Psalms 147:3 — Word Study
WLCהָ֭רֹפֵא לִשְׁב֣וּרֵי לֵ֑ב וּ֝מְחַבֵּ֗שׁ לְעַצְּבוֹתָֽם׃
BSAHe healsrâphâʼ [makes whole, restores] the brokenheartedshâbar [those shattered in spirit, with broken emotions] and bindschâbash up their woundsʻatstsebeth [ties, wraps, or bandages, injuries, sorrow, or pain]
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| הָ֭רֹפֵא | who [is] healing | Particle, verb qal participle (active) masculine singular |
| לִשְׁב֣וּרֵי | [the people] broken of | Preposition, verb qal participle (passive) masculine plural common |
| לֵ֑ב | heart | Noun common, masculine singular absolute |
| וּ֝מְחַבֵּ֗שׁ | and [he is] binding up | Conjunction, verb piel participle (active) masculine singular |
| לְעַצְּבוֹתָֽם׃ | wounds their | Preposition, noun common feminine plural construct, suffix |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds. |
| KJV | He healeth the broken in heart, and bindeth up their wounds. |
| ASV | He healeth the broken in heart, And bindeth up their wounds. |
| YLT | Who is giving healing to the broken of heart, And is binding up their griefs. |
| WEB | He heals the broken in heart, and binds up their wounds. |
| BBE | He makes the broken-hearted well, and puts oil on their wounds. |
The translations agree on the essential meaning of God's healing nature.
The sentence has one main verb with two phrases describing the actions God takes.
8 commentators on this verse
Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them ›
clause
The sentence as the grammar sees it Open the tree ›
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 147:3
Sections marked generated are written from the data on this page rather than by a named author. Everything else — the lexicon entries, the cross references, the manuscript readings, the counts — is quoted from its source unchanged.
Context — God's Care for His Peoplegenerated
Psalm 147:3 speaks of God's intimate involvement in the healing of His people. He builds up Jerusalem and gathers the exiles, showing His restorative nature. This verse highlights His compassion towards those who are emotionally and spiritually wounded, affirming His role as a healer and protector.
Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Psalm 51:17 | The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and a contrite heart, O God, You will not despise. |
| 2 | Job 5:18 | For He wounds, but He also binds; He strikes, but His hands also heal. |
| 3 | Isaiah 57:15 | For thus says the One who is high and lifted up, who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: “I dwell in a high and holy place, and with the oppressed and humble in spirit, to restore the spirit of the lowly and revive the heart of the contrite. |
| 4 | Isaiah 61:1 | The Spirit of the Lord GOD is on Me, because the LORD has anointed Me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent Me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and freedom to the prisoners, |
| 5 | Jeremiah 33:6 | Nevertheless, I will bring to it health and healing, and I will heal its people and reveal to them the abundance of peace and truth. |
The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 9 references, hung on the phrase they belong to
The Key Word — הָ֭רֹפֵא, Ha.ro.fe'generated
The word רָפָא (rapha') is a verb meaning 'to heal' or 'to mend.' It encompasses various forms of healing, including physical, emotional, and spiritual restoration. The parsing as a participle indicates an ongoing action, emphasizing God's continual role as the healer.
God's healing is not just a one-time act; it signifies a process of making whole and restoring. This verb is used frequently in Scripture to denote divine intervention in healing, reflecting God's compassion and power.
How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated
In this study, the verse is examined in the Berean Standard Bible, which uses the word heals.
Sentence Structuregenerated
The main verb is הָ֭רֹפֵא, who is healing, which governs the entire clause. It is followed by a noun phrase describing the brokenhearted and another verb phrase indicating God's action of binding up wounds.
The structure highlights God's active role in healing and restoration, with the emphasis on His compassionate actions towards those in distress.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
The Septuagint translates הָ֭רֹפֵא as ἰώμενος, which also means 'healing.' This choice aligns closely with the Hebrew meaning, emphasizing the act of healing.
The translation of לִשְׁב֣וּרֵי as συντετριμμένους reflects a similar understanding of those who are broken, reinforcing the emotional aspect of the healing process.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
Psalm 147:3 tells us that God heals those who are brokenhearted and binds up their wounds. This verse shows God's compassion and care for those who are suffering, highlighting His role as a healer and protector.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
It means that God restores those who are emotionally and spiritually wounded, providing comfort and healing to their pain.
God binds up wounds by addressing both physical injuries and emotional sorrows, offering support and restoration.
The heart represents the center of emotions and will, indicating that God cares deeply about our inner struggles and pain.
This verse reveals that God is compassionate and actively involved in the healing of His people, showing His desire to restore and mend broken lives.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- In what ways have I experienced God's healing in my own life?
