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Job 17:16 — Word Study

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WLCבַּדֵּ֣י שְׁאֹ֣ל תֵּרַ֑דְנָה אִם־ יַ֖חַד עַל־ עָפָ֣ר נָֽחַת׃ ס

BSAWill it go downyârad [hope, expectation, to the lowest point, descend] to the gatesbad [bars, entrance] of Sheolshᵉʼôwl [the underworld, place of no return] togetheryachad intoʻal the dustʻâphâr [dry earth, mortal remains, where our rest together is, in a state of quietness]

Word
Listen & take awayJob 17
English ↓ Download MP3 The Berean Standard Bible chapter audio already hosted for the site's Bible section — verse 16 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 (Na.chat) — no per-word recordings of the Hebrew exist to link to.
Take it away
Job 17:16quick helps
In a sentenceJob questions whether hope can reach the gates of Sheol, pondering the finality of death.
Who is speakingJob, expressing his despair and questioning the fate of the dead.
Where we areIn a lament about mortality, Job reflects on the certainty of death.
The hard wordשְׁאֹ֣ל
Take awayThe finality of death is a shared fate.
8 commentators on this verse Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them › clause verbיָרַד 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 17:16

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 Lament on Mortalitygenerated

13If I look for Sheol as my home, if I spread out my bed in darkness,
14and say to corruption, ‘You are my father,’ and to the worm, ‘My mother,’ or ‘My sister,’
15where then is my hope? Who can see any hope for me?
16Will it go down to the gates of Sheol? Will we go down together into the dust?”

Job 17:16 expresses Job's deep despair as he contemplates death and the afterlife. He questions whether his hope can reach Sheol, the place of the dead, and reflects on the shared fate of humanity in returning to dust. This verse is part of a larger discourse on suffering and the human condition, where Job grapples with his mortality and the seeming absence of hope.


Cross References

ReferenceText (BSB)
1Job 18:13–14It devours patches of his skin; the firstborn of death devours his limbs.
2Job 33:18–28to preserve his soul from the Pit and his life from perishing by the sword.
3Psalm 88:4–8I am counted among those descending to the Pit. I am like a man without strength.
4Psalm 143:7Answer me quickly, O LORD; my spirit fails. Do not hide Your face from me, or I will be like those who descend to the Pit.
5Isaiah 38:17–18Surely for my own welfare I had such great anguish; but Your love has delivered me from the pit of oblivion, for You have cast all my sins behind Your back.

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


The Key Word שְׁאֹ֣ל, she.'Olgenerated

The term שְׁאוֹל (she'ol) refers to the underworld or grave, a place where the dead reside and from which there is no return. It carries connotations of punishment and degradation, as well as a lack of divine praise. This word is significant in the context of Job's lament, emphasizing the finality and despair of death.

In this verse, Job uses שְׁאוֹל to question whether his hope can reach such a place, highlighting his feelings of abandonment and the weight of mortality.


How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated

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


Sentence Structuregenerated

The finite verb תֵּרַ֑דְנָה (te.Rad.nah) governs the main clause, with two additional clauses connected to it: a conditional clause introduced by אִם־ (im) and a prepositional phrase detailing the destination. The structure emphasizes the uncertainty of hope in the face of death.

The sentence flows from the questioning of hope to the implications of descent into Sheol, culminating in the shared fate of returning to dust.


Septuagint Backgroundgenerated

The Septuagint translates שְׁאוֹל as ᾅδην (hadēn), which carries similar connotations of the underworld. This choice aligns with the Hebrew meaning but may also reflect a broader understanding of the afterlife in Hellenistic thought.

The translation choices indicate a consistent understanding of Sheol as a place of the dead, reinforcing Job's lament about mortality.


In plain words — the whole versegenerated

Job 17:16 questions whether hope can reach Sheol, a place of the dead, and whether he and his companions will go down together into the dust. This reflects Job's deep despair and contemplation of mortality.


Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated

What does Job mean by asking about Sheol?

Job is expressing his concern about the finality of death and whether there is any hope beyond it.

Why does Job mention going down together into the dust?

He emphasizes the shared fate of humanity in death, highlighting the inevitability of returning to the earth.

What is the significance of dust in this verse?

Dust symbolizes mortality and the physical remains of humans after death, indicating a return to the earth.

How does this verse reflect Job's overall struggle?

It encapsulates Job's feelings of abandonment and despair as he grapples with suffering and the afterlife.


Reflection Questionsgenerated

  1. What does this verse reveal about the nature of hope in the face of death?
  2. How can we find comfort in the shared fate of humanity as described by Job?
  3. In what ways do we confront our own mortality and the concept of Sheol?
  4. How does Job's lament resonate with our understanding of suffering and hope?

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

Early commentators, such as Hesychius of Jerusalem and Gregory the Dialogist, reflect on Job's lament, discussing the implications of mortality and the afterlife.

Hesychius of JerusalemHOMILIES ON Job 20.17.16 d. after 451
Why do we build palaces? Why do we care for the drapery of beds and for the different garments? Why do we add estate to estate,
Early Church Fathers on Job 17 →
Gregory the DialogistMorals on the Book of Job, Book XIII c. 540–604
Ver. 16. All of mine shall descend into the lowest hell. Whereas it appears that among those below the righteous are held bound not in places of punishment, but in the bosom of tranquillity above,
Early Church Fathers on Job 17 →

Commentators on this verse — 8 expositors, verse by verse

Each of these wrote on Job 17:16 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.

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

They shall go down to the bars of the pit,.... He himself, and his friends, and the hopes they would have him entertain; these should all go down together to the grave, and there lie barred and

Read John Gill on Job 17 →
Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's Commentary

They shall go down to the bars of the pit, when our rest together is in the dust. They - namely, my hopes, shall be buried with me.

Read Robert Jamieson on Job 17 →
Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy Bible

They; either, 1. They that would see my hope, they must go into the grave to behold it. Or rather, 2. My hopes; of which he spoke in the singular number, , which he here changeth into the plural, as is very usual in these poetical books. To the bars of the pit, i.e. into the closest and innermost parts of the pit: my hopes are dying, and will be buried in my grave. When our rest together is in the dust: so the sense is, when those spectators, together with myself, shall be in our graves. Heb. seeing that (as this Hebrew particle im oft signifies; or, certainly, as it is used , and elsewhere) our rest shall be together in the dust, i.e. I and my hopes shall be buried together.

Read Matthew Poole on Job 17 →
John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

Job 17:16 They shall go down to the bars of the pit, when [our] rest together [is] in the dust.Ver. 16. They shall go down to the bars of the pit] That is, I and my things, or I and my hopes of prosperity, Job 17:15, and they that will see the good I hope for must pass through the gates of death to behold it, and lie down in the grave with me, and then it shall appear. Cajetan thinks that this is spoken ironically to his friends, and by way of derrision, Per irrisionem haec dicta sunt; q.d. It seems like you think I shall be rich in the grave (who promise so much to me, and make me such overtures of a happiness here), for I have no hope to be rich in this world. And the Septuagint seem to…

Read John Trapp on Job 17 →
Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(16) They shall go down to the bars of the pit.—The last verse of this chapter, which is itself one of the most difficult, is the most difficult of all. The difficulty consists in this: the bars of the grave are masculine, and the verb, they shall go down, is feminine plural; it seems improbable that the bars of the grave should be the subject of the verb (though perhaps not absolutely impossible); but if the bars of the grave are the place to which the going down is, as in the Authorised Version, then what is the subject to the verb, go down, seeing that hope, the apparent subject, is a feminine singular? Some render “it shall go down,” but this is in defiance of the grammar, though…

Read Charles John Ellicott on Job 17 →
AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible

Verse 16. They shall go down to the bars of the pit] All that I have must descend into the depths of the grave. Thither are we all going; and there alone can I rest. בדי baddey, which we translate bars, signifies also branches, distended limbs, or claws, and may here refer either to a personification of the grave, a monster who seizes on human bodies, and keeps them fast in his deadly gripe; or to the different branching-off-alleys in subterranean cemeteries, or catacombs, in which niches are made for the reception of different bodies. When our rest together is in the dust.] That is, according to some critics, My hope and myself shall descend together into the grave. It shall never be…

Read AdamClarke on Job 17 →
CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

16. The truth in regard to his hope is this, something different from the tale of his friends, It shall go down to the bars of the pit, When once there is rest in the dust. The pit is in Heb. Sheol. As a great subterranean prison-house it has bars or bolts, for it has also gates, ch. Job 38:17; cf. Isaiah 38:10, Psalms 9:13. In the New Test, its “keys” are spoken of, Revelation 1:18. The word together means perhaps, “at the same time”; his hope shall go down to the grave, when at the same time, or, “when once” he himself finds rest in the dust. See the Additional Note to ch. 19. in the Appendix.

Read Cambridge on Job 17 →
Albert Barnes1798–1870Barnes' Notes on the Bible

They shall go down - That is, my hopes shall go down. All the expectations that I have cherished of life and happiness, will descend there with me.

Read Albert Barnes on Job 17 →

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

Will it go down to the gates of Sheol? Will we go down together into the dust?”

WEBWorld English Bible2000

Shall it go down with me to the gates of Sheol, or descend together into the dust?”

MSBMajority Standard Bible2022

Will it go down to the gates of Sheol? Will we go down together into the dust?”

NETBNew English Translation2006

Will it go down to the barred gates of death? Will we descend together into the dust?”

Tyndale line

KJVKing James Version1611

They shall go down to the bars of the pit, when our rest together is in the dust.

ASVAmerican Standard Version1901

It shall go down to the bars of Sheol, When once there is rest in the dust.

RVARevised Version, American1894

It shall go down to the bars of Sheol, when once there is rest in the dust.

NWBWebster's Bible1833

They shall go down to the bars of the pit, when our rest together is in the dust.

GNVGeneva Bible1599

They shall goe downe into the bottome of the pit: surely it shall lye together in the dust.

Strictly literal

DBYDarby Translation1890

It shall go down to the bars of Sheol, when [our] rest shall be together in the dust.

YLTYoung's Literal Translation1862

[To] the parts of Sheol ye go down, If together on the dust we may rest.

LSVLiteral Standard Version2020

You go down [to] the parts of Sheol, || If we may rest together on the dust.”

ILTInterlinear Literal Translation2000

Let then my limbs sink down to the nether world: truly in the dust alone there is rest for all.

ULBUnlocked Literal Bible2017

Will hope go down with me to the gates of Sheol when we descend to the dust?”

From the Latin

DRADouay-Rheims (Challoner)1899

All that I have shall go down into the deepest pit: thinkest thou that there at least I shall have rest?

Simplified

FBVFree Bible Version2020

Will hope go down with me to the gates of Sheol? Will we go down together into the dust?”

BBEBible in Basic English1949

Will they go down with me into the underworld? Will we go down together into the dust?

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.

clausenoun phrase · adverbialבַּדֵּ֣יthe.polesשְׁאֹ֣לof.Sheolverbתֵּרַ֑דְנָהwill.they.go.down?clauseאִםor?clauseadverbialיַ֖חַדtogetherprepositional phrase · prepositionalעַלtoעָפָ֣ר[the].dustverbנָֽחַתwill.we.go.down

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 the wording of Job 17:16, with 7 of the 8 words matched. The Septuagint's word order and articles differ, but the essential meaning remains consistent.

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

בַּדֵּ֣י שְׁאֹ֣ל תֵּרַ֑דְנָה אִם־ יַ֖חַד עַל־ עָפָ֣ר נָֽחַת׃ ס

Septuagintthe Greek the translators chose, word by word
שְׁאֹ֣לᾅδηνתֵּרַ֑דְנָהκαταβήσονταιאִם־יַ֖חַדὁμοθυμαδὸνעַל־ἐπὶעָפָ֣רξώματοςנָֽחַת׃ סκαταβησόμεθα

7 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 17:16בַּד[the] poles[the] poles ofבַּדשְׁאוֹלSheolSheolשְׁאוֹליָרַדwill they gwill they go doיָרַדאִםor?or?אִםיַ֫חַדtogethertogetherיַ֫חַדעַלtotoעַלעָפָר[the] dust[the] dustעָפָרנָחֵתwill we deswill we descendנָחֵתבָּדַדbe alonebe aloneבָּדַדשָׁאַלto askto askשָׁאַליָחַדbe joinedbe joinedיָחַדעָפַרto throwto throwעָפַרעַלheightheightעַלתָּמִידcontinuallcontinuallyתָּמִידיָגוֹןsorrowsorrowיָגוֹןשֵׂיבָהgreyheadedgreyheadedשֵׂיבָהשְׁאוֹלhell: Sheohell: Sheolשְׁאוֹלבּוֹרpitpitבּוֹרחֵןfavorfavorחֵןיֵשׁtherethereיֵשׁיָעַדto appointto appointיָעַדרוּןto overcomto overcomeרוּןכִּפֶּרto atoneto atoneכִּפֶּרכִּסֵּאthronethroneכִּסֵּאאֵ֫פֶרashesashesאֵ֫פֶרנְחוּשָׁהbronzebronzeנְחוּשָׁה
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 17:16

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.

[the] poles of Sheol will they go down? or? together to [the] dust will we descend
בַּדֵּ֣יba.Dei [the] poles of H905 Noun common · masculine plural construct
200× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
The Hebrew word 'bad' can mean alone, apart, or a separate part of something, like a branch or a bar. It's used to describe something that's only or except for something else.
Amplified meaning
bars, entrance
Tyndale gloss
alone: pole
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

בַּד (bad) refers to separation or being alone, often indicating a part or branch of something. It can denote physical separation, such as limbs or bars, as well as figurative uses like 'chief of a city.' The entries consistently highlight meanings related to being apart or alone, with no significant disagreement among the lexicons.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

בַּד, בָּ֑ד n.m. separation, concr. part

prop. in a state of separation, alone, by itself

concr. part

parts, specif. extended from something

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H905 בַּד, בָּ֑ד separation, concr. part . prop. in a state of separation, alone, by itself

. concr. part

. parts, specif. extended from something

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

905 bad bad

from 909; properly, separation; by implication, a part of the

body, branch of a tree, bar for carrying; figuratively, chief

of a city; especially (with prepositional prefix) as an

adverb, apart, only, besides:--alone, apart, bar, besides,

branch, by self, of each alike, except, only, part, staff,

strength.

see HEBREW for 0909

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

בַּד (bad) — alone: pole.

: pole

1) alone, by itself, besides, a part, separation, being alone

1a) separation, alone, by itself

1a1) only (adv)

1a2) apart from, besides (prep)

1b) part

1c) parts (eg limbs, shoots), bars

בַּד (bad) — alone.

: alone

1) alone, by itself, besides, a part, separation, being alone

1a) separation, alone, by itself

1a1) only (adv)

1a2) apart from, besides (prep)

1b) part

1c) parts (eg limbs, shoots), bars

בַּד (bad) — alone: each.

: each

1) alone, by itself, besides, a part, separation, being alone

1a) separation, alone, by itself

1a1) only (adv)

1a2) apart from, besides (prep)

1b) part

1c) parts (eg limbs, shoots), bars

בַּד (bad) — alone: besides.

: besides/apart from

1) alone, by itself, besides, a part, separation, being alone

1a) separation, alone, by itself

1a1) only (adv)

1a2) apart from, besides (prep)

1b) part

1c) parts (eg limbs, shoots), bars

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

ov:

(1) In Anglo-Saxon, had the meaning "from," "away from" (as the strengthened form "off" has still), and was not used for genitive or possessive relations, these being expressed by special case-forms. In the Norman period, however, "of" was taken to represent the French de (a use well developed by the time of Chaucer), and in the Elizabethan period both senses of "of" were in common use. But after about 1600 the later force of the word became predominant, and in the earlier sense (which is now practically obsolete) it was replaced by other prepositions. In consequence the King James Version (and in some cases the Revised Version (British and American)) contains many uses of "of" that are no longer familiar--most of them, to be sure, causing no difficulty, but there still being a few responsible for real obscurities.

English usagewhat the translators’ English meant
Webster's Dictionary (1828), Webster's Unabridged (1913), Webster's Dictionary (1806)

OF, preposition ov. [Gr.]

1. From or out of; proceeding from, as the cause, source, means, author or agent bestowing.

I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered to you. 1 Corinthians 11:1.

For it was of the Lord to harden their hearts. Joshua 11:1.

It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed.

Lamentations 3:1.

The whole disposing thereof is of the Lord. Proverbs 16:1.

Go, inquire of the Lord for me. 2 Chronicles 34:2.

That holy thing that shall be born of thee. Luke 1:1.

Hence of is the sign of the genitive case, the case that denotes production; as the son of man, the son proceeding from man, produced from man. This is the primary sense, although we now say, produced by man. 'Part of these were slain; ' that is, a number separate, for part denotes a division; the sense then is, a number from or out of the whole were slain. So also, 'some of these were slain; ' that is…

[the] poles of Sheol will they go down? or? together to [the] dust will we descend
שְׁאֹ֣לshe.'Ol Sheol H7585 Noun common · both singular absolute
66× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
Sheol refers to the underworld or grave, a place of no return where the dead reside, as seen in the Old Testament. It is often translated as hell or pit in the KJV. This concept is mentioned in various books, including Psalms and Isaiah.
Amplified meaning
the underworld, place of no return
Tyndale gloss
hell: Sheol
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

שְׁאוֹל (sh'owl) refers to the underworld or the realm of the dead in Hebrew. It encompasses concepts such as hell, the grave, and a pit, often associated with punishment for the wicked and a place from which the righteous are not abandoned. The term implies a location of extreme degradation and is noted for its lack of praise for God.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

שְׁאוֹל, שְׁאֹל n.f. Shᵉ’ōl, underworld (√ dub.; i.e. place of inquiry)

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H7585 שְׁאוֹל, שְׁאֹל Shᵉ’ōl, underworld (√ dub.; i.e. place of inquiry)

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

7585 sh'owl sheh-ole'

or shol {sheh-ole'}; from 7592; Hades or the world of the

dead (as if a subterranean retreat), including its accessories

and inmates:--grave, hell, pit.

see HEBREW for 07592

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

שְׁאוֹל (she.ol) — hell: Sheol.

Sheol, underworld, grave, hell, pit

1a) the underworld

1b) Sheol-the OT designation for the abode of the dead

1b1) place of no return

1b2) without praise of God

1b3) wicked sent there for punishment

1b4) righteous not abandoned to it

1b5) of the place of exile (fig)

1b6) of extreme degradation in sin

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-proper — Noun common · both singular absolute
HNcbsa
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

she'-ol (she'ol):

1. The Name

2. The Abode of the Dead

(1) Not a State of Unconsciousness

(2) Not Removed from God's Jurisdiction

(3) Relation to Immortality

3. Post-canonical Period

1. The Name:

This word is often translated in the King James Version "grave" (e.g. Ge 37:35; 1Sa 2:6; Job 7:9; 14:13; Ps 6:5; 49:14; Isa 14:11, etc.) or "hell" (e.g. De 32:22; Ps 9:17; 18:5; Isa 14:9; Am 9:2, etc.); in 3 places by "pit"…

Easton's Bible Dictionary

Sheol

(Heb., “the all-demanding world” = Gr. Hades, “the unknown region”), the invisible world of departed souls. (See HELL.)

Nave's Topical Bible

→ See HELL (Hades)

[the] poles of Sheol will they go down? or? together to [the] dust will we descend
תֵּרַ֑דְנָהte.Rad.nah will they go down? H3381 Verb · Qal · imperfect third person feminine plural
381× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
To go down or descend, like going to a lower place or falling. It appears in Genesis and Exodus, describing people and things moving downwards.
Amplified meaning
hope, expectation, to the lowest point, descend
Tyndale gloss
to go down
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word יָרַד (yarad) means to come or go down, covering various contexts such as descending from mountains, going to battle, or sinking in water. It can also refer to divine manifestations descending or being prostrated. The word has different forms including Qal, Hiphil, and Hophal, which indicate various nuances of bringing down or being brought down.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

יָרַד 380 vb. come or go down, descend

Qal 306

come or go down

go down (usu. from mountain or hill-country into plain), to battle

go down to (acc.) threshing-floor

go down (abs.) from Palestine to Egypt

from Jerusalem

from altar

go down

= sink, in water

go down to She’ôl

fig. going down (dissolving) in tears

= be prostrated

of divine manifestations: descend

of inanimate things

Hiph.

cause to come or go down

bring down

send down rain = cause to flow down

= lay prostrate to (acc.) threshing-floor

bring down to She’ôl

take down (from cart)

let down

Hoph.

be brought down

be taken down

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H3381 יָרַד come or go down, descend .. . come or go down

. go down (usu. from mountain or hill-country into plain), to battle

. go down to (acc.) threshing-floor

. go down (abs.) from Palestine to Egypt

. from Jerusalem

. from altar

. go down

. = sink, in water

. go down to She’ôl

. fig. going down (dissolving) in tears

. = be prostrated

. of divine manifestations: descend

. of inanimate things

. . cause to come or go down . bring down

. send down rain = cause to flow down

. = lay prostrate to (acc.) threshing-floor

. bring down to She’ôl

. take down (from cart)

. let down

. . be brought down

. be taken down

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

3381 yarad yaw-rad'

a primitive root; to descend (literally, to go downwards; or

conventionally to a lower region, as the shore, a boundary,

the enemy, etc.; or figuratively, to fall); causatively, to

bring down (in all the above applications); -X abundantly,

bring down, carry down, cast down, (cause to) come(-ing) down,

fall (down), get down, go(-ing) down(-ward), hang down, X

indeed, let down, light (down), put down (off), (cause to,

let) run down, sink, subdue, take down.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

יָרַד (ya.rad) — to go down.

1) to go down, descend, decline, march down, sink down

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to go or come down

1a2) to sink

1a3) to be prostrated

1a4) to come down (of revelation)

1b) (Hiphil)

1b1) to bring down

1b2) to send down

1b3) to take down

1b4) to lay prostrate

1b5) to let down

1c) (Hophal)

1c1) to be brought down

1c2) to be taken down

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
V-Qal-Imperf-3fp — Verb · Qal · imperfect third person feminine plural
HVqi3fp
[the] poles of Sheol will they go down? or? together to [the] dust will we descend
אִם־'im- or? H518 Particle
1,070× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This Hebrew word is used to express conditions or questions, like if or whether. It can also be used to make oaths or express wishes, as in Oh that! It appears in various forms in the KJV, including if, though, and when.
Tyndale gloss
if
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

אִם (im) is a Hebrew conjunction primarily meaning 'if' and is used in various contexts, including conditional clauses and interrogative situations. It can also express negation, alternatives, or exceptions, and appears frequently in the Old Testament. The lexicons note its use in oaths and its ability to connect different clauses, sometimes altering their meanings.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

אִם conj.

hypoth. part. if

Interrog. part.

base

כִּי אם־

each part. retaining its independent force, and relating to a different clause:

that if

for if

(About 140 t.) the two particles being closely conjoined, and relating to the same clause—

limiting the prec. clause, except

the if being neglected, and treated as pleonastic, so that the clause is no longer a limitation of the preceding clause but a contradiction of it: but rather, but

after an oath, surely

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H518a אִם conj. . hypoth. part. if

. Interrog. part.

H518b כִּי אם־ . each part. retaining its independent force, and relating to a different clause: . that if

. for if

. (About 140 t.) the two particles being closely conjoined, and relating to the same clause— . limiting the prec. clause, except

. the if being neglected, and treated as pleonastic, so that the clause is no longer a limitation of the preceding clause but a contradiction of it: but rather, but

. after an oath, surely

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

518 'im eem

a primitive particle; used very widely as demonstrative, lo!;

interrog., whether?; or conditional, if, although; also Oh

that!, when; hence, as a negative, not:--(and, can-,

doubtless, if, that) (not), + but, either, + except, +

more(-over if, than), neither, nevertheless, nor, oh that, or,

+ save (only, -ing), seeing, since, sith, + surely (no more,

none, not), though, + of a truth, + unless, + verily, when,

whereas, whether, while, + yet.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

אִם (im) — if.

: if/whether_or/though

1) if

1a) conditional clauses

1a1) of possible situations

1a2) of impossible situations

1b) oath contexts

1b1) no, not

1c) if...if, whether...or, whether...or...or

1d) when, whenever

1e) since

1f) interrogative particle

1g) but rather

[כִּי] אם (ki im) — if: except.

1) except if

1a) but if

אִם (im) — if: surely no.

: surely_no

1) if

1a) conditional clauses

1a1) of possible situations

1a2) of impossible situations

1b) oath contexts

1b1) no, not

1c) if...if, whether...or, whether...or...or

1d) when, whenever

1e) since

1f) interrogative particle

1g) but rather

אִם (im) — if: surely yes.

: surely_yes

1) if

1a) conditional clauses

1a1) of possible situations

1a2) of impossible situations

1b) oath contexts

1b1) no, not

1c) if...if, whether...or, whether...or...or

1d) when, whenever

1e) since

1f) interrogative particle

1g) but rather

אִם (im) — if: until.

: until/except

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
HTc — Particle
HTc
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

or: The word is used once for either (1Sa 26:10), and is still in poetic use in this sense; as in, "Without or wave or wind" (Coleridge); "Or the bakke or some bone he breketh in his dzouthe" (Piers Plowman (B), VII, 93; compare Merchant of Venice, III, ii, 65). It is also used with "ever" for before (Ps 90:2; Ecclesiasticus 18:19), which the American Standard Revised Version substitutes in Ec 12:6 (compare 12:1,2); So 6:12; Da 6:24.

The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
[the] poles of Sheol will they go down? or? together to [the] dust will we descend
יַ֖חַדYa.chad together H3162 Noun common · masculine singular absolute
141× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This adverb means together, describing people doing something in unity, like in Psalm 133:1.
Tyndale gloss
unitedness
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

יַ֫חַד (yachad) refers to the concept of unitedness or being together. It can function as a noun meaning 'unitedness' and as an adverb meaning 'together.' The word is built from a root that emphasizes unity and is used in various contexts in the Old Testament.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

יַ֫חַד 45 n.[m.] unitedness

as subst.

elsewhere always in acc. as adv. in union, together

base

יָחְדָּו 92 adv. together

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H3162a יַ֫חַד unitedness . as subst.

. elsewhere always in acc. as adv. in union, together

H3162b יָחְדָּו adv. together

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

3162 yachad yakh'-ad

from 3161; properly, a unit, i.e. (adverb) unitedly:--alike,

at all (once), both, likewise, only, (al-)together, withal.

see HEBREW for 03161

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

יַ֫חַד (ya.chad) — unitedness.

1) union, unitedness

יָחְדָּו (yach.dav) — together.

adv

together

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Adv — Noun common · masculine singular absolute
HNcmsa
[the] poles of Sheol will they go down? or? together to [the] dust will we descend
עַל־'al- to H5921 Preposition
5,774× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This Hebrew word means on or above something, like a physical object or a situation. It can also imply a sense of responsibility or accountability, as in being on behalf of someone.
Tyndale gloss
upon
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

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

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

כִּי עַל כֵּן forasmuch as

base

עַל, עָ֑ל

subst. height

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

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

of clothing, etc., which any one wears

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

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

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

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

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

Read the full entry →
Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

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

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

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

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

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

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

Read the full entry →
Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

5921 `al al

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

see HEBREW for 05920

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

עַל (al) — upon.

prep

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

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

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

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

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

1e) over (of suspension or extension)

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

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

1h) to (as a dative)

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

conj

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Prep — Preposition
HR
The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
[the] poles of Sheol will they go down? or? together to [the] dust will we descend
עָפָ֣ר'a.Far [the] dust H6083 Noun common · masculine singular absolute
110× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
Aphar means dust or dry earth, and is also used to describe clay, earth, or mortar. It appears in various forms throughout the Bible.
Amplified meaning
dry earth, mortal remains, where our rest together is, in a state of quietness
Tyndale gloss
dust
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

עָפָר (aphar) refers to dry earth or dust, encompassing meanings such as powder, ashes, and rubbish. It is derived from a root meaning to be dry and is used in various contexts, including clay and mortar. The entries consistently highlight its association with loose earth and debris.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

עָפָר n.m. dry earth, dust

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H6083 עָפָר dry earth, dust

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

6083 `aphar aw-fawr'

from 6080; dust (as powdered or gray); hence, clay, earth,

mud:--ashes, dust, earth, ground, morter, powder, rubbish.

see HEBREW for 06080

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

עָפָר (a.phar) — dust.

1) dry earth, dust, powder, ashes, earth, ground, mortar, rubbish

1a) dry or loose earth

1b) debris

1c) mortar

1d) ore

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

dust (`aphar; koniortos, chous): Small particles of earth. The word has several figurative and symbolic meanings:

(1) Dust being the material out of which God is said to have formed man (Ge 2:7), it became a symbol of man's frailty (Ps 103:14, "For he knoweth our frame; he remembereth that we are dust"; compare Ge 18:27; Job 4:19, etc.), and of his mortality (Ge 3:19, "Dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return"; compare Job 34:15; Ps 104:29; Ec 3:20

Easton's Bible Dictionary

Dust

Storms of sand and dust sometimes overtake Eastern travellers. They are very dreadful, many perishing under them. Jehovah threatens to bring on the land of Israel, as a punishment for forsaking him, a rain of “powder and dust” (Deut. 28:24).

To cast dust on the head was a sign of mourning (Josh. 7:6); and to sit in dust, of extreme affliction (Isa. 47:1). “Dust” is used to denote the grave (Job 7:21). “To shake off the dust from one’s feet” against another is to renounce all future intercourse with him (Matt. 10:14; Acts 13:51). To “lick the dust” is a sign of…

Smith's Bible Dictionary

[MOURNING]

American Tract Society Bible Dictionary

Jos 7:6. Dust or ashes put upon the head was a sign of mourning; sitting in the dust, a sign of affliction, La 3:29 Isa 47:1. "Dust" is also put for the grave, Ge 3:19 Job 7:21. It signifies a multitude, Ge 13:16, and a low and mean condition, 1Sa 2:8. We have two remarkable instances of casting dust recorded in Scripture, and they seem to illustrate a practice common in Asia: those who demanded justice against a criminal were accustomed to throw dust upon him, signifying that he deserved to be cast into the grave.…

[the] poles of Sheol will they go down? or? together to [the] dust will we descend
נָֽחַת׃ סNa.chat will we descend H5181 Verb · Qal · imperfect first person common plural
11× 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 go down or descend, like going down a mountain or into a valley. It can also mean to press down or be broken. It appears in various forms, such as when the Israelites went down to Egypt.
Tyndale gloss
to descend
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

נָחֵת (nachath) is a Hebrew verb meaning to go down or descend. It can refer to a literal descent, as well as a figurative one, such as descending in chastisement. The word also encompasses meanings like pressing down or causing something to come down. Its Aramaic equivalent is נְחֵת (ne.chat), which shares a similar meaning.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

[נָחֵת] vb. (Aram. and poet.) go down, descend

Qal

go down, descend

fig. descend in chastisement

Niph. = penetrate

Pi. cause to descend = press down

Hiph. thither bring down thy heroes

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H5181 [נָחֵת] (Aram. and poet.) go down, descend .. go down, descend

. fig. descend in chastisement

. = penetrate

. cause to descend = press down

. thither bring down thy heroes

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

5181 nachath naw-khath'

a primitive root; to sink, i.e. descend; causatively, to

press or lead down:--be broken, (cause to) come down, enter,

go down, press sore, settle, stick fast.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

נָחֵת (na.chat) — to descend.

1) to go down, descend

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to go down, descend

1a2) to descend, descend into (chastisement) (fig.)

1b) (Niphal) to come down into, penetrate

1c) (Piel) to cause to descend, press down, stretch (a bow)

1d) (Hiphil) to bring down

Aramaic equivalent: ne.chat (נְחֵת "to descend" H5182)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
HVqi1cp — Verb · Qal · imperfect first person common plural
HVqi1cp
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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