אֲשֶׁר
which
‘which’ is one of 7 main senses 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
- Particle
- A short function word — article, negation, interrogative, the sign of the direct object, and the like.
Every verse where H834 appears in the Book of Daniel — 38 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.
Daniel
- Daniel 1:4 אֲשֶׁ֣ר וַ/אֲשֶׁר֙ ptcl rel conj + ptcl rel youths in whom was no blemish, but well-favored, and skillful in all wisdom, and endowed with knowledge, and understanding science, and such as had ability to stand in the king's palace; and that he should teach them the learning and the language of the Chaldeans.
- Daniel 1:8 אֲשֶׁ֧ר אֲשֶׁ֖ר ptcl rel ptcl rel But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the king's dainties, nor with the wine which he drank: therefore he requested of the prince of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself.
- Daniel 1:10 אֲשֶׁ֣ר אֲשֶׁ֡ר אֲשֶׁ֣ר ptcl rel ptcl rel ptcl rel The prince of the eunuchs said to Daniel, I fear my lord the king, who has appointed your food and your drink: for why should he see your faces worse looking than the youths who are of your own age? so would you endanger my head with the king.
- Daniel 1:11 אֲשֶׁ֤ר ptcl rel Then said Daniel to the steward whom the prince of the eunuchs had appointed over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah:
- Daniel 1:13 וְ/כַ/אֲשֶׁ֣ר conj + prep + ptcl rel Then let our faces be looked on before you, and the face of the youths who eat of the king's dainties; and as you see, deal with your servants.
- Daniel 1:18 אֲשֶׁר ptcl rel At the end of the days which the king had appointed for bringing them in, the prince of the eunuchs brought them in before Nebuchadnezzar.
- Daniel 1:20 אֲשֶׁר אֲשֶׁ֖ר ptcl rel ptcl rel In every matter of wisdom and understanding, concerning which the king inquired of them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and enchanters who were in all his realm.
- Daniel 8:2 אֲשֶׁ֖ר ptcl rel I saw in the vision; now it was so, that when I saw, I was in Shushan the palace, which is in the province of Elam; and I saw in the vision, and I was by the river Ulai.
- Daniel 8:6 אֲשֶׁ֣ר ptcl rel He came to the ram that had the two horns, which I saw standing before the river, and ran on him in the fury of his power.
- Daniel 8:19 אֲשֶׁר ptcl rel He said, Behold, I will make you know what shall be in the latter time of the indignation; for it belongs to the appointed time of the end.
- Daniel 8:20 אֲשֶׁר ptcl rel The ram which you saw, that had the two horns, they are the kings of Media and Persia.
- Daniel 8:21 אֲשֶׁ֣ר ptcl rel The rough male goat is the king of Greece: and the great horn that is between his eyes is the first king.
- Daniel 8:26 אֲשֶׁ֥ר ptcl rel The vision of the evenings and mornings which has been told is true: but seal up the vision; for it belongs to many days [to come].
- Daniel 9:1 אֲשֶׁ֣ר ptcl rel In the first year of Darius the son of Ahasuerus, of the seed of the Medes, who was made king over the realm of the Chaldeans,
- Daniel 9:2 אֲשֶׁ֨ר ptcl rel in the first year of his reign I, Daniel, understood by the books the number of the years about which the word of Yahweh came to Jeremiah the prophet, for the accomplishing of the desolations of Jerusalem, even seventy years.
- Daniel 9:6 אֲשֶׁ֤ר ptcl rel neither have we listened to your servants the prophets, who spoke in your name to our kings, our princes, and our fathers, and to all the people of the land.
- Daniel 9:7 אֲשֶׁ֣ר אֲשֶׁ֥ר ptcl rel ptcl rel Lord, righteousness belongs to you, but to us confusion of face, as at this day; to the men of Judah, and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and to all Israel, who are near, and who are far off, through all the countries where you have driven them, because of their trespass that they have trespassed against you.
- Daniel 9:8 אֲשֶׁ֥ר ptcl rel Lord, to us belongs confusion of face, to our kings, to our princes, and to our fathers, because we have sinned against you.
- Daniel 9:10 אֲשֶׁ֣ר ptcl rel neither have we obeyed the voice of Yahweh our God, to walk in his laws, which he set before us by his servants the prophets.
- Daniel 9:11 אֲשֶׁ֤ר ptcl rel Yes, all Israel have transgressed your law, even turning aside, that they should not obey your voice: therefore has the curse been poured out on us, and the oath that is written in the law of Moses the servant of God; for we have sinned against him.
- Daniel 9:12 אֲשֶׁר אֲשֶׁ֣ר אֲשֶׁ֣ר כַּ/אֲשֶׁ֥ר ptcl rel ptcl rel ptcl rel prep + ptcl rel He has confirmed his words, which he spoke against us, and against our judges who judged us, by bringing on us a great evil; for under the whole sky has not been done as has been done on Jerusalem.
- Daniel 9:13 כַּ/אֲשֶׁ֤ר prep + ptcl rel As it is written in the law of Moses, all this evil is come on us: yet have we not entreated the favor of Yahweh our God, that we should turn from our iniquities, and have discernment in your truth.
- Daniel 9:14 אֲשֶׁ֣ר ptcl rel Therefore has Yahweh watched over the evil, and brought it on us; for Yahweh our God is righteous in all his works which he does, and we have not obeyed his voice.
- Daniel 9:15 אֲשֶׁר֩ ptcl rel Now, Lord our God, who has brought your people forth out of the land of Egypt with a mighty hand, and have gotten you renown, as at this day; we have sinned, we have done wickedly.
- Daniel 9:18 אֲשֶׁר ptcl rel My God, turn your ear, and hear; open your eyes, and see our desolations, and the city which is called by your name: for we do not present our petitions before you for our righteousness, but for your great mercies' sake.
- Daniel 9:21 אֲשֶׁר֩ ptcl rel yes, while I was speaking in prayer, the man Gabriel, whom I had seen in the vision at the beginning, being caused to fly swiftly, touched me about the time of the evening offering.
- Daniel 10:1 אֲשֶׁר ptcl rel In the third year of Cyrus king of Persia a thing was revealed to Daniel, whose name was called Belteshazzar; and the thing was true, even a great warfare: and he understood the thing, and had understanding of the vision.
- Daniel 10:7 אֲשֶׁ֣ר ptcl rel I, Daniel, alone saw the vision; for the men who were with me didn't see the vision; but a great quaking fell on them, and they fled to hide themselves.
- Daniel 10:11 אֲשֶׁר֩ ptcl rel He said to me, Daniel, you man greatly beloved, understand the words that I speak to you, and stand upright; for to you am I now sent. When he had spoken this word to me, I stood trembling.
- Daniel 10:12 אֲשֶׁ֨ר ptcl rel Then said he to me, Don't be afraid, Daniel; for from the first day that you did set your heart to understand, and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard: and I am come for your words' sake.
- Daniel 10:14 אֲשֶׁר ptcl rel Now I have come to make you understand what shall happen to your people in the latter days; for the vision is yet for [many] days:
- Daniel 11:4 אֲשֶׁ֣ר ptcl rel When he shall stand up, his kingdom shall be broken, and shall be divided toward the four winds of the sky, but not to his posterity, nor according to his dominion with which he ruled; for his kingdom shall be plucked up, even for others besides these.
- Daniel 11:24 אֲשֶׁ֨ר ptcl rel In time of security shall he come even on the fattest places of the province; and he shall do that which his fathers have not done, nor his fathers' fathers; he shall scatter among them prey, and spoil, and substance: yes, he shall devise his devices against the strongholds, even for a time.
- Daniel 11:38 אֲשֶׁ֧ר ptcl rel But in his place shall he honor the god of fortresses; and a god whom his fathers didn't know shall he honor with gold, and silver, and with precious stones, and pleasant things.
- Daniel 11:39 אֲשֶׁ֥ר ptcl rel He shall deal with the strongest fortresses by the help of a foreign god: whoever acknowledges [him] he will increase with glory; and he shall cause them to rule over many, and shall divide the land for a price.
- Daniel 12:1 אֲשֶׁ֤ר ptcl rel "At that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince who stands for the children of your people; and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time: and at that time your people shall be delivered, everyone who shall be found written in the book.
- Daniel 12:6 אֲשֶׁ֥ר ptcl rel One said to the man clothed in linen, who was above the waters of the river, How long shall it be to the end of these wonders?
- Daniel 12:7 אֲשֶׁ֣ר ptcl rel I heard the man clothed in linen, who was above the waters of the river, when he held up his right hand and his left hand to heaven, and swore by him who lives forever that it shall be for a time, times, and a half; and when they have made an end of breaking in pieces the power of the holy people, all these things shall be finished.
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.
At its core, אשר (ʼăsher) means “which.” Carrying more than one sense, it rewards its full sense range. With 4,439 verses in 39 books, it is one of the most common word in the Hebrew Bible. First canonically at Genesis 1:7, it enters the text early. From the same root come של and שם. Dig into 4,439-verse concordance and the renderings breakdown below.
Gloss history
Strong's 1890 vs modern scholarship
About this word
Strong's H834 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 →
- 4,439
- distinct verses
- The word appears in 4,439 distinct verses.
- 39 / 39
- OT books
- The word appears in 39 of 39 Old Testament books.
- #5
- by frequency
- Top 10 most frequent Hebrew words (rank 5 of 8,640 Hebrew words by occurrence).
View all 4,439 occurrences in the concordance →
Most concentrated in
- Deuteronomy 430 verses 10%
- Jeremiah 363 verses 8%
- Genesis 349 verses 8%
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 4,439 distinct verses.
- Prophets (Nevi'im) 2,138 verses · 48%
- Torah (Pentateuch) 1,548 verses · 35%
- Writings (Ketuvim) 753 verses · 17%
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: Which 13×, That 11×, Because 10×
- American Standard Version: Which 12×, That 10×, Because 9×
- Berean Standard Bible: That 899×, Who 470×, Which 301×
- unfoldingWord Literal Text: That 2,059×, Who 770×, Which 627×
King James Version Public Domain
Renders H834 across 107 tagged occurrences — most commonly:
Plus other, less common renderings. Plus 35 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 4 further occurrences.
American Standard Version Public Domain
Renders H834 across 107 tagged occurrences — most commonly:
Plus other, less common renderings. Plus 29 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 H834 across 3,224 tagged occurrences — most commonly:
Plus other, less common renderings. Plus 158 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 2,258 further occurrences.
unfoldingWord Literal Text CC BY-SA 4.0
Renders H834 across 5,332 tagged occurrences — most commonly:
Plus other, less common renderings. Plus 119 renderings that appear only once — usually multi-word phrases or single function words the recovered tagging swept in, not distinct renderings.
23 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 23 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. it includes its pronominal antecedent, whether in the nom. or obl. cases, as Nu 22:6 וַאֲשֶׁר תָּאֹר יוּאָר and he whom thou cursest is cursed, Ex 4:12 and I will teach thee אֲשֶׁר תְּדַבֵּר that which thou shalt say; and with particles or prepositions, as אֵת אֲשֶׁר (according to the context) him who …, those who …, that which …; לַאֲשֶׁר to him who … Gn 43:16, to those who … 47:24, to that which 27:8; מֵאֲשֶׁר Ju 16:30 2 S 18:8 than those whom; Lv 27:24 לַאֲשֶׁר קָנָהוּ מֵאִתּוֹ to him from whom he bought it, Nu 5:7; Is 24:2 כַּאֲשֶׁר נֹשֶׁא בוֹ like him against whom there is a creditor. e.g. Numbers 22:6
- 2. instances of אֲשֶׁר followed by a pron. affix, or by שָׁם, שָֽׁמָּה, מִשָּׁם, are so common that the exx. cited above will be sufficient. Very rarely there occurs the anomalous constr. עִם אֲשֶׁר Gn 31:32 for אֲשֶׁר עִמּוֹ (see Gn 44:9), בַּאֲשֶׁר Is 47:12 for אֲשֶׁר בָּהֶם, לַאֲשֶׁר for אֲשֶׁר … לָהֶם Ez 23:40: ψ 119:49 see under על אשׁר. It is followed by the pron. in the nomin., in the foll. cases:—(a) immediately, mostly before an adj. or ptcp., Gn 9:3 all moving things אֲשֶׁר הוּא־חַי which are living, Lv 11:26 Nu 9:13; 14:8, 27; 35:31 Dt 20:20 1 S 10:19 (v. Dr) 2 K 25:19 (‖ Je 52:25 היה) Je 27:9 Ez 43:19 Hg 1:9 Ru 4:15 Ne 2:18 Ec 7:26; before a vb. 2 K 22:13 (omitted 2 Ch 34:21). (b) in a negative sentence, at the end: Gn 7:2; 17:12 Nu 17:5 Dt 17:15 אֲשֶׁר לֹא אָחִיךָ הוּא who is not thy brother, 20:15 Ju 19:12 1 K 8:41 ‖ 9:20 ‖. N.B. ψ 16:3 אֲשֶׁר בָּאָרֶץ הֵ֑מָּה is an unparalleled expression for ‘who are in the land’; read אֲשֶׁר בָּאָ֑רֶץ הֵמָּה אַדִּירֵי וג׳ ‘the saints that are in the land, they (המה) are the nobles, in whom,’ etc. e.g. Genesis 31:32
- 3. sometimes (though rarely) the defining adjunct is a pron. of 1 or 2 ps. as well as of 3 ps. In such cases it is strictly to be rendered I who …, thou who, etc.; Ho 14:4 אֲשֶׁר־בְּךָ יְרֻחַם יָתוֹם thou by whom the fatherless is compassionated! Je 31:32 I, whose covenant they brake, 32:19 Is 49:23 Jb 37:17f. thou whose garments are warm …, canst thou? etc., ψ 71:19, 20; 144:12 we whose sons, etc., 139:15 my frame was not hidden from thee, אֲשֶׁר־עֻשֵּׂיתִי בַסֵּתֶר—I who was wrought in secret (= though I was wrought in secret), Ex 14:13 for ye who have seen the Egyptians to-day,—ye shall not see them again or ever! (cf. ψ 41:9). e.g. Hosea 14:4
- 4. the defining pron. adjunct is dispensed with—
- a. when אֲשֶׁר represents the simple subj. of a sentence, or the direct obj. of a vb.: so constantly, as Gn 2:2 the work אֲשֶׁר עָשָׂה which he made, 3:3 the tree אֲשֶׁר בְּתוֹךְ הַגָּן which is in the midst of the garden, etc. e.g. Genesis 2:2
- b. after words denoting time, place, or manner, so that אֲשֶׁר then becomes equivalent to when, where, why: (α) Gn 6:4 אַחֲרֵי־כֵן אֲשֶׁר afterwards, when, etc. (cf. 2 Ch 35:20) 45:6 there are still 5 years אֲשֶׁר אֵין חָרִישׁ when there shall be no plowing, Jos 14:10 1 K 22:25; after יוֹם or הַיּוֹם Dt 4:10 Ju 4:14 1 S 24:5 (v. Dr) 2 S 19:25 Je 20:14 al.; similarly Gn 40:13. (β) Gn 35:13 בַּמָּקוֹם אֲשֶׁר דִּבֶּר אִתּוֹ in the place where he spake with him, v 14; 39:20 Nu 13:27; 22:26 Dt 1:31 in the desert which thou sawest, where (accents Ke Di), 8:15 1 K 8:9 (unless לוּחוֹת הַבְּרִית has here fallen out: v. 𝔊 & Dt 9:9) Is 55:11; 64:10 ψ 84:4. So (γ) in אֶל אֲשֶׁר to (the place) which (or whither) Ex 32:34 Ru 1:16; אֶל־כָּל־אֲשֶׁר to every (place) whither Jos 1:16 Pr 17:8; בַּאֲשֶׁר in (the place) where †Ju 5:27; 17:8, 9 1 S 23:13 2 K 8:1 Ru 1:16, 17 Jb 39:30, once only with שָׁם Gn 21:17; בְּכֹל אֲשֶׁר wheresoever Jos 1:7, 9 Ju 2:15 1 S 14:47; 18:5 2 S 7:7 2 K 18:7; מֵאֲשֶׁר from (the place) where = whencesoever †Ex 5:11 Ru 2:9; עַל־אֲשֶׁר to (the place) whither (or which) 2 S 15:20 1 K 18:12; עַל־כָּל־אֲשֶׁר Je 1:7. (δ) זֶה הַדָּבָר אֲשֶׁר … this is the reason that or why … Jos 5:4 1 K 11:27. e.g. Genesis 6:4
- c. more extreme instances Lv 14:22, 30, 31 Nu 6:21, Dt 7:19 (wherewith), 28:20 1 S 2:32 1 K 2:26 (wherein), Ju 8:15 (about whom), Is 8:12 (where יאמר would be foll. normally by לוֹ), 31:6 turn ye to (him as to) whom they have deeply rebelled, 47:15 Zp 3:11 Ec 3:9, 1 K 14:19 (= how). e.g. Leviticus 14:22
- d. it is dispensed with only in appearance after (אָמַרְתִּי וג׳) אֲשֶׁר אָמַר followed by the words used, its place being really taken by a pron. in the speech which follows, as Gn 3:17 the tree as to which I commanded thee saying, Thou shalt not eat from it, Ex 22:8 Dt 28:68 Ju 7:4 (זֶה) 8:15 (where the noun repeated takes the place of the pron., cf. Dt 9:2) 1 S 9:17 (זֶה)23 1 K 11:2 +; cf. 2 S 11:16 2 K 17:12; 21:4. e.g. Genesis 3:17
- 5. אֲשֶׁר sometimes in poet. = one who, a man who (men who), ὅστις, οἵτινες, ψ 24:4; 55:20; 95:4, 5 Jb 4:19; 5:5; 9:5, (Hi) 15, 17. e.g. Psalms 24:4
- 6. אֲשֶׁר occas. receives its closer definition by a subst. following it, in other words, its logical antecedent is inserted in the rel. clause: (a) in the phrase peculiar to Je., אֲשֶׁר הָיָה דְבַר י׳ אֶל יר׳ that which came (of) the word of י׳ to Je. †14:1; 46:1; 47:1; 49:34 (cf. Ew§ 334); (b) Ex 25:9 Nu 33:4 1 S 25:30 2 K 8:12, 12:6 לְכֹל אֲשֶׁר־יִמָּצֵא שָׁם בָּֽדֶק׃, Ez 12:25; cf. the Ethiopic usage Di§ 201; (c) (antec. repeated) Gn 49:30 = 50:13, 1 S 25:39 (י׳ repeated), Is 54:9 (prob.) as to which I sware that, etc., Am 5:1 which I take up over you (as) a dirge. e.g. Jeremiah 14:1
- 7. אֲשֶׁר ל׳ that (belongs, belong, belonged) to, is used
- a. either alone or preceded by כָּל־ to express (all) that (belongs) to, as Gn 14:23 מִכָּל־אֲשֶׁר־לָ֑ךְ of all that is thine, 31:1 מֵאֲשֶׁר לְאָבִינוּ of that which was our father’s 32:24 & sent over אֶת־אֲשֶׁר־לוֹ that which he had, + often e.g. Genesis 14:23
- b. as a circumlocution of the genitive, as Gn 29:9 עִם־הַצֹּאן אֲשֶׁר לְאָבִיהָ with the sheep that were her father’s, 40:5; 47:4, Lv 9:8; Ju 6:11; 1 S 25:7 הָרֹעִים אֲשֶׁר־לְךָ, 2 S 14:31 אֶת־הַחֶלְקָה אֲשֶׁר־לִי, 23:8; 1 K 1:8, 33 עַל הַפִּרְדָּה אֲשֶׁר־לִי upon mine own mule, v 49; 4:2; 2 K 11:10; 16:13 Ru 2:21; and especially in the case of a compound expression depending on a single genit., as Gn 23:9; 40:5; 41:43 מִרְכֶּבֶת הַמִּשְׁנֶה אֲשֶׁר־לוֹ the chariot of the second rank which he had, Ex 38:30; Ju 3:20; 6:25; 1 S 17:40; 21:8, אֲבִיר הָרֹעִים אֲשֶׁר לְשָׁאוּל the mightiest of Saul’s herdmen, 24:5 אֶת־כְּנַף־הַמְּעִיל אֲשֶׁר־לְשָׁאוּל, 2 S 2:8 Saul’s captain of the host, 1 K 10:28; 15:20; 22:31; Je 52:17; Ru 4:3. e.g. Genesis 29:9
- c. with names of places (especially such as do not readily admit the st. cstr.) Ju 18:28; 19:14 הַגִּבְעָה אֲשֶׁר לְבִנְיָמִן Gibeah (the hill) of Benjamin, 20:4; 1 S 17:1; 1 K 15:27; 16:15; 17:9; 19:3; 2 K 14:11. Comp. שֶׁל (q.v.) which in Rabb., like the Aramaic דִּיל-, ܕܺܝܠ, is in habitual use as a mark of the genitive.—N.B. In Aramaic also דּי, ܕ, without ל, expresses the gen. relation, as מִלְּתָא דִי־מַלְכָּא, lit. the word, that of the king = the word of the king. The few apparent cases of a similar use of אשׁר are, however, too foreign to the general usage of the language to be regarded otherwise than as due to textual error: 1 S 13:8 read אֲשֶׁר אָמַר (or שָׂם Ex 9:5) שְׁמוּאֵל (𝔊 εἶπε); 1 K 11:25 supply עָשָׂה (𝔊 ἣν ἐποίησεν); 2 K 25:10 supply אֵת with (as ‖ Je 52:14); 2 Ch 34:22 read וַאֲשֶׁר אָמַר הַמֶּלֶךְ (cf. 𝔊) and those whom the king appointed (abbreviated from 2 K 22:14); cf. Ew§ 292 a, b with note. e.g. Judges 18:28
- 8. אֲשֶׁר becomes, like Aramaic דּי, ܕ, a conj. approximating in usage to כִּי: thus
- a. = quod, ὅτι, that, subordinating an entire sentence to a verb of knowing, remembering, etc. (α) with אֵת Dt 9:7 forget not אֵת אֲשֶׁר הִקְצַפְתָּ the fact that (= how) thou provokedst, etc., 29:15; Jos 2:10; 1 S 24:11, 19; 2 S 11:20 know ye not אֵת אֲשֶׁר־יֹרוּ how they shoot from off the wall? 2 K 8:12 Is 38:3 + often. As subj. (rare) 1 K 14:19; 2 K 14:15; 20:20. Of time (peculiarly) †2 S 14:15 עַתָּה אֲשֶׁר now (is it) that … Zc 8:20 (prob.) yet (shall it be) that … v 23; cf. כִּמְעַט שֶׁ Ct 3:4. (β) without אֵת (not very common, כִּי being usually employed): after יָדַע Ex 11:7; Nu 32:23; Ez 20:26 (strange in Ez: v. Hi) Jb 9:5 (Ew De Di) Ec 8:12, רָאָה Dt 1:31 (RV) 1 S 18:15, הִתְוַדָּה to confess Lv 5:5; 26:40b, הִשְׁבִּיעַ 1 K 22:16 (caused to swear that …); after a noun Is 38:7 הָאוֹת אֲשֶׁר the sign that … (‖ 2 K 20:9 כִּי) with growing frequency in late Hebrew, 2 Ch 2:7, and especially Ne Est: Ne 2:5, 10; 7:65 (= Ezr 2:63) 8:14, 15; 10:31; 13:1, 19, 22; Est 1:19; 2:10; 3:4; 4:11; 6:2; 8:11; Ec 3:22 (מֵאֲשֶׁר) 5:4; 7:18 (with טוֹב: contrast Ru 2:22) v 22, 29; 8:12, 14; 9:1; Dn 1:8(×2). (γ) prefixed to a direct citation, like כִּי q.v. (= ὅτι recitativum) (rare) 1 S 15:20; 2 S 1:4; 2:4 (v. Dr) ψ 10:6 (prob.), Ne 4:6. e.g. Deuteronomy 9:7
- b. it is resolvable into so that: Gn 11:7 אֲשֶׁר לֹא יִשְׁמְעוּ so that they understand not, etc., 13:16; 22:14 אֲשֶׁר יֵאָמֵר so that it is said, Ex 20:26; Dt 4:10, 40 אֲשֶׁר יִיטַב לְךָ 6:3; 28:27, 51; 1 K 3:12, 13; 2 K 9:37; Mal 3:19. e.g. Genesis 11:7
- c. it has a causal force, forasmuch as, in that, since: Gn 30:18; 31:49 and Mizpah, אֲשֶׁר אָמַר for that he said. 34:13, 27; 42:21 we are guilty, אֲשֶׁר רָאִינוּ we who saw (or, in that we saw), Nu 20:13 Meribah, because they strove there, Dt 3:24; Jos 4:7, 23; 22:31; Ju 9:17; 1 S 2:23; 15:15; 20:42 go in peace, אֲשֶׁר נִשְׁבַּעְנוּ forasmuch as we have sworn, 25:26 thou whom (= or, seeing that) י׳ hath withholden, 2 S 2:5 blessed are ye of י׳, אֲשֶׁר עֲשִׂיתֶם, who (οἵτινες) have done (or in that ye have done), 1 K 3:19; 15:5; 2 K 12:3; 17:4; 23:26; Je 16:13; Ec 8:11, 12 (Hi De Now). Here also belongs its use in אֲשֶׁר לָמָּה since why …? (= lest) Dn 1:10: v. sub לָמָּה. On אֲשֶׁר עַל כֵּן forasmuch as Jb 34:27 v. sub כִּי עַל כֵּן. e.g. Genesis 30:18
- d. it expresses a condition (rare & peculiar): Lv 4:22 אֲשֶׁר נָשִׂיא יֶחֱטָא in (case) that = when (or if) a ruler sinneth (v 3, 13, 27 אִם) 25:33; Nu 5:29 (explained differently by Ew§ 334a), Dt 11:27 and the blessing אֲשֶׁר תִּשְׁמְעוּ if ye hearken (v 28 אִם), 18:22 Ges§ 159 cc Jos 4:21 אֲשֶׁר יִשְׁאָלוּן … when they ask …, then … (v 6 כִּי), Is 31:4. In 1 K 8:33 (‖ 2 Ch 6:24 כִּי, cf. K v 35, 37) אֲשֶׁר may be rendered indifferently because or when. Once, similarly, אֵת אֲשֶׁר 1 K 8:31 v. p. 85. e.g. Leviticus 4:22
- e. perhaps (exceptionally) = כַּאֲשֶׁר, as, Je 33:22; Is 54:9 (sq. כֵּן; but כֵּן q.v. sometimes stands without כאשׁר, & אשׁר may in these passages connect with what precedes); according to some also Je 48:8 ψ 106:34 (in a connexion where כַּאֲשֶׁר would be more usual: אֲשֶׁר may however be the obj. of אָמַר). In 1 S 16:7 אֲשֶׁר יִרְאֶה הָאָדָם read כַּאֲשֶׁר, v. Dr.In Dt 15:14 also read כַּאֲשֶׁר: note ברכך before. e.g. Jeremiah 33:22
- f. combined with preps., אֲשֶׁר converts them into conjunctions: see below, בַּאֲשֶׁר, כַּאֲשֶׁר, מֵאֲשֶׁר. On its use similarly with (אַחֲרֵי) אַחַר, מִבְּלִי, בַּעֲבוּר, עַל דְּבַר, יַעַן, לְמַעַן, כְּפִי, עַד, עַל, עֵקֶב, מִפְּנֵי, תַּחַת, see these words.—הַאֲשֶׁר, with ה interrog., occurs once, 2 K 6:22. e.g. 2 Kings 6:22
- 1. אֲשֶׁר being a connecting link, without any perfectly corresponding equivalent in Engl., its force is not unfreq. capable of being represented in more than one way. See e.g. 2 S 2:5 (above 8 c), Is 28:12 unto whom he said, or for that he said to them. e.g. 2 Samuel 2:5
- 2. The opinion that אֲשֶׁר has an asseverative force (like כִּי, q.v.), or introduces the apodosis, is not prob., being both alien to its general usage & not required by the passages alleged. Render Is 8:20 either ‘Surely according to this word will those speak who have no dawn,’ or ‘… will they speak when (cf. supr. 8 d Dt 11:27; Jos 4:21) they have no dawn.’ e.g. Isaiah 8:20
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
part. of relation (Moab. id.; origin dub.: 1. according to TsepreghiDiss. Lugd. p. 171 MühlauBö Lb. ii. 79 n. StaMorg. Forsch. 1875, 188; Lb. § 167 HomZMG 1878, 708 ff. Müll§ 153 SayceHbr. ii. 51 LagM. i. 255 & especially KraetzschmarHbr. vi. 298 ff, orig. a subst. ‘place’ = أَثَرٌ footstep, mark አሠr (do.), אֲתַר, ܐܰܬܰܪ place, Assyrian ašar, used (v. Kraetz.) both as a subst. ‘there, where,’ and as a relative of place ‘where’: in Heb. this development has advanced further, and it has become a relative sign generally. The chief objection to this explanation is that it would isolate Heb. from the other Semitic languages, in which pronouns are formed regularly from demonstrative roots (cf. also NöZMG 1886, 738). 2. according to PhiSt. C. 73 SperlingNota Rel. im Hebr. 1876, 15–22 for אֲשֶׁל, developed from the relative שׁ (q.v.) by (1) the prefixing of either a merely prosthetic א, or, better, a pronominal א (giving rise to אש, the form of the relative in Ph.), and (2) the addition of the demonstr. root ל [found also in אֵל, אֵלֶּה, הַלָּזֶה (q.v.). اَلَّذِى he who, እለ who (pl.)]: the main objection to this explanation is the change of ל to ר, which is hardly rendered probable by the comp. of Syriac ܗܳܪܟܳܐ by side of Targ. הָלְכָּא. 1 seems preferable, the primitive root having acquired different significations in the different Semitic languages, and having been weakened in Heb. to a mere particle of relation). A sign of relation, bringing the clause introduced by it into relation with an antecedent clause. As a rule אֲשֶׁר is a mere connecting link, and requires to be supplemented (see the grammars) by a pron. affix, or other word, such as שָׁם, defining the nature of the relation more precisely: e.g. Gn 1:11 אֲשֶׁר זַרְעוֹ־בוֹ lit. as to which, its seed is in it = in which is its seed, ψ 1:4 like the chaff אֲשֶׁר־תִּדְּפֶנּוּ רוּחַ as to which, the wind drives it = which the wind drives, etc.; & so אֲשֶׁר … שָׁם = where, אֲשֶׁר … מִשָּׁם = whence, Gn 2:11; 3:23; 20:13 etc. Sometimes also (v. infr.) the relation expressed by it is specifically temporal, local, causal, etc. More particularly
— Brown-Driver-Briggs (Oxford 1906, public domain), digitized via Sefaria, supplemented by the OpenScriptures HebrewLexicon (CC BY 4.0). See Sources.
Origin: a primitive relative pronoun (of every gender and number)
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.
אֲשֶׁר
- ; v. Ges. H. Dict. s. v., as to opinions on etymol.) [being,] who, which. Ber. 11ᵇ א׳ בחר וכ׳ who hast chosen us; a. v. fr. (in prayer formulas).—In Talm. mostly prefix-שֶׁ.
אָשַׁר
- , v. אשש) to exist, be strong, happy; v. יָשַׁר.
- (b. h.)
- 1. to exalt, praise, declare happy. Pesik. R. s. 45 התחיל מְאַשְּׁרֵם he commenced by declaring them happy; v. אַשְׁרֵי.
- 2. to substantiate; to verify, attest to. Num. R. s. 14 לאַשֵּׁר את הדין to give strength to the legal decision Y. Gitt. IX, 50ᶜ bot. (אישרניהי) אִישַּׁרְנוּהוּ we have verified it in the presence of &c.—Part. pass. מְאוּשָּׁר 1) firm, strong. Gen. R. s. 15, beg. the bux-tree is called תְּאַשּׁוּר because it is מא׳ וכ׳ the strongest of all (cmp. אֵשֶׁל). Y. Succ. III, 54ᵃ top; Y. Meg. I, 72ᵃ top המא׳ שבכלן וכ׳ the strongest (expression) of all, is Hallelujah.—2) substantial, good, rich. Gen. R. s. 90, end (ref. to את כל אֲשֶׁר Gen. XLI, 56) המְאוּשָּׁרִין שבהם the best stores of all. Gen. R. s. 28.—Snh. 22ᵃ is called Ashurith שמְאוּשֶּׁרֶת בכתב because its characters are substantial (Ar. שמאושר); Y. Meg. I, 71ᵇ bot.; Y. Sot. VII, 21ᶜ top. e.g. Genesis 41:56
- to be set up, be erected. Sifra K’dosh. beg. (play on אֲשֵׁרִים) על שם שהם מִתְאַשְּׁרִים מאחרים because they are put up by others.
אֲשַׁר
- [Ithpe. אִיתְּשַׁר to be strengthened. Targ. Y. Deut. X, 2 יַיתְשַׁר, prob. to be read יִתְיַשַּׁר, v. ישר.]
- 1. to make strong. Keth. 10ᵇ; Gitt. 70ᵃ (dates) מְאַשְּׁרָן give strength.
- 2. to confirm, verify; also to credit, (consider true). Keth. 21ᵃ אַשַּׁרְנוּהִי וכ׳ we verified it &c., v. preced.—Gitt. 30ᵇ (prov.) חברך מית א׳ וכ׳ if you are told, ‘your friend is dead’, believe it; ‘your friend has grown rich’ לא תְאַשַּׁר don’t trust.
אֶשֶׁר
- (b. h.), only in plur. constr. אַשְׁרֵי the happiness of!, happy is he, are they &c. Pes. 117ᵃ; a. fr.—Midr. Till. to Ps. LXXXIV אַשְׁרַאי happy am I.—Yoma VIII, 9 אַשְׁרֵיכֶם happy are ye. Ib. 87ᵃ אַשְׁרֵיהֶם לצדיקים happy are the righteous; a. fr.
שֵׁר
- Tower of Sher (or Shed), Straton’s Tower (v. Hildesh. Beitr. p. 4 sq.). Sifré Deut. 51 מדבר שרשך דור, read: מגדל שר שן דור; Yalk. ib. 874 מגדל שרשן דירו (corr. acc.); Y. Shebi. VI, 36ᶜ top מגדל שיד.
שַׂר
- prince, chief.; שר (של מעלה) guardian angel, genius. Zeb. 116ᵇ שר ונגיד a prince or a nobleman. Yeb. 16ᵇ שר העולם the genius of the universe; Ḥull. 60ᵃ. Ex. R. s. 22 נטל הקב"ה שר שלהם וכ׳ the Lord took first their (the Egyptians’) guardian angel and drowned him. Pes. 118ᵃ שר הברד, v. יוּרְקָמִי. Ib. אני שר של אש I (Gabriel) am the angel of fire. B. Bath. 74ᵇ שר של ים the angel of the sea. Mekh. B’shall., Shir., s. 2 כיון שראו שָׂרָהּ של מלכות נופל (not נופלת) when they saw the genius of the (Egyptian) empire fallen; Yalk. Ex. 243; a. v. fr.—Pl. שָׂרִים. Ib. אין … משָׂרֵיהֶן תחלה the Lord will not punish governments, unless he have punished their guardian angels first. Gen. R. s. 78, beg. מיכאל … שהם ש׳ של מעלה Michael and Gabriel who are the princes on high. Yalk. l. c. קרא … לכל שָׂרֵי האומות the Lord summoned all the tutelary angels of the nations. Cant. R. to VIII, 14 ש׳ של מעלה the princes on high (angels); ש׳ של מטה the earthly (human) governors. Ib. (play on הרי בשמים, ib.) המתינו לי … על הריהם שהם שָׂרֵיהֶם שנתונים אצלי בַּשָּׁמַיִם (not שנתונות) wait until I shall have sat in judgment over their mounts, that is, their chiefs that are placed with me in heaven; a. fr.—Gen. R. s. 98 גני ש׳, v. גִּינֵּיסַר.—Fem. שָׂרָה. Tosef. Ber. I, 12 (ref. to Gen. XVII, 15) בתחלה הרי היא ש׳ על עמה ועכשיו הרי היא ש׳ על אומות העולם ed. Zuck. (Var. שָׂרַי על עמה … על כל באי העולם, v. ed. Zuck. note) at first she was a princess of her own people, and now she is a princess for the nations of the world (for all that enter into the world); Ber. 13ᵃ שרי לאומתה … ש׳ לכל העולם. e.g. Genesis 17:15
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 104 distinct written forms H834 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.
| Form | Parsing | Example | Uses |
|---|---|---|---|
| אֲשֶׁר | Particle, Relative | Amos 1:1 | 1,293 |
| אֲשֶׁ֣ר | Particle, Relative | Amos 9:15 | 1,064 |
| אֲשֶׁ֥ר | Particle, Relative | Amos 5:26 | 976 |
| אֲשֶׁ֨ר | Particle, Relative | Amos 2:9 | 499 |
| אֲשֶׁ֤ר | Particle, Relative | Daniel 1:11 | 304 |
| אֲשֶׁ֖ר | Particle, Relative | Daniel 1:8 | 179 |
| אֲשֶׁר֙ | Particle, Relative | Amos 4:1 | 129 |
| כַּ/אֲשֶׁ֥ר | Particle, Relative | Amos 5:14 | 109 |
| אֲשֶׁ֧ר | Particle, Relative | Amos 3:1 | 98 |
| אֲשֶׁר֩ | Particle, Relative | Amos 1:1 | 96 |
| כַּ/אֲשֶׁ֛ר | Particle, Relative | Deuteronomy 2:1 | 78 |
| אֲשֶׁ֛ר | Particle, Relative | Deuteronomy 8:11 | 71 |
| כַּ/אֲשֶׁ֣ר | Particle, Relative | Deuteronomy 3:2 | 69 |
| כַּ/אֲשֶׁ֖ר | Particle, Relative | Deuteronomy 1:11 | 57 |
| כַּ/אֲשֶׁ֨ר | Particle, Relative | Amos 5:19 | 52 |
| אֲשֶֽׁר | Particle, Relative | Amos 4:7 | 44 |
| כַּ/אֲשֶׁ֤ר | Particle, Relative | Amos 2:13 | 41 |
| וַ/אֲשֶׁ֥ר | Particle, Relative | Deuteronomy 5:8 | 34 |
| אֲ֠שֶׁר | Particle, Relative | Exodus 9:24 | 21 |
| וַ/אֲשֶׁ֣ר | Particle, Relative | Deuteronomy 11:2 | 20 |
| אֲֽשֶׁר | Particle, Relative | Deuteronomy 27:3 | 17 |
| כַּ/אֲשֶׁר֩ | Particle, Relative | Amos 3:12 | 17 |
| כַּ/אֲשֶׁר | Particle, Relative | Deuteronomy 4:33 | 15 |
| וַ/אֲשֶׁ֤ר | Particle, Relative | Ecclesiastes 10:14 | 12 |
| וַ/אֲשֶׁ֨ר | Particle, Relative | Deuteronomy 11:6 | 12 |
| מֵ/אֲשֶׁ֥ר | Particle, Relative | Exodus 29:27 | 10 |
| כַּֽ/אֲשֶׁר֙ | Particle, Relative | Ezekiel 2:2 | 10 |
| כַּ/אֲשֶׁ֧ר | Particle, Relative | Deuteronomy 2:12 | 8 |
| וְ/לַ/אֲשֶׁ֥ר | Particle, Relative | Genesis 47:24 | 7 |
| כַּ/אֲשֶׁר֙ | Particle, Relative | Genesis 26:29 | 7 |
| לַ/אֲשֶׁ֥ר | Particle, Relative | Exodus 16:16 | 7 |
| אֲשֶׁ֕ר | Particle, Relative | Esther 1:16 | 6 |
| בַּ/אֲשֶׁ֣ר | Particle, Relative | Genesis 39:9 | 6 |
| כַּֽ/אֲשֶׁר | Particle, Relative | 1 Samuel 12:8 | 6 |
| בַּ/אֲשֶׁ֥ר | Particle, Relative | Ecclesiastes 8:4 | 5 |
| כַּֽ/אֲשֶׁ֛ר | Particle, Relative | Genesis 7:9 | 5 |
| וְ/כַ/אֲשֶׁ֥ר | Particle, Relative | Esther 4:16 | 4 |
| וַ/אֲשֶׁ֖ר | Particle, Relative | 2 Samuel 21:5 | 4 |
| וַ/אֲשֶׁ֧ר | Particle, Relative | 1 Kings 2:24 | 4 |
| וַ/אֲשֶׁר | Particle, Relative | Deuteronomy 33:29 | 4 |
| וַ/אֲשֶׁר֙ | Particle, Relative | Daniel 1:4 | 4 |
| וְ/לַ/אֲשֶׁ֖ר | Particle, Relative | Ecclesiastes 9:2 | 3 |
| וַ/אֲשֶׁ֛ר | Particle, Relative | Ezekiel 33:27 | 3 |
| וַ/אֲשֶׁר֩ | Particle, Relative | Deuteronomy 19:5 | 3 |
| וּ/בַ/אֲשֶׁ֥ר | Particle, Relative | Isaiah 65:12 | 3 |
| כַ/אֲשֶׁ֣ר | Particle, Relative | Isaiah 66:22 | 3 |
| כַ/אֲשֶׁר | Particle, Relative | Deuteronomy 2:16 | 3 |
| כַּֽ/אֲשֶׁר | Particle, Relative | Deuteronomy 32:50 | 3 |
| לַ/אֲשֶׁ֖ר | Particle, Relative | Jeremiah 27:5 | 3 |
| מֵ/אֲשֶׁ֨ר | Particle, Relative | Ecclesiastes 3:22 | 3 |
| אֲ֝שֶׁ֗ר | Particle, Relative | Psalms 119:38 | 2 |
| אֲשֶׁ֗ר | Particle, Relative | Ezekiel 6:11 | 2 |
| וְ/כַ/אֲשֶׁ֛ר | Particle, Relative | Esther 9:31 | 2 |
| וְ/כַ/אֲשֶׁ֣ר | Particle, Relative | Daniel 1:13 | 2 |
| וְ/כַ/אֲשֶׁ֤ר | Particle, Relative | Deuteronomy 29:13 | 2 |
| וְ/כַ/אֲשֶׁ֨ר | Particle, Relative | Genesis 26:29 | 2 |
| וְ/כַֽ/אֲשֶׁר֙ | Particle, Relative | Ezekiel 37:18 | 2 |
| וְ/לַ/אֲשֶׁ֧ר | Particle, Relative | 1 Samuel 30:28 | 2 |
| וַֽ/אֲשֶׁר֙ | Particle, Relative | Ezekiel 33:27 | 2 |
| כַּ֝/אֲשֶׁ֗ר | Particle, Relative | Psalms 33:22 | 2 |
The 60 most common forms are shown; 44 rarer forms follow in the full concordance.
Same root — word family
Other BDB entries built from the same root as H834, 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.
Derived from this word
Compare all same-root words → They share a root, not necessarily a meaning.
Septuagint verse parallels
Most of the 4,439 Hebrew verses this word occurs in also exist in the Greek Old Testament (Septuagint), so the same passages can be read in Greek by switching the Old Testament edition to the Septuagint.
Read these verses in the Septuagint
- Genesis 1:7
- Exodus 1:8
- Leviticus 1:5
- Numbers 1:5
- Deuteronomy 1:1
- Joshua 1:2
- Judges 1:7
- Ruth 1:7
- 1 Samuel 1:17
- 2 Samuel 1:4
- 1 Kings 1:8
- 2 Kings 1:2
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.
