Original Word: אָז
Part of Speech: Adverb
Transliteration: az
Pronunciation: ahz
Phonetic Spelling: (awz)
KJV: beginning, for, from, hitherto, now, of old, once, since, then, at which time, yet
NASB: then, time, if, now, once, so, yet
Word Origin: [a demonstrative adverb]

1. at that time or place
2. (as a conjunction) therefore

beginning, for, from, hitherto, now, of old, once, since,

A demonstrative adverb; at that time or place; also as a conjunction, therefore -- beginning, for, from, hitherto, now, of old, once, since, then, at which time, yet.

Word Origin
of uncertain derivation
Definition
at that time
NASB Translation
if (1), now (1), once (1), rather* (1), since* (1), so (1), then (113), time (5), yet (1).

אָז adverb (compare , also Biblical Aramaic אֱדַיִן properly a substantive = time; see מֵאָז) at that time, then, whether expressing duration, or inception (= thereupon).

1 strictly temporal:

a. of past time: — without a verb Genesis 12:6; Genesis 13:7; Joshua 14:11; 2 Samuel 23:14; with a perfect Genesis 4:26; Exodus 4:26; Joshua 10:33; Judges 8:3; Judges 13:21; Jeremiah 22:15 אָז טוֺב לוֺ then was it well to him (compare Jeremiah 22:16; Hosea 2:9); more usually (especially when = thereupon) with an imperfect (see Dr^{§ 27}) Exodus 15:1; Numbers 21:17; Joshua 8:30; Joshua 10:12; Joshua 22:1; 1 Kings 3:16; 1 Kings 8:1; 1 Kings 9:11 (see Dr^Intr.192) and elsewhere.

b. of future time (usually where some emphasis is intended), with imperfect Isaiah 35:5,6; Isaiah 60:5; Micah 3:4, rather differently Leviticus 26:41; 1 Samuel 20:12; rarely with perfect 2 Samuel 5:24b (will have gone forth) Isaiah 33:23: with an accompanying logical force, implying the fulfilment of a condition, then = if or when this has been done (with the imperfect) Genesis 24:41; Exodus 12:44,48; Deuteronomy 29:19; Joshua 1:8; 1 Samuel 6:3; Isaiah 58:8,9; Jeremiah 11:15 Hi Ke Psalm 19:14; Psalm 51:21; Proverbs 3:23; Job 11:15; Job 13:20; Job 22:26.

c. in poetry אז is sometimes used to throw emphasis on a particular feature of the description Genesis 49:4; Exodus 15:15; Judges 5:8,11,13,19,22; Isaiah 33:23; Isaiah 41:1; Habakkuk 1:11; Psalm 2:5; Psalm 96:12.

d. it points back with emphasis to an infinitive with בּ 2 Samuel 5:24 a Psalm 126:2 (twice in verse); Job 28:27; Job 33:16; to בַּיּוֺם הַהוּא (anomalously) 1 Chronicles 16:7.

2 expressing logical sequence strictlyd: in the apodosis: — after אם (rare) for sake of special emphasis Isaiah 58:14; Proverbs 2:5; Job 9:31; = in that case, after לוּ or לוּלֵא 2 Samuel 2:27 hadst thou not spoken, כִּי אָז surely then had the people, etc. 2 Samuel 19:7; Psalm 119:92; after אחלי 2 Kings 5:3; Psalm 119:6; after a suppressed protasis 2 Kings 13:19; Job 3:13 יָשַׁנְתִּי אָז יָנוּחַ לִי I had slept, then were there rest for me; Joshua 22:31 (strangely) = now, as things are; Ecclesiastes 2:15 = that being so. (122 t., besides מאז and מןאֿז. Seldom used except where some special emphasis is de-sired. 'Then' of AV RV more commonly repre-sents וְ, especially in the apodosis.)

מֵאָז (compare ), once (Jeremiah 44:18) מִןאָֿז, literally from that time: used (a) absolutely, as adverb = in time past, of old, whether of a nearer 2 Samuel 15:34; Isaiah 16:13, or of a remoter past Isaiah 44:8; Isaiah 45:21; Isaiah 48:3,5,7,8; Psalm 93:2; Proverbs 8:22; (b) with following General or relative clause, as preposition or conjunction = from time of, since. With substantive Ruth 2:7 מֵאָז הַבֹּקֶר from time of morning Psalm 76:8; with infin. Exodus 4:10 מֵאָז דַּבֶּרְךָ since thy speaking unto thy servant; with finite verb Genesis 39:5; Exodus 5:23 ׳וּמֵאָז בָּאתִי וג and since I came unto Pharaoh, etc. Exodus 9:24; Joshua 14:10; Isaiah 14:8; Jeremiah 44:18.

Overview

אֲזַי, rendered “then” in English, appears about one-hundred-forty-one times in the Old Testament, functioning as a temporal indicator that links God’s previous acts with their immediate or future consequences. By marking transition, climax, or resolution, it steers the reader’s attention to moments when divine initiative, human response, or eschatological fulfillment becomes unmistakably clear.

Temporal Marker in Redemptive History

From the first pages of Genesis to the closing lines of Malachi, “then” punctuates the unfolding account of redemption. It signals (1) divine intervention after human crisis, (2) covenant-keeping after long delay, and (3) prophetic assurance that future hope will follow present discipline.

Occurrences in the Narrative Books

• Genesis: Beginnings of Worship and Judgment

– Genesis 4:26: “Then men began to call on the name of the LORD.” The adverb seals the birth of Enosh as a hinge from family history to public worship.

– Genesis 11:5–7 shows the LORD’s descent to Babel “Then the LORD came down to see the city,” underscoring that divine scrutiny interrupts human pride.

– Genesis 22:13: “Then Abraham looked up and saw behind him a ram…” The word sets the moment of substitutionary provision.

• Exodus: Redemption and Response

– Exodus 12:31: “Then Pharaoh summoned Moses and Aaron by night and said, ‘Up, leave my people…’” “Then” marks the climactic surrender after the Passover plague.

– Exodus 15:1: “Then Moses and the Israelites sang this song to the LORD.” The song of salvation follows the Red Sea deliverance.

– Exodus 24:8–11: “Then they beheld God, and they ate and drank,” a striking sequence where covenant blood precedes fellowship.

• Conquest and Settlement

– Joshua 5:13–14: “Then Joshua fell facedown in worship,” highlighting submission before Jericho’s fall.

– Judges 2:16: “Then the LORD raised up judges,” showing mercy after national apostasy.

• Monarchy and National Life

– 1 Samuel 3:10: “Then the LORD came and stood there, calling as at the other times.” Samuel’s prophetic calling occurs precisely when “the word of the LORD was rare.”

– 2 Samuel 7:18: “Then King David went in and sat before the LORD,” responding to the everlasting covenant.

– 1 Kings 18:38–39: “Then the fire of the LORD fell.” Elijah’s contest decisively exposes idolatry.

– 2 Chronicles 7:1: “When Solomon finished praying, then fire came down from heaven,” authenticating the temple.

Poetic and Wisdom Literature

• Psalms: Praise Drawn from Past Deliverance

– Psalm 18:4–6 records peril; verse 7 begins, “Then the earth shook and quaked.” The adverb frames God’s immediate reaction to the psalmist’s cry.

– Psalm 124:2–5 catalogues dangers; verse 6 declares, “Then would the raging waters have swept us away,” acknowledging divine preservation.

• Job: The Odyssey of Suffering

– Job 2:11: “Then Job’s three friends heard about all this adversity.” The sequence launches the dialogues that wrestle with suffering and sovereignty.

– Job 38:1: “Then the LORD answered Job out of the whirlwind,” introducing the climactic revelation that silences human argument.

• Wisdom Sayings

– Proverbs 2:5: “Then you will discern the fear of the LORD,” connecting diligent search for wisdom with promised understanding.

– Ecclesiastes 12:7: “Then the dust returns to the earth,” a sober reminder of mortality and accountability.

