Original Word: אַיִן
Part of Speech: substantive; particle of negation
Transliteration: ayin
Pronunciation: ah'-yin
Phonetic Spelling: (ah'-yin)
KJV: else, except, fail, (father-)less, be gone, in(-curable), neither, never, no (where), none, nor, (any, thing), not, nothing, to nought, past, un(-searchable), well-nigh, without
NASB: there is no, no one, without, no, there was no, there is no one, have no
Word Origin: [as if from a primitive root meaning to be nothing or not exist]

1. a non-entity
2. (generally) used as a negative particle

else, except, fail, fatherless, be gone, incurable, neither, never,

As if from a primitive root meaning to be nothing or not exist; a non-entity; generally used as a negative particle -- else, except, fail, (father-)less, be gone, in(-curable), neither, never, no (where), none, nor, (any, thing), not, nothing, to nought, past, un(-searchable), well-nigh, without. Compare 'aiyn.

see HEBREW 'aiyn

Word Origin
a prim. root
Definition
nothing, nought
NASB Translation
almost (1), bereft* (1), beyond (5), beyond* (1), cease (2), countless* (2), else* (1), endless* (1), fails (1), found (1), gone (6), had (2), had no (11), had no one (2), has (2), has he no (1), has no (23), has none (1), has nothing (1), have (5), have i no (1), have no (24), have none (2), have nothing (2), having a nor (1), having no (2), helpless* (1), incurable* (1), infinite* (1), infrequent* (1), innumerable* (1), inscrutable* (1), lack (4), lacks (1), leaves no (1), neither (2), neither* (1), neither...nor (2), never (2), no (43), no account (1), no longer (3), no more (16), no one (101), no* (1), no...have (1), none (18), none other (1), none* (1), nor (12), nor are there (2), nor is there (3), nor is there one (1), nor was there (2), nor have (1), nor* (1), nothing (19), nothing* (10), one (3), one should never (1), or (1), powerless* (1), senseless* (1), surely* (1), there (15), there are no (2), there be no (2), there is not one (1), there is no (108), there is no one (31), there is no...nor (2), there is none (22), there is nothing (11), there was not (1), there was not one (1), there was no (38), there was no one (15), there was none (5), there was nothing (2), there were no (3), there will be neither (1), there will be no (9), there will be no one (3), there will be none (5), there will be nothing (1), there no (6), there none (1), there one (1), undesirable* (2), unfathomable* (1), unless (1), unsearchable* (3), waterless* (1), without (46), without and having no (1), without* (4).

II. אַ֫יִן nought.

אִיעֶזֶר see אֲבִיעֶזֶר.

אִיתָמָר see I. אָוָה.

II. אַ֫יִן, אָ֑֫יִן construct אֵין

substantive properly nothing, nought (Moabite אן, Assyrian iânu).

1 Isaiah 40:23 הַנּוֺתֵן רוֺזְנִים לְאָ֑יִן who bringeth princes to nothing; כְּאַיִן as nothing, ib. Isaiah 40:17; Isaiah 41:11,12; Haggai 2:3; Psalm 39:6; almost ("" כִּמְעַט) Psalm 73:2; מֵאַיִן of nothing Isaiah 41:24.

2 construct אֵין, very frequently as

particle of negations, is not, are not, was not, were not, etc. (corresponding to the affirmative יֵשׁ q. v. Similar in usage, though not etymology akin, are , לַיִת, , , properly 'there is nought of ...' followed by a substantive or a pronominal suffix (אֵינֶנִּי [verbal form, Ges^{§ 100}, 5; 152, 1 c], אֵינְךָ, אֵינֵךְ, אֵינֶנּוּ, אֵינֶנָּה, אֵינְכֶם, אֵינָם, also Psalm 59:14 אֵינֵ֫מוֺ, Psalm 73:5 אֵינֵ֫ימוֺ): twice abnormally, in late Hebrew, a noun אֵין אֲנִי, אֵין אֲנַחְנוּ Nehemiah 4:17 (so sometimes לַיִת, , Nö^{M. p. 295}); once, incorrectly, את Haggai 2:17.

