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Isaiah 1:3 — Word Study

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WLCיָדַ֥ע שׁוֹר֙ קֹנֵ֔הוּ וַחֲמ֖וֹר אֵב֣וּס בְּעָלָ֑יו יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ לֹ֣א יָדַ֔ע עַמִּ֖י לֹ֥א הִתְבּוֹנָֽן׃

BSAThe oxshôwr [cattle, like bulls] knowsyâdaʻ its ownerqânâh [master, one who has acquired] and the donkeychămôwr [male ass] its master’sbaʻal [one who has authority] mangerʼêbûwç [feeding trough, crib] but IsraelYisrâʼêl [God's chosen people] does notlôʼ knowyâdaʻ [is ignorant of, lacks understanding] My peopleʻam [nation, those I have redeemed] do notlôʼ understandbîyn [discern, have insight]

Word
Listen & take awayIsaiah 1
English ↓ Download MP3 The Berean Standard Bible chapter audio already hosted for the site's Bible section — verse 3 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 (hit.bo.Nan) — no per-word recordings of the Hebrew exist to link to.
Take it away
Isaiah 1:3quick helps
In a sentenceIsaiah contrasts the knowledge of animals with Israel's ignorance of God.
Who is speakingThe LORD, addressing Israel as His people.
Where we areThe beginning of Isaiah's prophetic message, calling Israel to recognize their failure.
The hard wordיָדַע
Take awayEven the simplest creatures recognize their owners, while God's chosen people do not.
8 commentators on this verse Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them › clause subjectשׁוֹר verbיָדַע 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 1:3

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 Call to Awarenessgenerated

2Listen, O heavens, and give ear, O earth, for the LORD has spoken: “I have raised children and brought them up, but they have rebelled against Me.
3The ox knows its owner, and the donkey its master’s manger, but Israel does not know; My people do not understand.”
4Alas, O sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity, a brood of evildoers, children of depravity! They have forsaken the LORD; they have despised the Holy One of Israel and turned their backs on Him.
5Why do you want more beatings? Why do you keep rebelling? Your head has a massive wound, and your whole heart is afflicted.

Isaiah 1:3 highlights a stark contrast between the knowledge of animals and the ignorance of Israel. The verse serves as a reminder that while the ox and donkey recognize their owners, God's people fail to understand their relationship with Him. This sets the tone for the rest of the chapter, where the LORD calls Israel to repentance and awareness of their sinful state.


Cross References

ReferenceText (BSB)
1Proverbs 6:6Walk in the manner of the ant, O slacker; observe its ways and become wise.
2Jeremiah 8:7Even the stork in the sky knows her appointed seasons. The turtledove, the swift, and the thrush keep their time of migration, but My people do not know the requirements of the LORD.
3Isaiah 5:12At their feasts are the lyre and harp, tambourines and flutes and wine. They disregard the actions of the LORD and fail to see the work of His hands.
4Isaiah 27:11When its limbs are dry, they are broken off. Women come and use them for kindling; for this is a people without understanding. Therefore their Maker has no compassion on them, and their Creator shows them no favor.
5Isaiah 44:18They do not comprehend or discern, for He has shut their eyes so they cannot see and closed their minds so they cannot understand.

The Key Word יָדַע, ya.Da'generated

The verb יָדַע (yada`) means 'to know' and encompasses a range of meanings including perception, recognition, and experience. In this verse, it emphasizes the ability to recognize ownership and authority, which the animals demonstrate.

The usage of יָדַע in this context highlights a profound failure on Israel's part. While the ox and donkey know their owners, Israel is portrayed as ignorant of their God, indicating a deep spiritual disconnect.


How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated

All translations agree on the rendering of יָדַע as 'knows' and reflect the contrast between the animals' awareness and Israel's ignorance.


Sentence Structuregenerated

The finite verb יָדַע governs the main clause, with two subjects — שׁוֹר (ox) and חֲמוֹר (donkey) — both recognizing their owners. The second part of the verse contrasts this knowledge with Israel's ignorance.

The sentence structure emphasizes the stark difference between the animals' understanding and Israel's lack of awareness, highlighting the critical message of the verse.


Septuagint Backgroundgenerated

The Septuagint translates יָדַע as ἔγνω (egnō), which also means 'to know' but may carry a slightly different connotation in Greek. This choice underscores the theme of recognition and understanding, which is central to the verse.

The use of ἔγνω reflects the same contrast found in the Hebrew text, reinforcing the message that Israel fails to recognize their God.


In plain words — the whole versegenerated

Isaiah 1:3 compares the knowledge of an ox and a donkey to the ignorance of Israel. The animals know their owners, but Israel does not know the LORD, indicating a failure to understand their relationship with Him. This verse calls Israel to recognize their spiritual condition.


Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated

What does it mean that the ox and donkey know their owners?

It highlights the basic instinct of animals to recognize those who care for them, contrasting with Israel's failure to recognize God as their owner and protector.

Why does Isaiah emphasize Israel's ignorance?

Isaiah aims to provoke a response from Israel, urging them to acknowledge their disconnection from God and the consequences of their actions.

How does this verse relate to the rest of Isaiah's message?

This verse sets the stage for Isaiah's call to repentance, illustrating the need for Israel to return to an understanding of their covenant relationship with God.

What can we learn from the animals' recognition of their owners?

It serves as a reminder of the importance of recognizing and understanding our relationship with God, who is our creator and sustainer.


Reflection Questionsgenerated

  1. In what ways can I become more aware of my relationship with God, like the ox and donkey recognize their owners?
  2. What are some signs in my life that indicate I may be ignoring God's presence or guidance?
  3. How can I encourage others to recognize their need for understanding in their relationship with God?
  4. What steps can I take to deepen my understanding of God's word and His desires for me?

