Word study

Around

20 Hebrew and 12 Greek words behind this English word

The original-language words that the Berean Standard Bible translates with “around”. English often uses one word where Hebrew or Greek has several, each with its own shade of meaning. Under each word are verses where it is translated this way; choose the word itself for its full study: every verse, how else it is translated, the forms it takes and what the dictionaries say.

At a glance

How often each original word is translated “around” or one of its forms.

Compare the Hebrew words side by side Compare the Greek words side by side

Hebrew and Aramaic words (Old Testament)

  • סָבִיב sâbîbcircuit, round abouttranslated this way 159 times of its 295 uses · Strong’s H5439Adverb  ·  Translated: around 151, side 31, surrounding 29, sides 16

    Genesis 41:48 During those seven years, Joseph collected all the excess food in the land of Egypt and stored it in the cities. In every city he laid up the food from the fields around it.

    Exodus 7:24 So all the Egyptians dug around the Nile for water to drink, because they could not drink the water from the river.

    Full study and all 268 verses →
  • עַל alheighttranslated this way 27 times of its 4,859 uses · Strong’s H5921Preposition  ·  Translated: on 777, over 297, in 218, against 216

    Genesis 38:28 And as she was giving birth, one of them put out his hand; so the midwife took a scarlet thread and tied it around his wrist. “This one came out first,” she announced.

    Exodus 18:13 The next day Moses took his seat to judge the people, and they stood around him from morning until evening.

    Full study and all 3,996 verses →
  • סָבַב sâbabturn about, go around, surroundtranslated this way 26 times of its 153 uses · Strong’s H5437Verb  ·  Translated: turned 16, surrounded 13, surround 10, turn 8

    Genesis 37:7 We were binding sheaves of grain in the field, and suddenly my sheaf rose and stood upright, while your sheaves gathered around and bowed down to mine.”

    Exodus 13:18 So God led the people around by the way of the wilderness toward the Red Sea. And the Israelites left the land of Egypt arrayed for battle.

    Full study and all 144 verses →
  • מֹתֶן môthenwaist, loinstranslated this way 8 times of its 39 uses · Strong’s H4975Noun  ·  Translated: waist 12, around his waist 4, side 4, backs 3

    Genesis 37:34 Then Jacob tore his clothes, put sackcloth around his waist, and mourned for his son many days.

    1 Kings 2:5 Moreover, you know what Joab son of Zeruiah did to me— what he did to Abner son of Ner and Amasa son of Jether, the two commanders of the armies of Israel. He killed them in peacetime to avenge the blood of war. He stained with the blood of war the belt around his waist and the sandals on his feet.

    Full study and all 37 verses →
  • אֵל êlmotion totranslated this way 8 times of its 4,199 uses · Strong’s H413Preposition  ·  Translated: to 1,941, to me 285, to you 149, to him 137Full study and all 3,455 verses →
  • הָלַךְ hâlakgo, come, walktranslated this way 6 times of its 1,461 uses · Strong’s H1980Verb  ·  Translated: go 338, went 173, walk 116, Come 84

    Exodus 21:19 then the one who struck him shall go unpunished, as long as the other can get up and walk around outside with his staff. Nevertheless, he must compensate the man for his lost work and see that he is completely healed.

    Full study and all 1,299 verses →
  • עִיר îrexcitementtranslated this way 5 times of its 1,034 uses · Strong’s H5892Noun  ·  Translated: city 583, cities 344, towns 21, town 13

    Leviticus 25:34 But the open pastureland around their cities may not be sold, for this is their permanent possession.

    Numbers 35:4 The pasturelands around the cities you are to give the Levites will extend a thousand cubits from the wall on every side.

    Full study and all 925 verses →
  • הָפַךְ hâphakturn, overturntranslated this way 4 times of its 93 uses · Strong’s H2015Verb  ·  Translated: turned 27, turn 7, changed 4, overthrew 3

    1 Samuel 25:12 So David’s men turned around and went back, and they relayed to him all these words.

    1 Kings 22:34 However, a certain man drew his bow without taking special aim, and he struck the king of Israel between the joints of his armor. So the king said to his charioteer, “Turn around and take me out of the battle, for I am badly wounded!”

    Full study and all 91 verses →
  • חָגַר châgargird, gird on, gird oneselftranslated this way 3 times of its 42 uses · Strong’s H2296Verb  ·  Translated: put 8, around 3, strapped 3, armed 3

    Leviticus 8:7 He put the tunic on Aaron, tied the sash around him, clothed him with the robe, and put the ephod on him. He tied the woven band of the ephod around him and fastened it to him.

    Leviticus 8:13 Then Moses presented Aaron’s sons, put tunics on them, wrapped sashes around them, and tied headbands on them, just as the LORD had commanded him.

    Full study and all 40 verses →
  • שׁוּב shûbturn back, returntranslated this way 3 times of its 1,007 uses · Strong’s H7725Verb  ·  Translated: return 218, returned 105, restore 62, turn 56

    Joshua 8:21 When Joshua and all Israel saw that the men in ambush had captured the city and that smoke was rising from it, they turned around and struck down the men of Ai.

    Full study and all 920 verses →
  • רָאָה rââhseetranslated this way 3 times of its 1,266 uses · Strong’s H7200Verb  ·  Translated: see 354, saw 285, seen 124, look 45Full study and all 1,181 verses →
  • רֹאשׁ rôshheadtranslated this way 3 times of its 570 uses · Strong’s H7218Noun  ·  Translated: head 200, heads 113, chief 31, top 29

    1 Kings 20:31 Then the servants of Ben-hadad said to him, “Look now, we have heard that the kings of the house of Israel are merciful. Let us go out to the king of Israel with sackcloth around our waists and ropes around our heads. Perhaps he will spare your life.”