a. denying existence absolutely Isaiah 44:6; Isaiah 47:10 אֵין רֹאָנִי there is none that seeth me, literally nought of one seeing me! אֵין עוֺד there is none else Deuteronomy 4:39; 1 Kings 8:60; Isaiah 45:5,6,18,22.

b. more commonly, in a limited sense, there is none here or at hand Exodus 2:12 and he saw כִּיאֵֿין אִישׁ that there was no man (that is, there), Numbers 21:5; Genesis 5:24 וְאֵינֶנּוּ and he was not (of Enoch's disappearance from earth) Genesis 42:13 one (cas. pend. as often), he is not, Genesis 42:36; often = is (or has) vanished Genesis 37:30; 1 Kings 20:40; Isaiah 17:14; Psalm 37:10; Psalm 103:16; Job 8:22; Job 24:24; Job 27:19.

c. with the sense determined by a predicate following: Genesis 37:29 Joseph was not in the pit, Genesis 41:39 + often; Exodus 5:10 אֵינֶנִּי נֹתֵן לָכֶם תֶּבֶן I am not giving you straw; and so often with particip. where duration has to be expressed Genesis 39:23; Deuteronomy 21:18; Isaiah 1:15; Jeremiah 7:16, or intention Genesis 20:7 אֵינְךָ מֵשִׁיב דַּע ֗֗֗ אִם if thou art not restoring her, know Genesis 43:5; Exodus 8:17; Exodus 33:15 (idiomatically, after אם; see Dr^{§ 137}) Judges 12:3. Following once pleonastic by יֵשׁ Psalm 135:17. Treated as a mere particle of negation, אֵין may vary its position in the sentence, the substantive which should strictly stand in the Genitive being not only separated from it by a little word, as בּוֺ Genesis 37:24, לוֺ Exodus 22:1, שָׁם Exodus 12:30, גַּם Psalm 14:3, etc., but even for emphasis prefixed to it, as Genesis 19:31; Genesis 40:8 וּפֹתֵר אֵין אֹתוֺ Genesis 41:15; Exodus 5:16; Judges 13:9; Judges 14:6; Judges 16:15; Judges 19:1 (so MI²⁴): if however it be thus brought to the end of a sentence, or be disconnected with what follows, it stands in the absolute form, as Genesis 2:5 ואדם אַיִן לעבד האדמה and man there was none to till the ground, Leviticus 26:37 וְרֹדֵף אָ֑יִן Numbers 20:5; 2 Kings 19:3; Hosea 13:4; Micah 7:2.

d. sometimes the subject has to be supplied from the context: thus (α) 1 Samuel 9:4 and they passed through the land of Shaalim וָאַיִן and they (the asses) were not (literally and nought!), especially after verbs of waiting or seeking Isaiah 59:11; Psalm 69:21; Job 3:9; Isaiah 41:17. Ezekiel 7:25; Proverbs 14:6; Proverbs 13:4; Proverbs 20:4. (β) Exodus 17:7 is ׳י in the midst of us אִםאָֽֿיִן ׃ or not ? Numbers 13:20. (γ) Judges 4:20 וְאָמַרְתְּ אָֽיִן׃ then thou shalt say, There is not, 1 Kings 18:10; 1 Samuel 10:14. (δ) Genesis 30:1 give me children, וְאִםאַֿיִן and if not, I die, Exodus 32:32; Judges 9:15,20; 2 Samuel 17:6 (see Dr) 2 Kings 2:10; Job 33:33.

e. with subject not expressed, once (late), Daniel 8:5 וְאֵין נֹגֵעַ בָּאָרֶץ and (it) was not touching the earth. feminine once, Job 35:15 with the finite verb; but read here כִּי אֵין מֹּקֵד (the usage of , cited by De, does not justify the anomaly in Hebrew) Jeremiah 38:5 the imperfect may be due to the fact that no participle of יָכֹל was in use, and a relation must be tacitly supplied: 'The king is not (one that) can do aught against you.' On Exodus 3:2 see Ges^{§ 52}, 2 R. 6; Ew^{§ 169 d.}

3 ׳אֵין לְ, with substantive, or pronoun, there is (was) not to . . . = . . . have, has, had, etc. not: Genesis 11:30 אֵין לָהּ וָלָד she had no child, Numbers 27:9 וְאִםאֵֿין לוֺ בַּת and if he have no daughter + often; with a participle Deuteronomy 22:27; Jeremiah 14:16; Jeremiah 30:17; Jeremiah 49:5; Jeremiah 50:32; Psalm 142:5; Lamentations 1:2,9,17; Exodus 22:2 אִםאֵֿין לוֺ if he have nought, Daniel 9:26 ואין לו and have nought (or none).

4 in circumstantial clauses (Dr^{§ 164}): — (a) Exodus 21:11 she shall go out free אֵין כָּ֑סֶף without money, Exodus 22:9 אֵין רֹאֶה none seeing it, Numbers 11:6; Isaiah 47:1; Jeremiah 2:32; Hosea 3:4; Hosea 7:11; Psalm 32:9; Psalm 88:5 + . (b) Deuteronomy 32:4 a God of faithfulness וְאֵין עָוֶל and no iniquity, i.e. without iniquity, Jeremiah 5:21; Joel 1:6; Psalm 104:25. (c) very often, in such phrases as וְאֵין מַחֲרִיד with none to affright Leviticus 26:6 (12 t.); וְאֵין מְכַבֶּה Isaiah 1:31 and elsewhere; וְאֵין מַצִּיל Isaiah 5:29; Psalm 7:3, etc. (Dr^{§ 159}).

5 with infinitive and ׳ל, it is not to . . . : i.e. (a) like οὐκ ἔστιν, it is not possible to . . . (compare below יֵשׁ and לֹא), but hardly except in late Hebrew; 2 Chronicles 20:6 וְאֵין עִמְּךָ לְהִתְיַצֵּב it is not possible to stand (in conflict) with thee, 2 Chronicles 22:9; Ezra 9:15; Ecclesiastes 3:14; Esther 4:2. Once without ל, Psalm 40:6 אֵין עֲרֹךְ אֵלָיךָ οὐκ ἔστι παραβάλλειν σοι. (β) there is no need to . . . 1 Chronicles 23:26 וְגַם לַלְוִיִּם אֵיןלָֿשֵׂאת for the Levites also there was no need to bear 2 Chronicles 5:11; 35:15 (see Dr^{§ 202. 1}).

6 with prefixes : —

a. בְּאֵין properly in defect of: — (a) for want of, without — Proverbs 5:23 HE will die בְּאֵין מוּסָר for lack of instruction, Proverbs 11:14 בְּאֵין תַּחְבֻּלוֺת without guidance, Proverbs 14:4; Proverbs 15:22; Proverbs 26:20; Proverbs 29:18; Isaiah 57:1; Ezekiel 38:11; compare בְּלֹא. (β) of time = when there was (were) not Proverbs 8:24 (twice in verse).

b. כְּאֵין Isaiah 59:10 כְּאֵין עֵינַיִם in poetry for כַּאֲשֶׁר אֵין לוֺ עֵינַיִם (compare Ew^{§ 286 g} Ges^{§ 152}. 1 h).

c. לְאֵין (α) for לַאֲשֶׁר אֵין לוֺ Isaiah 40:29; inlate prose 2Chron 14:10; Nehemiah 8:10. (β) in the condition of not. . . (ל of state, see below ל) = without or so that not . . . (peculiar to Chronicles), 1 Chronicles 22:4 cedar trees לְאֵין מִסְמָּר without number, 2 Chron 14:12 and there fell of the Cushites לְאֵיןלָֿהֶם מִחְיָה so that they had none remaining alive, 2 Chronicles 20:25 לְאֵין מַשָּׂא so that there was no carrying away, 2 Chronicles 21:18; Ezra 9:14. (γ) עַדלְֿאֵין (see ׳עַד ל), 2 Chronicles 36:16 until there was no remedy (compare עַד אֵין ֗֗֗ Psalm 40:13; Job 5:9).

d. מֵאֵין (a) (מִן causal) from lack of . . . Isaiah 50:2; Jeremiah 7:32; Jeremiah 19:11. (β) (מִן negative, see מִן) properly away from there being no. . . (with אֵין pleonastic, compare מִבְּלִי, and מִבְּלִי אֵין), i.e. so that not. . ., without, mostly epexegetical of some term expressing desolation: Isaiah 5:9 Surely many houses shall be desolate מֵאֵין יוֺשֵׁב without inhabitant, Isaiah 6:11 #NAME? Jeremiah & Zephaniah; Isaiah 6:11 מֵאֵין אָדָם, Jeremiah 32:43 מֵאֵין אָדָם וּבְהֵמָה Jeremiah 33:10,12; Ezekiel 33:28; Lamentations 3:49. Once followed by infinitive Malachi 2:13 so that there is no regarding more. (γ) in Jeremiah 10:6,7 מֵאֵין כָּמוֺךָ, מֵאֵין is supposed by some to = a strengthened אֵין, even none, none at all; but it is difficult to justify this explanation logically; and it is preferable to point מֵאַיִן כָּמוֺךָ whence is any like thee? compare Jeremiah 30:7. (So Hi see Dr^{Hebraica. ii. 34-7}.)

Overview

אַיִן (H369) is the Old Testament’s principal term for declaring the absence or non-existence of a person, object, quality, or condition. Found some 788 times, it appears in every canonical division—Law, Prophets, Writings—forming a quiet but forceful thread that underscores humanity’s dependence on the LORD and the exclusivity of His being.

Frequency and Canonical Spread

• Torah: about 250 occurrences
• Former Prophets and Historical Books: about 280 occurrences
• Major and Minor Prophets: about 170 occurrences
• Wisdom and Poetic Books: about 88 occurrences

Negation of Existence in Narrative Settings

1. Void before Divine action: “There was no man to cultivate the ground” (Genesis 2:5).
2. Crisis scenes: “There was no water for the people to drink” (Exodus 17:1).
3. Battlefield impotence: “No blacksmith could be found in all the land of Israel” (1 Samuel 13:19).
4. Siege and famine: “There was no bread in all the land” (Genesis 47:13).

These snapshots magnify the Creator’s initiative—when human resource is absent, divine provision enters.

Negation of Provision and Sustenance

The particle frequently accompanies essential nouns—water, bread, shepherd, physician—to dramatize need. Examples:
• “There was no shepherd” (1 Kings 22:17).
• “Their mother’s womb was shut; there was no rebuke” (Hosea 4:4, context of moral famine).

Such uses invite faith in Yahweh as the One who fills every lack (Psalm 34:10).

Negation of Human Agency

Repeated formulas expose the futility of self-salvation:
• “There was no deliverer” (Judges 3:9; 2 Kings 14:26).
• “No one came to help” (Lamentations 1:7).

Scripture turns the spotlight from human heroes to the covenant LORD, culminating in the Messiah who alone “is able to save to the uttermost” (Hebrews 7:25).

Negation of Protection and Deliverance

In covenant warnings and prophetic oracles, אַיִן marks divine judgment:
• “I will make the land desolate, with none passing through” (Ezekiel 33:28).
• “On that day there will be no light, no cold or frost” (Zechariah 14:6).

The absence depicted is never mere emptiness; it is designed to provoke repentance and renewed trust.

Negation and the Uniqueness of God

Some of the most theologically charged occurrences deny any rival to the LORD:
• “There is no God besides Me” (Deuteronomy 32:39).
• “There is no rock like our God” (1 Samuel 2:2).
• “There is no Savior but Me” (Isaiah 43:11).

Here אַיִן functions as a polemical banner against idolatry and a confessional cornerstone for Israel’s monotheism, echoed in the New Testament affirmation, “There is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12).

