Job 6:5 — Word Study
WLCהֲיִֽנְהַק־ פֶּ֥רֶא עֲלֵי־ דֶ֑שֶׁא אִ֥ם יִגְעֶה־ שּׁ֝֗וֹר עַל־ בְּלִילֽוֹ׃
BSADoes a wild donkeypereʼ [a strong and fierce onager] braynâhaq▸ [cry out loudly, like a donkey in hunger or need] overʻal fresh grassdesheʼ [new growth, the beauty of nature] orʼim an oxshôwr [cattle, like bulls or oxen] lowgâʻâh▸ [make a loud, mournful sound] overʻal its fodderbᵉlîyl [mixed feed, food for animals]
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| הֲיִֽנְהַק־ | ¿ does it bray | Particle, verb qal imperfect third person masculine singular |
| פֶּ֥רֶא | a wild donkey | Noun common, masculine singular absolute |
| עֲלֵי־ | on | Preposition |
| דֶ֑שֶׁא | grass | Noun common, masculine singular absolute |
| אִ֥ם | or? | Particle |
| יִגְעֶה־ | does it low | Verb, Qal, imperfect third person masculine singular |
| שּׁ֝֗וֹר | an ox | Noun common, masculine singular absolute |
| עַל־ | on | Preposition |
| בְּלִילֽוֹ׃ | fodder its | Noun common masculine singular construct, suffix |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | Does a wild donkey bray over fresh grass, or an ox low over its fodder? |
| KJV | Doth the wild ass bray when he hath grass? or loweth the ox over his fodder? |
| ASV | Doth the wild ass bray when he hath grass? Or loweth the ox over his fodder? |
| YLT | Brayeth a wild ass over tender grass? Loweth an ox over his provender? |
| WEB | Does the wild donkey bray when he has grass? Or does the ox low over his fodder? |
| BBE | Does the ass of the fields give out his voice when he has grass? or does the ox make sounds over his food? |
The translations agree on the key terms and their meanings in this verse.
The verse is structured with two main clauses, each presenting a rhetorical question about animal behavior.
8 commentators on this verse
Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them ›
clause
subjectפֶּרֶא
verbגָּעָה
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 6:5
Sections marked generated are written from the data on this page rather than by a named author. Everything else — the lexicon entries, the cross references, the manuscript readings, the counts — is quoted from its source unchanged.
Context — Job's Lamentgenerated
Job 6:5 presents Job questioning the nature of his suffering by using animal behavior as a metaphor. He wonders if a wild donkey would bray when it has fresh grass, or if an ox would low when it has fodder. This rhetorical question highlights the absurdity of his situation, as he feels a deep sense of need and despair, contrasting with the natural behavior of animals that do not complain when their needs are met.
Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Psalm 104:14 | He makes the grass grow for the livestock and provides crops for man to cultivate, bringing forth food from the earth: |
| 2 | Psalm 42:1 | As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul longs after You, O God. |
| 3 | Jeremiah 14:6 | Wild donkeys stand on barren heights; they pant for air like jackals; their eyes fail for lack of pasture.” |
| 4 | Joel 1:18–20 | How the cattle groan! The herds wander in confusion because they have no pasture. Even the flocks of sheep are suffering. |
The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 4 references, hung on the phrase they belong to
The Key Word — הֲיִֽנְהַק־, ha.yin.hak-generated
The verb הֲיִֽנְהַק־ (ha.yin.hak-) is a qal imperfect form, meaning 'does it bray.' It is derived from the root נָהַק (nahaq), which means to bray or cry out, often associated with the loud cries of a donkey, especially in hunger or need.
This word emphasizes the loud, desperate cry of the donkey, reflecting a state of need. Job uses this imagery to illustrate his own cries for help, suggesting that just as animals do not complain when their needs are met, he too is in a state of suffering that is beyond mere complaint.
How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated
In the Berean Standard Bible, the verse reads with a consistent rendering across translations, emphasizing the sounds made by the donkey and the ox.
