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Job 38:33 — Word Study

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WLCהֲ֭יָדַעְתָּ חֻקּ֣וֹת שָׁמָ֑יִם אִם־ תָּשִׂ֖ים מִשְׁטָר֣וֹ בָאָֽרֶץ׃

BSADo you knowyâdaʻ [have knowledge of, understand] the lawschuqqâh [ordinances, statutes] of the heavensshâmayim [the visible universe, sky] Can you setsûwm [establish, appoint] their dominionmishṭâr [rule, authority] over the earthʼerets [land, territory]

Word
Listen & take awayJob 38
English ↓ Download MP3 The Berean Standard Bible chapter audio already hosted for the site's Bible section — verse 33 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 (va.'A.retz) — no per-word recordings of the Hebrew exist to link to.
Take it away
Job 38:33quick helps
In a sentenceGod questions Job about his understanding of the universe and his authority over it.
Who is speakingGod, addressing Job directly.
Where we areGod is speaking from the whirlwind, challenging Job's knowledge.
The hard wordחֻקּ֣וֹת
Take awayHuman understanding of divine order is limited.
8 commentators on this verse Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them › clause verbשׂים The sentence as the grammar sees it Open the tree ›
How rare are these words?in the Old Testament

1 of 7 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 38:33

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 — God's Challenge to Jobgenerated

32Can you bring forth the constellations in their seasons or lead out the Bear and her cubs?
33Do you know the laws of the heavens? Can you set their dominion over the earth?
34Can you command the clouds so that a flood of water covers you?
35Can you send the lightning bolts on their way? Do they report to you, ‘Here we are’?

Job 38:33 is part of a series of questions posed by God to Job, emphasizing the vastness of divine wisdom and the limitations of human understanding. These questions highlight God's sovereignty over creation, reminding Job of his place in the universe. This section of Job contrasts human knowledge with divine authority, illustrating the theme of God's omnipotence in the face of human suffering and questioning.


Cross References

ReferenceText (BSB)
1Genesis 1:16God made two great lights: the greater light to rule the day and the lesser light to rule the night. And He made the stars as well.
2Genesis 8:22As long as the earth endures, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night shall never cease.”
3Psalm 119:90–91Your faithfulness continues through all generations; You established the earth, and it endures.
4Jeremiah 31:35–36Thus says the LORD, who gives the sun for light by day, who sets in order the moon and stars for light by night, who stirs up the sea so that its waves roar—the LORD of Hosts is His name:
5Jeremiah 33:25This is what the LORD says: If I have not established My covenant with the day and the night and the fixed order of heaven and earth,

The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 6 references, hung on the phrase they belong to


The Key Word יָדַע, Ha.ya.da'.tagenerated

The Hebrew word יָדַע (yada`) is a verb meaning 'to know.' It encompasses a wide range of meanings, including perception, recognition, and experience. This word is used to express knowledge gained through observation or learning, indicating a deep understanding of a subject.

In this verse, God asks Job if he possesses knowledge of the laws governing the heavens. The use of the perfect tense indicates a completed action, suggesting that God is challenging Job's understanding of cosmic order and authority.


How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated

All translations agree in rendering the key phrases similarly, emphasizing the challenge to Job's understanding of the laws of the heavens and the authority over the earth.


Sentence Structuregenerated

The verse consists of two main clauses, both beginning with a question directed at Job. The first clause, הֲיָדַעְתָּ, Do you know, is followed by a noun phrase חֻקּ֣וֹת שָׁמָ֑יִם, the laws of the heavens, which serves as the object of knowledge.

The second clause begins with אִם־, Can you, leading into another question about Job's ability to set dominion over the earth. This structure highlights the direct challenge to Job's understanding and authority.


Septuagint Backgroundgenerated

In the Septuagint, the Hebrew word חֻקּ֣וֹת is rendered as τροπὰς, which indicates a focus on the established paths or ordinances of the heavens. This choice may suggest a broader interpretation of divine laws as guiding principles rather than strict statutes.

The translation of יָדַע as δὲ indicates a transition in thought, emphasizing the contrast between human knowledge and divine wisdom.


In plain words — the whole versegenerated

Job 38:33 presents God asking Job if he knows the laws that govern the heavens and whether he can establish their authority over the earth. This verse highlights the vast difference between God's knowledge and power compared to human understanding.


Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated

What does God mean by 'the laws of the heavens'?

