H0328b H0328b
Gently, softly; an adverb of gentleness conveying slow, quiet, or tender movement and speech.
A beautiful adverb built on a substantive meaning 'gentleness,' used for quiet movement and tender speech. Jacob's careful pace with the nursing flocks in Genesis 33:14 ('I will lead on gently') and the waters of Shiloah flowing softly in Isaiah 8:6 are its most evocative uses. David's plea to 'deal gently with the young man Absalom' (2 Sam 18:5) adds deep paternal emotion. Spanish captures its range well — 'despacio' (slowly), 'suave' (softly) — showing how physical gentleness and emotional tenderness converge in a single word.
Senses
1. sense 1 — Gently, softly — describing quiet, careful, or tender action. Used adverbially for Jacob leading his flocks at a gentle pace (Gen 33:14), David pleading for gentleness toward Absalom (2 Sam 18:5), Ahab walking about softly in penitence (1 Kgs 21:27), a word spoken gently (Job 15:11), and the waters of Shiloah flowing softly (Isa 8:6). The Spanish pair 'despacio/suave' and the English pair 'gently/softly' together illustrate how this word spans physical slowness and emotional tenderness. A word that turns up in some of Scripture's most poignant moments. 5×
AR["بِ-رِفْقٍ-", "بِ-لُطْفٍ", "بِبُطْءٍ", "بِهُدُوءٍ", "رُوَيْدًا"]·ben["আস্তে", "কোমল", "ধীরে", "ধীরে-ধীরে", "নরম-"]·DE["[לאט]", "gently", "in-meinem-Schritt", "softly"]·EN["at-my-leisure", "gently", "softly"]·FR["[לאט]", "gently", "softly", "à-mon-leisure", "à-לאט"]·heb["ל-אט", "ל-אטי-י", "לאט"]·HI["कोमल", "कोमलता-से", "धीरे-धीरे", "धीरे-से"]·ID["dengan-lembut-", "dengan-perlahan", "lembut", "perlahan", "perlahan-lahan"]·IT["[לאט]", "a-mio-leisure", "gently", "per-gently", "softly"]·jav["alon", "alon-alon", "alus", "kanthi-alon"]·KO["나의-느릿함으로", "부드럽게", "부드럽게-", "율화하게", "천천히"]·PT["devagar", "devagar-meu", "gentilmente", "suavemente"]·RU["кроткое", "медленно-моим", "осторожно-", "тихо"]·ES["a-lentitud-mía", "despacio", "suave", "suavemente"]·SW["kwa-upole", "la-upole", "pole-pole", "polepole"]·TR["yavas", "yavaşlığıma", "yavaşça", "yumuşak", "yumuşak-davranın-"]·urd["آہستہ", "آہستہ-آہستہ", "نرمی-سے"]
Related Senses
G2309 1. want, desire (166×)G0025 1. to love actively (133×)H0157 1. love (verb, active Qal) (129×)H8055 1. Qal: rejoice, be glad (123×)H7453 1. neighbor, fellow man (120×)G0026 1. of love (115×)H1058 1. Qal: to weep, cry (112×)H0954 1. to be ashamed, feel shame (Qal) (95×)H8057 1. joy, gladness, delight (90×)H2781 1. disgrace, shame, dishonor (68×)G2307 1. will, desire, purpose (63×)G5463 1. rejoice, be glad (63×)G0027 1. beloved (61×)H8130 1. Qal: to hate, detest (60×)G5479 1. (59×)G1680 1. (53×)H8130 2. Qal ptcp: hater, enemy (53×)H0014 1. be willing, want (51×)H0157 2. lover, friend (Qal participle substantive) (51×)H1945 1. woe (50×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† אַט subst. gentleness, used only adverbially:— a. as adverb. accus. 1 K 21:27 וַיְהַלֵּךְ אַֽט׃ and he (Ahab) went about softly (sc. in penitence); b. with לְ of norm or state (as in לָבֶטַח, v. לְ) 2 S 18:5 לְאַט־לִי לַנַּעַר (deal) gently for me with the young man, Is 8:6 the waters of Shiloah הַהֹלְכִים לְאַ֑ט that go gently; with pretonic qameṣ Jb 15:11 דָּבָר לָאַט עִמָּֽךְ׃ a word…