- How can I support others who are brokenhearted or in pain?
- What does it mean to me that God binds up our wounds?
- How can I seek God's healing in areas of my life where I feel broken?
The early church on this verse — how the Fathers read it
Early commentators like Augustine of Hippo reference this verse to illustrate God's healing power and care for the brokenhearted.
How does He gather? What does He in order to gather? "Who heals the bruised in heart" [Psalms 147:3].Early Church Fathers on Psalms 147 →
Commentators on this verse — 8 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on Psalms 147:3 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire BibleHe healeth the broken in heart,.... Christ is a physician; many are the diseases of his people; he heals them all by his blood, stripes, wounds; and among the rest their broken hearts, which none can
Read John Gill on Psalms 147 →Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's CommentaryHe healeth the broken in heart, and bindeth up their wounds. He healeth the broken in heart, and bindeth up their wounds - (Psalms 34:18; Psalms 103:3; Isaiah 61:1; Isaiah 57:15; Isaiah 57:18-19.)
Read Robert Jamieson on Psalms 147 →Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy BibleThe broken in heart, either with the sense of their sins, or with their sorrows and grievous calamities. He seems to speak peculiarly of the captive Israelites now returned.
Read Matthew Poole on Psalms 147 →John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New TestamentsPsalms 147:3 He healeth the broken in heart, and bindeth up their wounds.Ver. 3. He healeth the broken in heart] Pouring the oil of his grace into none but those broken vessels. And bindeth up their wounds] As a good shepherd, Zechariah 11:4, that good Samaritan, Luke 10:34, and as a good surgeon dealeth by his patient. But let no man ever think that God will lap up his sores before they be searched, or scarf his bones before they be set.
Read John Trapp on Psalms 147 →Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers(3) Broken in heart.—As in Psalms 34:18. (Comp. Isaiah 61:1.) Wounds.—See margin, and comp. Job 9:28; Proverbs 15:13.
Read Charles John Ellicott on Psalms 147 →AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the BibleVerse 3. He healeth the broken in heart] שבורי, the shivered in heart. From the root שבר shabar, to break in pieces, we have our word shiver, to break into splinters, into shivers. The heart broken in pieces by a sense of God's displeasure.
Read AdamClarke on Psalms 147 →CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges3. Cp. Isaiah 59:1; Hosea 6:1. Israel, crushed with grief and despair, wounded with sorrow and shame in its exile, is meant. Nehemiah’s feelings (Psalms 1:4; Psalms 2:3) represent those of every true Israelite. Cp. Psalms 137. Possibly the further thought is implied that sorrow had wrought contrition (Psalms 51:17) and made restoration possible.
Read Cambridge on Psalms 147 →Albert Barnes1798–1870Barnes' Notes on the BibleHe healeth the broken in heart - Referrring primarily to the fact that he had healed those who were crushed and broken in their long captivity, and that he had given them comfort by returning them to their native land.
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
He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.
He heals the broken in heart, and binds up their wounds.
He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.
He heals the brokenhearted, and bandages their wounds.
Tyndale line
He healeth the broken in heart, and bindeth up their wounds.
He healeth the broken in heart, And bindeth up their wounds.
He healeth the broken in heart, and bindeth up their wounds.
He healeth the broken in heart, and bindeth up their wounds.
He healeth those that are broken in heart, and bindeth vp their sores.
Strictly literal
He healeth the broken in heart, and bindeth up their wounds.
Who is giving healing to the broken of heart, And is binding up their griefs.
Who is giving healing to the broken of heart, || And is binding up their griefs.
He that healeth the broken-hearted, and bindeth up their hurts;
He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.
From the Latin
Who hath placed peace in thy borders: and filleth thee with the fat of corn.
Simplified
He heals the broken-hearted, and bandages the wounded.
He makes the broken-hearted well, and puts oil on their wounds.
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 and the Septuagint agree on the wording of this verse, with all five words matched. The Dead Sea Scrolls show partial agreement, with some words restored by an editor, indicating a close relationship to the Masoretic Text.
הָ֭רֹפֵא לִשְׁב֣וּרֵי לֵ֑ב וּ֝מְחַבֵּ֗שׁ לְעַצְּבוֹתָֽם׃
5 of the 5 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.
[הרפא] [לשבורי] לב ומחבש לעצבת׳ם
2 words on the leather — 1 partly restored, 2 supplied entire by an editor.
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 147:3
One dossier per word, with every reference work grouped by kind — Hebrew lexicons, morphology, Bible dictionaries, topical chains and the English of the translators themselves. The verse sits at the head of each block with the word under study lit, so you never lose your place. The panel above gives the short answer; this is the long one, and it is the part of the page worth indexing.
Every entry below is the lexicographer's own text. On the Hebrew: Brown-Driver-Briggs entire and its gloss set, Strong's Hebrew Dictionary, and Tyndale House's Translators Brief lexicon. Where a cell says a work has no entry, that work genuinely has none for this word.
רָפָא (rapha') is a Hebrew verb meaning 'to heal' or 'to mend.' It covers various forms, including healing by God, physicians, and figurative healing of nations or individuals. The verb has different stems indicating active healing, being healed, and healing in order to be healed. The entries do not present any significant disagreement.
רָפָא vb. heal
Qal heal
Niph. be healed
Pi. have healed, heal
Hithp. in order to get healed
base
H7495 רָפָא heal
7495 rapha' raw-faw'
or raphah {raw-faw'}; a primitive root; properly, to mend (by
stitching), i.e. (figuratively) to cure:--cure, (cause to)
heal, physician, repair, X thoroughly, make whole. See 7503.
see HEBREW for 07503
רָפָא (ra.pah) — to heal.
1) to heal, make healthful
1a) (Qal) to heal
1a1) of God
1a2) healer, physician (of men)
1a3) of hurts of nations involving restored favour (fig)
1a4) of individual distresses (fig)
1b) (Niphal) to be healed
1b1) literal (of persons)
1b2) of water, pottery
1b3) of national hurts (fig)
1b4) of personal distress (fig)
1c) (Piel) to heal
1c1) literal
1c2) of national defects or hurts (fig)
1d) (Hithpael) in order to get healed (infinitive)
Art | V-Qal — Particle · verb qal participle (active) masculine singularHTd/Vqrmsa
hel'-ing (marpe', te`alah, kehah): In the Old Testament this word is always used in its figurative sense; marpe', which literally means "a cure," is used in Jer 14:19 twice, and in Mal 4:2; te`alah, which literally means "an irrigation canal," here means something applied externally, as a plaster, in which sense it is used metaphorically in Jer 30:13; kehah occurs only in Na 3:19 the King James Version and is translated "assuagings" in the Revised Version (British and American).
In the New Testament 5 times the verb is therapeuo; once (Ac 10:38) iaomai; in the other passages it is either iama, as in
שָׁבַר (shabar) means to break or shatter, with various nuances including breaking in pieces, causing to break out (like bringing to birth), and being broken or crushed. It appears in different forms, such as Qal, Niphal, Piel, Hiphil, and Hophal, indicating active and passive meanings. The lexicons do not present any significant disagreements.
שָׁבַר 148 vb. break, break in pieces
Qal 53 break, lit.
Niph. 57 be broken
Pi. 26 shatter, break
Hiph. cause to break out, i.e. bring to the birth
Hoph. be broken, shattered (in heart)
base
H7665 שָׁבַר break, break in pieces .break, lit.
. be broken
. shatter, break
. cause to break out, i.e. bring to the birth
. be broken, shattered (in heart)
7665 shabar shaw-bar'
a primitive root; to burst (literally or
figuratively):--break (down, off, in pieces, up),
broken((-hearted)), bring to the birth, crush, destroy, hurt,
quench, X quite, tear, view (by mistake for 7663).
see HEBREW for 07663
שָׁבַר (sha.var) — to break.
1) to break, break in pieces
1a) (Qal)
1a1) break, break in or down, rend violently, wreck, crush, quench
1a2) to break, rupture (fig)
1b) (Niphal)
1b1) to be broken, be maimed, be crippled, be wrecked
1b2) to be broken, be crushed (fig)
1c) (Piel) to shatter, break
1d) (Hiphil) to cause to break out, bring to the birth
1e) (Hophal) to be broken, be shattered
Aramaic equivalent: te.var (תְּבַר "to break" H8406)
Prep | V-Qal-Inf-c — Preposition · verb qal participle (passive) masculine plural commonHR/Vqsmpc
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.
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…
The Hebrew word לֵב (lev) means 'heart' and encompasses the inner man, mind, will, and emotions. It refers to the center of feelings, intellect, and moral character, as well as the seat of appetites and courage. The entries suggest a broad range of meanings related to human experience and thought, with a specific mention of its use in Jeremiah 51:1.
לֵב 599 n.m. (f.) inner man, mind, will, heart
seldom of things in the midst of the sea
elsewhere of men
the inner man in contrast with the outer
the inner man, indef., soul, comprehending mind, affections and will
specific reference to mind
spec. ref. to inclinations, resolutions and determinations of the will
spec. ref. to conscience
[various]
for the man himself
as seat of appetites
as seat of emotions and passions
seat of courage
base
לֵב קָמָי prob. late Atbash Je 51:1.
ref
H3820a לֵב inner man, mind, will, heart . seldom of things in the midst of the sea
. elsewhere of men . the inner man in contrast with the outer
. the inner man, indef., soul, comprehending mind, affections and will
. specific reference to mind
. spec. ref. to inclinations, resolutions and determinations of the will
. spec. ref. to conscience
. [various]
. for the man himself
. as seat of appetites
. as seat of emotions and passions
. seat of courage
H3820b לֵב קָמָי prob. late Atbash
3820 leb labe
a form of 3824; the heart; also used (figuratively) very
widely for the feelings, the will and even the intellect;
likewise for the centre of anything:--+ care for, comfortably,
consent, X considered, courag(-eous), friend(-ly), ((broken-),
(hard-), (merry-), (stiff-), (stout-), double) heart((-ed)), X
heed, X I, kindly, midst, mind(-ed), X regard((-ed)), X
themselves, X unawares, understanding, X well, willingly,
wisdom.
see HEBREW for 03824
לֵב (lev) — heart.
1) inner man, mind, will, heart, understanding
1a) inner part, midst
1a1) midst (of things)
1a2) heart (of man)
1a3) soul, heart (of man)
1a4) mind, knowledge, thinking, reflection, memory
1a5) inclination, resolution, determination (of will)
1a6) conscience
1a7) heart (of moral character)
1a8) as seat of appetites
1a9) as seat of emotions and passions 1a10) as seat of courage
לֵב (lev) — Leb.
§ Leb- = "heart of"
(probably a cryptic name for Babylon by Atbash)
HNcmsa — Noun common · masculine singular absoluteHNcmsa
hart (lebh, lebhabh; kardia): The different senses in which the word occurs in the Old Testament and the New Testament may be grouped under the following heads:
1. Various Meanings:
It represents in the first place the bodily organ, and by easy transition those experiences which affect or are affected by the body. Fear, love, courage, anger, Joy, sorrow, hatred are always ascribed to the heart--especially in the Old Testament; thus courage for which usually ruach is used (Ps 27:14); joy (Ps 4:7); anger (De 19:6, "while his heart is hot," lebhabh); fear (1Sa 25:37); sorrow (Ps 13:2), etc.
Heart
According to the Bible, the heart is the centre not only of spiritual activity, but of all the operations of human life. “Heart” and “soul” are often used interchangeably (Deut. 6:5; 26:16; comp. Matt. 22:37; Mark 12:30, 33), but this is not generally the case.
The heart is the “home of the personal life,” and hence a man is designated, according to his heart, wise (1 Kings 3:12, etc.), pure (Ps. 24:4; Matt. 5:8, etc.), upright and righteous (Gen. 20:5, 6;
חָבַשׁ (chabash) is a Hebrew verb meaning to bind, tie, or saddle. It covers a range of actions from physically binding something up to metaphorically governing or restraining. The word appears in various forms, including Qal (to bind) and Piel (to restrain). The entries consistently emphasize its meanings related to binding and governance.
[חָבַשׁ] vb. bind, bind on, bind up
Qal
bind, bind on
bind up
Pi. bind, restrain
Pu. be bound up
base
H2280 חָבַשׁ bind, bind on, bind up
2280 chabash khaw-bash'
a primitive root; to wrap firmly (especially a turban,
compress, or saddle); figuratively, to stop, to rule:--bind
(up), gird about, govern, healer, put, saddle, wrap about.
חָבַשׁ (cha.vash) — to saddle/tie.
1) to tie, bind, bind on, bind up, saddle, restrain, bandage, govern
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to bind, bind on
1a2) to bind up
1b) (Piel) to bind, restrain
1c) (Pual) to be bound up
Conj | V-Piel — Conjunction · verb piel participle (active) masculine singularHC/Vprmsa
עַצֶּ֫בֶת (ats.tse.vet) refers to concepts of pain, injury, or sorrow. It is derived from a root meaning to wound. The entries consistently highlight its association with physical and emotional distress, but do not provide specific Old Testament references.
[עַצֶּ֫בֶת] n.f. hurt, injury, pain
base
H6094 עַצֶּ֫בֶת
6094 `atstsebeth ats-tseh'-beth
from 6087; a idol; also, a pain or wound:--sorrow, wound.
see HEBREW for 06087
עַצֶּ֫בֶת (ats.tse.vet) — injury.
pain, hurt, injury, sorrow, wound
Prep | N-fp | Suff — Preposition · noun common feminine plural construct · suffixHR/Ncfpc/Sp3mp