יָשָׁר
upright
also: straight, correct, right fuller range ↓
Full lexicon entry — Brown-Driver-Briggs (BDB)
From Brown-Driver-Briggs (BDB)
Where this word appears
Grammar key — what these labels mean
Part of speech
- Adjective
- A word that describes or qualifies a noun.
State
- Absolute
- The independent form of a noun, not bound to a following word.
- Construct
- A noun bound to a following noun in a possessive / “of” relationship (the construct chain).
Gender
- Masculine
- Grammatically masculine.
- Feminine
- Grammatically feminine.
Number
- Singular
- One.
- Plural
- More than one (in Hebrew, generally three or more).
Every verse where H3477 appears in the Book of Numbers — 1 distinct verse. Click any verse to open its interlinear word-by-word view. Verse text shown in the World English Bible for context — . Each verse’s Hebrew form is shown with its reference; the English is not keyword-highlighted, since the data carries no word-level English alignment. Use “Compare translations” on any verse to read it across multiple English versions. This concordance covers the Hebrew Bible; Septuagint (Greek Old Testament) occurrences are not indexed here.
Numbers
About this entry
At a glance — auto-summarized from this page’s data, not written by a person. Every figure links to its source below. This summary describes the numbers; it doesn’t interpret them.
ישר — transliterated yâshâr — is a Hebrew adjective carrying the sense “upright.” Alongside “upright” the lexicon also lists “straight”, “correct”, and “right” — part of its full sense range. The Hebrew Bible uses it across 119 verses — common. Debuting at Exodus 15:26, it then recurs through the corpus. It shares a root with ישר, ישר and מישור. See the sense tree, 119-verse concordance, and the renderings breakdown below.
Gloss history
Strong's 1890 vs modern scholarship
About this word
Strong's H3477 catalogs a Hebrew word from the Hebrew Old Testament.
These counts are not copied from any lexicon or concordance. They are computed here, from the morphology-tagged Hebrew Old Testament. What Lemma adds →
- 119
- distinct verses
- The word appears in 119 distinct verses.
- 22 / 39
- OT books
- The word appears in 22 of 39 Old Testament books.
- #363
- by frequency
- Top 500 most frequent Hebrew words (rank 363 of 8,640 Hebrew words by occurrence).
View all 119 occurrences in the concordance →
Most concentrated in
- Psalms 25 verses 21%
- Proverbs 25 verses 21%
- 2 Chronicles 11 verses 9%
By section of the Old Testament
By traditional corpus
Conventional, traditional groupings — biblical authorship is debated, so this is a traditional corpus grouping, not an authorship claim. Each share is this word’s portion of its verses in that division of the Hebrew canon. Each figure is a share of the word’s 119 distinct verses.
- Writings (Ketuvim) 73 verses · 61%
- Prophets (Nevi'im) 37 verses · 31%
- Torah (Pentateuch) 9 verses · 8%
How translations render this word
Counts come from each version’s own published word-to-Strong’s tagging or interlinear alignment — an approximate guide to how each version renders this word, not a word-level alignment the data otherwise carries. Because each total is that version’s own tagged count, the per-version totals vary from one another and need not match the appearance or distinct-verse counts above. These counts may also differ from a printed concordance because Lemma counts each distinctly tagged rendering and does not collapse phrase taggings into a single head-word total. This is a fixed set of word-tagged versions (KJV, ASV, BSB, ULT) and does not change with the reading translation you choose elsewhere. Each version’s license is shown beside its name below (and on Sources).
- King James Version: Upright 30×, Was right 21×, Right 13×
- American Standard Version: Upright 29×, Was right 19×, Is right 11×
- Berean Standard Bible: Upright 47×, Right 23×, Is right 9×
- unfoldingWord Literal Text: Upright 32×, Right 24×, Was right 8×
King James Version Public Domain
Renders H3477 across 119 tagged occurrences — most commonly:
Plus 28 renderings that appear only once — usually multi-word phrases or single function words the recovered tagging swept in, not distinct renderings.
American Standard Version Public Domain
Renders H3477 across 117 tagged occurrences — most commonly:
Plus 32 renderings that appear only once — usually multi-word phrases or single function words the recovered tagging swept in, not distinct renderings.
Berean Standard Bible Public Domain
Renders H3477 across 119 tagged occurrences — most commonly:
Plus 24 renderings that appear only once — usually multi-word phrases or single function words the recovered tagging swept in, not distinct renderings.
unfoldingWord Literal Text CC BY-SA 4.0
Renders H3477 across 126 tagged occurrences — most commonly:
Plus other, less common renderings. Plus 19 renderings that appear only once — usually multi-word phrases or single function words the recovered tagging swept in, not distinct renderings.
9 senses and sub-senses in the full BDB
What do BDB’s symbols mean?
BDB uses these scholarly abbreviations:
| Symbol | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 𝔊 | the Septuagint (the ancient Greek translation, LXX) |
| 𝔙 | the Vulgate (the Latin translation) |
| 𝔖 | the Syriac version (the Peshitta) |
| 𝔗 | the Targum (the Aramaic translation) |
| ψ | the Psalms |
| √ | root (the underlying root or stem) |
| ‖ | parallel passage (a synonymous or contrasted parallel) |
| † | the dagger: every passage where the word occurs is cited |
The 9 senses and sub-senses the full Brown-Driver-Briggs lexicon distinguishes for this word, in lexicon order (not ranked by frequency), with BDB’s own verbatim wording and sub-sense lettering. Shown in Hebrew script with BDB’s own scholarly abbreviations. The condensed entry is in the Lexicon Entry tab. See also the Forms in the corpus table below.
- 1. straight, level, of a way Is 26:7 Je 31:9 ψ 107:7 Ezr 8:21; foot Ez 1:7; wings v 23 (? v. supr.) e.g. Isaiah 26:7
- 2. right, pleasing:
- a. to God, הַיָּשָׁר בעיני that which is right, pleasing in the eyes of, agreeable to (either cstr. before י׳, or with sfs. referring to him), especially in Deut. writers, Ex 15:26 (R), Dt 12:25; 13:19; 21:9 1 K 11:33, 38; 14:8, 15:5, 11; 22:43 = 2 Ch 20:32, 2 K 10:30, 12:3; 14:3; 15:3, 34; 16:2; 18:3; 22:2 = 2 Ch 24:2; 25:2; 26:4; 27:2; 28:1; 29:2; 34:2, Je 34:15; הישׁר והטוב בעיני י׳ Dt 6:18; הטוב והישׁר בעיני י׳ 12:28 2 Ch 14:1; הטוב והישׁר והאמת לפני י׳ 31:20. e.g. Exodus 15:26
- b. to man, (ה)ישׁר בעיני Dt 12:8 Ju 17:6; 21:25 2 S 19:7 Je 40:5 Pr 12:15; 21:2; (ה)טוב ו(ה)ישׁר בעיני Jos 9:25 (D), Je 26:14; 40:4; יֵשׁ דֶּרֶךְ יָשָׁר לִפְנֵי־אִישׁ Pr 14:12 there is a way which is pleasing before a man = 16:25. e.g. Deuteronomy 12:8
- 3. straightforward, just, upright:
- a. of God, צַדִּיק וְיָשָׁר הוּא Dt 32:4 (song); טוב וישׁר י׳ ψ 25:8; ישׁר י׳ 92:16; his ways Ho 14:10; his משׁפטים Ne 9:13 ψ 119:137; פִּקּוּדִים 19:9; דָּבָר 33:4; the words of divine wisdom Pr 8:9. e.g. Deuteronomy 32:4
- b. of man, God made him upright Ec 7:29; but יָשָׁר בָּאָדָם אָ֑יִן Mi 7:2 an upright man among men there is none, and yet Job is תָּם וְיָשָׁר Jb 1:1 (v. Da), v 8; 2:3, cf. ψ 37:37; זַךְ וישׁר Jb 8:6; so earlier of David as an uprightman 1 S 29:6; of man’s doings ‖ זַךְ Pr 20:11, cf. 21:8; of his way of life ‖ טובה 1 S 12:23; יְשַׁר־דֶּרֶךְ Pr 29:27; יִשְׁרִי־דֶרֶךְ ψ 37:14; of his heart, mind, and will, יִשְׁרֵי לֵבָב upright of heart 2 Ch 29:34; רִשְׁרֵי־לֵב ψ 7:11; 11:2; 32:11; 36:11; 64:11; 94:15; 97:11; יְשָׁרִים בְּלִבּוֹתָם 125:4. e.g. Ecclesiastes 7:29
- c. as a noun, (1) with ref. to things, יָשָׁר הֶעֱוֵיתִי the right I have perverted Jb 33:27; הַיְשָׁרָה יְעַקֵּ֑שׁוּ Mi 3:9 pervert the right (lit. twist that which is straight); דֹּבֵר יְשָׁרִים speaketh right things Pr 16:13, cf. 2 K 10:15. (2) more commonly of men, in sg. (ה)יָשָׁר Mi 2:7; 7:4 2 K 10:3 Pr 21:29 Jb 23:7; collective, ψ 11:7; also in סֵפֶר הַיָּשָׁר book of the upright Jos 10:13 2 S 1:18 (cf. 1 K 8:53 𝔊; DrIntr. 182), a collection of ancient national poetry; in pl. יְשָׁרִים the upright, of pious Israel Nu 23:10 (song E); elsewhere of the upright among the people of God as distinguished from the wicked, in WisdLt, Jb 4:7; 17:8 Pr 2:7, 21; 3:32; 11:3, 6, 11; 12:6; 14:9, 11; 15:8, 19; 16:17; 21:18; 28:10; 29:10, in late ψψ 33:1; 49:15; 107:42; 111:1; 112:2, 4; 140:14 and Dn 11:17. e.g. Job 33:27
- 4. abstr., uprightness, בֶּאֱמֶת וְיָשָׁר ψ 111:8 (Thes), but read rather ישֶׁר with Hi Ri Bae, after 𝔊 𝔖 𝔗 Jer. e.g. Psalms 111:8
Senses from the full Brown-Driver-Briggs lexicon (Brown, Driver, Briggs; Oxford 1906 — public domain), digitized via Sefaria, supplemented by the OpenScriptures HebrewLexicon (CC BY 4.0). Full attribution on Sources.
Word origin
adj. straight, right;—י׳ 1 S 29:6 + 70 times; cstr. יְשַׁר Pr 29:27; f. יְשָׁרָה Ez 1:7 + 4 times; pl. יְשָׁרִים Nu 23:10 + 31 times; cstr. יִשְׁרֵי ψ 7:11 + 8 times; f. יְשָׁרוֹת Ez 1:23 (del. Co);—
— Brown-Driver-Briggs (Oxford 1906, public domain), digitized via Sefaria, supplemented by the OpenScriptures HebrewLexicon (CC BY 4.0). See Sources.
Derived from ישר (yâshar) (H3474) — to be right.
Jastrow Dictionary
A second Hebrew/Aramaic lexicon for comparison, covering Aramaic and post-biblical (Talmudic, Targumic, Midrashic) usage that the biblical-Hebrew BDB does not. Matched by lemma rather than by Strong’s number, so a lemma may carry more than one Jastrow headword (shown separately below), and the entries cover usage well beyond the Bible.
יָשַׁר
- to be firm, strong, healthy; to be straight, right. יִישַׁר כֹּחֲךָ or חֵילְךָ ‘may thy strength (health) be firm’, a phrase of approval and thanks. Sabb. 87ᵃ, a. fr. (play on אֲשֶׁר, Ex. XXXIV, 1) י׳ כ׳ ששברת, be thanked for having broken (the tablets). Gen. R. s. 54 (play on וישרנה, I Sam. VI, 12) י׳ חילכם; a. e.—(יֵשַׁר) יִישַׁר (sub. כחך) thanks! right! Ber. 42ᵇ; Sabb. 53ᵃ; Erub. 32ᵇ; a. fr.—Cmp. אַיְשַׁר. e.g. Exodus 34:1
- to straighten, direct, to make firm. Ex. R. s. 1 (ref. to יֵשֶׁר, I Chr. II, 18) זה כלב שיי׳ את עצמו that is Caleb who kept himself straight (did not yield to the rest of the spies). Num. R. s. 8 (ref. to Ps. L, 23 ושם דרך) המְיַישֵּׁר אורחותיו וכ׳ he who directs his ways straight (pays regard to his doings).—Part. pass. מְיוּשָּׁר, f. מְיוּשֶּׁרֶת. Pirké d’R. El. ch. X דרכי מי׳ לפני my way is levelled before me.—Meg. 18ᵇ (ref. to יישרו, Prov. IV, 25) מְיוּשָּׁרִין הן אצל וכ׳ they remain firm with (in the memory of) &c. e.g. 1 Chronicles 2:18
יְשַׁר
- Targ. II Esth. VII, 9 יִישַׁר חילך (Var. יִשַּׁר). [Cant. R. to I, 4 ישריין, v. next w.]
- to be strengthened. Targ. Y. Deut. X, 2, v. אֲשַׁר.
יָשָׁר
- preced.) firm, sound; straight, right, upright. Gen. R. s. 49 אברהם זה י׳ מן היְשָׁרִים this Abraham is firmer than all the firm (angels); Yalk. ib. 82 אברהם זה י׳; Midr. Till. to Ps. XI, 7 קודם לִישָׁרוֹ של עולם וכ׳ before they see the Right One of the world, they (the pious) shall behold the faces of the firm (believers); a. fr.—Pl. יְשָׁרִים, יְשָׁרִין. Cant. R. to I, 4 מה ישריין רחמיך, [read as:] Yalk. ib. 982 מה ישרים וכ׳, expl. מה תקיפין וכ׳ how strong are thy mercies. Midr. Till. l. c. איזו כת … זו כת י׳ which is the highest class among those who will greet the countenance of the Divine Presence (in the hereafter)? The class of the firm believers. Midr. Till. to Ps. XXV, 14 … בתחלה ואה"כ נתן לי׳ first the secret of the Lord is communicated to those who fear him (human beings), and then to the firm ones (the angels, cmp. יְצוּקִים s. v. יָצַק); Gen. R. s. 49; a. e.—Fem. יְשָׁרָה, pl. יְשָׁרוֹת (sub בעיניו; with ref. to Deut. XII, 8) [right in the eyes of the offerer,] free-will offerings (opp. חוֹבָה). Zeb. 114ᵃ י׳ תקריבו וכ׳ free-will sacrifices you may offer (on the bamoth, v. בָּמָה), but no obligatory offerings; ib. 117ᵇ. Ib. י׳ נינהו they belong to the class of free-will offerings. Ib. 118ᵃ; a. fr.—סֵפֶר הַיָּשָׁר the Book Yashar, a lost book (Josh. X, 13; II Sam. I, 18). Ab. Zar. 25ᵃ. Y. Sot. I, end, 17ᶜ e.g. Deuteronomy 12:8
A Dictionary of the Targumim, the Talmud Babli and Yerushalmi, and the Midrashic Literature (Marcus Jastrow; London, Luzac, 1903) — Public Domain. Digitized via Sefaria. Digitized via Sefaria. Full attribution on Sources.
Forms in the corpus
The 55 distinct written forms H3477 takes in the Hebrew Bible, most frequent first — each parse links to that state’s occurrences in the concordance. Hebrew forms include their vowel points and cantillation, so a single lemma takes many written forms.
Same root — word family
Other BDB entries built from the same root as H3477, grouped by Strong’s listed origin. These share a root / origin per the lexicon — not necessarily a shared meaning. Each links to that word’s own entry.
Derives from
Shares the same root
Derived from this word
Proper names from this root
People and places named from this root — a name, not an additional meaning of the word.
- ישר Yêsher H3475 Jesher
- ישרון Yᵉshurûwn H3484 Jeshurun
- שרון Shârôwn H8289 Sharon
- ישראלה Yᵉsarʼêlâh H3480 Jesharelah
Compare all same-root words → Showing 4 of 10 — not the complete family. 4 of the same-root words are proper names (people or places). They share a root, not necessarily a meaning.
Septuagint verse parallels
This word appears in 111 verses that also exist in the Greek Old Testament (Septuagint), out of the 119 Hebrew verses it occurs in. You can read those verses in Greek by switching the Old Testament edition to the Septuagint.
Read these verses in the Septuagint
- Exodus 15:26
- Numbers 23:10
- Deuteronomy 6:18
- Joshua 9:25
- Judges 17:6
- 1 Samuel 12:23
- 2 Samuel 1:18
- 1 Kings 11:33
- 2 Kings 10:3
- 2 Chronicles 14:2
- Ezra 8:21
- Job 1:1
This is a verse-level parallel only — the same verses exist in both the Hebrew and Greek Old Testaments. No word-level Hebrew↔Greek correspondence is claimed: the data carries no such alignment, so no Greek word is shown as this Hebrew word’s translation. Coverage is not total — the Septuagint omits the deuterocanon and renumbers the Psalms, so some Hebrew verses have no direct Greek parallel.
