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Job 10:19 — Word Study

Depth

WLCכַּאֲשֶׁ֣ר לֹא־ הָיִ֣יתִי אֶהְיֶ֑ה מִ֝בֶּ֗טֶן לַקֶּ֥בֶר אוּבָֽל׃

BSAIf onlyʼăsher I had neverlôʼ comehâyâh [come into existence, been born] to behâyâh [to exist, have life] but had been carriedyâbal [led, conducted] from the wombbeṭen [belly, place of birth] to the graveqeber [sepulchre, place of death, as if I had not been]

Word
Listen & take awayJob 10
English ↓ Download MP3 The Berean Standard Bible chapter audio already hosted for the site's Bible section — verse 19 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 ('u.Val) — no per-word recordings of the Hebrew exist to link to.
Take it away
Job 10:19quick helps
In a sentenceJob expresses a deep desire to have never been born, wishing instead to have been taken directly from the womb to the grave.
Who is speakingJob, in a moment of despair, speaks directly to God.
Where we areIn a lament where Job questions the purpose of his existence.
The hard wordאוּבָֽל
Take awayThe anguish of life and the wish for non-existence.
8 commentators on this verse Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them › clause verbהָיָה 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 — Job 10:19

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 — Job's Lamentgenerated

18Why then did You bring me from the womb? Oh, that I had died, and no eye had seen me!
19If only I had never come to be, but had been carried from the womb to the grave.
20Are my days not few? Withdraw from me, that I may have a little comfort,
21before I go—never to return— to a land of darkness and gloom,

Job 10:19 captures Job's profound sorrow and existential questioning as he grapples with his suffering. He wishes he had never been born, expressing a desire to have been taken directly from the womb to the grave, reflecting the depth of his despair amidst his trials. This verse is part of a larger discourse where Job laments his condition and seeks understanding from God regarding his suffering, as seen in the surrounding verses.


Cross References

ReferenceText (BSB)
1Psalm 58:8Like a slug that dissolves in its slime, like a woman’s stillborn child, may they never see the sun.

The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 1 reference, hung on the phrase they belong to

I should have been as though I had not been; I should have been carried from the womb to the grave.Psalm 58:8

The Key Word אוּבָֽל, 'u.Valgenerated

The Hebrew word יָבַל (*yabal*) means to conduct or lead. It implies a sense of being brought along or carried, often with a sense of purpose or direction. In this verse, it suggests the desire for a gentle transition from life to death, as if Job wishes to be led away from his current suffering.

The verb is in the Hophal form, indicating a passive action, which emphasizes Job's lack of agency in his existence and his longing for relief from his pain.


How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated

This study reads the verse in the Berean Standard Bible, so the BSB is the wording every comparison below is made against.


Sentence Structuregenerated

The main clause is governed by the verb הָיִ֣יתִי, I had been, with several phrases hanging off it: an infinitive phrase indicating existence, a prepositional phrase indicating the source, and another prepositional phrase indicating the destination. Hebrew word order emphasizes the subject's existential state and the longing for a different outcome.

The structure is complex, with the main verb at the center, showing Job's deep emotional state as he reflects on his life and wishes for a different reality.


Septuagint Backgroundgenerated

The Septuagint translates אוּבָֽל with ἐγενόμην, which means I became. This choice highlights a different nuance, emphasizing the transition from one state to another, rather than merely being led. It suggests a more active role in the process of existence and death.

This rendering indicates a subtle shift in focus from passive suffering to the act of becoming, which may reflect the translators' interpretation of Job's lament.


In plain words — the whole versegenerated

Job 10:19 expresses Job's wish that he had never been born, longing instead to have been taken directly from the womb to the grave. This reflects his deep sorrow and questioning of the purpose of his suffering.


Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated

What does Job mean by wishing he had never come to be?

Job expresses a profound sense of despair, wishing he had never been born to avoid the suffering he is currently enduring.

Why does Job mention being carried from the womb to the grave?

This imagery illustrates Job's desire for an end to his suffering, wishing for a peaceful transition rather than enduring the pain of life.

How does this verse reflect Job's relationship with God?

Job's lament reveals his struggle to understand his suffering and his desire for God to acknowledge his pain, highlighting the depth of his relationship with the divine.

What can we learn from Job's expression of despair?

Job's honesty in expressing his feelings of despair can encourage us to bring our struggles and questions to God, seeking understanding and comfort.


Reflection Questionsgenerated

  1. Have I ever felt a deep sense of despair like Job? How did I cope with those feelings?
  2. What does it mean to me to question my existence or purpose in times of suffering?
  3. How can I support someone who is experiencing deep sorrow or despair?
  4. What insights can I gain from Job's honesty in expressing his pain?

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

Gregory the Dialogist references this verse in his work, discussing Job's lament and the sentiment of wishing for non-existence.

Gregory the DialogistMorals on the Book of Job, Book IX c. 540–604
Wherefore then hast Thou brought me forth out of the womb. Oh that I had been consumed, and no eye had seen me. Which same sentiment he had already uttered in his first speech, saying,
Early Church Fathers on Job 10 →

Commentators on this verse — 8 expositors, verse by verse

Each of these wrote on Job 10:19 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.

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

I should have been as though I had not been,.... For though it cannot be said absolutely of such an one, an abortive or untimely birth, that it is a nonentity, or never existed; yet comparatively it

Read John Gill on Job 10 →
Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's Commentary

Wherefore then hast thou brought me forth out of the womb? Oh that I had given up the ghost, and no eye had seen me! No JFB commentary on these verses.

Read Robert Jamieson on Job 10 →
Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy Bible

I should have been, or, Oh that I had been! and so in the following branch, Oh that I had been carried! For why should not these verbs of the future tense be so rendered here, as that is, the reason being wholly the same?

Read Matthew Poole on Job 10 →
John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

Job 10:19 I should have been as though I had not been; I should have been carried from the womb to the grave.Ver. 19. I should have been as though I had not been] Here he sings the same song as Job 3:1-26 Job 4:1-21. It is hard to say how oft a child of God may discover the same infirmity. Our lives are fuller of sins than the firmament is of stars or the furnace of sparks. I should have been carried from the womb to the grave] He makes mention of the grave as a desirable place, which yet in the two last verses he describeth as a place of darkness and disorder. Thus Job himself was in the dark, and in his passion he throweth out words without wisdom. Itaque solicite orandus est Deus, saith…

Read John Trapp on Job 10 →
AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible

Verse 19. I should have been as though] Had I given up the ghost as soon as born, as I could not then have been conscious of existence, it would have been, as it respects myself, as though I had never been; being immediately transported from my mother's womb to the grave.

Read AdamClarke on Job 10 →
CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

18, 19. Perplexed even to despair by this idea of the purpose of God Job asks, Why God ever gave him existence at all? and as in ch. Job 3:11 seq. wishes he had never seen life. hast thou brought] didst thou bring. Oh that I had given] I should have given.

Read Cambridge on Job 10 →
Albert Barnes1798–1870Barnes' Notes on the Bible

I should have been carried from the womb to the grave - See the notes at Job 3:16.

Read Albert Barnes on Job 10 →
Daniel Denison Whedon1808–1885Whedon's Commentary on the Bible

19. Have… carried — àåáì, borne with solemn funereal pomp, same as in Job 21:32. A word of honour strangely accorded to nascent humanity, unless it be because of its immortal life.

Read Daniel Denison Whedon on Job 10 →

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

If only I had never come to be, but had been carried from the womb to the grave.

WEBWorld English Bible2000

I should have been as though I had not been. I should have been carried from the womb to the grave.

MSBMajority Standard Bible2022

If only I had never come to be, but had been carried from the womb to the grave.

NETBNew English Translation2006

I should have been as though I had never existed; I should have been carried right from the womb to the grave!

Tyndale line

KJVKing James Version1611

I should have been as though I had not been; I should have been carried from the womb to the grave.

ASVAmerican Standard Version1901

I should have been as though I had not been; I should have been carried from the womb to the grave.

RVARevised Version, American1894

I should have been as though I had not been; I should have been carried from the womb to the grave.

NWBWebster's Bible1833

I should have been as though I had not been; I should have been carried from the womb to the grave.

GNVGeneva Bible1599

And that I were as I had not bene, but brought from the wombe to the graue!

Strictly literal

DBYDarby Translation1890

I should be as though I had not been; I should have been carried from the womb to the grave.

YLTYoung's Literal Translation1862

As I had not been, I am, From the belly to the grave I am brought,

LSVLiteral Standard Version2020

I am as [if] I had not been, || I am brought from the belly to the grave,

ILTInterlinear Literal Translation2000

That I were as though I had not been,—had been borne from the womb to the grave.

ULBUnlocked Literal Bible2017

I would have been as though I had never existed; I would have been carried from the womb to the grave.

From the Latin

DRADouay-Rheims (Challoner)1899

I should have been as if I had not been, carried from the womb to the grave.

Simplified

FBVFree Bible Version2020

It would have been better if I had never existed, taken straight from the womb to the grave.

BBEBible in Basic English1949

And for me to have been as if I had not been; to have been taken from my mother's body straight to my last resting-place.

Counted from the translations carried on this site, not from a survey of every English Bible. A rendering shared by many versions is usually inherited rather than independently arrived at — the Tyndale line in particular runs through most of them.


The sentence as the grammar sees it — from the MACULA Hebrew treebank

This is not our own analysis: it is the scholarly syntax tree for the verse, showing how the clause actually holds together.

clauseprepositional phrase · prepositionalכַּjustrelpאֲשֶׁ֣רasclauseadverbialלֹאnotverbהָיִ֣יתִיI.had.beenverbאֶהְיֶ֑הI.wasclauseprepositional phrase · prepositionalprepositional phraseמִ֝from.[the]בֶּ֗טֶןwombprepositional phraseלַtonoun phrasetheקֶּ֥בֶרgraveverbאוּבָֽלI.was.brought

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, with six of the seven words matched. However, the Septuagint presents the words in a different order, which may reflect its interpretive choices rather than a direct translation.

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

כַּאֲשֶׁ֣ר לֹא־ הָיִ֣יתִי אֶהְיֶ֑ה מִ֝בֶּ֗טֶן לַקֶּ֥בֶר אוּבָֽל׃

Septuagintthe Greek the translators chose, word by word
כַּאֲשֶׁ֣רὥσπερלֹא־οὐκהָיִ֣יתִיὢνאֶהְיֶ֑הἐγενόμηνמִ֝בֶּ֗טֶןγαστρὸςלַקֶּ֥בֶרμνῆμα

6 of the 7 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.

Job 10:19אֲשֶׁרjust asjust asאֲשֶׁרלֹאnotnotלֹאהָיָהI had beenI had beenהָיָההָיָהI wasI wasהָיָהבֶּ֫טֶןfrom [the] from [the] wombבֶּ֫טֶןקֶ֫בֶרto the gravto the graveקֶ֫בֶריָבַלI was brougI was broughtיָבַלקָבַרto buryto buryקָבַרהָוָאto fallto fallהָוָאצָוָהto commandto commandצָוָהיָכֹלbe ablebe ableיָכֹלעוֹדstillstillעוֹדפְּרִיfruitfruitפְּרִימֵעֶהbellybellyמֵעֶהשַׁיgiftgiftשַׁיקֶ֫בֶרgravegraveקֶ֫בֶר
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 Job 10:19

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.

just as not I had been I was from [the] womb to the grave I was brought
כַּאֲשֶׁ֣רka.'a.Sher just as H834 Preposition · 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
Prep | Rel — Preposition · particle
HR/Tr
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

az: Conj. and adverb (usually Greek hos hosper, kathos), designating:

(1) Likeness: (a) between nouns (Ge 3:5; Jud 6:5; Php 2:8; Heb 11:27,29); (b) between verbs (Lu 6:36; Joh 5:30; 1Co 10:7); (c) between adjectives (1Co 15:48).

(2) Limitation (with respect to a particular aspect or relation) (1Pe 4:15,16).

The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
just as not I had been I was from [the] womb to the grave I was brought
לֹא־lo'- not H3808 Particle
5,170× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
The Hebrew word for not or no is used to indicate absence or negation, as when God says no to the Israelites' requests, or when they disobey His commands.
Tyndale gloss
not
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

לֹא (lo') is a Hebrew word meaning 'not' or 'no.' It serves as a simple negation and can imply absence or prohibition. The word can also be used in various contexts, often combined with other particles for emphasis or clarification. Its Aramaic equivalent is לָא (la), which also means 'not.'

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

לֹא or לוֹא adv. not

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H3808 לֹא or לוֹא not

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

3808 lo' lo

or lowi {lo}; or loh (Deut. 3:11) {lo}; a primitive particle;

not (the simple or abs. negation); by implication, no; often

used with other particles (as follows):--X before, + or else,

ere, + except, ig(-norant), much, less, nay, neither, never,

no((-ne), -r, (-thing)), (X as though...,(can-), for) not (out

of), of nought, otherwise, out of, + surely, + as truly as, +

of a truth, + verily, for want, + whether, without.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

לֹא (lo) — not.

