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Numbers 31:40 — Word Study

Depth

WLCוְנֶ֣פֶשׁ אָדָ֔ם שִׁשָּׁ֥ה עָשָׂ֖ר אָ֑לֶף וּמִכְסָם֙ לַֽיהוָ֔ה שְׁנַ֥יִם וּשְׁלֹשִׁ֖ים נָֽפֶשׁ׃

BSAand 16,000shêsh [sixteen thousand] peoplenephesh [souls, living beings] including a tributemekeç [tax, offering] to the LORDYᵉhôvâh [Yehovah, the Lord God] of 32shᵉnayim [thirty-two, two and thirty]

Word
Listen & take awayNumbers 31
English ↓ Download MP3 The Berean Standard Bible chapter audio already hosted for the site's Bible section — verse 40 is in this chapter.
Hebrew ↓ Download MP3 The Masoretic text of this chapter, read aloud. Read by Abraham Shmuelof, courtesy of Audio Scriptures International. Chapter divisions by the Academy of Ancient Languages..
Say the word Each Hebrew word carries its transliteration (Na.fesh) — no per-word recordings of the Hebrew exist to link to.
Take it away
Numbers 31:40quick helps
In a sentenceThe verse lists the number of people and the tribute given to the LORD.
Who is speakingThe account is from the perspective of Moses and the Israelites.
Where we areThis verse is part of the record of the spoils taken after a battle.
The hard wordנֶ֫פֶשׁ
Take awayThe total number of people counted, along with the tribute to God.
2 commentators on this verse Jamieson, Cambridge & 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 — Numbers 31:40

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 Spoils of Wargenerated

3930,500 donkeys, including a tribute to the LORD of 61,
40and 16,000 people, including a tribute to the LORD of 32.
41Moses gave the tribute to Eleazar the priest as an offering for the LORD, as the LORD had commanded Moses.
42From the Israelites’ half, which Moses had set apart from the men who had gone to war,

Numbers 31:40 details the spoils taken by the Israelites after a battle, specifically counting the people and the tribute given to the LORD. This account follows the instructions given to Moses regarding the division of spoils and offerings to God, emphasizing the importance of acknowledging God's sovereignty in their victories.


Cross References


The Key Word נֶ֫פֶשׁ, nepheshgenerated

The word נֶ֫פֶשׁ (*nephesh*) refers to a soul or living being, embodying the essence of life, breath, and vitality. It is a feminine noun in construct form, indicating a relationship with the following noun, which in this case is 'humankind'. This word is foundational in biblical anthropology, representing not just physical existence but also emotional and spiritual dimensions.

In this verse, it counts the individuals among the spoils, highlighting the significance of each person as a living being. The use of נֶ֫פֶשׁ underscores the value of human life in the context of the Israelite community.


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 main clause is driven by the subject נֶ֫פֶשׁ, person, which is followed by a numeral phrase indicating the count of people, and a prepositional phrase that describes the tribute to the LORD. The structure emphasizes the enumeration of both the living beings and the offering made to God.

The Hebrew word order places the count of people before the tribute, which highlights the importance of the individuals counted in the context of the offering to God.


Septuagint Backgroundgenerated

In the Septuagint, נֶ֫פֶשׁ is rendered as ψυξαὶ (*psyche*), which also means 'souls' or 'living beings'. This choice reflects a similar understanding of the term, emphasizing the essence of life.

The translation of מִכְסָם as τέλος (*telos*) indicates a focus on the concept of a tax or tribute, aligning with the context of offerings made to God.


In plain words — the whole versegenerated

Numbers 31:40 tells us that there were 16,000 people counted, along with a tribute to the LORD of 32. This shows the importance of acknowledging both the individuals involved and the offerings made to God.


Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated

What does the number 16,000 represent?

The number 16,000 represents the total count of people taken as spoils after the battle, emphasizing the significance of each individual in the community.

What is the tribute mentioned in this verse?

The tribute refers to the offering made to the LORD, which in this case amounts to 32, indicating a portion of the spoils dedicated to God.

Why is it important to count the people and the tribute?

Counting the people and the tribute underscores the value of each life and the necessity of recognizing God's role in their victories and provisions.

How does this verse connect to the broader narrative of Israel's battles?

This verse connects to the broader narrative by illustrating the practice of dedicating a portion of the spoils to God, reflecting obedience to His commands regarding offerings.


Reflection Questionsgenerated

  1. How do I recognize the value of every individual in my community?
  2. What are some ways I can dedicate my resources or offerings to God?
  3. In what ways can I acknowledge God's provision in my life?
  4. How does understanding the significance of each person change my perspective on community?

Commentators on this verse — 2 expositors, verse by verse

Each of these wrote on Numbers 31:40 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.

Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's Commentary

And the half, which was the portion of them that went out to war, was in number three hundred thousand and seven and thirty thousand and five hundred sheep: No JFB commentary on these verses.

Read Robert Jamieson on Numbers 31 →
CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

25–54. The apportionment of the spoil. Those who fought and those who remained behind were to receive equal shares. This was an ancient custom, which was traced to the action of David (1 Samuel 30:24 f.). But before the appropriation by individuals, a religious tax was to be paid. The fighters were to pay from their share 1/500th to the priests, and the others 1/50th to the Levites. Such a tax is not mentioned elsewhere in the O.T., but perhaps, like the foregoing regulation, it had an ancient custom behind it. Mohammed, whose religion was ultimately based on the O.T., enjoined a similar tax of 1/5th (Koran viii. 42, cited by Gray).

Read Cambridge 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

BSBBerean Standard Bible2020

and 16,000 people, including a tribute to the LORD of 32.

WEBWorld English Bible2000

The persons were sixteen thousand, of whom Yahweh’s tribute was thirty-two persons.

MSBMajority Standard Bible2022

and 16,000 people, including a tribute to the LORD of 32.

NETBNew English Translation2006

The people were 16,000, of which the Lord’s tribute was 32 people.

Tyndale line

KJVKing James Version1611

And the persons were sixteen thousand; of which the LORD’s tribute was thirty and two persons.

ASVAmerican Standard Version1901

And the persons were sixteen thousand; of whom Jehovah’s tribute was thirty and two persons.

RVARevised Version, American1894

And the persons were sixteen thousand; of whom the LORD’S tribute was thirty and two persons.

NWBWebster's Bible1833

And the persons were sixteen thousand, of which the LORD'S tribute was thirty and two persons.

GNVGeneva Bible1599

And of persons sixtene thousand, whereof the Lordes tribute was two and thirtie persons.

Strictly literal

DBYDarby Translation1890

and the human persons were sixteen thousand, of whom the tribute for Jehovah was thirty-two persons.

YLTYoung's Literal Translation1862

and the human beings [are] sixteen thousand, and their tribute to Jehovah [is] two and thirty persons.

LSVLiteral Standard Version2020

and of mankind [are] sixteen thousand, and their tribute to YHWH [is] thirty-two persons.

ILTInterlinear Literal Translation2000

And the human persons were sixteen thousand; and the tribute thereof unto the Lord was thirty and two persons.

ULBUnlocked Literal Bible2017

The persons were sixteen thousand women of whom Yahweh's tax was thirty-two.

From the Latin

DRADouay-Rheims (Challoner)1899

Out of the sixteen thousand persons, there fell to the portion of the Lord, thirty-two souls.

Simplified

FBVFree Bible Version2020

and 16,000 people, with a Lord's contribution of 32.

BBEBible in Basic English1949

And the number of persons was sixteen thousand, of which the Lord's part was thirty-two persons.

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.

וְand.[the]clausenoun phrase · subjectנֶ֣פֶשׁperson[s]אָדָ֔םof.humankindnoun phrase · predicatenumeral phrasenumeral phraseשִׁשָּׁ֥ה[were].six-עָשָׂ֖רteenאָ֑לֶףthousandוּandclausenoun phrase · subjectnoun phraseמִכְסָtributeם֙theirprepositional phraseלַֽforיהוָ֔הYahwehnoun phrase · predicatenumeral phraseשְׁנַ֥יִם[was].twoוּandשְׁלֹשִׁ֖יםthirtyנָֽפֶשׁperson[s]

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 supported by the Samaritan Pentateuch, which agrees word for word. The Septuagint matches 9 of the 10 words in the verse, though it presents them in a different order.

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

וְנֶ֣פֶשׁ אָדָ֔ם שִׁשָּׁ֥ה עָשָׂ֖ר אָ֑לֶף וּמִכְסָם֙ לַֽיהוָ֔ה שְׁנַ֥יִם וּשְׁלֹשִׁ֖ים נָֽפֶשׁ׃

Septuagintthe Greek the translators chose, word by word
וְנֶ֣פֶשׁψυξαὶאָדָ֔םἀνθρώπωνעָשָׂ֖רἑκκαίδεκαאָ֑לֶףξιλιάδεςוּמִכְסָם֙τέλοςלַֽיהוָ֔הκυρίῳשְׁנַ֥יִםδύοוּשְׁלֹשִׁ֖יםτριάκονταנָֽפֶשׁ׃ψυξαί

9 of the 10 words are matched. This is the word-by-word correspondence, not the Septuagint's own sentence — its word order and its articles are its own.

Samaritan Pentateuchthe Torah as the Samaritan community kept it

ונפשׁ אדם שׁשׁה עשׂר אלף ומכסם ליהוה שׁנים ושׁלשׁים נפשׁ

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.

Numbers 31:40נֶ֫פֶשׁand [the] pand [the] persoנֶ֫פֶשׁאָדָםhumankindhumankindאָדָםשֵׁשׁ[were] six-[were] six-שֵׁשׁעָשָׂרteenteenעָשָׂראֶ֫לֶףthousandthousandאֶ֫לֶףמֶ֫כֶסand tax theand tax theirמֶ֫כֶסיהוהfor Yahwehfor Yahwehיהוהשְׁנַ֫יִם[was] two[was] twoשְׁנַ֫יִםשְׁלֹשִׁיםand thirtyand thirtyשְׁלֹשִׁיםנֶ֫פֶשׁperson[s]person[s]נֶ֫פֶשׁנָפַשׁbe refreshbe refreshedנָפַשׁאָדֹםto reddento reddenאָדֹםהָיָהto beto beהָיָהשׂוּשׂto rejoiceto rejoiceשׂוּשׂעֶשֶׂרtentenעֶשֶׂראֶ֫לֶףcattlecattleאֶ֫לֶףשֵׁנִיsecondsecondשֵׁנִישָׁלֹשׁthreethreeשָׁלֹשׁשָׁלִthirdthirdשָׁלִמֵאָהhundredhundredמֵאָהבָּקַשׁto seekto seekבָּקַשׁחַיalivealiveחַידְּמוּתlikenesslikenessדְּמוּתבְּהֵמָהanimalanimalבְּהֵמָהאֶ֫לֶףthousandthousandאֶ֫לֶףשְׁמֹנֶהeighteightשְׁמֹנֶהחֹ֫דֶשׁmonthmonthחֹ֫דֶשׁחָמֵשׁfivefiveחָמֵשׁ
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 Numbers 31:40

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 [the] person[s] of humankind [were] six- teen thousand and tax their for Yahweh [was] two and thirty person[s]
וְנֶ֣פֶשׁve.Ne.fesh and [the] person[s] of H5315 Conjunction · noun common feminine singular construct
754× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
The Hebrew word for soul or living being, used in the Bible to describe the essence of a person or animal. It encompasses the ideas of life, breath, and vitality, and is translated as 'soul' or 'creature' in the KJV. This word is central to biblical concepts of humanity and existence.
Amplified meaning
souls, living beings
Tyndale gloss
soul
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word נֶ֫פֶשׁ (*nephesh*) broadly means 'soul' or 'living being,' encompassing concepts like life, self, person, desire, and emotion. It is derived from the root meaning 'to breathe' and signifies both physical and mental aspects of existence. The lexicons note its use in various contexts, including as the seat of appetites and emotions, though its application to will and character is uncertain.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

נֶ֫פֶשׁ 756 n.f. soul, living being, life, self, person, desire, appetite, emotion, and passion

= that which breathes, the breathing substance or being

The נפשׁ becomes a living being

The נפשׁ is specif.

The נפשׁ as the essential of man stands for the man himself

נפשׁ = seat of the appetites, in all periods (46 t.)

נ׳ = seat of emotions and passions

נפשׁ is used occasionally for mental acts

נפשׁ for acts of the will is dub.

נפשׁ = character is still more dub.

נ׳ in D

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H5315 נֶ֫פֶשׁ soul, living being, life, self, person, desire, appetite, emotion, and passion . = that which breathes, the breathing substance or being

. The נפשׁ becomes a living being

. The נפשׁ is specif.

. The נפשׁ as the essential of man stands for the man himself

. נפשׁ = seat of the appetites, in all periods (46 t.)

. נ׳ = seat of emotions and passions

. נפשׁ is used occasionally for mental acts

. נפשׁ for acts of the will is dub.

. נפשׁ = character is still more dub.

. נ׳ in D

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

5315 nephesh neh'-fesh

from 5314; properly, a breathing creature, i.e. animal of

(abstractly) vitality; used very widely in a literal,

accommodated or figurative sense (bodily or mental):--any,

appetite, beast, body, breath, creature, X dead(-ly), desire,

X (dis-)contented, X fish, ghost, + greedy, he, heart(-y),

(hath, X jeopardy of) life (X in jeopardy), lust, man, me,

mind, mortally, one, own, person, pleasure, (her-, him-, my-,

thy-)self, them (your)-selves, + slay, soul, + tablet, they,

thing, (X she) will, X would have it.

see HEBREW for 05314

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

נֶ֫פֶשׁ (ne.phesh) — soul.

1) soul, self, life, creature, person, appetite, mind, living being, desire, emotion, passion

1a) that which breathes, the breathing substance or being, soul, the inner being of man

1b) living being

1c) living being (with life in the blood)

1d) the man himself, self, person or individual

1e) seat of the appetites

1f) seat of emotions and passions

1g) activity of mind

1g1) uncertain

1h) activity of the will

1h1) uncertain

1i) activity of the character

1i1) uncertain

נֶ֫פֶשׁ (ne.phesh) — soul: life.

1) soul, self, life, creature, person, appetite, mind, living being, desire, emotion, passion

1a) that which breathes, the breathing substance or being, soul, the inner being of man

1b) living being

1c) living being (with life in the blood)

1d) the man himself, self, person or individual

1e) seat of the appetites

1f) seat of emotions and passions

1g) activity of mind

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Conj | N-cs — Conjunction · noun common feminine singular construct
HC/Ncfsc
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

ov:

(1) In Anglo-Saxon, had the meaning "from," "away from" (as the strengthened form "off" has still), and was not used for genitive or possessive relations, these being expressed by special case-forms. In the Norman period, however, "of" was taken to represent the French de (a use well developed by the time of Chaucer), and in the Elizabethan period both senses of "of" were in common use. But after about 1600 the later force of the word became predominant, and in the earlier sense (which is now practically obsolete) it was replaced by other prepositions. In consequence the King James Version (and in some cases the Revised Version (British and American)) contains many uses of "of" that are no longer familiar--most of them, to be sure, causing no difficulty, but there still being a few responsible for real obscurities.

English usagewhat the translators’ English meant
Webster's Dictionary (1828), Webster's Unabridged (1913), Webster's Dictionary (1806)

OF, preposition ov. [Gr.]

1. From or out of; proceeding from, as the cause, source, means, author or agent bestowing.

I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered to you. 1 Corinthians 11:1.

For it was of the Lord to harden their hearts. Joshua 11:1.

It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed.

Lamentations 3:1.

The whole disposing thereof is of the Lord. Proverbs 16:1.

Go, inquire of the Lord for me. 2 Chronicles 34:2.

That holy thing that shall be born of thee. Luke 1:1.

Hence of is the sign of the genitive case, the case that denotes production; as the son of man, the son proceeding from man, produced from man. This is the primary sense, although we now say, produced by man. 'Part of these were slain; ' that is, a number separate, for part denotes a division; the sense then is, a number from or out of the whole were slain. So also, 'some of these were slain; ' that is…

and [the] person[s] of humankind [were] six- teen thousand and tax their for Yahweh [was] two and thirty person[s]
אָדָ֔ם'a.Dam humankind H120 Noun common · masculine singular absolute
551× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
Adam was the first human, created by God and mentioned in Genesis 2:19, who married Eve and had sons including Cain, Abel, and Seth.
Tyndale gloss
the man (Adam)
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

אָדָם (adam) refers to 'man' or 'mankind,' encompassing both individual humans and the species as a whole. It is also the name of the first man in the Bible, Adam, who is mentioned in various verses, including Genesis 2:19. The term can denote a city in the Jordan valley as well. The entries indicate a range of meanings, but there is no significant disagreement among them.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

אָדָם 560 n.m. Gn 1:27 man, mankind

a man = human being

coll. man, mankind

n.pr.m. Adam, first man (without art.)

n.pr.loc. city in Jordan valley (as built?)

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H120 אָדָם man, mankind . a man = human being

. coll. man, mankind

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

120 'adam aw-dawm'

from 119; ruddy i.e. a human being (an individual or the

species, mankind, etc.):--X another, + hypocrite, + common

sort, X low, man (mean, of low degree), person.

see HEBREW for 0119

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

אָדָם (a.dam) — man.

1) man, mankind

1a) man, human being

1b) man, mankind (much more frequently intended sense in OT)

1c) Adam, first man

1d) city in Jordan valley

אָדָם (a.dam) — the man (Adam).

The first named man living at the time before the Flood, first mentioned at Gen.2.19;

married to Eve (H2332);

father of: Cain (H7014B), Abel (H1893) and Seth (H8352); also translated "man" at Gen.2.19,21,23; 3.8,9,20; 5.2; "mankind" at Deu.32.8; "others" at Job.31.33;

Another spelling of a.dam (אָדָם "Adam" H0121)

man, human being

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
HNcmsa — Noun common · masculine singular absolute
HNcmsa
and [the] person[s] of humankind [were] six- teen thousand and tax their for Yahweh [was] two and thirty person[s]
שִׁשָּׁ֥הshi.Shah [were] six- H8337 Adj
216× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This Hebrew word means the number six, and is often used in the Bible to describe measurements, like the six days of creation in Genesis 1.
Amplified meaning
sixteen thousand
Tyndale gloss
six
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word שֵׁשׁ, transliterated as shesh, means 'six' and can function as both a cardinal and ordinal number, indicating the sixth position. It is a primitive number that signifies an excess beyond five, as noted in the entries. The Aramaic equivalent is שֵׁת (shet).

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

שֵׁשׁ, שִׁשָּׁה 216 n.m. et f. six

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H8337 שֵׁשׁ, שִׁשָּׁה six

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

8337 shesh shaysh

masculine shishshah {shish-shaw'}; a primitive number; six

(as an overplus (see 7797) beyond five or the fingers of the

hand); as ord. sixth:--six((-teen, -teenth)), sixth.

see HEBREW for 07797

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

שֵׁשׁ (shesh) — six.

1) six

1a) six (cardinal number)

1b) sixth (ordinal number)

1c) in combination with other numbers

Aramaic equivalent: shet (שֵׁת "six" H8353)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Adj — Adj
HAcbsa
and [the] person[s] of humankind [were] six- teen thousand and tax their for Yahweh [was] two and thirty person[s]
עָשָׂ֖ר'a.Sar teen H6240
339× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
In Hebrew, this word means ten, and is used to form numbers like eleven or thirteen, as seen in Genesis 31:41. It is always used in combination with other numbers.
Tyndale gloss
ten
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

עָשָׂר (asar) means 'ten' and is used exclusively in combination with other numbers to form the teen numbers (11-19), both as cardinal and ordinal forms. The entries indicate that it is derived from another Hebrew root, but do not elaborate on its etymology.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

עָשָׂר, עֶשְׂרֵה ten, only after units to make num. 11-19, both cardinal and ordinal

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H6240 עָשָׂר, עֶשְׂרֵה ten, only after units to make num. 11-19, both cardinal and ordinal

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

6240 `asar aw-sawr'

for 6235; ten (only in combination), i.e. -teen; also

(ordinal) -teenth:--(eigh-, fif-, four-, nine-, seven-,

six-, thir-)teen(-th), + eleven(-th), + sixscore thousand, +

twelve(-th).

see HEBREW for 06235

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

עָשָׂר (a.sar) — ten.

