What does אוֹר (ha'irah) mean in the Bible?
אוֹר (ha'irah): Light as revelation: illuminating darkness both physically and morally, revealing truth and divine guidance.
Hebrew · H215
אוֹר
To be (causative, make ) luminous (literally and metaphorically)
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אוֹר H215
Pronunciation ha'irah
What does אוֹר (ha'irah) mean in the Bible?
אוֹר (ha'irah): Light as revelation: illuminating darkness both physically and morally, revealing truth and divine guidance.
Full entry for אוֹר (H215) · Open the biblical lexicon
Questions this entry answers
How does the BSB render H215?
The BSB source-word alignment has 42 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include shine (4), to shine (4), to shine upon us (3), . . . (2), gives light (2).
Where does אוֹר (ha'irah) appear in Scripture?
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at Genesis 1:15. Its strongest book concentrations include Psalms (16), Exodus (3), Genesis (3), Isaiah (3).
Source Word Evidence
BSB source-word alignment connects this entry to exact verse rows, English rendering, source form, transliteration, and parsing.
How English Renders It shine 4× Psalms 31:16, Psalms 119:135, Isaiah 60:1, Isaiah 60:19
to shine 4× Genesis 1:15, Genesis 1:17, Numbers 6:25, Daniel 9:17
to shine upon us 3× Psalms 80:3, Psalms 80:7, Psalms 80:19
. . . 2× Genesis 44:3, Proverbs 4:18
gives light 2× Psalms 119:130, Proverbs 29:13
and light 1× Ezra 9:8
and use them for kindling 1× Isaiah 27:11
are resplendent with light 1× Psalms 76:4
at daybreak 1× 2 Samuel 2:32
brightens 1× Ecclesiastes 8:1
but it lit up 1× Exodus 14:20
give its light 1× Ezekiel 32:7
Give light 1× Psalms 13:3
giving light 1× Psalms 19:8
have brightened 1× 1 Samuel 14:29
He has made His light to shine 1× Psalms 118:27
He leaves a glistening 1× Job 41:32
illuminate 1× Exodus 25:37
illuminated 1× Nehemiah 9:19
illuminates 1× Psalms 97:4
it is light 1× 1 Samuel 29:10
light 1× Psalms 18:28
lit up 1× Psalms 77:18
longer kindle 1× Malachi 1:10
shines 1× Psalms 139:12
shone 1× Ezekiel 43:2
that he may be enlightened 1× Job 33:30
they are to light [the area] 1× Numbers 8:2
to give them light 1× Exodus 13:21
to light 1× Nehemiah 9:12
to light up 1× Psalms 105:39
to shine upon 1× Psalms 67:1
Show sample aligned rows
Genesis 1:15 לְהָאִ֖יר to to shine Preposition-l | Verb - Hifil - Infinitive construct Genesis 1:17 לְהָאִ֖יר to to shine Preposition-l | Verb - Hifil - Infinitive construct Genesis 44:3 א֑וֹר to . . . Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular Exodus 13:21 לְהָאִ֣יר to to give them light Preposition-l | Verb - Hifil - Infinitive construct Exodus 14:20 וַיָּ֖אֶר to but it lit up Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular Exodus 25:37 וְהֵאִ֖יר to illuminate Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singular Numbers 6:25 יָאֵ֨ר to to shine Verb - Hifil - Imperfect Jussive - third person masculine singular Numbers 8:2 יָאִ֖ירוּ to they are to light [the area] Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - third person masculine plural 1 Samuel 14:29 אֹ֣רוּ to have brightened Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural 1 Samuel 29:10 וְא֥וֹר to it is light Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singular
Usage map
A compact distribution from source-word alignment before the full evidence tables.
