2 Samuel 14:26

KJV1611 – Modern English

And when he cut the hair of his head, (for it was at the end of every year that he cut it: because the hair was heavy on him, therefore he cut it:) he weighed the hair of his head at two hundred shekels by the king's weight.

📖 Grammatical Analysis

Original Text

וּֽבְגַלְּחוֹ֮ אֶת־רֹאשׁוֹ֒ וְֽ֠הָיָה מִקֵּ֨ץ יָמִ֤ים ׀ לַיָּמִים֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר יְגַלֵּ֔חַ כִּֽי־כָבֵ֥ד עָלָ֖יו וְגִלְּח֑וֹ וְשָׁקַל֙ אֶת־שְׂעַ֣ר רֹאשׁ֔וֹ מָאתַ֥יִם שְׁקָלִ֖ים בְּאֶ֥בֶן הַמֶּֽלֶךְ׃

Transliteration

And-in-gallǝḥô ʾet-rōʾšô, wə-hāyāh from-qēṣ yāmîm to-the-yāmîm that yəgallēaḥ, for-kābēd upon-him wə-gillǝḥô; wə-šāqal ʾet-śəʿar rōʾšô two-hundred šəqālîm by-ʾeben the-melek.

Grammar Details

• *gallǝḥô*: Piel infinitive construct with 3rd person masculine singular suffix - his cutting/shaving
• *rōʾšô*: masculine singular noun with 3rd person masculine singular suffix - his head
• *wə-hāyāh*: conjunction + Qal perfect, 3rd person masculine singular - and it was
• *qēṣ*: masculine singular construct - end of
• *yāmîm*: masculine plural noun - days
• *yəgallēaḥ*: Piel imperfect, 3rd person masculine singular - he would shave
• *kābēd*: adjective, masculine singular - heavy
• *wə-gillǝḥô*: conjunction + Piel perfect, 3rd person masculine singular with 3rd person masculine singular suffix - and he shaved it
• *wə-šāqal*: conjunction + Qal perfect, 3rd person masculine singular - and he weighed
• *śəʿar*: masculine singular construct - hair of
• *šəqālîm*: masculine plural noun - shekels
• *ʾeben*: construct state of feminine singular noun - stone/weight of
• *melek*: masculine singular noun - king

Word Meanings

• *qēṣ*: end/conclusion/termination
• *kābēd*: heavy/burdensome/numerous
• *šəqālîm*: shekels (unit of weight)
• *ʾeben*: stone/weight/standard measure

Other Translations

• Linguistic Bible Translation from Source Texts

  When he shaved his head—an event that occurred at the end of every year because his hair became heavy for him, so he shaved it—he would weigh the hair of his head, and it weighed two hundred shekels by the royal standard.

• King James Version 1769 (Standard Version)

  And when he polled his head, (for it was at every year's end that he polled it: because the hair was heavy on him, therefore he polled it:) he weighed the hair of his head at two hundred shekels after the king's weight.

• American Standard Version with Strong's Numbers

  And when he cut the hair of his head (now it was at every year's end that he cut it; because it was heavy on him, therefore he cut it); he weighed the hair of his head at two hundred shekels, after the king's weight.

• King James Version with Strong's Numbers

  And when he polled his head,(for it was at every year's end that he polled it: because the hair was heavy on him, therefore he polled it:) he weighed the hair of his head at two hundred shekels after the king's weight.

• Coverdale Bible (1535)

  And whan his heade was rounded (that was comonly euery yeare, for it was to heuy for him, so that it must nedes haue bene rounded) the heer of his heade weyed two hudreth Sicles after ye kynges weight.

• Geneva Bible (1560)

  And when he polled his head, (for at euery yeeres ende he polled it: because it was too heauie for him, therefore he polled it) he weyghed the heare of his head at two hundreth shekels by the Kings weight.

• Bishops' Bible (1568)

  And when he polled his head (for at euery yeres ende he polled it, because the heere was heauy on him therfore he polled it) he weighed the heere of his head at two hundreth sicles, after the kinges wayght.

• Authorized King James Version (1611)

  And when he polled his head, (for it was at every year's end that he polled [it]: because [the hair] was heavy on him, therefore he polled it:) he weighed the hair of his head at two hundred shekels after the king's weight.

• Webster's Bible (1833)

  When he cut the hair of his head (now it was at every year's end that he cut it; because it was heavy on him, therefore he cut it); he weighed the hair of his head at two hundred shekels, after the king's weight.

• Young's Literal Translation (1862/1898)

  and in his polling his head -- and it hath been at the end of year by year that he polleth `it', for it `is' heavy on him, and he hath polled it -- he hath even weighed out the hair of his head -- two hundred shekels by the king's weight.

• American Standard Version (1901)

  And when he cut the hair of his head (now it was at every year's end that he cut it; because it was heavy on him, therefore he cut it); he weighed the hair of his head at two hundred shekels, after the king's weight.

• American Standard Version (1901)

  And when he cut the hair of his head (now it was at every year's end that he cut it; because it was heavy on him, therefore he cut it); he weighed the hair of his head at two hundred shekels, after the king's weight.

• Bible in Basic English (1941)

  And when he had his hair cut, (which he did at the end of every year, because of the weight of his hair;) the weight of the hair was two hundred shekels by the king's weight.

• World English Bible (2000)

  When he cut the hair of his head (now it was at every year's end that he cut it; because it was heavy on him, therefore he cut it); he weighed the hair of his head at two hundred shekels, after the king's weight.

• NET Bible® (New English Translation)

  When he would shave his head– at the end of every year he used to shave his head, for it grew too long and he would shave it– he used to weigh the hair of his head at three pounds according to the king’s weight.

Referenced Verses

• 2 Sam 18:9 : 9 And Absalom met the servants of David. And Absalom rode upon a mule, and the mule went under the thick branches of a great oak, and his head got caught in the oak, and he was suspended between heaven and earth; and the mule that was under him went away.
• Ezek 44:20 : 20 They shall neither shave their heads nor let their hair grow long; they shall only trim their hair.
• Ezek 45:9-9 : 9 Thus says the Lord GOD; Let it suffice you, O princes of Israel: remove violence and spoil, and execute judgment and justice, take away your exactions from my people, says the Lord GOD. 10 You shall have just balances, and a just ephah, and a just bath. 11 The ephah and the bath shall be of one measure, so that the bath may contain a tenth part of a homer, and the ephah a tenth part of a homer: their measure shall be according to the homer. 12 And the shekel shall be twenty gerahs: twenty shekels, twenty-five shekels, fifteen shekels, shall be your maneh. 13 This is the offering that you shall offer; a sixth part of an ephah from a homer of wheat, and you shall give a sixth part of an ephah from a homer of barley: 14 Concerning the ordinance of oil, the bath of oil, you shall offer a tenth part of a bath out of the cor, which is a homer of ten baths; for ten baths are a homer:
• 1 Cor 11:14 : 14 Does not even nature itself teach you that if a man has long hair, it is a dishonor to him?
• Isa 3:24 : 24 And it shall come to pass, that instead of a sweet smell there shall be stench; instead of a sash, a rope; instead of well-styled hair, baldness; instead of a rich robe, a binding of sackcloth; and branding instead of beauty.
• Gen 23:16 : 16 And Abraham listened to Ephron; and Abraham weighed out to Ephron the silver, which he had named in the hearing of the sons of Heth, four hundred shekels of silver, current money with the merchant.
• Lev 19:36 : 36 Just balances, just weights, a just ephah, and a just hin, you shall have: I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt.