Psalms 139:8 — Word Study
WLCאִם־ אֶסַּ֣ק שָׁ֭מַיִם שָׁ֣ם אָ֑תָּה וְאַצִּ֖יעָה שְּׁא֣וֹל הִנֶּֽךָּ׃
BSAIfʼim I ascendnâçaq△▸ [go up, rise] to the heavensshâmayim [the visible universe, sky] Youʼattâh [the Lord] are thereshâm [present, in that place] if I make my bedyatsaʻ [lay down, rest] in Sheolshᵉʼôwl [the underworld, grave, place of the dead] You are therehên [near, beside me, present]
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| אִם־ | if | Particle |
| אֶסַּ֣ק | I will ascend | Verb, Qal, imperfect first person common singular |
| שָׁ֭מַיִם | heavens | Noun common, masculine plural absolute |
| שָׁ֣ם | [are] there | Adverb |
| אָ֑תָּה | you | Pronoun |
| וְאַצִּ֖יעָה | and I will spread as a bed | Conjunction, verb hiphil infinitive construct first person common singular |
| שְּׁא֣וֹל | Sheol | Noun common, both singular absolute |
| הִנֶּֽךָּ׃ | there [are] you | Particle, suffix |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | If I ascend to the heavens, You are there; if I make my bed in Sheol, You are there. |
| KJV | If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there. |
| ASV | If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: If I make my bed in Sheol, behold, thou art there. |
| YLT | If I ascend the heavens — there Thou [art], And spread out a couch in Sheol, lo, Thee! |
| WEB | If I ascend up into heaven, you are there. If I make my bed in Sheol, behold, you are there! |
| BBE | If I go up to heaven, you are there: or if I make my bed in the underworld, you are there. |
The translations agree on the meaning of God's omnipresence throughout the verse.
The verse contains two main clauses with a conditional phrase, emphasizing the psalmist's declaration of God's presence.
8 commentators on this verse
Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them ›
clause
subjectאַתָּה
verbסָלֵק
The sentence as the grammar sees it Open the tree ›
1 of 8 occurs nowhere else in the Old Testament — a word chosen on purpose.
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 139:8
Sections marked generated are written from the data on this page rather than by a named author. Everything else — the lexicon entries, the cross references, the manuscript readings, the counts — is quoted from its source unchanged.
Context — God's Inescapable Presencegenerated
Psalms 139:8 is part of a larger reflection on the nature of God's presence. The psalmist contemplates the impossibility of escaping God's Spirit, emphasizing that whether he ascends to the heavens or descends to Sheol, God is always present. This theme of divine omnipresence is echoed throughout the psalm, illustrating a deep understanding of God's nature.
Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ezekiel 28:12–17 | “Son of man, take up a lament for the king of Tyre and tell him that this is what the Lord GOD says: ‘You were the seal of perfection, full of wisdom and perfect in beauty. |
| 2 | Amos 9:2–4 | Though they dig down to Sheol, from there My hand will take them; and though they climb up to heaven, from there I will pull them down. |
| 3 | Obadiah 1:4 | Though you soar like the eagle and make your nest among the stars, even from there I will bring you down,” declares the LORD. |
| 4 | Job 26:6 | Sheol is naked before God, and Abaddon has no covering. |
| 5 | Job 34:21–22 | For His eyes are on the ways of a man, and He sees his every step. |
The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 7 references, hung on the phrase they belong to
The Key Word — אֶסַּ֣ק, 'e.Sakgenerated
The verb סָלֵק ('e.Sak) means 'to ascend' or 'to go up.' It is used here in the imperfect tense, indicating an action that is ongoing or habitual. This word captures the idea of rising to a higher place, which in this context refers to the heavens.
The choice of this verb highlights the psalmist's acknowledgment of God's presence in all realms, both high and low. The act of ascending symbolizes a search for God, while the assurance of His presence reassures the believer of His constant companionship.
How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated
This study reads the verse in the Berean Standard Bible, so the BSB is the wording every comparison below is made against.
