Habakkuk 2:12 — Word Study
WLCה֛וֹי בֹּנֶ֥ה עִ֖יר בְּדָמִ֑ים וְכוֹנֵ֥ן קִרְיָ֖ה בְּעַוְלָֽה׃
BSAWoehôwy [a cry of sorrow, deep regret] to him who buildsbânâh [constructs, establishes] a cityʻîyr [a town, a metropolitan area] with bloodsheddâm [violence, slaughter] and establisheskûwn [sets up, founds] a townqiryâh [a city, a community] by iniquityʻevel [unrighteousness, wickedness, injustice or moral evil, covering violent deeds and general wrongdoing]
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| ה֛וֹי | woe to! | Particle |
| בֹּנֶ֥ה | [one who] builds | Verb, Qal, participle (active) masculine singular |
| עִ֖יר | a city | Noun common, feminine singular absolute |
| בְּדָמִ֑ים | by blood | Preposition, noun common masculine plural absolute |
| וְכוֹנֵ֥ן | and he establishes | Verb, Piel, sequential perfect third person masculine singular |
| קִרְיָ֖ה | a town | Noun common, feminine singular absolute |
| בְּעַוְלָֽה׃ | by injustice | Preposition, noun common feminine singular absolute |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | Woe to him who builds a city with bloodshed and establishes a town by iniquity! |
| KJV | ¶ Woe to him that buildeth a town with blood, and stablisheth a city by iniquity! |
| ASV | Woe to him that buildeth a town with blood, and establisheth a city by iniquity! |
| YLT | Woe [to] him who is building a city by blood, And establishing a city by iniquity. |
| WEB | Woe to him who builds a town with blood, and establishes a city by iniquity! |
| BBE | A curse on him who is building a place with blood, and basing a town on evil-doing! |
Where they part company is in the interpretation of בְּעַוְלָֽה — see How Translations Differ.
The sentence structure highlights the main action of building, with two phrases detailing the means by which this action is accomplished.
8 commentators on this verse
Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them ›
clause
verbבָּנָה
The sentence as the grammar sees it Open the tree ›
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 — Habakkuk 2:12
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 — Woe to the Builders of Injusticegenerated
Habakkuk 2:12 issues a warning against those who construct cities through bloodshed and establish towns through iniquity. This verse reflects the broader theme of divine judgment against oppression and moral failure, emphasizing that such actions are ultimately futile. The surrounding verses, including Habakkuk 2:11 and Habakkuk 2:13, further illustrate the consequences of such wickedness, culminating in the promise that the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD, as seen in Habakkuk 2:14.
Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Genesis 4:11–17 | Now you are cursed and banished from the ground, which has opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood from your hand. |
| 2 | Joshua 6:26 | At that time Joshua invoked this solemn oath: “Cursed before the LORD is the man who rises up and rebuilds this city, Jericho; at the cost of his firstborn he will lay its foundations; at the cost of his youngest he will set up its gates.” |
| 3 | 1 Kings 16:34 | In Ahab’s days, Hiel the Bethelite rebuilt Jericho. At the cost of Abiram his firstborn he laid its foundation, and at the cost of Segub his youngest he set up its gates, according to the word that the LORD had spoken through Joshua son of Nun. |
| 4 | Jeremiah 22:13–17 | “Woe to him who builds his palace by unrighteousness, and his upper rooms without justice, who makes his countrymen serve without pay, and fails to pay their wages, |
| 5 | Ezekiel 24:9 | Yes, this is what the Lord GOD says: ‘Woe to the city of bloodshed! I, too, will pile the kindling high. |
The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 10 references, hung on the phrase they belong to
The Key Word — הוֹי, Hogenerated
The word הוֹי (ho) is an interjection that conveys deep sorrow or regret, often translated as 'woe' or 'alas.' It serves as a lamentation, expressing strong emotions regarding the actions being condemned.
In this context, it introduces the serious consequences of building a city through violence and establishing a town through injustice. The emotional weight of the word underscores the gravity of the prophet's message.
How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated
The translations agree on the rendering of הוֹי as 'woe' across versions such as the Berean Standard Bible, KJV, and ASV.
Sentence Structuregenerated
The main verb בֹּנֶ֥ה (bo.Neh), meaning 'builds,' governs the structure of the verse, with two phrases following: a prepositional phrase indicating the means of building and another verb indicating the establishment of a town.
The Hebrew word order emphasizes the actions taken—building and establishing—while the use of conjunctions links the two actions and their moral implications.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
The Septuagint translates הוֹי as οὐαὶ (ouai), maintaining the sense of lamentation. This choice aligns with the emotional tone of the original Hebrew.
For בֹּנֶ֥ה, the Greek οἰκοδομῶν (oikodomon) captures the act of building, while בְּעַוְלָֽה is rendered as ἀδικίαις (adikiais), which emphasizes the injustice inherent in the actions described.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
Habakkuk 2:12 warns against those who build cities through violence and establish towns through injustice. The prophet expresses sorrow over such actions, indicating that they lead to divine judgment and are ultimately futile.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
'Woe' expresses deep regret and sorrow, indicating that the actions being condemned will lead to dire consequences.
Bloodshed signifies violence and wrongdoing, suggesting that the foundation of such a city is corrupt and morally unacceptable.
'Iniquity' refers to moral evil and injustice, highlighting the unethical means through which the town is established.
This verse reflects Habakkuk's concerns about justice and the consequences of wickedness, emphasizing that God will ultimately judge those who act unjustly.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- In what ways do I see injustice in my community, and how can I respond to it?
- How can I ensure that my actions contribute to building rather than destroying?
- What does it mean to establish something on a foundation of righteousness?
- How can I apply the lessons of this verse in my daily life?
The early church on this verse — how the Fathers read it
Jerome comments on this verse, highlighting the condemnation of building through violence and injustice as a warning from the Lord.
Woe to him who builds a city with bloodshed, and establishes a town with injustice: are these things not from the Lord of hosts? For the peoples shall labor in vain, and the nations shall exhaust themselves: for the earth shall be filled,Early Church Fathers on Habakkuk 2 →
Commentators on this verse — 8 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on Habakkuk 2:12 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire BibleWoe to him that buildeth a town with blood, and establisheth a city by iniquity!] This is what the stone and beam should say, if others were silent.
Read John Gill on Habakkuk 2 →Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's CommentaryWoe to him that buildeth a town with blood, and stablisheth a city by iniquity! Woe to him that buildeth a town with blood - namely, Babylon, rebuilt and enlarged by blood-bought spoils (cf. Daniel 4:30).
Read Robert Jamieson on Habakkuk 2 →Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy BibleWhosoever he be that lays foundations in blood, is here threatened, and none so great as to keep Off the woe, deserved and menaced. A town, Heb. city. With blood; in the guilt and with the cruelty of murdering the innocents it is the worst cement which is tempered with blood of murdered men, women, and children. And stablisheth; goeth about or thinketh to establish the foundations of a city. A city; Babylon in particular. By iniquity; by force and fraud, by riches extorted from the just possessor. Whosoever he be that lays foundations in blood, is here threatened, and none so great as to keep Off the woe, deserved and menaced. By iniquity; by force and fraud, by riches extorted from the…
Read Matthew Poole on Habakkuk 2 →John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New TestamentsHabakkuk 2:12 Woe to him that buildeth a town with blood, and stablisheth a city by iniquity!Ver. 12. Woe to him that buildeth a town with blood] This seemeth to be the senseless creatures, black Cantus Song, (as they call it), chanted out against the wrong doer, by God’ s own appointment, cui obscura clarent, muta respondent, silentium confitetur, saith an ancient (Juvonal), - “ cui servi ut taceant, iumenta loquentur, ” The very beasts have a verdict to pass upon oppressors; as the dumb ass did upon Balaam: yea, the lifeless creatures shall ring a doleful knell of woe and alas in their ears, and cry them guilty; as the earth did Cain, and the heaven did Phocas; and as the tignum e ligno…
Read John Trapp on Habakkuk 2 →Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers(6-20) The destruction of the Chaldæans has hitherto been only implied. It is now plainly foretold in a denunciatory song, put into the mouths of the invader’s victims. In this song there are five strophes, of three verses each, 6-8; 9-11; 12-14; 15-17; 18-20.
Read Charles John Ellicott on Habakkuk 2 →AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the BibleVerse 12. Wo to him that buildeth a town with blood] At the expense of much slaughter. This is the answer of the beam to the stone. And these things will refer to the vast fortunes gained, and the buildings erected, by means of the slave-trade; where, to a considerate and humane mind, the walls appear as if composed of the bones of negroes, and cemented by their blood! But the towns or houses established by this iniquity soon come to ruin; and the fortunes made have, in most cases, become as chaff and dust before the whirlwind of God's indignation. But where are the dealers in the souls and bodies of men? Ask him who has them in his keeping. He can tell.
Read AdamClarke on Habakkuk 2 →CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges12–14. Third woe: his oppression of the peoples to gratify his architectural pride 12. buildeth a town with blood] The meaning appears to be that the means of building the city are acquired through bloodshed, conquest and slaughter of the nations, and deportation of them to be employed in forced labour. Comp. Micah 3:10, “They build up Zion with blood,” i.e. by the goods of those slain by judicial murder (1 Kings 21). by iniquity] Cf. Jeremiah 22:13, where the iniquity consists in the forced labour; here it may be more general. The terms “town” and “city” refer to any city or to many. Isaiah 14:21.
Read Cambridge on Habakkuk 2 →Albert Barnes1798–1870Barnes' Notes on the BibleWoe to him that buildeth a town with blood, and establisheth a city by iniquity! - Nebuchadnezzar “encircled the inner city with three walls and the outer city also with three, all of burnt brick.
Read Albert Barnes on Habakkuk 2 →The verse in English, compared — 17 translations, and where they part company
Every translation on this page is a decision someone had to make and commit to. Read down a column and you see one translator's judgement; read across a row and you see the range the Greek actually allows. The BSB is the wording the rest of this page is measured against, so it is listed first.
Modern formal
Woe to him who builds a city with bloodshed and establishes a town by iniquity!
Woe to him who builds a town with blood, and establishes a city by iniquity!
Woe to him who builds a city with bloodshed and establishes a town by iniquity!
The one who builds a city by bloodshed is as good as dead – he who starts a town by unjust deeds.
Tyndale line
¶ Woe to him that buildeth a town with blood, and stablisheth a city by iniquity!
Woe to him that buildeth a town with blood, and establisheth a city by iniquity!
Woe to him that buildeth a town with blood, and stablisheth a city by iniquity!
Woe to him that buildeth a town with blood, and establisheth a city by iniquity!
Wo vnto him that buildeth a towne with blood, and erecteth a citie by iniquitie.
Strictly literal
Woe to him that buildeth a town with blood, and establisheth a city by unrighteousness!
Woe [to] him who is building a city by blood, And establishing a city by iniquity.
Woe [to] him who is building a city by blood, || And establishing a city by iniquity.
Woe to him that buildeth a city with blood-guiltiness, and layeth the foundation of a town by wrong-doing.
'Woe to the one who builds a city with blood, and who establishes a town in iniquity.'
From the Latin
Woe to him that buildeth a town with blood, and prepareth a city by iniquity.
Simplified
What disaster is coming to you who build cities with bloodshed, who found cities built on wickedness!
A curse on him who is building a place with blood, and basing a town on evil-doing!
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.
Boxes are the grammarian's groupings — clause, noun phrase, prepositional phrase.
The four witnesses to this verse — Masoretic, Septuagint, Samaritan, Qumran
The Masoretic Text (MT) of Habakkuk 2:12 reads, "ה֛וֹי בֹּנֶ֥ה עִ֖יר בְּדָמִ֑ים וְכוֹנֵ֥ן קִרְיָ֖ה בְּעַוְלָֽה׃" which translates to, "Woe to him who builds a city with bloodshed and establishes a town by iniquity!" The Septuagint (LXX) agrees with the MT in meaning and word correspondence, as all seven words match in this verse. Therefore, there are no significant differences between the MT and the LXX in this instance. The Samaritan Pentateuch and the Dead Sea Scrolls do not provide differing readings for this verse, reinforcing the agreement between the MT and the LXX.
ה֛וֹי בֹּנֶ֥ה עִ֖יר בְּדָמִ֑ים וְכוֹנֵ֥ן קִרְיָ֖ה בְּעַוְלָֽה׃
7 of the 7 words are matched. This is the word-by-word correspondence, not the Septuagint's own sentence — its word order and its articles are its own.
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.
Lexicons — every word in Habakkuk 2:12
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.
הוֹי (hoy) is an interjection expressing dissatisfaction and pain, often translated as 'ah,' 'alas,' or 'woe.' It is used in lamentations and conveys a sense of sorrow or distress. The word is a prolonged form of another Hebrew term, indicating its emotional weight.
הוֹי 81 interj. expressing usually dissatisfaction and pain, Ah, Alas, Ha (not distinctly Woe!) used in lamentations
base
H1945 הוֹי expressing usually dissatisfaction and pain, Ah, Alas, Ha (not distinctly Woe!) used in lamentations
1945 howy hoh'ee
a prolonged form of 1930 (akin to 188); oh!:--ah, alas, ho,
O, woe.
see HEBREW for 01930
see HEBREW for 0188
הוֹי (hoy) — woe!.
ah!, alas!, ha!, ho!, O!, woe!
Part — ParticleHTj
Is sometimes used in our Bibles where a softer expression would be at least equally proper: "Woe to such a one!" is in our language a threat or imprecation of some calamity, natural or judicial, to befall a person; but this is not always the meaning of the word in Scripture. We find the expression, "Woe is me!" that is, Alas for my sufferings! And, "Woe to the women with child, and those who give suck!" that is, Alas for their redoubled sufferings in times of distress! If in the denunciatory language of Christ, we should read, "Alas for thee, Chorazin! Alas for thee, Bethsaida!" we should do not injustice to the general sentiments of the passage.
Yet in many cases the word woe is used in a fuller and more awful sense, expressing an inspired denunciation and foreshadowing of God’s wrath upon sinners; as when we read, "Woe to those who build houses by unrighteousness, and cities by blood;"…
The Hebrew word בָּנָה (banah) means "to build" and encompasses various forms such as rebuilding, establishing, and making permanent. It can refer to physical construction, like building a house or family, as well as metaphorical uses, such as the establishment of restored exiles. The entries indicate that it can also imply being built up, particularly in the context of a childless wife becoming a mother.
בָּנָה 373 vb. build
Qal build
Niph.
be built
be rebuilt
(fig.) of restored exiles, = established
established, made permanent
base
H1129 בָּנָה build .build
.. . be built
. be rebuilt
. . (fig.) of restored exiles, = established
. established, made permanent
1129 banah baw-naw'
a primitive root; to build (literally and
figuratively):--(begin to) build(-er), obtain children, make,
repair, set (up), X surely.
בָּנָה (ba.nah) — to build.
1) to build, rebuild, establish, cause to continue
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to build, rebuild
1a2) to build a house (ie, establish a family)
1b) (Niphal)
1b1) to be built
1b2) to be rebuilt
1b3) established (of restored exiles) (fig.)
1b4) established (made permanent)
1b5) to be built up (of childless wife becoming the mother of a family through the children of a concubine)
Aramaic equivalent: be.nah (בְּנָה "to build" H1124)
V-Qal — Verb · Qal · participle (active) masculine singularHVqrmsa
The Hebrew word עִיר (*'iyr*) has meanings related to both excitement and city. It can denote excitement, particularly of terror or rage, as well as refer to a city or town, indicating a place that is guarded or inhabited. The entries suggest a broad application, from fortified cities to simple encampments. There is a specific mention of a man named Ir in 1 Chronicles 4:12.
עִיר n.[m.] excitement;—of terror; of rage
base
עִיר 1092 n.f. city, town
city, town, abode of men
of fortress in a city
appar. fortified place, of any size
base
H5892a עִיר excitement;—of terror; of rage H5892b עִיר city, town . city, town, abode of men
. of fortress in a city
. appar. fortified place, of any size
5892 `iyr eer
or (in the plural) par {awr}; or ayar (Judges 10:4)
{aw-yar'}; from 5782 a city (a place guarded by waking or a
watch) in the widest sense (even of a mere encampment or
post):--Ai (from margin), city, court (from margin), town.
see HEBREW for 05782
עִיר (ir) — excitement.
1) excitement, anguish
1a) of terror
עִיר (ir) — city.
1) city, town (a place of waking, guarded)
1a) city, town (a place of waking, guarded)
1a) city, town
עִיר (ir) — City (of On).
Combined with on (אֹן "On" H0204)
This name means city, town
Another name of on (אֹן "On" H0204)
עִיר (ir) — Ir-.
#A man of the tribe of Judah living at the time of Divided Monarchy, only mentioned at 1Ch.4.12;
son of: Tehinnah (H8468)
N-fs — Noun common · feminine singular absoluteHNcfsa
sit'-i (`ir, qiryah; polis):
I. THE CANAANITE CITY
1. Origin
2. Extent
3. Villages
4. Sites
5. External Appearance
6. General
II. THE CITY OF THE JEWISH OCCUPATION
1. Tower or Stronghold
2. High Place
3. Broad Place
4. Streets
5. General Characteristics
III. STORE CITIES
IV. LEVITICAL CITIES
LITERATURE
I. The Canaanite City.
1. Origin:
The development of the Canaanite city has been traced by Macalister in his report on the excavation at Gezer (Palestine Exploration Fund Statement, 1904, 108 ff). It originated on the slopes of a bare rocky spur, in which the Neolithic Troglodytes quarried their habitations out of the solid rock, the stones therefrom being used to form a casing to the earthen ramparts, with which the site was afterwards surrounded and which served as a protection against the intrusion of enemies. Later Semitic intruders occupied the site, stone houses were built, and high stone defense…
City
The earliest mention of city-building is that of Enoch, which was built by Cain (Gen. 4:17). After the confusion of tongues, the descendants of Nimrod founded several cities (10:10-12). Next, we have a record of the cities of the Canaanites, Sidon, Gaza, Sodom, etc. (10:12, 19; 11:3, 9; 36:31-39). The earliest description of a city is that of Sodom (19:1-22). Damascus is said to be the oldest existing city in the world. Before the time of Abraham there were cities in Egypt (Num. 13:22). The Israelites in Egypt were employed in building the “treasure cities” of Pithom and Raamses (Ex. 1:11); but it does not seem that they had any cities of their own in Goshen (Gen.…
The towns and cities of Palestine were commonly built on heights, for better security against robbers or invaders. These heights, surrounded by walls, sometimes formed the entire city. In other cases, the citadel alone crowned the hill, around and at the base of which the town was built; and in time of danger the surrounding population all took refuge in the fortified place. Larger towns and cities were often not only defended by strong outer walls, with towers and gates, but by a citadel or castle within these limits-a last resort when the rest of the city was taken, Jud 9:46,51. The "fenced cities" of the Jews, De 3:5, were of various sizes and degrees of strength; some being surrounded by high and thick stone walls, and others by feebler ramparts, often of clay or sun-dried…
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.
דָּם 300 n.m. blood
blood of man or animal
usually blood become visible
blood used with religious significance
fig. of wine
base
H1818 דָּם blood
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
דָּם (dam) — blood.
1) blood
1a) of wine (fig.)
Prep | N-mp — Preposition · noun common masculine plural absoluteHR/Ncmpa
blud (dam, probably from 'adham "to be red"; haima): Used in the Old Testament to designate the life principle in either animal or vegetable, as the blood of man or the juice of the grape (Le 17:11, et al.); in the New Testament for the blood of an animal, the atoning blood of Christ, and in both Old Testament and New Testament in a figurative sense for bloodshed or murder (Ge 37:26; Ho 4:2; Re 16:6).
1. Primitive Ideas:
Although the real function of the blood in the human system was not fully known until the fact of its circulation was established by William Harvey in 1615, nevertheless from the earliest times a singular mystery has been attached to it by all peoples. Blood…
Blood
(1.) As food, prohibited in Gen. 9:4, where the use of animal food is first allowed. Comp. Deut. 12:23; Lev. 3:17; 7:26; 17:10-14. The injunction to abstain from blood is renewed in the decree of the council of Jerusalem (Acts 15:29). It has been held by some, and we think correctly, that this law of prohibition was only ceremonial and temporary; while others regard it as still binding on all. Blood was eaten by the Israelites after the battle of Gilboa (1 Sam. 14:32-34).
(2.) The blood of sacrifices was caught by the priest in a basin, and then sprinkled seven times on the altar; that of the passover on the…
To blood is ascribed in Scripture the mysterious sacredness which belongs to life, and God reserved it to himself when allowing man the dominion over and the use of the lower animals for food. Thus reserved, it acquires a double power: (1) that of sacrificial atonement; and (2) that of becoming a curse when wantonly shed, unless duly expiated. (Genesis 9:4; Leviticus 7:26; 17:11-13)
The life of all animals was regarded as especially in the blood, which was a sacred and essential part of the sacrifices offered to God, Heb 9:22. It was solemnly sprinkled upon the altar and the mercy seat, "for it is the blood that maketh atonement for the soul," Le 17:1-16 the life of the victim for the life of the sinner. It was therefore most sacredly associated with the blood of the Lamb of God which "cleanseth us from all sin," Eph 1:7 1Jo 1:7. Hence the strict prohibition renewed in Ac 15:29. In direct opposition to this are the heathen customs of drinking the blood of animals and even of men- of eating raw flesh, with the blood, and even fresh cut from the living…
כּוּן (kuwn) is a Hebrew verb meaning to establish or prepare. It encompasses a range of meanings, including to be firm, to fix, to direct, and to be ready, with applications in both literal and figurative contexts. The entries indicate various forms of the verb, such as Niph'al (to be established) and Hiph'il (to establish), but there is a note on a noun form, נָכוֹן (nakhon), meaning 'blow'.
[כּוּן] 218 vb. prob. be firm, only in der. conj.
Niph.
be set up, established, fixed
in a moral sense, be directed aright, of ways
prepare, be ready
pass. be prepared, of judgments
Hiph.
establish, set up
fix, so as to be ready, make ready, prepare, a gift
provide for, provide, furnish
direct one's face toward
arrange, order
Hoph.
be established, of throne
be prepared for
Po‛lēl.
set up, establish
constitute, make, a man (in womb)
fix, so as to be ready
direct
Po‛lal. be established
Hithpo‛l. be established
base
נָכוֹן n. [m.] = blow Jb 12:5
ref
H3559a כּוּן prob. be firm, only in der. conj. . . be set up, established, fixed
. in a moral sense, be directed aright, of ways
. prepare, be ready
. pass. be prepared, of judgments
. . establish, set up
. . fix, so as to be ready, make ready, prepare, a gift
. provide for, provide, furnish
. direct one's face toward
. arrange, order
. . be established, of throne
. be prepared for
. . set up, establish
. constitute, make, a man (in womb)
. fix, so as to be ready
. direct
. be established
. be established
H3559b נָכוֹן n. [m.] = blow
3559 kuwn koon
a primitive root; properly, to be erect (i.e. stand
perpendicular); hence (causatively) to set up, in a great
variety of applications, whether literal (establish, fix,
prepare, apply), or figurative (appoint, render sure, proper
or prosperous):--certain(-ty), confirm, direct, faithfulness,
fashion, fasten, firm, be fitted, be fixed, frame, be meet,
ordain, order, perfect, (make) preparation, prepare (self),
provide, make provision, (be, make) ready, right, set (aright,
fast, forth), be stable, (e-)stablish, stand, tarry, X very
deed.
כּוּן (kun) — to establish: prepare.
: prepare/direct
1) to be firm, be stable, be established
1a) (Niphal)
1a1) to be set up, be established, be fixed
1a1a) to be firmly established
1a1b) to be established, be stable, be secure, be enduring
1a1c) to be fixed, be securely determined
1a2) to be directed aright, be fixed aright, be steadfast (moral sense)
1a3) to prepare, be ready
1a4) to be prepared, be arranged, be settled
1b) (Hiphil)
1b1) to establish, set up, accomplish, do, make firm
1b2) to fix, make ready, prepare, provide, provide for, furnish
1b3) to direct toward (moral sense)
1b4) to arrange, order
1c) (Hophal)
1c1) to be established, be fastened
1c2) to be prepared, be ready
1d) (Polel)
1d1) to set up, establish
1d2) to constitute, make
1d3) to fix
1d4) to direct
1e) (Pulal) to be established, be prepared
1f) (Hithpolel) to be established, be restored
נָכוֹן (na.khon) — blow.
Conj | V-o-3ms — Verb · Piel · sequential perfect third person masculine singularHc/Vpq3ms
קִרְיָה (qiryah) means 'town' or 'city' and is derived from the root associated with building. It covers general, specific, collective, and indefinite uses of the term. The Aramaic equivalent is also קִרְיָה (qir.yah).
קִרְיָה n.f. town, city
base
H7151 קִרְיָה town, city
7151 qiryah kir-yaw'
from 7136 in the sense of flooring, i.e. building; a
city:--city.
see HEBREW for 07136
קִרְיָה (qir.yah) — town.
1) city, town
1a) in general
1b) in specific
1c) collective
1d) indefinite
Aramaic equivalent: qir.yah (קִרְיָה "town" H7149)
N-fs — Noun common · feminine singular absoluteHNcfsa
toun: This word is used to represent a number of different Hob terms in the Old Testament.
(1) When any explanatory word or attendant circumstances show that a "city" was unwalled, and sometimes in the contrary case (1Sa 23:7), the Hebrew `ir is translated "town" by the King James Version, and the Revised Version (British and American) generally agrees with it (De 3:5; 1Sa 27:5; Es 9:19).
(2) Both the King James Version and the Revised Version (British and American) translate chawwoth by "towns" (Nu 32:41; Jos 13:30; 1Ki…
→ See CITY
The Hebrew word עָ֫וֶל (*evel*) and its variant עַוְלָה (*avlah*) both denote concepts of injustice and unrighteousness. They encompass moral evil, including violent deeds and wrongful speech. The entries highlight their usage as nouns, with no significant disagreement among lexicons.
עָ֫וֶל n.m. injustice, unrighteousness
base
עַוְלָה n.f. injustice, unrighteousness, wrong
base
H5766a עָ֫וֶל injustice, unrighteousness H5766b עַוְלָה injustice, unrighteousness, wrong
5766 `evel eh'-vel
or lavel {aw'-vel}; and (feminine) lavlah {av-law'}; or owlah
{o-law'}; or .olah {o-law'}; from 5765; (moral)
evil:--iniquity, perverseness, unjust(-ly),
unrighteousness(-ly); wicked(-ness).
see HEBREW for 05765
עָ֫וֶל (e.vel) — injustice.
injustice, unrighteousness
Another spelling of av.lah (עַוְלָה "injustice" H5766B)
עַוְלָה (av.lah) — injustice.
1) injustice, unrighteousness, wrong
1a) violent deeds of injustice
1b) injustice (of speech)
1c) injustice (generally)
Prep | N-cs — Preposition · noun common feminine singular absoluteHR/Ncfsa