Word study
Cover
18 Hebrew and 3 Greek words behind this English word
The original-language words that the Berean Standard Bible translates with one of these: covered, cover, covering, covers, coverings. 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 “cover” 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)
- כָּסָה kâsâhcovertranslated this way 114 times of its 150 uses · Strong’s H3680Verb · Translated: covered 51, cover 36, covers 16, covering 9Full study and all 148 verses →
Genesis 7:19 Finally, the waters completely prevailed upon the earth, so that all the high mountains under all the heavens were covered.
Exodus 8:6 So Aaron stretched out his hand over the waters of Egypt, and the frogs came up and covered the land of Egypt.
- מִכְסֶה miksehcoveringtranslated this way 12 times of its 15 uses · Strong’s H4372Noun · Translated: covering 12, with 3Full study and all 12 verses →
Genesis 8:13 In Noah’s six hundred and first year, on the first day of the first month, the waters had dried up from the earth. So Noah removed the covering from the ark and saw that the surface of the ground was dry.
Exodus 26:14 Also make a covering for the tent out of ram skins dyed red, and over that a covering of fine leather.
- חָפָה châphâhcovertranslated this way 7 times of its 12 uses · Strong’s H2645Verb · Translated: covered 5, overlaid 4, cover 2, paneled 1Full study and all 10 verses →
2 Samuel 15:30 But David continued up the Mount of Olives, weeping as he went up. His head was covered, and he was walking barefoot. And all the people with him covered their heads and went up, weeping as they went.
Esther 6:12 Then Mordecai returned to the king’s gate. But Haman rushed home, with his head covered in grief.
- עָטָה âṭâhwrap oneself, enwrap envelop oneselftranslated this way 7 times of its 17 uses · Strong’s H5844Verb · Translated: cover 4, covered 2, wraps 2, wrapped 2Full study and all 15 verses →
Leviticus 13:45 A diseased person must wear torn clothes and let his hair hang loose, and he must cover his mouth and cry out, ‘Unclean, unclean!’
Psalm 71:13 May the accusers of my soul be ashamed and consumed; may those who seek my harm be covered with scorn and disgrace.
- מָלֵא mâlêbe full, filltranslated this way 6 times of its 242 uses · Strong’s H4390Verb · Translated: filled 66, full 34, fill 31, complete 8Full study and all 235 verses →
1 Kings 20:27 The Israelites also mobilized, gathered supplies, and marched out to meet them. The Israelites camped before them like two small flocks of goats, while the Arameans covered the countryside.
2 Kings 3:25 They destroyed the cities, and each man threw stones on every good field until it was covered. They stopped up every spring and cut down every good tree. Only Kir-haraseth was left with stones in place, but men with slings surrounded it and attacked it as well.
- עַל alheighttranslated this way 5 times of its 4,859 uses · Strong’s H5921Preposition · Translated: on 777, over 297, in 218, against 216Full study and all 3,996 verses →
Genesis 8:9 But the dove found no place to rest her foot, and she returned to him in the ark, because the waters were still covering the surface of all the earth. So he reached out his hand and brought her back inside the ark.
Genesis 29:2 He looked and saw a well in the field, and near it lay three flocks of sheep, because the sheep were watered from this well. And a large stone covered the mouth of the well.
- סָכַךְ sâkakovershadow, screen, covertranslated this way 4 times of its 24 uses · Strong’s H5526Verb · Translated: overshadowing 2, cover 2, overshadowed 2, knit me together 2Full study and all 24 verses →
Exodus 33:22 and when My glory passes by, I will put you in a cleft of the rock and cover you with My hand until I have passed by.
Psalm 91:4 He will cover you with His feathers; under His wings you will find refuge; His faithfulness is a shield and rampart.
- כְּסוּת kesûthcoveringtranslated this way 4 times of its 8 uses · Strong’s H3682Noun · Translated: covering 4, cloak 2, vindication 1, clothing 1Full study and all 8 verses →
Exodus 22:27 because his cloak is the only covering he has for his body. What else will he sleep in? And if he cries out to Me, I will hear, for I am compassionate.
Job 24:7 Without clothing, they spend the night naked; they have no covering against the cold.
- פָּנִים pânîmface, beforetranslated this way 3 times of its 1,836 uses · Strong’s H6440Noun · Translated: before 448, face 222, presence 147, before you 123Full study and all 1,671 verses →
- מָסָךְ mâsâkcovering, screentranslated this way 3 times of its 25 uses · Strong’s H4539Noun · Translated: curtain 17, covering 3, curtains 2, shield 1Full study and all 25 verses →
Exodus 39:34 the covering of ram skins dyed red, the covering of fine leather, and the veil of the covering;
2 Samuel 17:19 Then the man’s wife took a covering, spread it over the mouth of the well, and scattered grain over it so nobody would know a thing.
