BDB385 [H369]

1. Isa 40:23 הַנּוֺתֵן רוֺזְנִים לְאָ֑יִן who bringeth princes to nothing; כְּאַיִן as nothing, ib. Isa 40:17; Isa 41:11; Isa 41:12; Hag 2:3; Ps 39:6 almost (|| כִּמְעַט) Ps 73:2 מֵאַיִן of nothing Isa 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^{«GKC:100»§ 100}, 5; «GKC:152»152, 1 c], אֵינְךָ, אֵינֵךְ, אֵינֶנּוּ, אֵינֶנָּה, אֵינְכֶם, אֵינָם, also Ps 59:14 אֵינֵ֫מוֺ, Ps 73:5 אֵינֵ֫ימוֺ): twice abnormally, in late Hebrew, a noun אֵין אֲנִי, אֵין אֲנַחְנוּ Neh 4:17 (so sometimes לַיִת, , Nö^{M. p. 295}); once, incorrectly, את Hag 2:17.
\ \ a. denying existence absolutely Isa 44:6; Isa 47:10 אֵין רֹאָנִי there is none that seeth me, literally nought of one seeing me! אֵין עוֺד there is none else Deut 4:39; 1Kgs 8:60; Isa 45:5; Isa 45:6; Isa 45:18; Isa 45:22.
\ \ b. more commonly, in a limited sense, there is none here or at hand Exod 2:12 and he saw כִּיאֵֿין אִישׁ that there was no man (that is, there), Num 21:5; Gen 5:24 וְאֵינֶנּוּ and he was not (of Enoch's disappearance from earth) Gen 42:13 one (cas. pend. as often), he is not, vGen 42:36 often = is (or has) vanished Gen 37:30; 1Kgs 20:40; Isa 17:14; Ps 37:10; Ps 103:16; Job 8:22; Job 24:24; Job 27:19.
\ \ c. with the sense determined by a predicate following: Gen 37:29 Joseph was not in the pit, Gen 41:39 + often; Exod 5:10 אֵינֶנִּי נֹתֵן לָכֶם תֶּבֶן I am not giving you straw; and so often with particip. where duration has to be expressed Gen 39:23; Deut 21:18; Isa 1:15; Jer 7:16, or intention Gen 20:7 אֵינְךָ מֵשִׁיב דַּע ֗֗֗ אִם if thou art not restoring her, know Gen 43:5; Exod 8:17; Exod 33:15 (idiomatically, after אם; see Dr^{§ 137}) Judg 12:3. Following once pleonastic by יֵשׁ Ps 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 Gen 37:24, לוֺ Exod 22:1, שָׁם Exod 12:30, גַּם Ps 14:3, etc., but even for emphasis prefixed to it, as Gen 19:31; Gen 40:8 וּפֹתֵר אֵין אֹתוֺ Gen 41:15; Exod 5:16; Judg 13:9; Judg 14:6; Judg 16:15; Judg 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 Gen 2:5 ואדם אַיִן לעבד האדמה and man there was none to till the ground, Lev 26:37 וְרֹדֵף אָ֑יִן Num 20:5; 2Kgs 19:3; Hos 13:4; Mic 7:2.
\ \ d. sometimes the subject has to be supplied from the context: thus (α) 1Sam 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 Isa 59:11; Ps 69:21; Job 3:9; Isa 41:17. Ezek 7:25; Prov 14:6; Prov 13:4; Prov 20:4. (β) Exod 17:7 is ׳י in the midst of us אִםאָֽֿיִן ׃ or not ? Num 13:20. (γ) Judg 4:20 וְאָמַרְתְּ אָֽיִן׃ then thou shalt say, There is not, 1Kgs 18:10; 1Sam 10:14. (δ) Gen 30:1 give me children, וְאִםאַֿיִן and if not, I die, Exod 32:32; Judg 9:15; Judg 9:20; 2Sam 17:6 (see Dr) 2Kgs 2:10; Job 33:33.
\ \ e. with subject not expressed, once (late), Dan 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 פֹּקֵד (the usage of , cited by De, does not justify the anomaly in Hebrew) Jer 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 Exod 3:2 see Ges^{«GKC:52»§ 52}, 2 R. 6; Ew^{§ 169 d.}

3. ׳אֵין לְ, with substantive, or pronoun, there is (was) not to . . . = . . . have, has, had, etc. not: Gen 11:30 אֵין לָהּ וָלָד she had no child, Num 27:9 וְאִםאֵֿין לוֺ בַּת and if he have no daughter + often; with a participle Deut 22:27; Jer 14:16; Jer 30:17; Jer 49:5; Jer 50:32; Ps 142:5; Lam 1:2; Lam 1:9; Lam 1:17; Exod 22:2 אִםאֵֿין לוֺ if he have nought, Dan 9:26 ואין לו and have nought (or none).

