הָיָה
to be
also: become, come to pass, exist, happen fuller range ↓
H1961
Strong's Hebrew
hâyâh
Transliteration
/haw-yaw/
Pronunciation
Usage in the Hebrew Bible
3,575
appearances
Full lexicon entry — Brown-Driver-Briggs (BDB)
From Brown-Driver-Briggs (BDB)
BDB Definition
to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out
- (Qal)
- -----
- to happen, fall out, occur, take place, come about, come to pass
- to come about, come to pass
- to come into being, become
- to arise, appear, come
- to become
- to become
- to become like
- to be instituted, be established
- to be
- to exist, be in existence
- to abide, remain, continue (with word of place or time)
- to stand, lie, be in, be at, be situated (with word of locality)
- to accompany, be with
- (Niphal)
- to occur, come to pass, be done, be brought about
- to be done, be finished, be gone
Where this word appears
See every Qal verb in the Hebrew Bible →
Grammar key — what these labels mean
Part of speech
- Verb
- An action or state-of-being word.
- Adverb
- A word that modifies a verb, adjective, or other adverb.
Stem
- Qal
- The basic, simple active stem — the plain form of the verb (“he wrote”). Here: ‘occur’
- Niphal
- Usually the simple passive or reflexive of the Qal (“he was written”). Here: ‘became c.’
Form
- Sequential Imperfect
- An imperfect with prefixed waw — the standard past-narrative form (waw-consecutive imperfect).
- Imperfect
- An incomplete, ongoing, or future action (“he will / would write”).
- Sequential Perfect
- A perfect with prefixed waw continuing a preceding imperfect or command (waw-consecutive perfect).
- Perfect
- A completed action or state — Hebrew marks aspect (completeness) more than strict tense (“he wrote”).
- Infinitive Construct
- A bound verbal noun, frequently with prepositions (“to write / in writing”).
- Jussive
- A third- or second-person volitional form expressing wish or command (“let him write”).
- Imperative
- A direct command (“write!”).
- Infinitive Absolute
- An unbound verbal noun, often intensifying or standing in for a finite verb.
- Participle Active
- A verbal adjective expressing ongoing or characteristic action (“writing / one who writes”).
State
- Absolute
- The independent form of a noun, not bound to a following word.
Person
- 3rd Person
- The one spoken about (“he / she / it / they”).
- 1st Person
- The speaker (“I / we”).
- 2nd Person
- The one addressed (“you”).
Gender
- Masculine
- Grammatically masculine.
- Common
- Either gender — not distinguished for this form.
- Feminine
- Grammatically feminine.
Number
- Singular
- One.
- Plural
- More than one (in Hebrew, generally three or more).
Grammatical forms 55 distinct
- Verb, Qal, Sequential Imperfect, 3rd Person, Masculine, Singular 784 times (22%)
- Verb, Qal, Imperfect, 3rd Person, Masculine, Singular 441 times (12%)
- Verb, Qal, Perfect, 3rd Person, Masculine, Singular 388 times (11%)
- Verb, Qal, Sequential Perfect, 3rd Person, Masculine, Singular 357 times (10%)
- Verb, Qal, Perfect, 3rd Person, Common, Plural 184 times (5%)
- Verb, Qal, Infinitive Construct 148 times (4%)
- Verb, Qal, Imperfect, 3rd Person, Feminine, Singular 140 times (4%)
- Verb, Qal, Perfect, 3rd Person, Feminine, Singular 124 times (3%)
+47 more forms (1,009 occurrences)
Parsed forms decoded from the imported morphology (morphhb / Westminster Leningrad Codex — WLC text public domain, morphhb tagging CC BY 4.0), counted across 3,575 parsed occurrences — not distinct verses.
Page 3 of 16 — showing verses 401–600 of 3,130 distinct verses where H1961 appears, across 39 books. Click any verse to open its interlinear word-by-word view. Verse text shown in the World English Bible for context — . Each verse’s Hebrew form is shown with its reference; the English is not keyword-highlighted, since the data carries no word-level English alignment. Use “Compare translations” on any verse to read it across multiple English versions. This concordance covers the Hebrew Bible; Septuagint (Greek Old Testament) occurrences are not indexed here.
Exodus 200 verses
- Exodus 25:20 וְ/הָי֣וּ יִהְי֖וּ conj + Qal wpf 3cp Qal impf 3mp The cherubim shall spread out their wings upward, covering the mercy seat with their wings, with their faces toward one another. The faces of the cherubim shall be toward the mercy seat.
- Exodus 25:27 תִּהְיֶ֖יןָ Qal impf 3fp the rings shall be close to the rim, for places for the poles to carry the table.
- Exodus 25:31 יִהְיֽוּ Qal impf 3mp "You shall make a lampstand of pure gold. Of hammered work shall the lampstand be made, even its base, its shaft, its cups, its buds, and its flowers, shall be of one piece with it.
- Exodus 25:36 יִהְי֑וּ Qal impf 3mp Their buds and their branches shall be of one piece with it, the whole of it one beaten work of pure gold.
- Exodus 26:3 תִּֽהְיֶ֨יןָ֙ Qal impf 3fp Five curtains shall be coupled together one to another; and the other five curtains shall be coupled one to another.
