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Judges 12:7 — Word Study

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WLCוַיִּשְׁפֹּ֥ט יִפְתָּ֛ח אֶת־ יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל שֵׁ֣שׁ שָׁנִ֑ים וַיָּ֗מָת יִפְתָּח֙ הַגִּלְעָדִ֔י וַיִּקָּבֵ֖ר בְּעָרֵ֥י גִלְעָֽד׃ פ

BSAJephthahYiphtâch [the Gileadite, a leader from Gilead] judgedshâphaṭ [to govern, vindicate, or punish] IsraelYisrâʼêl [the descendants of Jacob] sixshêsh yearsshâneh and when heYiphtâch diedmûwth [to cease living, or pass away] he was buriedqâbar [to lay to rest, or inter] in one of the citiesʻîyr [towns or settlements] of GileadGilʻâd [a mountainous region east of the Jordan River]

Word
Listen & take awayJudges 12
English ↓ Download MP3 The Berean Standard Bible chapter audio already hosted for the site's Bible section — verse 7 is in this chapter.
Hebrew ↓ Download MP3 The Masoretic text of this chapter, read aloud. Read by Abraham Shmuelof, courtesy of Audio Scriptures International. Chapter divisions by the Academy of Ancient Languages..
Say the word Each Hebrew word carries its transliteration (gil.'Ad) — no per-word recordings of the Hebrew exist to link to.
Take it away
Judges 12:7quick helps
In a sentenceJephthah judged Israel for six years, then died and was buried in Gilead.
Who is speakingThe narrator recounts the events of Jephthah's leadership.
Where we areThe narrative of the judges of Israel — Jephthah is one of the key figures.
The hard wordשָׁפַט
Take awayJephthah's leadership was marked by both victory and tragedy.
7 commentators on this verse Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them › clause subjectיִפְתָּח verbשָׁפַט The sentence as the grammar sees it Open the tree ›
How rare are these words?in the Old Testament

Every word here is used elsewhere in the Old Testament.

Bars are logarithmic — אֵת, the commonest word in the Hebrew Bible, stands about 11,000 times, so a linear scale would leave everything else invisible. Click a row to open that word.

Deep Study — Judges 12:7

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

Context — The Judges of Israelgenerated

6they told him, “Please say Shibboleth.” If he said, “Sibboleth,” because he could not pronounce it correctly, they seized him and killed him at the fords of the Jordan. So at that time 42,000 Ephraimites were killed.
7Jephthah judged Israel six years, and when he died, he was buried in one of the cities of Gilead.
8After Jephthah, Ibzan of Bethlehem judged Israel.
9He had thirty sons, as well as thirty daughters whom he gave in marriage to men outside his clan; and for his sons he brought back thirty wives from elsewhere. Ibzan judged Israel seven years.

Judges 12:7 summarizes the leadership of Jephthah, who judged Israel for six years. His tenure is significant in the context of Israel's history during the time of the judges, a period characterized by cycles of sin, oppression, and deliverance. Jephthah is notable for his military success against the Ammonites, but also for the tragic vow he made, which had dire consequences for his family, as detailed earlier in the book of Judges.


Cross References


The Key Word שָׁפַט, vai.yish.Potgenerated

The verb שָׁפַט (shaphat) means to judge or govern. It encompasses actions such as pronouncing sentences, executing judgments, and making decisions in legal matters. The parsing indicates it is a sequential imperfect verb in the third person masculine singular, suggesting an ongoing action during Jephthah's leadership.

This word is often used in contexts where authority is exercised, reflecting both divine and human judgment. In this verse, it highlights Jephthah's role as a leader who governed Israel, making decisions that affected the nation.


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 main verb of the verse is וַיִּשְׁפֹּ֥ט, and he judged, which governs the subject יִפְתָּ֛ח, Jephthah. The structure follows a typical Hebrew narrative style, where the action is stated first, followed by the subject and additional details.

The sentence is composed of clauses that detail Jephthah's actions and their consequences, including his death and burial, which are linked to his leadership period.


Septuagint Backgroundgenerated

In the Septuagint, שָׁפַט is rendered as ἔκρινεν (ekrinēn), which also means 'to judge' but carries a connotation of making a decision or ruling. This choice emphasizes the authoritative aspect of Jephthah's role.

The LXX translation reflects the understanding of Jephthah's leadership as one of judicial authority, aligning with the Hebrew meaning while also adapting to the Greek audience's expectations.


In plain words — the whole versegenerated

Judges 12:7 tells us that Jephthah was a judge of Israel for six years. After he died, he was buried in one of the cities of Gilead. This verse highlights both his leadership and the legacy he left behind.


Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated

What does it mean that Jephthah judged Israel?

It means Jephthah acted as a leader and decision-maker for the people of Israel, resolving disputes and leading them during his time.

Why is Jephthah's story significant?

Jephthah's story is significant because it illustrates the complexities of leadership in Israel, including his military victories and the tragic consequences of his vow.

What does the burial in Gilead signify?

The burial in Gilead signifies Jephthah's connection to the region and his identity as a Gileadite, reflecting the importance of land and heritage in Israelite culture.

How long did Jephthah judge Israel?

Jephthah judged Israel for six years, as stated in this verse.


Reflection Questionsgenerated

  1. What qualities do you think made Jephthah a good judge for Israel?
  2. How can we learn from Jephthah's story about the importance of our words and promises?
  3. In what ways can we apply the lessons from Jephthah's leadership in our own lives?
  4. How does understanding the context of Jephthah's life help us better appreciate the challenges he faced?

Commentators on this verse — 7 expositors, verse by verse

Each of these wrote on Judges 12:7 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.

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

And Jephthah judged Israel six years,.... After the affair of the Ephraimites, he was acknowledged by all Israel as their judge and supreme governor, but did not live long; being perhaps depressed

Read John Gill on Judges 12 →
Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's Commentary

And Jephthah judged Israel six years. Then died Jephthah the Gileadite, and was buried in one of the cities of Gilead. Jephthah ... died.

Read Robert Jamieson on Judges 12 →
Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy Bible

In one of the cities, Heb. in the cities; the plural number put for the singular, as , where Lot is said to dwell in the cities, i.e. one of the cities; and , the twain is put for one of the twain; and , houses for house; and , the sides for one of the sides.

Read Matthew Poole on Judges 12 →
John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

Judges 12:7 And Jephthah judged Israel six years. Then died Jephthah the Gileadite, and was buried in [one of] the cities of Gilead.Ver. 7. And was buried in one of the cities of Gilead.] Heb., In the cities; whereupon some have founded a conceit that Jephthah was so esteemed for his valour, that they cut his body in pieces when he was dead, and carried a part to each of their cities, and there buried it. Peter Martyr by "cities" understandeth some one city so called, as Accius called Athens Quatrurbem.

Read John Trapp on Judges 12 →
Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(7) Judged Israel.—The word implies that he was one of the recognised Shophetim, but there are no details to show in the case of any of the judges either what were the limits of their jurisdiction or what amount of authority it implied. In one of the cities of Gilead.—The Hebrew only says, “in cities of Gilead.” This may, no doubt. mean “one of the cities of Gilead,” as in Genesis 19:29 “the cities in the which Lot dwelt” means “in one of which Lot dwelt.” But the burial-place of so renowned a hero as Jephthah was not likely to be forgotten, and the reading adopted by the LXX. and Vulg., “in his city, Gilead” (i.e., Ramoth-Gilead or Mizpeh of Gilead), is furnished by a mere change of into…

Read Charles John Ellicott on Judges 12 →
CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

7. The story of Jephthah is brought to a close with the formula which is used of the Minor Judges, Judges 12:8-15, Judges 10:2-5. was buried in one of the cities of Gilead] The text has in the cities of G.! Can this mean that Jephthah was buried somewhere or other in Gilead? The vagueness of the expression is supposed to be an indication of the vaguely historical character of the whole story (Meyer, Die Israeliten, p. 535). Probably, however, the text is incorrect. The LXX. cod. B reads ‘in his city in G.’, cod. A ‘in his city G.’; Vulgate in civitate sua Galaad. Some cursive mss. of LXX read ‘in his city in Sephe Gilead,’ cf. Jos., Ant. Judges 12:7; Judges 12:12 ‘in Sebee of G.’; this…

Read Cambridge on Judges 12 →
Daniel Denison Whedon1808–1885Whedon's Commentary on the Bible

’S DEATH, Judges 12:7. 7. Judged Israel six years — His dominion, probably, never extended to the west of the Jordan.

Read Daniel Denison Whedon on Judges 12 →

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

Jephthah judged Israel six years, and when he died, he was buried in one of the cities of Gilead.

WEBWorld English Bible2000

Jephthah judged Israel six years. Then Jephthah the Gileadite died, and was buried in the cities of Gilead.

MSBMajority Standard Bible2022

Jephthah judged Israel six years, and when he died, he was buried in one of the cities of Gilead.

NETBNew English Translation2006

Jephthah led Israel for six years; then he died and was buried in his city in Gilead.

Tyndale line

KJVKing James Version1611

And Jephthah judged Israel six years. Then died Jephthah the Gileadite, and was buried in one of the cities of Gilead.

ASVAmerican Standard Version1901

And Jephthah judged Israel six years. Then died Jephthah the Gileadite, and was buried in one of the cities of Gilead.

RVARevised Version, American1894

And Jephthah judged Israel six years. Then died Jephthah the Gileadite, and was buried in one of the cities of Gilead.

NWBWebster's Bible1833

And Jephthah judged Israel six years: then died Jephthah the Gileadite, and was buried in one of the cities of Gilead.

GNVGeneva Bible1599

And Iphtah iudged Israel sixe yeere: then dyed Iphtah the Gileadite, and was buryed in one of the cities of Gilead.

Strictly literal

DBYDarby Translation1890

And Jephthah judged Israel six years. And Jephthah the Gileadite died, and was buried in [one of] the cities of Gilead.

YLTYoung's Literal Translation1862

And Jephthah judged Israel six years, and Jephthah the Gileadite dieth, and is buried in [one of] the cities of Gilead.

LSVLiteral Standard Version2020

And Jephthah judged Israel [for] six years, and Jephthah the Gileadite dies, and is buried in [one of] the cities of Gilead.

ILTInterlinear Literal Translation2000

And Yiphthach judged Israel six years; and then died Yiphthach the Gil'adite, and was buried in [one of] the cities of Gil'ad.

ULBUnlocked Literal Bible2017

Jephthah served as a judge over Israel for six years. Then Jephthah the Gileadite died and was buried in one of the cities of Gilead.

From the Latin

DRADouay-Rheims (Challoner)1899

And Jephte the Galaadite judged Israel six years: and he died, and was buried in his city of Galaad.

Simplified

FBVFree Bible Version2020

Jephthah led Israel as judge for six years. Then he died and was buried in one of Gilead's towns.

BBEBible in Basic English1949

Now Jephthah was judge of Israel for six years. And Jephthah the Gileadite came to his death, and his body was put to rest in his town, Mizpeh of Gilead.

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.

וַandclauseverbיִּשְׁפֹּ֥טhe.judgedsubjectיִפְתָּ֛חJephthahnoun phrase · objectאֶת(et)יִשְׂרָאֵ֖לIsraelnoun phrase · adverbialשֵׁ֣שׁsixשָׁנִ֑יםyearsוַandclauseverbיָּ֗מָתhe.diednoun phrase · subjectיִפְתָּח֙Jephthahnoun phraseהַtheגִּלְעָדִ֔יGileaditeוַandclauseverbיִּקָּבֵ֖רhe.was.buriedprepositional phrase · prepositionalבְּinnoun phraseעָרֵ֥יthe.citiesגִלְעָֽדof.Gilead

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 Septuagint largely agree in this verse, with 11 of the 12 words matched. The slight differences in wording reflect the translation choices rather than substantive variations in meaning.

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

וַיִּשְׁפֹּ֥ט יִפְתָּ֛ח אֶת־ יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל שֵׁ֣שׁ שָׁנִ֑ים וַיָּ֗מָת יִפְתָּח֙ הַגִּלְעָדִ֔י וַיִּקָּבֵ֖ר בְּעָרֵ֥י גִלְעָֽד׃ פ

Septuagintthe Greek the translators chose, word by word
וַיִּשְׁפֹּ֥טἔκρινενיִפְתָּ֛חιεφθαεיִשְׂרָאֵ֖לισραηλשֵׁ֣שׁἑχήκονταשָׁנִ֑יםἔτηוַיָּ֗מָתἀπέθανενיִפְתָּח֙ιεφθαεהַגִּלְעָדִ֔יγαλααδίτηςוַיִּקָּבֵ֖רἐτάφηבְּעָרֵ֥יπόλειגִלְעָֽד׃ פγαλααδ

11 of the 12 words are matched. This is the word-by-word correspondence, not the Septuagint's own sentence — its word order and its articles are its own.

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.

Judges 12:7שָׁפַטand he judgand he judgedשָׁפַטיִפְתָּחJephthahJephthahיִפְתָּחאֵתthe object the object markאֵתיִשְׂרָאֵלIsraelIsraelיִשְׂרָאֵלשֵׁשׁsixsixשֵׁשׁשָׁנָהyearsyearsשָׁנָהמוּתand he diedand he diedמוּתיִפְתָּחJephthahJephthahיִפְתָּחגִּלְעָדִיthe Gileadithe Gileaditeגִּלְעָדִיקָבַרand he was and he was buriקָבַרעִירin [the] ciin [the] citiesעִירגִּלְעָדGileadGileadגִּלְעָדפָּתַחto opento openפָּתַחאוֹתsign: mirasign: miraculouאוֹתשָׂרָהto striveto striveשָׂרָהשָׁנָהto changeto changeשָׁנָהעוּרto rouseto rouseעוּרגַּלְעֵדGaleedGaleedגַּלְעֵדשׂוּשׂto rejoiceto rejoiceשׂוּשׂגִּלְעָד(Mount) Gi(Mount) GileadגִּלְעָדגִּלְעָדִיGileaditeGileaditeגִּלְעָדִימִגְרָשׁpasturepastureמִגְרָשׁשֹׁטֵרofficialofficialשֹׁטֵרצֶ֫דֶקRighteousnRighteousnessצֶ֫דֶקשֵׁ֫בֶטtribetribeשֵׁ֫בֶטקָדוֹשׁholyholyקָדוֹשׁמֵאָהhundredhundredמֵאָהאֶ֫לֶףthousandthousandאֶ֫לֶףמָלַךְto reignto reignמָלַךְעֶשְׂרִיםtwentytwentyעֶשְׂרִים
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 Judges 12:7

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

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

and he judged Jephthah the object marker Israel six years and he died Jephthah the Gileadite and he was buried in [the] cities of Gilead
וַיִּשְׁפֹּ֥טvai.yish.Pot and he judged H8199 Verb · Qal · sequential imperfect third person masculine singular
202× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
To shaphat means to judge or govern, and can also mean to vindicate or punish. In the Bible, this term is often used to describe God's role as a judge, as well as human judges and rulers.
Amplified meaning
to govern, vindicate, or punish
Tyndale gloss
to judge
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

שָׁפַט (shaphat) is a Hebrew verb meaning to judge or govern. It encompasses a range of actions including pronouncing sentences, executing judgments, and deciding controversies in various contexts such as civil and religious matters. The word can also imply being judged or entering into legal disputes. There is a specific mention of its use in the context of final judgment.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

שָׁפַט 185 vb. judge, govern

Qal

act as law-giver, judge, governor

specif. decide controversy, discriminate betw. persons, in civil, political, domestic and religious questions

execute judgment

Niph.

recipr., enter into controversy, plead

pass. be judged

Pô‛el = my opponent-at-law

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H8199 שָׁפַט judge, govern .. act as law-giver, judge, governor

. specif. decide controversy, discriminate betw. persons, in civil, political, domestic and religious questions

. execute judgment

. . recipr., enter into controversy, plead

. pass. be judged

.= my opponent-at-law

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

8199 shaphat shaw-fat'

a primitive root; to judge, i.e. pronounce sentence (for or

against); by implication, to vindicate or punish; by

extenssion, to govern; passively, to litigate (literally or

figuratively):--+ avenge, X that condemn, contend, defend,

execute (judgment), (be a) judge(-ment), X needs, plead,

reason, rule.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

שָׁפַט (sha.phat) — to judge.

1) to judge, govern, vindicate, punish

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to act as law-giver or judge or governor (of God, man)

1a1a) to rule, govern, judge

1a2) to decide controversy (of God, man)

1a3) to execute judgment

1a3a) discriminating (of man)

1a3b) vindicating

1a3c) condemning and punishing

1a3d) at theophanic advent for final judgment

1b) (Niphal)

1b1) to enter into controversy, plead, have controversy together

1b2) to be judged

1c) (Poel) judge, opponent-at-law (participle)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Conj | V-Qal-ConsecImperf-3ms — Verb · Qal · sequential imperfect third person masculine singular
Hc/Vqw3ms
and he judged Jephthah the object marker Israel six years and he died Jephthah the Gileadite and he was buried in [the] cities of Gilead
יִפְתָּ֛חyif.Tach Jephthah H3316 Noun proper masculine
30× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
Jephthah was an Israelite judge who defeated the Ammonites, but also made a tragic vow that led to the sacrifice of his daughter. His name means 'he opens' and he's mentioned in the book of Judges as a hero of faith. Jephthah was the son of Gilead.
Amplified meaning
the Gileadite, a leader from Gilead
Tyndale gloss
Jephthah
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

יִפְתָּח (Yiphtach) means 'he will open' and refers to both a biblical figure and a location in Judah. Jephthah is noted as a judge of Israel who defeated the Ammonites, with a tragic vow involving his daughter. The word is derived from the root meaning to open, and its usage spans both personal and geographical references.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

יִפְתָּח n.pr.

m. Jephthah

loc. Jos 15:43

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H3316 יִפְתָּח

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

3316 Yiphtach yif-tawkh'

from 6605; he will open; Jiphtach, an Israelite; also a place

in Palestine:--Jephthah, Jiphtah.

see HEBREW for 06605

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

יִפְתָּח (yiph.tach) — Iphtah.

§ Jephthah or Jiphtah = "he opens"

a city in Judah

יִפְתָּח (yiph.tach) — Jephthah.

A Judge living before Israel's Monarchy, first mentioned at Jdg.11.1;

son of: Gilead (H1568I)

Also named: Iephthae (Ἰεφθάε "Jephthah" G2422)

§ Jephthah or Jiphtah = "he opens"

1) a son of Gilead and a concubine and the judge who defeated the Ammonites; after the victory because of a vow taken before the battle he sacrificed his daughter as a burnt offering

2) a city in Judah

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-proper — Noun proper masculine
HNpm
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

jef'-tha (yiphtach, "opened," or "opener," probably signifying "Yahweh will open"; Iephthae; used as the name of a place, as in Jos 15:43; 19:14; of a man, Jud 10:6-12:7): Ninth judge of the Israelites. His antecedents are obscure. Assuming Gilead to be the actual name of his father, his mother was a harlot. He was driven from home on account of his illegitimacy, and went to the land of Tobit in Eastern Syria (Jud 11:2,3). Here he and his followers lived the life of freebooters.

The Israelites beyond the Jordan being in danger of an invasion by the Ammonites, Jephthah was invited by the elders of Gilead to be their leader (Jud 11:5,6). Remembering how they had expelled him…

Easton's Bible Dictionary

Jephthah

Whom God sets free, or the breaker through, a “mighty man of valour” who delivered Israel from the oppression of the Ammonites (Judg. 11:1-33), and judged Israel six years (12:7). He has been described as “a wild, daring, Gilead mountaineer, a sort of warrior Elijah.” After forty-five years of comparative quiet Israel again apostatized, and in “process of time the children of Ammon made war against Israel” (11:5). In their distress the elders of Gilead went to fetch Jephthah out of the land of Tob, to which he had fled when driven out wrongfully by his brothers from his father’s inheritance (2), and the people made him their head and captain. The “elders of Gilead” in their extremity summoned him to their aid, and he at once undertook the conduct of the war against Ammon. Twice he sent an embassy to the king of Ammon, but in…

Smith's Bible Dictionary

(whom God sets free), A judge about B.C. 1143-1137. His history is contained in (Judges 11:1; Judges 12:8) He was a Gileadite, the son of Gilead and a concubine. Driven by the legitimate sons from his father’s inheritance, he went to Tob and became the head of a company of freebooters in a debatable land probably belonging to Ammon. (2 Samuel 10:6) (This land was east of Jordan and southeast of Gilead, and bordered on the desert of Arabia. --ED.) His fame as a bold and successful captain was carried back to his native Gilead; and when the time was ripe for throwing off the yoke of Ammon, Jephthah consented to become the captain of the Gileadite bands, on the condition, solemnly ratified before the Lord in Mizpeh, that int he…

American Tract Society Bible Dictionary

The son of Gilead, was a judge of Israel, and successor to Jair. His history is told in Jud 11:1-12:15. A most affecting incident in it is his devoting his daughter to God as a sacrifice, in consequence of a rash vow.

The arguments on the question whether Jephthah’s daughter was actually sacrificed or not, cannot here be cited. The natural repugnance we feel to such a vow and its fulfillment has led many interpreters to adopt the less obvious theory that she was only condemned to live and die unmarried. There is no intimation in Scripture that God approved of his vow, whatever it was. Paul numbers Jephthah among the saints of the Old Testament distinguished for their faith, Heb 11:32.

and he judged Jephthah the object marker Israel six years and he died Jephthah the Gileadite and he was buried in [the] cities of Gilead
אֶת־'et- the object marker H853 Particle
10,946× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
In the original Hebrew, this word points out the object of a verb or preposition, like 'namely' or 'even'. It appears in many books, including Genesis and Exodus. It's not directly translated in English, but helps clarify the meaning of sentences.
Tyndale gloss
[Obj.]
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

אֵת (eth) is primarily a grammatical marker in Hebrew, indicating the definite direct object of a verb. It is not translated into English and typically precedes nouns that are definite. The word is derived from a demonstrative sense of entity, related to the Hebrew word for 'self.' Its Aramaic equivalent is יָת (yat).

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

אֵת the mark of the accusative, prefixed as a rule only to nouns that are definite

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H853 אֵת the mark of the accusative, prefixed as a rule only to nouns that are definite

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

853 'eth ayth

apparent contracted from 226 in the demonstrative sense of

entity; properly, self (but generally used to point out more

definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or

namely):--(as such unrepresented in English).

see HEBREW for 0226

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

אֵת (et) — [Obj.].

sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative

Aramaic equivalent: yat (יָת "whom" H3487)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
HTo — Particle
HTo
The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
and he judged Jephthah the object marker Israel six years and he died Jephthah the Gileadite and he was buried in [the] cities of Gilead
יִשְׂרָאֵ֖לYis.ra.'El Israel H3478 Noun proper
2,508× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
Israel is the symbolic name of Jacob, also referring to his descendants. Jacob, son of Isaac and Rebekah, had 12 sons who became the tribes of Israel, as told in Genesis 25:26. His story is crucial to the Bible's narrative.
Amplified meaning
the descendants of Jacob
Tyndale gloss
Israel
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

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

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

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

n.pr.m. second name of Jacob

n.pr.gent. name of Hebrew nation

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

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

. n. pr. gent. name of Hebrew nation

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

3478 Yisra'el yis-raw-ale'

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

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

--Israel.

see HEBREW for 08280

see HEBREW for 0410

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

יִשְׂרָאֵל (yis.ra.el) — Israel.

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

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

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

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

§ Israel = "God prevails"

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

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

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

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

iz'-ra-el.

See JACOB.

Easton's Bible Dictionary

Israel

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

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

Smith's Bible Dictionary

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

American Tract Society Bible Dictionary

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

The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
and he judged Jephthah the object marker Israel six years and he died Jephthah the Gileadite and he was buried in [the] cities of Gilead
שֵׁ֣שׁshesh six H8337 Noun common · both singular absolute
216× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This Hebrew word means the number six, and is often used in the Bible to describe measurements, like the six days of creation in Genesis 1.
Tyndale gloss
six
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word שֵׁשׁ, transliterated as shesh, means 'six' and can function as both a cardinal and ordinal number, indicating the sixth position. It is a primitive number that signifies an excess beyond five, as noted in the entries. The Aramaic equivalent is שֵׁת (shet).

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

שֵׁשׁ, שִׁשָּׁה 216 n.m. et f. six

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H8337 שֵׁשׁ, שִׁשָּׁה six

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

8337 shesh shaysh

masculine shishshah {shish-shaw'}; a primitive number; six

(as an overplus (see 7797) beyond five or the fingers of the

hand); as ord. sixth:--six((-teen, -teenth)), sixth.

see HEBREW for 07797

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

שֵׁשׁ (shesh) — six.

1) six

1a) six (cardinal number)

1b) sixth (ordinal number)

1c) in combination with other numbers

Aramaic equivalent: shet (שֵׁת "six" H8353)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Adj — Noun common · both singular absolute
HNcbsa
and he judged Jephthah the object marker Israel six years and he died Jephthah the Gileadite and he was buried in [the] cities of Gilead
שָׁנִ֑יםsha.Nim years H8141 Noun common · masculine plural absolute
877× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This word also means a year, like when Abraham was 100 years old in Genesis 21. It is used to describe a period of time, age, or a lifetime.
Tyndale gloss
year
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

שָׁנָה (shaneh) means 'year' and is derived from the root meaning to change or revolve. It encompasses various aspects of time, including divisions of time, measures of age, and even a lifetime. The Aramaic equivalent is שְׁנָה (she.nah), also meaning 'year'.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

שָׁנָה 877 n.f. year (etym. v. √[v.ek.aa])

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H8141 שָׁנָה year (etym. v. √[8138a])

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

8141 shaneh shaw-neh'

(in plura or (feminine) shanah {shaw-naw'}; from 8138; a year

(as a revolution of time):--+ whole age, X long, + old,

year(X -ly).

see HEBREW for 08138

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

שָׁנָה (sha.neh) — year.

1) year

1a) as division of time

1b) as measure of time

1c) as indication of age

1d) a lifetime (of years of life)

Aramaic equivalent: she.nah (שְׁנָה "year" H8140)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-fp — Noun common · masculine plural absolute
HNcmpa
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
Torrey's New Topical Textbook

- The sun and moon appointed to mark out

Ge 1:14

- Early computation of time by

Ge 5:3

- DIVIDED INTO

. Seasons

Ge 8:22

. Months

Ge 7:11; 1Ch 27:1

. Weeks

Da 9:27; Lu 18:12

. Days

Ge 25:7; Es 9:27

- Length of, during the patriarchal age

Ge 7:11; 8:13; 7:24; 8:3

- Commencement of, changed after the exodus

Ex 12:2

and he judged Jephthah the object marker Israel six years and he died Jephthah the Gileadite and he was buried in [the] cities of Gilead
וַיָּ֗מָתvai.Ya.mot and he died H4191 Verb · Qal · sequential imperfect third person masculine singular
840× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
In the Bible, this Hebrew word means to die, either literally or as a punishment, and is used in books like Genesis and Exodus. It can also mean to perish or be killed. This concept is seen in the story of Adam and Eve, where death enters the world as a result of sin.
Amplified meaning
to cease living, or pass away
Tyndale gloss
to die
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

מוּת (mūth) is a Hebrew verb meaning 'to die' or 'to kill.' It encompasses a range of meanings from dying naturally to being executed as a penalty. The word can refer to both humans and animals, and it includes various forms such as causing death or being killed. There is a distinction in usage based on the subject, whether it is a person or God inflicting death.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

מוּת vb. die

Qal

die, of natural or other causes

die as a penalty = be put to death

Po‛lel. kill, put to death, despatch (intens.)

Hiph.

abs., elsewhere c. acc., subj. man

subj. God, by inflicting penalty

of animals killing men

bring to a premature death

Hoph. be killed, put to death

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H4191 מוּת die .. die, of natural or other causes

. die as a penalty = be put to death

. kill, put to death, despatch (intens.)

. . abs., elsewhere c. acc., subj. man

. subj. God, by inflicting penalty

. of animals killing men

. bring to a premature death

. be killed, put to death

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

4191 muwth mooth

a primitive root: to die (literally or figuratively);

causatively, to kill:--X at all, X crying, (be) dead (body,

man, one), (put to, worthy of) death, destroy(-er), (cause to,

be like to, must) die, kill, necro(-mancer), X must needs,

slay, X surely, X very suddenly, X in (no) wise.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

מוּת (mut) — to die.

1) to die, kill, have one executed

1a)(Qal)

1a1) to die

1a2) to die (as penalty), be put to death

1a3) to die, perish (of a nation)

1a4) to die prematurely (by neglect of wise moral conduct)

1b) (Polel) to kill, put to death, dispatch

1c) (Hiphil) to kill, put to death

1d) (Hophal)

1d1) to be killed, be put to death

1d1a) to die prematurely

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Conj | V-Qal-ConsecImperf-3ms — Verb · Qal · sequential imperfect third person masculine singular
Hc/Vqw3ms
and he judged Jephthah the object marker Israel six years and he died Jephthah the Gileadite and he was buried in [the] cities of Gilead
יִפְתָּח֙yif.Tach Jephthah H3316 Noun proper masculine
30× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
Jephthah was an Israelite judge who defeated the Ammonites, but also made a tragic vow that led to the sacrifice of his daughter. His name means 'he opens' and he's mentioned in the book of Judges as a hero of faith. Jephthah was the son of Gilead.
Tyndale gloss
Jephthah
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

יִפְתָּח (Yiphtach) means 'he will open' and refers to both a biblical figure and a location in Judah. Jephthah is noted as a judge of Israel who defeated the Ammonites, with a tragic vow involving his daughter. The word is derived from the root meaning to open, and its usage spans both personal and geographical references.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

יִפְתָּח n.pr.

m. Jephthah

loc. Jos 15:43

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H3316 יִפְתָּח

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

3316 Yiphtach yif-tawkh'

from 6605; he will open; Jiphtach, an Israelite; also a place

in Palestine:--Jephthah, Jiphtah.

see HEBREW for 06605

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

יִפְתָּח (yiph.tach) — Iphtah.

§ Jephthah or Jiphtah = "he opens"

a city in Judah

יִפְתָּח (yiph.tach) — Jephthah.

A Judge living before Israel's Monarchy, first mentioned at Jdg.11.1;

son of: Gilead (H1568I)

Also named: Iephthae (Ἰεφθάε "Jephthah" G2422)

§ Jephthah or Jiphtah = "he opens"

1) a son of Gilead and a concubine and the judge who defeated the Ammonites; after the victory because of a vow taken before the battle he sacrificed his daughter as a burnt offering

2) a city in Judah

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-proper — Noun proper masculine
HNpm
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

jef'-tha (yiphtach, "opened," or "opener," probably signifying "Yahweh will open"; Iephthae; used as the name of a place, as in Jos 15:43; 19:14; of a man, Jud 10:6-12:7): Ninth judge of the Israelites. His antecedents are obscure. Assuming Gilead to be the actual name of his father, his mother was a harlot. He was driven from home on account of his illegitimacy, and went to the land of Tobit in Eastern Syria (Jud 11:2,3). Here he and his followers lived the life of freebooters.