Contrast with False Gods and Idols

Prophets exploit אַיִן to unmask idolatry:
• “Their idols are a delusion; there is no breath in them” (Jeremiah 10:14).
• “They have mouths, but cannot speak… those who make them will be like them” (Psalm 135:16-18).

By naming the gods as “non-existent,” Scripture exposes idolatry as vanity and magnifies the living God.

Covenant Implications

When the LORD pledges covenant mercy, He often reverses earlier negations:
• “Although it was said to them, ‘You are not My people,’ they will be called ‘sons of the living God’” (Hosea 1:10).

The movement from אַיִן to divine provision showcases the steadfast love that overcomes human impossibility.

Propagation in Wisdom Literature

Wisdom writers apply אַיִן to moral and existential realities:
• “The fool says in his heart, ‘There is no God’” (Psalm 14:1).
• “Where there is no revelation, the people cast off restraint” (Proverbs 29:18).

Absence here is more than factual; it is ethical deficit that blinds and destroys.

Prophetic Judgment Imagery

Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel paint devastated landscapes with אַיִן:
• “Cities lie ruined and without inhabitant” (Isaiah 6:11).
• “Her wound is incurable; there is no healing for you” (Nahum 3:19).

Such imagery warns against covenant breach and foreshadows final judgment, yet also sets the stage for promised restoration.

Messianic and Christological Resonances

By highlighting what is not, the Old Testament prepares hearts for the One who is. Where there was “no righteous man” (Isaiah 59:16), Christ appears as the righteous Servant. Where “there is no savior” among men (Hosea 13:4), the angel announces “a Savior has been born to you” (Luke 2:11). The particle thus serves a redemptive trajectory leading to the fullness found in Jesus Christ.

Pastoral and Ministry Applications

1. Diagnosis of need: אַיִן surfaces in counseling when identifying what is missing—truth, hope, holiness—and drives seekers to the sufficiency of Christ.
2. Expository preaching: tracing repeated “there was no…” statements in a passage can expose human inability and exalt divine provision.
3. Apologetics: passages that deny any other God ground a robust biblical monotheism, essential for evangelism among pluralistic cultures.
4. Worship: declarations such as “There is none like You” foster adoration that acknowledges the LORD’s incomparable nature.

Summary

Wherever אַיִן appears, lack is exposed, idols are unmasked, and the stage is cleared for the LORD’s presence and action. The Bible’s pervasive witness that “there is none besides Him” calls every generation to abandon self-reliance, reject all rivals, and rest in the sufficiency of the One true God revealed finally and fully in Jesus Christ.

