עַ֗י
𐤏𐤉
Ay
Ai
A proper noun designating a specific ancient city or settlement in the central hill country of Canaan, northeast of Bethel. Used as a place name throughout the Hebrew Bible, it most commonly refers to the site attacked and eventually captured by the Israelites following their entry into Canaan (see Joshua 7–8). In later biblical books, variant forms are used, indicating either the same site or a closely associated locality. As a name, it does not carry descriptive or generic meanings outside this toponymic context.
Jeremiah 49:3 · Word #5
Lexicon H5857
| Lemma | עַי |
| Lemma (Paleo) | 𐤏𐤉 |
| Transliteration | Ay |
| Strong's | H5857 |
| Definition | A proper noun designating a specific ancient city or settlement in the central hill country of Canaan, northeast of Bethel. Used as a place name throughout the Hebrew Bible, it most commonly refers to the site attacked and eventually captured by the Israelites following their entry into Canaan (see Joshua 7–8). In later biblical books, variant forms are used, indicating either the same site or a closely associated locality. As a name, it does not carry descriptive or generic meanings outside this toponymic context. |
Morphology HNp
All morphology codes
| Part of Speech | N — Noun — A person, place, thing, or idea |
| Subtype | p — Proper Name — Proper name |
Common Translation
| Phrase | Ai |
SIBI-P1 Translation H5857-01
Ruin-Heap (Ai)
| Morphological Notes | Proper noun, place name; singular; no feminine suffix in this form (variant feminine forms include עַיָּא, עַיָּת). |
| Rendering Rationale | The form is a proper noun referring to the specific city named Ai. Rendering it as "Ruin-Heap (Ai)" preserves its toponymic function while reflecting the underlying root sense of ruin or heap inherent in the name. |
View full lexicon entry for H5857 →
SILEX v2
SIBI-P2 (Context-Aware)
Ay
| Same as P1 | No — adjusted for context |
| Rationale | Proper noun transliterated from Hebrew. P1 meaning: Ruin-Heap (Ai) |