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Job 11:4 — Word Study

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WLCוַ֭תֹּאמֶר זַ֣ךְ לִקְחִ֑י וּ֝בַ֗ר הָיִ֥יתִי בְעֵינֶֽיךָ׃

BSAYou have saidʼâmar [spoken, declared] My doctrine [is]leqach [teaching, instruction] soundzak [pure, clean] and I amhâyâh purebar [clean, innocent] in Your sightʻayin [eyes, presence]

Word
Listen & take awayJob 11
English ↓ Download MP3 The Berean Standard Bible chapter audio already hosted for the site's Bible section — verse 4 is in this chapter.
Hebrew ↓ Download MP3 The Masoretic text of this chapter, read aloud. Read by Abraham Shmuelof, courtesy of Audio Scriptures International. Chapter divisions by the Academy of Ancient Languages..
Say the word Each Hebrew word carries its transliteration (ve.'ei.Nei.kha) — no per-word recordings of the Hebrew exist to link to.
Take it away
Job 11:4quick helps
In a sentenceJob asserts his own righteousness, claiming his teachings are sound and he is pure before God.
Who is speakingJob, in dialogue with his friends, defending his integrity.
Where we areIn a discourse where Job responds to accusations of wrongdoing.
The hard wordזַךְ
Take awayJob believes he is innocent and his teachings are correct.
8 commentators on this verse Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them › clause verbאָמַר The sentence as the grammar sees it Open the tree ›
How rare are these words?in the Old Testament

Every word here is used elsewhere in the Old Testament.

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

Deep Study — Job 11:4

Sections marked generated are written from the data on this page rather than by a named author. Everything else — the lexicon entries, the cross references, the manuscript readings, the counts — is quoted from its source unchanged.

Context — Job's Defense Against Accusationsgenerated

3Should your babbling put others to silence? Will you scoff without rebuke?
4You have said, ‘My doctrine is sound, and I am pure in Your sight.’
5But if only God would speak and open His lips against you,
6and disclose to you the secrets of wisdom, for true wisdom has two sides. Know then that God exacts from you less than your iniquity deserves.

Job 11:4 is part of Job's response to his friends, who have accused him of sin. In this verse, Job defends himself by stating that his teachings are sound and that he is pure in God's sight. This claim reflects Job's struggle to reconcile his suffering with his understanding of righteousness, as he grapples with the implications of his friends' accusations and the nature of divine justice.


Cross References

ReferenceText (BSB)
1Job 6:10It still brings me comfort, and joy through unrelenting pain, that I have not denied the words of the Holy One.
2Job 10:7though You know that I am not guilty, and there is no deliverance from Your hand?
31 Peter 3:15But in your hearts sanctify Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give a defense to everyone who asks you the reason for the hope that is in you. But respond with gentleness and respect,
4Job 6:29–30Reconsider; do not be unjust. Reconsider, for my righteousness is at stake.
5Job 7:20If I have sinned, what have I done to You, O watcher of mankind? Why have You made me Your target, so that I am a burden to You ?

The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 9 references, hung on the phrase they belong to


The Key Word זַךְ, zakhgenerated

The word זַךְ (zakh) is an adjective meaning 'pure' or 'clean'. It suggests a state of moral clarity and innocence, often associated with a clear conscience. In this context, it emphasizes Job's assertion of his own purity and righteousness before God.

Job uses this term to assert that he has not engaged in wrongdoing, positioning himself as blameless in the eyes of God. This word appears in various contexts throughout the Bible, often highlighting the importance of moral integrity and purity.


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. The BSB has pure for זַךְ, while the KJV and several other versions use clean, maintaining the essence of the original Hebrew.

Where translations differ is in the rendering of זַךְclean (ASV, KJV) versus pure (BSB, NETB). This distinction reflects subtle nuances in the interpretation of Job's claim to righteousness.


Sentence Structuregenerated

The finite verb תֹּאמֶר (to say) governs the main clause, asserting Job's declaration. The structure includes a predicate describing his state and a prepositional phrase indicating the context of his purity.

The sentence is constructed with a clear subject-verb-object order, emphasizing Job's claim of purity and his self-defense against the accusations made by his friends.


Septuagint Backgroundgenerated

The Septuagint translates זַךְ as καθαρός (katharos), which also means 'pure' or 'clean'. This choice aligns closely with the Hebrew meaning, reinforcing Job's assertion of moral integrity.

The use of καθαρός in the Septuagint maintains the emphasis on purity, suggesting that the translators understood Job's claim as one of innocence and righteousness before God.


In plain words — the whole versegenerated

Job 11:4 shows Job defending himself against accusations of wrongdoing. He claims that his teachings are sound and that he is pure in God's sight. This reflects his struggle to understand his suffering in light of his integrity.


Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated

What does Job mean by claiming his doctrine is sound?

Job asserts that his teachings and beliefs are correct and aligned with God's truth.

Why does Job emphasize his purity in God's sight?

Job believes that his innocence is crucial in defending himself against the accusations of his friends.

How does this verse reflect Job's overall situation?

It highlights Job's struggle with his suffering and his desire to prove his righteousness despite the challenges he faces.

What can we learn from Job's defense?

Job's insistence on his integrity encourages readers to consider the importance of maintaining one's principles in the face of adversity.


Reflection Questionsgenerated

  1. In what ways do I assert my beliefs and values when faced with criticism?
  2. How can I maintain a clear conscience in my actions and teachings?
  3. What does purity mean in my own life, and how can I strive for it?
  4. How do I respond to accusations or misunderstandings about my character?

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

Early interpretations of this verse reflect on Job's claims of purity and righteousness, with comments from Hesychius of Jerusalem and Gregory the Dialogist addressing the implications of Job's words.

Hesychius of JerusalemHOMILIES ON Job 14.11.4-6 d. after 451
Previously Job had already said, “If I am ungodly, why have I not died?” Did he not define himself as “blameless”? These words do not belong to Job but to God.
Early Church Fathers on Job 11 →
Gregory the DialogistMorals on the Book of Job, Book X c. 540–604
For Thou hast said, My speech is pure, and I am clean in Thine eyes. Whoso remembers the words of blessed Job, knows how falsely this charge is fastened upon his voice.
Early Church Fathers on Job 11 →

Commentators on this verse — 8 expositors, verse by verse

Each of these wrote on Job 11:4 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.

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

For thou hast said,.... What follows is produced to support the charge, especially of lying, which seems to be founded on what he had said in Job 6:10; my doctrine [is] pure; free from error,

Read John Gill on Job 11 →
Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's Commentary

For thou hast said, My doctrine is pure, and I am clean in thine eyes. Thou hast said, My doctrine is pure - purposely used of Job's speeches, which sounded like lessons of doctrine.

Read Robert Jamieson on Job 11 →
Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy Bible

My doctrine, concerning God and his providence. Pure, i.e. true and certain. I am clean in thine eyes; I am innocent before God; I have not sinned, either by my former actions, or by my present expressions. Thou standest wholly upon thy justification. But Zophar aggravates and perverts Job’ s words, for he did not deny that he was a sinner in God’ s sight, ,21 9:2,3 10:14, but only that he was a hypocrite or ungodly man, as they made him.

Read Matthew Poole on Job 11 →
John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

Job 11:4 For thou hast said, My doctrine [is] pure, and I am clean in thine eyes.Ver. 4. For thou hast said] Thou hast confidently affirmed; and this he makes to be a loud lie, and not an idle word only. But where and when had Job said it? Did not Zophar openly play the sophister, so interpreting what Job had spoken, Job 6:10; Job 9:22; Job 10:7, in defence of his innocence, as if Job had maintained that he was free from all sin; whereas, notwithstanding, he had very often witnessed and confessed himself to be a sinner, insomuch as that albeit he were without sin, yet he could not be accounted clear and pure in the sight of God? But Zophar took these for good words only, and was therefore…

Read John Trapp on Job 11 →
Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(4) Clean in thine eyes is variously referred to God, to mortal men (Job 11:3), and to Job himself (Job 32:1). The first seems most to be preferred, for at all events Job had hypothetically spoken of himself as righteous before God (Job 10:15). (Comp. Job 9:30. &c.) Zophar, therefore, who professes superior wisdom, desires that God would show Job how far short he falls of it: that He would show him the hidden things, the secrets of wisdom; for sound wisdom is manifold: it has many aspects, and lies as it were fold over fold in unexpected complexities, defying the shallow and unscrutinising gaze; and were He to do this, Job would find out to his dismay that God still credited him part of the…

Read Charles John Ellicott on Job 11 →
AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible

Verse 4. My doctrine is pure] לקחי likchi, "my assumptions." What I assume or take as right, and just, and true, are so; the precepts which I have formed, and the practice which I have founded on them, are all correct and perfect. Job had not exactly said, My doctrine and way of life are pure, and I am clean in thine eyes; but he had vindicated himself from their charges of secret sins and hypocrisy, and appealed to God for his general uprightness and sincerity: but Zophar here begs the question, in order that he may have something to say, and room to give vent to his invective.

Read AdamClarke on Job 11 →
CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

4. For thou hast said] Better, and sayest, explaining what his mockery consists in. My doctrine is pure] Job had not used precisely such words. Zophar gives what he understands as the gist of his contention. and I am clean in thine eyes] Perhaps rather, I was clean, when plunged into my afflictions. The words are those of Job addressed to God, which Zophar recalls, cf. ch. Job 9:21, Job 10:7. It is probable that this clause explains what Zophar means by the preceding clause, “my doctrine is pure.” Job’s “doctrine,” which Zophar considers an example of “mockery,” is not his general principles, but this particular point, that God afflicts a man whom He knows to be righteous. Zophar quite…

Read Cambridge on Job 11 →
Albert Barnes1798–1870Barnes' Notes on the Bible

My doctrine is pure - The Septuagint instead of the word “doctrine” here reads “deeds,” ἔργοις ergois; the Syriac, “thou sayest I have acted justly.” But the word used here (לקח leqach) means

Read Albert Barnes on Job 11 →

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

You have said, ‘My doctrine is sound, and I am pure in Your sight.’

WEBWorld English Bible2000

For you say, ‘My doctrine is pure. I am clean in your eyes.’

MSBMajority Standard Bible2022

You have said, ‘My doctrine is sound, and I am pure in Your sight.’

NETBNew English Translation2006

For you have said, ‘My teaching is flawless, and I am pure in your sight.’

Tyndale line

KJVKing James Version1611

For thou hast said, My doctrine is pure, and I am clean in thine eyes.

ASVAmerican Standard Version1901

For thou sayest, My doctrine is pure, And I am clean in thine eyes.

RVARevised Version, American1894

For thou sayest, My doctrine is pure, and I am clean in thine eyes.

NWBWebster's Bible1833

For thou hast said, My doctrine is pure, and I am clean in thy eyes.

GNVGeneva Bible1599

For thou hast sayde, My doctrine is pure, and I am cleane in thine eyes.

Strictly literal

DBYDarby Translation1890

For thou sayest, My doctrine is pure, and I am clean in thine eyes.

YLTYoung's Literal Translation1862

And thou sayest, 'Pure [is] my discourse, And clean I have been in Thine eyes.'

LSVLiteral Standard Version2020

And you say, My discourse [is] pure, || And I have been clean in Your eyes.

ILTInterlinear Literal Translation2000

For thou hast said [to God], My doctrine is pure, and I am become clean in thy eyes.

ULBUnlocked Literal Bible2017

For you say to God, 'My beliefs are pure, I am blameless in your eyes.'

From the Latin

DRADouay-Rheims (Challoner)1899

For thou hast said: My word is pure, and I am clean in thy sight.

Simplified

FBVFree Bible Version2020

You said, ‘What I teach is the pure truth,’ and ‘in God's eyes I am clean.’

BBEBible in Basic English1949

You may say, My way is clean, and I am free from sin in your eyes.

Word by word, the decisions they made

זַ֣ךְzakh [is] pure H2134 2 different renderings
cleanASV BBE DBY DRA FBV ILT KJV LSV NWB RVA WEB YLT
pureBSB GNV MSB NETB ULB

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.

וַ֭andclauseverbתֹּאמֶרyou.have.saidclauseclausepredicateזַ֣ךְ[is].purenoun phrase · subjectלִקְחִ֑teachingיmyוּ֝andclauseobjectבַ֗רcleanverbהָיִ֥יתִיI.amprepositional phrase · prepositionalבְinnoun phraseעֵינֶֽיeyesךָyour

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


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

The Masoretic Text reads: וַ֭תֹּאמֶר זַ֣ךְ לִקְחִ֑י וּ֝בַ֗ר הָיִ֥יתִי בְעֵינֶֽיךָ׃. The Septuagint matches five of the six words, indicating a strong agreement between the two texts, although the word order differs.

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

וַ֭תֹּאמֶר זַ֣ךְ לִקְחִ֑י וּ֝בַ֗ר הָיִ֥יתִי בְעֵינֶֽיךָ׃

Septuagintthe Greek the translators chose, word by word
וַ֭תֹּאמֶרλέγεזַ֣ךְκαθαρόςלִקְחִ֑יἔργοιςוּ֝בַ֗רἄμεμπτοςבְעֵינֶֽיךָ׃αὐτοῦ

5 of the 6 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 11:4אָמַרand you havand you have saאָמַרזַךְ[is] pure[is] pureזַךְלֶ֫קַחteaching myteaching myלֶ֫קַחבַּרand cleanand cleanבַּרהָיָהI amI amהָיָהעַ֫יִןin view youin view yourעַ֫יִןזָכַךְbe cleanbe cleanזָכַךְלָקַחto take: tto take: takeלָקַחבָּרַרto purifyto purifyבָּרַרהָוָאto fallto fallהָוָאכֹּהthusthusכֹּהיהוהYHWH/GodYHWH/Godיהוהלְבֹנָהfrankincenfrankincenseלְבֹנָהפֹּ֫עַלworkworkפֹּ֫עַליָסַףto addto addיָסַףשָׂפָהlipslipsשָׂפָהלֵבָבheartheartלֵבָבעַ֫יִןeyeeyeעַ֫יִןחֵןfavorfavorחֵןיָשָׁרJasharJasharיָשָׁר
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 11:4

One dossier per word, with every reference work grouped by kind — Hebrew lexicons, morphology, Bible dictionaries, topical chains and the English of the translators themselves. The verse sits at the head of each block with the word under study lit, so you never lose your place. The panel above gives the short answer; this is the long one, and it is the part of the page worth indexing.

Every entry below is the lexicographer's own text. On the Hebrew: Brown-Driver-Briggs entire and its gloss set, Strong's Hebrew Dictionary, and Tyndale House's Translators Brief lexicon. Where a cell says a work has no entry, that work genuinely has none for this word.

and you have said [is] pure teaching my and clean I am in view your
וַ֭תֹּאמֶרVa.to.mer and you have said H559 Verb · Qal · sequential imperfect second person masculine singular
5,309× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This Hebrew word means to say or speak, and it's used in many different ways in the Bible. It can mean to command, promise, or think, and it's translated in the KJV as 'answer', 'appoint', or 'command'.
Amplified meaning
spoken, declared
Tyndale gloss
to say
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

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

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

אָמַר 5287 vb. utter, say

Qal

Say

Say in the heart (= think)

Promise

Command (esp. late)

Niph. be said, told

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

Hithp. act proudly, boast

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H559 אָמַר utter, say .. Say

. Say in the heart (= think)

. Promise

. Command (esp. late)

. be said, told

. avow, avouch (lit. cause to declare)

. act proudly, boast

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

559 'amar aw-mar'

a primitive root; to say (used with great

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

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

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

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

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

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

utter, X verily, X yet.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

אָמַר (a.mar) — to say.

1) to say, speak, utter

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

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

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

1d) (Hiphil) to avow, to avouch

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

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Conj | V-Qal-ConsecImperf-2ms — Verb · Qal · sequential imperfect second person masculine singular
Hc/Vqw2ms
The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
and you have said [is] pure teaching my and clean I am in view your
זַ֣ךְzakh [is] pure H2134 Adj
11× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
In the Bible, this word means being pure and clean, like a clear conscience. It appears in Psalms and Proverbs, describing a person's moral purity. God values purity and wants His people to be clean.
Amplified meaning
pure, clean
Tyndale gloss
pure
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

זַךְ (zak) means pure or clean, indicating something that is unmixed and free from foreign substances. It can also refer to a figurative sense of righteousness. The word is built from the root associated with clarity and cleanliness, covering both literal and metaphorical uses.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

זַךְ adj. pure, clean

lit., pure, i.e. unmixed, free from foreign substances

fig., pure, clean, righteous

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H2134 זַךְ pure, clean . lit., pure, i.e. unmixed, free from foreign substances

. fig., pure, clean, righteous

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

2134 zak zak

from 2141; clear:--clean, pure.

see HEBREW for 02141

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

זַךְ (zakh) — pure.

1) clean, pure

1a) pure

1b) pure, clean, righteous (fig.)

2) the pure one (subst)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Adj — Adj
HAamsa
and you have said [is] pure teaching my and clean I am in view your
לִקְחִ֑יlik.Chi teaching my H3948 Noun common masculine singular construct · suffix
9× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This word refers to teaching or instruction, and it can also mean learning or insight. In the Bible, it is used to describe the teachings of God or the wisdom of a teacher, like in Proverbs 1:8 where it says to heed the teaching of a father.
Amplified meaning
teaching, instruction
Tyndale gloss
teaching
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

לֶ֫קַח (leqach) refers to learning or teaching, encompassing both the act of instruction and the content taught. It implies something received, whether as personal insight or as a doctrine. The term can also carry a negative connotation, suggesting persuasion or inveiglement. The entries collectively highlight its use in contexts of education and influence.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

לֶ֫קַח n.m. learning, teaching (concrete; prob. what is received)

instruction, subjective, as personal acquirement

teaching, obj., as thing taught; also = teaching-power, persuasiveness

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H3948 לֶ֫קַח learning, teaching (concrete; prob. what is received) . instruction, subjective, as personal acquirement

. teaching, obj., as thing taught; also = teaching-power, persuasiveness

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

3948 leqach leh'-kakh

from 3947; properly, something received, i.e. (mentally)

instruction (whether on the part of the teacher or hearer);

also (in an active and sinister sense)

inveiglement:--doctrine, learning, fair speech.

see HEBREW for 03947

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

לֶ֫קַח (le.qach) — teaching.

1) learning, teaching, insight

1a) instruction (obj)

1b) teaching (thing taught)

1b1) teaching-power

1b2) persuasiveness

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-ms | Suff — Noun common masculine singular construct · suffix
HNcmsc/Sp1bs
The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
and you have said [is] pure teaching my and clean I am in view your
וּ֝בַ֗רu.Var and clean H1249 Conjunction
7× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
The word 'bar' can also mean pure or clean, describing something as sincere or empty. It is used in various contexts, like describing a person's heart or intentions. This term appears in books like Psalms and Proverbs.
Amplified meaning
clean, innocent
Tyndale gloss
pure
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

בַּר (bar) means pure or clean, and can also imply clarity or emptiness. It is an adjective that describes something as sincere or untainted. The word is derived from a root that suggests beloved or choice qualities, indicating a range of meanings from purity to clarity.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

בַּר adj. pure, clean

pure, clear

clean

perh. adv. kiss purely, of sincere homage

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H1249 בַּר pure, clean

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

1249 bar bar

from 1305 (in its various senses); beloved; also pure,

empty:--choice, clean, clear, pure.

see HEBREW for 01305

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

בַּר (bar) — pure.

adj

1) pure, clear, sincere

2) clean, empty

adv

3) purely

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Conj | Adj — Conjunction
HC/Aamsa
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

klen (Anglo-Saxon cloene, "clear," "pure"): Rendering four Hebrew roots: bar, etc., "purify," "select," "make shining"; zakh, etc., "bright," "clean" "pure"; naqi, "free from," "exempt"; Taher, "clean," "pure," "empty," "bright" (?) the principal root, rendered "clean" 80 times (the King James Version); occurring in all its forms in various renderings about 200 times; also one Greek root, katharos, etc., akin to castus, "chaste," "free from admixture or adhesion of anything that soils, adulterates, corrupts" (Thayer's Lexicon). The physical, ritual, ethical, spiritual, figurative uses continually overlap, especially the last four.

1. Physical:

The physical use is infrequent: "Wash .... with snow water, and make my hands never so clean" (zakhakh, Job 9:30; figurative also); "clean provender" (hamits, the Revised Version (British and…

Easton's Bible Dictionary

Clean

The various forms of uncleanness according to the Mosaic law are enumerated in Lev. 11-15; Num. 19. The division of animals into clean and unclean was probably founded on the practice of sacrifice. It existed before the Flood (Gen. 7:2). The regulations regarding such animals are recorded in Lev. 11 and Deut. 14:1-21.

The Hebrews were prohibited from using as food certain animal substances, such as (1) blood; (2) the fat covering the intestines, termed the caul; (3) the fat on the intestines, called the mesentery; (4) the fat of the kidneys; and (5) the fat tail of certain sheep (Ex. 29:13, 22; Lev. 3:4-9; 9:19; 17:10; 19:26).

The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
and you have said [is] pure teaching my and clean I am in view your
הָיִ֥יתִיha.Yi.ti I am 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.
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.

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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

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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
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
Thompson Chain Reference topics

(Divine Name)

Ex 3:14; Joh 8:58; Re 1:18

and you have said [is] pure teaching my and clean I am in view your
בְעֵינֶֽיךָ׃ve.'ei.Nei.kha in view your H5869 Preposition · noun common feminine dual construct · suffix
887× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This word can mean a spring or fountain, but also refers to the eye or a source of something. It is often translated as affliction, outward appearance, or countenance, and is used in various contexts throughout the Bible.
Amplified meaning
eyes, presence
Tyndale gloss
eye
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word עַ֫יִן (*'ayin*) means 'eye' and can refer to both the physical organ and its figurative uses, such as mental qualities and desires. It also denotes a 'spring' or 'fountain' of water. The entries highlight various phrases and contexts, including appearances and expressions of emotion, but do not indicate any significant disagreement among lexicons.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

עַ֫יִן 859 n.f. eye

lit. as physical organ

eyes as showing mental qualities

desire of the eyes, abominations of the eyes

Fig. of mental and physical faculties, acts and states

Transferred mngs.:

visible surface of earth

appearance

gleam, sparkle

Other phrases are: an eye for an eye; eye to eye; in the presence of, in full view of; of business transaction; on the forehead

base

עַ֫יִן n.f. spring (of water). Particular springs are:

ע׳ חֲרֹר Ju 7:1

ע׳ הַקּוֹרֵא (partridge-spring) Ju 15:19

ע׳ רֹגֵל near Jerus.

ע׳ הַתַּנִּין (dragon-spring)

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H5869a עַ֫יִן eye . lit. as physical organ

. . eyes as showing mental qualities

. desire of the eyes, abominations of the eyes

. Fig. of mental and physical faculties, acts and states

. Transferred mngs.: . visible surface of earth

. appearance

. gleam, sparkle

. Other phrases are: an eye for an eye; eye to eye; in the presence of, in full view of; of business transaction; on the forehead

H5869b עַ֫יִן spring (of water)

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

5869 `ayin ah'-yin

probably a primitive word; an eye (literally or

figuratively); by analogy, a fountain (as the eye of the

landscape):--affliction, outward appearance, + before, +

think best, colour, conceit, + be content, countenance, +

displease, eye((-brow), (-d), -sight), face, + favour,

fountain, furrow (from the margin), X him, + humble,

knowledge, look, (+ well), X me, open(-ly), + (not) please,

presence, + regard, resemblance, sight, X thee, X them, +

think, X us, well, X you(-rselves).

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

עַ֫יִן (a.yin) — eye.

: eye

1) eye

1a) eye

1a1) of physical eye

1a2) as showing mental qualities

1a3) of mental and spiritual faculties (fig.)

עַ֫יִן (a.yin) — Fountain (Gate).

§ spring, fountain

עַ֫יִן (a.yin) — Fountain of.

§ spring, fountain

עַ֫יִן (a.yin) — eye: seeing.

: seeing

1) eye

1a) eye

1a1) of physical eye

1a2) as showing mental qualities

1a3) of mental and spiritual faculties (fig.)

עַ֫יִן (a.yin) — eye: appearance.

: appearance

1) eye

1a) eye

1a1) of physical eye

1a2) as showing mental qualities

1a3) of mental and spiritual faculties (fig.)

עַ֫יִן (a.yin) — eye: before(the eyes).

: before(the_eyes)

1) eye

1a) eye

1a1) of physical eye

1a2) as showing mental qualities

1a3) of mental and spiritual faculties (fig.)

עַ֫יִן (a.yin) — eye: sin.

: sin

1) eye

1a) eye

1a1) of physical eye

1a2) as showing mental qualities

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Prep | N-cd | Suff — Preposition · noun common feminine dual construct · suffix
HR/Ncfdc/Sp2ms
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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