Job 2:8 — Word Study
WLCוַיִּֽקַּֽח־ ל֣וֹ חֶ֔רֶשׂ לְהִתְגָּרֵ֖ד בּ֑וֹ וְה֖וּא יֹשֵׁ֥ב בְּתוֹךְ־ הָאֵֽפֶר׃
BSAAnd Job tooklâqach▸ [picked up, grasped] a piece of broken potterycheres [shattered, fragmented, earthenware, clay vessel] to scrapegârad△ [scratch, rub] ◂as hehûwʼ satyâshab [dwelled, remained] amongtâvek [in the midst of, surrounded by] the ashesʼêpher [worthless remains, dust]
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| וַיִּֽקַּֽח־ | and he took | Verb, Qal, sequential imperfect third person masculine singular |
| ל֣וֹ | for himself | Preposition, suffix |
| חֶ֔רֶשׂ | a potsherd | Noun common, masculine singular absolute |
| לְהִתְגָּרֵ֖ד | to scrape himself | Preposition, verb hithpael infinitive construct common |
| בּ֑וֹ | with it | Preposition, suffix |
| וְה֖וּא | and he | Conjunction, pronoun |
| יֹשֵׁ֥ב | [was] sitting | Verb, Qal, participle (active) masculine singular |
| בְּתוֹךְ־ | in [the] midst | Preposition, noun common masculine singular construct |
| הָאֵֽפֶר׃ | the ash[es] | Particle, noun common masculine singular absolute |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | And Job took a piece of broken pottery to scrape himself as he sat among the ashes. |
| KJV | And he took him a potsherd to scrape himself withal; and he sat down among the ashes. |
| ASV | And he took him a potsherd to scrape himself therewith; and he sat among the ashes. |
| YLT | And he taketh to him a potsherd to scrape himself with it, and he is sitting in the midst of the ashes. |
| WEB | He took for himself a potsherd to scrape himself with, and he sat among the ashes. |
| BBE | And he took a broken bit of a pot, and, seated in the dust, was rubbing himself with the sharp edge of it. |
The translations agree on the key elements of the verse, particularly in describing Job's use of a broken piece of pottery.
The sentence has a main action followed by a purpose and a setting, clearly outlining Job's distress.






7 commentators on this verse
Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them ›
clause
subjectהוּא
verbלָקַח
The sentence as the grammar sees it Open the tree ›
1 of 9 occurs nowhere else in the Old Testament — a word chosen on purpose.
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 2:8
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 Sufferinggenerated
Job 2:8 describes a moment of profound suffering for Job, who has been afflicted by painful sores. In this state, he resorts to using a piece of broken pottery to scrape his skin while sitting among the ashes, symbolizing his grief and loss. This scene follows the devastating news of his losses and the physical torment he endures, illustrating the depths of his despair.
Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Job 19:14–17 | My kinsmen have failed me, and my friends have forgotten me. |
| 2 | Psalm 38:5–7 | My wounds are foul and festering because of my sinful folly. |
| 3 | Luke 16:20–21 | And a beggar named Lazarus lay at his gate, covered with sores |
| 4 | Job 42:6 | Therefore I retract my words, and I repent in dust and ashes.” |
| 5 | 2 Samuel 13:19 | And Tamar put ashes on her head and tore her robe. And putting her hand on her head, she went away crying bitterly. |
The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 9 references, hung on the phrase they belong to
The Key Word — חֶ֔רֶשׂ, Che.resgenerated
The noun חֶ֔רֶשׂ (*cheres*) refers to a piece of earthenware or pottery, often a shard or potsherd. It is derived from a root related to pottery, emphasizing its use in everyday life in ancient Israel.
In this verse, Job takes a potsherd to scrape himself, highlighting his extreme discomfort and the desperate measures he takes to alleviate his suffering. The act of scraping with a broken piece of pottery underscores the severity of his condition.
How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated
This study reads the verse in the Berean Standard Bible, which uses pottery to translate חֶ֔רֶשׂ.
Sentence Structuregenerated
The main verb וַיִּֽקַּֽח־ (*vai.yi.kach*) governs the sentence, indicating Job's action of taking. The structure includes a direct object, חֶ֔רֶשׂ, and an infinitive phrase לְהִתְגָּרֵ֖ד describing what he does with the potsherd.
The sentence's order emphasizes Job's action first, followed by the details of his situation, which enhances the urgency of his distress.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
The Septuagint translates חֶ֔רֶשׂ as ὄστρακον, meaning 'a fragment or shell'. This choice reflects a broader interpretation of the object, highlighting its broken nature and connection to Job's suffering.
The use of ἵνα for the infinitive 'to scrape' indicates purpose, aligning with the Hebrew intent of Job's action.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
Job 2:8 shows Job in deep suffering, using a piece of broken pottery to scrape his skin while sitting in ashes. This act symbolizes his pain and despair after losing everything.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
It signifies his extreme physical discomfort and the depths of his suffering.
Sitting in ashes is a biblical symbol of mourning and grief, reflecting Job's profound loss.
It implies that Job is in such pain that he resorts to using a broken object to relieve his suffering.
This verse illustrates the physical and emotional toll of Job's trials, emphasizing his despair and resilience.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- In what ways do I cope with my own suffering, and what can I learn from Job's response?
- How can I support others who are in distress, as Job's friends initially tried to do?
- What does sitting among ashes represent in my life, and how can I find hope in difficult times?
- How can I better understand and empathize with those who are experiencing profound loss?
The early church on this verse — how the Fathers read it
Gregory the Dialogist comments on this verse in his work, interpreting Job's actions and the significance of the potsherd in relation to human suffering and divine creation.
HISTORICAL INTERPRETATION. And he took him a potsherd to scrape himself withal; and he sat down among the ashes. What is a potsherd made from, excepting mud? and what is the humour of the body,Early Church Fathers on Job 2 →
ALLEGORICAL INTERPRETATION. And he took him a potsherd to scrape the humour withal. For what is the potsherd in the hand of the Lord, but the flesh which He took of the clay of our nature? For the potsherd receives firmness by fire.Early Church Fathers on Job 2 →
MORAL INTERPRETATION. And he took him a potsherd to scrape the humour withal. For what do we understand by the 'potsherd,' saving forcibleness of severity,Early Church Fathers on Job 2 →
Commentators on this verse — 7 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on Job 2:8 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire BibleAnd he took him a potsherd to scrape himself withal,.... His mouth was shut, his lips were silent, not one murmuring and repining word came from him, amidst all this anguish and misery he must be in;
Read John Gill on Job 2 →
Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's CommentaryAnd he took him a potsherd to scrape himself withal; and he sat down among the ashes.
Read Robert Jamieson on Job 2 →
Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy BibleHe took him a potsherd; partly to allay the itch which his ulcers caused; and partly to squeeze out or take away that purulent matter which was under them, or flowed from them, and was the great cause of his torment. And this he did not with soft linen cloths, either because he had not now a sufficient quantity of them for so much use, or because therein he must have had the help of others, who abhorred to come near him, ; nor with his own hands or fingers, which were also ulcerous, and so unfit for that use; and besides he loathed to touch himself: but with potsherds, either because they were next at hand, and ready for his present use; or in token of his repentance and deep humiliation…
Read Matthew Poole on Job 2 →
John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New TestamentsJob 2:8 And he took him a potsherd to scrape himself withal; and he sat down among the ashes.Ver. 8. And he took him a potsherd] A piece of a broken pot, for want of better; ointments he had none, nor baths, to lenify his soreness. Physicians and friends were far from him. He looked on his right band, and beheld, but there was no man that would know him: refuge failed and perished from him; no man cared for his soul, Psalms 142:4. He had still a wife and servants, and (as some think) his household stuff left him. He should therefore by them have been helped; but they helped on his misery, jeering him, and jesting at him, as he afterwards complaineth. Himself, therefore, in this necessity…
Read John Trapp on Job 2 →
CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges8. and he sat down among the ashes] Rather, as he sat among. By the “ashes” is possibly meant (as the Sept. already understands, which translates ἐπὶτῆςκοπρίας) the Mαzbalah, the place outside the Arabic towns where the zibl, that is, dung and other rubbish of the place is thrown. “The dung which is heaped up upon the Mezbele of the Hauran villages is not mixed with straw, which in that warm and dry land is not needed for litter, and it comes mostly from solid-hoofed animals, as the flocks and oxen are left over night in the grazing places. It is carried in baskets in a dry state to this place before the village, and usually burnt once a month … The ashes remain … If the village has been…
Read Cambridge on Job 2 →
Albert Barnes1798–1870Barnes' Notes on the BibleAnd he took him a potsherd - The word used here חרשׁ chârâsh means a fragment of a broken vessel; see the notes at Isaiah 45:9.
