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Judges 5:20 — Word Study

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WLCמִן־ שָׁמַ֖יִם נִלְחָ֑מוּ הַכּֽוֹכָבִים֙ מִמְּסִלּוֹתָ֔ם נִלְחֲמ֖וּ עִם־ סִיסְרָֽא׃

BSAFrommin [the visible universe, the abode of God] the heavensshâmayim [the sky] the starskôwkâb [round or shining celestial bodies] foughtlâcham [to feed on or consume, battling against] from their coursesmᵉçillâh [raised highways or public roads, paths, orbits] they foughtlâcham [battled, consumed] againstʻim [in opposition to, together with] SiseraÇîyçᵉrâʼ [a Canaanite king and general, meaning battle array]

Word
Listen & take awayJudges 5
English ↓ Download MP3 The Berean Standard Bible chapter audio already hosted for the site's Bible section — verse 20 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 (si.se.Ra') — no per-word recordings of the Hebrew exist to link to.
Take it away
Judges 5:20quick helps
In a sentenceThe heavens and the stars are depicted as fighting against Sisera.
Who is speakingThe narrator of the song of Deborah, celebrating God's intervention.
Where we areThis verse is part of a poetic recounting of Israel's victory over Canaanite oppression.
The hard wordנִלְחָ֑מוּ
Take awayThe battle is not just earthly; it involves the cosmos.
8 commentators on this verse Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them › clause verbלָחַם 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 5:20

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 Song of Deborahgenerated

19Kings came and fought; then the kings of Canaan fought at Taanach by the waters of Megiddo, but they took no plunder of silver.
20From the heavens the stars fought; from their courses they fought against Sisera.
21The River Kishon swept them away, the ancient river, the River Kishon. March on, O my soul, in strength!
22Then the hooves of horses thundered— the mad galloping of his stallions.

Judges 5:20 celebrates the victory of Israel over Sisera, highlighting divine intervention in the battle. This poetic song recounts how both earthly and heavenly forces participated in the fight, emphasizing that the outcome was orchestrated by God. The victory over Sisera, a Canaanite general, is portrayed as a triumph not only of Israel but also of the cosmic order.


Cross References

ReferenceText (BSB)
1Joshua 10:11As they fled before Israel along the descent from Beth-horon to Azekah, the LORD cast down on them large hailstones from the sky, and more of them were killed by the hailstones than by the swords of the Israelites.
21 Samuel 7:10As the Philistines drew near to fight against Israel, Samuel was sacrificing the burnt offering. But that day the LORD thundered loudly against the Philistines and threw them into such confusion that they fled before Israel.
3Psalm 77:17–18The clouds poured down water; the skies resounded with thunder; Your arrows flashed back and forth.
4Judges 4:15And in front of him the LORD routed with the sword Sisera, all his charioteers, and all his army. Sisera abandoned his chariot and fled on foot.

The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 4 references, hung on the phrase they belong to

the starsJudges 4:15

The Key Word נִלְחָ֑מוּ, nil.Cha.mugenerated

The verb נִלְחָ֑מוּ (*nilchamu*) is a Niphal form, indicating a passive or reflexive action, meaning 'they fought.' It suggests that the stars engaged in battle, implying a cosmic participation in the conflict against Sisera.

This word is used in contexts of both physical combat and metaphorical consumption, highlighting the intensity of the struggle. The use of the passive form suggests that the fighting is not just a human endeavor but involves divine and celestial forces.


How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated

Translations of this verse generally agree, reflecting the same idea of celestial bodies engaging in battle.


Sentence Structuregenerated

The structure of the verse centers around two finite verbs: נִלְחָ֑מוּ and נִלְחֲמ֖וּ, both meaning 'they fought.' The first verb introduces the action of the stars, while the second verb emphasizes the action of the stars from their courses.

The sentence's arrangement places the heavenly context first, highlighting the divine involvement in the battle before mentioning Sisera, thus establishing the significance of the cosmic struggle.


Septuagint Backgroundgenerated

The Septuagint translates the key elements of this verse with παρετάχαντο, which conveys the idea of taking part or engaging in battle. This choice reflects a broader understanding of participation in the conflict, encompassing both divine and earthly realms.

The Greek term used does not carry the same cosmic imagery as the Hebrew, suggesting a more straightforward interpretation of the fighting.


In plain words — the whole versegenerated

Judges 5:20 describes how the stars from the heavens fought against Sisera. This verse highlights the involvement of both heavenly and earthly forces in the battle, emphasizing that God's power was at work in Israel's victory.


Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated

What does it mean that the stars fought?

This phrase suggests that the cosmos itself participated in the battle, indicating divine intervention in Israel's victory over Sisera.

Why is Sisera significant in this verse?

Sisera was a Canaanite general defeated by Israel, representing oppression. His defeat symbolizes God's deliverance of His people.

How does this verse reflect the relationship between heaven and earth?

The verse illustrates a connection where heavenly bodies are depicted as actively involved in earthly battles, emphasizing God's sovereignty over all creation.

What literary style is used in this verse?

The verse is part of a poetic song, using vivid imagery to convey the dramatic events of the battle and God's role in it.


Reflection Questionsgenerated

  1. What does this verse teach about the nature of God's involvement in our struggles?
  2. How can we recognize the ways in which divine forces may be at work in our lives?
  3. What does the imagery of the stars fighting suggest about the spiritual realm?
  4. In what ways can we draw strength from knowing that God fights for us?

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

Jerome comments on this verse, emphasizing the divine intervention in the battle against Sisera, illustrating how God fought for Israel.

JeromeJudges 5:20 c. 347–420
There was a battle fought against them from heaven. Because in the forty thousand men of Israel a shield and spear could not be found, therefore the Lord fought for them from heaven with hailstones and fire against their enemies.
Early Church Fathers on Judges 5 →

Commentators on this verse — 8 expositors, verse by verse

Each of these wrote on Judges 5:20 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.

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

They fought from heaven,.... Either the angels of heaven, afterwards called stars; or the heavens, the elements, fought for Israel, and against Sisera; a violent storm of rain and hail falling at

Read John Gill on Judges 5 →
Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's Commentary

They fought from heaven; the stars in their courses fought against Sisera. The stars in their courses fought - a fearful tempest burst upon them, and threw them into disorder.

Read Robert Jamieson on Judges 5 →
Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy Bible

Or, they from heaven, or the heavenly host fought, by thunder, and lightning, and hailstones, possibly mingled with fire. Compare . The stars; which raised those storms by their influences, which they do naturally and ordinarily, but now far more, when God sharpened their influences, and disposed the air to receive and improve their impressions. In their courses, or, from their paths, or stations, or high places. As soldiers fight in their ranks and places assigned them, so did these, and that with advantage, as those enemies do which fight from the higher ground.

Read Matthew Poole on Judges 5 →
John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

Judges 5:20 They fought from heaven; the stars in their courses fought against Sisera.Ver. 20. They fought from heaven.] Where the Lord of hosts hath his Magnleh cheloth, his upper forces, say the Rabbins, as on earth he hath his Matteh cheloth, his lower forces ready prest. And sins unpardoned can soon raise the posse comitatus, all the armies of God against men. The stars in their courses.] Like soldiers that observed both rank and file. Fought against Sisera,] s.c., By their extraordinary influences stirring up storms and tempests. See Joseph. "Antiq.," lib. v.

Read John Trapp on Judges 5 →
Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(20) They fought from heaven.—The “they” is impersonal—the powers above. (Comp. Luke 12:20, Greek, and for the fact, Judges 4:22.) The stars in their courses.—This is probably a general reference to the providential storms which had secured the victory to Israel. To understand the “stars” as meaning “angels” is a mistaken inference from Job 38:7. There is a striking parallel in Claudian’s poem on the Consulship of Honorius:— “Oh nimium dilecte Deo, cui militat aether Et conjurati veniunt ad classica venti.” Similarly, Æschylus represents “water and fire, in ruin reconciled,” fighting against the Greek fleet.

Read Charles John Ellicott on Judges 5 →
AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible

Verse 20. They fought from heaven] The angels of God came to the assistance of Israel: and the stars in their orbits fought against Sisera; probably some thunder storm, or great inundation from the river Kishon, took place at that time, which in poetic language was attributed to the stars. So our poet sung relative to the storms which dispersed the Spanish armada in 1588: - "Both winds and waves at once conspire To aid old England-frustrate Spain's desire." Perhaps it means no more than this: the time which was measured and ruled by the heavenly bodies seemed only to exist for the destruction of the Canaanites. There may be also a reference to the sun and moon standing still in the days of…

Read AdamClarke on Judges 5 →
CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

20. Render with a slight change of the stop: From heaven fought the stars: From their highways they fought with Sisera. The kings fought … The stars fought] A splendid contrast. Jehovah used the forces of nature as His allies and instruments; cf. Joshua 10:11; 1 Samuel 7:10; Psalms 18:14; Jeremiah 23:19. Here it was the tempest (Judges 5:4 f.), flooding the Kishon (Judges 5:21), which providentially helped the Israelites.

Read Cambridge on Judges 5 →
Albert Barnes1798–1870Barnes' Notes on the Bible

God fought on the side of Israel, and gave them the victory. Josephus relates that, just as the battle began, a violent tempest came on with a great downfall of rain; and a hailstorm, which, driving

Read Albert Barnes on Judges 5 →

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

From the heavens the stars fought; from their courses they fought against Sisera.

WEBWorld English Bible2000

From the sky the stars fought. From their courses, they fought against Sisera.

MSBMajority Standard Bible2022

From the heavens the stars fought; from their courses they fought against Sisera.

NETBNew English Translation2006

From the sky the stars fought, from their paths in the heavens they fought against Sisera.

Tyndale line

KJVKing James Version1611

They fought from heaven; the stars in their courses fought against Sisera.

ASVAmerican Standard Version1901

From heaven fought the stars, From their courses they fought against Sisera.

RVARevised Version, American1894

They fought from heaven, the stars in their courses fought against Sisera.

NWBWebster's Bible1833

They fought from heaven; the stars in their courses fought against Sisera.

GNVGeneva Bible1599

They fought from heauen, euen the starres in their courses fought against Sisera.

Strictly literal

DBYDarby Translation1890

From heaven was the fight; The stars from their courses fought with Sisera.

YLTYoung's Literal Translation1862

From the heavens they fought: The stars from their highways fought with Sisera.

LSVLiteral Standard Version2020

They fought from the heavens: The stars fought with Sisera from their highways.

ILTInterlinear Literal Translation2000

From heaven they fought—the stars in their courses fought against Sissera.

ULBUnlocked Literal Bible2017

From heaven the stars fought, from their paths across the heavens they fought against Sisera.

From the Latin

DRADouay-Rheims (Challoner)1899

War from heaven was made against them, the stars remaining in their order and courses fought against Sisara.

Simplified

FBVFree Bible Version2020

The stars fought from heaven. The stars in their courses fought against Sisera.

BBEBible in Basic English1949

The stars from heaven were fighting; from their highways they were fighting against Sisera.

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.

clauseprepositional phrase · prepositionalמִןfromשָׁמַ֖יִםheavenverbנִלְחָ֑מוּthey.foughtnoun phrase · subjectהַtheכּֽוֹכָבִים֙starsclauseprepositional phrase · prepositionalמִfromnoun phraseמְּסִלּוֹתָ֔highwaysםtheirverbנִלְחֲמ֖וּthey.foughtprepositional phrase · prepositionalעִםwithסִיסְרָֽאSisera

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 agree closely, with all eight words matched. This indicates a strong textual consistency between these witnesses in conveying the same message about the heavenly forces fighting against Sisera.

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

מִן־ שָׁמַ֖יִם נִלְחָ֑מוּ הַכּֽוֹכָבִים֙ מִמְּסִלּוֹתָ֔ם נִלְחֲמ֖וּ עִם־ סִיסְרָֽא׃

Septuagintthe Greek the translators chose, word by word
מִן־ἐχשָׁמַ֖יִםοὐρανοῦנִלְחָ֑מוּπαρετάχαντοהַכּֽוֹכָבִים֙ἀστέρεςמִמְּסִלּוֹתָ֔םαὐτῶνנִלְחֲמ֖וּπαρετάχαντοעִם־μετὰסִיסְרָֽא׃σισαρα

8 of the 8 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 5:20מִן־fromfromמִן־שָׁמַיheavenheavenשָׁמַילָחַםthey foughtthey foughtלָחַםכּוֹכָבthe starsthe starsכּוֹכָבמְסִלָּהfrom highwafrom highways tמְסִלָּהלָחַםthey foughtthey foughtלָחַםעִםwithwithעִםסִיסְרָאSiseraSiseraסִיסְרָאסָלַלto buildto buildסָלַלעָמַםto darkento darkenעָמַםמֵןstringstringמֵןכַּבוֹןCabbonCabbonכַּבוֹןכָּוָהto burnto burnכָּוָהעַמּוֹןAmmonAmmonעַמּוֹןפְּלִשְׁתִּי(Sea of th(Sea of the) Phפְּלִשְׁתִּירָחַקto removeto removeרָחַקיָתַרto remainto remainיָתַרעוֹףbirdbirdעוֹףכּוֹכָבstarstarכּוֹכָביָרֵחַmoonmoonיָרֵחַקָדַרbe darkbe darkקָדַרבְּרֵכָהpoolpoolבְּרֵכָהכָּבַסto washto washכָּבַסשָׁכַבto lie dowto lie down: laשָׁכַבקָבַרto buryto buryקָבַרבַּרְקוֹסBarkosBarkosבַּרְקוֹס
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 5:20

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.

from heaven they fought the stars from highways their they fought with Sisera
מִן־min- from H4480 Preposition
1,189× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This Hebrew word means a portion or part of something, and is often used to show the relationship between things, like from or out of something.
Amplified meaning
the visible universe, the abode of God
Tyndale gloss
from
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word מִן־ (*min*) is a preposition meaning 'from' or 'out of,' indicating separation or origin. It covers various uses, including temporal references, comparisons, and causal relationships. Additionally, it can denote a portion when used as a noun מֵן (*men*). The entries highlight its versatility in expressing different nuances of separation and position.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

מִן־, and מִ, before יְ, prep. expressing the idea of separation, hence out of, from, on account of, off, on the side of, since, above, than, so that not

with verbs expressing (or implying) separation or removal

from, against

מן also, without a verb of similar significance, sometimes expresses the idea of separation, away from, far from

of position, off, on the side of, on

Out of, Gk. ἐκ, Lat. ex

Partitively

Of time—

as marking the terminus a quo, the anterior limit of a continuous period from, since

as marking the period immediately succeeding the limit after

towards, to

(וְעַד) עַד … מִן from … even to

In comparisons, beyond, above

מן is prefixed to an infin.:

with causal force, from, on account of, through

after verbs implying restraint, prevention, cessation, etc.

with a temporal force, since, after

Once as a conj. before a finite verb. that

In compounds:

base

Read the full entry →
Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H4480a מִן־, מִ, prep. expressing the idea of separation, hence out of, from, on account of, off, on the side of, since, above, than, so that not . with verbs expressing (or implying) separation or removal . from, against

. מן also, without a verb of similar significance, sometimes expresses the idea of separation, away from, far from

. of position, off, on the side of, on

. Out of, Gk. ἐκ, Lat. ex

. Partitively

. Of time— . as marking the terminus a quo, the anterior limit of a continuous period from, since

. as marking the period immediately succeeding the limit after

. towards, to

. (וְעַד) עַד … מִן from … even to

. In comparisons, beyond, above

. מן is prefixed to an infin.: . with causal force, from, on account of, through

. after verbs implying restraint, prevention, cessation, etc.

. with a temporal force, since, after

. Once as a conj. before a finite verb. that

Read the full entry →
Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

4480 min min

or minniy {min-nee'}; or minney (constructive plural)

{min-nay'}; (Isaiah 30:11); for 4482; properly, a part of;

hence (prepositionally), from or out of in many senses (as

follows):--above, after, among, at, because of, by (reason

of), from (among), in, X neither, X nor, (out) of, over,

since, X then, through, X whether, with.

see HEBREW for 04482

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

מִן־ (min) — from.

prep

1) from, out of, on account of, off, on the side of, since, above, than, so that not, more than

1a) from (expressing separation), off, on the side of

1b) out of

1b1) (with verbs of proceeding, removing, expelling)

1b2) (of material from which something is made)

1b3) (of source or origin)

1c) out of, some of, from (partitively)

1d) from, since, after (of time)

1e) than, more than (in comparison)

1f) from...even to, both...and, either...or

1g) than, more than, too much for (in comparisons)

1h) from, on account of, through, because (with infinitive)

conj

2) that

Aramaic equivalent: min (מִן־ "from" H4481)

מֵן (men) — portion.

n.m.

portion

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Prep — Preposition
HR
from heaven they fought the stars from highways their they fought with Sisera
שָׁמַ֖יִםsha.Ma.yim heaven H8064 Noun common · masculine plural absolute
421× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
The Hebrew word for heaven or sky, it refers to the visible universe and the abode of God. It is often used in the Bible to describe the dwelling place of celestial bodies.
Amplified meaning
the sky
Tyndale gloss
heaven
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word שָׁמַיִם (*shamayim*) is a dual noun meaning 'heavens' or 'sky.' It refers to the visible heavens where celestial bodies are found, as well as the abode of God. The dual form may suggest both the arch of the sky and the higher ether. It is noted in contexts such as Elijah's ascent in a whirlwind.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

[שָׁמַי] n.m. only pl. שָׁמַיִם 421 heavens, sky

visible heavens, sky, where stars, etc., are

phrases

as abode of God

Elijah taken up הַשּׁ׳ in whirlwind

הַשּׁ׳ personified in various relations

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H8064 שָׁמַי only pl. שָׁמַיִם heavens, sky . . visible heavens, sky, where stars, etc., are

. phrases

. . as abode of God

. Elijah taken up הַשּׁ׳ in whirlwind

. הַשּׁ׳ personified in various relations

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

8064 shamayim shaw-mah'-yim

dual of an unused singular shameh {shaw-meh'}; from an unused

root meaning to be lofty; the sky (as aloft; the dual perhaps

alluding to the visible arch in which the clouds move, as well

as to the higher ether where the celestial bodies

revolve):--air, X astrologer, heaven(-s).

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

שָׁמַיִם (sha.ma.yim) — heaven.

1) heaven, heavens, sky

1a) visible heavens, sky

1a1) as abode of the stars

1a2) as the visible universe, the sky, atmosphere, etc

1b) Heaven (as the abode of God)

Aramaic equivalent: sha.ma.yin (שָׁמַ֫יִן "heaven" H8065)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-mp — Noun common · masculine plural absolute
HNcmpa
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

hev'-'n.

See ASTRONOMY.

Easton's Bible Dictionary

Heaven

(1.) Definitions. The phrase “heaven and earth” is used to indicate the whole universe (Gen. 1:1; Jer. 23:24; Acts 17:24). According to the Jewish notion there were three heavens,

(a) The firmament, as “fowls of the heaven” (Gen. 2:19; 7:3, 23; Ps. 8:8, etc.), “the eagles of heaven” (Lam. 4:19), etc.

(b) The starry heavens (Deut. 17:3; Jer. 8:2; Matt. 24:29).

Smith's Bible Dictionary

There are four Hebrew words thus rendered in the Old Testament which we may briefly notice. Raki’a , Authorized Version, firmament. [FIRMAMENT] Shamayim . This is the word used in the expression "the heaven and the earth," or "the upper and lower regions." (Genesis 1:1) Marom , used for heaven in (Psalms 18:16; Isaiah 24:18; Jeremiah 25:30). Properly speaking it means a mountain as in (Psalms 102:19; Ezekiel 17:23) Shechakim , "expanses," with reference to the extent of heaven. (33:26; Job 35:5) St. Paul’s expression "third heaven," (

from heaven they fought the stars from highways their they fought with Sisera
נִלְחָ֑מוּnil.Cha.mu they fought H3898 Verb · Niphal · perfect third person common plural
177× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
In the Bible, this word means to feed on or consume something, often referring to eating food or battling against someone. It's used in stories like David's battles and the Israelites' struggles in the wilderness.
Amplified meaning
to feed on or consume, battling against
Tyndale gloss
to fight
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word לָחַם (lacham) has two primary meanings: to fight or do battle, and to eat or use as food. It is a primitive root that conveys both the act of engaging in combat and the act of consuming food. The entries indicate that the word can imply destruction in the context of battle.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

[לָחַם] 171 vb. fight, do battle

Qal fight, do battle

Niph. engage in battle (recipr.), sometimes wage war

base

[לָחַם] vb. use as food, eat

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H3898a לָחַם fight, do battle .fight, do battle

. engage in battle (recipr.), sometimes wage war

H3898b לָחַם use as food, eat

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

3898 lacham law-kham'

a primitive root; to feed on; figuratively, to consume; by

implication, to battle (as destruction):--devour, eat, X ever,

fight(-ing), overcome, prevail, (make) war(-ring).

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

לָחַם (la.cham) — to fight.

1) to fight, do battle, make war

1a) (Qal) to fight, do battle

1b) (Niphal) to engage in battle, wage war

לָחַם (la.cham) — to feed on.

(Qal) to eat, use as food

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
V-Niphal-Perf-3cp — Verb · Niphal · perfect third person common plural
HVNp3cp
from heaven they fought the stars from highways their they fought with Sisera
הַכּֽוֹכָבִים֙ha.ko.kha.Vim the stars H3556 Particle · noun common masculine plural absolute
37× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
A star is a round or shining celestial body, and can also symbolize a prince or leader. It is used figuratively in the Bible to describe the Messiah or God's omniscience.
Amplified meaning
round or shining celestial bodies
Tyndale gloss
star
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

כּוֹכָב (kowkab) means 'star' and is likely derived from a root related to rolling or blazing. It can refer to a literal star or figuratively to a prince or significant figure, including associations with the Messiah and God's omniscience.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

כּוֹכָב n.m. star

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H3556 כּוֹכָב star

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

3556 kowkab ko-kawb'

probably from the same as 3522 (in the sense of rolling) or

3554 (in the sense of blazing); a star (as round or as

shining); figuratively, a prince:--star((-gazer)).

see HEBREW for 03522

see HEBREW for 03554

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

כּוֹכָב (ko.khav) — star.

1) star

1a) of Messiah, brothers, youth, numerous progeny, personification, God's omniscience (fig.)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Art | N-mp — Particle · noun common masculine plural absolute
HTd/Ncmpa
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
Easton's Bible Dictionary

Stars

The eleven stars (Gen. 37:9); the seven (Amos 5:8); wandering (Jude 1:13); seen in the east at the birth of Christ, probably some luminous meteors miraculously formed for this specific purpose (Matt. 2:2-10); stars worshipped (Deut. 4:19; 2 Kings 17:16; 21:3; Jer. 19:13); spoken of symbolically (Num. 24:17; Rev. 1:16, 20; 12:1). (See ASTROLOGERS.)

Nave's Topical Bible

→ Created by God Ge 1:16; Job 26:13; Ps 8:3; 33:6; 136:7,9; Am 5:8

→ Differ in splendor 1Co 15:41

→ Worship of, forbidden De 4:19

→ Worshiped 2Ki 17:16; 21:3; 23:5; Jer 19:13; Am 5:26; Zep 1:5; Ac 7:42,43

→ Constellations of Isa 13:10

Thompson Chain Reference topics

general references to

Ge 1:16; Jud 5:20; Job 38:7; Ps 8:3; 147:4; 1Co 15:41; Re 22:16

from heaven they fought the stars from highways their they fought with Sisera
מִמְּסִלּוֹתָ֔םmi.me.si.lo.Tam from highways their H4546 Preposition · noun common feminine plural construct · suffix
27× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This word means a raised highway or public road, like the ones built by King Solomon. It is used in books like Numbers and Isaiah to describe paths and roadways.
Amplified meaning
raised highways or public roads, paths, orbits
Tyndale gloss
highway
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

מְסִלָּה (mesillah) means 'highway' and refers to a thoroughfare, which can be literal, like a public road, or figurative, such as a path or course. It is derived from the root word for 'to tread' or 'to walk' (H5549). The entries consistently emphasize its meaning related to roads and pathways.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

מְסִלָּה n.f. highway

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H4546 מְסִלָּה highway

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

4546 mcillah mes-il-law'

from 5549; a thoroughfare (as turnpiked), literally or

figuratively; specifically a viaduct, a staircase:--causeway,

course, highway, path, terrace.

see HEBREW for 05549

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

מְסִלָּה (me.sil.lah) — highway.

highway, raised way, public road

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Prep | N-fp | Suff — Preposition · noun common feminine plural construct · suffix
HR/Ncfpc/Sp3mp
from heaven they fought the stars from highways their they fought with Sisera
נִלְחֲמ֖וּnil.cha.Mu they fought H3898 Verb · Niphal · perfect third person common plural
177× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
In the Bible, this word means to feed on or consume something, often referring to eating food or battling against someone. It's used in stories like David's battles and the Israelites' struggles in the wilderness.
Amplified meaning
battled, consumed
Tyndale gloss
to fight
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word לָחַם (lacham) has two primary meanings: to fight or do battle, and to eat or use as food. It is a primitive root that conveys both the act of engaging in combat and the act of consuming food. The entries indicate that the word can imply destruction in the context of battle.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

[לָחַם] 171 vb. fight, do battle

Qal fight, do battle

Niph. engage in battle (recipr.), sometimes wage war

base

[לָחַם] vb. use as food, eat

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H3898a לָחַם fight, do battle .fight, do battle

. engage in battle (recipr.), sometimes wage war

H3898b לָחַם use as food, eat

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

3898 lacham law-kham'

a primitive root; to feed on; figuratively, to consume; by

implication, to battle (as destruction):--devour, eat, X ever,

fight(-ing), overcome, prevail, (make) war(-ring).

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

לָחַם (la.cham) — to fight.

1) to fight, do battle, make war

1a) (Qal) to fight, do battle

1b) (Niphal) to engage in battle, wage war

לָחַם (la.cham) — to feed on.

(Qal) to eat, use as food

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
V-Niphal-Perf-3cp — Verb · Niphal · perfect third person common plural
HVNp3cp
from heaven they fought the stars from highways their they fought with Sisera
עִם־'im- with H5973 Preposition
1,052× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This Hebrew word means with or together, like when God is with his people in Exodus 33:14-15. It's used to describe accompaniment or association, and can also mean against or beside. The word is used to convey a sense of relationship or proximity between people or things.
Amplified meaning
in opposition to, together with
Tyndale gloss
with
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

עִם (im) is a preposition meaning 'with' and covers a range of relationships, including companionship, locality, and possession. It can imply actions done jointly, equality, or even opposition in contexts like combat. The related form מֵעִם (me.im) means 'from with' or 'beside.' The entries reflect various nuances but do not present significant disagreement.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

עִם prep. with

of fellowship and companionship

of aid

Of actions done jointly with another

If the common action be of the nature of a contest or combat, with in the sense of against

Of dealing with a person, or of the relation in which one stands with, or towards, another

Of a common lot together with the wicked

Of equality or resemblance generally aid

Of time, as long as

Of a locality, close to, beside

Of persons, עִם is spec.

in the house or family or service of

In possession of

In the custody or care of

Beside = except

With = friendly with

Idiom. of a thought or purpose present with one

Metaph. together with = in spite of, notwithstanding

base

מֵעִם 72 from with or beside

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H5973a עִם with . of fellowship and companionship

. Of a locality, close to, beside

. Of persons, עִם is spec. . in the house or family or service of

. In possession of

. In the custody or care of

. Beside = except

. With = friendly with

. Idiom. of a thought or purpose present with one

. Metaph. together with = in spite of, notwithstanding

H5973b מֵעִם from with, beside

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

5973 `im eem

from 6004; adverb or preposition, with (i.e. in conjunction

with), in varied applications; specifically, equally with;

often with prepositional prefix (and then usually

unrepresented in English):--accompanying, against, and, as (X

long as), before, beside, by (reason of), for all, from

(among, between), in, like, more than, of, (un-)to,

with(-al).

see HEBREW for 06004

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

עִם (im) — with.

