Original Word: אַי
Part of Speech: interrogative adverb
Transliteration: ay
Pronunciation: ah-ee
Phonetic Spelling: (ah'ee)
KJV: how, what, whence, where, whether, which (way)
NASB: where, whether, why
Word Origin: [perhaps from H370 (אַיִן - where)]

1. where? hence how?

how, what, whence, where, whether, which way

Perhaps from 'aiyn; where? Hence how? -- how, what, whence, where, whether, which (way).

see HEBREW 'aiyn

Word Origin
a prim. adverb
Definition
where?
NASB Translation
how* (2), origin* (1), what* (3), where (28), where* (1), whether (1), which* (2), why (1).

[אַי] (, in Syriac in compounds as how ? W^{SG 120-2}; compare Assyrian aiu, who? what?).

1. interrogative adverb where?

a. so with suffix אַיֶּ֫כָּה [a verbal form, see Sta^{§ 355 b. 3}] Genesis 3:9; אַיּוֺ Exodus 2:20, poetry where is he? = he is nowhere Job 14:10; Job 20:7 (Jeremiah 37:19 read Qr אַיֵּה); אַיָּם Nahum 3:17 (in indirect question) and the place thereof is not known, אַיָּם where they are. Idiomatically, with the suffix anticipating the noun to which it refers (Ew^{§ 309 c}, compare Dr^{Sm. i. 21, 14}) 2 Kings 19:13 אַיּוֺ מֶלֶחחֲֿמָת where is he, the king of Hamath? ("" Isaiah 37:13 אַיֵּה) Isaiah 19:12; Micah 7:10. When used alone, or with other adverbs (see below), it is contracted to אֵי Genesis 4:9; Deuteronomy 32:37; 1 Samuel 26:16; Proverbs 31:4 Qr. (The more usual form is אַיֵּה.)

b. strengthened by the enclitic זֶה (see זֶה, 4 אֵיזֶֿה₁₅ where, then ? (never of a person, except Esther 7:5 (late), & only once 1 Kings 22:24 [but see 2 Chronicles 18:23] with a verb) Isaiah 50:1; Isaiah 66:1 (twice in verse); Jeremiah 6:16, in indirect question 1 Samuel 9:18; in the phrase אֵיזֶֿה הַדֶּרֶח ֗֗֗ where is the way (that) . . . ? 1 Kings 13:12; 2 Kings 3:8; 2Chronicles 18:23; Job 38:19 a. 24.

2 prefixed to other adverbs or pron., אֵי imparts to them an interrogative force: thus

a. אֵיזֶֿה which (of two or more)? only Ecclesiastes 2:3; Ecclesiastes 11:6 (late), in indirect question

b. אֵימִֿזֶּה whence ? (מִזֶּה = hence; see below זֶה) Genesis 16:8 אֵימִֿזֶּה בָאתְ 1 Samuel 30:13; 2 Samuel 1:3,13; Job 2:2; in indirect question Judges 13:6; 1 Samuel 25:11; with substantive annexed 2 Samuel 15:2 אֵימִֿזֶּה עִיר אַתָּה literally whence, as regards city, art thou ? Jonah 1:8.

c. אֵילָֿזֹאת Jeremiah 5:7 upon what ground ? (ᵑ9 super quo? how? With other adverbs, אֵי coalesces into one word, see אֵיכָה, אֵיכָכָה, אֵיפֹה.

Semantic Range and Emphases

אַי most often forms the interrogative “Where?” and, less frequently, an emotive “Alas!” Its tone can be searching (Genesis 3:9), accusatory (Jeremiah 2:28), mocking (Psalm 115:2), or consoling by implication (2 Kings 2:14). The root idea is spatial or moral location: God asks where the sinner is; people ask where God is; prophets ask where help or idols are. The tiny particle therefore becomes a window into the larger drama of presence and absence that runs through Scripture.

Foundational Uses in Genesis

• Genesis 3:9—“But the LORD God called out to the man, ‘Where are you?’ ”. The first divine question after the fall establishes אַי as an instrument of conviction and invitation.
• Genesis 4:9—“Then the LORD said to Cain, ‘Where is your brother Abel?’ ” The word pierces Cain’s evasion and shows that the Judge of all the earth knows yet invites confession.
• Genesis 16:8—The Angel of the LORD meets Hagar: “Hagar, servant of Sarai, where have you come from, and where are you going?” אַי frames a redemptive encounter that names her and directs her future.

