Menu

Judges 6:15 — Word Study

Depth

WLCוַיֹּ֤אמֶר אֵלָיו֙ בִּ֣י אֲדֹנָ֔י בַּמָּ֥ה אוֹשִׁ֖יעַ אֶת־ יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל הִנֵּ֤ה אַלְפִּי֙ הַדַּ֣ל בִּמְנַשֶּׁ֔ה וְאָנֹכִ֥י הַצָּעִ֖יר בְּבֵ֥ית אָבִֽי׃

BSAPleasebîy [oh that, if it please you] my LordʼĂdônây [Adonay, the sovereign God] [Gideon] repliedʼâmar howmâh [by what means, in what way] can I saveyâshaʻ [rescue, deliver] IsraelYisrâʼêl [the descendants of Jacob, God's chosen people] Indeedhinnêh is the weakestdal [poorest, least significant] in ManassehMᵉnashsheh [a tribe of Israel] and Iʼânôkîy am the youngesttsâʻîyr [least, most insignificant] in my father’sʼâb [parent's, ancestral] housebayith [family, household]

Word
Listen & take awayJudges 6
English ↓ Download MP3 The Berean Standard Bible chapter audio already hosted for the site's Bible section — verse 15 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 ('a.Vi) — no per-word recordings of the Hebrew exist to link to.
Take it away
Judges 6:15quick helps
In a sentenceGideon expresses doubt about his ability to save Israel, citing his family's weakness and his own insignificance.
Who is speakingGideon, addressing the Lord directly.
Where we areIn the narrative of Gideon's calling to lead Israel against the Midianites.
The hard wordאוֹשִׁ֖יעַ, 'o.Shi.a'
Take awayGideon feels inadequate for the task ahead.
8 commentators on this verse Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them › clause subjectוְ verbאָמַר 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 6:15

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 — Gideon's Callinggenerated

14The LORD turned to him and said, “Go in the strength you have and save Israel from the hand of Midian. Am I not sending you?”
15“Please, my Lord,” Gideon replied, “how can I save Israel? Indeed, my clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the youngest in my father’s house.”
16“Surely I will be with you,” the LORD replied, “and you will strike down all the Midianites as one man.”
17Gideon answered, “If I have found favor in Your sight, give me a sign that it is You speaking with me.

Judges 6:15 captures Gideon's response to God's call to save Israel from the Midianites. Gideon expresses his concerns about his family's standing and his own youth, highlighting a common theme in biblical narratives where God chooses unlikely leaders for significant tasks. This moment sets the stage for Gideon's eventual rise as a leader, emphasizing God's power to work through those who feel inadequate.


Cross References

ReferenceText (BSB)
1Exodus 3:11But Moses asked God, “Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?”
2Exodus 4:10“Please, Lord,” Moses replied, “I have never been eloquent, neither in the past nor since You have spoken to Your servant, for I am slow of speech and tongue.”
3Jeremiah 1:6“Ah, Lord GOD,” I said, “I surely do not know how to speak, for I am only a child!”
4Luke 1:34“How can this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?”
5Exodus 18:21–25Furthermore, select capable men from among the people—God-fearing, trustworthy men who are averse to dishonest gain. Appoint them over the people as leaders of thousands, of hundreds, of fifties, and of tens.

The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 12 references, hung on the phrase they belong to


The Key Word אוֹשִׁ֖יעַ, 'o.Shi.a'generated

The verb יָשַׁע (yasha`) means to save or deliver, often used in contexts of liberation from danger or moral struggles. In this verse, it is in the Hiphil form, indicating Gideon's active role in delivering Israel.

The parsing as an imperfect first person common singular shows that Gideon is expressing his personal inability to fulfill this task, which adds to the sense of his humility and doubt.


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 יֹּ֤אמֶר, and he said, governs the entire verse, with several clauses detailing Gideon's response. The structure highlights Gideon's direct address to God and his subsequent explanation of his perceived inadequacies.

The sentence flows from Gideon's plea to his reasoning about his clan's weakness and his own youth, emphasizing his feelings of insignificance.


Septuagint Backgroundgenerated

The Septuagint translates אוֹשִׁ֖יעַ as σώσω (I will save), which maintains the meaning of deliverance but may imply a broader sense of salvation beyond the immediate context.

This choice reflects a potential interpretation of Gideon's role not just as a military leader but as a savior figure for Israel.


In plain words — the whole versegenerated

Judges 6:15 shows Gideon talking to God, expressing doubt about his ability to save Israel. He feels that his family is the weakest in Manasseh and that he is the youngest in his father's house. This highlights his humility and the theme of God choosing unlikely leaders.


Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated

What does Gideon mean by saying he is the weakest in Manasseh?

Gideon is expressing that his family lacks status and strength compared to others, which makes him feel unqualified for the task ahead.

Why does Gideon refer to himself as the youngest?

Being the youngest typically implies less experience and authority, which contributes to Gideon's feelings of inadequacy in leading Israel.

What does this verse teach about God's choice of leaders?

It illustrates that God often chooses those who are humble and feel inadequate, showing that His strength is made perfect in weakness.

How does Gideon's response reflect common themes in the Bible?

Gideon's doubt mirrors other biblical figures who questioned their calling, such as Moses and Jeremiah, emphasizing the theme of divine empowerment despite human limitations.


Reflection Questionsgenerated

  1. In what areas of my life do I feel inadequate, and how can I trust God to work through my weaknesses?
  2. How can I recognize and embrace the calling God has placed on my life, even if I feel unqualified?
  3. What examples from scripture inspire me to step out in faith despite my fears?
  4. How can I support others who feel inadequate in their callings?

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

Richard Challoner comments on Gideon's humility, noting how God often chooses the humble for great tasks.

Richard Challoner 1691–1781
The meanest in Manasses: Mark how the Lord chooseth the humble (who are mean and little in their own eyes) for the greatest enterprises.
Early Church Fathers on Judges 6 →

Commentators on this verse — 8 expositors, verse by verse

Each of these wrote on Judges 6:15 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.

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

And he said unto him, oh my Lord,.... Whether he had yet suspected who he was, or took him still for some eminent person, is not certain; it is very probable he began to think he was some

Read John Gill on Judges 6 →
Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's Commentary

And he said unto him, Oh my Lord, wherewith shall I save Israel? behold, my family is poor in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father's house. No JFB commentary on these verses.

Read Robert Jamieson on Judges 6 →
Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy Bible

My family, Heb. my thousand; for the tribes were distributed into several thousands, whereof each thousand had his peculiar governor. Poor, i.e. weak and contemptible. I am the least either for age, or for wisdom, and fitness for so great a work.

Read Matthew Poole on Judges 6 →
John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

Judges 6:15 And he said unto him, Oh my Lord, wherewith shall I save Israel? behold, my family [is] poor in Manasseh, and I [am] the least in my father’ s house.Ver. 15. Wherewith shall I save Israel?] Since I want both men and money, - the sinews of war, and authority to order an army. Here Gideon was faithful in weakness, though but weak in faith, and is therefore reckoned among those renowned worthies in Hebrews 11:32. Behold, my family is poor.] He was well descended, but had mean thoughts of himself. True worth is modest, Some render it, My chiliad. Moses had distributed the people into thousands, as Alfred did the English into shires, hundreds, and tenths, or tithings, whereof the…

Read John Trapp on Judges 6 →
Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(15) Oh my Lord.—Here our version deliberately adopts the reading adonî, as in Judges 6:13, and the reason for this reading is that Gideon does not appear to have fully recognised the angel till his disappearance (Judges 6:22). The reading of the Hebrew MSS., however, is Adonai, “Lord;” and if it be correct, we must suppose that Gideon addresses God as recognising that the message came from Him. Wherewith shall I save Israel?—We repeatedly find this preliminary diffidence of humility in those whom God selects for His service. (Comp. Exodus 4:1-13; 1 Samuel 9:21; Isaiah 6:5; Jeremiah 1:6-7, &c.) My family.—Literally, my thousand (Exodus 18:21; 1 Samuel 10:19). Poor.—Rather, the meanest, as…

Read Charles John Ellicott on Judges 6 →
AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible

Verse 15. Wherewith shall I save Israel?] I have neither men nor money. Behold, my family is poor in Manasseh] הנה אלפי הדל, Behold, my thousand is impoverished. Tribes were anciently divided into tens, and fifties, and hundreds, and thousands; the thousands therefore marked grand divisions, and consequently numerous families; Gideon here intimates that the families of which he made a part were very much diminished. But if we take אלפי alpey for the contracted form of the plural, which is frequently in Hebrew nouns joined with a verb in the singular, then the translation will be, "The thousands in Manasseh are thinned;" i.e., this tribe is greatly reduced, and can do little against their…

Read AdamClarke on Judges 6 →
CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

15. Oh Lord] Read with a slight change, Oh my lord as in Judges 6:13. my family … the least] Saul used the same plea, 1 Samuel 9:21. ‘Family’ is lit. ‘thousand,’ a division of the tribe which corresponds to a ‘clan’ (mishpâḥ ?âh); the ‘clan’ or ‘thousand’ consisted of several ‘fathers’ houses,’ the ‘house’ of a number of individuals; see 1 Samuel 10:19-21.

Read Cambridge on Judges 6 →
Albert Barnes1798–1870Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Gideon now perceived that the Lord was speaking to him by His angel. He saw, however, no qualifications in himself, or in his family or tribe, for the office of saviour to his people.

Read Albert Barnes on Judges 6 →

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

“Please, my Lord,” Gideon replied, “how can I save Israel? Indeed, my clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the youngest in my father’s house.”

WEBWorld English Bible2000

He said to him, “O Lord, how shall I save Israel? Behold, my family is the poorest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father’s house.”

MSBMajority Standard Bible2022

“Please, my Lord,” Gideon replied, “how can I save Israel? Indeed, my clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the youngest in my father’s house.”

NETBNew English Translation2006

Gideon said to him, “But Lord, how can I deliver Israel? Just look! My clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the youngest in my family.”

Tyndale line

KJVKing James Version1611

And he said unto him, Oh my Lord, wherewith shall I save Israel? behold, my family is poor in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father’s house.

ASVAmerican Standard Version1901

And he said unto him, Oh, Lord, wherewith shall I save Israel? behold, my family is the poorest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father’s house.

RVARevised Version, American1894

And he said unto him, Oh Lord, wherewith shall I save Israel? behold, my family is the poorest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father’s house.

NWBWebster's Bible1833

And he said to him, O my LORD, by what means shall I save Israel? behold, my family is poor in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father's house.

GNVGeneva Bible1599

And he answered him, Ah my Lord, whereby shall I saue Israel? beholde, my father is poore in Manasseh, and I am the least in my fathers house.

Strictly literal

DBYDarby Translation1890

And he said to him, Ah Lord, wherewith shall I save Israel? behold, my thousand is the poorest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father's house.

YLTYoung's Literal Translation1862

And he saith unto him, 'O, my lord, wherewith do I save Israel? lo, my chief [is] weak in Manasseh, and I the least in the house of my father.'

LSVLiteral Standard Version2020

And he says to Him, “O my Lord, with what do I save Israel? Behold, my chief [is] weak in Manasseh, and I [am] the least in the house of my father.”

ILTInterlinear Literal Translation2000

And he said unto him, Pardon my Lord, wherewith shall I save Israel? behold, my family is the weakest in Menasseh, and I am the youngest of my father's house.

ULBUnlocked Literal Bible2017

Gideon said to him, “Please, Lord, how can I deliver Israel? See, my family is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least important in my father's house.”

From the Latin

DRADouay-Rheims (Challoner)1899

He answered and said: I beseech thee, my lord, wherewith shall I deliver Israel? Behold my family is the meanest in Manasses, and I am the least in my father’s house.

Simplified

FBVFree Bible Version2020

“Excuse me, my lord, but how can I save Israel?” Gideon replied. “My family is the least important of the tribe of Manasseh, and I am the least important person of that family!”

