Psalms 148:10 — Word Study
WLCהַֽחַיָּ֥ה וְכָל־ בְּהֵמָ֑ה רֶ֝֗מֶשׂ וְצִפּ֥וֹר כָּנָֽף׃
BSAwild animalschay [beasts, living creatures] and allkôl cattlebᵉhêmâh [livestock, domesticated animals] crawling creaturesremes [creeping things, reptiles] and flyingkânâph birdstsippôwr [fowl, winged creatures]
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| הַֽחַיָּ֥ה | O animal[s] | Particle, noun common feminine singular absolute |
| וְכָל־ | and all | Conjunction, noun common masculine singular construct |
| בְּהֵמָ֑ה | livestock | Noun common, feminine singular absolute |
| רֶ֝֗מֶשׂ | creeping thing[s] | Noun common, masculine singular absolute |
| וְצִפּ֥וֹר | and bird[s] of | Conjunction, noun common both singular construct |
| כָּנָֽף׃ | wing | Noun common, feminine singular absolute |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | wild animals and all cattle, crawling creatures and flying birds, |
| KJV | Beasts, and all cattle; creeping things, and flying fowl: |
| ASV | Beasts and all cattle; Creeping things and flying birds; |
| YLT | The wild beast, and all cattle, Creeping thing, and winged bird, |
| WEB | wild animals and all livestock, small creatures and flying birds, |
| BBE | Beasts and all cattle; insects and winged birds: |
The translations agree on the key terms in this verse, consistently referring to various categories of creatures.
The verse consists of a main clause listing wild animals and cattle, followed by additional phrases that include other categories of creatures.
8 commentators on this verse
Gill, Jamieson, Trapp, Ellicott & 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 148:10
Sections marked generated are written from the data on this page rather than by a named author. Everything else — the lexicon entries, the cross references, the manuscript readings, the counts — is quoted from its source unchanged.
Context — The Call to Praise from Creationgenerated
Psalm 148:10 is part of a larger psalm that invites all of creation to praise the Lord. The psalmist emphasizes the diversity of life, from wild animals to birds, highlighting that every creature has a role in glorifying God. This reflects the theme of creation worshiping its Creator, seen throughout the Psalms and echoed in other scriptures like Psalm 150:6.
Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Psalm 50:10–11 | for every beast of the forest is Mine— the cattle on a thousand hills. |
| 2 | Psalm 103:22 | Bless the LORD, all His works in all places of His dominion. Bless the LORD, O my soul! |
| 3 | Psalm 150:6 | Let everything that has breath praise the LORD! Hallelujah! |
| 4 | Genesis 1:20–25 | And God said, “Let the waters teem with living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth in the open expanse of the sky.” |
| 5 | Genesis 7:14 | they and every kind of wild animal, livestock, crawling creature, bird, and winged creature. |
The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 6 references, hung on the phrase they belong to
The Key Word — חַיָּה, ha.chai.Yahgenerated
The word חַיָּה (*chayyah*) is a feminine noun meaning 'animal' or 'living creature.' It derives from the root meaning 'alive' and encompasses all forms of life, particularly those that move or breathe. In this verse, it refers to wild animals, emphasizing their vitality and role in creation.
This word appears frequently in the Bible, indicating its importance in discussions of life and creation. The parsing shows it as a common feminine singular noun, indicating a specific kind of living being, which in this context points to the wild creatures that inhabit the earth.
How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated
This study reads the verse in the Berean Standard Bible, which uses the term wild animals for חַיָּה, while the KJV and ASV also use beasts, maintaining the sense of living creatures.
Sentence Structuregenerated
The structure of this verse consists of a series of noun phrases, each representing different categories of creatures: חַיָּה (wild animals), בְּהֵמָה (livestock), רֶמֶשׂ (creeping things), and צִפּוֹר (birds). This series emphasizes the inclusivity of all living beings in the call to praise.
The Hebrew word order places emphasis on the creatures themselves, as they are called to worship. The parallel structure of the phrases highlights the diversity of life that is to join in this act of praise.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
In the Septuagint, חַיָּה is rendered as θηρία (*thēria*), which means 'beasts' or 'wild animals.' This choice reflects a focus on the more untamed aspects of creation, aligning with the psalmist's intent to highlight the wildness of nature in worship.
The other terms in the Septuagint correspond closely to their Hebrew counterparts, indicating a consistent understanding of the categories of creatures being addressed.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
Psalm 148:10 invites all living creatures, including wild animals and birds, to praise the Lord. This reflects the idea that everything in creation has a role in worshiping God. The verse emphasizes the diversity of life, showing that all forms of existence are called to honor their Creator.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
This phrase symbolizes the idea that all of creation, including animals, is part of God's plan and should acknowledge His greatness.
Each category represents a different aspect of creation, highlighting the variety and richness of life that God has made.
It echoes themes found in other psalms and passages that call for all of creation to worship God, such as Psalm 150:6.
Praising God acknowledges His sovereignty and goodness, and it is a fundamental aspect of the relationship between the Creator and His creation.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- How can I recognize the beauty of God's creation in the world around me?
- In what ways do I see animals and nature reflecting God's glory?
- What role do I think humans have in caring for and respecting the creatures mentioned in this verse?
- How can I incorporate praise for creation into my own worship of God?
Commentators on this verse — 8 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on Psalms 148:10 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire BibleBeasts, and all cattle,.... Wild and tame; the beasts of the field, and the cattle on a thousand hills, which are all the Lord's, made, supported, and supplied by him; he gives them their food and
Read John Gill on Psalms 148 →Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's CommentaryBeasts, and all cattle; creeping things, and flying fowl: No JFB commentary on this verse.
Read Robert Jamieson on Psalms 148 →John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New TestamentsPsalms 148:10 Beasts, and all cattle; creeping things, and flying fowl:Ver. 10. Beasts] i.e. Wild beasts, that are fullest of life; and therehence have their name in the Hebrew tongue. And all cattle] Domestic and tame beasts, even to the elephant; which is said to turn up the first sprig towards heaven, in token of thankfulness, by a natural instinct, when he comes to feed. Creeping things] Whether in earth or sea; all these are summoned in by the psalmist to pay their tribute of praise, and to do their homage to the Most High.
Read John Trapp on Psalms 148 →Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers(10) So here we have wild animals and domesticated animals. (See Note, Psalms 50:10.) Creeping things.—This seems to include all the smaller creatures that move on the ground, in contrast with the birds that fly above it.
Read Charles John Ellicott on Psalms 148 →AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the BibleVerse 10. Beasts] החיה hachaiyah, wild beasts of every kind. All cattle] בהמה behemah, all domestic animals; those used for the service of the house, and those for agricultural purposes. Creeping things] All the class of reptiles, from the boa constrictor, that can combat, kill, and swallow whole the royal tiger, to the cobra de manille, a poisonous reptile as small as a fine needle; with those still smaller animals that are found in water, and require the power of the microscope to bring them to view. In the production, preservation, habits, and properties of all these, there is a profusion of wisdom and economy that would require ages to exhibit. Flying fowl] The structure of fowls is…
Read AdamClarke on Psalms 148 →CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges10. All kinds of living creatures: animals, wild and tame; reptiles and birds. Cp. Genesis 1:24-25; Genesis 1:21.
Read Cambridge on Psalms 148 →Albert Barnes1798–1870Barnes' Notes on the BibleBeasts, and all cattle - Wild beasts and tame; those which roam the forest, and those which have been domesticated for the service of man.
Read Albert Barnes on Psalms 148 →Daniel Denison Whedon1808–1885Whedon's Commentary on the Bible9, 10. If the classifications in these verses are not scientific, modernly considered, they are comprehensive, and not without reason. Mountains—As awakening thoughts of God through the emotions of sublimity, grandeur, and awe.
Read Daniel Denison Whedon on Psalms 148 →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
wild animals and all cattle, crawling creatures and flying birds,
wild animals and all livestock, small creatures and flying birds,
wild animals and all cattle, crawling creatures and flying birds,
you animals and all you cattle, you creeping things and birds,
Tyndale line
Beasts, and all cattle; creeping things, and flying fowl:
Beasts and all cattle; Creeping things and flying birds;
Beasts and all cattle; creeping things and flying fowl:
Beasts, and all cattle; creeping animals, and flying fowl:
Beasts and all cattell, creeping things and fethered foules:
Strictly literal
Beasts and all cattle, creeping things and winged fowl;
The wild beast, and all cattle, Creeping thing, and winged bird,
The wild beast, and all livestock, || Creeping thing, and winged bird,
Ye beasts, and all cattle; creeping things, and winged birds;
animals wild and tame, creatures that crawl and birds.
From the Latin
Beasts and all cattle: serpents and feathered fowls:
Simplified
wild animals and all livestock, crawling animals and wild birds,
Beasts and all cattle; insects and winged birds:
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 key terms in this verse, with all six words matched. The Dead Sea Scrolls provide a partial text, with some words supplied by an editor, but the essential meaning remains consistent across these witnesses.
הַֽחַיָּ֥ה וְכָל־ בְּהֵמָ֑ה רֶ֝֗מֶשׂ וְצִפּ֥וֹר כָּנָֽף׃
6 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.
החיה וכול בהמה [רמש] [וצפור] [כנף]
3 words on the leather — 3 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 148:10
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.
The Hebrew word חַי (*chay*) means 'alive' or 'living' and covers a range of meanings related to life, including living beings, vitality, and freshness. It can refer to God, animals, vegetation, and even concepts like appetite and community. Variants include חַיָּה (*chayyah*), meaning 'living thing' or 'animal,' and חַיִּים (*chayim*), which emphasizes life and sustenance.
חַי adj. alive, living
of God, as the living one, the fountain of life
of man
of animals, alive, living
animals and man
(dub.) of vegetation, as thorns, green
of water, fresh
(dub.) lively, active
reviving
base
[חַי] n.[m.] kinsfolk, pl. sf. 1 S 18:18
ref
חַיָּה n.f. living thing, animal
animal
in general
wild animals, on account of their vital energy and activity
living beings, of the cherubic chariot
life, only in late poetry
appetite, activity of hunger
revival, renewal
base
חַיָּה n.f. community
base
חַיִּים n.m. pl. abstr. emph. life
life: physical
life: as welfare and happiness in king's presence
sustenance, maintenance
base
H2416a חַי alive, living . . of God, as the living one, the fountain of life
. of man
. of animals, alive, living
. animals and man
. (dub.) of vegetation, as thorns, green
. of water, fresh
. (dub.) lively, active
. reviving
H2416b חַי kinsfolk H2416c חַיָּה living thing, animal . animal . in general
. wild animals, on account of their vital energy and activity
. living beings, of the cherubic chariot
. life, only in late poetry
. appetite, activity of hunger
. revival, renewal
H2416d חַיָּה community H2416e חַיִּים pl. abstr. emph. life . life: physical
. life: as welfare and happiness in king's presence
. sustenance, maintenance
2416 chay khah'-ee
from 2421; alive; hence, raw (flesh); fresh (plant, water,
year), strong; also (as noun, especially in the feminine
singular and masculine plural) life (or living thing), whether
literally or figuratively:--+ age, alive, appetite, (wild)
beast, company, congregation, life(-time), live(-ly), living
(creature, thing), maintenance, + merry, multitude, + (be)
old, quick, raw, running, springing, troop.
see HEBREW for 02421
חַי (chay) — alive.
adj
1) living, alive
1a) green (of vegetation)
1b) flowing, fresh (of water)
1c) lively, active (of man)
1d) reviving (of the springtime)
Aramaic equivalent: chay (חַי "living" H2417)
חַי (chay) — kinsfolk.
kinsfolk
חַיָּה (chay.yah) — living thing.
1) living thing, animal
1a) animal
1b) life
1c) appetite
1d) revival, renewal
Aramaic equivalent: che.va (חֵיוָא "beast" H2423)
חַיָּה (chay.yah) — community.
community
חַיִּים (chay.yim) — life.
1) life (abstract emphatic)
1a) life
1b) sustenance, maintenance
Art | N-fs — Particle · noun common feminine singular absoluteHTd/Ncfsa
כֹּל (kol) means 'all' or 'the whole.' It can refer to totality, including every person or thing, and is often used with a following genitive to specify what is included. The term can also denote a broader sense of everything in existence or all circumstances of life. The lexicons do not show significant disagreement on its meanings.
כֹּל once כּוֹל n.m. the whole, all
with foll. gen. (as usually) the whole of, to be rendered, however, often in our idiom, to avoid stiffness, any or every
Absolutely:
without the art., all things, all
with the art. הַכֹּל
where the sense is limited by the context to things (or persons) just mentioned
in a wider sense, all, whether of all mankind or of all living things, the universe, or of all the circumstances of life (chiefly late)
base
H3605 כֹּל once כּוֹל the whole, all . with foll. gen. (as usually) the whole of, to be rendered, however, often in our idiom, to avoid stiffness, any or every
. Absolutely: . without the art., all things, all
. with the art. הַכֹּל . where the sense is limited by the context to things (or persons) just mentioned
. in a wider sense, all, whether of all mankind or of all living things, the universe, or of all the circumstances of life (chiefly late)
3605 kol kole
or (Jer. 33:8) kowl {kole}; from 3634; properly, the whole;
hence, all, any or every (in the singular only, but often in a
plural sense):--(in) all (manner, (ye)), altogether, any
(manner), enough, every (one, place, thing), howsoever, as
many as, (no-)thing, ought, whatsoever, (the) whole,
whoso(-ever).
see HEBREW for 03634
כֹּל (kol) — all.
1) all, the whole
1a) all, the whole of
1b) any, each, every, anything
1c) totality, everything
Aramaic equivalent: kol (כֹּל "all" H3606)
Conj | N-ms — Conjunction · noun common masculine singular constructHC/Ncmsc
ol: Used in various combinations, and with different meanings.
(1) All along, "Weeping all along as he went" (Jer 41:6), i.e. throughout the whole way he went, feigning equal concern with the men from Shiloh, etc., for the destruction of the Temple, so as to put them off their guard.
(2) All in all, "That God may be all in all" (1Co 15:28, Greek: panta en pasin, "all things in all (persons and) things"). "The universe, with all it comprises, will wholly answer to God's will and reflect His mind" (Dummelow).
בְּהֵמָה (bhemah) refers to a beast or animal, typically denoting domesticated livestock or cattle, and occasionally wild beasts. It is derived from a root that suggests being mute, implying a 'dumb beast.' The term encompasses all living creatures other than humans, with a specific mention of large quadrupeds.
בְּהֵמָה 187 n.f. beast, animal, cattle
of living creatures other than man
opp. also to wild beasts
rarely of wild beasts, esp. carnivora
base
H929 בְּהֵמָה beast, animal, cattle . of living creatures other than man
. opp. also to wild beasts
. rarely of wild beasts, esp. carnivora
929 bhemah be-hay-maw'
from an unused root (probably meaning to be mute); properly,
a dumb beast; especially any large quadruped or animal (often
collective):--beast, cattle.
בְּהֵמָה (be.he.mah) — animal.
1) beast, cattle, animal
1a) beasts (coll of all animals)
1b) cattle, livestock (of domestic animals)
1c) wild beasts
N-fs — Noun common · feminine singular absoluteHNcfsa
רֶ֫מֶשׂ (remes) refers to creeping or moving organisms, including reptiles and other rapidly moving animals. It encompasses a range of creatures that creep or glide, particularly in the context of sea animals. The word is derived from a root that signifies movement.
רֶ֫מֶשׂ n.m. coll. creeping things, moving things
base
H7431 רֶ֫מֶשׂ creeping things, moving things
7431 remes reh'-mes
from 7430; a reptile or any other rapidly moving
animal:--that creepeth, creeping (moving) thing.
see HEBREW for 07430
רֶ֫מֶשׂ (re.me.s) — creeping.
1) creeping things, moving things, creeping organism
1a) creeping things
1b) gliding things (of sea animals)
1c) moving things (of all animals)
N-ms — Noun common · masculine singular absoluteHNcmsa
צִפּוֹר (tsippowr) means 'bird' and can refer to a singular bird or birds collectively. It is derived from a root meaning 'to hop' and is associated with small birds like sparrows. The Aramaic equivalent is צְפַר (tse.phar).
צִפּוֹר, צִפֹּר 40 n.f. bird
base
H6833 צִפּוֹר, צִפֹּר bird
6833 tsippowr tsip-pore'
or tsippor {tsip-pore'}; from 6852; a little bird (as
hopping):--bird, fowl, sparrow.
see HEBREW for 06852
צִפּוֹר (tsip.por) — bird.
1) bird, fowl
1a) bird (singular)
1b) birds (coll)
Aramaic equivalent: tse.phar (צְפַר "bird" H6853)
Conj | N-cs — Conjunction · noun common both singular constructHC/Ncbsc
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…
כָּנָף (kanaph) means 'wing' or 'extremity' and can refer to various edges or corners, such as those of a bird, garment, or building. It encompasses meanings like border, corner, and skirt, indicating both physical and metaphorical edges. The word is derived from a root that suggests an edge or extremity.
כָּנָף 109 n.f. wing, extremity
base
H3671 כָּנָף wing, extremity
3671 kanaph kaw-nawf'
from 3670; an edge or extremity; specifically (of a bird or
army) a wing, (of a garment or bed-clothing) a flap, (of the
earth) a quarter, (of a building) a pinnacle:--+ bird, border,
corner, end, feather(-ed), X flying, + (one an-)other,
overspreading, X quarters, skirt, X sort, uttermost part,
wing((-ed)).
see HEBREW for 03670
כָּנָף (ka.naph) — wing.
1) wing, extremity, edge, winged, border, corner, shirt
1a) wing
1b) extremity
1b1) skirt, corner (of garment)
N-fs — Noun common · feminine singular absoluteHNcfsa