אֵ֖ין אֵ֚ין אֵ֛ין אֵ֝֗ין אֵ֞ין אֵ֠ינֶנּוּ אֵ֣ין אֵ֣ין ׀ אֵ֤ין אֵ֤ין ׀ אֵ֥ין אֵ֨ין אֵ֨ינְךָ֜ אֵ֪ין אֵ֬ין אֵֽין־ אֵֽינְךָ֣ אֵֽינְךָ֤ אֵֽינְךָ֨ אֵֽינְכֶם֙ אֵין֙ אֵין֩ אֵין־ אֵינְךָ֣ אֵינְךָ֥ אֵינְךָ֮ אֵינְכֶ֖ם אֵינְכֶ֥ם אֵינֵ֑מוֹ אֵינֶ֑נָּה אֵינֶ֑נּוּ אֵינֶ֔נּוּ אֵינֶ֖נִּי אֵינֶ֖נָּה אֵינֶ֙נּוּ֙ אֵינֶ֛נִּי אֵינֶ֛נָּה אֵינֶ֛נּוּ אֵינֶ֣נִּי אֵינֶ֣נָּה אֵינֶ֣נּוּ אֵינֶ֤נִּי אֵינֶ֤נּוּ אֵינֶ֥נִּי אֵינֶ֥נּוּ אֵינֶ֨נּוּ אֵינֶֽנּוּ׃ אֵינֶנּוּ֩ אֵינָ֖ם אֵינָ֗ם אֵינָ֣ם אֵינָ֤ם אֵינָ֥ם אֵינָ֧ם אַ֔יִן אַ֕יִן אַ֖יִן אַ֭יִן אָ֑יִן אָ֔יִן אָֽיִן׃ אין אין־ אין׃ אינך אינכם אינם אינמו איננה איננו איננו׃ אינני בְּאֵ֣ין בְּאֵ֥ין בְּאֵין־ באין באין־ הַֽאֵינְךָ֣ הַאֵ֥ין הַאֵ֨ין הַאֵין֩ האין האינך וְֽאֵ֫ינֵ֥מוֹ וְֽאֵ֫ינֶ֥נּוּ וְֽאֵין־ וְֽאֵינֶ֗נּוּ וְֽאֵינֶ֨נּוּ וְאֵ֖ין וְאֵ֣ין וְאֵ֤ין וְאֵ֥ין וְאֵ֧ין וְאֵ֨ין וְאֵֽין־ וְאֵין֙ וְאֵין־ וְאֵינְךָ֖ וְאֵינֵ֑ךְ וְאֵינֵ֖ךְ וְאֵינֶ֑נּוּ וְאֵינֶ֔נּוּ וְאֵינֶ֕נּוּ וְאֵינֶֽנִּי׃ וְאֵינֶֽנּוּ׃ וְאֵינָ֑ם וְאֵינָ֔ם וְאֵינָ֣ם וְאֵינָ֥ם וָ֭אַיִן וָאַ֑יִן וָאַ֔יִן וָאָ֑יִן וָאָֽיִן׃ וּבְאֵ֥ין וּכְאֵ֥ין וּלְאֵ֥ין וּמֵאֵ֣ין וּמֵאֵ֥ין ואין ואין־ ואין׃ ואינך ואינם ואינמו ואיננו ואיננו׃ ואינני׃ ובאין וכאין ולאין ומאין כְּ֝אַ֗יִן כְּאַ֖יִן כְּאַ֣יִן כְאַ֛יִן כְאַ֣יִן כאין לְאֵ֣ין לְאֵ֥ין לְאָ֑יִן לאין מֵֽאֵין־ מֵאֵ֣ין מֵאֵ֤ין מֵאֵ֥ין מֵאַ֔יִן מֵאַ֣יִן מאין מאין־ שֶׁ֤אֵֽין שאין ’a·yin ’ā·yin ’ayin ’āyin ’ê·nām ’ê·nə·ḵā ’ê·nə·ḵem ’ê·nê·mōw ’ê·nen·nāh ’ê·nen·nî ’ê·nen·nū ’ên ’ên- ’ênām ’ênəḵā ’ênəḵem ’ênêmōw ’ênennāh ’ênennî ’ênennū Ayin bə’ên bə’ên- bə·’ên bə·’ên- beEin cheAyin ein eiNam einChem eineCha eineChem eiNemov eiNennah eiNenni einenNu ha’ên ha’ênəḵā ha·’ê·nə·ḵā ha·’ên haEin haeineCha kə’ayin ḵə’ayin kə·’a·yin ḵə·’a·yin keAyin lə’āyin lə’ên lə·’ā·yin lə·’ên leAyin leEin mê’ayin mê’ên mê’ên- mê·’a·yin mê·’ên mê·’ên- meAyin meEin še’ên še·’ên Sheein ū·ḇə·’ên ū·ḵə·’ên ū·lə·’ên ū·mê·’ên ūḇə’ên ucheEin ūḵə’ên ūlə’ên uleEin ūmê’ên umeEin uveEin vaAyin veEin veeiNam veeiNech veeineCha veEiNemov veeiNenni veeiNennu wā’ayin wā’āyin wā·’a·yin wā·’ā·yin wə’ên wə’ên- wə’ênām wə’ênêḵ wə’ênəḵā wə’ênêmōw wə’ênennî wə’ênennū wə·’ê·nām wə·’ê·nə·ḵā wə·’ê·nê·mōw wə·’ê·nêḵ wə·’ê·nen·nî wə·’ê·nen·nū wə·’ên wə·’ên-Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts