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Ezekiel 16:31 — Word Study

Depth

WLCבִּבְנוֹתַ֤יִךְ גַּבֵּךְ֙ בְּרֹ֣אשׁ כָּל־ דֶּ֔רֶךְ וְרָמָתֵ֥ךְ עָשִׂ֖ית בְּכָל־ רְח֑וֹב וְלֹא־ הָיִ֥ית כַּזּוֹנָ֖ה לְקַלֵּ֥ס אֶתְנָֽן׃

BSABut when you builtbânâh [constructed, established] your moundsgab [high places, shrines] at the headrôʼsh [beginning] of everykôl streetderek [way, path] and madeʻâsâh [created, fashioned] your lofty shrinesrâmâh [exalted, elevated, places of idol worship] in everykôl public squarerᵉchôb [open space, plaza] you werehâyâh not even likelôʼ a prostitutezânâh [harlot, one who forsakes loyalty] because you scornedqâlaç [mocked, despised] paymentʼethnan [wages, reward]

Word
Listen & take awayEzekiel 16
English ↓ Download MP3 The Berean Standard Bible chapter audio already hosted for the site's Bible section — verse 31 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 ('et.Nan) — no per-word recordings of the Hebrew exist to link to.
Take it away
Ezekiel 16:31quick helps
In a sentenceEzekiel describes the unfaithfulness of Jerusalem, likening her actions to those of a shameless prostitute.
Who is speakingThe Lord GOD, addressing Jerusalem.
Where we areIn a passage where God condemns Jerusalem's idolatry and unfaithfulness.
The hard wordלְקַלֵּ֥ס
Take awayJerusalem's actions are so egregious they surpass even the betrayal of a prostitute.
8 commentators on this verse Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them › clause verbעָשָׂה 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 — Ezekiel 16:31

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

Context — The Unfaithfulness of Jerusalemgenerated

30How weak-willed is your heart, declares the Lord GOD, while you do all these things, the acts of a shameless prostitute!
31But when you built your mounds at the head of every street and made your lofty shrines in every public square, you were not even like a prostitute, because you scorned payment.
32You adulterous wife! You receive strangers instead of your own husband!
33Men give gifts to all their prostitutes, but you gave gifts to all your lovers. You bribed them to come to you from everywhere for your illicit favors.

Ezekiel 16:31 depicts the Lord condemning Jerusalem for her idolatrous practices, comparing her to a prostitute who not only engages in unfaithfulness but does so without receiving payment. This highlights the depth of her betrayal, as she builds shrines and high places in public spaces, demonstrating her disregard for loyalty to God. The surrounding verses emphasize her shameful actions and the consequences of her infidelity.


Cross References

ReferenceText (BSB)
1Ezekiel 16:24–39you built yourself a mound and made yourself a lofty shrine in every public square.
2Ezekiel 16:25At the head of every street you built your lofty shrines and degraded your beauty. With increasing promiscuity, you spread your legs to all who passed by.
3Hosea 12:11Is there iniquity in Gilead? They will surely come to nothing. Do they sacrifice bulls in Gilgal? Indeed, their altars will be heaps of stones in the furrows of the field.
4Ezekiel 16:33–34Men give gifts to all their prostitutes, but you gave gifts to all your lovers. You bribed them to come to you from everywhere for your illicit favors.
5Isaiah 52:3For this is what the LORD says: “You were sold for nothing, and without money you will be redeemed.”

The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 5 references, hung on the phrase they belong to

In that thou buildest thineEzekiel 16:24–39
in that thou scornestEzekiel 16:33–34 Isaiah 52:3

The Key Word בִּבְנוֹתַ֤יִךְ, biv.no.Ta.yikhgenerated

The word בָּנָה (banah) means 'to build' and encompasses various forms such as rebuilding, establishing, and making permanent. In this context, it signifies the act of constructing mounds and shrines, which are associated with idolatrous worship.

The parsing indicates it is a qal infinitive construct with a suffix, suggesting that the subject is directly involved in the act of building, emphasizing Jerusalem's active role in her unfaithfulness.


How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated

This study reads the verse in the Berean Standard Bible, so the BSB is the wording every comparison below is made against.


Sentence Structuregenerated

The main verb בִּבְנוֹתַ֤יִךְ governs the sentence, with multiple phrases hanging off it: a prepositional phrase indicating the location of the mounds, and a participial phrase describing the outcome of her actions. The structure emphasizes the actions taken by Jerusalem in multiple public spaces.

The Hebrew word order places the actions of building at the forefront, highlighting the significance of these constructions in the context of her unfaithfulness.


Septuagint Backgroundgenerated

The Septuagint translates בִּבְנוֹתַ֤יִךְ as σου (sou), which indicates possession, emphasizing that these actions belong to Jerusalem. This choice reflects a direct connection between the city and her shameful acts.

This rendering shows a narrowing of focus, as the Greek emphasizes the personal nature of the actions attributed to Jerusalem.


In plain words — the whole versegenerated

Ezekiel 16:31 describes how Jerusalem built mounds and shrines in public places, acting worse than a prostitute because she did not even receive payment for her unfaithfulness. This verse highlights the depth of her betrayal to God.


Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated

What does it mean that Jerusalem built mounds and shrines?

It signifies her engagement in idolatrous worship, turning away from God and constructing places dedicated to false gods.

Why is Jerusalem compared to a prostitute?

The comparison emphasizes her unfaithfulness and betrayal, as she engages in idolatry without receiving any reward, showing a lack of loyalty.

What is the significance of scorned payment?

It indicates that Jerusalem's actions were not only unfaithful but also shameless, as she acted without the typical exchange of loyalty for reward.

How does this verse relate to the overall message of Ezekiel?

It illustrates the theme of unfaithfulness in Israel, highlighting the consequences of turning away from God and the call for repentance.


Reflection Questionsgenerated

  1. In what ways can I identify areas in my life where I may be unfaithful to my commitments?
  2. How can I ensure that my actions reflect loyalty and faithfulness in my relationships?
  3. What steps can I take to turn away from 'high places' in my life that distract me from my devotion to God?
  4. How does understanding the consequences of unfaithfulness impact my daily choices?

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

Early church fathers referenced this verse to discuss themes of unfaithfulness and the construction of spiritual lives, drawing parallels to the actions of Jerusalem.

Origen of AlexandriaHOMILIES ON Ezekiel 8:2 c. 185–253
Ecclesiastics who are leaders in the church build the house of God, the church, in their own way of life as well as those of their faithful, and their work is the building of God.
Early Church Fathers on Ezekiel 16 →
JeromeCOMMENTARY ON Ezekiel 5:16.30-31 c. 347–420
We can compare this with every single Christian soul who deserts the worship of God, indulges in vices and luxury and follows secular life, lest it does anything fruitful,
Early Church Fathers on Ezekiel 16 →
Peter ChrysologusSERMON 5 c. 380–450
These Gentile peoples through their desire of worldly eloquence, through the brothels of the schools, through senseless disputation at the meeting places of the philosophical sects, dissipated the property of God the Father.
Early Church Fathers on Ezekiel 16 →

Commentators on this verse — 8 expositors, verse by verse

Each of these wrote on Ezekiel 16:31 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.

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

In that thou buildest thine eminent place in the head of every way,.... Or brothel house, as before; [See comments on Ezekiel 16:24]; which showed her to be a whore, and an imperious one: and makest

Read John Gill on Ezekiel 16 →
Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's Commentary

In that thou buildest thine eminent place in the head of every way, and makest thine high place in every street; and hast not been as an harlot, in that thou scornest hire; In that thou buildest

Read Robert Jamieson on Ezekiel 16 →
Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy Bible

Thou buildest; see ; whereas the paramours of other lewd women build for them, as it is reported of Solomon, ,8. Here, on the contrary, this unfaithful nation forsake their God, commit fornication with strange gods, and bear the charges both of building their temples, and furnishing them with sacrifices, and maintaining the priests. Thine eminent place: see . Every way: see . In every street: see . Hast not been as an harlot; common harlots make gain of their looseness, and live by that gain, they make a prey of the men that come in to them; thou doest worse, thou lavishest out thy credit, wealth, and all, to maintain and please thine adulterers. Scornest; the Hebrew word is of two…

Read Matthew Poole on Ezekiel 16 →
John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

Ezekiel 16:31 In that thou buildest thine eminent place in the head of every way, and makest thine high place in every street; and hast not been as an harlot, in that thou scornest hire;Ver. 31. And hast not been as an harlot, in that thou scornsst hire.] Whore should be written hore, as coming from the word hire; as the Latin meretrix a merendo. Harlot is said to come of Arlet, mother to our William the Conqueror; in spite to whom, and disgrace to his mother, the English called all whores harlots, adding an aspiration to her name, according to their manner of pronouncing.

Read John Trapp on Ezekiel 16 →
Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(31) Eminent place.—See note on Ezekiel 16:24. In that thou scornest him.—It was characteristic of both the kingdoms of Israel after the division, that the interference of foreign nations in their affairs was generally sought first by Israel itself and purchased at a heavy price. The people were so situated on the great highway between the rival nations of Egypt and Assyria, that their friendship ought to have been of value to either of them, and to have been sought with great inducements. But Israel, in its weakness and wickedness, more than threw itself away and purchased its own ruin. The particulars mentioned in this verse belong to the past rather than to the present, and all the…

Read Charles John Ellicott on Ezekiel 16 →
CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

31. Recapitulation of the acts done in her unbridled licentiousness, with the addition of a trait shewing that her dissoluteness was without parallel—other harlots take hire, she gives it. in that thou scornest hire] Rather: hast not been as an harlot, that scoffeth at her hire (R.V. marg.), lit. in scoffing at hire. The words describe a characteristic of harlots, not one of Jerusalem in which she is unlike them. On scoff or “mock at,” cf. ch. Ezekiel 22:5; 2 Kings 2:23; Habakkuk 1:10; Psalms 44:14; Jeremiah 20:8, &c. The harlot mocks at her hire in order to augment it; Jerusalem does not desire hire, she rather offers it (Ezekiel 16:33).

Read Cambridge on Ezekiel 16 →
Albert Barnes1798–1870Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Rather, didst build - didst make - wast not - scornest. In the marginal rendering, “thy daughters” must mean “thy smaller cities or villages.”

Read Albert Barnes on Ezekiel 16 →
Daniel Denison Whedon1808–1885Whedon's Commentary on the Bible

31. In that thou scornest hire — Literally, in scoffing at [her] hire.

Read Daniel Denison Whedon on Ezekiel 16 →

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

But when you built your mounds at the head of every street and made your lofty shrines in every public square, you were not even like a prostitute, because you scorned payment.

WEBWorld English Bible2000

in that you build your vaulted place at the head of every way, and make your lofty place in every street, and have not been as a prostitute, in that you scorn pay.

MSBMajority Standard Bible2022

But when you built your mounds at the head of every street and made your lofty shrines in every public square, you were not even like a prostitute, because you scorned payment.

NETBNew English Translation2006

When you built your chamber at the head of every street and put up your pavilion in every public square, you were not like a prostitute, because you scoffed at payment.

Tyndale line

KJVKing James Version1611

In that thou buildest thine eminent place in the head of every way, and makest thine high place in every street; and hast not been as an harlot, in that thou scornest hire;

ASVAmerican Standard Version1901

in that thou buildest thy vaulted place at the head of every way, and makest thy lofty place in every street, and hast not been as a harlot, in that thou scornest hire.

RVARevised Version, American1894

in that thou buildest thine eminent place in the head of every way, and makest thy lofty place in every street; and hast not been as an harlot, in that thou scornest hire.

NWBWebster's Bible1833

In that thou buildest thy eminent place in the head of every way, and makest thy high place in every street; and hast not been as a harlot, in that thou scornest hire;

GNVGeneva Bible1599

In that thou buildest thine hie place in the corner of euery way, and makest thine hie place in euery streete, and hast not bene as an harlot that despiseth a reward,

Strictly literal

DBYDarby Translation1890

in that thou buildest thy place of debauchery at the head of every way, and makest thy high place in every street! And thou hast not been as a harlot, in that thou scornest reward,

YLTYoung's Literal Translation1862

In thy building thine arch at the head of every way, Thy high place thou hast made in every broad place, And — hast not been as a whore deriding a gift.

LSVLiteral Standard Version2020

In your building your arch at the head of every way, || You have made your high place in every broad place, || And have not been as a whore deriding a wage.

ILTInterlinear Literal Translation2000

Seeing that thou didst build thy eminences at the corner of every road, and make thy elevations in every street; and wast not like a harlot, as thou scornedst the wages.

ULBUnlocked Literal Bible2017

You have built your high places at the head of every street and made your vaulted chamber in every public place. Yet you were not like a prostitute because you refused to take payment.

From the Latin

DRADouay-Rheims (Challoner)1899

Because thou hast built thy brothel house at the head of every way, and thou hast made thy high place in every street: and wast not as a harlot that by disdain enhanceth her price,

Simplified

FBVFree Bible Version2020

Actually you weren't even a normal prostitute when you built yourselves pagan shrines at the top of every street and high places of idol worship on every public square—because you refused to be paid for your services!

BBEBible in Basic English1949

For you have made your arched room at the top of every street, and your high place in every open place; though you were not like a loose woman in getting together your payment.

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.

clauseprepositional phrase · prepositionalבִּwhenclauseclauseverbבְנוֹתַ֤יִbuiltsubjectךְyounoun phrase · objectגַּבֵּmoundךְ֙yourprepositional phrase · prepositionalבְּat.[the]noun phraseרֹ֣אשׁheadnoun phraseכָּלof.everyדֶּ֔רֶךְroadוְandclausenoun phrase · objectרָמָתֵ֥your.highךְplaceverbעָשִׂ֖יתyou.madeprepositional phrase · prepositionalבְּinnoun phraseכָלeveryרְח֑וֹבopen.placeוְandclauseadverbialלֹאnotverbהָיִ֥יתyou.wereprepositional phrase · prepositionalכַּlikenoun phrase(the)זּוֹנָ֖הprostituteprepositional phrase · prepositionalלְtoclauseverbקַלֵּ֥סscornobjectאֶתְנָֽן[the].hire

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


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

The Masoretic Text and the Septuagint agree closely in wording, with 14 out of 14 words matched. The Dead Sea Scrolls, however, show one word on the leather and one partly restored, with the rest supplied by an editor, indicating some loss of text.

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

בִּבְנוֹתַ֤יִךְ גַּבֵּךְ֙ בְּרֹ֣אשׁ כָּל־ דֶּ֔רֶךְ וְרָמָתֵ֥ךְ עָשִׂ֖ית בְּכָל־ רְח֑וֹב וְלֹא־ הָיִ֥ית כַּזּוֹנָ֖ה לְקַלֵּ֥ס אֶתְנָֽן׃

Septuagintthe Greek the translators chose, word by word
בִּבְנוֹתַ֤יִךְσουגַּבֵּךְ֙σουבְּרֹ֣אשׁπάσηςכָּל־ἀρξῆςדֶּ֔רֶךְὁδοῦוְרָמָתֵ֥ךְσουעָשִׂ֖יתἐποίησαςבְּכָל־πάσῃרְח֑וֹבπλατείᾳוְלֹא־καὶהָיִ֥יתἐγένουכַּזּוֹנָ֖הπόρνηלְקַלֵּ֥סσυνάγουσαאֶתְנָֽן׃μισθώματα

14 of the 14 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.

Dead Sea Scrolls — 3Q1a copy a thousand years older than the Leningrad Codex

[בבנות׳יך] גב׳ך [בראש] [כל] [דרך] [ורמת׳ך] [עשיתי] [בכל] [רחוב] [ולא] [הייתי] [כזונה] לקלס [אתנן]

1 word on the leather — 1 partly restored, 12 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.

Ezekiel 16:31בָּנָהwhen built when built youבָּנָהגַּבmound yourmound yourגַּברֹאשׁat [the] heat [the] head oרֹאשׁכֹּלeveryeveryכֹּלדֶּ֫רֶךְroadroadדֶּ֫רֶךְרָמָהand high pland high place רָמָהעָשָׂהyou madeyou madeעָשָׂהכֹּלin everyin everyכֹּלרְחוֹבopen placeopen placeרְחוֹבלֹאand notand notלֹאהָיָהyou wereyou wereהָיָהזָנָהlike prostilike prostituteזָנָהקָלַסto scornto scornקָלַסאֶתְנַן[the] hire [the] hire of aאֶתְנַןכָּלַלto perfectto perfectכָּלַלדָּרַךְto treadto treadדָּרַךְרָחַבto enlargeto enlargeרָחַבגֵּוbackbackגֵּוגּוּףto shutto shutגּוּףרוּםto exaltto exaltרוּםהָוָאto fallto fallהָוָאאֶתְנָהwageswagesאֶתְנָהעֵדָהcongregaticongregationעֵדָהעֲבֹדָהserviceserviceעֲבֹדָהחוֹמָהwallwallחוֹמָהמִזְבֵּחַaltaraltarמִזְבֵּחַרָמָהhigh placehigh placeרָמָהעֲטָרָהcrowncrownעֲטָרָהנָשִׂיאleaderleaderנָשִׂיאפָּנָהCorner (GaCorner (Gate)פָּנָהצָפוֹןZaphonZaphonצָפוֹןגַּבback/rim/bback/rim/browגַּב
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 Ezekiel 16:31

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.

when built you mound your at [the] head of every road and high place your you made in every open place and not you were like prostitute to scorn [the] hire of a prostitute
בִּבְנוֹתַ֤יִךְbiv.no.Ta.yikh when built you H1129 Preposition · verb qal infinitive construct common · suffix
376× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
The Hebrew word bânâh means to build something, like a house or a family. It can also mean to establish or repair something, and is used in various contexts throughout the Bible.
Amplified meaning
constructed, established
Tyndale gloss
to build
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word בָּנָה (banah) means "to build" and encompasses various forms such as rebuilding, establishing, and making permanent. It can refer to physical construction, like building a house or family, as well as metaphorical uses, such as the establishment of restored exiles. The entries indicate that it can also imply being built up, particularly in the context of a childless wife becoming a mother.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

בָּנָה 373 vb. build

Qal build

Niph.

be built

be rebuilt

(fig.) of restored exiles, = established

established, made permanent

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H1129 בָּנָה build .build

.. . be built

. be rebuilt

. . (fig.) of restored exiles, = established

. established, made permanent

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

1129 banah baw-naw'

a primitive root; to build (literally and

figuratively):--(begin to) build(-er), obtain children, make,

repair, set (up), X surely.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

בָּנָה (ba.nah) — to build.

1) to build, rebuild, establish, cause to continue

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to build, rebuild

1a2) to build a house (ie, establish a family)

1b) (Niphal)

1b1) to be built

1b2) to be rebuilt

1b3) established (of restored exiles) (fig.)

1b4) established (made permanent)

1b5) to be built up (of childless wife becoming the mother of a family through the children of a concubine)

Aramaic equivalent: be.nah (בְּנָה "to build" H1124)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Prep | V-Qal-Inf-a | Suff — Preposition · verb qal infinitive construct common · suffix
HR/Vqcc/Sp2fs
when built you mound your at [the] head of every road and high place your you made in every open place and not you were like prostitute to scorn [the] hire of a prostitute
גַּבֵּךְ֙ga.beKh mound your H1354 Noun common masculine singular construct · suffix
13× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This Hebrew word describes the back or rounded part of something, like the back of a person or an object, as seen in Exodus 28:12 where it talks about the back of the ephod. It can also refer to the rim or top of something.
Amplified meaning
high places, shrines
Tyndale gloss
back/rim/brow
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

גַּב (gav) refers to anything convex or curved, primarily denoting the back of a person. It can also mean a mound, a boss on a shield, bulwarks, or the rim of a wheel. The word encompasses various meanings related to rounded surfaces and projections, and has an Aramaic equivalent, גַּב (H1355).

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

גַּב n.m. anything convex, curved, gibbous, e,g, back, chiefly late

back

mound

boss, or convex projection, of shield

bulwarks, breastworks

brow

rim of wheel

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H1354 גַּב

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

1354 gab gab

from an unused root meaning to hollow or curve; the back (as

rounded (compare 1460 and 1479); by analogy, the top or rim, a

boss, a vault, arch of eye, bulwarks, etc.:--back, body, boss,

eminent (higher) place, (eye)brows, nave, ring.

see HEBREW for 01460

see HEBREW for 01479

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

גַּב (gav) — back/rim/brow.

1) convex surface, back

1a) back (of man)

1b) mound (for illicit worship)

1c) boss (convex projection of shield)

1d) bulwarks, breastworks (of arguments-fig.)

1e) brow, eyebrow

1f) rim (of wheel)

Aramaic equivalent: gav (גַּב "back" H1355)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-cs | Suff — Noun common masculine singular construct · suffix
HNcmsc/Sp2fs
when built you mound your at [the] head of every road and high place your you made in every open place and not you were like prostitute to scorn [the] hire of a prostitute
בְּרֹ֣אשׁbe.Rosh at [the] head of H7218 Preposition · noun common masculine singular construct
600× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This Hebrew word means chief or prince, and is used to describe leaders in the Bible, such as in the book of 1 Samuel. It signifies a position of authority and importance.
Amplified meaning
beginning
Tyndale gloss
head
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

רֹאשׁ (ro'sh) means 'head' and encompasses various meanings related to position and rank. It can refer to the head of a person or animal, the top of a mountain, or a chief in various contexts, such as a city or nation. The word also signifies beginnings and sums, appearing in phrases related to enumeration. Additionally, it serves as a proper noun for 'Rosh,' a title for a chief or prince.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

רֹאשׁ 599 n.m.

(c. 230 t.) head, of human being

head, of animals

top (88 t.)

height, of stars

head = chief (man)

= chief (city)

chief nation

= chief (place, position)

= chief priest

= head of a family

head = front, leader's place

of time, beginning, of night watch

of things, river-heads

chief, choicest, best, of spices

head = division of army, company, band

= sum, esp. in phr. take sum of, enumerate

other phr.

base

רֹאשׁ n.pr.gent. Rôsh

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H7218a רֹאשׁ . . (c. 230 t.) head, of human being

. head, of animals

. . top (88 t.)

. height, of stars

. . head = chief (man)

. = chief (city)

. chief nation

. = chief (place, position)

. = chief priest

. = head of a family

. . head = front, leader's place

. of time, beginning, of night watch

. of things, river-heads

. chief, choicest, best, of spices

. head = division of army, company, band

. = sum, esp. in phr. take sum of, enumerate

. other phr.

H7218b רֹאשׁ n. pr. gent. Rôsh

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

7218 ro'sh roshe

from an unused root apparently meaning to shake; the head (as

most easily shaken), whether literal or figurative (in many

applications, of place, time, rank, itc.):--band, beginning,

captain, chapiter, chief(-est place, man, things), company,

end, X every (man), excellent, first, forefront, ((be-))head,

height, (on) high(-est part, (priest)), X lead, X poor,

principal, ruler, sum, top.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

רֹאשׁ (rosh) — head.

: head

1) head, top, summit, upper part, chief, total, sum, height, front, beginning

1a) head (of man, animals)

1b) top, tip (of mountain)

1c) height (of stars)

1d) chief, head (of man, city, nation, place, family, priest)

1e) head, front, beginning

1f) chief, choicest, best

1g) head, division, company, band

1h) sum

רֹאשׁ (rosh) — prince.

Rosh, a tite for a chief or prince

רֹאשׁ (rosh) — head: leader.

: leader

1) head, top, summit, upper part, chief, total, sum, height, front, beginning

1a) head (of man, animals)

1b) top, tip (of mountain)

1c) height (of stars)

1d) chief, head (of man, city, nation, place, family, priest)

1e) head, front, beginning

1f) chief, choicest, best

1g) head, division, company, band

1h) sum

רֹאשׁ (rosh) — head: top.

: top/best

1) head, top, summit, upper part, chief, total, sum, height, front, beginning

1a) head (of man, animals)

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

ov:

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

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

OF, preposition ov. [Gr.]

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

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

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

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

Lamentations 3:1.

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

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

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

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

when built you mound your at [the] head of every road and high place your you made in every open place and not you were like prostitute to scorn [the] hire of a prostitute
כָּל־kol- every H3605 Noun common · masculine singular construct
5,415× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
The Hebrew word for 'all' or 'everything' is used throughout the Bible, like in Genesis 1:31, where God sees all He has made as very good. It encompasses the entirety of something, whether people, things, or situations.
Tyndale gloss
all
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

כֹּל (kol) means 'all' or 'the whole.' It can refer to totality, including every person or thing, and is often used with a following genitive to specify what is included. The term can also denote a broader sense of everything in existence or all circumstances of life. The lexicons do not show significant disagreement on its meanings.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

כֹּל once כּוֹל n.m. the whole, all

with foll. gen. (as usually) the whole of, to be rendered, however, often in our idiom, to avoid stiffness, any or every

Absolutely:

without the art., all things, all

with the art. הַכֹּל

where the sense is limited by the context to things (or persons) just mentioned

in a wider sense, all, whether of all mankind or of all living things, the universe, or of all the circumstances of life (chiefly late)

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H3605 כֹּל once כּוֹל the whole, all . with foll. gen. (as usually) the whole of, to be rendered, however, often in our idiom, to avoid stiffness, any or every

. Absolutely: . without the art., all things, all

. with the art. הַכֹּל . where the sense is limited by the context to things (or persons) just mentioned

. in a wider sense, all, whether of all mankind or of all living things, the universe, or of all the circumstances of life (chiefly late)

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

3605 kol kole

or (Jer. 33:8) kowl {kole}; from 3634; properly, the whole;

hence, all, any or every (in the singular only, but often in a

plural sense):--(in) all (manner, (ye)), altogether, any

(manner), enough, every (one, place, thing), howsoever, as

many as, (no-)thing, ought, whatsoever, (the) whole,

whoso(-ever).

see HEBREW for 03634

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

כֹּל (kol) — all.

1) all, the whole

1a) all, the whole of

1b) any, each, every, anything

1c) totality, everything

Aramaic equivalent: kol (כֹּל "all" H3606)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-ms — Noun common · masculine singular construct
HNcmsc
The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
when built you mound your at [the] head of every road and high place your you made in every open place and not you were like prostitute to scorn [the] hire of a prostitute
דֶּ֔רֶךְDe.rekh road H1870 Noun common · both singular absolute
708× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
Derek refers to a road or path, and can also mean a way of life or manner of action. It is often used to describe a journey or direction, and can be used figuratively to describe a person's character or moral path.
Amplified meaning
way, path
Tyndale gloss
way: road
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

דֶּ֫רֶךְ (derek) means way, road, or journey, and can refer to both literal paths and figurative courses of life or actions. It encompasses various aspects such as direction, manner, and moral character, often highlighting the nature of one's conduct. The term is used in both positive and negative contexts, reflecting the moral implications of one's path.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

דֶּ֫רֶךְ 715 n.m. way, road, distance, journey, manner

way, road, path

journey

of direction, almost or quite = toward

way, manner

fig. of course of life, or action, undertakings

of moral action and character

of duty

specif.: in good sense

oftener in bad sense

way of י׳

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H1870 דֶּ֫רֶךְ way, road, distance, journey, manner . way, road, path

. journey

. of direction, almost or quite = toward

. way, manner

. fig. of course of life, or action, undertakings

. . of moral action and character

. of duty

. specif.: in good sense

. oftener in bad sense

. way of י׳

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

1870 derek deh'-rek

from 1869; a road (as trodden); figuratively, a course of

life or mode of action, often adverb:--along, away, because

of, + by, conversation, custom, (east-)ward, journey, manner,

passenger, through, toward, (high-) (path-)way(-side),

whither(-soever).

see HEBREW for 01869

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

דֶּ֫רֶךְ (de.rekh) — way: conduct.

: conduct/lifestyle

1) way, road, distance, journey, manner

1a) road, way, path

1b) journey

1c) direction

1d) manner, habit, way

1e) of course of life (fig.)

1f) of moral character (fig.)

דֶּ֫רֶךְ (de.rekh) — Way.

This name means way, road

דֶּ֫רֶךְ (de.rekh) — (King's) Highway.

This name means way, road

Combined with me.lekh (מֶ֫לֶךְ "King's" H4428I)

דֶּ֫רֶךְ (de.rekh) — way: direction.

: direction

1) way, road, distance, journey, manner

1a) road, way, path

1b) journey

1c) direction

1d) manner, habit, way

1e) of course of life (fig.)

1f) of moral character (fig.)

דֶּ֫רֶךְ (de.rekh) — way: road.

: road/route

1) way, road, distance, journey, manner

1a) road, way, path

1b) journey

1c) direction

1d) manner, habit, way

1e) of course of life (fig.)

1f) of moral character (fig.)

דֶּ֫רֶךְ (de.rekh) — way: journey.

: journey

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-cs — Noun common · both singular absolute
HNcbsa
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
Easton's Bible Dictionary

Road

(1 Sam. 27:10; R.V., “raid”), an inroad, an incursion. This word is never used in Scripture in the sense of a way or path.

Smith's Bible Dictionary

This word occurs but once in the Authorized Version of the Bible, viz. in (1 Samuel 37:10) where it is used in the sense of "raid" or "inroad." Where a travelled road is meant "path" or "way" is used, since the eastern roads are more like our paths.

when built you mound your at [the] head of every road and high place your you made in every open place and not you were like prostitute to scorn [the] hire of a prostitute
וְרָמָתֵ֥ךְve.ra.ma.Tekh and high place your H7413 Conjunction · noun common feminine singular construct · suffix
5× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
A high place, often used for idol worship, as seen in the Old Testament.
Amplified meaning
exalted, elevated, places of idol worship
Tyndale gloss
high place
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

רָמָה (ramah) refers to a height or high place, often associated with idolatry or illicit worship. It is derived from a feminine active participle of another Hebrew root. The term is primarily used in contexts relating to elevated locations used for worship.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

רָמָה n.f. height, high-place

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H7413 רָמָה

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

7413 ramah raw-maw'

feminine active participle of 7311; a height (as a seat of

idolatry):--high place.

see HEBREW for 07311

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

רָמָה (ra.mah) — high place.

1) height, high place

1a) as place of illicit worship

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Conj | N-fs | Suff — Conjunction · noun common feminine singular construct · suffix
HC/Ncfsc/Sp2fs
when built you mound your at [the] head of every road and high place your you made in every open place and not you were like prostitute to scorn [the] hire of a prostitute
עָשִׂ֖יתa.si.ti you made H6213 Verb · Qal · perfect second person feminine singular
2,629× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This verb means to make or do something, and is used over 2,600 times in the Bible. It is first used in Genesis 1:7 to describe God's creation of the world and is also used in Exodus 31:5 to describe the work of skilled craftsmen.
Amplified meaning
created, fashioned
Tyndale gloss
to make
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

עָשָׂה (asah) is a Hebrew verb meaning to do or make, encompassing a wide range of actions such as producing, preparing, and observing. It can refer to both concrete and abstract activities, including making offerings and attending to tasks. The verb also has forms indicating passive meanings, such as being made or offered. Notably, the Piel form refers to pressing or squeezing.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

עָשָׂה 2622 vb. do, make

Qal 2524

do (1560 t.)

deal with

oft. in phr. do kindness with

abs. act, act with effect

make (670 t.)

produce, yield

prepare, esp. of dressing and cooking food

make offering

attend to, put in order

observe, celebrate, religious festival

acquire property of various kinds

appoint priests

bring about of י׳’s effecting a deliverance

use

spend, pass, days of life

Niph.

97be done

be made, of concr. things

be produced from vine

be prepared, of food

be offered

be observed, passover

be used

Pu. I was made

base

[עָשָׂה] vb. Pi. press, squeeze

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H6213a עָשָׂה do, make .. . do (1560 + t.)

. deal with

. oft. in phr. do kindness with

. abs. act, act with effect

. . make (670 + t.)

. produce, yield

. prepare, esp. of dressing and cooking food

. make offering

. attend to, put in order

. observe, celebrate, religious festival

. acquire property of various kinds

. appoint priests

. bring about of י׳’s effecting a deliverance

. use

. spend, pass, days of life

. . be done

. . be made, of concr. things

. be produced from vine

. be prepared, of food

. be offered

. be observed, passover

. be used

. I was made

H6213b עָשָׂה Pi. press, squeeze

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

6213 `asah aw-saw'

a primitive root; to do or make, in the broadest sense and

widest application (as follows):--accomplish, advance,

appoint, apt, be at, become, bear, bestow, bring forth,

bruise, be busy, X certainly, have the charge of, commit, deal

(with), deck, + displease, do, (ready) dress(-ed), (put in)

execute(-ion), exercise, fashion, + feast, (fight-)ing man, +

finish, fit, fly, follow, fulfill, furnish, gather, get, go

about, govern, grant, great, + hinder, hold ((a feast)), X

indeed, + be industrious, + journey, keep, labour, maintain,

make, be meet, observe, be occupied, offer, + officer, pare,

bring (come) to pass, perform, pracise, prepare, procure,

provide, put, requite, X sacrifice, serve, set, shew, X sin,

spend, X surely, take, X thoroughly, trim, X very, + vex, be

(warr-)ior, work(-man), yield, use.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

עָשָׂה (a.sah) — to make: do.

: do/perform

1) to do, fashion, accomplish, make

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to do, work, make, produce

1a1a) to do

1a1b) to work

1a1c) to deal (with)

1a1d) to act, act with effect, effect

1a2) to make

1a2a) to make

1a2b) to produce

1a2c) to prepare

1a2d) to make (an offering)

1a2e) to attend to, put in order

1a2f) to observe, celebrate

1a2g) to acquire (property)

1a2h) to appoint, ordain, institute

1a2i) to bring about

1a2j) to use

1a2k) to spend, pass

1b) (Niphal)

1b1) to be done

1b2) to be made

1b3) to be produced

1b4) to be offered

1b5) to be observed

1b6) to be used

1c) (Pual) to be made

עָשָׂה (a.sah) — to press.

(Piel) to press, squeeze

עָשָׂה (a.sah) — to make.

: make(OBJECT)

1) to do, fashion, accomplish, make

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to do, work, make, produce

1a1a) to do

1a1b) to work

1a1c) to deal (with)

1a1d) to act, act with effect, effect

1a2) to make

1a2a) to make

1a2b) to produce

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
V-Qal-Perf-2fs — Verb · Qal · perfect second person feminine singular
HVqp2fs
when built you mound your at [the] head of every road and high place your you made in every open place and not you were like prostitute to scorn [the] hire of a prostitute
בְּכָל־be.khol in every H3605 Preposition · noun common masculine singular construct
5,415× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
The Hebrew word for 'all' or 'everything' is used throughout the Bible, like in Genesis 1:31, where God sees all He has made as very good. It encompasses the entirety of something, whether people, things, or situations.
Tyndale gloss
all
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

כֹּל (kol) means 'all' or 'the whole.' It can refer to totality, including every person or thing, and is often used with a following genitive to specify what is included. The term can also denote a broader sense of everything in existence or all circumstances of life. The lexicons do not show significant disagreement on its meanings.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

כֹּל once כּוֹל n.m. the whole, all

with foll. gen. (as usually) the whole of, to be rendered, however, often in our idiom, to avoid stiffness, any or every

Absolutely:

without the art., all things, all

with the art. הַכֹּל

where the sense is limited by the context to things (or persons) just mentioned

in a wider sense, all, whether of all mankind or of all living things, the universe, or of all the circumstances of life (chiefly late)

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H3605 כֹּל once כּוֹל the whole, all . with foll. gen. (as usually) the whole of, to be rendered, however, often in our idiom, to avoid stiffness, any or every

. Absolutely: . without the art., all things, all

. with the art. הַכֹּל . where the sense is limited by the context to things (or persons) just mentioned

. in a wider sense, all, whether of all mankind or of all living things, the universe, or of all the circumstances of life (chiefly late)

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

3605 kol kole

or (Jer. 33:8) kowl {kole}; from 3634; properly, the whole;

hence, all, any or every (in the singular only, but often in a

plural sense):--(in) all (manner, (ye)), altogether, any

(manner), enough, every (one, place, thing), howsoever, as

many as, (no-)thing, ought, whatsoever, (the) whole,

whoso(-ever).

see HEBREW for 03634

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

כֹּל (kol) — all.

1) all, the whole

1a) all, the whole of

1b) any, each, every, anything

1c) totality, everything

Aramaic equivalent: kol (כֹּל "all" H3606)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Prep | N-ms — Preposition · noun common masculine singular construct
HR/Ncmsc
The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
when built you mound your at [the] head of every road and high place your you made in every open place and not you were like prostitute to scorn [the] hire of a prostitute
רְח֑וֹבre.Chov open place H7339 Noun common · feminine singular absolute
43× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
A street or plaza, referring to a public area or open space, like a marketplace or a thoroughfare. This word is used to describe urban settings and community gathering places, often in stories about city life and trade. It appears in books like Nehemiah and Jeremiah.
Amplified meaning
open space, plaza
Tyndale gloss
street/plaza
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

רְחוֹב (re.chov) refers to a broad open place or plaza, often translated as street. It is derived from the root meaning width and encompasses areas like avenues or public spaces. The entries consistently emphasize its meaning related to open areas, with no significant disagreement noted among the lexicons.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

רְחוֹב n.f. broad open place, plaza

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H7339 רְחוֹב broad open place, plaza

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

7339 rchob rekh-obe'

or rchowb {rekh-obe'}; from 7337; a width, i.e. (concretely)

avenue or area:--broad place (way), street. See also 1050.

see HEBREW for 07337

see HEBREW for 01050

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

רְחוֹב (re.chov) — street/plaza.

broad or open place or plaza

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

(1) The "open place" of Ge 38:14 the King James Version, in which Tamar sat, has come from a misunderstanding of the Hebrew, the translators having taken bephethach `enayim to mean "in an opening publicly," instead of "in an opening (i.e. a gate) of Enaim" (compare Pr 1:21 in the Hebrew). The Revised Version (British and American) has corrected; see ENAIM.

(2) In 1Ki 22:10 parallel 2Ch 18:9 the Revised Version (British and American) relates that Ahab and Jehoshaphat sat "each on his throne, arrayed in their robes, in an open place (margin "Hebrew: a threshing-floor," the King James Version "a void place") at the entrance of the gate of Samaria." The Hebrew here is awkward…

Easton's Bible Dictionary

Open place

Gen. 38:14, 21, mar. Enaim; the same probably as Enam (Josh. 15:34), a city in the lowland or Shephelah.

when built you mound your at [the] head of every road and high place your you made in every open place and not you were like prostitute to scorn [the] hire of a prostitute
וְלֹא־ve.lo'- and not H3808 Conjunction · particle
5,170× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
The Hebrew word for not or no is used to indicate absence or negation, as when God says no to the Israelites' requests, or when they disobey His commands.
Tyndale gloss
not
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

לֹא (lo') is a Hebrew word meaning 'not' or 'no.' It serves as a simple negation and can imply absence or prohibition. The word can also be used in various contexts, often combined with other particles for emphasis or clarification. Its Aramaic equivalent is לָא (la), which also means 'not.'

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

לֹא or לוֹא adv. not

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H3808 לֹא or לוֹא not

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

3808 lo' lo

or lowi {lo}; or loh (Deut. 3:11) {lo}; a primitive particle;

not (the simple or abs. negation); by implication, no; often

used with other particles (as follows):--X before, + or else,

ere, + except, ig(-norant), much, less, nay, neither, never,

no((-ne), -r, (-thing)), (X as though...,(can-), for) not (out

of), of nought, otherwise, out of, + surely, + as truly as, +

of a truth, + verily, for want, + whether, without.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

לֹא (lo) — not.

1) not, no

1a) not (with verb-absolute prohibition)

1b) not (with modifier-negation)

1c) nothing (subst)

1d) without (with particle)

1e) before (of time)

Aramaic equivalent: la (לָא "not" H3809)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Conj | Part — Conjunction · particle
HC/Tn
The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
when built you mound your at [the] head of every road and high place your you made in every open place and not you were like prostitute to scorn [the] hire of a prostitute
הָיִ֥יתha.yi.t you were H1961 Verb · Qal · perfect second person feminine 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.
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
V-Qal-Perf-2fs — Verb · Qal · perfect second person feminine singular
HVqp2fs
when built you mound your at [the] head of every road and high place your you made in every open place and not you were like prostitute to scorn [the] hire of a prostitute
כַּזּוֹנָ֖הka.zo.Nah like prostitute H2181 Preposition · verb qal participle (active) feminine singular
94× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
To fornicate means to commit adultery or be unfaithful, often used to describe idolatry in the Bible. It can also refer to a person being a cult prostitute or causing others to be unfaithful.
Amplified meaning
harlot, one who forsakes loyalty
Tyndale gloss
to fornicate
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

זָנָה (zanah) is a Hebrew verb meaning to commit fornication or to be a harlot. It encompasses a range of actions, including adultery and idolatry, with a focus on unfaithfulness, particularly in a figurative sense regarding one's relationship with God. The entries indicate that it can also refer to cult prostitution and moral defection, with various grammatical forms expressing different nuances of the term.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

זָנָה vb. commit fornication, be a harlot

Qal

be or act as a harlot

fig. of improper intercourse with foreign nations

of intercourse with other deities

of moral defection

Pu. fornication was not done (in going) after thee

Hiph.

cause to commit fornication

commit fornication

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H2181 זָנָה commit fornication, be a harlot

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

2181 zanah zaw-naw'

a primitive root (highly-fed and therefore wanton); to commit

adultery (usually of the female, and less often of simple

fornication, rarely of involuntary ravishment); figuratively,

to commit idolatry (the Jewish people being regarded as the

spouse of Jehovah):--(cause to) commit fornication, X

continually, X great, (be an, play the) harlot, (cause to be,

play the) whore, (commit, fall to) whoredom, (cause to) go

a-whoring, whorish.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

זָנָה (za.nah) — to fornicate.

1) to commit fornication, be a harlot, play the harlot

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to be a harlot, act as a harlot, commit fornication

1a2) to commit adultery

1a3) to be a cult prostitute

1a4) to be unfaithful (to God) (fig.)

1b) (Pual) to play the harlot

1c) (Hiphil)

1c1) to cause to commit adultery

1c2) to force into prostitution

1c3) to commit fornication

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Prep | V-Qal — Preposition · verb qal participle (active) feminine singular
HRd/Vqrfsa
when built you mound your at [the] head of every road and high place your you made in every open place and not you were like prostitute to scorn [the] hire of a prostitute
לְקַלֵּ֥סle.ka.Les to scorn H7046 Preposition · verb piel infinitive construct common
4× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
To mock someone means to laugh at or make fun of them, and this word is used in the Bible to describe times when people ridiculed God or others. It is found in the books of Psalms and Proverbs. Mocking can be hurtful and is often warned against.
Amplified meaning
mocked, despised
Tyndale gloss
to mock
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

קָלַס (qalac) is a primitive root meaning to mock or scoff. It encompasses actions like ridiculing or deriding, with specific forms indicating different nuances, such as the Piel form for scoffing and the Hithpael for mocking. The term is used in contexts that involve disparagement.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

[קָלַס] vb. mock, scoff

Pi. to scoff at hire

Hithp. mock, deride

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H7046 קָלַס

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

7046 qalac kaw-las'

a primitive root; to disparage, i.e. ridicule:--mock, scoff,

scorn.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

קָלַס (qa.las) — to mock.

1) to mock, scoff

1a) (Piel) to scoff at

1b) (Hithpael) to mock, deride, make fun of

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Prep | V-Piel-Inf-a — Preposition · verb piel infinitive construct common
HR/Vpcc
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

skorn: Fox Talbot connects this English word with the Danish skarn, "dirt," "ordure" "mud," "mire." As distinguished from such words as "mock," "deride," "scoff," all of which refer specifically to the various ways in which scorn finds outward expression, scorn itself denotes a subjective state or reaction.

Further, this state or reaction is not simple but complex. It includes a sense of superiority, resentment, and aversion. This reaction occurs when one is confronted with a person or a proposition that by challenging certain things for itself evokes a vivid sense of one's own superiority and awakens mingled resentment, repulsion and contempt by the hollowness of its claims and its intrinsic inferiority or worse. Scorn is a hotter, fiercer emotion than disdain or contempt. It is obvious that scorn may--indeed, it not uncommonly does--arise in connection with an not grounded, arrogant…

The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
when built you mound your at [the] head of every road and high place your you made in every open place and not you were like prostitute to scorn [the] hire of a prostitute
אֶתְנָֽן׃'et.Nan [the] hire of a prostitute H868 Noun common · masculine singular absolute
11× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This word refers to the wages or reward of a prostitute or idolatrous practices in the Bible. It is often used to describe the price of sin or unfaithfulness, as seen in the stories of Israel and Tyre.
Amplified meaning
wages, reward
Tyndale gloss
wages
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

אֶתְנַן (ethnan) refers to the hire or wages associated with harlotry, and it can also denote a reward or gift linked to idolatry. The term appears in contexts related to prostitution and idolatrous practices, particularly in relation to Israel and cities like Jerusalem and Tyre.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

אֶתְנַן n.m. hire of harlot

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H868 אֶתְנַן hire of harlot

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

868 'ethnan eth-nan'

the same as 866; a gift (as the price of harlotry or

idolatry):--hire, reward.

see HEBREW for 0866

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

אֶתְנַן (et.nan) — wages.

1) hire of prostitute, price

1a) hire (of harlot)

1b) of idolatrous Israel, Jerusalem, Tyre (fig.)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-ms — Noun common · masculine singular absolute
HNcmsa
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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