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Song of Solomon 4:16 — Word Study

Depth

WLCע֤וּרִי צָפוֹן֙ וּב֣וֹאִי תֵימָ֔ן הָפִ֥יחִי גַנִּ֖י יִזְּל֣וּ בְשָׂמָ֑יו יָבֹ֤א דוֹדִי֙ לְגַנּ֔וֹ וְיֹאכַ֖ל פְּרִ֥י מְגָדָֽיו׃

BSAAwakeʻûwr [rouse, stir into action] O north windtsâphôwn [Zaphon, the northern direction] and comebôwʼ [approach, enter] O south windtêymân [the southern direction] Breathe onpûwach [blow, fan] my gardengan [enclosed area] and spread the fragrancenâzal [sweet perfume, aroma] of its spicesbesem [balsam, pleasant smells] Let my beloveddôwd [loved one, dear uncle] comebôwʼ into his gardengan [private, intimate area] and tasteʼâkal [eat, devour] its choicestmeged [most excellent, precious] fruitspᵉrîy [products, results]

Word
Listen & take awaySong of Solomon 4
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 (me.ga.Dav) — no per-word recordings of the Hebrew exist to link to.
Take it away
Song of Solomon 4:16quick helps
In a sentenceThe speaker calls on the winds to awaken and breathe life into her garden, inviting her beloved to enjoy its fruits.
Who is speakingA woman, expressing her desire for her beloved to come and experience her garden.
Where we areIn a poetic dialogue reflecting intimacy and longing, set within the Song of Solomon.
The hard wordע֤וּרִי
Take awayThe imagery evokes a sense of awakening and the beauty of love.
clause verbעוּר 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 — Song of Solomon 4:16

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 — The Garden of Lovegenerated

13Your branches are an orchard of pomegranates with the choicest of fruits, with henna and nard,
14with nard and saffron, with calamus and cinnamon, with every kind of frankincense tree, with myrrh and aloes, with all the finest spices.
15You are a garden spring, a well of fresh water flowing down from Lebanon.
16Awake, O north wind, and come, O south wind. Breathe on my garden and spread the fragrance of its spices. Let my beloved come into his garden and taste its choicest fruits.

Song of Solomon 4:16 depicts a passionate plea for the winds to awaken and enliven the garden, symbolizing the beauty and intimacy of love. The speaker desires her beloved to enter her garden, a metaphor for her heart, and enjoy the delights it offers. This verse emphasizes the themes of love, desire, and the natural world, reflecting the deep connection between the lovers.


The Key Word ע֤וּרִי, 'U.rigenerated

The verb עוּר ('uwr) means to awaken or rouse, indicating a strong call to action. It is used in various contexts to denote stirring someone from sleep or inactivity, and in this verse, it conveys the urgency and passion of the speaker's desire for her beloved.

The parsing as a Qal imperative in the second person feminine singular highlights the direct address to the winds, emphasizing the speaker's authority and longing. This word captures the essence of awakening not just physically, but also emotionally and spiritually.


How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated

The translations agree on the imperative call to the winds, with Awake (BSB, KJV, ASV) and Come (YLT, WEB, BBE) reflecting the same urgency and invitation.


Sentence Structuregenerated

The verse consists of several clauses, with the main verb ע֤וּרִי ('uwr, Awake) leading the call to the winds. Following this, there are imperative phrases that command the north and south winds to come and breathe on the garden.

The structure emphasizes the speaker's direct appeal to the elements, creating a vivid image of nature responding to her desires. The use of imperatives throughout conveys urgency and intimacy.


Septuagint Backgroundgenerated

The Septuagint translates ע֤וּרִי as ἐχεγέρθητι (echegertheti), which also means 'to awaken.' This choice maintains the imperative nature of the call, reflecting the same urgency and desire found in the Hebrew.

The translation of צָפוֹן as βορρᾶ (borrha, 'north') aligns with the Hebrew meaning, preserving the directional imagery while adapting to the Greek context.


In plain words — the whole versegenerated

Song of Solomon 4:16 expresses a longing for the north and south winds to awaken and breathe life into the garden. The speaker invites her beloved to enter and enjoy the finest fruits. This imagery highlights themes of love and intimacy, using nature to illustrate deep emotional connections.


Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated

What does the speaker mean by calling the winds?

The speaker is invoking the north and south winds to awaken her garden, symbolizing a desire for love and intimacy.

What does the garden represent in this verse?

The garden symbolizes the speaker's heart and the intimate space she shares with her beloved.

Why is the imagery of winds significant?

Winds represent change and movement, suggesting the awakening of feelings and the stirring of passion.

What is the significance of tasting the choicest fruits?

Tasting the choicest fruits signifies enjoying the best aspects of love and intimacy, highlighting the richness of their relationship.


Reflection Questionsgenerated

  1. How does the imagery of nature enhance the themes of love and intimacy in this verse?
  2. What personal experiences can I relate to the longing expressed in this passage?
  3. In what ways can I cultivate the 'garden' of my own heart to share with others?
  4. How does the call to the winds reflect the urgency of my own desires and passions?

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

Awake, O north wind, and come, O south wind. Breathe on my garden and spread the fragrance of its spices. Let my beloved come into his garden and taste its choicest fruits.

WEBWorld English Bible2000

Awake, north wind, and come, you south! Blow on my garden, that its spices may flow out. Let my beloved come into his garden, and taste his precious fruits.

MSBMajority Standard Bible2022

Awake, O north wind, and come, O south wind. Breathe on my garden and spread the fragrance of its spices. Let my beloved come into his garden and taste its choicest fruits.

NETBNew English Translation2006

Awake, O north wind; come, O south wind! Blow on my garden so that its fragrant spices may send out their sweet smell. May my beloved come into his garden and eat its delightful fruit!

Tyndale line

KJVKing James Version1611

¶ Awake, O north wind; and come, thou south; blow upon my garden, that the spices thereof may flow out. Let my beloved come into his garden, and eat his pleasant fruits.

ASVAmerican Standard Version1901

Awake, O north wind; and come, thou south; Blow upon my garden, that the spices thereof may flow out. Let my beloved come into his garden, And eat his precious fruits.

RVARevised Version, American1894

Awake, O north wind; and come, thou south; blow upon my garden, that the spices thereof may flow out. Let my beloved come into his garden, and eat his precious fruits.

NWBWebster's Bible1833

Awake, O north wind; and come, thou south; blow upon my garden, that its spices may flow out. Let my beloved come into his garden, and eat his pleasant fruits.

GNVGeneva Bible1599

Arise, O North, and come O South, and blowe on my garden that the spices thereof may flow out: let my welbeloued come to his garden, and eate his pleasant fruite.

Strictly literal

DBYDarby Translation1890

Awake, north wind, and come, [thou] south; Blow upon my garden, [that] the spices thereof may flow forth. Let my beloved come into his garden, And eat its precious fruits.

YLTYoung's Literal Translation1862

Awake, O north wind, and come, O south, Cause my garden to breathe forth, its spices let flow, Let my beloved come to his garden, And eat its pleasant fruits!

LSVLiteral Standard Version2020

Awake, O north wind, and come, O south, || Cause my garden to breathe forth, its spices let flow, || Let my beloved come to his garden, || And eat its pleasant fruits!

ILTInterlinear Literal Translation2000

Awake, O north wind; and come thou, O south; blow over my garden, that its spices may flow out. Let my friend come into his garden, and eat its precious fruits.—

ULBUnlocked Literal Bible2017

Awake, north wind; come, south wind; blow on my garden so that its spices may give off their fragrance. May my beloved come into his garden and eat some of its choice fruit.

From the Latin

DRADouay-Rheims (Challoner)1899

Arise, O north wind, and come, O south wind, blow through my garden, and let the aromatical spices thereof flow.

Simplified

FBVFree Bible Version2020

Wake up, north wind! Come, south wind! Blow on my garden so its scent may be carried on the breeze. Let my love come to his garden and eat its best fruits.

BBEBible in Basic English1949

Be awake, O north wind; and come, O south, blowing on my garden, so that its spices may come out. Let my loved one come into his garden, and take of his good fruits.

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.

clauseclauseverbע֤וּרִיawakeclauseצָפוֹן֙O.north.windוּandclauseclauseverbב֣וֹאִיcomeclauseתֵימָ֔ןO.south.windclauseverbהָפִ֥יחִיmake.breathenoun phrase · adverbialגַנִּ֖gardenיmyclauseverbיִזְּל֣וּlet.them.flownoun phrase · subjectבְשָׂמָ֑יspicesוitsclauseverbיָבֹ֤אlet.him.comenoun phrase · subjectדוֹדִloverי֙myprepositional phrase · prepositionalלְtonoun phraseגַנּ֔gardenוֹhisוְandclauseverbיֹאכַ֖לlet.him.eatnoun phrase · objectפְּרִ֥יthe.fruitnoun phraseמְגָדָֽיits.excellence(s)וhis

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


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

The Masoretic Text and the Septuagint largely agree, with 13 of the 14 words matched. The Dead Sea Scrolls show some restoration, indicating that parts of the text were damaged but align closely with the Masoretic Text.

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

ע֤וּרִי צָפוֹן֙ וּב֣וֹאִי תֵימָ֔ן הָפִ֥יחִי גַנִּ֖י יִזְּל֣וּ בְשָׂמָ֑יו יָבֹ֤א דוֹדִי֙ לְגַנּ֔וֹ וְיֹאכַ֖ל פְּרִ֥י מְגָדָֽיו׃

Septuagintthe Greek the translators chose, word by word
ע֤וּרִיἐχεγέρθητιצָפוֹן֙βορρᾶוּב֣וֹאִיἔρξουתֵימָ֔ןνότεהָפִ֥יחִיδιάπνευσονגַנִּ֖יμουבְשָׂמָ֑יוμουיָבֹ֤אκαταβήτωדוֹדִי֙μουלְגַנּ֔וֹαὐτοῦוְיֹאכַ֖לφαγέτωפְּרִ֥יκαρπὸνמְגָדָֽיו׃αὐτοῦ

13 of the 14 words are matched. This is the word-by-word correspondence, not the Septuagint's own sentence — its word order and its articles are its own.

Dead Sea Scrolls — 4Q107a copy a thousand years older than the Leningrad Codex

[עורי] [צפון] [ובואי] [תימן] הפיחי גנ׳י יזלו [בשמי׳ו] [יבא] [דוד׳י] [לגנ׳ו] ויאכל מן גדי׳ו

4 words on the leather — 2 partly restored, 8 supplied entire by an editor.

Four traditions, not one. “On the leather” means the letters physically survive on the scroll, as against letters an editor has supplied to fill a hole in it — a restoration is a scholar’s reading, not a reading of the manuscript. Words in [square brackets] are supplied; the notes count them apart from what survives.


The map of this verse — what each word keeps company with

This is a map of two things, both counted rather than judged. Company kept: which words stand within three words of each of these, anywhere in the Hebrew Bible — the thicker the line, the more often the pair meet compared with chance. Built from: the words a word is made out of, taken from its own Strong’s entry. It is not a map of meaning: nothing here claims two words mean the same thing. Click any circle to see the numbers behind it.

Song of Solomon 4:16עוּרawakeawakeעוּרצָפוֹןO north winO north windצָפוֹןבּוֹאand comeand comeבּוֹאתֵּימָןO south winO south windתֵּימָןפּוּחַmake breathmake breatheפּוּחַגַּןgarden mygarden myגַּןנָזַלlet them fllet them flowנָזַלבֹּ֫שֶׂםspices itsspices itsבֹּ֫שֶׂםבּוֹאlet him comlet him comeבּוֹאדּוֹדlover mylover myדּוֹדגַּןto garden hto garden hisגַּןאָכַלso he may eso he may eatאָכַלפְּרִי[the] fruit[the] fruit ofפְּרִימֶ֫גֶדchoice itschoice itsמֶ֫גֶדגָּנַןto defendto defendגָּנַןצָפַןto treasurto treasureצָפַןיָמִין[Ben]jamin[Ben]jaminיָמִיןפָּרָהbe fruitfube fruitfulפָּרָהעוּרעוּרבֹּ֫שֶׂםspicespiceבֹּ֫שֶׂםפֵּאָהsidesideפֵּאָהשֶׁ֫מֶשׁsunsunשֶׁ֫מֶשׁעֵ֫דֶןEdenEdenעֵ֫דֶןבֹּ֫שֶׂםspicespiceבֹּ֫שֶׂםנֵ֫בֶלbagbagנֵ֫בֶלמִזְרָחeasteastמִזְרָחבֵּיתבֵּיתצֵלshadowshadowצֵלכָּזָבlielieכָּזָבשַׁ֫חַקcloudcloudשַׁ֫חַקבְּאֵרwellwellבְּאֵריָקָרpreciouspreciousיָקָר
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 Song of Solomon 4:16

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.

awake O north wind and come O south wind make breathe garden my let them flow spices its let him come lover my to garden his so he may eat [the] fruit of choice its
ע֤וּרִי'U.ri awake H5782 Verb · Qal · imperative second person feminine singular
80× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
To rouse means to wake up or stir someone into action. It can also mean to be excited or triumphant, and is used in the Bible to describe God stirring up his people. This word is about being awakened or energized.
Amplified meaning
rouse, stir into action
Tyndale gloss
to rouse
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

עוּר (uwr) is a Hebrew verb meaning to rouse or awaken. It encompasses various forms, including to rouse oneself, be incited, or act in an excited manner. The entries suggest a range of uses from literal waking to figurative stirring up of emotions or actions, with different grammatical forms indicating nuances in meaning.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

[עוּר] vb. rouse oneself, awake

Qal rouse oneself to activity

Niph. be roused; be incited to activity

Pō‛l. rouse, incite to activity

Pilp. rouse (i.e. raise ?) a cry of destruction

Hithpō‛l. and I was (joyfully) excited, triumphant

Hiph.

rouse

declarative or exhibitive sense, act in an aroused manner, awake

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H5782 [עוּר] rouse oneself, awake

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

5782 `uwr oor

a primitive root (rather identical with 5783 through the idea

of opening the eyes); to wake (literally or

figuratively):--(a- )wake(-n, up), lift up (self), X master,

raise (up), stir up (self).

see HEBREW for 05783

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

עוּר (ur) — to rouse.

1) to rouse oneself, awake, awaken, incite

1a) (Qal) to rouse oneself, awake

1b) (Niphal) to be roused

1c) (Polel) to stir up, rouse, incite

1d) (Hithpolel) to be excited, be triumphant

1e) (Hiphil)

1e1) to rouse, stir up

1e2) to act in an aroused manner, awake

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
V-Qal-Impv-2fs — Verb · Qal · imperative second person feminine singular
HVqv2fs
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

a-wak' yaqats, ("to waken"; `ur, "to rouse up" from sleep; egeiro, "to arouse from sleep"): The ordinary terms for awaking from natural slumber: as of Jacob at Bethel (Ge 28:16); of Solomon at Gibeon (1Ki 3:15); of Jesus in the storm-tossed boat (Lu 8:24).

Used figure with striking effect of awaking from mental, moral and spiritual sleep: as when Deborah calls upon herself to awake to the fervor and eloquence of poetry (Jud 5:12); of Zion's awaking to moral vigor and beauty (Isa 52:1); of waking from spiritual death (Eph 5:14); from the grave in resurrection (

awake O north wind and come O south wind make breathe garden my let them flow spices its let him come lover my to garden his so he may eat [the] fruit of choice its
צָפוֹן֙tza.fOn O north wind H6828 Noun common · feminine singular absolute
153× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This word means 'north' and is used to describe a direction or location. In the Bible, it is often translated as 'north' or 'northern side'.
Amplified meaning
Zaphon, the northern direction
Tyndale gloss
Zaphon
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

צָפוֹן (tsaphown) means 'north' and is derived from a root meaning 'hidden' or 'dark.' It is used specifically to refer to the northern direction, often associated with gloominess and the unknown. The term also appears in the context of a name, 'Zaphon,' which similarly denotes the north.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

צָפוֹן 153 n.f. north (as the hidden, dark)

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H6828 צָפוֹן north

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

6828 tsaphown tsaw-fone'

or tsaphon {tsaw-fone'}; from 6845; properly, hidden, i.e.

dark; used only of the north as a quarter (gloomy and

unknown):--north(-ern, side, -ward, wind).

see HEBREW for 06845

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

צָפוֹן (tsa.phon) — north.

1) north (of direction), northward

1a) north

1b) northward

צָפוֹן (tsa.phon) — Zaphon.

This name means north

Also named: tsa.phon (צָפוֹן "Zaphon" H6829)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-fs — Noun common · feminine singular absolute
HNcfsa
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

wind (anemos:

1. Causes:

Unequal distribution of heat in the atmosphere causes currents of air or wind. The heated air rises and the air from around rushes in. The direction from which a current comes determines its name, as west wind coming from the West but blowing toward the East. When two currents of air of different directions meet, a spiral motion sometimes results.

See WHIRLWIND.

2. West Wind:

In Palestine the west wind is the most common. It comes from the sea and carries the moisture which condenses to form clouds, as it is turned upward by the mountains, to the cooler layers of the atmosphere. If the temperature reached is cool enough the cloud condenses and rain falls. Elijah looked toward the West for the "small cloud," and soon "the heavens grew black with clouds and wind" (1Ki 18:44 f). "When ye see a cloud rising in the…

Nave's Topical Bible

→ Blasting 2Ki 19:7,35

→ East

Hot and blasting in Egypt Ge 41:6

In the valley of the Euphrates River Eze 19:12

In Canaan Ho 13:15; Lu 12:55

At the city of Nineveh Jon 4:8

Tempestuous in the land of Uz Job 27:21

→ West

Took away the plague of locusts from the land of Egypt Ex 10:19

→ North

Free from humidity in Canaan Pr 25:23

→ South

Soothing Job 37:17

awake O north wind and come O south wind make breathe garden my let them flow spices its let him come lover my to garden his so he may eat [the] fruit of choice its
וּב֣וֹאִיu.Vo.'i and come H935 Conjunction · verb qal imperative second person feminine singular
2,573× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This verb means to go or come, and is used in many contexts, such as entering a place or approaching someone, as seen in the book of Genesis. It can also mean to abide or apply, and is translated in various ways in the KJV Bible. This term is related to the name Lebo Hamath.
Amplified meaning
approach, enter
Tyndale gloss
Lebo
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

בּוֹא (bo) is a Hebrew verb meaning to come or go in, with a wide range of applications including entering, arriving, and bringing in. It can refer to both physical movement and abstract concepts like events coming to pass. The verb appears in various forms, such as Qal (to come), Hiphil (to cause to come), and Hophal (to be brought). There is no significant disagreement among lexicons regarding its meanings.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

בּוֹא 2569 vb. come in, come, go in, go

Qal

come in

come (approach, arrive)

go, i.e. walk, associate with

go from speaker, but with limit of motion given

Hiph.

cause to come in, bring in (conduct, lead, obj. persons and animals)

cause to come, bring, bring near, etc. (animate obj.)

Hoph.

be brought in (of pers. and things)

be brought

be introduced, put

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H935 בּוֹא come in, come, go in, go .. come in

. come (approach, arrive)

. go, i.e. walk, associate with

. go from speaker, but with limit of motion given

. . cause to come in, bring in (conduct, lead, obj. persons and animals)

. cause to come, bring, bring near, etc. (animate obj.)

. . be brought in (of pers. and things)

. be brought

. be introduced, put

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

935 bow' bo

a primitive root; to go or come (in a wide variety of

applications):--abide, apply, attain, X be, befall, +

besiege, bring (forth, in, into, to pass), call, carry, X

certainly, (cause, let, thing for) to come (against, in, out,

upon, to pass), depart, X doubtless again, + eat, + employ,

(cause to) enter (in, into, -tering, -trance, -try), be

fallen, fetch, + follow, get, give, go (down, in, to war),

grant, + have, X indeed, (in-)vade, lead, lift (up), mention,

pull in, put, resort, run (down), send, set, X (well) stricken

(in age), X surely, take (in), way.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

בּוֹא (bo) — to come (in): come.

: come/go_in

1) to go in, enter, come, go, come in

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to enter, come in

1a2) to come

1a2a) to come with

1a2b) to come upon, fall or light upon, attack (enemy)

1a2c) to come to pass

1a3) to attain to

1a4) to be enumerated

1a5) to go

1b) (Hiphil)

1b1) to lead in

1b2) to carry in

1b3) to bring in, cause to come in, gather, cause to come, bring near, bring against, bring upon

1b4) to bring to pass

1c) (Hophal)

1c1) to be brought, brought in

1c2) to be introduced, be put

לְב֥וֹא (bo) — Lebo-(Hamath).

This name means to go in, enter

Combined with cha.mat (חֲמָת "Hamath" H2574)

בּוֹא (bo) — to come (in): towards.

: towards/entrance

1) to go in, enter, come, go, come in

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to enter, come in

1a2) to come

1a2a) to come with

1a2b) to come upon, fall or light upon, attack (enemy)

1a2c) to come to pass

1a3) to attain to

1a4) to be enumerated

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Conj | V-Qal-Impv-2fs — Conjunction · verb qal imperative second person feminine singular
HC/Vqv2fs
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

kum: The translation of many Hebrew and Greek words. In the phrase "The Spirit of Yahweh came mightily upon him" (Jud 14:6,19; 15:14; 1Sa 10:10; 11:6; 16:13), the word is tsaleah; Jud 14:6; 15:14 "came mightily," which is the uniform translation of the Revised Version (British and American) (compare Jud 13:25 "to move," i.e. to disturb or stir up). In Jud 6:34; 1Ch 12:18; 2Ch 24:20, it is labhesh, "to clothe"; the Revised Version, margin "The Spirit .... clothed itself with Gideon" and .... "with Zechariah,"…

The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
awake O north wind and come O south wind make breathe garden my let them flow spices its let him come lover my to garden his so he may eat [the] fruit of choice its
תֵימָ֔ןtei.Man O south wind H8486 Noun common · feminine singular absolute
23× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
The Hebrew word for south or southern direction, used to describe location or wind. It is often translated as south in the Bible, including in books like Exodus and Ezekiel.
Amplified meaning
the southern direction
Tyndale gloss
south
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

תֵּימָן (teyman) refers to the direction south, including the south wind. It is derived from the root meaning 'right hand' when facing east. The term is primarily used in poetic contexts and encompasses various aspects of the southern quarter, including territory and direction.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

תֵּימָן n.f. south, south wind, chiefly poet.

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H8486 תֵּימָן south, south wind, chiefly poet.

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

8486 teyman tay-mawn'

or teman {tay-mawn'}; denominative from 3225; the south (as

being on the right hand of a person facing the east):--south

(side, -ward, wind).

see HEBREW for 03225

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

תֵּימָן (te.man) — south.

1) south, southward, whatever is on the right (so the southern quarter), south wind

1a) south (of territory)

1b) southern quarter (of the sky)

1c) toward the south, southward (of direction)

1d) south wind

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-fs — Noun common · feminine singular absolute
HNcfsa
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

wind (anemos:

1. Causes:

Unequal distribution of heat in the atmosphere causes currents of air or wind. The heated air rises and the air from around rushes in. The direction from which a current comes determines its name, as west wind coming from the West but blowing toward the East. When two currents of air of different directions meet, a spiral motion sometimes results.

See WHIRLWIND.

2. West Wind:

In Palestine the west wind is the most common. It comes from the sea and carries the moisture which condenses to form clouds, as it is turned upward by the mountains, to the cooler layers of the atmosphere. If the temperature reached is cool enough the cloud condenses and rain falls. Elijah looked toward the West for the "small cloud," and soon "the heavens grew black with clouds and wind" (1Ki 18:44 f). "When ye see a cloud rising in the…

Nave's Topical Bible

→ Blasting 2Ki 19:7,35

→ East

Hot and blasting in Egypt Ge 41:6

In the valley of the Euphrates River Eze 19:12

In Canaan Ho 13:15; Lu 12:55

At the city of Nineveh Jon 4:8

Tempestuous in the land of Uz Job 27:21

→ West

Took away the plague of locusts from the land of Egypt Ex 10:19

→ North

Free from humidity in Canaan Pr 25:23

→ South

Soothing Job 37:17

awake O north wind and come O south wind make breathe garden my let them flow spices its let him come lover my to garden his so he may eat [the] fruit of choice its
הָפִ֥יחִיha.Fi.chi make breathe H6315 Verb · Hiphil · imperative second person feminine singular
14× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This Hebrew word means to breathe or blow air, and is used in various ways, such as to fan a breeze or kindle a fire. It can also mean to utter or speak. In the Bible, it appears in contexts like Exodus and Psalms, describing God's breath or a person's utterance.
Amplified meaning
blow, fan
Tyndale gloss
to breathe
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

פּוּחַ (puwach) is a primitive root meaning to breathe or blow. It encompasses actions such as puffing, fanning, and uttering, and can also imply excitement or inflaming. The verb appears in various forms, including Qal and Hiphil, indicating different nuances like causing to exhale or expressing wrath.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

[פּוּחַ] vb. breathe, blow

Qal until the day breathes, i.e. grows cool

Hiph.

cause garden to exhale

puff, snort, against

with the fire of my wrath will I blow against thee

excite, inflame city

puff = pant for it

breathe out, utter

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H6315 פּוּחַ

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

6315 puwach poo'akh

a primitive root; to puff, i.e. blow with the breath or air;

hence, to fan (as a breeze), to utter, to kindle (a fire), to

scoff:--blow (upon), break, puff, bring into a snare, speak,

utter.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

פּוּחַ (pu.ach) — to breathe.

1) to breathe, blow

1a) (Qal) to breathe

1b) (Hiphil)

1b1) to cause to exhale or breathe

1b2) to puff, snort

1b3) to excite, inflame

1b4) to puff, pant for it

1b5) to breathe out, utter

1b6) to blow, blast

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
V-Hiphil-Impv-2fs — Verb · Hiphil · imperative second person feminine singular
HVhv2fs
awake O north wind and come O south wind make breathe garden my let them flow spices its let him come lover my to garden his so he may eat [the] fruit of choice its
גַנִּ֖יga.Ni garden my H1588 Noun common both singular construct · suffix
42× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
The word for garden refers to an enclosed area, like the Garden of Eden. It can also symbolize a bride or a place for plants.
Amplified meaning
enclosed area
Tyndale gloss
garden
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

גַּן (gan) means 'garden' or 'enclosure' and can refer to a physical garden or, figuratively, to a bride. It is derived from a root meaning to fence in. The term is used in various contexts, including the Garden of Eden and specific locations like Beth-haggan.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

גַּן n.m. & f. enclosure, garden

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H1588 גַּן enclosure, garden

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

1588 gan gan

from 1598; a garden (as fenced):--garden.

see HEBREW for 01598

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

גַּן (gan) — Garden (of Uzza).

This name means garden, enclosure

גַּן (gan) — (Beth)-haggan.

Combined with ba.yit (בַּ֫יִת "Beth" H1004H)

גַּן (gan) — garden.

1) garden, enclosure

1a) enclosed garden

1a1) (fig. of a bride)

1b) garden (of plants)

1c) Garden of Eden

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-cs | Suff — Noun common both singular construct · suffix
HNcbsc/Sp1bs
awake O north wind and come O south wind make breathe garden my let them flow spices its let him come lover my to garden his so he may eat [the] fruit of choice its
יִזְּל֣וּyi.ze.Lu let them flow H5140 Verb · Qal · imperfect third person masculine plural
16× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This Hebrew word means to flow or drip, like a stream or flood, and is used to describe the movement of water. It appears in descriptions of natural wonders, like rivers and waterfalls. In the Bible, it is used in Isaiah 44:3 to describe God's blessings flowing like a river.
Amplified meaning
sweet perfume, aroma
Tyndale gloss
to flow
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

נָזַל (nazal) is a Hebrew verb meaning to flow or trickle. It encompasses various forms of flowing, including distilling and shedding liquid. The term appears in both the Qal and Hiphil stems, indicating both a simple action of flowing and causing something to flow. The poetic usage suggests a rich imagery associated with water and movement.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

[נָזַל] vb. flow, trickle, drop, distil (poet.)

Qal

flow

distil

Hiph. cause to flow

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H5140 [נָזַל] flow, trickle, drop, distil (poet.)

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

5140 nazal naw-zal'

a primitive root; to drip, or shed by trickling:--distil,

drop, flood, (cause to) flow(-ing), gush out, melt, pour

(down), running water, stream.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

נָזַל (na.zal) — to flow.

1) to flow, distil, flow forth or down, trickle, drop

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to flow

1a1a) streams, floods (participle)

1a2) to distil

1b) (Hiphil) to cause to flow

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
V-Qal-Juss-3mp — Verb · Qal · imperfect third person masculine plural
HVqi3mp
The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
awake O north wind and come O south wind make breathe garden my let them flow spices its let him come lover my to garden his so he may eat [the] fruit of choice its
בְשָׂמָ֑יוve.sa.Mav spices its H1314 Noun common masculine plural construct · suffix
29× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This word describes a pleasant smell, like a sweet perfume or fragrance. It can also refer to the balsam plant or tree, which was known for its sweet odor.
Amplified meaning
balsam, pleasant smells
Tyndale gloss
spice
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

בֹּ֫שֶׂם (besem) refers to spice, specifically balsam and the balsam tree, with connotations of fragrance and sweet odor. The word is built from a root related to scent and encompasses meanings like perfume and spicery. It appears in contexts discussing pleasant aromas.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

בֹּ֫שֶׂם n.m. spice, balsam, balsam-tree

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H1314 בֹּ֫שֶׂם spice, balsam, balsam-tree

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

1314 besem beh'-sem

or bosem {bo'-sem}; from the same as 1313; fragrance; by

implication, spicery; also the balsam plant:--smell, spice,

sweet (odour).

see HEBREW for 01313

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

בֶּ֫שֶׂם (be.sem) — spice.

1) spice, balsam, balsam tree, perfume

2) (TWOT) sweet, sweet smell, sweet odour

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-mp | Suff — Noun common masculine plural construct · suffix
HNcmpc/Sp3ms
awake O north wind and come O south wind make breathe garden my let them flow spices its let him come lover my to garden his so he may eat [the] fruit of choice its
יָבֹ֤אya.Vo' let him come H935 Verb · Qal · imperfect third person masculine singular
2,573× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This verb means to go or come, and is used in many contexts, such as entering a place or approaching someone, as seen in the book of Genesis. It can also mean to abide or apply, and is translated in various ways in the KJV Bible. This term is related to the name Lebo Hamath.
Tyndale gloss
Lebo
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

בּוֹא (bo) is a Hebrew verb meaning to come or go in, with a wide range of applications including entering, arriving, and bringing in. It can refer to both physical movement and abstract concepts like events coming to pass. The verb appears in various forms, such as Qal (to come), Hiphil (to cause to come), and Hophal (to be brought). There is no significant disagreement among lexicons regarding its meanings.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

בּוֹא 2569 vb. come in, come, go in, go

Qal

come in

come (approach, arrive)

go, i.e. walk, associate with

go from speaker, but with limit of motion given

Hiph.

cause to come in, bring in (conduct, lead, obj. persons and animals)

cause to come, bring, bring near, etc. (animate obj.)

Hoph.

be brought in (of pers. and things)

be brought

be introduced, put

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H935 בּוֹא come in, come, go in, go .. come in

. come (approach, arrive)

. go, i.e. walk, associate with

. go from speaker, but with limit of motion given

. . cause to come in, bring in (conduct, lead, obj. persons and animals)

. cause to come, bring, bring near, etc. (animate obj.)

. . be brought in (of pers. and things)

. be brought

. be introduced, put

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

935 bow' bo

a primitive root; to go or come (in a wide variety of

applications):--abide, apply, attain, X be, befall, +

besiege, bring (forth, in, into, to pass), call, carry, X

certainly, (cause, let, thing for) to come (against, in, out,

upon, to pass), depart, X doubtless again, + eat, + employ,

(cause to) enter (in, into, -tering, -trance, -try), be

fallen, fetch, + follow, get, give, go (down, in, to war),

grant, + have, X indeed, (in-)vade, lead, lift (up), mention,

pull in, put, resort, run (down), send, set, X (well) stricken

(in age), X surely, take (in), way.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

בּוֹא (bo) — to come (in): come.

: come/go_in

1) to go in, enter, come, go, come in

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to enter, come in

1a2) to come

1a2a) to come with

1a2b) to come upon, fall or light upon, attack (enemy)

1a2c) to come to pass

1a3) to attain to

1a4) to be enumerated

1a5) to go

1b) (Hiphil)

1b1) to lead in

1b2) to carry in

1b3) to bring in, cause to come in, gather, cause to come, bring near, bring against, bring upon

1b4) to bring to pass

1c) (Hophal)

1c1) to be brought, brought in

1c2) to be introduced, be put

לְב֥וֹא (bo) — Lebo-(Hamath).

This name means to go in, enter

Combined with cha.mat (חֲמָת "Hamath" H2574)

בּוֹא (bo) — to come (in): towards.

: towards/entrance

1) to go in, enter, come, go, come in

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to enter, come in

1a2) to come

1a2a) to come with

1a2b) to come upon, fall or light upon, attack (enemy)

1a2c) to come to pass

1a3) to attain to

1a4) to be enumerated

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
V-Qal-Juss-3ms — Verb · Qal · imperfect third person masculine singular
HVqi3ms
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

kum: The translation of many Hebrew and Greek words. In the phrase "The Spirit of Yahweh came mightily upon him" (Jud 14:6,19; 15:14; 1Sa 10:10; 11:6; 16:13), the word is tsaleah; Jud 14:6; 15:14 "came mightily," which is the uniform translation of the Revised Version (British and American) (compare Jud 13:25 "to move," i.e. to disturb or stir up). In Jud 6:34; 1Ch 12:18; 2Ch 24:20, it is labhesh, "to clothe"; the Revised Version, margin "The Spirit .... clothed itself with Gideon" and .... "with Zechariah,"…

The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
awake O north wind and come O south wind make breathe garden my let them flow spices its let him come lover my to garden his so he may eat [the] fruit of choice its
דוֹדִי֙do.Di lover my H1730 Noun common masculine singular construct · suffix
61× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This word means 'beloved' or 'love', implying a strong affection, and can also refer to an uncle or close relative.
Amplified meaning
loved one, dear uncle
Tyndale gloss
beloved
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

דּוֹד (dod) means 'beloved' and can refer to love in a general sense, as well as specifically to an uncle. It is derived from a root meaning 'to boil,' figuratively relating to love. The entries consistently emphasize its meanings related to affection and familial ties.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

דּוֹד n.m. beloved, love (pl.), uncle

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H1730 דּוֹד beloved, love (pl.), uncle

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

1730 dowd dode

or (shortened) dod {dode}; from an unused root meaning

properly, to boil, i.e. (figuratively) to love; by

implication, a love- token, lover, friend; specifically an

uncle:--(well-)beloved, father's brother, love, uncle.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

דּוֹד (dod) — beloved.

: beloved

1) beloved, love, uncle

1a) loved one, beloved

1b) uncle

1c) love (pl. abstract)

דּוֹד (dod) — beloved: love.

: love

1) beloved, love, uncle

1a) loved one, beloved

1b) uncle

1c) love (pl. abstract)

דּוֹד (dod) — beloved: male relative.

: male_relative

1) beloved, love, uncle

1a) loved one, beloved

1b) uncle

1c) love (pl. abstract)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-ms | Suff — Noun common masculine singular construct · suffix
HNcmsc/Sp1bs
awake O north wind and come O south wind make breathe garden my let them flow spices its let him come lover my to garden his so he may eat [the] fruit of choice its
לְגַנּ֔וֹle.ga.No to garden his H1588 Preposition · noun common both singular construct · suffix
42× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
The word for garden refers to an enclosed area, like the Garden of Eden. It can also symbolize a bride or a place for plants.
Amplified meaning
private, intimate area
Tyndale gloss
garden
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

גַּן (gan) means 'garden' or 'enclosure' and can refer to a physical garden or, figuratively, to a bride. It is derived from a root meaning to fence in. The term is used in various contexts, including the Garden of Eden and specific locations like Beth-haggan.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

גַּן n.m. & f. enclosure, garden

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H1588 גַּן enclosure, garden

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

1588 gan gan

from 1598; a garden (as fenced):--garden.

see HEBREW for 01598

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

גַּן (gan) — Garden (of Uzza).

This name means garden, enclosure

גַּן (gan) — (Beth)-haggan.

Combined with ba.yit (בַּ֫יִת "Beth" H1004H)

גַּן (gan) — garden.

1) garden, enclosure

1a) enclosed garden

1a1) (fig. of a bride)

1b) garden (of plants)

1c) Garden of Eden

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Prep | N-cs | Suff — Preposition · noun common both singular construct · suffix
HR/Ncbsc/Sp3ms
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

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

awake O north wind and come O south wind make breathe garden my let them flow spices its let him come lover my to garden his so he may eat [the] fruit of choice its
וְיֹאכַ֖לve.yo.Khal so he may eat H398 Conjunction · verb qal third person masculine singular
810× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This word means to eat or devour, and it's used in many stories, including when Jesus fed the 5000 with fish and bread in the book of Matthew. It's about taking in nourishment and being satisfied.
Amplified meaning
eat, devour
Tyndale gloss
to eat
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

אָכַל (akal) means 'to eat' and encompasses a wide range of meanings, including literal consumption by humans and animals, as well as figurative uses like devouring by fire or destruction. It can describe actions such as feeding or causing to eat, and it also appears in contexts of oppression and destruction. The verb has various forms, indicating different subjects and nuances.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

אָכַל 806 vb. eat

Qal

eat, human subject

of beasts, birds, etc., eat, devour

fig. of fire, devour, consume

of sword, devour, slay

in genl., devour, consume, destroy

fig. of oppression, devour the poor

Niph.

be eaten by man

be devoured by fire, consumed

be wasted, destroyed, of flesh

Pu. be consumed

Hiph.

cause to eat, feed with

cause to devoure, obj. sword

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H398 אָכַל eat .. eat, human subject

. of beasts, birds, etc., eat, devour

. fig. of fire, devour, consume

. of sword, devour, slay

. in genl., devour, consume, destroy

. fig. of oppression, devour the poor

. . be eaten by man

. be devoured by fire, consumed

. be wasted, destroyed, of flesh

. be consumed

. . cause to eat, feed with

. cause to devoure, obj. sword

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

398 'akal aw-kal'

a primitive root; to eat (literally or figuratively):--X at

all, burn up, consume, devour(-er, up), dine, eat(-er, up),

feed (with), food, X freely, X in...wise(-deed, plenty), (lay)

meat, X quite.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

אָכַל (a.khal) — to eat.

1) to eat, devour, burn up, feed

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to eat (human subject)

1a2) to eat, devour (of beasts and birds)

1a3) to devour, consume (of fire)

1a4) to devour, slay (of sword)

1a5) to devour, consume, destroy (inanimate subjects - ie, pestilence, drought)

1a6) to devour (of oppression)

1b) (Niphal)

1b1) to be eaten (by men)

1b2) to be devoured, consumed (of fire)

1b3) to be wasted, destroyed (of flesh)

1c) (Pual)

1c1) to cause to eat, feed with

1c2) to cause to devour

1d) (Hiphil)

1d1) to feed

1d2) to cause to eat

1e) (Piel)

1e1) consume

Aramaic equivalent: a.khal (אֲכַל "to devour" H0399)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Conj | V-Qal-Juss-3ms — Conjunction · verb qal third person masculine singular
HC/Vqu3ms
awake O north wind and come O south wind make breathe garden my let them flow spices its let him come lover my to garden his so he may eat [the] fruit of choice its
פְּרִ֥יpe.Ri [the] fruit of H6529 Noun common · masculine singular construct
119× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
In the Bible, this word means the fruit that comes from the ground or from our actions. It is used in many books, including Genesis and Isaiah, to describe the results of our labor or the consequences of our choices.
Amplified meaning
products, results
Tyndale gloss
fruit
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

פְּרִי (priy) means 'fruit' and encompasses various meanings, including the literal fruit of the ground, offspring or children, and figurative fruit representing the consequences of actions. It is derived from a root that emphasizes the concept of produce or reward.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

פְּרִי 119 n.m. fruit

fruit of the ground, of produce in gen.

= offspring, fruit of womb

fig. of fruit of actions, i.e. their consequences

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H6529 פְּרִי fruit . fruit of the ground, of produce in gen.

. = offspring, fruit of womb

. fig. of fruit of actions, i.e. their consequences

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

6529 priy per-ee'

from 6509; fruit (literally or figuratively):--bough,

((first-)) fruit((-ful)), reward.

see HEBREW for 06509

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

פְּרִי (pe.ri) — fruit.

1) fruit

1a) fruit, produce (of the ground)

1b) fruit, offspring, children, progeny (of the womb)

1c) fruit (of actions) (fig.)

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

ov:

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

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

OF, preposition ov. [Gr.]

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

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

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

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

Lamentations 3:1.

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

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

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

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

awake O north wind and come O south wind make breathe garden my let them flow spices its let him come lover my to garden his so he may eat [the] fruit of choice its
מְגָדָֽיו׃me.ga.Dav choice its H4022 Noun common masculine plural construct · suffix
8× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This Hebrew word describes something excellent or of high value, like a precious fruit or a valuable product. It is used in the Bible to describe the best things in life, like in Genesis 27:15 where it talks about Esau's precious things.
Amplified meaning
most excellent, precious
Tyndale gloss
excellence
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

מֶ֫גֶד (meged) refers to excellence or something distinguished and valuable, likely derived from a root meaning to be eminent. The entries consistently highlight its association with precious or pleasant things.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

מֶ֫גֶד n.m. excellence

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H4022 מֶ֫גֶד excellence

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

4022 meged meh'-ghed

from an unused root probably meaning to be eminent; properly,

a distinguished thing; hence something valuable, as a product

or fruit:--pleasant, precious fruit (thing).

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

מֶ֫גֶד (me.ged) — excellence.

excellence

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-mp | Suff — Noun common masculine plural construct · suffix
HNcmpc/Sp3ms
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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