- Exodus 26:6 וְ/הָיָ֥ה conj + Qal wpf 3ms You shall make fifty clasps of gold, and couple the curtains one to another with the clasps: and the tent shall be a unit.
- Exodus 26:11 וְ/הָיָ֥ה conj + Qal wpf 3ms You shall make fifty clasps of brass, and put the clasps into the loops, and couple the tent together, that it may be one.
- Exodus 26:13 יִהְיֶ֨ה Qal impf 3ms The cubit on the one side, and the cubit on the other side, of that which remains in the length of the curtains of the tent, shall hang over the sides of the tent on this side and on that side, to cover it.
- Exodus 26:24 וְ/יִֽהְי֣וּ יִהְי֤וּ יִהְיֶ֣ה יִהְיֽוּ conj + Qal impf 3mp Qal impf 3mp Qal impf 3ms Qal impf 3mp They shall be double beneath, and in like manner they shall be entire to the top of it to one ring: thus shall it be for them both; they shall be for the two corners.
- Exodus 26:25 וְ/הָיוּ֙ conj + Qal wpf 3cp There shall be eight boards, and their sockets of silver, sixteen sockets; two sockets under one board, and two sockets under another board.
- Exodus 27:1 יִהְיֶה֙ Qal impf 3ms "You shall make the altar of acacia wood, five cubits long, and five cubits broad; the altar shall be foursquare: and its height shall be three cubits.
- Exodus 27:2 תִּהְיֶ֣יןָ Qal impf 3fp You shall make its horns on its four corners; its horns shall be of one piece with it; and you shall overlay it with brass.
- Exodus 27:5 וְ/הָיְתָ֣ה conj + Qal wpf 3fs You shall put it under the ledge around the altar beneath, that the net may reach halfway up the altar.
- Exodus 27:7 וְ/הָי֣וּ conj + Qal wpf 3cp Its poles shall be put into the rings, and the poles shall be on the two sides of the altar, when carrying it.
- Exodus 28:7 יִֽהְיֶה Qal impf 3ms It shall have two shoulder-pieces joined to the two ends of it, that it may be joined together.
- Exodus 28:8 יִהְיֶ֑ה Qal impf 3ms The skillfully woven band, which is on it, that is on him, shall be like its work and of the same piece; of gold, of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen.
- Exodus 28:16 יִֽהְיֶ֖ה Qal impf 3ms It shall be square and folded double; a span shall be its length of it, and a span its breadth.
- Exodus 28:20 יִהְי֖וּ Qal impf 3mp and the fourth row a chrysolite, an onyx, and a jasper: they shall be enclosed in gold in their settings.
- Exodus 28:21 תִּֽהְיֶ֜יןָ תִּֽהְיֶ֕יןָ Qal impf 3fp Qal impf 3fp The stones shall be according to the names of the children of Israel, twelve, according to their names; like the engravings of a signet, everyone according to his name, they shall be for the twelve tribes.
- Exodus 28:28 לִֽ/הְי֖וֹת prep + Qal inf.cs They shall bind the breastplate by the rings of it to the rings of the ephod with a lace of blue, that it may be on the skillfully woven band of the ephod, and that the breastplate may not swing out from the ephod.
- Exodus 28:30 וְ/הָיוּ֙ conj + Qal wpf 3cp You shall put in the breastplate of judgment the Urim and the Thummim; and they shall be on Aaron's heart, when he goes in before Yahweh: and Aaron shall bear the judgment of the children of Israel on his heart before Yahweh continually.
- Exodus 28:32 וְ/הָיָ֥ה יִֽהְיֶה֩ יִֽהְיֶה conj + Qal wpf 3ms Qal impf 3ms Qal impf 3ms It shall have a hole for the head in the midst of it: it shall have a binding of woven work round about the hole of it, as it were the hole of a coat of mail, that it not be torn.
- Exodus 28:35 וְ/הָיָ֥ה conj + Qal wpf 3ms It shall be on Aaron to minister: and the sound of it shall be heard when he goes in to the holy place before Yahweh, and when he comes out, that he not die.
- Exodus 28:37 וְ/הָיָ֖ה יִהְיֶֽה conj + Qal wpf 3ms Qal impf 3ms You shall put it on a lace of blue, and it shall be on the sash; on the front of the sash it shall be.
- Exodus 28:38 וְ/הָיָה֮ וְ/הָיָ֤ה conj + Qal wpf 3ms conj + Qal wpf 3ms It shall be on Aaron's forehead, and Aaron shall bear the iniquity of the holy things, which the children of Israel shall make holy in all their holy gifts; and it shall be always on his forehead, that they may be accepted before Yahweh.
- Exodus 28:42 יִהְיֽוּ Qal impf 3mp You shall make them linen breeches to cover the flesh of their nakedness; from the loins even to the thighs they shall reach:
- Exodus 28:43 וְ/הָיוּ֩ conj + Qal wpf 3cp They shall be on Aaron, and on his sons, when they go in to the tent of meeting, or when they come near to the altar to minister in the holy place; that they don't bear iniquity, and die: it shall be a statute forever to him and to his descendants after him.
- Exodus 29:9 וְ/הָיְתָ֥ה conj + Qal wpf 3fs You shall dress them with belts, Aaron and his sons, and bind headbands on them: and they shall have the priesthood by a perpetual statute: and you shall consecrate Aaron and his sons.
- Exodus 29:26 וְ/הָיָ֥ה conj + Qal wpf 3ms "You shall take the breast of Aaron's ram of consecration, and wave it for a wave-offering before Yahweh: and it shall be your portion.
- Exodus 29:28 וְ/הָיָה֩ יִהְיֶ֨ה conj + Qal wpf 3ms Qal impf 3ms and it shall be for Aaron and his sons as their portion forever from the children of Israel; for it is a heave-offering: and it shall be a heave-offering from the children of Israel of the sacrifices of their peace-offerings, even their heave-offering to Yahweh.
- Exodus 29:29 יִהְי֥וּ Qal impf 3mp "The holy garments of Aaron shall be for his sons after him, to be anointed in them, and to be consecrated in them.
- Exodus 29:37 וְ/הָיָ֤ה conj + Qal wpf 3ms Seven days you shall make atonement for the altar, and sanctify it: and the altar shall be most holy; whatever touches the altar shall be holy.
- Exodus 29:45 וְ/הָיִ֥יתִי conj + Qal wpf 1cs I will dwell among the children of Israel, and will be their God.
- Exodus 30:2 יִהְיֶ֔ה Qal impf 3ms Its length shall be a cubit, and its breadth a cubit. It shall be square, and its height shall be two cubits. Its horns shall be of one piece with it.
- Exodus 30:4 וְ/הָיָה֙ conj + Qal wpf 3ms You shall make two golden rings for it under its molding; on its two ribs, on its two sides you shall make them; and they shall be for places for poles with which to bear it.
- Exodus 30:12 יִהְיֶ֥ה Qal impf 3ms "When you take a census of the children of Israel, according to those who are numbered among them, then each man shall give a ransom for his soul to Yahweh, when you number them; that there be no plague among them when you number them.
- Exodus 30:16 וְ/הָיָה֩ conj + Qal wpf 3ms You shall take the atonement money from the children of Israel, and shall appoint it for the service of the tent of meeting; that it may be a memorial for the children of Israel before Yahweh, to make atonement for your souls."
- Exodus 30:21 וְ/הָיְתָ֨ה conj + Qal wpf 3fs So they shall wash their hands and their feet, that they not die: and it shall be a statute forever to them, even to him and to his descendants throughout their generations."
- Exodus 30:25 יִהְיֶֽה Qal impf 3ms You shall make it a holy anointing oil, a perfume compounded after the art of the perfumer: it shall be a holy anointing oil.
- Exodus 30:29 וְ/הָי֖וּ conj + Qal wpf 3cp You shall sanctify them, that they may be most holy. Whatever touches them shall be holy.
- Exodus 30:31 יִהְיֶ֥ה Qal impf 3ms You shall speak to the children of Israel, saying, 'This shall be a holy anointing oil to me throughout your generations.
- Exodus 30:32 יִהְיֶ֥ה Qal impf 3ms It shall not be poured on man's flesh, neither shall you make any like it, according to its composition: it is holy. It shall be holy to you.
- Exodus 30:34 יִהְיֶֽה Qal impf 3ms Yahweh said to Moses, "Take to yourself sweet spices, gum resin, and onycha, and galbanum; sweet spices with pure frankincense: of each shall there be an equal weight;
- Exodus 30:36 תִּהְיֶ֥ה Qal impf 3fs and you shall beat some of it very small, and put some of it before the testimony in the tent of meeting, where I will meet with you. It shall be to you most holy.
- Exodus 30:37 תִּהְיֶ֥ה Qal impf 3fs The incense which you shall make, according to its composition you shall not make for yourselves: it shall be to you holy for Yahweh.
- Exodus 32:1 הָ֥יָה Qal pf 3ms When the people saw that Moses delayed to come down from the mountain, the people gathered themselves together to Aaron, and said to him, "Come, make us gods, which shall go before us; for as for this Moses, the man who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we don't know what has become of him."
- Exodus 32:19 וַֽ/יְהִ֗י conj + Qal wimpf 3ms It happened, as soon as he came near to the camp, that he saw the calf and the dancing: and Moses' anger grew hot, and he threw the tablets out of his hands, and broke them beneath the mountain.
- Exodus 32:23 הָ֥יָה Qal pf 3ms For they said to me, 'Make us gods, which shall go before us; for as for this Moses, the man who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we don't know what has become of him.'
- Exodus 32:30 וַ/יְהִי֙ conj + Qal wimpf 3ms It happened on the next day, that Moses said to the people, "You have sinned a great sin. Now I will go up to Yahweh. Perhaps I shall make atonement for your sin."
- Exodus 33:7 וְ/הָיָה֙ conj + Qal wpf 3ms Now Moses used to take the tent and to pitch it outside the camp, far away from the camp, and he called it "The tent of meeting." It happened that everyone who sought Yahweh went out to the tent of meeting, which was outside the camp.
- Exodus 33:8 וְ/הָיָ֗ה conj + Qal wpf 3ms It happened that when Moses went out to the Tent, that all the people rose up, and stood, everyone at their tent door, and watched Moses, until he had gone into the Tent.