The Israelites beyond the Jordan being in danger of an invasion by the Ammonites, Jephthah was invited by the elders of Gilead to be their leader (Jud 11:5,6). Remembering how they had expelled him…

Easton's Bible Dictionary

Jephthah

Whom God sets free, or the breaker through, a “mighty man of valour” who delivered Israel from the oppression of the Ammonites (Judg. 11:1-33), and judged Israel six years (12:7). He has been described as “a wild, daring, Gilead mountaineer, a sort of warrior Elijah.” After forty-five years of comparative quiet Israel again apostatized, and in “process of time the children of Ammon made war against Israel” (11:5). In their distress the elders of Gilead went to fetch Jephthah out of the land of Tob, to which he had fled when driven out wrongfully by his brothers from his father’s inheritance (2), and the people made him their head and captain. The “elders of Gilead” in their extremity summoned him to their aid, and he at once undertook the conduct of the war against Ammon. Twice he sent an embassy to the king of Ammon, but in…

Smith's Bible Dictionary

(whom God sets free), A judge about B.C. 1143-1137. His history is contained in (Judges 11:1; Judges 12:8) He was a Gileadite, the son of Gilead and a concubine. Driven by the legitimate sons from his father’s inheritance, he went to Tob and became the head of a company of freebooters in a debatable land probably belonging to Ammon. (2 Samuel 10:6) (This land was east of Jordan and southeast of Gilead, and bordered on the desert of Arabia. --ED.) His fame as a bold and successful captain was carried back to his native Gilead; and when the time was ripe for throwing off the yoke of Ammon, Jephthah consented to become the captain of the Gileadite bands, on the condition, solemnly ratified before the Lord in Mizpeh, that int he…

American Tract Society Bible Dictionary

The son of Gilead, was a judge of Israel, and successor to Jair. His history is told in Jud 11:1-12:15. A most affecting incident in it is his devoting his daughter to God as a sacrifice, in consequence of a rash vow.

The arguments on the question whether Jephthah’s daughter was actually sacrificed or not, cannot here be cited. The natural repugnance we feel to such a vow and its fulfillment has led many interpreters to adopt the less obvious theory that she was only condemned to live and die unmarried. There is no intimation in Scripture that God approved of his vow, whatever it was. Paul numbers Jephthah among the saints of the Old Testament distinguished for their faith, Heb 11:32.

and he judged Jephthah the object marker Israel six years and he died Jephthah the Gileadite and he was buried in [the] cities of Gilead
הַגִּלְעָדִ֔יha.gil.'a.Di the Gileadite H1569 Particle · noun gentilic masculine singular absolute
11× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
A Gileadite is someone from Gilead, a descendant of the region or the tribe of Manasseh. They are inhabitants of the 'rocky region' of Gilead.
Tyndale gloss
Gileadite
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

גִּלְעָדִי (Gil`adiy) refers to a Gileadite, someone from the region of Gilead. It is derived from the word for Gilead (גִּלְעָד, H1568), which means 'rocky region.' The term encompasses inhabitants of Gilead and a branch of the tribe of Manasseh descended from Gilead.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

גִּלְעָדִי adj.gent.

of 6 a.

of 5.

of n.pr.loc.

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H1569 גִּלְעָדִי

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

1569 Gil`adiy ghil-aw-dee'

patronymically from 1568; a Giladite or descendant of

Gilad:--Gileadite.

see HEBREW for 01568

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

גִּלְעָדִי (gil.a.di) — Gileadite.

Someone from Gilead

Group of gil.ad (גִּלְעָד "Gilead" H1568)

§ Gileadite = "rocky region"

1) an inhabitant of Gilead -

2) a branch of the tribe of Manasseh, descended of Gilead

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
HTd/Ngmsa — Particle · noun gentilic masculine singular absolute
HTd/Ngmsa
and he judged Jephthah the object marker Israel six years and he died Jephthah the Gileadite and he was buried in [the] cities of Gilead
וַיִּקָּבֵ֖רvai.yi.ka.Ver and he was buried H6912 Verb · Niphal · sequential imperfect third person masculine singular
133× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
To bury means to inter or lay someone to rest, often in a grave or tomb. This word is used throughout the Bible to describe the act of burying the dead, and is translated as bury in the KJV.
Amplified meaning
to lay to rest, or inter
Tyndale gloss
to bury
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

קָבַר (qabar) is a Hebrew verb meaning 'to bury.' It has several forms, including Qal (to bury), Niphal (to be buried), Piel (to bury in masses), and Pual (to be buried). The entries indicate its use in various contexts, including a reference to Genesis 25:10.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

קָבַר 132 vb. bury

Qal 86 bury

Niph. 39 be buried

Pi. bury (in masses)

Pu. Gn 25:10.

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H6912 קָבַר bury

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

6912 qabar kaw-bar'

a primitive root; to inter:--X in any wise, bury(-ier).

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

קָבַר (qa.var) — to bury.

1) to bury

1a) (Qal) to bury

1b) (Niphal) to be buried

1c) (Piel) to bury, bury (in masses)

1d) (Pual) to be buried

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Conj | V-Niphal-ConsecImperf-3ms — Verb · Niphal · sequential imperfect third person masculine singular
Hc/VNw3ms
and he judged Jephthah the object marker Israel six years and he died Jephthah the Gileadite and he was buried in [the] cities of Gilead
בְּעָרֵ֥יbe.'a.Rei in [the] cities of H5892 Preposition · noun common masculine plural construct
1,090× 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 city or town, often a place with a wall or a watchman. It is used to describe a settlement or encampment, like the city of Ai, which is mentioned in the book of Joshua. The word is used to identify specific locations in the Bible.
Amplified meaning
towns or settlements
Tyndale gloss
excitement
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word עִיר (*'iyr*) has meanings related to both excitement and city. It can denote excitement, particularly of terror or rage, as well as refer to a city or town, indicating a place that is guarded or inhabited. The entries suggest a broad application, from fortified cities to simple encampments. There is a specific mention of a man named Ir in 1 Chronicles 4:12.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

עִיר n.[m.] excitement;—of terror; of rage

base

עִיר 1092 n.f. city, town

city, town, abode of men

of fortress in a city

appar. fortified place, of any size

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H5892a עִיר excitement;—of terror; of rage H5892b עִיר city, town . city, town, abode of men

. of fortress in a city

. appar. fortified place, of any size

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

5892 `iyr eer

or (in the plural) par {awr}; or ayar (Judges 10:4)

{aw-yar'}; from 5782 a city (a place guarded by waking or a

watch) in the widest sense (even of a mere encampment or

post):--Ai (from margin), city, court (from margin), town.

see HEBREW for 05782

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

עִיר (ir) — excitement.

1) excitement, anguish

1a) of terror

עִיר (ir) — city.

1) city, town (a place of waking, guarded)

1a) city, town (a place of waking, guarded)

1a) city, town

עִיר (ir) — City (of On).

Combined with on (אֹן "On" H0204)

This name means city, town

Another name of on (אֹן "On" H0204)

עִיר (ir) — Ir-.

#A man of the tribe of Judah living at the time of Divided Monarchy, only mentioned at 1Ch.4.12;

son of: Tehinnah (H8468)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Prep | N-fp — Preposition · noun common masculine plural construct
HR/Ncmpc
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…

and he judged Jephthah the object marker Israel six years and he died Jephthah the Gileadite and he was buried in [the] cities of Gilead
גִלְעָֽד׃ פgil.'Ad Gilead H1568 Noun proper
134× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
Gilead refers to a mountainous region east of the Jordan River, also the name of three Israelites. It means 'rocky region' and is sometimes called 'Mount Gilead'.
Amplified meaning
a mountainous region east of the Jordan River
Tyndale gloss
(Mount) Gilead
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

גִּלְעָד (Gil'ad) refers to a mountainous region east of the Jordan River, known as 'rocky region'. It encompasses both a land area and a city, often divided into northern and southern Gilead. The term also identifies several individuals from the tribe of Manasseh, including a notable figure, Jephthah. The lexicons agree on its geographical significance and historical references.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

גִּלְעָד n.pr.loc. of mountain-range or hill-country, land & city, E. of Jordan territory S. of Jabboḳ

Northern Gilead

more generally, of all Gilead

name of a city

of Israelites living E. of Jordan (as a whole)

treated as n.pr.m.

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H1568 גִּלְעָד of mountain-range or hill-country, land & city, E. of Jordan

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

1568 Gil`ad ghil-awd'

probably from 1567; Gilad, a region East of the Jordan; also

the name of three Israelites:--Gilead, Gileadite.

see HEBREW for 01567

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

גִּלְעָד (gil.ad) — Gilead.

Gilead = "rocky region"

a mountainous region bounded on the west by the Jordan, on the north by Bashan, on the east by the Arabian plateau, and on the south by Moab and Ammon; sometimes called 'Mount Gilead' or the 'land of Gilead' or just 'Gilead'. Divided into north and south Gilead

Also named: gil.a.di (גִּלְעָדִי "Gileadite" H1569)

גִּלְעָד (gil.ad) — Gilead.

A man of the tribe of Manasseh living at the time of Egypt and Wilderness, first mentioned at Num.26.29;

son of: Machir (H4353);

brother of: daughter_of_Machir (H4353I), Peresh (H6570), Sheresh (H8329) and Hammolecheth (H4447);

father of: Abiezer (H0044I), Helek (H2507), Asriel (H0844), Shechem (H7928), Shemida (H8061) and Hepher (H2660A)

§ Gilead = "rocky region"

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-proper — Noun proper
HNpl
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
Easton's Bible Dictionary

Gilead

Hill of testimony, (Gen. 31:21), a mountainous region east of Jordan. From its mountainous character it is called “the mount of Gilead” (Gen. 31:25). It is called also “the land of Gilead” (Num. 32:1), and sometimes simply “Gilead” (Ps. 60:7; Gen. 37:25). It comprised the possessions of the tribes of Gad and Reuben and the south part of Manasseh (Deut. 3:13; Num. 32:40). It was bounded on the north by Bashan, and on the south by Moab and Ammon (Gen.…

(rocky region). A mountainous region bounded on the west by the Jordan, on the north by Bashan, on the east by the Arabian plateau, and on the south by Moab and Ammon. (Genesis 31:21; 3:12-17) It is sometimes called "Mount Gilead," (Genesis 31:25) sometimes "the land of Gilead," (Numbers 32:1) and sometimes simply "Gilead." (Psalms 60:7; Genesis 37:25) The name Gilead, as is usual in Palestine, describes the physical aspect of the country: it signifies "a hard rocky region." The mountains of Gilead, including Pisgah, Abarim and Peor, have a real elevation of from 2000 to 3000 feet; but their apparent elevation on the…

Hitchcock's Bible Names Dictionary

the heap or mass of testimony

Nave's Topical Bible

1. A region east of the Jordan River allotted to the tribes of Reuben and Gad and the half tribe of Manasseh Nu 32:1-30; De 3:13; 34:1; 2Ki 10:33

Reubenites expel the Hagarites from 1Ch 5:9,10,18-22

Ammonites make war against; defeated by Jephthah Jud 11

The prophet Elijah a native of 1Ki 17:1

David retreats to, at the time of Absalom's rebellion 2Sa 17:16,22,24

Pursued into, by Absalom 2Sa 17:26

Absalom defeated and slain in the forests of 2Sa 18:9

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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