4. in circumstantial clauses (Dr^{§ 164}): —
\ \ \ (a) Exod 21:11 she shall go out free אֵין כָּ֑סֶף without money, Exod 22:9 אֵין רֹאֶה none seeing it, Num 11:6; Isa 47:1; Jer 2:32; Hos 3:4; Hos 7:11; Ps 32:9; Ps 88:5 + .
\ \ \ (b) Deut 32:4 a God of faithfulness וְאֵין עָוֶל and no iniquity, i.e. without iniquity, Jer 5:21; Joel 1:6; Ps 104:25.
\ \ \ (c) very often, in such phrases as וְאֵין מַחֲרִיד with none to affright Lev 26:6 (12 t.); וְאֵין מְכַבֶּה Isa 1:31 and elsewhere; וְאֵין מַצִּיל Isa 5:29; Ps 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; 2Chr 20:6 וְאֵין עִמְּךָ לְהִתְיַצֵּב it is not possible to stand (in conflict) with thee, 2Chr 22:9; Ezra 9:15; Eccl 3:14; Esth 4:2. Once without ל, Ps 40:6 אֵין עֲרֹךְ אֵלָיךָ οὐκ ἔστι παραβάλλειν σοι. (β) there is no need to . . . 1Chr 23:26 וְגַם לַלְוִיִּם אֵיןלָֿשֵׂאת for the Levites also there was no need to bear 2Chr 5:11; 2Chr 35:15 (see Dr^{§ 202. 1}).

6. with prefixes : —
\ \ a. בְּאֵין properly in defect of: — (a) for want of, without — Prov 5:23 HE will die בְּאֵין מוּסָר for lack of instruction, Prov 11:14 בְּאֵין תַּחְבֻּלוֺת without guidance, Prov 14:4; Prov 15:22; Prov 26:20; Prov 29:18; Isa 57:1; Ezek 38:11 compare בְּלֹא. (β) of time = when there was (were) not Prov 8:24 (twice in verse).
\ \ b. כְּאֵין Isa 59:10 כְּאֵין עֵינַיִם in poetry for כַּאֲשֶׁר אֵין לוֺ עֵינַיִם (compare Ew^{§ 286 g} Ges^{«GKC:152»§ 152}. 1 h).
\ \ c. לְאֵין (α) for לַאֲשֶׁר אֵין לוֺ Isa 40:29 inlate prose 2Chr 14:10; Neh 8:10. (β) in the condition of not. . . (ל of state, see below ל) = without or so that not . . . (peculiar to Chronicles), 1Chr 22:4 cedar trees לְאֵין מִסְפָּר without number, 2Chr 14:12 and there fell of the Cushites לְאֵיןלָֿהֶם מִחְיָה so that they had none remaining alive, 2Chr 20:25 לְאֵין מַשָּׂא so that there was no carrying away, 2Chr 21:18; Ezra 9:14. (γ) עַדלְֿאֵין (see ׳עַד ל), 2Chr 36:16 until there was no remedy (compare עַד אֵין ֗֗֗ Ps 40:13; Job 5:9).
\ \ d. מֵאֵין
\ \ \ (a) (מִן causal) from lack of . . . Isa 50:2; Jer 7:32; Jer 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: Isa 5:9 Surely many houses shall be desolate מֵאֵין יוֺשֵׁב without inhabitant, Isa 6:11 + often Jeremiah & Zephaniah; Isa 6:11 מֵאֵין אָדָם, Jer 32:43 מֵאֵין אָדָם וּבְהֵמָה Jer 33:10; Jer 33:12; Ezek 33:28; Lam 3:49. Once followed by infinitive Mal 2:13 so that there is no regarding more. (γ) in Jer 10:6; Jer 10:7 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 Jer 30:7. (So Hi see Dr^{Hebraica. ii. 34-7}.)