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Genesis 44:11 — Word Study

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WLCוַֽיְמַהֲר֗וּ וַיּוֹרִ֛דוּ אִ֥ישׁ אֶת־ אַמְתַּחְתּ֖וֹ אָ֑רְצָה וַֽיִּפְתְּח֖וּ אִ֥ישׁ אַמְתַּחְתּֽוֹ׃

BSASo eachʼîysh one quicklymâhar [hastening, in a rush] loweredyârad his sackʼamtachath [a flexible container, like a bag] to the groundʼerets [the land, the earth] and openedpâthach [to engrave or carve, to reveal] itʼamtachath

Word
Listen & take awayGenesis 44
English ↓ Download MP3 The Berean Standard Bible chapter audio already hosted for the site's Bible section — verse 11 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 ('am.tach.To) — no per-word recordings of the Hebrew exist to link to.
Take it away
Genesis 44:11quick helps
In a sentenceThe men hurriedly lowered their sacks to the ground and opened them.
Who is speakingThe steward, addressing the men.
Where we areIn the context of a tense moment of searching for a stolen cup.
The hard wordמָהַר
Take awayThe urgency of the moment is palpable.
2 commentators on this verse Gill, Jamieson & more — read them › clause verbמָהַר 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 44:11

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 Search for the Cupgenerated

10“As you say,” replied the steward. “But only the one who is found with the cup will be my slave, and the rest of you shall be free of blame.”
11So each one quickly lowered his sack to the ground and opened it.
12The steward searched, beginning with the oldest and ending with the youngest—and the cup was found in Benjamin’s sack.
13Then they all tore their clothes, loaded their donkeys, and returned to the city.

Genesis 44:11 describes a critical moment when the steward of Joseph's household confronts the brothers about a stolen cup. In a rush to prove their innocence, each man quickly lowers his sack to the ground and opens it, revealing the tension and desperation of the situation. This scene unfolds in the broader narrative of reconciliation and testing among Joseph and his brothers, highlighting themes of guilt and redemption.


Cross References


The Key Word מָהַר, vay.ma.ha.Rugenerated

The verb מָהַר (mahar) means to hurry or act quickly, reflecting a sense of urgency. It is a Piel form, indicating an active effort to hasten, and is used here in the sequential imperfect tense, showing that the action is ongoing and immediate.

The lexicons emphasize the urgency conveyed by this word, which can also imply anxiety or impetuosity. In this context, it captures the brothers' frantic response to the steward's accusation, underscoring their desire to prove their innocence.


How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated

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


Sentence Structuregenerated

The main action is governed by two finite verbs: מָהַר (hurried) and יָרַד (brought down), with the subject being the men. The structure emphasizes their hurried actions, with each verb indicating a separate but related action.

The sentence structure is straightforward, reflecting the urgency of the moment. The verbs lead the sentence, showing that the actions of lowering and opening the sacks are simultaneous and driven by the need to respond quickly.


Septuagint Backgroundgenerated

מָהַר is rendered as ἔσπευσαν in the Septuagint, which also conveys a sense of urgency. This choice aligns with the Hebrew meaning, reinforcing the hurried actions of the men.

The translation of יָרַד as καθεῖλαν indicates a direct action of lowering, consistent with the Hebrew intent of bringing down their sacks.


In plain words — the whole versegenerated

Genesis 44:11 shows the brothers in a moment of panic as they quickly lower their sacks to the ground and open them. This action is part of a tense scene where they are trying to prove their innocence after being accused of theft.


Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated

Why did the men hurry to lower their sacks?

They were trying to prove their innocence after being accused of having stolen a cup.

What does the act of opening the sacks signify?

It signifies their desperation to show that they are not guilty of the accusation.

How does this verse connect to the larger story?

This moment is part of a narrative where Joseph tests his brothers, leading to themes of guilt, redemption, and reconciliation.

What can we learn from the urgency in this verse?

