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Judges 8:4 — Word Study

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WLCוַיָּבֹ֥א גִדְע֖וֹן הַיַּרְדֵּ֑נָה עֹבֵ֣ר ה֗וּא וּשְׁלֹשׁ־ מֵא֤וֹת הָאִישׁ֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר אִתּ֔וֹ עֲיֵפִ֖ים וְרֹדְפִֽים׃

BSAThen GideonGidʻôwn [the hewer, a judge of Israel] and hisʼêth threeshâlôwsh hundredmêʼâh menʼîysh camebôwʼ to the JordanYardên [a key location, a border to be crossed] [and] crossed itʻâbar [to pass over, transitioning to a new phase] exhaustedʻâyêph [faint, weary, overcome with weariness] yet still in pursuitrâdaph [pursuing, chasing after, in relentless follow-up]

Word
Listen & take awayJudges 8
English ↓ Download MP3 The Berean Standard Bible chapter audio already hosted for the site's Bible section — verse 4 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 (ve.ro.de.Fim) — no per-word recordings of the Hebrew exist to link to.
Take it away
Judges 8:4quick helps
In a sentenceGideon and his three hundred men arrive at the Jordan, weary but determined to continue their pursuit.
Who is speakingGideon, a judge of Israel, leading his men.
Where we areThe moment after a significant victory over the Midianites, as they cross a crucial geographical boundary.
The hard wordעֲיֵפִ֖ים
Take awayDespite their exhaustion, they remain committed to their mission.
8 commentators on this verse Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them › clause subjectגִּדְעוֹן verbבּוֹא 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 8:4

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 Pursuit of Midiangenerated

3God has delivered Oreb and Zeeb, the two princes of Midian, into your hand. What was I able to do compared to you?” When he had said this, their anger against him subsided.
4Then Gideon and his three hundred men came to the Jordan and crossed it, exhausted yet still in pursuit.
5So Gideon said to the men of Succoth, “Please give my troops some bread, for they are exhausted, and I am still pursuing Zebah and Zalmunna, the kings of Midian.”
6But the leaders of Succoth asked, “Are the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna already in your possession, that we should give bread to your army?”

Judges 8:4 describes Gideon and his three hundred men as they arrive at the Jordan River, having just achieved a significant victory over the Midianites. Despite their exhaustion from battle, they are still in pursuit of the enemy kings, Zebah and Zalmunna. This moment highlights the relentless spirit of Gideon and his men as they press on in their mission, showcasing their determination and bravery.


Cross References

ReferenceText (BSB)
11 Samuel 14:28–29Then one of the soldiers told him, “Your father bound the troops with a solemn oath, saying, ‘Cursed is the man who eats food today.’ That is why the people are faint.”
21 Samuel 30:10because two hundred men were too exhausted to cross the brook. But David and four hundred men continued in pursuit.
32 Corinthians 4:8–9We are hard pressed on all sides, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair;
4Galatians 6:9Let us not grow weary in well-doing, for in due time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.
5Hebrews 12:1–4Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off every encumbrance and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with endurance the race set out for us.

The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 5 references, hung on the phrase they belong to


The Key Word עֲיֵפִ֖ים, 'a.ye.Fimgenerated

The word עָיֵף (ayeph) is an adjective meaning exhausted or weary. It describes a state of physical fatigue, indicating that Gideon and his men are drained from their efforts yet continue to pursue their goal.

This term emphasizes the human experience of weariness in the face of ongoing challenges. In this context, it underscores the contrast between their physical state and their relentless pursuit of the enemy.


How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated

In this study, we reference the Berean Standard Bible (BSB), which uses the term exhausted. Other translations align closely with this choice, including the KJV and ASV.

Where translations differ is in the rendering of עֲיֵפִ֖ים. The ASV, KJV, and others use faint, while the DRA and GNV opt for weary, and the BBE chooses overcome with weariness. This reflects subtle nuances in the understanding of their state.


Sentence Structuregenerated

The finite verb יָּבֹ֥א (he came) governs the main clause, which is followed by several noun phrases and participial phrases that describe the subjects and their actions. The sentence structure emphasizes the actions of Gideon and his men as they navigate their journey.

The Hebrew word order places emphasis on Gideon and his men, highlighting their identity and the significance of their actions as they cross the Jordan.


Septuagint Backgroundgenerated

The Septuagint translates יָּבֹ֥א as ἦλθεν, which means he came. This choice maintains the straightforward narrative of Gideon's arrival, aligning closely with the Hebrew meaning.

The translation of עֹבֵ֣ר as διώκοντες indicates a focus on the active pursuit, emphasizing the ongoing action of chasing after the enemy.


In plain words — the whole versegenerated

Judges 8:4 tells the story of Gideon and his three hundred men arriving at the Jordan River after a battle. They are exhausted from their efforts but continue to pursue the Midianite kings, showing their determination despite their weariness.


Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated

What does it mean that Gideon and his men were exhausted?

It indicates that they were physically drained from the battle but still committed to their mission of pursuing the enemy.

Why is the Jordan River significant in this passage?

The Jordan River represents a geographical boundary that Gideon and his men must cross, marking a transition in their pursuit of the Midianite kings.

What can we learn from Gideon's determination?

Gideon's persistence in pursuing the enemy despite exhaustion serves as an example of commitment and resilience in the face of challenges.

How does this passage relate to the theme of leadership?

Gideon's actions reflect strong leadership qualities, showing the importance of leading by example and inspiring others to continue despite difficulties.


Reflection Questionsgenerated

  1. What are some challenges in my life that require perseverance, similar to Gideon's pursuit?
  2. How can I support others who are feeling exhausted in their pursuits?
  3. What does this passage teach me about the importance of leadership in tough situations?
  4. In what ways can I demonstrate determination in my own goals?

Commentators on this verse — 8 expositors, verse by verse

Each of these wrote on Judges 8:4 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.

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

And Gideon came to Jordan, and passed over..... That river; [See comments on Jude 7:25] he and three hundred men that were with him, at the defeat of the Midianites in the valley of Jezreel; so that

Read John Gill on Judges 8 →
Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's Commentary

And Gideon came to Jordan, and passed over, he, and the three hundred men that were with him, faint, yet pursuing them.

Read Robert Jamieson on Judges 8 →
Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy Bible

Passed over, or, had passed over: when he passed over, See Poole "".

Read Matthew Poole on Judges 8 →
John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

Judges 8:4 And Gideon came to Jordan, [and] passed over, he, and the three hundred men that [were] with him, faint, yet pursuing [them].Ver. 4. And Gideon came to Jordan.] This was before that bickering he had with the Ephraimites, though set down after it. Faint, yet pursuing.] So Daniel, though sick, did the king’ s business. "Continue instant in prayer."

Read John Trapp on Judges 8 →
Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(4) And Gideon came to Jordan.—This verse resumes the narrative of Jdg 7:23. The intermediate verses are an episode, and they are only here introduced by anticipation, in order to close the notice about the tribe of Ephraim. And passed over.—Literally, passing over; but the English Version is correct as to the meaning, and it may be regarded as certain that Succoth was to the east of Jordan. Faint, yet pursuing.—It may be doubted whether the usual application of these words is accurate. The LXX. render them, “fainting and hungry,” and the Vulg., “and for weariness they could not overtake the fugitives.” Literally it is, faint and pursuing, where the and is explanatory. “Exhausted and…

Read Charles John Ellicott on Judges 8 →
AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible

Verse 4. Faint, yet pursuing] The Vulgate paraphrases this, et prae lassitudine, fugientes persequi non poterant; "and, through fatigue, unable to pursue the fugitives."

Read AdamClarke on Judges 8 →
CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

4–21. The pursuit on the east of Jordan This section is clearly not the continuation of the verses which immediately precede (see p. 68); if its antecedents are to be found in the foregoing narrative at all, we may suppose that after the panic and flight described in Judges 7:16-22, the main body of the Midianites escaped across the Jordan, and with their camels (Judges 8:21; Judges 8:26) easily outstripped their pursuers, insomuch that the men of Succoth and Penuel (Judges 8:6; Judges 8:8), and they themselves (Judges 8:11), believed that they were safely out of Gideon’s reach. On the other hand, it must be admitted that the section itself presupposes a raid into Gideon’s own district…

Read Cambridge on Judges 8 →
Daniel Denison Whedon1808–1885Whedon's Commentary on the Bible

PURSUIT AND DEFEAT OF ZEBAH AND , Judges 8:4-12. 4. Gideon came to Jordan — This in point of time, was before the heads of the captured princes had been brought to him. Note, Judges 7:25.

Read Daniel Denison Whedon on Judges 8 →

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

Then Gideon and his three hundred men came to the Jordan and crossed it, exhausted yet still in pursuit.

WEBWorld English Bible2000

Gideon came to the Jordan and passed over, he and the three hundred men who were with him, faint, yet pursuing.

MSBMajority Standard Bible2022

Then Gideon and his three hundred men came to the Jordan and crossed it, exhausted yet still in pursuit.

NETBNew English Translation2006

Now Gideon and his three hundred men had crossed over the Jordan River, and even though they were exhausted, they were still chasing the Midianites.

Tyndale line

KJVKing James Version1611

¶ And Gideon came to Jordan, and passed over, he, and the three hundred men that were with him, faint, yet pursuing them.

ASVAmerican Standard Version1901

And Gideon came to the Jordan, and passed over, he, and the three hundred men that were with him, faint, yet pursuing.

RVARevised Version, American1894

And Gideon came to Jordan, and passed over, he, and the three hundred men that were with him, faint, yet pursuing.

NWBWebster's Bible1833

And Gideon came to Jordan, and passed over, he, and the three hundred men that were with him, faint, yet pursuing them .

GNVGeneva Bible1599

And Gideon came to Iorden to passe ouer, hee, and the three hundreth men that were with him, weary, yet pursuing them.

Strictly literal

DBYDarby Translation1890

And Gideon came to the Jordan, [and] passed over, he and the three hundred men that were with him, faint, yet pursuing.

YLTYoung's Literal Translation1862

And Gideon cometh in unto the Jordan, passing over, he and the three hundred men who [are] with him — wearied, and pursuing,

LSVLiteral Standard Version2020

And Gideon comes to the Jordan, passing over, he and the three hundred men who [are] with him—wearied, yet pursuing—

ILTInterlinear Literal Translation2000

And Gid'on came to the Jordan, and passed over, he, and the three hundred men that were with him, faint, and in pursuit.

ULBUnlocked Literal Bible2017

Gideon came to the Jordan and crossed over it, he and the three hundred men who were with him. They were exhausted, yet they still kept up the pursuit.

From the Latin

DRADouay-Rheims (Challoner)1899

And when Gedeon was come to the Jordan, he passed over it with the three hundred men, that were with him: who were so weary that they could not pursue after them that fled.

Simplified

FBVFree Bible Version2020

Then Gideon crossed the Jordan with his three hundred men. Even though they were exhausted they continued the chase.

BBEBible in Basic English1949

Then Gideon came to Jordan and went over it with his three hundred, overcome with weariness and in need of food.

Word by word, the decisions they made

עֲיֵפִ֖ים'a.ye.Fim [were] exhausted H5889 3 different renderings
faintASV DBY ILT KJV NWB RVA WEB
wearyDRA GNV
overcome with wearinessBBE

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.

