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Leviticus 27:4 — Word Study

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WLCוְאִם־ נְקֵבָ֖ה הִ֑וא וְהָיָ֥ה עֶרְכְּךָ֖ שְׁלֹשִׁ֥ים שָֽׁקֶל׃

BSAOr ifʼim ithûwʼ is a femalenᵉqêbâh [woman, girl, or female animal] then your valuationʻêrek [estimation, assessment of worth] shall behâyâh thirtyshᵉlôwshîym [thirtieth, a unit of count] shekelssheqel [a unit of weight or money, like a coin]

Word
Listen & take awayLeviticus 27
English ↓ Download MP3 The Berean Standard Bible chapter audio already hosted for the site's Bible section — verse 4 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 (Sha.kel) — no per-word recordings of the Hebrew exist to link to.
Take it away
Leviticus 27:4quick helps
In a sentenceThis verse provides the valuation for a female, set at thirty shekels.
Who is speakingThe speaker is God, giving instructions through Moses.
Where we areThe context is the laws regarding valuations in Leviticus.
The hard wordנְקֵבָ֖ה
Take awayThe valuation reflects the worth assigned to a female.
7 commentators on this verse Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them › clause subjectהִיא verbהָיָה 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 27:4

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 — Valuation Laws in Leviticusgenerated

3if the valuation concerns a male from twenty to sixty years of age, then your valuation shall be fifty shekels of silver, according to the sanctuary shekel.
4Or if it is a female, then your valuation shall be thirty shekels.
5And if the person is from five to twenty years of age, then your valuation for the male shall be twenty shekels, and for the female ten shekels.
6Now if the person is from one month to five years of age, then your valuation for the male shall be five shekels of silver, and for the female three shekels of silver.

Leviticus 27:4 outlines the valuation for a female, emphasizing the importance of assessing worth in the context of offerings and dedications to God. This valuation is part of a larger set of laws that govern how individuals are to assess their contributions and obligations within the community, reflecting God's standards for justice and equity.


Cross References

ReferenceText (BSB)
1Zechariah 11:12–13Then I told them, “If it seems right to you, give me my wages; but if not, keep them.” So they weighed out my wages, thirty pieces of silver.
2Matthew 26:15and asked, “What are you willing to give me if I hand Him over to you?” And they set out for him thirty pieces of silver.
3Matthew 27:9–10Then what was spoken through Jeremiah the prophet was fulfilled: “They took the thirty pieces of silver, the price set on Him by the people of Israel,

The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 3 references, hung on the phrase they belong to


The Key Word נְקֵבָ֖ה, ne.ke.Vahgenerated

The word נְקֵבָ֖ה (nekevah) means 'female' and can refer to a woman, girl, or female animal. It is derived from the root associated with the concept of piercing, which connects to the biological distinction of gender.

In this verse, it identifies the subject of valuation, indicating that the assessment applies specifically to females. The usage here is straightforward, denoting gender without further implication.


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 verse is structured around a conditional clause introduced by וְאִם־ (ve'im), meaning 'and if', which sets the stage for the valuation that follows. The main verb הָיָ֥ה (vehayah), meaning 'and it will be', indicates the result of the condition.

The noun phrase עֶרְכְּךָ֖ ('erkecha) serves as the subject of the valuation, while שְׁלֹשִׁ֥ים (shloshim) and שָֽׁקֶל׃ (shekel) complete the assessment, indicating the specific amount.


Septuagint Backgroundgenerated

The Septuagint translates נְקֵבָ֖ה as θηλείας (thēleias), which also means 'female'. This choice aligns closely with the Hebrew meaning, maintaining the focus on gender.

The Greek word for valuation in the Septuagint is συντίμησις (suntīmēsis), which emphasizes the act of assessing value, paralleling the Hebrew concept.


In plain words — the whole versegenerated

Leviticus 27:4 states that if the valuation concerns a female, it shall be thirty shekels. This establishes a clear standard for assessing the worth of a female in the context of offerings to God.


Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated

What does this valuation signify?

The valuation reflects the worth assigned to a female in the context of offerings, indicating the importance of gender in the assessment of value.

Why is there a specific amount for females?

The specific amount reflects societal norms and the established standards for valuation in ancient Israel, which were guided by God's laws.

How does this relate to other valuations in Leviticus?

This valuation is part of a broader system in Leviticus that outlines how different individuals and situations are to be valued, ensuring fairness and consistency.

What can we learn from this verse today?

This verse teaches the importance of valuing individuals and recognizing their worth in a community, guided by principles of justice and equity.


Reflection Questionsgenerated

  1. How do we assess value in our own lives and communities?
  2. What principles can we apply from these valuations in our interactions with others?
  3. In what ways does understanding worth affect our relationships?
  4. How can we ensure fairness and equity in our assessments of value today?

Commentators on this verse — 7 expositors, verse by verse

Each of these wrote on Leviticus 27:4 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.

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

And if it [be] a female,.... That is, of the same age, full twenty years of age, and not more than sixty: then thy estimation shall be thirty shekels; about three pounds ten shillings of our money,

Read John Gill on Leviticus 27 →
Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's Commentary

Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When a man shall make a singular vow, the persons shall be for the LORD by thy estimation.

Read Robert Jamieson on Leviticus 27 →
Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy Bible

Less than the man’ s price, because she is inferior to him both in strength and serviceableness.

Read Matthew Poole on Leviticus 27 →
John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

Leviticus 27:4 And if it [be] a female, then thy estimation shall be thirty shekels.Ver. 4. And if it be a female.] She is set at a lower valuation then the male, because less able for any laborious or rational employment.

Read John Trapp on Leviticus 27 →
Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(4) And if it be a female . . . thirty shekels.—As the woman is the weaker vessel, and her labour is of less value, if she vows herself or dedicates by a vow any other one of her own sex to the sanctuary, she is to pay thirty shekels, or £3 17s. 6d., provided she is within the above-named limits of age. This was the value of a slave (Exodus 21:32), and is the price at which Christ was sold (Matthew 27:9). It is supposed that under this provision Jephtha might have redeemed his daughter whom he unwittingly vowed to the Lord (Judges 11:30). (See, however, Leviticus 27:29.)

Read Charles John Ellicott on Leviticus 27 →
AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible

Verse 4. And if it be a female] The woman, at the same age, vowed unto the Lord, might be redeemed for thirty shekels, 4£. 10s. sterling, a little more than one half of the value of the man; for this obvious reason, that a woman, if employed, could not be of so much use in the service of the sanctuary as the man, and was therefore of much less value.

Read AdamClarke on Leviticus 27 →
Albert Barnes1798–1870Barnes' Notes on the Bible

The relative values of the persons appear to be regulated according to an estimate of the probable value of their future work: Ages Male Female From a month to five years of age 5 shekels 3 shekels

Read Albert Barnes on Leviticus 27 →

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

Or if it is a female, then your valuation shall be thirty shekels.

WEBWorld English Bible2000

If she is a female, then your valuation shall be thirty shekels.

MSBMajority Standard Bible2022

Or if it is a female, then your valuation shall be thirty shekels.

NETBNew English Translation2006

If the person is a female, the conversion value is thirty shekels.

Tyndale line

KJVKing James Version1611

And if it be a female, then thy estimation shall be thirty shekels.

ASVAmerican Standard Version1901

And if it be a female, then thy estimation shall be thirty shekels.

RVARevised Version, American1894

And if it be a female, then thy estimation shall be thirty shekels.

NWBWebster's Bible1833

And if it shall be a female, then thy estimation shall be thirty shekels.

GNVGeneva Bible1599

But if it be a female, then thy valuation shall be thirtie shekels.

Strictly literal

DBYDarby Translation1890

and if it be of a female, thy valuation shall be thirty shekels.

YLTYoung's Literal Translation1862

And if it [is] a female — then hath thy valuation been thirty shekels;

LSVLiteral Standard Version2020

And if it [is] a female, then your valuation has been thirty shekels;

ILTInterlinear Literal Translation2000

And if it be a female, then shall the estimation be thirty shekels.

ULBUnlocked Literal Bible2017

For a female of the same ages your standard value must be thirty shekels.

From the Latin

DRADouay-Rheims (Challoner)1899

If a woman, thirty.

Simplified

FBVFree Bible Version2020

The value of a woman is thirty shekels.

BBEBible in Basic English1949

And if it is a female, the value will be thirty shekels.

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.

וְandclauseclauseאִםifclausepredicateנְקֵבָ֖ה[is].femalesubjectהִ֑ואsheוְandclauseverbהָיָ֥הit.will.benoun phrase · subjectעֶרְכְּvaluationךָ֖yournoun phrase · objectשְׁלֹשִׁ֥יםthirtyשָֽׁקֶלshekel[s]

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


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

The Masoretic Text agrees with the Septuagint in most respects, with only minor differences in word order. The Samaritan Pentateuch introduces a variation in the pronoun used for 'she', but the overall meaning remains consistent across the texts.

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

וְאִם־ נְקֵבָ֖ה הִ֑וא וְהָיָ֥ה עֶרְכְּךָ֖ שְׁלֹשִׁ֥ים שָֽׁקֶל׃

Septuagintthe Greek the translators chose, word by word
וְאִם־δὲנְקֵבָ֖הθηλείαςוְהָיָ֥הἔσταιעֶרְכְּךָ֖συντίμησιςשְׁלֹשִׁ֥יםτριάκονταשָֽׁקֶל׃δίδραξμα

6 of the 7 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

ואם נקבה היא והיה ערכך שׁלשׁים שׁקל

1 word differs from the Masoretic Text: היא (she)

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 27:4אִםand ifand ifאִםנְקֵבָה[is] female[is] femaleנְקֵבָההוּאshesheהוּאהָיָהand it willand it will beהָיָהעֵ֫רֶךְvaluation yvaluation yourעֵ֫רֶךְשְׁלֹשִׁיםthirtythirtyשְׁלֹשִׁיםשֶׁ֫קֶלshekel[s]shekel[s]שֶׁ֫קֶלנָקַבto pierceto pierceנָקַבעָרַךְto arrangeto arrangeעָרַךְשָׁקַלto weighto weighשָׁקַלהָוָאto fallto fallהָוָאשָׁלֹשׁthreethreeשָׁלֹשׁשָׁלִthirdthirdשָׁלִשֶׁ֫קֶלshekelshekelשֶׁ֫קֶלחֵןfavorfavorחֵןיֵשׁtherethereיֵשׁזָכָרmalemaleזָכָרטָמֵאuncleanuncleanטָמֵאעֵתtimetimeעֵתיוֹבֵלjubilee/hojubilee/hornיוֹבֵלמֵאָהhundredhundredמֵאָהשָׁנָהyearyearשָׁנָהשִׁבְעִיםseventyseventyשִׁבְעִים
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 27:4

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 if [is] female she and it will be valuation your thirty shekel[s]
וְאִם־ve.'im- and if H518 Conjunction · particle
1,070× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This Hebrew word is used to express conditions or questions, like if or whether. It can also be used to make oaths or express wishes, as in Oh that! It appears in various forms in the KJV, including if, though, and when.
Tyndale gloss
if
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

אִם (im) is a Hebrew conjunction primarily meaning 'if' and is used in various contexts, including conditional clauses and interrogative situations. It can also express negation, alternatives, or exceptions, and appears frequently in the Old Testament. The lexicons note its use in oaths and its ability to connect different clauses, sometimes altering their meanings.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

אִם conj.

hypoth. part. if

Interrog. part.

base

כִּי אם־

each part. retaining its independent force, and relating to a different clause:

that if

for if

(About 140 t.) the two particles being closely conjoined, and relating to the same clause—

limiting the prec. clause, except

the if being neglected, and treated as pleonastic, so that the clause is no longer a limitation of the preceding clause but a contradiction of it: but rather, but

after an oath, surely

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H518a אִם conj. . hypoth. part. if

. Interrog. part.

H518b כִּי אם־ . each part. retaining its independent force, and relating to a different clause: . that if

. for if

. (About 140 t.) the two particles being closely conjoined, and relating to the same clause— . limiting the prec. clause, except

. the if being neglected, and treated as pleonastic, so that the clause is no longer a limitation of the preceding clause but a contradiction of it: but rather, but

. after an oath, surely

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

518 'im eem

a primitive particle; used very widely as demonstrative, lo!;

interrog., whether?; or conditional, if, although; also Oh

that!, when; hence, as a negative, not:--(and, can-,

doubtless, if, that) (not), + but, either, + except, +

more(-over if, than), neither, nevertheless, nor, oh that, or,

+ save (only, -ing), seeing, since, sith, + surely (no more,

none, not), though, + of a truth, + unless, + verily, when,

whereas, whether, while, + yet.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

אִם (im) — if.

: if/whether_or/though

1) if

1a) conditional clauses

1a1) of possible situations

1a2) of impossible situations

1b) oath contexts

1b1) no, not

1c) if...if, whether...or, whether...or...or

1d) when, whenever

1e) since

1f) interrogative particle

1g) but rather

[כִּי] אם (ki im) — if: except.

1) except if

1a) but if

אִם (im) — if: surely no.

: surely_no

1) if

1a) conditional clauses

1a1) of possible situations

1a2) of impossible situations

1b) oath contexts

1b1) no, not

1c) if...if, whether...or, whether...or...or

1d) when, whenever

1e) since

1f) interrogative particle

1g) but rather

אִם (im) — if: surely yes.

: surely_yes

1) if

1a) conditional clauses

1a1) of possible situations

1a2) of impossible situations

1b) oath contexts

1b1) no, not

1c) if...if, whether...or, whether...or...or

1d) when, whenever

1e) since

1f) interrogative particle

1g) but rather

אִם (im) — if: until.

: until/except

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Conj | Conj — Conjunction · particle
HC/Tc
The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
and if [is] female she and it will be valuation your thirty shekel[s]
נְקֵבָ֖הne.ke.Vah [is] female H5347 N-fs
22× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This Hebrew word means female, referring to a woman, girl, or female animal. It is used in various books, including Genesis and Leviticus, to describe the female sex.
Amplified meaning
woman, girl, or female animal
Tyndale gloss
female
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

נְקֵבָה (nqebah) means 'female' and can refer to a woman, female child, or female animal. It is derived from the root word for 'to pierce' or 'to perforate,' indicating a connection to the sexual form. The term appears in contexts discussing gender.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

נְקֵבָה n.f. female

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H5347 נְקֵבָה female

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

5347 nqebah nek-ay-baw'

from 5344; female (from the sexual form):--female.

see HEBREW for 05344

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

נְקֵבָה (ne.qe.vah) — female.

1) female

1a) woman, female child

1b) female animal

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-fs — N-fs
HAafsa
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

fe'-mal: Two Hebrew words are thus translated:

(1) neqebhah, which is merely a physiological description of the sexual characteristic (from naqabh, "to perforate"), and which corresponds to zakhar, "male" (see under the word).

(2) 'ishshah, with the irregular plural nashim (only Ge 7:2, in all other places "wife," "woman"), the feminine form of 'ish, "man."

The Greek word is thelus, literally, "the nursing one," "the one giving suck" (from thelazo, "to suckle").

Israelitic law seems frequently guilty of unjust partiality in favor of the male sex, but we have to consider that most of these legal and religious disabilities of women can be explained from the social conditions prevailing at the time of legislation. They are therefore found also in contemporaneous Gentilereligions. Though traces of this prejudice against the weaker sex are…

and if [is] female she and it will be valuation your thirty shekel[s]
הִ֑ואhi' she H1931 Pronoun
1,879× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This word is a pronoun meaning 'he', 'she', or 'it', used to refer to a person or thing. It is used in the Bible to emphasize a subject or make it clear who is being talked about.
Tyndale gloss
he/she/it
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

הוּא (hu) is a third-person singular pronoun meaning he, she, or it, used for emphasis or when no verb is present. It can also refer to oneself or serve as a demonstrative pronoun. The word has various nuances, including resuming the subject with emphasis or expressing it unobtrusively. It can indicate 'that' or 'those' when used with the definite article.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

הוּא m. הִיא f., pron. of the 3rd ps. sing. he, she, used also (in both genders) for the neuter it

an emph. he (she, it, they), sometimes equivalent to himself (herself, itself, themselves), or (esp. with the art.) that (those)

It resumes the subj. with emph.

Where, however, the pron. follows the pred., its position gives it the minimum of emphasis, and it expresses (or resumes) the subject as unobtrusively as possible

It anticipates (as it seems) the subject

As an emph. predicate, of God

In a neuter sense, that, it (of an action, occurrence, matte, etc.)

With the art.: so regularly when joined to a subst. defined itself by the art.

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H1931 הוּא, הִיא he, she, used also (in both genders) for the neuter it . an emph. he (she, it, they), sometimes equivalent to himself (herself, itself, themselves), or (esp. with the art.) that (those)

. It resumes the subj. with emph.

. Where, however, the pron. follows the pred., its position gives it the minimum of emphasis, and it expresses (or resumes) the subject as unobtrusively as possible

. It anticipates (as it seems) the subject

. As an emph. predicate, of God

. In a neuter sense, that, it (of an action, occurrence, matte, etc.)

. With the art.: so regularly when joined to a subst. defined itself by the art.

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

1931 huw' hoo

of which the feminine (beyond the Pentateuch) is hiyw {he}; a

primitive word, the third person pronoun singular, he (she or

it); only expressed when emphatic or without a verb; also

(intensively) self, or (especially with the article) the same;

sometimes (as demonstrative) this or that; occasionally

(instead of copula) as or are:--he, as for her, him(-self),

it, the same, she (herself), such, that (...it), these, they,

this, those, which (is), who.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

הוּא (hu) — he/she/it.

pron 3p s

1) he, she, it

1a) himself (with emphasis)

1b) resuming subj with emphasis

1c) (with minimum emphasis following predicate)

1d) (anticipating subj)

1e) (emphasising predicate)

1f) that, it (neuter) demons pron

2) that (with article)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Pron — Pronoun
HPp3fs
The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
and if [is] female she and it will be valuation your thirty shekel[s]
וְהָיָ֥הve.ha.Yah and it will be H1961 Verb · Qal · sequential perfect third person masculine singular
3,562× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
The Hebrew word for to be means to exist or come into being. It is used to describe something that happens or comes to pass, like in Genesis where God creates the world.
Tyndale gloss
to be
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word הָיָה (hayah) is a primitive root meaning to exist or become, and it encompasses a range of meanings including to happen, occur, and come to pass. It is often used in narrative contexts, particularly in phrases like "and it came to pass." The word can also denote a state of being or existence, and it appears frequently in various forms throughout the Old Testament.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

הָיָה 3570 vb. fall out, come to pass, become, be

Qal

Fall out, happen

occur, take place, come about, come to pass

esp. & very oft., come about, come to pass

וַיְהִי and it came to pass that, most often (c. 292 t.)

rarely also Pf. c. וְ conj. וְהָיָה

less oft. וְהָיָה Pf. consec. and it shall come to pass, or frequentat. came to pass (repeatedly, etc.)

Come into being, become

abs., in lively narrative, arise, appear, come

sq. prep.

become

sq. pred. noun (to be viewed as implicit accus.)

sq. pred. adj.

become like

sq. pred. לְ pers.

sq. לְ pred.

oft. c. לְ pred. לְ pers.

with עַל and לְ

sts. c. לְ pers. only = became the property of, come into the possession of

Be (often with subbordinate idea of becoming)

exist, be in existence

abide, remain, continue

with word of locality, be in or at a place, be situated, stand, lie

as copula, joining subj. & pred.

Read the full entry →
Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H1961 הָיָה fall out, come to pass, become, be .. . . Fall out, happen

. occur, take place, come about, come to pass

. esp. & very oft., come about, come to pass . . וַיְהִי and it came to pass that, most often (c. 292 t.)

. rarely also Pf. c. וְ conj. וְהָיָה

. less oft. וְהָיָה Pf. consec. and it shall come to pass, or frequentat. came to pass (repeatedly, etc.)

. Come into being, become . . abs., in lively narrative, arise, appear, come

. sq. prep.

. become . sq. pred. noun (to be viewed as implicit accus.)

. sq. pred. adj.

. become like

. sq. pred. + לְ pers.

. sq. לְ pred.

. oft. c. לְ pred. + לְ pers.

. with עַל and לְ

. sts. c. לְ pers. only = became the property of, come into the possession of

. Be (often with subbordinate idea of becoming) . exist, be in existence

. abide, remain, continue

Read the full entry →
Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

1961 hayah haw-yaw

a primitive root (compare 1933); to exist, i.e. be or become,

come to pass (always emphatic, and not a mere copula or

auxiliary):--beacon, X altogether, be(-come), accomplished,

committed, like), break, cause, come (to pass), do, faint,

fall, + follow, happen, X have, last, pertain, quit

(one-)self, require, X use.

see HEBREW for 01933

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

הָיָה (ha.yah) — to be.

1) to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out

1a) (Qal)

1a1) ---

1a1a) to happen, fall out, occur, take place, come about, come to pass

1a1b) to come about, come to pass

1a2) to come into being, become

1a2a) to arise, appear, come

1a2b) to become

1a2b1) to become

1a2b2) to become like

1a2b3) to be instituted, be established

1a3) to be

1a3a) to exist, be in existence

1a3b) to abide, remain, continue (with word of place or time)

1a3c) to stand, lie, be in, be at, be situated (with word of locality)

1a3d) to accompany, be with

1b) (Niphal)

1b1) to occur, come to pass, be done, be brought about

1b2) to be done, be finished, be gone

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Conj | V-Qal-3ms — Verb · Qal · sequential perfect third person masculine singular
Hc/Vqq3ms
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

See TESTAMENT.

Nave's Topical Bible

→ THE MENTAL FACULTY

Freedom of, recognized by God Ge 4:6-10; De 5:29; 1Ki 20:42; Isa 1:18-20; 43:26; Jer 36:3,7; Joh 7:17

See BLESSINGS, CONTINGENT UPON OBEDIENCE

See CHOICE

See CONTINGENCY

→ OF GOD, THE SUPREME RULE OF DUTY Mt 6:10; 12:50; 26:39,42; Mr 3:35; 14:36; Lu 11:2; 22:42; Joh 4:34; 5:30; 6:38-40; Ac…

and if [is] female she and it will be valuation your thirty shekel[s]
עֶרְכְּךָ֖'er.ke.Kha valuation your H6187 Noun common masculine singular construct · suffix
33× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This word refers to a valuation or estimate of something's worth. It is used to describe the price or proportion of something, like the valuation of goods in Ezekiel 40.
Amplified meaning
estimation, assessment of worth
Tyndale gloss
valuation
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

עֵ֫רֶךְ (erek) refers to concepts of order, estimation, and valuation. It can denote a pile or layer of items, as well as the act of setting things in order or making an estimate. The word is derived from a root that suggests arrangement or proportion, and it has an Aramaic equivalent related to lengthening.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

עֵ֫רֶךְ 83 n.m. order, row, estimate

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H6187 עֵ֫רֶךְ

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

6187 `erek eh'rek

from 6186; a pile, equipment, estimate:--equal, estimation,

(things that are set in) order, price, proportion, X set at,

suit, taxation, X valuest.

see HEBREW for 06186

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

עֵ֫רֶךְ (e.rekh) — valuation.

1) order, row, estimate, things that are set in order, layer, pile

1a) order, row

1b) estimate, valuation

Aramaic equivalent: ar.ka (אַרְכָֿא "lengthening" H0754)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-ms | Suff — Noun common masculine singular construct · suffix
HNcmsc/Sp2ms
and if [is] female she and it will be valuation your thirty shekel[s]
שְׁלֹשִׁ֥יםshe.lo.Shim thirty H7970 Adj
173× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
Thirty is the meaning of this Hebrew word, which can also be used as an ordinal to describe something as thirtieth. It is used to count quantities in the Bible.
Amplified meaning
thirtieth, a unit of count
Tyndale gloss
thirty
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

שְׁלֹשִׁים (*shlowshiym*) means 'thirty' and can also refer to 'thirtieth' as an ordinal number. It is an indeclinable noun and is derived from the root word for 'three.' The entries indicate that it is used in various contexts, but there are no significant disagreements among the lexicons.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

שְׁלֹשִׁים (very seldom שְׁלוֹשִׁים, שְׁלֹשִׁם) 174 n.indecl. thirty

bef. n. sg.

as ordin.

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H7970 שְׁלֹשִׁים (very seldom שְׁלוֹשִׁים, שְׁלֹשִׁם) n. indecl. thirty . bef. n. sg.

. as ordin.

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

7970 shlowshiym shel-o-sheem'

or shloshiym {shel-o-sheem'}; multiple of 7969; thirty; or

(ordinal) thirtieth:--thirty, thirtieth. Compare 7991.

see HEBREW for 07969

see HEBREW for 07991

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

שְׁלֹשִׁים (she.lo.shim) — thirty.

thirty, thirtieth

Aramaic equivalent: te.la.tin (תְּלָתִין "thirty" H8533)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Adj — Adj
HAcmpa
and if [is] female she and it will be valuation your thirty shekel[s]
שָֽׁקֶל׃Sha.kel shekel[s] H8255 Noun common · masculine singular absolute
88× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
A shekel was a unit of weight or money in ancient Israel, like a coin or a measure of gold, silver, or copper. It was used for trade and commerce, as seen in the book of Exodus. The value varied depending on the material.
Amplified meaning
a unit of weight or money, like a coin
Tyndale gloss
shekel
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

שֶׁ֫קֶל (sheqel) refers to a unit of weight and measure, primarily known as the shekel. It is defined as a commercial standard, with specific weights for gold, silver, and copper. The term is derived from a root meaning 'weight' and is also noted in Aramaic as תְּקֵל (teqel).

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

שֶׁ֫קֶל 87 n.m. a weight, shekel

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H8255 שֶׁ֫קֶל a weight, shekel

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

8255 sheqel sheh'-kel

from 8254; probably a weight; used as a commercial

standard:--shekel.

see HEBREW for 08254

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

שֶׁ֫קֶל (she.qel) — shekel.

1) shekel

1a) the chief unit of weight or measure

1a1) gold-1/10000 of a talent and equal to 220 grains

1a2) silver-1/3000 of a talent and equal to 132 grains

1a3) copper-1/1500 of a talent and equal to 528 grains

Aramaic equivalent: te.qel (תְּקֵל "shekel" H8625B)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-ms — Noun common · masculine singular absolute
HNcmsa
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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