עֵד
witness
‘witness’ is one of 3 main senses fuller range ↓
Full lexicon entry — Brown-Driver-Briggs (BDB)
From Brown-Driver-Briggs (BDB)
Where this word appears
See every Construct-state word in the Hebrew Bible →
Grammar key — what these labels mean
Part of speech
- Noun
- A naming word — a person, place, thing, or idea.
Noun type
- Common
- A common noun — a general class of person, place, or thing (“king,” “city,” “water”), not a specific name.
State
- Construct
- A noun bound to a following noun in a possessive / “of” relationship (the construct chain).
- Absolute
- The independent form of a noun, not bound to a following word.
Gender
- Masculine
- Grammatically masculine.
Number
- Singular
- One.
- Plural
- More than one (in Hebrew, generally three or more).
Every verse where H5707 appears in the Book of Psalms — 3 distinct verses. 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.
Psalms
- Psalms 27:12 עֵֽדֵי n c mp cs Don't deliver me over to the desire of my adversaries, For false witnesses have risen up against me, Such as breathe out cruelty.
- Psalms 35:11 עֵדֵ֣י n c mp cs Unrighteous witnesses rise up. They ask me about things that I don't know about.
- Psalms 89:37 וְ/עֵ֥ד conj + n c ms It will be established forever like the moon, The faithful witness in the sky." Selah.
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.
The Hebrew noun עד centers on the idea of “witness.” Scripture first uses it in Genesis 31:44. It appears 60 verses across 15 books of the Hebrew Bible, among its moderately common vocabulary. Not a single-sense word: explore its full sense range. Sharing its root, it stands alongside עוד, עוד and תעודה. The sections below give every sense, occurrence, and version rendering.
Gloss history
Strong's 1890 vs modern scholarship
About this word
Strong's H5707 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 →
- 60
- distinct verses
- The word appears in 60 distinct verses.
- 15 / 39
- OT books
- The word appears in 15 of 39 Old Testament books.
- #569
- by frequency
- Top 1000 most frequent Hebrew words (rank 569 of 8,640 Hebrew words by occurrence).
View all 60 occurrences in the concordance →
Most concentrated in
- Proverbs 10 verses 17%
- Deuteronomy 9 verses 15%
- Isaiah 9 verses 15%
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 60 distinct verses.
- Prophets (Nevi'im) 22 verses · 37%
- Torah (Pentateuch) 19 verses · 32%
- Writings (Ketuvim) 19 verses · 32%
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: Witness 25×, Witnesses 15×, Is a witness 4×
- American Standard Version: Witness 24×, Witnesses 12×, Ye are witnesses 3×
- Berean Standard Bible: Witness 32×, Witnesses 12×, Is a witness 5×
- unfoldingWord Literal Text: Witness 21×, Witnesses 14×, Witness of 10×
King James Version Public Domain
Renders H5707 across 69 tagged occurrences — most commonly:
Plus 13 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 H5707 across 69 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.
Berean Standard Bible Public Domain
Renders H5707 across 63 tagged occurrences — most commonly:
Plus 7 renderings that appear only once — usually multi-word phrases or single function words the recovered tagging swept in, not distinct renderings. Not rendered by a distinct English word in 6 further occurrences.
unfoldingWord Literal Text CC BY-SA 4.0
Renders H5707 across 72 tagged occurrences — most commonly:
Plus 10 renderings that appear only once — usually multi-word phrases or single function words the recovered tagging swept in, not distinct renderings.
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 5 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. witness, testimony, evidence, of things: heap of stones Gn 31:44, 48, 52 (JE), torn animal Ex 22:12 (E), song of Moses Dt 31:19, 21 (R), law-book v 26 (D), witness of י׳ against Israel; altar E. of Jordan, c. בֵּין, Jos 22:27, 28, 34 (P), cf. Is 19:20; Job’s evil condition Jb 16:8; the moon ψ 89:38. e.g. Genesis 31:44
- 2. witness, a person:
- a. God, in heaven for Job Jb 16:19; on earth, for Samuel 1 S 12:5(×2) + v 6 𝔊 Th and most, Jeremiah Je 42:5; see also 1 S 20:12 (ins. עֵד bef. י׳ 𝔖 Dr Bu Kit Löhr HPS); against persons Je 29:23; Mal 3:5, nations Mi 1:2; between (בֵּין) persons Gn 31:50 (E). e.g. Job 16:19
- b. Davidic dyn., to nations Is 55:4. e.g. Isaiah 55:4
- c. witnesses, of transfer of property Je 32:10, 12, 25, 44, betrothal Ru 4:9, 10, 11; usually of testimony in court, and in civil and social relations, c. בְּ against, Nu 5:13 Jos 24:22 1 S 12:5 +, c. קום rise up against ψ 27:12; 35:11; †עָנָה עֵד שֶׁקֶר בְּ answer (in court) as a false witness against Ex 20:16 = עֵד שָׁוְא Dt 5:17, Pr 25:18; †לְפִי עֵדִים Nu 35:30 (P); †עַל־פִּי עֵדִ(ים) Dt 17:6(×2) at the mouth of witnesses, so 19:15(×2).—False witness is ע׳ שֶׁקֶר Ex 20:16 Dt 19:18(×2) ψ 27:12 Pr 6:19; 14:5; ע׳ שְׁקָרִים 12:17; 19:5, 9; ע׳ כְּזָבִים 21:28; ע׳ חִנָּם 24:28; ע׳ בְּלִיַּעַל 19:28; ע׳ חָמָס witness of (i.e. supporting) violence Ex 23:1 (E) Dt 19:16 ψ 35:11. Faithful witness is ע׳ אֱמוּנִים Pr 14:5; ע׳ אֱמֶת Je 42:5; Pr 14:25. e.g. Jeremiah 32:10
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
n.m. Dt 17:6 witness (prob. from reiterating, hence emphatically affirming);—ע׳ abs. Gn 31:48 +, cstr. Ex 20:16 +; sf. עֵדִי Jb 16:19; pl. עֵדִים Nu 35:30 +, cstr. עֵדֵי ψ 27:12; 35:11; sf. עֵדַי Is 43:10, 12, etc.;—
— Brown-Driver-Briggs (Oxford 1906, public domain), digitized via Sefaria, supplemented by the OpenScriptures HebrewLexicon (CC BY 4.0). See Sources.
Derived from עוד (ʻûwd) (H5749) — to testify.
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.
עַד
- turn, continuation; (prep.) up to, until, during, while; in place of. B. Mets. 87ᵃ; Snh. 107ᵇ עד אברהם up to Abraham’s time, v. זִקְנָה. B. Kam. 55ᵃ עד שאתה שואלני וכ׳ during the time that &c., instead of asking me &c. Gen. R. s. 58 עד שלא ישקיע וכ׳ before yet the Lord causes the sun of one righteous man to set, he causes that of another to rise. Kidd. 29ᵇ עד כ׳ שנה until a person is twenty years old. Ib. 31ᵃ עד היכן כיבוד וכ׳ how far does the duty of honoring parents go?; a. v. fr.—Ber. 26ᵇ (ref. to ib. IV, 1 ‘up to four hours’) עד וָעַד בכלל וכ׳ does it mean ‘up to’, and that ‘up to’ included, i.e. including the whole fourth hour of the day, or excluding the fourth hour? Nidd. 58ᵇ לימא בעד ועד בכלל קמיפלגי shall we say, their difference turns on the question whether ‘until’ is meant to include or to exclude the terminus? Ib. איכא עד ועד בכלל ואיכא עד ולא עד בכלל sometimes ‘until’ means inclusive of, and sometimes exclusive of. Ib. קמיפלגי בעד ועד דהכא they differ as to the meaning of the word ‘until’ in this case (in the Mishnah); a. fr.—בַּעַד, בְּעַד (cmp. עֲבוּר) in behalf of, for, about. Midr. Till. to Ps. IV וכי … הפונדק בַּעֲדֵינוּ (our w. missing in ed. Bub.) has that innkeeper opened his shop for the first time today, for our benefit? Midr. Till. to Ps. XII שאל בַּעֲדוֹ וכ׳ he inquired about him, where is he?; a. e.—וָעֶד, v. עוֹלָם.
עַד ²
- Targ. Gen. II, 5. Ib. XIV, 14; a. v. fr.—B. Bath. 21ᵃ עד שית לא תקביל up to six years of age admit no child to school. Gen. R. s. 44ᵃ, a. e. עד דסנדלך, v. כּוּבָּא I. Lam. R. to III, 20 עד דשמינא וכ׳, v. חֲשִׁיךְ II; a. fr.
עֹד
- v. עוֹד
עד
- , Targ. O. Lev. XI, 13 ed. Amst., v. עַר.
עֵד
- [present, confirming,] (cmp. סהד) witness, evidence. Ḥull. 10ᵇ, a. e. עד אחד נאמן וכ׳ in matters of ritual the statement of one witness is sufficient. Bekh. 36ᵃ, a. e. עד מפי עד a witness testifying to what he has heard from an eye-witness. R. Hash. 26, a. e. אין עד נעשה דיין a witness in the case cannot act as judge. Keth. 21ᵇ עד נעשה דיין a witness may act as judge; a. v. fr.—Pl. עֵדִים. Ib. דיינים המכירין חתימות ידי ע׳ if the judges know (can identify) the signatures of the witnesses to a document. Ib. II, 3 הע׳ שאמרו וכ׳ if witnesses declare, this is our signature, but we have been forced &c. Ib. 5 אם יש ע׳ וכ׳ if there is evidence that she was a married woman.—Kidd. 48ᵃ, a. fr. עידֵי חתימה, ע׳ מסירה, v. כְּרַת; a. v. fr.—Trnsf. evidence, proof. Sabb. 81ᵃ אם יש עליה עד (euphem.) if there is an evidence (stain of excrements) on it. B. Kam. 11ᵃ top (ref. to Ex. XXII, 12) יביא עד עורה Ar. (ed. אדורה, עדודה, v. אָדַר) he shall offer in evidence its hide.—Esp. a piece of cloth used by women for ascertaining their condition of cleanness or uncleanness. Nidd. VIII, 4 עד שהוא נתון וכ׳ if an examining rag (after use) has been put under the cushion &c. Ib. 14ᵇ; 12ᵃ משל לשמש ועד וכ׳ to speak allegorically (euphemistically), the servant and the examiner stand by the side of the threshold &c. (v. שַׁמָּשׁ). Ib. זהו עֵדָן של צנועות (Ar. עֵידָן) this (special) rag is that of the chaste women; a. fr.—Pl. as ab. Ib. I, 7. Ib. II, 1; a. fr. e.g. Exodus 22:12
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 43 distinct written forms H5707 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 H5707, 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.
Compare all same-root words → Showing 4 of 8 — not the complete family. 1 of the same-root words is a proper name (a person or place). They share a root, not necessarily a meaning.
Septuagint verse parallels
This word appears in 56 verses that also exist in the Greek Old Testament (Septuagint), out of the 60 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
- Genesis 31:44
- Exodus 20:16
- Leviticus 5:1
- Numbers 5:13
- Deuteronomy 5:20
- Joshua 22:27
- Ruth 4:9
- 1 Samuel 12:5
- Job 10:17
- Psalms 35:11
- Proverbs 6:19
- Isaiah 8:2
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.
