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Psalms 122:3 — Word Study

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WLCיְרוּשָׁלִַ֥ם הַבְּנוּיָ֑ה כְּ֝עִ֗יר שֶׁחֻבְּרָה־ לָּ֥הּ יַחְדָּֽו׃

BSAJerusalemYᵉrûwshâlaim [the city of peace, a place of wholeness] is built upbânâh [established, reconstructed] as a cityʻîyr [a community, a place of gathering] unitedchâbar [compact, joined together] togetheryachad [in unity, as one]

Word
Listen & take awayPsalms 122
English ↓ Download MP3 The Berean Standard Bible chapter audio already hosted for the site's Bible section — verse 3 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 (yach.Dav) — no per-word recordings of the Hebrew exist to link to.
Take it away
Psalms 122:3quick helps
In a sentencePsalm 122:3 describes Jerusalem as a unified city, emphasizing its wholeness and togetherness.
What is Jerusalem?Jerusalem is identified as the city of peace, central to the identity of Israel.
What is built?The verse states that Jerusalem is built up, indicating a sense of establishment.
How is it built?The construction of Jerusalem is depicted as a united effort.
Take awayUnity is a key theme, showing the importance of community.
8 commentators on this verse Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them › clause The sentence as the grammar sees it Open the tree ›
How rare are these words?in the Old Testament

Every word here is used elsewhere in the Old Testament.

Bars are logarithmic — אֵת, the commonest word in the Hebrew Bible, stands about 11,000 times, so a linear scale would leave everything else invisible. Click a row to open that word.

Deep Study — Psalms 122:3

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 — The Joy of Jerusalemgenerated

2Our feet are standing in your gates, O Jerusalem.
3Jerusalem is built up as a city united together,
4where the tribes go up, the tribes of the LORD, as a testimony for Israel, to give thanks to the name of the LORD.
5For there the thrones of judgment stand, the thrones of the house of David.

Psalm 122:3 celebrates Jerusalem, highlighting its significance as a city of unity and peace. The psalmist expresses joy and gratitude for the city, which serves as a gathering place for the tribes of Israel. This reflects the importance of Jerusalem in the worship and community life of the Israelites, as seen in the surrounding verses that emphasize the city's role in their spiritual and communal identity.


Cross References

ReferenceText (BSB)
12 Samuel 5:9So David took up residence in the fortress and called it the City of David. He built it up all the way around, from the supporting terraces inward.
2Ephesians 2:20–21built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus Himself as the cornerstone.
3Ephesians 4:4–7There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called;
4Revelation 21:10–27And he carried me away in the Spirit to a mountain great and high, and showed me the holy city of Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God,

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


The Key Word יְרוּשָׁלִַם, ye.ru.sha.Limgenerated

The word יְרוּשָׁלִַ֫͏ם (ye.ru.sha.Lim) is a proper noun referring to Jerusalem, the capital city of Palestine. Its name is thought to derive from terms meaning 'founded peaceful,' highlighting its significance as a place of wholeness and community.

Jerusalem is described as the chief city of the united kingdom and the nation of Judah. The parsing indicates it is a noun proper, emphasizing its unique status and centrality to the Israelite identity.


How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated

The translations of this verse agree on the depiction of Jerusalem as a united city.


Sentence Structuregenerated

The finite verb הַבְּנוּיָ֑ה (ha.be.nu.Yah), meaning 'which was built,' governs the structure of the verse. It is followed by a noun phrase describing Jerusalem and two clauses that elaborate on its characteristics.

The sentence structure emphasizes the unity of Jerusalem, with the noun phrases and clauses working together to paint a picture of the city as a cohesive community.


Septuagint Backgroundgenerated

The Septuagint translates יְרוּשָׁלִַ֫͏ם as ιερουσαλημ (G2414), maintaining the reference to Jerusalem. This choice reflects a direct connection to the Hebrew original, preserving its significance as the city of peace.

