Psalms 114:3 — Word Study
WLCהַיָּ֣ם רָ֭אָה וַיָּנֹ֑ס הַ֝יַּרְדֵּ֗ן יִסֹּ֥ב לְאָחֽוֹר׃
BSAThe seayâm [saw, perceived] observedrâʼâh■ and flednûwç▸ [quickly departed, ran away] the JordanYardên [river, watercourse] turnedçâbab▸ [was driven] backʼâchôwr [to its source, in reverse]
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| הַיָּ֣ם | the sea | Particle, noun common masculine singular absolute |
| רָ֭אָה | it saw | Verb, Qal, perfect third person masculine singular |
| וַיָּנֹ֑ס | and it fled | Verb, Qal, sequential imperfect third person masculine singular |
| הַ֝יַּרְדֵּ֗ן | the Jordan | Particle, noun proper |
| יִסֹּ֥ב | it turned around | Verb, Qal, imperfect third person masculine singular |
| לְאָחֽוֹר׃ | to backwards | Preposition, noun common masculine singular absolute |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | The sea observed and fled; the Jordan turned back; |
| KJV | The sea saw it, and fled: Jordan was driven back. |
| ASV | The sea saw it, and fled; The Jordan was driven back. |
| YLT | The sea hath seen, and fleeth, The Jordan turneth backward. |
| WEB | The sea saw it, and fled. The Jordan was driven back. |
| BBE | The sea saw it, and went in flight; Jordan was turned back. |
Where they part company is in style, but all translations agree on the essential meaning of the verse.
The verse consists of two main clauses, each describing the actions of the sea and the Jordan, emphasizing their responses to God's command.
8 commentators on this verse
Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them ›
clause
verbרָאָה
The sentence as the grammar sees it Open the tree ›
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 114:3
Sections marked generated are written from the data on this page rather than by a named author. Everything else — the lexicon entries, the cross references, the manuscript readings, the counts — is quoted from its source unchanged.
Context — God's Sovereignty Over Naturegenerated
Psalm 114:3 describes the dramatic reactions of the sea and the Jordan River in the presence of God. This psalm reflects on the power of God as He leads His people and demonstrates His authority over creation. It emphasizes how nature itself acknowledges God's might, as seen in the context of Israel's deliverance and journey to the Promised Land.
Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Psalm 77:16 | The waters saw You, O God; the waters saw You and swirled; even the depths were shaken. |
| 2 | Psalm 104:7 | At Your rebuke the waters fled; at the sound of Your thunder they hurried away— |
| 3 | Psalm 106:9 | He rebuked the Red Sea, and it dried up; He led them through the depths as through a desert. |
| 4 | Exodus 14:21 | Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and all that night the LORD drove back the sea with a strong east wind that turned it into dry land. So the waters were divided, |
| 5 | Exodus 15:8 | At the blast of Your nostrils the waters piled up; like a wall the currents stood firm; the depths congealed in the heart of the sea. |
The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 10 references, hung on the phrase they belong to
The Key Word — יָם, hai.Yamgenerated
The Hebrew word יָם (yam) means 'sea' and refers to various large bodies of water, including the Mediterranean, Red, and Dead Seas, as well as the Sea of Galilee. It can also denote a mighty river like the Nile and has geographical implications, indicating directions such as west or south.
In this verse, יָם is personified, as it 'saw' and 'fled', indicating a powerful reaction to the divine presence. This adds a layer of dramatic imagery, illustrating the sea's recognition of God's authority.
How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated
This study reads the verse in the Berean Standard Bible, so the BSB is the wording every comparison below is made against.
Sentence Structuregenerated
The finite verbs רָאָה (ra'ah, 'saw') and יָּנֹס (nus, 'fled') form the backbone of the verse, with the Jordan's action יִסֹּב (yasob, 'turned around') following. The structure emphasizes the sequential actions of these elements in response to divine intervention.
The Hebrew word order places the sea and the Jordan at the forefront, highlighting their significance in the narrative of God's power over nature.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
The Septuagint translates יָם as θάλασσα (thalassa), which also means 'sea.' This choice maintains the imagery of a large body of water and reflects the same sense of awe in the presence of God.
The Greek verb εἶδεν (eiden, 'saw') corresponds to the Hebrew רָאָה, reinforcing the theme of perception leading to action.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
Psalm 114:3 tells us that the sea saw something significant and quickly fled, while the Jordan River turned back. This verse highlights how nature responds to God's power, showing that even the elements recognize His authority.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
The sea's 'seeing' indicates a recognition of God's presence and power, leading to its fleeing.
The Jordan's turning back signifies a miraculous event, demonstrating God's control over the natural order.
This verse reflects God's deliverance of Israel, as seen in their crossing of the Red Sea and the Jordan River.
Nature's response highlights God's sovereignty and the idea that all creation acknowledges His authority.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- In what ways have I seen God's power in the natural world around me?
- How can I be more aware of God's presence in my life, similar to how the sea and the Jordan recognized Him?
- What does this verse teach me about the relationship between God and creation?
- How can I respond to God's authority in my own life?
The early church on this verse — how the Fathers read it
Early Church Fathers referenced this verse to discuss God's power over creation and His authority in the world.
Nor ought it to appear at all improbable that at the command of God the bones were fitted again to their joints, since we have numberless instances in which nature has obeyed the commands of heaven;Early Church Fathers on Psalms 114 →
But, again, listen to another excellent steward of God, whom I reverence as a father, for in Christ Jesus he begat me through the gospel, and from this servant of Christ I received the laver of regeneration.Early Church Fathers on Psalms 114 →
The water was cleansed, which was enriched with the warmth of the Lord’s blessing, although it was common and cold. Consequently,Early Church Fathers on Psalms 114 →
Commentators on this verse — 8 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on Psalms 114:3 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire BibleThe sea saw it, and fled,.... When the Word of the Lord appeared at it, as the Targum in the king's Bible; the Red sea, to which the Israelites came when they went out of Egypt; this saw that Judah
Read John Gill on Psalms 114 →Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's CommentaryThe sea saw it, and fled: Jordan was driven back. The sea saw (it), and fled - (Exodus 14:21.) Jordan was driven back - (Joshua 3:13-16.) The sea and the rivers are the emblem of the overwhelming
Read Robert Jamieson on Psalms 114 →Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy BibleSaw it, to wit, this glorious work of God in bringing his people out of Egypt.
Read Matthew Poole on Psalms 114 →John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New TestamentsPsalms 114:3 The sea saw [it], and fled: Jordan was driven back.Ver. 3. The sea saw it, and fled] When God will deliver his people, and perform his promises unto them, nothing shall hinder, but all creatures shall contribute their helps; for they are all his servants, Psalms 119:91.
Read John Trapp on Psalms 114 →Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers(3) Fled.—The Authorised Version weakens the effect by rendering “it was driven back.” (See Joshua 3:16.) The scene presented is of the “descending stream” (the words employed seem to have a special reference to that peculiar and most significant name of the “Jordan”) not parted asunder, as we generally fancy, but, as the psalm expresses it, “turned backwards” (Stanley, Jewish Church, i. 229).
Read Charles John Ellicott on Psalms 114 →AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the BibleVerse 3. The sea saw it, and fled] Mr. Addison has properly observed (see Spect. No. 461) that the author of this Psalm designedly works for effect, in pointing out the miraculous driving back the Red Sea and the river Jordan, and the commotion of the hills and mountains, without mentioning any agent. At last, when the reader sees the sea rapidly retiring from the shore, Jordan retreating to its source, and the mountains and hills running away like a flock of affrighted sheep, that the passage of the Israelites might be every where uninterrupted; then the cause of all is suddenly introduced, and the presence of God in his grandeur solves every difficulty.
