Menu

Proverbs 19:6 — Word Study

Depth

WLCרַ֭בִּים יְחַלּ֣וּ פְנֵֽי־ נָדִ֑יב וְכָל־ הָ֝רֵ֗עַ לְאִ֣ישׁ מַתָּֽן׃

BSAManyrab [numerous, a large number] seekchâlâh [entreat, beg, or pray for] the favorpânîym [approval, goodwill, or kindness] of the princenâdîyb [noble, generous, or ruler] and everyonekôl [all, every person] is a friendrêaʻ [neighbor, companion, or close associate] ofʼîysh the gift givermattân [one who gives presents, generous person, or liberally bestows gifts]

Word
Listen & take awayProverbs 19
English ↓ Download MP3 The Berean Standard Bible chapter audio already hosted for the site's Bible section — verse 6 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 (ma.Tan) — no per-word recordings of the Hebrew exist to link to.
Take it away
Proverbs 19:6quick helps
In a sentenceMany people seek the favor of a noble, and everyone is a friend of the generous.
Who is speakingThe author of Proverbs, reflecting on human relationships.
Where we areA proverb about social dynamics and the influence of wealth.
The hard wordנָדִ֑יב
Take awaySeeking favor often leads to friendship, especially with those who give gifts.
7 commentators on this verse Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them › clause subjectרַב verbחָלָה 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 19:6

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 — Social Dynamics in Proverbsgenerated

5A false witness will not go unpunished, and one who utters lies will not escape.
6Many seek the favor of the prince, and everyone is a friend of the gift giver.
7All the brothers of a poor man hate him— how much more do his friends avoid him! He may pursue them with pleading, but they are nowhere to be found.
8He who acquires wisdom loves himself; one who safeguards understanding will find success.

Proverbs 19:6 reflects on the nature of human relationships, particularly how people often seek the favor of those in power, such as a prince, and how generosity can foster friendships. This proverb is part of a larger discourse on wisdom and the consequences of one's actions, as seen in the surrounding verses.


Cross References

ReferenceText (BSB)
1Proverbs 19:12A king’s rage is like the roar of a lion, but his favor is like dew on the grass.
2Proverbs 16:15When a king’s face brightens, there is life; his favor is like a rain cloud in spring.
3Proverbs 29:26Many seek the ruler’s favor, but a man receives justice from the LORD.
4Genesis 42:6Now Joseph was the ruler of the land; he was the one who sold grain to all its people. So when his brothers arrived, they bowed down before him with their faces to the ground.
52 Samuel 19:19–39and said, “My lord, do not hold me guilty, and do not remember your servant’s wrongdoing on the day my lord the king left Jerusalem. May the king not take it to heart.

The Key Word נָדִ֑יב, na.Divgenerated

The word נָדִיב (na.div) refers to a noble or generous person. It is derived from a root meaning voluntary or willing, suggesting a person who is inclined to give or act generously. This term captures the essence of nobility in character, often associated with high status or a willingness to assist others.

In this verse, נָדִיב emphasizes the idea that those who are generous are often the ones who attract friends and allies. The context suggests that people are drawn to those who can provide favor or gifts, highlighting a social dynamic where generosity plays a crucial role in relationships.


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. The BSB has noble, and so do the KJV and ASV: all three maintain the sense of high character associated with נָדִיב.

Where others part company with the BSB they part company over a real distinction in meaning. Generous (FBV, NETB, ULB) leans toward the act of giving, while noble emphasizes the character of the person.


Sentence Structuregenerated

The structure of this verse is built around two main clauses connected by 'and.' The first clause introduces the subject רַ֭בִּים (rabim), meaning 'many,' and the verb יְחַלּ֣וּ (yechallu), meaning 'they seek.' The second clause describes the universal friendship with the generous, starting with וְכָל־ (ve.khol), meaning 'and everyone.'

The first part emphasizes the act of seeking favor, while the second part highlights the outcome of that seeking, showing how relationships are often transactional, influenced by social status and generosity.