First aligned row Genesis 1:15
Aligned rows 42
Books represented 15
Genesis 3 Exodus 3 Numbers 2 1 Samuel 2 2 Samuel 1 Ezra 1 Nehemiah 2 Job 2 Psalms 16 Proverbs 2 Ecclesiastes 1 Isaiah 3 Ezekiel 2 Daniel 1 Malachi 1
Source forms
לְהָאִ֣יר 3x lə·hā·’îr Exodus 13:21, Nehemiah 9:12, Nehemiah 9:19
הֵאִ֣ירוּ 2x hê·’î·rū Psalms 77:18, Psalms 97:4
וְהָאֵ֥ר 2x wə·hā·’êr Psalms 80:3, Psalms 80:7
יָאִ֣יר 2x yā·’îr Job 41:32, Isaiah 60:19
לְהָאִ֖יר 2x lə·hā·’îr Genesis 1:15, Genesis 1:17
תָּאִ֣יר 2x tā·’îr Psalms 18:28, Ecclesiastes 8:1
א֑וֹר 1x ’ō·wr Genesis 44:3
א֖וֹרִי 1x ’ō·w·rî Isaiah 60:1
Parsing patterns
Preposition-l | Verb - Hifil - Infinitive construct 7x Genesis 1:15, Genesis 1:17, Exodus 13:21, Ezra 9:8
Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - third person masculine singular 5x Job 41:32, Psalms 119:130, Psalms 139:12, Isaiah 60:19
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Imperative - masculine singular 3x Psalms 80:3, Psalms 80:7, Daniel 9:17
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular 2x Exodus 14:20, Psalms 118:27
Verb - Hifil - Imperative - masculine singular 2x Psalms 80:19, Psalms 119:135
Verb - Hifil - Imperative - masculine singular | third person feminine singular 2x Psalms 13:3, Psalms 31:16
Verb - Hifil - Imperfect Jussive - third person masculine singular 2x Numbers 6:25, Psalms 67:1
Verb - Hifil - Perfect - third person common plural 2x Psalms 77:18, Psalms 97:4
Evidence Summary
Hebrew word. Light as revelation: illuminating darkness both physically and morally, revealing truth and divine guidance.
Strong's H215
Lexical occurrences 43 verses Word forms 3 forms 23 references Verse guides 0 guides
Study link Psalms 13:1-4 Source Gloss
to be (causative, make ) luminous (literally and metaphorically)
Extended definition Source: Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon + Brown-Driver-Briggs
Light as revelation: illuminating darkness both physically and morally, revealing truth and divine guidance.
to be (causative, make) luminous (literally and metaphorically) Usage: × break of day, glorious, kindle, (be, en-, give, show) light (-en, -ened), set on fire, shine.
Grammatical Forms
How the stem changes the meaning of this verb across the biblical text.
This verb appears through different tense, voice, mood, or stem patterns. Those forms help readers see how the action is presented in context.
Form groups 3 Aligned forms 23
Hiphil causative active — the subject causes someone else to perform the action 19×
Imperfect Ezek 32:7 · Isa 60:19 · Job 41:24 · Ps 119:130 · Ps 139:12 · Eccl 8:1 · Mal 1:10 · Num 8:2 · Ps 18:29 9×
Participle active Isa 27:11 · Prov 29:13 · Ps 19:9 3×
Perfect Ps 77:19 · Ps 97:4 · Ezek 43:2 3×
Jussive Num 6:25 · Ps 67:2 2×
Sequential imperfect Ps 80:20 · Ps 119:135 2×
Qal basic active stem — the word in its most common, direct sense 3×
Perfect 1Sam 14:29 · Gen 44:3 2×
Sequential imperfect Isa 60:1 1×
Niphal passive or reflexive — the subject receives or experiences the action 1×
Participle active Ps 76:5 1×
Selected Scripture Witness
Selected passage-level study witnesses for this word. This section is not the full occurrence list.
Old Testament Witnesses
Give light; enlighten; cause to shine; refers to the restoration of spiritual and physical vitality
Showing 1 selected witness from 43 lexical occurrence verses.
Word Origins
אוֹר is a primitive root - no further derivation.
Part of These Phrases
Compound and idiomatic phrases that include this word. Follow a link to study the phrase and how its parts work together.
Sources
MorphGNT Strong's Dictionary XML — CC0 1.0 Public Domain
Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible (morphhb/OSHB) — CC BY 4.0
Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon — CC BY 4.0
Berean Standard Bible (BSB) source-word alignment - CC0 Public Domain