Sentence Structuregenerated
The verse consists of two main clauses, each posing a rhetorical question: הֲיִֽנְהַק־ (does it bray) and יִגְעֶה־ (does it low). Each clause is followed by a prepositional phrase that describes the conditions under which these sounds would occur.
The structure highlights Job's comparison of his suffering to the natural behavior of animals, emphasizing the absurdity of his situation as he questions why he is in anguish when even animals are content when their needs are met.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
The Septuagint translates הֲיִֽנְהַק־ with the Greek word μὴ (G3361), which serves as a negation, indicating that the translators may have interpreted Job's question in a way that emphasizes the impossibility of the situation he describes.
This choice of translation suggests a focus on the absurdity of Job's suffering, as it implies that just as animals do not bray when satisfied, Job's anguish is unfounded.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
Job 6:5 asks whether a wild donkey brays when it has fresh grass or if an ox lows when it has fodder. Job uses these animals as a metaphor for his own suffering, suggesting that just as animals do not complain when their needs are met, he too is in a state of distress that seems unreasonable.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
Job is using the behavior of animals to illustrate that they do not complain when their needs are satisfied, contrasting this with his own suffering.
Job compares himself to animals to emphasize the absurdity of his situation, questioning why he is in anguish when even animals are content with their provisions.
The imagery of animals serves to highlight Job's deep sense of need and despair, as he feels he has no reason to suffer when even animals do not complain when their needs are met.
This verse illustrates Job's rhetorical questioning of his suffering, highlighting the contrast between his anguish and the natural contentment of animals when their needs are fulfilled.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- How can I relate to Job's feelings of despair in my own life?
- What are some ways I can find contentment even in difficult circumstances?
- In what ways do I express my needs and desires, similar to the animals in this verse?
- How can I support others who may be feeling as Job did, questioning their suffering?
The early church on this verse — how the Fathers read it
The early Church Fathers interpreted this verse to illustrate the nature of need and complaint, using the imagery of animals to reflect on human suffering.
Doth the wild ass bray when he hath grass? or loweth the ox at his full manger? ALLEGORICAL INTERPRETATION For what is denoted by 'the onager,' that is, the wild ass, saving the Gentile people, which,Early Church Fathers on Job 6 →
MORAL INTERPRETATION Doth the wild ass bray when he hath grass? Or loweth the ox over his full manger? Who else are denoted by the term of 'the wild ass,' saving they who being set in the field of faith,Early Church Fathers on Job 6 →
By mentioning the wild ass, the author speaks about all wild animals, and by referring to the ox, about all cattle. His point is that neither wild animals nor cattle complain when they have food to eat.Early Church Fathers on Job 6 →
Commentators on this verse — 8 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on Job 6:5 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire BibleDoth the wild ass bray when he hath grass? or loweth the ox over his fodder?] No, they neither of them do, when the one is in a good pasture, and the other has a sufficiency of provender; but when
Read John Gill on Job 6 →Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's CommentaryDoth the wild ass bray when he hath grass? or loweth the ox over his fodder? Wild ass bray. Neither wild animals, as the wild donkey, nor tame animals, as the ox, are dissatisfied when well supplied with food.
Read Robert Jamieson on Job 6 →Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy BibleThou wonderest that my disposition and carriage is so greatly altered from what it was, , but thou mayst easily learn the reason of it from the brute beasts, the ass and ox, who when they have convenient and common food, are quiet and contented; but when they want that, they will resent it, and complain in their way by braying or lowing: see . And therefore my carriage is agreeable to those common principles of nature which are both in men and beasts, by which their disposition and deportment is generally suitable to their condition. It is no wonder that you complain not, who live in ease and prosperity; nor did I, when it was so with me; but if you felt what I feel, you would be as full of…
Read Matthew Poole on Job 6 →John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New TestamentsJob 6:5 Doth the wild ass bray when he hath grass? or loweth the ox over his fodder?Ver. 5. Doth the wild ass bray when he hath grass?] q.d. Sure they do not. As if these creatures, wild or tame, want necessary food, you give them leave to fill the air with their outcries; yea, you supply their wants; but for me ye will do neither, such is your tenderness and love toward me. Nay, ye condemn me for that which is naturally common to all creatures. Ye must needs think I am not without ailment that make such great lamentations, unless ye conceit that I am fallen below the stirrup of reason, nay, of sense. It is easy for you who want neither grass nor fodder, or mixed meat, as the word…
Read John Trapp on Job 6 →AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the BibleVerse 5. Doth the wild ass] פרא pere, translated onager, by the Vulgate, from the ονοςαγριος of the Septuagint, which we properly enough, translate wild ass. It is the same with the tame ass; only in a wild state it grows to a larger size, is stronger, and more fleet. The meaning of Job appears to be this: You condemn me for complaining; do I complain without a cause? The wild ass will not bray, and the ox will not low, unless in want. If they have plenty of provender, they are silent. Were I at rest, at ease, and happy, I would not complain.
Read AdamClarke on Job 6 →CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and CollegesCh. Job 6:1-13. Job defends the violence of his complaints and his despair Eliphaz had made no reference directly to sin on Job’s part; but he drew dark pictures of the evilness of human nature before the eye of his friend, and for his advantage. Job shews a dislike to touch this point. His dislike is that of a man conscious of his innocence, and who can hardly believe that his friends seriously mean what their indirect allusions seem to imply. Hence he attaches his reply to what Eliphaz had openly expressed, namely, his wonder at the despair of Job and his blameable impatience. The idea of his having sinned he touches only in passing and with strong repudiation of it (ch. Job 6:28-30).…
Read Cambridge on Job 6 →Albert Barnes1798–1870Barnes' Notes on the BibleDoth the wild ass bray when he hath grass? - On the habits of the wild ass, see the notes at Job 11:12.
Read Albert Barnes on Job 6 →Daniel Denison Whedon1808–1885Whedon's Commentary on the BibleSecond strophe — It is natural for all beings, brute and human, to complain when in trouble, Job 6:5-7.5. Dr.
Read Daniel Denison Whedon on Job 6 →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
Does a wild donkey bray over fresh grass, or an ox low over its fodder?
Does the wild donkey bray when he has grass? Or does the ox low over his fodder?
Does a wild donkey bray over fresh grass, or an ox low over its fodder?
“Does the wild donkey bray when it is near grass? Or does the ox low near its fodder?
Tyndale line
Doth the wild ass bray when he hath grass? or loweth the ox over his fodder?
Doth the wild ass bray when he hath grass? Or loweth the ox over his fodder?
Doth the wild ass bray when he hath grass? or loweth the ox over his fodder?
Doth the wild ass bray when he hath grass? or loweth the ox over his fodder?
Doeth the wilde asse bray when he hath grasse? or loweth the oxe when he hath fodder?
Strictly literal
Doth the wild ass bray by the grass? loweth an ox over his fodder?
Brayeth a wild ass over tender grass? Loweth an ox over his provender?
Does a wild donkey bray over tender grass? Does an ox low over his provender?
Doth the wild ass bray over the grass? or loweth the ox over his fodder?
Does the wild donkey bray in despair when he has grass? Or does the ox low in hunger when it has fodder?
From the Latin
Will the wild ass bray when he hath grass? or will the ox low when he standeth before a full manger?
Simplified
Don't wild donkeys bray when their grass is gone? Don't cattle groan when they don't have food!
Does the ass of the fields give out his voice when he has grass? or does the ox make sounds over his food?
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
הֲיִֽנְהַק־ is consistent in the Masoretic Text, while the Septuagint matches only a portion of the words. The overall message remains intact, emphasizing Job's rhetorical questioning of his suffering.
הֲיִֽנְהַק־ פֶּ֥רֶא עֲלֵי־ דֶ֑שֶׁא אִ֥ם יִגְעֶה־ שּׁ֝֗וֹר עַל־ בְּלִילֽוֹ׃
4 of the 9 words are matched. This is the word-by-word correspondence, not the Septuagint's own sentence — its word order and its articles are its own.
Four traditions, not one. “On the leather” means the letters physically survive on the scroll, as against letters an editor has supplied to fill a hole in it — a restoration is a scholar’s reading, not a reading of the manuscript. Words in [square brackets] are supplied; the notes count them apart from what survives.
The map of this verse — what each word keeps company with
This is a map of two things, both counted rather than judged. Company kept: which words stand within three words of each of these, anywhere in the Hebrew Bible — the thicker the line, the more often the pair meet compared with chance. Built from: the words a word is made out of, taken from its own Strong’s entry. It is not a map of meaning: nothing here claims two words mean the same thing. Click any circle to see the numbers behind it.
Lexicons — every word in Job 6:5
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.
נָהַק (nahaq) is a primitive root meaning to bray or cry out, often associated with the sound made by an ass. The entries consistently emphasize its use in the context of making loud cries, particularly from hunger.
[נָהַק] vb. bray, cry
base
H5101 נָהַק
5101 nahaq naw-hak'
a primitive root; to bray (as an ass), scream (from
hunger:--bray.
נָהַק (na.haq) — to bray.
(Qal) to bray, cry, cry out
Part | V-Qal-Imperf-3ms — Particle · verb qal imperfect third person masculine singularHTi/Vqi3ms
bra (nahaq, "to bray," of the ass; kathash, "to pound in a mortar"): This word occurs with two distinct meanings:
(a) The harsh cry of the ass (Job 6:5). Job argued that as the sounds instinctively uttered by animals denote their wants, even so his Words were but the natural expression of his longing for some adequate explanation of his sufferings, or, failing this, for death itself. Used figuratively of Job's mockers (Job 30:7).
(b) "To beat small in a mortar," "to chastise." Pr 27:22 refers to a more elaborate process than threshing for separating grain (the English Revised Version "corn") from its husk and impurities; used figuratively of a thorough but useless course of discipline; or still more probably with reference to the…
→ To pound Pr 27:22
פֶּ֫רֶא (pere') refers to a wild ass or wild donkey. It is derived from a root meaning to run wild, indicating its untamed nature. This term appears in the context of the Old Testament, specifically noted in Jeremiah 2:24.
פֶּ֫רֶא n.m. wild ass
base
H6501 פֶּ֫רֶא wild ass
6501 pere' peh'-reh
or pereh (Jeremiah 2:24) {peh'-reh}; from 6500 in the
secondary sense of running wild; the onager:--wild (ass).
see HEBREW for 06500
פֶּ֫רֶא (pe.re) — wild donkey.
wild ass
N-ms — Noun common · masculine singular absoluteHNcmsa
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.
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)
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)
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
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
Prep — PrepositionHR
On
Light; the sun, (Gen. 41:45, 50), the great seat of sun-worship, called also Bethshemesh (Jer. 43:13) and Aven (Ezek. 30:17), stood on the east bank of the Nile, a few miles north of Memphis, and near Cairo, in the north-east. The Vulgate and the LXX. Versions have “Heliopolis” (“city of the sun”) instead of On in Genesis and of Aven in Ezekiel. The “city of destruction” Isaiah speaks of (19:18, marg. “of Heres;” Heb. ‘Ir-ha-heres, which some MSS. read Ir-ha-heres, i.e., “city of the sun”) may be the name given to On, the prophecy being that the time will come when that city which was known as the “city of the sun-god” shall become the “city of destruction” of the sun-god, i.e., when idolatry shall cease, and the worship…
(abode or city of the sun), a town of lower Egypt, called BETH-SHEMESH in (Jeremiah 43:13) On is better known under its Greek name Heliopolis. It was situated on the east side of the Pelusiac branch of the Nile, just below the point of the Delta, and about twenty miles northeast of Memphis. The chief object of worship at Heliopolis was the sun, whose temple, described by Strabo, is now only represented by the single beautiful obelisk, of red granite so feet 2 inches high above the pedestal which has stood for more than 4000 years, having been erected by Usirtesen, the second king of the twelfth dynasty. Heliopolis was anciently famous for its learning, and Eudoxus and Plato studied under its priests. The first mention of this place in the Bible is in the history of Joseph, to whom we read Pharaoh gave "to wife Asenath the daughter…
See HELIOPOLIS.
