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אִישׁוֹן

𐤀𐤉𐤔𐤅𐤍

ʼîyshôwn

H380 noun

SILEX Entry

Root אישׁ man, person, individual (root meaning)

Definition

The dark central part of the eye (the pupil), metaphorically used for the 'apple of the eye'—that is, something precious or carefully protected. In rare extended usage, denotes the deepest or middle portion of the night.

Semantic Range

pupil (of the eye), apple (of the eye), something precious, middle (of night), deep darkness

Root / Etymology

From the Hebrew root אישׁ ('man'), with the diminutive suffix -ון, forming a word meaning 'little man'—a reference derived from the reflection of one's own image seen in another person's eye (as if seeing a 'little man'). The lexical meaning of אִישׁוֹן is not directly related to the core sense of 'man' but to this optical phenomenon.

Historical & Contextual Notes

The primary usage in the Hebrew Bible describes the pupil, especially in metaphorical expressions like 'the apple of the eye,' indicating something highly valued and carefully guarded (cf. Deut 32:10, Ps 17:8, Prov 7:2, Zech 2:8). The extension to 'middle of the night' (Prov 7:9) likely arises from the sense of darkness associated with the pupil, denoting the time of deepest night rather than simply 'midnight.' English translations frequently use 'apple of the eye,' which does not precisely mirror the Hebrew metaphor; the original image is rooted in the visual experience of seeing one's reflection in the dark eye of another. Usage is consistent through biblical periods, but the term is rare, chiefly occurring in poetic and metaphorical contexts. The meaning is distinct from parallel terms such as בָּבָה (bavah, Zech 2:8, also 'pupil'), which may nuance the metaphor differently.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

diminutive from אִישׁ; the little man of the eye; the pupil or ball; hence, the middle (of night); apple (of the eye), black, obscure.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

אישׁ (ʾ-y-š) — man, person, individual

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H1145 בֶּן־יְמִינִי individual man
H376 אִישׁ my men
H377 אִישׁ and act as men
H378 אִישׁ־בֹּשֶׁת individual man
H606 אֱנָשׁ men

Word Forms

4 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H380-03 כְּ/אִישׁ֥וֹן keishon HR/Ncmsc as the pupil as pupil of 3
H380-01 בֶּ/אֱשׁ֥וּן beeshun HR/Ncmsc in blackness pupil of 1
H380-02 בְּ/אִישׁ֥וֹן beishon HR/Ncmsc in the pupil pupil 1
H380-04 ב/אישון vyshvn HR/Ncmsc in obscurity in the pupil-of 1

Occurrences in Scripture

6 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H380-03 Deuteronomy 32:10 כְּ/אִישׁ֥וֹן keishon HR/Ncmsc as the pupil as pupil of
H380-03 Psalms 17:8 כְּ/אִישׁ֣וֹן keishon HR/Ncmsc as the pupil as pupil of
H380-03 Proverbs 7:2 כְּ/אִישׁ֥וֹן keishon HR/Ncmsc as the pupil as pupil of
H380-02 Proverbs 7:9 בְּ/אִישׁ֥וֹן beishon HR/Ncmsc in the pupil pupil
H380-04 Proverbs 20:20 ב/אישון vyshvn HR/Ncmsc in obscurity in the pupil-of
H380-01 Proverbs 20:20 בֶּ/אֱשׁ֥וּן beeshun HR/Ncmsc in blackness pupil of
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