Menu

Song of Solomon 8:14 — Word Study

Depth

WLCבְּרַ֣ח׀ דּוֹדִ֗י וּֽדְמֵה־ לְךָ֤ לִצְבִי֙ א֚וֹ לְעֹ֣פֶר הָֽאַיָּלִ֔ים עַ֖ל הָרֵ֥י בְשָׂמִֽים׃

BSACome awaybârach [make haste, flee away] my beloveddôwd [loved one, dear one] and be likedâmâh [resemble, compare to] a gazelletsᵉbîy [roe, young deer] orʼôw [as an alternative] a youngʻôpher stagʼayâl [hart, male deer] onʻal [upon, above] the mountainshar [hills, high places] of spicesbesem [aromatic spices, sweet fragrances]

Word
Listen & take awaySong of Solomon 8
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 (ve.sa.Mim) — no per-word recordings of the Hebrew exist to link to.
Take it away
Song of Solomon 8:14quick helps
In a sentenceThe speaker calls their beloved to escape and compares them to graceful animals on fragrant mountains.
Who is speakingThe beloved, expressing a desire for closeness and beauty.
Where we areA poetic invitation filled with imagery, emphasizing beauty and longing.
The hard wordבְּרַ֣ח
Take awayThe call to flee suggests urgency and a desire for intimacy.
clause verbבָּרַח 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 8:14

Sections marked generated are written from the data on this page rather than by a named author. Everything else — the lexicon entries, the cross references, the manuscript readings, the counts — is quoted from its source unchanged.

Context — The Invitation of the Belovedgenerated

11Solomon had a vineyard in Baal-hamon. He leased it to the tenants. For its fruit, each was to bring a thousand shekels of silver.
12But my own vineyard is mine to give; the thousand shekels are for you, O Solomon, and two hundred are for those who tend its fruit.
13You who dwell in the gardens, my companions are listening for your voice. Let me hear it!
14Come away, my beloved, and be like a gazelle or a young stag on the mountains of spices.

Song of Solomon 8:14 captures a moment of longing and beauty, where the speaker invites their beloved to come away and be like a graceful gazelle or young stag. This imagery evokes the beauty of nature and the desire for closeness, reflecting the themes of love and intimacy throughout the Song of Solomon.


The Key Word בְּרַ֣ח, be.Rachgenerated

The word בָּרַח (barach) is a verb meaning to flee or run away, often used in contexts of urgency or escape. It suggests a swift departure, as when someone is escaping danger. In this verse, it conveys a sense of urgency in the invitation to the beloved.

The imperative form indicates a strong command or invitation, emphasizing the immediacy of the request. The speaker desires their beloved to hasten away, suggesting a longing for intimacy and connection.


How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated

The verse is rendered in the Berean Standard Bible, which uses come away and be like to convey the speaker's invitation.


Sentence Structuregenerated

The main verb בְּרַ֣ח, hasten, governs the entire verse, with additional phrases expanding on the invitation. The structure emphasizes the urgency of the call to the beloved.

The phrase וּֽדְמֵה־ (and be like) introduces the comparison, linking the beloved to graceful animals, enhancing the poetic imagery of the verse.


Septuagint Backgroundgenerated

The Septuagint translates בְּרַ֣ח as φύγε (fugue), which carries a similar meaning of fleeing or escaping. This choice reflects the urgency of the call found in the Hebrew text.

The Greek ὁμοιώθητι for וּֽדְמֵה־ suggests a direct comparison, aligning closely with the Hebrew intent of likening the beloved to a gazelle or stag.


In plain words — the whole versegenerated

Song of Solomon 8:14 expresses a heartfelt invitation from the speaker to their beloved to come away quickly and be like a gazelle or young stag on fragrant mountains. This imagery highlights the beauty of nature and the desire for closeness in love.


Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated

What does it mean to 'come away'?

To 'come away' signifies a call to escape from the ordinary and seek intimacy, suggesting a desire for closeness.

Why are gazelles and stags used in this verse?

Gazelles and stags symbolize beauty and grace, enhancing the romantic imagery of the invitation.

What is the significance of the mountains of spices?

The mountains of spices evoke a sense of richness and fragrance, symbolizing the beauty and allure of love.

How does this verse reflect the themes of the Song of Solomon?

This verse encapsulates the themes of longing, beauty, and intimacy that permeate the Song of Solomon, emphasizing the deep affection between lovers.


Reflection Questionsgenerated

  1. What does the imagery of the gazelle and stag mean to you in the context of love?
  2. How can you express urgency in your relationships, similar to the call in this verse?
  3. What are some ways you can create beauty and intimacy in your own life?
  4. How does this verse inspire you to seek closeness with those you love?

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

Come away, my beloved, and be like a gazelle or a young stag on the mountains of spices.

WEBWorld English Bible2000

Come away, my beloved! Be like a gazelle or a young stag on the mountains of spices!

MSBMajority Standard Bible2022

Come away, my beloved, and be like a gazelle or a young stag on the mountains of spices.

NETBNew English Translation2006

Make haste, my beloved! Be like a gazelle or a young stag on the mountains of spices.

Tyndale line

KJVKing James Version1611

¶ Make haste, my beloved, and be thou like to a roe or to a young hart upon the mountains of spices.

ASVAmerican Standard Version1901

Make haste, my beloved, And be thou like to a roe or to a young hart Upon the mountains of spices.

RVARevised Version, American1894

Make haste, my beloved, and be thou like to a roe or to a young hart upon the mountains of spices.

NWBWebster's Bible1833

Make haste, my beloved, and be thou like a roe or a young hart upon the mountains of spices.

GNVGeneva Bible1599

O my welbeloued, flee away, and be like vnto the roe, or to the yong harte vpon ye mountaines of spices.

Strictly literal

DBYDarby Translation1890

Haste, my beloved, And be thou like a gazelle or a young hart Upon the mountains of spices.

YLTYoung's Literal Translation1862

Or to a young one of the harts on mountains of spices!

LSVLiteral Standard Version2020

Or to a young one of the harts on mountains of spices!

ILTInterlinear Literal Translation2000

Flee away, my friend, and be thou like the roebuck, or the fawn of the hinds, upon the mountain of spices.

ULBUnlocked Literal Bible2017

Hurry, my beloved, and be like a gazelle or a young stag on the mountains of spices.

From the Latin

DRADouay-Rheims (Challoner)1899

Flee away, O my beloved, and be like to the roe, and to the young hart upon the mountains of aromatical spices.

Simplified

FBVFree Bible Version2020

Come quickly, my love! Be like a gazelle or a young deer on the mountains of spices.

BBEBible in Basic English1949

Come quickly, my loved one, and be like a roe on the mountains of spice.

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.

clauseclauseverbבְּרַ֣חhastenclausenoun phraseדּוֹדִ֗my.loverיmyוּֽandclauseverbדְמֵהbe.likeprepositional phrase · prepositionalלְ(forךָ֤yourselfprepositional phrase · prepositionalprepositional phraseלִ(to).aצְבִי֙gazelleא֚וֹorprepositional phraseלְ(tonoun phraseעֹ֣פֶר[the].fawnnoun phraseהָֽofאַיָּלִ֔יםthe.deer(s)prepositional phrase · prepositionalעַ֖לonnoun phraseהָרֵ֥יmountainsבְשָׂמִֽיםof.spices

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 align closely, with 10 of the 11 words matched. This indicates a strong consistency in the transmission of this verse, reflecting the shared themes of longing and beauty.

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

בְּרַ֣ח׀ דּוֹדִ֗י וּֽדְמֵה־ לְךָ֤ לִצְבִי֙ א֚וֹ לְעֹ֣פֶר הָֽאַיָּלִ֔ים עַ֖ל הָרֵ֥י בְשָׂמִֽים׃

Septuagintthe Greek the translators chose, word by word
בְּרַ֣ח׀φύγεדּוֹדִ֗יμουוּֽדְמֵה־ὁμοιώθητιלִצְבִי֙δορκάδιא֚וֹלְעֹ֣פֶרνεβρῷהָֽאַיָּלִ֔יםἐλάφωνעַ֖לἐπὶהָרֵ֥יὄρηבְשָׂמִֽים׃ἀρωμάτων

10 of the 11 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.

Song of Solomon 8:14בָּרַחhastenhastenבָּרַחדּוֹדO lover myO lover myדּוֹדדָּמָהand be likeand be likeדָּמָהךָּyourselfyourselfךָּצְבִיa gazellea gazelleצְבִיאוֹororאוֹעֹ֫פֶר[the] fawn [the] fawn ofעֹ֫פֶראַיָּלthe deerthe deerאַיָּלעַלononעַלהַרmountains omountains ofהַרבֹּ֫שֶׂםspicesspicesבֹּ֫שֶׂםצָבָהto swellto swellצָבָהעָפַרto throwto throwעָפַראַוָּהdesiredesireאַוָּהאַ֫יִלramramאַ֫יִלעַלheightheightעַלהַרmountainmountainהַרבֹּ֫שֶׂםspicespiceבֹּ֫שֶׂםעֹ֫פֶרfawnfawnעֹ֫פֶראֲבִישָׁלוֹםAbsalomAbsalomאֲבִישָׁלוֹםנָגַדto tellto tellנָגַדחֲנַמְאֵלHanamelHanamelחֲנַמְאֵלשָׁוָהbe likebe likeשָׁוָהצְבִיbeautybeautyצְבִיאַיָּלdeerdeerאַיָּלשְׁתִיwarpwarpשְׁתִיעֵ֫רֶבracial-mixracial-mixעֵ֫רֶבצְבִיָּהgazellegazelleצְבִיָּהתּוֹאָםtwintwinתּוֹאָם
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 8:14

One dossier per word, with every reference work grouped by kind — Hebrew lexicons, morphology, Bible dictionaries, topical chains and the English of the translators themselves. The verse sits at the head of each block with the word under study lit, so you never lose your place. The panel above gives the short answer; this is the long one, and it is the part of the page worth indexing.

Every entry below is the lexicographer's own text. On the Hebrew: Brown-Driver-Briggs entire and its gloss set, Strong's Hebrew Dictionary, and Tyndale House's Translators Brief lexicon. Where a cell says a work has no entry, that work genuinely has none for this word.

hasten O lover my and be like yourself a gazelle or [the] fawn of the deer on mountains of spices
בְּרַ֣ח׀be.Rach hasten H1272 Verb · Qal · imperative second person masculine singular
65× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
To flee means to run away quickly, as seen in the Bible when people escaped from danger or pursued others, like in the story of David and Absalom.
Amplified meaning
make haste, flee away
Tyndale gloss
to flee
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

בָּרַח (barach) is a Hebrew verb meaning to flee or run away. It can also imply going through or hastening, with different nuances in its forms, such as causing someone to flee in the Hiphil stem. The entries highlight its use in various contexts, including sudden flight or urgency.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

בָּרַח vb. go through, flee

Qal

go or pass through, of bar

flee

flee = hasten, come quickly

Hiph.

pass through

cause to flee, put to flight

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H1272 בָּרַח go through, flee

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

1272 barach baw-rakh'

a primitive root; to bolt, i.e. figuratively, to flee

suddenly:--chase (away); drive away, fain, flee (away), put to

flight, make haste, reach, run away, shoot.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

בָּרַח (ba.rach) — to flee.

1) to go through, flee, run away, chase, drive away, put to flight, reach, shoot (extend), hurry away

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to go, pass through

1a2) to flee

1a3) to hasten, come quickly

1b) (Hiphil)

1b1) to pass through

1b2) to cause to flee, put to flight

1b3) to drive away

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
V-Qal-Impv-2ms — Verb · Qal · imperative second person masculine singular
HVqv2ms
hasten O lover my and be like yourself a gazelle or [the] fawn of the deer on mountains of spices
דּוֹדִ֗יdo.Di O 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 one
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
hasten O lover my and be like yourself a gazelle or [the] fawn of the deer on mountains of spices
וּֽדְמֵה־u.de.meh- and be like H1819 Conjunction · verb qal imperative second person masculine singular
30× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
To resemble means to compare or liken something, often used to describe a similarity. In the Bible, this word is used to make comparisons or analogies, like in the parables of Jesus where he compares the kingdom of God to everyday things.
Amplified meaning
resemble, compare to
Tyndale gloss
to resemble
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

דָּמָה (damah) is a primitive root meaning to be like or resemble. It encompasses the ideas of comparing, imagining, and devising, with various forms indicating different nuances such as making oneself like or considering something to be similar. The entries consistently highlight its use in contexts of likeness and comparison.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

דָּמָה vb. be like, resemble

Qal be like, resemble

Pi. liken, compare; imagine, think, devise

liken, i.e. consider to be like, compare

imagine, form an idea, devise

Hithp. make oneself or become like

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H1819 דָּמָה be like, resemble .be like, resemble

. liken, compare; imagine, think, devise . liken, i.e. consider to be like, compare

. imagine, form an idea, devise

. make oneself or become like

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

1819 damah daw-maw'

a primitive root; to compare; by implication, to resemble,

liken, consider:--compare, devise, (be) like(-n), mean, think,

use similitudes.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

דָּמָה (da.mah) — to resemble.

1) to be like, resemble

1a) (Qal) to be like, resemble

1b) (Piel)

1b1) to liken, compare

1b2) to imagine, think

1c) (Hithpael) to make oneself like

1d) (Niphal)

Aramaic equivalent: de.mah (דְּמָה "be like" H1821)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Conj | V-Qal-Impv-2ms — Conjunction · verb qal imperative second person masculine singular
HC/Vqv2ms
hasten O lover my and be like yourself a gazelle or [the] fawn of the deer on mountains of spices
לְךָ֤le.Kha yourself 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
hasten O lover my and be like yourself a gazelle or [the] fawn of the deer on mountains of spices
לִצְבִי֙litz.Vi a gazelle H6643 Preposition · noun common masculine singular absolute
33× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
A gazelle is a beautiful animal, known for its splendor and speed, described in the Bible as a symbol of beauty and glory. The word also means something or someone that is pleasant and lovely to look at.
Amplified meaning
roe, young deer
Tyndale gloss
beauty
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

צְבִי (tsbiy) has two primary meanings: beauty or honor, and gazelle. It is derived from a root meaning prominence or splendor. The word encompasses concepts of beauty and glory, as well as referring to the gazelle, known for its gracefulness. The lexicons do not indicate any significant disagreement regarding its meanings.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

צְבִי n.m. beauty, honour

base

צְבִי n.m. gazelle

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H6643a צְבִי beauty, honour H6643b צְבִי gazelle

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

6643 tsbiy tseb-ee'

from 6638 in the sense of prominence; splendor (as

conspicuous); also a gazelle (as beautiful):--beautiful(-ty),

glorious (-ry), goodly, pleasant, roe(-buck).

see HEBREW for 06638

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

צְבִי (tse.vi) — beauty.

1) beauty, glory, honour

1a) beauty, decoration

1b) honour

צְבִי (tse.vi) — gazelle.

1) roebuck, gazelle

1a) perhaps an extinct animal, exact meaning unknown

Also means: tse.viy.yah (צְבִיָּה "gazelle" H6646)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Prep | N-cs — Preposition · noun common masculine singular absolute
HR/Ncmsa
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

ga-zel' (tsebhi, and feminine tsebhiyah; compare Tabeitha (Ac 9:36), and Arabic zabi; also Arabic ghazal; Dorkas (Ac 9:36); modern Greek zarkadi):

The word "gazelle" does not occur in the King James Version, where tsebhi and tsebhiyah, in the 16 passages where they occur, are uniformly translated "roe" or "roebuck." In the Revised Version (British and American) the treatment is not uniform. We find "gazelle" without comment in De 12:15,22; 14:5; 15:22; 1Ki 4:23. We find "roe," with marginal note "or gazelle," in Pr 6:5; So 2:7,9,17; 4:5; 8:14;

hasten O lover my and be like yourself a gazelle or [the] fawn of the deer on mountains of spices
א֚וֹ'o or H176 Conjunction
321× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
Desire can also mean or, and, or if, showing a choice between options, as seen in Proverbs 31:4. It is used to express alternatives or possibilities.
Amplified meaning
as an alternative
Tyndale gloss
or
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word אוֹ (*'ow*) primarily functions as a conjunction meaning 'or,' often indicating a preference or choice between options. It can also introduce examples, express conditions, or imply alternatives. Additionally, it is associated with the noun meaning 'desire' in Proverbs 31:4. The entries reflect a range of uses, but do not present significant disagreement.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

אוֹ 320 conj. or

sometimes implying a preference, nearly or rather

introducing a sentence, esp. a particular case under a general principle, or = or if

if perchance

once, with the juss. = except

base

[אֵו] n.m. אוֹ, Kt Pr 31:4 desire, so Thes MV; but < Qr אֵי q.v.

done

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H176 אוֹ or . sometimes implying a preference, nearly or rather

. introducing a sentence, esp. a particular case under a general principle, or = or if

. if perchance

. once, with the juss. = except

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

176 'ow o

presumed to be the "constructive" or genitival form of -av

{av}; short for 185; desire (and so probably in Prov. 31:4);

hence (by way of alternative) or, also if:--also, and,

either, if, at the least, X nor, or, otherwise, then, whether.

see HEBREW for 0185

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

אוֹ (o) — or.

1) or, rather

1a) implying that the latter choice is preferred

1b) or if, introducing an example to be seen under a particular principle

1c) (in series) either...or, whether...or

1d) if perchance

1e) except, or else

2) whether, not the least, if, otherwise, also, and, then

אוֹ (o) — desire.

desire

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Conj — Conjunction
HC
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

or: The word is used once for either (1Sa 26:10), and is still in poetic use in this sense; as in, "Without or wave or wind" (Coleridge); "Or the bakke or some bone he breketh in his dzouthe" (Piers Plowman (B), VII, 93; compare Merchant of Venice, III, ii, 65). It is also used with "ever" for before (Ps 90:2; Ecclesiasticus 18:19), which the American Standard Revised Version substitutes in Ec 12:6 (compare 12:1,2); So 6:12; Da 6:24.

hasten O lover my and be like yourself a gazelle or [the] fawn of the deer on mountains of spices
לְעֹ֣פֶרle.'O.fer [the] fawn of H6082 Preposition · noun common masculine singular construct
5× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
Opher refers to a young deer or fawn, often translated as young roe in the KJV. It describes a type of animal in the Bible.
Tyndale gloss
fawn
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

עֹ֫פֶר (opher) refers to a young hart or stag, often described as having a dusty color. It is derived from the root word for dust, indicating its appearance. The term is consistently used across various lexicons to denote a fawn or young deer.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

עֹ֫פֶר n.m. young hart, stag

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H6082 עֹ֫פֶר

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

6082 `opher o'-fer

from 6080; a fawn (from the dusty color):--young roe (hart).

see HEBREW for 06080

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

עֹ֫פֶר (o.pher) — fawn.

deer, fawn, stag, young hart

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Prep | N-ms — Preposition · noun common masculine singular construct
HR/Ncmsc
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…

hasten O lover my and be like yourself a gazelle or [the] fawn of the deer on mountains of spices
הָֽאַיָּלִ֔יםha.'ai.ya.Lim the deer H354 Particle · noun common masculine plural absolute
11× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
A male deer, also known as a stag or hart, found in the Bible. The KJV translation uses the term hart to describe this animal.
Amplified meaning
hart, male deer
Tyndale gloss
deer
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

אַיָּל (ayal) refers to a male deer, specifically a hart or stag. The word is derived from an intensive form related to another term for ram. It appears in contexts such as Psalm 42:2.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

אַיָּל n.[m.] (f. ψ 42:2) hart, stag, deer

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H354 אַיָּל hart, stag, deer

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

354 'ayal ah-yawl'

an intensive form of 352 (in the sense of ram); a stag or

male deer:--hart.

see HEBREW for 0352

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

אַיָּל (ay.yal) — deer.

stag, deer, hart

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Art | N-cp — Particle · noun common masculine plural absolute
HTd/Ncmpa
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

der ('ayyal, feminine 'ayyalah, and 'ayyeleth (compare Arabic, 'ayyal and 'iyal, "deer" and 'ayil, "ram," and Latin caper and capra, "goat," caprea, capreolus, "wild goat," "chamois," or "roe deer")); yachmur (compare Arabic, yachmur, "deer"); ya`alah, feminine of ya`el (compare Arabic, wa`l, "Pers wild goat"); tsebhi, and feminine tsebhiyah (compare Arabic, zabi and feminine zabiyah, "gazelle"); `opher (compare Arabic, ghafr and ghufr, "young of the mountain goat"):

Of the words in the preceding list, the writer believes that only the first two, i.e. 'ayyal (with its feminine forms) and yachmur should be translated "deer," 'ayyal for the roe deer and yachmur for the fallow deer. Further, he believes that ya`el (including ya`alah) should be translated "ibex," and tsebhi, "gazelle." `Opher is the young of a roe deer or of a gazelle.

Smith's Bible Dictionary

[FALLOW-DEER]

American Tract Society Bible Dictionary

A wild quadruped, of a middle size between the stag and the roebuck; its horns turn inward, and are large and flat. The fallow deer is naturally very timorous: it was reputed clean, and good for food, De 14:5. Young deer are noticed in Proverbs, Songs, and Isaiah, as beautiful creatures, and very swift, Pr 5:19. See HIND.

Nave's Topical Bible

→ Also called, FALLOW DEER, HART, HIND, ROEBUCK

→ Designated among the ceremonially clean animals, to be eaten De 12:15; 14:5

→ Provided for Solomon's household 1Ki 4:23

→ Fleetness of 2Sa 2:18; 1Ch 12:8; Pr 6:5; So 8:14; Isa 35:6

→ Surefootedness of 2Sa 22:34

→ Gentleness of Pr 5:19

→ Coloring of Jer 14:5

hasten O lover my and be like yourself a gazelle or [the] fawn of the deer on mountains of spices
עַ֖ל'al on H5921 Preposition
5,774× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This Hebrew word means on or above something, like a physical object or a situation. It can also imply a sense of responsibility or accountability, as in being on behalf of someone.
Amplified meaning
upon, above
Tyndale gloss
upon
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word עַל (*al*) is a preposition meaning 'upon' and encompasses a wide range of meanings, including 'on account of,' 'beside,' 'above,' and 'against.' It can indicate physical placement, emotional burdens, or duties imposed on a person. The entries also note its use in idiomatic expressions and with verbs of motion. There is a mention of its function as a conjunction in certain contexts.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

כִּי עַל כֵּן forasmuch as

base

עַל, עָ֑ל

subst. height

As prep. upon, and hence on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against

Upon, of the substratum upon which an object in any way rests, or on which an action is performed

of clothing, etc., which any one wears

With verbs of covering or protecting, even though the cover or veil be not over or above the thing covered, but around or before it

Of what rests heavily upon a person, or is a burden to him

Of a duty, payment, care, etc., imposed upon a person, or devolving on him

על is used idiom. to give pathos to the expression of an emotion, by emphasizing the person who is its subject, and who, as it were, feels it acting upon him

חָיָה עַל to live upon (as upon a foundation or support)

Read the full entry →
Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H5921a עַל, עָ֑ל . As prep. upon, and hence on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against . Upon, of the substratum upon which an object in any way rests, or on which an action is performed . — . of clothing, etc., which any one wears

. With verbs of covering or protecting, even though the cover or veil be not over or above the thing covered, but around or before it

. Of what rests heavily upon a person, or is a burden to him

. Of a duty, payment, care, etc., imposed upon a person, or devolving on him

. על is used idiom. to give pathos to the expression of an emotion, by emphasizing the person who is its subject, and who, as it were, feels it acting upon him

. חָיָה עַל to live upon (as upon a foundation or support)

Read the full entry →
Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

5921 `al al

properly, the same as 5920 used as a preposition (in the

singular or plural often with prefix, or as conjunction with a

particle following); above, over, upon, or against (yet always

in this last relation with a downward aspect) in a great

variety of applications (as follow):--above, according

to(-ly), after, (as) against, among, and, X as, at, because

of, beside (the rest of), between, beyond the time, X both

and, by (reason of), X had the charge of, concerning for, in

(that), (forth, out) of, (from) (off), (up-)on, over, than,

through(-out), to, touching, X with.

see HEBREW for 05920

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

עַל (al) — upon.

prep

1) upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against

1a) upon, on the ground of, on the basis of, on account of, because of, therefore, on behalf of, for the sake of, for, with, in spite of, notwithstanding, concerning, in the matter of, as regards

1b) above, beyond, over (of excess)

1c) above, over (of elevation or pre-eminence)

1d) upon, to, over to, unto, in addition to, together with, with (of addition)

1e) over (of suspension or extension)

1f) by, adjoining, next, at, over, around (of contiguity or proximity)

1g) down upon, upon, on, from, up upon, up to, towards, over towards, to, against (with verbs of motion)

1h) to (as a dative)

[כִּי] עַל [כֵּן] ([ki] al [ken]) — as.

conj

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Prep — Preposition
HR
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
Easton's Bible Dictionary

On

Light; the sun, (Gen. 41:45, 50), the great seat of sun-worship, called also Bethshemesh (Jer. 43:13) and Aven (Ezek. 30:17), stood on the east bank of the Nile, a few miles north of Memphis, and near Cairo, in the north-east. The Vulgate and the LXX. Versions have “Heliopolis” (“city of the sun”) instead of On in Genesis and of Aven in Ezekiel. The “city of destruction” Isaiah speaks of (19:18, marg. “of Heres;” Heb. ‘Ir-ha-heres, which some MSS. read Ir-ha-heres, i.e., “city of the sun”) may be the name given to On, the prophecy being that the time will come when that city which was known as the “city of the sun-god” shall become the “city of destruction” of the sun-god, i.e., when idolatry shall cease, and the worship…

Smith's Bible Dictionary

(abode or city of the sun), a town of lower Egypt, called BETH-SHEMESH in (Jeremiah 43:13) On is better known under its Greek name Heliopolis. It was situated on the east side of the Pelusiac branch of the Nile, just below the point of the Delta, and about twenty miles northeast of Memphis. The chief object of worship at Heliopolis was the sun, whose temple, described by Strabo, is now only represented by the single beautiful obelisk, of red granite so feet 2 inches high above the pedestal which has stood for more than 4000 years, having been erected by Usirtesen, the second king of the twelfth dynasty. Heliopolis was anciently famous for its learning, and Eudoxus and Plato studied under its priests. The first mention of this place in the Bible is in the history of Joseph, to whom we read Pharaoh gave "to wife Asenath the daughter…

American Tract Society Bible Dictionary

See HELIOPOLIS.

Hitchcock's Bible Names Dictionary

pain; force; iniquity

The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
hasten O lover my and be like yourself a gazelle or [the] fawn of the deer on mountains of spices
הָרֵ֥יha.Rei mountains of H2022 Noun common · masculine plural construct
546× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
A mountain or hill, sometimes used to describe a spiritual high point. In the Bible, it can refer to a real mountain or a figurative one. The word is often translated as hill or mount.
Amplified meaning
hills, high places
Tyndale gloss
mountain: mount
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

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

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

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

mountain, hill

hill-country, mountain-region

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H2022 הַר mountain, hill, hill-country

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

2022 har har

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

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

promotion.

see HEBREW for 02042

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

הַר (har) — mountain: mount.

: mount/hill

hill, mountain, hill country, mount

הַר (har) — mountain: hill country.

: hill_country

hill, mountain, hill country, mount

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

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-mp — Noun common · masculine plural construct
HNcmpc
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…

hasten O lover my and be like yourself a gazelle or [the] fawn of the deer on mountains of spices
בְשָׂמִֽים׃ve.sa.Mim spices H1314 Noun common · masculine plural absolute
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
aromatic spices, sweet fragrances
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 — Noun common · masculine plural absolute
HNcmpa
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
Easton's Bible Dictionary

Spices

Aromatic substances, of which several are named in Ex. 30. They were used in the sacred anointing oil (Ex. 25:6; 35:8; 1 Chr. 9:29), and in embalming the dead (2 Chr. 16:14; Luke 23:56; 24:1; John 19:39, 40). Spices were stored by Hezekiah in his treasure-house (2 Kings 20:13; Isa. 39:2).

Nave's Topical Bible

→ In the formula for the sacred oil Ex 25:6; 35:8

→ Stores of 2Ki 20:13

→ Used in the temple 1Ch 9:29

→ Exported from Gilead Ge 37:25

→ Sent as a present by Jacob to Joseph Ge 43:11

→ Presented by the Queen of Sheba to Solomon 1Ki 10:2,10

→ Sold in the marketplaces of Tyre Eze 27:22

→ Used in the embalming of Asa 2Ch 16:14

Thompson Chain Reference topics
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