pain; force; iniquity
דֶּ֫שֶׁא (deshe') refers to grass or green vegetation, derived from a root meaning 'to sprout.' It encompasses terms like tender grass and young herbs. The word is noted in various contexts, emphasizing its connection to fresh plant life.
דֶּ֫שֶׁא n.m. grass
base
H1877 דֶּ֫שֶׁא grass
1877 deshe' deh'-sheh
from 1876; a sprout; by analogy, grass:--(tender) grass,
green, (tender)herb.
see HEBREW for 01876
דֶּ֫שֶׁא (de.she) — grass.
grass, new grass, green herb, vegetation, young
Aramaic equivalent: de.te (דֶּ֫תֶא "grass" H1883)
N-ms — Noun common · masculine singular absoluteHNcmsa
gras:
(1) chatsir, from a root meaning "greenness"; compare Arabic Khudra, which includes grasses and green vegetables (1Ki 18:5; 2Ki 19:26; Job 40:15; Ps 104:14, etc.). Isa 15:6 is translated in the King James Version "have," the Revised Version (British and American) "grass"; Pr 27:25, English Versions of the Bible "hay," margin "Hebrew grass"; Nu 11:5 English Versions of the Bible translates "leeks." It is a term for herbage in general.
Grass
(1.) Heb. hatsir, ripe grass fit for mowing (1 Kings 18:5; Job 40:15; Ps. 104:14). As the herbage rapidly fades under the scorching sun, it is used as an image of the brevity of human life (Isa. 40:6, 7; Ps. 90:5). In Num. 11:5 this word is rendered “leeks.”
(2.) Heb. deshe’, green grass (Gen. 1:11, 12; Isa. 66:14; Deut. 32:2). “The sickly and forced blades of grass which spring up on the flat…
Sometimes means any green herbage, Isa 15:6, and sometimes the usual food of cattle, Ps 104:14. The quick growth of grass, its tenderness, and its rapid combustion when dry, have furnished the sacred writers with some of their most appropriate illustrations, Ps 90:5,6 92:7 103:15,16 Isa 40:6-8 51:12 Jas 1:10 1Pe 1:24. All sorts of grass and small shrubs are still used in Syria for fuel, on account of the scarcity of wood, Mt 6:28-30. Travelers in that country often see grass growing on the housetops, the roofs…
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.
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
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
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.
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
Conj — ParticleHTc
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.
גָּעָה (ga`ah) is a primitive root meaning to bellow or low, specifically referring to the sound made by cattle. The entries consistently define it in this way, focusing on its use in the context of animal sounds.
גָּעָה vb. low (of cattle)
base
H1600 גָּעָה
1600 ga`ah gaw-aw'
a primitive root; to bellow (as cattle):--low.
גָּעָה (ga.ah) — to low.
(Qal) to low, bellow (of cattle)
V-Qal-Imperf-3ms — Verb · Qal · imperfect third person masculine singularHVqi3ms
שׁוֹר (shor) refers to a head of cattle, specifically a bullock or ox, and is associated with agricultural and sacrificial contexts. It is derived from the root meaning to travel, indicating its role in farming and food. The term appears in various forms and usages, including in Aramaic.
שׁוֹר 78 n.m. a head of cattle, bullock, ox, etc.
base
H7794 שׁוֹר a head of cattle, bullock, ox, etc.
7794 showr shore
from 7788; a bullock (as a traveller):--bull(-ock), cow, ox,
wall (by mistake for 7791).
see HEBREW for 07788
see HEBREW for 07791
שׁוֹר (shor) — cattle.