    1 Kings 20:32 So with sackcloth around their waists and ropes around their heads, they went to the king of Israel and said, “Your servant Ben-hadad says, ‘Please spare my life.’” And the king answered, “Is he still alive? He is my brother.”

    Full study and all 530 verses →
  • בְּעַד beadseparationtranslated this way 3 times of its 87 uses · Strong’s H1157Preposition  ·  Translated: for 18, behalf 10, behind 8, and for 6

    Job 1:10 Have You not placed a hedge on every side around him and his household and all that he owns? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land.

    Psalm 3:3 But You, O LORD, are a shield around me, my glory, and the One who lifts my head.

    Full study and all 70 verses →
  • עַל alupon, over, on account of, above, to, againsttranslated this way 3 times of its 88 uses · Strong’s H5922Preposition  ·  Translated: to 12, on 12, against 5, lay 4

    Daniel 5:7 The king called out for the enchanters, astrologers, and diviners to be brought in, and he said to these wise men of Babylon, “Whoever reads this inscription and tells me its interpretation will be clothed in purple and have a gold chain placed around his neck, and he will be made the third highest ruler in the kingdom.”

    Daniel 5:16 But I have heard about you, that you are able to give interpretations and solve difficult problems. Therefore, if you can read this inscription and give me its interpretation, you will be clothed in purple and have a gold chain placed around your neck, and you will be made the third highest ruler in the kingdom.”

    Full study and all 76 verses →
  • נָפַל nâphalfall, lietranslated this way 2 times of its 432 uses · Strong’s H5307Verb  ·  Translated: fall 104, fell 77, fallen 54, falls 21

    Genesis 33:4 Esau, however, ran to him and embraced him, threw his arms around his neck, and kissed him. And they both wept.

    Genesis 45:14 Then Joseph threw his arms around his brother Benjamin and wept, and Benjamin wept as they embraced.

    Full study and all 403 verses →
  • פָּנָה pânâhturntranslated this way 2 times of its 128 uses · Strong’s H6437Verb  ·  Translated: turned 27, turn 21, facing 11, turn back 4

    Exodus 7:23 Instead, Pharaoh turned around, went into his palace, and did not take any of this to heart.

    2 Samuel 1:7 When he turned around and saw me, he called out to me, and I answered, ‘Here I am!’

    Full study and all 122 verses →
  • מֵסַב mêsabthat which surrounds, or is roundtranslated this way 2 times of its 5 uses · Strong’s H4524Noun  ·  Translated: around 1, places all around 1, swirl 1, surround 1

    1 Kings 6:29 Then he carved the walls all around the temple, in both the inner and outer sanctuaries, with carved engravings of cherubim, palm trees, and open flowers.

    2 Kings 23:5 Josiah also did away with the idolatrous priests ordained by the kings of Judah to burn incense on the high places of the cities of Judah and in the places all around Jerusalem — those who had burned incense to Baal, to the sun and moon, to the constellations, and to all the host of heaven.

    Full study and all 5 verses →
  • נָבַט nâbaṭlooktranslated this way 2 times of its 68 uses · Strong’s H5027Verb  ·  Translated: look 24, looked 8, see 7, consider 6

    1 Kings 19:6 And he looked around, and there by his head was a cake of bread baked over hot coals, and a jar of water. So he ate and drank and lay down again.

    Lamentations 1:12 Is this nothing to you, all you who pass by? Look around and see! Is there any sorrow like mine, which was inflicted on me, which the LORD made me suffer on the day of His fierce anger?

    Full study and all 66 verses →
  • עִם imwithtranslated this way 2 times of its 940 uses · Strong’s H5973Preposition  ·  Translated: with 246, with you 84, with him 61, against 39Full study and all 838 verses →
  • גַּרְגְּרוֹת gargerôthnecktranslated this way 2 times of its 4 uses · Strong’s H1621Noun  ·  Translated: around your neck 2, neck 2Full study and all 4 verses →

Greek words (New Testament)

How to study a word well
  1. Start from the verse, not the dictionary. Find which Hebrew or Greek word stands in the verse you are studying. One English word often translates several different original words.
  2. Read every place the word is used. A word means what its writers used it to mean. The list of verses and the count by book show its range, and who uses it most.
  3. Look at how it is translated. A word rendered five different ways has a wider meaning than any one English word can carry.
  4. Notice the form. A command is not a statement, and a passive verb is something done to the subject. The form in your verse is part of the meaning.
  5. See what it keeps company with. The words that appear beside it again and again show how the Bible itself connects ideas.
  6. Then read the dictionaries. They give the considered view of scholars, with their evidence.
  7. Come back to the verse. Context decides. A word does not carry every one of its meanings into every verse, and where a word came from does not settle what it means in a sentence written centuries later.

Scripture text and translation counts: Berean Standard Bible. Full entry: Brown, Driver and Briggs, A Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament (1906, public domain), in the digital edition Brown-Driver-Briggs Enhanced by unfoldingWord (Joel Ruark, J. de Joode), based on data by Eliran Wong and Stephen Ku; its additions are used under CC BY 4.0. Strong’s Hebrew Dictionary: Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible Project, CC BY 4.0. Hebrew-to-English verse numbering: original work of the Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible available at https://github.com/openscriptures/morphhb, CC BY 4.0. We reformatted the data, linked the references to this site’s Bible text and left out words in other scripts that the source holds only as images. These are historical reference works; an entry gives its authors’ view, and a word’s meaning in any verse depends on how it is used there.