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Malachi 2:1 — Word Study

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WLCוְעַתָּ֗ה אֲלֵיכֶ֛ם הַמִּצְוָ֥ה הַזֹּ֖את הַכֹּהֲנִֽים׃

BSAAnd nowʻattâh [at this time, currently] thiszôʼth decreemitsvâh [commandment, law] is for youʼêl O priestskôhên [spiritual leaders, those who serve God]

Word
Listen & take awayMalachi 2
English ↓ Download MP3 The Berean Standard Bible chapter audio already hosted for the site's Bible section — verse 1 opens the 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.ko.ha.Nim) — no per-word recordings of the Hebrew exist to link to.
Take it away
Malachi 2:1quick helps
In a sentenceGod addresses the priests with a commandment that is currently relevant.
Who is speakingThe LORD of Hosts, directing His message to the priests.
Where we areThe opening of a message focused on the responsibilities of the priests.
The hard wordהַמִּצְוָ֥ה
Take awayThe commandment is urgent and directed specifically at the spiritual leaders.
8 commentators on this verse Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them › clause 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 — Malachi 2:1

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 — God's Command to the Priestsgenerated

1“And now this decree is for you, O priests:
2If you do not listen, and if you do not take it to heart to honor My name,” says the LORD of Hosts, “I will send a curse among you, and I will curse your blessings. Yes, I have already begun to curse them, because you are not taking it to heart.
3Behold, I will rebuke your descendants, and I will spread dung on your faces, the waste from your feasts, and you will be carried off with it.
4Then you will know that I have sent you this commandment so that My covenant with Levi may continue,” says the LORD of Hosts.

Malachi 2:1 presents a direct message from God to the priests, emphasizing the importance of their role in honoring His name. This verse serves as a prelude to a series of admonitions that follow, where God outlines the consequences of failing to uphold their responsibilities, as seen in the subsequent verses.


Cross References

ReferenceText (BSB)
1Malachi 1:6“A son honors his father, and a servant his master. But if I am a father, where is My honor? And if I am a master, where is your fear of Me?” says the LORD of Hosts to you priests who despise My name. “But you ask, ‘How have we despised Your name?’
2Jeremiah 13:13then you are to tell them that this is what the LORD says: ‘I am going to fill with drunkenness all who live in this land—the kings who sit on David’s throne, the priests, the prophets, and all the people of Jerusalem.
3Lamentations 4:13But this was for the sins of her prophets and the guilt of her priests, who shed the blood of the righteous in her midst.
4Hosea 5:1“Hear this, O priests! Take heed, O house of Israel! Give ear, O royal house! For this judgment is against you because you have been a snare at Mizpah, a net spread out on Tabor.

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

And now, O ye priests, this commandment is for you.Malachi 1:6 Jeremiah 13:13 Lamentations 4:13 Hosea 5:1

The Key Word הַמִּצְוָ֥ה, ha.mitz.Vahgenerated

The word מִצְוָה (mitzvah) refers to a commandment or law, indicating a directive that must be followed. It is derived from a root meaning to command, and it encompasses both divine and human commands. In this context, it highlights the seriousness of the priests' obligations to God.

As a feminine singular noun, it emphasizes a specific command that is currently applicable to the priests, marking it as significant in their spiritual duties.


How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated

The verse is rendered similarly across translations, with all versions choosing the commandment for הַמִּצְוָ֥ה.


Sentence Structuregenerated

The structure of the verse centers around the finite verb implied in the command, with the main clause stating the decree directed at the priests. The phrase הַמִּצְוָ֥ה serves as the subject, while the rest of the sentence elaborates on the audience and context.

The Hebrew word order places emphasis on the commandment itself, making it clear that this is a direct and urgent message to the priests.


Septuagint Backgroundgenerated

The Septuagint translates הַמִּצְוָ֥ה as ἐντολὴ (entolē), which also means commandment. This choice reflects the same authoritative tone as the Hebrew, emphasizing the seriousness of the directive given to the priests.

The consistency in translation between the Hebrew and the Septuagint suggests a shared understanding of the priests' responsibilities across both texts.


In plain words — the whole versegenerated

Malachi 2:1 tells us that God is giving a commandment specifically to the priests. This commandment is important for their role in serving God and leading the people in worship. The following verses explain the consequences if they do not take this command seriously.


Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated

What does this commandment entail for the priests?

The commandment requires the priests to honor God's name and fulfill their spiritual duties, as outlined in the subsequent verses.

