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Job 14:11 — Word Study

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WLCאָֽזְלוּ־ מַ֭יִם מִנִּי־ יָ֑ם וְ֝נָהָ֗ר יֶחֱרַ֥ב וְיָבֵֽשׁ׃

BSAAs watermayim [from the sea, like the Mediterranean] disappearsʼâzal [fails, evaporates] frommin the seayâm [a large body of water, the west] and a rivernâhâr [a flood] becomes parchedchârab [wastes, decays, dry, desolate] and dryyâbêsh [withers, dried up]

Word
Listen & take awayJob 14
English ↓ Download MP3 The Berean Standard Bible chapter audio already hosted for the site's Bible section — verse 11 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.ya.Vesh) — no per-word recordings of the Hebrew exist to link to.
Take it away
Job 14:11quick helps
In a sentenceJob compares the inevitability of death to the way water disappears from the sea and rivers dry up.
Who is speakingJob, reflecting on mortality and the transient nature of life.
Where we areIn a meditation on death and the human condition, part of a larger discourse on suffering.
The hard wordאָֽזְלוּ־
Take awayLife is fleeting, much like water that vanishes from the sea.
8 commentators on this verse Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them › clause subjectמַיִם verbאָזַל 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 14:11

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 Reflection on Mortalitygenerated

10But a man dies and is laid low; he breathes his last, and where is he?
11As water disappears from the sea and a river becomes parched and dry,
12so a man lies down and does not rise. Until the heavens are no more, he will not be awakened or roused from sleep.
13If only You would hide me in Sheol and conceal me until Your anger has passed! If only You would appoint a time for me and then remember me!

Job 14:11 presents a poignant image of the transience of life, comparing the disappearance of water from the sea to the inevitability of death. Job reflects on the fate of humanity, suggesting that just as water and rivers dry up, so too does a man lie down and not rise again. This verse is part of a larger meditation on mortality found throughout the chapter, where Job grapples with the nature of life and death, echoing themes found in other wisdom literature.


Cross References

ReferenceText (BSB)
1Job 6:15–18But my brothers are as faithless as wadis, as seasonal streams that overflow,
2Jeremiah 15:18Why is my pain unending, and my wound incurable, refusing to be healed? You have indeed become like a mirage to me— water that is not there.

The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 2 references, hung on the phrase they belong to


The Key Word אָֽזְלוּ־, 'a.ze.lu-generated

The verb אָזַל (azal) means 'to disappear' or 'to go away,' indicating a sense of loss or absence. It is a perfect tense verb, suggesting a completed action, emphasizing that the water has completely vanished from the sea. This word captures the idea of something being used up or exhausted, aligning with the imagery of water.

In this context, אָזְלוּ־ conveys the finality of death, paralleling the natural process of water disappearing from a large body of water. The use of this verb underscores the inevitability of mortality, as Job reflects on the human condition.


How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated

The translations generally agree on the imagery presented in Job 14:11, with phrases like water disappears and river becomes parched appearing consistently across versions.


Sentence Structuregenerated

The structure of the verse is governed by the main verb אָֽזְלוּ־, they disappear, which is followed by two clauses: one describing the water and another describing the river. The use of conjunctions connects these images, emphasizing the parallel between the disappearance of water and the drying up of the river.

The Hebrew word order places the disappearing water first, highlighting the central theme of loss and transience that Job is expressing.


Septuagint Backgroundgenerated

The Septuagint translates מַיִם as ξρόνῳ, which can refer to a time or season, suggesting a broader interpretation of the passage that emphasizes the fleeting nature of life and its seasons.

This choice of translation may indicate a thematic interpretation of Job's meditation on mortality, focusing on the temporal aspect of existence.


In plain words — the whole versegenerated

Job 14:11 compares the disappearance of water from the sea to how a river dries up. Job reflects on how life is temporary, just like water that vanishes. This verse highlights the inevitability of death and the fleeting nature of human existence.


Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated

What does Job mean by comparing water disappearing from the sea to human life?

