Job 38:37 — Word Study
WLCמִֽי־ יְסַפֵּ֣ר שְׁחָקִ֣ים בְּחָכְמָ֑ה וְנִבְלֵ֥י שָׁ֝מַ֗יִם מִ֣י יַשְׁכִּֽיב׃
BSAWhomîy [the one with understanding] has the wisdomchokmâh [skill, prudence, or good judgment] to countçâphar▸ [number, declare the order of] the cloudsshachaq [thin vapors in the sky] Or whomîy can tiltshâkab▸ [pour out, cause to lie down] the water jarsnebel [bags, skin-bottles] ◂of the heavensshâmayim [the visible universe, the abode of God]
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| מִֽי־ | who? | Pronoun |
| יְסַפֵּ֣ר | will he count | Verb, Piel, imperfect third person masculine singular |
| שְׁחָקִ֣ים | [the] clouds | Noun common, masculine plural absolute |
| בְּחָכְמָ֑ה | by wisdom | Preposition, noun common feminine singular absolute |
| וְנִבְלֵ֥י | and [the] waterskins of | Conjunction, noun common masculine plural construct |
| שָׁ֝מַ֗יִם | heaven | Noun common, masculine plural absolute |
| מִ֣י | who? | Pronoun |
| יַשְׁכִּֽיב׃ | will he make to lie down | Verb, Hiphil, imperfect third person masculine singular |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | Who has the wisdom to count the clouds? Or who can tilt the water jars of the heavens |
| KJV | Who can number the clouds in wisdom? or who can stay the bottles of heaven, |
| ASV | Who can number the clouds by wisdom? Or who can pour out the bottles of heaven, |
| YLT | Who doth number the clouds by wisdom? And the bottles of the heavens, Who doth cause to lie down, |
| WEB | Who can count the clouds by wisdom? Or who can pour out the containers of the sky, |
| BBE | By whose wisdom are the clouds numbered, or the water-skins of the heavens turned to the earth, |
Translations agree on the meaning of יְסַפֵּר as 'count' or 'number'.
The sentence consists of two main clauses, each with a subject and verb, highlighting the rhetorical questions posed by God.
8 commentators on this verse
Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them ›
clause
subjectמִי
verbסָפַר
The sentence as the grammar sees it Open the tree ›
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 38:37
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
Job 38:37 is part of God's response to Job, where He questions Job's understanding of the natural world and divine wisdom. This chapter emphasizes God's sovereignty over creation and the limitations of human knowledge, as seen in the preceding verses where God asks about the origins of wisdom and understanding. Job is reminded of his place in the grand scheme of creation, highlighting the vast difference between divine and human capabilities.
Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Genesis 15:5 | And the LORD took him outside and said, “Now look to the heavens and count the stars, if you are able.” Then He told him, “So shall your offspring be.” |
| 2 | Psalm 147:4 | He determines the number of the stars; He calls them each by name. |
| 3 | Genesis 8:1 | But God remembered Noah and all the animals and livestock that were with him in the ark. And God sent a wind over the earth, and the waters began to subside. |
| 4 | Genesis 9:15 | I will remember My covenant between Me and you and every living creature of every kind. Never again will the waters become a flood to destroy all life. |
The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 4 references, hung on the phrase they belong to
The Key Word — יְסַפֵּר, ye.sa.Pergenerated
The verb סָפַר (safar) means to count or recount, indicating an action of enumeration. It implies a systematic approach to understanding something, in this case, the clouds.
This verb is in the Piel stem, which often indicates an intensive or deliberate action. Here, it suggests not just counting but also declaring the order of the clouds, emphasizing the complexity of such an endeavor.
How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated
Translations generally agree on the meaning of יְסַפֵּר, with the BSB, KJV, ASV, YLT, WEB, and BBE all using variations of 'count' or 'number'.
Sentence Structuregenerated
The finite verb יְסַפֵּר governs the first clause, with the subject מִי and the object שְׁחָקִ֣ים following it. The second clause mirrors the structure with מִי as the subject and יַשְׁכִּֽיב as the verb.
This parallel structure emphasizes the rhetorical nature of the questions, drawing attention to the contrast between human limitations and divine capabilities.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
The Septuagint translates יְסַפֵּר with ἀριθμήσει, meaning 'will he number'. This choice reflects a similar focus on enumeration but may carry a slightly different nuance in Greek, emphasizing the act of counting rather than the broader implications of declaring order.
This translation aligns with the Hebrew meaning but may suggest a more mathematical approach to understanding the clouds.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
Job 38:37 contains two rhetorical questions posed by God to Job. The first asks who has the wisdom to count the clouds, and the second inquires who can tilt the water jars of the heavens. These questions emphasize God's power and the limitations of human understanding in the face of divine creation.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
God is emphasizing the complexity and vastness of creation, suggesting that only He possesses the wisdom to understand and control such elements.
Rhetorical questions highlight the limitations of human knowledge and understanding, prompting Job to reflect on his own position in relation to God's omnipotence.
Clouds represent a part of creation that is beyond human control and understanding, illustrating the grandeur of God's creative power.
This verse underscores the theme of divine sovereignty and the mystery of God's ways, contrasting human suffering with God's omniscience.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- In what areas of my life do I struggle to recognize God's wisdom and control?
- How can I learn to trust in God's understanding when I face challenges I cannot comprehend?
- What does this passage teach me about the limits of human knowledge?
- How can I apply the understanding of God's sovereignty in my daily life?
The early church on this verse — how the Fathers read it
Early interpretations of Job's questions emphasize God's authority over creation, as seen in the writings of Gregory the Dialogist.
Who will declare the system of the heavens? But because He withdraws their words, when He presents Himself to us in outward form, He immediately subjoined; And who will make the harmony of heaven to sleep? 17.Early Church Fathers on Job 38 →
Commentators on this verse — 8 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on Job 38:37 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire BibleWho can number the clouds in wisdom?.... Or has such wisdom as to be able to count them when the heavens are full of them; hence they are used to denote a great multitude, Isaiah 55:8; or "declare"
Read John Gill on Job 38 →Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's CommentaryWho can number the clouds in wisdom? or who can stay the bottles of heaven, Who can number the clouds in wisdom?
Read Robert Jamieson on Job 38 →Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy BibleWho can wisely search out and exactly find the number of the clouds? They are numberless, and filled with water, as the next clause implies. Who can stay the bottles of heaven, to wit, the clouds? in which the rain is kept as in bottles, out of which God poureth it when he sees fit.
Read Matthew Poole on Job 38 →John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New TestamentsJob 38:37 Who can number the clouds in wisdom? or who can stay the bottles of heaven,Ver. 37. Who can number the clouds in wisdom?] Quis sapphirinas efficit nubes? Who can make the clouds like sapphire, that is bright and clear? so some read it. Others, Who can declare the clouds? sc. their number, nature, and uses? Or who can stay the bottles of heaven?] i.e. The clouds, fitly compared to bottles, as those vessels that hold the rain, and pour it out on the earth, when God pleaseth to turn the mouths of those bottles downward. This is a great miracle, saith Lavater, that whereas water is fluid, and beareth downward, yet it abideth in the lofty and soft air, nor can fall but where and when…
Read John Trapp on Job 38 →Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers(37) Who can stay the bottles of heaven?—This is understood in two opposite senses—of pouring out the bottles or of laying them up in store. It is not easy to decide which is most in accordance with the context, for the context also is somewhat uncertain, according as we interpret the solid mass of thick mud or of hard, dry soil. The survey of physical phenomena ends with this verse.
Read Charles John Ellicott on Job 38 →AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the BibleVerse 37. Who can number the clouds] Perhaps the word ספר saphar, which is commonly rendered to number, may here mean, as in Arabic, to irradiate, as Mr. Good contends; and may refer to those celestial and inimitable tinges which we sometimes behold in the sky. Bottles of heaven] The clouds: it is an allusion to the girbahs, or bottles made of skin, in which they are accustomed to carry their water from wells and tanks.
Read AdamClarke on Job 38 →CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges37. The verse carries on the thought of the preceding. who can number] Or, who numbereth in wisdom? Who musters or counts off the clouds, that they be sufficient and not in excess for the purpose required of them? The second clause means, Or who poureth out the bottles of the heavens?
Read Cambridge on Job 38 →Albert Barnes1798–1870Barnes' Notes on the BibleWho can number the clouds? - The word here rendered “clouds” (שׁחקים shachaqiym) is applied to the clouds as made up of “small particles” - as if they were composed of fine dust, and hence, the word
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
Who has the wisdom to count the clouds? Or who can tilt the water jars of the heavens
Who can count the clouds by wisdom? Or who can pour out the containers of the sky,
Who has the wisdom to count the clouds? Or who can tilt the water jars of the heavens
Who by wisdom can count the clouds, and who can tip over the water jars of heaven,
Tyndale line
Who can number the clouds in wisdom? or who can stay the bottles of heaven,
Who can number the clouds by wisdom? Or who can pour out the bottles of heaven,
Who can number the clouds by wisdom? or who can pour out the bottles of heaven,
Who can number the clouds in wisdom? or who can stay the bottles of heaven,
Who can nomber cloudes by wisedome? or who can cause to cease the bottels of heaue,
Strictly literal
Who numbereth the clouds with wisdom? or who poureth out the bottles of the heavens,
Who doth number the clouds by wisdom? And the bottles of the heavens, Who doth cause to lie down,
Who numbers the clouds by wisdom? And the bottles of the heavens, || Who causes to lie down,
Who ordaineth the skies with wisdom? or who emptieth out the bottles of heaven.
Who can number the clouds by his skill? Who can pour out the water skins of the sky
From the Latin
Who can declare the order of the heavens, or who can make the harmony of heaven to sleep?
Simplified
Who is clever enough to count the clouds? Who can turn heaven's water jars on their sides
By whose wisdom are the clouds numbered, or the water-skins of the heavens turned to 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.
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 show agreement in the overall structure of the verse, although the Septuagint's wording differs in some respects. The Hebrew maintains a direct rhetorical style, while the Greek version reflects its own syntactical choices.
מִֽי־ יְסַפֵּ֣ר שְׁחָקִ֣ים בְּחָכְמָ֑ה וְנִבְלֵ֥י שָׁ֝מַ֗יִם מִ֣י יַשְׁכִּֽיב׃
5 of the 8 words are matched. This is the word-by-word correspondence, not the Septuagint's own sentence — its word order and its articles are its own.
Four traditions, not one. “On the leather” means the letters physically survive on the scroll, as against letters an editor has supplied to fill a hole in it — a restoration is a scholar’s reading, not a reading of the manuscript. Words in [square brackets] are supplied; the notes count them apart from what survives.
The map of this verse — what each word keeps company with
This is a map of two things, both counted rather than judged. Company kept: which words stand within three words of each of these, anywhere in the Hebrew Bible — the thicker the line, the more often the pair meet compared with chance. Built from: the words a word is made out of, taken from its own Strong’s entry. It is not a map of meaning: nothing here claims two words mean the same thing. Click any circle to see the numbers behind it.
Lexicons — every word in Job 38:37
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.
מִי (mi) is an interrogative pronoun primarily used to ask about persons, meaning 'who?' or 'whose?'. It can also appear in rhetorical questions and has some idiomatic uses, such as 'who among...?' or 'whosoever'. The word is rarely applied to things, and its forms can vary in emphasis.
מִי 423 pron.interrog. who? of persons
מִי is rarely used of things, and usually where persons are understood or implied
in the gen. whose
in an indirect qu.
מִי ב׳ who among … ?
strengthened and emph. forms of interrog.
various rhetorical uses whose
מִי may sometimes be rendered whosoever, though, as the examples will shew, it does not really mean it
once, following a verb, any one
base
H4310 מִי who? of persons . מִי is rarely used of things, and usually where persons are understood or implied
. in the gen. whose
. in an indirect qu.
. מִי ב׳ who among … ?
. strengthened and emph. forms of interrog.
. various rhetorical uses whose
. מִי may sometimes be rendered whosoever, though, as the examples will shew, it does not really mean it
. once, following a verb, any one
4310 miy me
an interrogative pronoun of persons, as 4100 is of things,
who? (occasionally, by a peculiar idiom, of things); also
(indefinitely) whoever; often used in oblique construction
with prefix or suffix:--any (man), X he, X him, + O that!
what, which, who(-m, -se, -soever), + would to God.
see HEBREW for 04100
מִי (mi) — who?.
who?, whose?, whom?, would that, whoever, whosoever
Part — PronounHPi
סָפַר (safar) is a Hebrew verb meaning to count or recount, with various forms indicating actions like declaring or rehearsing. The noun form סֹפֵר (sofer) refers to a scribe or secretary. The entries highlight its use in contexts of enumeration and record-keeping, but do not present significant disagreement among lexicons.