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

Early Church Fathers referenced this verse to highlight Israel's failure to recognize God, illustrating the contrast between animals and God's people.

Clement of AlexandriaThe Instructor Book 1 c. 150–215
For how shall we not regard it fearful, if one who knows God shall not recognize the Lord? While the ox and the donkey, stupid and foolish animals, will know one who feeds them, Israel is found to be more irrational than these? And having,
Early Church Fathers on Isaiah 1 →
Origen of AlexandriaHOMILIES ON THE GOSPEL OF Luke 13:7 c. 185–253
That manger was the one the prophet meant when he said, “The ox knows his owner and the donkey his master’s manger.” The ox is a clean animal, and the donkey an unclean one.… The people of Israel did not know the manger of their Lord,
Early Church Fathers on Isaiah 1 →
Gregory of NazianzusON THE BIRTH OF CHRIST, ORATION 38:17 c. 329–390
Isaiah calls to you to know your owner, like the ox, and to know the manger of your Lord, like the donkey.
Early Church Fathers on Isaiah 1 →

Commentators on this verse — 8 expositors, verse by verse

Each of these wrote on Isaiah 1:3 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.

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

The ox knoweth his owner,.... Knows his voice, when he calls him, and follows him where he leads him, whether to plough in the field, or feed in the meadows; and the ass his masters crib, or

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

The ox knoweth his owner, and the ass his master's crib: but Israel doth not know, my people doth not consider.

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

The ox knoweth his owner, and the ass his master’ s crib; the most stupid brute beasts acknowledge and obey their Lord and Benefactor, as experience showeth. Israel doth not know, to wit, me, their Owner and Master, which is easily and necessarily understood out of the former clause. Knowing is here taken practically, as it is usually in Scripture, and includes reverence and obedience.

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

Isaiah 1:3 The ox knoweth his owner, and the ass his master’ s crib: [but] Israel doth not know, my people doth not consider.Ver. 3. The ox knoweth his owner.] Yea, helpeth him; whence these creatures are called iumenta a iuvando, and the ass hath his name in Greek from his usefulness. Yea, the most savage creatures will be at the beck and check of those that feed them. Disobedience, therefore, is against the principles of nature, and God’ s rebels fall below the stirrup of reason, yea, of sense, so great cause was there that our prophet, tantas tragoedias ageret, should begin his sermon with such a solemn contestation, "Hear, O heavens," &c. O coelum, O terram! "But Israel doth not know" -…

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

(3) The ox knoweth his owner . . .—As in Exodus 20:17; 1 Samuel 12:3, the ox and the ass rather than, as with us, the horse and the dog, are the representative instances of the relation of domesticated animals to man. These know that relation, and act according to it; but Israel did not, or rather would not, know. So Jeremiah dwells, turning to a different region of animal life, on the instinct which leads the stork, the swallow, and the crane to fulfil the law of their being (Jeremiah 8:7), while Israel “knew not”—i.e., did not acknowledge—the law of Jehovah.

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

Verse 3. The ox knoweth] An amplification of the gross insensibility of the disobedient Jews, by comparing them with the most heavy and stupid of all animals, yet not so insensible as they. Bochart has well illustrated the comparison, and shown the peculiar force of it. "He sets them lower than the beasts, and even than the most stupid of all beasts, for there is scarcely any more so than the ox and the ass. Yet these acknowledge their master; they know the manger of their lord; by whom they are fed, not for their own, but for his good; neither are they looked upon as children, but as beasts of burden; neither are they advanced to honours, but oppressed with great and daily labours. While…

Read AdamClarke on Isaiah 1 →
CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

3. Israel’s ingratitude is rebuked by the instinctive fidelity of the dumb animals to their human benefactors (cf. Jeremiah 8:7). Ox and ass are mentioned, not as the most stupid animals, but as the only thoroughly domesticated animals of the Hebrews,—lodged probably under the same roof as their owner and his family.

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

The ox ... - The design of this comparison is to show the great stupidity and ingratitude of the Jews.

Read Albert Barnes 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

The ox knows its owner, and the donkey its master’s manger, but Israel does not know; My people do not understand.”

WEBWorld English Bible2000

The ox knows his owner, and the donkey his master’s crib; but Israel doesn’t know. My people don’t consider.”

MSBMajority Standard Bible2022

The ox knows its owner, and the donkey its master’s manger, but Israel does not know; My people do not understand.”

NETBNew English Translation2006

An ox recognizes its owner, a donkey recognizes where its owner puts its food; but Israel does not recognize me, my people do not understand.”

Tyndale line

KJVKing James Version1611

The ox knoweth his owner, and the ass his master’s crib: but Israel doth not know, my people doth not consider.

ASVAmerican Standard Version1901

The ox knoweth his owner, and the ass his master’s crib; but Israel doth not know, my people doth not consider.

RVARevised Version, American1894

The ox knoweth his owner, and the ass his master’s crib: but Israel doth not know, my people doth not consider.

NWBWebster's Bible1833

The ox knoweth his owner, and the ass his master's crib: but Israel doth not know, my people doth not consider.

GNVGeneva Bible1599

The oxe knoweth his owner, and the asse his masters crib: but Israel hath not knowen: my people hath not vnderstand.

Strictly literal

DBYDarby Translation1890

The ox knoweth his owner, and the ass his master's crib; Israel doth not know, my people hath no intelligence.

YLTYoung's Literal Translation1862

An ox hath known its owner, And an ass the crib of its master, Israel hath not known, My people hath not understood.

LSVLiteral Standard Version2020

An ox has known its owner, || And a donkey the crib of its master, || Israel has not known, || My people have not understood.”

ILTInterlinear Literal Translation2000

The ox knoweth his owner, and the ass his master's crib: Israel doth not know, my people doth not consider.

ULBUnlocked Literal Bible2017

The ox knows his owner, and the donkey his master's feeding trough, but Israel does not know, Israel does not understand.”

From the Latin

DRADouay-Rheims (Challoner)1899

The ox knoweth his owner, and the ass his master’s crib: but Israel hath not known me, and my people hath not understood.

Simplified

FBVFree Bible Version2020

An ox knows its owner, and a donkey knows its feeding trough; but my people don't know me, they don't understand me.

BBEBible in Basic English1949

Even the ox has knowledge of its owner, and the ass of the place where its master puts its food: but Israel has no knowledge, my people give no thought to me.

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.

clauseclauseverbיָדַ֥עit.knowssubjectשׁוֹר֙an.oxnoun phrase · objectקֹנֵ֔ownerהוּitsוַandclausesubjectחֲמ֖וֹרa.donkeynoun phrase · objectאֵב֣וּסthe.feeding.troughnoun phraseבְּעָלָ֑יits.owner(s)וhisclauseclausesubjectיִשְׂרָאֵל֙Israeladverbialלֹ֣אnotverbיָדַ֔עit.knowsclausenoun phrase · subjectעַמִּ֖peopleיmyadverbialלֹ֥אnotverbהִתְבּוֹנָֽןit.considers.carefully

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 closely with the Septuagint, with 11 of the 12 words matched. The Dead Sea Scrolls also support the Masoretic Text, though some words were partially restored, indicating a strong consistency in the core message across these ancient witnesses.

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

יָדַ֥ע שׁוֹר֙ קֹנֵ֔הוּ וַחֲמ֖וֹר אֵב֣וּס בְּעָלָ֑יו יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ לֹ֣א יָדַ֔ע עַמִּ֖י לֹ֥א הִתְבּוֹנָֽן׃

Septuagintthe Greek the translators chose, word by word
יָדַ֥עἔγνωשׁוֹר֙βοῦςקֹנֵ֔הוּκτησάμενονוַחֲמ֖וֹרὄνοςבְּעָלָ֑יוαὐτοῦיִשְׂרָאֵל֙ισραηλלֹ֣אοὐκיָדַ֔עἔγνωעַמִּ֖יλαόςלֹ֥אοὐהִתְבּוֹנָֽן׃συνῆκεν

11 of the 12 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

ידע שור קוני׳הו וחמור אבוס בעלי׳ו ישראל לוא ידע ועמ׳י לוא התבונן

11 words on the leather — 1 partly restored.

Dead Sea Scrolls — 4Q63a copy a thousand years older than the Leningrad Codex

[ידע] [שור] [קנ׳הו] [וחמור] [אבוס] [בעלי׳ו] וישראל לא ידע [עמ׳י] [לא] [התבונן]

2 words on the leather — 1 partly restored, 9 supplied entire by an editor.

Dead Sea Scrolls — 4Q55a copy a thousand years older than the Leningrad Codex

[ידע] [שור] [קנ׳הו] [וחמור] [אבוס] [בעלי׳ו] [ישראל] [לא] ידע עמ׳י לא [התבונן]

3 words on the leather — 9 supplied entire by an editor.

Dead Sea Scrolls — 4Q56a copy a thousand years older than the Leningrad Codex

ידע [שור] [קנ׳הו] [וחמור] [אבוס] [בעלי׳ו] [ישראל] [לא] [ידע] [עמ׳י] [לא] [התבונן]

1 word on the leather — 11 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 1:3יָדַעit knowsit knowsיָדַעשׁוֹרan oxan oxשׁוֹרקָנָהowner itsowner itsקָנָהחֲמוֹרand a donkeand a donkeyחֲמוֹראֵבוּס[the] feedi[the] feeding tאֵבוּסבַּעַלowner itsowner itsבַּעַליִשְׂרָאֵלIsraelIsraelיִשְׂרָאֵללֹאnotnotלֹאיָדַעit knowsit knowsיָדַעעַםpeople mypeople myעַםלֹאnotnotלֹאבִּיןit considerit considers caבִּיןשׁוּרto travelto travelשׁוּרחָמַרto aggitatto aggitateחָמַראָבַסto fattento fattenאָבַסבָּעַלrule: to mrule: to marryבָּעַלשָׂרָהto striveto striveשָׂרָהעָמַםto darkento darkenעָמַםאֲנִיIIאֲנִיבִּיןto understto understandבִּיןיָכֹלbe ablebe ableיָכֹלעוֹדstillstillעוֹדשֶׂהsheepsheepשֶׂהחֲמוֹרdonkeydonkeyחֲמוֹרמַחְצֵבhewinghewingמַחְצֵבבִּינָהunderstandunderstandingבִּינָהחָבַשׁto saddle/to saddle/tieחָבַשׁשׁוֹרcattlecattleשׁוֹרמִלּוֹאמִלּוֹאשְׁכֶםShechemShechemשְׁכֶם
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 1:3

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.

it knows an ox owner its and a donkey [the] feeding trough of owner its Israel not it knows people my not it considers carefully
יָדַ֥עya.Da' it knows H3045 Verb · Qal · perfect third person masculine singular
945× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
The Hebrew word for to know means to ascertain by seeing, and is used in many senses, including to learn, perceive, and recognize, as seen in various KJV translations.
Tyndale gloss
to know
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

יָדַע (yada`) is a Hebrew verb meaning 'to know,' encompassing a wide range of senses including perception, recognition, and experience. It can refer to knowing someone intimately or being skilled in a task. The word has various forms, indicating actions such as making known or being made known. Lexicons note its use in both literal and figurative contexts, but there is no significant disagreement among them.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

יָדַע 943 vb. know

Qal

know, learn to know

perceive

perceive and see; find out and discern

discriminate, distinguish

know by experience

recognize, admit, acknowledge, confess

consider

not know = not expect

know a person, be acquainted with

know a person carnally, of sexual intercourse

know how, to do a thing, be able to do it

be skilful in

abs. have knowledge, be wise

Niph.

be made known, be or become known, of things

make oneself known of pers.

be perceived

be instructed

Pi. cause to know

Pu. known

Hiph. make known, declare

Hoph. made known

Hithp. make oneself known

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H3045 יָדַע know .. . know, learn to know

. perceive

. perceive and see; find out and discern

. discriminate, distinguish

. know by experience

. recognize, admit, acknowledge, confess

. consider

. not know = not expect

. know a person, be acquainted with

. know a person carnally, of sexual intercourse

. . know how, to do a thing, be able to do it

. be skilful in

. abs. have knowledge, be wise

. . be made known, be or become known, of things

. make oneself known of pers.

. be perceived

. be instructed

. cause to know

. known

. make known, declare

. made known

. make oneself known

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

3045 yada` yaw-dah'

a primitive root; to know (properly, to ascertain by seeing);

used in a great variety of senses, figuratively, literally,

euphemistically and inferentially (including observation,

care, recognition; and causatively, instruction, designation,

punishment, etc.) (as follow):--acknowledge, acquaintance(-ted

with), advise, answer, appoint, assuredly, be aware,

(un-)awares, can(-not), certainly, comprehend, consider, X

could they, cunning, declare, be diligent, (can, cause to)

discern, discover, endued with, familiar friend, famous, feel,

can have, be (ig-)norant, instruct, kinsfolk, kinsman, (cause

to let, make) know, (come to give, have, take) knowledge, have

(knowledge), (be, make, make to be, make self) known, + be

learned, + lie by man, mark, perceive, privy to, X

prognosticator, regard, have respect, skilful, shew, can (man

of) skill, be sure, of a surety, teach, (can) tell,

Read the full entry →
Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

יָדַע (ya.da) — to know.

1) to know

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to know

1a1a) to know, learn to know

1a1b) to perceive

1a1c) to perceive and see, find out and discern

1a1d) to discriminate, distinguish

1a1e) to know by experience

1a1f) to recognise, admit, acknowledge, confess

1a1g) to consider

1a2) to know, be acquainted with

1a3) to know (a person carnally)

1a4) to know how, be skilful in

1a5) to have knowledge, be wise

1b) (Niphal)

1b1) to be made known, be or become known, be revealed

1b2) to make oneself known

1b3) to be perceived

1b4) to be instructed

1c) (Piel) to cause to know

1d) (Poal) to cause to know

1e) (Pual)

1e1) to be known

1e2) known, one known, acquaintance (participle)

1f) (Hiphil) to make known, declare

1g) (Hophal) to be made known

1h) (Hithpael) to make oneself known, reveal oneself

Aramaic equivalent: ye.da (יְדַע "to know" H3046)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
V-Qal-Perf-3ms — Verb · Qal · perfect third person masculine singular
HVqp3ms
it knows an ox owner its and a donkey [the] feeding trough of owner its Israel not it knows people my not it considers carefully
שׁוֹר֙shOr an ox H7794 Noun common · masculine singular absolute
79× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This word refers to cattle, like oxen or bulls, used for work, food, or sacrifices, as seen in Genesis and Leviticus.
Amplified meaning
cattle, like bulls
Tyndale gloss
cattle
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

שׁוֹר (shor) refers to a head of cattle, specifically a bullock or ox, and is associated with agricultural and sacrificial contexts. It is derived from the root meaning to travel, indicating its role in farming and food. The term appears in various forms and usages, including in Aramaic.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

שׁוֹר 78 n.m. a head of cattle, bullock, ox, etc.

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H7794 שׁוֹר a head of cattle, bullock, ox, etc.

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

7794 showr shore

from 7788; a bullock (as a traveller):--bull(-ock), cow, ox,

wall (by mistake for 7791).

see HEBREW for 07788

see HEBREW for 07791

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

שׁוֹר (shor) — cattle.

1) ox, bull, a head of cattle

1a) for plowing, for food, as sacrifice

Aramaic equivalent: tor (תּוֹר "bullock" H8450)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-ms — Noun common · masculine singular absolute
HNcmsa
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
Easton's Bible Dictionary

Ox

Heb. bakar, “cattle;” “neat cattle”, (Gen. 12:16; 34:28; Job 1:3, 14; 42:12, etc.); not to be muzzled when treading the corn (Deut. 25:4). Referred to by our Lord in his reproof to the Pharisees (Luke 13:15; 14:5).

