Ruth 3:8

Paleo Hebrew Niqqud

RBT Hebrew Interlinear:

ויהי וַיְהִי

and he is being

STRONGS

Strong's Lexicon

ו

wāw

Definition

sequential 'and'

Root

From H8505; a prefix

Exhaustive

Vav Conversive/Consecutive: The category “vav conversive / vav consecutive” is not an ancient grammatical datum; it is a modern explanatory construct, developed by early Hebraists to force Biblical Hebrew into a Latin/chronological tense model that it simply does not share.

The notion arose in early modern grammar (17th–19th c.) when scholars assumed:
- verbs must encode tense,
- narratives must advance by past → present → future,
- therefore Hebrew forms that “don’t behave” must be converted.

Source: The Aonic Nature of Biblical Hebrew Prepositions

היה

hâyâh

Definition

to exist, i.e. be or become, come to pass (always emphatic, and not a mere copula or auxiliary)

Root

a primitive root (compare H1933 (הוא));

Exhaustive

a primitive root (compare הוא); to exist, i.e. be or become, come to pass (always emphatic, and not a mere copula or auxiliary); beacon, [idiom] altogether, be(-come), accomplished, committed, like), break, cause, come (to pass), do, faint, fall, [phrase] follow, happen, [idiom] have, last, pertain, quit (one-) self, require, [idiom] use.

Source: Strong's Exhaustive Concordance — H1961

Fürst

Fürst Lexicon

הָיָה

verb • Root היה • Strongs / High • Page 397

To be, to exist, to live, to become. A substantive verb used to unite a subject and predicate. It can also mean to happen, to arise, or to belong to. Used in a wide variety of grammatical constructions.

הָיָה

verb • Root היה • Strongs / High • Page 591

To be, to become, to exist. The common Hebrew verb for 'to be', considered the root of the divine name.

Gesenius

Gesenius Lexicon

הַיָּה

noun feminine • Page 185

Keri הַוָּה suffering, calamity. Job 6: 2; 30: 13.

הָיָה

verb • Page 184

1. To be (Ex. 20:3, Num. 10:31, etc.); 2. to become (Ex. 4:4, Hos. 3:3, etc.); 3. to happen (Is. 19:15).

conjunctive, Verb Qal sequential imperfect third person masculine singular

LXX: ἔσται ἐγένετο ἦν ἐγενήθη ἔσονται

LXX Usage Statistics

H1961:

ἔσται 827× (22.9%)

ἐγένετο 634× (16.8%)

ἦν 280× (7.9%)

ἐγενήθη 215× (5.8%)

ἔσονται 160× (4.5%)

ἦσαν 134× (3.8%)

ἐγένοντο 83× (2.3%)

'' 74× (1.9%)

--- 73× (2.2%)

εἶναι 67× (1.7%)

בחצי בַּחֲצִי

None

STRONGS

Strong's Lexicon

ב

bə

Definition

in, by

Root

A primitive particle; a prefix

Exhaustive

(beth) — in / within / by means of

Core value: interiority, enclosure, participation

ב does not primarily mean “in time” (“when”) or even “in space.” It marks being inside a domain, whether that domain is:
- spatial (house, land),
- conceptual (wisdom, covenant),
- modal (strength, fear),
- instrumental (by means of).
Aonically, ב marks immersion.
not “when X happened” but “within the state or field of X.”
This is why ב־יום does not need to mean “on the day (chronological)” but “within the day-realm / condition”.

Source: The Aonic Nature of Biblical Hebrew Prepositions

חצי

chêtsîy

Definition

the half or middle

Root

from H2673 (חצה)lemma חעה ayin, corrected to חצה;

Exhaustive

from חצהlemma חעה ayin, corrected to חצה; the half or middle; half, middle, mid(-night), midst, part, two parts.

Source: Strong's Exhaustive Concordance — H2677

Fürst

Fürst Lexicon

חֵצִי

m. pl. • Root חצץ • Strongs / High • Page 517

m. pl. for חֲצָרִים 1 Sam. 20, 36-38.

חֵצִי

noun masculine • Root חצה • Strongs / High • Page 517

(in pause חָצִי, with suff. חֶצְיוֹ, חֶצְיְכֶם) m. the half, half part (of a thing divided into two halves); to divide into two parts; the middle.

Gesenius

Gesenius Lexicon

חֵצִי

m. verbal • Root חצה • Page 243

1. middle, midst (Judg. 16:3). 2. half (Ex. 24:6, 2 Sam. 18:3). 3. i.q. חֵץ an arrow (1 Sam. 20:36, 37, 38, 2 K. 9:24). m. verbal from חָצָה.

Preposition, Noun common both singular construct

LXX: ἥμισυ ἡμίσουσ ἡμίσει '' ἡμίσεισ

LXX Usage Statistics

H2677:

ἥμισυ 54× (42.6%)

ἡμίσουσ 26× (21.1%)

ἡμίσει 15× (10.9%)

'' 13× (10.8%)

ἡμίσεισ 4× (3.0%)

--- 2× (1.9%)

[d] 2× (1.7%)

הלילה הַלַּיְלָה

the Night

STRONGS

Strong's Lexicon

ה

Definition

the

Root

Demonstrative primitive

Exhaustive

definite article, the, used for all numbers and genders; originally a pronoun demonstrative, this. interrogative particle in direct and indirect questions; in disjunctive questions: whether--or.

Source: The Aonic Nature of Biblical Hebrew Prepositions

ליל

layil

Definition

properly, a twist (away of the light), i.e. night; figuratively, adversity

Root

or (Isaiah 21:11) ליל; also לילה; from the same as H3883 (לול);

Exhaustive

or (Isaiah 21:11) ליל; also לילה; from the same as לול; properly, a twist (away of the light), i.e. night; figuratively, adversity; (mid-)night (season).

Source: Strong's Exhaustive Concordance — H3915

Fürst

Fürst Lexicon

לַיִל

masculine noun • Root ליל • Strongs / High • Page 785

Night. Properly a sinking, perishing, or veiling, darkening. Used literally for night, figuratively for a time of misfortune, and adverbially for 'by night'.

Gesenius

Gesenius Lexicon

לַיִל

noun masculine • Page 346

night. Metaphorically misfortune, adversity. Is. 16:3; Gen. 14:15; Job 35:10; Mic. 3:6.

Particle definite article, Noun common both singular absolute

LXX: νύκτα νυκτὸσ νυκτόσ νυκτὶ νύκτασ

LXX Usage Statistics

H3915:

νύκτα 70× (28.6%)

νυκτὸσ 41× (18.3%)

νυκτόσ 25× (11.0%)

νυκτὶ 23× (8.8%)

νύκτασ 11× (5.2%)

νὺξ 9× (3.6%)

'' 7× (2.8%)

νύξ 6× (2.5%)

--- 6× (2.9%)

---% 4× (1.5%)

ויחרד וַיֶּחֱרַד

None

STRONGS

Strong's Lexicon

ו

wāw

Definition

sequential 'and'

Root

From H8505; a prefix

Exhaustive

Vav Conversive/Consecutive: The category “vav conversive / vav consecutive” is not an ancient grammatical datum; it is a modern explanatory construct, developed by early Hebraists to force Biblical Hebrew into a Latin/chronological tense model that it simply does not share.

The notion arose in early modern grammar (17th–19th c.) when scholars assumed:
- verbs must encode tense,
- narratives must advance by past → present → future,
- therefore Hebrew forms that “don’t behave” must be converted.

Source: The Aonic Nature of Biblical Hebrew Prepositions

חרד

chârad

Definition

to shudder with terror; hence, to fear; also to hasten (with anxiety)

Root

a primitive root;

Exhaustive

a primitive root; to shudder with terror; hence, to fear; also to hasten (with anxiety); be (make) afraid, be careful, discomfit, fray (away), quake, tremble.

