אַיִן

1. Es 40,23 הַנּוֺתֵן רוֺזְנִים לְאָ֑יִן who bringeth princes to nothing; כְּאַיִן as nothing, ib. Es 40,17; Es 41,11; Es 41,12; Hag 2,3; Sl 39,6 almost (|| כִּמְעַט) Sl 73,2 מֵאַיִן of nothing Es 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 Sl 59,14 אֵינֵ֫מוֺ, Sl 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 Es 44,6; Es 47,10 אֵין רֹאָנִי there is none that seeth me, literally nought of one seeing me! אֵין עוֺד there is none else 5 Mos 4,39; 1 Kong 8,60; Es 45,5; Es 45,6; Es 45,18; Es 45,22.
\ \ b. more commonly, in a limited sense, there is none here or at hand 2 Mos 2,12 and he saw כִּיאֵֿין אִישׁ that there was no man (that is, there), 4 Mos 21,5; 1 Mos 5,24 וְאֵינֶנּוּ and he was not (of Enoch's disappearance from earth) 1 Mos 42,13 one (cas. pend. as often), he is not, v1 Mos 42,36 often = is (or has) vanished 1 Mos 37,30; 1 Kong 20,40; Es 17,14; Sl 37,10; Sl 103,16; Job 8,22; Job 24,24; Job 27,19.
\ \ c. with the sense determined by a predicate following: 1 Mos 37,29 Joseph was not in the pit, 1 Mos 41,39 + often; 2 Mos 5,10 אֵינֶנִּי נֹתֵן לָכֶם תֶּבֶן I am not giving you straw; and so often with particip. where duration has to be expressed 1 Mos 39,23; 5 Mos 21,18; Es 1,15; Jer 7,16, or intention 1 Mos 20,7 אֵינְךָ מֵשִׁיב דַּע ֗֗֗ אִם if thou art not restoring her, know 1 Mos 43,5; 2 Mos 8,17; 2 Mos 33,15 (idiomatically, after אם; see Dr^{§ 137}) Dom 12,3. Following once pleonastic by יֵשׁ Sl 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 1 Mos 37,24, לוֺ 2 Mos 22,1, שָׁם 2 Mos 12,30, גַּם Sl 14,3, etc., but even for emphasis prefixed to it, as 1 Mos 19,31; 1 Mos 40,8 וּפֹתֵר אֵין אֹתוֺ 1 Mos 41,15; 2 Mos 5,16; Dom 13,9; Dom 14,6; Dom 16,15; Dom 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 1 Mos 2,5 ואדם אַיִן לעבד האדמה and man there was none to till the ground, 3 Mos 26,37 וְרֹדֵף אָ֑יִן 4 Mos 20,5; 2 Kong 19,3; Hos 13,4; Mik 7,2.
\ \ d. sometimes the subject has to be supplied from the context: thus (α) 1 Sam 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 Es 59,11; Sl 69,21; Job 3,9; Es 41,17. Ezk 7,25; Ord 14,6; Ord 13,4; Ord 20,4. (β) 2 Mos 17,7 is ׳י in the midst of us אִםאָֽֿיִן ׃ or not ? 4 Mos 13,20. (γ) Dom 4,20 וְאָמַרְתְּ אָֽיִן׃ then thou shalt say, There is not, 1 Kong 18,10; 1 Sam 10,14. (δ) 1 Mos 30,1 give me children, וְאִםאַֿיִן and if not, I die, 2 Mos 32,32; Dom 9,15; Dom 9,20; 2 Sam 17,6 (see Dr) 2 Kong 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 2 Mos 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: 1 Mos 11,30 אֵין לָהּ וָלָד she had no child, 4 Mos 27,9 וְאִםאֵֿין לוֺ בַּת and if he have no daughter + often; with a participle 5 Mos 22,27; Jer 14,16; Jer 30,17; Jer 49,5; Jer 50,32; Sl 142,5; Klg 1,2; Klg 1,9; Klg 1,17; 2 Mos 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) 2 Mos 21,11 she shall go out free אֵין כָּ֑סֶף without money, 2 Mos 22,9 אֵין רֹאֶה none seeing it, 4 Mos 11,6; Es 47,1; Jer 2,32; Hos 3,4; Hos 7,11; Sl 32,9; Sl 88,5 + .
\ \ \ (b) 5 Mos 32,4 a God of faithfulness וְאֵין עָוֶל and no iniquity, i.e. without iniquity, Jer 5,21; Joel 1,6; Sl 104,25.
\ \ \ (c) very often, in such phrases as וְאֵין מַחֲרִיד with none to affright 3 Mos 26,6 (12 t.); וְאֵין מְכַבֶּה Es 1,31 and elsewhere; וְאֵין מַצִּיל Es 5,29; Sl 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; 2 Kron 20,6 וְאֵין עִמְּךָ לְהִתְיַצֵּב it is not possible to stand (in conflict) with thee, 2 Kron 22,9; Ezr 9,15; Praed 3,14; Est 4,2. Once without ל, Sl 40,6 אֵין עֲרֹךְ אֵלָיךָ οὐκ ἔστι παραβάλλειν σοι. (β) there is no need to . . . 1 Kron 23,26 וְגַם לַלְוִיִּם אֵיןלָֿשֵׂאת for the Levites also there was no need to bear 2 Kron 5,11; 2 Kron 35,15 (see Dr^{§ 202. 1}).

6. with prefixes : —
\ \ a. בְּאֵין properly in defect of: — (a) for want of, without — Ord 5,23 HE will die בְּאֵין מוּסָר for lack of instruction, Ord 11,14 בְּאֵין תַּחְבֻּלוֺת without guidance, Ord 14,4; Ord 15,22; Ord 26,20; Ord 29,18; Es 57,1; Ezk 38,11 compare בְּלֹא. (β) of time = when there was (were) not Ord 8,24 (twice in verse).
\ \ b. כְּאֵין Es 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 Es 40,29 inlate prose 2 Kron 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), 1 Kron 22,4 cedar trees לְאֵין מִסְפָּר without number, 2 Kron 14,12 and there fell of the Cushites לְאֵיןלָֿהֶם מִחְיָה so that they had none remaining alive, 2 Kron 20,25 לְאֵין מַשָּׂא so that there was no carrying away, 2 Kron 21,18; Ezr 9,14. (γ) עַדלְֿאֵין (see ׳עַד ל), 2 Kron 36,16 until there was no remedy (compare עַד אֵין ֗֗֗ Sl 40,13; Job 5,9).
\ \ d. מֵאֵין
\ \ \ (a) (מִן causal) from lack of . . . Es 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: Es 5,9 Surely many houses shall be desolate מֵאֵין יוֺשֵׁב without inhabitant, Es 6,11 + often Jeremiah & Zephaniah; Es 6,11 מֵאֵין אָדָם, Jer 32,43 מֵאֵין אָדָם וּבְהֵמָה Jer 33,10; Jer 33,12; Ezk 33,28; Klg 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}.)