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Ezekiel 7:17 — Word Study

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WLCכָּל־ הַיָּדַ֖יִם תִּרְפֶּ֑ינָה וְכָל־ בִּרְכַּ֖יִם תֵּלַ֥כְנָה מָּֽיִם׃

BSAEverykôl [all, each] handyâd [an open hand; strength, a side or share] will go limprâphâh [become feeble, weak as water] and everykôl [all] kneeberek watermayim [a source of refreshment]

Word
Listen & take awayEzekiel 7
English ↓ Download MP3 The Berean Standard Bible chapter audio already hosted for the site's Bible section — verse 17 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 (Ma.yim) — no per-word recordings of the Hebrew exist to link to.
Take it away
Ezekiel 7:17quick helps
In a sentenceThe verse describes a state of weakness and fear among the people.
Who is speakingThe prophet Ezekiel, conveying a message of impending judgment.
Where we areIn the context of judgment, where the people are overwhelmed by their circumstances.
The hard wordתִּרְפֶּ֑ינָה
Take awayBoth hands and knees symbolize human strength and stability, which will fail.
7 commentators on this verse Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them › clause verbרָפָה 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 7:17

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 Coming Judgmentgenerated

16The survivors will escape and live in the mountains, moaning like doves of the valley, each for his own iniquity.
17Every hand will go limp, and every knee will turn to water.
18They will put on sackcloth, and terror will overwhelm them. Shame will cover all their faces, and all their heads will be shaved.
19They will throw their silver into the streets, and their gold will seem unclean. Their silver and gold cannot save them in the day of the wrath of the LORD. They cannot satisfy their appetites or fill their stomachs with wealth, for it became the stumbling block that brought their iniquity.

Ezekiel 7:17 presents a vivid image of the people's despair as they face judgment. The verse emphasizes the totality of their weakness, with every hand going limp and every knee turning to water, indicating a complete loss of strength and resolve. This reflects the dire circumstances foretold by Ezekiel, as the people are overwhelmed by their situation and the consequences of their actions. The surrounding verses further illustrate the emotional and physical turmoil they will experience as they confront their iniquity.


Cross References

ReferenceText (BSB)
1Ezekiel 21:7And when they ask, ‘Why are you groaning?’ you are to say, ‘Because of the news that is coming. Every heart will melt, and every hand will go limp. Every spirit will faint, and every knee will turn to water.’ Yes, it is coming and it will surely happen, declares the Lord GOD.”
2Isaiah 13:7–8Therefore all hands will fall limp, and every man’s heart will melt.
3Jeremiah 6:24We have heard the report; our hands hang limp. Anguish has gripped us, pain like that of a woman in labor.
4Hebrews 12:12Therefore strengthen your limp hands and weak knees.

The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 4 references, hung on the phrase they belong to


The Key Word תִּרְפֶּ֑ינָה, tir.Pei.nahgenerated

The verb תִּרְפֶּ֑ינָה (tirpeinah) is a third person feminine plural form of the root רָפָה (raphah), meaning 'to slacken' or 'to relax.' It conveys a sense of becoming feeble or weak, as if strength is being drained away. This word captures the essence of despair and helplessness in the face of judgment.

The use of this verb here indicates that the people's hands will not only drop in strength but also symbolize a broader emotional state of surrender and defeat. The imagery of hands going limp suggests an inability to act or respond, reflecting their complete vulnerability.


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 finite verbs תִּרְפֶּ֑ינָה and תֵּלַ֥כְנָה govern the structure of this verse, indicating the actions of the subjects. The sentence is built around these verbs, with two noun phrases serving as subjects: הַיָּדַ֖יִם (the hands) and בִּרְכַּ֖יִם (the knees). This construction emphasizes the totality of the physical and emotional response to the impending judgment.

The word order places the subjects first, highlighting their significance in the context of the verse. The actions described by the verbs reflect a state of surrender and weakness, which is central to the message of judgment.


Septuagint Backgroundgenerated

In the Septuagint, תִּרְפֶּ֑ינָה is rendered as ἐκλυθήσονται (eklythēsontai), meaning 'they will be loosened' or 'they will drop.' This choice emphasizes the same sense of weakness and loss of strength, aligning closely with the Hebrew meaning.

The Greek translation captures the essence of the original Hebrew, conveying the emotional and physical collapse of the people as they face judgment.


In plain words — the whole versegenerated

Ezekiel 7:17 describes how every hand will go limp and every knee will turn to water, symbolizing a complete loss of strength and fear among the people as they face judgment. This imagery reflects their emotional and physical state in a time of crisis.


Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated

What does it mean for hands to go limp?

It signifies a loss of strength and ability to act, reflecting despair and helplessness.

Why are knees mentioned in this verse?

Knees symbolize submission and fear; they represent the physical response to overwhelming circumstances.

What is the significance of the imagery in this verse?

The imagery emphasizes the totality of the people's weakness and their inability to withstand the coming judgment.

How does this verse connect with the surrounding context?

It highlights the emotional turmoil and despair that the people will experience as they confront their iniquities and the consequences of their actions.


Reflection Questionsgenerated

  1. In what areas of my life do I feel my strength is failing, similar to the hands going limp?
  2. How can I respond to overwhelming situations without succumbing to despair?
  3. What does it mean to me to recognize my vulnerabilities in the face of challenges?
  4. How can I support others who are feeling weak or overwhelmed, as described in this verse?

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

The early Church Fathers referenced this verse to illustrate the emotional and physical state of people facing judgment. Jerome comments on the imagery of hands and knees, emphasizing their symbolic meanings.

JeromeVerse 17. c. 347–420
All hands will be dissolved, and all knees will flow with water. And they will gird themselves with sackcloth, and terror will cover them. For knees flowing with water, Seventy have moved, thighs are polluted with moisture.
Early Church Fathers on Ezekiel 7 →

Commentators on this verse — 7 expositors, verse by verse

Each of these wrote on Ezekiel 7:17 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.

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

All hands shall be feeble,.... No strength in them, to lay hold on weapons of war to defend themselves, or fight the enemy; no heart nor courage in them, to go forth and meet him; and even afraid to

Read John Gill on Ezekiel 7 →
Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's Commentary

All hands shall be feeble, and all knees shall be weak as water. All knees shall be weak as water - literally, shall go (as) waters; incapable of resistance (Joshua 7:5; Psalms 22:14; Isaiah 13:7).

Read Robert Jamieson on Ezekiel 7 →
Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy Bible

All hands with which they should hold the instruments of fortification, the weapons of war, the tools of working, and that should carry away their goods, that they shall not be able to work at the ramparts, nor fight in the battle, nor earn-their bread, or carry away their substance on which they might subsist. All knees, which bowed to idols, shall now fall under the punishments of idolatry, shall be neither strong to stand in battle, or to flee from the drawn sword: and this weakness was on all, as it is twice repeated.

Read Matthew Poole on Ezekiel 7 →
John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

Ezekiel 7:17 All hands shall be feeble, and all knees shall be weak [as] water.Ver. 17. All hands shall be feeble.] As after some grievous disease, or as in extreme cold weather, ye shall not be able to handle your arms, wherein ye so trust. God strengtheneth or weakeneth the arms of either party. And all knees shall be weak as water.] Fluent aquis: puta sudore ex gravi angustia, vel potius urina, ex pavore. Not to those that wait upon God. Let wicked Thrasos think on this. Vulg., Jerome, Septuag.

Read John Trapp on Ezekiel 7 →
AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible

Verse 17. All knees shall be weak as water.] Calmet understands this curiously: La frayeur dont on sera saisi, fera qu'on ne pourra retenir son urine. D'autres l'expliquent d'une autre souillure plus honteuse. I believe him to be nearly about right. St. Jerome is exactly the same: Pavoris magnitudine, urina polluet genua, nec valebit profluentes aquas vesica prohibere. This and other malretentions are often the natural effect of extreme fear or terror.

Read AdamClarke on Ezekiel 7 →
CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

17. The description returns from the condition of the fugitives to that of the besieged. Prostration and despair seizes them. The figures of the hands “hanging down,” and the knees becoming “water” are expressive of complete paralysis of strength. LXX. Hitz. interpret the latter phrase literally. Cf. ch. Ezekiel 21:7; Isaiah 13:7; Jeremiah 6:24.

Read Cambridge on Ezekiel 7 →
Daniel Denison Whedon1808–1885Whedon's Commentary on the Bible

17. This verse shows the utter prostration of those who are escaping: “their knees melt into water.” (Compare Ezekiel 21:7; Isaiah 13:7; Jeremiah 6:24.)

Read Daniel Denison Whedon on Ezekiel 7 →

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

Every hand will go limp, and every knee will turn to water.

WEBWorld English Bible2000

All hands will be feeble, and all knees will be weak as water.

MSBMajority Standard Bible2022

Every hand will go limp, and every knee will turn to water.

NETBNew English Translation2006

All of their hands will hang limp; their knees will be wet with urine.

Tyndale line

KJVKing James Version1611

All hands shall be feeble, and all knees shall be weak as water.

ASVAmerican Standard Version1901

All hands shall be feeble, and all knees shall be weak as water.

RVARevised Version, American1894

All hands shall be feeble, and all knees shall be weak as water.

NWBWebster's Bible1833

All hands shall be feeble, and all knees shall be weak as water.

GNVGeneva Bible1599

All handes shalbe weake, and all knees shall fall away as water.

Strictly literal

DBYDarby Translation1890

All hands shall be feeble, and all knees shall melt into water.

YLTYoung's Literal Translation1862

All the hands are feeble, and all knees go — waters.

LSVLiteral Standard Version2020

All the hands are feeble, and all knees go [as] waters.

ILTInterlinear Literal Translation2000

All hands become feeble, and all knees go into water.

ULBUnlocked Literal Bible2017

Every hand will falter and every knee will be weak as water,

From the Latin

DRADouay-Rheims (Challoner)1899

All hands shall be made feeble, and all knees shall run with water.

Simplified

FBVFree Bible Version2020

Every hand will go limp, and every knee will go weak.

BBEBible in Basic English1949

All hands will be feeble and all knees without strength, like water.

Counted from the translations carried on this site, not from a survey of every English Bible. A rendering shared by many versions is usually inherited rather than independently arrived at — the Tyndale line in particular runs through most of them.


The sentence as the grammar sees it — from the MACULA Hebrew treebank

This is not our own analysis: it is the scholarly syntax tree for the verse, showing how the clause actually holds together.

clausenoun phrase · subjectכָּלallnoun phraseהַtheיָּדַ֖יִםhandsverbתִּרְפֶּ֑ינָהthey.will.dropוְandclausenoun phrase · subjectכָלallבִּרְכַּ֖יִםkneesverbתֵּלַ֥כְנָהthey.will.goadverbialמָּֽיִםwater

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


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

The Masoretic Text reads כָּל־ הַיָּדַ֖יִם תִּרְפֶּ֑ינָה וְכָל־ בִּרְכַּ֖יִם תֵּלַ֥כְנָה מָּֽיִם׃, which aligns closely with the Septuagint's rendering. Both witnesses agree on the essential wording and meaning, indicating a consistent understanding of the text across these traditions.

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

כָּל־ הַיָּדַ֖יִם תִּרְפֶּ֑ינָה וְכָל־ בִּרְכַּ֖יִם תֵּלַ֥כְנָה מָּֽיִם׃

Septuagintthe Greek the translators chose, word by word
כָּל־πᾶσαιהַיָּדַ֖יִםξεῖρεςתִּרְפֶּ֑ינָהἐκλυθήσονταιוְכָל־πάντεςבִּרְכַּ֖יִםμηροὶתֵּלַ֥כְנָהμολυνθήσονταιמָּֽיִם׃ὑγρασίᾳ

7 of the 7 words are matched. This is the word-by-word correspondence, not the Septuagint's own sentence — its word order and its articles are its own.

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 7:17כֹּלallallכֹּליָדthe pairs othe pairs of haיָדרָפָהthey will dthey will dropרָפָהכֹּלand alland allכֹּלבֶ֫רךְkneeskneesבֶ֫רךְהָלַךְthey will gthey will goהָלַךְמַיwaterwaterמַיכָּלַלto perfectto perfectכָּלַלכַּףpalmpalmכַּףבָּרַךְto blessto blessבָּרַךְרָפָאto healto healרָפָאהָלַךְto walkto walkהָלַךְעֵדָהcongregaticongregationעֵדָהעֲבֹדָהserviceserviceעֲבֹדָהחָזָקstrongstrongחָזָקנָצַלto rescueto rescueנָצַלעָזַבForsakenForsakenעָזַבחָזַקto strengtto strengthen: חָזַקכָּרַעto bowto bowכָּרַעאָמֵץto strengtto strengthenאָמֵץדֶּ֫רֶךְway: roadway: roadדֶּ֫רֶךְחֻקָּהstatutestatuteחֻקָּהרָחַץto wash: wto wash: washרָחַץשָׁתָהto drinkto drinkשָׁתָה
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 7:17

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

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

all the pairs of hands they will drop and all knees they will go water
כָּל־kol- all 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.
Amplified meaning
all, each
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
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

ol: Used in various combinations, and with different meanings.

(1) All along, "Weeping all along as he went" (Jer 41:6), i.e. throughout the whole way he went, feigning equal concern with the men from Shiloh, etc., for the destruction of the Temple, so as to put them off their guard.

(2) All in all, "That God may be all in all" (1Co 15:28, Greek: panta en pasin, "all things in all (persons and) things"). "The universe, with all it comprises, will wholly answer to God's will and reflect His mind" (Dummelow).

(3) All one, "It is all one" (Job 9:22), "it makes no difference whether I live or die."

(4) At all, "If thy father miss me at all" (1Sa 20:6), "in any way," "in the least."

The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
all the pairs of hands they will drop and all knees they will go water
הַיָּדַ֖יִםhai.ya.Da.yim the pairs of hands H3027 Particle · noun common both dual absolute
1,619× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
In the Bible, 'yad' refers to an open hand, symbolizing power or direction. It can also mean strength or a part of something, like a side or a share. The word is used in many contexts, including anatomy and everyday life.
Amplified meaning
an open hand; strength, a side or share
Tyndale gloss
hand
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

יָד (yad) means 'hand' and can also refer to strength or power in a figurative sense. It encompasses various technical uses, such as a sign or monument, parts or shares, and even specific components in construction, like axle-trees and supports for the laver. The word is versatile, appearing in both literal and metaphorical contexts.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

יָד 1604 n.f. hand

hand

Fig. = strength, power

Fig. = side

יָד is used in various special, technical senses:—

sign, monument

part, fractional part or share

time, repetition

axle-trees

stays, supports for laver

tenons on sides of boards of tabernacle

a (beckoning) hand

יַד with prep.

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H3027 יָד hand . hand

. Fig. = strength, power

. Fig. = side

. יָד is used in various special, technical senses:— . sign, monument

. part, fractional part or share

. time, repetition

. axle-trees

. stays, supports for laver

. tenons on sides of boards of tabernacle

. a (beckoning) hand

. יַד with prep.

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

3027 yad yawd

a primitive word; a hand (the open one (indicating power,

means, direction, etc.), in distinction from 3709, the closed

one); used (as noun, adverb, etc.) in a great variety of

applications, both literally and figuratively, both proximate

and remote (as follows):--(+ be) able, X about, + armholes,

at, axletree, because of, beside, border, X bounty, + broad,

(broken-)handed, X by, charge, coast, + consecrate, +

creditor, custody, debt, dominion, X enough, + fellowship,

force, X from, hand(-staves, -y work), X he, himself, X in,

labour, + large, ledge, (left-)handed, means, X mine,

ministry, near, X of, X order, ordinance, X our, parts, pain,

power, X presumptuously, service, side, sore, state, stay,

draw with strength, stroke, + swear, terror, X thee, X by

them, X themselves, X thine own, X thou, through, X throwing,

+ thumb, times, X to, X under, X us, X wait on, (way-)side,

Read the full entry →
Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

יָד (yad) — hand.

: hand/arm[anatomy]

1) hand

1a) hand (of man)

1b) strength, power (fig.)

1c) side (of land), part, portion (metaph.) (fig.)

1d) (various special, technical senses)

1d1) sign, monument

1d2) part, fractional part, share

1d3) time, repetition

1d4) axle-trees, axle

1d5) stays, support (for laver)

1d6) tenons (in tabernacle)

1d7) a phallus, a hand (meaning unsure)

1d8) wrists

יָד (yad) — hand: power.

: hand/arm[anatomy]

1) hand

1a) hand (of man)

1b) strength, power (fig.)

1c) side (of land), part, portion (metaph.) (fig.)

1d) (various special, technical senses)

1d1) sign, monument

1d2) part, fractional part, share

1d3) time, repetition

1d4) axle-trees, axle

1d5) stays, support (for laver)

1d6) tenons (in tabernacle)

1d7) a phallus, a hand (meaning unsure)

1d8) wrists

יָד (yad) — hand: themselves.

: hand/arm[anatomy]

1) hand

1a) hand (of man)

1b) strength, power (fig.)

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Art | N-cd — Particle · noun common both dual absolute
HTd/Ncbda
all the pairs of hands they will drop and all knees they will go water
תִּרְפֶּ֑ינָהtir.Pei.nah they will drop H7503 Verb · Qal · imperfect third person feminine plural
46× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This Hebrew word means to slacken or relax, and is used in many contexts, such as feeling disheartened or abandoning something. It appears in various forms throughout the Old Testament, including in Psalms and Proverbs. The word can also mean to let go or be idle.
Amplified meaning
become feeble, weak as water
Tyndale gloss
to slacken
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

רָפָה (raphah) is a Hebrew verb meaning to slacken or relax. It encompasses a range of actions including sinking down, abating, and withdrawing. The word can be used in various forms, such as causing something to drop or refraining from action. It appears in different contexts, indicating both literal and figurative meanings.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

רָפָה vb. sink, relax

Qal

sink down

sink, drop

sink, relax, abate

relax, withdraw

Niph. idle

Pi. causat.: let wings drop

Hiph. causat.

let drop

let go

refrain

Hithp. hast shewn thyself slack

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H7503 רָפָה sink, relax .. sink down

. sink, drop

. sink, relax, abate

. relax, withdraw

. idle

. causat.: let wings drop

. causat. . let drop

. let go

. refrain

. hast shewn thyself slack

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

7503 raphah raw-faw'

a primitive root; to slacken (in many applications, literal

or figurative):--abate, cease, consume, draw (toward

evening), fail, (be) faint, be (wax) feeble, forsake, idle,

leave, let alone (go, down), (be) slack, stay, be still, be

slothful, (be) weak(-en). See 7495.

see HEBREW for 07495

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

רָפָה (ra.phah) — to slacken.

1) to sink, relax, sink down, let drop, be disheartened

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to sink down

1a2) to sink, drop

1a3) to sink, relax, abate

1a4) to relax, withdraw

1b) (Niphal) idle (participle)

1c) (Piel) to let drop

1d) (Hiphil)

1d1) to let drop, abandon, relax, refrain, forsake

1d2) to let go

1d3) to refrain, let alone

1d4) to be quiet

1e) (Hithpael) to show oneself slack

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
V-Qal-Imperf-3fp — Verb · Qal · imperfect third person feminine plural
HVqi3fp
all the pairs of hands they will drop and all knees they will go water
וְכָל־ve.khol and all H3605 Conjunction · noun common masculine singular absolute
5,415× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
The Hebrew word for 'all' or 'everything' is used throughout the Bible, like in Genesis 1:31, where God sees all He has made as very good. It encompasses the entirety of something, whether people, things, or situations.
Amplified meaning
all
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
Conj | N-ms — Conjunction · noun common masculine singular absolute
HC/Ncmsa
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

ol: Used in various combinations, and with different meanings.

(1) All along, "Weeping all along as he went" (Jer 41:6), i.e. throughout the whole way he went, feigning equal concern with the men from Shiloh, etc., for the destruction of the Temple, so as to put them off their guard.

(2) All in all, "That God may be all in all" (1Co 15:28, Greek: panta en pasin, "all things in all (persons and) things"). "The universe, with all it comprises, will wholly answer to God's will and reflect His mind" (Dummelow).

(3) All one, "It is all one" (Job 9:22), "it makes no difference whether I live or die."

(4) At all, "If thy father miss me at all" (1Sa 20:6), "in any way," "in the least."

The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
all the pairs of hands they will drop and all knees they will go water
בִּרְכַּ֖יִםbir.Ka.yim knees H1290 Noun common · feminine dual absolute
25× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
The knee represents a part of the body used for movement and flexibility. In the Bible, kneeling is often a sign of respect, fear, or weakness. The word for knee is also related to feelings of fear or trembling.
Tyndale gloss
knee
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

בֶ֫רךְ (berek) means 'knee' in Hebrew, derived from the root for bending. It can also figuratively describe someone who is weak from fear. The Aramaic equivalent is בְּרַךְ (berakh), meaning 'knee' as well.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

בֶ֫רךְ n.f. knee

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H1290 בֶ֫רךְ knee

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

1290 berek beh'-rek

from 1288; a knee:--knee.

see HEBREW for 01288

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

בֶּ֫רֶךְ (be.rekh) — knee.

1) knee

2) weak from fear (fig.)

Aramaic equivalent: be.rekh (בְּרַךְ "knee" H1291)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-fd — Noun common · feminine dual absolute
HNcfda
all the pairs of hands they will drop and all knees they will go water
תֵּלַ֥כְנָהte.Lakh.nah they will go H1980 Verb · Qal · imperfect third person feminine plural
1,549× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
Means to walk or go, used in many different contexts in the Bible. It can describe physical movement, but also spiritual or emotional journeys. Appears in various forms, such as 'to go' or 'to walk'.
Tyndale gloss
to go: walk
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

הָלַךְ (halak) means 'to go,' 'come,' or 'walk,' and covers a wide range of literal and figurative uses, including aspects of life and death. It can describe physical movement, moral conduct, and even influence on character. The verb appears in various forms, such as Qal, Piel, and Hithpael, indicating different nuances like leading or traversing.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

הָלַךְ 1546 vb. go, come, walk

Qal Impf. usually (629 t.) as if from ילך

lit.

of persons

Also of animals, in similar meanings and combinations

in like manner of inanimate things

The inf. abs. is often used

as in other vbs., quite independently

to intensify meaning of finite form

most noteworthy is the joining of the Inf. abs.

with a following Inf. abs. denoting a simutaneous action or process, and so emphasizing duration or continuance

with a foll. vb. fin. c. ו consec. (rare)

in cases where vb. fin. is foll. by Inf. abs. adj. denoting progress, advance

twice, where vb. fin. is not הלך, but another vb. denoting motion

quite by itself

13 t. the Inf. abs. = Imv. & is followed by Pf. consec.

akin to the use of Inf. abs. are some instances of Pt.

In combination with other verbal forms

Fig.; the most common uses follow; in most the origin in a literal meaning is evident:

pass away, die

Read the full entry →
Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H1980 הָלַךְ go, come, walk .Impf. usually (629 t.) as if from ילך . lit. . of persons

. Also of animals, in similar meanings and combinations

. in like manner of inanimate things

. The inf. abs. is often used . as in other vbs., quite independently

. to intensify meaning of finite form

. most noteworthy is the joining of the Inf. abs. . with a following Inf. abs. denoting a simutaneous action or process, and so emphasizing duration or continuance

. with a foll. vb. fin. c. ו consec. (rare)

. in cases where vb. fin. is foll. by Inf. abs. + adj. denoting progress, advance

. twice, where vb. fin. is not הלך, but another vb. denoting motion

. quite by itself

. 13 t. the Inf. abs. = Imv. & is followed by Pf. consec.

. akin to the use of Inf. abs. are some instances of Pt.

. In combination with other verbal forms

Read the full entry →
Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

1980 halak haw-lak'

akin to 3212; a primitive root; to walk (in a great variety

of applications, literally and figuratively):--(all) along,

apace, behave (self), come, (on) continually, be conversant,

depart, + be eased, enter, exercise (self), + follow, forth,

forward, get, go (about, abroad, along, away, forward, on,

out, up and down), + greater, grow, be wont to haunt, lead,

march, X more and more, move (self), needs, on, pass (away),

be at the point, quite, run (along), + send, speedily, spread,

still, surely, + tale-bearer, + travel(-ler), walk (abroad,

on, to and fro, up and down, to places), wander, wax,

(way-)faring man, X be weak, whirl.

see HEBREW for 03212

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

הָלַךְ (ha.lakh) — to go: went.

: went/go[away]

1) to go, walk, come

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to go, walk, come, depart, proceed, move, go away

1a2) to die, live, manner of life (fig.)

1b) (Piel)

1b1) to walk

1b2) to walk (fig.)

1c) (Hithpael)

1c1) to traverse

1c2) to walk about

1d) (Niphal) to lead, bring, lead away, carry, cause to walk

הָלַךְ (ha.lakh) — to go: come.

: come[nearer]

1) to go, walk, come

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to go, walk, come, depart, proceed, move, go away

1a2) to die, live, manner of life (fig.)

1b) (Piel)

1b1) to walk

1b2) to walk (fig.)

1c) (Hithpael)

1c1) to traverse

1c2) to walk about

1d) (Niphal) to lead, bring, lead away, carry, cause to walk

הָלַךְ (ha.lakh) — to go: walk.

: walk/move

1) to go, walk, come

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to go, walk, come, depart, proceed, move, go away

1a2) to die, live, manner of life (fig.)

1b) (Piel)

1b1) to walk

1b2) to walk (fig.)

1c) (Hithpael)

1c1) to traverse

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
HVqi3fp — Verb · Qal · imperfect third person feminine plural
HVqi3fp
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

(halakh, yalakh, bo', yatsa'; ago, hupago, anabaino, erchomi, aperchomai, poreuomai): "Go" ("went," etc.) occurs very frequently in the English Bible, and is the translation of a great many different Hebrew and Greek terms. As the word implies movement of all kinds, physical and mental, it has naturally many applications.

