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Genesis 9:4 — Word Study

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WLCאַךְ־ בָּשָׂ֕ר בְּנַפְשׁ֥וֹ דָמ֖וֹ לֹ֥א תֹאכֵֽלוּ׃

BSAButʼak you must notlôʼ eatʼâkal meatbâsâr [flesh, the body of an animal] with its lifebloodnephesh [the blood that is its life, soul] [still] in itdâm [with the life thereof, which is the blood thereof]

Word
Listen & take awayGenesis 9
English ↓ Download MP3 The Berean Standard Bible chapter audio already hosted for the site's Bible section — verse 4 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 (to.Khe.lu) — no per-word recordings of the Hebrew exist to link to.
Take it away
Genesis 9:4quick helps
In a sentenceGod commands Noah and his descendants not to consume meat that still contains its lifeblood.
Who is speakingGod, addressing Noah after the flood.
Where we areThis instruction follows God's covenant with Noah, establishing guidelines for human conduct.
The hard wordנֶ֫פֶשׁ
Take awayLife is sacred, and consuming blood is prohibited.
8 commentators on this verse Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them › clause verbאָכַל 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 9:4

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 — God's Command to Noahgenerated

3Everything that lives and moves will be food for you; just as I gave you the green plants, I now give you all things.
4But you must not eat meat with its lifeblood still in it.
5And surely I will require the life of any man or beast by whose hand your lifeblood is shed. I will demand an accounting from anyone who takes the life of his fellow man:
6Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man his blood will be shed; for in His own image God has made mankind.

Genesis 9:4 presents God's directive to Noah, emphasizing the sanctity of life by forbidding the consumption of meat that still has its lifeblood. This command is part of a broader covenant God establishes with Noah, which includes guidelines for human behavior and the treatment of animals. The surrounding verses elaborate on the provision of food and the consequences of shedding blood, reinforcing the importance of respecting life.


Cross References

ReferenceText (BSB)
1Leviticus 3:17This is a permanent statute for the generations to come, wherever you live: You must not eat any fat or any blood.”
2Leviticus 7:26You must not eat the blood of any bird or animal in any of your dwellings.
3Leviticus 17:10–14If anyone from the house of Israel or a foreigner living among them eats any blood, I will set My face against that person and cut him off from among his people.
4Leviticus 19:26You must not eat anything with blood still in it. You must not practice divination or sorcery.
5Deuteronomy 12:16–23but you must not eat the blood; pour it on the ground like water.

The Key Word בְּנַפְשׁ֥וֹ, be.naf.Shogenerated

The Hebrew word נֶ֫פֶשׁ (nephesh) means 'soul' or 'living being' and signifies the essence of life. It is derived from the root meaning 'to breathe,' encompassing both physical and spiritual aspects of existence. In this context, it highlights the idea that blood is the life force of the flesh, making it sacred.

The construction here emphasizes that consuming blood is not merely a dietary restriction but a profound statement about the value of life itself. The word's usage throughout the Bible often relates to the vitality of beings, making this command a foundational principle in the relationship between humanity and God.


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 תֹאכֵֽלוּ (to.Khe.lu, you must eat) governs the main action of the sentence, with the object בָּשָׂ֕ר (ba.Sar, flesh) following it. The sentence structure emphasizes the prohibition, with the negation לֹ֥א (lo', not) placed before the verb.

The phrase בְּנַפְשׁ֥וֹ דָמ֖וֹ (be.naf.Sho da.Mo, with its lifeblood) serves as a prepositional phrase that clarifies the condition under which the prohibition applies. The Hebrew word order places emphasis on the lifeblood, underscoring its significance.


Septuagint Backgroundgenerated

The Septuagint translates בְּנַפְשׁ֥וֹ as ἐν (en), indicating 'in' or 'with.' This choice reflects a direct connection to the concept of life being present in the blood, aligning with the Hebrew understanding.

The Greek term αἵματι (haimati, blood) emphasizes the same idea, suggesting that the lifeblood is integral to the flesh, reinforcing the prohibition against consuming it.


In plain words — the whole versegenerated

Genesis 9:4 tells us that God commands Noah and his descendants not to eat meat that still has its lifeblood. This instruction highlights the sacredness of life, as blood is seen as the essence of living beings. The surrounding verses provide context about God’s covenant with Noah and the importance of respecting life.


Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated

Why does God prohibit eating meat with its lifeblood?

God prohibits this to emphasize the sanctity of life, as blood represents the essence of a living being.

What does 'lifeblood' mean in this context?

Lifeblood refers to the blood that sustains life, indicating that consuming it is a serious violation of God's command.

How does this command relate to other biblical laws?

This command is part of God's broader instructions to humanity regarding the treatment of animals and the respect for life, as seen in other laws in Leviticus.

What significance does blood have in the Bible?

Blood is often associated with life, sacrifice, and atonement, playing a crucial role in many biblical narratives.


Reflection Questionsgenerated

  1. What does this command teach us about the value of life?
  2. How can we apply the principle of respecting life in our daily actions?
  3. In what ways do modern dietary practices reflect or contradict this biblical command?
  4. How does understanding the significance of blood enhance our appreciation of biblical sacrifices?

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

Early Church Fathers comment on this verse to discuss the significance of blood and dietary laws, arguing from this foundational text.

Ephrem the SyrianCOMMENTARY ON Genesis 6.14.1 c. 306–373
God also blessed Noah and his sons that they might be fruitful and multiply and that fear of them should fall upon all flesh both in the sea and on dry land.
Early Church Fathers on Genesis 9 →
John ChrysostomHOMILIES ON Genesis 27.13 c. 347–407
From this the eating of meat takes its beginning, not for the purpose of prompting them to gluttony. But since some of the people were about to offer sacrifices and make thanksgiving to the Lord,
Early Church Fathers on Genesis 9 →
BedeCommentary on Genesis (Hexaemeron) c. 673–735
Except that you shall not eat flesh with its blood. For blood rightly denotes carnal desires and carnal sense. Blood is poured out when one renounces carnal temptations and thoughts, in which one lived poorly,
Early Church Fathers on Genesis 9 →

Commentators on this verse — 8 expositors, verse by verse

Each of these wrote on Genesis 9:4 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.

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

But flesh with the life thereof, [which is] the blood thereof, shall you not eat.

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

But flesh with the life thereof, which is the blood thereof, shall ye not eat. But flesh ... the blood.

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

With the life thereof, i.e. whilst it lives, or taken from the creature before it be quite dead; which was an ancient practice, and an effect either of luxury or cruelty. Which is the blood thereof, i.e. which life or soul hath its seat in and its support from the blood, and the spirits contained in it. It is certain blood is the thing which is here principally minded and forbidden, and so the words may be thus translated and understood: But flesh, i.e. the flesh of living creatures hereby allowed you, with the life thereof, that is to say, with the blood thereof, wherein its life consists; or, flesh whilst it hath in it its life or soul, or, which is all one, its blood, shall you not eat.…

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

Genesis 9:4 But flesh with the life thereof, [which is] the blood thereof, shall ye not eat.Ver. 4. But flesh with the life thereof, the blood.] Blood was forbidden: First, as not so wholesome food: Secondly, lest by being fleshed in blood, they should become bloody-minded: Thirdly, blood, the organ of life, is holy to God the author of life (who was also to be pacified by the blood of his Son), and therefore they should not pollute or profane it, by devouring thereof.

Read John Trapp on Genesis 9 →
Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(4) But flesh. . . . —The words are remarkable. “Only flesh in its soul, its blood, ye shall not eat.” The Authorised Version is probably right in taking blood as in apposition to soul, which word means here the principle of animation, or that which causes an animal to live. This is God’s especial gift; for He alone can bestow upon that aggregation of solids and fluids which we call a body the secret principle of life. Of this hidden life the blood is the representative, and while man is permitted to have the body for his food, as being the mere vessel which contains this life, the gift itself must go back to God, and the blood as its symbol be treated with reverence.

Read Charles John Ellicott on Genesis 9 →
AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible

Verse 4. But flesh with the life thereof, which is the blood] Though animal food was granted, yet the blood was most solemnly forbidden, because it was the life of the beast, and this life was to be offered to God as an atonement for sin. Hence the blood was ever held sacred, because it was the grand instrument of expiation, and because it was typical of that blood by which we enter into the holiest. 1. Before the deluge it was not eaten, because animal food was not in use. 2. After the deluge it was prohibited, as we find above; and, being one of the seven Noahic precepts, it was not eaten previously to the publication of the Mosaic law. 3. At the giving of the law, and at several times…

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

4. But flesh with the life thereof, which is the blood thereof] Man’s privilege is attended, first, with a strict ritual prohibition. The words might be more literally rendered thus, “nevertheless flesh with its vital principle (or ‘soul’), which is its blood, ye shall not eat.” The Israelites regarded the blood as in a mysterious way the vehicle of the soul, or vital principle (nephesh), of the flesh (Leviticus 17:11). The blood was always offered in sacrifice to God as the most sacred part of the victim, the symbol of its life. The prohibition to eat flesh, with the blood in it, formed one of the strictest rules of Israelite and Jewish life. As the institution of the Sabbath was…

Read Cambridge on Genesis 9 →
Daniel Denison Whedon1808–1885Whedon's Commentary on the Bible

4. Flesh with the life thereof — Literally, Only flesh in its life, its blood, ye shall not eat — a humane restriction, the necessity of which is seen in the barbarous and gluttonous cruelty of some heathen nations.

Read Daniel Denison Whedon 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

But you must not eat meat with its lifeblood still in it.

WEBWorld English Bible2000

But flesh with its life, that is, its blood, you shall not eat.

MSBMajority Standard Bible2022

But you must not eat meat with its lifeblood still in it.

NETBNew English Translation2006

But you must not eat meat with its life (that is, its blood) in it.

Tyndale line

KJVKing James Version1611

But flesh with the life thereof, which is the blood thereof, shall ye not eat.

ASVAmerican Standard Version1901

But flesh with the life thereof, which is the blood thereof, shall ye not eat.

RVARevised Version, American1894

But flesh with the life thereof, which is the blood thereof, shall ye not eat.

NWBWebster's Bible1833

But flesh with the life of it, which is its blood, shall ye not eat.

GNVGeneva Bible1599

But flesh with the life thereof, I meane, with the blood thereof, shall ye not eate.

Strictly literal

DBYDarby Translation1890

Only, the flesh with its life, its blood, ye shall not eat.

YLTYoung's Literal Translation1862

only flesh in its life — its blood — ye do not eat.

LSVLiteral Standard Version2020

only flesh in its life—its blood—you do not eat.

ILTInterlinear Literal Translation2000

But flesh in which its life is, which is its blood, shall ye not eat.

ULBUnlocked Literal Bible2017

But you must not eat meat with its life—that is its blood—in it.

From the Latin

DRADouay-Rheims (Challoner)1899

Saving that flesh with blood you shall not eat.

Simplified

FBVFree Bible Version2020

But do not eat meat with the lifeblood still in it.

BBEBible in Basic English1949

But flesh with the life-blood in it you may not take for food.

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 · objectאַךְneverthelessnoun phraseבָּשָׂ֕רfleshprepositional phraseבְּwithnoun phrasenoun phraseנַפְשׁ֥lifeוֹitsnoun phraseדָמ֖bloodוֹitsadverbialלֹ֥אnotverbתֹאכֵֽלוּyou.must.eat

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


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

The Masoretic Text, Septuagint, and Samaritan Pentateuch all agree on the wording of this verse, affirming the prohibition against consuming meat with its lifeblood. The Samaritan Pentateuch matches the Masoretic Text exactly, indicating a consistent tradition in this command.

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

אַךְ־ בָּשָׂ֕ר בְּנַפְשׁ֥וֹ דָמ֖וֹ לֹ֥א תֹאכֵֽלוּ׃

Septuagintthe Greek the translators chose, word by word
אַךְ־πλὴνבָּשָׂ֕רκρέαςבְּנַפְשׁ֥וֹἐνדָמ֖וֹαἵματιלֹ֥אοὐתֹאכֵֽלוּ׃φάγεσθε

6 of the 6 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

אך בשׂר בנפשׁו דמו לא תאכלו

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 9:4אַךְneverthelesneverthelessאַךְבָּשָׂרfleshfleshבָּשָׂרנֶ֫פֶשׁwith life iwith life itsנֶ֫פֶשׁדָּםblood itsblood itsדָּםלֹאnotnotלֹאאָכַלyou must eayou must eatאָכַלבָּשַׂרto bear tito bear tidingsבָּשַׂרנָפַשׁbe refreshbe refreshedנָפַשׁדָּמַםto silenceto silence: staדָּמַםאָכֵןsurelysurelyאָכֵןמַחְסוֹרneedneedמַחְסוֹרהֶ֫בֶלvanityvanityהֶ֫בֶלעוֹרskinskinעוֹרעֶ֫צֶםboneboneעֶ֫צֶםבָּקַשׁto seekto seekבָּקַשׁחַיalivealiveחַיזָרַקto scatterto scatterזָרַקנָקִיinnocentinnocentנָקִייָכֹלbe ablebe ableיָכֹלעוֹדstillstillעוֹדשָׁתָהto drinkto drinkשָׁתָהלֶ֫חֶםfoodfoodלֶ֫חֶם
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 9:4

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.

nevertheless flesh with life its blood its not you must eat
אַךְ־'akh- nevertheless H389 Adverb
161× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This Hebrew word is used to emphasize something, like saying 'surely' or 'certainly'. It can also be used to limit or restrict something, like saying 'only' or 'but'.
Tyndale gloss
surely
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

אַךְ (ak) is an adverb meaning 'surely' or 'indeed,' often used to emphasize what follows. It can also carry a restrictive sense, translating to 'only' or 'but.' The entries indicate its use in various contexts, but do not provide specific verse references.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

אַךְ 159 adv. 1. surely. 2. with a restrictive force, emphasizing what follows

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H389 אַךְ 1. surely. 2. with a restrictive force, emphasizing what follows

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

389 'ak ak

akin to 403; a particle of affirmation, surely; hence (by

limitation) only:--also, in any wise, at least, but,

certainly, even, howbeit, nevertheless, notwithstanding, only,

save, surely, of a surety, truly, verily, + wherefore, yet

(but).

see HEBREW for 0403

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

אַךְ (akh) — surely.

1) indeed, surely (emphatic)

2) howbeit, only, but, yet (restrictive)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
DirObjM — Adverb
HD
nevertheless flesh with life its blood its not you must eat
בָּשָׂ֕רba.Sar flesh H1320 Noun common · masculine singular absolute
270× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
The Hebrew word for flesh refers to the body or a person, and can also describe living things or animals. In the Bible, it is used to describe humans and animals, as in Genesis and Leviticus.
Amplified meaning
flesh, the body of an animal
Tyndale gloss
flesh
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

בָּשָׂר (basar) means 'flesh' and encompasses various meanings, including the physical body, kinship, and a euphemism for male genitalia. It can refer to humans, animals, and all living things, highlighting the frailty of man in relation to God. The entries consistently emphasize its bodily and relational aspects.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

בָּשָׂר 266 n.m. flesh

of the body

flesh for the body itself

male organ of generation (euphemism)

flesh for kindred, blood-relations

man over against God as frail or erring

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H1320 בָּשָׂר flesh . of the body

. flesh for the body itself

. male organ of generation (euphemism)

. flesh for kindred, blood-relations

. man over against God as frail or erring

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

1320 basar baw-sawr'

from 1319; flesh (from its freshness); by extension, body,

person; also (by euphem.) the pudenda of a man:--body, (fat,

lean) flesh(-ed), kin, (man-)kind, + nakedness, self, skin.

see HEBREW for 01319

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

בָּשָׂר (ba.sar) — flesh.

1) flesh

1a) of the body

1a1) of humans

1a2) of animals

1b) the body itself

1c) male organ of generation (euphemism)

1d) kindred, blood-relations

1e) flesh as frail or erring (man against God)

1f) all living things

1g) animals

1h) mankind

Aramaic equivalent: be.shar (בְּשַׁר "flesh" H1321)

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

@basar, she'er):

1. Etymology:

Used in all senses of the word, the latter, however, most frequently in the sense of kin, family, relationship (compare sha'arah, "kins-woman," Le 18:17): Le 18:6; 25:49; Pr 11:17; Jer 51:35, and probably Ps 73:26. In all other places she'er means "flesh" = body (Pr 5:11) or = food (Ps 78:20,27; Mic 3:2,3). Tibhchah, is "(slaughtered) flesh for food," "butcher's meat" (1Sa…

Flesh

In the Old Testament denotes (1) a particular part of the body of man and animals (Gen. 2:21; 41:2; Ps. 102:5, marg.); (2) the whole body (Ps. 16:9); (3) all living things having flesh, and particularly humanity as a whole (Gen. 6:12, 13); (4) mutability and weakness (2 Chr. 32:8; comp. Isa. 31:3; Ps. 78:39). As suggesting the idea of softness it is used in the expression “heart of flesh” (Ezek. 11:19). The expression “my flesh and bone” (

The substance of which the bodies of men and animals are composed. In the Bible, besides the ordinary sense, Job 33:25, it denotes mankind as a race, Ge 6:12 Ps 145:21 Isa 40:5-6; and all living creatures on the earth, Ge 6:17,19. It is often used in opposition to "spirit," as we use body and soul, Job 14:22; and sometimes means the body as animated and sensitive, Mt 26:41, and the seat of bodily appetites, Pr 5:11

nevertheless flesh with life its blood its not you must eat
בְּנַפְשׁ֥וֹbe.naf.Sho with life its H5315 Preposition · noun common feminine singular construct · suffix
754× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
The Hebrew word for soul or living being, used in the Bible to describe the essence of a person or animal. It encompasses the ideas of life, breath, and vitality, and is translated as 'soul' or 'creature' in the KJV. This word is central to biblical concepts of humanity and existence.
Amplified meaning
the blood that is its life, soul
Tyndale gloss
soul
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word נֶ֫פֶשׁ (*nephesh*) broadly means 'soul' or 'living being,' encompassing concepts like life, self, person, desire, and emotion. It is derived from the root meaning 'to breathe' and signifies both physical and mental aspects of existence. The lexicons note its use in various contexts, including as the seat of appetites and emotions, though its application to will and character is uncertain.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

נֶ֫פֶשׁ 756 n.f. soul, living being, life, self, person, desire, appetite, emotion, and passion

= that which breathes, the breathing substance or being

The נפשׁ becomes a living being

The נפשׁ is specif.

The נפשׁ as the essential of man stands for the man himself

נפשׁ = seat of the appetites, in all periods (46 t.)

נ׳ = seat of emotions and passions

נפשׁ is used occasionally for mental acts

נפשׁ for acts of the will is dub.

נפשׁ = character is still more dub.

נ׳ in D

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H5315 נֶ֫פֶשׁ soul, living being, life, self, person, desire, appetite, emotion, and passion . = that which breathes, the breathing substance or being

. The נפשׁ becomes a living being

. The נפשׁ is specif.

. The נפשׁ as the essential of man stands for the man himself

. נפשׁ = seat of the appetites, in all periods (46 t.)

. נ׳ = seat of emotions and passions

. נפשׁ is used occasionally for mental acts

. נפשׁ for acts of the will is dub.

. נפשׁ = character is still more dub.

. נ׳ in D

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

5315 nephesh neh'-fesh

from 5314; properly, a breathing creature, i.e. animal of

(abstractly) vitality; used very widely in a literal,

accommodated or figurative sense (bodily or mental):--any,

appetite, beast, body, breath, creature, X dead(-ly), desire,

X (dis-)contented, X fish, ghost, + greedy, he, heart(-y),

(hath, X jeopardy of) life (X in jeopardy), lust, man, me,

mind, mortally, one, own, person, pleasure, (her-, him-, my-,

thy-)self, them (your)-selves, + slay, soul, + tablet, they,

thing, (X she) will, X would have it.

see HEBREW for 05314

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

נֶ֫פֶשׁ (ne.phesh) — soul.

1) soul, self, life, creature, person, appetite, mind, living being, desire, emotion, passion

1a) that which breathes, the breathing substance or being, soul, the inner being of man

1b) living being

1c) living being (with life in the blood)

1d) the man himself, self, person or individual

1e) seat of the appetites

1f) seat of emotions and passions

1g) activity of mind

1g1) uncertain

1h) activity of the will

1h1) uncertain

1i) activity of the character

1i1) uncertain

נֶ֫פֶשׁ (ne.phesh) — soul: life.

1) soul, self, life, creature, person, appetite, mind, living being, desire, emotion, passion

1a) that which breathes, the breathing substance or being, soul, the inner being of man

1b) living being

1c) living being (with life in the blood)

1d) the man himself, self, person or individual

1e) seat of the appetites

1f) seat of emotions and passions

1g) activity of mind

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Prep | N-cs | Suff — Preposition · noun common feminine singular construct · suffix
HR/Ncfsc/Sp3ms
nevertheless flesh with life its blood its not you must eat
דָמ֖וֹda.Mo blood its H1818 Noun common masculine singular construct · suffix
360× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
Blood refers to the liquid that flows through the body, essential for life. In the Bible, blood is often used to symbolize life, guilt, or sacrifice, as seen in the story of Jesus' crucifixion.
Amplified meaning
with the life thereof, which is the blood thereof
Tyndale gloss
blood
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

דָּם (dam) means 'blood' and refers to the blood of both humans and animals. It is often associated with death, particularly when shed, and can also figuratively denote the juice of grapes or bloodshed. The term carries religious significance and is used in various contexts, including references to guilt and innocence.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

דָּם 300 n.m. blood

blood of man or animal

usually blood become visible

blood used with religious significance

fig. of wine

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H1818 דָּם blood

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

1818 dam dawm

from 1826 (compare 119); blood (as that which when shed

causes death) of man or an animal; by analogy, the juice of

the grape; figuratively (especially in the plural) bloodshed

(i.e. drops of blood):--blood(-y, -guiltiness, (-thirsty), +

innocent.

see HEBREW for 01826

see HEBREW for 0119

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

דָּם (dam) — blood.

1) blood

1a) of wine (fig.)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-ms | Suff — Noun common masculine singular construct · suffix
HNcmsc/Sp3ms
nevertheless flesh with life its blood its not you must eat
לֹ֥אlo' not H3808 Particle
5,170× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
The Hebrew word for not or no is used to indicate absence or negation, as when God says no to the Israelites' requests, or when they disobey His commands.
Tyndale gloss
not
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

לֹא (lo') is a Hebrew word meaning 'not' or 'no.' It serves as a simple negation and can imply absence or prohibition. The word can also be used in various contexts, often combined with other particles for emphasis or clarification. Its Aramaic equivalent is לָא (la), which also means 'not.'

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

לֹא or לוֹא adv. not

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H3808 לֹא or לוֹא not

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

3808 lo' lo

or lowi {lo}; or loh (Deut. 3:11) {lo}; a primitive particle;

not (the simple or abs. negation); by implication, no; often

used with other particles (as follows):--X before, + or else,

ere, + except, ig(-norant), much, less, nay, neither, never,

no((-ne), -r, (-thing)), (X as though...,(can-), for) not (out

of), of nought, otherwise, out of, + surely, + as truly as, +

of a truth, + verily, for want, + whether, without.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

לֹא (lo) — not.

1) not, no

1a) not (with verb-absolute prohibition)

1b) not (with modifier-negation)

1c) nothing (subst)

1d) without (with particle)

1e) before (of time)

Aramaic equivalent: la (לָא "not" H3809)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Part — Particle
HTn
The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
nevertheless flesh with life its blood its not you must eat
תֹאכֵֽלוּ׃to.Khe.lu you must eat H398 Verb · Qal · imperfect second person masculine plural
810× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This word means to eat or devour, and it's used in many stories, including when Jesus fed the 5000 with fish and bread in the book of Matthew. It's about taking in nourishment and being satisfied.
Tyndale gloss
to eat
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

אָכַל (akal) means 'to eat' and encompasses a wide range of meanings, including literal consumption by humans and animals, as well as figurative uses like devouring by fire or destruction. It can describe actions such as feeding or causing to eat, and it also appears in contexts of oppression and destruction. The verb has various forms, indicating different subjects and nuances.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

אָכַל 806 vb. eat

Qal

eat, human subject

of beasts, birds, etc., eat, devour

fig. of fire, devour, consume

of sword, devour, slay

in genl., devour, consume, destroy

fig. of oppression, devour the poor

Niph.

be eaten by man

be devoured by fire, consumed

be wasted, destroyed, of flesh

Pu. be consumed

Hiph.

cause to eat, feed with

cause to devoure, obj. sword

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H398 אָכַל eat .. eat, human subject

. of beasts, birds, etc., eat, devour

. fig. of fire, devour, consume

. of sword, devour, slay

. in genl., devour, consume, destroy

. fig. of oppression, devour the poor

. . be eaten by man

. be devoured by fire, consumed

. be wasted, destroyed, of flesh

. be consumed

. . cause to eat, feed with

. cause to devoure, obj. sword

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

398 'akal aw-kal'

a primitive root; to eat (literally or figuratively):--X at

all, burn up, consume, devour(-er, up), dine, eat(-er, up),

feed (with), food, X freely, X in...wise(-deed, plenty), (lay)

meat, X quite.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

אָכַל (a.khal) — to eat.

1) to eat, devour, burn up, feed

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to eat (human subject)

1a2) to eat, devour (of beasts and birds)

1a3) to devour, consume (of fire)

1a4) to devour, slay (of sword)

1a5) to devour, consume, destroy (inanimate subjects - ie, pestilence, drought)

1a6) to devour (of oppression)

1b) (Niphal)

1b1) to be eaten (by men)

1b2) to be devoured, consumed (of fire)

1b3) to be wasted, destroyed (of flesh)

1c) (Pual)

1c1) to cause to eat, feed with

1c2) to cause to devour

1d) (Hiphil)

1d1) to feed

1d2) to cause to eat

1e) (Piel)

1e1) consume

Aramaic equivalent: a.khal (אֲכַל "to devour" H0399)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
V-Qal-Imperf-2mp — Verb · Qal · imperfect second person masculine plural
HVqi2mp
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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