1) not, no

1a) not (with verb-absolute prohibition)

1b) not (with modifier-negation)

1c) nothing (subst)

1d) without (with particle)

1e) before (of time)

Aramaic equivalent: la (לָא "not" H3809)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Part — Particle
HTn
The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
just as not I had been I was from [the] womb to the grave I was brought
הָיִ֣יתִיha.Yi.ti I had been H1961 Verb · Qal · perfect first person common singular
3,562× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
The Hebrew word for to be means to exist or come into being. It is used to describe something that happens or comes to pass, like in Genesis where God creates the world.
Amplified meaning
come into existence, been born
Tyndale gloss
to be
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word הָיָה (hayah) is a primitive root meaning to exist or become, and it encompasses a range of meanings including to happen, occur, and come to pass. It is often used in narrative contexts, particularly in phrases like "and it came to pass." The word can also denote a state of being or existence, and it appears frequently in various forms throughout the Old Testament.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

הָיָה 3570 vb. fall out, come to pass, become, be

Qal

Fall out, happen

occur, take place, come about, come to pass

esp. & very oft., come about, come to pass

וַיְהִי and it came to pass that, most often (c. 292 t.)

rarely also Pf. c. וְ conj. וְהָיָה

less oft. וְהָיָה Pf. consec. and it shall come to pass, or frequentat. came to pass (repeatedly, etc.)

Come into being, become

abs., in lively narrative, arise, appear, come

sq. prep.

become

sq. pred. noun (to be viewed as implicit accus.)

sq. pred. adj.

become like

sq. pred. לְ pers.

sq. לְ pred.

oft. c. לְ pred. לְ pers.

with עַל and לְ

sts. c. לְ pers. only = became the property of, come into the possession of

Be (often with subbordinate idea of becoming)

exist, be in existence

abide, remain, continue

with word of locality, be in or at a place, be situated, stand, lie

as copula, joining subj. & pred.

Read the full entry →
Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H1961 הָיָה fall out, come to pass, become, be .. . . Fall out, happen

. occur, take place, come about, come to pass

. esp. & very oft., come about, come to pass . . וַיְהִי and it came to pass that, most often (c. 292 t.)

. rarely also Pf. c. וְ conj. וְהָיָה

. less oft. וְהָיָה Pf. consec. and it shall come to pass, or frequentat. came to pass (repeatedly, etc.)

. Come into being, become . . abs., in lively narrative, arise, appear, come

. sq. prep.

. become . sq. pred. noun (to be viewed as implicit accus.)

. sq. pred. adj.

. become like

. sq. pred. + לְ pers.

. sq. לְ pred.

. oft. c. לְ pred. + לְ pers.

. with עַל and לְ

. sts. c. לְ pers. only = became the property of, come into the possession of

. Be (often with subbordinate idea of becoming) . exist, be in existence

. abide, remain, continue

Read the full entry →
Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

1961 hayah haw-yaw

a primitive root (compare 1933); to exist, i.e. be or become,

come to pass (always emphatic, and not a mere copula or

auxiliary):--beacon, X altogether, be(-come), accomplished,

committed, like), break, cause, come (to pass), do, faint,

fall, + follow, happen, X have, last, pertain, quit

(one-)self, require, X use.

see HEBREW for 01933

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

הָיָה (ha.yah) — to be.

1) to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out

1a) (Qal)

1a1) ---

1a1a) to happen, fall out, occur, take place, come about, come to pass

1a1b) to come about, come to pass

1a2) to come into being, become

1a2a) to arise, appear, come

1a2b) to become

1a2b1) to become

1a2b2) to become like

1a2b3) to be instituted, be established

1a3) to be

1a3a) to exist, be in existence

1a3b) to abide, remain, continue (with word of place or time)

1a3c) to stand, lie, be in, be at, be situated (with word of locality)

1a3d) to accompany, be with

1b) (Niphal)

1b1) to occur, come to pass, be done, be brought about

1b2) to be done, be finished, be gone

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
V-Qal-Perf-1cs — Verb · Qal · perfect first person common singular
HVqp1cs
just as not I had been I was from [the] womb to the grave I was brought
אֶהְיֶ֑ה'eh.Yeh I was H1961 Verb · Qal · imperfect first person common singular
3,562× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
The Hebrew word for to be means to exist or come into being. It is used to describe something that happens or comes to pass, like in Genesis where God creates the world.
Amplified meaning
to exist, have life
Tyndale gloss
to be
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word הָיָה (hayah) is a primitive root meaning to exist or become, and it encompasses a range of meanings including to happen, occur, and come to pass. It is often used in narrative contexts, particularly in phrases like "and it came to pass." The word can also denote a state of being or existence, and it appears frequently in various forms throughout the Old Testament.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

הָיָה 3570 vb. fall out, come to pass, become, be

Qal

Fall out, happen

occur, take place, come about, come to pass

esp. & very oft., come about, come to pass

וַיְהִי and it came to pass that, most often (c. 292 t.)

rarely also Pf. c. וְ conj. וְהָיָה

less oft. וְהָיָה Pf. consec. and it shall come to pass, or frequentat. came to pass (repeatedly, etc.)

