster's Bible1833

Let Reuben live, and not die; and let not his men be few.

GNVGeneva Bible1599

Let Reuben liue, and not die, though his men be a small nomber.

Strictly literal

DBYDarby Translation1890

Let Reuben live, and not die; And let his men be few.

YLTYoung's Literal Translation1862

Let Reuben live, and not die, And let his men be a number.

LSVLiteral Standard Version2020

Let Reuben live, and not die, || And let his men be an [incalculable] number.

ILTInterlinear Literal Translation2000

May Reuben live, and not die; and may not his men be few.

ULBUnlocked Literal Bible2017

Let Reuben live and not die, but may his men be few.

From the Latin

DRADouay-Rheims (Challoner)1899

Let Ruben live, and not die, and be he small in number.

Simplified

FBVFree Bible Version2020

To Reuben he said, “May he live and not die, but may he only have a few men.”

BBEBible in Basic English1949

Let life not death be Reuben's, let not the number of his men be small.

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.

clauseverbיְחִ֥יlet.him.livesubjectרְאוּבֵ֖ןReubenוְandclauseadverbialאַלnotverbיָמֹ֑תlet.him.dieוִandclauseverbיהִ֥יlet.it.benoun phrase · subjectמְתָ֖יmenוhisobjectמִסְפָּֽרnumber

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


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

The Masoretic Text is supported by the Septuagint, which matches all seven words. The Samaritan Pentateuch differs in three words, notably using ימות (die) and altering the phrase structure. The Dead Sea Scrolls show one word intact, with others partially restored or supplied, indicating a close relationship to the Masoretic Text.

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

יְחִ֥י רְאוּבֵ֖ן וְאַל־ יָמֹ֑ת וִיהִ֥י מְתָ֖יו מִסְפָּֽר׃ ס

Septuagintthe Greek the translators chose, word by word
יְחִ֥יζήτωרְאוּבֵ֖ןρουβηνוְאַל־μὴיָמֹ֑תἀποθανέτωוִיהִ֥יἔστωמְתָ֖יוπολὺςמִסְפָּֽר׃ סἀριθμῷ

7 of the 7 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

יחי ראובן ואל ימות ויהי מאתו מספר

3 words differ from the Masoretic Text: ימות (die), מ (from), אתו (together with)

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

יחי ראובן [ואל] [ימת] [ויהי] [מתי׳ו] [מספר]

1 word on the leather — 1 partly restored, 5 supplied entire by an editor.

Four traditions, not one. “On the leather” means the letters physically survive on the scroll, as against letters an editor has supplied to fill a hole in it — a restoration is a scholar’s reading, not a reading of the manuscript. Words in [square brackets] are supplied; the notes count them apart from what survives.


The map of this verse — what each word keeps company with

This is a map of two things, both counted rather than judged. Company kept: which words stand within three words of each of these, anywhere in the Hebrew Bible — the thicker the line, the more often the pair meet compared with chance. Built from: the words a word is made out of, taken from its own Strong’s entry. It is not a map of meaning: nothing here claims two words mean the same thing. Click any circle to see the numbers behind it.

Deuteronomy 33:6חָיָהlet him livlet him liveחָיָהרְאוּבֵןReubenReubenרְאוּבֵןאַלand may notand may notאַלמוּתhe diehe dieמוּתהָיָהand let it and let it beהָיָהמַתmen hismen hisמַתמִסְפָּרnumbernumberמִסְפָּרסָפַרto recountto recountסָפַרחָוָהto explainto explainחָוָהרָאָהProviderProviderרָאָהבֵּןson: childson: childבֵּןלֹאnotnotלֹאהָוָאto fallto fallהָוָאמָתַיhowhowמָתַיצְדָקָהrighteousnrighteousnessצְדָקָהגָּדGadGadגָּדחֲנוֹךְHanochHanochחֲנוֹךְחָתַתto to be dto to be dismayחָתַתיָרֵאto fearto fearיָרֵארָצַחto murderto murderרָצַחקָבַרto buryto buryקָבַרמִסְפָּרnumbernumberמִסְפָּרמְעַטlittlelittleמְעַטפַּרbullockbullockפַּרעֶשְׂרִיםtwentytwentyעֶשְׂרִים
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 33:6

