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Leviticus 22:8 — Word Study

Depth

WLCנְבֵלָ֧ה וּטְרֵפָ֛ה לֹ֥א יֹאכַ֖ל לְטָמְאָה־ בָ֑הּ אֲנִ֖י יְהוָֽה׃

BSAHe must notlôʼ eatʼâkal anything found deadnᵉbêlâh [a carcass, dying of itself] or torn by wild animalsṭᵉrêphâh [torn apart, attacked by beasts] which would make him uncleanṭâmêʼ [defiled, contaminated, morally or ceremonially foul] Iʼănîy [the Lord, the national name for God] am the LORDYᵉhôvâh [the supreme God, Yehovah]

Word
Listen & take awayLeviticus 22
English ↓ Download MP3 The Berean Standard Bible chapter audio already hosted for the site's Bible section — verse 8 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 (Yah.weh) — no per-word recordings of the Hebrew exist to link to.
Take it away
Leviticus 22:8quick helps
In a sentenceThe priest is instructed not to eat anything that is dead or torn, as it would render him unclean.
Who is speakingThe LORD, giving commandments to the priests.
Where we areThis verse is part of the laws concerning the priesthood and their dietary restrictions.
The hard wordנְבֵלָה
Take awayThe priest must maintain ceremonial purity by avoiding certain foods.
6 commentators on this verse Gill, Jamieson, Trapp, Cambridge & more — read them › clause subjectאֲנִי verbאָכַל 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 — Leviticus 22:8

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 — Laws for the Priestsgenerated

7When the sun has set, he will become clean, and then he may eat from the sacred offerings, for they are his food.
8He must not eat anything found dead or torn by wild animals, which would make him unclean. I am the LORD.
9The priests must keep My charge, lest they bear the guilt and die because they profane it. I am the LORD who sanctifies them.
10No one outside a priest’s family may eat the sacred offering, nor may the guest of a priest or his hired hand eat it.

Leviticus 22:8 provides specific dietary laws for priests, emphasizing their need for ceremonial cleanliness. This instruction is part of a broader set of regulations aimed at maintaining holiness among those who serve in the sanctuary. The surrounding verses detail the importance of these laws and the consequences of failing to observe them, as seen in Leviticus 22:9 and Leviticus 22:7.


Cross References

ReferenceText (BSB)
1Leviticus 17:15And any person, whether native or foreigner, who eats anything found dead or mauled by wild beasts must wash his clothes and bathe with water, and he will be unclean until evening; then he will be clean.
2Exodus 22:31You are to be My holy people. You must not eat the meat of a mauled animal found in the field; you are to throw it to the dogs.
3Deuteronomy 14:21You are not to eat any carcass; you may give it to the foreigner residing within your gates, and he may eat it, or you may sell it to a foreigner. For you are a holy people belonging to the LORD your God. You must not cook a young goat in its mother’s milk.
4Ezekiel 44:31The priests may not eat any bird or animal found dead or torn by wild beasts.

The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 4 references, hung on the phrase they belong to

That which dieth of itself, or is torn with beasts, he shall not eat to defile himself therewith: I am the LORD.Leviticus 17:15 Exodus 22:31 Deuteronomy 14:21 Ezekiel 44:31

The Key Word נְבֵלָה, ne.ve.Lahgenerated

The term נְבֵלָה (nevelah) is a feminine noun referring to a carcass or dead body, applicable to both humans and animals. It is derived from a root meaning 'to be flabby', emphasizing the state of decay associated with a dead body.

In this context, the word indicates something that is unclean, and it is prohibited for the priest to consume it. The implications of this prohibition extend to maintaining ritual purity, as consuming a carcass would defile the priest.


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 main verb is יֹאכַ֖ל (yo.khal), meaning 'he will eat', which governs the sentence. The structure emphasizes the prohibition against eating, with the clauses detailing what is forbidden.

The sentence's flow is clear: it begins with a negation, followed by the action of eating, and concludes with the consequence of becoming unclean, thus establishing a clear relationship between the actions and their implications.


Septuagint Backgroundgenerated

The Septuagint translates נְבֵלָה as θνησιμαῖον, which also means 'a dead body' or 'carcass'. This choice reflects a direct translation of the Hebrew meaning.

For וּטְרֵפָה, the Greek θηριάλωτον indicates a torn animal, maintaining the original sense of the Hebrew while adapting to the Greek audience.


In plain words — the whole versegenerated

Leviticus 22:8 instructs priests not to eat anything that is dead or has been torn by wild animals, as this would make them unclean. The verse emphasizes the importance of maintaining ritual purity in their service to God.


Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated

What does it mean for the priest to be unclean?

Being unclean means that the priest is not fit to perform sacred duties or enter the holy places until he has undergone purification.

Why are these dietary restrictions important?

These restrictions are crucial for maintaining the holiness and purity required of the priests, as they represent the people before God.

What happens if a priest eats something unclean?

If a priest consumes something that is unclean, he would be defiled and unable to perform his priestly duties until he is cleansed.

How do these laws apply to us today?

While the specific dietary laws for priests do not apply to Christians, the principle of maintaining spiritual purity is still relevant in our lives.


Reflection Questionsgenerated

  1. What are some ways we can maintain purity in our lives today?
  2. How do we discern what is clean or unclean in our spiritual practices?
  3. In what ways can we support one another in adhering to spiritual disciplines?
  4. How does understanding these laws enhance our appreciation for the holiness of God?

Commentators on this verse — 6 expositors, verse by verse

Each of these wrote on Leviticus 22:8 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.

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

That which dieth of itself, or is torn [with beasts],.... Whether fowls or beasts, and even clean ones, which, had they been killed in a proper manner, were fit to cut, but dying of themselves, or

Read John Gill on Leviticus 22 →
Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's Commentary

And when the sun is down, he shall be clean, and shall afterward eat of the holy things; because it is his food. No JFB commentary on these verses.

Read Robert Jamieson on Leviticus 22 →
John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

Leviticus 22:8 That which dieth of itself, or is torn [with beasts], he shall not eat to defile himself therewith: I [am] the LORD. Ver. 8. See on Leviticus 17:15 Exodus 22:31.

Read John Trapp on Leviticus 22 →
CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

8. Cp. Leviticus 17:15. 10–16 describe those to whom, outside the priestly body, permission to eat of the holy things may be extended.

Read Cambridge on Leviticus 22 →
Albert Barnes1798–1870Barnes' Notes on the Bible

The pollution in the priests would be an aggravated one, inasmuch as they would have to forego their sacred functions. Compare Ezekiel 4:14; Ezekiel 44:31.

Read Albert Barnes on Leviticus 22 →
Daniel Denison Whedon1808–1885Whedon's Commentary on the Bible

8. Dieth of itself — This is prohibited on ceremonial grounds, because the blood is in the veins, and on sanitary grounds, because the blood corrupts and poisons the flesh.

Read Daniel Denison Whedon on Leviticus 22 →

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

He must not eat anything found dead or torn by wild animals, which would make him unclean. I am the LORD.

WEBWorld English Bible2000

He shall not eat that which dies of itself or is torn by animals, defiling himself by it. I am Yahweh.

MSBMajority Standard Bible2022

He must not eat anything found dead or torn by wild animals, which would make him unclean. I am the LORD.

NETBNew English Translation2006

He must not eat an animal that has died of natural causes or an animal torn by beasts and thus become unclean by it. I am the Lord.

Tyndale line

KJVKing James Version1611

That which dieth of itself, or is torn with beasts, he shall not eat to defile himself therewith: I am the LORD.

ASVAmerican Standard Version1901

That which dieth of itself, or is torn of beasts, he shall not eat, to defile himself therewith: I am Jehovah.

RVARevised Version, American1894

That which dieth of itself, or is torn of beasts, he shall not eat to defile himself therewith: I am the LORD.

NWBWebster's Bible1833

That which dieth of itself, or is torn by beasts , he shall not eat to defile himself with it: I am the LORD.

GNVGeneva Bible1599

Of a beast that dyeth, or is rent with beasts, whereby he may be defiled, hee shall not eate: I am the Lord.

Strictly literal

DBYDarby Translation1890

Of a dead carcase and what is torn shall he not eat, to make himself unclean therewith: I am Jehovah.

YLTYoung's Literal Translation1862

a carcase or torn thing he doth not eat, for uncleanness thereby; I [am] Jehovah.

LSVLiteral Standard Version2020

he does not eat a carcass or torn thing, to become unclean with it; I [am] YHWH.

ILTInterlinear Literal Translation2000

That which dieth of itself, or is torn by beasts, shall he not eat, to defile himself therewith: I am the Lord.

ULBUnlocked Literal Bible2017

He must not eat anything found dead or killed by wild animals, by which he would defile himself. I am Yahweh.

From the Latin

DRADouay-Rheims (Challoner)1899

That which dieth of itself, and that which was taken by a beast, they shall not eat, nor be defiled therewith, I am the Lord.

Simplified

FBVFree Bible Version2020

He must not eat anything that has died, or has been killed by wild animals, because that would make him unclean. I am the Lord.

BBEBible in Basic English1949

That which comes to a natural death, or is attacked by beasts, he may not take as food, for it will make him unclean: I am the Lord.

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.

clausenoun phrase · objectנְבֵלָ֧הa.carcassוּandטְרֵפָ֛הa.torn.animaladverbialלֹ֥אnotverbיֹאכַ֖לhe.will.eatprepositional phrase · prepositionalלְtoclauseverbטָמְאָהbecome.uncleanprepositional phrase · prepositionalבָ֑byהּitclausesubjectאֲנִ֖יIpredicateיְהוָֽה[am].Yahweh

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


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

The Masoretic Text closely aligns with the Septuagint, with 7 of the 8 words matching. The Samaritan Pentateuch differs in one word, using יאכלו instead of the singular form, indicating a plural command. The Dead Sea Scrolls show partial restoration, confirming the essence of the command.

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

נְבֵלָ֧ה וּטְרֵפָ֛ה לֹ֥א יֹאכַ֖ל לְטָמְאָה־ בָ֑הּ אֲנִ֖י יְהוָֽה׃

Septuagintthe Greek the translators chose, word by word
נְבֵלָ֧הθνησιμαῖονוּטְרֵפָ֛הθηριάλωτονלֹ֥אοὐיֹאכַ֖לφάγεταιבָ֑הּαὐτοῖςאֲנִ֖יἐγὼיְהוָֽה׃κύριος

7 of the 8 words are matched. This is the word-by-word correspondence, not the Septuagint's own sentence — its word order and its articles are its own.

Samaritan Pentateuchthe Torah as the Samaritan community kept it

נבלה וטרפה לא יאכלו לטמאה בה אני יהוה

1 word differs from the Masoretic Text: יאכלו (eat)

Dead Sea Scrolls — 4Q24a copy a thousand years older than the Leningrad Codex

נבלה וטרפה לא יאכל [לטמא׳ה] [ב׳ה] אני יהוה

4 words on the leather — 2 partly restored, 2 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.

Leviticus 22:8נְבֵלָהa carcassa carcassנְבֵלָהטְרֵפָהand a torn and a torn animטְרֵפָהלֹאnotnotלֹאאָכַלhe will eathe will eatאָכַלטָמֵאto become uto become uncleטָמֵאהָby itby itהָאֲנִיIIאֲנִייהוה[am] Yahweh[am] Yahwehיהוהנָבֵלbe senselebe senselessנָבֵלאָֽנֹכִ֫יIIאָֽנֹכִ֫יהָיָהto beto beהָיָהטֶ֫רֶףpreypreyטֶ֫רֶףנְאֻםutteranceutteranceנְאֻםטְרֵפָהtorn animatorn animalטְרֵפָהמַאֲכָלfoodfoodמַאֲכָלנְבֵלָהcarcasscarcassנְבֵלָהחֵ֫לֶבfatfatחֵ֫לֶביָכֹלbe ablebe ableיָכֹלעוֹדstillstillעוֹדשָׁתָהto drinkto drinkשָׁתָהלֶ֫חֶםfoodfoodלֶ֫חֶםעֶ֫רֶבeveningeveningעֶ֫רֶברָחַץto wash: wto wash: washרָחַץיָדַעto knowto knowיָדַעצָבָאarmyarmyצָבָא
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 Leviticus 22:8

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.

a carcass and a torn animal not he will eat to become unclean by it I [am] Yahweh
נְבֵלָ֧הne.ve.Lah a carcass H5038 Noun common · feminine singular absolute
48× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This Hebrew word refers to a dead body or carcass, whether human or animal, often translated as 'dead body' or 'carcass'. It can also symbolize an idol.
Amplified meaning
a carcass, dying of itself
Tyndale gloss
carcass
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

נְבֵלָה (nevelah) refers to a carcass or corpse, applicable to both humans and animals. It can also denote carrion and, in a figurative sense, an idol. The word is derived from a root meaning 'to be flabby' and encompasses the idea of a dead body, whether it died naturally or otherwise.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

נְבֵלָה n.f. carcass, corpse

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H5038 נְבֵלָה carcass, corpse

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

5038 nbelah neb-ay-law'

from 5034; a flabby thing, i.e. a carcase or carrion (human

or bestial, often collectively); figuratively, an idol:--

(dead) body, (dead) carcase, dead of itself, which died,

(beast) that (which) dieth of itself.

see HEBREW for 05034

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

נְבֵלָה (ne.ve.lah) — carcass.

1) carcass, corpse

1a) of humans, idols, animals

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-fs — Noun common · feminine singular absolute
HNcfsa
a carcass and a torn animal not he will eat to become unclean by it I [am] Yahweh
וּטְרֵפָ֛הu.te.re.Fah and a torn animal H2966 Conjunction · noun common feminine singular absolute
9× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This word refers to an animal that has been torn apart by another animal. In Exodus 22:13 and Leviticus 7:24, it describes the remains of an animal that has been attacked by a predator.
Amplified meaning
torn apart, attacked by beasts
Tyndale gloss
torn animal
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

טְרֵפָה (trephah) refers to an animal that has been torn, typically by wild beasts. It is derived from a related term and denotes prey or flesh that has been ravaged. The entries consistently emphasize its meaning related to torn animals and do not present any significant disagreements.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

טְרֵפָה n.f. animal torn (by wild beasts); torn flesh

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H2966 טְרֵפָה animal torn (by wild beasts); torn flesh

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

2966 trephah ter-ay-faw'

feminine (collectively) of 2964; prey, i.e. flocks devoured

by animals:--ravin, (that which was) torn (of beasts, in

pieces).

see HEBREW for 02964

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

טְרֵפָה (te.re.phah) — torn animal.

that which is torn, animal torn (by beasts)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Conj | N-fs — Conjunction · noun common feminine singular absolute
HC/Ncfsa
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

an'-i-mal: See under the various names and also the general article on ZOOLOGY.

Easton's Bible Dictionary

Animal

An organized living creature endowed with sensation. The Levitical law divided animals into clean and unclean, although the distinction seems to have existed before the Flood (Gen. 7:2). The clean could be offered in sacrifice and eaten. All animals that had not cloven hoofs and did not chew the cud were unclean. The list of clean and unclean quadrupeds is set forth in the Levitical law (Deut. 14:3-20; Lev. 11).

a carcass and a torn animal not he will eat to become unclean by it I [am] Yahweh
לֹ֥אlo' not H3808 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
Part — Particle
HTn
The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
a carcass and a torn animal not he will eat to become unclean by it I [am] Yahweh
יֹאכַ֖לyo.Khal he will eat H398 Verb · Qal · imperfect third person masculine singular
810× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This word means to eat or devour, and it's used in many stories, including when Jesus fed the 5000 with fish and bread in the book of Matthew. It's about taking in nourishment and being satisfied.
Tyndale gloss
to eat
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

אָכַל (akal) means 'to eat' and encompasses a wide range of meanings, including literal consumption by humans and animals, as well as figurative uses like devouring by fire or destruction. It can describe actions such as feeding or causing to eat, and it also appears in contexts of oppression and destruction. The verb has various forms, indicating different subjects and nuances.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

אָכַל 806 vb. eat

Qal

eat, human subject

of beasts, birds, etc., eat, devour

fig. of fire, devour, consume

of sword, devour, slay

in genl., devour, consume, destroy

fig. of oppression, devour the poor

Niph.

be eaten by man

be devoured by fire, consumed

be wasted, destroyed, of flesh

Pu. be consumed

Hiph.

