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Psalms 136:4 — Word Study

Depth

WLCלְעֹ֘שֵׂ֤ה נִפְלָא֣וֹת גְּדֹל֣וֹת לְבַדּ֑וֹ כִּ֖י לְעוֹלָ֣ם חַסְדּֽוֹ׃

BSAHe alonebad [the only one, by Himself] doesʻâsâh greatgâdôwl [amazing, extraordinary] wonderspâlâʼ [miracles, marvelous deeds] His loving devotionchêçêd [kindness, mercy, faithful love] endures foreverʻôwlâm [lasts, remains, for all eternity, always]

Word
Listen & take awayPsalms 136
English ↓ Download MP3 The Berean Standard Bible chapter audio already hosted for the site's Bible section — verse 4 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 (chas.Do) — no per-word recordings of the Hebrew exist to link to.
Take it away
Psalms 136:4quick helps
In a sentenceThe psalmist declares that God alone performs great wonders and His enduring loving devotion.
Who is speakingThe psalmist, reflecting on God's unique power and mercy.
Where we areIn a psalm of thanksgiving, celebrating God's eternal goodness.
The hard wordנִפְלָא֣וֹת
Take awayGod's great wonders are matched by His everlasting kindness.
7 commentators on this verse Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them › clause verbפָּלָא 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 136:4

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 — Thanksgiving for God's Goodnessgenerated

3Give thanks to the Lord of lords. His loving devotion endures forever.
4He alone does great wonders. His loving devotion endures forever.
5By His insight He made the heavens. His loving devotion endures forever.
6He spread out the earth upon the waters. His loving devotion endures forever.

Psalm 136:4 is part of a larger psalm that invites the faithful to give thanks to the Lord for His enduring mercy. The psalm recounts God's mighty acts and His steadfast love that lasts forever, emphasizing His unique position as the one who performs great wonders. This theme of divine mercy and power is a central focus throughout the psalm.


Cross References

ReferenceText (BSB)
1Psalm 72:18Blessed be the LORD God, the God of Israel, who alone does marvelous deeds.
2Psalm 86:10For You are great and perform wonders; You alone are God.
3Exodus 15:11Who among the gods is like You, O LORD? Who is like You—majestic in holiness, revered with praises, performing wonders?
4Job 5:9the One who does great and unsearchable things, wonders without number.
5Revelation 15:3and they sang the song of God’s servant Moses and of the Lamb: “Great and wonderful are Your works, O Lord God Almighty! Just and true are Your ways, O King of the nations!

The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 5 references, hung on the phrase they belong to


The Key Word נִפְלָא֣וֹת, nif.la.'otgenerated

The Hebrew word נִפְלָא֣וֹת (niflā'ōt) is derived from the root פָּלָא (pāla'), which means to wonder or be amazed. In this verse, it describes the extraordinary acts of God that inspire awe and reverence.

As a participle in the feminine plural form, it highlights the wonders as ongoing actions of God, emphasizing His miraculous capabilities and the profound impact of His deeds on the world.


How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated

This study reads the verse in the Berean Standard Bible, which uses the word wonders to convey the miraculous nature of God's actions. The KJV and ASV also use wonders, maintaining consistency in this translation.

Where translations differ is in the rendering of גְּדֹל֣וֹתgreat (ASV, KJV, WEB) versus amazing (FBV, NETB). This distinction reflects different emphases on the magnitude of God's deeds.


Sentence Structuregenerated

The main verb of the verse is עֹ֘שֵׂ֤ה, to do, which governs the description of God's actions. The structure includes a noun phrase describing what He does and a prepositional phrase emphasizing His unique status.

The sentence is structured to highlight God's singularity in performing wonders, with the phrase לְבַדּ֑וֹ (by Himself) placed prominently to stress that He alone is capable of such acts.


Septuagint Backgroundgenerated

In the Septuagint, the Hebrew נִפְלָא֣וֹת is rendered as θαυμάσια (thaumasia), which also conveys the sense of marvelous deeds. This choice reflects a similar emphasis on the extraordinary nature of God's actions.

The Greek term θαυμάσια suggests a focus on the wonder and amazement elicited by God's acts, aligning well with the original Hebrew intent.


In plain words — the whole versegenerated

Psalm 136:4 tells us that God alone does great wonders, and His loving devotion lasts forever. This verse highlights God's unique ability to perform extraordinary acts and emphasizes the everlasting nature of His kindness.


Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated

What does it mean that God does wonders?

It means that God performs extraordinary acts that inspire awe and reverence, demonstrating His power and greatness.

Why is God's loving devotion mentioned?

God's loving devotion highlights His enduring kindness and mercy towards humanity, which lasts forever.

How does this verse relate to the overall theme of Psalm 136?

This verse fits into the broader theme of Psalm 136, which celebrates God's mighty deeds and His everlasting mercy.

What is the significance of God being described as doing these wonders alone?

It emphasizes that God is unique and sovereign in His ability to perform miraculous acts without assistance from anyone else.


Reflection Questionsgenerated

  1. What are some examples of wonders that I have seen or experienced in my life?
  2. How can I reflect on God's loving devotion in my daily life?
  3. In what ways can I express gratitude for God's kindness and mercy?
  4. How does understanding God's greatness affect my faith and trust in Him?

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

Early church fathers, such as Augustine of Hippo, referenced this verse to highlight God's mercy and miraculous works.

Augustine of HippoExposition on Psalms 136 354–430
Let us therefore "give thanks to the God of gods, and the Lord of lords, for His mercy," etc. "Who alone did wonderful things" [Psalms 136:4].
Early Church Fathers on Psalms 136 →

Commentators on this verse — 7 expositors, verse by verse

Each of these wrote on Psalms 136:4 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.

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

To him who alone doeth great wonders,.... As in the works of creation at first, having no help from angels or men; so in the works of providence, many of which are unsearchable, and past finding out,

Read John Gill on Psalms 136 →
Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's Commentary

To him who alone doeth great wonders: for his mercy endureth for ever. To him who alone doeth great wonders - (Psalms 72:18.)

Read Robert Jamieson on Psalms 136 →
Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy Bible

Him who alone; he and none else. Or, he without the help of any other person or thing; whereas no other being can do any thing alone or without his help.

Read Matthew Poole on Psalms 136 →
John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

Psalms 136:4 To him who alone doeth great wonders: for his mercy [endureth] for ever.Ver. 4. To him who alone doeth great wonders] Wondrous things the creature may do, but not wonders; mira sed non miracula. God alone is the great Thaumaturgus, that is, wonder worker.

Read John Trapp on Psalms 136 →
AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible

Verse 4. Who alone doeth great wonders] MIRACLES. No power but that which is almighty can work miracles, נפלאות niphlaoth, the inversion, or suspension, or destruction of the laws of nature.

Read AdamClarke on Psalms 136 →
Albert Barnes1798–1870Barnes' Notes on the Bible

To him who alone doeth great wonders - Miracles; marvelous things; things which spring from his direct and absolute power; things lying beyond the range of natural laws. See the notes at Psalms 72:18.

Read Albert Barnes on Psalms 136 →
Daniel Denison Whedon1808–1885Whedon's Commentary on the Bible

4. Doeth great wonders—See Psalms 72:18; Psalms 135:6. The superior works of God declare him supreme. The phraseology shows that his works are above both comprehension and description.

Read Daniel Denison Whedon on Psalms 136 →

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

He alone does great wonders. His loving devotion endures forever.

WEBWorld English Bible2000

to him who alone does great wonders, for his loving kindness endures forever;

MSBMajority Standard Bible2022

He alone does great wonders. His loving devotion endures forever.

NETBNew English Translation2006

to the one who performs magnificent, amazing deeds all by himself, for his loyal love endures,

Tyndale line

KJVKing James Version1611

To him who alone doeth great wonders: for his mercy endureth for ever.

ASVAmerican Standard Version1901

To him who alone doeth great wonders; For his lovingkindness endureth for ever:

RVARevised Version, American1894

To him who alone doeth great wonders: for his mercy endureth for ever.

NWBWebster's Bible1833

To him who alone doeth great wonders: for his mercy endureth for ever.

GNVGeneva Bible1599

Which onely doeth great wonders: for his mercie endureth for euer:

Strictly literal

DBYDarby Translation1890

To him who alone doeth great wonders, for his loving-kindness [endureth] for ever:

YLTYoung's Literal Translation1862

To Him doing great wonders by Himself alone, For to the age [is] His kindness.

LSVLiteral Standard Version2020

To Him doing great wonders by Himself alone, || For His kindness [is] for all time.

ILTInterlinear Literal Translation2000

To him who doth great wonders alone; for to eternity endureth his kindness.

ULBUnlocked Literal Bible2017

Give thanks to him who alone does great wonders, for his covenant faithfulness endures forever—

From the Latin

DRADouay-Rheims (Challoner)1899

How shall we sing the song of the Lord in a strange land?

Simplified

FBVFree Bible Version2020

To him who alone does amazing things! For his trustworthy love lasts forever.

BBEBible in Basic English1949

To him who only does great wonders: for his mercy is unchanging for ever.

Word by word, the decisions they made

גְּדֹל֣וֹתge.do.Lot great H1419 2 different renderings
greatASV BBE BSB DBY GNV ILT KJV LSV MSB NWB RVA ULB WEB YLT
amazingFBV NETB

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.

clauseprepositional phrase · prepositionalלְtonoun phraseclauseverbעֹ֘שֵׂ֤ה[one.who].doesnoun phrase · objectנִפְלָא֣וֹת(of).wondersגְּדֹל֣וֹתgreatprepositional phrase · prepositionalלְhenoun phraseבַדּ֑himselfוֹaloneכִּ֖י(dm)clauseprepositional phrase · predicateלְ[is]עוֹלָ֣םforevernoun phrase · subjectחַסְדּֽloyaltyוֹhis.covenant

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 seven Hebrew words matched in the Greek translation. The Dead Sea Scrolls fragment confirms six of the Hebrew words, indicating a strong textual consistency across these ancient witnesses.

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

לְעֹ֘שֵׂ֤ה נִפְלָא֣וֹת גְּדֹל֣וֹת לְבַדּ֑וֹ כִּ֖י לְעוֹלָ֣ם חַסְדּֽוֹ׃

Septuagintthe Greek the translators chose, word by word
לְעֹ֘שֵׂ֤הποιοῦντιנִפְלָא֣וֹתθαυμάσιαגְּדֹל֣וֹתμεγάλαלְבַדּ֑וֹμόνῳכִּ֖יὅτιלְעוֹלָ֣םαἰῶναחַסְדּֽוֹ׃αὐτοῦ

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

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

לעושה נפלאות לבד׳ו כי לעולם חסד׳ו

6 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 136:4עָשָׂהto [one whoto [one who] doעָשָׂהפָּלָאwonderswondersפָּלָאגָּדוֹלgreatgreatגָּדוֹלבַּדto only himto only himבַּדכִּיforforכִּיעוֹלָם[is] for ev[is] for everעוֹלָםחֶ֫סֶדcovenant locovenant loyaltחֶ֫סֶדגָּדַלto magnifyto magnifyגָּדַלבָּדַדbe alonebe aloneבָּדַדעָלַםto concealto concealעָלַםחָסַדbe kindbe kindחָסַדמְלָאכָהworkworkמְלָאכָהתּוֹעֵבַהabominatioabominationתּוֹעֵבַהנֶ֫דֶרvowvowנֶ֫דֶרחֶ֫סֶדkindnesskindnessחֶ֫סֶדקָטָןsmallsmallקָטָןמְאֹדmuchmuchמְאֹדתָּמִידcontinuallcontinuallyתָּמִידיָדַעto knowto knowיָדַעעַדperpetuityperpetuityעַדדּוֹרgenerationgenerationדּוֹראֱמֶתtruth: faitruth: faithfulאֱמֶתרֶ֫חֶםwombwombרֶ֫חֶם
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 136:4

