Word study
Open
16 Hebrew and 3 Greek words behind this English word
The original-language words that the Berean Standard Bible translates with one of these: open, opened, opens, opening, openings. 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 “open” 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)
- פָּתַח pâthachopentranslated this way 100 times of its 141 uses · Strong’s H6605Verb · Translated: open 50, opened 40, engrave 4, opens 3Full study and all 133 verses →
Genesis 7:11 In the six hundredth year of Noah’s life, on the seventeenth day of the second month, all the fountains of the great deep burst forth, and the floodgates of the heavens were opened.
Exodus 2:6 When she opened it, she saw the child, and behold, the little boy was crying. So she had compassion on him and said, “This is one of the Hebrew children.”
- פָּקַח pâqachopentranslated this way 18 times of its 19 uses · Strong’s H6491Verb · Translated: open 9, opened 7, opens 2, keep a watchful 1Full study and all 17 verses →
Genesis 3:5 “For God knows that in the day you eat of it, your eyes will be opened and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”
2 Kings 4:35 Elisha turned away and paced back and forth across the room. Then he got on the bed and stretched himself out over the boy again, and the boy sneezed seven times and opened his eyes.
- פָּנִים pânîmface, beforetranslated this way 13 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 →
Genesis 1:20 And God said, “Let the waters teem with living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth in the open expanse of the sky.”
Genesis 34:10 You may settle among us, and the land will be open to you. Live here, move about freely, and acquire your own property.”
- גָּלָה gâlâhuncover, removetranslated this way 10 times of its 170 uses · Strong’s H1540Verb · Translated: revealed 14, uncovered 13, exiled 12, sexual relations 11Full study and all 161 verses →
Numbers 22:31 Then the LORD opened Balaam’s eyes, and he saw the angel of the LORD standing in the road with a drawn sword in his hand. And Balaam bowed low and fell facedown.
Job 33:16 He opens their ears and terrifies them with warnings
- בָּקַע bâqacleave, break open or throughtranslated this way 9 times of its 51 uses · Strong’s H1234Verb · Translated: split 7, breached 4, divided 3, burst forth 2Full study and all 50 verses →
Numbers 16:31 As soon as Moses had finished saying all this, the ground beneath them split open,
Judges 15:19 So God opened up the hollow place in Lehi, and water came out of it. When Samson drank, his strength returned, and he was revived. That is why he named it En-hakkore, and it remains in Lehi to this day.
- פָּצָה pâtsâhpart, opentranslated this way 9 times of its 15 uses · Strong’s H6475Verb · Translated: open 4, opened 3, opens 2, set me free 2Full study and all 15 verses →
Genesis 4:11 Now you are cursed and banished from the ground, which has opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood from your hand.
Numbers 16:30 But if the LORD brings about something unprecedented, and the earth opens its mouth and swallows them and all that belongs to them so that they go down alive into Sheol, then you will know that these men have treated the LORD with contempt.”
- פֶּה pehmouthtranslated this way 9 times of its 423 uses · Strong’s H6310Noun · Translated: mouth 207, mouths 43, command 38, lips 10Full study and all 396 verses →
Exodus 28:32 with an opening at its top in the center. Around the opening shall be a woven collar with an opening like that of a garment, so that it will not tear.
1 Kings 7:31 The opening to each stand inside the crown at the top was one cubit deep, with a round opening like the design of a pedestal, a cubit and a half wide. And around its opening were engravings, but the panels of the stands were square, not round.
- שָׂדֶה sâdehid.translated this way 8 times of its 317 uses · Strong’s H7704Noun · Translated: field 185, fields 55, land 19, wild 13Full study and all 299 verses →
Leviticus 25:31 But houses in villages with no walls around them are to be considered as open fields. They may be redeemed, and they shall be released in the Jubilee.
Deuteronomy 22:25 But if the man encounters a betrothed woman in the open country, and he overpowers her and lies with her, only the man who has done this must die.
- מֶרְחָב merchâbbroad, roomy, placetranslated this way 4 times of its 6 uses · Strong’s H4800Noun · Translated: open 3, free 1, open meadow 1, breadth 1Full study and all 6 verses →
2 Samuel 22:20 He brought me out into the open; He rescued me because He delighted in me.
Psalm 18:19 He brought me out into the open; He rescued me because He delighted in me.
- פָּטַר pâṭarseparate, remove, set freetranslated this way 4 times of its 8 uses · Strong’s H6362Verb · Translated: open 4, eluded 1, released 1, sneer 1Full study and all 8 verses →
1 Kings 6:18 The cedar paneling inside the temple was carved with gourds and open flowers. Everything was cedar; not a stone could be seen.
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.
- פָּעַר pâaropen widetranslated this way 3 times of its 4 uses · Strong’s H6473Verb · Translated: open 2, drank in my words 1, opens 1Full study and all 4 verses →
Job 16:10 They open their mouths against me and strike my cheeks with contempt; they join together against me.
Psalm 119:131 I open my mouth and pant, longing for Your commandments.
- רָחַב râchabbe, or grow, wide, largetranslated this way 3 times of its 23 uses · Strong’s H7337Verb · Translated: enlarges 4, enlarge 4, broaden 2Full study and all 23 verses →
Proverbs 18:16 A man’s gift opens doors for him, and brings him before great men.
Isaiah 30:23 Then He will send rain for the seed that you have sown in the ground, and the food that comes from your land will be rich and plentiful. On that day your cattle will graze in open pastures.
- מִדְבָּר midbârmouthtranslated this way 3 times of its 269 uses · Strong’s H4057Noun · Translated: wilderness 203, desert 49, like a desert 3, open 3Full study and all 256 verses →
- שָׁתַם shâthamopentranslated this way 2 times of its 2 uses · Strong’s H8365Adjective · Translated: open 2Full study and all 2 verses →
Numbers 24:3 and he lifted up an oracle, saying: “This is the prophecy of Balaam son of Beor, the prophecy of a man whose eyes are open,
Numbers 24:15 Then Balaam lifted up an oracle, saying, “This is the prophecy of Balaam son of Beor, the prophecy of a man whose eyes are open,
- נוּחַ nûachresttranslated this way 2 times of its 140 uses · Strong’s H5117Verb · Translated: rest 20, leave 10, placed 9, set 7Full study and all 139 verses →
Ezekiel 41:9 The outer wall of the side rooms was five cubits thick, and the open area between the side rooms of the temple
Ezekiel 41:11 The side rooms opened into this area, with one entrance on the north and another on the south. The open area was five cubits wide all around.
- פְּתַח pethachopentranslated this way 2 times of its 2 uses · Strong’s H6606Verb · Translated: opened 2Full study and all 2 verses →
Daniel 6:10 Now when Daniel learned that the document had been signed, he went into his house, where the windows of his upper room opened toward Jerusalem, and three times a day he got down on his knees, prayed, and gave thanks to his God, just as he had done before.
Daniel 7:10 A river of fire was flowing, coming out from His presence. Thousands upon thousands attended Him, and myriads upon myriads stood before Him. The court was convened, and the books were opened.
Greek words (New Testament)
- ἀνοίγω anoígōI opentranslated this way 71 times of its 75 uses · Strong’s G455Verb · Translated: opened 38, open 20, opens 3, standing open 2Full study and all 74 verses →
Matthew 2:11 On coming to the house, they saw the Child with His mother Mary, and they fell down and worshiped Him. Then they opened their treasures and presented Him with gifts of gold and frankincense and myrrh.
Mark 7:35 Immediately the man’s ears were opened and his tongue was released, and he began to speak plainly.
- διανοίγω dianoígōI open fullytranslated this way 6 times of its 8 uses · Strong’s G1272Verb · Translated: opened 5, firstborn 1, open 1, explaining 1Full study and all 8 verses →
Mark 7:34 And looking up to heaven, He sighed deeply and said to him, “Ephphatha!” (which means, “Be opened!”).
Luke 24:31 Then their eyes were opened and they recognized Jesus — and He disappeared from their sight.
- πλατύνω platýnōI enlargetranslated this way 2 times of its 3 uses · Strong’s G4115Verb · Translated: open wide 2, broaden 1Full study and all 3 verses →
2 Corinthians 6:11 We have spoken freely to you, Corinthians. Our hearts are open wide.
2 Corinthians 6:13 As a fair exchange— I speak as to my children— open wide your hearts also.
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.