Isaiah 41:12 — Word Study
WLCתְּבַקְשֵׁם֙ וְלֹ֣א תִמְצָאֵ֔ם אַנְשֵׁ֖י מַצֻּתֶ֑ךָ יִהְי֥וּ כְאַ֛יִן וּכְאֶ֖פֶס אַנְשֵׁ֥י מִלְחַמְתֶּֽךָ׃
BSAYou will seekbâqash▸ [diligently search for] but will notlôʼ find themmâtsâʼ▸ [discover or attain] Those who wage warmilchâmâh [engage in, or make, battle, conflict] will comehâyâh▸ to nothingʼayin [be reduced to, or become, as nothing, without existence]
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| תְּבַקְשֵׁם֙ | you will seek them | Verb piel imperfect second person masculine singular, suffix |
| וְלֹ֣א | and not | Conjunction, particle |
| תִמְצָאֵ֔ם | you will find them | Verb qal imperfect second person masculine singular, suffix |
| אַנְשֵׁ֖י | [the] people of | Noun common, masculine plural construct |
| מַצֻּתֶ֑ךָ | strife your | Noun common feminine singular construct, suffix |
| יִהְי֥וּ | they will be | Verb, Qal, imperfect third person masculine plural |
| כְאַ֛יִן | as nothing | Preposition, noun common masculine singular absolute |
| וּכְאֶ֖פֶס | and as nothing | Conjunction, preposition, noun common masculine singular absolute |
| אַנְשֵׁ֥י | [the] people of | Noun common, masculine plural construct |
| מִלְחַמְתֶּֽךָ׃ | warfare your | Noun common feminine singular construct, suffix |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | You will seek them but will not find them. Those who wage war against you will come to nothing. |
| KJV | Thou shalt seek them, and shalt not find them, even them that contended with thee: they that war against thee shall be as nothing, and as a thing of nought. |
| ASV | Thou shalt seek them, and shalt not find them, even them that contend with thee: they that war against thee shall be as nothing, and as a thing of nought. |
| YLT | Thou seekest them, and findest them not, The men who debate with thee, They are as nothing, yea, as nothing, The men who war with thee. |
| WEB | You will seek them, and won’t find them, even those who contend with you. Those who war against you will be as nothing, as a nonexistent thing. |
| BBE | You will make search for your haters but they will not be there; those who make war against you will be as nothing and will come to destruction. |
Where they part company is תִמְצָאֵם — see How Translations Differ.
The sentence consists of two main clauses that convey the futility of seeking one's enemies and the certainty of their defeat.






7 commentators on this verse
Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them ›
clause
verbהָיָה
The sentence as the grammar sees it Open the tree ›
1 of 10 occurs nowhere else in the Old Testament — a word chosen on purpose.
Bars are logarithmic — אֵת, the commonest word in the Hebrew Bible, stands about 11,000 times, so a linear scale would leave everything else invisible. Click a row to open that word.
Deep Study — Isaiah 41:12
Sections marked generated are written from the data on this page rather than by a named author. Everything else — the lexicon entries, the cross references, the manuscript readings, the counts — is quoted from its source unchanged.
Context — The Assurance of God's Helpgenerated
Isaiah 41:12 offers a promise that those who seek to harm Israel will ultimately fail. The surrounding verses emphasize God's protection and support for His people, assuring them that their enemies will be rendered powerless. This passage is part of a larger discourse where God reassures Israel of His presence and help in times of trouble, echoing similar themes found in Isaiah 41:10.
Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Job 20:7–9 | he will perish forever, like his own dung; those who had seen him will ask, ‘Where is he?’ |
| 2 | Psalm 37:35–36 | I have seen a wicked, ruthless man flourishing like a well-rooted native tree, |
The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 2 references, hung on the phrase they belong to
The Key Word — תְּבַקְשֵׁם, te.vak.Shemgenerated
The verb בָּקַשׁ (baqash) means to seek or search out, often in a context of earnest desire or need. The Piel form used here indicates a more intense effort, suggesting a diligent search.
In this verse, it conveys the idea that despite a thorough search for those who oppose you, they will not be found, emphasizing their complete absence and defeat.
How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated
This study reads the verse in the Berean Standard Bible, so the BSB is the wording every comparison below is made against.
Sentence Structuregenerated
The verse consists of two main clauses: the first clause is a statement about seeking and finding, while the second clause describes the fate of those who wage war. The finite verb תְּבַקְשֵׁם governs the first clause, indicating the action of seeking.
The structure emphasizes the contrast between the act of searching and the ultimate futility of that search, highlighting the certainty of the outcome for the enemies of Israel.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
The Septuagint translates תְּבַקְשֵׁם as αὐτοὺς, indicating a direct correspondence to the Hebrew term for 'them.' This choice reflects a straightforward rendering without additional interpretive layers.
The use of οὐ for the Hebrew וְלֹא maintains the negation, ensuring that the meaning of not finding remains intact.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
Isaiah 41:12 promises that those who seek to harm Israel will not be found. The verse reassures God's people that their enemies will ultimately come to nothing, emphasizing God's protection and support.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
It means that despite efforts to locate those who oppose you, they will be completely absent and defeated, signifying God's protection over His people.
This verse is part of a broader message where God reassures Israel of His presence and support, promising that their enemies will not prevail against them.
It highlights the ultimate futility of opposing God's people and serves as a reminder of God's sovereignty and power over all adversaries.
The emphasis on seeking underscores the earnestness of the search, contrasting it with the certainty of finding nothing, which reinforces the idea of total defeat for the enemies.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- In what ways have I experienced God's protection in my life?
- How can I apply the assurance of this verse when facing challenges or opposition?
- What does it mean for me to trust that my adversaries will come to nothing?
- How can I encourage others to find comfort in God's promises of help and support?
Commentators on this verse — 7 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on Isaiah 41:12 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire BibleVer. 12 Thou shall seek them, and shalt not find them,.... They not existing, or being fled into holes and corners, to rocks and mountains, to hide themselves from the wrath of the Lamb, Revelation
Read John Gill on Isaiah 41 →
Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's CommentaryThou shalt seek them, and shalt not find them, even them that contended with thee: they that war against thee shall be as nothing, and as a thing of nought.
Read Robert Jamieson on Isaiah 41 →
Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy BibleThou shalt seek them, and shalt not find them; they shall be so totally consumed, that although thou searchest for them, thou shalt not be able to find them any where in the world. Shall be as nothing, and as a thing of nought; shall be utterly brought to nought. The thing is twice repeated, to show the certainty and greatness of their destruction.
Read Matthew Poole on Isaiah 41 →
John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New TestamentsIsaiah 41:12 Thou shalt seek them, and shalt not find them, [even] them that contended with thee: they that war against thee shall be as nothing, and as a thing of nought.Ver. 12. Even them that contended with thee.] Heb., The men of thy contention - thy contendents, such as this eristical age hath more than a good many. By the Quakers’ wild fancies and rude practices we may see how cross-grained these people are in contradicting everything. Many men’ s spirits, saith one, today lie like that haven in Acts 27:12, toward the south-west and north-west, two opposite points.
Read John Trapp on Isaiah 41 →
Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers(11, 12) Behold . . .—The choice of the Servant has, as its complement, the indignation of Jehovah against those who attack him, and this thought is emphasised by a four-fold iteration. “They that strive with thee, &c,” represents the Hebrew idiom, the men of thy conflict, which stands emphatically at the end of each clause.
Read Charles John Ellicott on Isaiah 41 →
CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges11–13. Humanly speaking Israel has cause for fear, being surrounded by opponents; but they shall be put to utter confusion. 11f. incensed] lit. “inflamed,” as in ch. Isaiah 45:24; Son 1:6. The precise form occurs only in these passages. they that strive … them that contend … they that war] Lit. men of thy contention … strife … warfare; a climax which Delitzsch renders by adversarii, inimici, hostes. These expressions are emphatic and stand at the end of their respective clauses, and to each are attached two (logical) predicates; hence in Isaiah 41:11 we should read (as R.V. nearly): they shall be as nothing, and shall perish—the men etc. thou shalt seek and not find them that &c.] Cf. ch.…
Read Cambridge on Isaiah 41 →
Albert Barnes1798–1870Barnes' Notes on the BibleThou shalt seek them - This denotes that it would be impossible to find them, for they should cease to exist.
Read Albert Barnes on Isaiah 41 →The verse in English, compared — 17 translations, and where they part company
Every translation on this page is a decision someone had to make and commit to. Read down a column and you see one translator's judgement; read across a row and you see the range the Greek actually allows. The BSB is the wording the rest of this page is measured against, so it is listed first.
Modern formal
You will seek them but will not find them. Those who wage war against you will come to nothing.
You will seek them, and won’t find them, even those who contend with you. Those who war against you will be as nothing, as a nonexistent thing.
You will seek them but will not find them. Those who wage war against you will come to nothing.
When you will look for your opponents, you will not find them; your enemies will be reduced to absolutely nothing.
Tyndale line
Thou shalt seek them, and shalt not find them, even them that contended with thee: they that war against thee shall be as nothing, and as a thing of nought.
Thou shalt seek them, and shalt not find them, even them that contend with thee: they that war against thee shall be as nothing, and as a thing of nought.
Thou shalt seek them, and shalt not find them, even them that contend with thee: they that war against thee shall be as nothing, and as a thing of nought.
Thou shalt seek them, and shalt not find them, even them that contended with thee: they that war against thee shall be as nothing, and as a thing of naught.
Thou shalt seeke them and shalt not finde them: to wit, the men of thy strife, for they shall be as nothing, and the men that warre against thee, as a thing of nought.
Strictly literal
Thou shalt seek them, and shalt not find them — them that contend with thee; they that war against thee shall be as nothing, and as a thing of nought.
Thou seekest them, and findest them not, The men who debate with thee, They are as nothing, yea, as nothing, The men who war with thee.
You seek them, and do not find them, || The men who debate with you, || They are as nothing, indeed, as nothing, || The men who war with you.
Thou wilt seek them, and shalt not find them, the men that contend with thee; they shall be as naught and as nothing, the men that make war against thee.
You will seek and will not find those who contended with you; those who warred against you will be like nothing, absolutely nothing.
From the Latin
Thou shalt seek them, and shalt not find the men that resist thee: they shall be as nothing: and as a thing consumed the men that war against thee.
Simplified
Even though you look for your enemies, you won't find them. Those who attack you will become absolutely nothing.
You will make search for your haters but they will not be there; those who make war against you will be as nothing and will come to destruction.
Counted from the translations carried on this site, not from a survey of every English Bible. A rendering shared by many versions is usually inherited rather than independently arrived at — the Tyndale line in particular runs through most of them.
The sentence as the grammar sees it — from the MACULA Hebrew treebank
This is not our own analysis: it is the scholarly syntax tree for the verse, showing how the clause actually holds together.
Boxes are the grammarian's groupings — clause, noun phrase, prepositional phrase.
The four witnesses to this verse — Masoretic, Septuagint, Samaritan, Qumran
The Masoretic Text and the Septuagint align closely, with 9 of the 10 words matched. The Dead Sea Scrolls also support the Masoretic Text, with minor restorations in the fragments indicating consistency in the message.
תְּבַקְשֵׁם֙ וְלֹ֣א תִמְצָאֵ֔ם אַנְשֵׁ֖י מַצֻּתֶ֑ךָ יִהְי֥וּ כְאַ֛יִן וּכְאֶ֖פֶס אַנְשֵׁ֥י מִלְחַמְתֶּֽךָ׃
9 of the 10 words are matched. This is the word-by-word correspondence, not the Septuagint's own sentence — its word order and its articles are its own.
תבקש׳ם ולא תמצא׳ם אנשי מצת׳ך יהיו כאין וכאפס אנשי מלחמת׳ך
8 words on the leather — 2 partly restored.
ואנשי מצת׳כה יהיו כאין וכאפס אנשי מלחמת׳כה
7 words of the verse are on this fragment. The rest of the verse is not on it.
Four traditions, not one. “On the leather” means the letters physically survive on the scroll, as against letters an editor has supplied to fill a hole in it — a restoration is a scholar’s reading, not a reading of the manuscript. Words in [square brackets] are supplied; the notes count them apart from what survives.
The map of this verse — what each word keeps company with
This is a map of two things, both counted rather than judged. Company kept: which words stand within three words of each of these, anywhere in the Hebrew Bible — the thicker the line, the more often the pair meet compared with chance. Built from: the words a word is made out of, taken from its own Strong’s entry. It is not a map of meaning: nothing here claims two words mean the same thing. Click any circle to see the numbers behind it.
Lexicons — every word in Isaiah 41:12
One dossier per word, with every reference work grouped by kind — Hebrew lexicons, morphology, Bible dictionaries, topical chains and the English of the translators themselves. The verse sits at the head of each block with the word under study lit, so you never lose your place. The panel above gives the short answer; this is the long one, and it is the part of the page worth indexing.
Every entry below is the lexicographer's own text. On the Hebrew: Brown-Driver-Briggs entire and its gloss set, Strong's Hebrew Dictionary, and Tyndale House's Translators Brief lexicon. Where a cell says a work has no entry, that work genuinely has none for this word.
בָּקַשׁ (baqash) is a Hebrew verb meaning to seek or search out, often in the context of worship or prayer. It encompasses a range of actions including asking, desiring, and requiring. The verb can appear in different forms, such as Piel and Pual, indicating various nuances of seeking or being sought.
[בָּקַשׁ] 224 vb. seek
Pi.
seek to find
seek to secure
seek the face
desire, demand
require, exact
exact equivalent or penalty for
(late) ask, request
Pu. be sought
base
H1245 בָּקַשׁ seek
1245 baqash baw-kash'
a primitive root; to search out (by any method, specifically
in worship or prayer); by implication, to strive after:--ask,
beg, beseech, desire, enquire, get, make inquisition, procure,
(make) request, require, seek (for).
בָּקַשׁ (ba.qash) — to seek.
1) to seek, require, desire, exact, request
1a) (Piel)
1a1) to seek to find
1a2) to seek to secure
1a3) to seek the face
1a4) to desire, demand
1a5) to require, exact
1a6) to ask, request
1b) (Pual) to be sought
V-Piel-Imperf-2ms | Suff — Verb piel imperfect second person masculine singular · suffixHVpi2ms/Sp3mp
לֹא (lo') is a Hebrew word meaning 'not' or 'no.' It serves as a simple negation and can imply absence or prohibition. The word can also be used in various contexts, often combined with other particles for emphasis or clarification. Its Aramaic equivalent is לָא (la), which also means 'not.'
לֹא or לוֹא adv. not
base
H3808 לֹא or לוֹא not
3808 lo' lo
or lowi {lo}; or loh (Deut. 3:11) {lo}; a primitive particle;
not (the simple or abs. negation); by implication, no; often
used with other particles (as follows):--X before, + or else,
ere, + except, ig(-norant), much, less, nay, neither, never,
no((-ne), -r, (-thing)), (X as though...,(can-), for) not (out
of), of nought, otherwise, out of, + surely, + as truly as, +
of a truth, + verily, for want, + whether, without.
לֹא (lo) — not.
1) not, no
1a) not (with verb-absolute prohibition)
1b) not (with modifier-negation)
1c) nothing (subst)
1d) without (with particle)
1e) before (of time)
Aramaic equivalent: la (לָא "not" H3809)
Conj | Part — Conjunction · particleHC/Tn
מָצָא (matsa') is a Hebrew verb meaning to find or attain. It encompasses a range of actions, including discovering something lost, encountering someone, or coming upon a situation. The word can also imply being present or sufficient. Lexicons note various forms and uses, including Qal, Niphal, and Hiphil, which indicate different nuances of finding and encountering.
מָצָא 452 vb. attain to, find
Qal
find
find out
= come upon, light upon
noteworthy phrases
Niph. pass. of Qal, be found
Hiph.
cause to find, attain
cause to light upon, come upon, come
cause to encounter
present unto
base
H4672 מָצָא attain to, find
4672 matsa' maw-tsaw'
a primitive root; properly, to come forth to, i.e. appear or
exist; transitively, to attain, i.e. find or acquire;
figuratively, to occur, meet or be present:--+ be able,
befall, being, catch, X certainly, (cause to) come (on, to, to
hand), deliver, be enough (cause to) find(-ing, occasion,
out), get (hold upon), X have (here), be here, hit, be left,
light (up-)on, meet (with), X occasion serve, (be) present,
ready, speed, suffice, take hold on.
מָצָא (ma.tsa) — to find.
1) to find, attain to
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to find
1a1a) to find, secure, acquire, get (thing sought)
1a1b) to find (what is lost)
1a1c) to meet, encounter
1a1d) to find (a condition)
1a1e) to learn, devise
1a2) to find out
1a2a) to find out
1a2b) to detect
1a2c) to guess
1a3) to come upon, light upon
1a3a) to happen upon, meet, fall in with
1a3b) to hit
1a3c) to befall
1b) (Niphal)
1b1) to be found
1b1a) to be encountered, be lighted upon, be discovered
1b1b) to appear, be recognised
1b1c) to be discovered, be detected
1b1d) to be gained, be secured
1b2) to be, be found
1b2a) to be found in
1b2b) to be in the possession of
1b2c) to be found in (a place), happen to be
1b2d) to be left (after war)
1b2e) to be present
1b2f) to prove to be
1b2g) to be found sufficient, be enough
1c) (Hiphil)
1c1) to cause to find, attain
1c2) to cause to light upon, come upon, come
1c3) to cause to encounter
V-Qal-Imperf-2ms | Suff — Verb qal imperfect second person masculine singular · suffixHVqi2ms/Sp3mp
אֱנוֹשׁ (enowsh) refers to man or mankind, often used in a poetic context. It denotes a mortal individual, distinguishing humans from more dignified terms for man. The word encompasses both singular and collective meanings, indicating people or persons in general. Its Aramaic equivalent is אֱנָשׁ (e.nash), also meaning 'man'.
אֱנוֹשׁ n.m. man, mankind, mostly poet.
of individ.
coll. men
man, mankind
base
H582 אֱנוֹשׁ man, mankind, mostly poet.
582 'enowsh en-oshe'
from 605; properly, a mortal (and thus differing from the
more dignified 120); hence, a man in general (singly or
collectively):--another, X (blood-)thirsty, certain,
chap(-man); divers, fellow, X in the flower of their age,
husband, (certain, mortal) man, people, person, servant, some
( X of them), + stranger, those, + their trade. It is often
unexpressed in the English versions, especially when used in
apposition with another word . Compare 376.
see HEBREW for 0605
see HEBREW for 0120
see HEBREW for 0376
אֱנוֹשׁ (e.nosh) — human.
1) man, mortal man, person, mankind
1a) of an individual
1b) men (collective)
1c) man, mankind
Aramaic equivalent: e.nash (אֱנָשׁ "man" H0606)
HNcmpc — Noun common · masculine plural constructHNcmpc
ov:
(1) In Anglo-Saxon, had the meaning "from," "away from" (as the strengthened form "off" has still), and was not used for genitive or possessive relations, these being expressed by special case-forms. In the Norman period, however, "of" was taken to represent the French de (a use well developed by the time of Chaucer), and in the Elizabethan period both senses of "of" were in common use. But after about 1600 the later force of the word became predominant, and in the earlier sense (which is now practically obsolete) it was replaced by other prepositions. In consequence the King James Version (and in some cases the Revised Version (British and American)) contains many uses of "of" that are no longer familiar--most of them, to be sure, causing no difficulty, but there still being a few responsible for real obscurities.
OF, preposition ov. [Gr.]
1. From or out of; proceeding from, as the cause, source, means, author or agent bestowing.
I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered to you. 1 Corinthians 11:1.
For it was of the Lord to harden their hearts. Joshua 11:1.
It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed.
Lamentations 3:1.
The whole disposing thereof is of the Lord. Proverbs 16:1.
Go, inquire of the Lord for me. 2 Chronicles 34:2.
That holy thing that shall be born of thee. Luke 1:1.
Hence of is the sign of the genitive case, the case that denotes production; as the son of man, the son proceeding from man, produced from man. This is the primary sense, although we now say, produced by man. 'Part of these were slain; ' that is, a number separate, for part denotes a division; the sense then is, a number from or out of the whole were slain. So also, 'some of these were slain; ' that is…
[מַצּוּת] n.f. id. [מַצָּה];—only sf. Is 41:12
ref
H4695 [מַצּוּת] id. [מַצָּה]
4695 matstsuwth mats-tsooth'
from 5327; a quarrel:--that contended.
see HEBREW for 05327
מַצּוּת (mats.tsut) — strife.
strife, contention
HNcfsc/Sp2ms — Noun common feminine singular construct · suffixHNcfsc/Sp2ms
The Hebrew word הָיָה (hayah) is a primitive root meaning to exist or become, and it encompasses a range of meanings including to happen, occur, and come to pass. It is often used in narrative contexts, particularly in phrases like "and it came to pass." The word can also denote a state of being or existence, and it appears frequently in various forms throughout the Old Testament.
הָיָה 3570 vb. fall out, come to pass, become, be
Qal
Fall out, happen
occur, take place, come about, come to pass
esp. & very oft., come about, come to pass
וַיְהִי and it came to pass that, most often (c. 292 t.)
rarely also Pf. c. וְ conj. וְהָיָה
less oft. וְהָיָה Pf. consec. and it shall come to pass, or frequentat. came to pass (repeatedly, etc.)
Come into being, become
abs., in lively narrative, arise, appear, come
sq. prep.
become
sq. pred. noun (to be viewed as implicit accus.)
sq. pred. adj.
become like
sq. pred. לְ pers.
sq. לְ pred.
oft. c. לְ pred. לְ pers.
with עַל and לְ
sts. c. לְ pers. only = became the property of, come into the possession of
Be (often with subbordinate idea of becoming)
exist, be in existence
abide, remain, continue
with word of locality, be in or at a place, be situated, stand, lie
as copula, joining subj. & pred.
H1961 הָיָה fall out, come to pass, become, be .. . . Fall out, happen
. occur, take place, come about, come to pass
. esp. & very oft., come about, come to pass . . וַיְהִי and it came to pass that, most often (c. 292 t.)
. rarely also Pf. c. וְ conj. וְהָיָה
. less oft. וְהָיָה Pf. consec. and it shall come to pass, or frequentat. came to pass (repeatedly, etc.)
. Come into being, become . . abs., in lively narrative, arise, appear, come
. sq. prep.
. become . sq. pred. noun (to be viewed as implicit accus.)
. sq. pred. adj.
. become like
. sq. pred. + לְ pers.
. sq. לְ pred.
. oft. c. לְ pred. + לְ pers.
. with עַל and לְ
. sts. c. לְ pers. only = became the property of, come into the possession of
. Be (often with subbordinate idea of becoming) . exist, be in existence
. abide, remain, continue
1961 hayah haw-yaw
a primitive root (compare 1933); to exist, i.e. be or become,
come to pass (always emphatic, and not a mere copula or
auxiliary):--beacon, X altogether, be(-come), accomplished,
committed, like), break, cause, come (to pass), do, faint,
fall, + follow, happen, X have, last, pertain, quit
(one-)self, require, X use.
see HEBREW for 01933
הָיָה (ha.yah) — to be.
1) to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out
1a) (Qal)
1a1) ---
1a1a) to happen, fall out, occur, take place, come about, come to pass
1a1b) to come about, come to pass
1a2) to come into being, become
1a2a) to arise, appear, come
1a2b) to become
1a2b1) to become
1a2b2) to become like
1a2b3) to be instituted, be established
1a3) to be
1a3a) to exist, be in existence
1a3b) to abide, remain, continue (with word of place or time)
1a3c) to stand, lie, be in, be at, be situated (with word of locality)
1a3d) to accompany, be with
1b) (Niphal)
1b1) to occur, come to pass, be done, be brought about
1b2) to be done, be finished, be gone
V-Qal-Imperf-3mp — Verb · Qal · imperfect third person masculine pluralHVqi3mp
אַ֫יִן (ayin) primarily means 'nothing' or 'nought' and serves as a negative particle indicating absence or negation, such as 'is not' or 'there is not.' It can also express lack of possession or existence. The word is derived from a root meaning to be non-existent, and it appears frequently in various grammatical constructions.
אַ֫יִן, אָ֑֫יִן cstr. אֵין subst. prop. nothing, nought
to nothing, as nothing
cstr. אֵין, very freq. as particle of negation, is not, are not, was not, were not
אֵין לְ׳, with subst., or pron., there is (was) not to … = … have, has, had, etc. not
in circumst. clauses
with inf. and ל׳, it is not to …
with prefixes
base
H369 אַ֫יִן, אָ֑֫יִן cstr. אֵין subst. prop. nothing, nought . to nothing, as nothing
. cstr. אֵין, very freq. as particle of negation, is not, are not, was not, were not
. אֵין לְ׳, with subst., or pron., there is (was) not to … = … have, has, had, etc. not
. in circumst. clauses
. with inf. and ל׳, it is not to …
. with prefixes
369 'ayin ah'-yin
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 370.
see HEBREW for 0370
אַ֫יִן (a.yin) — nothing.
1) nothing, not, nought n
1a) nothing, nought neg
1b) not
1c) to have not (of possession) adv
1d) without w/prep
1e) for lack of
Prep | N-ms — Preposition · noun common masculine singular absoluteHR/Ncmsa
nuth'-ing (lo', lo' @me'umah, etc.; medeis, oudeis): "Nothing" is represented by various words and phrases, often with lo', which is properly a substantive with the meaning of "nothing." Most frequently we have lo' me'umah, "not anything" (Ge 40:15; Jud 14:6).
Other forms are lo' dhabhar, "not anything"; (Ge 19:8); lo'khol, "not any(thing)" (Ge 11:6; Pr 13:7); la' (Aramaic), "no," "nothing" (Da 4:35, "as nothing"); 'ephec, "end," "cessation" (Isa 34:12); bilti, "without," "save," "not" (
The Hebrew word אֶ֫פֶס (*'ephec*) primarily means 'ceasing' or 'end,' and it can express non-existence. It also refers to the dual form אֹ֫פֶס (*'ofes*), which denotes the 'soles' or 'ankles' as the two extremities of the feet. The entries highlight its usage in various contexts, including adverbial forms indicating absence or limitation.
אֶ֫פֶס, אָ֑פֶס n.m. prop. ceasing, hence
end, extremity
Expressing non-existence
base
[אֹ֫פֶס] n.[m.] only in the du. lit. the two extremities, i.e. either the soles of the feet, or the ankles
base
H657a אֶ֫פֶס, אָ֑פֶס prop. ceasing, hence . end, extremity
. Expressing non-existence
H657b אֹ֫פֶס only in the du. lit. the two extremities, i.e. either the soles of the feet, or the ankles
657 'ephec eh'-fes
from 656; cessation, i.e. an end (especially of the earth);
often used adverb, no further; also (like 6466) the ankle (in
the dual), as being the extremity of the leg or foot:--ankle,
but (only), end, howbeit, less than nothing, nevertheless
(where), no, none (beside), not (any, -withstanding), thing of
nought, save(-ing), there, uttermost part, want, without
(cause).
see HEBREW for 0656
see HEBREW for 06466
אֶ֫פֶס (e.phes) — end.
1) ceasing, end, finality
2) expressing non-existence
אֹ֫פֶס (o.phes) — soles.
the two extremities, i.e. either the soles of the feet or the ankles
HC/R/Ncmsa — Conjunction · preposition · noun common masculine singular absoluteHC/R/Ncmsa
nuth'-ing (lo', lo' @me'umah, etc.; medeis, oudeis): "Nothing" is represented by various words and phrases, often with lo', which is properly a substantive with the meaning of "nothing." Most frequently we have lo' me'umah, "not anything" (Ge 40:15; Jud 14:6).
