Lexical Definition

‎אַיִן‎ ʼayin (ah'-yin) nothing ^H:Neg
as if from a primitive root meaning to be nothing or not exist

else, except, fail, (father-) less, be gone, in(-curable), neither, never, no (where), none, nor, (any, thing), not, nothing, to nought, past, un(-searchable), well-nigh, without. Compare ‎אַיִן‎.

• a non-entity
• generally used as a negative particle

1) nothing, not, nought n
1a) nothing, nought neg
1b) not
1c) to have not (of possession) adv
1d) without w/prep
1e) for lack of

See Greek: αἰνέω · ἀφαιρέω · ἀφανίζω · ὀλίγος

Brown-Driver-Briggs

II. ‎אַ֫יִן‎ nought. ‎אִיעֶזֶר‎ see ‎אֲבִיעֶזֶר‎. ‎אִיתָמָר‎ see I. ‎אָוָה‎.

II. ‎אַ֫יִן‎, ‎אָ֑֫יִן‎ construct ‎אֵין‎ substantive properly nothing, nought (Moabite ‎אן‎, Assyrian iânu).

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

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

Brown-Driver-Briggs References