Smith's Bible Dictionary

There was no animal in the rural economy of the Israelites, or indeed in that of the ancient Orientals generally, that was held in higher esteem than the ox and deservedly so, for the ox was the animal upon whose patient labors depended all the ordinary operations of farming. Oxen were used for ploughing, (22:10; 1 Samuel 14:14) etc.; for treading out corn, (25:4; Hosea 10:11) etc.; for draught purposes, when they were generally yoked in pairs, (Numbers 7:3; 1 Samuel 6:7) etc.; as beasts of burden, (1 Chronicles 12:40) their flesh was eaten, (14:4; 1 Kings 1:9) etc.…

American Tract Society Bible Dictionary

The male of the beeve kind when grown, synonymous in the Bible with BULL; a clean animal, by the Levitical law; much used for food, 1Ki 19:21, and constituting no small part of the wealth of the Hebrews in their pastoral life, Ge 24:35 Job 1:14 42:12. Oxen were used in agriculture for ploughing, 1Ki 19:19; and for treading out the grain, during which they were not to be muzzled, 1Co 9:9, but well fed, Isa 30:24. The testing of a new yoke of oxen is still a business of great importance in the East, as of old, Lu…

it knows an ox owner its and a donkey [the] feeding trough of owner its Israel not it knows people my not it considers carefully
קֹנֵ֔הוּko.Ne.hu owner its H7069 Verb qal participle (active) masculine singular common · suffix
84× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This verb means to buy or acquire something, and is used to describe God's redemption of His people. It emphasizes ownership and possession, as seen in the stories of God's creation and redemption.
Amplified meaning
master, one who has acquired
Tyndale gloss
to buy
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word קָנָה (*qanah*) primarily means to get, acquire, or buy. It can also imply creating or procuring something, often in a poetic context. The entries indicate various usages, including God acquiring His people and Eve acquiring knowledge. There is an Aramaic equivalent, קְנָא (*qe.na*), which also means 'to buy.'

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

קָנָה 84 vb. get, acquire

Qal 81

get, acquire (all poet.)

elsewhere buy

Niph. be bought

Hiph. caused (one) to purchase me, i.e. made me a bondman

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H7069 קָנָה get, acquire .. get, acquire (all poet.)

. elsewhere buy

. be bought

. caused (one) to purchase me, i.e. made me a bondman

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

7069 qanah kaw-naw'

a primitive root; to erect, i.e. create; by extension, to

procure, especially by purchase (causatively, sell); by

implication to own:--attain, buy(-er), teach to keep cattle,

get, provoke to jealousy, possess(-or), purchase, recover,

redeem, X surely, X verily.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

קָנָה (qa.nah) — to buy.

1) to get, acquire, create, buy, possess

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to get, acquire, obtain

1a1a) of God originating, creating, redeeming His people

1a1a1) possessor

1a1b) of Eve acquiring

1a1c) of acquiring knowledge, wisdom

1a2) to buy

1b) (Niphal) to be bought

1c) (Hiphil) to cause to possess

Aramaic equivalent: qe.na (קְנָא "to buy" H7066)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
V-Qal | Suff — Verb qal participle (active) masculine singular common · suffix
HVqrmsc/Sp3ms
it knows an ox owner its and a donkey [the] feeding trough of owner its Israel not it knows people my not it considers carefully
וַחֲמ֖וֹרva.cha.Mor and a donkey H2543 Conjunction · noun common both singular absolute
96× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
The Hebrew word for a male donkey, it is translated as he ass in the KJV Bible. The name comes from the animal's reddish-brown color.
Amplified meaning
male ass
Tyndale gloss
donkey
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

חֲמוֹר (chamor) refers to a male donkey, derived from a root meaning 'to be red' or 'dun.' The term is consistently translated as 'ass' or 'donkey' across various lexicons, indicating its specific reference to this animal in the Old Testament.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

חֲמוֹר n.m. (he)-ass

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H2543 חֲמוֹר (he)-ass

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

2543 chamowr kham-ore'

or (shortened) chamor {kham-ore}; from 2560; a male ass (from

its dun red):--(he)ass.

see HEBREW for 02560

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

חֲמוֹר (cha.mor) — donkey.

(he) ass

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Conj | N-cs — Conjunction · noun common both singular absolute
HC/Ncbsa
it knows an ox owner its and a donkey [the] feeding trough of owner its Israel not it knows people my not it considers carefully
אֵב֣וּס'e.Vus [the] feeding trough of H18 Noun common · masculine singular construct
3× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
The Hebrew word for a feeding trough or manger is where Jesus was laid after his birth, as described in Luke 2:7. It was a common feeding place for animals, often made of stone or wood. The word is also used in Isaiah 1:3.
Amplified meaning
feeding trough, crib
Tyndale gloss
crib
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

אֵבוּס (ebuwc) refers to a crib or feeding trough, indicating a place where animals are fed. The word is derived from another Hebrew term, noted as H75, but the specific meaning remains consistent across entries.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

אֵבוּס n.m. crib (= feeding-trough)

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H18 אֵבוּס crib (= feeding-trough)

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

18 'ebuwc ay-booce'

from 75; a manger or stall:--crib.

see HEBREW for 075

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

אֵבוּס (e.vus) — crib.

crib, manger, feeding trough

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…

it knows an ox owner its and a donkey [the] feeding trough of owner its Israel not it knows people my not it considers carefully
בְּעָלָ֑יוbe.'a.Lav owner its H1167 Noun common masculine plural construct · suffix
84× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
Means master or owner, often referring to a husband or leader, as seen in the book of Genesis and Exodus.
Amplified meaning
one who has authority
Tyndale gloss
master
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

בַּעַל (ba`al) means owner or lord, and can refer to a husband, citizens, or rulers. It is derived from a root meaning 'to own' and is used in various contexts, including relationships and leadership. The term also appears as a divine name, Baal, in the Old Testament.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

בַּעַל 166 n.m. owner, lord

owner

husband

citizens, inhabitants

rulers, lords

n. of relation

Esp. lord, specif. as divine name, Baal.