1. In the Old Testament:

In the Old Testament halakh and yalakh are among the commonest words, meaning "to go" in its original sense of "to walk," but also in the most varied senses, according to the verbal conjugations, etc., the preposition attached, and the words in connection with which the terms stand; halakh and yalakh are often used figuratively (translated "to walk," etc.) for to live, to pursue a way of life, e.g. "to walk ever in his ways" (De 19:9; compare

Mt 9:13; 21:28; 28:7; Lu 10:37; Joh 8:11

--SEE Divine Direction, GUIDANCE

all the pairs of hands they will drop and all knees they will go water
מָּֽיִם׃Ma.yim water H4325 Noun common · masculine plural absolute
581× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This word means water, referring to a liquid or a source of refreshment. It appears in the Bible as a literal and figurative term, including references to wasting or urine. The word is used in various contexts, such as in Genesis and Leviticus.
Amplified meaning
a source of refreshment
Tyndale gloss
Water (Gate)
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

מַי (mayim) is a Hebrew word meaning 'water' and is used in the plural form. It encompasses various meanings, including literal water, urine, and metaphorical uses related to refreshment or danger. The entries indicate it is derived from a primitive noun and is primarily referenced in contexts involving water.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

[מַי] 580 n.m. only pl. מַ֫יִם waters, water

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H4325 מַי only pl. מַ֫יִם waters, water

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

4325 mayim mah'-yim

dual of a primitive noun (but used in a singular sense);

water; figuratively, juice; by euphemism, urine, semen:--+

piss, wasting, water(-ing, (-course, -flood, -spring)).

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

מַי (ma.yim) — water.

1) water, waters

1a) water

1b) water of the feet, urine

1c) of danger, violence, transitory things, refreshment (fig.)

מַי (ma.yim) — Water (Gate).

This name means water, refreshment

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-mp — Noun common · masculine plural absolute
HNcmpa
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

wo'-ter (mayim; hudor):

(1) The Greek philosophers believed water to be the original substance and that all things were made from it. The Koran states, "From water we have made all things." In the story of the creation (Ge 1:2) water plays an elemental part.

(2) Because of the scarcity of water in Palestine it is especially appreciated by the people there. They love to go and sit by a stream of running water. Men long for a taste of the water of their native village (1Ch 11:17). A town or village is known throughout the country for the quality of its water, which is described by many adjectives, such as "light," "heavy," etc.

(3) The rainfall is the only source of supply of water for Palestine. The moisture is carried up from the sea in clouds and falls on the hills as rain or snow.…

American Tract Society Bible Dictionary

See CISTERN and WELLS.

In Isa 35:7, the Hebrew word for "parched ground" that shall become a pool of water, is the same with the Arabic term for the mirage, a peculiar optical illusion by which travelers in hot and dry deserts think they see broad lakes and flowing waters; they seem to discern the very ripple of the waves, and the swaying of tail trees on the margin in the cool breeze; green hills and houses and city ramparts rise before the astonished sight, recede as the traveler advances, and at length melt away in the hot haze. Not so the blessings of the gospel; they are no alluring mockery, but real waters of everlasting life, Isa 55:1 Joh 4:14 Re 22:1. Compare

Nave's Topical Bible

→ Creation of Ps 148:4,5

→ Covered the whole earth Ge 1:9

→ Daily allowance of Eze 4:11

→ City waterworks 2Ki 20:20

→ Vision of, by Ezekiel Eze 47:1-5

→ Of separation Nu 19:2-22

→ Libation of 1Sa 7:6

→ Irrigation with

See IRRIGATION

→ Miraculously supplied

To the Israelites Ex 17:1,6; Nu 20:11

To Samson Jud 15:19

Torrey's New Topical Textbook

- One of the elements of the world

Ge 1:2

- GOD ORIGINALLY

. Created the firmament to divide

Ge 1:6,7

. Collected into one place

Ge 1:9

. Created fowls and fishes, &c from

Ge 1:20,21

- Necessary to vegetation

Ge 2:5,6; Job 14:9; Isa 1:30

- Some plants particularly require

Job 8:11

- Necessary to the comfort and happiness of man

Isa 41:17; Zec 9:11

- COLLECTED IN

. Springs

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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