1) ox, bull, a head of cattle
1a) for plowing, for food, as sacrifice
Aramaic equivalent: tor (תּוֹר "bullock" H8450)
N-ms — Noun common · masculine singular absoluteHNcmsa
Ox
Heb. bakar, “cattle;” “neat cattle”, (Gen. 12:16; 34:28; Job 1:3, 14; 42:12, etc.); not to be muzzled when treading the corn (Deut. 25:4). Referred to by our Lord in his reproof to the Pharisees (Luke 13:15; 14:5).
There was no animal in the rural economy of the Israelites, or indeed in that of the ancient Orientals generally, that was held in higher esteem than the ox and deservedly so, for the ox was the animal upon whose patient labors depended all the ordinary operations of farming. Oxen were used for ploughing, (22:10; 1 Samuel 14:14) etc.; for treading out corn, (25:4; Hosea 10:11) etc.; for draught purposes, when they were generally yoked in pairs, (Numbers 7:3; 1 Samuel 6:7) etc.; as beasts of burden, (1 Chronicles 12:40) their flesh was eaten, (14:4; 1 Kings 1:9) etc.…
The male of the beeve kind when grown, synonymous in the Bible with BULL; a clean animal, by the Levitical law; much used for food, 1Ki 19:21, and constituting no small part of the wealth of the Hebrews in their pastoral life, Ge 24:35 Job 1:14 42:12. Oxen were used in agriculture for ploughing, 1Ki 19:19; and for treading out the grain, during which they were not to be muzzled, 1Co 9:9, but well fed, Isa 30:24. The testing of a new yoke of oxen is still a business of great importance in the East, as of old, Lu…
→ See BULLOCK
→ See CATTLE
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.
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)
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)
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
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
Prep — PrepositionHR
On
Light; the sun, (Gen. 41:45, 50), the great seat of sun-worship, called also Bethshemesh (Jer. 43:13) and Aven (Ezek. 30:17), stood on the east bank of the Nile, a few miles north of Memphis, and near Cairo, in the north-east. The Vulgate and the LXX. Versions have “Heliopolis” (“city of the sun”) instead of On in Genesis and of Aven in Ezekiel. The “city of destruction” Isaiah speaks of (19:18, marg. “of Heres;” Heb. ‘Ir-ha-heres, which some MSS. read Ir-ha-heres, i.e., “city of the sun”) may be the name given to On, the prophecy being that the time will come when that city which was known as the “city of the sun-god” shall become the “city of destruction” of the sun-god, i.e., when idolatry shall cease, and the worship…
(abode or city of the sun), a town of lower Egypt, called BETH-SHEMESH in (Jeremiah 43:13) On is better known under its Greek name Heliopolis. It was situated on the east side of the Pelusiac branch of the Nile, just below the point of the Delta, and about twenty miles northeast of Memphis. The chief object of worship at Heliopolis was the sun, whose temple, described by Strabo, is now only represented by the single beautiful obelisk, of red granite so feet 2 inches high above the pedestal which has stood for more than 4000 years, having been erected by Usirtesen, the second king of the twelfth dynasty. Heliopolis was anciently famous for its learning, and Eudoxus and Plato studied under its priests. The first mention of this place in the Bible is in the history of Joseph, to whom we read Pharaoh gave "to wife Asenath the daughter…
See HELIOPOLIS.
pain; force; iniquity
בְּלִיל (be.lil) refers to fodder or feed for cattle. It is derived from the root meaning 'mixed' and specifically denotes various types of feed such as corn or provender. The entries consistently emphasize its agricultural context.
בְּלִיל n.m. fodder
base
H1098 בְּלִיל fodder
1098 bliyl bel-eel'
from 1101; mixed, i.e. (specifically) feed (for
cattle):--corn, fodder, provender.
see HEBREW for 01101
בְּלִיל (be.lil) — fodder.
fodder
N-ms | Suff — Noun common masculine singular construct · suffixHNcmsc/Sp3ms