Menu

Proverbs 6:10 — Word Study

Depth

WLCמְעַ֣ט שֵׁ֭נוֹת מְעַ֣ט תְּנוּמ֑וֹת מְעַ֓ט׀ חִבֻּ֖ק יָדַ֣יִם לִשְׁכָּֽב׃

BSAA littlemᵉʻaṭ [small in amount, brief] sleepshênâh [rest, slumber] a littlemᵉʻaṭ [short, temporary] slumbertᵉnûwmâh [drowsiness, lethargy] a littlemᵉʻaṭ [small, brief] foldingchibbuq [clasping, laying] of the handsyâd [an open hand; strength, a side or share] to restshâkab [lie down, be idle]

Word
Listen & take awayProverbs 6
English ↓ Download MP3 The Berean Standard Bible chapter audio already hosted for the site's Bible section — verse 10 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 (lish.Kav) — no per-word recordings of the Hebrew exist to link to.
Take it away
Proverbs 6:10quick helps
In a sentenceThe verse warns against the dangers of laziness and idleness.
Who is speakingThe author of Proverbs, addressing the sluggard.
Where we areThis verse is part of a warning against laziness in Proverbs 6.
The hard wordתְּנוּמָה
Take awayEven a little idleness can lead to poverty.
7 commentators on this verse Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them › clause 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 6:10

Sections marked generated are written from the data on this page rather than by a named author. Everything else — the lexicon entries, the cross references, the manuscript readings, the counts — is quoted from its source unchanged.

Context — A Warning Against Lazinessgenerated

9How long will you lie there, O slacker? When will you get up from your sleep?
10A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest,
11and poverty will come upon you like a robber, and need like a bandit.
12A worthless person, a wicked man, walks with a perverse mouth,

Proverbs 6:10 is part of a larger passage that cautions against the dangers of laziness. The verses surrounding it emphasize the consequences of slothfulness, urging the reader to be diligent and proactive in their efforts. This warning serves as a reminder that small acts of idleness can accumulate and lead to significant negative outcomes, such as poverty, as seen in Proverbs 6:11.


Cross References

ReferenceText (BSB)
1Proverbs 6:6Walk in the manner of the ant, O slacker; observe its ways and become wise.
2Proverbs 23:33–34Your eyes will see strange things, and your mind will utter perversities.
3Proverbs 24:33–34A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest,

The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 3 references, hung on the phrase they belong to

Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep:Proverbs 6:6 Proverbs 23:33–34 Proverbs 24:33–34

The Key Word מְעַט, me.'Atgenerated

The word מְעַט (me.'at) means 'a little' or 'small in amount.' It describes something that is limited or lacking, often used to indicate a small quantity or degree. In this verse, it emphasizes the minimal nature of sleep and slumber, suggesting that even a little can have significant consequences.

This term appears frequently in the Hebrew Bible, highlighting its importance in conveying the idea of smallness or fewness. The parsing as a masculine singular construct indicates that it functions as a noun, modifying the subsequent nouns in the verse.


How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated

The translations agree in rendering מְעַט as 'a little,' consistently conveying the idea of smallness.


Sentence Structuregenerated

The finite verb in this verse is לִשְׁכָּֽב, to rest, which governs the entire structure. The verse consists of three noun phrases that describe the small amounts of sleep, slumber, and folding of hands, all leading to the action of resting.

The Hebrew word order places emphasis on the repeated phrase of 'a little,' highlighting the cumulative effect of these small actions that can lead to idleness.


Septuagint Backgroundgenerated

The Septuagint translates מְעַט as ὀλίγον, which also means 'a little.' This choice maintains the original meaning while presenting it in a Greek context, showing that the concept of smallness is recognized across both languages.

The Greek word νυστάζεις for תְּנוּמָה suggests a similar state of drowsiness or lethargy, aligning with the caution against idleness.


In plain words — the whole versegenerated

Proverbs 6:10 warns that a little sleep, slumber, and folding of the hands can lead to laziness and poverty. The verse highlights the danger of being idle, even for a short time, and encourages diligence.


Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated

What does the verse mean by 'a little sleep'?

It suggests that even small amounts of laziness can accumulate and lead to negative consequences.

Why is folding of the hands mentioned?

Folding of the hands symbolizes idleness and a reluctance to work, indicating a lazy attitude.

How does this verse relate to the surrounding verses?

It serves as a part of a broader warning against slothfulness, emphasizing the importance of being diligent.

What can we learn from this verse today?