Read AdamClarke on Psalms 114 →CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges3, 4. The wonders of the Exodus from Egypt and the Entry into Canaan.
Read Cambridge on Psalms 114 →Albert Barnes1798–1870Barnes' Notes on the BibleThe sea saw it - The word it is supplied, not very properly, by our translators.
Read Albert Barnes on Psalms 114 →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
The sea observed and fled; the Jordan turned back;
The sea saw it, and fled. The Jordan was driven back.
The sea observed and fled; the Jordan turned back;
The sea looked and fled; the Jordan River turned back.
Tyndale line
The sea saw it, and fled: Jordan was driven back.
The sea saw it, and fled; The Jordan was driven back.
The sea saw it, and fled; Jordan was driven back.
The sea saw it , and fled: Jordan was driven back.
The Sea sawe it and fled: Iorden was turned backe.
Strictly literal
The sea saw it and fled, the Jordan turned back;
The sea hath seen, and fleeth, The Jordan turneth backward.
The sea has seen, and flees, || The Jordan turns backward.
The sea beheld it, and fled: the Jordan was driven backward.
The sea looked and fled; the Jordan turned back.
From the Latin
The sorrows of death have encompassed me: and the perils of hell have found me. I met with trouble and sorrow:
Simplified
The Red Sea saw them and ran away; the Jordan River retreated.
The sea saw it, and went in flight; Jordan was turned back.
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.
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 in their wording for יָם, רָאָה, and יָּנֹס, indicating a consistent understanding of the verse across these traditions.
הַיָּ֣ם רָ֭אָה וַיָּנֹ֑ס הַ֝יַּרְדֵּ֗ן יִסֹּ֥ב לְאָחֽוֹר׃
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.
Lexicons — every word in Psalms 114:3
One dossier per word, with every reference work grouped by kind — Hebrew lexicons, morphology, Bible dictionaries, topical chains and the English of the translators themselves. The verse sits at the head of each block with the word under study lit, so you never lose your place. The panel above gives the short answer; this is the long one, and it is the part of the page worth indexing.
Every entry below is the lexicographer's own text. On the Hebrew: Brown-Driver-Briggs entire and its gloss set, Strong's Hebrew Dictionary, and Tyndale House's Translators Brief lexicon. Where a cell says a work has no entry, that work genuinely has none for this word.
יָם (yam) means 'sea' and refers to various large bodies of water, including the Mediterranean, Red, and Dead Seas, as well as the Sea of Galilee. It can also denote a mighty river like the Nile and has geographical implications, indicating directions such as west or south. The term is derived from a root meaning to roar, suggesting the noise of breaking surf.
יָם 390 n.m. sea
base
H3220 יָם sea
3220 yam yawm
from an unused root meaning to roar; a sea (as breaking in
noisy surf) or large body of water; specifically (with the
article), the Mediterranean Sea; sometimes a large river, or
an artifical basin; locally, the west, or (rarely) the
south:--sea (X -faring man, (-shore)), south, west (-ern,
side, -ward).
יָם (yam) — sea.
: sea
1) sea
1a) Mediterranean Sea
1b) Red Sea
1c) Dead Sea
1d) Sea of Galilee
1e) sea (general)
1f) mighty river (Nile)
1g) the sea (the great basin in the temple court)
1h) seaward, west, westward
יָם (yam) — sea: west.
: west
1) sea
1a) Mediterranean Sea
1b) Red Sea
1c) Dead Sea
1d) Sea of Galilee
1e) sea (general)
1f) mighty river (Nile)
1g) the sea (the great basin in the temple court)
1h) seaward, west, westward
יָם (yam) — (Mt. Ephron in the) West.
This name means sea, seaward, westward
Another name of eph.ron (עֶפְרוֹן "(Mount )Ephron" H6085H)
Art | N-ms — Particle · noun common masculine singular absoluteHTd/Ncmsa
se (yam; thalassa; in Ac 27:5 pelagos): The Mediterranean is called ha-yam ha-gadhol, "the great sea" (Nu 34:6; Jos 1:4; Eze 47:10, etc.); ha-yam ha-'acharon, "the hinder," or "western sea" (De 11:24; 34:2; Joe 2:20; Zec 14:8); yam pelishtim, "the sea of the Philis" (Ex 23:31); the King James Version translates yam yapho' in Ezr 3:7 by "sea of Joppa," perhaps rightly.
The sea, yam , is used in Scripture to denote-- "The gathering of the waters," "the Ocean." (Genesis 1:2,10; 30:13) etc. Some portion of this, as the Mediterranean Sea, called the "hinder," the "western" and the "utmost" sea, (11:24; 34:2; Joel 2:20) "sea of the Philistines," (Exodus 23:31) "the great sea," (Numbers 36:6,7; Joshua 15:47) "the sea." Genesis49:13; Psal 80:11 Also frequently of the Red Sea. (Exodus 15:4) [RED SEA SEA] Inland lakes termed seas, as the Salt or Dead Sea. [See the special article] Any…
The Hebrews give the name of sea to any large collection of water, Job 14:11; as to the lakes of Tiberias and Asphaltites, and also to the rivers Nile and Euphrates, Isa 11:15 18:2 21:1 Jer 51:36,42. The principal seas mentioned in Scripture are the following:
1. The GREAT SEA, the Mediterranean, called also the Hinder or Western Sea. Indeed, the Hebrew word for sea, meaning the Mediterranean, is often put for the west. The Great Sea is 2,200 miles long, and in the widest part 1,200 miles in width. In many places it is so deep as to give no soundings. It is little affected by tides, but is often agitated by violent winds. The prevailing direction of the wind in spring is from the southeast and southwest and from the northeast…
→ Creation of Ge 1:9,10; Ps 95:5; 148:4,5
→ Lake Galilee calmed by Jesus Mt 8:24-26; Mr 4:37-39
→ Jesus walked upon Lake Galilee Mt 14:25-31
רָאָה (ra'ah) is a Hebrew verb meaning 'to see' and encompasses a wide range of visual and perceptual actions, including looking, observing, and causing others to see. It can refer to both literal sight and figurative understanding, with various grammatical forms indicating different nuances, such as appearing or being visible. The entries indicate a rich semantic field without significant disagreement among lexicographers.
רָאָה 1315 vb. see
Qal 1141
see, subj.
see, c. acc. rei
see, sq. acc. cl. or phr. of closer design
see, so as to learn to know
abs. see, have (power of) vision
see = perceive
look at, see, by direct volition
of mental observation
c. ב, lit., look into, hence look at with interest
see, c. acc. rei
Niph.
appear
be seen
be visible
Pu. appar. his bones are not detected
Hithp. recipr. look at each other
Hiph.
cause one to see something, shew
cause to experience something
cause to look intently at, to behold
Hoph.
be caused to see, be shewn
be exhibited to
base
H7200a רָאָה see .. . see, subj.
. see, c. acc. rei
. see, sq. acc. + cl. or phr. of closer design
. see, so as to learn to know
. abs. see, have (power of) vision
. see = perceive
. look at, see, by direct volition
. of mental observation
. . c. ב, lit., look into, hence look at with interest
. see, c. acc. rei
. . appear
. be seen
. be visible
. appar. his bones are not detected
. recipr. look at each other
. . . cause one to see something, shew
. cause to experience something
. cause to look intently at, to behold
. . be caused to see, be shewn
. be exhibited to
H7200b רְאוּת look
7200 ra'ah raw-aw'
a primitive root; to see, literally or figuratively (in
numerous applications, direct and implied, transitive,
intransitive and causative):--advise self, appear, approve,
behold, X certainly, consider, discern, (make to) enjoy, have
experience, gaze, take heed, X indeed, X joyfully, lo, look
(on, one another, one on another, one upon another, out, up,
upon), mark, meet, X be near, perceive, present, provide,
regard, (have) respect, (fore-, cause to, let) see(-r, -m, one
another), shew (self), X sight of others, (e-)spy, stare, X
surely, X think, view, visions.
רָאָה (ra.ah) — to see: see.
: see/show
1) to see, look at, inspect, perceive, consider
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to see
1a2) to see, perceive
1a3) to see, have vision
1a4) to look at, see, regard, look after, see after, learn about, observe, watch, look upon, look out, find out
1a5) to see, observe, consider, look at, give attention to, discern, distinguish
1a6) to look at, gaze at
1a7) to provide, choose
1b) (Niphal)
1b1) to appear, present oneself
1b2) to be seen
1b3) to be visible
1c) (Pual) to be seen
1d) (Hiphil)
1d1) to cause to see, show
1d2) to cause to look intently at, behold, cause to gaze at
1e) (Hophal)
1e1) to be caused to see, be shown
1e2) to be exhibited to
1f) (Hithpael) to look at each other, face
רָאָה (ra.ah) — to see: examine.
: examine/consider
1) to see, look at, inspect, perceive, consider
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to see
1a2) to see, perceive
1a3) to see, have vision
V-Qal-Perf-3ms — Verb · Qal · perfect third person masculine singularHVqp3ms
so.
See TOOLS.
Egyptian saws, so far as has yet been discovered, are single-handed. As is the case in modern Oriental saws, the teeth usually incline toward the handle, instead of away from it like ours. They have, in most cases, bronze blades, apparently attached to the handles by leathern thongs. No evidence exists of the use of the saw applied to stone in Egypt, but we read of sawn stones used in the temple. (1 Kings 7:9) The saws "under" or "in" which David is said to have placed his captives were of iron. The expression in (2 Samuel 12:31) does not necessarily imply torture, but the word "cut" in (1 Chronicles 20:3) can hardly be understood otherwise.
נוּס (nus) is a Hebrew verb meaning to flee or escape. It encompasses various nuances, including taking flight, disappearing, or driving hastily to safety. The word appears in different forms, such as Qal, Polel, Hithpolel, and Hiphil, indicating actions like fleeing, causing to disappear, or putting to flight. An Aramaic equivalent is noted as נוּד (nud).
נוּס 160 vb. flee, escape
Qal
flee
escape
take flight, depart, disappear
fly (to the attack) on horseback.
Po‛lel the breath of י׳ driveth at it, driveth it on
Hithpo‛l. in order to take flight before the bow
Hiph.
put to flight
drive hastily to a safe place
cause to disappear, hide
base
H5127 נוּס flee, escape
5127 nuwc noos
a primitive root; to flit, i.e. vanish away (subside, escape;
causatively, chase, impel, deliver):--X abate, away, be
displayed, (make to) flee (away, -ing), put to flight, X hide,
lift up a standard.
נוּס (nus) — to flee.
1) to flee, escape
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to flee
1a2) to escape
1a3) to take flight, m depart, disappear
1a4) to fly (to the attack) on horseback
1b) (Polel) to drive at
1c) (Hithpolel) to take flight
1d) (Hiphil)
1d1) to put to flight
1d2) to drive hastily
1d3) to cause to disappear, hide
Aramaic equivalent: nud (נוּד "to flee" H5111)
Conj | V-Qal-ConsecImperf-3ms — Verb · Qal · sequential imperfect third person masculine singularHc/Vqw3ms
יַרְדֵן (Yarden) refers to the Jordan River, named for its meaning 'descender.' It is the main river in Palestine, flowing approximately 200 miles from Anti-Lebanon to the Dead Sea. The entries consistently identify it as a geographical feature without significant disagreement.
יַרְדֵן 182 n.pr.fl. Jordan
base
H3383 יַרְדֵן Jordan
3383 Yarden yar-dane'
from 3381; a descender; Jarden, the principal river of
Palestine:--Jordan.
see HEBREW for 03381
יַרְדֵּן (yar.den) — Jordan.
Jordan = "descender"
the river of Palestine running from the roots of Anti-Lebanon to the Dead Sea a distance of approx 200 miles (320 km)
Also named: Iordanēs (Ἰορδάνης "Jordan" G2446)
Art | N-proper — Particle · noun properHTd/Npl
jor'-dan (yarden, "flowing downward"; 'Iordanes):
1. Source:
The Jordan river proper begins at the junction of four streams (the Bareighit, the Hasbany, the Leddan, and the Banias), in the upper part of the plain of Lake Huleh. The Bareighit receives its supply of water from the hills on the West, which separate the valley from the river Litany, and is the least important of the four. The Hasbany is the longest of the four (40 miles), issuing from a great fountain at the western foot of Mt. Hermon near Hasbeiya, 1,700 ft. above the sea, and descends 1,500 ft. in its course to the plain. The Leddan is the largest of the four streams, issuing in several fountains at the foot of the mound Tell el-kady (Dan, or Laish) at an elevation of 505 ft. above the sea. The Banias issues from a celebrated fountain near the town of Banias, which is identified as the Caesarea Philippi associated with the…
Jordan
Heb. Yarden, “the descender;” Arab. Nahr-esh-Sheriah, “the watering-place” the chief river of Palestine. It flows from north to south down a deep valley in the centre of the country. The name descender is significant of the fact that there is along its whole course a descent to its banks; or it may simply denote the rapidity with which it “descends” to the Dead Sea.
It originates in the snows of Hermon, which feed its perennial fountains. Two sources are generally spoken of. (1.) From the western base of a hill on which once stood the city of Dan, the northern border-city of Palestine, there gushes forth a considerable fountain called the Leddan, which is the largest fountain in Syria and the principal source of the Jordan. (2.) Beside the ruins of Banias, the ancient Caesarea Philippi and the yet more ancient Panium, is a lofty cliff of limestone, at the base of which…
(the descender), the one river of Palestine, has a course of little more than 200 miles, from the roots of Anti-Lebanon to the head of the Dead Sea. (136 miles in a straight line. --Schaff.) It is the river of the "great plain" of Palestine --the "descender," if not "the river of God" in the book of Psalms, at least that of his chosen people throughout their history. There were fords over against Jericho, to which point the men of Jericho pursued the spies. (Joshua 2:7) comp. Judg 3:28 Higher up where the fords or passages of Bethbarah, where Gideon lay in wait for the Midianites, (Judges 7:24) and where the men of Gilead slew the Ephraimites. ch. (Judges 12:6) These fords…
The chief river of Palestine, running from north to south, and dividing the Holy Land into two parts, of which the larger and more important lay on the west. There are two small streams, each of which claims to be its source. One of these, near Banias, anciently Caesarea Philippi, issues from a large cave in a rocky mountain side, and flows several miles towards the south-west, where it is joined by the second and larger stream, which originates in a fountain at Tellel-Kady, three miles west of Banias. But besides these, there is a third and longer stream, which rises beyond the northern limit of Palestine, near Hasbeia on the west side of mount Hermon, flows twenty-four miles to the south, and unites with the other streams before they enter the "waters of Merom," now lake Huleh, the Jordan flows about nine miles south-ward to the sea of Tiberias, through which its clear and smooth…
The Hebrew word סָבַב (savav) means to turn or go around, encompassing a range of actions such as surrounding, marching, and changing direction. It is built from a primitive root and has various applications, both literal and figurative, including transforming or enclosing. The entries detail its uses in different verbal forms, but do not present any significant disagreement among lexicons.
סָבַב vb. turn about, go around, surround
Qal
turn, intrans.
march, or walk, around
go partly round, circle, skirt
make a round, or circuit, go about to
surround, encompass
Niph.
turn oneself against, close round upon
turn round (from a direct course)
esp. of boundary: turn round from, toward
pass. be turned over to, into the power of
Pi. to change, transform, the aspect of the matter
Po‛.
encompass (with protection)
come about, assemble round
march or go about
enclose, envelop
Hiph.
turn (trans.), cause to turn
bring over (i.e. to allegiance)
turn into, of changing name
= bring round, of changing name
cause to go around
surround with (acc.) wall
perh. also encompass (as foe)
Hoph.
be turned, of cart wheel
surrounded, i.e. set, of jewels
base
H5437 סָבַב turn about, go around, surround .. turn, intrans.
. . march, or walk, around
. go partly round, circle, skirt
. make a round, or circuit, go about to
. surround, encompass
. . . turn oneself against, close round upon
. turn round (from a direct course)
. esp. of boundary: turn round from, toward
. pass. be turned over to, into the power of
. to change, transform, the aspect of the matter
. . encompass (with protection)
. come about, assemble round
. march or go about
. enclose, envelop
. . . turn (trans.), cause to turn
. bring over (i.e. to allegiance)
. turn into, of changing name
. = bring round, of changing name
. . cause to go around
. surround with (acc.) wall
. perh. also encompass (as foe)
. . be turned, of cart wheel
. surrounded, i.e. set, of jewels
5437 cabab saw-bab'
a primitive root; to revolve, surround, or border; used in
various applications, literally and figuratively (as
follows):--bring, cast, fetch, lead, make, walk, X whirl, X
round about, be about on every side, apply, avoid, beset
(about), besiege, bring again, carry (about), change, cause to
come about, X circuit, (fetch a) compass (about, round),
drive, environ, X on every side, beset (close, come, compass,
go, stand) round about, inclose, remove, return, set, sit
down, turn (self) (about, aside, away, back).
סָבַב (sa.vav) — to turn: turn.
: turn/bring_around
1) to turn, turn about or around or aside or back or towards, go about or around, surround, encircle, change direction
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to turn, turn about, be brought round, change
1a2) to march or walk around, go partly around, circle about, skirt, make a round, make a circuit, go about to, surround, encompass
1b) (Niphal)
1b1) to turn oneself, close round, turn round
1b2) to be turned over to
1c) (Piel) to turn about, change, transform
1d) (Poel)
1d1) to encompass, surround
1d2) to come about, assemble round
1d3) to march, go about
1d4) to enclose, envelop
1e) (Hiphil)
1e1) to turn, cause to turn, turn back, reverse, bring over, turn into, bring round
1e2) to cause to go around, surround, encompass
1f) (Hophal)
1f1) to be turned
1f2) to be surrounded
סָבַב (sa.vav) — to turn: surround.
: surround/go_round
V-Qal-Imperf-3ms — Verb · Qal · imperfect third person masculine singularHVqi3ms
אָחוֹר (achowr) refers to the hinder side or back part of something. It can also imply a direction, meaning backward or behind, and has temporal uses, indicating a time to come or hereafter. The word is derived from a root meaning 'to be behind' and encompasses various contexts, including physical and temporal references.
אָחוֹר 41 subst. the hinder side, back part
base
H268 אָחוֹר the hinder side, back part
268 'achowr aw-khore'
or (shortened) achor {aw-khore'}; from 299; the hinder part;
hence (adverb) behind, backward; also (as facing north) the
West:--after(-ward), back (part, -side, -ward), hereafter,
(be-)hind(-er part), time to come, without.
see HEBREW for 0299
אָחוֹר (a.chor) — back.
1) the back side, the rear
1a) backwards
1b) hereafter (of time)
1c) behind
Prep | N-ms — Preposition · noun common masculine singular absoluteHR/Ncmsa