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Psalms 147:2 — Word Study

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WLCבּוֹנֵ֣ה יְרוּשָׁלִַ֣ם יְהוָ֑ה נִדְחֵ֖י יִשְׂרָאֵ֣ל יְכַנֵּֽס׃

BSAThe LORDYᵉhôvâh [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] builds upbânâh [rebuilds, establishes] JerusalemYᵉrûwshâlaim [the city of peace] He gatherskânaç [collects, brings together] of IsraelYisrâʼêl [the descendants of Jacob]

Word
Listen & take awayPsalms 147
English ↓ Download MP3 The Berean Standard Bible chapter audio already hosted for the site's Bible section — verse 2 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 (ye.kha.Nes) — no per-word recordings of the Hebrew exist to link to.
Take it away
Psalms 147:2quick helps
In a sentenceThe LORD restores Jerusalem and brings together the scattered people of Israel.
Who is speakingThe LORD, identified by His covenant name, Yehovah.
Where we areThis verse is part of a psalm celebrating God's goodness and care.
The hard wordבּוֹנֵ֣ה
Take awayGod actively rebuilds and gathers His people.
8 commentators on this verse Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them › clause subjectיהוה verbבָּנָה 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 147:2

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 Care for Jerusalem and Israelgenerated

1Hallelujah! How good it is to sing praises to our God, how pleasant and lovely to praise Him!
2The LORD builds up Jerusalem; He gathers the exiles of Israel.
3He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.
4He determines the number of the stars; He calls them each by name.

Psalm 147:2 expresses the LORD's commitment to rebuilding Jerusalem and gathering the exiles of Israel, emphasizing His role as a protector and restorer. This psalm highlights God's love and care for His people, as well as His power to heal and restore those who are broken and scattered, as seen in the surrounding verses.


Cross References

ReferenceText (BSB)
1Psalm 51:18In Your good pleasure, cause Zion to prosper; build up the walls of Jerusalem.
2Psalm 102:13–16You will rise up and have compassion on Zion, for it is time to show her favor— the appointed time has come.
3Nehemiah 3:1–16At the Sheep Gate, Eliashib the high priest and his fellow priests began rebuilding. They dedicated it and installed its doors. After building as far as the Tower of the Hundred and the Tower of Hananel, they dedicated the wall.
4Nehemiah 7:4Now the city was large and spacious, but there were few people in it, and the houses had not yet been rebuilt.
5Isaiah 14:32What answer will be given to the envoys of that nation? “The LORD has founded Zion, where His afflicted people will find refuge.”

The Key Word בּוֹנֵ֣ה, bo.Nehgenerated

The Hebrew word בָּנָה (banah) means "to build" and encompasses various forms such as rebuilding, establishing, and making permanent. It can refer to physical construction, like building a house or family, as well as metaphorical uses, such as the establishment of restored exiles.

In this verse, the participle form בּוֹנֵה indicates an ongoing action by the LORD as the builder of Jerusalem, suggesting both restoration and establishment of the city, which is often seen as a symbol of peace.


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 main verb is בּוֹנֵ֣ה, He builds, which governs the clause. The structure is straightforward, with the subject יְהוָ֑ה (the LORD) performing the action of building Jerusalem and gathering the exiles.

The second verb יְכַנֵּֽס, He gathers, follows in the same clause, indicating a parallel action that complements the building, showing God's dual role in restoration and gathering.


Septuagint Backgroundgenerated

The Septuagint translates בּוֹנֵ֣ה as οἰκοδομῶν (oikodomon), which carries the same meaning of building or constructing. This choice reflects a direct correspondence to the Hebrew meaning of restoration.

The choice of ἐπισυνάχει for יְכַנֵּֽס indicates a gathering or collecting, aligning with the Hebrew sense of bringing together those who are scattered.


In plain words — the whole versegenerated

Psalm 147:2 tells us that the LORD builds up Jerusalem, which means He restores and establishes it as the city of peace. He also gathers the exiles of Israel, bringing together those who have been scattered. This shows God's care and commitment to His people.


Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated

What does it mean that the LORD builds up Jerusalem?

It means that God is actively restoring and establishing the city, which is significant in the context of His covenant with Israel.

Who are the exiles of Israel?

The exiles refer to the people of Israel who have been scattered or banished from their homeland, and God promises to gather them.

Why is Jerusalem called the city of peace?

Jerusalem is often referred to as the city of peace because it is seen as a place where God's presence dwells and where peace can be found.

How does this verse reflect God's character?

This verse shows God's commitment to His people, His power to restore, and His desire to bring together those who are lost or broken.


Reflection Questionsgenerated

  1. In what ways have I experienced God's restoration in my life?
  2. How can I actively participate in gathering those who feel scattered or lost?
  3. What does it mean for me to see Jerusalem as a symbol of peace?
  4. How can I reflect God's care for others in my community?

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

The early Church Fathers referenced this verse to discuss God's care and restoration of His people, illustrating His love and commitment.

Augustine of HippoExposition on Psalms 147 354–430
Who is "our God," that praise should be pleasant to Him? He makes Himself sweet to us, He commends Himself to us; thanks to His condescension...."But God commends His love to us"..."in that, while we were yet sinners,
Early Church Fathers on Psalms 147 →
CassiodorusEXPOSITIONS OF THE Psalms 146:3 c. 485–585
“He heals the broken of heart and binds up their wounds.” A marvelous kind of healing is spoken of so that we wear ourselves away constantly if we wish to be restored to health.
Early Church Fathers on Psalms 147 →

Commentators on this verse — 8 expositors, verse by verse

Each of these wrote on Psalms 147:2 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.

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

The Lord doth build up Jerusalem,.... Literally, after the Babylonish captivity, according to some; or rather when taken from the Jebusites by David; or spiritually the church, which is often called

Read John Gill on Psalms 147 →
Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's Commentary

The LORD doth build up Jerusalem: he gathereth together the outcasts of Israel. The Lord doth build up Jerusalem.

Read Robert Jamieson on Psalms 147 →
Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy Bible

Build up Jerusalem; it is the Lord’ s own doing, and not man’ s. The outcasts; or, the banished, who were carried captives out of their own land, and dispersed in divers strange countries.

Read Matthew Poole on Psalms 147 →
John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

Psalms 147:2 The LORD doth build up Jerusalem: he gathereth together the outcasts of Israel.Ver. 2. The Lord doth build up Jerusalem] He is the only architect of his Church. He layeth the foundation of it in election (saith a good expositor), and buildeth it progressively by faith and sanctification; and finisheth his work of grace and his people’ s happiness in glorification. He gathereth together the outcasts of Israel] He will surely bring home his banished; yea, because they called thee an outcast, saying, This is Zion, whom no man seeketh after, therefore I will restore health unto thee, &c., Jeremiah 30:17. Qui nil sperare potest, desperet nihil.

Read John Trapp on Psalms 147 →
Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(2) Build up—i.e., of course, “rebuild.” The word “outcasts,” which is that used in Isaiah 11:12; Isaiah 56:8, shows that the rebuilding after the captivity is intended. The LXX. and Vulg. have “dispersion;” Symmachus, “those thrust out.”

Read Charles John Ellicott on Psalms 147 →
AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible

Verse 2. The Lord doth build up] The psalmist appears to see the walls rising under his eye, because the outcasts of Israel, those who had been in captivity, are now gathered together to do the work.

Read AdamClarke on Psalms 147 →
CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

1–6. Praise Jehovah, the restorer of Israel, the sovereign ruler of the world.

Read Cambridge on Psalms 147 →
Albert Barnes1798–1870Barnes' Notes on the Bible

The Lord doth build up Jerusalem - He builds up the walls; he restores the city; he has caused the temple to be reconstructed. This language would be applicable to a return from the captivity.

Read Albert Barnes on Psalms 147 →

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

The LORD builds up Jerusalem; He gathers the exiles of Israel.