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.

let him live Reuben and may not he die and let it be men his number
יְחִ֥יye.Chi let him live H2421 Verb · Qal · jussive third person masculine singular
282× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
To live or have life is the meaning of this Hebrew word, which can also mean to revive or be quickened. It is used in the Bible to describe God's power to sustain life and restore people to health, as seen in the stories of the prophets and Jesus' miracles.
Amplified meaning
have life, be revived
Tyndale gloss
to live
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

חָיָה (chayah) is a Hebrew verb meaning to live or have life, encompassing both literal and figurative senses. It includes various nuances such as reviving, preserving life, and restoring health. The entries detail its use in different stems, with Qal focusing on living and being quickened, while Piel and Hiphil emphasize giving life and reviving. No specific verse references are provided.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

חָיָה 283 vb. live

Qal 203

live

be quickened, revive

Pi.

preserve alive, let live

give life

quicken, revive, refresh

Hiph.

preserve alive, let live

quicken, revive

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H2421 חָיָה live .. live

. be quickened, revive

. . preserve alive, let live

. give life

. quicken, revive, refresh

. . preserve alive, let live

. quicken, revive

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

2421 chayah khaw-yaw'

a primitive root (compare 2331, 2421); to live, whether

literally or figuratively; causatively, to revive:--keep

(leave, make) alive, X certainly, give (promise) life, (let,

suffer to) live, nourish up, preserve (alive), quicken,

recover, repair, restore (to life), revive, (X God) save

(alive, life, lives), X surely, be whole.

see HEBREW for 02331

see HEBREW for 02421

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

חָיָה (cha.yah) — to live.

1) to live, have life, remain alive, sustain life, live prosperously, live for ever, be quickened, be alive, be restored to life or health

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to live

1a1a) to have life

1a1b) to continue in life, remain alive

1a1c) to sustain life, to live on or upon

1a1d) to live (prosperously)

1a2) to revive, be quickened

1a2a) from sickness

1a2b) from discouragement

1a2c) from faintness

1a2d) from death

1b) (Piel)

1b1) to preserve alive, let live

1b2) to give life

1b3) to quicken, revive, refresh

1b3a) to restore to life

1b3b) to cause to grow

1b3c) to restore

1b3d) to revive

1c) (Hiphil)

1c1) to preserve alive, let live

1c2) to quicken, revive

1c2a) to restore (to health)

1c2b) to revive

1c2c) to restore to life

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
V-Qal-Juss-3ms — Verb · Qal · jussive third person masculine singular
HVqj3ms
let him live Reuben and may not he die and let it be men his number
רְאוּבֵ֖ןre.'u.Ven Reuben H7205 Noun proper masculine
72× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
Reuben was the firstborn son of Jacob and Leah, and the ancestor of the tribe of Reuben. He is mentioned in Genesis as the brother of Simeon, Levi, and Judah, and the father of Hanoch and Pallu.
Amplified meaning
the firstborn son of Jacob, ancestor of the tribe
Tyndale gloss
Reuben
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

רְאוּבֵן (Reuben) refers to the eldest son of Jacob and Leah, meaning 'behold a son.' He is the ancestor of the tribe of Reuben, which is mentioned in the context of the Old Testament. The name is derived from the imperative of the verb for 'see' and the word for 'son.' Reuben is first mentioned in Genesis 29:32.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

רְאוּבֵן 71 n.pr.m. Reuben

eldest son of Jacob and Leah

as name of clan or tribe

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H7205 רְאוּבֵן Reuben

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

7205 R'uwben reh-oo-bane'

from the imperative of 7200 and 1121; see ye a son; Reuben, a

son of Jacob:--Reuben.

see HEBREW for 07200

see HEBREW for 01121

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

רְאוּבֵן (re.u.ven) — Reuben.

A man of the tribe of Reuben living at the time of the Patriarchs, first mentioned at Gen.29.32;

son of: Israel (H3478) and Leah (H3812);

brother of: Simeon (H8095), Levi (H3878), Judah (H3063), Issachar (H3485), Zebulun (H2074) and Dinah (H1783);

half-brother of: Dan (H1835H), Naphtali (H5321), Gad (H1410), Asher (H0836), Joseph (H3130) and Benjamin (H1144);

father of: Hanoch (H2585J), Pallu (H6396), Hezron (H2696) and Carmi (H3756)

§ Reuben = "behold a son"

1) the eldest son of Jacob by Leah

2) the tribe descended from Reuben

3) the territory inhabited by the tribe of Reuben

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-proper — Noun proper masculine
HNpm
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

roo'-ben, ru'-ben (re'ubhen; Rhouben): The eldest son of Jacob, born to him by Leah in Paddan-aram (Ge 29:32).

1. Jacob's Oldest Son:

This verse seems to suggest two derivations of the name. As it stands in Massoretic Text it means "behold a son"; but the reason given for so calling him is "The Lord hath looked upon my affliction," which in Hebrew is ra'ah be`onyi, literally, "He hath seen my affliction." Of his boyhood we have only the story of the mandrakes (Ge 30:14). As the firstborn he should really have been leader among his father's sons. His birthright was forfeited by a deed of peculiar infamy (Ge 35:22), and as far as we know his tribe never took the lead in Israel. It is named first, indeed, in

Reuben

Behold a son!, the eldest son of Jacob and Leah (Gen. 29:32). His sinful conduct, referred to in Gen. 35:22, brought down upon him his dying father’s malediction (48:4). He showed kindness to Joseph, and was the means of saving his life when his other brothers would have put him to death (37:21,22). It was he also who pledged his life and the life of his sons when Jacob was unwilling to let Benjamin go down into Egypt. After Jacob and his family went down into Egypt (46:8) no further mention is made of Reuben beyond what is recorded in ch. 49:3,4.

Smith's Bible Dictionary

(behold a son), Jacob’s firstborn Child, (Genesis 29:32) the son of Leah. (B.C. 1753.) The notices of the patriarch Reuben give, on the whole a favorable view of his disposition. To him and him alone the preservation of Joseph’s life appears to have been due and afterward he becomes responsible for his safety. (Genesis 37:18-30; 42:37) Of the repulsive crime which mars his history, and which turned the blessing of his dying father into a curse --his adulterous connection with Bilhah-- we know from the Scriptures only the fact. (Genesis 35:22) He was of an ardent, impetuous, unbalanced but not ungenerous nature; not crafty and cruel, as were Simeon and Levi, but rather, to use the metaphor of the dying patriarch, boiling up…

American Tract Society Bible Dictionary

Behold, a son! The eldest son of Jacob and Leah, so-called in reference to the sentiment of his mother, "The Lord hath looked on my affliction," Ge 29:32. Reuben, having defiled his father’s concubine Bilhah, lost his birthright and all the privileges of primogeniture, the preeminence in the family being given to Judah, and the double portion to the two sons of Joseph, Ge 35:22 48:5 49:3,4,8,10 1Ch 5:1,2. He shared in his brother’s jealousy of Joseph, and yet interposed to save his life at Dothan with the design of restoring him privately to his father, Ge 37:18-30. See also his well-meant proposal in Ge 42:27. His…

let him live Reuben and may not he die and let it be men his number
וְאַל־ve.'al- and may not H408 Conjunction · particle
724× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
Means not or nothing, used to express negation, as in the phrase do not or let not be.
Amplified meaning
never, under no circumstances
Tyndale gloss
not
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

אַל (al) is a negative particle meaning 'not' or 'no,' often used to express a wish or prohibition rather than an objective fact. It can also function as a noun meaning 'nothing.' The lexicons highlight its use in various contexts, including deprecative forms, but do not show significant disagreement.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

אַל adv. of negation, denying however, not objectively as a fact, but subjectively as a wish, expressing therefore a deprecation or prohibition

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H408 אַל adv. of negation, denying however, not objectively as a fact, but subjectively as a wish, expressing therefore a deprecation or prohibition

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

408 'al al

a negative particle (akin to 3808); not (the qualified

negation, used as a deprecative); once (Job 24:25) as a noun,

nothing:--nay, neither, + never, no ,nor, not, nothing

(worth), rather than.

see HEBREW for 03808

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

אַל (al) — not.

