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Exodus 29:16 — Word Study

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WLCוְשָׁחַטְתָּ֖ אֶת־ הָאָ֑יִל וְלָֽקַחְתָּ֙ אֶת־ דָּמ֔וֹ וְזָרַקְתָּ֥ עַל־ הַמִּזְבֵּ֖חַ סָבִֽיב׃

BSAYou are to slaughtershâchaṭ [kill, slay] the ramʼayil [a strong tree] takelâqach [get, receive] its blooddâm [the liquid essential for life] and splatterzâraq it onʻal all sidesçâbîyb [around, round about] of the altarmizbêach [a place of sacrifice, where offerings are made to God]

Word
Listen & take awayExodus 29
English ↓ Download MP3 The Berean Standard Bible chapter audio already hosted for the site's Bible section — verse 16 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 (sa.Viv) — no per-word recordings of the Hebrew exist to link to.
Take it away
Exodus 29:16quick helps
In a sentenceThe instructions for the sacrificial ritual outline the process of slaughtering the ram and applying its blood.
Who is speakingGod, giving detailed commands to Moses regarding the sacrificial system.
Where we areIn the context of the consecration of Aaron and his sons as priests.
The hard wordשָׁחַטְתָּ֖
Take awayThe act of sacrifice is central to the worship practices outlined in the Torah.
7 commentators on this verse Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them › clause verbשָׁחַט 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 — Exodus 29:16

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

Context — Instructions for the Sacrificial Systemgenerated

15Take one of the rams, and Aaron and his sons shall lay their hands on its head.
16You are to slaughter the ram, take its blood, and sprinkle it on all sides of the altar.
17Cut the ram into pieces, wash the entrails and legs, and place them with its head and other pieces.
18Then burn the entire ram on the altar; it is a burnt offering to the LORD, a pleasing aroma, an offering made by fire to the LORD.

Exodus 29:16 provides specific instructions for the sacrificial rituals that were to be performed by Aaron and his sons. This passage is part of a larger section that details how the priests are to be consecrated and the various offerings that are to be made to God. The act of slaughtering the ram and sprinkling its blood signifies the seriousness of the sacrificial system, which is foundational to Israel's worship and relationship with God.


Cross References

ReferenceText (BSB)
1Exodus 29:11–12And you shall slaughter the bull before the LORD at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting.

The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 1 reference, hung on the phrase they belong to

And thou shalt slay the ram, and thou shalt take his blood, and sprinkle it round about upon the altar.Exodus 29:11–12

The Key Word שָׁחַט, ve.sha.cha.Tagenerated

The verb שָׁחַט (shachat) means 'to slaughter' and is often associated with sacrificial practices. It is a Qal verb in the sequential perfect tense, indicating a completed action performed by the subject, in this case, the priest.

This term is used frequently in the context of offerings, emphasizing the ritualistic aspect of slaughtering animals for sacrifice. The Septuagint translates it as σφάχεις, which carries the same meaning of killing, particularly in a sacrificial context.


How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated

This study reads the verse in the Berean Standard Bible, which uses the phrase slaughter the ram, consistent with the KJV and ASV that also employ slaughter for שָׁחַט.


Sentence Structuregenerated

The main verb is שָׁחַטְתָּ֖, you will slaughter, governing the actions that follow. The structure indicates a sequence of commands: first, slaughter the ram; second, take its blood; and third, sprinkle it.

The sentence is built around these verbs, with prepositional phrases providing additional context about the actions, specifically where the blood is to be applied.


Septuagint Backgroundgenerated

The Septuagint translates שָׁחַט as σφάχεις, indicating the same act of slaughter. This choice reflects the continuity of meaning in the context of sacrificial practices.

The use of αὐτὸν for הָאָ֑יִל shows a direct reference to the ram, maintaining the focus on the specific sacrificial animal.


In plain words — the whole versegenerated

Exodus 29:16 instructs that the ram is to be slaughtered, its blood taken, and sprinkled around the altar. This is part of the consecration rituals for the priests, emphasizing the importance of sacrifice in worship.


Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated

What does it mean to slaughter the ram?

To slaughter the ram means to kill it in a specific ritual manner as an offering to God, which is a key part of the sacrificial system.

Why is the blood sprinkled on the altar?

The blood is sprinkled on the altar as a symbol of purification and atonement, representing the life of the animal being offered to God.

What is the significance of the altar in this context?

The altar is a sacred place where sacrifices are made, serving as a physical representation of the relationship between God and His people.

How does this ritual relate to the priesthood?

This ritual is part of the consecration of the priests, marking their role in mediating between God and the people through sacrifices.


Reflection Questionsgenerated

  1. What does the act of sacrifice teach us about our relationship with God?
  2. How can we apply the principles of sacrifice in our lives today?
  3. In what ways do we see the importance of ritual and worship in our community?
  4. What can we learn about leadership and responsibility from the roles of Aaron and his sons?