- Exodus 33:9 וְ/הָיָ֗ה conj + Qal wpf 3ms It happened, when Moses entered into the Tent, that the pillar of cloud descended, stood at the door of the Tent, and spoke with Moses.
- Exodus 33:22 וְ/הָיָה֙ conj + Qal wpf 3ms It will happen, while my glory passes by, that I will put you in a cleft of the rock, and will cover you with my hand until I have passed by;
- Exodus 34:1 הָי֛וּ Qal pf 3cp Yahweh said to Moses, "Chisel two stone tablets like the first: and I will write on the tablets the words that were on the first tablets, which you broke.
- Exodus 34:2 וֶ/הְיֵ֥ה conj + Qal impv 2ms Be ready by the morning, and come up in the morning to Mount Sinai, and present yourself there to me on the top of the mountain.
- Exodus 34:12 יִהְיֶ֥ה Qal impf 3ms Be careful, lest you make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land where you are going, lest it be for a snare in the midst of you:
- Exodus 34:28 וַֽ/יְהִי conj + Qal wimpf 3ms He was there with Yahweh forty days and forty nights; he neither ate bread, nor drank water. He wrote on the tablets the words of the covenant, the ten commandments.
- Exodus 34:29 וַ/יְהִ֗י conj + Qal wimpf 3ms It happened, when Moses came down from Mount Sinai with the two tablets of the testimony in Moses' hand, when he came down from the mountain, that Moses didn't know that the skin of his face shone by reason of his speaking with him.
- Exodus 35:2 יִהְיֶ֨ה Qal impf 3ms 'Six days shall work be done, but on the seventh day there shall be a holy day for you, a Sabbath of solemn rest to Yahweh: whoever does any work in it shall be put to death.
- Exodus 36:7 הָיְתָ֥ה Qal pf 3fs For the stuff they had was sufficient for all the work to make it, and too much.
- Exodus 36:13 וַֽ/יְהִ֥י conj + Qal wimpf 3ms He made fifty clasps of gold, and coupled the curtains one to another with the clasps: so the tent was a unit.
- Exodus 36:18 לִֽ/הְיֹ֥ת prep + Qal inf.cs He made fifty clasps of brass to couple the tent together, that it might be a unit.
- Exodus 36:29 וְ/הָי֣וּ יִהְי֤וּ conj + Qal pf 3cp Qal impf 3mp They were double beneath, and in like manner they were all the way to the top of it to one ring. He did thus to both of them in the two corners.
- Exodus 36:30 וְ/הָיוּ֙ conj + Qal pf 3cp There were eight boards, and their sockets of silver, sixteen sockets; under every board two sockets.
- Exodus 37:9 וַ/יִּהְי֣וּ הָי֖וּ conj + Qal wimpf 3mp Qal pf 3cp The cherubim spread out their wings on high, covering the mercy seat with their wings, with their faces toward one another. The faces of the cherubim were toward the mercy seat.
- Exodus 37:14 הָי֖וּ Qal pf 3cp The rings were close by the border, the places for the poles to carry the table.
- Exodus 37:17 הָיֽוּ Qal pf 3cp He made the lampstand of pure gold. He made the lampstand of beaten work. Its base, its shaft, its cups, its buds, and its flowers were of one piece with it.
- Exodus 37:22 הָי֑וּ Qal pf 3cp Their buds and their branches were of one piece with it. The whole thing was one beaten work of pure gold.
- Exodus 37:25 הָי֥וּ Qal pf 3cp He made the altar of incense of acacia wood. It was square: its length was a cubit, and its breadth a cubit. Its height was two cubits. Its horns were of one piece with it.
- Exodus 38:2 הָי֣וּ Qal pf 3cp He made its horns on its four corners. Its horns were of one piece with it, and he overlaid it with brass.
- Exodus 38:24 וַ/יְהִ֣י conj + Qal wimpf 3ms All the gold that was used for the work in all the work of the sanctuary, even the gold of the offering, was twenty-nine talents, and seven hundred thirty shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary.
- Exodus 38:27 וַ/יְהִ֗י conj + Qal wimpf 3ms The one hundred talents of silver were for casting the sockets of the sanctuary, and the sockets of the veil; one hundred sockets for the one hundred talents, a talent for a socket.
- Exodus 39:9 הָיָ֛ה Qal pf 3ms It was square. They made the breastplate double. Its length was a span, and its breadth a span, being double.
- Exodus 39:21 לִֽ/הְיֹת֙ prep + Qal inf.cs They bound the breastplate by its rings to the rings of the ephod with a lace of blue, that it might be on the skillfully woven band of the ephod, and that the breastplate might not come loose from the ephod, as Yahweh commanded Moses.
- Exodus 40:9 וְ/הָ֥יָה conj + Qal wpf 3ms You shall take the anointing oil, and anoint the tent, and all that is in it, and shall make it holy, and all its furniture: and it will be holy.
- Exodus 40:10 וְ/הָיָ֥ה conj + Qal wpf 3ms You shall anoint the altar of burnt offering, with all its vessels, and sanctify the altar: and the altar will be most holy.