1) not, no, nor, neither, nothing (as wish or preference)

1a) do not, let not (with a verb)

1b) let there not be (with a verb understood)

1c) not, no (with substantive)

1d) nothing (as substantive)

Aramaic equivalent: al (אַל "not" H0409)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Conj | Part — Conjunction · particle
HC/Tn
let him live Reuben and may not he die and let it be men his number
יָמֹ֑תya.Mot he die H4191 Verb · Qal · jussive third person masculine singular
840× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
In the Bible, this Hebrew word means to die, either literally or as a punishment, and is used in books like Genesis and Exodus. It can also mean to perish or be killed. This concept is seen in the story of Adam and Eve, where death enters the world as a result of sin.
Amplified meaning
perish, cease to exist
Tyndale gloss
to die
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

מוּת (mūth) is a Hebrew verb meaning 'to die' or 'to kill.' It encompasses a range of meanings from dying naturally to being executed as a penalty. The word can refer to both humans and animals, and it includes various forms such as causing death or being killed. There is a distinction in usage based on the subject, whether it is a person or God inflicting death.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

מוּת vb. die

Qal

die, of natural or other causes

die as a penalty = be put to death

Po‛lel. kill, put to death, despatch (intens.)

Hiph.

abs., elsewhere c. acc., subj. man

subj. God, by inflicting penalty

of animals killing men

bring to a premature death

Hoph. be killed, put to death

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H4191 מוּת die .. die, of natural or other causes

. die as a penalty = be put to death

. kill, put to death, despatch (intens.)

. . abs., elsewhere c. acc., subj. man

. subj. God, by inflicting penalty

. of animals killing men

. bring to a premature death

. be killed, put to death

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

4191 muwth mooth

a primitive root: to die (literally or figuratively);

causatively, to kill:--X at all, X crying, (be) dead (body,

man, one), (put to, worthy of) death, destroy(-er), (cause to,

be like to, must) die, kill, necro(-mancer), X must needs,

slay, X surely, X very suddenly, X in (no) wise.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

מוּת (mut) — to die.

1) to die, kill, have one executed

1a)(Qal)

1a1) to die

1a2) to die (as penalty), be put to death

1a3) to die, perish (of a nation)

1a4) to die prematurely (by neglect of wise moral conduct)

1b) (Polel) to kill, put to death, dispatch

1c) (Hiphil) to kill, put to death

1d) (Hophal)

1d1) to be killed, be put to death

1d1a) to die prematurely

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
V-Qal-Juss-3ms — Verb · Qal · jussive third person masculine singular
HVqj3ms
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

(muth, gawa`; apothnesko, teleutao): "To die," etc., is of very frequent occurrence, and in the Old Testament is generally the translation of muth, meaning perhaps originally, "to be stretched out" or "prostrate." "To die," should be the consequence of eating the forbidden fruit (Ge 2:17; compare Ge 20:7; 2Ki 1:4,6). "Die" is commonly used of natural death (Ge 5:8; 25:8). It is used also of violent death (Ge 26:9,11; Ex 21:20); punitive (Ex 19:12; 21:12,14; 28:43; Nu…

let him live Reuben and may not he die and let it be men his number
וִיהִ֥יvi.Hi and let it be H1961 Conjunction · verb qal jussive third person masculine singular
3,562× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
The Hebrew word for to be means to exist or come into being. It is used to describe something that happens or comes to pass, like in Genesis where God creates the world.
Amplified meaning
not, lest
Tyndale gloss
to be
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word הָיָה (hayah) is a primitive root meaning to exist or become, and it encompasses a range of meanings including to happen, occur, and come to pass. It is often used in narrative contexts, particularly in phrases like "and it came to pass." The word can also denote a state of being or existence, and it appears frequently in various forms throughout the Old Testament.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

הָיָה 3570 vb. fall out, come to pass, become, be

Qal

Fall out, happen

occur, take place, come about, come to pass

esp. & very oft., come about, come to pass

וַיְהִי and it came to pass that, most often (c. 292 t.)

rarely also Pf. c. וְ conj. וְהָיָה

less oft. וְהָיָה Pf. consec. and it shall come to pass, or frequentat. came to pass (repeatedly, etc.)

Come into being, become

abs., in lively narrative, arise, appear, come

sq. prep.

become

sq. pred. noun (to be viewed as implicit accus.)

sq. pred. adj.

become like

sq. pred. לְ pers.

sq. לְ pred.

oft. c. לְ pred. לְ pers.

with עַל and לְ

sts. c. לְ pers. only = became the property of, come into the possession of

Be (often with subbordinate idea of becoming)

exist, be in existence

abide, remain, continue

with word of locality, be in or at a place, be situated, stand, lie

as copula, joining subj. & pred.

Read the full entry →
Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H1961 הָיָה fall out, come to pass, become, be .. . . Fall out, happen

. occur, take place, come about, come to pass

. esp. & very oft., come about, come to pass . . וַיְהִי and it came to pass that, most often (c. 292 t.)

. rarely also Pf. c. וְ conj. וְהָיָה

. less oft. וְהָיָה Pf. consec. and it shall come to pass, or frequentat. came to pass (repeatedly, etc.)

. Come into being, become . . abs., in lively narrative, arise, appear, come

. sq. prep.

. become . sq. pred. noun (to be viewed as implicit accus.)

. sq. pred. adj.

. become like

. sq. pred. + לְ pers.

. sq. לְ pred.

. oft. c. לְ pred. + לְ pers.

. with עַל and לְ

. sts. c. לְ pers. only = became the property of, come into the possession of

. Be (often with subbordinate idea of becoming) . exist, be in existence

. abide, remain, continue

Read the full entry →
Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

1961 hayah haw-yaw

a primitive root (compare 1933); to exist, i.e. be or become,

come to pass (always emphatic, and not a mere copula or

auxiliary):--beacon, X altogether, be(-come), accomplished,

committed, like), break, cause, come (to pass), do, faint,

fall, + follow, happen, X have, last, pertain, quit

(one-)self, require, X use.

see HEBREW for 01933

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

הָיָה (ha.yah) — to be.

1) to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out

1a) (Qal)

1a1) ---

1a1a) to happen, fall out, occur, take place, come about, come to pass

1a1b) to come about, come to pass

1a2) to come into being, become

1a2a) to arise, appear, come

1a2b) to become

1a2b1) to become

1a2b2) to become like

1a2b3) to be instituted, be established

1a3) to be

1a3a) to exist, be in existence

1a3b) to abide, remain, continue (with word of place or time)

1a3c) to stand, lie, be in, be at, be situated (with word of locality)

1a3d) to accompany, be with

1b) (Niphal)

1b1) to occur, come to pass, be done, be brought about

1b2) to be done, be finished, be gone

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Conj | V-Qal-Juss-3ms — Conjunction · verb qal jussive third person masculine singular
HC/Vqj3ms
let him live Reuben and may not he die and let it be men his number
מְתָ֖יוme.Tav men his H4962 Noun common masculine plural construct · suffix
22× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This Hebrew word refers to a grown man, as seen in Genesis 14:24 and Numbers 31:28. It can also mean a few men or a small group of people, depending on the context. The word is used to describe adult males in various biblical stories.
Amplified meaning
a few men, a small number
Tyndale gloss
man
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

מַת (mat) refers to a male or man, often used in both prose and poetry. The term emphasizes adult males and can imply a group of men, sometimes with less focus on gender. It is derived from a related word, but its usage is primarily in the plural form.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

[מַת] n.m. male, man

males, men

usu. less emphasis on sex

elsewhere only poet.

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H4962 [מַת] male, man

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

4962 math math

from the same as 4970; properly, an adult (as of full

length); by implication, a man (only in the plural):--+ few,

X friends, men, persons, X small.

see HEBREW for 04970

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

מַת (mat) — man.

1) male, man

1a) males, men

1b) few men (in prose)

1b1) less emphasis on sex

1c) men (poetic)

1c1) less emphasis on sex

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-mp | Suff — Noun common masculine plural construct · suffix
HNcmpc/Sp3ms
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

hiz: Used often in the King James Version with reference to a neuter or inanimate thing, or to a lower animal (Ge 1:11, "after his kind"; Le 1:16, "pluck away his crop"; Ac 12:10, "of his own accord"; 1Co 15:38, "his own body"), etc. the Revised Version (British and American) substitutes "its."

let him live Reuben and may not he die and let it be men his number
מִסְפָּֽר׃ סmis.Par number H4557 Noun common · masculine singular absolute
134× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This word refers to a number or quantity, whether large or small, and can also mean a narrative or story. It is used in many biblical contexts to describe counting or recounting events. In the Bible, it appears in passages about census and genealogy.
Amplified meaning
small in number, limited
Tyndale gloss
number
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

מִסְפָּר (mispar) means 'number' or 'tale.' It can refer to definite or indefinite quantities, ranging from large to small. The word also encompasses concepts of narration and recounting. The entries consistently highlight its numerical and narrative aspects without significant disagreement.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

מִסְפָּר 133 n.m. number, tale

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H4557 מִסְפָּר number, tale

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

4557 micpar mis-pawr'

from 5608; a number, definite (arithmetical) or indefinite

(large, innumerable; small, a few); also (abstractly)

narration:--+ abundance, account, X all, X few, (in-)finite,

(certain) number(-ed), tale, telling, + time.

see HEBREW for 05608

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

מִסְפָּר (mis.par) — number.

1) number, tale

1a) number

1a1) number

1a2) innumerable (with negative)

1a3) few, numerable (alone)

1a4) by count, in number, according to number (with prep)

1b) recounting, relation

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

num'-ber:

I. NUMBER AND ARITHMETIC

II. NOTATION OF NUMBERS

1. By Words

2. By Signs

3. By Letters

III. NUMBERS IN OLD TESTAMENT HISTORY

IV. ROUND NUMBERS

V. SIGNIFICANT NUMBERS

1. Seven and Its Multiples

(1) Ritual Use of Seven

(2) Historical Use of Seven

(3) Didactic or Literary Use of Seven

(4) Apocalyptic Use of Seven

2. The Number Three

3. The Number Four

4. The Number Ten

5. The Number Twelve

6. Other Significant Numbers

VI. GEMATRIA

LITERATURE

I. Number and Arithmetic.

The system of counting followed by the Hebrews and the Semites generally was the decimal system, which seems to have been suggested by the use of the ten fingers. Hebrew had separate words only for the first nine units and for ten and its multiples. Of the sexagesimal system, which seems to have been introduced into Babylonia by the Sumerians and which, through its development there, has influenced the measurement of time and space in the…

Smith's Bible Dictionary

Like most Oriental nations, it is probable that the Hebrews in their written calculations made use of the letters of the alphabet. That they did so in post-Babylonian times we have conclusive evidence in the Maccabaean coins; and it is highly probable that this was the ease also in earlier times. But though, on the one hand, it is certain that in all existing MSS of the Hebrew text of the Old Testament the numerical expressions are written at length, yet, on the other, the variations in the several versions between themselves and from the Hebrew text, added to the evident inconsistencies in numerical statement between certain passages of that text itself seems to prove that some shorter mode of writing was originally in vogue, liable to be misunderstood, and in fact misunderstood by copyists and translators. These variations appear to have proceeded from the alphabetic method of writing…

American Tract Society Bible Dictionary

Isa 65:11. See GAD 3.

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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