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Proverbs 12:3 — Word Study

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WLCלֹא־ יִכּ֣וֹן אָדָ֣ם בְּרֶ֑שַׁע וְשֹׁ֥רֶשׁ צַ֝דִּיקִ֗ים בַּל־ יִמּֽוֹט׃

BSAA manʼâdâm [human being, individual] cannotlôʼ be establishedkûwn [set up, made secure] through wickednessreshaʻ [by means of, immoral actions, evil deeds] but the righteoustsaddîyq [just, upright ones] cannotbal be uprootedmôwṭ [shaken, moved from their foundation]

Word
Listen & take awayProverbs 12
English ↓ Download MP3 The Berean Standard Bible chapter audio already hosted for the site's Bible section — verse 3 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 (yi.Mot) — no per-word recordings of the Hebrew exist to link to.
Take it away
Proverbs 12:3quick helps
In a sentenceA man cannot find stability through wickedness, while the righteous remain secure.
Who is speakingThe author of Proverbs, providing wisdom on morality.
Where we areIn a passage contrasting the outcomes of the wicked and the righteous.
The hard wordיִּכּוֹן
Take awayWickedness does not lead to true establishment; righteousness provides lasting roots.
6 commentators on this verse Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them › clause subjectאָדָם verbכּוּן 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 12:3

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 Contrast of the Righteous and the Wickedgenerated

2The good man obtains favor from the LORD, but the LORD condemns a man who devises evil.
3A man cannot be established through wickedness, but the righteous cannot be uprooted.
4A wife of noble character is her husband’s crown, but she who causes shame is like decay in his bones.
5The plans of the righteous are just, but the counsel of the wicked leads to deceit.

Proverbs 12:3 contrasts the stability of the righteous with the instability of the wicked. The surrounding verses emphasize the favor of the Lord towards the good and the condemnation of those who devise evil, illustrating a broader theme of moral integrity in the book of Proverbs.


Cross References

ReferenceText (BSB)
1Proverbs 10:25When the whirlwind passes, the wicked are no more, but the righteous are secure forever.
2Job 5:3–5I have seen a fool taking root, but suddenly his house was cursed.
3Job 15:29He will no longer be rich; his wealth will not endure. His possessions will not overspread the land.
4Job 20:5–9the triumph of the wicked has been brief and the joy of the godless momentary?
5Job 27:16–18Though he heaps up silver like dust and piles up a wardrobe like clay,

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


The Key Word יִּכּוֹן, yi.Kongenerated

The verb כּוּן (kuwn) means to establish or set up. It indicates making something firm or secure, as in establishing a foundation or preparing a structure. In this verse, it is used in the Niphal form, suggesting that a man cannot be established or made secure through wickedness.

This verb conveys a sense of stability and readiness, contrasting sharply with the following phrase about the righteous. The use of this verb underscores the futility of seeking security through immoral actions.


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 verse consists of two main clauses connected by 'but'. The first clause focuses on the negative outcome for the wicked, while the second emphasizes the security of the righteous. The finite verbs יִכּוֹן and יִמּוֹט serve as the central actions in each clause, indicating what happens to each group.

The structure highlights the contrast between the two groups: the wicked cannot achieve stability, whereas the righteous are firmly rooted.


Septuagint Backgroundgenerated

The Septuagint translates יִּכּוֹן as κατορθώσει, which suggests a successful establishment or accomplishment. This choice indicates a broader interpretation of stability that encompasses both moral and practical success.

For יִּמּוֹט, the Septuagint uses ἐχαρθήσονται, implying a more severe form of being uprooted or destroyed, highlighting the consequences of wickedness.


In plain words — the whole versegenerated

Proverbs 12:3 teaches that a man cannot find true stability through wickedness, but the righteous remain secure and cannot be uprooted. This verse emphasizes the importance of moral integrity and the lasting foundation that righteousness provides.


Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated

What does it mean to be established?

To be established means to be set up securely, having a firm foundation that cannot easily be shaken or moved.

How does wickedness affect a person's stability?

Wickedness leads to instability and insecurity, as it is built on immoral actions that ultimately cannot sustain a person's life.

What does it mean that the righteous cannot be uprooted?

It means that those who live righteously have a strong foundation that protects them from being shaken or removed, even in difficult circumstances.

Why is the contrast between the wicked and the righteous important?

This contrast highlights the consequences of moral choices, reinforcing the idea that righteousness leads to security while wickedness leads to downfall.


Reflection Questionsgenerated

  1. In what ways have I seen the consequences of wickedness in my life or in the lives of others?
  2. How can I ensure that my actions are rooted in righteousness?
  3. What are some practical steps I can take to build a firm foundation in my life?
  4. How does my understanding of stability and security change when I consider the moral implications of my choices?

Commentators on this verse — 6 expositors, verse by verse

Each of these wrote on Proverbs 12:3 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.

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

A man shall not be established by wickedness,.... Not any man, though he may be established in his wickedness, so as not to be rooted out of it; yet he cannot be so established by it as not to be

Read John Gill on Proverbs 12 →
Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's Commentary

A man shall not be established by wickedness: but the root of the righteous shall not be moved. A man shall not be established by wickedness.

Read Robert Jamieson on Proverbs 12 →
Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy Bible

By wickedness; by any sinful courses by which he useth to secure or stablish himself; whereby he implies that he shall be rooted up. Shall not be moved, to wit, out of its place. He shall stand fast, and flourish, like a well-rooted tree.

Read Matthew Poole on Proverbs 12 →
John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

Proverbs 12:3 A man shall not be established by wickedness: but the root of the righteous shall not be moved.Ver. 3. A man shall not be established by wickedness.] For he lays his foundation upon firework, and brimstone is scattered upon his house top: if the fire of God from heaven but flash upon it, it will be all a flame immediately. He walks all day upon a mine of gunpowder; and hath God with his armies ready to run upon the thickest bosses of his buckler, and to hurl him to hell. How can this man be sure of anything? Cain built cities, but could not rest in them. Ahab begat seventy sons, but not one successor in the kingdom. Phocas having built a mighty wall, heard from heaven: "Though…

Read John Trapp on Proverbs 12 →
AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible

Verse 3. A man shall not be established by wickedness] Evil is always variable: it has no fixed principle, except the root that is in the human heart; and even that is ever assuming new forms. Nothing is permanent but goodness; and that is unchangeable, because it comes from GOD. The produce of goodness is permanent, because it has God's blessing in it: the fruit of wickedness, or the property procured by wickedness, is transitory, because it has God's curse in it. The righteous has his root in God; and therefore he shall not be moved.

Read AdamClarke on Proverbs 12 →
Daniel Denison Whedon1808–1885Whedon's Commentary on the Bible

3. Root of the righteous — The righteous are here figuratively compared to a tree deeply rooted, and able to resist the storms, and continue unmoved in a flourishing condition. Not so the wicked.

Read Daniel Denison Whedon on Proverbs 12 →

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

A man cannot be established through wickedness, but the righteous cannot be uprooted.

WEBWorld English Bible2000

A man shall not be established by wickedness, but the root of the righteous shall not be moved.

MSBMajority Standard Bible2022

A man cannot be established through wickedness, but the righteous cannot be uprooted.

NETBNew English Translation2006

No one can be established through wickedness, but a righteous root cannot be moved.

Tyndale line

KJVKing James Version1611

A man shall not be established by wickedness: but the root of the righteous shall not be moved.

ASVAmerican Standard Version1901

A man shall not be established by wickedness; But the root of the righteous shall not be moved.

RVARevised Version, American1894

A man shall not be established by wickedness: but the root of the righteous shall never be moved.

NWBWebster's Bible1833

A man shall not be established by wickedness: but the root of the righteous shall not be moved.

GNVGeneva Bible1599

A man cannot be established by wickednesse: but the roote of the righteous shall not be mooued.

Strictly literal

DBYDarby Translation1890

A man shall not be established by wickedness; but the root of the righteous shall not be moved.

YLTYoung's Literal Translation1862

A man is not established by wickedness, And the root of the righteous is not moved.

LSVLiteral Standard Version2020

A man is not established by wickedness, || And the root of the righteous is not moved.

ILTInterlinear Literal Translation2000

A man cannot be firmly established by wickedness; but the root of the righteous will not be moved.

ULBUnlocked Literal Bible2017

A person cannot be established by wickedness, but righteous people cannot be uprooted.

From the Latin

DRADouay-Rheims (Challoner)1899

Men shall not be strengthened by wickedness: and the root of the just shall not be moved.

