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Psalms 106:16 — Word Study

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WLCוַיְקַנְא֣וּ לְ֭מֹשֶׁה בַּֽמַּחֲנֶ֑ה לְ֝אַהֲרֹ֗ן קְד֣וֹשׁ יְהוָֽה׃

BSAIn the campmachăneh [among the tents, in the Israelite encampment] they enviedqânâʼ [became jealous of, were resentful towards] MosesMôsheh as well as AaronʼAhărôwn [also, in addition to, the holy priest, the brother of Moses] the holy oneqâdôwsh [set apart, sacred] of the LORDYᵉhôvâh [Yehovah, the supreme God]

Word
Listen & take awayPsalms 106
English ↓ Download MP3 The Berean Standard Bible chapter audio already hosted for the site's Bible section — verse 16 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 (Yah.weh) — no per-word recordings of the Hebrew exist to link to.
Take it away
Psalms 106:16quick helps
In a sentenceThe Israelites in the camp envied both Moses and Aaron, who was set apart for God's service.
Who is speakingThe psalmist recounts a historical event involving Moses and Aaron.
Where we areThe context is a reflection on the Israelites' behavior during their wilderness journey.
The hard wordקָנָא
Take awayJealousy can lead to resentment and division among people.
8 commentators on this verse Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them › clause verbקָנָא 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 106:16

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

Context — The Rebellion in the Wildernessgenerated

15So He granted their request, but sent a wasting disease upon them.
16In the camp they envied Moses, as well as Aaron, the holy one of the LORD.
17The earth opened up and swallowed Dathan; it covered the assembly of Abiram.
18Then fire blazed through their company; flames consumed the wicked.

Psalms 106:16 reflects on the Israelites' discontent in the camp, where they envied Moses and Aaron. This passage highlights the tensions that arose among the people during their journey through the wilderness, as they struggled with jealousy towards their leaders. The psalmist recalls how this envy contributed to their overall rebellion against God's appointed leaders, which is further illustrated in the surrounding verses.


Cross References

ReferenceText (BSB)
1Numbers 16:1–3Now Korah son of Izhar, the son of Kohath son of Levi, along with some Reubenites—Dathan and Abiram, sons of Eliab, and On son of Peleth—conducted
2Exodus 28:36You are to make a plate of pure gold and engrave on it as on a seal: HOLY TO THE LORD.
3Leviticus 21:6–8They must be holy to their God and not profane the name of their God. Because they present to the LORD the offerings made by fire, the food of their God, they must be holy.
4Numbers 16:7and tomorrow you are to place fire and incense in them in the presence of the LORD. Then the man the LORD chooses will be the one who is holy. It is you sons of Levi who have taken too much upon yourselves!”

The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 4 references, hung on the phrase they belong to


The Key Word קָנָא, vay.kan.'Ugenerated

The Hebrew verb קָנָא (kana') means to be envious or jealous. It is often associated with feelings of resentment towards someone perceived to have an advantage. In this context, it indicates the Israelites' discontent with Moses and Aaron, who were chosen by God to lead them.

The Piel form of the verb suggests an intensified action, emphasizing the depth of their jealousy. This emotional response is significant as it not only reveals their attitude towards their leaders but also reflects a larger theme of rebellion against God's authority.


How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated

In the Berean Standard Bible, the verse uses envied, which is consistent across other translations like the KJV and ASV.


Sentence Structuregenerated

The main verb וַיְקַנְא֣וּ (vay.kan.'u), meaning 'and they were envious,' governs the clause, with two prepositional phrases that specify whom they envied: Moses and Aaron. The structure emphasizes the action of envy directed towards these two leaders.

The order places the focus on the leaders first, followed by the camp, highlighting the collective nature of the Israelites' feelings.


Septuagint Backgroundgenerated

The Septuagint translates the Hebrew verb קָנָא as παρώργισαν, which conveys a sense of provoking anger. This choice suggests a deeper emotional response than mere envy, indicating that their jealousy led to actions that angered Moses.

This translation captures the intensity of the Israelites' feelings, showing that their envy had significant consequences within the camp.


In plain words — the whole versegenerated

Psalms 106:16 tells us that in the camp, the Israelites were envious of Moses and Aaron, who was set apart as the holy one of the Lord. This jealousy reflects the struggles they faced during their time in the wilderness.


Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated

What does it mean that the Israelites envied Moses and Aaron?

It means they felt jealousy and resentment towards their leaders, which can lead to division and rebellion against authority.

Why is Aaron described as the holy one of the Lord?

Aaron is called the holy one because he was set apart by God to serve as the first high priest, a role that required special dedication and purity.

How does this verse reflect the behavior of the Israelites?

This verse illustrates the recurring theme of discontent and jealousy among the Israelites, showing how their emotions often led to challenges in their relationship with God and their leaders.

What can we learn from the Israelites' envy?

We can learn that jealousy can harm relationships and lead to negative consequences, emphasizing the importance of contentment and respect for leadership.


Reflection Questionsgenerated

  1. In what ways can jealousy affect our relationships with others?
  2. How can we learn to support our leaders instead of envying them?
  3. What steps can we take to recognize and address feelings of jealousy in our own lives?
  4. How does understanding the context of the Israelites' journey help us relate to their struggles?

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

Early commentary from Augustine of Hippo reflects on this verse, noting the anger directed towards Moses and Aaron in the tents.

Augustine of HippoExposition on Psalms 106 354–430
"And they angered Moses in the tents, and Aaron the saint of the Lord" [Psalms 106:16].
Early Church Fathers on Psalms 106 →

Commentators on this verse — 8 expositors, verse by verse

Each of these wrote on Psalms 106:16 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.

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

They envied Moses also in the camp,.... That he should be generalissimo there, have the sole command of the people, and be their leader and chief magistrate.

Read John Gill on Psalms 106 →
Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's Commentary

They soon forgat his works; they waited not for his counsel: -Three transgressions of Israel in the wilderness are detailed, rising in gradation of moral guilt, without respect to time: (1) Their

Read Robert Jamieson on Psalms 106 →
Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy Bible

So called here, not so much for his inherent holiness, whereof Moses had a greater share, but because he was consecrated or set apart by God for that sacred office of the priesthood, in which respect all the priests are said to be holy, . Hereby he intimates that their envy and rebellion was not only against Aaron, but against God himself.

Read Matthew Poole on Psalms 106 →
John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

Psalms 106:16 They envied Moses also in the camp, [and] Aaron the saint of the LORD.Ver. 16. They envied Moses also] Korah and his complices did; and because the people punished them not, they are all accused as guilty of that conspiracy, and looked upon as a rabble of rebels against heaven. And Aaron the saint of the Lord] Separated to the priesthood. The Rabbis tell us that they bad chosen Dathan instead of Moses, and Abiram for Aaron.

Read John Trapp on Psalms 106 →
Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(13-33) These twenty verses cover the desert wanderings, beginning with the discontented spirit mentioned in Exodus 15:23.

Read Charles John Ellicott on Psalms 106 →
AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible

Verse 16. They envied Moses] A reference to the case of Korah and his company. Aaron the saint.] The anointed, the high priest of the Lord.

Read AdamClarke on Psalms 106 →
CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

16–18. A third sin; jealousy of the authority of Moses and Aaron (Numbers 16).

Read Cambridge on Psalms 106 →
Albert Barnes1798–1870Barnes' Notes on the Bible

They envied Moses also in the camp - They were envious of him, or rebelled against him, as assuming too much authority. See Numbers 16:1-2.

Read Albert Barnes on Psalms 106 →

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

In the camp they envied Moses, as well as Aaron, the holy one of the LORD.

WEBWorld English Bible2000

They envied Moses also in the camp, and Aaron, Yahweh’s saint.

MSBMajority Standard Bible2022

In the camp they envied Moses, as well as Aaron, the holy one of the LORD.

NETBNew English Translation2006

In the camp they resented Moses, and Aaron, the Lord’s holy priest.

Tyndale line

KJVKing James Version1611

They envied Moses also in the camp, and Aaron the saint of the LORD.

ASVAmerican Standard Version1901

They envied Moses also in the camp, And Aaron the saint of Jehovah.

RVARevised Version, American1894

They envied Moses also in the camp, and Aaron the saint of the LORD.

NWBWebster's Bible1833

They envied Moses also in the camp, and Aaron the saint of the LORD.

GNVGeneva Bible1599

They enuied Moses also in the tentes, and Aaron the holy one of the Lord.

Strictly literal

DBYDarby Translation1890

And they envied Moses in the camp, [and] Aaron, the saint of Jehovah.

YLTYoung's Literal Translation1862

And they are envious of Moses in the camp, Of Aaron, Jehovah's holy one.

LSVLiteral Standard Version2020

And they are envious of Moses in the camp, || Of Aaron, YHWH’s holy one.

ILTInterlinear Literal Translation2000

Moreover they envied Moses in the camp, and Aaron the holy one of the Lord.

ULBUnlocked Literal Bible2017

In the camp they became jealous of Moses and Aaron, the holy priest of Yahweh.

From the Latin

DRADouay-Rheims (Challoner)1899

Because he hath broken gates of brass, and burst the iron bars.

Simplified

FBVFree Bible Version2020

In the camp the people became jealous of Moses, and of Aaron, the Lord's holy priest.

BBEBible in Basic English1949

They were full of envy against Moses among the tents, and against Aaron, the holy one of the Lord.

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.

וַandclauseclauseverbיְקַנְא֣וּthey.were.enviousprepositional phrase · prepositionalלְ֭ofמֹשֶׁהMosesprepositional phrase · prepositionalבַּֽinnoun phrasetheמַּחֲנֶ֑הcampclauseprepositional phrase · prepositionalלְ֝ofnoun phraseאַהֲרֹ֗ןAaronnoun phraseקְד֣וֹשׁthe.holy.[one]יְהוָֽהof.Yahweh

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 wording of this verse, with all six words matched. This consistency indicates a shared understanding of the event being described, emphasizing the Israelites' envy towards Moses and Aaron.

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

וַיְקַנְא֣וּ לְ֭מֹשֶׁה בַּֽמַּחֲנֶ֑ה לְ֝אַהֲרֹ֗ן קְד֣וֹשׁ יְהוָֽה׃

Septuagintthe Greek the translators chose, word by word
וַיְקַנְא֣וּπαρώργισανלְ֭מֹשֶׁהμωυσῆνבַּֽמַּחֲנֶ֑הἐνלְ֝אַהֲרֹ֗ןααρωνקְד֣וֹשׁἅγιονיְהוָֽה׃κυρίου

6 of the 6 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.

Psalms 106:16קָנָאand they weand they were eקָנָאמֹשֶׁהof Mosesof Mosesמֹשֶׁהמַחֲנֶהin the campin the campמַחֲנֶהאַהֲרֹןof Aaronof Aaronאַהֲרֹןקָדוֹשׁ[the] holy [the] holy [oneקָדוֹשׁיהוהYahwehYahwehיהוהקָדַשׁto consecrto consecrate: קָדַשׁמָשָׁהto drawto drawמָשָׁהחָנָהto campto campחָנָההָיָהto beto beהָיָהקִנְאָהjealousyjealousyקִנְאָהאַהֲרֹןAaronAaronאַהֲרֹןצָוָהto commandto commandצָוָהדֶּ֫גֶלstandardstandardדֶּ֫גֶלחוּץoutsideoutsideחוּץאֶלְעָזָרEleazarEleazarאֶלְעָזָרמֹשֶׁהMosesMosesמֹשֶׁהנְאֻםutteranceutteranceנְאֻםצָבָאarmyarmyצָבָא
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 106:16

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.

and they were envious of Moses in the camp of Aaron [the] holy [one] of Yahweh
וַיְקַנְא֣וּvay.kan.'U and they were envious H7065 Verb · Piel · sequential imperfect third person masculine plural
34× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
To be jealous means to feel envious or resentful of someone or something, often because of a perceived threat or rivalry. In the Bible, jealousy is sometimes portrayed as a negative emotion, as in the story of Cain and Abel in the book of Genesis.
Amplified meaning
became jealous of, were resentful towards
Tyndale gloss
be jealous
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word קָנָא (qana') is a verb that conveys meanings related to jealousy and zeal. It can mean to be jealous, envious, or zealous, and can also imply provoking jealousy or anger. The entries highlight its use in different forms, particularly the Piel and Hiphil stems, indicating both personal feelings and actions that incite jealousy.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

[קָנָא] vb. denom.

Pi. be jealous, zealous

be jealous of

be envious of

be zealous for

excite to jealous anger

Hiph. provoke to jealous anger

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H7065 קָנָא vb. denom. Pi. be jealous, zealous

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

7065 qana' kaw-naw'

a primitive root; to be (causatively, make) zealous, i.e. (in

a bad sense) jealous or envious:--(be) envy(-ious), be (move

to, provoke to) jealous(-y), X very, (be) zeal(-ous).

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

קָנָא (qa.na) — be jealous.

1) to envy, be jealous, be envious, be zealous

1a) (Piel)

1a1) to be jealous of

1a2) to be envious of

1a3) to be zealous for

1a4) to excite to jealous anger

1b) (Hiphil) to provoke to jealous anger, cause jealousy

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Conj | V-Piel-ConsecImperf-3mp — Verb · Piel · sequential imperfect third person masculine plural
Hc/Vpw3mp
and they were envious of Moses in the camp of Aaron [the] holy [one] of Yahweh
לְ֭מֹשֶׁהLe.mo.sheh of Moses H4872 Preposition · noun proper masculine
766× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
Moses, the Israelite leader, was born to Amram and Jochebed and led the Exodus from Egypt. He received the law from God and is considered a key figure in the Bible. Moses means 'drawn' in Hebrew.
Tyndale gloss
Moses
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

מֹשֶׁה (Mosheh) refers to Moses, the prominent Hebrew leader, prophet, and lawgiver. The name is derived from the root meaning 'drawing out,' indicating his rescue from water. He is a key figure in the Old Testament, first mentioned in Exodus 2:10, and is known for leading the Israelites during the Exodus.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

מֹשֶׁה 767 n.pr.m. Moses, the great Hebrew leader, prophet and lawgiver

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H4872 מֹשֶׁה Moses, the great Hebrew leader, prophet and lawgiver

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

4872 Mosheh mo-sheh'

from 4871; drawing out (of the water), i.e. rescued; Mosheh,

the Israelite lawgiver:--Moses.

see HEBREW for 04871

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

מֹשֶׁה (mo.sheh) — Moses.

A man of the tribe of Levi living at the time of Egypt and Wilderness, first mentioned at Exo.2.10;

son of: Amram (H6019) and Jochebed (H3115);

brother of: Aaron (H0175) and Miriam (H4813); married to Zipporah (H6855);

father of: Gershom (H1647) and Eliezer (H0461H); also called Manasseh at Jdg.18.30(?)

§ Moses = "drawn"

the prophet and lawgiver, leader of the exodus

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Prep | N-proper — Preposition · noun proper masculine
HR/Npm
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

mo'-zez, mo'-ziz (mosheh; Egyptian mes, "drawn out," "born"; Septuagint Mouse(s)). The great Hebrew national hero, leader, author, law-giver and prophet.

I. LIFE

1. Son of Levi

2. Foundling Prince

3. Friend of the People

4. Refuge in Midian

5. Leader of Israel

II. WORK AND CHARACTER

1. The Author

2. The Lawgiver

3. The Prophet

LITERATURE

The traditional view of the Jewish church and of the Christian church, that Moses was a person and that the narrative with which his life-story is interwoven is real history, is in the main sustained by commentators and critics of all classes.

It is needless to mention the old writers among whom these questions were hardly under discussion. Among the advocates of the current radical criticism may be mentioned Stade and Renan, who minimize the historicity of the Bible narrative at this point. Renan thinks the narrative "may be very probable." Ewald, Wellhausen…

Easton's Bible Dictionary

Moses

Drawn (or Egypt. mesu, “son;” hence Rameses, royal son). On the invitation of Pharaoh (Gen. 45:17-25), Jacob and his sons went down into Egypt. This immigration took place probably about 350 years before the birth of Moses. Some centuries before Joseph, Egypt had been conquered by a pastoral Semitic race from Asia, the Hyksos, who brought into cruel subjection the native Egyptians, who were an African race. Jacob and his retinue were accustomed to a shepherd’s life, and on their arrival in Egypt were received with favour by the king, who assigned them the “best of the land”, the land of Goshen, to dwell in. The Hyksos or “shepherd” king who thus showed favour to Joseph and his family was in all probability the Pharaoh Apopi (or Apopis).

Smith's Bible Dictionary

(Heb. Mosheh , "drawn," i.e. from the water; in the Coptic it means "saved from the water"), the legislator of the Jewish people, and in a certain sense the founder of the Jewish religion. The immediate pedigree of Moses is as follows: Levi was the father of: Gershon -- Kohath -- Merari Kohath was the father of: Amram = Jochebed Amram = Jochebed was the father of: Hur = Miriam -- Aaron = Elisheba -- Moses = Zipporah Aaron = Elisheba was the father of: Nadab -- Abihu -- Eleazar -- Ithamar Eleazar was the father of: Phineas Moses = Zipporah was the father of: Gershom -- Eliezer Gershom was the father of: Jonathan The history of Moses naturally divides itself into three periods of 40 years each. Moses was born at Goshen, In Egypt, B.C. 1571. The story of his birth is thoroughly Egyptian in its scene. His mother made extraordinary efforts for his preservation from the general destruction of…

American Tract Society Bible Dictionary

The name of the illustrious prophet and legislator of the Hebrews, who led them from Egypt to the Promised Land. Having been originally imposed by a native Egyptian princess, the word is no doubt Egyptian in its origin, and Josephus gives its true derivation—from the two Egyptian words, MO, water, and USE, saved. With this accords the Septuagint form, MOUSES. The Hebrews by a slight change accommodated it to their own language, as they did also in the case of some other foreign words; calling it MOSHIE, from the verb MASHA, to draw. See Ex 2:10. Moses was born about 15.71 B. C., the son of Amram and Jochebed, of the tribe of Levi, and the younger brother of Miriam and Aaron. His history is too extensive to permit insertion here, and in general too well known to need it. It is enough simply to remark, that it is divided into three…

and they were envious of Moses in the camp of Aaron [the] holy [one] of Yahweh
בַּֽמַּחֲנֶ֑הba.ma.cha.Neh in the camp H4264 Preposition · noun common feminine singular absolute
215× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This word refers to a camp or army, like the Israelites' encampments in the wilderness. It can also mean a group of people or animals. The KJV translates it as 'army, band, or camp'.
Amplified meaning
among the tents, in the Israelite encampment
Tyndale gloss
camp
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

מַחֲנֶה (machaneh) refers to an encampment or camp, encompassing both literal and figurative meanings. It can denote a place where people or troops gather, an army, or a body of individuals. The term is used in various contexts, including military, social, and even celestial gatherings.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

מַחֲנֶה 214 n.m. and f. encampment, camp

camp, place of encampment

camp of armed host

those who encamp

company, body of people

army, host

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H4264 מַחֲנֶה encampment, camp . camp, place of encampment

. camp of armed host

. . those who encamp

. company, body of people

. army, host

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

4264 machaneh makh-an-eh'

from 2583; an encampment (of travellers or troops); hence, an

army, whether literal (of soldiers) or figurative (of dancers,

angels, cattle, locusts, stars; or even the sacred courts):--

army, band, battle, camp, company, drove, host, tents.

see HEBREW for 02583

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

מַחֲנֶה (ma.cha.neh) — camp.

1) encampment, camp

1a) camp, place of encampment

1b) camp of armed host, army camp

1c) those who encamp, company, body of people

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Prep | N-cs — Preposition · noun common feminine singular absolute
HRd/Ncfsa
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

See WAR.

Easton's Bible Dictionary

Camp

During their journeys across the wilderness, the twelve tribes formed encampments at the different places where they halted (Ex. 16:13; Num. 2:3). The diagram here given shows the position of the different tribes and the form of the encampment during the wanderings, according to Num. 1:53; 2:2-31; 3:29, 35, 38; 10:13-28.

The area of the camp would be in all about 3 square miles. After the Hebrews entered Palestine, the camps then spoken of were exclusively warlike (Josh. 11:5, 7; Judg. 5:19, 21; 7:1; 1 Sam. 29:1; 30:9, etc.).

Smith's Bible Dictionary

[ENCAMPMENT]

Nave's Topical Bible

→ Of the Israelites around the tabernacle Nu 2; 3

→ See ITINERARY

and they were envious of Moses in the camp of Aaron [the] holy [one] of Yahweh
לְ֝אַהֲרֹ֗ןle.'a.ha.Ron of Aaron H175 Preposition · noun proper masculine
347× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
Aaron was the brother of Moses and the first high priest of the Israelites. He was a leader in the Exodus from Egypt and played a key role in the early history of the Israelites. His story is told in Exodus and Leviticus.
Amplified meaning
also, in addition to, the holy priest, the brother of Moses
Tyndale gloss
Aaron
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

אַהֲרֹן (Aharon) refers to Aaron, the elder brother of Moses, from the tribe of Levi. He is first mentioned in Exodus 4:14 and is known as the first high priest. Aaron is the son of Amram and Jochebed, and he had four sons: Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar. The name is of uncertain derivation but is associated with the meaning 'light bringer.'

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

אַהֲרֹן 346 n.pr.m. Aaron, elder brother of Moses

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H175 אַהֲרֹן Aaron, elder brother of Moses

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

175 'Aharown a-har-one'

of uncertain derivation; Aharon, the brother of

Moses:--Aaron.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

אַהֲרֹן (a.ha.ron) — Aaron.

A man of the tribe of Levi living at the time of Egypt and Wilderness, first mentioned at Exo.4.14;

son of: Amram (H6019) and Jochebed (H3115);

brother of: Moses (H4872) and Miriam (H4813); married to Elisheba (H0472);

father of: Nadab (H5070), Abihu (H0030), Eleazar (H0499) and Ithamar (H0385)

Also named: Aarōn (Ἀαρών "Aaron" G0002)

§ Aaron = "light bringer"

brother of Moses, a Levite and the first high priest

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Prep | N-proper — Preposition · noun proper masculine
HR/Npm
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

ar'-un, sometimes pronounced ar'on ('aharon--Septuagint Aaron, meaning uncertain: Gesenius suggests "mountaineer"; Furst, "enlightened"; others give "rich," "fluent." Cheyne mentions Redslob's "ingenious conjecture" of ha-'aron--"the ark"--with its mythical, priestly significance, Encyclopedia Biblica under the word):

1. Family:

Probably eldest son of Amram (Ex 6:20), and according to the uniform genealogical lists (Ex 6:16-20; 1Ch 6:1-3), the fourth from Levi. This however is not certainly fixed, since there are frequent omissions from the Hebrew lists of names which are not prominent in the line of descent. For the corresponding period from Levi to Aaron the Judah list has six names (

Aaron

The eldest son of Amram and Jochebed, a daughter of Levi (Ex. 6:20). Some explain the name as meaning mountaineer, others mountain of strength, illuminator. He was born in Egypt three years before his brother Moses, and a number of years after his sister Miriam (2:1,4; 7:7). He married Elisheba, the daughter of Amminadab of the house of Judah (6:23; 1 Chr. 2:10), by whom he had four sons, Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar. When the time for the deliverance of Isarael out of Egypt drew nigh, he was sent by God (Ex. 4:14,27-30) to meet his long-absent brother, that he might co-operate with him in all that they were required to do in bringing about the Exodus. He was to be the “mouth” or “prophet” of Moses, i.e., was to…

Smith's Bible Dictionary

(a teacher, or lofty), the son of Amram and Jochebed, and the older brother of Moses and Miriam. (Numbers 26:59; 33:39) (B.C. 1573.) He was a Levite, and is first mentioned in (Exodus 4:14) He was appointed by Jehovah to be the interpreter, (Exodus 4:16) of his brother Moses, who was "slow of speech;" and accordingly he was not only the organ of communication with the Israelites and with Pharaoh, (Exodus 4:30; 7:2) but also the actual instrument of working most of the miracles of the Exodus. (Exodus 7:19) etc. On the way to Mount Sinai, during the battle with Amalek, Aaron with Hur stayed up the weary hands of Moses when…

American Tract Society Bible Dictionary

The son of Amram and Jochabed, of the tribe of Levi, and brother of Moses and Miriam, Ex 6:20; born about the year B. C. 1574. He was three years older than Moses, Ex 7:7 and was the spokesman and assistant of the latter in bringing Israel out of Egypt, Ex 4:16. His wife was Elisheba, daughter of Amminadab; and his sons, Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar. He was 83 years old when God summoned him to join Moses in the desert near Horeb. Cooperating with his brother in the exodus from Egypt, Ex 4:1-16:36, he held up his hands in the battle with Amalek, Ex 17:1-16; and ascended Mount Sinai with him to see the glory of God,

and they were envious of Moses in the camp of Aaron [the] holy [one] of Yahweh
קְד֣וֹשׁke.Do.osh [the] holy [one] of H6918 Adj
116× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
Holy means set apart or sacred, used to describe God, angels, and saints. In the Bible, it is often used to describe things or people dedicated to God's service, like the Temple in Jerusalem or the prophets who spoke on God's behalf.
Amplified meaning
set apart, sacred
Tyndale gloss
holy
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word קָדוֹשׁ (*qadosh*) means sacred or holy. It can refer to God, angels, saints, or sanctuaries, indicating a state of being set apart. The entries consistently emphasize its moral and ceremonial significance, with no notable disagreements among the lexicons.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

קָדוֹשׁ adj. sacred, holy

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H6918 קָדוֹשׁ sacred, holy

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

6918 qadowsh kaw-doshe'

or qadosh {kaw-doshe'}; from 6942; sacred (ceremonially or

morally); (as noun) God (by eminence), an angel, a saint, a

sanctuary:--holy (One), saint.

see HEBREW for 06942

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

קָדוֹשׁ (qa.dosh) — holy.

: holy

sacred, holy, Holy One, saint, set apart

קָדוֹשׁ (qa.dosh) — holy: saint.

: saint/priest

sacred, holy, Holy One, saint, set apart

A sub-meaning of qa.dosh (קָדוֹשׁ ": holy" H6918)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Adj — Adj
HAamsc
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…

and they were envious of Moses in the camp of Aaron [the] holy [one] of Yahweh
יְהוָֽה׃Yah.weh Yahweh H3068 Noun proper
6,528× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
Yehovah is another name for God, often translated as 'the Lord'. It is a national name for God in the Jewish faith. This name is used throughout the Old Testament.
Amplified meaning
Yehovah, the supreme God
Tyndale gloss
The Lord
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

יְהֹוָה (ye.ho.vah) is the proper name of the God of Israel, often rendered as Jehovah or the Lord. It signifies the self-existent or eternal nature of God. The name is closely associated with the revelation to Moses in Exodus 3:12-15 and is used in conjunction with other terms to denote sacred places. Some scholars suggest it derives from a root meaning 'to bring into being.'

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

יהוה c. 6823 i.e. יַהְוֶה n.pr.dei Yahweh, the proper name of the God of Israel—(1. MT יְהֹוָה 6518 (Qr אֲדֹנָי), or יֱהֹוִה 305 (Qr אֱלֹהִים) 2. Many recent scholars explain יַהְוֶה as Hiph. of הוה (= היה) the one bringing into being, life-giver)

יהוה is not used by E in Gn, but is given Ex 3:12-15 as the name of the God who revealed Himself to Moses at Horeb

יהוה is used with אלהים and suffixes, especially in D

the phrase † אֲנִי יהוה is noteworthy

יהוה is also used with several predicates, to form sacred names of holy places of Yahweh

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H3068 יהוה i.e. יַהְוֶה n. pr. dei Yahweh, the proper name of the God of Israel

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

3068 Yhovah yeh-ho-vaw'

from 1961; (the) self-Existent or Eternal; Jehovah, Jewish

national name of God:--Jehovah, the Lord. Compare 3050, 3069.

see HEBREW for 01961

see HEBREW for 03050

see HEBREW for 03069

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

יְהֹוָה (ye.ho.vah) — LORD.

Jehovah = "the existing One"

1) the proper name of the one true God

1a) unpronounced except with the vowel pointings of a.do.na (אֲדֹנָי "Lord" H0136)

יְהֹוָה (ye.ho.vah) — The Lord.

Another name of ye.ru.sha.laim (יְרוּשָׁלִַ֫ם, יְרוּשְׁלֵם "Jerusalem" H3389)

יְהֹוָה (ye.ho.vah) — (Jerusalem of) the Lord.

Combined with ye.ru.sha.laim (יְרוּשָׁלִַ֫ם, יְרוּשְׁלֵם "Jerusalem" H3389)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-proper — Noun proper
HNpt
The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
Sources on this page. Lexicons and dictionaries imported from the CrossWire SWORD modules — Abbott-Smith, Strong's, Dodson, the Intermediate Liddell-Scott-Jones, Robinson and Packard, Webster and Cawdrey. Thayer’s Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament (Harper, 1889 — Grimm’s Wilke’s Clavis Novi Testamenti, translated, revised and enlarged by Joseph Henry Thayer) is public domain and is set here from the Internet Archive page scan greekenglishlex00grim; it is uncorrected OCR, marked as such on the entry itself, and the Strong’s numbers — which Thayer’s own edition does not carry — were matched by lemma against the other modules on this page. Trench’s Synonyms of the New Testament (Macmillan, 1880) and Moulton and Milligan’s Vocabulary of the Greek Testament (Hodder & Stoughton, 1930, which entered the United States public domain on 1 January 2026) are set from Internet Archive page scans synonymsofnewtes00treniala and vocabularyofgree00mouluoft, and are likewise uncorrected OCR matched to Strong’s numbers by lemma. Trench treats a group of words at once, so the same essay stands on the page of each word it compares. The Mounce Concise Greek-English Dictionary is © 1993 and is used here by permission for non-commercial use, www.teknia.com/greek-dictionary. The full Liddell-Scott-Jones and the Hebrew word data (TAHOT) come from STEPBible.org, CC BY 4.0. Brown-Driver-Briggs is the OpenScriptures digitisation, public domain. Syntax analysis is the Nestle 1904 Lowfat treebank (biblicalhumanities.org); the concordance and morphology are built from the tagged Nestle 1904 text. Septuagint occurrences use the Open Scriptures Septuagint lemma index, derived from CCAT (University of Pennsylvania) and the Rahlfs 1935 dataset by Eliran Wong, CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 — used here on a non-commercial ministry site. Greek of Josephus and Barnabas from the Perseus Digital Library, CC BY-SA 4.0. Commentaries and the Ante-Nicene Fathers are public-domain texts hosted on this site. Everyday Greek from the Duke Databank of Documentary Papyri, CC BY 3.0, with dates and provenance from the Heidelberger Gesamtverzeichnis. Philo and the Apostolic Fathers from Open Greek and Latin (First1KGreek), CC BY-SA 4.0. The apparatus and the fifth Greek column are the SBL Greek New Testament, © 2010 SBL and Logos Bible Software, CC BY 4.0. The Latin is the Clementine Vulgate (public domain); the Syriac New Testament is the ETCBC edition (MIT licence). The Hebrew behind the Greek is computed here from the Septuagint index and TAHOT, not taken from any aligned edition. The translation spread and the per-word edition marks come from the Translators Amalgamated Greek NT (STEPBible, CC BY 4.0); clause roles from the Nestle 1904 Lowfat treebank (CC BY-SA 4.0); place identifications and their confidence from OpenBible.info Bible Geocoding (CC BY 4.0), with map tiles © OpenStreetMap contributors. Gospel parallels are computed here from shared uncommon vocabulary, not taken from any printed harmony. Cross references are the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge and the subject headings are Nave’s Topical Bible, both public domain. Works under Creative Commons licences are used unchanged apart from markup removal.

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