Bible HebrewWho, Which, That
אֲשֶׁר links a description to a noun; כַּאֲשֶׁר means “as”.
אֲשֶׁר: “who, which, that”
אֲשֶׁר links a description to a noun, like “who”, “which” or “that” in English. It never changes its form.
| Hebrew | Meaning |
|---|---|
| אֶת־כָּל־אֲשֶׁר עָשָׂה | all that he had made (Genesis 1:31) |
| אֶת־הָאָדָם אֲשֶׁר יָצָר | the man whom he had formed (Genesis 2:8) |
| אֲשֶׁר הוֹצֵאתִיךָ מֵאֶרֶץ מִצְרַיִם | who brought you out of the land of Egypt (Exodus 20:2) |
Hebrew often points back to the noun with a pronoun inside the clause: הָאָרֶץ אֲשֶׁר אַתָּה שֹׁכֵב עָלֶיהָ, literally “the land which you are lying on it”, meaning “the land on which you are lying” (Genesis 28:13).
With כְּ “like” in front, כַּאֲשֶׁר means “as, just as”: כַּאֲשֶׁר צִוָּה יְהוָה “as yəḥawwe commanded” (Exodus 7:6).
Later books also use a short form, שֶׁ, joined to the next word: מַה־שֶּׁהָיָה “what has been” (Ecclesiastes 1:9).
With a place, אֲשֶׁר … שָׁם means “where”: literally “the place which you are there”, meaning “the place where you are” (Genesis 13:14).
Poetry often leaves אֲשֶׁר out altogether: the description simply follows the noun, and English adds “who” or “that”.
Check yourself
What does אֲשֶׁר usually mean?
✓ who, which, that · and then · not · where?
אֶת־כָּל־אֲשֶׁר עָשָׂה “all that he had made” (Genesis 1:31)
In הָאָרֶץ אֲשֶׁר אַתָּה שֹׁכֵב עָלֶיהָ (Genesis 28:13), what does עָלֶיהָ do?
✓ points back to the land: “on which” · names a new place · makes it a question · means “and”
Literally “which you are lying on it”: “the land on which you are lying”.
What does כַּאֲשֶׁר mean?
✓ as, just as · because of · after · who?
כַּאֲשֶׁר צִוָּה יְהוָה “as yəḥawwe commanded” (Exodus 7:6)
Does אֲשֶׁר change for masculine, feminine or plural?
✓ No, it is always אֲשֶׁר · Yes, like an adjective · Only in the plural · Only after הַ
One word covers “who”, “which” and “that” for every noun.
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