Menu

Psalms 105:2 — Word Study

Depth

WLCשִֽׁירוּ־ ל֭וֹ זַמְּרוּ־ ל֑וֹ שִׂ֝֗יחוּ בְּכָל־ נִפְלְאוֹתָֽיו׃

BSASingshîyr [with joyful music, in praise] sing praiseszâmar [hymns of worship, songs of adoration] tellsîyach [meditate on, proclaim] of allkôl [every, everything] His wonderspâlâʼ [marvelous works, amazing deeds, things that inspire awe]

Word
Listen & take awayPsalms 105
English ↓ Download MP3 The Berean Standard Bible chapter audio already hosted for the site's Bible section — verse 2 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 (nif.le.'o.Tav) — no per-word recordings of the Hebrew exist to link to.
Take it away
Psalms 105:2quick helps
In a sentenceThe psalmist calls the people to joyful singing and proclamation of God's marvelous deeds.
Who is speakingThe psalmist, addressing the congregation in worship.
Where we areIn a hymn of praise, celebrating God's wonders and inviting others to join in.
The hard wordנִפְלְאוֹתָיו
Take awayThe call to worship is both communal and individual, emphasizing the importance of sharing God's wonders.
8 commentators on this verse Gill, Jamieson, Trapp, Ellicott & more — read them › clause verbשִׁיר 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 — Psalms 105:2

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 Call to Worshipgenerated

1Give thanks to the LORD, call upon His name; make known His deeds among the nations.
2Sing to Him, sing praises to Him; tell of all His wonders.
3Glory in His holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the LORD rejoice.
4Seek out the LORD and His strength; seek His face always.

Psalm 105:2 is part of a larger call to worship, where the psalmist invites the community to express gratitude and praise to God for His mighty acts. This verse emphasizes the importance of singing and telling of God's wonders, connecting the act of worship with the remembrance of His deeds. The surrounding verses encourage giving thanks and seeking the Lord's strength, reinforcing the theme of communal worship and reflection on God's greatness.


Cross References

ReferenceText (BSB)
1Psalm 47:6–7Sing praises to God, sing praises; sing praises to our King, sing praises!
2Psalm 96:1–2Sing to the LORD a new song; sing to the LORD, all the earth.
3Psalm 98:1–5Sing to the LORD a new song, for He has done wonders; His right hand and holy arm have gained Him the victory.
4Judges 5:3Listen, O kings! Give ear, O princes! I will sing to the LORD; I will sing praise to the LORD, the God of Israel.
5Isaiah 12:5–6Sing to the LORD, for He has done glorious things. Let this be known in all the earth.

The Key Word שִׁירוּ־, shi.ru-generated

The verb שִׁיר (shi.r) means 'to sing' and is used here in the imperative form, calling the congregation to action. It is derived from a root that conveys the act of singing, often in a joyful context, as seen in various instances throughout the Psalms where singing is a response to God's faithfulness.

This call to sing is paired with זָמַר (za.mar), which emphasizes making music in worship. The Piel form here suggests a more intense or deliberate act of making music, often accompanied by instruments, highlighting the celebratory nature of the worship being called for.


How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated

This study reads the verse in the Berean Standard Bible, which uses sing and sing praises to capture the essence of the Hebrew verbs.


Sentence Structuregenerated

The verse consists of three imperative verbs: שִֽׁירוּ (sing), זַמְּרוּ (sing praises), and שִׂ֝֗יחוּ (tell), all calling the audience to engage in worship. The structure emphasizes a series of actions directed towards God, creating a rhythmic and communal call to praise.

The verbs are followed by prepositional phrases indicating the object of the actions, specifically ל֭וֹ (to Him) and בְּכָל־ (in all), which elaborate on the scope of the worship and the focus on God's wonders.


Septuagint Backgroundgenerated

In the Septuagint, the Hebrew שִׁירוּ is rendered as ᾄσατε (aisate), which also means 'sing' but carries a more formal tone. This choice reflects the translators' intent to convey the act of singing in a liturgical context.

The translation of נִפְלְאוֹתָיו as αὐτοῦ (of Him) indicates a direct connection to God's identity, emphasizing that the wonders belong to Him and are a reflection of His character.


In plain words — the whole versegenerated

Psalm 105:2 invites us to sing and praise God, celebrating all His wonderful deeds. The psalmist encourages us to tell others about these amazing works, reminding us of the importance of worship and sharing God's greatness.


Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated

What does it mean to sing praises to God?

Singing praises to God is a way to express joy and gratitude for His goodness and faithfulness. It involves both musical expression and heartfelt worship.

How can we tell of God's wonders?

We can tell of God's wonders by sharing our testimonies, recounting His deeds in our lives, and encouraging others to recognize His work in the world.

Why is communal worship important?

Communal worship fosters a sense of unity and shared faith within the community, allowing individuals to collectively celebrate and acknowledge God's greatness.

What are some examples of God's wonders?

Examples of God's wonders include His creation, miracles throughout the Bible, and the transformative work He does in our lives today.


Reflection Questionsgenerated

  1. How can I incorporate singing and praise into my daily life?
  2. What are some specific wonders of God that I can share with others?
  3. In what ways does communal worship enhance my faith experience?
  4. How can I encourage others to recognize and celebrate God's wonders?

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

Augustine of Hippo references this verse in his exposition, highlighting the call to sing and play instruments in worship.

Augustine of HippoExposition on Psalms 105 354–430
"O sing unto Him, and play on instruments unto Him" [Psalms 105:2].
Early Church Fathers on Psalms 105 →

Commentators on this verse — 8 expositors, verse by verse

Each of these wrote on Psalms 105:2 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.

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

Sing unto him, sing psalms unto him,.... Both vocally and instrumentally, with the voice and upon instruments of music, as were used in David's time.

Read John Gill on Psalms 105 →
Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's Commentary

Sing unto him, sing psalms unto him: talk ye of all his wondrous works. No JFB commentary on this verse.

Read Robert Jamieson on Psalms 105 →
John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

Psalms 105:2 Sing unto him, sing psalms unto him: talk ye of all his wondrous works.Ver. 2. Sing unto him, sing] Both with mouth and with musical instruments. Talk ye] Or, meditate ye, let your heart indite a good matter, and your tongue be as the pen of a ready writer, Psalms 45:1.

Read John Trapp on Psalms 105 →
Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(2) Sing psalms.—Rather, play, sing unto Him, play unto Him; the usual choral direction.

Read Charles John Ellicott on Psalms 105 →
AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible

Verse 2. Talk ye of all his wondrous works.] נפלאתיו niphleothaiv, "of his miracles." Who have so many of these to boast of as Christians! Christianity is a tissue of miracles; and every part of the work of grace on the soul is a miracle. Genuine Christian converts may talk of miracles from morning to night; and they should talk of them, and recommend to others their miracle-working God and Saviour.

Read AdamClarke on Psalms 105 →
CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

2. sing psalms] Or, make melody. Cp. Psalms 92:1, note. talk ye] R.V. marg., meditate: cp. Psalms 104:34. The primary meaning of the word is probably to occupy oneself diligently with: hence either to meditate upon, or as context and parallelism require here and in Psalms 140:5, to speak, discourse of, a meaning which the word regularly has in post-Biblical Heb. his wondrous works] R.V., as A.V. in Psalms 105:5, his marvellous works. Cp. Psalms 96:3, and see note on Psalms 9:1.

Read Cambridge on Psalms 105 →
Albert Barnes1798–1870Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Sing unto him - Sing before him; offer him praise. Sing psalms unto him - The word here rendered “sing psalms” means properly “to prune,” and then, to” cut off,” as a discourse at regular periods;

Read Albert Barnes on Psalms 105 →
Daniel Denison Whedon1808–1885Whedon's Commentary on the Bible

2. Sing—With the voice. Sing psalms—The word denotes singing, with playing on an instrument as an accompaniment.

Read Daniel Denison Whedon on Psalms 105 →

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

Sing to Him, sing praises to Him; tell of all His wonders.

WEBWorld English Bible2000

Sing to him, sing praises to him! Tell of all his marvelous works.

MSBMajority Standard Bible2022

Sing to Him, sing praises to Him; tell of all His wonders.

NETBNew English Translation2006

Sing to him! Make music to him! Tell about all his miraculous deeds!

Tyndale line

KJVKing James Version1611

Sing unto him, sing psalms unto him: talk ye of all his wondrous works.

ASVAmerican Standard Version1901

Sing unto him, sing praises unto him; Talk ye of all his marvellous works.

RVARevised Version, American1894

Sing unto him, sing praises unto him; talk ye of all his marvelous works.

NWBWebster's Bible1833

Sing to him, sing psalms to him: talk ye of all his wondrous works.

GNVGeneva Bible1599

Sing vnto him, sing prayse vnto him, and talke of all his wonderous workes.

Strictly literal

DBYDarby Translation1890

Sing unto him, sing psalms unto him; meditate upon all his wondrous works.