Job is illustrating the transient nature of life, suggesting that just as water can vanish, so too can human life come to an end.

How does this verse connect to the overall theme of the Book of Job?

This verse reflects Job's deep contemplation on suffering, mortality, and the human condition, which are central themes throughout the Book of Job.

What imagery does Job use to describe death?

Job uses the imagery of water disappearing and rivers drying up to convey the finality and inevitability of death.

How can understanding this verse help us in our own reflections on life and death?

Understanding this verse can encourage us to contemplate the fleeting nature of life and the importance of making the most of our time.


Reflection Questionsgenerated

  1. What thoughts come to mind when I consider the imagery of water disappearing in relation to my own life?
  2. How does the comparison of life to water affect my understanding of mortality?
  3. In what ways can I appreciate the temporary nature of my experiences?
  4. How can this verse encourage me to live with purpose and intention?

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

Early commentators like Hesychius of Jerusalem and Gregory the Dialogist reflect on Job's imagery of death and resurrection, drawing theological implications from this verse.

Hesychius of JerusalemHOMILIES ON Job 17.14.12 d. after 451
By calling death “sleep,” Job has clearly given us the hope for resurrection. However, he says, we will not awake “until heavens are no more.” That is obvious, because, as Isaiah said,
Early Church Fathers on Job 14 →
Gregory the DialogistMorals on the Book of Job, Book XII c. 540–604
Ver. 11, 12. As if the waters fail from the sea, and the river being emptied drieth up: so man lieth down, and riseth not.
Early Church Fathers on Job 14 →

Commentators on this verse — 8 expositors, verse by verse

Each of these wrote on Job 14:11 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.

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

[As] the waters fail from the sea,.... the words may be rendered either without the as, and denote dissimilitude, and the sense be, that the waters go from the sea and return again, as with the tide:

Read John Gill on Job 14 →
Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's Commentary

As the waters fail from the sea, and the flood decayeth and drieth up: Sea - i:e., a lake, or pool formed from the outspreading of as river. Job lived near the Euphrates; and "sea" is applied to it (Jeremiah 51:36; Isaiah 27:1).

Read Robert Jamieson on Job 14 →
Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy Bible

This may be understood either, 1. By way of opposition, the waters go or flow out of the sea, and return thither again, ; and a lake or river sometimes decayeth, and drieth up, but afterwards is recruited and replenished. But man lieth, &c., as it follows. Or, 2. By way of resemblance; As waters, i.e. some portion of waters, fail from the sea, being either exhaled or drawn up by the sun, or received and sunk into the dry and thirsty earth, or overflowing its banks; and as the flood, or a river, or a pond (for the word signifies any considerable confluence of waters) in a great drought decayeth, and is dried up; in both which cases the selfsame waters never return to their former places; so…

Read Matthew Poole on Job 14 →
John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

Job 14:11 [As] the waters fail from the sea, and the flood decayeth and drieth up:Ver. 11. As the waters fail from the sea] He sets forth the same truth by an elegant similitude drawn from drying up of waters. Look how these, after some exundation of the sea, or some great river, are separated and left (upon the reflux thereof) behind the rest upon the land, which cannot return (for then they must ascend, which is impossible to nature) nor continue, but do utterly dry up, and evaporate; sc, &c., Job 14:11. Others read it thus, As when the waters from the sea fail, the flood decayeth, and drieth up; so when man’ s life is taken away, it returns no more while this world lasteth. God hath made…

Read John Trapp on Job 14 →
Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(11) As the waters fail from the sea seems commonly to have been misunderstood from its having been taken as a comparison; but there is no particle denoting comparison in the Hebrew. Moreover, the water never fails from the sea, nor do great rivers like the Nile or the Euphrates ever dry up. The comparison that is implied, but not expressed, is one of contrariety. The waters will have failed from the sea, and the rivers will have wasted and become dry, and yet the man who hath lain down (in death) will not arise: i.e., sooner than that shall happen, the sea will fail and the great rivers become dry. This appears to give a sense far better and more appropriate to the context. The Authorised…

Read Charles John Ellicott on Job 14 →
AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible

Verse 11. The waters fail from the sea] I believe this refers to evaporation, and nothing else. As the waters are evaporated from the sea, and the river in passing over the sandy desert is partly exsiccated, and partly absorbed; and yet the waters of the sea are not exhausted, as these vapours, being condensed, fall down in rain, and by means of rivers return again into the sea: so man is imperceptibly removed from his fellows by death and dissolution; yet the human race is still continued, the population of the earth being kept up by perpetual generations.

Read AdamClarke on Job 14 →
CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

11. fail from the sea] i. e. the inland sea or pool, cf. Isaiah 19:5; so in Arabic bahr, sea, is any mass of water whether salt or fresh, and also a river. the flood] the stream. A graphic figure for complete extinction.

Read Cambridge on Job 14 →
Albert Barnes1798–1870Barnes' Notes on the Bible

As the waters fail from the sea - As the waters evaporate wholly, and leave the bottom wholly dry, so it is with man, who passes entirely away, and leaves nothing. But to what fact Job refers here, is not known.

Read Albert Barnes on Job 14 →

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

As water disappears from the sea and a river becomes parched and dry,

WEBWorld English Bible2000

As the waters fail from the sea, and the river wastes and dries up,

MSBMajority Standard Bible2022

As water disappears from the sea and a river becomes parched and dry,

NETBNew English Translation2006

As water disappears from the sea, or a river drains away and dries up,

Tyndale line

KJVKing James Version1611

As the waters fail from the sea, and the flood decayeth and drieth up:

ASVAmerican Standard Version1901

As the waters fail from the sea, And the river wasteth and drieth up;

RVARevised Version, American1894

As the waters fail from the sea, and the river decayeth and drieth up;

NWBWebster's Bible1833

As the waters fail from the sea, and the flood decayeth and drieth up:

GNVGeneva Bible1599

As the waters passe from the sea, and as the flood decayeth and dryeth vp,

Strictly literal

DBYDarby Translation1890

The waters recede from the lake, and the river wasteth and drieth up:

YLTYoung's Literal Translation1862

Waters have gone away from a sea, And a river becometh waste and dry.

LSVLiteral Standard Version2020

Waters have gone away from a sea, || And a river becomes waste and dry.

ILTInterlinear Literal Translation2000

The waters run off from the sea, and the river faileth and drieth up:

ULBUnlocked Literal Bible2017

As water disappears from a lake, and as a river loses water and dries up,

From the Latin

DRADouay-Rheims (Challoner)1899

As if the waters should depart out of the sea, and an emptied river should be dried up:

Simplified

FBVFree Bible Version2020

Like water evaporating from a lake and a river that dries up and disappears,

BBEBible in Basic English1949

The waters go from a pool, and a river becomes waste and dry;

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.

clauseverbאָֽזְלוּthey.disappearsubjectמַ֭יִםwatersprepositional phrase · prepositionalמִנִּיfromיָ֑ם[the].seaוְ֝andclauseclausesubjectנָהָ֗רa.riververbיֶחֱרַ֥בit.dries.upוְandclauseverbיָבֵֽשׁit.is.dry

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


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

The Masoretic Text and the Septuagint largely agree in their wording for Job 14:11, with six out of seven words matching. This consistency reinforces the shared understanding of the imagery Job employs regarding the inevitability of death.

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

אָֽזְלוּ־ מַ֭יִם מִנִּי־ יָ֑ם וְ֝נָהָ֗ר יֶחֱרַ֥ב וְיָבֵֽשׁ׃

Septuagintthe Greek the translators chose, word by word
מַ֭יִםξρόνῳמִנִּי־γὰρיָ֑םθάλασσαוְ֝נָהָ֗רποταμὸςיֶחֱרַ֥בἐρημωθεὶςוְיָבֵֽשׁ׃ἐχηράνθη

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 14:11אָזַלthey disappthey disappearאָזַלמַיwaterswatersמַימִן־fromfromמִן־יָם[the] sea[the] seaיָםנָהָרand a riverand a riverנָהָרחָרֵבit dries upit dries upחָרֵביָבֵשׁand it is dand it is dryיָבֵשׁנָהַרto flowto flowנָהַרמֵןstringstringמֵןכִּיforforכִּירָחַץto wash: wto wash: washרָחַץשָׁתָהto drinkto drinkשָׁתָהרָחַקto removeto removeרָחַקיָתַרto remainto remainיָתַרסוּףreedreedסוּףפֵּאָהsidesideפֵּאָהכְּבָרChebarChebarכְּבָרפְּרָתEuphratesEuphratesפְּרָתיָשַׁםbe desolatbe desolateיָשַׁםיָבֵשׁto witherto witherיָבֵשׁחָרֵבto dryto dryחָרֵב
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 14:11

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.

they disappear waters from [the] sea and a river it dries up and it is dry
אָֽזְלוּ־'a.ze.lu- they disappear H235 Verb · Qal · perfect third person common plural
5× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
To be gone means to go away or disappear, like something that is used up or exhausted. It can also mean to go to and fro, or to gad about, as in Ezekiel 27:19 where it describes trade and commerce.
Amplified meaning
fails, evaporates
Tyndale gloss
be gone
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

אָזַל (azal) is a primitive root meaning to go away or to disappear, often used poetically. It covers actions like going about, being exhausted, or being used up. The word also has a Pual form, indicating a sense of going to and fro. Some lexicons note its use in contexts like Ezekiel 27:19, where it can refer to 'yarn'.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

אָזַל vb. go (mostly poet.) Qal go away; go about; be gone, exhausted, used up

Pu. yarn, spin

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H235 אָזַל go (mostly poet.) .go away; go about; be gone, exhausted, used up

. yarn, spin

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

235 'azal aw-zal'

a primitive root; to go away, hence, to disappear:--fail,

gad about, go to and fro (but in Ezek. 27:19 the word is

rendered by many "from Uzal," by others "yarn"), be gone

(spent).

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

אָזַל (a.zal) — be gone.

1) to go, to go away, to go about

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to go away

1a2) to go about

1a3) to be used up, be exhausted, be gone, evaporated

1b) (Pual) to go to and fro

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
V-Qal-Perf-3cp — Verb · Qal · perfect third person common plural
HVqp3cp
The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
they disappear waters from [the] sea and a river it dries up and it is dry
מַ֭יִםMa.yim waters H4325 Noun common · masculine plural absolute
581× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This word means water, referring to a liquid or a source of refreshment. It appears in the Bible as a literal and figurative term, including references to wasting or urine. The word is used in various contexts, such as in Genesis and Leviticus.
Amplified meaning
from the sea, like the Mediterranean
Tyndale gloss
Water (Gate)
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

מַי (mayim) is a Hebrew word meaning 'water' and is used in the plural form. It encompasses various meanings, including literal water, urine, and metaphorical uses related to refreshment or danger. The entries indicate it is derived from a primitive noun and is primarily referenced in contexts involving water.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

[מַי] 580 n.m. only pl. מַ֫יִם waters, water

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H4325 מַי only pl. מַ֫יִם waters, water

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

4325 mayim mah'-yim

dual of a primitive noun (but used in a singular sense);

water; figuratively, juice; by euphemism, urine, semen:--+

piss, wasting, water(-ing, (-course, -flood, -spring)).

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

מַי (ma.yim) — water.

1) water, waters

1a) water

1b) water of the feet, urine

1c) of danger, violence, transitory things, refreshment (fig.)

מַי (ma.yim) — Water (Gate).

This name means water, refreshment

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-mp — Noun common · masculine plural absolute
HNcmpa
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

wo'-terz (mayim, plural of may, "water"; in the New Testament hudor, "water"; kindunois potamon (2Co 11:26), the King James Version "perils of waters," is in the Revised Version (British and American) "perils of rivers"): In the New Testament there is frequent reference to the water of baptism. Pilate washes his hands with water to signify his guiltlessness. Jesus tells the Samaritan woman of the living water. The Lamb shall guide the redeemed unto fountains of waters of life.

The uses of mayim are well classified in BDB, especially the figurative references, as follows: a symbol of distress, "when thou passest through the waters" (Isa 43:2); of force, "like the breach of waters" (2Sa 5:20); of that which is overwhelming, "a…

they disappear waters from [the] sea and a river it dries up and it is dry
מִנִּי־mi.ni- from H4480 Preposition
1,189× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This Hebrew word means a portion or part of something, and is often used to show the relationship between things, like from or out of something.
Tyndale gloss
from
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word מִן־ (*min*) is a preposition meaning 'from' or 'out of,' indicating separation or origin. It covers various uses, including temporal references, comparisons, and causal relationships. Additionally, it can denote a portion when used as a noun מֵן (*men*). The entries highlight its versatility in expressing different nuances of separation and position.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

מִן־, and מִ, before יְ, prep. expressing the idea of separation, hence out of, from, on account of, off, on the side of, since, above, than, so that not

with verbs expressing (or implying) separation or removal

from, against

מן also, without a verb of similar significance, sometimes expresses the idea of separation, away from, far from

of position, off, on the side of, on

Out of, Gk. ἐκ, Lat. ex

Partitively

Of time—

as marking the terminus a quo, the anterior limit of a continuous period from, since

as marking the period immediately succeeding the limit after

towards, to

(וְעַד) עַד … מִן from … even to

In comparisons, beyond, above

מן is prefixed to an infin.:

with causal force, from, on account of, through

after verbs implying restraint, prevention, cessation, etc.

with a temporal force, since, after

Once as a conj. before a finite verb. that

In compounds:

base

Read the full entry →
Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H4480a מִן־, מִ, prep. expressing the idea of separation, hence out of, from, on account of, off, on the side of, since, above, than, so that not . with verbs expressing (or implying) separation or removal . from, against

. מן also, without a verb of similar significance, sometimes expresses the idea of separation, away from, far from

. of position, off, on the side of, on

. Out of, Gk. ἐκ, Lat. ex

. Partitively

. Of time— . as marking the terminus a quo, the anterior limit of a continuous period from, since

. as marking the period immediately succeeding the limit after

. towards, to

. (וְעַד) עַד … מִן from … even to

. In comparisons, beyond, above

. מן is prefixed to an infin.: . with causal force, from, on account of, through

. after verbs implying restraint, prevention, cessation, etc.

. with a temporal force, since, after

. Once as a conj. before a finite verb. that

Read the full entry →
Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

4480 min min

or minniy {min-nee'}; or minney (constructive plural)

{min-nay'}; (Isaiah 30:11); for 4482; properly, a part of;

hence (prepositionally), from or out of in many senses (as

follows):--above, after, among, at, because of, by (reason

of), from (among), in, X neither, X nor, (out) of, over,

since, X then, through, X whether, with.

see HEBREW for 04482

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

מִן־ (min) — from.

prep

1) from, out of, on account of, off, on the side of, since, above, than, so that not, more than

1a) from (expressing separation), off, on the side of

1b) out of

1b1) (with verbs of proceeding, removing, expelling)

1b2) (of material from which something is made)

1b3) (of source or origin)

1c) out of, some of, from (partitively)

1d) from, since, after (of time)

1e) than, more than (in comparison)

1f) from...even to, both...and, either...or

1g) than, more than, too much for (in comparisons)

1h) from, on account of, through, because (with infinitive)

conj

2) that

Aramaic equivalent: min (מִן־ "from" H4481)

מֵן (men) — portion.

n.m.

portion

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Prep — Preposition
HR
they disappear waters from [the] sea and a river it dries up and it is dry
יָ֑םYam [the] sea H3220 Noun common · masculine singular absolute
396× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
Refers to a large body of water like the Mediterranean Sea or a sea in general, sometimes specifically the west or seaward direction.
Amplified meaning
a large body of water, the west
Tyndale gloss
(Mt. Ephron in the) West
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

יָם (yam) means 'sea' and refers to various large bodies of water, including the Mediterranean, Red, and Dead Seas, as well as the Sea of Galilee. It can also denote a mighty river like the Nile and has geographical implications, indicating directions such as west or south. The term is derived from a root meaning to roar, suggesting the noise of breaking surf.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

יָם 390 n.m. sea

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H3220 יָם sea

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

3220 yam yawm

from an unused root meaning to roar; a sea (as breaking in

noisy surf) or large body of water; specifically (with the

article), the Mediterranean Sea; sometimes a large river, or

an artifical basin; locally, the west, or (rarely) the

south:--sea (X -faring man, (-shore)), south, west (-ern,

side, -ward).

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

יָם (yam) — sea.

: sea

1) sea

1a) Mediterranean Sea

1b) Red Sea

1c) Dead Sea

1d) Sea of Galilee

1e) sea (general)

1f) mighty river (Nile)

1g) the sea (the great basin in the temple court)

1h) seaward, west, westward

יָם (yam) — sea: west.

: west

1) sea

1a) Mediterranean Sea

1b) Red Sea

1c) Dead Sea

1d) Sea of Galilee

1e) sea (general)

1f) mighty river (Nile)

1g) the sea (the great basin in the temple court)

1h) seaward, west, westward

יָם (yam) — (Mt. Ephron in the) West.

This name means sea, seaward, westward

Another name of eph.ron (עֶפְרוֹן "(Mount )Ephron" H6085H)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-ms — Noun common · masculine singular absolute
HNcmsa
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

se (yam; thalassa; in Ac 27:5 pelagos): The Mediterranean is called ha-yam ha-gadhol, "the great sea" (Nu 34:6; Jos 1:4; Eze 47:10, etc.); ha-yam ha-'acharon, "the hinder," or "western sea" (De 11:24; 34:2; Joe 2:20; Zec 14:8); yam pelishtim, "the sea of the Philis" (Ex 23:31); the King James Version translates yam yapho' in Ezr 3:7 by "sea of Joppa," perhaps rightly.

Smith's Bible Dictionary

The sea, yam , is used in Scripture to denote-- "The gathering of the waters," "the Ocean." (Genesis 1:2,10; 30:13) etc. Some portion of this, as the Mediterranean Sea, called the "hinder," the "western" and the "utmost" sea, (11:24; 34:2; Joel 2:20) "sea of the Philistines," (Exodus 23:31) "the great sea," (Numbers 36:6,7; Joshua 15:47) "the sea." Genesis49:13; Psal 80:11 Also frequently of the Red Sea. (Exodus 15:4) [RED SEA SEA] Inland lakes termed seas, as the Salt or Dead Sea. [See the special article] Any…

American Tract Society Bible Dictionary

The Hebrews give the name of sea to any large collection of water, Job 14:11; as to the lakes of Tiberias and Asphaltites, and also to the rivers Nile and Euphrates, Isa 11:15 18:2 21:1 Jer 51:36,42. The principal seas mentioned in Scripture are the following:

1. The GREAT SEA, the Mediterranean, called also the Hinder or Western Sea. Indeed, the Hebrew word for sea, meaning the Mediterranean, is often put for the west. The Great Sea is 2,200 miles long, and in the widest part 1,200 miles in width. In many places it is so deep as to give no soundings. It is little affected by tides, but is often agitated by violent winds. The prevailing direction of the wind in spring is from the southeast and southwest and from the northeast…

Nave's Topical Bible

→ Creation of Ge 1:9,10; Ps 95:5; 148:4,5

→ Lake Galilee calmed by Jesus Mt 8:24-26; Mr 4:37-39

→ Jesus walked upon Lake Galilee Mt 14:25-31

→ The Dead, to be given up by the, at the resurrection Re 20:13

→ SYMBOLICAL

In Daniel' s vision Da 7:2,3

In John' s apocalyptic vision Re 4:6; 8:8,9; 10:2,5,6,8; 13:1; 15:2; 16:3; 21:1

they disappear waters from [the] sea and a river it dries up and it is dry
וְ֝נָהָ֗רve.na.Har and a river H5104 Conjunction · noun common masculine singular absolute
119× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
In the Bible, a river symbolizes prosperity, like the Nile or Euphrates, and is often used figuratively. It appears in Genesis and Exodus, describing the life-giving waters of the Promised Land. This word is also used to describe underground streams.
Amplified meaning
a flood
Tyndale gloss
river
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

