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Psalms 88:14 — Word Study

Depth

WLCלָמָ֣ה יְ֭הוָה תִּזְנַ֣ח נַפְשִׁ֑י תַּסְתִּ֖יר פָּנֶ֣יךָ מִמֶּֽנִּי׃

BSAO LORDYᵉhôvâh [Yehovah]

Word
Listen & take awayPsalms 88
English ↓ Download MP3 The Berean Standard Bible chapter audio already hosted for the site's Bible section — verse 14 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 (mi.Me.ni) — no per-word recordings of the Hebrew exist to link to.
Take it away
Psalms 88:14quick helps
In a sentenceThe psalmist questions God about His apparent abandonment and silence.
Who is speakingThe psalmist, expressing deep anguish and confusion.
Where we areA lament in the context of suffering and seeking God's presence.
The hard wordתִּזְנַ֣ח
Take awayThe psalmist feels rejected and hidden from God's face.
8 commentators on this verse Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them › clause verbהוּא 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 88:14

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 Despairgenerated

13But to You, O LORD, I cry for help; in the morning my prayer comes before You.
14Why, O LORD, do You reject me? Why do You hide Your face from me?
15From my youth I was afflicted and near death. I have borne Your terrors; I am in despair.
16Your wrath has swept over me; Your terrors have destroyed me.

Psalm 88:14 expresses a profound sense of abandonment, where the psalmist cries out to the LORD, questioning why He feels distant and unresponsive. This lament is part of a larger context of suffering, as seen in the preceding and following verses, where the psalmist recounts his afflictions and despair, seeking God's help and presence.


Cross References

ReferenceText (BSB)
1Psalm 43:2For You are the God of my refuge. Why have You rejected me? Why must I walk in sorrow because of the enemy’s oppression?
2Psalm 77:7–9“Will the Lord spurn us forever and never show His favor again?
3Matthew 27:46About the ninth hour Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” which means, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?”
4Psalm 13:1How long, O LORD? Will You forget me forever? How long will You hide Your face from me?
5Psalm 44:24Why do You hide Your face and forget our affliction and oppression?

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


The Key Word תִּזְנַ֣ח, tiz.Nachgenerated

The verb תִּזְנַ֣ח (tiz.Nach) is in the imperfect tense, indicating an ongoing action or state. It means 'to reject' or 'to cast off', conveying a sense of abandonment. This word is used to express strong emotions of being spurned or forsaken, particularly in a relationship with God.

In this verse, the psalmist is directly addressing God, asking why He has rejected him. The emotional weight of this word highlights the psalmist's feeling of being cast aside, intensifying the plea for God's presence.


How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated

All translations agree on the rendering of תִּזְנַ֣ח as 'reject' or 'cast off'.


Sentence Structuregenerated

The verse consists of two finite verbs: תִּזְנַ֣ח (do you reject) and תַּסְתִּ֖יר (do you hide?), each forming a separate question. The structure places emphasis on the psalmist's direct appeals to God, highlighting his desperation.

The parallel construction of the two questions enhances the emotional intensity, as both verbs relate to the psalmist's feelings of abandonment and the desire for God's presence.


Septuagint Backgroundgenerated

The Septuagint translates תִּזְנַ֣ח with σέ (you), which maintains the direct address to God. This choice reflects the psalmist's plea for acknowledgment from the LORD.

The translation of תַּסְתִּ֖יר as καὶ (and) connects the two questions, emphasizing the continuity of the psalmist's lament in the Greek text.


In plain words — the whole versegenerated

Psalm 88:14 shows the psalmist crying out to God, asking why He has rejected him and hidden His face. This reflects deep feelings of abandonment and a longing for God's presence during times of suffering.


Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated

What does the psalmist mean by asking why God rejects him?

The psalmist expresses feelings of abandonment, questioning why God seems distant during his time of suffering.

Why does the psalmist feel that God is hiding His face?

Hiding one's face symbolizes a lack of attention or favor; the psalmist feels that God is not responding to his cries for help.

How does this verse relate to the overall theme of the psalm?

This verse encapsulates the theme of despair and longing for God's presence, which runs throughout the psalm.

What can we learn from the psalmist's cry?

The psalmist's honesty in expressing his feelings of abandonment encourages us to bring our struggles and questions before God.


Reflection Questionsgenerated

  1. In what ways have I felt abandoned or distant from God in my own life?
  2. How can I express my feelings of despair to God, as the psalmist does?
  3. What does it mean for me to seek God's presence during difficult times?
  4. How can I support others who may feel rejected or distant from God?

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

The early Church Fathers have commented on this psalm, reflecting on the nature of prayer and the experience of divine silence.

Augustine of HippoExposition on Psalms 88 354–430
But that those prayers, the blessings of which surpass all words, may be more fervent and more constant, the gift that shall last unto eternity is deferred, while transitory evils are allowed to thicken.
Early Church Fathers on Psalms 88 →

Commentators on this verse — 8 expositors, verse by verse

Each of these wrote on Psalms 88:14 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.

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

Lord, why castest thou off my soul?.... Here begins his prayer, which he determined to present early in the morning, and consists of expostulations, and a representation of his distressed case: this

Read John Gill on Psalms 88 →
Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's Commentary

LORD, why castest thou off my soul? why hidest thou thy face from me? Lord, why castest thou off my soul? why hidest thou thy face from me? - Messiah's cry on the cross (Psalms 22:1).

Read Robert Jamieson on Psalms 88 →
Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy Bible

This proceeding seems not to agree with the benignity of thy nature, nor with the manner of thy dealing with thy people.

Read Matthew Poole on Psalms 88 →
John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

Psalms 88:14 LORD, why castest thou off my soul? [why] hidest thou thy face from me?Ver. 14. Lord, why castest thou off, &c.] Luther saith of himself, that after his conversion he lay three days in desperation. And afterwards, he sometimes suffered such desertions, ut nec calor, nec sanguis, nec sensus, nec vex, superesset, saith an eyewitness (Just. Jon. Ep. ad Melan.).

Read John Trapp on Psalms 88 →
Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(14) Castest thou off.—The idea is that of throwing away something with loathing. (Comp. Psalms 43:2.)

Read Charles John Ellicott on Psalms 88 →
AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible

Verse 14. Why castest thou off my soul?] Instead of my soul, several of the ancient Versions have my prayer. Why dost thou refuse to hear me, and thus abandon me to death?

Read AdamClarke on Psalms 88 →
CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

14. Questions of surprise and expostulation. Cp. Psalms 74:1; Psalms 77:7. For the second line cp. Job 13:24; Psalms 13:1. God “shuts out his prayer,” Lamentations 3:8.

Read Cambridge on Psalms 88 →
Albert Barnes1798–1870Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Lord, why castest thou off my soul? - Why dost thou forsake or abandon me? Why is it that thou dost not interpose, since thou hast all power, and since thou art a God of mercy? Why dost thou not deliver me from my troubles?

Read Albert Barnes on Psalms 88 →

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

Why, O LORD, do You reject me? Why do You hide Your face from me?

WEBWorld English Bible2000

Yahweh, why do you reject my soul? Why do you hide your face from me?

MSBMajority Standard Bible2022

Why, O LORD, do You reject me? Why do You hide Your face from me?

NETBNew English Translation2006

O Lord, why do you reject me, and pay no attention to me?

Tyndale line

KJVKing James Version1611

LORD, why castest thou off my soul? why hidest thou thy face from me?

ASVAmerican Standard Version1901

Jehovah, why castest thou off my soul? Why hidest thou thy face from me?

RVARevised Version, American1894

LORD, why castest thou off my soul? why hidest thou thy face from me?

NWBWebster's Bible1833

LORD, why castest thou off my soul? why hidest thou thy face from me?

GNVGeneva Bible1599

Lord, why doest thou reiect my soule, and hidest thy face from me?

Strictly literal

DBYDarby Translation1890

Why, O Jehovah, castest thou off my soul? [why] hidest thou thy face from me?

YLTYoung's Literal Translation1862

Why, O Jehovah, castest Thou off my soul? Thou hidest Thy face from me.

LSVLiteral Standard Version2020

Why, O YHWH, do You cast off my soul? You hide Your face from me.

ILTInterlinear Literal Translation2000

(88:15) Why, O Lord, wilt thou cast off my soul? [why] wilt thou hide thy face from me?

ULBUnlocked Literal Bible2017

Yahweh, why do you reject me? Why do you hide your face from me?

From the Latin

DRADouay-Rheims (Challoner)1899

Thy arm is with might. Let thy hand be strengthened, and thy right hand exalted:

Simplified

FBVFree Bible Version2020

Lord, why do you reject me? Why do you turn away from me?

BBEBible in Basic English1949

Lord, why have you sent away my soul? why is your face covered from me?

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.

clauseclauseיְ֭הוָהO.Yahwehclauseprepositional phrase · prepositionalלָמָ֣הwhy?verbתִּזְנַ֣חdo.you.rejectnoun phrase · objectנַפְשִׁ֑selfיmyclauseverbתַּסְתִּ֖ירdo.you.hide?noun phrase · objectפָּנֶ֣יfaceךָyourprepositional phrase · prepositionalמִמֶּֽfromנִּיme

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 in the wording of Psalm 88:14. The Septuagint matches the Hebrew text word for word, indicating a consistent transmission of this verse.

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

לָמָ֣ה יְ֭הוָה תִּזְנַ֣ח נַפְשִׁ֑י תַּסְתִּ֖יר פָּנֶ֣יךָ מִמֶּֽנִּי׃

Septuagintthe Greek the translators chose, word by word
לָמָ֣הκἀγὼיְ֭הוָהπρὸςתִּזְנַ֣חσέנַפְשִׁ֑יκύριεתַּסְתִּ֖ירκαὶפָּנֶ֣יךָπρωὶמִמֶּֽנִּי׃μου

7 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 88:14מָהwhy?why?מָהיהוהO YahwehO Yahwehיהוהזָנַחdo you rejedo you rejectזָנַחנֶ֫פֶשׁself myself myנֶ֫פֶשׁסָתַרdo you hidedo you hide?סָתַרפָּנֶהface yourface yourפָּנֶהמִן־from mefrom meמִן־הָיָהto beto beהָיָהנָפַשׁbe refreshbe refreshedנָפַשׁפָּנָהCorner (GaCorner (Gate)פָּנָהמֵןstringstringמֵןכָּ֫כָהthusthusכָּ֫כָהפָּעַלto workto workפָּעַלנְאֻםutteranceutteranceנְאֻםצָבָאarmyarmyצָבָאנֵ֫צַחperpetuityperpetuityנֵ֫צַחאָדוֹןLordLordאָדוֹןבָּקַשׁto seekto seekבָּקַשׁחַיalivealiveחַיפָּנֶהfacefaceפָּנֶהאַףfacefaceאַףסָתַרto hideto hideסָתַרנוּסto fleeto fleeנוּסרָחַקto removeto removeרָחַקיָתַרto remainto remainיָתַר
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 88:14

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.

why? O Yahweh do you reject self my do you hide? face your from me
לָמָ֣הla.Mah why? H4100 Preposition · pronoun
753× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This Hebrew word means what or how, often used to ask questions or express surprise, like in Genesis when God asks Adam what he has done. It can also mean why or when, and is used in various ways throughout the Old Testament. It appears in many KJV translations, including how or what.
Tyndale gloss
what?
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

מָה (mah) is a Hebrew word primarily used as an interrogative particle meaning 'what?' or 'how?'. It can also function as an indefinite pronoun, encompassing meanings like 'anything' or 'whatever'. The word is versatile, appearing in various adverbial forms and often used with prefixes to express different nuances, such as reason or manner.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

מָה, rarely מָה־, מַה־, מַה‍ּ, מֶה, מַ‍ּ, מָ—pron.interrog. and indef. what? how? aught

interrog. what?

Used adverbially

Indef. pron.

With preps.

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H4100 מָה, rarely מָה־, מַה־, מַה‍ּ, מֶה, מַ‍ּ, מָ—pron. interrog. and indef. what? how? aught . interrog. what?

. Used adverbially

. Indef. pron.

. With preps.

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

4100 mah maw

or mah {mah}; or ma {maw}; or ma {mah}; also meh {meh}; a

primitive particle; properly, interrogative what? (including

how? why? when?); but also exclamation, what! (including

how!), or indefinitely what (including whatever, and even

relatively, that which); often used with prefixes in various

adverbial or conjunctive senses:--how (long, oft, (-

soever)), (no-)thing, what (end, good, purpose, thing),

whereby(-fore, -in, -to, -with), (for) why.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

מָה (mah) — what?.

interr pron

1) what, how, of what kind

1a) (interrogative)

1a1) what?

1a2) of what kind

1a3) what? (rhetorical)

1a4) whatsoever, whatever, what

1b) (adverb)

1b1) how, how now

1b2) why

1b3) how! (exclamation)

1c) (with prep)

1c1) wherein?, whereby?, wherewith?, by what means?

1c2) because of what?

1c3) the like of what?

1c3a) how much?, how many?, how often?

1c3b) for how long?

1c4) for what reason?, why?, to what purpose?

1c5) until when?, how long?, upon what?, wherefore?

indef pron

2) anything, aught, what may

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
HR/Pi — Preposition · pronoun
HR/Pi
The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
why? O Yahweh do you reject self my do you hide? face your from me
יְ֭הוָהYah.weh O 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.
Amplified meaning
Yehovah
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
N-proper — Noun proper
HNpt
The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
why? O Yahweh do you reject self my do you hide? face your from me
תִּזְנַ֣חtiz.Nach do you reject H2186 Verb · Qal · imperfect second person masculine singular
20× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
To stink or be rejected is the meaning of this Hebrew word. It's used in the Bible to describe something that's disgusting or unwanted, like in the book of Psalm 38:5. The KJV translates it as 'cast away' or 'remove far away'.
Tyndale gloss
to reject
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

זָנַח (zanach) is a Hebrew verb that primarily means to reject or spurn, with nuances of casting off or forsaking. It also has a secondary meaning related to emitting a stench, as noted in Isaiah 19:6. The word is built from a primitive root, indicating a strong sense of pushing aside or removing.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

זָנַח vb. reject, spurn

Qal reject

Hiph. (late) reject

base

[זָנַח] stink, emit stench;—only Hiph. Is 19:6

ref

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H2186a זָנַח reject, spurn H2186b זָנַח stink, emit stench

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

2186 zanach zaw-nakh'

a primitive root meaning to push aside, i.e. reject, forsake,

fail:--cast away (off), remove far away (off).

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

זָנַח (za.nach) — to reject.

1) to cast off, reject, spurn

1a) (Qal) to reject

1b) (Hiphil) to forcefully reject someone

זָנַח (za.nach) — to stink.

1) to stink, emit stench, become odious

1a) (Hiphil) stink (perfect)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
HVqi2ms — Verb · Qal · imperfect second person masculine singular
HVqi2ms
why? O Yahweh do you reject self my do you hide? face your from me
נַפְשִׁ֑יnaf.Shi self my H5315 Noun common feminine singular construct · suffix
754× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
The Hebrew word for soul or living being, used in the Bible to describe the essence of a person or animal. It encompasses the ideas of life, breath, and vitality, and is translated as 'soul' or 'creature' in the KJV. This word is central to biblical concepts of humanity and existence.
Tyndale gloss
soul
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word נֶ֫פֶשׁ (*nephesh*) broadly means 'soul' or 'living being,' encompassing concepts like life, self, person, desire, and emotion. It is derived from the root meaning 'to breathe' and signifies both physical and mental aspects of existence. The lexicons note its use in various contexts, including as the seat of appetites and emotions, though its application to will and character is uncertain.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

נֶ֫פֶשׁ 756 n.f. soul, living being, life, self, person, desire, appetite, emotion, and passion

= that which breathes, the breathing substance or being

The נפשׁ becomes a living being

The נפשׁ is specif.

The נפשׁ as the essential of man stands for the man himself

נפשׁ = seat of the appetites, in all periods (46 t.)

נ׳ = seat of emotions and passions

נפשׁ is used occasionally for mental acts

נפשׁ for acts of the will is dub.

נפשׁ = character is still more dub.

נ׳ in D

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H5315 נֶ֫פֶשׁ soul, living being, life, self, person, desire, appetite, emotion, and passion . = that which breathes, the breathing substance or being

. The נפשׁ becomes a living being

. The נפשׁ is specif.

. The נפשׁ as the essential of man stands for the man himself

. נפשׁ = seat of the appetites, in all periods (46 t.)

. נ׳ = seat of emotions and passions

. נפשׁ is used occasionally for mental acts

. נפשׁ for acts of the will is dub.

. נפשׁ = character is still more dub.

. נ׳ in D

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

5315 nephesh neh'-fesh

from 5314; properly, a breathing creature, i.e. animal of

(abstractly) vitality; used very widely in a literal,

accommodated or figurative sense (bodily or mental):--any,

appetite, beast, body, breath, creature, X dead(-ly), desire,

X (dis-)contented, X fish, ghost, + greedy, he, heart(-y),

(hath, X jeopardy of) life (X in jeopardy), lust, man, me,

mind, mortally, one, own, person, pleasure, (her-, him-, my-,

thy-)self, them (your)-selves, + slay, soul, + tablet, they,

thing, (X she) will, X would have it.

see HEBREW for 05314

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

נֶ֫פֶשׁ (ne.phesh) — soul.