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H1167 בַּעַל owner, lord . owner

. husband

. citizens, inhabitants

. rulers, lords

. n. of relation

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

1167 ba`al bah'-al

from 1166; a master; hence, a husband, or (figuratively)

owner (often used with another noun in modifications of this

latter sense):--+ archer, + babbler, + bird, captain, chief

man, + confederate, + have to do, + dreamer, those to whom it

is due, + furious, those that are given to it, great, + hairy,

he that hath it, have, + horseman, husband, lord, man, +

married, master, person, + sworn, they of.

see HEBREW for 01166

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

בַּעַל (ba.al) — master.

: master/leader

1) owner, husband, lord

1a) owner

1b) a husband

1c) citizens, inhabitants

1d) rulers, lords

1e) (noun of relationship used to characterise-ie, master of dreams)

בַּעַל (ba.al) — master: husband.

: husband/groom

1) owner, husband, lord

1a) owner

1b) a husband

1c) citizens, inhabitants

1d) rulers, lords

1e) (noun of relationship used to characterise-ie, master of dreams)

בַּעַל (ba.al) — master: men.

: men/comrades

1) owner, husband, lord

1a) owner

1b) a husband

1c) citizens, inhabitants

1d) rulers, lords

1e) (noun of relationship used to characterise-ie, master of dreams)

בַּעַל (ba.al) — master: owning.

: owning/having

1) owner, husband, lord

1a) owner

1b) a husband

1c) citizens, inhabitants

1d) rulers, lords

1e) (noun of relationship used to characterise-ie, master of dreams)

בַּעַל (ba.al) — master: [master of].

: [master_of](DESCRIPTOR)

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-mp | Suff — Noun common masculine plural construct · suffix
HNcmpc/Sp3ms
it knows an ox owner its and a donkey [the] feeding trough of owner its Israel not it knows people my not it considers carefully
יִשְׂרָאֵל֙Yis.ra.'El Israel H3478 Noun proper
2,508× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
Israel is the symbolic name of Jacob, also referring to his descendants. Jacob, son of Isaac and Rebekah, had 12 sons who became the tribes of Israel, as told in Genesis 25:26. His story is crucial to the Bible's narrative.
Amplified meaning
God's chosen people
Tyndale gloss
Israel
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

יִשְׂרָאֵל (Yisra'el) refers to both the second name of Jacob, meaning 'God prevails,' and the name of the Hebrew nation descended from him. It is derived from roots meaning 'to rule' and 'God.' The term encompasses Jacob's descendants and is used historically for the northern kingdom of Israel and the nation as a whole after the Babylonian exile.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

יִשְׂרָאֵל 2507 n.pr.m. et gent. Israel (Ēl persisteth, persevereth)

n.pr.m. second name of Jacob

n.pr.gent. name of Hebrew nation

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H3478 יִשְׂרָאֵל Israel (Ēl persisteth, persevereth) . n. pr. m. second name of Jacob

. n. pr. gent. name of Hebrew nation

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

3478 Yisra'el yis-raw-ale'

from 8280 and 410; he will rule as God; Jisrael, a symbolical

name of Jacob; also (typically) of his posterity:

--Israel.

see HEBREW for 08280

see HEBREW for 0410

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

יִשְׂרָאֵל (yis.ra.el) — Israel.

A man living at the time of the Patriarchs, first mentioned at Gen.25.26;

son of: Isaac (H3327) and Rebekah (H7259);

brother of: Esau (H6215); married to Rachel (H7354), Leah (H3812), Zilpah (H2153) and Bilhah (H1090A);

father of: Reuben (H7205), Simeon (H8095), Levi (H3878), Judah (H3063), Dan (H1835H), Naphtali (H5321), Gad (H1410), Asher (H0836), Issachar (H3485), Zebulun (H2074), Dinah (H1783), Joseph (H3130) and Benjamin (H1144); also called Jacob frequently

§ Israel = "God prevails"

1) the second name for Jacob given to him by God after his wrestling with the angel at Peniel

2) the name of the descendants and the nation of the descendants of Jacob

2a) the name of the nation until the death of Solomon and the split

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-proper — Noun proper
HNpl
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

iz'-ra-el.

See JACOB.

Easton's Bible Dictionary

Israel

The name conferred on Jacob after the great prayer-struggle at Peniel (Gen. 32:28), because “as a prince he had power with God and prevailed.” (See JACOB.) This is the common name given to Jacob’s descendants. The whole people of the twelve tribes are called “Israelites,” the “children of Israel” (Josh. 3:17; 7:25; Judg. 8:27; Jer. 3:21), and the “house of Israel” (Ex. 16:31; 40:38).

This name Israel is sometimes used emphatically for the true Israel (Ps. 73:1: Isa. 45:17; 49:3;

Smith's Bible Dictionary

(the prince that prevails with God). The name given, (Genesis 32:28) to Jacob after his wrestling with the angel, (Hosea 12:4) at Peniel. Gesenius interprets Israel "soldier of God." It became the national name of the twelve tribes collectively. They are so called in (Exodus 3:16) and afterward. It is used in a narrower sense, excluding Judah, in (1 Samuel 11:8; 2 Samuel 20:1; 1 Kings 12:16) Thenceforth it was assumed and accepted as the name of the northern kingdom. After the Babylonian captivity, the returned exiles resumed the name Israel as the designation of…

American Tract Society Bible Dictionary

Who prevails with God, a name given to Jacob, after having wrestled with the Angel-Jehovah at Penuel. Ge 32:1,2,28,30 Ho 12:3. See JACOB. By the name Israel is sometimes understood all the posterity of Israel, the seed of Jacob, 1Co 10:18; sometimes all true believers, his spiritual seed, Ro 9:6; and sometimes the kingdom of Israel, or the ten tribes, as distinct from the kingdom of Judah.

The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
it knows an ox owner its and a donkey [the] feeding trough of owner its Israel not it knows people my not it considers carefully
לֹ֣אlo' not H3808 Particle
5,170× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
The Hebrew word for not or no is used to indicate absence or negation, as when God says no to the Israelites' requests, or when they disobey His commands.
Tyndale gloss
not
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

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

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

לֹא or לוֹא adv. not

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H3808 לֹא or לוֹא not

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

3808 lo' lo

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

לֹא (lo) — not.

1) not, no

1a) not (with verb-absolute prohibition)

1b) not (with modifier-negation)

1c) nothing (subst)

1d) without (with particle)

1e) before (of time)

Aramaic equivalent: la (לָא "not" H3809)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Part — Particle
HTn
The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
it knows an ox owner its and a donkey [the] feeding trough of owner its Israel not it knows people my not it considers carefully
יָדַ֔עya.Da' it knows H3045 Verb · Qal · perfect third person masculine singular
945× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
The Hebrew word for to know means to ascertain by seeing, and is used in many senses, including to learn, perceive, and recognize, as seen in various KJV translations.
Amplified meaning
is ignorant of, lacks understanding
Tyndale gloss
to know
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

יָדַע (yada`) is a Hebrew verb meaning 'to know,' encompassing a wide range of senses including perception, recognition, and experience. It can refer to knowing someone intimately or being skilled in a task. The word has various forms, indicating actions such as making known or being made known. Lexicons note its use in both literal and figurative contexts, but there is no significant disagreement among them.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

יָדַע 943 vb. know

Qal

know, learn to know

perceive

perceive and see; find out and discern

discriminate, distinguish

know by experience

recognize, admit, acknowledge, confess

consider

not know = not expect

know a person, be acquainted with

know a person carnally, of sexual intercourse

know how, to do a thing, be able to do it

be skilful in

abs. have knowledge, be wise

Niph.

be made known, be or become known, of things

make oneself known of pers.

be perceived

be instructed

Pi. cause to know

Pu. known

Hiph. make known, declare

Hoph. made known

Hithp. make oneself known

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H3045 יָדַע know .. . know, learn to know

. perceive

. perceive and see; find out and discern

. discriminate, distinguish

. know by experience

. recognize, admit, acknowledge, confess

. consider

. not know = not expect

. know a person, be acquainted with

. know a person carnally, of sexual intercourse

. . know how, to do a thing, be able to do it

. be skilful in

. abs. have knowledge, be wise

. . be made known, be or become known, of things

. make oneself known of pers.

. be perceived

. be instructed

. cause to know

. known

. make known, declare

. made known

. make oneself known

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

3045 yada` yaw-dah'

a primitive root; to know (properly, to ascertain by seeing);

used in a great variety of senses, figuratively, literally,

euphemistically and inferentially (including observation,

care, recognition; and causatively, instruction, designation,

punishment, etc.) (as follow):--acknowledge, acquaintance(-ted

with), advise, answer, appoint, assuredly, be aware,

(un-)awares, can(-not), certainly, comprehend, consider, X

could they, cunning, declare, be diligent, (can, cause to)

discern, discover, endued with, familiar friend, famous, feel,

can have, be (ig-)norant, instruct, kinsfolk, kinsman, (cause

to let, make) know, (come to give, have, take) knowledge, have

(knowledge), (be, make, make to be, make self) known, + be

learned, + lie by man, mark, perceive, privy to, X

prognosticator, regard, have respect, skilful, shew, can (man

of) skill, be sure, of a surety, teach, (can) tell,

Read the full entry →
Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

יָדַע (ya.da) — to know.

1) to know

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to know

1a1a) to know, learn to know

1a1b) to perceive

1a1c) to perceive and see, find out and discern

1a1d) to discriminate, distinguish

1a1e) to know by experience

1a1f) to recognise, admit, acknowledge, confess

1a1g) to consider

1a2) to know, be acquainted with

1a3) to know (a person carnally)

1a4) to know how, be skilful in

1a5) to have knowledge, be wise

1b) (Niphal)

1b1) to be made known, be or become known, be revealed

1b2) to make oneself known

1b3) to be perceived

1b4) to be instructed

1c) (Piel) to cause to know

1d) (Poal) to cause to know

1e) (Pual)

1e1) to be known

1e2) known, one known, acquaintance (participle)

1f) (Hiphil) to make known, declare

1g) (Hophal) to be made known

1h) (Hithpael) to make oneself known, reveal oneself

Aramaic equivalent: ye.da (יְדַע "to know" H3046)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
V-Qal-Perf-3ms — Verb · Qal · perfect third person masculine singular
HVqp3ms
it knows an ox owner its and a donkey [the] feeding trough of owner its Israel not it knows people my not it considers carefully
עַמִּ֖י'a.Mi people my H5971 Noun common masculine singular construct · suffix
1,873× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
A people or nation is what this Hebrew word represents, like the nation of Israel in Exodus 33:13. It can also mean a tribe, troops, or attendants, and is used to describe a group of people gathered together. The word is often used to refer to the people of God.
Amplified meaning
nation, those I have redeemed
Tyndale gloss
Amaw
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

עַם (am) primarily means 'people' or 'nation,' referring to a collective group, often in the context of tribes such as those of Israel. It can also denote kinsmen or compatriots. The term appears in various contexts, including military and familial references. There is a mention of a specific individual named Ammi in Song of Solomon 6:12.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

עַם, עָם 1810 n.m. people

a people, nation

= smaller units

= common people

people in gen., persons

phrases

base

[עַם] n.[m.] kinsman (on father's side)

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H5971a עַם, עָם people H5971b עַם kinsman (on father's side)

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

5971 `am am

from 6004; a people (as a congregated unit); specifically, a

tribe (as those of Israel); hence (collectively) troops or

attendants; figuratively, a flock:--folk, men, nation,

people.

see HEBREW for 06004

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

עַם (am) — people.

: people/nation

1) nation, people

1a) people, nation

1b) persons, members of one's people, compatriots, country-men

עַם (am) — kinsman.

kinsman, kindred

עַם (am) — Ammi.

A man living at the time of United Monarchy, only mentioned at Sng.6.12

§ kinsman, kindred

עַם (am) — People's (Gate).

§ kinsman, kindred

עַם (am) — (Ibleam)-am.

Combined with yiv.le.am (יִבְלְעָם "Ibleam" H2991)

§ kinsman, kindred

עַם (am) — Amaw.

This name means nation, people

עַם (am) — people: soldiers.

: soldiers/army

1) nation, people

1a) people, nation

1b) persons, members of one's people, compatriots, country-men

עַם (am) — people: creatures.

: creatures

1) nation, people

1a) people, nation

1b) persons, members of one's people, compatriots, country-men

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-ms | Suff — Noun common masculine singular construct · suffix
HNcmsc/Sp1bs
it knows an ox owner its and a donkey [the] feeding trough of owner its Israel not it knows people my not it considers carefully
לֹ֥אlo' not H3808 Particle
5,170× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
The Hebrew word for not or no is used to indicate absence or negation, as when God says no to the Israelites' requests, or when they disobey His commands.
Tyndale gloss
not
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

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

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

לֹא or לוֹא adv. not

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H3808 לֹא or לוֹא not

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

3808 lo' lo

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

לֹא (lo) — not.

1) not, no

1a) not (with verb-absolute prohibition)

1b) not (with modifier-negation)

1c) nothing (subst)

1d) without (with particle)

1e) before (of time)

Aramaic equivalent: la (לָא "not" H3809)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Part — Particle
HTn
The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
it knows an ox owner its and a donkey [the] feeding trough of owner its Israel not it knows people my not it considers carefully
הִתְבּוֹנָֽן׃hit.bo.Nan it considers carefully H995 Verb · Hithpael · perfect third person masculine singular
170× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
To understand or discern, this verb means to separate mentally and know something with your mind, as seen in Proverbs where it talks about gaining insight.
Amplified meaning
discern, have insight
Tyndale gloss
to understand
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

בִּין (biyn) is a Hebrew verb meaning to discern or understand. It encompasses a range of meanings including perceiving, considering, and teaching, with various forms indicating different nuances, such as being intelligent or discreet. The entries highlight its use in contexts requiring mental separation or insight, but do not present any significant disagreement among lexicographers.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

בִּין vb. discern

Qal

perceive

understand, know (with mind)

observe, mark, give heed to, distinguish, consider (with attention)

have discernment, insight, understanding

Niph. be intelligent, discreet, discerning, distinguish, have understanding

Po. he attentively considereth him

Hiph.

understand

give heed to, attend to, observe, discern

give understanding, make understand, teach

Hithp.

shew oneself attentive, consider diligently

get understanding, understand

shew oneself to have understanding

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H995 בִּין discern .. perceive

. understand, know (with mind)

. observe, mark, give heed to, distinguish, consider (with attention)

. have discernment, insight, understanding

. be intelligent, discreet, discerning, distinguish, have understanding

. he attentively considereth him

. . understand

. give heed to, attend to, observe, discern

. give understanding, make understand, teach

. . shew oneself attentive, consider diligently

. get understanding, understand

. shew oneself to have understanding

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

995 biyn bene

a primitive root; to separate mentally (or distinguish),

i.e.(generally) understand:--attend, consider, be cunning,

diligently, direct, discern, eloquent, feel, inform, instruct,

have intelligence, know, look well to, mark, perceive, be

prudent, regard, (can) skill(-full), teach, think, (cause,

make to, get, give, have) understand(-ing), view, (deal)

wise(-ly, man).

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

בִּין (bin) — to understand.

1) to discern, understand, consider

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to perceive, discern

1a2) to understand, know (with the mind)

1a3) to observe, mark, give heed to, distinguish, consider

1a4) to have discernment, insight, understanding

1b) (Niphal) to be discerning, intelligent, discreet, have understanding

1c) (Hiphil)

1c1) to understand

1c2) to cause to understand, give understanding, teach

1d) (Hithpolel) to show oneself discerning or attentive, consider diligently

1e) (Polel) to teach, instruct

2) (TWOT) prudent, regard

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
V-r-Perf-3ms — Verb · Hithpael · perfect third person masculine singular
HVtp3ms
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

kar'-fool-i: The same two strands of anxiety and of attention appear in this word as in care. Several words in the Hebrew and Greek are thus rendered in the English versions "Anxiously" is the thought in "The inhabitants of Maroth waited carefully for good" (chalah, "to be in pain," "was grieved" King James Version margin, "waiteth anxiously" the Revised Version (British and American), the American Standard Revised Version, "is in travail" the Revised Version, margin, the American Revised Version, margin, Mic 1:12).

In the sense of attentively, the Hebrew emphatic expression, the infinite absolute with the finite verb is rendered "carefully" in, "Thou shalt carefully hearken" (literally "hearing, thou shalt hear," "diligently hearken" the Revised Version (British and American), the American Standard Revised Version,

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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