What does יָסַף (yosif / yasaph) mean in the Bible?
יָסַף (yosif / yasaph): Conveys iterative continuation or repeated action; "do again" or "continue doing" beyond initial occurrence.
Hebrew · H3254
יָסַף
To add or augment (often adverbial, to continue to do a thing)
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יָסַף H3254
Pronunciation yosif / yasaph
What does יָסַף (yosif / yasaph) mean in the Bible?
יָסַף (yosif / yasaph): Conveys iterative continuation or repeated action; "do again" or "continue doing" beyond initial occurrence.
Full entry for יָסַף (H3254) · Open the biblical lexicon
Questions this entry answers
How does the BSB render H3254?
The BSB source-word alignment has 212 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include again (36), longer (19), severely (12), more (9), Once again (9).
Where does יָסַף (yosif / yasaph) appear in Scripture?
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at Genesis 4:2. Its strongest book concentrations include Isaiah (20), 1 Samuel (17), Deuteronomy (15), 2 Samuel (14).
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 again 36× Genesis 8:21, Genesis 38:26, Genesis 44:23, Exodus 8:29
longer 19× Genesis 4:12, Exodus 5:7, Joshua 7:12, Joshua 23:13
severely 12× Ruth 1:17, 1 Samuel 3:17, 1 Samuel 14:44, 1 Samuel 20:13
more 9× Deuteronomy 25:3, 2 Samuel 7:20, 1 Kings 16:33, 1 Chronicles 17:18
Once again 9× Genesis 18:29, Numbers 22:25, Judges 3:12, 1 Samuel 3:6
. . . 8× Genesis 8:21, Psalms 10:18, Psalms 41:8, Psalms 77:7
add 6× Genesis 30:24, Leviticus 6:5, Numbers 5:7, Deuteronomy 4:2
he must add 5× Leviticus 22:14, Leviticus 27:13, Leviticus 27:15, Leviticus 27:19
continued 4× 1 Samuel 3:21, Job 27:1, Job 29:1, Job 36:1
will add 4× 1 Kings 12:11, 1 Kings 12:14, 2 Chronicles 10:11, 2 Chronicles 10:14
- 3× Deuteronomy 5:25, Deuteronomy 18:16, 1 Samuel 7:13
and again 3× Genesis 8:10, Judges 10:6, Judges 20:22
another 3× Genesis 25:1, Genesis 38:5, Proverbs 23:35
even more 3× Genesis 37:5, Genesis 37:8, 2 Samuel 3:34
will be added 3× Numbers 36:4, Psalms 120:3, Proverbs 9:11
grows 2× Job 17:9, Ecclesiastes 1:18
I will add 2× 2 Kings 20:6, Isaiah 38:5
Me 2× Deuteronomy 3:26, Isaiah 8:5
multiply 2× 2 Samuel 24:3, 1 Chronicles 21:3
Should we again 2× Judges 20:23, Judges 20:28
will again 2× 2 Kings 19:30, Isaiah 37:31
You have enlarged 2× Isaiah 26:15
adding 1× Ezra 10:10
and add 1× Leviticus 27:27
and added 1× Numbers 36:3
and adds 1× Proverbs 16:23
and doubled 1× Job 42:10
and gain 1× Proverbs 1:5
and He adds 1× Proverbs 10:22
and he will increase 1× Proverbs 9:9
and increased 1× Ecclesiastes 1:16
and multiplies 1× Proverbs 23:28
And once again 1× Esther 8:3
and surpassed 1× Ecclesiastes 2:9
and to add 1× 2 Chronicles 28:13
and you may add 1× 1 Chronicles 22:14
any longer 1× Exodus 9:28
any more 1× Deuteronomy 25:3
attracts 1× Proverbs 19:4
became even more 1× 2 Chronicles 28:22
But [Oholibah] carried 1× Ezekiel 23:14
But they continued 1× Psalms 78:17
but this time 1× Genesis 8:12
by adding 1× Leviticus 5:16
can be added 1× Ecclesiastes 3:14
did so again 1× Numbers 11:25
do it again 1× Job 34:32
else 1× Numbers 22:19
exceeded 1× 1 Kings 10:7
farther 1× Job 38:11
further 1× Deuteronomy 20:8
give you increase 1× Psalms 115:14
grew even more 1× 1 Samuel 18:29
has added 1× Jeremiah 45:3
He added 1× Deuteronomy 5:22
he adds 1× Job 34:37
He will once again 1× Numbers 32:15
however, persisted 1× 2 Samuel 18:22
I will again 1× Isaiah 29:14
I will intensify 1× Ezekiel 5:16
I will multiply 1× Leviticus 26:21
I will proceed 1× Leviticus 26:18
I would have given 1× 2 Samuel 12:8
Increase 1× Psalms 61:6
increase you 1× Deuteronomy 1:11
increases 1× Ecclesiastes 1:18
Later 1× Genesis 4:2
may join 1× Exodus 1:10
more and more 1× Hosea 13:2
on ahead 1× Numbers 22:26
once more 1× Jonah 2:4
or continued 1× 2 Samuel 2:28
other 1× Numbers 22:15
prolong 1× Lamentations 4:22
prolongs 1× Proverbs 10:27
promotes 1× Proverbs 16:21
reaffirm 1× 1 Samuel 20:17
repeat it 1× Job 41:8
then you are to add 1× Deuteronomy 19:9
they will add 1× Proverbs 3:2
to add 1× Job 40:5
tried again 1× 1 Samuel 19:21
we have added 1× 1 Samuel 12:19
were added 1× Jeremiah 36:32
Why do you keep 1× Isaiah 1:5
will be increased 1× Leviticus 19:25
will increase 1× Isaiah 29:19
yet gains 1× Proverbs 11:24
You are 1× Deuteronomy 17:16
you are rekindling 1× Nehemiah 13:18
You have far exceeded 1× 2 Chronicles 9:6
You more 1× Psalms 71:14
you will have to do so again 1× Proverbs 19:19
Show sample aligned rows
Genesis 4:2 וַתֹּ֣סֶף to Later Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Consecutive imperfect - third person feminine singular Genesis 4:12 תֹסֵ֥ף to longer Verb - Hifil - Imperfect Jussive - third person feminine singular Genesis 8:10 וַיֹּ֛סֶף to and again Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular Genesis 8:12 יָסְפָ֥ה to but this time Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person feminine singular Genesis 8:21 אֹ֠סִף to . . . Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - first person common singular Genesis 8:21 אֹסִ֥ף to again Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - first person common singular Genesis 18:29 וַיֹּ֨סֶף to Once again Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular Genesis 25:1 וַיֹּ֧סֶף to another Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular Genesis 30:24 יֹסֵ֧ף to add Verb - Hifil - Imperfect Jussive - third person masculine singular Genesis 37:5 וַיּוֹסִ֥פוּ to even more Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural
Usage map
A compact distribution from source-word alignment before the full evidence tables.
First aligned row Genesis 4:2
Aligned rows 212
Books represented 32
Genesis 14 Exodus 9 Leviticus 11 Numbers 9 Deuteronomy 15 Joshua 2 Judges 13 Ruth 1 1 Samuel 17 2 Samuel 14 1 Kings 7 2 Kings 6 1 Chronicles 5 2 Chronicles 6 Ezra 1 Nehemiah 1 Esther 1 Job 11 Psalms 8 Proverbs 14 Ecclesiastes 5 Isaiah 20 Jeremiah 4 Lamentations 3 Ezekiel 3 Daniel 1 Hosea 3 Joel 1 Amos 4 Jonah 1 Nahum 1 Zephaniah 1
Source forms
וַיֹּ֣סֶף 6x way·yō·sep̄ Exodus 9:34, 1 Samuel 3:6, 1 Samuel 19:21, Job 27:1
וַיֹּ֨סֶף 4x way·yō·sep̄ Genesis 18:29, Judges 9:37, 1 Samuel 3:8, 2 Samuel 18:22
וַיֹּסִ֙פוּ֙ 4x way·yō·si·p̄ū Judges 3:12, Judges 4:1, Judges 13:1, Judges 20:22
יוֹסִ֥יף 4x yō·w·sîp̄ Psalms 10:18, Psalms 41:8, Ecclesiastes 1:18, Nahum 1:15
