Menu

Psalms 39:13 — Word Study

Depth

WLCהָשַׁ֣ע מִמֶּ֣נִּי וְאַבְלִ֑יגָה בְּטֶ֖רֶם אֵלֵ֣ךְ וְאֵינֶֽנִּי׃

BSAto hearshâmaʻ prayertᵉphillâh The LordYᵉhôvâh cryshavʻâh to listenʼâzan to(wards)ʼêl tearsdimʻâh notʼal to plow/plotchârash forkîy sojournergêr Iʼânôkîy withʻim sojournertôwshâb allkôl fatherʼâb

Word
Listen & take awayPsalms 39
English ↓ Download MP3 The Berean Standard Bible chapter audio already hosted for the site's Bible section — verse 13 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 (ve.'ei.Ne.ni) — no per-word recordings of the Hebrew exist to link to.
Take it away
Psalms 39:13quick helps
In a sentenceThe Psalmist asks God to turn away His gaze so that he may find comfort before his life ends.
Who is speakingThe Psalmist, expressing a personal plea to God.
Where we areA moment of desperation, where the Psalmist seeks relief from suffering.
The hard wordהָשַׁ֣ע
Take awayThe Psalmist wishes to be cheered before his time is up.
8 commentators on this verse Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them › clause subjectתְּפִלָּה verbשָׁמַע 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 39:13

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 Plea for Reliefgenerated

10Remove Your scourge from me; I am perishing by the force of Your hand.
11You discipline and correct a man for his iniquity, consuming like a moth what he holds dear; surely each man is but a vapor. Selah
12Hear my prayer, O LORD, and give ear to my cry for help; do not be deaf to my weeping. For I am a foreigner dwelling with You, a stranger like all my fathers.
13Turn Your gaze away from me, that I may again be cheered before I depart and am no more.”

Psalm 39:13 is a heartfelt plea from the Psalmist, who is in distress and desires God's attention to be momentarily diverted. This verse captures the tension between the desire for comfort and the reality of impending departure from life, echoing themes found throughout the Psalms where the human experience of suffering and the search for divine solace are prevalent.


Cross References

ReferenceText (BSB)
1Job 10:20–21Are my days not few? Withdraw from me, that I may have a little comfort,
2Job 14:5–6Since his days are determined and the number of his months is with You, and since You have set limits that he cannot exceed,
3Genesis 5:24Enoch walked with God, and then he was no more, because God had taken him away.
4Genesis 42:36Their father Jacob said to them, “You have deprived me of my sons. Joseph is gone and Simeon is no more. Now you want to take Benjamin. Everything is going against me!”
5Job 14:10–12But a man dies and is laid low; he breathes his last, and where is he?

The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 5 references, hung on the phrase they belong to


The Key Word הָשַׁ֣ע, ha.Sha'generated

The verb שָׁעָה (sha`ah) means to gaze or look at something with intensity or interest. In this verse, it is used in the imperative form, indicating a strong request for God to look away, which emphasizes the Psalmist's emotional state and need for relief.

This construction in the Hiphil form suggests a causative action, implying that the Psalmist is asking God to spare him from His gaze, which is associated with scrutiny or judgment. The plea indicates a moment of vulnerability where the Psalmist seeks comfort before facing the end of life.


How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated

The translations agree on the essential meaning of the verse, emphasizing the plea for God to turn His gaze away.


Sentence Structuregenerated

The main verb of the verse is הָשַׁ֣ע, turn, which governs the entire request. The structure includes a prepositional phrase indicating the source of the gaze, followed by a clause expressing the desired outcome of being cheered, and concluding with a temporal clause that highlights the urgency of the request before the Psalmist departs.

The arrangement reflects a direct appeal, with the imperative verb at the forefront, emphasizing the urgency and emotional weight of the Psalmist's plea.


Septuagint Backgroundgenerated

The Septuagint translates הָשַׁ֣ע as προσευξῆς, which conveys a sense of prayer or supplication. This choice reflects an interpretative approach, suggesting that the Psalmist's request is framed as a prayerful appeal for divine attention.

This rendering may indicate a broader understanding of the Psalmist's emotional state, emphasizing the relational aspect of seeking God's favor and comfort.


