Menu

Proverbs 1:9 — Word Study

Depth

WLCכִּ֤י׀ לִוְיַ֤ת חֵ֓ן הֵ֬ם לְרֹאשֶׁ֑ךָ וַ֝עֲנָקִ֗ים לְגַרְגְּרֹתֶֽיךָ׃

BSAForkîy [because of this reason] theyhêm [are] a garlandlivyâh [wreath, crown] of gracechên [favor, kindness, unmerited blessing] on your headrôʼsh [the seat of wisdom] and a pendantʻânâq [chain, necklace, ornament] around your neckgargᵉrôwth

Word
Listen & take awayProverbs 1
English ↓ Download MP3 The Berean Standard Bible chapter audio already hosted for the site's Bible section — verse 9 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 (le.gar.ge.ro.Tei.kha) — no per-word recordings of the Hebrew exist to link to.
Take it away
Proverbs 1:9quick helps
In a sentenceWisdom's teachings are portrayed as beautiful adornments that enhance one's life.
Who is speakingThe father, advising his son on the importance of wisdom.
Where we areIn the opening chapters of Proverbs, which focus on the value of wisdom.
The hard wordלִוְיָה
Take awayWisdom and instruction are gifts that beautify and bless.
8 commentators on this verse Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them › clause subjectהֵם 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 — Proverbs 1:9

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 Value of Wisdomgenerated

8Listen, my son, to your father’s instruction, and do not forsake the teaching of your mother.
9For they are a garland of grace on your head and a pendant around your neck.
10My son, if sinners entice you, do not yield to them.
11If they say, “Come along, let us lie in wait for blood, let us ambush the innocent without cause,

Proverbs 1:9 emphasizes the significance of adhering to parental guidance and wisdom. The preceding verses highlight the importance of listening to one's father and mother, setting the stage for understanding how wisdom serves as a protective and beautifying influence in life. This theme recurs throughout Proverbs, illustrating the benefits of wisdom in various aspects of life, as seen in Proverbs 3:22 and Proverbs 4:9.


Cross References

ReferenceText (BSB)
1Proverbs 3:22They will be life to your soul and adornment to your neck.
2Proverbs 4:9She will set a garland of grace on your head; she will present you with a crown of beauty.”
3Proverbs 6:20–21My son, keep your father’s commandment, and do not forsake your mother’s teaching.
41 Timothy 2:9–10Likewise, I want the women to adorn themselves with respectable apparel, with modesty, and with self-control, not with braided hair or gold or pearls or expensive clothes,
51 Peter 3:3–4Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as braided hair or gold jewelry or fine clothes,

The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 11 references, hung on the phrase they belong to


The Key Word לִוְיָה, liv.Yatgenerated

The word לִוְיָה (livyah) refers to a wreath or ornament, symbolizing beauty and honor. It is derived from a root meaning 'something attached', indicating its decorative nature. In this verse, it signifies how wisdom and instruction are not just practical but also enhance one's character and appearance.

As a feminine singular construct noun, it connects with the preceding words to illustrate that wisdom is a garland of grace, suggesting that it is both a gift and a source of beauty in the life of the one who embraces it.


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 introduced by the conjunction כִּי, for, which connects the idea of wisdom's teachings to their benefits. The structure then unfolds with a noun phrase that serves as the predicate, describing what wisdom represents.

The verse's flow emphasizes the relationship between wisdom and its effects, with the phrases detailing how wisdom adorns the head and neck, reinforcing the visual imagery of beauty and grace.


Septuagint Backgroundgenerated

The Septuagint translates לִוְיָה as στέφανον, meaning 'crown' or 'wreath', which aligns with the notion of honor and beauty. This choice reflects a cultural understanding of wisdom as something that elevates one's status.

The use of ξαρίτων for חֵן indicates a similar emphasis on grace and favor, suggesting that the translators recognized wisdom as a source of divine blessing.


In plain words — the whole versegenerated

Proverbs 1:9 teaches that wisdom and instruction from parents are like beautiful decorations, enhancing your life. They are a garland of grace on your head and a pendant around your neck, symbolizing the favor and blessings that come from following wise guidance.


Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated

What does it mean that wisdom is a garland of grace?

It means that wisdom enhances a person's life, providing beauty and favor, much like a decorative crown or ornament.

Why is the head mentioned in relation to wisdom?

The head symbolizes authority and wisdom in the Bible, indicating that wisdom should be the guiding principle in one's life.

How can wisdom be seen as a pendant around the neck?

A pendant symbolizes adornment and value, suggesting that wisdom should be a cherished part of one's identity.

What is the significance of the father’s instruction?

The father's instruction represents the importance of guidance and teaching in developing wisdom and character.


Reflection Questionsgenerated

  1. In what ways have I experienced wisdom as a blessing in my life?
  2. How can I better appreciate the teachings of those who guide me?
  3. What are some practical steps I can take to integrate wisdom into my daily decisions?
  4. How can I share the value of wisdom with others in my community?

The early church on this verse — how the Fathers read it

Bede comments on the significance of wisdom as a crown and ornament, reflecting ancient customs of honor and beauty.

BedeCommentary on Proverbs c. 673–735
"That grace may be added to your head," etc. It was a custom among the ancients that those who competed lawfully would receive a crown on their head and a torque on their neck.
Early Church Fathers on Proverbs 1 →

Commentators on this verse — 8 expositors, verse by verse

Each of these wrote on Proverbs 1:9 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.

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

For they [shall be] an ornament of grace unto thy head,.... The instructions and laws of parents being attended unto and obeyed by children, render them more lovely and amiable than any beautiful

Read John Gill on Proverbs 1 →
Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's Commentary

For they shall be an ornament of grace unto thy head, and chains about thy neck.

Read Robert Jamieson on Proverbs 1 →
Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy Bible

This will make thee amiable and honourable in the sight of God and of men; whereas the forsaking of those good counsels will make thee contemptible.

Read Matthew Poole on Proverbs 1 →
John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

Proverbs 1:9 For they [shall be] an ornament of grace unto thy head, and chains about thy neck.Ver. 9. For they shall be an ornament.] "A man’ s wisdom maketh his face to shine." Tum pietate gravem, &c. Oυτοχρυσοςουτεαδαμαςουτωςαστραπτει. Neither gold nor precious stone so glittereth, saith Plato, as the prudent mind of a pious person. Nothing so beautifies as grace doth. Moses and Joseph were "fair to God," and favoured of all men. A crown of gold, a chain of pearl, are no such ornaments as are here commended. Virgil. Plato.

Read John Trapp on Proverbs 1 →
Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(9) Ornament of grace.—Given by Wisdom. (Comp. Proverbs 4:9.) Chains about thy neck.—The reward of Joseph (Genesis 41:42) and of Daniel (Daniel 5:29).

Read Charles John Ellicott on Proverbs 1 →
AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible

Verse 9. An ornament of grace unto thy head, and chains] That is, filial respect and obedience will be as ornamental to thee as crowns, diadems, and golden chains and pearls are to others. Political dignity has been distinguished in many nations by a chain of gold about the neck. Solomon seems here to intimate, if we follow the metaphor, that the surest way of coming to distinguished eminence, in civil matters, is to act according to the principles of true wisdom, proceeding from the fear of God.

Read AdamClarke on Proverbs 1 →
CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

9. ornament] Rather, chaplet, R.V. στέφανον, LXX. See Proverbs 4:9, where the same phrase chaplet of grace occurs, with crown of glory, as its equivalent in the parallel clause of the verse. chains] not of bondage, but of honour and ornament. Genesis 41:42; Daniel 5:29; Son 4:9; Judges 8:26.

Read Cambridge on Proverbs 1 →
Albert Barnes1798–1870Barnes' Notes on the Bible

To the Israelite’s mind no signs or badges of joy or glory were higher in worth than the garland around the head, the gold chain around the neck, worn by kings and the favorites of kings Genesis 41:42; Daniel 5:29.

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

BSBBerean Standard Bible2020

For they are a garland of grace on your head and a pendant around your neck.

WEBWorld English Bible2000

for they will be a garland to grace your head, and chains around your neck.

MSBMajority Standard Bible2022

For they are a garland of grace on your head and a pendant around your neck.

NETBNew English Translation2006

For they will be like an elegant garland on your head, and like pendants around your neck.

Tyndale line

KJVKing James Version1611

For they shall be an ornament of grace unto thy head, and chains about thy neck.

ASVAmerican Standard Version1901

For they shall be a chaplet of grace unto thy head, And chains about thy neck.

RVARevised Version, American1894

For they shall be a chaplet of grace unto thy head, and chains about thy neck.

NWBWebster's Bible1833

For they shalt be an ornament of grace to thy head, and chains about thy neck.

GNVGeneva Bible1599

For they shalbe a comely ornament vnto thine head, and as chaines for thy necke.