Sentence Structuregenerated
The verse consists of two main clauses connected by the conjunction וְ (ve, 'and'). The first clause states the action of ascending to the heavens, while the second clause presents the action of making a bed in Sheol. This parallel structure emphasizes the contrast between the heights of heaven and the depths of Sheol.
Each clause contains a subject and a predicate, with the verb אֶסַּ֣ק ('e.Sak) governing the first clause and אַצִּ֖יעָה (ve.'a.Tzi.'ah) governing the second. The repetition of God's presence in both scenarios underscores the theme of His inescapability.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
In the Septuagint, the Hebrew אֶסַּ֣ק is rendered as ἀναβῶ (anabō), meaning 'I will ascend.' This choice reflects a direct translation of the action of rising.
The Greek word καταβῶ (katabō) for 'make my bed' suggests a similar action of descending or laying down, aligning closely with the Hebrew meaning while maintaining the context of God's omnipresence.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
Psalms 139:8 expresses the idea that no matter where the psalmist goes, whether to the heavens or to Sheol, God is always present. This verse emphasizes God's omnipresence, reassuring the believer of His constant companionship.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
Sheol represents the underworld or grave, indicating that even in death, God's presence is not absent.
The contrast highlights that God's presence encompasses all realms, from the highest to the lowest.
It reassures that no matter the circumstances or location, God is always near and accessible.
It reflects the intimate connection believers can have with God, knowing He is always present in their lives.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- In what ways have I experienced God's presence in my life, even in difficult times?
- How can I remind myself of God's omnipresence when I feel alone or distant?
- What does it mean for me to know that God is with me wherever I go?
- How can I share the comfort of God's presence with others who may feel abandoned?
The early church on this verse — how the Fathers read it
The early Church Fathers, such as Augustine of Hippo, reference this verse to illustrate God's omnipresence and the believer's relationship with Him.
"If I go up," says he, "to heaven, You are there: if I go down to Hades, You are present" [Psalms 139:8].Early Church Fathers on Psalms 139 →
For this reason, of course, it was not enough for Jesus to say, "I will that where I am they also may be," but he added, "with me." For to be with him is a great good.Early Church Fathers on Psalms 139 →
Commentators on this verse — 8 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on Psalms 139:8 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire BibleIf I ascend up into heaven, thou [art] there,.... No man hath ascended or can ascend to heaven of himself; it is an hyperbolical expression, as are those that follow; none but Christ has ascended to
Read John Gill on Psalms 139 →Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's CommentaryIf I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there.
Read Robert Jamieson on Psalms 139 →Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy BibleIf I make my bed in hell; if I should or could repose and hide myself in the grave, or in the lowest parts of the earth, which are at the farthest distance from heaven.
Read Matthew Poole on Psalms 139 →John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New TestamentsPsalms 139:8 If I ascend up into heaven, thou [art] there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou [art there].Ver. 8. If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there] That is thy proper place; and there Aristotle, in his Book of the World, ad Alexandrum affirmeth that God is only essentialiter et actu. This was to proclaim himself an arrant atheist; for God filleth all places, and is comprehended of no place, being totally present wheresoever present; for we must not conceive that God is commensurable by the place, as if he were partly here and partly elsewhere; but everywhere, all present.
Read John Trapp on Psalms 139 →Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers(8) If I make my bed in hell.—Literally, If I make Sheôl my bed. (For the thought see Amos 9:2, and comp. Proverbs 15:11; Job 26:6.) This conviction that the underworld was not exempt from the vigilance and even from the visitation of Jehovah makes an advance in thought from Psalms 6:5 (where see Note), &c, where death is viewed as cutting off the Hebrew altogether from his relation to the Theocracy.
Read Charles John Ellicott on Psalms 139 →AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the BibleVerse 8. If I ascend] Thou art in heaven, in thy glory; in hell, in thy vindictive justice; and in all parts of earth, water, space, place, or vacuity, by thy omnipresence. Wherever I am, there art thou; and where I cannot be, thou art there. Thou fillest the heavens and the earth.
Read AdamClarke on Psalms 139 →CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges8. Cp. Amos 9:2 ff.; Jeremiah 23:24. If I should ascend up] Another Aramaic word. if I make my bed in hell] Render, and if I should make Sheol my couch.
Read Cambridge on Psalms 139 →Albert Barnes1798–1870Barnes' Notes on the BibleIf I ascend up into heaven - The word “heaven” here, in the original is in the plural number - “heavens,” - and includes all that there is above the earth - the highest worlds.
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
If I ascend to the heavens, You are there; if I make my bed in Sheol, You are there.
If I ascend up into heaven, you are there. If I make my bed in Sheol, behold, you are there!
If I ascend to the heavens, You are there; if I make my bed in Sheol, You are there.
If I were to ascend to heaven, you would be there. If I were to sprawl out in Sheol, there you would be.
Tyndale line
If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there.
If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: If I make my bed in Sheol, behold, thou art there.
If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in Sheol, behold, thou art there.
If I ascend into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there .
If I ascende into heauen, thou art there: if I lye downe in hell, thou art there.
Strictly literal
If I ascend up into the heavens thou art there; or if I make my bed in Sheol, behold, thou [art there];
If I ascend the heavens — there Thou [art], And spread out a couch in Sheol, lo, Thee!
If I ascend the heavens—You [are] there, || And spread out a bed in Sheol, behold, You!
If I should ascend into heaven, thou art there; and if I should make my bed in the nether world, behold, thou art there.
If I ascend up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in Sheol, behold, you are there.
From the Latin
O Lord, Lord, the strength of my salvation: thou hast overshadowed my head in the day of battle.
Simplified
If I go up to heaven, you are there. If I lie down in Sheol, look—you are there too!
If I go up to heaven, you are there: or if I make my bed in the underworld, you are there.
Counted from the translations carried on this site, not from a survey of every English Bible. A rendering shared by many versions is usually inherited rather than independently arrived at — the Tyndale line in particular runs through most of them.
The sentence as the grammar sees it — from the MACULA Hebrew treebank
This is not our own analysis: it is the scholarly syntax tree for the verse, showing how the clause actually holds together.
Boxes are the grammarian's groupings — clause, noun phrase, prepositional phrase.
The four witnesses to this verse — Masoretic, Septuagint, Samaritan, Qumran
The Masoretic Text of Psalms 139:8 states, "If I ascend to the heavens, You are there; if I make my bed in Sheol, You are there." The Septuagint, while it has a different word order and articles, aligns with the Masoretic Text in meaning, as it matches 6 of the 8 words. The Dead Sea Scrolls (11Q5) contain only two words from the verse, "Sheol" and "You are there," but do not provide enough context to determine if they agree or differ significantly from the Masoretic Text. Overall, the Septuagint supports the Masoretic Text's meaning, while the Dead Sea Scrolls offer limited evidence for comparison.
אִם־ אֶסַּ֣ק שָׁ֭מַיִם שָׁ֣ם אָ֑תָּה וְאַצִּ֖יעָה שְּׁא֣וֹל הִנֶּֽךָּ׃
6 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.
שאול הנ׳כה
2 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.
Lexicons — every word in Psalms 139:8
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.
אִם (im) is a Hebrew conjunction primarily meaning 'if' and is used in various contexts, including conditional clauses and interrogative situations. It can also express negation, alternatives, or exceptions, and appears frequently in the Old Testament. The lexicons note its use in oaths and its ability to connect different clauses, sometimes altering their meanings.
אִם conj.
hypoth. part. if
Interrog. part.
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
H518a אִם conj. . hypoth. part. if
. Interrog. part.
H518b 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
518 'im eem
a primitive particle; used very widely as demonstrative, lo!;
interrog., whether?; or conditional, if, although; also Oh
that!, when; hence, as a negative, not:--(and, can-,
doubtless, if, that) (not), + but, either, + except, +
more(-over if, than), neither, nevertheless, nor, oh that, or,
+ save (only, -ing), seeing, since, sith, + surely (no more,
none, not), though, + of a truth, + unless, + verily, when,
whereas, whether, while, + yet.
אִם (im) — if.