BBEBible in Basic English1949

And he said to him, O Lord, how may I be the saviour of Israel? See, my family is the poorest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father's house.

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.

וַandclauseverbיֹּ֤אמֶרhe.saidprepositional phrase · prepositionalאֵלָיtoו֙himclauseclauseבִּ֣יpardon.meclausenoun phraseאֲדֹנָ֔Lordיmyclauseprepositional phrase · prepositionalבַּbyמָּ֥הhow?verbאוֹשִׁ֖יעַwill.I.delivernoun phrase · objectאֶת(et)יִשְׂרָאֵ֑לIsraelclauseclauseהִנֵּ֤הhere!clauseclausenoun phrase · subjectאַלְפִּfamilyי֙myadjective phrase · predicateהַ[is].theadjective phraseדַּ֣לweakprepositional phraseבִּinמְנַשֶּׁ֔הManassehוְandclausesubjectאָנֹכִ֥יIadjective phrase · predicateהַ[am].theadjective phraseצָּעִ֖ירinsignificantprepositional phraseבְּinnoun phraseבֵ֥יתthe.housenoun phraseאָבִֽmy.fatherיmy

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


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

The Masoretic Text aligns closely with the Septuagint, with 15 of the 16 words matched. The slight differences in wording do not alter the fundamental meaning of Gideon's response.

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

וַיֹּ֤אמֶר אֵלָיו֙ בִּ֣י אֲדֹנָ֔י בַּמָּ֥ה אוֹשִׁ֖יעַ אֶת־ יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל הִנֵּ֤ה אַלְפִּי֙ הַדַּ֣ל בִּמְנַשֶּׁ֔ה וְאָנֹכִ֥י הַצָּעִ֖יר בְּבֵ֥ית אָבִֽי׃

Septuagintthe Greek the translators chose, word by word
וַיֹּ֤אמֶרεἶπενאֵלָיו֙αὐτὸνבִּ֣יἐν|ἐμοίאֲדֹנָ֔יκύριέבַּמָּ֥הἐνאוֹשִׁ֖יעַτίνιאֶת־σώσωהִנֵּ֤הισραηλאַלְפִּי֙ἰδοὺהַדַּ֣לμουבִּמְנַשֶּׁ֔הἐνוְאָנֹכִ֥יκαὶהַצָּעִ֖ירבְּבֵ֥יתἐνאָבִֽי׃πατρός

15 of the 16 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 6:15אָמַרand he saidand he saidאָמַראֶלto himto himאֶלבִּיpardon mepardon meבִּיאָדוֹןO LordO Lordאָדוֹןמָהhow?how?מָהיָשַׁעwill I deliwill I deliverיָשַׁעאֵתthe object the object markאֵתיִשְׂרָאֵלIsraelIsraelיִשְׂרָאֵלהִנֵּהhere!here!הִנֵּהאֶ֫לֶףfamily myfamily myאֶ֫לֶףדַּל[is] the we[is] the weakדַּלמְנַשֶּׁהin Manassehin Manassehמְנַשֶּׁהאָֽנֹכִ֫יand Iand Iאָֽנֹכִ֫יצָעִיר[am] the in[am] the insignצָעִירבֵּיתin [the] hoin [the] house בֵּיתאָבfather myfather myאָבבָּנָהto buildto buildבָּנָהבָּעָהto enquireto enquireבָּעָהאוֹתsign: mirasign: miraculouאוֹתשָׂרָהto striveto striveשָׂרָהדָּלַלto languisto languishדָּלַלנָשָׁהto forgetto forgetנָשָׁהצָעַרbe littlebe littleצָעַרהֵןlook!look!הֵןאֶ֫לֶףcattlecattleאֶ֫לֶףכֹּהthusthusכֹּהיהוהYHWH/GodYHWH/Godיהוהאָדוֹןlordlordאָדוֹןפָּלַלto prayto prayפָּלַליִרְמְיָ֫הJeremiahJeremiahיִרְמְיָ֫האָדוֹןLordLordאָדוֹןכָּ֫כָהthusthusכָּ֫כָהפָּעַלto workto workפָּעַלבַּצָּרָהdearthdearthבַּצָּרָה
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 6:15

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 said to him pardon me O Lord how? will I deliver the object marker Israel here! family my [is] the weak in Manasseh and I [am] the insignificant in [the] house of father my
וַיֹּ֤אמֶרvai.Yo.mer and he said H559 Verb · Qal · sequential imperfect third person masculine singular
5,309× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This Hebrew word means to say or speak, and it's used in many different ways in the Bible. It can mean to command, promise, or think, and it's translated in the KJV as 'answer', 'appoint', or 'command'.
Tyndale gloss
to say
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

אָמַר (amar) is a Hebrew verb meaning 'to say' or 'to utter,' with a broad range of uses including to promise, command, or even boast. It appears in various forms, such as in the Qal (to say), Niphal (to be told), and Hiphil (to avow). The entries highlight its versatility in both spoken and internal contexts, though no specific verse is noted.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

אָמַר 5287 vb. utter, say

Qal

Say

Say in the heart (= think)

Promise

Command (esp. late)

Niph. be said, told

Hiph. avow, avouch (lit. cause to declare)

Hithp. act proudly, boast

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H559 אָמַר utter, say .. Say

. Say in the heart (= think)

. Promise

. Command (esp. late)

. be said, told

. avow, avouch (lit. cause to declare)

. act proudly, boast

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

559 'amar aw-mar'

a primitive root; to say (used with great

latitude):--answer, appoint, avouch, bid, boast self, call,

certify, challenge, charge, + (at the, give) command(-ment),

commune, consider, declare, demand, X desire, determine, X

expressly, X indeed, X intend, name, X plainly, promise,

publish, report, require, say, speak (against, of), X still, X

suppose, talk, tell, term, X that is, X think, use (speech),

utter, X verily, X yet.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

אָמַר (a.mar) — to say.

1) to say, speak, utter

1a) (Qal) to say, to answer, to say in one's heart, to think, to command, to promise, to intend

1b) (Niphal) to be told, to be said, to be called

1c) (Hithpael) to boast, to act proudly

1d) (Hiphil) to avow, to avouch

Aramaic equivalent: a.mar (אֲמַר "to say" H0560)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Conj | V-Qal-ConsecImperf-3ms — Verb · Qal · sequential imperfect third person masculine singular
Hc/Vqw3ms
The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
and he said to him pardon me O Lord how? will I deliver the object marker Israel here! family my [is] the weak in Manasseh and I [am] the insignificant in [the] house of father my
אֵלָיו֙'e.Lav to him H413 Preposition · suffix
5,518× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This Hebrew word means 'to' or 'toward', showing direction or movement. It appears in many books, including Genesis and Exodus, to indicate where someone is going. The KJV translates it in various ways, like 'about', 'according to', or 'against'.
Tyndale gloss
to(wards)
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word אֶל (el) is primarily a preposition indicating motion towards or direction to a person or place. It can also imply entering a limit, presence at a location, or a hostile direction (against). Additionally, it may express concepts such as concerning, in addition to, or according to. The entries highlight its versatility in both physical and metaphorical contexts.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

אֶל (nearly always followed by Makkeph),

prep. denoting motion to or direction towards (whether physical or mental).of motion to or unto a person or place

Where the limit is actually entered, into

Of direction towards anything

Where the motion or direction implied appears from the context to be of a hostile character, אֶל = against

Unto sometimes acquires from the context the sense of in addition to

Metaph. in regard to, concerning, on account of

Of rule or standard according to (rare)

Expressing presence at a spot, against, at, by, not merely after verbs implying motion

Prefixed to other preps. it combines with them the idea of motion or direction to

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H413 אֶל (nearly always followed by Makkeph), . of motion to or unto a person or place

. Where the limit is actually entered, into

. Of direction towards anything

. Where the motion or direction implied appears from the context to be of a hostile character, אֶל = against

. Unto sometimes acquires from the context the sense of in addition to

. Metaph. in regard to, concerning, on account of

. Of rule or standard according to (rare)

. Expressing presence at a spot, against, at, by, not merely after verbs implying motion

. Prefixed to other preps. it combines with them the idea of motion or direction to

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

413 'el ale

(but only used in the shortened constructive form sel {el});

a primitive particle; properly, denoting motion towards, but

occasionally used of a quiescent position, i.e. near, with or

among; often in general, to:--about, according to ,after,

against, among, as for, at, because(-fore, -side), both...and,

by, concerning, for, from, X hath, in(- to), near, (out) of,

over, through, to(-ward), under, unto, upon, whether,

with(-in).

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

אֶל (el) — to(wards).

1) to, toward, unto (of motion)

2) into (limit is actually entered)

2a) in among

3) toward (of direction, not necessarily physical motion)

4) against (motion or direction of a hostile character)

5) in addition to, to

6) concerning, in regard to, in reference to, on account of

7) according to (rule or standard)

8) at, by, against (of one's presence)

9) in between, in within, to within, unto (idea of motion to)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
HRd/Sp3ms — Preposition · suffix
HRd/Sp3ms
and he said to him pardon me O Lord how? will I deliver the object marker Israel here! family my [is] the weak in Manasseh and I [am] the insignificant in [the] house of father my
בִּ֣יbi pardon me H994 Particle
12× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This phrase means please or oh that, used to introduce a request or entreaty, like saying excuse me or if it please you.
Amplified meaning
oh that, if it please you
Tyndale gloss
please
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

בִּי (biy) is a particle used in entreaties, expressing a request or plea, often directed towards a superior. It conveys meanings like 'I pray,' 'please,' or 'excuse me,' and is typically used adverbially in contexts of asking for permission.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

בִּי part. of entreaty, craving permission to address a superior, I pray, excuse me

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H994 בִּי part. of entreaty, craving permission to address a superior, I pray, excuse me

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

994 biy bee

perhaps from 1158 (in the sense of asking); properly, a

request; used only adverbially (always with "my Lord"); Oh

that!; with leave, or if it please:--alas, O, oh.

see HEBREW for 01158

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

בִּי (bi) — please.

1) if it please, pray excuse me, excuse me please

1a) used to introduce an entreaty or request

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Part — Particle
HTj
and he said to him pardon me O Lord how? will I deliver the object marker Israel here! family my [is] the weak in Manasseh and I [am] the insignificant in [the] house of father my
אֲדֹנָ֔י'a.do.Nai O Lord H136 Noun proper
440× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
Adonay is a title used to refer to God, spoken in place of Yahweh as a sign of reverence and respect. It is used throughout the Bible to address God or refer to Him in a formal way. Adonay is a term of worship and devotion.
Amplified meaning
Adonay, the sovereign God
Tyndale gloss
Lord
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

אֲדֹנָי (Adonay) means 'Lord' and is an emphatic form of another Hebrew word for lord. It is used specifically as a title for God, often in place of Yahweh to show reverence. Variations include אֲדֹנִי and אֲדֹנַי, which help distinguish divine from human references.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

אָדוֹן n.m. lord (אֲדֹנִי, אֲדֹנַי, אֲדֹנָי are variations of Mass. pointing to distinguish divine reference fr. human. Pl., with few exc. an intens. pl. of rank; word takes sf. as pl. in all other pers.; so doubtless here. Orig. reading prob. in all cases אֲדֹנַי; אֲדֹנִי now found in J 51 t.)

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H136 אָדוֹן lord (אֲדֹנִי, אֲדֹנַי, אֲדֹנָי are variations of Mass. pointing to distinguish divine reference fr. human. Pl., with few exc. an intens. pl. of rank; word takes sf. as pl. in all other pers.; so doubtless here. Orig. reading prob. in all cases אֲדֹנַי; אֲדֹנִי now found in J 51 t.)

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

136 'Adonay ad-o-noy'

am emphatic form of 113; the Lord (used as a proper name of

God only):--(my) Lord.

see HEBREW for 0113

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

אֲדֹנָי (a.do.nai) — Lord.

Lord - a title, spoken in place of Yahweh in Jewish display of reverence

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

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-mp | Suff — Noun proper
HNpt
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
Easton's Bible Dictionary

Lord

There are various Hebrew and Greek words so rendered.

(1.) Heb. Jehovah, has been rendered in the English Bible LORD, printed in small capitals. This is the proper name of the God of the Hebrews. The form “Jehovah” is retained only in Ex. 6:3; Ps. 83:18; Isa. 12:2; 26:4, both in the Authorized and the Revised Version.

(2.) Heb. ‘adon, means one possessed of absolute control. It denotes a master, as of slaves (Gen. 24:14, 27), or a ruler of his subjects (45:8), or a husband, as lord of his wife (18:12).

The old plural form of this Hebrew word is ’adonai. From a superstitious reverence for the name “Jehovah,” the Jews, in reading their Scriptures, whenever that name…

Smith's Bible Dictionary

[GOD]

American Tract Society Bible Dictionary

This name belongs to God by preeminence; and in this sense ought never to be given to any creature. Jesus Christ, as the Messiah, the Son of God, and equal with the Father, is often called Lord in Scripture, especially in the writing of Paul. The word LORD, in the English Bible, when printed in small capitals, stands always for JEHOVAH in the Hebrew. See JEHOVAH.

Nave's Topical Bible

→ A prince Jos 13:3; Jud 3:3; 1Sa 5:8; 6:4

→ See GOD

→ See JESUS

and he said to him pardon me O Lord how? will I deliver the object marker Israel here! family my [is] the weak in Manasseh and I [am] the insignificant in [the] house of father my
בַּמָּ֥הba.Mah how? H4100 Preposition · pronoun
753× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This Hebrew word means what or how, often used to ask questions or express surprise, like in Genesis when God asks Adam what he has done. It can also mean why or when, and is used in various ways throughout the Old Testament. It appears in many KJV translations, including how or what.
Amplified meaning
by what means, in what way
Tyndale gloss
what?
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

מָה (mah) is a Hebrew word primarily used as an interrogative particle meaning 'what?' or 'how?'. It can also function as an indefinite pronoun, encompassing meanings like 'anything' or 'whatever'. The word is versatile, appearing in various adverbial forms and often used with prefixes to express different nuances, such as reason or manner.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

מָה, rarely מָה־, מַה־, מַה‍ּ, מֶה, מַ‍ּ, מָ—pron.interrog. and indef. what? how? aught

interrog. what?

Used adverbially

Indef. pron.

With preps.

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H4100 מָה, rarely מָה־, מַה־, מַה‍ּ, מֶה, מַ‍ּ, מָ—pron. interrog. and indef. what? how? aught . interrog. what?

. Used adverbially

. Indef. pron.

. With preps.

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

4100 mah maw

or mah {mah}; or ma {maw}; or ma {mah}; also meh {meh}; a

primitive particle; properly, interrogative what? (including

how? why? when?); but also exclamation, what! (including

how!), or indefinitely what (including whatever, and even

relatively, that which); often used with prefixes in various

adverbial or conjunctive senses:--how (long, oft, (-

soever)), (no-)thing, what (end, good, purpose, thing),

whereby(-fore, -in, -to, -with), (for) why.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

מָה (mah) — what?.

interr pron

1) what, how, of what kind

1a) (interrogative)

1a1) what?

1a2) of what kind

1a3) what? (rhetorical)

1a4) whatsoever, whatever, what

1b) (adverb)

1b1) how, how now

1b2) why

1b3) how! (exclamation)

1c) (with prep)

1c1) wherein?, whereby?, wherewith?, by what means?

1c2) because of what?

1c3) the like of what?

1c3a) how much?, how many?, how often?

1c3b) for how long?

1c4) for what reason?, why?, to what purpose?

1c5) until when?, how long?, upon what?, wherefore?

indef pron

2) anything, aught, what may

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Prep | Part — Preposition · pronoun
HR/Pi
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

Represents various Hebrew and Greek words, interrogative, interjectional and relative. Its different uses refer to

(1) the manner or way, e.g. Ge 44:34, "How shall I go up to my father?" ('ekh); Mt 6:28, "how they grow" (pos); 1Co 15:35, "How are the dead raised?";

(2) degree, extent, frequently, "how great" (Da 4:3, mah; Mr 5:19, hosos, "how much"); "how many" (Mt 27:13, posos); "how much" (Ac 9:13, hosos); "how much more" (Mt 7:11, posos;

and he said to him pardon me O Lord how? will I deliver the object marker Israel here! family my [is] the weak in Manasseh and I [am] the insignificant in [the] house of father my
אוֹשִׁ֖יעַ'o.Shi.a' will I deliver H3467 Verb · Hiphil · imperfect first person common singular
206× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
Means to save or be delivered, used in the Bible to describe being freed from danger or trouble, like in battle or from moral struggles, as seen in the Psalms and Proverbs.
Amplified meaning
rescue, deliver
Tyndale gloss
to save
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

יָשַׁע (yasha`) is a Hebrew root meaning to save or deliver. It encompasses various forms of salvation, including liberation from physical and moral troubles, victory in battle, and general safety. The word can appear in different grammatical forms, such as Niph. (to be saved) and Hiph. (to save).

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

[יָשַׁע] vb. Hiph. deliver; Niph. intrans. and pass.

Niph.

be liberated, saved (prop. placed in freedom)

be saved in battle, victorious

Hiph.

deliver, save (prop. give width and breadth to, liberate)

save from moral troubles

give victory to

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H3467 [יָשַׁע] Hiph. deliver; Niph. intrans. and pass. . . be liberated, saved (prop. placed in freedom)

. be saved in battle, victorious

. . deliver, save (prop. give width and breadth to, liberate)

. save from moral troubles

. give victory to

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

3467 yasha` yaw-shah'

a primitive root; properly, to be open, wide or free, i.e.

(by implication) to be safe; causatively, to free or

succor:--X at all, avenging, defend, deliver(-er), help,

preserve, rescue, be safe, bring (having) salvation,

save(-iour), get victory.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

יָשַׁע (ya.sah) — to save.

1) to save, be saved, be delivered

1a) (Niphal)

1a1) to be liberated, be saved, be delivered

1a2) to be saved (in battle), be victorious

1b) (Hiphil)

1b1) to save, deliver

1b2) to save from moral troubles

1b3) to give victory to

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
V-Hiphil-Imperf-1cs — Verb · Hiphil · imperfect first person common singular
HVhi1cs
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

de-liv'-er (natsal, nathan; rhuomai, paradidomi): Occurs very frequently in the Old Testament and represents various Hebrew terms.

The English word is used in two senses,

(1) "to set free," etc.,

(2) "to give up or over."

(1) The word most often translated "deliver" in the first sense is natsal, meaning originally, perhaps, "to draw out." It is used of all kinds of deliverance (Ge 32:11; Ps 25:20; 143:9, etc.; Jer 7:10; Eze 3:19, etc.; Ze 1:18, etc.). The Aramaic netsal occurs in Da 3:29; 6:14; 8:4,7; yasha`, "to save," in Jud 3:9,31 the King James Version, etc. ; malaT…

and he said to him pardon me O Lord how? will I deliver the object marker Israel here! family my [is] the weak in Manasseh and I [am] the insignificant in [the] house of father my
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 said to him pardon me O Lord how? will I deliver the object marker Israel here! family my [is] the weak in Manasseh and I [am] the insignificant in [the] house of father my
יִשְׂרָאֵ֑לYis.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, God's chosen people
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 said to him pardon me O Lord how? will I deliver the object marker Israel here! family my [is] the weak in Manasseh and I [am] the insignificant in [the] house of father my
הִנֵּ֤הhi.Neh here! H2009 Particle
843× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This Hebrew word is an expression that means 'behold' or 'look', often used to draw attention to something. It appears in Genesis and Isaiah, and is translated as 'behold' or 'lo' in the KJV.
Tyndale gloss
behold
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

הִנֵּה (hinneh) is a Hebrew word meaning 'behold' or 'lo!' It serves as a demonstrative particle used to draw attention, appearing in contexts such as Genesis 19:2. The word is derived from a prolongation of another Hebrew term, but the entries do not provide further details on its usage beyond this.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

הִנֵּה, once הִנֶּה־ Gn 19:2, demonstr.part. lo!, behold!

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H2009 הִנֵּה, הִנֶּה־ lo!, behold!

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

2009 hinneh hin-nay'

prolongation for 2005; lo!:--behold, lo, see.

see HEBREW for 02005

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

הִנֵּה (hin.neh) — behold.

behold, lo, see, if

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Part — Particle
HTj
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

her, in composition:

and he said to him pardon me O Lord how? will I deliver the object marker Israel here! family my [is] the weak in Manasseh and I [am] the insignificant in [the] house of father my
אַלְפִּי֙'al.Pi family my H505 Noun common both singular construct · suffix
506× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
A thousand, as in Exodus 20:6 where God shows love to thousands of people. It represents a large number or a company of people under one leader, like an army or a group of soldiers.
Tyndale gloss
thousand
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

אֶ֫לֶף (eleph) means 'thousand' in Hebrew. It can refer to the numeral itself or denote a company or clan, particularly a group of men under one leader. The word is built from the concept of a thousand, and it is associated with the ox's head, which is the first letter of the Hebrew alphabet.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

אֶ֫לֶף n.m. thousand

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H505 אֶ֫לֶף thousand

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

505 'eleph eh'-lef

prop, the same as 504; hence (the ox's head being the first

letter of the alphabet, and this eventually used as a numeral)

a thousand:--thousand.

see HEBREW for 0504

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

אֶ֫לֶף (e.leph) — thousand.

: thousand

1) a thousand

1a) as numeral

2) a thousand, company

2a) as a company of men under one leader, troops

אֶ֫לֶף (e.leph) — thousand: clan.

: clan

1) a thousand

1a) as numeral

2) a thousand, company

2a) as a company of men under one leader, troops

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
HNcbsc/Sp1bs — Noun common both singular construct · suffix
HNcbsc/Sp1bs
and he said to him pardon me O Lord how? will I deliver the object marker Israel here! family my [is] the weak in Manasseh and I [am] the insignificant in [the] house of father my
הַדַּ֣לha.Dal [is] the weak H1800 Particle
47× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
The Hebrew word for someone who is poor or weak, often describing those in need of help or assistance. In the book of Proverbs, it warns against oppressing the poor, and in Psalm 35:10, it describes the needy and the poor. The word is also used in Isaiah 41:17.
Amplified meaning
poorest, least significant
Tyndale gloss
poor
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word דַּל (dal) is built from the root meaning 'dangling' or 'weak.' It covers a range of meanings including low, weak, poor, and thin, and is particularly noted in wisdom literature and poetry. The entries consistently emphasize its connotations of neediness and weakness.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

דַּל adj. low, weak, poor, thin (especially common in Wisd. lit. and poet.)

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H1800 דַּל low, weak, poor, thin (especially common in Wisd. lit. and poet.)

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

1800 dal dal

from 1809; properly, dangling, i.e. (by implication) weak or

thin:--lean, needy, poor (man), weaker.

see HEBREW for 01809

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

דַּל (dal) — poor.

low, poor, weak, thin, one who is low

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Art | Adj — Particle
HTd/Aamsa
and he said to him pardon me O Lord how? will I deliver the object marker Israel here! family my [is] the weak in Manasseh and I [am] the insignificant in [the] house of father my
בִּמְנַשֶּׁ֔הbim.na.Sheh in Manasseh H4519 Preposition · noun proper masculine
146× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
Manasseh was a grandson of Jacob and the ancestor of a large tribe in the Bible, mentioned in Genesis 41:51 and throughout the book of Numbers.
Amplified meaning
a tribe of Israel
Tyndale gloss
Moses
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

מְנַשֶּׁה (Mnashsheh) means 'causing to forget' and refers to several figures in the Old Testament. Primarily, it denotes the eldest son of Joseph and the tribe descended from him, as well as the territory they occupied. Additionally, it identifies a king of Judah, son of Hezekiah, and several individuals mentioned during the Exile and Return. The entries consistently highlight these connections without significant disagreement.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

מְנַשֶּׁה 136 n.pr.m. et trib. Manasseh

Manasseh, eldest son of Joseph

of tribe

son of Hezekiah

two who had taken strange wives

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H4519 מְנַשֶּׁה Manasseh

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

4519 Mnashsheh men-ash-sheh'

from 5382; causing to forget; Menashsheh, a grandson of

Jacob, also the tribe descended from him, and its

territory:--Manasseh.

see HEBREW for 05382

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

מְנַשֶּׁה (me.nash.sheh) — Manasseh.

A man of the tribe of Manasseh living at the time of the Patriarchs, first mentioned at Gen.41.51;

son of: Joseph (H3130) and Asenath (H0621);

brother of: Ephraim (H0669); married to Aramitess (H0761);

father of: Machir (H4353) and Asriel (H0844H)

§ Manasseh = "causing to forget"

1) the eldest son of Joseph and progenitor of the tribe of Manasseh

1a) the tribe descended from Manasseh

1b) the territory occupied by the tribe of Manasseh

2) son of king Hezekiah of Judah and himself king of Judah; he was the immediate and direct cause for the exile

3) a descendant of Pahath-moab who put away a foreign wife in the time of Ezra

4) a descendant of Hashum who put away a foreign wife in the time of Ezra

מְנַשֶּׁה (me.nash.sheh) — Manasseh.

A king of the tribe of Judah living at the time of Divided Monarchy, first mentioned at 2Ki.20.21;

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Prep | N-proper — Preposition · noun proper masculine
HR/Npm
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
Easton's Bible Dictionary

Manasseh

Who makes to forget. “God hath made me forget” (Heb. nashshani), Gen. 41:51. (1.) The elder of the two sons of Joseph. He and his brother Ephraim were afterwards adopted by Jacob as his own sons (48:1). There is an account of his marriage to a Syrian (1 Chr. 7:14); and the only thing afterwards recorded of him is, that his grandchildren were “brought up upon Joseph’s knees” (Gen. 50:23; R.V., “born upon Joseph’s knees”) i.e., were from their birth adopted by Joseph as his own children.

The tribe of Manasseh was associated with that of Ephraim and Benjamin during the wanderings in the wilderness. They encamped on the west side of the tabernacle. According to the census taken at Sinai, this tribe then…

Smith's Bible Dictionary

(forgetting). The thirteenth king of Judah, son of Hezekiah, (2 Kings 21:1) ascended the throne at the age of twelve, and reigned 55 years, from B.C. 608 to 642. His accession was the signal for an entire change in the religious administration of the kingdom. Idolatry was again established to such an extent that every faith was tolerated but the old faith of Israel. The Babylonian alliance which the king formed against Assyria resulted in his being made prisoner and carried off to Babylon in the twenty-second year of his reign, according to a Jewish tradition. There his eyes were opened and he repented, and his prayer was heard and the Lord delivered him, (2 Chronicles 33:12,13) and he returned after some uncertain interval of time to Jerusalem. The altar of the Lord was again…

American Tract Society Bible Dictionary

1. The eldest son of Joseph, born in Egypt. His descendants constituted a full tribe. This was divided in the promised land: one part having settled east of the Jordan, in the country of Bashan, from the river Jabbok northwards; and the other west of the Jordan, between Ephraim and Issachar, extending from the Jordan to the Mediterranean. It was far inferior to Ephraim in wealth and power, according to the prediction of Jacob, Ge 41:50,51 48:1-22 Jos 16:10.

2. The son and impious successor of the good Hezekiah, king of Judah. He began to reign at twelve years old, B. C. 698, and reigned fifty-five years. For his shocking idolatries, tyranny, and cruelties, God suffered him to be carried as a prisoner to Babylon in the twenty-second year of his reign, probably by Esarhaddon king…

Hitchcock's Bible Names Dictionary

forgetfulness; he that is forgotten

and he said to him pardon me O Lord how? will I deliver the object marker Israel here! family my [is] the weak in Manasseh and I [am] the insignificant in [the] house of father my
וְאָנֹכִ֥יve.'a.no.Khi and I H595 Conjunction · pronoun
359× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This simple Hebrew word just means 'I', referring to the speaker, like in Genesis 27 where Esau says 'I' when talking to his father Isaac.
Tyndale gloss
I
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word אָֽנֹכִ֫י (*anokiy*) is a first-person singular pronoun meaning 'I' or 'me.' It is a variant spelling of אֲנִי (*ani*), which also means 'I.' The entries confirm its use as a personal pronoun without significant disagreement among lexicons.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

אָֽנֹכִ֫י, אָנֹ֑כִי pron. 1s. comm. I

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H595 אָֽנֹכִ֫י, אָנֹ֑כִי I

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

595 'anokiy aw-no-kee'

sometimes {aw-no'-kee}; a primitive pro.; I:--I, me, X

which.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

אָֽנֹכִ֫י (a.no.khi) — I.

I (first pers. sing.)

Another spelling of a.ni (אֲנִי, אָֽנֹכִ֫י "I" H0589)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Conj | Pron — Conjunction · pronoun
HC/Pp1bs
and he said to him pardon me O Lord how? will I deliver the object marker Israel here! family my [is] the weak in Manasseh and I [am] the insignificant in [the] house of father my
הַצָּעִ֖ירha.tza.'Ir [am] the insignificant H6810 Particle
23× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This Hebrew word means something or someone is little, young, or insignificant. It appears in the Bible to describe something small in number or size. In the KJV, it is translated as least, little, or small.
Amplified meaning
least, most insignificant
Tyndale gloss
little
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

צָעִיר (tsa`iyr) means little, insignificant, or young. It can refer to something that is small in size or number, as well as to youth or lower status. The entries consistently emphasize its meanings related to size and age, but do not indicate any significant disagreement among lexicons.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

צָעִיר adj. little, insignificant, young

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H6810 צָעִיר little, insignificant, young

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

6810 tsa`iyr tsaw-eer'

or tsanowr {tsaw-ore'}; from 6819; little; (in number) few;

(in age) young, (in value) ignoble:--least, little (one),

small (one), + young(-er, -est).

see HEBREW for 06819

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

צָעִיר (tsa.ir) — little.

