Proverbs 24:1 — Word Study
WLCאַל־ תְּ֭קַנֵּא בְּאַנְשֵׁ֣י רָעָ֑ה וְאַל־ תִּ֝תְאָ֗יו לִהְי֥וֹת אִתָּֽם׃
BSADo notʼal [never, under no circumstances] envyqânâʼ▸ [be jealous of, resent] wickedraʻ [evil, morally bad] or desireʼâvâh▸ [nor, strongly wish for, long to be with] their companyhâyâh [to be in their presence, to be with them, associate with them]
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| אַל־ | may not | Particle |
| תְּ֭קַנֵּא | you be jealous | Verb, Piel, jussive second person masculine singular |
| בְּאַנְשֵׁ֣י | of people of | Preposition, noun common masculine plural construct |
| רָעָ֑ה | evil | Noun common, feminine singular absolute |
| וְאַל־ | and may not | Conjunction, particle |
| תִּ֝תְאָ֗יו | you desire | Verb, Hithpael, jussive second person masculine singular |
| לִהְי֥וֹת | to be | Preposition, verb qal infinitive construct common |
| אִתָּֽם׃ | with them | Preposition, suffix |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | Do not envy wicked men or desire their company; |
| KJV | Be not thou envious against evil men, neither desire to be with them. |
| ASV | Be not thou envious against evil men; Neither desire to be with them: |
| YLT | Be not envious of evil men, And desire not to be with them. |
| WEB | Don’t be envious of evil men, neither desire to be with them; |
| BBE | Have no envy for evil men, or any desire to be with them: |
Translations agree on the core message of avoiding envy and desire for the company of the wicked.
The sentence is structured with a main clause followed by two subordinate phrases that elaborate on the actions to avoid.
8 commentators on this verse
Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them ›
clause
verbקָנָא
The sentence as the grammar sees it Open the tree ›
Every word here is used elsewhere in the Old Testament.
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 — Proverbs 24:1
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 — Warnings Against Wickednessgenerated
Proverbs 24:1 warns the reader not to envy wicked individuals or desire their company, emphasizing the moral implications of associating with those who engage in wrongdoing. This verse is part of a broader discourse on wisdom, urging a focus on virtuous living rather than being drawn into the allure of evil. The surrounding verses highlight the consequences of wickedness and the value of wisdom and understanding, as seen in Proverbs 24:2 and Proverbs 24:3.
Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Proverbs 24:19 | Do not fret over evildoers, and do not be envious of the wicked. |
| 2 | Proverbs 3:31 | Do not envy a violent man or choose any of his ways; |
| 3 | Proverbs 23:17 | Do not let your heart envy sinners, but always continue in the fear of the LORD. |
| 4 | Psalm 37:1–7 | Do not fret over those who do evil; do not envy those who do wrong. |
| 5 | Psalm 73:3 | For I envied the arrogant when I saw the prosperity of the wicked. |
The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 12 references, hung on the phrase they belong to
The Key Word — קָנָא, Te.ka.ne'generated
The verb קָנָא (qana') is in the Piel stem, indicating an active sense of jealousy or envy. It conveys the emotional response of feeling resentful towards others' success or circumstances, particularly when perceived as a threat. The jussive form suggests a command or strong recommendation, as the speaker urges the listener to avoid such feelings.
This word appears in contexts where jealousy can lead to destructive behavior, as seen in biblical narratives. Here, it serves as a caution against allowing envy to influence one's choices or associations.
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 main verb תְּ֭קַנֵּא, you be jealous, governs the first part of the verse, while the second part is structured around תִּ֝תְאָ֗יו, you desire. The sentence is built with two commands, both urging the listener to refrain from negative emotions and associations.
The Hebrew word order places emphasis on the prohibitions, highlighting the importance of avoiding both envy and the desire for companionship with the wicked.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
In the Septuagint, קָנָא is rendered as ζηλώσῃς, which carries the meaning of being jealous or zealous. This choice aligns closely with the Hebrew's implications of emotional response.
The use of μηδὲ for the conjunction 'and may not' indicates a similar prohibition, maintaining the negative command structure present in the Hebrew text.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
Proverbs 24:1 tells us not to envy wicked people or want to be around them. This verse warns against the negative influence of associating with those who do evil, emphasizing the importance of choosing companions wisely.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
To envy wicked men means to feel jealous or resentful of their actions or success, which can lead to negative consequences.
Desiring the company of wicked men can lead to moral compromise and influence one to engage in similar wrongful behaviors.
Wicked individuals are often characterized by their harmful actions and intentions, as well as their disregard for moral principles.
Seeking companionship with wise and righteous individuals can provide support and encouragement in living a virtuous life.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- In what ways have I experienced jealousy or envy in my life, and how can I address those feelings?
- What steps can I take to ensure that my friendships are with individuals who encourage good behavior?
- How can I cultivate a desire for companionship with those who embody wisdom and righteousness?
- What are some practical ways to distance myself from influences that lead me toward wickedness?
The early church on this verse — how the Fathers read it
Bede comments on this verse, emphasizing the importance of not imitating the vices of the wicked but striving for wisdom instead.
Do not emulate evil men, etc. Do not desire to imitate those whom you see entangled in the vices I have mentioned, but rather strive to devote yourself to wisdom.Early Church Fathers on Proverbs 24 →
Commentators on this verse — 8 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on Proverbs 24:1 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire BibleBe not thou envious against evil men,.... Or, "men of evil" (b).
Read John Gill on Proverbs 24 →Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's CommentaryBe not thou envious against evil men, neither desire to be with them. Evil men, neither desire to be with them - i:e., to share in their ways.
Read Robert Jamieson on Proverbs 24 →Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy BibleCHAPTER 24 Their company or manner of life.
Read Matthew Poole on Proverbs 24 →John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New TestamentsProverbs 24:1 Be not thou envious against evil men, neither desire to be with them.Ver. 1. Be not thou envious against evil men.] Heb., Men of evil - such as are set upon sin; as are like Caracalla, qui nihil cogitabat boni, qui id non didicerat; quod ipse fatebatur, saith Dio, Who never thought of any good, &c. Envy not such a one his pomp, any more than we do a dead corpse his flowers and gaiety. See Proverbs 23:17. Neither desire to be with them.] That is, To be in their estate, so thou mightest be at their stay. This hath been the folly of some of God’ s people, as David noteth, Psalms 73:10. For the which they have afterwards befooled and bebeasted themselves, as he did, Psalms 73:22.
Read John Trapp on Proverbs 24 →AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the BibleCHAPTER XXIV Do not be envious. Of the house wisely built. Counsel necessary in war. Save life when thou canst. Of honey and the honey-comb. Of the just that falleth seven times. We should not rejoice at the misfortune of others. Ruin of the wicked. Fear God and the king. Prepare thy work. The field of the sluggard, and the vineyard of the foolish, described. NOTES ON CHAP. XXIV
Read AdamClarke on Proverbs 24 →CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges1. Be not thou envious] Comp. Proverbs 23:17.
Read Cambridge on Proverbs 24 →Albert Barnes1798–1870Barnes' Notes on the BibleA lesson given before, now combined with another. True followers after wisdom will admit neither envy of evil on the one hand, nor admiration or fellowship with it on the other.
Read Albert Barnes on Proverbs 24 →Daniel Denison Whedon1808–1885Whedon's Commentary on the Bible1, 2. Be not thou envious — ú÷ðà, (tekanne,) jealous, angry, or excited.The radical idea is heat. See Proverbs 24:19; also Proverbs 28:5; Proverbs 23:17; Proverbs 23:3; Proverbs 23:6; Psalms 37:1; Psalms 73:3.
Read Daniel Denison Whedon on Proverbs 24 →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
Do not envy wicked men or desire their company;
Don’t be envious of evil men, neither desire to be with them;
Do not envy wicked men or desire their company;
Do not envy evil people, do not desire to be with them;
Tyndale line
Be not thou envious against evil men, neither desire to be with them.
Be not thou envious against evil men; Neither desire to be with them:
Be not thou envious against evil men, neither desire to be with them.
Be not thou envious against evil men, neither desire to be with them.
Be not thou enuious against euill men, neither desire to be with them.
Strictly literal
Be not thou envious of evil men, neither desire to be with them;
Be not envious of evil men, And desire not to be with them.
Do not be envious of evil men, || And do not desire to be with them.
Be thou not envious of bad men, and do not long to be with them.
Do not be envious of those who are evil, nor desire to associate with them,
From the Latin
Seek not to be like evil men, neither desire to be with them:
Simplified
Don't be jealous of evil people; don't long to spend time with them,
Have no envy for evil men, or any desire to be with them:
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 largely agree in content, with six of the eight words matched. The differences in word order and phrasing reflect the translators' stylistic choices rather than substantive variations in meaning.
אַל־ תְּ֭קַנֵּא בְּאַנְשֵׁ֣י רָעָ֑ה וְאַל־ תִּ֝תְאָ֗יו לִהְי֥וֹת אִתָּֽם׃
6 of the 8 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.
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 Proverbs 24:1
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.
אַל (al) is a negative particle meaning 'not' or 'no,' often used to express a wish or prohibition rather than an objective fact. It can also function as a noun meaning 'nothing.' The lexicons highlight its use in various contexts, including deprecative forms, but do not show significant disagreement.
אַל adv. of negation, denying however, not objectively as a fact, but subjectively as a wish, expressing therefore a deprecation or prohibition
base
H408 אַל adv. of negation, denying however, not objectively as a fact, but subjectively as a wish, expressing therefore a deprecation or prohibition
408 'al al
a negative particle (akin to 3808); not (the qualified
negation, used as a deprecative); once (Job 24:25) as a noun,
nothing:--nay, neither, + never, no ,nor, not, nothing
(worth), rather than.
see HEBREW for 03808
אַל (al) — not.
1) not, no, nor, neither, nothing (as wish or preference)
1a) do not, let not (with a verb)
1b) let there not be (with a verb understood)
1c) not, no (with substantive)
1d) nothing (as substantive)
Aramaic equivalent: al (אַל "not" H0409)
Part — ParticleHTn
The Hebrew word קָנָא (qana') is a verb that conveys meanings related to jealousy and zeal. It can mean to be jealous, envious, or zealous, and can also imply provoking jealousy or anger. The entries highlight its use in different forms, particularly the Piel and Hiphil stems, indicating both personal feelings and actions that incite jealousy.
[קָנָא] vb. denom.
Pi. be jealous, zealous
be jealous of
be envious of
be zealous for
excite to jealous anger
Hiph. provoke to jealous anger
base
H7065 קָנָא vb. denom. Pi. be jealous, zealous
7065 qana' kaw-naw'
a primitive root; to be (causatively, make) zealous, i.e. (in
a bad sense) jealous or envious:--(be) envy(-ious), be (move
to, provoke to) jealous(-y), X very, (be) zeal(-ous).
קָנָא (qa.na) — be jealous.
1) to envy, be jealous, be envious, be zealous
1a) (Piel)
1a1) to be jealous of
1a2) to be envious of
1a3) to be zealous for
1a4) to excite to jealous anger
1b) (Hiphil) to provoke to jealous anger, cause jealousy
V-Piel-Juss-2ms — Verb · Piel · jussive second person masculine singularHVpj2ms
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)
HR/Ncmpc — Preposition · noun common masculine plural constructHR/Ncmpc
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…
רַע (ra) is a Hebrew word meaning bad or evil, encompassing a range of negative qualities such as distress, misery, and ethical wrongdoing. It can describe unpleasantness, harm, or low value, and is used in various contexts, including emotional states and moral judgments. The entries also note its comparative form, indicating worse than or worst. The word has feminine forms, such as רָעָה (ra.ah), which similarly convey concepts of evil and distress.
רַע 228 adj. bad, evil
bad, disagreeable, malignant
bad, unpleasant, giving pain, unhappiness, misery
evil, displeasing
bad of its kind
bad, , i.e. of low value
מִן comp., worse than
sad, unhappy
devise evil (hurtful) device
bad, unkind, vicious in disposition or temper
ethically bad, evil, wicked
base
רַע 126 n.m. evil, distress, misery, injury, calamity
evil, distress, adversity
evil, injury, wrong
ethical evil
base
רָעָה 310 n.f. evil, misery, distress, injury
evil, misery, distress
evil, injury, wrong
ethical evil
base
H7451a רַע bad, evil . bad, disagreeable, malignant
. bad, unpleasant, giving pain, unhappiness, misery
. evil, displeasing
. bad of its kind
. bad, , i.e. of low value
. + מִן comp., worse than
. sad, unhappy
. devise evil (hurtful) device
. bad, unkind, vicious in disposition or temper
. ethically bad, evil, wicked
H7451b רַע evil, distress, misery, injury, calamity . evil, distress, adversity
. evil, injury, wrong
. ethical evil
H7451c רָעָה evil, misery, distress, injury . evil, misery, distress
. evil, injury, wrong
. ethical evil
7451 ra` rah
from 7489; bad or (as noun) evil (natural or moral):--
adversity, affliction, bad, calamity, + displease(-ure),
distress, evil((- favouredness), man, thing), + exceedingly, X
great, grief(-vous), harm, heavy, hurt(-ful), ill (favoured),
+ mark, mischief(-vous), misery, naught(-ty), noisome, + not
please, sad(-ly), sore, sorrow, trouble, vex,
wicked(-ly, -ness, one), worse(-st), wretchedness, wrong.
(Incl. feminine raaah; as adjective or noun.).
see HEBREW for 07489
רַע (ra) — bad: harmful.
: harmful
adj
1) bad, evil
1a) bad, disagreeable, malignant
1b) bad, unpleasant, evil (giving pain, unhappiness, misery)
1c) evil, displeasing
1d) bad (of its kind-land, water, etc)
1e) bad (of value)
1f) worse than, worst (comparison)
1g) sad, unhappy
1h) evil (hurtful)
1i) bad, unkind (vicious in disposition)
1j) bad, evil, wicked (ethically)
1j1) in general, of persons, of thoughts
1j2) deeds, actions
רַע (ra) — bad: evil.
1) evil, distress, misery, injury, calamity
1a) evil, distress, adversity
1b) evil, injury, wrong
1c) evil (ethical)
רָעָה (ra.ah) — distress: harm.
: harm
1) evil, misery, distress, injury
1a) evil, misery, distress
1b) evil, injury, wrong
1c) evil (ethical)
רַע (ra) — bad: evil.
: evil
adj
1) bad, evil
1a) bad, disagreeable, malignant
1b) bad, unpleasant, evil (giving pain, unhappiness, misery)
1c) evil, displeasing
N-fs — Noun common · feminine singular absoluteHNcfsa
ev'-'-l, e'-vil ra`; poneros, @kakos, @kakon:
In the Bible it is represented as moral and physical. We choose to discuss the subject under these heads. Many of the evils that come upon men have not been intended by those who suffer for them. Disease, individual and national calamity, drought, scarcity of food, may not always be charged to the account of intentional wrong. Many times the innocent suffer with, and even for, the guilty. In such cases, only physical evil is apparent. Even when the suffering has been occasioned by sin or dereliction of duty, whether the wrong is active or passive, many, perhaps the majority of those who are injured, are not accountable in any way for the ills which come upon them. Neither is God the author of moral evil. "God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempteth no man" (Jas 1:13).
→ APPEARANCE OF, TO BE AVOIDED Ro 14:1-23; 1Co 8:7-13; 10:28-33; 1Th 4:11,12; 5:22
→ INSTANCES OF
Paul, in refusing to eat what had been offered to idols 1Co 8:13
In supporting himself 1Co 9:7-23
אַל (al) is a negative particle meaning 'not' or 'no,' often used to express a wish or prohibition rather than an objective fact. It can also function as a noun meaning 'nothing.' The lexicons highlight its use in various contexts, including deprecative forms, but do not show significant disagreement.
אַל adv. of negation, denying however, not objectively as a fact, but subjectively as a wish, expressing therefore a deprecation or prohibition
base
H408 אַל adv. of negation, denying however, not objectively as a fact, but subjectively as a wish, expressing therefore a deprecation or prohibition
408 'al al
a negative particle (akin to 3808); not (the qualified
negation, used as a deprecative); once (Job 24:25) as a noun,
nothing:--nay, neither, + never, no ,nor, not, nothing
(worth), rather than.
see HEBREW for 03808
אַל (al) — not.
1) not, no, nor, neither, nothing (as wish or preference)
1a) do not, let not (with a verb)
1b) let there not be (with a verb understood)
1c) not, no (with substantive)
1d) nothing (as substantive)
Aramaic equivalent: al (אַל "not" H0409)
HC/Tn — Conjunction · particleHC/Tn
אָוָה (avah) is a primitive root meaning to desire or wish for. It encompasses a range of meanings including to covet, long for, and lust after, often relating to bodily appetites. The verb appears in various forms, such as in the Piel and Hithpael stems, which indicate different nuances of desire.
[אָוָה] vb. incline, desire
Pi. desire
Hithp. desire, long for, lust after
base
H183 [אָוָה] incline, desire . desire
. desire, long for, lust after
183 'avah aw-vaw'
a primitive root; to wish for:--covet, (greatly) desire, be
desirous, long, lust (after).
אָוָה (a.vah) — to desire.
1) desire, incline, covet, wait longingly, wish, sigh, want, be greedy, prefer
1a) (Piel) to desire, crave (food and drink)
1b) (Hithpael) to desire, long for, lust after (of bodily appetites)
V-Hithpael-Juss-2ms — Verb · Hithpael · jussive second person masculine singularHVtj2ms
de-zir': The verb "to desire" in the Scriptures usually means "to long for," "to ask for," "to demand," and may be used in a good or bad sense (compare De 7:25 the King James Version). the Revised Version (British and American) frequently renders the more literal meaning of the Hebrew. Compare Job 20:20, "delight"; Pr 21:20, "precious"; Ps 40:6, "delight"; aiteo (except Col 1:9), and erotao (except Lu 7:36) are rendered "to ask" and zeteo, "to seek" (compare Lu 9:9 et. al.). The Hebrew kacaph, literally, "to lose in…
→ SPIRITUAL De 4:29; Ps 9:1; 17:1; 22:26; 24:6; 25:5,15; 27:8,14; 33:20; 34:10; 37:4,7,9,34; 39:12; 40:1,8; 42:1-11; 51:1-17; 62:1; 63:1,8; 68:28; 69:3,32; 70:4; 81:10; 84:2; 86:11,12,16; 94:19; 105:4; 118:17; 119:2,10,20,40,77,88,116,117,122,133,149,156; 123:1,2; 130:5,6; 143:5,6; Pr 2:3-5; 8:17,34; Isa 8:17,19; 26:8,9; 40:31; 55:1,2,6; Jer 29:13; La 3:25,26,41; Ho 10:12; Hab 3:2; Mt 5:6;
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
Prep | V-Qal-Inf-a — Preposition · verb qal infinitive construct commonHR/Vqcc
The Hebrew word אֵת (eth) is a preposition indicating nearness or proximity, often translated as 'with' or 'near.' It conveys a sense of companionship or association, distinguishing itself from similar terms by expressing closer relationships. The entries highlight its use in various contexts, including possession and memory, but do not provide specific verse references.
אֵת, prep. with—prep. denoting proximity
Of companionship, together with
Of localities
אֵת פּ׳ denotes specially
in one's possession or keeping
in one's knowledge or memory
מֵאֵת from proximity with
Note. אֵת expresses closer association than עִם: hence while מֵעִם sts. denotes hardly more than from the surroundings or belongings of, מֵאֵת expresses from close proximity to.
base
H854 אֵת with—prep. denoting proximity . Of companionship, together with
. Of localities
. אֵת פּ׳ denotes specially . in one's possession or keeping
. in one's knowledge or memory
. מֵאֵת from proximity with
Note. אֵת expresses closer association than עִם: hence while מֵעִם sts. denotes hardly more than from the surroundings or belongings of, מֵאֵת expresses from close proximity to.
854 'eth ayth
probably from 579; properly, nearness (used only as a
preposition or an adverb), near; hence, generally, with, by,
at, among, etc.:--against, among, before, by, for, from,
in(-to), (out) of, with. Often with another prepositional
prefix.
see HEBREW for 0579
אֵת (et) — with.
1) with, near, together with
1a) with, together with
1b) with (of relationship)
1c) near (of place)
1d) with (poss.)
1e) from...with, from (with other prep)
HR/Sp3mp — Preposition · suffixHR/Sp3mp