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Psalms 66:4 — Word Study

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WLCכָּל־ הָאָ֤רֶץ׀ יִשְׁתַּחֲו֣וּ לְ֭ךָ וִֽיזַמְּרוּ־ לָ֑ךְ יְזַמְּר֖וּ שִׁמְךָ֣ סֶֽלָה׃

BSAAllkôl [the entire world, everything] the earthʼerets [land, creation] bows downshâchâh [in worship, prostrates itself] they sing praisezâmar [make music] they sing praisezâmar [joyfully, with celebration] to Your nameshêm [identity, character, reputation] Selahçelâh

Word
Listen & take awayPsalms 66
English ↓ Download MP3 The Berean Standard Bible chapter audio already hosted for the site's Bible section — verse 4 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 (Se.lah) — no per-word recordings of the Hebrew exist to link to.
Take it away
Psalms 66:4quick helps
In a sentenceThe entire earth worships God, singing praises to His name.
Who is speakingThe psalmist, expressing the universal reverence for God.
Where we areA call to worship, highlighting God's power and the response of creation.
The hard wordיִשְׁתַּחֲו֣וּ
Take awayAll creation recognizes God's authority and responds with worship.
8 commentators on this verse Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them › clause verbחוה 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 66:4

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 Call to Worshipgenerated

3Say to God, “How awesome are Your deeds! So great is Your power that Your enemies cower before You.
4All the earth bows down to You; they sing praise to You; they sing praise to Your name.” Selah
5Come and see the works of God; how awesome are His deeds toward mankind.
6He turned the sea into dry land; they passed through the waters on foot; there we rejoiced in Him.

Psalm 66:4 invites all of creation to bow down and sing praises to God. This verse emphasizes the universal acknowledgment of God's greatness and the joyful response of His creation, reflecting on His mighty deeds as noted in the surrounding verses. The psalmist calls upon the earth to recognize God's power and to respond in worship, which is a central theme throughout the Psalms.


Cross References

ReferenceText (BSB)
1Psalm 22:27All the ends of the earth will remember and turn to the LORD. All the families of the nations will bow down before Him.
2Psalm 65:5With awesome deeds of righteousness You answer us, O God of our salvation, the hope of all the ends of the earth and of the farthest seas.
3Psalm 67:2–3that Your ways may be known on earth, Your salvation among all nations.
4Psalm 96:1–2Sing to the LORD a new song; sing to the LORD, all the earth.
5Psalm 117:1Praise the LORD, all you nations! Extol Him, all you peoples!

The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 12 references, hung on the phrase they belong to

All the earth shall worship thee, and shall sing unto thee; they shall sing to thy name. Selah.Psalm 22:27 Psalm 65:5 Psalm 67:2–3 Psalm 96:1–2 Psalm 117:1 Isaiah 2:2–4 Isaiah 11:9 Isaiah 42:10–12 Isaiah 49:22–23 Daniel 7:14 Malachi 1:11 Revelation 15:4

The Key Word כֹּל, kol-generated

The word כֹּל (kol) means 'all' or 'the whole.' It encompasses totality and can refer to every person or thing, often used with a following genitive to specify what is included. In this verse, it underscores that every part of creation is included in the act of worship.

This word is a noun in the masculine singular construct form, indicating a collective whole. Its frequent occurrences throughout the Bible, such as in Genesis 1:31, highlight its significance in expressing completeness.


How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated

The verse is rendered in the Berean Standard Bible as 'All the earth bows down to You; they sing praise to You; they sing praise to Your name.' The KJV, ASV, YLT, WEB, and BBE all align closely with this wording, emphasizing the universal worship of God.


Sentence Structuregenerated

The main verb governing the verse is יִשְׁתַּחֲו֣וּ (they bow down), which is followed by a prepositional phrase indicating the object of worship, לְ֭ךָ (to You), and two clauses describing the actions of singing praises. The structure emphasizes the act of worship as a response to God's greatness.

The sentence begins with a noun phrase that identifies the subject, כָּל־ הָאָ֤רֶץ׀ (all the earth), highlighting the inclusivity of the worshippers. The following verbs detail the actions taken by this subject, creating a rhythm of worship.


Septuagint Backgroundgenerated

In the Septuagint, the Hebrew כֹּל is translated as πᾶσα (pasa), which also means 'all' or 'every.' This translation maintains the sense of totality found in the Hebrew.

The Greek word for 'bow down' is προσκυνησάτωσάν, indicating a similar act of worship, aligning closely with the Hebrew meaning and reflecting the reverence due to God.


In plain words — the whole versegenerated

Psalm 66:4 calls all the earth to bow down and sing praises to God. This verse emphasizes that every part of creation recognizes God's power and responds in worship, reflecting a common theme in the Psalms.


Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated

What does it mean for all the earth to bow down?

It signifies that every part of creation acknowledges God's authority and responds with reverence and worship.

Why is singing praise important in worship?

Singing praise is a way to express joy and gratitude to God, celebrating His character and deeds.

What does 'Selah' signify in this verse?

'Selah' is a musical term indicating a pause for reflection, inviting the worshippers to contemplate the significance of the praises sung.

How can we apply this verse in our lives today?

We can recognize God's greatness in our lives and respond with worship and praise, just as all of creation does.


Reflection Questionsgenerated

  1. In what ways do I acknowledge God's authority in my life?
  2. How can I express my praise to God through music or singing?
  3. What moments of reflection can I create in my worship to honor God?
  4. How does recognizing God's power affect my daily life and decisions?

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

Early Church Fathers referenced this verse to discuss themes of worship and God's authority, providing insights into its significance in the life of believers.

Augustine of HippoOn Continence 14:30 354–430
Also in this place (which we have been quoting), the apostle to the Gentiles said that the wrath of God comes on the children of infidelity because of these evils.
Early Church Fathers on Psalms 66 →
Theodoret of CyrusCOMMENTARY ON THE Psalms 66:4 c. 393–460
Then [Symmachus] outlines what was done of old. “He turns the sea into dry land; they will cross the river on foot.” The tense has been changed here: he spoke of the past as future, whereas the others retained the tense, Symmachus saying,
Early Church Fathers on Psalms 66 →

Commentators on this verse — 8 expositors, verse by verse

Each of these wrote on Psalms 66:4 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.

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

All the earth shall worship thee,.... The Messiah, who is equal with God; the Creator of men; the Redeemer of his people; the Head of the church, and King of saints; their Lord, and therefore to be

Read John Gill on Psalms 66 →
Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's Commentary

All the earth shall worship thee, and shall sing unto thee; they shall sing to thy name. Selah. All the earth shall worship thee - (Psalms 22:27.)

Read Robert Jamieson on Psalms 66 →
Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy Bible

Many people of divers nations shall be so affected with thy stupendous works, that they shall worship and praise thee for them, and all people shall do so, and shall have just cause to do so; and the time will come when all nations will actually do so, to wit, in the days of the Messias.

Read Matthew Poole on Psalms 66 →
John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

Psalms 66:4 All the earth shall worship thee, and shall sing unto thee; they shall sing [to] thy name. Selah.Ver. 4. All the earth shall worship thee] Heb. they shall bow down to thee, stoop to thy government, submit to the sceptre of thy kingdom; they shall become the kingdoms of our Lord Jesus Christ. O dieculam illam! O mora! Christe veni. Selah] Let that thy kingdom come; come speedily, come in our days, as the modern Jews pray daily (Bimherah, Beiamenu).

Read John Trapp on Psalms 66 →
AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible

Verse 4. All the earth] The whole land shall worship thee. There shall no more an idol be found among the tribes of Israel. This was literally true. After the Babylonish captivity the Israelites never relapsed into idolatry. Selah.] Remark it: this is a well attested truth.

Read AdamClarke on Psalms 66 →
CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

4. All the earth shall worship thee and hymn thee, Yea, hymn thy name. This verse is part of the address to God put into the mouth of the nations.

Read Cambridge on Psalms 66 →
Albert Barnes1798–1870Barnes' Notes on the Bible

All the earth shall worship thee - That is, all the inhabitants of the world will bow down before thee, or render thee homage.

Read Albert Barnes on Psalms 66 →
Daniel Denison Whedon1808–1885Whedon's Commentary on the Bible

4. Shall worship thee—Shall prostrate themselves, as in Psalms 72:11, whether in forced submission from the overawing prevalence of divine truth or from loving obedience is not stated.

Read Daniel Denison Whedon on Psalms 66 →

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 the earth bows down to You; they sing praise to You; they sing praise to Your name.” Selah

WEBWorld English Bible2000

All the earth will worship you, and will sing to you; they will sing to your name.” Selah.

MSBMajority Standard Bible2022

All the earth bows down to You; they sing praise to You; they sing praise to Your name.” Selah

NETBNew English Translation2006

All the earth worships you and sings praises to you! They sing praises to your name!” (Selah)

Tyndale line

KJVKing James Version1611

All the earth shall worship thee, and shall sing unto thee; they shall sing to thy name. Selah.

ASVAmerican Standard Version1901

All the earth shall worship thee, And shall sing unto thee; They shall sing to thy name. [Selah

RVARevised Version, American1894

All the earth shall worship thee, and shall sing unto thee; they shall sing to thy name. Selah

NWBWebster's Bible1833

All the earth shall worship thee, and shall sing to thee; they shall sing to thy name. Selah.

GNVGeneva Bible1599

All the worlde shall worship thee, and sing vnto thee, euen sing of thy Name. Selah.

Strictly literal

DBYDarby Translation1890

All the earth shall worship thee, and sing psalms unto thee: they shall sing forth thy name. Selah.

YLTYoung's Literal Translation1862

All the earth do bow to Thee, They sing praise to Thee, they praise Thy name.' Selah.

LSVLiteral Standard Version2020

All the earth bows to You, || They sing praise to You, they praise Your Name.” Selah.

ILTInterlinear Literal Translation2000

All the lands shall bow themselves down unto thee, and shall sing praises unto thee; they shall sing praises to thy name. Selah.

ULBUnlocked Literal Bible2017

All the earth will worship you and will sing to you; they will sing to your name.” Selah

From the Latin

DRADouay-Rheims (Challoner)1899

Let people confess to thee, O God: let all people give praise to thee.

Simplified

FBVFree Bible Version2020

Everyone on earth worships you, singing your praises—singing praises because of who you are.” Selah.

BBEBible in Basic English1949

Let all the earth give you worship, and make songs to you; let them make songs to your name. (Selah.)

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 · subjectכָּלallnoun phraseהָtheאָ֤רֶץearthverbיִשְׁתַּחֲו֣וּthey.bow.downprepositional phrase · prepositionalלְ֭toךָyouוִֽandclauseverbיזַמְּרוּthey.sing.praisesprepositional phrase · prepositionalלָ֑toךְyouclauseverbיְזַמְּר֖וּthey.sing.praises.tonoun phrase · objectשִׁמְnameךָ֣yourclauseסֶֽלָהSelah

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


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

The Masoretic Text and the Septuagint agree closely in this verse, with a word-for-word correspondence. Both texts convey the same message of universal worship directed toward God.

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

כָּל־ הָאָ֤רֶץ׀ יִשְׁתַּחֲו֣וּ לְ֭ךָ וִֽיזַמְּרוּ־ לָ֑ךְ יְזַמְּר֖וּ שִׁמְךָ֣ סֶֽלָה׃

Septuagintthe Greek the translators chose, word by word
כָּל־πᾶσαהָאָ֤רֶץ׀γῆיִשְׁתַּחֲו֣וּπροσκυνησάτωσάνלְ֭ךָσοιוִֽיזַמְּרוּ־ψαλάτωσάνלָ֑ךְσοιיְזַמְּר֖וּψαλάτωσανשִׁמְךָ֣σουסֶֽלָה׃διάψαλμα

9 of the 9 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 66:4כֹּלallallכֹּלאֶ֫רֶץthe earththe earthאֶ֫רֶץשָׁחָהthey bow dothey bow downשָׁחָהךָּto youto youךָּזמרso they mayso they may sinזמרךְto youto youךְזמרthey sing pthey sing praisזמרשֵׁםname yourname yourשֵׁםסֶ֫לָהSelahSelahסֶ֫לָהכָּלַלto perfectto perfectכָּלַלזָמַרto pruneto pruneזָמַרשׂוּםto set: mato set: makeשׂוּםסָלָהto rejectto rejectסָלָהכִּנּוֹרlyrelyreכִּנּוֹרעֵדָהcongregaticongregationעֵדָהעֲבֹדָהserviceserviceעֲבֹדָהכְּנַ֫עַןCanaanCanaanכְּנַ֫עַןמִצְרַ֫יִם(Sea of) E(Sea of) Egyptמִצְרַ֫יִםקָדַדto bowto bowקָדַדאַחֵרanotheranotherאַחֵרקָרָאto call: cto call: call tקָרָאיָדָהto give thto give thanksיָדָהזמרto singto singזמריְשׁוּעָהsalvationsalvationיְשׁוּעָה
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 66:4

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 earth they bow down to you so they may sing praises to you they sing praises to name your Selah
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.
Amplified meaning
the entire world, everything
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
N-ms — 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 earth they bow down to you so they may sing praises to you they sing praises to name your Selah
הָאָ֤רֶץ׀ha.'A.retz the earth H776 Particle · noun common feminine singular absolute
2,504× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
The land or earth refers to the soil or ground, and can also mean a country, territory, or region. In the Bible, it is used to describe the earth and its inhabitants, and is often translated as 'land' or 'country'.
Amplified meaning
land, creation
Tyndale gloss
land: soil
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

אֶ֫רֶץ (erets) is a feminine noun meaning 'earth' or 'land.' It encompasses various meanings, including the whole earth, specific territories like Canaan, and even inhabitants of the land. It can refer to soil, ground, or regions, and is used in phrases related to distance and the living. There is a note on the plural form אֲרָצוֹת, which mainly appears in later texts to denote multiple lands.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

אֶ֫רֶץ n. f. & (seld.) m. earth, land

earth, whole earth (opp. to a part)

earth, opp. to heaven, sky

earth = inhabitants of earth

land =

country, territory

district, region

trial territory

piece of ground

specif. land of Canaan, or Israel

= inhabitants of land

used even of Shᵉʼôl

ground, surface of ground

soil, as productive

אֶרֶץ in phrases

people of the land

in measurements of distance

the country of the plain, level or plain country

land of the living

end(s) of the earth

pl. אֲרָצוֹת is almost wholly late; it denotes lands, countries, often in contrast to Canaan, lands of the nations, etc.

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H776 אֶ֫רֶץ n. f. & (seld.) m. earth, land . . earth, whole earth (opp. to a part)

. earth, opp. to heaven, sky

. earth = inhabitants of earth

. land = . country, territory

. district, region

. trial territory

. piece of ground

. specif. land of Canaan, or Israel

. = inhabitants of land

. used even of Shᵉʼôl

. . ground, surface of ground

. soil, as productive

. אֶרֶץ in phrases . people of the land

. in measurements of distance

. the country of the plain, level or plain country

. land of the living

. end(s) of the earth

. pl. אֲרָצוֹת is almost wholly late; it denotes lands, countries, often in contrast to Canaan, lands of the nations, etc.

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

776 'erets eh'-rets

from an unused root probably meaning to be firm; the earth

(at large, or partitively a land):--X common, country, earth,

field, ground, land, X natins, way, + wilderness, world.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

אֶ֫רֶץ (e.rets) — land: country/planet.

: country/field

1) land, earth

1a) earth

1a1) whole earth (as opposed to a part)

1a2) earth (as opposed to heaven)

1a3) earth (inhabitants)

1b) land

1b1) country, territory

1b2) district, region

1b3) tribal territory

1b4) piece of ground

1b5) land of Canaan, Israel

1b6) inhabitants of land

1b7) Sheol, land without return, (under) world

1b8) city (-state)

1c) ground, surface of the earth

1c1) ground

1c2) soil

1d) (in phrases)

1d1) people of the land

1d2) space or distance of country (in measurements of distance)

1d3) level or plain country

1d4) land of the living

1d5) end(s) of the earth

1e) (almost wholly late in usage)

1e1) lands, countries

1e1a) often in contrast to Canaan

אֶ֫רֶץ (e.rets) — land: soil.

: soil

1) land, earth

1a) earth

1a1) whole earth (as opposed to a part)

1a2) earth (as opposed to heaven)

1a3) earth (inhabitants)

1b) land

1b1) country, territory

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Art | N-cs — Particle · noun common feminine singular absolute
HTd/Ncfsa
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

urth ('adhamah, 'erets, 'aphar; ge, oikoumene):

In a hilly limestone country like Palestine, the small amount of iron oxide in the rocks tends to be oxidized, and thereby to give a prevailing reddish color to the soil. This is especially the case on relatively barren hills where there is little organic matter present to prevent reddening and give a more blackish tinge.

'Adhamah (compare 'adham, "a man," and Adam) is from 'adham, "to be red," and is used in the senses: "earth" (Ex 20:24), "land" (Ps 105:35), a "land" or country (Isa 14:2), "ground" (Ge 4:11), "the earth" (Ge 7:4).

Easton's Bible Dictionary

Earth

(1.) In the sense of soil or ground, the translation of the word adamah’. In Gen. 9:20 “husbandman” is literally “man of the ground or earth.” Altars were to be built of earth (Ex. 20:24). Naaman asked for two mules’ burden of earth (2 Kings 5:17), under the superstitious notion that Jehovah, like the gods of the heathen, could be acceptably worshipped only on his own soil.

(2). As the rendering of ’erets, it means the whole world (Gen. 1:2); the land as opposed to the sea (1:10). Erets also denotes a country (21:32); a plot of ground (23:15); the ground on which a man stands (33:3); the inhabitants of the earth (6:1; 11:1); all the world except Israel (

Smith's Bible Dictionary

The term is used in two widely-different senses: (1) for the material of which the earth’s surface is composed; (2) as the name of the planet on which man dwells. The Hebrew language discriminates between these two by the use of separate terms, adamah for the former, erets for the latter. Adamah is the earth in the sense of soil or ground, particularly as being susceptible of cultivation. (Genesis 2:7) Erets is applied in a more or less extended sense-- (1) to the whole world, (Genesis 1:1) (2) to land as opposed to sea, (Genesis 1:10) (3) to a country, (Genesis 21:32) (4) to a plot of ground, (Genesis 23:15) and (5) to…

American Tract Society Bible Dictionary

In both Hebrew and Greek the same word is used to denote the earth as a whole, and a particular land. Only the context can enable us to decide in which of these senses it is to be taken in a given passage.

Thus in Mt 27:45 we might, so far as the original word is concerned, render either "there was darkness over all the land," or over all the earth. The expression "all the earth" is sometimes used hyperbolically for a large portion of it, Ezr 1:2. The word is used of the whole world, etc. In a moral sense, earthly is opposed to what is heavenly, spiritual and holy, Joh 3:31 1Co 15:47 Col 3:2

all the earth they bow down to you so they may sing praises to you they sing praises to name your Selah
יִשְׁתַּחֲו֣וּyish.ta.cha.Vu they bow down H7812 Verb · Hithpael · imperfect third person masculine plural
172× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This Hebrew word means to bow down, often as a sign of respect or worship. It is used in Genesis 24:52 to describe Abraham's servant bowing down to God. The word is about showing humility and respect to someone or something.
Amplified meaning
in worship, prostrates itself
Tyndale gloss
to bow
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word שָׁחָה (*shachah*) is a primitive root meaning to bow down or prostrate oneself, particularly in homage to a superior or in worship before God. It can also imply a figurative sense of being depressed by anxiety. The entries highlight its use in various contexts, including worship of both God and false gods.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

[שָׁחָה] 172 vb. bow down

Qal bow down

Hiph. fig., anxiety depresses it

Hithpa‛lēl

bow down, prostrate oneself, before a monarch or superior, in homage, etc.

before God, in worship

before other gods

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H7812 שָׁחָה bow down .bow down

. fig., anxiety depresses it

.. bow down, prostrate oneself, before a monarch or superior, in homage, etc.

. before God, in worship

. before other gods

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

7812 shachah shaw-khaw'

a primitive root; to depress, i.e. prostrate (especially

reflexive, in homage to royalty or God):--bow (self) down,

crouch, fall down (flat), humbly beseech, do (make) obeisance,

do reverence, make to stoop, worship.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

שָׁחָה (sha.chah) — to bow.

1) to bow down

1a) (Qal) to bow down

1b)(Hiphil) to depress (fig)

1c) (Hithpael)

1c1) to bow down, prostrate oneself

1c1a) before superior in homage

1c1b) before God in worship

1c1c) before false gods

1c1d) before angel

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
V-v-Imperf-3mp — Verb · Hithpael · imperfect third person masculine plural
HVti3mp
all the earth they bow down to you so they may sing praises to you they sing praises to name your Selah
לְ֭ךָLe.kha to you H9031 Preposition · suffix
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

ךָּ (ka) — you.

Personal object pronoun - suffix for propositions and verbs without an object: 2nd person masculine singular

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
HR/Sp2ms — Preposition · suffix
HR/Sp2ms
all the earth they bow down to you so they may sing praises to you they sing praises to name your Selah
וִֽיזַמְּרוּ־vi.za.me.ru- so they may sing praises H2167 Conjunction · verb piel third person masculine plural
45× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This word means to sing or make music, often with praise and celebration. In the Psalms, it describes singing with instruments and voice, giving thanks to God. It's about joyful noise and worship.
Amplified meaning
make music
Tyndale gloss
to sing
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

זָמַר (zamar) is a Hebrew verb meaning to sing or make music, particularly in praise of God. It is derived from a root that suggests touching the strings of a musical instrument. The word covers actions like singing, playing instruments, and celebrating through music. The Piel form specifically emphasizes making music in worship.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

[זמר] vb. only Pi. make music in praise of God

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H2167 זמר only Pi. make music in praise of God

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

2167 zamar zaw-mar'

a primitive root (perhaps ident. with 2168 through the idea

of striking with the fingers); properly, to touch the strings

or parts of a musical instrument, i.e. play upon it; to make

music, accompanied by the voice; hence to celebrate in song

and music:--give praise, sing forth praises, psalms.

see HEBREW for 02168

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

זָמַר (za.mar) — to sing.

1) to sing, sing praise, make music

1a) (Piel)

1a1) to make music, sing

1a2) to play a musical instrument

Aramaic equivalent: ze.mar (זְמָר "music" H2170)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Conj | V-Piel-Imperf-3mp — Conjunction · verb piel third person masculine plural
HC/Vpu3mp
all the earth they bow down to you so they may sing praises to you they sing praises to name your Selah
לָ֑ךְLakh to you H9032 Preposition · suffix
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

ךְ (kh) — you.

Personal object pronoun - suffix for propositions and verbs without an object: 2nd person feminine singular

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
HR/Sp2ms — Preposition · suffix
HR/Sp2ms
all the earth they bow down to you so they may sing praises to you they sing praises to name your Selah
יְזַמְּר֖וּye.za.me.Ru they sing praises to H2167 Verb · Piel · imperfect third person masculine plural
45× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This word means to sing or make music, often with praise and celebration. In the Psalms, it describes singing with instruments and voice, giving thanks to God. It's about joyful noise and worship.
Amplified meaning
joyfully, with celebration
Tyndale gloss
to sing
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

זָמַר (zamar) is a Hebrew verb meaning to sing or make music, particularly in praise of God. It is derived from a root that suggests touching the strings of a musical instrument. The word covers actions like singing, playing instruments, and celebrating through music. The Piel form specifically emphasizes making music in worship.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

[זמר] vb. only Pi. make music in praise of God

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H2167 זמר only Pi. make music in praise of God

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

2167 zamar zaw-mar'

a primitive root (perhaps ident. with 2168 through the idea

of striking with the fingers); properly, to touch the strings

or parts of a musical instrument, i.e. play upon it; to make

music, accompanied by the voice; hence to celebrate in song

and music:--give praise, sing forth praises, psalms.

see HEBREW for 02168

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

זָמַר (za.mar) — to sing.

1) to sing, sing praise, make music

1a) (Piel)

1a1) to make music, sing

1a2) to play a musical instrument

Aramaic equivalent: ze.mar (זְמָר "music" H2170)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
V-Piel-Imperf-3mp — Verb · Piel · imperfect third person masculine plural
HVpi3mp
all the earth they bow down to you so they may sing praises to you they sing praises to name your Selah
שִׁמְךָ֣shim.Kha name your H8034 Noun common masculine singular construct · suffix
864× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
In the Bible, a name represents a person's identity, honor, and character, like God's name symbolizing His power and authority. It appears in Genesis and other books, often referring to God's name or a person's reputation. This concept is central to understanding biblical identity.
Amplified meaning
identity, character, reputation
Tyndale gloss
name
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

שֵׁם (shem) means 'name' and encompasses various meanings such as reputation, fame, and glory. It can refer to the designation of God and is often associated with memorials or monuments. The word is built from a primitive root and highlights individuality and honor. There is a mention of its use in relation to false gods, which is forbidden.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

שֵׁם 864 n.m. name (√ unknown)

of river, beasts, city, i.e. exact designation of it

usu. of pers.

= reputation

esp. as giving a man a kind of posthumous life, esp. in his sons

name, as designation of God

of false gods, use forbidden

= memorial, monument

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H8034 שֵׁם name (√ unknown)

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

8034 shem shame

a primitive word (perhaps rather from 7760 through the idea

of definite and conspicuous position; compare 8064); an

appellation, as a mark or memorial of individuality; by

implication honor, authority, character:--+ base,

(in-)fame(-ous), named(-d), renown, report.

see HEBREW for 07760

see HEBREW for 08064

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

שֵׁם (shem) — name.

1) name

1a) name

1b) reputation, fame, glory

1c) the Name (as designation of God)

1d) memorial, monument

Aramaic equivalent: shum (שֻׁם "name" H8036)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-ms | Suff — Noun common masculine singular construct · suffix
HNcmsc/Sp2ms
all the earth they bow down to you so they may sing praises to you they sing praises to name your Selah
סֶֽלָה׃Se.lah Selah H5542 Particle
74× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
Selah is a musical term in the Bible that signals a pause or interruption in the music, like a rest in a song, often used in Psalms. It is a technical term that sets a moment for reflection and contemplation, as seen in Psalm 3:2.
Tyndale gloss
Selah
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

סֶ֫לָה (selah) means to lift up or exalt. It is primarily recognized as a musical term indicating a pause or interruption, often found in the Psalms. The word is derived from a root meaning 'suspension' and appears frequently in the context of music, suggesting accentuation.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

סֶ֫לָה vb. lift up, or exalt;—this interpr. agrees with usage: 71 t. in 39 ψψ, 3 t. Hb 3

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H5542 סֶ֫לָה lift up, or exalt

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

5542 celah seh'-law

from 5541; suspension (of music), i.e. pause:--Selah.

see HEBREW for 05541

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

סֶ֫לָה (se.lah) — Selah.

§ 1) to lift up, exalt

1a) Selah

1a1) a technical musical term probably showing accentuation, pause, interruption

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Part — Particle
HTj
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

se'-la.

See MUSIC, II, 1.

Easton's Bible Dictionary

Selah

A word frequently found in the Book of Psalms, and also in Hab. 3:9, 13, about seventy-four times in all in Scripture. Its meaning is doubtful. Some interpret it as meaning “silence” or “pause;” others, “end,” “a louder strain,” “piano,” etc. The LXX. render the word by daplasma i.e., “a division.”

Smith's Bible Dictionary

This word, which is found only in the poetical books of the Old Testament, occurs seventy-one times in the Psalms and three times in Habakkuk. It is probably a term which had a meaning in the musical nomenclature of the Hebrews, though what that meaning may have been is now a matter of pure conjecture. (Gesenius and Ewald and others think it has much the same meaning as our interlude,--a pause in the voices singing, while the instruments perform alone.)

American Tract Society Bible Dictionary

A musical term which occurs seventy-three times in the Psalms, and is found also in Hab 3:3,9,13. It usually occurs at the end of a period or apostrophe, but sometimes at the end only of a clause. This difficult word, it is now generally believed, was a direction for a meditative pause in the singing of a psalm, during which perhaps there was an instrumental interlude.

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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