Come into being, become

abs., in lively narrative, arise, appear, come

sq. prep.

become

sq. pred. noun (to be viewed as implicit accus.)

sq. pred. adj.

become like

sq. pred. לְ pers.

sq. לְ pred.

oft. c. לְ pred. לְ pers.

with עַל and לְ

sts. c. לְ pers. only = became the property of, come into the possession of

Be (often with subbordinate idea of becoming)

exist, be in existence

abide, remain, continue

with word of locality, be in or at a place, be situated, stand, lie

as copula, joining subj. & pred.

Read the full entry →
Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H1961 הָיָה fall out, come to pass, become, be .. . . Fall out, happen

. occur, take place, come about, come to pass

. esp. & very oft., come about, come to pass . . וַיְהִי and it came to pass that, most often (c. 292 t.)

. rarely also Pf. c. וְ conj. וְהָיָה

. less oft. וְהָיָה Pf. consec. and it shall come to pass, or frequentat. came to pass (repeatedly, etc.)

. Come into being, become . . abs., in lively narrative, arise, appear, come

. sq. prep.

. become . sq. pred. noun (to be viewed as implicit accus.)

. sq. pred. adj.

. become like

. sq. pred. + לְ pers.

. sq. לְ pred.

. oft. c. לְ pred. + לְ pers.

. with עַל and לְ

. sts. c. לְ pers. only = became the property of, come into the possession of

. Be (often with subbordinate idea of becoming) . exist, be in existence

. abide, remain, continue

Read the full entry →
Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

1961 hayah haw-yaw

a primitive root (compare 1933); to exist, i.e. be or become,

come to pass (always emphatic, and not a mere copula or

auxiliary):--beacon, X altogether, be(-come), accomplished,

committed, like), break, cause, come (to pass), do, faint,

fall, + follow, happen, X have, last, pertain, quit

(one-)self, require, X use.

see HEBREW for 01933

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

הָיָה (ha.yah) — to be.

1) to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out

1a) (Qal)

1a1) ---

1a1a) to happen, fall out, occur, take place, come about, come to pass

1a1b) to come about, come to pass

1a2) to come into being, become

1a2a) to arise, appear, come

1a2b) to become

1a2b1) to become

1a2b2) to become like

1a2b3) to be instituted, be established

1a3) to be

1a3a) to exist, be in existence

1a3b) to abide, remain, continue (with word of place or time)

1a3c) to stand, lie, be in, be at, be situated (with word of locality)

1a3d) to accompany, be with

1b) (Niphal)

1b1) to occur, come to pass, be done, be brought about

1b2) to be done, be finished, be gone

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
V-Qal-Imperf-1cs — Verb · Qal · imperfect first person common singular
HVqi1cs
just as not I had been I was from [the] womb to the grave I was brought
מִ֝בֶּ֗טֶןmi.Be.ten from [the] womb H990 Preposition · noun common feminine singular absolute
72× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This Hebrew word refers to the belly or womb, and is used to describe the seat of hunger, emotions, and even the depths of the afterlife. It is used in the Bible to describe the body and its functions. The KJV translates it as belly, body, or womb.
Amplified meaning
belly, place of birth
Tyndale gloss
belly: abdomen
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word בֶּ֫טֶן (*beten*) primarily means 'belly,' 'body,' or 'womb.' It is derived from a root suggesting hollowness and encompasses various uses, including the physical abdomen and metaphorical meanings, such as the seat of hunger or mental faculties. The lexicons consistently highlight these aspects without significant disagreement.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

בֶּ֫טֶן n.f. belly, body, womb

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H990 בֶּ֫טֶן belly, body, womb

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

990 beten beh'-ten

from an unused root probably meaning to be hollow; the belly,

especially the womb; also the bosom or body of anything:--

belly, body, + as they be born, + within, womb.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

בֶּ֫טֶן (be.ten) — belly: abdomen.

: abdomen

1) belly, womb, body

1a) belly, abdomen

1a1) as seat of hunger

1a2) as seat of mental faculties

1a3) of depth of Sheol (fig.)

1b) womb

בֶּ֫טֶן (be.ten) — belly: womb.

: womb/pregnancy

1) belly, womb, body

1a) belly, abdomen

1a1) as seat of hunger

1a2) as seat of mental faculties

1a3) of depth of Sheol (fig.)

1b) womb

בֶּ֫טֶן (be.ten) — belly: hump.

: hump

1) belly, womb, body

1a) belly, abdomen

1a1) as seat of hunger

1a2) as seat of mental faculties

1a3) of depth of Sheol (fig.)

1b) womb

בֶּ֫טֶן (be.ten) — belly: body.

: body

1) belly, womb, body

1a) belly, abdomen

1a1) as seat of hunger

1a2) as seat of mental faculties

1a3) of depth of Sheol (fig.)

1b) womb

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Prep | N-fs — Preposition · noun common feminine singular absolute
HR/Ncfsa
just as not I had been I was from [the] womb to the grave I was brought
לַקֶּ֥בֶרla.Ke.ver to the grave H6913 Preposition · noun common masculine singular absolute
67× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
A grave or sepulchre is a place where the dead are buried, often a tomb or burial site. This word is used in the Bible to describe the final resting place of individuals, and is translated as burying place or sepulchre in the KJV.
Amplified meaning
sepulchre, place of death, as if I had not been
Tyndale gloss
grave
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

קֶ֫בֶר (qeber) refers to a grave or sepulchre, indicating a burial place. It is derived from the root word for 'to bury' and is used in contexts related to tombs. The entries consistently define it as a place of interment without notable disagreement.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

קֶ֫בֶר 67 n.m. grave, sepulchre

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H6913 קֶ֫בֶר grave, sepulchre

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

6913 qeber, keh'-ber

or (feminine) qibrah {kib-raw'}; from 6912; a

sepulchre:--burying place, grave, sepulchre.

see HEBREW for 06912

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

קֶ֫בֶר (qe.ver) — grave.

grave, sepulchre, tomb

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Prep | N-ms — Preposition · noun common masculine singular absolute
HRd/Ncmsa
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
Easton's Bible Dictionary

Grave

Among the ancient Hebrews graves were outside of cities in the open field (Luke 7:12; John 11:30). Kings (1 Kings 2:10) and prophets (1 Sam. 25:1) were generally buried within cities. Graves were generally grottoes or caves, natural or hewn out in rocks (Isa. 22:16; Matt. 27:60). There were family cemeteries (Gen. 47:29; 50:5; 2 Sam. 19:37). Public burial-places were assigned to the poor (Jer.…

just as not I had been I was from [the] womb to the grave I was brought
אוּבָֽל׃'u.Val I was brought H2986 Verb · Hophal · imperfect first person common singular
18× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
In the Bible, this Hebrew word means to lead or conduct someone or something, often with grandeur. It's first used in Genesis to describe God's power. The word can also mean to carry or bring something along.
Amplified meaning
led, conducted
Tyndale gloss
to conduct
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

יָבַל (yabal) is a Hebrew verb meaning to conduct or carry along. It encompasses various actions such as leading, bearing offerings, and being led to the grave. The word has both Hiphil and Hophal forms, indicating active and passive meanings, respectively. There is an Aramaic equivalent, יְבַל (ye.val), also meaning 'to bring'.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

[יָבַל] vb. Hiph. conduct, bear along

Hiph.

bear along offerings

carry away

Hoph.

be borne along

be borne to the grave

be led, conducted

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H2986 יָבַל Hiph. conduct, bear along . . bear along offerings

. carry away

. . be borne along

. be borne to the grave

. be led, conducted

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

2986 yabal yaw-bal'

a primitive root; properly, to flow; causatively, to bring

(especially with pomp):--bring (forth), carry, lead (forth).

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

יָבַל (ya.val) — to conduct.

1) to bring, lead, carry, conduct, bear along

1a) (Hiphil)

1a1) to bear along, bring

1a2) to carry away, lead away

1a3) to lead, conduct

1b) (Hophal)

1b1) to be borne along

1b2) to be borne (to the grave)

1b3) to be brought, be led, be conducted

Aramaic equivalent: ye.val (יְבַל "to bring" H2987)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
V-Hophal-Imperf-1cs — Verb · Hophal · imperfect first person common singular
HVHi1cs
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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