נָהָר (nahar) means 'stream' or 'river' and can refer to various water bodies, including the Nile and Euphrates. It also has a figurative sense of prosperity. The word is derived from a root meaning related to flowing water and has an Aramaic equivalent, נְהַר (ne.har).

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

נָהָר 120 n.m. stream, river

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H5104 נָהָר stream, river

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

5104 nahar naw-hawr'

from 5102; a stream (including the sea; expec. the Nile,

Euphrates, etc.); figuratively, prosperity:--flood, river.

see HEBREW for 05102

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

נָהָר (na.har) — River.

This name means stream, river

Another name of pe.rat (פְּרָת "Euphrates" H6578)

נָהָר (na.har) — river.

1) stream, river

1a) stream, river

1b) (underground) streams

Aramaic equivalent: ne.har (נְהַר "river" H5103H)

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

riv'-er:

(1) The usual word is nahar (Aramaic nehar (Ezr 4:10, etc.)), used of the rivers of Eden (Ge 2:10-14), often of the Euphrates (Ge 15:18, etc.), of Abana and Pharpar (2Ki 5:12), the river of Gozan (2Ki 17:6), the river Chebar (Eze 1:1), the rivers (canals?) of Babylon (Ps 137:1), the rivers of Ethiopia (Isa 18:1; Ze 3:10). Compare nahr, the common Arabic word for "river."

Easton's Bible Dictionary

River

(1.) Heb. ‘aphik, properly the channel or ravine that holds water (2 Sam. 22:16), translated “brook,” “river,” “stream,” but not necessarily a perennial stream (Ezek. 6:3; 31:12; 32:6; 34:13).

(2.) Heb. nahal, in winter a “torrent,” in summer a “wady” or valley (Gen. 32:23; Deut. 2:24; 3:16; Isa. 30:28; Lam. 2:18; Ezek. 47:9).

These winter torrents sometimes come down with great suddenness and with desolating force. A distinguished traveller thus describes his experience in this matter…

Smith's Bible Dictionary

In the sense in which we employ the word viz. for a perennial stream of considerable size, a river is a much rarer object in the East than in the West. With the exception of the Jordan and the Litany, the streams of the holy land are either entirely dried up in the summer months converted into hot lanes of glaring stones, or else reduced to very small streamlets, deeply sunk in a narrow bed, and concealed from view by a dense growth of shrubs. The perennial river is called nahar by the Hebrews. With the definite article, "the river," it signifies invariably the Euphrates. (Genesis 31:21; Exodus 23:31; Numbers 24:6; 2 Samuel 10:16) etc. It is never applied to the fleeting…

American Tract Society Bible Dictionary

This word answers in our Bible to various Hebrew terms, of which the principal are the following:

1. Yeor, an Egyptian word signifying river. It is always applied to the Nile and its various canals, except in Job 28:10 Da 12:5,6,7 2. Nahar, applied, like our word river, to constantly flowing streams, such as the Euphrates. In our version this word is sometimes rendered "flood," Jos 24:2,3, etc.

3. Nahal, a torrent-bed, or valley through which water flows in the rainy season only, Nu 34:5, etc; frequently rendered "brook," Nu 13:28 Job 6:15, etc. Such streams are to the…

they disappear waters from [the] sea and a river it dries up and it is dry
יֶחֱרַ֥בye.che.Rav it dries up H2717 Verb · Qal · imperfect third person masculine singular
40× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
To slay or destroy is the meaning of this Hebrew word, which can also mean to dry up or desolate something. It is used to describe fighting, attacking, or laying waste.
Amplified meaning
wastes, decays, dry, desolate
Tyndale gloss
to dry
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

חָרֵב (charab) is a Hebrew verb with meanings related to dryness and destruction. It can refer to being dry or dried up, as well as to making something waste or desolate. Additionally, it can mean to attack or slay. The entries indicate a range of uses, from physical desiccation to metaphorical desolation, but do not present any significant disagreement among lexicons.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

[חָרֵב] vb. be dry, dried up

Qal be dry, dried up

Pu. of fresh bow-strings

Hiph. of י׳ drying up rivers

base

[חָרֵב] be waste, desolate

Qal be waste, desolate

Niph. as adj., desolate city

Hiph. lay waste, make desolate

Hoph. she is laid waste

base

[חָרַב] vb. (Aram. and rare) attack, smite down

Qal attack

Niph. the kings have attacked one another, fought together

Hoph. 2 K 3:23

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H2717a חָרֵב be dry, dried up H2717b חָרֵב be waste, desolate H2717c חָרַב attack, smite down

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

2717 charab khaw-rab'

or chareb {khaw-rabe'}; a primitive root; to parch (through

drought) i.e. (by analogy,) to desolate, destroy, kill:--

decay, (be) desolate, destroy(-er), (be) dry (up), slay, X

surely, (lay, lie, make) waste.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

חָרֵב (cha.rev) — to dry.

1) to be dry, be dried up

1a) (Qal) to be dried, be dried up

1b) (Pual) to be dried

1c) (Hiphil) to dry up

1d) (Hophal) to be dried up

חָרֵב (cha.rev) — to destroy.

1) to be waste, lay waste, make desolate, be desolate, be in ruins

1a) (Qal) to be waste, be desolate

1b) (Niphal)

1b1) to be made desolate

1b2) desolate (participle)

1c) (Hiphil) to lay waste, make desolate

1d) (Hophal) to be laid waste

Aramaic equivalent: cha.rav (חֲרַב "be wasted" H2718)

חָרַב (cha.rav) — to slay.

to attack, smite down, slay, fight

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
V-Qal-Imperf-3ms — Verb · Qal · imperfect third person masculine singular
HVqi3ms
they disappear waters from [the] sea and a river it dries up and it is dry
וְיָבֵֽשׁ׃ve.ya.Vesh and it is dry H3001 Verb · Qal · sequential perfect third person masculine singular
59× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This Hebrew word means to wither or dry up, like a plant without water. It can also mean to be ashamed or disappointed. The Bible uses it to describe things that have lost their freshness or vitality.
Amplified meaning
withers, dried up
Tyndale gloss
to wither
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

יָבֵשׁ (yabesh) primarily means to be dry or to wither. It can refer to something that is dried up or lacking moisture, as well as the act of drying something out. The word has different forms, including Qal (to be dry), Piel (to make dry), and Hiphil (to dry up). It conveys a sense of desiccation or loss of vitality.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

יָבֵשׁ vb. be dry, dried up, withered

Qal

be dry, dried up without moisture

be dried up

Pi. make dry, dry up

Hiph. dry up, make dry

dry up water

make dry, wither

exhibit dryness

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H3001 יָבֵשׁ be dry, dried up, withered

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

3001 yabesh yaw-bashe'

a primitive root; to be ashamed, confused or disappointed;

also (as failing) to dry up (as water) or wither (as

herbage):--be ashamed, clean, be confounded, (make) dry (up),

(do) shame(-fully), X utterly, wither (away).

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

יָבֵשׁ (ya.vesh) — to wither.

1) to make dry, wither, be dry, become dry, be dried up, be withered

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to be dry, be dried up, be without moisture

1a2) to be dried up

1b) (Piel) to make dry, dry up

1c) (Hiphil)

1c1) to dry up, make dry

1c1a) to dry up (water)

1c1b) to make dry, wither

1c1c) to exhibit dryness

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Conj | V-Qal-3ms — Verb · Qal · sequential perfect third person masculine singular
Hc/Vqq3ms
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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