Menu

Psalms 89:11 — Word Study

Depth

WLCלְךָ֣ שָׁ֭מַיִם אַף־ לְךָ֥ אָ֑רֶץ תֵּבֵ֥ל וּ֝מְלֹאָ֗הּ אַתָּ֥ה יְסַדְתָּֽם׃

BSAYouʼattâh

Word
Listen & take awayPsalms 89
English ↓ Download MP3 The Berean Standard Bible chapter audio already hosted for the site's Bible section — verse 11 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 (ye.sad.Tam) — no per-word recordings of the Hebrew exist to link to.
Take it away
Psalms 89:11quick helps
In a sentenceGod declares ownership of both the heavens and the earth, emphasizing His role as Creator.
Who is speakingThe psalmist, acknowledging God's sovereignty over all creation.
Where we areIn a psalm celebrating God's faithfulness and power.
The hard wordיְסַדְתָּֽם
Take awayEverything in creation belongs to God; He is the one who established it.
8 commentators on this verse Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them › clause subjectכְּ 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 89:11

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 — God's Sovereignty Over Creationgenerated

10You crushed Rahab like a carcass; You scattered Your enemies with Your mighty arm.
11The heavens are Yours, and also the earth. The earth and its fullness You founded.
12North and south You created; Tabor and Hermon shout for joy at Your name.
13Mighty is Your arm; strong is Your hand. Your right hand is exalted.

Psalm 89:11 emphasizes God's ownership of both the heavens and the earth. The psalmist reflects on God's power in creation, stating that everything in the world belongs to Him. This verse is part of a larger context that praises God's might and faithfulness, reminding the reader of His authority over all things, as seen in the preceding and following verses.


Cross References

ReferenceText (BSB)
1Psalm 24:1–2The earth is the LORD’s, and the fullness thereof, the world and all who dwell therein.
2Psalm 50:12If I were hungry, I would not tell you, for the world is Mine, and the fullness thereof.
3Psalm 115:16The highest heavens belong to the LORD, but the earth He has given to mankind.
4Genesis 1:1In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.
5Genesis 2:1Thus the heavens and the earth were completed in all their vast array.

The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 8 references, hung on the phrase they belong to

The heavens are thine, the earth also is thine: as for the world and the fulness thereof, thou hast founded them.Psalm 24:1–2 Psalm 50:12 Psalm 115:16 Genesis 1:1 Genesis 2:1 1 Chronicles 29:11 Job 41:11 1 Corinthians 10:26–28

The Key Word יְסַדְתָּֽם, ye.sad.Tamgenerated

The verb יָסַד (*yacad*) means 'to establish' or 'to found.' It conveys the idea of laying a foundation or creating something with purpose. The parsing indicates that this is a perfect form in the second person masculine singular, showing that God is the one who has actively established the earth and its fullness.

This word carries a sense of permanence and authority, indicating that God's act of founding is not just a one-time event but an ongoing reality. It highlights His role as the Creator who has set the world in place and continues to uphold it.


How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated

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


Sentence Structuregenerated

The finite verb יְסַדְתָּֽם governs the entire verse, with two main subjects: שָׁ֭מַיִם and אָ֑רֶץ. The structure indicates that both the heavens and the earth are under God's dominion, with a clear emphasis on His role as the founder of all creation.

The Hebrew word order places the subjects first, emphasizing their importance as the things that belong to God, followed by the action of founding, which ties together the concepts of ownership and creation.


Septuagint Backgroundgenerated

The Septuagint translates יְסַדְתָּֽם with the Greek word ἐταπείνωσας, which means 'you humbled' or 'you brought low.' This choice suggests a different nuance, focusing on God's authority and power over creation rather than simply establishing it.

This translation reflects a broader interpretation of God's relationship to the earth and its fullness, emphasizing His sovereignty in a way that may resonate with a Hellenistic audience.


In plain words — the whole versegenerated

Psalm 89:11 states that the heavens and the earth belong to God. He is the one who created and established everything in the world. This verse highlights God's power and authority over all creation.


Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated

What does it mean that the heavens and earth belong to God?

