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Job 13:2 — Word Study

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WLCכְּֽ֭דַעְתְּכֶם יָדַ֣עְתִּי גַם־ אָ֑נִי לֹא־ נֹפֵ֖ל אָנֹכִ֣י מִכֶּֽם׃

BSAWhat you knowdaʻath [the same things, according to your knowledge] Iʼănîy alsogam knowyâdaʻ [am aware of, have understanding] Iʼânôkîy am notlôʼ [by no means, in no way] inferiornâphal [less than, not equal]

Word
Listen & take awayJob 13
English ↓ Download MP3 The Berean Standard Bible chapter audio already hosted for the site's Bible section — verse 2 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 (mi.Kem) — no per-word recordings of the Hebrew exist to link to.
Take it away
Job 13:2quick helps
In a sentenceJob asserts that he shares the same knowledge as his friends and is not lesser than them.
Who is speakingJob, responding to his friends.
Where we areJob is in the midst of a dialogue, defending his understanding of God.
The hard wordנֹפֵ֖ל
Take awayJob emphasizes his equal understanding and asserts his dignity.
7 commentators on this verse Gill, Jamieson, Trapp, Ellicott & more — read them › clause subjectאָנֹכִי verbיָדַע 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 13:2

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 His Friendsgenerated

1“Indeed, my eyes have seen all this; my ears have heard and understood.
2What you know, I also know; I am not inferior to you.
3Yet I desire to speak to the Almighty and argue my case before God.
4You, however, smear with lies; you are all worthless physicians.

Job 13:2 is part of Job's response to his friends who have accused him of wrongdoing. He insists that he possesses the same understanding of God and His ways as they do. This assertion serves to challenge their assumptions about his suffering and to elevate his position in the conversation. Job's claim of knowledge is significant as it reflects his deep engagement with his circumstances and his desire for justice and understanding from God.


Cross References

ReferenceText (BSB)
1Job 12:3But I also have a mind; I am not inferior to you. Who does not know such things as these?
2Job 15:8–9Do you listen in on the council of God or limit wisdom to yourself?
3Job 34:35‘Job speaks without knowledge; his words lack insight.’
4Job 35:16So Job opens his mouth in vain and multiplies words without knowledge.”
5Job 37:2Listen closely to the thunder of His voice and the rumbling that comes from His mouth.

The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 10 references, hung on the phrase they belong to


The Key Word יָדַ֣עְתִּי, ya.Da'.tigenerated

The word יָדַע (yada`) means 'to know' and encompasses a range of meanings including perception, recognition, and experience. Job uses it here to assert that he is aware of the same truths as his friends, indicating a shared understanding.

This verb is in the perfect tense, first person singular, which emphasizes Job's personal knowledge and experience. It suggests that his knowledge is not just theoretical but is grounded in his own life and suffering.


How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated

All translations agree on the core meaning of Job's assertion of knowledge.


Sentence Structuregenerated

The main verb is יָדַ֣עְתִּי, I know, which governs the sentence. It is followed by a prepositional phrase that indicates what Job knows, and then a contrasting clause that asserts his equality.

The structure emphasizes Job's claim of knowledge and equality, with the subject אָנֹכִ֣י (I) placed prominently to assert his identity and position.


Septuagint Backgroundgenerated

The Septuagint translates יָדַעְתִּי as οἶδα (oida), which also means 'I know.' This choice reflects a direct correspondence in meaning, emphasizing Job's assertion of knowledge.

The use of οἶδα aligns with the Hebrew's emphasis on personal knowledge and understanding.


In plain words — the whole versegenerated

Job 13:2 states that Job knows what his friends know and insists he is not less than they are. This highlights his confidence in his understanding and his position in the discussion.


Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated

What does Job mean by claiming he knows what his friends know?

Job is asserting that he has the same understanding of God's ways as his friends, challenging their assumptions about his situation.

Why does Job emphasize that he is not inferior?

Job wants to defend his dignity and assert that his suffering does not diminish his understanding or worth.

How does this verse reflect Job's character?

This verse shows Job's confidence and determination to stand firm in his beliefs despite the accusations from his friends.

What is the significance of knowledge in Job's argument?

Knowledge in this context is crucial for Job as it underlines his relationship with God and his desire for justice.


Reflection Questionsgenerated

  1. In what areas of my life do I feel confident in my understanding, like Job?
  2. How can I communicate my thoughts and feelings effectively when facing opposition?
  3. What does it mean to assert my dignity in difficult conversations?
  4. How can I seek knowledge and understanding in my own life, as Job did?

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

Gregory the Dialogist comments on Job's assertion of knowledge, emphasizing his humility in comparison to his friends.

Gregory the DialogistMorals on the Book of Job, Book XI c. 540–604
What ye know, the same do I know also; I am not inferior to you. By which same words he made known what exceeding humility he had, who says that he was 'not inferior' to them, whose life by holy living he very far surpassed.
Early Church Fathers on Job 13 →

Commentators on this verse — 7 expositors, verse by verse

Each of these wrote on Job 13:2 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.

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

What ye know, [the same] do I know also,.... Concerning God and his perfections, his sovereignty, holiness, justice, wisdom, power, goodness, c.

Read John Gill on Job 13 →
Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's Commentary

What ye know, the same do I know also: I am not inferior unto you. No JFB commentary on this verse.

Read Robert Jamieson on Job 13 →
John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

Job 13:2 What ye know, [the same] do I know also: I [am] not inferior unto you.Ver. 2. What ye know, the same do I know also] Heb. According to your knowledge I also know. This may seem an unseemly boast; which, if his friends had taxed him for, he might have answered, as Paul did in a like case, Ye have compelled me, 2 Corinthians 11:5. The rule is, "Let nothing be done through strife or vain glory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves," Philippians 2:3. Non est tamen prodenda Dei veritas, aut integritas nostra, &c., Nevertheless, no man ought to betray the truth, or his own integrity, lest he should be counted contentious (Merlin in loc.). See Job 12:3…

Read John Trapp on Job 13 →
Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

XIII.(2) I am not inferior unto you.—I fall not short of you. But it is this very sense of the inscrutableness of God’s dealings that makes him long to come face to face with God, and to reason with Him on the first principles of His action. As it is manifestly the traditionally orthodox position that his friends assume, it is refreshing to find that there may be some truth spoken for God by what is not so reckoned, and that more ultimate truth may exist in honest doubt than is sometimes found in the profession of a loosely-held creed. So the Laureate: “There lives more truth in honest doubt, Believe me, than in half the creeds.”

Read Charles John Ellicott on Job 13 →
CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

1–2. Looking back to his delineation of the Divine wisdom and might as they dominate among men and in the world (ch. Job 12:7-25), Job says that his knowledge of them is not inferior to that of the friends—a final answer to Zophar, ch. Job 11:6; cf. as to Job 13 :2 Chronicles 12:3.

Read Cambridge on Job 13 →
Albert Barnes1798–1870Barnes' Notes on the Bible

What ye know ... - See the note at Job 12:3.

Read Albert Barnes on Job 13 →
Daniel Denison Whedon1808–1885Whedon's Commentary on the Bible

Second division, first section — JOB’S DESIRE TO HIS CAUSE FROM FALSE AND FRIENDS TO GOD, Job 13:1-12.First strophe — Announcing his purpose to appeal to God, Job cannot refrain from a well-deserved

Read Daniel Denison Whedon on Job 13 →

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

What you know, I also know; I am not inferior to you.

WEBWorld English Bible2000

What you know, I know also. I am not inferior to you.

MSBMajority Standard Bible2022

What you know, I also know; I am not inferior to you.

NETBNew English Translation2006

What you know, I know also; I am not inferior to you!

Tyndale line

KJVKing James Version1611

What ye know, the same do I know also: I am not inferior unto you.

ASVAmerican Standard Version1901

What ye know, the same do I know also: I am not inferior unto you.

RVARevised Version, American1894

What ye know, the same do I know also: I am not inferior unto you.

NWBWebster's Bible1833

What ye know, the same do I know also: I am not inferior to you.

GNVGeneva Bible1599

I knowe also as much as you knowe: I am not inferiour vnto you.

Strictly literal

DBYDarby Translation1890

What ye know, I know also: I am not inferior to you.

YLTYoung's Literal Translation1862

According to your knowledge I have known — also I. I am not fallen more than you.

LSVLiteral Standard Version2020

According to your knowledge I have known—also I. I am not more fallen than you.

ILTInterlinear Literal Translation2000

As much as ye know, do I also know: I do not fall short compared with you.

ULBUnlocked Literal Bible2017

What you know, the same I also know; I am not inferior to you.

From the Latin

DRADouay-Rheims (Challoner)1899

According to your knowledge I also know: neither am I inferior to you.

Simplified

FBVFree Bible Version2020

I know what you know. You're no better than me.

BBEBible in Basic English1949

The same things are in my mind as in yours; I am equal to you.

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 · prepositionalכְּֽ֭likenoun phraseדַעְתְּknowledgeכֶםyourverbיָדַ֣עְתִּיI.knownoun phrase · subjectגַםalsoאָ֑נִיIclauseadverbialלֹאnotverbנֹפֵ֖ל[am].fallingsubjectאָנֹכִ֣יIprepositional phrase · prepositionalמִmoreכֶּֽםthan.you

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


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

The Masoretic Text presents the verse as כְּֽ֭דַעְתְּכֶם יָדַ֣עְתִּי גַם־ אָ֑נִי לֹא־ נֹפֵ֖ל אָנֹכִ֣י מִכֶּֽם׃. The Septuagint agrees with five of the eight words in the Hebrew text, though the order and structure differ.

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

כְּֽ֭דַעְתְּכֶם יָדַ֣עְתִּי גַם־ אָ֑נִי לֹא־ נֹפֵ֖ל אָנֹכִ֣י מִכֶּֽם׃

Septuagintthe Greek the translators chose, word by word
יָדַ֣עְתִּיοἶδαלֹא־οὐκנֹפֵ֖לἀσυνετώτερόςאָנֹכִ֣יεἰμιמִכֶּֽם׃ὑμῶν

5 of the 8 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 13:2דַּ֫עַתlike knowlelike knowledge דַּ֫עַתיָדַעI knowI knowיָדַעגַּםalsoalsoגַּםאֲנִיIIאֲנִילֹאnotnotלֹאנָפַל[am] fallin[am] fallingנָפַלאָֽנֹכִ֫יIIאָֽנֹכִ֫יכֶםmore than ymore than youכֶםיָדַעto knowto knowיָדַעאָֽנֹכִ֫יIIאָֽנֹכִ֫יפָּלַלto prayto prayפָּלַלבְּלִיwithoutwithoutבְּלִיחָכְמָהwisdomwisdomחָכְמָהאֲנִיIIאֲנִיבִּיןto understto understandבִּיןתְּמוֹלyesterdayyesterdayתְּמוֹלשִׁלְשֹׁםthree daysthree days agoשִׁלְשֹׁםנְאֻםutteranceutteranceנְאֻםיָכֹלbe ablebe ableיָכֹלעוֹדstillstillעוֹדגּוֹרָלallottedallottedגּוֹרָלחָלָלslain: kilslain: killedחָלָלצָוָהto commandto commandצָוָהמִצְוָהcommandmencommandmentמִצְוָה
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 13:2

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.

like knowledge your I know also I not [am] falling I more than you
כְּֽ֭דַעְתְּכֶםKe.da'.te.khem like knowledge your H1847 Preposition · noun common feminine singular construct · suffix
92× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
In the Bible, daath means knowledge or understanding, like when Solomon asked God for wisdom in 1 Kings 3:9. It involves skill and perception, and is often linked to wisdom. This concept appears in the book of Proverbs.
Amplified meaning
the same things, according to your knowledge
Tyndale gloss
knowledge
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

דַּ֫עַת (da`ath) means knowledge, encompassing perception, skill, and moral understanding. It is associated with prophetic knowledge and is noted for its divine aspect, particularly in the context of wisdom literature. The entries highlight its use in various forms of knowledge, including discernment and understanding.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

דַּ֫עַת n.f. knowledge

knowledge, perception

= skill (in workmanship)

of proph. knowledge

esp. knowledge with moral quality

knowledge possessed by God

esp. in Wisd Lt = discernment, understanding, wisdom

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H1847 דַּ֫עַת knowledge . . knowledge, perception

. = skill (in workmanship)

. of proph. knowledge

. esp. knowledge with moral quality

. knowledge possessed by God

. esp. in Wisd Lt = discernment, understanding, wisdom

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

1847 da`ath dah'-ath

from 3045; knowledge:--cunning, (ig-)norantly, know(-ledge),

(un-)awares (wittingly).

see HEBREW for 03045

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

דַּ֫עַת (da.at) — knowledge.

1) knowledge

1a) knowledge, perception, skill

1b) discernment, understanding, wisdom

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Prep | N-fs | Suff — Preposition · noun common feminine singular construct · suffix
HR/Ncfsc/Sp2mp
like knowledge your I know also I not [am] falling I more than you
יָדַ֣עְתִּיya.Da'.ti I know H3045 Verb · Qal · perfect first person common singular
945× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
The Hebrew word for to know means to ascertain by seeing, and is used in many senses, including to learn, perceive, and recognize, as seen in various KJV translations.
Amplified meaning
am aware of, have understanding
Tyndale gloss
to know
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

יָדַע (yada`) is a Hebrew verb meaning 'to know,' encompassing a wide range of senses including perception, recognition, and experience. It can refer to knowing someone intimately or being skilled in a task. The word has various forms, indicating actions such as making known or being made known. Lexicons note its use in both literal and figurative contexts, but there is no significant disagreement among them.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

יָדַע 943 vb. know

Qal

know, learn to know

perceive

perceive and see; find out and discern

discriminate, distinguish

know by experience

recognize, admit, acknowledge, confess

consider

not know = not expect

know a person, be acquainted with

know a person carnally, of sexual intercourse

know how, to do a thing, be able to do it

be skilful in

abs. have knowledge, be wise

Niph.

be made known, be or become known, of things

make oneself known of pers.

be perceived

be instructed

Pi. cause to know

Pu. known

Hiph. make known, declare

Hoph. made known

Hithp. make oneself known

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H3045 יָדַע know .. . know, learn to know

. perceive

. perceive and see; find out and discern

. discriminate, distinguish

. know by experience

. recognize, admit, acknowledge, confess

. consider

. not know = not expect

. know a person, be acquainted with

. know a person carnally, of sexual intercourse

. . know how, to do a thing, be able to do it

. be skilful in

. abs. have knowledge, be wise

. . be made known, be or become known, of things

. make oneself known of pers.

. be perceived

. be instructed

. cause to know

. known

. make known, declare

. made known

. make oneself known

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

3045 yada` yaw-dah'

a primitive root; to know (properly, to ascertain by seeing);

used in a great variety of senses, figuratively, literally,

euphemistically and inferentially (including observation,

care, recognition; and causatively, instruction, designation,

punishment, etc.) (as follow):--acknowledge, acquaintance(-ted

with), advise, answer, appoint, assuredly, be aware,

(un-)awares, can(-not), certainly, comprehend, consider, X

could they, cunning, declare, be diligent, (can, cause to)

discern, discover, endued with, familiar friend, famous, feel,

can have, be (ig-)norant, instruct, kinsfolk, kinsman, (cause

to let, make) know, (come to give, have, take) knowledge, have

(knowledge), (be, make, make to be, make self) known, + be

learned, + lie by man, mark, perceive, privy to, X

prognosticator, regard, have respect, skilful, shew, can (man

of) skill, be sure, of a surety, teach, (can) tell,

Read the full entry →
Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

יָדַע (ya.da) — to know.

1) to know

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to know

1a1a) to know, learn to know

1a1b) to perceive

1a1c) to perceive and see, find out and discern

1a1d) to discriminate, distinguish

1a1e) to know by experience

1a1f) to recognise, admit, acknowledge, confess

1a1g) to consider

1a2) to know, be acquainted with

1a3) to know (a person carnally)

1a4) to know how, be skilful in

1a5) to have knowledge, be wise

1b) (Niphal)

1b1) to be made known, be or become known, be revealed

1b2) to make oneself known

1b3) to be perceived

1b4) to be instructed

1c) (Piel) to cause to know

1d) (Poal) to cause to know

1e) (Pual)

