Proverbs 1:12 — Word Study
WLCנִ֭בְלָעֵם כִּשְׁא֣וֹל חַיִּ֑ים וּ֝תְמִימִ֗ים כְּי֣וֹרְדֵי בֽוֹר׃
BSAlet us swallow thembâlaʻ [devour, consume] alivechay [while they are still living, in their strength] like Sheolshᵉʼôwl [the underworld, a place of no return] and wholetâmîym [unblemished, perfect] like those descendingyârad [going down, falling] into the Pitbôwr [a cistern, a deep hole]
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| נִ֭בְלָעֵם | let us engulf them | Verb qal imperfect first person common plural, suffix |
| כִּשְׁא֣וֹל | like Sheol | Preposition, noun common both singular absolute |
| חַיִּ֑ים | alive | Adj |
| וּ֝תְמִימִ֗ים | and complete | Conjunction |
| כְּי֣וֹרְדֵי | like [those who] go down of | Preposition, verb qal participle (active) masculine plural common |
| בֽוֹר׃ | [the] pit | Noun common, masculine singular absolute |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | let us swallow them alive like Sheol, and whole like those descending into the Pit. |
| KJV | Let us swallow them up alive as the grave; and whole, as those that go down into the pit: |
| ASV | Let us swallow them up alive as Sheol, And whole, as those that go down into the pit; |
| YLT | We swallow them as Sheol — alive, And whole — as those going down [to] the pit, |
| WEB | Let’s swallow them up alive like Sheol, and whole, like those who go down into the pit. |
| BBE | Let us overcome them living, like the underworld, and in their strength, as those who go down to death; |
Where they part company is חַיִּ֑ים — see How Translations Differ.
The main clause is followed by comparative phrases that illustrate the intended destruction.
8 commentators on this verse
Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them ›
clause
The sentence as the grammar sees it Open the tree ›
Every word here is used elsewhere in the Old Testament.
Bars are logarithmic — אֵת, the commonest word in the Hebrew Bible, stands about 11,000 times, so a linear scale would leave everything else invisible. Click a row to open that word.
Deep Study — Proverbs 1:12
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 — A Warning Against Wickednessgenerated
Proverbs 1:12 depicts a sinister invitation to violence, where the speaker and companions plot to destroy their victims completely. This verse serves as a warning against the allure of joining such wicked schemes, emphasizing the destructive nature of their intentions. The surrounding verses highlight the danger of associating with those who seek to harm the innocent, as seen in Proverbs 1:11 and Proverbs 1:13.
Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Psalm 35:25 | Let them not say in their hearts, “Aha, just what we wanted!” Let them not say, “We have swallowed him up!” |
| 2 | Psalm 56:1–2 | Be merciful to me, O God, for men are hounding me; all day they press their attack. |
| 3 | Psalm 57:3 | He reaches down from heaven and saves me; He rebukes those who trample me. Selah God sends forth His loving devotion and His truth. |
| 4 | Psalm 124:3 | when their anger flared against us, then they would have swallowed us alive, |
| 5 | Jeremiah 51:34 | “Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon has devoured me; he has crushed me. He has set me aside like an empty vessel; he has swallowed me like a monster; he filled his belly with my delicacies and vomited me out. |
The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 13 references, hung on the phrase they belong to
The Key Word — נִ֭בְלָעֵם, Niv.la.'emgenerated
The verb נִ֭בְלָעֵם (Niv.la.'em) is a qal imperfect form, meaning 'let us engulf them.' It implies a complete swallowing or destruction, as if the victims are to be consumed entirely, leaving no trace.
This word conveys a sense of urgency and aggression, indicating a desire to overpower and eliminate the target. Its use in this context underscores the violent intentions of the speaker and their companions.
How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated
The verse is rendered in the Berean Standard Bible, which uses swallow for נִ֭בְלָעֵם and alive for חַיִּ֑ים.
Where translations differ, the term חַיִּ֑ים is rendered as alive in many versions like the KJV and ASV, while the BBE opts for in their strength, emphasizing the vitality of the victims.
Sentence Structuregenerated
The main verb נִ֭בְלָעֵם governs the entire verse, indicating the action of engulfing. The structure is straightforward, with a direct object and two adverbial phrases detailing the manner of the action.
The Hebrew word order places emphasis on the act of swallowing first, followed by the description of the victims and the comparison to Sheol, highlighting the intended total consumption.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
The Septuagint uses the term ᾅδης (Hades) to translate שְׁאוֹל, indicating a similar concept of the underworld. This choice aligns with the Hebrew understanding of a place of no return.
The Greek translation reflects the same themes of destruction and finality, reinforcing the intent behind the original Hebrew.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
Proverbs 1:12 warns against the temptation to join in wicked plans, describing a desire to completely destroy others, comparing it to the finality of Sheol, the underworld. The verse emphasizes the danger of associating with those who plot harm.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
It signifies a desire to completely consume or destroy the victims while they are still living, emphasizing the brutality of the act.
Sheol represents a place of no return, highlighting the finality and seriousness of the destruction being plotted.
This phrase reinforces the idea of total destruction, as those who descend into the Pit are lost and beyond recovery.
It serves as a warning against joining in the plans of the wicked, contrasting the fate of the innocent with the violent intentions of the speaker.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- What are some ways I can recognize and avoid harmful influences in my life?
- How can I ensure that my actions align with integrity and truth, rather than joining in wicked plans?
- What does this verse teach about the consequences of violence and destruction?
- In what ways can I support those who are innocent and vulnerable?
The early church on this verse — how the Fathers read it
Bede comments on this verse, noting the wicked's desire to erase the memory of the Lord's virtues and teachings.
"Let us swallow him alive like the grave," etc. Thus the wicked desired to extinguish the Lord, that every memory of his virtues and teaching might be removed; and even that it might be forgotten that such a one ever lived among them.Early Church Fathers on Proverbs 1 →
Commentators on this verse — 8 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on Proverbs 1:12 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire BibleLet us swallow them up alive as the grave,.... The innocent person, and those that are with him, his servants; our gang is so numerous that we can very easily dispatch him and all his attendants, and
Read John Gill on Proverbs 1 →Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's CommentaryLet us swallow them up alive as the grave; and whole, as those that go down into the pit: Let us swallow them up alive as the grave; and whole, as those that go down into the pit - so as to leave no
Read Robert Jamieson on Proverbs 1 →Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy BibleAs the grave; which speedily covers and consumes dead bodies. See 124:3. We shall do our work quickly, easily, and without fear of discovery. Into the pit; into some deep pit, into which a traveller falls unawares, and is utterly lost, and never discovered.
Read Matthew Poole on Proverbs 1 →John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New TestamentsProverbs 1:12 Let us swallow them up alive as the grave; and whole, as those that go down into the pit:Ver. 12. Let us swallow them up alive.] As the devil doth. Homo homini demon. The poor Indians have been heard to say, it had been better that their country had been given to the devils of hell than to the Spaniards; and that if the cruel Spaniards go to heaven when they die, they, for their parts, desire not to come there.
Read John Trapp on Proverbs 1 →Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers(12) Alive.—Comp. the death of Dathan and Abiram (Numbers 16:30).
Read Charles John Ellicott on Proverbs 1 →AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the BibleVerse 12. Let us swallow them up alive] Give them as hasty a death as if the earth were suddenly to swallow them up. This seems to refer to the destruction of a whole village. Let us destroy man, woman, and child; and then we may seize on and carry away the whole of their property, and the booty will be great.
Read AdamClarke on Proverbs 1 →CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges12. the grave] or, Sheol, R.V. text, ᾅδης LXX., infernus Vulg. whole] Some (as R.V. marg. even the perfect) give the Heb. word here the moral sense, which it has elsewhere. But both the parallelism and the force are better preserved by the rendering of A.V. and R.V. text. Let us make away with them in a moment in the full vigour of life, as though Hades should open her mouth and swallow them up (comp. Numbers 16:30; Numbers 16:33): yea, let us sweep them from the earth in perfect soundness, as completely as those who go down to the grave are swallowed up by it. The LXX. give a different turn (paraphrase, not translation) to the 2nd clause, ἄρωμεναὐτοῦτὴνμνήμηνἐκγῆς, let us take away the…
Read Cambridge on Proverbs 1 →Albert Barnes1798–1870Barnes' Notes on the Biblei. e., “We will be as all-devouring as Sheol. The destruction of those we attack shall be as sudden as that of those who go down quickly into the pit.” Some render the latter clause, and upright men
Read Albert Barnes on Proverbs 1 →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
let us swallow them alive like Sheol, and whole like those descending into the Pit.
Let’s swallow them up alive like Sheol, and whole, like those who go down into the pit.
let us swallow them alive like Sheol, and whole like those descending into the Pit.
We will swallow them alive like Sheol, those full of vigor like those going down to the Pit.
Tyndale line
Let us swallow them up alive as the grave; and whole, as those that go down into the pit:
Let us swallow them up alive as Sheol, And whole, as those that go down into the pit;
Let us swallow them up alive as Sheol, and whole, as those that go down into the pit;
Let us swallow them up alive as the grave; and whole, as those that go down into the pit:
We wil swallow them vp aliue like a graue euen whole, as those that goe downe into the pit:
Strictly literal
let us swallow them up alive as Sheol, and whole, as those that go down into the pit;
We swallow them as Sheol — alive, And whole — as those going down [to] the pit,
We swallow them as Sheol—alive, || And whole—as those going down [to] the pit,
We will swallow them up like the grave alive; and the men of integrity, as those that go down into the pit;
Let us swallow them up alive, like Sheol takes away those who are healthy, and make them like those who fall into the pit.
From the Latin
Let us swallow him up alive like hell, and whole as one that goeth down into the pit.
Simplified
Let's bury them alive; let's put them in the grave while they're still healthy!
Let us overcome them living, like the underworld, and in their strength, as those who go down to death;
Word by word, the decisions they made
Counted from the translations carried on this site, not from a survey of every English Bible. A rendering shared by many versions is usually inherited rather than independently arrived at — the Tyndale line in particular runs through most of them.
The sentence as the grammar sees it — from the MACULA Hebrew treebank
This is not our own analysis: it is the scholarly syntax tree for the verse, showing how the clause actually holds together.
Boxes are the grammarian's groupings — clause, noun phrase, prepositional phrase.
The four witnesses to this verse — Masoretic, Septuagint, Samaritan, Qumran
The Masoretic Text reads נִ֭בְלָעֵם כִּשְׁא֣וֹל חַיִּ֑ים וּ֝תְמִימִ֗ים כְּי֣וֹרְדֵי בֽוֹר׃, while the Septuagint matches 5 of the 6 words, preserving the core message of the Hebrew text.
נִ֭בְלָעֵם כִּשְׁא֣וֹל חַיִּ֑ים וּ֝תְמִימִ֗ים כְּי֣וֹרְדֵי בֽוֹר׃
5 of the 6 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.
Four traditions, not one. “On the leather” means the letters physically survive on the scroll, as against letters an editor has supplied to fill a hole in it — a restoration is a scholar’s reading, not a reading of the manuscript. Words in [square brackets] are supplied; the notes count them apart from what survives.
The map of this verse — what each word keeps company with
This is a map of two things, both counted rather than judged. Company kept: which words stand within three words of each of these, anywhere in the Hebrew Bible — the thicker the line, the more often the pair meet compared with chance. Built from: the words a word is made out of, taken from its own Strong’s entry. It is not a map of meaning: nothing here claims two words mean the same thing. Click any circle to see the numbers behind it.
Lexicons — every word in Proverbs 1:12
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.
בָּלַע (bala) is a Hebrew verb meaning to swallow down or engulf. It encompasses various forms, including actions of devouring and being consumed, as well as figurative uses like squandering. The entries indicate that it can be used in different grammatical aspects, such as Qal, Niphal, Piel, Pual, and Hithpael, each with slightly different nuances.
בָּלַע vb. swallow down, swallow up, engulf
Qal
swallow down
swallow up, engulf
Niph. swallowed up, i.e. devastated
Pi.
swallow
swallow up, engulf
Pu. be swallowed up
Hithp. their wisdom is all gone, ‘they are at their wit’s end’
base
H1104 בָּלַע swallow down, swallow up, engulf
1104 bala` baw-lah'
a primitive root; to make away with (specifically by
swallowing); generally, to destroy:--cover, destroy, devour,
eat up, be at end, spend up, swallow down (up).
בָּלַע (ba.la) — to swallow up.
1) to swallow down, swallow up, engulf, eat up
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to swallow down
1a2) to swallow up, engulf
1b) (Niphal) to be swallowed up
1c) (Piel)
1c1) to swallow
1c2) to swallow up, engulf
1c3) squandering (fig.)
1d) (Pual) to be swallowed up
1e) (Hithpael) to be ended
V-Qal-1cp | Suff — Verb qal imperfect first person common plural · suffixHVqi1cp/Sp3mp
שְׁאוֹל (sh'owl) refers to the underworld or the realm of the dead in Hebrew. It encompasses concepts such as hell, the grave, and a pit, often associated with punishment for the wicked and a place from which the righteous are not abandoned. The term implies a location of extreme degradation and is noted for its lack of praise for God.
שְׁאוֹל, שְׁאֹל n.f. Shᵉ’ōl, underworld (√ dub.; i.e. place of inquiry)
base
H7585 שְׁאוֹל, שְׁאֹל Shᵉ’ōl, underworld (√ dub.; i.e. place of inquiry)
7585 sh'owl sheh-ole'
or shol {sheh-ole'}; from 7592; Hades or the world of the
dead (as if a subterranean retreat), including its accessories
and inmates:--grave, hell, pit.
see HEBREW for 07592
שְׁאוֹל (she.ol) — hell: Sheol.
Sheol, underworld, grave, hell, pit
1a) the underworld
1b) Sheol-the OT designation for the abode of the dead
1b1) place of no return
1b2) without praise of God
1b3) wicked sent there for punishment
1b4) righteous not abandoned to it
1b5) of the place of exile (fig)
1b6) of extreme degradation in sin
Prep | N-proper — Preposition · noun common both singular absoluteHR/Ncbsa
she'-ol (she'ol):
1. The Name
2. The Abode of the Dead
(1) Not a State of Unconsciousness
(2) Not Removed from God's Jurisdiction
(3) Relation to Immortality
3. Post-canonical Period
1. The Name:
Sheol
(Heb., “the all-demanding world” = Gr. Hades, “the unknown region”), the invisible world of departed souls. (See HELL.)
→ See HELL (Hades)
The Hebrew word חַי (*chay*) means 'alive' or 'living' and covers a range of meanings related to life, including living beings, vitality, and freshness. It can refer to God, animals, vegetation, and even concepts like appetite and community. Variants include חַיָּה (*chayyah*), meaning 'living thing' or 'animal,' and חַיִּים (*chayim*), which emphasizes life and sustenance.
חַי adj. alive, living
of God, as the living one, the fountain of life
of man
of animals, alive, living
animals and man
(dub.) of vegetation, as thorns, green
of water, fresh
(dub.) lively, active
reviving
base
[חַי] n.[m.] kinsfolk, pl. sf. 1 S 18:18
ref
חַיָּה n.f. living thing, animal
animal
in general
wild animals, on account of their vital energy and activity
living beings, of the cherubic chariot
life, only in late poetry
appetite, activity of hunger
revival, renewal
base
חַיָּה n.f. community
base
חַיִּים n.m. pl. abstr. emph. life
life: physical
life: as welfare and happiness in king's presence
sustenance, maintenance
base
H2416a חַי alive, living . . of God, as the living one, the fountain of life
. of man
. of animals, alive, living
. animals and man
. (dub.) of vegetation, as thorns, green
. of water, fresh
. (dub.) lively, active
. reviving
H2416b חַי kinsfolk H2416c חַיָּה living thing, animal . animal . in general
. wild animals, on account of their vital energy and activity
. living beings, of the cherubic chariot
. life, only in late poetry
. appetite, activity of hunger
. revival, renewal
H2416d חַיָּה community H2416e חַיִּים pl. abstr. emph. life . life: physical
. life: as welfare and happiness in king's presence
. sustenance, maintenance
2416 chay khah'-ee
from 2421; alive; hence, raw (flesh); fresh (plant, water,
year), strong; also (as noun, especially in the feminine
singular and masculine plural) life (or living thing), whether
literally or figuratively:--+ age, alive, appetite, (wild)
beast, company, congregation, life(-time), live(-ly), living
(creature, thing), maintenance, + merry, multitude, + (be)
old, quick, raw, running, springing, troop.
see HEBREW for 02421
חַי (chay) — alive.
adj
1) living, alive
1a) green (of vegetation)
1b) flowing, fresh (of water)
1c) lively, active (of man)
1d) reviving (of the springtime)
Aramaic equivalent: chay (חַי "living" H2417)
חַי (chay) — kinsfolk.
kinsfolk
חַיָּה (chay.yah) — living thing.
1) living thing, animal
1a) animal
1b) life
1c) appetite
1d) revival, renewal
Aramaic equivalent: che.va (חֵיוָא "beast" H2423)
חַיָּה (chay.yah) — community.
community
חַיִּים (chay.yim) — life.
1) life (abstract emphatic)
1a) life
1b) sustenance, maintenance
Adj — AdjHAampa
a-liv' (chai, "living"; zao, "to live," anazao, "to live again"): These Hebrew and Greek originals are the chief terms for life in both Testaments. They cover all life, including soul and spirit, although primarily referring to physical vitality. Striking examples may be cited: "Is your father yet alive?" (Ge 43:7); "To whom he also showed himself alive" (Ac 1:3). Often used of God: "the living God" (Jos 3:10); also of the resurrection life: "In Christ shall all be made alive" (1Co 15:22); of the soul's regenerate life: "Reckon .... yourselves .... alive unto God," "as those that are alive from the dead" (Ro 6:11:13 the…
The Hebrew word תָּמִים (*tamiym*) means complete, sound, or whole. It encompasses notions of integrity, truth, and being unblemished or innocent. The word can function as both an adjective and a noun, referring to what is entire or in accord with truth. It is derived from a root that conveys the idea of being entire or perfect.
תָּמִים 91 adj. complete, sound
complete, whole, entire
whole, sound, healthful
complete, entire, of time
sound, wholesome, unimpaired, innocent, having integrity
as neuter adj. = subst. what is complete, entirely in accord with truth and fact
base
H8549 תָּמִים complete, sound . complete, whole, entire
. whole, sound, healthful
. complete, entire, of time
. sound, wholesome, unimpaired, innocent, having integrity
. as neuter adj. = subst. what is complete, entirely in accord with truth and fact
8549 tamiym taw-meem'
from 8552; entire (literally, figuratively or morally); also
(as noun) integrity, truth:--without blemish, complete, full,
perfect, sincerely (-ity), sound, without spot, undefiled,
upright(-ly), whole.
see HEBREW for 08552
תָּמִים (ta.mim) — unblemished.
: unblemished/perfect
1) complete, whole, entire, sound
1a) complete, whole, entire
1b) whole, sound, healthful
1c) complete, entire (of time)
1d) sound, wholesome, unimpaired, innocent, having integrity
1e) what is complete or entirely in accord with truth and fact (neuter adj/subst)
תָּמִים (ta.mim) — unblemished: blameless.
: blameless
1) complete, whole, entire, sound
1a) complete, whole, entire
1b) whole, sound, healthful
1c) complete, entire (of time)
1d) sound, wholesome, unimpaired, innocent, having integrity
1e) what is complete or entirely in accord with truth and fact (neuter adj/subst)
תָּמִים (ta.mim) — unblemished: complete.
: complete
1) complete, whole, entire, sound
1a) complete, whole, entire
1b) whole, sound, healthful
1c) complete, entire (of time)
1d) sound, wholesome, unimpaired, innocent, having integrity
Conj | Adj — ConjunctionHC/Aampa
kom-plet': In the King James Version for pleroo, the verb ordinarily used for the coming to pass of what had been predicted. the King James Version translates this "complete" in Col 2:10; 4:12 to express the final and entire attainment of what is treated, leaving nothing beyond to be desired or hoped for; otherwise rendered in the Revised Version (British and American) ("made full"). In the Revised Version (British and American), c. appears once for Greek artios, from aro, "to join," in 2Ti 3:17, in sense of "accurately fitted for," where the King James Version has "perfect."
The Hebrew word יָרַד (yarad) means to come or go down, covering various contexts such as descending from mountains, going to battle, or sinking in water. It can also refer to divine manifestations descending or being prostrated. The word has different forms including Qal, Hiphil, and Hophal, which indicate various nuances of bringing down or being brought down.
יָרַד 380 vb. come or go down, descend
Qal 306
come or go down
go down (usu. from mountain or hill-country into plain), to battle
go down to (acc.) threshing-floor
go down (abs.) from Palestine to Egypt
from Jerusalem
from altar
go down
= sink, in water
go down to She’ôl
fig. going down (dissolving) in tears
= be prostrated
of divine manifestations: descend
of inanimate things
Hiph.
cause to come or go down
bring down
send down rain = cause to flow down
= lay prostrate to (acc.) threshing-floor
bring down to She’ôl
take down (from cart)
let down
Hoph.
be brought down
be taken down
base
H3381 יָרַד come or go down, descend .. . come or go down
. go down (usu. from mountain or hill-country into plain), to battle
. go down to (acc.) threshing-floor
. go down (abs.) from Palestine to Egypt
. from Jerusalem
. from altar
. go down
. = sink, in water
. go down to She’ôl
. fig. going down (dissolving) in tears
. = be prostrated
. of divine manifestations: descend
. of inanimate things
. . cause to come or go down . bring down
. send down rain = cause to flow down
. = lay prostrate to (acc.) threshing-floor
. bring down to She’ôl
. take down (from cart)
. let down
. . be brought down
. be taken down
3381 yarad yaw-rad'
a primitive root; to descend (literally, to go downwards; or
conventionally to a lower region, as the shore, a boundary,
the enemy, etc.; or figuratively, to fall); causatively, to
bring down (in all the above applications); -X abundantly,
bring down, carry down, cast down, (cause to) come(-ing) down,
fall (down), get down, go(-ing) down(-ward), hang down, X
indeed, let down, light (down), put down (off), (cause to,
let) run down, sink, subdue, take down.
יָרַד (ya.rad) — to go down.
1) to go down, descend, decline, march down, sink down
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to go or come down
1a2) to sink
1a3) to be prostrated
1a4) to come down (of revelation)
1b) (Hiphil)
1b1) to bring down
1b2) to send down
1b3) to take down
1b4) to lay prostrate
1b5) to let down
1c) (Hophal)
1c1) to be brought down
1c2) to be taken down
Prep | V-Qal — Preposition · verb qal participle (active) masculine plural commonHR/Vqrmpc
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.
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…
בּוֹר (bor) refers to a pit, well, or cistern, often used for water storage or as a dungeon. It can also denote a grave pit. The term appears in various contexts, including the specific location known as the cistern of Sirah, mentioned in 2 Samuel 3:26. The entries consistently emphasize its function as a hole or pit.
בּוֹר n.m. pit, cistern, well
cistern, containing water, made by digging
later appar. well
pit
dungeon
(poet. & late; never c. art.) pit of the grave
base
בּוֹר הַסִּרָה n.pr.loc. 2 S 3:26 (cistern of Sirah)
ref
H953a בּוֹר pit, cistern, well H953b בּוֹר הַסִּרָה (cistern of Sirah)
953 bowr bore
from 952 (in the sense of 877); a pit hole (especially one
used as a cistern or a prison):--cistern, dungeon, fountain,
pit, well.
see HEBREW for 0952
see HEBREW for 0877
בּוֹר (bor) — pit.
pit, well, cistern, dungeon, pit of the grave
בּוֹר (bor) — Cistern.
Cistern of Sirah
N-ms — Noun common · masculine singular absoluteHNcmsa
The word translates different Hebrew words of which the most important are:
(1) bor, "pit" or "cistern," made by digging, (Ge 37:20); hence, "dungeon" (Jer 38:6, margin "pit");
(2) be'er, "pit" or "well" made by digging (Ge 21:25);
(3) she'ol, generally rendered "hell" in the King James Version (see HELL);
Pit
A hole in the ground (Ex. 21:33, 34), a cistern for water (Gen. 37:24; Jer. 14:3), a vault (41:9), a grave (Ps. 30:3). It is used as a figure for mischief (Ps. 9:15), and is the name given to the unseen place of woe (Rev. 20:1, 3). The slime-pits in the vale of Siddim were wells which yielded asphalt (Gen. 14:10).
[HELL]
A reservoir, either natural or artificial, for water. Pits were sometimes used as dungeons, Ge 37:20; Jer 38:6; or being slightly covered, and baited, they served as traps to catch wild beasts, a device which illustrates the plots of designing men and women, Ps 119:85; Pr 22:14; 26:27; Eze 19:4. The word pit is also used to denote the grave, Ps 28:1; 30:3,9; and hell, Re 20:1.