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Genesis 19:6 — Word Study

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WLCוַיֵּצֵ֧א אֲלֵהֶ֛ם ל֖וֹט הַפֶּ֑תְחָה וְהַדֶּ֖לֶת סָגַ֥ר אַחֲרָֽיו׃

BSALotLôwṭ [Abraham's nephew, a righteous man] wentyâtsâʼ outsidepethach [to the doorway, unto them] to meet themʼêl shuttingçâgar [to close, after himself] the doordeleth [the entrance, a barrier] behind himʼachar [after himself, to prevent entry]

Word
Listen & take awayGenesis 19
English ↓ Download MP3 The Berean Standard Bible chapter audio already hosted for the site's Bible section — verse 6 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 ('a.cha.Rav) — no per-word recordings of the Hebrew exist to link to.
Take it away
Genesis 19:6quick helps
In a sentenceLot goes outside to meet the visitors, ensuring the door is closed behind him.
Who is speakingLot, the nephew of Abraham, acting to protect his guests.
Where we areIn the city of Sodom, at Lot's home, during a tense encounter.
The hard wordסָגַר
Take awayLot's actions demonstrate his protective instincts in a dangerous situation.
3 commentators on this verse Gill, Jamieson, Trapp & more — read them › clause subjectלוֹט verbיָצָא 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 — Genesis 19:6

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 Destruction of Sodomgenerated

5They called out to Lot, saying, “Where are the men who came to you tonight? Send them out to us so we can have relations with them!”
6Lot went outside to meet them, shutting the door behind him.
7“Please, my brothers,” he pleaded, “don’t do such a wicked thing!
8Look, I have two daughters who have never slept with a man. Let me bring them to you, and you can do to them as you please. But do not do anything to these men, for they have come under the protection of my roof.”

Genesis 19:6 describes Lot's encounter with two visitors in Sodom. The narrative reveals the moral decay of the city and Lot's efforts to protect his guests from the wicked intentions of the townspeople. This moment is pivotal, showcasing Lot's character and the dire circumstances he faces.


Cross References

ReferenceText (BSB)
1Judges 19:23The owner of the house went out and said to them, “No, my brothers, do not do this wicked thing! After all, this man is a guest in my house. Do not commit this outrage.

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


The Key Word יָצָא, vai.ye.Tze'generated

The verb יָצָא (yatsa') means 'to go out' or 'to come out'. It signifies departure from a location and can imply various contexts such as escape or emergence. In this verse, it indicates Lot leaving the safety of his home to confront the men outside.

This verb is in the sequential imperfect, indicating a continuous action in the past, which emphasizes Lot's immediate response to the situation. The choice of this verb underscores the urgency of his actions.


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 verb יָצָא governs the main action of the verse — went out — with a prepositional phrase indicating direction and a participial phrase describing the action of closing the door. The structure emphasizes Lot's decisive movement and protective gesture.

The Hebrew word order places emphasis on Lot's actions, first stating his departure and then detailing the action of shutting the door, which highlights the importance of both actions in the context of the narrative.


Septuagint Backgroundgenerated

The Septuagint translates יָצָא as ἐχῆλθεν (echēlthen), which also means 'went out'. This choice maintains the same meaning, reflecting Lot's action of leaving his home.

The translation of סָגַר is not directly provided, indicating a potential interpretative choice by the translators, focusing on the action without a specific Greek equivalent.


In plain words — the whole versegenerated

Genesis 19:6 tells us that Lot went outside to meet the visitors while shutting the door behind him. This action shows Lot's willingness to protect his guests from the dangers posed by the men of Sodom.


Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated

Why did Lot go outside?

Lot went outside to meet the visitors and protect them from the wicked intentions of the townspeople.

What does shutting the door signify?

Shutting the door signifies Lot's intention to secure his home and protect his guests from harm.

Who were the visitors?

The visitors were angels sent by God to warn Lot and his family about the impending destruction of Sodom.

What can we learn from Lot's actions?

Lot's actions demonstrate the importance of hospitality and protection, even in dangerous situations.


Reflection Questionsgenerated

  1. What does Lot's willingness to confront danger teach us about courage in difficult situations?
  2. How can we practice hospitality in our own lives, like Lot did?
  3. What steps can we take to protect those who are vulnerable in our communities?
  4. In what ways can we respond to urgent situations with decisive action, as Lot did?

Commentators on this verse — 3 expositors, verse by verse

Each of these wrote on Genesis 19:6 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.

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

And Lot went out at the door unto them,.... At the door of his house: and shut the door after him; the door of the passage to his house, the courtyard door, for another word is here used; unless the

Read John Gill on Genesis 19 →
Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's Commentary

And Lot went out at the door unto them, and shut the door after him, Lot went out at the door unto them.

Read Robert Jamieson on Genesis 19 →
John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

Genesis 19:6 And Lot went out at the door unto them, and shut the door after him,Ver. 6. Lot went out.] So he exposed himself, to save his strangers, hoping to save them from that abominable violence. The right of strangers is so holy, that there was scarce ever any nation so barbarous that would violate the same. When Stephen Gardiner had in his power the renowned clerk Peter Martyr, then teaching at Oxford, he would not keep him to punish him; but when he should go his way, as it is reported, gave him wherewith to bear his charges. But these Sodomites had not so much humanity left in them. They had put off the man, and were become dogs and worse. Am I a dog? saith Abner; that is, so given…

Read John Trapp on Genesis 19 →

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

Lot went outside to meet them, shutting the door behind him.

WEBWorld English Bible2000

Lot went out to them through the door, and shut the door after himself.

MSBMajority Standard Bible2022

Lot went outside to meet them, shutting the door behind him.

NETBNew English Translation2006

Lot went outside to them, shutting the door behind him.

Tyndale line

KJVKing James Version1611

And Lot went out at the door unto them, and shut the door after him,

ASVAmerican Standard Version1901

And Lot went out unto them to the door, and shut the door after him.

RVARevised Version, American1894

And Lot went out unto them to the door, and shut the door after him.

NWBWebster's Bible1833

And Lot went out at the door to them, and shut the door after him,

GNVGeneva Bible1599

Then Lot went out at the doore vnto them, and shut the doore after him,

Strictly literal

DBYDarby Translation1890

And Lot went out to them to the entrance, and shut the door after him,

YLTYoung's Literal Translation1862

And Lot goeth out unto them, to the opening, and the door hath shut behind him,

LSVLiteral Standard Version2020

And Lot goes out to them, to the opening, and the door has shut behind him,

ILTInterlinear Literal Translation2000

And Lot went out unto them, at the entrance [of the house], and shut the door after him.

ULBUnlocked Literal Bible2017

So Lot went out the door to them and shut the door after himself.

From the Latin

DRADouay-Rheims (Challoner)1899

Lot went out to them, and shut the door after him, and said:

Simplified

FBVFree Bible Version2020

Lot went out to talk to them in the doorway, closing the door behind him.

BBEBible in Basic English1949

And Lot went out to them in the doorway, shutting the door after him.

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.

וַandclauseverbיֵּצֵ֧אhe.went.outprepositional phrase · prepositionalאֲלֵtoהֶ֛םthemsubjectל֖וֹטLotnoun phrase · prepositionalהַtonoun phraseפֶּ֑תְחָtheהentranceוְandclausenoun phrase · objectהַtheדֶּ֖לֶתdoorverbסָגַ֥רhe.closedprepositional phrase · prepositionalאַחֲרָֽיbehindוhim

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: וַיֵּצֵ֧א אֲלֵהֶ֛ם ל֖וֹט הַפֶּ֑תְחָה וְהַדֶּ֖לֶת סָגַ֥ר אַחֲרָֽיו׃. The Septuagint matches six of the seven words closely, maintaining the core meaning. The Samaritan Pentateuch differs in three words, using אליהם (to), פתח (opening), and סגרו (closed), which indicates a variation in the text but retains the overall meaning.

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

וַיֵּצֵ֧א אֲלֵהֶ֛ם ל֖וֹט הַפֶּ֑תְחָה וְהַדֶּ֖לֶת סָגַ֥ר אַחֲרָֽיו׃

Septuagintthe Greek the translators chose, word by word
וַיֵּצֵ֧אἐχῆλθενאֲלֵהֶ֛םλωτהַפֶּ֑תְחָהπρόθυρονוְהַדֶּ֖לֶתθύρανסָגַ֥רπροσέῳχενאַחֲרָֽיו׃αὐτοῦ

6 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.

Samaritan Pentateuchthe Torah as the Samaritan community kept it

ויצא אליהם לוט הפתח והדלת סגרו אחריו

3 words differ from the Masoretic Text: אליהם (to), פתח (opening), סגרו (close)

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.

Genesis 19:6יָצָאand he wentand he went outיָצָאאֶלto themto themאֶללוֹטLotLotלוֹטפֶּ֫תַחthe entrancthe entrance toפֶּ֫תַחדָּלand the dooand the doorדָּלסָגַרhe closedhe closedסָגַראַחַרbehind himbehind himאַחַרפָּתַחto opento openפָּתַחדָּלָהto draw (uto draw (up/outדָּלָהאָחַרto delayto delayאָחַרלוֹטcoveringcoveringלוֹטקָרָאto encountto encounter: mקָרָאגּוֹרָלallottedallottedגּוֹרָלפָּלַלto prayto prayפָּלַליִרְמְיָ֫הJeremiahJeremiahיִרְמְיָ֫היְרֻשָּׁהpossessionpossessionיְרֻשָּׁהרְכוּשׁpropertypropertyרְכוּשׁמָסָךְcoveringcoveringמָסָךְמוֹעֵדmeetingmeetingמוֹעֵדבְּרִיחַbarbarבְּרִיחַסָגַרto shutto shutסָגַרדָּלdoordoorדָּלבַּ֫עַדabout/throabout/through/fבַּ֫עַדרָדַףto pursueto pursueרָדַףזָנָהto fornicato fornicateזָנָה
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 Genesis 19:6

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 he went out to them Lot the entrance towards and the door he closed behind him
וַיֵּצֵ֧אvai.ye.Tze' and he went out H3318 Verb · Qal · sequential imperfect third person masculine singular
1,067× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
In the Bible, this Hebrew word means to go out or come out, and it's used in many different ways, like leaving a place or starting a new journey, as seen in Genesis and Exodus.
Tyndale gloss
to come out: come
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

יָצָא (yatsa') is a Hebrew verb meaning to go or come out, with various applications including departure, escape, and emergence. It can refer to both animate and inanimate subjects and emphasizes the idea of origin or source. The verb appears in different forms, such as Qal, Hiphil, and Hophal, indicating actions like leading out or being brought forth.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

יָצָא 1068 vb. go or come out

Qal

go or come out or forth

from (מִן) a place

go forth from (the presence of) a person

in technical senses

of flight, involving escape

depart

of inanimate things

with especial emphasis on idea of origin, source

of children as going forth from loins (of father)

go forth to a place

go forward, proceed to or toward something

come or go forth, with esp. ref. to purpose or result

of combinations

Hiph.

cause to go or come out, bring out, lead out

fig. obj. persons, bring out of (מִן) distress, etc.

bring out animals

inanimate obj.

fig. subj. י׳, bring forth from (מִן)

Hoph. be brought forth

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H3318 יָצָא go or come out .. go or come out or forth . from (מִן) a place

. go forth from (the presence of) a person

. in technical senses

. of flight, involving escape

. depart

. of inanimate things

. with especial emphasis on idea of origin, source

. of children as going forth from loins (of father)

. . go forth to a place

. go forward, proceed to or toward something

. come or go forth, with esp. ref. to purpose or result

. of combinations

. . cause to go or come out, bring out, lead out

. fig. obj. persons, bring out of (מִן) distress, etc.

. bring out animals

. inanimate obj.

. fig. subj. י׳, bring forth from (מִן)

. be brought forth

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

3318 yatsa' yaw-tsaw'

a primitive root; to go (causatively, bring) out, in a great

variety of applications, literally and figuratively, direct

and proxim.:--X after, appear, X assuredly, bear out, X

begotten, break out, bring forth (out, up), carry out, come

(abroad, out, thereat, without), + be condemned,

depart(-ing, -ure), draw forth, in the end, escape, exact,

fail, fall (out), fetch forth (out), get away (forth, hence,

out), (able to, cause to, let) go abroad (forth, on, out),

going out, grow, have forth (out), issue out, lay (lie) out,

lead out, pluck out, proceed, pull out, put away, be risen, X

scarce, send with commandment, shoot forth, spread, spring

out, stand out, X still, X surely, take forth (out), at any

time, X to (and fro), utter.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

יָצָא (ya.tsa) — to come out: come.

: come/go_out/escape

1) to go out, come out, exit, go forth

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to go or come out or forth, depart

1a2) to go forth (to a place)

1a3) to go forward, proceed to (to or toward something)

1a4) to come or go forth (with purpose or for result)

1a5) to come out of

1b) (Hiphil)

1b1) to cause to go or come out, bring out, lead out

1b2) to bring out of

1b3) to lead out

1b4) to deliver

1c) (Hophal) to be brought out or forth

יָצָא (ya.tsa) — to come out: send.

: send/take_out/release

1) to go out, come out, exit, go forth

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to go or come out or forth, depart

1a2) to go forth (to a place)

1a3) to go forward, proceed to (to or toward something)

1a4) to come or go forth (with purpose or for result)

1a5) to come out of

1b) (Hiphil)

1b1) to cause to go or come out, bring out, lead out

1b2) to bring out of

1b3) to lead out

1b4) to deliver

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Conj | V-Qal-ConsecImperf-3ms — Verb · Qal · sequential imperfect third person masculine singular
Hc/Vqw3ms
and he went out to them Lot the entrance towards and the door he closed behind him
אֲלֵהֶ֛ם'a.le.Hem to them H413 Preposition · suffix
5,518× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This Hebrew word means 'to' or 'toward', showing direction or movement. It appears in many books, including Genesis and Exodus, to indicate where someone is going. The KJV translates it in various ways, like 'about', 'according to', or 'against'.
Tyndale gloss
to(wards)
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word אֶל (el) is primarily a preposition indicating motion towards or direction to a person or place. It can also imply entering a limit, presence at a location, or a hostile direction (against). Additionally, it may express concepts such as concerning, in addition to, or according to. The entries highlight its versatility in both physical and metaphorical contexts.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

אֶל (nearly always followed by Makkeph),

prep. denoting motion to or direction towards (whether physical or mental).of motion to or unto a person or place

Where the limit is actually entered, into

Of direction towards anything

Where the motion or direction implied appears from the context to be of a hostile character, אֶל = against

Unto sometimes acquires from the context the sense of in addition to

Metaph. in regard to, concerning, on account of

Of rule or standard according to (rare)

Expressing presence at a spot, against, at, by, not merely after verbs implying motion

Prefixed to other preps. it combines with them the idea of motion or direction to

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H413 אֶל (nearly always followed by Makkeph), . of motion to or unto a person or place

. Where the limit is actually entered, into

. Of direction towards anything

. Where the motion or direction implied appears from the context to be of a hostile character, אֶל = against

. Unto sometimes acquires from the context the sense of in addition to

. Metaph. in regard to, concerning, on account of

. Of rule or standard according to (rare)

. Expressing presence at a spot, against, at, by, not merely after verbs implying motion

. Prefixed to other preps. it combines with them the idea of motion or direction to

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

413 'el ale

(but only used in the shortened constructive form sel {el});

a primitive particle; properly, denoting motion towards, but

occasionally used of a quiescent position, i.e. near, with or

among; often in general, to:--about, according to ,after,

against, among, as for, at, because(-fore, -side), both...and,

by, concerning, for, from, X hath, in(- to), near, (out) of,

over, through, to(-ward), under, unto, upon, whether,

with(-in).

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

אֶל (el) — to(wards).

1) to, toward, unto (of motion)

2) into (limit is actually entered)

2a) in among

3) toward (of direction, not necessarily physical motion)

4) against (motion or direction of a hostile character)

5) in addition to, to

6) concerning, in regard to, in reference to, on account of

7) according to (rule or standard)

8) at, by, against (of one's presence)

9) in between, in within, to within, unto (idea of motion to)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Prep | Suff — Preposition · suffix
HRd/Sp3mp
and he went out to them Lot the entrance towards and the door he closed behind him
ל֖וֹטLot Lot H3876 Noun proper masculine
33× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
Lot was Abraham's nephew, who settled in Sodom and was later rescued by God. His name means covering and he is an important figure in the book of Genesis, particularly in chapters 11-14.
Amplified meaning
Abraham's nephew, a righteous man
Tyndale gloss
Lot
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

לוֹט (Lot) refers to the son of Haran and nephew of Abram, noted for settling in Sodom. The entries highlight his familial connections, including his daughters and descendants, Moab and Ben-ammi. The name is derived from a root meaning 'covering.' He is first mentioned in Genesis 11:27.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

לוֹט 33 n.pr.m. Lot son of Haran, and nephew of Abram

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H3876 לוֹט Lot son of Haran, and nephew of Abram

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

3876 Lowt lote

the same as 3875; Lot, Abraham's nephew:--Lot.

see HEBREW for 03875

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

לוֹט (lot) — Lot.

A man living at the time of the Patriarchs, first mentioned at Gen.11.27;

son of: Haran (H2039);

brother of: Milcah (H4435) and Iscah (H3252);

father of: daughter1_of_Lot (H3876H), daughter2_of_Lot (H3876I), Moab (H4124H), Ben-ammi (H1151)

Also named: Lōt (Λώτ "Lot" G3091)

§ Lot = "covering"

son of Haran and Abraham's nephew who settled in Sodom and was delivered from its destruction by God

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-proper — Noun proper masculine
HNpm
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
Easton's Bible Dictionary

Lot

(Heb. goral, a “pebble”), a small stone used in casting lots (Num. 33:54; Jonah 1:7). The lot was always resorted to by the Hebrews with strictest reference to the interposition of God, and as a method of ascertaining the divine will (Prov. 16:33), and in serious cases of doubt (Esther 3:7). Thus the lot was used at the division of the land of Canaan among the serveral tribes (Num. 26:55; 34:13), at the detection of Achan (Josh. 7:14, 18), the election of Saul to be king (1 Sam. 10:20, 21), the distribution of…

Smith's Bible Dictionary

(literally a pebble). The custom of deciding doubtful questions by lot is one of great extent and high antiquity. Among the Jews lots were used with the expectation that God would so control them as to give a right direction to them. They were very often used by God’s appointment. "As to the mode of casting lots, we have no certain information. Probably several modes were practiced." "Very commonly among the Latins little counters of wood were put into a jar with so narrow a neck that only one could come out at a time. After the jar had been filled with water and the contents shaken, the lots were determined by the order in which the bits of wood, representing the several parties, came out with the water. in other cases they were put into a wide open jar, and the counters were drawn out by the hand. Sometimes again they were cast in the manner of dice. The soldiers who cast lots for…

American Tract Society Bible Dictionary

The son of Haran, and nephew of Abraham, followed his uncle from Ur, and afterwards from Haran, to settle in Canaan, Ge 11:31 12:4-6 13:1. Abraham always had a great affection for him, and when they could not continue longer together in Canaan, because they both had large flocks and their shepherds sometimes quarreled, Ge 13:5-7, he gave Lot the choice of his abode. Lot chose the plain of Sodom, which appears then to have been the most fertile parts of the land. Here he continued to dwell till the destruction of Sodom and the adjacent cities. He was a righteous man even in Sodom, 2Pe 2:7; but the calamities consequent upon his choice of this residence-his capture by eastern marauders, the molestation caused by his ungodly and…

Hitchcock's Bible Names Dictionary

Lotan, wrapt up; hidden; covered; myrrh; rosin

and he went out to them Lot the entrance towards and the door he closed behind him
הַפֶּ֑תְחָהha.Pet.chah the entrance towards H6607 Particle · noun common masculine singular absolute · suffix
164× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
A pethach is an entrance or doorway, like the gates of Jerusalem or the door to the temple, often symbolizing transition or access to a new place.
Amplified meaning
to the doorway, unto them
Tyndale gloss
entrance
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

פֶּ֫תַח (pethach) refers to an opening, such as a doorway or entrance. It is derived from a root meaning to open and encompasses terms like gate and entrance way. The entries consistently highlight its literal and figurative uses, but do not provide specific verse references.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

פֶּ֫תַח 164 n.m. opening, doorway, entrance

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H6607 פֶּ֫תַח opening, doorway, entrance

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

6607 pethach peh'-thakh

from 6605; an opening (literally), i.e. door (gate) or

entrance way:--door, entering (in), entrance (-ry), gate,

opening, place.

see HEBREW for 06605

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

פֶּ֫תַח (pe.tach) — entrance.

opening, doorway, entrance

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Art | N-ms | Suff — Particle · noun common masculine singular absolute · suffix
HTd/Ncmsa/Sd
and he went out to them Lot the entrance towards and the door he closed behind him
וְהַדֶּ֖לֶתve.ha.De.let and the door H1817 Conjunction · particle · noun common feminine singular absolute
88× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
A door is something that swings, like the valve of a door or gate. In the Bible, doors can represent entrance or access, as seen in Psalm 141:3 where David asks God to set a door on his lips.
Amplified meaning
the entrance, a barrier
Tyndale gloss
door
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

דָּל (dal), דָּלָה (da.lah), and דֶּ֫לֶת (de.let) all refer to a 'door' or 'gate' in Hebrew. The entries indicate various uses, including literal doors and figurative meanings, such as a door of a chamber or even metaphorical doors in poetry. Notably, dal is mentioned in Psalm 141:3.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

[דָּל] n.[m.] door only fig.: ψ 141:3.

ref

[דָּלָה] n.f. door, Is 26:20 fig., door of chamber in which people (personified) hides

ref

דֶּ֫לֶת n.f. door

door of house

door of room

gates of city

in other senses

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H1817a דָּל door H1817b דָּלָה door H1817c דֶּ֫לֶת door

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

1817 deleth deh'-leth

from 1802; something swinging, i.e. the valve of a

door:--door (two-leaved), gate, leaf, lid. (In Psa. 141:3,

dal, irreg.).

see HEBREW for 01802

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

דָּל (dal) — door.

door (fig.)

דָּלָה (da.lah) — door.

door (fig., door of chamber in which people (personified) hide)

דֶּ֫לֶת (de.let) — door.

1) door, gate

1a) a door

1b) a gate

1c) (fig.)

1c1) of chest lid

1c2) of crocodile jaws

1c3) of doors of the heavens

1c4) of an easily-accessible woman

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Conj | Art | N-fs — Conjunction · particle · noun common feminine singular absolute
HC/Td/Ncfsa
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

dor: Most commonly the rendering of Hebrew pethach, "doorway," deleth, "door" proper (the two distinguished in Ge 19:6), or of Greek thura, which represents both meanings. The door proper was usually of wood, frequently sheeted with metal, sometimes of one slab of stone, as shown in excavations in the Hauran. It turned on pivots (the "hinges" of Pr 26:14) working in sockets above and below, and was provided with a bolt (2Sa 13:17) or with lock and key (Jud 3:23). The doorway was enclosed by the stone threshold (1Ki 14:17), the two doorposts on either side, and the lintel above (

→ Posts of, sprinkled with the blood of the paschal lamb Ex 12:22

→ The law to be written on De 11:20

→ Hinges for Pr 26:14

→ Made of gold 1Ki 7:50

→ Doors of the temple made of two leaves, cherubim and flowers carved upon, covered with gold 1Ki 6:31-35

→ FIGURATIVE

Door of hope Ho 2:15

Of opportunity 1Co 16:9; Re 3:8

Closed Mt 25:10; Lu 13:25;

and he went out to them Lot the entrance towards and the door he closed behind him
סָגַ֥רsa.Gar he closed H5462 Verb · Qal · perfect third person masculine singular
91× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
To shut means to close something, like a door or a container. In the Bible, this word is used to describe surrendering or giving something up, like in the book of Ezra where the Israelites shut themselves in to pray.
Amplified meaning
to close, after himself
Tyndale gloss
to shut
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

סָגַר (sagar) means to shut or close, with various applications including shutting doors, closing up breaches, and imprisoning. It can also imply delivering someone up or surrendering. The verb appears in different forms, such as Qal (to shut), Niphal (to be shut up), and Piel (to deliver up). The term is associated with the concept of being tightly sealed or enclosed.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

סָגַר vb. shut, close

Qal

shut door

close in upon

close up breach

Pt. pass., closed up = closely joined with tight seal

elsewhwere only Pt. pass. (gold shut up, and so prized, rare, fine?)

Niph.

subj. pers. be shut up

be shut, closed, of city gates

Pi. deliver up to (leave no other opening for one, shut one up to)

Pu.

of cities

of prisoners

of doors

Hiph.

deliver up to

shut up

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H5462 סָגַר shut, close .. shut door

. . close in upon

. close up breach

. Pt. pass., closed up = closely joined with tight seal

. elsewhwere only Pt. pass. (gold shut up, and so prized, rare, fine?)

. . subj. pers. be shut up

. be shut, closed, of city gates

. deliver up to (leave no other opening for one, shut one up to)

. . of cities

. of prisoners

. of doors

. . deliver up to

. shut up

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

5462 cagar saw-gar'

a primitive root; to shut up; figuratively, to

surrender:--close up, deliver (up), give over (up), inclose,

X pure, repair, shut (in, self, out, up, up together), stop, X

straitly.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

סָגַר (sa.gar) — to shut.

1) to shut, close

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to shut

1a2) to close, close up

1a3) closed up, closely joined, shut up

1b) (Niphal)

1b1) to be shut up

1b2) to be shut or closed

1c) (Piel) to shut up, deliver up

1d) (Pual) to be shut up

1e) (Hiphil)

1e1) to deliver up

1e2) to shut up, imprison

2) pure gold

Aramaic equivalent: se.gar (סְגַר "to shut" H5463)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
V-Qal-Perf-3ms — Verb · Qal · perfect third person masculine singular
HVqp3ms
and he went out to them Lot the entrance towards and the door he closed behind him
אַחֲרָֽיו׃'a.cha.Rav behind him H310 Suffix
716× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
Achar means backwards or after, used to describe something that happens later or in the rear. It is used in various senses in the Bible, including in 1 Kings 12:18.
Amplified meaning
after himself, to prevent entry
Tyndale gloss
after
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word אַחַר (*achar*) primarily denotes the concept of 'after' or 'behind' in both spatial and temporal contexts. It functions as a substantive, adverb, preposition, and conjunction, indicating a following part or time. The related form אַחֲרַי (*acharai*) refers to a person who turns backwards. There is a reference to Proverbs 28:23 in relation to the latter.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

אַחַר prop. subst. the hinder or following part

adv.

of place, behind

of time, afterwards

prep.

of place, behind, after

of time, after

conj. after that.

base

אַחֲרַי adj. Pr 28:23 a man that turneth backwards.

ref

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H310a אַחַר prop. subst. the hinder or following part . adv. . of place, behind

. of time, afterwards

. prep. . of place, behind, after

. of time, after

. conj. after that.

H310b אַחֲרַי a man that turneth backwards.

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

310 'achar akh-ar'

from 309; properly, the hind part; generally used as an

adverb or conjunction, after (in various senses):--after

(that, -ward), again, at, away from, back (from, -side),

behind, beside, by, follow (after, -ing), forasmuch, from,

hereafter, hinder end, + out (over) live, + persecute,

posterity, pursuing, remnant, seeing, since, thence(-forth),

when, with.

see HEBREW for 0309

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

אַחַר (a.char) — after.

1) after the following part, behind (of place), hinder, afterwards (of time)

1a) as an adverb

1a1) behind (of place)

1a2) afterwards (of time)

1b) as a preposition

1b1) behind, after (of place)

1b2) after (of time)

1b3) besides

1c) as a conjunction

1c) after that

1d) as a substantive

1d1) hinder part

1e) with other prepositions

1e1) from behind

1e2) from following after

אַחֲרַי (a.cha.ray) — backwards.

backwards (of a man that turns backwards)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Prep | Suff — Suffix
HAcmpc/Sp3ms
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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