Read Albert Barnes on Job 2 →
Daniel Denison Whedon1808–1885Whedon's Commentary on the Bible8. Potsherd — The Septuagint renders, “And he took a shell to scrape away the ulcerous discharge, and sat upon a dung heap outside the city.” As the sores were too loathsome to touch, he took a piece
Read Daniel Denison Whedon on Job 2 →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
And Job took a piece of broken pottery to scrape himself as he sat among the ashes.
He took for himself a potsherd to scrape himself with, and he sat among the ashes.
And Job took a piece of broken pottery to scrape himself as he sat among the ashes.
Job took a shard of broken pottery to scrape himself with while he was sitting among the ashes.
Tyndale line
And he took him a potsherd to scrape himself withal; and he sat down among the ashes.
And he took him a potsherd to scrape himself therewith; and he sat among the ashes.
And he took him a potsherd to scrape himself withal; and he sat among the ashes.
And he took him a potsherd to scrape himself with it ; and he sat down among the ashes.
And he tooke a potsharde to scrape him, and he sate downe among the ashes.
Strictly literal
And he took a potsherd to scrape himself with; and he sat among the ashes.
And he taketh to him a potsherd to scrape himself with it, and he is sitting in the midst of the ashes.
And he takes to him a potsherd to scrape himself with it, and he is sitting in the midst of the ashes.
And [Job] took himself a potsherd to scrape himself there with, while he was sitting down among the ashes.
Job took a piece of broken pottery to scrape himself with, and he sat down in the middle of ashes.
From the Latin
And he took a potsherd and scraped the corrupt matter, sitting on a dunghill.
Simplified
Job picked up a piece of broken pottery to scratch himself as he sat in ashes.
And he took a broken bit of a pot, and, seated in the dust, was rubbing himself with the sharp edge of it.
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.
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 content, with eight out of nine words matching. The Septuagint's wording reflects its own structure and interpretation but conveys the same essential meaning as the Hebrew.
וַיִּֽקַּֽח־ ל֣וֹ חֶ֔רֶשׂ לְהִתְגָּרֵ֖ד בּ֑וֹ וְה֖וּא יֹשֵׁ֥ב בְּתוֹךְ־ הָאֵֽפֶר׃
8 of the 9 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.
Lexicons — every word in Job 2:8
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 Hebrew word לָקַח (*laqach*) means 'to take' and encompasses a wide range of actions, including to receive, seize, capture, and carry away. It can refer to taking something in hand, taking a wife, or even taking vengeance. The verb has various forms indicating different nuances, such as being taken away or captured.