It teaches the value of hard work and the dangers of complacency, reminding us to stay active and engaged.


Reflection Questionsgenerated

  1. In what areas of my life am I being complacent or lazy?
  2. How can I be more proactive in my daily responsibilities?
  3. What are the small habits I can change to avoid idleness?
  4. How does this verse challenge my understanding of rest and work?

Commentators on this verse — 7 expositors, verse by verse

Each of these wrote on Proverbs 6:10 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.

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

[Yet] a little sleep, a little slumber,.... Or, "little sleeps, little slumbers" (s).

Read John Gill on Proverbs 6 →
Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's Commentary

Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep: Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep.

Read Robert Jamieson on Proverbs 6 →
Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy Bible

This he speaks in the person of the sluggard, refusing to arise, and requiring more sleep, that so he might express the disposition and common practice of such persons. Folding of the hands is the gesture of men composing themselves to sleep.

Read Matthew Poole on Proverbs 6 →
John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

Proverbs 6:10 [Yet] a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep:Ver. 10. Yet a little sleep.] Heb., Sleeps; so, slumbers. Though he speaks in the plural, and would have much, yet all is but a little in his pretence and conceit. He asks "a little," but he will not be denied: sed finite paululum ibit tu longum. First, he must have "sleep"; having slept, he must have "slumbers," - sleep will not quickly be rubbed out of his eyes; having slumbered, he must "fold his hands." Compressis sedere manibus to sit with hands folded up, is used by the Latins in a like sense. He tumbles on his bed, "as a door on the hinges." A man must come with a lever to help him off his…

Read John Trapp on Proverbs 6 →
AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible

Verse 10. Yet a little sleep, a little slumber] This, if not the language, is the feeling of the sluggard. The ant gathers its food in summer and in harvest, and sleeps in winter when it has no work to do. If the sluggard would work in the day, and sleep at night, it would be all proper. The ant yields him a lesson of reproach.

Read AdamClarke on Proverbs 6 →
CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

Twelfth Address. Chap. 6. Proverbs 6:6-11. The Sluggard6–11. Comp. on this Section Proverbs 24:30-34.

Read Cambridge on Proverbs 6 →
Daniel Denison Whedon1808–1885Whedon's Commentary on the Bible

9-11. How long wilt thou sleep — As in Proverbs 6:6-8 the instructor had sought to incite his pupil to wise forethought and providence by the example of the ant, so here he seeks to guard him against

Read Daniel Denison Whedon on Proverbs 6 →

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 little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest,

WEBWorld English Bible2000

A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep—

MSBMajority Standard Bible2022

A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest,

NETBNew English Translation2006

A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to relax,

Tyndale line

KJVKing James Version1611

Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep:

ASVAmerican Standard Version1901

Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, A little folding of the hands to sleep:

RVARevised Version, American1894

Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep:

NWBWebster's Bible1833

Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep:

GNVGeneva Bible1599

Yet a litle sleepe, a litle slumber, a litle folding of the hands to sleepe.

Strictly literal

DBYDarby Translation1890

A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest!

YLTYoung's Literal Translation1862

A little sleep, a little slumber, A little clasping of the hands to rest,

LSVLiteral Standard Version2020

A little sleep, a little slumber, || A little clasping of the hands to rest,

ILTInterlinear Literal Translation2000

“A little [more] sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands in lying down;”

ULBUnlocked Literal Bible2017

“A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest”—

From the Latin

DRADouay-Rheims (Challoner)1899

Thou wilt sleep a little, thou wilt slumber a little, thou wilt fold thy hands a little to sleep:

Simplified

FBVFree Bible Version2020

You may say, “Please, just a little more sleep, a little longer snooze, a little more folding of the arms to rest”—

BBEBible in Basic English1949

A little sleep, a little rest, a little folding of the hands in sleep:

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.

clausenoun phrase · objectnoun phraseמְעַ֣טa.littleשֵׁ֭נוֹתof.sleep(s)noun phraseמְעַ֣טa.littleתְּנוּמ֑וֹתof.slumber(s)noun phraseמְעַ֓טa.littlenoun phrasenoun phraseחִבֻּ֖קof.foldingיָדַ֣יִםof.handsprepositional phraseלִtoclauseverbשְׁכָּֽבrest

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 closely, with all eight words matched. This indicates a strong consistency in the transmission of this verse across different textual traditions.

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

מְעַ֣ט שֵׁ֭נוֹת מְעַ֣ט תְּנוּמ֑וֹת מְעַ֓ט׀ חִבֻּ֖ק יָדַ֣יִם לִשְׁכָּֽב׃

Septuagintthe Greek the translators chose, word by word
מְעַ֣טὀλίγονשֵׁ֭נוֹתὑπνοῖςמְעַ֣טμικρὸνתְּנוּמ֑וֹתνυστάζειςמְעַ֓ט׀ὀλίγονחִבֻּ֖קἐναγκαλίζῃיָדַ֣יִםξερσὶνלִשְׁכָּֽב׃στήθη

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 6:10מְעַטa little ofa little ofמְעַטשֵׁנָהsleepsleepשֵׁנָהמְעַטa little ofa little ofמְעַטתְּנוּמָהslumberslumberתְּנוּמָהמְעַטa little ofa little ofמְעַטחִבֻּקfolding offolding ofחִבֻּקיָדhandshandsיָדשָׁכַבto restto restשָׁכַבמָעַטto diministo diminishמָעַטיָשֵׁןto sleepto sleepיָשֵׁןנוּםto slumberto slumberנוּםחָבַקto embraceto embraceחָבַקכַּףpalmpalmכַּףתְּנוּמָהslumberslumberתְּנוּמָהשֵׁנָהsleepsleepשֵׁנָהיָקַץto awaketo awakeיָקַץחִבֻּקfoldingfoldingחִבֻּקעַפְעַףeyelideyelidעַפְעַףחָזָקstrongstrongחָזָקנָצַלto rescueto rescueנָצַלעָרֵלuncircumciuncircumcisedעָרֵלמִשְׁכָּבbedbedמִשְׁכָּב
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 6:10

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.

a little of sleep a little of slumber a little of folding of hands to rest
מְעַ֣טme.'At a little of H4592 Noun common · masculine singular construct
101× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This Hebrew word means something is small or little in amount, like a few people or a short time. It appears in various Bible translations as almost, few, or small. In the Bible, it often describes something that is limited or lacking.
Amplified meaning
small in amount, brief
Tyndale gloss
little
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

מְעַט (m`at) refers to something that is small in quantity or degree, encompassing meanings like 'a little' or 'few.' It can be used adverbially to indicate a small amount or to describe something as almost or hardly. The term is derived from a root meaning 'to be small' and is associated with concepts of littleness and fewness.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

מְעַט 101 subst. a little, fewness, a few

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H4592 מְעַט a little, fewness, a few

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

4592 m`at meh-at'

or miat {meh-awt'}; from 4591; a little or few (often

adverbial or compar.):--almost (some, very) few(-er, -est),

lightly, little (while), (very) small (matter, thing), some,

soon, X very.

see HEBREW for 04591

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

מְעַט (me.at) — little.

1) littleness, few, a little, fewness

1a) little, small, littleness, fewness, too little, yet a little

1b) like a little, within a little, almost, just, hardly, shortly, little worth

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-ms — Noun common · masculine singular construct
HNcmsc
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…

a little of sleep a little of slumber a little of folding of hands to rest
שֵׁ֭נוֹתShe.not sleep H8142 Noun common · feminine plural absolute
23× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
In the Bible, this Hebrew word means to sleep or be asleep, like when God put Adam to sleep in Genesis 2:21. It is also used to describe a state of unconsciousness. This word is used throughout the Old Testament.
Amplified meaning
rest, slumber
Tyndale gloss
sleep
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word שֵׁנָה, transliterated as she.nah, means 'sleep.' It is derived from a root that suggests a state of rest. The word appears in contexts related to sleep, such as in Psalm 127:2. There is an Aramaic equivalent, also meaning 'sleep,' noted in the entries.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

שֵׁנָה, שֵׁנָא, שֵׁנָת n.f. sleep

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H8142 שֵׁנָה, שֵׁנָא, שֵׁנָת sleep

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

8142 shehah shay-naw'

or shena (Psa. 127:2) {shay-naw'}; from 3462;

sleep:--sleep.

see HEBREW for 03462

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

שֵׁנָה (she.nah) — sleep.

sleep

Aramaic equivalent: she.nah (שְׁנָה "sleep" H8139)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-fp — Noun common · feminine plural absolute
HNcfpa
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

slep: Represents many words in Hebrew and Greek. For the noun the most common are shenah, and hupnos; for the verb, yashen, shakhabh, and katheudo. The figurative uses for death (De 31:16, etc.) and sluggishness (Eph 5:14, etc.) are very obvious.

See DREAM.

Nave's Topical Bible

→ From God Ps 127:2

→ Of the sluggard (very lazy person) Pr 6:9,10

→ Of Jesus Mt 8:24; Mr 4:38; Lu 8:23

→ A symbol of death Job 14:12; Mt 9:24; Mr 5:39; Lu 8:52; Joh 11:11,12; 1Th 4:14

→ See DEATH

a little of sleep a little of slumber a little of folding of hands to rest
מְעַ֣טme.'At a little of H4592 Noun common · masculine singular construct
101× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This Hebrew word means something is small or little in amount, like a few people or a short time. It appears in various Bible translations as almost, few, or small. In the Bible, it often describes something that is limited or lacking.
Amplified meaning
short, temporary
Tyndale gloss
little
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

מְעַט (m`at) refers to something that is small in quantity or degree, encompassing meanings like 'a little' or 'few.' It can be used adverbially to indicate a small amount or to describe something as almost or hardly. The term is derived from a root meaning 'to be small' and is associated with concepts of littleness and fewness.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

מְעַט 101 subst. a little, fewness, a few

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H4592 מְעַט a little, fewness, a few

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

4592 m`at meh-at'

or miat {meh-awt'}; from 4591; a little or few (often

adverbial or compar.):--almost (some, very) few(-er, -est),

lightly, little (while), (very) small (matter, thing), some,

soon, X very.

see HEBREW for 04591

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

מְעַט (me.at) — little.

1) littleness, few, a little, fewness

1a) little, small, littleness, fewness, too little, yet a little

1b) like a little, within a little, almost, just, hardly, shortly, little worth

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-ms — Noun common · masculine singular construct
HNcmsc
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…

a little of sleep a little of slumber a little of folding of hands to rest
תְּנוּמ֑וֹתte.nu.Mot slumber H8572 Noun common · feminine plural absolute
5× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This word means slumber or drowsiness, describing a state of sleep or lethargy, as seen in Proverbs. It can also imply a spiritual sleep, where one is not fully awake to God's presence. It is used to caution against spiritual laziness.
Amplified meaning
drowsiness, lethargy
Tyndale gloss
slumber
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

תְּנוּמָה (tnuwmah) refers to drowsiness or slumber. It is derived from the root word for sleep and is used in contexts related to sleepiness. The entries consistently emphasize its meaning as slumber, with no significant disagreements noted among the lexicons.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

תְּנוּמָה n.f. slumber

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H8572 תְּנוּמָה

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

8572 tnuwmah ten-oo-maw'

from 5123; drowsiness, i.e. sleep:--slumber(-ing).

see HEBREW for 05123

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

תְּנוּמָה (te.nu.mah) — slumber.

slumber, slumberings, sleep

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-fp — Noun common · feminine plural absolute
HNcfpa
a little of sleep a little of slumber a little of folding of hands to rest
מְעַ֓ט׀me.'At a little of H4592 Noun common · masculine singular construct
101× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This Hebrew word means something is small or little in amount, like a few people or a short time. It appears in various Bible translations as almost, few, or small. In the Bible, it often describes something that is limited or lacking.
Amplified meaning
small, brief
Tyndale gloss
little
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

מְעַט (m`at) refers to something that is small in quantity or degree, encompassing meanings like 'a little' or 'few.' It can be used adverbially to indicate a small amount or to describe something as almost or hardly. The term is derived from a root meaning 'to be small' and is associated with concepts of littleness and fewness.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

מְעַט 101 subst. a little, fewness, a few

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H4592 מְעַט a little, fewness, a few

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

4592 m`at meh-at'

or miat {meh-awt'}; from 4591; a little or few (often

adverbial or compar.):--almost (some, very) few(-er, -est),

lightly, little (while), (very) small (matter, thing), some,

soon, X very.

see HEBREW for 04591

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

מְעַט (me.at) — little.

1) littleness, few, a little, fewness

1a) little, small, littleness, fewness, too little, yet a little

1b) like a little, within a little, almost, just, hardly, shortly, little worth

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-ms — Noun common · masculine singular construct
HNcmsc
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…

a little of sleep a little of slumber a little of folding of hands to rest
חִבֻּ֖קchi.Buk folding of H2264 Noun common · masculine singular construct
2× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
Folding your hands can mean being idle or lazy, like when someone is too lazy to work and just folds their hands instead.
Amplified meaning
clasping, laying
Tyndale gloss
folding
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

חִבֻּק (chibbuq) refers to a clasping or folding of the hands, often associated with idleness or laziness. It is derived from the root word for folding, חָבַק (chabaq). The entries consistently emphasize its connection to inactivity.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

חִבֻּק n.[m.] a clasping, folding of the hands

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H2264 חִבֻּק

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

2264 chibbuq khib-book'

from 2263; a clasping of the hands (in idleness):--fold.

see HEBREW for 02263

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

חִבֻּק (chib.buq) — folding.

1) fold (hands), a folding (of the hands), clasping (of the hands)

1a) of laziness (fig.)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-ms — Noun common · masculine singular construct
HNcmsc
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…

a little of sleep a little of slumber a little of folding of hands to rest
יָדַ֣יִםya.Da.yim hands H3027 Noun common · both dual absolute
1,619× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
In the Bible, 'yad' refers to an open hand, symbolizing power or direction. It can also mean strength or a part of something, like a side or a share. The word is used in many contexts, including anatomy and everyday life.
Amplified meaning
an open hand; strength, a side or share
Tyndale gloss
hand
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

יָד (yad) means 'hand' and can also refer to strength or power in a figurative sense. It encompasses various technical uses, such as a sign or monument, parts or shares, and even specific components in construction, like axle-trees and supports for the laver. The word is versatile, appearing in both literal and metaphorical contexts.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

יָד 1604 n.f. hand

hand

Fig. = strength, power

Fig. = side

יָד is used in various special, technical senses:—

sign, monument

part, fractional part or share

time, repetition

axle-trees

stays, supports for laver

tenons on sides of boards of tabernacle

a (beckoning) hand

יַד with prep.

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H3027 יָד hand . hand

. Fig. = strength, power

. Fig. = side

. יָד is used in various special, technical senses:— . sign, monument

. part, fractional part or share

. time, repetition

. axle-trees

. stays, supports for laver

. tenons on sides of boards of tabernacle

. a (beckoning) hand

. יַד with prep.

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

3027 yad yawd

a primitive word; a hand (the open one (indicating power,

means, direction, etc.), in distinction from 3709, the closed

one); used (as noun, adverb, etc.) in a great variety of

applications, both literally and figuratively, both proximate

and remote (as follows):--(+ be) able, X about, + armholes,

at, axletree, because of, beside, border, X bounty, + broad,

(broken-)handed, X by, charge, coast, + consecrate, +

creditor, custody, debt, dominion, X enough, + fellowship,

force, X from, hand(-staves, -y work), X he, himself, X in,

labour, + large, ledge, (left-)handed, means, X mine,

ministry, near, X of, X order, ordinance, X our, parts, pain,

power, X presumptuously, service, side, sore, state, stay,

draw with strength, stroke, + swear, terror, X thee, X by

them, X themselves, X thine own, X thou, through, X throwing,

+ thumb, times, X to, X under, X us, X wait on, (way-)side,

Read the full entry →
Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

יָד (yad) — hand.

: hand/arm[anatomy]

1) hand

1a) hand (of man)

1b) strength, power (fig.)

1c) side (of land), part, portion (metaph.) (fig.)

1d) (various special, technical senses)

1d1) sign, monument

1d2) part, fractional part, share

1d3) time, repetition

1d4) axle-trees, axle

1d5) stays, support (for laver)

1d6) tenons (in tabernacle)

1d7) a phallus, a hand (meaning unsure)

1d8) wrists

יָד (yad) — hand: power.

: hand/arm[anatomy]

1) hand

1a) hand (of man)

1b) strength, power (fig.)

1c) side (of land), part, portion (metaph.) (fig.)

1d) (various special, technical senses)

1d1) sign, monument

1d2) part, fractional part, share

1d3) time, repetition

1d4) axle-trees, axle

1d5) stays, support (for laver)

1d6) tenons (in tabernacle)

1d7) a phallus, a hand (meaning unsure)

1d8) wrists

יָד (yad) — hand: themselves.

: hand/arm[anatomy]

1) hand

1a) hand (of man)

1b) strength, power (fig.)

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-cd — Noun common · both dual absolute
HNcbda
a little of sleep a little of slumber a little of folding of hands to rest
לִשְׁכָּֽב׃lish.Kav to rest H7901 Preposition · verb qal infinitive construct common
212× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
To lie down can mean to rest, sleep, or have sexual relations, and is used in various contexts throughout the Bible. It can also mean to relax or be at rest.
Amplified meaning
lie down, be idle
Tyndale gloss
to lie down: lay down
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word שָׁכַב (shakab) is a primitive root meaning 'to lie down.' It covers a range of meanings including resting, lodging, engaging in sexual relations, and lying down in death. The word appears in various forms, such as Qal, Niphal, Pual, Hiphil, and Hophal, indicating different nuances of lying down. Notably, it can also figuratively mean to relax.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

שָׁכַב 212 vb. lie down

Qal

lie down

= lodge (for night)

of sexual relations, lie with

lie down in death

esp. in phr. lie down with his fathers

fig. = relax

Niph. Pu. = be lain with (sexually; subj. women), only as Qr for Kt [שָׁגֵל] Niph. Pu. q.v.

Hiph. lay

Hoph. laid

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H7901 שָׁכַב lie down .. lie down

. = lodge (for night)

. of sexual relations, lie with

. . lie down in death

. esp. in phr. lie down with his fathers

. fig. = relax

. Pu. = be lain with (sexually; subj. women), only as Qr for Kt [שָׁגֵל] Niph. Pu. q.v.

. lay

. laid

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

7901 shakab shaw-kab'

a primitive root; to lie down (for rest, sexual connection,

decease or any other purpose):--X at all, cast down,

((lover-))lay (self) (down), (make to) lie (down, down to

sleep, still with), lodge, ravish, take rest, sleep, stay.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

שָׁכַב (sha.khav) — to lie down: lay down.

: lay_down/lie_with

1) to lie down

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to lie, lie down, lie on

1a2) to lodge

1a3) to lie (of sexual relations)

1a4) to lie down (in death)

1a5) to rest, relax (fig)

1b) (Niphal) to be lain with (sexually)

1c) (Pual) to be lain with (sexually)

1d) (Hiphil) to make to lie down

1e) (Hophal) to be laid

שָׁכַב (sha.khav) — to lie down: sleep.

: sleep/rest

1) to lie down

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to lie, lie down, lie on

1a2) to lodge

1a3) to lie (of sexual relations)

1a4) to lie down (in death)

1a5) to rest, relax (fig)

1b) (Niphal) to be lain with (sexually)

1c) (Pual) to be lain with (sexually)

1d) (Hiphil) to make to lie down

1e) (Hophal) to be laid

שָׁכַב (sha.khav) — to lie down: have sex.

: have_sex

1) to lie down

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to lie, lie down, lie on

1a2) to lodge

1a3) to lie (of sexual relations)

1a4) to lie down (in death)

1a5) to rest, relax (fig)

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Prep | V-Qal-Inf-a — Preposition · verb qal infinitive construct common
HR/Vqcc
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

(nuach, menuchah, "cessation from motion," "peace," "quiet," etc.; anapausis, [@katapausis): "Rest" in the above sense is of frequent occurrence, and is the translation of several words with various applications and shades of meaning, chiefly of the words given above. It is applied to God as ceasing from the work of creating on the 7th day (Ge 2:2 f) ; as having His place of rest in the midst of His people in the temple (1Ch 28:2; Ps 132:8,14); as resting in His love among His people (Ze 3:17, the Revised Version margin "Hebrew, `be silent' "). The 7th day was to be one of rest (Ex 16:23; 31:15; see SABBATH); the land also was to have its rest in the 7th year (

Easton's Bible Dictionary

Rest

(1.) Gr. katapausis, equivalent to the Hebrew word noah (Heb. 4:1).

(2.) Gr. anapausis, “rest from weariness” (Matt. 11:28).

(3.) Gr. anesis, “relaxation” (2 Thess. 1:7).

(4.) Gr. sabbatismos, a Sabbath rest, a rest from all work (Heb. 4:9; R.V., “sabbath”), a rest like that of God when he had finished the work of creation.

American Tract Society Bible Dictionary

In Ac 9:31, refers to the respite from persecution enjoyed by the Christians in Palestine, after the conversion of Saul of Tarsus, during the last two years of Caligula’s short reign, A. D. 39 and 40, when the Jews were so harassed by the attempts of the emperor to force them to worship him as a god, that they forbore to afflict the followers of Christ.

Nave's Topical Bible

→ Divine institutions for

See SABBATH

→ Days of Ex 23:12; 34:21

→ The annual feasts, added rest days Le 23:7,8,21,25,28,30,31,35,36; Nu 28:18,25,26; 29:1,7,12,35

→ Recommended by Jesus Mr 6:31,32; with Mt 8:18,24

→ HEAVENLY 2Th 1:7

→ SPIRITUAL Mt 11:29; Heb 4:1-11

See PEACE, SPIRITUAL

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