Prophetic Literature

• Isaiah: The Coming Glory

– Isaiah 35:5–6: “Then the eyes of the blind will be opened… Then the lame will leap like a deer.” The word signals Messianic reversal of the curse.

– Isaiah 58:8–9: “Then your light will break forth like the dawn… Then you will call, and the LORD will answer,” linking repentance with restored blessing.

• Jeremiah and Ezekiel: Judgment Leading to Renewal

– Jeremiah 33:15: “In those days and at that time I will cause a righteous Branch to sprout… Then Judah will be saved.”

– Ezekiel 36:33–36 strings a series of “then” statements forecasting national cleansing, rebuilding, and worldwide acknowledgment of the LORD.

• Minor Prophets: Eschatological Hope

– Hosea 2:15: “Then she will sing as in the days of her youth,” depicting restored covenant love.

– Joel 2:28: “Then afterward, I will pour out My Spirit on all people,” fulfilled in Acts 2.

– Amos 9:13: “Behold, the days are coming… when the reaper will overtake the plowman; then the mountains will drip with sweet wine,” picturing unprecedented abundance.

– Zephaniah 3:9: “Then I will restore pure speech to the peoples,” reversing Babel-like confusion.

– Zechariah 12:10: “Then they will look on Me, the One they have pierced,” a direct Messianic prophecy.

Theological Themes

• Covenantal Faithfulness – “Then” regularly joins divine promises with historical enactment, proving the LORD’s reliability (e.g., Genesis 17:22; Exodus 40:34).
• Divine Intervention – Whether saving (Exodus 14:30–31) or judging (Numbers 16:31), the adverb flags God’s decisive in-breaking.
• Cause and Effect in Judgment and Mercy – Prophets wield “then” to connect sin with consequence and repentance with restoration (Isaiah 1:18–26; Ezekiel 18:30–32).
• Eschatological Horizons – Future “then” passages gather into a composite portrait of the Day of the LORD (Joel 3:17; Zechariah 14:9).
• Christological Foreshadowing – Several “then” texts are echoed in New Testament fulfillment, notably Isaiah 35:5–6 in Matthew 11:5 and Joel 2:28 in Acts 2:17.

Ministry and Devotional Application

• Homiletical Uses – Preachers may trace the rhythm of crisis-“then”-deliverance to highlight God’s faithfulness and prompt congregational gratitude (Psalm 107).
• Call to Remembrance and Anticipation – Personal devotion can turn every “then” into a cue for recounting past mercies and anticipating future grace (Lamentations 3:21–24).
• Assurance in Suffering – Job’s narrative teaches that the divine “then” may arrive after prolonged silence, yet it arrives with unassailable authority (Job 38:1).
• Missional Hope – The prophetic “then” assures global evangelism that the nations will one day confess the Lordship of Christ (Zephaniah 3:9; Isaiah 45:23).

Conclusion

Small though it is, אָז carries vast theological weight. It binds Scripture’s storyline, ensures logical cohesion, and proclaims that every promise, warning, and hope has its appointed moment. In the believer’s life the term encourages patient trust: whatever the present circumstance, God has a divinely timed “then.”

אָ֖ז אָ֗ז אָ֚ז אָ֛ז אָ֝֗ז אָ֠ז אָ֡ז אָ֣ז אָ֣ז ׀ אָ֤ז אָ֤ז ׀ אָ֥֨ז אָ֥ז אָ֧ז אָ֭ז אָז֙ אָז֩ אז וְאָ֖ז וְאָ֗ז וְאָ֥ז וְאָז֙ וּמֵאָ֞ז ואז ומאז מֵ֠אָז מֵאָ֑ז מֵאָ֔ז מֵאָ֖ז מֵאָ֛ז מֵאָ֣ז מֵאָ֤ז מֵאָ֥ז מֵאָֽז׃ מֵאָז֩ מאז מאז׃ ’āz az mê’āz mê·’āz meAz Meoz ū·mê·’āz ūmê’āz umeAz veAz wə’āz wə·’āzInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts