BDB3773 [H3426]

יֵשׁ₁₈₇ substantive being, substance, existence (on etymology see 2) — יֵשׁ Gen 18:24 etc.; יֶשֿׁ Gen 31:29 + often; הֲיֵשׁ Gen 24:23 + 18 t. (so אִשׁ 2Sam 14:19 , הַאִשׁ Mic 6:10 ), with suffix יֶשְׁךָ vGen 24:42 + 2 t.; יֶשְׁכֶם vGen 24:49 ; הֲיִשְׁכֶם Deut 13:4 ; יֶשְׁנוֺ (Ol^{§ 97 b} Sta^{§ 370 b}) Deut 29:14; 1Sam 14:39 (+ v1Sam 14:41 ᵐ5 We Dr), 1Sam 23:23; Esth 3:8 ; —

1. substance, only Prov 8:21 לְהַנְחִיל אֹהֲבַי יֵשׁ to cause them that love me to inherit substance (so Sir 42:3).

2. elsewhere (properly as a substantive in the stative construct), it asserts existence, and so corresponds to the verb substantive, is (are, was, were, will be), literally the being, presence of... (so Biblical Aramaic אִתַי; Aramaic איתא, אית, [whence (self-) existent, essence, substance], with לָא contracted לַיִת, לֵית, ; Mandean עת, עית, לאיית; Arabic [with irregular ] (inflected as a verb, , , etc.; W^{AG i. § 182, ii. § 42}) is not ( is known only in two proverbial sayings, as a secondary form Fl^{Kl. Schr. i. 146 f.}); Assyrian išû, be, have Dl^{HWB 310}; with affix 1 singular la-a i-ša-a-ku, I have not, TP^{i. 57 f.}. On this word, see especially Nö^{M. § 213}, who exemplifies its different constructions in Semitic, and shews how it tends to pass into a verb; — (1) in Biblical Aramaic, Syriac, Babylonian ᵑ7, with possessive suffix; (2) in later Palestinian dialects, Jerusalem ᵑ7, Jerusalem Talmud, sometimes also in Babylonian ᵑ7 and Syriac, with independent personal pronoun (as לית אנא, לית הוא); (3) in Mandean, Babylonian Talmud, sometimes in Syriac and Arabic, and in Hebrew יֶשְׁנוֺ, with object. (verbal) suffix; (4) in Arabic, as a true verb. In Ethiopic literally therein, German es gibt, is similar in use (Di^{Gr. § 167, l}), though not of course in origin. In Hebrew the corresponding negative is אַיִן, q. v., the construction of which is quite similar) — is, are, was, were, etc., not, however, as a mere copula, but implying existence with emphasis (hence in English to be often represented by the substantive verb in italics):
\ \ a. with a predicate following, Gen 28:16 במקום הזה ׳אכן ישׁ י surely Y. is (emphatic) in this place! Gen 44:26 אִם יֵשׁ אָחִינוּ אִתְּכֶם; Exod 17:7 הֲיֵשׁ יהוה בְּקִרְבֵּנוּ אִם אַיִן, Num 22:29 לו ישׁ חרב בידי Oh, that there were a sword in my hand! Deut 13:4 הֲיִשְׁכֶם אֹהֲבִים whether you do love, Deut 29:17 פן ישׁ בכם אישׁ, v.Deut 29:18; 1Sam 9:11f. and they said, Is the seer here? and they said יֵשׁ He is, 1Sam 20:8; 1Sam 23:23; Jer 27:18. Alone, in answer to a question (asked with יֵשׁ), He (it) is: 1Sam 9:12; 2Kgs 10:15; Jer 37:17. But Jer 23:26 (where ישׁ has no substantive or suffix) text must be corrupt: compare Gie.
\ \ b. absolutely, there is (es. gibt, il y a), Gen 18:24 אולי ישׁ חמשׁים צדיקים בעיר perhaps there are fifty righteous in the city, Gen 24:23 הישׁ בית אביך מקום לנו ללון, Gen 42:1 כי ישׁ שׁבר ׳במצ that there was corn in Egypt, Judg 4:20 הישׁ פה אישׁ, 2Sam 9:1; 2Kgs 5:8 he shall know that there is (emphatic) a prophet in Israel, Ruth 3:12 there is a kinsman nearer than I, Ps 58:12 surely there are gods judging on the earth: so in aphorisms, asserting the existence of a particular character, quality, etc., Prov 11:24 ישׁ מפזר ונוסף עוד, Prov 12:18; Prov 13:7; Prov 13:23; Prov 14:12; Prov 16:25; Prov 18:24; Prov 20:15; Eccl 2:21; Eccl 4:8; Eccl 5:12; Eccl 6:1; Eccl 6:11; Eccl 7:15 (twice in verse); Eccl 8:14 (3 t. in verse); Eccl 10:5. In questions, or protestations, יֵשׁ often implies a doubt whether what is asked about is to be found or exists: 1Kgs 18:10; Jer 5:1 and see אם ישׁ אישׁ if there is (emphatic) a man doing justice, etc. (compare Ps 14:2), Ps 14:22; Isa 44:8 הישׁ אלהים is there a god beside me? Ps 7:4 אם ישׁ עול בכפי if there is iniquity in my hands! Ps 73:11 is there knowledge in the Most High? Job 5:1; Job 6:30; Lam 1:2.
\ \ c. special phrases: —
\ \ \ (a) after אִם and a participle, where an abiding intention is to be emphasized, Gen 24:42 אםיֿשׁךנֿא מצליח דרכי if thou art (really), prospering my way, vGen 24:49; Gen 43:4; Judg 6:36 (compare II. אין 2 b).
\ \ \ (b) יֵשׁ לְ = has (had), especially with pronouns יֵשׁ לִי, יֵשׁ לְךָ; etc., Gen 33:9 יֶשׁלִֿי רָב I have plenty, vGen 33:11; Gen 43:7 הישׁ לכם אח, Gen 44:20 ישׁ לנו אב זקן, 1Sam 17:40 that they may know כי ישׁ אלהים לישׂראל that Israel has (emphatic) a god, 2Kgs 4:2 מַהיֶּֿשׁלָֿכְי what hast thou ? Job 14:7 for a tree has (emphatic) hope (compare Ruth 1:12), Ruth 25:3; Ruth 28:1; Ruth 38:28 ׃הישׁ למטר אב Gen 39:5 (twice in verse); Gen 39:8, * F f כל אשׁר יֶשׁלֿו all that had (Gen 39:4 without אשׁר, probably error).
\ \ \ (c) with infinitive and לְ, is it possible to... ? 2Kgs 4:13 הישׁ לדברלֿך can (1) speak for thee to the king? 2Chr 25:9 so אִשׁ לְ 2Sam 14:19 (compare אֵין לְ, below II. אַיִן 5).
\ \ \ (d)... יֵשׁ אֲשֶׁר (if) it was that... Num 9:20; Num 9:21 there were some who... (with participle) Neh 5:2; Neh 5:3; Neh 5:4 (compare Syriac for ὃ μὲν... ὃ δὲ ... Matt 13:8 PS¹⁷²).
\ \ \ (e) יֶשׁלְֿאֵל יָדִי Gen 31:29 and elsewhere; see II. אֵל 7, p. 43.
\ \ \ (f) 2Kgs 10:15 וָיֵשׁ and (if) it be... (compare וָלֹא 2Kgs 5:17; 2Sam 13:26); so Judg 6:13 אִתָּנוּ ׳וְיֵשׁ י.
\ \ \ (g) pleonastic אֵין יֵשׁ Ps 135:17.
\ \ \ (h) לֹא יֵשׁ Job 9:33 (compare , : but ᵐ5 ᵑ6 Me and others לֻא). — As a rule, יֵשׁ precedes its substantive (from which, however, like אין, it may be separated: Gen 24:23; Gen 43:7 הֲיֵשׁ לָכֶם אָח, Gen 44:19; Gen 44:20; 1Sam 20:8 etc.); but occasionally, for greater emphasis, this is prefixed: 1Sam 21:5 כי אם לחם קדשׁ ישׁ but holy bread there is! Isa 43:8 the blind people, ועינים ישׁ though it has eyes, Judg 19:19 לחם ויין ישׁ לי (compare אַיִן 2 c).

The Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew and English Lexicon
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