Lexical Definition

‎הֵן‎ hên (hane) look! ^H:Intj
a primitive particle

behold, if, lo, though.

• lo!
• also (as expressing surprise) if

interj
1) behold, lo, though hypothetical part
2) if

See Greek: ἰδού · ἴσως

Extended Information

• interj
• Aramaic equivalent: hen (‎ה‎ֵ‎ן‎ "look!" הֵן)

Brown-Driver-Briggs

Aramaic form: הֵן
Also see: אִם | הֵן

II. ‎הֵן‎₁₀₀ (‎הֶןֿ‎ Num 23:9; Num 23:24; Job 8:19; Job 8:20; Job 13:1; Job 26:14; Job 33:6; Job 33:12; Job 33:29; Job 36:5; Job 36:22; Job 36:26 ‎הֵןֿ‎ Job 13:15; Job 36:30; Job 41:1* +) demonstrative adverb or interjection lo! behold (on etymology see ‎הִנֵּה‎), less widely used than ‎הִנֵּה‎, and in prose mostly confined to calling attention to some fact upon which action is to be taken, or a conclusion based;
a. Gen 3:22 ‎הֵן הָאָדָם הָיָה‎ behold the man is become as one of us, & now lest, etc., Gen 4:14 behold, thou hast driven me forth etc., Gen 11:6; Gen 15:3; Gen 19:34; Gen 27:11; Gen 29:7; Gen 30:34 (nearly = yea), Exod 5:5; Exod 6:12; Exod 6:30; Lev 10:18; Lev 10:19; Num 17:27*; Deut 5:21 (in prose only in Pentateuch (23 t.) and Ezek 18:4 in this usage); in poetry, used more freely, but chiefly in Isa² & Job, — Num 23:9; Num 23:24 (Balaam) Isa 23:13; Isa 32:1; Isa 33:7; Ps 51:7*; Ps 51:8*; Ps 68:34*; Ps 78:20; Ps 139:4; Prov 11:31 (stating the premiss to a conclusion introduced by ‎אַף כִּי‎, q. v.), Prov 24:12: elsewhere (except in senses b, c) only in Isa² (23 t.) & Job (31 t), as Isa 40:15 (twice in verse); Isa 41:11; Isa 41:24; Isa 41:29; Isa 50:1; Isa 50:2; Isa 50:9 (twice in verse); Isa 50:11; Job 4:18; Job 15:15; Job 25:5 (in these three passages before ‎אַף‎ or ‎אַף כִּי‎), Job 9:1; Job 9:12 etc. (see above).
b. as a hypothetical particle, propounding a possibility, if (so Late Hebrew, Biblical Aramaic, Mandean, Palmyrene (ZMG 1888, 404); on the contrary Syriac , Palestinian ᵑ7 ‎אִין‎, also Palmyrene (ib. p. 415), Arabic with ‎א‎), a special application or development of the use a: Exod 4:1 ‎והן לא יאמינו לי‎ and behold ( = and suppose) they will not believe me ? etc., Lev 25:20 and if (‎וְכִי‎) ye say, What shall we eat the 7th year ? ‎הֵן לֹא נִזְרַע‎ behold, we shall not sow etc. (i.e. supposing we do not sow), Isa 54:15; Job 40:23; 2Chr 7:13 (twice in verse) (2Chr 7:13 b ‎וְאִם‎); stating the ground on which a question is based, Exod 8:22* (‎וְלֹא‎ = ‎הֲלֹא‎), Jer 3:1; Hag 2:12 (see ‎הֵן‎ Aramaic b).
c. if, whether, in an indirect question, Jer 2:10 ‎רְאוּ הֵן הָֽיְתָה כָּזֹאת‎ (but Gr ‎הֲנִהְיְתָה‎); compare ‎אִם‎ 2 b, and ‎הֵן‎ Aramaic

3.

Brown-Driver-Briggs References