Word study
Hostility
6 Hebrew and 2 Greek words behind this English word
The original-language words that the Berean Standard Bible translates with “hostility”. 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 “hostility” 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)
- קְרִי qerîopposition, contrarinesstranslated this way 6 times of its 7 uses · Strong’s H7147Noun · Translated: hostility 6, against 1Full study and all 7 verses →
Leviticus 26:21 If you walk in hostility toward Me and refuse to obey Me, I will multiply your plagues seven times, according to your sins.
Leviticus 26:23 And if in spite of these things you do not accept My discipline, but continue to walk in hostility toward Me,
- אֵיבָה êbâhenmitytranslated this way 3 times of its 5 uses · Strong’s H342Noun · Translated: hostility 3, enmity 1, hatred 1Full study and all 5 verses →
Numbers 35:21 or if in hostility he strikes him with his hand and he dies, the one who struck him must surely be put to death; he is a murderer. When the avenger of blood finds the murderer, he is to kill him.
Ezekiel 25:15 This is what the Lord GOD says: ‘Because the Philistines acted in vengeance, taking vengeance with malice of soul to destroy Judah with ancient hostility,
- עַל alheighttranslated this way 2 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 16:12 He will be a wild donkey of a man, and his hand will be against everyone, and everyone’s hand against him; he will live in hostility toward all his brothers.”
Genesis 25:18 Ishmael’s descendants settled from Havilah to Shur, which is near the border of Egypt as you go toward Asshur. And they lived in hostility toward all their brothers.
- מַשְׂטֵמָה masṭêmâhanimositytranslated this way 2 times of its 2 uses · Strong’s H4895Noun · Translated: hostility 2Full study and all 2 verses →
Hosea 9:7 The days of punishment have come; the days of retribution have arrived — let Israel know it. The prophet is called a fool, and the inspired man insane, because of the greatness of your iniquity and hostility.
Hosea 9:8 The prophet is Ephraim’s watchman, along with my God, yet the snare of the fowler lies on all his paths. Hostility is in the house of his God!
- שָׂטַם sâṭambear a grudge, cherish animosity, againsttranslated this way 1 time of its 6 uses · Strong’s H7852Verb · Translated: held a grudge 1, hostility 1, bears a grudge 1, opposed 1Full study and all 6 verses →
Genesis 49:23 The archers attacked him with bitterness; they aimed at him in hostility.
- קוּץ qûtsfeel a loathing, abhorrence, sickening dreadtranslated this way 1 time of its 9 uses · Strong’s H6973Verb · Translated: weary 1, Egyptians came to dread 1, abhorred 1, detest 1Full study and all 9 verses →
1 Kings 11:25 Rezon was Israel’s enemy throughout the days of Solomon, adding to the trouble caused by Hadad. So Rezon ruled over Aram with hostility toward Israel.
Greek words (New Testament)
- ἔχθρα échthraenmity, hostilitytranslated this way 3 times of its 6 uses · Strong’s G2189Noun · Translated: hostility 3, enemies 1, hostile 1, hatred 1Full study and all 6 verses →
Ephesians 2:14 For He Himself is our peace, who has made the two one and has torn down the dividing wall of hostility
James 4:4 You adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? Therefore, whoever chooses to be a friend of the world renders himself an enemy of God.
- ἀντιλογία antilogíacontradiction, contention, rebelliontranslated this way 1 time of its 4 uses · Strong’s G485Noun · Translated: argument 1, indisputably 1, hostility 1, rebellion 1Full study and all 4 verses →
Hebrews 12:3 Consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.
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.