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Judges 9:17 — Word Study

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WLCאֲשֶׁר־ נִלְחַ֥ם אָבִ֖י עֲלֵיכֶ֑ם וַיַּשְׁלֵ֤ךְ אֶת־ נַפְשׁוֹ֙ מִנֶּ֔גֶד וַיַּצֵּ֥ל אֶתְכֶ֖ם מִיַּ֥ד מִדְיָֽן׃

BSAforʼăsher my fatherʼâb [the patriarch, leader] foughtlâcham [waged war, battled] for youʻal and riskedshâlak [adventured, put in jeopardy] his lifenephesh [soul, being] to delivernâtsal [rescue, save] youʼêth from the handyâd [power, control] of MidianMidyân [the Midianites, a desert tribe]

Word
Listen & take awayJudges 9
English ↓ Download MP3 The Berean Standard Bible chapter audio already hosted for the site's Bible section — verse 17 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 (mid.Yan) — no per-word recordings of the Hebrew exist to link to.
Take it away
Judges 9:17quick helps
In a sentenceAbimelech is reminded of the loyalty and sacrifice of his father, who fought for the people.
Who is speakingA member of Gideon's family, addressing the leaders of Shechem.
Where we areIn the midst of a political discourse about kingship and loyalty.
The hard wordנִלְחַ֥ם
Take awayA father's sacrifice is highlighted in the context of loyalty and betrayal.
6 commentators on this verse Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them › clause verbלָחַם The sentence as the grammar sees it Open the tree ›
How rare are these words?in the Old Testament

Every word here is used elsewhere in the Old Testament.

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

Deep Study — Judges 9:17

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 Speech of Abimelech's Familygenerated

16Now if you have acted faithfully and honestly in making Abimelech king, if you have done well by Jerubbaal and his family, and if you have done to him as he deserves—
17for my father fought for you and risked his life to deliver you from the hand of Midian,
18but you have risen up against my father’s house this day and killed his seventy sons on a single stone, and you have made Abimelech, the son of his maidservant, king over the leaders of Shechem because he is your brother—
19if you have acted faithfully and honestly toward Jerubbaal and his house this day, then may you rejoice in Abimelech, and he in you.

Judges 9:17 recounts a moment where a member of Gideon's family addresses the leaders of Shechem, reminding them of Gideon's sacrifices for their sake. This speech serves as a critical reflection on loyalty and betrayal, contrasting Gideon's past actions with the present situation where his family is being undermined. The surrounding verses emphasize the gravity of their choices and the consequences of their actions.


Cross References

ReferenceText (BSB)
1Judges 7:1–25Early in the morning Jerubbaal (that is, Gideon) and all the men with him camped beside the spring of Harod. And the camp of Midian was north of them in the valley near the hill of Moreh.
2Judges 8:4–10Then Gideon and his three hundred men came to the Jordan and crossed it, exhausted yet still in pursuit.
3Esther 4:16“Go and assemble all the Jews who can be found in Susa, and fast for me. Do not eat or drink for three days, night or day, and I and my maidens will fast as you do. After that, I will go to the king, even though it is against the law. And if I perish, I perish! ”
4Romans 5:8But God proves His love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
5Romans 16:4who have risked their lives for me. Not only I but all the churches of the Gentiles are grateful to them.

The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 6 references, hung on the phrase they belong to


The Key Word נִלְחַ֥ם, nil.Chamgenerated

The verb נִלְחַם (*nilcham*) is a Niphal form of the root לָחַם (*lacham*), meaning 'to fight' or 'to do battle.' This form indicates a passive or reflexive action, suggesting that the subject is engaged in battle rather than simply initiating it. The context here highlights the active role Gideon took in fighting for the people.

This word is significant as it illustrates the concept of struggle and conflict, both physically in battle and metaphorically in the relationships and political dynamics at play. The use of this verb underscores the importance of Gideon's efforts in securing the safety and freedom of the people from Midian.


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 finite verb נִלְחַ֥ם governs the main clause, which is followed by a series of phrases expanding on the subject and actions. The structure emphasizes the actions taken by Gideon on behalf of the people, highlighting both his role and the stakes involved.

The sentence is constructed with a main clause followed by multiple phrases that provide context and detail, illustrating the relationship between Gideon's actions and the current situation faced by his family.


Septuagint Backgroundgenerated

The Septuagint translates נִלְחַ֥ם with the Greek word παρετάχατο, which carries the meaning of 'he fought.' This choice reflects a direct translation of the Hebrew concept of battle, maintaining the focus on Gideon's active role in the conflict.

This translation aligns closely with the Hebrew, emphasizing the importance of Gideon's fighting spirit and the gravity of his sacrifices for the people.


In plain words — the whole versegenerated

Judges 9:17 reminds the leaders of Shechem that Gideon, the speaker's father, fought for them and risked his life to save them from Midian. This statement highlights the loyalty and sacrifices made by Gideon, contrasting with the betrayal his family faces at the hands of the leaders.


Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated

What does it mean that Gideon fought for the people?

It signifies that Gideon took significant risks and engaged in battle to protect and deliver the Israelites from their enemies.

How does this verse relate to the theme of loyalty?

This verse contrasts Gideon's loyalty and sacrifice with the betrayal his family faces, emphasizing the importance of loyalty in leadership.

What can we learn from Gideon's actions?

Gideon's commitment to fight for his people sets an example of selflessness and dedication, highlighting the responsibilities of leaders.

Why is the mention of Midian significant?

Midian represents the enemies that Gideon fought against, symbolizing the struggles and conflicts faced by the Israelites during that period.


Reflection Questionsgenerated

  1. In what ways can I demonstrate loyalty to those who have made sacrifices for me?
  2. How do I respond to situations where I feel my loyalty is being tested?
  3. What lessons can I learn from Gideon's actions in this verse?
  4. How can I apply the themes of sacrifice and loyalty in my own life?

Commentators on this verse — 6 expositors, verse by verse

Each of these wrote on Judges 9:17 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.

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

For my father fought for you,.... In the valley of Jezreel, and at Karkor, where with three hundred men he routed and destroyed an army of 135,000: and adventured his life far: which, according to

Read John Gill on Judges 9 →
Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's Commentary

And the bramble said unto the trees, If in truth ye anoint me king over you, then come and put your trust in my shadow: and if not, let fire come out of the bramble, and devour the cedars of Lebanon.

Read Robert Jamieson on Judges 9 →
Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy Bible

Heb. cast away his soul or life far off, out of his reach or power to recover it, i.e. exposed himself to utmost hazard for your sakes.

Read Matthew Poole on Judges 9 →
John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

Judges 9:17 (For my father fought for you, and adventured his life far, and delivered you out of the hand of Midian:Ver. 17. And adventured his life.] Heb., Threw his life far from him, set light by it, was prodigal of it. And was not the Lord Christ much more so for us? Out upon our uuthankfulness!

Read John Trapp on Judges 9 →
Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(17) Adventured his life.—Literally, as in the margin, cast his life (LXX., åῤῥ ?éøå), like the Latin projicere vitam (Lucan, Phars. iv. 516). Comp. the reading paraboleusamenos in Philippians 2:30 and Isaiah 53:12 : “He hath poured out his soul unto death.”

Read Charles John Ellicott on Judges 9 →
CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

7–21. Jotham’s fable The author of the fable had several points in his mind: (a) the contrast between Gideon’s refusal of the kingship and the arrogant claim of the son of his concubine; the other sons (or many respectable members of the community) had qualities which entitled them to rule; it was left to the mean ‘bramble’ to claim the rank of king; (b) a warning to the Shechemites of the dangerous character of their upstart chief; his protection was worthless if they trusted him, and if they did not he would be their ruin; (c) a rebuke of the Shechemites for their ingratitude towards the house of Gideon. The fable, however, is not entirely consistent with the moral drawn from it…

Read Cambridge on Judges 9 →

The verse in English, compared — 17 translations, and where they part company

Every translation on this page is a decision someone had to make and commit to. Read down a column and you see one translator's judgement; read across a row and you see the range the Greek actually allows. The BSB is the wording the rest of this page is measured against, so it is listed first.

Modern formal

BSBBerean Standard Bible2020

for my father fought for you and risked his life to deliver you from the hand of Midian,

WEBWorld English Bible2000

(for my father fought for you, risked his life, and delivered you out of the hand of Midian;

MSBMajority Standard Bible2022

for my father fought for you and risked his life to deliver you from the hand of Midian,

NETBNew English Translation2006

my father fought for you; he risked his life and delivered you from Midian’s power.