- Exodus 40:15 וְ֠/הָיְתָה לִ/הְיֹ֨ת conj + Qal wpf 3fs prep + Qal inf.cs You shall anoint them, as you anointed their father, that they may minister to me in the priest's office. Their anointing shall be to them for an everlasting priesthood throughout their generations.
- Exodus 40:17 וַ/יְהִ֞י conj + Qal wimpf 3ms It happened in the first month in the second year, on the first day of the month, that the tent was raised up.
- Exodus 40:38 תִּהְיֶ֥ה Qal impf 3fs For the cloud of Yahweh was on the tent by day, and there was fire in the cloud by night, in the sight of all the house of Israel, throughout all their journeys.
Leviticus 126 verses
- Leviticus 2:1 יִהְיֶ֣ה Qal impf 3ms "'When anyone offers an offering of a meal offering to Yahweh, his offering shall be of fine flour; and he shall pour oil on it, and put frankincense on it.
- Leviticus 2:5 תִהְיֶֽה Qal impf 3fs If your offering is a meal offering of the baking pan, it shall be of unleavened fine flour, mixed with oil.
- Leviticus 5:5 וְ/הָיָ֥ה conj + Qal wpf 3ms It shall be, when he is guilty of one of these, he shall confess that in which he has sinned:
- Leviticus 5:13 וְ/הָיְתָ֥ה conj + Qal wpf 3fs The priest shall make atonement for him concerning his sin that he has sinned in any of these things, and he will be forgiven; and the rest shall be the priest's, as the meal offering.'"
- Leviticus 6:4 וְ/הָיָה֮ conj + Qal wpf 3ms then it shall be, if he has sinned, and is guilty, he shall restore that which he took by robbery, or the thing which he has gotten by oppression, or the deposit which was committed to him, or the lost thing which he found,
- Leviticus 6:23 תִּהְיֶ֖ה Qal impf 3fs Every meal offering of a priest shall be wholly burned. It shall not be eaten."
- Leviticus 7:7 יִהְיֶֽה Qal impf 3ms "'As is the sin offering, so is the trespass offering; there is one law for them. The priest who makes atonement with them shall have it.
- Leviticus 7:8 יִהְיֶֽה Qal impf 3ms The priest who offers any man's burnt offering, even the priest shall have for himself the skin of the burnt offering which he has offered.
- Leviticus 7:9 תִֽהְיֶֽה Qal impf 3fs Every meal offering that is baked in the oven, and all that is dressed in the frying pan, and on the baking pan, shall be the priest's who offers it.
- Leviticus 7:10 תִּהְיֶ֖ה Qal impf 3fs Every meal offering, mixed with oil or dry, belongs to all the sons of Aaron, one as well as another.
- Leviticus 7:14 יִהְיֶֽה Qal impf 3ms Of it he shall offer one out of each offering for a heave offering to Yahweh. It shall be the priest's who sprinkles the blood of the peace offerings.
- Leviticus 7:18 יִהְיֶ֑ה Qal impf 3ms If any of the flesh of the sacrifice of his peace offerings is eaten on the third day, it will not be accepted, neither shall it be imputed to him who offers it. It will be an abomination, and the soul who eats any of it will bear his iniquity.
- Leviticus 7:31 וְ/הָיָה֙ conj + Qal wpf 3ms The priest shall burn the fat on the altar, but the breast shall be Aaron's and his sons'.
- Leviticus 7:33 תִהְיֶ֛ה Qal impf 3fs He among the sons of Aaron who offers the blood of the peace offerings, and the fat, shall have the right thigh for a portion.
- Leviticus 8:29 הָיָה֙ Qal pf 3ms Moses took the breast, and waved it for a wave offering before Yahweh. It was Moses' portion of the ram of consecration, as Yahweh commanded Moses.
- Leviticus 9:1 וַ/יְהִי֙ conj + Qal wimpf 3ms It happened on the eighth day, that Moses called Aaron and his sons, and the elders of Israel;
- Leviticus 10:15 וְ/הָיָ֨ה conj + Qal wpf 3ms The heaved thigh and the waved breast they shall bring with the offerings made by fire of the fat, to wave it for a wave offering before Yahweh: and it shall be yours, and your sons' with you, as a portion forever; as Yahweh has commanded."
- Leviticus 11:11 יִהְי֣וּ Qal impf 3mp and you detest them. You shall not eat of their flesh, and you shall detest their carcasses.
- Leviticus 11:35 יִהְי֥וּ Qal impf 3mp Everything whereupon part of their carcass falls shall be unclean; whether oven, or range for pots, it shall be broken in pieces: they are unclean, and shall be unclean to you.
- Leviticus 11:36 יִהְיֶ֣ה Qal impf 3ms Nevertheless a spring or a cistern in which water is a gathered shall be clean: but that which touches their carcass shall be unclean.
- Leviticus 11:44 וִ/הְיִיתֶ֣ם conj + Qal wpf 2mp For I am Yahweh your God. Sanctify yourselves therefore, and be holy; for I am holy: neither shall you defile yourselves with any kind of creeping thing that moves on the earth.
- Leviticus 11:45 לִ/הְיֹ֥ת וִ/הְיִיתֶ֣ם prep + Qal inf.cs conj + Qal wpf 2cp For I am Yahweh who brought you up out of the land of Egypt, to be your God. You shall therefore be holy, for I am holy.
- Leviticus 13:2 יִהְיֶ֤ה וְ/הָיָ֥ה Qal impf 3ms conj + Qal wpf 3ms "When a man shall have a rising in his body's skin, or a scab, or a bright spot, and it becomes in the skin of his body the plague of leprosy, then he shall be brought to Aaron the priest, or to one of his sons the priests:
- Leviticus 13:9 תִהְיֶ֖ה Qal impf 3fs "When the plague of leprosy is in a man, then he shall be brought to the priest;
- Leviticus 13:18 יִהְיֶ֥ה Qal impf 3ms "When the body has a boil on its skin, and it has healed,
- Leviticus 13:19 וְ/הָיָ֞ה conj + Qal wpf 3ms and in the place of the boil there is a white rising, or a bright spot, reddish-white, then it shall be shown to the priest;
- Leviticus 13:24 יִהְיֶ֥ה וְֽ/הָיְתָ֞ה Qal impf 3ms conj + Qal pf 3fs "Or when the body has a burn from fire on its skin, and the raw flesh of the burn becomes a bright spot, reddish-white, or white,
- Leviticus 13:29 יִהְיֶ֥ה Qal impf 3ms "When a man or woman has a plague on the head or on the beard,
- Leviticus 13:32 הָ֥יָה Qal pf 3ms On the seventh day the priest shall examine the plague; and, behold, if the itch hasn't spread, and there is no yellow hair in it, and the appearance of the itch isn't deeper than the skin,
- Leviticus 13:38 יִהְיֶ֥ה Qal impf 3ms "When a man or a woman has bright spots in the skin of the body, even white bright spots;
- Leviticus 13:42 יִהְיֶ֤ה Qal impf 3ms But if there is in the bald head, or the bald forehead, a reddish-white plague; it is leprosy breaking out in his bald head, or his bald forehead.
- Leviticus 13:45 יִהְי֤וּ יִהְיֶ֣ה Qal impf 3mp Qal impf 3ms "The leper in whom the plague is shall wear torn clothes, and the hair of his head shall hang loose. He shall cover his upper lip, and shall cry, 'Unclean! Unclean!'
- Leviticus 13:47 יִהְיֶ֥ה Qal impf 3ms "The garment also that the plague of leprosy is in, whether it is a woolen garment, or a linen garment;
- Leviticus 13:49 וְ/הָיָ֨ה conj + Qal wpf 3ms if the plague is greenish or reddish in the garment, or in the skin, or in the warp, or in the woof, or in anything made of skin; it is the plague of leprosy, and shall be shown to the priest.
- Leviticus 13:52 יִהְיֶ֥ה Qal impf 3ms He shall burn the garment, whether the warp or the woof, in wool or in linen, or anything of skin, in which the plague is: for it is a destructive mildew. It shall be burned in the fire.
- Leviticus 14:2 תִּֽהְיֶה֙ Qal impf 3fs "This shall be the law of the leper in the day of his cleansing. He shall be brought to the priest,
- Leviticus 14:9 וְ/הָיָה֩ conj + Qal wpf 3ms It shall be on the seventh day, that he shall shave all his hair off his head and his beard and his eyebrows, even all his hair he shall shave off. He shall wash his clothes, and he shall bathe his body in water, then he shall be clean.
- Leviticus 14:22 וְ/הָיָ֤ה conj + Qal wpf 3ms and two turtledoves, or two young pigeons, such as he is able to afford; and the one shall be a sin offering, and the other a burnt offering.
- Leviticus 15:2 יִהְיֶה֙ Qal impf 3ms "Speak to the children of Israel, and tell them, 'When any man has a discharge from his body, because of his discharge he is unclean.
- Leviticus 15:3 תִּהְיֶ֥ה Qal impf 3fs This shall be his uncleanness in his discharge: whether his body runs with his discharge, or his body has stopped from his discharge, it is his uncleanness.
- Leviticus 15:10 יִהְיֶ֣ה Qal impf 3ms Whoever touches anything that was under him shall be unclean until the evening. He who carries those things shall wash his clothes, and bathe himself in water, and be unclean until the evening.
- Leviticus 15:17 יִהְיֶ֥ה Qal impf 3ms Every garment, and every skin, whereon the semen is, shall be washed with water, and be unclean until the evening.
- Leviticus 15:19 תִהְיֶ֣ה יִהְיֶ֥ה תִּהְיֶ֣ה Qal impf 3fs Qal impf 3ms Qal impf 3fs "'If a woman has a discharge, and her discharge in her flesh is blood, she shall be in her impurity seven days: and whoever touches her shall be unclean until the evening.
- Leviticus 15:24 וּ/תְהִ֤י conj + Qal juss 3fs "'If any man lies with her, and her monthly flow is on him, he shall be unclean seven days; and every bed whereon he lies shall be unclean.
- Leviticus 15:25 תִּהְיֶ֖ה Qal impf 3fs "'If a woman has a discharge of her blood many days not in the time of her period, or if she has a discharge beyond the time of her period; all the days of the discharge of her uncleanness shall be as in the days of her period: she is unclean.
- Leviticus 15:26 יִֽהְיֶה יִהְיֶ֔ה Qal impf 3ms Qal impf 3ms Every bed whereon she lies all the days of her discharge shall be to her as the bed of her period: and everything whereon she sits shall be unclean, as the uncleanness of her period.
- Leviticus 16:4 יִהְי֣וּ Qal impf 3mp He shall put on the holy linen coat, and he shall have the linen breeches on his body, and shall put on the linen sash, and he shall be dressed with the linen turban. They are the holy garments. He shall bathe his body in water, and put them on.
- Leviticus 16:17 יִהְיֶ֣ה Qal impf 3ms There shall be no one in the Tent of Meeting when he enters to make atonement in the Holy Place, until he comes out, and has made atonement for himself and for his household, and for all the assembly of Israel.
- Leviticus 16:29 וְ/הָיְתָ֥ה conj + Qal wpf 3fs "It shall be a statute to you forever: in the seventh month, on the tenth day of the month, you shall afflict your souls, and shall do no manner of work, the native-born, or the stranger who lives as a foreigner among you:
- Leviticus 16:34 וְ/הָֽיְתָה conj + Qal wpf 3fs "This shall be an everlasting statute for you, to make atonement for the children of Israel once in the year because of all their sins." It was done as Yahweh commanded Moses.
- Leviticus 17:7 תִּֽהְיֶה Qal impf 3fs They shall no more sacrifice their sacrifices to the goat idols, after which they play the prostitute. This shall be a statute forever to them throughout their generations.'
- Leviticus 19:2 תִּהְי֑וּ Qal impf 2mp "Speak to all the congregation of the children of Israel, and tell them, 'You shall be holy; for I Yahweh your God am holy.
- Leviticus 19:20 תִּהְיֶ֛ה Qal impf 3fs "'If a man lies carnally with a woman who is a slave girl, pledged to be married to another man, and not ransomed, or given her freedom; they shall be punished. They shall not be put to death, because she was not free.
- Leviticus 19:23 יִהְיֶ֥ה Qal impf 3ms "'When you come into the land, and have planted all kinds of trees for food, then you shall count their fruit as forbidden. Three years shall they be forbidden to you. It shall not be eaten.
- Leviticus 19:24 יִהְיֶ֖ה Qal impf 3ms But in the fourth year all its fruit shall be holy, for giving praise to Yahweh.
- Leviticus 19:34 יִהְיֶ֨ה הֱיִיתֶ֖ם Qal impf 3ms Qal pf 2mp The stranger who lives as a foreigner with you shall be to you as the native-born among you, and you shall love him as yourself; for you lived as foreigners in the land of Egypt. I am Yahweh your God.
- Leviticus 19:36 יִהְיֶ֣ה Qal impf 3ms Just balances, just weights, a just ephah, and a just hin, shall you have. I am Yahweh your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt.
- Leviticus 20:7 וִ/הְיִיתֶ֖ם conj + Qal wpf 2mp "'Sanctify yourselves therefore, and be holy; for I am Yahweh your God.
- Leviticus 20:14 תִהְיֶ֥ה Qal impf 3fs "'If a man takes a wife and her mother, it is wickedness: they shall be burned with fire, both he and they; that there may be no wickedness among you.
- Leviticus 20:21 יִהְיֽוּ Qal impf 3mp "'If a man takes his brother's wife, it is an impurity: he has uncovered his brother's nakedness; they shall be childless.
- Leviticus 20:26 וִ/הְיִ֤יתֶם לִ/הְי֥וֹת conj + Qal wpf 2mp prep + Qal inf.cs You shall be holy to me: for I, Yahweh, am holy, and have set you apart from the peoples, that you should be mine.
- Leviticus 20:27 יִהְיֶ֨ה Qal impf 3ms "'A man or a woman that is a medium, or is a wizard, shall surely be put to death: they shall stone them with stones; their blood shall be upon them.'"
- Leviticus 21:3 הָיְתָ֖ה Qal pf 3fs and for his virgin sister who is near to him, who has had no husband; for her he may defile himself.
- Leviticus 21:6 יִהְיוּ֙ וְ/הָ֥יוּ Qal impf 3mp conj + Qal wpf 3cp They shall be holy to their God, and not profane the name of their God; for they offer the offerings of Yahweh made by fire, the bread of their God; therefore they shall be holy.
- Leviticus 21:8 יִֽהְיֶה Qal impf 3ms You shall sanctify him therefore; for he offers the bread of your God: he shall be holy to you: for I Yahweh, who sanctify you, am holy.
- Leviticus 21:17 יִהְיֶ֥ה Qal impf 3ms "Say to Aaron, 'None of your seed throughout their generations who has a blemish, may approach to offer the bread of his God.
- Leviticus 21:19 יִהְיֶ֥ה Qal impf 3ms or a man who has an injured foot, or an injured hand,
- Leviticus 22:12 תִהְיֶ֖ה Qal impf 3fs If a priest's daughter is married to an outsider, she shall not eat of the heave offering of the holy things.
