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Numbers 35:11 — Word Study

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WLCוְהִקְרִיתֶ֤ם לָכֶם֙ עָרִ֔ים עָרֵ֥י מִקְלָ֖ט תִּהְיֶ֣ינָה לָכֶ֑ם וְנָ֥ס שָׁ֙מָּה֙ רֹצֵ֔חַ מַכֵּה־ נֶ֖פֶשׁ בִּשְׁגָגָֽה׃

BSAdesignateqârâh [choose, appoint] citiesʻîyr [towns, settlements] to serve ashâyâh citiesʻîyr [places, towns] of refugemiqlâṭ [asylum, shelter] so that a personrâtsach [individual, manslayer] who killsnâkâh [slays, murders] someonenephesh [any person, a soul] unintentionallyshᵉgâgâh [without planning, by mistake] may fleenûwç [run, escape] thereshâm [to that place, thither]

Word
Listen & take awayNumbers 35
English ↓ Download MP3 The Berean Standard Bible chapter audio already hosted for the site's Bible section — verse 11 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 (bish.ga.Gah) — no per-word recordings of the Hebrew exist to link to.
Take it away
Numbers 35:11quick helps
In a sentenceGod instructs the Israelites to designate cities that will serve as places of refuge for those who have killed someone unintentionally.
Who is speakingGod, giving instructions to the Israelites.
Where we areIn the context of laws regarding cities of refuge, as the Israelites prepare to enter Canaan.
The hard wordמִקְלָט
Take awayThe cities of refuge are meant to protect those who have committed unintentional acts from retribution.
7 commentators on this verse Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Ellicott & more — read them › clause verbקָרָה 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 35:11

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 — Cities of Refugegenerated

10“Speak to the Israelites and tell them: When you cross the Jordan into the land of Canaan,
11designate cities to serve as your cities of refuge, so that a person who kills someone unintentionally may flee there.
12You are to have these cities as a refuge from the avenger, so that the manslayer will not die until he stands trial before the assembly.
13The cities you select will be your six cities of refuge.

Numbers 35:11 provides instructions for the Israelites to establish cities of refuge. These cities serve as safe havens for individuals who accidentally kill someone, allowing them to escape retribution until a trial can take place. This law reflects God's concern for justice and mercy, ensuring that those who commit unintentional acts are not punished as if they had committed murder. The concept of cities of refuge is further elaborated in Joshua 20:2.


Cross References

ReferenceText (BSB)
1Numbers 35:6Six of the cities you give the Levites are to be appointed as cities of refuge, to which a manslayer may flee. In addition to these, give the Levites forty-two other cities.
2Joshua 20:2“Tell the Israelites to designate the cities of refuge, as I instructed you through Moses,
3Numbers 35:22–23But if anyone pushes a person suddenly, without hostility, or throws an object at him unintentionally,
4Exodus 21:13If, however, he did not lie in wait, but God allowed it to happen, then I will appoint for you a place where he may flee.
5Deuteronomy 4:42to which a manslayer could flee after killing his neighbor unintentionally without prior malice. To save one’s own life, he could flee to one of these cities:

The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 6 references, hung on the phrase they belong to

ye shall appointNumbers 35:6 Joshua 20:2

The Key Word מִקְלָט, mik.Latgenerated

The noun מִקְלָט (miklat) means 'refuge' or 'asylum,' derived from a root meaning 'to take in.' This term is used to denote a place of safety or protection, emphasizing the importance of having designated areas for those who need refuge from harm.

In this verse, it signifies a city where individuals can flee for safety after committing an unintentional act of killing. The concept of refuge is foundational in biblical law, highlighting the balance between justice and mercy.


How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated

This study reads the verse in the Berean Standard Bible, which uses the term refuge.


Sentence Structuregenerated

The main verb of the verse is הִקְרִיתֶם, you will make happen, which governs the entire clause. It is accompanied by a noun phrase עָרִ֔ים, cities, indicating what is being designated.

The structure includes a subordinate clause that describes the purpose of these cities, which is to provide refuge for a specific type of individual, namely one who has killed unintentionally. This complex structure emphasizes the legal and protective nature of the instruction.


Septuagint Backgroundgenerated

The Septuagint translates מִקְלָט as φυγαδευτήρια, indicating a place of flight or escape. This choice reflects a broader understanding of refuge, emphasizing the act of fleeing to safety.

This translation aligns with the Hebrew meaning but also suggests a more active sense of seeking safety, which may resonate with a Greek-speaking audience familiar with the concept of refuge.


In plain words — the whole versegenerated

Numbers 35:11 instructs the Israelites to set aside cities of refuge for those who kill someone unintentionally. These cities provide a safe place for individuals to escape from the avenger until they can stand trial. This law emphasizes the importance of justice and protection for those who commit unintentional acts.


Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated

What is the purpose of the cities of refuge?

The cities of refuge are designated places where individuals who have killed someone unintentionally can flee to avoid retribution until they receive a fair trial.

How does this law reflect God's justice?

This law shows God's concern for justice by ensuring that those who commit unintentional acts are treated with mercy and given a chance to defend themselves.

What happens to someone who intentionally kills another?

The law distinguishes between intentional and unintentional killing, with different consequences for each. Intentional murder is subject to severe punishment.

Are there other references to cities of refuge in the Bible?

Yes, cities of refuge are mentioned in other passages, such as Joshua 20:2, which further elaborates on the laws surrounding these cities.


Reflection Questionsgenerated

  1. What does this law teach us about God's view of justice and mercy?
  2. How can we apply the principle of refuge in our own lives today?
  3. In what ways can we ensure that we treat others with fairness and compassion?
  4. How can understanding these laws help us better appreciate the context of God's instructions to His people?

Commentators on this verse — 7 expositors, verse by verse

Each of these wrote on Numbers 35:11 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.

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

Then ye shall appoint your cities to be cities of refuge for you,.... And, according to the Jewish writers (i), these were neither to be made large nor little, but middling; and they appointed them

Read John Gill on Numbers 35 →
Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's Commentary

Then ye shall appoint you cities to be cities of refuge for you; that the slayer may flee thither, which killeth any person at unawares. Slayer may flee ... which killeth any person at unawares.

Read Robert Jamieson on Numbers 35 →
Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy Bible

i.e. Not wilfully, designedly, or maliciously, but inconsiderately, through mistake, or indiscretion, or carelessness. See .

Read Matthew Poole on Numbers 35 →
Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(10, 11) When ye be come over Jordan . . . —Or, Ye are going over the Jordan into the land of Canaan; and ye shall appoint . . .

Read Charles John Ellicott on Numbers 35 →
AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible

Verse 11. Ye shall appoint - cities of refuge] The cities of refuge among the Israelites were widely different from the asyla among the Greeks and Romans, as also from the privileged altars among the Roman Catholics. Those among the Hebrews were for the protection of such only as had slain a person involuntarily. The temples and altars among the latter often served for the protection of the most profligate characters. Cities of refuge among the Hebrews were necessary, because the old patriarchal law still remained in force, viz., that the nearest akin had a right to avenge the death of his relation by slaying the murderer; for the original law enacted that whosoever shed man's blood, by man…

Read AdamClarke on Numbers 35 →
CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

11. ye shall appoint] Perhaps better ye shall select. The verb in this sense is not found elsewhere in the O.T. cities of refuge] Perhaps cities of reception, a term which occurs only in this chapter, and in Joshua 20, 21. , 1 Chronicles 6:57; 1 Chronicles 6:67. The word is used in Rabbinic Heb. of the collection or reception of rainwater. unwittingly] lit. ‘in error.’ See Numbers 15:24 ff.

Read Cambridge on Numbers 35 →
Daniel Denison Whedon1808–1885Whedon's Commentary on the Bible

11. Killeth… unawares — Joshua (Numbers 20:3) adds, “and unwittingly.” See note.

Read Daniel Denison Whedon on Numbers 35 →

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

designate cities to serve as your cities of refuge, so that a person who kills someone unintentionally may flee there.

WEBWorld English Bible2000

then you shall appoint for yourselves cities to be cities of refuge for you, that the man slayer who kills any person unwittingly may flee there.

MSBMajority Standard Bible2022

designate cities to serve as your cities of refuge, so that a person who kills someone unintentionally may flee there.

NETBNew English Translation2006

you must then designate some towns as towns of refuge for you, to which a person who has killed someone unintentionally may flee.

Tyndale line

KJVKing James Version1611

Then ye shall appoint you cities to be cities of refuge for you; that the slayer may flee thither, which killeth any person at unawares.

ASVAmerican Standard Version1901

then ye shall appoint you cities to be cities of refuge for you, that the manslayer that killeth any person unwittingly may flee thither.

RVARevised Version, American1894

then ye shall appoint you cities to be cities of refuge for you; that the manslayer which killeth any person unwittingly may flee thither.

NWBWebster's Bible1833

Then ye shall appoint for you cities to be cities of refuge for you; that the slayer may flee thither, who killeth any person at unawares.

GNVGeneva Bible1599

Ye shall appoint you cities, to bee cities of refuge for you, that the slayer, which slayeth any person vnwares, may flee thither.

Strictly literal

DBYDarby Translation1890

then ye shall appoint for yourselves cities: cities of refuge shall they be for you; that a manslayer may flee thither, who without intent smiteth a person mortally.

YLTYoung's Literal Translation1862

and have prepared to yourselves cities — cities of refuge they are to you — then fled thither hath a man-slayer, smiting a person unawares,

LSVLiteral Standard Version2020

and have prepared cities for yourselves—they are cities of refuge to you—then a manslayer, striking a person through ignorance, has fled there,

ILTInterlinear Literal Translation2000

Then ye shall appoint unto yourselves proper cities, that they be cities of refuge for you; and thither shall flee the manslayer who killeth any person at unawares.

ULBUnlocked Literal Bible2017

then you must choose cities to serve as cities of refuge for you, a place to which a person who has killed someone unintentionally may flee.

From the Latin

DRADouay-Rheims (Challoner)1899

Determine what cities shall be for the refuge of fugitives, who have shed blood against their will.

Simplified

FBVFree Bible Version2020

choose towns as your sanctuary towns, so a person who kills someone by mistake may run there.

BBEBible in Basic English1949

Then let certain towns be marked out as safe places to which anyone who takes the life of another in error may go in flight.

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.

וְandclauseverbהִקְרִיתֶ֤םyou.will.make.happenprepositional phrase · prepositionalלָtoכֶם֙yourselvesobjectעָרִ֔יםcitiesclausenoun phrase · objectעָרֵ֥יcitiesמִקְלָ֖טof.refugeverbתִּהְיֶ֣ינָהthey.will.beprepositional phrase · prepositionalלָforכֶ֑םyouוְandclauseverbנָ֥סhe.will.fleeadverb phrase · adverbialשָׁ֨מָּtoה֙(to)noun phrase · subjectרֹצֵ֔חַa.killeradjective phraseclauseverbמַכֵּה[who.has].struck.downobjectנֶ֖פֶשׁ(of).a.personprepositional phrase · prepositionalבִּbyשְׁגָגָֽהinadvertence

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 Septuagint and the Samaritan Pentateuch, which agree on most terms. However, the Samaritan Pentateuch has one word that differs, indicating a slight variation in the text. The Dead Sea Scrolls contain fragments that align with the Masoretic Text, confirming the preservation of this instruction.

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

וְהִקְרִיתֶ֤ם לָכֶם֙ עָרִ֔ים עָרֵ֥י מִקְלָ֖ט תִּהְיֶ֣ינָה לָכֶ֑ם וְנָ֥ס שָׁ֙מָּה֙ רֹצֵ֔חַ מַכֵּה־ נֶ֖פֶשׁ בִּשְׁגָגָֽה׃

Septuagintthe Greek the translators chose, word by word
וְהִקְרִיתֶ֤םδιαστελεῖτεלָכֶם֙ὑμῖνעָרִ֔יםαὐτοῖςעָרֵ֥יπόλειςמִקְלָ֖טφυγαδευτήριαתִּהְיֶ֣ינָהἔσταιלָכֶ֑םὑμῖνוְנָ֥סφυγεῖνשָׁ֙מָּה֙ἐκεῖמַכֵּה־πατάχαςנֶ֖פֶשׁψυξὴνבִּשְׁגָגָֽה׃ἀκουσίως

12 of the 13 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

והקריתם לכם ערים ערי מקלט תהיינה לכם ונס שׁמה הרצח מכה נפשׁ בשׁגגה

1 word differs from the Masoretic Text: ה (the)

Dead Sea Scrolls — 4Q27a copy a thousand years older than the Leningrad Codex

[שמ׳ה] [הרוצח] מכה [נפש] [בשגגה]

5 words of the verse are on this fragment — 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.

Numbers 35:11קָרָהand you wiland you will maקָרָהכֶםto yourselvto yourselvesכֶםעִירcitiescitiesעִירעִירcities ofcities ofעִירמִקְלָטrefugerefugeמִקְלָטהָיָהthey will bthey will beהָיָהכֶםfor youfor youכֶםנוּסand he willand he will fleנוּסשָׁםthere towarthere towardsשָׁםרָצַחa killera killerרָצַחנָכָה[who] has s[who] has strucנָכָהנֶ֫פֶשׁa persona personנֶ֫פֶשׁשְׁגָגָהby inadvertby inadvertenceשְׁגָגָהעוּרto rouseto rouseעוּרקָלַטbe stuntedbe stuntedקָלַטנָפַשׁbe refreshbe refreshedנָפַשׁשָׁגַגto go astrto go astrayשָׁגַגהָוָאto fallto fallהָוָאאֲשֶׁרwhichwhichאֲשֶׁרמִגְרָשׁpasturepastureמִגְרָשׁלָכַדto captureto captureלָכַדרָצַחto murderto murderרָצַחנוּסto fleeto fleeנוּסמַנְעוּלboltboltמַנְעוּלדָּלdoordoorדָּלאֲרָםAramAramאֲרָםנָדַחto banishto banishנָדַחגּוּרto sojournto sojournגּוּרמִקְלָטrefugerefugeמִקְלָטמַכָּהwoundwoundמַכָּהפְּלִשְׁתִּי(Sea of th(Sea of the) Phפְּלִשְׁתִּי
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 35:11

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 you will make happen to yourselves cities cities of refuge they will be for you and he will flee there towards a killer [who] has struck down a person by inadvertence
וְהִקְרִיתֶ֤םve.hik.ri.Tem and you will make happen H7136 Verb · Hiphil · sequential perfect second person masculine plural
27× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This Hebrew word means to lay beams, or to build with beams. It is used in the book of Exodus to describe the construction of the tabernacle. The word is used to describe a building process.
Amplified meaning
choose, appoint
Tyndale gloss
to meet
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word קָרָה (qarah) has two main meanings. It can refer to encountering or meeting, often by chance, as well as to the act of laying beams in construction. The entries indicate its use in various forms, such as Qal, Niphal, and Hiphil, covering both accidental meetings and intentional building actions.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

[קָרָה] vb. encounter, meet, befall

Qal

encounter, meet

befall

Niph.

encounter, meet without pre-arrangement

chance to be present

Hiph.

of י׳, cause (the right thing, good fortune) to occur

of Israel, ye shall (cause cities to occur rightly for yourselves, i.e.) select cities as suitable.

base

[קָרָה] vb. denom. Pi. lay the beams of, furnish with beams

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H7136a קָרָה encounter, meet, befall H7136b קָרָה vb. denom. Pi. lay the beams of, furnish with beams

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

7136 qarah kaw-raw'

a primitive root; to light upon (chiefly by accident);

causatively, to bring about; specifically, to impose timbers

(for roof or floor):--appoint, lay (make) beams, befall,

bring, come (to pass unto), floor, (hap) was, happen (unto),

meet, send good speed.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

קָרָה (qa.rah) — to meet.

1) to encounter, meet, befall, happen, come to meet

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to encounter, meet

1a2) to befall

1b) (Niphal)

1b1) to encounter, meet (without pre-arrangement)

1b2) to chance to be present

1b3) to come to meet

1c) (Hiphil) to cause to meet, appoint

קָרָה (qa.rah) — to lay beams.

1) to build with beams

1a) (Piel) to lay the beams of, furnish with beams

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Conj | V-Hiphil-2mp — Verb · Hiphil · sequential perfect second person masculine plural
Hc/Vhq2mp
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

hap'-'-n (qarah; sumbaino): "Happen" (from "hap"), "to fall out," "befall," etc., "come to anyone," is the translation of qarah, "to meet," etc. (1Sa 28:10, "There shall no punishment happen to thee," the Revised Version margin "guilt come upon thee"; 2Sa 1:6; Es 4:7; Ec 2:14,15; 9:11 Isa 41:22); of qara', "to meet," "cause to happen," etc. (2Sa 20:1); of hayah, "to be" (1Sa 6:9, "It was a chance that happened to us"); of nagha', "to touch," "to come to" (Ec 8:14

and you will make happen to yourselves cities cities of refuge they will be for you and he will flee there towards a killer [who] has struck down a person by inadvertence
לָכֶם֙la.Khem to yourselves H9036 Preposition · suffix
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

כֶם (khem) — you.

Personal object pronoun - suffix for propositions and verbs without an object: 2nd person masculine plural

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
HRd/Sp2mp — Preposition · suffix
HRd/Sp2mp
and you will make happen to yourselves cities cities of refuge they will be for you and he will flee there towards a killer [who] has struck down a person by inadvertence
עָרִ֔ים'a.Rim cities H5892 Noun common · masculine plural absolute
1,090× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
In the Bible, this word refers to a city or town, often a place with a wall or a watchman. It is used to describe a settlement or encampment, like the city of Ai, which is mentioned in the book of Joshua. The word is used to identify specific locations in the Bible.
Amplified meaning
towns, settlements
Tyndale gloss
excitement
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

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.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

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

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

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

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

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

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

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)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-fp — Noun common · masculine plural absolute
HNcmpa
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
Smith's Bible Dictionary

The earliest notice in Scripture of city-building is of Enoch by Cain, in the land of his exile. (Genesis 4:17) After the confusion of tongues the descendants of Nimrod founded Babel, Erech, Accad and Calneh, in the land of Shinar, and Asshur, a branch from the same stock, built Nineveh, Rehoboth-by-the-river, Calah and Resen, the last being "a great city." The earliest description of a city, properly so called, is that of Sodom, (Genesis 19:1-22) Even before the time of Abraham there were cities in Egypt, (Genesis 12:14,15; Numbers 13:22) and the Israelites, during their sojourn there, were employed in building or fortifying the "treasure cities" of Pithom and Raamses.…

Nave's Topical Bible

→ Ancient Ge 4:17; 10:10-12

→ Fortified Nu 32:36; De 9:1; Jos 10:20; 14:12; 2Ch 8:5; 11:10-12; 17:2,19; 21:3; Isa 23:11

→ Gates of

See GATES

→ Designated as

Royal Jos 10:2; 1Sa 27:5; 2Sa 12:26; 1Ch 11:7

Treasure Ge 41:48; Ex 1:11;

- First mention of

Ge 4:17

- Designed for habitations

Ps 107:7,36

- Often built to perpetuate a name

Ge 11:4

- Often founded and enlarged by blood and rapine

Mic 3:10; Hab 2:12

- BUILT

. Of brick and slime

Ge 11:3

. Of stone and wood

Ps 102:14; Eze 26:12

. Of brick and mortar

Ex 1:11,14

. On solid foundations

Thompson Chain Reference topics

(1) General References to

Ge 11:4; 18:24; 41:48; Nu 13:28; De 6:10; 2Ki 13:25

Ps 55:9; Mic 5:14

(2) Fenced

Nu 32:17; De 3:5; Jos 10:20; 2Ki 18:13; 2Ch 14:6; 17:2

2Ch 19:5; 21:3; 33:14; Jer 5:17

and you will make happen to yourselves cities cities of refuge they will be for you and he will flee there towards a killer [who] has struck down a person by inadvertence
עָרֵ֥י'a.Rei cities of H5892 Noun common · masculine plural construct
1,090× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
In the Bible, this word refers to a city or town, often a place with a wall or a watchman. It is used to describe a settlement or encampment, like the city of Ai, which is mentioned in the book of Joshua. The word is used to identify specific locations in the Bible.
Amplified meaning
places, towns
Tyndale gloss
excitement
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

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.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

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

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

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

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

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

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

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)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-fp — Noun common · masculine plural construct
HNcmpc
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 you will make happen to yourselves cities cities of refuge they will be for you and he will flee there towards a killer [who] has struck down a person by inadvertence
מִקְלָ֖טmik.Lat refuge H4733 Noun common · masculine singular absolute
20× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
A refuge or asylum is a safe place to go for protection, like a shelter from harm. In the Bible, God is often called a refuge, as seen in Psalm 46. It is a place of safety and security.
Amplified meaning
asylum, shelter
Tyndale gloss
refuge
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

מִקְלָט (miqlat) means 'refuge' or 'asylum,' derived from a root meaning 'to take in.' The term is used to denote a place of safety or protection. All entries consistently emphasize its meaning related to refuge, with no significant disagreement among the lexicons.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

מִקְלָט n.[m.] refuge, asylum

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H4733 מִקְלָט

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

4733 miqlat mik-lawt'

from 7038 in the sense of taking in; an asylum (as a

receptacle):--refuge.

see HEBREW for 07038

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

מִקְלָט (miq.lat) — refuge.

refuge, asylum

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

ref'-uj: A place of resort and safety. The principal words in the Old Testament are machceh (Ps 14:6; 46:1; 62:7,8; Isa 4:6, etc.), and manoc (2Sa 22:3; Ps 59:16, etc.), both applied chiefly to God as a "refuge" for His people. For the King James Version "refuge" in De 33:27, the Revised Version (British and American) has "dwelling-place," and in Ps 9:9, "high tower." Conversely, the Revised Version (British and American) has "refuge" for the King James Version "shelter" in Ps 61:3, and "hope" in

and you will make happen to yourselves cities cities of refuge they will be for you and he will flee there towards a killer [who] has struck down a person by inadvertence
תִּהְיֶ֣ינָהtih.Yei.nah they will be H1961 Verb · Qal · imperfect third person feminine 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-Imperf-3fp — Verb · Qal · imperfect third person feminine plural
HVqi3fp
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

See TESTAMENT.

Nave's Topical Bible

→ THE MENTAL FACULTY

Freedom of, recognized by God Ge 4:6-10; De 5:29; 1Ki 20:42; Isa 1:18-20; 43:26; Jer 36:3,7; Joh 7:17

See BLESSINGS, CONTINGENT UPON OBEDIENCE

See CHOICE

See CONTINGENCY

→ OF GOD, THE SUPREME RULE OF DUTY Mt 6:10; 12:50; 26:39,42; Mr 3:35; 14:36; Lu 11:2; 22:42; Joh 4:34; 5:30; 6:38-40; Ac…

and you will make happen to yourselves cities cities of refuge they will be for you and he will flee there towards a killer [who] has struck down a person by inadvertence
לָכֶ֑םla.Khem for you H9036 Preposition · suffix
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

כֶם (khem) — you.

Personal object pronoun - suffix for propositions and verbs without an object: 2nd person masculine plural

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
HRd/Sp2mp — Preposition · suffix
HRd/Sp2mp
and you will make happen to yourselves cities cities of refuge they will be for you and he will flee there towards a killer [who] has struck down a person by inadvertence
וְנָ֥סve.Nas and he will flee H5127 Verb · Qal · sequential perfect third person masculine singular
159× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
To flee means to quickly leave a place, like escaping from danger, as seen in the Bible when David fled from King Saul. It can also mean to disappear or vanish. In the book of Psalms, it describes God delivering his people from harm.
Amplified meaning
run, escape
Tyndale gloss
to flee
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

נוּס (nus) is a Hebrew verb meaning to flee or escape. It encompasses various nuances, including taking flight, disappearing, or driving hastily to safety. The word appears in different forms, such as Qal, Polel, Hithpolel, and Hiphil, indicating actions like fleeing, causing to disappear, or putting to flight. An Aramaic equivalent is noted as נוּד (nud).

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

נוּס 160 vb. flee, escape

Qal

flee

escape

take flight, depart, disappear

fly (to the attack) on horseback.

Po‛lel the breath of י׳ driveth at it, driveth it on

Hithpo‛l. in order to take flight before the bow

Hiph.

put to flight

drive hastily to a safe place

cause to disappear, hide

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H5127 נוּס flee, escape

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

5127 nuwc noos

a primitive root; to flit, i.e. vanish away (subside, escape;

causatively, chase, impel, deliver):--X abate, away, be

displayed, (make to) flee (away, -ing), put to flight, X hide,

lift up a standard.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

נוּס (nus) — to flee.

1) to flee, escape

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to flee

1a2) to escape

1a3) to take flight, m depart, disappear

1a4) to fly (to the attack) on horseback

1b) (Polel) to drive at

1c) (Hithpolel) to take flight

1d) (Hiphil)

1d1) to put to flight

1d2) to drive hastily

1d3) to cause to disappear, hide

Aramaic equivalent: nud (נוּד "to flee" H5111)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Conj | V-Qal-3ms — Verb · Qal · sequential perfect third person masculine singular
Hc/Vqq3ms
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

fle.

See FLY.

and you will make happen to yourselves cities cities of refuge they will be for you and he will flee there towards a killer [who] has struck down a person by inadvertence
שָׁ֙מָּה֙Sha.mah there towards H8033 Adverb · suffix
834× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
The Hebrew word sham means there or then, often used to describe a location or point in time. It can also mean thither or thence, indicating movement or direction. This word is used frequently in the Bible to provide context and clarify the setting of a story.
Amplified meaning
to that place, thither
Tyndale gloss
there
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

שָׁם (sham) is a Hebrew adverb meaning 'there' or 'thither,' indicating a location or direction. It can also refer to a point in time, translating to 'then.' The word is derived from a relative pronoun and is used in various contexts, including movement and temporal references.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

שָׁם adv. there, thither

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H8033 שָׁם there, thither

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

8033 sham shawm

a primitive particle (rather from the relative pronoun, 834);

there (transferring to time) then; often thither, or

thence:--in it, + thence, there (-in, + of, + out), +

thither, + whither.

see HEBREW for 0834

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

שָׁם (sham) — there.

1) there, thither

1a) there

1b) thither (after verbs of motion)

1c) from there, thence

1d) then (as an adverb of time)

Aramaic equivalent: tam.mah (תַּמָּה "there" H8536)

שָׁם (sham) — (Jerusalem) Is There.

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

This name means there, thither

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Adv | Suff — Adverb · suffix
HD/Sd
and you will make happen to yourselves cities cities of refuge they will be for you and he will flee there towards a killer [who] has struck down a person by inadvertence
רֹצֵ֔חַro.Tze.ach a killer H7523 Verb · Qal · participle (active) masculine singular
47× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
In the Bible, this Hebrew word means to murder or kill someone, like Cain killing Abel in Genesis. It emphasizes the intentional act of taking a human life. This word is about premeditated killing.
Amplified meaning
individual, manslayer
Tyndale gloss
to murder
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

רָצַח (ratsach) is a Hebrew verb meaning to murder or slay, with nuances of premeditated and accidental killing. It appears in various forms, including Qal (to murder), Niphal (to be slain), and Piel (to intensively murder or assassinate). The entries emphasize the act of killing a human being, particularly in a malicious context.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

רָצַח vb. murder, slay

Qal murder, slay, with premeditation

Niph. I shall be slain

Pi. (intens.) murder, assassinate

Pu. ye murder

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H7523 רָצַח murder, slay

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

7523 ratsach raw-tsakh'

a primitive root; properly, to dash in pieces, i.e. kill (a

human being), especially to murder:--put to death, kill,

(man-)slay(-er), murder(-er).

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

רָצַח (ra.tsach) — to murder.

1) to murder, slay, kill

1a)(Qal) to murder, slay

1a1) premeditated

1a2) accidental

1a3) as avenger

1a4) slayer (intentional) (participle)

1b) (Niphal) to be slain

1c) (Piel)

1c1) to murder, assassinate

1c2) murderer, assassin (participle) (subst)

1d) (Pual) to be killed

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
V-Qal — Verb · Qal · participle (active) masculine singular
HVqrmsa
and you will make happen to yourselves cities cities of refuge they will be for you and he will flee there towards a killer [who] has struck down a person by inadvertence
מַכֵּה־ma.keh- [who] has struck down H5221 Verb · Hiphil · participle (active) masculine singular common
500× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
In the Bible, this Hebrew word means to strike or hit something, and it's used in many different ways, like in Exodus when God strikes down the Egyptians. It can also mean to punish or destroy, as seen in Isaiah. The word is used to describe God's judgment.
Amplified meaning
slays, murders
Tyndale gloss
to smite
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

נָכָה (nakah) is a Hebrew verb meaning to strike or smite, encompassing a range of actions from lightly hitting to fatal blows. It appears in various forms, indicating actions like attacking, punishing, or causing disease. The entries suggest its use in both literal and figurative contexts, including divine judgment and applause. There is no significant disagreement among the lexicons regarding its meanings.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

[נָכָה] 501 vb. smite (not in Qal)

Niph. and he shall be smitten [struck by weapon in battle] and die

Pu. both be smitten down by the hail

Hiph.

lit., smite (with a single, non-fatal, blow), strike

smite repeatedly, beat a man

and they clapped hands (in applause)

give a thrust (with fork) into pot; strike roots

rarely smite (in battle) so as (merely) to wound

smite, of sun

Smite fatally

Smite = attack, attack and destroy a company

Of God

smite with a plague, disease, etc.

smite = chastise, or send judgment upon

of God’s destroying palaces

Hoph. be smitten

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H5221 נָכָה smite (not in Qal) . and he shall be smitten [struck by weapon in battle] and die

. both be smitten down by the hail

. . . lit., smite (with a single, non-fatal, blow), strike

. smite repeatedly, beat a man

. and they clapped hands (in applause)

. give a thrust (with fork) into pot; strike roots

. rarely smite (in battle) so as (merely) to wound

. smite, of sun

. Smite fatally

. Smite = attack, attack and destroy a company

. Of God . smite with a plague, disease, etc.

. smite = chastise, or send judgment upon

. of God’s destroying palaces

. be smitten

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

5221 nakah naw-kaw'

a primitive root; to strike (lightly or severely, literally

or figuratively):--beat, cast forth, clap, give (wounds), X

go forward, X indeed, kill, make (slaughter), murderer,

punish, slaughter, slay(-er, -ing), smite(-r, -ing), strike,

be stricken, (give) stripes, X surely, wound.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

נָכָה (na.khah) — to smite.

1) to strike, smite, hit, beat, slay, kill

1a)(Niphal) to be stricken or smitten

1b) (Pual) to be stricken or smitten

1c) (Hiphil)

1c1) to smite, strike, beat, scourge, clap, applaud, give a thrust

1c2) to smite, kill, slay (man or beast)

1c3) to smite, attack, attack and destroy, conquer, subjugate, ravage

1c4) to smite, chastise, send judgment upon, punish, destroy

1d) (Hophal) to be smitten

1d1) to receive a blow

1d2) to be wounded

1d3) to be beaten

1d4) to be (fatally) smitten, be killed, be slain

1d5) to be attacked and captured

1d6) to be smitten (with disease)

1d7) to be blighted (of plants)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
V-Hiphil — Verb · Hiphil · participle (active) masculine singular common
HVhrmsc
and you will make happen to yourselves cities cities of refuge they will be for you and he will flee there towards a killer [who] has struck down a person by inadvertence
נֶ֖פֶשׁNe.fesh a person 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.
Amplified meaning
any person, a soul
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
N-cs — Noun common · feminine singular absolute
HNcfsa
and you will make happen to yourselves cities cities of refuge they will be for you and he will flee there towards a killer [who] has struck down a person by inadvertence
בִּשְׁגָגָֽה׃bish.ga.Gah by inadvertence H7684 Preposition · noun common feminine singular absolute
19× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This Hebrew word means to sin unintentionally or make a mistake without realizing it, like in Leviticus 4:2 where it talks about sinning through ignorance. It emphasizes accidental wrongdoing. This concept is important in the Bible.
Amplified meaning
without planning, by mistake
Tyndale gloss
unintentionally
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

שְׁגָגָה (shgagah) refers to a mistake or inadvertent transgression, specifically an unintentional sin or error. It is derived from the root word שָׁגָה (shagah). The entries consistently emphasize the concept of acting unwittingly or in ignorance.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

שְׁגָגָה n.f. sin of error, inadvertence

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H7684 שְׁגָגָה

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

7684 shgagah sheg-aw-gaw'

from 7683; a mistake or inadvertent transgression:--error,

ignorance, at unawares; unwittingly.

see HEBREW for 07683

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

שְׁגָגָה (she.ga.gah) — unintentionally.

1) sin, sin of error or inadvertence, inadvertent sin

1a) error

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Prep | N-fs — Preposition · noun common feminine singular absolute
HR/Ncfsa
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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