יֹסִ֥יף 4x yō·sîp̄ 2 Samuel 14:10, Job 17:9, Proverbs 16:21, Proverbs 16:23
אֹסִ֣יף 3x ’ō·sîp̄ 1 Kings 12:14, 2 Chronicles 10:11, 2 Chronicles 10:14
וַיֹּ֧סֶף 3x way·yō·sep̄ Genesis 25:1, 2 Samuel 2:22, Daniel 10:18
וַיֹּ֥סֶף 3x way·yō·sep̄ Numbers 22:15, 1 Samuel 3:21, Job 36:1
Parsing patterns
Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - third person masculine singular 35x Deuteronomy 25:3, Joshua 23:13, Ruth 1:17, 1 Samuel 3:17
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular 28x Genesis 8:10, Genesis 18:29, Genesis 25:1, Exodus 9:34
Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - first person common singular 21x Genesis 8:21, Exodus 10:29, Joshua 7:12, Judges 2:21
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural 11x Genesis 37:5, Genesis 37:8, Judges 3:12, Judges 4:1
Verb - Hifil - Imperfect Jussive - third person masculine singular 11x Genesis 30:24, Exodus 8:29, Leviticus 5:16, Leviticus 6:5
Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - third person masculine plural 9x Deuteronomy 13:11, Deuteronomy 19:20, 2 Samuel 7:10, 1 Kings 20:10
Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - second person masculine singular 7x Deuteronomy 28:68, 1 Chronicles 22:14, Job 38:11, Psalms 61:6
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singular 6x Leviticus 22:14, Leviticus 27:13, Leviticus 27:15, Leviticus 27:19
Evidence Summary
Hebrew word. Conveys iterative continuation or repeated action; "do again" or "continue doing" beyond initial occurrence.
Strong's H3254
Lexical occurrences 210 verses Word forms 3 forms 127 references Verse guides 0 guides
Study link Proverbs 10:27 Source Gloss
to add or augment (often adverbial, to continue to do a thing)
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 127
Hiphil causative active — the subject causes someone else to perform the action 107×
Imperfect 1Chr 17:18 · 2Sam 7:20 · 2Sam 14:10 · Deut 25:3 · Eccl 1:18 · Gen 30:24 · Isa 10:20 · Isa 11:11 · Isa 29:14 · Isa 38:5 · Isa 52:1 · Job 17:9 · Job 34:37 · Joel 2:2 · Josh 23:13 · Lam 4:16 83×
Jussive 1Chr 21:3 · 1Kgs 2:23 · 1Sam 3:17 · 1Sam 14:44 · 1Sam 20:13 · 1Sam 25:22 · 2Kgs 6:31 · 2Sam 3:9 · 2Sam 3:35 · 2Sam 19:14 · Deut 1:11 · Exod 8:25 · Lev 5:16 · Lev 5:24 · Ps 115:14 · Deut 3:26 21×
Perfect 1Kgs 10:7 · 2Kgs 24:7 2×
Cohortative Hos 9:15 1×
Qal basic active stem — the word in its most common, direct sense 18×
Perfect 1Sam 15:35 · 1Sam 27:4 · Deut 5:22 · Gen 38:26 · Jer 45:3 · Judg 13:21 · 1Sam 7:13 · 2Kgs 6:23 · 2Sam 2:28 · Judg 8:28 · Num 11:25 · 2Chr 9:6 · Isa 26:15 · 1Sam 12:19 · Gen 8:12 16×
Participle active 1Sam 27:4 · Deut 5:25 2×
Niphal passive or reflexive — the subject receives or experiences the action 2×
Participle active Isa 15:9 1×
Perfect Jer 36:32 1×
Selected Scripture Witness
Selected passage-level study witnesses for this word. This section is not the full occurrence list.
Old Testament Witnesses
to add, increase, or extend
Showing 1 selected witness from 210 lexical occurrence verses.
Word Origins
יָסַף is a primitive root - no further derivation.
Why This Word Matters
The verb communicates the life-preserving effect of reverence toward God. Proverbs 10:27
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