God refers to the cosmic order and principles that govern the universe, emphasizing His control over creation.

Why does God ask Job if he can set dominion over the earth?

This question challenges Job's understanding of authority and power, reminding him that such dominion belongs to God alone.

How does this verse relate to the overall message of Job?

This verse illustrates the theme of divine sovereignty and the limitations of human perspective in the face of suffering and questioning.

What is the significance of God's questions to Job?

God's questions serve to highlight Job's lack of understanding and the vastness of God's wisdom and power in contrast to human knowledge.


Reflection Questionsgenerated

  1. In what areas of my life do I struggle to recognize God's authority?
  2. How can I cultivate a deeper understanding of God's creation and His laws?
  3. What does it mean for me to acknowledge my limitations in knowledge compared to God's wisdom?
  4. How can I apply the lessons from Job's experience to my own challenges and questions?

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

Gregory the Dialogist comments on this verse, discussing the knowledge of heavenly order and its implications for understanding divine predestination.

Gregory the DialogistMorals on the Book of Job, Book XXIX c. 540–604
Knowest thou the course of heaven, and wilt thou set down the reason thereof on the earth? To know the course of heaven, is to see the secret predestinations of the heavenly disposals.
Early Church Fathers on Job 38 →

Commentators on this verse — 8 expositors, verse by verse

Each of these wrote on Job 38:33 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.

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

Knowest thou the ordinances of heaven?.... Settled by the decree, purpose, and will of God, and are firm and stable; see Psalms 148:6; the laws and statutes respecting their situation, motion,

Read John Gill on Job 38 →
Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's Commentary

Knowest thou the ordinances of heaven? canst thou set the dominion thereof in the earth? Ordinances - which regulate the alternations of seasons, etc. (Genesis 8:22).

Read Robert Jamieson on Job 38 →
Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy Bible

Knowest thou? either, 1. Simply, and by speculation, dost thou understand them? Or, 2. Practically, or operatively, so as to establish or rule them, as the next clause implies. The ordinances of heaven; the laws, which are firmly established concerning their order, motion, or rest and their powerful influences upon this lower world. Didst thou give these laws? or dost thou perfectly know them? Canst thou set the dominion thereof in the earth? canst manage and overrule their influences, that they shall bring such seasons and such weather as thou wouldst have?

Read Matthew Poole on Job 38 →
John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

Job 38:33 Knowest thou the ordinances of heaven? canst thou set the dominion thereof in the earth?Ver. 33. Knowest thou the ordinances of heaven?] Either how to order them, as master over them, or to comprehend what they are certainly and perfectly. Canst thou set the dominion thereof in the earth?] As well in regard to the motion of the heavens, which varieth the seasons of the year, as of the influences and virtue which cometh from thence. For they who think that the superior bodies have no power at all upon these inferior do go against common sense and experience, yea, this and many other texts of Scriptures; which yet make nothing at all for that judiciary astrology so much cried up in…

Read John Trapp on Job 38 →
Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(33) The ordinances of heaven.—Comp. Job 28:26. That is, the recurring seasons and their power of influencing the earth.

Read Charles John Ellicott on Job 38 →
AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible

Verse 33. Knowest thou the ordinances of heaven?] Art thou a thorough astronomer? Art thou acquainted with all the laws of the planetary system? Canst thou account for the difference of their motions, and the influence by which they are retained and revolve in their orbits? And canst thou tell what influence or dominion they exercise on the earth? Sir Isaac Newton has given us much light on many of these things; but to his system, which is most probably the true one, gravity is essential; and yet what this gravity is he could neither explain nor comprehend; and his followers are not one whit wiser than he. No man has ever yet fully found out the ordinances of heaven, and the dominion…

Read AdamClarke on Job 38 →
CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

33. canst thou set] Rather, as before, dost thou set? The idea is that the heavens and the stars exercise an influence over the earth and the destinies of man.

Read Cambridge on Job 38 →
Albert Barnes1798–1870Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Knowest thou the ordinances of heaven? - The laws or statutes by which the motions of the heavenly bodies are governed.

Read Albert Barnes on Job 38 →

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

Do you know the laws of the heavens? Can you set their dominion over the earth?

WEBWorld English Bible2000

Do you know the laws of the heavens? Can you establish its dominion over the earth?

MSBMajority Standard Bible2022

Do you know the laws of the heavens? Can you set their dominion over the earth?

NETBNew English Translation2006

Do you know the laws of the heavens, or can you set up their rule over the earth?

Tyndale line

KJVKing James Version1611

Knowest thou the ordinances of heaven? canst thou set the dominion thereof in the earth?

ASVAmerican Standard Version1901

Knowest thou the ordinances of the heavens? Canst thou establish the dominion thereof in the earth?

RVARevised Version, American1894

Knowest thou the ordinances of the heavens? canst thou establish the dominion thereof in the earth?

NWBWebster's Bible1833

Knowest thou the ordinances of heaven? canst thou set its dominion on the earth?

GNVGeneva Bible1599

Knowest thou the course of heauen, or canst thou set the rule thereof in the earth?

Strictly literal

DBYDarby Translation1890

Knowest thou the ordinances of the heavens? dost thou determine their rule over the earth?

YLTYoung's Literal Translation1862

Hast thou known the statutes of heaven? Or dost thou appoint Its dominion in the earth?

LSVLiteral Standard Version2020

Have you known the statutes of the heavens? Or do you appoint || Its dominion in the earth?

ILTInterlinear Literal Translation2000

Knowest thou the laws of heaven? or dost thou appoint its rule on the earth?

ULBUnlocked Literal Bible2017

Do you know the regulations of the sky? Could you set in place the sky's rule over the earth?

From the Latin

DRADouay-Rheims (Challoner)1899

Dost thou know the order of heaven, and canst thou set down the reason thereof on the earth?

Simplified

FBVFree Bible Version2020

Do you know the laws of the heavens? Can you apply them to the earth?

BBEBible in Basic English1949

Have you knowledge of the laws of the heavens? did you give them rule over the earth?

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.

clauseהֲ֭doclauseverbיָדַעְתָּyou.know?noun phrase · objectחֻקּ֣וֹת[the].statutesשָׁמָ֑יִםof.[the].heavensclauseאִםor?clauseverbתָּשִׂ֖יםdo.you.appointnoun phrase · objectמִשְׁטָר֣ruleוֹitsprepositional phrase · prepositionalבָovernoun phrasetheאָֽרֶץearth

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 five of the seven words matched. The Septuagint reflects a different word order and some interpretative choices, but the core message remains consistent.

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

הֲ֭יָדַעְתָּ חֻקּ֣וֹת שָׁמָ֑יִם אִם־ תָּשִׂ֖ים מִשְׁטָר֣וֹ בָאָֽרֶץ׃

Septuagintthe Greek the translators chose, word by word
הֲ֭יָדַעְתָּδὲחֻקּ֣וֹתτροπὰςשָׁמָ֑יִםοὐρανοῦאִם־מִשְׁטָר֣וֹγινόμενα

5 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 38:33יָדַע¿ do you kn¿ do you knowיָדַעחֻקָּה[the] statu[the] statutes חֻקָּהשָׁמַי[the] heave[the] heavensשָׁמַיאִםor?or?אִםשׂוּםdo you appodo you appointשׂוּםמִשְׁטָרrule itsrule itsמִשְׁטָראֶ֫רֶץover the eaover the earthאֶ֫רֶץשֹׁטֵרofficialofficialשֹׁטֵרחֹקstatute: dstatute: decreeחֹקאֲנִיIIאֲנִיבִּיןto understto understandבִּיןמִצְוָהcommandmencommandmentמִצְוָהדּוֹרgenerationgenerationדּוֹרעוֹףbirdbirdעוֹףכּוֹכָבstarstarכּוֹכָבחֵןfavorfavorחֵןיֵשׁtherethereיֵשׁשַׁמָּהhorror: dehorror: destroyשַׁמָּהשְׁמָמָהDesolateDesolateשְׁמָמָהכְּנַ֫עַןCanaanCanaanכְּנַ֫עַןמִצְרַ֫יִם(Sea of) E(Sea of) Egyptמִצְרַ֫יִם
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 38:33

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.

