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Job 39:9 — Word Study

Depth

WLCהֲיֹ֣אבֶה רֵּ֣ים עָבְדֶ֑ךָ אִם־ יָ֝לִ֗ין עַל־ אֲבוּסֶֽךָ׃

BSAWill the wild oxrᵉʼêm [aurochs, unicorn] consentʼâbâh [be willing, agree] to serve youʻâbad [work for, be in bondage to] Will he staylûwn [lodge, abide] byʻal your manger {at night}ʼêbûwç [crib, feeding trough]

Word
Listen & take awayJob 39
English ↓ Download MP3 The Berean Standard Bible chapter audio already hosted for the site's Bible section — verse 9 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 ('a.vu.Se.kha) — no per-word recordings of the Hebrew exist to link to.
Take it away
Job 39:9quick helps
In a sentenceJob questions whether the wild ox will willingly serve a human master.
Who is speakingJob, in a poetic dialogue with God.
Where we areA section of Job where God challenges Job's understanding of creation.
The hard wordרֵּ֣ים
Take awayThe wild ox is a powerful creature, not easily tamed.
8 commentators on this verse Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them › clause subjectרְאֵם verbלין The sentence as the grammar sees it Open the tree ›
How rare are these words?in the Old Testament

Every word here is used elsewhere in the Old Testament.

Bars are logarithmic — אֵת, the commonest word in the Hebrew Bible, stands about 11,000 times, so a linear scale would leave everything else invisible. Click a row to open that word.

Deep Study — Job 39:9

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

8He roams the mountains for pasture, searching for any green thing.
9Will the wild ox consent to serve you? Will he stay by your manger at night?
10Can you hold him to the furrow with a harness? Will he plow the valleys behind you?
11Can you rely on his great strength? Will you leave your hard work to him?

Job 39:9 presents a rhetorical question about the wild ox, highlighting its untamed nature and independence. This verse is part of a larger discourse where God emphasizes His sovereignty over creation, illustrating the limitations of human understanding in comparison to divine wisdom. Job is confronted with the reality of the natural world, which operates beyond human control and expectation.


Cross References

ReferenceText (BSB)
1Numbers 23:22God brought them out of Egypt with strength like a wild ox.
2Deuteronomy 33:17His majesty is like a firstborn bull, and his horns are like those of a wild ox. With them he will gore the nations, even to the ends of the earth. Such are the myriads of Ephraim, and such are the thousands of Manasseh.”
3Psalm 22:21Save me from the mouth of the lion; at the horns of the wild oxen You have answered me!
4Psalm 92:10But You have exalted my horn like that of a wild ox; with fine oil I have been anointed.
5Isaiah 1:3The ox knows its owner, and the donkey its master’s manger, but Israel does not know; My people do not understand.”

The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 5 references, hung on the phrase they belong to


The Key Word אָבָה, ha.Yoehgenerated

The Hebrew word אָבָה (*abah*) means to be willing or to consent. It conveys a sense of acquiescence or acceptance, often used in contexts where one must yield or agree to a request or command.

In this verse, the question posed to Job implies that the wild ox, a creature of strength and independence, is unlikely to consent to serve a human master. This reflects the broader theme of the book, where human limitations are contrasted with God's authority over all creation.


How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated

All translations agree that the wild ox is questioned about its willingness to serve.


Sentence Structuregenerated

The main verb יֹ֣אבֶה, will it consent, governs the question posed to the wild ox. The structure is straightforward, with a series of clauses following the main inquiry, each expanding on the relationship between the ox and the human master.

The sentence's flow emphasizes the conditional nature of the questions, with the wild ox as the subject and the actions it is questioned about following in sequence.


Septuagint Backgroundgenerated

In the Septuagint, the wild ox is rendered as μονόκερως, which translates to 'unicorn.' This choice reflects an interpretation that may emphasize the creature's mythical qualities rather than its literal existence.

The use of the Greek word narrows the focus from a general wild ox to a specific, possibly legendary creature, suggesting a deeper symbolic meaning in the context of strength and untameability.


In plain words — the whole versegenerated

Job 39:9 asks if the wild ox will be willing to serve a human and stay by their feeding trough at night. This highlights the untamed nature of the wild ox and questions the expectation of domestication.


Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated

What does it mean that the wild ox will not consent to serve?

It emphasizes the wild nature of the ox, suggesting that some creatures cannot be tamed or forced into service.

Why is the wild ox compared to a servant?

This comparison illustrates the expectations humans have of nature and the reality that many creatures operate outside of human control.

What can we learn from this verse about authority?

The verse suggests that authority over creation is complex, as not all creatures will yield to human desires.

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

It reflects the theme of divine sovereignty and the limitations of human understanding in the face of God's creation.


Reflection Questionsgenerated

  1. What does this verse teach us about our expectations of nature and animals?
  2. How can we apply the idea of consent in our own lives and relationships?
  3. In what ways do we try to control things that are beyond our control?
  4. What does this passage reveal about the nature of God's creation?

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

Early Church Fathers comment on this verse, discussing the nature of the wild ox and its symbolism in relation to strength and untamed nature.

Ephrem the SyrianCOMMENTARY ON Job 39:9 c. 306–373
“Is the unicorn willing to serve you?” This animal, as is reported, is similar to an ox and is found in the austral regions, armed with a single horn.
Early Church Fathers on Job 39 →
Gregory the DialogistMorals on the Book of Job, Book XXXI c. 540–604
Will the rhinoceros be willing to serve thee? 2. For the rhinoceros is quite of an untamed nature, so that, if it is ever taken, it cannot in any way be kept. For, as is said, it dies immediately from being unable to bear it.
Early Church Fathers on Job 39 →
Gregory the DialogistMorals on the Book of Job, Book XXXI c. 540–604
Will the rhinoceros be willing to serve thee? [MYSTICAL INTERPRETATION] 29. But perhaps before we discuss this strength and neighing of the horse, some persons are desirous of having both the strength of the rhinoceros,
Early Church Fathers on Job 39 →

Commentators on this verse — 8 expositors, verse by verse

Each of these wrote on Job 39:9 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.

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

Will the unicorn be willing to serve thee,.... Whether there is or ever was such a creature, as described under the name of an unicorn, is a question: it is thought the accounts of it are for the

Read John Gill on Job 39 →
Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's Commentary

Will the unicorn be willing to serve thee, or abide by thy crib? Unicorn. Pliny ('Natural History,' 8:21) mentions such an animal: its figure is found depicted in the ruins of Persepolis.

Read Robert Jamieson on Job 39 →
Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy Bible

It is much disputed among the learned, but is not needful to be known by others, whether there be or ever was such a creature as we call the unicorn; or whether this reem, which is the Hebrew name of it, be the rhinoceros, as some would have it; or a certain kind of wild goat, called oryx, which is very tall, and strong, and untractable; or one of that kind of wild oxen or bulls called uri; which may seem most probable, both from the description of this creature here and elsewhere in Scripture, which exactly agrees with its description given by other authors; and from the description of his work in this place, which must in all reason be agreeable to creatures of that general kind; and from…

Read Matthew Poole on Job 39 →
John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

Job 39:9 Will the unicorn be willing to serve thee, or abide by thy crib?Ver. 9. Will the unicorn be willing to serve thee?] The rhinoceros, saith the Vulgate: but that is another kind of beast, so called from the growing of his horn from his nose ( Naricornis). This is the monoceros or unicorn, which cannot be taken alive ( interimi potest, capi non potest), as the rhinoceros may. A very fierce and strong creature it is; and today very rare, but anciently more common. He hath one horn only (and not many, as R. Levi by a mistake would infer from Deuteronomy 33:17), that greweth in the middle of his forehead; and that he lifted up on high; whence also be hath his name in the Hebrew. He is…

Read John Trapp on Job 39 →
Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(9) The unicorn.—It is a mistake to identify this animal with the rhinoceros, as was formerly done; it is more probably the same with the buffalo, or wild ox. The most glaring form of the mistake is in Psalms 22:22 : “Thou hast heard me also from among the horns of the unicorns” The way in which the animal is here spoken of, as in analogous contrast to the domestic ox, suggests that it is not wholly dissimilar. It is familiar and homely toil that the wild ox is contemplated as being put to, in the place of tame cattle, whose work it is.

Read Charles John Ellicott on Job 39 →
AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible

Verse 9. Will the unicorn be willing to serve thee?] The "fine elegant animal like a horse, with one long rich curled horn growing out of his forehead," commonly called the unicorn, must be given up as fabulous. The heralds must claim him as their own; place him in their armorial bearings as they please, to indicate the unreal actions, fictitious virtues, and unfought martial exploits of mispraised men. It is not to the honour of the royal arms of Great Britain that this fabulous animal should be one of their supporters. The animal in question, called רים reim, is undoubtedly the rhinoceros, who has the latter name from the horn that grows on his nose. The rhinoceros is known by the name of…

Read AdamClarke on Job 39 →
Albert Barnes1798–1870Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Will the unicorn be willing to serve thee? - In the previous part of the argument, God had appealed to the lion, the raven, the goats of the rock, the hind, and the wild ass; and the idea was, that

Read Albert Barnes on Job 39 →
Daniel Denison Whedon1808–1885Whedon's Commentary on the Bible

Second long strophe — JOB’S IS TO THE AND REEM, (WILD BULL,) AND TO THE OSTRICH, WITH HER STRANGE OF AND , Job 39:9-18.α.

Read Daniel Denison Whedon on Job 39 →

The verse in English, compared — 17 translations, and where they part company

Every translation on this page is a decision someone had to make and commit to. Read down a column and you see one translator's judgement; read across a row and you see the range the Greek actually allows. The BSB is the wording the rest of this page is measured against, so it is listed first.

Modern formal

BSBBerean Standard Bible2020

Will the wild ox consent to serve you? Will he stay by your manger at night?

WEBWorld English Bible2000

“Will the wild ox be content to serve you? Or will he stay by your feeding trough?

MSBMajority Standard Bible2022

Will the wild ox consent to serve you? Will he stay by your manger at night?

NETBNew English Translation2006

Is the wild ox willing to be your servant? Will it spend the night at your feeding trough?

Tyndale line

KJVKing James Version1611

Will the unicorn be willing to serve thee, or abide by thy crib?

ASVAmerican Standard Version1901

Will the wild-ox be content to serve thee? Or will he abide by thy crib?

RVARevised Version, American1894

Will the wild-ox be content to serve thee? or will he abide by thy crib?

NWBWebster's Bible1833

Will the unicorn be willing to serve thee, or abide by thy crib?

GNVGeneva Bible1599

It is I which haue made the wildernesse his house, and the salt places his dwellings.

Strictly literal

DBYDarby Translation1890

Will the buffalo be willing to serve thee, or will he lodge by thy crib?

YLTYoung's Literal Translation1862

Is a Reem willing to serve thee? Doth he lodge by thy crib?

LSVLiteral Standard Version2020

Is a wild ox willing to serve you? Does he lodge by your crib?

ILTInterlinear Literal Translation2000

Will the forest-ox be willing to serve thee, or will he stay over night at thy crib?

ULBUnlocked Literal Bible2017

Will the wild ox be happy to serve you? Will he consent to stay by your manger?

From the Latin

DRADouay-Rheims (Challoner)1899

Shall the rhinoceros be willing to serve thee, or will he stay at thy crib?

Simplified

FBVFree Bible Version2020

Is the wild ox willing to serve you? Will it spend the night at your manger?

BBEBible in Basic English1949

Will the ox of the mountains be your servant? or is his night's resting-place by your food-store?

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.

clauseהֲisclauseverbיֹ֣אבֶהit.willing?subjectרֵּ֣יםa.wild.oxclause · objectverbעָבְדֶ֑toobjectךָserve.youclauseאִםor?clauseverbיָ֝לִ֗יןwill.it.pass.the.nightprepositional phrase · prepositionalעַלatnoun phraseאֲבוּסֶֽtroughךָyour.feeding

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 agree on the wording of the verse, with all seven words matched. The Septuagint's translation reflects a different understanding of the wild ox, using the term for unicorn.

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

הֲיֹ֣אבֶה רֵּ֣ים עָבְדֶ֑ךָ אִם־ יָ֝לִ֗ין עַל־ אֲבוּסֶֽךָ׃

Septuagintthe Greek the translators chose, word by word
הֲיֹ֣אבֶהδέרֵּ֣יםμονόκερωςעָבְדֶ֑ךָδουλεῦσαιאִם־יָ֝לִ֗יןκοιμηθῆναιעַל־ἐπὶאֲבוּסֶֽךָ׃σου

7 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 39:9אָבָה¿ is it wil¿ is it willingאָבָהרְאֵםa wild oxa wild oxרְאֵםעָבַדto serve yoto serve youעָבַדאִםor?or?אִםלוּןwill it paswill it pass [tלוּןעַלatatעַלאֵבוּסfeeding trofeeding trough אֵבוּסרָאַםto riseto riseרָאַםאָבַסto fattento fattenאָבַסעַלheightheightעַלשָׁחַתto ruinto ruinשָׁחַתעֵצָהcounselcounselעֵצָהתּוֹעָפָהpeakpeakתּוֹעָפָהקֶ֫רֶןhornhornקֶ֫רֶןבַּ֫עַלBaalBaalבַּ֫עַלעֲבֹדָהserviceserviceעֲבֹדָהחֵןfavorfavorחֵןיֵשׁtherethereיֵשׁלַ֫יְלָהnightnightלַ֫יְלָהעֵדָהcongregaticongregationעֵדָהכִּפֶּרto atoneto atoneכִּפֶּרכִּסֵּאthronethroneכִּסֵּא
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 39:9

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.

¿ is it willing a wild ox to serve you or? will it pass [the] night at feeding trough your
הֲיֹ֣אבֶהha.Yoeh ¿ is it willing H14 Particle · verb qal imperfect third person masculine singular
54× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
To be willing or consent is the meaning of this Hebrew word, which involves being acquiescent or accepting. It is used in various contexts, including being willing to obey or follow.
Amplified meaning
be willing, agree
Tyndale gloss
be willing
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word אָבָה (*abah*) means to be willing or to consent. It is a primitive root that conveys ideas of acquiescence and desire. The word appears in various forms and contexts throughout the Old Testament, often indicating a willingness to yield or accept, sometimes in both positive and negative senses.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

אָבָה vb. be willing, consent (cf. As. abîtu, command, Dl W, Eth. Ethiopic refuse, Ar. Arabic, id., Nejd be willing So De Jes 3, p. 26; LCB 1880, 817)—

Qal (c. לֹא, אַל exc. Is 1:19 Jb 39:9; in Hex. rare & Only JED, incl. Lv 26:21); Pf. אָבָה Ex 10:27 + אָבוּ Ju 19:25 + 7 t.; אָבוּא Is 28:12 (Sta § 31 R.2; Kö I, 414); Impf. יֹאבֶה Dt 29:19 + 2 t.; 2 ms. juss. תֹּבֵֽא Pr 1:10 (Sta § 143 e 1 nn; Kö I, 578 f) etc.; Pt. אֹבִים Ez 3:7;—be willing, sq. Inf.…

Read the full entry →
Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H14 אָבָה be willing, consent

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

14 'abah aw-baw'

a primitive root; to breathe after, i.e. (figuratively) to be

acquiescent:--consent, rest content will, be willing.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

אָבָה (a.vah) — be willing.

1) to be willing, consent

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to be willing

1a2) to consent, yield to, accept

1a3) to desire

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Part | V-Qal-Imperf-3ms — Particle · verb qal imperfect third person masculine singular
HTi/Vqi3ms
¿ is it willing a wild ox to serve you or? will it pass [the] night at feeding trough your
רֵּ֣יםreim a wild ox H7214 Noun common · masculine singular absolute
9× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
The wild ox, or aurochs, was a large and powerful animal that is now extinct. The Bible describes it as a unicorn, although the exact meaning is not known, and it is mentioned in various passages as a symbol of strength.
Amplified meaning
aurochs, unicorn
Tyndale gloss
wild ox
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

רְאֵם (r'em) refers to a wild ox, possibly the extinct aurochs. The term is derived from the root meaning 'to see' or 'to be conspicuous,' indicating its notable appearance. While the exact identity of the animal is uncertain, it is mentioned in various contexts, including biblical texts.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

רְאֵם n.m. wild ox

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H7214 רְאֵם wild ox

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

7214 r'em reh-ame'

or rieym {reh-ame'}; or reym {rame}; or rem {rame}; from

7213; a wild bull (from its conspicuousness):--unicorn.

see HEBREW for 07213

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

רְאֵם (re.em) — wild ox.

probably the great aurochs or wild bulls which are now extinct. The exact meaning is not known.

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

(re'em): The word "unicorn" occurs in the King James Version in Nu 23:22; 24:8; De 33:17; Job 39:9,10; Ps 22:21; 29:6; 92:10; Isa 34:7 (the King James Version margin "rhinoceros"). the Revised Version (British and American) has everywhere "wild-ox" (margin "ox-antelope," Nu 23:22). The Septuagint has monokeros, "one-horned," except in Isa 34:7, where we find hoi hadroi, "the large ones," "the bulky ones." In this passage also the Septuagint has hoi krioi, "the rams," instead of English Versions of the Bible…

¿ is it willing a wild ox to serve you or? will it pass [the] night at feeding trough your
עָבְדֶ֑ךָ'a.ve.De.kha to serve you H5647 Verb qal infinitive construct common · suffix
288× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
To serve or work is the meaning of this verb, which can also imply slavery or bondage, as seen in the story of the Israelites in Egypt. It is used to describe various types of work or service, including serving God or other people. The word has different forms and meanings in different contexts.
Amplified meaning
work for, be in bondage to
Tyndale gloss
to serve
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

עָבַד (abad) is a Hebrew verb meaning to work or serve, encompassing a range of activities from laboring for others to serving God, including Levitical service. It can also refer to the cultivation of land or the act of enslaving. The word appears in various forms, indicating different nuances of service and labor.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

עָבַד 290 vb. work, serve

Qal

labour, work, do work

work for another, serve him by labour

serve as subjects

serve God

serve י׳ with Levitical service

Niph.

be tilled, of land

dub. cultivated field

Pu. worked

Hiph.

compel to labour as slaves

make to serve as subjects

cause to serve God

Hoph. be led or enticed to serve

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H5647 עָבַד work, serve .. labour, work, do work

. work for another, serve him by labour

. serve as subjects

. serve God

. serve י׳ with Levitical service

. . be tilled, of land

. dub. cultivated field

. worked

. . compel to labour as slaves

. make to serve as subjects

. cause to serve God

. be led or enticed to serve

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

5647 `abad aw-bad'

a primitive root; to work (in any sense); by implication, to

serve, till, (causatively) enslave, etc.:--X be, keep in

bondage, be bondmen, bond-service, compel, do, dress, ear,

execute, + husbandman, keep, labour(-ing man, bring to pass,

(cause to, make to) serve(-ing, self), (be, become)

servant(-s), do (use) service, till(-er), transgress (from

margin), (set a) work, be wrought, worshipper,

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

עָבַד (a.vad) — to serve.

: serve[someone]

1) to work, serve

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to labour, work, do work

1a2) to work for another, serve another by labour

1a3) to serve as subjects

1a4) to serve (God)

1a5) to serve (with Levitical service)

1b) (Niphal)

1b1) to be worked, be tilled (of land)

1b2) to make oneself a servant

1c) (Pual) to be worked

1d) (Hiphil)

1d1) to compel to labour or work, cause to labour, cause to serve

1d2) to cause to serve as subjects

1e) (Hophal) to be led or enticed to serve

עָבַד (a.vad) — to serve: minister.

: minister/serve[God/tabernacle/temple]/worship

1) to work, serve

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to labour, work, do work

1a2) to work for another, serve another by labour

1a3) to serve as subjects

1a4) to serve (God)

1a5) to serve (with Levitical service)

1b) (Niphal)

1b1) to be worked, be tilled (of land)

1b2) to make oneself a servant

1c) (Pual) to be worked

1d) (Hiphil)

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
V-Qal-Inf-a | Suff — Verb qal infinitive construct common · suffix
HVqcc/Sp2ms
¿ is it willing a wild ox to serve you or? will it pass [the] night at feeding trough your
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
¿ is it willing a wild ox to serve you or? will it pass [the] night at feeding trough your
יָ֝לִ֗יןya.Lin will it pass [the] night H3885 Verb · Qal · imperfect third person masculine singular
84× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
To grumble or complain, this word describes a negative attitude of discontent or murmuring. It is used in the Bible to describe people who are unhappy or stubborn.
Amplified meaning
lodge, abide
Tyndale gloss
to lodge
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

לוּן (luwn) is a Hebrew verb meaning to lodge or pass the night, and it can also imply abiding or remaining. It has a negative connotation when referring to murmuring or complaining. The word can be used in various forms, including Qal, Hiphil, and Hithpalpel, indicating different nuances of lodging and grumbling.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

לוּן, לִין vb. lodge, pass the night, fig. abide

Qal

lodge, pass the night

fig. abide, remain

Hiph. cause to rest, lodge

Hithpalp. dwell, abide, of eagle

base

[לוּן] vb. murmur

Niph. murmur against

Hiph. murmur; cause to murmur

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H3885a לוּן, לִין lodge, pass the night, fig. abide H3885b לוּן murmur

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

3885 luwn loon

or liyn {leen}; a primitive root; to stop (usually over

night); by implication, to stay permanently; hence (in a bad

sense) to be obstinate (especially in words, to

complain):--abide (all night), continue, dwell, endure,

grudge, be left, lie all night, (cause to) lodge (all night,

in, -ing, this night), (make to) murmur, remain, tarry (all

night, that night).

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

לוּן (lun) — to lodge.

1) to lodge, stop over, pass the night, abide

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to lodge, pass the night

1a2) to abide, remain (fig.)

1b) (Hiphil) to cause to rest, lodge

1c) (Hithpalpel) to dwell, abide

לוּן (lun) — to grumble.

1) to grumble, complain, murmur

1a) (Niphal) to grumble, murmur

1b) (Hiphil) to complain, cause to grumble

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
V-Qal-Imperf-3ms — Verb · Qal · imperfect third person masculine singular
HVqi3ms
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

nit.

See DAY AND NIGHT for the natural usage and the various terms.

1. In the Old Testament:

Figurative uses: The word "night" (laylah or layil is sometimes used figuratively in the Old Testament. Thus, Moses compares the brevity of time, the lapse of a thousand years, to "a watch in the night" (Ps 90:4). Adversity is depicted by it in such places as Job 35:10; compare Isa 8:20; Jer 15:9. Disappointment and despair are apparently depicted by it in the "burden of Dumah" (Isa 21:11,12); and spiritual blindness, coming upon the false prophets (Mic 3:6); again sudden and…

Smith's Bible Dictionary

[DAY]

American Tract Society Bible Dictionary

The ancient Hebrews began their artificial day at evening, and ended it the next evening, so that the night proceeded the day. This usage may probably be traced to the terms employed in describing the creation, Ge 1:5,8,13, etc., "The evening and the morning were the first day." The Hebrews allowed twelve to the day; but these hours were not equal, except at the equinox. At other times, when the hours of the night were long, those of the day were short, as in winter; and when the hours of night were short, as at midsummer, the hours of the day were long in proportion. See HOURS.

The nights are sometimes extremely cold in Syria, when the days are very hot; and travelers in the deserts and among the mountains near Palestine refer to their own sufferings from these opposite extremes, in illustration of Jacob’s words in

→ General scriptures concerning Ge 1:5,16,18

→ Meditations in Ps 19:2; 77:6; 119:148; 139:11

→ Worship in Ps 134:1

→ Jesus prays all night Lu 6:12

→ No night in heaven Re 21:25; 22:5

→ Divided into watches Ex 14:24; Jud 7:19; 1Sa 11:11; Ne 12:9; Ps 63:6; 119:148; La 2:19;

¿ is it willing a wild ox to serve you or? will it pass [the] night at feeding trough your
עַל־'al- at H5921 Preposition
5,774× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This Hebrew word means on or above something, like a physical object or a situation. It can also imply a sense of responsibility or accountability, as in being on behalf of someone.
Tyndale gloss
upon
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

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

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

כִּי עַל כֵּן forasmuch as

base

עַל, עָ֑ל

subst. height

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

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

of clothing, etc., which any one wears

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

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

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

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

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

Read the full entry →
Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

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

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

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

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

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

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

Read the full entry →
Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

5921 `al al

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

see HEBREW for 05920

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

עַל (al) — upon.

prep

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

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

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

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

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

1e) over (of suspension or extension)

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

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

1h) to (as a dative)

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

conj

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Prep — Preposition
HR
The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
¿ is it willing a wild ox to serve you or? will it pass [the] night at feeding trough your
אֲבוּסֶֽךָ׃'a.vu.Se.kha feeding trough your H18 Noun common masculine singular construct · suffix
3× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
The Hebrew word for a feeding trough or manger is where Jesus was laid after his birth, as described in Luke 2:7. It was a common feeding place for animals, often made of stone or wood. The word is also used in Isaiah 1:3.
Amplified meaning
crib, feeding trough
Tyndale gloss
crib
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

אֵבוּס (ebuwc) refers to a crib or feeding trough, indicating a place where animals are fed. The word is derived from another Hebrew term, noted as H75, but the specific meaning remains consistent across entries.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

אֵבוּס n.m. crib (= feeding-trough)

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H18 אֵבוּס crib (= feeding-trough)

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

18 'ebuwc ay-booce'

from 75; a manger or stall:--crib.

see HEBREW for 075

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

אֵבוּס (e.vus) — crib.

crib, manger, feeding trough

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-ms | Suff — Noun common masculine singular construct · suffix
HNcmsc/Sp2ms
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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