Covenantal and Historical Occurrences

1. Exodus 2:20—Reuel asks his daughters, “Where is he?” urging hospitality toward Moses.
2. Judges 6:13—Gideon laments, “But now the LORD has abandoned us and delivered us into the hand of Midian.” The rhetorical “Where are all His wonders?” reveals the tension between covenant promise and present oppression.
3. 2 Kings 2:14–15—Elisha strikes the Jordan and cries, “Where now is the LORD, the God of Elijah?” God answers by parting the waters, showing covenant continuity despite the prophet’s departure.
4. 2 Kings 18:34 and parallels—Hezekiah’s envoys are taunted: “Where are the gods of Hamath and Arpad?” אַי ridicules powerless idols and sets the stage for the LORD’s deliverance of Jerusalem.

Prophetic Challenge to Idolatry

Jeremiah 2:28; 11:15–23; Hosea 13:10; Isaiah 19:12 all use אַי to expose the absurdity of trusting what cannot answer. Typical is Jeremiah 2:28, “But where are your gods that you made for yourselves? Let them rise up if they can save you in your time of trouble!” The particle functions as a courtroom demand for evidence.

Wisdom Literature: The Limitations of Man

The Book of Job contains the highest concentration of אַי (Job 4:7; 38:4, 19, 24, 28, 36). When the LORD finally speaks, He turns the interrogative on Job:

“Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth?” (Job 38:4).

Here אַי underscores creaturely ignorance and the necessity of humble trust.

Psalms and Communal Lament

Psalms 42:3; 42:10; 79:10; 115:2; 79:10; 139:7 use אַי either from the enemy’s mouth or the worshiper’s heart. For example, Psalm 42:3—“While people say to me all day long, ‘Where is your God?’” The taunt becomes a spur to deeper hope (42:5, 11). Psalm 115:2–3 turns the mockery around:

“Why should the nations say, ‘Where is their God?’ Our God is in heaven; He does as He pleases.”

The question is answered with a confession of sovereignty.

Messianic and Eschatological Echoes

Hosea 13:14, quoted in 1 Corinthians 15:55, moves from “Where are your plagues, O death?” to the resurrection victory of Christ. The same Hebrew interrogative that once expressed loss becomes a cry of triumph. In Jesus Christ, the ultimate answer to every “Where?” is given: “Surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age” (Matthew 28:20).

Ministry and Devotional Significance

1. Self-examination: God’s “Where are you?” invites believers to locate themselves honestly before Him.
2. Apologetics: אַי equips the church to expose the emptiness of idols, whether material or ideological.
3. Lament and Hope: When discouraged saints hear the taunt “Where is your God?”, Psalms 42 and 43 model honest lament that resolves in hope.
4. Pastoral Care: Repeating God’s own pattern, shepherds may ask gentle “where” questions that invite confession and redirection.
5. Evangelism: The narrative arc from Genesis 3 to Matthew 28 shows a God who seeks the lost; proclaiming that pursuit is central to the gospel.

Theological Summary

Across roughly thirty-six Old Testament occurrences, אַי moves from Eden’s hiding place to prophetic ridicule of idols, from Job’s mysteries to Psalms of corporate longing. It unveils human sin, limited wisdom, and misplaced trust while highlighting the steadfast pursuit, supremacy, and saving presence of the LORD. In Christ the abiding question of location—“Where?”—is resolved forever: God with us, and believers seated with Him in the heavenly realms.

אֵ֖י אֵ֣י אֵ֤י אֵ֥י אֵֽי־ אֵי־ אַ֭יֵּה אַיֶּֽכָּה׃ אַיָּֽם׃ אַיָּם֙ אַיּ֤וֹ אַיּֽוֹ׃ אי אי־ איה איו איו׃ איכה׃ אים אים׃ וְאֵ֥י וְאֵֽי־ וְאֵי־ ואי ואי־ ’ay·yām ’ay·yêh ’ay·yek·kāh ’ay·yōw ’ayyām ’ayyêh ’ayyekkāh ’ayyōw ’ê ’ê- aiYam Aiyeh aiYekkah aiYo ei veEi wə’ê wə’ê- wə·’ê wə·’ê-Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts