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Ezekiel 23:2 — Word Study

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WLCבֶּן־ אָדָ֑ם שְׁתַּ֣יִם נָשִׁ֔ים בְּנ֥וֹת אֵם־ אַחַ֖ת הָיֽוּ׃

BSASonbên [descendant, male child] of manʼâdâm [the human, Adam] there werehâyâh twoshᵉnayim [a pair, dual] womenʼishshâh [females, wives] daughtersbath [female children, women] of the sameʼechâd [one, united] motherʼêm [female parent, maternal figure]

Word
Listen & take awayEzekiel 23
English ↓ Download MP3 The Berean Standard Bible chapter audio already hosted for the site's Bible section — verse 2 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 (ha.Yu) — no per-word recordings of the Hebrew exist to link to.
Take it away
Ezekiel 23:2quick helps
In a sentenceEzekiel speaks to the people, introducing two women who share a common mother.
Who is speakingEzekiel, referred to as son of man, a title indicating his humanity.
Where we areThe opening of a prophetic message, setting the stage for a deeper narrative.
The hard wordבֶּן־
Take awayThe two women symbolize significant entities in Israel's history.
7 commentators on this verse Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them › clause verbהָיָה 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 23:2

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 Prophetic Message of Ezekielgenerated

1Again the word of the LORD came to me, saying,
2“Son of man, there were two women, daughters of the same mother,
3and they played in Egypt, prostituting themselves from their youth. Their breasts were fondled there, and their virgin bosoms caressed.
4The older was named Oholah, and her sister was named Oholibah. They became Mine and gave birth to sons and daughters. As for their identities, Oholah is Samaria, and Oholibah is Jerusalem.

Ezekiel 23:2 introduces a vision where God speaks to Ezekiel, referring to him as son of man. This title emphasizes his role as a representative of humanity. The verse presents two women, daughters of the same mother, hinting at a deeper allegory about the nations of Israel and Judah, which will be explored in the following verses. The context sets the stage for a discussion about their actions and consequences, drawing on themes of fidelity and betrayal.


Cross References

ReferenceText (BSB)
1Ezekiel 16:44–46Behold, all who speak in proverbs will quote this proverb about you: ‘Like mother, like daughter.’
2Jeremiah 3:7–10I thought that after she had done all these things, she would return to Me. But she did not return, and her unfaithful sister Judah saw it.

The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 2 references, hung on the phrase they belong to


The Key Word בֶּן־, ben-generated

The word בֵּן (ben) means 'son' or 'male child' and signifies a descendant or a member of a family. It is frequently used in the Bible to establish lineage and inheritance, as seen in genealogies throughout the Old Testament.

This word is in the construct state, indicating a relationship to another noun, in this case, אָדָם (adam), which means 'man' or 'humankind.' Together, they emphasize Ezekiel's human identity and role as a prophet.


How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated

In this study, the verse is read in the Berean Standard Bible, which uses son of man to translate בֶּן־.


Sentence Structuregenerated

The main verb governing the sentence is הָיֽוּ (hayu), meaning 'they were.' This verb anchors the sentence, with the subject being the two women and their relationship to their mother. The structure emphasizes the introduction of the two subjects in a straightforward manner.

The Hebrew word order places the subjects and their relationships prominently, highlighting the connection between the two women and their shared origin.


Septuagint Backgroundgenerated

The Septuagint translates בֶּן־ as υἱὲ (huios), meaning 'son.' This choice reflects the same familial connection as in the Hebrew, emphasizing Ezekiel's role as a representative figure.

The Greek word ἀνθρώπου for אָדָם broadens the meaning to encompass all of humanity, aligning with the original context of the verse.


In plain words — the whole versegenerated

Ezekiel 23:2 introduces a prophetic vision where God speaks to Ezekiel, calling him son of man. He describes two women who are daughters of the same mother, setting up a narrative that explores their identities and actions in relation to their shared origin.


Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated

What does Ezekiel mean by 'two women'?

The two women represent the kingdoms of Israel and Judah, symbolizing their shared heritage and the consequences of their actions.

Why is Ezekiel referred to as 'son of man'?

This title emphasizes Ezekiel's humanity and role as a prophet, serving as a mediator between God and the people.

What is the significance of their shared mother?

The shared mother symbolizes a common origin, highlighting the connection between the two nations and their collective identity.

How does this verse set the stage for the following chapters?

This introduction prepares the reader for a deeper exploration of the actions and fates of the two women, which will unfold in the subsequent verses.


Reflection Questionsgenerated

  1. In what ways do I see connections between my identity and my family's heritage?
  2. How can understanding the roles of individuals in a community help us see the bigger picture?
  3. What lessons can we learn from the actions of the two women in this passage?
  4. How does the title 'son of man' apply to our understanding of human experience?

Commentators on this verse — 7 expositors, verse by verse

Each of these wrote on Ezekiel 23:2 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.

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

Son of man, there were two women,.... Or two nations and kingdoms, the kingdom of Israel or the ten tribes, and the kingdom of Judah or the two tribes.

Read John Gill on Ezekiel 23 →
Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's Commentary

Son of man, there were two women, the daughters of one mother: There were two women, the daughters of one mother - Israel and Judah, one nation by birth from the same ancestress, Sarah.

Read Robert Jamieson on Ezekiel 23 →
Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy Bible

Two women; Judah and Israel, the two kingdoms. Daughters of one mother; sprung from Sarah; or, as some, daughters of the synagogue. They rose from one family; these two were daughters, that is parts, and the mother is the whole posterity of the twelve tribes.

Read Matthew Poole on Ezekiel 23 →
John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

Ezekiel 23:2 Son of man, there were two women, the daughters of one mother:Ver. 2. There were two women.] This is the same in effect with Ezekiel 16:1-63, but there more plainly, here parabolically expressed. Sermo est eraditus et elegans, simul tamen spurcas et obscaenus, to set forth the hatefulness of idolatry, creature confidence, and adultery. The daughters of one mother,] scil., Synagogae, vel Sarce. Some think the prophet alludeth to Jacob’ s two wives who were sisters. Lavat.

Read John Trapp on Ezekiel 23 →
AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible

Verse 2. Son of man, there were two women] All the Hebrews were derived from one source, Abraham and Sarah; and, till the schism under Rehoboam, formed but one people: but as these ten tribes and a half separated from Judah and Benjamin, they became two distinct people under different kings; called the kingdom of Judah, and the kingdom of Israel. They are called here, because of their consanguinity, two sisters. The elder, Samaria, (for there was the seat of government for the kingdom of Israel,) was called אהלה aholah, "a tent." The younger, Judah, was called אהליבה aholibah, "my tent is in her," because the temple of God was in Jerusalem, the seat of the government of the kingdom of Judah.

Read AdamClarke on Ezekiel 23 →
CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

2. The two kingdoms are already called sisters, Jeremiah 3:7. Cf. Ezekiel 16:46.

Read Cambridge on Ezekiel 23 →
Albert Barnes1798–1870Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Of one mother - Israel and Judah were branches of the same stock.

Read Albert Barnes on Ezekiel 23 →

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

“Son of man, there were two women, daughters of the same mother,

WEBWorld English Bible2000

“Son of man, there were two women, the daughters of one mother.

MSBMajority Standard Bible2022

“Son of man, there were two women, daughters of the same mother,

NETBNew English Translation2006

“Son of man, there were two women who were daughters of the same mother.

Tyndale line

KJVKing James Version1611

Son of man, there were two women, the daughters of one mother:

ASVAmerican Standard Version1901

Son of man, there were two women, the daughters of one mother:

RVARevised Version, American1894

Son of man, there were two women, the daughters of one mother:

NWBWebster's Bible1833

Son of man, there were two women, the daughters of one mother:

GNVGeneva Bible1599

Sonne of man, there were two women, the daughters of one mother.

Strictly literal

DBYDarby Translation1890

Son of man, there were two women, daughters of one mother.

YLTYoung's Literal Translation1862

Two women were daughters of one mother,

LSVLiteral Standard Version2020

Two women were daughters of one mother,

ILTInterlinear Literal Translation2000

Son of man, there were two women, the daughters of one mother;

ULBUnlocked Literal Bible2017

“Son of man, there were two women, daughters of the same mother.

From the Latin

DRADouay-Rheims (Challoner)1899

Son of man, there were two women, daughters of one mother.

Simplified

FBVFree Bible Version2020

“Son of man, there were once two women. They were daughters of the same mother.

BBEBible in Basic English1949

Son of man, there were two women, daughters of one mother:

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.

clauseclausenoun phraseבֶּןO.sonאָדָ֑םof.humankindclausenoun phrase · subjectשְׁתַּ֣יִםtwoנָשִׁ֔יםwomennoun phrase · objectבְּנ֥וֹתdaughtersnoun phraseאֵםof.a.motherאַחַ֖תoneverbהָיֽוּthey.were

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 on the wording of Ezekiel 23:2. Both texts present the same key elements, establishing a consistent narrative across these ancient witnesses.

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

בֶּן־ אָדָ֑ם שְׁתַּ֣יִם נָשִׁ֔ים בְּנ֥וֹת אֵם־ אַחַ֖ת הָיֽוּ׃

Septuagintthe Greek the translators chose, word by word
בֶּן־υἱὲאָדָ֑םἀνθρώπουשְׁתַּ֣יִםδύοנָשִׁ֔יםγυναῖκεςבְּנ֥וֹתθυγατέρεςאֵם־μητρὸςאַחַ֖תμιᾶςהָיֽוּ׃ἦσαν

8 of the 8 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.

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 23:2בֵּןO son ofO son ofבֵּןאָדָםhumankindhumankindאָדָםשְׁנַ֫יִםtwotwoשְׁנַ֫יִםאִשָּׁהwomenwomenאִשָּׁהבַּתdaughters odaughters ofבַּתאֵםa mothera motherאֵםאֶחָדoneoneאֶחָדהָיָהthey werethey wereהָיָהבָּנָהto buildto buildבָּנָהאָדֹםto reddento reddenאָדֹםחָדַדto go eithto go either waחָדַדשֵׁנִיsecondsecondשֵׁנִיאִישׁmanmanאִישׁאֱנוֹשׁhumanhumanאֱנוֹשׁאָבfatherfatherאָבהָוָאto fallto fallהָוָאאַ֫יִלramramאַ֫יִלעַמּוֹןAmmonAmmonעַמּוֹןרְאוּבֵןReubenReubenרְאוּבֵןדְּמוּתlikenesslikenessדְּמוּתבְּהֵמָהanimalanimalבְּהֵמָהעָשָׂרtentenעָשָׂרטַףchildchildטַףנָכְרִיforeignforeignנָכְרִיצִיּוֹןZionZionצִיּוֹןאֵםmothermotherאֵם
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 23:2

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.

O son of humankind two women daughters of a mother one they were
בֶּן־ben- O son of H1121 Noun common · masculine singular construct
4,943× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
In the Bible, this word means a son or descendant, and can also refer to a grandson, nation, or quality. It appears in 1 Chronicles 24, describing a Levite named Beno. The word is used to show family relationships and inheritance.
Amplified meaning
descendant, male child
Tyndale gloss
son: child
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

בֵּן (ben) means 'son' or 'male child' and encompasses a wide range of meanings, including descendants, young animals, and even figurative uses like sparks or arrows. It can refer to members of a tribe or class and is used in various contexts throughout the Old Testament, such as in 1 Chronicles 24:26. The word is derived from a root meaning 'to build' and implies a connection to family or lineage.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

בֵּן 4870 n.m. son

son, male child, born of a woman

children (male and female)

youth, young men

the young of animals

of plant shoots

fig. of lifeless things, sparks, stars, arrows

member of a guild, order or class

of animals son of (the) herd

ב׳ as n. relat. followed by word of quality, characteristic, etc.

n. relat. of age

base

בְּנוֹ 1 Ch 24:26, 27 as n.pr.m. in AV, RV, but render: the sons of Jaaziah his son, & the sons of Merari by Jaaziah his son, cf. VB & Be Öt.

done

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H1121a בֵּן son . son, male child, born of a woman

. children (male and female)

. youth, young men

. the young of animals

. of plant shoots

. fig. of lifeless things, sparks, stars, arrows

. . member of a guild, order or class

. of animals son of (the) herd

. ב׳ as n. relat. followed by word of quality, characteristic, etc.

. n. relat. of age

H1121b בְּנוֹ as n. pr. m. in AV, RV, but render: the sons of Jaaziah his son, & the sons of Merari by Jaaziah his son

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

1121 ben bane

from 1129; a son (as a builder of the family name), in the

widest sense (of literal and figurative relationship,

including grandson, subject, nation, quality or condition,

etc., (like 1, 251, etc.)):--+ afflicted, age, (Ahoh-)

(Ammon-) (Hachmon-) (Lev-)ite, (anoint-)ed one, appointed to,

(+) arrow, (Assyr-) (Babylon-) (Egypt-) (Grec-)ian, one born,

bough, branch, breed, + (young) bullock, + (young) calf, X

came up in, child, colt, X common, X corn, daughter, X of

first, + firstborn, foal, + very fruitful, + postage, X in, +

kid, + lamb, (+) man, meet, + mighty, + nephew, old, (+)

people, + rebel, + robber, X servant born, X soldier, son, +

spark, + steward, + stranger, X surely, them of, + tumultuous

one, + valiant(-est), whelp, worthy, young (one), youth.

see HEBREW for 01129

see HEBREW for 01

see HEBREW for 0251

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

בֵּן (ben) — son: child.

: child/son

בְּנוֹ (be.no) — Beno.

A man of the tribe of Levi living at the time of Divided Monarchy, first mentioned at 1Ch.24.26;

son of: Jaaziah (H3269);

brother of: Shoham (H7719), Zaccur (H2139I) and Ibri (H5681)

§ Beno = "his son"

the sons of Jaaziah and the sons of Merari by Jaahziah (his son)

בֵּן (ben) — son: descendant/people.

: descendant, people, tribe, nation

A sub-meaning of ben (בֵּן ": child" H1121)

§ : child/son

בֵּן (ben) — son: young animal.

: calf/lamb/young(ANIMAL)

A sub-meaning of ben (בֵּן ": child" H1121)

§ : descendant

בֵּן (ben) — son: type of.

: rebel/son(Belial)

A sub-meaning of ben (בֵּן ": child" H1121)

§ : people/men/nation/tribe

בֵּן (ben) — son.

: [inheriting]son/heir

A sub-meaning of ben (בֵּן ": child" H1121)

בֵּן (ben) — son: warrior.

: warrior/son(strong)

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-ms — Noun common · masculine singular construct
HNcmsc
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

ov:

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

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

OF, preposition ov. [Gr.]

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

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

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

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

Lamentations 3:1.

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

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

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

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

O son of humankind two women daughters of a mother one they were
אָדָ֑ם'a.Dam humankind H120 Noun common · masculine singular absolute
551× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
Adam was the first human, created by God and mentioned in Genesis 2:19, who married Eve and had sons including Cain, Abel, and Seth.
Amplified meaning
the human, Adam
Tyndale gloss
the man (Adam)
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

אָדָם (adam) refers to 'man' or 'mankind,' encompassing both individual humans and the species as a whole. It is also the name of the first man in the Bible, Adam, who is mentioned in various verses, including Genesis 2:19. The term can denote a city in the Jordan valley as well. The entries indicate a range of meanings, but there is no significant disagreement among them.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

אָדָם 560 n.m. Gn 1:27 man, mankind

a man = human being

coll. man, mankind

n.pr.m. Adam, first man (without art.)

n.pr.loc. city in Jordan valley (as built?)

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H120 אָדָם man, mankind . a man = human being

. coll. man, mankind

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

120 'adam aw-dawm'

from 119; ruddy i.e. a human being (an individual or the

species, mankind, etc.):--X another, + hypocrite, + common

sort, X low, man (mean, of low degree), person.

see HEBREW for 0119

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

אָדָם (a.dam) — man.

1) man, mankind

1a) man, human being

1b) man, mankind (much more frequently intended sense in OT)

1c) Adam, first man

1d) city in Jordan valley

אָדָם (a.dam) — the man (Adam).

The first named man living at the time before the Flood, first mentioned at Gen.2.19;

married to Eve (H2332);

father of: Cain (H7014B), Abel (H1893) and Seth (H8352); also translated "man" at Gen.2.19,21,23; 3.8,9,20; 5.2; "mankind" at Deu.32.8; "others" at Job.31.33;

Another spelling of a.dam (אָדָם "Adam" H0121)

man, human being

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-ms — Noun common · masculine singular absolute
HNcmsa
O son of humankind two women daughters of a mother one they were
שְׁתַּ֣יִםshe.Ta.yim two H8147 Adj
769× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
The Hebrew word for the number two appears in Genesis and Exodus, describing pairs and dualities. It can also mean double or twice. In the Bible, it is often used to describe things that come in twos, like two witnesses or two tablets.
Amplified meaning
a pair, dual
Tyndale gloss
two
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

שְׁנַ֫יִם (shnayim) means 'two' and serves as both a cardinal and ordinal number. It can denote 'both,' 'double,' or 'twice,' and is used in various combinations with other numbers. The word is derived as a dual form of שָׁנָה (shanah), which relates to the concept of pairs.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

שְׁנַ֫יִם, שְׁתַּיִם 768 n.m. et f. du. two

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H8147 שְׁנַ֫יִם, שְׁתַּיִם two

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

8147 shnayim shen-ah'-yim

dual of 8145; feminine shttayim {shet-tah'-yim}; two; also

(as ordinal) twofold:--both, couple, double, second, twain, +

twelfth, + twelve, + twenty (sixscore) thousand, twice, two.

see HEBREW for 08145

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

שְׁנַ֫יִם (she.na.yim) — two.

1) two

1a) two (the cardinal number)

1a1) two, both, double, twice

1b) second (the ordinal number)

1c) in combination with other numbers

1d) both (a dual number)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Adj — Adj
HAcfda
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

too.

See NUMBER.

O son of humankind two women daughters of a mother one they were
נָשִׁ֔יםna.Shim women H802 Noun common · masculine plural absolute
781× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
The Hebrew word for woman, used to describe a female person, wife, or animal, appears in many biblical passages, including Genesis and Exodus, and is often translated as woman, wife, or female.
Amplified meaning
females, wives
Tyndale gloss
woman
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

אִשָּׁה (ishshah) means 'woman,' 'wife,' or 'female.' It can refer to a woman in general, a wife in relation to a man, or the female of animals. The term also has distributive and reciprocal uses, indicating 'each woman' from her neighbor. The word is derived from the masculine forms אִישׁ (ish) and אִישָׁה (ishah), indicating a broad range of meanings.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

אִשָּׁה 773 n.f. woman, wife, female

woman

Wife (woman belonging to a man, usually cstr. or sf.)

Female of animals

With distrib. & recipr. sense, each woman from her neighbor; each one

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H802 אִשָּׁה woman, wife, female . woman

. Wife (woman belonging to a man, usually cstr. or sf.)

. Female of animals

. With distrib. & recipr. sense, each woman from her neighbor; each one

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

802 'ishshah ish-shaw'

feminine of 376 or 582; irregular plural, nashiym

{naw-sheem'}; a woman (used in the same wide sense as

582):--(adulter)ess, each, every, female, X many, + none,

one, + together, wife, woman. Often unexpressed in English.

see HEBREW for 0376

see HEBREW for 0582

see HEBREW for 0582

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

אִשָּׁה (ish.shah) — woman.

: woman

1) woman, wife, female

1a) woman (opposite of man)

1b) wife (woman married to a man)

1c) female (of animals)

1d) each, every (pronoun)

אִשָּׁה (ish.shah) — woman: wife.

: wife/widow

1) woman, wife, female

1a) woman (opposite of man)

1b) wife (woman married to a man)

1c) female (of animals)

1d) each, every (pronoun)

אִשָּׁה (ish.shah) — woman: another.

: another

1) woman, wife, female

1a) woman (opposite of man)

1b) wife (woman married to a man)

1c) female (of animals)

1d) each, every (pronoun)

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

The position of women in the Hebrew commonwealth contrasts favorably with that which in the present day is assigned to them generally in eastern countries. The most salient point of contrast in the usages of ancient as compared with modern Oriental society was the large amount of liberty enjoyed by women. Instead of being immured in a harem, or appearing in public with the face covered. The wives and maidens of ancient times mingled freely and openly with the other sex in the duties and amenities of ordinary life. Rebekah travelled on a camel with her face unveiled until she came into the presence of her affianced. (Genesis 24:64,65) Jacob saluted Rachel with a kiss in the presence of the shepherds. (Genesis 29:11) Women played no inconsiderable part in public celebrations (

Nave's Topical Bible

→ Creation of Ge 1:27; 2:21,22

→ Named Ge 2:23

→ Fall of, and curse upon Ge 3:1-16; 2Co 11:3; 1Ti 2:14

→ Promise to Ge 3:15

→ Had separate apartments in dwellings Ge 24:67; 31:33; Es 2:9,11

→ Veiled the face Ge 24:65

→ See VAIL

→ Vows of Nu 30:3-16

Thompson Chain Reference topics

(A) MISCELLANEOUS TOPICS relating to (Select Reading Prov. 31)

Pr 31:1-31

(1) Creation and Temptation of

Ge 1:27; 2:22; 3:1,6,13; 2Co 11:3; 1Ti 2:14

(2) Rights of

Nu 27:1-8

(3) The Subjection of

Ge 3:16; 1Co 11:3; 14:34; Eph 5:22; 1Ti 2:11; 1Pe 3:1,5

(4) As Wives

O son of humankind two women daughters of a mother one they were
בְּנ֥וֹתbe.Not daughters of H1323 Noun common · feminine plural construct
588× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
The Hebrew word for daughter is used to describe a female child or a woman, and can also be used figuratively. In the Bible, it is used to describe women like Bathsheba, the wife of Uriah and later of King David.
Amplified meaning
female children, women
Tyndale gloss
Bath (Shua)
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

בַּת (bat) means 'daughter' and encompasses a range of meanings including female child, young women, and even personifications of cities or inhabitants. It can also refer to villages in certain contexts. The word is derived from a root meaning 'to build' and is used in various figurative senses, such as 'branch' or 'apple of the eye.'

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

בַּת 587 n.f. daughter

daughter, female child

young women, women

with name of city, land, or people, poet. personif. of that city or inhabitants

pl. = villages, after name of city

in phrases denoting character, quality, etc.

ostrich

fig.

of vine = branch

as n. relat.

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H1323 בַּת daughter . daughter, female child

. young women, women

. with name of city, land, or people, poet. personif. of that city or inhabitants

. pl. = villages, after name of city

. in phrases denoting character, quality, etc.

. ostrich

. fig.

. of vine = branch

. as n. relat.

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

1323 bath bath

from 1129 (as feminine of 1121); a daughter (used in the same

wide sense as other terms of relationship, literally and

figuratively):--apple (of the eye), branch, company, daughter,

X first, X old, + owl, town, village.

see HEBREW for 01129

see HEBREW for 01121

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

בַּת (bat) — daughter.

: daughter

1) daughter

1a) daughter, girl, adopted daughter, daughter-in-law, sister, granddaughters, female child, cousin

1a1) as polite address

1a2) as designation of women of a particular place

2) young women, women

1a3) as personification

1a4) daughter-villages

1a5) description of character

Also means: bat (בַּת ": village" H1323H)

בַּת (bat) — daughter: village.

: village

1) daughter

1a) daughter, girl, adopted daughter, daughter-in-law, sister, granddaughters, female child, cousin

1a1) as polite address

1a2) as designation of women of a particular place

2) young women, women

1a3) as personification

1a4) daughter-villages

1a5) description of character

בַּת (bat) — Bath (Shua).

A woman living at the time of the Patriarchs, first mentioned at Gen.38.2;

daughter of: Shua (H7770); married to Judah (H3063);

mother of: Er (H6147), Onan (H0209) and Shelah (H7956)

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-fp — Noun common · feminine plural construct
HNcfpc
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…

O son of humankind two women daughters of a mother one they were
אֵם־'em- a mother H517 Noun common · feminine singular absolute
220× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
The Hebrew word for 'mother' is used in the Bible to describe a female parent or a maternal figure. It can also refer to the source or origin of something, such as a river or a family. In some cases, it is used figuratively to describe a person's relationship to others.
Amplified meaning
female parent, maternal figure
Tyndale gloss
mother
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word אֵם (em) means 'mother' and can refer to a human mother, an animal's dam, or even a figurative sense, such as Deborah's nurturing role for her people. It also conveys the idea of a point of departure or division. This word is built from a primitive root and encompasses both literal and figurative meanings.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

אֵם 221 n.f. mother

lit. (human) mother

fig. of Deborah as caring for her people

of animals, dam

= point of departure or division

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H517 אֵם mother . lit. (human) mother

. fig. of Deborah as caring for her people

. of animals, dam

. = point of departure or division

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

517 'em ame

a primitive word; a mother (as the bond of the family); in a

wide sense (both literally and figuratively (like 1):--dam,

mother, X parting.

see HEBREW for 01

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

אֵם (em) — mother.

1) mother

1a) of humans

1b) of Deborah's relationship to the people (fig.)

