Numbers 3:20

And the sons of Merari by their families; Mahli, and Mushi. These are the families of the Levites according to the house of their fathers.
Select a Hebrew word above to see its details.

וּ בְנֵ֧י
וּ
Prefix — connector and (sometimes: but, so, then)
בְנֵ֧י
Root word son, children, sons, old, first, …
Dictionary form: בֵּן · bane

Noun — Common, masculine plural, construct state plural — usually add "-s"; "___ of …" — bound to the next word

In the KJV here: and the sons
the son ×1140 the children ×607 of the children ×309 his son ×206 son ×179 the sons ×177 and the children ×160 sons ×155
More options
son — Core meaning; use for a single male offspring.
children — Preferred when the group is mixed or age is stressed.
sons — Use for a male plural or tribal/genealogical list.
descendants — Best for extended lineage or collective ethnic groups.
members — Idiomatic for constructs like 'members of the community/guild'.
young — Use for animal offspring or 'young of' constructions.

BDB1160 H1121

BDB1159 | BIBLICAL HEBREW | BDB1161

בֵּן4870 noun masculine son (MI Phoenician בן; so Sabean CISiv. No. 2, compare בני DHMSemitic Sprachforsch. 6; Arabic ; Assyrian bin (u), LyonSargon 9, 1. 57; especially in bin-bin, grandson COTGloss, compare Dl below; Aramaic בַּר, , plural בְּנִין, ; compare Palmyrene, especially VogNo. 21. 31. 36a and others; possibly originally connected with בנה build, so Thes, compare Assyrian bânu, begetter (DlPr 104 & compare BaZMG 1887, 638 ff.); but all traces of this √ lost in Hebrew form; √ perhaps originally bilit. (בִּן, בֵּן) בַּן ֗֗֗ see Sta§ 183) — absolute ׳בּ Gen 4:25 +; ֵ˜בּןֿ Ezek 18:10 construct בֵּן Gen 49:22 (twice in verse); בֶּןֿ Gen 5:32 +; בֶּן Esth 2:5; Neh 6:18, & with prefix Gen 17:17; Num 8:25; 1Chr 27:23; 2Chr 25:5; 2Chr 31:16; 2Chr 31:17 בְּנוֺ Num 23:18; Num 24:3; Num 24:15 בְּנִי Gen 49:11 בִּן Deut 25:2 בִּןֿ Exod 33:11 + 32 t. (29 t. in combination בִּןנֿוּן (ישׁוע, הושׁע) יהושׁע); suffix בְּנִי Gen 21:10 +; בִּנְךָ Exod 20:10 +; לִבֱנ֑ךָ Deut 7:3; 1Kgs 11:13 בְּנֵךְ Gen 30:14 +; בְּנוֺ Gen 4:17 +; בְּנָהּ Gen 21:10 +; plural בָּנִים Gen 3:16 +; construct בְּנֵי Gen 6:2 +; suffix בָּנַי Gen 31:43 +; בָּנֵינוּ Josh 22:25 +; בְּנֵיכֶם Exod 3:22 +, etc.; —

1. son, male child, born of a woman Gen 4:25; Gen 16:11; Gen 16:15; Gen 17:19 compare vGen 17:16; Gen 18:10; Gen 18:14; Gen 19:37; Gen 19:38 + often, compare בֶּןבִּֿטְנָהּ Isa 49:15 begotten by a man Gen 5:4f; Gen 5:28; Gen 6:10; Gen 11:11f. + often; || (בָּנוֺת) בַּת daughter Gen 5:4; Gen 5:7; Gen 5:10f. Gen 11:11; Gen 11:13; Gen 11:15f; Exod 20:10; Deut 5:14; Deut 16:11; Deut 16:14; 1Sam 30:3; 1Sam 30:6; Job 1:2; Job 42:13 +; of son as desired Gen 30:2 (compare Gen 15:2; Gen 16:2; Gen 17:17; Gen 18:10f.; 1Sam 1:5-11) 2Kgs 4:14; 2Kgs 4:28; Ps 127:3 +; rejoiced in Gen 30:6 +; beloved Exod 21:5; 2Sam 19:1; 2Sam 19:3; 2Sam 19:5; 1Kgs 3:26 cared for Deut 1:31 spared Mal 3:17 disciplined & trained Deut 8:5; Prov 3:12; Prov 13:24; Prov 19:18; Prov 29:17 owing reverence, obedience, etc. to parents Prov 6:20; Prov 10:1; Prov 13:1 בִּנְךָ בְּכוֺרְךָ thy first-born son Gen 27:32 הַבֵּן הַבְּכֹר Deut 21:15 compare 1Sam 8:2 בְּנָהּ הַגָּדֹל her elder son Gen 27:15; Gen 27:42 בְּנוֺ הַגָּדֹל Gen 27:1 בְּנָהּ הַקָּטָן her younger son Gen 27:15; Gen 27:42. In particular
  a. בֶּןאִֿמּוֺ son of his mother, i.e. own (uterine) brother Gen 43:29, compare Gen 27:29; Judg 8:19; Ps 50:20; Ps 69:9, & see אֵם; בְּנֵי אָבִיךָ sons of thy father = brethren Gen 49:8 (poetry)
  b. בְּנֵי דֹדֵיהֶן = cousins Num 36:11.
  c. בְּנִי my son, as term of kindliness or endearment, used by Eli to Samuel 1Sam 3:6; 1Sam 3:16 compare 1Sam 4:16; 1Sam 24:17; 1Sam 26:17; 1Sam 26:21; 1Sam 26:25, see also Prov 1:8; Prov 1:10; Prov 2:1 +; compare בִּנְךָ, used by Benhadad of himself to Elisha 2Kgs 8:9 by Ahaz to Tiglath-pileser 2Kgs 16:7 especially to express intimate and gracious relation with God: ׳י calls Israel בְּנִי בְכֹרִי Exod 4:22 compare vExod 4:23; Hos 11:1, see also Ps 80:16 (but compare Che); בָּנִים אַתֶּם ליהוה אלהיכם Deut 14:1 בְּנֵי עֶלְיוֺן Ps 82:6 (|| אלהים); בְּנֵי אֵלחָֿ֑י Hos 2:1 compare further Deut 32:5 (plural) vDeut 32:20 (plural) Isa 1:2; Isa 1:4; Isa 30:1; Isa 30:9; Jer 3:14; Jer 3:22; Jer 4:22; Jer 31:20 of future Davidic king 2Sam 7:14 = 1Chr 17:13 compare Ps 2:7 expressly referred to Solomon 1Chr 22:10; 1Chr 28:6 also of children (offered in fire) Ezek 16:21.
  d. בְּנֵי האלהים applied to supernatural beings Gen 6:2; Gen 6:4; Job 1:6; Job 2:1 בְּנֵי אלהים Job 38:7 בְּנֵי אֵלִים Ps 29:1 (on which compare Che's note) Ps 89:7.
  e. בֶּןאָֿדָם son of man, compare ׳בְּנֵי א, see אָדָם; בְּנֵי אִישׁ Ps 4:3 & (|| בני אדם) Ps 49:3; Ps 62:10. feminine בֶּןבִּֿנְךָ = thy grandson Exod 10:2; Deut 6:2; Judg 8:22 compare Jer 27:7 plural Exod 34:7; Exod 4:25; Exod 2:41; Exod 2:40; Job 42:16; Ps 128:6; Prov 13:22; Prov 17:6; Ezek 37:25 also בֵּן alone with similar reference Gen 29:5 (Laban son of Nahor); Laban calls his daughters' children his own sons Gen 31:28; Gen 31:43 compare Gen 32:1 so of Naomi Ruth 4:17 בְּנֵי רְבִעִים 2Kgs 10:30 sons of the fourth generation, and, in general, descendants Josh 22:24; Josh 22:25; Josh 22:27 +; see also below
  i. below
  g. constantly, as more precise designation, added to personal name כָּלֵב בֶּןיְֿפֻנֶּה Num 14:30; Num 32:12; Num 34:19 +; יְהוֺשֻׁעַ בִּןנֿוּן Num 11:28; Num 14:30; Num 32:12; Num 32:28; Num 34:17 +; יָרָבְעָם בֶּןנְֿבָט 1Kgs 12:2; 1Kgs 12:15 +, etc.; also without personal name (often with implication of contempt) בֶּןקִֿישׁ 1Sam 10:11 בֶּןיִֿשַׁי 1Sam 20:27; 1Sam 20:30; 1Sam 20:31; 1Sam 22:7; 1Sam 22:8; 1Sam 22:9; 1Sam 22:13; 1Sam 25:10; 2Sam 20:1 בְּנֵי צְרוּיָה 2Sam 16:10 בֶּןרְֿמַלְיָהוּ Isa 7:4; Isa 7:5; Isa 7:9; Isa 8:16 בֶּןטָֽֿבְאַ֑ל Isa 7:6 compare also בְּנֵי לֵוִי Num 16:7; Num 16:8.
  h. designated as בֶּןזְֿקֻנִים i.e. born in old age of father Gen 37:3 opposed to בְּנֵי הַנְּעוּרִים sons of one's youth Ps 127:4 also בֶּןבֵּֿיתִי one born in my house Gen 15:3 (i.e. slave) so בְּנֵי בַיִת Eccl 2:7.
  i. in various combinations: (α) as expression of contumely, בֶּןֿ נַעֲוַת הַמַּרְדּוּת 1Sam 20:30 בֶּןהַֿמְּרַצֵּחַ הַזֶּה 2Kgs 6:32 this son of a murderer; compare בְּנֵינָֿבָל Job 30:8 בְּנֵי בְלִישֵֿׁם ib.; בְּנֵי עֹנֲַנָה Isa 57:3 (|| זֶרַע מְנָאֵף); compare בֶּןאִֿשָּׁה אַחֶרֶת Judg 11:2 (compare vJudg 11:1); (β) as term of respect, dignity, בֶּןחֿוֺרִים son of nobles Eccl 10:17 (in Aramaic = free born); בֶּןחֲֿכָמִים Isa 19:11 בֶּןמַֿלְכֵיקֶֿדֶם ib.; compare בֶּןמֶֿלֶךְ Ps 72:1 (|| מֶלֶךְ); בֶּןאֲֿמָתֶ֑ךָ Ps 86:16 in addressing ׳י (|| עַבְדֶּ֑ךָ) & בְּנֵיעֲֿבָדֶיךָ Ps 102:29 of noble appearance בְּנֵי הַמֶּלֶךְ Judg 8:18.
  j. often plural with name of ancestor, people, land, or city, to denote descendants, inhabitants, membership in a nation or family, etc.: (α) e.g. בְּנֵיעֵֿבֶר Gen 10:21 בְּנֵיחֵֿת Gen 23:3; Gen 23:5; Gen 23:7; Gen 23:10 (twice in verse); Gen 23:11; Gen 23:16; Gen 23:18; Gen 23:20; Gen 25:10; Gen 49:32 (all P); (בְּנֵישֵֿׁת Num 24:17 see below 8); בְּנֵיחֲֿמוֺר Gen 33:19; Josh 24:32 בְּנֵי עֵשָׂו Gen 36:5; Gen 36:15; Gen 36:19; Deut 2:4; Deut 2:8; Deut 2:12; Deut 2:22; Deut 2:29 בְּנֵי שֵׂעִיר Gen 36:20; Gen 36:21 בֶּןֿ(בני)הִנֹּם Josh 15:8 + (compare below גַּיְא); בְּנֵי לוֺט Deut 2:9; Deut 2:19; Ps 83:9 בְּנֵייֿוֺסֵף (literal Gen 46:27; Gen 48:8; 1Chr 5:1) Num 1:32; Num 26:28; Num 26:37; Num 34:23; Num 36:5 (׳י ׳מַטֵּה ב) + 6 t. Joshua, compare Ps 77:16 even בְּנֵי חֲצִי שֵׁבֶט מְנַשֶּׁה 1Chr 5:23 בְּנֵי דָוַיד (literal 2Sam 8:18 = 1Chr 18:17; 1Chr 3:1; 1Chr 3:9) 2Chr 13:8; 2Chr 23:3; 2Chr 32:33 בְּנֵי אָסָף 2Chr 29:13; Ezra 2:41; Ezra 3:8 + (see אָסָף); בְּנֵי קֹרַח in titles of Psalm 42-49, 84, 85, 87, 88; especially (β) בְּנֵיעַֿמּוֺן (standing designation of people of Ammon) Gen 19:38 + 81 t. (compare עַמּוֺן & ZMG 1886, 171 DrSm 66); בְּנֵי יַעֲקֹב (literal Gen 34:7; Gen 34:13; Gen 34:25; Gen 34:27; Gen 35:5; Gen 35:22; Gen 35:26; Gen 49:2) 2Kgs 17:34; Ps 105:6; Mal 3:6 compare Ps 77:16 & chiefly (γ) בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל (literal Gen 42:5; Gen 45:21; Gen 46:5; Exod 1:1) Exod 1:7 + 613 t., including Hexateuch 427 (of which 328 P, 49 E, 25 J, 25 D), Judg 61, Samuel Kings Chronicles 73 (23 in reference to ancient history, 10 in opposition to Judah); so also Vrss & variant reading sometimes for ׳בֵּית יִשׂ, e.g. Josh 21:43 + see Di, Ezek 3:1 + see Co; also the reverse Ezek 2:3 and elsewhere; note especially יִשְׂרָאֵל ׳עַם בּ Exod 1:9 יִשְׂרָאֵל ׳עַמִּי בּ Exod 3:10; Exod 7:4 עֲדַת בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל Exod 16:1; Exod 16:2; Exod 16:9; Exod 16:10; Exod 17:1; Lev 16:5; Lev 19:2; Num 1:2; Num 1:53; Num 8:9; Num 8:20; Num 13:26; Num 15:25; Num 15:26; Num 17:6; Num 19:9; Num 25:6; Num 26:2; Num 31:12 (all P); ׳יִשׂ ׳דֹּרוֺת ב Judg 3:2 וְכָלהָֿעָם ׳יִשׂ ׳כָּלבֿ Judg 20:26 וּבְּנֵי הַלֵּוִי ׳יִשׂ ׳ב Neh 10:40 also (δ) בְּנֵי יְהוּדָה (literal Gen 46:12; Gen 26:19; 1Chr 2:3; 1Chr 2:10; 1Chr 4:1) Num 1:26 + 18 t. Numbers, Joshua, Judg 1:8; Judg 1:9; Judg 1:16 (so read also vJudg 1:21 vJudg 1:21 compare Josh 15:53 & see below בנימן) 2Sam 1:18; 1Chr 4:27 + 8 t. Chronicles, Jer 7:30 + 4 t. Jeremiah; Hos 2:2; Joel 4:6; Joel 4:8; Joel 4:19; Obad 1:12 (not in Kings, of Judah or of any other tribe, except בְּנֵי לֵוִי 1Kgs 12:31) including מַטֵּה בְּנֵי יהוּדָה Josh 15:1; Josh 15:20; Josh 15:21; Josh 21:1; 1Chr 6:50 for usage with other tribes of Israel, see the articles; — but note (ε) בְּנֵי לֵוִי (literal Gen 46:11; Exod 6:16; Num 3:17; 1Chr 5:27; 1Chr 6:1 compare 1Chr 23:6) Exod 32:28; Num 3:15; Num 16:7; Num 16:8; Num 18:21; Josh 21:10 (as including sons of Aaron etc.); כָּלבְּֿנֵי לֵוִי Exod 32:26 ׳ל ׳כָּלאַֿחֶיךָ ב Num 16:10 ׳ל ׳הַכֹּהֲנִים ב Deut 21:5; Deut 31:9 compare 1Kgs 12:31 & Mal 3:8; 1Chr 23:24; 1Chr 23:27; 1Chr 24:20; Ezra 8:15 (distinguished from priests) Neh 12:23; Ezek 40:46 (including בְּנֵי צָדוֺק the priests); also ׳ל ׳מַחֲנוֺת ב 1Chr 9:18 בְּנֵי הַלֵּוִי 1Chr 12:27; Neh 10:40 בְּנֵי הַלְּוִיִם 1Chr 15:15; 1Chr 24:30 (compare also לֵוִי); (ζ) בְּנֵי אַהֲרֹן (literal Exod 28:1; Exod 28:40; 1Chr 5:29; 1Chr 24:1 often Aaron and his sons literal Exod 27:21; Exod 28:1; Exod 28:4 +) Lev 3:5; Lev 3:8; Lev 3:13; Lev 6:7; Lev 6:11; Lev 7:10; Lev 7:83; Josh 21:10; 1Chr 6:35; 1Chr 6:39; 1Chr 6:42; 1Chr 15:4 (+ Levites) 1Chr 24:1; 1Chr 24:31; Neh 12:47 also הַכֹּהֲנִים ׳בְּנֵי א Lev 1:5; Lev 1:8; Lev 1:11; Lev 2:2; Lev 3:2; Num 3:8; Num 10:8 & Josh 21:19; 2Chr 31:19 compare 2Chr 26:18; 2Chr 29:21; 2Chr 35:14 (twice in verse); בְּנֵי אַהֲרֹן הַכֹּהֵן Lev 1:7; Josh 21:4 (as subdivision of Levites) vJosh 21:13 compare Lev 7:34 אֶתכֹּֿהֲנֵי יהוה אֶתבְּֿנֵי אַהֲרֹן וְהַלְּוִּיִּם 2Chr 13:9 compare v2Chr 13:10 once in singular הַכֹּהֵן בֶּןאַֿהֲרֹן Neh 10:39 see also below אַהֲרֹן; (η) בְּנֵי צָדוֺק הכהנים הלוים בני צדוק; Ezek 48:11 הכהנים הַמְֿקֻדָּשׁ מנגי צדוק (ᵐ5 Sm Co join מ of מבני to preceding word, making plural); (φ) בְּנֵי with names of peoples, lands, and cities, בְּנֵי כֻּשִׁיִּים Amos 9:7 בְּנֵי מִצְרַיִם Ezek 16:26 בְּנֵי אַשּׁוּר Ezek 16:28; Ezek 23:7; Ezek 23:9; Ezek 23:12; Ezek 23:23 אֶדֶץ הַבְּרִית ׳ב Ezek 30:5 (Co strike out ארץ); בָּבֶל ׳ב Ezek 23:15. Ezek 23:17; Ezek 23:28 יְרוּשָׁלַם ׳ב Joel 4:6 צִיּוֺן ׳ב Joel 2:23; Lam 4:2; Ps 149:2 (compare Zech 9:13). See further (ι) בְּנֵי עַמֶּ֑ךָ Lev 19:18 compare Lev 20:17; Num 22:5; Judg 14:16; Judg 14:17; Ezek 3:11; Ezek 33:2; Ezek 33:12; Ezek 33:17; Ezek 33:30; Ezek 37:18; Dan 12:1 בְּנֵי פָּרִיצֵי עַמְּךָ Dan 11:14 (κ) קֶבֶר בְּנֵי הָעָם 2Kgs 23:6; 2Chr 35:5; 2Chr 35:7; 2Chr 35:12 קִבְרֵי בְּנֵי הָעָם Jer 26:23 (λ) בְּנֵיקֶֿדֶם Gen 29:1; Judg 7:12; Judg 8:10; 1Kgs 5:10; Job 1:3; Isa 11:14; Jer 49:28; Ezek 25:4; Ezek 25:10 (μ) בְּנֵי הַמְּדִינָה Ezra 2:1 = Neh 7:6 (ν) of bulls, בְּנֵי בָשָׁן Deut 32:14 (song) compare KloSK 1872. 254 Di.
2. children (male and female) Gen 3:16; Gen 21:7; Exod 21:5; Exod 22:23 hence בְּנֵי מְנַשֶּׁה הַזְכָּרִים Josh 17:2 male children, בֵּן זָכָר Jer 20:15.
3. youth, young men (plural) Prov 7:7; Song 2:3.
4. the young of animals Lev 22:28 (שׁוֺר אוֺ שֶׂה) compare Deut 22:6; Deut 22:7; 1Sam 6:7; 1Sam 6:10; Zech 9:9; Job 4:11; Job 28:8; Job 39:4; Job 39:16בֶּןבָּֿקָר etc. see below 7 b below
5. of plant-shoots בֵּן פֹּרָת Gen 49:22 (twice in verse); also בֵּן Ps 80:16 ? (|| כַּנָּה; see Chetransl. & critical note)
6. figurative of lifeless things, בְּנֵי רֶשֶׁף sparks Job 5:7 stars עַיִשׁ עַלבָּֿנֶיהָ Job 38:32 arrows בֶּןקָֿ֑שֶׁת Job 41:2 בְּנֵי אַשְׁפָּתוֺ Lam 3:13 compare בֶּןגָּֿרְנִי i.e. corn of my threshing-floor Isa 21:10.
7. a. member of a guild, order or class, בְּנֵי הַנְּבִיאִים i.e. those belonging to the prophetic order 1Kgs 20:35; 2Kgs 2:3; 2Kgs 2:5; 2Kgs 2:7; 2Kgs 2:15; 2Kgs 4:1; 2Kgs 4:38 (twice in verse); 2Kgs 5:22; 2Kgs 6:1; 2Kgs 9:1 (Hoffm RSProph, 85, 388, Ki 15 f.; ZehnpfBAS i, 355 compare Assyrian mâr šipri (šiprâtum), son of a messenger = messenger, and explains from the son's succeeding to father's calling) & בֶּןנָֿבִיא Amos 7:14 probably also בְּנֵי הַכֹּהֲנִים 1Chr 9:30; Ezra 2:61; Ezra 10:18 בְּנֵי הַשֹּׁעֲרִים Ezra 2:42 compare בְּנֵי הַגְּדוּד 2Chr 25:13 men of the troop, see Palmyrene בנישירתא men of the caravan VogNo, 4 and others; also בְּנֵי הַגּוֺלָה = exiles Ezra 4:1; Ezra 6:19; Ezra 6:20; Ezra 8:35; Ezra 10:7; Ezra 10:16 (see גולה below גלה): further, in בֶּןנֵֿכָר = foreigner (only P, poetry, & late) Gen 17:12; Gen 17:27; Exod 12:43; Lev 22:25; Ezek 44:9 (twice in verse); ׳הַֿנּ׳ב Isa 56:3 בְּנֵיִנֵֿכָר 2Sam 22:45; 2Sam 22:46 = Ps 18:45; Ps 18:46; Neh 9:2; Isa 60:10; Isa 61:5; Isa 62:8; Ezek 44:7; Ps 144:7; Ps 144:11, ׳בְּנֵיהַֿנּ Isa 56:6 also בְּנֵי הַתּוֺשָׁבִּים הַגָּרִים עִמָּכֶם Lev 25:4; Lev 25:5.
  b. of animals, בֶּןבָּֿקָר son of (the) herd, i.e. young one of the herd, בָּקָר וּבְנֵי בָקָר 1Sam 14:32 compare עֵגֶל בֶּןבָּֿקָר Lev 9:2 (P); then, in general, one of the herd: fit for food Gen 18:7; Gen 18:8 (J), for sacrifice Num 15:8; Num 15:9 (P); ׳בןהַֿב only Lev 12:6 (P); especially פַּר בֶּןבָּֿקָר Exod 29:1; Lev 4:3; Lev 4:14; Lev 16:3; Lev 23:18; Num 7:15 + 16 t. Numbers (all P) + 2Chr 13:9; Ezek 43:19; Ezek 43:23; Ezek 43:25; Ezek 45:18; Ezek 46:6 פָּרִים בְּנֵי בָּקָר Num 28:11; Num 28:19; Num 28:27; Num 29:13; Num 29:17 (P); also בְּנִי אֲתֹנוֺ Gen 49:11 (poem, J; || עִירֹה); בְּנֵיצֹֿאן Ps 114:4; Ps 114:6 בֶּןרְֿאֵמִים Ps 29:6 בְָּנֵי הָרַמָּכִים Esth 8:10 בְּנֵי (הַ)יּוֺנָה Lev 1:14 + 7 t. Lev + Num 6:10 compare בֶּןיֿוֺנָה Lev 12:6 (all P); בְּנֵיֿ נָ֑שֶׁר Prov 30:17 בְּנֵי עֹרֵב Ps 147:9.
8. ׳ב as relative noun followed by word of quality, characteristic, etc. especially (α) בֶּןֿ(בני)חַיִל = mighty man 1Sam 14:52; 1Sam 18:17; 2Sam 2:7; 2Sam 13:28; 2Sam 17:10 (twice in verse); 1Kgs 1:52 + 7 t. Chronicles; ׳אֲנָשִׁים בני ח Judg 18:2; 2Kgs 2:16 אֶלֶף אִישׁ מִבְּנֵי הֶחָ֑יִל Judg 21:10 (β) בְּנֵי עַוְלָה wicked men 2Sam 3:34; 2Sam 7:10; 1Chr 17:9; Hos 10:9 ׳בֶּןעֿ Ps 89:23 (for בני בליעל see בליעל); (γ) בְּנֵי מֶ֑רִי rebels Num 17:25 (compare בַּיִת); (δ) בְּנֵי הַתַּעֲרֻבוֺת sons of pledges = hostages 2Kgs 14:14 = 2Chr 25:24 (ε) בְּנֵי מָוֶת i.e. those deserving of death 1Sam 26:16 so בֶּןמֿות 2Sam 12:5 בְּנֵי תְמוּתָה appointed or exposed to death Ps 79:11; Ps 102:21 compare (ζ) בִּן הַכּוֺת one worthy of smiting Deut 25:2 (η) בְּנֵי עֹ֑נִי Prov 31:5 (θ) בְּנֵי חֲלוֺף Prov 31:8 (ι) בְּנֵי שָׁאוֺן Jer 48:45 = tumultuous ones; so also (= שֵׁאת) בְּנֵי שֵׁת Num 24:17 compare RV Di and others; (κ) כְּנֵי הַיִּצְהָר Zech 4:14 i.e. anointed ones; (λ) בֶּןמֶֿשֶׁק Gen 15:2 son of possession, i.e. heir; (μ) הֵילֵל בֶּןשָֿׁ֑חַר Isa 14:12 son of dawn; (ν) of animals בְּנֵיִ שָׁ֑הַץ i.e. proud beasts Job 28:8; Job 41:26 (ξ) of Jonah's gourd בִּןלַֿיְלָה Jonah 4:10 (twice in verse); (ο) of a fertile hill קֶרֶן בֶּןשֶֿׁמֶן Isa 5:1.
9. noun relative of age:
  a. of men, וַיְהִי נֹחַ בֶּןהֲֿמֵשׁ מֵאוֺת שָׁנָה Gen 5:32 compare Gen 7:6 + 71 t. P; Gen 50:26; Josh 14:7. Josh 14:10; Josh 24:29 (all E); Num 32:11 (J), Deut 31:2 also Judg 2:8; 1Sam 4:15; 2Sam 4:4; 2Sam 19:33; 2Sam 19:36; 1Chr 2:21; 1Chr 23:3; 1Chr 23:24; 1Chr 23:27; 1Chr 27:3; 2Chr 24:15; 2Chr 25:5; 2Chr 31:16; 2Chr 31:17; Ezra 3:8; Isa 65:20 (twice in verse); Jer 52:1 + 41 t. Samuel Kings Chronicles, of kings of accession; note especially (included in above) the phrase מִבֶּן עֶשְׂרִים שָׁנָה וָמָ֑עְלָה Exod 30:14; Exod 38:26; Num 1:3 + 21 t. Numbers 1-3 + Num 26:2; Num 26:4; Num 32:11; 1Chr 23:24; 1Chr 23:27; 2Chr 25:5; Ezra 3:8 compare Lev 27:7; Num 8:24; Num 26:62; 1Chr 23:3 & without מעלה Num 8:25; Num 18:16 also מִבֶּן עשׂרים שׁנה וְעַד בֶּןשִֿׁשִּׁים שָׁנָה Lev 27:3 compare vLev 27:5 vLev 27:6 מִבֶּן שׁלשׁים שׁנה ומעלה ועד בןחֿמשׁים שׁנה Num 4:3 (twice in verse) + 12 t. Num 4 מבּן שׁלושׁ שׁנים וּלְמַ֫עְלָה 2Chr 31:16 compare v2Chr 31:17 & לְמִבֶּן עשׂרים שׁנה וּלְמָ֑טָּה 1Chr 27:23.
  b. of animals, (Hexateuch all P, including H) בֶּןשָֿׁנָה Exod 12:5; Exod 29:38; Lev 9:3; Lev 23:18; Lev 23:19; Num 7:17 + 28 t. Num 7, 28, 29; also Mic 6:6 בֶּןשְֿׁנָתוֺ Lev 12:6; Lev 23:12; Num 6:12; Num 6:14 + 12 t. Num 7 also Ezek 46:13.Note. — בן appears perhaps abbreviated as בּ in a few compound proper names; see בִּדְקַר (= בֶּןדֿקר?), בִּלְשָׁן, בִּמְהָל, בַּעֲלִיס, בַּעֲנָה, בִּרְשַׁע, בִּשְׁלָם (so MV after Schol. Hamâsa3 ed. Freytag; de libr, hist, interpr, Arab, 20, 21; but this is very uncertain, compare Ol§ 227 b, p. 613). — On Lag's explanation of אבי in some proper names as for אבן = בן compare LagBN 75 & see אבינר p. 4, etc., but this is dubious


BDB1169 H1121

BDB1168 | BIBLICAL HEBREW | BDB1170

בְּנוֺ 1Chr 24:26; 1Chr 24:27 as proper name, masculine in AV RV, but render: the sons of Jaaziah his son, & the sons of Merari by Jaaziah his son, compare VB & Be Öttli.


BDB9386 H1247 H1121 H1248 H1123

BDB9385 | BIBLICAL ARAMAIC | BDB9387

I. בַּר noun masculine son (ᵑ7 id.; Syriac , Mandean ברא M § 148, Old Aramaic, Nabataean, Palmyrene בר (and בן) Lzb242 f.; Sabean בר according to MordtmVOJ x. 154 f.; = בֵּן, = becoming ר, PhilippiZMG xxxii (1878), 36 ff. BrockSyr. Gr. § 76 and others; √ different from בן according to JHMich Thes K§ 63 and others; Biblical Hebrew בַּר Aramaism for בֵּן); — construct ׳ב Dan 3:25 +; suffix בְּרֵהּ Dan 5:22 plural construct בְּנֵי Ezra 6:9 +; suffix בְּנ֫וֺהִי Ezra 6:10; Ezra 7:23, בְּנֵיהוֺן Dan 6:25

1. son(s) Ezra 5:1; Ezra 5:2 (twice in verse); Ezra 6:14; Dan 5:22; Dan 6:25; Ezra 6:10; Ezra 7:23 בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל Ezra 6:16 = Israelites, בְּנֵי גָלוּתָא = captives vEzra 6:16; Dan 2:25; Dan 5:13; Dan 6:14 בַּראֱֿנָשׁ Dan 7:13 i.e. one of human kind, בְּנֵי אֲנָשָׁא men Dan 2:38; Dan 5:21 בַּראֱֿלָהִין Dan 3:25 a divine (or angelic) being (see Dr, and compare Biblical Hebrew Gen 6:2; Job 1:6); ׳בַּר שְׁנִין וגו Job 6:1 a son of 62 years = 62 years old (Biblical Hebrew בֵּן 9).
2. of bullocks, בְּנֵי תוֺרִין Ezra 6:9.


II. בַּר see ברר.

son, children, sons, old, first, …
bēn
a son (as a builder of the family name), in the widest sense (of literal and figurative relationship, including grandson, subject, nation, quality or condition, etc., (like father or brother), etc.)
  • son, grandson, child, member of a group
    • son, male child
    • "grandson"children (plural, male and female)"youth, young men (plural)"young (of animals)"sons (as characterization, i.e., sons of injustice (for unrighteous men) or sons of God (for angels)"people (of a nation) (plural)"of lifeless things, i.e., sparks, stars, arrows (figuratively)"a member of a guild, order, class

מְרָרִ֛י
מְרָרִ֛י
Root word a name — transliterate it ("Of merari")
Dictionary form: מְרָרִי · meh-raw-REE

Noun — Proper Name

In the KJV here: of merari
of merari ×33 and merari ×6
More options
Merari — Standard proper name; use in narrative and lists.
of Merari — Genitive form; for clan or lineage references.
Merarite — Adjectival/demonym form; for tribal identity contexts.
the Merari clan — Explicit collective; clarifies group membership for readers.

BDB4845 H4847

BDB4844 | BIBLICAL HEBREW | BDB4846

I. מְרָרִי proper name, masculine a son of Levi, and head of a chief Levitical family: ᵐ5 Μεραρ(ε)Ι, Μαραρει; — Gen 46:11; Exod 6:16; Exod 6:19; Num 3:17; Num 3:20; Num 3:33 (twice in verse); Num 3:35; Num 3:36; Num 4:29; Num 4:33; Num 4:42; Num 4:45; Num 7:8; Num 10:17; Num 26:57; Josh 21:7; Josh 21:34; Josh 21:38 (all P), 1Chr 5:27; 1Chr 6:1; 1Chr 6:4; 1Chr 6:14; 1Chr 6:29; 1Chr 6:32; 1Chr 6:48; 1Chr 6:62; 1Chr 9:14; 1Chr 15:6; 1Chr 15:17; 1Chr 23:6; 1Chr 23:21; 1Chr 24:26; 1Chr 24:27; 1Chr 26:10; 1Chr 26:19; 1Chr 2:12; 1Chr 34:12; .

merari
mĕrārî
bitter
Merari, an Israelite
  • the 3rd son of Levi and head of a Levitical family

לְ מִשְׁפְּחֹתָ ֖ם
לְ
Prefix — preposition to, for
מִשְׁפְּחֹתָ
Root word a name — transliterate it ("By their families")
֖ם
Suffix — pronoun their / them
Dictionary form: מִשְׁפָּחָה · mish-paw-HAW

Noun — Common, feminine plural, construct state plural — usually add "-s"; "___ of …" — bound to the next word

In the KJV here: by their families
the family ×73 after their families ×38 according to their families ×25 are the families ×21 of the families ×16 by their families ×15 the families ×14 family ×8
More options
family — Most common, broadly applicable in any context.
clan — Preferred for tribal/kinship groups larger than household.
kinship group — Precise in anthropological or technical passages.
lineage — Emphasizes descent and hereditary connection.
household — Use when domestic or residential unit is in view.
people — Loose rendering; suits lists of ethnic or national groups.

BDB8954 H4940

BDB8953 | BIBLICAL HEBREW | BDB8955

מִשְׁפָּחָה: 303 noun feminine clan (RSSemitic 1. 258, 2nd ed. 276; K 149, 2nd ed. 175 BaNB § 161 a); — absolute ׳מ Amos 3:1 +; construct מִשְׁפַּ֫חַת Judg 9:1 +; suffix מִשְׁפַּחְתִּי Gen 24:38 +, etc.; plural מִשְׁפָּחוֺת Nah 3:4 +; construct מִשְׁפְּחוֺת Amos 3:2 +; suffix מִשְׁפְּחֹתֵיהֶם Gen 8:19 + 2 t., usually תָם- Num 1:18 + 84 t., etc.; —

1. clan:
  a. family connection of individual Gen 24:38 (+ בֵּיתאָֿבִי), vGen 24:40 ( + id.), vGen 24:41 (all J; = מוֺלַדְתִּי vGen 24:4), 2Sam 14:7, united in sacrifice 1Sam 20:6; 1Sam 20:29, in passover Exod 12:21 (J E; compare BenzEncy.Bib. PASSOVER, §§ 9, 12); compare Lev 20:5 (H), Lev 25:10; Lev 25:41 (P), vLev 25:49 (P; defined as מִשְּׁאֵר בְּשָׂרוֺ), non-Hebrew vLev 25:47 (H), vLev 25:45(P), Judg 1:25 מִשְׁפְּחוֺתֶיהָ Josh 6:23 (E or R) is unintelligible, probably strike out (compare Steuern Holz; בֵּית אָבִיהָ in vJosh 6:25 [J]), compare Num 27:4; Num 27:11 (P); בֵּית אֲבִי אִמּוֺ ׳מ Judg 9:1 clan of his mother's father-house; including individuals, and included by שֵׁבֶט 1Sam 9:21 (twice in verse); 1Sam 10:21 with specific name, in series גֶבֶר, בַּיִת, ׳מ, שֵׁבֶט Josh 7:14 (twice in verse); Josh 7:17 b, c (all J; vJosh 7:17 a read plural Di Benn, or שֵׁבֶט GFMJudg 13:2; Steuern allows either); compare Deut 29:17; Judg 21:24, ׳אָבִי בְּיִשׂ ׳מ 1Sam 1:18 (+ חַיַּי, see II [חַי]; בֵּיתשָֿׁאוּל ׳אִישׁמִ֗֗֗מּ 2Sam 16:5 with name also Ruth 2:1; Ruth 2:3 and (non-Israel) Job 32:2.
  b. in loose, popular sense= tribe, Judg 13:2; Judg 17:7; Judg 18:19, compare vJudg 18:2 (|| שֵׁבֶט vJudg 18:1), vJudg 18:11 (yet in these two read possibly plural, see GFM).
  c. techn. divisions of people of Israel Num 11:10 (J) Jer 2:4; Jer 31:1 compare Jer 3:14; Num 1:2; Num 1:18; Num 2:34; Num 33:54 (all P), so (post-exilic) Neh 4:7: Esth 9:28 (מְדִינָה, ׳מ, דּוֺר).
  d. usually (P) technical divisions of tribes of Israel, Exod 6:14; Exod 6:15; Exod 6:25; Num 3:15 + 112 t. Numbers (93 t. Num 26, including vNum 3:43 where הַשּׁוּחָמִי apparently = Dan), 34 t. Josh 13-21; also 1Chr 6:4; 1Chr 6:45; 1Chr 7:5; division of Gershom, etc. (in Levi) Num 3:18; Num 3:19; Num 3:20 + 41 t. Exodus, Numbers, Joshua, Chronicles; subdivisions of these divisions (in Levi) Num 3:21 (twice in verse) + 6 t. Num 3 + Num 4:18 compare (in other tribes) 1Chr 2:53; 1Chr 4:2; 1Chr 4:8; 1Chr 4:21; 1Chr 4:27; 1Chr 4:38; 1Chr 5:7 also Zech 12:12 b. c 13 b 14 a, and (distributive) vZech 12:12 a 14 b, pleonastic מַטֵּה אֲבִיהֶם ׳מ Num 36:6 compare vNum 36:8, and (׳א ׳מַטֵּה מ) vNum 36:12.
  e. late, divinity of other peoples 1Chr 16:28 = Ps 96:7; Ps 22:28 in Edom Gen 36:40 (P). feminine in wider sense=people, nation; כֹּל מִשְׁפְּחֹת תָאֲדָמָה Amos 3:2; Gen 12:3; Gen 28:14 (both J), compare Jer 10:25; Ezek 20:32; Nah 3:4 (all || גּוֺיִם), Zech 14:17; Jer 1:15; Jer 25:9 as one's posterity Gen 10:30; Gen 10:31; Gen 10:32 (all P), so probably vGen 10:5 (P; Di Dr); = all Israel Amos 3:1, Judah Mic 2:3; Jer 8:3 (הָרָעָה הַזּאֹת ׳הַמּ), Israel + Judah, ׳שְׁתֵּי הַמּ Jer 33:24 מִשְׁפַּחַת מִצְרַיִם Zech 14:18 compare Ps 107:41.
2. = guild 1Chr 2:55 (of scribes; originally hereditary in families).
3. = species, kind:
  a. of judgments Jer 15:3. b. animals Gen 8:19 (P).
4. plural = aristocrats Job 31:34 (compare English 'the classes').


שֻׁפִּים proper name, masculine see √ שׁפף.

families, family, kindred, kindreds, kinds, …
mišpāḥâ
a family, i.e., circle of relatives; figuratively, a class (of persons), a species (of animals) or sort (of things); by extension a tribe or people
  • clan, family
    • clan
      • family
      • "tribe"people, nation
      guild"species, kind"aristocrats

מַחְלִ֣י
מַחְלִ֣י
Root word a name — transliterate it ("Mahli")
Dictionary form: מַחְלִי · ma-LEE

Noun — Proper Name

In the KJV here: mahli
mahli ×6 of mahli ×4 mahali ×1 were mahli ×1
More options
Mahli — Standard modern spelling; preferred in most contemporary translations.
Mahali — Alternate spelling; useful when following older manuscript traditions.
Maḥli — Scholarly transliteration with diacritic; suits academic or critical editions.

BDB4593 H4249

BDB4592 | BIBLICAL HEBREW | BDB4594

I. מַחְלִי

proper name, masculine 1. Levite, son of Merari Exod 6:19; Num 3:20; 1Chr 6:4; 1Chr 6:14; 1Chr 23:21 (twice in verse); 1Chr 24:26; 1Chr 24:28; Ezra 8:18 (probably), ᵐ5 Μοολλει.
2. son of Mushi, and grandson of Merari 1Chr 6:32; 1Chr 23:23; 1Chr 24:30, ᵐ5 Μοολει, Μοολ(λ)ι.

mahli, mahali
maḥlî
sick
Machli, the name of two Israelites
  • son of Merari and grandson of Levi; progenitor of the family of the Mahlites
  • "son of Mushi, grandson of Merari, and great grandson of Levi

וּ מוּשִׁ֑י
וּ
Prefix — connector and (sometimes: but, so, then)
מוּשִׁ֑י
Root word a name — transliterate it ("And mushi")
Dictionary form: מוּשִׁי · moo-SHEE

Noun — Proper Name

In the KJV here: and mushi
and mushi ×5 of mushi ×2 also of mushi ×1
More options
Mushi — Standard modern spelling for this Levite personal name.
Mushī — Scholarly form; macron signals long vowel for academic texts.
Mooshi — Phonetic spelling reflecting Hebrew pronunciation closely.

BDB4559 H4187

BDB4558 | BIBLICAL HEBREW | BDB4560

I. מוּשִׁי, מֻשִׁי proper name, masculine a Levite, son of Merari, מוּשִׁי Exod 6:19; Num 3:20; 1Chr 6:32; 1Chr 23:21; 1Chr 23:23; 1Chr 24:26; 1Chr 24:30 מֻשִׁי 1Chr 6:4 ᵐ5 Ομονς(ε)ι, rarely Μονς(ε)ι, Μοονσι

mushi
mûšî
yielding
Mushi, a Levite
  • son of Merari, grandson of Kohath, and great grandson of Levi

Breakdown unavailable for this word. Dictionary form: אֵלֶּה · ale-LEH

Noun — Common, plural plural — usually add "-s"

In the KJV here: these
these ×407 and these ×70 of these ×31 those ×26 are these ×21 now these ×21 these things ×7 in these ×6
More options
these — Most common modern rendering; use for nearby or just-listed items.
those — Use when referencing items more distant in context.
these things — Adds slight emphasis when referencing a list or concepts.
such — Use when אֵלֶּה has a qualitative or categorical sense.
the following — Useful when introducing an enumerated list ahead.

BDB424 H428

BDB423 | BIBLICAL HEBREW | BDB425

אֵ֫לֶּה ( Rabb אֵלּוּ, Aramaic אִלֵּין, & compd. with and in , ) pronoun plural masculine & feminine these, in usage the plural of זֶה.
  a. Gen 2:4 & often: in apposition to a substantive with a pronominal suffix (always without the article) Exod 9:14 (read with Hi. אֵלֶּה בְּךָ for אֶללִֿבְּךָ) Exod 10:1 אֹתֹתַי אֵלֶּה these my signs, Exod 11:8; Deut 11:18; 1Kgs 8:59; 1Kgs 10:8; 1Kgs 22:23; 2Kgs 1:13; Jer 31:21; Ezra 2:65; Neh 6:14 in the genitive 2Kgs 6:20; Isa 47:9; Deut 18:12; Ps 15:5 and after כל Gen 14:3 + often Standing alone in a neuter sense, these things (rare in best prose, & not very common in poetry), with עָשָׂה Deut 18:12; Deut 22:5; Deut 25:16; 2Sam 23:17; 2Sam 23:22; Ps 15:5 +; with other verbs Ezra 9:1; Isa 44:21; Isa 47:7; Jer 13:22; Hos 14:10; Ps 42:5; Ps 50:21; Ps 107:43; Job 8:2 with אֶתֿ Num 15:13; Isa 48:14 with כָּלֿ Judg 13:23; Isa 66:2 +; see also some of the cases with prepositions below
  d. אלה may point indifferently to what follows, Gen 6:9; Gen 10:1; Gen 25:7; Gen 25:12; Gen 25:13; Ps 42:5 or to what has preceded, Gen 9:19; Gen 10:20; Gen 10:31; Gen 10:32; Gen 25:4; Lev 21:14; Lev 22:22; Ps 15:5 = such as these (τοιαῦτα), Ps 73:12; Job 18:21.
  b. repeated, אלהו֗֗֗אלה, these . . . those Deut 27:13; Josh 8:22; Isa 49:12 (3 t.) Ps 20:8 +.
  c. with the art. (but only after a substantive determined likewise by the article) הָאֵלֶּה Gen 15:1 + often.

**in Josh 17:9 עָרִים הָאֵלֶּה, read הֶעָרִים, compare Josh 17:12; Josh 19:8; Josh 19:16; Josh 19:31; Josh 19:48, etc.
  d. with prepositions: בְּאֵלֶּה Lev 25:54; Lev 26:23; 1Kgs 22:11 (7 t.), בָּאֵלֶּה 1Sam 16:10; 1Sam 17:39 לְאֵלֶּה Lev 11:24 (4 t), לָאֵלֶּה 1Kgs 22:17 (5 t.); מֵאֵלֶּה Gen 9:19 (16 t.); עַד אֵלֶּה Lev 26:18 עַלאֵֿלֶּה on account of these things Isa 57:6; Isa 64:11; Jer 5:9 and elsewhere; כְּאֵלֶּה Job 16:2; Jer 10:16 = Jer 51:19, כָּאֵלֶּה Gen 27:46; Lev 10:19 (things like these, so Isa 66:8; Jer 18:13) Num 28:24 P (compare Ezek 45:25) 2Kgs 25:17 = Jer 52:22, כְּמוֺאֵֿלֶּה Job 12:3.


BDB9303 H459 H1836 H428

BDB9302 | BIBLICAL ARAMAIC | BDB9304

אִלֵּין (אִלֵּן Dan 2:44; Dan 6:7) demonstrative pronoun plural these (plural of דְּנָה, q. v.: Palmyrene אלן (Lzb264 Eph. i. 343, 345 Cooke26); ᵑ7 אילין; Mandean עלין (M 89 f.); Talmud (with emphatic hâ prefixed, WCG:109) הָאִלֵּין: see further below Biblical Hebrew אֵלֶּה, and add Egyptian Aramaic אלו Cooke26); — these, only Daniel: Dan 2:40 דִּי מְרָעַע כָּלֿ, נִלֵּין, vDan 2:44 כָּלאִֿלֵּן מַלְכְוָתָא, Dan 6:3 אֲחַדְֵַּרְפְּנַיָּא אִלֵּין (so v.Dan 6:7), Dan 7:17 אִלֵּיץ חֵיוָתָא.

these, those, things, this, them, …
ʾēlle
these or those
  • these
    • used before antecedent
    • "used following antecedent

Breakdown unavailable for this word. Dictionary form: הֵם · hame

Noun — masculine plural plural — usually add "-s"

In the KJV here: are
they ×204 and they ×49 in those ×34 are they ×33 these ×15 but they ×12 them ×10 those ×8
More options
they — Default third-person plural pronoun; broadest usage.
them — Use when serving as object of verb or preposition.
those — Demonstrative use; points to a specific group or set.
these — Demonstrative, near reference; contrasts with distant group.
who — Relative pronoun use; links back to a preceding noun.
themselves — Reflexive or emphatic contexts stressing the subject.

BDB2087 H1931 H1992 H2007

BDB2086 | BIBLICAL HEBREW | BDB2088

הוּא masculine הִיא feminine (plural masculine הֵ֫מָּה, הֵם; feminine הֵ֫נָּה, הֵן [the latter only with prefixes]; see these words), pronoun of the 3rd person singular, he, she, used also (in both genders) for the neuter it, Latin is, ea, id. (The א is not orthographic merely, but radical, being written on Moabite and Phoenician inscriptions, though dropped in some of the later dialects. [In Hebrew only Jer 29:23 Kt, and in the proper name אֱלִיהוּ.] Moabite (MI6; 27) and Phoenician (often) הא; Aramaic of Zinjirli הא, once הו (DHMInschr. von Sendschirli 55); ᵑ7 הוּא, הִיא Syriac , ; Arabic , (for h¥°a, h£°a, WSG 104); Ethiopic we°§t¥, ye°§t£; perhaps also Assyrian šû, šî, himself, herself suffix šu, ši; compare demonstrative šuatu, šiati (see KraeBAS. i. 383 & references, WSG 98, 105 Dl§ 55b, 57). In the Pentateuch, הוא is of common gender, the feminine form הִיא occurring only 11 times, namely Gen 14:2; Gen 20:5; Gen 38:25 (see Masora here), Lev 11:39; Lev 13:10; Lev 13:21; Lev 16:31; Lev 20:17; Lev 21:9; Num 5:13; Num 5:14. The punctuators, however, sought to assimilate the usage of the Pentateuch to that of the rest of the OT, and accordingly wherever הוא was construed as a feminine pointed it הִוא (as a Qr perpetuum). Outside the Pentateuch the same Qr occurs 1Kgs 17:15; Isa 30:33; Job 31:11a — probably for the sake of removing gramm. anomalies: five instances of the converse change, namely of היא to be read as הוּא, occur for a similar reason, 1Kgs 17:15 (וַתּאֹכַל הוּאוָֿהִיא to be read as וַתּאֹכַל הִיאוָֿהוּא, on account of the feminine verb) Ps 73:16; Job 31:11b (כי הוא זמה והיא עָוֺן פלילים to be read as כי היא זמה והוא עון פלילים), Eccl 5:8; 1Chr 29:16. The origin of the peculiarity in the Pentateuch is uncertain. It can hardly be a real archaism : for the fact that arab., Aramaic, & Ethiopic have distinct forms for masculine & feminine shews that both must have formed part of the original Semitic stock, and consequently of Hebrew as well, from its earliest existence as an independent language. Nor is the peculiarity confined to the Pentateuch: in the Manuscript of the Later Prophets, of A.D. , now at St. Petersburg, published in facsimile by Strack (1876), the feminine occurs written הוא (see the passages cited in the Adnotationes Criticae, p. 026). In Phoenician both masculine and feminine are alike written הא (CIS i. 1Chr 1:9 מלך צדק הא, 1Chr 1:13 מלאכת הא, 1Chr 3:10 אדם הא, 1Chr 1:11 ממלכת הא, 1Chr 93:2; 1Chr 94:2), though naturally this would be read as hu° or hi° as occasion required. Hence, as ᵐ5 shews that in the older Hebrew MSS. the scriptio plena was not yet generally introduced, it is probably that originally הא was written for both genders in Hebrew likewise, and that the epicene הוא in the Pentateuch originated at a comparatively late epoch in the transmission of the text — perhaps in connection with the assumption, which is partly borne out by facts (compare DeZKWL 1880, pp. 393-399), that in the older language feminine forms were more sparingly used than subsequently.)

In usage הוּא (feminine הִיא; plural הֵ֫מָּה, הֵם, ׃ הֵ֫נָּה see הֵ֫מָּה) is

1. an emphatic he (she, it, they), sometimes equivalent to himself (herself, itself, themselves), or (especially with the article) that (those):
  a. Gen 3:15 הוא ישׁופך ראשׁ he (ᵐ5 αὐτὸς) shall bruise thee as to the head (opposed to the following אתה thou), vGen 3:20 for she (and no one else) was the mother of all living (so often in causal sentences, where some emphasis on the subject is desirable as Judg 14:3; Ps 24:2; Ps 25:15; Ps 33:9; Ps 91:3; Ps 103:14; Ps 148:5; Job 5:18; Job 11:11; Job 28:24; Jer 5:5; Jer 34:7b Hos 6:1; Hos 11:10 : Dr1Sam 14:18), 1Sam 4:20 Adah bare Jabal הוא היה אבי ישׁב אהלים he (ἐκεῖνος) was the father of tent-dwellers, v1Sam 4:21; 1Sam 10:8 he began to be a mighty one in the earth, 1Sam 20:5 (αὐτός), Judg 13:5; Isa 32:7; Isa 33:22; 2Kgs 14:7; 2Kgs 14:22; 2Kgs 14:25; Hos 10:2 he — the unseen observer of their thoughts and deeds (Che), Hos 13:15 b (he, the foe figured by the east wind). (For its use thus in circumstantial clauses see Dr§ 157, 160, 168, 169.) And where the predicate is a substantive or participle, Gen 2:11 הוּא הַסֹּבֵב ֗֗֗ that is the one which encompasseth etc., vGen 2:13 vGen 2:14; Gen 10:12 that is the great city. So in the explanatory notices, Gen 14:3 הוּא יָם הַמֶּלַת that is the salt sea, vGen 14:8 הוּאצֹֿעַר that is Zoar, Gen 36:1 + often
  b. pointing back to the subj. and contrasting it with something else : Gen 4:4 הבל גסהֿוא Abel, he also ... vGen 4:26; Gen 10:21; Gen 20:5 וְהִיאגַֿםהִֿוא and she, herself also said, Exod 1:10 + often
  c. appended alone to a verb (more rarely, but always with intentional emphasis), Exod 4:14 I know כי דבר ידבר הוא that he can speak, vExod 4:16; 1Sam 22:18 ויפגע הוא בכהנים and he (though none else would do it) smote the priests, 1Sam 23:22 for one hath told me, עָרֹם יַעְרִם הוּא He can deal subtilly, Ezek 12:12 (peculiarly), compare Dr§ 160 n.: very rarely indeed to a noun Num 18:23 הַלֵּוִי הוּא Isa 7:14 הוא ׳י, Esth 9:1 (הֵמָּה) being probably all the examples in the OT.
  d. Gen 13:1 and Abram came up out of Egypt, הוּא וְאִשְׁתּוֺ himself and his wife, and all that he had, Gen 14:15 הוּא וַעֲבָדָיו he and his servants, Gen 19:30 so very often
  e. prefixed to a noun (very rare, and mostly late), Exod 12:42b Ezek 3:8 & Ezek 33:8 הוּא רָשָׁע : to proper names Exod 6:27 הוא משׁה ואהרן, 1Chr 26:26 that Shelomoth, 1Chr 27:6; 2Chr 28:22; 2Chr 32:12 (different from 2Kgs 18:22), v2Kgs 18:30; 2Kgs 33:23; Ezra 7:6: compare הֵם Neh 10:38 (compare in Syriac , § 227): compare Ps 87:5; 1Sam 20:29.

2. It resumes the subject with emphasis:
  a. when the predicate is a verb (especially if it be separated from its subject by an intervening clause), Gen 15:4 but one that shall come forth out of thine own bowels, הוּא יִירָשֶׁ֑ךָ he shall be thy heir, Gen 3:12 the woman whom thou gavest to be with me, הוא נתנה לי she gave to me, Gen 24:7; Gen 44:17 etc. Judg 7:4; 2Sam 14:19 (throwing stress on יוֺאָב) 1Chr 11:20; Isa 33:15-16; Isa 34:16; Isa 38:19; Isa 47:10; Isa 59:16; Isa 63:5; Hos 7:8 often in Proverbs, as Hos 10:18; Hos 10:22; Hos 10:24; Hos 11:28; Hos 13:13; Hos 19:21; Hos 22:9; Hos 24:12; 1Sam 1:13 (see Dr), Ps 68:36.
  b. when the predicate is a noun, Gen 2:14 and the fourth river, הוּא פְרָת it was the Euphrates, vGen 2:19; Gen 9:18; Gen 15:2; Gen 42:6 הַשַּׁלִּיט וְיוֺסֵף הוּא and Joseph, he was the ruler etc.: in sentences of the type הוּא הָאֱלֹהִים ׳י, הוּא הַנִּלְחָם ׳י לָכֶם, הוּא נַחֲלָ˜תְךָ ׳י, Deut 3:22; Deut 4:35; Deut 7:9; Deut 10:9; Josh 13:14; Josh 13:33; Isa 9:14; Isa 33:6; (in these cases, to avoid stiffness, it is convenient often to drop the pronoun in translating, as 'And the fourth river was the Euphrates:' the pronoun, however, though it then corresponds to the substantive verb in English, does not really express it, the copula, as the examples shew, being in fact understood. Sts. in AV the pronoun is retained for emphasis, as Deuteronomy ll. cc.) So
  c. after אֲשֶׁר in an affirmative sentence, Gen 9:3 all creeping things אֲשֶׁר הוּאחַֿי which are living, Lev 11:39; Num 9:13; Num 14:8; Num 35:31 אֲשֶׁר הוּא רָשָׁע לָמוּת who is guilty of death, Deut 20:20; 1Sam 10:19; Hag 1:9 and elsewhere (On 2, compare Dr§ 199, with Obs.)

3. Where, however, the pron. follows the predicate, its position gives it the minimum of emphasis, and it expresses (or resumes) the subject as unobtrusively as possible: thus
  a. Gen 12:18 why didst thou not tell me כי אשׁתך הוא that she was thy wife ? Gen 20:13; Gen 21:13 כי זרעך הוא for he is thy seed, Gen 31:20 because he told him not כִּי בֹרֵחַ הוּא, Gen 37:3 + often (the opposite order rare and emphatic: Gen 24:65; Deut 4:6; Deut 30:20; Josh 10:2; 1Kgs 2:22; 1Kgs 3:4; 1Kgs 21:2; Hos 2:4; Ps 45:12).
  b. resuming the subject, Gen 31:16 all the wealth which God hath taken etc., לנו הוא ולבנינו it is ours and our children's, vGen 31:43 and all that thou seest, לי הוא it is mine (or, omitting the pronoun, as not required in our idiom, simply) is mine, Gen 41:26 חלום פרעה אחד הוא the dream of Pharaoh is one, Gen 48:5 (לי הם), Exod 3:5 for the place where on thou standest, אַדְמַת קֹדֶשׁ הוּא it is holy ground, Num 13:32; Num 21:26; Deut 1:17; Josh 5:15; Josh 6:19; Job 3:19 + often; Gen 23:15 ארץ ֗֗֗ מַההִֿוא, so Ps 39:5; Isa 41:22 (הֵנָּה); הֵמָּה .... אַתֶּם (unusual) Zeph 2:12. (In all such cases the predicate is not referred directly to the subject, but, the subject being made a casus pendens, it is resumed by the pronoun, and the predicate thus referred to it indirectly. By this means the sentence is lightened and relieved, especially if the subject consist of many words: in Gen 31:16 for instance, the direct form of predicate כִּי לָנוּ וּלְבָנֵינוּ כָּלהָֿעשֶׁר אֲשֶׁר הִצִּיל אֱלֹהִים מֵאָבִינוּ would have been heavy and inelegant.) So
  c. after אֲשֶׁר in a negative sentence, Gen 7:2; Gen 17:12 אֲשֶׁר לאֹ מִזַּרְעֲךָ הוּא which is not of thy seed, Num 17:5; Deut 17:5; 1Kgs 8:41 (compareהֵמָּה 3 c).
  d. peculiarly, as the subject of לֹא, Jer 5:12 לוֺא הוּא He is not; and as embracing its predicate in itself, Isa 18:2; Isa 18:7 a nation terrible מִןהֿוּא (= מַאֲשֶׁר הוּא) from (the time that) it was, Nah 2:9 מִימֵי הִיא from the days that (stative construct Ges«GKC:130»§ 130. 4) as it was, 2Kgs 7:7 they left the camp כַּאֲשֶׁר הִיא as it was (compare כַּאֲשֶׁר הֵמָּה v2Kgs 7:10). (On 3, compare Dr§ 198, with Obs.)

4. It anticipates (as it seems) the subject namely
  a. (rare) Song 6:9 אַהַת הִיא יוֺנָתִי תַמָּתִי one is she, my dove my perfect one, Lev 25:11; Ezek 11:15; Ezek 21:16; Lam 1:18 ׳צַדִּיק הוּא י (often so in Late Hebrew); EC Lam 6:10 וְנוֺדָע אֲשֶׁר הוּא אָדָם and that which he, even man, is, is known (De Now); compare 1Sam 6:19 מִקְרֶה הוּא הָיָה לָנוּ an accident is it, (that) hath befallen us. (compare הֵמָּה 4 a.)
  b. after pronouns — (α) 2Sam 7:28 אַתָּה הוּא הָאֱלֹהִים Thou art he — God, Ps 44:5 אתה הוא מלבי thou art he — my king, Isa 37:16; Isa 43:25 (אנכי), Isa 51:9; Isa 51:10; Isa 51:12; Isa 52:6; Jer 14:22; Jer 29:23 Kt +; compare Jer 49:12 וְאַתָּה הוּא נָקֹה תִנָּקֶה and art thou he (that) shall be unpunished ? (with change of person κατά σύνεσιν, compare Judg 13:11; 1Chr 21:17; Ezek 38:17.) So Ew§ 297 b Müll§ 499. But others, as GesThes Roo§ 563 DeIsa 37:16; Ps 44. 5, treat הוא as emphasizing the pronoun, 'Thou, he, art God' i.e. Thou and none else art God; 'Thou (emphatic) art my king.'. (β) מִי הוּא, followed by a participle or substantive Gen 27:33; Ps 24:10 מִי הוּא זֶה מֶלֶךְ הַכָּבוֺד who is he, then — the king of glory ? (according to others, as before, 'Who (emphatic), then, is the king of glory ?'); followed by a verb Isa 50:9 מִי הוּא יַרְשִׁיעֵנִי who is he (that) will condemn me ? (others 'Who (emphatic) will condemn me ?') Job 4:7; Job 13:19; Job 17:3; Job 41:2; Jer 30:21 (so with הֵנָּה Gen 21:29, הֵמָּה Zech 1:9; Zech 4:5). (γ) זֶההֿוּא 1Chr 22:1 EC 1Chr 1:17 (frequently in Late Hebrew, where the two words coalesce into one זֶהוּ) . On the analogous אֵלֶּה הֵם ֗֗֗ ), see הֵמָּה 4 b (γ). (compare Dr§ 200, 201)

5. As an emphatic predicate, of God, 'I am He,' i.e. I am He Who is (opposed to unreal gods, named in context, or to transitory world), the Unseen, yet Omni-present, and Self-consistent, Ruler of the world, Deut 32:39 אֲנִי אֲנִי הוּא I, I am he, and beside me there is no God, Isa 41:4 (see Che) Isa 43:10; Isa 43:13 even from to-day I am he, Isa 46:4; Isa 48:12; Ps 102:28 (see Che) thou art he, and thy years have no end (ᵐ5 usually ἐγώ εἰμι : in Psalms σὺ δὲ ὁ αὐτὸς εἶ). So also, according to many, Job 3:19, but is הוא a mere predicate of identity ? see rather 3b.

6. In a neuter sense, that, it (of an action, occurrence, matter, etc.) —
  a. Josh 2:21 כְּדִבְרֵיכֶם כֶּןהֿוּא according to your words, so be it; Gen 42:14 הוא אשׁר דברתי that is what I said, Exod 16:23; Lev 10:3; 2Kgs 9:36; Job 8:19 הן הוא משׂושׂ דרכו lo that (what has just been described) is the joy of his way, Job 13:16; Job 15:9; Job 31:28; Prov 7:23; Eccl 2:1; Eccl 3:22; Eccl 9:9; Esth 9:1b; similarly the feminine הִיא, Judg 14:4 they knew not היא ׳כי מי that it was from ׳י, Num 14:41; Josh 10:13; Isa 14:24; Ps 77:10 חַלּוֺתִי הִיא it (this perplexity) is my sickness, Job 9:22; Prov 18:13; Jer 22:16; 2Chr 25:20; Eccl 3:13 reference to זאת Amos 7:6; Ps 118:23; Job 5:27, זִּה Eccl 2:24. (Where there is a predicate, the gender of this usually regulates the choice of m. or f.: hence הִוא Gen 34:14; Exod 8:15; Num 15:25 (Eccl 5:5) Deut 4:6 +.)
  b. affirming the presence or existence of something (rare) : 2Kgs 18:36 = Isa 36:21 כִּי מִצְוַת הַמֶּלֶךְ הִיא for it was the king's command, saying etc., 1Sam 20:33 (text dubious), Jer 50:15; Jer 50:25; Jer 51:6; Jer 51:11; Mic 2:3, perhaps Job 32:8. p. 241.
7. With the art. הַהוּא, הַהִיא, הָהֵ֫מָּה, הָהֵם, הָהֵ֫נָּה: so regularly when joined to a substantive defined itself by the article: Gen 2:12 הָאָרֶץ הַהִוא that land, Gen 19:35 ובלילה ההוא and in that night, Gen 21:22 בָּעֵת הַהִוא at that time, Deut 1:19 המדבר הגדול והנורא ההוא. Only four times does there occur the anomalous construction בַּלַּיְלָה הוּא Gen 19:33; Gen 30:16; Gen 32:23; 1Sam 19:10.


BDB2188 H1992 H2004 H3860 H3861

BDB2187 | BIBLICAL HEBREW | BDB2189

הֵ֫מָּה and הֵם (without appreciable distinction in usage, except probably in so far as the longer or shorter from was better adapted to the rhythm of particular sentences: on the whole הֵמָּה (alone) is somewhat more frequently than הֵם, הָהֵם on the contrary is said regularly, הָהֵמָּה occurring only 12 t., namely Num 9:7 (P), Jer 14:15; Zech 14:15, and in the phrase בַּ(הַ)מִָים הָהֵמָּה 2Kgs 18:4; Jer 3:16; Jer 3:18; Jer 5:18; Jer 50:4; Joel 3:2; Joel 4:1; Zech 8:23; Neh 13:15, though בַּיָּמִים הָהֵם is much more common) pronoun 3 plural masculine (הֵמָּה used incorrectly for the feminine Zech 5:10; Ruth 1:22; Song 6:8), feminine הֵ֫נָּה [Late Hebrew also הֵן, which occurs however in Biblical Hebrew only after a prefix: see below 8], pronoun 3 plural they (Biblical Aramaic הִמּוֺ, q. v.; , ; Ethiopic (one form) 'em¥n-t¥, em¹n-t¥; compare also for the dissyllabic form, the suffix -œm¥ [feminine -œn]; perhaps also Assyrian suffix šunu, šina [ni], compare references below הוּא). In usage not different in genl. from הוּא, הִיא (which see, under the corresponding headings, for fuller explanations), thus: —

1. a. Gen 6:4; Exod 5:7 הֵם יֵָֽלְכוּ let them (emphatic) go and gather straw, Num 31:16; Isa 24:14; Hos 4:14; Hos 7:3 etc.; after כִּי Jer 5:5; Jer 34:7. (For the use in circumstantial clauses see Dr§ 160, 169.)
  b. Judg 1:22 ויעלו ֗֗֗ גַם הֵם, Deut 2:11 (אַף הֵם), Deut 3:20; Josh 9:4; Ezek 30:17.
  c. Exod 18:22 every small matter יִשְׁפְּטוּהֵֿם let them judge themselves, vExod 18:26; Jer 15:19; Jer 17:18; Ps 109:28; Esth 9:1.
  d. Gen 33:6; Gen 44:3; Judg 6:5 etc.
  e. compare Neh 10:38.

2. a. (Resuming the subject with emphasis) Gen 14:24 (note accents), Deut 1:39; Ps 23:4; Ps 27:2 (accents), Ps 37:9; Ps 107:24; Ezek 36:7; Ezek 44:15.
  b. Isa 30:7; Ezek 27:13; Ezek 27:17; Ezek 27:21 compare Isa 44:11.
  c. Num 14:27 a Jer 27:9; Ezek 43:19 אֲשֶׁר הֵם מִזֶּרַע צָדוֺק, Eccl 4:2; Neh 2:13.
**הֵמָּה כִּדְוֵי לַחֻמִי Job 6:7 read perhaps ׳וַהֲמָה וגו (or זָָֽהֲמָה) it is loathesome (√ זהס).

3. a. Gen 3:7; Exod 5:8 כִּי נִרְפִּים הֵם for they are idle, Exod 14:3; Exod 15:23; Exod 29:33 etc. (the opposite order rare: Num 11:16; Isa 61:9, compare DePs 94:11).
  b. Gen 34:21; Gen 34:23; Gen 41:26; Gen 48:5 שׁני בניך ֗֗֗ לִי הֵם thy two sons . . ., they are mine, Exod 32:16 + often: Isa 41:22 הָרִאשֹׁנוֺת מָה הֵנָּה, Isa 49:21 אֵלֶּה אֵיפֹה הֵם these — where were they? Zeph 2:12 after אַתֶּם, peculiarly (compare Dr§ 198 Obs. 2).
  c. Deut 20:15 אֲשֶׁר לֹאמֵֿעָרֵי הַגֹּויִם הָאֵלֶּה הֵנָּה, Judg 19:12; 1Kgs 9:20.
  d. 2Kgs 7:10 כַּאֲשֶׁר הֵמָּה. (Prov 19:7 Kt לֹאהֵֿמָּה is probably corrupt: see Commentaries)

4. a. Prov 30:24 אַרְבָּעָה הֵם קְטַנֵּיאָֿ֑רֶץ four things are they, the little ones of the earth, vProv 30:29 (compare before a rel. clause vProv 30:15 vProv 30:18; Prov 6:16) Song 6:8; Isa 51:19 שְׁתַּיִם הֵנָּה קֹרְאֹתַיִךְ, 1Chr 9:26 (see הוא 4 a).
  b. (β) Gen 21:29 מָה הֵנָּה שֶׁבַע ֗֗֗ literally What are they — these seven sheep? Zech 1:9; Zech 4:5. (γ) אֵלֶּה ֗֗֗ הֵם Gen 25:16 (= 1Chr 1:36) Lev 23:2; Num 3:20; Num 3:21; Num 3:27; Num 3:33; 1Sam 4:8; 1Chr 8:6; 1Chr 12:15 (see Dr § 201, 3).

6. a. In a neuter sense (rare), Job 6:7 הֵמָּה כִּדְוֵי לַחמִי they (i.e. such sufferings as mine) are as loathsomeness in my meat, Jer 7:4 ׳הֵיכַל י הֵמָּה they (i.e. these buildings) are the temple of ׳י; and in the feminine, Lev 5:22 of all that a man doeth to sin בָּהֵנָּה therein, 1Chr 21:10 מֵהֵנָּה (|| 2Sam 24:12 מֵהֶם); 2Sam 12:8; Job 23:14 כָּהֵנָּה things such as these.

7. With art. הָהֵם, Gen 6:4; Exod 2:11; Num 14:38 + often; הָהֵמָּה 12 t. (see above); הָהֵנָּה 1Sam 17:28.


[Note]

N.B.Ezek 8:6 Kt מָהֵם stands for מָה הֵם (so Qr), compare מַזֶּה for מַהזֶּֿה Exod 4:2; 2Kgs 9:18 עַדהֵֿם is irregular for עֲדֵיהֶם; 2Sam 4:6 ׳וְהֵנָּה וג is textual error for ׳וְהִנֵּה שֹׁעֶרֶת הַבַּיִת סֹקְלָה חִטִּים וג see We Dr (ᵐ5 & RVm).

8. With preps. (in lieu of the normal, and more usual, forms with suffixes בָּהֶם, לָהֶם, מֵהֶם etc. [כָּהֶם & כָּהֶן, however, each once only, כְּמוֺהֶם thrice: see כְּ]) —
  a.בָּהֵמָּה Exod 30:4; Exod 36:1 (both P), Hab 1:16 כָּהֵמָּה Jer 36:32 לְהֵמָּה Jer 14:16 מֵהֵמָּה Jer 10:2; Eccl 12:12.
  b. כָּהֵם 2Sam 24:3 Yahweh add to the people כָּהֵם וְכָהֵם מֵאָה פְעָמִים the like of themselves and the like of themselves 100 times, = 1Chr 21:3 (but כָּהֵם here only once, compare Deut 1:11 בָּכֶם), 2Chr 9:11; Eccl 9:12.
  c. בָּהֵנָּה Lev 5:22 (P) Num 13:19 (JE) Jer 5:17: כָּהֵנָּה Gen 41:19; 2Sam 12:8 וְאֹסִפָה לְךָ כָּהֵנָּה וְכָהֵנָּה, Job 23:14: לָהֵנָּה Ezek 1:5; Ezek 1:23 (twice in verse); Ezek 42:9; Zech 5:9: מֵהֵנָּה Lev 4:2 (P) Isa 34:16; Jer 5:6; Ezek 16:51; Ezek 42:5; Ps 34:21; 1Chr 21:10 (|| 2Sam 24:12 מֵהֶם).
  d. בָּהֵן Gen 19:29 (P) Gen 30:26; Gen 30:37; Exod 25:29; Exod 37:16 (both P) Lev 10:1; Lev 11:21; Lev 14:40; Num 10:3; Num 16:7 (all P) Deut 28:52; Jer 4:29; Jer 48:9; Jer 51:43 (twice in verse) (בָּהֶן thrice only); כָּהֵן Ezek 18:14 (editions; Baer כָּהֶן); לָהֵן ( = therefore) Ruth 1:13 (twice in verse) (also Biblical Aramaic); מֵהֵן Ezek 16:47; Ezek 16:52 (editions; Baer מֵהֶן). With the exception of כָּחֵנָּה, these forms are found mostly in P and writers not earlier than Jeremiah; b and d, however, depend solely on the punctuation.)


BDB9475 H1994 H1992

BDB9474 | BIBLICAL ARAMAIC | BDB9476

הִמּוֺ9 (Ezra), הִמּוֺן3 (Daniel), pronoun 3 plural they, them (= Biblical Hebrew הֵם, הֵמָּה, q. v., but the more original forms. Egyptian Aramaic המו CIS145 B 4 (Cooke207),149 A 1, S-CPap. C 7, 10 +; not ᵑ7 Syriac, which use אִנּוּן , , instead; Arabic , . The n in הִמּוֺן, as in דֵּין, אִלֵּין, by the side of זֶה, אֵלֶּה, ; M 86 WCG 106); — they, them:
  a. as nominative Ezra 5:11 אֲבַחְנָא הִמּוֺ עַבְדוֺהִי we are his servants (construction as in Syriac, § 312 D Matt 5:13, K§ 87. 3).
  b. as accusative (in Biblical Aramaic, as in Syriac, there being no verbal suffix of 3 plural; so Egyptian Aramaic Cooke76 B 4, S-CPap. E 5 +), En 2:34 והדקת הִמּוֺ and crushed them, v35; 3:22; Ezra 4:10; Ezra 4:23; Ezra 5:5; Ezra 5:12; Ezra 5:14 (twice in verse); Ezra 5:15; Ezra 7:17. — compare אִנּוּן.

they, those, these, them, who, …
hēm
they (only used when emphatic)
  • they, these, the same, who

מִשְׁפְּחֹ֥ת
מִשְׁפְּחֹ֥ת
Root word a name — transliterate it ("The families")
Dictionary form: מִשְׁפָּחָה · mish-paw-HAW

Noun — Common, feminine plural, construct state plural — usually add "-s"; "___ of …" — bound to the next word

In the KJV here: the families
the family ×73 after their families ×38 according to their families ×25 are the families ×21 of the families ×16 by their families ×15 the families ×14 family ×8
More options
family — Most common, broadly applicable in any context.
clan — Preferred for tribal/kinship groups larger than household.
kinship group — Precise in anthropological or technical passages.
lineage — Emphasizes descent and hereditary connection.
household — Use when domestic or residential unit is in view.
people — Loose rendering; suits lists of ethnic or national groups.

BDB8954 H4940

BDB8953 | BIBLICAL HEBREW | BDB8955

מִשְׁפָּחָה: 303 noun feminine clan (RSSemitic 1. 258, 2nd ed. 276; K 149, 2nd ed. 175 BaNB § 161 a); — absolute ׳מ Amos 3:1 +; construct מִשְׁפַּ֫חַת Judg 9:1 +; suffix מִשְׁפַּחְתִּי Gen 24:38 +, etc.; plural מִשְׁפָּחוֺת Nah 3:4 +; construct מִשְׁפְּחוֺת Amos 3:2 +; suffix מִשְׁפְּחֹתֵיהֶם Gen 8:19 + 2 t., usually תָם- Num 1:18 + 84 t., etc.; —

1. clan:
  a. family connection of individual Gen 24:38 (+ בֵּיתאָֿבִי), vGen 24:40 ( + id.), vGen 24:41 (all J; = מוֺלַדְתִּי vGen 24:4), 2Sam 14:7, united in sacrifice 1Sam 20:6; 1Sam 20:29, in passover Exod 12:21 (J E; compare BenzEncy.Bib. PASSOVER, §§ 9, 12); compare Lev 20:5 (H), Lev 25:10; Lev 25:41 (P), vLev 25:49 (P; defined as מִשְּׁאֵר בְּשָׂרוֺ), non-Hebrew vLev 25:47 (H), vLev 25:45(P), Judg 1:25 מִשְׁפְּחוֺתֶיהָ Josh 6:23 (E or R) is unintelligible, probably strike out (compare Steuern Holz; בֵּית אָבִיהָ in vJosh 6:25 [J]), compare Num 27:4; Num 27:11 (P); בֵּית אֲבִי אִמּוֺ ׳מ Judg 9:1 clan of his mother's father-house; including individuals, and included by שֵׁבֶט 1Sam 9:21 (twice in verse); 1Sam 10:21 with specific name, in series גֶבֶר, בַּיִת, ׳מ, שֵׁבֶט Josh 7:14 (twice in verse); Josh 7:17 b, c (all J; vJosh 7:17 a read plural Di Benn, or שֵׁבֶט GFMJudg 13:2; Steuern allows either); compare Deut 29:17; Judg 21:24, ׳אָבִי בְּיִשׂ ׳מ 1Sam 1:18 (+ חַיַּי, see II [חַי]; בֵּיתשָֿׁאוּל ׳אִישׁמִ֗֗֗מּ 2Sam 16:5 with name also Ruth 2:1; Ruth 2:3 and (non-Israel) Job 32:2.
  b. in loose, popular sense= tribe, Judg 13:2; Judg 17:7; Judg 18:19, compare vJudg 18:2 (|| שֵׁבֶט vJudg 18:1), vJudg 18:11 (yet in these two read possibly plural, see GFM).
  c. techn. divisions of people of Israel Num 11:10 (J) Jer 2:4; Jer 31:1 compare Jer 3:14; Num 1:2; Num 1:18; Num 2:34; Num 33:54 (all P), so (post-exilic) Neh 4:7: Esth 9:28 (מְדִינָה, ׳מ, דּוֺר).
  d. usually (P) technical divisions of tribes of Israel, Exod 6:14; Exod 6:15; Exod 6:25; Num 3:15 + 112 t. Numbers (93 t. Num 26, including vNum 3:43 where הַשּׁוּחָמִי apparently = Dan), 34 t. Josh 13-21; also 1Chr 6:4; 1Chr 6:45; 1Chr 7:5; division of Gershom, etc. (in Levi) Num 3:18; Num 3:19; Num 3:20 + 41 t. Exodus, Numbers, Joshua, Chronicles; subdivisions of these divisions (in Levi) Num 3:21 (twice in verse) + 6 t. Num 3 + Num 4:18 compare (in other tribes) 1Chr 2:53; 1Chr 4:2; 1Chr 4:8; 1Chr 4:21; 1Chr 4:27; 1Chr 4:38; 1Chr 5:7 also Zech 12:12 b. c 13 b 14 a, and (distributive) vZech 12:12 a 14 b, pleonastic מַטֵּה אֲבִיהֶם ׳מ Num 36:6 compare vNum 36:8, and (׳א ׳מַטֵּה מ) vNum 36:12.
  e. late, divinity of other peoples 1Chr 16:28 = Ps 96:7; Ps 22:28 in Edom Gen 36:40 (P). feminine in wider sense=people, nation; כֹּל מִשְׁפְּחֹת תָאֲדָמָה Amos 3:2; Gen 12:3; Gen 28:14 (both J), compare Jer 10:25; Ezek 20:32; Nah 3:4 (all || גּוֺיִם), Zech 14:17; Jer 1:15; Jer 25:9 as one's posterity Gen 10:30; Gen 10:31; Gen 10:32 (all P), so probably vGen 10:5 (P; Di Dr); = all Israel Amos 3:1, Judah Mic 2:3; Jer 8:3 (הָרָעָה הַזּאֹת ׳הַמּ), Israel + Judah, ׳שְׁתֵּי הַמּ Jer 33:24 מִשְׁפַּחַת מִצְרַיִם Zech 14:18 compare Ps 107:41.
2. = guild 1Chr 2:55 (of scribes; originally hereditary in families).
3. = species, kind:
  a. of judgments Jer 15:3. b. animals Gen 8:19 (P).
4. plural = aristocrats Job 31:34 (compare English 'the classes').


שֻׁפִּים proper name, masculine see √ שׁפף.

families, family, kindred, kindreds, kinds, …
mišpāḥâ
a family, i.e., circle of relatives; figuratively, a class (of persons), a species (of animals) or sort (of things); by extension a tribe or people
  • clan, family
    • clan
      • family
      • "tribe"people, nation
      guild"species, kind"aristocrats

הַ לֵּוִ֖י
הַ
Prefix — article the
לֵּוִ֖י
Root word a name — transliterate it ("Of the levites")
Dictionary form: לֵוִיִּי · lay-wih-YEE

Noun — Gentilic, masculine singular, absolute state a people-group name (like "Hittite")

In the KJV here: of the levites
the levites ×87 and the levites ×59 of the levites ×39 unto the levites ×13 and the levite ×9 the levite ×8 and levites ×7 levites ×7
More options
Levite — Standard modern term; use for singular or as adjective.
Levitical priest — Clarifies priestly role when context demands it.
member of the tribe of Levi — Explanatory; best for non-specialist or study Bible audiences.
Levitical worker — Highlights temple-service role without assuming priestly rank.
descendant of Levi — Emphasizes lineage; useful in genealogical or legal passages.

BDB4370 H3881

BDB4369 | BIBLICAL HEBREW | BDB4371

II. לֵוִי291 adjective, of a people Levite; — לֵוִי, 40 t.; plural לֵוִיִּם 250 t.; suffix לְוִיֵּנוּ Neh 10:1
  l. singular of individual, ׳אִישׁ ל Judg 19:1 a certain Levite; predicate ׳וְהוּא ל Judg 17:1 and he was a Levite, so vJudg 17:9 with article ׳הַלּ as substantive the Levite Exod 4:11 (J), Judg 17:10; Judg 17:11; Judg 17:12; Judg 17:13 (as priest), Deut 18:6; 2Chr 20:14; 2Chr 31:12; 2Chr 31:14; Ezra 10:15 ׳הַנַּעַר הַלּ Judg 18:3; Judg 18:15 ׳הָאִישׁ הַלּ Judg 20:4. Sg. usually

2. with article הַלֵּוִי as substantive collective the Levites: Exod 6:19; Num 3:20; Num 3:32; Num 26:57 (all P); Num 18:23 (P; charged with service of tabernacle); especially D, Deut 12:12; Deut 12:18; Deut 12:19; Deut 14:27; Deut 14:29; Deut 16:1; Deut 16:14; Deut 26:10; Deut 26:12; Deut 26:13 also 1Chr 24:6; Mal 2:8 (as priestly tribe); ׳שֵׁבָט הַלּ Deut 10:8 tribe of the Levites (set apart for service), compare Josh 13:14; Josh 13:33; 1Chr 23:14 בְּנֵיהַֿלֵּוִי 1Chr 12:27 (van d. H v.1Chr 12:26) sons of the Levites (i.e. of the tribe); so Neh 10:40 (as tithe-collectors); בֵּית הַלֵּוִי Ps 135:20 house (family, tribe) of the Levites.
3. plural לְוִיִּם chiefly Chronicles and P; — always with article ַ˜הלְוִיִּם except suffix לוִיֵּנוּ Neh 10:1 the article is omitted by ᵐ5 ᵑ9 and most in Isa 66:21 always = substantive Levites; —
1.
  a. earlier usage: — as bearing the ark 1Sam 6:15; 2Sam 15:24; Deut 31:25, so (with priests) 1Kgs 8:4 = 2Chr 5:5 (HCT ׳הכהנים הַל; read probably ׳וְהַל as in Kings, ᵐ5 ᵑ6 ᵑ9 compare Öttli VB); also 1 Chronicles is 1Chr 15:2; 1Chr 15:26; 1Chr 15:27; 1Chr 23:26; 2Chr 5:4 (for הכהנים || 1Kgs 8:3).
  b. not distinguished from priests by D: ׳הַכֹּהֲנִים הַל Deut 17:9; Deut 17:18; Deut 18:1; Deut 24:8; Deut 27:9; Josh 3:3; Josh 8:33 (both D; as bearing ark), also Jer 33:18; Jer 33:21 ׅ ׳הַכ ׳(הַל, Ezek 43:19; Ezek 44:15 compare Deut 18:7; Deut 27:14; Jer 33:22 ׳הַל ׳הַכ likewise 2Chr 23:18; 2Chr 30:27 (but read probably ׳וְהַל after ᵐ5 ᵑ6 ᵑ9, compare Öttli and below)
  c. as tribal designation, Exod 6:25; Num 3:39; Num 4:18; Num 4:46; Josh 21:1 (all P), 1Chr 9:33; 1Chr 9:34; 1Chr 15:12; 2Chr 35:5; Neh 11:15; Neh 11:16; Neh 12:24 with reference to share in land Lev 25:32 (twice in verse); Lev 25:33 (twice in verse) (H), Num 1:47; Num 2:33; Josh 14:3; Josh 14:4; Josh 21:3; Josh 21:4; Josh 21:8; Josh 21:20; Josh 21:27; Josh 21:34; Josh 21:38; Josh 21:39 (all P), Josh 18:7 (D), 1Chr 6:49 compare also 2Chr 11:14.
  d. set apart for service in tabernacle, Exod 38:21; Num 1:50; Num 1:51 (twice in verse); Num 1:53 (twice in verse); Num 2:17; Num 7:5; Num 7:6; Num 8:6 + 18 t. Num 8 (all p), compare 1Chr 6:33; 1Chr 16:4 ministers to Aaron and his sons Num 3:9; Num 8:19; Num 18:6 (P); set apart for ׳י (as redemption for first-born) Num 3:12 (twice in verse) + 7 t. Num 3 (P); with certain perquisites Num 18:24; Num 18:26; Num 18:30 + 9 t. Numbers (P).
2. in Chronicles the tribal idea is in the background, and thought of Levites as official class is prominent:
  a. distinguished from priests ׳וְהַל ׳הַכ 1Chr 9:14 (compare v1Chr 9:10), 1Chr 13:2; 1Chr 15:4; 1Chr 15:11; 1Chr 15:14; 1Chr 23:2; 1Chr 24:6; 1Chr 24:31 + 67 t. Chronicles; also Isa 66:21 (according to Vrss., but dubious), Ezek 44:10; Ezek 45:5 (compare vEzek 45:4), Ezek 48:11; Ezek 48:12; Ezek 48:13; Ezek 48:22.
  b. as porters, 1Chr 9:26; 1Chr 26:17, compare 1Chr 34:9 as in charge of music, 1Chr 15:16; 1Chr 15:17; 1Chr 15:22; 2Chr 5:12; 2Chr 29:25; 2Chr 29:30; 2Chr 34:12; Neh 12:27 yet distinguished from porters and singers, Neh 7:1; Neh 13:5; Neh 13:10 distinguished also from נְתִינִים 1Chr 9:2; Ezra 8:20; Neh 10:29 further (with various official functions) 1Chr 9:31 + 29 t. Chronicles; of groups of individuals, 2Chr 17:8 (twice in verse); 2Chr 29:12; 2Chr 34:12; Ezra 2:40 = Neh 7:43; Ezra 8:33; Neh 3:17; Neh 9:5; Neh 10:10; Neh 12:8, also Neh 8:7 (omitted וְ; ᵑ9 BeRy Ryle).
  c. בְּנֵיהַֿלְוִיִּם 1Chr 15:15 (bearing ark), 1Chr 24:30 (tribal designation). — See, on Levites, especially GfGeschichte. d. Stammes Levi in MeArchiv i. 68 ff. 208 ff. WeProl. Cap. iv RSOTJC. 435 f., 2nd ed., 360 f. BauPriesterthum 50 f., 68 f., and often

levites, levite
lēwiyyî
joined to
a Levite or descendant of Levi
  • the descendants of Levi, the 3rd son of Jacob by Leah
    • the tribe descended from Levi specially set aside by God for His service

לְ בֵ֥ית
לְ
Prefix — preposition to, for
בֵ֥ית
Root word house, houses, household, home, within, …
Dictionary form: בַּיִת · ba-YIT

Noun — Common, masculine singular, construct state "___ of …" — bound to the next word

In the KJV here: according to the house
the house ×301 house ×291 of the house ×281 in the house ×114 his house ×59 into the house ×50 and the house ×41 to the house ×34
More options
house — Most direct equivalent; fits nearly every context.
home — Warm, personal tone; prefer for family/dwelling contexts.
household — Use when referring to all members of a family unit.
palace — Prefer for royal or grand official residences.
temple — Use when בַּיִת refers to a sacred sanctuary or shrine.
family — Best when emphasis is on lineage or ancestral group.

BDB1045 H1004

BDB1044 | BIBLICAL HEBREW | BDB1046

בַּ֫יִת2034 noun masculineDeut 8:12 house (Phoenician בת, MI בת, suffix ביתה, Arabic , Aramaic בַּיְתָא, Assyrian bîtu, COTGloss, Sabean בית, בת, fortress DHMZMG 1883, 387; temple Hal257 DHMZMG 1876, 697, Ethiopic Palmyrene in בת עלמא, בת מקברתא sepulchre Vog32, 64 and others; etymology dubious; Thesבות, Aramaic בּוּת, spend the night, Arabic Ethiopic but this perhaps denominative, & בית from √ לר֞ with ת afform. compare Sta§187 a) — absolute בַּיִת Exod 12:30 +; בָּ֑יִת Gen 33:17 +; בַּ֫יְתָה (ָ  ה locative) Ps 68:7 +; construct בֵּית Gen 12:15 +; suffix בֵּיתִי Gen 15:2 +; בֵּיתְךָ Gen 7:1 +, etc.; הַבַּ֫יְתָה, בַּיְתָה (in) to the house, homeward, Gen 19:10; Ps 68:7 +; also בֵּ֫יתָה (in)to the house of ...; plural בָּֽתִּים Exod 1:21 + (i.e. bâttîm, see in MeiArchaeology i. 456 f., compare Ges«GKC:96»§ 96); construct בָּֽתֵּי Exod 8:17 +; suffix בָּתֶּיךָ Exod 10:6 בָּֽתָּיו 1Chr 28:11 בָּֽתֵּינוּ Exod 12:27 +; בָּֽתֵּיכֶם Gen 42:19 בָּתֵּיהֶם Num 16:32 +; (בָּֽתֵּ֫ימוֺ Ps 49:12), etc.; —

1. house,
  a. as dwelling habitation Gen 19:2; Gen 19:3; Gen 19:4; Gen 19:11; Gen 27:15; Gen 33:17 (object of בָּנָה) Exod 12:7 + often; מוֺשַׁב ׳בּ Lev 25:29 (compare בַּיִת לְשִׁבְתִּי 2Sam 7:5); בֵּית = in the house of, when modifying word follows, compare DrSm 29, n. 2 (after stative construct מוֺלֶדֶת בַּיִת אוֺ מוֺלֶדֶת חוּץ Lev 19:9); e.g. אָבִיךָ ׳בּ Gen 24:23 אִישָׁהּ ׳בּ Num 30:11 יהוה ׳בּ 2Kgs 23:24 so in proper name ביתאל Amos 7:13 (ה)בַּ֫יְתָה into the house, home Exod 9:19 (of man & beast) compare, Judg 19:18; 1Sam 6:7 (compare v1Sam 6:10) 1Kgs 13:7; 1Kgs 13:15; Ps 68:7; Isa 14:17 etc.; compare below 7 below; partic (α) in J occasionally of tent Gen 27:15 compare Gen 33:17 (with בנה; here of nomad's hut); usually (β) house of solid materials, with doorposts, etc. Exod 12:7; Deut 6:9; Deut 11:20, walls Lev 14:37; Lev 14:39, of stones, timber & mortar vLev 14:45 (compare vLev 14:40 vLev 14:42 vLev 14:43); so also Josh 2:15 supported by pillars Judg 16:26f.; with roof on which one could walk 2Sam 11:12 etc.; see especially temple and king's house in Jerusalem 1 Ki 5-7 etc.; compare Song 1:7; Jer 22:14 of Ezekiel's temple Ezek 40f.; בָּֽתֵּכֶם סְפוּנִים of luxurious houses Hag 1:4 בנה בָּֽתִּים טֹבִים Deut 8:12 בּנה בַּיִתחָֿדָשׁ Deut 20:5 compare Deut 22:8 also with בנה Deut 28:30 + often; (γ) construct before word of material, אֲרָזִים ׳בּ 2Sam 7:2; 2Sam 7:7 = 1Chr 17:1 (׳הַא ׳בּ) v1Chr 17:6 הַשֵּׁן ׳בּ 1Kgs 22:39 compare Amos 3:15 גָּזִית ׳בּ house of hewn stone Amos 5:11 compare בֵּית יַעַר הַלְּבָנוֺן 1Kgs 7:2; 2Chr 9:20, בֵּית הַיַּעַר Isa 22:8 (δ) also before word of quality or characteristic, בֵּית אֵבֶל Eccl 7:2 || מִשְׁתֶּה ׳בּ vEccl 7:4 || שִׂמְחָה ׳בּ; מַרְזֵחַ ׳בּ Jer 16:5 מִשְׁתֶּה ׳בּ Jer 16:8 בָּֽתֵּי חֶמְדָּתֵךְ Ezek 26:12 בֵּית תַּעֲנֻגֶי֑הָ Mic 2:9 compare מְרִי ׳בּ rebellious house below
5. d below; (ε) in combinations, of structures for various purposes: — (1) בֵּית הַמֶּלֶךְ = palace 1Kgs 9:1; 1Kgs 9:10; 1Kgs 10:12 +, etc.; בֵּית מַמְלָכָה Amos 7:13 compare below
2. below; הַמַּלְכוּת ׳בּ Esth 5:1 compare Esth 2:16 לְמַלְכוּתוֺ ׳בּ 2Chr 1:18 (2) בֵּית הַסֹּהַר = the prison Gen 39:20 (twice in verse); Gen 39:21; Gen 39:22 (twice in verse); Gen 39:23; Gen 40:3; Gen 40:5 compare מִשְׁמַרְכֶם ׳בּ Gen 42:19 מִשְׁמֶרֶת ׳בּ 2Sam 20:3 ׳בּ הָאָסוּר Jer 37:15 הָאֲסיּרים ׳בּ Judg 16:21; Judg 16:25 הָסֿוּרִים ׳בּ Eccl 4:14 הַכֶּלֶא ׳בּ 1Kgs 22:27; 2Kgs 17:4; 2Chr 18:26; Jer 37:15; Jer 37:18 compare Isa 42:7 כֶּלֶא ׳בּ 2Kgs 25:27 הַמַּהְפֶּכֶת ׳בּ 2Chr 16:10 הַכְּליּ֯א ׳בּ Jer 37:4; Jer 52:31 בָּֽתֵּי כְלָאִים Isa 42:22 בֵּיתהַֿבּוֺר Jer 37:16 הַפְּקֻדּוֺת ׳בּ Jer 52:31 (3) בֵּית הַנָּשִׁים house of the women, harem Esth 2:9; Esth 2:11; Esth 2:13; Esth 2:14 (4) מִשְׁתֵּה הַיַּיִן ׳בּ Esth 7:8 הַיָּ֑יִן ׳בּ Song 2:4 compare בָּֽתֵּי מָשׂוֺשׂ Isa 32:13 (5) בֵּית הַחֹרֶף Amos 3:15; Jer 36:22 ׳הַקָּ֑יִץ בּ Amos 3:15 (6) בֵּית נְכֹתֹה & בֵּית כֵּלָיו 2Kgs 20:13 = Isa 39:2 (7) בֵּית הַגָּן garden-h. (or proper name? compare p. III) 2Kgs 9:27 (8) בֵּיתעֵֿקֶד binding-h. (or proper name?) 2Kgs 10:12; 2Kgs 10:14 (9) בֵּיתעֲבָדִים h. of slaves (where slaves live), only figurative of Egypt Exod 13:3; Exod 13:14; Exod 20:2; Deut 5:6; Deut 6:12; Deut 7:8; Deut 8:14; Deut 13:6; Deut 13:11; Josh 24:17; Judg 6:8; Mic 6:4; Jer 34:13 — on הַחָפְשִׁית ׳בּ 2Kgs 15:5 = 2Chr 26:21 compare חפשׁית; especially (10) ׳בֵּית י = temple 1Kgs 7:12; 1Kgs 7:40; 1Kgs 7:45; 1Kgs 7:51 & very often; also (mostly late) בֵּית הָאֱלֹהִים 1Chr 9:11; 1Chr 9:13; 1Chr 9:26 + often; but also of earlier tent of worship Judg 18:31 see also הָאֹהֶל ׳בּ 1Chr 9:23, compare אֱלֹהִים ׳בּ of local shrine 1Chr 17:5 & also in mouth of Jacob, as explanation of name of Bethel Gen 28:17 (compare vGen 28:19), & as name of stone, or MaÁÁeba vGen 28:22 = (all E); also ׳י ׳ב of earlier tent of worship Judg 19:18; 1Sam 1:7; 1Sam 1:24; 2Sam 12:20 (compare further אֱלֹהִים, יהוה); הָאוֺצָר ׳בּ Mal 3:10 compare הֵיכַל הַבַּיִת 1Kgs 6:3, & ׳בּ alone in same sense, especially 1Kgs 6 compare 2Chr 1:18; 2Chr 2:3; 2Chr 2:11 +; see 1Chr 28:2 ׳מְנוּחָה לַאֲרוֺן בְּרִיתיֿ ׳בּ וְלַהֲדֹם רַגְלֵי אֱלֹהֵינוּ; also בֵּית הַקֹּדֶשׁ 1Chr 29:3 קֹדֶשׁ ׳בּ הַקֳּדָשִׁים 2Chr 3:8; 2Chr 3:10 קָדְשֵׁנוּ וְתִפְאַרְתֵּנוּ ׳בּ Isa 64:10 בֵּיתזְֿבֻל 2Chr 6:2 בֵּית זָ֑בַח 2Chr 7:12 בֵּית מִקְדָּשָׁם 2Chr 36:17 תְּפִלָּה ׳בּ Isa 56:7 (twice in verse); תִּפְאַרְתִּי ׳בּ Isa 60:7 also of heathen temples בַּעַלבְּֿרִית ׳ב Judg 9:4 דָּֿגוֺן׳ב 1Sam 5:5 עַשְׁתָּרוֺת ׳ב 1Sam 31:10 רִמּוֺן ׳ב 2Kgs 5:18 (3 t. in verse); הַבַּעַל ׳ב 2Kgs 10:21 (twice in verse); 2Kgs 10:23; 2Kgs 10:25; 2Kgs 10:26; 2Kgs 10:27; 2Kgs 11:18 עֲצַבֵּיהֶם ׳בּ 1Sam 31:9 (but read rather אתעֿצביהם as in || 1Chr 10:9 so ᵐ5 We Dr); בֵּית בָּמוֺת 1Kgs 12:31 (compare MI בת במת) see also 1Kgs 13:32; 2Kgs 17:29; 2Kgs 17:32 בֵּית אוֺצַר אֱלֹהָיו Dan 1:2 etc.; made of woven material 2Kgs 23:7 אֲשֶׁר הַנָּשִׁים אֹרְגוֺת שָׁם בָּֽתִּים לָאֲשֵׁרָה perhaps = tent-shrines but text dubious ᵐ5 χεττιεῖν (כתנות ?); ᵐ5L στολάς; compare EwH iii.718 & Klo; (ζ) of portion of larger building (late), so plural בָּֽתָּיו 1Chr 28:11 i.e. of the temple (|| גַּנְזַכָּיו, עֲלִיֹּתָיו, חֲדָרָיו); compare הַכַּפֹּרֶת ׳בּ ib.; הַמְֿבַשְּׁלִים ׳בּ Ezek 46:24.
  b. as shelter or abode of animals 1Sam 6:7; 1Sam 6:10 compare Exod 9:19 בֵּית עַכָּבִישׁ Job 8:14 spider's web (compare בָּנָה כָעָשׁ בֵּיתוֺ Job 27:18); of wild ass Job 39:6 שַׂמְתִּי עֲרָבָה בֵיתוֺ; צִפּוֺר מָֽצְאָה בַּיִת Ps 84:4 (|| קֵן); חֲסִידָה בְּרוֺשִׁים בֵּיתָהּ Ps 104:17 (compare || & Che); Prov 30:26 (of the שְׁפַנִּים 'conies').
  c. figurative of human bodies בָּֽתֵּיחֹֿמֶר Job 4:19 houses of clay, compare in phrase שֹׁמְרֵי הַבַּיִת Eccl 12:3 keepers of the house, i.e. the arms; see further בֵּית מְגוּרָ֑י Ps 119:54.
  d. of sh®°ôl, שְׁאוֺל בֵּיתִי Job 17:13, compare בֵּית מוֺעֵד לְכָלחָֿ֑י Job 30:23 (|| מָוֶת); בֵּית עוֺלָמוֺ Eccl 12:5 (perhaps = tomb, see De).
  e. of abode of light & darkness Job 38:20. feminine of land of Ephraim as יהוה ׳בּ Hos 8:1; Hos 9:15 (compare ׳אֶרֶץ י Hos 9:3).
2. place, of Jerusalem בֵּית קִבְרוֺת אֲבֹתַי Neh 2:3 (|| עִיר vNeh 2:5), compare also proper name compounded with בֵּית, below, & בֵּית מַמְלָכָה Amos 7:13 (predicate of Bethel); בֵּית נְתִיבוֺת Prov 8:2 i.e. where paths meet RV; אֲבָנִים ׳בּ Job 8:17 on both these see בֵּית below [בַּיִן] בֵּין p. 108.
3. receptacle, תְּעָלָה כְּבֵית סָאתַיִם 1Kgs 18:32 a trench like a receptacle of two seahs; בָּֽתֵּי נֶפֶשׁ Isa 3:20 i.e. vials of perfume; especially בָּֽתִּים לְבַדִּים Exod 25:27 holders for the staves, i.e. rings, טַבָּעֹת ib.; so Exod 37:14; Exod 37:27; Exod 38:5 compare בָּֽתִּים לַבְּרִיחִם Exod 26:29; Exod 36:34 holders for the bars (all P, & all explained by טבעת); בֵּיתלָֿהּ סָבִיב Ezek 1:27 (si vera lectio) its [construct as Ps 58:5] house (= enclosing cage) was round about (strike out B Hi Co).
4. of house as containing a family, hence in phrase of slaves belonging to household יְלִידֵי בֵיתוֺ Gen 14:14 compare Gen 17:12 (opposed to מִקְנַתכֶּֿסֶף) vGen 17:13 (all || id.) figurative of Israel Jer 2:14 (|| עֶבֶד); compare בֶּןבֵּֿיתִי Gen 15:3 בְּנֵיבַֿיִת הָיָה לִי Eccl 2:7 (as token of wealth & prosperity); also of one's sister מוֺלֶדֶת בַּיִת Lev 18:19 (|| חוּץ ׳מ compare below); אַנְשֵׁי בֵיתוֺ Gen 17:27 ׳נַפְשׁוֺת בּ Gen 36:6 כָּלהַֿנֶּפֶשׁ לְבֵיתיַֿעֲקֹב Gen 46:27. Hence
5. household, family (592 t.)
  a. ordinary sense, those belonging to the same household Gen 7:1; Gen 12:1; Gen 12:17 +, Deut 6:22; Deut 11:6 +; Hexateuch mostly J D; E Gen 35:2; Gen 42:33; Gen 50:22 compare Exod 1:21 below; P Gen 36:6; Exod 1:1; Exod 12:4; Lev 16:6; Lev 16:11; Lev 16:17; Num 16:32; Num 18:31; Josh 22:15 even where expressly said to inhabit tents Num 16:32; Deut 11:6 אֶתבָּֽֿתֵּיהֶם וְאֶתאָֿהֳלֵיהֶם; specifically ׳זְקַןבּֿ Gen 24:2 compare Gen 50:7 (of rank & dignity in household); of a family of handicraftsmen מִשְׁפְּחוֺת בֵּיתעֲֿבֹדַת הַבֻּץ 1Chr 4:21 (see בוץ); also, with figurative of house clearly in mind ׳מִשְׁקֹלֶת בּ 2Kgs 21:13 ׳מַפְתֵּחַ בּ Isa 22:22.
  b. family of descendants, descendants as organized body Gen 18:19 (J || בָּנִים) +, & so with בָּנָה (q. v.) אחיו ׳יִבְנֶה בּ Deut 25:9 compare Ruth 4:11 &, subject ׳י, לְ ׳בָּנָה בּ 2Sam 7:27 = 1Chr 17:10; 1Chr 17:25 also 1Sam 2:35; 1Kgs 11:38 (both נֶאֱמָן ׳בּ), so לְ ׳עשׂה בּ 2Sam 7:11; 1Kgs 2:24 also plural וַיַּעַשׂ לָהֶם בָּֽתִּים Exod 1:21 נֶאֱמָן לְ ׳עשׂה ב 1Sam 25:28 compare especially with proper name, e.g.
  c. בֵּית שָׁאוּל 2Sam 3:1 (twice in verse); 2Sam 3:6 (twice in verse); 2Sam 3:8; 2Sam 3:10; 2Sam 9:1; 2Sam 9:2; 2Sam 9:3; 2Sam 9:9; 2Sam 16:5 (׳שׁ ׳משׁפחת בּ) v2Sam 16:8; 2Sam 19:18 (compare 2Sam 21:1 where read וְאֶלֿ בֵּיתֹה דָמִים so ᵐ5 We Dr) 1Chr 12:29 בֵּית דָּוִד 2Sam 3:1; 2Sam 3:6; 2Sam 7:26 = 1Chr 17:24 (compare context in both), 1Kgs 12:19 = 2Chr 10:19, v2Chr 10:20 v2Chr 10:26; 2Chr 13:2; 2Chr 14:8; 2Kgs 17:21; Isa 7:2; Isa 7:13; Isa 22:22; Jer 21:12; Zech 12:7; Zech 12:8; Zech 12:10; Zech 12:12 (׳דּ ׳משׁפחת בּ) 2Chr 21:7; Ps 122:5 יָרָבְעָם ׳בּ 1Kgs 13:34; 1Kgs 14:10 (twice in verse); 1Kgs 14:13; 1Kgs 14:14; 1Kgs 15:29; 1Kgs 16:3; 1Kgs 21:22; 2Kgs 9:9; 2Kgs 13:6 אַחְאָב ׳בּ 2Kgs 8:18; 2Kgs 8:27 (3 t. in verse) (of Ahaziah ׳א ׳חֲתַן בּ), 2Kgs 9:7; 2Kgs 9:8; 2Kgs 9:9; 2Kgs 10:10; 2Kgs 10:11; 2Kgs 21:13; Mic 6:16; 2Chr 21:6; 2Chr 21:13; 2Chr 22:3; 2Chr 22:4; 2Chr 22:7; 2Chr 22:8 etc.
  d. especially of Hebrew people & subdivisions: (α) בֵּית יִשְׂחָ֑ק Amos 7:16 (β) עֵשָׂו ׳בּ Obad 1:18 (twice in verse); (γ) בֵּית יַעֲקֹב Gen 46:27 (P) Exod 19:3 (E) Amos 3:13; Amos 9:8; Mic 2:7; Mic 3:9; Obad 1:17; Obad 1:18; Isa 8:17; Isa 10:20; Isa 14:1; Isa 29:22; Isa 46:3; Isa 48:1; Isa 58:1; Jer 2:4; Jer 5:20; Ps 114:1 also יעקב ׳זֶרַע בּ Ezek 20:5 (strike out Co); most frequently (δ) בֵּית יִשְׂרָאֵל (Vrss & variant reading sometimes בני see בֵּן) Hexateuch Exod 16:31; Exod 40:38; Lev 10:6; Num 20:29 (all P) Lev 17:3; Lev 17:8; Lev 17:10; Lev 22:18 (H) Josh 21:43 (D) ; 1Sam 7:2 + 8 t. Samuel Kings; Hos 1:4; Hos 1:6; Hos 5:1; Hos 6:10; Hos 12:1; Amos 5:1 + 7 t. Amos; Mic 1:5; Mic 3:1; Mic 3:9; Isa 5:7; Isa 14:2, also Isa 46:3; Isa 63:7; Zech 8:13 ; but especially Jer 2:4; Jer 2:26 + 17 t. Jeremiah; Ezek 3:1; Ezek 3:4; Ezek 3:5; Ezek 3:7 (twice in verse); Ezek 3:17 + 75 t. Ezekiel; also יִשְׂרָאֵל ׳זֶרַע בּ Jer 23:8; Ezek 44:22 (Co strike out ׳בּ); שְׁנֵי בָֽתֵּי יִשְׂרָאֵל Isa 8:14 בֵּית יִשְׂרָאֵל וִיהוּדָה Ezek 9:9 + Ezek 25:8 Co; futher בֵּית מְרִי rebellious house (of Israel) Ezek 2:5; Ezek 2:6; Ezek 3:9; Ezek 3:26; Ezek 3:27; Ezek 12:2; Ezek 12:3, & הַמֶּ֑רִי ׳בּ Ezek 2:8; Ezek 12:2; Ezek 12:9; Ezek 12:25; Ezek 17:12; Ezek 24:3 [+ Ezek 44:6 Co]; (ε) בֵּית יְהוּדָה 2Sam 2:4; 2Sam 2:7; 2Sam 2:10; 2Sam 2:11; 1Kgs 12:21 = 2Chr 11:1; 2Kgs 19:30 = Isa 37:31; Isa 22:21; Hos 1:7; Hos 5:12; Hos 5:14; Zeph 2:7; Zech 8:13; Zech 8:15; Zech 8:19; Zech 10:3; Zech 10:6; Zech 12:4, & especially Jer 3:18 + 9 t. Jeremiah; Ezek 4:6 + 4 t. Ezekiel + Ezek 9:9 above; also יְהוּדָה וּבִנְיָמִן ׳בּ 1Kgs 12:23 מֶלֶךְ יְהוּדָה ׳בּ Jer 21:11; Jer 22:6 (ζ) יוֺסֵף ׳בּ Gen 50:8; Josh 17:17; Josh 18:5 (all J E) Judg 1:22; Judg 1:23; Judg 1:35; 2Sam 19:21; 1Kgs 11:28; Amos 5:6; Obad 1:18; Zech 10:6 (η) אֶפְרַיִם ׳בּ Judg 10:9 (θ) בִּנְיָמִן ׳בּ 2Sam 3:19 compare 1Kgs 12:23 above; (ι) יִשָּׂשכָר ׳בּ 1Kgs 15:27 (κ) לֵוִי ׳בּ Exod 2:1 (E) Num 17:23 (P) Zech 12:13 (׳ל ׳משׁפחת ב), Ps 135:20 & (λ) אַהֲרֹן ׳בּ Ps 115:10; Ps 115:12; Ps 118:3; Ps 135:19.
  e. technically, yet with some looseness of usage, בֵּית אָב father's house, of family or clan, plural בֵּית אָבוֺת father-houses, families (e.g. Num 1:2) (79 t.; only P & Chronicles) Exod 6:14; Exod 12:3; Num 1:2; Num 1:4; Num 1:18 + 41 t. Numbers; Josh 22:14 (twice in verse); 1Chr 4:38; 1Chr 5:13 + 25 t. Chronicles; Ezra 2:59; Ezra 10:16; Neh 7:61; Neh 10:35 = tribe Num 17:17 (twice in verse); Num 17:18; Num 17:21 = main division of tribe Num 3:20; Num 3:24 +, compare Num 34:14 (twice in verse) etc.; futher sub-division Exod 12:3; 1Chr 7:2; 1Chr 7:7 +; compare especially 1Chr 23:11 Jeush and Beriah had not many sons, therefore they became לְבֵית אָב לִפְקֻדָּה אֶחָ֑ת (compare ראשׁי אבות, below אב).
6. house, including household affairs, persons, property, etc. וַיַּפְקִדֵהוּ עַלבֵּֿיתוֺ Gen 39:4 compare בְּבֵיתוֺ vGen 39:5 אֲשֶׁר עַלבֵּֿיתוֺ Gen 44:1; Gen 44:4 hence אשׁר על הבית as title of governor of the palace (EwH iii. 269) Isa 22:15; Isa 36:3 compare 1Kgs 4:6; 2Kgs 15:5 in Israel 1Kgs 16:9; 1Kgs 18:3; 2Kgs 10:5: further 2Sam 17:23; 2Kgs 20:1 = Isa 38:1 hence of personal property 1Kgs 13:8 אִםתִּֿתֶּןלִֿי אֶתחֲֿצִי בֵּיתֶ֑ךָ; family and property (everything on which one depends) Job 8:15.
7. בַּ֫יְתָה, בָּ֑יְתָה, literally housewards, hence metaphor inwards, Exod 28:26 = Exod 39:19 (that is, of the ephod), 1Kgs 7:25 = 2Chr 4:4 (that is, of the circle of oxen supporting the molten sea); 2Sam 5:9 מִןהַֿמִּלּוֺא וָבָ֑יְתָה from the Millo and inward, Ezek 44:17.
8. מִבַּיִת
  a. adverb on the inside (of a building, chest, etc.: opposed to מִחוּץ) Gen 6:14; Exod 25:11 = Exod 37:2; Lev 14:41; 1Kgs 6:15; 1Kgs 6:16; 1Kgs 7:9; 2Kgs 6:30 (of a person's clothes); Ezek 7:15 so with ה locative מִבֲַּ֫יְתָה 1Kgs 6:15
  b. מִבֵּית לְ (construct Ges«GKC:130»§ 130, 1 n.) preposition within (opposed to מִחוּץ לְ), מִבֵּית לַפָּרֹכֶת within the veil Exod 26:33; Lev 16:2; Lev 16:12; Num 18:7 לְכָלדְּֿבַר הַמִּזִבֵּחַ וּלְמִבֵּית לַפָּרֹכֶת for everything of the altar, and for (that) within the veil; 1Kgs 7:8; 1Kgs 7:31 (read לַכְּתֵפֹת; see VB & StaZAW 1883, 165); אֶלמִֿבֵּית לְ (after a verb of motion) in within Lev 16:15; 2Kgs 11:15 = 2Chr 23:14.Note. — בית perhaps occurs abbreviated into בּ in proper name בְּעֶשְׁתְּרָה q. v. so Thes and others; compare also Aramaic בא = בית in like usage LagArmen. Stud. § 339; Se i. 51; GGA 1884, 276.
**On בְּ as abbreviated בית see WetzstHauran 110 KampffmeyerZPV xv (1892). 111.


BDB1058 H1004 H1588

BDB1057 | BIBLICAL HEBREW | BDB1059

בֵּית הַגָּן proper name, of a location? ᵐ5 Βαιθαν (Βαιατγαν), ᵐ5L Βαιθωρων, 2Kgs 9:27 modern Jenîn? see גַּן, below גנן, and עֵין גַּנִּים; compare StaGesch i. 542.


BDB4007 H3608 H1004

BDB4006 | BIBLICAL HEBREW | BDB4008

כֶּ֫לֶא noun [masculine] confinement, restraint, imprisonment; — absolute ׳כ 1Kgs 22:27 + 6 t.; suffix כִּלְאוֺ 2Kgs 25:29; Jer 52:33 plural כְּלָאִים Isa 42:22confinement, in combination ׳בֵּית (ה)כ (compare Assyrian bit kili, prison, DlHWB 328) 1Kgs 22:27 = 2Chr 18:26; 2Kgs 17:4; Jer 37:15; Jer 37:18; Isa 42:7 בָּֽתֵּי כְלָאִים vIsa 42:22 (compare בַּיִת 1 (ε) (2) p. 109 above; see also כלוא below); בִּנְדֵי כִלְאוֺ 2Kgs 25:29 = Jer 52:33 garments of imprisonment = prison-garb.


BDB4008 H1004 H3628

BDB4007 | BIBLICAL HEBREW | BDB4009

כלוא Kt, כְּלִיא Qr noun [masculine] id.; — ׳בֵּית הַכּ Jer 37:4; Jer 52:31 (see כֶּלֶא above)


BDB9372 H1004 H1005

BDB9371 | BIBLICAL ARAMAIC | BDB9373

[בַּ֫יִת]44 noun masculineEzra 6:7 house (Biblical Hebrew בַּ֫יִת); — emphatic בַּיְתָ֫א Ezra 5:3 +, תָ֫ה- Ezra 5:12; Ezra 6:15 construct בֵּית(ֿׅ Ezra 4:24; Ezra 5:2 +; suffix בַּיְתִי Dan 4:1 (Baern., compare M§ 76 c; van d. H. Gi בֵּיתִי), בַּיְהֵתּ Dan 2:17 +; plural suffix בָּֽתֵּיכוֺן Dan 2:5

1. house, of men : Ezra 6:11 (twice in verse); Dan 2:5; Dan 2:17; Dan 3:29; Dan 6:11 of king Ezra 6:4; Dan 4:4, מִשְׁתְּיָא ׳ב Dan 5:10, גִּנְוַיָא דִּי מִלְכָּא ׳ב Ezra 5:17, compare Ezra 7:20 = ׳סִפְרַיָא וגו ׳ב Ezra 6:1 מִלְכוּ ׳ב Ezra 4:30 royal residence (of Babylonian ).
2. house of God, temple at Jerusalem Dan 5:3; Dan 5:23; Ezra 4:24 + 28 t. Ezra.

house, houses, household, home, within, …
bayit
a house (in the greatest variation of applications, especially family, etc.)
  • house
    • house, dwelling habitation
    • "shelter or abode of animals"human bodies (figuratively)"of Sheol"of abode of light and darkness"of land of Ephraim
    place"receptacle"home, house as containing a family"household, family
    • those belonging to the same household
    • "family of descendants, descendants as organized body
    household affairs"inwards (metaphorically)"temple"(adv) on the inside"(prep) within

אֲבֹתָֽ ם
אֲבֹתָֽ
Root word fathers, father, chief, families, patrimony, …
ם
Suffix — pronoun their / them
Dictionary form: אָב · awb

Noun — Common, masculine plural, construct state plural — usually add "-s"; "___ of …" — bound to the next word

In the KJV here: of their fathers
his father ×133 of their fathers ×94 his fathers ×86 my father ×80 thy father ×51 of the fathers ×44 the father ×41 their fathers ×30
More options
father — Default choice; direct, natural, widely understood.
ancestor — Prefer when referring to distant forebears or lineage.
forefather — Slightly more formal; good for ancestral or covenantal contexts.
patriarch — Use for tribal or clan heads with religious authority.
family head — Highlights household-leader role in social/legal contexts.
founder — Suits contexts emphasizing originating or establishing a line.

BDB17 H1

BDB16 | BIBLICAL HEBREW | BDB18

אָב1191 noun masculine father (Phoenician אב, Assyrian abu, Arabic , Sabean אב CISiv, 1, 37 1. 2 and others, Ethiopic Aramaic אַבָּא, — absolute אָב Gen 44:19 + 47 t.; construct אַב Gen 17:4; Gen 17:5 (compare in אַבְרָהָם ib. & elsewhere in proper names. On Hal's proposed אֲבִר see אברהם); אֲבִי (compare Ge§§ 90, 3b, 96) Gen 4:20 +; suffix אָבִי Gen 19:34 + (MI אבי); אָבִיךָ Gen 12:1 +; אָבִיו Gen 2:24 +; אָבִ֫יהוּ Judg 14:10 + 6t.; plural אָבוֺת Exod 12:3 +; construct אֲבוֺת Exod 6:25 + 7 t.; suffix אֲבוֺתַי (אֲבֹתַי, אֲבוֺתָ֑י) Gen 47:9 + 15 t.; אֲבוֺתֵיהֶם 1Chr 4:38 + 32 t. (late); אֲבוֺתָם Exod 4:5 + 106 t. etc.; —

1. father of individual Gen 2:24 (+ אֵם) Gen 11:28; Gen 11:29 (twice in verse); Gen 19:31; Gen 19:32; Gen 19:33, + often (mostly J E D); of father as commanding Gen 50:16 (J) Jer 35:6 f Prov 6:20 (compare Gen 18:19 J Gen 28:1; Gen 28:6 P 1Sam 17:20; 1Kgs 2:1); instructing מוסר Prov 1:8; Prov 4:1 (compare Deut 8:5); specifically as begetter, genitor Prov 23:22; Zech 13:3 (twice in verse) (+ אֵם) Isa 45:10 compare Gen 49:4 (J) Lev 18:7; Lev 18:8; Lev 18:11 (P); rebuking Gen 37:10 loving Gen 37:4; Gen 44:20 (J E; compare Gen 22:2; Gen 25:28; Gen 37:3; 2Sam 14:1); pitying Ps 103:13 (in simile compare 2Sam 18:5); blessing Gen 27:41 (J E compare Gen 27:4 also Gen 28:1 P +); as glad Prov 10:1; Prov 15:20 compare Prov 29:3 grieving Gen 37:35 (J E; compare 2Sam 12:22; 2Sam 19:1; 2Sam 19:2 f) etc. Also as object of honour, obedience, love Exod 20:12 (E) = Deut 5:16; Exod 21:15; Exod 21:17 (E) Deut 21:18; Deut 21:19; Gen 28:7 (P) 1Kgs 19:20 (all + אֵם), 1Kgs 50:1; 1Kgs 50:5 (J) Mal 1:6 etc. Hence metaphor of intimate connection Job 17:14 to corruption I cry, My father art thou (|| אִמִּי וַאֲחֹתִי לָֽרִמָּה).
2. of God as father of his people (see RSSem 42), who constituted, controls, guides and lovingly watches over it: Deut 32:6; Jer 3:4; Jer 3:19; Jer 31:9; Isa 63:16 (twice in verse); Isa 64:7; Mal 1:6; Mal 2:10 (compare Exod 4:22; Exod 19:4 (JE) Deut 32:11; Hos 11:1); compare Jer 2:27 (of idolatrous Israel) אֹמְרִים לָעֵץ אָבִי אַתָּה וְלָאֶבֶן אַתְּ ילדתני׃; especially God as father of Davidic line 2Sam 7:14; Ps 89:27 f. of needy (late) Ps 68:6 (compare Ps 103:13) (in proper name, f. of individual, compare below)
3. head of household, family or clan; בֵּית אָבִי as abode Gen 38:11 (twice in verse); Lev 22:13 +; = family Gen 24:40 (|| מִשְׁפַּחְתִּי) Gen 41:51; Gen 46:31 + compare Num 18:1; Num 18:2; Josh 2:12; Josh 2:18; Josh 6:25 especially techn. of divisions of Israel בֵּית אָב לְמִשְׁפָּחוֺת Num 3:30; Num 3:35 = a father's house, i.e. a family or clan; more often plural (אבותם, אבותיו) בֵית אָבוֺת = father's houses = families, clans (compare Di on Exod 6:14) Exod 6:14; Exod 12:3; Num 1:2; Num 1:18 ff (often in Numbers) Josh 14:1; Josh 19:51; Josh 21:1 (twice in verse); Josh 22:14 (twice in verse) (always P in Hexateuch); also 1Chr 5:13; 1Chr 5:15 + often in Chronicles; compare רָאשֵׁי אבות הלוים (= ׳בית א ׳ר) Exod 6:25 compare 1Kgs 8:1; 1Chr 6:4; 1Chr 7:11 + often Chronicles Ezra Nehemiah.
4. ancestor (a) of individual; grandfather (instead of precise term) Gen 28:13; Gen 32:10 (J; where used by Jacob of Abraham & then of Isaac); greatgrandfather 1Kgs 15:13 great-greatgrandfather 1Kgs 15:11 etc.; oft plural (= fathers, forefathers) Gen 15:15; Gen 46:34 (JE) 1Kgs 19:4; 1Kgs 21:3; 1Kgs 21:4; 2Kgs 19:12; 2Kgs 20:17 +; particularly שׁכב עם אבותיו 1Kgs 1:21; 1Kgs 2:10; 1Kgs 11:21; 1Kgs 22:40 +; joined with ׳ויקבר עם אב 1Kgs 14:31; 1Kgs 15:24; 1Kgs 22:51; 2Kgs 8:24; 2Kgs 15:38 compare v2Kgs 15:7, 2Kgs 16:20 + (all of kings of Judah); intensive, אֲבֹתֶיךָ וַאֲבוֺת אֲבֹתֶיךָ Exod 10:6 compare Dan 11:24 (b) of people Gen 10:21 (J) Gen 17:4; Gen 17:5 (P) Gen 19:37; Gen 19:38 (J) Gen 36:9; Gen 36:43 (P) Deut 26:5; Isa 51:2; Isa 43:27 (where אביך הראשׁון thy first father, see Che) compare also Ezek 16:3; Ezek 16:45 + often; plural Exod 3:13; Exod 3:15; Exod 3:16 (E) Deut 1:8; Josh 1:6; Judg 2:1; 1Sam 12:6 +; 1Sam 12:15 near the end read וּבְמַלְכְּכֶם ᵐ5 We Dr.
5. originator or patron of a class, profession, or art Gen 4:20; Gen 4:21.
6. figurative of producer, generator Job 38:28 הֲיֵשׁ לַמָּטָר אָ֑ב (|| הוֺלִיד אֶגְלֵיטָֽֿל׃ מִיֿ).
7. figurative of benevolence & protection Job 29:6 אָב אָֽנֹכִי לָֽאֶבְיוֺנִים, compare Job 31:18 of Eliakim Isa 22:21 perhaps also of gracious Messianic king אֲבִי עַד Isa 9:5 everlasting father (Ge Ew De Che Brd Di) — others divider of spoil (Abarb Hi Kn Kue BrMP).
8. term of respect & honour (Abbas, Pater, Papa, Pope); applied to master 2Kgs 5:13 priest Judg 17:10; Judg 18:19 prophet 2Kgs 2:12 (twice in verse); 2Kgs 6:21; 2Kgs 13:14 (twice in verse); compare 2Kgs 8:9 counsellor Gen 45:8 (E; compare δευτέρου πατρός ᵐ5 add. Esth 3:13 τῷ πατρί 1 Mac Esth 11:32); king 1Sam 24:12 artificer 2Chr 2:12; 2Chr 4:16.
9. specifically, ruler, chief (late) 1Chr 2:24; 1Chr 2:42 (twice in verse); etc. (compare Ew§ 273 b) see also EwGeschichte. i. 524. H i. 365. On the force of אָב in proper names (in many probably a divine title), see CheEncy. Bib., ABI, NAMES WITHib., NAMES, §§ 44, 45.

fathers, father, chief, families, patrimony, …
ʾāb
father, in a literal and immediate, or figurative and remote application
  • father of an individual
  • "of God as father of his people"head or founder of a household, group, family, or clan"ancestor
    • grandfather, forefathers (of a person)
    • "of people
    originator or patron of a class, profession, or art"of producer, generator (figuratively)"of benevolence and protection (figuratively)"term of respect and honor"ruler or chief (specifically)

The cantillation accents are the Masoretes' punctuation: each group below ends at a pausing accent. Translate a group as one unit.
וּבְנֵ֧י מְרָרִ֛י Tevir — a lesser break לְמִשְׁפְּחֹתָ֖ם Tipeha — a lesser break מַחְלִ֣י וּמוּשִׁ֑י Etnahta — the verse's main pause — take a breath here אֵ֥לֶּה הֵ֛ם Tevir — a lesser break מִשְׁפְּחֹ֥ת הַלֵּוִ֖י Tipeha — a lesser break לְבֵ֥ית אֲבֹתָֽם Silluq — end of the verse

וּבְנֵי מְרָרִי לְמִשְׁפְּחֹתָם מַחְלִי וּמוּשִׁי אֵלֶּה הֵם מִשְׁפְּחֹת הַלֵּוִי לְבֵית אֲבֹתָֽם׃
20
And the sons of Merari by their families; Mahli, and Mushi. These are the families of the Levites according to the house of their fathers.
Cross References

Exodus 6:19

וּבְנֵי מְרָרִי מַחְלִי וּמוּשִׁי אֵלֶּה מִשְׁפְּחֹת הַלֵּוִי לְתֹֽלְדֹתָֽם׃
19
And the sons of Merari; Mahali and Mushi: these are the families of Levi according to their generations.

1 Chronicles 6:19

בְּנֵי מְרָרִי מַחְלִי וּמֻשִׁי וְאֵלֶּה מִשְׁפְּחוֹת הַלֵּוִי לַאֲבֹתֵיהֶֽם׃
19
The sons of Merari; Mahli, and Mushi. And these are the families of the Levites according to their fathers.

1 Chronicles 25:3

לִֽידוּתוּן בְּנֵי יְדוּתוּן גְּדַלְיָהוּ וּצְרִי וִֽישַׁעְיָהוּ חֲשַׁבְיָהוּ וּמַתִּתְיָהוּ שִׁשָּׁה עַל יְדֵי אֲבִיהֶם יְדוּתוּן בַּכִּנּוֹר הַנִּבָּא עַל-הֹדוֹת וְהַלֵּל לַֽיהוָֽה׃
3
Of Jeduthun: the sons of Jeduthun; Gedaliah, and Zeri, and Jeshaiah, Hashabiah, and Mattithiah, six, under the hands of their father Jeduthun, who prophesied with a harp, to give thanks and to praise the LORD.

1 Chronicles 23:21

בְּנֵי מְרָרִי מַחְלִי וּמוּשִׁי בְּנֵי מַחְלִי אֶלְעָזָר וְקִֽישׁ׃
21
The sons of Merari; Mahli, and Mushi. The sons of Mahli; Eleazar, and Kish.

1 Chronicles 6:44

וּבְנֵי מְרָרִי אֲחֵיהֶם עַֽל-הַשְּׂמֹאול אֵיתָן בֶּן-קִישִׁי בֶּן-עַבְדִּי בֶּן-מַלּֽוּךְ׃
44
And their brethren the sons of Merari stood on the left hand: Ethan the son of Kishi, the son of Abdi, the son of Malluch,

1 Chronicles 24:27

בְּנֵי מְרָרִי לְיַֽעֲזִיָּהוּ בְנוֹ וְשֹׁהַם וְזַכּוּר וְעִבְרִֽי׃
27
The sons of Merari by Jaaziah; Beno, and Shoham, and Zaccur, and Ibri.

Numbers 3:33

לִמְרָרִי מִשְׁפַּחַת הַמַּחְלִי וּמִשְׁפַּחַת הַמּוּשִׁי אֵלֶּה הֵם מִשְׁפְּחֹת מְרָרִֽי׃
33
Of Merari was the family of the Mahlites, and the family of the Mushites: these are the families of Merari.

1 Chronicles 15:6

לִבְנֵי מְרָרִי עֲשָׂיָה הַשָּׂר וְאֶחָיו מָאתַיִם וְעֶשְׂרִֽים׃
6
Of the sons of Merari; Asaiah the chief, and his brethren two hundred and twenty:

1 Chronicles 6:29

בְּנֵי מְרָרִי מַחְלִי לִבְנִי בְנוֹ שִׁמְעִי בְנוֹ עֻזָּה בְנֽוֹ׃
29
The sons of Merari; Mahli, Libni his son, Shimei his son, Uzza his son,