Source: Strong's Exhaustive Concordance — H2729

Fürst

Fürst Lexicon

חָרַד

verb • Root חרד • Strongs / High • Page 525

to be afraid, to quake, to tremble.

חָרַד

verb • Root חרד • Strongs / High • Page 526

To be uneasy, tremble, flutter with fear or trepidation; to be moved with trepidation, to be afraid.

Gesenius

Gesenius Lexicon

חָרַד

verb • Root חרד • Page 246

1. to tremble, to quake, to be terrified (Ex. 19:16, 1 Sam. 28:5, Is. 10:29). Often used in terror when addressing others (Gen. 42:28, 1 Sam. 13:7).

conjunctive, Verb Qal sequential imperfect third person masculine singular

LXX: ἐξέστη ἐκφοβῶν ἐξέστησαν φοβηθήσονται ἐκστήσονται

LXX Usage Statistics

H2729:

ἐξέστη 6× (15.4%)

ἐκφοβῶν 5× (12.1%)

ἐξέστησαν 3× (7.7%)

φοβηθήσονται 2× (5.3%)

ἐκστήσονται 2× (4.8%)

ἀποσοβῶν 2× (4.8%)

האיש הָאישׁ

the Mortal Man

STRONGS

Strong's Lexicon

ה

Definition

the

Root

Demonstrative primitive

Exhaustive

definite article, the, used for all numbers and genders; originally a pronoun demonstrative, this. interrogative particle in direct and indirect questions; in disjunctive questions: whether--or.

Source: The Aonic Nature of Biblical Hebrew Prepositions

איש

ʼîysh

Definition

a man as an individual or a male person; often used as an adjunct to a more definite term (and in such cases frequently not expressed in translation)

Root

contracted for H582 (אנוש) (or perhaps rather from an unused root meaning to be extant);

Exhaustive

contracted for אנוש (or perhaps rather from an unused root meaning to be extant); a man as an individual or a male person; often used as an adjunct to a more definite term (and in such cases frequently not expressed in translation); also, another, any (man), a certain, [phrase] champion, consent, each, every (one), fellow, (foot-, husband-) man, (good-, great, mighty) man, he, high (degree), him (that is), husband, man(-kind), [phrase] none, one, people, person, [phrase] steward, what (man) soever, whoso(-ever), worthy. Compare אשה.

Source: Strong's Exhaustive Concordance — H376

Fürst

Fürst Lexicon

אִישׁ

noun masculine • Root אש • Strongs_Numbers • Page 117

1. a man, prop. strong; generally a man with relation to strength, courage and valour; a husband; with reference to sex, male, masculine (applied to men and beasts).

אִישׁ

noun masculine • Root אנש • Strongs_Numbers • Page 119

Used distributively as 'any one', 'each', 'every one'; used reciprocally as 'one another' (lit. a man to his brother); also used to express an antithetic or additional member.

אִישׁ

noun masculine • Root אנש • Strongs_Numbers • Page 929

Man. Example of a word where Nun is absorbed, from an older form אִנְשׁ.

Gesenius

Gesenius Lexicon

אִישׁ

m. prim. irreg. • Root אנש אנוש • Page 46

1. man, i. q. Lat. vir; used collectively; often in apposition before other substantives (e.g., אִישׁ סָרִיס an eunuch, Jer. 38:7). Used as a designation of sex, even in animals (Gen. 7:2); hence a husband (Gen. 3:16). 2. joined with substantives to denote a possessor of a quality (e.g., אִישׁ אָוֶן a wicked wretch). 3. followed by אָח or רֵעַ, 'the one... the other'. 4. any one, some one (Ex. 16:29). 5. every one (Ex. 16:29). 6. used impersonally like French 'on' or German 'man' (1 Sam. 9:9).

Particle definite article, Noun common both singular absolute

LXX:

LXX Usage Statistics

H0376:

No stats available

וילפת וַיִּלָּפֵת

And he is clasping

STRONGS

Strong's Lexicon

ו

wāw

Definition

sequential 'and'

Root

From H8505; a prefix

Exhaustive

Vav Conversive/Consecutive: The category “vav conversive / vav consecutive” is not an ancient grammatical datum; it is a modern explanatory construct, developed by early Hebraists to force Biblical Hebrew into a Latin/chronological tense model that it simply does not share.

The notion arose in early modern grammar (17th–19th c.) when scholars assumed:
- verbs must encode tense,
- narratives must advance by past → present → future,
- therefore Hebrew forms that “don’t behave” must be converted.

Source: The Aonic Nature of Biblical Hebrew Prepositions

לפת

lâphath

Definition

properly, to bend, i.e. (by implication) to clasp; also (reflexively) to turn around or aside

Root

a primitive root;

Exhaustive

a primitive root; properly, to bend, i.e. (by implication) to clasp; also (reflexively) to turn around or aside; take hold, turn aside (self).

Source: Strong's Exhaustive Concordance — H3943

Fürst

Fürst Lexicon

לָפַת

verb • Root לפת • Strongs / High • Page 791

to bend, to bow, to crook, to turn; to turn aside; to embrace, to clasp.

Gesenius

Gesenius Lexicon

לָפַת

verb • Page 348

To bend, bow. Judg. 16: 29. Niph. 1. to bend one's self. Ruth 3: 8.

conjunctive, Verb Niphal sequential imperfect third person masculine singular

LXX:

LXX Usage Statistics

H3943:

No stats available

והנה וְהִנֵּה

And behold!

STRONGS

Strong's Lexicon

ו

wə

Definition

and

Root

From H8505; a prefix

Exhaustive

The conjunctive ו is not merely a fixed coordinator with a stable semantic value (“and/but/or/then”). Its core function is linkage, not meaning. It binds units into a single discourse field—phrases, clauses, or whole scenes—while leaving the logical relation to be inferred from aspect, word order, genre, and context.

So the variability in translation (“and / but / or / even / then”) is not polyvalence in the particle; it is underspecification by design. The language expects the reader/hearer to perceive the relation rather than have it encoded.

Crucially, conjunctive ו does not imply temporal sequence. It implies continuity of attention. Think of it as:
- “this belongs with what precedes,”
- “remain within the same frame,”
“do not reset the discourse.”
This is why Hebrew can chain dozens of clauses with ו without subordination or explicit logic markers. The text advances by accumulation, not by branching syntactic trees. Meaning arises from the interaction:
- Aspect (qatal / yiqtol / participle),
- Position (fronted elements, resumptive nouns),
- Genre (law, narrative, oracle),
- Context (who speaks, to whom).
The ו simply keeps the circuit closed so these cues can operate together. Remove tense assumptions, and the system becomes coherent.

Source: The Aonic Nature of Biblical Hebrew Prepositions

הנה

hinnêh

Definition

lo!

Root

prolongation for H2005 (הן);

Exhaustive

prolongation for הן; lo!; behold, lo, see.

Source: Strong's Exhaustive Concordance — H2009

Fürst

Fürst Lexicon

הִנֵּה

adverb / interjection / demonstrative pronoun • Root הן • Consonantal / Medium • Page 408

A demonstrative particle, functioning as an adverb or interjection. Its primary meanings are there, here, behold!, lo!. It points to a definite existence or presence (e.g., 'is there', 'was there'), and is frequently used with suffixes (הִנְנִי, behold me; הִנְךָ, behold you). Before participles, it adds demonstrative liveliness. It can also function as a mere exclamation or mean 'if'.

Matched via consonantal key only

הֵנָּה

personal pronoun • Consonantal / Medium • Page 408

They (feminine). A 3rd person plural feminine personal pronoun. Related to הֵן I.

Matched via consonantal key only

הֵנָּה

adverb • Root הן • Consonantal / Medium • Page 408

An adverb of place and time. 1. hither, to this place, often used after verbs of motion or to add the idea of motion. Can also mean 'thus far' or 'of time till now'. 2. here, in this place.

Matched via consonantal key only

Gesenius

Gesenius Lexicon

הִנֵּה

interjection • Page 191

see! behold! Very frequent. (Gen. 19:2; Dan. 12:5; 1 K. 20:40).

Conjunction, Particle interjection

LXX: ἰδοὺ --- ἰδού '' ἦν

LXX Usage Statistics

H2009:

ἰδοὺ 634× (73.5%)

--- 25× (3.1%)

ἰδού 14× (1.6%)

'' 12× (1.3%)

ἦν 9× (0.9%)

ἐστιν 8× (0.8%)

ὅτι 7× (0.9%)

ἰδου 7× (0.8%)

νῦν 6× (0.7%)

ὧδε 6× (0.7%)

אשה אִשָּׁה

a woman

STRONGS

Strong's Lexicon

אשה

ʼishshâh

Definition

a woman

Root

feminine of H376 (איש) or H582 (אנוש); irregular plural, נשים;(used in the same wide sense as H582 (אנוש))

Exhaustive

feminine of איש or אנוש; irregular plural, נשים;(used in the same wide sense as אנוש); a woman; (adulter) ess, each, every, female, [idiom] many, [phrase] none, one, [phrase] together, wife, woman. Often unexpressed in English.

Source: Strong's Exhaustive Concordance — H802

Fürst

Fürst Lexicon

אִשֶּׁה

noun masculine • Root אש • Lemma_Lookup • Page 197

Sacrificial fire, altar-flame, a burning; specifically a sacrifice.

אִשָּׁה

noun feminine • Root אנש • Lemma_Lookup • Page 197

Woman, wife, female; also applied to animals (female) and metaphorically to things with weak or feminine characteristics.

אֶשָּׁה

noun feminine • Lemma_Lookup • Page 197

Fire.

אָשָׁה

verb • Root אשה • Lemma_Lookup • Page 197

(Not used) To be firm, close, to be firmly fitted together; to support.

בָּאְשָׁה

noun feminine • Root באש • Lemma_Lookup • Page 217

a stink-weed, bad or poisonous weed.

לְאִשָּׁה

prepositional phrase • Lemma_Lookup • Page 757

Into a woman; as in 'Lord God built the rib into a woman'.

נָשָׂא אִשָּׁה

verb • Root נשא • Lemma_Lookup • Page 992

To lead home a wife, to marry.

Gesenius

Gesenius Lexicon

אִשֶּׁה

m. const. אִשֵּׁה / plur. const. אִשֵּׁי • Root אש • Page 75

Firing, something on fire, an offering. A generic word including every species of offering. Lev. 24:7, 9; Ex 29:18, 25, 41; Lev. 1:9, 13, 17, etc. Plur. אִשֵּׁי יְהוָה Lev. 2:3, 10.

אִשָּׁה

noun feminine • Root אנוש איש • Page 75

1. woman—Applied as a designation of sex, even in animals, Gen. 7:2. 2. wife, hence אֵשֶׁת אָב 'father’s wife' (stepmother), Lev. 18:8. Often with genitives denoting quality (e.g., lovely woman, Prov. 11:16). 3. with אָחוֹת or רְעוּת for 'the one... the other.' 4. some one. 5. every one. Ex. 3:22.

אֵשָׁה

noun feminine • Root אש • Page 75

i. q. (equivalent to) אֵשׁ 'fire'. This is the best explanation of the Kethib in Jer. 6:29.

Noun common feminine singular absolute

LXX:

LXX Usage Statistics

H0802:

No stats available

שכבת שֹׁכֶבֶת

intercourse/copulation

STRONGS

Strong's Lexicon

שכב

shâkab

Definition

to lie down (for rest, sexual connection, decease or any other purpose)

Root

a primitive root;

Exhaustive

a primitive root; to lie down (for rest, sexual connection, decease or any other purpose); [idiom] at all, cast down, (lover-)lay (self) (down), (make to) lie (down, down to sleep, still with), lodge, ravish, take rest, sleep, stay.

Source: Strong's Exhaustive Concordance — H7901

Fürst

Fürst Lexicon

שָׁכַב

verb • Root שכב • Strongs / High • Page 1417

I. To bend oneself, to lie down, to lie stiff (of one destroyed), to rest, to sleep, or metaphorically to die/be buried (e.g., שָׁכַב עִם־אֲבוֹתָיו).

שָׁכַב

verb • Strongs / High • Page 1418

Denotes the coming into Sheol. 2. To lie (sexually), commonly spoken of a man lying with a woman, or vice versa, also applied to animals.

שָׁכַב

verb • Root שכב • Strongs / High • Page 1418

II. To pour out. (The sexual meaning of שָׁכַב I. may derive from originally meaning 'to moisten, with semen').

Gesenius

Gesenius Lexicon

שָׁכַב

verb • Page 670

1. to lay one's self down, particularly for sleep (Gen. 19:4, 28:11, 1 Sam. 3:5) or in death (1 K. 2:10, 11:43). 2. to lie. Constrained with an accus. of the place, hence those that lie in the grave, Ps. 88:6; she that lieth in thy bosom, Mic. 7:5.

Verb Qal participle active feminine singular absolute

LXX: ἐκοιμήθη κοιμηθῇ κοιμηθῆναι ἐκάθευδεν κοιμηθήσῃ

LXX Usage Statistics

H7901:

ἐκοιμήθη 52× (22.9%)

κοιμηθῇ 18× (8.9%)

κοιμηθῆναι 10× (4.3%)

ἐκάθευδεν 9× (4.5%)

κοιμηθήσῃ 9× (4.4%)

κοιμώμενοσ 8× (3.6%)

κοιμήθητι 8× (4.0%)

κοιμηθήσεται 7× (3.3%)

ἐκοιμήθησαν 6× (3.1%)

κοιμηθεὶσ 5× (2.5%)

מרגלתיו מַרְגְּלֹתָיו׃

None

STRONGS

Strong's Lexicon

מרגלה

margᵉlâh

Definition

(plural for collective) a footpiece, i.e. (adverbially) at the foot, or (direct.) the foot itself

Root

denominative from H7272 (רגל);

Exhaustive

denominative from רגל; (plural for collective) a footpiece, i.e. (adverbially) at the foot, or (direct.) the foot itself; feet. Compare מראשה.

Source: Strong's Exhaustive Concordance — H4772

הו

Definition

his, personal posessive - noun suffix: 3rd person masculine singular

Root

Exhaustive

Personal posessive pronoun - suffix for nouns, adjectives and passive participles: 3rd person masculine singular

Source: Strong's Exhaustive Concordance — H9023

Noun common feminine plural construct, Suffix pronominal third person masculine singular

LXX: ποδῶν pπρὸσ

LXX Usage Statistics

H4772:

ποδῶν 4× (53.4%)

pπρὸσ 2× (34.5%)

RBT Translation:

No verse found

RBT Paraphrase:
No verse found

Julia Smith Literal 1876 Translation:
And it will be in the middle of the night, and the man will be terrified: and he will turn and behold a woman lying from his feet.

LITV Translation:
And it happened in the middle of the night, that the man trembled and turned himself. And, behold, a woman was lying at his feet!

Brenton Septuagint Translation:
And it came to pass at midnight that the man was amazed, and troubled, and behold, a woman lay at his feet.