Tyndale line

KJVKing James Version1611

(For my father fought for you, and adventured his life far, and delivered you out of the hand of Midian:

ASVAmerican Standard Version1901

(for my father fought for you, and adventured his life, and delivered you out of the hand of Midian:

RVARevised Version, American1894

(for my father fought for you, and adventured his life, and delivered you out of the hand of Midian:

NWBWebster's Bible1833

(For my father fought for you, and adventured his life far, and delivered you from the hand of Midian:

GNVGeneva Bible1599

(For my father fought for you, and aduentured his life, and deliuered you out of the handes of Midian.

Strictly literal

DBYDarby Translation1890

— for my father fought for you, and endangered his life, and delivered you out of the hand of Midian;

YLTYoung's Literal Translation1862

because my father hath fought for you, and doth cast away his life from [him], and deliver you from the hand of Midian;

LSVLiteral Standard Version2020

because my father has fought for you, and casts his life away from [him], and delivers you from the hand of Midian;

ILTInterlinear Literal Translation2000

(In that my father fought for you, and cast his life far away, and delivered you out of the hand of Midian;

ULBUnlocked Literal Bible2017

—and to think that my father fought for you, risked his life, and rescued you out of the hand of Midian—

From the Latin

DRADouay-Rheims (Challoner)1899

And exposed his life to dangers, to deliver you from the hands of Madian,

Simplified

FBVFree Bible Version2020

Don't forget how my father fought for you and risked his own life to save you from the Midianites!

BBEBible in Basic English1949

(For my father made war for you, and put his life in danger, and made you free from the hands of Midian;

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.

clauserelpאֲשֶׁרthatclauseclauseverbנִלְחַ֥םhe.foughtnoun phrase · subjectאָבִ֖fatherיmyprepositional phrase · prepositionalעֲלֵיonכֶ֑םyouוַandclauseverbיַּשְׁלֵ֤ךְhe.threwnoun phrase · objectאֶת(et)noun phraseנַפְשׁlifeוֹ֙hisprepositional phrase · prepositionalמִfromנֶּ֔גֶדin.frontוַandclauseverbיַּצֵּ֥לhe.deliverednoun phrase · objectאֶתְכֶ֖םyouprepositional phrase · prepositionalמִfromnoun phraseיַּ֥דthe.handמִדְיָֽןof.Midian

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


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

The Masoretic Text and the Septuagint agree on the essential wording of this verse, with 11 of the 12 words matched. The Septuagint's rendering reflects the same themes present in the Hebrew, though its word order differs.

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

אֲשֶׁר־ נִלְחַ֥ם אָבִ֖י עֲלֵיכֶ֑ם וַיַּשְׁלֵ֤ךְ אֶת־ נַפְשׁוֹ֙ מִנֶּ֔גֶד וַיַּצֵּ֥ל אֶתְכֶ֖ם מִיַּ֥ד מִדְיָֽן׃

Septuagintthe Greek the translators chose, word by word
אֲשֶׁר־ὡςנִלְחַ֥םπαρετάχατοאָבִ֖יμουעֲלֵיכֶ֑םὑμῶνוַיַּשְׁלֵ֤ךְἐχέρριψενנַפְשׁוֹ֙αὐτοῦמִנֶּ֔גֶדἐναντίαςוַיַּצֵּ֥לἐρρύσατοאֶתְכֶ֖םὑμᾶςמִיַּ֥דξειρὸςמִדְיָֽן׃μαδιαμ

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 9:17אֲשֶׁרthatthatאֲשֶׁרלָחַםhe foughthe foughtלָחַםאָבfather myfather myאָבעַלon youon youעַלשָׁלַךְand he threand he threwשָׁלַךְאֵתthe object the object markאֵתנֶ֫פֶשׁlife hislife hisנֶ֫פֶשׁנֶ֫גֶדfrom in frofrom in frontנֶ֫גֶדנָצַלand he deliand he delivereנָצַלאֵתthe object the object markאֵתיָדfrom [the] from [the] handיָדמִדְיָןMidianMidianמִדְיָןאוֹתsign: mirasign: miraculouאוֹתנָפַשׁbe refreshbe refreshedנָפַשׁנָגַדto tellto tellנָגַדכַּףpalmpalmכַּףעַלheightheightעַלדִּיןcontentioncontentionדִּיןמִגְרָשׁpasturepastureמִגְרָשׁצָוָהto commandto commandצָוָהעַמּוֹןAmmonAmmonעַמּוֹןפְּלִשְׁתִּי(Sea of th(Sea of the) Phפְּלִשְׁתִּיקָבַרto buryto buryקָבַראֵםmothermotherאֵםכִּפֶּרto atoneto atoneכִּפֶּרכִּסֵּאthronethroneכִּסֵּאנְבֵלָהcarcasscarcassנְבֵלָהבּוֹרpitpitבּוֹרבָּקַשׁto seekto seekבָּקַשׁחַיalivealiveחַי
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 9:17