לָקַח 965 vb. take
Qal
take, take in hand
take and carry along with oneself
take from, or out of
take, carry away
take away from, so as to deprive of
esp. take away life
take to or for a person
take up, upon = put upon
= fetch
take = lead, conduct (with or without contact)
take = capture, seize
take = carry off
in phr. take vengeance
Niph.
be captured, of ark
be taken away, removed
be taken, brought unto
Pu.
be taken from, out of
= be stolen from
be taken captive
be taken away, removed
Hoph.
be taken, brought unto
be taken out of
be taken away from
Hithp. lit. fire taking hold of itself, of lightning
base
H3947 לָקַח take .. take, take in hand
. take and carry along with oneself
. . take from, or out of
. take, carry away
. take away from, so as to deprive of
. esp. take away life
. take to or for a person
. take up, upon = put upon
. = fetch
. take = lead, conduct (with or without contact)
. take = capture, seize
. take = carry off
. in phr. take vengeance
. . be captured, of ark
. be taken away, removed
. be taken, brought unto
. . be taken from, out of
. = be stolen from
. be taken captive
. be taken away, removed
. . be taken, brought unto
. be taken out of
. be taken away from
. lit. fire taking hold of itself, of lightning
3947 laqach law-kakh'
a primitive root; to take (in the widest variety of
applications):--accept, bring, buy, carry away, drawn, fetch,
get, infold, X many, mingle, place, receive(-ing), reserve,
seize, send for, take (away, -ing, up), use, win.
לָקַח (la.qach) — to take: take.
: take
1) to take, get, fetch, lay hold of, seize, receive, acquire, buy, bring, marry, take a wife, snatch, take away
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to take, take in the hand
1a2) to take and carry along
1a3) to take from, take out of, take, carry away, take away
1a4) to take to or for a person, procure, get, take possession of, select, choose, take in marriage, receive, accept
1a5) to take up or upon, put upon
1a6) to fetch
1a7) to take, lead, conduct
1a8) to take, capture, seize
1a9) to take, carry off 1a10) to take (vengeance)
1b) (Niphal)
1b1) to be captured
1b2) to be taken away, be removed
1b3) to be taken, brought unto
1c) (Pual)
1c1) to be taken from or out of
1c2) to be stolen from
1c3) to be taken captive
1c4) to be taken away, be removed
1d) (Hophal)
1d1) to be taken unto, be brought unto
1d2) to be taken out of
1d3) to be taken away
1e) (Hithpael)
1e1) to take hold of oneself
Conj | V-Qal-ConsecImperf-3ms — Verb · Qal · sequential imperfect third person masculine singularHc/Vqw3ms
וֹ (o) — him.
Personal object pronoun - suffix for propositions and verbs without an object: 3rd person masculine singular
HR/Sp3ms — Preposition · suffixHR/Sp3ms
חֶ֫רֶשׂ (cheres) refers to earthenware or pottery, including terms like sherd and potsherd. It is derived from a form that connects to other Hebrew words related to pottery. The entries consistently emphasize its use in describing clay vessels and fragments.
חֶ֫רֶשׂ n.[m.] earthenware, earthen vessel, sherd potsherd
base
H2789 חֶ֫רֶשׂ earthenware, earthen vessel, sherd potsherd
2789 cheres kheh'-res
a collateral form mediating between 2775 and 2791; a piece of
pottery:--earth(-en), (pot-)sherd, + stone.
see HEBREW for 02775
see HEBREW for 02791
חֶ֫רֶשׂ (che.re.s) — earthenware.
earthenware, clay pottery, shard, potsherd, earthen vessel
N-ms — Noun common · masculine singular absoluteHNcmsa
pot'-shurd (cheres): A piece of earthenware (Job 2:8; Ps 22:15; Isa 45:9). the Revised Version (British and American) renders the word in Pr 26:23, "an earthen vessel," and in Job 41:30 substitutes "sharp potsherds" for "sharp stones." Sirach 22:7 refers to the art of "gluing a potsherd (ostrakon) together."
See HARSITH; OSTRACA.
Potsherd
A “shred”, i.e., anything severed, as a fragment of earthenware (Job 2:8; Prov. 26:23; Isa. 45:9).
also in Authorized Version "sherd," a broken piece of earthenware. (Proverbs 26:23)
גָּרַד (garad) is a primitive root meaning to scrape or abrade. It can also refer to the Hithpael form, which means to scrape oneself, as noted in Job 2:8. The entries consistently emphasize the action of scraping or scratching.
H1623 גָּרַד
1623 garad gaw-rad'
a primitive root; to abrade:--scrape.
גָּרַד (ga.rad) — to scrape.
1) to scrape, scratch
1a) (Hithpael) to scrape oneself
Prep | V-Hithpael-Inf-a — Preposition · verb hithpael infinitive construct commonHR/Vtcc
וֹ (o) — him.
Personal object pronoun - suffix for propositions and verbs without an object: 3rd person masculine singular
HR/Sp3ms — Preposition · suffixHR/Sp3ms
הוּא (hu) is a third-person singular pronoun meaning he, she, or it, used for emphasis or when no verb is present. It can also refer to oneself or serve as a demonstrative pronoun. The word has various nuances, including resuming the subject with emphasis or expressing it unobtrusively. It can indicate 'that' or 'those' when used with the definite article.
הוּא m. הִיא f., pron. of the 3rd ps. sing. he, she, used also (in both genders) for the neuter it
an emph. he (she, it, they), sometimes equivalent to himself (herself, itself, themselves), or (esp. with the art.) that (those)
It resumes the subj. with emph.
Where, however, the pron. follows the pred., its position gives it the minimum of emphasis, and it expresses (or resumes) the subject as unobtrusively as possible
It anticipates (as it seems) the subject
As an emph. predicate, of God
In a neuter sense, that, it (of an action, occurrence, matte, etc.)
With the art.: so regularly when joined to a subst. defined itself by the art.
base
H1931 הוּא, הִיא he, she, used also (in both genders) for the neuter it . an emph. he (she, it, they), sometimes equivalent to himself (herself, itself, themselves), or (esp. with the art.) that (those)
. It resumes the subj. with emph.
. Where, however, the pron. follows the pred., its position gives it the minimum of emphasis, and it expresses (or resumes) the subject as unobtrusively as possible
. It anticipates (as it seems) the subject
. As an emph. predicate, of God
. In a neuter sense, that, it (of an action, occurrence, matte, etc.)
. With the art.: so regularly when joined to a subst. defined itself by the art.
1931 huw' hoo
of which the feminine (beyond the Pentateuch) is hiyw {he}; a
primitive word, the third person pronoun singular, he (she or
it); only expressed when emphatic or without a verb; also
(intensively) self, or (especially with the article) the same;
sometimes (as demonstrative) this or that; occasionally
(instead of copula) as or are:--he, as for her, him(-self),
it, the same, she (herself), such, that (...it), these, they,
this, those, which (is), who.
הוּא (hu) — he/she/it.
pron 3p s
1) he, she, it
1a) himself (with emphasis)
1b) resuming subj with emphasis
1c) (with minimum emphasis following predicate)
1d) (anticipating subj)
1e) (emphasising predicate)
1f) that, it (neuter) demons pron
2) that (with article)
Conj | Pron — Conjunction · pronounHC/Pp3ms
ha: The fifth letter of the Hebrew alphabet; transliterated in this Encyclopedia as "h." It came also to be used for the number 5. For name, etc., see ALPHABET.
יָשַׁב (yashab) is a Hebrew verb meaning to sit, remain, or dwell. It encompasses a range of actions from simply sitting down to more complex ideas like establishing a home or causing a place to be inhabited. The entries indicate various forms, including Qal (to sit), Niphal (to be inhabited), and Hiphil (to cause to dwell). There is an Aramaic equivalent, יְתִב (ye.tiv), meaning 'to dwell'.
יָשַׁב 1090 vb. sit, remain, dwell
Qal
sit
sit, sit down
sit down
sit = be set (as a jewel)
remain, stay, tarry
with special emphasis of qualifying phr.
dwell, have one’s abode
of a land or city, sit, abide, seated in its place, fig. for be inhabited
Niph. be inhabited, of land
Pi. and they shall set their encampments in thee
Hiph.
cause to sit
cause to abide
cause to dwell
cause cities to be inhabited
marry (prop. give a dwelling to)
Hoph. and ye be made to dwell alone in the midst of the land
base
H3427 יָשַׁב sit, remain, dwell
3427 yashab yaw-shab'
a primitive root; properly, to sit down (specifically as
judge. in ambush, in quiet); by implication, to dwell, to
remain; causatively, to settle, to marry:--(make to)
abide(-ing), continue, (cause to, make to) dwell(-ing), ease
self, endure, establish, X fail, habitation, haunt, (make to)
inhabit(-ant), make to keep (house), lurking, X marry(-ing),
(bring again to) place, remain, return, seat, set(- tle),
(down-)sit(-down, still, -ting down, -ting (place) -uate),
take, tarry.
יָשַׁב (ya.shav) — to dwell.
1) to dwell, remain, sit, abide
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to sit, sit down
1a2) to be set
1a3) to remain, stay
1a4) to dwell, have one's abode
1b) (Niphal) to be inhabited
1c) (Piel) to set, place
1d) (Hiphil)
1d1) to cause to sit
1d2) to cause to abide, set
1d3) to cause to dwell
1d4) to cause (cities) to be inhabited
1d5) to marry (give an dwelling to)
1e) (Hophal)
1e1) to be inhabited
1e2) to make to dwell
Aramaic equivalent: ye.tiv (יְתִב "to dwell" H3488)
V-Qal — Verb · Qal · participle (active) masculine singularHVqrmsa
sit'-ing (yashabh, "to sit down or still," daghar, "to brood," "hatch"; kathezomai, "to sit down," anakeimai, "to lie back," "recline"): The favorite position of the Orientals (Mal 3:3; Mt 9:9; 26:55 (compare Mt 5:1; Lu 4:20; 5:3); Mr 14:18; Lu 18:35; Joh 2:14, etc.).
"In Palestine people sit at all kinds of work; the carpenter saws, planes, and hews with his hand-adze, sitting upon the ground or upon the plank he is planing. The washerwoman sits by the tub, and, in a word, no one stands where it is possible to sit.…
Sitting
The attitude generally assumed in Palestine by those who were engaged in any kind of work. “The carpenter saws, planes, and hews with his hand-adze, sitting on the ground or upon the plank he is planning. The washerwoman sits by the tub; and, in a word, no one stands when it is possible to sit. Shopkeepers always sit, and Levi sitting at the receipt of custom (Matt. 9:9) is the exact way to state the case.”, Thomson, Land and Book.
תָּ֫וֶךְ (tavek) means 'midst' or 'middle,' indicating a central position or location. It can also imply being 'among' or 'between' things, particularly in contexts involving separation or division. The term appears in various forms, such as 'into' or 'through,' especially after verbs of motion.
תָּ֫וֶךְ 416 subst. midst
base
H8432 תָּ֫וֶךְ subst. midst
8432 tavek taw'-vek
from an unused root meaning to sever; a bisection, i.e. (by
implication) the centre:--among(-st), X between, half, X
(there- ,where-), in(-to), middle, mid(-night), midst (among),
X out (of), X through, X with(-in).
תָּ֫וֶךְ (ta.vekh) — midst.
1) midst, middle
1a) midst, middle
1b) into, through (after verbs of motion)
1c) among (of a number of persons)
1d) between (of things arranged by twos)
1e) from among (as to take or separate etc)
Prep | N-ms — Preposition · noun common masculine singular constructHR/Ncmsc
The Hebrew word אֵ֫פֶר (*epher*) means 'ashes' and is derived from an unused root meaning to bestrew. It primarily refers to ashes, but can also imply worthlessness in a figurative sense. The entries suggest a connection to the light and flying nature of ashes.
אֵ֫פֶר n.[m.] ashes (as light, flying?)
base
H665 אֵ֫פֶר ashes (as light, flying?)
665 'epher ay'-fer
from an unused root meaning to bestrew; ashes:--ashes.
אֵ֫פֶר (e.pher) — ashes.
1) ashes
2) (CLBL) worthlessness (fig.)
Art | N-ms — Particle · noun common masculine singular absoluteHTd/Ncmsa