1) soul, self, life, creature, person, appetite, mind, living being, desire, emotion, passion

1a) that which breathes, the breathing substance or being, soul, the inner being of man

1b) living being

1c) living being (with life in the blood)

1d) the man himself, self, person or individual

1e) seat of the appetites

1f) seat of emotions and passions

1g) activity of mind

1g1) uncertain

1h) activity of the will

1h1) uncertain

1i) activity of the character

1i1) uncertain

נֶ֫פֶשׁ (ne.phesh) — soul: life.

1) soul, self, life, creature, person, appetite, mind, living being, desire, emotion, passion

1a) that which breathes, the breathing substance or being, soul, the inner being of man

1b) living being

1c) living being (with life in the blood)

1d) the man himself, self, person or individual

1e) seat of the appetites

1f) seat of emotions and passions

1g) activity of mind

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Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
HNcfsc/Sp1bs — Noun common feminine singular construct · suffix
HNcfsc/Sp1bs
why? O Yahweh do you reject self my do you hide? face your from me
תַּסְתִּ֖ירtas.Tir do you hide? H5641 Verb · Hiphil · imperfect second person masculine singular
81× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This word means to hide or conceal something, like covering it up. It can also mean to keep something secret or hidden from others, as in Psalm 27:5.
Tyndale gloss
to hide
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

סָתַר (sa.tar) is a Hebrew verb meaning to hide or conceal. It encompasses various forms, including hiding oneself, being hidden, and carefully concealing something or someone. The entries indicate its use in different grammatical aspects, such as the Niphal, Piel, Pual, Hiphil, and Hithpael stems. The Aramaic equivalent is noted as סְתַר.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

סָתַר vb. hide, conceal

Niph.

hide oneself

be hid, concealed

Pi. Imv. carefully hide (i.e. shelter) the outcasts

Pu. Pt. love carefully concealed

Hithp. hide oneself carefully

Hiph. conceal, hide

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H5641 סָתַר hide, conceal . . hide oneself

. be hid, concealed

. Imv. carefully hide (i.e. shelter) the outcasts

. Pt. love carefully concealed

. hide oneself carefully

. conceal, hide

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

5641 cathar saw-thar'

a primitive root; to hide (by covering), literally or

figuratively:--be absent, keep close, conceal, hide (self),

(keep) secret, X surely.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

סָתַר (sa.tar) — to hide.

1) to hide, conceal

1a) (Niphal)

1a1) to hide oneself

1a2) to be hidden, be concealed

1b) (Piel) to hide carefully

1c) (Pual) to be hidden carefully, be concealed

1d) (Hiphil) to conceal, hide

1e) (Hithpael) to hide oneself carefully

Aramaic equivalent: se.tar (סְתַר "to hide" H5642A)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
HVhi2ms — Verb · Hiphil · imperfect second person masculine singular
HVhi2ms
why? O Yahweh do you reject self my do you hide? face your from me
פָּנֶ֣יךָpa.Nei.kha face your 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)

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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…

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Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
HNcmpc/Sp2ms — Noun common masculine plural construct · suffix
HNcmpc/Sp2ms
The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
why? O Yahweh do you reject self my do you hide? face your from me
מִמֶּֽנִּי׃mi.Me.ni from me H4480 Preposition · suffix
1,189× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This Hebrew word means a portion or part of something, and is often used to show the relationship between things, like from or out of something.
Tyndale gloss
from
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

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

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

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

with verbs expressing (or implying) separation or removal

from, against

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

of position, off, on the side of, on

Out of, Gk. ἐκ, Lat. ex

Partitively

Of time—

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

as marking the period immediately succeeding the limit after

towards, to

(וְעַד) עַד … מִן from … even to

In comparisons, beyond, above

מן is prefixed to an infin.:

with causal force, from, on account of, through

after verbs implying restraint, prevention, cessation, etc.

with a temporal force, since, after

Once as a conj. before a finite verb. that

In compounds:

base

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Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

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

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

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

. Out of, Gk. ἐκ, Lat. ex

. Partitively

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

. as marking the period immediately succeeding the limit after

. towards, to

. (וְעַד) עַד … מִן from … even to

. In comparisons, beyond, above

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

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

. with a temporal force, since, after

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

Read the full entry →
Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

4480 min min

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

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

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

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

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

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

see HEBREW for 04482

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

מִן־ (min) — from.

prep

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

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

1b) out of

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

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

1b3) (of source or origin)

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

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

1e) than, more than (in comparison)

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

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

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

conj

2) that

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

מֵן (men) — portion.

n.m.

portion

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
HR/Sp1bs — Preposition · suffix
HR/Sp1bs
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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