Original Word: עֵת
Part of Speech: Noun Feminine
Transliteration: `eth
Pronunciation: ayth
Phonetic Spelling: (ayth)
KJV: + after, (al-)ways, X certain, + continually, + evening, long, (due) season, so (long) as, (even-, evening-, noon-)tide, ((meal-)), what) time, when
NASB: time, times, season, when, now, year, appointed time
Word Origin: [from H5703 (עַד - forever)]

1. time, especially (adverb with preposition) now, when, etc

after, always, certain, continually, evening, long, due season, so long as,

From ad; time, especially (adverb with preposition) now, when, etc. -- + after, (al-)ways, X certain, + continually, + evening, long, (due) season, so (long) as, (even-, evening-, noon-)tide, ((meal-)), what) time, when.

see HEBREW ad

Word Origin
probably from anah
Definition
time
NASB Translation
always* (1), appointed time (1), circumstances (1), continually* (1), interval* (1), mealtime* (1), now (3), period (1), season (10), some (1), time (226), timely (1), times (27), when (8), whenever (1), year (2).

עֵת₂₉₇ noun feminine^{Amos 5:13} and (seldom, mostly late) masculine^{Ezra 10:14} time (Late Hebrew id.; Phoenician עת; Assyrian inu, ittu, time; Talmud עַנְתָּא; clearly from a √ ענה, but doubtful whether I. ׳ע ); — absolute ׳ע Hosea 10:12 +, construct ׳ע Genesis 24:12 + עֶתֿ Leviticus 15:25 + 5t.; suffix עִתּוֺ Hosea 2:11 +, etc.; plural, late, עִתִּים 1 Chronicles 12:32 +, suffix עִתֶּיךָ, Isaiah 33:6; עִתּוֺת Psalm 9:10; Psalm 10:1, suffix עִתֹּתָ֑י Psalm 31:16; — ׳ע only twice P, once H; —

1 time of an event, etc.:

a. usually (213 t.) with preposition: with בְּ (142 t.), especially הַהִוא ׳בָּע Genesis 21:22 (E) in that time, Genesis 38:1 (J), Numbers 22:4 (E), Deuteronomy 1:9 14t. Deuteronomy; הַהִיא ׳בָּע Joshua 5:2; Amos 5:13; Daniel 12:1 (twice in verse). + (69 t., not in P); הַזּאֹת ׳בָּע Esther 4:14, בָּעִתִּים הָהֵם2Chronicles 15:5; Daniel 11:14; בְּכָלעֵֿת at all times Exodus 18:22,26 (E), Leviticus 16:2 (P) Psalm 34:2 +; = continually Proverbs 8:30, בְּכָלעֵֿת אֲשֶׁר Esther 5:13 as long as I see Mordecai; with לְ (31 t.; compare ל

6, p. 516 above), 2 Samuel 11:1 + at the time, but Ezekiel 12:27 for distant times, compare לְעֵת כָּזֹאת Esther 4:14, etc.; with כְּ (21 t.; compare כ 1a, p. 453 above), הַזּאֹת ׳מָחָר כָּע Joshua 11:6 (JE) tomorrow about this time, usually מָחָר ׳כָּע (Kö^{Synt. 401 o}) Exodus 9:18 (J), 1 Samuel 9:16 (compare Dr), 1 Samuel 20:12; 1 Kings 19:2; 1 Kings 20:6; 2 Kings 7:1,18; 2 Kings 10:6 ; כָּעֵת חַיָה; כָּעֵת הָרִאשׁוֺן Isaiah 8:23 at the former time; כָּעֵת alone Numbers 23:23 (JE) at this time = now (probably, compare Di), Judges 13:23; Judges 21:22 , etc.; with מִן (8 t.), מִן הָעֵת הַהִא Nehemiah 13:21, etc.; with עַד (12 t.), הַהִיא ׳עַדהָֿע Nehemiah 6:1 up to that time, מֵעֵת עַדעֵֿת Ezekiel 4:10,11 etc. (5 t. Daniel); with אלֿ, מֵעֵת אֶלעֵֿת 1 Chronicles 9:25.

