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Psalms 139:4 — Word Study

Depth

WLCכִּ֤י אֵ֣ין מִ֭לָּה בִּלְשׁוֹנִ֑י הֵ֥ן יְ֝הוָ֗ה יָדַ֥עְתָּ כֻלָּֽהּ׃

BSAEvenkîy [before all time, from the very first] before a wordmillâh [speech, utterance] is on my tonguelâshôwn [the instrument of speaking] You knowyâdaʻ [the Lord, are intimately aware of, perceive] all about itkôl [everything, completely] O LORDYᵉhôvâh [the supreme Ruler]

Word
Listen & take awayPsalms 139
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 (khu.Lah) — no per-word recordings of the Hebrew exist to link to.
Take it away
Psalms 139:4quick helps
In a sentenceThe psalmist expresses that God knows his thoughts even before he speaks.
Who is speakingThe psalmist, addressing God directly.
Where we areIn a meditation on God's omniscience and care.
The hard wordיָדַעְתָּ
Take awayGod's knowledge of us is complete and immediate.
8 commentators on this verse Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them › clause subjectמִלָּה verbיָדַע 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 139:4

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 — The Omniscience of Godgenerated

3You search out my path and my lying down; You are aware of all my ways.
4Even before a word is on my tongue, You know all about it, O LORD.
5You hem me in behind and before; You have laid Your hand upon me.
6Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain.

Psalm 139:4 reflects on the profound knowledge of God, emphasizing that He is aware of our thoughts and words before we even express them. This verse is part of a larger meditation on God's intimate knowledge of the psalmist, as seen in the surrounding verses, which explore how God understands our paths and actions, highlighting His omnipresence and care.


Cross References

ReferenceText (BSB)
1Psalm 19:14May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in Your sight, O LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer.
2Job 8:2“How long will you go on saying such things? The words of your mouth are a blustering wind.
3Job 38:2“Who is this who obscures My counsel by words without knowledge?
4Job 42:3–6You asked, ‘Who is this who conceals My counsel without knowledge?’ Surely I spoke of things I did not understand, things too wonderful for me to know.
5Zephaniah 1:12And at that time I will search Jerusalem with lamps and punish the men settled in complacency, who say to themselves, ‘The LORD will do nothing, either good or bad.’

The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 12 references, hung on the phrase they belong to


The Key Word יָדַעְתָּ, ya.Da'.tagenerated

The verb יָדַע (yada`) means 'to know' and encompasses a wide range of meanings, including perception, recognition, and experience. It signifies a deep, intimate knowledge, as opposed to mere factual awareness. The parsing indicates it is in the perfect tense, second person masculine singular, suggesting that the speaker is addressing God directly.

This verb captures the essence of God's omniscience, illustrating that He is not only aware of our words but also understands our thoughts and intentions completely.


How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated

In this study, the verse is read in the Berean Standard Bible, which uses 'You know all about it' to convey God's complete awareness of our words before they are spoken.


Sentence Structuregenerated

The main verb of the verse is יָדַעְתָּ, you know, which governs the subject מִ֭לָּה, a word, and the negation אֵ֣ין, there not. The structure emphasizes the relationship between God's knowledge and the absence of words prior to their utterance.

The Hebrew word order places emphasis on God's knowledge as the focal point of the sentence, illustrating His active awareness of our speech.


Septuagint Backgroundgenerated

The Septuagint translates יָדַעְתָּ as ἔγνως, which conveys a similar meaning of knowing or understanding. This choice reinforces the idea of God's thorough and intimate knowledge of human thoughts and actions.

The use of οὐκ for אֵ֣ין indicates the absence of a word before it is spoken, aligning with the Hebrew emphasis on God's preemptive awareness.


In plain words — the whole versegenerated

Psalm 139:4 tells us that even before we speak, God already knows what we are going to say. This verse emphasizes God's complete understanding of our thoughts and words, showing His intimate knowledge of us.


Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated

What does it mean that God knows our words before we speak them?

