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Psalms 48:1 — Word Study

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WLCגָּ֘ד֤וֹל יְהוָ֣ה וּמְהֻלָּ֣ל מְאֹ֑ד בְּעִ֥יר אֱ֝לֹהֵ֗ינוּ הַר־ קָדְשֽׁוֹ׃

BSAA songshîyr A Psalmmizmôwr of the sonsbên of KorahQôrach

Word
Listen & take awayPsalms 48
English ↓ Download MP3 The Berean Standard Bible chapter audio already hosted for the site's Bible section — verse 1 opens the 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 (ka.de.Sho) — no per-word recordings of the Hebrew exist to link to.
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Psalms 48:1quick helps
In a sentenceThe psalm celebrates the greatness of the LORD and His worthy praise in the holy city.
Who is speakingThe psalmist, addressing the community of believers.
Where we areA hymn of praise, highlighting God's majesty and the significance of His dwelling place.
The hard wordמְהֻלָּל
Take awayGod's greatness and holiness are central to the worship in His city.
8 commentators on this verse Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them › clause subjectמִזְמוֹר 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 48:1

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 Psalm of Praisegenerated

1Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised in the city of our God, His holy mountain.
2Beautiful in loftiness, the joy of all the earth, like the peaks of Zaphon is Mount Zion, the city of the great King.
3God is in her citadels; He has shown Himself to be a fortress.
4For behold, the kings assembled; they all advanced together.

Psalm 48:1 expresses the magnificence of the LORD and emphasizes the importance of praising Him in the city of God, which is depicted as His holy mountain. This psalm invites the community to recognize the beauty and significance of their spiritual home, much like other psalms that celebrate God's presence among His people, such as Psalm 46:1 and Psalm 99:3-4.


Cross References

ReferenceText (BSB)
12 Chronicles 20:1–37After this, the Moabites and Ammonites, together with some of the Meunites, came to make war against Jehoshaphat.
2Psalm 30:1I will exalt You, O LORD, for You have lifted me up and have not allowed my foes to rejoice over me.
3Psalm 46:1God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in times of trouble.
4Psalm 86:10For You are great and perform wonders; You alone are God.
5Psalm 99:3–4Let them praise Your great and awesome name— He is holy!

The Key Word גָּד֤וֹל, ga.Dolgenerated

The word גָּדוֹל (gadol) means 'great' and encompasses a range of meanings including size, importance, and grandeur. It is often used to describe significant entities or events, conveying a sense of magnitude.

In this verse, it highlights the supreme nature of the LORD, indicating that He is not only great in power but also worthy of exaltation and praise. The parsing indicates that it serves as a predicate, affirming God's greatness.


How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated

This study reads the verse in the Berean Standard Bible, which uses great for גָּדוֹל.


Sentence Structuregenerated

The structure of the verse is straightforward, with two main clauses: the first clause states the greatness of the LORD, and the second clause emphasizes the act of praise. The finite verb מְהֻלָּל governs the praise aspect, indicating the action of worship.

The Hebrew word order places emphasis on the greatness of the LORD first, drawing attention to His majesty before discussing the act of praise.


Septuagint Backgroundgenerated

The Septuagint translates גָּדוֹל with ψαλμὸς, which indicates a hymn or song, reflecting the psalm's nature as a song of praise. This choice aligns with the Hebrew meaning and underscores the intent to celebrate God's greatness.

The LXX does not provide a direct equivalent for every Hebrew term, but the use of a term associated with praise suggests a similar understanding of the text's purpose.


In plain words — the whole versegenerated

Psalm 48:1 tells us that the LORD is great and deserves our praise, especially in the city of our God, His holy mountain. This verse invites us to recognize and celebrate God's majesty and the significance of His presence among His people.


Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated

What does it mean that the LORD is great?

It signifies that God possesses supreme power and majesty, far beyond human understanding, which calls for reverence and praise.

Why is the city of our God important?

The city represents God's dwelling place among His people, a sacred space where His presence is felt and worship occurs.

How can we express our praise to God?

We can express our praise through worship, singing, and living our lives in a way that honors Him, recognizing His greatness in all things.

What does 'His holy mountain' refer to?

It refers to Zion, the symbolic and literal place of God's presence, representing holiness and the community of believers.


Reflection Questionsgenerated

  1. In what ways do I see God's greatness reflected in my life?
  2. How can I incorporate praise for God into my daily routine?
  3. What does the concept of 'holy places' mean to me in my faith journey?
  4. How can I encourage others to recognize and praise God's greatness?

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

Early Church Fathers have commented on this psalm, emphasizing God's greatness and the nature of praise as seen in their reflections.

Ambrose of MilanCommentaries on the Twelve Davidic Psalms, On Psalms 48 c. 339–397
He is everywhere great and powerful, but our narrow mind cannot take in the greatness of his divine power and grace. The closer our knowledge gets to God, the more wonderful his majesty appears to be.
Early Church Fathers on Psalms 48 →
John ChrysostomCOMMENTARY ON THE Psalms 48:1 c. 347–407
While they say “great,” they do not go so far as to say how great; no one knows that, after all, so he added as well, “and highly to be praised.” There is no limit, you see, to his greatness.
Early Church Fathers on Psalms 48 →
Augustine of HippoExposition on Psalms 48 354–430
"Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised" [Psalms 48:1]....That is, "in the city of our God, in His holy mountain." This is the city set upon an hill,
Early Church Fathers on Psalms 48 →

Commentators on this verse — 8 expositors, verse by verse

Each of these wrote on Psalms 48:1 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.

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

Great [is] the Lord,.... The same that in the foregoing psalm is said to be gone, up to heaven with a shout, to sit on the throne of his holiness, to reign over the Heathen, and to be King over all

Read John Gill on Psalms 48 →
Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's Commentary

Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised in the city of our God, in the mountain of his holiness. Psalms 48:1-14.-Praise-song after deliverance.

Read Robert Jamieson on Psalms 48 →
Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy Bible

Psalms 48 THE This Psalm was composed upon the occasion of some eminent deliverance vouchsafed by God to the city of Jerusalem from some potent enemy and dreadful danger; either that in Jehoshaphat’ s time, 2 Chronicles 20$, or that under Hezekiah, 2 Kings 18$, 19$; in both which times there were holy prophets, by some of whom this Psalm might be made. A Song and Psalm; of which see See Poole "", which hath the same title. The prophet describeth the glory and excellency of the church, , preserved from her potent enemies, for which God is glorified, ,10, and the faithful invited to take notice of its beauty and firmness, to transmit it to following generations, . In the city of our God; in…

Read Matthew Poole on Psalms 48 →
John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

Psalms 48:1 « A Song [and] Psalm for the sons of Korah. » Great [is] the LORD, and greatly to be praised in the city of our God, [in] the mountain of his holiness.A Psalm and Song for the sons of Korah] When and by whom compiled we certainly know not. If by David, probably it was upon occasion of the Philistines coming up to seek him, but were sent away back with shame and loss, 2 Samuel 5:7; 2 Samuel 5:9. If upon the slaughter of Sennacherib’ s army by an angel, Isaiah or some other prophet of those times (as there were many) might be the penman. It seemeth to be of the same time and occasion with Psalms 76:1-12 Ver. 1. Great is the Lord] Greater, Job 33:12, greatest of all, Psalms 95:3…

Read John Trapp on Psalms 48 →
Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(1) To be praised.—See Psalms 18:3, Note.

Read Charles John Ellicott on Psalms 48 →
AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible

PSALM XLVIII The ornaments and the privileges of the Church, 1-8. The duty of God's people, 9-14. NOTES ON PSALM XLVIII The title: A Song and Psalm for the sons of Korah. To which the Vulgate, Septuagint, AEthiopic, and Arabic add, for the second day of the week; for which I believe it would be difficult to find a meaning. It is evidently of the same complexion with the two preceding, and refers to the Jews returned from captivity; and perhaps was sung at the dedication of the second temple, in order to return thanks to the Lord for the restoration of their political state, and the reestablishment of their worship. Verse 1. Great is the Lord] This verse should be joined to the last verse of…

Read AdamClarke on Psalms 48 →
CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

1, 2. The theme of the Psalm: the greatness of Jehovah and the glory of His city.

Read Cambridge on Psalms 48 →
Albert Barnes1798–1870Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Great is the Lord - That is, he is high and exalted; he is a Being of great power and glory. He is not weak and feeble, like the idols worshipped by other nations.

Read Albert Barnes on Psalms 48 →

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

Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised in the city of our God, His holy mountain.

WEBWorld English Bible2000

Great is Yahweh, and greatly to be praised, in the city of our God, in his holy mountain.

MSBMajority Standard Bible2022

A song. A Psalm of the sons of Korah. Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised in the city of our God, His holy mountain.

NETBNew English Translation2006

The Lord is great and certainly worthy of praise in the city of our God, his holy hill.

Tyndale line

KJVKing James Version1611

Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised in the city of our God, in the mountain of his holiness.

ASVAmerican Standard Version1901

Great is Jehovah, and greatly to be praised, In the city of our God, in his holy mountain.

RVARevised Version, American1894

Great is the LORD, and highly to be praised, in the city of our God, in his holy mountain.

NWBWebster's Bible1833

A Song and Psalm for the sons of Korah. Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised in the city of our God, in the mountain of his holiness.

GNVGeneva Bible1599

A song or Psalme committed to the sonnes of Korah. Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praysed, in the Citie of our God, euen vpon his holy Mountaine.

Strictly literal

DBYDarby Translation1890

Great is Jehovah, and greatly to be praised in the city of our God, in the hill of his holiness.

YLTYoung's Literal Translation1862

A Song, a Psalm, by sons of Korah. Great [is] Jehovah, and praised greatly, In the city of our God — His holy hill.

LSVLiteral Standard Version2020

A SONG. A PSALM OF THE SONS OF KORAH. Great [is] YHWH, and greatly praised, || In the city of our God—His holy hill.

ILTInterlinear Literal Translation2000

“A song and psalm by the sons of Korach.” (48:2) Great is the Lord, and highly praised in the city of our God, [in] his holy mountain.

ULBUnlocked Literal Bible2017

Great is Yahweh and greatly to be praised, in the city of our God on his holy mountain.

From the Latin

DRADouay-Rheims (Challoner)1899

Unto the end, a psalm for the sons of Core.

Simplified

FBVFree Bible Version2020

The Lord is supreme! He deserves praise in the city of our God on his holy mountain.

BBEBible in Basic English1949

Great is the Lord and greatly to be praised, in the town of our God, in his holy mountain.

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.

clausepredicateגָּ֘ד֤וֹל[is].greatsubjectיְהוָ֣הYahwehוּandclauseverbמְהֻלָּ֣ל[he.is].to.be.praisedadverbialמְאֹ֑דexceedinglyprepositional phrase · prepositionalבְּ[is].innoun phrasenoun phraseעִ֥ירthe.citynoun phraseאֱ֝לֹהֵ֗יour.Godנוּournoun phraseהַרthe.mountainnoun phraseקָדְשֽׁhis.holinessוֹhis

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


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

The Masoretic Text is preserved in the Septuagint with some differences in word order. The Dead Sea Scrolls contain fragments that match parts of the verse, indicating a consistent tradition in the text, though some words are restored or supplied by editors.

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

גָּ֘ד֤וֹל יְהוָ֣ה וּמְהֻלָּ֣ל מְאֹ֑ד בְּעִ֥יר אֱ֝לֹהֵ֗ינוּ הַר־ קָדְשֽׁוֹ׃

Septuagintthe Greek the translators chose, word by word
גָּ֘ד֤וֹלψαλμὸςיְהוָ֣הᾠδῆςוּמְהֻלָּ֣לυἱοῖςמְאֹ֑דκορε

4 of the 8 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 — 4Q91a copy a thousand years older than the Leningrad Codex

שיר מזמור [לבני] [קורח]

4 words of the verse are on this fragment — 1 partly restored, 2 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 48:1גָּדוֹל[is] great[is] greatגָּדוֹליהוהYahwehYahwehיהוההָלַלand [is] toand [is] to be הָלַלמְאֹדexceedinglyexceedinglyמְאֹדעִירin [the] ciin [the] city oעִיראֱלֹהִיםGod ourGod ourאֱלֹהִיםהַר[the] mount[the] mountain הַרקֹ֫דֶשׁholiness hiholiness hisקֹ֫דֶשׁגָּדַלto magnifyto magnifyגָּדַלהָיָהto beto beהָיָהעוּרto rouseto rouseעוּרקָדַשׁto consecrto consecrate: קָדַשׁאוּדfirebrandfirebrandאוּדאֱלֹהַּgodgodאֱלֹהַּהַרmountainmountainהַרקָטָןsmallsmallקָטָןמְאֹדmuchmuchמְאֹדנְאֻםutteranceutteranceנְאֻםצָבָאarmyarmyצָבָאיָהּLORDLORDיָהּכָּבֵדheavyheavyכָּבֵדרָבָהto multiplto multiplyרָבָהמִגְרָשׁpasturepastureמִגְרָשׁלָכַדto captureto captureלָכַדאַחֵרanotheranotherאַחֵראֲרוֹןarkarkאֲרוֹן
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 48:1

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.

[is] great Yahweh and [is] to be praised exceedingly in [the] city of God our [the] mountain of holiness his
גָּ֘ד֤וֹלga.Dol [is] great H1419
526× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
In the Bible, this Hebrew word means something or someone great, whether in size, age, or importance. It appears in descriptions of the Great Sea and the Philistines. The word is used to convey a sense of magnitude or grandeur.
Tyndale gloss
Great (Sea)
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

גָּדוֹל (gadol) means 'great' and covers a wide range of meanings, including large in size, number, intensity, sound, age, and importance. It can also refer to notable individuals or even God. Additionally, it appears as a proper noun in reference to a person named in Nehemiah 11:14. The lexicons note its use in various contexts, but do not present significant disagreement.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

גָּדוֹל 622 adj. great

in magnitude and extent

in number

in intensity

in sound, loud

in age

in importance

in phrases

cstr.

as subst. concr. do great things

† as subst. neut. greatness of arm

base

הַגְּדוֹלִים n.pr.m. father of Zabdiel Ne 11:14 (RV & so most; but 𝔊 RVm al. the great).

done

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H1419a גָּדוֹל great . in magnitude and extent

. in number

. in intensity

. in sound, loud

. in age

. in importance

. in phrases

. cstr.

. as subst. concr. do great things

. † as subst. neut. greatness of arm

H1419b הַגְּדוֹלִים father of Zabdiel

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

1419 gadowl gaw-dole'

or (shortened) gadol {gaw-dole'}; from 1431; great (in any

sense); hence, older; also insolent:--+ aloud, elder(-est), +

exceeding(-ly), + far, (man of) great (man, matter,

thing,-er,-ness), high, long, loud, mighty, more, much, noble,

proud thing, X sore, (X ) very.

see HEBREW for 01431

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

גָּדוֹל (ga.dol) — great: large.

adj

1) great

1a) large (in magnitude and extent)

1b) in number

1c) in intensity

1d) loud (in sound)

1e) older (in age)

1f) in importance

1f1) important things

1f2) great, distinguished (of men)

1f3) God Himself (of God)

subst

1g) great things

1h) haughty things

1i) greatness

Also means: ga.dol (גָּדוֹל ": old" H1419K)

§ Haggedolim = "the great one"

(CLBL) Haggedolim, the great man?, father of Zabdiel

גָּדוֹל (ga.dol) — Haggedolim.

A man living at the time of Exile and Return, only mentioned at Neh.11.14

§ Haggedolim = "the great one"

(CLBL) Haggedolim, the great man?, father of Zabdiel

גָּדוֹל (ga.dol) — Great (Sea).

adj

great

Also named: pe.lish.ti (פְּלִשְׁתִּי "(Sea of the )Philistines" H6430I)

גָּדוֹל (ga.dol) — great: old.

adj

1) great

1a) large (in magnitude and extent)

1b) in number

1c) in intensity

1d) loud (in sound)

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
HAamsa
HAamsa
[is] great Yahweh and [is] to be praised exceedingly in [the] city of God our [the] mountain of holiness his
יְהוָ֣הYah.weh Yahweh H3068 Noun proper
6,528× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
Yehovah is another name for God, often translated as 'the Lord'. It is a national name for God in the Jewish faith. This name is used throughout the Old Testament.
Tyndale gloss
The Lord
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

יְהֹוָה (ye.ho.vah) is the proper name of the God of Israel, often rendered as Jehovah or the Lord. It signifies the self-existent or eternal nature of God. The name is closely associated with the revelation to Moses in Exodus 3:12-15 and is used in conjunction with other terms to denote sacred places. Some scholars suggest it derives from a root meaning 'to bring into being.'

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

יהוה c. 6823 i.e. יַהְוֶה n.pr.dei Yahweh, the proper name of the God of Israel—(1. MT יְהֹוָה 6518 (Qr אֲדֹנָי), or יֱהֹוִה 305 (Qr אֱלֹהִים) 2. Many recent scholars explain יַהְוֶה as Hiph. of הוה (= היה) the one bringing into being, life-giver)

יהוה is not used by E in Gn, but is given Ex 3:12-15 as the name of the God who revealed Himself to Moses at Horeb

יהוה is used with אלהים and suffixes, especially in D

the phrase † אֲנִי יהוה is noteworthy

יהוה is also used with several predicates, to form sacred names of holy places of Yahweh

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H3068 יהוה i.e. יַהְוֶה n. pr. dei Yahweh, the proper name of the God of Israel

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

3068 Yhovah yeh-ho-vaw'

from 1961; (the) self-Existent or Eternal; Jehovah, Jewish

national name of God:--Jehovah, the Lord. Compare 3050, 3069.

see HEBREW for 01961

see HEBREW for 03050

see HEBREW for 03069

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

יְהֹוָה (ye.ho.vah) — LORD.

Jehovah = "the existing One"

1) the proper name of the one true God

1a) unpronounced except with the vowel pointings of a.do.na (אֲדֹנָי "Lord" H0136)

יְהֹוָה (ye.ho.vah) — The Lord.

Another name of ye.ru.sha.laim (יְרוּשָׁלִַ֫ם, יְרוּשְׁלֵם "Jerusalem" H3389)

יְהֹוָה (ye.ho.vah) — (Jerusalem of) the Lord.

Combined with ye.ru.sha.laim (יְרוּשָׁלִַ֫ם, יְרוּשְׁלֵם "Jerusalem" H3389)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
HNpt — Noun proper
HNpt
The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
[is] great Yahweh and [is] to be praised exceedingly in [the] city of God our [the] mountain of holiness his
וּמְהֻלָּ֣לu.me.hu.Lal and [is] to be praised H1984 Conjunction · verb pual participle (passive) masculine singular
165× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
To be foolish means to act wildly or make a show, like the prophets of Baal in 1 Kings 18:29. It can also mean to celebrate or boast, as in Psalm 38:5.
Tyndale gloss
to shine
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word הָלַל (halal) is a primitive root that encompasses meanings related to shining, boasting, and foolishness. It can signify to praise or celebrate, often in a clamorously foolish manner, and includes the idea of making a boast or being made a fool of. The entries indicate a range of uses, from expressing God's favor to acting madly.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

[הָלַל] vb. shine

Qal when it, viz. his lamp, shone upon my head, fig. of God’s favour.

Hiph. flash forth light

base

[הָלַל] vb. be boastful, Pi. praise

Qal be boastful

Pi.

praise man or woman

usually praise י׳

appar. boast, make one’s boast

Pu. be praised

Hithpa. glory, boast, make one’s boast

Po‛el make into a fool, make a fool of

Po‛al of laughter I said, It is mad (folly)

Hithpo. act madly, or like a madman

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H1984a הָלַל shine H1984b הָלַל be boastful, Pi. praise H1984c הָלַל be boastful, Pi. praise .be boastful

. . praise man or woman

. usually praise י׳

. appar. boast, make one’s boast

. be praised

. glory, boast, make one’s boast

.make into a fool, make a fool of

.of laughter I said, It is mad (folly)

. act madly, or like a madman

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

1984 halal haw-lal'

a primitive root; to be clear (orig. of sound, but usually of

color); to shine; hence, to make a show, to boast; and thus to

be (clamorously) foolish; to rave; causatively, to celebrate;

also to stultify:--(make) boast (self), celebrate, commend,

(deal, make), fool(- ish, -ly), glory, give (light), be (make,

feign self) mad (against), give in marriage, (sing, be worthy

of) praise, rage, renowned, shine.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

הָלַל (ha.lal) — to shine.

1) to shine

1a) (Qal) to shine (fig. of God's favour)

1b) (Hiphil) to flash forth light

הָלַל (ha.lal) — to boast: praise.

: praise

1) to praise, boast, be boastful

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to be boastful

1a2) boastful ones, boasters (participle)

1b) (Piel)

1b1) to praise

1b2) to boast, make a boast

1c) (Pual)

1c1) to be praised, be made praiseworthy, be commended, be worthy of praise

1d) (Hithpael) to boast, glory, make one's boast

הָלַל (ha.lal) — to be foolish.

1) (Poel) to make a fool of, make into a fool

1f) (Hithpoel) to act madly, act like a madman

הָלַל (ha.lal) — to boast: boast.

: boast

1) to praise, boast, be boastful

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to be boastful

1a2) boastful ones, boasters (participle)

1b) (Piel)

1b1) to praise

1b2) to boast, make a boast

1c) (Pual)

1c1) to be praised, be made praiseworthy, be commended, be worthy of praise

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
HC/VPsmsa — Conjunction · verb pual participle (passive) masculine singular
HC/VPsmsa
[is] great Yahweh and [is] to be praised exceedingly in [the] city of God our [the] mountain of holiness his
מְאֹ֑דme.'Od exceedingly H3966
300× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
Meod means 'much' or 'very' and is used to emphasize something. It can mean 'exceedingly' or 'greatly' and is often used to show strong feelings or actions.
Tyndale gloss
much
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

מְאֹד (m`od) refers to concepts of muchness, force, and abundance. It serves as an adverb meaning exceedingly or greatly, often used to intensify other words. The entries highlight its use in various idioms to express magnitude or degree, with a focus on might and intensity.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

מְאֹד n.m. muchness, force, abundance, exceedingly

force, might

in diff. idioms (298 t.) to express the idea of exceedingly, greatly, very (whether of magnitude or degree)

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H3966 מְאֹד muchness, force, abundance, exceedingly . force, might

. in diff. idiomns (298 t.) to express the idea of exceedingly, greatly, very (whether of magnitude or degree)

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

3966 m`od meh-ode'

from the same as 181; properly, vehemence, i.e. (with or

without preposition) vehemently; by implication, wholly,

speedily, etc. (often with other words as an intensive or

superlative; especially when repeated):--diligently,

especially, exceeding(-ly), far, fast, good, great(-ly), X

louder and louder, might(-ily, -y), (so) much, quickly, (so)

sore, utterly, very (+ much, sore), well.

see HEBREW for 0181

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

מְאֹד (me.od) — much.

adv

1) exceedingly, much

subst

2) might, force, abundance

n m

3) muchness, force, abundance, exceedingly

3a) force, might

3b) exceedingly, greatly, very (idioms showing magnitude or degree)

3b1) exceedingly

3b2) up to abundance, to a great degree, exceedingly

3b3) with muchness, muchness

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
HAcmsa
HAcmsa
[is] great Yahweh and [is] to be praised exceedingly in [the] city of God our [the] mountain of holiness his
בְּעִ֥ירbe.'Ir in [the] city of H5892 Preposition · noun common feminine singular construct
1,090× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
In the Bible, this word refers to a city or town, often a place with a wall or a watchman. It is used to describe a settlement or encampment, like the city of Ai, which is mentioned in the book of Joshua. The word is used to identify specific locations in the Bible.
Tyndale gloss
excitement
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word עִיר (*'iyr*) has meanings related to both excitement and city. It can denote excitement, particularly of terror or rage, as well as refer to a city or town, indicating a place that is guarded or inhabited. The entries suggest a broad application, from fortified cities to simple encampments. There is a specific mention of a man named Ir in 1 Chronicles 4:12.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

עִיר n.[m.] excitement;—of terror; of rage

base

עִיר 1092 n.f. city, town

city, town, abode of men

of fortress in a city

appar. fortified place, of any size

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H5892a עִיר excitement;—of terror; of rage H5892b עִיר city, town . city, town, abode of men

. of fortress in a city

. appar. fortified place, of any size

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

5892 `iyr eer

or (in the plural) par {awr}; or ayar (Judges 10:4)

{aw-yar'}; from 5782 a city (a place guarded by waking or a

watch) in the widest sense (even of a mere encampment or

post):--Ai (from margin), city, court (from margin), town.

see HEBREW for 05782

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

עִיר (ir) — excitement.

1) excitement, anguish

1a) of terror

עִיר (ir) — city.

1) city, town (a place of waking, guarded)

1a) city, town (a place of waking, guarded)

1a) city, town

עִיר (ir) — City (of On).

Combined with on (אֹן "On" H0204)

This name means city, town

Another name of on (אֹן "On" H0204)

עִיר (ir) — Ir-.

#A man of the tribe of Judah living at the time of Divided Monarchy, only mentioned at 1Ch.4.12;

son of: Tehinnah (H8468)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
HR/Ncfsc — Preposition · noun common feminine singular construct
HR/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…

[is] great Yahweh and [is] to be praised exceedingly in [the] city of God our [the] mountain of holiness his
אֱ֝לֹהֵ֗ינוּ'e.lo.Hei.nu God our H430 Noun common masculine plural construct · suffix
2,603× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
The Hebrew word for God, elohim, refers to the one supreme God, and is sometimes used to show respect to judges or magistrates. It is also used to describe angels or mighty beings. This word is closely related to the name of the Lord, Yahweh, and is often translated as God or gods in the Bible.
Tyndale gloss
God
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

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.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

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

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

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

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

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

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

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)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
HNcmpc/Sp1bp — Noun common masculine plural construct · suffix
HNcmpc/Sp1bp
[is] great Yahweh and [is] to be praised exceedingly in [the] city of God our [the] mountain of holiness his
הַר־har- [the] mountain of H2022 Noun common · masculine singular construct
546× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
A mountain or hill, sometimes used to describe a spiritual high point. In the Bible, it can refer to a real mountain or a figurative one. The word is often translated as hill or mount.
Tyndale gloss
mountain: mount
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

הַר (har) means 'mountain' or 'hill,' and can refer to a range of hills or hill-country. It is derived from a root that suggests elevation and can be used figuratively. The entries consistently highlight its geographical connotations without significant disagreement.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

הַר 568 n.m. mountain, hill, hill-country

mountain, hill

hill-country, mountain-region

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H2022 הַר mountain, hill, hill-country

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

2022 har har

a shortened form of 2042; a mountain or range of hills

(sometimes used figuratively):--hill (country), mount(-ain), X

promotion.

see HEBREW for 02042

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

הַר (har) — mountain: mount.

: mount/hill

hill, mountain, hill country, mount

הַר (har) — mountain: hill country.

: hill_country

hill, mountain, hill country, mount

A sub-meaning of har (הַר ": mount" H2022)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
HNcmsc — Noun common · masculine singular construct
HNcmsc
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…

[is] great Yahweh and [is] to be praised exceedingly in [the] city of God our [the] mountain of holiness his
קָדְשֽׁוֹ׃ka.de.Sho holiness his H6944 Noun common masculine singular construct · suffix
469× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
The Holy Place refers to a sacred or set-apart area, like the temple in Jerusalem. It is a place of sanctity and holiness, where God is worshipped. The Bible describes it as a place of reverence and awe.
Tyndale gloss
Holy Place
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

קֹ֫דֶשׁ (qodesh) refers to the concepts of apartness, sacredness, and holiness. It can denote a sacred place or thing, such as the Most Holy Place or a sanctuary. The term emphasizes the idea of being set apart, whether in relation to God, places, or objects.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

קֹ֫דֶשׁ 469 n.m. apartness, sacredness

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H6944 קֹ֫דֶשׁ apartness, sacredness

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

6944 qodesh ko'-desh

from 6942; a sacred place or thing; rarely abstract,

sanctity:--consecrated (thing), dedicated (thing), hallowed

(thing), holiness, (X most) holy (X day, portion, thing),

saint, sanctuary.

see HEBREW for 06942

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

קֹ֫דֶשׁ (qo.desh) — holiness.

1) apartness, holiness, sacredness, separateness

1a) apartness, sacredness, holiness

1a1) of God

1a2) of places

1a3) of things

1b) set-apartness, separateness

קֹ֫דֶשׁ (qo.desh) — Most Holy Place.

This name means apartness, holiness, sacredness

Also named: hagion (ἅγιον "Most Holy Place" G0039H)

קֹ֫דֶשׁ (qo.desh) — (Way of) Holiness.

Combined with de.rekh (דֶּ֫רֶךְ "Way" H1870H)

This name means apartness, holiness, sacredness

קֹ֫דֶשׁ (qo.desh) — Holy Place.

This name means apartness, holiness, sacredness

Also named: hagion (ἅγιον "Holy Place" G0039)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
HNcmsc/Sp3ms — Noun common masculine singular construct · suffix
HNcmsc/Sp3ms
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

hiz: Used often in the King James Version with reference to a neuter or inanimate thing, or to a lower animal (Ge 1:11, "after his kind"; Le 1:16, "pluck away his crop"; Ac 12:10, "of his own accord"; 1Co 15:38, "his own body"), etc. the Revised Version (British and American) substitutes "its."

Sources on this page. Lexicons and dictionaries imported from the CrossWire SWORD modules — Abbott-Smith, Strong's, Dodson, the Intermediate Liddell-Scott-Jones, Robinson and Packard, Webster and Cawdrey. Thayer’s Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament (Harper, 1889 — Grimm’s Wilke’s Clavis Novi Testamenti, translated, revised and enlarged by Joseph Henry Thayer) is public domain and is set here from the Internet Archive page scan greekenglishlex00grim; it is uncorrected OCR, marked as such on the entry itself, and the Strong’s numbers — which Thayer’s own edition does not carry — were matched by lemma against the other modules on this page. Trench’s Synonyms of the New Testament (Macmillan, 1880) and Moulton and Milligan’s Vocabulary of the Greek Testament (Hodder & Stoughton, 1930, which entered the United States public domain on 1 January 2026) are set from Internet Archive page scans synonymsofnewtes00treniala and vocabularyofgree00mouluoft, and are likewise uncorrected OCR matched to Strong’s numbers by lemma. Trench treats a group of words at once, so the same essay stands on the page of each word it compares. The Mounce Concise Greek-English Dictionary is © 1993 and is used here by permission for non-commercial use, www.teknia.com/greek-dictionary. The full Liddell-Scott-Jones and the Hebrew word data (TAHOT) come from STEPBible.org, CC BY 4.0. Brown-Driver-Briggs is the OpenScriptures digitisation, public domain. Syntax analysis is the Nestle 1904 Lowfat treebank (biblicalhumanities.org); the concordance and morphology are built from the tagged Nestle 1904 text. Septuagint occurrences use the Open Scriptures Septuagint lemma index, derived from CCAT (University of Pennsylvania) and the Rahlfs 1935 dataset by Eliran Wong, CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 — used here on a non-commercial ministry site. Greek of Josephus and Barnabas from the Perseus Digital Library, CC BY-SA 4.0. Commentaries and the Ante-Nicene Fathers are public-domain texts hosted on this site. Everyday Greek from the Duke Databank of Documentary Papyri, CC BY 3.0, with dates and provenance from the Heidelberger Gesamtverzeichnis. Philo and the Apostolic Fathers from Open Greek and Latin (First1KGreek), CC BY-SA 4.0. The apparatus and the fifth Greek column are the SBL Greek New Testament, © 2010 SBL and Logos Bible Software, CC BY 4.0. The Latin is the Clementine Vulgate (public domain); the Syriac New Testament is the ETCBC edition (MIT licence). The Hebrew behind the Greek is computed here from the Septuagint index and TAHOT, not taken from any aligned edition. The translation spread and the per-word edition marks come from the Translators Amalgamated Greek NT (STEPBible, CC BY 4.0); clause roles from the Nestle 1904 Lowfat treebank (CC BY-SA 4.0); place identifications and their confidence from OpenBible.info Bible Geocoding (CC BY 4.0), with map tiles © OpenStreetMap contributors. Gospel parallels are computed here from shared uncommon vocabulary, not taken from any printed harmony. Cross references are the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge and the subject headings are Nave’s Topical Bible, both public domain. Works under Creative Commons licences are used unchanged apart from markup removal.

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