Why is this decree directed specifically at the priests?

The priests hold a unique position as spiritual leaders and are responsible for guiding the people in their relationship with God.

What are the consequences mentioned for not following this commandment?

God warns that failure to honor His name will result in curses among the priests and their blessings.

How does this verse connect to the overall message of Malachi?

This verse sets the tone for the book, highlighting the need for the priests to uphold their responsibilities and the seriousness of their role in God's covenant.


Reflection Questionsgenerated

  1. How can I better honor God in my own life, similar to the call given to the priests?
  2. What responsibilities do I have in my community that align with serving God?
  3. In what ways can I ensure that I am taking God's commandments to heart?
  4. How does understanding the role of the priests help me in my personal faith journey?

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

Early Church Fathers reference this verse to discuss the responsibilities of the priesthood and the seriousness of their role in serving God.

CyprianEpistle LXXIII c. 200–258
In which place, dearest brother, we must consider, for the sake of the faith and the religion of the sacerdotal office which we discharge, whether the account can be satisfactory in the day of judgment for a priest of God, who maintains,
Early Church Fathers on Malachi 2 →
JeromeChapter 2, verses 1, 2. c. 347–420
Woe to the deceitful one who has a male in his flock and makes a vow, sacrificing something weak to the Lord. For I am a great king, says the Lord of hosts, and my name is feared among the nations.
Early Church Fathers on Malachi 2 →

Commentators on this verse — 8 expositors, verse by verse

Each of these wrote on Malachi 2:1 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.

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

And now, O ye priests,.... That despised and profaned the name of the Lord; that suffered such corrupt and illegal sacrifices to be brought and offered up: this commandment [is] for you: of giving

Read John Gill on Malachi 2 →
Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's Commentary

And now, O ye priests, this commandment is for you. And now, O ye priests, this commandment is for you.

Read Robert Jamieson on Malachi 2 →
Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy Bible

MALACHI CHAPTER 2 The priests are sharply reproved for profaning the covenant which was given them, ; and the people for marrying strange wives, , and treacherously putting away their former ones, ; and for impiety, . This commandment; either this which he had already minded them of about the sacrifices, what ought to be offered and what refused; if the people brought defective sheep or oxen, they who were priests ought not to have admitted, they ought not to have offered them upon God’ s altar: or this commandment he now brings from God to them, and which is contained in this chapter. Is for you; by especial direction it is sent to you, and look to it that you obey it.

Read Matthew Poole on Malachi 2 →
John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

Malachi 2:1 And now, O ye priests, this commandment [is] for you.Ver. 1. And now, O ye priests, &c.] Now, that is, Now again, I must have the other bout with you, besides what I had, Malachi 1:6-11, for as once from the prophets, so now from the priests, in Jerusalem profaneness is gone forth into all the land, Jeremiah 23:15. Their white ephods covered many foul sins; and their evil example proved a public mischief. Hence the prophet is so round with them; for he knew that a wicked priest is the worst creature upon earth. Unsavoury salt is fit for no place; no, not for the dunghill. It is an old proverb, that hell is paved with the shaven crowns of evil priests. The word priest is never…

Read John Trapp on Malachi 2 →
Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

II. (1-9) The decree against the priests.

Read Charles John Ellicott on Malachi 2 →
AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible

CHAPTER II The priests reproved for their unfaithfulness in their office, for which they are threatened to be deprived of their share of the sacrifice, (the shoulder,) and rewarded only with ignominy and ordure, 1-3. The degeneracy of the order is then complained of, and they are again threatened, 4-9. The rest of the chapter reproves the people for marrying strange and idolatrous women; and multiplying divorces, with all their consequent distress, in order to make way for such illicit alliances, 10-17. See Ne 10:30; Ne 13:27-30, &c. NOTES ON CHAP. II

Read AdamClarke on Malachi 2 →
CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

Ch. Malachi 2:1-9. Threatened Punishment of the Priests 1. O ye priests] The discourse turns again in direct appeal to the priests. The exact order of the words is emphatic: And now, for you is this commandment, O priests. this commandment] Some commentators would make “commandment” here mean purpose, or decree, and refer it to the punishment threatened in Malachi 2:2-4. There seems no reason, however, to depart here and in Malachi 2:4 from the usual meaning of the word. The passage (Malachi 2:2-4) is a commandment to reform, with threatened consequences if they disobey it.

Read Cambridge on Malachi 2 →
Albert Barnes1798–1870Barnes' Notes on the Bible

And now this is My commandment unto you - , not a commandment, which He gave them, but a commandment in regard to them.

Read Albert Barnes on Malachi 2 →

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 now this decree is for you, O priests:

WEBWorld English Bible2000

“Now, you priests, this commandment is for you.

MSBMajority Standard Bible2022

“And now this decree is for you, O priests:

NETBNew English Translation2006

“Now, you priests, this commandment is for you.

Tyndale line

KJVKing James Version1611

And now, O ye priests, this commandment is for you.

ASVAmerican Standard Version1901

And now, O ye priests, this commandment is for you.

RVARevised Version, American1894

And now, O ye priests, this commandment is for you.

NWBWebster's Bible1833

And now, O ye priests, this commandment is for you.

GNVGeneva Bible1599

And now, O ye Priests, this commandement is for you.

Strictly literal

DBYDarby Translation1890

And now, ye priests, this commandment is for you.

YLTYoung's Literal Translation1862

And now, to you [is] this charge, O priests,

LSVLiteral Standard Version2020

“And now, to you [is] this charge, O priests,

ILTInterlinear Literal Translation2000

And now, this commandment is for you, O ye priests.

ULBUnlocked Literal Bible2017

Now you priests, this command is for you.

From the Latin

DRADouay-Rheims (Challoner)1899

And now, O ye priests, this commandment is to you.

Simplified

FBVFree Bible Version2020

Now this command is for you priests!

BBEBible in Basic English1949

And now, O you priests, this order is for you.

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.

conjunction phraseוְandעַתָּ֗הnowclauseclauseprepositional phrase · predicateאֲלֵי[is].toכֶ֛םyounoun phrase · subjectהַthenoun phraseמִּצְוָ֥הcommandmentadjective phraseהַ(the)זֹּ֖אתthisclausenoun phraseהַOכֹּהֲנִֽיםpriests

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


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

The Masoretic Text and the Septuagint agree on the wording of this verse, with all five words matched in the Hebrew and Greek. This alignment indicates a strong consistency in the transmission of this commandment across different textual traditions.

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

וְעַתָּ֗ה אֲלֵיכֶ֛ם הַמִּצְוָ֥ה הַזֹּ֖את הַכֹּהֲנִֽים׃

Septuagintthe Greek the translators chose, word by word
וְעַתָּ֗הνῦνאֲלֵיכֶ֛םὑμᾶςהַמִּצְוָ֥הἐντολὴהַזֹּ֖אתαὕτηהַכֹּהֲנִֽים׃ἱερεῖς

5 of the 5 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.

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.

Malachi 2:1עַתָּ֫הand nowand nowעַתָּ֫האֶל[is] to you[is] to youאֶלמִצְוָהthe commandthe commandmentמִצְוָהזֶהthisthisזֶהכֹּהֵןO priestsO priestsכֹּהֵןעֵתtimetimeעֵתצָוָהto commandto commandצָוָהשֶׂהשֶׂהכָּהַןto ministeto ministerכָּהַןנָאpleasepleaseנָאאֲנַ֫חְנוּweweאֲנַ֫חְנוּפָּלַלto prayto prayפָּלַליִרְמְיָ֫הJeremiahJeremiahיִרְמְיָ֫החֻקָּהstatutestatuteחֻקָּהחֹקstatute: dstatute: decreeחֹקתּוֹרָהinstructioinstructionתּוֹרָהשִׁירsongsongשִׁיראֶלְעָזָרEleazarEleazarאֶלְעָזָרצָדוֹקZadokZadokצָדוֹק
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 Malachi 2:1

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 now [is] to you the commandment this O priests
וְעַתָּ֗הve.'a.Tah and now H6258 Conjunction · adverb
433× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This word means now or at this time, like in Exodus when God says now is the time to act. It can also be used to connect ideas or show a change in time, as seen in the book of Isaiah.
Amplified meaning
at this time, currently
Tyndale gloss
now
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

עַתָּ֫ה (attah) is an adverb of time meaning 'now.' It can also function as a conjunction or expletive, indicating immediacy or a current moment. The word is derived from a related term, עַת (att), and is used in various contexts to denote the present time.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

עַתָּ֫ה 435, עָ֑֫תָּה, adv. of time, now

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H6258 עַתָּ֫ה, עָ֑֫תָּה of time, now

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

6258 `attah at-taw'

from 6256; at this time, whether adverb, conjunction or

expletive:--henceforth, now, straightway, this time, whereas.

see HEBREW for 06256

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

עַתָּ֫ה (at.tah) — now.

