Menu

Lamentations 4:14 — Word Study

Depth

WLCנָע֤וּ עִוְרִים֙ בַּֽחוּצ֔וֹת נְגֹֽאֲל֖וּ בַּדָּ֑ם בְּלֹ֣א יֽוּכְל֔וּ יִגְּע֖וּ בִּלְבֻשֵׁיהֶֽם׃ ס

BSAThey wanderednûwaʻ [as blind men, naked] blindʻivvêr [physically or spiritually unable to see] in the streetschûwts [outside, in the outdoors] defiledgâʼal [made unclean, polluted] by this blooddâm [the liquid that flows through the body] so that nolôʼ one daredyâkôl [no person, not anyone, was able, had the power] to touchnâgaʻ [reach out, make contact] their garmentslᵉbûwsh [clothing, robes]

Word
Listen & take awayLamentations 4
English ↓ Download MP3 The Berean Standard Bible chapter audio already hosted for the site's Bible section — verse 14 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 (bil.vu.shei.Hem) — no per-word recordings of the Hebrew exist to link to.
Take it away
Lamentations 4:14quick helps
In a sentenceThe people wandered aimlessly, unable to see, and were made unclean by the blood that stained them.
Who is speakingThe narrator, describing the plight of the people.
Where we areIn a lament over the suffering and disgrace of the people.
The hard wordנְגֹֽאֲל֖וּ
Take awayTheir condition is one of helplessness and defilement.
8 commentators on this verse Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them › clause verbנוּעַ 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 — Lamentations 4:14

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 — The Lament for Jerusalemgenerated

13But this was for the sins of her prophets and the guilt of her priests, who shed the blood of the righteous in her midst.
14They wandered blind in the streets, defiled by this blood, so that no one dared to touch their garments.
15“Go away! Unclean!” men shouted at them. “Away, away! Do not touch us!” So they fled and wandered. Among the nations it was said, “They can stay here no longer.”
16The presence of the LORD has scattered them; He regards them no more. The priests are shown no honor; the elders find no favor.

Lamentations 4:14 reflects the deep sorrow and degradation of the people of Jerusalem after the fall of the city. They are portrayed as wandering aimlessly, both physically and spiritually, in a state of defilement due to the bloodshed that has occurred. This verse captures the essence of their despair and the societal breakdown that has taken place, as they are shunned by others and unable to find refuge.


Cross References

ReferenceText (BSB)
1Deuteronomy 28:28–29The LORD will afflict you with madness, blindness, and confusion of mind,
2Isaiah 29:10–12For the LORD has poured out on you a spirit of deep sleep. He has shut your eyes, O prophets; He has covered your heads, O seers.
3Isaiah 56:10Israel’s watchmen are blind, they are all oblivious; they are all mute dogs, they cannot bark; they are dreamers lying around, loving to slumber.
4Isaiah 59:9–11Therefore justice is far from us, and righteousness does not reach us. We hope for light, but there is darkness; for brightness, but we walk in gloom.
5Micah 3:6–7Therefore night will come over you without visions, and darkness without divination. The sun will set on these prophets, and the daylight will turn black over them.

The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 12 references, hung on the phrase they belong to

so that men could not touchNumbers 19:16 Hosea 4:2

The Key Word נָע֤וּ, na.'Ugenerated

The verb נָע֤וּ (na'u) is a perfect tense form in the Qal stem, indicating a completed action by a plural subject. The root conveys the idea of shaking or trembling, which can imply instability or wandering. In this context, it emphasizes the aimless wandering of the people, akin to being tossed about without direction.

The use of this verb here highlights the physical and spiritual disorientation of the people, suggesting a deeper metaphorical meaning of being lost and vulnerable in their circumstances.


How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated

This study reads the verse in the Berean Standard Bible, so the BSB is the wording every comparison below is made against.


Sentence Structuregenerated

The finite verb נָע֤וּ governs the main clause, with several phrases providing additional detail: an adverbial phrase describing the state of being blind, a prepositional phrase indicating where they wandered, and another clause explaining their defilement.

The structure emphasizes the condition of the people, with the main verb leading the description of their plight, and the adverbial and prepositional phrases expanding on their experience.


Septuagint Backgroundgenerated

The Septuagint translates נָע֤וּ as ἐσαλεύθησαν (they were shaken), which carries a similar connotation of instability and aimlessness. This choice aligns with the Hebrew meaning but may suggest a more intense state of distress.

The Greek word ἐμολύνθησαν for נְגֹֽאֲל֖וּ indicates a strong sense of being made unclean, reinforcing the theme of defilement present in the Hebrew text.


In plain words — the whole versegenerated

Lamentations 4:14 describes how the people wandered blindly in the streets, made unclean by blood, and no one dared to touch their clothing. This reflects their desperate and defiled state, as they were shunned and isolated from others.


Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated

What does it mean that they wandered blind?

It indicates that they were lost both physically and spiritually, unable to see their way or understand their situation.

Why were they defiled by blood?

The blood symbolizes guilt and violence, reflecting the consequences of sin and the resulting shame that has fallen upon the people.

What does it signify that no one dared to touch them?

This illustrates their social isolation and the extent of their defilement, as others viewed them as unclean and avoided contact.

How does this verse connect to the overall theme of Lamentations?

It highlights the profound sorrow and degradation experienced by the people of Jerusalem after their destruction, emphasizing their suffering and the consequences of their actions.


Reflection Questionsgenerated

  1. In what ways do I see spiritual blindness in my own life or in those around me?
  2. How can I respond to those who are suffering and feel defiled in our community?
  3. What steps can I take to ensure that I do not become spiritually blind?
  4. How does understanding the plight of these people influence my view of mercy and compassion?

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

The commentary from Thomas Aquinas considers the insufficient correction of the people, reflecting on their belief that mere abstention from the temple sufficed for satisfaction.

Thomas Aquinas 1225–1274
Here is secondly considered the insufficient correction. For, abstaining only from an entering into the temple, they believed themselves to make satisfaction.
Early Church Fathers on Lamentations 4 →

Commentators on this verse — 8 expositors, verse by verse

Each of these wrote on Lamentations 4:14 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.

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

They have wandered [as] blind [men] in the streets,.... That is, the false prophets and wicked priests; and may be understood either literally, that when the city was taken, and they fled, they were

Read John Gill on Lamentations 4 →
Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's Commentary

They have wandered as blind men in the streets, they have polluted themselves with blood, so that men could not touch their garments. They have wandered as blind - with mental aberration.

Read Robert Jamieson on Lamentations 4 →
Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy Bible

A variety of interpreters hath made this text much more difficult than it is. Certainly nothing can appear more reasonable than to interpret the pronoun in the front of the verse relatively, and to fetch the antecedent from the former verse. They, that is, the prophets and the priests, wandered up and down the streets like blind men, being spiritually blind, polluting themselves with blood, either the blood of the children which they slew, or the just men mentioned , the slaughter of whom they either encouraged, or at least did not discourage; so as one could not touch a prophet or a priest but he must be legally polluted, and there were so many of them, that men could not walk in the…

Read Matthew Poole on Lamentations 4 →
John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

Lamentations 4:14 They have wandered [as] blind [men] in the streets, they have polluted themselves with blood, so that men could not touch their garments.Ver. 14. They have wandered as blind men in the streets.] Well might a certain expositor say, Hic versus cure sequentibus varie exponitur. The sense, in short, is this, saith one, that the Jews, misled by their prophets and priests, were so blind in knowledge that every example of sin led to evil, which, for want of grace, they could not refrain from.

Read John Trapp on Lamentations 4 →
Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(14) They have wandered . . .—Literally, reeled. The blindness, i.e., either that of the insatiable lust of blood, or of hopeless despair, or both. (Comp. Deuteronomy 28:28; Jeremiah 23:12; Isaiah 29:10.) The horror of the picture is heightened by the fact that the very garments of the priests were so dripping with blood that men shrank from touching them.

Read Charles John Ellicott on Lamentations 4 →
AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible

Verse 14. They have wandered as blind men in the streets] Rather, "They ran frantic through the streets, they were stained with blood." This was in their pretended zeal for their cause. Bishop Bonner, who was at the head of those sanguinary executions in England, was accustomed to buffet the poor Protestants, when on their examinations they were too powerful for him in argument: - "He proved his doctrine orthodox, By apostolic blows and knocks." Just as his elder brethren, the false priests and prophets of Jerusalem.