וַandclauseverbיָּבֹ֥אhe.camesubjectגִדְע֖וֹןGideonnoun phrase · prepositionalהַtonoun phraseיַּרְדֵּ֑נָtheהJordanclauseverbעֹבֵ֣ר[was].passing.overnoun phrase · subjectה֗וּאheוּandnoun phrasenoun phrasenumeral phraseשְׁלֹשׁthreeמֵא֤וֹתhundred(s)noun phraseהָtheאִישׁ֙manrelpאֲשֶׁ֣רwhoclauseprepositional phrase · predicateאִתּ֔[were].withוֹhimclausepredicateעֲיֵפִ֖יםexhaustedוְandclauseverbרֹדְפִֽיםpursuing

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


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

The Masoretic Text and the Septuagint largely agree in their wording for Judges 8:4. The Septuagint matches 11 of the 12 words, with variations primarily in word order and grammatical structure rather than content.

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

וַיָּבֹ֥א גִדְע֖וֹן הַיַּרְדֵּ֑נָה עֹבֵ֣ר ה֗וּא וּשְׁלֹשׁ־ מֵא֤וֹת הָאִישׁ֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר אִתּ֔וֹ עֲיֵפִ֖ים וְרֹדְפִֽים׃

Septuagintthe Greek the translators chose, word by word
וַיָּבֹ֥אἦλθενגִדְע֖וֹןγεδεωνהַיַּרְדֵּ֑נָהιορδάνηνה֗וּאαὐτὸςוּשְׁלֹשׁ־οἱמֵא֤וֹתτριακόσιοιהָאִישׁ֙ἄνδρεςאֲשֶׁ֣רοἱאִתּ֔וֹαὐτοῦעֲיֵפִ֖יםπεινῶντεςוְרֹדְפִֽים׃διώκοντες

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

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


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

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

Judges 8:4בּוֹאand he cameand he cameבּוֹאגִּדְעוֹןGideonGideonגִּדְעוֹןיַרְדֵןthe Jordan the Jordan towaיַרְדֵןעָבַר[was] passi[was] passing oעָבַרהוּאheheהוּאשָׁלֹשׁand threeand threeשָׁלֹשׁמֵאָהhundredhundredמֵאָהאִישׁthe manthe manאִישׁאֲשֶׁרwhowhoאֲשֶׁראֵת[were] with[were] with himאֵתעָיֵף[were] exha[were] exhausteעָיֵףרָדַףand pursuinand pursuingרָדַףגָּדַעto cut dowto cut down/offגָּדַעיָרַדto go downto go downיָרַדאָנָהto meetto meetאָנָהעִיףbe faintbe faintעִיףשָׁלִthirdthirdשָׁלִאֱנוֹשׁhumanhumanאֱנוֹשׁאִשָּׁהwomanwomanאִשָּׁהשֶׁ֫מֶשׁsunsunשֶׁ֫מֶשׁיְרֻבַּ֫עַלJerubbaalJerubbaalיְרֻבַּ֫עַליְהוֹאָשׁJoashJoashיְהוֹאָשׁעֵ֫בֶרside: beyoside: beyondעֵ֫בֶריְרִיחוֹJerichoJerichoיְרִיחוֹיַרְדֵןJordanJordanיַרְדֵןחָלַץto rescueto rescueחָלַץטָמֵאuncleanuncleanטָמֵאעֵתtimetimeעֵתמֵאָהhundredhundredמֵאָהפַּ֫עַםbeatbeatפַּ֫עַם
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 8:4

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 came Gideon the Jordan towards [was] passing over he and three hundred the man who [were] with him [were] exhausted and pursuing
וַיָּבֹ֥אvai.ya.Vo' and he came H935 Verb · Qal · sequential imperfect third person masculine singular
2,573× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This verb means to go or come, and is used in many contexts, such as entering a place or approaching someone, as seen in the book of Genesis. It can also mean to abide or apply, and is translated in various ways in the KJV Bible. This term is related to the name Lebo Hamath.
Tyndale gloss
Lebo
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

בּוֹא (bo) is a Hebrew verb meaning to come or go in, with a wide range of applications including entering, arriving, and bringing in. It can refer to both physical movement and abstract concepts like events coming to pass. The verb appears in various forms, such as Qal (to come), Hiphil (to cause to come), and Hophal (to be brought). There is no significant disagreement among lexicons regarding its meanings.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

בּוֹא 2569 vb. come in, come, go in, go

Qal

come in

come (approach, arrive)

go, i.e. walk, associate with

go from speaker, but with limit of motion given

Hiph.

cause to come in, bring in (conduct, lead, obj. persons and animals)

cause to come, bring, bring near, etc. (animate obj.)

Hoph.

be brought in (of pers. and things)

be brought

be introduced, put

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H935 בּוֹא come in, come, go in, go .. come in

. come (approach, arrive)

. go, i.e. walk, associate with

. go from speaker, but with limit of motion given

. . cause to come in, bring in (conduct, lead, obj. persons and animals)

. cause to come, bring, bring near, etc. (animate obj.)

. . be brought in (of pers. and things)

. be brought

. be introduced, put

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

935 bow' bo

a primitive root; to go or come (in a wide variety of

applications):--abide, apply, attain, X be, befall, +

besiege, bring (forth, in, into, to pass), call, carry, X

certainly, (cause, let, thing for) to come (against, in, out,

upon, to pass), depart, X doubtless again, + eat, + employ,

(cause to) enter (in, into, -tering, -trance, -try), be

fallen, fetch, + follow, get, give, go (down, in, to war),

grant, + have, X indeed, (in-)vade, lead, lift (up), mention,

pull in, put, resort, run (down), send, set, X (well) stricken

(in age), X surely, take (in), way.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

בּוֹא (bo) — to come (in): come.

: come/go_in

1) to go in, enter, come, go, come in

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to enter, come in

1a2) to come

1a2a) to come with

1a2b) to come upon, fall or light upon, attack (enemy)

1a2c) to come to pass

1a3) to attain to

1a4) to be enumerated

1a5) to go

1b) (Hiphil)

1b1) to lead in

1b2) to carry in

1b3) to bring in, cause to come in, gather, cause to come, bring near, bring against, bring upon

1b4) to bring to pass

1c) (Hophal)

1c1) to be brought, brought in

1c2) to be introduced, be put

לְב֥וֹא (bo) — Lebo-(Hamath).

This name means to go in, enter

Combined with cha.mat (חֲמָת "Hamath" H2574)

בּוֹא (bo) — to come (in): towards.

: towards/entrance

1) to go in, enter, come, go, come in

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to enter, come in

1a2) to come

1a2a) to come with

1a2b) to come upon, fall or light upon, attack (enemy)

1a2c) to come to pass

1a3) to attain to

1a4) to be enumerated

Read the full entry →
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 came Gideon the Jordan towards [was] passing over he and three hundred the man who [were] with him [were] exhausted and pursuing
גִדְע֖וֹןgid.'on Gideon H1439 Noun proper masculine
39× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
Gideon was a judge of Israel who led the Israelites against the Midianites. His name means 'hewer' and he is also called Jerubbaal.
Amplified meaning
the hewer, a judge of Israel
Tyndale gloss
Gideon
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

גִּדְעוֹן (gid'on) refers to Gideon, a judge of Israel known for leading the Israelites against the Midianites. The name is derived from a root meaning 'feller' or 'warrior.' Gideon is first mentioned in Judges 6:11 and is also called Jerubbaal in several passages.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

גִּדְעוֹן n.pr.m. judge of Israel

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H1439 גִּדְעוֹן

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

1439 Gid`own ghid-ohn'

from 1438; feller (i.e. warrior); Gidon, an

Israelite:--Gideon.

see HEBREW for 01438

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

גִּדְעוֹן (gid.on) — Gideon.

A Judge living before Israel's Monarchy, first mentioned at Jdg.6.11;

son of: Joash (H3101);

father of: Jether (H3500), Abimelech (H0040H) and Jotham (H3147); also called Jerubbaal at Jdg.6.32; 7.1; 8.29,35; 9.1,2,5,16,19,24,28,57; 1xJerubbesheth at 2Sa.11.21;

§ Gideon = "hewer"

youngest son of Joash of the Abiezrites, fifth judge of Israel who led the Israelites against the Midianites

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

gid'-e-un (gidh`on, "cutter down," "feller" or "hewer"):

1. His Family and Home:

Also named Jerubbaal (Jud 6:32) and Jerubbesheth (2Sa 11:21), youngest son of Joash, of the clan of Abiezer in the tribe of Manasseh. His home was at Ophrah, and his family an obscure one. He became the chief leader of Manasseh and the fifth recorded judge of Israel. The record of his life is found in Jud 6-8.

Joash was an idolater, and sacrifices to Baal were common among the entire clan. Gideon seems to have held this worship in contempt, and to have pondered deeply the causes of Israel's reverses and the injuries wrought upon his own family by the hand of the Midianites.

2. The Midianite Oppression:

Easton's Bible Dictionary

Gideon

Called also Jerubbaal (Judg. 6:29, 32), was the first of the judges whose history is circumstantially narrated (Judg. 6-8). His calling is the commencement of the second period in the history of the judges. After the victory gained by Deborah and Barak over Jabin, Israel once more sank into idolatry, and the Midianites (q.v.) and Amalekites, with other “children of the east,” crossed the Jordan each year for seven successive years for the purpose of plundering and desolating the land. Gideon received a direct call from God to undertake the task of delivering the land from these warlike invaders. He was of the family of Abiezer (Josh. 17:2; 1 Chr. 7:18), and of the little township of Ophrah (

(he that cuts down), youngest son of Joash of the Abiezrites, an undistinguished family who lived at Ophrah, a town probably on the west of Jordan, (Judges 6:15) in the territory of Manasseh, near Shechem. He was the fifth recorded judge of Israel, and for many reasons the greatest of them all. When we first hear of him he was grown up and had sons, (Judges 6:11; 8:20) and from the apostrophe of the angel, ch. (Judges 6:12) we may conclude that he had already distinguished himself in war against the roving bands of nomadic robbers who had oppressed Israel for seven years. When the angel appeared, Gideon was threshing wheat with a flail in the wine-press, to conceal it from the predatory tyrants. His call to be a deliverer, and…

Hitchcock's Bible Names Dictionary

he that bruises or breaks; a destroyer

and he came Gideon the Jordan towards [was] passing over he and three hundred the man who [were] with him [were] exhausted and pursuing
הַיַּרְדֵּ֑נָהhai.yar.De.nah the Jordan towards H3383 Particle · noun proper · suffix
182× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
The Jordan River, which runs from Lebanon to the Dead Sea, is a key location in the Bible, including in the stories of Jesus and the Israelites.
Amplified meaning
a key location, a border to be crossed
Tyndale gloss
Jordan
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

יַרְדֵן (Yarden) refers to the Jordan River, named for its meaning 'descender.' It is the main river in Palestine, flowing approximately 200 miles from Anti-Lebanon to the Dead Sea. The entries consistently identify it as a geographical feature without significant disagreement.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

יַרְדֵן 182 n.pr.fl. Jordan

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H3383 יַרְדֵן Jordan

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

3383 Yarden yar-dane'

from 3381; a descender; Jarden, the principal river of

Palestine:--Jordan.

see HEBREW for 03381

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

יַרְדֵּן (yar.den) — Jordan.

Jordan = "descender"

the river of Palestine running from the roots of Anti-Lebanon to the Dead Sea a distance of approx 200 miles (320 km)

Also named: Iordanēs (Ἰορδάνης "Jordan" G2446)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Art | N-proper | Suff — Particle · noun proper · suffix
HTd/Npl/Sd
and he came Gideon the Jordan towards [was] passing over he and three hundred the man who [were] with him [were] exhausted and pursuing
עֹבֵ֣ר'o.Ver [was] passing over H5674 Verb · Qal · participle (active) masculine singular
556× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This verb can mean to cross over or transition from one thing to another, and is sometimes used to describe being arrogant or crossing a boundary.
Amplified meaning
to pass over, transitioning to a new phase
Tyndale gloss
to pass
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word עָבַר (abar) is a versatile verb meaning to pass over, through, or by, and it encompasses a range of actions including crossing, traversing, and alienating. It can also imply causing something to pass or be transferred, as well as emotional states like anger in its Hithpael form. The entries highlight its use in various contexts, though they do not provide specific verse references.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

עָבַר 648 vb. pass over, through, by, pass on

Qal

pass over

Pass beyond

Pass through, traverse

pass along by

pass by

sweep by, of scourge

be past, over, of time

pass along (from hand to hand)

Pass on, go on

Pass away

Niph. Impf. a stream which cannot be forded

Pi.

his bull impregnateth

cause one to cross river

cause something to pass over

make over to

devote children to (לְ) heathen god

pass along (from hand to hand)

cause to pass through

let pass through

cause to pass by

let pass by

cause arrow to pass beyond

cause to pass under rod, for counting

cause to pass away, take away

Hiph.

cause to pass over, bring over

he made to pass across with chains of gold

base

[עָבַר] vb. denom. Hithp. be arrogant, infuriate oneself

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H5674a עָבַר pass over, through, by, pass on .. pass over

. Pass beyond

. Pass through, traverse

. . pass along by

. pass by

. sweep by, of scourge

. be past, over, of time

. pass along (from hand to hand)

. Pass on, go on

. Pass away

. Impf. a stream which cannot be forded

. . his bull impregnateth . cause one to cross river

. cause something to pass over

. make over to

. devote children to (לְ) heathen god

. pass along (from hand to hand)

. . cause to pass through

. let pass through

. . cause to pass by

. let pass by

. cause arrow to pass beyond

. cause to pass under rod, for counting

. cause to pass away, take away

. . cause to pass over, bring over

. he made to pass across with chains of gold

H5674b עָבַר vb. denom. Hithp. be arrogant, infuriate oneself

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

5674 `abar aw-bar'

a primitive root; to cross over; used very widely of any

transition (literal or figurative; transitive, intransitive,

intensive, causative); specifically, to cover (in

copulation):--alienate, alter, X at all, beyond, bring (over,

through), carry over, (over-)come (on, over), conduct (over),

convey over, current, deliver, do away, enter, escape, fail,

gender, get over, (make) go (away, beyond, by, forth, his way,

in, on, over, through), have away (more), lay, meddle,

overrun, make partition, (cause to, give, make to, over)

pass(-age, along, away, beyond, by, -enger, on, out, over,

through), (cause to, make) + proclaim(-amation), perish,

provoke to anger, put away, rage, + raiser of taxes, remove,

send over, set apart, + shave, cause to (make) sound, X

speedily, X sweet smelling, take (away), (make to)

transgress(-or), translate, turn away, (way-)faring man, be

wrath.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

עָבַר (a.var) — to pass.

1) to pass over or by or through, alienate, bring, carry, do away, take, take away, transgress

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to pass over, cross, cross over, pass over, march over, overflow, go over

1a2) to pass beyond

1a3) to pass through, traverse

1a3a) passers-through (participle)

1a3b) to pass through (the parts of victim in covenant)

1a4) to pass along, pass by, overtake and pass, sweep by

1a4a) passer-by (participle)

1a4b) to be past, be over

1a5) to pass on, go on, pass on before, go in advance of, pass along, travel, advance

1a6) to pass away

1a6a) to emigrate, leave (one's territory)

1a6b) to vanish

1a6c) to perish, cease to exist

1a6d) to become invalid, become obsolete (of law, decree)

1a6e) to be alienated, pass into other hands

1b) (Niphal) to be crossed

1c) (Piel) to impregnate, cause to cross

1d) (Hiphil)

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
V-Qal — Verb · Qal · participle (active) masculine singular
HVqrmsa
and he came Gideon the Jordan towards [was] passing over he and three hundred the man who [were] with him [were] exhausted and pursuing
ה֗וּאHu' he H1931 Pronoun
1,879× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This word is a pronoun meaning 'he', 'she', or 'it', used to refer to a person or thing. It is used in the Bible to emphasize a subject or make it clear who is being talked about.
Tyndale gloss
he/she/it
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

הוּא (hu) is a third-person singular pronoun meaning he, she, or it, used for emphasis or when no verb is present. It can also refer to oneself or serve as a demonstrative pronoun. The word has various nuances, including resuming the subject with emphasis or expressing it unobtrusively. It can indicate 'that' or 'those' when used with the definite article.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

הוּא m. הִיא f., pron. of the 3rd ps. sing. he, she, used also (in both genders) for the neuter it

an emph. he (she, it, they), sometimes equivalent to himself (herself, itself, themselves), or (esp. with the art.) that (those)

It resumes the subj. with emph.

Where, however, the pron. follows the pred., its position gives it the minimum of emphasis, and it expresses (or resumes) the subject as unobtrusively as possible

It anticipates (as it seems) the subject

As an emph. predicate, of God

In a neuter sense, that, it (of an action, occurrence, matte, etc.)

