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Leviticus 24:21 — Word Study

Depth

WLCוּמַכֵּ֥ה בְהֵמָ֖ה יְשַׁלְּמֶ֑נָּה וּמַכֵּ֥ה אָדָ֖ם יוּמָֽת׃

BSAWhoever killsnâkâh [any person, an individual, smiteth, to strike or hit] an animalbᵉhêmâh [beast, livestock] must make restitutionshâlam [restore, repay, to make good, replace] but whoever killsnâkâh [any person, an individual, smiteth, to strike or hit] a manʼâdâm [Adam, humanity] must be put to deathmûwth [executed, slain, punished]

Word
Listen & take awayLeviticus 24
English ↓ Download MP3 The Berean Standard Bible chapter audio already hosted for the site's Bible section — verse 21 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 (yu.Mat) — no per-word recordings of the Hebrew exist to link to.
Take it away
Leviticus 24:21quick helps
In a sentenceThis verse outlines the consequences for killing animals and humans, emphasizing the need for restitution or punishment.
Who is speakingThe LORD, through Moses, is establishing laws for the Israelites.
Where we areIn the context of laws concerning personal injury and restitution.
The hard wordיְשַׁלְּמֶ֑נָּה
Take awayThe distinction between animals and humans in terms of legal and moral responsibility.
4 commentators on this verse Gill, Jamieson, Ellicott, Cambridge & more — read them › clause verbמוּת 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 24:21

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 of Restitution and Punishmentgenerated

20fracture for fracture, eye for eye, tooth for tooth. Just as he injured the other person, the same must be inflicted on him.
21Whoever kills an animal must make restitution, but whoever kills a man must be put to death.
22You are to have the same standard of law for the foreign resident and the native; for I am the LORD your God.’”
23Then Moses spoke to the Israelites, and they took the blasphemer outside the camp and stoned him. So the Israelites did as the LORD had commanded Moses.

Leviticus 24:21 is part of a larger section that outlines various laws regarding restitution for injuries and the consequences of taking life. Here, the text contrasts the treatment of animals with that of humans, establishing a clear legal framework for the Israelites to follow, emphasizing the sanctity of human life. This verse is situated within a series of laws that reflect God's justice and the need for accountability in society.


Cross References

ReferenceText (BSB)
1Leviticus 24:18Whoever kills an animal must make restitution—life for life.
2Exodus 21:33If a man opens or digs a pit and fails to cover it, and an ox or a donkey falls into it,

The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 2 references, hung on the phrase they belong to


The Key Word יְשַׁלְּמֶ֑נָּה, ye.shal.le.Me.nahgenerated

The verb שָׁלֵם (shalam) means to make restitution or to repay, indicating a requirement to restore what has been lost or damaged. The parsing as a piel imperfect indicates an ongoing or future action, suggesting that the act of making restitution is a necessary response to wrongdoing.

In this context, it emphasizes the obligation of the one who causes harm to make amends, reinforcing the principle of justice and responsibility within the community.


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 sentence contains two main clauses connected by the conjunction וּ (and). The first clause states the requirement for restitution when an animal is killed, while the second clause presents the consequence for killing a man.

The structure highlights the contrast between the two actions and their respective consequences, emphasizing the seriousness of taking human life compared to that of animals.


Septuagint Backgroundgenerated

The Septuagint translates וּמַכֵּ֥ה as πατάχῃ (patakhē), which carries the meaning of striking or hitting. This choice reflects the translators' understanding of the Hebrew term's implications of violence.

The LXX uses ἄνθρωπον (anthrōpon) for אָדָ֖ם, reinforcing the idea of humanity in the context of legal punishment.


In plain words — the whole versegenerated

Leviticus 24:21 states that if someone kills an animal, they must repay for it, but if they kill a person, they must be put to death. This establishes a clear distinction in the consequences of harming animals versus humans, highlighting the value of human life.


Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated

What does it mean to make restitution for killing an animal?

It means the person who killed the animal must compensate the owner for the loss, restoring what was taken.

Why is the punishment for killing a man different from that for killing an animal?

The verse emphasizes the greater value and sanctity of human life, which carries a heavier consequence for taking it.

How does this verse relate to the concept of justice in the Bible?

It reflects the principle of proportional justice, where the punishment fits the crime, and highlights the importance of accountability in society.

What can we learn about the treatment of animals versus humans from this verse?

It teaches that while animals are valuable, human life is held to a higher standard, necessitating stricter consequences for harm.


Reflection Questionsgenerated

  1. How do I understand the value of human life in my own life and community?
  2. What responsibilities do I have when it comes to restitution for wrongs I have committed?
  3. In what ways can I promote justice and accountability in my relationships?
  4. How can this verse inform my understanding of the sanctity of life?

Commentators on this verse — 4 expositors, verse by verse

Each of these wrote on Leviticus 24:21 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.

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

And he that killeth a beast, he shall restore it,.... The same as in Leviticus 24:18, which is repeated for the confirmation of it, and that it might be observed, though Jarchi takes it to be a

Read John Gill on Leviticus 24 →
Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's Commentary

And he that killeth any man shall surely be put to death. He that killeth any man.

Read Robert Jamieson on Leviticus 24 →
Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(21) And he that killeth a beast.—This verse contains a repetition of the laws enacted in Leviticus 24:17-18.

Read Charles John Ellicott on Leviticus 24 →
CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

21. A repetition, introduced apparently in order to emphasize the direction to exercise no discrimination (Leviticus 24:22) between ‘the stranger’ and the ‘homeborn.’ P repeatedly urges this matter. Cp. Exodus 12:49; Leviticus 16:29; Leviticus 17:15, etc.

Read Cambridge on Leviticus 24 →

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

Whoever kills an animal must make restitution, but whoever kills a man must be put to death.

WEBWorld English Bible2000

He who kills an animal shall make it good; and he who kills a man shall be put to death.

MSBMajority Standard Bible2022

Whoever kills an animal must make restitution, but whoever kills a man must be put to death.

NETBNew English Translation2006

One who beats an animal to death must make restitution for it, but one who beats a person to death must be put to death.

Tyndale line

KJVKing James Version1611

And he that killeth a beast, he shall restore it: and he that killeth a man, he shall be put to death.

ASVAmerican Standard Version1901

And he that killeth a beast shall make it good: and he that killeth a man shall be put to death.

RVARevised Version, American1894

And he that killeth a beast shall make it good: and he that killeth a man shall be put to death.

NWBWebster's Bible1833

And he that killeth a beast, he shall restore it: and he that killeth a man, he shall be put to death.

GNVGeneva Bible1599

And he that killeth a beast shall restore it: but he that killeth a man shall be slaine.

Strictly literal

DBYDarby Translation1890

He that smiteth a beast [mortally] shall make it good; and he that smiteth a man [mortally] shall be put to death.

YLTYoung's Literal Translation1862

'And he who smiteth a beast repayeth it, and he who smiteth [the life of] man is put to death;

LSVLiteral Standard Version2020

And he who strikes a beast repays it, and he who strikes [the life of] man is put to death.

ILTInterlinear Literal Translation2000

And he that killeth a beast, shall make restitution for it; and he that killeth a man, shall be put to death.

ULBUnlocked Literal Bible2017

Anyone who kills an animal must pay it back, and anyone who kills a person must be put to death.

From the Latin

DRADouay-Rheims (Challoner)1899

He that striketh a beast, shall render another. He that striketh a man shall be punished.

Simplified

FBVFree Bible Version2020

Anyone who kills an animal has to replace it, but anyone who kills someone else must be executed.

BBEBible in Basic English1949

He who puts a beast to death will have to make payment for it; he who puts a man to death will himself be put to death.

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.

וּandclausenoun phrase · subjectמַכֵּ֥ה[one.who].strikes.downבְהֵמָ֖ה(of).an.animalverbיְשַׁלְּמֶ֑heobjectנָּהwill.repay.itוּandclausenoun phrase · subjectמַכֵּ֥ה[one.who].strikes.downאָדָ֖ם(of).a.personverbיוּמָֽתhe.will.be.put.to.death

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


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

The Masoretic Text is supported by the Samaritan Pentateuch, which agrees word for word. The Dead Sea Scrolls show partial agreement with the Masoretic Text, although some words are restored by an editor.

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

וּמַכֵּ֥ה בְהֵמָ֖ה יְשַׁלְּמֶ֑נָּה וּמַכֵּ֥ה אָדָ֖ם יוּמָֽת׃

Septuagintthe Greek the translators chose, word by word
וּמַכֵּ֥הπατάχῃאָדָ֖םἄνθρωπονיוּמָֽת׃θανατούσθω

3 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.

Samaritan Pentateuchthe Torah as the Samaritan community kept it

ומכה בהמה ישׁלמנה ומכה אדם יומת

Agrees with the Masoretic Text here, word for word.

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

[ומכה] [בהמה] [ישלמ׳נה] ומכה אדם יומת

2 words on the leather — 1 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.

Leviticus 24:21נָכָהand [one whand [one who] sנָכָהבְּהֵמָהan animalan animalבְּהֵמָהשָׁלֵםhe will rephe will repay iשָׁלֵםנָכָהand [one whand [one who] sנָכָהאָדָםa persona personאָדָםמוּתhe will be he will be put מוּתאָדֹםto reddento reddenאָדֹםמַכָּהwoundwoundמַכָּהפְּלִשְׁתִּי(Sea of th(Sea of the) Phפְּלִשְׁתִּיעוֹףbirdbirdעוֹףאָדָםthe man (Athe man (Adam)אָדָםנֶ֫דֶרvowvowנֶ֫דֶרדְּמוּתlikenesslikenessדְּמוּתבְּהֵמָהanimalanimalבְּהֵמָהרָצַחto murderto murderרָצַחקָבַרto buryto buryקָבַר
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 24:21

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.

and [one who] strikes down an animal he will repay it and [one who] strikes down a person he will be put to death
וּמַכֵּ֥הu.ma.Keh and [one who] strikes down H5221 Conjunction · verb hiphil participle (active) masculine singular common
500× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
In the Bible, this Hebrew word means to strike or hit something, and it's used in many different ways, like in Exodus when God strikes down the Egyptians. It can also mean to punish or destroy, as seen in Isaiah. The word is used to describe God's judgment.
Amplified meaning
any person, an individual, smiteth, to strike or hit
Tyndale gloss
to smite
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

נָכָה (nakah) is a Hebrew verb meaning to strike or smite, encompassing a range of actions from lightly hitting to fatal blows. It appears in various forms, indicating actions like attacking, punishing, or causing disease. The entries suggest its use in both literal and figurative contexts, including divine judgment and applause. There is no significant disagreement among the lexicons regarding its meanings.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

[נָכָה] 501 vb. smite (not in Qal)

Niph. and he shall be smitten [struck by weapon in battle] and die

Pu. both be smitten down by the hail

Hiph.

lit., smite (with a single, non-fatal, blow), strike

smite repeatedly, beat a man

and they clapped hands (in applause)

give a thrust (with fork) into pot; strike roots

rarely smite (in battle) so as (merely) to wound

smite, of sun

Smite fatally

Smite = attack, attack and destroy a company

Of God

smite with a plague, disease, etc.

smite = chastise, or send judgment upon

of God’s destroying palaces

Hoph. be smitten

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H5221 נָכָה smite (not in Qal) . and he shall be smitten [struck by weapon in battle] and die

. both be smitten down by the hail

. . . lit., smite (with a single, non-fatal, blow), strike

. smite repeatedly, beat a man

. and they clapped hands (in applause)

. give a thrust (with fork) into pot; strike roots

. rarely smite (in battle) so as (merely) to wound

. smite, of sun

. Smite fatally

. Smite = attack, attack and destroy a company

. Of God . smite with a plague, disease, etc.

. smite = chastise, or send judgment upon

. of God’s destroying palaces

. be smitten

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

5221 nakah naw-kaw'

a primitive root; to strike (lightly or severely, literally

or figuratively):--beat, cast forth, clap, give (wounds), X

go forward, X indeed, kill, make (slaughter), murderer,

punish, slaughter, slay(-er, -ing), smite(-r, -ing), strike,

be stricken, (give) stripes, X surely, wound.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

נָכָה (na.khah) — to smite.

1) to strike, smite, hit, beat, slay, kill

1a)(Niphal) to be stricken or smitten

1b) (Pual) to be stricken or smitten

1c) (Hiphil)

1c1) to smite, strike, beat, scourge, clap, applaud, give a thrust

1c2) to smite, kill, slay (man or beast)

1c3) to smite, attack, attack and destroy, conquer, subjugate, ravage

1c4) to smite, chastise, send judgment upon, punish, destroy

1d) (Hophal) to be smitten

1d1) to receive a blow

1d2) to be wounded

1d3) to be beaten

1d4) to be (fatally) smitten, be killed, be slain

1d5) to be attacked and captured

1d6) to be smitten (with disease)

1d7) to be blighted (of plants)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Conj | V-Hiphil — Conjunction · verb hiphil participle (active) masculine singular common
HC/Vhrmsc
and [one who] strikes down an animal he will repay it and [one who] strikes down a person he will be put to death
בְהֵמָ֖הve.he.Mah an animal H929 Noun common · feminine singular absolute
190× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This word refers to animals, especially large quadruped mammals. It's used in the Bible to describe livestock, wild beasts, and other creatures. It appears in stories of creation, farming, and wildlife.
Amplified meaning
beast, livestock
Tyndale gloss
animal
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

בְּהֵמָה (bhemah) refers to a beast or animal, typically denoting domesticated livestock or cattle, and occasionally wild beasts. It is derived from a root that suggests being mute, implying a 'dumb beast.' The term encompasses all living creatures other than humans, with a specific mention of large quadrupeds.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

בְּהֵמָה 187 n.f. beast, animal, cattle

of living creatures other than man

opp. also to wild beasts

rarely of wild beasts, esp. carnivora

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H929 בְּהֵמָה beast, animal, cattle . of living creatures other than man

. opp. also to wild beasts

. rarely of wild beasts, esp. carnivora

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

929 bhemah be-hay-maw'

from an unused root (probably meaning to be mute); properly,

a dumb beast; especially any large quadruped or animal (often

collective):--beast, cattle.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

בְּהֵמָה (be.he.mah) — animal.

1) beast, cattle, animal

1a) beasts (coll of all animals)

1b) cattle, livestock (of domestic animals)

1c) wild beasts

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-fs — Noun common · feminine singular absolute
HNcfsa
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).

and [one who] strikes down an animal he will repay it and [one who] strikes down a person he will be put to death
יְשַׁלְּמֶ֑נָּהye.shal.le.Me.nah he will repay it H7999 Verb piel imperfect third person masculine singular · suffix
116× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This verb means to be at peace or to make peace with someone. It is used in the Bible to describe a state of safety or friendship. In the KJV, it is translated as 'make amends' or 'be at peace'.
Amplified meaning
restore, repay, to make good, replace
Tyndale gloss
to complete
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

שָׁלֵם (shalam) is a Hebrew root meaning to be complete or sound, covering a range of meanings from finishing or restoring to making peace. It can refer to being uninjured, completing a task, or making recompense. The verb also has a denominative form indicating a covenant of peace, suggesting relationships of harmony and safety.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

[שָׁלֵם] 103 vb. be complete, sound

Qal

be complete, finished, ended

be sound, uninjured

Pi.

complete, finish, temple

make safe

make whole or good, restore

make good, i.e. pay, vows

requite, recompense, reward

Pu.

be performed, of vow

be repaid, requited

Hiph.

complete, perform

make an end of

base

[שָׁלַם] vb. denom. be in covenant of peace

Qal be at peace

Pu. Pt. one in covt. of peace

Hiph.

make peace with

cause to be at peace

Hoph. live at peace with

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H7999a שָׁלֵם be complete, sound .. be complete, finished, ended

. be sound, uninjured

. . complete, finish, temple

. make safe

. make whole or good, restore

. make good, i.e. pay, vows

. requite, recompense, reward

. . be performed, of vow

. be repaid, requited

. . complete, perform

. make an end of

H7999b [שָׁלַם] vb. denom. be in covenant of peace .be at peace

. Pt. one in covt. of peace

. . make peace with

. cause to be at peace

. live at peace with

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

7999 shalam shaw-lam'

a primitive root; to be safe (in mind, body or estate);

figuratively, to be (causatively, make) completed; by

implication, to be friendly; by extension, to reciprocate (in

various applications):--make amends, (make an) end, finish,

full, give again, make good, (re-)pay (again), (make) (to) (be

at) peace(-able), that is perfect, perform, (make)

prosper(-ous), recompense, render, requite, make restitution,

restore, reward, X surely.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

שָׁלֵם (sa.lem) — to complete.

1) to be complete, be sound

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to be complete, be finished, be ended

1a2) to be sound, be uninjured

1b) (Piel)

1b1) to complete, finish

1b2) to make safe

1b3) to make whole or good, restore, make compensation

1b4) to make good, pay

1b5) to requite, recompense, reward

1c) (Pual)

1c1) to be performed

1c2) to be repaid, be requited

1d) (Hiphil)

1d1) to complete, perform

1d2) to make an end of

Aramaic equivalent: she.lam (שְׁלֵם "be complete" H8000)

שָׁלַם (sha.lam) — to ally.

1) to be in a covenant of peace, be at peace

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to be at peace

1a2) peaceful one (participle)

1b) (Pual) one in covenant of peace (participle)

1c) (Hiphil)

1c1) to make peace with

1c2) to cause to be at peace

1d) (Hophal) to live in peace

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
V-Piel-Imperf-3ms | Suff — Verb piel imperfect third person masculine singular · suffix
HVpi3ms/Sp3fs
and [one who] strikes down an animal he will repay it and [one who] strikes down a person he will be put to death
וּמַכֵּ֥הu.ma.Keh and [one who] strikes down H5221 Conjunction · verb hiphil participle (active) masculine singular common
500× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
In the Bible, this Hebrew word means to strike or hit something, and it's used in many different ways, like in Exodus when God strikes down the Egyptians. It can also mean to punish or destroy, as seen in Isaiah. The word is used to describe God's judgment.
Amplified meaning
any person, an individual, smiteth, to strike or hit
Tyndale gloss
to smite
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

נָכָה (nakah) is a Hebrew verb meaning to strike or smite, encompassing a range of actions from lightly hitting to fatal blows. It appears in various forms, indicating actions like attacking, punishing, or causing disease. The entries suggest its use in both literal and figurative contexts, including divine judgment and applause. There is no significant disagreement among the lexicons regarding its meanings.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

[נָכָה] 501 vb. smite (not in Qal)

Niph. and he shall be smitten [struck by weapon in battle] and die

Pu. both be smitten down by the hail

Hiph.

lit., smite (with a single, non-fatal, blow), strike

smite repeatedly, beat a man

and they clapped hands (in applause)

give a thrust (with fork) into pot; strike roots

rarely smite (in battle) so as (merely) to wound

smite, of sun

Smite fatally

Smite = attack, attack and destroy a company

Of God

smite with a plague, disease, etc.

smite = chastise, or send judgment upon

of God’s destroying palaces

Hoph. be smitten

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H5221 נָכָה smite (not in Qal) . and he shall be smitten [struck by weapon in battle] and die

. both be smitten down by the hail

. . . lit., smite (with a single, non-fatal, blow), strike

. smite repeatedly, beat a man

. and they clapped hands (in applause)

. give a thrust (with fork) into pot; strike roots

. rarely smite (in battle) so as (merely) to wound

. smite, of sun

. Smite fatally

. Smite = attack, attack and destroy a company

. Of God . smite with a plague, disease, etc.

. smite = chastise, or send judgment upon

. of God’s destroying palaces

. be smitten

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

5221 nakah naw-kaw'

a primitive root; to strike (lightly or severely, literally

or figuratively):--beat, cast forth, clap, give (wounds), X

go forward, X indeed, kill, make (slaughter), murderer,

punish, slaughter, slay(-er, -ing), smite(-r, -ing), strike,

be stricken, (give) stripes, X surely, wound.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

נָכָה (na.khah) — to smite.

1) to strike, smite, hit, beat, slay, kill

1a)(Niphal) to be stricken or smitten

1b) (Pual) to be stricken or smitten

1c) (Hiphil)

1c1) to smite, strike, beat, scourge, clap, applaud, give a thrust

1c2) to smite, kill, slay (man or beast)

1c3) to smite, attack, attack and destroy, conquer, subjugate, ravage

1c4) to smite, chastise, send judgment upon, punish, destroy

1d) (Hophal) to be smitten

1d1) to receive a blow

1d2) to be wounded

1d3) to be beaten

1d4) to be (fatally) smitten, be killed, be slain

1d5) to be attacked and captured

1d6) to be smitten (with disease)

1d7) to be blighted (of plants)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Conj | V-Hiphil — Conjunction · verb hiphil participle (active) masculine singular common
HC/Vhrmsc
and [one who] strikes down an animal he will repay it and [one who] strikes down a person he will be put to death
אָדָ֖ם'a.Dam a person H120 Noun common · masculine singular absolute
551× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
Adam was the first human, created by God and mentioned in Genesis 2:19, who married Eve and had sons including Cain, Abel, and Seth.
Amplified meaning
Adam, humanity
Tyndale gloss
the man (Adam)
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

אָדָם (adam) refers to 'man' or 'mankind,' encompassing both individual humans and the species as a whole. It is also the name of the first man in the Bible, Adam, who is mentioned in various verses, including Genesis 2:19. The term can denote a city in the Jordan valley as well. The entries indicate a range of meanings, but there is no significant disagreement among them.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

אָדָם 560 n.m. Gn 1:27 man, mankind

a man = human being

coll. man, mankind

n.pr.m. Adam, first man (without art.)

n.pr.loc. city in Jordan valley (as built?)

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H120 אָדָם man, mankind . a man = human being

. coll. man, mankind

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

120 'adam aw-dawm'

from 119; ruddy i.e. a human being (an individual or the

species, mankind, etc.):--X another, + hypocrite, + common

sort, X low, man (mean, of low degree), person.

see HEBREW for 0119

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

אָדָם (a.dam) — man.

1) man, mankind

1a) man, human being

1b) man, mankind (much more frequently intended sense in OT)

1c) Adam, first man

1d) city in Jordan valley

אָדָם (a.dam) — the man (Adam).

The first named man living at the time before the Flood, first mentioned at Gen.2.19;

married to Eve (H2332);

father of: Cain (H7014B), Abel (H1893) and Seth (H8352); also translated "man" at Gen.2.19,21,23; 3.8,9,20; 5.2; "mankind" at Deu.32.8; "others" at Job.31.33;

Another spelling of a.dam (אָדָם "Adam" H0121)

man, human being

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-ms — Noun common · masculine singular absolute
HNcmsa
and [one who] strikes down an animal he will repay it and [one who] strikes down a person he will be put to death
יוּמָֽת׃yu.Mat he will be put to death H4191 Verb · Hophal · imperfect third person masculine singular
840× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
In the Bible, this Hebrew word means to die, either literally or as a punishment, and is used in books like Genesis and Exodus. It can also mean to perish or be killed. This concept is seen in the story of Adam and Eve, where death enters the world as a result of sin.
Amplified meaning
executed, slain, punished
Tyndale gloss
to die
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

מוּת (mūth) is a Hebrew verb meaning 'to die' or 'to kill.' It encompasses a range of meanings from dying naturally to being executed as a penalty. The word can refer to both humans and animals, and it includes various forms such as causing death or being killed. There is a distinction in usage based on the subject, whether it is a person or God inflicting death.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

מוּת vb. die

Qal

die, of natural or other causes

die as a penalty = be put to death

Po‛lel. kill, put to death, despatch (intens.)

Hiph.

abs., elsewhere c. acc., subj. man

subj. God, by inflicting penalty

of animals killing men

bring to a premature death

Hoph. be killed, put to death

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H4191 מוּת die .. die, of natural or other causes

. die as a penalty = be put to death

. kill, put to death, despatch (intens.)

. . abs., elsewhere c. acc., subj. man

. subj. God, by inflicting penalty

. of animals killing men

. bring to a premature death

. be killed, put to death

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

4191 muwth mooth

a primitive root: to die (literally or figuratively);

causatively, to kill:--X at all, X crying, (be) dead (body,

man, one), (put to, worthy of) death, destroy(-er), (cause to,

be like to, must) die, kill, necro(-mancer), X must needs,

slay, X surely, X very suddenly, X in (no) wise.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

מוּת (mut) — to die.

1) to die, kill, have one executed

1a)(Qal)

1a1) to die

1a2) to die (as penalty), be put to death

1a3) to die, perish (of a nation)

1a4) to die prematurely (by neglect of wise moral conduct)

1b) (Polel) to kill, put to death, dispatch

1c) (Hiphil) to kill, put to death

1d) (Hophal)

1d1) to be killed, be put to death

1d1a) to die prematurely

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
V-Hophal-Imperf-3ms — Verb · Hophal · imperfect third person masculine singular
HVHi3ms
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

(maweth; thanatos):

PHYSIOLOGICAL AND FIGURATIVE VIEW

The word "Death" is used in the sense of

(1) the process of dying (Ge 21:16);

(2) the period of decease (Ge 27:7);

(3) as a possible synonym for poison (2Ki 4:40);

(4) as descriptive of person in danger of perishing (Jud 15:18; "in deaths oft" 2Co 11:23). In this sense the shadow of death is a familiar expression in Job, the Psalms and the Prophets;

(5) death is personified in 1Co 15:55 and Re 20:14. Deliverance from this catastrophe is called the "issues from…

Easton's Bible Dictionary

Death

May be simply defined as the termination of life. It is represented under a variety of aspects in Scripture: (1.) “The dust shall return to the earth as it was” (Eccl. 12:7).

(2.) “Thou takest away their breath, they die” (Ps. 104:29).

(3.) It is the dissolution of “our earthly house of this tabernacle” (2 Cor. 5:1); the “putting off this tabernacle” (2 Pet. 1:13, 14).

(4.) Being “unclothed” (2 Cor. 5:3, 4).

(5.) “Falling on sleep” (Ps. 76:5; Jer. 51:39;

Is taken in Scripture, first, for the separation of body and soul, the first death, Ge 25:11; secondly, for alienation from God, and exposure to his wrath, 1Jo 3:14, etc.; thirdly, for the second death, that of eternal damnation. Death was the penalty affixed to Adam’s transgression, Ge 2:17 3:19; and all his posterity are transgressors, and share the curse inflicted upon him. CHRIST is "our life." All believers share his life, spiritually and eternally; and though sin and bodily is taken away, and in the resurrection the last enemy shall be trampled under foot, Ro 5:12-21 1Co 15:1-58.

Nave's Topical Bible

→ Miscellaneous Subjects

Called GIVING UP THE GHOST Ge 25:8; 35:29; La 1:19; Ac 5:10

KING OF TERRORS Job 18:14

A CHANGE Job 14:14

GOING TO THY FATHERS Ge 15:15; 25:8; 35:29

PUTTING OFF THIS TABERNACLE 2Pe 1:14

REQUIRING THE SOUL Lu 12:20

GOING THE WAY WHENCE THERE IS NO RETURN Job 16:22

BEING GATHERED TO OUR PEOPLE Ge 49:33

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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