סָפַר 107 vb. count, Pi. recount, relate
Qal 27
count things, to learn their number
number = take account of, carefully observe and consider, reckon
Niph. be counted, numbered
Pi. 67 recount, rehearse, declare
Pu. be recounted, related, rehearsed
base
סֹפֵר, סוֹפֵר n.m. enumerator, muster-officer, secretary, scribe
base
H5608a סָפַר count, Pi. recount, relate .. count things, to learn their number
. number = take account of, carefully observe and consider, reckon
. be counted, numbered
. recount, rehearse, declare
. be recounted, related, rehearsed
H5608b סֹפֵר, סוֹפֵר enumerator, muster-officer, secretary, scribe
5608 caphar saw-far'
a primitive root; properly, to score with a mark as a tally
or record, i.e. (by implication) to inscribe, and also to
enumerate; intensively, to recount, i.e. celebrate:--commune,
(ac-)count; declare, number, + penknife, reckon, scribe, shew
forth, speak, talk, tell (out), writer.
סָפַר (sa.phar) — to recount.
v
1) to count, recount, relate
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to count (things)
1a2) to number, take account of, reckon
1b) (Niphal) to be counted, be numbered
1c) (Piel) to recount, rehearse, declare
1c1) to recount (something), rehearse
1c2) to talk
1c3) to count exactly or accurately
1d) (Pual) to be recounted, be rehearsed, be related
סֹפֵר (so.pher) — secretary.
1) enumerator, muster-officer, secretary, scribe
1a) enumerator, muster-officer, secretary
1b) learned man, scribe
Aramaic equivalent: sa.pher (סָפִר "scribe" H5613)
V-Piel-Imperf-3ms — Verb · Piel · imperfect third person masculine singularHVpi3ms
kount (caphar, manah; psephizo): Used of arithmetical computation "to number" (Ps 139:18; Nu 23:10); also for kathabh, "to reckon," to indicate classification among or identification with, "count for a stranger" (Job 19:15); "count for his enemy" (Job 33:10). In the New Testament the arithmetical computation is less prominent, except in the sense of "calculate," psephizo, sumpsephizo, "to reckon with pebbles," each pebble representing a unit (Lu 14:28; Ac 19:19); of moral estimate, hegeomai and logizomai (Php…
שַׁ֫חַק (shachaq) refers to fine dust or a thin cloud. It is derived from a root meaning to beat small, and its range includes both physical dust and vaporous clouds, extending to concepts of the firmament or sky. The entries consistently emphasize its qualities of fineness and thinness.
שַׁ֫חַק n.m. dust, cloud (as fine, thin)
base
H7834 שַׁ֫חַק dust, cloud (as fine, thin)
7834 shachaq shakh'-ak
from 7833; a powder (as beaten small): by analogy, a thin
vapor; by extension, the firmament:--cloud, small dust,
heaven, sky.
see HEBREW for 07833
שַׁ֫חַק (sha.chaq) — cloud.
1) dust, cloud
1a) fine dust
1b) (thin) cloud
N-mp — Noun common · masculine plural absoluteHNcmpa
In the summer season of Palestine, were an unlooked-for phenomenon, 1Sa 12:17,18, and rising from off the Mediterranean, betokened rain, 1Ki 18:44 Lu 12:54. Clouds are the symbol of armies and multitudes, probably by their grand and majestic movements, Isa 60:8 Jer 4:13 Heb 12:1. They betokened the presence of Jehovah, as on mount Sinai,
Ex 19:9 24:12-18; in the temple, Ex 40:34 1Ki 8:10; in the cloudy…
חָכְמָה (chokmah) means wisdom and encompasses various forms of skill, including in war and administration, as well as shrewdness and ethical prudence. It is built from the root word for wisdom, חָכַם (chakam). The term appears in contexts related to both practical and religious matters.
חָכְמָה n.f. wisdom
skill in war
wisdom, in administration
shrewdness, wisdom
wisdom, prudence in religious affairs
wisdom, ethical and religious
base
H2451 חָכְמָה wisdom . skill in war
. wisdom, in administration
. shrewdness, wisdom
. wisdom, prudence in religious affairs
. wisdom, ethical and religious
2451 chokmah khok-maw'
from 2449; wisdom (in a good sense):--skilful, wisdom,
wisely, wit.
see HEBREW for 02449
חׇכְמָה (chokh.mah) — wisdom.
1) wisdom
1a) skill (in war)
1b) wisdom (in administration)
1c) shrewdness, wisdom
1d) wisdom, prudence (in religious affairs)
1e) wisdom (ethical and religious)
Prep | N-fs — Preposition · noun common feminine singular absoluteHR/Ncfsa
wiz'-dum:
1. Linguistic
2. History
3. Religious Basis
4. Ideals
5. Teaching of Christ
6. Remainder of the New Testament
(1) James
(2) Paul
7. Hypostasis
LITERATURE
1. Linguistic:
In the Revised Version (British and American) the noun "wisdom" and its corresponding adjective and verb ("be wise," "act wisely," etc.) represent a variety of Hebrew words: bin (binah, and in the English Revised Version tebunah), sakhal (sekhel, sekhel), lebh (and in the English Revised Version labhabh), tushiyah (and in the English Revised Version Te`em, `ormah, piqqach. None of these, however, is of very frequent occurrence and by far the most common group is the verb chakham, with the adjective chakham, and the nouns chokhmah, chokhmoth, with something over 300 occurrences in the Old Testament (of which rather more than half are in Job, Proverbs, and Ecclesiastes). Cokhmah, accordingly, may be treated as the Hebrew…
נֵ֫בֶל (nevel) refers to both a container and a musical instrument. It can denote a skin-bottle or jar used for liquids, as well as a harp or lute. The word is derived from a root meaning to collapse, reflecting its use for a flexible container. The entries consistently highlight these two main meanings without significant disagreement.
נֵ֫בֶל n.m.
skin-bottle, skin
jar, pitcher
base
נֵ֫בֶל, נֶ֫בֶל n.m. a musical instrument, either a portable harp, or a lute, guitar
base
H5035a נֵ֫בֶל . skin-bottle, skin
. jar, pitcher
H5035b נֵ֫בֶל, נֶ֫בֶל a musical instrument, either a portable harp, or a lute, guitar
5035 nebel neh'-bel
or nebel {nay'-bel}; from 5034; a skin-bag for liquids (from
collapsing when empty); hence, a vase (as similar in shape
when full); also a lyre (as having a body of like
form):--bottle, pitcher, psaltery, vessel, viol.
see HEBREW for 05034
נֵ֫בֶל (ne.vel) — bag.
1) a skin-bag, jar, pitcher
1a) skin-bottle, skin
1b) jar, pitcher (earthen)
נֵ֫בֶל (ne.vel) — harp.
harp, lute, guitar, musical instrument
Conj | N-mp — Conjunction · noun common masculine plural constructHC/Ncmpc
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.
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 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.
[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
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
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).
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)
N-mp — Noun common · masculine plural absoluteHNcmpa
hev'-'n.
See ASTRONOMY.
Heaven
(1.) Definitions. The phrase “heaven and earth” is used to indicate the whole universe (Gen. 1:1; Jer. 23:24; Acts 17:24). According to the Jewish notion there were three heavens,
(a) The firmament, as “fowls of the heaven” (Gen. 2:19; 7:3, 23; Ps. 8:8, etc.), “the eagles of heaven” (Lam. 4:19), etc.
(b) The starry heavens (Deut. 17:3; Jer. 8:2; Matt. 24:29).
There are four Hebrew words thus rendered in the Old Testament which we may briefly notice. Raki’a , Authorized Version, firmament. [FIRMAMENT] Shamayim . This is the word used in the expression "the heaven and the earth," or "the upper and lower regions." (Genesis 1:1) Marom , used for heaven in (Psalms 18:16; Isaiah 24:18; Jeremiah 25:30). Properly speaking it means a mountain as in (Psalms 102:19; Ezekiel 17:23) Shechakim , "expanses," with reference to the extent of heaven. (33:26; Job 35:5) St. Paul’s expression "third heaven," (
In the Bible, means primarily the region of the air and clouds, and of the planets and stars, but chiefly the world of holy bliss above the visible heavens. It is called "the third heaven," "the highest heaven," and "the heaven of heavens," expressions nearly synonymous. There holy beings are to dwell, seeing all of God that it is possible for creatures to see. Thither Christ ascended, to intercede for his people and prepare for them a place where all shall at length be gathered, to go no more out forever, Eph 4:10 Heb 8:1 9:24-28.
In this life we can know but little of the location and appearance of heaven, or of the employments and blessedness of its inhabitants. The Scriptures inform us that all sin, and every other evil, are forever excluded; no fruits of sin will be found…
מִי (mi) is an interrogative pronoun primarily used to ask about persons, meaning 'who?' or 'whose?'. It can also appear in rhetorical questions and has some idiomatic uses, such as 'who among...?' or 'whosoever'. The word is rarely applied to things, and its forms can vary in emphasis.
מִי 423 pron.interrog. who? of persons
מִי is rarely used of things, and usually where persons are understood or implied
in the gen. whose
in an indirect qu.
מִי ב׳ who among … ?
strengthened and emph. forms of interrog.
various rhetorical uses whose
מִי may sometimes be rendered whosoever, though, as the examples will shew, it does not really mean it
once, following a verb, any one
base
H4310 מִי who? of persons . מִי is rarely used of things, and usually where persons are understood or implied
. in the gen. whose
. in an indirect qu.
. מִי ב׳ who among … ?
. strengthened and emph. forms of interrog.
. various rhetorical uses whose
. מִי may sometimes be rendered whosoever, though, as the examples will shew, it does not really mean it
. once, following a verb, any one
4310 miy me
an interrogative pronoun of persons, as 4100 is of things,
who? (occasionally, by a peculiar idiom, of things); also
(indefinitely) whoever; often used in oblique construction
with prefix or suffix:--any (man), X he, X him, + O that!
what, which, who(-m, -se, -soever), + would to God.
see HEBREW for 04100
מִי (mi) — who?.
who?, whose?, whom?, would that, whoever, whosoever
Part — PronounHPi
The Hebrew word שָׁכַב (shakab) is a primitive root meaning 'to lie down.' It covers a range of meanings including resting, lodging, engaging in sexual relations, and lying down in death. The word appears in various forms, such as Qal, Niphal, Pual, Hiphil, and Hophal, indicating different nuances of lying down. Notably, it can also figuratively mean to relax.
שָׁכַב 212 vb. lie down
Qal
lie down
= lodge (for night)
of sexual relations, lie with
lie down in death
esp. in phr. lie down with his fathers
fig. = relax
Niph. Pu. = be lain with (sexually; subj. women), only as Qr for Kt [שָׁגֵל] Niph. Pu. q.v.
Hiph. lay
Hoph. laid
base
H7901 שָׁכַב lie down .. lie down
. = lodge (for night)
. of sexual relations, lie with
. . lie down in death
. esp. in phr. lie down with his fathers
. fig. = relax
. Pu. = be lain with (sexually; subj. women), only as Qr for Kt [שָׁגֵל] Niph. Pu. q.v.
. lay
. laid
7901 shakab shaw-kab'
a primitive root; to lie down (for rest, sexual connection,
decease or any other purpose):--X at all, cast down,
((lover-))lay (self) (down), (make to) lie (down, down to
sleep, still with), lodge, ravish, take rest, sleep, stay.
שָׁכַב (sha.khav) — to lie down: lay down.
: lay_down/lie_with
1) to lie down
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to lie, lie down, lie on
1a2) to lodge
1a3) to lie (of sexual relations)
1a4) to lie down (in death)
1a5) to rest, relax (fig)
1b) (Niphal) to be lain with (sexually)
1c) (Pual) to be lain with (sexually)
1d) (Hiphil) to make to lie down
1e) (Hophal) to be laid
שָׁכַב (sha.khav) — to lie down: sleep.
: sleep/rest
1) to lie down
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to lie, lie down, lie on
1a2) to lodge
1a3) to lie (of sexual relations)
1a4) to lie down (in death)
1a5) to rest, relax (fig)
1b) (Niphal) to be lain with (sexually)
1c) (Pual) to be lain with (sexually)
1d) (Hiphil) to make to lie down
1e) (Hophal) to be laid
שָׁכַב (sha.khav) — to lie down: have sex.
: have_sex
1) to lie down
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to lie, lie down, lie on
1a2) to lodge
1a3) to lie (of sexual relations)
1a4) to lie down (in death)
1a5) to rest, relax (fig)
V-Hiphil-Imperf-3ms — Verb · Hiphil · imperfect third person masculine singularHVhi3ms