With the art.: so regularly when joined to a subst. defined itself by the art.

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H1931 הוּא, הִיא he, she, used also (in both genders) for the neuter it . an emph. he (she, it, they), sometimes equivalent to himself (herself, itself, themselves), or (esp. with the art.) that (those)

. It resumes the subj. with emph.

. Where, however, the pron. follows the pred., its position gives it the minimum of emphasis, and it expresses (or resumes) the subject as unobtrusively as possible

. It anticipates (as it seems) the subject

. As an emph. predicate, of God

. In a neuter sense, that, it (of an action, occurrence, matte, etc.)

. With the art.: so regularly when joined to a subst. defined itself by the art.

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

1931 huw' hoo

of which the feminine (beyond the Pentateuch) is hiyw {he}; a

primitive word, the third person pronoun singular, he (she or

it); only expressed when emphatic or without a verb; also

(intensively) self, or (especially with the article) the same;

sometimes (as demonstrative) this or that; occasionally

(instead of copula) as or are:--he, as for her, him(-self),

it, the same, she (herself), such, that (...it), these, they,

this, those, which (is), who.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

הוּא (hu) — he/she/it.

pron 3p s

1) he, she, it

1a) himself (with emphasis)

1b) resuming subj with emphasis

1c) (with minimum emphasis following predicate)

1d) (anticipating subj)

1e) (emphasising predicate)

1f) that, it (neuter) demons pron

2) that (with article)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
HPp3ms — Pronoun
HPp3ms
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

ha: The fifth letter of the Hebrew alphabet; transliterated in this Encyclopedia as "h." It came also to be used for the number 5. For name, etc., see ALPHABET.

The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
and he came Gideon the Jordan towards [was] passing over he and three hundred the man who [were] with him [were] exhausted and pursuing
וּשְׁלֹשׁ־u.she.losh- and three H7969 Conjunction · noun common both singular construct
432× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This Hebrew word means three or thrice, and is used to describe quantities or repetitions in the Bible. It appears in various forms, including three, third, and thirteen.
Tyndale gloss
three
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word שָׁלֹשׁ (*shalosh*) means 'three' or 'triad.' It can also refer to the ordinal 'third' and is used in various contexts, including multiplication as 'thrice.' The entries consistently define it as a primitive number without significant disagreement.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

שָׁלֹשׁ, שָׁלוֹשׁ, שְׁלֹשָׁה 430 n.m. et f. a three, triad

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H7969 שָׁלֹשׁ, שָׁלוֹשׁ, שְׁלֹשָׁה a three, triad

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

7969 shalowsh shaw-loshe'

or shalosh {shaw-loshe'}; masculine shlowshah {shel-o-shaw'};

or shloshah {shel-o-shaw'}; a primitive number; three;

occasionally (ordinal) third, or (multipl.) thrice:--+ fork,

+ often(-times), third, thir(-teen, -teenth), three, + thrice.

Compare 7991.

see HEBREW for 07991

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

שָׁלֹשׁ (sha.losh) — three.

1) three, triad

1a) 3, 300, third

Aramaic equivalent: te.lat (תְּלָת "three" H8532)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Conj | Adj — Conjunction · noun common both singular construct
HC/Ncbsc
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

(shalosh; treis).

See NUMBER.

American Tract Society Bible Dictionary

The phrase "three days and three nights," Mt 12:40, was equivalent in Hebrew to the English "three days;" the Jews employing the expression "a day and a night" to denote our "day" of twentyfour hours. Nor did "three days," 1Sa 30:13, literally "this third day," according to their usage, necessarily include the whole of three days, but a part of three days, a continuous period including one whole day of twenty-four hours, and a portion of the day preceding it and the day following it. Compare Ge 7:12,17 1Sa 30:12-13.

and he came Gideon the Jordan towards [was] passing over he and three hundred the man who [were] with him [were] exhausted and pursuing
מֵא֤וֹתme.'ot hundred H3967 Noun common · feminine plural absolute
581× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
Means a hundred, used as a simple number or part of a larger number in the Bible. It appears in various forms, including fractions like one one-hundredth. Found in books like Genesis and Psalms.
Tyndale gloss
hundred
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

מֵאָה (me'ah) means 'hundred' in Hebrew. It can refer to a simple number, a component of a larger number, or a fraction representing one one-hundredth. The entries consistently describe its use as a numeral without significant disagreement.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

מֵאָה 583 n.f. hundred

as simple number

as part of larger number

a hundredth part

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H3967 מֵאָה hundred . as simple number

. as part of larger number

. a hundredth part

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

3967 me'ah may-aw'

or metyah {may-yaw'}; properly, a primitive numeral; a

hundred; also as a multiplicative and a

fraction:--hundred((-fold), -th), + sixscore.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

מֵאָה (me.ah) — hundred.

1) hundred

1a) as simple number

1b) as part of larger number

1c) as a fraction-one one-hundredth (1/100)

Aramaic equivalent: me.ah (מְאָה "hundred" H3969)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Adj — Noun common · feminine plural absolute
HNcfpa
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

hun'-dred (me'-ah; hekaton).

See NUMBER.

and he came Gideon the Jordan towards [was] passing over he and three hundred the man who [were] with him [were] exhausted and pursuing
הָאִישׁ֙ha.'Ish the man H376 Particle · noun common masculine singular absolute
1,664× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
The Hebrew word for man, referring to a male person or individual, is used in the Bible to describe humans in contrast to God or animals, as seen in Genesis and Psalms. It can also mean husband or servant. In the KJV, it is translated as man or male.
Tyndale gloss
man
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word אִישׁ (iysh) means 'man' and can refer to an individual male, a husband, or a human being in general. It encompasses various meanings, including champion and great man, and can also imply 'whosoever' or 'each.' The word is built from a root suggesting existence and is used throughout the Old Testament.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

אִישׁ 2166 n.m. man (= vir)

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H376 אִישׁ man (= vir)

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

376 'iysh eesh

contracted for 582 (or perhaps rather from an unused root

meaning to be extant); a man as an individual or a male

person; often used as an adjunct to a more definite term (and

in such cases frequently not expressed in

translation):--also, another, any (man), a certain, +

champion, consent, each, every (one), fellow, (foot-,

husband-)man, (good-, great, mighty) man, he, high (degree),

him (that is), husband, man(-kind), + none, one, people,

person, + steward, what (man) soever, whoso(-ever), worthy.

Compare 802.

see HEBREW for 0582

see HEBREW for 0802

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

אִישׁ (ish) — man.

: man

1) man

1a) man, male (in contrast to woman, female)

1b) husband

1c) human being, person (in contrast to God)

1d) servant

1e) mankind

1f) champion

1g) great man

2) whosoever

3) each (adjective)

אִישׁ (ish) — man: husband.

: husband

1) man

1a) man, male (in contrast to woman, female)

1b) husband

1c) human being, person (in contrast to God)

1d) servant

1e) mankind

1f) champion

1g) great man

2) whosoever

3) each (adjective)

אִישׁ (ish) — man: anyone.

: anyone/someone

1) man

1a) man, male (in contrast to woman, female)

1b) husband

1c) human being, person (in contrast to God)

1d) servant

1e) mankind

1f) champion

1g) great man

2) whosoever

3) each (adjective)

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

See ANTHROPOLOGY.

Easton's Bible Dictionary

Man

(1.) Heb. ‘Adam, used as the proper name of the first man. The name is derived from a word meaning “to be red,” and thus the first man was called Adam because he was formed from the red earth. It is also the generic name of the human race (Gen. 1:26, 27; 5:2; 8:21; Deut. 8:3). Its equivalents are the Latin homo and the Greek anthropos (Matt. 5:13, 16). It denotes also man in opposition to woman (Gen. 3:12; Matt. 19:10).

(2.) Heb. ‘ish, like the Latin vir and Greek aner, denotes properly a man in opposition to a woman (1 Sam. 17:33;

→ CREATED Ge 1:26,27; 2:7; 5:1,2; De 4:32; Job 4:17; 10:2,3,8,9; 31:15; 33:4; 35:10; Ps 8:5; 100:3; 119:73; 138:8; 139:14; Ec 7:29; Isa 17:7; 42:5; 43:7; 45:12; 64:8; Jer 27:5; Zec 12:1; Mal 2:10; Mr 10:6; Heb 2:7

See CREATED IN THE IMAGE OF GOD, below

The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
and he came Gideon the Jordan towards [was] passing over he and three hundred the man who [were] with him [were] exhausted and pursuing
אֲשֶׁ֣ר'a.Sher who H834 Particle
5,500× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This Hebrew word is a conjunction that connects ideas and events in the Bible, like in the book of Genesis, where it's used to describe the relationship between God and His creation.
Tyndale gloss
which
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word אֲשֶׁר (*asher*) is a relative pronoun that can mean 'who,' 'which,' or 'that.' It serves various grammatical functions, including as an adverb or conjunction, indicating relationships between clauses, places, or conditions. Variants like בַאֲשֶׁר (*ba-asher*), מֵאֲשֶׁר (*me-asher*), and כַּאֲשֶׁר (*ka-asher*) expand its usage to specific contexts such as location, causation, and time.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

אֲשֶׁר part. of relation A sign of relation, bringing the clause introduced by it into relation with an antecedent clause.

base

בַאֲשֶׁר

in (that) which

adv. in (the place) where

conj. in that, inasmuch as

on account of whom?

base

מֵאֲשֶׁר

from (or than) that which

adv. from (the place) where

conj. from (the fact) that …, since

base

כַּאֲשֶׁר conj. according as, as, when

according to that which, according as, as

with a causal force, in so far as, since

with a temporal force, when

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H834a אֲשֶׁר part. of relation A sign of relation, bringing the clause introduced by it into relation with an antecedent clause. H834b בַאֲשֶׁר . in (that) which

. adv. in (the place) where

. conj. in that, inasmuch as

. on account of whom?

H834c מֵאֲשֶׁר . from (or than) that which

. adv. from (the place) where

. conj. from (the fact) that …, since

H834d כַּאֲשֶׁר conj. according as, as, when . according to that which, according as, as

. with a causal force, in so far as, since

. with a temporal force, when

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

834 'aher ash-er'

a primitive relative pronoun (of every gender and number);

who, which, what, that; also (as an adverb and a conjunction)

when, where, how, because, in order that, etc.:--X after, X

alike, as (soon as), because, X every, for, + forasmuch, +

from whence, + how(-soever), X if, (so) that ((thing) which,

wherein), X though, + until, + whatsoever, when, where

(+ -as, -in, -of, -on, -soever, -with), which, whilst, +

whither(- soever), who(-m, -soever, -se). As it is

indeclinable, it is often accompanied by the personal pronoun

expletively, used to show the connection.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

אֲשֶׁר (a.sher) — which.

A: 1) (relative part.)

1a) which, who

1b) that which

2) (conj)

2a) that (in obj clause)

2b) when

2c) since

2d) as

2e) conditional if

B: Beth+ 1) in (that) which

2) (adv)

2a) where

3) (conj)

3a) in that, inasmuch as

3b) on account of

C: Mem+ 1) from (or than) that which

2) from (the place) where

3) from (the fact) that, since

D: Kaph+

1) (conj.), according as, as, when

1a) according to that which, according as, as

1b) with a causal force: in so far as, since

1c) with a temporal force: when

בַאֲשֶׁר (ba.a.sher) — in which.

