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Isaiah 51:8 — Word Study

Depth

WLCכִּ֤י כַבֶּ֙גֶד֙ יֹאכְלֵ֣ם עָ֔שׁ וְכַצֶּ֖מֶר יֹאכְלֵ֣ם סָ֑ס וְצִדְקָתִי֙ לְעוֹלָ֣ם תִּֽהְיֶ֔ה וִישׁוּעָתִ֖י לְד֥וֹר דּוֹרִֽים׃ ס

BSAForkîy the mothʻâsh [a destructive insect] will devour themʼâkal like a garmentbeged [treachery, a covering] and the wormçâç [a small, eating creature] will eat themʼâkal like wooltsemer [a white, valuable material] But My righteousnesstsᵉdâqâh [moral integrity, virtue] will last foreverhâyâh [for all eternity, always] My salvationyᵉshûwʻâh [deliverance, victory] through all generationsdôwr [periods of time, groups of people]

Word
Listen & take awayIsaiah 51
English ↓ Download MP3 The Berean Standard Bible chapter audio already hosted for the site's Bible section — verse 8 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 (do.Rim) — no per-word recordings of the Hebrew exist to link to.
Take it away
Isaiah 51:8quick helps
In a sentenceThe verse contrasts the destructive nature of moths and worms with the everlasting nature of God's righteousness and salvation.
Who is speakingThe speaker is God, asserting His eternal attributes.
Where we areThis verse is part of a larger message of comfort and assurance to Israel.
The hard wordצֶמֶר, tsemer
Take awayWhile destruction is temporary, God's righteousness and salvation endure forever.
8 commentators on this verse Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them › clause subjectעָשׁ verbהָיָה The sentence as the grammar sees it Open the tree ›
How rare are these words?in the Old Testament

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 51:8

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 His Peoplegenerated

7Listen to Me, you who know what is right, you people with My law in your hearts: Do not fear the scorn of men; do not be broken by their insults.
8For the moth will devour them like a garment, and the worm will eat them like wool. But My righteousness will last forever, My salvation through all generations.”
9Awake, awake, put on strength, O arm of the LORD. Wake up as in days past, as in generations of old. Was it not You who cut Rahab to pieces, who pierced through the dragon?
10Was it not You who dried up the sea, the waters of the great deep, who made a road in the depths of the sea for the redeemed to cross over?

Isaiah 51:8 presents a vivid contrast between the temporary destruction caused by moths and worms and the eternal nature of God's righteousness and salvation. This verse serves as a reassurance to the people of Israel, reminding them of God's enduring presence and protection amidst their trials. The surrounding verses emphasize God's strength and faithfulness, encouraging the faithful to trust in His promises.


Cross References

ReferenceText (BSB)
1Isaiah 50:9Surely the Lord GOD helps Me. Who is there to condemn Me? See, they will all wear out like a garment; the moths will devour them.
2Isaiah 66:24“As they go forth, they will see the corpses of the men who have rebelled against Me; for their worm will never die, their fire will never be quenched, and they will be a horror to all mankind.”
3Job 4:19how much more those who dwell in houses of clay, whose foundations are in the dust, who can be crushed like a moth!
4Job 13:28So man wastes away like something rotten, like a moth-eaten garment.
5Hosea 5:12So I am like a moth to Ephraim, and like decay to the house of Judah.

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


The Key Word צֶמֶר, ve.kha.Tze.mergenerated

The word צֶמֶר (tsemer) refers to wool, a material valued for its warmth and softness. Its usage here emphasizes the fragility of human life and material possessions, which can be easily consumed or destroyed, as symbolized by the moth and worm.

In this verse, צֶמֶר is paired with the concept of destruction, highlighting the transitory nature of earthly things compared to the permanence of God's righteousness. This duality serves to remind the reader of the lasting significance of divine attributes in contrast to the fleeting nature of worldly concerns.


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 structure of the verse features a series of clauses that describe the actions of the moth and worm, followed by a contrasting statement about God's righteousness and salvation. The finite verbs יֹאכְלֵ֣ם and תִּֽהְיֶ֔ה anchor the main actions, with the first describing the act of devouring and the second affirming the eternal state of God's attributes.

The Hebrew word order emphasizes the destruction caused by the moth and worm first, setting up a stark contrast with the subsequent declaration of God's everlasting righteousness and salvation, which serves as the focal point of the verse.


Septuagint Backgroundgenerated

The Septuagint uses ἱμάτιον for כַּבֶּ֙גֶד֙ (kha.Be.ged), meaning 'garment', and ἔρια for צֶ֫מֶר (tsemer), meaning 'wool'. These choices maintain the imagery of clothing while also suggesting the fragility of human life and possessions.

The use of these Greek terms reflects a similar understanding of the transitory nature of material goods, reinforcing the message of the Hebrew text regarding the permanence of God's righteousness.


In plain words — the whole versegenerated

Isaiah 51:8 describes how moths and worms will consume garments and wool, symbolizing the temporary nature of destruction. In contrast, God's righteousness and salvation are declared to last forever, providing assurance to His people across generations.


Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated

What does it mean that the moth will devour them like a garment?

This imagery illustrates the destructive nature of the moth, which symbolizes the fragility of human life and material possessions.

How does God's righteousness last forever?

God's righteousness is eternal and unchanging, representing His moral integrity and virtue that persist through all generations.

What is the significance of salvation in this verse?

Salvation here refers to God's deliverance and victory, emphasizing His role as a protector and savior throughout history.

How can we apply the message of this verse today?

This verse encourages us to trust in God's eternal nature and righteousness, reminding us that while earthly things may fade, His promises endure.


Reflection Questionsgenerated

  1. What are some examples of temporary things in my life that I need to let go of?
  2. How can I remind myself of God's eternal nature when facing challenges?
  3. In what ways have I experienced God's salvation in my life?
  4. How can I share the message of God's righteousness with others?

Commentators on this verse — 8 expositors, verse by verse

Each of these wrote on Isaiah 51:8 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.

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

For the moth shall eat them up like a garment,.... Either these reproaches, or the persons that reproach; as a garment is eaten by the moth, secretly, slowly, surely, and at last completely, so that

Read John Gill on Isaiah 51 →
Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's Commentary

For the moth shall eat them up like a garment, and the worm shall eat them like wool: but my righteousness shall be for ever, and my salvation from generation to generation.

Read Robert Jamieson on Isaiah 51 →
Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy Bible

The moth shall eat them up; your reproachers shall be easily destroyed, and so God will revenge your cause upon them, and deliver you from their reproaches. Like wool; like a woollen garment, which is sooner corrupted by moths or such creatures than linen.

Read Matthew Poole on Isaiah 51 →
John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

Isaiah 51:8 For the moth shall eat them up like a garment, and the worm shall eat them like wool: but my righteousness shall be for ever, and my salvation from generation to generation.Ver. 8. For the moth shall eat them up.] They shall be crushed before the moth, that is, easily be destroyed, and their own consciences shall grub upon them too throughout all eternity. But my righteousness shall be for ever.] Bear therefore bravely all contumelies and contempts of men.

Read John Trapp on Isaiah 51 →
Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(8) The moth . . . the worm.—The two words in Hebrew have the force of an emphatic assonance—ash and sâsh.

Read Charles John Ellicott on Isaiah 51 →
CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

8. For the moth &c.] See again ch. Isaiah 50:9; another indication that the Servant is the type of the true Israel, and hence an example to individual Israelites. The word rendered “worm” (ṣ ?âṣ ?, cf. the Greek óÞò) means strictly “moth.” Although common in Semitic, it is found only here in Hebr.

Read Cambridge on Isaiah 51 →
Albert Barnes1798–1870Barnes' Notes on the Bible

For the moth - (see Isaiah 50:9). The idea is, that they shall be consumed as the moth eats up a garment; or rather, that the moth itself shall consume them as it does a garment: that is, that they

Read Albert Barnes on Isaiah 51 →
Daniel Denison Whedon1808–1885Whedon's Commentary on the Bible

7, 8. Hearken unto me — Another occasion for a call to God’s people to “hearken” — that of need of fearlessness against reproach and persecutors. These, too, are temporary. Revilings — Remember Sennacherib.

Read Daniel Denison Whedon on Isaiah 51 →

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

For the moth will devour them like a garment, and the worm will eat them like wool. But My righteousness will last forever, My salvation through all generations.”

WEBWorld English Bible2000

For the moth will eat them up like a garment, and the worm will eat them like wool; but my righteousness will be forever, and my salvation to all generations.”

MSBMajority Standard Bible2022

For the moth will devour them like a garment, and the worm will eat them like wool. But My righteousness will last forever, My salvation through all generations.”

NETBNew English Translation2006

For a moth will eat away at them like clothes; a clothes moth will devour them like wool. But the vindication I provide will be permanent; the deliverance I give will last.”

Tyndale line

KJVKing James Version1611

For the moth shall eat them up like a garment, and the worm shall eat them like wool: but my righteousness shall be for ever, and my salvation from generation to generation.

ASVAmerican Standard Version1901

For the moth shall eat them up like a garment, and the worm shall eat them like wool; but my righteousness shall be for ever, and my salvation unto all generations.

RVARevised Version, American1894

For the moth shall eat them up like a garment, and the worm shall eat them like wool: but my righteousness shall be for ever, and my salvation unto all generations.

NWBWebster's Bible1833

For the moth shall eat them like a garment, and the worm shall eat them like wool: but my righteousness shall be for ever, and my salvation from generation to generation.

GNVGeneva Bible1599

For the mothe shall eate them vp like a garment, and the worme shall eate them like wool: but my righteousnesse shalbe for euer, and my saluation from generation to generation.

Strictly literal

DBYDarby Translation1890

For the moth shall eat them up like a garment, and the worm shall eat them like wool; but my righteousness shall be for ever, and my salvation from generation to generation.

YLTYoung's Literal Translation1862

For as a garment eat them doth a moth, And as wool eat them doth a worm, And My righteousness is to the age, And My salvation to all generations.

LSVLiteral Standard Version2020

For a moth eats them as a garment, || And a worm eats them as wool, || And My righteousness is for all time, || And My salvation from generation to generation.”

ILTInterlinear Literal Translation2000

For like a garment shall the moth eat them up, and like wool shall the worm eat them; but my righteousness shall exist for ever, and my salvation from generation to generation.

ULBUnlocked Literal Bible2017

For the moth will eat them up like a garment, and the worm will eat them like wool; but my righteousness will be forever, and my salvation to all generations.”

From the Latin

DRADouay-Rheims (Challoner)1899

For the worm shall eat them up as a garment: and the moth shall consume them as wool: but my salvation shall be for ever, and my justice from generation to generation,

Simplified

FBVFree Bible Version2020

Moths will eat them up like clothing; bugs will chew through them like wool. But my goodness will last forever, my salvation will endure for all generations.

BBEBible in Basic English1949

For like a coat they will be food for the insect, the worm will make a meal of them like wool: but my righteousness will be for ever, and my salvation to all generations.

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.

כִּ֤י(dm)clauseprepositional phrase · prepositionalכַlikenoun phrase(the)בֶּ֨גֶד֙garmentverbיֹאכְלֵ֣itobjectםwill.eat.themsubjectעָ֔שׁmothוְandclauseprepositional phrase · prepositionalכַlikenoun phrase(the)צֶּ֖מֶרwoolverbיֹאכְלֵ֣itobjectםwill.eat.themsubjectסָ֑סclothes-mothוְandclauseclausenoun phrase · subjectצִדְקָתִrighteousnessי֙myprepositional phrase · prepositionalלְforeverעוֹלָ֣םof.perpetuityverbתִּֽהְיֶ֔הit.will.beוִandclausenoun phrase · subjectישׁוּעָתִ֖salvationיmyprepositional phrase · prepositionalלְtonoun phraseד֥וֹרa.generationדּוֹרִֽיםof.generations

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 Septuagint and the Dead Sea Scrolls in this verse. All witnesses agree on the wording and structure, affirming the message of destruction contrasted with God's eternal righteousness and salvation.

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

כִּ֤י כַבֶּ֙גֶד֙ יֹאכְלֵ֣ם עָ֔שׁ וְכַצֶּ֖מֶר יֹאכְלֵ֣ם סָ֑ס וְצִדְקָתִי֙ לְעוֹלָ֣ם תִּֽהְיֶ֔ה וִישׁוּעָתִ֖י לְד֥וֹר דּוֹרִֽים׃ ס

Septuagintthe Greek the translators chose, word by word
כִּ֤יγὰρכַבֶּ֙גֶד֙ἱμάτιονיֹאכְלֵ֣םβρωθήσεταιעָ֔שׁξρόνουוְכַצֶּ֖מֶרἔριαיֹאכְלֵ֣םβρωθήσεταιסָ֑סσητόςוְצִדְקָתִי֙μουלְעוֹלָ֣םαἰῶναתִּֽהְיֶ֔הἔσταιוִישׁוּעָתִ֖יμουלְד֥וֹרγενεὰςדּוֹרִֽים׃ סγενεῶν

13 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.

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

כיא כבגד יואכול׳ם עש וכצמר יאכל׳ם סס וצדקת׳י לעולם תהיה וישועת׳י לדור דורים

13 words on the leather.

Dead Sea Scrolls — 1Q8a copy a thousand years older than the Leningrad Codex

כי [כבגד] [יאכל׳ם] [עש] [וכצמר] [יאכל׳ם] סס וצדקת׳י לעולם תהיה וישועת׳י [לדור] [דורים]

4 words on the leather — 2 partly restored, 7 supplied entire by an editor.

Dead Sea Scrolls — 4Q57a copy a thousand years older than the Leningrad Codex

[כי] [כבגד] [יאכל׳ם] [עש] [וכצמר] [יאכל׳ם] [סס] [וצדקת׳י] [לעולם] [תהיה] [וישועת׳י] [לדור] [דורים]

nothing on the leather here — 13 supplied entire by an editor.

Four traditions, not one. “On the leather” means the letters physically survive on the scroll, as against letters an editor has supplied to fill a hole in it — a restoration is a scholar’s reading, not a reading of the manuscript. Words in [square brackets] are supplied; the notes count them apart from what survives.


The map of this verse — what each word keeps company with

This is a map of two things, both counted rather than judged. Company kept: which words stand within three words of each of these, anywhere in the Hebrew Bible — the thicker the line, the more often the pair meet compared with chance. Built from: the words a word is made out of, taken from its own Strong’s entry. It is not a map of meaning: nothing here claims two words mean the same thing. Click any circle to see the numbers behind it.

Isaiah 51:8כִּיforforכִּיבֶּ֫גֶדlike garmenlike garmentבֶּ֫גֶדאָכַלit will eatit will eat theאָכַלעָשׁmothmothעָשׁצֶ֫מֶרand like woand like woolצֶ֫מֶראָכַלit will eatit will eat theאָכַלסָ֑סclothes-motclothes-mothסָ֑סצְדָקָהand righteoand righteousneצְדָקָהעוֹלָםfor everfor everעוֹלָםהָיָהit will beit will beהָיָהיְשׁוּעָהand salvatiand salvation mיְשׁוּעָהדּוֹרto a generato a generationדּוֹרדּוֹרgenerationsgenerationsדּוֹרדּוּרדּוּרבָּגַדto act treto act treacherבָּגַדעָשֵׁשׁto wasteto wasteעָשֵׁשׁצָדֵקto justifyto justifyצָדֵקעָלַםto concealto concealעָלַםסוּסswallowswallowסוּסהָוָאto fallto fallהָוָאיָשַׁעto saveto saveיָשַׁעשָׁתָהto drinkto drinkשָׁתָהלֶ֫חֶםfoodfoodלֶ֫חֶםזֵ֫כֶרmemorialmemorialזֵ֫כֶריָדַעto knowto knowיָדַעכָּבַסto washto washכָּבַסקָרַעto tearto tearקָרַעטְעֵםto feedto feedטְעֵםמְדוֹרdwellingdwellingמְדוֹרפֵּ֫שֶׁתflaxflaxפֵּ֫שֶׁתעֵ֫רֶבracial-mixracial-mixעֵ֫רֶב
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 51:8

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.

for like garment it will eat them moth and like wool it will eat them clothes-moth and righteousness my for ever it will be and salvation my to a generation of generations
כִּ֤יki for H3588 Particle
4,483× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
A conjunction used to show cause or connection, as in Genesis 2:23 where Adam says the woman is bone of his bone because she was taken out of him. It is often translated as 'for', 'because', or 'since'.
Tyndale gloss
for
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

כִּי (ki) is a conjunction primarily meaning 'that,' 'for,' or 'when.' It indicates causal relationships and can express conditions like 'if' or 'though.' The word is versatile, appearing in various contexts to convey certainty, exception, or concession. Notably, it can combine with other particles to modify its meaning, such as in the phrase כִּי אם־ (ki im), meaning 'that if.'

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

כִּי conj. that, for, when

that

Of time, when, of the past

elsewhere כִּי has a force approximating to if, though it usu. represents a case as more likely to occur than אִם

when or if, with a concessive force, i.e. though

Because, since

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

כִּי עַל כֵּן forasmuch as

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H3588a כִּי that, for, when . that

. . Of time, when, of the past

. elsewhere כִּי has a force approximating to if, though it usu. represents a case as more likely to occur than אִם

. when or if, with a concessive force, i.e. though

. Because, since

H3588b 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

H3588c כִּי עַל כֵּן forasmuch as

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

3588 kiy kee

a primitive particle (the full form of the prepositional

prefix) indicating causal relations of all kinds, antecedent

or consequent; (by implication) very widely used as a relative

conjunction or adverb (as below); often largely modified by

other particles annexed:--and, + (forasmuch, inasmuch,

where-)as, assured(-ly), + but, certainly, doubtless, + else,

even, + except, for, how, (because, in, so, than) that, +

nevertheless, now, rightly, seeing, since, surely, then,

therefore, + (al- )though, + till, truly, + until, when,

whether, while, whom, yea, yet.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

כִּי (ki) — for.

1) that, for, because, when, as though, as, because that, but, then, certainly, except, surely, since

1a) that

1a1) yea, indeed

1b) when (of time)

1b1) when, if, though (with a concessive force)

1c) because, since (causal connection)

1d) but (after negative)

1e) that if, for if, indeed if, for though, but if

1f) but rather, but

1g) except that

1h) only, nevertheless

1i) surely

1j) that is

1k) but if

1l) for though

1m) forasmuch as, for therefore

כִּי [אם] (ki im) — that if: except.

1) except if

1a) but if

1b) even though

כִּי [עַל כֵּן] (ki [al ken]) — for as that: since.

1) that, for, because, when, as though, as, because that, but, then, certainly, except, surely, since

1a) that

1a1) yea, indeed

1b) when (of time)

1b1) when, if, though (with a concessive force)

1c) because, since (causal connection)

1d) but (after negative)

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

for (ki (conjunction), le, from 'el (preposition), and various other words. In the New Testament also the words are various, chiefly gar, kai gar, hoti (conjunctions); anti apo eis dia (accusative), epi (dative and accusative), peri (genitive), pros (genitive and accusative), huper (genitive) (prepositions)): the English Revised Version and the American Standard Revised Version give in many cases more literal or more accurate renderings than those in the King James Version.

In the New Testament the most important preps. from a doctrinal point of view are anti, "face to face," "over against," "instead," "on behalf of," peri, "around," "about," "concerning," huper, "over," "on behalf of." The first has been claimed as stating the substitutionary nature of Christ's sacrifice as contrasted with huper and peri, more frequently used of it. But, although anti in the New Testament often means…

The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
for like garment it will eat them moth and like wool it will eat them clothes-moth and righteousness my for ever it will be and salvation my to a generation of generations
כַבֶּ֙גֶד֙kha.Be.ged like garment H899 Preposition · noun common masculine singular absolute
217× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
In the Bible, this word refers to clothing or a covering, like a garment or robe. It appears in books like Genesis and Exodus, describing what people wore. The word is often translated as 'apparel' or 'raiment'.
Amplified meaning
treachery, a covering
Tyndale gloss
treachery
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

בֶּ֫גֶד (beged) has meanings related to both clothing and treachery. It can refer to a garment or covering, as well as deceit or betrayal. The word is built from a root that suggests a duality in its usage, appearing in contexts that range from apparel to treacherous actions, notably in Isaiah 24:16 and Jeremiah 12:1.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

בֶּ֫גֶד n.[m.] treachery Is 24:16 Je 12:1.

done

בֶּ֫גֶד n.m. garment, covering

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H899a בֶּ֫גֶד treachery H899b בֶּ֫גֶד garment, covering

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

899 beged behg'-ed

from 898; a covering, i.e. clothing; also treachery or

pillage:--apparel, cloth(-es, ing), garment, lap, rag,

raiment, robe, X very (treacherously), vesture, wardrobe.

see HEBREW for 0898

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

בֶּ֫גֶד (be.ged) — treachery.

treachery, deceit

בֶּ֫גֶד (be.ged) — garment.

(CLBL) garment, clothing (used indiscriminately)

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

gar'-ment.

See DRESS.

Smith's Bible Dictionary

[DRESS]

Nave's Topical Bible

→ Of righteousness Isa 61:10; Mt 22:11; 2Co 5:3; Re 3:18; 7:14; 16:15; 19:8

→ See DRESS

→ See ROBE

for like garment it will eat them moth and like wool it will eat them clothes-moth and righteousness my for ever it will be and salvation my to a generation of generations
יֹאכְלֵ֣םyokh.Lem it will eat them H398 Verb qal imperfect third person masculine singular · suffix
810× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This word means to eat or devour, and it's used in many stories, including when Jesus fed the 5000 with fish and bread in the book of Matthew. It's about taking in nourishment and being satisfied.
Tyndale gloss
to eat
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

אָכַל (akal) means 'to eat' and encompasses a wide range of meanings, including literal consumption by humans and animals, as well as figurative uses like devouring by fire or destruction. It can describe actions such as feeding or causing to eat, and it also appears in contexts of oppression and destruction. The verb has various forms, indicating different subjects and nuances.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

אָכַל 806 vb. eat

Qal

eat, human subject

of beasts, birds, etc., eat, devour

fig. of fire, devour, consume

of sword, devour, slay

in genl., devour, consume, destroy

fig. of oppression, devour the poor

Niph.

be eaten by man

be devoured by fire, consumed

be wasted, destroyed, of flesh

Pu. be consumed

Hiph.

cause to eat, feed with

cause to devoure, obj. sword

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H398 אָכַל eat .. eat, human subject

. of beasts, birds, etc., eat, devour

. fig. of fire, devour, consume

. of sword, devour, slay

. in genl., devour, consume, destroy

. fig. of oppression, devour the poor

. . be eaten by man

. be devoured by fire, consumed

. be wasted, destroyed, of flesh

. be consumed

. . cause to eat, feed with

. cause to devoure, obj. sword

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

398 'akal aw-kal'

a primitive root; to eat (literally or figuratively):--X at

all, burn up, consume, devour(-er, up), dine, eat(-er, up),

feed (with), food, X freely, X in...wise(-deed, plenty), (lay)

meat, X quite.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

אָכַל (a.khal) — to eat.

1) to eat, devour, burn up, feed

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to eat (human subject)

1a2) to eat, devour (of beasts and birds)

1a3) to devour, consume (of fire)

1a4) to devour, slay (of sword)

1a5) to devour, consume, destroy (inanimate subjects - ie, pestilence, drought)

1a6) to devour (of oppression)

1b) (Niphal)

1b1) to be eaten (by men)

1b2) to be devoured, consumed (of fire)

1b3) to be wasted, destroyed (of flesh)

1c) (Pual)

1c1) to cause to eat, feed with

1c2) to cause to devour

1d) (Hiphil)

1d1) to feed

1d2) to cause to eat

1e) (Piel)

1e1) consume

Aramaic equivalent: a.khal (אֲכַל "to devour" H0399)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
V-Qal-Imperf-3ms | Suff — Verb qal imperfect third person masculine singular · suffix
HVqi3ms/Sp3mp
for like garment it will eat them moth and like wool it will eat them clothes-moth and righteousness my for ever it will be and salvation my to a generation of generations
עָ֔שׁ'Ash moth H6211 Noun common · masculine singular absolute
12× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
In the Bible, this word refers to a moth or grass, symbolizing something that is fragile or easily destroyed. It is first used in Job 4:19 to describe the fragility of human life. The word is also related to vegetation and herbage.
Amplified meaning
a destructive insect
Tyndale gloss
moth
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

עָשׁ (ash) refers to a moth, while עֲשַׂב (a.sav) denotes herbage or grass. The word is built from the root associated with vegetation. There is a connection to Aramaic, indicating a broader range of meaning related to plant life.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

עָשׁ moth

base

עֲשַׂב n.[m.] herbage, grass

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H6211a עָשׁ moth H6211b עֲשַׂב herbage, grass

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

6211 `ash awsh

from 6244; a moth:--moth. See also 5906.

see HEBREW for 06244

see HEBREW for 05906

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

עָשׁ (ash) — moth.

moth

עֲשַׂב (a.sav) — grass.

herbage, grass

Aramaic of e.sev (עֵ֫שֶׂב "vegetation" H6212)

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

moth (`ash; compare Arabic `uththat, "moth"; colloquial, `itt; cac, "worm" (Isa 51:8); compare Arabic sus, "worm," especially an insect larva in flesh, wood or grain; ses, "moth" (Mt 6:19,20; Lu 12:33); setobrotos, "moth-eaten" (Jas 5:2)):

The moths constitute the larger division of the order Lepidoptera. Two of the points by which they are distinguished from butterflies are that they are generally nocturnal and that their antennae are not club-shaped. Further, the larva in many cases spins a cocoon for the protection of the pupa or chrysalis, which is never the case with butterflies. The Biblical references are to the clothes-moth, i.e. various species of the genus Tinea…

Easton's Bible Dictionary

Moth

Heb. ‘ash, from a root meaning “to fall away,” as moth-eaten garments fall to pieces (Job 4:19; 13:28; Isa. 50:9; 51:8; Hos. 5:12).

Gr. ses, thus rendered in Matt. 6:19, 20; Luke 12:33. Allusion is thus made to the destruction of clothing by the larvae of the clothes-moth. This is the only lepidopterous insect referred to in Scripture.

Smith's Bible Dictionary

By the Hebrew word we are certainly to understand some species of clothes-moth (tinea). Reference to the destructive habits of the clothes-moth is made in (Job 4:19; 13:28; Psalms 39:11) etc. (The moth is a well-known insect which in its caterpillar state is very destructive to woollen clothing, furs, etc. The egg of the moth, being deposited on the fur or cloth, produces a very small shining insect, which immediately forms a house for itself by cuttings from the cloth. It east away the nap, and finally ruins the fabric. There are more than 1500 species of moths. --McClintock and Strong’s Cyclopedia.)

American Tract Society Bible Dictionary

The common moth is an insect destructive to woolen cloths. The egg is laid by a small shining worm; which by another transformation becomes a miller. Allusions to the moth, as devouring clothes, and as a frail and feeble insect, are frequent in Scripture, Job 4:19 13:28 27:18 Isa 50:9 Ho 5:12 Mt 6:19,20. See GARMENTS.

The insects called in general moths, of which the above is only one species, are exceedingly numerous. The main genus is called by naturalists Phaloena, and contains more than fifteen hundred species. Moths fly abroad only in the evening and night; differing in this respect from the tribe of butterflies that fly only by day. Their larva, or the worms from which…

for like garment it will eat them moth and like wool it will eat them clothes-moth and righteousness my for ever it will be and salvation my to a generation of generations
וְכַצֶּ֖מֶרve.kha.Tze.mer and like wool H6785 Conjunction · preposition · noun common masculine singular absolute
16× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This Hebrew word refers to wool, like the kind used to make warm clothing, and is also used to describe something white or woolly.
Amplified meaning
a white, valuable material
Tyndale gloss
wool
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

צֶ֫מֶר (tsemer) means 'wool' and is likely derived from a root meaning to be shaggy. It covers the literal sense of wool and can also refer to whiteness metaphorically. The term appears in contexts related to garments. There is an Aramaic equivalent, עֲמַר (amar), which also means 'wool.'

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

צֶ֫מֶר n.m. wool

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H6785 צֶ֫מֶר wool

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

6785 tsemer tseh'-mer

from an unused root probably meaning to be shaggy;

wool:--wool(-len).

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

צֶ֫מֶר (tse.mer) — wool.

1) wool

1a) wool

1b) whiteness (metaph.)

1c) wool (in garments)

Aramaic equivalent: a.mar (עֲמַר "wool" H6015)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Conj | Prep | N-ms — Conjunction · preposition · noun common masculine singular absolute
HC/Rd/Ncmsa
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

wool (tsemer; erion): Wool and flax were the fibers most used by the ancient weavers. Wool was used principally for the outside garments (Le 13:48 ff; Pr 31:13; Eze 34:3; Ho 2:5,9). Syrian wool is found on the world's markets today, but it is not rated as first quality, partly because it is so contaminated with thorns, straw and other foreign matter which become entangled with the wool while the sheep are wandering over the barren, rocky mountain sides in search of food. Extensive pastures are almost unknown.

Two kinds of wool are sold:

(1) That obtained by shearing. This is removed from the animal as far as possible in one piece or fleece usually without previous washing.…

Easton's Bible Dictionary

Wool

One of the first material used for making woven cloth (Lev. 13:47, 48, 52, 59; 19:19). The first-fruit of wool was to be offered to the priests (Deut. 18:4). The law prohibiting the wearing of a garment “of divers sorts, as of woollen and linen together” (Deut. 22:11) may, like some other laws of a similar character, have been intended to express symbolically the separateness and simplicity of God’s covenant people. The wool of Damascus, famous for its whiteness, was of great repute in the Tyrian market (Ezek. 27:18).

Smith's Bible Dictionary

was an article of the highest value among the Jews, as the staple material for the manufacture of clothing. (Leviticus 13:47; 22:11; Job 31:20; Proverbs 31:13; Ezekiel 34:3; Hosea 2:5) The importance of wool is incidentally shown by the notice that Mesha’s tribute was paid in a certain number of rams "with the wool." (2 Kings 3:1) The wool of Damascus was highly prized in the mart of Tyre. (Ezekiel 27:18)

Nave's Topical Bible

→ Used for clothing Le 13:47-52,59; Pr 31:13; Eze 34:3; 44:17

→ Prohibited in the priest' s temple dress Eze 44:17

→ Mixing of, with other fabrics forbidden Le 19:19; De 22:11

→ Fleece of Jud 6:37

→ First fleece of, belonged to the priests De 18:4

for like garment it will eat them moth and like wool it will eat them clothes-moth and righteousness my for ever it will be and salvation my to a generation of generations
יֹאכְלֵ֣םyokh.Lem it will eat them H398 Verb qal imperfect third person masculine singular · suffix
810× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This word means to eat or devour, and it's used in many stories, including when Jesus fed the 5000 with fish and bread in the book of Matthew. It's about taking in nourishment and being satisfied.
Tyndale gloss
to eat
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

אָכַל (akal) means 'to eat' and encompasses a wide range of meanings, including literal consumption by humans and animals, as well as figurative uses like devouring by fire or destruction. It can describe actions such as feeding or causing to eat, and it also appears in contexts of oppression and destruction. The verb has various forms, indicating different subjects and nuances.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

אָכַל 806 vb. eat

Qal

eat, human subject

of beasts, birds, etc., eat, devour

fig. of fire, devour, consume

of sword, devour, slay

in genl., devour, consume, destroy

fig. of oppression, devour the poor

Niph.

be eaten by man

be devoured by fire, consumed

be wasted, destroyed, of flesh

Pu. be consumed

Hiph.

cause to eat, feed with

cause to devoure, obj. sword

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H398 אָכַל eat .. eat, human subject

. of beasts, birds, etc., eat, devour

. fig. of fire, devour, consume

. of sword, devour, slay

. in genl., devour, consume, destroy

. fig. of oppression, devour the poor

. . be eaten by man

. be devoured by fire, consumed

. be wasted, destroyed, of flesh

. be consumed

. . cause to eat, feed with

. cause to devoure, obj. sword

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

398 'akal aw-kal'

a primitive root; to eat (literally or figuratively):--X at

all, burn up, consume, devour(-er, up), dine, eat(-er, up),

feed (with), food, X freely, X in...wise(-deed, plenty), (lay)

meat, X quite.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

אָכַל (a.khal) — to eat.