¿ do you know [the] statutes of [the] heavens or? do you appoint rule its over the earth
הֲ֭יָדַעְתָּHa.ya.da'.ta ¿ do you know H3045 Particle · verb qal perfect second person masculine singular
945× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
The Hebrew word for to know means to ascertain by seeing, and is used in many senses, including to learn, perceive, and recognize, as seen in various KJV translations.
Amplified meaning
have knowledge of, understand
Tyndale gloss
to know
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

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

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

יָדַע 943 vb. know

Qal

know, learn to know

perceive

perceive and see; find out and discern

discriminate, distinguish

know by experience

recognize, admit, acknowledge, confess

consider

not know = not expect

know a person, be acquainted with

know a person carnally, of sexual intercourse

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

be skilful in

abs. have knowledge, be wise

Niph.

be made known, be or become known, of things

make oneself known of pers.

be perceived

be instructed

Pi. cause to know

Pu. known

Hiph. make known, declare

Hoph. made known

Hithp. make oneself known

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H3045 יָדַע know .. . know, learn to know

. perceive

. perceive and see; find out and discern

. discriminate, distinguish

. know by experience

. recognize, admit, acknowledge, confess

. consider

. not know = not expect

. know a person, be acquainted with

. know a person carnally, of sexual intercourse

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

. be skilful in

. abs. have knowledge, be wise

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

. make oneself known of pers.

. be perceived

. be instructed

. cause to know

. known

. make known, declare

. made known

. make oneself known

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

3045 yada` yaw-dah'

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

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

euphemistically and inferentially (including observation,

care, recognition; and causatively, instruction, designation,

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Read the full entry →
Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

יָדַע (ya.da) — to know.

1) to know

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to know

1a1a) to know, learn to know

1a1b) to perceive

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

1a1d) to discriminate, distinguish

1a1e) to know by experience

1a1f) to recognise, admit, acknowledge, confess

1a1g) to consider

1a2) to know, be acquainted with

1a3) to know (a person carnally)

1a4) to know how, be skilful in

1a5) to have knowledge, be wise

1b) (Niphal)

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

1b2) to make oneself known

1b3) to be perceived

1b4) to be instructed

1c) (Piel) to cause to know

1d) (Poal) to cause to know

1e) (Pual)

1e1) to be known

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

1f) (Hiphil) to make known, declare

1g) (Hophal) to be made known

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

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

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Part | V-Qal-Perf-2ms — Particle · verb qal perfect second person masculine singular
HTi/Vqp2ms
¿ do you know [the] statutes of [the] heavens or? do you appoint rule its over the earth
חֻקּ֣וֹתchu.Kot [the] statutes of H2708 Noun common · feminine plural construct
104× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This Hebrew word refers to a statute or ordinance, often given by God to the Israelites. It appears in books like Leviticus and Numbers, outlining rules for sacrifices and festivals. These statutes helped the Israelites understand God's requirements.
Amplified meaning
ordinances, statutes
Tyndale gloss
statute
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

חֻקָּה (chuqqah) refers to a statute or ordinance, indicating something that is prescribed or enacted. It is a feminine noun derived from a related word, חֹק (choq), and encompasses meanings such as custom and limit. The entries consistently highlight its legal and prescriptive nature.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

חֻקָּה 104 n.f. something prescribed, enactment, statute

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H2708 חֻקָּה something prescribed, enactment, statute

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

2708 chuqqah khook-kaw'

feminine of 2706, and meaning substantially the

same:--appointed, custom, manner, ordinance, site, statute.

see HEBREW for 02706

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

חֻקָּה (chuq.qah) — statute.

1) statute, ordinance, limit, enactment, something prescribed

1a) statute

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-cp — Noun common · feminine plural construct
HNcfpc
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…

¿ do you know [the] statutes of [the] heavens or? do you appoint rule its over the earth
שָׁמָ֑יִםsha.Ma.yim [the] heavens H8064 Noun common · masculine plural absolute
421× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
The Hebrew word for heaven or sky, it refers to the visible universe and the abode of God. It is often used in the Bible to describe the dwelling place of celestial bodies.
Amplified meaning
the visible universe, sky
Tyndale gloss
heaven
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word שָׁמַיִם (*shamayim*) is a dual noun meaning 'heavens' or 'sky.' It refers to the visible heavens where celestial bodies are found, as well as the abode of God. The dual form may suggest both the arch of the sky and the higher ether. It is noted in contexts such as Elijah's ascent in a whirlwind.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

[שָׁמַי] n.m. only pl. שָׁמַיִם 421 heavens, sky

visible heavens, sky, where stars, etc., are

phrases

as abode of God

Elijah taken up הַשּׁ׳ in whirlwind

הַשּׁ׳ personified in various relations

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H8064 שָׁמַי only pl. שָׁמַיִם heavens, sky . . visible heavens, sky, where stars, etc., are

. phrases

. . as abode of God

. Elijah taken up הַשּׁ׳ in whirlwind

. הַשּׁ׳ personified in various relations

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

8064 shamayim shaw-mah'-yim

dual of an unused singular shameh {shaw-meh'}; from an unused

root meaning to be lofty; the sky (as aloft; the dual perhaps

alluding to the visible arch in which the clouds move, as well

as to the higher ether where the celestial bodies

revolve):--air, X astrologer, heaven(-s).

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

שָׁמַיִם (sha.ma.yim) — heaven.

1) heaven, heavens, sky

1a) visible heavens, sky

1a1) as abode of the stars

1a2) as the visible universe, the sky, atmosphere, etc

1b) Heaven (as the abode of God)

Aramaic equivalent: sha.ma.yin (שָׁמַ֫יִן "heaven" H8065)

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

hev'-'nz (shamayim; ouranoi): On the physical heavens see ASTRONOMY; WORLD. Above these, in popular conception, were the celestial heavens, the abode of God and of the hosts of angels (Ps 11:4; 103:19-21; Isa 66:1; Re 4:2; 5:11; compare Da 7:10), though it was recognized that Yahweh's presence was not confined to any region (1Ki 8:27). Later Judaism reckoned seven heavens. The apostle Paul speaks of himself as caught up into "the third heaven," which he evidently identifies with Paradise (2Co 12:2).

See HEAVENLY.

¿ do you know [the] statutes of [the] heavens or? do you appoint rule its over the earth
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
¿ do you know [the] statutes of [the] heavens or? do you appoint rule its over the earth
תָּשִׂ֖יםta.Sim do you appoint H7760 Verb · Qal · imperfect second person masculine singular
585× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This Hebrew word means to put or place something, and is used in many different ways in the Bible, such as to appoint or determine something. It is first used in Genesis to describe God's creation. In the KJV, it is translated as 'appoint' or 'set' in various contexts.
Amplified meaning
establish, appoint
Tyndale gloss
to set: make
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word שׂוּם (sum) is a verb meaning to put, place, or set, with a wide range of applications including appointing, establishing, and making. It can also refer to laying something upon or directing it. There is a related noun שׂוּמָה (sumah), which may denote a token of unluckiness. The entries do not present any significant disagreement.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

שׂוּם, שִׂים 582 vb. put, place, set

Qal

put, set, in a place

put something upon

put, lay, set

put, c. בֵּין

set, direct

set, ordain, in a place

set, establish a law, statute

set, found a nation

set, appoint (as ruler, official)

set, constitute, make

set, determine, fix, bounds

set, station, at a post

put in position, sacred bread, sword, staves, bars

set up altars

= plant, wheat

set, fix (countenance)

make a thing, or pers. (acc.), for, transform into

make, constitute

work, bring to pass

appoint, give

set, fix (countenance)

Hiph. I will make him for a sign

Hoph. there was set before him

base

שׂוּמָה perhaps n. f. token of unluckiness, scowl;—2 S 13:32

ref

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H7760a שׂוּם, שִׂים put, place, set .. . put, set, in a place

. put something upon

. put, lay, set

. put, c. בֵּין

. set, direct

. . set, ordain, in a place

. set, establish a law, statute

. set, found a nation

. set, appoint (as ruler, official)

. set, constitute, make

. set, determine, fix, bounds

. . set, station, at a post

. put in position, sacred bread, sword, staves, bars

. set up altars

. = plant, wheat

. set, fix (countenance)

. . make a thing, or pers. (acc.), for, transform into

. make, constitute

. work, bring to pass

. appoint, give

. set, fix (countenance)

. I will make him for a sign

. there was set before him

H7760b שׂוּמָה perhaps n. f. token of unluckiness, scowl

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

7760 suwm soom

or siym {seem}; a primitive root; to put (used in a great

variety of applications, literal, figurative, inferentially,

and elliptically):--X any wise, appoint, bring, call (a

name), care, cast in, change, charge, commit, consider,

convey, determine, + disguise, dispose, do, get, give, heap

up, hold, impute, lay (down, up), leave, look, make (out),

mark, + name, X on, ordain, order, + paint, place, preserve,

purpose, put (on), + regard, rehearse, reward, (cause to) set

(on, up), shew, + stedfastly, take, X tell, + tread down,

((over-))turn, X wholly, work.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

שׂוּם (sum) — to set: make.

: make/establish

1) to put, place, set, appoint, make

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to put, set, lay, put or lay upon, lay (violent) hands on

1a2) to set, direct, direct toward

1a2a) to extend (compassion) (fig)

1a3) to set, ordain, establish, found, appoint, constitute, make, determine, fix

1a4) to set, station, put, set in place, plant, fix

1a5) to make, make for, transform into, constitute, fashion, work, bring to pass, appoint, give

1b) (Hiphil) to set or make for a sign

1c) (Hophal) to be set

שׂוּמָה (su.mah) — fate.

token of unluckiness, scowl

שׂוּם (sum) — to set: put.

: put/give

1) to put, place, set, appoint, make

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to put, set, lay, put or lay upon, lay (violent) hands on

1a2) to set, direct, direct toward

1a2a) to extend (compassion) (fig)

1a3) to set, ordain, establish, found, appoint, constitute, make, determine, fix

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Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
V-Qal-Imperf-2ms — Verb · Qal · imperfect second person masculine singular
HVqi2ms
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

a-point': This word is used for the expression of a large variety of ideas and the translation of almost as many words. naqabh = "stipulate" (Ge 30:28). paqadh = "put into office" (Ge 41:34; Nu 1:50; Es 2:3); "select" (Jer 51:27); "put in charge" (Jer 49:19; 50:44); "assign" (Nu 4:27; Jer 15:3); "send" (Le 26:16); "designate," "select" (Ex 21:13;

¿ do you know [the] statutes of [the] heavens or? do you appoint rule its over the earth
מִשְׁטָר֣וֹmish.ta.Ro rule its H4896 Noun common masculine singular construct · suffix
1× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This word refers to a person's rule or authority over something, like a king's dominion over his kingdom. It describes the power to govern or control, as seen in the book of Genesis with God's rule over creation.
Amplified meaning
rule, authority
Tyndale gloss
rule
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

מִשְׁטָר (mishtar) refers to jurisdiction, rule, or authority. It is derived from a root that implies dominion. The term appears in Job 38:33, where it relates to the authority of the heavens over the earth.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

[מִשְׁטָר] n.m. rule, authority;—sf. Jb 38:33 (of heavens over earth).

ref

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H4896 מִשְׁטָר

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

4896 mishtar mish-tawr'

from 7860; jurisdiction:--dominion.

see HEBREW for 07860

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

מִשְׁטָר (mish.tar) — rule.

rule, authority

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-ms | Suff — Noun common masculine singular construct · suffix
HNcmsc/Sp3ms
¿ do you know [the] statutes of [the] heavens or? do you appoint rule its over the earth
בָאָֽרֶץ׃va.'A.retz over the earth H776 Preposition · noun common feminine singular absolute
2,504× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
The land or earth refers to the soil or ground, and can also mean a country, territory, or region. In the Bible, it is used to describe the earth and its inhabitants, and is often translated as 'land' or 'country'.
Amplified meaning
land, territory
Tyndale gloss
land: soil
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

אֶ֫רֶץ (erets) is a feminine noun meaning 'earth' or 'land.' It encompasses various meanings, including the whole earth, specific territories like Canaan, and even inhabitants of the land. It can refer to soil, ground, or regions, and is used in phrases related to distance and the living. There is a note on the plural form אֲרָצוֹת, which mainly appears in later texts to denote multiple lands.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

אֶ֫רֶץ n. f. & (seld.) m. earth, land

earth, whole earth (opp. to a part)

earth, opp. to heaven, sky

earth = inhabitants of earth

land =

country, territory

district, region

trial territory

piece of ground

specif. land of Canaan, or Israel

= inhabitants of land

used even of Shᵉʼôl

ground, surface of ground

soil, as productive

אֶרֶץ in phrases

people of the land

in measurements of distance

the country of the plain, level or plain country

land of the living

end(s) of the earth

pl. אֲרָצוֹת is almost wholly late; it denotes lands, countries, often in contrast to Canaan, lands of the nations, etc.

