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Psalms 31:12 — Word Study

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WLCנִ֭שְׁכַּחְתִּי כְּמֵ֣ת מִלֵּ֑ב הָ֝יִ֗יתִי כִּכְלִ֥י אֹבֵֽד׃

BSAI amhâyâh

Word
Listen & take awayPsalms 31
English ↓ Download MP3 The Berean Standard Bible chapter audio already hosted for the site's Bible section — verse 12 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 ('o.Ved) — no per-word recordings of the Hebrew exist to link to.
Take it away
Psalms 31:12quick helps
In a sentenceThe psalmist expresses deep feelings of abandonment and worthlessness, comparing himself to a forgotten corpse and a shattered vessel.
Who is speakingThe psalmist, reflecting on his isolation and despair.
Where we areIn a lament, the psalmist articulates his sorrow and sense of being overlooked by others.
The hard wordנִ֭שְׁכַּחְתִּי
Take awayThe psalmist feels utterly forgotten and worthless, like something that has lost its purpose.
8 commentators on this verse Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them › clause verbמִן 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 31:12

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 — A Lament of Abandonmentgenerated

11Among all my enemies I am a disgrace, and among my neighbors even more. I am dreaded by my friends— they flee when they see me on the street.
12I am forgotten like a dead man, out of mind. I am like a broken vessel.
13For I hear the slander of many; there is terror on every side. They conspire against me and plot to take my life.
14But I trust in You, O LORD; I say, “You are my God.”

Psalm 31:12 captures the psalmist's feelings of being forgotten and disregarded, akin to a lifeless corpse. This lamentation highlights his emotional state amidst the scorn of enemies and the silence of friends, emphasizing a profound sense of isolation. The context of this verse is enriched by the surrounding verses, where the psalmist grapples with slander and fear, yet ultimately expresses trust in God, as seen in Psalm 31:14.


Cross References

ReferenceText (BSB)
1Psalm 88:4–5I am counted among those descending to the Pit. I am like a man without strength.
2Isaiah 38:11–12I said, “I will never again see the LORD, even the LORD, in the land of the living; I will no longer look on mankind with those who dwell in this world.
3Psalm 2:9You will break them with an iron scepter; You will shatter them like pottery. ”
4Psalm 119:83Though I am like a wineskin dried up by smoke, I do not forget Your statutes.
5Isaiah 30:14It will break in pieces like a potter’s jar, shattered so that no fragment can be found. Not a shard will be found in the dust large enough to scoop the coals from a hearth or to skim the water from a cistern.”

The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 7 references, hung on the phrase they belong to


The Key Word נִ֭שְׁכַּחְתִּי, Nish.kach.tigenerated

The word שָׁכַח (shakach) means 'to forget' and is presented here in the Niphal form, indicating that the psalmist has been forgotten by others. This verb captures the essence of being overlooked or ignored, highlighting the emotional weight of the psalmist's experience.

The parsing as a perfect first person common singular shows that this state of being forgotten is a personal and ongoing experience for the psalmist, emphasizing his isolation and despair.


How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated

All translations agree on the meaning of נִ֭שְׁכַּחְתִּי as 'I have been forgotten', reflecting the psalmist's deep sense of abandonment.


Sentence Structuregenerated

The finite verb נִ֭שְׁכַּחְתִּי governs the main clause, expressing the psalmist's state of being forgotten. This is followed by a simile that compares his condition to a dead person, emphasizing the depth of his despair.

The structure of the verse is straightforward, with the main clause followed by two comparative phrases that illustrate the psalmist's feelings of worthlessness and neglect.


Septuagint Backgroundgenerated

The Septuagint renders נִ֭שְׁכַּחְתִּי as παρὰ, which suggests a slight shift in focus, emphasizing the idea of being set aside or disregarded rather than simply forgotten.

This choice in translation may indicate a broader interpretation of the psalmist's feelings, suggesting not just forgetfulness but a deliberate act of neglect.


In plain words — the whole versegenerated

Psalm 31:12 expresses the psalmist's feelings of being forgotten and worthless, comparing himself to a dead man and a broken vessel. He feels overlooked by others, which adds to his sorrow, yet he ultimately trusts in God.


Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated

What does it mean to be forgotten like a dead man?

It signifies a deep sense of abandonment and neglect, as if the psalmist has been completely disregarded by those around him.

Why does the psalmist compare himself to a broken vessel?

The comparison highlights his feelings of worthlessness and being beyond repair, reflecting his emotional and spiritual state.

How does this verse connect to the psalmist's trust in God?

Despite expressing feelings of abandonment, the psalmist ultimately reaffirms his trust in God, indicating a hope that transcends his current despair.

What can we learn from the psalmist's lament?

The psalmist's lament teaches us about the importance of expressing our feelings of pain and abandonment to God, while also holding on to trust in His faithfulness.


Reflection Questionsgenerated

  1. In what ways have I felt forgotten or overlooked by others?
  2. How can I express my feelings of abandonment to God in prayer?
  3. What does it mean to me to trust in God during times of despair?
  4. How can I support others who may feel like broken vessels?

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

Early Church Fathers referenced this verse to illustrate themes of abandonment and worthlessness in their writings, providing insight into its interpretation.

Augustine of HippoExposition on Psalms 31 354–430
"I have been forgotten, as one dead from the heart" [Psalms 31:12]. And they have forgotten me, as if I were dead from their hearts.
Early Church Fathers on Psalms 31 →
Theodoret of CyrusCOMMENTARY ON THE Psalms 31:7 c. 393–460
Everyone has given me up for lost, he is saying, like a vessel mislaid or a corpse occupying a tomb. He brought out the degree of forgetfulness by reference to the worthless vessel: just as when lost it vanishes from the memory of the…
Early Church Fathers on Psalms 31 →
CassiodorusEXPLANATION OF THE Psalms 31:13-14 c. 485–585
Those who do not believe the Scriptures at all saw the Lord fixed on the cross and walked away from his divinity, anticipating that their expectation was ended by this death.
Early Church Fathers on Psalms 31 →

Commentators on this verse — 8 expositors, verse by verse

Each of these wrote on Psalms 31:12 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.

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

I am forgotten as a dead man out of mind,.... Either by his friends, being out of sight, out of mind; as even the nearest relations and acquaintance are, in process of time, when dead, Ecclesiastes

Read John Gill on Psalms 31 →
Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's Commentary

I am forgotten as a dead man out of mind: I am like a broken vessel. forgotten ... out of mind.

Read Robert Jamieson on Psalms 31 →
Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy Bible

Whatsoever good service I have done to the king, or kingdom, or to any particular persons, neighbours, friends, or others, which sometimes they have acknowledged and highly commended, is now quite forgotten by all of them; or, at least, they carry themselves to me as if it were so. As a dead man; whose name and memory is quite lost within a few days. See . Like a broken vessel, made of earth; which is irreparable, and useless, and therefore despised by all.

Read Matthew Poole on Psalms 31 →
John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

Psalms 31:12 I am forgotten as a dead man out of mind: I am like a broken vessel.Ver. 12. I am forgotten as a dead man out of mind] How soon dead men are forgotten, even by those that promise to remember them longest of all, experience teacheth; trust not to protestations of best friends in that case. I am like a broken vessel] Of which there is no further use or esteem.

Read John Trapp on Psalms 31 →
Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(12) Broken vessel.—A favourite image with Jeremiah (Jeremiah 19:11; Jeremiah 22:28; Jeremiah 25:34; Jeremiah 48:38), but not peculiar to him among the prophets. (Comp. Hosea 8:8, and see Introduction to this psalm.)

Read Charles John Ellicott on Psalms 31 →
AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible

Verse 12. I am forgotten as a dead man] I am considered as a person adjudged to death. I am like a broken vessel - like a thing totally useless.

Read AdamClarke on Psalms 31 →
CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

12. As a dead man passes out of men’s minds, so he is forgotten. Cp. Job 19:14. He is like a broken (lit. perishing) vessel, flung aside contemptuously and no more remembered. Cp. (though the phrase there is different) Jeremiah 22:28 (R.V.).

Read Cambridge on Psalms 31 →
Albert Barnes1798–1870Barnes' Notes on the Bible

I am forgotten as a dead man out of mind - Like the man who is dead, and who has passed away from the recollection of mankind. Compare Psalms 88:4-5.

Read Albert Barnes on Psalms 31 →

The verse in English, compared — 16 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

I am forgotten like a dead man, out of mind. I am like a broken vessel.

WEBWorld English Bible2000

I am forgotten from their hearts like a dead man. I am like broken pottery.

MSBMajority Standard Bible2022

I am forgotten like a dead man, out of mind. I am like a broken vessel.

NETBNew English Translation2006

I am forgotten, like a dead man no one thinks about; I am regarded as worthless, like a broken jar.

Tyndale line

KJVKing James Version1611

I am forgotten as a dead man out of mind: I am like a broken vessel.

ASVAmerican Standard Version1901

I am forgotten as a dead man out of mind: I am like a broken vessel.

RVARevised Version, American1894

I am forgotten as a dead man out of mind: I am like a broken vessel.

NWBWebster's Bible1833

I am forgotten as a dead man out of mind: I am like a broken vessel.

GNVGeneva Bible1599

I am forgotten, as a dead man out of minde: I am like a broken vessell.

Strictly literal

DBYDarby Translation1890

I am forgotten in [their] heart as a dead man; I am become like a broken vessel.

YLTYoung's Literal Translation1862

I have been forgotten as dead out of mind, I have been as a perishing vessel.

LSVLiteral Standard Version2020

I have been forgotten as dead, out of mind, || I have been as a perishing vessel.

ILTInterlinear Literal Translation2000

(31:13) I am forgotten as a dead man out of the heart: I am become like a perishable vessel.

ULBUnlocked Literal Bible2017

I am forgotten as a dead man whom no one thinks about. I am like a broken pot.

Simplified

FBVFree Bible Version2020

I have been forgotten as if I were dead; I'm ignored like a broken pot.

BBEBible in Basic English1949

I have gone from men's minds and memory like a dead man; I am like a broken vessel.

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.

clauseverbנִ֭שְׁכַּחְתִּיI.have.been.forgottenprepositional phrase · prepositionalכְּlikeמֵ֣תa.dead.[person]prepositional phrase · prepositionalמִfrom.[the]לֵּ֑בheartclauseverbהָ֝יִ֗יתִיI.have.becomeprepositional phrase · prepositionalכִּlikenoun phraseכְלִ֥יa.vesselאֹבֵֽד[which.is].destroyed

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 closely in their wording, with all six Hebrew words matched in the Greek translation. The Dead Sea Scrolls, however, show partial restoration and some differences, indicating a loss of text in places but maintaining the overall theme of abandonment.

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

נִ֭שְׁכַּחְתִּי כְּמֵ֣ת מִלֵּ֑ב הָ֝יִ֗יתִי כִּכְלִ֥י אֹבֵֽד׃

Septuagintthe Greek the translators chose, word by word
נִ֭שְׁכַּחְתִּיπαρὰכְּמֵ֣תἐξθρούςמִלֵּ֑בἐγενήθηνהָ֝יִ֗יתִיὄνειδοςכִּכְלִ֥יτοῖςאֹבֵֽד׃γείτοσίν

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.

Dead Sea Scrolls — 5/6hev1ba copy a thousand years older than the Leningrad Codex

מכל צררי [הייתי] [חרפה] ולשכנ׳י מאד ופחד למידע׳י רא׳י [בחוץ] [נדדו] [ממ׳ני]

4 words on the leather — 3 partly restored, 5 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.

Psalms 31:12שָׁכַחI have beenI have been forשָׁכַחמוּתlike a deadlike a dead [peמוּתלֵבfrom [the] from [the] hearלֵבהָיָהI have becoI have becomeהָיָהכְּלִיlike a vesslike a vesselכְּלִיאָבַד[which] is [which] is destאָבַדכָּלָהto end: fito end: finishכָּלָהלֵבָבheartheartלֵבָבהָוָאto fallto fallהָוָאנֵ֫צַחperpetuityperpetuityנֵ֫צַחרָצַחto murderto murderרָצַחקָבַרto buryto buryקָבַרחָסֵרlackinglackingחָסֵרחָכָםwisewiseחָכָםזָהָבgoldgoldזָהָבתִּקְוָהcordcordתִּקְוָהשָׁמַדto destroyto destroyשָׁמַד
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 31:12

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.

I have been forgotten like a dead [person] from [the] heart I have become like a vessel [which] is destroyed
נִ֭שְׁכַּחְתִּיNish.kach.ti I have been forgotten H7911 Verb · Niphal · perfect first person common singular
102× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
To forget something means to mislay it or be oblivious to it. This Hebrew word is used in the Bible to describe when people forget things, like God's commands. The KJV translates it as 'to forget' or 'at all'.
Tyndale gloss
to forget
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word שָׁכַח (shakach) means 'to forget' and encompasses various nuances such as ignoring or ceasing to care. It can appear in different forms, including Qal (to forget), Niphal (to be forgotten), and Hiphil (to cause to forget). The entries highlight its primitive root nature and its usage in contexts where memory or attention is lacking.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

שָׁכַח 102 vb. forget

Qal 86 forget

Niph. be forgotten

Pi. י׳ hath caused to forget

Hiph. to make my people forget my name

Hithp. they were forgotten in the city.

