עָתֹד (a.tad)
a.tad
be ready
H:VQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 2 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:V
Word Overview
The Hebrew verb atad means to be ready or to make something ready. It appears only twice in the Old Testament, both times in wisdom literature where it describes preparation for a specific outcome. In Proverbs 19:3 and Job 5:12, the word highlights how human plans often fail while divine purposes stand firm.
Its usage carries a sense of destiny or inevitable result. When God thwarts the devices of the crafty, those plans are described as being "made ready" for ruin. This creates a striking image where failure is not accidental but prepared in advance by higher authority. The word suggests that outcomes are set before they unfold.
Translators usually render atad as "prepare" or "make ready," though the context implies something more fixed than simple preparation. It points to a state of being destined for a particular end. This rare verb reminds readers that wisdom literature often contrasts human unpredictability with divine certainty.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word עָתֹד describes a state of being prepared or destined for a specific outcome. In the Bible, it often highlights how human plans can fail while divine purposes stand firm. When we see this term in wisdom literature, it reminds us that some results are set before they unfold, pointing to God's sovereignty over our lives.
This rare verb appears only twice in the Old Testament, both times in contexts where human efforts meet divine will. In Job 15:28, it describes houses ready to become heaps, showing how plans can crumble when they ignore God’s guidance. Proverbs 24:27 uses it to encourage careful preparation before building a house, reminding us that wise planning honors God’s order.
For your faith, this word invites trust in God’s timing and purpose. It encourages you to prepare your heart and actions with humility, knowing that He directs the final outcome. Whether your plans succeed or fall short, His wisdom remains steady and reliable.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 2 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- they are destined1×
- and/ make ready/ it1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- וְ/עַתְּדָ֣/הּ1×
- הִתְעַתְּד֣וּ1×
Key Verses
-
Job 15:28
He has lived in desolate cities, in houses which no one inhabited, which were ready to become heaps.
This verse uses עָתֹד to show how human plans can be destined for ruin when they oppose God’s will.
-
Proverbs 24:27
Prepare your work outside, and get your fields ready. Afterwards, build your house.
Here the word encourages practical preparation, linking wise planning with honoring God’s order in daily life.