Septuagint Backgroundgenerated

In the Septuagint, נָדִיב is rendered as βασιλέων (basileōn), meaning 'of kings.' This choice shifts the focus slightly from a general noble person to a specific royal figure, suggesting a broader application of the principle to those in authority.

This translation reflects a cultural context where kings are often seen as the ultimate source of favor and gifts, reinforcing the idea that seeking favor from those in power is a common social behavior.


In plain words — the whole versegenerated

Proverbs 19:6 tells us that many people look for the approval of those in power, like a prince, and that everyone tends to be a friend of those who give gifts. This reflects how generosity can create friendships and influence relationships.


Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated

What does it mean to seek the favor of the prince?

To seek the favor of the prince means to try to gain approval or kindness from someone in a position of power.

Why is everyone a friend of the gift giver?

Everyone is a friend of the gift giver because people are naturally drawn to those who are generous and provide gifts.

How does this verse reflect human nature?

This verse shows that people often seek relationships based on what they can gain, particularly from those who have power or wealth.

What can we learn about friendship from this proverb?

We learn that friendships can sometimes be influenced by social status and generosity, rather than purely by personal connections.


Reflection Questionsgenerated

  1. In what ways do I seek approval from those in authority in my life?
  2. How can I be more generous to others and foster friendships?
  3. What does this verse teach me about the nature of relationships?
  4. How can I ensure my friendships are based on genuine connections rather than just what I can gain?

Commentators on this verse — 7 expositors, verse by verse

Each of these wrote on Proverbs 19:6 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.

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

Many will entreat the favour of the prince,.... Or of the liberal and bountiful man; as kings and princes generally are, Lu 22:25; such have many to wait upon them, and are humble petitioners to them.

Read John Gill on Proverbs 19 →
Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's Commentary

Many will intreat the favour of the prince: and every man is a friend to him that giveth gifts.

Read Robert Jamieson on Proverbs 19 →
Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy Bible

Of the prince; or, as others, of the liberal or bountiful man; which comes to the same thing, for kings were anciently called benefactors, . A friend; not sincerely, as daily experience shows, but in show or profession, or in the outward expressions of it, whereby they may oblige him.

Read Matthew Poole on Proverbs 19 →
John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

Proverbs 19:6 Many will intreat the favour of the prince: and every man [is] a friend to him that giveth gifts.Ver. 6. Many will entreat the favour of the prince.] Yea, lie at his feet, and lick up his spittle, not being loyal in love for conscience, but submissive in show for commodity. Every man will be thrusting in where anything is to be gotten. The poets make Litae, or Petitions, to be the daughters of Jupiter, and ever about him; to signify, saith the mythologist, that princes and great ones are seldom without suppliants and suitors. And every man is a friend, &c.] ουγαρατιμοι Iκεσιου Zηνοςκουραιλιται. - Orph. in Arg.

Read John Trapp on Proverbs 19 →
CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

6. prince] It is better to preserve the parallelism, and to render the Heb. word in its primary sense of princely disposition, the liberal man, R.V. text, than with A.V. and R.V. marg., of princely rank. The same word is rendered liberal, Isaiah 32:5; Isaiah 32:8. Comp. Keble’s version of it in Psalms 51:12 (Sixth Sun. after Trinity): “The princely heart of innocence.”

Read Cambridge on Proverbs 19 →
Albert Barnes1798–1870Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Intreat the favor ... - literally, “stroke the face” of the man of princely nature, who gives munificently.

Read Albert Barnes on Proverbs 19 →
Daniel Denison Whedon1808–1885Whedon's Commentary on the Bible

6. Many will entreat the favour — Literally, will stroke the face; will flatter, caress, or make court to, the prince. A friend to him that giveth gifts — A liberal, generous man. Many will esteem acquaintance with him an honour.

Read Daniel Denison Whedon on Proverbs 19 →

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

Many seek the favor of the prince, and everyone is a friend of the gift giver.

WEBWorld English Bible2000

Many will entreat the favor of a ruler, and everyone is a friend to a man who gives gifts.

MSBMajority Standard Bible2022

Many seek the favor of the prince, and everyone is a friend of the gift giver.

NETBNew English Translation2006

Many people entreat the favor of a generous person, and everyone is the friend of the person who gives gifts.

Tyndale line

KJVKing James Version1611

Many will intreat the favour of the prince: and every man is a friend to him that giveth gifts.

ASVAmerican Standard Version1901

Many will entreat the favor of the liberal man; And every man is a friend to him that giveth gifts.

RVARevised Version, American1894

Many will entreat the favour of the liberal man: and every man is a friend to him that giveth gifts.

NWBWebster's Bible1833

Many will entreat the favor of the prince: and every man is a friend to him that giveth gifts.

GNVGeneva Bible1599

Many reuerence the face of the prince, and euery man is friend to him that giueth giftes.

Strictly literal

DBYDarby Translation1890

Many court the favour of a noble; and every one is friend to a man that giveth.

YLTYoung's Literal Translation1862

Many entreat the face of the noble, And all have made friendship to a man of gifts.

LSVLiteral Standard Version2020

Many beg the face of the noble, || And all have made friendship to a man of gifts.

ILTInterlinear Literal Translation2000

Many will entreat the favor of the liberal man; and every one is the friend to him that bestoweth gifts.

ULBUnlocked Literal Bible2017

Many will ask for a favor from a generous person and everyone is a friend of the one who gives gifts.

From the Latin

DRADouay-Rheims (Challoner)1899

Many honour the person of him that is mighty, and are friends of him that giveth gifts.

Simplified

FBVFree Bible Version2020

Many ask favors from important people, and everyone's a friend of the generous.

BBEBible in Basic English1949

Great numbers will make attempts to get the approval of a ruler: and every man is the special friend of him who has something to give.

Word by word, the decisions they made

נָדִ֑יבna.Div a noble [person] H5081 2 different renderings
nobleDBY LSV YLT
generousFBV NETB ULB

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.

clausesubjectרַ֭בִּיםmany.[people]verbיְחַלּ֣וּthey.entreatnoun phrase · objectפְנֵֽי[the].faceנָדִ֑יבof.a.noble.[person]וְandclausenoun phrase · subjectכָלeveryonenoun phraseהָ֝[is].theרֵ֗עַfriendprepositional phrase · predicateלְofnoun phraseאִ֣ישׁa.personמַתָּֽןof.gift

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 agree on the general structure and meaning of the verse, with six of the eight words matching. The Septuagint's word order and articles differ, but the essential message about seeking favor and friendship remains consistent.

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

רַ֭בִּים יְחַלּ֣וּ פְנֵֽי־ נָדִ֑יב וְכָל־ הָ֝רֵ֗עַ לְאִ֣ישׁ מַתָּֽן׃

Septuagintthe Greek the translators chose, word by word
רַ֭בִּיםπολλοὶיְחַלּ֣וּθεραπεύουσινפְנֵֽי־πρόσωπαנָדִ֑יבβασιλέωνוְכָל־πᾶςהָ֝רֵ֗עַκακὸς

6 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 19:6רַבmany [peoplmany [people]רַבחָלָהthey entreathey entreatחָלָהפָּנֶה[the] face [the] face ofפָּנֶהנָדִיבa noble [pea noble [personנָדִיבכֹּלand everyonand everyoneכֹּלרֵעַ[is] the fr[is] the friendרֵעַאִישׁof a personof a person ofאִישׁמַתָּןgiftgiftמַתָּןרָבַבto multiplto multiplyרָבַבפָּנָהCorner (GaCorner (Gate)פָּנָהנָדַבbe willingbe willingנָדַבכָּלַלto perfectto perfectכָּלַלנָתַןto give: gto give: giveנָתַןחוּלto twist: to twist: trembחוּלבֵּית־עֵ֫קֶדHouse of SHouse of Shepheבֵּית־עֵ֫קֶדאֱנוֹשׁhumanhumanאֱנוֹשׁאִשָּׁהwomanwomanאִשָּׁהנְבוּזַרְאֲדָןNebuzaradaNebuzaradanנְבוּזַרְאֲדָןטַבָּחguardguardטַבָּחשֶׁ֫בֶרbreakingbreakingשֶׁ֫בֶרמַכָּהwoundwoundמַכָּהסָתַרto hideto hideסָתַרנוּסto fleeto fleeנוּסאַיֵּהwhere?where?אַיֵּהעֵדָהcongregaticongregationעֵדָהעֲבֹדָהserviceserviceעֲבֹדָה
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 19:6