The Greek term οἰκοδομουμένη (G3618) conveys the same sense of being built, aligning closely with the Hebrew meaning of establishing or reconstructing.


In plain words — the whole versegenerated

Psalm 122:3 describes Jerusalem as a city that is built up and united together. This highlights the importance of community and wholeness in the city, which serves as a central place for the tribes of Israel.


Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated

What does it mean that Jerusalem is built up?

It signifies the establishment and reconstruction of Jerusalem as a vital community and a place of gathering.

Why is unity emphasized in this verse?

Unity is crucial for Jerusalem, as it represents the collective identity and strength of the tribes of Israel coming together.

What role does Jerusalem play in Israel's identity?

Jerusalem is the capital city and a spiritual center for the Israelites, making it a symbol of peace and community.

How does this verse connect to other parts of the Bible?

The themes of unity and community in Jerusalem are echoed in other scriptures, such as Ephesians 2:20–21 and Revelation 21:10–27.


Reflection Questionsgenerated

  1. In what ways do I see the importance of community in my own life, similar to the unity described in Jerusalem?
  2. How can I contribute to building unity in my community?
  3. What does the concept of peace mean to me, and how can I promote it in my surroundings?
  4. How does understanding Jerusalem's significance enhance my appreciation for its role in biblical history?

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

Early interpretations, such as those from Augustine of Hippo, highlight the significance of Jerusalem as a city being built, reflecting on its completed state in David's time.

Augustine of HippoExposition on Psalms 122 354–430
"Jerusalem that is being built as a city" [Psalms 122:3]. Brethren, when David was uttering these words, that city had been finished, it was not being built.
Early Church Fathers on Psalms 122 →

Commentators on this verse — 8 expositors, verse by verse

Each of these wrote on Psalms 122:3 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.

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

Jerusalem is builded as a city that is compact together. In David's time the upper and lower city were joined together, the streets regularly built, the houses contiguous, not straggling about, here and there one (c).

Read John Gill on Psalms 122 →
Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's Commentary

Jerusalem is builded as a city that is compact together: Jerusalem is builded as a city that is compact together - the admiring language of the pilgrims.

Read Robert Jamieson on Psalms 122 →
Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy Bible

Partly in its buildings, which are not dispersed, as they are in villages, nor divided into two cities, as it was before, but united and enlarged, ,8; and principally in its government and religion, which was distinct and opposite, before David took the fort of Zion from the Jebusites.

Read Matthew Poole on Psalms 122 →
John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

Psalms 122:3 Jerusalem is builded as a city that is compact together:Ver. 3. Jerusalem is builded as a city, &c.] None such for uniformity of buildings or unanimity of citizens. There is no such oneness in all the world as among true Christians; and this the very heathens observed and commended. As the curtains of the tabernacle were joined by loops, so were they by love. And as the stones of the temple were so close cemented together that they seemed to be all but one stone, so was it among the primitive saints.

Read John Trapp on Psalms 122 →
Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(3) This verse is somewhat perplexing. It is explained to refer either to the rebuilding of the city and reuniting of the parts which had been disconnected in the destruction, or, which is far better (see Introduction), is taken as a rustic’s impression on first seeing a compact city after being accustomed to straggling villages. The astonishment of Virgil’s shepherd is aptly compared: “Urbem quam dicunt Romam, Melibæe putavi, Stultus ego, huic nostræ similem.” But a far more satisfactory meaning is suggested by the LXX. They (comp. Symmachus) take the word rendered compact as a noun, meaning union. The verse then may run: Jerusalem, the (one) built like a city, union is in it together…

Read Charles John Ellicott on Psalms 122 →
AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible

Verse 3. Jerusalem - compact together.] It is now well rebuilt, every part contributing to the strength of the whole. It is also a state of great political and spiritual union. It is the centre of union to all the tribes, for each tribe has an equal interest in that God who is worshipped there.

Read AdamClarke on Psalms 122 →
CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

3. The exclamation of the pilgrims. Jerusalem that art built up as a city which is compacted together, lit. joined together for itself. This is generally understood to refer to the restoration of the city: the walls have been rebuilt, the ruined houses repaired, the gaps and vacant spaces filled up; the city once more presents an aspect of unity, continuity, solidity, widely different from the dilapidated condition in which Nehemiah found it (Nehemiah 2:17; Nehemiah 7:4). But the verb is used metaphorically as well as literally (e.g. Psalms 94:20), and it is possible that the sight of the restored city is to the poet’s eye an emblem of the mutual harmony of its inhabitants or of the unity…

Read Cambridge on Psalms 122 →
Albert Barnes1798–1870Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Jerusalem is builded as a city that is compact together - literally, “joined to itself together;” that is, when one part is, as it were, bound closely to another part; not scattered or separate.

Read Albert Barnes on Psalms 122 →

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

Jerusalem is built up as a city united together,

WEBWorld English Bible2000

Jerusalem is built as a city that is compact together,

MSBMajority Standard Bible2022

Jerusalem is built up as a city united together,

NETBNew English Translation2006

Jerusalem is a city designed to accommodate an assembly.

Tyndale line

KJVKing James Version1611

Jerusalem is builded as a city that is compact together:

ASVAmerican Standard Version1901

Jerusalem, that art builded As a city that is compact together;

RVARevised Version, American1894

Jerusalem, that art builded as a city that is compact together:

NWBWebster's Bible1833

Jerusalem is built as a city that is compact together:

GNVGeneva Bible1599

Ierusalem is builded as a citie, that is compact together in it selfe:

Strictly literal

DBYDarby Translation1890

Jerusalem, which art built as a city that is compact together,

YLTYoung's Literal Translation1862

Jerusalem — the builded one — [Is] as a city that is joined to itself together.

LSVLiteral Standard Version2020

Jerusalem—the built one—[Is] as a city that is joined to itself together.

ILTInterlinear Literal Translation2000

Jerusalem, which art built as a city wherein all associate together.

ULBUnlocked Literal Bible2017

Jerusalem, built as a city carefully planned!

From the Latin

DRADouay-Rheims (Challoner)1899

Have mercy on us, O Lord, have mercy on us: for we are greatly filled with contempt.

Simplified

FBVFree Bible Version2020

Jerusalem is built as a city where people can be together.

BBEBible in Basic English1949

O Jerusalem, you are like a town which is well joined together;

Counted from the translations carried on this site, not from a survey of every English Bible. A rendering shared by many versions is usually inherited rather than independently arrived at — the Tyndale line in particular runs through most of them.


The sentence as the grammar sees it — from the MACULA Hebrew treebank

This is not our own analysis: it is the scholarly syntax tree for the verse, showing how the clause actually holds together.

clausenoun phrase · predicateיְרוּשָׁלִַ֥םJerusalemnoun phraseהַ[whichnoun phraseclauseverbבְּנוּיָ֑הis].builtprepositional phrase · prepositionalכְּ֝likenoun phraseעִ֗ירa.cityrelpשֶׁwhichclauseverbחֻבְּרָהit.was.joined.togetherprepositional phrase · prepositionalלָּ֥toהּitselfadverbialיַחְדָּֽוtogether

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


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

The Masoretic Text presents the verse as יְרוּשָׁלִַ֥ם הַבְּנוּיָ֑ה כְּ֝עִ֗יר שֶׁחֻבְּרָה־ לָּ֥הּ יַחְדָּֽו׃, while the Septuagint matches four of the six words, indicating a strong alignment with the Hebrew. The Dead Sea Scrolls fragment also supports the Masoretic Text, showing consistency in the depiction of Jerusalem.

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

יְרוּשָׁלִַ֥ם הַבְּנוּיָ֑ה כְּ֝עִ֗יר שֶׁחֻבְּרָה־ לָּ֥הּ יַחְדָּֽו׃

Septuagintthe Greek the translators chose, word by word
יְרוּשָׁלִַ֥םιερουσαλημהַבְּנוּיָ֑הοἰκοδομουμένηכְּ֝עִ֗ירπόλιςלָּ֥הּαὐτῆς

4 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.

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

ירושלים הבנויה כעיר שחברה ל׳ו

5 words of the verse are on this fragment. The rest of the verse is not on it.

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 122:3יְרוּשָׁלִַ֫JerusalemJerusalemיְרוּשָׁלִַ֫בָּנָהwhich was bwhich was builtבָּנָהעִירlike a citylike a cityעִירחָבַרthat was jothat was joinedחָבַרהָto itselfto itselfהָיַ֫חַדtogethertogetherיַ֫חַדעוּרto rouseto rouseעוּריָחַדbe joinedbe joinedיָחַדיְרוּשְׁלֵםJerusalemJerusalemיְרוּשְׁלֵםיָרָאto shootto shootיָרָאחוֹמָהwallwallחוֹמָהמָלַךְto reignto reignמָלַךְמִזְבֵּחַaltaraltarמִזְבֵּחַמִגְרָשׁpasturepastureמִגְרָשׁלָכַדto captureto captureלָכַדקֶ֫רֶסclaspclaspקֶ֫רֶסיְרִיעָהcurtaincurtainיְרִיעָהיָעַדto appointto appointיָעַדרוּןto overcomto overcomeרוּן
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 122:3

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.

Jerusalem which was built like a city that was joined together to itself together
יְרוּשָׁלִַ֥םye.ru.sha.Lim Jerusalem H3389 Noun proper
643× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
Jerusalem is the capital city of Palestine, also known as the city of peace. It was the chief city of the united kingdom and the nation of Judah after the split.
Amplified meaning
the city of peace, a place of wholeness
Tyndale gloss
Jerusalem
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

יְרוּשָׁלִַ֫͏ם (Yruwshalaim) refers to Jerusalem, the capital city of Palestine. The name is thought to derive from terms meaning 'founded peaceful' and is linked to its two main hills. It is described as the chief city of the united kingdom and the nation of Judah.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

יְרוּשָׁלִַ֫͏ם, יְרוּשָׁלַ֫יִם 644 n.pr.loc. Jerusalem

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H3389 יְרוּשָׁלִַ֫͏ם, יְרוּשָׁלַ֫יִם Jerusalem

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

3389 Yruwshalaim yer-oo-shaw-lah'-im

rarely Yruwshalayim {yer-oo- shaw-lah'-yim}; a dual (in

allusion to its two main hills (the true pointing, at least of

the former reading, seems to be that of 3390)); probably from

(the passive participle of) 3384 and 7999; founded peaceful;

Jerushalaim or Jerushalem, the capital city of

Palestine:--Jerusalem.

see HEBREW for 03390

see HEBREW for 03384

see HEBREW for 07999

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

יְרוּשָׁלִַ֫ם, יְרוּשְׁלֵם (ye.ru.sha.laim) — Jerusalem.

§ Jerusalem = "teaching of peace"

the chief city of Palestine and capital of the united kingdom and the nation of Judah after the split

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-proper — Noun proper
HNpl
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

je-roo'-sa-lem:

I. THE NAME

1. In Cuneiform

2. In Hebrew

3. In Greek and Latin

4. The Meaning of Jerusalem

5. Other Names

II. GEOLOGY, CLIMATE AND SPRINGS

1. Geology

2. Climate and Rainfall

3. The Natural Springs

III. THE NATURAL SITE

1. The Mountains Around

2. The Valleys

3. The Hills

IV. GENERAL TOPOGRAPHY OF JERUSALEM

1. Description of Josephus

2. Summary of the Names of the Five Hills

3. The Akra

4. The Lower City

5. City of David and Zion

V. EXCAVATIONS AND ANTIQUITIES

1. Robinson

2. Wilson, and the Palestine Exploration Fund (1865)

3. Warren and Conder

4. Maudslay

5. Schick

6. Clermont-Ganneau

7. Bliss and Dickie

8. Jerusalem Archaeological Societies

VI. THE CITY'S WALLS AND GATES

1. The Existing Walls

2. Wilson's Theory

3. The Existing Gates

4. Buried Remains of Earlier Walls

5. The Great Dam of the Tyropoeon

6. Ruins of Ancient Gates

7. Josephus' Description of the Walls

8. First Wall

9. Second Wall

10. Third Wall

Easton's Bible Dictionary

Jerusalem

Called also Salem, Ariel, Jebus, the “city of God,” the “holy city;” by the modern Arabs el-Khuds, meaning “the holy;” once “the city of Judah” (2 Chr. 25:28). This name is in the original in the dual form, and means “possession of peace,” or “foundation of peace.” The dual form probably refers to the two mountains on which it was built, viz., Zion and Moriah; or, as some suppose, to the two parts of the city, the “upper” and the “lower city.” Jerusalem is a “mountain city enthroned on a mountain fastness” (comp. Ps. 68:15, 16; 87:1; 125:2; 76:1, 2; 122:3). It stands on the edge of one of the highest table-lands in Palestine, and is surrounded on the south-eastern, the southern, and the western sides by deep and precipitous ravines.

Smith's Bible Dictionary

(the habitation of peace), Jerusalem stands in latitude 31 degrees 46’ 35" north and longitude 35 degrees 18’ 30" east of Greenwich. It is 32 miles distant from the sea and 18 from the Jordan, 20 from Hebron and 36 from Samaria. "In several respects," says Dean Stanley, "its situation is singular among the cities of Palestine. Its elevation is remarkable; occasioned not from its being on the summit of one of the numerous hills of Judea, like most of the towns and villages, but because it is on the edge of one of the highest table-lands of the country. Hebron indeed is higher still by some hundred feet, and from the south, accordingly (even from Bethlehem), the approach to Jerusalem is by a slight descent. But from any other side the ascent is perpetual; and to the traveller approaching the city from the east or west it must always have presented the appearance beyond any other capital…

American Tract Society Bible Dictionary

The chief city of the Holy Land, and to the Christian the most illustrious in the world. It is situated in 31 degrees 46’43" N. lat., and 35 degrees 13’ E. long. on elevated ground south of the center of the country, about thirty-seven miles from the Mediterranean, and about twenty-four from the Jordan. Its site was early hallowed by God’s trial of Abraham’s faith, Ge 22:1-24 2Ch 3:1. It was on the border of the tribes of Benjamin and Judah, mostly within the limits of the former, but reckoned as belonging to the latter, because conquered by it, Jos 15:8 18:16,28 Jud 1:18. The most ancient name of the city was Salem, Ge…

Jerusalem which was built like a city that was joined together to itself together
הַבְּנוּיָ֑הha.be.nu.Yah which was built H1129 Particle · verb qal participle (passive) feminine singular
376× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
The Hebrew word bânâh means to build something, like a house or a family. It can also mean to establish or repair something, and is used in various contexts throughout the Bible.
Amplified meaning
established, reconstructed
Tyndale gloss
to build
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word בָּנָה (banah) means "to build" and encompasses various forms such as rebuilding, establishing, and making permanent. It can refer to physical construction, like building a house or family, as well as metaphorical uses, such as the establishment of restored exiles. The entries indicate that it can also imply being built up, particularly in the context of a childless wife becoming a mother.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

בָּנָה 373 vb. build

Qal build

Niph.

be built

be rebuilt

(fig.) of restored exiles, = established

established, made permanent

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H1129 בָּנָה build .build

.. . be built

. be rebuilt

. . (fig.) of restored exiles, = established

. established, made permanent

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

1129 banah baw-naw'

a primitive root; to build (literally and

figuratively):--(begin to) build(-er), obtain children, make,

repair, set (up), X surely.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

בָּנָה (ba.nah) — to build.

1) to build, rebuild, establish, cause to continue

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to build, rebuild

1a2) to build a house (ie, establish a family)

1b) (Niphal)

1b1) to be built

1b2) to be rebuilt

1b3) established (of restored exiles) (fig.)

1b4) established (made permanent)

1b5) to be built up (of childless wife becoming the mother of a family through the children of a concubine)

Aramaic equivalent: be.nah (בְּנָה "to build" H1124)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Art | V-Qal-Inf-c — Particle · verb qal participle (passive) feminine singular
HTd/Vqsfsa
Jerusalem which was built like a city that was joined together to itself together
כְּ֝עִ֗ירke.'Ir like a city H5892 Preposition · noun common feminine singular absolute
1,090× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
In the Bible, this word refers to a city or town, often a place with a wall or a watchman. It is used to describe a settlement or encampment, like the city of Ai, which is mentioned in the book of Joshua. The word is used to identify specific locations in the Bible.
Amplified meaning
a community, a place of gathering
Tyndale gloss
excitement
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word עִיר (*'iyr*) has meanings related to both excitement and city. It can denote excitement, particularly of terror or rage, as well as refer to a city or town, indicating a place that is guarded or inhabited. The entries suggest a broad application, from fortified cities to simple encampments. There is a specific mention of a man named Ir in 1 Chronicles 4:12.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

עִיר n.[m.] excitement;—of terror; of rage

base

עִיר 1092 n.f. city, town

city, town, abode of men

of fortress in a city

appar. fortified place, of any size

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H5892a עִיר excitement;—of terror; of rage H5892b עִיר city, town . city, town, abode of men

. of fortress in a city

. appar. fortified place, of any size

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

5892 `iyr eer

or (in the plural) par {awr}; or ayar (Judges 10:4)

{aw-yar'}; from 5782 a city (a place guarded by waking or a

watch) in the widest sense (even of a mere encampment or

post):--Ai (from margin), city, court (from margin), town.

see HEBREW for 05782

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

עִיר (ir) — excitement.

1) excitement, anguish

1a) of terror

עִיר (ir) — city.

1) city, town (a place of waking, guarded)

1a) city, town (a place of waking, guarded)

1a) city, town

עִיר (ir) — City (of On).

Combined with on (אֹן "On" H0204)

This name means city, town

Another name of on (אֹן "On" H0204)

עִיר (ir) — Ir-.

#A man of the tribe of Judah living at the time of Divided Monarchy, only mentioned at 1Ch.4.12;

son of: Tehinnah (H8468)

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

sit'-i (`ir, qiryah; polis):

I. THE CANAANITE CITY

1. Origin

2. Extent

3. Villages

4. Sites

5. External Appearance

6. General

II. THE CITY OF THE JEWISH OCCUPATION

1. Tower or Stronghold

2. High Place

3. Broad Place

4. Streets

5. General Characteristics

III. STORE CITIES

IV. LEVITICAL CITIES

LITERATURE

I. The Canaanite City.

1. Origin:

The development of the Canaanite city has been traced by Macalister in his report on the excavation at Gezer (Palestine Exploration Fund Statement, 1904, 108 ff). It originated on the slopes of a bare rocky spur, in which the Neolithic Troglodytes quarried their habitations out of the solid rock, the stones therefrom being used to form a casing to the earthen ramparts, with which the site was afterwards surrounded and which served as a protection against the intrusion of enemies. Later Semitic intruders occupied the site, stone houses were built, and high stone defense…

