369. ayin
Lexical Summary
ayin: nothing, nought
Original Word: אַיִן
Transliteration: ayin
Phonetic Spelling: (ah'-yin)
Part of Speech: substantive; particle of negation
Short Definition: nothing, nought
Meaning: a non-entity, a negative particle
Strong's Concordance
else, except, fail, fatherless, be gone, incurable, neither, never,

As if from a primitive root meaning to be nothing or not exist; a non-entity; generally used as a negative particle -- else, except, fail, (father-)less, be gone, in(-curable), neither, never, no (where), none, nor, (any, thing), not, nothing, to nought, past, un(-searchable), well-nigh, without. Compare 'aiyn.

see HEBREW 'aiyn

Brown-Driver-Briggs

H369. ayin

II. אַ֫יִןnought.

אִיעֶזֶר‎ see אֲבִיעֶזֶר‎.

אִיתָמָר‎ see I. אָוָה‎.

II. אָ֑֫יִן אַ֫יִן,‎ construct אֵין

substantive properly nothing, nought (Moabite אן‎, Assyrian iânu).

1 Isaiah 40:23 לְאָ֑יִן רוֺזְנִים הַנּוֺתֵן‎ who bringeth princes to nothing; כְּאַיִןas nothing, ib. 40:17; 41:11-12, Haggai 2:3; Psalm 39:6; almost ("" כִּמְעַט‎) 73:2; מֵאַיִןof nothing Isaiah 41:24.

2 construct אֵין‎, very frequently as

particle of negations, is not, are not, was not, were not, etc. (corresponding to the affirmative יֵשׁ‎ q. v. Similar in usage, though not etymology akin, are , לַיִת‎, , , properly 'there is nought of ...' followed by a substantive or a pronominal suffix (אֵינֶנִּי‎ [verbal form, Ges§ 100, 5; 152, 1 c], אֵינָם אֵינְכֶם, אֵינֶנָּה, אֵינֶנּוּ, אֵינֵךְ, אֵינְךָ,‎, also Psalm 59:14 אֵינֵ֫מוֺ‎, 73:5 אֵינֵ֫ימוֺ‎): twice abnormally, in late Hebrew, a noun אֲנַחְנוּ אֵין אֲנִי, אֵיןNehemiah 4:17 (so sometimes לַיִת‎, , NöM. p. 295); once, incorrectly, אתHaggai 2:17.

a. denying existence absolutely Isaiah 44:6; 47:10 רֹאָנִי אֵיןthere is none that seeth me, literally nought of one seeing me! עוֺד אֵיןthere is none else Deuteronomy 4:39; 1 Kings 8:60; Isaiah 45:5-6, 18, 22.

b. more commonly, in a limited sense, there is none here or at hand Exodus 2:12 and he saw אִישׁ כִּיאֵֿין‎ that there was no man (that is, there), Numbers 21:5; Genesis 5:24 וְאֵינֶנּוּ‎ and he was not (of Enoch's disappearance from earth) 42:13 one (cas. pend. as often), he is not, 42:36; often = is (or has) vanished 37:30; 1 Kings 20:40; Isaiah 17:14; Psalm 37:10; 103:16; Job 8:22; 24:24; 27:19.

c. with the sense determined by a predicate following: Genesis 37:29 Joseph was not in the pit, 41:39 + often; Exodus 5:10 תֶּבֶן לָכֶם נֹתֵן אֵינֶנִּיI am not giving you straw; and so often with particip. where duration has to be expressed Genesis 39:23; Deuteronomy 21:18; Isaiah 1:15; Jeremiah 7:16, or intention Genesis 20:7 אִם ֗֗֗ דַּע מֵשִׁיב אֵינְךָ‎ if thou art not restoring her, know 43:5; Exodus 8:17; 33:15 (idiomatically, after אם‎; see Dr§ 137) Judges 12:3. Following once pleonastic by יֵשׁPsalm 135:17. Treated as a mere particle of negation, אֵין‎ may vary its position in the sentence, the substantive which should strictly stand in the Genitive being not only separated from it by a little word, as בּוֺGenesis 37:24, לוֺExodus 22:1, שָׁם12:30, גַּםPsalm 14:3, etc., but even for emphasis prefixed to it, as Genesis 19:31; 40:8 אֹתוֺ אֵין וּפֹתֵר41:15; Exodus 5:16; Judges 13:9; 14:6; 16:15; 19:1 (so MI24): if however it be thus brought to the end of a sentence, or be disconnected with what follows, it stands in the absolute form, as Genesis 2:5 האדמה לעבד אַיִן ואדם‎ and man there was none to till the ground, Leviticus 26:37 אָ֑יִן וְרֹדֵףNumbers 20:5; 2 Kings 19:3; Hosea 13:4; Micah 7:2.

d. sometimes the subject has to be supplied from the context: thus (α) 1 Samuel 9:4 and they passed through the land of Shaalim וָאַיִןand they (the asses) were not (literally and nought!), especially after verbs of waiting or seeking Isaiah 59:11; Psalm 69:21; Job 3:9; Isaiah 41:17. Ezekiel 7:25; Proverbs 14:6; 13:4; 20:4. (β) Exodus 17:7 is ׳י‎ in the midst of us ׃ אִםאָֽֿיִןor not ? Numbers 13:20. (γ) Judges 4:20 אָֽיִן׃ וְאָמַרְתְּ‎ then thou shalt say, There is not, 1 Kings 18:10; 1 Samuel 10:14. (δ) Genesis 30:1 give me children, וְאִםאַֿיִןand if not, I die, Exodus 32:32; Judges 9:15, 20; 2 Samuel 17:6 (see Dr) 2 Kings 2:10; Job 33:33.

e. with subject not expressed, once (late), Daniel 8:5 בָּאָרֶץ נֹגֵעַ וְאֵין‎ and (it) was not touching the earth. feminine once, Job 35:15 with the finite verb; but read here מֹּקֵד אֵין כִּי‎ (the usage of , cited by De, does not justify the anomaly in Hebrew) Jeremiah 38:5 the imperfect may be due to the fact that no participle of יָכֹל‎ was in use, and a relation must be tacitly supplied: 'The king is not (one that) can do aught against you.' On Exodus 3:2 see Ges§ 52, 2 R. 6; Ew§ 169 d.

3 לְ ׳אֵין‎, with substantive, or pronoun, there is (was) not to . . . = . . . have, has, had, etc. not: Genesis 11:30 וָלָד לָהּ אֵיןshe had no child, Numbers 27:9 בַּת לוֺ וְאִםאֵֿין‎ and if he have no daughter + often; with a participle Deuteronomy 22:27; Jeremiah 14:16; 30:17; 49:5; 50:32; Psalm 142:5; Lamentations 1:2, 9, 17; Exodus 22:2 לוֺ אִםאֵֿין‎ if he have nought, Daniel 9:26 לו ואין‎ and have nought (or none).

4 in circumstantial clauses (Dr§ 164): — (a) Exodus 21:11 she shall go out free כָּ֑סֶף אֵיןwithout money, 22:9 רֹאֶה אֵיןnone seeing it, Numbers 11:6; Isaiah 47:1; Jeremiah 2:32; Hosea 3:4; 7:11; Psalm 32:9; 88:5 + . (b) Deuteronomy 32:4 a God of faithfulness עָוֶל וְאֵיןand no iniquity, i.e. without iniquity, Jeremiah 5:21; Joel 1:6; Psalm 104:25. (c) very often, in such phrases as מַחֲרִיד וְאֵיןwith none to affright Leviticus 26:6 (12 t.); מְכַבֶּה וְאֵיןIsaiah 1:31 and elsewhere; מַצִּיל וְאֵין5:29; Psalm 7:3, etc. (Dr§ 159).

5 with infinitive and ׳ל‎, it is not to . . . : i.e. (a) like οὐκ ἔστιν, it is not possible to . . . (compare below יֵשׁ‎ and לֹא‎), but hardly except in late Hebrew; 2 Chronicles 20:6 לְהִתְיַצֵּב עִמְּךָ וְאֵיןit is not possible to stand (in conflict) with thee, 22:9; Ezra 9:15; Ecclesiastes 3:14; Esther 4:2. Once without ל‎, Psalm 40:6 אֵלָיךָ עֲרֹךְ אֵיןοὐκ ἔστι παραβάλλειν σοι. (β) there is no need to . . . 1 Chronicles 23:26 אֵיןלָֿשֵׂאת לַלְוִיִּם וְגַם‎ for the Levites also there was no need to bear 2 Chronicles 5:11; 35:15 (see Dr§ 202. 1).

6 with prefixes :

a. בְּאֵין‎ properly in defect of:(a) for want of, withoutProverbs 5:23 HE will die מוּסָר בְּאֵיןfor lack of instruction, 11:14 תַּחְבֻּלוֺת בְּאֵיןwithout guidance, 14:4; 15:22; 26:20; 29:18; Isaiah 57:1; Ezekiel 38:11; compare בְּלֹא‎. (β) of time = when there was (were) not Proverbs 8:24 (twice in verse).

b. כְּאֵיןIsaiah 59:10 עֵינַיִם כְּאֵין‎ in poetry for עֵינַיִם לוֺ אֵין כַּאֲשֶׁר‎ (compare Ew§ 286 g Ges§ 152. 1 h).

c. לְאֵין‎ (α) for לוֺ אֵין לַאֲשֶׁרIsaiah 40:29; inlate prose 2 Chronicles 14:10; Nehemiah 8:10. (β) in the condition of not. . . (ל‎ of state, see below ל‎) = without or so that not . . . (peculiar to Chronicles), 1 Chronicles 22:4 cedar trees מִסְמָּר לְאֵיןwithout number, 2 Chronicles 14:12 and there fell of the Cushites מִחְיָה לְאֵיןלָֿהֶםso that they had none remaining alive, 20:25 מַשָּׂא לְאֵיןso that there was no carrying away, 21:18; Ezra 9:14. (γ) עַדלְֿאֵין‎ (see ל ׳עַד‎), 2 Chronicles 36:16 until there was no remedy (compare ֗֗֗ אֵין עַדPsalm 40:13; Job 5:9).

d. מֵאֵין‎ (a) (מִן‎ causal) from lack of . . . Isaiah 50:2; Jeremiah 7:32; 19:11. (β) (מִן‎ negative, see מִן‎) properly away from there being no. . . (with אֵין‎ pleonastic, compare מִבְּלִי‎, and אֵין מִבְּלִי‎), i.e. so that not. . ., without, mostly epexegetical of some term expressing desolation: Isaiah 5:9 Surely many houses shall be desolate יוֺשֵׁב מֵאֵיןwithout inhabitant, 6:11 +? Jeremiah & Zephaniah; 6:11 אָדָם מֵאֵין‎, Jeremiah 32:43 וּבְהֵמָה אָדָם מֵאֵין33:10, 12; Ezekiel 33:28; Lamentations 3:49. Once followed by infinitive Malachi 2:13 so that there is no regarding more. (γ) in Jeremiah 10:6-7, מֵאֵין כָּמוֺךָ, מֵאֵין‎ is supposed by some to = a strengthened אֵין‎, even none, none at all; but it is difficult to justify this explanation logically; and it is preferable to point כָּמוֺךָ מֵאַיִןwhence is any like thee? compare 30:7. (So Hi see DrHebraica. ii. 34-7.)








OpenBible.com
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               

368
Top of Page
Top of Page