Strictly literal

DBYDarby Translation1890

for they shall be a garland of grace unto thy head, and chains about thy neck.

YLTYoung's Literal Translation1862

For a graceful wreath [are] they to thy head, And chains to thy neck.

LSVLiteral Standard Version2020

For they [are] a graceful wreath to your head, || And chains to your neck.

ILTInterlinear Literal Translation2000

For a wreath of grace are they unto thy head, and chains for thy throat.

ULBUnlocked Literal Bible2017

they will be a graceful wreath for your head and pendants hanging from your neck.

From the Latin

DRADouay-Rheims (Challoner)1899

That grace may be added to thy head, and a chain of gold to thy neck.

Simplified

FBVFree Bible Version2020

They are a wreath of grace to decorate your head; they are pendants for your neck.

BBEBible in Basic English1949

For they will be a crown of grace for your head, and chain-ornaments about your neck.

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.

כִּ֤י(dm)clauseclausenoun phrase · predicateלִוְיַ֤ת[will.be].a.wreathחֵ֓ןof.gracesubjectהֵ֬םtheyprepositional phrase · prepositionalלְfornoun phraseרֹאשֶׁ֑headךָyourוַ֝andclausepredicateעֲנָקִ֗יםnecklacesprepositional phrase · prepositionalלְfornoun phraseגַרְגְּרֹתֶֽיneck(s)ךָyour

Boxes are the grammarian's groupings — clause, noun phrase, prepositional phrase.


The four witnesses to this verse — Masoretic, Septuagint, Samaritan, Qumran

The Masoretic Text and the Septuagint largely agree on the wording of Proverbs 1:9. The Septuagint matches five of the seven words, maintaining the core meaning while differing in word order.

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

כִּ֤י׀ לִוְיַ֤ת חֵ֓ן הֵ֬ם לְרֹאשֶׁ֑ךָ וַ֝עֲנָקִ֗ים לְגַרְגְּרֹתֶֽיךָ׃

Septuagintthe Greek the translators chose, word by word
לִוְיַ֤תστέφανονחֵ֓ןξαρίτωνהֵ֬םδέχῃלְרֹאשֶׁ֑ךָσῇוַ֝עֲנָקִ֗יםκαὶ

5 of the 7 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.

Proverbs 1:9כִּיforforכִּילִוְיָה[will be] a[will be] a wreלִוְיָהחֵןfavorfavorחֵןהֵ֫מָּהtheytheyהֵ֫מָּהרֹאשׁfor head yofor head yourרֹאשׁעֲנָקand necklacand necklacesעֲנָקגַּרְגְּרוֹתfor neck yofor neck yourגַּרְגְּרוֹתלָוָהto jointo joinלָוָהחָנַןbe gracioube graciousחָנַןהֲלַךְto goto goהֲלַךְעָנַקto ornamento ornamentעָנַקגָּרַרto drag/chto drag/chew/saגָּרַריָדַעto knowto knowיָדַעמָצָאto findto findמָצָאעַ֫יִןeyeeyeעַ֫יִןמְרִיrebellionrebellionמְרִיסֵ֫פֶרscroll: doscroll: documenסֵ֫פֶרעֲטָרָהcrowncrownעֲטָרָהנָשִׂיאleaderleaderנָשִׂיאצַוָּארneckneckצַוָּאראֶחָדoneoneאֶחָדעַלuponuponעַל
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 Proverbs 1:9

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.

for [will be] a wreath of favor they for head your and necklaces for neck your
כִּ֤י׀ki for H3588 Particle
4,483× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
A conjunction used to show cause or connection, as in Genesis 2:23 where Adam says the woman is bone of his bone because she was taken out of him. It is often translated as 'for', 'because', or 'since'.
Amplified meaning
because of this reason
Tyndale gloss
for
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

כִּי (ki) is a conjunction primarily meaning 'that,' 'for,' or 'when.' It indicates causal relationships and can express conditions like 'if' or 'though.' The word is versatile, appearing in various contexts to convey certainty, exception, or concession. Notably, it can combine with other particles to modify its meaning, such as in the phrase כִּי אם־ (ki im), meaning 'that if.'

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

כִּי conj. that, for, when

that

Of time, when, of the past

elsewhere כִּי has a force approximating to if, though it usu. represents a case as more likely to occur than אִם

when or if, with a concessive force, i.e. though

Because, since

base

כִּי אם־

each part. retaining its independent force, and relating to a different clause:

that if

for if

(About 140 t.) the two particles being closely conjoined, and relating to the same clause—

limiting the prec. clause, except

the if being neglected, and treated as pleonastic, so that the clause is no longer a limitation of the preceding clause but a contradiction of it: but rather, but

after an oath, surely

base

כִּי עַל כֵּן forasmuch as

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H3588a כִּי that, for, when . that

. . Of time, when, of the past

. elsewhere כִּי has a force approximating to if, though it usu. represents a case as more likely to occur than אִם

. when or if, with a concessive force, i.e. though

. Because, since

H3588b כִּי אם־ . each part. retaining its independent force, and relating to a different clause: . that if

. for if

. (About 140 t.) the two particles being closely conjoined, and relating to the same clause— . limiting the prec. clause, except

. the if being neglected, and treated as pleonastic, so that the clause is no longer a limitation of the preceding clause but a contradiction of it: but rather, but

. after an oath, surely

H3588c כִּי עַל כֵּן forasmuch as

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

3588 kiy kee

a primitive particle (the full form of the prepositional

prefix) indicating causal relations of all kinds, antecedent

or consequent; (by implication) very widely used as a relative

conjunction or adverb (as below); often largely modified by

other particles annexed:--and, + (forasmuch, inasmuch,

where-)as, assured(-ly), + but, certainly, doubtless, + else,

even, + except, for, how, (because, in, so, than) that, +

nevertheless, now, rightly, seeing, since, surely, then,

therefore, + (al- )though, + till, truly, + until, when,

whether, while, whom, yea, yet.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

כִּי (ki) — for.

1) that, for, because, when, as though, as, because that, but, then, certainly, except, surely, since

1a) that

1a1) yea, indeed

1b) when (of time)

1b1) when, if, though (with a concessive force)

1c) because, since (causal connection)

1d) but (after negative)

1e) that if, for if, indeed if, for though, but if

1f) but rather, but

1g) except that

1h) only, nevertheless

1i) surely

1j) that is

1k) but if

1l) for though

1m) forasmuch as, for therefore

כִּי [אם] (ki im) — that if: except.

1) except if

1a) but if

1b) even though

כִּי [עַל כֵּן] (ki [al ken]) — for as that: since.

1) that, for, because, when, as though, as, because that, but, then, certainly, except, surely, since

1a) that

1a1) yea, indeed

1b) when (of time)

1b1) when, if, though (with a concessive force)

1c) because, since (causal connection)

1d) but (after negative)

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Conj — Particle
HTc
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

for (ki (conjunction), le, from 'el (preposition), and various other words. In the New Testament also the words are various, chiefly gar, kai gar, hoti (conjunctions); anti apo eis dia (accusative), epi (dative and accusative), peri (genitive), pros (genitive and accusative), huper (genitive) (prepositions)): the English Revised Version and the American Standard Revised Version give in many cases more literal or more accurate renderings than those in the King James Version.

In the New Testament the most important preps. from a doctrinal point of view are anti, "face to face," "over against," "instead," "on behalf of," peri, "around," "about," "concerning," huper, "over," "on behalf of." The first has been claimed as stating the substitutionary nature of Christ's sacrifice as contrasted with huper and peri, more frequently used of it. But, although anti in the New Testament often means…

The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
for [will be] a wreath of favor they for head your and necklaces for neck your
לִוְיַ֤תliv.Yat [will be] a wreath of H3880 Noun common · feminine singular construct
2× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
A wreath or ornament was something attached or joined, often used to symbolize beauty or honor. In the Bible, wreaths were used as decorations or symbols of celebration, and the word is translated as 'ornament' in some versions.
Amplified meaning
wreath, crown
Tyndale gloss
wreath
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

לִוְיָה (livyah) refers to a wreath or ornament, derived from the root meaning 'something attached.' The entries consistently define it as a noun related to decorative items, without significant disagreement among the lexicons.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

[לִוְיָה] n.f. wreath

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H3880 לִוְיָה

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

3880 livyah liv-yaw'

from 3867; something attached, i.e. a wreath: -ornament.

see HEBREW for 03867

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

לִוְיָה (liv.yah) — wreath.

wreath

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-fs — Noun common · feminine singular construct
HNcfsc
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…

for [will be] a wreath of favor they for head your and necklaces for neck your
חֵ֓ןchen favor H2580 Noun common · masculine singular absolute
69× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This Hebrew word means showing kindness or favor to someone, like God's graciousness to humanity. It appears in the Bible as 'favor' or 'grace'.
Amplified meaning
favor, kindness, unmerited blessing
Tyndale gloss
favor
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