YLTYoung's Literal Translation1862

Sing ye to Him — sing praise to Him, Meditate ye on all His wonders.

LSVLiteral Standard Version2020

Sing to Him—sing praise to Him, || Meditate on all His wonders.

ILTInterlinear Literal Translation2000

Sing unto, him, sing praises unto him: speak of all his wonderful works.

ULBUnlocked Literal Bible2017

Sing to him, sing praises to him; speak of all his marvelous deeds.

From the Latin

DRADouay-Rheims (Challoner)1899

Who shall declare the powers of the Lord? who shall set forth all his praises?

Simplified

FBVFree Bible Version2020

Sing to him, sing his praises; tell everyone the great things he's done!

BBEBible in Basic English1949

Let your voice be sounding in songs and melody; let all your thoughts be of the wonder of his works.

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.

clauseverbשִֽׁירוּsingprepositional phrase · prepositionalל֭toוֹhimclauseverbזַמְּרוּsing.praisesprepositional phrase · prepositionalל֑toוֹhimclauseverbשִׂ֝֗יחוּtellprepositional phrase · prepositionalבְּinnoun phraseכָלallnoun phraseנִפְלְאוֹתָֽיwondersוhis

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


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

The Masoretic Text of Psalms 105:2 reads, 'שִֽׁירוּ־ ל֭וֹ זַמְּרוּ־ ל֑וֹ שִׂ֝֗יחוּ בְּכָל־ נִפְלְאוֹתָֽיו׃', which translates to 'Sing to Him, sing praises to Him; tell of all His wonders.' The Septuagint agrees with the Masoretic Text in meaning, as six out of seven words correspond directly, although the word order is different due to the nature of Greek syntax. The Dead Sea Scrolls, specifically 4Q87 and 11Q5, also align closely with the Masoretic Text, with some words partially restored and others supplied by an editor, indicating that the core message remains consistent across these ancient witnesses. Overall, the essential content of the verse is preserved across all sources, highlighting its significance in the biblical tradition.

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

שִֽׁירוּ־ ל֭וֹ זַמְּרוּ־ ל֑וֹ שִׂ֝֗יחוּ בְּכָל־ נִפְלְאוֹתָֽיו׃

Septuagintthe Greek the translators chose, word by word
שִֽׁירוּ־ᾄσατεל֭וֹαὐτῷל֑וֹαὐτῷשִׂ֝֗יחוּδιηγήσασθεבְּכָל־πάνταנִפְלְאוֹתָֽיו׃αὐτοῦ

6 of the 7 words are matched. This is the word-by-word correspondence, not the Septuagint's own sentence — its word order and its articles are its own.

Dead Sea Scrolls — 4Q87a copy a thousand years older than the Leningrad Codex

[שירו] [ל׳ו] [זמרו] ל׳ו [שיחו] [בכול] נפלאותי׳ו

nothing on the leather here — 2 partly restored, 5 supplied entire by an editor.

Dead Sea Scrolls — 11Q5a copy a thousand years older than the Leningrad Codex

[שירו] [ל׳ו] [זמרו] [ל׳ו] [שיחו] בכול נפלאותי׳ו

2 words on the leather — 5 supplied entire by an editor.

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.

Psalms 105:2שִׁירsingsingשִׁירוֹto himto himוֹזמרsing praisesing praisesזמרוֹto himto himוֹשִׂיחַtelltellשִׂיחַכֹּלin allin allכֹּלפָּלָאwonders hiswonders hisפָּלָאכָּלַלto perfectto perfectכָּלַלשׁוּרto travelto travelשׁוּרשׁוּרto seeto seeשׁוּרזָמַרto pruneto pruneזָמַרשֹׁעֵרgatekeepergatekeeperשֹׁעֵרזמרto singto singזמרכִּנּוֹרlyrelyreכִּנּוֹרפִּקּוּדpreceptpreceptפִּקּוּדפָּלָאto wonderto wonderפָּלָאעֵדָהcongregaticongregationעֵדָהעֲבֹדָהserviceserviceעֲבֹדָהנֶ֫דֶרvowvowנֶ֫דֶרחֶ֫סֶדkindnesskindnessחֶ֫סֶד
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 Psalms 105:2

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.

sing to him sing praises to him tell in all wonders his
שִֽׁירוּ־shi.ru- sing H7891 Verb · Qal · imperative second person masculine plural
87× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This Hebrew word means to sing, and it is used in the Bible to describe the act of singing, like when the Israelites sang after crossing the Red Sea in Exodus 15. It can also refer to a singer or songstress. The Bible often mentions singing as a way to praise God.
Amplified meaning
with joyful music, in praise
Tyndale gloss
to sing
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

שִׁיר (shiyr) means 'to sing' and is a denominative verb derived from a primitive root. It covers various forms of singing, including participles for singers and songstresses. The entries indicate its use in different verbal stems, such as Qal and Polel, and note its appearance in contexts like 1 Samuel 18:6.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

[שִׁיר] 86 vb. sing (denom.)

Qal 49 sing

Pō‛l. 36 sing

Hoph. be sung

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H7891 שִׁיר sing (denom.)

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

7891 shiyr sheer

or (the original form) shuwr (1 Sam. 18:6) {shoor}; a

primitive root (identical with 7788 through the idea of

strolling minstrelsy); to sing:--behold (by mistake for

7789), sing(-er, -ing man, - ing woman).

see HEBREW for 07788

see HEBREW for 07789

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

שִׁיר (shir) — to sing.

1) to sing

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to sing

1a2) singer, songstresses (participle)

1b) (Polel)

1b1) to sing

1b2) singer, songstress (participle)

1c) (Hophal) to be sung

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
V-Qal-Impv-2mp — Verb · Qal · imperative second person masculine plural
HVqv2mp
sing to him sing praises to him tell in all wonders his
ל֭וֹlo to him H9033 Preposition · suffix
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

וֹ (o) — him.

Personal object pronoun - suffix for propositions and verbs without an object: 3rd person masculine singular

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
HR/Sp3ms — Preposition · suffix
HR/Sp3ms
sing to him sing praises to him tell in all wonders his
זַמְּרוּ־za.me.ru- sing praises H2167 Verb · Piel · imperative second person masculine plural
45× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This word means to sing or make music, often with praise and celebration. In the Psalms, it describes singing with instruments and voice, giving thanks to God. It's about joyful noise and worship.
Amplified meaning
hymns of worship, songs of adoration
Tyndale gloss
to sing
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

זָמַר (zamar) is a Hebrew verb meaning to sing or make music, particularly in praise of God. It is derived from a root that suggests touching the strings of a musical instrument. The word covers actions like singing, playing instruments, and celebrating through music. The Piel form specifically emphasizes making music in worship.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

[זמר] vb. only Pi. make music in praise of God

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H2167 זמר only Pi. make music in praise of God

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

2167 zamar zaw-mar'

a primitive root (perhaps ident. with 2168 through the idea

of striking with the fingers); properly, to touch the strings

or parts of a musical instrument, i.e. play upon it; to make

music, accompanied by the voice; hence to celebrate in song

and music:--give praise, sing forth praises, psalms.

see HEBREW for 02168

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

זָמַר (za.mar) — to sing.

1) to sing, sing praise, make music

1a) (Piel)

1a1) to make music, sing

1a2) to play a musical instrument

Aramaic equivalent: ze.mar (זְמָר "music" H2170)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
V-Piel-Impv-2mp — Verb · Piel · imperative second person masculine plural
HVpv2mp
sing to him sing praises to him tell in all wonders his
ל֑וֹlo to him H9033 Preposition · suffix
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

וֹ (o) — him.

Personal object pronoun - suffix for propositions and verbs without an object: 3rd person masculine singular

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
HR/Sp3ms — Preposition · suffix
HR/Sp3ms
sing to him sing praises to him tell in all wonders his
שִׂ֝֗יחוּSi.chu tell H7878 Verb · Qal · imperative second person masculine plural
20× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This Hebrew word means to think deeply about something, like a problem or an idea, and to talk to oneself or others about it, as seen in the book of Psalms where David ponders God's creation.
Amplified meaning
meditate on, proclaim
Tyndale gloss
to muse
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

שִׂיחַ (siyach) is a Hebrew verb meaning to muse or complain, encompassing a range of actions such as talking, singing, and meditating. It can imply conversing with oneself or aloud, and includes nuances of pondering and declaring thoughts. The entries consistently highlight its use in contexts of communication and reflection.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

שִׂיחַ vb. denom. muse, complain, poet. talk (of)

Qal

complain

muse

talk (about), sing (of)

talk (with)

Pôl‛el meditate, consider

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H7878 שִׂיחַ vb. denom. muse, complain, poet. talk of

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

7878 siyach see'-akh

a primitive root; to ponder, i.e. (by implication) converse

(with oneself, and hence, aloud) or (transitively) utter:--

commune, complain, declare, meditate, muse, pray, speak, talk

(with).

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

שִׂיחַ (si.ach) — to muse.

1) to put forth, mediate, muse, commune, speak, complain, ponder, sing

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to complain

1a2) to muse, meditate upon, study, ponder

1a3) to talk, sing, speak

1b) (Polel) to meditate, consider, put forth thoughts

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
V-Qal-Impv-2mp — Verb · Qal · imperative second person masculine plural
HVqv2mp
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

See TALE.

sing to him sing praises to him tell in all wonders his
בְּכָל־be.khol in all H3605 Preposition · 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
every, everything
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
Prep | N-ms — Preposition · noun common masculine singular construct
HR/Ncmsc
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

ol: Used in various combinations, and with different meanings.

(1) All along, "Weeping all along as he went" (Jer 41:6), i.e. throughout the whole way he went, feigning equal concern with the men from Shiloh, etc., for the destruction of the Temple, so as to put them off their guard.

(2) All in all, "That God may be all in all" (1Co 15:28, Greek: panta en pasin, "all things in all (persons and) things"). "The universe, with all it comprises, will wholly answer to God's will and reflect His mind" (Dummelow).

(3) All one, "It is all one" (Job 9:22), "it makes no difference whether I live or die."

(4) At all, "If thy father miss me at all" (1Sa 20:6), "in any way," "in the least."

The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
sing to him sing praises to him tell in all wonders his
נִפְלְאוֹתָֽיו׃nif.le.'o.Tav wonders his H6381 Verb niphal participle (active) feminine plural common · suffix
71× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This Hebrew word means to wonder or be amazed, often at something great or difficult. It describes God's power and miracles in the Bible, like in the book of Psalms. The KJV translates it as 'marvelous' or 'wonderful'.
Amplified meaning
marvelous works, amazing deeds, things that inspire awe
Tyndale gloss
to wonder
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word פָּלָא (pala') is a verb that conveys the idea of being extraordinary or wonderful. It can describe actions that are difficult to perform or understand, as well as marvelous acts of God, particularly in judgment and redemption. The word can also refer to making special offerings or showing oneself in a marvelous way.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

[פָּלָא] 71 vb. denom. Niph. etc., be surpassing, extraordinary

Niph.

be beyond one's power, difficult to do

be difficult to understand

be extraordinary, wonderful

as subst., marvellous things

= wonderful acts of י׳ in judgement and redemption

Pi. make a special votive offering

Hiph.

do a hard or difficult thing

make wonderful, do wondrously

of God working wonders in doing

Hithp. thou dost shew thyself marvellous (act inexplicably) against me

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H6381 פָּלָא vb. denom. Niph. etc., be surpassing, extraordinary . . be beyond one's power, difficult to do

. be difficult to understand

. . be extraordinary, wonderful

. as subst., marvellous things

. = wonderful acts of י׳ in judgement and redemption

. make a special votive offering

. . do a hard or difficult thing

. make wonderful, do wondrously

. of God working wonders in doing

. thou dost shew thyself marvellous (act inexplicably) against me

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

6381 pala' paw-law'

a primitive root; properly, perhaps to separate, i.e.

distinguish (literally or figuratively); by implication, to be

(causatively, make) great, difficult, wonderful:--accomplish,

(arise...too, be too) hard, hidden, things too high, (be, do,

do a, shew) marvelous(-ly, -els, things, work), miracles,

perform, separate, make singular, (be, great, make)

wonderful(-ers, -ly, things, works), wondrous (things,

works, -ly).

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

פָּלָא (pa.la) — to wonder.

1) to be marvellous, be wonderful, be surpassing, be extraordinary, separate by distinguishing action

1a) (Niphal)

1a1) to be beyond one's power, be difficult to do

1a2) to be difficult to understand

1a3) to be wonderful, be extraordinary

1a3a) marvellous (participle)

1b) (Piel) to separate (an offering)

1c) (Hiphil)

1c1) to do extraordinary or hard or difficult thing

1c2) to make wonderful, do wondrously

1d) (Hithpael) to show oneself wonderful or marvellous

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
V-Niphal | Suff — Verb niphal participle (active) feminine plural common · suffix
HVNrfpc/Sp3ms
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

hiz: Used often in the King James Version with reference to a neuter or inanimate thing, or to a lower animal (Ge 1:11, "after his kind"; Le 1:16, "pluck away his crop"; Ac 12:10, "of his own accord"; 1Co 15:38, "his own body"), etc. the Revised Version (British and American) substitutes "its."

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