1e1) to be known

1e2) known, one known, acquaintance (participle)

1f) (Hiphil) to make known, declare

1g) (Hophal) to be made known

1h) (Hithpael) to make oneself known, reveal oneself

Aramaic equivalent: ye.da (יְדַע "to know" H3046)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
V-Qal-Perf-1cs — Verb · Qal · perfect first person common singular
HVqp1cs
like knowledge your I know also I not [am] falling I more than you
גַם־gam- also H1571 Adverb
769× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
Also means 'even' or 'too', used for emphasis or to connect ideas, like 'both...and' or 'neither...nor'. It can introduce a climax or show contrast.
Tyndale gloss
also
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

גַּם (gam) is an adverb meaning 'also' or 'moreover,' indicating addition or emphasis. It can express various nuances, such as 'even,' 'indeed,' or 'but.' The term is often used in a correlational manner, as in 'both...and.' It appears in contexts that require clarification or reinforcement of a statement.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

גַּם 768 adv. denoting addition, also, moreover, yea

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H1571 גַּם denoting addition, also, moreover, yea

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

1571 gam gam

by contraction from an unused root meaning to gather;

properly, assemblage; used only adverbially also, even, yea,

though; often repeated as correl. both...and:--again, alike,

also, (so much) as (soon), both (so)...and , but, either...or,

even, for all, (in) likewise (manner), moreover,

nay...neither, one, then(-refore), though, what, with, yea.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

גַּם (gam) — also.

1) also, even, indeed, moreover, yea

1a) also, moreover (giving emphasis)

1b) neither, neither...nor (with negative)

1c) even (for stress)

1d) indeed, yea (introducing climax)

1e) also (of correspondence or retribution)

1f) but, yet, though (adversative)

1g) even, yea, yea though (with 'when' in hypothetical case)

2) (TWOT) again, alike

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Adv — Adverb
HD
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

ol'-so: In the Greek kai, when it is equivalent to "also" or "even," is always placed before the word or phrase which it is intended to emphasize (e.g. Ac 12:3; 1 Joh 4:21). Mt 6:14 should therefore read, "Your heavenly Father will forgive you also"; Lu 6:13, "Whom also he named apostles"; Heb 8:6, "The mediator of a better covenant also"; and 1Th 4:14, `If we believe that Jesus died and rose again, so also (we believe that) those who are fallen asleep in Jesus, God will bring with Him.'

like knowledge your I know also I not [am] falling I more than you
אָ֑נִי'A.ni I H589 Pronoun
874× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This Hebrew word is a simple way of saying 'I' or 'me', often used for emphasis. It is used by people like David in the Psalms to express their thoughts and feelings. The word is a basic part of the Hebrew language.
Tyndale gloss
I
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

אֲנִי, transliterated as aniy, is a first-person singular pronoun meaning 'I' or 'me.' It is often used for emphasis and can also imply possession, as in 'mine' or 'myself.' The word is derived from a form that indicates self-reference, and it appears in various contexts throughout the Old Testament.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

אֲנִי, אָ֑נִי pron. 1s. comm. I

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H589 אֲנִי, אָ֑נִי I

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

589 'aniy an-ee'

contracted from 595; I:--I, (as for) me, mine, myself, we, X

which, X who.

see HEBREW for 0595

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

אֲנִי (a.ni) — I.

I (first pers. sing. -usually used for emphasis)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Pron — Pronoun
HPp1bs
like knowledge your I know also I not [am] falling I more than you
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.
Amplified meaning
by no means, in no way
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
like knowledge your I know also I not [am] falling I more than you
נֹפֵ֖לno.Fel [am] falling H5307 Verb · Qal · participle (active) masculine singular
435× 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 fall, and it's used in many ways, like falling down, failing, or being defeated. It appears in books like Genesis and Isaiah. God's people often fell away from Him, but He always offered a way back.
Amplified meaning
less than, not equal
Tyndale gloss
to fall: fall
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

נָפַל (naphal) is a Hebrew verb meaning 'to fall,' encompassing a wide range of applications, including falling by accident, experiencing violent death, or going to ruin. It can also refer to prostrating oneself, attacking, or causing someone to fall. The term appears in various contexts throughout the Old Testament, often indicating physical or metaphorical downfall.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

נָפַל 433 vb. fall, lie

Qal 366

fall, by accident

Esp. of violent death

fig. = go to ruin, perish, etc.

fig. = experience calamity

fall, of a city

Fall prostrate

fall = prostrate oneself before

fall upon one's neck, in embrace

Fall upon = attack

desert or fall away to, go over to

Fig., of deep sleep

Other idiomatic uses

= lie; = lie prostrate

Hiph.

cause to fall

Of causing death; = overthrow, bring to destruction

Esp. of casting lot

Fig., let drop, cause to fail

cause deep sleep to fall

Other idioms

Hithp. throw, or prostrate oneself

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H5307 נָפַל fall, lie .. fall, by accident

. . Esp. of violent death

. fig. = go to ruin, perish, etc.

. fig. = experience calamity

. fall, of a city

. . Fall prostrate

. fall = prostrate oneself before

. fall upon one's neck, in embrace

. . Fall upon = attack

. desert or fall away to, go over to

. Fig., of deep sleep

. Other idiomatic uses

. = lie; = lie prostrate

. . cause to fall

. Of causing death; = overthrow, bring to destruction

. Esp. of casting lot

. Fig., let drop, cause to fail

. cause deep sleep to fall

. Other idioms

. throw, or prostrate oneself

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

5307 naphal naw-fal'

a primitive root; to fall, in a great variety of applications

(intransitive or causative, literal or figurative):--be

accepted, cast (down, self, (lots), out), cease, die, divide

(by lot), (let) fail, (cause to, let, make, ready to) fall

(away, down, -en, -ing), fell(-ing), fugitive, have

(inheritance), inferior, be judged (by mistake for 6419), lay

(along), (cause to) lie down, light (down), be (X hast) lost,

lying, overthrow, overwhelm, perish, present(-ed, -ing), (make

to) rot, slay, smite out, X surely, throw down.

see HEBREW for 06419

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

נָפַל (na.phal) — to fall: fall.

: fall/drop/fail

1) to fall, lie, be cast down, fail

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to fall

1a2) to fall (of violent death)

1a3) to fall prostrate, prostrate oneself before

1a4) to fall upon, attack, desert, fall away to, go away to, fall into the hand of

1a5) to fall short, fail, fall out, turn out, result

1a6) to settle, waste away, be offered, be inferior to

1a7) to lie, lie prostrate

1b) (Hiphil)

1b1) to cause to fall, fell, throw down, knock out, lay prostrate

1b2) to overthrow

1b3) to make the lot fall, assign by lot, apportion by lot

1b4) to let drop, cause to fail (fig.)

1b5) to cause to fall

1c) (Hithpael)

1c1) to throw or prostrate oneself, throw oneself upon

1c2) to lie prostrate, prostrate oneself

1d) (Pilel) to fall

נָפַל (na.phal) — to fall: deserting.

: deserting

1) to fall, lie, be cast down, fail

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to fall

1a2) to fall (of violent death)

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
V-Qal — Verb · Qal · participle (active) masculine singular
HVqrmsa
like knowledge your I know also I not [am] falling I more than you
אָנֹכִ֣י'a.no.Khi I H595 Pronoun
359× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This simple Hebrew word just means 'I', referring to the speaker, like in Genesis 27 where Esau says 'I' when talking to his father Isaac.
Tyndale gloss
I
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

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

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

אָֽנֹכִ֫י, אָנֹ֑כִי pron. 1s. comm. I

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H595 אָֽנֹכִ֫י, אָנֹ֑כִי I

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

595 'anokiy aw-no-kee'

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

which.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

אָֽנֹכִ֫י (a.no.khi) — I.

I (first pers. sing.)

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

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Pron — Pronoun
HPp1bs
like knowledge your I know also I not [am] falling I more than you
מִכֶּֽם׃mi.Kem more than you H9036 Preposition · suffix
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

כֶם (khem) — you.

Personal object pronoun - suffix for propositions and verbs without an object: 2nd person masculine plural

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
HR/Sp2mp — Preposition · suffix
HR/Sp2mp
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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