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Isaiah 27:7 — Word Study

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WLCהַכְּמַכַּ֥ת מַכֵּ֖הוּ הִכָּ֑הוּ אִם־ כְּהֶ֥רֶג הֲרֻגָ֖יו הֹרָֽג׃

BSAHas the LORD struck Israelnâkâh [Yehovah, the covenant God, as a nation, His chosen people] as He struckmakkâh her oppressorsnâkâh [those who afflicted her, her enemies] Was she killedhârag [slain, destroyed] like those who slayed herhereg [killed, murdered]

Word
Listen & take awayIsaiah 27
English ↓ Download MP3 The Berean Standard Bible chapter audio already hosted for the site's Bible section — verse 7 is in this chapter.
Hebrew ↓ Download MP3 The Masoretic text of this chapter, read aloud. Read by Abraham Shmuelof, courtesy of Audio Scriptures International. Chapter divisions by the Academy of Ancient Languages..
Say the word Each Hebrew word carries its transliteration (ho.Rag) — no per-word recordings of the Hebrew exist to link to.
Take it away
Isaiah 27:7quick helps
In a sentenceThe LORD questions whether He has struck Israel as He did her oppressors, pondering the nature of judgment.
Who is speakingThe LORD, addressing Israel and reflecting on His actions.
Where we areA poetic inquiry into the justice of God's judgment on Israel compared to her enemies.
The hard wordמַכֵּ֖הוּ
Take awayThe question of divine justice and the nature of judgment is central.
8 commentators on this verse Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them › clause verbהָרַג 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 27:7

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

Context — The Judgment of Israelgenerated

6In the days to come, Jacob will take root. Israel will bud and blossom and fill the whole world with fruit.
7Has the LORD struck Israel as He struck her oppressors? Was she killed like those who slayed her?
8By warfare and exile You contended with her and removed her with a fierce wind, as on the day the east wind blows.
9Therefore Jacob’s guilt will be atoned for, and the full fruit of the removal of his sin will be this: When he makes all the altar stones like crushed bits of chalk, no Asherah poles or incense altars will remain standing.

Isaiah 27:7 presents a rhetorical question from the LORD, asking if His treatment of Israel has been the same as that of her oppressors. This verse reflects on the nature of divine judgment and the consequences faced by both Israel and her enemies. The surrounding verses (Isaiah 27:6-9) further elaborate on the themes of restoration and atonement for Jacob, emphasizing the contrast between judgment and future hope.


Cross References

ReferenceText (BSB)
1Isaiah 10:20–25On that day the remnant of Israel and the survivors of the house of Jacob will no longer depend on him who struck them, but they will truly rely on the LORD, the Holy One of Israel.
2Isaiah 14:22–23“I will rise up against them,” declares the LORD of Hosts. “I will cut off from Babylon her name and her remnant, her offspring and her posterity,” declares the LORD.
3Isaiah 17:3–14The fortress will disappear from Ephraim, and the sovereignty from Damascus. The remnant of Aram will be like the splendor of the Israelites,” declares the LORD of Hosts.
4Jeremiah 30:11–16For I am with you to save you, declares the LORD. Though I will completely destroy all the nations to which I have scattered you, I will not completely destroy you. Yet I will discipline you justly, and will by no means leave you unpunished.”
5Jeremiah 50:33–34This is what the LORD of Hosts says: “The sons of Israel are oppressed, and the sons of Judah as well. All their captors hold them fast, refusing to release them.

The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 9 references, hung on the phrase they belong to


The Key Word מַכֵּ֖הוּ, ma.Ke.hugenerated

The word מַכֵּ֖הוּ (ma.Ke.hu) is a hiphil participle, meaning 'the one who struck it.' It indicates an active role in the act of striking, which can imply punishment or destruction. The parsing shows that it is masculine and singular, suggesting a specific agent responsible for the action.

This term is often used in contexts of divine judgment, where God strikes down His enemies or punishes His people. The emphasis here is on the act of striking as a decisive action, which raises the question of whether Israel has faced the same fate as her oppressors.


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.


Sentence Structuregenerated

The verse consists of two main clauses: the first asks whether the LORD has struck Israel like her oppressors, and the second questions if she was killed like those who slayed her. The structure emphasizes the comparison between Israel and her enemies.

The finite verbs הִכָּ֑הוּ and הֹרָֽג govern their respective clauses, indicating actions taken against both Israel and her oppressors. The use of rhetorical questions serves to provoke thought about the nature of God's judgment.


Septuagint Backgroundgenerated

The Septuagint translates מַכֵּ֖הוּ as ὡς (as), which suggests a direct comparison in the nature of the actions taken against Israel and her oppressors. This choice reflects a narrowing of the focus on the similarity of the judgments.

The Greek word ἀνεῖλεν (he killed) corresponds to הָרַג, indicating a strong emphasis on the act of killing, which aligns with the themes of violence and judgment in the original Hebrew.


In plain words — the whole versegenerated

Isaiah 27:7 asks if the LORD has punished Israel in the same way He punished her enemies. It questions whether Israel has suffered the same fate as those who have harmed her. The verse reflects on God's judgment and the consequences of sin.


Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated

What does it mean that the LORD struck Israel?

It suggests that Israel faced divine judgment, similar to the punishment of her oppressors, raising questions about justice and accountability.

Why is there a comparison between Israel and her oppressors?

The comparison highlights the severity of God's judgment and invites reflection on whether Israel's suffering is just as severe as that of her enemies.

What is the significance of the rhetorical questions?

The rhetorical questions serve to provoke thought and reflection on the nature of God's actions and the consequences of sin for both Israel and her oppressors.

How does this verse relate to the surrounding context?

The surrounding verses discuss the future restoration of Israel, contrasting the present judgment with the hope of redemption and atonement.


Reflection Questionsgenerated

  1. In what ways do I see God's judgment reflected in the world today?
  2. How can I understand the relationship between suffering and justice in my own life?
  3. What does this verse teach me about the nature of God's actions towards His people?
  4. How can I apply the themes of judgment and restoration in my own spiritual journey?

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

Jerome comments on this verse, exploring the implications of the LORD's judgment and its comparison to the fate of Israel's oppressors.

JeromeVerse 7. c. 347–420
Did he strike him according to the blow of the one striking himself: or as he killed his killers, so was he killed? This place is understood in two ways.
Early Church Fathers on Isaiah 27 →

Commentators on this verse — 8 expositors, verse by verse

Each of these wrote on Isaiah 27:7 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.

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

Hath he smitten him, as he smote those that smote him?.... No; the Lord does smite his people by afflictive dispensations of his providence; he smites them in their persons, and families, and

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

Hath he smitten him, as he smote those that smote him? or is he slain according to the slaughter of them that are slain by him? Hath he smitten him , (Israel) as he smote those (enemies) that smote him?

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

Hath he smitten him, as he smote those that smote him? the question implies a denial; he hath not so smitten him, to wit, Jacob. He hath not dealt so severely with his people as he hath dealt with his and their enemies, whom he hath utterly destroyed. This may look either, 1. Backward, upon times past. If you consult former experiences, you will find that God hath done so, hath spared and restored his people, and in judgment remembered mercy to them, when he hath totally ruined their enemies. Or, 2. Forward, upon the time to come, of which he speaks as of a thing past, after the manner of the prophets, and of which he speaks in the next verse. Of them that are slain by him; of those who…

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

Isaiah 27:7 Hath he smitten him, as he smote those that smote him? [or] is he slain according to the slaughter of them that are slain by him?Ver. 7. Hath he smitten him, as he smote those that smote him?] No; for the one he smote to correction, the other to destruction - the one with the palm, of his hand, as a man smiteth his son, the other with his clutched fist, as one smiteth his slaver whom he careth not where he hits or how he hurts. Temporal evils are in the nature sometimes of a curse, sometimes of a cure. Hinc distinctio illa poenae in conferentem et nocentem, sive in suffocantem et promoventem; item in poenam vindictae, et poenam cautelae, sive in condemnantem et corregentem.

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

(7) Hath he smitten him . . .—The pronouns are left in the English Version somewhat obscure, but the use of capitals makes the meaning plain: “Hath He (Jehovah) smitten him (Israel) as He smote those that smote him; or is he slain according to the slaughter of those that are slain by Him?” A slight alteration in the last clause in the text gives, according to the slaughter of his slayers. In any case the thought is that Jehovah had chastised the guilt with a leniency altogether exceptional. They had not been punished as others had been. The words admit, however, of another meaning, which is preferred by some critics, viz., that Jehovah doth not smite Israel with the smiting like that with…

Read Charles John Ellicott on Isaiah 27 →
CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

7–11. A summons to national repentance and reformation. Has Israel suffered the extremity of Divine punishment as its oppressors have done (7)? There is a ground of hope in the moderation displayed by Jehovah in His chastisement of Israel; the prospect of ultimate reconciliation is held out; and this hope will be realised when all the monuments of idolatry are erased from the land (9). At present the city lies desolate, a witness to the sinful blindness of the people and the estrangement of its Creator (10, 11). The section is full of difficulties. The words of Isa 27:8 stand in no obvious relation to the context, and are probably to be regarded (with Duhm) as a marginal gloss to Isaiah…

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

Hath he smitten him, as he smote those that smote them? - Has God punished his people in the same manner and to the same extent as he has their enemies? It is implied by this question that he had not.

Read Albert Barnes on Isaiah 27 →
Daniel Denison Whedon1808–1885Whedon's Commentary on the Bible

7, 8. Him — That is, Israel. The question, in form, calls for a negative answer. Not to the degree God has punished his enemies has he punished Israel. He has punished in measure, only moderately.

Read Daniel Denison Whedon 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

Has the LORD struck Israel as He struck her oppressors? Was she killed like those who slayed her?

WEBWorld English Bible2000

Has he struck them as he struck those who struck them? Or are they killed like those who killed them were killed?

MSBMajority Standard Bible2022

Has the LORD struck Israel as He struck her oppressors? Was she killed like those who slayed her?

NETBNew English Translation2006

Has the Lord struck down Israel like he did their oppressors? Has Israel been killed like their enemies?

Tyndale line

KJVKing James Version1611

¶ Hath he smitten him, as he smote those that smote him? or is he slain according to the slaughter of them that are slain by him?

ASVAmerican Standard Version1901

Hath he smitten them as he smote those that smote them? or are they slain according to the slaughter of them that were slain by them?

RVARevised Version, American1894

Hath he smitten him as he smote those that smote him? or is he slain according to the slaughter of them that were slain by him?

NWBWebster's Bible1833

Hath he smitten him, as he smote those that smote him? or is he slain according to the slaughter of them that are slain by him?

GNVGeneva Bible1599

Hath hee smitten him as hee smote those that smote him? or is hee slaine according to the slaughter of them that were slaine by him?

Strictly literal

DBYDarby Translation1890

Hath he smitten him according to the smiting of those that smote him? Is he slain according to the slaughter of those slain by him?

YLTYoung's Literal Translation1862

As the smiting of his smiter hath He smitten him? As the slaying of his slain doth He slay?

LSVLiteral Standard Version2020

Has He struck him as the striking of his striker? Does He slay as the slaying of his slain?

ILTInterlinear Literal Translation2000

Hath he smitten him, as he smote the one that smote him? or was he slain with the same slaughter as those of him that were slain?

ULBUnlocked Literal Bible2017

Has Yahweh attacked Jacob and Israel as he attacked those nations who attacked them? Have Jacob and Israel been killed as in the slaughter of those nations that were killed by them?

From the Latin

DRADouay-Rheims (Challoner)1899

Hath he struck him according to the stroke of him that struck him? or is he slain, as he killed them that were slain by him?

Simplified

FBVFree Bible Version2020

Has the Lord hit Israel as he hit those that attacked them? Were they killed like their killers were killed?

BBEBible in Basic English1949

Is his punishment like the punishment of those who overcame him? or are his dead as great in number as those he put to the sword?

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.

clauseהַlikeclauseprepositional phrase · prepositionalכְּthenoun phraseמַכַּ֥תblow?noun phraseמַכֵּ֖ofהוּthe.[one.who].struck.itverbהִכָּ֑hasobjectהוּhe.struck.itclauseאִםor?clauseprepositional phrase · prepositionalכְּlikenoun phraseהֶ֥רֶגthe.slaughternoun phraseהֲרֻגָ֖יofוits.slain.[ones]verbהֹרָֽגhas.it.been.slain

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


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

The Masoretic Text aligns with the Dead Sea Scrolls, which contain a nearly identical wording, affirming the consistency of the text. The Septuagint, however, shows some variation in word choice and structure, emphasizing the interpretative nature of the translation.

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

הַכְּמַכַּ֥ת מַכֵּ֖הוּ הִכָּ֑הוּ אִם־ כְּהֶ֥רֶג הֲרֻגָ֖יו הֹרָֽג׃

Septuagintthe Greek the translators chose, word by word
הַכְּמַכַּ֥תὡςאִם־καὶכְּהֶ֥רֶגἀνεῖλεν

3 of the 7 words are matched. This is the word-by-word correspondence, not the Septuagint's own sentence — its word order and its articles are its own.

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

הכמכת מכ׳הו הכ׳הו אמ כהרג הורגי׳ו הרג

7 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 27:7מַכָּה¿ like [the¿ like [the] stמַכָּהנָכָה[the] [one [the] [one who]נָכָהנָכָהhas he struhas he struck iנָכָהאִםor?or?אִםהֶ֫רֶגlike [the] like [the] slauהֶ֫רֶגהָרַגslain [onesslain [ones] itהָרַגהָרַגhas it beenhas it been slaהָרַגנָכָהto smiteto smiteנָכָההָרַגto killto killהָרַגמַכָּהwoundwoundמַכָּהפְּלִשְׁתִּי(Sea of th(Sea of the) Phפְּלִשְׁתִּיבָּחוּרyouthyouthבָּחוּרחֶ֫רֶבswordswordחֶ֫רֶברָפָאto healto healרָפָאשֶׁ֫בֶרbreakingbreakingשֶׁ֫בֶרחֵןfavorfavorחֵןיֵשׁtherethereיֵשׁ
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 27:7

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

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

¿ like [the] striking? of [the] [one who] struck it has he struck it or? like [the] slaughter of slain [ones] its has it been slain
הַכְּמַכַּ֥תha.ke.ma.Kat ¿ like [the] striking? of H4347 Particle · preposition · noun common feminine singular construct
48× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
A wound or blow, also referring to carnage, pestilence, or defeat. It can describe physical harm, like a beating, or widespread suffering, like a plague.
Tyndale gloss
wound
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

מַכָּה (makkah) refers to a blow or wound, encompassing meanings such as slaughter and pestilence. It is derived from a root meaning to strike and can imply defeat or conquest. The term appears in contexts like 2 Chronicles 2:10, where it relates to a physical blow, and can also refer to figurative concepts like carnage.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

מַכָּה n.f. blow, wound, slaughter

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H4347 מַכָּה blow, wound, slaughter

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

4347 makkah mak-kaw'

or (masculine) makkeh {muk-keh'}; (plural only) from 5221; a

blow (in 2 Chronicles 2:10, of the flail); by implication, a

wound; figuratively, carnage, also pestilence:--beaten, blow,

plague, slaughter, smote, X sore, stripe, stroke,

wound((-ed)).

see HEBREW for 05221

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

מַכָּה (mak.kah) — wound.

1) blow, wound, slaughter

1a) blow, stripe

1b) beating, scourging

1c) wound

1d) slaughter

1e) defeat, conquest

1f) plague

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Part | Prep | N-fs — Particle · preposition · noun common feminine singular construct
HTi/R/Ncfsc
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…

¿ like [the] striking? of [the] [one who] struck it has he struck it or? like [the] slaughter of slain [ones] its has it been slain
מַכֵּ֖הוּma.Ke.hu [the] [one who] struck it H5221 Verb hiphil participle (active) masculine singular common · suffix
500× 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 strike or hit something, and it's used in many different ways, like in Exodus when God strikes down the Egyptians. It can also mean to punish or destroy, as seen in Isaiah. The word is used to describe God's judgment.
Amplified meaning
Yehovah, the covenant God, as a nation, His chosen people
Tyndale gloss
to smite
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

נָכָה (nakah) is a Hebrew verb meaning to strike or smite, encompassing a range of actions from lightly hitting to fatal blows. It appears in various forms, indicating actions like attacking, punishing, or causing disease. The entries suggest its use in both literal and figurative contexts, including divine judgment and applause. There is no significant disagreement among the lexicons regarding its meanings.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

[נָכָה] 501 vb. smite (not in Qal)

Niph. and he shall be smitten [struck by weapon in battle] and die

Pu. both be smitten down by the hail

Hiph.

lit., smite (with a single, non-fatal, blow), strike

smite repeatedly, beat a man

and they clapped hands (in applause)

give a thrust (with fork) into pot; strike roots

rarely smite (in battle) so as (merely) to wound

smite, of sun

Smite fatally

Smite = attack, attack and destroy a company

Of God

smite with a plague, disease, etc.

smite = chastise, or send judgment upon

of God’s destroying palaces

Hoph. be smitten

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H5221 נָכָה smite (not in Qal) . and he shall be smitten [struck by weapon in battle] and die

. both be smitten down by the hail

. . . lit., smite (with a single, non-fatal, blow), strike

. smite repeatedly, beat a man

. and they clapped hands (in applause)

. give a thrust (with fork) into pot; strike roots

. rarely smite (in battle) so as (merely) to wound

. smite, of sun

. Smite fatally

. Smite = attack, attack and destroy a company

. Of God . smite with a plague, disease, etc.

. smite = chastise, or send judgment upon

. of God’s destroying palaces

. be smitten

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

5221 nakah naw-kaw'

a primitive root; to strike (lightly or severely, literally

or figuratively):--beat, cast forth, clap, give (wounds), X

go forward, X indeed, kill, make (slaughter), murderer,

punish, slaughter, slay(-er, -ing), smite(-r, -ing), strike,

be stricken, (give) stripes, X surely, wound.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

נָכָה (na.khah) — to smite.

1) to strike, smite, hit, beat, slay, kill

1a)(Niphal) to be stricken or smitten

1b) (Pual) to be stricken or smitten

1c) (Hiphil)

1c1) to smite, strike, beat, scourge, clap, applaud, give a thrust

1c2) to smite, kill, slay (man or beast)

1c3) to smite, attack, attack and destroy, conquer, subjugate, ravage

1c4) to smite, chastise, send judgment upon, punish, destroy

1d) (Hophal) to be smitten

1d1) to receive a blow

1d2) to be wounded

1d3) to be beaten

1d4) to be (fatally) smitten, be killed, be slain

1d5) to be attacked and captured

1d6) to be smitten (with disease)

1d7) to be blighted (of plants)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
V-Hiphil | Suff — Verb hiphil participle (active) masculine singular common · suffix
HVhrmsc/Sp3ms
¿ like [the] striking? of [the] [one who] struck it has he struck it or? like [the] slaughter of slain [ones] its has it been slain
הִכָּ֑הוּhi.Ka.hu has he struck it H5221 Verb hiphil perfect third person masculine singular · suffix
500× 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 strike or hit something, and it's used in many different ways, like in Exodus when God strikes down the Egyptians. It can also mean to punish or destroy, as seen in Isaiah. The word is used to describe God's judgment.
Amplified meaning
those who afflicted her, her enemies
Tyndale gloss
to smite
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

נָכָה (nakah) is a Hebrew verb meaning to strike or smite, encompassing a range of actions from lightly hitting to fatal blows. It appears in various forms, indicating actions like attacking, punishing, or causing disease. The entries suggest its use in both literal and figurative contexts, including divine judgment and applause. There is no significant disagreement among the lexicons regarding its meanings.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

[נָכָה] 501 vb. smite (not in Qal)

Niph. and he shall be smitten [struck by weapon in battle] and die

Pu. both be smitten down by the hail

Hiph.

lit., smite (with a single, non-fatal, blow), strike

smite repeatedly, beat a man

and they clapped hands (in applause)

give a thrust (with fork) into pot; strike roots

rarely smite (in battle) so as (merely) to wound

smite, of sun

Smite fatally

Smite = attack, attack and destroy a company

Of God

smite with a plague, disease, etc.

smite = chastise, or send judgment upon

of God’s destroying palaces

Hoph. be smitten

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H5221 נָכָה smite (not in Qal) . and he shall be smitten [struck by weapon in battle] and die

. both be smitten down by the hail

. . . lit., smite (with a single, non-fatal, blow), strike

. smite repeatedly, beat a man

. and they clapped hands (in applause)

. give a thrust (with fork) into pot; strike roots

. rarely smite (in battle) so as (merely) to wound

. smite, of sun

. Smite fatally

. Smite = attack, attack and destroy a company

. Of God . smite with a plague, disease, etc.

. smite = chastise, or send judgment upon

. of God’s destroying palaces

. be smitten

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

5221 nakah naw-kaw'

a primitive root; to strike (lightly or severely, literally

or figuratively):--beat, cast forth, clap, give (wounds), X

go forward, X indeed, kill, make (slaughter), murderer,

punish, slaughter, slay(-er, -ing), smite(-r, -ing), strike,

be stricken, (give) stripes, X surely, wound.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

נָכָה (na.khah) — to smite.

1) to strike, smite, hit, beat, slay, kill

1a)(Niphal) to be stricken or smitten

1b) (Pual) to be stricken or smitten

1c) (Hiphil)

1c1) to smite, strike, beat, scourge, clap, applaud, give a thrust

1c2) to smite, kill, slay (man or beast)

1c3) to smite, attack, attack and destroy, conquer, subjugate, ravage

1c4) to smite, chastise, send judgment upon, punish, destroy

1d) (Hophal) to be smitten

1d1) to receive a blow

1d2) to be wounded

1d3) to be beaten

1d4) to be (fatally) smitten, be killed, be slain

1d5) to be attacked and captured

1d6) to be smitten (with disease)

1d7) to be blighted (of plants)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
V-Hiphil-Perf-3ms | Suff — Verb hiphil perfect third person masculine singular · suffix
HVhp3ms/Sp3ms
¿ like [the] striking? of [the] [one who] struck it has he struck it or? like [the] slaughter of slain [ones] its has it been slain
אִם־'im- or? H518 Particle
1,070× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This Hebrew word is used to express conditions or questions, like if or whether. It can also be used to make oaths or express wishes, as in Oh that! It appears in various forms in the KJV, including if, though, and when.
Tyndale gloss
if
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

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

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

אִם conj.

hypoth. part. if

Interrog. part.

base

כִּי אם־

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

that if

for if

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

limiting the prec. clause, except

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

after an oath, surely

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H518a אִם conj. . hypoth. part. if

. Interrog. part.

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

. for if

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

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

. after an oath, surely

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

518 'im eem

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

whereas, whether, while, + yet.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

אִם (im) — if.

: if/whether_or/though

1) if

1a) conditional clauses

1a1) of possible situations

1a2) of impossible situations

1b) oath contexts

1b1) no, not

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

1d) when, whenever

1e) since

1f) interrogative particle

1g) but rather

[כִּי] אם (ki im) — if: except.

1) except if

1a) but if

אִם (im) — if: surely no.

: surely_no

1) if

1a) conditional clauses

1a1) of possible situations

1a2) of impossible situations

1b) oath contexts

1b1) no, not

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

1d) when, whenever

1e) since

1f) interrogative particle

1g) but rather

אִם (im) — if: surely yes.

: surely_yes

1) if

1a) conditional clauses

1a1) of possible situations

1a2) of impossible situations

1b) oath contexts

1b1) no, not

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

1d) when, whenever

1e) since

1f) interrogative particle

1g) but rather

אִם (im) — if: until.

: until/except

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
HTc — Particle
HTc
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

or: The word is used once for either (1Sa 26:10), and is still in poetic use in this sense; as in, "Without or wave or wind" (Coleridge); "Or the bakke or some bone he breketh in his dzouthe" (Piers Plowman (B), VII, 93; compare Merchant of Venice, III, ii, 65). It is also used with "ever" for before (Ps 90:2; Ecclesiasticus 18:19), which the American Standard Revised Version substitutes in Ec 12:6 (compare 12:1,2); So 6:12; Da 6:24.

The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
¿ like [the] striking? of [the] [one who] struck it has he struck it or? like [the] slaughter of slain [ones] its has it been slain
כְּהֶ֥רֶגke.He.reg like [the] slaughter of H2027 Preposition · noun common masculine singular construct
5× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
Slaughter, referring to the act of killing, is used to describe violent acts in the Bible, such as the slaughter of the Philistines by Samson in Judges 14. It is also used to describe the slaughter of animals for sacrifice.
Amplified meaning
killed, murdered
Tyndale gloss
slaughter
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word הֶ֫רֶג (*hereg*) means "slaughter" or "killing." It is derived from a related root, הָרַג (*harag*), which also pertains to killing. The entries consistently define it in the context of slaughter, with no significant disagreement among the lexicons.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

הֶ֫רֶג n.m. slaughter

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H2027 הֶ֫רֶג slaughter

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

2027 hereg heh'-reg

from 2026; slaughter:--be slain, slaughter.

see HEBREW for 02026

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

הֶ֫רֶג (he.reg) — slaughter.

a killing, slaughter

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Prep | N-ms — Preposition · noun common masculine singular construct
HR/Ncmsc
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

ov:

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

English usagewhat the translators’ English meant
Webster's Dictionary (1828), Webster's Unabridged (1913), Webster's Dictionary (1806)

OF, preposition ov. [Gr.]

1. From or out of; proceeding from, as the cause, source, means, author or agent bestowing.

I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered to you. 1 Corinthians 11:1.

For it was of the Lord to harden their hearts. Joshua 11:1.

It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed.

Lamentations 3:1.

The whole disposing thereof is of the Lord. Proverbs 16:1.

Go, inquire of the Lord for me. 2 Chronicles 34:2.

That holy thing that shall be born of thee. Luke 1:1.

Hence of is the sign of the genitive case, the case that denotes production; as the son of man, the son proceeding from man, produced from man. This is the primary sense, although we now say, produced by man. 'Part of these were slain; ' that is, a number separate, for part denotes a division; the sense then is, a number from or out of the whole were slain. So also, 'some of these were slain; ' that is…

The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
¿ like [the] striking? of [the] [one who] struck it has he struck it or? like [the] slaughter of slain [ones] its has it been slain
הֲרֻגָ֖יוha.ru.Gav slain [ones] its H2026 Verb qal participle (passive) masculine plural common · suffix
167× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
To kill or slay with intent, as seen in the Bible when God instructs the Israelites to destroy certain nations. This word is used in various forms, including to murder or destroy. It appears in books like Exodus and Deuteronomy.
Amplified meaning
slain, destroyed
Tyndale gloss
to kill
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

הָרַג (harag) is a Hebrew verb meaning to kill or slay, often implying ruthless violence. It encompasses a range of meanings including murder, destruction, and being killed. The entries indicate its use in various contexts, such as wholesale slaughter in battle or divine judgment. The verb appears in different forms, including Qal, Niphal, and Pual, indicating various nuances of killing.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

הָרַג vb. kill, slay

Qal

kill, slay, implying ruthless violence

hence of wholesale slaughter after battle

of God’s slaying in judgment

rarely of judicial killing by men (at God’s command)

of killing beasts

of killing by beasts

quite general

destroy, ruin

Niph.

shall priest and prophet be slain in the sanctuary?

pass. of Qal 1 b

Pu. be slain

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H2026 הָרַג kill, slay

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

2026 harag haw-rag'

a primitive root; to smite with deadly intent:--destroy, out

of hand, kill, murder(-er), put to (death), make (slaughter),

slay(-er), X surely.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

הָרַג (ha.rag) — to kill.

1) to kill, slay, murder, destroy, murderer, slayer, out of hand

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to kill, slay

1a2) to destroy, ruin

1b) (Niphal) to be killed

1c) (Pual) to be killed, be slain

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
V-Qal-Inf-c | Suff — Verb qal participle (passive) masculine plural common · suffix
HVqsmpc/Sp3ms
¿ like [the] striking? of [the] [one who] struck it has he struck it or? like [the] slaughter of slain [ones] its has it been slain
הֹרָֽג׃ho.Rag has it been slain H2026 Verb · Pual · perfect third person masculine singular
167× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
To kill or slay with intent, as seen in the Bible when God instructs the Israelites to destroy certain nations. This word is used in various forms, including to murder or destroy. It appears in books like Exodus and Deuteronomy.
Tyndale gloss
to kill
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

הָרַג (harag) is a Hebrew verb meaning to kill or slay, often implying ruthless violence. It encompasses a range of meanings including murder, destruction, and being killed. The entries indicate its use in various contexts, such as wholesale slaughter in battle or divine judgment. The verb appears in different forms, including Qal, Niphal, and Pual, indicating various nuances of killing.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

הָרַג vb. kill, slay

Qal

kill, slay, implying ruthless violence

hence of wholesale slaughter after battle

of God’s slaying in judgment

rarely of judicial killing by men (at God’s command)

of killing beasts

of killing by beasts

quite general

destroy, ruin

Niph.

shall priest and prophet be slain in the sanctuary?

pass. of Qal 1 b

Pu. be slain

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H2026 הָרַג kill, slay

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

2026 harag haw-rag'

a primitive root; to smite with deadly intent:--destroy, out

of hand, kill, murder(-er), put to (death), make (slaughter),

slay(-er), X surely.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

הָרַג (ha.rag) — to kill.

1) to kill, slay, murder, destroy, murderer, slayer, out of hand

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to kill, slay

1a2) to destroy, ruin

1b) (Niphal) to be killed

1c) (Pual) to be killed, be slain

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
HVPp3ms — Verb · Pual · perfect third person masculine singular
HVPp3ms
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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