cause to eat, feed with

cause to devoure, obj. sword

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H398 אָכַל eat .. eat, human subject

. of beasts, birds, etc., eat, devour

. fig. of fire, devour, consume

. of sword, devour, slay

. in genl., devour, consume, destroy

. fig. of oppression, devour the poor

. . be eaten by man

. be devoured by fire, consumed

. be wasted, destroyed, of flesh

. be consumed

. . cause to eat, feed with

. cause to devoure, obj. sword

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

398 'akal aw-kal'

a primitive root; to eat (literally or figuratively):--X at

all, burn up, consume, devour(-er, up), dine, eat(-er, up),

feed (with), food, X freely, X in...wise(-deed, plenty), (lay)

meat, X quite.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

אָכַל (a.khal) — to eat.

1) to eat, devour, burn up, feed

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to eat (human subject)

1a2) to eat, devour (of beasts and birds)

1a3) to devour, consume (of fire)

1a4) to devour, slay (of sword)

1a5) to devour, consume, destroy (inanimate subjects - ie, pestilence, drought)

1a6) to devour (of oppression)

1b) (Niphal)

1b1) to be eaten (by men)

1b2) to be devoured, consumed (of fire)

1b3) to be wasted, destroyed (of flesh)

1c) (Pual)

1c1) to cause to eat, feed with

1c2) to cause to devour

1d) (Hiphil)

1d1) to feed

1d2) to cause to eat

1e) (Piel)

1e1) consume

Aramaic equivalent: a.khal (אֲכַל "to devour" H0399)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
V-Qal-Imperf-3ms — Verb · Qal · imperfect third person masculine singular
HVqi3ms
a carcass and a torn animal not he will eat to become unclean by it I [am] Yahweh
לְטָמְאָה־le.ta.me.'ah- to become unclean H2930 Preposition · verb qal infinitive construct common
162× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This Hebrew word means to be foul or contaminated, often in a moral or ceremonial sense. It is used in the Bible to describe something that is unclean or polluted. In the book of Leviticus, it talks about being unclean and how to become clean again.
Amplified meaning
defiled, contaminated, morally or ceremonially foul
Tyndale gloss
to defile
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

טָמֵא (tame') is a Hebrew root meaning to be or become unclean, covering various contexts such as sexual, religious, and ceremonial impurity. The noun form, טָמְאָה (tam'ah), refers to uncleanness itself. The entries indicate that the word can be used reflexively to mean defiling oneself.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

טָמֵא vb. be or become unclean

Qal be or become unclean

Niph. defile oneself, be defiled

Pi. defile

Pu. myself is not polluted

Hithp.—reflexive, defile oneself

Hothp. after that she has been defiled

base

טָמְאָה n.f. uncleanness Mi 2:10

ref

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H2930a טָמֵא be or become unclean .be or become unclean

. defile oneself, be defiled

. defile

. myself is not pulluted

.—reflexive, defile oneself

. after that she has been defiled

H2930b טָמְאָה uncleanness

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

2930 tame' taw-may'

a primitive root; to be foul, especially in a ceremial or

moral sense (contaminated):--defile (self), pollute (self), be

(make, make self, pronounce) unclean, X utterly.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

טָמֵא (ta.me) — to defile.

1) to be unclean, become unclean, become impure

1a) (Qal) to be or become unclean

1a1) sexually

1a2) religiously

1a3) ceremonially

1b) (Niphal)

1b1) to defile oneself, be defiled

1b1a) sexually

1b1b) by idolatry

1b1c) ceremonially

1b2) to be regarded as unclean

1c) (Piel)

1c1) to defile

1c1a) sexually

1c1b) religiously

1c1c) ceremonially

1c2) to pronounce unclean, declare unclean (ceremonially)

1c3) to profane (God's name)

1d) (Pual) to be defiled

1e) (Hithpael) to be unclean

1f) (Hothpael) to be defiled

טָמְאָה (tam.ah) — uncleanness.

uncleanness

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Prep | V-Qal-Inf-a — Preposition · verb qal infinitive construct common
HR/Vqcc
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
American Tract Society Bible Dictionary

See CLEAN.

Nave's Topical Bible

→ (Ceremonially speaking)

Creatures designated as such Le 11; De 14

→ See UNCLEANNESS

a carcass and a torn animal not he will eat to become unclean by it I [am] Yahweh
בָ֑הּVah by it H9034 Preposition · suffix
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

הָ (ha) — her.

Personal object pronoun - suffix for propositions and verbs without an object: 3rd person feminine singular

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
HRd/Sp3fs — Preposition · suffix
HRd/Sp3fs
a carcass and a torn animal not he will eat to become unclean by it I [am] Yahweh
אֲנִ֖י'a.Ni I H589 Pronoun
874× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This Hebrew word is a simple way of saying 'I' or 'me', often used for emphasis. It is used by people like David in the Psalms to express their thoughts and feelings. The word is a basic part of the Hebrew language.
Amplified meaning
the Lord, the national name for God
Tyndale gloss
I
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

אֲנִי, transliterated as aniy, is a first-person singular pronoun meaning 'I' or 'me.' It is often used for emphasis and can also imply possession, as in 'mine' or 'myself.' The word is derived from a form that indicates self-reference, and it appears in various contexts throughout the Old Testament.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

אֲנִי, אָ֑נִי pron. 1s. comm. I

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H589 אֲנִי, אָ֑נִי I

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

589 'aniy an-ee'

contracted from 595; I:--I, (as for) me, mine, myself, we, X

which, X who.

see HEBREW for 0595

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

אֲנִי (a.ni) — I.

I (first pers. sing. -usually used for emphasis)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Pron — Pronoun
HPp1bs
a carcass and a torn animal not he will eat to become unclean by it I [am] Yahweh
יְהוָֽה׃Yah.weh [am] Yahweh H3068 Noun proper
6,528× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
Yehovah is another name for God, often translated as 'the Lord'. It is a national name for God in the Jewish faith. This name is used throughout the Old Testament.
Amplified meaning
the supreme God, Yehovah
Tyndale gloss
The Lord
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

יְהֹוָה (ye.ho.vah) is the proper name of the God of Israel, often rendered as Jehovah or the Lord. It signifies the self-existent or eternal nature of God. The name is closely associated with the revelation to Moses in Exodus 3:12-15 and is used in conjunction with other terms to denote sacred places. Some scholars suggest it derives from a root meaning 'to bring into being.'

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

יהוה c. 6823 i.e. יַהְוֶה n.pr.dei Yahweh, the proper name of the God of Israel—(1. MT יְהֹוָה 6518 (Qr אֲדֹנָי), or יֱהֹוִה 305 (Qr אֱלֹהִים) 2. Many recent scholars explain יַהְוֶה as Hiph. of הוה (= היה) the one bringing into being, life-giver)

יהוה is not used by E in Gn, but is given Ex 3:12-15 as the name of the God who revealed Himself to Moses at Horeb

יהוה is used with אלהים and suffixes, especially in D

the phrase † אֲנִי יהוה is noteworthy

יהוה is also used with several predicates, to form sacred names of holy places of Yahweh

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H3068 יהוה i.e. יַהְוֶה n. pr. dei Yahweh, the proper name of the God of Israel

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

3068 Yhovah yeh-ho-vaw'

from 1961; (the) self-Existent or Eternal; Jehovah, Jewish

national name of God:--Jehovah, the Lord. Compare 3050, 3069.

see HEBREW for 01961

see HEBREW for 03050

see HEBREW for 03069

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

יְהֹוָה (ye.ho.vah) — LORD.

Jehovah = "the existing One"

1) the proper name of the one true God

1a) unpronounced except with the vowel pointings of a.do.na (אֲדֹנָי "Lord" H0136)

יְהֹוָה (ye.ho.vah) — The Lord.

Another name of ye.ru.sha.laim (יְרוּשָׁלִַ֫ם, יְרוּשְׁלֵם "Jerusalem" H3389)

יְהֹוָה (ye.ho.vah) — (Jerusalem of) the Lord.

Combined with ye.ru.sha.laim (יְרוּשָׁלִַ֫ם, יְרוּשְׁלֵם "Jerusalem" H3389)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-proper — Noun proper
HNpt
The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
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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