Menu

Leviticus 9:20 — Word Study

Depth

WLCוַיָּשִׂ֥ימוּ אֶת־ הַחֲלָבִ֖ים עַל־ הֶחָז֑וֹת וַיַּקְטֵ֥ר הַחֲלָבִ֖ים הַמִּזְבֵּֽחָה׃

BSAand placedsûwm thesecheleb onʻal the breastschâzeh [the front of the animal] Aaron burnedqâṭar the fat portionscheleb [the richest or best part] on the altarmizbêach [a place of sacrifice, where offerings are made to God]

Word
Listen & take awayLeviticus 9
English ↓ Download MP3 The Berean Standard Bible chapter audio already hosted for the site's Bible section — verse 20 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 (ha.miz.Be.chah) — no per-word recordings of the Hebrew exist to link to.
Take it away
Leviticus 9:20quick helps
In a sentenceAaron places the fat portions on the animal's breasts and burns them on the altar.
Who is speakingAaron, as part of the sacrificial ritual.
Where we areIn the context of Aaron's priestly duties during the consecration of the altar.
The hard wordשׂים
Take awayThe act of placing and burning signifies the offering to God.
5 commentators on this verse Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Ellicott & more — read them › clause verbשׂים 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 9:20

Sections marked generated are written from the data on this page rather than by a named author. Everything else — the lexicon entries, the cross references, the manuscript readings, the counts — is quoted from its source unchanged.

Context — The Consecration of the Altargenerated

19They also brought the fat portions from the ox and the ram—the fat tail, the fat covering the entrails, the kidneys, and the lobe of the liver—
20and placed these on the breasts. Aaron burned the fat portions on the altar,
21but he waved the breasts and the right thigh as a wave offering before the LORD, as Moses had commanded.
22Aaron lifted up his hands toward the people and blessed them. And having made the sin offering, the burnt offering, and the peace offering, he stepped down.

Leviticus 9:20 describes the specific actions taken by Aaron during the sacrificial rituals. This verse focuses on the placement of the fat portions on the breasts of the animal and their subsequent burning on the altar, which is an integral part of the offerings made to God. This ritual reflects the importance of proper procedures in worship as outlined in the Law, emphasizing the role of the priest in mediating between God and the people.


Cross References

ReferenceText (BSB)
1Leviticus 7:29–34“Speak to the Israelites and say, ‘Anyone who presents a peace offering to the LORD must bring it as his sacrifice to the LORD.
2Leviticus 3:14–17And from his offering he shall present an offering made by fire to the LORD: the fat that covers the entrails, all the fat that is on them,

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


The Key Word שׂים, vai.ya.Si.mugenerated

The verb שׂים (siym) means to place or set, indicating an action of positioning something in a specific location. It is used frequently in the Hebrew Bible to convey the act of appointing or determining something, as well as physically placing items, such as offerings.

In this verse, the use of שׂים highlights the deliberate action taken by Aaron in the sacrificial process, emphasizing the importance of each step in the ritual. The parsing as a sequential imperfect third person masculine plural indicates that this action was performed by Aaron and the priests as part of their duties.


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

Two finite verbs govern the verse: יָּשִׂ֥ימוּ (they placed) and יַּקְטֵ֥ר (he made smoke). The first verb leads into a noun phrase indicating the object being placed, followed by a prepositional phrase describing the location, and then the second verb with its own object.

The structure highlights the sequence of actions in the sacrificial ritual, with the placement of the fat portions coming first, followed by the act of burning them, which is a key element of the offering process.


Septuagint Backgroundgenerated

The Septuagint translates שׂים as ἐπέθηκεν (he placed), which retains the meaning of positioning something. This choice indicates a direct correspondence to the Hebrew action of placing the fat portions.

For יַּקְטֵר, the Septuagint uses ἀνήνεγκαν (they offered), which emphasizes the act of offering in the context of worship, aligning with the sacrificial practices described in the Hebrew text.


In plain words — the whole versegenerated

Leviticus 9:20 describes how Aaron placed the fat portions on the breasts of the animal and then burned them on the altar. This process was part of the sacrificial rituals that highlighted the importance of worship and offerings made to God.


Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated

What does it mean to place the fat portions on the breasts?

This act signifies the offering of the best parts of the animal to God as part of the sacrificial ritual.

Why is burning the fat portions significant?

Burning the fat portions creates a fragrant smoke, which is an important aspect of the worship and sacrifice, symbolizing the offering being accepted by God.

What role does Aaron play in this verse?

Aaron, as the high priest, performs the rituals and mediates between God and the people through these offerings.

How do these actions reflect the practices of ancient Israelite worship?

These actions are part of the prescribed rituals that demonstrate obedience to God's commands regarding sacrifices and offerings.


Reflection Questionsgenerated

  1. How can understanding the significance of offerings enhance my appreciation of worship?
  2. What does it mean to offer the best of what I have to God in my life?
  3. In what ways can I serve as a mediator or helper to others in their worship and relationship with God?
  4. How do the rituals of the Old Testament inform my understanding of sacrifice and worship today?

Commentators on this verse — 5 expositors, verse by verse

Each of these wrote on Leviticus 9:20 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.

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

And they put the fat upon the breasts,.... Both of the bullock and of the ram, while they were waving: and he burnt the fat upon the altar; after having been waved.

Read John Gill on Leviticus 9 →
Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's Commentary

And he brought the meat offering, and took an handful thereof, and burnt it upon the altar, beside the burnt sacrifice of the morning. Meat offering ... wave offering.

Read Robert Jamieson on Leviticus 9 →
Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy Bible

The breasts were reserved for the priest out of the peace-offerings, which were offered for the people. See ,31,34.

Read Matthew Poole on Leviticus 9 →
Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(18-21) He slew also the bullock.—Better, and he slew, &c. With this peace offering, which was carried out according to the rules prescribed in Leviticus 3:1, &c, concluded the sacrificial ceremony of the installation of the priesthood and the sanctification of the people.

Read Charles John Ellicott on Leviticus 9 →
CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

18–21. The sacrifice of Peace-Offerings. The fat parts of both animals are burnt by Aaron on the altar; the breasts and the right thigh (?of both animals) are ‘waved before the Lord.’ The right thigh was burnt in the ceremony of consecration (Leviticus 8:28); now Aaron, officiating as priest, retains both breast and thigh for himself.

Read Cambridge on Leviticus 9 →

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

and placed these on the breasts. Aaron burned the fat portions on the altar,

WEBWorld English Bible2000

and they put the fat upon the breasts, and he burned the fat on the altar.

MSBMajority Standard Bible2022

and placed these on the breasts. Aaron burned the fat portions on the altar,

NETBNew English Translation2006

they set those on the breasts and he offered the fat parts up in smoke on the altar.

Tyndale line

KJVKing James Version1611

And they put the fat upon the breasts, and he burnt the fat upon the altar:

ASVAmerican Standard Version1901

and they put the fat upon the breasts, and he burnt the fat upon the altar:

RVARevised Version, American1894

and they put the fat upon the breasts, and he burnt the fat upon the altar:

NWBWebster's Bible1833

And they put the fat upon the breasts, and he burnt the fat upon the altar:

GNVGeneva Bible1599

So they layed the fat vpon the breasts, and he burnt the fat vpon the Altar.

Strictly literal

DBYDarby Translation1890

and they put the pieces of fat on the breast-pieces, and he burned the pieces of fat on the altar;

YLTYoung's Literal Translation1862

and they set the fat on the breasts, and he maketh perfume with the fat on the altar;

LSVLiteral Standard Version2020

and they set the fat on the breasts, and he makes incense with the fat on the altar;

ILTInterlinear Literal Translation2000

And they put these pieces of fat upon the breasts, and he burnt the fat upon the altar;

ULBUnlocked Literal Bible2017

They took the parts that were cut out and put these on the breasts, and then Aaron burned the fat on the altar.

From the Latin

DRADouay-Rheims (Challoner)1899

They put upon the breasts. And after the fat was burnt upon the altar,

Simplified

FBVFree Bible Version2020

and put them on the breasts. Aaron burned the fat portions on the altar,

BBEBible in Basic English1949

They put the fat on the breasts, and the fat was burned on the altar.

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.

וַandclauseclauseverbיָּשִׂ֥ימוּthey.placednoun phrase · objectאֶת(et)noun phraseהַtheחֲלָבִ֖יםfat(s)prepositional phrase · prepositionalעַלonnoun phraseהֶtheחָז֑וֹתbreastsוַandclauseverbיַּקְטֵ֥רhe.made.smokenoun phrase · objectהַtheחֲלָבִ֖יםfat(s)noun phrase · prepositionalהַtonoun phraseמִּזְבֵּֽחָtheהaltar

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


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

The Masoretic Text reads: וַיָּשִׂ֥ימוּ אֶת־ הַחֲלָבִ֖ים עַל־ הֶחָז֑וֹת וַיַּקְטֵ֥ר הַחֲלָבִ֖ים הַמִּזְבֵּֽחָה׃. The Septuagint matches closely with this text, with only minor variations in word order. The Samaritan Pentateuch differs in one word by using ישׂם instead of שׂים, but the overall meaning remains consistent across these texts.