1) to eat, devour, burn up, feed

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to eat (human subject)

1a2) to eat, devour (of beasts and birds)

1a3) to devour, consume (of fire)

1a4) to devour, slay (of sword)

1a5) to devour, consume, destroy (inanimate subjects - ie, pestilence, drought)

1a6) to devour (of oppression)

1b) (Niphal)

1b1) to be eaten (by men)

1b2) to be devoured, consumed (of fire)

1b3) to be wasted, destroyed (of flesh)

1c) (Pual)

1c1) to cause to eat, feed with

1c2) to cause to devour

1d) (Hiphil)

1d1) to feed

1d2) to cause to eat

1e) (Piel)

1e1) consume

Aramaic equivalent: a.khal (אֲכַל "to devour" H0399)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
V-Qal-Imperf-3ms | Suff — Verb qal imperfect third person masculine singular · suffix
HVqi3ms/Sp3mp
for like garment it will eat them moth and like wool it will eat them clothes-moth and righteousness my for ever it will be and salvation my to a generation of generations
סָ֑סSas clothes-moth H5580 Noun common · masculine singular absolute
1× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This word means a moth, known for its agility. It is used in the Bible to describe the insect that eats away at clothing. The moth is a small but damaging creature.
Amplified meaning
a small, eating creature
Tyndale gloss
moth
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word סָ֑ס (*sas*) means 'moth.' It is derived from a root related to agility, indicating the swift movement of the insect. The term appears in Isaiah 51:8, where it is used in a metaphorical context.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

סָ֑ס n.m. moth;—Is 51:8.

ref

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H5580 סָ֑ס moth

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

5580 cac sawce

from the same as 5483; a moth (from the agility of the

fly):--moth.

see HEBREW for 05483

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

סָ֑ס (sas) — moth.

moth

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

moth (`ash; compare Arabic `uththat, "moth"; colloquial, `itt; cac, "worm" (Isa 51:8); compare Arabic sus, "worm," especially an insect larva in flesh, wood or grain; ses, "moth" (Mt 6:19,20; Lu 12:33); setobrotos, "moth-eaten" (Jas 5:2)):

The moths constitute the larger division of the order Lepidoptera. Two of the points by which they are distinguished from butterflies are that they are generally nocturnal and that their antennae are not club-shaped. Further, the larva in many cases spins a cocoon for the protection of the pupa or chrysalis, which is never the case with butterflies. The Biblical references are to the clothes-moth, i.e. various species of the genus Tinea…

Easton's Bible Dictionary

Moth

Heb. ‘ash, from a root meaning “to fall away,” as moth-eaten garments fall to pieces (Job 4:19; 13:28; Isa. 50:9; 51:8; Hos. 5:12).

Gr. ses, thus rendered in Matt. 6:19, 20; Luke 12:33. Allusion is thus made to the destruction of clothing by the larvae of the clothes-moth. This is the only lepidopterous insect referred to in Scripture.

Smith's Bible Dictionary

By the Hebrew word we are certainly to understand some species of clothes-moth (tinea). Reference to the destructive habits of the clothes-moth is made in (Job 4:19; 13:28; Psalms 39:11) etc. (The moth is a well-known insect which in its caterpillar state is very destructive to woollen clothing, furs, etc. The egg of the moth, being deposited on the fur or cloth, produces a very small shining insect, which immediately forms a house for itself by cuttings from the cloth. It east away the nap, and finally ruins the fabric. There are more than 1500 species of moths. --McClintock and Strong’s Cyclopedia.)

American Tract Society Bible Dictionary

The common moth is an insect destructive to woolen cloths. The egg is laid by a small shining worm; which by another transformation becomes a miller. Allusions to the moth, as devouring clothes, and as a frail and feeble insect, are frequent in Scripture, Job 4:19 13:28 27:18 Isa 50:9 Ho 5:12 Mt 6:19,20. See GARMENTS.

The insects called in general moths, of which the above is only one species, are exceedingly numerous. The main genus is called by naturalists Phaloena, and contains more than fifteen hundred species. Moths fly abroad only in the evening and night; differing in this respect from the tribe of butterflies that fly only by day. Their larva, or the worms from which…

for like garment it will eat them moth and like wool it will eat them clothes-moth and righteousness my for ever it will be and salvation my to a generation of generations
וְצִדְקָתִי֙ve.tzid.ka.Ti and righteousness my H6666 Conjunction · noun common feminine singular construct · suffix
157× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
Encompasses the idea of righteousness, including justice, virtue, and morality, often describing God's attribute or the standard for human behavior. It is used to describe the ideal for personal conduct and societal norms, emphasizing the importance of living a righteous life.
Amplified meaning
moral integrity, virtue
Tyndale gloss
righteousness
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

צְדָקָה (tsdaqah) means 'righteousness' and encompasses various aspects such as justice, truthfulness, and ethical rightness. It can refer to God's attribute of sovereignty, righteousness in governance, and even justification or salvation. The term also implies righteous acts and has an Aramaic equivalent, צִדְקָה (tsid.qah).

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

צְדָקָה 157 n.f. righteousness

righteousness, in government

God's attribute as sovereign

righteousness, in a case or cause

righteousness = truthfulness

righteousness, as ethically right

righteousness as vindicated, justification, salvation, etc.

pl. righteous acts

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H6666 צְדָקָה righteousness . righteousness, in government

. God's attribute as sovereign

. righteousness, in a case or cause

. righteousness = truthfulness

. righteousness, as ethically right

. righteousness as vindicated, justification, salvation, etc.

. pl. righteous acts

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

6666 tsdaqah tsed-aw-kaw'

from 6663; rightness (abstractly), subjectively (rectitude),

objectively (justice), morally (virtue) or figuratively

(prosperity):--justice, moderately, right(-eous)

(act, -ly, -ness).

see HEBREW for 06663

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

צְדָקָה (tse.da.qah) — righteousness.

1) justice, righteousness

1a) righteousness (in government)

1a1) of judge, ruler, king

1a2) of law

1a3) of Davidic king Messiah

1b) righteousness (of God's attribute)

1c) righteousness (in a case or cause)

1d) righteousness, truthfulness

1e) righteousness (as ethically right)

1f) righteousness (as vindicated), justification, salvation

1f1) of God

1f2) prosperity (of people)

1g) righteous acts

Aramaic equivalent: tsid.qah (צִדְקָה "righteousness" H6665)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Conj | N-fs | Suff — Conjunction · noun common feminine singular construct · suffix
HC/Ncfsc/Sp1bs
for like garment it will eat them moth and like wool it will eat them clothes-moth and righteousness my for ever it will be and salvation my to a generation of generations
לְעוֹלָ֣םle.'o.Lam for ever H5769 Preposition · noun common masculine singular absolute
438× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This word means forever or always, describing something that lasts an eternity. It is used in the Bible to describe God's eternal nature and his lasting promises.
Tyndale gloss
forever: antiquity
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

עוֹלָם (owlam) refers to concepts of long duration, antiquity, and futurity, encompassing meanings like eternity and perpetual existence. It is derived from a root meaning 'concealed' or 'the vanishing point.' The term is used to describe both ancient times and an indefinite future, indicating continuity and everlastingness.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

עוֹלָם 439 n.m. long duration, antiquity, futurity

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H5769 עוֹלָם long duration, antiquity, futurity

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

5769 `owlam o-lawm'

or lolam {o-lawm'}; from 5956; properly, concealed, i.e. the

vanishing point; generally, time out of mind (past or future),

i.e. (practically) eternity; frequentatively, adverbial

(especially with prepositional prefix) always:--alway(-s),

ancient (time), any more, continuance, eternal, (for,

(n-))ever(-lasting, -more, of old), lasting, long (time), (of)

old (time), perpetual, at any time, (beginning of the) world

(+ without end). Compare 5331, 5703.

see HEBREW for 05956

see HEBREW for 05331

see HEBREW for 05703

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

עוֹלָם (o.lam) — forever: enduring.

: enduring/eternal

1) long duration, antiquity, futurity, for ever, ever, everlasting, evermore, perpetual, old, ancient, world

1a) ancient time, long time (of past)

1b) (of future)

1b1) for ever, always

1b2) continuous existence, perpetual

1b3) everlasting, indefinite or unending future, eternity

עוֹלָם (o.lam) — Everlasting.

This name means long duration, everlasting, perpetual

Another name of ye.ho.vah (יהוה "LORD" H3068G)

עוֹלָם (o.lam) — forever: any time.

: any_time

1) long duration, antiquity, futurity, for ever, ever, everlasting, evermore, perpetual, old, ancient, world

1a) ancient time, long time (of past)

1b) (of future)

1b1) for ever, always

1b2) continuous existence, perpetual

1b3) everlasting, indefinite or unending future, eternity

עוֹלָם (o.lam) — forever: antiquity.

: old/ancient

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
HR/Ncmsa — Preposition · noun common masculine singular absolute
HR/Ncmsa
for like garment it will eat them moth and like wool it will eat them clothes-moth and righteousness my for ever it will be and salvation my to a generation of generations
תִּֽהְיֶ֔הtih.Yeh it will be H1961 Verb · Qal · imperfect third person feminine singular
3,562× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
The Hebrew word for to be means to exist or come into being. It is used to describe something that happens or comes to pass, like in Genesis where God creates the world.
Amplified meaning
for all eternity, always
Tyndale gloss
to be
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word הָיָה (hayah) is a primitive root meaning to exist or become, and it encompasses a range of meanings including to happen, occur, and come to pass. It is often used in narrative contexts, particularly in phrases like "and it came to pass." The word can also denote a state of being or existence, and it appears frequently in various forms throughout the Old Testament.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

הָיָה 3570 vb. fall out, come to pass, become, be

Qal

Fall out, happen

occur, take place, come about, come to pass

esp. & very oft., come about, come to pass

וַיְהִי and it came to pass that, most often (c. 292 t.)

rarely also Pf. c. וְ conj. וְהָיָה

less oft. וְהָיָה Pf. consec. and it shall come to pass, or frequentat. came to pass (repeatedly, etc.)

Come into being, become

abs., in lively narrative, arise, appear, come

sq. prep.

become

sq. pred. noun (to be viewed as implicit accus.)

sq. pred. adj.

become like

sq. pred. לְ pers.

sq. לְ pred.

oft. c. לְ pred. לְ pers.

with עַל and לְ

sts. c. לְ pers. only = became the property of, come into the possession of

Be (often with subbordinate idea of becoming)

exist, be in existence

abide, remain, continue

with word of locality, be in or at a place, be situated, stand, lie

as copula, joining subj. & pred.

Read the full entry →
Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H1961 הָיָה fall out, come to pass, become, be .. . . Fall out, happen

. occur, take place, come about, come to pass

. esp. & very oft., come about, come to pass . . וַיְהִי and it came to pass that, most often (c. 292 t.)

. rarely also Pf. c. וְ conj. וְהָיָה

. less oft. וְהָיָה Pf. consec. and it shall come to pass, or frequentat. came to pass (repeatedly, etc.)

. Come into being, become . . abs., in lively narrative, arise, appear, come

. sq. prep.

. become . sq. pred. noun (to be viewed as implicit accus.)

. sq. pred. adj.

. become like

. sq. pred. + לְ pers.

. sq. לְ pred.

. oft. c. לְ pred. + לְ pers.

. with עַל and לְ

. sts. c. לְ pers. only = became the property of, come into the possession of

. Be (often with subbordinate idea of becoming) . exist, be in existence

. abide, remain, continue

Read the full entry →
Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

1961 hayah haw-yaw

a primitive root (compare 1933); to exist, i.e. be or become,

come to pass (always emphatic, and not a mere copula or

auxiliary):--beacon, X altogether, be(-come), accomplished,

committed, like), break, cause, come (to pass), do, faint,

fall, + follow, happen, X have, last, pertain, quit

(one-)self, require, X use.

see HEBREW for 01933

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

הָיָה (ha.yah) — to be.

1) to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out

1a) (Qal)

1a1) ---

1a1a) to happen, fall out, occur, take place, come about, come to pass

1a1b) to come about, come to pass

1a2) to come into being, become

1a2a) to arise, appear, come

1a2b) to become

1a2b1) to become

1a2b2) to become like

1a2b3) to be instituted, be established

1a3) to be

1a3a) to exist, be in existence

1a3b) to abide, remain, continue (with word of place or time)

1a3c) to stand, lie, be in, be at, be situated (with word of locality)

1a3d) to accompany, be with

1b) (Niphal)

1b1) to occur, come to pass, be done, be brought about

1b2) to be done, be finished, be gone

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
V-Qal-Imperf-3fs — Verb · Qal · imperfect third person feminine singular
HVqi3fs
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

See TESTAMENT.

Nave's Topical Bible

→ THE MENTAL FACULTY

Freedom of, recognized by God Ge 4:6-10; De 5:29; 1Ki 20:42; Isa 1:18-20; 43:26; Jer 36:3,7; Joh 7:17

See BLESSINGS, CONTINGENT UPON OBEDIENCE

See CHOICE

See CONTINGENCY

→ OF GOD, THE SUPREME RULE OF DUTY Mt 6:10; 12:50; 26:39,42; Mr 3:35; 14:36; Lu 11:2; 22:42; Joh 4:34; 5:30; 6:38-40; Ac…

for like garment it will eat them moth and like wool it will eat them clothes-moth and righteousness my for ever it will be and salvation my to a generation of generations
וִישׁוּעָתִ֖יvi.shu.'a.Ti and salvation my H3444 Conjunction · noun common feminine singular construct · suffix
78× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
Salvation means being saved or delivered from something, like trouble or danger, and can also mean victory or prosperity, as seen in the Bible's promises of God's deliverance.
Amplified meaning
deliverance, victory
Tyndale gloss
salvation
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

יְשׁוּעָה (yeshu'ah) refers to concepts of salvation, deliverance, and welfare, often with a spiritual dimension. It is derived from a root meaning to save and encompasses ideas of victory and prosperity. The term is used in contexts related to divine aid and protection, emphasizing both physical and spiritual deliverance.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

יְשׁוּעָה n.f. salvation

welfare, prosperity

deliverance

salvation by God, primarily from external evils, but often with added spiritual idea

victory

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H3444 יְשׁוּעָה salvation . welfare, prosperity

. deliverance

. salvation by God, primarily from external evils, but often with added spiritual idea

. victory

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

3444 yshuw`ah yesh-oo'-aw

feminine passive participle of 3467; something saved, i.e.

(abstractly) deliverance; hence, aid, victory,

prosperity:--deliverance, health, help(-ing), salvation, save,

saving (health), welfare.

see HEBREW for 03467

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

יְשׁוּעָה (ye.shu.ah) — salvation.

1) salvation, deliverance

1a) welfare, prosperity

1b) deliverance

1c) salvation (by God)

1d) victory

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Conj | N-fs | Suff — Conjunction · noun common feminine singular construct · suffix
HC/Ncfsc/Sp1bs
for like garment it will eat them moth and like wool it will eat them clothes-moth and righteousness my for ever it will be and salvation my to a generation of generations
לְד֥וֹרle.Dor to a generation of H1755 Preposition · noun common masculine singular construct
167× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This word refers to a period of time or a generation of people. It is used in the Bible to describe a group of people living at the same time. In the book of Psalms, it describes a generation of people who follow God.
Amplified meaning
periods of time, groups of people
Tyndale gloss
generation
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word דּוֹר (dor) encompasses meanings related to a period or generation, often emphasizing the transitory nature of life. It can refer to a specific age, a class of people living at a certain time, or a dwelling place. The entries suggest a focus on both the temporal and spatial aspects of existence.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

דּוֹר, דֹּר n.m. period, generation, dwelling

period, age, generation, mostly poet.

of men living at a particular time (period, age), generation, as transitory

generation characterized by quality or condition, class of men

dwelling-place, habitation

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H1755 דּוֹר, דֹּר period, generation, dwelling . period, age, generation, mostly poet.

. of men living at a particular time (period, age), generation, as transitory

. generation characterized by quality or condition, class of men

. dwelling-place, habitation

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

1755 dowr dore

or (shortened) dor {dore}; from 1752; properly, a revolution

of time, i.e. an age or generation; also a dwelling:--age, X

evermore, generation, (n-)ever, posterity.

see HEBREW for 01752

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

דּוֹר (dor) — generation.

1) period, generation, habitation, dwelling

1a) period, age, generation (period of time)

1b) generation (those living during a period)

1c) generation (characterised by quality, condition, class of men)

1d) dwelling-place, habitation

Aramaic equivalent: dar (דָּר "generation" H1859)

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…

for like garment it will eat them moth and like wool it will eat them clothes-moth and righteousness my for ever it will be and salvation my to a generation of generations
דּוֹרִֽים׃ סdo.Rim generations H1755 Noun common · masculine plural absolute
167× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This word refers to a period of time or a generation of people. It is used in the Bible to describe a group of people living at the same time. In the book of Psalms, it describes a generation of people who follow God.
Tyndale gloss
generation
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word דּוֹר (dor) encompasses meanings related to a period or generation, often emphasizing the transitory nature of life. It can refer to a specific age, a class of people living at a certain time, or a dwelling place. The entries suggest a focus on both the temporal and spatial aspects of existence.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

דּוֹר, דֹּר n.m. period, generation, dwelling

period, age, generation, mostly poet.

of men living at a particular time (period, age), generation, as transitory

generation characterized by quality or condition, class of men

dwelling-place, habitation

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H1755 דּוֹר, דֹּר period, generation, dwelling . period, age, generation, mostly poet.

. of men living at a particular time (period, age), generation, as transitory

. generation characterized by quality or condition, class of men

. dwelling-place, habitation

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

1755 dowr dore

or (shortened) dor {dore}; from 1752; properly, a revolution

of time, i.e. an age or generation; also a dwelling:--age, X

evermore, generation, (n-)ever, posterity.

see HEBREW for 01752

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

דּוֹר (dor) — generation.

1) period, generation, habitation, dwelling

1a) period, age, generation (period of time)

1b) generation (those living during a period)

1c) generation (characterised by quality, condition, class of men)

1d) dwelling-place, habitation

Aramaic equivalent: dar (דָּר "generation" H1859)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
HNcmpa — Noun common · masculine plural absolute
HNcmpa
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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