In plain words — the whole versegenerated

Psalm 39:13 expresses the Psalmist's deep desire for God to turn His gaze away so that he can find comfort before he must leave this life. This plea highlights the emotional struggle of facing mortality and the need for divine relief.


Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated

What does the Psalmist mean by asking God to turn His gaze away?

The Psalmist is expressing a desire for relief from God's scrutiny, seeking comfort during a time of distress before facing death.

Why does the Psalmist want to be cheered?

The Psalmist wishes to find comfort and strength before departing from life, indicating a longing for peace in the face of mortality.

What does the phrase 'before I depart and am no more' imply?

This phrase reflects the finality of death and the urgency of the Psalmist's request for comfort before facing the end of life.

How does this verse relate to other themes in the Psalms?

This verse resonates with the broader themes of suffering, divine attention, and the search for comfort found throughout the Psalms, where individuals express their struggles and seek God's help.


Reflection Questionsgenerated

  1. In what areas of my life do I feel the need for God's gaze to turn away, and how can I seek comfort in those moments?
  2. How can I find strength and cheer in the face of difficult circumstances, similar to the Psalmist's plea?
  3. What does it mean to me to ask God for relief before facing challenging times?
  4. How can I relate my own experiences of distress to the themes found in the Psalms?

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

Early Church Fathers have commented on this verse, reflecting on themes of repentance and the urgency of seeking God's mercy before death.

Ambrose of MilanCommentaries on the Twelve Davidic Psalms c. 339–397
Forgive me, so that I need no longer be a pilgrim and a wayfarer. Forgive me so that I may be called home from exile. If you forgive me, before I go from this place, I shall no longer be an exile and a pilgrim.
Early Church Fathers on Psalms 39 →
JeromeHOMILY ON Psalms 103[104] c. 347–420
Grant me a little time that I may repent for my sins, for in hell no one has the power to confess his sins.
Early Church Fathers on Psalms 39 →

Commentators on this verse — 8 expositors, verse by verse

Each of these wrote on Psalms 39:13 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.

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

O spare me,.... Or "look from me" (f); turn away thy fierce countenance from me; or "cease from me (g), and let me alone"; as in Job 10:20; from whence the words seem to be taken, by what follows:

Read John Gill on Psalms 39 →
Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's Commentary

O spare me, that I may recover strength, before I go hence, and be no more. O spare me - literally, 'look away from me;' 'turn away (thy angry look) from me' [ haasha` (H8159) mimeniy (H4480)].

Read Robert Jamieson on Psalms 39 →
Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy Bible

Spare me; or, cease from me, i.e. from afflicting me; do not destroy me. My life at best is but short and miserable, as I have said, and thou knowest; sufficient for it is the evil thereof: do not add affliction to the afflicted. That I may recover strength, both in my outward and inward man, both which are much weakened and oppressed. Or, that I may be refreshed, or comforted, eased of the burden of my sins, and thy terrors consequent upon them, and better prepared for a comfortable and happy dissolution. Before I go hence, Heb. before I go, to wit, unto the grave, as this phrase is used, 25:32; or the way of all the earth, as the phrase is completed, ; or whence I shall not return, as it…

Read Matthew Poole on Psalms 39 →
John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

Psalms 39:13 O spare me, that I may recover strength, before I go hence, and be no more.Ver. 13. O spare me, that I may recover strength] Ut refociller, reficiar. Job maketh the like request, Job 10:20. Some breathing while they would have, and a time to recollect themselves, before that last, great encounter. They say in effect, Differ, habent parvae commoda magna morae. Before I go hence, and be no more] No more seen among men. It is said that Richard III caused the dead corpses of his two smothered nephews to be closed in lead, and so put in a coffin full of holes, and hooked at the ends with two hooks of iron; and so be cast into a place called the Black Deeps, at the Thames’ mouth…

Read John Trapp on Psalms 39 →
Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(13) Recover strength.—Better, Let me become cheerful, i.e., look up with a glad look once more on my face, as the angry look fades from the Divine countenance. Before.—Literally, before I go, and am not. All the words and phrases of this last verse occur in the Book of Job. (See Job 7:8; Job 7:19; Job 7:21; Job 14:6; Job 10:20-21.)

Read Charles John Ellicott on Psalms 39 →
AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible

Verse 13. O spare me] Take me not from this state of probation till I have a thorough preparation for a state of blessedness. This he terms recovering his strength - being restored to the favour and image of God, from which he had fallen. This should be the daily cry of every human spirit: Restore me to thine image, guide me by thy counsel, and then receive me to thy glory! ANALYSIS OF THE THIRTY-NINTH PSALM This Psalm was apparently written on the same occasion as the preceding. The psalmist is still suffering as before, yet is silent and patient; but the suffering at last becoming very sharp, he could hold his peace no longer: then he spoke. And we have reason to be thankful that he broke…

Read AdamClarke on Psalms 39 →
CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

13. O spare me] So Jerome, parce mihi. But more exactly, Look away from me. Cheyne renders, ‘avert thy frown.’ that I may recover strength] Lit. brighten up, as the sky when the clouds clear. Parallels for every phrase in the verse are to be found in Job. See Job 7:19; Job 14:6; Job 10:20-21; Job 7:8 (R.V.). It is, as Delitzsch remarks, the heroic character of Old Testament faith, that in the midst of the enigmas of life, and in full view of the deep gloom enshrouding the future, it throws itself unconditionally into the arms of God.

Read Cambridge on Psalms 39 →
Albert Barnes1798–1870Barnes' Notes on the Bible

O spare me - The word used here - from שׁעה shâ‛âh - means “to look;” and then, in connection with the preposition, “to look away from;” and it here means, “Look away from me;” that is, Do not come to inflict death on me.

Read Albert Barnes on Psalms 39 →

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

Turn Your gaze away from me, that I may again be cheered before I depart and am no more.”

WEBWorld English Bible2000

Oh spare me, that I may recover strength, before I go away and exist no more.”

MSBMajority Standard Bible2022

Turn Your gaze away from me, that I may again be cheered before I depart and am no more.”

NETBNew English Translation2006

Turn your angry gaze away from me, so I can be happy before I pass away.

Tyndale line

KJVKing James Version1611

O spare me, that I may recover strength, before I go hence, and be no more.

ASVAmerican Standard Version1901

Oh spare me, that I may recover strength, Before I go hence, and be no more.

RVARevised Version, American1894

O spare me, that I may recover strength, before I go hence, and be no more.

NWBWebster's Bible1833

O spare me, that I may recover strength, before I go hence, and be no more.

GNVGeneva Bible1599

Stay thine anger from me, that I may recouer my strength, before I go hence and be not.

Strictly literal

DBYDarby Translation1890

Look away from me, and let me recover strength, before I go hence and be no more.

YLTYoung's Literal Translation1862

Look from me, and I brighten up before I go and am not!

LSVLiteral Standard Version2020

Look from me, and I brighten up before I go and am not!

ILTInterlinear Literal Translation2000

(39:14) Leave off from me, that I may recover strength, before I go hence, and am no more.

ULBUnlocked Literal Bible2017

Turn your gaze from me so that I may smile again before I die.”

From the Latin

DRADouay-Rheims (Challoner)1899

For evils without number have surrounded me; my iniquities have overtaken me, and I was not able to see. They are multiplied above the hairs of my head: and my heart hath forsaken me.

Simplified

FBVFree Bible Version2020

Please leave me alone so I can be cheerful again, before I am dead and gone.

BBEBible in Basic English1949

Let your wrath be turned away from me, so that I may be comforted, before I go away from here, and become nothing.

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.

clauseverbהָשַׁ֣עsmearprepositional phrase · prepositionalמִמֶּ֣fromנִּיmeוְsoclauseclauseverbאַבְלִ֑יגָהthat.I.may.be.cheerfulclauseprepositional phraseבְּbeforeטֶ֖רֶםbeforeclauseclauseverbאֵלֵ֣ךְI.will.goוְandclausepredicateאֵינֶֽI.[will]subjectנִּיnot.[be]

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


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

The Masoretic Text presents the verse as הָשַׁ֣ע מִמֶּ֣נִּי וְאַבְלִ֑יגָה בְּטֶ֖רֶם אֵלֵ֣ךְ וְאֵינֶֽנִּי׃. The Septuagint matches five of the six words, indicating a strong correspondence between the two texts. The Dead Sea Scrolls show partial restoration, with some words supplied by an editor, but the overall meaning aligns with the Masoretic Text.

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

הָשַׁ֣ע מִמֶּ֣נִּי וְאַבְלִ֑יגָה בְּטֶ֖רֶם אֵלֵ֣ךְ וְאֵינֶֽנִּי׃

Septuagintthe Greek the translators chose, word by word
מִמֶּ֣נִּיπροσευξῆςוְאַבְלִ֑יגָהκύριεבְּטֶ֖רֶםκαὶאֵלֵ֣ךְμουוְאֵינֶֽנִּי׃τῶν

5 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 — 11Q8a copy a thousand years older than the Leningrad Codex

האזינ׳ה [אל] [דמעת׳י] [אל] [תחרש] [כי] [גר] [אנוכי] [עמ׳כה] תושב [ככול] [אבות׳י]

1 word on the leather — 1 partly restored, 10 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 39:13שָׁעָהsmearsmearשָׁעָהמִן־from mefrom meמִן־בָּלַגso let me bso let me be chבָּלַגטֶ֫רֶםbeforebeforeטֶ֫רֶםהָלַךְI will goI will goהָלַךְאַ֫יִןand there nand there not [אַ֫יִןמֵןstringstringמֵןהָלַךְto walkto walkהָלַךְאַ֫יִןwhere?where?אַ֫יִןיָשַׁעto saveto saveיָשַׁעמְאֹדmuchmuchמְאֹדרָחַקto removeto removeרָחַקיָתַרto remainto remainיָתַרמִן־fromfromמִן־חוּלto twist: to twist: trembחוּלדֶּ֫רֶךְway: roadway: roadדֶּ֫רֶךְחֻקָּהstatutestatuteחֻקָּהכְּמוֹlikelikeכְּמוֹ
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 39:13

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.

smear from me so let me be cheerful before I will go and there not [will be] me
הָשַׁ֣עha.Sha' smear H8159 Verb · Hiphil · imperative second person masculine singular
15× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
To gaze means to look carefully or intensely at something, often seeking help or guidance, like the Psalmist in Psalm 121:1-2.
Tyndale gloss
to gaze
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

שָׁעָה (sha`ah) is a Hebrew verb meaning to gaze or look at, often with interest or consideration. It can imply various actions such as inspecting, regarding, or even feeling bewildered. The entries indicate different forms, including Qal (to gaze), Hiphil (to cause to look away), and Hithpael (to gaze in dismay).

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

שָׁעָה vb. gaze (steadily, with interest, etc.)

Qal gaze at, regard (with favour)

Hiph. cause thy gaze to turn away from me

Hithp. gaze not about

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H8159 שָׁעָה gaze (steadily, with interest, etc.)

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

8159 sha`ah shaw-aw'

a primitive root; to gaze at or about (properly, for help);

by implication, to inspect, consider, compassionate, be

nonplussed (as looking around in amazement) or

bewildered:--depart, be dim, be dismayed, look (away),

regard, have respect, spare, turn.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

שָׁעָה (sha.ah) — to gaze.

1) to look at or to, regard, gaze at or about

1a) (Qal) to gaze at, regard, behold, look about

1b) (Hiphil) to look away, cause gaze to turn away

1c) (Hithpael) to look in dismay, gaze about (in anxiety)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
HVhv2ms — Verb · Hiphil · imperative second person masculine singular
HVhv2ms
The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
smear from me so let me be cheerful before I will go and there not [will be] me
מִמֶּ֣נִּיmi.Me.ni from me H4480 Preposition · suffix
1,189× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This Hebrew word means a portion or part of something, and is often used to show the relationship between things, like from or out of something.
Tyndale gloss
from
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word מִן־ (*min*) is a preposition meaning 'from' or 'out of,' indicating separation or origin. It covers various uses, including temporal references, comparisons, and causal relationships. Additionally, it can denote a portion when used as a noun מֵן (*men*). The entries highlight its versatility in expressing different nuances of separation and position.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

מִן־, and מִ, before יְ, prep. expressing the idea of separation, hence out of, from, on account of, off, on the side of, since, above, than, so that not

with verbs expressing (or implying) separation or removal

from, against

מן also, without a verb of similar significance, sometimes expresses the idea of separation, away from, far from

of position, off, on the side of, on

Out of, Gk. ἐκ, Lat. ex

Partitively

Of time—

as marking the terminus a quo, the anterior limit of a continuous period from, since

as marking the period immediately succeeding the limit after

towards, to

(וְעַד) עַד … מִן from … even to

In comparisons, beyond, above

מן is prefixed to an infin.:

with causal force, from, on account of, through

after verbs implying restraint, prevention, cessation, etc.

with a temporal force, since, after

Once as a conj. before a finite verb. that

In compounds:

base

Read the full entry →
Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H4480a מִן־, מִ, prep. expressing the idea of separation, hence out of, from, on account of, off, on the side of, since, above, than, so that not . with verbs expressing (or implying) separation or removal . from, against

. מן also, without a verb of similar significance, sometimes expresses the idea of separation, away from, far from

. of position, off, on the side of, on

. Out of, Gk. ἐκ, Lat. ex

. Partitively

. Of time— . as marking the terminus a quo, the anterior limit of a continuous period from, since

. as marking the period immediately succeeding the limit after

. towards, to

. (וְעַד) עַד … מִן from … even to

. In comparisons, beyond, above

. מן is prefixed to an infin.: . with causal force, from, on account of, through

. after verbs implying restraint, prevention, cessation, etc.

. with a temporal force, since, after

. Once as a conj. before a finite verb. that

Read the full entry →
Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

4480 min min

or minniy {min-nee'}; or minney (constructive plural)

{min-nay'}; (Isaiah 30:11); for 4482; properly, a part of;

hence (prepositionally), from or out of in many senses (as

follows):--above, after, among, at, because of, by (reason

of), from (among), in, X neither, X nor, (out) of, over,

since, X then, through, X whether, with.

see HEBREW for 04482

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

מִן־ (min) — from.

prep

1) from, out of, on account of, off, on the side of, since, above, than, so that not, more than

1a) from (expressing separation), off, on the side of

1b) out of

1b1) (with verbs of proceeding, removing, expelling)

1b2) (of material from which something is made)

1b3) (of source or origin)

1c) out of, some of, from (partitively)

1d) from, since, after (of time)

1e) than, more than (in comparison)

1f) from...even to, both...and, either...or

1g) than, more than, too much for (in comparisons)

1h) from, on account of, through, because (with infinitive)

conj

2) that

Aramaic equivalent: min (מִן־ "from" H4481)

מֵן (men) — portion.

n.m.

portion

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
HR/Sp1bs — Preposition · suffix
HR/Sp1bs
smear from me so let me be cheerful before I will go and there not [will be] me
וְאַבְלִ֑יגָהve.'av.Li.gah so let me be cheerful H1082 Conjunction · verb hiphil infinitive construct first person common singular
4× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This Hebrew word means to be cheerful or show a smile, and can also mean to comfort or recover strength. It is used to describe a positive emotional state, like feeling comforted or strengthened.
Tyndale gloss
be cheerful
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

בָּלַג (balag) is a Hebrew verb primarily found in the Hiphil form, meaning to gleam or smile. It conveys a sense of cheerfulness, as well as the idea of causing something to burst or flash. The entries suggest a dual focus on positive expressions, like smiling, and more dynamic actions, such as bursting.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

[בָּלַג] vb. gleam, smile—only Hiph.

shew a smile, look cheerful

cause to burst or flash

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H1082 בָּלַג

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

1082 balag baw-lag'

a primitive root; to break off or loose (in a favorable or

unfavorable sense), i.e. desist (from grief) or invade (with

destruction):--comfort, (recover) strength(-en).

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

בָּלַג (ba.lag) — be cheerful.

1) to gleam, smile

1a) (Hiphil) only

1a1) to show a smile, look pleasant

1a2) to cause to burst

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
HC/Vhc1cs — Conjunction · verb hiphil infinitive construct first person common singular
HC/Vhc1cs
The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
smear from me so let me be cheerful before I will go and there not [will be] me
בְּטֶ֖רֶםbe.Te.rem before H2962 Preposition
56× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This word indicates something has not happened yet, or it happened before something else. It is used to show timing or sequence of events, translated as before, ere, or not yet in the KJV.
Tyndale gloss
before
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

טֶ֫רֶם (terem) is an adverb meaning 'not yet' or 'before.' It is derived from an unused root that suggests interruption or suspension. This word appears in the Old Testament only once, in Ruth 3:14, where it conveys a sense of time prior to an event.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

טֶ֫רֶם 54, once (Ru 3:14 Kt) טְרוֹם, adv. of time not yet, ere, before that

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H2962 טֶ֫רֶם, once טְרוֹם adv. of time not yet, ere, before, that

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

2962 terem teh'-rem

from an unused root apparently meaning to interrupt or

suspend; properly, non-occurrence; used adverbially, not yet

or before:--before, ere, not yet.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

טֶ֫רֶם (te.rem) — before.

before, not yet, before that

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
HR/Acbsa — Preposition
HR/Acbsa
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

be-for': The translation of a great variety of Hebrew and Greek words. "Haran died before (the English Revised Version "in the presence of," literally "before the face of") his father Terah" (Ge 11:28). To be "before" God is to enjoy His favor (Ps 31:22). "The Syrians before" (Isa 9:12 the Revised Version, margin "on the east," as "behind," owing to the position of Canaan, relative to Syria, implies the west).

smear from me so let me be cheerful before I will go and there not [will be] me
אֵלֵ֣ךְ'e.Lekh I will go H1980 Verb · Qal · imperfect first person common singular
1,549× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
Means to walk or go, used in many different contexts in the Bible. It can describe physical movement, but also spiritual or emotional journeys. Appears in various forms, such as 'to go' or 'to walk'.
Tyndale gloss
to go: walk
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

הָלַךְ (halak) means 'to go,' 'come,' or 'walk,' and covers a wide range of literal and figurative uses, including aspects of life and death. It can describe physical movement, moral conduct, and even influence on character. The verb appears in various forms, such as Qal, Piel, and Hithpael, indicating different nuances like leading or traversing.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

הָלַךְ 1546 vb. go, come, walk

Qal Impf. usually (629 t.) as if from ילך

lit.

of persons

Also of animals, in similar meanings and combinations

in like manner of inanimate things

The inf. abs. is often used

as in other vbs., quite independently

to intensify meaning of finite form

most noteworthy is the joining of the Inf. abs.

with a following Inf. abs. denoting a simutaneous action or process, and so emphasizing duration or continuance

with a foll. vb. fin. c. ו consec. (rare)

in cases where vb. fin. is foll. by Inf. abs. adj. denoting progress, advance

twice, where vb. fin. is not הלך, but another vb. denoting motion

quite by itself

13 t. the Inf. abs. = Imv. & is followed by Pf. consec.

akin to the use of Inf. abs. are some instances of Pt.

In combination with other verbal forms

Fig.; the most common uses follow; in most the origin in a literal meaning is evident:

pass away, die

Read the full entry →
Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H1980 הָלַךְ go, come, walk .Impf. usually (629 t.) as if from ילך . lit. . of persons

. Also of animals, in similar meanings and combinations

. in like manner of inanimate things

. The inf. abs. is often used . as in other vbs., quite independently

. to intensify meaning of finite form

. most noteworthy is the joining of the Inf. abs. . with a following Inf. abs. denoting a simutaneous action or process, and so emphasizing duration or continuance

. with a foll. vb. fin. c. ו consec. (rare)

. in cases where vb. fin. is foll. by Inf. abs. + adj. denoting progress, advance

. twice, where vb. fin. is not הלך, but another vb. denoting motion

. quite by itself

. 13 t. the Inf. abs. = Imv. & is followed by Pf. consec.

. akin to the use of Inf. abs. are some instances of Pt.

. In combination with other verbal forms

Read the full entry →
Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

1980 halak haw-lak'

akin to 3212; a primitive root; to walk (in a great variety

of applications, literally and figuratively):--(all) along,

apace, behave (self), come, (on) continually, be conversant,

depart, + be eased, enter, exercise (self), + follow, forth,

forward, get, go (about, abroad, along, away, forward, on,

out, up and down), + greater, grow, be wont to haunt, lead,

march, X more and more, move (self), needs, on, pass (away),

be at the point, quite, run (along), + send, speedily, spread,

still, surely, + tale-bearer, + travel(-ler), walk (abroad,

on, to and fro, up and down, to places), wander, wax,

(way-)faring man, X be weak, whirl.

see HEBREW for 03212

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

הָלַךְ (ha.lakh) — to go: went.

: went/go[away]

1) to go, walk, come

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to go, walk, come, depart, proceed, move, go away

1a2) to die, live, manner of life (fig.)

1b) (Piel)

1b1) to walk

1b2) to walk (fig.)

1c) (Hithpael)

1c1) to traverse

1c2) to walk about

1d) (Niphal) to lead, bring, lead away, carry, cause to walk

הָלַךְ (ha.lakh) — to go: come.

: come[nearer]

1) to go, walk, come

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to go, walk, come, depart, proceed, move, go away

1a2) to die, live, manner of life (fig.)

1b) (Piel)

1b1) to walk

1b2) to walk (fig.)

1c) (Hithpael)

1c1) to traverse

1c2) to walk about

1d) (Niphal) to lead, bring, lead away, carry, cause to walk

הָלַךְ (ha.lakh) — to go: walk.

: walk/move

1) to go, walk, come

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to go, walk, come, depart, proceed, move, go away

1a2) to die, live, manner of life (fig.)

1b) (Piel)

1b1) to walk

1b2) to walk (fig.)

1c) (Hithpael)

1c1) to traverse

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
HVqi1cs — Verb · Qal · imperfect first person common singular
HVqi1cs
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

(halakh, yalakh, bo', yatsa'; ago, hupago, anabaino, erchomi, aperchomai, poreuomai): "Go" ("went," etc.) occurs very frequently in the English Bible, and is the translation of a great many different Hebrew and Greek terms. As the word implies movement of all kinds, physical and mental, it has naturally many applications.

1. In the Old Testament:

In the Old Testament halakh and yalakh are among the commonest words, meaning "to go" in its original sense of "to walk," but also in the most varied senses, according to the verbal conjugations, etc., the preposition attached, and the words in connection with which the terms stand; halakh and yalakh are often used figuratively (translated "to walk," etc.) for to live, to pursue a way of life, e.g. "to walk ever in his ways" (De 19:9; compare

Mt 9:13; 21:28; 28:7; Lu 10:37; Joh 8:11

--SEE Divine Direction, GUIDANCE

smear from me so let me be cheerful before I will go and there not [will be] me
וְאֵינֶֽנִּי׃ve.'ei.Ne.ni and there not [will be] me H369 Conjunction · noun common masculine singular construct · suffix
789× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This word means nothing or not, often used to indicate the absence of something, as in Genesis 1:2 where the earth was without form. It emphasizes the idea of something lacking or non-existent.
Tyndale gloss
nothing
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

אַ֫יִן (ayin) primarily means 'nothing' or 'nought' and serves as a negative particle indicating absence or negation, such as 'is not' or 'there is not.' It can also express lack of possession or existence. The word is derived from a root meaning to be non-existent, and it appears frequently in various grammatical constructions.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

אַ֫יִן, אָ֑֫יִן cstr. אֵין subst. prop. nothing, nought

to nothing, as nothing

cstr. אֵין, very freq. as particle of negation, is not, are not, was not, were not

אֵין לְ׳, with subst., or pron., there is (was) not to … = … have, has, had, etc. not

in circumst. clauses

with inf. and ל׳, it is not to …

with prefixes

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H369 אַ֫יִן, אָ֑֫יִן cstr. אֵין subst. prop. nothing, nought . to nothing, as nothing

. cstr. אֵין, very freq. as particle of negation, is not, are not, was not, were not

. אֵין לְ׳, with subst., or pron., there is (was) not to … = … have, has, had, etc. not

. in circumst. clauses

. with inf. and ל׳, it is not to …

. with prefixes

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

369 'ayin ah'-yin

as if from a primitive root meaning to be nothing or not

exist; a non-entity; generally used as a negative

particle:--else, except, fail, (father-)less, be gone,

in(-curable), neither, never, no (where), none, nor, (any,

thing), not, nothing, to nought, past, un(-searchable),

well-nigh, without. Compare 370.

see HEBREW for 0370

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

אַ֫יִן (a.yin) — nothing.

1) nothing, not, nought n

1a) nothing, nought neg

1b) not

1c) to have not (of possession) adv

1d) without w/prep

1e) for lack of

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
HC/Ncmsc/Sp1bs — Conjunction · noun common masculine singular construct · suffix
HC/Ncmsc/Sp1bs
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.

Everything we make is available for free because of a generous community of supporters.

Donate