Read AdamClarke on Lamentations 4 →
CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

14. They] these prophets and priests. wander, etc.] in perplexity and helplessness, stamped with the mark of Cain.

Read Cambridge on Lamentations 4 →
Albert Barnes1798–1870Barnes' Notes on the Bible

They have wandered - God’s ministers, consecrated to His service, wandered through the city blinded by the insatiable lust of slaughter. It was a pollution to touch their garments.

Read Albert Barnes on Lamentations 4 →

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

They wandered blind in the streets, defiled by this blood, so that no one dared to touch their garments.

WEBWorld English Bible2000

They wander as blind men in the streets. They are polluted with blood, So that men can’t touch their garments.

MSBMajority Standard Bible2022

They wandered blind in the streets, defiled by this blood, so that no one dared to touch their garments.

NETBNew English Translation2006

They wander blindly through the streets, defiled by the blood they shed, while no one dares to touch their garments.

Tyndale line

KJVKing James Version1611

They have wandered as blind men in the streets, they have polluted themselves with blood, so that men could not touch their garments.

ASVAmerican Standard Version1901

They wander as blind men in the streets, they are polluted with blood, So that men cannot touch their garments.

RVARevised Version, American1894

They wander as blind men in the streets, that are polluted with blood, so that men cannot touch their garments.

NWBWebster's Bible1833

They have wandered as blind men in the streets, they have polluted themselves with blood, so that men could not touch their garments.

GNVGeneva Bible1599

They haue wandred as blinde men in the streetes, and they were polluted with blood, so that they would not touch their garments.

Strictly literal

DBYDarby Translation1890

They wandered about blind in the streets; they were polluted with blood, so that men could not touch their garments.

YLTYoung's Literal Translation1862

They have wandered naked in out-places, They have been polluted with blood, Without [any] being able to touch their clothing,

LSVLiteral Standard Version2020

They have wandered naked in out-places, || They have been defiled with blood, || Without [any] being able to touch their clothing,

ILTInterlinear Literal Translation2000

They wandered about blindly in the streets, they became defiled with blood; so that men were not able to touch their garments.

ULBUnlocked Literal Bible2017

They wandered, blind, through the streets. They were so defiled by that blood that no one was allowed to touch their clothes.

From the Latin

DRADouay-Rheims (Challoner)1899

Nun. They have wandered as blind men in the streets, they were defiled with blood: and when they could not help walking in it, they held up their skirts.

Simplified

FBVFree Bible Version2020

They wandered like blind men through the streets, made unclean by this blood, so no one would touch their clothes.

BBEBible in Basic English1949

They are wandering like blind men in the streets, they are made unclean with blood, so that their robes may not be touched by men.

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.

clauseverbנָע֤וּthey.wanderedadverbialעִוְרִים֙blind.[people]prepositional phrase · prepositionalבַּֽinnoun phrasetheחוּצ֔וֹתstreetsclauseclauseverbנְגֹֽאֲל֖וּthey.were.defiledprepositional phrase · prepositionalבַּbynoun phrasetheדָּ֑םbloodclauseבְּinclauseadverbialלֹ֣אnotverbיֽוּכְל֔וּpeople.were.ableclause · objectverbיִגְּע֖וּpeople.touchedprepositional phrase · prepositionalבִּ(in)noun phraseלְבֻשֵׁיclothesהֶֽםtheir

Boxes are the grammarian's groupings — clause, noun phrase, prepositional phrase.


The four witnesses to this verse — Masoretic, Septuagint, Samaritan, Qumran

The Masoretic Text and the Septuagint largely agree in their wording, with 7 of the 9 words matched. The Dead Sea Scrolls show partial restoration but align closely with the Masoretic Text, indicating consistency in the core message of the verse.

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

נָע֤וּ עִוְרִים֙ בַּֽחוּצ֔וֹת נְגֹֽאֲל֖וּ בַּדָּ֑ם בְּלֹ֣א יֽוּכְל֔וּ יִגְּע֖וּ בִּלְבֻשֵׁיהֶֽם׃ ס

Septuagintthe Greek the translators chose, word by word
נָע֤וּἐσαλεύθησανבַּֽחוּצ֔וֹתἐχόδοιςנְגֹֽאֲל֖וּἐμολύνθησανבַּדָּ֑םαἵματιבְּלֹ֣אμὴיֽוּכְל֔וּδύνασθαιיִגְּע֖וּἥψαντο

7 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.

Dead Sea Scrolls — 5Q6a copy a thousand years older than the Leningrad Codex

נעו עורים בחוצות נגאלו בדם בל יוכלו יבג בלבושי׳הם

6 words on the leather — 3 partly restored.

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.

Lamentations 4:14נוּעַthey wanderthey wanderedנוּעַעִוֵּרblind [peopblind [people]עִוֵּרחוּץin the strein the streetsחוּץגָּאַלthey were dthey were defilגָּאַלדָּםby the blooby the bloodדָּםלֹאin notin notלֹאיָכֹלpeople werepeople were ablיָכֹלנָגַעpeople toucpeople touchedנָגַעלְבוּשׁclothes theclothes theirלְבוּשׁעָוַרto blindto blindעָוַרדָּמַםto silenceto silence: staדָּמַםלָבֵשׁto clotheto clotheלָבֵשׁגָּאַלto redeem:to redeem: redeגָּאַלשִׁכֹּרdrunkendrunkenשִׁכֹּרנוּדto wanderto wanderנוּדפִּסֵּחַlamelameפִּסֵּחַחֵרֵשׁdeafdeafחֵרֵשׁמַחֲנֶהcampcampמַחֲנֶהרְחוֹבstreet/plastreet/plazaרְחוֹבכְּהֻנָּהpriesthoodpriesthoodכְּהֻנָּהזָרַקto scatterto scatterזָרַקנָקִיinnocentinnocentנָקִייָכֹלbe ablebe ableיָכֹלעוֹדstillstillעוֹדפָּתָהto open wito open wideפָּתָהאוּלַיperhapsperhapsאוּלַיטָמֵאuncleanuncleanטָמֵא
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 Lamentations 4:14

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.

they wandered blind [people] in the streets they were defiled by the blood in not people were able people touched clothes their
נָע֤וּna.'U they wandered H5128 Verb · Qal · perfect third person common plural
40× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
To shake means to move back and forth, like trembling with fear, as described in the book of Isaiah. It can also mean to be unstable or to wander, like the Israelites in the wilderness.
Amplified meaning
as blind men, naked
Tyndale gloss
to shake
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

נוּעַ (nuwa`) is a primitive root meaning to shake or waver, encompassing a wide range of actions such as quivering, trembling, and moving. It can describe both literal and figurative movements, including being tossed about or causing someone to wander. The entries highlight its various applications, but do not present significant disagreement among lexicons.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

נוּעַ vb. quiver, wave, waver, tremble, totter

Qal

wave

totter, go tottering

Niph. be tossed about

Hiph.

toss about

shake, cause to totter

(shake), disturb

cause to wander

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H5128 נוּעַ quiver, wave, waver, tremble, totter

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

5128 nuwa` noo'-ah

a primitive root; to waver, in a great variety of

applications, literally and figuratively (as

subjoined):--continually, fugitive, X make, to (go) up and

down, be gone away, (be) move(-able, -d), be promoted, reel,

remove, scatter, set, shake, sift, stagger, to and fro, be

vagabond, wag, (make) wander (up and down).

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

נוּעַ (nu.a) — to shake.

1) to quiver, totter, shake, reel, stagger, wander, move, sift, make move, wave, waver, tremble

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to wave, quiver, vibrate, swing, stagger, tremble, be unstable

1a2) to totter, go tottering

1a2a) vagabond (participle)

1b) (Niphal) to be tossed about or around

1c) (Hiphil)

1c1) to toss about

1c2) to shake, cause to totter

1c3) to shake, disturb

1c4) to cause to wander

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
V-Qal-Perf-3cp — Verb · Qal · perfect third person common plural
HVqp3cp
they wandered blind [people] in the streets they were defiled by the blood in not people were able people touched clothes their
עִוְרִים֙'iv.Rim blind [people] H5787 Adj
26× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This word describes someone who is blind, either physically or unable to see spiritually. In the Bible, it is used in Matthew 9:27 to describe the two blind men who followed Jesus. The word is also used in Romans 2:19 to describe spiritual blindness.
Amplified meaning
physically or spiritually unable to see
Tyndale gloss
blind
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