חֵן (chen) refers to favor or grace, encompassing meanings like kindness, beauty, and elegance. It can denote both subjective qualities, such as graciousness, and objective attributes, like pleasantness. The term appears in various contexts within the Old Testament, highlighting its multifaceted nature.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

חֵן n.m. favour, grace

favour, grace, elegance

favour, acceptance

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H2580 חֵן favour, grace . favour, grace, elegance

. favour, acceptane

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

2580 chen khane

from 2603; graciousness, i.e. subjective (kindness, favor) or

objective (beauty):--favour, grace(-ious), pleasant, precious,

(well-)favoured.

see HEBREW for 02603

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

חֵן (chen) — favor.

1) favour, grace, charm

1a) favour, grace, elegance

1b) favour, acceptance

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

fa'-ver (chen, ratson, with other Hebrew words; charis): Means generally good will, acceptance, and the benefits flowing from these; in older usage it meant also the countenance, hence, appearance. Alternating in English Versions of the Bible with "grace," it is used chiefly of man, but sometimes also of God (Ge 18:3; 30:27; 39:21; Ex 3:21; 2Sa 15:25, "in the eyes of Yahweh," etc.). It is used perhaps in the sense of "countenance" in Pr 31:30, "Favor is deceitful, and beauty is vain" (the King James Version), where for "favor" the Revised Version (British and American) has "grace"; the reference is to external appearance. "Favored" is used in the sense of "appearance" in…

Nave's Topical Bible

→ See GOD, GRACE OF

for [will be] a wreath of favor they for head your and necklaces for neck your
הֵ֬םhem they H1992 Pronoun
553× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This Hebrew word is used to refer to a group of men, emphasizing that it is specifically them. It is often translated as 'they' or 'them' in the Bible, and appears in books like Exodus and Isaiah.
Tyndale gloss
they(masc.)
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

הֵ֫מָּה (hemmah) is a masculine plural pronoun meaning 'they.' The entries indicate that it can also mean 'these,' 'the same,' or refer to people in an emphatic context. There is no significant disagreement among the lexicons regarding its usage.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

הֵ֫מָּה and הֵם (without appreciable distinction in usage, except prob. in so far as the longer or shorter form was better adapted to the rhythm of particular sentences) pron. 3 pl. masc. they

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H1992 הֵ֫מָּה, הֵם (without appreciable distinction in usage, except prob. in so far as the longer or shorter form was better adapted to the rhythm of particular sentences) they

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

1992 hem haym

or (prolonged) hemmah {haym'-maw}; masculine plural from

1981; they (only used when emphatic):--it, like, X (how, so)

many (soever, more as) they (be), (the) same, X so, X such,

their, them, these, they, those, which, who, whom, withal, ye.

see HEBREW for 01981

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

הֵ֫מָּה (hem.mah) — they(masc.).

they, these, the same, who

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Pron — Pronoun
HPp3mp
for [will be] a wreath of favor they for head your and necklaces for neck your
לְרֹאשֶׁ֑ךָle.ro.She.kha for head your H7218 Preposition · noun common masculine singular construct · suffix
600× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This Hebrew word means chief or prince, and is used to describe leaders in the Bible, such as in the book of 1 Samuel. It signifies a position of authority and importance.
Amplified meaning
the seat of wisdom
Tyndale gloss
head
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

רֹאשׁ (ro'sh) means 'head' and encompasses various meanings related to position and rank. It can refer to the head of a person or animal, the top of a mountain, or a chief in various contexts, such as a city or nation. The word also signifies beginnings and sums, appearing in phrases related to enumeration. Additionally, it serves as a proper noun for 'Rosh,' a title for a chief or prince.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

רֹאשׁ 599 n.m.

(c. 230 t.) head, of human being

head, of animals

top (88 t.)

height, of stars

head = chief (man)

= chief (city)

chief nation

= chief (place, position)

= chief priest

= head of a family

head = front, leader's place

of time, beginning, of night watch

of things, river-heads

chief, choicest, best, of spices

head = division of army, company, band

= sum, esp. in phr. take sum of, enumerate

other phr.

base

רֹאשׁ n.pr.gent. Rôsh

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H7218a רֹאשׁ . . (c. 230 t.) head, of human being

. head, of animals

. . top (88 t.)

. height, of stars

. . head = chief (man)

. = chief (city)

. chief nation

. = chief (place, position)

. = chief priest

. = head of a family

. . head = front, leader's place

. of time, beginning, of night watch

. of things, river-heads

. chief, choicest, best, of spices

. head = division of army, company, band

. = sum, esp. in phr. take sum of, enumerate

. other phr.

H7218b רֹאשׁ n. pr. gent. Rôsh

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

7218 ro'sh roshe

from an unused root apparently meaning to shake; the head (as

most easily shaken), whether literal or figurative (in many

applications, of place, time, rank, itc.):--band, beginning,

captain, chapiter, chief(-est place, man, things), company,

end, X every (man), excellent, first, forefront, ((be-))head,

height, (on) high(-est part, (priest)), X lead, X poor,

principal, ruler, sum, top.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

רֹאשׁ (rosh) — head.

: head

1) head, top, summit, upper part, chief, total, sum, height, front, beginning

1a) head (of man, animals)

1b) top, tip (of mountain)

1c) height (of stars)

1d) chief, head (of man, city, nation, place, family, priest)

1e) head, front, beginning

1f) chief, choicest, best

1g) head, division, company, band

1h) sum

רֹאשׁ (rosh) — prince.

Rosh, a tite for a chief or prince

רֹאשׁ (rosh) — head: leader.

: leader

1) head, top, summit, upper part, chief, total, sum, height, front, beginning

1a) head (of man, animals)

1b) top, tip (of mountain)

1c) height (of stars)

1d) chief, head (of man, city, nation, place, family, priest)

1e) head, front, beginning

1f) chief, choicest, best

1g) head, division, company, band

1h) sum

רֹאשׁ (rosh) — head: top.

: top/best

1) head, top, summit, upper part, chief, total, sum, height, front, beginning

1a) head (of man, animals)

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Prep | N-ms | Suff — Preposition · noun common masculine singular construct · suffix
HR/Ncmsc/Sp2ms
for [will be] a wreath of favor they for head your and necklaces for neck your
וַ֝עֲנָקִ֗יםva.'a.na.Kim and necklaces H6060 Conjunction · noun common masculine plural absolute
3× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
A necklace or chain, symbolizing adornment or decoration, as mentioned in Song of Solomon 1. This word represents a decorative item worn around the neck.
Amplified meaning
chain, necklace, ornament
Tyndale gloss
neck
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

עֲנָק (anaq) refers to both 'neck' and 'necklace' or 'neck-pendant.' The word is derived from a root meaning to strangle, suggesting a connection to its use for jewelry. It appears in contexts related to long-necked individuals and is associated with giants in ancient regions like Hebron and Philistia.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

עֲנָק n.[m.] neck, only in epith.gent. long-necked (tall) men, early giant people about Hebron and in Philistia

base

עֲנָק n.m. necklace, neck-pendant

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H6060a עֲנָק neck H6060b עֲנָק necklace, neck-pendant

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

6060 `anaq aw-nawk'

from 6059; a necklace (as if strangling):--chain.

see HEBREW for 06059

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

עֲנָק (a.naq) — neck.

(TWOT) neck

עֲנָק (a.naq) — necklace.

necklace, neck-pendant

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Conj | N-mp — Conjunction · noun common masculine plural absolute
HC/Ncmpa
The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
for [will be] a wreath of favor they for head your and necklaces for neck your
לְגַרְגְּרֹתֶֽיךָ׃le.gar.ge.ro.Tei.kha for neck your H1621 Preposition · noun common feminine plural construct · suffix
4× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
Refers to the neck or throat, often used figuratively in the Bible. It appears in descriptions of animals that ruminate, like cows. The KJV translates it simply as 'neck'.
Tyndale gloss
neck
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

גַּרְגְּרוֹת (gargrowth) is a feminine plural noun meaning 'neck,' specifically in a figurative sense. It is derived from the root word for 'throat' related to rumination. The term appears in the context of the Old Testament, but no specific verses are cited.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

גַּרְגְּרוֹת n.f.pl. neck

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H1621 גַּרְגְּרוֹת

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

1621 gargrowth gar-gher-owth'

feminine plural from 1641; the throat (as used in

rumination):--neck.

see HEBREW for 01641

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

גַּרְגְּרוֹת (gar.ge.rot) — neck.

neck (always fig.)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Prep | N-fp | Suff — Preposition · noun common feminine plural construct · suffix
HR/Ncfpc/Sp2ms
The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
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.

Everything we make is available for free because of a generous community of supporters.

Donate