The urgency reflects the seriousness of the situation and the lengths to which the brothers will go to clear their names.


Reflection Questionsgenerated

  1. What are some situations in my life where I have felt urgency to prove my innocence or integrity?
  2. How can I respond in moments of panic or urgency with faith rather than fear?
  3. What does this verse teach about the importance of honesty and transparency?
  4. In what ways can I support others who are facing accusations or misunderstandings?

Commentators on this verse — 2 expositors, verse by verse

Each of these wrote on Genesis 44:11 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.

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

Then they speedily took down every man his sack to the ground,.... To be opened and examined, and this they did in all haste, as having a clear conscience, and being confident that nothing could be

Read John Gill on Genesis 44 →
Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's Commentary

Behold, the money, which we found in our sacks' mouths, we brought again unto thee out of the land of Canaan: how then should we steal out of thy lord's house silver or gold? No JFB commentary on these verses.

Read Robert Jamieson on Genesis 44 →

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 each one quickly lowered his sack to the ground and opened it.

WEBWorld English Bible2000

Then they hurried, and each man took his sack down to the ground, and each man opened his sack.

MSBMajority Standard Bible2022

So each one quickly lowered his sack to the ground and opened it.

NETBNew English Translation2006

So each man quickly lowered his sack to the ground and opened it.

Tyndale line

KJVKing James Version1611

Then they speedily took down every man his sack to the ground, and opened every man his sack.

ASVAmerican Standard Version1901

Then they hasted, and took down every man his sack to the ground, and opened every man his sack.

RVARevised Version, American1894

Then they hasted, and took down every man his sack to the ground, and opened every man his sack.

NWBWebster's Bible1833

Then they speedily took down every man his sack to the ground, and opened every man his sack.

GNVGeneva Bible1599

Then at once euery man tooke downe his sacke to the grounde, and euery one opened his sacke.

Strictly literal

DBYDarby Translation1890

And they hasted and laid down every man his sack on the ground, and opened every man his sack.

YLTYoung's Literal Translation1862

and they hasten and take down each his bag to the earth, and each openeth his bag;

LSVLiteral Standard Version2020

and they hurry and take down each his bag to the earth, and each opens his bag;

ILTInterlinear Literal Translation2000

And they made haste, and every one of them took down his sack to the ground, and every one opened his sack.

ULBUnlocked Literal Bible2017

Then each man hurried and brought his sack down to the ground, and each man opened his sack.

From the Latin

DRADouay-Rheims (Challoner)1899

Then they speedily took down their sacks to the ground, and every man opened his sack.

Simplified

FBVFree Bible Version2020

They all unloaded their sacks and put them on the ground. They each opened their own sacks.

BBEBible in Basic English1949

Then every man quickly got his bag down and undid it.

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.

וַֽandclauseverbיְמַהֲר֗וּthey.hurriedוַandclauseverbיּוֹרִ֛דוּthey.brought.downadverbialאִ֥ישׁeach.mannoun phrase · objectאֶת(et)noun phraseאַמְתַּחְתּ֖sackוֹhisnoun phrase · prepositionalאָ֑רְצָthe.groundהtoוַֽandclauseverbיִּפְתְּח֖וּthey.openedadverbialאִ֥ישׁeach.mannoun phrase · objectאַמְתַּחְתּֽsackוֹhis

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 largely agree, with eight out of nine words matched. The Samaritan Pentateuch differs in one word, using יורידו (descend) instead of יָרַד, but maintains the overall meaning of the verse.

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

וַֽיְמַהֲר֗וּ וַיּוֹרִ֛דוּ אִ֥ישׁ אֶת־ אַמְתַּחְתּ֖וֹ אָ֑רְצָה וַֽיִּפְתְּח֖וּ אִ֥ישׁ אַמְתַּחְתּֽוֹ׃

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

8 of the 9 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

וימהרו ויורידו אישׁ אמתחתו ארצה ויפתחו אישׁ אמתחתו

1 word differs from the Masoretic Text: יורידו (descend)

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 44:11מָהַרand they huand they hurrieמָהַריָרַדand they brand they broughיָרַדאִישׁeach maneach manאִישׁאֵתthe object the object markאֵתאַמְתַּ֫חַתsack hissack hisאַמְתַּ֫חַתאֶ֫רֶץ[the] groun[the] ground toאֶ֫רֶץפָּתַחand they opand they openedפָּתַחאִישׁeach maneach manאִישׁאַמְתַּ֫חַתsack hissack hisאַמְתַּ֫חַתמָתַחto spreadto spreadמָתַחאֱנוֹשׁhumanhumanאֱנוֹשׁאִשָּׁהwomanwomanאִשָּׁהאוֹתsign: mirasign: miraculouאוֹתרֵעַneighborneighborרֵעַכֶּ֫סֶףsilver: mosilver: moneyכֶּ֫סֶףפָּתַחto opento openפָּתַחאֲבִיגַ֫יִלAbigailAbigailאֲבִיגַ֫יִלכַּדjarjarכַּדשְׁאוֹלhell: Sheohell: Sheolשְׁאוֹלבּוֹרpitpitבּוֹרמִגְרָשׁpasturepastureמִגְרָשׁכְּנַ֫עַןCanaanCanaanכְּנַ֫עַןמִצְרַ֫יִם(Sea of) E(Sea of) Egyptמִצְרַ֫יִםפִּתּוּחַengravingengravingפִּתּוּחַדָּלdoordoorדָּל
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 44:11

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 hurried and they brought down each man the object marker sack his [the] ground towards and they opened each man sack his
וַֽיְמַהֲר֗וּvay.ma.ha.Ru and they hurried H4116 Verb · Piel · sequential imperfect third person masculine plural
68× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This word means to hurry or do something quickly, like when someone is in a rush. It can also mean to buy something by paying a price. The Bible uses it in Genesis.
Amplified meaning
hastening, in a rush
Tyndale gloss
to hasten
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

מָהַר (mahar) primarily means to hasten or hurry, conveying a sense of urgency or quickness. It can describe being anxious or impetuous, as well as the act of preparing or bringing something quickly. Additionally, it has a secondary meaning related to acquiring something by payment. The lexicons agree on these definitions without notable disagreement.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

[מָהַר] vb. hasten

Niph. be hurried = anxious, disturbed; hasty, precipitate; impetuous

Pi.

hasten, make haste = go or come quickly

hasten vb.

trans. hasten, = prepare quickly; = bring quickly; = do quickly

base

מָהַר vb. denom. acquire by paying purchase-price

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H4116a [מָהַר] hasten . be hurried = anxious, disturbed; hasty, precipitate; impetuous

. . hasten, make haste = go or come quickly

. hasten vb.

. trans. hasten, = prepare quickly; = bring quickly; = do quickly

H4116b מָהַר vb. denom. acquire by paying purchase-price

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

4116 mahar maw-har'

a primitive root; properly, to be liquid or flow easily, i.e.

(by implication); to hurry (in a good or a bad sense); often

used (with another verb) adverbially, promptly:--be carried

headlong, fearful, (cause to make, in, make) haste(-n, -ily),

(be) hasty, (fetch, make ready) X quickly, rash, X shortly,

(be so) X soon, make speed, X speedily, X straightway, X

suddenly, swift.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

מָהַר (ma.har) — to hasten.

1)(Qal) to hasten

1a) (Niphal) to be hurried, be anxious

1a) hasty, precipitate, impetuous

1b) (Piel)

1b1) to hasten, make haste

1b2) hasten (used as adverb with another verb)

1b3) to hasten, prepare quickly, do quickly, bring quickly

מָהַר (ma.har) — to buy.

acquire by paying purchase-price

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Conj | V-Piel-ConsecImperf-3mp — Verb · Piel · sequential imperfect third person masculine plural
Hc/Vpw3mp
and they hurried and they brought down each man the object marker sack his [the] ground towards and they opened each man sack his
וַיּוֹרִ֛דוּvai.yo.Ri.du and they brought down H3381 Verb · Hiphil · sequential imperfect third person masculine plural
381× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
To go down or descend, like going to a lower place or falling. It appears in Genesis and Exodus, describing people and things moving downwards.
Tyndale gloss
to go down
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word יָרַד (yarad) means to come or go down, covering various contexts such as descending from mountains, going to battle, or sinking in water. It can also refer to divine manifestations descending or being prostrated. The word has different forms including Qal, Hiphil, and Hophal, which indicate various nuances of bringing down or being brought down.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

יָרַד 380 vb. come or go down, descend

Qal 306

come or go down

go down (usu. from mountain or hill-country into plain), to battle

go down to (acc.) threshing-floor

go down (abs.) from Palestine to Egypt

from Jerusalem

from altar

go down

= sink, in water

go down to She’ôl

fig. going down (dissolving) in tears

= be prostrated

of divine manifestations: descend

of inanimate things

Hiph.

cause to come or go down

bring down

send down rain = cause to flow down

= lay prostrate to (acc.) threshing-floor

bring down to She’ôl

take down (from cart)

let down

Hoph.

be brought down

be taken down

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H3381 יָרַד come or go down, descend .. . come or go down

. go down (usu. from mountain or hill-country into plain), to battle

. go down to (acc.) threshing-floor

. go down (abs.) from Palestine to Egypt

. from Jerusalem

. from altar

. go down

. = sink, in water

. go down to She’ôl

. fig. going down (dissolving) in tears

. = be prostrated

. of divine manifestations: descend

. of inanimate things

. . cause to come or go down . bring down

. send down rain = cause to flow down

. = lay prostrate to (acc.) threshing-floor

. bring down to She’ôl

. take down (from cart)

. let down

. . be brought down

. be taken down

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

3381 yarad yaw-rad'

a primitive root; to descend (literally, to go downwards; or

conventionally to a lower region, as the shore, a boundary,

the enemy, etc.; or figuratively, to fall); causatively, to

bring down (in all the above applications); -X abundantly,

bring down, carry down, cast down, (cause to) come(-ing) down,

fall (down), get down, go(-ing) down(-ward), hang down, X

indeed, let down, light (down), put down (off), (cause to,

let) run down, sink, subdue, take down.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

יָרַד (ya.rad) — to go down.

1) to go down, descend, decline, march down, sink down

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to go or come down

1a2) to sink

1a3) to be prostrated

1a4) to come down (of revelation)

1b) (Hiphil)

1b1) to bring down

1b2) to send down

1b3) to take down

1b4) to lay prostrate

1b5) to let down

1c) (Hophal)

1c1) to be brought down

1c2) to be taken down

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Conj | V-Hiphil-ConsecImperf-3mp — Verb · Hiphil · sequential imperfect third person masculine plural
Hc/Vhw3mp
and they hurried and they brought down each man the object marker sack his [the] ground towards and they opened each man sack his
אִ֥ישׁ'ish each man H376 Noun common · masculine singular absolute
1,664× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
The Hebrew word for man, referring to a male person or individual, is used in the Bible to describe humans in contrast to God or animals, as seen in Genesis and Psalms. It can also mean husband or servant. In the KJV, it is translated as man or male.
Tyndale gloss
man
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word אִישׁ (iysh) means 'man' and can refer to an individual male, a husband, or a human being in general. It encompasses various meanings, including champion and great man, and can also imply 'whosoever' or 'each.' The word is built from a root suggesting existence and is used throughout the Old Testament.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

אִישׁ 2166 n.m. man (= vir)

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H376 אִישׁ man (= vir)

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

376 'iysh eesh

contracted for 582 (or perhaps rather from an unused root

meaning to be extant); a man as an individual or a male

person; often used as an adjunct to a more definite term (and

in such cases frequently not expressed in

translation):--also, another, any (man), a certain, +

champion, consent, each, every (one), fellow, (foot-,

husband-)man, (good-, great, mighty) man, he, high (degree),

him (that is), husband, man(-kind), + none, one, people,

person, + steward, what (man) soever, whoso(-ever), worthy.

Compare 802.

see HEBREW for 0582

see HEBREW for 0802

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

אִישׁ (ish) — man.

: man

1) man

1a) man, male (in contrast to woman, female)

1b) husband

1c) human being, person (in contrast to God)

1d) servant

1e) mankind

1f) champion

1g) great man

2) whosoever

3) each (adjective)

אִישׁ (ish) — man: husband.

: husband

1) man

1a) man, male (in contrast to woman, female)

1b) husband

1c) human being, person (in contrast to God)

1d) servant

1e) mankind

1f) champion

1g) great man

2) whosoever

3) each (adjective)

אִישׁ (ish) — man: anyone.

: anyone/someone

1) man

1a) man, male (in contrast to woman, female)

1b) husband

1c) human being, person (in contrast to God)

1d) servant

1e) mankind

1f) champion

1g) great man

2) whosoever

3) each (adjective)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-ms — Noun common · masculine singular absolute
HNcmsa
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

See ANTHROPOLOGY.

Easton's Bible Dictionary

Man

(1.) Heb. ‘Adam, used as the proper name of the first man. The name is derived from a word meaning “to be red,” and thus the first man was called Adam because he was formed from the red earth. It is also the generic name of the human race (Gen. 1:26, 27; 5:2; 8:21; Deut. 8:3). Its equivalents are the Latin homo and the Greek anthropos (Matt. 5:13, 16). It denotes also man in opposition to woman (Gen. 3:12; Matt. 19:10).

(2.) Heb. ‘ish, like the Latin vir and Greek aner, denotes properly a man in opposition to a woman (1 Sam. 17:33;

→ CREATED Ge 1:26,27; 2:7; 5:1,2; De 4:32; Job 4:17; 10:2,3,8,9; 31:15; 33:4; 35:10; Ps 8:5; 100:3; 119:73; 138:8; 139:14; Ec 7:29; Isa 17:7; 42:5; 43:7; 45:12; 64:8; Jer 27:5; Zec 12:1; Mal 2:10; Mr 10:6; Heb 2:7

See CREATED IN THE IMAGE OF GOD, below

The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
and they hurried and they brought down each man the object marker sack his [the] ground towards and they opened each man sack his
אֶת־'et- the object marker H853 Particle
10,946× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
In the original Hebrew, this word points out the object of a verb or preposition, like 'namely' or 'even'. It appears in many books, including Genesis and Exodus. It's not directly translated in English, but helps clarify the meaning of sentences.
Tyndale gloss
[Obj.]
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

אֵת (eth) is primarily a grammatical marker in Hebrew, indicating the definite direct object of a verb. It is not translated into English and typically precedes nouns that are definite. The word is derived from a demonstrative sense of entity, related to the Hebrew word for 'self.' Its Aramaic equivalent is יָת (yat).

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

אֵת the mark of the accusative, prefixed as a rule only to nouns that are definite

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H853 אֵת the mark of the accusative, prefixed as a rule only to nouns that are definite

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

853 'eth ayth

apparent contracted from 226 in the demonstrative sense of

entity; properly, self (but generally used to point out more

definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or

namely):--(as such unrepresented in English).

see HEBREW for 0226

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

אֵת (et) — [Obj.].

sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative

Aramaic equivalent: yat (יָת "whom" H3487)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
HTo — Particle
HTo
The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
and they hurried and they brought down each man the object marker sack his [the] ground towards and they opened each man sack his
אַמְתַּחְתּ֖וֹ'am.tach.To sack his H572 Noun common feminine singular construct · suffix
15× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
A sack refers to a flexible container, like a bag, used for carrying grain or other items. It is mentioned in the Bible as a common item used for storage and transport.
Amplified meaning
a flexible container, like a bag
Tyndale gloss
sack
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

אַמְתַּ֫חַת (amtachath) refers to a sack or flexible container, particularly for grain. It is derived from a root meaning something expansive. The term appears in Genesis 42-44, where it is used to describe a bag.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

אַמְתַּ֫חַת n.f. sack, only Gn 42-44

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H572 אַמְתַּ֫חַת sack

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

572 'amtachath am-takh'-ath

from 4969; properly, something expansive, i.e. a bag:--sack.

see HEBREW for 04969

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

אַמְתַּ֫חַת (am.ta.chat) — sack.

1) sack, flexible container (for grain)

2) (TWOT) spread out

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-fs | Suff — Noun common feminine singular construct · suffix
HNcfsc/Sp3ms
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

hiz: Used often in the King James Version with reference to a neuter or inanimate thing, or to a lower animal (Ge 1:11, "after his kind"; Le 1:16, "pluck away his crop"; Ac 12:10, "of his own accord"; 1Co 15:38, "his own body"), etc. the Revised Version (British and American) substitutes "its."

and they hurried and they brought down each man the object marker sack his [the] ground towards and they opened each man sack his
אָ֑רְצָה'A.re.tzah [the] ground towards H776 Noun common feminine singular absolute · suffix
2,504× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
The land or earth refers to the soil or ground, and can also mean a country, territory, or region. In the Bible, it is used to describe the earth and its inhabitants, and is often translated as 'land' or 'country'.
Amplified meaning
the land, the earth
Tyndale gloss
land: soil
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

אֶ֫רֶץ (erets) is a feminine noun meaning 'earth' or 'land.' It encompasses various meanings, including the whole earth, specific territories like Canaan, and even inhabitants of the land. It can refer to soil, ground, or regions, and is used in phrases related to distance and the living. There is a note on the plural form אֲרָצוֹת, which mainly appears in later texts to denote multiple lands.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

אֶ֫רֶץ n. f. & (seld.) m. earth, land

earth, whole earth (opp. to a part)

earth, opp. to heaven, sky

earth = inhabitants of earth

land =

country, territory

district, region

trial territory

piece of ground

specif. land of Canaan, or Israel

= inhabitants of land

used even of Shᵉʼôl

ground, surface of ground

soil, as productive

אֶרֶץ in phrases

people of the land

in measurements of distance

the country of the plain, level or plain country

land of the living

end(s) of the earth

pl. אֲרָצוֹת is almost wholly late; it denotes lands, countries, often in contrast to Canaan, lands of the nations, etc.

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H776 אֶ֫רֶץ n. f. & (seld.) m. earth, land . . earth, whole earth (opp. to a part)

. earth, opp. to heaven, sky

. earth = inhabitants of earth

. land = . country, territory

. district, region

. trial territory

. piece of ground

. specif. land of Canaan, or Israel

. = inhabitants of land

. used even of Shᵉʼôl

. . ground, surface of ground

. soil, as productive

. אֶרֶץ in phrases . people of the land

. in measurements of distance

. the country of the plain, level or plain country

. land of the living

. end(s) of the earth

. pl. אֲרָצוֹת is almost wholly late; it denotes lands, countries, often in contrast to Canaan, lands of the nations, etc.

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

776 'erets eh'-rets

from an unused root probably meaning to be firm; the earth

(at large, or partitively a land):--X common, country, earth,

field, ground, land, X natins, way, + wilderness, world.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

אֶ֫רֶץ (e.rets) — land: country/planet.

: country/field

1) land, earth

1a) earth

1a1) whole earth (as opposed to a part)

1a2) earth (as opposed to heaven)

1a3) earth (inhabitants)

1b) land

1b1) country, territory

1b2) district, region

1b3) tribal territory

1b4) piece of ground

1b5) land of Canaan, Israel

1b6) inhabitants of land

1b7) Sheol, land without return, (under) world

1b8) city (-state)

1c) ground, surface of the earth

1c1) ground

1c2) soil

1d) (in phrases)

1d1) people of the land

1d2) space or distance of country (in measurements of distance)

1d3) level or plain country

1d4) land of the living

1d5) end(s) of the earth

1e) (almost wholly late in usage)

1e1) lands, countries

1e1a) often in contrast to Canaan

אֶ֫רֶץ (e.rets) — land: soil.

: soil

1) land, earth

1a) earth

1a1) whole earth (as opposed to a part)

1a2) earth (as opposed to heaven)

1a3) earth (inhabitants)

1b) land

1b1) country, territory

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-cs | Suff — Noun common feminine singular absolute · suffix
HNcfsa/Sd
and they hurried and they brought down each man the object marker sack his [the] ground towards and they opened each man sack his
וַֽיִּפְתְּח֖וּvai.yif.te.Chu and they opened H6605 Verb · Qal · sequential imperfect third person masculine plural
144× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This verb means to engrave or carve, and is used in Exodus to describe the intricate carvings on the furniture of the tabernacle.
Amplified meaning
to engrave or carve, to reveal
Tyndale gloss
to open
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

פָּתַח (pathach) is a Hebrew verb meaning 'to open' and can refer to various actions such as opening doors, loosening restraints, or engraving. It has different forms, including Qal (to open), Niphal (to be opened), and Piel (to engrave). The entries highlight its literal and figurative uses, but there is some overlap in meaning regarding its applications in opening and engraving.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

פָּתַח vb. open

Qal open sack

Niph. be opened

Pi. be opened

free, i.e. ungird, camels

loosen (and remove) sack-cloth

open gates, doors

Hithp. loosen thee the fetters of thy neck

base

[פָּתַח] vb. Pi. engrave

Pu. stones engraved with the engravings of a signet.

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H6605a פָּתַח open .open sack

. be opened

. be opened . free, i.e. ungird, camels

. loosen (and remove) sack-cloth

. open gates, doors

. loosen thee the fetters of thy neck

H6605b פָּתַח Pi. engrave

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

6605 pathach paw-thakh'

a primitive root; to open wide (literally or figuratively);

specifically, to loosen, begin, plough, carve:--appear, break

forth, draw (out), let go free, (en-)grave(-n), loose (self),

(be, be set) open(-ing), put off, ungird, unstop, have vent.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

פָּתַח (pa.tach) — to open.

1) to open

1a) (Qal) to open

1b) (Niphal) to be opened, be let loose, be thrown open

1c) (Piel)

1c1) to free

1c2) to loosen

1c3) to open, open oneself

1d) (Hithpael) to loose oneself

Aramaic equivalent: pe.tach (פְּתַח "to open" H6606)

פָּתַח (pa.tach) — to engrave.

1) to carve, engrave

1a) (Piel) to engrave

1b) (Pual) to be engraved

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Conj | V-Qal-ConsecImperf-3mp — Verb · Qal · sequential imperfect third person masculine plural
Hc/Vqw3mp
and they hurried and they brought down each man the object marker sack his [the] ground towards and they opened each man sack his
אִ֥ישׁ'ish each man H376 Noun common · masculine singular absolute
1,664× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
The Hebrew word for man, referring to a male person or individual, is used in the Bible to describe humans in contrast to God or animals, as seen in Genesis and Psalms. It can also mean husband or servant. In the KJV, it is translated as man or male.
Tyndale gloss
man
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word אִישׁ (iysh) means 'man' and can refer to an individual male, a husband, or a human being in general. It encompasses various meanings, including champion and great man, and can also imply 'whosoever' or 'each.' The word is built from a root suggesting existence and is used throughout the Old Testament.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

אִישׁ 2166 n.m. man (= vir)

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H376 אִישׁ man (= vir)

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

376 'iysh eesh

contracted for 582 (or perhaps rather from an unused root

meaning to be extant); a man as an individual or a male

person; often used as an adjunct to a more definite term (and

in such cases frequently not expressed in

translation):--also, another, any (man), a certain, +

champion, consent, each, every (one), fellow, (foot-,

husband-)man, (good-, great, mighty) man, he, high (degree),

him (that is), husband, man(-kind), + none, one, people,

person, + steward, what (man) soever, whoso(-ever), worthy.

Compare 802.

see HEBREW for 0582

see HEBREW for 0802

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

אִישׁ (ish) — man.

: man

1) man

1a) man, male (in contrast to woman, female)

1b) husband

1c) human being, person (in contrast to God)

1d) servant

1e) mankind

1f) champion

1g) great man

2) whosoever

3) each (adjective)

אִישׁ (ish) — man: husband.

: husband

1) man

1a) man, male (in contrast to woman, female)

1b) husband

1c) human being, person (in contrast to God)

1d) servant

1e) mankind

1f) champion

1g) great man

2) whosoever

3) each (adjective)

אִישׁ (ish) — man: anyone.

: anyone/someone

1) man

1a) man, male (in contrast to woman, female)

1b) husband

1c) human being, person (in contrast to God)

1d) servant

1e) mankind

1f) champion

1g) great man

2) whosoever

3) each (adjective)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
HNcmsa — Noun common · masculine singular absolute
HNcmsa
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

See ANTHROPOLOGY.

Easton's Bible Dictionary

Man

(1.) Heb. ‘Adam, used as the proper name of the first man. The name is derived from a word meaning “to be red,” and thus the first man was called Adam because he was formed from the red earth. It is also the generic name of the human race (Gen. 1:26, 27; 5:2; 8:21; Deut. 8:3). Its equivalents are the Latin homo and the Greek anthropos (Matt. 5:13, 16). It denotes also man in opposition to woman (Gen. 3:12; Matt. 19:10).

(2.) Heb. ‘ish, like the Latin vir and Greek aner, denotes properly a man in opposition to a woman (1 Sam. 17:33;

→ CREATED Ge 1:26,27; 2:7; 5:1,2; De 4:32; Job 4:17; 10:2,3,8,9; 31:15; 33:4; 35:10; Ps 8:5; 100:3; 119:73; 138:8; 139:14; Ec 7:29; Isa 17:7; 42:5; 43:7; 45:12; 64:8; Jer 27:5; Zec 12:1; Mal 2:10; Mr 10:6; Heb 2:7

See CREATED IN THE IMAGE OF GOD, below

The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
and they hurried and they brought down each man the object marker sack his [the] ground towards and they opened each man sack his
אַמְתַּחְתּֽוֹ׃'am.tach.To sack his H572 Noun common feminine singular construct · suffix
15× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
A sack refers to a flexible container, like a bag, used for carrying grain or other items. It is mentioned in the Bible as a common item used for storage and transport.
Tyndale gloss
sack
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

אַמְתַּ֫חַת (amtachath) refers to a sack or flexible container, particularly for grain. It is derived from a root meaning something expansive. The term appears in Genesis 42-44, where it is used to describe a bag.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

אַמְתַּ֫חַת n.f. sack, only Gn 42-44

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H572 אַמְתַּ֫חַת sack

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

572 'amtachath am-takh'-ath

from 4969; properly, something expansive, i.e. a bag:--sack.

see HEBREW for 04969

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

אַמְתַּ֫חַת (am.ta.chat) — sack.

1) sack, flexible container (for grain)

2) (TWOT) spread out

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-fs | Suff — Noun common feminine singular construct · suffix
HNcfsc/Sp3ms
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

hiz: Used often in the King James Version with reference to a neuter or inanimate thing, or to a lower animal (Ge 1:11, "after his kind"; Le 1:16, "pluck away his crop"; Ac 12:10, "of his own accord"; 1Co 15:38, "his own body"), etc. the Revised Version (British and American) substitutes "its."

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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