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H7911 שָׁכַח forget

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

7911 shakach shaw-kakh'

or shakeach {shaw-kay'-akh}; a primitive root; to mislay,

i.e. to be oblivious of, from want of memory or attention:--X

at all, (cause to) forget.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

שָׁכַח (sha.khach) — to forget.

1) to forget, ignore, wither

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to forget

1a2) to cease to care

1b) (Niphal) to be forgotten

1c) (Piel) to cause to forget

1d) (Hiphil) to make or cause to forget

1e) (Hithpael) to be forgotten

Aramaic equivalent: she.khach (שְׁכַח "to find" H7912)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
HVNp1cs — Verb · Niphal · perfect first person common singular
HVNp1cs
I have been forgotten like a dead [person] from [the] heart I have become like a vessel [which] is destroyed
כְּמֵ֣תke.Met like a dead [person] H4191 Preposition · verb qal participle (active) masculine singular
840× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
In the Bible, this Hebrew word means to die, either literally or as a punishment, and is used in books like Genesis and Exodus. It can also mean to perish or be killed. This concept is seen in the story of Adam and Eve, where death enters the world as a result of sin.
Tyndale gloss
to die
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

מוּת (mūth) is a Hebrew verb meaning 'to die' or 'to kill.' It encompasses a range of meanings from dying naturally to being executed as a penalty. The word can refer to both humans and animals, and it includes various forms such as causing death or being killed. There is a distinction in usage based on the subject, whether it is a person or God inflicting death.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

מוּת vb. die

Qal

die, of natural or other causes

die as a penalty = be put to death

Po‛lel. kill, put to death, despatch (intens.)

Hiph.

abs., elsewhere c. acc., subj. man

subj. God, by inflicting penalty

of animals killing men

bring to a premature death

Hoph. be killed, put to death

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H4191 מוּת die .. die, of natural or other causes

. die as a penalty = be put to death

. kill, put to death, despatch (intens.)

. . abs., elsewhere c. acc., subj. man

. subj. God, by inflicting penalty

. of animals killing men

. bring to a premature death

. be killed, put to death

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

4191 muwth mooth

a primitive root: to die (literally or figuratively);

causatively, to kill:--X at all, X crying, (be) dead (body,

man, one), (put to, worthy of) death, destroy(-er), (cause to,

be like to, must) die, kill, necro(-mancer), X must needs,

slay, X surely, X very suddenly, X in (no) wise.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

מוּת (mut) — to die.

1) to die, kill, have one executed

1a)(Qal)

1a1) to die

1a2) to die (as penalty), be put to death

1a3) to die, perish (of a nation)

1a4) to die prematurely (by neglect of wise moral conduct)

1b) (Polel) to kill, put to death, dispatch

1c) (Hiphil) to kill, put to death

1d) (Hophal)

1d1) to be killed, be put to death

1d1a) to die prematurely

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
HR/Vqrmsa — Preposition · verb qal participle (active) masculine singular
HR/Vqrmsa
I have been forgotten like a dead [person] from [the] heart I have become like a vessel [which] is destroyed
מִלֵּ֑בmi.Lev from [the] heart H3820 Preposition · noun common masculine singular absolute
595× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
Leb refers to the heart, but also represents feelings, will, and intellect in the Bible. It is used figuratively to describe the center of something, and is often translated as heart or mind. Leb is a complex concept that encompasses emotions and thoughts.
Tyndale gloss
heart
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

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.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

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

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

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

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

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

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

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)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
HR/Ncmsa — Preposition · noun common masculine singular absolute
HR/Ncmsa
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

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.

Easton's Bible Dictionary

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;

I have been forgotten like a dead [person] from [the] heart I have become like a vessel [which] is destroyed
הָ֝יִ֗יתִיha.Yi.ti I have become H1961 Verb · Qal · perfect first person common singular
3,562× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
The Hebrew word for to be means to exist or come into being. It is used to describe something that happens or comes to pass, like in Genesis where God creates the world.
Tyndale gloss
to be
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word הָיָה (hayah) is a primitive root meaning to exist or become, and it encompasses a range of meanings including to happen, occur, and come to pass. It is often used in narrative contexts, particularly in phrases like "and it came to pass." The word can also denote a state of being or existence, and it appears frequently in various forms throughout the Old Testament.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

הָיָה 3570 vb. fall out, come to pass, become, be

Qal

Fall out, happen

occur, take place, come about, come to pass

esp. & very oft., come about, come to pass

וַיְהִי and it came to pass that, most often (c. 292 t.)

rarely also Pf. c. וְ conj. וְהָיָה

less oft. וְהָיָה Pf. consec. and it shall come to pass, or frequentat. came to pass (repeatedly, etc.)

Come into being, become

abs., in lively narrative, arise, appear, come

sq. prep.

become

sq. pred. noun (to be viewed as implicit accus.)

sq. pred. adj.

become like

sq. pred. לְ pers.

sq. לְ pred.

oft. c. לְ pred. לְ pers.

with עַל and לְ

sts. c. לְ pers. only = became the property of, come into the possession of

Be (often with subbordinate idea of becoming)

exist, be in existence

abide, remain, continue

with word of locality, be in or at a place, be situated, stand, lie

as copula, joining subj. & pred.

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Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H1961 הָיָה fall out, come to pass, become, be .. . . Fall out, happen

. occur, take place, come about, come to pass

. esp. & very oft., come about, come to pass . . וַיְהִי and it came to pass that, most often (c. 292 t.)

. rarely also Pf. c. וְ conj. וְהָיָה

. less oft. וְהָיָה Pf. consec. and it shall come to pass, or frequentat. came to pass (repeatedly, etc.)

. Come into being, become . . abs., in lively narrative, arise, appear, come

. sq. prep.

. become . sq. pred. noun (to be viewed as implicit accus.)

. sq. pred. adj.

. become like

. sq. pred. + לְ pers.

. sq. לְ pred.

. oft. c. לְ pred. + לְ pers.

. with עַל and לְ

. sts. c. לְ pers. only = became the property of, come into the possession of

. Be (often with subbordinate idea of becoming) . exist, be in existence

. abide, remain, continue

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Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

1961 hayah haw-yaw

a primitive root (compare 1933); to exist, i.e. be or become,

come to pass (always emphatic, and not a mere copula or

auxiliary):--beacon, X altogether, be(-come), accomplished,

committed, like), break, cause, come (to pass), do, faint,

fall, + follow, happen, X have, last, pertain, quit

(one-)self, require, X use.

see HEBREW for 01933

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

הָיָה (ha.yah) — to be.

1) to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out

1a) (Qal)

1a1) ---

1a1a) to happen, fall out, occur, take place, come about, come to pass

1a1b) to come about, come to pass

1a2) to come into being, become

1a2a) to arise, appear, come

1a2b) to become

1a2b1) to become

1a2b2) to become like

1a2b3) to be instituted, be established

1a3) to be

1a3a) to exist, be in existence

1a3b) to abide, remain, continue (with word of place or time)

1a3c) to stand, lie, be in, be at, be situated (with word of locality)

1a3d) to accompany, be with

1b) (Niphal)

1b1) to occur, come to pass, be done, be brought about

1b2) to be done, be finished, be gone

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
V-Qal-Perf-1cs — Verb · Qal · perfect first person common singular
HVqp1cs
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

be-kum':

(1) Greek ginomai, used in New Testament for a change of state, corresponding to Hebrew hayah of Old Testament. Compare Mt 18:3 with De 27:9.

(2) For what is fitting, suitable, proper, in New Testament: "prepei" (Mt 3:15; Eph 5:3; 1Ti 2:10); in Old Testament, na'awah, na'ah, Ps 93:5: "Holiness becometh thy house." in this sense, the adverb "becomingly" must be interpreted: "Walk becomingly toward them that are without" (1Th 4:12), i.e. in a way that is consistent with your profession.

I have been forgotten like a dead [person] from [the] heart I have become like a vessel [which] is destroyed
כִּכְלִ֥יkikh.Li like a vessel H3627 Preposition · noun common masculine singular absolute
325× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This Hebrew word refers to any object or tool, like a utensil or a piece of furniture. It is used to describe a wide range of items, from musical instruments to weapons. It emphasizes the object's purpose or function.
Tyndale gloss
article/utensil
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

כְּלִי (kliy) refers to an article or utensil, encompassing a wide range of objects such as vessels, tools, and implements used for various purposes, including music and warfare. It is derived from a root meaning 'to prepare' and can denote anything from furniture to weapons. The entries highlight its general use in the Old Testament without significant disagreement among lexicons.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

כְּלִי 324 n.m. article, utensil, vessel

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H3627 כְּלִי article, utensil, vessel

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

3627 kliy kel-ee'

from 3615; something prepared, i.e. any apparatus (as an

implement, utensil, dress, vessel or weapon):--armour

((-bearer)), artillery, bag, carriage, + furnish, furniture,

instrument, jewel, that is made of, X one from another, that

which pertaineth, pot, + psaltery, sack, stuff, thing, tool,

vessel, ware, weapon, + whatsoever.

see HEBREW for 03615

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

כְּלִי (ke.li) — article/utensil.

1) article, vessel, implement, utensil

1a) article, object (general)

1b) utensil, implement, apparatus, vessel

1b1) implement (of hunting or war)

1b2) implement (of music)

1b3) implement, tool (of labour)

1b4) equipment, yoke (of oxen)

1b5) utensils, furniture

1c) vessel, receptacle (general)

1d) vessels (boats) of paper-reed

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
HR/Ncmsa — Preposition · noun common masculine singular absolute
HR/Ncmsa
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

ves'-el: Is used freely in English Versions of the Bible to translate keli, the Aramaic ma'n, and skeuos, words all meaning "an implement or utensil" of any kind, when the context shows that a hollow utensil is meant. In 1Sa 21:5, however, the translation of the plural of keli by "vessels" is dubious. English Versions of the Bible evidently intended something in the nature of provision wallets, and the "holiness" of such objects finds partial parallels in Nu 19:15; Le 11:32-34, etc. But in 1Sa 21:8, in the immediate context of the verse above, keli certainly means "weapons," and this translation is quite intelligible in 21:5 also. For war among the Hebrews was a holy…

I have been forgotten like a dead [person] from [the] heart I have become like a vessel [which] is destroyed
אֹבֵֽד׃'o.Ved [which] is destroyed H6 Verb · Qal · participle (active) masculine singular
184× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
To perish means to be destroyed or lost, whether it's a person, animal, or thing, like the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah in Genesis 19.
Tyndale gloss
to perish
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

אָבַד (abad) is a Hebrew verb meaning to perish or be lost. It encompasses a range of meanings, including dying, vanishing, and destruction, often in a moral or judgment context. The word appears in various forms in the Old Testament, with uses related to individuals, nations, and inanimate objects. The lexicons indicate that it can also imply causing something to perish or stray.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

אָבַד vb. perish (M I אבד, As. abâtu Dl W 184 Aram אֲבַד, Syriac).—

Qal Pf. א׳ Nu 21:30 +; אָבְדוּ ψ 10:16 + (+ Ez 6:3 𝔊 Co) etc.; Impf. יֹאבַד Jb 3:3 Je 4:9; יֹאבֵ֑ד Jb 20:7 + 2t.; 3fs. תֹּאבַד Dt 22:3 + 4t.; תֹּאבֵ֑ד Jb 8:13 + 3t.; יֹאבְדוּ Ju 5:31 + 3t.; יֹאבֵ֑דוּ Jb 4:9 +; 3fpl. וַתֹּאבַדְנָה֙ I S 9:3; תֹּאבֵדוּן Dt 4:26 +; נֹאבֵ֑ד Jon 1:6

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Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H6 אָבַד perish .. perish, die, of individuals

. fig. perish, vanish, subj. memory

. be lost, strayed

. . cause to perish, destroy, kill

. fig. cause to vanish, blot out, do away with

. cause to stray, lose

. . destroy, put to death, in judgment

. fig. obj. name of kings; hope; voice of mirth etc.

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

6 'abad aw-bad'

a primitive root; properly, to wander away, i.e. lose

oneself; by implication to perish (causative,

destroy):--break, destroy(- uction), + not escape, fail,

lose, (cause to, make) perish, spend, X and surely, take, be

undone, X utterly, be void of, have no way to flee.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

אָבַד (a.vad) — to perish.

1) perish, vanish, go astray, be destroyed

1a) (Qal)

1a1) perish, die, be exterminated

1a2) perish, vanish (fig.)

1a3) be lost, strayed

1b) (Piel)

1b1) to destroy, kill, cause to perish, to give up (as lost), exterminate

1b2) to blot out, do away with, cause to vanish, (fig.)

1b3) cause to stray, lose

1c) (Hiphil)

1c1) to destroy, put to death

1c1a) of divine judgment

1c2) object name of kings (fig.)

Aramaic equivalent: a.vad (אֲבַד "to destroy" H0007)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
HVqrmsa — Verb · Qal · participle (active) masculine singular
HVqrmsa
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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