Menu

Zechariah 2:7 — Word Study

Depth

WLCה֥וֹי צִיּ֖וֹן הִמָּלְטִ֑י יוֹשֶׁ֖בֶת בַּת־ בָּבֶֽל׃ ס

BSAbeholdhinnêh messengermălʼâk to speakdâbar to come outyâtsâʼ messengermălʼâk anotherʼachêr to come outyâtsâʼ befallqirʼâh

Word
Listen & take awayZechariah 2
English ↓ Download MP3 The Berean Standard Bible chapter audio already hosted for the site's Bible section — verse 7 is in this chapter.
Hebrew ↓ Download MP3 The Masoretic text of this chapter, read aloud. Read by Abraham Shmuelof, courtesy of Audio Scriptures International. Chapter divisions by the Academy of Ancient Languages..
Say the word Each Hebrew word carries its transliteration (ba.Vel) — no per-word recordings of the Hebrew exist to link to.
Take it away
Zechariah 2:7quick helps
In a sentenceZion is called to rise up and escape from the influence of Babylon.
Who is speakingThe LORD, addressing Zion directly.
Where we areIn a prophetic call for deliverance from captivity.
The hard wordהִמָּלְטִ֑י
Take awayZion is urged to flee from a place of spiritual captivity.
8 commentators on this verse Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them › clause verbהַ 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 — Zechariah 2:7

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

Context — A Call to Escape from Babylongenerated

6“Get up! Get up! Flee from the land of the north,” declares the LORD, “for I have scattered you like the four winds of heaven,” declares the LORD.
7“Get up, O Zion! Escape, you who dwell with the Daughter of Babylon!”
8For this is what the LORD of Hosts says: “After His Glory has sent Me against the nations that have plundered you—for whoever touches you touches the apple of His eye—
9I will surely wave My hand over them, so that they will become plunder for their own servants. Then you will know that the LORD of Hosts has sent Me.”

Zechariah 2:7 is part of a message of hope, where the people of Zion are urged to rise and escape from their current situation, symbolized by Babylon. The verses surrounding this call emphasize God's desire to gather His people and protect them, contrasting their plight with His promise of restoration and safety.


Cross References

ReferenceText (BSB)
1Genesis 19:17As soon as the men had brought them out, one of them said, “Run for your lives! Do not look back, and do not stop anywhere on the plain! Flee to the mountains, or you will be swept away!”
2Numbers 16:26–34And he warned the congregation, “Move away now from the tents of these wicked men. Do not touch anything that belongs to them, or you will be swept away because of all their sins.”
3Isaiah 48:20Leave Babylon! Flee from the Chaldeans! Declare it with a shout of joy, proclaim it, let it go out to the ends of the earth, saying, “The LORD has redeemed His servant Jacob!”
4Isaiah 52:11Depart, depart, go out from there! Touch no unclean thing; come out from it, purify yourselves, you who carry the vessels of the LORD.
5Jeremiah 50:8Flee from the midst of Babylon; depart from the land of the Chaldeans; be like the he-goats that lead the flock.

The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 10 references, hung on the phrase they belong to


The Key Word הִמָּלְטִ֑י, hi.mal.Tigenerated

The verb מָלַט (malat) means to escape or be delivered, indicating a sense of urgency for Zion to flee from danger. The parsing as a Niphal imperative suggests a direct command, emphasizing the need for immediate action.

This word carries connotations of salvation and safety, often used in contexts where individuals are saved from peril. In this verse, it reflects the urgency for those dwelling in Babylon to seek refuge and deliverance.


How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated

The BSB translates the imperative as escape, which aligns with the KJV's escape and the ASV's flee, all conveying the urgency of the command.


Sentence Structuregenerated

The finite verb הִמָּלְטִ֑י, escape, governs the entire verse, with the subject צִיּ֖וֹן (O Zion) directly addressed. The structure emphasizes the command to escape, highlighting the action required by the inhabitants.

The sentence is structured to draw attention to the imperative call, with the subject and verb positioned prominently to convey urgency and directness.


Septuagint Backgroundgenerated

The Septuagint translates הִמָּלְטִ֑י as λαλῶν (lalōn), indicating a focus on speaking or proclaiming. This choice may suggest a broader interpretation of the call to escape, emphasizing the importance of vocalizing the need for deliverance.

This rendering shows a shift from a direct command to an action that involves proclamation, which can imply a communal response to the call for escape.


In plain words — the whole versegenerated

Zechariah 2:7 calls out to Zion, urging it to get up and escape from the Daughter of Babylon. This reflects a desire for God's people to flee from a place of captivity and seek safety.


Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated

What does 'escape' mean in this context?

In this verse, 'escape' refers to the urgent call for Zion to flee from Babylon, symbolizing a need for deliverance from spiritual captivity.

Why is Zion addressed directly?

Zion represents the people of God, and addressing it directly emphasizes the personal and communal nature of the call to escape.

What is the significance of Babylon in this verse?

Babylon symbolizes a place of spiritual captivity and confusion, contrasting with the safety and identity of Zion as God's chosen people.

How does this verse relate to the surrounding context?

This verse is part of a larger message of hope, where God promises to protect and gather His people, encouraging them to leave behind their captivity.


Reflection Questionsgenerated

  1. What does it mean for me to 'escape' from influences that lead me away from God?
  2. In what ways can I identify with Zion's call to rise up and seek safety?
  3. How can I help others who may be dwelling in their own 'Babylon'?
  4. What steps can I take to ensure I am living in alignment with God's call for my life?

Commentators on this verse — 8 expositors, verse by verse

Each of these wrote on Zechariah 2:7 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.

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

Deliver thyself, O Zion,.... Or make thy escape, you that belong to Mount Zion, the city of the living God, and ought to have your abode there, and not in Babylon: flee from thence, that dwelleth

Read John Gill on Zechariah 2 →
Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's Commentary

Deliver thyself, O Zion, that dwellest with the daughter of Babylon. Deliver thyself, O Zion, that dwellest with the daughter of Babylon.

Read Robert Jamieson on Zechariah 2 →
Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy Bible

Deliver thyself: the proclamation for free return is published; up, then, and be gone. O Zion; O ye people who should dwell in Zion, ye daughters of Zion. Dwellest; keepest in Babylon when thou mightest go to Jerusalem. With the daughter of Babylon: perhaps this intimates that which kept many Jews in Babylon, wives or mistresses.

Read Matthew Poole on Zechariah 2 →
John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

Zechariah 2:7 Deliver thyself, O Zion, that dwellest [with] the daughter of Babylon.Ver. 7. Deliver thyself, O Zion, that dwellest with the daughter of Babylon] q.d. Is Babylon a fit place for thee to abide in? what comfort canst thou take in such lewd company? Save thyself from this untoward generation, Acts 2:40 "Flee out of the midst of Babylon, and deliver every man his soul: be not cut off in her iniquity; for this is the time of the Lord’ s vengeance; he will render unto her a recompense," Jeremiah 51:6-7. Shortly after this exhortation to the sons of Zion Babylon revolted from the Persians, and was taken and sacked by Darius in the fourth year of his reign (that is, two years after…

Read John Trapp on Zechariah 2 →
Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(7) Daughter of Babylon means inhabitants of Babylon, as (Zechariah 2:10) “daughter of Zion” means inhabitants of Zion. (With the whole passage comp. Isaiah 48:20; Jeremiah 51:6; Jeremiah 51:9; Jeremiah 51:45.) LXX. for “O Zion,” åὶ ?ò Óéῶ ?í—comp. a somewhat similar mistake in Ezekiel 21:15 (Zechariah 2:10, LXX.).

Read Charles John Ellicott on Zechariah 2 →
CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

7. Deliver thyself] Lit. “Ho, Zion, deliver thyself: thou that dwellest with, &c.” The reason for this urgent call to escape, viz. the impending judgment upon Babylon, follows immediately, Zechariah 2:8-9. In like manner Jeremiah (Jeremiah 50:8; Jeremiah 50:10; Jeremiah 51:6; Jeremiah 51:45), and before him Isaiah (Jeremiah 48:14; Jeremiah 48:20), connects the punishment of Babylon with the escape of Israel. The immediate reference of those prophecies is to the taking of Babylon by Cyrus, which preceded and led to the return from the 70 years’ captivity. But the prophecies reach on, in the largeness of their terms, to the final and utter destruction of Babylon, and include such later calls…

Read Cambridge on Zechariah 2 →
Albert Barnes1798–1870Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Dwellest with the daughter of Babylon - The unusual idiom is perhaps chosen as expressive of God’s tenderness, even to the people who were to be destroyed, from which Israel was to escape.

Read Albert Barnes on Zechariah 2 →
Daniel Denison Whedon1808–1885Whedon's Commentary on the Bible

6. Ho, ho — The Hebrew word is translated also “woe” or “alas”; it is more than a call to attention; it always expresses a feeling of pain on the part of the speaker, arising from compassion with

Read Daniel Denison Whedon on Zechariah 2 →

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

“Get up, O Zion! Escape, you who dwell with the Daughter of Babylon!”

WEBWorld English Bible2000

‘Come, Zion! Escape, you who dwell with the daughter of Babylon.’

MSBMajority Standard Bible2022

“Get up, O Zion! Escape, you who dwell with the Daughter of Babylon!”

NETBNew English Translation2006

“Escape, Zion, you who live among the Babylonians!”

Tyndale line

KJVKing James Version1611

Deliver thyself, O Zion, that dwellest with the daughter of Babylon.

ASVAmerican Standard Version1901

Ho Zion, escape, thou that dwellest with the daughter of Babylon.

RVARevised Version, American1894

Ho Zion, escape, thou that dwellest with the daughter of Babylon.

NWBWebster's Bible1833

Deliver thyself, O Zion, that dwellest with the daughter of Babylon.

GNVGeneva Bible1599

Saue thy selfe, O Zion, that dwellest with the daughter of Babel.

Strictly literal

DBYDarby Translation1890

Ho! escape, Zion, that dwellest with the daughter of Babylon.

YLTYoung's Literal Translation1862

Ho, Zion, be delivered who art dwelling [with] the daughter of Babylon.

LSVLiteral Standard Version2020

Behold, Zion, be delivered who are dwelling [with] the daughter of Babylon.

ILTInterlinear Literal Translation2000

(2:11) Up, Zion, escape, thou that dwellest with the daughter of Babylon.

ULBUnlocked Literal Bible2017

Up! Escape to Zion, you who live with the daughter of Babylon!'”

From the Latin

DRADouay-Rheims (Challoner)1899

O Sion, flee, thou that dwellest with the daughter of Babylon:

Simplified

FBVFree Bible Version2020

Run away, people of Zion! All of you who live in Babylon must escape.

BBEBible in Basic English1949

Ho! Zion, go in flight from danger, you who are living with the daughter of Babylon.

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.

clauseclauseה֥וֹיalas!clauseצִיּ֖וֹןO.Zionclauseclauseverbהִמָּלְטִ֑יescapeclausenoun phraseיוֹשֶׁ֖בֶתO.inhabitant[s]adverb phrasenoun phraseבַּתof.the.daughterבָּבֶֽלof.Babylon

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


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

The Masoretic Text and the Septuagint agree on the wording of הִמָּלְטִ֑י and its context, with both texts emphasizing the urgency for Zion to escape from Babylon.

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

ה֥וֹי צִיּ֖וֹן הִמָּלְטִ֑י יוֹשֶׁ֖בֶת בַּת־ בָּבֶֽל׃ ס

Septuagintthe Greek the translators chose, word by word
ה֥וֹיκαὶצִיּ֖וֹןἰδοὺהִמָּלְטִ֑ייוֹשֶׁ֖בֶתἄγγελοςבַּת־בָּבֶֽל׃ סλαλῶν

6 of the 6 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.

Zechariah 2:7הוֹיalas!alas!הוֹיצִיּוֹןO ZionO ZionצִיּוֹןמָלַטescapeescapeמָלַטיָשַׁבO inhabitanO inhabitant[s]יָשַׁבבַּתof [the] daof [the] daughtבַּתבָּבֶ֫לBabylonBabylonבָּבֶ֫לבָּנָהto buildto buildבָּנָהבָּלַלto mixto mixבָּלַלהוֹAh!Ah!הוֹאוֹיwoe!woe!אוֹיצִיוּןsignpostsignpostצִיוּןסָפַדto mournto mournסָפַדגִּילto rejoiceto rejoiceגִּילקִנְאָהjealousyjealousyקִנְאָהנוּסto fleeto fleeנוּסבֶּ֫טַחsecuritysecurityבֶּ֫טַחכְּנַעֲנִיCanaanitesCanaanitessכְּנַעֲנִיצִיּוֹןZionZionצִיּוֹןאֵםmothermotherאֵםנְבוּכַדְרֶאצַּרNebuchadneNebuchadnezzarנְבוּכַדְרֶאצַּרכַּשְׂדִּיםChaldeaChaldeaכַּשְׂדִּים
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 Zechariah 2:7

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.

alas! O Zion escape O inhabitant[s] of [the] daughter of Babylon
ה֥וֹיHo alas! H1945 Particle
51× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
Hoy is an expression of sadness or pain, like saying oh or woe. It's used to show strong emotions, and is often translated as alas or woe in the KJV Bible. This word conveys a sense of lament or regret.
Tyndale gloss
woe!
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

הוֹי (hoy) is an interjection expressing dissatisfaction and pain, often translated as 'ah,' 'alas,' or 'woe.' It is used in lamentations and conveys a sense of sorrow or distress. The word is a prolonged form of another Hebrew term, indicating its emotional weight.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

הוֹי 81 interj. expressing usually dissatisfaction and pain, Ah, Alas, Ha (not distinctly Woe!) used in lamentations

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H1945 הוֹי expressing usually dissatisfaction and pain, Ah, Alas, Ha (not distinctly Woe!) used in lamentations

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

1945 howy hoh'ee

a prolonged form of 1930 (akin to 188); oh!:--ah, alas, ho,

O, woe.

see HEBREW for 01930

see HEBREW for 0188

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

הוֹי (hoy) — woe!.

ah!, alas!, ha!, ho!, O!, woe!

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
HTj — Particle
HTj
alas! O Zion escape O inhabitant[s] of [the] daughter of Babylon
צִיּ֖וֹןtzi.Yon O Zion H6726 Noun proper
154× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
Zion refers to a mountain in Jerusalem, often used as another name for the city, especially in prophetic books like Isaiah and Jeremiah.
Tyndale gloss
Zion
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

צִיּוֹן (Tsiyyôn) refers to Zion, often identified as a mountain in Jerusalem and a symbolic name for the city itself, particularly in prophetic contexts. The term is linked to the Hebrew word for Jerusalem and is noted for meaning 'parched place.' It is consistently recognized across lexicons as a proper noun.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

צִיּוֹן 154 n.pr.loc. Ṣiyyôn, Zion

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H6726 צִיּוֹן Ṣiyyôn, Zion

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

6726 Tsiyown tsee-yone'

the same (regularly) as 6725; Tsijon (as a permanent

capital), a mountain of Jerusalem:--Zion.

see HEBREW for 06725

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

צִיּוֹן (tsiy.yon) — Zion.

Zion = "parched place"

another name for Jerusalem especially in the prophetic books

Another name of ye.ru.sha.laim (יְרוּשָׁלִַ֫ם, יְרוּשְׁלֵם "Jerusalem" H3389)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
HNpl — Noun proper
HNpl
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

zi'-on (tsiyon; Sion):

1. Meaning of the Word

2. The Zion of the Jebusites

3. Zion of the Prophets

4. Zion in Later Poetical Writings and Apocrypha

5. Omission of Name by Some Writers

6. The Name "Zion" in Christian Times

LITERATURE

1. Meaning of the Word:

A name applied to Jerusalem, or to certain parts of it, at least since the time of David. Nothing certain is known of the meaning. Gesenius and others have derived it from a Hebrew root tsahah, "to be dry"; Delitzsch from tsiwwah, "to set up" and Wetzstein from tsin, "to protect." Gesenius finds a more hopeful suggestion in the Arabic equivalent cihw, the Arabic cahwat signifying "ridge of a mountain" or "citadel," which at any rate suitably applies to what we know to have been the original Zion (compare Smith, HGHL, under the word).

Easton's Bible Dictionary

Zion

Sunny; height, one of the eminences on which Jerusalem was built. It was surrounded on all sides, except the north, by deep valleys, that of the Tyropoeon (q.v.) separating it from Moriah (q.v.), which it surpasses in height by 105 feet. It was the south-eastern hill of Jerusalem.

When David took it from the Jebusites (Josh. 15:63; 2 Sam. 5:7) he built on it a citadel and a palace, and it became “the city of David” (1 Kings 8:1; 2 Kings 19:21, 31; 1 Chr. 11:5). In the later books of the Old Testament this name was sometimes used (Ps. 87:2; 149:2;

alas! O Zion escape O inhabitant[s] of [the] daughter of Babylon
הִמָּלְטִ֑יhi.mal.Ti escape H4422 Verb · Niphal · imperative second person feminine singular
95× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This verb means to escape or be delivered, like slipping away to safety. It is used in the Bible to describe people being saved from danger, like in the book of Psalms. The KJV translates it as deliver or escape.
Tyndale gloss
to escape
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

מָלַט (malat) is a Hebrew verb primarily meaning to escape or slip away. It encompasses various nuances such as delivering, saving, and even giving birth in specific contexts. The entries indicate that it can refer to both physical escape and the act of laying eggs. There is no significant disagreement among the lexicons regarding its meanings.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

[מָלַט] vb. slip away (not in Qal)

Niph.

slip away

escape

pass. be delivered

Pi.

lay (eggs)

let escape

deliver

Hiph.

give birth to a male child

deliver

Hithp.

slip forth, escape (sparks of fire from jaws of crocodile)

escape

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H4422 מָלַט slip away . . slip away

. escape

. pass. be delivered

. . lay (eggs)

. let escape

. deliver

. . give birth to a male child

. deliver

. . slip forth, escape (sparks of fire from jaws of crocodile)

. escape

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

4422 malat maw-lat'

a primitive root; properly, to be smooth, i.e. (by

implication) to escape (as if by slipperiness); causatively,

to release or rescue; specifically, to bring forth young, emit

sparks:--deliver (self), escape, lay, leap out, let alone,

let go, preserve, save, X speedily, X surely.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

מָלַט (ma.lat) — to escape.

1) to slip away, escape, deliver, save, be delivered

1a)(Niphal)

1a1) to slip away

1a2) to escape

1a3) to be delivered

1b) (Piel)

1b1) to lay, let slip out (of eggs)

1b2) to let escape

1b3) to deliver, save (life)

1c) (Hiphil)

1c1) to give birth to

1c2) to deliver

1d) (Hithpael)

1d1) to slip forth, slip out, escape

1d2) to escape

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
HVNv2fs — Verb · Niphal · imperative second person feminine singular
HVNv2fs
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
Nave's Topical Bible

→ NONE, FROM THE JUDGMENTS OF GOD Ge 3:7-11; 4:9-11; Job 34:21,22; Isa 10:3; Mt 23:33; Ro 2:3; 1Th 5:2,3; Heb 2:2,3; 12:25,26; Re 6:15-17

See SIN, FRUITS OF

See SIN, PUNISHMENT OF

See JUDGMENTS, NO ESCAPE FROM

alas! O Zion escape O inhabitant[s] of [the] daughter of Babylon
יוֹשֶׁ֖בֶתyo.She.vet O inhabitant[s] H3427 Verb · Qal · participle (active) feminine singular
1,079× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This verb means to sit or dwell, and can also mean to remain or abide. It's used in the Bible to describe people living in a place or staying with someone, like in the book of Genesis.
Tyndale gloss
to dwell
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

יָשַׁב (yashab) is a Hebrew verb meaning to sit, remain, or dwell. It encompasses a range of actions from simply sitting down to more complex ideas like establishing a home or causing a place to be inhabited. The entries indicate various forms, including Qal (to sit), Niphal (to be inhabited), and Hiphil (to cause to dwell). There is an Aramaic equivalent, יְתִב (ye.tiv), meaning 'to dwell'.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

יָשַׁב 1090 vb. sit, remain, dwell

Qal

sit

sit, sit down

sit down

sit = be set (as a jewel)

remain, stay, tarry

with special emphasis of qualifying phr.

dwell, have one’s abode

of a land or city, sit, abide, seated in its place, fig. for be inhabited

Niph. be inhabited, of land

Pi. and they shall set their encampments in thee

Hiph.

cause to sit

cause to abide

cause to dwell

cause cities to be inhabited

marry (prop. give a dwelling to)

Hoph. and ye be made to dwell alone in the midst of the land

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H3427 יָשַׁב sit, remain, dwell

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

3427 yashab yaw-shab'

a primitive root; properly, to sit down (specifically as

judge. in ambush, in quiet); by implication, to dwell, to

remain; causatively, to settle, to marry:--(make to)

abide(-ing), continue, (cause to, make to) dwell(-ing), ease

self, endure, establish, X fail, habitation, haunt, (make to)

inhabit(-ant), make to keep (house), lurking, X marry(-ing),

(bring again to) place, remain, return, seat, set(- tle),

(down-)sit(-down, still, -ting down, -ting (place) -uate),

take, tarry.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

יָשַׁב (ya.shav) — to dwell.

1) to dwell, remain, sit, abide

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to sit, sit down

1a2) to be set

1a3) to remain, stay

1a4) to dwell, have one's abode

1b) (Niphal) to be inhabited

1c) (Piel) to set, place

1d) (Hiphil)

1d1) to cause to sit

1d2) to cause to abide, set

1d3) to cause to dwell

1d4) to cause (cities) to be inhabited

1d5) to marry (give an dwelling to)

1e) (Hophal)

1e1) to be inhabited

1e2) to make to dwell

Aramaic equivalent: ye.tiv (יְתִב "to dwell" H3488)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
HVqrfsa — Verb · Qal · participle (active) feminine singular
HVqrfsa
alas! O Zion escape O inhabitant[s] of [the] daughter of Babylon
בַּת־bat- of [the] daughter of H1323 Noun common · feminine singular construct
588× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
The Hebrew word for daughter is used to describe a female child or a woman, and can also be used figuratively. In the Bible, it is used to describe women like Bathsheba, the wife of Uriah and later of King David.
Tyndale gloss
Bath (Shua)
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

בַּת (bat) means 'daughter' and encompasses a range of meanings including female child, young women, and even personifications of cities or inhabitants. It can also refer to villages in certain contexts. The word is derived from a root meaning 'to build' and is used in various figurative senses, such as 'branch' or 'apple of the eye.'

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

בַּת 587 n.f. daughter

daughter, female child

young women, women

with name of city, land, or people, poet. personif. of that city or inhabitants

pl. = villages, after name of city

in phrases denoting character, quality, etc.

ostrich

fig.

of vine = branch

as n. relat.

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H1323 בַּת daughter . daughter, female child

. young women, women

. with name of city, land, or people, poet. personif. of that city or inhabitants

. pl. = villages, after name of city

. in phrases denoting character, quality, etc.

. ostrich

. fig.

. of vine = branch

. as n. relat.

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

1323 bath bath

from 1129 (as feminine of 1121); a daughter (used in the same

wide sense as other terms of relationship, literally and

figuratively):--apple (of the eye), branch, company, daughter,

X first, X old, + owl, town, village.

see HEBREW for 01129

see HEBREW for 01121

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

בַּת (bat) — daughter.

: daughter

1) daughter

1a) daughter, girl, adopted daughter, daughter-in-law, sister, granddaughters, female child, cousin

1a1) as polite address

1a2) as designation of women of a particular place

2) young women, women

1a3) as personification

1a4) daughter-villages

1a5) description of character

Also means: bat (בַּת ": village" H1323H)

בַּת (bat) — daughter: village.

: village

1) daughter

1a) daughter, girl, adopted daughter, daughter-in-law, sister, granddaughters, female child, cousin

1a1) as polite address

1a2) as designation of women of a particular place

2) young women, women

1a3) as personification

1a4) daughter-villages

1a5) description of character

בַּת (bat) — Bath (Shua).

A woman living at the time of the Patriarchs, first mentioned at Gen.38.2;

daughter of: Shua (H7770); married to Judah (H3063);

mother of: Er (H6147), Onan (H0209) and Shelah (H7956)

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
HNcfsc — Noun common · feminine singular construct
HNcfsc
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…

alas! O Zion escape O inhabitant[s] of [the] daughter of Babylon
בָּבֶֽל׃ סba.Vel Babylon H894 Noun proper
262× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
Babel refers to Babylon, a city and empire in the Bible, meaning confusion or mixing. It appears in Genesis 11:9 and is associated with the tower of Babel. The city was situated on the Euphrates River.
Tyndale gloss
Babylon
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

בָּבֶ֫ל (Babel) refers to Babylon, an ancient city and capital of Babylonia, associated with the idea of confusion. It is derived from a root meaning 'confusion' and is mentioned in various contexts throughout the Old Testament. The lexicons agree on its meaning and significance, with no noted disagreements.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

בָּבֶ֫ל 262 n.pr.loc. Babel, Babylon

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H894 בָּבֶ֫ל Babel, Babylon

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

894 Babel baw-bel'

from 1101; confusion; Babel (i.e. Babylon), including

Babylonia and the Babylonian empire:--Babel, Babylon.

see HEBREW for 01101

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

בָּבֶ֫ל, בָּבֶל (ba.vel) — Babylon.

§ Babel or Babylon = "confusion (by mixing)"

Babel or Babylon, the ancient site and/or capital of Babylonia (modern Hillah) situated on the Euphrates

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
HNpl — Noun proper
HNpl
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
Easton's Bible Dictionary

Babylon

The Greek form of BABEL; Semitic form Babilu, meaning “The Gate of God.” In the Assyrian tablets it means “The city of the dispersion of the tribes.” The monumental list of its kings reaches back to B.C. 2300, and includes Khammurabi, or Amraphel (q.v.), the contemporary of Abraham. It stood on the Euphrates, about 200 miles above its junction with the Tigris, which flowed through its midst and divided it into two almost equal parts. The Elamites invaded Chaldea (i.e., Lower Mesopotamia, or Shinar, and Upper Mesopotamia, or Accad, now combined into one) and held it in subjection. At length Khammu-rabi delivered it from the foreign yoke, and founded the new empire of Chaldea (q.v.), making Babylon the capital of the united kingdom. This city gradually grew in extent and grandeur, but in process of time it became subject to Assyria. On the fall of Nineveh (B.C. 606) it threw off…

Smith's Bible Dictionary

in the Apocalypse, is the symbolical name by which Rome is denoted. (Revelation 14:8; 17:18) The power of Rome was regarded by the later Jews as was that of Babylon by their forefathers. Comp. (Jeremiah 51:7) with Reve 14:8 The occurrence of this name in (1 Peter 5:13) has given rise to a variety of conjectures, many giving it the same meaning as in the Apocalypse; others refer it to Babylon in Asia, and others still to Babylon in Egypt. The most natural supposition of all is that by Babylon is intended the old Babylon of Assyria, which was largely inhabited by Jews at the time in question.

American Tract Society Bible Dictionary

1. A celebrated city situated on the Euphrates, the original foundation of which is described under the word Babel. Wit this coincide many ancient traditions, while some speak of Semiramis as the founder, and others of Nebuchadnezzar. These accounts may all be reconciled, by supposing that Semiramis rebuilt the ancient city, and the Nebuchadnezzar. These accounts may all be reconciled, by supposing that Semiramis rebuilt the ancient city, and that Nebuchadnezzar afterwards greatly enlarged and adorned it.

Babylon lay in a vast and fertile plain watered by the Euphrates, with flowed through the city. Its walls are described as 60 miles in circumference, 300 feet high, and 75 feet wide, Jer 51:44- 58. A deep trench ran parallel with the walls. In each of the four sides were 25 brazen gates, from which roads crossed to the opposite…

Hitchcock's Bible Names Dictionary

same as Babel

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