Commentators on this verse — 7 expositors, verse by verse

Each of these wrote on Exodus 29:16 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.

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

And thou shalt slay the ram,.... As he was ordered to slay the bullock, acting in this as a priest, as in that: and thou shall take his blood, and sprinkle it round about upon the altar; the blood

Read John Gill on Exodus 29 →
Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's Commentary

And thou shalt kill the bullock before the LORD, by the door of the tabernacle of the congregation. No JFB commentary on these verses.

Read Robert Jamieson on Exodus 29 →
Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy Bible

Which signifies, that not only our persons, but our very altars and sacrifices, and best services, need the sprinkling of Christ’ s blood upon them to render them acceptable to God.

Read Matthew Poole on Exodus 29 →
John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

Exodus 29:16 And thou shalt slay the ram, and thou shalt take his blood, and sprinkle [it] round about upon the altar.Ver. 16. Sprinkle it.] See 1 Peter 1:2.

Read John Trapp on Exodus 29 →
Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(16) Thou shalt take his blood, and sprinkle it.—Rather, scatter it. The act of throwing the blood from a basin against the lower part of the altar is intended. The verb is a different one from that rightly translated “sprinkle” in Exodus 29:21. The LXX. render it by προσχεῖν, and the Vulg. by fundere. Round about upon the altar.—Practically, this was done by casting it on two of the corners of the altar—the north-east and the south-west—thus moistening all the four sides (Middoth, 3:2).

Read Charles John Ellicott on Exodus 29 →
CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

16. sprinkle] toss: viz. in a volume, out of a tossing-vessel or basin (see on Exodus 27:3). ‘Sprinkle’ not only conveys an incorrect idea of the action meant, but also confuses it with an entirely different action, correctly represented by ‘sprinkle’ (Leviticus 4:6; Leviticus 4:17; Leviticus 5:9 &c.): it is to be regretted that the distinction, obliterated in AV., but correctly pointed out in the Speaker’s Commentary (1. ii. 499b) in 1871, should not have been preserved in RV. The reader who desires to understand correctly the sacrificial ritual of the Hebrew should correct on the margin of his copy of the RV. toss or throw for ‘sprinkle’ (with against for ‘upon,’ where altar follows: see…

Read Cambridge on Exodus 29 →
Daniel Denison Whedon1808–1885Whedon's Commentary on the Bible

15-18. Take one ram — While the bullock served as a sin offering, this was to be a burnt offering unto the Lord.

Read Daniel Denison Whedon on Exodus 29 →

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

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

Modern formal

BSBBerean Standard Bible2020

You are to slaughter the ram, take its blood, and sprinkle it on all sides of the altar.

WEBWorld English Bible2000

You shall kill the ram, and you shall take its blood, and sprinkle it around on the altar.

MSBMajority Standard Bible2022

You are to slaughter the ram, take its blood, and splatter it on all sides of the altar.

NETBNew English Translation2006

and you are to kill the ram and take its blood and splash it all around on the altar.

Tyndale line

KJVKing James Version1611

And thou shalt slay the ram, and thou shalt take his blood, and sprinkle it round about upon the altar.

ASVAmerican Standard Version1901

And thou shalt slay the ram, and thou shalt take its blood, and sprinkle it round about upon the altar.

RVARevised Version, American1894

And thou shalt slay the ram, and thou shalt take its blood, and sprinkle it round about upon the altar.

NWBWebster's Bible1833

And thou shalt slay the ram, and thou shalt take his blood, and sprinkle it around upon the altar.

GNVGeneva Bible1599

Then thou shalt kill the ramme, and take his blood, and sprinkle it round about vpon the altar,

Strictly literal

DBYDarby Translation1890

and thou shalt slaughter the ram, and shalt take its blood, and sprinkle [it] on the altar round about.

YLTYoung's Literal Translation1862

and thou hast slaughtered the ram, and hast taken its blood, and hast sprinkled [it] on the altar round about,

LSVLiteral Standard Version2020

and you have slaughtered the ram, and have taken its blood, and have sprinkled [it] around the altar,

ILTInterlinear Literal Translation2000

And thou shalt slay the ram, and thou shalt take his blood, and sprinkle it upon the altar round about.

ULBUnlocked Literal Bible2017

You must kill the ram, then take its blood and sprinkle it on all sides of the altar.

From the Latin

DRADouay-Rheims (Challoner)1899

And when thou hast killed him, thou shalt take of the blood thereof, and pour round about the altar:

Simplified

FBVFree Bible Version2020

Slaughter the ram, take its blood, and splash it all around the altar.

BBEBible in Basic English1949

Then let it be put to death, so that the sides of the altar are marked with its blood.

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.

וְandclauseverbשָׁחַטְתָּ֖you.will.slaughternoun phrase · objectאֶת(et)noun phraseהָtheאָ֑יִלramוְandclauseverbלָֽקַחְתָּ֙you.will.takenoun phrase · objectאֶת(et)noun phraseדָּמ֔bloodוֹitsוְandclauseverbזָרַקְתָּ֥you.will.sprinkle.[it]prepositional phrase · prepositionalעַלonnoun phraseהַtheמִּזְבֵּ֖חַaltaradverbialסָבִֽיבall.around

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


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

The Masoretic Text is consistent with the Samaritan Pentateuch, both providing the same Hebrew wording for the verse. The Septuagint matches 8 of the 10 words, though it presents them in a different order.

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

וְשָׁחַטְתָּ֖ אֶת־ הָאָ֑יִל וְלָֽקַחְתָּ֙ אֶת־ דָּמ֔וֹ וְזָרַקְתָּ֥ עַל־ הַמִּזְבֵּ֖חַ סָבִֽיב׃

Septuagintthe Greek the translators chose, word by word
וְשָׁחַטְתָּ֖σφάχειςהָאָ֑יִלαὐτὸνוְלָֽקַחְתָּ֙λαβὼνדָּמ֔וֹαἷμαוְזָרַקְתָּ֥προσξεεῖςעַל־πρὸςהַמִּזְבֵּ֖חַθυσιαστήριονסָבִֽיב׃κύκλῳ

8 of the 10 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

ושׁחטת את האיל ולקחת את דמו וזרקת על המזבח סביב

Agrees with the Masoretic Text here, word for word.

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


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

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

Exodus 29:16שָׁחַטand you wiland you will slשָׁחַטאֵתthe object the object markאֵתאַ֫יִלthe ramthe ramאַ֫יִללָקַחand you wiland you will taלָקַחאֵתthe object the object markאֵתדָּםblood itsblood itsדָּםזָרַקand you wiland you will spזָרַקעַלononעַלמִזְבֵּחַthe altarthe altarמִזְבֵּחַסָבִיבall aroundall aroundסָבִיבאוֹתsign: mirasign: miraculouאוֹתדָּמַםto silenceto silence: staדָּמַםזָבַחto sacrifito sacrificeזָבַחסָבַבto turn: tto turn: turnסָבַבאוּלstrengthstrengthאוּלעַלheightheightעַלזָרַקto scatterto scatterזָרַקמִגְרָשׁpasturepastureמִגְרָשׁפֶּ֫סַחPassoverPassoverפֶּ֫סַחעַתּוּדgoatgoatעַתּוּדכֶּ֫בֶשׂlamblambכֶּ֫בֶשׂמוּסָרdisciplinedisciplineמוּסָראִשָּׁהwomanwomanאִשָּׁהנָקִיinnocentinnocentנָקִישָׁחַטto slaughtto slaughterשָׁחַטדָּםbloodbloodדָּםכִּפֶּרto atoneto atoneכִּפֶּרכִּסֵּאthronethroneכִּסֵּא
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 Exodus 29:16

One dossier per word, with every reference work grouped by kind — Hebrew lexicons, morphology, Bible dictionaries, topical chains and the English of the translators themselves. The verse sits at the head of each block with the word under study lit, so you never lose your place. The panel above gives the short answer; this is the long one, and it is the part of the page worth indexing.

Every entry below is the lexicographer's own text. On the Hebrew: Brown-Driver-Briggs entire and its gloss set, Strong's Hebrew Dictionary, and Tyndale House's Translators Brief lexicon. Where a cell says a work has no entry, that work genuinely has none for this word.

and you will slaughter the object marker the ram and you will take the object marker blood its and you will sprinkle [it] on the altar all around
וְשָׁחַטְתָּ֖ve.sha.cha.Ta and you will slaughter H7819 Verb · Qal · sequential perfect second person masculine singular
81× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This Hebrew word means to slaughter, often used in the context of sacrifice or massacre, as seen in the KJV translations of kill, offer, or slay.
Amplified meaning
kill, slay
Tyndale gloss
to slaughter
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

שָׁחַט (shachat) is a Hebrew verb meaning to slaughter or kill, often in the context of sacrifice. It can refer to the slaughtering of animals for food or ritual purposes, as well as the killing of people in a sacrificial context. The noun form שַׁחֲטָה (shachat) is noted as a doubtful term, with a reference in Hosea 5:2.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

שָׁחַט 84 vb. slaughter, beat

Qal slaughter

Niph. be slaughtered for food

base

שַׁחֲטָה n.f. doubtful word;—Ho 5:2 RV (cf. AV) the revolters are gone deep in slaughtering

ref

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H7819a שָׁחַט slaughter, beat H7819b שַׁחֲטָה doubtful word

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

7819 shachat shaw-khat'

a primitive root; to slaughter (in sacrifice or

massacre):--kill, offer, shoot out, slay, slaughter.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

שָׁחַט (sha.chat) — to slaughter.

v

1) to kill, slaughter, beat

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to slaughter

1a1a) beast for food

1a1b) sacrifice

1a1c) person in human sacrifice

1a1d) beaten, hammered (of shekels)

1b) (Niphal) to be slaughtered, be slain (of food or sacrifice)

Also means: sha.chat (שָׁחוּט "beaten" H7820)

שַׁחֲטָה (sha.cha.tah) — slaughtering.

