Ecclesiastes 4:12 Go deeper

← Ecclesiastes 4 · ← verse 11 · verse 13 →

And if one prevail against him, two shall withstand him; and a threefold cord is not quickly broken. (KJV)

Hebrew words tap a word

וְאִֽם\־ve.'im-and though

Lemma: אִם (im) · Strong's: H0518A

Parsing: Particle · Conditional (HTc)

Meaning: if

Used 711 times. Also: Genesis 4:7, Genesis 13:9, Genesis 13:16, Genesis 15:5, Genesis 18:3, Genesis 18:21 · All occurrences →

Source: TBESH H0518A; TAHOT Ecclesiastes 4:12 word 1

יִתְקְפוֹ֙yit.ke.Fosomeone will overpower him

Lemma: תָּקֵף (ta.qaph) · Strong's: H8630

Parsing: Verb · Qal (hence Action · Active) · Imperfect (hence Tense · Indicative/jussive) · Third · Masculine · Singular (HVqi3ms)

Meaning: to prevail

Used 3 times. Also: Job 14:20, Job 15:24 · All occurrences →

Source: TBESH H8630; TAHOT Ecclesiastes 4:12 word 2

הָאֶחָ֔דha.'e.Chadthe one [person]

Lemma: אֶחָד (e.chad) · Strong's: H0259

Parsing: Acfsa (Acfsa)

Meaning: one

Used 964 times. Also: Genesis 1:5, Genesis 1:9, Genesis 2:11, Genesis 2:21, Genesis 2:24, Genesis 3:22 · All occurrences →

Source: TBESH H0259; TAHOT Ecclesiastes 4:12 word 3

הַשְּׁנַ֖יִםha.she.Na.yimthe two [people]

Lemma: שְׁנַ֫יִם (she.na.yim) · Strong's: H8147

Parsing: Acbda (Acbda)

Meaning: two

Used 767 times. Also: Genesis 1:16, Genesis 2:25, Genesis 3:7, Genesis 4:19, Genesis 5:8, Genesis 5:18 · All occurrences →

Source: TBESH H8147; TAHOT Ecclesiastes 4:12 word 4

יַעַמְד֣וּya.'am.Duthey will stand

Lemma: עָמַד (a.mad) · Strong's: H5975G

Parsing: Verb · Qal (hence Action · Active) · Imperfect (hence Tense · Indicative/jussive) · Third · Masculine · Plural (HVqi3mp)

Meaning: to stand: stand

Used 450 times. Also: Genesis 18:8, Genesis 18:22, Genesis 19:17, Genesis 19:27, Genesis 24:30, Genesis 24:31 · All occurrences →

Source: TBESH H5975G; TAHOT Ecclesiastes 4:12 word 5

נֶגְדּ֑וֹneg.Dobefore him

Lemma: נֶ֫גֶד (ne.ged) · Strong's: H5048

Parsing: Adjective · Numerical · Masculine · Singular · Construct (HAcmsc)

Meaning: before

Used 151 times. Also: Genesis 2:18, Genesis 2:20, Genesis 21:16, Genesis 31:32, Genesis 31:37, Genesis 33:12 · All occurrences →

Source: TBESH H5048; TAHOT Ecclesiastes 4:12 word 6

וְהַחוּט֙ve.ha.Chutand the thread

Lemma: חוּט (chut) · Strong's: H2339

Parsing: Noun · Common · Masculine · Singular · Absolute (HNcmsa)

Meaning: thread

Used 7 times. Also: Genesis 14:23, Joshua 2:18, Judges 16:12, 1 Kings 7:15, Song of Solomon 4:3, Jeremiah 52:21 · All occurrences →

Source: TBESH H2339; TAHOT Ecclesiastes 4:12 word 7

הַֽמְשֻׁלָּ֔שׁham.shu.Lash<the> threefold

Lemma: שָׁלַשׁ (sha.lash) · Strong's: H8027

Parsing: Verb · Pual (hence Action · Passive) · Participle passive · Masculine · Singular · Absolute (HVPsmsa)

Meaning: to do three

Used 9 times. Also: Genesis 15:9, Deuteronomy 19:3, 1 Samuel 20:19, 1 Kings 18:34, Ezekiel 42:6 · All occurrences →

Source: TBESH H8027; TAHOT Ecclesiastes 4:12 word 8

לֹ֥אlo'not

Lemma: לֹא (lo) · Strong's: H3808

Parsing: Particle · Negative (HTn)

Meaning: not

Used 5165 times. Also: Genesis 2:5, Genesis 2:17, Genesis 2:18, Genesis 2:20, Genesis 2:25, Genesis 3:1 · All occurrences →

Source: TBESH H3808; TAHOT Ecclesiastes 4:12 word 9

בִמְהֵרָ֖הvim.he.Rah<in> quickly

Lemma: מְהֵרָה (me.he.rah) · Strong's: H4120

Parsing: Adverb (HD)

Meaning: haste

Used 20 times. Also: Numbers 16:46, Deuteronomy 11:17, Joshua 8:19, Joshua 10:6, Joshua 23:16, Judges 9:54 · All occurrences →

Source: TBESH H4120; TAHOT Ecclesiastes 4:12 word 10

יִנָּתֵֽק\׃yi.na.Tekit will be torn apart

Lemma: נָתַק (na.taq) · Strong's: H5423

Parsing: Verb · Niphal (hence Action · Passive) · Imperfect (hence Tense · Indicative/jussive) · Third · Masculine · Singular (HVNi3ms)

Meaning: to tear

Used 27 times. Also: Leviticus 22:24, Joshua 4:18, Joshua 8:6, Joshua 8:16, Judges 16:9, Judges 16:12 · All occurrences →

Source: TBESH H5423; TAHOT Ecclesiastes 4:12 word 11

How the BSB renders it

Each English phrase in the Berean Standard Bible and the original word behind it.

And though	→	אִם H0518A if
one	→	אֶחָד H0259 one
may be overpowered	→	תָּקֵף H8630 to prevail
two	→	שְׁנַ֫יִם H8147 two
can resist	→	עָמַד H5975G to stand: stand
Moreover, a cord	→	חוּט H2339 thread
of three	→	שָׁלַשׁ H8027 to do three
strands is not	→	לֹא H3808 not
quickly	→	מְהֵרָה H4120 haste
broken	→	נָתַק H5423 to tear

King James Version (KJV), public domain in the United States. Source

All attributions

Original-language words, glosses, parsing and lexicon entries: STEPBible data by Tyndale House, Cambridge (TAHOT, TAGNT, TBESH, TBESG, TFLSJ, TEHMC, TEGMC), CC BY 4.0, with changes. Hebrew text from the Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible. English alignment: Berean Standard Bible tables (public domain).

All attributions and changes