1c) of animals

2) point of departure or division

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

muth'-er ('em, "mother," "dam," "ancestress"; meter):

1. Her Position in the Old Testament:

In vain do we look in the Scriptures for traces of the low position which woman occupies in many eastern lands. A false impression has been created by her present position in the East, especially under Mohammedan rule. Her place as depicted in the Scriptures is a totally different one. Women there move on the same social plane with men. They often occupy leading public positions (Ex 15:20; Jud 4:4; 2Ki 22:14). The love of offspring was deeply imbedded in the heart of Hebrew women, and thus motherhood was highly respected. Among the patriarchs women, and especially mothers, occupy a prominent place. In Rebekah's marriage, her mother seems…

Smith's Bible Dictionary

The superiority of the Hebrew over all contemporaneous systems of legislation and of morals is strongly shown in the higher estimation of the mother in the Jewish family, as contrasted with modern Oriental as well as ancient Oriental and classical usage. The king’s mother, as appears in the case of Bath-sheba, was treated with special honor. (Exodus 20:12; Leviticus 19:3; 5:16; 21:18,21; 1 Kings 2:29; Proverbs 10:1; 15:20; 17:25; 29:15; 31:1,30)

American Tract Society Bible Dictionary

The Hebrew words AM and AB, mother and father, are simple and easy sounds for infant lips, like mamma and papa in English. See ABBA. "Before the child shall have knowledge to cry, My father, and My mother," Isa 8:4. In addition to the usual meaning of "mother," AM sometimes signifies in the Bible grandmother, 1Ki 15:10, or some remote female ancestor, Ge 3:20. It is put for a chief city, 2Sa 20:19; for a benefactress, Jud 5:7; for a nation, as in the expressive English phrase, "the mother country," Isa 3:12 49:23. The fond affection of a mother is often referred to in…

Nave's Topical Bible

→ General scriptures concerning Ex 20:12; 21:15,17; Le 18:7; 19:3; 20:9; De 5:16; 1Ki 19:20; Pr 1:8; 6:20; 10:1; 15:20; 19:26; 20:20; 23:22-25; 28:24; 29:15; 30:11,17; Mt 10:37; 15:4-6; 19:19; Mr 7:10-12; 10:19; Lu 18:20; Eph 6:2; 2Ti 1:5

→ See CHILDREN, DUTY OF

→ See PARENTS

O son of humankind two women daughters of a mother one they were
אַחַ֖ת'a.Chat one H259 Adj
971× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
In the Bible, this Hebrew word means one or united, and is used to describe something that is single or unique. It is often translated as one, first, or alone. For example, in Genesis 1:5, God calls the light day and the darkness night, and separates them into one thing from another.
Amplified meaning
one, united
Tyndale gloss
one
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

אֶחָד (echad) means 'one' and is derived from a numeral. It encompasses meanings such as each, every, a certain, and can serve as an indefinite article. It is also used as an ordinal to denote 'first' and appears in various combinations, including eleven. The entries consistently emphasize its numerical and qualitative aspects.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

אֶחָד 972 adj.num. one

one

= each, every

= a certain

= indef. art.

only, & (fem.) once

one … another, one … the other

as ordinal first

in combin.

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H259 אֶחָד one . one

. = each, every

. = a certain

. = indef. art.

. only, & (fem.) once

. one … another, one … the other

. as ordinal first

. in combin.

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

259 'echad ekh-awd'

a numeral from 258; properly, united, i.e. one; or (as an

ordinal) first:--a, alike, alone, altogether, and,

any(-thing), apiece, a certain, (dai-)ly, each (one), +

eleven, every, few, first, + highway, a man, once, one, only,

other, some, together,

see HEBREW for 0258

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

אֶחָד (e.chad) — one.

1) one (number)

1a) one (number)

1b) each, every

1c) a certain

1d) an (indefinite article)

1e) only, once, once for all

1f) one...another, the one...the other, one after another, one by one

1g) first

1h) eleven (in combination), eleventh (ordinal)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Adj — Adj
HAcfsa
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

wun.

See NUMBER.

O son of humankind two women daughters of a mother one they were
הָיֽוּ׃ha.Yu they were H1961 Verb · Qal · perfect third person common plural
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-3cp — Verb · Qal · perfect third person common plural
HVqp3cp
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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