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Isaiah 27:4 — Word Study

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WLCחֵמָ֖ה אֵ֣ין לִ֑י מִֽי־ יִתְּנֵ֜נִי שָׁמִ֥יר שַׁ֙יִת֙ בַּמִּלְחָמָ֔ה אֶפְשְׂעָ֥ה בָ֖הּ אֲצִיתֶ֥נָּה יָּֽחַד׃

BSAI am notʼayin angrychêmâh [without wrath or rage] If only thornsshayith [shamir, sharp thorns] and briersshâmîyr [thorny shrubs, a thornbush] confronted Menâthan I would marchmilchâmâh [step forward, advance] and trample thempâsaʻ I would burn themtsûwth [set on fire, consume] to the groundyachad [together, in unity]

Word
Listen & take awayIsaiah 27
English ↓ Download MP3 The Berean Standard Bible chapter audio already hosted for the site's Bible section — verse 4 is in this chapter.
Hebrew ↓ Download MP3 The Masoretic text of this chapter, read aloud. Read by Abraham Shmuelof, courtesy of Audio Scriptures International. Chapter divisions by the Academy of Ancient Languages..
Say the word Each Hebrew word carries its transliteration (Ya.chad) — no per-word recordings of the Hebrew exist to link to.
Take it away
Isaiah 27:4quick helps
In a sentenceGod expresses His lack of anger and readiness to confront thorns and briers.
Who is speakingThe LORD, speaking about His relationship with Israel.
Where we areA declaration of God's intent in the face of opposition.
The hard wordחֵמָה
Take awayGod is not angry and is prepared to act decisively.
8 commentators on this verse Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them › clause subjectחֵמָה verbפָּשַׂע The sentence as the grammar sees it Open the tree ›
How rare are these words?in the Old Testament

2 of 12 occur nowhere else in the Old Testament — words chosen on purpose.

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 27:4

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

Context — God's Assurance to Israelgenerated

3I, the LORD, am its keeper; I water it continually. I guard it night and day so no one can disturb it;
4I am not angry. If only thorns and briers confronted Me, I would march and trample them, I would burn them to the ground.
5Or let them lay claim to My protection; let them make peace with Me— yes, let them make peace with Me.”
6In the days to come, Jacob will take root. Israel will bud and blossom and fill the whole world with fruit.

Isaiah 27:4 presents the LORD's declaration of His lack of anger towards Israel, emphasizing His readiness to confront any adversaries represented by thorns and briers. This passage highlights God's protective nature and His willingness to act decisively against opposition, as He seeks peace and reconciliation with His people, inviting them to make peace with Him as seen in the following verse.


Cross References

ReferenceText (BSB)
1Isaiah 12:1In that day you will say: “O LORD, I will praise You. Although You were angry with me, Your anger has turned away, and You have comforted me.
2Isaiah 26:20–21Go, my people, enter your rooms and shut your doors behind you. Hide yourselves a little while until the wrath has passed.
3Isaiah 54:6–10For the LORD has called you back, like a wife deserted and wounded in spirit, like the rejected wife of one’s youth,” says your God.
4Psalm 85:3You withheld all Your fury; You turned from Your burning anger.
5Psalm 103:9He will not always accuse us, nor harbor His anger forever.

The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 14 references, hung on the phrase they belong to


The Key Word חֵמָה, che.Mahgenerated

The Hebrew word חֵמָה (*chemah*) signifies intense anger or rage, often depicted as a burning fire. It is used to describe both divine wrath and human anger, warning against the dangers of unchecked emotions. In this context, it emphasizes that God is not angry, highlighting His readiness for action without the influence of rage.

The passive nature of the word suggests that while God has the capacity for anger, He chooses not to express it in this situation. This indicates a deliberate decision to act with restraint and purpose, rather than out of uncontrolled emotion.


How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated

This study reads the verse in the Berean Standard Bible, so the BSB is the wording every comparison below is made against. The BSB has not angry, which aligns with the KJV and ASV, both of which also reflect God's lack of anger.

Where others part company with the BSB is in the rendering of יָּֽחַדtogether (ASV, KJV) versus altogether (ILT). This difference highlights a subtle distinction in the interpretation of unity in action.


Sentence Structuregenerated

The main clause is governed by the subject חֵמָה, rage, followed by a predicate אֵ֣ין, not. This structure emphasizes God's emotional state before introducing the conditional phrases that outline His response to the thorns and briers.

The sentence is structured to first declare God's emotional stance and then to detail the actions He would take if confronted, illustrating a clear cause-and-effect relationship in His intentions.


Septuagint Backgroundgenerated

The Septuagint translates חֵמָה as τεῖξος, which can imply a protective barrier. This choice reflects a broader interpretation of God's anger as a protective measure rather than a destructive force.

The Greek rendering highlights the intent behind God's actions, suggesting that His lack of anger is a means to foster peace rather than conflict.


In plain words — the whole versegenerated

Isaiah 27:4 shows that God is not angry and is ready to confront the thorns and briers that oppose Him. He expresses a willingness to act decisively against these obstacles, indicating His desire for peace and reconciliation.


Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated

What does it mean that God is not angry?

It indicates God's readiness to engage with His people without the influence of wrath, showing His desire for peace.

What are the thorns and briers a metaphor for?

They symbolize opposition or challenges that confront God's people.

What actions does God say He will take?

He states that He would march against the thorns and briers and burn them, indicating decisive action.

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

It reflects God's protective nature and His desire for reconciliation with Israel, amidst their struggles.


Reflection Questionsgenerated

  1. What does it mean for me that God is not angry with me?
  2. In what areas of my life do I feel like I am facing thorns and briers?
  3. How can I invite God's peace into my struggles?
  4. What does it look like for me to make peace with God?

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

Jerome comments on this verse, interpreting it as a declaration of God's strength and peace in the face of opposition, illustrating His protective nature.

JeromeVerse 4, 5. c. 347–420
Indignation is not mine: who will give me a thorn and a thistle in battle? I will march over it: I will set it on fire together. Or rather, shall I hold onto my strength? It will bring me peace, it will bring me peace.
Early Church Fathers on Isaiah 27 →

Commentators on this verse — 8 expositors, verse by verse

Each of these wrote on Isaiah 27:4 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.

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

Fury [is] not in me,.... Against his vineyard he takes so much care of, his church and people, whom he has loved with an everlasting love; they are indeed deserving of his wrath, but he has not

Read John Gill on Isaiah 27 →
Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's Commentary

Fury is not in me: who would set the briers and thorns against me in battle? I would go through them, I would burn them together. Fury is not in me - i:e., I entertain no longer anger toward my vine.

Read Robert Jamieson on Isaiah 27 →
Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy Bible

Fury, to wit, against my vineyard, or my people; which is easily understood both from the foregoing and following verses. I have been displeased with them, and have chastised them; but I am not implacable towards them, and resolved utterly to destroy them, as their enemies are, and would have me to be. I would go through them, I would burn them together: this is added as a reason of the foregoing clause and assertion; which may be conceived either, 1. Thus, I rather desire to contend with briers and thorns, i.e. with the wicked enemies of my church, who are thus called, ; and if my wrath was now kindled against them, as it is against my people, I would be furious towards them, and never…

Read Matthew Poole on Isaiah 27 →
John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

Isaiah 27:4 Fury [is] not in me: who would set the briers [and] thorns against me in battle? I would go through them, I would burn them together.Ver. 4. Fury is not in me.] Whatever you may think of me, because of my many dreadful menaces, and your heavy calamities, Non est in me sed in vobis culpa istarum calamitatum, the fault is not in me but in yourselves; do you but mend, and all shall be soon well between us. It is but displeased love that maketh me chide or strike my dear children, lop my vines, Ut bonus vinitor vires luxuriantes falce Tatar et purgat; αιρει, καθαιρει; leaves and luxuriances must be taken off, or it will be worse. Better the vine should bleed than die; better be…

Read John Trapp on Isaiah 27 →
Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(4) Fury is not in me.—Better, There is no wrath in me. Who will set briars and thorns before me? With war will I go forth against them; I will burn them up together. The reversal of the sentence is continued. Wrath against this vineyard has passed away from Jehovah. Should briars and thorns (symbols of the enemies of His people, as in Isaiah 9:18; Isaiah 10:17; 2 Samuel 23:6-7; Ezekiel 2:6) spring up, he will do battle against them, and consume them utterly.

Read Charles John Ellicott on Isaiah 27 →
AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible

Verse 4. Fury is not in me - "I have no wall"] For חמה chemah, anger, the Septuagint and Syriac read חומה chomah, wall. An ancient MS. has חימה cheimah. For בה bah, in her, two MSS. read בם bam, in them, plural. The vineyard wishes for a wall and a fence of thorns - human strength and protection, (as the Jews were too apt to apply to their powerful neighbours for assistance, and to trust to the shadow of Egypt:) JEHOVAH replies, that this would not avail her, nor defend her against his wrath. He counsels her, therefore, to betake herself to his protection. On which she entreats him to make peace with her. From the above note it appears that the bishop reads, חומה chomah, wall, for חמה…

Read AdamClarke on Isaiah 27 →
CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

4. Fury is not in me] Or, wrath have I none. These words naturally go with the first stanza, expressing, as they seem to do, Jehovah’s contentment with the condition of His vineyard. who would set … battle] The phrase “Who will give?” is the well known Hebrew equivalent of the Latin utinam, “Would that!” Hence the R.V.: O that the briers and thorns were against me in battle!briers and thorns] (ch. Isaiah 5:6) must here mean heathen intruders. The next clause reads as in R.V.: I would march upon them. Cf. 2 Samuel 23:6 f.

Read Cambridge on Isaiah 27 →
Albert Barnes1798–1870Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Fury is not in me - That is, I am angry with it no more. He had punished his people by removing them to a distant land. But although he had corrected them for their faults, yet he had not laid aside the affection of a Father.

Read Albert Barnes on Isaiah 27 →

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

I am not angry. If only thorns and briers confronted Me, I would march and trample them, I would burn them to the ground.

WEBWorld English Bible2000

Wrath is not in me, but if I should find briers and thorns, I would do battle! I would march on them and I would burn them together.

MSBMajority Standard Bible2022

I am not angry. If only thorns and briers confronted Me, I would march and trample them, I would burn them to the ground.

NETBNew English Translation2006

I am not angry. I wish I could confront some thorns and briers! Then I would march against them for battle; I would set them all on fire,

Tyndale line

KJVKing James Version1611

Fury is not in me: who would set the briers and thorns against me in battle? I would go through them, I would burn them together.

ASVAmerican Standard Version1901

Wrath is not in me: would that the briers and thorns were against me in battle! I would march upon them, I would burn them together.

RVARevised Version, American1894

Fury is not in me: would that the briers and thorns were against me in battle! I would march upon them, I would burn them together.

NWBWebster's Bible1833

Fury is not in me: who would set the briers and thorns against me in battle? I would go through them, I would burn them together.

GNVGeneva Bible1599

Anger is not in mee: who would set the briers and the thornes against me in battel? I would go through them, I would burne them together.

Strictly literal

DBYDarby Translation1890

Fury is not in me. Oh that I had briars [and] thorns in battle against me! I would march against them, I would burn them together.

YLTYoung's Literal Translation1862

Fury is not in Me; Who giveth Me a brier — a thorn in battle? I step into it, I burn it at once.

LSVLiteral Standard Version2020

Fury is not in Me; Who gives Me a brier—a thorn in battle? I step into it, || I burn it at once.

ILTInterlinear Literal Translation2000

Wrath have I not: who would set the briers and thorns against me in battle? I would pass through them, and I would burn them altogether.

ULBUnlocked Literal Bible2017

I am not angry, Oh, that there were briers and thorns! In battle I would march against them; I would burn them all together;

From the Latin

DRADouay-Rheims (Challoner)1899

There is no indignation in me: who shall make me a thorn and a brier in battle: shall march against it, shall I set it on fire together?

Simplified

FBVFree Bible Version2020

I'm not angry anymore. If there are thorns and brambles I would go and fight them, burning them all up,

BBEBible in Basic English1949

My passion is over: if the thorns were fighting against me, I would make an attack on them, and they would be burned up together.

Word by word, the decisions they made

יָּֽחַד׃Ya.chad altogether H3162 2 different renderings
togetherASV BBE DBY DRA GNV KJV NWB RVA ULB WEB
altogetherILT

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.

clausesubjectחֵמָ֖הragepredicateאֵ֣יןthere.[is].notprepositional phrase · prepositionalלִ֑toיmeclausesubjectמִֽיwho?verbיִתְּנֵ֜willobjectנִיhe.give.menoun phrase · second objectשָׁמִ֥ירthorn[s]שַׁ֨יִת֙bush[es]prepositional phrase · prepositionalבַּinnoun phrase(the)מִּלְחָמָ֔הbattleclauseverbאֶפְשְׂעָ֥הI.will.marchprepositional phrase · prepositionalבָ֖againstהּitclauseverbאֲצִיתֶ֥Iobjectנָּהwill.burn.itadverbialיָּֽחַדaltogether

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


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

The Masoretic Text is consistent with the Dead Sea Scrolls, which preserve the same wording as the MT, affirming the integrity of the text. The Septuagint, while it matches some words, presents a different structure and interpretation, indicating a variation in translation approach.

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

חֵמָ֖ה אֵ֣ין לִ֑י מִֽי־ יִתְּנֵ֜נִי שָׁמִ֥יר שַׁ֙יִת֙ בַּמִּלְחָמָ֔ה אֶפְשְׂעָ֥ה בָ֖הּ אֲצִיתֶ֥נָּה יָּֽחַד׃

Septuagintthe Greek the translators chose, word by word
חֵמָ֖הτεῖξοςאֵ֣יןοὐκמִֽי־τίςיִתְּנֵ֜נִיμεאֶפְשְׂעָ֥הἠθέτηκαבָ֖הּαὐτήνאֲצִיתֶ֥נָּהσυνέταχενיָּֽחַד׃κατακέκαυμαι

8 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

חמה אין ל׳י מי יתנ׳ני שימיר ושית במלחמה אפשעה ב׳ה ואצית׳נה יחדו

12 words on the leather.

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 27:4חֵמָהragerageחֵמָהאַ֫יִןnotnotאַ֫יִןנִי[belongs] t[belongs] to meנִימִיwho?who?מִינָתַןwill he givwill he give meנָתַןשָׁמִירthorn[s]thorn[s]שָׁמִירשַׁ֫יִתbush[es]bush[es]שַׁ֫יִתמִלְחָמָהin battlein battleמִלְחָמָהפָּשַׂעI will marcI will marchפָּשַׂעהָagainst itagainst itהָיָצַתI will burnI will burn itיָצַתיַ֫חַדaltogetheraltogetherיַ֫חַדיָחַםto conceivto conceiveיָחַםשָׁמַרto keep: oto keep: obeyשָׁמַרשִׁיתto set: mato set: makeשִׁיתלָחַםto fightto fightלָחַםיָחַדbe joinedbe joinedיָחַדאַ֫יִןwhere?where?אַ֫יִןמָהwhat?what?מָהכְּמוֹlikelikeכְּמוֹיָעַדto appointto appointיָעַדנָתַךְto pourto pourנָתַךְקִנְאָהjealousyjealousyקִנְאָהנַחֲלָהinheritancinheritanceנַחֲלָהזֶ֫רַעseedseedזֶ֫רַעשַׁ֫יִתthornbushthornbushשַׁ֫יִתבָּעַרto burn: bto burn: burnבָּעַרשָׁמִירthornthornשָׁמִיראָכַלto eatto eatאָכַלעָרַךְto arrangeto arrangeעָרַךְ
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 27:4

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

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

rage not [belongs] to me who? will he give me thorn[s] bush[es] in battle I will march against it I will burn it altogether
חֵמָ֖הche.Mah rage H2534 Noun common · feminine singular absolute
125× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This word means intense anger or rage, like a burning fire. It's used in the Bible to describe God's wrath and human anger, often warning against the dangers of unchecked emotions. In Proverbs and Psalms, it cautions against the destructive power of anger and rage.
Amplified meaning
without wrath or rage
Tyndale gloss
rage
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word חֵמָה (*chemah*) primarily means heat and rage, encompassing concepts like fever, poison, and burning anger. It can refer to human anger as well as divine wrath, and is noted in Daniel's vision. The entries highlight its figurative use related to intense emotions and reactions.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

חֵמָה, (once חֵמָא) 121 n.f. heat, rage

heat:

fever

venom, poison

burning anger, rage:

of man

of the he-goat in Daniel's vision

of God

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H2534 חֵמָה, (once חֵמָא) heat, rage . heat: . fever

. venom, poison

. burning anger, rage: . of man

. of the he-goat in Daniel's vision

. of God

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

2534 chemah khay-maw'

or (Dan. 11:44) chemaC {khay-maw'}; from 3179; heat;

figuratively, anger, poison (from its fever):--anger, bottles,

hot displeasure, furious(-ly, -ry), heat, indignation, poison,

rage, wrath(- ful). See 2529.

see HEBREW for 03179

see HEBREW for 02529

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

חֵמָה (che.mah) — rage.

1) heat, rage, hot displeasure, indignation, anger, wrath, poison, bottles

1a) heat

1a1) fever

1a2) venom, poison (fig.)

1b) burning anger, rage

Aramaic equivalent: che.ma (חֱמָא "rage" H2528)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-fs — Noun common · feminine singular absolute
HNcfsa
rage not [belongs] to me who? will he give me thorn[s] bush[es] in battle I will march against it I will burn it altogether
אֵ֣ין'ein not H369 Noun common · masculine singular construct
789× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This word means nothing or not, often used to indicate the absence of something, as in Genesis 1:2 where the earth was without form. It emphasizes the idea of something lacking or non-existent.
Tyndale gloss
nothing
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

אַ֫יִן (ayin) primarily means 'nothing' or 'nought' and serves as a negative particle indicating absence or negation, such as 'is not' or 'there is not.' It can also express lack of possession or existence. The word is derived from a root meaning to be non-existent, and it appears frequently in various grammatical constructions.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

אַ֫יִן, אָ֑֫יִן cstr. אֵין subst. prop. nothing, nought

to nothing, as nothing

cstr. אֵין, very freq. as particle of negation, is not, are not, was not, were not

אֵין לְ׳, with subst., or pron., there is (was) not to … = … have, has, had, etc. not

in circumst. clauses

with inf. and ל׳, it is not to …

with prefixes

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H369 אַ֫יִן, אָ֑֫יִן cstr. אֵין subst. prop. nothing, nought . to nothing, as nothing

. cstr. אֵין, very freq. as particle of negation, is not, are not, was not, were not

. אֵין לְ׳, with subst., or pron., there is (was) not to … = … have, has, had, etc. not

. in circumst. clauses

. with inf. and ל׳, it is not to …

. with prefixes

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

369 'ayin ah'-yin

as if from a primitive root meaning to be nothing or not

exist; a non-entity; generally used as a negative

particle:--else, except, fail, (father-)less, be gone,

in(-curable), neither, never, no (where), none, nor, (any,

thing), not, nothing, to nought, past, un(-searchable),

well-nigh, without. Compare 370.

see HEBREW for 0370

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

אַ֫יִן (a.yin) — nothing.

1) nothing, not, nought n

1a) nothing, nought neg

1b) not

1c) to have not (of possession) adv

1d) without w/prep

1e) for lack of

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Part — Noun common · masculine singular construct
HNcmsc
rage not [belongs] to me who? will he give me thorn[s] bush[es] in battle I will march against it I will burn it altogether
לִ֑יLi [belongs] to me H9030 Preposition · suffix
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

נִי (ni) — me.

Personal object pronoun - suffix for propositions and verbs without an object: 1st person singular

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
HR/Sp1bs — Preposition · suffix
HR/Sp1bs
rage not [belongs] to me who? will he give me thorn[s] bush[es] in battle I will march against it I will burn it altogether
מִֽי־mi- who? H4310 Pronoun
423× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This word is used to ask questions like who, whose, or whom. It can also be used to express a wish, like would that or whoever. It appears in many forms throughout the Bible, often in phrases like O that or what.
Tyndale gloss
who?
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

מִי (mi) is an interrogative pronoun primarily used to ask about persons, meaning 'who?' or 'whose?'. It can also appear in rhetorical questions and has some idiomatic uses, such as 'who among...?' or 'whosoever'. The word is rarely applied to things, and its forms can vary in emphasis.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

מִי 423 pron.interrog. who? of persons

מִי is rarely used of things, and usually where persons are understood or implied

in the gen. whose

in an indirect qu.

מִי ב׳ who among … ?

strengthened and emph. forms of interrog.

various rhetorical uses whose

מִי may sometimes be rendered whosoever, though, as the examples will shew, it does not really mean it

once, following a verb, any one

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H4310 מִי who? of persons . מִי is rarely used of things, and usually where persons are understood or implied

. in the gen. whose

. in an indirect qu.

. מִי ב׳ who among … ?

. strengthened and emph. forms of interrog.

. various rhetorical uses whose

. מִי may sometimes be rendered whosoever, though, as the examples will shew, it does not really mean it

. once, following a verb, any one

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

4310 miy me

an interrogative pronoun of persons, as 4100 is of things,

who? (occasionally, by a peculiar idiom, of things); also

(indefinitely) whoever; often used in oblique construction

with prefix or suffix:--any (man), X he, X him, + O that!

what, which, who(-m, -se, -soever), + would to God.

see HEBREW for 04100

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

מִי (mi) — who?.

who?, whose?, whom?, would that, whoever, whosoever

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
HPi — Pronoun
HPi
rage not [belongs] to me who? will he give me thorn[s] bush[es] in battle I will march against it I will burn it altogether
יִתְּנֵ֜נִיyi.te.Ne.ni will he give me H5414 Verb qal imperfect third person masculine singular · suffix
2,011× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This word means to give, put, or set something, with a wide range of applications. It appears in many books, including Genesis and Exodus, describing God's actions and human interactions. The word is used to convey giving, selling, or exchanging something.
Tyndale gloss
to give: give
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word נָתַן (natan) means 'to give' and encompasses a wide range of applications such as putting, setting, and making. It can also indicate actions like bestowing, delivering, and assigning. The entries describe its use in various forms, including Qal, Niphal, and Hophal, but do not present any significant disagreements among lexicons.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

נָתַן 2007 vb. give, put, set

Qal 1917

give

Put, set

Make, constitute

Niph.

82be given

Be put, set

Hoph.

be given, bestowed

= be given to one for wife

be put upon

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H5414 נָתַן give, put, set .. give

. Put, set

. Make, constitute

. . be given

. Be put, set

. . . be given, bestowed

. = be given to one for wife

. be put upon

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

5414 nathan naw-than'

a primitive root; to give, used with greatest latitude of

application (put, make, etc.):--add, apply, appoint, ascribe,

assign, X avenge, X be ((healed)), bestow, bring (forth,

hither), cast, cause, charge, come, commit, consider, count, +

cry, deliver (up), direct, distribute, do, X doubtless, X

without fail, fasten, frame, X get, give (forth, over, up),

grant, hang (up), X have, X indeed, lay (unto charge, up),

(give) leave, lend, let (out), + lie, lift up, make, + O that,

occupy, offer, ordain, pay, perform, place, pour, print, X

pull , put (forth), recompense, render, requite, restore, send

(out), set (forth), shew, shoot forth (up), + sing, + slander,

strike, (sub-)mit, suffer, X surely, X take, thrust, trade,

turn, utter, + weep, + willingly, + withdraw, + would (to)

God, yield.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

נָתַן (na.tan) — to give: give.

: give/deliver/send/produce

1) to give, put, set

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to give, bestow, grant, permit, ascribe, employ, devote, consecrate, dedicate, pay wages, sell, exchange, lend, commit, entrust, give over, deliver up, yield produce, occasion, produce, requite to, report, mention, utter, stretch out, extend

1a2) to put, set, put on, put upon, set, appoint, assign, designate

1a3) to make, constitute

1b) (Niphal)

1b1) to be given, be bestowed, be provided, be entrusted to, be granted to, be permitted, be issued, be published, be uttered, be assigned

1b2) to be set, be put, be made, be inflicted

1c) (Hophal)

1c1) to be given, be bestowed, be given up, be delivered up

1c2) to be put upon

נָתַן (na.tan) — to give: put.

: put/set/apppoint

1) to give, put, set

1a) (Qal)

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
V-Qal-Imperf-3ms | Suff — Verb qal imperfect third person masculine singular · suffix
HVqi3ms/Sp1bs
The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
rage not [belongs] to me who? will he give me thorn[s] bush[es] in battle I will march against it I will burn it altogether
שָׁמִ֥ירsha.Mir thorn[s] H8068 Noun common · masculine singular absolute
11× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
A thorn or sharp stone, also possibly a diamond due to its sharpness. This word is used in Exodus 28:18 and Ezekiel 28:13 to describe precious stones and in Matthew 13:7 to describe thorns that choke out God's word.
Amplified meaning
thorny shrubs, a thornbush
Tyndale gloss
thorn
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

שָׁמִיר (shamir) refers to thorns, adamant, and flint. It is built from the root meaning of pricking, and can also denote a sharp stone or possibly a diamond. The entries collectively highlight its sharpness and toughness, with no significant disagreement among the lexicons.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

שָׁמִיר n.m. thorn(s), adamant, flint

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H8068 שָׁמִיר thorn(s), adamant, flint

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

8068 shamiyr shaw-meer'

from 8104 in the original sense of pricking; a thorn; also

(from its keenness for scratching) a gem, probably the

diamond:--adamant (stone), brier, diamond.

see HEBREW for 08104

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

שָׁמִיר (sha.mir) — thorn.

1) thorn(s), adamant, flint

1a) thorns, thorn-bushes

1b) adamant (as sharp)

1c) a sharp stone, flint

1c1) perhaps a diamond

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-ms — Noun common · masculine singular absolute
HNcmsa
rage not [belongs] to me who? will he give me thorn[s] bush[es] in battle I will march against it I will burn it altogether
שַׁ֙יִת֙sha.yit bush[es] H7898 Noun common · masculine singular absolute
7× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This word describes a thornbush or a wild growth of weeds and briers. It's used in the Bible to talk about the wilderness or untamed areas of the earth. In the book of Isaiah, it symbolizes a place of desolation.
Amplified meaning
shamir, sharp thorns
Tyndale gloss
thornbush
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

שַׁ֫יִת (shayith) refers to thorn-bushes or wild growth of weeds and briers, derived from a root meaning scrub or trash. The entries consistently describe it as a collective noun for thornbushes, indicating its use in contexts related to thorny vegetation.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

שַׁ֫יִת n.[m.]coll. thorn-bushes

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H7898 שַׁ֫יִת thorn-bushes

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

7898 shayith shah'-yith

from 7896; scrub or trash, i.e. wild growth of weeds or

briers (as if put on the field):--thorns.

see HEBREW for 07896

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

שַׁ֫יִת (sha.yit) — thornbush.

thorn bushes

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-ms — Noun common · masculine singular absolute
HNcmsa
The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
rage not [belongs] to me who? will he give me thorn[s] bush[es] in battle I will march against it I will burn it altogether
בַּמִּלְחָמָ֔הba.mil.cha.Mah in battle H4421 Preposition · noun common feminine singular absolute
320× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This word means battle or war, describing a fight or conflict. It is used in the Bible to talk about wars and battles, like the ones in the book of Joshua. The KJV translates it as battle or fight.
Amplified meaning
step forward, advance
Tyndale gloss
battle
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

מִלְחָמָה (milchamah) means 'battle' or 'war.' It is derived from the root word for fighting and encompasses both specific engagements and the broader concept of warfare. The entries consistently define it in this way, with no significant disagreement among the lexicons.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

מִלְחָמָה 319 n.f. battle, war

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H4421 מִלְחָמָה battle, war

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

4421 milchamah mil-khaw-maw'

from 3898 (in the sense of fighting); a battle (i.e. the

engagement); generally, war (i.e. warfare):--battle,

fight(-ing), war((-rior)).

see HEBREW for 03898

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

מִלְחָמָה (mil.cha.mah) — battle.

battle, war

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Prep | N-fs — Preposition · noun common feminine singular absolute
HRd/Ncfsa
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

See WAR.

Nave's Topical Bible

→ Shouting in Jud 7:20; 1Sa 17:20

→ Priests in 2Ch 13:12

→ Prayer before

By Asa 2Ch 14:11

By Jehoshaphat 2Ch 20:3-12

→ See ARMIES

→ See WAR

rage not [belongs] to me who? will he give me thorn[s] bush[es] in battle I will march against it I will burn it altogether
אֶפְשְׂעָ֥ה'ef.se.'Ah I will march H6585 Verb · Qal · infinitive construct first person common singular
1× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
In the Bible, this word means to step or march forward, like taking a bold stride. It is used in 2 Samuel 18:6 to describe an army on the move. The word implies a sense of purposeful movement or action.
Tyndale gloss
to step
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

פָּשַׂע (pasa) is a Hebrew verb meaning to step or march. It describes the action of striding or rushing forward, particularly in the Qal form. The word is noted in Isaiah 27:4, where it conveys a sense of movement.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

[פָּשַׂע] vb. step, march;—Qal Is 27:4

ref

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H6585 [פָּשַׂע] step, march

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

6585 pasa` paw-sah'

a primitive root; to stride (from spreading the legs), i.e.

rush upon:--go.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

פָּשַׂע (pa.sa) — to step.

(Qal) to step, march, step forward

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
V-Qal-1cs — Verb · Qal · infinitive construct first person common singular
HVqc1cs
rage not [belongs] to me who? will he give me thorn[s] bush[es] in battle I will march against it I will burn it altogether
בָ֖הּvah against it H9034 Preposition · suffix
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

הָ (ha) — her.

Personal object pronoun - suffix for propositions and verbs without an object: 3rd person feminine singular

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
HR/Sp3fs — Preposition · suffix
HR/Sp3fs
rage not [belongs] to me who? will he give me thorn[s] bush[es] in battle I will march against it I will burn it altogether
אֲצִיתֶ֥נָּה'a.tzi.Te.nah I will burn it H6702 Verb hiphil imperfect first person common singular · suffix
1× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
In the Bible, this Hebrew word means to set something on fire or make it blaze, like a burning flame. It appears in various forms, including kindle or burn. This word is used to describe fiery events in the Old Testament.
Amplified meaning
set on fire, consume
Tyndale gloss
to burn
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

יָצַת (yāṣat) primarily means to kindle or burn, often used in a figurative sense related to wickedness. It has various grammatical forms, including Qal and Hiphil, indicating different nuances of burning or setting on fire. The term can also imply being kindled or desolated. It is closely related to the root meaning of blazing.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

[יָצַת] vb. kindle, burn (intr.)

Qal kindle, intr., fig. of wickedness; sq. be kindled with fire (= set on fire)

Niph. be kindled; be burned; = desolated

Hiph. kindle, set on fire

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H6702 [יָצַת] kindle, burn (intr.) .kindle, intr., fig. of wickedness; sq. be kindled with fire (= set on fire)

. be kindled; be burned; = desolated

. kindle, set on fire

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

6702 tsuwth tsooth

a primitive root; to blaze:--burn.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

צוּת (tsut) — to burn.

(Hiphil) to kindle, burn, set on fire

A grammatical form of ya.tsat (יָצַת "to kindle" H3341)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
V-Hiphil-Imperf-1cs | Suff — Verb hiphil imperfect first person common singular · suffix
HVhi1cs/Sp3fs
rage not [belongs] to me who? will he give me thorn[s] bush[es] in battle I will march against it I will burn it altogether
יָּֽחַד׃Ya.chad altogether H3162 Noun common · masculine singular absolute
141× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This adverb means together, describing people doing something in unity, like in Psalm 133:1.
Amplified meaning
together, in unity
Tyndale gloss
unitedness
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

יַ֫חַד (yachad) refers to the concept of unitedness or being together. It can function as a noun meaning 'unitedness' and as an adverb meaning 'together.' The word is built from a root that emphasizes unity and is used in various contexts in the Old Testament.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

יַ֫חַד 45 n.[m.] unitedness

as subst.

elsewhere always in acc. as adv. in union, together

base

יָחְדָּו 92 adv. together

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H3162a יַ֫חַד unitedness . as subst.

. elsewhere always in acc. as adv. in union, together

H3162b יָחְדָּו adv. together

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

3162 yachad yakh'-ad

from 3161; properly, a unit, i.e. (adverb) unitedly:--alike,

at all (once), both, likewise, only, (al-)together, withal.

see HEBREW for 03161

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

יַ֫חַד (ya.chad) — unitedness.

1) union, unitedness

יָחְדָּו (yach.dav) — together.

adv

together

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

ol-too-geth'-er: Representing five Hebrew and three Greek originals, which variously signify

(1) "together"; i.e. all, e.g. `all men, high and low, weighed together in God's balance are lighter than vanity' (Ps 62:9); so also Ps 53:3; Jer 10:8.

(2) "all": so the Revised Version (British and American), Isa 10:8: "Are not my princes all of them kings?"

(3) "with one accord have broken the yoke"; so the Revised Version (British and American), Jer 5:5.

(4) "completely," "entirely," "fully": "so as not to destroy him altogether" (2Ch 12:12; compare

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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