Menu

Nahum 3:9 — Word Study

Depth

WLCכּ֥וּשׁ עָצְמָ֛ה וּמִצְרַ֖יִם וְאֵ֣ין קֵ֑צֶה פּ֣וּט וְלוּבִ֔ים הָי֖וּ בְּעֶזְרָתֵֽךְ׃

BSAEthiopiaKûwsh strengthʻotsmâh [powerfulness, numerousness] EgyptMitsrayim nothingʼayin endqâtseh PutPûwṭ [a son of Ham, a northern African region] LibyanLûwbîy to behâyâh helpʻezrâh

Word
Listen & take awayNahum 3
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 (be.'ez.ra.Tekh) — no per-word recordings of the Hebrew exist to link to.
Take it away
Nahum 3:9quick helps
In a sentenceCush and Egypt provided immense strength, while Put and Libya were allies.
Who is speakingThe prophet Nahum addresses Nineveh, illustrating its former power.
Where we areThis verse is part of a passage that compares Nineveh to Thebes, emphasizing its downfall.
The hard wordעָצְמָ֛ה
Take awayEven great strength and alliances can lead to downfall.
clause subjectקֵצֶה 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 — Nahum 3:9

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 Prophecy Against Ninevehgenerated

8Are you better than Thebes, stationed by the Nile with water around her, whose rampart was the sea, whose wall was the water?
9Cush and Egypt were her boundless strength; Put and Libya were her allies.
10Yet she became an exile; she went into captivity. Her infants were dashed to pieces at the head of every street. They cast lots for her dignitaries, and all her nobles were bound in chains.
11You too will become drunk; you will go into hiding and seek refuge from the enemy.

Nahum 3:9 describes how Cush and Egypt were sources of great strength for Nineveh, while Put and Libya served as allies. This context highlights the city’s reliance on these powers, ultimately leading to its downfall as seen in the following verses. The passage serves as a warning about the fragility of power and alliances.


The Key Word עָצְמָ֛ה, 'a.tze.Mahgenerated

The word עָצְמָה (otsmah) is a feminine noun that signifies strength or powerfulness. It conveys the idea of might and can also imply abundance. In this verse, it describes the immense strength that Cush and Egypt provided to Nineveh.

This word appears in contexts where divine strength is emphasized, suggesting that the power of nations can be likened to God's might. The parsing indicates it is used here to describe the strength that is both numerous and formidable.


How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated

In the Berean Standard Bible, the wording is consistent with other translations, using strength for עָצְמָה.


Sentence Structuregenerated

The finite verb הָי֖וּ (hayu) governs the entire verse, indicating the state of being of Cush, Egypt, Put, and Libya as allies. The structure emphasizes the subjects and their roles as sources of strength.

The sentence is constructed with a noun phrase followed by a predicate, illustrating the relationship between the subjects and their attributes. The order highlights the significance of the nations mentioned as key players in Nineveh's strength.


Septuagint Backgroundgenerated

The Septuagint translates עָצְמָה as (), which serves as a definite article. This choice indicates a focus on the specific strength attributed to Cush and Egypt, aligning with the Hebrew meaning.

The use of suggests a definitive quality to the strength being discussed, reinforcing the idea of a notable and recognized power.


In plain words — the whole versegenerated

Nahum 3:9 tells us that Cush and Egypt were immense sources of strength for Nineveh, while Put and Libya were its allies. This verse highlights the reliance on these nations, which ultimately did not prevent Nineveh's downfall.


Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated

What does the verse imply about the strength of Nineveh?

The verse suggests that Nineveh's strength was heavily reliant on external allies like Cush and Egypt, indicating that their power was not solely their own.

Why are Cush and Egypt mentioned specifically?

Cush and Egypt are mentioned as they were significant powers in the region, symbolizing the might and influence that supported Nineveh.

What can we learn from the alliances mentioned in this verse?

The alliances highlight the importance of relationships and support in maintaining power, but they also show that reliance on others can lead to vulnerability.

How does this verse connect to the themes of downfall and judgment?

This verse sets the stage for Nineveh's eventual downfall, illustrating that despite having strong allies, the city could not escape judgment.


Reflection Questionsgenerated

  1. What are some examples of alliances in my life that provide strength or support?
  2. How can I ensure that my sources of strength are reliable and not just temporary?
  3. In what ways can I prepare for challenges even when I feel secure in my current alliances?
  4. What lessons can I draw from the downfall of Nineveh regarding dependence on external powers?

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

Cush and Egypt were her boundless strength; Put and Libya were her allies.

WEBWorld English Bible2000

Cush and Egypt were her boundless strength. Put and Libya were her helpers.

MSBMajority Standard Bible2022

Cush and Egypt were her boundless strength; Put and Libya were her allies.

NETBNew English Translation2006

Cush and Egypt had limitless strength; Put and the Libyans were among her allies.

Tyndale line

KJVKing James Version1611

Ethiopia and Egypt were her strength, and it was infinite; Put and Lubim were thy helpers.

ASVAmerican Standard Version1901

Ethiopia and Egypt were her strength, and it was infinite; Put and Lubim were thy helpers.

RVARevised Version, American1894

Ethiopia and Egypt were her strength, and it was infinite; Put and Lubim were thy helpers.

NWBWebster's Bible1833

Cush and Egypt were her strength, and it was infinite; Put and Lubim were thy helpers.

GNVGeneva Bible1599

Ethiopia and Egypt were her strength, and there was none ende: Put and Lubim were her helpers.

Strictly literal

DBYDarby Translation1890

Ethiopia was her strength, and Egypt, and it was infinite; Phut and the Libyans were her helpers.

YLTYoung's Literal Translation1862

Cush her might, and Egypt, and there is no end. Put and Lubim have been for thy help.

LSVLiteral Standard Version2020

Cush her might, and Egypt, and there is no end. Put and Lubim have been for your help.

ILTInterlinear Literal Translation2000

Ethiopia the numerous, and Egypt that was without end, Put and Lubim were thy helpers.

ULBUnlocked Literal Bible2017

Cush and Egypt were her strength, and there was no end to it; Put and Libya were allies to her.

From the Latin

DRADouay-Rheims (Challoner)1899

Ethiopia and Egypt were the strength thereof, and there is no end: Africa and the Libyans were thy helpers.

Simplified

FBVFree Bible Version2020

The city ruled Egypt and Ethiopia. Put and Libya were its allies.

BBEBible in Basic English1949

Ethiopia was her strength and Egyptians without number; Put and Lubim were her helpers.

Counted from the translations carried on this site, not from a survey of every English Bible. A rendering shared by many versions is usually inherited rather than independently arrived at — the Tyndale line in particular runs through most of them.


The sentence as the grammar sees it — from the MACULA Hebrew treebank

This is not our own analysis: it is the scholarly syntax tree for the verse, showing how the clause actually holds together.

clausenoun phrase · predicateעָצְמָ֛mightה[was].itsnoun phrase · subjectכּ֥וּשׁCushוּandמִצְרַ֖יִםEgyptוְandclausepredicateאֵ֣יןthere.[was].notsubjectקֵ֑צֶהan.endclausenoun phrase · subjectפּ֣וּטPutוְand.[the]לוּבִ֔יםLibyansverbהָי֖וּthey.wereprepositional phrase · prepositionalבְּ(in)noun phraseעֶזְרָתֵֽhelpךְyour

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


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

The Masoretic Text presents the verse as כּ֥וּשׁ עָצְמָ֛ה וּמִצְרַ֖יִם וְאֵ֣ין קֵ֑צֶה פּ֣וּט וְלוּבִ֔ים הָי֖וּ בְּעֶזְרָתֵֽךְ׃, which is closely matched by the Septuagint with minor variations in word order. The Dead Sea Scrolls also reflect similar wording, though some words are restored, indicating a shared tradition.

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

כּ֥וּשׁ עָצְמָ֛ה וּמִצְרַ֖יִם וְאֵ֣ין קֵ֑צֶה פּ֣וּט וְלוּבִ֔ים הָי֖וּ בְּעֶזְרָתֵֽךְ׃

Septuagintthe Greek the translators chose, word by word
עָצְמָ֛הוּמִצְרַ֖יִםαἴγυπτοςוְאֵ֣יןοὐκקֵ֑צֶהπέραςפּ֣וּטφυγῆςוְלוּבִ֔יםλίβυεςהָי֖וּἐγένοντο

7 of the 9 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.

Dead Sea Scrolls — Mur88a copy a thousand years older than the Leningrad Codex

כוש עצמ׳ה [ומצרים] [ואין] [קצה] [פוט] ולובים היו בעזרת׳ך

4 words on the leather — 1 partly restored, 4 supplied entire by an editor.

Four traditions, not one. “On the leather” means the letters physically survive on the scroll, as against letters an editor has supplied to fill a hole in it — a restoration is a scholar’s reading, not a reading of the manuscript. Words in [square brackets] are supplied; the notes count them apart from what survives.


The map of this verse — what each word keeps company with

This is a map of two things, both counted rather than judged. Company kept: which words stand within three words of each of these, anywhere in the Hebrew Bible — the thicker the line, the more often the pair meet compared with chance. Built from: the words a word is made out of, taken from its own Strong’s entry. It is not a map of meaning: nothing here claims two words mean the same thing. Click any circle to see the numbers behind it.

Nahum 3:9כּוּשׁCushCushכּוּשׁעָצְמָה[was] stren[was] strength עָצְמָהמִצְרַ֫יִםand Egyptand Egyptמִצְרַ֫יִםאַ֫יִןand there nand there notאַ֫יִןקָצֶה[was] an en[was] an endקָצֶהפּוּטPutPutפּוּטלוּבand [the] Land [the] Libyaלוּבהָיָהthey werethey wereהָיָהעֶזְרָהhelp yourhelp yourעֶזְרָהקָצָהto cut offto cut offקָצָהאַבְדָ֑ןdestructiodestructionאַבְדָ֑ןעֹ֫צֶםstrengthstrengthעֹ֫צֶםמָצוֹרEgyptEgyptמָצוֹראַ֫יִןwhere?where?אַ֫יִןהָוָאto fallto fallהָוָאכּוּשׁEthiopiaEthiopiaכּוּשׁתִּרְהָקָהTirhakahTirhakahתִּרְהָקָהסְבָאSebaSebaסְבָאאַ֫יִןnothingnothingאַ֫יִןפַּרְעֹהPharaohPharaohפַּרְעֹהכְּמוֹlikelikeכְּמוֹגְּבוּלborder: boborder: boundarגְּבוּללוּדLudLudלוּדכּוּשִׁיCushiteCushiteכּוּשִׁימִצְרַ֫יִם(Sea of) E(Sea of) Egyptמִצְרַ֫יִםחוּשׁto hastento hastenחוּשׁתְּשׁוּעָהdeliverancdeliverance: saתְּשׁוּעָה
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 Nahum 3:9

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.

Cush [was] strength its and Egypt and there not [was] an end Put and [the] Libyans they were help your
כּ֥וּשׁkush Cush H3568 Noun proper
30× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
Cush refers to Ethiopia or a Benjamite in Psalm 7:1. It means black, referencing the dark skin of its people.
Tyndale gloss
Ethiopia
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

כּוּשׁ (Kuwsh) refers to Cush, a name associated with a son of Ham and the territory in the southern Nile Valley, often identified with Ethiopia. It also denotes a Benjamite mentioned in the title of Psalm 7:1. The term is linked to the meaning 'black' and may have foreign origins, with some entries suggesting a connection to Babylonian Kaššu.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

כּוּשׁ n.pr.pers.m., gent. et terr.

1st ‘son’ of חָם

land and people of southern Nile-valley, or Upper Egypt, extending from Syene indefinitely to the south

כּוּשׁ is err. for כַּשׁ = Bab. Kaššu

base

כּוּשׁ n.pr.m. a Benjamite, ψ 7:1 (title)

ref

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H3568a כּוּשׁ n. pr. pers. m., gent. et terr. . 1st ‘son’ of חָם

. land and people of southern Nile-valley, or Upper Egypt, exyending from Syene indefinitely to the south

. כּוּשׁ is err. for כַּשׁ = Bab. Kaššu

H3568b כּוּשׁ a Benjamite

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

3568 Kuwsh koosh

probably of foreign origin; Cush (or Ethiopia), the name of a

son of Ham, and of his territory; also of an

Israelite:--Chush, Cush, Ethiopia.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

כּוּשׁ (kush) — Cush.

§ Cush = "black"

the land occupied by the descendants of Cush located around the southern parts of the Nile (Ethiopia)

כּוּשׁ (kush) — Cush.

A man living at the time of United Monarchy, only mentioned at Psa.7.1

§ Cush = "black"

a Benjamite mentioned only in the title of Ps 7:1

כּוּשׁ (kush) — Cush.

A man living at the time of the Patriarchs, first mentioned at Gen.10.6;

son of: Ham (H2526);

brother of: Canaan (H3667), Egypt (H4714) and Put (H6316);

father of: Seba (H5434), Havilah (H2341H), Sabtah (H5454), Raamah (H7484), Sabteca (H5455) and Nimrod (H5248)

§ Cush = "black"

a Benjamite mentioned only in the title of Ps 7:1

כּוּשׁ (kush) — Ethiopia.

§ Cush = "black"

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-proper — Noun proper
HNpl
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
Easton's Bible Dictionary

Cush

Black. (1.) A son, probably the eldest, of Ham, and the father of Nimrod (Gen. 10:8; 1 Chr. 1:10). From him the land of Cush seems to have derived its name. The question of the precise locality of the land of Cush has given rise to not a little controversy. The second river of Paradise surrounded the whole land of Cush (Gen. 2:13, R.V.). The term Cush is in the Old Testament generally applied to the countries south of the Israelites. It was the southern limit of Egypt (Ezek. 29:10, A.V. “Ethiopia,” Heb. Cush), with which it is generally associated (Ps. 68:31; Isa.…

1. The eldest son of Ham, and father of Nimrod, Seba, Havilah, Sabtah, Raamah, and Sabtecha, most of whom settled in Arabia Felix, Ge 10:6-8.

2. The countries peopled by the descendants of Cush, and generally called in the English Bible, Ethiopia, though not always. But under this name there seem to be included not less than three different countries:

A. The oriental Cush, comprehending the regions of Persis, Chusistan, and Susiana, in Persia. It lay chiefly to the eastward of the Tigris. Hither we may refer the river Gihon, Ge 2:13 Zep 3:10. See EDEN.

B. The Hebrews also, in the opinion of many, used Cush and Cushan, Hab 3:7, to designate the southern parts of Arabia, and the…

Hitchcock's Bible Names Dictionary

Cushan, Cushi, Ethiopians; blackness

Cush [was] strength its and Egypt and there not [was] an end Put and [the] Libyans they were help your
עָצְמָ֛ה'a.tze.Mah [was] strength its H6109 Noun common feminine singular absolute · suffix
3× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This word refers to powerfulness or strength, and can also mean numerousness, describing something or someone as abundant or mighty. It is used to describe God's power in the Bible. The KJV translates it as abundance or strength.
Amplified meaning
powerfulness, numerousness
Tyndale gloss
strength
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

עָצְמָה (otsmah) is a feminine noun meaning might or strength. It conveys the idea of powerfulness and can also refer to abundance or numerousness. The word appears in Isaiah 40:29, where it emphasizes the concept of divine strength.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

עָצְמָה n.f. might;—Is 40:29

ref

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H6109 עָצְמָה might

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

6109 `otsmah ots-maw'

feminine of 6108; powerfulness; by extension,

numerousness:--abundance, strength.

see HEBREW for 06108

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

עׇצְמָה (ots.mah) — strength.

power, strength, might

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-fs | Suff — Noun common feminine singular absolute · suffix
HNcfsa/Sp3fs
The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
Cush [was] strength its and Egypt and there not [was] an end Put and [the] Libyans they were help your
וּמִצְרַ֖יִםu.mitz.Ra.yim and Egypt H4714 Conjunction · noun proper
641× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This word means Egypt, a country in northeastern Africa, and is used in the Bible to describe the land and its people. It appears in books like Genesis and Isaiah, often referring to the Nile River and the Egyptians. Egypt is an important setting for many biblical events.
Tyndale gloss
(Sea of) Egypt
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

מִצְרַ֫יִם (mitsrayim) refers to Egypt, a country in northeastern Africa known for the Nile River. The term can denote both the land and its inhabitants, the Egyptians. It is derived from a dual form suggesting Upper and Lower Egypt, and is linked to the biblical figure Mizraim, a son of Ham. The lexicons note its significance in the context of the table of nations.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

מִצְרַ֫יִם 681 n.pr.terr. et gent. Egypt, Egyptians

of land, Egypt

combinations

of people:

in table of nations, personif. as second son of Ham

= Egypt (as a people), Egyptians

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H4714 מִצְרַ֫יִם Egypt, Egyptians . . of land, Egypt

. combinations

. of people: . in table of nations, personif. as second son of Ham

. = Egypt (as a people), Egyptians

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

4714 Mitsrayim mits-rah'-yim

dual of 4693; Mitsrajim, i.e. Upper and Lower Egypt:--Egypt,

Egyptians, Mizraim.

see HEBREW for 04693

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

מִצְרַ֫יִם (mits.ra.yim) — Egypt.

§ Egypt = "land of the Copts"

a country at the northeastern section of Africa, adjacent to Palestine, and through which the Nile flows

Egyptians = "double straits"

מִצְרַ֫יִם (mits.ra.yim) — Egypt.

A man living at the time of the Patriarchs, first mentioned at Gen.10.6;

son of: Ham (H2526);

brother of: Canaan (H3667), Cush (H3568) and Put (H6316);

father of: Ludim (H3866), Anamim (H6047), Lehabim (H3853), Naphtuhim (H5320), Pathrusim (H6625), Casluhim (H3695) and Caphtorim (H3732)

§ Egypt = "land of the Copts"

1) a country at the northeastern section of Africa, adjacent to Palestine, and through which the Nile flows

Egyptians = "double straits"

adj

2) the inhabitants or natives of Egypt

מִצְרַ֫יִם (mits.ra.yim) — (Sea of) Egypt.

§ Egypt = "land of the Copts"

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Conj | N-proper — Conjunction · noun proper
HC/Npl
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

e'-jipt:

I. THE COUNTRY

1. The Basis of the Land 2. The Nile Valley 3. Earliest Human Remains 4. Climate 5. Conditions of Life 6. The Nile 7. The Fauna 8. The Flora 9. The Prehistoric Races

II. THE HISTORY

1. 1st and 2nd Ages: Prehistoric 2. 3d Age: Ist and IInd Dynasties 3. 4th Age: IIIrd through VIth Dynasties 4. 5th Age: VIIth through XIVth Dynasties 5. 6th Age: XVth through XXIVth Dynasties 6. 7th Age: XXVth Dynasty to Roman Times 7. 8th Age: Arabic 8. Early Foreign Connections

III. THE OLD TESTAMENT CONNECTIONS

1. Semitic Connections 2. Abramic Times 3. Circumcision 4. Joseph 5. Descent into Egypt 6. The Oppression 7. The Historic Position 8. The Plagues 9. Date of the Exodus 10. Route of the Exodus 11. Numbers of the Exodus 12. Israel in Canaan 13. Hadad 14. Pharaoh's Daughter 15. Shishak 16. Zerakh 17. The Ethiopians 18. Tahpanhes 19. Hophra 20. The Jews of Syene 21. The New Jerusalem…

Easton's Bible Dictionary

Egypt

The land of the Nile and the pyramids, the oldest kingdom of which we have any record, holds a place of great significance in Scripture.

The Egyptians belonged to the white race, and their original home is still a matter of dispute. Many scholars believe that it was in Southern Arabia, and recent excavations have shown that the valley of the Nile was originally inhabited by a low-class population, perhaps belonging to the Nigritian stock, before the Egyptians of history entered it. The ancient Egyptian language, of which the latest form is Coptic, is distantly connected with the Semitic family of speech.

Egypt consists geographically of two halves, the northern being the Delta, and the southern Upper Egypt, between Cairo and the First Cataract. In the Old Testament, Northern or Lower Egypt is called Mazor, “the fortified land” (Isa.…

A celebrated country in the north of Africa, at the eastern part of the Mediterranean Sea. The Hebrews called it Mizraim, Ge 10:6, and hence it is now called by the Arabs, Mizr. The Greeks and Romans called it Aegyptus, whence Egypt; but the origin of this name is unknown.

The habitable land of Egypt is for the most part a great valley, through which the river Nile pours its waters, extending in a straight line from north to south, and skirted on the east and west by ranges of mountains, which approach and recede from the river more or less in different parts. Where this valley terminates, towards the north, the Nile divides itself, about forty or fifty miles from the seacoast, into several arms, which inclose the so-called Delta. The ancients numbered seven arms and mouths; the eastern was that of Pelusium, now that of Tineh; and the…

Cush [was] strength its and Egypt and there not [was] an end Put and [the] Libyans they were help your
וְאֵ֣יןve.'Ein and there not H369 Conjunction · noun common masculine singular construct
789× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This word means nothing or not, often used to indicate the absence of something, as in Genesis 1:2 where the earth was without form. It emphasizes the idea of something lacking or non-existent.
Tyndale gloss
nothing
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

אַ֫יִן (ayin) primarily means 'nothing' or 'nought' and serves as a negative particle indicating absence or negation, such as 'is not' or 'there is not.' It can also express lack of possession or existence. The word is derived from a root meaning to be non-existent, and it appears frequently in various grammatical constructions.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

אַ֫יִן, אָ֑֫יִן cstr. אֵין subst. prop. nothing, nought

to nothing, as nothing

cstr. אֵין, very freq. as particle of negation, is not, are not, was not, were not

אֵין לְ׳, with subst., or pron., there is (was) not to … = … have, has, had, etc. not

in circumst. clauses

with inf. and ל׳, it is not to …

with prefixes

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H369 אַ֫יִן, אָ֑֫יִן cstr. אֵין subst. prop. nothing, nought . to nothing, as nothing

. cstr. אֵין, very freq. as particle of negation, is not, are not, was not, were not

. אֵין לְ׳, with subst., or pron., there is (was) not to … = … have, has, had, etc. not

. in circumst. clauses

. with inf. and ל׳, it is not to …

. with prefixes

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

369 'ayin ah'-yin

as if from a primitive root meaning to be nothing or not

exist; a non-entity; generally used as a negative

particle:--else, except, fail, (father-)less, be gone,

in(-curable), neither, never, no (where), none, nor, (any,

thing), not, nothing, to nought, past, un(-searchable),

well-nigh, without. Compare 370.

see HEBREW for 0370

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

אַ֫יִן (a.yin) — nothing.

1) nothing, not, nought n

1a) nothing, nought neg

1b) not

1c) to have not (of possession) adv

1d) without w/prep

1e) for lack of

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Conj | Part — Conjunction · noun common masculine singular construct
HC/Ncmsc
Cush [was] strength its and Egypt and there not [was] an end Put and [the] Libyans they were help your
קֵ֑צֶהKe.tzeh [was] an end H7097 Noun common · masculine singular absolute
97× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
In the book of Joshua, this word refers to an end or border of a territory. It can also mean the edge or brink of something. This concept is used to describe the boundaries of the Promised Land.
Tyndale gloss
end
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

קָצֶה (qatseh) means 'end' or 'extremity' and can refer to various contexts such as borders, edges, and limits. It is derived from a root meaning to cut off and encompasses a range of applications, including the idea of the whole as defined by its extremities. Another form, קֵ֫צֶה (qetseh), also means 'end'.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

קָצֶה 92 n.[m.] end, extremity

base

קֵ֫צֶה n.[m.] end

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H7097a קָצֶה end, extremity H7097b קֵ֫צֶה end

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

7097 qatseh kaw-tseh'

or (negative only) qetseh {kay'-tseh}; from 7096; an

extremity (used in a great variety of applications and idioms;

compare 7093):--X after, border, brim, brink, edge, end,

(in-)finite, frontier, outmost coast, quarter, shore,

(out-)side, X some, ut(-ter-)most (part).

see HEBREW for 07096

see HEBREW for 07093

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

קָצֶה (qa.tseh) — end.

1) end, extremity

1a) end, mouth, extremity

1b) border, outskirts

1c) the whole (condensed term for what is included within extremities)

1d) at the end of (a certain time)

Also means: qe.tseh (קֵ֫צֶה "end" H7097B)

קֵ֫צֶה (qe.tseh) — end.

end

Another spelling of qa.tseh (קָצֶה "end" H7097A)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-cs — Noun common · masculine singular absolute
HNcmsa
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

qets, 'ephec, kalah; telos, sunteleo:

The end of anything is its termination, hence, also, final object or purpose.

It is the translation of several Hebrew and Greek words, chiefly in the Old Testament of qets (properly, "a cutting off") and other words from the same root (Ge 6:13, "The end of all flesh is come before me"); 'acharith, "hinder part," is also frequently translated "end" (De 11:12; Ps 37:37,38, American Revised Version: "There is a happy end to the man of peace .... The end of the wicked shall be cut off"; the English Revised Version "latter end" (Ps 37:37), margin "reward" or "future posterity"; Ps 73:17

Easton's Bible Dictionary

End

In Heb. 13:7, is the rendering of the unusual Greek word ekbasin, meaning “outcome”, i.e., death. It occurs only elsewhere in 1 Cor. 10:13, where it is rendered “escape.”

Cush [was] strength its and Egypt and there not [was] an end Put and [the] Libyans they were help your
פּ֣וּטput Put H6316 Noun proper
7× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
Put refers to a son of Ham and his descendants, who lived in northern Africa, probably in the area now known as Libya. The name Put is also associated with a Persian tribe. In the Bible, Put is mentioned in Genesis and other books.
Amplified meaning
a son of Ham, a northern African region
Tyndale gloss
Put
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

פּוּט (Puwt) likely refers to the Libyans or a Libyan tribe, originating from Put, a son of Ham. This term encompasses both the descendants of Put and their region in northern Africa. It is first mentioned in Genesis 10:6. Some sources suggest that 'Put' may also mean 'a bow'.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

פּוּט n.pr.gent. prob. Libyans, or Lib. tribe; usu. named with African peoples

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H6316 פּוּט prob. Libyans, or Lib. tribe; usu. named with African peoples

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

6316 Puwt poot

of foreign origin; Put, a son of Ham, also the name of his

descendants or their region, and of a Persian tribe:--Phut,

Put.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

פּוּט (put) — Put.

A man living at the time of the Patriarchs, first mentioned at Gen.10.6;

son of: Ham (H2526);

brother of: Canaan (H3667), Cush (H3568) and Egypt (H4714)

§ Phut or Put = "a bow"

a nation and people of northern Africa; probably Libyans

פּוּט (put) — Put.

Phut or Put = "a bow"

a nation and people of northern Africa; probably Libyans

Also named: pul (פּוּל "Pul" H6322H)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-proper — Noun proper
HNpl
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

put (puT; Phoud, in Genesis and Chronicles, variant for Genesis Phout, for Chronicles, Phouth):

1. Renderings:

In consequence of the identification at the time, the prophets have "Libya" (Libues), except Nab 3:9, where the Greek renders the word as phuge, "flight." The Vulgate (Jerome's Latin Bible, 390-405 A.D.) has "Phut," "Phuth," and in the Prophets "Libyes" and "Libya"; the King James Version "Phut."

2. Son of Ham:

In the "Table of Nations" Put is the third son of Ham (Ge 10:6), the first and second being Cush and Misraim, and the fourth Canaan. Put is the only one of the sons of Ham who is not credited with descendants.

3. As Nationality:

In the Prophets, warriors from Put are referred to, principally in connection with the forces of Egypt. They appear as shield-bearers (Jer 46:9

Smith's Bible Dictionary
Nave's Topical Bible

→ See PHUT

Cush [was] strength its and Egypt and there not [was] an end Put and [the] Libyans they were help your
וְלוּבִ֔יםve.lu.Vim and [the] Libyans H3864 Conjunction · noun gentilic masculine plural absolute
4× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
A Libyan is a person from interior Africa, west of Egypt, mentioned in Daniel and Jeremiah, referring to a people known for being empty-hearted or afflicted.
Tyndale gloss
Libyan
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

לוּב (Luwbiy) refers to the Libyans, a people from northern Africa west of Egypt. The term is derived from a root meaning to thirst, suggesting a dry region. It appears in plural forms and is associated with characteristics like being 'empty-hearted' or 'afflicted' in certain contexts, notably in Daniel 11:43 and Jeremiah 46:9.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

[לוּב], לוּבִים, לֻבִֿים n.gent.pl. Lybians, in N. Africa, W. of Egypt

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H3864 לוּב, לוּבִים, לֻבִֿים, לוּבִי, לֻבִּי

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

3864 Luwbiy loo-bee'

or Lubbiy (Dan. 11:43) {loob-bee'}; partrial from a name

probably derived from an unused root meaning to thirst, i.e. a

dry region; apparently a Libyan or inhabitant of interior

Africa (only in plural): -Lubim(-s), Libyans.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

לוּב (lu.vi) — Libyan.

§ Libyans = "empty-hearted (Da 11:43) or afflicted (Jer 46:9)

a people of northern Africa west of Egypt

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Conj | Ngmpa — Conjunction · noun gentilic masculine plural absolute
HC/Ngmpa
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
Nave's Topical Bible

→ The inhabitants of Libya Jer 46:9; Da 11:43

The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
Cush [was] strength its and Egypt and there not [was] an end Put and [the] Libyans they were help your
הָי֖וּha.Yu they were H1961 Verb · Qal · perfect third person common plural
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
V-Qal-Perf-3cp — Verb · Qal · perfect third person common plural
HVqp3cp
Cush [was] strength its and Egypt and there not [was] an end Put and [the] Libyans they were help your
בְּעֶזְרָתֵֽךְ׃be.'ez.ra.Tekh help your H5833 Preposition · noun common feminine singular construct · suffix
26× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This Hebrew word means 'help' or 'aid', referring to assistance or support, as seen in various Bible translations.
Tyndale gloss
help
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

עֶזְרָה (ezrah) refers to help, succour, or assistance. It is a feminine noun derived from the root meaning aid. The word appears in contexts related to providing support, including in Psalm 60:11 and Psalm 108:12, where it emphasizes the act of helping or the one who helps.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

עֶזְרָה, עֶזְרָת, עֶזְרָ֫תָה n.f. help, succour, assistance

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H5833 עֶזְרָה, עֶזְרָת, עֶזְרָ֫תָה help, succour, assistance

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

5833 `ezrah ez-raw'

or mezrath (Psa. 60:11 (13); 108:12 (13)) {ez-rawth'};

feminine of 5828; aid:--help(-ed, -er).

see HEBREW for 013

see HEBREW for 013

see HEBREW for 05828

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

עֶזְרָה (ez.rah) — help.

1) help, succour, assistance

1a) help, succour

1b) one who helps

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Prep | N-fs | Suff — Preposition · noun common feminine singular construct · suffix
HR/Ncfsc/Sp2fs
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