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Ezra 2:70 — Word Study

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WLCוַיֵּשְׁב֣וּ הַכֹּהֲנִ֣ים וְ֠הַלְוִיִּם וּֽמִן־ הָעָ֞ם וְהַמְשֹׁרְרִ֧ים וְהַשּׁוֹעֲרִ֛ים וְהַנְּתִינִ֖ים בְּעָרֵיהֶ֑ם וְכָל־ יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל בְּעָרֵיהֶֽם׃ ס

BSASo the priestskôhên [spiritual leaders, mediators] the LevitesLêvîyîy [assistants to the priests] the singersshîyr [worship leaders, musicians] the gatekeepersshôwʻêr [porters, doorkeepers] and the temple servantsNâthîyn [Nethinim, helpers] along with somemin of the peopleʻam [a portion of the nation] settledyâshab [dwelt, resided] in their own townsʻîyr [cities, villages] and the restkôl [remainder, all] of the IsraelitesYisrâʼêl [descendants of Jacob, God's chosen people] settled [in their towns]ʻîyr [lived, dwelt, cities, communities]

Word
Listen & take awayEzra 2
English ↓ Download MP3 The Berean Standard Bible chapter audio already hosted for the site's Bible section — verse 70 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 (be.'a.rei.Hem) — no per-word recordings of the Hebrew exist to link to.
Take it away
Ezra 2:70quick helps
In a sentenceThe priests, Levites, singers, gatekeepers, and temple servants settled in their towns, along with some of the people.
Who is speakingThe narrative describes the return of the Israelites to their towns after the exile.
Where we areThis verse concludes a section detailing the returning exiles and their roles.
The hard wordיָשַׁב
Take awayThe community is reestablishing itself in its own towns.
7 commentators on this verse Gill, Trapp, Ellicott, AdamClarke & more — read them › clause verbיָשַׁב 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 — Ezra 2:70

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 Return of the Exilesgenerated

67435 camels, and 6,720 donkeys.
68When they arrived at the house of the LORD in Jerusalem, some of the heads of the families gave freewill offerings to rebuild the house of God on its original site.
69According to their ability, they gave to the treasury for this work 61,000 darics of gold, 5,000 minas of silver, and 100 priestly garments.
70So the priests, the Levites, the singers, the gatekeepers, and the temple servants, along with some of the people, settled in their own towns; and the rest of the Israelites settled in their towns.

Ezra 2:70 describes how the priests, Levites, singers, gatekeepers, and temple servants returned to their towns after the Babylonian exile. This verse highlights the re-establishment of religious and community life in Israel, as they settled back into their own cities, fulfilling their roles in the worship and service of God.


Cross References

ReferenceText (BSB)
1Ezra 6:16–17Then the people of Israel—the priests, the Levites, and the rest of the exiles—celebrated the dedication of the house of God with joy.
21 Chronicles 11:2Even in times past, while Saul was king, you were the one who led Israel out and brought them back. And the LORD your God said, ‘You will shepherd My people Israel, and you will be ruler over them.’”
3Nehemiah 7:73
4Nehemiah 11:3–36These are the heads of the provinces who settled in Jerusalem. (In the villages of Judah, however, each lived on his own property in their towns—the Israelites, priests, Levites, temple servants, and descendants of Solomon’s servants—

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

So the priests, and the Levites, and some of the people, and the singers, and the porters, and the Nethinims, dwelt in their cities, and all Israel in their cities.Ezra 6:16–17 1 Chronicles 11:2 Nehemiah 7:73 Nehemiah 11:3–36

The Key Word יָשַׁב, vai.ye.she.Vugenerated

The verb יָשַׁב (yashab) means to dwell, sit, or remain. It indicates a sense of permanence and stability, emphasizing the act of settling in a place. The parsing as a sequential imperfect third person masculine plural shows that this action was performed by a group — the priests, Levites, and others.

This term captures the essence of returning home and establishing a community after a period of displacement. It is not merely about physical presence but also about the act of inhabiting and taking ownership of a space.


How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated

The translations generally agree on the meaning of the verse.


Sentence Structuregenerated

The finite verb יָשַׁב governs the main clause, indicating the action of settling. The structure includes several noun phrases that identify the groups involved: the priests, Levites, singers, gatekeepers, and temple servants, along with a portion of the people.

The sentence is structured to emphasize the collective action of these groups, showing their roles in the community as they return to their towns.


Septuagint Backgroundgenerated

The Septuagint translates יָשַׁב as ἐκάθισαν (ekathisan), meaning 'they sat down' or 'they settled.' This choice reflects a similar idea of establishing oneself in a place, though it may carry a slightly different nuance than the Hebrew.

This translation indicates a focus on the act of taking a seat or position, which aligns with the context of returning to their homes.


In plain words — the whole versegenerated

Ezra 2:70 tells us that the priests, Levites, singers, gatekeepers, and temple servants settled in their own towns, along with some of the people. The rest of the Israelites also settled in their towns. This shows the re-establishment of community and worship after the exile.


Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated

What roles did the priests and Levites have in the community?

The priests served as spiritual leaders and mediators between the people and God, while the Levites assisted them in their duties.

Who are the Nethinim mentioned in this context?

The Nethinim were temple servants assigned to assist the Levites and priests in their temple duties.

Why is it significant that the Israelites returned to their towns?

Returning to their towns signifies the restoration of their identity and community after the Babylonian exile, allowing them to resume their religious practices.

What does this verse reveal about the community structure after the exile?

This verse highlights a structured community with designated roles for spiritual leaders, musicians, and servants, indicating a well-organized return to worship.


Reflection Questionsgenerated

  1. How can I contribute to my community in a meaningful way, similar to the roles of the priests and Levites?
  2. What does it mean to settle in a place, both physically and spiritually, in my own life?
  3. In what ways can I support others in their spiritual journeys, like the temple servants supported the priests?
  4. How do the actions of the Israelites in this verse inspire me to engage with my own community?

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

Bede comments on this verse, noting the significance of the priests and Levites dwelling among the people, emphasizing the unity of all Israel in the context of worship.

BedeCommentary on Ezra and Nehemiah c. 673–735
The priests and Levites, therefore, dwelt among the people, etc. The whole of Israel is mentioned, not only the ten tribes that were once called Israel, to distinguish them from the two tribes that were called Judah;
Early Church Fathers on Ezra 2 →

Commentators on this verse — 7 expositors, verse by verse

Each of these wrote on Ezra 2:70 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.

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

So the priests and the Levites, and some of the people, and the singers, and the Nethinims, dwelt in their cities,.... Which were assigned to them out of the several tribes, and in which they or

Read John Gill on Ezra 2 →
John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

Ezra 2:70 So the priests, and the Levites, and [some] of the people, and the singers, and the porters, and the Nethinims, dwelt in their cities, and all Israel in their cities.Ver. 70. And some of the people] For not half of them, as may be probably thought, returned; but condemned the rest of rashness and weakness, to their no small prejudice.

Read John Trapp on Ezra 2 →
Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(70) Some of the people.—Those of the people; placed by Nehemiah after all the others. All Israel in their cities.—The emphasis lies in the fact that, though Judah and Benjamin contributed the largest part, it was a national revival; and the constant repetition of “in their cities” has in it the same note of triumph.

Read Charles John Ellicott on Ezra 2 →
AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible

Verse 70. Dwelt in their cities] They all went to those cities which belonged originally to their respective families.

Read AdamClarke on Ezra 2 →
CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

70. This verse runs more smoothly as it appears in Nehemiah 7:73 ‘So the priests and the Levites, and the porters, and the singers, and some of the people, and the Nethinim, and all Israel dwelt in their cities’. The verse sums up the whole list. The words ‘and some of the people’ seem to be in the wrong place between ‘the Levites’ and ‘the singers’; but the mention of ‘the singers’ before ‘the porters’ agrees more closely with the order of the list given in the present chapter than the order given in Nehemiah 7:73. An awkwardness is presented by the words ‘in their cities’ occurring twice, especially as the distinction drawn between ‘some of the people with the priests and Levites’ and…

Read Cambridge on Ezra 2 →
Albert Barnes1798–1870Barnes' Notes on the Bible

All Israel - That the Israelites of the ten tribes returned to Palestine with Zerubbabel is apparent: (1) from 1 Chronicles 9:3; (2) from the enumeration of twelve chiefs (Nehemiah 7:7; 1 Esd.

Read Albert Barnes on Ezra 2 →
Daniel Denison Whedon1808–1885Whedon's Commentary on the Bible

70. In their cities — The cities assigned them as their future homes. With many these cities were ancestral homes. All Israel — The entire community of returned exiles who now represented the Israelitish nation.

Read Daniel Denison Whedon on Ezra 2 →

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

So the priests, the Levites, the singers, the gatekeepers, and the temple servants, along with some of the people, settled in their own towns; and the rest of the Israelites settled in their towns.

WEBWorld English Bible2000

So the priests and the Levites, with some of the people, the singers, the gatekeepers, and the temple servants, lived in their cities, and all Israel in their cities.

MSBMajority Standard Bible2022

So the priests, the Levites, the singers, the gatekeepers, and the temple servants, along with some of the people, settled in their own towns; and the rest of the Israelites settled in their towns.

NETBNew English Translation2006

The priests, the Levites, some of the people, the singers, the gatekeepers, and the temple servants lived in their towns, and all the rest of Israel lived in their towns.

Tyndale line

KJVKing James Version1611

So the priests, and the Levites, and some of the people, and the singers, and the porters, and the Nethinims, dwelt in their cities, and all Israel in their cities.

ASVAmerican Standard Version1901

So the priests, and the Levites, and some of the people, and the singers, and the porters, and the Nethinim, dwelt in their cities, and all Israel in their cities.

RVARevised Version, American1894

So the priests, and the Levites, and some of the people, and the singers, and the porters, and the Nethinim, dwelt in their cities, and all Israel in their cities.

NWBWebster's Bible1833

So the priests, and the Levites, and some of the people, and the singers, and the porters, and the Nethinims, dwelt in their cities, and all Israel in their cities.

GNVGeneva Bible1599

So the Priests and the Leuites, and a certeine of the people, and the singers, and the porters, and the Nethinims dwelt in their cities, and all Israel in their cities.

Strictly literal

DBYDarby Translation1890

And the priests, and the Levites, and [some] of the people, and the singers, and the doorkeepers, and the Nethinim dwelt in their cities, and all Israel in their cities.

YLTYoung's Literal Translation1862

And the priests dwell, and the Levites, and of the people, and the singers, and the gatekeepers, and the Nethinim, in their cities; even all Israel in their cities.

LSVLiteral Standard Version2020

And the priests dwell, and the Levites, and of the people, and the singers, and the gatekeepers, and the Nethinim, in their cities; even all Israel in their cities.

ILTInterlinear Literal Translation2000

And the priests, and the Levites, and some of the people, and the singers, and the gate-keepers, and the temple-servants, dwelt in their cities, and all Israel in their cities.

ULBUnlocked Literal Bible2017

So the priests and Levites, the people, the temple singers and gatekeepers, and those assigned to serve in the temple inhabited their cities. All the people in Israel were in their cities.

From the Latin

DRADouay-Rheims (Challoner)1899

So the priests and the Levites, and some of the people, and the singing men, and the porters, and the Nathinites dwelt in their cities, and all Israel in their cities.

Simplified

FBVFree Bible Version2020

The priests, the Levites, the singers, the gatekeepers, the Temple servants, as well as some of the people went back to live in their specific towns. The others returned to their own towns throughout Israel.

BBEBible in Basic English1949

So the priests and the Levites and the people and the music-makers and the door-keepers and the Nethinim, took up their places in their towns; even all Israel in their towns.

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.

וַandclauseverbיֵּשְׁב֣וּthey.dweltnoun phrase · subjectnoun phraseהַtheכֹּהֲנִ֣יםpriestsוְ֠andnoun phraseהַtheלְוִיִּםLevitesוּֽandnoun phraseprepositional phraseמִןsome.ofnoun phraseהָtheעָ֞םpeopleוְandnoun phraseהַtheמְשֹׁרְרִ֧יםsingersוְandnoun phraseהַtheשּׁוֹעֲרִ֛יםgatekeepersוְandnoun phraseהַthe.templeנְּתִינִ֖יםservantsprepositional phrase · prepositionalבְּinnoun phraseעָרֵיtheir.ownהֶ֑םcitiesוְandclausenoun phrase · subjectכָלallיִשְׂרָאֵ֖לIsraelprepositional phrase · prepositionalבְּ[was].innoun phraseעָרֵיtheir.ownהֶֽםcities

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 their wording, with 12 of the 12 words matched. This consistency suggests a strong textual tradition in this verse.

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

וַיֵּשְׁב֣וּ הַכֹּהֲנִ֣ים וְ֠הַלְוִיִּם וּֽמִן־ הָעָ֞ם וְהַמְשֹׁרְרִ֧ים וְהַשּׁוֹעֲרִ֛ים וְהַנְּתִינִ֖ים בְּעָרֵיהֶ֑ם וְכָל־ יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל בְּעָרֵיהֶֽם׃ ס

Septuagintthe Greek the translators chose, word by word
וַיֵּשְׁב֣וּἐκάθισανהַכֹּהֲנִ֣יםἱερεῖςוְ֠הַלְוִיִּםλευῖταιוּֽמִן־ἀπὸהָעָ֞םλαοῦוְהַמְשֹׁרְרִ֧יםᾄδοντεςוְהַשּׁוֹעֲרִ֛יםπυλωροὶוְהַנְּתִינִ֖יםναθινιμבְּעָרֵיהֶ֑םαὐτῶνוְכָל־πᾶςיִשְׂרָאֵ֖לισραηλבְּעָרֵיהֶֽם׃ סαὐτῶν

12 of the 12 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.

Ezra 2:70יָשַׁבand they dwand they dweltיָשַׁבכֹּהֵןthe prieststhe priestsכֹּהֵןלֵוִיand the Levand the Levitesלֵוִימִן־and some ofand some ofמִן־עַםthe peoplethe peopleעַםשִׁירand the sinand the singersשִׁירשֹׁעֵרand the gatand the gatekeeשֹׁעֵרנְתִינִיםand the temand the temple נְתִינִיםעִירin cities tin cities theirעִירכֹּלand alland allכֹּליִשְׂרָאֵלIsraelIsraelיִשְׂרָאֵלעִירin cities tin cities theirעִירעוּרto rouseto rouseעוּרלֵוִיLeviLeviלֵוִיעָמַםto darkento darkenעָמַםנָתַןto give: gto give: giveנָתַןכָּלַלto perfectto perfectכָּלַלשָׂרָהto striveto striveשָׂרָהכָּהַןto ministeto ministerכָּהַןמֵןstringstringמֵןשׁוּרto travelto travelשׁוּרשׁוּרto seeto seeשׁוּרשַׁ֫עַרgategateשַׁ֫עַרשָׁעַרto calculato calculateשָׁעַרעֲבֹדָהserviceserviceעֲבֹדָהשִׁירto singto singשִׁירמִגְרָשׁpasturepastureמִגְרָשׁלָכַדto captureto captureלָכַדבֶּ֫טַחsecuritysecurityבֶּ֫טַחכְּנַעֲנִיCanaanitesCanaanitessכְּנַעֲנִי
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 Ezra 2:70

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

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

and they dwelt the priests and the Levites and some of the people and the singers and the gatekeepers and the temple servants in cities their and all Israel in cities their
וַיֵּשְׁב֣וּvai.ye.she.Vu and they dwelt H3427 Verb · Qal · sequential imperfect third person masculine plural
1,079× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This verb means to sit or dwell, and can also mean to remain or abide. It's used in the Bible to describe people living in a place or staying with someone, like in the book of Genesis.
Amplified meaning
dwelt, resided
Tyndale gloss
to dwell
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

יָשַׁב (yashab) is a Hebrew verb meaning to sit, remain, or dwell. It encompasses a range of actions from simply sitting down to more complex ideas like establishing a home or causing a place to be inhabited. The entries indicate various forms, including Qal (to sit), Niphal (to be inhabited), and Hiphil (to cause to dwell). There is an Aramaic equivalent, יְתִב (ye.tiv), meaning 'to dwell'.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

יָשַׁב 1090 vb. sit, remain, dwell

Qal

sit

sit, sit down

sit down

sit = be set (as a jewel)

remain, stay, tarry

with special emphasis of qualifying phr.

dwell, have one’s abode

of a land or city, sit, abide, seated in its place, fig. for be inhabited

Niph. be inhabited, of land

Pi. and they shall set their encampments in thee

Hiph.

cause to sit

cause to abide

cause to dwell

cause cities to be inhabited

marry (prop. give a dwelling to)

Hoph. and ye be made to dwell alone in the midst of the land

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H3427 יָשַׁב sit, remain, dwell

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

3427 yashab yaw-shab'

a primitive root; properly, to sit down (specifically as

judge. in ambush, in quiet); by implication, to dwell, to

remain; causatively, to settle, to marry:--(make to)

abide(-ing), continue, (cause to, make to) dwell(-ing), ease

self, endure, establish, X fail, habitation, haunt, (make to)

inhabit(-ant), make to keep (house), lurking, X marry(-ing),

(bring again to) place, remain, return, seat, set(- tle),

(down-)sit(-down, still, -ting down, -ting (place) -uate),

take, tarry.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

יָשַׁב (ya.shav) — to dwell.

1) to dwell, remain, sit, abide

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to sit, sit down

1a2) to be set

1a3) to remain, stay

1a4) to dwell, have one's abode

1b) (Niphal) to be inhabited

1c) (Piel) to set, place

1d) (Hiphil)

1d1) to cause to sit

1d2) to cause to abide, set

1d3) to cause to dwell

1d4) to cause (cities) to be inhabited

1d5) to marry (give an dwelling to)

1e) (Hophal)

1e1) to be inhabited

1e2) to make to dwell

Aramaic equivalent: ye.tiv (יְתִב "to dwell" H3488)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Conj | V-Qal-ConsecImperf-3mp — Verb · Qal · sequential imperfect third person masculine plural
Hc/Vqw3mp
and they dwelt the priests and the Levites and some of the people and the singers and the gatekeepers and the temple servants in cities their and all Israel in cities their
הַכֹּהֲנִ֣יםha.ko.ha.Nim the priests H3548 Particle · noun common masculine plural absolute
750× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
In the Bible, a priest is a person who serves God and leads others in worship, like the Levitical priests in Exodus. They were responsible for making sacrifices and following God's laws. This term is also used to describe Jesus as a priest-king.
Amplified meaning
spiritual leaders, mediators
Tyndale gloss
priest
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

כֹּהֵן (kohen) means 'priest' and is derived from the active participle of a related root. It encompasses various types of priests, including Levitical, Aaronic, and even pagan priests, as well as chief rulers or principal officers. The term is used in contexts referring to both Jewish and non-Jewish priestly roles.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

כֹּהֵן 750 n.m. priest

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H3548 כֹּהֵן priest

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

3548 kohen ko-hane'

active participle of 3547; literally, one officiating, a

priest; also (by courtesy) an acting priest (although a

layman):--chief ruler, X own, priest, prince, principal

officer.

see HEBREW for 03547

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

כֹּהֵן (ko.hen) — priest.

1) priest, principal officer or chief ruler

1a) priest-king (Melchizedek, Messiah)

1b) pagan priests

1c) priests of Jehovah

1d) Levitical priests

1e) Zadokite priests

1f) Aaronic priests

1g) the high priest

Aramaic equivalent: ka.hen (כָּהֵן "priest" H3549)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Art | N-mp — Particle · noun common masculine plural absolute
HTd/Ncmpa
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
Torrey's New Topical Textbook

- First notice of persons acting as

Ge 4:3,4

- During patriarchal age heads of families acted as

Ge 8:20; 12:8; 35:7

- After the exodus young men (first-born) deputed to act as

Ex 24:5; 19:22

- The sons of Aaron appointed as, by perpetual statute

Ex 29:9; 40:15

- All except seed of Aaron excluded from being

Nu 3:10; 16:40; 18:7

- Sanctified by God for the office

Ex 29:44

- Publicly consecrated

Ex 28:3; Nu 3:3

- CEREMONIES AT CONSECRATION OF

. Washing in water

and they dwelt the priests and the Levites and some of the people and the singers and the gatekeepers and the temple servants in cities their and all Israel in cities their
וְ֠הַלְוִיִּםVe.hal.vi.yim and the Levites H3881 Conjunction · particle · noun gentilic masculine plural absolute
291× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
A Levite is a descendant of Levi, one of Jacob's 12 sons, mentioned in Genesis 29:34. Levi's brothers include Reuben, Simeon, and Judah. His descendants played a key role in Israel's spiritual life.
Amplified meaning
assistants to the priests
Tyndale gloss
Levi
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

לֵוִי (Leviy) refers to a Levite, a member of the tribe of Levi, which is the third son of Jacob and Leah. This term encompasses the descendants of Levi, who were set apart for religious duties. The word is linked to the Hebrew root for 'joining,' reflecting the tribe's special role in service to God. It first appears in Genesis 29:34.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

לֵוִי 291 adj.gent. Levite

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H3881 לֵוִי Levite

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

3881 Leviyiy lay-vee-ee'

or Leviy {lay-vee'}; patronymically from 3878; a Levite or

descendant of Levi:--Leviite.

see HEBREW for 03878

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

לֵוִי (le.viy.yi) — Levi.

Someone from the tribe of Levi living at the time of the Patriarchs, first mentioned at Gen.29.34;

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

brother of: Reuben (H7205), Simeon (H8095), Judah (H3063), Issachar (H3485), Zebulun (H2074) and Dinah (H1783);

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

father of: Gershon (H1648), Kohath (H6955), Merari (H4847) and Jochebed (H3115)

Another name of le.vi (לֵוִי "Levi" H3878)

§ Levite, of Levi "joined to"

1) the descendants of Levi, the 3rd son of Jacob by Leah

1a) the tribe descended from Levi specially set aside by God for His service

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Conj | Art | Ngmpa — Conjunction · particle · noun gentilic masculine plural absolute
HC/Td/Ngmpa
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

le'-vits.

See PRIESTS AND LEVITES.

Smith's Bible Dictionary

(descendants of Levi). Sometimes the name extends to the whole tribe, the priests included, (Exodus 6:25; Leviticus 25:32; Numbers 35:2; Joshua 21:3,41) etc; sometimes only to those members of the tribe who were not priests, and as distinguished from them. Sometimes again it is added as an epithet of the smaller portion of the tribe, and we read of "the priests the Levites." (Joshua 3:3; Ezekiel 44:15) The history of the tribe and of the functions attached to its several orders is essential to any right apprehension of the history of Israel as a people. It will fall…

American Tract Society Bible Dictionary

All the descendants of Levi may be comprised under this name, Ex 6:16,25 Jos 3:3, (see LEVI;) but chiefly those who were employed in the lower services in the temple, by which they were distinguished from the priests, who were of the race of Levi by Aaron, and were employed in higher offices, Nu 3:6-10 18:2-7. God chose the Levites for the service of his tabernacle and temple, instead of the firstborn of all Israel, to whom such duties naturally belonged, and who were already sacred to God in memory of the great deliverance in Egypt. Ex 13:1-22 Nu 3:12,13,39-51. In the wilderness, the Levites took charge of the tabernacle…

Nave's Topical Bible

→ (The descendants of Levi)

→ Set apart as ministers of religion Nu 1:47-54; 3:6-16; 16:9; 26:57-62; De 10:8; 1Ch 15:2

→ Substituted in the place of the firstborn children Nu 3:12,41-45; 8:14,16-18; 18:6

→ Religious zeal of Ex 32:26-28; De 33:9,10; Mal 2:4,5

→ Consecration of Nu 8:6-21

→ Sedition among, led by Korah, Dathan, Abiram, and On, on account of jealousy toward Moses and Aaron Nu 16; with 4:19,20

and they dwelt the priests and the Levites and some of the people and the singers and the gatekeepers and the temple servants in cities their and all Israel in cities their
וּֽמִן־u.min- and some of H4480 Conjunction · preposition
1,189× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This Hebrew word means a portion or part of something, and is often used to show the relationship between things, like from or out of something.
Tyndale gloss
from
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word מִן־ (*min*) is a preposition meaning 'from' or 'out of,' indicating separation or origin. It covers various uses, including temporal references, comparisons, and causal relationships. Additionally, it can denote a portion when used as a noun מֵן (*men*). The entries highlight its versatility in expressing different nuances of separation and position.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

מִן־, and מִ, before יְ, prep. expressing the idea of separation, hence out of, from, on account of, off, on the side of, since, above, than, so that not

with verbs expressing (or implying) separation or removal

from, against

מן also, without a verb of similar significance, sometimes expresses the idea of separation, away from, far from

of position, off, on the side of, on

Out of, Gk. ἐκ, Lat. ex

Partitively

Of time—

as marking the terminus a quo, the anterior limit of a continuous period from, since

as marking the period immediately succeeding the limit after

towards, to

(וְעַד) עַד … מִן from … even to

In comparisons, beyond, above

מן is prefixed to an infin.:

with causal force, from, on account of, through

after verbs implying restraint, prevention, cessation, etc.

with a temporal force, since, after

Once as a conj. before a finite verb. that

In compounds:

base

Read the full entry →
Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H4480a מִן־, מִ, prep. expressing the idea of separation, hence out of, from, on account of, off, on the side of, since, above, than, so that not . with verbs expressing (or implying) separation or removal . from, against

. מן also, without a verb of similar significance, sometimes expresses the idea of separation, away from, far from

. of position, off, on the side of, on

. Out of, Gk. ἐκ, Lat. ex

. Partitively

. Of time— . as marking the terminus a quo, the anterior limit of a continuous period from, since

. as marking the period immediately succeeding the limit after

. towards, to

. (וְעַד) עַד … מִן from … even to

. In comparisons, beyond, above

. מן is prefixed to an infin.: . with causal force, from, on account of, through

. after verbs implying restraint, prevention, cessation, etc.

. with a temporal force, since, after

. Once as a conj. before a finite verb. that

Read the full entry →
Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

4480 min min

or minniy {min-nee'}; or minney (constructive plural)

{min-nay'}; (Isaiah 30:11); for 4482; properly, a part of;

hence (prepositionally), from or out of in many senses (as

follows):--above, after, among, at, because of, by (reason

of), from (among), in, X neither, X nor, (out) of, over,

since, X then, through, X whether, with.

see HEBREW for 04482

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

מִן־ (min) — from.

prep

1) from, out of, on account of, off, on the side of, since, above, than, so that not, more than

1a) from (expressing separation), off, on the side of

1b) out of

1b1) (with verbs of proceeding, removing, expelling)

1b2) (of material from which something is made)

1b3) (of source or origin)

1c) out of, some of, from (partitively)

1d) from, since, after (of time)

1e) than, more than (in comparison)

1f) from...even to, both...and, either...or

1g) than, more than, too much for (in comparisons)

1h) from, on account of, through, because (with infinitive)

conj

2) that

Aramaic equivalent: min (מִן־ "from" H4481)

מֵן (men) — portion.

n.m.

portion

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Conj | Prep — Conjunction · preposition
HC/R
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…

and they dwelt the priests and the Levites and some of the people and the singers and the gatekeepers and the temple servants in cities their and all Israel in cities their
הָעָ֞םha.'Am the people H5971 Particle · noun common masculine singular absolute
1,873× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
A people or nation is what this Hebrew word represents, like the nation of Israel in Exodus 33:13. It can also mean a tribe, troops, or attendants, and is used to describe a group of people gathered together. The word is often used to refer to the people of God.
Amplified meaning
a portion of the nation
Tyndale gloss
Amaw
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

עַם (am) primarily means 'people' or 'nation,' referring to a collective group, often in the context of tribes such as those of Israel. It can also denote kinsmen or compatriots. The term appears in various contexts, including military and familial references. There is a mention of a specific individual named Ammi in Song of Solomon 6:12.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

עַם, עָם 1810 n.m. people

a people, nation

= smaller units

= common people

people in gen., persons

phrases

base

[עַם] n.[m.] kinsman (on father's side)

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H5971a עַם, עָם people H5971b עַם kinsman (on father's side)

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

5971 `am am

from 6004; a people (as a congregated unit); specifically, a

tribe (as those of Israel); hence (collectively) troops or

attendants; figuratively, a flock:--folk, men, nation,

people.

see HEBREW for 06004

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

עַם (am) — people.

: people/nation

1) nation, people

1a) people, nation

1b) persons, members of one's people, compatriots, country-men

עַם (am) — kinsman.

kinsman, kindred

עַם (am) — Ammi.

A man living at the time of United Monarchy, only mentioned at Sng.6.12

§ kinsman, kindred

עַם (am) — People's (Gate).

§ kinsman, kindred

עַם (am) — (Ibleam)-am.

Combined with yiv.le.am (יִבְלְעָם "Ibleam" H2991)

§ kinsman, kindred

עַם (am) — Amaw.

This name means nation, people

עַם (am) — people: soldiers.

: soldiers/army

1) nation, people

1a) people, nation

1b) persons, members of one's people, compatriots, country-men

עַם (am) — people: creatures.

: creatures

1) nation, people

1a) people, nation

1b) persons, members of one's people, compatriots, country-men

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

pe'-p'-l: In English Versions of the Bible represents something over a dozen Hebrew and Greek words. Of these, in the Old Testament, `am, is overwhelmingly the most common (about 2,000 times), with le'om, and goy, next in order; but the various Hebrew words are used with very little or no difference in force (e.g. Pr 14:28; but, on the other hand, in Ps 44 contrast verses 12 and 14). Of the changes introduced by the Revised Version (British and American) the only one of significance (cited explicitly in the Preface to the English Revised Version) is the frequent use of the plural "peoples" (strangely avoided in the King James Version except Re 10:11; 17:15), where other nations than Israel are in question. So, for instance, in Ps…

and they dwelt the priests and the Levites and some of the people and the singers and the gatekeepers and the temple servants in cities their and all Israel in cities their
וְהַמְשֹׁרְרִ֧יםve.ham.sho.re.Rim and the singers H7891 Conjunction · particle · verb piel participle (active) masculine plural
87× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This Hebrew word means to sing, and it is used in the Bible to describe the act of singing, like when the Israelites sang after crossing the Red Sea in Exodus 15. It can also refer to a singer or songstress. The Bible often mentions singing as a way to praise God.
Amplified meaning
worship leaders, musicians
Tyndale gloss
to sing
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

שִׁיר (shiyr) means 'to sing' and is a denominative verb derived from a primitive root. It covers various forms of singing, including participles for singers and songstresses. The entries indicate its use in different verbal stems, such as Qal and Polel, and note its appearance in contexts like 1 Samuel 18:6.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

[שִׁיר] 86 vb. sing (denom.)

Qal 49 sing

Pō‛l. 36 sing

Hoph. be sung

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H7891 שִׁיר sing (denom.)

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

7891 shiyr sheer

or (the original form) shuwr (1 Sam. 18:6) {shoor}; a

primitive root (identical with 7788 through the idea of

strolling minstrelsy); to sing:--behold (by mistake for

7789), sing(-er, -ing man, - ing woman).

see HEBREW for 07788

see HEBREW for 07789

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

שִׁיר (shir) — to sing.

1) to sing

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to sing

1a2) singer, songstresses (participle)

1b) (Polel)

1b1) to sing

1b2) singer, songstress (participle)

1c) (Hophal) to be sung

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Conj | Art | V-o — Conjunction · particle · verb piel participle (active) masculine plural
HC/Td/Vprmpa
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
Nave's Topical Bible

→ See MUSIC

and they dwelt the priests and the Levites and some of the people and the singers and the gatekeepers and the temple servants in cities their and all Israel in cities their
וְהַשּׁוֹעֲרִ֛יםve.ha.sho.'a.Rim and the gatekeepers H7778 Conjunction · particle · noun common masculine plural absolute
37× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
A gatekeeper or porter was a person responsible for guarding and maintaining a gate or door. This word is used to describe someone who controls access to a building or area. In the Bible, it is translated as doorkeeper or porter.
Amplified meaning
porters, doorkeepers
Tyndale gloss
gatekeeper
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

שֹׁעֵר (sho'er) refers to a doorkeeper or porter, derived from the active participle form of a root meaning to guard or keep. The term is consistently defined across entries as a gatekeeper, emphasizing its role in overseeing entrances.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

שֹׁעֵר 37 n.m. porter

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H7778 שֹׁעֵר, שׁוֹעֵר

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

7778 show`er sho-are'

or shomer {sho-are'}: active participle of 8176 (as

denominative from 8179); a janitor:--doorkeeper, porter.

see HEBREW for 08176

see HEBREW for 08179

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

שֹׁעֵר (sho.er) — gatekeeper.

gatekeeper, porter

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Conj | Art | N-mp — Conjunction · particle · noun common masculine plural absolute
HC/Td/Ncmpa
and they dwelt the priests and the Levites and some of the people and the singers and the gatekeepers and the temple servants in cities their and all Israel in cities their
וְהַנְּתִינִ֖יםve.ha.ne.ti.Nim and the temple servants H5411 Conjunction · particle · noun common masculine plural absolute
17× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This term refers to temple servants, called Nethinim, who helped the Levites and priests in the sanctuary. They were assigned to serve in the temple, as seen in Ezra and Nehemiah. The Nethinim played a vital role in temple duties.
Amplified meaning
Nethinim, helpers
Tyndale gloss
temple servant
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

נְתִינִים (Nathiyn) refers to the Nethinim, a group of temple servants assigned to assist the Levites and priests in the sanctuary. The term is derived from the root meaning 'given,' indicating those who were given to this duty. It appears in the context of temple service, particularly in Ezra 8:17.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

נְתִינִים n.m.pl. Nethinim (prop. those given to the service of the sanctuary)

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H5411 נְתִינִים, נָתִין, נָתוּן

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

5411 Nathiyn naw-theen'

or Nathuwn (Ezra 8:17) {naw-thoon'} (the proper form as

passive participle), from 5414; one given, i.e. (in the plural

only) the Nethinim, or Temple-servants (as given to that

duty):--Nethinims.

see HEBREW for 05414

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

נְתִינִים (na.tin) — temple servant.

1) Nethinims

1a) temple slaves assigned to the Levites and priests for service in the sanctuary

Aramaic equivalent: ne.tin (נְתִין "temple servant" H5412)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Conj | Art | N-mp — Conjunction · particle · noun common masculine plural absolute
HC/Td/Ncmpa
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
Torrey's New Topical Textbook

- Early mention of

Ge 9:25,26

- DIVIDED INTO

. Male

Ge 24:34; 32:5

. Female

Ge 16:6; 32:5

. Bond

Ge 43:18; Le 25:46

. Hired

Mr 1:20; Lu 15:17

- Persons devoted to the service of another so called

Ps 119:49; Isa 56:6

- The subjects of a prince or king so called

Ex 9:20; 11:8

- Persons of low condition so called

and they dwelt the priests and the Levites and some of the people and the singers and the gatekeepers and the temple servants in cities their and all Israel in cities their
בְּעָרֵיהֶ֑םbe.'a.rei.Hem in cities their H5892 Preposition · noun common masculine plural construct · suffix
1,090× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
In the Bible, this word refers to a city or town, often a place with a wall or a watchman. It is used to describe a settlement or encampment, like the city of Ai, which is mentioned in the book of Joshua. The word is used to identify specific locations in the Bible.
Amplified meaning
cities, villages
Tyndale gloss
excitement
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word עִיר (*'iyr*) has meanings related to both excitement and city. It can denote excitement, particularly of terror or rage, as well as refer to a city or town, indicating a place that is guarded or inhabited. The entries suggest a broad application, from fortified cities to simple encampments. There is a specific mention of a man named Ir in 1 Chronicles 4:12.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

עִיר n.[m.] excitement;—of terror; of rage

base

עִיר 1092 n.f. city, town

city, town, abode of men

of fortress in a city

appar. fortified place, of any size

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H5892a עִיר excitement;—of terror; of rage H5892b עִיר city, town . city, town, abode of men

. of fortress in a city

. appar. fortified place, of any size

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

5892 `iyr eer

or (in the plural) par {awr}; or ayar (Judges 10:4)

{aw-yar'}; from 5782 a city (a place guarded by waking or a

watch) in the widest sense (even of a mere encampment or

post):--Ai (from margin), city, court (from margin), town.

see HEBREW for 05782

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

עִיר (ir) — excitement.

1) excitement, anguish

1a) of terror

עִיר (ir) — city.

1) city, town (a place of waking, guarded)

1a) city, town (a place of waking, guarded)

1a) city, town

עִיר (ir) — City (of On).

Combined with on (אֹן "On" H0204)

This name means city, town

Another name of on (אֹן "On" H0204)

עִיר (ir) — Ir-.

#A man of the tribe of Judah living at the time of Divided Monarchy, only mentioned at 1Ch.4.12;

son of: Tehinnah (H8468)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Prep | N-fp | Suff — Preposition · noun common masculine plural construct · suffix
HR/Ncmpc/Sp3mp
and they dwelt the priests and the Levites and some of the people and the singers and the gatekeepers and the temple servants in cities their and all Israel in cities their
וְכָל־ve.khol and all H3605 Conjunction · 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
remainder, 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 construct
HC/Ncmsc
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
and they dwelt the priests and the Levites and some of the people and the singers and the gatekeepers and the temple servants in cities their and all Israel in cities their
יִשְׂרָאֵ֖לYis.ra.'El Israel H3478 Noun proper
2,508× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
Israel is the symbolic name of Jacob, also referring to his descendants. Jacob, son of Isaac and Rebekah, had 12 sons who became the tribes of Israel, as told in Genesis 25:26. His story is crucial to the Bible's narrative.
Amplified meaning
descendants of Jacob, God's chosen people
Tyndale gloss
Israel
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

יִשְׂרָאֵל (Yisra'el) refers to both the second name of Jacob, meaning 'God prevails,' and the name of the Hebrew nation descended from him. It is derived from roots meaning 'to rule' and 'God.' The term encompasses Jacob's descendants and is used historically for the northern kingdom of Israel and the nation as a whole after the Babylonian exile.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

יִשְׂרָאֵל 2507 n.pr.m. et gent. Israel (Ēl persisteth, persevereth)

n.pr.m. second name of Jacob

n.pr.gent. name of Hebrew nation

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H3478 יִשְׂרָאֵל Israel (Ēl persisteth, persevereth) . n. pr. m. second name of Jacob

. n. pr. gent. name of Hebrew nation

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

3478 Yisra'el yis-raw-ale'

from 8280 and 410; he will rule as God; Jisrael, a symbolical

name of Jacob; also (typically) of his posterity:

--Israel.

see HEBREW for 08280

see HEBREW for 0410

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

יִשְׂרָאֵל (yis.ra.el) — Israel.

A man living at the time of the Patriarchs, first mentioned at Gen.25.26;

son of: Isaac (H3327) and Rebekah (H7259);

brother of: Esau (H6215); married to Rachel (H7354), Leah (H3812), Zilpah (H2153) and Bilhah (H1090A);

father of: Reuben (H7205), Simeon (H8095), Levi (H3878), Judah (H3063), Dan (H1835H), Naphtali (H5321), Gad (H1410), Asher (H0836), Issachar (H3485), Zebulun (H2074), Dinah (H1783), Joseph (H3130) and Benjamin (H1144); also called Jacob frequently

§ Israel = "God prevails"

1) the second name for Jacob given to him by God after his wrestling with the angel at Peniel

2) the name of the descendants and the nation of the descendants of Jacob

2a) the name of the nation until the death of Solomon and the split

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-proper — Noun proper
HNpl
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

iz'-ra-el.

See JACOB.

Easton's Bible Dictionary

Israel

The name conferred on Jacob after the great prayer-struggle at Peniel (Gen. 32:28), because “as a prince he had power with God and prevailed.” (See JACOB.) This is the common name given to Jacob’s descendants. The whole people of the twelve tribes are called “Israelites,” the “children of Israel” (Josh. 3:17; 7:25; Judg. 8:27; Jer. 3:21), and the “house of Israel” (Ex. 16:31; 40:38).

This name Israel is sometimes used emphatically for the true Israel (Ps. 73:1: Isa. 45:17; 49:3;

Smith's Bible Dictionary

(the prince that prevails with God). The name given, (Genesis 32:28) to Jacob after his wrestling with the angel, (Hosea 12:4) at Peniel. Gesenius interprets Israel "soldier of God." It became the national name of the twelve tribes collectively. They are so called in (Exodus 3:16) and afterward. It is used in a narrower sense, excluding Judah, in (1 Samuel 11:8; 2 Samuel 20:1; 1 Kings 12:16) Thenceforth it was assumed and accepted as the name of the northern kingdom. After the Babylonian captivity, the returned exiles resumed the name Israel as the designation of…

American Tract Society Bible Dictionary

Who prevails with God, a name given to Jacob, after having wrestled with the Angel-Jehovah at Penuel. Ge 32:1,2,28,30 Ho 12:3. See JACOB. By the name Israel is sometimes understood all the posterity of Israel, the seed of Jacob, 1Co 10:18; sometimes all true believers, his spiritual seed, Ro 9:6; and sometimes the kingdom of Israel, or the ten tribes, as distinct from the kingdom of Judah.

The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
and they dwelt the priests and the Levites and some of the people and the singers and the gatekeepers and the temple servants in cities their and all Israel in cities their
בְּעָרֵיהֶֽם׃ סbe.'a.rei.Hem in cities their H5892 Preposition · noun common masculine plural construct · suffix
1,090× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
In the Bible, this word refers to a city or town, often a place with a wall or a watchman. It is used to describe a settlement or encampment, like the city of Ai, which is mentioned in the book of Joshua. The word is used to identify specific locations in the Bible.
Amplified meaning
lived, dwelt, cities, communities
Tyndale gloss
excitement
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word עִיר (*'iyr*) has meanings related to both excitement and city. It can denote excitement, particularly of terror or rage, as well as refer to a city or town, indicating a place that is guarded or inhabited. The entries suggest a broad application, from fortified cities to simple encampments. There is a specific mention of a man named Ir in 1 Chronicles 4:12.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

עִיר n.[m.] excitement;—of terror; of rage

base

עִיר 1092 n.f. city, town

city, town, abode of men

of fortress in a city

appar. fortified place, of any size

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H5892a עִיר excitement;—of terror; of rage H5892b עִיר city, town . city, town, abode of men

. of fortress in a city

. appar. fortified place, of any size

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

5892 `iyr eer

or (in the plural) par {awr}; or ayar (Judges 10:4)

{aw-yar'}; from 5782 a city (a place guarded by waking or a

watch) in the widest sense (even of a mere encampment or

post):--Ai (from margin), city, court (from margin), town.

see HEBREW for 05782

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

עִיר (ir) — excitement.

1) excitement, anguish

1a) of terror

עִיר (ir) — city.

1) city, town (a place of waking, guarded)

1a) city, town (a place of waking, guarded)

1a) city, town

עִיר (ir) — City (of On).

Combined with on (אֹן "On" H0204)

This name means city, town

Another name of on (אֹן "On" H0204)

עִיר (ir) — Ir-.

#A man of the tribe of Judah living at the time of Divided Monarchy, only mentioned at 1Ch.4.12;

son of: Tehinnah (H8468)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Prep | N-fp | Suff — Preposition · noun common masculine plural construct · suffix
HR/Ncmpc/Sp3mp
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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