1) with

1a) with

1b) against

1c) toward

1d) as long as

מֵעִם (me.im) — from with.

1a) beside, except

1b) in spite of

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Prep — Preposition
HR
from heaven they fought the stars from highways their they fought with Sisera
סִיסְרָֽא׃si.se.Ra' Sisera H5516 Noun proper masculine
21× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
Sisera was a Canaanite king and general who was slain by Jael. His name means battle array and he is mentioned in the Bible as a conquering general under king Jabin of Hazor.
Amplified meaning
a Canaanite king and general, meaning battle array
Tyndale gloss
Sisera
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

סִיסְרָא (sis.ra) refers to Sisera, a Canaanite general under King Jabin of Hazor, known for being defeated by Jael. The name is associated with 'battle array' and appears in contexts relating to both the conquest of Israel and the return from exile, indicating its historical significance.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

סִיסְרָא 21 n.pr.m.

general of Jabin, king of Hazor

returned exiles

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H5516 סִיסְרָא

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

5516 Ciycra'; see-ser-aw'

of uncertain derivation; Sisera, the name of a Canaanitish

king and of one of the Nethinim:--Sisera.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

סִיסְרָא (sis.ra) — Sisera.

A man living before Israel's Monarchy, first mentioned at Jdg.4.2

§ Sisera = "battle array"

1) the conquering general under king Jabin of Hazor and slain by Jael

2) ancestor of a family of temple slaves who returned from exile with Zerubbabel

סִיסְרָא (sis.ra) — Sisera.

A man living at the time of Exile and Return, first mentioned at Ezr.2.53

§ Sisera = "battle array"

1) the conquering general under king Jabin of Hazor and slain by Jael

2) ancestor of a family of temple slaves who returned from exile with Zerubbabel

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

sis'-er-a (cicera', of doubtful meaning; S(e)isara):

(1) Given in Judges 4 as the captain of the army of Jabin, king of Hazor. The accounts given of the battle of Sisera with Barak, as found in Judges 4 and 5, have important points of difference. The first is a prose, the second a poetic narrative. In the first only Naphtali and Zebulun are mentioned as being under the command of Barak; in the second 6 tribes are given as being under his command. In Judges 4 Sisera is known as the captain of Jabin's forces, while in Judges 5 he seems to have been an independent leader. There is also a difference as to the scene of the battle and as to the manner in which Sisera met his death at the hand of Jael. Because of these points of difference, added to the fact that this is the only account, in these early times, where a king did not lead his own forces, it is thought by many that there is here…

Easton's Bible Dictionary

Sisera

(Egypt. Ses-Ra, “servant of Ra”). (1.) The captain of Jabin’s army (Judg. 4:2), which was routed and destroyed by the army of Barak on the plain of Esdraelon. After all was lost he fled to the settlement of Heber the Kenite in the plain of Zaanaim. Jael, Heber’s wife, received him into her tent with apparent hospitality, and “gave him butter” (i.e., lebben, or curdled milk) “in a lordly dish.” Having drunk the refreshing beverage, he lay down, and soon sank into the sleep of the weary. While he lay asleep Jael crept stealthily up to him, and taking in her hand one of the tent pegs, with a mallet she drove it with such force through his temples that it entered into the ground where he lay, and “at her feet he bowed, he fell; where he bowed, there he fell down dead.” The part of Deborah’s song (

American Tract Society Bible Dictionary

A general in the army of Jabin king of Hazor, sent by his master against Barak and Deborah, who occupied Mount Tabor with an army. Being defeated, he fled on foot, and was ingloriously slain by Jael, Jud 4:1-5:31. See JAEL.

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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