1) little, insignificant, young

1a) little, insignificant

1b) insignificant, mean

1c) young, younger, youngest

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Art | Adj — Particle
HTd/Aamsa
and he said to him pardon me O Lord how? will I deliver the object marker Israel here! family my [is] the weak in Manasseh and I [am] the insignificant in [the] house of father my
בְּבֵ֥יתbe.Veit in [the] house of H1004 Preposition · noun common masculine singular construct
2,049× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
The Hebrew word for house refers to a dwelling place, including a family home, temple, or even the human body. It appears in various contexts, such as the temple in Jerusalem or the household of a family. In the Bible, it is often used to describe a place of worship or a family's living space.
Amplified meaning
family, household
Tyndale gloss
place
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word בַּיִת (*bayith*) means 'house' and encompasses a wide range of meanings, including dwelling, family, and place. It can refer to physical structures, such as homes and temples, as well as metaphorical uses like the body or household affairs. The word is built from the root related to 'between' and appears in various contexts throughout the Old Testament.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

בֵּית fem. of בַּיִן, בֵּין prep. between

base

בַּ֫יִת 2034 n.m. house

house

place

receptacle

of house as containing a family

household, family (592 t.)

house, including household affairs

lit. housewards, hence metaph. inwards

מִבַּיִת

adv. on the inside

prep. within

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H1004a בֵּית fem. of בַּיִן, בֵּין prep. between H1004b בַּ֫יִת house

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

1004 bayith bah'-yith

probably from 1129 abbreviated; a house (in the greatest

variation of applications, especially family, etc.):--court,

daughter, door, + dungeon, family, + forth of, X great as

would contain, hangings, home(born), (winter)house(-hold),

inside(-ward), palace, place, + prison, + steward, + tablet,

temple, web, + within(-out).

see HEBREW for 01129

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

בֵּית (bet) — place.

nm

place, origin, between

בַּ֫יִת (ba.yit) — house: home.

: home/temple/building

nm

1) house

1a) house, dwelling habitation

1b) shelter or abode of animals

1c) human bodies (fig.)

1d) of Sheol

1e) of abode of light and darkness

1f) of land of Ephraim

2) place

3) receptacle

4) home, house as containing a family

5) household, family

5a) those belonging to the same household

5b) family of descendants, descendants as organized body

6) household affairs

7) inwards (metaph.)

8) (TWOT) temple

adv

9) on the inside

prep

10) within

בַּ֫יִת (ba.yit) — Beth-(ashbea).

nm

This name is used for a house, habitation

Combined with ash.be.a (אַשְׁבֵּעַ "Ashbea" H0791)

בַּ֫יִת (ba.yit) — Beth (Haggan).

nm

This name is used for a house, habitation

Combined with hag (גַּן "Haggan" H1588)

בַּ֫יִת (ba.yit) — Beth-(togarmah).

nm

This name is used for a house, habitation

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

ov:

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

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

OF, preposition ov. [Gr.]

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

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

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

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

Lamentations 3:1.

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

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

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

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

The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
and he said to him pardon me O Lord how? will I deliver the object marker Israel here! family my [is] the weak in Manasseh and I [am] the insignificant in [the] house of father my
אָבִֽי׃'a.Vi father my H1 Noun common masculine singular construct · suffix
1,213× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
In Hebrew, this word means father, whether literal or figurative. It is used to describe God as the father of his people, as well as human fathers like Abraham. The word is about a paternal relationship or authority.
Amplified meaning
parent's, ancestral
Tyndale gloss
father
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

אָב (av) means 'father' and encompasses various roles such as the literal father of an individual, God as the father of His people, and the head of a household or clan. It can also refer to an ancestor, originator of a profession, or a figure of respect and protection. Notably, it can imply a ruler or chief in later contexts.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

אָב 1101 n.m. father

father of individual

of God as father of his people

head of household, family or clan

ancestor

originator or patron of a class, profession, or art

fig. of producer, generator

fig. of benevolence & protection

term of respect & honor

specif., ruler, chief (late)

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H1 אָב father . father of individual

. of God as father of his people

. head of household, family or clan

. ancestor

. originator or patron of a class, profession, or art

. fig. of producer, generator

. fig. of benevolence & protection

. term of respect & honor

. specif., ruler, chief (late)

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

1 'ab awb

a primitive word; father, in a literal and immediate, or

figurative and remote application):--chief,

(fore-)father(-less), X patrimony, principal. Compare names

in "Abi-".

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

אָב (av) — father.

1) father of an individual

2) of God as father of his people

3) head or founder of a household, group, family, or clan

4) ancestor

4a) grandfather, forefathers - of person

4b) of people

5) originator or patron of a class, profession, or art

6) of producer, generator (fig.)

7) of benevolence and protection (fig.)

8) term of respect and honour

9) ruler or chief (spec.)

Also means: av (אַב "father" H0002)

אָב (av) — (Huram)-abi.

A man living at the time of United Monarchy, first mentioned at 1Ki.7.13; also called Huram-abi (KJV: "Huram my father's") at 2Ch.2.13; 4.16;

Combined with chi.ram (חִירָם "Hiram" H2438H)

אָב (av) — father of.

The father of Gibeon, also known as Abiel - a man of the tribe of Benjamin living at the time of United Monarchy, first mentioned at 1Sa.9.1;

son of: Zeror (H6872C); married to Maacah (H4601N);

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-ms | Suff — Noun common masculine singular construct · suffix
HNcmsc/Sp1bs
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.

Everything we make is available for free because of a generous community of supporters.

Donate