Word study
Piece
16 Hebrew and 4 Greek words behind this English word
The original-language words that the Berean Standard Bible translates with one of these: pieces, piece. 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 “piece” 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)
- נֵתַח nêthachpiecetranslated this way 14 times of its 13 uses · Strong’s H5409Noun · Translated: pieces 8, piece 3, other pieces 1, piece by piece 1Full study and all 9 verses →
Exodus 29:17 Cut the ram into pieces, wash the entrails and legs, and place them with its head and other pieces.
Leviticus 1:6 Next, he is to skin the burnt offering and cut it into pieces.
- מִן minout of, from, on account of, off, on the side of, since, above, than, so that nottranslated this way 9 times of its 983 uses · Strong’s H4480Preposition · Translated: from 368, of 68, from me 36, some of 33Full study and all 917 verses →
Exodus 25:31 Then you are to make a lampstand of pure, hammered gold. It shall be made of one piece, including its base and shaft, its cups, and its buds and petals.
Exodus 27:2 Make a horn on each of its four corners, so that the horns are of one piece, and overlay it with bronze.
- כָּתֵף kâthêphshoulder, shoulder-blade, sidetranslated this way 8 times of its 62 uses · Strong’s H3802Noun · Translated: side 17, shoulders 9, shoulder 9, shoulder pieces 8Full study and all 55 verses →
Exodus 28:7 It shall have two shoulder pieces attached at two of its corners, so it can be fastened.
Exodus 28:12 Fasten both stones on the shoulder pieces of the ephod as memorial stones for the sons of Israel. Aaron is to bear their names on his two shoulders as a memorial before the LORD.
- טָרַף ṭâraphtear, rend, plucktranslated this way 7 times of its 21 uses · Strong’s H2963Verb · Translated: torn to pieces 3, tear 3, tears 2, tearing 2Full study and all 21 verses →
Genesis 37:33 His father recognized it and said, “It is my son’s robe! A vicious animal has devoured him. Joseph has surely been torn to pieces!”
Exodus 22:13 If the animal was torn to pieces, he shall bring it as evidence; he need not make restitution for the torn carcass.
- רָטַשׁ râṭâshdash in piecestranslated this way 6 times of its 6 uses · Strong’s H7376Verb · Translated: dashed to pieces 4, pieces 2Full study and all 6 verses →
2 Kings 8:12 “Why is my lord weeping?” asked Hazael. “Because I know the evil you will do to the Israelites,” Elisha replied. “You will set fire to their fortresses, kill their young men with the sword, dash their little ones to pieces, and rip open their pregnant women.”
Isaiah 13:16 Their infants will be dashed to pieces before their eyes, their houses will be looted, and their wives will be ravished.
- שָׁבַר shâbarbreak, break in piecestranslated this way 4 times of its 146 uses · Strong’s H7665Verb · Translated: broken 32, shattered 23, break 21, broke 10Full study and all 142 verses →
Exodus 23:24 You must not bow down to their gods or serve them or follow their practices. Instead, you are to demolish them and smash their sacred stones to pieces.
2 Kings 11:18 So all the people of the land went to the temple of Baal and tore it down. They smashed the altars and idols to pieces, and they killed Mattan the priest of Baal in front of the altars. And Jehoiada the priest posted guards for the house of the LORD.
- פַּת pathfragment, bit, morseltranslated this way 4 times of its 14 uses · Strong’s H6595Noun · Translated: morsel 4, piece 3Full study and all 14 verses →
Leviticus 6:21 It shall be prepared with oil on a griddle; you are to bring it well-kneaded and present it as a grain offering broken in pieces, a pleasing aroma to the LORD.
1 Samuel 2:36 And everyone left in your house will come and bow down to him for a piece of silver or a morsel of bread, pleading, “Please appoint me to some priestly office so that I can eat a piece of bread.”’”
- קְשִׂיטָה qesîṭâhingottranslated this way 3 times of its 3 uses · Strong’s H7192Noun · Translated: pieces of silver 2, piece of silver 1Full study and all 3 verses →
Genesis 33:19 And the plot of ground where he pitched his tent, he purchased from the sons of Hamor, Shechem’s father, for a hundred pieces of silver.
Joshua 24:32 And the bones of Joseph, which the Israelites had brought up out of Egypt, were buried at Shechem in the plot of land that Jacob had purchased from the sons of Hamor, Shechem’s father, for a hundred pieces of silver. So it became an inheritance for Joseph’s descendants.
- נָתַח nâthachcut up, cut in pieces, divide by jointstranslated this way 3 times of its 9 uses · Strong’s H5408Verb · Translated: cut 6, cut her into pieces 1, cut them into pieces 1, cut it into pieces 1Full study and all 9 verses →
Judges 20:6 Then I took my concubine, cut her into pieces, and sent her throughout the land of Israel’s inheritance, because they had committed a lewd and disgraceful act in Israel.
1 Samuel 11:7 He took a pair of oxen, cut them into pieces, and sent them by messengers throughout the land of Israel, proclaiming, “This is what will be done to the oxen of anyone who does not march behind Saul and Samuel.” Then the terror of the LORD fell upon the people, and they came out together as one man.
- קֶרַע qeratorn piecetranslated this way 2 times of its 3 uses · Strong’s H7168Noun · Translated: pieces 2, rags 1Full study and all 3 verses →
1 Kings 11:30 And Ahijah took hold of the new cloak he was wearing, tore it into twelve pieces,
1 Kings 11:31 and said to Jeroboam, “Take ten pieces for yourself, for this is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: ‘Behold, I will tear the kingdom out of the hand of Solomon, and I will give you ten tribes.
- קָצַץ qâtsatscut offtranslated this way 2 times of its 14 uses · Strong’s H7112Verb · Translated: cut 8Full study and all 14 verses →
2 Kings 24:13 As the LORD had declared, Nebuchadnezzar also carried off all the treasures from the house of the LORD and the royal palace, and he cut into pieces all the gold articles that Solomon king of Israel had made in the temple of the LORD.
2 Chronicles 28:24 Then Ahaz gathered up the articles of the house of God, cut them into pieces, shut the doors of the house of the LORD, and set up altars of his own on every street corner in Jerusalem.
- גָּדַע gâdahew, hew down or offtranslated this way 2 times of its 22 uses · Strong’s H1438Verb · Translated: cut 13, chopped 2, cut to pieces 2Full study and all 22 verses →
2 Chronicles 34:4 Then in his presence the altars of the Baals were torn down, and he cut to pieces the incense altars that were above them. He shattered the Asherah poles, the carved idols, and the cast images, crushed them to dust, and scattered them over the graves of those who had sacrificed to them.
2 Chronicles 34:7 He tore down the altars and Asherah poles, crushed the idols to powder, and cut to pieces all the incense altars throughout the land of Israel. Then he returned to Jerusalem.
- כָּתַת kâthathbeat, crush by beatingtranslated this way 2 times of its 17 uses · Strong’s H3807Verb · Translated: crushed 4, beat 3, routed 2, smashed to pieces 2Full study and all 17 verses →
Job 4:20 They are smashed to pieces from dawn to dusk; unnoticed, they perish forever.
Micah 1:7 All her carved images will be smashed to pieces; all her wages will be burned in the fire, and I will destroy all her idols. Since she collected the wages of a prostitute, they will be used again on a prostitute.
- בֶּתֶר betherpart, piecetranslated this way 2 times of its 3 uses · Strong’s H1335Noun · Translated: pieces 2, halves 1Full study and all 3 verses →
Jeremiah 34:18 And those who have transgressed My covenant and have not fulfilled the terms of the covenant they made before Me, I will treat like the calf they cut in two in order to pass between its pieces.
Jeremiah 34:19 The officials of Judah and Jerusalem, the court officials, the priests, and all the people of the land who passed between the pieces of the calf,
- חֶרֶשׂ cheresearthenware, earthen vessel, sherd, potsherdtranslated this way 2 times of its 17 uses · Strong’s H2789Noun · Translated: clay 9Full study and all 16 verses →
Job 2:8 And Job took a piece of broken pottery to scrape himself as he sat among the ashes.
Ezekiel 23:34 You will drink it and drain it; you will dash it to pieces, and tear your breasts. For I have spoken,’ declares the Lord GOD.
- הַדָּם haddâmmember, limbtranslated this way 2 times of its 2 uses · Strong’s H1917Noun · Translated: pieces 2Full study and all 2 verses →
Daniel 2:5 The king replied to the astrologers, “My word is final: If you do not tell me the dream and its interpretation, you will be cut into pieces and your houses will be reduced to rubble.
Daniel 3:29 Therefore I decree that the people of any nation or language who say anything offensive against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego will be cut into pieces and their houses reduced to rubble. For there is no other god who can deliver in this way.”
Greek words (New Testament)
- κλάσμα klásmaa fragmenttranslated this way 9 times of its 9 uses · Strong’s G2801Noun · Translated: broken pieces 6, pieces 2, broken pieces of bread 1Full study and all 9 verses →
Matthew 14:20 They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over.
Mark 6:43 and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces of bread and fish.
- ἀργύριον argýrionsilver, a shekel, money in generaltranslated this way 4 times of its 20 uses · Strong’s G694Noun · Translated: money 8, silver 6, pieces of silver 4, sum of money 1Full study and all 20 verses →
Matthew 26:15 and asked, “What are you willing to give me if I hand Him over to you?” And they set out for him thirty pieces of silver.
Matthew 27:3 When Judas, who had betrayed Him, saw that Jesus was condemned, he was filled with remorse and returned the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders.
- συνθλάω synthláōI break, break in piecestranslated this way 2 times of its 2 uses · Strong’s G4917Verb · Translated: broken to pieces 2Full study and all 2 verses →
Matthew 21:44 He who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces, but he on whom it falls will be crushed.”
Luke 20:18 Everyone who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces, but he on whom it falls will be crushed.”
- διχοτομέω dichotoméōI cut in two, scourge severelytranslated this way 2 times of its 2 uses · Strong’s G1371Verb · Translated: cut him to pieces 2Full study and all 2 verses →
Matthew 24:51 Then he will cut him to pieces and assign him a place with the hypocrites, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’’
Luke 12:46 The master of that servant will come on a day he does not expect and at an hour he does not anticipate. Then he will cut him to pieces and assign him a place with the unbelievers.
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.