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.

many [people] they entreat [the] face of a noble [person] and everyone [is] the friend of a person of gift
רַ֭בִּיםRa.bim many [people] H7227 Adj
454× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This Hebrew word means a chief or captain, someone in charge. It is used in 2 Samuel 23:19 to describe a great and powerful man. The idea is one of leadership and authority.
Amplified meaning
numerous, a large number
Tyndale gloss
many
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

רַב (rav) means much, many, or great, often used in contrast to מְעַט (me'at). It can describe abundance in quantity or rank and is also used as a noun for chief or captain. The word conveys a range of meanings from numerous to exceedingly, and it can function as both an adjective and a noun.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

רַב 429 adj. much, many, great

(oft. opp. מְעַט)

much: of substances

esp. of collectives, numerous

pl. many

רַב as subst. coll. pers.

cstr. = abounding in

מִן comp. = more numerous than

רַב = abundant, enough

as adv. much, exceedingly

less oft. great

base

רַב 49 n.m. chief

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H7227a רַב much, many, great . (oft. opp. מְעַט) . . much: of substances

. esp. of collectives, numerous

. pl. many

. רַב as subst. coll. pers.

. cstr. = abounding in

. + מִן comp. = more numerous than

. רַב = abundant, enough

. as adv. much, exceedingly

. less oft. great

H7227b רַב chief

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

7227 rab rab

by contracted from 7231; abundant (in quantity, size, age,

number, rank, quality):--(in) abound(-undance, -ant, -antly),

captain, elder, enough, exceedingly, full, great(-ly, man,

one), increase, long (enough, (time)), (do, have) many(-ifold,

things, a time), ((ship-))master, mighty, more, (too, very)

much, multiply(-tude), officer, often(-times), plenteous,

populous, prince, process (of time), suffice(-lent).

see HEBREW for 07231

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

רַב (rav) — many.

adj

1) much, many, great

1a) much

1b) many

1c) abounding in

1d) more numerous than

1e) abundant, enough

1f) great

1g) strong

1h) greater than

adv

1i) much, exceedingly

רַב (rav) — chief.

captain, chief

Aramaic equivalent: rav.re.van (רַבְרְבָן "noble" H7261)

רַב (rav) — (Sidon) the Great.

Combined with tsi.don (צִידוֹן "Sidon" H6721H)

§ captain, chief

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…

many [people] they entreat [the] face of a noble [person] and everyone [is] the friend of a person of gift
יְחַלּ֣וּye.cha.Lu they entreat H2470 Verb · Piel · imperfect third person masculine plural
76× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
To beg or entreat means to ask or pray for something, often with a sense of weakness or sickness, like when someone is grieving or in pain.
Amplified meaning
entreat, beg, or pray for
Tyndale gloss
be weak: weak
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word חָלָה (*chalah*) is built from a primitive root meaning to be rubbed or worn, covering a range of meanings related to weakness, sickness, and grief. It can refer to becoming weak or ill, making oneself sick, or even entreating favor. The entries indicate various grammatical forms, including Qal, Piel, and Hiphil, which express different nuances of these concepts.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

חָלָה vb. be weak, sick

Qal

be or become weak

become sick, ill

Niph.

make oneself sick, fig. for strain oneself

be made sick

Pi. make sick

Pu. be made weak

Hithp. make oneself sick

Hiph.

make (sick, i.e.) sore thy smiting

make sick

shew (signs of) sickness, become sick

Hoph. make sick = wounded

base

[חָלָה] vb. only Pi. mollify, appease, entreat the favour of

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H2470a חָלָה be weak, sick .. be or become weak

. become sick, ill

. . make oneself sick, fig. for strain oneself

. be made sick

. make sick

. be made weak

. make oneself sick

. . make (sick, i.e.) sore thy smiting

. make sick

. shew (signs of) sickness, become sick

. make sick = wounded

H2470b חָלָה only Pi. mollify, appease, entreat the favour of

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

2470 chalah khaw-law'

a primitive root (compare 2342, 2470, 2490); properly, to be

rubbed or worn; hence (figuratively) to be weak, sick,

afflicted; or (causatively) to grieve, make sick; also to

stroke (in flattering), entreat:--beseech, (be) diseased, (put

to) grief, be grieved, (be) grievous, infirmity, intreat, lay

to, put to pain, X pray, make prayer, be (fall, make) sick,

sore, be sorry, make suit (X supplication), woman in travail,

be (become) weak, be wounded.

see HEBREW for 02342

see HEBREW for 02470

see HEBREW for 02490

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

חָלָה (cha.lah) — be weak: weak.

: weak/disabled

1) to be or become weak, be or become sick, be or become diseased, be or become grieved, be or become sorry

1a) (Qal) to be weak, be sick

1b) (Piel)

1b1) to be or become weak, feel weak

1b2) to become sick, become ill

1c) (Niphal)

1c1) to make oneself sick

1c2) to be made sick

1c3) to be tired

1d) (Pual) to be made weak, become weak

1e) (Hithpael) to make oneself sick

1f) (Hiphil)

1f1) to make sore

1f2) to make sick

1f3) to show signs of sickness, become sick

1f4) to grieve

1g) (Hophal)

1g1) to be made sick

1g2) to be wounded

חָלָה (cha.lah) — to beg.

1) (Piel)

1a) (CLBL) to mollify, entreat, pray, beg

חָלָה (cha.lah) — be weak: ill.

: ill/injured

1) to be or become weak, be or become sick, be or become diseased, be or become grieved, be or become sorry

1a) (Qal) to be weak, be sick

1b) (Piel)

1b1) to be or become weak, feel weak

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
V-Piel-Imperf-3mp — Verb · Piel · imperfect third person masculine plural
HVpi3mp
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

en-tret'.

See INTREAT.

many [people] they entreat [the] face of a noble [person] and everyone [is] the friend of a person of gift
פְנֵֽי־fe.nei- [the] face of H6440 Noun common · masculine plural construct
2,127× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This word means face or presence, like being in front of someone or something. It's used in many contexts, like in Genesis, Exodus, and Psalms, to describe interactions and relationships.
Amplified meaning
approval, goodwill, or kindness
Tyndale gloss
face
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word פָּנֶה (*pāneh*) is a noun meaning 'face' or 'presence,' and it appears in various contexts, including the faces of seraphim and animals, as well as the surface of the ground. It can also function as an adverb meaning 'before' or 'in front of.' The word is built from a root that suggests turning or facing, and it encompasses a wide range of applications, both literal and figurative.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

[פָּנֶה], pl. פָּנִים 2123 n.m. face, also faces

face, faces

presence, person

technically, see one's face, i.e. appear before one, in one's presence

face of seraphim

face of animals

face (= surface) of ground

as adv.loc. before

for other phrases

with prepositions

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H6440 פָּנֶה, pl. פָּנִים face, also faces . . face, faces

. . presence, person

. technically, see one's face, i.e. appear before one, in one's presence

. face of seraphim

. face of animals

. face (= surface) of ground

. as adv. loc. before

. for other phrases

. with prepositions

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

6440 paniym paw-neem'

plural (but always as singular) of an unused noun (paneh

{paw-neh'}; from 6437); the face (as the part that turns);

used in a great variety of applications (literally and

figuratively); also (with prepositional prefix) as a

preposition (before, etc.):--+ accept, a-(be- )fore(-time),

against, anger, X as (long as), at, + battle, + because (of),

+ beseech, countenance, edge, + employ, endure, + enquire,

face, favour, fear of, for, forefront(-part), form(-er

time, -ward), from, front, heaviness, X him(-self), +

honourable, + impudent, + in, it, look(-eth) (- s), X me, +

meet, X more than, mouth, of, off, (of) old (time), X on,

open, + out of, over against, the partial, person, + please,

presence, propect, was purposed, by reason of, + regard, right

forth, + serve, X shewbread, sight, state, straight, + street,

X thee, X them(-selves), through (+ - out), till, time(-s)

Read the full entry →
Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

פָּנֶה (pa.neh) — face: before.

: before/to/front

1) face

1a) face, faces

1b) presence, person

1c) face (of seraphim or cherubim)

1d) face (of animals)

1e) face, surface (of ground)

1f) as adv of loc/temp

1f1) before and behind, toward, in front of, forward, formerly, from beforetime, before

1g) with prep

1g1) in front of, before, to the front of, in the presence of, in the face of, at the face or front of, from the presence of, from before, from before the face of

פָּנֶה (pa.neh) — face.

: face

1) face

1a) face, faces

1b) presence, person

1c) face (of seraphim or cherubim)

1d) face (of animals)

1e) face, surface (of ground)

1f) as adv of loc/temp

1f1) before and behind, toward, in front of, forward, formerly, from beforetime, before

1g) with prep

1g1) in front of, before, to the front of, in the presence of, in the face of, at the face or front of, from the presence of, from before, from…

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-cp — Noun common · masculine plural construct
HNcmpc
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

ov:

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

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

OF, preposition ov. [Gr.]

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

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

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

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

Lamentations 3:1.

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

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

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

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

The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
many [people] they entreat [the] face of a noble [person] and everyone [is] the friend of a person of gift
נָדִ֑יבna.Div a noble [person] H5081 Noun common · masculine singular absolute
29× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
Noble or generous, describing someone of high rank or character, like a prince, or a person with a willing and liberal heart, as seen in the stories of David and Solomon.
Amplified meaning
noble, generous, or ruler
Tyndale gloss
noble
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

נָדִיב (nadiyb) conveys meanings of being inclined, generous, and noble. It is derived from a root meaning voluntary or willing, and can refer to a noble person or grandee, sometimes with a connotation of tyranny. The word appears in contexts related to nobility and willingness, including a mention in Song of Solomon 6:12.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

נָדִיב adj. and n.m. inclined, generous, noble

incited, inclined, willing

noble, princely, in rank

noble in mind and character

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H5081 נָדִיב inclined, generous, noble

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

5081 nadiyb naw-deeb'

from 5068; properly, voluntary, i.e. generous; hence,

magnanimous; as noun, a grandee (sometimes a tyrant):--free,

liberal (things), noble, prince, willing ((hearted)).

see HEBREW for 05068

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

נָדִיב (na.div) — noble: willing.

: willing

n m

1) noble one

adj

2) inclined, willing, noble, generous

1a) incited, inclined, willing

1b) noble, princely (in rank)

1c) noble (in mind and character)

Also means: na.div (נָדִיב ": noble" H5081H)

§ A man living at the time of United Monarchy, only mentioned at Sng.6.12

נָדִיב (na.div) — noble.

: noble

n m

1) noble one

adj

2) inclined, willing, noble, generous

1a) incited, inclined, willing

1b) noble, princely (in rank)

1c) noble (in mind and character)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Adj — Noun common · masculine singular absolute
HNcmsa
many [people] they entreat [the] face of a noble [person] and everyone [is] the friend of a person of gift
וְכָל־ve.khol and everyone H3605 Conjunction · noun common masculine singular construct
5,415× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
The Hebrew word for 'all' or 'everything' is used throughout the Bible, like in Genesis 1:31, where God sees all He has made as very good. It encompasses the entirety of something, whether people, things, or situations.
Amplified meaning
all, every person
Tyndale gloss
all
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

כֹּל (kol) means 'all' or 'the whole.' It can refer to totality, including every person or thing, and is often used with a following genitive to specify what is included. The term can also denote a broader sense of everything in existence or all circumstances of life. The lexicons do not show significant disagreement on its meanings.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

כֹּל once כּוֹל n.m. the whole, all

with foll. gen. (as usually) the whole of, to be rendered, however, often in our idiom, to avoid stiffness, any or every

Absolutely:

without the art., all things, all

with the art. הַכֹּל

where the sense is limited by the context to things (or persons) just mentioned

in a wider sense, all, whether of all mankind or of all living things, the universe, or of all the circumstances of life (chiefly late)

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H3605 כֹּל once כּוֹל the whole, all . with foll. gen. (as usually) the whole of, to be rendered, however, often in our idiom, to avoid stiffness, any or every

. Absolutely: . without the art., all things, all

. with the art. הַכֹּל . where the sense is limited by the context to things (or persons) just mentioned

. in a wider sense, all, whether of all mankind or of all living things, the universe, or of all the circumstances of life (chiefly late)

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

3605 kol kole

or (Jer. 33:8) kowl {kole}; from 3634; properly, the whole;

hence, all, any or every (in the singular only, but often in a

plural sense):--(in) all (manner, (ye)), altogether, any

(manner), enough, every (one, place, thing), howsoever, as

many as, (no-)thing, ought, whatsoever, (the) whole,

whoso(-ever).

see HEBREW for 03634

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

כֹּל (kol) — all.

1) all, the whole

1a) all, the whole of

1b) any, each, every, anything

1c) totality, everything

Aramaic equivalent: kol (כֹּל "all" H3606)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Conj | N-ms — Conjunction · noun common masculine singular construct
HC/Ncmsc
The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
many [people] they entreat [the] face of a noble [person] and everyone [is] the friend of a person of gift
הָ֝רֵ֗עַha.Re.a' [is] the friend H7453 Particle · noun common masculine singular absolute
188× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
A neighbor or friend is what this word means, describing someone close to you. It can also refer to a companion, fellow citizen, or another person, and is often translated as brother or friend.
Amplified meaning
neighbor, companion, or close associate
Tyndale gloss
neighbor
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

רֵעַ (rea`) refers to a friend, companion, or fellow, emphasizing close associations such as brotherhood or intimacy. It can also denote a neighbor or another person in a broader sense. The word is derived from a root meaning 'to associate.'

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

רֵעַ 187 n.m. friend, companion, fellow

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H7453 רֵעַ friend, companion, fellow

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

7453 rea` ray'-ah

or reya2 {ray'-ah}; from 7462; an associate (more or less

close):--brother, companion, fellow, friend, husband, lover,

neighbour, X (an-)other.

see HEBREW for 0reya2

see HEBREW for 07462

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

רֵעַ (re.a) — neighbor.

1) friend, companion, fellow, another person

1a) friend, intimate

1b) fellow, fellow-citizen, another person (weaker sense)

1c) other, another (reciprocal phrase)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Art | N-ms — Particle · noun common masculine singular absolute
HTd/Ncmsa
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
American Tract Society Bible Dictionary

Abraham is signally honored in being called "the friend of God," Isa 41:8 Jas 2:23. Christ granted a similar honor and blessing to his disciples, Joh 15:15. It is a different word, however, in Greek, by which he addressed Judas, Mt 26:50; the word there translated friend, means simply companion, and appears to have been used as a conversational term not implying friendship. The same word occurs in Mt 20:13 22:12.

many [people] they entreat [the] face of a noble [person] and everyone [is] the friend of a person of gift
לְאִ֣ישׁle.'Ish of a person of H376 Preposition · noun common masculine singular construct
1,664× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
The Hebrew word for man, referring to a male person or individual, is used in the Bible to describe humans in contrast to God or animals, as seen in Genesis and Psalms. It can also mean husband or servant. In the KJV, it is translated as man or male.
Tyndale gloss
man
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word אִישׁ (iysh) means 'man' and can refer to an individual male, a husband, or a human being in general. It encompasses various meanings, including champion and great man, and can also imply 'whosoever' or 'each.' The word is built from a root suggesting existence and is used throughout the Old Testament.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

אִישׁ 2166 n.m. man (= vir)

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H376 אִישׁ man (= vir)

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

376 'iysh eesh

contracted for 582 (or perhaps rather from an unused root

meaning to be extant); a man as an individual or a male

person; often used as an adjunct to a more definite term (and

in such cases frequently not expressed in

translation):--also, another, any (man), a certain, +

champion, consent, each, every (one), fellow, (foot-,

husband-)man, (good-, great, mighty) man, he, high (degree),

him (that is), husband, man(-kind), + none, one, people,

person, + steward, what (man) soever, whoso(-ever), worthy.

Compare 802.

see HEBREW for 0582

see HEBREW for 0802

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

אִישׁ (ish) — man.

: man

1) man

1a) man, male (in contrast to woman, female)

1b) husband

1c) human being, person (in contrast to God)

1d) servant

1e) mankind

1f) champion

1g) great man

2) whosoever

3) each (adjective)

אִישׁ (ish) — man: husband.

: husband

1) man

1a) man, male (in contrast to woman, female)

1b) husband

1c) human being, person (in contrast to God)

1d) servant

1e) mankind

1f) champion

1g) great man

2) whosoever

3) each (adjective)

אִישׁ (ish) — man: anyone.

: anyone/someone

1) man

1a) man, male (in contrast to woman, female)

1b) husband

1c) human being, person (in contrast to God)

1d) servant

1e) mankind

1f) champion

1g) great man

2) whosoever

3) each (adjective)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Prep | N-ms — Preposition · noun common masculine singular construct
HR/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…

The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
many [people] they entreat [the] face of a noble [person] and everyone [is] the friend of a person of gift
מַתָּֽן׃ma.Tan gift H4976 Noun common · masculine singular absolute
5× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
Means a present or gift, often used to describe offerings or rewards, as seen in various KJV translations.
Amplified meaning
one who gives presents, generous person, or liberally bestows gifts
Tyndale gloss
gift
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word מַתָּן (*mattan*) means 'gift' or 'present.' It is derived from the root meaning 'to give' and encompasses various forms of gifts, offerings, and rewards. The entries consistently define it as a collective noun for gifts, with no significant disagreement among lexicons.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

מַתָּן n.m. coll. gift(s)

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H4976 מַתָּן gift(s)

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

4976 mattan mat-tawn'

from 5414; a present:--gift, to give, reward.

see HEBREW for 05414

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

מַתָּן (mat.tan) — gift.

gifts, offerings, presents

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

gift (mattanah, minchah, shochadh; doron, dorea, chairisma): In Ge 25:6; Ex 28:38; Nu 18:6,7,29; Eze 20:26, etc., mattanah, "a gift," is so rendered; minchah, an offering or present, used especially of the "meat offerings," is translated "gift" (2Sa 8:2,6 the King James Version; 2Ch 26:8), in which passages "tribute" is meant, as the Revised Version (British and American); 32:23; Ps 45:12. A few other words occur singly, e.g. 'eshkar, "a reward" (Ps 72:10)…

Easton's Bible Dictionary

Gift

(1.) An gratuity (Prov. 19:6) to secure favour (18:16; 21:14), a thank-offering (Num. 18:11), or a dowry (Gen. 34:12).

(2.) An oblation or proppitatory gift (2Sa 8:2,6; 1Ch 18:2,6; 2Ch 26:8; Ps. 45:12; 72:10).

(3.) A bribe to a judge to obtain a favourable verdict (Ex. 23:8; Deut. 16:19).

Smith's Bible Dictionary

The giving and receiving of presents has in all ages been not only a more frequent but also a more formal and significant proceeding in the East than among ourselves. We cannot adduce a more remarkable proof of the important part which presents play in the social life of the East than the fact that the Hebrew language possesses no less than fifteen different expressions for the one idea. The mode of presentation was with as much parade as possible. The refusal of a present was regarded us a high indignity. No less an insult was it not to bring a present when the position of the parties demanded it. (1 Samuel 10:27)

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