: if/whether_or/though
1) if
1a) conditional clauses
1a1) of possible situations
1a2) of impossible situations
1b) oath contexts
1b1) no, not
1c) if...if, whether...or, whether...or...or
1d) when, whenever
1e) since
1f) interrogative particle
1g) but rather
[כִּי] אם (ki im) — if: except.
1) except if
1a) but if
אִם (im) — if: surely no.
: surely_no
1) if
1a) conditional clauses
1a1) of possible situations
1a2) of impossible situations
1b) oath contexts
1b1) no, not
1c) if...if, whether...or, whether...or...or
1d) when, whenever
1e) since
1f) interrogative particle
1g) but rather
אִם (im) — if: surely yes.
: surely_yes
1) if
1a) conditional clauses
1a1) of possible situations
1a2) of impossible situations
1b) oath contexts
1b1) no, not
1c) if...if, whether...or, whether...or...or
1d) when, whenever
1e) since
1f) interrogative particle
1g) but rather
אִם (im) — if: until.
: until/except
Conj — ParticleHTc
סָלֵק (na.saq) is a Hebrew verb meaning 'to ascend' or 'to go up.' It is noted in the Qal form and appears in Psalm 139:8. The entries consistently define it as a primitive root related to the concept of ascending.
[סָלֵק] vb. ascend;—only Qal ψ 139:8
ref
H5266 סָלֵק ascend
5266 nacaq naw-sak'
a primitive root; to go up:--ascend.
סָלֵק (na.saq) — to ascend.
(Qal) to ascend
V-Qal-Imperf-1cs — Verb · Qal · imperfect first person common singularHVqi1cs
a-send': By derivation the English word implies motion from a lower place to (not merely toward) a higher one; and usage tends to restrict it to cases where the beholder is in the lower, not the higher, position. the King James Version uses it 39 times in all:
(1) of the going up of vapor (Ps 135:7), flame (Jud 20:40), or smoke (Re 8:4);
The Hebrew word שָׁמַיִם (*shamayim*) is a dual noun meaning 'heavens' or 'sky.' It refers to the visible heavens where celestial bodies are found, as well as the abode of God. The dual form may suggest both the arch of the sky and the higher ether. It is noted in contexts such as Elijah's ascent in a whirlwind.
[שָׁמַי] n.m. only pl. שָׁמַיִם 421 heavens, sky
visible heavens, sky, where stars, etc., are
phrases
as abode of God
Elijah taken up הַשּׁ׳ in whirlwind
הַשּׁ׳ personified in various relations
base
H8064 שָׁמַי only pl. שָׁמַיִם heavens, sky . . visible heavens, sky, where stars, etc., are
. phrases
. . as abode of God
. Elijah taken up הַשּׁ׳ in whirlwind
. הַשּׁ׳ personified in various relations
8064 shamayim shaw-mah'-yim
dual of an unused singular shameh {shaw-meh'}; from an unused
root meaning to be lofty; the sky (as aloft; the dual perhaps
alluding to the visible arch in which the clouds move, as well
as to the higher ether where the celestial bodies
revolve):--air, X astrologer, heaven(-s).
שָׁמַיִם (sha.ma.yim) — heaven.
1) heaven, heavens, sky
1a) visible heavens, sky
1a1) as abode of the stars
1a2) as the visible universe, the sky, atmosphere, etc
1b) Heaven (as the abode of God)
Aramaic equivalent: sha.ma.yin (שָׁמַ֫יִן "heaven" H8065)
N-mp — Noun common · masculine plural absoluteHNcmpa
hev'-'nz (shamayim; ouranoi): On the physical heavens see ASTRONOMY; WORLD. Above these, in popular conception, were the celestial heavens, the abode of God and of the hosts of angels (Ps 11:4; 103:19-21; Isa 66:1; Re 4:2; 5:11; compare Da 7:10), though it was recognized that Yahweh's presence was not confined to any region (1Ki 8:27). Later Judaism reckoned seven heavens. The apostle Paul speaks of himself as caught up into "the third heaven," which he evidently identifies with Paradise (2Co 12:2).
See HEAVENLY.
שָׁם (sham) is a Hebrew adverb meaning 'there' or 'thither,' indicating a location or direction. It can also refer to a point in time, translating to 'then.' The word is derived from a relative pronoun and is used in various contexts, including movement and temporal references.
שָׁם adv. there, thither
base
H8033 שָׁם there, thither
8033 sham shawm
a primitive particle (rather from the relative pronoun, 834);
there (transferring to time) then; often thither, or
thence:--in it, + thence, there (-in, + of, + out), +
thither, + whither.
see HEBREW for 0834
שָׁם (sham) — there.
1) there, thither
1a) there
1b) thither (after verbs of motion)
1c) from there, thence
1d) then (as an adverb of time)
Aramaic equivalent: tam.mah (תַּמָּה "there" H8536)
שָׁם (sham) — (Jerusalem) Is There.
Combined with ye.ru.sha.laim (יְרוּשָׁלִַ֫ם, יְרוּשְׁלֵם "Jerusalem" H3389)
This name means there, thither
Adv — AdverbHD
אַתָּ֫ה (attah) is a second-person pronoun in Hebrew, used to address someone directly. It has masculine and feminine forms: אַתָּה for singular masculine, אַתְּ for singular feminine, אַתֶּם for plural masculine, and אַתֵּן for plural feminine. The entries indicate variations in form and usage, reflecting the pronoun's grammatical complexity.
אַתָּ֫ה, אָ֑תָּה pron. 2 s. m. thou
base
אתי, i.e. אתִּי, the older & more original form of אַתְּ thou (fem.)
base
אַתְּ, אָ֑תְּ pron. 2 s. f. thou (fem.)
base
אַתֶּם pron. 2 m. pl. you (masc.)
base
אַתֵּן pron. 2 f. pl. you (fem.)
base
H859a אַתָּ֫ה, אָ֑תָּה pron. 2 s. m. thou H859b אתי, i.e. אתִּי, the older & more original form of אַתְּ thou (fem.) H859c אַתְּ, אָ֑תְּ pron. 2 s. f. thou (fem.) H859d אַתֶּם pron. 2 m. pl. you (masc.) H859e אַתֵּן pron. 2 f. pl. you (fem.)
859 'attah at-taw'
or (shortened); aatta {at-taw'}; or wath {ath}; feminine
(irregular) sometimes nattiy {at-tee'}; plural masculine attem
{at- tem'}; feminine atten {at-ten'}; or oattenah
{at-tay'naw}; or fattennah {at-tane'-naw}; a primitive pronoun
of the second person; thou and thee, or (plural) ye and
you:--thee, thou, ye, you.
אַתָּ֫ה (at.tah) — you(m.s.).
you (second pers. sing. masc.)
אתִּי (ti) — you(f.s.).
you (second pers. sing. fem.)
A grammatical form of at.tah (אַתָּ֫ה "you(m.s.)" H0859A)
אַתְּ (at.te) — you(f.s.).
you (second pers. sing. fem.)
A grammatical form of at.tah (אַתָּ֫ה "you(m.s.)" H0859A)
אַתֶּם (at.tem) — you(m.p.).
you (second pers. pl. masc.)
Aramaic equivalent: an.tun (אַנְתּוּן "you" H0608)
אַתֵּן (at.ten) — you(f.p.).
you (second pers. pl. fem.)
A grammatical form of at.tah (אַתָּ֫ה "you(m.s.)" H0859A)
Pron — PronounHPp2ms
יָצַע (yatsa`) is a Hebrew verb that primarily means to lay or spread out. It appears in the Hiphil form, indicating an action of laying or spreading, and in the Hophal form, suggesting a state of being laid or spread. The word is associated with actions like making a bed or spreading a surface.
[יָצַע] vb. Hiph. lay, spread, late
Hiph. lay, spread out
Hoph. be laid, spread
base
H3331 יָצַע Hiph. lay, spread, late
3331 yatsa` yaw-tsah'
a primitive root; to strew as a surface:--make (one's) bed, X
lie, spread.
יָצַע (ya.tsa) — to lay.
1) to spread out, make a bed
1a) (Hiphil) to lay, spread out
1b) (Hophal) to be laid, be spread out
Conj | V-Hiphil-1cs — Conjunction · verb hiphil infinitive construct first person common singularHC/Vhc1cs
Bed
(Heb. mittah), for rest at night (Ex. 8:3; 1 Sam. 19:13, 15, 16, etc.); during sickness (Gen. 47:31; 48:2; 49:33, etc.); as a sofa for rest (1 Sam. 28:23; Amos 3:12). Another Hebrew word (er’es) so rendered denotes a canopied bed, or a bed with curtains (Deut. 3:11; Ps. 132:3), for sickness (Ps. 6:6; 41:3).
In the New Testament it denotes sometimes a litter with a coverlet (Matt. 9:2, 6;
The Jewish bed consisted of the mattress, a mere mat, or one or more quilts; the covering, a finer quilt, or sometimes the outer garment worn by day, (1 Samuel 19:13) which the law provided should not be kept in pledge after sunset, that the poor man might not lack his needful covering, (24:13) the pillow, (1 Samuel 19:13) probably formed of sheep’s fleece or goat’s skin with a stuffing of cotton, etc.; the bedstead, a divan or bench along the side or end of the room, sufficing at a support for the bedding. Besides we have bedsteads made of ivory, wood, etc. referred to in (3:11; Amos 6:4) The ornamental portions were pillars and a canopy, Judith 13:9, ivory carvings, gold and silver, and probably mosaic work, purple and fine…
In the East, is, and was anciently, a divan, or broad low step around the sides of a room, like a sofa, which answered to purpose of a sofa by day for reclining, and of a bed by night for sleeping, Ex 8:3 2Sa 4:5-7. Sometimes it was raised several steps above the floor, 2Ki 1:4 Ps 132:4. It was covered very differently, and with more or less ornament, according to the rank of owner of the house. The poor had but a simple mattress or sheepskin; or a cloak or blanked, which also answered to wrap themselves in by day, Ex 22:2 De 24:13. Hence it was easy for the persons…
שְׁאוֹל (sh'owl) refers to the underworld or the realm of the dead in Hebrew. It encompasses concepts such as hell, the grave, and a pit, often associated with punishment for the wicked and a place from which the righteous are not abandoned. The term implies a location of extreme degradation and is noted for its lack of praise for God.
שְׁאוֹל, שְׁאֹל n.f. Shᵉ’ōl, underworld (√ dub.; i.e. place of inquiry)
base
H7585 שְׁאוֹל, שְׁאֹל Shᵉ’ōl, underworld (√ dub.; i.e. place of inquiry)
7585 sh'owl sheh-ole'
or shol {sheh-ole'}; from 7592; Hades or the world of the
dead (as if a subterranean retreat), including its accessories
and inmates:--grave, hell, pit.
see HEBREW for 07592
שְׁאוֹל (she.ol) — hell: Sheol.
Sheol, underworld, grave, hell, pit
1a) the underworld
1b) Sheol-the OT designation for the abode of the dead
1b1) place of no return
1b2) without praise of God
1b3) wicked sent there for punishment
1b4) righteous not abandoned to it
1b5) of the place of exile (fig)
1b6) of extreme degradation in sin
N-proper — Noun common · both singular absoluteHNcbsa
she'-ol (she'ol):
1. The Name
2. The Abode of the Dead
(1) Not a State of Unconsciousness
(2) Not Removed from God's Jurisdiction
(3) Relation to Immortality
3. Post-canonical Period
1. The Name:
Sheol
(Heb., “the all-demanding world” = Gr. Hades, “the unknown region”), the invisible world of departed souls. (See HELL.)
→ See HELL (Hades)
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'.
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
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
2005 hen hane
a primitive particle; lo!; also (as expressing surprise)
if:--behold, if, lo, though.
הֵן (hen) — look!.
interj
1) behold, lo, though hypothetical part
2) if
Aramaic equivalent: hen (הֵן "look!" H2006A)
Part | Suff — Particle · suffixHTj/Sp2ms