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עַיִן

𐤏𐤉𐤍

Ayin

H5869 noun

SILEX Entry

Definition

Primarily, the anatomical 'eye,' the organ of seeing; by extension, anything resembling or functioning as an 'eye' (such as a spring or well, seen as the 'eye' of the landscape); also metaphorically used for perception, attitude, viewpoint, or favor; occasionally denotes appearance, surface, or countenance; can indicate presence or the act of watching/observing; serves idiomatically in expressions of personal pronouns or points of view.

Semantic Range

eye (organ), sight, look, observation, attention, appearance, favor, countenance, viewpoint, attitude, envy, arrogance, compassion, presence, fountain, spring, well, surface, resemblance, personal pronoun in idioms

Root / Etymology

From the root עין, meaning 'to eye, to look at, to notice' (though as a noun, עַיִן is considered a primitive or primary form, not derived from a verbal root). The noun's use for a spring/well likely arises from the resemblance of a bubbling spring to the human eye, both visually and metaphorically.

Historical & Contextual Notes

In the Hebrew Bible, עַיִן first and foremost means the physical eye, but it is also used widely for springs or wells (e.g., עֵין גֶּדִי, Ein Gedi, 'spring of the kid'). Metaphorically, 'eye' denotes perception, intent, or assessment (e.g., to find favor in someone's eyes), and can refer to various human qualities or states (such as envy, arrogance, or compassion). The use of עַיִן for a spring is common in toponyms and narratives, especially in arid regions where a water source is as precious as sight. Idiomatic uses, such as 'before the eyes of' (לִפְנֵי עֵינֵי), indicate presence, observation, or judgment. In later Hebrew and Jewish tradition, the semantic extensions of עַיִן broadened further, but in the Hebrew Bible, its metaphorical range is substantial within perceptual, evaluative, and topographical contexts. English translations often reduce the metaphorical or idiomatic complexity by rendering עַיִן simply as 'eye' or 'spring,' and may obscure more nuanced senses such as favor, appearance, or intention.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

probably a primitive word; an eye (literally or figuratively); by analogy, a fountain (as the eye of the landscape); affliction, outward appearance, [phrase] before, [phrase] think best, colour, conceit, [phrase] be content, countenance, [phrase] displease, eye((-brow), (-d), -sight), face, [phrase] favour, fountain, furrow (from the margin), [idiom] him, [phrase] humble, knowledge, look, ([phrase] well), [idiom] me, open(-ly), [phrase] (not) please, presence, [phrase] regard, resemblance, sight, [idiom] thee, [idiom] them, [phrase] think, [idiom] us, well, [idiom] you(-rselves).

Bantu Hebrew

Language Bantu Word Transliteration Meaning
Edo ene eye
Fante Enyi eye
Fon anya eye (organ of sight); appearance; surface
Ga nii eye (organ of sight); appearance
Igbo anya eye (organ of sight); also appearance, perception, focus

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Root Family

עין (Ayin) — to flow, to spring forth, eye, source

Root עין to eye, to look, to notice, to see
Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H4599 מַעְיָן the springs
H5770 עָוַן the hostile-watching one
H5870 עַיִן my eye
H5871 עַיִן there is not
H5879 עֵינַיִם Two Springs

Word Forms

85 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2 Occurrences
H5869-09 בְּ/עֵינֵ֥י beeyney HR/Ncbdc in the eyes of in the eyes of in the eyes of 139
H5869-13 בְּ/עֵינֶ֨י/ךָ֙ beeyneykha HR/Ncbdc/Sp2ms in your eyes in your two eyes in your eyes 60
H5869-53 לְ/עֵינֵ֨י leeyney HR/Ncbdc in the sight of to the eyes of before the eyes of 52
H5869-25 עֵינָ֗י/ו eynayv HNcbdc/Sp3ms his eyes his two eyes his eyes 51
H5869-34 עֵינֶ֤י/ךָ eyneykha HNcbdc/Sp2ms your eyes your two eyes your eyes 51
H5869-22 עֵינַ֧/י eynay HNcbdc/Sp1cs my eyes my eyes my eyes 50
H5869-08 בְּ/עֵינָ֖י/ו beeynayv HR/Ncbdc/Sp3ms in his eyes in his eyes in his eyes 41
H5869-37 עֵינִ֧/י eyni HNcbsc/Sp1cs my eye my eye my eye 29
H5869-24 עֵינַ֖יִם eynayim HNcbda eyes eyes eyes 27
H5869-31 עֵינֵ֥י eyney HNcbdc eyes of eyes of eyes of 24

Occurrences in Scripture

897 occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2
H5869-35 Genesis 3:5 עֵֽינֵי/כֶ֑ם eyneykhem HNcbdc/Sp2mp your eyes your eyes your eyes
H5869-49 Genesis 3:6 לָ/עֵינַ֗יִם laeynayim HRd/Ncbda to the eyes to the eyes to the eyes
H5869-31 Genesis 3:7 עֵינֵ֣י eyney HNcbdc the eyes of eyes of eyes of
H5869-09 Genesis 6:8 בְּ/עֵינֵ֥י beeyney HR/Ncbdc in the eyes of in the eyes of in the eyes of
H5869-25 Genesis 13:10 עֵינָ֗י/ו eynayv HNcbdc/Sp3ms his eyes his two eyes his two eyes
H5869-34 Genesis 13:14 עֵינֶ֨י/ךָ֙ eyneykha HNcbdc/Sp2ms your eyes your two eyes your eyes
H5869-10 Genesis 16:4 בְּ/עֵינֶֽי/הָ beeyneyha HR/Ncbdc/Sp3fs in her eyes in her eyes in her eyes
H5869-10 Genesis 16:5 בְּ/עֵינֶ֑י/הָ beeyneyha HR/Ncbdc/Sp3fs in her eyes in her eyes in her eyes
H5869-07 Genesis 16:6 בְּ/עֵינָ֑יִ/ךְ beeynayikhe HR/Ncbdc/Sp2fs in your eyes in your eyes in your eyes
H5869-19 Genesis 16:7 עֵ֥ין eyn HNcbsc a spring there is not spring
H5869-42 Genesis 16:7 הָ/עַ֖יִן haayin HTd/Ncbsa the spring the eye the spring
H5869-25 Genesis 18:2 עֵינָי/ו֙ eynayv HNcbdc/Sp3ms his eyes his two eyes his eyes
H5869-13 Genesis 18:3 בְּ/עֵינֶ֔י/ךָ beeyneykha HR/Ncbdc/Sp2ms in your sight in your two eyes in your sight
H5869-14 Genesis 19:8 בְּ/עֵינֵי/כֶ֑ם beeyneykhem HR/Ncbdc/Sp2mp in your eyes in your eyes in your eyes
H5869-09 Genesis 19:14 בְּ/עֵינֵ֥י beeyney HR/Ncbdc in the eyes of in the eyes of in the eyes of
H5869-13 Genesis 19:19 בְּ/עֵינֶי/ךָ֒ beeyneykha HR/Ncbdc/Sp2ms in your sight in your two eyes in your sight
H5869-13 Genesis 20:15 בְּ/עֵינֶ֖י/ךָ beeyneykha HR/Ncbdc/Sp2ms in your eyes in your two eyes in your eyes
H5869-24 Genesis 20:16 עֵינַ֔יִם eynayim HNcbda of eyes eyes of eyes
H5869-09 Genesis 21:11 בְּ/עֵינֵ֣י beeyney HR/Ncbdc in the sight of in the eyes of in the eyes of
H5869-13 Genesis 21:12 בְּ/עֵינֶ֨י/ךָ֙ beeyneykha HR/Ncbdc/Sp2ms in your eyes in your two eyes in your eyes
H5869-32 Genesis 21:19 עֵינֶ֔י/הָ eyneyha HNcbdc/Sp3fs her eyes her eyes her eyes
H5869-25 Genesis 22:4 עֵינָ֛י/ו eynayv HNcbdc/Sp3ms his eyes his two eyes his two eyes
H5869-25 Genesis 22:13 עֵינָ֗י/ו eynayv HNcbdc/Sp3ms his eyes his two eyes his eyes
H5869-53 Genesis 23:11 לְ/עֵינֵ֧י leeyney HR/Ncbdc in the presence of to the eyes of in the presence of
H5869-53 Genesis 23:18 לְ/עֵינֵ֣י leeyney HR/Ncbdc in the presence of to the eyes of in the eyes of
H5869-19 Genesis 24:13 עֵ֣ין eyn HNcbsc spring there is not spring
H5869-41 Genesis 24:16 הָ/עַ֔יְנָ/ה haayenah HTd/Ncbsa/Sd to the spring the eye to the spring
H5869-42 Genesis 24:29 הָ/עָֽיִן haayin HTd/Ncbsa the spring the eye the spring
H5869-42 Genesis 24:30 הָ/עָֽיִן haayin HTd/Ncbsa the fountain the eye the eye
H5869-42 Genesis 24:42 הָ/עָ֑יִן haayin HTd/Ncbsa the spring the eye the spring
H5869-19 Genesis 24:43 עֵ֣ין eyn HNcbsc the spring there is not the spring
H5869-41 Genesis 24:45 הָ/עַ֖יְנָ/ה haayenah HTd/Ncbsa/Sd to the spring the eye to the spring
H5869-25 Genesis 24:63 עֵינָי/ו֙ eynayv HNcbdc/Sp3ms his eyes his two eyes his eyes
H5869-32 Genesis 24:64 עֵינֶ֔י/הָ eyneyha HNcbdc/Sp3fs her eyes her eyes her eyes
H5869-25 Genesis 27:1 עֵינָ֖י/ו eynayv HNcbdc/Sp3ms his eyes his two eyes his eyes
H5869-70 Genesis 27:12 בְ/עֵינָ֖י/ו veeynayv HR/Ncbdc/Sp3ms in his eyes his eyes in his eyes
H5869-09 Genesis 28:8 בְּ/עֵינֵ֖י beeyney HR/Ncbdc in the eyes of in the eyes of in the eyes of
H5869-73 Genesis 29:17 וְ/עֵינֵ֥י veeyney HC/Ncbdc and Leah's eyes and eyes of and eyes of
H5869-70 Genesis 29:20 בְ/עֵינָי/ו֙ veeynayv HR/Ncbdc/Sp3ms in his eyes his eyes in his eyes
H5869-13 Genesis 30:27 בְּ/עֵינֶ֑י/ךָ beeyneykha HR/Ncbdc/Sp2ms in your eyes in your two eyes in your eyes
H5869-53 Genesis 30:41 לְ/עֵינֵ֥י leeyney HR/Ncbdc before the eyes of to the eyes of before the eyes of
H5869-22 Genesis 31:10 עֵינַ֛/י eynay HNcbdc/Sp1cs my eyes my eyes my eyes
H5869-34 Genesis 31:12 עֵינֶ֤י/ךָ eyneykha HNcbdc/Sp2ms your eyes your two eyes your two eyes
H5869-09 Genesis 31:35 בְּ/עֵינֵ֣י beeyney HR/Ncbdc in the eyes of in the eyes of in the eyes of
H5869-58 Genesis 31:40 מֵֽ/עֵינָֽ/י meeynay HR/Ncbdc/Sp1cs from my eyes from my eyes from my eyes
H5869-13 Genesis 32:6 בְּ/עֵינֶֽי/ךָ beeyneykha HR/Ncbdc/Sp2ms in your eyes in your two eyes in your eyes
H5869-25 Genesis 33:1 עֵינָ֗י/ו eynayv HNcbdc/Sp3ms his eyes his two eyes his eyes
H5869-25 Genesis 33:5 עֵינָ֗י/ו eynayv HNcbdc/Sp3ms his eyes his two eyes his eyes
H5869-09 Genesis 33:8 בְּ/עֵינֵ֥י beeyney HR/Ncbdc in the sight of in the eyes of in the eyes of
H5869-13 Genesis 33:10 בְּ/עֵינֶ֔י/ךָ beeyneykha HR/Ncbdc/Sp2ms in your eyes in your two eyes in your eyes
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