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Hosea 10:7 — Word Study

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WLCנִדְמֶ֥ה שֹׁמְר֖וֹן מַלְכָּ֑הּ כְּקֶ֖צֶף עַל־ פְּנֵי־ מָֽיִם׃

BSASamariaShômᵉrôwn [the watch mountain, a region in northern Palestine] will be carried offdâmâh [swept away, destroyed] [with] her kingmelek [the royal person, ruler] like a twigqetseph [a small splinter, foam] onʻal the surfacepânîym [face, presence] of the watermayim [a liquid, source of refreshment]

Word
Listen & take awayHosea 10
English ↓ Download MP3 The Berean Standard Bible chapter audio already hosted for the site's Bible section — verse 7 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 (Ma.yim) — no per-word recordings of the Hebrew exist to link to.
Take it away
Hosea 10:7quick helps
In a sentenceSamaria will be swept away along with its king, depicted as insignificant as a twig on water.
Who is speakingThe prophet Hosea, addressing Israel's impending judgment.
Where we areThe context is a warning about the fate of Samaria and its leadership.
The hard wordנִדְמֶ֥ה
Take awayThe imagery highlights the fragility of power in the face of divine judgment.
8 commentators on this verse Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them › clause subjectשֹׁמְרוֹן verbדָּמָה 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 — Hosea 10:7

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 Judgment on Samariagenerated

6Yes, it will be carried to Assyria as tribute to the great king. Ephraim will be seized with shame; Israel will be ashamed of its wooden idols.
7Samaria will be carried off with her king like a twig on the surface of the water.
8The high places of Aven will be destroyed— it is the sin of Israel; thorns and thistles will overgrow their altars. Then they will say to the mountains, “Cover us!” and to the hills, “Fall on us!”
9Since the days of Gibeah you have sinned, O Israel, and there you have remained. Did not the battle in Gibeah overtake the sons of iniquity?

Hosea 10:7 describes the fate of Samaria, the capital of the northern kingdom of Israel, which is to be destroyed along with its king. This verse is part of a larger discourse warning Israel about their sins and the consequences they will face, including the loss of their leaders and the destruction of their high places. The imagery used conveys a sense of helplessness and impending doom, as seen throughout the book of Hosea.


Cross References

ReferenceText (BSB)
11 Kings 21:1Some time later, Naboth the Jezreelite happened to own a vineyard in Jezreel next to the palace of Ahab king of Samaria.
22 Kings 1:3But the angel of the LORD said to Elijah the Tishbite, “Go up to meet the messengers of the king of Samaria and ask them, ‘Is it because there is no God in Israel that you are on your way to inquire of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron?’
3Hosea 10:3–15Surely now they will say, “We have no king, for we do not revere the LORD. What can a king do for us?”
42 Kings 15:30Then Hoshea son of Elah led a conspiracy against Pekah son of Remaliah. In the twentieth year of Jotham son of Uzziah, Hoshea attacked Pekah, killed him, and reigned in his place.
52 Kings 17:4But the king of Assyria discovered that Hoshea had conspired to send envoys to King So of Egypt, and that he had not paid tribute to the king of Assyria as in previous years. Therefore the king of Assyria arrested Hoshea and put him in prison.

The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 6 references, hung on the phrase they belong to

the waterJude 1:13

The Key Word נִדְמֶ֥ה, nid.Mehgenerated

The word נִדְמֶ֥ה (nidmeh) is a Niphal participle meaning '[will] be destroyed.' It conveys the idea of ceasing to exist or being swept away, emphasizing the totality of destruction.

This form indicates that the action is passive, suggesting that Samaria's destruction is not self-inflicted but rather a result of divine judgment. The use of this verb in the context of Hosea underscores the seriousness of Israel's situation and God's power to bring about such destruction.


How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated

This study reads the verse in the Berean Standard Bible, which uses will be carried off for נִדְמֶ֥ה.


Sentence Structuregenerated

The finite verb נִדְמֶ֥ה governs the main clause, with a subject noun phrase שֹׁמְר֖וֹן and a series of prepositional phrases describing the manner of destruction. The structure emphasizes the action of being carried off, highlighting the fate of Samaria.

The Hebrew word order places the subject first, which draws attention to Samaria as the focus of the destruction, while the prepositional phrases elaborate on the imagery of being like a twig on water.


Septuagint Backgroundgenerated

In the Septuagint, נִדְמֶ֥ה is rendered as ἀπέρριψεν, meaning 'cast away.' This choice suggests a more active sense of being thrown aside, which may imply a harsher judgment than the Hebrew.

This translation reflects a nuanced interpretation of the destruction, emphasizing the complete rejection of Samaria and its king.


In plain words — the whole versegenerated

Hosea 10:7 states that Samaria, along with its king, will be destroyed. This imagery compares their fate to a twig floating on water, illustrating their insignificance in the face of divine judgment.


Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated

What does the destruction of Samaria signify?

It signifies God's judgment on Israel for their unfaithfulness and sin, leading to the loss of their capital and leadership.

Why is Samaria compared to a twig?

The comparison emphasizes the fragility and insignificance of Samaria's power when faced with God's judgment.

What role does the king play in this verse?

The king represents the leadership of Israel, which will also be swept away as a consequence of the nation's sins.

How does this verse connect to the larger themes in Hosea?

It illustrates the consequences of Israel's idolatry and unfaithfulness, central themes throughout the book of Hosea.


Reflection Questionsgenerated

  1. In what ways do I see the consequences of unfaithfulness in my own life or community?
  2. How can I better understand the fragility of power and leadership in the light of God's sovereignty?
  3. What steps can I take to ensure I remain faithful to God's commands?
  4. How does the imagery of destruction in this verse challenge my understanding of God's judgment?

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

Early interpretations of Hosea's prophecy can be found in the writings of Jerome, who references this verse to discuss the fate of Samaria and its king.

JeromeCommentary on Hosea 10:7-8 c. 347–420
"He made his king pass like foam over the face of the water of Samaria, and the high places of idols shall be destroyed, the sin of Israel." LXX: "He has cast out his king from Samaria as a brand on the face of the water,
Early Church Fathers on Hosea 10 →

Commentators on this verse — 8 expositors, verse by verse

Each of these wrote on Hosea 10:7 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.

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

[As for] Samaria,.... The metropolis of the ten tribes of Israel, and here put for the whole kingdom: her king is cut off; which some understand of Pekah, who was killed by Hoshea; others of several

Read John Gill on Hosea 10 →
Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's Commentary

As for Samaria, her king is cut off as the foam upon the water. As for Samaria, her king is cut off as the foam upon the water - (Hosea 10:3; Hosea 10:15) "foam" denoting short-lived existence and speedy dissolution.

Read Robert Jamieson on Hosea 10 →
Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy Bible

As for Samaria, after three years’ siege she shall be cut off. Her king is cut off; for all the rest of the kingdom was lost, and now he is pent up there also; he that was once the confidence of the ten tribes, and king of a mighty people, is now spoiled of all but one only city, where he is rather a prisoner than a king, kept close till made a captive. Is cut off; shortly will be cut off; it is not unlikely this prophecy should be delivered when Samaria was besieged. As the foam upon the water; as a contemptible, weak, and light thing: it is a proverb, and foretells how contemptibly the Assyrians should use them.

Read Matthew Poole on Hosea 10 →
John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

Hosea 10:7 [As for] Samaria, her king is cut off as the foam upon the water.Ver. 7. As for Samaria, her king is cut off, as the foam upon the waters] An apt simile (whereof this prophet is full). Her king (not her idols, as some sense it), though gotten into Samaria, a strong city, so well victualled and fortified as to hold out a siege of three years’ continuance, yet shall be cut off, or silenced, as Hosea 4:7, "as the foam upon the waters," bulla evanida, more weak than water, whereof it ariseth, and whereby it is wherried away, and cannot resist; or, as a bubble blown up by every small wind, and as easily blown out again; it no sooner appears but it disappears. Lo, such are the greatest…

Read John Trapp on Hosea 10 →
Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(7) Foam . . . Water.—One of the most striking images in the prophecy. The word qetseph, rendered “foam”—Speaker’s Commentary reads “bubble”—properly signifies “chip” or “fragment.” Translate: Like a chip on the waters’ surface. The king is tossed on the raging seas of political life like a helpless fragment. Such was the instability of the throne of Israel at this period. (Comp. Hosea 13:11.)

Read Charles John Ellicott on Hosea 10 →
AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible

Verse 7. Her king is cut off as the foam] As lightly as a puff of wind blows off the foam that is formed below by a fall of water, so shall the kings of Israel be cut off. We have already seen that not less than four of them died by assassination in a very short time. See on Hosea 7:7.

Read AdamClarke on Hosea 10 →
CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

7. her king] i. e. not merely the king who happened to be on the throne, but the monarchy itself (as Hosea 10:15). Others, less probably, her idol-god (comp. Amos 5:26). as the foam, &c.] A striking figure, and singled out for its beauty by so good a judge as Mr Ruskin, but Hosea’s is still more appropriate. Render, as a chip on the face of the water (following the Septuagint instead of the Targum), and note the contrast between the helpless fragment of wood and the irresistible power of the current.

Read Cambridge on Hosea 10 →
Albert Barnes1798–1870Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Her king is cut off like foam - (Or, more probably, “a straw) on the” (literally, “face of the) water.” A bubble, or one of those little shreds which float in countless numbers on the surface of the

Read Albert Barnes on Hosea 10 →

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

Samaria will be carried off with her king like a twig on the surface of the water.

WEBWorld English Bible2000

Samaria and her king float away like a twig on the water.

MSBMajority Standard Bible2022

Samaria will be carried off with her king like a twig on the surface of the water.

NETBNew English Translation2006

Samaria and its king will be carried off like a twig on the surface of the waters.

Tyndale line

KJVKing James Version1611

As for Samaria, her king is cut off as the foam upon the water.

ASVAmerican Standard Version1901

As for Samaria, her king is cut off, as foam upon the water.

RVARevised Version, American1894

As for Samaria, her king is cut off, as foam upon the water.

NWBWebster's Bible1833

As for Samaria, her king is cut off as the foam upon the water.

GNVGeneva Bible1599

Of Samaria, the King thereof is destroyed as the some vpon the water.

Strictly literal

DBYDarby Translation1890

As for Samaria her king is cut off as chips upon the face of the waters.

YLTYoung's Literal Translation1862

Cut off is Samaria! Its king [is] as a chip on the face of the waters.

LSVLiteral Standard Version2020

Samaria is cut off! Its king [is] as wrath on the face of the waters.

ILTInterlinear Literal Translation2000

As for Samaria, her king shall vanish like the foam upon the surface of the water.

ULBUnlocked Literal Bible2017

Samaria's king will be destroyed, like a chip of wood on the surface of the water.

From the Latin

DRADouay-Rheims (Challoner)1899

Samaria hath made her king to pass as froth upon the face of the water.

Simplified

FBVFree Bible Version2020

Samaria and its king will be destroyed, swept away like a twig on the surface of the water.

BBEBible in Basic English1949

As for Samaria, her king is cut off, like mist on the water.

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.

clauseverbנִדְמֶ֥ה[will.be].destroyedsubjectשֹׁמְר֖וֹןSamariaclausenoun phrase · subjectמַלְכָּ֑kingהּitsprepositional phrase · predicateכְּlikeקֶ֖צֶףa.twigprepositional phrase · prepositionalעַלonnoun phraseפְּנֵי[the].surfaceמָֽיִםof.[the].waters

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


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

The Masoretic Text aligns with the Septuagint in meaning, with all seven words matched. The Dead Sea Scrolls also reflect the same content but were edited for clarity, showing no significant variation in the core message.

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

נִדְמֶ֥ה שֹׁמְר֖וֹן מַלְכָּ֑הּ כְּקֶ֖צֶף עַל־ פְּנֵי־ מָֽיִם׃

Septuagintthe Greek the translators chose, word by word
נִדְמֶ֥הἀπέρριψενשֹׁמְר֖וֹןσαμάρειαמַלְכָּ֑הּαὐτῆςכְּקֶ֖צֶףφρύγανονעַל־ἐπὶפְּנֵי־προσώπουמָֽיִם׃ὕδατος

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.

Dead Sea Scrolls — 4Q82a copy a thousand years older than the Leningrad Codex

[נדמה] [שמרון] [מלכ׳ה] [כקצף] [על] [פני] [מים]

nothing on the leather here — 7 supplied entire by an editor.

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.

Hosea 10:7דָּמָה[will] be d[will] be destrדָּמָהשִׁמְרוֹןSamariaSamariaשִׁמְרוֹןמֶ֫לֶךְking itsking itsמֶ֫לֶךְקֶ֫צֶףlike a twiglike a twigקֶ֫צֶףעַלononעַלפָּנֶה[the] surfa[the] surface oפָּנֶהמַי[the] water[the] watersמַימָלַךְto reignto reignמָלַךְקָצַףbe angrybe angryקָצַףפָּנָהCorner (GaCorner (Gate)פָּנָהשָׁמַרto keep: oto keep: obeyשָׁמַרעַלheightheightעַלמָשַׁלto likento likenמָשַׁלאַחְאָבAhabAhabאַחְאָבקָבַרto buryto buryקָבַרנְבוּכַדְרֶאצַּרNebuchadneNebuchadnezzarנְבוּכַדְרֶאצַּראַשּׁוּרAsshurAsshurאַשּׁוּרחֵמָהragerageחֵמָהגָּדוֹלGreat (SeaGreat (Sea)גָּדוֹלכִּפֶּרto atoneto atoneכִּפֶּרכִּסֵּאthronethroneכִּסֵּאסָתַרto hideto hideסָתַרנוּסto fleeto fleeנוּסרָחַץto wash: wto wash: washרָחַץשָׁתָהto drinkto drinkשָׁתָה
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 Hosea 10:7

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.

[will] be destroyed Samaria king its like a twig on [the] surface of [the] waters
נִדְמֶ֥הnid.Meh [will] be destroyed H1820 Verb · Niphal · participle (active) masculine singular
15× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
To cease or be destroyed is the meaning of this Hebrew word, which can also mean to be silent or fail. It is used in Psalms and Isaiah to describe the end of something. God's power can bring about destruction.
Amplified meaning
swept away, destroyed
Tyndale gloss
to cease
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

דָּמָה (damah) is a Hebrew verb that means to cease or cause to cease, and it encompasses ideas of cutting off, destroying, or perishing. It can be used in different forms, such as the Qal (active) and Niphal (passive), indicating actions like ceasing or being cut off. The entries consistently highlight its association with destruction and silence.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

[דָּמָה] vb. cease, cause to cease, cut off, destroy

Qal

intr. cease

cause to cease, cut off, destroy

Niph. be cut off, destroyed, ruined

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H1820 [דָּמָה] cease, cause to cease, cut off, destroy

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

1820 damah daw-mam'

a primitive root; to be dumb or silent; hence, to fail or

perish; trans. to destroy:--cease, be cut down (off), destroy,

be brought to silence, be undone, X utterly.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

דָּמָה (da.mah) — to cease.

1) to cease, cause to cease, cut off, destroy, perish

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to cease

1a2) to cause to cease, destroy

1b) (Niphal)

1b1) to be cut off

1b2) to be undone, be cut off at sight of the theophany

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
V-Niphal-Inf-c — Verb · Niphal · participle (active) masculine singular
HVNrmsa
[will] be destroyed Samaria king its like a twig on [the] surface of [the] waters
שֹׁמְר֖וֹןsho.me.Ron Samaria H8111 Noun proper
109× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
Samaria means watch mountain, a region in northern Palestine and the capital city of the northern kingdom of Israel, located near Jerusalem. It was the kingdom of the 10 tribes of Israel after Solomon's death.
Amplified meaning
the watch mountain, a region in northern Palestine
Tyndale gloss
Samaria
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

שִׁמְרוֹן (Shomrown) refers to Samaria, the capital of the northern kingdom of Israel established during Omri's reign. The name is derived from a root meaning 'watch-station' or 'watch mountain.' It denotes both the city and the surrounding region, which played a significant role in the history of Israel after the kingdom split.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

שִׁמְרוֹן 109 n.pr.loc. capital of N. Isr. from Omri's time

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H8111 שִׁמְרוֹן capital of N. Isr. from Omri's time

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

8111 Shomrown sho-mer-one'

from the active participle of 8104; watch-station; Shomeron,

a place in Palestine:--Samaria.

see HEBREW for 08104

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

שֹׁמְרוֹן (sho.me.ron) — Samaria.

§ Samaria = "watch mountain"

1) the region of northern Palestine associated with the northern kingdom of the 10 tribes of Israel which split from the kingdom after the death of Solomon during the reign of his son Rehoboam and were ruled by Jeroboam

2) the capital city of the northern kingdom of Israel located 30 miles (50 km) north of Jerusalem and 6 miles (10 km) northwest of Shechem

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

Samaria

A watch-mountain or a watch-tower. In the heart of the mountains of Israel, a few miles north-west of Shechem, stands the “hill of Shomeron,” a solitary mountain, a great “mamelon.” It is an oblong hill, with steep but not inaccessible sides, and a long flat top. Omri, the king of Israel, purchased this hill from Shemer its owner for two talents of silver, and built on its broad summit the city to which he gave the name of “Shomeron”, i.e., Samaria, as the new capital of his kingdom instead of Tirzah (1 Kings 16:24). As such it possessed many advantages. Here Omri resided during the last six years of his reign. As the result of an unsuccessful war with Syria, he appears to have been obliged to grant to the Syrians the right to “make streets in Samaria”, i.e., probably permission to the Syrian merchants to carry on their trade…

Smith's Bible Dictionary

(watch mountain). This city is situated 30 miles north of Jerusalem and about six miles to the northwest of Shechem, in a wide basin-shaped valley, six miles in diameter, encircled with high hills, almost on the edge of the great plain which borders upon the Mediterranean. In the centre of this basin, which is on a lower level than the valley of Shechem, rises a less elevated hill, with steep yet accessible sides and a long fiat top. This hill was chosen by Omri as the site of the capital of the kingdom of Israel. He "bought the hill of Samaria of Shemer for two talents of silver, and built on the hill, and called the name of the city which he built, after the name of the owner of the hill, Samaria." (1 Kings 16:23,24) From the that of Omri’s purchase, B.C. 925, Samaria retained its dignity as the capital of the ten tribes, and the…

American Tract Society Bible Dictionary

1. One of the three divisions of the Holy Land in the time of our Savior, having Galilee on the north and Judea on the south, the Jordan on the east and the Mediterranean on the west, and occupying parts of the territory assigned at first to Ephraim, Mahasseh, and Issachar, Lu 17:11 Joh 4:4. It is described as having its hills less bare than those of Judea, and its valleys and plains more cultivated and fruitful. See CANAAN. Many gospel churches were early planted here, Ac 8:1,25 9:31 15:3.

2. A city situated near the middle of Palestine, some six miles northwest of Shechem. It was built by Omri king of Israel, about 920 B. C., and named after Shemer the previous owner of the mountain or hill on which the city stood, 1Ki…

Hitchcock's Bible Names Dictionary

watch-mountain

[will] be destroyed Samaria king its like a twig on [the] surface of [the] waters
מַלְכָּ֑הּmal.Kah king its H4428 Noun common masculine singular construct · suffix
2,526× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This word refers to a king or royal person, like King David or King Saul. It can also describe something related to a king, like the King's Valley in Genesis. The Bible often uses this word to talk about the rulers of Israel.
Amplified meaning
the royal person, ruler
Tyndale gloss
King's
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word מֶ֫לֶךְ (*melek*) means 'king.' It is derived from a root that suggests royalty. The term appears in various contexts, including references to specific kings and locations, such as the 'King's Highway' in Numbers 20:17 and the 'King's Valley' in Genesis 14:17. The lexicons note its Aramaic equivalent and mention its use in the context of individuals like Hammelech in Jeremiah.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

מֶ֫לֶךְ 2513 n.m. king

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H4428 מֶ֫לֶךְ king

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

4428 melek meh'-lek

from 4427; a king:--king, royal.

see HEBREW for 04427

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

מֶ֫לֶךְ (me.lekh) — king.

1) king

Aramaic equivalent: me.lekh (מֶ֫לֶךְ "king" H4430)

הַמֶּלֶךְ (me.lekh) — `the king`.

'the king' or a name, Hammelech in KJV of Jer.36.26; 38.6- a man living at the time of Divided Monarchy, first mentioned at Jer.36.26;

father of: Jerahmeel (H3396I) and Malchijah (H4441H); also translated "the king";

§ A man living at the time of Divided Monarchy, first mentioned at Jer.36.26;

father of: Jerahmeel (H3396I) and Malchijah (H4441H); also translated "the king";

מֶ֫לֶךְ (me.lekh) — King's.

King's (Highway) (Num.20.17)

מֶ֫לֶךְ (me.lekh) — King's.

Another name of she.lach (שֶׁ֫לַח "Shelah" H7975A)

מֶ֫לֶךְ (me.lekh) — Milcom.

Another name of mo.lekh (מֹ֫לֶךְ "Molech" H4432)

מֶ֫לֶךְ (me.lekh) — King's.

King's (Valley) (Gen.14.17)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-ms | Suff — Noun common masculine singular construct · suffix
HNcmsc/Sp3fs
[will] be destroyed Samaria king its like a twig on [the] surface of [the] waters
כְּקֶ֖צֶףke.Ke.tzef like a twig H7110 Preposition · noun common masculine singular absolute
29× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This word can mean a small splinter or twig, but also figuratively describes rage or strife, like the foam on a furious animal's mouth in Job 39:24. It signifies intense emotion or turmoil, often used to convey a sense of urgency or danger. The Bible uses it to describe intense feelings.
Amplified meaning
a small splinter, foam
Tyndale gloss
wrath
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

קֶ֫צֶף (qetseph) primarily means 'wrath' or 'anger,' often associated with God or man. It can also refer to a 'splinter' or 'twig,' though this meaning is uncertain and appears only in Hosea 10:7. The word is derived from a root meaning to chip off, suggesting a connection between the two meanings.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

קֶ֫צֶף n.m. wrath

base

קֶ֫צֶף n.[m.] prob. splinter;—only Ho 10:7

ref

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H7110a קֶ֫צֶף wrath H7110b קֶ֫צֶף prob. splinter

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

7110 qetseph keh'-tsef

from 7107; a splinter (as chipped off); figuratively, rage or

strife:--foam, indignation, X sore, wrath.

see HEBREW for 07107

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

קֶ֫צֶף (qe.tseph) — wrath.

1) wrath, anger

1a) of God

1b) of man

קֶ֫צֶף (qe.tseph) — splinter.

1) splinter, twig, broken twig

1a) meaning uncertain

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Prep | N-ms — Preposition · noun common masculine singular absolute
HR/Ncmsa
[will] be destroyed Samaria king its like a twig on [the] surface of [the] waters
עַל־'al- on H5921 Preposition
5,774× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This Hebrew word means on or above something, like a physical object or a situation. It can also imply a sense of responsibility or accountability, as in being on behalf of someone.
Tyndale gloss
upon
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word עַל (*al*) is a preposition meaning 'upon' and encompasses a wide range of meanings, including 'on account of,' 'beside,' 'above,' and 'against.' It can indicate physical placement, emotional burdens, or duties imposed on a person. The entries also note its use in idiomatic expressions and with verbs of motion. There is a mention of its function as a conjunction in certain contexts.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

כִּי עַל כֵּן forasmuch as

base

עַל, עָ֑ל

subst. height

As prep. upon, and hence on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against

Upon, of the substratum upon which an object in any way rests, or on which an action is performed

of clothing, etc., which any one wears

With verbs of covering or protecting, even though the cover or veil be not over or above the thing covered, but around or before it

Of what rests heavily upon a person, or is a burden to him

Of a duty, payment, care, etc., imposed upon a person, or devolving on him

על is used idiom. to give pathos to the expression of an emotion, by emphasizing the person who is its subject, and who, as it were, feels it acting upon him

חָיָה עַל to live upon (as upon a foundation or support)

Read the full entry →
Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H5921a עַל, עָ֑ל . As prep. upon, and hence on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against . Upon, of the substratum upon which an object in any way rests, or on which an action is performed . — . of clothing, etc., which any one wears

. With verbs of covering or protecting, even though the cover or veil be not over or above the thing covered, but around or before it

. Of what rests heavily upon a person, or is a burden to him

. Of a duty, payment, care, etc., imposed upon a person, or devolving on him

. על is used idiom. to give pathos to the expression of an emotion, by emphasizing the person who is its subject, and who, as it were, feels it acting upon him

. חָיָה עַל to live upon (as upon a foundation or support)

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Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

5921 `al al

properly, the same as 5920 used as a preposition (in the

singular or plural often with prefix, or as conjunction with a

particle following); above, over, upon, or against (yet always

in this last relation with a downward aspect) in a great

variety of applications (as follow):--above, according

to(-ly), after, (as) against, among, and, X as, at, because

of, beside (the rest of), between, beyond the time, X both

and, by (reason of), X had the charge of, concerning for, in

(that), (forth, out) of, (from) (off), (up-)on, over, than,

through(-out), to, touching, X with.

see HEBREW for 05920

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

עַל (al) — upon.

prep

1) upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against

1a) upon, on the ground of, on the basis of, on account of, because of, therefore, on behalf of, for the sake of, for, with, in spite of, notwithstanding, concerning, in the matter of, as regards

1b) above, beyond, over (of excess)

1c) above, over (of elevation or pre-eminence)

1d) upon, to, over to, unto, in addition to, together with, with (of addition)

1e) over (of suspension or extension)

1f) by, adjoining, next, at, over, around (of contiguity or proximity)

1g) down upon, upon, on, from, up upon, up to, towards, over towards, to, against (with verbs of motion)

1h) to (as a dative)

[כִּי] עַל [כֵּן] ([ki] al [ken]) — as.

conj

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Prep — Preposition
HR
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
Easton's Bible Dictionary

On

Light; the sun, (Gen. 41:45, 50), the great seat of sun-worship, called also Bethshemesh (Jer. 43:13) and Aven (Ezek. 30:17), stood on the east bank of the Nile, a few miles north of Memphis, and near Cairo, in the north-east. The Vulgate and the LXX. Versions have “Heliopolis” (“city of the sun”) instead of On in Genesis and of Aven in Ezekiel. The “city of destruction” Isaiah speaks of (19:18, marg. “of Heres;” Heb. ‘Ir-ha-heres, which some MSS. read Ir-ha-heres, i.e., “city of the sun”) may be the name given to On, the prophecy being that the time will come when that city which was known as the “city of the sun-god” shall become the “city of destruction” of the sun-god, i.e., when idolatry shall cease, and the worship…

Smith's Bible Dictionary

(abode or city of the sun), a town of lower Egypt, called BETH-SHEMESH in (Jeremiah 43:13) On is better known under its Greek name Heliopolis. It was situated on the east side of the Pelusiac branch of the Nile, just below the point of the Delta, and about twenty miles northeast of Memphis. The chief object of worship at Heliopolis was the sun, whose temple, described by Strabo, is now only represented by the single beautiful obelisk, of red granite so feet 2 inches high above the pedestal which has stood for more than 4000 years, having been erected by Usirtesen, the second king of the twelfth dynasty. Heliopolis was anciently famous for its learning, and Eudoxus and Plato studied under its priests. The first mention of this place in the Bible is in the history of Joseph, to whom we read Pharaoh gave "to wife Asenath the daughter…

American Tract Society Bible Dictionary

See HELIOPOLIS.

Hitchcock's Bible Names Dictionary

pain; force; iniquity

The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
[will] be destroyed Samaria king its like a twig on [the] surface of [the] waters
פְּנֵי־pe.nei- [the] surface of H6440 Noun common · masculine plural construct
2,127× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This word means face or presence, like being in front of someone or something. It's used in many contexts, like in Genesis, Exodus, and Psalms, to describe interactions and relationships.
Amplified meaning
face, presence
Tyndale gloss
face
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word פָּנֶה (*pāneh*) is a noun meaning 'face' or 'presence,' and it appears in various contexts, including the faces of seraphim and animals, as well as the surface of the ground. It can also function as an adverb meaning 'before' or 'in front of.' The word is built from a root that suggests turning or facing, and it encompasses a wide range of applications, both literal and figurative.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

[פָּנֶה], pl. פָּנִים 2123 n.m. face, also faces

face, faces

presence, person

technically, see one's face, i.e. appear before one, in one's presence

face of seraphim

face of animals

face (= surface) of ground

as adv.loc. before

for other phrases

with prepositions

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H6440 פָּנֶה, pl. פָּנִים face, also faces . . face, faces

. . presence, person

. technically, see one's face, i.e. appear before one, in one's presence

. face of seraphim

. face of animals

. face (= surface) of ground

. as adv. loc. before

. for other phrases

. with prepositions

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

6440 paniym paw-neem'

plural (but always as singular) of an unused noun (paneh

{paw-neh'}; from 6437); the face (as the part that turns);

used in a great variety of applications (literally and

figuratively); also (with prepositional prefix) as a

preposition (before, etc.):--+ accept, a-(be- )fore(-time),

against, anger, X as (long as), at, + battle, + because (of),

+ beseech, countenance, edge, + employ, endure, + enquire,

face, favour, fear of, for, forefront(-part), form(-er

time, -ward), from, front, heaviness, X him(-self), +

honourable, + impudent, + in, it, look(-eth) (- s), X me, +

meet, X more than, mouth, of, off, (of) old (time), X on,

open, + out of, over against, the partial, person, + please,

presence, propect, was purposed, by reason of, + regard, right

forth, + serve, X shewbread, sight, state, straight, + street,

X thee, X them(-selves), through (+ - out), till, time(-s)

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Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

פָּנֶה (pa.neh) — face: before.

: before/to/front

1) face

1a) face, faces

1b) presence, person

1c) face (of seraphim or cherubim)

1d) face (of animals)

1e) face, surface (of ground)

1f) as adv of loc/temp

1f1) before and behind, toward, in front of, forward, formerly, from beforetime, before

1g) with prep

1g1) in front of, before, to the front of, in the presence of, in the face of, at the face or front of, from the presence of, from before, from before the face of

פָּנֶה (pa.neh) — face.

: face

1) face

1a) face, faces

1b) presence, person

1c) face (of seraphim or cherubim)

1d) face (of animals)

1e) face, surface (of ground)

1f) as adv of loc/temp

1f1) before and behind, toward, in front of, forward, formerly, from beforetime, before

1g) with prep

1g1) in front of, before, to the front of, in the presence of, in the face of, at the face or front of, from the presence of, from before, from…

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Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-cp — Noun common · masculine plural construct
HNcmpc
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

ov:

(1) In Anglo-Saxon, had the meaning "from," "away from" (as the strengthened form "off" has still), and was not used for genitive or possessive relations, these being expressed by special case-forms. In the Norman period, however, "of" was taken to represent the French de (a use well developed by the time of Chaucer), and in the Elizabethan period both senses of "of" were in common use. But after about 1600 the later force of the word became predominant, and in the earlier sense (which is now practically obsolete) it was replaced by other prepositions. In consequence the King James Version (and in some cases the Revised Version (British and American)) contains many uses of "of" that are no longer familiar--most of them, to be sure, causing no difficulty, but there still being a few responsible for real obscurities.

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…

The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
[will] be destroyed Samaria king its like a twig on [the] surface of [the] waters
מָֽיִם׃Ma.yim [the] waters H4325 Noun common · masculine plural absolute
581× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This word means water, referring to a liquid or a source of refreshment. It appears in the Bible as a literal and figurative term, including references to wasting or urine. The word is used in various contexts, such as in Genesis and Leviticus.
Amplified meaning
a liquid, source of refreshment
Tyndale gloss
Water (Gate)
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

מַי (mayim) is a Hebrew word meaning 'water' and is used in the plural form. It encompasses various meanings, including literal water, urine, and metaphorical uses related to refreshment or danger. The entries indicate it is derived from a primitive noun and is primarily referenced in contexts involving water.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

[מַי] 580 n.m. only pl. מַ֫יִם waters, water

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H4325 מַי only pl. מַ֫יִם waters, water

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

4325 mayim mah'-yim

dual of a primitive noun (but used in a singular sense);

water; figuratively, juice; by euphemism, urine, semen:--+

piss, wasting, water(-ing, (-course, -flood, -spring)).

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

מַי (ma.yim) — water.

1) water, waters

1a) water

1b) water of the feet, urine

1c) of danger, violence, transitory things, refreshment (fig.)

מַי (ma.yim) — Water (Gate).

This name means water, refreshment

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-mp — Noun common · masculine plural absolute
HNcmpa
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

wo'-terz (mayim, plural of may, "water"; in the New Testament hudor, "water"; kindunois potamon (2Co 11:26), the King James Version "perils of waters," is in the Revised Version (British and American) "perils of rivers"): In the New Testament there is frequent reference to the water of baptism. Pilate washes his hands with water to signify his guiltlessness. Jesus tells the Samaritan woman of the living water. The Lamb shall guide the redeemed unto fountains of waters of life.

The uses of mayim are well classified in BDB, especially the figurative references, as follows: a symbol of distress, "when thou passest through the waters" (Isa 43:2); of force, "like the breach of waters" (2Sa 5:20); of that which is overwhelming, "a…

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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