It signifies that God is the Creator and Owner of all things, having established the heavens and the earth according to His will.

How does this verse reflect God's power?

By stating that He founded the earth and its fullness, it emphasizes His authority and ability to create and sustain all things.

What is the significance of the word 'founded'?

The word 'founded' indicates that God has laid a strong foundation for creation, establishing it with purpose and intent.

How does this verse connect to other scriptures?

This verse relates to other passages that speak of God's creation, such as Genesis 1:1, which also affirms God as the Creator of the heavens and the earth.


Reflection Questionsgenerated

  1. In what ways do I see God's hand in the creation around me?
  2. How can I acknowledge God's ownership over my life and the world?
  3. What does it mean for me to recognize God as the founder of all things?
  4. How can I reflect God's authority in my own actions and decisions?

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

Augustine of Hippo references this verse to highlight God's ownership of creation, illustrating the relationship between God and the world He created.

Augustine of HippoExposition on Psalms 89 354–430
"The heavens are yours, the earth also is Yours" [Psalms 89:11]. From You, over Your earth they rain.
Early Church Fathers on Psalms 89 →

Commentators on this verse — 8 expositors, verse by verse

Each of these wrote on Psalms 89:11 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.

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

The heavens are thine,.... They are made and inhabited by him, they are the work of his hands, and the seat of his majesty, and the throne of his glory; the angels of heaven are his, his creatures

Read John Gill on Psalms 89 →
Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's Commentary

And the heavens shall praise thy wonders, O LORD: thy faithfulness also in the congregation of the saints.

Read Robert Jamieson on Psalms 89 →
Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy Bible

The fulness thereof; all the creatures wherewith it is replenished, as 50:12. Thou hast founded them; they are all thy creatures, and therefore wholly subject to thy power and pleasure; and therefore all the monarchs and kingdoms of the earth cannot hinder thee from making good thy promise to the house and kingdom of David.

Read Matthew Poole on Psalms 89 →
John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

Psalms 89:11 The heavens [are] thine, the earth also [is] thine: [as for] the world and the fulness thereof, thou hast founded them.Ver. 11. The heavens are thine, the earth also is thine] Thou madest them by thy power, and thou maintainest them by thy providence; thou doest whatsoever thou wilt in both, Psalms 115:3. As for the world, &c.] See Psalms 24:1; Psalms 50:12.

Read John Trapp on Psalms 89 →
Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(8-13) Not only is God incomparable in heaven, He is also the only mighty and lofty one in nature or history.

Read Charles John Ellicott on Psalms 89 →
AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible

Verse 11. The heavens are thine] Thou art the Governor of all things, and the Disposer of all events. The world] The terraqueous globe. And the fullness] All the generations of men. Thou hast founded them-thou hast made them, and dost sustain them. After this verse, the Editio Princeps of the Hebrew Bible, printed at Soncini, 1488, adds: - לילה לך אף יום לך lailah lecha aph yom lecha ושמש מאור הכינות אתה vashamesh maor hachinotha attah To thee is the day; also to thee is the night: Thou hast prepared the light and the sun. But these same words are found in Psalms 74:16.

Read AdamClarke on Psalms 89 →
CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

11. THINE are the heavens, THINE also the earth: The world and the fulness thereof, THOU hast founded them. Cp. Psalms 24:1-2; Psalms 50:12; Psalms 78:69; Job 38:4; Proverbs 3:19.

Read Cambridge on Psalms 89 →
Albert Barnes1798–1870Barnes' Notes on the Bible

The heavens are thine - Are thy work; and, therefore, thy property - the highest conception of property being that which is derived from creation.

Read Albert Barnes on Psalms 89 →

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

The heavens are Yours, and also the earth. The earth and its fullness You founded.

WEBWorld English Bible2000

The heavens are yours. The earth also is yours, the world and its fullness. You have founded them.

MSBMajority Standard Bible2022

The heavens are Yours, and also the earth. The earth and its fullness You founded.

NETBNew English Translation2006

The heavens belong to you, as does the earth. You made the world and all it contains.

Tyndale line

KJVKing James Version1611

The heavens are thine, the earth also is thine: as for the world and the fulness thereof, thou hast founded them.

ASVAmerican Standard Version1901

The heavens are thine, the earth also is thine: The world and the fulness thereof, thou hast founded them.

RVARevised Version, American1894

The heavens are thine, the earth also is thine: the world and the fulness thereof, thou hast founded them.

NWBWebster's Bible1833

The heavens are thine, the earth also is thine: as for the world, and the fullness of it, thou hast founded them.

GNVGeneva Bible1599

The heauens are thine, the earth also is thine: thou hast layde the foundation of the world, and all that therein is.

Strictly literal

DBYDarby Translation1890

Thine are the heavens, the earth also is thine; the world and its fulness, thou hast founded them.

YLTYoung's Literal Translation1862

Thine [are] the heavens — the earth also [is] Thine, The habitable world and its fulness, Thou hast founded them.

LSVLiteral Standard Version2020

The heavens [are] Yours, || The earth [is] also Yours, || The habitable world and its fullness, || You have founded them.

ILTInterlinear Literal Translation2000

(89:12) Thine are the heavens, also thine is the earth: as for the world and what filleth it, thou hast founded them.

ULBUnlocked Literal Bible2017

The heavens belong to you, and the earth also. You made the world and all it contains.

From the Latin

DRADouay-Rheims (Challoner)1899

Who knoweth the power of thy anger, and for thy fear

Simplified

FBVFree Bible Version2020

The heavens belong to you, and the earth too; you made the world and everything in it.

BBEBible in Basic English1949

Yours are the heavens, and the earth is yours; you have made the world, and everything which is in it.

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.

clauseprepositional phrase · predicateלְ[belongs].toךָ֣yousubjectשָׁ֭מַיִםheavenclauseprepositional phrase · predicateאַףalsoprepositional phraseלְ[belongs].toךָ֥yousubjectאָ֑רֶץ[the].earthclauseclausenoun phraseתֵּבֵ֥ל[the].worldוּ֝andnoun phraseמְלֹאָ֗whatהּfills.itclausesubjectאַתָּ֥הyouverbיְסַדְתָּֽyouobjectםfounded.them

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


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

The Masoretic Text aligns closely with the Septuagint, with 7 of the 9 words matched. While the wording differs, the essential meaning of God's ownership and foundational role remains consistent across both texts.

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

לְךָ֣ שָׁ֭מַיִם אַף־ לְךָ֥ אָ֑רֶץ תֵּבֵ֥ל וּ֝מְלֹאָ֗הּ אַתָּ֥ה יְסַדְתָּֽם׃

Septuagintthe Greek the translators chose, word by word
לְךָ֣ἐταπείνωσαςשָׁ֭מַיִםὡςאַף־τραυματίανלְךָ֥ἐνאָ֑רֶץβραξίονιוּ֝מְלֹאָ֗הּἐξθρούςאַתָּ֥הσου

7 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 89:11ךָּ[belongs] t[belongs] to yoךָּשָׁמַיheavenheavenשָׁמַיאַףalsoalsoאַףךָּ[belongs] t[belongs] to yoךָּאֶ֫רֶץ[the] earth[the] earthאֶ֫רֶץתֵּבֵל[the] world[the] worldתֵּבֵלמְלֹאand what fiand what fills מְלֹאאַתָּ֫הyouyouאַתָּ֫היָסַדyou foundedyou founded theיָסַדיָבַלto conductto conductיָבַלמָלֵאto fillto fillמָלֵאבַּלnotnotבַּלעוֹףbirdbirdעוֹףכּוֹכָבstarstarכּוֹכָבכְּנַ֫עַןCanaanCanaanכְּנַ֫עַןמִצְרַ֫יִם(Sea of) E(Sea of) Egyptמִצְרַ֫יִםמְלֹאfullnessfullnessמְלֹאחֹ֫פֶןpalmpalmחֹ֫פֶןרָעַםto thunderto thunderרָעַםיָרַשׁto possessto possess: posיָרַשׁיָקָרpreciouspreciousיָקָרהֵיכָלtempletempleהֵיכָל
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 89:11

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.

[belongs] to you heaven also [belongs] to you [the] earth [the] world and what fills it you you founded them
לְךָ֣le.Kha [belongs] 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
HRd/Sp2ms — Preposition · suffix
HRd/Sp2ms
[belongs] to you heaven also [belongs] to you [the] earth [the] world and what fills it you you founded them
שָׁ֭מַיִםSha.ma.yim heaven H8064 Noun common · masculine plural absolute
421× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
The Hebrew word for heaven or sky, it refers to the visible universe and the abode of God. It is often used in the Bible to describe the dwelling place of celestial bodies.
Tyndale gloss
heaven
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word שָׁמַיִם (*shamayim*) is a dual noun meaning 'heavens' or 'sky.' It refers to the visible heavens where celestial bodies are found, as well as the abode of God. The dual form may suggest both the arch of the sky and the higher ether. It is noted in contexts such as Elijah's ascent in a whirlwind.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

[שָׁמַי] n.m. only pl. שָׁמַיִם 421 heavens, sky

visible heavens, sky, where stars, etc., are

phrases

as abode of God

Elijah taken up הַשּׁ׳ in whirlwind

הַשּׁ׳ personified in various relations

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H8064 שָׁמַי only pl. שָׁמַיִם heavens, sky . . visible heavens, sky, where stars, etc., are

. phrases

. . as abode of God

. Elijah taken up הַשּׁ׳ in whirlwind

. הַשּׁ׳ personified in various relations

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

8064 shamayim shaw-mah'-yim

dual of an unused singular shameh {shaw-meh'}; from an unused

root meaning to be lofty; the sky (as aloft; the dual perhaps

alluding to the visible arch in which the clouds move, as well

as to the higher ether where the celestial bodies

revolve):--air, X astrologer, heaven(-s).

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

שָׁמַיִם (sha.ma.yim) — heaven.

1) heaven, heavens, sky

1a) visible heavens, sky

1a1) as abode of the stars

1a2) as the visible universe, the sky, atmosphere, etc

1b) Heaven (as the abode of God)

Aramaic equivalent: sha.ma.yin (שָׁמַ֫יִן "heaven" H8065)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
HNcmpa — Noun common · masculine plural absolute
HNcmpa
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

hev'-'n.

See ASTRONOMY.

Easton's Bible Dictionary

Heaven

(1.) Definitions. The phrase “heaven and earth” is used to indicate the whole universe (Gen. 1:1; Jer. 23:24; Acts 17:24). According to the Jewish notion there were three heavens,

(a) The firmament, as “fowls of the heaven” (Gen. 2:19; 7:3, 23; Ps. 8:8, etc.), “the eagles of heaven” (Lam. 4:19), etc.

(b) The starry heavens (Deut. 17:3; Jer. 8:2; Matt. 24:29).

Smith's Bible Dictionary

There are four Hebrew words thus rendered in the Old Testament which we may briefly notice. Raki’a , Authorized Version, firmament. [FIRMAMENT] Shamayim . This is the word used in the expression "the heaven and the earth," or "the upper and lower regions." (Genesis 1:1) Marom , used for heaven in (Psalms 18:16; Isaiah 24:18; Jeremiah 25:30). Properly speaking it means a mountain as in (Psalms 102:19; Ezekiel 17:23) Shechakim , "expanses," with reference to the extent of heaven. (33:26; Job 35:5) St. Paul’s expression "third heaven," (

[belongs] to you heaven also [belongs] to you [the] earth [the] world and what fills it you you founded them
אַף־'af- also H637 Particle
134× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
The Hebrew word for 'also' or 'addition', used to connect ideas or show a relationship between them, as seen in Genesis and Exodus. It can also mean 'though' or 'yet', indicating a contrast. This word is often used to add emphasis or provide more information.
Tyndale gloss
also
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word אַף (aph) is a conjunction that indicates addition, often implying something greater. It can mean 'also,' 'yea,' or 'though,' and is used to connect ideas in a sentence. The entries highlight its use as both an adverb and conjunction, with a focus on its additive nature.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

אַף conj. denoting addition, esp. of something greater, also, yea

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H637 אַף conj. denoting addition, esp. of something greater, also, yea

