Word study
Gather
13 Hebrew and 9 Greek words behind this English word
The original-language words that the Berean Standard Bible translates with one of these: gathered, gather, gathering, gathers, gatherings. 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 “gather” 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)
- אָסַף âsaphgather, removetranslated this way 100 times of its 193 uses · Strong’s H622Verb · Translated: gathered 56, gather 27, assembled 13, assemble 8Full study and all 183 verses →
Genesis 6:21 You are also to take for yourself every kind of food that is eaten and gather it as food for yourselves and for the animals.”
Exodus 23:10 For six years you are to sow your land and gather its produce,
- קָבַץ qâbatsgather, collecttranslated this way 79 times of its 126 uses · Strong’s H6908Verb · Translated: gather 42, gathered 25, assembled 10, assemble 9Full study and all 121 verses →
Deuteronomy 13:16 And you are to gather all its plunder in the middle of the public square, and completely burn the city and all its plunder as a whole burnt offering to the LORD your God. The city must remain a mound of ruins forever, never to be rebuilt.
Judges 9:47 And when Abimelech was told that all the leaders in the tower of Shechem were gathered there,
- לָקַט lâqaṭpick or gather uptranslated this way 25 times of its 37 uses · Strong’s H3950Verb · Translated: gather 14, gathered 8, glean 6, gleaned 3Full study and all 34 verses →
Genesis 31:46 and he said to his relatives, “Gather some stones.” So they took stones and made a mound, and there by the mound they ate.
Exodus 16:4 Then the LORD said to Moses, “Behold, I will rain down bread from heaven for you. Each day the people are to go out and gather enough for that day. In this way I will test whether or not they will follow My instructions.
- קָהַל qâhalassemble as a קָהָלtranslated this way 8 times of its 38 uses · Strong’s H6950Verb · Translated: assembled 15, gathered 7, assemble 5, came together 4Full study and all 38 verses →
Exodus 32:1 Now when the people saw that Moses was delayed in coming down from the mountain, they gathered around Aaron and said, “Come, make us gods who will go before us. As for this Moses who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has happened to him!”
Leviticus 8:4 So Moses did as the LORD had commanded him, and the assembly gathered at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting.
- קָשַׁשׁ qâshashgather stubbletranslated this way 8 times of its 8 uses · Strong’s H7197Verb · Translated: gathering 4, gather 3, gather together 1Full study and all 7 verses →
Exodus 5:7 “You shall no longer supply the people with straw for making bricks. They must go and gather their own straw.
Numbers 15:32 While the Israelites were in the wilderness, a man was found gathering wood on the Sabbath day.
- כָּנַס kânasgather, collecttranslated this way 5 times of its 12 uses · Strong’s H3664Verb · Translated: gather 2Full study and all 11 verses →
1 Chronicles 22:2 So David gave orders to gather the foreigners in the land of Israel, from whom he appointed stonecutters to prepare finished stones for building the house of God.
Nehemiah 12:44 And on that same day men were appointed over the rooms that housed the supplies, contributions, firstfruits, and tithes. The portions specified by the Law for the priests and Levites were gathered into these storerooms from the fields of the villages, because Judah rejoiced over the priests and Levites who were serving.
- בָּצַר bâtsarcut off, make inaccessibletranslated this way 3 times of its 35 uses · Strong’s H1219Adjective · Translated: fortified 20, grape gatherers 2Full study and all 35 verses →
Leviticus 25:5 You are not to reap the aftergrowth of your harvest or gather the grapes of your untended vines. The land must have a year of complete rest.
Deuteronomy 24:21 When you gather the grapes of your vineyard, you must not go over the vines again. What remains will be for the foreigner, the fatherless, and the widow.
- אָגַר âgargathertranslated this way 3 times of its 3 uses · Strong’s H103Verb · Translated: gathers 2, gather 1Full study and all 3 verses →
Deuteronomy 28:39 You will plant and cultivate vineyards, but will neither drink the wine nor gather the grapes, because worms will eat them.
Proverbs 6:8 it prepares its provisions in summer; it gathers its food at harvest.
- קָוָה qâvâhwait fortranslated this way 2 times of its 48 uses · Strong’s H6960Verb · Translated: wait 20, hope 6, waited 4, hoped 3Full study and all 45 verses →
Genesis 1:9 And God said, “Let the waters under the sky be gathered into one place, so that the dry land may appear.” And it was so.
Jeremiah 3:17 At that time they will call Jerusalem The Throne of the LORD, and all the nations will be gathered in Jerusalem to honor the name of the LORD. They will no longer follow the stubbornness of their evil hearts.
- סָבַב sâbabturn about, go around, surroundtranslated this way 2 times of its 153 uses · Strong’s H5437Verb · Translated: turned 16, surrounded 13, surround 10, turn 8Full study and all 144 verses →
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.”
Psalm 7:7 Let the assembled peoples gather around You; take Your seat over them on high.
- מָעַט mâaṭbe or become small, diminished, fewtranslated this way 2 times of its 22 uses · Strong’s H4591Verb · Translated: less 3, decrease 3, diminish 2, decreased 2Full study and all 21 verses →
Exodus 16:18 When they measured it by the omer, he who gathered much had no excess, and he who gathered little had no shortfall. Each one gathered as much as he needed to eat.
2 Kings 4:3 “Go,” said Elisha, “borrow empty jars from all your neighbors. Do not gather just a few.
- יָעַד yâadappointtranslated this way 2 times of its 29 uses · Strong’s H3259Verb · Translated: meet 8, assembled 3, conspired 2, challenge 2Full study and all 29 verses →
Numbers 10:4 But if only one is sounded, then the leaders, the heads of the clans of Israel, are to gather before you.
Numbers 27:3 “Our father died in the wilderness, but he was not among the followers of Korah who gathered together against the LORD. Instead, he died because of his own sin, and he had no sons.
- לָקַח lâqachtaketranslated this way 2 times of its 938 uses · Strong’s H3947Verb · Translated: take 247, took 245, taken 40, get 26Full study and all 890 verses →
Greek words (New Testament)
- συνάγω synágōI gather togethertranslated this way 30 times of its 59 uses · Strong’s G4863Verb · Translated: gathered 14, gather 11, assembled 9, met 3Full study and all 59 verses →
Matthew 3:12 His winnowing fork is in His hand to clear His threshing floor and to gather His wheat into the barn; but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.”
Mark 2:2 they gathered in such large numbers that there was no more room, not even outside the door, as Jesus spoke the word to them.
- ἐπισυνάγω episynágōI collect, gather togethertranslated this way 8 times of its 8 uses · Strong’s G1996Verb · Translated: gather 5, gathered 2, gathers 1Full study and all 7 verses →
Matthew 23:37 O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets and stones those sent to her, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were unwilling!
Mark 1:33 and the whole town gathered at the door.
- συνέρχομαι synérchomaiI come or go with, accompany, assembletranslated this way 6 times of its 30 uses · Strong’s G4905Verb · Translated: come together 6, accompanied 5, gathered 4, came together 3Full study and all 30 verses →
Mark 3:20 Then Jesus went home, and once again a crowd gathered, so that He and His disciples could not even eat.
Acts 5:16 Crowds also gathered from the towns around Jerusalem, bringing the sick and those tormented by unclean spirits, and all of them were healed.
- συλλέγω syllégōI collect, gathertranslated this way 2 times of its 8 uses · Strong’s G4816Verb · Translated: pull 2Full study and all 8 verses →
Matthew 7:16 By their fruit you will recognize them. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles?
Luke 6:44 For each tree is known by its own fruit. Indeed, figs are not gathered from thornbushes, nor grapes from brambles.
- λαμβάνω lambánōI receive, taketranslated this way 2 times of its 241 uses · Strong’s G2983Verb · Translated: receive 43, received 37, took 36, take 25Full study and all 227 verses →
Matthew 16:9 Do you still not understand? Do you not remember the five loaves for the five thousand, and how many basketfuls you gathered?
Matthew 16:10 Or the seven loaves for the four thousand, and how many basketfuls you gathered?
- συστρέφω systréphōI roll or gather togethertranslated this way 2 times of its 2 uses · Strong’s G4962Verb · Translated: gathered together 1, gathered 1Full study and all 2 verses →
Matthew 17:22 When they gathered together in Galilee, Jesus told them, “The Son of Man is about to be delivered into the hands of men.
Acts 28:3 Paul gathered a bundle of sticks, and as he laid them on the fire, a viper, driven out by the heat, fastened itself to his hand.
- συναθροίζω synathroízōI gather together, assembletranslated this way 2 times of its 3 uses · Strong’s G4867Verb · Translated: gathered together 2, assembled 1Full study and all 3 verses →
Luke 24:33 And they got up that very hour and returned to Jerusalem. There they found the Eleven and those with them, gathered together
Acts 12:12 And when he had realized this, he went to the house of Mary the mother of John, also called Mark, where many people had gathered together and were praying.
- κυκλόω kyklóōI encircle, besiege, surroundtranslated this way 2 times of its 5 uses · Strong’s G2944Verb · Translated: surrounded 2, gathered around 2, after 1Full study and all 5 verses →
John 10:24 So the Jews gathered around Him and demanded, “How long will You keep us in suspense? If You are the Christ, tell us plainly.”
Acts 14:20 But after the disciples had gathered around him, he got up and went back into the city. And the next day he left with Barnabas for Derbe.
- τρυγάω trygáōI gathertranslated this way 2 times of its 2 uses · Strong’s G5166Verb · Translated: gather 1, gathered 1Full study and all 2 verses →
Revelation 14:18 Still another angel, with authority over the fire, came from the altar and called out in a loud voice to the angel with the sharp sickle, “Swing your sharp sickle and gather the clusters of grapes from the vine of the earth, because its grapes are ripe.”
Revelation 14:19 So the angel swung his sickle over the earth and gathered the grapes of the earth, and he threw them into the great winepress of God’s wrath.
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.