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H776 אֶ֫רֶץ n. f. & (seld.) m. earth, land . . earth, whole earth (opp. to a part)

. earth, opp. to heaven, sky

. earth = inhabitants of earth

. land = . country, territory

. district, region

. trial territory

. piece of ground

. specif. land of Canaan, or Israel

. = inhabitants of land

. used even of Shᵉʼôl

. . ground, surface of ground

. soil, as productive

. אֶרֶץ in phrases . people of the land

. in measurements of distance

. the country of the plain, level or plain country

. land of the living

. end(s) of the earth

. pl. אֲרָצוֹת is almost wholly late; it denotes lands, countries, often in contrast to Canaan, lands of the nations, etc.

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

776 'erets eh'-rets

from an unused root probably meaning to be firm; the earth

(at large, or partitively a land):--X common, country, earth,

field, ground, land, X natins, way, + wilderness, world.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

אֶ֫רֶץ (e.rets) — land: country/planet.

: country/field

1) land, earth

1a) earth

1a1) whole earth (as opposed to a part)

1a2) earth (as opposed to heaven)

1a3) earth (inhabitants)

1b) land

1b1) country, territory

1b2) district, region

1b3) tribal territory

1b4) piece of ground

1b5) land of Canaan, Israel

1b6) inhabitants of land

1b7) Sheol, land without return, (under) world

1b8) city (-state)

1c) ground, surface of the earth

1c1) ground

1c2) soil

1d) (in phrases)

1d1) people of the land

1d2) space or distance of country (in measurements of distance)

1d3) level or plain country

1d4) land of the living

1d5) end(s) of the earth

1e) (almost wholly late in usage)

1e1) lands, countries

1e1a) often in contrast to Canaan

אֶ֫רֶץ (e.rets) — land: soil.

: soil

1) land, earth

1a) earth

1a1) whole earth (as opposed to a part)

1a2) earth (as opposed to heaven)

1a3) earth (inhabitants)

1b) land

1b1) country, territory

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Prep | N-cs — Preposition · noun common feminine singular absolute
HRd/Ncfsa
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

urth ('adhamah, 'erets, 'aphar; ge, oikoumene):

In a hilly limestone country like Palestine, the small amount of iron oxide in the rocks tends to be oxidized, and thereby to give a prevailing reddish color to the soil. This is especially the case on relatively barren hills where there is little organic matter present to prevent reddening and give a more blackish tinge.

'Adhamah (compare 'adham, "a man," and Adam) is from 'adham, "to be red," and is used in the senses: "earth" (Ex 20:24), "land" (Ps 105:35), a "land" or country (Isa 14:2), "ground" (Ge 4:11), "the earth" (Ge 7:4).

Easton's Bible Dictionary

Earth

(1.) In the sense of soil or ground, the translation of the word adamah’. In Gen. 9:20 “husbandman” is literally “man of the ground or earth.” Altars were to be built of earth (Ex. 20:24). Naaman asked for two mules’ burden of earth (2 Kings 5:17), under the superstitious notion that Jehovah, like the gods of the heathen, could be acceptably worshipped only on his own soil.

(2). As the rendering of ’erets, it means the whole world (Gen. 1:2); the land as opposed to the sea (1:10). Erets also denotes a country (21:32); a plot of ground (23:15); the ground on which a man stands (33:3); the inhabitants of the earth (6:1; 11:1); all the world except Israel (

Smith's Bible Dictionary

The term is used in two widely-different senses: (1) for the material of which the earth’s surface is composed; (2) as the name of the planet on which man dwells. The Hebrew language discriminates between these two by the use of separate terms, adamah for the former, erets for the latter. Adamah is the earth in the sense of soil or ground, particularly as being susceptible of cultivation. (Genesis 2:7) Erets is applied in a more or less extended sense-- (1) to the whole world, (Genesis 1:1) (2) to land as opposed to sea, (Genesis 1:10) (3) to a country, (Genesis 21:32) (4) to a plot of ground, (Genesis 23:15) and (5) to…

American Tract Society Bible Dictionary

In both Hebrew and Greek the same word is used to denote the earth as a whole, and a particular land. Only the context can enable us to decide in which of these senses it is to be taken in a given passage.

Thus in Mt 27:45 we might, so far as the original word is concerned, render either "there was darkness over all the land," or over all the earth. The expression "all the earth" is sometimes used hyperbolically for a large portion of it, Ezr 1:2. The word is used of the whole world, etc. In a moral sense, earthly is opposed to what is heavenly, spiritual and holy, Joh 3:31 1Co 15:47 Col 3:2

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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