Menu

Psalms 44:15 — Word Study

Depth

WLCכָּל־ הַ֭יּוֹם כְּלִמָּתִ֣י נֶגְדִּ֑י וּבֹ֖שֶׁת פָּנַ֣י כִּסָּֽתְנִי׃

BSAto setsûwm proverbmâshâl Gentilegôwy shakingmânôwd headrôʼsh peoplelᵉʼôm peoplelᵉʼôm

Word
Listen & take awayPsalms 44
English ↓ Download MP3 The Berean Standard Bible chapter audio already hosted for the site's Bible section — verse 15 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 (ki.Sa.te.ni) — no per-word recordings of the Hebrew exist to link to.
Take it away
Psalms 44:15quick helps
In a sentenceThe psalmist expresses a deep sense of ongoing disgrace and shame that is ever-present.
Who is speakingThe author of the psalm, reflecting on personal and communal suffering.
Where we areThis verse is part of a lament, expressing feelings of dishonor amidst adversity.
The hard wordכְּלִמָּה
Take awayThe shame is overwhelming and inescapable.
8 commentators on this verse Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them › clause 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 44:15

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 Disgracegenerated

14You have made us a byword among the nations, a laughingstock among the peoples.
15All day long my disgrace is before me, and shame has covered my face,
16at the voice of the scorner and reviler, because of the enemy, bent on revenge.
17All this has come upon us, though we have not forgotten You or betrayed Your covenant.

Psalms 44:15 captures the psalmist's anguish as he laments the disgrace and shame that have become constant companions in his life. This lament reflects a broader theme of suffering and dishonor faced by the people of Israel, especially in times of distress and perceived abandonment by God. The surrounding verses highlight a communal sense of betrayal and the struggle to maintain faith amidst adversity, as seen in Psalm 44:14 and Psalm 44:16.


Cross References

ReferenceText (BSB)
1Joshua 7:7–9“O, Lord GOD,” Joshua said, “why did You ever bring this people across the Jordan to deliver us into the hand of the Amorites to be destroyed? If only we had been content to stay on the other side of the Jordan!
2Ezra 9:6and said: “O my God, I am ashamed and embarrassed to lift up my face to You, my God, because our iniquities are higher than our heads, and our guilt has reached the heavens.
3Jeremiah 3:25Let us lie down in our shame; let our disgrace cover us. We have sinned against the LORD our God, both we and our fathers; from our youth even to this day we have not obeyed the voice of the LORD our God.”
4Psalm 69:7For I have endured scorn for Your sake, and shame has covered my face.
5Psalm 71:13May the accusers of my soul be ashamed and consumed; may those who seek my harm be covered with scorn and disgrace.

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


The Key Word כְּלִמָּה, ke.li.ma.Tigenerated

The word כְּלִמָּה (klimmah) refers to concepts of disgrace and shame. It encompasses feelings of reproach and dishonor, often arising from social perceptions of failure or insult. The parsing indicates it is a feminine singular noun, suggesting a personal and intimate experience of shame.

This term is used in contexts where the individual feels exposed and humiliated, highlighting the emotional weight carried by the psalmist in this verse.


How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated

This study reads the verse in the Berean Standard Bible, so the BSB is the wording every comparison below is made against.


Sentence Structuregenerated

The finite verb כִּסָּֽתְנִי (ki.satni, it has covered me) governs the main clause, with two noun phrases preceding it: the disgrace that is before me and the shame that covers my face. The structure emphasizes the overwhelming nature of these feelings.

The word order places the disgrace and shame prominently at the beginning, highlighting their significance in the psalmist's experience.


Septuagint Backgroundgenerated

The Septuagint translates כְּלִמָּה as ἔθνεσιν, which suggests a broader interpretation of disgrace as being related to the nations or peoples, indicating a communal aspect to the shame felt.

This choice reflects an interpretation that connects personal disgrace to a larger social context, emphasizing the collective suffering of the people.


In plain words — the whole versegenerated

Psalms 44:15 expresses the psalmist's feeling of constant disgrace and shame. He feels that these emotions are always present, overwhelming him and affecting his identity. This lament captures a deep sense of personal and communal suffering.


Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated

What does the psalmist mean by 'my disgrace is before me'?

The psalmist is expressing that he is constantly aware of his shame and dishonor, which affects his sense of self.

How does shame impact the psalmist's identity?

Shame can deeply affect one's sense of worth and belonging, leading to feelings of isolation and despair, as reflected in the psalmist's words.

In what context is this psalm written?

This psalm is written in the context of communal suffering and a sense of abandonment by God, reflecting the struggles of the people of Israel.

What can we learn from the psalmist's expression of shame?

The psalmist's honesty about his feelings encourages us to acknowledge our own struggles and seek understanding and healing in the presence of God.


Reflection Questionsgenerated

  1. What are some times in my life when I have felt disgrace or shame?
  2. How can I bring my feelings of shame before God in prayer?
  3. In what ways can I support others who are experiencing feelings of disgrace?
  4. What does it mean to find hope in the midst of shame and suffering?

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

Augustine of Hippo comments on this verse, noting the psalmist's expression of shame and confusion in his face.

Augustine of HippoExposition on Psalms 44 354–430
"My shame is continually before me; and the confusion of my face has covered me" [Psalms 44:15].
Early Church Fathers on Psalms 44 →

Commentators on this verse — 8 expositors, verse by verse

Each of these wrote on Psalms 44:15 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.

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

My confusion [is] continually before me,.... Meaning that which is the occasion of it; and the shame of my face hath covered me; not by reason of sin, which is often the cause of confusion and shame

Read John Gill on Psalms 44 →
Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's Commentary

My confusion is continually before me, and the shame of my face hath covered me, My confusion is continually before me ... For the voice of him that reproacheth and blasphemeth - (Jeremiah 3:25;

Read Robert Jamieson on Psalms 44 →
Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy Bible

Before me; before the eyes of my mind and body too. They vilify me, not only behind my back, but even before my face. The shame of my face hath covered me, i.e. I am filled with shame of my face on every side, being ashamed to show my face in any place or company.

Read Matthew Poole on Psalms 44 →
John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

Psalms 44:15 My confusion [is] continually before me, and the shame of my face hath covered me,Ver. 15. My confusion is continually before me] Heb. All the day long, or every day; so as that there is neither hope of better nor place of worse.

Read John Trapp on Psalms 44 →
Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(15) The shame.—Better take the face as a second object—shame hath covered me as to my face, i.e., covered my face. Though the record of the facts of a sad reality, these verses have also the value of a prophecy sadder still. Twenty centuries of misery are summed up in these few lines, which have been most literally repeated, “By the torture, prolonged from age to age, By the infamy, Israel’s heritage; By the Ghetto’s plague, by the garb’s disgrace, By the badge of shame, by the felon’s place.” R. : Holy Cross Day.

Read Charles John Ellicott on Psalms 44 →
CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

15. My confusion &c.] Render with R.V., All the day long is my dishonour before me, as in Psalms 44:8; Psalms 44:22; Psalms 44:9. My disgrace is perpetually staring me in the face. Cp. Psalms 38:17. the shame of my face &c.] Shame is said to cover or clothe a man (Job 8:22; Psalms 35:26; Psalms 69:7; Psalms 132:18); and the shame of my face is an emphatic synonym for my shame, inasmuch as the sense of shame betrays itself in the countenance. Cp. Ezra 9:6 ff; Jeremiah 7:19; Daniel 9:7-8.

Read Cambridge on Psalms 44 →
Albert Barnes1798–1870Barnes' Notes on the Bible

My confusion is continually before me - My shame; the conviction and the evidence of my disgrace is constantly present with me.

Read Albert Barnes on Psalms 44 →
Daniel Denison Whedon1808–1885Whedon's Commentary on the Bible

9-16. The strain suddenly turns to lamentation and complaint, and the poet spreads the national distress before God.

Read Daniel Denison Whedon on Psalms 44 →

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

All day long my disgrace is before me, and shame has covered my face,

WEBWorld English Bible2000

All day long my dishonor is before me, and shame covers my face,

MSBMajority Standard Bible2022

All day long my disgrace is before me, and shame has covered my face,

NETBNew English Translation2006

All day long I feel humiliated and am overwhelmed with shame,

Tyndale line

KJVKing James Version1611

My confusion is continually before me, and the shame of my face hath covered me,

ASVAmerican Standard Version1901

All the day long is my dishonor before me, And the shame of my face hath covered me,

RVARevised Version, American1894

All the day long is my dishonour before me, and the shame of my face hath covered me,

NWBWebster's Bible1833

My confusion is continually before me, and the shame of my face hath covered me,

GNVGeneva Bible1599

My confusion is dayly before me, and the shame of my face hath couered me,

Strictly literal

DBYDarby Translation1890

All the day my confusion is before me, and the shame of my face hath covered me,

YLTYoung's Literal Translation1862

All the day my confusion [is] before me, And the shame of my face hath covered me.

LSVLiteral Standard Version2020

All the day my confusion [is] before me, || And the shame of my face has covered me.

ILTInterlinear Literal Translation2000

(44:16) All the day is my disgrace before me, and the shame of my face covereth me;

ULBUnlocked Literal Bible2017

All the day long my dishonor is before me, and the shame of my face has covered me

From the Latin

DRADouay-Rheims (Challoner)1899

Clothed round about with varieties. After her shall virgins be brought to the king: her neighbours shall be brought to thee.

Simplified

FBVFree Bible Version2020

We are humiliated all day long; we hold our heads in shame,

BBEBible in Basic English1949

My downfall is ever before me, and I am covered with the shame of my face;

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.

clausenoun phrase · adverbialכָּלallnoun phraseהַ֭theיּוֹםdaynoun phrase · subjectכְּלִמָּתִ֣ignominyיmyprepositional phrase · predicateנֶגְדִּ֑[is].beforeיmeוּandclausenoun phrase · subjectבֹ֖שֶׁתthe.shamenoun phraseפָּנַ֣my.faceיmyverbכִּסָּֽתְitobjectנִיhas.covered.me

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 largely agree in this verse, with five of the seven words matched. The differences in word order and articles in the Septuagint reflect its unique syntactical structure rather than a divergence in meaning.

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

כָּל־ הַ֭יּוֹם כְּלִמָּתִ֣י נֶגְדִּ֑י וּבֹ֖שֶׁת פָּנַ֣י כִּסָּֽתְנִי׃

Septuagintthe Greek the translators chose, word by word
כָּל־ἔθουהַ֭יּוֹםἡμᾶςכְּלִמָּתִ֣יἔθνεσινנֶגְדִּ֑יκεφαλῆςוּבֹ֖שֶׁתλαοῖς

5 of the 7 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.

Psalms 44:15כֹּלallallכֹּליוֹםthe daythe dayיוֹםכְּלִמָּהignominy myignominy myכְּלִמָּהנֶ֫גֶד[is] before[is] before meנֶ֫גֶדבֹּ֫שֶׁתand [the] sand [the] shameבֹּ֫שֶׁתפָּנֶהface myface myפָּנֶהכָּסָהit has coveit has covered כָּסָהכָּלַלto perfectto perfectכָּלַלכָּלַםbe humiliabe humiliatedכָּלַםנָגַדto tellto tellנָגַדבּוֹשׁbe ashamedbe ashamedבּוֹשׁפָּנָהCorner (GaCorner (Gate)פָּנָהכָּשָׂהbe satedbe satedכָּשָׂהעֵדָהcongregaticongregationעֵדָהעֲבֹדָהserviceserviceעֲבֹדָהשְׁבִיעִיseventhseventhשְׁבִיעִישַׁבָּתSabbathSabbathשַׁבָּתבֹּ֫שֶׁתshameshameבֹּ֫שֶׁתחֶרְפָּהreproachreproachחֶרְפָּהבְּלִיַּ֫עַלBelial: woBelial: worthleבְּלִיַּ֫עַלהֶאָחAha!Aha!הֶאָחכְּלִמָּהshameshameכְּלִמָּהסָתַרto hideto hideסָתַרנוּסto fleeto fleeנוּסשַׂקsackclothsackclothשַׂק
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 44:15

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.

all the day ignominy my [is] before me and [the] shame of face my it has covered me
כָּל־kol- all H3605 Noun common · masculine singular construct
5,415× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
The Hebrew word for 'all' or 'everything' is used throughout the Bible, like in Genesis 1:31, where God sees all He has made as very good. It encompasses the entirety of something, whether people, things, or situations.
Tyndale gloss
all
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

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.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

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

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

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)

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

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

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

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)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
HNcmsc — Noun common · masculine singular construct
HNcmsc
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

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).

(3) All one, "It is all one" (Job 9:22), "it makes no difference whether I live or die."

(4) At all, "If thy father miss me at all" (1Sa 20:6), "in any way," "in the least."

The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
all the day ignominy my [is] before me and [the] shame of face my it has covered me
הַ֭יּוֹםHai.yom the day H3117 Particle · noun common masculine singular absolute
2,306× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
The Hebrew word 'yom' refers to a day, which can be a literal 24-hour period or a figurative space of time. It is used in the Bible to describe a wide range of time periods, from a single day to a year or a lifetime. The word 'yom' is used in many different contexts throughout the Bible.
Tyndale gloss
day
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

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.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

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

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

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

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

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.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

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

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
HTd/Ncmsa — Particle · noun common masculine singular absolute
HTd/Ncmsa
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

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."…

American Tract Society Bible Dictionary

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.

all the day ignominy my [is] before me and [the] shame of face my it has covered me
כְּלִמָּתִ֣יke.li.ma.Ti ignominy my H3639 Noun common feminine singular construct · suffix
30× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This word means shame or disgrace, often referring to feelings of reproach or insult. It appears in various forms throughout the Bible.
Tyndale gloss
shame
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

כְּלִמָּה (klimmah) refers to concepts of disgrace, reproach, and shame. It encompasses meanings such as insult, dishonor, and ignominy. The word is derived from a root that suggests confusion or dishonor, reflecting a range of negative social perceptions.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

כְּלִמָּה n.f. insult, reproach, ignominy

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H3639 כְּלִמָּה insult, reproach, ignominy

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

3639 klimmah kel-im-maw'

from 3637; disgrace:--confusion, dishonour, reproach, shame.

see HEBREW for 03637

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

כְּלִמָּה (ke.lim.mah) — shame.

1) disgrace, reproach, shame, confusion, dishonour, insult, ignominy

1a) insult, reproach

1b) reproach, ignominy

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
HNcfsc/Sp1bs — Noun common feminine singular construct · suffix
HNcfsc/Sp1bs
all the day ignominy my [is] before me and [the] shame of face my it has covered me
נֶגְדִּ֑יneg.Di [is] before me H5048 Suffix
151× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
Before or in front of something, as in Genesis 18:22 where Abraham stands before the Lord. It describes a position of being face to face or in someone's presence.
Tyndale gloss
before
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

נֶ֫גֶד (neged) refers to something that is conspicuous or in front, functioning as both a noun and an adverb. It denotes a position opposite or before someone, often used to indicate presence or visibility. The word can imply a counterpart or mate, and it appears in contexts emphasizing sight or proximity.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

נֶ֫גֶד 151 subst. what is conspicuous or in front, always as adv. or prep. in front of, in sight of, opposite to

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H5048 נֶ֫גֶד subst. what is conspicuous or in front, always as adv. or prep. in front of, in sight of, opposite to

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

5048 neged neh'-ghed

from 5046; a front, i.e. part opposite; specifically a

counterpart, or mate; usually (adverbial, especially with

preposition) over against or before:--about, (over) against,

X aloof, X far (off), X from, over, presence, X other side,

sight, X to view.

see HEBREW for 05046

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

נֶ֫גֶד (ne.ged) — before.

subst

1) what is conspicuous, what is in front of

adv

2) in front of, straight forward, before, in sight of

3) in front of oneself, straightforward

4) before your face, in your view or purpose

with prep

5) what is in front of, corresponding to

6) in front of, before

7) in the sight or presence of

8) parallel to

9) over, for

10) in front, opposite

11) at a distance

prep

12) from the front of, away from

13) from before the eyes of, opposite to, at a distance from

14) from before, in front of

15) as far as the front of

Aramaic equivalent: ne.ged (נֶ֫גֶד "before" H5049)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
HAcmsc/Sp1bs — Suffix
HAcmsc/Sp1bs
all the day ignominy my [is] before me and [the] shame of face my it has covered me
וּבֹ֖שֶׁתu.Vo.shet and [the] shame of H1322 Conjunction · noun common feminine singular construct
30× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
The Hebrew word for shame describes a feeling of embarrassment or guilt, and can also refer to something that causes shame. It is used in the Bible to describe feelings of shame or embarrassment, as in Genesis and Psalms.
Tyndale gloss
shame
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

בֹּ֫שֶׁת (bosheth) means 'shame' in Hebrew, encompassing both the feeling and the condition, as well as its cause. It can also refer to a shameful thing or an idol. The word is derived from a root meaning to be ashamed, and is noted in various contexts in the Old Testament.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

בֹּ֫שֶׁת n.f. shame

shame

shameful thing

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H1322 בֹּ֫שֶׁת shame

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

1322 bosheth bo'-sheth

from 954; shame (the feeling and the condition, as well as

its cause); by implication (specifically) an idol:--ashamed,

confusion, + greatly, (put to) shame(-ful thing).

see HEBREW for 0954

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

בֹּ֫שֶׁת (bo.shet) — shame.

1) shame

1a) shame

1b) shameful thing

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
HC/Ncfsc — Conjunction · noun common feminine singular construct
HC/Ncfsc
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

ov:

(1) In Anglo-Saxon, had the meaning "from," "away from" (as the strengthened form "off" has still), and was not used for genitive or possessive relations, these being expressed by special case-forms. In the Norman period, however, "of" was taken to represent the French de (a use well developed by the time of Chaucer), and in the Elizabethan period both senses of "of" were in common use. But after about 1600 the later force of the word became predominant, and in the earlier sense (which is now practically obsolete) it was replaced by other prepositions. In consequence the King James Version (and in some cases the Revised Version (British and American)) contains many uses of "of" that are no longer familiar--most of them, to be sure, causing no difficulty, but there still being a few responsible for real obscurities.

English usagewhat the translators’ English meant
Webster's Dictionary (1828), Webster's Unabridged (1913), Webster's Dictionary (1806)

OF, preposition ov. [Gr.]

1. From or out of; proceeding from, as the cause, source, means, author or agent bestowing.

I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered to you. 1 Corinthians 11:1.

For it was of the Lord to harden their hearts. Joshua 11:1.

It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed.

Lamentations 3:1.

The whole disposing thereof is of the Lord. Proverbs 16:1.

Go, inquire of the Lord for me. 2 Chronicles 34:2.

That holy thing that shall be born of thee. Luke 1:1.

Hence of is the sign of the genitive case, the case that denotes production; as the son of man, the son proceeding from man, produced from man. This is the primary sense, although we now say, produced by man. 'Part of these were slain; ' that is, a number separate, for part denotes a division; the sense then is, a number from or out of the whole were slain. So also, 'some of these were slain; ' that is…

all the day ignominy my [is] before me and [the] shame of face my it has covered me
פָּנַ֣יpa.Nai face my H6440 Noun common masculine plural construct · suffix
2,127× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This word means face or presence, like being in front of someone or something. It's used in many contexts, like in Genesis, Exodus, and Psalms, to describe interactions and relationships.
Tyndale gloss
face
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word פָּנֶה (*pāneh*) is a noun meaning 'face' or 'presence,' and it appears in various contexts, including the faces of seraphim and animals, as well as the surface of the ground. It can also function as an adverb meaning 'before' or 'in front of.' The word is built from a root that suggests turning or facing, and it encompasses a wide range of applications, both literal and figurative.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

[פָּנֶה], pl. פָּנִים 2123 n.m. face, also faces

face, faces

presence, person

technically, see one's face, i.e. appear before one, in one's presence

face of seraphim

face of animals

face (= surface) of ground

as adv.loc. before

for other phrases

with prepositions

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H6440 פָּנֶה, pl. פָּנִים face, also faces . . face, faces

. . presence, person

. technically, see one's face, i.e. appear before one, in one's presence

. face of seraphim

. face of animals

. face (= surface) of ground

. as adv. loc. before

. for other phrases

. with prepositions

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

6440 paniym paw-neem'

plural (but always as singular) of an unused noun (paneh

{paw-neh'}; from 6437); the face (as the part that turns);

used in a great variety of applications (literally and

figuratively); also (with prepositional prefix) as a

preposition (before, etc.):--+ accept, a-(be- )fore(-time),

against, anger, X as (long as), at, + battle, + because (of),

+ beseech, countenance, edge, + employ, endure, + enquire,

face, favour, fear of, for, forefront(-part), form(-er

time, -ward), from, front, heaviness, X him(-self), +

honourable, + impudent, + in, it, look(-eth) (- s), X me, +

meet, X more than, mouth, of, off, (of) old (time), X on,

open, + out of, over against, the partial, person, + please,

presence, propect, was purposed, by reason of, + regard, right

forth, + serve, X shewbread, sight, state, straight, + street,

X thee, X them(-selves), through (+ - out), till, time(-s)

Read the full entry →
Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

פָּנֶה (pa.neh) — face: before.

: before/to/front

1) face

1a) face, faces

1b) presence, person

1c) face (of seraphim or cherubim)

1d) face (of animals)

1e) face, surface (of ground)

1f) as adv of loc/temp

1f1) before and behind, toward, in front of, forward, formerly, from beforetime, before

1g) with prep

1g1) in front of, before, to the front of, in the presence of, in the face of, at the face or front of, from the presence of, from before, from before the face of

פָּנֶה (pa.neh) — face.

: face

1) face

1a) face, faces

1b) presence, person

1c) face (of seraphim or cherubim)

1d) face (of animals)

1e) face, surface (of ground)

1f) as adv of loc/temp

1f1) before and behind, toward, in front of, forward, formerly, from beforetime, before

1g) with prep

1g1) in front of, before, to the front of, in the presence of, in the face of, at the face or front of, from the presence of, from before, from…

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
HNcmpc/Sp1bs — Noun common masculine plural construct · suffix
HNcmpc/Sp1bs
The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
all the day ignominy my [is] before me and [the] shame of face my it has covered me
כִּסָּֽתְנִי׃ki.Sa.te.ni it has covered me H3680 Verb piel perfect third person feminine singular · suffix
152× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
To cover something means to fill up hollows or hide something from view, as seen in many biblical stories. This verb is used in various forms throughout the Bible, such as to cover oneself with clothing or to conceal something for protection. It can also mean to overwhelm or spread over something.
Tyndale gloss
to cover
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word כָּסָה (*kacah*) primarily means to cover or conceal. It encompasses a range of meanings, including to clothe, hide, or overwhelm. The entries describe various forms of the verb, such as being covered or covering oneself, and its use in contexts like protection or sin. There is no significant disagreement among the lexicons.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

[כָּסָה] vb. cover

Qal

conceal

pass. (cstr.) covered in respect of sin (by God, which he thus puts out of sight)

Niph. covered

Pi.

cover, clothe

cover, conceal blood

cover (with covering of protection)

cover, spread over

cover, overwhelm

cover over

Pual.

be covered

be clothed

Hithp. cover, clothe oneself

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H3680 כָּסָה cover .. conceal

. pass. (cstr.) covered in respect of sin (by God, which he thus puts out of sight)

. covered

. . cover, clothe

. cover, conceal blood

. cover (with covering of protection)

. cover, spread over

. cover, overwhelm

. cover over

. . be covered

. be clothed

. cover, clothe oneself

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

3680 kacah kaw-saw'

a primitive root; properly, to plump, i.e. fill up hollows;

by implication, to cover (for clothing or secrecy):--clad

self, close, clothe, conceal, cover (self), (flee to) hide,

overwhelm. Compare 3780.

see HEBREW for 03780

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

כָּסָה (ka.sah) — to cover.

1) to cover, conceal, hide

1a) (Qal) conceal, covered (participle)

1b) (Niphal) to be covered

1c) (Piel)

1c1) to cover, clothe

1c2) to cover, conceal

1c3) to cover (for protection)

1c4) to cover over, spread over

1c5) to cover, overwhelm

1d) (Pual)

1d1) to be covered

1d2) to be clothed

1e) (Hithpael) to cover oneself, clothe oneself

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
HVpp3fs/Sp1bs — Verb piel perfect third person feminine singular · suffix
HVpp3fs/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