1) (BDB) slaughtering

1a) word doubtful

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Conj | V-Qal-2ms — Verb · Qal · sequential perfect second person masculine singular
Hc/Vqq2ms
and you will slaughter the object marker the ram and you will take the object marker blood its and you will sprinkle [it] on the altar all around
אֶת־'et- the object marker H853 Particle
10,946× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
In the original Hebrew, this word points out the object of a verb or preposition, like 'namely' or 'even'. It appears in many books, including Genesis and Exodus. It's not directly translated in English, but helps clarify the meaning of sentences.
Tyndale gloss
[Obj.]
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

אֵת (eth) is primarily a grammatical marker in Hebrew, indicating the definite direct object of a verb. It is not translated into English and typically precedes nouns that are definite. The word is derived from a demonstrative sense of entity, related to the Hebrew word for 'self.' Its Aramaic equivalent is יָת (yat).

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

אֵת the mark of the accusative, prefixed as a rule only to nouns that are definite

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H853 אֵת the mark of the accusative, prefixed as a rule only to nouns that are definite

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

853 'eth ayth

apparent contracted from 226 in the demonstrative sense of

entity; properly, self (but generally used to point out more

definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or

namely):--(as such unrepresented in English).

see HEBREW for 0226

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

אֵת (et) — [Obj.].

sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative

Aramaic equivalent: yat (יָת "whom" H3487)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
HTo — Particle
HTo
The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
and you will slaughter the object marker the ram and you will take the object marker blood its and you will sprinkle [it] on the altar all around
הָאָ֑יִלha.'A.yil the ram H352 Particle · noun common masculine singular absolute
187× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
A strong tree, like an oak or a ram, symbolizes strength and power, as seen in 1 Kings 7:2 where Solomon builds a house with strong pillars. It can also refer to a chief or leader, like in 1 Chronicles 12:14 where the leaders of the tribes are listed.
Amplified meaning
a strong tree
Tyndale gloss
ram
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

אַ֫יִל (ayil) encompasses several meanings, including 'ram,' 'projecting pillar or pilaster,' 'leader or chief,' and 'terebinth.' It is derived from a root meaning strength, suggesting a connection to might and support. The term appears in various contexts, reflecting its diverse applications in the Old Testament.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

אַ֫יִל 156 n.m. ram (as leader of flock)

base

אַ֫יִל n.[m.] projecting pillar or pilaster

base

[אַ֫יִל ?] n.m. leader, chief

base

[אַ֫יִל ?] n.m. terebinth

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H352a אַ֫יִל ram H352b אַ֫יִל projecting pillar or pilaster H352c אַ֫יִל leader, chief H352d אַ֫יִל terebinth

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

352 'ayil ah'-yil

from the same as 193; properly, strength; hence, anything

strong; specifically a chief (politically); also a ram (from

his strength); a pilaster (as a strong support); an oak or

other strong tree:--mighty (man), lintel, oak, post, ram,

tree.

see HEBREW for 0193

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

אַ֫יִל (a.yil) — ram.

1) ram

1a) ram (as food)

1b) ram (as sacrifice)

1c) ram (skin dyed red, for tabernacle)

אַ֫יִל (a.yil) — pillar.

pillar, door post, jambs, pilaster

אַ֫יִל (a.yil) — leader.

strong man, leader, chief

אַ֫יִל (a.yil) — terebinth.

mighty tree, terebinth

Aramaic equivalent: i.lan (אִילָן "tree" H0363)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Art | N-ms — Particle · noun common masculine singular absolute
HTd/Ncmsa
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
Easton's Bible Dictionary

Ram

Exalted. (1.) The son of Hezron, and one of the ancestors of the royal line (Ruth 4:19). The margin of 1 Chr. 2:9, also Matt. 1:3, 4 and Luke 3:33, have “Aram.”

(2.) One of the sons of Jerahmeel (1 Chr. 2:25, 27).

(3.) A person mentioned in Job 32:2 as founder of a clan to which Elihu belonged. The same as Aram of Gen. 22:21.

Smith's Bible Dictionary

(high, exalted). A son of Hezron and the father of Ammin-adab, born in Egypt after Jacob’s migration there. (Ruth 4:19) (B.C. 1706.) In (Matthew 1:3,4) and Luke 3:33 He is called ARAM in the Authorized Version, but RAM in the Revised Version of (Matthew 1:3,4) and ARNI in the Revised Version of (Luke 3:33) The first-born of Jerahmeel, and therefore nephew of the preceding. (1 Chronicles 3:25,27) (B.C. after 1706.) One of the kindred of Elihu. (Job 32:2) Ewald identified this Ram with ARAM in (

1. Son of Hezron and an ancestor of Jesus Ru 4:19; 1Ch 2:9,10

Called ARAM Mt 1:3,4; Lu 3:33

2. Son of Jerahmeel 1Ch 2:25,27

3. An ancestor, probably of Elihu, mentioned in Job 32:2

4. A sheep

Skins of, used for the roof of the tabernacle Ex 26:14; 39:34

Seen in Daniel' s vision Da 8:3,20

Used in sacrifice

See OFFERINGS

Trumpets made of the horns of

See TRUMPETS

and you will slaughter the object marker the ram and you will take the object marker blood its and you will sprinkle [it] on the altar all around
וְלָֽקַחְתָּ֙ve.la.kach.Ta and you will take H3947 Verb · Qal · sequential perfect second person masculine singular
966× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This Hebrew word means to take or get something, and it is used in many different ways in the Bible. It can mean to take a wife, to take possession of something, or to receive a gift. For example, in Genesis 2:22, God takes a rib from Adam to create Eve.
Amplified meaning
get, receive
Tyndale gloss
to take: take
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word לָקַח (*laqach*) means 'to take' and encompasses a wide range of actions, including to receive, seize, capture, and carry away. It can refer to taking something in hand, taking a wife, or even taking vengeance. The verb has various forms indicating different nuances, such as being taken away or captured.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

לָקַח 965 vb. take

Qal

take, take in hand

take and carry along with oneself

take from, or out of

take, carry away

take away from, so as to deprive of

esp. take away life

take to or for a person

take up, upon = put upon

= fetch

take = lead, conduct (with or without contact)

take = capture, seize

take = carry off

in phr. take vengeance

Niph.

be captured, of ark

be taken away, removed

be taken, brought unto

Pu.

be taken from, out of

= be stolen from

be taken captive

be taken away, removed

Hoph.

be taken, brought unto

be taken out of

be taken away from

Hithp. lit. fire taking hold of itself, of lightning

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H3947 לָקַח take .. take, take in hand

. take and carry along with oneself

. . take from, or out of

. take, carry away

. take away from, so as to deprive of

. esp. take away life

. take to or for a person

. take up, upon = put upon

. = fetch

. take = lead, conduct (with or without contact)

. take = capture, seize

. take = carry off

. in phr. take vengeance

. . be captured, of ark

. be taken away, removed

. be taken, brought unto

. . be taken from, out of

. = be stolen from

. be taken captive

. be taken away, removed

. . be taken, brought unto

. be taken out of

. be taken away from

. lit. fire taking hold of itself, of lightning

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

3947 laqach law-kakh'

a primitive root; to take (in the widest variety of

applications):--accept, bring, buy, carry away, drawn, fetch,

get, infold, X many, mingle, place, receive(-ing), reserve,

seize, send for, take (away, -ing, up), use, win.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

לָקַח (la.qach) — to take: take.

: take

1) to take, get, fetch, lay hold of, seize, receive, acquire, buy, bring, marry, take a wife, snatch, take away

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to take, take in the hand

1a2) to take and carry along

1a3) to take from, take out of, take, carry away, take away

1a4) to take to or for a person, procure, get, take possession of, select, choose, take in marriage, receive, accept

1a5) to take up or upon, put upon

1a6) to fetch

1a7) to take, lead, conduct

1a8) to take, capture, seize

1a9) to take, carry off 1a10) to take (vengeance)

1b) (Niphal)

1b1) to be captured

1b2) to be taken away, be removed

1b3) to be taken, brought unto

1c) (Pual)

1c1) to be taken from or out of

1c2) to be stolen from

1c3) to be taken captive

1c4) to be taken away, be removed

1d) (Hophal)

1d1) to be taken unto, be brought unto

1d2) to be taken out of

1d3) to be taken away

1e) (Hithpael)

1e1) to take hold of oneself

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Conj | V-Qal-2ms — Verb · Qal · sequential perfect second person masculine singular
Hc/Vqq2ms
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

tak: Most of the very numerous examples of this word are still in good use and only a few call for special attention. "To take" in the sense of "capture" is still common, but when a person or living animal is in point, modern English usually adds "prisoner" or "captive." English Versions of the Bible not infrequently has this addition (Ge 14:14, etc.), but more commonly "take" is used without it (Jos 10:39; Job 5:13; Sirach 23:21; Joh 7:30, etc.). An occasional obscurity is thus caused, as in Ge 27:3, "take me venison" for "hunt venison for me." "To take advice" (2Ch…

and you will slaughter the object marker the ram and you will take the object marker blood its and you will sprinkle [it] on the altar all around
אֶת־'et- the object marker H853 Particle
10,946× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
In the original Hebrew, this word points out the object of a verb or preposition, like 'namely' or 'even'. It appears in many books, including Genesis and Exodus. It's not directly translated in English, but helps clarify the meaning of sentences.
Tyndale gloss
[Obj.]
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

אֵת (eth) is primarily a grammatical marker in Hebrew, indicating the definite direct object of a verb. It is not translated into English and typically precedes nouns that are definite. The word is derived from a demonstrative sense of entity, related to the Hebrew word for 'self.' Its Aramaic equivalent is יָת (yat).

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

אֵת the mark of the accusative, prefixed as a rule only to nouns that are definite

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H853 אֵת the mark of the accusative, prefixed as a rule only to nouns that are definite

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

853 'eth ayth

apparent contracted from 226 in the demonstrative sense of

entity; properly, self (but generally used to point out more

definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or

namely):--(as such unrepresented in English).

see HEBREW for 0226

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

אֵת (et) — [Obj.].

sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative

Aramaic equivalent: yat (יָת "whom" H3487)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
HTo — Particle
HTo
The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
and you will slaughter the object marker the ram and you will take the object marker blood its and you will sprinkle [it] on the altar all around
דָּמ֔וֹda.Mo blood its H1818 Noun common masculine singular construct · suffix
360× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
Blood refers to the liquid that flows through the body, essential for life. In the Bible, blood is often used to symbolize life, guilt, or sacrifice, as seen in the story of Jesus' crucifixion.
Amplified meaning
the liquid essential for life
Tyndale gloss
blood
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

דָּם (dam) means 'blood' and refers to the blood of both humans and animals. It is often associated with death, particularly when shed, and can also figuratively denote the juice of grapes or bloodshed. The term carries religious significance and is used in various contexts, including references to guilt and innocence.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

דָּם 300 n.m. blood

blood of man or animal

usually blood become visible

blood used with religious significance

fig. of wine

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H1818 דָּם blood

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

1818 dam dawm

from 1826 (compare 119); blood (as that which when shed

causes death) of man or an animal; by analogy, the juice of

the grape; figuratively (especially in the plural) bloodshed

(i.e. drops of blood):--blood(-y, -guiltiness, (-thirsty), +

innocent.

see HEBREW for 01826

see HEBREW for 0119

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

דָּם (dam) — blood.

1) blood

1a) of wine (fig.)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-ms | Suff — Noun common masculine singular construct · suffix
HNcmsc/Sp3ms
and you will slaughter the object marker the ram and you will take the object marker blood its and you will sprinkle [it] on the altar all around
וְזָרַקְתָּ֥ve.za.rak.Ta and you will sprinkle [it] H2236 Verb · Qal · sequential perfect second person masculine singular
35× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
To scatter or sprinkle something, like in Leviticus 16:14 where the priest scatters blood on the altar. This act symbolizes purification and cleansing.
Tyndale gloss
to scatter
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

זָרַק (zaraq) is a Hebrew verb meaning to scatter or toss, often in a plentiful manner. It can refer to both solid and fluid particles being sprinkled or thrown about. The entries indicate uses in various contexts, including the scattering of water in purification rituals. There is a note in Brown-Driver-Briggs about its use in describing profuse grey hairs.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

זָרַק vb. to toss or throw (in a volume), scatter abundantly

Qal

toss

intrans. grey hairs are profuse upon him

Pu. of water of purification poured over one defiled by a corpse

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H2236 זָרַק to toss or throw (in a volume), scatter abundantly

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

2236 zaraq zaw-rak'

a primitive root; to sprinkle (fluid or solid particles):--be

here and there, scatter, sprinkle, strew.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

זָרַק (za.raq) — to scatter.

1) to scatter, sprinkle, toss, throw, scatter abundantly, strew

1a) (Qal) to scatter, sprinkle, toss

1b) (Pual) to be sprinkled

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Conj | V-Qal-2ms — Verb · Qal · sequential perfect second person masculine singular
Hc/Vqq2ms
and you will slaughter the object marker the ram and you will take the object marker blood its and you will sprinkle [it] on the altar all around
עַל־'al- on H5921 Preposition
5,774× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This Hebrew word means on or above something, like a physical object or a situation. It can also imply a sense of responsibility or accountability, as in being on behalf of someone.
Tyndale gloss
upon
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word עַל (*al*) is a preposition meaning 'upon' and encompasses a wide range of meanings, including 'on account of,' 'beside,' 'above,' and 'against.' It can indicate physical placement, emotional burdens, or duties imposed on a person. The entries also note its use in idiomatic expressions and with verbs of motion. There is a mention of its function as a conjunction in certain contexts.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

כִּי עַל כֵּן forasmuch as

base

עַל, עָ֑ל

subst. height

As prep. upon, and hence on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against

Upon, of the substratum upon which an object in any way rests, or on which an action is performed

of clothing, etc., which any one wears

With verbs of covering or protecting, even though the cover or veil be not over or above the thing covered, but around or before it

Of what rests heavily upon a person, or is a burden to him

Of a duty, payment, care, etc., imposed upon a person, or devolving on him

על is used idiom. to give pathos to the expression of an emotion, by emphasizing the person who is its subject, and who, as it were, feels it acting upon him

חָיָה עַל to live upon (as upon a foundation or support)

Read the full entry →
Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H5921a עַל, עָ֑ל . As prep. upon, and hence on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against . Upon, of the substratum upon which an object in any way rests, or on which an action is performed . — . of clothing, etc., which any one wears

. With verbs of covering or protecting, even though the cover or veil be not over or above the thing covered, but around or before it

. Of what rests heavily upon a person, or is a burden to him

. Of a duty, payment, care, etc., imposed upon a person, or devolving on him

. על is used idiom. to give pathos to the expression of an emotion, by emphasizing the person who is its subject, and who, as it were, feels it acting upon him

. חָיָה עַל to live upon (as upon a foundation or support)

Read the full entry →
Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

5921 `al al

properly, the same as 5920 used as a preposition (in the

singular or plural often with prefix, or as conjunction with a

particle following); above, over, upon, or against (yet always

in this last relation with a downward aspect) in a great

variety of applications (as follow):--above, according

to(-ly), after, (as) against, among, and, X as, at, because

of, beside (the rest of), between, beyond the time, X both

and, by (reason of), X had the charge of, concerning for, in

(that), (forth, out) of, (from) (off), (up-)on, over, than,

through(-out), to, touching, X with.

see HEBREW for 05920

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

עַל (al) — upon.

prep

1) upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against

1a) upon, on the ground of, on the basis of, on account of, because of, therefore, on behalf of, for the sake of, for, with, in spite of, notwithstanding, concerning, in the matter of, as regards

1b) above, beyond, over (of excess)

1c) above, over (of elevation or pre-eminence)

1d) upon, to, over to, unto, in addition to, together with, with (of addition)

1e) over (of suspension or extension)

1f) by, adjoining, next, at, over, around (of contiguity or proximity)

1g) down upon, upon, on, from, up upon, up to, towards, over towards, to, against (with verbs of motion)

1h) to (as a dative)

[כִּי] עַל [כֵּן] ([ki] al [ken]) — as.

conj

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Prep — Preposition
HR
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
Easton's Bible Dictionary

On

Light; the sun, (Gen. 41:45, 50), the great seat of sun-worship, called also Bethshemesh (Jer. 43:13) and Aven (Ezek. 30:17), stood on the east bank of the Nile, a few miles north of Memphis, and near Cairo, in the north-east. The Vulgate and the LXX. Versions have “Heliopolis” (“city of the sun”) instead of On in Genesis and of Aven in Ezekiel. The “city of destruction” Isaiah speaks of (19:18, marg. “of Heres;” Heb. ‘Ir-ha-heres, which some MSS. read Ir-ha-heres, i.e., “city of the sun”) may be the name given to On, the prophecy being that the time will come when that city which was known as the “city of the sun-god” shall become the “city of destruction” of the sun-god, i.e., when idolatry shall cease, and the worship…

Smith's Bible Dictionary

(abode or city of the sun), a town of lower Egypt, called BETH-SHEMESH in (Jeremiah 43:13) On is better known under its Greek name Heliopolis. It was situated on the east side of the Pelusiac branch of the Nile, just below the point of the Delta, and about twenty miles northeast of Memphis. The chief object of worship at Heliopolis was the sun, whose temple, described by Strabo, is now only represented by the single beautiful obelisk, of red granite so feet 2 inches high above the pedestal which has stood for more than 4000 years, having been erected by Usirtesen, the second king of the twelfth dynasty. Heliopolis was anciently famous for its learning, and Eudoxus and Plato studied under its priests. The first mention of this place in the Bible is in the history of Joseph, to whom we read Pharaoh gave "to wife Asenath the daughter…

American Tract Society Bible Dictionary

See HELIOPOLIS.

Hitchcock's Bible Names Dictionary

pain; force; iniquity

The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
and you will slaughter the object marker the ram and you will take the object marker blood its and you will sprinkle [it] on the altar all around
הַמִּזְבֵּ֖חַha.miz.Be.ach the altar H4196 Particle · noun common masculine singular absolute
401× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
An altar is a place of sacrifice, where offerings are made to God, as seen in the Bible's description of the tabernacle and temple. It was a central part of Israel's worship. The altar played a key role in the priestly rituals.
Amplified meaning
a place of sacrifice, where offerings are made to God
Tyndale gloss
altar
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

מִזְבֵּחַ (mizbeach) means 'altar' in Hebrew. It is derived from the root word meaning to slay or kill, indicating its use in sacrificial contexts. The term is consistently used throughout the Old Testament to refer to places of sacrifice and worship.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

מִזְבֵּחַ 401 n.m. altar

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H4196 מִזְבֵּחַ altar

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

4196 mizbeach miz-bay'-akh

from 2076; an altar:--altar.

see HEBREW for 02076

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

מִזְבֵּחַ (miz.be.ach) — altar.

altar

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

ol'-ter (mizbeach, literally, "place of slaughter or sacrifice," from zabhach, which is found in both senses; bomos, (only in Ac 17:23), thusiasterion):

I. CLASSIFICATION OF HEBREW ALTARS

Importance of the Distinction

II. LAY ALTARS

1. Pre-Mosaic

2. In the Mosaic Age

3. Dangers of the Custom

4. The Mosaic Provisions

III. HORNED ALTARS OF BURNT OFFERING

1. The Tabernacle Altar

2. The Altar of Jos 22

3. The Altar till Solomon

4. The Horned Altar in Use

5. The Temple of Solomon

6. The Altar of Ahaz

7. Ezekiel

8. The Post-exilic Altar

9. Idolatrous and Unlawful Altars

10. The Horns

IV. ALTARS OF INCENSE

V. RECENT ARCHAEOLOGICAL MATERIALS 1. A Gezer Altar

2. The Taanach Altar of Incense

LITERATURE

A. CRITICAL

I. Classification of Hebrew Altars.

Easton's Bible Dictionary

Altar

(Heb. mizbe’ah, from a word meaning “to slay”), any structure of earth (Ex. 20:24) or unwrought stone (20:25) on which sacrifices were offered. Altars were generally erected in conspicuous places (Gen. 22:9; Ezek. 6:3; 2 Kings 23:12; 16:4; 23:8; Acts 14:13). The word is used in Heb. 13:10 for the sacrifice offered upon it—the sacrifice Christ offered.

Paul found among the many altars erected in Athens one bearing the inscription, “To the unknown God” (Acts 17:23), or rather “to an [i.e., some]…

Smith's Bible Dictionary

The first altar of which we have any account is that built by Noah when he left the ark. (Genesis 8:20) In the early times altars were usually built in certain spots hallowed by religious associations, e.g., where God appeared. (Genesis 12:7; 13:18; 26:25; 35:1) Though generally erected for the offering of sacrifice, in some instances they appear to have been only memorials. (Genesis 12:7; Exodus 17:15,16) Altars were most probably originally made of earth. The law of Moses allowed them to be made of either earth or unhewn stones. (Exodus 20:24,25) I. The Altar of Burnt Offering . It differed in construction at…

American Tract Society Bible Dictionary

A table-like structure, on which sacrifices and incense were offered, built of various materials, usually of stone, but sometimes of brass, etc. It is evident that sacrifices were offered long before the flood; but the first mention of an altar in Scripture is when Noah left the ark. Mention is made of altars reared by Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Moses. The latter was commanded to build an altar of earth, Ex 20:24. If stone was employed, it must be rough and unhewn, probably lest the practice of sculpture should lead them to violate the second commandment. It was not to be furnished with steps, De 27:2-6.

The altars in the Jewish tabernacle, and in the temple at Jerusalem, were the following: 1. The altar of burnt offerings. 2. The altar of incense. 3. The table of showbread, for…

and you will slaughter the object marker the ram and you will take the object marker blood its and you will sprinkle [it] on the altar all around
סָבִֽיב׃sa.Viv all around H5439 Noun common · both singular absolute
336× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This word describes something that surrounds or encompasses, like a circle or neighborhood, and can also mean around or about, as in on every side. It is used to describe physical locations and proximity. The KJV translates it as about or circuit.
Amplified meaning
around, round about
Tyndale gloss
around
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

סָבִיב (cabiyb) primarily means 'around' and is used as a noun, adverb, and preposition. It denotes a circle, neighbors, or the surrounding area, often implying a sense of being on every side or in a circuit. The entries consistently emphasize its usage in contexts of proximity and encirclement.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

סָבִיב 336 subst., used mostly as adv. and prep., circuit, round about

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H5439 סָבִיב subst., used mostly as adv. and prep., circuit, round about

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

5439 cabiyb saw-beeb'

or (feminine) cbiybah {seb-ee-baw'}; from 5437; (as noun) a

circle, neighbour, or environs; but chiefly (as adverb, with

or without preposition) around:--(place, round) about,

circuit, compass, on every side.

see HEBREW for 05437

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

סָבִיב (sa.viv) — around.

: around/border

subst

1) places round about, circuit, round about

adv

2) in a circuit, a circuit, round about

prep

3) in the circuit, from every side

סָבִיב (sa.viv) — around: side.

: side

subst

1) places round about, circuit, round about

adv

2) in a circuit, a circuit, round about

prep

3) in the circuit, from every side

סָבִיב (sa.viv) — around: whole.

: whole

subst

1) places round about, circuit, round about

adv

2) in a circuit, a circuit, round about

prep

3) in the circuit, from every side

סָבִיב (sa.viv) — around: neighours.

: neighours

subst

1) places round about, circuit, round about

adv

2) in a circuit, a circuit, round about

prep

3) in the circuit, from every side

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-cs — Noun common · both singular absolute
HNcbsa
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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