Easton's Bible Dictionary

City

The earliest mention of city-building is that of Enoch, which was built by Cain (Gen. 4:17). After the confusion of tongues, the descendants of Nimrod founded several cities (10:10-12). Next, we have a record of the cities of the Canaanites, Sidon, Gaza, Sodom, etc. (10:12, 19; 11:3, 9; 36:31-39). The earliest description of a city is that of Sodom (19:1-22). Damascus is said to be the oldest existing city in the world. Before the time of Abraham there were cities in Egypt (Num. 13:22). The Israelites in Egypt were employed in building the “treasure cities” of Pithom and Raamses (Ex. 1:11); but it does not seem that they had any cities of their own in Goshen (Gen.…

Jerusalem which was built like a city that was joined together to itself together
שֶׁחֻבְּרָה־she.chu.be.rah- that was joined together H2266 Particle · verb pual perfect third person feminine singular
29× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This Hebrew word means to unite or join, and can also refer to charming or spellbinding someone. It appears in various forms throughout the Old Testament, including in the books of Leviticus and Deuteronomy. It can also mean to make an alliance or fellowship.
Amplified meaning
compact, joined together
Tyndale gloss
to unite
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

חָבַר (chabar) means to unite or join together, often in a figurative sense, but can also refer to tying magic spells or charms. It encompasses various forms of joining, including making alliances or being in fellowship. The verb appears in different stems, indicating nuances like being allied or compacted, but no significant disagreements among lexicons are noted.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

[חָבַר] vb. unite (usu. intr.), be joined, tie a magic knot or spell, charm

Qal

unite, be joined

tie magic knots, charm

Pi.

make an ally of, unite one with

unite, join (trans.)

Pu.

be allied with

be united to = be one of

be joined together

Hiph. I could make a joining with words

Hithp. join oneself to, make an alliance with

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H2266 חָבַר unite (usu. intr.), be joined, tie a magic knot or spell, charm

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

2266 chabar khaw-bar'

a primitive root; to join (literally or figuratively);

specifically (by means of spells) to fascinate:--charm(- er),

be compact, couple (together), have fellowship with, heap up,

join (self, together), league.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

חָבַר (cha.var) — to unite.

1) to unite, join, bind together, be joined, be coupled, be in league, heap up, have fellowship with, be compact, be a charmer

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to unite, be joined

1a2) to tie magic charms, charm

1b) (Piel)

1b1) to unite with, make an ally of

1b2) to unite, join, ally

1c) (Pual)

1c1) to be allied with, be united

1c2) to be joined together

1d) (Hiphil) to join together, pile up (words)

1e) (Hithpael) to join oneself to, make an alliance, league together

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Rel | V-Pual-Perf-3fs — Particle · verb pual perfect third person feminine singular
HTr/VPp3fs
Jerusalem which was built like a city that was joined together to itself together
לָּ֥הּlah to itself H9034 Preposition · suffix
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

הָ (ha) — her.

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

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
HR/Sp3fs — Preposition · suffix
HR/Sp3fs
Jerusalem which was built like a city that was joined together to itself together
יַחְדָּֽו׃yach.Dav together H3162 Adverb
141× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This adverb means together, describing people doing something in unity, like in Psalm 133:1.
Amplified meaning
in unity, as one
Tyndale gloss
unitedness
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

יַ֫חַד (yachad) refers to the concept of unitedness or being together. It can function as a noun meaning 'unitedness' and as an adverb meaning 'together.' The word is built from a root that emphasizes unity and is used in various contexts in the Old Testament.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

יַ֫חַד 45 n.[m.] unitedness

as subst.

elsewhere always in acc. as adv. in union, together

base

יָחְדָּו 92 adv. together

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H3162a יַ֫חַד unitedness . as subst.

. elsewhere always in acc. as adv. in union, together

H3162b יָחְדָּו adv. together

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

3162 yachad yakh'-ad

from 3161; properly, a unit, i.e. (adverb) unitedly:--alike,

at all (once), both, likewise, only, (al-)together, withal.

see HEBREW for 03161

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

יַ֫חַד (ya.chad) — unitedness.

1) union, unitedness

יָחְדָּו (yach.dav) — together.

adv

together

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Adv — Adverb
HD
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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