Numbers 18:14 — Word Study
WLCכָּל־ חֵ֥רֶם בְּיִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל לְךָ֥ יִהְיֶֽה׃
BSAEverykôl [all, everything] devoted thingchêrem [dedicated to the Lord, set apart] in IsraelYisrâʼêl [the descendants of Jacob] belongs to youhâyâh▸ [shall be, is to be, as a priestly portion]
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| כָּל־ | every | Noun common, masculine singular construct |
| חֵ֥רֶם | devoted thing | Noun common, masculine singular absolute |
| בְּיִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל | in Israel | Preposition, noun proper |
| לְךָ֥ | to you | Preposition, suffix |
| יִהְיֶֽה׃ | it will belong | Verb, Qal, imperfect third person masculine singular |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | Every devoted thing in Israel belongs to you. |
| KJV | Every thing devoted in Israel shall be thine. |
| ASV | Everything devoted in Israel shall be thine. |
| YLT | every devoted thing in Israel is thine, |
| WEB | “Everything devoted in Israel shall be yours. |
| BBE | Everything given by oath to the Lord in Israel is to be yours. |
All translations agree on the meaning of חֵ֥רֶם as 'devoted thing'.
The sentence is straightforward, with a single main clause clearly stating the allocation of devoted things.
7 commentators on this verse
Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them ›
clause
verbהָיָה
The sentence as the grammar sees it Open the tree ›
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 — Numbers 18:14
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 — Instructions for the Priestsgenerated
Numbers 18:14 outlines the allocation of sacred items within Israel, emphasizing that all things devoted to the Lord are to be given to the priests. This instruction is part of a larger framework that establishes the roles and responsibilities of the priesthood, ensuring that the offerings and firstfruits are properly designated for their service to God.
Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Leviticus 27:28 | Nothing that a man sets apart to the LORD from all he owns—whether a man, an animal, or his inherited land—can be sold or redeemed; everything so devoted is most holy to the LORD. |
| 2 | Ezekiel 44:29 | They shall eat the grain offerings, the sin offerings, and the guilt offerings. Everything in Israel devoted to the LORD will belong to them. |
The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 2 references, hung on the phrase they belong to
The Key Word — חֵ֥רֶם, Che.remgenerated
The term חֵ֥רֶם (cherem) refers to something that is devoted or set apart, often with implications of being banned or dedicated to destruction. It indicates items that are sacred and reserved for the Lord, as seen in various contexts throughout the Old Testament.
This word carries a dual meaning, encompassing both items that are devoted to God and those that are to be destroyed. Its use in this verse highlights the importance of these devoted things being allocated to the priests as part of their sacred duties.
How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated
In the Berean Standard Bible, the phrase is rendered as devoted thing, which aligns with the KJV and ASV.
Sentence Structuregenerated
The finite verb יִהְיֶֽה (yihyeh), meaning 'it will belong', governs the entire clause. The structure emphasizes the allocation of devoted things to the priests, with a noun phrase as the subject and prepositional phrases specifying the context.
The sentence structure is straightforward, indicating that all devoted items in Israel are designated for the priests, establishing a clear relationship between the devoted things and their recipients.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
The Septuagint translates חֵ֥רֶם as ἀνατεθεματισμένον (anatethematismenos), which conveys the sense of something dedicated or set apart. This choice aligns with the Hebrew meaning while also reflecting the Greek understanding of devotion.
This translation underscores the sacred nature of the items, emphasizing their separation for divine purposes.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
Numbers 18:14 states that every devoted thing in Israel belongs to the priests. This means that all items dedicated to the Lord are set apart for their service, ensuring that the priests receive what is sacred and intended for them.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
'Devoted thing' refers to items that are set apart for the Lord, often with sacred significance, as part of the offerings made by the people.
These devoted items are given to the priests as they serve in the temple and perform rituals on behalf of the people, ensuring that the sacred duties are fulfilled.
This verse highlights the priestly role in receiving and managing what is devoted to God, establishing a system of support for the priests from the offerings of the community.
Yes, similar references can be found in Leviticus 27:28 and Ezekiel 44:29, which also discuss items dedicated to the Lord and their allocation.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- How do I understand the concept of devotion in my own life?
- What are some things I can dedicate to God in my daily routine?
- How can I support those in spiritual leadership in my community?
- In what ways can I ensure that I treat sacred things with the respect they deserve?
Commentators on this verse — 7 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on Numbers 18:14 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire BibleEvery thing devoted in Israel shall be thine. Fields, houses, cattle, c.
Read John Gill on Numbers 18 →Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's CommentaryEvery thing devoted in Israel shall be thine. Every thing devoted in Israel shall be thine - provided it was adapted for food or consumable by use; because the gold and silver vessels that were
Read Robert Jamieson on Numbers 18 →Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy BibleDedicated to God by vow or otherwise, provided it be such a thing as might be catch or consumed by use; for the vessels or treasures of gold and silver which were devoted or dedicated by Joshua, David, or others, were not the priests’ but were appropriated to the uses of the temple.
Read Matthew Poole on Numbers 18 →John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New TestamentsNumbers 18:14 Every thing devoted in Israel shall be thine.Ver. 14. Every thing devoted.] Unless devoted to some particular use.
Read John Trapp on Numbers 18 →Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers(14) Every thing devoted . . . —See Leviticus 27:21-28.
Read Charles John Ellicott on Numbers 18 →CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges14. Every thing devoted] Heb. ḥ ?çrem. An object placed under a ḥ ?çrem or ban was wholly given up to God and could not be redeemed. Gold and silver or other valuable articles might be captured in war, and similarly animals and human beings. The last are obviously excluded in the present regulation. Possibly the regulation is confined to such objects as were ‘devoted’ voluntarily by private individuals.
Read Cambridge on Numbers 18 →Daniel Denison Whedon1808–1885Whedon's Commentary on the Bible14. Every thing devoted — Hebrews, cherem. See Leviticus 27:28, note.
Read Daniel Denison Whedon on Numbers 18 →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
Every devoted thing in Israel belongs to you.
“Everything devoted in Israel shall be yours.
Every devoted thing in Israel belongs to you.
“Everything devoted in Israel will be yours.
Tyndale line
Every thing devoted in Israel shall be thine.
Everything devoted in Israel shall be thine.
Every thing devoted in Israel shall be thine.
Every thing devoted in Israel shall be thine.
Euery thing separate from the common vse in Israel, shalbe thine.
Strictly literal
Every devoted thing in Israel shall be thine.
every devoted thing in Israel is thine,
every devoted thing in Israel is yours;
Every thing devoted in Israel shall be thine.
Every devoted thing in Israel will be yours.
From the Latin
Every thing that the children of Israel shall give by vow, shall be thine.
Simplified
Everything in Israel that is dedicated to the Lord is yours.
Everything given by oath to the Lord in Israel is to be yours.
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.
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 Samaritan Pentateuch agree word for word in this verse, affirming the consistency of the text across these traditions. The Septuagint also matches the Hebrew closely, though its word order differs.
כָּל־ חֵ֥רֶם בְּיִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל לְךָ֥ יִהְיֶֽה׃
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.
כל חרם בישׂראל לך יהיה
Agrees with the Masoretic Text here, word for word.
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.
Lexicons — every word in Numbers 18:14
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.
כֹּל (kol) means 'all' or 'the whole.' It can refer to totality, including every person or thing, and is often used with a following genitive to specify what is included. The term can also denote a broader sense of everything in existence or all circumstances of life. The lexicons do not show significant disagreement on its meanings.
כֹּל once כּוֹל n.m. the whole, all
with foll. gen. (as usually) the whole of, to be rendered, however, often in our idiom, to avoid stiffness, any or every
Absolutely:
without the art., all things, all
with the art. הַכֹּל
where the sense is limited by the context to things (or persons) just mentioned
in a wider sense, all, whether of all mankind or of all living things, the universe, or of all the circumstances of life (chiefly late)
base
H3605 כֹּל once כּוֹל the whole, all . with foll. gen. (as usually) the whole of, to be rendered, however, often in our idiom, to avoid stiffness, any or every
. Absolutely: . without the art., all things, all
. with the art. הַכֹּל . where the sense is limited by the context to things (or persons) just mentioned
. in a wider sense, all, whether of all mankind or of all living things, the universe, or of all the circumstances of life (chiefly late)
3605 kol kole
or (Jer. 33:8) kowl {kole}; from 3634; properly, the whole;
hence, all, any or every (in the singular only, but often in a
plural sense):--(in) all (manner, (ye)), altogether, any
(manner), enough, every (one, place, thing), howsoever, as
many as, (no-)thing, ought, whatsoever, (the) whole,
whoso(-ever).
see HEBREW for 03634
כֹּל (kol) — all.
1) all, the whole
1a) all, the whole of
1b) any, each, every, anything
1c) totality, everything
Aramaic equivalent: kol (כֹּל "all" H3606)
N-ms — Noun common · masculine singular constructHNcmsc
חֵ֫רֶם (cherem) refers to a devoted thing or something that is banned, often associated with destruction or extermination. It can also mean a net, indicating something that is perforated. The entries highlight its dual usage in contexts of devotion and physical entrapment, with Zechariah 14:11 noted for its application.
חֵ֫רֶם n.m.
devoted thing.
devotion, ban
base
חֵ֫רֶם n.m. net (as something perforated)
base
H2764a חֵ֫רֶם . devoted thing.
. devotion, ban
H2764b חֵ֫רֶם net (as something perforated)
2764 cherem khay'-rem
or (Zecheriah 14:11) cherem {kheh'-rem}; from 2763; physical
(as shutting in) a net (either literally or figuratively);
usually a doomed object; abstr.
extermination:--(ac-)curse(-d, -d thing), dedicated thing,
things which should have been utterly destroyed, (appointed
to) utter destruction, devoted (thing), net.
see HEBREW for 02763
חֵ֫רֶם (che.rem) — devoted thing.
1) a thing devoted, thing dedicated, ban, devotion
2) have been utterly destroyed, (appointed to) utter destruction
חֵ֫רֶם (che.rem) — net.
a net, thing perforated
destruction
N-ms — Noun common · masculine singular absoluteHNcmsa
יִשְׂרָאֵל (Yisra'el) refers to both the second name of Jacob, meaning 'God prevails,' and the name of the Hebrew nation descended from him. It is derived from roots meaning 'to rule' and 'God.' The term encompasses Jacob's descendants and is used historically for the northern kingdom of Israel and the nation as a whole after the Babylonian exile.
יִשְׂרָאֵל 2507 n.pr.m. et gent. Israel (Ēl persisteth, persevereth)
n.pr.m. second name of Jacob
n.pr.gent. name of Hebrew nation
base
H3478 יִשְׂרָאֵל Israel (Ēl persisteth, persevereth) . n. pr. m. second name of Jacob
. n. pr. gent. name of Hebrew nation
3478 Yisra'el yis-raw-ale'
from 8280 and 410; he will rule as God; Jisrael, a symbolical
name of Jacob; also (typically) of his posterity:
--Israel.
see HEBREW for 08280
see HEBREW for 0410
יִשְׂרָאֵל (yis.ra.el) — Israel.
A man living at the time of the Patriarchs, first mentioned at Gen.25.26;
son of: Isaac (H3327) and Rebekah (H7259);
brother of: Esau (H6215); married to Rachel (H7354), Leah (H3812), Zilpah (H2153) and Bilhah (H1090A);
father of: Reuben (H7205), Simeon (H8095), Levi (H3878), Judah (H3063), Dan (H1835H), Naphtali (H5321), Gad (H1410), Asher (H0836), Issachar (H3485), Zebulun (H2074), Dinah (H1783), Joseph (H3130) and Benjamin (H1144); also called Jacob frequently
§ Israel = "God prevails"
1) the second name for Jacob given to him by God after his wrestling with the angel at Peniel
2) the name of the descendants and the nation of the descendants of Jacob
2a) the name of the nation until the death of Solomon and the split
Prep | N-proper — Preposition · noun properHR/Npl
iz'-ra-el.
See JACOB.
Israel
The name conferred on Jacob after the great prayer-struggle at Peniel (Gen. 32:28), because “as a prince he had power with God and prevailed.” (See JACOB.) This is the common name given to Jacob’s descendants. The whole people of the twelve tribes are called “Israelites,” the “children of Israel” (Josh. 3:17; 7:25; Judg. 8:27; Jer. 3:21), and the “house of Israel” (Ex. 16:31; 40:38).
This name Israel is sometimes used emphatically for the true Israel (Ps. 73:1: Isa. 45:17; 49:3;
(the prince that prevails with God). The name given, (Genesis 32:28) to Jacob after his wrestling with the angel, (Hosea 12:4) at Peniel. Gesenius interprets Israel "soldier of God." It became the national name of the twelve tribes collectively. They are so called in (Exodus 3:16) and afterward. It is used in a narrower sense, excluding Judah, in (1 Samuel 11:8; 2 Samuel 20:1; 1 Kings 12:16) Thenceforth it was assumed and accepted as the name of the northern kingdom. After the Babylonian captivity, the returned exiles resumed the name Israel as the designation of…
Who prevails with God, a name given to Jacob, after having wrestled with the Angel-Jehovah at Penuel. Ge 32:1,2,28,30 Ho 12:3. See JACOB. By the name Israel is sometimes understood all the posterity of Israel, the seed of Jacob, 1Co 10:18; sometimes all true believers, his spiritual seed, Ro 9:6; and sometimes the kingdom of Israel, or the ten tribes, as distinct from the kingdom of Judah.
ךָּ (ka) — you.
Personal object pronoun - suffix for propositions and verbs without an object: 2nd person masculine singular
HRd/Sp2ms — Preposition · suffixHRd/Sp2ms
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.
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.
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
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
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
V-Qal-Imperf-3ms — Verb · Qal · imperfect third person masculine singularHVqi3ms