עִוֵּר (ivver) means 'blind,' and can refer to physical blindness or be used figuratively. The word is derived from a more basic form, עָוָר (avvar), and is noted in various lexicons as describing both individuals and groups who are blind.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

עִוֵּר adj. blind

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H5787 עִוֵּר blind

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

5787 `ivver iv-vare'

intensive from 5786; blind (literally or

figuratively):--blind (men, people).

see HEBREW for 05786

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

עִוֵּר (iv.ver) — blind.

1) blind

1a) blind (physically)

1b) blind (fig.)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Adj — Adj
HAampa
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

pe'-p'-l: In English Versions of the Bible represents something over a dozen Hebrew and Greek words. Of these, in the Old Testament, `am, is overwhelmingly the most common (about 2,000 times), with le'om, and goy, next in order; but the various Hebrew words are used with very little or no difference in force (e.g. Pr 14:28; but, on the other hand, in Ps 44 contrast verses 12 and 14). Of the changes introduced by the Revised Version (British and American) the only one of significance (cited explicitly in the Preface to the English Revised Version) is the frequent use of the plural "peoples" (strangely avoided in the King James Version except Re 10:11; 17:15), where other nations than Israel are in question. So, for instance, in Ps…

they wandered blind [people] in the streets they were defiled by the blood in not people were able people touched clothes their
בַּֽחוּצ֔וֹתba.chu.Tzot in the streets H2351 Preposition · noun common feminine plural absolute
164× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This word means outside or outdoors, referring to something beyond a wall or boundary. It can also mean a street or highway, as seen in various KJV translations, including abroad, field, and without.
Amplified meaning
outside, in the outdoors
Tyndale gloss
outside
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

חוּץ (chuwts) refers to the concept of being outside or outward, often associated with streets or highways. It is derived from a root meaning to sever, indicating separation by a wall. The term covers various contexts, including outdoors and fields.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

חוּץ n.[m.] the outside, sts., esp. in pl., spec. a street

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H2351 חוּץ

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

2351 chuwts khoots

or (shortened) chuts {khoots}; (both forms feminine in the

plural) from an unused root meaning to sever; properly,

separate by a wall, i.e. outside, outdoors:--abroad, field,

forth, highway, more, out(-side, -ward), street, without.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

חוּץ (chuts) — outside.

outside, outward, street, the outside

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Prep | N-mp — Preposition · noun common feminine plural absolute
HRd/Ncfpa
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
American Tract Society Bible Dictionary

In the towns and cities of Palestine, are supposed to have been comparatively narrow and ill graded, on account of the unevenness of their sites, and the little use of wheel-carriages. They were wider, however, than in many modern cities, Lu 14:21, and terminated in large public areas around the gates, Ne 8:1. Josephus says that those of Jerusalem were paved. They were named, like our own streets, Ac 9:11, and often resembled the bazaars of modern eastern cities, the shops of the same kind being in the same street and giving it its name, as the bakers’ street, Ne 3:31,32; Jer 37:21, and the valley of the cheesemongers.…

Thompson Chain Reference topics
they wandered blind [people] in the streets they were defiled by the blood in not people were able people touched clothes their
נְגֹֽאֲל֖וּne.go.'a.Lu they were defiled H1351 Verb · Niphal · perfect third person common plural
11× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This Hebrew word means to make something unclean or impure, often used in Leviticus to describe defiling the temple or oneself. It can also mean to stain or desecrate something, like in Ezekiel 20:16. The concept is about ruining something's purity or holiness.
Amplified meaning
made unclean, polluted
Tyndale gloss
to defile
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

גָּאַל (ga'al) is a Hebrew verb primarily meaning to defile or pollute. It encompasses various forms, including being defiled, desecrating, and staining. The entries suggest a connection to the idea of freeing or repudiating, as seen in its relation to another root. Specific uses include removal from the priesthood and personal defilement.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

[גָּאַל] vb. defile, late

Niph. be defiled

Pi. pollute, desecrate

Pu. and they were desecrated out of the priesthood

Hiph. I have polluted, i.e. stained, all my raiment.

Hithp. defile himself

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H1351 גָּאַל defile, late . be defiled

. pollute, desecrate

. and they were desecrated out of the priesthood

. I have polluted, i.e. stained, all my raiment.

. defile himself

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

1351 ga'al gaw-al'

a primitive root, (rather identified with 1350, through the

idea of freeing, i.e. repudiating); to soil or (figuratively)

desecrate:--defile, pollute, stain.

see HEBREW for 01350

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

גָּאַל (ga.al) — to defile.

1) to defile, pollute, desecrate

1a) (Niphal) to be defiled, be polluted

1b) (Piel) to pollute, desecrate

1c)(Pual) to be desecrated (of removal from priesthood)

1d) (Hiphil) to pollute, stain

1e) (Hithpael) to defile oneself

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
V-Niphal-Perf-3cp — Verb · Niphal · perfect third person common plural
HVNp3cp
they wandered blind [people] in the streets they were defiled by the blood in not people were able people touched clothes their
בַּדָּ֑םba.Dam by the blood H1818 Preposition · noun common masculine singular absolute
360× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
Blood refers to the liquid that flows through the body, essential for life. In the Bible, blood is often used to symbolize life, guilt, or sacrifice, as seen in the story of Jesus' crucifixion.
Amplified meaning
the liquid that flows through the body
Tyndale gloss
blood
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

דָּם (dam) means 'blood' and refers to the blood of both humans and animals. It is often associated with death, particularly when shed, and can also figuratively denote the juice of grapes or bloodshed. The term carries religious significance and is used in various contexts, including references to guilt and innocence.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

דָּם 300 n.m. blood

blood of man or animal

usually blood become visible

blood used with religious significance

fig. of wine

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H1818 דָּם blood

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

1818 dam dawm

from 1826 (compare 119); blood (as that which when shed

causes death) of man or an animal; by analogy, the juice of

the grape; figuratively (especially in the plural) bloodshed

(i.e. drops of blood):--blood(-y, -guiltiness, (-thirsty), +

innocent.

see HEBREW for 01826

see HEBREW for 0119

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

דָּם (dam) — blood.

1) blood

1a) of wine (fig.)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Prep | N-ms — Preposition · noun common masculine singular absolute
HRd/Ncmsa
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

blud (dam, probably from 'adham "to be red"; haima): Used in the Old Testament to designate the life principle in either animal or vegetable, as the blood of man or the juice of the grape (Le 17:11, et al.); in the New Testament for the blood of an animal, the atoning blood of Christ, and in both Old Testament and New Testament in a figurative sense for bloodshed or murder (Ge 37:26; Ho 4:2; Re 16:6).

1. Primitive Ideas:

Although the real function of the blood in the human system was not fully known until the fact of its circulation was established by William Harvey in 1615, nevertheless from the earliest times a singular mystery has been attached to it by all peoples. Blood…

Easton's Bible Dictionary

Blood

(1.) As food, prohibited in Gen. 9:4, where the use of animal food is first allowed. Comp. Deut. 12:23; Lev. 3:17; 7:26; 17:10-14. The injunction to abstain from blood is renewed in the decree of the council of Jerusalem (Acts 15:29). It has been held by some, and we think correctly, that this law of prohibition was only ceremonial and temporary; while others regard it as still binding on all. Blood was eaten by the Israelites after the battle of Gilboa (1 Sam. 14:32-34).

(2.) The blood of sacrifices was caught by the priest in a basin, and then sprinkled seven times on the altar; that of the passover on the…

Smith's Bible Dictionary

To blood is ascribed in Scripture the mysterious sacredness which belongs to life, and God reserved it to himself when allowing man the dominion over and the use of the lower animals for food. Thus reserved, it acquires a double power: (1) that of sacrificial atonement; and (2) that of becoming a curse when wantonly shed, unless duly expiated. (Genesis 9:4; Leviticus 7:26; 17:11-13)

American Tract Society Bible Dictionary

The life of all animals was regarded as especially in the blood, which was a sacred and essential part of the sacrifices offered to God, Heb 9:22. It was solemnly sprinkled upon the altar and the mercy seat, "for it is the blood that maketh atonement for the soul," Le 17:1-16 the life of the victim for the life of the sinner. It was therefore most sacredly associated with the blood of the Lamb of God which "cleanseth us from all sin," Eph 1:7 1Jo 1:7. Hence the strict prohibition renewed in Ac 15:29. In direct opposition to this are the heathen customs of drinking the blood of animals and even of men- of eating raw flesh, with the blood, and even fresh cut from the living…

they wandered blind [people] in the streets they were defiled by the blood in not people were able people touched clothes their
בְּלֹ֣אbe.Lo' in not H3808 Preposition · particle
5,170× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
The Hebrew word for not or no is used to indicate absence or negation, as when God says no to the Israelites' requests, or when they disobey His commands.
Tyndale gloss
not
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

לֹא (lo') is a Hebrew word meaning 'not' or 'no.' It serves as a simple negation and can imply absence or prohibition. The word can also be used in various contexts, often combined with other particles for emphasis or clarification. Its Aramaic equivalent is לָא (la), which also means 'not.'

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

לֹא or לוֹא adv. not

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H3808 לֹא or לוֹא not

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

3808 lo' lo

or lowi {lo}; or loh (Deut. 3:11) {lo}; a primitive particle;

not (the simple or abs. negation); by implication, no; often

used with other particles (as follows):--X before, + or else,

ere, + except, ig(-norant), much, less, nay, neither, never,

no((-ne), -r, (-thing)), (X as though...,(can-), for) not (out

of), of nought, otherwise, out of, + surely, + as truly as, +

of a truth, + verily, for want, + whether, without.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

לֹא (lo) — not.

1) not, no

1a) not (with verb-absolute prohibition)

1b) not (with modifier-negation)

1c) nothing (subst)

1d) without (with particle)

1e) before (of time)

Aramaic equivalent: la (לָא "not" H3809)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Prep | Part — Preposition · particle
HR/Tn
The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
they wandered blind [people] in the streets they were defiled by the blood in not people were able people touched clothes their
יֽוּכְל֔וּyu.khe.Lu people were able H3201 Verb · Qal · imperfect third person masculine plural
194× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This Hebrew word means to be able or have power, used in various contexts, such as overcoming or enduring, and is translated as 'be able' or 'have power' in the KJV.
Amplified meaning
no person, not anyone, was able, had the power
Tyndale gloss
be able
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

יָכֹל (yakol) is a Hebrew verb meaning 'to be able' or 'to have power.' It encompasses a range of abilities, including physical, moral, and constitutional strength, as well as the capacity to endure or prevail. The entries highlight its use in various contexts, but do not provide specific verse references.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

יָכֹל, יָכוֹל 193 vb. be able, have power, prevail, endure

Qal

be able, to do a thing,, whether ability be physical, moral, constitutional, or dependent on external authority

prevail

abs. have ability, strength, only neg.

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H3201 יָכֹל, יָכוֹל be able, have power, prevail, endure .. be able, to do a thing,, whether ability be physical, moral, constitutional, or dependent on external authority

. prevail

. abs. have ability, strength, only neg.

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

3201 yakol yaw-kole'

or (fuller) yakowl {yaw-kole'}; a primitive root; to be able,

literally (can, could) or morally (may, might):--be able, any

at all (ways), attain, can (away with, (-not)), could, endure,

might, overcome, have power, prevail, still, suffer.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

יָכֹל (ya.khol) — be able.

1) to prevail, overcome, endure, have power, be able

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to be able, be able to gain or accomplish, be able to endure, be able to reach

1a2) to prevail, prevail over or against, overcome, be victor

1a3) to have ability, have strength

Aramaic equivalent: ye.khel (יְכִל "be able" H3202)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
V-Qal-Imperf-3mp — Verb · Qal · imperfect third person masculine plural
HVqi3mp
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

a'-b'-l: The Greek dunamai, "to have power," may refer either to inherent strength, or to the absence of in external obstacles, or to what may be allowable or permitted. The Greek ischuo, as in Lu 13:24; Joh 21:6, refers always to the first of the above meanings. The use of the word as an adjective the King James Version of 2Co 3:6, is misleading, and has been properly changed in the Revised Version (British and American) into "sufficient as ministers," i.e. "hath fitted us to be ministers."

they wandered blind [people] in the streets they were defiled by the blood in not people were able people touched clothes their
יִגְּע֖וּyi.ge.'U people touched H5060 Verb · Qal · imperfect third person masculine plural
150× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This Hebrew word means to touch or reach something, and can also mean to strike or defeat someone. It is used in Exodus to describe God's power and in Psalms to describe human emotions. The word has various translations, including beat, bring, and plague.
Amplified meaning
reach out, make contact
Tyndale gloss
to touch
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

נָגַע (naga`) is a Hebrew verb meaning to touch, reach, or strike. It encompasses a range of actions from physical contact to figurative implications like arriving or acquiring. The word can also denote being stricken or defeated, particularly in battle or by disease. The entries indicate various grammatical forms, including Qal, Niph, Piel, Pual, and Hiphil, each with specific nuances.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

נָגַע 150 vb. touch, reach, strike

Qal

touch

of י׳ touching earth, mountains, etc.

nearly = strike, pass. stricken

touch = harm

reach, extend to

Niph. be stricken, defeated (in battle), i.e. feign to be so

Pi. strike (with leprosy, 2 acc.)

Pu. be stricken by diseases

Hiph. cause to touch; reach, approach, arrive

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H5060 נָגַע touch, reach, strike .. . touch

. of י׳ touching earth, mountains, etc.

. nearly = strike, pass. stricken

. touch = harm

. reach, extend to

. be stricken, defeated (in battle), i.e. feign to be so

. strike (with leprosy, 2 acc.)

. be stricken by diseases

. cause to touch; reach, approach, arrive

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

5060 naga` naw-gah'

a primitive root; properly, to touch, i.e. lay the hand upon

(for any purpose; euphem., to lie with a woman); by

implication, to reach (figuratively, to arrive, acquire);

violently, to strike (punish, defeat, destroy, etc.):--beat,

(X be able to) bring (down), cast, come (nigh), draw near

(nigh), get up, happen, join, near, plague, reach (up), smite,

strike, touch.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

נָגַע (na.ga) — to touch.

1) to touch, reach, strike

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to touch

1a2) to strike

1a3) to reach, extend to

1a4) to be stricken

1a4a) stricken (participle)

1b) (Niphal) to be stricken, be defeated

1c) (Piel) to strike

1d) (Pual) to be stricken (by disease)

1e) (Hiphil) to cause to touch, reach, approach, arrive

1e1) to cause to touch, apply

1e2) to reach, extend, attain, arrive, come

1e3) to approach (of time)

1e4) to befall (of fate)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
V-Qal-Imperf-3mp — Verb · Qal · imperfect third person masculine plural
HVqi3mp
they wandered blind [people] in the streets they were defiled by the blood in not people were able people touched clothes their
בִּלְבֻשֵׁיהֶֽם׃ סbil.vu.shei.Hem clothes their H3830 Preposition · noun common masculine plural construct · suffix
33× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This word refers to clothing or garments, and sometimes even a wife. It is used in descriptions of how people dress, like in the book of Matthew. The KJV translates it as apparel or clothing.
Amplified meaning
clothing, robes
Tyndale gloss
clothing
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

לְבוּשׁ (lebush) refers to clothing or garments in a literal or figurative sense, and can also imply a euphemism for a wife. It encompasses terms like apparel and raiment. The word is derived from a root meaning related to clothing, and its Aramaic equivalent is noted as well.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

לְבוּשׁ, לְבֻשׁ n.m. garment, clothing, raiment

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H3830 לְבוּשׁ, לְבֻשׁ garment, clothing, raiment

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

3830 lbuwsh leb-oosh'

or lbush {leb-oosh'}; from 3847; a garment (literally or

figuratively); by implication (euphem.) a wife:--apparel,

clothed with, clothing, garment, raiment, vestment, vesture.

see HEBREW for 03847

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

לְבוּשׁ (le.vush) — clothing.

clothing, garment, apparel, raiment

Aramaic equivalent: le.vush (לְבוּשׁ "garment" H3831)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Prep | N-mp | Suff — Preposition · noun common masculine plural construct · suffix
HR/Ncmpc/Sp3mp
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.

Everything we make is available for free because of a generous community of supporters.

Donate