Psalms 42:3 — Word Study
WLCהָֽיְתָה־ לִּ֬י דִמְעָתִ֣י לֶ֭חֶם יוֹמָ֣ם וָלָ֑יְלָה בֶּאֱמֹ֥ר אֵלַ֥י כָּל־ הַ֝יּ֗וֹם אַיֵּ֥ה אֱלֹהֶֽיךָ׃
BSAis your Godʼĕlôhîym [Elohim, the supreme One, divine Provider]
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| הָֽיְתָה־ | it has been | Verb, Qal, perfect third person feminine singular |
| לִּ֬י | of me | Preposition, suffix |
| דִמְעָתִ֣י | tear[s] my | Noun common feminine singular construct, suffix |
| לֶ֭חֶם | food | Noun common, masculine singular absolute |
| יוֹמָ֣ם | by day | Adverb |
| וָלָ֑יְלָה | and night | Conjunction, noun common masculine singular absolute |
| בֶּאֱמֹ֥ר | when say | Preposition, verb qal infinitive construct common |
| אֵלַ֥י | to me | Preposition, suffix |
| כָּל־ | all | Noun common, masculine singular construct |
| הַ֝יּ֗וֹם | the day | Particle, noun common masculine singular absolute |
| אַיֵּ֥ה | where? | Particle |
| אֱלֹהֶֽיךָ׃ | [is] God your | Noun common masculine plural construct, suffix |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | My tears have been my food both day and night, while men ask me all day long, “Where is your God?” |
| KJV | My tears have been my meat day and night, while they continually say unto me, Where is thy God? |
| ASV | My tears have been my food day and night, While they continually say unto me, Where is thy God? |
| YLT | My tear hath been to me bread day and night, In their saying unto me all the day, 'Where [is] thy God?' |
| WEB | My tears have been my food day and night, while they continually ask me, “Where is your God?” |
| BBE | My tears have been my food day and night, while they keep saying to me, Where is your God? |
All translations agree on the imagery of tears as nourishment.
The sentence has a main clause followed by adverbial and prepositional phrases that elaborate on the psalmist's experience.







8 commentators on this verse
Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them ›
clause
verbצָמֵא
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 42:3
Sections marked generated are written from the data on this page rather than by a named author. Everything else — the lexicon entries, the cross references, the manuscript readings, the counts — is quoted from its source unchanged.
Context — A Lament for God’s Presencegenerated
Psalms 42:3 reveals the psalmist’s profound sorrow as he feels isolated from God. His tears symbolize his emotional pain, serving as his only nourishment both day and night. This lament highlights the struggle of faith amidst despair, echoing the longing for divine presence found throughout the Psalms, such as in Psalms 42:1-2 and Psalms 43:5.
Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Psalm 80:5 | You fed them with the bread of tears and made them drink the full measure of their tears. |
| 2 | Psalm 102:9 | For I have eaten ashes like bread and mixed my drink with tears |
| 3 | 2 Samuel 16:12 | Perhaps the LORD will see my affliction and repay me with good for the cursing I receive today.” |
| 4 | Psalm 42:10 | Like the crushing of my bones, my enemies taunt me, while they say to me all day long, “Where is your God?” |
| 5 | Psalm 3:2 | Many say of me, “God will not deliver him.” Selah |
The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 8 references, hung on the phrase they belong to
The Key Word — דִמְעָתִי, dim'atigenerated
The word דִמְעָה (dim'ah) refers to 'tears' and is a feminine noun derived from the root for 'weeping.' It captures the essence of sorrow and emotional distress, often used in poetic contexts. The psalmist uses this word to convey his deep anguish, emphasizing that his tears have become his only source of sustenance in the absence of God's comfort.
In this verse, the tears symbolize not just sorrow but also a longing for divine connection. The psalmist's emotional state is intertwined with his spiritual quest, illustrating the depth of his yearning for God amidst suffering.
How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated
The verse is rendered in the Berean Standard Bible, which describes the psalmist's tears as his food, a sentiment echoed in the KJV and ASV.
Sentence Structuregenerated
The main finite verb is הָיְתָה (hayetah), meaning 'has been,' which governs the subject 'my tears' and describes their role as sustenance. The structure emphasizes the psalmist's ongoing state of distress, with the phrases following it elaborating on the time frame and the questions posed by others.
The sentence is structured with a clear subject-verb relationship, where the tears are the subject and their function as food is highlighted. The adverbial phrases indicate the continuity of the psalmist's emotional experience, both day and night.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
In the Septuagint, the Hebrew word for 'tears' is rendered as δάκρυα (dákria), which aligns closely with the emotional weight of the original Hebrew. This choice reflects a consistent understanding of tears as symbols of sorrow.
The Greek translation captures the essence of the psalmist's lament, emphasizing the ongoing nature of his distress and the longing for God.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
Psalms 42:3 expresses the psalmist's deep sorrow as he feels abandoned by God. His tears are his only food, highlighting his emotional pain and longing for divine presence. This verse captures the struggle of faith in times of distress, illustrating the psalmist's yearning for comfort.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
The psalmist is expressing that his tears, a sign of his sorrow, have become his only source of sustenance, reflecting his deep emotional pain and longing for God.
This question reflects the psalmist's feelings of abandonment and the challenge to his faith, as others question his relationship with God during his time of distress.
This verse connects to other psalms that express similar themes of longing for God and the experience of sorrow, such as Psalms 42:1 and Psalms 43:5, where the psalmist seeks comfort and reassurance from God.
The psalmist's expression teaches us that it is natural to experience sorrow and longing for God, and that such feelings can be an important part of our spiritual journey.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- In what ways do I experience sorrow in my own life, and how do I seek God's presence during those times?
- How can I support others who are going through similar struggles of faith and emotional distress?
- What does it mean for me to find sustenance in my tears, as the psalmist describes?
- How can I remind myself of God's presence when I feel distant or abandoned?
The early church on this verse — how the Fathers read it
Early Christian writers have commented on this verse, reflecting on the spiritual significance of the psalmist's tears and their connection to divine nourishment.
Nothing nourishes like that which nourishes the spirit. Blessed are those who weep, for they will laugh.Early Church Fathers on Psalms 42 →
Seeing that God is Creator, he is in everything made; seeing that he is excellence and wisdom, he is in all holy powers.… God is even in people sometimes in excellence,Early Church Fathers on Psalms 42 →
"My tears have been my meat day and night, while they daily say unto me, Where is your God?" [Psalms 42:3].Early Church Fathers on Psalms 42 →
Commentators on this verse — 8 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on Psalms 42:3 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire BibleMy tears have been my meat day and night,.... That is, he could not eat for sorrow, like Hannah, 1 Samuel 1:7,8; or while he was eating tears fell in plenty, and they were as common, day and night,
Read John Gill on Psalms 42 →
Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's CommentaryMy tears have been my meat day and night, while they continually say unto me, Where is thy God? My tears have been my meat day and night - I cannot eat with sadness.
Read Robert Jamieson on Psalms 42 →
Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy BibleMy tears have been my meat; which notes both the great abundance and constant course of his tears, and the secret satisfaction and ease which he found in giving vent to his passion this way. Possibly his tears and grief took away his appetite, and so were to him instead of food. Where is thy God, of whom thou hast so often boasted, as of one so able and ready to help all that trust in him and call upon him, and particularly as one engaged to time by many great and special promises? He is gone and departed from thee, and no where to be found of thee. He is either unable or unwilling to help thee, or regardless of thee.
Read Matthew Poole on Psalms 42 →
John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New TestamentsPsalms 42:3 My tears have been my meat day and night, while they continually say unto me, Where [is] thy God?Ver. 3. My tears have been my meat day and night] Hunters say the hart sheddeth tears, or something like tears, when he is pursued, and not able to escape. Hereunto David might allude. Sure it is, that as hinds calving, so men, by weeping, cast out their sorrows, Job 39:3. Expletur lachrymis egeriturque dolor. And, Affert solatium lugentibus suspiriorum societas, saith Basil, sighs are an ease of sorrow. Of Mr Bradford the martyr it is reported, that in the midst of dinner he used oft to muse, having his hat over his eyes, from whence came commonly plenty of tears dropping on his…
Read John Trapp on Psalms 42 →
Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers(3) My tears.—Comp. Psalms 80:5; Psalms 102:9; and Ovid Metam. x. 75, “Cura dolorque animi lacrimæque alimenta fuere.”Where is thy God?—For this bitter taunt comp. Psalms 79:10; Psalms 115:2; Joe 2:17, etc.
Read Charles John Ellicott on Psalms 42 →
AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the BibleVerse 3. My tears have been my meat day and night] My longing has been so intense after spiritual blessings, that I have forgotten to take my necessary food; and my sorrow has been so great, that I have had no appetite for any. I feel more for the honour of my God and his truth than for myself, when the idolaters, who have thy people in captivity, insultingly cry, Where is thy God?
Read AdamClarke on Psalms 42 →
CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges3, 4. Present sorrow contrasted with past happiness.
Read Cambridge on Psalms 42 →
Albert Barnes1798–1870Barnes' Notes on the BibleMy tears have been my meat - The word rendered tears in this place is in the singular number, and means literally weeping. Compare Psalms 39:12.
Read Albert Barnes on Psalms 42 →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
My tears have been my food both day and night, while men ask me all day long, “Where is your God?”
My tears have been my food day and night, while they continually ask me, “Where is your God?”
My tears have been my food both day and night, while men ask me all day long, “Where is your God?”
I cannot eat, I weep day and night; all day long they say to me, “Where is your God?”
Tyndale line
My tears have been my meat day and night, while they continually say unto me, Where is thy God?
My tears have been my food day and night, While they continually say unto me, Where is thy God?
My tears have been my meat day and night, while they continually say unto me, Where is thy God?
My tears have been my food day and night, while they continually say to me, Where is thy God?
My teares haue bin my meate day and night, while they dayly say vnto me, Where is thy God?
Strictly literal
My tears have been my bread day and night, while they say unto me all the day, Where is thy God?
My tear hath been to me bread day and night, In their saying unto me all the day, 'Where [is] thy God?'
My tear has been bread day and night to me, || In their saying to me all the day, “Where [is] your God?”
(42:4) My tears have been my food day and night; because men say unto me all the day, Where is thy God?
My tears have been my food day and night, while my enemies are always saying to me, “Where is your God?”
From the Latin
Send forth thy light and thy truth: they have conducted me, and brought me unto thy holy hill, and into thy tabernacles.
Simplified
My tears have been my only food, day and night, while people ask me all day long, “Where is your God?”
My tears have been my food day and night, while they keep saying to me, Where is your God?
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 of Psalms 42:3 states, "My tears have been my food both day and night, while men ask me all day long, 'Where is your God?'" The Septuagint, while it has some matching words, does not provide a complete sentence in this verse, indicating a significant difference in wording and structure. The Samaritan Pentateuch and the Dead Sea Scrolls are not mentioned here, which suggests that they may not provide additional agreement or divergence in this specific verse. Thus, the primary witness is the Masoretic Text, with the Septuagint showing partial alignment but lacking a full agreement in phrasing.
הָֽיְתָה־ לִּ֬י דִמְעָתִ֣י לֶ֭חֶם יוֹמָ֣ם וָלָ֑יְלָה בֶּאֱמֹ֥ר אֵלַ֥י כָּל־ הַ֝יּ֗וֹם אַיֵּ֥ה אֱלֹהֶֽיךָ׃
8 of the 12 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.
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 42:3
One dossier per word, with every reference work grouped by kind — Hebrew lexicons, morphology, Bible dictionaries, topical chains and the English of the translators themselves. The verse sits at the head of each block with the word under study lit, so you never lose your place. The panel above gives the short answer; this is the long one, and it is the part of the page worth indexing.
Every entry below is the lexicographer's own text. On the Hebrew: Brown-Driver-Briggs entire and its gloss set, Strong's Hebrew Dictionary, and Tyndale House's Translators Brief lexicon. Where a cell says a work has no entry, that work genuinely has none for this word.
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.
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.
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
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
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
HVqp3fs — Verb · Qal · perfect third person feminine singularHVqp3fs
נִי (ni) — me.
Personal object pronoun - suffix for propositions and verbs without an object: 1st person singular
HR/Sp1bs — Preposition · suffixHR/Sp1bs
דִּמְעָה (dim`ah) refers to 'tears' and is primarily used in a poetic context, with frequent occurrences in the book of Jeremiah and contemporary literature. It is a feminine noun derived from the root word for 'weeping' (דִּמְעָה is noted as a collective term for tears). The entries consistently emphasize its poetic nature.
דִּמְעָה n.f. coll. tears (chiefly poet. and late; freq. in Je. and contemp.)
base
H1832 דִּמְעָה coll. tears (chiefly poet. and late; freq. in Je. and contemp.)
1832 dim`ah dim-aw'
feminine of 1831; weeping:--tears.
see HEBREW for 01831
דִּמְעָה (dim.ah) — tears.
tears
HNcfsc/Sp1bs — Noun common feminine singular construct · suffixHNcfsc/Sp1bs
לֶ֫חֶם (lechem) means bread or food, encompassing items like grain and provisions for both humans and animals. It is derived from a related root and is used in various contexts, particularly in the Old Testament. The entries consistently emphasize its primary association with bread, though they also acknowledge its broader meaning as food.
לֶ֫חֶם 296 n.m. and (rarely) f. bread, food
base
H3899 לֶ֫חֶם bread, food
3899 lechem lekh'-em
from 3898; food (for man or beast), especially bread, or
grain (for making it):--((shew-))bread, X eat, food, fruit,
loaf, meat, victuals. See also 1036.
see HEBREW for 03898
see HEBREW for 01036
לֶ֫חֶם (le.chem) — food.
: food(eating)
1) bread, food, grain
1a) bread
1a1) bread
1a2) bread-corn
1b) food (in general)
לֶ֫חֶם (le.chem) — food: bread.
: bread/loaf
1) bread, food, grain
1a) bread
1a1) bread
1a2) bread-corn
1b) food (in general)
לֶ֫חֶם (le.chem) — food: allowance.
: allowance
1) bread, food, grain
1a) bread
1a1) bread
1a2) bread-corn
1b) food (in general)
HNcmsa — Noun common · masculine singular absoluteHNcmsa
food:
I. VEGETABLE FOODS
1. Primitive Habits
2. Cereals
3. Leguminous Plants
4. Food of Trees
II. ANIMAL FOOD
LITERATURE
In a previous article (see BREAD) it has been shown that in the Bible "bread" usually stands for food in general and how this came to be so. In a complementary article on MEALS the methods of preparing and serving food will be dealt with. This article is devoted specifically to the foodstuffs of the Orient, more especially to articles of food in use among the Hebrews in Bible times. These are divisible into two main classes.
Food
Originally the Creator granted the use of the vegetable world for food to man (Gen. 1:29), with the exception mentioned (2:17). The use of animal food was probably not unknown to the antediluvians. There is, however, a distinct law on the subject given to Noah after the Deluge (Gen. 9:2-5). Various articles of food used in the patriarchal age are mentioned in Gen. 18:6-8; 25:34; 27:3, 4; 43:11. Regarding the food of the Israelites in Egypt, see Ex. 16:3; Num. 11:5. In the wilderness their ordinary food was miraculously supplied in the manna. They had also quails (Ex.…
The diet of eastern nations has been in all ages light and simple. Vegetable food was more used than animal. The Hebrews used a great variety of articles, (John 21:5) to give a relish to bread. Milk and its preparations hold a conspicuous place in eastern diet, as affording substantial nourishment; generally int he form of the modern leben , i.e. sour milk. Authorized Version "butter;" (Genesis 18:8; Judges 5:25; 2 Samuel 17:29) Fruit was another source of subsistence: figs stood first in point of importance; they were generally dried and pressed into cakes. Grapes were generally eaten in a dried state as raisins. Of vegetables we have most frequent notice of lentils…
In ancient the food of a people was more entirely the product of their own country than in our day. Palestine was favored with an abundance of animal food, grain, and vegetables. But throughout the East, vegetable food is more used than animal. Bread was the principal food. Grain of various kinds, beans, lentils, onions, grapes, together with olive oil, honey, and the milk of goats and cows were the ordinary fare. The wandering Arabs live much upon a coarse black bread. A very common dish in Syria is rice, with shreds of meat, vegetables, olive oil, etc., intermixed. A similar dish, made with beans, lentils, and various kinds of pulse, was in frequent use at an earlier age, Ge 25:29-34 2Ki 4:38-1.
יוֹמָם (yowmam) refers to the concept of daytime or the period of light in a day. It functions both as a noun meaning 'daytime' and as an adverb meaning 'by day.' The word is derived from יוֹם (yom), which means 'day.'
יוֹמָם 51 subst. and adv. daytime, by day
base
H3119 יוֹמָם subst. and adv. daytime, by day
3119 yowmam yo-mawm'
from 3117; daily:--daily, (by, in the) day(-time).
see HEBREW for 03117
יוֹמָם (yo.mam) — by day.
adv
1) by day, in the daytime
subst
2) daytime
HD — AdverbHD
da (yom; hemera): This common word has caused some trouble to plain readers, because they have not noticed that the word is used in several different senses in the English Bible. When the different uses of the word are understood the difficulty of interpretation vanishes. We note several different uses of the word:
(1) It sometimes means the time from daylight till dark. This popular meaning is easily discovered by the context, e. g. Ge 1:5; 8:22, etc. The marked periods of this daytime were morning, noon and night, as with us. See Ps 55:17. The early hours were sometimes called "the cool of the day" (Ge 3:8). After the exile the day. or daytime was divided into twelve hours and the night into twelve (see
Day
The Jews reckoned the day from sunset to sunset (Lev. 23:32). It was originally divided into three parts (Ps. 55:17). “The heat of the day” (1 Sam. 11:11; Neh. 7:3) was at our nine o’clock, and “the cool of the day” just before sunset (Gen. 3:8). Before the Captivity the Jews divided the night into three watches, (1) from sunset to midnight (Lam. 2:19); (2) from midnight till the cock-crowing (Judg. 7:19); and (3) from the cock-crowing till sunrise (Ex.…
The variable length of the natural day at different seasons led in the very earliest times to the adoption of the civil day (or one revolution of the sun) as a standard of time. The Hebrews reckoned the day from evening to evening, (Leviticus 23:32) deriving it from (Genesis 1:5) "the evening and the morning were the first day." The Jews are supposed, like the modern Arabs, to have adopted from an early period minute specifications of the parts of the natural day. Roughly, indeed, they were content to divide it into "morning, evening and noonday," (Psalms 55:17) but when they wished for greater accuracy they pointed to six unequal parts, each of which was again subdivided. These are held to have been -- "the dawn." "Sunrise."…
The day is distinguished into natural, civil, and artificial. The natural day is one revolution of the earth on its axis. The civil day is that, the beginning and the end of which are determined by the custom of any nation. The Hebrews began their day in the evening, Le 23:32; the Babylonians at sunrise; and we begin at midnight. The artificial day is the time of the sun’s continuance above the horizon, which is unequal according to different seasons, on account of the obliquity of the equator. The sacred writers generally divide the day into twelve hours. The sixth hour always ends at noon throughout the year; and the twelfth hour is the last hour before sunset. But in summer, all the hours of the day were longer than in winter, while those of night were shorter. See HOURS, and THREE.
לַ֫יְלָה (layil) means 'night' and is derived from a root that suggests a twist away from light. It encompasses the literal sense of night as opposed to day, as well as figurative uses related to gloom or adversity. The term appears in contexts like Isaiah 21:11.
לַ֫יְלָה, לַ֫יִל 242 n.m. night
base
H3915 לַ֫יְלָה, לַ֫יִל night
3915 layil lah'-yil
or (Isa. 21:11) leyl {lale}; also laylah {lah'- yel-aw}; from
the same as 3883; properly, a twist (away of the light), i.e.
night; figuratively, adversity:--((mid-))night (season).
see HEBREW for 03883
לַ֫יְלָה (lay.lah) — night.
1) night
1a) night (as opposed to day)
1b) of gloom, protective shadow (fig.)
HC/Ncmsa — Conjunction · noun common masculine singular absoluteHC/Ncmsa
nit.
See DAY AND NIGHT for the natural usage and the various terms.
1. In the Old Testament:
Figurative uses: The word "night" (laylah or layil is sometimes used figuratively in the Old Testament. Thus, Moses compares the brevity of time, the lapse of a thousand years, to "a watch in the night" (Ps 90:4). Adversity is depicted by it in such places as Job 35:10; compare Isa 8:20; Jer 15:9. Disappointment and despair are apparently depicted by it in the "burden of Dumah" (Isa 21:11,12); and spiritual blindness, coming upon the false prophets (Mic 3:6); again sudden and…
[DAY]
The ancient Hebrews began their artificial day at evening, and ended it the next evening, so that the night proceeded the day. This usage may probably be traced to the terms employed in describing the creation, Ge 1:5,8,13, etc., "The evening and the morning were the first day." The Hebrews allowed twelve to the day; but these hours were not equal, except at the equinox. At other times, when the hours of the night were long, those of the day were short, as in winter; and when the hours of night were short, as at midsummer, the hours of the day were long in proportion. See HOURS.
The nights are sometimes extremely cold in Syria, when the days are very hot; and travelers in the deserts and among the mountains near Palestine refer to their own sufferings from these opposite extremes, in illustration of Jacob’s words in
אָמַר (amar) is a Hebrew verb meaning 'to say' or 'to utter,' with a broad range of uses including to promise, command, or even boast. It appears in various forms, such as in the Qal (to say), Niphal (to be told), and Hiphil (to avow). The entries highlight its versatility in both spoken and internal contexts, though no specific verse is noted.
אָמַר 5287 vb. utter, say
Qal
Say
Say in the heart (= think)
Promise
Command (esp. late)
Niph. be said, told
Hiph. avow, avouch (lit. cause to declare)
Hithp. act proudly, boast
base
H559 אָמַר utter, say .. Say
. Say in the heart (= think)
. Promise
. Command (esp. late)
. be said, told
. avow, avouch (lit. cause to declare)
. act proudly, boast
559 'amar aw-mar'
a primitive root; to say (used with great
latitude):--answer, appoint, avouch, bid, boast self, call,
certify, challenge, charge, + (at the, give) command(-ment),
commune, consider, declare, demand, X desire, determine, X
expressly, X indeed, X intend, name, X plainly, promise,
publish, report, require, say, speak (against, of), X still, X
suppose, talk, tell, term, X that is, X think, use (speech),
utter, X verily, X yet.
אָמַר (a.mar) — to say.
1) to say, speak, utter
1a) (Qal) to say, to answer, to say in one's heart, to think, to command, to promise, to intend
1b) (Niphal) to be told, to be said, to be called
1c) (Hithpael) to boast, to act proudly
1d) (Hiphil) to avow, to avouch
Aramaic equivalent: a.mar (אֲמַר "to say" H0560)
HR/Vqcc — Preposition · verb qal infinitive construct commonHR/Vqcc
The Hebrew word אֶל (el) is primarily a preposition indicating motion towards or direction to a person or place. It can also imply entering a limit, presence at a location, or a hostile direction (against). Additionally, it may express concepts such as concerning, in addition to, or according to. The entries highlight its versatility in both physical and metaphorical contexts.
אֶל (nearly always followed by Makkeph),
prep. denoting motion to or direction towards (whether physical or mental).of motion to or unto a person or place
Where the limit is actually entered, into
Of direction towards anything
Where the motion or direction implied appears from the context to be of a hostile character, אֶל = against
Unto sometimes acquires from the context the sense of in addition to
Metaph. in regard to, concerning, on account of
Of rule or standard according to (rare)
Expressing presence at a spot, against, at, by, not merely after verbs implying motion
Prefixed to other preps. it combines with them the idea of motion or direction to
base
H413 אֶל (nearly always followed by Makkeph), . of motion to or unto a person or place
. Where the limit is actually entered, into
. Of direction towards anything
. Where the motion or direction implied appears from the context to be of a hostile character, אֶל = against
. Unto sometimes acquires from the context the sense of in addition to
. Metaph. in regard to, concerning, on account of
. Of rule or standard according to (rare)
. Expressing presence at a spot, against, at, by, not merely after verbs implying motion
. Prefixed to other preps. it combines with them the idea of motion or direction to
413 'el ale
(but only used in the shortened constructive form sel {el});
a primitive particle; properly, denoting motion towards, but
occasionally used of a quiescent position, i.e. near, with or
among; often in general, to:--about, according to ,after,
against, among, as for, at, because(-fore, -side), both...and,
by, concerning, for, from, X hath, in(- to), near, (out) of,
over, through, to(-ward), under, unto, upon, whether,
with(-in).
