אֵיתָן
𐤀𐤉𐤕𐤍
Eytan
H387 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
(1) Constant, perennial, continually flowing or enduring (of rivers, mountains, or conditions); (2) As a personal name, Ethan, borne by several individuals in the Hebrew Bible, likely connoting steadfastness or permanence.
Semantic Range
perennial (of streams or rivers), unchanging or constant (of dwellings, features), everlasting, enduring, continually present, personal name ('Ethan')
Root / Etymology
Root/Etymology: From the root איתן (א-ת-ן), carrying the sense of 'to be enduring, strong, perpetual'. The noun/adjective אֵיתָן builds on this root and means essentially 'steady, ever-flowing, always-present'. As a proper name, it reflects these qualities.
Historical & Contextual Notes
In the Hebrew Bible, אֵיתָן is used both as an adjective/noun and as a personal name. As a descriptive term, it appears in poetic and descriptive contexts such as Numbers 24:21 ('everlasting [אֵיתָן] dwelling') and Deuteronomy 21:4 ('perennial [אֵיתָן] stream'), emphasizing reliability, inalterability, or continuity. The personal name Ethan is attributed to several Israelite figures, suggesting a desired trait of steadfastness or durability in the individual (1 Kings 4:31; 1 Chronicles 2:6). In translation traditions, Ethan is sometimes treated as the same as 'permanent' or 'enduring,' but the nuance of perpetual natural force or presence is more accurate. Modern use of 'Ethan' as a personal name largely reflects its biblical origin. Compared to related terms like נֶאֱמָן (ne'eman, 'faithful, trustworthy') and עָזוּב (azuv, 'abandoned'), אֵיתָן uniquely emphasizes the quality of enduring constancy, especially tied to natural features. Over time, there is little evidence that its meaning or usage shifted significantly, though the personal name became better known from musical/wise figures in the monarchy period.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
the same as אֵיתָן; permanent; Ethan, the name of four Israelites; Ethan.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
איתן (ʾ-y-t-n) — enduring, perpetual, continual strength
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H388 | אֵיתָנִים | the perennial ones |
Word Forms
4 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H387-01 |
אֵיתָ֖ן | eytan | HNp |
Ethan | enduring | Eytan | 4 |
H387-04 |
וְ/אֵיתָ֧ן | veeytan | HC/Np |
and Ethan | and Ethan | and Eytan | 2 |
H387-03 |
מֵ/אֵיתָ֣ן | meeytan | HR/Np |
than Ethan | from Ethan | from Eytan | 1 |
H387-02 |
לְ/אֵיתָ֥ן | leeytan | HR/Np |
of Ethan | to Ethan | to Eytan | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
8 occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H387-03 |
1 Kings 5:11 | מֵ/אֵיתָ֣ן | meeytan | HR/Np |
than Ethan | from Ethan | from Eytan |
H387-02 |
Psalms 89:1 | לְ/אֵיתָ֥ן | leeytan | HR/Np |
of Ethan | to Ethan | to Eytan |
H387-04 |
1 Chronicles 2:6 | וְ/אֵיתָ֧ן | veeytan | HC/Np |
and-Ethan | and Ethan | and Eytan |
H387-01 |
1 Chronicles 2:8 | אֵיתָ֖ן | eytan | HNp |
Ethan | enduring | Eytan |
H387-01 |
1 Chronicles 6:27 | אֵיתָ֥ן | eytan | HNp |
Ethan | enduring | Eytan |
H387-01 |
1 Chronicles 6:29 | אֵיתָן֙ | eytan | HNp |
Ethan | enduring | Eytan |
H387-01 |
1 Chronicles 15:17 | אֵיתָ֖ן | eytan | HNp |
Ethan | enduring | Eytan |
H387-04 |
1 Chronicles 15:19 | וְ/אֵיתָ֑ן | veeytan | HC/Np |
and Ethan | and Ethan | and Eytan |