WEBWorld English Bible2000

Yahweh builds up Jerusalem. He gathers together the outcasts of Israel.

MSBMajority Standard Bible2022

The LORD builds up Jerusalem; He gathers the exiles of Israel.

NETBNew English Translation2006

The Lord rebuilds Jerusalem, and gathers the exiles of Israel.

Tyndale line

KJVKing James Version1611

The LORD doth build up Jerusalem: he gathereth together the outcasts of Israel.

ASVAmerican Standard Version1901

Jehovah doth build up Jerusalem; He gathereth together the outcasts of Israel.

RVARevised Version, American1894

The LORD doth build up Jerusalem; he gathereth together the outcasts of Israel.

NWBWebster's Bible1833

The LORD buildeth up Jerusalem: he gathereth together the outcasts of Israel.

GNVGeneva Bible1599

The Lord doth builde vp Ierusalem, and gather together the dispersed of Israel.

Strictly literal

DBYDarby Translation1890

Jehovah doth build up Jerusalem: he gathereth the outcasts of Israel.

YLTYoung's Literal Translation1862

Building Jerusalem [is] Jehovah, The driven away of Israel He gathereth.

LSVLiteral Standard Version2020

YHWH [is] building Jerusalem, || He gathers the driven away of Israel.

ILTInterlinear Literal Translation2000

The Lord buildeth up Jerusalem: the outcasts of Israel will he gather together;

ULBUnlocked Literal Bible2017

Yahweh rebuilds Jerusalem, he gathers together the scattered people of Israel.

From the Latin

DRADouay-Rheims (Challoner)1899

Because he hath strengthened the bolts of thy gates, he hath blessed thy children within thee.

Simplified

FBVFree Bible Version2020

The Lord is rebuilding Jerusalem, gathering together the people of Israel who have been scattered.

BBEBible in Basic English1949

The Lord is building up Jerusalem; he makes all the outlaws of Israel come together.

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


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

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

clauseverbבּוֹנֵ֣ה[is].buildingobjectיְרוּשָׁלִַ֣ם(of).Jerusalemsubjectיְהוָ֑הYahwehclausenoun phrase · objectנִדְחֵ֖יthe.banished.[ones]יִשְׂרָאֵ֣לof.Israelverbיְכַנֵּֽסhe.gathers

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


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

The Masoretic Text reads: בּוֹנֵ֣ה יְרוּשָׁלִַ֣ם יְהוָ֑ה נִדְחֵ֖י יִשְׂרָאֵ֣ל יְכַנֵּֽס׃. The Septuagint matches 4 of the 6 words, while the Dead Sea Scrolls show partial agreement, with some words supplied by an editor.

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

בּוֹנֵ֣ה יְרוּשָׁלִַ֣ם יְהוָ֑ה נִדְחֵ֖י יִשְׂרָאֵ֣ל יְכַנֵּֽס׃

Septuagintthe Greek the translators chose, word by word
בּוֹנֵ֣הοἰκοδομῶνיְרוּשָׁלִַ֣םιερουσαλημיִשְׂרָאֵ֣לισραηλיְכַנֵּֽס׃ἐπισυνάχει

4 of the 6 words are matched. This is the word-by-word correspondence, not the Septuagint's own sentence — its word order and its articles are its own.

Dead Sea Scrolls — 4Q86a copy a thousand years older than the Leningrad Codex

[בונה] [ירושלם] יהוה נדחי ישראל יכנס

4 words on the leather — 2 supplied entire by an editor.

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

בונה ירושלים

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.