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

637 'aph af

a primitive particle; meaning accession (used as an adverb or

conjunction); also or yea; adversatively though:--also, +

although, and (furthermore, yet), but, even, + how much less

(more, rather than), moreover, with, yea.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

אַף (aph) — also.

conj (denoting addition, esp of something greater)

1) also, yea, though, so much the more

adv

2) furthermore, indeed

Aramaic equivalent: aph (אַף "also" H0638)

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

ol'-so: In the Greek kai, when it is equivalent to "also" or "even," is always placed before the word or phrase which it is intended to emphasize (e.g. Ac 12:3; 1 Joh 4:21). Mt 6:14 should therefore read, "Your heavenly Father will forgive you also"; Lu 6:13, "Whom also he named apostles"; Heb 8:6, "The mediator of a better covenant also"; and 1Th 4:14, `If we believe that Jesus died and rose again, so also (we believe that) those who are fallen asleep in Jesus, God will bring with Him.'

[belongs] to you heaven also [belongs] to you [the] earth [the] world and what fills it you you founded them
לְךָ֥le.Kha [belongs] 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
[belongs] to you heaven also [belongs] to you [the] earth [the] world and what fills it you you founded them
אָ֑רֶץ'A.retz [the] earth H776 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'.
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
HNcfsa — Noun common · feminine singular absolute
HNcfsa
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

[belongs] to you heaven also [belongs] to you [the] earth [the] world and what fills it you you founded them
תֵּבֵ֥לte.Vel [the] world H8398 Noun common · feminine singular absolute
36× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
The Hebrew word for world, it refers to the earth and its inhabitants. In the Bible, it's used to describe the world God created, like in Psalm 24, which says the earth belongs to God.
Tyndale gloss
world
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

תֵּבֵל (tebel) means 'world' and is derived from a root meaning 'to be moist.' It refers to the earth as a habitable place, encompassing both the globe and its inhabitants, and can specifically denote regions like Babylonia and Palestine. The entries consistently highlight its connection to the concept of a productive, inhabited land.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

תֵּבֵל n.f. world (perh. orig. as productive)

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H8398 תֵּבֵל world

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

8398 tebel tay-bale'

from 2986; the earth (as moist and therefore inhabited); by

extension, the globe; by implication, its inhabitants;

specifically, a partic. land, as Babylonia,

Palestine:--habitable part, world.

see HEBREW for 02986

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

תֵּבֵל (te.vel) — world.

world

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
HNcfsa — Noun common · feminine singular absolute
HNcfsa
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
American Tract Society Bible Dictionary

The earth on which we dwell, 1Sa 2:8; its inhabitants, Joh 3:16, or a large number of them, Joh 12:19. In several places it is equivalent to "land," meaning the Roman Empire, or Judea and its vicinity, Lu 2:1 4:3 Ac 11:28. It also denotes the objects and interests of time and sense, Ga 6:14 1Jo 2:15.

Nave's Topical Bible

→ See EARTH

[belongs] to you heaven also [belongs] to you [the] earth [the] world and what fills it you you founded them
וּ֝מְלֹאָ֗הּu.me.lo.'Ah and what fills it H4393 Conjunction · noun common masculine singular construct · suffix
38× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
Fullness means having everything that is needed, like a full container or a complete amount. It can also mean a large quantity, like a multitude of things.
Tyndale gloss
fullness
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

מְלֹא (melo') refers to 'fulness' or 'that which fills.' It encompasses various meanings, including a handful, mass, or multitude. The term appears in contexts that highlight both literal and figurative senses of fullness, such as in Ezekiel 41:8. There are no significant disagreements among the lexicons regarding its meanings.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

מְלֹא, [מְלוֹא] n.m. fulness, that which fills

fulness of hand (= handful)

mass of shepherds; multitude of nations

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H4393 מְלֹא, מְלוֹא fulness, that which fills

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

4393 mlo' mel-o'

rarely mlowf {mel-o'}; or mlow (Ezekiel 41:8), {mel-o'}; from

4390; fulness (literally or figuratively):--X all along, X

all that is (there-)in, fill, (X that whereof...was) full,

fulness, (hand- )full, multitude.

see HEBREW for 04390

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

מְלֹא (me.lo) — fullness.

1) fulness, that which fills

1a) fulness, handful

1b) mass, multitude

1c) fulness, that which fills, entire contents

1d) full length, full line

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
HC/Ncmsc/Sp3fs — Conjunction · noun common masculine singular construct · suffix
HC/Ncmsc/Sp3fs
[belongs] to you heaven also [belongs] to you [the] earth [the] world and what fills it you you founded them
אַתָּ֥ה'a.Tah you H859 Pronoun
1,094× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
You is the translation of a Hebrew word used to address someone directly, like when God says you to someone in the Bible. It can be singular or plural, and is often translated as thee, thou, or ye.
Tyndale gloss
you(m.s.)
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

אַתָּ֫ה (attah) is a second-person pronoun in Hebrew, used to address someone directly. It has masculine and feminine forms: אַתָּה for singular masculine, אַתְּ for singular feminine, אַתֶּם for plural masculine, and אַתֵּן for plural feminine. The entries indicate variations in form and usage, reflecting the pronoun's grammatical complexity.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

אַתָּ֫ה, אָ֑תָּה pron. 2 s. m. thou

base

אתי, i.e. אתִּי, the older & more original form of אַתְּ thou (fem.)

base

אַתְּ, אָ֑תְּ pron. 2 s. f. thou (fem.)

base

אַתֶּם pron. 2 m. pl. you (masc.)

base

אַתֵּן pron. 2 f. pl. you (fem.)

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H859a אַתָּ֫ה, אָ֑תָּה pron. 2 s. m. thou H859b אתי, i.e. אתִּי, the older & more original form of אַתְּ thou (fem.) H859c אַתְּ, אָ֑תְּ pron. 2 s. f. thou (fem.) H859d אַתֶּם pron. 2 m. pl. you (masc.) H859e אַתֵּן pron. 2 f. pl. you (fem.)

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

859 'attah at-taw'

or (shortened); aatta {at-taw'}; or wath {ath}; feminine

(irregular) sometimes nattiy {at-tee'}; plural masculine attem

{at- tem'}; feminine atten {at-ten'}; or oattenah

{at-tay'naw}; or fattennah {at-tane'-naw}; a primitive pronoun

of the second person; thou and thee, or (plural) ye and

you:--thee, thou, ye, you.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

אַתָּ֫ה (at.tah) — you(m.s.).

you (second pers. sing. masc.)

אתִּי (ti) — you(f.s.).

you (second pers. sing. fem.)

A grammatical form of at.tah (אַתָּ֫ה "you(m.s.)" H0859A)

אַתְּ (at.te) — you(f.s.).

you (second pers. sing. fem.)

A grammatical form of at.tah (אַתָּ֫ה "you(m.s.)" H0859A)

אַתֶּם (at.tem) — you(m.p.).

you (second pers. pl. masc.)

Aramaic equivalent: an.tun (אַנְתּוּן "you" H0608)

אַתֵּן (at.ten) — you(f.p.).

you (second pers. pl. fem.)

A grammatical form of at.tah (אַתָּ֫ה "you(m.s.)" H0859A)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Pron — Pronoun
HPp2ms
The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
[belongs] to you heaven also [belongs] to you [the] earth [the] world and what fills it you you founded them
יְסַדְתָּֽם׃ye.sad.Tam you founded them H3245 Verb qal perfect second person masculine singular · suffix
43× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
To found or establish something is the meaning of this Hebrew word. It also means to sit down together and consult, as in a meeting or council.
Tyndale gloss
to found
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

יָסַד (yacad) means to establish or found, with nuances of fixing and laying a foundation. It can refer to both literal and figurative settings, such as appointing or consulting. The verb appears in various forms, including Qal (to found), Niphal (to be founded), and Piel (to establish). The entries do not indicate any significant disagreement among lexicons.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

יָסַד vb. establish, found, fix

Qal found, establish

Niph.

fix or seat themselves close together, sit in conclave

be founded

Pi.

found

establish

Pu. be founded, be laid, of a foundation

Hoph. be founded

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H3245 יָסַד establish, found, fix

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

3245 yacad yaw-sad'

a primitive root; to set (literally or figuratively);

intensively, to found; reflexively, to sit down together, i.e.

settle, consult:--appoint, take counsel, establish, (lay the,

lay for a) found(-ation), instruct, lay, ordain, set, X sure.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

יָסַד (ya.sad) — to found.

