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Isaiah 1:19 — Word Study

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WLCאִם־ תֹּאב֖וּ וּשְׁמַעְתֶּ֑ם ט֥וּב הָאָ֖רֶץ תֹּאכֵֽלוּ׃

BSAIfʼim [you consent and obey] you are willingʼâbâh [to give ear to my word] and obedientshâmaʻ [to do as you're told] you will eatʼâkal [consume, devour] the bestṭûwb [good, goodness] of the landʼerets [the earth, a country]

Word
Listen & take awayIsaiah 1
English ↓ Download MP3 The Berean Standard Bible chapter audio already hosted for the site's Bible section — verse 19 is in this chapter.
Hebrew ↓ Download MP3 The Masoretic text of this chapter, read aloud. Read by Abraham Shmuelof, courtesy of Audio Scriptures International. Chapter divisions by the Academy of Ancient Languages..
Say the word Each Hebrew word carries its transliteration (to.Khe.lu) — no per-word recordings of the Hebrew exist to link to.
Take it away
Isaiah 1:19quick helps
In a sentenceIsaiah presents a conditional promise from God: willingness and obedience lead to blessings.
Who is speakingThe LORD, addressing His people through the prophet Isaiah.
Where we areThis verse is part of a call to repentance, emphasizing the consequences of obedience versus rebellion.
The hard wordאָבָה
Take awayObedience to God's word brings the best blessings.
8 commentators on this verse Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them › clause verbאָבָה 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 — Isaiah 1:19

Sections marked generated are written from the data on this page rather than by a named author. Everything else — the lexicon entries, the cross references, the manuscript readings, the counts — is quoted from its source unchanged.

Context — A Call to Repentancegenerated

18“Come now, let us reason together,” says the LORD. “Though your sins are like scarlet, they will be as white as snow; though they are as red as crimson, they will become like wool.
19If you are willing and obedient, you will eat the best of the land.
20But if you resist and rebel, you will be devoured by the sword.” For the mouth of the LORD has spoken.
21See how the faithful city has become a harlot! She once was full of justice; righteousness resided within her, but now only murderers!

Isaiah 1:19 is part of a larger passage where God invites His people to reason with Him about their sins and the potential for redemption. The surrounding verses highlight the contrast between obedience and rebellion, illustrating the consequences of each choice. God promises that if they are willing and obedient, they will enjoy the best of the land, a metaphor for His blessings. This theme resonates throughout the book of Isaiah, where calls for repentance are frequent and urgent.


Cross References

ReferenceText (BSB)
1Isaiah 3:10Tell the righteous it will be well with them, for they will enjoy the fruit of their labor.
2Isaiah 55:1–3“Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you without money, come, buy, and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost!
3Jeremiah 3:12–14Go, proclaim this message toward the north: ‘Return, O faithless Israel,’ declares the LORD. ‘I will no longer look on you with anger, for I am merciful,’ declares the LORD. ‘I will not be angry forever.
4Jeremiah 31:18–20I have surely heard Ephraim’s moaning: ‘You disciplined me severely, like an untrained calf. Restore me, that I may return, for You are the LORD my God.
5Hosea 14:1–4Return, O Israel, to the LORD your God, for you have stumbled by your iniquity.

The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 8 references, hung on the phrase they belong to


The Key Word אָבָה, to.Vugenerated

The verb אָבָה (abah) means to be willing or to consent. It conveys a sense of acquiescence and readiness to follow God's commands. This word is used in various contexts, often indicating a positive willingness to obey or yield, and it appears frequently in the Old Testament.

In this verse, the form is the imperfect second person masculine plural, indicating that the call is directed towards the collective people of Israel, inviting them to a state of readiness to listen and act upon God's word.


How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated

The translations agree here on the essential meaning of the verse.


Sentence Structuregenerated

The verse consists of a conditional clause introduced by אִם ('im, 'if') followed by two main verbs: תֹּאב֖וּ (to.Vu, 'you will be willing') and וּשְׁמַעְתֶּם (u.she.ma'.Tem, 'and you will obey'). These verbs are followed by the result clause indicating the consequence of their willingness and obedience: תֹּאכֵֽלוּ (to.Khe.lu, 'you will eat').

The structure emphasizes that the conditions of willingness and obedience are prerequisites for receiving the blessings described.


Septuagint Backgroundgenerated

In the Septuagint, the Hebrew אָבָה is rendered as θέλητε (thelēte), which means 'you will be willing.' This choice reflects a direct translation that maintains the conditional aspect of the promise.

The Greek translation captures the essence of the Hebrew, emphasizing the importance of the people's willingness in receiving God's blessings.


In plain words — the whole versegenerated

Isaiah 1:19 tells us that if the people are willing to listen to God and obey Him, they will enjoy the best of the land. This verse emphasizes the connection between obedience to God's commands and receiving His blessings.


Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated

What does it mean to be willing and obedient?

Being willing means having a readiness to listen and follow God's commands, while being obedient means acting upon those commands.

What blessings are promised in this verse?

The verse promises that those who are willing and obedient will eat the best of the land, symbolizing God's abundant blessings.

How does this verse relate to the overall message of Isaiah?

This verse encapsulates the call for repentance and obedience that runs throughout Isaiah, highlighting the consequences of turning back to God.

What does the 'best of the land' refer to?

The 'best of the land' refers to the blessings and goodness that God promises to those who follow His ways.


Reflection Questionsgenerated

  1. What does willingness to obey God look like in my life?
  2. How can I cultivate a heart that is both willing and obedient to God's word?
  3. What are some blessings I have experienced as a result of obeying God's commands?
  4. In what ways can I encourage others to be willing and obedient to God?

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

Early Church Fathers have commented on this verse, interpreting it as a promise of blessings for the faithful and a call to obedience.

TertullianON THE RESURRECTION OF THE FLESH 26 c. 155–220
This passage means the blessings that await the flesh when in the kingdom of God it shall be renewed, and made like the angels, and waiting to obtain the things “which neither eye has seen nor ear heard,
Early Church Fathers on Isaiah 1 →
Ambrose of MilanFLIGHT FROM THE WORLD 6:36 c. 339–397
Scripture promised these good things to the faithful when it said, “You shall eat the good things of the land.” That we may obtain the good things, let us be like that good,
Early Church Fathers on Isaiah 1 →
JeromeVerse 19, 26. c. 347–420
If you are willing and obedient, you will eat the good of the land; but if you refuse and rebel, you shall be devoured by the sword; for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.
Early Church Fathers on Isaiah 1 →

Commentators on this verse — 8 expositors, verse by verse

Each of these wrote on Isaiah 1:19 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.

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

If ye be willing and obedient,.... The Targum adds, "to my Word": the Word made flesh, and dwelling among them; who would have gathered the inhabitants of Jerusalem to his ministry, to attend his

Read John Gill on Isaiah 1 →
Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's Commentary

If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land: If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land.

Read Robert Jamieson on Isaiah 1 →
Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy Bible

If ye be willing and obedient; if you are heartily willing and fully resolved to obey all my commands. Ye shall eat the good of the land; together with the pardon of your sins, you shall receive many temporal and worldly blessings.

Read Matthew Poole on Isaiah 1 →
John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

Isaiah 1:19 If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land:Ver. 19. If ye be willing and obedient.] If ye love God and keep his commandments; if ye love to be his servants; willing in all things to live honestly. Tantum velis et Deus tibi praecurret. Say thou canst not open the door, yet be lifting at the latch; ever holding that of Augustine, Nolentem praevenit Deus ut velit, volentem subsequitur ne frustra velit. It is God that worketh in us both to will and to do of his own good pleasure. Augustine, after Paul, stood so much for free grace, that the Papists say he yielded too little to freewill. Ye shall eat the good things of the land.] Ye shall, and not strangers for…

Read John Trapp on Isaiah 1 →
Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(19) If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land.—The promise of temporal blessings as the reward of a true repentance, instead of the spiritual peace and joy of Psa 51:8-12, fills us at first with a sense of disappointment. It has to be remembered, however, that the prophet spoke to those who were unjust and selfish, and who were as yet far from the broken and contrite heart of the true penitent. He was content to wake up in them the dormant sense of righteousness, and to lead them to recognise the moral government of God. In the long run they would not be losers by a change of conduct. The choice of eating or “being eaten” (the “devoured” of Isaiah 1:20), enjoying a…

Read Charles John Ellicott on Isaiah 1 →
AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible

Verse 19. Ye shall eat the good of the land] Referring to Isaiah 1:7: it shall not be "devoured by strangers."

Read AdamClarke on Isaiah 1 →
Albert Barnes1798–1870Barnes' Notes on the Bible

If ye be willing - If you submit your wills, and become voluntary in your obedience to my law. And obedient - Hebrew If you will hear; that is, my commands.

Read Albert Barnes on Isaiah 1 →
Daniel Denison Whedon1808–1885Whedon's Commentary on the Bible

18-20. Revolting as the people’s acts have been, God is here pleading to show that their ill condition is of their own causing. Come now — This is a common formula of entreaty. Let us reason — Discuss the case together.

Read Daniel Denison Whedon on Isaiah 1 →

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

If you are willing and obedient, you will eat the best of the land.

WEBWorld English Bible2000

If you are willing and obedient, you will eat the good of the land;

MSBMajority Standard Bible2022

If you are willing and obedient, you will eat the best of the land.

NETBNew English Translation2006

If you have a willing attitude and obey, then you will again eat the good crops of the land.

Tyndale line

KJVKing James Version1611

If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land:

ASVAmerican Standard Version1901

If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land:

RVARevised Version, American1894

If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land:

NWBWebster's Bible1833

If ye are willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land:

GNVGeneva Bible1599

If ye consent and obey, ye shall eate the good things of the land.

Strictly literal

DBYDarby Translation1890

If ye be willing and hearken, ye shall eat the good of the land;

YLTYoung's Literal Translation1862

If ye are willing, and have hearkened, The good of the land ye consume,

LSVLiteral Standard Version2020

If you are willing, and have listened, || The good of the land you consume,

ILTInterlinear Literal Translation2000

If ye be willing and obey, the best of the land shall ye eat;

ULBUnlocked Literal Bible2017

If you are willing and obedient, you will eat the good of the land,

From the Latin

DRADouay-Rheims (Challoner)1899

If you be willing, and will hearken to me, you shall eat the good things of the land.

Simplified

FBVFree Bible Version2020

If you really want this, and if you do as you're told, then you yourselves will eat the best things that the land produces.

BBEBible in Basic English1949

If you will give ear to my word and do it, the good things of the land will be yours;

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.

clauseclauseאִםifclauseclauseverbתֹּאב֖וּyou.will.be.willingוּandclauseverbשְׁמַעְתֶּ֑םyou.will.obeyclausenoun phrase · objectט֥וּבthe.good.thing[s]noun phraseהָofאָ֖רֶץthe.landverbתֹּאכֵֽלוּyou.will.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 reads: אִם־ תֹּאב֖וּ וּשְׁמַעְתֶּ֑ם ט֥וּב הָאָ֖רֶץ תֹּאכֵֽלוּ׃. The Septuagint matches five of the six words, indicating a strong agreement between these texts. The Dead Sea Scrolls also align closely with the Masoretic Text, with minor restorations in the 4Q60 scroll.

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

אִם־ תֹּאב֖וּ וּשְׁמַעְתֶּ֑ם ט֥וּב הָאָ֖רֶץ תֹּאכֵֽלוּ׃

Septuagintthe Greek the translators chose, word by word
תֹּאב֖וּθέλητεוּשְׁמַעְתֶּ֑םεἰσακούσητέט֥וּבἀγαθὰהָאָ֖רֶץγῆςתֹּאכֵֽלוּ׃φάγεσθε

5 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.

Dead Sea Scrolls — 1Qisaaa copy a thousand years older than the Leningrad Codex

אמ תאבו ושמעתם טוב הארץ תאכלו

5 words on the leather — 1 partly restored.

Dead Sea Scrolls — 4Q60a copy a thousand years older than the Leningrad Codex

[אם] [תאבו] [ושמעתם] [טוב] הארצ תאכלו

2 words on the leather — 4 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.

Isaiah 1:19אִםififאִםאָבָהyou will beyou will be wilאָבָהשָׁמַעand you wiland you will obשָׁמַעטוּב[the] good [the] good thinטוּבאֶ֫רֶץthe landthe landאֶ֫רֶץאָכַלyou will eayou will eatאָכַלטוֹבbe pleasinbe pleasingטוֹבחֵןfavorfavorחֵןיֵשׁtherethereיֵשׁשָׁחַתto ruinto ruinשָׁחַתעֵצָהcounselcounselעֵצָהקוֹלvoice: souvoice: soundקוֹלקָשַׁבto listento listenקָשַׁבדָּגָןgraingrainדָּגָןשָׂבֵעַto satisfyto satisfyשָׂבֵעַכְּנַ֫עַןCanaanCanaanכְּנַ֫עַןמִצְרַ֫יִם(Sea of) E(Sea of) Egyptמִצְרַ֫יִםשָׁתָהto 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 Isaiah 1:19

One dossier per word, with every reference work grouped by kind — Hebrew lexicons, morphology, Bible dictionaries, topical chains and the English of the translators themselves. The verse sits at the head of each block with the word under study lit, so you never lose your place. The panel above gives the short answer; this is the long one, and it is the part of the page worth indexing.

Every entry below is the lexicographer's own text. On the Hebrew: Brown-Driver-Briggs entire and its gloss set, Strong's Hebrew Dictionary, and Tyndale House's Translators Brief lexicon. Where a cell says a work has no entry, that work genuinely has none for this word.

if you will be willing and you will obey [the] good thing[s] of the land you will eat
אִם־'im- if H518 Particle
1,070× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This Hebrew word is used to express conditions or questions, like if or whether. It can also be used to make oaths or express wishes, as in Oh that! It appears in various forms in the KJV, including if, though, and when.
Amplified meaning
you consent and obey
Tyndale gloss
if
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

אִם (im) is a Hebrew conjunction primarily meaning 'if' and is used in various contexts, including conditional clauses and interrogative situations. It can also express negation, alternatives, or exceptions, and appears frequently in the Old Testament. The lexicons note its use in oaths and its ability to connect different clauses, sometimes altering their meanings.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

אִם conj.

hypoth. part. if

Interrog. part.

base

כִּי אם־

each part. retaining its independent force, and relating to a different clause:

that if

for if

(About 140 t.) the two particles being closely conjoined, and relating to the same clause—

limiting the prec. clause, except

the if being neglected, and treated as pleonastic, so that the clause is no longer a limitation of the preceding clause but a contradiction of it: but rather, but

after an oath, surely

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H518a אִם conj. . hypoth. part. if

. Interrog. part.

H518b כִּי אם־ . each part. retaining its independent force, and relating to a different clause: . that if

. for if

. (About 140 t.) the two particles being closely conjoined, and relating to the same clause— . limiting the prec. clause, except

. the if being neglected, and treated as pleonastic, so that the clause is no longer a limitation of the preceding clause but a contradiction of it: but rather, but

. after an oath, surely

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

518 'im eem

a primitive particle; used very widely as demonstrative, lo!;

interrog., whether?; or conditional, if, although; also Oh

that!, when; hence, as a negative, not:--(and, can-,

doubtless, if, that) (not), + but, either, + except, +

more(-over if, than), neither, nevertheless, nor, oh that, or,

+ save (only, -ing), seeing, since, sith, + surely (no more,

none, not), though, + of a truth, + unless, + verily, when,

whereas, whether, while, + yet.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

אִם (im) — if.

: if/whether_or/though

1) if

1a) conditional clauses

1a1) of possible situations

1a2) of impossible situations

1b) oath contexts

1b1) no, not

1c) if...if, whether...or, whether...or...or

1d) when, whenever

1e) since

1f) interrogative particle

1g) but rather

[כִּי] אם (ki im) — if: except.

1) except if

1a) but if

אִם (im) — if: surely no.

: surely_no

1) if

1a) conditional clauses

1a1) of possible situations

1a2) of impossible situations

1b) oath contexts

1b1) no, not

1c) if...if, whether...or, whether...or...or

1d) when, whenever

1e) since

1f) interrogative particle

1g) but rather

אִם (im) — if: surely yes.

: surely_yes

1) if

1a) conditional clauses

1a1) of possible situations

1a2) of impossible situations

1b) oath contexts

1b1) no, not

1c) if...if, whether...or, whether...or...or

1d) when, whenever

1e) since

1f) interrogative particle

1g) but rather

אִם (im) — if: until.

: until/except

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Conj — Particle
HTc
The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
if you will be willing and you will obey [the] good thing[s] of the land you will eat
תֹּאב֖וּto.Vu you will be willing H14 Verb · Qal · imperfect second person masculine plural
54× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
To be willing or consent is the meaning of this Hebrew word, which involves being acquiescent or accepting. It is used in various contexts, including being willing to obey or follow.
Amplified meaning
to give ear to my word
Tyndale gloss
be willing
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word אָבָה (*abah*) means to be willing or to consent. It is a primitive root that conveys ideas of acquiescence and desire. The word appears in various forms and contexts throughout the Old Testament, often indicating a willingness to yield or accept, sometimes in both positive and negative senses.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

אָבָה vb. be willing, consent (cf. As. abîtu, command, Dl W, Eth. Ethiopic refuse, Ar. Arabic, id., Nejd be willing So De Jes 3, p. 26; LCB 1880, 817)—

Qal (c. לֹא, אַל exc. Is 1:19 Jb 39:9; in Hex. rare & Only JED, incl. Lv 26:21); Pf. אָבָה Ex 10:27 + אָבוּ Ju 19:25 + 7 t.; אָבוּא Is 28:12 (Sta § 31 R.2; Kö I, 414); Impf. יֹאבֶה Dt 29:19 + 2 t.; 2 ms. juss. תֹּבֵֽא Pr 1:10 (Sta § 143 e 1 nn; Kö I, 578 f) etc.; Pt. אֹבִים Ez 3:7;—be willing, sq. Inf.…

Read the full entry →
Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H14 אָבָה be willing, consent

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

14 'abah aw-baw'

a primitive root; to breathe after, i.e. (figuratively) to be

acquiescent:--consent, rest content will, be willing.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

אָבָה (a.vah) — be willing.

1) to be willing, consent

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to be willing

1a2) to consent, yield to, accept

1a3) to desire

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
V-Qal-Imperf-2mp — Verb · Qal · imperfect second person masculine plural
HVqi2mp
if you will be willing and you will obey [the] good thing[s] of the land you will eat
וּשְׁמַעְתֶּ֑םu.she.ma'.Tem and you will obey H8085 Verb · Qal · sequential perfect second person masculine plural
1,160× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
To hear and listen is what this Hebrew word means, often implying attention and obedience. In Exodus and Deuteronomy, it is used when God speaks to the people, and they must listen and obey.
Amplified meaning
to do as you're told
Tyndale gloss
to hear: hear
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word שָׁמַע (shama`) means 'to hear' and encompasses a range of meanings including listening, obeying, and proclaiming. It is built from a primitive root and can imply attention and understanding. The entries highlight various grammatical forms, such as Qal, Niphal, Piel, and Hiphil, indicating different nuances of hearing and obeying. There is no significant disagreement among the lexicons regarding its meanings.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

שָׁמַע 1152 vb. hear

Qal 1052

subj. pers. hum.

י׳ (God) subj.

Niph. 42 be heard, of voice, sound

be heard of

be regarded, obeyed

= (favourable) hearing was granted to their voice.

Pi. he caused the people to hear

Hiph. 63

of man

י׳ subj.

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H8085 שָׁמַע hear

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

8085 shama` shaw-mah'

a primitive root; to hear intelligently (often with

implication of attention, obedience, etc.; causatively, to

tell, etc.):--X attentively, call (gather) together, X

carefully, X certainly, consent, consider, be content,

declare, X diligently, discern, give ear, (cause to, let, make

to) hear(-ken, tell), X indeed, listen, make (a) noise, (be)

obedient, obey, perceive, (make a) proclaim(-ation), publish,

regard, report, shew (forth), (make a) sound, X surely, tell,

understand, whosoever (heareth), witness.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

שָׁמַע (sha.ma) — to hear: hear.

: hear

v

1) to hear, listen to, obey

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to hear (perceive by ear)

1a2) to hear of or concerning

1a3) to hear (have power to hear)

1a4) to hear with attention or interest, listen to

1a5) to understand (language)

1a6) to hear (of judicial cases)

1a7) to listen, give heed

1a7a) to consent, agree

1a7b) to grant request

1a8) to listen to, yield to

1a9) to obey, be obedient

1b) (Niphal)

1b1) to be heard (of voice or sound)

1b2) to be heard of

1b3) to be regarded, be obeyed

1c) (Piel) to cause to hear, call to hear, summon

1d) (Hiphil)

1d1) to cause to hear, tell, proclaim, utter a sound

1d2) to sound aloud (musical term)

1d3) to make proclamation, summon

1d4) to cause to be heard

n m

2) sound

שָׁמַע (sha.ma) — to hear: obey.

: obey

v

1) to hear, listen to, obey

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to hear (perceive by ear)

1a2) to hear of or concerning

1a3) to hear (have power to hear)

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Conj | V-Qal-2mp — Verb · Qal · sequential perfect second person masculine plural
Hc/Vqq2mp
if you will be willing and you will obey [the] good thing[s] of the land you will eat
ט֥וּבtuv [the] good thing[s] of H2898 Noun common · masculine singular construct
32× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This Hebrew word describes goodness, beauty, or gladness, emphasizing the positive aspects of something. It is used in various books, including Psalms and Proverbs. This word highlights the best or most excellent qualities of something.
Amplified meaning
good, goodness
Tyndale gloss
goodness
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

טוּב (tuv) refers to goodness in various forms, including good things, property, beauty, and joy. It encompasses both concrete and abstract notions of goodness, such as welfare and the goodness of God. The word is derived from a root meaning 'good' and is used broadly in the Old Testament to express positive qualities.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

טוּב n.m. good things, goods, goodness

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H2898 טוּב good things, goods, goodness

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

2898 tuwb toob

from 2895; good (as a noun), in the widest sense, especially

goodness (superlative concretely, the best), beauty, gladness,

welfare:--fair, gladness, good(-ness, thing, -s), joy, go well

with.

see HEBREW for 02895

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

טוּב (tuv) — goodness.

1) goods, good things, goodness

1a) good things

1b) goods, property

1c) fairness, beauty, joy, prosperity, goodness (abstract)

1d) goodness (of taste, discernment)

1e) goodness (of God) (abstract)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-ms — Noun common · masculine singular construct
HNcmsc
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…

if you will be willing and you will obey [the] good thing[s] of the land you will eat
הָאָ֖רֶץha.'A.retz the land H776 Particle · noun common feminine singular absolute
2,504× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
The land or earth refers to the soil or ground, and can also mean a country, territory, or region. In the Bible, it is used to describe the earth and its inhabitants, and is often translated as 'land' or 'country'.
Amplified meaning
the earth, a country
Tyndale gloss
land: soil
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

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

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

אֶ֫רֶץ n. f. & (seld.) m. earth, land

earth, whole earth (opp. to a part)

earth, opp. to heaven, sky

earth = inhabitants of earth

land =

country, territory

district, region

trial territory

piece of ground

specif. land of Canaan, or Israel

= inhabitants of land

used even of Shᵉʼôl

ground, surface of ground

soil, as productive

אֶרֶץ in phrases

people of the land

in measurements of distance

the country of the plain, level or plain country

land of the living

end(s) of the earth

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

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

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

. earth, opp. to heaven, sky

. earth = inhabitants of earth

. land = . country, territory

. district, region

. trial territory

. piece of ground

. specif. land of Canaan, or Israel

. = inhabitants of land

. used even of Shᵉʼôl

. . ground, surface of ground

. soil, as productive

. אֶרֶץ in phrases . people of the land

. in measurements of distance

. the country of the plain, level or plain country

. land of the living

. end(s) of the earth

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

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

776 'erets eh'-rets

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

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

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

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

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

: country/field

1) land, earth

1a) earth

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

1a2) earth (as opposed to heaven)

1a3) earth (inhabitants)

1b) land

1b1) country, territory

1b2) district, region

1b3) tribal territory

1b4) piece of ground

1b5) land of Canaan, Israel

1b6) inhabitants of land

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

1b8) city (-state)

1c) ground, surface of the earth

1c1) ground

1c2) soil

1d) (in phrases)

1d1) people of the land

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

1d3) level or plain country

1d4) land of the living

1d5) end(s) of the earth

1e) (almost wholly late in usage)

1e1) lands, countries

1e1a) often in contrast to Canaan

אֶ֫רֶץ (e.rets) — land: soil.

: soil

1) land, earth

1a) earth

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

1a2) earth (as opposed to heaven)

1a3) earth (inhabitants)

1b) land

1b1) country, territory

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Art | N-cs — Particle · noun common feminine singular absolute
HTd/Ncfsa
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

((1) 'erets;

(2) 'adhamah;

(3) sadheh,

"a piece of land";

(4) ge, "earth";

(5) agros, "field";

(6) chora, "region";

(7) chorion, diminutive of chora;

(8) xeros, "dry land";

(9) 'ezrach, "native" the King James Version "born in the land," "born among you," the Revised Version (British and American) "home-born" (Le 19:34; 14:16; Nu 15:30); "like a green tree in its native soil" (Ps 37:35)):

'Erets occurs hundreds of times and is used in much the same way as 'adhamah, which also occurs often: e.g. "land of Egypt," 'erets mitsrayim (Ge 13:10), and 'adhmath mitsrayim (Ge 47:20). The other words occur less often, and are used in the…

Nave's Topical Bible

→ Appeared on the third creative day Ge 1:9

→ Original title to, from God Ge 13:14-17; 15:7; Ex 23:31; Le 25:23

→ Bought and sold Ge 23:3-18; 33:19; Ac 4:34; 5:1-8

→ Sale and redemption of, laws concerning Le 25:15,16,23-33; 27:17-24; Nu 36:4; Jer 32:7-16,25,44; Eze 46:18

if you will be willing and you will obey [the] good thing[s] of the land you will eat
תֹּאכֵֽלוּ׃to.Khe.lu you will 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.
Amplified meaning
consume, devour
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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