Psalms 147:2בָּנָה[is] [the] [is] [the] builבָּנָהיְרוּשָׁלִַ֫JerusalemJerusalemיְרוּשָׁלִַ֫יהוהYahwehYahwehיהוהנָדַח[the] banis[the] banished נָדַחיִשְׂרָאֵלIsraelIsraelיִשְׂרָאֵלכָּנַסhe gathershe gathersכָּנַסהָיָהto beto beהָיָהשָׂרָהto striveto striveשָׂרָהיְרוּשְׁלֵםJerusalemJerusalemיְרוּשְׁלֵםיָרָאto shootto shootיָרָאחוֹמָהwallwallחוֹמָהמִזְבֵּחַaltaraltarמִזְבֵּחַמָלַךְto reignto reignמָלַךְנְאֻםutteranceutteranceנְאֻםצָבָאarmyarmyצָבָאקָבַץto gatherto gatherקָבַץאָבַדto perishto perishאָבַדשֵׁ֫בֶטtribetribeשֵׁ֫בֶטקָדוֹשׁholyholyקָדוֹשׁאֶ֫בֶןstone: weistone: weightאֶ֫בֶןעֵתtimetimeעֵת
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 147:2

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.

[is] [the] builder of Jerusalem Yahweh [the] banished [ones] of Israel he gathers
בּוֹנֵ֣הbo.Neh [is] [the] builder of H1129 Verb · Qal · participle (active) masculine singular common
376× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
The Hebrew word bânâh means to build something, like a house or a family. It can also mean to establish or repair something, and is used in various contexts throughout the Bible.
Amplified meaning
rebuilds, establishes
Tyndale gloss
to build
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

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

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

בָּנָה 373 vb. build

Qal build

Niph.

be built

be rebuilt

(fig.) of restored exiles, = established

established, made permanent

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H1129 בָּנָה build .build

.. . be built

. be rebuilt

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

. established, made permanent

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

1129 banah baw-naw'

a primitive root; to build (literally and

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

repair, set (up), X surely.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

בָּנָה (ba.nah) — to build.

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

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to build, rebuild

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

1b) (Niphal)

1b1) to be built

1b2) to be rebuilt

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

1b4) established (made permanent)

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

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

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
V-Qal — Verb · Qal · participle (active) masculine singular common
HVqrmsc
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

ov:

(1) In Anglo-Saxon, had the meaning "from," "away from" (as the strengthened form "off" has still), and was not used for genitive or possessive relations, these being expressed by special case-forms. In the Norman period, however, "of" was taken to represent the French de (a use well developed by the time of Chaucer), and in the Elizabethan period both senses of "of" were in common use. But after about 1600 the later force of the word became predominant, and in the earlier sense (which is now practically obsolete) it was replaced by other prepositions. In consequence the King James Version (and in some cases the Revised Version (British and American)) contains many uses of "of" that are no longer familiar--most of them, to be sure, causing no difficulty, but there still being a few responsible for real obscurities.

English usagewhat the translators’ English meant
Webster's Dictionary (1828), Webster's Unabridged (1913), Webster's Dictionary (1806)

OF, preposition ov. [Gr.]

1. From or out of; proceeding from, as the cause, source, means, author or agent bestowing.

I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered to you. 1 Corinthians 11:1.

For it was of the Lord to harden their hearts. Joshua 11:1.

It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed.

Lamentations 3:1.

The whole disposing thereof is of the Lord. Proverbs 16:1.

Go, inquire of the Lord for me. 2 Chronicles 34:2.

That holy thing that shall be born of thee. Luke 1:1.

Hence of is the sign of the genitive case, the case that denotes production; as the son of man, the son proceeding from man, produced from man. This is the primary sense, although we now say, produced by man. 'Part of these were slain; ' that is, a number separate, for part denotes a division; the sense then is, a number from or out of the whole were slain. So also, 'some of these were slain; ' that is…

[is] [the] builder of Jerusalem Yahweh [the] banished [ones] of Israel he gathers
יְרוּשָׁלִַ֣םye.ru.sha.Lim Jerusalem H3389 Noun proper
643× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
Jerusalem is the capital city of Palestine, also known as the city of peace. It was the chief city of the united kingdom and the nation of Judah after the split.
Amplified meaning
the city of peace
Tyndale gloss
Jerusalem
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

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

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

יְרוּשָׁלִַ֫͏ם, יְרוּשָׁלַ֫יִם 644 n.pr.loc. Jerusalem

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H3389 יְרוּשָׁלִַ֫͏ם, יְרוּשָׁלַ֫יִם Jerusalem

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

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

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

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

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

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

Jerushalaim or Jerushalem, the capital city of

Palestine:--Jerusalem.

see HEBREW for 03390

see HEBREW for 03384

see HEBREW for 07999

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

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

§ Jerusalem = "teaching of peace"

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

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

je-roo'-sa-lem:

I. THE NAME

1. In Cuneiform

2. In Hebrew

3. In Greek and Latin

4. The Meaning of Jerusalem

5. Other Names

II. GEOLOGY, CLIMATE AND SPRINGS

1. Geology

2. Climate and Rainfall

3. The Natural Springs

III. THE NATURAL SITE

1. The Mountains Around

2. The Valleys

3. The Hills

IV. GENERAL TOPOGRAPHY OF JERUSALEM

1. Description of Josephus

2. Summary of the Names of the Five Hills

3. The Akra

4. The Lower City

5. City of David and Zion

V. EXCAVATIONS AND ANTIQUITIES

1. Robinson

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

3. Warren and Conder

4. Maudslay

5. Schick

6. Clermont-Ganneau

7. Bliss and Dickie

8. Jerusalem Archaeological Societies

VI. THE CITY'S WALLS AND GATES

1. The Existing Walls

2. Wilson's Theory

3. The Existing Gates

4. Buried Remains of Earlier Walls

5. The Great Dam of the Tyropoeon

6. Ruins of Ancient Gates

7. Josephus' Description of the Walls

8. First Wall

9. Second Wall

10. Third Wall

Easton's Bible Dictionary

Jerusalem

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

Smith's Bible Dictionary

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

American Tract Society Bible Dictionary

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

[is] [the] builder of Jerusalem Yahweh [the] banished [ones] of Israel he gathers
יְהוָ֑הYah.weh 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
Yehovah, The covenant Name of God
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
[is] [the] builder of Jerusalem Yahweh [the] banished [ones] of Israel he gathers
נִדְחֵ֖יnid.Chei [the] banished [ones] of H5080 Verb · Niphal · participle (active) masculine plural common
55× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
To banish or drive away, used in various contexts, such as expelling someone from a community, as seen in the story of David and Absalom.
Tyndale gloss
to banish
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

נָדַח (nadach) is a Hebrew verb meaning to impel, thrust, or banish. It encompasses a variety of actions, including driving away, compelling, and being thrust out or banished. The word appears in different forms, indicating various nuances such as being hunted or thrust into darkness. There is no significant disagreement among lexicons regarding its meanings.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

[נָדַח] vb. impel, thrust, banish

Qal trans.

impel (i.e. wield) an axe

thrust away, banish

Niph.

be impelled

be thrust out, banished

driven away (fr. herd, i.e.) straying

thrust away, aside

Pu. thrust into darkness

Hiph.

thrust, move, impel

thrust out, banish

thrust away, aside

compel, force, subj. adulteress (by flattery)

Hoph. chased, hunted

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H5080 [נָדַח] impel, thrust, banish .trans. . impel (i.e. wield) an axe

. thrust away, banish

. . be impelled

. be thrust out, banished

. driven away (fr. herd, i.e.) straying

. thrust away, aside

. thrust into darkness

. . thrust, move, impel

. thrust out, banish

. thrust away, aside

. compel, force, subj. adulteress (by flattery)

. chased, hunted

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

5080 nadach naw-dakh'

a primitive root; to push off; used in a great variety of

applications, literally and figuratively (to expel, mislead,

strike, inflict, etc.):--banish, bring, cast down (out),

chase, compel, draw away, drive (away, out, quite), fetch a

stroke, force, go away, outcast, thrust away (out), withdraw.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

נָדַח (na.dach) — to banish.

1) to impel, thrust, drive away, banish

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to impel

1a2) to thrust away, banish

1b) (Niphal)

1b1) to be impelled

1b2) to be thrust out, be banished

1b2a) banished, outcast (participle)

1b3) to be driven away

1b4) to be thrust away, thrust aside

1c) (Pual) to be thrust into

1c1) thrust (participle)

1d) (Hiphil)

1d1) to thrust, move, impel

1d2) to thrust out, banish

1d3) to thrust away, thrust aside

1e) (Hophal) to be chased, be hunted

1e1) chased, hunted (participle)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
HVNrmpc — Verb · Niphal · participle (active) masculine plural common
HVNrmpc
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

ov:

(1) In Anglo-Saxon, had the meaning "from," "away from" (as the strengthened form "off" has still), and was not used for genitive or possessive relations, these being expressed by special case-forms. In the Norman period, however, "of" was taken to represent the French de (a use well developed by the time of Chaucer), and in the Elizabethan period both senses of "of" were in common use. But after about 1600 the later force of the word became predominant, and in the earlier sense (which is now practically obsolete) it was replaced by other prepositions. In consequence the King James Version (and in some cases the Revised Version (British and American)) contains many uses of "of" that are no longer familiar--most of them, to be sure, causing no difficulty, but there still being a few responsible for real obscurities.

English usagewhat the translators’ English meant
Webster's Dictionary (1828), Webster's Unabridged (1913), Webster's Dictionary (1806)

OF, preposition ov. [Gr.]

1. From or out of; proceeding from, as the cause, source, means, author or agent bestowing.

I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered to you. 1 Corinthians 11:1.

For it was of the Lord to harden their hearts. Joshua 11:1.

It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed.

Lamentations 3:1.

The whole disposing thereof is of the Lord. Proverbs 16:1.

Go, inquire of the Lord for me. 2 Chronicles 34:2.

That holy thing that shall be born of thee. Luke 1:1.

Hence of is the sign of the genitive case, the case that denotes production; as the son of man, the son proceeding from man, produced from man. This is the primary sense, although we now say, produced by man. 'Part of these were slain; ' that is, a number separate, for part denotes a division; the sense then is, a number from or out of the whole were slain. So also, 'some of these were slain; ' that is…

[is] [the] builder of Jerusalem Yahweh [the] banished [ones] of Israel he gathers
יִשְׂרָאֵ֣לYis.ra.'El Israel H3478 Noun proper
2,508× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
Israel is the symbolic name of Jacob, also referring to his descendants. Jacob, son of Isaac and Rebekah, had 12 sons who became the tribes of Israel, as told in Genesis 25:26. His story is crucial to the Bible's narrative.
Amplified meaning
the descendants of Jacob
Tyndale gloss
Israel
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

יִשְׂרָאֵל (Yisra'el) refers to both the second name of Jacob, meaning 'God prevails,' and the name of the Hebrew nation descended from him. It is derived from roots meaning 'to rule' and 'God.' The term encompasses Jacob's descendants and is used historically for the northern kingdom of Israel and the nation as a whole after the Babylonian exile.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

יִשְׂרָאֵל 2507 n.pr.m. et gent. Israel (Ēl persisteth, persevereth)

n.pr.m. second name of Jacob

n.pr.gent. name of Hebrew nation

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H3478 יִשְׂרָאֵל Israel (Ēl persisteth, persevereth) . n. pr. m. second name of Jacob

. n. pr. gent. name of Hebrew nation

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

3478 Yisra'el yis-raw-ale'

from 8280 and 410; he will rule as God; Jisrael, a symbolical

name of Jacob; also (typically) of his posterity:

--Israel.

see HEBREW for 08280

see HEBREW for 0410

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

יִשְׂרָאֵל (yis.ra.el) — Israel.

A man living at the time of the Patriarchs, first mentioned at Gen.25.26;

son of: Isaac (H3327) and Rebekah (H7259);

brother of: Esau (H6215); married to Rachel (H7354), Leah (H3812), Zilpah (H2153) and Bilhah (H1090A);

father of: Reuben (H7205), Simeon (H8095), Levi (H3878), Judah (H3063), Dan (H1835H), Naphtali (H5321), Gad (H1410), Asher (H0836), Issachar (H3485), Zebulun (H2074), Dinah (H1783), Joseph (H3130) and Benjamin (H1144); also called Jacob frequently

§ Israel = "God prevails"

1) the second name for Jacob given to him by God after his wrestling with the angel at Peniel

2) the name of the descendants and the nation of the descendants of Jacob

2a) the name of the nation until the death of Solomon and the split

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

iz'-ra-el.

See JACOB.

Easton's Bible Dictionary

Israel

The name conferred on Jacob after the great prayer-struggle at Peniel (Gen. 32:28), because “as a prince he had power with God and prevailed.” (See JACOB.) This is the common name given to Jacob’s descendants. The whole people of the twelve tribes are called “Israelites,” the “children of Israel” (Josh. 3:17; 7:25; Judg. 8:27; Jer. 3:21), and the “house of Israel” (Ex. 16:31; 40:38).

This name Israel is sometimes used emphatically for the true Israel (Ps. 73:1: Isa. 45:17; 49:3;

Smith's Bible Dictionary

(the prince that prevails with God). The name given, (Genesis 32:28) to Jacob after his wrestling with the angel, (Hosea 12:4) at Peniel. Gesenius interprets Israel "soldier of God." It became the national name of the twelve tribes collectively. They are so called in (Exodus 3:16) and afterward. It is used in a narrower sense, excluding Judah, in (1 Samuel 11:8; 2 Samuel 20:1; 1 Kings 12:16) Thenceforth it was assumed and accepted as the name of the northern kingdom. After the Babylonian captivity, the returned exiles resumed the name Israel as the designation of…

American Tract Society Bible Dictionary

Who prevails with God, a name given to Jacob, after having wrestled with the Angel-Jehovah at Penuel. Ge 32:1,2,28,30 Ho 12:3. See JACOB. By the name Israel is sometimes understood all the posterity of Israel, the seed of Jacob, 1Co 10:18; sometimes all true believers, his spiritual seed, Ro 9:6; and sometimes the kingdom of Israel, or the ten tribes, as distinct from the kingdom of Judah.

The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
[is] [the] builder of Jerusalem Yahweh [the] banished [ones] of Israel he gathers
יְכַנֵּֽס׃ye.kha.Nes he gathers H3664 Verb · Piel · imperfect third person masculine singular
11× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This word means to gather or collect things, like bringing people together. It's used in the Bible to describe God gathering his people, like in a big harvest or festival, showing his love and care for them.
Amplified meaning
collects, brings together
Tyndale gloss
to gather
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

כָּנַס (kanac) is a Hebrew verb meaning to gather or collect. It can refer to gathering together in a general sense, as well as wrapping oneself up. The entries indicate its use in various forms, including Qal, Piel, and Hithpael, with examples illustrating its application in contexts like gathering people or items, and the metaphorical sense of wrapping oneself.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

[כָּנַס] vb. gather, collect

Qal gather

Pi. and I will gather you together

Hithp. and the covering is (too) narrow when one gathers oneself together, i.e. the bed is too short to stretch oneself at full length, and when one (perforce) draws up the feet, the covering becomes too narrow.

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H3664 [כָּנַס] gather, collect .gather

. and I will gather you together

. and the covering is (too) narrow when one gathers oneself together, i.e. the bed is too short to stretch oneself at full length, and when one (perforce) draws up the feet, the covering becomes too narrow.

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

3664 kanac kaw-nas'

a primitive root; to collect; hence, to enfold: -gather

(together), heap up, wrap self.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

כָּנַס (ka.nas) — to gather.

1) to gather, collect, wrap

1a) (Qal) to gather

1b) (Piel) to gather

1c) (Hithpael) to gather together, wrap oneself up

Aramaic equivalent: ka.nash (כְּנַשׁ "to gather" H3673)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
V-Piel-Imperf-3ms — Verb · Piel · imperfect third person masculine singular
HVpi3ms
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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