1) to found, fix, establish, lay foundation

1a) (Qal) to found, establish, begin

1b) (Niphal)

1b1) to fix or seat themselves close together, sit in conclave

1b2) to be founded

1c) (Piel)

1c1) to found

1c2) to establish, appoint, ordain

1d) (Pual) to be founded, be laid

1e) (Hophal) to be founded

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
HVqp2ms/Sp3mp — Verb qal perfect second person masculine singular · suffix
HVqp2ms/Sp3mp
Sources on this page. Lexicons and dictionaries imported from the CrossWire SWORD modules — Abbott-Smith, Strong's, Dodson, the Intermediate Liddell-Scott-Jones, Robinson and Packard, Webster and Cawdrey. Thayer’s Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament (Harper, 1889 — Grimm’s Wilke’s Clavis Novi Testamenti, translated, revised and enlarged by Joseph Henry Thayer) is public domain and is set here from the Internet Archive page scan greekenglishlex00grim; it is uncorrected OCR, marked as such on the entry itself, and the Strong’s numbers — which Thayer’s own edition does not carry — were matched by lemma against the other modules on this page. Trench’s Synonyms of the New Testament (Macmillan, 1880) and Moulton and Milligan’s Vocabulary of the Greek Testament (Hodder & Stoughton, 1930, which entered the United States public domain on 1 January 2026) are set from Internet Archive page scans synonymsofnewtes00treniala and vocabularyofgree00mouluoft, and are likewise uncorrected OCR matched to Strong’s numbers by lemma. Trench treats a group of words at once, so the same essay stands on the page of each word it compares. The Mounce Concise Greek-English Dictionary is © 1993 and is used here by permission for non-commercial use, www.teknia.com/greek-dictionary. The full Liddell-Scott-Jones and the Hebrew word data (TAHOT) come from STEPBible.org, CC BY 4.0. Brown-Driver-Briggs is the OpenScriptures digitisation, public domain. Syntax analysis is the Nestle 1904 Lowfat treebank (biblicalhumanities.org); the concordance and morphology are built from the tagged Nestle 1904 text. Septuagint occurrences use the Open Scriptures Septuagint lemma index, derived from CCAT (University of Pennsylvania) and the Rahlfs 1935 dataset by Eliran Wong, CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 — used here on a non-commercial ministry site. Greek of Josephus and Barnabas from the Perseus Digital Library, CC BY-SA 4.0. Commentaries and the Ante-Nicene Fathers are public-domain texts hosted on this site. Everyday Greek from the Duke Databank of Documentary Papyri, CC BY 3.0, with dates and provenance from the Heidelberger Gesamtverzeichnis. Philo and the Apostolic Fathers from Open Greek and Latin (First1KGreek), CC BY-SA 4.0. The apparatus and the fifth Greek column are the SBL Greek New Testament, © 2010 SBL and Logos Bible Software, CC BY 4.0. The Latin is the Clementine Vulgate (public domain); the Syriac New Testament is the ETCBC edition (MIT licence). The Hebrew behind the Greek is computed here from the Septuagint index and TAHOT, not taken from any aligned edition. The translation spread and the per-word edition marks come from the Translators Amalgamated Greek NT (STEPBible, CC BY 4.0); clause roles from the Nestle 1904 Lowfat treebank (CC BY-SA 4.0); place identifications and their confidence from OpenBible.info Bible Geocoding (CC BY 4.0), with map tiles © OpenStreetMap contributors. Gospel parallels are computed here from shared uncommon vocabulary, not taken from any printed harmony. Cross references are the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge and the subject headings are Nave’s Topical Bible, both public domain. Works under Creative Commons licences are used unchanged apart from markup removal.

Everything we make is available for free because of a generous community of supporters.

Donate