It means that God's knowledge is perfect and complete; He understands our thoughts and intentions even before they are expressed.

How does this verse reflect God's omniscience?

This verse illustrates that God is aware of everything, including our unspoken words, highlighting His all-encompassing knowledge.

Why is it significant that the psalmist acknowledges God's knowledge?

Acknowledging God's knowledge emphasizes the relationship between the Creator and His creation, showing that we are known and understood deeply.

In what ways can this knowledge of God comfort us?

Knowing that God understands us completely can provide comfort in times of uncertainty, reminding us that we are never alone in our thoughts and struggles.


Reflection Questionsgenerated

  1. How does knowing that God is aware of our thoughts influence the way we speak and act?
  2. In what areas of your life do you feel the need for God's understanding and knowledge?
  3. How can this verse encourage you to be more mindful of your words?
  4. What does it mean for you to have a personal relationship with a God who knows you so intimately?

Commentators on this verse — 8 expositors, verse by verse

Each of these wrote on Psalms 139:4 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.

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

For [there is] not a word in my tongue,.... Expressed by it or upon it, just ready to be spoken; or, as the Targum, "when there is no word in my tongue:'' so Aben Ezra, "before it was perfect in my

Read John Gill on Psalms 139 →
Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's Commentary

For there is not a word in my tongue, but, lo, O LORD, thou knowest it altogether. For (there is) not a word in (i:e., that rises to) my tongue, (but), lo, O Lord, thou knowest it altogether.

Read Robert Jamieson on Psalms 139 →
Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy Bible

Thou knowest what I speak, and with what design and disposition of mind. Or rather, as others render it, and which is more admirable, When there is not a word, &c. Thou knowest what I intend to speak, either in prayer to thee, or in conversation with men, when I have not yet uttered one word of it.

Read Matthew Poole on Psalms 139 →
John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

Psalms 139:4 For [there is] not a word in my tongue, [but], lo, O LORD, thou knowest it altogether.Ver. 4. For there is not a word in my tongue] Though not yet uttered, or but whispered only. Thou knowest it altogether] Every tittle of it; thou understandest the language of men’ s hearts.

Read John Trapp on Psalms 139 →
Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(4) For there is not . . .—This has been understood in two ways:— My tongue cannot utter a word which thou dost not altogether know. or, Before my tongue can utter a word thou knowest it altogether.

Read Charles John Ellicott on Psalms 139 →
AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible

Verse 4. There is not a word in my tongue] Although (כי ki) there be not a word in my tongue, behold O Jehovah, thou knowest the whole of it, that is, thou knowest all my words before they are uttered, as thou knowest all my thoughts while as yet they are unformed.

Read AdamClarke on Psalms 139 →
CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

4. God knows not merely the spoken word which men can hear, but its true meaning, and the secret thoughts which prompt its utterance. But the verse may also be rendered, For (when) a word is not yet on my tongue, Lo, thou &c. Before thought has formed itself into words and found expression, the Searcher of hearts knows it.

Read Cambridge on Psalms 139 →
Albert Barnes1798–1870Barnes' Notes on the Bible

For there is not a word in my tongue - All that I say; all that I have power to say; all that I am disposed at any time to say. But lo, O Lord, thou knowest it altogether - All that pertains to it.

Read Albert Barnes on Psalms 139 →

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

Even before a word is on my tongue, You know all about it, O LORD.

WEBWorld English Bible2000

For there is not a word on my tongue, but behold, Yahweh, you know it altogether.

MSBMajority Standard Bible2022

Even before a word is on my tongue, You know all about it, O LORD.

NETBNew English Translation2006

Certainly my tongue does not frame a word without you, O Lord, being thoroughly aware of it.

Tyndale line

KJVKing James Version1611

For there is not a word in my tongue, but, lo, O LORD, thou knowest it altogether.

ASVAmerican Standard Version1901

For there is not a word in my tongue, But, lo, O Jehovah, thou knowest it altogether.

RVARevised Version, American1894

For there is not a word in my tongue, but, lo, O LORD, thou knowest it altogether.

NWBWebster's Bible1833

For there is not a word on my tongue, but lo, O LORD, thou knowest it altogether.

GNVGeneva Bible1599

For there is not a word in my tongue, but loe, thou knowest it wholy, O Lord.

Strictly literal

DBYDarby Translation1890

For there is not yet a word on my tongue, [but] lo, O Jehovah, thou knowest it altogether.

YLTYoung's Literal Translation1862

For there is not a word in my tongue, Lo, O Jehovah, Thou hast known it all!

LSVLiteral Standard Version2020

For there is not a word in my tongue, || Behold, O YHWH, You have known it all!

ILTInterlinear Literal Translation2000

For, while there is not a word on my tongue, lo, thou, O Lord, knowest it entirely.

ULBUnlocked Literal Bible2017

For before there is a word on my tongue, you know it completely, Yahweh.

From the Latin

DRADouay-Rheims (Challoner)1899

They have sharpened their tongues like a serpent: the venom of saps is under their lips.

Simplified

FBVFree Bible Version2020

Lord, you even know what I'm going to say before I say it.

BBEBible in Basic English1949

For there is not a word on my tongue which is not clear to you, O Lord.

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


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

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

כִּ֤י(dm)clausepredicateאֵ֣יןthere.[is].notsubjectמִ֭לָּהa.wordprepositional phrase · prepositionalבִּonnoun phraseלְשׁוֹנִ֑tongueיmyclauseclauseהֵ֥ןthere!clauseיְ֝הוָ֗הO.Yahwehclauseverbיָדַ֥עְתָּyou.knownoun phrase · objectכֻלָּֽof.itהּall

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


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

The Masoretic Text of Psalms 139:4 states, "כִּ֤י אֵ֣ין מִ֭לָּה בִּלְשׁוֹנִ֑י הֵ֥ן יְ֝הוָ֗ה יָדַ֥עְתָּ כֻלָּֽהּ׃" which translates to, "Even before a word is on my tongue, O LORD, You know it all." The Septuagint agrees with the Masoretic Text in its word-by-word correspondence, matching all eight words, although the order and articles may differ due to the nature of Greek syntax. There are no significant differences noted in the Samaritan Pentateuch or the Dead Sea Scrolls for this verse, indicating a strong consistency among the ancient witnesses.

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

כִּ֤י אֵ֣ין מִ֭לָּה בִּלְשׁוֹנִ֑י הֵ֥ן יְ֝הוָ֗ה יָדַ֥עְתָּ כֻלָּֽהּ׃

Septuagintthe Greek the translators chose, word by word
כִּ֤יὅτιאֵ֣יןοὐκמִ֭לָּהλόγοςבִּלְשׁוֹנִ֑יμουהֵ֥ןἰδούיְ֝הוָ֗הκύριεיָדַ֥עְתָּἔγνωςכֻלָּֽהּ׃πάντα

8 of the 8 words are matched. This is the word-by-word correspondence, not the Septuagint's own sentence — its word order and its articles are its own.

Four traditions, not one. “On the leather” means the letters physically survive on the scroll, as against letters an editor has supplied to fill a hole in it — a restoration is a scholar’s reading, not a reading of the manuscript. Words in [square brackets] are supplied; the notes count them apart from what survives.


The map of this verse — what each word keeps company with

This is a map of two things, both counted rather than judged. Company kept: which words stand within three words of each of these, anywhere in the Hebrew Bible — the thicker the line, the more often the pair meet compared with chance. Built from: the words a word is made out of, taken from its own Strong’s entry. It is not a map of meaning: nothing here claims two words mean the same thing. Click any circle to see the numbers behind it.

Psalms 139:4כִּיforforכִּיאַ֫יִןthere notthere notאַ֫יִןמִלָּה[is] a word[is] a wordמִלָּהלָשׁוֹןon tongue mon tongue myלָשׁוֹןהֵןthere!there!הֵןיהוהO YahwehO Yahwehיהוהיָדַעyou knowyou knowיָדַעכֹּלall of itall of itכֹּלמָלַלto speakto speakמָלַללָשַׁןto slanderto slanderלָשַׁןהָיָהto beto beהָיָהכָּלַלto perfectto perfectכָּלַלאַ֫יִןwhere?where?אַ֫יִןיָדַעto knowto knowיָדַעכְּמוֹlikelikeכְּמוֹאָזַןto listento listenאָזַןאֹמֶרwordwordאֹמֶרחֵךְpalatepalateחֵךְהָגָהto mutterto mutterהָגָהיָפֶהbeautifulbeautifulיָפֶהיהוהYHWH/GodYHWH/GodיהוהנְאֻםutteranceutteranceנְאֻםצָבָאarmyarmyצָבָאאֲנִיIIאֲנִיבִּיןto understto understandבִּיןעֵדָהcongregaticongregationעֵדָה
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 139:4

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.

for there not [is] a word on tongue my there! O Yahweh you know all of it
כִּ֤יki 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'.
Amplified meaning
before all time, from the very first
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
Conj — 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
for there not [is] a word on tongue my there! O Yahweh you know all of it
אֵ֣ין'ein there not H369 Noun common · masculine singular construct
789× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This word means nothing or not, often used to indicate the absence of something, as in Genesis 1:2 where the earth was without form. It emphasizes the idea of something lacking or non-existent.
Tyndale gloss
nothing
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

אַ֫יִן (ayin) primarily means 'nothing' or 'nought' and serves as a negative particle indicating absence or negation, such as 'is not' or 'there is not.' It can also express lack of possession or existence. The word is derived from a root meaning to be non-existent, and it appears frequently in various grammatical constructions.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

אַ֫יִן, אָ֑֫יִן cstr. אֵין subst. prop. nothing, nought

to nothing, as nothing

cstr. אֵין, very freq. as particle of negation, is not, are not, was not, were not

אֵין לְ׳, with subst., or pron., there is (was) not to … = … have, has, had, etc. not

in circumst. clauses

with inf. and ל׳, it is not to …

with prefixes

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H369 אַ֫יִן, אָ֑֫יִן cstr. אֵין subst. prop. nothing, nought . to nothing, as nothing

. cstr. אֵין, very freq. as particle of negation, is not, are not, was not, were not

. אֵין לְ׳, with subst., or pron., there is (was) not to … = … have, has, had, etc. not

. in circumst. clauses

. with inf. and ל׳, it is not to …

. with prefixes

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

369 'ayin ah'-yin

as if from a primitive root meaning to be nothing or not

exist; a non-entity; generally used as a negative

particle:--else, except, fail, (father-)less, be gone,

in(-curable), neither, never, no (where), none, nor, (any,

thing), not, nothing, to nought, past, un(-searchable),

well-nigh, without. Compare 370.

see HEBREW for 0370

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

אַ֫יִן (a.yin) — nothing.

1) nothing, not, nought n

1a) nothing, nought neg

1b) not

1c) to have not (of possession) adv

1d) without w/prep

1e) for lack of

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
HNcmsc — Noun common · masculine singular construct
HNcmsc
for there not [is] a word on tongue my there! O Yahweh you know all of it
מִ֭לָּהMi.lah [is] a word H4405 Noun common · feminine singular absolute
38× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This Hebrew word means a word or speech, and can also refer to a topic or subject. It's used in the Bible to describe what people say or talk about.
Amplified meaning
speech, utterance
Tyndale gloss
speech
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

מִלָּה (millah) means 'word' or 'speech' and can refer to a discourse or topic. It is derived from a root that suggests collective speech or utterance. The term encompasses various forms of communication, including answers and by-words. The Aramaic equivalent is also מִלָּה.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

מִלָּה n.f. word, speech, utterance

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H4405 מִלָּה

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

4405 millah mil-law'

from 4448 (plural masculine as if from milleh {mil-leh'}; a

word; collectively, a discourse; figuratively, a topic:--+

answer, by-word, matter, any thing (what) to say, to

speak(-ing), speak, talking, word.

see HEBREW for 04448

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

מִלָּה (mil.lah) — speech.

word, speech, utterance

Aramaic equivalent: mil.lah (מִלָּה "word" H4406)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-fs — Noun common · feminine singular absolute
HNcfsa
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

wurd: The commonest term in the Old Testament for "word" is dabhar (also "matter" "thing"); in the New Testament logos ("reason," "discourse," "speech"); but also frequently rhema. Rhema is a "word" in itself considered; logos is a spoken word, with reference generally to that which is in the speaker's mind. Some of the chief applications of the terms may thus be exhibited:

(1) We have the word of Yahweh (or God; see below)

(a) as the revelation to the patriarch, prophet, or inspired person (Ge 15:1; Ex 20:1; Nu 22:38, etc.);

(b) as spoken forth by the prophet (Ex 4:30; 34:1; 2Ki 7:1;

One of the titles of the second person of the Trinity, indicating perhaps that by his acts and teachings God is revealed, somewhat as thought is by words, 1Jo 1:1 5:7 Re 19:13. "The word of the Lord" was a common phrase in the Old Testament, always denoting some revelation of Jehovah. Long before the coming of Christ, the Jewish paraphrasts of the Bible used "The Word" in the passage where Jehovah occurred in the original; and the term was familiar to Jewish writers as the name of a divine being, the Son of God.

To show its true meaning and its application to our Savior, was of great importance to John, the last of the inspired writers, in whose later years certain errors as to the person of Christ, borrowed from Eastern philosophy, had begun to creep into the Christian church. He describes "The Word" as a personal and divine Being…

Nave's Topical Bible

→ A title of Jesus Joh 1:1,14; 1Jo 5:7; Re 19:13

→ See JESUS, NAMES OF

for there not [is] a word on tongue my there! O Yahweh you know all of it
בִּלְשׁוֹנִ֑יbil.sho.Ni on tongue my H3956 Preposition · noun common both singular construct · suffix
117× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
The tongue, used for eating, speaking, or describing a language. In the Bible, it appears in many books, including Genesis 11:1 and Acts 2:4.
Amplified meaning
the instrument of speaking
Tyndale gloss
tongue
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word לָשׁוֹן (*lashon*) primarily means 'tongue,' referring to both the organ of speech in humans and animals. It can also denote 'language' and has figurative uses, such as a 'tongue-shaped' wedge or bay. The entries highlight its literal and metaphorical applications, but do not present any significant disagreements among the lexicons.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

לָשׁוֹן n.m. and (more oft.) f. tongue

tongue of men

= language

tongue of animals

tongue of fire

= (tongue-shaped) wedge of gold

= (tongue-shaped) bay of sea

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H3956 לָשׁוֹן tongue . tongue of men

. = language

. tongue of animals

. tongue of fire

. = (tongue-shaped) wedge of gold

. = (tongue-shaped) bay of sea

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

3956 lashown law-shone'

or lashon {law-shone'}; also (in plural) feminine lshonah

{lesh-o-naw'}; from 3960; the tongue (of man or animals), used

literally (as the instrument of licking, eating, or speech),

and figuratively (speech, an ingot, a fork of flame, a cove of

water):--+ babbler,bay, + evil speaker, language, talker,

tongue, wedge.

see HEBREW for 03960

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

לָשׁוֹן (la.shon) — tongue.

: tongue/words

1) tongue

1a) tongue (of men)

1a1) tongue (literal)

1a2) tongue (organ of speech)

1b) language

1c) tongue (of animals)

1d) tongue (of fire)

1e) wedge, bay of sea (tongue-shaped)

לָשׁוֹן (la.shon) — tongue: language.

: language

1) tongue

1a) tongue (of men)

1a1) tongue (literal)

1a2) tongue (organ of speech)

1b) language

1c) tongue (of animals)

1d) tongue (of fire)

1e) wedge, bay of sea (tongue-shaped)

לָשׁוֹן (la.shon) — tongue: bar.

: bar/projection/bay

1) tongue

1a) tongue (of men)

1a1) tongue (literal)

1a2) tongue (organ of speech)

1b) language

1c) tongue (of animals)

1d) tongue (of fire)

1e) wedge, bay of sea (tongue-shaped)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Prep | N-cs | Suff — Preposition · noun common both singular construct · suffix
HR/Ncbsc/Sp1bs
for there not [is] a word on tongue my there! O Yahweh you know all of it
הֵ֥ןhen there! H2005 Particle
316× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
An expression meaning look or behold, used to get someone's attention, like in the prophet Isaiah's writings. It can also express surprise or introduce a hypothetical situation.
Tyndale gloss
look!
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

הֵן (hen) is a demonstrative adverb or interjection meaning 'lo!' or 'behold!'. It is primarily used to draw attention to a fact that prompts action or leads to a conclusion. The word can also express surprise and is less common than its counterpart הִנֵּה (hinneh). Additionally, it can function hypothetically as 'if'.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

הֵן 100 demonstr.adv. or interj. lo!, behold (on etym. v. הִנֵּה), less widely used than הִנֵּה, and in prose mostly confined to calling attention to some fact upon which action is to be taken, or a conclusion based

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H2005 הֵן demonstr. adv. or interj. lo!, behold (on etym. v. הִנֵּה), less widely used than הִנֵּה, and in prose mostly confined to calling attention to some fact upon which action is to be taken, or a conclusion based

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

2005 hen hane

a primitive particle; lo!; also (as expressing surprise)

if:--behold, if, lo, though.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

הֵן (hen) — look!.

interj

1) behold, lo, though hypothetical part

2) if

Aramaic equivalent: hen (הֵן "look!" H2006A)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
HTj — Particle
HTj
for there not [is] a word on tongue my there! O Yahweh you know all of it
יְ֝הוָ֗הYah.weh O Yahweh H3068 Noun proper
6,528× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
Yehovah is another name for God, often translated as 'the Lord'. It is a national name for God in the Jewish faith. This name is used throughout the Old Testament.
Amplified meaning
the supreme Ruler
Tyndale gloss
The Lord
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

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

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

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

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

יהוה is used with אלהים and suffixes, especially in D

the phrase † אֲנִי יהוה is noteworthy

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

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

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

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

3068 Yhovah yeh-ho-vaw'

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

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

see HEBREW for 01961

see HEBREW for 03050

see HEBREW for 03069

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

יְהֹוָה (ye.ho.vah) — LORD.

Jehovah = "the existing One"

1) the proper name of the one true God

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

יְהֹוָה (ye.ho.vah) — The Lord.

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

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

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

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-proper — Noun proper
HNpt
The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
for there not [is] a word on tongue my there! O Yahweh you know all of it
יָדַ֥עְתָּya.Da'.ta you know H3045 Verb · Qal · perfect second person masculine singular
945× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
The Hebrew word for to know means to ascertain by seeing, and is used in many senses, including to learn, perceive, and recognize, as seen in various KJV translations.
Amplified meaning
the Lord, are intimately aware of, perceive
Tyndale gloss
to know
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

יָדַע (yada`) is a Hebrew verb meaning 'to know,' encompassing a wide range of senses including perception, recognition, and experience. It can refer to knowing someone intimately or being skilled in a task. The word has various forms, indicating actions such as making known or being made known. Lexicons note its use in both literal and figurative contexts, but there is no significant disagreement among them.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

יָדַע 943 vb. know

Qal

know, learn to know

perceive

perceive and see; find out and discern

discriminate, distinguish

know by experience

recognize, admit, acknowledge, confess

consider

not know = not expect

know a person, be acquainted with

know a person carnally, of sexual intercourse

know how, to do a thing, be able to do it

be skilful in

abs. have knowledge, be wise

Niph.

be made known, be or become known, of things

make oneself known of pers.

be perceived

be instructed

Pi. cause to know

Pu. known

Hiph. make known, declare

Hoph. made known

Hithp. make oneself known

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H3045 יָדַע know .. . know, learn to know

. perceive

. perceive and see; find out and discern

. discriminate, distinguish

. know by experience

. recognize, admit, acknowledge, confess

. consider

. not know = not expect

. know a person, be acquainted with

. know a person carnally, of sexual intercourse

. . know how, to do a thing, be able to do it

. be skilful in

. abs. have knowledge, be wise

. . be made known, be or become known, of things

. make oneself known of pers.

. be perceived

. be instructed

. cause to know

. known

. make known, declare

. made known

. make oneself known

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

3045 yada` yaw-dah'

a primitive root; to know (properly, to ascertain by seeing);

used in a great variety of senses, figuratively, literally,

euphemistically and inferentially (including observation,

care, recognition; and causatively, instruction, designation,

punishment, etc.) (as follow):--acknowledge, acquaintance(-ted

with), advise, answer, appoint, assuredly, be aware,

(un-)awares, can(-not), certainly, comprehend, consider, X

could they, cunning, declare, be diligent, (can, cause to)

discern, discover, endued with, familiar friend, famous, feel,

can have, be (ig-)norant, instruct, kinsfolk, kinsman, (cause

to let, make) know, (come to give, have, take) knowledge, have

(knowledge), (be, make, make to be, make self) known, + be

learned, + lie by man, mark, perceive, privy to, X

prognosticator, regard, have respect, skilful, shew, can (man

of) skill, be sure, of a surety, teach, (can) tell,

Read the full entry →
Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

יָדַע (ya.da) — to know.

1) to know

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to know

1a1a) to know, learn to know

1a1b) to perceive

1a1c) to perceive and see, find out and discern

1a1d) to discriminate, distinguish

1a1e) to know by experience

1a1f) to recognise, admit, acknowledge, confess

1a1g) to consider

1a2) to know, be acquainted with

1a3) to know (a person carnally)

1a4) to know how, be skilful in

1a5) to have knowledge, be wise

1b) (Niphal)

1b1) to be made known, be or become known, be revealed

1b2) to make oneself known

1b3) to be perceived

1b4) to be instructed

1c) (Piel) to cause to know

1d) (Poal) to cause to know

1e) (Pual)

1e1) to be known

1e2) known, one known, acquaintance (participle)

1f) (Hiphil) to make known, declare

1g) (Hophal) to be made known

1h) (Hithpael) to make oneself known, reveal oneself

Aramaic equivalent: ye.da (יְדַע "to know" H3046)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
V-Qal-Perf-2ms — Verb · Qal · perfect second person masculine singular
HVqp2ms
for there not [is] a word on tongue my there! O Yahweh you know all of it
כֻלָּֽהּ׃khu.Lah all of it H3605 Noun common masculine singular construct · suffix
5,415× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
The Hebrew word for 'all' or 'everything' is used throughout the Bible, like in Genesis 1:31, where God sees all He has made as very good. It encompasses the entirety of something, whether people, things, or situations.
Amplified meaning
everything, completely
Tyndale gloss
all
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

כֹּל (kol) means 'all' or 'the whole.' It can refer to totality, including every person or thing, and is often used with a following genitive to specify what is included. The term can also denote a broader sense of everything in existence or all circumstances of life. The lexicons do not show significant disagreement on its meanings.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

כֹּל once כּוֹל n.m. the whole, all

with foll. gen. (as usually) the whole of, to be rendered, however, often in our idiom, to avoid stiffness, any or every

Absolutely:

without the art., all things, all

with the art. הַכֹּל

where the sense is limited by the context to things (or persons) just mentioned

in a wider sense, all, whether of all mankind or of all living things, the universe, or of all the circumstances of life (chiefly late)

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H3605 כֹּל once כּוֹל the whole, all . with foll. gen. (as usually) the whole of, to be rendered, however, often in our idiom, to avoid stiffness, any or every

. Absolutely: . without the art., all things, all

. with the art. הַכֹּל . where the sense is limited by the context to things (or persons) just mentioned

. in a wider sense, all, whether of all mankind or of all living things, the universe, or of all the circumstances of life (chiefly late)

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

3605 kol kole

or (Jer. 33:8) kowl {kole}; from 3634; properly, the whole;

hence, all, any or every (in the singular only, but often in a

plural sense):--(in) all (manner, (ye)), altogether, any

(manner), enough, every (one, place, thing), howsoever, as

many as, (no-)thing, ought, whatsoever, (the) whole,

whoso(-ever).

see HEBREW for 03634

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

כֹּל (kol) — all.

1) all, the whole

1a) all, the whole of

1b) any, each, every, anything

1c) totality, everything

Aramaic equivalent: kol (כֹּל "all" H3606)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-ms | Suff — Noun common masculine singular construct · suffix
HNcmsc/Sp3fs
The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
Sources on this page. Lexicons and dictionaries imported from the CrossWire SWORD modules — Abbott-Smith, Strong's, Dodson, the Intermediate Liddell-Scott-Jones, Robinson and Packard, Webster and Cawdrey. Thayer’s Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament (Harper, 1889 — Grimm’s Wilke’s Clavis Novi Testamenti, translated, revised and enlarged by Joseph Henry Thayer) is public domain and is set here from the Internet Archive page scan greekenglishlex00grim; it is uncorrected OCR, marked as such on the entry itself, and the Strong’s numbers — which Thayer’s own edition does not carry — were matched by lemma against the other modules on this page. Trench’s Synonyms of the New Testament (Macmillan, 1880) and Moulton and Milligan’s Vocabulary of the Greek Testament (Hodder & Stoughton, 1930, which entered the United States public domain on 1 January 2026) are set from Internet Archive page scans synonymsofnewtes00treniala and vocabularyofgree00mouluoft, and are likewise uncorrected OCR matched to Strong’s numbers by lemma. Trench treats a group of words at once, so the same essay stands on the page of each word it compares. The Mounce Concise Greek-English Dictionary is © 1993 and is used here by permission for non-commercial use, www.teknia.com/greek-dictionary. The full Liddell-Scott-Jones and the Hebrew word data (TAHOT) come from STEPBible.org, CC BY 4.0. Brown-Driver-Briggs is the OpenScriptures digitisation, public domain. Syntax analysis is the Nestle 1904 Lowfat treebank (biblicalhumanities.org); the concordance and morphology are built from the tagged Nestle 1904 text. Septuagint occurrences use the Open Scriptures Septuagint lemma index, derived from CCAT (University of Pennsylvania) and the Rahlfs 1935 dataset by Eliran Wong, CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 — used here on a non-commercial ministry site. Greek of Josephus and Barnabas from the Perseus Digital Library, CC BY-SA 4.0. Commentaries and the Ante-Nicene Fathers are public-domain texts hosted on this site. Everyday Greek from the Duke Databank of Documentary Papyri, CC BY 3.0, with dates and provenance from the Heidelberger Gesamtverzeichnis. Philo and the Apostolic Fathers from Open Greek and Latin (First1KGreek), CC BY-SA 4.0. The apparatus and the fifth Greek column are the SBL Greek New Testament, © 2010 SBL and Logos Bible Software, CC BY 4.0. The Latin is the Clementine Vulgate (public domain); the Syriac New Testament is the ETCBC edition (MIT licence). The Hebrew behind the Greek is computed here from the Septuagint index and TAHOT, not taken from any aligned edition. The translation spread and the per-word edition marks come from the Translators Amalgamated Greek NT (STEPBible, CC BY 4.0); clause roles from the Nestle 1904 Lowfat treebank (CC BY-SA 4.0); place identifications and their confidence from OpenBible.info Bible Geocoding (CC BY 4.0), with map tiles © OpenStreetMap contributors. Gospel parallels are computed here from shared uncommon vocabulary, not taken from any printed harmony. Cross references are the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge and the subject headings are Nave’s Topical Bible, both public domain. Works under Creative Commons licences are used unchanged apart from markup removal.

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