Other forms are lo' dhabhar, "not anything"; (Ge 19:8); lo'khol, "not any(thing)" (Ge 11:6; Pr 13:7); la' (Aramaic), "no," "nothing" (Da 4:35, "as nothing"); 'ephec, "end," "cessation" (Isa 34:12); bilti, "without," "save," "not" (
אֱנוֹשׁ (enowsh) refers to man or mankind, often used in a poetic context. It denotes a mortal individual, distinguishing humans from more dignified terms for man. The word encompasses both singular and collective meanings, indicating people or persons in general. Its Aramaic equivalent is אֱנָשׁ (e.nash), also meaning 'man'.
אֱנוֹשׁ n.m. man, mankind, mostly poet.
of individ.
coll. men
man, mankind
base
H582 אֱנוֹשׁ man, mankind, mostly poet.
582 'enowsh en-oshe'
from 605; properly, a mortal (and thus differing from the
more dignified 120); hence, a man in general (singly or
collectively):--another, X (blood-)thirsty, certain,
chap(-man); divers, fellow, X in the flower of their age,
husband, (certain, mortal) man, people, person, servant, some
( X of them), + stranger, those, + their trade. It is often
unexpressed in the English versions, especially when used in
apposition with another word . Compare 376.
see HEBREW for 0605
see HEBREW for 0120
see HEBREW for 0376
אֱנוֹשׁ (e.nosh) — human.
1) man, mortal man, person, mankind
1a) of an individual
1b) men (collective)
1c) man, mankind
Aramaic equivalent: e.nash (אֱנָשׁ "man" H0606)
HNcmpc — Noun common · masculine plural constructHNcmpc
ov:
(1) In Anglo-Saxon, had the meaning "from," "away from" (as the strengthened form "off" has still), and was not used for genitive or possessive relations, these being expressed by special case-forms. In the Norman period, however, "of" was taken to represent the French de (a use well developed by the time of Chaucer), and in the Elizabethan period both senses of "of" were in common use. But after about 1600 the later force of the word became predominant, and in the earlier sense (which is now practically obsolete) it was replaced by other prepositions. In consequence the King James Version (and in some cases the Revised Version (British and American)) contains many uses of "of" that are no longer familiar--most of them, to be sure, causing no difficulty, but there still being a few responsible for real obscurities.
OF, preposition ov. [Gr.]
1. From or out of; proceeding from, as the cause, source, means, author or agent bestowing.
I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered to you. 1 Corinthians 11:1.
For it was of the Lord to harden their hearts. Joshua 11:1.
It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed.
Lamentations 3:1.
The whole disposing thereof is of the Lord. Proverbs 16:1.
Go, inquire of the Lord for me. 2 Chronicles 34:2.
That holy thing that shall be born of thee. Luke 1:1.
Hence of is the sign of the genitive case, the case that denotes production; as the son of man, the son proceeding from man, produced from man. This is the primary sense, although we now say, produced by man. 'Part of these were slain; ' that is, a number separate, for part denotes a division; the sense then is, a number from or out of the whole were slain. So also, 'some of these were slain; ' that is…
מִלְחָמָה (milchamah) means 'battle' or 'war.' It is derived from the root word for fighting and encompasses both specific engagements and the broader concept of warfare. The entries consistently define it in this way, with no significant disagreement among the lexicons.
מִלְחָמָה 319 n.f. battle, war
base
H4421 מִלְחָמָה battle, war
4421 milchamah mil-khaw-maw'
from 3898 (in the sense of fighting); a battle (i.e. the
engagement); generally, war (i.e. warfare):--battle,
fight(-ing), war((-rior)).
see HEBREW for 03898
מִלְחָמָה (mil.cha.mah) — battle.
battle, war
N-fs | Suff — Noun common feminine singular construct · suffixHNcfsc/Sp2ms