Simplified

FBVFree Bible Version2020

Wickedness doesn't provide security, but those who live right are deeply rooted and cannot be moved.

BBEBible in Basic English1949

No man will make himself safe through evil-doing; but the root of upright men will never be moved.

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.

clauseadverbialלֹאnotverbיִכּ֣וֹןhe.is.establishedsubjectאָדָ֣םanyoneprepositional phrase · prepositionalבְּbyרֶ֑שַׁעwickednessוְand.[the]clausenoun phrase · subjectשֹׁ֥רֶשׁrootצַ֝דִּיקִ֗יםof.righteous.[people]adverbialבַּלnotverbיִמּֽוֹטit.is.moved

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


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

The Masoretic Text states, "A man cannot be established through wickedness, but the righteous cannot be uprooted." The Septuagint agrees with this verse, maintaining the same essential meaning and word correspondence, although the word order and articles may differ due to the nature of Greek syntax. There are no significant differences in meaning between these versions, indicating a strong textual consistency across these ancient witnesses.

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

לֹא־ יִכּ֣וֹן אָדָ֣ם בְּרֶ֑שַׁע וְשֹׁ֥רֶשׁ צַ֝דִּיקִ֗ים בַּל־ יִמּֽוֹט׃

Septuagintthe Greek the translators chose, word by word
לֹא־οὐיִכּ֣וֹןκατορθώσειאָדָ֣םἄνθρωποςבְּרֶ֑שַׁעἀνόμουוְשֹׁ֥רֶשׁδὲצַ֝דִּיקִ֗יםδικαίωνבַּל־οὐκיִמּֽוֹט׃ἐχαρθήσονται

8 of the 8 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 12:3לֹאnotnotלֹאכּוּןhe is estabhe is establishכּוּןאָדָםanyoneanyoneאָדָםרֶ֫שַׁעby wickedneby wickednessרֶ֫שַׁעשֹׁ֫רֶשׁand [the] rand [the] root שֹׁ֫רֶשׁצַדִּיקrighteous [righteous [peopצַדִּיקבַּלnotnotבַּלמוֹטit is movedit is movedמוֹטאָדֹםto reddento reddenאָדֹםרָשַׁעbe wickedbe wickedרָשַׁעשָׁרַשׁto uprootto uprootשָׁרַשׁצָדֵקto justifyto justifyצָדֵקבָּלָהto become to become oldבָּלָהיָכֹלbe ablebe ableיָכֹלעוֹדstillstillעוֹדתֵּבֵלworldworldתֵּבֵלכִּסֵּאthronethroneכִּסֵּאדְּמוּתlikenesslikenessדְּמוּתבְּהֵמָהanimalanimalבְּהֵמָהצֶ֫דֶקRighteousnRighteousnessצֶ֫דֶקצְדָקָהrighteousnrighteousnessצְדָקָהדָּלִיּוֹתbranchbranchדָּלִיּוֹתפְּרִיfruitfruitפְּרִירָשָׁעwickedwickedרָשָׁעעָ֫וֶלinjusticeinjusticeעָ֫וֶלמוֹטto shaketo shakeמוֹט
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 12:3

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.

not he is established anyone by wickedness and [the] root of righteous [people] not it is moved
לֹא־lo'- not H3808 Particle
5,170× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
The Hebrew word for not or no is used to indicate absence or negation, as when God says no to the Israelites' requests, or when they disobey His commands.
Tyndale gloss
not
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

לֹא (lo') is a Hebrew word meaning 'not' or 'no.' It serves as a simple negation and can imply absence or prohibition. The word can also be used in various contexts, often combined with other particles for emphasis or clarification. Its Aramaic equivalent is לָא (la), which also means 'not.'

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

לֹא or לוֹא adv. not

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H3808 לֹא or לוֹא not

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

3808 lo' lo

or lowi {lo}; or loh (Deut. 3:11) {lo}; a primitive particle;

not (the simple or abs. negation); by implication, no; often

used with other particles (as follows):--X before, + or else,

ere, + except, ig(-norant), much, less, nay, neither, never,

no((-ne), -r, (-thing)), (X as though...,(can-), for) not (out

of), of nought, otherwise, out of, + surely, + as truly as, +

of a truth, + verily, for want, + whether, without.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

לֹא (lo) — not.

1) not, no

1a) not (with verb-absolute prohibition)

1b) not (with modifier-negation)

1c) nothing (subst)

1d) without (with particle)

1e) before (of time)

Aramaic equivalent: la (לָא "not" H3809)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Part — Particle
HTn
The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
not he is established anyone by wickedness and [the] root of righteous [people] not it is moved
יִכּ֣וֹןyi.Kon he is established H3559 Verb · Niphal · imperfect third person masculine singular
217× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This verb means to set something up or establish it, like setting up a tent or appointing someone to a position, as seen in Isaiah 7:14.
Amplified meaning
set up, made secure
Tyndale gloss
to establish: prepare
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

כּוּן (kuwn) is a Hebrew verb meaning to establish or prepare. It encompasses a range of meanings, including to be firm, to fix, to direct, and to be ready, with applications in both literal and figurative contexts. The entries indicate various forms of the verb, such as Niph'al (to be established) and Hiph'il (to establish), but there is a note on a noun form, נָכוֹן (nakhon), meaning 'blow'.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

[כּוּן] 218 vb. prob. be firm, only in der. conj.

Niph.

be set up, established, fixed

in a moral sense, be directed aright, of ways

prepare, be ready

pass. be prepared, of judgments

Hiph.

establish, set up

fix, so as to be ready, make ready, prepare, a gift

provide for, provide, furnish

direct one's face toward

arrange, order

Hoph.

be established, of throne

be prepared for

Po‛lēl.

set up, establish

constitute, make, a man (in womb)

fix, so as to be ready

direct

Po‛lal. be established

Hithpo‛l. be established

base

נָכוֹן n. [m.] = blow Jb 12:5

ref

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H3559a כּוּן prob. be firm, only in der. conj. . . be set up, established, fixed

. in a moral sense, be directed aright, of ways

. prepare, be ready

. pass. be prepared, of judgments

. . establish, set up

. . fix, so as to be ready, make ready, prepare, a gift

. provide for, provide, furnish

. direct one's face toward

. arrange, order

. . be established, of throne

. be prepared for

. . set up, establish

. constitute, make, a man (in womb)

. fix, so as to be ready

. direct

. be established

. be established

H3559b נָכוֹן n. [m.] = blow

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

3559 kuwn koon

a primitive root; properly, to be erect (i.e. stand

perpendicular); hence (causatively) to set up, in a great

variety of applications, whether literal (establish, fix,

prepare, apply), or figurative (appoint, render sure, proper

or prosperous):--certain(-ty), confirm, direct, faithfulness,

fashion, fasten, firm, be fitted, be fixed, frame, be meet,

ordain, order, perfect, (make) preparation, prepare (self),

provide, make provision, (be, make) ready, right, set (aright,

fast, forth), be stable, (e-)stablish, stand, tarry, X very

deed.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

כּוּן (kun) — to establish: prepare.

: prepare/direct

1) to be firm, be stable, be established

1a) (Niphal)

1a1) to be set up, be established, be fixed

1a1a) to be firmly established

1a1b) to be established, be stable, be secure, be enduring

1a1c) to be fixed, be securely determined

1a2) to be directed aright, be fixed aright, be steadfast (moral sense)

1a3) to prepare, be ready

1a4) to be prepared, be arranged, be settled

1b) (Hiphil)

1b1) to establish, set up, accomplish, do, make firm

1b2) to fix, make ready, prepare, provide, provide for, furnish

1b3) to direct toward (moral sense)

1b4) to arrange, order

1c) (Hophal)

1c1) to be established, be fastened

1c2) to be prepared, be ready

1d) (Polel)

1d1) to set up, establish

1d2) to constitute, make

1d3) to fix

1d4) to direct

1e) (Pulal) to be established, be prepared

1f) (Hithpolel) to be established, be restored

נָכוֹן (na.khon) — blow.

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
V-Niphal-Imperf-3ms — Verb · Niphal · imperfect third person masculine singular
HVNi3ms
not he is established anyone by wickedness and [the] root of righteous [people] not it is moved
אָדָ֣ם'a.Dam anyone H120 Noun common · masculine singular absolute
551× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
Adam was the first human, created by God and mentioned in Genesis 2:19, who married Eve and had sons including Cain, Abel, and Seth.
Amplified meaning
human being, individual
Tyndale gloss
the man (Adam)
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

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

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

אָדָם 560 n.m. Gn 1:27 man, mankind

a man = human being

coll. man, mankind

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

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

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H120 אָדָם man, mankind . a man = human being

. coll. man, mankind

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

120 'adam aw-dawm'

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

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

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

see HEBREW for 0119

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

אָדָם (a.dam) — man.

1) man, mankind

1a) man, human being

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

1c) Adam, first man

1d) city in Jordan valley

אָדָם (a.dam) — the man (Adam).

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

married to Eve (H2332);

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

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

man, human being

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-ms — Noun common · masculine singular absolute
HNcmsa
not he is established anyone by wickedness and [the] root of righteous [people] not it is moved
בְּרֶ֑שַׁעbe.Re.sha' by wickedness H7562 Preposition · noun common masculine singular absolute
30× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
The Hebrew word for wickedness, describing wrong or immoral actions, as seen in the wickedness of enemies or those hostile to God. It appears in various forms, such as iniquity or wickedness. This concept is discussed in biblical books like Psalms and Proverbs.
Amplified meaning
by means of, immoral actions, evil deeds
Tyndale gloss
wickedness
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

רֶ֫שַׁע (resha`) refers to wickedness or moral wrong. It encompasses various forms of wrongdoing, including violence, crime against civil law, and ethical violations. The word is derived from a root meaning 'to be wrong' and is used in contexts relating to both personal and societal morality.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

רֶ֫שַׁע n.m. wickedness

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H7562 רֶ֫שַׁע wickedness

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

7562 resha` reh'-shah

from 7561; a wrong (especially moral):--iniquity,

wicked(-ness).

see HEBREW for 07561

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

רֶ֫שַׁע (re.sah) — wickedness.

1) wrong, wickedness, guilt

1a) wickedness (as violence and crime against civil law)

1b) wickedness (of enemies)

1c) wickedness (in ethical relations)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Prep | N-ms — Preposition · noun common masculine singular absolute
HR/Ncmsa
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

wik'-ed-nes:

1. In the Old Testament:

The state of being wicked; a mental disregard for justice, righteousness, truth, honor, virtue; evil in thought and life; depravity; sinfulness; criminality. See SIN. Many words are rendered "wickedness." There are many synonyms for wickedness in English and also in the Hebrew. Pride and vanity lead to it: "All the proud, and all that work wickedness (rish`ah) shall be stubble" (Mal 4:1). Akin to this is the word `awen, "iniquity," "vanity": "She eateth, and wipeth her mouth, and saith, I have done no wickedness" (Pr 30:20). Then we have the word hawwah, meaning "mischief," "calamity," coming from inward intent upon evil: "Lo, this is the man that made not God his strength, but trusted in the abundance of his riches, and strengthened himself in…

not he is established anyone by wickedness and [the] root of righteous [people] not it is moved
וְשֹׁ֥רֶשׁve.Sho.resh and [the] root of H8328 Conjunction · noun common masculine singular construct
33× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
A root is the underground part of a plant. In the Bible, it can also mean a source or foundation, like in the book of Job.
Tyndale gloss
root
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word שֹׁ֫רֶשׁ (*sheresh*) means 'root' and can refer to both literal roots and metaphorical uses, such as a foundation or source of something. It is associated with concepts of depth and permanence. The word is derived from a related term, שָׁרַשׁ (*sharash*, H8327), which also pertains to roots.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

שֹׁ֫רֶשׁ n.m. root

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H8328 שֹׁ֫רֶשׁ root

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

8328 sheresh sheh'-resh

from 8327; a root (literally or figuratively):--bottom,

deep, heel, root.

see HEBREW for 08327

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

שֹׁ֫רֶשׁ (she.resh) — root.

1) root

1a) root (literal)

1b) root (of people involving firmness or permanence) (fig)

1c) root, bottom (as lowest stratum) (fig)

Aramaic equivalent: sho.resh (שֹׁ֫רֶשׁ "root" H8330)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
HC/Ncmsc — Conjunction · noun common masculine singular construct
HC/Ncmsc
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…

not he is established anyone by wickedness and [the] root of righteous [people] not it is moved
צַ֝דִּיקִ֗יםtza.di.Kim righteous [people] H6662 Adj
206× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
Means being just or righteous, as seen in government, personal conduct, or character, often describing someone made right with God. It appears in descriptions of King David and other biblical leaders. The concept is central to the Bible's teachings on morality and ethics.
Amplified meaning
just, upright ones
Tyndale gloss
righteous
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

צַדִּיק (tsaddiyq) means just or righteous, covering various aspects such as lawful behavior, moral conduct, and being justified by God. It is derived from a related root and is used to describe individuals who are upright in character and actions.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

צַדִּיק 206 adj. just, righteous

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H6662 צַדִּיק just, righteous

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

6662 tsaddiyq tsad-deek'

from 6663; just:--just, lawful, righteous (man).

see HEBREW for 06663

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

צַדִּיק (tsad.diq) — righteous.

1) just, lawful, righteous

1a) just, righteous (in government)

1b) just, right (in one's cause)

1c) just, righteous (in conduct and character)

1d) righteous (as justified and vindicated by God)

1e) right, correct, lawful

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

pe'-p'-l: In English Versions of the Bible represents something over a dozen Hebrew and Greek words. Of these, in the Old Testament, `am, is overwhelmingly the most common (about 2,000 times), with le'om, and goy, next in order; but the various Hebrew words are used with very little or no difference in force (e.g. Pr 14:28; but, on the other hand, in Ps 44 contrast verses 12 and 14). Of the changes introduced by the Revised Version (British and American) the only one of significance (cited explicitly in the Preface to the English Revised Version) is the frequent use of the plural "peoples" (strangely avoided in the King James Version except Re 10:11; 17:15), where other nations than Israel are in question. So, for instance, in Ps…

not he is established anyone by wickedness and [the] root of righteous [people] not it is moved
בַּל־bal- not H1077 Particle
73× 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 not or nothing, often used to show something is absent or non-existent. It appears in various forms, like lest or neither. The KJV Bible translates it in different ways, including not or none.
Tyndale gloss
not
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

בַּל (bal) is an adverb meaning 'not' or 'none.' It conveys a sense of negation, indicating absence or failure. The word is derived from a root that implies nothingness and can also be used in contexts like 'lest' or 'neither.' The entries consistently emphasize its function as a negation in various forms.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

בַּל 69 adv. not

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H1077 בַּל not

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

1077 bal bal

from 1086; properly, a failure; by implication nothing;

usually (adverb) not at all; also lest:--lest, neither, no,

none (that...), not (any), nothing.

see HEBREW for 01086

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

בַּל (bal) — not.

not, hardly, else

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Part — Particle
HTn
not he is established anyone by wickedness and [the] root of righteous [people] not it is moved
יִמּֽוֹט׃yi.Mot it is moved H4131 Verb · Niphal · imperfect third person masculine singular
38× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This Hebrew word means to shake or waver, like something that's unstable. It appears in books like Psalms and Proverbs, to describe things that are falling apart or unstable. The KJV translates it as 'be carried' or 'fall'.
Amplified meaning
shaken, moved from their foundation
Tyndale gloss
to shake
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

מוֹט (mot) is a Hebrew verb meaning to totter, shake, or slip. It has various forms, including Qal (to totter), Niphal (to be shaken), Hiphil (to dislodge), and Hithpael (to be greatly shaken). The entries indicate a range of meanings related to instability and movement, but do not specify any particular Old Testament verses.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

[מוֹט] vb. totter, shake, slip

Qal totter, slip

Niph. be shaken, moved, overthrown

Hiph. dislodge, let fall, drop

Hithpo‛l. be greatly shaken

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H4131 [מוֹט] totter, shake, slip

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

4131 mowt mote

a primitive root; to waver; by implication , to slip, shake,

fall:--be carried, cast, be out of course, be fallen in

decay, X exceedingly, fall(-ing down), be (re-)moved, be

ready, shake, slide, slip.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

מוֹט (mot) — to shake.

1) to totter, shake, slip

1a) (Qal) to totter, shake, slip

1b) (Niphal) to be shaken, be moved, be overthrown

1c) (Hiphil) to dislodge, let fall, drop

1d) (Hithpael) to be greatly shaken

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
V-Niphal-Imperf-3ms — Verb · Niphal · imperfect third person masculine singular
HVNi3ms
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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