Hebrew · H7725, H1320, H2416, H2015, H3836 · unreviewed

אוֹ כִי יָשׁוּב הַבָּשָׂר הַחַי וְנֶהְפַּךְ לְלָבָן

To turn back (hence, away) transitively or intransitively, literally or figuratively (not necessarily with the idea of return to the starting point); generally to retreat ; often adverbial, again · flesh (from its freshness ); by extension, body , person ; also (by euphemistically) the pudenda of a man · alive ; hence, raw (flesh); fresh (plant, water, year), strong ; also (as noun, especially in the feminine singular and masculine plural) life (or living thing), whether literally or figuratively · to turn about or over; by implication, to change , overturn , return , pervert · white

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Words in this compound — expand to study each participant

שׁוּב H7725 to turn back (hence, away) transitively or intransitively, literally or figuratively (not necessarily with the idea of return to the starting point); generally to retreat ; often adverbial, again
Pronunciation šûḇ
Core concept of reversal or turning away; theologically dominant as repentance (turning from sin toward God)
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בָּשָׂר H1320 flesh (from its freshness ); by extension, body , person ; also (by euphemistically) the pudenda of a man
Pronunciation bāšār
Flesh as the vulnerable human body, emphasizing mortality, kinship, and bodily shame or nakedness.
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חַי H2416 alive ; hence, raw (flesh); fresh (plant, water, year), strong ; also (as noun, especially in the feminine singular and masculine plural) life (or living thing), whether literally or figuratively
Pronunciation ḥay
Life principle extending from physical vitality (raw, fresh, strong) to covenantal presence and relational aliveness with God.
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הָפַךְ H2015 to turn about or over; by implication, to change , overturn , return , pervert
Pronunciation haphak
Complete reversal of state or position; physical turning becomes moral/covenantal upheaval when applied to divine judgment.
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לָבָן H3836 white

What does אוֹ כִי יָשׁוּב הַבָּשָׂר הַחַי וְנֶהְפַּךְ לְלָבָן (ʾô ḵî yāšûḇ habbāśār haḥay wĕnehpaḵ lĕlāḇān) mean in the Bible?

שׁוּב · בָּשָׂר · חַי · הָפַךְ · לָבָן is a Hebrew word meaning "to turn back (hence, away) transitively or intransitively, literally or figuratively (not necessarily with the idea of return to the starting point); generally to retreat ; often adverbial, again".

Full entry for אוֹ כִי יָשׁוּב הַבָּשָׂר הַחַי וְנֶהְפַּךְ לְלָבָן (H7725, H1320, H2416, H2015, H3836) · Browse the biblical lexicon

Meaning

to turn back (hence, away) transitively or intransitively, literally or figuratively (not necessarily with the idea of return to the starting point); generally to retreat ; often adverbial, again
Grammatical Forms

How the stem changes the meaning of this verb across the biblical text.

Qal basic active stem — the word in its most common, direct sense 308×
Imperfect 2Kgs 19:33 · 2Kgs 20:9 · 2Kgs 20:10 · 2Sam 12:23 · Dan 11:29 · Deut 13:18 · Deut 28:31 · Deut 30:9 · Eccl 5:14 · Esth 9:25 · Ezek 7:13 · Ezek 18:21 · Ezek 46:9 · Hos 11:5 · Isa 10:21 · Isa 10:22 150×
Sequential imperfect 1Kgs 12:12 · 1Kgs 12:24 · 2Chr 10:12 · 2Chr 11:4 · 2Chr 30:6 · 2Kgs 1:6 · 2Kgs 17:13 · Deut 5:30 · Ezek 14:6 · Ezek 18:30 · Ezek 33:11 · Gen 43:2 · Gen 43:13 · Gen 44:25 · Isa 21:12 · Isa 31:6 64×
Perfect 1Kgs 12:20 · 1Kgs 13:10 · 1Kgs 13:33 · 1Sam 15:11 · 1Sam 24:2 · 1Sam 26:25 · 2Chr 12:12 · 2Kgs 2:25 · 2Kgs 4:38 · 2Kgs 9:18 · 2Kgs 9:20 · 2Kgs 23:25 · 2Kgs 23:26 · 2Sam 1:1 · 2Sam 2:30 · 2Sam 20:22 63×
Infinitive absolute 1Kgs 9:6 · 1Kgs 22:28 · 2Chr 18:27 · 2Sam 15:8 · Gen 18:10 · Jer 42:10 · Josh 2:16 · Josh 23:12
Participle active 1Sam 7:3 · Eccl 1:6 · Eccl 1:7 · Esth 2:14 · Jer 8:6 · Jer 30:18 · Prov 26:11
Jussive 2Sam 19:38 · Dan 9:16 · Judg 7:3 · Ps 74:21 · 1Kgs 22:17 · Ps 85:9 · 1Kgs 17:21
Infinitive construct Ezek 13:22 · Gen 8:12 · Gen 27:45 · Job 14:13 · Job 15:22 · Num 14:3
Cohortative Gen 30:31 · Num 22:34
Participle passive Mic 2:8
Hiphil causative active — the subject causes someone else to perform the action 140×
Imperfect 1Kgs 2:17 · 1Sam 26:23 · 2Sam 15:8 · 2Sam 22:21 · Dan 11:18 · Deut 17:16 · Deut 32:43 · Exod 21:34 · Ezek 18:7 · Ezek 18:8 · Ezek 18:12 · Ezek 33:15 · Gen 50:15 · Hos 12:3 · Hos 12:15 · Isa 44:19 71×
Perfect 1Sam 25:39 · 1Sam 30:19 · 2Chr 25:13 · 2Chr 32:25 · 2Kgs 14:25 · 2Kgs 14:28 · 2Kgs 16:6 · 2Sam 16:8 · Ezek 18:17 · Gen 14:16 · Gen 41:13 · Jer 41:16 · Josh 8:26 · Judg 9:57 · Lam 2:3 · Lam 2:8 27×
Participle active Ezek 9:11 · Gen 20:7 · Isa 28:6 · Isa 38:8 · Isa 44:25 · Jer 28:3 · Jer 28:4 · Job 20:18 · Judg 11:9 · Lam 1:16 · Prov 17:13 · Prov 18:13 · Prov 24:26 · Prov 26:16 · Ps 19:8 15×
Sequential imperfect 1Sam 29:4 · 2Kgs 8:6 · 2Sam 14:21 · 2Sam 15:25 · Exod 4:7 · Ezek 21:35 · Gen 20:7 · Isa 42:22 · Jer 6:9 · Num 17:25 · Ps 28:4 · Ps 94:2 · Ezek 14:6 · Isa 46:8 · Neh 5:11 15×
Infinitive absolute 1Sam 6:3 · Deut 22:1 · Deut 24:13 · Exod 23:4 · Job 9:18
Jussive 1Kgs 2:20 · 2Chr 6:42 · Ps 132:10 · 1Kgs 2:16 · 1Sam 6:3
Infinitive construct 2Sam 14:13 · Lev 25:28
Polel
Imperfect Ps 23:3 · Ps 60:3
Participle passive Ezek 38:8
Participle active Isa 58:12
Perfect Jer 8:5
Hophal causative passive — the subject is caused to perform the action
Perfect Gen 42:28
Participle passive Jer 27:16
Hebrew Verb Forms

How this verb appears across 455 occurrences in the Hebrew OT (OSHB Leningrad Codex).

Aspect / Form
Imperfect 233 Perfect 91 Imperative 79 Participle 22 Infinitive absolute 13 Infinitive construct 8 Participle passive 3 Cohortative 2 Imperfective 2 Participle active 1 Perfective 1
Stem
Qal 308 Hiphil 140 Polel 5 Hophal 2
Mood
Indicative/jussive 172 Indicative 91 Imperative 79 Indicative/cohortative 49 Jussive 12
OT Occurrences
Gen 3:19 Qal · Imperfect · Indicative/jussive Gen 8:12 Qal · Infinitive construct Gen 14:16 Hiphil · Perfect · Indicative Gen 15:16 Qal · Imperfect · Indicative/jussive Gen 16:9 Qal · Imperative · Imperative Gen 18:10 Qal · Infinitive absolute Gen 18:10 Qal · Imperfect · Indicative/cohortative Gen 18:14 Qal · Imperfect · Indicative/cohortative Gen 18:33 Qal · Perfect · Indicative Gen 20:7 Hiphil · Imperative · Imperative Gen 20:7 Hiphil · Participle Gen 24:5 Hiphil · Imperfect · Indicative/cohortative Gen 24:6 Hiphil · Imperfect · Indicative/jussive Gen 24:8 Hiphil · Imperfect · Indicative/jussive Gen 27:44 Qal · Imperfect · Indicative/jussive Gen 27:45 Qal · Infinitive construct Gen 30:31 Qal · Cohortative Gen 31:3 Qal · Imperative · Imperative Gen 32:10 Qal · Imperative · Imperative Gen 41:13 Hiphil · Perfect · Indicative Gen 42:28 Hophal · Perfect · Indicative Gen 43:2 Qal · Imperative · Imperative Gen 43:10 Qal · Perfect · Indicative Gen 43:12 Hiphil · Imperfect · Indicative/jussive Gen 43:13 Qal · Imperative · Imperative Gen 44:8 Hiphil · Perfect · Indicative Gen 44:25 Qal · Imperative · Imperative Gen 50:15 Hiphil · Imperfect · Indicative/jussive Exod 4:7 Hiphil · Imperative · Imperative Exod 4:7 Qal · Perfect · Indicative Exod 4:19 Qal · Imperative · Imperative Exod 21:34 Hiphil · Imperfect · Indicative/jussive Exod 23:4 Hiphil · Infinitive absolute Exod 24:14 Qal · Imperfect · Indicative/cohortative Exod 32:12 Qal · Imperative · Imperative Lev 13:16 Qal · Imperfect · Indicative/jussive Lev 14:43 Qal · Imperfect · Indicative/jussive Lev 25:10 Qal · Imperfect · Indicative/jussive Lev 25:13 Qal · Imperfect · Indicative/jussive Lev 25:28 Hiphil · Infinitive construct +415 more occurrences

Aspect in Hebrew reflects grammatical form, not tense. "Perfect" (Perfective) typically denotes completed action; "Imperfect" (Imperfective) denotes incomplete or ongoing action. Stem modifies the action type (Qal=simple, Niphal=passive, Piel=intensive, etc.).

Morphology: OSHB WLC (Open Scriptures, CC BY 4.0) · STEPBible TEHMC (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0)

Cross-Language Connections

Greek words that correspond to or develop the meaning of this Hebrew word in the New Testament.

Sources