Strong's Hebrew: 370. מֵאַ֫יִן (ayin) -- Eye, spring, fountain

◄ 370. ayin ►

Strong's Lexicon

ayin: Eye, spring, fountain

Original Word: אַיִן
Part of Speech: adverb
Transliteration: aiyn
Pronunciation: ah'-yin
Phonetic Spelling: (ah-yin')
Definition: where?
Meaning: The term אַיִן primarily means "where?" It is used as an interrogative particle in Hebrew to inquire about the location or existence of something.

Word Origin: Derived from a root word meaning "to be nothing" or "to not exist."

Corresponding Greek / Hebrew Entries: • The Greek equivalent for the interrogative "where?" is ποῦ (Strong's Greek Number 4226), which serves a similar function in the New Testament as אַיִן does in the Old Testament. It is used to ask about the location or presence of someone or something, as seen in passages like Matthew 2:2, "Where is He who has been born King of the Jews?"

Usage: The word אַיִן is used in the Hebrew Bible to pose questions regarding the whereabouts or presence of a person, object, or entity. It is often found in contexts where the speaker is seeking information about the location or existence of something.

Context: • The Hebrew word אַיִן appears in various contexts throughout the Old Testament, often in narratives where a character is searching for someone or something. It is a common interrogative used to express inquiry or uncertainty about the location or presence of an entity.
• For example, in Genesis 4:9, after Cain has killed Abel, God asks Cain, "Where is your brother Abel?" using the word אַיִן to inquire about Abel's whereabouts.
• In 1 Samuel 9:18, Saul approaches Samuel in the gateway and asks, "Please tell me, where is the seer's house?" Here, אַיִן is used to seek the location of the seer's house.
• The word is also used in poetic and prophetic literature to express a sense of absence or non-existence, as seen in Job 14:10, "But a man dies and is laid low; he breathes his last, and where is he?"
• The usage of אַיִן reflects a fundamental human concern with presence and absence, often highlighting themes of searching, loss, and existential inquiry.

NAS Exhaustive Concordance

Word Origin
from ay
Definition
whence?
NASB Translation
where (15), where* (1).

Brown-Driver-Briggs

I. [אַ֫יִן] adverb (from אַי; Assyrian aina, ainu, Arabic

where?

whence?) only in the compound מֵאַ֫יִן₁₇ whence? Genesis 29:4; Genesis 42:7 (synonym אֵימִֿזֶּה e.g. Genesis 16:8; 1 Samuel 30:13) Judges 17:9; Judges 19:17; Job 1:7 (Job 2:2 אֵימִֿזֶּה); used in a rhetorical or poetic style (where אֵימִֿזֶּה would be too prosaic) Numbers 11:13 מֵאַיִן לִי בָּשָׂר whence have I flesh etc. ? 2 Kings 6:27; Jeremiah 30:7 Alas! for that day is great; מֵאַיִן כָּמוֺהוּ whence is its like ? (see also II. אַיִן near the end) Nahum 3:7; Psalm 121:1; Job 28:12,20; in an indirect sentence Joshua 2:4 (compare אֵימִֿזֶּה 1 Samuel 25:11).

I. [אַ֫יִן], מֵאַ֫יִן whence? see below אַי

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance

whence, where

Probably identical with 'ayin in the sense of query (compare 'iy); --where? (only in connection with prepositional prefix, whence) -- whence, where.

see HEBREW 'ayin

see HEBREW 'iy

Forms and Transliterations

וּמֵאַ֙יִן֙ וּמֵאַ֣יִן וּמֵאַ֥יִן ומאין מֵ֝אַ֗יִן מֵאַ֖יִן מֵאַ֛יִן מֵאַ֣יִן מֵאַ֤יִן מֵאַ֥יִן מאין mê’ayin mê·’a·yin meAyin ū·mê·’a·yin ūmê’ayin umeAyin

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Englishman's Concordance

Genesis 29:4
HEB: יַעֲקֹ֔ב אַחַ֖י מֵאַ֣יִן אַתֶּ֑ם וַיֹּ֣אמְר֔וּ
NAS: to them, My brothers, where are you from? And they said,
KJV: unto them, My brethren, whence [be] ye? And they said,
INT: Jacob my brothers where and they said

Genesis 42:7
HEB: וַיֹּ֤אמֶר אֲלֵהֶם֙ מֵאַ֣יִן בָּאתֶ֔ם וַיֹּ֣אמְר֔וּ
NAS: And he said to them, Where have you come
KJV: unto them; and he said unto them, Whence come
INT: said to Where come said

Numbers 11:13
HEB: מֵאַ֤יִן לִי֙ בָּשָׂ֔ר
KJV: Whence should I have flesh to give
INT: Whence meat to give

Joshua 2:4
HEB: וְלֹ֥א יָדַ֖עְתִּי מֵאַ֥יִן הֵֽמָּה׃
NAS: to me, but I did not know where they were from.
KJV: unto me, but I wist not whence they [were]:
INT: did not know where like

Joshua 9:8
HEB: מִ֥י אַתֶּ֖ם וּמֵאַ֥יִן תָּבֹֽאוּ׃
NAS: to them, Who are you and where do you come
KJV: said unto them, Who [are] ye? and from whence come
INT: Who are you and where come

Judges 17:9
HEB: ל֥וֹ מִיכָ֖ה מֵאַ֣יִן תָּב֑וֹא וַיֹּ֨אמֶר
NAS: said to him, Where do you come
KJV: said unto him, Whence comest
INT: said Micah Where come said

Judges 19:17
HEB: אָ֥נָה תֵלֵ֖ךְ וּמֵאַ֥יִן תָּבֽוֹא׃
NAS: are you going, and where do you come
KJV: Whither goest thou? and whence comest
INT: Where going and where come

2 Kings 6:27
HEB: יוֹשִׁעֵ֣ךְ יְהוָ֔ה מֵאַ֖יִן אֽוֹשִׁיעֵ֑ךְ הֲמִן־
NAS: does not help you, from where shall I help
KJV: do not help thee, whence shall I help
INT: help the LORD where help From

2 Kings 20:14
HEB: הָאֲנָשִׁ֣ים הָאֵ֗לֶּה וּמֵאַ֙יִן֙ יָבֹ֣אוּ אֵלֶ֔יךָ
NAS: say, and from where have they come
KJV: these men? and from whence came
INT: men these where come about

Job 1:7
HEB: אֶל־ הַשָּׂטָ֖ן מֵאַ֣יִן תָּבֹ֑א וַיַּ֨עַן
NAS: to Satan, From where do you come?
KJV: unto Satan, Whence comest
INT: to Satan where comest answered

Job 28:12
HEB: וְֽ֭הַחָכְמָה מֵאַ֣יִן תִּמָּצֵ֑א וְאֵ֥י
NAS: But where can wisdom be found?
KJV: But where shall wisdom be found?
INT: wisdom where be found how

Job 28:20
HEB: וְֽ֭הַחָכְמָה מֵאַ֣יִן תָּב֑וֹא וְאֵ֥י
NAS: Where then does wisdom come
KJV: Whence then cometh wisdom?
INT: wisdom Where come and where

Psalm 121:1
HEB: אֶל־ הֶהָרִ֑ים מֵ֝אַ֗יִן יָבֹ֥א עֶזְרִֽי׃
NAS: to the mountains; From where shall my help
KJV: unto the hills, from whence cometh
INT: to the mountains where cometh shall my help

Isaiah 39:3
HEB: הָאֲנָשִׁ֣ים הָאֵ֗לֶּה וּמֵאַ֙יִן֙ יָבֹ֣אוּ אֵלֶ֔יךָ
NAS: say, and from where have they come
KJV: these men? and from whence came
INT: another these where come about

Jonah 1:8
HEB: מַה־ מְּלַאכְתְּךָ֙ וּמֵאַ֣יִן תָּב֔וֹא מָ֣ה
NAS: is your occupation? And where do you come
KJV: [is] upon us; What [is] thine occupation? and whence comest
INT: What business whence come What

Nahum 3:7
HEB: יָנ֣וּד לָ֑הּ מֵאַ֛יִן אֲבַקֵּ֥שׁ מְנַחֲמִ֖ים
NAS: will grieve for her?' Where will I seek
KJV: who will bemoan her? whence shall I seek
INT: Who will grieve Where seek comforters

16 Occurrences

Strong's Hebrew 370
16 Occurrences

mê·’a·yin — 11 Occ.
ū·mê·’a·yin — 5 Occ.