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Lamentations 5:6 — Word Study

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WLCמִצְרַ֙יִם֙ נָתַ֣נּוּ יָ֔ד אַשּׁ֖וּר לִשְׂבֹּ֥עַֽ לָֽחֶם׃

BSAWe submittednâthan [given the hand, allied ourselves] to EgyptMitsrayim [a country in northeastern Africa] [and] AssyriaʼAshshûwr [Asshur, the ancestor of the Assyrians] to get enoughsâbaʻ [be satisfied with, have plenty of] breadlechem [food, especially grain, to be filled with enough to survive]

Word
Listen & take awayLamentations 5
English ↓ Download MP3 The Berean Standard Bible chapter audio already hosted for the site's Bible section — verse 6 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 (La.chem) — no per-word recordings of the Hebrew exist to link to.
Take it away
Lamentations 5:6quick helps
In a sentenceThe people express their desperation, having allied with powerful nations for basic sustenance.
Who is speakingThe people of Jerusalem, lamenting their plight.
Where we areIn the context of suffering and loss, as they recount their submission.
The hard wordנָתַן
Take awayThe people chose to submit to foreign powers out of necessity.
8 commentators on this verse Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them › clause verbנָתַן 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 5:6

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 of the Peoplegenerated

5We are closely pursued; we are weary and find no rest.
6We submitted to Egypt and Assyria to get enough bread.
7Our fathers sinned and are no more, but we bear their punishment.
8Slaves rule over us; there is no one to deliver us from their hands.

Lamentations 5:6 reflects the deep sorrow of the people of Jerusalem as they recount their dire situation. They express how they have submitted to Egypt and Assyria in their search for food, illustrating their desperation and the extent of their suffering. This verse sits within a larger lament, where the people mourn their loss and the consequences of their ancestors' actions, as seen in the preceding and following verses.


Cross References

ReferenceText (BSB)
1Genesis 24:2So Abraham instructed the chief servant of his household, who managed all he owned, “Place your hand under my thigh,
22 Kings 10:15When he left there, he found Jehonadab son of Rechab, who was coming to meet him. Jehu greeted him and asked, “Is your heart as true to mine as my heart is to yours?” “It is!” Jehonadab replied. “If it is,” said Jehu, “give me your hand.” So he gave him his hand, and Jehu helped him into his chariot,
3Jeremiah 50:15Raise a war cry against her on every side! She has thrown up her hands in surrender; her towers have fallen; her walls are torn down. Since this is the vengeance of the LORD, take out your vengeance upon her; as she has done, do the same to her.
4Ezekiel 17:18He despised the oath by breaking the covenant. Seeing that he gave his hand in pledge yet did all these things, he will not escape!’
5Isaiah 30:1–6“Woe to the rebellious children,” declares the LORD, “to those who carry out a plan that is not Mine, who form an alliance, but against My will, heaping up sin upon sin.

The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 13 references, hung on the phrase they belong to


The Key Word נָתַן, na.Ta.nugenerated

The verb נָתַן (natan) means 'to give' and encompasses a wide range of meanings, including to put, set, or deliver. In this context, it indicates a deliberate action of submission or alliance, suggesting that the people willingly gave their allegiance to foreign powers in exchange for sustenance.

The parsing as a perfect first person common plural verb indicates that this action is completed and reflects the collective experience of the people. They have allied themselves, indicating a sense of desperation and necessity.


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 נָתַן governs the main clause, with a prepositional phrase indicating the entities to which they submitted — Egypt and Assyria — and an infinitive phrase describing the purpose of this submission, which is to be satisfied with bread.

The structure emphasizes the action of submission as the focal point, with the objects and purposes clearly delineated, illustrating the people's plight.


Septuagint Backgroundgenerated

The Septuagint translates מִצְרַ֙יִם֙ as αἴγυπτος and אַשּׁ֖וּר as ασσουρ, both terms familiar to Greek readers. This choice reflects a direct correspondence to the Hebrew terms, maintaining the geographical and cultural context.

The translation of נָתַן as ἔδωκεν indicates a similar emphasis on the act of giving or submitting, preserving the meaning of the original Hebrew.


In plain words — the whole versegenerated

Lamentations 5:6 shows the people of Jerusalem expressing their desperation as they have submitted to Egypt and Assyria in order to find enough bread. This reflects their suffering and the choices made in dire circumstances.


Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated

What does it mean to submit to Egypt and Assyria?

It means that the people felt compelled to ally with these powerful nations out of desperation for food.

Why is bread significant in this verse?

Bread symbolizes basic sustenance and survival, highlighting the people's dire need.

What does this submission reveal about the people's condition?

It reveals their vulnerability and the extent of their suffering, as they are willing to give up their autonomy for survival.

How does this verse connect to the larger themes in Lamentations?

This verse reflects the overarching themes of loss, desperation, and the consequences of sin that permeate the book of Lamentations.


Reflection Questionsgenerated

  1. In what ways do I see desperation influencing decisions in my own life or community?
  2. How can I address my own needs without compromising my values?
  3. What does this passage teach about the consequences of turning to worldly powers for help?
  4. How can I find sustenance and support in my faith rather than in external alliances?

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

The insights from Thomas Aquinas highlight the voluntary nature of the people's submission, emphasizing their personal choice in seeking sustenance.

Thomas Aquinas 1225–1274
Now, the people's slavery is personal and voluntary, because impelled by no means, people sell themselves to others in slavery.
Early Church Fathers on Lamentations 5 →

Commentators on this verse — 8 expositors, verse by verse

Each of these wrote on Lamentations 5:6 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.

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

We have given our hand [to] the Egyptians,.... Either by way of supplication, to beg bread of them; or by way of covenant and agreement; or to testify subjection to them, in order to be supplied with

Read John Gill on Lamentations 5 →
Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's Commentary

We have given the hand to the Egyptians, and to the Assyrians, to be satisfied with bread. We have given the hand to - in token of submission (note, Jeremiah 50:15).

Read Robert Jamieson on Lamentations 5 →
Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy Bible

The ten tribes were all carried captives into Assyria, many of the kingdom of Judah, as we have heard, fled into Egypt after the taking of Jerusalem. Giving the hand may either signify working with their hands, and labouring for them; or yielding up themselves to their power, or lifting up the hands as supplicants to them, or striking hands and making covenants with them, or lending them their hand, to help them, and all to get any thing to live upon.

Read Matthew Poole on Lamentations 5 →
John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

Lamentations 5:6 We have given the hand [to] the Egyptians, [and to] the Assyrians, to be satisfied with bread.Ver. 6. We have given the hand to the Egyptians, and to the Assyrians.] Enemies to the Chaldeans, no less than they were to us; but hard hunger, that driveth the wolf out of the wood, hath made us glad to be beholden to them for bread; so ill have the cruel Chaldees relieved and rewarded us for our work.

Read John Trapp on Lamentations 5 →
Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(6) We have given the hand.—The recognised phrase for submission (Jeremiah 1:15). “Assyria,” as in Jeremiah 2:18; Ezra 6:22, stands for “Babylon.” The people had been forced by sheer pressure of hunger to submit to one or other of these princes. “Egypt” refers, probably, to the fugitives who had sought a home in that country (Jeremiah 42:14).

Read Charles John Ellicott on Lamentations 5 →
AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible

Verse 6. We have given the hand to the Egyptians] We have sought alliances both with the Egyptians and Assyrians, and made covenants with them in order to get the necessaries of life. Or, wherever we are now driven, we are obliged to submit to the people of the countries in order to the preservation of our lives.

Read AdamClarke on Lamentations 5 →
CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

6. Not only are they subject to privations at home, but they have been driven by them into servitude abroad. Hosea 7:11 also combines Egypt and Assyria. The distance of the latter has caused it to be suspected here. Ball, with some slight changes in MT., eliminates both the proper names, and renders, To adversaries we submitted, Saying we shall be satisfied with bread. He also transposes this with Lamentations 5:5. the Assyrians] As the traditional foes of Israel, their name survives in this passage, although their Empire had been succeeded by that of Babylon. Cp. Ezra 6:22 for this use of the word Assyria even in Persian times. For “we have given the hand” see mg. of Jeremiah 50:15.

Read Cambridge on Lamentations 5 →
Albert Barnes1798–1870Barnes' Notes on the Bible

“To give the hand” means to submit oneself. Absolutely it was Babylon that had just destroyed their national existence, but Jeremiah means that all feelings of patriotism were crushed, and the sole

Read Albert Barnes on Lamentations 5 →

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

We submitted to Egypt and Assyria to get enough bread.

WEBWorld English Bible2000

We have given our hands to the Egyptians, and to the Assyrians, to be satisfied with bread.

MSBMajority Standard Bible2022

We submitted to Egypt and Assyria to get enough bread.

NETBNew English Translation2006

We have submitted to Egypt and Assyria in order to buy food to eat.

Tyndale line

KJVKing James Version1611

We have given the hand to the Egyptians, and to the Assyrians, to be satisfied with bread.

ASVAmerican Standard Version1901

We have given the hand to the Egyptians, And to the Assyrians, to be satisfied with bread.

RVARevised Version, American1894

We have given the hand to the Egyptians, and to the Assyrians, to be satisfied with bread.

NWBWebster's Bible1833

We have given the hand to the Egyptians, and to the Assyrians, to be satisfied with bread.

GNVGeneva Bible1599

We haue giuen our handes to the Egyptians, and to Asshur, to be satisfied with bread.

Strictly literal

DBYDarby Translation1890

We have given the hand to Egypt, [and] to Asshur, to be satisfied with bread.

YLTYoung's Literal Translation1862

[To] Egypt we have given a hand, [To] Asshur, to be satisfied with bread.

LSVLiteral Standard Version2020

[To] Egypt we have given a hand, || [To] Asshur, to be satisfied with bread.

ILTInterlinear Literal Translation2000

To Egypt do we stretch out our hand, to Asshur, to be satisfied with bread.

ULBUnlocked Literal Bible2017

We have given ourselves to Egypt and to Assyria to get enough food.

From the Latin

DRADouay-Rheims (Challoner)1899

We have given our hand to Egypt, and to the Assyrians, that we might be satisfied with bread.

Simplified

FBVFree Bible Version2020

We allied ourselves with Egypt and Assyria so we could have plenty of food.

BBEBible in Basic English1949

We have given our hands to the Egyptians and to the Assyrians so that we might have enough bread.

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.

clauseclauseadverbialמִצְרַ֨יִם֙Egyptverbנָתַ֣נּוּwe.have.givenobjectיָ֔דa.handclauseadverbialאַשּׁ֖וּרAssyriaprepositional phrase · prepositionalלִtoclauseverbשְׂבֹּ֥עַֽbe.satisfiedobjectלָֽחֶםbread

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 in their wording, with all six words matched. The Dead Sea Scrolls show partial restoration, with one word fully restored and two others supplied by an editor, indicating some damage but no significant variation in meaning.

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

מִצְרַ֙יִם֙ נָתַ֣נּוּ יָ֔ד אַשּׁ֖וּר לִשְׂבֹּ֥עַֽ לָֽחֶם׃

Septuagintthe Greek the translators chose, word by word
מִצְרַ֙יִם֙αἴγυπτοςנָתַ֣נּוּἔδωκενיָ֔דξεῖραאַשּׁ֖וּרασσουρלִשְׂבֹּ֥עַֽπλησμονὴνלָֽחֶם׃αὐτῶν

6 of the 6 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

מצרים [נתנו] [יד] אשור לשבוע [לחם]

1 word on the leather — 2 partly restored, 3 supplied entire by an editor.

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 5:6מִצְרַ֫יִםEgyptEgyptמִצְרַ֫יִםנָתַןwe have givwe have givenנָתַןיָדa handa handיָדאַשּׁוּרAssyriaAssyriaאַשּׁוּרשָׂבֵעַto be satisto be satisfiedשָׂבֵעַלֶ֫חֶםbreadbreadלֶ֫חֶםכַּףpalmpalmכַּףאָשַׁרto blessto blessאָשַׁרלָחַםto fightto fightלָחַםמָצוֹרEgyptEgyptמָצוֹרכּוּשׁEthiopiaEthiopiaכּוּשׁפַּרְעֹהPharaohPharaohפַּרְעֹהנַחֲלָהinheritancinheritanceנַחֲלָהזֶ֫רַעseedseedזֶ֫רַעחָזָקstrongstrongחָזָקנָצַלto rescueto rescueנָצַלתִּגְלַתתִּגְלַתסַנְחֵרִיבSennacheriSennacheribסַנְחֵרִיבלֶ֫חֶםfoodfoodלֶ֫חֶםפֶּן־lestlestפֶּן־פַּתmorselmorselפַּתשָׂבֵעַto satisfyto satisfyשָׂבֵעַ
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 5:6

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.

Egypt we have given a hand Assyria to be satisfied bread
מִצְרַ֙יִם֙mitz.Ra.yim Egypt H4714 Noun proper
641× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This word means Egypt, a country in northeastern Africa, and is used in the Bible to describe the land and its people. It appears in books like Genesis and Isaiah, often referring to the Nile River and the Egyptians. Egypt is an important setting for many biblical events.
Amplified meaning
a country in northeastern Africa
Tyndale gloss
(Sea of) Egypt
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

מִצְרַ֫יִם (mitsrayim) refers to Egypt, a country in northeastern Africa known for the Nile River. The term can denote both the land and its inhabitants, the Egyptians. It is derived from a dual form suggesting Upper and Lower Egypt, and is linked to the biblical figure Mizraim, a son of Ham. The lexicons note its significance in the context of the table of nations.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

מִצְרַ֫יִם 681 n.pr.terr. et gent. Egypt, Egyptians

of land, Egypt

combinations

of people:

in table of nations, personif. as second son of Ham

= Egypt (as a people), Egyptians

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H4714 מִצְרַ֫יִם Egypt, Egyptians . . of land, Egypt

. combinations

. of people: . in table of nations, personif. as second son of Ham

. = Egypt (as a people), Egyptians

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

4714 Mitsrayim mits-rah'-yim

dual of 4693; Mitsrajim, i.e. Upper and Lower Egypt:--Egypt,

Egyptians, Mizraim.

see HEBREW for 04693

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

מִצְרַ֫יִם (mits.ra.yim) — Egypt.

§ Egypt = "land of the Copts"

a country at the northeastern section of Africa, adjacent to Palestine, and through which the Nile flows

Egyptians = "double straits"

מִצְרַ֫יִם (mits.ra.yim) — Egypt.

A man living at the time of the Patriarchs, first mentioned at Gen.10.6;

son of: Ham (H2526);

brother of: Canaan (H3667), Cush (H3568) and Put (H6316);

father of: Ludim (H3866), Anamim (H6047), Lehabim (H3853), Naphtuhim (H5320), Pathrusim (H6625), Casluhim (H3695) and Caphtorim (H3732)

§ Egypt = "land of the Copts"

1) a country at the northeastern section of Africa, adjacent to Palestine, and through which the Nile flows

Egyptians = "double straits"

adj

2) the inhabitants or natives of Egypt

מִצְרַ֫יִם (mits.ra.yim) — (Sea of) Egypt.

§ Egypt = "land of the Copts"

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-proper — Noun proper
HNpl
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

e'-jipt:

I. THE COUNTRY

1. The Basis of the Land 2. The Nile Valley 3. Earliest Human Remains 4. Climate 5. Conditions of Life 6. The Nile 7. The Fauna 8. The Flora 9. The Prehistoric Races

II. THE HISTORY

1. 1st and 2nd Ages: Prehistoric 2. 3d Age: Ist and IInd Dynasties 3. 4th Age: IIIrd through VIth Dynasties 4. 5th Age: VIIth through XIVth Dynasties 5. 6th Age: XVth through XXIVth Dynasties 6. 7th Age: XXVth Dynasty to Roman Times 7. 8th Age: Arabic 8. Early Foreign Connections

III. THE OLD TESTAMENT CONNECTIONS

1. Semitic Connections 2. Abramic Times 3. Circumcision 4. Joseph 5. Descent into Egypt 6. The Oppression 7. The Historic Position 8. The Plagues 9. Date of the Exodus 10. Route of the Exodus 11. Numbers of the Exodus 12. Israel in Canaan 13. Hadad 14. Pharaoh's Daughter 15. Shishak 16. Zerakh 17. The Ethiopians 18. Tahpanhes 19. Hophra 20. The Jews of Syene 21. The New Jerusalem…

Easton's Bible Dictionary

Egypt

The land of the Nile and the pyramids, the oldest kingdom of which we have any record, holds a place of great significance in Scripture.

The Egyptians belonged to the white race, and their original home is still a matter of dispute. Many scholars believe that it was in Southern Arabia, and recent excavations have shown that the valley of the Nile was originally inhabited by a low-class population, perhaps belonging to the Nigritian stock, before the Egyptians of history entered it. The ancient Egyptian language, of which the latest form is Coptic, is distantly connected with the Semitic family of speech.

Egypt consists geographically of two halves, the northern being the Delta, and the southern Upper Egypt, between Cairo and the First Cataract. In the Old Testament, Northern or Lower Egypt is called Mazor, “the fortified land” (Isa.…

A celebrated country in the north of Africa, at the eastern part of the Mediterranean Sea. The Hebrews called it Mizraim, Ge 10:6, and hence it is now called by the Arabs, Mizr. The Greeks and Romans called it Aegyptus, whence Egypt; but the origin of this name is unknown.

The habitable land of Egypt is for the most part a great valley, through which the river Nile pours its waters, extending in a straight line from north to south, and skirted on the east and west by ranges of mountains, which approach and recede from the river more or less in different parts. Where this valley terminates, towards the north, the Nile divides itself, about forty or fifty miles from the seacoast, into several arms, which inclose the so-called Delta. The ancients numbered seven arms and mouths; the eastern was that of Pelusium, now that of Tineh; and the…

Egypt we have given a hand Assyria to be satisfied bread
נָתַ֣נּוּna.Ta.nu we have given H5414 Verb · Qal · perfect first person common plural
2,011× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This word means to give, put, or set something, with a wide range of applications. It appears in many books, including Genesis and Exodus, describing God's actions and human interactions. The word is used to convey giving, selling, or exchanging something.
Amplified meaning
given the hand, allied ourselves
Tyndale gloss
to give: give
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word נָתַן (natan) means 'to give' and encompasses a wide range of applications such as putting, setting, and making. It can also indicate actions like bestowing, delivering, and assigning. The entries describe its use in various forms, including Qal, Niphal, and Hophal, but do not present any significant disagreements among lexicons.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

נָתַן 2007 vb. give, put, set

Qal 1917

give

Put, set

Make, constitute

Niph.

82be given

Be put, set

Hoph.

be given, bestowed

= be given to one for wife

be put upon

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H5414 נָתַן give, put, set .. give

. Put, set

. Make, constitute

. . be given

. Be put, set

. . . be given, bestowed

. = be given to one for wife

. be put upon

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

5414 nathan naw-than'

a primitive root; to give, used with greatest latitude of

application (put, make, etc.):--add, apply, appoint, ascribe,

assign, X avenge, X be ((healed)), bestow, bring (forth,

hither), cast, cause, charge, come, commit, consider, count, +

cry, deliver (up), direct, distribute, do, X doubtless, X

without fail, fasten, frame, X get, give (forth, over, up),

grant, hang (up), X have, X indeed, lay (unto charge, up),

(give) leave, lend, let (out), + lie, lift up, make, + O that,

occupy, offer, ordain, pay, perform, place, pour, print, X

pull , put (forth), recompense, render, requite, restore, send

(out), set (forth), shew, shoot forth (up), + sing, + slander,

strike, (sub-)mit, suffer, X surely, X take, thrust, trade,

turn, utter, + weep, + willingly, + withdraw, + would (to)

God, yield.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

נָתַן (na.tan) — to give: give.

: give/deliver/send/produce

1) to give, put, set

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to give, bestow, grant, permit, ascribe, employ, devote, consecrate, dedicate, pay wages, sell, exchange, lend, commit, entrust, give over, deliver up, yield produce, occasion, produce, requite to, report, mention, utter, stretch out, extend

1a2) to put, set, put on, put upon, set, appoint, assign, designate

1a3) to make, constitute

1b) (Niphal)

1b1) to be given, be bestowed, be provided, be entrusted to, be granted to, be permitted, be issued, be published, be uttered, be assigned

1b2) to be set, be put, be made, be inflicted

1c) (Hophal)

1c1) to be given, be bestowed, be given up, be delivered up

1c2) to be put upon

נָתַן (na.tan) — to give: put.

: put/set/apppoint

1) to give, put, set

1a) (Qal)

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
V-Qal-Perf-1cp — Verb · Qal · perfect first person common plural
HVqp1cp
The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
Egypt we have given a hand Assyria to be satisfied bread
יָ֔דYad a hand H3027 Noun common · both singular absolute
1,619× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
In the Bible, 'yad' refers to an open hand, symbolizing power or direction. It can also mean strength or a part of something, like a side or a share. The word is used in many contexts, including anatomy and everyday life.
Tyndale gloss
hand
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

יָד (yad) means 'hand' and can also refer to strength or power in a figurative sense. It encompasses various technical uses, such as a sign or monument, parts or shares, and even specific components in construction, like axle-trees and supports for the laver. The word is versatile, appearing in both literal and metaphorical contexts.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

יָד 1604 n.f. hand

hand

Fig. = strength, power

Fig. = side

יָד is used in various special, technical senses:—

sign, monument

part, fractional part or share

time, repetition

axle-trees

stays, supports for laver

tenons on sides of boards of tabernacle

a (beckoning) hand

יַד with prep.

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H3027 יָד hand . hand

. Fig. = strength, power

. Fig. = side

. יָד is used in various special, technical senses:— . sign, monument

. part, fractional part or share

. time, repetition

. axle-trees

. stays, supports for laver

. tenons on sides of boards of tabernacle

. a (beckoning) hand

. יַד with prep.

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

3027 yad yawd

a primitive word; a hand (the open one (indicating power,

means, direction, etc.), in distinction from 3709, the closed

one); used (as noun, adverb, etc.) in a great variety of

applications, both literally and figuratively, both proximate

and remote (as follows):--(+ be) able, X about, + armholes,

at, axletree, because of, beside, border, X bounty, + broad,

(broken-)handed, X by, charge, coast, + consecrate, +

creditor, custody, debt, dominion, X enough, + fellowship,

force, X from, hand(-staves, -y work), X he, himself, X in,

labour, + large, ledge, (left-)handed, means, X mine,

ministry, near, X of, X order, ordinance, X our, parts, pain,

power, X presumptuously, service, side, sore, state, stay,

draw with strength, stroke, + swear, terror, X thee, X by

them, X themselves, X thine own, X thou, through, X throwing,

+ thumb, times, X to, X under, X us, X wait on, (way-)side,

Read the full entry →
Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

יָד (yad) — hand.

: hand/arm[anatomy]

1) hand

1a) hand (of man)

1b) strength, power (fig.)

1c) side (of land), part, portion (metaph.) (fig.)

1d) (various special, technical senses)

1d1) sign, monument

1d2) part, fractional part, share

1d3) time, repetition

1d4) axle-trees, axle

1d5) stays, support (for laver)

1d6) tenons (in tabernacle)

1d7) a phallus, a hand (meaning unsure)

1d8) wrists

יָד (yad) — hand: power.

: hand/arm[anatomy]

1) hand

1a) hand (of man)

1b) strength, power (fig.)

1c) side (of land), part, portion (metaph.) (fig.)

1d) (various special, technical senses)

1d1) sign, monument

1d2) part, fractional part, share

1d3) time, repetition

1d4) axle-trees, axle

1d5) stays, support (for laver)

1d6) tenons (in tabernacle)

1d7) a phallus, a hand (meaning unsure)

1d8) wrists

יָד (yad) — hand: themselves.

: hand/arm[anatomy]

1) hand

1a) hand (of man)

1b) strength, power (fig.)

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
HNcbsa — Noun common · both singular absolute
HNcbsa
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

(yadh, "hand"; kaph, "the hollow hand," "palm"; yamin, "the right hand"; semo'l, "the left hand"; cheir, "hand"; dexia, "the right hand"; aristera, "the left hand" (only Lu 23:33; 2Co 6:7), or euphemistically (for evil omens come from the left hand; compare Latin sinister, German linkisch, etc.); euonumos, literally, "having a good name"): The Hebrew words are used in a large variety of idiomatic expressions, part of which have passed into the Greek (through the Sepuagint) and into modern European languages (through the translations of the Bible; see Oxford Hebrew Lexicon, under the word "yadh"). We group what has to be said about the word under the following heads:

1. The Human Hand: Various Uses:

Easton's Bible Dictionary

Hand

Called by Galen “the instrument of instruments.” It is the symbol of human action (Ps. 9:16; Job 9:30; Isa. 1:15; 1 Tim. 2:8). Washing the hands was a symbol of innocence (Ps. 26:6; 73:13; Matt. 27:24), also of sanctification (1 Cor. 6:11; Isa. 51:16; Ps. 24:3, 4). In Ps. 77:2 the correct rendering is, as in the Revised Version, “My hand was stretched…

American Tract Society Bible Dictionary

Often put of strength, power; so to be "in the hand" of any one, is to be in his power. Joining hands, or striking hands, is a very common method of pledging one’s self to a contract or bargain; just as persons among us often shake hands in token of an agreement. To "lift the hand," means to make oath. "At the right hand of God," is the place of honor, power, and happiness, Ps 16:11 45:9 110:1 Mt 26:64 Col 3:1. The right hand meant towards the south, the Jews being wont to speak as if facing the east. The "laying on of hands," signified consecration to office, and the bestowal of a blessing or of divine gifts, Ge 48:14 Nu…

→ Imposition of hands Heb 6:2

→ In consecration Ge 48:14; Ex 29:10,15,19; Le 1:4; 3:2,8,13; 4:15,24,33; 16:21

→ In ordaining the Levites Nu 8:10,11

→ Joshua Nu 27:18-23; De 34:9

→ Timothy 1Ti 4:14; 2Ti 1:6

→ In healing Mr 6:5; 7:32; 16:18; Lu 4:40; Ac…

Egypt we have given a hand Assyria to be satisfied bread
אַשּׁ֖וּר'a.Shur Assyria H804 Noun proper
151× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
Asshur was the second son of Shem and the ancestor of the Assyrians, mentioned in Genesis 10:22. The name Asshur means 'a step'.
Amplified meaning
Asshur, the ancestor of the Assyrians
Tyndale gloss
Asshur
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

אַשּׁוּר (Ashshuwr) refers to Assyria, the ancient empire and its people, as well as Asshur, the second son of Shem. The term encompasses the region, the nation, and the descendants of Asshur. It is linked to the notion of success and is first mentioned in Genesis 10:22.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

אַשּׁוּר n.pr.gent. & terr. Asshur, Assyria

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H804 אַשּׁוּר Asshur, Assyria

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

804 'Ashshuwr ash-shoor'

or iAshshur {ash-shoor'}; apparently from 833 (in the sense

of successful); Ashshur, the second son of Shem; also his

descendants and the country occupied by them (i.e. Assyria),

its region and its empire:--Asshur, Assur, Assyria,

Assyrians. See 838.

see HEBREW for 0833

see HEBREW for 0838

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

אַשּׁוּר (ash.shur) — Assyria.

§ Asshur or Assyria = "a step"

the nation, Assyria

the land, Assyria or Asshur

אַשּׁוּר (ash.shur) — Asshur.

A man living at the time of the Patriarchs, first mentioned at Gen.10.22;

son of: Shem (H8035);

brother of: Elam (H5867C), Arpachshad (H0775), Lud (H3865) and Aram (H0758)

§ Asshur or Assyria = "a step"

1) the second son of Shem, eponymous ancestor of the Assyrians

2) the people of Assyria

3) the nation, Assyria

4) the land, Assyria or Asshur

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-proper — Noun proper
HNpl
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

a-sir'-i-a:

I. GEOGRAPHY

II. EARLY HISTORY

III. CLIMATE AND PRODUCTIONS

IV. POPULATION

V. TRADE AND LAW

VI. ART

VII. MECHANICS

VIII. FURNITURE, POTTERY AND EMBROIDERY

IX. LANGUAGE, LITERATURE AND SCIENCE

X. GOVERNMENT AND ARMY

XI. RELIGION

XII. EXCAVATIONS

XIII. CHRONOLOGY

XIV. HISTORY

1. Early Period

2. The Older Empire

3. The Second Empire

4. Last Period and Fall of Empire

LITERATURE

Assyria, a Greek name formed from Asshur ('ashshur; 'Assour; Assyrian Assur): The primitive capital of the country.

I. Geography.

The origin of the city (now Kala'at Shergat), which was built on the western bank of the Tigris between the Upper and Lower Zab, went back to pre-Sem times, and the meaning of the name was forgotten (see Ge 2:14, where the Hiddekel or Tigris is said to flow on the eastern side of Asshur). To the North of the junction of the Tigris and Upper Zab…

Easton's Bible Dictionary

Assyria

The name derived from the city Asshur on the Tigris, the original capital of the country, was originally a colony from Babylonia, and was ruled by viceroys from that kingdom. It was a mountainous region lying to the north of Babylonia, extending along the Tigris as far as to the high mountain range of Armenia, the Gordiaean or Carduchian mountains. It was founded in B.C. 1700 under Bel-kap-kapu, and became an independent and a conquering power, and shook off the yoke of its Babylonian masters. It subdued the whole of Northern Asia. The Assyrians were Semites (Gen. 10:22), but in process of time non-Semite tribes mingled with the inhabitants. They were a military people, the “Romans of the East.”

American Tract Society Bible Dictionary

A celebrated country and empire, had its name from Ahur, or Assur, the second son of Shem, who settled in that region, Ge 10:22. In the Bible the name Assyria is employed in three different significations: namely, 1. Assyria ancient and proper lay east of the Tigris, between Armenia, Susiana, and Media, and appears to have comprehended the six provinces attributed to it by Ptolemy, namely, Arrapachis, Adiabene, Arbelis, (now Erbil,) Calachene, (Heb. Halah? 2Ki 17:6,) Apollonias, and Sittacne. It is the region which mostly comprises the modern Kurdistan and the pashalik of Mosul. Of these provinces, Adiabene was the most fertile and important; in it was situated Nineveh the capital; and the term Assyria, in its most narrow sense, seems sometimes to have meant only this province.…

Hitchcock's Bible Names Dictionary

country of Assur or Ashur

Egypt we have given a hand Assyria to be satisfied bread
לִשְׂבֹּ֥עַֽlis.Bo.a' to be satisfied H7646 Preposition · verb qal infinitive construct common
97× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
To satisfy means to fill someone with enough of something, like food or desire, and can also mean to have too much of something.
Amplified meaning
be satisfied with, have plenty of
Tyndale gloss
to satisfy
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

שָׂבֵעַ (saba`) means to be sated or satisfied, particularly in relation to food. It can also imply having one's desires fulfilled or being surfeited with excess. The verb has various forms, including Qal, Piel, and Hiphil, which cover meanings from simply being full to enriching or satisfying others. The entries indicate a focus on both literal and figurative senses of satisfaction.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

[שָׂבֵעַ], שָׂבַע 96 vb. be sated, satisfied, surfeited

Qal 79

be sated (with food), esp. human subj.

more gen., be sated, have desire satisfied

have in excess, be surfeited with

Niph. Pt. sated

Pi. satisfy

Hiph.

satisfy (esp. with material blessings), subj. י׳

c. acc. of food pers., י׳ subj.

י׳ subj.

י׳ subj., c. acc. of beasts

enrich

sate, glut (with the undesired)

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H7646 שָׂבֵעַ, שָׂבַע be sated, satisfied, surfeited .. be sated (with food), esp. human subj.

. more gen., be sated, have desire satisfied

. have in excess, be surfeited with

. Pt. sated

. satisfy

. . . satisfy (esp. with material blessings), subj. י׳

. c. acc. of food + pers., י׳ subj.

. י׳ subj.

. י׳ subj., c. acc. of beasts

. enrich

. sate, glut (with the undesired)

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

7646 saba` saw-bah'

or sabeay {saw-bay'-ah}; a primitive root; to sate, i.e. fill

to satisfaction (literally or figuratively):--have enough,

fill (full, self, with), be (to the) full (of), have plenty

of, be satiate, satisfy (with), suffice, be weary of.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

שָׂבֵעַ (sa.va) — to satisfy.

1) to be satisfied, be sated, be fulfilled, be surfeited

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to be sated (with food)

1a2) to be sated, be satisfied with, be fulfilled, be filled, have one's fill of (have desire satisfied)

1a3) to have in excess, be surfeited, be surfeited with

1a3a) to be weary of (fig)

1b) (Piel) to satisfy

1c) (Hiphil)

1c1) to satisfy

1c2) to enrich

1c3) to sate, glut (with the undesired)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Prep | V-Qal-Inf-a — Preposition · verb qal infinitive construct common
HR/Vqcc
Egypt we have given a hand Assyria to be satisfied bread
לָֽחֶם׃La.chem bread H3899 Noun common · masculine singular absolute
298× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This Hebrew word refers to food, especially bread or grain. It's used throughout the Bible to describe meals, sacrifices, and daily life, highlighting the importance of food in ancient Israelite culture.
Amplified meaning
food, especially grain, to be filled with enough to survive
Tyndale gloss
food
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

לֶ֫חֶם (lechem) means bread or food, encompassing items like grain and provisions for both humans and animals. It is derived from a related root and is used in various contexts, particularly in the Old Testament. The entries consistently emphasize its primary association with bread, though they also acknowledge its broader meaning as food.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

לֶ֫חֶם 296 n.m. and (rarely) f. bread, food

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H3899 לֶ֫חֶם bread, food

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

3899 lechem lekh'-em

from 3898; food (for man or beast), especially bread, or

grain (for making it):--((shew-))bread, X eat, food, fruit,

loaf, meat, victuals. See also 1036.

see HEBREW for 03898

see HEBREW for 01036

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

לֶ֫חֶם (le.chem) — food.

: food(eating)

1) bread, food, grain

1a) bread

1a1) bread

1a2) bread-corn

1b) food (in general)

לֶ֫חֶם (le.chem) — food: bread.

: bread/loaf

1) bread, food, grain

1a) bread

1a1) bread

1a2) bread-corn

1b) food (in general)

לֶ֫חֶם (le.chem) — food: allowance.

: allowance

1) bread, food, grain

1a) bread

1a1) bread

1a2) bread-corn

1b) food (in general)

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

bred (lechem; artos):

I. DIETARY PREEMINENCE

II. MATERIALS

1. Barley

2. Wheat

3. Three Kinds of Flour

III. BREAD-MAKING

1. Grinding

2. Kneading

3. Baking

(1) Hot Stones

(2) Baking Pans

4. Ovens

(1) The Bowl-Oven

(2) The Jar-Oven

(3) The Pit-Oven

5. Forms of Baked Bread

6. Work for Women

IV. SANCTITY AND SYMBOLISM OF BREAD

1. Sanctity

2. Symbolism

LITERATURE

The art of bread-making is very ancient. It was even known to the Egyptians at a very early day (Wilkinson, Ancient Egyptians), to the Hebrews of the Exodus (Nowack, Lehrbuch der hebr. Archaologie) and, of course, to the Greeks and Romans of a later day. Bread played a large part in the vocabulary and in the life of the ancient Hebrews.

I. Dietary Preeminence.

(1) In the East bread is primary, other articles of food merely accessory; while in the West meat and other things chiefly constitute the meal, and bread is merely secondary. Accordingly "bread" in…

Easton's Bible Dictionary

Bread

Among the Jews was generally made of wheat (Ex. 29:2; Judg. 6:19), though also sometimes of other grains (Gen. 14:18; Judg. 7:13). Parched grain was sometimes used for food without any other preparation (Ruth 2:14).

Bread was prepared by kneading in wooden bowls or “kneading troughs” (Gen. 18:6; Ex. 12:34; Jer. 7:18). The dough was mixed with leaven and made into thin cakes, round or oval, and then baked. The bread eaten at the Passover was always…

Smith's Bible Dictionary

The preparation of bread as an article of food dates from a very early period. (Genesis 18:6) The corn or grain employed was of various sorts. The best bread was made of wheat, but "barley" and spelt were also used. (John 6:9,13; Isaiah 28:25) The process of making bread was as follows: the flour was first mixed with water or milk; it was then kneaded with the hands (in Egypt with the feet also) in a small wooden bowl or "kneading-trough" until it became dough. (Exodus 12:34,39; 2 Samuel 13:3; Jeremiah 7:18) When the kneading was completed, leaven was generally added [LEAVEN]; but when the time for preparation was short…

American Tract Society Bible Dictionary

A word which in Scripture is often put for food in general, Ge 3:19 18:5 28:20 Ex 2:20 Le 11:3. Manna is called bread from heaven, Ex 16:4. Bread, in the proper and literal sense, usually means cakes made of wheaten flour; barely being used chiefly by the poor and for feeding horses. The wheat was ground daily, in small stone mills; the flour was made into dough in a wooden trough, and subsequently leavened, Ex 12:34 Ho 7:4. It was then made into cakes, and baked.

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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