אֶל (el) — to(wards).
1) to, toward, unto (of motion)
2) into (limit is actually entered)
2a) in among
3) toward (of direction, not necessarily physical motion)
4) against (motion or direction of a hostile character)
5) in addition to, to
6) concerning, in regard to, in reference to, on account of
7) according to (rule or standard)
8) at, by, against (of one's presence)
9) in between, in within, to within, unto (idea of motion to)
HR/Sp1bs — Preposition · suffixHR/Sp1bs
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)
HNcmsc — Noun common · masculine singular constructHNcmsc
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).
יוֹם (yowm) means 'day' and refers to a division of time, contrasting with night. It can denote a literal 24-hour period, a general time span, or even a year. The term is used in various contexts, including the 'day of Yahweh,' which signifies a time of divine judgment. It also appears in phrases indicating temporal references like today, yesterday, and tomorrow.
יוֹם 2285 n.m. day
day, opp. night
Day as division of time
יוֹם י׳ day of Yahweh, chiefly as time of his coming in judgment, involving often blessedness for righteous
Pl. days of anyone
Days
יוֹם = time
Phrases
base
H3117 יוֹם day . day, opp. night
. Day as division of time
. יוֹם י׳ day of Yahweh, chiefly as time of his coming in judgment, involving often blessedness for righteous
. Pl. days of anyone
. Days
. יוֹם = time
. Phrases
3117 yowm yome
from an unused root meaning to be hot; a day (as the warm
hours), whether literal (from sunrise to sunset, or from one
sunset to the next), or figurative (a space of time defined by
an associated term), (often used adverb):--age, + always, +
chronicals, continually(-ance), daily, ((birth-), each, to)
day, (now a, two) days (agone), + elder, X end, + evening, +
(for) ever(-lasting, -more), X full, life, as (so) long as
(... live), (even) now, + old, + outlived, + perpetually,
presently, + remaineth, X required, season, X since, space,
then, (process of) time, + as at other times, + in trouble,
weather, (as) when, (a, the, within a) while (that), X whole
(+ age), (full) year(-ly), + younger.
יוֹם (yom) — day.
: day/when/time/period
1) day, time, year
1a) day (as opposed to night)
1b) day (24 hour period)
1b1) as defined by evening and morning in Genesis 1
1b2) as a division of time
1b2a) a working day, a day's journey
1c) days, lifetime (pl.)
1d) time, period (general)
1e) year
1f) temporal references
1f1) today
1f2) yesterday
1f3) tomorrow
יוֹם (yom) — day: old.
: old/(full/many)[days]
1) day, time, year
1a) day (as opposed to night)
1b) day (24 hour period)
1b1) as defined by evening and morning in Genesis 1
1b2) as a division of time
1b2a) a working day, a day's journey
1c) days, lifetime (pl.)
1d) time, period (general)
1e) year
1f) temporal references
1f1) today
1f2) yesterday
1f3) tomorrow
יוֹם (yom) — day: year.
: year[of_days]
1) day, time, year
1a) day (as opposed to night)
1b) day (24 hour period)
1b1) as defined by evening and morning in Genesis 1
1b2) as a division of time
HTd/Ncmsa — Particle · noun common masculine singular absoluteHTd/Ncmsa
da (yom; hemera): This common word has caused some trouble to plain readers, because they have not noticed that the word is used in several different senses in the English Bible. When the different uses of the word are understood the difficulty of interpretation vanishes. We note several different uses of the word:
(1) It sometimes means the time from daylight till dark. This popular meaning is easily discovered by the context, e. g. Ge 1:5; 8:22, etc. The marked periods of this daytime were morning, noon and night, as with us. See Ps 55:17. The early hours were sometimes called "the cool of the day" (Ge 3:8). After the exile the day. or daytime was divided into twelve hours and the night into twelve (see
Day
The Jews reckoned the day from sunset to sunset (Lev. 23:32). It was originally divided into three parts (Ps. 55:17). “The heat of the day” (1 Sam. 11:11; Neh. 7:3) was at our nine o’clock, and “the cool of the day” just before sunset (Gen. 3:8). Before the Captivity the Jews divided the night into three watches, (1) from sunset to midnight (Lam. 2:19); (2) from midnight till the cock-crowing (Judg. 7:19); and (3) from the cock-crowing till sunrise (Ex.…
The variable length of the natural day at different seasons led in the very earliest times to the adoption of the civil day (or one revolution of the sun) as a standard of time. The Hebrews reckoned the day from evening to evening, (Leviticus 23:32) deriving it from (Genesis 1:5) "the evening and the morning were the first day." The Jews are supposed, like the modern Arabs, to have adopted from an early period minute specifications of the parts of the natural day. Roughly, indeed, they were content to divide it into "morning, evening and noonday," (Psalms 55:17) but when they wished for greater accuracy they pointed to six unequal parts, each of which was again subdivided. These are held to have been -- "the dawn." "Sunrise."…
The day is distinguished into natural, civil, and artificial. The natural day is one revolution of the earth on its axis. The civil day is that, the beginning and the end of which are determined by the custom of any nation. The Hebrews began their day in the evening, Le 23:32; the Babylonians at sunrise; and we begin at midnight. The artificial day is the time of the sun’s continuance above the horizon, which is unequal according to different seasons, on account of the obliquity of the equator. The sacred writers generally divide the day into twelve hours. The sixth hour always ends at noon throughout the year; and the twelfth hour is the last hour before sunset. But in summer, all the hours of the day were longer than in winter, while those of night were shorter. See HOURS, and THREE.
The Hebrew word אַיֵּה (*'ayeh*) means "where?" and is used as an interrogative adverb. It can refer to the location of persons or things and may also be used rhetorically. The word is derived from a prolonged form of another root, but the entries do not provide further details on its usage in specific verses.
אַיֵּה 46 interr.adv. Where?
base
H346 אַיֵּה Where?
346 'ayeh ah-yay'
prolonged from 335; where?:--where.
see HEBREW for 0335
אַיֵּה (ay.yeh) — where?.
1) where?
1a) of persons, things
1b) rhetorical
HTi — ParticleHTi
אֱלֹהִים (elohiym) is a plural noun meaning 'gods' or 'God,' often referring to the supreme deity in the Old Testament. It encompasses divine beings, rulers, and judges, reflecting divine majesty and power. The term can also denote angels and is used in a superlative sense. Notably, it is sometimes combined with יהוה (YHWH), the personal name of God.
אֱלֹהִים 2570 n.m.pl.
pl. in number.
rulers, judges, either as divine representatives at sacred places or as reflecting divine majesty and power
divine ones, superhuman beings including God and angels
angels
gods
pl. intensive
god or goddess
godlike one
works of God, or things belongng to him
God
הָאֱלֹהִים the (true) God
אֱלֹהִים = God
base
H430 אֱלֹהִים n. m. pl. . pl. in number. . rulers, judges, either asdivine representatives at sacred places or as reflecting divine majesty and power
. divine ones, superhuman beings including God and angels
. angels
. gods
. pl. intensive . god or goddess
. godlike one
. works of God, or things belongng to him
. God
. הָאֱלֹהִים the (true) God
. אֱלֹהִים = God
430 'elohiym el-o-heem'
plural of 433; gods in the ordinary sense; but specifically
used (in the plural thus, especially with the article) of the
supreme God; occasionally applied by way of deference to
magistrates; and sometimes as a superlative:--angels, X
exceeding, God (gods)(-dess, -ly), X (very) great, judges, X
mighty.
see HEBREW for 0433
אֱלֹהִים (e.lo.him) — God.
This name means "gods" (plural intensive-singular meaning), "God"
Another name of ye.ho.vah (יהוה "LORD" H3068G)
אֱלֹהִים (e.lo.him) — (LORD)-Elohe.
Combined with ye.ho.vah (יהוה "LORD" H3068)
אֱלֹהִים (e.lo.him) — (Gibeath)-elohim.
Combined with giv.ah (גִּבְעָה "Gibeath" H1389)
Prep | N-mp — Noun common masculine plural construct · suffixHNcmpc/Sp2ms