1) in (that) which

2) (adv)

2a) where

3) (conj)

3a) in that, inasmuch as

3b) on account of

מֵאֲשֶׁר (me.a.sher) — whence.

1) from (or than) that which

2) from (the place) where

3) from (the fact) that, since

כַּאֲשֶׁר (ka.a.sher) — as which.

conj

1) according as, as, when

1a) according to that which, according as, as

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
HTr — Particle
HTr
The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
and he came Gideon the Jordan towards [was] passing over he and three hundred the man who [were] with him [were] exhausted and pursuing
אִתּ֔וֹ'i.To [were] with him H854 Preposition · suffix
929× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This Hebrew preposition means 'with' or 'near', indicating a close relationship or physical proximity. It's used in Genesis 1:26 to describe God's relationship with humanity, and in many other places to show connection or closeness.
Tyndale gloss
with
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word אֵת (eth) is a preposition indicating nearness or proximity, often translated as 'with' or 'near.' It conveys a sense of companionship or association, distinguishing itself from similar terms by expressing closer relationships. The entries highlight its use in various contexts, including possession and memory, but do not provide specific verse references.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

אֵת, prep. with—prep. denoting proximity

Of companionship, together with

Of localities

אֵת פּ׳ denotes specially

in one's possession or keeping

in one's knowledge or memory

מֵאֵת from proximity with

Note. אֵת expresses closer association than עִם: hence while מֵעִם sts. denotes hardly more than from the surroundings or belongings of, מֵאֵת expresses from close proximity to.

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H854 אֵת with—prep. denoting proximity . Of companionship, together with

. Of localities

. אֵת פּ׳ denotes specially . in one's possession or keeping

. in one's knowledge or memory

. מֵאֵת from proximity with

Note. אֵת expresses closer association than עִם: hence while מֵעִם sts. denotes hardly more than from the surroundings or belongings of, מֵאֵת expresses from close proximity to.

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

854 'eth ayth

probably from 579; properly, nearness (used only as a

preposition or an adverb), near; hence, generally, with, by,

at, among, etc.:--against, among, before, by, for, from,

in(-to), (out) of, with. Often with another prepositional

prefix.

see HEBREW for 0579

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

אֵת (et) — with.

1) with, near, together with

1a) with, together with

1b) with (of relationship)

1c) near (of place)

1d) with (poss.)

1e) from...with, from (with other prep)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Prep | Suff — Preposition · suffix
HRd/Sp3ms
and he came Gideon the Jordan towards [was] passing over he and three hundred the man who [were] with him [were] exhausted and pursuing
עֲיֵפִ֖ים'a.ye.Fim [were] exhausted H5889 Adj
17× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
In the Bible, this word means feeling faint or exhausted, like being very thirsty or weary. It is used to describe someone who is drained of energy. This word appears in descriptions of people who are struggling.
Amplified meaning
faint, weary, overcome with weariness
Tyndale gloss
faint
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

עָיֵף (ayeph) is an adjective meaning faint or weary. It is derived from the root word corresponding to H5888 and conveys a sense of exhaustion or languor. The entries consistently emphasize its meanings related to fatigue.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

עָיֵף adj. faint, weary

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H5889 עָיֵף faint, weary

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

5889 `ayeph aw-yafe'

from 5888; languid:--faint, thirsty, weary.

see HEBREW for 05888

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

עָיֵף (a.yeph) — faint.

faint, exhausted, weary

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Adj — Adj
HAampa
and he came Gideon the Jordan towards [was] passing over he and three hundred the man who [were] with him [were] exhausted and pursuing
וְרֹדְפִֽים׃ve.ro.de.Fim and pursuing H7291 Conjunction · verb qal participle (active) masculine plural
143× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
To pursue or chase after someone means to follow them with hostile intent. This can be a physical pursuit or a pursuit of someone's life or well-being, as seen in many biblical stories.
Amplified meaning
pursuing, chasing after, in relentless follow-up
Tyndale gloss
to pursue
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

רָדַף (radaph) is a Hebrew verb meaning to pursue, chase, or persecute. It conveys the idea of running after something, often with hostile intent, and can also figuratively refer to following time or securing something. The word has various forms, including Qal, Niphal, Piel, Pual, and Hiphil, each indicating different nuances of pursuit or being pursued.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

רָדַף 141 vb. pursue, chase, persecute

Qal 128

pursue

lit. put to flight, chase

lit., the pursuers

chase, hunt

pursue

fig. persecute, harass

pursue, dog

fig. follow after, aim to secure

Niph. upon the neck (i.e. closely) we are pursued

Pi. pursue ardently

Pu. it shall be chased away like chaff of the mountains

Hiph. usu. they chased him

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H7291 רָדַף pursue, chase, persecute

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

7291 radaph raw-daf'

a primitive root; to run after (usually with hostile intent;

figuratively (of time) gone by):--chase, put to flight,

follow (after, on), hunt, (be under) persecute(-ion, -or),

pursue(-r).

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

רָדַף (ra.daph) — to pursue.

1) to be behind, follow after, pursue, persecute, run after

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to pursue, put to flight, chase, dog, attend closely upon

1a2) to persecute, harass (fig)

1a3) to follow after, aim to secure (fig)

1a4) to run after (a bribe) (fig)

1b) (Niphal)

1b1) to be pursued

1b2) one pursued (participle)

1c) (Piel) to pursue ardently, aim eagerly to secure, pursue

1d) (Pual) to be pursued, be chased away

1e) (Hiphil) to pursue, chase

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Conj | V-Qal — Conjunction · verb qal participle (active) masculine plural
HC/Vqrmpa
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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