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

וַיָּשִׂ֥ימוּ אֶת־ הַחֲלָבִ֖ים עַל־ הֶחָז֑וֹת וַיַּקְטֵ֥ר הַחֲלָבִ֖ים הַמִּזְבֵּֽחָה׃

Septuagintthe Greek the translators chose, word by word
וַיָּשִׂ֥ימוּἐπέθηκενהַחֲלָבִ֖יםστέαταעַל־ἐπὶהֶחָז֑וֹתστηθύνιαוַיַּקְטֵ֥רἀνήνεγκανהַחֲלָבִ֖יםστέαταהַמִּזְבֵּֽחָה׃θυσιαστήριον

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

וישׂם את החלבים על החזות ויקטר החלבים המזבחה

1 word differs from the Masoretic Text: ישׂם (put)

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 9:20שׂוּםand they pland they placedשׂוּםאֵתthe object the object markאֵתחֵ֫לֶבthe fatthe fatחֵ֫לֶבעַלononעַלחָזֶהthe breaststhe breastsחָזֶהקָטַרand he madeand he made smoקָטַרחֵ֫לֶבthe fatthe fatחֵ֫לֶבמִזְבֵּחַthe altar tthe altar towarמִזְבֵּחַאוֹתsign: mirasign: miraculouאוֹתחָזָהto seeto seeחָזָהזָבַחto sacrifito sacrificeזָבַחעַלheightheightעַלקָטַרto encloseto encloseקָטַרקָטַרto offer: to offer: burnקָטַרכִּלְיָהkidneykidneyכִּלְיָהשַׁמָּהhorror: dehorror: destroyשַׁמָּהשְׁמָמָהDesolateDesolateשְׁמָמָהמִגְרָשׁpasturepastureמִגְרָשׁכִּפֶּרto atoneto atoneכִּפֶּרכִּסֵּאthronethroneכִּסֵּאשׁוֹקleglegשׁוֹקתְּנוּפָהwave offerwave offeringתְּנוּפָהחֵ֫לֶבfatfatחֵ֫לֶבבָּמָהhigh placehigh placeבָּמָהעֹלָהburnt offeburnt offeringעֹלָה
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 9:20

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 they placed the object marker the fat on the breasts and he made smoke the fat the altar towards
וַיָּשִׂ֥ימוּvai.ya.Si.mu and they placed H7760 Verb · Qal · sequential imperfect third person masculine plural
585× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This Hebrew word means to put or place something, and is used in many different ways in the Bible, such as to appoint or determine something. It is first used in Genesis to describe God's creation. In the KJV, it is translated as 'appoint' or 'set' in various contexts.
Tyndale gloss
to set: make
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word שׂוּם (sum) is a verb meaning to put, place, or set, with a wide range of applications including appointing, establishing, and making. It can also refer to laying something upon or directing it. There is a related noun שׂוּמָה (sumah), which may denote a token of unluckiness. The entries do not present any significant disagreement.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

שׂוּם, שִׂים 582 vb. put, place, set

Qal

put, set, in a place

put something upon

put, lay, set

put, c. בֵּין

set, direct

set, ordain, in a place

set, establish a law, statute

set, found a nation

set, appoint (as ruler, official)

set, constitute, make

set, determine, fix, bounds

set, station, at a post

put in position, sacred bread, sword, staves, bars

set up altars

= plant, wheat

set, fix (countenance)

make a thing, or pers. (acc.), for, transform into

make, constitute

work, bring to pass

appoint, give

set, fix (countenance)

Hiph. I will make him for a sign

Hoph. there was set before him

base

שׂוּמָה perhaps n. f. token of unluckiness, scowl;—2 S 13:32

ref

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H7760a שׂוּם, שִׂים put, place, set .. . put, set, in a place

. put something upon

. put, lay, set

. put, c. בֵּין

. set, direct

. . set, ordain, in a place

. set, establish a law, statute

. set, found a nation

. set, appoint (as ruler, official)

. set, constitute, make

. set, determine, fix, bounds

. . set, station, at a post

. put in position, sacred bread, sword, staves, bars

. set up altars

. = plant, wheat

. set, fix (countenance)

. . make a thing, or pers. (acc.), for, transform into

. make, constitute

. work, bring to pass

. appoint, give

. set, fix (countenance)

. I will make him for a sign

. there was set before him

H7760b שׂוּמָה perhaps n. f. token of unluckiness, scowl

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

7760 suwm soom

or siym {seem}; a primitive root; to put (used in a great

variety of applications, literal, figurative, inferentially,

and elliptically):--X any wise, appoint, bring, call (a

name), care, cast in, change, charge, commit, consider,

convey, determine, + disguise, dispose, do, get, give, heap

up, hold, impute, lay (down, up), leave, look, make (out),

mark, + name, X on, ordain, order, + paint, place, preserve,

purpose, put (on), + regard, rehearse, reward, (cause to) set

(on, up), shew, + stedfastly, take, X tell, + tread down,

((over-))turn, X wholly, work.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

שׂוּם (sum) — to set: make.