- מַרְבַד marbadspread, coverlettranslated this way 2 times of its 2 uses · Strong’s H4765Noun · Translated: coverings 1, coverings for her bed 1Full study and all 2 verses →
Proverbs 7:16 I have decked my bed with coverings, with colored linen from Egypt.
Proverbs 31:22 She makes coverings for her bed; her clothing is fine linen and purple.
- הָיָה hâyâhfall out, come to pass, become, betranslated this way 2 times of its 2,848 uses · Strong’s H1961Verb · Translated: will be 206, become 178, came 169, was 151Full study and all 2,573 verses →
Exodus 10:22 So Moses stretched out his hand toward heaven, and total darkness covered all the land of Egypt for three days.
- כֹּל kôlthe whole, alltranslated this way 2 times of its 5,107 uses · Strong’s H3605Noun · Translated: all 1,589, and all 471, whole 223, every 196Full study and all 4,112 verses →
- צָפָה tsâphâhlay out, lay overtranslated this way 2 times of its 45 uses · Strong’s H6823Verb · Translated: overlaid 29, overlay 11Full study and all 40 verses →
1 Kings 6:15 He lined the interior walls with cedar paneling from the floor of the temple to the ceiling, and he covered the floor with cypress boards.
Proverbs 26:23 Like glaze covering an earthen vessel are burning lips and a wicked heart.
- קָרַם qâramspreadtranslated this way 2 times of its 2 uses · Strong’s H7159Verb · Translated: cover 1, covered 1Full study and all 2 verses →
Ezekiel 37:6 I will attach tendons to you and make flesh grow upon you and cover you with skin. I will put breath within you so that you will come to life. Then you will know that I am the LORD.’”
Ezekiel 37:8 As I looked on, tendons appeared on them, flesh grew, and skin covered them; but there was no breath in them.
- כָּסוּי kâsûycoveringtranslated this way 2 times of its 2 uses · Strong’s H3681Noun · Translated: covering 2Full study and all 2 verses →
Numbers 4:6 They are to place over this a covering of fine leather, spread a solid blue cloth over it, and insert its poles.
Numbers 4:14 and place on it all the vessels used to serve there: the firepans, meat forks, shovels, and sprinkling bowls— all the equipment of the altar. They are to spread over it a covering of fine leather and insert the poles.
- סֵתֶר sêthercovering, hiding-place, secrecytranslated this way 2 times of its 36 uses · Strong’s H5643Noun · Translated: secret 10, secretly 5, hiding place 4, shelter 3Full study and all 36 verses →
Job 24:15 The eye of the adulterer watches for twilight. Thinking, ‘No eye will see me,’ he covers his face.
Psalm 27:5 For in the day of trouble He will hide me in His shelter; He will conceal me under the cover of His tent; He will set me high upon a rock.
- סָתַר sâtharhide, concealtranslated this way 2 times of its 80 uses · Strong’s H5641Verb · Translated: hide 34, hidden 13, hid 9, hiding 5Full study and all 80 verses →
Proverbs 22:3 The prudent see danger and take cover, but the simple keep going and suffer the consequences.
Proverbs 27:12 The prudent see danger and take cover, but the simple keep going and pay the penalty.
Greek words (New Testament)
- καλύπτω kalýptōI veil, hide, conceal, enveloptranslated this way 4 times of its 8 uses · Strong’s G2572Verb · Translated: covers 2, veiled 2, Cover 2, engulfed 1Full study and all 7 verses →
Luke 8:16 No one lights a lamp and covers it with a jar or puts it under a bed. Instead, he sets it on a stand, so those who enter can see the light.
James 5:20 consider this: Whoever turns a sinner from the error of his way will save his soul from death and cover over a multitude of sins.
- γέμω gémōI am full oftranslated this way 3 times of its 11 uses · Strong’s G1073Verb · Translated: full 8, covered 3Full study and all 11 verses →
Revelation 4:6 And before the throne was something like a sea of glass, as clear as crystal. In the center, around the throne, were four living creatures, covered with eyes in front and back.
Revelation 4:8 And each of the four living creatures had six wings and was covered with eyes all around and within. Day and night they never stop saying: “Holy, Holy, Holy, is the Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come!”
- κατακαλύπτω katakalýptōI veil, cover the headtranslated this way 3 times of its 3 uses · Strong’s G2619Verb · Translated: cover her head 2, cover 1Full study and all 2 verses →
1 Corinthians 11:6 If a woman does not cover her head, she should have her hair cut off. And if it is shameful for a woman to have her hair cut or shaved off, she should cover her head.
1 Corinthians 11:7 A man ought not to cover his head, since he is the image and glory of God; but the woman is the glory of man.
How to study a word well
- 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.
- 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.
- Look at how it is translated. A word rendered five different ways has a wider meaning than any one English word can carry.
- 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.
- See what it keeps company with. The words that appear beside it again and again show how the Bible itself connects ideas.
- Then read the dictionaries. They give the considered view of scholars, with their evidence.
- 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.