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.

to [one who] does wonders great to only him for [is] for ever covenant loyalty his
לְעֹ֘שֵׂ֤הle.'O.Seh to [one who] does H6213 Preposition · verb qal participle (active) masculine singular common
2,629× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This verb means to make or do something, and is used over 2,600 times in the Bible. It is first used in Genesis 1:7 to describe God's creation of the world and is also used in Exodus 31:5 to describe the work of skilled craftsmen.
Tyndale gloss
to make
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

עָשָׂה (asah) is a Hebrew verb meaning to do or make, encompassing a wide range of actions such as producing, preparing, and observing. It can refer to both concrete and abstract activities, including making offerings and attending to tasks. The verb also has forms indicating passive meanings, such as being made or offered. Notably, the Piel form refers to pressing or squeezing.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

עָשָׂה 2622 vb. do, make

Qal 2524

do (1560 t.)

deal with

oft. in phr. do kindness with

abs. act, act with effect

make (670 t.)

produce, yield

prepare, esp. of dressing and cooking food

make offering

attend to, put in order

observe, celebrate, religious festival

acquire property of various kinds

appoint priests

bring about of י׳’s effecting a deliverance

use

spend, pass, days of life

Niph.

97be done

be made, of concr. things

be produced from vine

be prepared, of food

be offered

be observed, passover

be used

Pu. I was made

base

[עָשָׂה] vb. Pi. press, squeeze

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H6213a עָשָׂה do, make .. . do (1560 + t.)

. deal with

. oft. in phr. do kindness with

. abs. act, act with effect

. . make (670 + t.)

. produce, yield

. prepare, esp. of dressing and cooking food

. make offering

. attend to, put in order

. observe, celebrate, religious festival

. acquire property of various kinds

. appoint priests

. bring about of י׳’s effecting a deliverance

. use

. spend, pass, days of life

. . be done

. . be made, of concr. things

. be produced from vine

. be prepared, of food

. be offered

. be observed, passover

. be used

. I was made

H6213b עָשָׂה Pi. press, squeeze

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

6213 `asah aw-saw'

a primitive root; to do or make, in the broadest sense and

widest application (as follows):--accomplish, advance,

appoint, apt, be at, become, bear, bestow, bring forth,

bruise, be busy, X certainly, have the charge of, commit, deal

(with), deck, + displease, do, (ready) dress(-ed), (put in)

execute(-ion), exercise, fashion, + feast, (fight-)ing man, +

finish, fit, fly, follow, fulfill, furnish, gather, get, go

about, govern, grant, great, + hinder, hold ((a feast)), X

indeed, + be industrious, + journey, keep, labour, maintain,

make, be meet, observe, be occupied, offer, + officer, pare,

bring (come) to pass, perform, pracise, prepare, procure,

provide, put, requite, X sacrifice, serve, set, shew, X sin,

spend, X surely, take, X thoroughly, trim, X very, + vex, be

(warr-)ior, work(-man), yield, use.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

עָשָׂה (a.sah) — to make: do.

: do/perform

1) to do, fashion, accomplish, make

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to do, work, make, produce

1a1a) to do

1a1b) to work

1a1c) to deal (with)

1a1d) to act, act with effect, effect

1a2) to make

1a2a) to make

1a2b) to produce

1a2c) to prepare

1a2d) to make (an offering)

1a2e) to attend to, put in order

1a2f) to observe, celebrate

1a2g) to acquire (property)

1a2h) to appoint, ordain, institute

1a2i) to bring about

1a2j) to use

1a2k) to spend, pass

1b) (Niphal)

1b1) to be done

1b2) to be made

1b3) to be produced

1b4) to be offered

1b5) to be observed

1b6) to be used

1c) (Pual) to be made

עָשָׂה (a.sah) — to press.

(Piel) to press, squeeze

עָשָׂה (a.sah) — to make.

: make(OBJECT)

1) to do, fashion, accomplish, make

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to do, work, make, produce

1a1a) to do

1a1b) to work

1a1c) to deal (with)

1a1d) to act, act with effect, effect

1a2) to make

1a2a) to make

1a2b) to produce

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Prep | V-Qal — Preposition · verb qal participle (active) masculine singular common
HR/Vqrmsc
to [one who] does wonders great to only him for [is] for ever covenant loyalty his
נִפְלָא֣וֹתnif.la.'ot wonders H6381 Verb · Niphal · participle (active) feminine plural
71× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This Hebrew word means to wonder or be amazed, often at something great or difficult. It describes God's power and miracles in the Bible, like in the book of Psalms. The KJV translates it as 'marvelous' or 'wonderful'.
Amplified meaning
miracles, marvelous deeds
Tyndale gloss
to wonder
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

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

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

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

Niph.

be beyond one's power, difficult to do

be difficult to understand

be extraordinary, wonderful

as subst., marvellous things

= wonderful acts of י׳ in judgement and redemption

Pi. make a special votive offering

Hiph.

do a hard or difficult thing

make wonderful, do wondrously

of God working wonders in doing

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

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

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

. be difficult to understand

. . be extraordinary, wonderful

. as subst., marvellous things

. = wonderful acts of י׳ in judgement and redemption

. make a special votive offering

. . do a hard or difficult thing

. make wonderful, do wondrously

. of God working wonders in doing

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

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

6381 pala' paw-law'

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

works, -ly).

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

פָּלָא (pa.la) — to wonder.

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

1a) (Niphal)

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

1a2) to be difficult to understand

1a3) to be wonderful, be extraordinary

1a3a) marvellous (participle)

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

1c) (Hiphil)

1c1) to do extraordinary or hard or difficult thing

1c2) to make wonderful, do wondrously

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

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
V-Niphal — Verb · Niphal · participle (active) feminine plural
HVNrfpa
to [one who] does wonders great to only him for [is] for ever covenant loyalty his
גְּדֹל֣וֹתge.do.Lot great H1419 Adj
526× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
In the Bible, this Hebrew word means something or someone great, whether in size, age, or importance. It appears in descriptions of the Great Sea and the Philistines. The word is used to convey a sense of magnitude or grandeur.
Amplified meaning
amazing, extraordinary
Tyndale gloss
Great (Sea)
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

גָּדוֹל (gadol) means 'great' and covers a wide range of meanings, including large in size, number, intensity, sound, age, and importance. It can also refer to notable individuals or even God. Additionally, it appears as a proper noun in reference to a person named in Nehemiah 11:14. The lexicons note its use in various contexts, but do not present significant disagreement.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

גָּדוֹל 622 adj. great

in magnitude and extent

in number

in intensity

in sound, loud

in age

in importance

in phrases

cstr.

as subst. concr. do great things

† as subst. neut. greatness of arm

base

הַגְּדוֹלִים n.pr.m. father of Zabdiel Ne 11:14 (RV & so most; but 𝔊 RVm al. the great).

done

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H1419a גָּדוֹל great . in magnitude and extent

. in number

. in intensity

. in sound, loud

. in age

. in importance

. in phrases

. cstr.

. as subst. concr. do great things

. † as subst. neut. greatness of arm

H1419b הַגְּדוֹלִים father of Zabdiel

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

1419 gadowl gaw-dole'

or (shortened) gadol {gaw-dole'}; from 1431; great (in any

sense); hence, older; also insolent:--+ aloud, elder(-est), +

exceeding(-ly), + far, (man of) great (man, matter,

thing,-er,-ness), high, long, loud, mighty, more, much, noble,

proud thing, X sore, (X ) very.

see HEBREW for 01431

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

גָּדוֹל (ga.dol) — great: large.

adj

1) great

1a) large (in magnitude and extent)

1b) in number

1c) in intensity

1d) loud (in sound)

1e) older (in age)

1f) in importance

1f1) important things

1f2) great, distinguished (of men)

1f3) God Himself (of God)

subst

1g) great things

1h) haughty things

1i) greatness

Also means: ga.dol (גָּדוֹל ": old" H1419K)

§ Haggedolim = "the great one"

(CLBL) Haggedolim, the great man?, father of Zabdiel

גָּדוֹל (ga.dol) — Haggedolim.

A man living at the time of Exile and Return, only mentioned at Neh.11.14

§ Haggedolim = "the great one"

(CLBL) Haggedolim, the great man?, father of Zabdiel

גָּדוֹל (ga.dol) — Great (Sea).

adj

great

Also named: pe.lish.ti (פְּלִשְׁתִּי "(Sea of the )Philistines" H6430I)

גָּדוֹל (ga.dol) — great: old.

adj

1) great

1a) large (in magnitude and extent)

1b) in number

1c) in intensity

1d) loud (in sound)

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Adj — Adj
HAafpa
to [one who] does wonders great to only him for [is] for ever covenant loyalty his
לְבַדּ֑וֹle.va.Do to only him H905 Preposition · noun common masculine singular construct · suffix
200× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
The Hebrew word 'bad' can mean alone, apart, or a separate part of something, like a branch or a bar. It's used to describe something that's only or except for something else.
Amplified meaning
the only one, by Himself
Tyndale gloss
alone: pole
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

בַּד (bad) refers to separation or being alone, often indicating a part or branch of something. It can denote physical separation, such as limbs or bars, as well as figurative uses like 'chief of a city.' The entries consistently highlight meanings related to being apart or alone, with no significant disagreement among the lexicons.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

בַּד, בָּ֑ד n.m. separation, concr. part

prop. in a state of separation, alone, by itself

concr. part

parts, specif. extended from something

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H905 בַּד, בָּ֑ד separation, concr. part . prop. in a state of separation, alone, by itself

. concr. part

. parts, specif. extended from something

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

905 bad bad

from 909; properly, separation; by implication, a part of the

body, branch of a tree, bar for carrying; figuratively, chief

of a city; especially (with prepositional prefix) as an

adverb, apart, only, besides:--alone, apart, bar, besides,

branch, by self, of each alike, except, only, part, staff,

strength.

see HEBREW for 0909

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

בַּד (bad) — alone: pole.

: pole

1) alone, by itself, besides, a part, separation, being alone

1a) separation, alone, by itself

1a1) only (adv)

1a2) apart from, besides (prep)

1b) part

1c) parts (eg limbs, shoots), bars

בַּד (bad) — alone.

: alone

1) alone, by itself, besides, a part, separation, being alone

1a) separation, alone, by itself

1a1) only (adv)

1a2) apart from, besides (prep)

1b) part

1c) parts (eg limbs, shoots), bars

בַּד (bad) — alone: each.

: each

1) alone, by itself, besides, a part, separation, being alone

1a) separation, alone, by itself

1a1) only (adv)

1a2) apart from, besides (prep)

1b) part

1c) parts (eg limbs, shoots), bars

בַּד (bad) — alone: besides.

: besides/apart from

1) alone, by itself, besides, a part, separation, being alone

1a) separation, alone, by itself

1a1) only (adv)

1a2) apart from, besides (prep)

1b) part

1c) parts (eg limbs, shoots), bars

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Prep | N-ms | Suff — Preposition · noun common masculine singular construct · suffix
HR/Ncmsc/Sp3ms
to [one who] does wonders great to only him for [is] for ever covenant loyalty his
כִּ֖יki for H3588 Particle
4,483× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
A conjunction used to show cause or connection, as in Genesis 2:23 where Adam says the woman is bone of his bone because she was taken out of him. It is often translated as 'for', 'because', or 'since'.
Tyndale gloss
for
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

כִּי (ki) is a conjunction primarily meaning 'that,' 'for,' or 'when.' It indicates causal relationships and can express conditions like 'if' or 'though.' The word is versatile, appearing in various contexts to convey certainty, exception, or concession. Notably, it can combine with other particles to modify its meaning, such as in the phrase כִּי אם־ (ki im), meaning 'that if.'

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

כִּי conj. that, for, when

that

Of time, when, of the past

elsewhere כִּי has a force approximating to if, though it usu. represents a case as more likely to occur than אִם

when or if, with a concessive force, i.e. though

Because, since

base

כִּי אם־

each part. retaining its independent force, and relating to a different clause:

that if

for if

(About 140 t.) the two particles being closely conjoined, and relating to the same clause—

limiting the prec. clause, except

the if being neglected, and treated as pleonastic, so that the clause is no longer a limitation of the preceding clause but a contradiction of it: but rather, but

after an oath, surely

base

כִּי עַל כֵּן forasmuch as

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H3588a כִּי that, for, when . that

. . Of time, when, of the past

. elsewhere כִּי has a force approximating to if, though it usu. represents a case as more likely to occur than אִם

. when or if, with a concessive force, i.e. though

. Because, since

H3588b כִּי אם־ . each part. retaining its independent force, and relating to a different clause: . that if

. for if

. (About 140 t.) the two particles being closely conjoined, and relating to the same clause— . limiting the prec. clause, except

. the if being neglected, and treated as pleonastic, so that the clause is no longer a limitation of the preceding clause but a contradiction of it: but rather, but

. after an oath, surely

H3588c כִּי עַל כֵּן forasmuch as

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

3588 kiy kee

a primitive particle (the full form of the prepositional

prefix) indicating causal relations of all kinds, antecedent

or consequent; (by implication) very widely used as a relative

conjunction or adverb (as below); often largely modified by

other particles annexed:--and, + (forasmuch, inasmuch,

where-)as, assured(-ly), + but, certainly, doubtless, + else,

even, + except, for, how, (because, in, so, than) that, +

nevertheless, now, rightly, seeing, since, surely, then,

therefore, + (al- )though, + till, truly, + until, when,

whether, while, whom, yea, yet.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

כִּי (ki) — for.

1) that, for, because, when, as though, as, because that, but, then, certainly, except, surely, since

1a) that

1a1) yea, indeed

1b) when (of time)

1b1) when, if, though (with a concessive force)

1c) because, since (causal connection)

1d) but (after negative)

1e) that if, for if, indeed if, for though, but if

1f) but rather, but

1g) except that

1h) only, nevertheless

1i) surely

1j) that is

1k) but if

1l) for though

1m) forasmuch as, for therefore

כִּי [אם] (ki im) — that if: except.

1) except if

1a) but if

1b) even though

כִּי [עַל כֵּן] (ki [al ken]) — for as that: since.

1) that, for, because, when, as though, as, because that, but, then, certainly, except, surely, since

1a) that

1a1) yea, indeed

1b) when (of time)

1b1) when, if, though (with a concessive force)

1c) because, since (causal connection)

1d) but (after negative)

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
HTc — Particle
HTc
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

for (ki (conjunction), le, from 'el (preposition), and various other words. In the New Testament also the words are various, chiefly gar, kai gar, hoti (conjunctions); anti apo eis dia (accusative), epi (dative and accusative), peri (genitive), pros (genitive and accusative), huper (genitive) (prepositions)): the English Revised Version and the American Standard Revised Version give in many cases more literal or more accurate renderings than those in the King James Version.

In the New Testament the most important preps. from a doctrinal point of view are anti, "face to face," "over against," "instead," "on behalf of," peri, "around," "about," "concerning," huper, "over," "on behalf of." The first has been claimed as stating the substitutionary nature of Christ's sacrifice as contrasted with huper and peri, more frequently used of it. But, although anti in the New Testament often means…

The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
to [one who] does wonders great to only him for [is] for ever covenant loyalty his
לְעוֹלָ֣םle.'o.Lam [is] for ever H5769 Preposition · noun common masculine singular absolute
438× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This word means forever or always, describing something that lasts an eternity. It is used in the Bible to describe God's eternal nature and his lasting promises.
Amplified meaning
lasts, remains, for all eternity, always
Tyndale gloss
forever: antiquity
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

עוֹלָם (owlam) refers to concepts of long duration, antiquity, and futurity, encompassing meanings like eternity and perpetual existence. It is derived from a root meaning 'concealed' or 'the vanishing point.' The term is used to describe both ancient times and an indefinite future, indicating continuity and everlastingness.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

עוֹלָם 439 n.m. long duration, antiquity, futurity

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H5769 עוֹלָם long duration, antiquity, futurity

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

5769 `owlam o-lawm'

or lolam {o-lawm'}; from 5956; properly, concealed, i.e. the

vanishing point; generally, time out of mind (past or future),

i.e. (practically) eternity; frequentatively, adverbial

(especially with prepositional prefix) always:--alway(-s),

ancient (time), any more, continuance, eternal, (for,

(n-))ever(-lasting, -more, of old), lasting, long (time), (of)

old (time), perpetual, at any time, (beginning of the) world

(+ without end). Compare 5331, 5703.

see HEBREW for 05956

see HEBREW for 05331

see HEBREW for 05703

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

עוֹלָם (o.lam) — forever: enduring.

: enduring/eternal

1) long duration, antiquity, futurity, for ever, ever, everlasting, evermore, perpetual, old, ancient, world

1a) ancient time, long time (of past)

1b) (of future)

1b1) for ever, always

1b2) continuous existence, perpetual

1b3) everlasting, indefinite or unending future, eternity

עוֹלָם (o.lam) — Everlasting.

This name means long duration, everlasting, perpetual

Another name of ye.ho.vah (יהוה "LORD" H3068G)

עוֹלָם (o.lam) — forever: any time.

: any_time

1) long duration, antiquity, futurity, for ever, ever, everlasting, evermore, perpetual, old, ancient, world

1a) ancient time, long time (of past)

1b) (of future)

1b1) for ever, always

1b2) continuous existence, perpetual

1b3) everlasting, indefinite or unending future, eternity

עוֹלָם (o.lam) — forever: antiquity.

: old/ancient

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Prep | N-ms — Preposition · noun common masculine singular absolute
HR/Ncmsa
to [one who] does wonders great to only him for [is] for ever covenant loyalty his
חַסְדּֽוֹ׃chas.Do covenant loyalty his H2617 Noun common masculine singular construct · suffix
247× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This word refers to kindness, mercy, or pity, often used to describe God's loving actions towards humanity. It is translated as 'favour', 'kindness', or 'mercy' in the KJV. It emphasizes God's loving character.
Amplified meaning
kindness, mercy, faithful love
Tyndale gloss
kindness
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

חֶ֫סֶד (che.sed) primarily means kindness or goodness, often referring to the kindness of people towards one another, especially towards the needy. It can also denote God's lovingkindness and mercy. Additionally, it has a secondary meaning of shame or reproach. The entries reflect a range of uses, from human interactions to divine attributes.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

חֶ֫סֶד 247 n.m. goodness, kindness

of man:

kindness of men toward men, in doing favours and benefits

kindness (especially as extended to the lowly, needy and miserable), mercy

(rarely) affection of Isr. to י׳, love to God, piety

lovely appearance

of God: kindness, lovingkindness in condescending to the needs of his creatures.

base

חֶ֫סֶד n.m. shame, reproach

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H2617a חֶ֫סֶד goodness, kindness . of man: . kindness of men toward men, in doing favours and benefits

. kindness (especially as extended to the lowly, needy and miserable), mercy

. (rarely) affection of Isr. to י׳, love to God, piety

. lovely appearance

. of God: kindness, lovingkindness in condescending to the needs of his creatures.

H2617b חֶ֫סֶד shame, reproach

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

2617 checed kheh'-sed

from 2616; kindness; by implication (towards God) piety:

rarely (by opposition) reproof, or (subject.) beauty:--favour,

good deed(-liness, -ness), kindly, (loving-)kindness, merciful

(kindness), mercy, pity, reproach, wicked thing.

see HEBREW for 02616

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

חֶ֫סֶד (che.sed) — kindness.

goodness, kindness, faithfulness

חֶ֫סֶד (che.sed) — shame.

a reproach, shame

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-ms | Suff — Noun common masculine singular construct · suffix
HNcmsc/Sp3ms
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

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

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

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