1) now

1a) now

1b) in phrases

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Conj | Adv — Conjunction · adverb
HC/D
The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
and now [is] to you the commandment this O priests
אֲלֵיכֶ֛ם'a.lei.Khem [is] to you H413 Preposition · suffix
5,518× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This Hebrew word means 'to' or 'toward', showing direction or movement. It appears in many books, including Genesis and Exodus, to indicate where someone is going. The KJV translates it in various ways, like 'about', 'according to', or 'against'.
Tyndale gloss
to(wards)
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word אֶל (el) is primarily a preposition indicating motion towards or direction to a person or place. It can also imply entering a limit, presence at a location, or a hostile direction (against). Additionally, it may express concepts such as concerning, in addition to, or according to. The entries highlight its versatility in both physical and metaphorical contexts.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

אֶל (nearly always followed by Makkeph),

prep. denoting motion to or direction towards (whether physical or mental).of motion to or unto a person or place

Where the limit is actually entered, into

Of direction towards anything

Where the motion or direction implied appears from the context to be of a hostile character, אֶל = against

Unto sometimes acquires from the context the sense of in addition to

Metaph. in regard to, concerning, on account of

Of rule or standard according to (rare)

Expressing presence at a spot, against, at, by, not merely after verbs implying motion

Prefixed to other preps. it combines with them the idea of motion or direction to

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H413 אֶל (nearly always followed by Makkeph), . of motion to or unto a person or place

. Where the limit is actually entered, into

. Of direction towards anything

. Where the motion or direction implied appears from the context to be of a hostile character, אֶל = against

. Unto sometimes acquires from the context the sense of in addition to

. Metaph. in regard to, concerning, on account of

. Of rule or standard according to (rare)

. Expressing presence at a spot, against, at, by, not merely after verbs implying motion

. Prefixed to other preps. it combines with them the idea of motion or direction to

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

413 'el ale

(but only used in the shortened constructive form sel {el});

a primitive particle; properly, denoting motion towards, but

occasionally used of a quiescent position, i.e. near, with or

among; often in general, to:--about, according to ,after,

against, among, as for, at, because(-fore, -side), both...and,

by, concerning, for, from, X hath, in(- to), near, (out) of,

over, through, to(-ward), under, unto, upon, whether,

with(-in).

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

אֶל (el) — to(wards).

1) to, toward, unto (of motion)

2) into (limit is actually entered)

2a) in among

3) toward (of direction, not necessarily physical motion)

4) against (motion or direction of a hostile character)

5) in addition to, to

6) concerning, in regard to, in reference to, on account of

7) according to (rule or standard)

8) at, by, against (of one's presence)

9) in between, in within, to within, unto (idea of motion to)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Prep | Suff — Preposition · suffix
HR/Sp2mp
and now [is] to you the commandment this O priests
הַמִּצְוָ֥הha.mitz.Vah the commandment H4687 Particle · noun common feminine singular absolute
182× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This Hebrew word means a command or law given by God or humans, as seen in the Bible's rules and guidelines. It appears in books like Exodus and Deuteronomy. The commandments guide people's actions.
Amplified meaning
commandment, law
Tyndale gloss
commandment
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

מִצְוָה (mitsvah) means 'commandment' and can refer to commands from both humans and God. It encompasses laws, ordinances, and precepts, indicating a range of directives within religious and moral contexts. The term is derived from a root meaning to command, linking it to the broader framework of divine law.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

מִצְוָה 181 n.f. commandment

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H4687 מִצְוָה commandment

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

4687 mitsvah mits-vaw'

from 6680; a command, whether human or divine (collectively,

the Law):--(which was) commanded(-ment), law, ordinance,

precept.

see HEBREW for 06680

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

מִצְוָה (mits.vah) — commandment.

1) commandment

1a) commandment (of man)

1b) the commandment (of God)

1c) commandment (of code of wisdom)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Art | N-fs — Particle · noun common feminine singular absolute
HTd/Ncfsa
and now [is] to you the commandment this O priests
הַזֹּ֖אתha.Zot this H2063 Particle · particle
604× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This Hebrew word means this or that, often used to point out something specific. It appears in various forms throughout the Old Testament.
Tyndale gloss
this
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

זֹאת (zot) is a demonstrative pronoun and adverb meaning 'this' or 'here.' It can stand alone or be used in apposition to a noun, often serving as a predicate. The word can also attach enclitically to interrogative pronouns to add emphasis. In poetry, it may function as a relative pronoun, though this is rare.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

זֶה demonstr.pron. and adv.; fem. זֹאת, once זֹאתָה; this, here

standing alone

In appos. to subst.

More oft. as pred.

It is attached enclitically, almost as an adv., to certain words, esp. interrog. pronouns, to impart, in a manner often not reproducible in Engl. idiom, directness and force, bringing the question or statement made into close relation with the speaker.

In poetry, as a relative pron. (rare)

With prefixes (in special senses)

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H2063 זֶה demonstr. pron. and adv.; fem. זֹאת, once זֹאתָה; this, here . standing alone

. In appos. to subst.

. More oft. as pred.

. It is attached enclitically, almost as an adv., to certain words, esp. interrog. pronouns, to impart, in a manner often not reproducible in Engl. idiom, directness and force, bringing the question or statement made into close relation with the speaker.

. In poetry, as a relative pron. (rare)

. With prefixes (in special senses)

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

2063 zo'th zothe'

irregular feminine of 2089; this (often used adverb):--

hereby (-in, -with), it, likewise, the one (other, same), she,

so (much), such (deed), that, therefore, these, this (thing),

thus.

see HEBREW for 02089

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

זֹאת (zot) — this.

1) this, this one, here, which, this...that, the one...the other, such

1a) (alone)

1a1) this one

1a2) this...that, the one...the other, another

1b) (appos to subst)

1b1) this

1c) (as predicate)

1c1) this, such

1d) (enclitically)

1d1) then

1d2) who, whom

1d3) how now, what now

1d4) what now

1d5) wherefore now

1d6) behold here

1d7) just now

1d8) now, now already

1e) (poetry)

1e1) wherein, which, those who

1f) (with prefixes)

1f1) in this (place) here, then

1f2) on these conditions, herewith, thus provided, by, through this, for this cause, in this matter

1f3) thus and thus

1f4) as follows, things such as these, accordingly, to that effect, in like manner, thus and thus

1f5) from here, hence, on one side...on the other side

1f6) on this account

1f7) in spite of this, which, whence, how

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Art | Pron — Particle · particle
HTd/Tm
and now [is] to you the commandment this O priests
הַכֹּהֲנִֽים׃ha.ko.ha.Nim O priests H3548 Particle · noun common masculine plural absolute
750× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
In the Bible, a priest is a person who serves God and leads others in worship, like the Levitical priests in Exodus. They were responsible for making sacrifices and following God's laws. This term is also used to describe Jesus as a priest-king.
Amplified meaning
spiritual leaders, those who serve God
Tyndale gloss
priest
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

כֹּהֵן (kohen) means 'priest' and is derived from the active participle of a related root. It encompasses various types of priests, including Levitical, Aaronic, and even pagan priests, as well as chief rulers or principal officers. The term is used in contexts referring to both Jewish and non-Jewish priestly roles.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

כֹּהֵן 750 n.m. priest

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H3548 כֹּהֵן priest

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

3548 kohen ko-hane'

active participle of 3547; literally, one officiating, a

priest; also (by courtesy) an acting priest (although a

layman):--chief ruler, X own, priest, prince, principal

officer.

see HEBREW for 03547

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

כֹּהֵן (ko.hen) — priest.

1) priest, principal officer or chief ruler

1a) priest-king (Melchizedek, Messiah)

1b) pagan priests

1c) priests of Jehovah

1d) Levitical priests

1e) Zadokite priests

1f) Aaronic priests

1g) the high priest

Aramaic equivalent: ka.hen (כָּהֵן "priest" H3549)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Art | N-mp — Particle · noun common masculine plural absolute
HTd/Ncmpa
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
Torrey's New Topical Textbook

- First notice of persons acting as

Ge 4:3,4

- During patriarchal age heads of families acted as

Ge 8:20; 12:8; 35:7

- After the exodus young men (first-born) deputed to act as

Ex 24:5; 19:22

- The sons of Aaron appointed as, by perpetual statute

Ex 29:9; 40:15

- All except seed of Aaron excluded from being

Nu 3:10; 16:40; 18:7

- Sanctified by God for the office

Ex 29:44

- Publicly consecrated

Ex 28:3; Nu 3:3

- CEREMONIES AT CONSECRATION OF

. Washing in water

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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