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Genesis 9:19 — Word Study

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WLCשְׁלֹשָׁ֥ה אֵ֖לֶּה בְּנֵי־ נֹ֑חַ וּמֵאֵ֖לֶּה נָֽפְצָ֥ה כָל־ הָאָֽרֶץ׃

BSATheseʼêl-leh [specific ones, the following] threeshâlôwsh [sons of Noah, the patriarch] were the sonsbên [descendants, offspring] of NoahNôach [the one who brought salvation, rest] and from themʼêl-leh [these three, as their ancestors] the wholekôl [entire, all-inclusive] earthʼerets [land, world] was populatednâphats [overspread, filled with people, peopled]

Word
Listen & take awayGenesis 9
English ↓ Download MP3 The Berean Standard Bible chapter audio already hosted for the site's Bible section — verse 19 is in this chapter.
Hebrew ↓ Download MP3 The Masoretic text of this chapter, read aloud. Read by Abraham Shmuelof, courtesy of Audio Scriptures International. Chapter divisions by the Academy of Ancient Languages..
Say the word Each Hebrew word carries its transliteration (ha.'A.retz) — no per-word recordings of the Hebrew exist to link to.
Take it away
Genesis 9:19quick helps
In a sentenceNoah had three sons, and from them, the entire earth was populated.
Who is speakingThe narrator recounts the lineage of Noah.
Where we areThis verse concludes the account of Noah's sons.
The hard wordנָֽפְצָ֥ה
Take awayNoah's descendants are the ancestors of all humanity.
5 commentators on this verse Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them › clause verbנָפַץ 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 9:19

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 Sons of Noahgenerated

18The sons of Noah who came out of the ark were Shem, Ham, and Japheth. And Ham was the father of Canaan.
19These three were the sons of Noah, and from them the whole earth was populated.
20Now Noah, a man of the soil, proceeded to plant a vineyard.
21But when he drank some of its wine, he became drunk and uncovered himself inside his tent.

Genesis 9:19 tells us that Noah had three sons: Shem, Ham, and Japheth. These sons are significant as they represent the ancestors of all the nations that would come after the flood. This verse emphasizes the importance of Noah's family in the repopulation of the earth following the flood, as seen in the broader context of the genealogies that follow in Genesis 10.


Cross References

ReferenceText (BSB)
1Genesis 5:32After Noah was 500 years old, he became the father of Shem, Ham, and Japheth.
2Genesis 8:17Bring out all the living creatures that are with you—birds, livestock, and everything that crawls upon the ground—so that they can spread out over the earth and be fruitful and multiply upon it.”
3Genesis 10:2–32The sons of Japheth: Gomer, Magog, Madai, Javan, Tubal, Meshech, and Tiras.
41 Chronicles 1:4–28The sons of Noah: Shem, Ham, and Japheth.

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


The Key Word שְׁלֹשָׁ֥ה, she.lo.Shahgenerated

The word שְׁלֹשָׁ֥ה (*sheloShah*) is a numeral meaning 'three.' It is used to denote a specific quantity and appears frequently in the Hebrew Bible, often in contexts where counting or categorization is necessary.

As an adjective, it indicates the number of Noah's sons, highlighting their role in the narrative. The word's grammatical form as an adjective signals its function in describing the noun that follows it.


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. The BSB has these three, which is echoed in the KJV and ASV: all three identify Noah's sons directly.

Where others part company with the BSB is in the rendering of שְׁלֹשָׁ֥הthree (DRA, GNV) emphasizes the number rather than the familial context.


Sentence Structuregenerated

The main clause is governed by the verb נָֽפְצָ֥ה, dispersed, with a subject noun phrase בְּנֵי־ נֹ֑חַ (the sons of Noah) and a predicate noun phrase שְׁלֹשָׁ֥ה אֵ֖לֶּה (these three). The structure emphasizes the relationship between Noah's sons and the subsequent populating of the earth.

Hebrew word order places the subject first, which highlights the significance of Noah's sons as the progenitors of all humanity.


Septuagint Backgroundgenerated

The Septuagint translates שְׁלֹשָׁ֥ה as τρεῖς (*treis*), which directly corresponds to the Hebrew meaning of 'three.' This choice maintains the numerical value without additional interpretation.

The Greek word διεσπάρησαν for נָֽפְצָ֥ה indicates a similar action of dispersion, aligning with the Hebrew context of repopulation.


In plain words — the whole versegenerated

Genesis 9:19 states that Noah had three sons: Shem, Ham, and Japheth. From these three, the entire earth was populated. This verse highlights the importance of Noah's family in the history of humanity after the flood.


Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated

Why is it significant that Noah had three sons?

Noah's three sons are significant as they are the ancestors of all nations that repopulated the earth after the flood, marking a new beginning for humanity.

What does the term 'populated' imply in this context?

The term 'populated' implies that the descendants of Noah's sons spread out across the earth, establishing communities and nations.

How does this verse connect to the genealogies that follow?

This verse sets the stage for the genealogies in Genesis 10, which detail the descendants of Noah's sons and the formation of various nations.

What role does Noah play in biblical history?

Noah is a pivotal figure in biblical history, known for his righteousness and for preserving life through the flood, making him a key ancestor for all humanity.


Reflection Questionsgenerated

  1. What can we learn from Noah's role as a father and leader in his family?
  2. How does understanding the lineage from Noah help us appreciate the diversity of nations today?
  3. In what ways can we see God's plan of restoration through Noah's descendants?
  4. How can we apply the idea of being a good ancestor in our own families?

Commentators on this verse — 5 expositors, verse by verse

Each of these wrote on Genesis 9:19 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.

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

These are the three sons of Noah,.... And his only ones; and if he had any more, they left no posterity behind them, since it follows, and of them was the whole earth overspread, with inhabitants, by

Read John Gill on Genesis 9 →
Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's Commentary

These are the three sons of Noah: and of them was the whole earth overspread. These are the three sons of Noah.

Read Robert Jamieson on Genesis 9 →
Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy Bible

A truth which the old heathens were not ignorant of, though they changed the names, and mixed their fables with it; for they tell us that Saturn and his three sons divided the world among themselves. And it is apparent that their Saturn was no other than our Noah, because they tell us he was the common parent and prince of all mankind, also a husbandman and vinedresser, all which Noah was. They say he was born of the sea, because Noah came out of the waters; that he devoured all his children except three, because Noah condemned and foretold the destruction of all the rest of the world.

Read Matthew Poole on Genesis 9 →
John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

Genesis 9:19 These [are] the three sons of Noah: and of them was the whole earth overspread.Ver. 19. And of them was the whole earth overspread.] So that we need not add to them (as some have done), Jonitus, a fourth son of Noah (begotten by him after the flood), to replenish a fourth part of the world, with his posterity. Berosus and Nauclerus talk of Tuisco, another son of Noah, whom they make the father and founder of the Germans: but this is too great boldness.

Read John Trapp on Genesis 9 →
CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

18–27. Noah, as the Vine-dresser, and his three Sons. (J.) In this section the narrative, which begins at Genesis 9:20, is introduced by the two connecting Genesis 9:18-19, which either conclude J’s account of the Flood, or are an editorial insertion by the compiler. (a) 18, 19 Noah and his family leave the ark: (b) 20–24 Noah plants a vineyard, drinks wine, becomes intoxicated, is observed and ridiculed by Ham, but Shem and Japheth shew respect: (c) 25–27 the curse of Noah on Canaan, the blessing on Shem and Japheth.

Read Cambridge on Genesis 9 →

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

These three were the sons of Noah, and from them the whole earth was populated.

WEBWorld English Bible2000

These three were the sons of Noah, and from these the whole earth was populated.

MSBMajority Standard Bible2022

These three were the sons of Noah, and from them the whole earth was populated.

NETBNew English Translation2006

These were the sons of Noah, and from them the whole earth was populated.

Tyndale line

KJVKing James Version1611

These are the three sons of Noah: and of them was the whole earth overspread.

ASVAmerican Standard Version1901

These three were the sons of Noah: and of these was the whole earth overspread.

RVARevised Version, American1894

These three were the sons of Noah: and of these was the whole earth overspread.

NWBWebster's Bible1833

These three were the sons of Noah: and from them was the whole earth overspread.

GNVGeneva Bible1599

These are the three sonnes of Noah, and of them was the whole earth ouerspred.

Strictly literal

DBYDarby Translation1890

These three are the sons of Noah; and from these was [the population of] the whole earth spread abroad.

YLTYoung's Literal Translation1862

These three [are] sons of Noah, and from these hath all the earth been overspread.

LSVLiteral Standard Version2020

These three [are] sons of Noah, and from these has all the earth been overspread.

ILTInterlinear Literal Translation2000

These three were the sons of Noah, and of them was the whole earth overspread.

ULBUnlocked Literal Bible2017

These three were the sons of Noah, and from these the whole earth was populated.

From the Latin

DRADouay-Rheims (Challoner)1899

These three are the sons of Noe: and from these was all mankind spread over the whole earth.

Simplified

FBVFree Bible Version2020

All the people who are spread over the world are descended from these three sons of Noah.

BBEBible in Basic English1949

These three were the sons of Noah and from them all the earth was peopled.

Word by word, the decisions they made

שְׁלֹשָׁ֥הshe.lo.Shah three H7969 2 different renderings
sons of noahASV BBE BSB DBY FBV ILT KJV LSV MSB NETB NWB RVA ULB WEB YLT
threeDRA GNV

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


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

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

clausenoun phrase · subjectnumeral phraseשְׁלֹשָׁ֥הthreeאֵ֖לֶּהthesenoun phrase · predicateבְּנֵי[were].the.sonsנֹ֑חַof.Noahוּandclauseprepositional phrase · prepositionalמֵfromאֵ֖לֶּהtheseverbנָֽפְצָ֥הit.dispersednoun phrase · subjectכָלallnoun phraseהָtheאָֽרֶץearth

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 Samaritan Pentateuch agree word for word in this verse, indicating a strong consistency in the transmission of this text. The Septuagint also matches the Hebrew closely, maintaining the same meaning across translations.

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

שְׁלֹשָׁ֥ה אֵ֖לֶּה בְּנֵי־ נֹ֑חַ וּמֵאֵ֖לֶּה נָֽפְצָ֥ה כָל־ הָאָֽרֶץ׃

Septuagintthe Greek the translators chose, word by word
שְׁלֹשָׁ֥הτρεῖςאֵ֖לֶּהοὗτοίבְּנֵי־υἱοὶנֹ֑חַνωεוּמֵאֵ֖לֶּהτούτωνנָֽפְצָ֥הδιεσπάρησανכָל־πᾶσανהָאָֽרֶץ׃γῆν

8 of the 8 words are matched. This is the word-by-word correspondence, not the Septuagint's own sentence — its word order and its articles are its own.

Samaritan Pentateuchthe Torah as the Samaritan community kept it

שׁלשׁה אלה בני נח מאלה נפצה כל הארץ

Agrees with the Masoretic Text here, word for word.

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 9:19שָׁלֹשׁthreethreeשָׁלֹשׁאֵ֫לֶּהthesetheseאֵ֫לֶּהבֵּן[were] [the[were] [the] soבֵּןנֹחַNoahNoahנֹחַאֵ֫לֶּהand from thand from theseאֵ֫לֶּהנָפַץdisperseddispersedנָפַץכֹּלallallכֹּלאֶ֫רֶץthe earththe earthאֶ֫רֶץאֵלthesetheseאֵלבָּנָהto buildto buildבָּנָהכָּלַלto perfectto perfectכָּלַלשָׁלִthirdthirdשָׁלִמְנוּחָהrestrestמְנוּחָהתּוֹלֵדוֹתgenerationgenerationתּוֹלֵדוֹתאַלּוּףtametameאַלּוּףמֵאָהhundredhundredמֵאָהפַּ֫עַםbeatbeatפַּ֫עַםעַמּוֹןAmmonAmmonעַמּוֹןרְאוּבֵןReubenReubenרְאוּבֵןיֶ֫פֶתJaphethJaphethיֶ֫פֶתחָםHamHamחָםרָכַבto rideto rideרָכַבעֵדָהcongregaticongregationעֵדָהעֲבֹדָהserviceserviceעֲבֹדָהכְּנַ֫עַןCanaanCanaanכְּנַ֫עַןמִצְרַ֫יִם(Sea of) E(Sea of) Egyptמִצְרַ֫יִם
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 9:19

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.

three these [were] [the] sons of Noah and from these dispersed all the earth
שְׁלֹשָׁ֥הshe.lo.Shah three H7969 Adj
432× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This Hebrew word means three or thrice, and is used to describe quantities or repetitions in the Bible. It appears in various forms, including three, third, and thirteen.
Amplified meaning
sons of Noah, the patriarch
Tyndale gloss
three
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word שָׁלֹשׁ (*shalosh*) means 'three' or 'triad.' It can also refer to the ordinal 'third' and is used in various contexts, including multiplication as 'thrice.' The entries consistently define it as a primitive number without significant disagreement.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

שָׁלֹשׁ, שָׁלוֹשׁ, שְׁלֹשָׁה 430 n.m. et f. a three, triad

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H7969 שָׁלֹשׁ, שָׁלוֹשׁ, שְׁלֹשָׁה a three, triad

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

7969 shalowsh shaw-loshe'

or shalosh {shaw-loshe'}; masculine shlowshah {shel-o-shaw'};

or shloshah {shel-o-shaw'}; a primitive number; three;

occasionally (ordinal) third, or (multipl.) thrice:--+ fork,

+ often(-times), third, thir(-teen, -teenth), three, + thrice.

Compare 7991.

see HEBREW for 07991

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

שָׁלֹשׁ (sha.losh) — three.

1) three, triad

1a) 3, 300, third

Aramaic equivalent: te.lat (תְּלָת "three" H8532)

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

(shalosh; treis).

See NUMBER.

American Tract Society Bible Dictionary

The phrase "three days and three nights," Mt 12:40, was equivalent in Hebrew to the English "three days;" the Jews employing the expression "a day and a night" to denote our "day" of twentyfour hours. Nor did "three days," 1Sa 30:13, literally "this third day," according to their usage, necessarily include the whole of three days, but a part of three days, a continuous period including one whole day of twenty-four hours, and a portion of the day preceding it and the day following it. Compare Ge 7:12,17 1Sa 30:12-13.

three these [were] [the] sons of Noah and from these dispersed all the earth
אֵ֖לֶּה'E.leh these H428 Particle
746× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This Hebrew word is used to point out specific people or things, like saying 'these' or 'those'. It appears in the book of Genesis, where God says 'let there be light' and separates the light from the darkness.
Amplified meaning
specific ones, the following
Tyndale gloss
these
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

אֵ֫לֶּה (el-leh) means 'these' and is used in various grammatical contexts, often in apposition to a noun with a pronoun suffix. It can appear with or without the definite article and is sometimes paired with other terms like וְאֵלֶּה (and these). The word conveys a sense of proximity or specification, referring to particular items or people.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

אֵ֫לֶּה pr.pl.m. & f. these

in appos. to a subst. with a pron. suff. (always without the article)

repeated, אלה … ואלה, these … those

with the art. (but only after a subst. determined likewise by the art.)

with preps.

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H428 אֵ֫לֶּה these . in appos. to a subst. with a pron. suff. (always without the article)

. repeated, אלה … ואלה, these … those

. with the art. (but only after a subst. determined likewise by the art.)

. with preps.

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

428 'el-leh ale'-leh

prolonged from 411; these or those:--an- (the) other; one

sort, so, some, such, them, these (same), they, this, those,

thus, which, who(-m).

see HEBREW for 0411

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

אֵ֫לֶּה (el.leh) — these.

1) these

1a) used before antecedent

1b) used following antecedent

Aramaic equivalent: el.leh (אֵלֶּה "these" H0429)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Pron — Particle
HTm
three these [were] [the] sons of Noah and from these dispersed all the earth
בְּנֵי־be.nei- [were] [the] sons of H1121 Noun common · masculine plural construct
4,943× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
In the Bible, this word means a son or descendant, and can also refer to a grandson, nation, or quality. It appears in 1 Chronicles 24, describing a Levite named Beno. The word is used to show family relationships and inheritance.
Amplified meaning
descendants, offspring
Tyndale gloss
son: child
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

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

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

בֵּן 4870 n.m. son

son, male child, born of a woman

children (male and female)

youth, young men

the young of animals

of plant shoots

fig. of lifeless things, sparks, stars, arrows

member of a guild, order or class

of animals son of (the) herd

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

n. relat. of age

base

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

done

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

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

. children (male and female)

. youth, young men

. the young of animals

. of plant shoots

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

. . member of a guild, order or class

. of animals son of (the) herd

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

. n. relat. of age

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

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

1121 ben bane

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

widest sense (of literal and figurative relationship,

including grandson, subject, nation, quality or condition,

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

see HEBREW for 01129

see HEBREW for 01

see HEBREW for 0251

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

בֵּן (ben) — son: child.

: child/son

בְּנוֹ (be.no) — Beno.

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

son of: Jaaziah (H3269);

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

§ Beno = "his son"

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

בֵּן (ben) — son: descendant/people.

: descendant, people, tribe, nation

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

§ : child/son

בֵּן (ben) — son: young animal.

: calf/lamb/young(ANIMAL)

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

§ : descendant

בֵּן (ben) — son: type of.

: rebel/son(Belial)

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

§ : people/men/nation/tribe

בֵּן (ben) — son.

: [inheriting]son/heir

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

בֵּן (ben) — son: warrior.

: warrior/son(strong)

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

See SON, SONS.

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…

three these [were] [the] sons of Noah and from these dispersed all the earth
נֹ֑חַNo.ach Noah H5146 Noun proper masculine
46× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
Noah, the patriarch who built the ark to save his family and two of every kind of animal from the flood, is the namesake of this Hebrew word. He is first mentioned in Genesis 5:29 as the son of Lamech. His story is a crucial part of biblical history.
Amplified meaning
the one who brought salvation, rest
Tyndale gloss
Noah
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

נֹחַ (Noach) refers to Noah, a significant biblical figure known for surviving the Flood. The name is associated with the concept of 'rest.' He is the son of Lamech and the father of Shem, Ham, and Japheth, and is first mentioned in Genesis 5:29. The entries consistently identify him as the patriarch who built the ark.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

נֹחַ 46 n.pr.m. Noah

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H5146 נֹחַ Noah

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

5146 Noach no'-akh

the same as 5118; rest; Noach, the patriarch of the

flood:--Noah.

see HEBREW for 05118

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

נֹחַ (no.ach) — Noah.

A man living at the time before the Flood, first mentioned at Gen.5.29;

son of: Lamech (H3929H);

father of: Shem (H8035), Ham (H2526) and Japheth (H3315)

Also named: Nōe (Νῶε "Noah" G3575)

§ Noah = "rest"

son of Lamech, father of Shem, Ham, and Japheth; builder of the ark which saved his family from the destruction of the world which God sent on the world by the flood; became the new seminal head of mankind because his family were the only survivors of the flood

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

Noah

Rest, (Heb. Noah) the grandson of Methuselah (Gen. 5:25-29), who was for two hundred and fifty years contemporary with Adam, and the son of Lamech, who was about fifty years old at the time of Adam’s death. This patriarch is rightly regarded as the connecting link between the old and the new world. He is the second great progenitor of the human family.

The words of his father Lamech at his birth (Gen. 5:29) have been regarded as in a sense prophetical, designating Noah as a type of Him who is the true “rest and comfort” of men under the burden of life (Matt.11:28).

He lived five hundred years, and then there were born unto him three sons, Shem, Ham, and Japheth (Gen.…

American Tract Society Bible Dictionary

Rest, comfort, the name of celebrated patriarch who was preserved by Jehovah with his family, by means of the ark, through the deluge, and thus became the second founder of the human race. The history of Noah and the deluge is contained in Ge 5:1-9:29. He was the son of Lamech, and grandson of Methuselah lived six hundred years before the deluge, and three hundred and fifty after it, dying two years before Abram was born. His name may have been given to him by his parents in the hope that he would be the promised "seed of the woman" that should "bruise the serpent’s head." He was in the line of the patriarchs who feared God, and was himself a just man, Eze 14:14,20, and a "preacher of righteousness," 1Pe 3:19,20

three these [were] [the] sons of Noah and from these dispersed all the earth
וּמֵאֵ֖לֶּהu.me.'E.leh and from these H428 Conjunction · preposition · particle
746× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This Hebrew word is used to point out specific people or things, like saying 'these' or 'those'. It appears in the book of Genesis, where God says 'let there be light' and separates the light from the darkness.
Amplified meaning
these three, as their ancestors
Tyndale gloss
these
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

אֵ֫לֶּה (el-leh) means 'these' and is used in various grammatical contexts, often in apposition to a noun with a pronoun suffix. It can appear with or without the definite article and is sometimes paired with other terms like וְאֵלֶּה (and these). The word conveys a sense of proximity or specification, referring to particular items or people.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

אֵ֫לֶּה pr.pl.m. & f. these

in appos. to a subst. with a pron. suff. (always without the article)

repeated, אלה … ואלה, these … those

with the art. (but only after a subst. determined likewise by the art.)

with preps.

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H428 אֵ֫לֶּה these . in appos. to a subst. with a pron. suff. (always without the article)

. repeated, אלה … ואלה, these … those

. with the art. (but only after a subst. determined likewise by the art.)

. with preps.

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

428 'el-leh ale'-leh

prolonged from 411; these or those:--an- (the) other; one

sort, so, some, such, them, these (same), they, this, those,

thus, which, who(-m).

see HEBREW for 0411

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

אֵ֫לֶּה (el.leh) — these.

1) these

1a) used before antecedent

1b) used following antecedent

Aramaic equivalent: el.leh (אֵלֶּה "these" H0429)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Conj | Prep | Pron — Conjunction · preposition · particle
HC/R/Tm
three these [were] [the] sons of Noah and from these dispersed all the earth
נָֽפְצָ֥הna.fe.Tzah dispersed H5310 Verb · Qal · perfect third person feminine singular
22× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This Hebrew word means to scatter or disperse, and it's used when people or things are broken apart. It appears in books like Jeremiah and Ezekiel, where God scatters His people as punishment, but also promises to gather them back.
Amplified meaning
overspread, filled with people, peopled
Tyndale gloss
to shatter
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

נָפַץ (naphats) is a Hebrew verb meaning to shatter or disperse. It encompasses actions such as breaking into pieces, scattering, and pulverizing. The word appears in various forms, including Qal (to shatter), Piel (to dash to pieces), and Pual (to pulverize). The entries do not indicate any significant disagreement among the lexicons.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

[נָפַץ] vb. shatter

Qal and a shattering (= and shattered) the jars

Pi. dash to pieces

Pu. like chalk-stones pulverized.

base

נָפַץ vb. disperse, be scattered

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H5310a נָפַץ shatter H5310b נָפַץ disperse, be scattered

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

5310 naphats naw-fats'

a primitive root; to dash to pieces, or scatter:--be beaten

in sunder, break (in pieces), broken, dash (in pieces), cause

to be discharged, dispersed, be overspread, scatter.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

נָפַץ (na.phats) — to shatter.

1) to shatter, break, dash, beat in pieces

1a)(Qal)

1a1) to shatter

1a2) shattering (infinitive)

1b) (Piel) to dash to pieces

1c) (Pual) to pulverise

נָפַץ (na.phats) — to disperse.

1) be scattered

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to be scattered

1a2) dispersed (participle)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
V-Qal-Perf-3fs — Verb · Qal · perfect third person feminine singular
HVqp3fs
three these [were] [the] sons of Noah and from these dispersed all the earth
כָל־khol- all H3605 Noun common · masculine singular construct
5,415× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
The Hebrew word for 'all' or 'everything' is used throughout the Bible, like in Genesis 1:31, where God sees all He has made as very good. It encompasses the entirety of something, whether people, things, or situations.
Amplified meaning
entire, all-inclusive
Tyndale gloss
all
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

כֹּל (kol) means 'all' or 'the whole.' It can refer to totality, including every person or thing, and is often used with a following genitive to specify what is included. The term can also denote a broader sense of everything in existence or all circumstances of life. The lexicons do not show significant disagreement on its meanings.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

כֹּל once כּוֹל n.m. the whole, all

with foll. gen. (as usually) the whole of, to be rendered, however, often in our idiom, to avoid stiffness, any or every

Absolutely:

without the art., all things, all

with the art. הַכֹּל

where the sense is limited by the context to things (or persons) just mentioned

in a wider sense, all, whether of all mankind or of all living things, the universe, or of all the circumstances of life (chiefly late)

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H3605 כֹּל once כּוֹל the whole, all . with foll. gen. (as usually) the whole of, to be rendered, however, often in our idiom, to avoid stiffness, any or every

. Absolutely: . without the art., all things, all

. with the art. הַכֹּל . where the sense is limited by the context to things (or persons) just mentioned

. in a wider sense, all, whether of all mankind or of all living things, the universe, or of all the circumstances of life (chiefly late)

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

3605 kol kole

or (Jer. 33:8) kowl {kole}; from 3634; properly, the whole;

hence, all, any or every (in the singular only, but often in a

plural sense):--(in) all (manner, (ye)), altogether, any

(manner), enough, every (one, place, thing), howsoever, as

many as, (no-)thing, ought, whatsoever, (the) whole,

whoso(-ever).

see HEBREW for 03634

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

כֹּל (kol) — all.

1) all, the whole

1a) all, the whole of

1b) any, each, every, anything

1c) totality, everything

Aramaic equivalent: kol (כֹּל "all" H3606)

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

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

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

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

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

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

The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
three these [were] [the] sons of Noah and from these dispersed all the earth
הָאָֽרֶץ׃ha.'A.retz the earth H776 Particle · noun common feminine singular absolute
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
land, world
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
Art | N-cs — Particle · noun common feminine singular absolute
HTd/Ncfsa
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

urth ('adhamah, 'erets, 'aphar; ge, oikoumene):

In a hilly limestone country like Palestine, the small amount of iron oxide in the rocks tends to be oxidized, and thereby to give a prevailing reddish color to the soil. This is especially the case on relatively barren hills where there is little organic matter present to prevent reddening and give a more blackish tinge.

'Adhamah (compare 'adham, "a man," and Adam) is from 'adham, "to be red," and is used in the senses: "earth" (Ex 20:24), "land" (Ps 105:35), a "land" or country (Isa 14:2), "ground" (Ge 4:11), "the earth" (Ge 7:4).

Easton's Bible Dictionary

Earth

(1.) In the sense of soil or ground, the translation of the word adamah’. In Gen. 9:20 “husbandman” is literally “man of the ground or earth.” Altars were to be built of earth (Ex. 20:24). Naaman asked for two mules’ burden of earth (2 Kings 5:17), under the superstitious notion that Jehovah, like the gods of the heathen, could be acceptably worshipped only on his own soil.

(2). As the rendering of ’erets, it means the whole world (Gen. 1:2); the land as opposed to the sea (1:10). Erets also denotes a country (21:32); a plot of ground (23:15); the ground on which a man stands (33:3); the inhabitants of the earth (6:1; 11:1); all the world except Israel (

Smith's Bible Dictionary

The term is used in two widely-different senses: (1) for the material of which the earth’s surface is composed; (2) as the name of the planet on which man dwells. The Hebrew language discriminates between these two by the use of separate terms, adamah for the former, erets for the latter. Adamah is the earth in the sense of soil or ground, particularly as being susceptible of cultivation. (Genesis 2:7) Erets is applied in a more or less extended sense-- (1) to the whole world, (Genesis 1:1) (2) to land as opposed to sea, (Genesis 1:10) (3) to a country, (Genesis 21:32) (4) to a plot of ground, (Genesis 23:15) and (5) to…

American Tract Society Bible Dictionary

In both Hebrew and Greek the same word is used to denote the earth as a whole, and a particular land. Only the context can enable us to decide in which of these senses it is to be taken in a given passage.

Thus in Mt 27:45 we might, so far as the original word is concerned, render either "there was darkness over all the land," or over all the earth. The expression "all the earth" is sometimes used hyperbolically for a large portion of it, Ezr 1:2. The word is used of the whole world, etc. In a moral sense, earthly is opposed to what is heavenly, spiritual and holy, Joh 3:31 1Co 15:47 Col 3:2

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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