Word study
Reward
8 Hebrew and 3 Greek words behind this English word
The original-language words that the Berean Standard Bible translates with one of these: reward, rewarded, rewards, rewarding. 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 “reward” 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)
- שָׂכָר sâkârhire, wagestranslated this way 7 times of its 26 uses · Strong’s H7939Noun · Translated: wages 13, reward 6Full study and all 24 verses →
Genesis 15:1 After these events, the word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision: “Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your very great reward.”
2 Chronicles 15:7 But as for you, be strong; do not be discouraged, for your work will be rewarded.”
- נָתַן nâthangive, put, settranslated this way 6 times of its 1,957 uses · Strong’s H5414Verb · Translated: give 326, gave 206, given 187, put 135Full study and all 1,785 verses →
Genesis 30:18 Then Leah said, “God has rewarded me for giving my maidservant to my husband.” So she named him Issachar.
- גָּמַל gâmaldeal fully or adequately with, deal out totranslated this way 5 times of its 35 uses · Strong’s H1580Verb · Translated: weaned 8, rewarded 5, done 3, repay 2Full study and all 31 verses →
1 Samuel 24:17 and said to David, “You are more righteous than I, for you have rewarded me with good, though I have rewarded you with evil.
2 Samuel 22:21 The LORD has rewarded me according to my righteousness; He has repaid me according to the cleanness of my hands.
- שָׁלַם shâlambe complete, soundtranslated this way 4 times of its 109 uses · Strong’s H7999Verb · Translated: repay 20, fulfill 14, make restitution 7, made peace 6Full study and all 106 verses →
1 Samuel 24:19 When a man finds his enemy, does he let him go away unharmed? May the LORD reward you with good for what you have done for me this day.
Proverbs 13:13 He who despises instruction will pay the penalty, but the one who respects a command will be rewarded.
- פְּעֻלָּה peullâhwork, recompencetranslated this way 3 times of its 14 uses · Strong’s H6468Noun · Translated: reward 3, recompense 3, work 2, deeds 2Full study and all 14 verses →
Psalm 109:20 May this be the LORD’s reward to my accusers, to those who speak evil against me.
Isaiah 49:4 But I said, “I have labored in vain, I have spent My strength in futility and vanity; yet My vindication is with the LORD, and My reward is with My God.”
- כָּבַד kâbadbe heavy, weighty, burdensome, honouredtranslated this way 2 times of its 109 uses · Strong’s H3513Verb · Translated: honor 19, honored 11, heavy 10, hardened 6Full study and all 105 verses →
Numbers 22:37 And he said to Balaam, “Did I not send you an urgent summons? Why did you not come to me? Am I really not able to reward you richly?”
Numbers 24:11 Therefore, flee at once to your home! I said I would reward you richly, but instead the LORD has denied your reward.”
- עֵקֶב êqebconsequencetranslated this way 2 times of its 12 uses · Strong’s H6118Conjunction · Translated: because 4, end 2Full study and all 12 verses →
Psalm 19:11 By them indeed Your servant is warned; in keeping them is great reward.
Proverbs 22:4 The rewards of humility and the fear of the LORD are wealth and honor and life.
- נְבִזְבָּה nebizbâhrewardtranslated this way 2 times of its 2 uses · Strong’s H5023Noun · Translated: rewards 2Full study and all 2 verses →
Daniel 2:6 But if you tell me the dream and its interpretation, you will receive from me gifts and rewards and great honor. So tell me the dream and its interpretation.”
Daniel 5:17 In response, Daniel said to the king, “You may keep your gifts for yourself and give your rewards to someone else. Nevertheless, I will read the inscription for the king and interpret it for him.
Greek words (New Testament)
- μισθός misthóswages, rewardtranslated this way 18 times of its 27 uses · Strong’s G3408Noun · Translated: reward 15, wages 8, full reward 3, profit 1Full study and all 26 verses →
Matthew 5:12 Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets before you.
Mark 9:41 Indeed, if anyone gives you even a cup of water because you bear the name of Christ, truly I tell you, he will never lose his reward.
- ἀποδίδωμι apodídōmiI give back, return, selltranslated this way 3 times of its 47 uses · Strong’s G591Verb · Translated: repay 9, pay 8, give 8, reward 3Full study and all 45 verses →
Matthew 6:4 so that your giving may be in secret. And your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.
Matthew 6:6 But when you pray, go into your inner room, shut your door, and pray to your Father, who is unseen. And your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.
- μισθαποδοσία misthapodosíareward, due punishmenttranslated this way 2 times of its 3 uses · Strong’s G3405Noun · Translated: reward 2, punishment 1Full study and all 3 verses →
Hebrews 10:35 So do not throw away your confidence; it holds a great reward.
Hebrews 11:26 He valued disgrace for Christ above the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking ahead to his reward.
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.
What the Bible says about reward: passages by topic →
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.