Isaiah 38:14 — Word Study
WLCכְּס֤וּס עָגוּר֙ כֵּ֣ן אֲצַפְצֵ֔ף אֶהְגֶּ֖ה כַּיּוֹנָ֑ה דַּלּ֤וּ עֵינַי֙ לַמָּר֔וֹם אֲדֹנָ֖י עָֽשְׁקָה־ לִּ֥י עָרְבֵֽנִי׃
BSAI chirptsâphaph▸ [like a bird in distress] like a swallowçûwç [a bird of sorrow] or craneʻâgûwr I moanhâgâh▸ [mourn, lament] like a doveyôwnâh [a dove or pigeon] My eyesʻayin [the windows of the soul] grow weakdâlal■ [languish, become dim] [as I look] upwardmârôwm [to the heights, in desperation] O LordʼĂdônây [Adonay, the sovereign God] I am oppressedʻoshqâh△ [crushed, afflicted] be my securityʻârab [pledge, guarantee my well-being]
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| כְּס֤וּס | like a swallow | Preposition, noun common masculine singular construct |
| עָגוּר֙ | a crane | Noun common, masculine singular absolute |
| כֵּ֣ן | so | Adverb |
| אֲצַפְצֵ֔ף | I chirp | Verb, Piel, imperfect first person common singular |
| אֶהְגֶּ֖ה | I moan | Verb, Qal, imperfect first person common singular |
| כַּיּוֹנָ֑ה | like dove | Preposition, noun common feminine singular absolute |
| דַּלּ֤וּ | they are cast down | Verb, Qal, perfect third person common plural |
| עֵינַי֙ | eyes my | Noun common feminine dual construct, suffix |
| לַמָּר֔וֹם | to the height[s] | Preposition, noun common masculine singular absolute |
| אֲדֹנָ֖י | O Lord | Noun proper |
| עָֽשְׁקָה־ | oppression | Noun common, feminine singular absolute |
| לִּ֥י | [belongs] to me | Preposition, suffix |
| עָרְבֵֽנִי׃ | stand surety for me | Verb qal imperative second person masculine singular, suffix |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | I chirp like a swallow or crane; I moan like a dove. My eyes grow weak as I look upward. O Lord, I am oppressed; be my security.” |
| KJV | Like a crane or a swallow, so did I chatter: I did mourn as a dove: mine eyes fail with looking upward: O LORD, I am oppressed; undertake for me. |
| ASV | Like a swallow or a crane, so did I chatter; I did moan as a dove; mine eyes fail with looking upward: O Lord, I am oppressed, be thou my surety. |
| YLT | As a crane — a swallow — so I chatter, I mourn as a dove, Drawn up have been mine eyes on high, O Jehovah, oppression [is] on me, be my surety. |
| WEB | I chattered like a swallow or a crane. I moaned like a dove. My eyes weaken looking upward. Lord, I am oppressed. Be my security.” |
| BBE | I make cries like a bird; I give out sounds of grief like a dove: my eyes are looking up with desire; O Lord, I am crushed, take up my cause. |
Where they part company is עָשְׁקָה — see How Translations Differ.
The verse contains a main clause expressing the speaker's cries, supported by comparative phrases that illustrate their emotional state, culminating in a direct plea to God.
8 commentators on this verse
Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them ›
clause
subjectהוּא
verbצָפַף
The sentence as the grammar sees it Open the tree ›
1 of 13 occurs nowhere else in the Old Testament — a word 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 38:14
Sections marked generated are written from the data on this page rather than by a named author. Everything else — the lexicon entries, the cross references, the manuscript readings, the counts — is quoted from its source unchanged.
Context — A Lament to Godgenerated
Isaiah 38:14 is a poignant expression of sorrow, where the speaker likens their cries to those of birds in distress. This lament highlights the emotional turmoil experienced and the longing for divine assistance. The surrounding verses further emphasize the speaker's plight and their reliance on God for comfort and security.
Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Job 30:29 | I have become a brother of jackals, a companion of ostriches. |
| 2 | Psalm 102:4–7 | My heart is afflicted, and withered like grass; I even forget to eat my bread. |
| 3 | Isaiah 59:11 | We all growl like bears and moan like doves. We hope for justice, but find none, for salvation, but it is far from us. |
| 4 | Ezekiel 7:16 | The survivors will escape and live in the mountains, moaning like doves of the valley, each for his own iniquity. |
| 5 | Nahum 2:7 |
The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 11 references, hung on the phrase they belong to
The Key Word — אֲצַפְצֵ֔ף, 'a.tzaf.Tzefgenerated
The verb צָפַף (tsaphaph) means 'to chirp' or 'to whisper,' often associated with the sounds made by birds. In this context, it conveys a sense of distress, as the speaker expresses their sorrow through the imagery of a bird's call.
This verb is in the Piel form, indicating an intensified action, which can suggest a more desperate or urgent plea. The use of this word sets the tone for the lament, emphasizing the emotional weight of the speaker's situation.
How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated
This study reads the verse in the Berean Standard Bible, which uses chirp for אֲצַפְצֵ֔ף and moan for אֶהְגֶּ֖ה.
Sentence Structuregenerated
The verse consists of multiple clauses, with the main action being expressed through the verbs אֲצַפְצֵ֔ף and אֶהְגֶּ֖ה. The structure highlights the speaker's emotional state as they compare their cries to those of birds, creating a vivid image of their distress.
The syntax emphasizes the speaker's plea for help, culminating in the direct address to God, which serves as a powerful conclusion to the lament.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
In the Septuagint, אֲצַפְצֵ֔ף is rendered as φωνήσω, meaning 'I will sound' or 'I will voice.' This choice broadens the interpretation of the speaker's expression, suggesting a more general vocalization of distress rather than a specific chirping.
The translation of אֶהְגֶּ֖ה as μελετήσω indicates a focus on the act of meditating or pondering, which aligns with the theme of lamentation and reflection present in the verse.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
Isaiah 38:14 expresses a deep sense of sorrow, where the speaker compares their distress to the cries of birds. They plead for help from God, feeling oppressed and seeking assurance. This verse captures the emotional turmoil and longing for divine support during difficult times.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
The speaker uses the imagery of birds to express their distress and sorrow, highlighting their emotional state and the urgency of their plea for help.
Addressing God directly emphasizes the speaker's reliance on divine assistance and their need for comfort in times of trouble.
'Oppressed' conveys the weight of the speaker's suffering, indicating a state of being crushed or afflicted, which is central to their lament.
This verse reflects a common theme in biblical laments, where individuals express their pain and seek God's intervention, similar to other passages like Psalm 102.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- In what ways do I express my own feelings of distress or sorrow to God?
- How can I find comfort in God's presence during difficult times, as the speaker does?
- What imagery resonates with me when I think about my own struggles?
- How can I support others who are experiencing oppression or anguish?
Commentators on this verse — 8 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on Isaiah 38:14 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire BibleLike a crane, or a swallow, so did I chatter,.... Rather, "like a crane and a swallow", like both; sometimes loud and clamorous, like a crane (o), when the pain was very acute and grievous; and
Read John Gill on Isaiah 38 →Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's CommentaryThe writing of Hezekiah king of Judah, when he had been sick, and was recovered of his sickness: -The prayer and thanksgiving song of Hezekiah is only given here, not in the parallel passages of 2 Kings and 2 Chronicles. Verse 9.
Read Robert Jamieson on Isaiah 38 →Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy BibleLike a crane or a swallow; or, a crane and a swallow; the conjunction and being here, as it is , and elsewhere, understood, as is manifest from , where it is expressed with these very words. So did I chatter; my complaint and cry was like to the noise of a swallow, quick and frequent; and like that of a crane, loud and frightful. And this very comparison is used of mourners, not only in Scripture, but in other authors; concerning which the learned reader may consult my Latin Synopsis. I did mourn as a dove; whose mournful tone is observed , and elsewhere. Mine eyes fail with looking upward; whilst I lift up mine eyes and heart to God for relief, but in vain. I am oppressed by my disease…
Read Matthew Poole on Isaiah 38 →John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New TestamentsIsaiah 38:14 Like a crane [or] a swallow, so did I chatter: I did mourn as a dove: mine eyes fail [with looking] upward: O LORD, I am oppressed; undertake for me.Ver. 14. Like a crane or a swallow, so did I chatter.] Ita pipiebam; peraptae sunt similitudines. Broken petitions coming from a broken heart are of singular avail with God. Ah Pater brevissima quidem vex est, sed omnia complectitur, saith Luther - i.e., Ah, Father, is a short prayer, but very complexive and effectual. So is the prayer here recorded. O Lord, I am oppressed; undertake for me.] Miserere mihi misero. Hezekiah, though a most holy man, begged pardon at his death, and flees to Christ, his surety. So did Augustine (he…
Read John Trapp on Isaiah 38 →Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers(14) Like a crane . . .—The three birds—strictly, the “swift,” the “crane,” the “dove”—each with its special note of lamentation, represent, as it were, the cries of pain and the low suppressed wail of the sufferer. The three appear again together in Jeremiah 8:7. Undertake for me—i.e., as in Genesis 43:9; Genesis 44:32; Job 17:3, Be surety for me. The idea is that of Death, who, yet in another sense, is but the minister of Jehovah, as being the creditor pressing for immediate payment. The words involve (as Cheyne points out) something like an appeal to the judge, who is also the accuser, to be bail for the accused.
Read Charles John Ellicott on Isaiah 38 →AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the BibleVerse 14. Like-a swallow - "Like the swallow"] כסיס kesis; so read two MSS., Theodot., and Hieron. Mine eyes fail] For דלו dallu the Septuagint read כלו calu, εξελιπον. Compare Psalms 69:4; Psalms 119:82; Psalms 119:123; Lamentations 2:11; Lamentations 4:17, in the Hebrew and in the Septuagint. O LORD - "O Lord"] For יהוה Jehovah, thirty MSS. and eight editions read אדני Adonai. Undertake for me - "Contend for me"] עשקה ashekah, with ש shin, Jarchi: this sense of the word is established by Genesis 26:20: "He called the name of the well עשק esek, because they strove with him:" התעשקו hithasseku, equivalent to יריבו yaribu, at the beginning of the verse.
Read AdamClarke on Isaiah 38 →CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges14. Like a crane or a swallow] Rather, as R.V., Like a swallow or a crane. Both words occur again only in Jeremiah 8:7. The want of a copula in Heb., and the unsuitability of the verb “chirp” (E.V. “chatter”) to the note of the crane suggests that the latter may have been imported into the text from the passage in Jeremiah. It is wanting in the LXX. I did mourn as a dove] Cf. ch. Isaiah 59:11; Ezekiel 7:16; Nahum 2:7. with looking upward] lit. toward the height, where Jehovah dwells. undertake for me] become surety for me (Job 17:3). The image is that of a debtor who is being committed to prison.
Read Cambridge on Isaiah 38 →Albert Barnes1798–1870Barnes' Notes on the BibleLike a crane - The word used here (סוּס sûs) usually denotes a horse.
Read Albert Barnes on Isaiah 38 →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
I chirp like a swallow or crane; I moan like a dove. My eyes grow weak as I look upward. O Lord, I am oppressed; be my security.”
I chattered like a swallow or a crane. I moaned like a dove. My eyes weaken looking upward. Lord, I am oppressed. Be my security.”
I chirp like a swallow or crane; I moan like a dove. My eyes grow weak as I look upward. O Lord, I am oppressed; be my security.”
Like a swallow or a thrush I chirp, I coo like a dove; my eyes grow tired from looking up to the sky. O sovereign master, I am oppressed; help me!
Tyndale line
Like a crane or a swallow, so did I chatter: I did mourn as a dove: mine eyes fail with looking upward: O LORD, I am oppressed; undertake for me.
Like a swallow or a crane, so did I chatter; I did moan as a dove; mine eyes fail with looking upward: O Lord, I am oppressed, be thou my surety.
Like a swallow or a crane, so did I chatter; I did mourn as a dove: mine eyes fail with looking upward; O LORD, I am oppressed, be thou my surety.
Like a crane or a swallow, so I chattered: I mourned as a dove: my eyes fail with looking upward: O LORD, I am oppressed; undertake for me.
Like a crane or a swallow, so did I chatter: I did mourne as a doue: mine eies were lift vp on high: O Lord, it hath oppressed me, comfort me.
Strictly literal
Like a swallow [or] a crane, so did I chatter; I mourned as a dove; mine eyes failed [with looking] upward: Lord, I am oppressed; undertake for me.
As a crane — a swallow — so I chatter, I mourn as a dove, Drawn up have been mine eyes on high, O Jehovah, oppression [is] on me, be my surety.
As a crane—a swallow—so I chatter, || I mourn as a dove, || My eyes have been drawn up on high, || O YHWH, oppression [is] on me, be my guarantor.
Like a swallow or a crane, so did I chirp; I did moan like a dove; my eyes were lifted up on high: O Lord, I am oppressed; grant me ease.
Like a swallow I chirp; I coo like a dove; my eyes grow tired with looking upward. Lord, I am oppressed; help me.
From the Latin
I will cry like a young swallow, I will meditate like a dove: my eyes are weakened looking upward: Lord, I suffer violence, answer thou for me.
Simplified
I scream like a swift or a songbird, I moan like a dove. My eyes grow dim as I look heavenwards. I'm being attacked, Lord, please come and support me!
I make cries like a bird; I give out sounds of grief like a dove: my eyes are looking up with desire; O Lord, I am crushed, take up my cause.
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.
Boxes are the grammarian's groupings — clause, noun phrase, prepositional phrase.
The four witnesses to this verse — Masoretic, Septuagint, Samaritan, Qumran
The Masoretic Text and the Dead Sea Scrolls largely agree, with the 1Qisaa scroll preserving 13 words that match the MT closely. The 1Q8 scroll shows some restoration but retains key phrases, indicating consistency in the core message across these ancient texts.
כְּס֤וּס עָגוּר֙ כֵּ֣ן אֲצַפְצֵ֔ף אֶהְגֶּ֖ה כַּיּוֹנָ֑ה דַּלּ֤וּ עֵינַי֙ לַמָּר֔וֹם אֲדֹנָ֖י עָֽשְׁקָה־ לִּ֥י עָרְבֵֽנִי׃
8 of the 13 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.
כסוס עוגר כן אצפצפ אהגה כיונא דלו עינ׳י למרום אדוני עושקה ל׳י וערב׳ני
13 words on the leather.
כסיס עגור כן [אצפצף] [אהגה] [כיונה] [דלו] [עינ׳י] [למרום] יהוה חשקה ל׳י ערב׳ני
5 words on the leather — 2 partly restored, 6 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.
Lexicons — every word in Isaiah 38:14
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.
סוּס (sus) refers to both a 'swallow' and a 'horse,' derived from a root meaning to skip or leap. The word captures the swift nature of both the bird and the animal, often associated with chariot horses in the context of the Old Testament. There is a note in the entries about a comparison with another Hebrew word, but no significant disagreement among the lexicons.
סוּס n.[m.] swallow or swift
base
סוּס 138 n.m. horse
base
H5483a סוּס swallow or swift H5483b סוּס horse
5483 cuwc soos
or cuc {soos}; from an unused root meaning to skip (properly,
for joy); a horse (as leaping); also a swallow (from its rapid
flight):--crane, horse((-back, -hoof)). Compare 6571.
see HEBREW for 06571
סוּס (sus) — swallow.
swallow, swift
סוּס (sus) — Horse (Gate).
This name means horse
סוּס (sus) — horse.
1) horse
1a) chariot horses
Prep | N-ms — Preposition · noun common masculine singular constructHR/Ncmsc
swal'-o (deror; strouthos, in Proverbs and Psalms, chelidon, in Isa; Latin Hirundo rustica): A small long-winged bird of exhaustless flight, belonging to the family Hirundinidae. Deror means the bird of freedom, and as the swallow is of tireless wing, it has been settled upon as fitting the requirements of the text. In the passages where `aghur is translated "swallow," there is a mistake, that word referring to the crane. There is also a word, cuc or cic, that means a rushing sound, that is incorrectly translated "swallow," when it should be "swift" (Cypselus apus).
These birds are near relatives and so alike on the wing as to be indistinguishable to any save a close observer. Yet the Hebrews knew and made a difference. The swallow is a trifle larger and different in color. It remains all the year, while in numerous instances the swift migrates and is a regular sign of returning spring.…
Swallow
(1.) Heb. sis (Isa. 38:14; Jer. 8:7), the Arabic for the swift, which “is a regular migrant, returning in myriads every spring, and so suddenly that while one day not a swift can be seen in the country, on the next they have overspread the whole land, and fill the air with their shrill cry.” The swift (cypselus) is ordinarily classed with the swallow, which it resembles in its flight, habits, and migration.
(2.) Heb. deror, i.e., “the bird of freedom” (Ps. 84:3; Prov. 26:2), properly rendered swallow, distinguished for its swiftness of flight, its love of freedom, and the impossibility of retaining it in captivity. In
Heb. deror in (Psalms 84:3; Proverbs 26:2) Heb. ’agur in (Isaiah 38:14; Jeremiah 8:7) but "crane" is more probably the true signification of ’agur [CRANE]). The rendering of the Authorized Version for deror seems correct. The characters ascribed in the passages where the names occur are strictly applicable to the swallow, viz., its swiftness of flight, its meeting in the buildings of the temple, its mournful, garrulous note, and its regular migrations, shared indeed in common with several others. Many species of swallow occur in Palestine. All those common in England are found.
The Hebrew word עָגוּר (*aguwr*) is associated with birds, specifically glossed as 'crane' by Brown-Driver-Briggs, while Strong's suggests it may refer to a 'swallow.' The exact identification is uncertain, with some interpretations also considering it a thrush. Overall, the word's meaning remains ambiguous.
עָגוּר n.[m.] appar. understood by Mass. as name of a bird; very uncertain; crane
base
H5693 עָגוּר appar. understood by Mass. as name of a bird; very uncertain; crane
5693 `aguwr aw-goor'
passive part (but with active sense) of an unused root
meaning to twitter: probably the swallow:--swallow.
עָגוּר (a.gur) — crane.
1) name of a bird
1a) perhaps a thrush, swallow, crane
N-ms — Noun common · masculine singular absoluteHNcmsa
kran (`aghur; geranos; Latin Grus cinerea): A bird of the family gruidae. The crane is mentioned twice in the Bible: once on account of its voice (Isa 38:14: "Like a swallow or a crane, so did I chatter"); again because of the unforgettable picture these birds made in migration (Jer 8:7): "Yea, the stork in the heavens knoweth her appointed times; and the turtle-dove and the swallow and the crane observe the time of their coming; but my people know not the law of Yahweh." Some commentators have adduced reasons for dropping the crane from the ornithology of the Bible, but this never should be permitted. They were close relatives of stork, heron and ibis; almost as numerous as any of these, and residents of Palestine, except in migration. The two quotations concerning them fit with…
Crane
(Isa. 38:14; Jer. 8:7). In both of these passages the Authorized Version has reversed the Hebrew order of the words. “Crane or swallow” should be “swallow or crane,” as in the Revised Version. The rendering is there correct. The Hebrew for crane is ’agur, the Grus cincerea, a bird well known in Palestine. It is migratory, and is distinguished by its loud voice, its cry being hoarse and melancholy.
The crane (Grus cinerea) is a native of Europe and Asia. It stand about four feet high. Its color is ashen gray, with face and neck nearly black. It feeds on seeds, roots, insects and small quadrupeds. It retires in winter to the warmer climates. (Jeremiah 8:7)
In Isa 38:14 Jer 8:7, two birds are mentioned, the sus and the AGUR, the first rendered in our version crane, the second swallow. Bochart says the sus, or sis, is the swallow; the agur, the crane. The numidian crane, supposed to be referred to, is about three feet in length, is bluish-grey, with the cheeks, throat, breast, and tips of the long hinder feathers black, with a tuft of white feathers behind each eye. "Like a crane, or a swallow, so did I chatter:" there is peculiar force and beauty in the comparison here made between the dying believer and migratory birds about to take their departure to a distinct but more genial clime. They linger in the scenes which they have frequented, but instinct compels them to remove.
The Hebrew word כֵּן (*ken*) is built from the root meaning 'set upright.' It functions as an adjective meaning 'right,' 'veritable,' or 'honest,' and as an adverb meaning 'so,' 'therefore,' or 'thus.' It appears in various contexts, often indicating manner or relation, and is used in phrases like 'forasmuch as.'
כֵּן adj. right, veritable, honest
right
veritable, true
pl. concr. honest (men)
base
כִּי עַל כֵּן forasmuch as
base
כֵּן adv. so
base
H3651a כֵּן adj. right, veritable, honest H3651b כִּי עַל כֵּן forasmuch as H3651c כֵּן so
3651 ken kane
from 3559; properly, set upright; hence (figuratively as
adjective) just; but usually (as adverb or conjunction)
rightly or so (in various applications to manner, time and
relation; often with other particles):--+ after that
(this, -ward, -wards), as ... as, + (for-)asmuch as yet, + be
(for which) cause, + following, howbeit, in (the) like
(manner, -wise), X the more, right, (even) so, state,
straightway, such (thing), surely, + there (where)-fore, this,
thus, true, well, X you.
see HEBREW for 03559
כֵּן (ken) — right.
adv
adj
1) right, just, honest, true, veritable
1a) right, just, honest
1b) correct
1c) true, veritable
[כִּי עַל] כֵּן ([ki al] ken) — as.
adv
forasmuch as, since
כֵּן (ken) — so.
adv
1) so, therefore, thus
1a) thus, so
1b) just so
1c) therefore
1d) so...as (paired with adv)
1e) then
1f) forasmuch as (in phrase)
1g) (with prep)
1g1) therefore, this being so (specific)
1g2) hitherto
1g3) therefore, on this ground (general)
1g4) afterwards
1g5) in such case
Aramaic equivalent: ken (כֵּן "thus" H3652)
HD — AdverbHD
so (co', although the Hebrew might be pointed cewe'; Assyrian Sib'u; Septuagint Segor, Soa; Manetho, Seuechos; Latin Sevechus; Herodotus (ii. 137 ff), Sabakon): In all probability the "Sabaeo" of Herodotus, the Shabaka, who founded the Ethiopian dynasty, the XXVth of Egyptian kings. His date is given as 715-707 BC (Flinders Petrie, History of Egypt, III, 281 ff), but we may suppose that before his accession to the throne he was entitled to be designated king, as being actually regent. To this So, Hoshea, king of Israel, made an appeal for assistance to enable him to throw off the yoke of the Assyrian Shalmaneser IV (2Ki 17:3). But Hoshea's submission to So brought him no advantage, for Shalmaneser came up throughout all the land and laid siege to Samaria. Not long after the fall of Samaria, So ventured upon an eastern campaign, and…
So
(Nubian, Sabako), an Ethiopian king who brought Egypt under his sway. He was bribed by Hoshea to help him against the Assyrian monarch Shalmaneser (2 Kings 17:4). This was a return to the policy that had been successful in the reign of Jeroboam I.
"So, king of Egypt," is once mentioned in the Bible -- (2 Kings 17:4) So has been identified by different writers with the first and second kings of the Ethiopian twenty-fifth dynasty, called by Manetho, Sabakon (Shebek) and Sebichos (Shebetek).
King of Egypt, made an alliance with Hoshea king of Israel, and promised him assistance; but was unable to prevent Shalmaneser king of Assyria from taking Samaria and subverting the kingdom, B. C. 721, 2Ki 17:4. See PHARAOH.
So is believed to have been the Servetus or Sabaco II of secular history, the second king of the Ethiopian or twenty-fifth dynasty, and the predecessor of Trihakah. A singular fact has been brought to light by the recent explorations at Nineveh, corroborating the Scripture record the more forcibly, because unexpected and direct. The Bible shows that Egypt and Assyria, though remote, were often in conflict during the height of the Assyrian ruins power, and that So was at war with Shalmaneser. After war comes the treaty of peace; and as the Bible prepares us to suppose such treaties were made, the Assyrian ruins…
צָפַף (tsaphaph) is a Hebrew verb that primarily means to chirp or peep, often associated with birds. It can also refer to whispering, and in some contexts, it is linked to ghosts. The entries consistently highlight its use in the Pilpel form, indicating a repetitive or intensified action.
[צָפַף] vb. Pilp. chirp, peep
base
H6850 [צָפַף] Pilp. chirp, peep
6850 tsaphaph tsaw-faf'
a primitive root; to coo or chirp (as a bird):--chatter,
peep, whisper.
צָפַף (tsa.phaph) — to whisper.
1) (Pilpel) to chirp, peep
1a) of birds
1b) of ghosts
V-l-Imperf-1cs — Verb · Piel · imperfect first person common singularHVpi1cs
cherp (tsaphaph): "Chirp" occurs in the King James Version marginand the Revised Version, margin of Isa 29:4, "Thy voice shall be as of one that hath a familiar spirit, out of the ground, and thy speech shall whisper (margin, "chirp") out of the dust." The reference is to "the sounds made by wizards and ventriloquists, who imitated the chirping of the bats which was supposed to proceed from the Iower world"; hence, for "peep" of the King James Version in Isa 8:19 we have "chirp"--"wizards, that chirp and that mutter."
Figurative: We have also in Isa 10:14 the Revised Version (British and American), in a figurative allusion to young birds, "chirped" instead of "peeped."
See CHATTER.
W. L. Walker
The Hebrew word הָגָה (hagah) encompasses a range of meanings related to vocal expressions, including to moan, growl, and utter. It can imply both inarticulate sounds and more deliberate actions like meditation and devising thoughts. The entries suggest uses in various contexts, including distress and magical mutterings, but do not indicate any significant disagreement among the lexicons.
הָגָה vb. moan, growl, utter, speak, muse (only poet.)
Qal
of inarticulate sounds
growl, of lion growling over prey
groan, moan, in distress (like dove)
utter
of inarticulate sounds
(soliloquize) meditate, muse
imagine, devise
Po. a conceiving and an uttering, out of the heart, lying words
Hiph. those that make chirpings and mutterings, of necromancers and wizards
base
H1897 הָגָה moan, growl, utter, speak, muse (only poet.) .. of inarticulate sounds . growl, of lion growling over prey
. groan, moan, in distress (like dove)
. utter
. of inarticulate sounds . (soliloquize) meditate, muse
. imagine, devise
. a conceiving and an uttering, out of the heart, lying words
. those that make chirpings and mutterings, of necromancers and wizards
1897 hagah daw-gaw'
a primitive root (compare 1901); to murmur (in pleasure or
anger); by implication, to ponder:--imagine, meditate, mourn,
mutter, roar, X sore, speak, study, talk, utter.
see HEBREW for 01901
הָגָה (ha.gah) — to mutter.
1) to moan, growl, utter, muse, mutter, meditate, devise, plot, speak
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to roar, growl, groan
1a2) to utter, speak
1a3) to meditate, devise, muse, imagine
1b) (Poal) to utter
1c) (Hiphil) to mutter
V-Qal-Imperf-1cs — Verb · Qal · imperfect first person common singularHVqi1cs
יוֹנָה (yownah) means 'dove' or 'pigeon.' It is likely derived from a root related to warmth, possibly reflecting the bird's mating behavior. The entries consistently refer to this word without significant disagreement.
יוֹנָה n.f. dove
base
H3123 יוֹנָה dove
3123 yownah yo-naw'
probably from the same as 3196; a dove (apparently from the
warmth of their mating):--dove, pigeon.
see HEBREW for 03196
יוֹנָה (yo.nah) — dove.
dove, pigeon
Prep | N-fs — Preposition · noun common feminine singular absoluteHRd/Ncfsa
duv (tor, yonah; peristera; Latin Zenaedura carolinensis): A bird of the family Columbidae. Doves and pigeons are so closely related as to be spoken and written of as synonymous, yet there is a distinction recognized from the beginning of time. It was especially marked in Palestine, because doves migrated, but pigeons remained in their chosen haunts all the year. Yet doves were the wild birds and were only confined singly or in pairs as caged pets, or in order to be available for sacrifice. Pigeons, without question, were the first domesticated birds, the record of their conquest by man extending if anything further back than ducks, geese and swans. These two were the best known and the most loved of all the myriads of birds of Palestine. Doves were given preference because they remained wild and were more elusive. The thing that escapes us is usually a little more attractive than the…
Dove
In their wild state doves generally build their nests in the clefts of rocks, but when domesticated “dove-cots” are prepared for them (Cant. 2:14; Jer. 48:28; Isa. 60:8). The dove was placed on the standards of the Assyrians and Babylonians in honour, it is supposed, of Semiramis (Jer. 25:38; Vulg., “fierceness of the dove;” comp. Jer. 46:16; 50:16). Doves and turtle-doves were the only birds that could be offered in sacrifice, as they were clean according to the Mosaic law (Ge. 15:9; Lev. 5:7; 12:6;
The first menton of this bird occurs in Gen. 8. The dove’s rapidity of flight is alluded to in (Psalms 55:6) the beauty of its plumage in (Psalms 68:13) its dwelling int he rocks and valleys in (Jeremiah 48:28) and Ezek 7:16 Its mournful voice in (Isaiah 38:14; 59:11; Nahum 2:7) its harmlessness in (Matthew 10:16) its simplicity in (Hosea 7:11) and its amativeness in (Solomon 1:15; 2:14) Doves are kept in a domesticated state in many parts of the East. In Persia pigeon-houses are erected at a distance from the…
דָּלַל (dalal) is a Hebrew verb meaning to hang, be low, or languish. It conveys a sense of being slackened or feeble, often in a figurative context of distress or oppression. The word appears in various forms, including Qal and Niphal, indicating both active and passive states of being low or brought low.
[דָּלַל] vb. hang, be low, languish
Qal hang, ‘depend’
Niph. be brought low, laid low
base
H1809 [דָּלַל] hang, be low, languish
1809 dalal daw-lal'
a primitive root (compare 1802); to slacken or be feeble;
figuratively, to be oppressed:--bring low, dry up, be emptied,
be not equal, fail, be impoverished, be made thin.
see HEBREW for 01802
דָּלַל (da.lal) — to languish.
1) to hang, languish, hang down, be low
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to hang low
1a2) to be low
1a3) of distress (fig.)
1a4) to languish, look weakly (of eyes)
1b) (Niphal) to be brought low, be laid low
V-Qal-Perf-3cp — Verb · Qal · perfect third person common pluralHVqp3cp
The Hebrew word עַ֫יִן (*'ayin*) means 'eye' and can refer to both the physical organ and its figurative uses, such as mental qualities and desires. It also denotes a 'spring' or 'fountain' of water. The entries highlight various phrases and contexts, including appearances and expressions of emotion, but do not indicate any significant disagreement among lexicons.
עַ֫יִן 859 n.f. eye
lit. as physical organ
eyes as showing mental qualities
desire of the eyes, abominations of the eyes
Fig. of mental and physical faculties, acts and states
Transferred mngs.:
visible surface of earth
appearance
gleam, sparkle
Other phrases are: an eye for an eye; eye to eye; in the presence of, in full view of; of business transaction; on the forehead
base
עַ֫יִן n.f. spring (of water). Particular springs are:
ע׳ חֲרֹר Ju 7:1
ע׳ הַקּוֹרֵא (partridge-spring) Ju 15:19
ע׳ רֹגֵל near Jerus.
ע׳ הַתַּנִּין (dragon-spring)
base
H5869a עַ֫יִן eye . lit. as physical organ
. . eyes as showing mental qualities
. desire of the eyes, abominations of the eyes
. Fig. of mental and physical faculties, acts and states
. Transferred mngs.: . visible surface of earth
. appearance
. gleam, sparkle
. Other phrases are: an eye for an eye; eye to eye; in the presence of, in full view of; of business transaction; on the forehead
H5869b עַ֫יִן spring (of water)
5869 `ayin ah'-yin
probably a primitive word; an eye (literally or
figuratively); by analogy, a fountain (as the eye of the
landscape):--affliction, outward appearance, + before, +
think best, colour, conceit, + be content, countenance, +
displease, eye((-brow), (-d), -sight), face, + favour,
fountain, furrow (from the margin), X him, + humble,
knowledge, look, (+ well), X me, open(-ly), + (not) please,
presence, + regard, resemblance, sight, X thee, X them, +
think, X us, well, X you(-rselves).
עַ֫יִן (a.yin) — eye.
: eye
1) eye
1a) eye
1a1) of physical eye
1a2) as showing mental qualities
1a3) of mental and spiritual faculties (fig.)
עַ֫יִן (a.yin) — Fountain (Gate).
§ spring, fountain
עַ֫יִן (a.yin) — Fountain of.
§ spring, fountain
עַ֫יִן (a.yin) — eye: seeing.
: seeing
1) eye
1a) eye
1a1) of physical eye
1a2) as showing mental qualities
1a3) of mental and spiritual faculties (fig.)
עַ֫יִן (a.yin) — eye: appearance.
: appearance
1) eye
1a) eye
1a1) of physical eye
1a2) as showing mental qualities
1a3) of mental and spiritual faculties (fig.)
עַ֫יִן (a.yin) — eye: before(the eyes).
: before(the_eyes)
1) eye
1a) eye
1a1) of physical eye
1a2) as showing mental qualities
1a3) of mental and spiritual faculties (fig.)
עַ֫יִן (a.yin) — eye: sin.
: sin
1) eye
1a) eye
1a1) of physical eye
1a2) as showing mental qualities
N-cd | Suff — Noun common feminine dual construct · suffixHNcfdc/Sp1bs
מָרוֹם (marowm) means 'height' and encompasses both concrete and abstract uses, referring to elevated places, elevation, and even pride. It can describe physical heights or be used figuratively for dignity and nobility. The word is poetically used in the Old Testament, with its root linked to the concept of altitude.
מָרוֹם n.m. height (poet.)
height, elevation (concr.), elevated place
alone = height of heaven
adv. fig., = proudly
fig. of nobles
base
H4791 מָרוֹם height (poet.)
4791 marowm maw-rome'
from 7311; altitude, i.e. concretely (an elevated place),
abstractly (elevation, figuratively (elation), or adverbially
(aloft):--(far) above, dignity, haughty, height, (most, on)
high (one, place), loftily, upward.
see HEBREW for 07311
מָרוֹם (ma.rom) — height.
1) height
1a) height, elevation, elevated place
1a1) in a high place (adv)
1b) height
1c) proudly (adv)
1d) of nobles (fig.)
Prep | N-ms — Preposition · noun common masculine singular absoluteHRd/Ncmsa
אֲדֹנָי (Adonay) means 'Lord' and is an emphatic form of another Hebrew word for lord. It is used specifically as a title for God, often in place of Yahweh to show reverence. Variations include אֲדֹנִי and אֲדֹנַי, which help distinguish divine from human references.
אָדוֹן n.m. lord (אֲדֹנִי, אֲדֹנַי, אֲדֹנָי are variations of Mass. pointing to distinguish divine reference fr. human. Pl., with few exc. an intens. pl. of rank; word takes sf. as pl. in all other pers.; so doubtless here. Orig. reading prob. in all cases אֲדֹנַי; אֲדֹנִי now found in J 51 t.)
base
H136 אָדוֹן lord (אֲדֹנִי, אֲדֹנַי, אֲדֹנָי are variations of Mass. pointing to distinguish divine reference fr. human. Pl., with few exc. an intens. pl. of rank; word takes sf. as pl. in all other pers.; so doubtless here. Orig. reading prob. in all cases אֲדֹנַי; אֲדֹנִי now found in J 51 t.)
136 'Adonay ad-o-noy'
am emphatic form of 113; the Lord (used as a proper name of
God only):--(my) Lord.
see HEBREW for 0113
אֲדֹנָי (a.do.nai) — Lord.
Lord - a title, spoken in place of Yahweh in Jewish display of reverence
Another name of ye.ho.vah (יהוה "LORD" H3068G)
N-mp | Suff — Noun properHNpt
Lord
There are various Hebrew and Greek words so rendered.
(1.) Heb. Jehovah, has been rendered in the English Bible LORD, printed in small capitals. This is the proper name of the God of the Hebrews. The form “Jehovah” is retained only in Ex. 6:3; Ps. 83:18; Isa. 12:2; 26:4, both in the Authorized and the Revised Version.
(2.) Heb. ‘adon, means one possessed of absolute control. It denotes a master, as of slaves (Gen. 24:14, 27), or a ruler of his subjects (45:8), or a husband, as lord of his wife (18:12).
The old plural form of this Hebrew word is ’adonai. From a superstitious reverence for the name “Jehovah,” the Jews, in reading their Scriptures, whenever that name…
[GOD]
This name belongs to God by preeminence; and in this sense ought never to be given to any creature. Jesus Christ, as the Messiah, the Son of God, and equal with the Father, is often called Lord in Scripture, especially in the writing of Paul. The word LORD, in the English Bible, when printed in small capitals, stands always for JEHOVAH in the Hebrew. See JEHOVAH.
עָשְׁקָה (oshqah) refers to oppression, distress, or anguish. It is a feminine form derived from the root word עָשַׁק (ashaq), which also relates to the concept of being oppressed. The entries consistently emphasize its meaning related to suffering and abuse.
עָשְׁקָה oppression, distress
base
H6234 עָשְׁקָה oppression, distress
6234 `oshqah osh-kaw'
feminine of 6233; anguish:--oppressed.
see HEBREW for 06233
עׇשְׁקָה (osh.qah) — oppression.
oppression, abuse, distress
N-fs — Noun common · feminine singular absoluteHNcfsa
o-presh'-un: Used in the King James Version to translate a variety of Hebrew words, all of which, however, agree in the general sense of wrong done by violence to others. There are a few cases where the reference is to the oppression of Israel by foreigners, as by their Egyptian masters (Ex 3:9; De 26:7), or by Syria (2Ki 13:4), or by an unmentioned nation (Isa 30:20 King James Version, margin). In all these cases the Hebrew original is lachats. But in the vast number of cases the reference is to social oppression of one kind or another within Israel's own body. It is frequently theme of psalmist and prophet and wise man. The poor and weak must have suffered greatly at the…
נִי (ni) — me.
Personal object pronoun - suffix for propositions and verbs without an object: 1st person singular
HR/Sp1bs — Preposition · suffixHR/Sp1bs
The Hebrew word עָרַב (arab) is a primitive root that encompasses meanings related to pledging, exchanging, and engaging in trade. It can refer to taking on a pledge, giving a pledge, or exchanging items, as well as having fellowship or sharing. The entries indicate various usages, including going surety for someone or making a bargain.
עָרַב vb. take on pledge, give in pledge, exchange
Qal
c. acc. pers. take on pledge, i.e. go surety for
give in pledge
exchange (in trade)
Hithp.
recipr. exchange pledges (make a bargain) with my lord
have fellowship with
share in
base
H6148 עָרַב take on pledge, give in pledge, exchange .. c. acc. pers. take on pledge, i.e. go surety for
. give in pledge
. exchange (in trade)
. . recipr. exchange pledges (make a bargain) with my lord
. . have fellowship with
. share in
6148 `arab aw-rab'
a primitive root; to braid, i.e. intermix; technically, to
traffic (as if by barter); also or give to be security (as a
kind of exchange):--engage, (inter-)meddle (with), mingle
(self), mortgage, occupy, give pledges, be(-come, put in)
surety, undertake.
עָרַב (a.rav) — to pledge.
1) to pledge, exchange, mortgage, engage, occupy, undertake for, give pledges, be or become surety, take on pledge, give in pledge
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to take on pledge, go surety for
1a2) to give in pledge
1a3) to exchange
1a4) to pledge
1b) (Hithpael)
1b1) to exchange pledges
1b2) to have fellowship with, share
V-Qal-Impv-2ms | Suff — Verb qal imperative second person masculine singular · suffixHVqv2ms/Sp1bs