1) ten, -teen (in combination with other numbers)

1a) used only in combination to make the numbers 11-19

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
HAcbsa
HAcbsa
and [the] person[s] of humankind [were] six- teen thousand and tax their for Yahweh [was] two and thirty person[s]
אָ֑לֶף'A.lef thousand H505
506× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
A thousand, as in Exodus 20:6 where God shows love to thousands of people. It represents a large number or a company of people under one leader, like an army or a group of soldiers.
Tyndale gloss
thousand
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

אֶ֫לֶף (eleph) means 'thousand' in Hebrew. It can refer to the numeral itself or denote a company or clan, particularly a group of men under one leader. The word is built from the concept of a thousand, and it is associated with the ox's head, which is the first letter of the Hebrew alphabet.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

אֶ֫לֶף n.m. thousand

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H505 אֶ֫לֶף thousand

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

505 'eleph eh'-lef

prop, the same as 504; hence (the ox's head being the first

letter of the alphabet, and this eventually used as a numeral)

a thousand:--thousand.

see HEBREW for 0504

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

אֶ֫לֶף (e.leph) — thousand.

: thousand

1) a thousand

1a) as numeral

2) a thousand, company

2a) as a company of men under one leader, troops

אֶ֫לֶף (e.leph) — thousand: clan.

: clan

1) a thousand

1a) as numeral

2) a thousand, company

2a) as a company of men under one leader, troops

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
HAcbsa
HAcbsa
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

thou'-zand ('eleph; chilioi).

See NUMBER.

and [the] person[s] of humankind [were] six- teen thousand and tax their for Yahweh [was] two and thirty person[s]
וּמִכְסָם֙u.mikh.Sam and tax their H4371 Conjunction · noun common masculine singular construct · suffix
6× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This Hebrew word means a tax or tribute, often based on a census, and is used in the Bible to describe the payments made to kings and governments. It appears in books like Kings and Chronicles. The concept is still relevant today.
Amplified meaning
tax, offering
Tyndale gloss
tribute
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

מֶ֫כֶס (mekec) refers to a computation or assessment, often related to tribute or tax. The term likely derives from a root meaning to enumerate. It encompasses the idea of a proportion to be paid, as seen in various contexts in the Old Testament.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

מֶ֫כֶס n.m. computation, proportion to be paid, tax

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H4371 מֶ֫כֶס

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

4371 mekec meh'-kes

probably from an unused root meaning to enumerate; an

assessment (as based upon a census):--tribute.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

מֶ֫כֶס (me.khes) — tribute.

computation, proportion to be paid, tribute, tax

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Conj | N-ms | Suff — Conjunction · noun common masculine singular construct · suffix
HC/Ncmsc/Sp3mp
and [the] person[s] of humankind [were] six- teen thousand and tax their for Yahweh [was] two and thirty person[s]
לַֽיהוָ֔הla.Yah.weh for Yahweh H3068 Preposition · noun proper
6,528× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
Yehovah is another name for God, often translated as 'the Lord'. It is a national name for God in the Jewish faith. This name is used throughout the Old Testament.
Amplified meaning
Yehovah, the Lord God
Tyndale gloss
The Lord
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

יְהֹוָה (ye.ho.vah) is the proper name of the God of Israel, often rendered as Jehovah or the Lord. It signifies the self-existent or eternal nature of God. The name is closely associated with the revelation to Moses in Exodus 3:12-15 and is used in conjunction with other terms to denote sacred places. Some scholars suggest it derives from a root meaning 'to bring into being.'

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

יהוה c. 6823 i.e. יַהְוֶה n.pr.dei Yahweh, the proper name of the God of Israel—(1. MT יְהֹוָה 6518 (Qr אֲדֹנָי), or יֱהֹוִה 305 (Qr אֱלֹהִים) 2. Many recent scholars explain יַהְוֶה as Hiph. of הוה (= היה) the one bringing into being, life-giver)

יהוה is not used by E in Gn, but is given Ex 3:12-15 as the name of the God who revealed Himself to Moses at Horeb

יהוה is used with אלהים and suffixes, especially in D

the phrase † אֲנִי יהוה is noteworthy

יהוה is also used with several predicates, to form sacred names of holy places of Yahweh

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H3068 יהוה i.e. יַהְוֶה n. pr. dei Yahweh, the proper name of the God of Israel

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

3068 Yhovah yeh-ho-vaw'

from 1961; (the) self-Existent or Eternal; Jehovah, Jewish

national name of God:--Jehovah, the Lord. Compare 3050, 3069.

see HEBREW for 01961

see HEBREW for 03050

see HEBREW for 03069

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

יְהֹוָה (ye.ho.vah) — LORD.

Jehovah = "the existing One"

1) the proper name of the one true God

1a) unpronounced except with the vowel pointings of a.do.na (אֲדֹנָי "Lord" H0136)

יְהֹוָה (ye.ho.vah) — The Lord.

Another name of ye.ru.sha.laim (יְרוּשָׁלִַ֫ם, יְרוּשְׁלֵם "Jerusalem" H3389)

יְהֹוָה (ye.ho.vah) — (Jerusalem of) the Lord.

Combined with ye.ru.sha.laim (יְרוּשָׁלִַ֫ם, יְרוּשְׁלֵם "Jerusalem" H3389)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Prep | N-proper — Preposition · noun proper
HR/Npt
The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
and [the] person[s] of humankind [were] six- teen thousand and tax their for Yahweh [was] two and thirty person[s]
שְׁנַ֥יִםshe.Na.yim [was] two H8147 Adj
769× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
The Hebrew word for the number two appears in Genesis and Exodus, describing pairs and dualities. It can also mean double or twice. In the Bible, it is often used to describe things that come in twos, like two witnesses or two tablets.
Amplified meaning
thirty-two, two and thirty
Tyndale gloss
two
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

שְׁנַ֫יִם (shnayim) means 'two' and serves as both a cardinal and ordinal number. It can denote 'both,' 'double,' or 'twice,' and is used in various combinations with other numbers. The word is derived as a dual form of שָׁנָה (shanah), which relates to the concept of pairs.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

שְׁנַ֫יִם, שְׁתַּיִם 768 n.m. et f. du. two

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H8147 שְׁנַ֫יִם, שְׁתַּיִם two

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

8147 shnayim shen-ah'-yim

dual of 8145; feminine shttayim {shet-tah'-yim}; two; also

(as ordinal) twofold:--both, couple, double, second, twain, +

twelfth, + twelve, + twenty (sixscore) thousand, twice, two.

see HEBREW for 08145

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

שְׁנַ֫יִם (she.na.yim) — two.

1) two

1a) two (the cardinal number)

1a1) two, both, double, twice

1b) second (the ordinal number)

1c) in combination with other numbers

1d) both (a dual number)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Adj — Adj
HAcbda
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

too.

See NUMBER.

and [the] person[s] of humankind [were] six- teen thousand and tax their for Yahweh [was] two and thirty person[s]
וּשְׁלֹשִׁ֖יםu.she.lo.Shim and thirty H7970 Conjunction
173× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
Thirty is the meaning of this Hebrew word, which can also be used as an ordinal to describe something as thirtieth. It is used to count quantities in the Bible.
Tyndale gloss
thirty
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

שְׁלֹשִׁים (*shlowshiym*) means 'thirty' and can also refer to 'thirtieth' as an ordinal number. It is an indeclinable noun and is derived from the root word for 'three.' The entries indicate that it is used in various contexts, but there are no significant disagreements among the lexicons.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

שְׁלֹשִׁים (very seldom שְׁלוֹשִׁים, שְׁלֹשִׁם) 174 n.indecl. thirty

bef. n. sg.

as ordin.

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H7970 שְׁלֹשִׁים (very seldom שְׁלוֹשִׁים, שְׁלֹשִׁם) n. indecl. thirty . bef. n. sg.

. as ordin.

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

7970 shlowshiym shel-o-sheem'

or shloshiym {shel-o-sheem'}; multiple of 7969; thirty; or

(ordinal) thirtieth:--thirty, thirtieth. Compare 7991.

see HEBREW for 07969

see HEBREW for 07991

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

שְׁלֹשִׁים (she.lo.shim) — thirty.

thirty, thirtieth

Aramaic equivalent: te.la.tin (תְּלָתִין "thirty" H8533)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
HC/Acmpa — Conjunction
HC/Acmpa
and [the] person[s] of humankind [were] six- teen thousand and tax their for Yahweh [was] two and thirty person[s]
נָֽפֶשׁ׃Na.fesh person[s] H5315 Noun common · feminine singular absolute
754× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
The Hebrew word for soul or living being, used in the Bible to describe the essence of a person or animal. It encompasses the ideas of life, breath, and vitality, and is translated as 'soul' or 'creature' in the KJV. This word is central to biblical concepts of humanity and existence.
Tyndale gloss
soul
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word נֶ֫פֶשׁ (*nephesh*) broadly means 'soul' or 'living being,' encompassing concepts like life, self, person, desire, and emotion. It is derived from the root meaning 'to breathe' and signifies both physical and mental aspects of existence. The lexicons note its use in various contexts, including as the seat of appetites and emotions, though its application to will and character is uncertain.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

נֶ֫פֶשׁ 756 n.f. soul, living being, life, self, person, desire, appetite, emotion, and passion

= that which breathes, the breathing substance or being

The נפשׁ becomes a living being

The נפשׁ is specif.

The נפשׁ as the essential of man stands for the man himself

נפשׁ = seat of the appetites, in all periods (46 t.)

נ׳ = seat of emotions and passions

נפשׁ is used occasionally for mental acts

נפשׁ for acts of the will is dub.

נפשׁ = character is still more dub.

נ׳ in D

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H5315 נֶ֫פֶשׁ soul, living being, life, self, person, desire, appetite, emotion, and passion . = that which breathes, the breathing substance or being

. The נפשׁ becomes a living being

. The נפשׁ is specif.

. The נפשׁ as the essential of man stands for the man himself

. נפשׁ = seat of the appetites, in all periods (46 t.)

. נ׳ = seat of emotions and passions

. נפשׁ is used occasionally for mental acts

. נפשׁ for acts of the will is dub.

. נפשׁ = character is still more dub.

. נ׳ in D

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

5315 nephesh neh'-fesh

from 5314; properly, a breathing creature, i.e. animal of

(abstractly) vitality; used very widely in a literal,

accommodated or figurative sense (bodily or mental):--any,

appetite, beast, body, breath, creature, X dead(-ly), desire,

X (dis-)contented, X fish, ghost, + greedy, he, heart(-y),

(hath, X jeopardy of) life (X in jeopardy), lust, man, me,

mind, mortally, one, own, person, pleasure, (her-, him-, my-,

thy-)self, them (your)-selves, + slay, soul, + tablet, they,

thing, (X she) will, X would have it.

see HEBREW for 05314

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

נֶ֫פֶשׁ (ne.phesh) — soul.

1) soul, self, life, creature, person, appetite, mind, living being, desire, emotion, passion

1a) that which breathes, the breathing substance or being, soul, the inner being of man

1b) living being

1c) living being (with life in the blood)

1d) the man himself, self, person or individual

1e) seat of the appetites

1f) seat of emotions and passions

1g) activity of mind

1g1) uncertain

1h) activity of the will

1h1) uncertain

1i) activity of the character

1i1) uncertain

נֶ֫פֶשׁ (ne.phesh) — soul: life.

1) soul, self, life, creature, person, appetite, mind, living being, desire, emotion, passion

1a) that which breathes, the breathing substance or being, soul, the inner being of man

1b) living being

1c) living being (with life in the blood)

1d) the man himself, self, person or individual

1e) seat of the appetites

1f) seat of emotions and passions

1g) activity of mind

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
HNcfsa — Noun common · feminine singular absolute
HNcfsa
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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