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.

that he fought father my on you and he threw the object marker life his from in front and he delivered the object marker you from [the] hand of Midian
אֲשֶׁר־'a.Sher- that 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
Rel — Particle
HTr
The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
that he fought father my on you and he threw the object marker life his from in front and he delivered the object marker you from [the] hand of Midian
נִלְחַ֥םnil.Cham he fought H3898 Verb · Niphal · perfect third person masculine singular
177× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
In the Bible, this word means to feed on or consume something, often referring to eating food or battling against someone. It's used in stories like David's battles and the Israelites' struggles in the wilderness.
Amplified meaning
waged war, battled
Tyndale gloss
to fight
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

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

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

[לָחַם] 171 vb. fight, do battle

Qal fight, do battle

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

base

[לָחַם] vb. use as food, eat

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H3898a לָחַם fight, do battle .fight, do battle

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

H3898b לָחַם use as food, eat

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

3898 lacham law-kham'

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

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

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

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

לָחַם (la.cham) — to fight.

1) to fight, do battle, make war

1a) (Qal) to fight, do battle

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

לָחַם (la.cham) — to feed on.

(Qal) to eat, use as food

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
V-Niphal-Perf-3ms — Verb · Niphal · perfect third person masculine singular
HVNp3ms
that he fought father my on you and he threw the object marker life his from in front and he delivered the object marker you from [the] hand of Midian
אָבִ֖י'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
the patriarch, leader
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);

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Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-ms | Suff — Noun common masculine singular construct · suffix
HNcmsc/Sp1bs
that he fought father my on you and he threw the object marker life his from in front and he delivered the object marker you from [the] hand of Midian
עֲלֵיכֶ֑ם'a.lei.Khem on you H5921 Preposition · suffix
5,774× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This Hebrew word means on or above something, like a physical object or a situation. It can also imply a sense of responsibility or accountability, as in being on behalf of someone.
Tyndale gloss
upon
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word עַל (*al*) is a preposition meaning 'upon' and encompasses a wide range of meanings, including 'on account of,' 'beside,' 'above,' and 'against.' It can indicate physical placement, emotional burdens, or duties imposed on a person. The entries also note its use in idiomatic expressions and with verbs of motion. There is a mention of its function as a conjunction in certain contexts.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

כִּי עַל כֵּן forasmuch as

base

עַל, עָ֑ל

subst. height

As prep. upon, and hence on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against

Upon, of the substratum upon which an object in any way rests, or on which an action is performed

of clothing, etc., which any one wears

With verbs of covering or protecting, even though the cover or veil be not over or above the thing covered, but around or before it

Of what rests heavily upon a person, or is a burden to him

Of a duty, payment, care, etc., imposed upon a person, or devolving on him

על is used idiom. to give pathos to the expression of an emotion, by emphasizing the person who is its subject, and who, as it were, feels it acting upon him

חָיָה עַל to live upon (as upon a foundation or support)

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Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H5921a עַל, עָ֑ל . As prep. upon, and hence on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against . Upon, of the substratum upon which an object in any way rests, or on which an action is performed . — . of clothing, etc., which any one wears

. With verbs of covering or protecting, even though the cover or veil be not over or above the thing covered, but around or before it

. Of what rests heavily upon a person, or is a burden to him

. Of a duty, payment, care, etc., imposed upon a person, or devolving on him

. על is used idiom. to give pathos to the expression of an emotion, by emphasizing the person who is its subject, and who, as it were, feels it acting upon him

. חָיָה עַל to live upon (as upon a foundation or support)

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Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

5921 `al al

properly, the same as 5920 used as a preposition (in the

singular or plural often with prefix, or as conjunction with a

particle following); above, over, upon, or against (yet always

in this last relation with a downward aspect) in a great

variety of applications (as follow):--above, according

to(-ly), after, (as) against, among, and, X as, at, because

of, beside (the rest of), between, beyond the time, X both

and, by (reason of), X had the charge of, concerning for, in

(that), (forth, out) of, (from) (off), (up-)on, over, than,

through(-out), to, touching, X with.

see HEBREW for 05920

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

עַל (al) — upon.

prep

1) upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against

1a) upon, on the ground of, on the basis of, on account of, because of, therefore, on behalf of, for the sake of, for, with, in spite of, notwithstanding, concerning, in the matter of, as regards

1b) above, beyond, over (of excess)

1c) above, over (of elevation or pre-eminence)

1d) upon, to, over to, unto, in addition to, together with, with (of addition)

1e) over (of suspension or extension)

1f) by, adjoining, next, at, over, around (of contiguity or proximity)

1g) down upon, upon, on, from, up upon, up to, towards, over towards, to, against (with verbs of motion)

1h) to (as a dative)

[כִּי] עַל [כֵּן] ([ki] al [ken]) — as.

conj

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Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Prep | Suff — Preposition · suffix
HRd/Sp2mp
The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
that he fought father my on you and he threw the object marker life his from in front and he delivered the object marker you from [the] hand of Midian
וַיַּשְׁלֵ֤ךְvai.yash.Lekh and he threw H7993 Verb · Hiphil · sequential imperfect third person masculine singular
125× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
To throw or cast away is the meaning of this Hebrew verb. It is used in various contexts, including throwing lots or casting out something unwanted. The word appears in stories like Jonah being thrown into the sea.
Amplified meaning
adventured, put in jeopardy
Tyndale gloss
to throw
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

שָׁלַךְ (shalak) is a Hebrew verb meaning to throw, cast, or fling. It can be used literally or figuratively, covering actions like throwing away or casting lots. The Hiphil form indicates an active throwing, while the Hophal form suggests being thrown or cast. The entries collectively emphasize various nuances of throwing and casting.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

[שָׁלַךְ] 125 vb. Hiph. 112 throw, fling, cast

Hoph.

be thrown, cast

be cast forth, out

be cast down

metaph., be cast

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H7993 שָׁלַךְ Hiph. throw, fling, cast

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

7993 shalak shaw-lak

a primitive root; to throw out, down or away (literally or

figuratively):--adventure, cast (away, down, forth, off,

out), hurl, pluck, throw.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

שָׁלַךְ (sha.lakh) — to throw.

1) to throw, cast, hurl, fling

1a) (Hiphil)

1a1) to throw, cast, throw away, cast off, shed, cast down

1a2) to cast (lots) (fig)

1b) (Hophal)

1b1) to be thrown, be cast

1b2) to be cast forth or out

1b3) to be cast down

1b4) to be cast (metaph)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Conj | V-Hiphil-ConsecImperf-3ms — Verb · Hiphil · sequential imperfect third person masculine singular
Hc/Vhw3ms
that he fought father my on you and he threw the object marker life his from in front and he delivered the object marker you from [the] hand of Midian
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
DirObjM | Suff — Particle
HTo
The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
that he fought father my on you and he threw the object marker life his from in front and he delivered the object marker you from [the] hand of Midian
נַפְשׁוֹ֙naf.Sho life his H5315 Noun common feminine singular construct · suffix
754× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
The Hebrew word for soul or living being, used in the Bible to describe the essence of a person or animal. It encompasses the ideas of life, breath, and vitality, and is translated as 'soul' or 'creature' in the KJV. This word is central to biblical concepts of humanity and existence.
Amplified meaning
soul, being
Tyndale gloss
soul
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word נֶ֫פֶשׁ (*nephesh*) broadly means 'soul' or 'living being,' encompassing concepts like life, self, person, desire, and emotion. It is derived from the root meaning 'to breathe' and signifies both physical and mental aspects of existence. The lexicons note its use in various contexts, including as the seat of appetites and emotions, though its application to will and character is uncertain.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

נֶ֫פֶשׁ 756 n.f. soul, living being, life, self, person, desire, appetite, emotion, and passion

= that which breathes, the breathing substance or being

The נפשׁ becomes a living being

The נפשׁ is specif.

The נפשׁ as the essential of man stands for the man himself

נפשׁ = seat of the appetites, in all periods (46 t.)

נ׳ = seat of emotions and passions

נפשׁ is used occasionally for mental acts

נפשׁ for acts of the will is dub.

נפשׁ = character is still more dub.

נ׳ in D

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H5315 נֶ֫פֶשׁ soul, living being, life, self, person, desire, appetite, emotion, and passion . = that which breathes, the breathing substance or being

. The נפשׁ becomes a living being

. The נפשׁ is specif.

. The נפשׁ as the essential of man stands for the man himself

. נפשׁ = seat of the appetites, in all periods (46 t.)

. נ׳ = seat of emotions and passions

. נפשׁ is used occasionally for mental acts

. נפשׁ for acts of the will is dub.

. נפשׁ = character is still more dub.

. נ׳ in D

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

5315 nephesh neh'-fesh

from 5314; properly, a breathing creature, i.e. animal of

(abstractly) vitality; used very widely in a literal,

accommodated or figurative sense (bodily or mental):--any,

appetite, beast, body, breath, creature, X dead(-ly), desire,

X (dis-)contented, X fish, ghost, + greedy, he, heart(-y),

(hath, X jeopardy of) life (X in jeopardy), lust, man, me,

mind, mortally, one, own, person, pleasure, (her-, him-, my-,

thy-)self, them (your)-selves, + slay, soul, + tablet, they,

thing, (X she) will, X would have it.

see HEBREW for 05314

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

נֶ֫פֶשׁ (ne.phesh) — soul.

1) soul, self, life, creature, person, appetite, mind, living being, desire, emotion, passion

1a) that which breathes, the breathing substance or being, soul, the inner being of man

1b) living being

1c) living being (with life in the blood)

1d) the man himself, self, person or individual

1e) seat of the appetites

1f) seat of emotions and passions

1g) activity of mind

1g1) uncertain

1h) activity of the will

1h1) uncertain

1i) activity of the character

1i1) uncertain

נֶ֫פֶשׁ (ne.phesh) — soul: life.

1) soul, self, life, creature, person, appetite, mind, living being, desire, emotion, passion

1a) that which breathes, the breathing substance or being, soul, the inner being of man

1b) living being

1c) living being (with life in the blood)

1d) the man himself, self, person or individual

1e) seat of the appetites

1f) seat of emotions and passions

1g) activity of mind

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Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-cs | Suff — Noun common feminine singular construct · suffix
HNcfsc/Sp3ms
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

hiz: Used often in the King James Version with reference to a neuter or inanimate thing, or to a lower animal (Ge 1:11, "after his kind"; Le 1:16, "pluck away his crop"; Ac 12:10, "of his own accord"; 1Co 15:38, "his own body"), etc. the Revised Version (British and American) substitutes "its."

that he fought father my on you and he threw the object marker life his from in front and he delivered the object marker you from [the] hand of Midian
מִנֶּ֔גֶדmi.Ne.ged from in front H5048 Preposition
151× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
Before or in front of something, as in Genesis 18:22 where Abraham stands before the Lord. It describes a position of being face to face or in someone's presence.
Tyndale gloss
before
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

נֶ֫גֶד (neged) refers to something that is conspicuous or in front, functioning as both a noun and an adverb. It denotes a position opposite or before someone, often used to indicate presence or visibility. The word can imply a counterpart or mate, and it appears in contexts emphasizing sight or proximity.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

נֶ֫גֶד 151 subst. what is conspicuous or in front, always as adv. or prep. in front of, in sight of, opposite to

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H5048 נֶ֫גֶד subst. what is conspicuous or in front, always as adv. or prep. in front of, in sight of, opposite to

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

5048 neged neh'-ghed

from 5046; a front, i.e. part opposite; specifically a

counterpart, or mate; usually (adverbial, especially with

preposition) over against or before:--about, (over) against,

X aloof, X far (off), X from, over, presence, X other side,

sight, X to view.

see HEBREW for 05046

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

נֶ֫גֶד (ne.ged) — before.

subst

1) what is conspicuous, what is in front of

adv

2) in front of, straight forward, before, in sight of

3) in front of oneself, straightforward

4) before your face, in your view or purpose

with prep

5) what is in front of, corresponding to

6) in front of, before

7) in the sight or presence of

8) parallel to

9) over, for

10) in front, opposite

11) at a distance

prep

12) from the front of, away from

13) from before the eyes of, opposite to, at a distance from

14) from before, in front of

15) as far as the front of

Aramaic equivalent: ne.ged (נֶ֫גֶד "before" H5049)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
HR/Acmsa — Preposition
HR/Acmsa
that he fought father my on you and he threw the object marker life his from in front and he delivered the object marker you from [the] hand of Midian
וַיַּצֵּ֥לvai.ya.Tzel and he delivered H5337 Verb · Hiphil · sequential imperfect third person masculine singular
213× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
To rescue means to snatch away or deliver from danger. It can also mean to strip or plunder, depending on the context, and appears in various forms throughout the Bible.
Amplified meaning
rescue, save
Tyndale gloss
to rescue
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word נָצַל (natsal) is built from a primitive root meaning to snatch away, with various usages across different stems. It covers a range of meanings including to rescue, deliver, plunder, and strip. The word appears in contexts of delivering oneself or being delivered, as well as rescuing from enemies or sin.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

[נָצַל] 212 vb. not in Qal; Pi. strip, plunder; Niph. deliver oneself, be delivered Hiph. snatch away, deliver

Niph.

reflex. tear oneself away, deliver oneself

passive, be torn out or away

Pi.

strip off, spoil

deliver

Hiph.

take away, snatch away

rescue, recover

deliver from

deliver from sin and guilt

Hoph. as a brand plucked out of the burning

Hithp. and they stripped themselves of their ornaments.

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H5337 נָצַל not in Qal; Pi. strip, plunder; Niph. deliver oneself, be delivered Hiph. snatch away, deliver

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

5337 natsal naw-tsal'

a primitive root; to snatch away, whether in a good or a bad

sense:- X at all, defend, deliver (self), escape, X without

fail, part, pluck, preserve, recover, rescue, rid, save,

spoil, strip, X surely, take (out).

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

נָצַל (na.tsal) — to rescue.

1) to snatch away, deliver, rescue, save, strip, plunder

1a)(Niphal)

1a1) to tear oneself away, deliver oneself

1a2) to be torn out or away, be delivered

1b) (Piel)

1b1) to strip off, spoil

1b2) to deliver

1c) (Hiphil)

1c1) to take away, snatch away

1c2) to rescue, recover

1c3) to deliver (from enemies or troubles or death)

1c4) to deliver from sin and guilt

1d) (Hophal) to be plucked out

1e) (Hithpael) to strip oneself

Aramaic equivalent: ne.tsal (נְצַל "to rescue" H5338)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Conj | V-Hiphil-ConsecImperf-3ms — Verb · Hiphil · sequential imperfect third person masculine singular
Hc/Vhw3ms
that he fought father my on you and he threw the object marker life his from in front and he delivered the object marker you from [the] hand of Midian
אֶתְכֶ֖ם'et.Khem the object marker you H853 Particle · suffix
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/Sp2mp — Particle · suffix
HTo/Sp2mp
The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
that he fought father my on you and he threw the object marker life his from in front and he delivered the object marker you from [the] hand of Midian
מִיַּ֥דmi.Yad from [the] hand of H3027 Preposition · noun common both singular construct
1,619× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
In the Bible, 'yad' refers to an open hand, symbolizing power or direction. It can also mean strength or a part of something, like a side or a share. The word is used in many contexts, including anatomy and everyday life.
Amplified meaning
power, control
Tyndale gloss
hand
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

יָד (yad) means 'hand' and can also refer to strength or power in a figurative sense. It encompasses various technical uses, such as a sign or monument, parts or shares, and even specific components in construction, like axle-trees and supports for the laver. The word is versatile, appearing in both literal and metaphorical contexts.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

יָד 1604 n.f. hand

hand

Fig. = strength, power

Fig. = side

יָד is used in various special, technical senses:—

sign, monument

part, fractional part or share

time, repetition

axle-trees

stays, supports for laver

tenons on sides of boards of tabernacle

a (beckoning) hand

יַד with prep.

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H3027 יָד hand . hand

. Fig. = strength, power

. Fig. = side

. יָד is used in various special, technical senses:— . sign, monument

. part, fractional part or share

. time, repetition

. axle-trees

. stays, supports for laver

. tenons on sides of boards of tabernacle

. a (beckoning) hand

. יַד with prep.

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

3027 yad yawd

a primitive word; a hand (the open one (indicating power,

means, direction, etc.), in distinction from 3709, the closed

one); used (as noun, adverb, etc.) in a great variety of

applications, both literally and figuratively, both proximate

and remote (as follows):--(+ be) able, X about, + armholes,

at, axletree, because of, beside, border, X bounty, + broad,

(broken-)handed, X by, charge, coast, + consecrate, +

creditor, custody, debt, dominion, X enough, + fellowship,

force, X from, hand(-staves, -y work), X he, himself, X in,

labour, + large, ledge, (left-)handed, means, X mine,

ministry, near, X of, X order, ordinance, X our, parts, pain,

power, X presumptuously, service, side, sore, state, stay,

draw with strength, stroke, + swear, terror, X thee, X by

them, X themselves, X thine own, X thou, through, X throwing,

+ thumb, times, X to, X under, X us, X wait on, (way-)side,

Read the full entry →
Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

יָד (yad) — hand.

: hand/arm[anatomy]

1) hand

1a) hand (of man)

1b) strength, power (fig.)

1c) side (of land), part, portion (metaph.) (fig.)

1d) (various special, technical senses)

1d1) sign, monument

1d2) part, fractional part, share

1d3) time, repetition

1d4) axle-trees, axle

1d5) stays, support (for laver)

1d6) tenons (in tabernacle)

1d7) a phallus, a hand (meaning unsure)

1d8) wrists

יָד (yad) — hand: power.

: hand/arm[anatomy]

1) hand

1a) hand (of man)

1b) strength, power (fig.)

1c) side (of land), part, portion (metaph.) (fig.)

1d) (various special, technical senses)

1d1) sign, monument

1d2) part, fractional part, share

1d3) time, repetition

1d4) axle-trees, axle

1d5) stays, support (for laver)

1d6) tenons (in tabernacle)

1d7) a phallus, a hand (meaning unsure)

1d8) wrists

יָד (yad) — hand: themselves.

: hand/arm[anatomy]

1) hand

1a) hand (of man)

1b) strength, power (fig.)

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Prep | N-cs — Preposition · noun common both singular construct
HR/Ncbsc
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…

that he fought father my on you and he threw the object marker life his from in front and he delivered the object marker you from [the] hand of Midian
מִדְיָֽן׃mid.Yan Midian H4080 Noun proper
59× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
Refers to Midian, a son of Abraham, his country, and descendants, known for being a tribe that lived in the desert north of the Arabian peninsula.
Amplified meaning
the Midianites, a desert tribe
Tyndale gloss
Midian
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

מִדְיָן (Midyan) refers to the son of Abraham and Keturah, as well as the Arabian tribe and territory associated with him. This land is located north of the Arabian peninsula and is significant in the context of Moses' flight from Pharaoh. The term is linked to the concept of 'strife,' reflecting the historical and cultural connections of the Midianites.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

מִדְיָן n.pr.m.

son of Abraham and Keturah

an Arabian tribe

the land of Midian; land on Ælanitic gulf

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H4080 מִדְיָן . son of Abraham and Keturah

. an Arabian tribe

. the land of Midian; land on Ælanitic gulf

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

4080 Midyan mid-yawn'

the same as 4079; Midjan, a son of Abraham; also his country

and (collectively) his descendants:--Midian, Midianite.

see HEBREW for 04079

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

מִדְיָן (mid.yan) — Midian.

A man living at the time of the Patriarchs, first mentioned at Gen.25.2;

son of: Abraham (H0085) and Keturah (H6989);

half-brother of: Ishmael (H3458) and Isaac (H3327);

brother of: Zimran (H2175), Jokshan (H3370), Medan (H4091), Ishbak (H3435) and Shuah (H7744);

father of: Ephah (H5891), Epher (H6081), Hanoch (H2585I), Abida (H0028) and Eldaah (H0420)

§ Midian or Midianite = "strife"

1) son of Abraham by Keturah and progenitor of the tribe of Midianites or Arabians

2) the tribe descended from Midian

3) the territory of the tribe descended from Midian; located principally in the desert north of the Arabian peninsula; land to which Moses went when he fled from Pharaoh

מִדְיָן (mid.yan) — Midian.

§ Midian or Midianite = "strife"

the tribe descended from Midian

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

Midian

Strife, the fourth son of Abraham by Keturah, the father of the Midianites (Gen. 25:2; 1 Chr. 1:32).

Smith's Bible Dictionary

(strife), a son of Abraham and Keturah, (Genesis 25:2; 1 Chronicles 1:32) progenitor of the Midianites, or Arabians dwelling principally in the desert north of the peninsula of Arabia. Southward they extended along the eastern shore of the Gulf of Eyleh (Sinus AElaniticus); and northward they stretched along the eastern frontier of Palestine. The "land of Midian," the place to which Moses fled after having killed the Egyptian, (Exodus 2:15,21) or the portion of it specially referred to, was probably the peninsula of Sinai. The influence of the Midianties on the Israelites was clearly most evil, and directly tended to lead them from the injunctions of Moses. The events at Shittim occasioned the injunction to vex Midian and smite…

American Tract Society Bible Dictionary

The fourth son of Abraham and Keturah, Ge 25:2.

Hitchcock's Bible Names Dictionary

judgment; covering; habit

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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