: make/establish

1) to put, place, set, appoint, make

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to put, set, lay, put or lay upon, lay (violent) hands on

1a2) to set, direct, direct toward

1a2a) to extend (compassion) (fig)

1a3) to set, ordain, establish, found, appoint, constitute, make, determine, fix

1a4) to set, station, put, set in place, plant, fix

1a5) to make, make for, transform into, constitute, fashion, work, bring to pass, appoint, give

1b) (Hiphil) to set or make for a sign

1c) (Hophal) to be set

שׂוּמָה (su.mah) — fate.

token of unluckiness, scowl

שׂוּם (sum) — to set: put.

: put/give

1) to put, place, set, appoint, make

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to put, set, lay, put or lay upon, lay (violent) hands on

1a2) to set, direct, direct toward

1a2a) to extend (compassion) (fig)

1a3) to set, ordain, establish, found, appoint, constitute, make, determine, fix

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Conj | V-Qal-ConsecImperf-3mp — Verb · Qal · sequential imperfect third person masculine plural
Hc/Vqw3mp
and they placed the object marker the fat on the breasts and he made smoke the fat the altar towards
אֶת־'et- the object marker H853 Particle
10,946× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
In the original Hebrew, this word points out the object of a verb or preposition, like 'namely' or 'even'. It appears in many books, including Genesis and Exodus. It's not directly translated in English, but helps clarify the meaning of sentences.
Tyndale gloss
[Obj.]
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

אֵת (eth) is primarily a grammatical marker in Hebrew, indicating the definite direct object of a verb. It is not translated into English and typically precedes nouns that are definite. The word is derived from a demonstrative sense of entity, related to the Hebrew word for 'self.' Its Aramaic equivalent is יָת (yat).

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

אֵת the mark of the accusative, prefixed as a rule only to nouns that are definite

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H853 אֵת the mark of the accusative, prefixed as a rule only to nouns that are definite

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

853 'eth ayth

apparent contracted from 226 in the demonstrative sense of

entity; properly, self (but generally used to point out more

definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or

namely):--(as such unrepresented in English).

see HEBREW for 0226

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

אֵת (et) — [Obj.].

sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative

Aramaic equivalent: yat (יָת "whom" H3487)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
HTo — Particle
HTo
The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
and they placed the object marker the fat on the breasts and he made smoke the fat the altar towards
הַחֲלָבִ֖יםha.cha.la.Vim the fat H2459 Particle · noun common masculine plural absolute
92× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
In the Bible, cheleb refers to fat, whether literal or figurative, representing the richest or best part of something. It can describe the choicest products of the land or the best of human or animal fat. This term is used to convey abundance and richness.
Tyndale gloss
fat
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

חֵ֫לֶב (cheleb) means fat, referring to both human and animal fat, as well as the choicest parts of agricultural products. It conveys the idea of richness or abundance, highlighting the best or finest portions. The entries consistently emphasize its literal and figurative uses, but do not provide specific verse references.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

חֵ֫לֶב n.m. fat

fat of human body

fat of beasts

choicest, best part of products of land

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H2459 חֵ֫לֶב fat . fat of human body

. fat of beasts

. choicest, best part of products of land

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

2459 cheleb kheh'-leb

or cheleb {khay'-leb}; from an unused root meaning to be fat;

fat, whether literally or figuratively; hence, the richest or

choice part:--X best, fat(-ness), X finest, grease, marrow.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

חֵ֫לֶב (che.lev) — fat.

1) fat

1a) fat (of humans)

1b) fat (of beasts)

1c) choicest, best part, abundance (of products of the land)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Art | N-mp — Particle · noun common masculine plural absolute
HTd/Ncmpa
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

(chelebh, chelebh): The layer of subcutaneous fat and the compact suet surrounding the viscera and imbedded in the entrails, which, like the blood, was forbidden as food in the Mosaic code (Le 3:17). It was to be sacrificed to God by being burnt upon the altar (Le 3:16; 30). This had to be done on the very day on which a beast had been slaughtered, to remove temptation from the Israelite to use it otherwise (Ex 23:18). The law was probably a sanitary restriction, for, at an early date, leprosy, scrofula and disfiguring cutaneous diseases were thought to be caused by the use of fat as food. It was, moreover, an important pedagogical provision teaching the idea of self-denial, and the maxim that the richest and best meat of the…

Easton's Bible Dictionary

Fat

(Heb. heleb) denotes the richest part of the animal, or the fattest of the flock, in the account of Abel’s sacrifice (Gen. 4:4). It sometimes denotes the best of any production (Gen. 45:18; Num. 18:12; Ps. 81:16; 147:47). The fat of sacrifices was to be burned (Lev. 3:9-11; 4:8; 7:3; 8:25; Num. 18:17. Comp. Ex. 29:13-22; Lev. 3:3-5).

It is used figuratively for a dull, stupid state of mind (Ps 17:10).

Smith's Bible Dictionary

i.e. VAT, the word employed in the Authorized Version to translate the Hebrew term yekeb , in (Joel 2:24; 3:13) The word commonly used for yekeb is "winepress" or "winefat," and once "pressfat." (Haggai 2:16) The "vats" appear to have been excavated out of the native rock of the hills on which the vineyards lay.

American Tract Society Bible Dictionary

The fat portions of animals offered in sacrifice were always to be consumed, as being the choice part and especially sacred to the Lord. The blood was also sacred, as containing the life of the animal. The Jews were forbidden to eat either, Le 3:16,17; 7:23-27.

and they placed the object marker the fat on the breasts and he made smoke the fat the altar towards
עַל־'al- on H5921 Preposition
5,774× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This Hebrew word means on or above something, like a physical object or a situation. It can also imply a sense of responsibility or accountability, as in being on behalf of someone.
Tyndale gloss
upon
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word עַל (*al*) is a preposition meaning 'upon' and encompasses a wide range of meanings, including 'on account of,' 'beside,' 'above,' and 'against.' It can indicate physical placement, emotional burdens, or duties imposed on a person. The entries also note its use in idiomatic expressions and with verbs of motion. There is a mention of its function as a conjunction in certain contexts.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

כִּי עַל כֵּן forasmuch as

base

עַל, עָ֑ל

subst. height

As prep. upon, and hence on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against

Upon, of the substratum upon which an object in any way rests, or on which an action is performed

of clothing, etc., which any one wears

With verbs of covering or protecting, even though the cover or veil be not over or above the thing covered, but around or before it

Of what rests heavily upon a person, or is a burden to him

Of a duty, payment, care, etc., imposed upon a person, or devolving on him

על is used idiom. to give pathos to the expression of an emotion, by emphasizing the person who is its subject, and who, as it were, feels it acting upon him

חָיָה עַל to live upon (as upon a foundation or support)

Read the full entry →
Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H5921a עַל, עָ֑ל . As prep. upon, and hence on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against . Upon, of the substratum upon which an object in any way rests, or on which an action is performed . — . of clothing, etc., which any one wears

. With verbs of covering or protecting, even though the cover or veil be not over or above the thing covered, but around or before it

. Of what rests heavily upon a person, or is a burden to him

. Of a duty, payment, care, etc., imposed upon a person, or devolving on him

. על is used idiom. to give pathos to the expression of an emotion, by emphasizing the person who is its subject, and who, as it were, feels it acting upon him

. חָיָה עַל to live upon (as upon a foundation or support)

Read the full entry →
Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

5921 `al al

properly, the same as 5920 used as a preposition (in the

singular or plural often with prefix, or as conjunction with a

particle following); above, over, upon, or against (yet always

in this last relation with a downward aspect) in a great

variety of applications (as follow):--above, according

to(-ly), after, (as) against, among, and, X as, at, because

of, beside (the rest of), between, beyond the time, X both

and, by (reason of), X had the charge of, concerning for, in

(that), (forth, out) of, (from) (off), (up-)on, over, than,

through(-out), to, touching, X with.

see HEBREW for 05920

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

עַל (al) — upon.

prep

1) upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against

1a) upon, on the ground of, on the basis of, on account of, because of, therefore, on behalf of, for the sake of, for, with, in spite of, notwithstanding, concerning, in the matter of, as regards

1b) above, beyond, over (of excess)

1c) above, over (of elevation or pre-eminence)

1d) upon, to, over to, unto, in addition to, together with, with (of addition)

1e) over (of suspension or extension)

1f) by, adjoining, next, at, over, around (of contiguity or proximity)

1g) down upon, upon, on, from, up upon, up to, towards, over towards, to, against (with verbs of motion)

1h) to (as a dative)

[כִּי] עַל [כֵּן] ([ki] al [ken]) — as.

conj

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Prep — Preposition
HR
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
Easton's Bible Dictionary

On

Light; the sun, (Gen. 41:45, 50), the great seat of sun-worship, called also Bethshemesh (Jer. 43:13) and Aven (Ezek. 30:17), stood on the east bank of the Nile, a few miles north of Memphis, and near Cairo, in the north-east. The Vulgate and the LXX. Versions have “Heliopolis” (“city of the sun”) instead of On in Genesis and of Aven in Ezekiel. The “city of destruction” Isaiah speaks of (19:18, marg. “of Heres;” Heb. ‘Ir-ha-heres, which some MSS. read Ir-ha-heres, i.e., “city of the sun”) may be the name given to On, the prophecy being that the time will come when that city which was known as the “city of the sun-god” shall become the “city of destruction” of the sun-god, i.e., when idolatry shall cease, and the worship…

Smith's Bible Dictionary

(abode or city of the sun), a town of lower Egypt, called BETH-SHEMESH in (Jeremiah 43:13) On is better known under its Greek name Heliopolis. It was situated on the east side of the Pelusiac branch of the Nile, just below the point of the Delta, and about twenty miles northeast of Memphis. The chief object of worship at Heliopolis was the sun, whose temple, described by Strabo, is now only represented by the single beautiful obelisk, of red granite so feet 2 inches high above the pedestal which has stood for more than 4000 years, having been erected by Usirtesen, the second king of the twelfth dynasty. Heliopolis was anciently famous for its learning, and Eudoxus and Plato studied under its priests. The first mention of this place in the Bible is in the history of Joseph, to whom we read Pharaoh gave "to wife Asenath the daughter…

American Tract Society Bible Dictionary

See HELIOPOLIS.

Hitchcock's Bible Names Dictionary

pain; force; iniquity

The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
and they placed the object marker the fat on the breasts and he made smoke the fat the altar towards
הֶחָז֑וֹתhe.cha.Zot the breasts H2373 Particle · noun common feminine plural absolute
13× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
The Hebrew word for breast, often referring to the front of an animal, especially in sacrifices. It appears in descriptions of animal offerings in the Bible.
Amplified meaning
the front of the animal
Tyndale gloss
breast
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

חָזֶה (chazeh) refers to the 'breast,' specifically the breast of animals, including in the context of animal sacrifices. It is derived from the root word for 'to see' and is noted in Leviticus 7:51. The Aramaic equivalent is חֲדִי (cha.di), also meaning 'breast.'

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

חָזֶה n.m. Lv 7:51 breast of animals

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H2373 חָזֶה

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

2373 chazeh khaw-zeh'

from 2372; the breast (as most seen in front):--breast.

see HEBREW for 02372

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

חָזֶה (cha.zeh) — breast.

breast (of animals), breast of an animal sacrifice

Aramaic equivalent: cha.di (חֲדִי "breast" H2306)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Art | N-mp — Particle · noun common feminine plural absolute
HTd/Ncfpa
and they placed the object marker the fat on the breasts and he made smoke the fat the altar towards
וַיַּקְטֵ֥רvai.yak.Ter and he made smoke H6999 Verb · Hiphil · sequential imperfect third person masculine singular
116× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This word refers to the act of burning incense as an act of worship, often using a special altar. It involves turning something into a fragrant smoke, and is an important part of Old Testament rituals and sacrifices.
Tyndale gloss
to offer: burn
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word קָטַר (*qatar*) is a verb meaning to smoke or burn, particularly in the context of sacrifices and incense. It has various forms, including nouns for incense (מֻקְטָר, *muqtar*) and incense-altar (מְקַטֵרָה, *meqaterah*). The entries indicate its use in worship practices, with a focus on creating fragrance through fire.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

[קָטַר] 116 vb. denom. Pi. Hiph. make sacrifices smoke, send them up in smoke

Pi. make sacrifices smoke, offer them by burning

Pu. fumigated with myrrh

Hiph.

make sacrifices smoke

cause incense to smoke, offer incense

make smoke upon

Hoph. be made to smoke as a sacrifice

base

מֻקְטָר n.m. incense;—abs. Mal 1:11

ref

[מְקַטֵרָה] n.f. incense-altar;—pl. abs. 2 Ch 30:14.

ref

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H6999a קָטַר vb. denom. Pi. Hiph. make sacrifices smoke, send them up in smoke H6999b מֻקְטָר incense H6999c מְקַטֵרָה incense-altar

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

6999 qatar kaw-tar'

a primitive root (identical with 7000 through the idea of

fumigation in a close place and perhaps thus driving out the

occupants); to smoke, i.e. turn into fragrance by fire

(especially as an act of worship):--burn (incense, sacrifice)

(upon), (altar for) incense, kindle, offer (incense, a

sacrifice).

see HEBREW for 07000

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

קָטַר (qa.tar) — to offer: burn.

: burn

v

1) to sacrifice, burn incense, burn sacrifices, make sacrifices smoke

1a) (Piel)

1a1) to make sacrifices smoke

1a2) to sacrifice

1b) (Pual) to smoke a sacrifice

1c) (Hiphil)

1c1) to make sacrifices smoke

1c2) to cause incense to smoke, offer incense

1c3) to make smoke upon

1d) (Hophal) to be made to smoke

מֻקְטָר (muq.tar) — incense.

v

incense

מְקַטֵרָה (me.qa.te.rah) — incense-altar.

incense-altar

קָטַר (qa.tar) — to offer: offer.

: offer

v

1) to sacrifice, burn incense, burn sacrifices, make sacrifices smoke

1a) (Piel)

1a1) to make sacrifices smoke

1a2) to sacrifice

1b) (Pual) to smoke a sacrifice

1c) (Hiphil)

1c1) to make sacrifices smoke

1c2) to cause incense to smoke, offer incense

1c3) to make smoke upon

1d) (Hophal) to be made to smoke

קָטַר (qa.tar) — to offer: to perfume.

: perfume

v

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Conj | V-Hiphil-ConsecImperf-3ms — Verb · Hiphil · sequential imperfect third person masculine singular
Hc/Vhw3ms
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

smok: Used figuratively of the divine jealousy (De 29:20) and anger (Ps 74:1); symbolic of the glory of the divine holiness (Isa 4:5; 6:4; Re 15:8).

Nave's Topical Bible

→ FIGURATIVE Isa 6:4; Ho 13:3

and they placed the object marker the fat on the breasts and he made smoke the fat the altar towards
הַחֲלָבִ֖יםha.cha.la.Vim the fat H2459 Particle · noun common masculine plural absolute
92× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
In the Bible, cheleb refers to fat, whether literal or figurative, representing the richest or best part of something. It can describe the choicest products of the land or the best of human or animal fat. This term is used to convey abundance and richness.
Amplified meaning
the richest or best part
Tyndale gloss
fat
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

חֵ֫לֶב (cheleb) means fat, referring to both human and animal fat, as well as the choicest parts of agricultural products. It conveys the idea of richness or abundance, highlighting the best or finest portions. The entries consistently emphasize its literal and figurative uses, but do not provide specific verse references.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

חֵ֫לֶב n.m. fat

fat of human body

fat of beasts

choicest, best part of products of land

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H2459 חֵ֫לֶב fat . fat of human body

. fat of beasts

. choicest, best part of products of land

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

2459 cheleb kheh'-leb

or cheleb {khay'-leb}; from an unused root meaning to be fat;

fat, whether literally or figuratively; hence, the richest or

choice part:--X best, fat(-ness), X finest, grease, marrow.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

חֵ֫לֶב (che.lev) — fat.

1) fat

1a) fat (of humans)

1b) fat (of beasts)

1c) choicest, best part, abundance (of products of the land)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Art | N-mp — Particle · noun common masculine plural absolute
HTd/Ncmpa
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

(chelebh, chelebh): The layer of subcutaneous fat and the compact suet surrounding the viscera and imbedded in the entrails, which, like the blood, was forbidden as food in the Mosaic code (Le 3:17). It was to be sacrificed to God by being burnt upon the altar (Le 3:16; 30). This had to be done on the very day on which a beast had been slaughtered, to remove temptation from the Israelite to use it otherwise (Ex 23:18). The law was probably a sanitary restriction, for, at an early date, leprosy, scrofula and disfiguring cutaneous diseases were thought to be caused by the use of fat as food. It was, moreover, an important pedagogical provision teaching the idea of self-denial, and the maxim that the richest and best meat of the…

Easton's Bible Dictionary

Fat

(Heb. heleb) denotes the richest part of the animal, or the fattest of the flock, in the account of Abel’s sacrifice (Gen. 4:4). It sometimes denotes the best of any production (Gen. 45:18; Num. 18:12; Ps. 81:16; 147:47). The fat of sacrifices was to be burned (Lev. 3:9-11; 4:8; 7:3; 8:25; Num. 18:17. Comp. Ex. 29:13-22; Lev. 3:3-5).

It is used figuratively for a dull, stupid state of mind (Ps 17:10).

Smith's Bible Dictionary

i.e. VAT, the word employed in the Authorized Version to translate the Hebrew term yekeb , in (Joel 2:24; 3:13) The word commonly used for yekeb is "winepress" or "winefat," and once "pressfat." (Haggai 2:16) The "vats" appear to have been excavated out of the native rock of the hills on which the vineyards lay.

American Tract Society Bible Dictionary

The fat portions of animals offered in sacrifice were always to be consumed, as being the choice part and especially sacred to the Lord. The blood was also sacred, as containing the life of the animal. The Jews were forbidden to eat either, Le 3:16,17; 7:23-27.

and they placed the object marker the fat on the breasts and he made smoke the fat the altar towards
הַמִּזְבֵּֽחָה׃ha.miz.Be.chah the altar towards H4196 Particle · noun common masculine singular absolute · suffix
401× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
An altar is a place of sacrifice, where offerings are made to God, as seen in the Bible's description of the tabernacle and temple. It was a central part of Israel's worship. The altar played a key role in the priestly rituals.
Amplified meaning
a place of sacrifice, where offerings are made to God
Tyndale gloss
altar
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

מִזְבֵּחַ (mizbeach) means 'altar' in Hebrew. It is derived from the root word meaning to slay or kill, indicating its use in sacrificial contexts. The term is consistently used throughout the Old Testament to refer to places of sacrifice and worship.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

מִזְבֵּחַ 401 n.m. altar

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H4196 מִזְבֵּחַ altar

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

4196 mizbeach miz-bay'-akh

from 2076; an altar:--altar.

see HEBREW for 02076

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

מִזְבֵּחַ (miz.be.ach) — altar.

altar

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Art | N-ms | Suff — Particle · noun common masculine singular absolute · suffix
HTd/Ncmsa/Sd
Sources on this page. Lexicons and dictionaries imported from the CrossWire SWORD modules — Abbott-Smith, Strong's, Dodson, the Intermediate Liddell-Scott-Jones, Robinson and Packard, Webster and Cawdrey. Thayer’s Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament (Harper, 1889 — Grimm’s Wilke’s Clavis Novi Testamenti, translated, revised and enlarged by Joseph Henry Thayer) is public domain and is set here from the Internet Archive page scan greekenglishlex00grim; it is uncorrected OCR, marked as such on the entry itself, and the Strong’s numbers — which Thayer’s own edition does not carry — were matched by lemma against the other modules on this page. Trench’s Synonyms of the New Testament (Macmillan, 1880) and Moulton and Milligan’s Vocabulary of the Greek Testament (Hodder & Stoughton, 1930, which entered the United States public domain on 1 January 2026) are set from Internet Archive page scans synonymsofnewtes00treniala and vocabularyofgree00mouluoft, and are likewise uncorrected OCR matched to Strong’s numbers by lemma. Trench treats a group of words at once, so the same essay stands on the page of each word it compares. The Mounce Concise Greek-English Dictionary is © 1993 and is used here by permission for non-commercial use, www.teknia.com/greek-dictionary. The full Liddell-Scott-Jones and the Hebrew word data (TAHOT) come from STEPBible.org, CC BY 4.0. Brown-Driver-Briggs is the OpenScriptures digitisation, public domain. Syntax analysis is the Nestle 1904 Lowfat treebank (biblicalhumanities.org); the concordance and morphology are built from the tagged Nestle 1904 text. Septuagint occurrences use the Open Scriptures Septuagint lemma index, derived from CCAT (University of Pennsylvania) and the Rahlfs 1935 dataset by Eliran Wong, CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 — used here on a non-commercial ministry site. Greek of Josephus and Barnabas from the Perseus Digital Library, CC BY-SA 4.0. Commentaries and the Ante-Nicene Fathers are public-domain texts hosted on this site. Everyday Greek from the Duke Databank of Documentary Papyri, CC BY 3.0, with dates and provenance from the Heidelberger Gesamtverzeichnis. Philo and the Apostolic Fathers from Open Greek and Latin (First1KGreek), CC BY-SA 4.0. The apparatus and the fifth Greek column are the SBL Greek New Testament, © 2010 SBL and Logos Bible Software, CC BY 4.0. The Latin is the Clementine Vulgate (public domain); the Syriac New Testament is the ETCBC edition (MIT licence). The Hebrew behind the Greek is computed here from the Septuagint index and TAHOT, not taken from any aligned edition. The translation spread and the per-word edition marks come from the Translators Amalgamated Greek NT (STEPBible, CC BY 4.0); clause roles from the Nestle 1904 Lowfat treebank (CC BY-SA 4.0); place identifications and their confidence from OpenBible.info Bible Geocoding (CC BY 4.0), with map tiles © OpenStreetMap contributors. Gospel parallels are computed here from shared uncommon vocabulary, not taken from any printed harmony. Cross references are the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge and the subject headings are Nave’s Topical Bible, both public domain. Works under Creative Commons licences are used unchanged apart from markup removal.

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

Donate