b often construct defined by n.following: בְּעֵת צָהֳרָ֑יִם Jeremiah 20:16, לְעֵת (הָ)עֶרֶב 2 Samuel 11:12; Genesis 8:11; Genesis 24:11 (both J), Isaiah 17:14; Zechariah 14:7; עַדעֵֿת הָעָ֑רֶב Joshua 8:29 (JE), כְּעֵת מִנְחַת עֶרֶב Daniel 9:21, redundantly לְעֶתיֿוֺם בְּיוֺם 1 Chronicles 12:22, (ה)קָצִיר ׳ע Jeremiah 50:16; Jeremiah 51:33, הַוָּמִיר ׳ע Songs 2:12, וִקְנָה ׳ע 1 Kings 11:4; 1 Kings 15:23; Psalm 71:9, אַמְּךָ ׳בְּע Jeremiah 18:23 = מָּנְיךָ ׳לְע Psalm 21:10 (of anger), לְעִתּוֺת בַּצָּרָה Psalm 9:10; Psalm 10:1 at time destitution (see בַּצָּרָה), etc.

c. followed by infinitive בּוֺא הַשֶּׁמֶשׁ ׳לְע Joshua 10:27 (JE), 2 Chronicles 18:34, קָרְאָם ׳בְּע Jeremiah 11:14a (read בְּעֵת also v^b, Gie), etc.

d. followed by clause with finite verb (in poetry or late) Deuteronomy 32:35; Job 6:17; 2Chronicles 20:22; 24:11; 29:27 + (compare 2c).

2. a. = usual time: צֵאת ׳לְע 2 Samuel 11:1 at time of kings' going forth = 1 Chronicles 20:1; בְּעֵת יַחֵם Genesis 31:10; עֵת לֶדֶת Job 39:1,2.

b. proper, suitable time: rain בְּעִתּוֺ Deuteronomy 11:14 Jeremiah 5:24 +, compare Leviticus 26:4 (H), also Psalm 1:3; Psalm 104:27; Psalm 145:15; Proverbs 15:23; Isaiah 60:22; Ecclesiastes 3:11 עֵת מִלְחָמָה Ecclesiastes 3:8; שָׁלוֺם ׳ע Ecclesiastes 3:8; followed by infinitive Hosea 10:12, הַעֵת לָקַחַת 2 Kings 5:26 is it a time to take money? Haggai 1:4, עֶתבֵּֿית לְהִבָּנוֺת ׳י Haggai 1:2 (v:a read עַתָּ בָּא Hi We Now and others); עֵת לַעֲשׂוֺת Psalm 119:126, compare Ecclesiastes 3:2-8 (26 t.); absolute כִּי עֵת Hosea 13:13 (Hi We and others; Gu^{Kau gives} עַתָּ; > Now כָּעֵת); absolute with negative Job 22:16; Ecclesiastes 7:17; hence (late) יוֺדְעֵי בִינָה לָעִתִּים 1 Chronicles 12:32, יִדְעֵי הָעִתִּים Esther 1:13 i.e. astrologers, etc.

c. appointed time, ׳בְּעֵת תֵּת וגו 1 Samuel 18:19 at the appointed time of giving, Ezekiel 7:7,12; Isaiah 13:22, מְּקֻדָּתָם ׳ע Jeremiah 8:12; Jeremiah 10:15 = Jeremiah 51:18; Jeremiah 46:21; Jeremiah 50:27 compare (with finite verb) Jeremiah 6:15; Jeremiah 49:8; Jeremiah 50:31, אַרְצוֺ ׳ע Jeremiah 27:7, גּוֺיִם ׳ע Ezekiel 30:3,לְעִתִּים מְזֻמָּנִים Ezra 10:14; Nehemiah 10:35 compareNehemiah 13:31; מוֺעֵד ׳עַדעֿ 2 Samuel 24:15; Psalm 103:14 ("" מוֺעֵד), etc.; compare עֵת וּמִשְׁמָּט Ecclesiastes 8:5,6 (for time of judgment),עִתּוֺ Ecclesiastes 9:12; especially לְעֵת קֵץ Daniel 8:7; compare Daniel 11:35,40; Daniel 12:4,9, עֲוֺן קֵץ ׳כְּע Ezekiel 21:30; Ezekiel 21:34; compare Ezekiel 35:5; לְקֵץ הָעִתִּים Daniel 11:13.

d. as uncertain עֵת וָפֶגַע Ecclesiastes 9:11.

3 = experiences, fortunes, plural אֱמוּנַת עִתֶּיךָ Isaiah 33:6; Psalm 31:16; הָעִתִּים אֲשֶׁר עָֽבְרוּ עָלָיו 1 Chronicles 29:30

4 occurrence, occasions (= מַּעַם), רַבּוֺת עִתִּים Nehemiah 9:28 great numbers of times (= very often).

Overview and Distribution

The noun עֵת appears about 294 times across the Old Testament, permeating every major literary genre. It ranges from the patriarchal narratives of Genesis to the apocalyptic visions of Daniel, functioning as Scripture’s ordinary yet theologically charged word for “time,” “season,” or “occasion.” Its very frequency underscores that God’s revelation is not abstract but unfolds within definitively ordered moments that He Himself governs and redeems.

Divine Appointment of Times

From the outset, the word marks moments that God personally schedules. “Is anything too difficult for the LORD? At the appointed time I will return to you… and Sarah will have a son” (Genesis 18:14). These verses show that history’s pivotal events—the birth of the covenant child, the plagues of Egypt (Exodus 9:5), Israel’s rains in season (Leviticus 26:4)—are neither random nor humanly orchestrated but divinely fixed. The repetition of עֵת in such contexts teaches the believer that every promise has a divinely set hour of fulfillment.

Covenant Life and Judicial Order

In the Mosaic community the term frames the rhythms of leadership and jurisprudence: “They shall judge the people at all times” (Exodus 18:22). By assigning ordinary disputes to set occasions, Israel distinguished sacred rest from civic duty and mirrored God’s own orderly rule. Judges, priests, and prophets alike ministered with an acute sense that their service occupied a God-ordained window.

Liturgical Calendar and Sacred Seasons

Though the festival word מוֹעֵד more often denotes feasts, עֵת supplies the broader temporal backdrop for worship. Nehemiah re-established “wood offerings at appointed times” (Nehemiah 13:31); Daniel prayed “about the time of the evening sacrifice” (Daniel 9:21). These references bind daily and annual worship to specific hours, underscoring that redeemed time is consecrated time.

Historical Milestones and National Memory

The narrative books frequently use עֵת to highlight decisive military or political junctures. “In the spring, at the time when kings go out to war” (2 Samuel 11:1) sets the stage for David’s tragic lapse. Esther hears Mordecai’s challenge, “Who knows whether you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this?” (Esther 4:14). Such verses teach that nations rise or fall within precise divine timetables, calling leaders to discern their moment of responsibility.

Wisdom Literature: Seasons of Life

Proverbs celebrates “A word fitly spoken” (Proverbs 25:11) and warns the sluggard who “does not plow in season” (Proverbs 20:4). Ecclesiastes 3:1–8 builds an entire theology around paired seasons: birth and death, planting and uprooting. This section of Scripture invites believers to embrace life’s varied stages without cynicism, confident that “He has made everything beautiful in its time” (Ecclesiastes 3:11).

Prophetic Announcements and Eschatology

The prophets anchor both imminent judgment and distant hope to divinely fixed times. Habakkuk 2:3 speaks of “the appointed time,” while Isaiah 49:8 promises, “In the time of favor I will answer you.” Daniel repeatedly links end-time events to an “appointed time of the end” (Daniel 8:19; 12:4). These passages encourage vigilance, assuring the faithful that history is moving toward a consummation already scheduled by God.

Personal Piety and Prayer Times

Psalms turns the concept inward: “My times are in Your hands” (Psalm 31:15). The psalmist’s confession models surrender of personal circumstances to divine sovereignty. Psalm 119:126 pleads, “It is time for the LORD to act,” teaching believers to anchor supplication in God’s timetable rather than personal urgency. Hosea echoes this spiritual discipline: “It is time to seek the LORD” (Hosea 10:12).

Men of Issachar and Discernment

1 Chronicles 12:32 praises “men who understood the times and knew what Israel should do.” Their example urges contemporary ministry leaders to interpret cultural and spiritual moments through scriptural lenses, steering God’s people with informed action rather than reactionary impulse.

Pastoral and Missionary Application

Because the word integrates theology and chronology, it shapes Christian ministry. Paul’s exhortation to “preach the word… be ready in season and out of season” (paralleling the Old Testament pattern) finds its foundation here. Church shepherds are called to recognize providential opportunities, schedule corporate worship thoughtfully, and counsel individuals according to life-stage seasons patterned in Scripture.

Christological Foreshadowing

Repeated assurances of an “appointed time” prepare the reader for the fullness of time when God sent forth His Son. The Old Testament use of עֵת thereby becomes a prophetic backdrop to the Incarnation, Passion, and promised Return, validating that every redemptive act occurs precisely when the Father has decreed.

Conclusion

עֵת threads through the Old Testament as a silent witness to God’s meticulous orchestration of history, worship, justice, and personal destiny. By tracing its occurrences, believers learn to trust the Lord of time, steward each season faithfully, and anticipate the climactic hour when He will “restore everything, as He promised long ago through His holy prophets” (Acts 3:21).

בְּ֭עֵת בְּעִתִּ֥ים בְּעִתָּ֑ם בְּעִתָּ֥הּ בְּעִתָּֽם׃ בְּעִתּ֑וֹ בְּעִתּ֔וֹ בְּעִתּ֖וֹ בְּעִתּ֗וֹ בְּעִתּ֣וֹ בְּעִתּֽוֹ׃ בְּעֵ֖ת בְּעֵ֛ת בְּעֵ֣ת בְּעֵ֤ת בְּעֵ֥ת בְּעֵ֥ת־ בְּעֵ֧ת בְּעֵת֙ בְּעֵת֩ בְּעֵת־ בְעִתּ֑וֹ בָּֽעֵת־ בָּעִתִּֽים׃ בָּעֵ֣ת בָּעֵ֤ת בָּעֵ֥ת בָּעֵ֨ת בָּעֵת֩ בָֽעֵת־ בעת בעת־ בעתה בעתו בעתו׃ בעתים בעתים׃ בעתם בעתם׃ הַעֵ֞ת הַעֵ֤ת הָֽעִתִּ֑ים הָֽעִתִּ֤ים הָעִתִּֽים׃ הָעֵ֗ת הָעֵ֣ת הָעֵת֙ העת העתים העתים׃ וְהָעִתִּ֗ים וְהָעֵ֣ת וְכָעֵ֕ת וְעֵ֖ת וְעֵ֣ת וְעֵ֥ת וְעֵֽת־ וְעֵת֙ וּבְעֵ֞ת וּבְעֵ֣ת וּבְעֵ֤ת וּבְעֵ֥ת וּבְעֵת֙ וּבְעֵת֩ וּבָעִתִּ֣ים וּבָעֵ֖ת וּבָעֵ֣ת וּבָעֵ֤ת וּבָעֵ֨ת וּכְעֵ֣ת וּכְעֵת֩ וּלְעִתִּ֥ים וּלְעֵ֥ת וּמֵעֵ֗ת וּמֵעֵת֙ ובעת ובעתים והעת והעתים וכעת ולעת ולעתים ומעת ועת ועת־ כְּעֵ֖ת כָּ֭עֵת כָּעֵ֗ת כָּעֵ֣ת כָּעֵ֣ת ׀ כָּעֵ֤ת ׀ כָּעֵ֥ת כָעֵ֤ת כעת לְעִתִּ֣ים לְעִתִּ֥ים לְעִתּ֥וֹת לְעֵ֖ת לְעֵ֣ת לְעֵ֣ת ׀ לְעֵ֥ת לְעֵ֪ת לְעֵֽת־ לְעֵת֙ לְעֵת֩ לְעֶת־ לַֽעִתִּ֔ים לעת לעת־ לעתות לעתים מֵעֵ֥ת מֵעֵ֬ת מעת עִתִּ֑ים עִתִּֽים׃ עִתֵּךְ֙ עִתֶּ֔יךָ עִתֶּֽךָ׃ עִתָּ֑הּ עִתָּ֔הּ עִתָּ֣ם עִתֹּתָ֑י עִתּ֗וֹ עֵ֑ת עֵ֕ת עֵ֖ת עֵ֗ת עֵ֚ת עֵ֛ת עֵ֣ת עֵ֤ת עֵ֥ת עֵ֨ת עֵ֨ת ׀ עֵ֭ת עֵֽת־ עֵֽת׃ עֵת֒ עֵת֙ עֶת־ עת עת־ עת׃ עתה עתו עתיך עתים עתים׃ עתך עתך׃ עתם עתתי ‘êṯ ‘eṯ- ‘êṯ- ‘it·tāh ‘it·tām ‘it·te·ḵā ‘it·têḵ ‘it·tîm ‘it·tō·ṯāy ‘it·tōw ‘ittāh ‘ittām ‘ittêḵ ‘itteḵā ‘ittîm ‘ittōṯāy ‘ittōw bā‘êṯ bā‘êṯ- ḇā‘êṯ- bā‘ittîm bā·‘êṯ bā·‘êṯ- ḇā·‘êṯ- bā·‘it·tîm baEt baitTim bə‘êṯ bə‘êṯ- bə‘ittāh bə‘ittām bə‘ittîm bə‘ittōw ḇə‘ittōw bə·‘êṯ bə·‘êṯ- bə·‘it·tāh bə·‘it·tām bə·‘it·tîm bə·‘it·tōw ḇə·‘it·tōw beEt beitTah beitTam beitTim beitTo chaEt et ha‘êṯ hā‘êṯ hā‘ittîm ha·‘êṯ hā·‘êṯ hā·‘it·tîm haEt haitTim itTah itTam itteCh itTecha itTeicha itTim itTo ittoTai kā‘êṯ ḵā‘êṯ kā·‘êṯ ḵā·‘êṯ kaEt kə‘êṯ kə·‘êṯ keEt la‘ittîm la·‘it·tîm laitTim lə‘êṯ lə‘eṯ- lə‘êṯ- lə‘ittîm lə‘ittōwṯ lə·‘êṯ lə·‘eṯ- lə·‘êṯ- lə·‘it·tîm lə·‘it·tō·wṯ leEt leitTim leitTot mê‘êṯ mê·‘êṯ meEt ū·ḇā·‘êṯ ū·ḇā·‘it·tîm ū·ḇə·‘êṯ ū·ḵə·‘êṯ ū·lə·‘êṯ ū·lə·‘it·tîm ū·mê·‘êṯ ūḇā‘êṯ ūḇā‘ittîm ūḇə‘êṯ ucheEt ūḵə‘êṯ ūlə‘êṯ ūlə‘ittîm uleEt uleitTim ūmê‘êṯ umeEt uvaEt uvaitTim uveEt vaet vechaEt veEt vehaEt vehaitTim veitTo wə‘êṯ wə‘êṯ- wə·‘êṯ wə·‘êṯ- wə·hā·‘êṯ wə·hā·‘it·tîm wə·ḵā·‘êṯ wəhā‘êṯ wəhā‘ittîm wəḵā‘êṯInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts