Numbers 31:10 — Word Study
WLCוְאֵ֤ת כָּל־ עָרֵיהֶם֙ בְּמ֣וֹשְׁבֹתָ֔ם וְאֵ֖ת כָּל־ טִֽירֹתָ֑ם שָׂרְפ֖וּ בָּאֵֽשׁ׃
BSAThenʼêth they burnedsâraph■ [set on fire, kindled flames] allkôl the citiesʻîyr [towns, villages] where [the Midianites] had livedmôwshâb [the people of Midian] as well as allkôl their encampmentsṭîyrâh [fortresses, tent-circles]
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| וְאֵ֤ת | and the object marker | Conjunction, particle |
| כָּל־ | all | Noun common, masculine singular construct |
| עָרֵיהֶם֙ | cities their | Noun common masculine plural construct, suffix |
| בְּמ֣וֹשְׁבֹתָ֔ם | in dwelling places their | Preposition, noun common feminine plural construct, suffix |
| וְאֵ֖ת | and the object marker | Conjunction, particle |
| כָּל־ | all | Noun common, masculine singular construct |
| טִֽירֹתָ֑ם | encampments their | Noun common feminine plural construct, suffix |
| שָׂרְפ֖וּ | they burned | Verb, Qal, perfect third person common plural |
| בָּאֵֽשׁ׃ | with fire | Preposition, noun common both singular absolute |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | Then they burned all the cities where the Midianites had lived, as well as all their encampments, |
| KJV | And they burnt all their cities wherein they dwelt, and all their goodly castles, with fire. |
| ASV | And all their cities in the places wherein they dwelt, and all their encampments, they burnt with fire. |
| YLT | and all their cities, with their habitations, and all their towers, they have burnt with fire. |
| WEB | All their cities in the places in which they lived, and all their encampments, they burned with fire. |
| BBE | And after burning all their towns and all their tent-circles, |
Where they part company is עָרֵיהֶם — see How Translations Differ.
One main verb, three phrases hanging off it. The indentation shows where the weight of the sentence sits.
8 commentators on this verse
Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them ›
clause
verbשָׂרַף
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 31:10
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 Defeat of the Midianitesgenerated
Numbers 31:10 describes how the Israelites dealt with the Midianites after a decisive battle. Following their victory, they burned all the cities and encampments where the Midianites had lived. This action reflects the complete destruction of the enemy's stronghold and serves as a warning against future threats. The context shows the severity of the Israelites' response to their enemies, emphasizing the seriousness of their mission as commanded by God.
Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Joshua 6:24 | Then the Israelites burned up the city and everything in it. However, they put the silver and gold and articles of bronze and iron into the treasury of the LORD’s house. |
| 2 | 1 Samuel 30:1 | On the third day David and his men arrived in Ziklag, and the Amalekites had raided the Negev, attacked Ziklag, and burned it down. |
| 3 | 1 Kings 9:16 | Pharaoh king of Egypt had attacked and captured Gezer. He had set it on fire, killed the Canaanites who lived in the city, and given it as a dowry to his daughter, Solomon’s wife. |
| 4 | Isaiah 1:7 | Your land is desolate; your cities are burned with fire. Foreigners devour your fields before you— a desolation demolished by strangers. |
| 5 | Revelation 18:8 | Therefore her plagues will come in one day— death and grief and famine— and she will be consumed by fire, for mighty is the Lord God who judges her.” |
The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 5 references, hung on the phrase they belong to
The Key Word — שָׂרְפ֖וּ, sa.re.Fugenerated
The verb שָׂרַף (*saraph*) means 'to burn' and indicates an act of destruction by fire. This form is the perfect tense, third person plural, indicating that the action has been completed by the subjects, the Israelites.
The use of this verb signifies not just a physical act of burning but also the total annihilation of the Midianite presence, aligning with the broader narrative of divine judgment and obedience to God's commands.
How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated
This study reads the verse in the Berean Standard Bible, so the BSB is the wording every comparison below is made against.
Sentence Structuregenerated
The finite verb שָׂרְפ֖וּ, they burned, governs the entire verse, with several noun phrases and prepositional phrases detailing what was burned and where. The structure emphasizes the action taken by the Israelites in a straightforward manner.
The sentence follows a clear order: the verb comes first, indicating the primary action, followed by the objects being burned, which are specified in subsequent phrases.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
The Septuagint uses the Greek word ἐνέπρησαν, which translates as they set on fire. This choice aligns closely with the Hebrew meaning, emphasizing the act of burning.
The translation reflects a direct interpretation of the Hebrew text, maintaining the focus on the destruction of the Midianite cities and encampments.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
Numbers 31:10 tells us that after defeating the Midianites, the Israelites burned all their cities and encampments. This shows the total destruction of the Midianite presence, reflecting the seriousness of the Israelites' mission.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
Burning the cities signifies complete destruction and the end of the Midianite threat, fulfilling God's command to eliminate their enemies.
The burning served as a military strategy to prevent the Midianites from regrouping and as a divine judgment against them.
This act emphasizes the importance of obedience to God's commands and the seriousness of dealing with sin and opposition.
It highlights the ongoing struggles of the Israelites as they sought to establish themselves in the Promised Land, facing various enemies along the way.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- What does this act of burning signify about the Israelites' commitment to following God's commands?
- How can we understand the concept of destruction in the context of divine judgment?
- In what ways can we apply the lessons from this passage to our own lives?
- How does this narrative reflect the broader themes of struggle and victory in the Old Testament?
Commentators on this verse — 8 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on Numbers 31:10 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire BibleAnd they burnt all their cities wherein they dwelt, c. ) So far as they went into the country, which, perhaps, might not be the whole land of Midian: and all their goodly castles with fire which were
Read John Gill on Numbers 31 →Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's CommentaryAnd the children of Israel took all the women of Midian captives, and their little ones, and took the spoil of all their cattle, and all their flocks, and all their goods.
Read Robert Jamieson on Numbers 31 →Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy BiblePartly, to blot out the name and memory of so lewd and vile a people; partly, lest any of the Israelites should be tempted to settle there, and so be discouraged in their progress to Canaan; and partly, lest they should be possessed by other people who might prove as bad neighbours to them as these would have been.
Read Matthew Poole on Numbers 31 →John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New TestamentsNumbers 31:10 And they burnt all their cities wherein they dwelt, and all their goodly castles, with fire.Ver. 10. And they burnt all their cities.] For the same reason, perhaps, that our Henry VIII demolished so many monasteries, saying, Corvorum nidos esse penitus disturbandos, ne iterunt ad cohibitandum convolent, That the crows’ nests were to be utterly, destroyed, lest they should make further use of them again another time. Or rather, lest sloth or covetousness should draw any of the Israelites to hide themselves in these nests, and neglect the Promised Land. See Judges 6:1. Diruendi sunt etiam ipsi ciconiarum nidi ne redeant, - said Zisca Lavat. in Deuter. Sander. Schism. Anglic.…
Read John Trapp on Numbers 31 →Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers(10) All their cities wherein they dwelt.—Better, all their cities in their dwelling-places. This expression is explained by a reference to Joshua 13:21, from which it appears that the five kings or chiefs of the Midianites who are mentioned in Numbers 5:8 dwelt in the territory which Sihon, king of the Amorites, had wrested from the Moabites. The Midianites were a nomad people, and were not likely to have built cities for themselves.
Read Charles John Ellicott on Numbers 31 →CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges10. their encampments] A word specially used to denote the circular encampment of a nomad tribe: cf. Genesis 25:16.
Read Cambridge on Numbers 31 →Albert Barnes1798–1870Barnes' Notes on the BibleGoodly castles - Rather, both here and in Genesis 25:16, hamlets.
Read Albert Barnes on Numbers 31 →Daniel Denison Whedon1808–1885Whedon's Commentary on the Bible10. Cities wherein they dwelt — Literally, towns in their dwellings. These were not built by the Midianites a nomad race, but probably by the Moabites who had been dispossessed by the Amorites under Sihon.
Read Daniel Denison Whedon on Numbers 31 →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
Then they burned all the cities where the Midianites had lived, as well as all their encampments,
All their cities in the places in which they lived, and all their encampments, they burned with fire.
Then they burned all the cities where the Midianites had lived, as well as all their encampments,
They burned all their towns where they lived and all their encampments.
Tyndale line
And they burnt all their cities wherein they dwelt, and all their goodly castles, with fire.
And all their cities in the places wherein they dwelt, and all their encampments, they burnt with fire.
And all their cities in the places wherein they dwelt, and all their encampments, they burnt with fire.
And they burnt all their cities in which they dwelt, and all their goodly castles, with fire.
And they burnt all their cities, wherein they dwelt, and all their villages with fire.
Strictly literal
and all their cities in their settlements and all their encampments they burned with fire.
and all their cities, with their habitations, and all their towers, they have burnt with fire.
and they have burned all their cities, with their habitations, and all their towers, with fire.
And all their cities wherein they dwelt, and all their castles they burnt with fire.
They burned all their cities where they lived and all their camps.
From the Latin
And all their cities, and their villages, and castles, they burned.
Simplified
They set fire to all the Midianite towns and camps where they had lived,
And after burning all their towns and all their tent-circles,
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 is consistent with the Septuagint and the Samaritan Pentateuch, all agreeing on the core elements of the verse. The wording is nearly identical across these texts, confirming the actions taken by the Israelites.
וְאֵ֤ת כָּל־ עָרֵיהֶם֙ בְּמ֣וֹשְׁבֹתָ֔ם וְאֵ֖ת כָּל־ טִֽירֹתָ֑ם שָׂרְפ֖וּ בָּאֵֽשׁ׃
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.
ואת כל עריהם במושׁבתם ואת כל טירתם שׂרפו באשׁ
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 31:10
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.
אֵת (eth) is primarily a grammatical marker in Hebrew, indicating the definite direct object of a verb. It is not translated into English and typically precedes nouns that are definite. The word is derived from a demonstrative sense of entity, related to the Hebrew word for 'self.' Its Aramaic equivalent is יָת (yat).
אֵת the mark of the accusative, prefixed as a rule only to nouns that are definite
base
H853 אֵת the mark of the accusative, prefixed as a rule only to nouns that are definite
853 'eth ayth
apparent contracted from 226 in the demonstrative sense of
entity; properly, self (but generally used to point out more
definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or
namely):--(as such unrepresented in English).
see HEBREW for 0226
אֵת (et) — [Obj.].
sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative
Aramaic equivalent: yat (יָת "whom" H3487)
Conj | DirObjM — Conjunction · particleHC/To
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
ol: Used in various combinations, and with different meanings.
(1) All along, "Weeping all along as he went" (Jer 41:6), i.e. throughout the whole way he went, feigning equal concern with the men from Shiloh, etc., for the destruction of the Temple, so as to put them off their guard.
(2) All in all, "That God may be all in all" (1Co 15:28, Greek: panta en pasin, "all things in all (persons and) things"). "The universe, with all it comprises, will wholly answer to God's will and reflect His mind" (Dummelow).
The Hebrew word עִיר (*'iyr*) has meanings related to both excitement and city. It can denote excitement, particularly of terror or rage, as well as refer to a city or town, indicating a place that is guarded or inhabited. The entries suggest a broad application, from fortified cities to simple encampments. There is a specific mention of a man named Ir in 1 Chronicles 4:12.
עִיר n.[m.] excitement;—of terror; of rage
base
עִיר 1092 n.f. city, town
city, town, abode of men
of fortress in a city
appar. fortified place, of any size
base
H5892a עִיר excitement;—of terror; of rage H5892b עִיר city, town . city, town, abode of men
. of fortress in a city
. appar. fortified place, of any size
5892 `iyr eer
or (in the plural) par {awr}; or ayar (Judges 10:4)
{aw-yar'}; from 5782 a city (a place guarded by waking or a
watch) in the widest sense (even of a mere encampment or
post):--Ai (from margin), city, court (from margin), town.
see HEBREW for 05782
עִיר (ir) — excitement.
1) excitement, anguish
1a) of terror
עִיר (ir) — city.
1) city, town (a place of waking, guarded)
1a) city, town (a place of waking, guarded)
1a) city, town
עִיר (ir) — City (of On).
Combined with on (אֹן "On" H0204)
This name means city, town
Another name of on (אֹן "On" H0204)
עִיר (ir) — Ir-.
#A man of the tribe of Judah living at the time of Divided Monarchy, only mentioned at 1Ch.4.12;
son of: Tehinnah (H8468)
N-fp | Suff — Noun common masculine plural construct · suffixHNcmpc/Sp3mp
מוֹשָׁב (mowshab) refers to a seat or dwelling-place, encompassing meanings such as assembly, location, and the act of dwelling. It can denote both a physical site and an abstract concept of a session or time of dwelling. The word suggests a community of dwellers or those who sit together.
מוֹשָׁב n.m. seat, assembly, dwelling-place, dwelling, dwellers
seat
sitting = those sitting, sitting company or assembly
dwelling-place of people, tribe, etc.
alm. = abstr. dwelling
= house
situation of city; location of image
time of dwelling
coll. = those dwelling
base
H4186 מוֹשָׁב seat, assembly, dwelling-place, dwelling, dwellers . . seat
. sitting = those sitting, sitting company or assembly
. . dwelling-place of people, tribe, etc.
. alm. = abstr. dwelling
. = house
. situation of city; location of image
. time of dwelling
. coll. = those dwelling
4186 mowshab mo-shawb'
or moshab {mo-shawb'}; from 3427; a seat; figuratively, a
site; abstractly, a session; by extension an abode (the place
or the time); by implication, population:--assembly, dwell
in, dwelling(-place), wherein (that) dwelt (in), inhabited
place, seat, sitting, situation, sojourning.
see HEBREW for 03427
מוֹשָׁב (mo.shav) — seat.
1) seat, assembly, dwelling-place, dwelling, dwellers
1a) seat, sitting, those sitting, sitting company or assembly
1b) dwelling place, dwelling
1c) situation, location
1d) time of dwelling
1e) those dwelling, dweller
Prep | N-mp | Suff — Preposition · noun common feminine plural construct · suffixHR/Ncfpc/Sp3mp
אֵת (eth) is primarily a grammatical marker in Hebrew, indicating the definite direct object of a verb. It is not translated into English and typically precedes nouns that are definite. The word is derived from a demonstrative sense of entity, related to the Hebrew word for 'self.' Its Aramaic equivalent is יָת (yat).
אֵת the mark of the accusative, prefixed as a rule only to nouns that are definite
base
H853 אֵת the mark of the accusative, prefixed as a rule only to nouns that are definite
853 'eth ayth
apparent contracted from 226 in the demonstrative sense of
entity; properly, self (but generally used to point out more
definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or
namely):--(as such unrepresented in English).
see HEBREW for 0226
אֵת (et) — [Obj.].
sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative
Aramaic equivalent: yat (יָת "whom" H3487)
HC/To — Conjunction · particleHC/To
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
ol: Used in various combinations, and with different meanings.
(1) All along, "Weeping all along as he went" (Jer 41:6), i.e. throughout the whole way he went, feigning equal concern with the men from Shiloh, etc., for the destruction of the Temple, so as to put them off their guard.
(2) All in all, "That God may be all in all" (1Co 15:28, Greek: panta en pasin, "all things in all (persons and) things"). "The universe, with all it comprises, will wholly answer to God's will and reflect His mind" (Dummelow).
טִירָה (tiyrah) refers to an encampment or battlement, indicating a fortified area or dwelling. It is derived from a feminine form related to the word for wall, suggesting meanings like castle or palace. The entries highlight its use in contexts of encampments, walled dwellings, and metaphorical battlements.
[טִירָה] n.f. encampment, battlement
base
H2918 טִירָה encampment, battlement
2918 tiyrah tee-raw'
feminine of (an equivalent to) 2905; a wall; hence, a
fortress or a hamlet:--(goodly) castle, habitation, palace,
row.
see HEBREW for 02905
טִירָה (ti.rah) — encampment.
1) encampment, battlement
1a) encampment, tent camp
1b) walled dwelling places, battlement (metaph.)
1c) row (of stones)
N-fp | Suff — Noun common feminine plural construct · suffixHNcfpc/Sp3mp
The Hebrew word שָׂרַף (*saraph*) is a primitive root meaning 'to burn.' It encompasses various forms, including Qal (to burn), Niphal (to be burned), Piel (burner), and Pual (to be burnt up). The entries suggest a focus on the act of burning and its implications, with no significant disagreements noted among the lexicons.
שָׂרַף 117 vb. burn
Qal burn
Niph. be burned
Pi. his burner, usu. one burning him, but prob. burning spices for him
Pu. it was burnt up (and gone).
base
H8313 שָׂרַף burn
8313 saraph saw-raf'
a primitive root; to be (causatively, set) on fire:--(cause
to, make a) burn((-ing), up) kindle, X utterly.
שָׂרַף (sa.raph) — to burn.
1) to burn
1a) (Qal) to burn
1b) (Niphal) to be burned
1c) (Piel) burner, burning (participle)
1d) (Pual) to be burnt up, be burned
Also means: sa.raph (סָרַף "to burn" H5635)
V-Qal-Perf-3cp — Verb · Qal · perfect third person common pluralHVqp3cp
אֵשׁ (esh) means 'fire' and encompasses various types, including natural fire, supernatural fire associated with divine appearances, and fire used for cooking or on altars. It can also figuratively represent God's anger. The entries consistently highlight its literal and metaphorical uses, with no significant disagreement among lexicons.
אֵשׁ 377 n.f. fire
fire, of conflagration
of supernatural fire
fire for cooking, roasting, parching
esp. of altar fire
fig. of Yahweh's anger
in various combinations
base
H784 אֵשׁ fire . fire, of conflagration
. of supernatural fire
. fire for cooking, roasting, parching
. esp. of altar fire
. fig. of Yahweh's anger
. in various combinations
784 'esh aysh
a primitive word; fire (literally or figuratively):--
burning, fiery, fire, flaming, hot.
אֵשׁ (esh) — fire.
1) fire
1a) fire, flames
1b) supernatural fire (accompanying theophany)
1c) fire (for cooking, roasting, parching)
1d) altar-fire
1e) God's anger (fig.)
Aramaic equivalent: esh (אֶשָּׁא "fire" H0785)
HRd/Ncbsa — Preposition · noun common both singular absoluteHRd/Ncbsa
fir ('esh; pur):
These are the common words for fire, occurring very frequently. 'Ur, "light" (Isa 24:15 the King James Version; compare the Revised Version (British and American); Isa 31:9, and see FIRES), nur (Aramaic) (Da 3:22 ff) are found a few times, also 'eshshah (Jer 6:29), and be`erah (Ex 22:6), once each. Ac 28:2,3 has pura, "pyre," and Mr 14:54; Lu 22:56, phos, "light," the Revised Version (British and American) "in the light (of the fire)." "To set…
Fire
(1.) For sacred purposes. The sacrifices were consumed by fire (Gen. 8:20). The ever-burning fire on the altar was first kindled from heaven (Lev. 6:9, 13; 9:24), and afterwards rekindled at the dedication of Solomon’s temple (2 Chr. 7:1, 3). The expressions “fire from heaven” and “fire of the Lord” generally denote lightning, but sometimes also the fire of the altar was so called (Ex. 29:18; Lev. 1:9; 2:3; 3:5, 9).
Fire for a sacred purpose obtained otherwise than from the altar was called “strange fire” (Lev. 10:1, 2;
is represented as the symbol of Jehovah’s presence and the instrument of his power, in the way either of approval or of destruction. (Exodus 3:2; 14:19) etc. There could not be a better symbol for Jehovah than this of fire, it being immaterial, mysterious, but visible, warming, cheering, comforting, but also terrible and consuming. Parallel with this application of fire and with its symbolical meaning are to be noted the similar use for sacrificial purposes and the respect paid to it, or to the heavenly bodies as symbols of deity, which prevailed among so many nations of antiquity, and of which the traces are not even now extinct; e.g. the Sabean and Magian systems of worship. (Isaiah 27:9) Fire for sacred purposes obtained elsewhere than from the altar was called "strange fire," and for the use of such Nadab and Abihu were punished…
In Scripture, is often connected with the presence of Jehovah; as in the burning bush, and on Mount Sinai, Ex 3:2 19:18 Ps 18:1-50 Hab 1:1-3:19. The second coming of Christ will be "in flaming fire," 2Th 1:8. In the New Testament it illustrates the enlightening, cheering, and purifying agency of the Holy Spirit, Mt 3:11 Ac 2:3. By sending fire from heaven to consume sacrifices, God often signified his acceptance of them: as in the case of Abel, Ge 4:4; Abraham, Ge…