- Leviticus 22:13 תִהְיֶ֜ה Qal impf 3fs But if a priest's daughter is a widow, or divorced, and has no child, and has returned to her father's house, as in her youth, she may eat of her father's bread: but no stranger shall eat any of it.
- Leviticus 22:20 יִהְיֶ֥ה Qal impf 3ms But whatever has a blemish, that you shall not offer: for it shall not be acceptable for you.
- Leviticus 22:21 יִֽהְיֶה֙ יִהְיֶה Qal impf 3ms Qal impf 3ms Whoever offers a sacrifice of peace offerings to Yahweh to accomplish a vow, or for a freewill offering, of the herd or of the flock, it shall be perfect to be accepted; there shall be no blemish therein.
- Leviticus 22:27 וְ/הָיָ֛ה conj + Qal wpf 3ms "When a bull, or a sheep, or a goat, is born, then it shall remain seven days with its mother; and from the eighth day and thenceforth it shall be accepted for the offering of an offering made by fire to Yahweh.
- Leviticus 22:33 לִ/הְי֥וֹת prep + Qal inf.cs who brought you out of the land of Egypt, to be your God. I am Yahweh."
- Leviticus 23:7 יִהְיֶ֣ה Qal impf 3ms In the first day you shall have a holy convocation. You shall do no regular work.
- Leviticus 23:15 תִּהְיֶֽינָה Qal impf 3fp "'You shall count from the next day after the Sabbath, from the day that you brought the sheaf of the wave offering; seven Sabbaths shall be completed:
- Leviticus 23:17 תִּהְיֶ֔ינָה Qal impf 3fp You shall bring out of your habitations two wave-loaves of two tenth parts of an ephah: they shall be of fine flour, they shall be baked with yeast, for first fruits to Yahweh.
- Leviticus 23:18 יִהְי֤וּ Qal impf 3mp You shall present with the bread seven lambs without blemish a year old, one young bull, and two rams. Yhey shall be a burnt offering to Yahweh, with their meal offering, and their drink offerings, even an offering made by fire, of a sweet aroma to Yahweh.
- Leviticus 23:20 יִהְי֥וּ Qal impf 3mp The priest shall wave them with the bread of the first fruits for a wave offering before Yahweh, with the two lambs. They shall be holy to Yahweh for the priest.
- Leviticus 23:21 יִהְיֶ֣ה Qal impf 3ms You shall make proclamation on the same day: there shall be a holy convocation to you; you shall do no regular work. This is a statute forever in all your dwellings throughout your generations.
- Leviticus 23:24 יִהְיֶ֤ה Qal impf 3ms "Speak to the children of Israel, saying, 'In the seventh month, on the first day of the month, shall be a solemn rest to you, a memorial of blowing of trumpets, a holy convocation.
- Leviticus 23:27 יִהְיֶ֣ה Qal impf 3ms "However on the tenth day of this seventh month is the day of atonement: it shall be a holy convocation to you, and you shall afflict yourselves; and you shall offer an offering made by fire to Yahweh.
- Leviticus 23:36 יִהְיֶ֨ה Qal impf 3ms Seven days you shall offer an offering made by fire to Yahweh. On the eighth day shall be a holy convocation to you; and you shall offer an offering made by fire to Yahweh. It is a solemn assembly; you shall do no regular work.
- Leviticus 24:5 יִהְיֶ֖ה Qal impf 3ms "You shall take fine flour, and bake twelve cakes of it: two tenth parts of an ephah shall be in one cake.
- Leviticus 24:7 וְ/הָיְתָ֤ה conj + Qal wpf 3fs You shall put pure frankincense on each row, that it may be to the bread for a memorial, even an offering made by fire to Yahweh.
- Leviticus 24:9 וְ/הָֽיְתָה֙ conj + Qal wpf 3fs It shall be for Aaron and his sons; and they shall eat it in a holy place: for it is most holy to him of the offerings of Yahweh made by fire by a perpetual statute."
- Leviticus 24:22 יִהְיֶ֣ה יִהְיֶ֑ה Qal impf 3ms Qal impf 3ms You shall have one kind of law, for the foreigner as well as the native-born: for I am Yahweh your God.'"
- Leviticus 25:4 יִהְיֶ֣ה Qal impf 3ms but in the seventh year there shall be a Sabbath of solemn rest for the land, a Sabbath to Yahweh. You shall not sow your field or prune your vineyard.
- Leviticus 25:5 יִהְיֶ֥ה Qal impf 3ms What grows of itself in your harvest you shall not reap, and the grapes of your undressed vine you shall not gather. It shall be a year of solemn rest for the land.
- Leviticus 25:6 וְ֠/הָיְתָה conj + Qal wpf 3fs The Sabbath of the land shall be for food for you; for yourself, for your servant, for your maid, for your hired servant, and for your stranger, who lives as a foreigner with you.
- Leviticus 25:7 תִּהְיֶ֥ה Qal impf 3fs For your cattle also, and for the animals that are in your land, shall all the increase of it be for food.
- Leviticus 25:8 וְ/הָי֣וּ conj + Qal wpf 3cp "'You shall count off seven Sabbaths of years, seven times seven years; and there shall be to you the days of seven Sabbaths of years, even forty-nine years.
- Leviticus 25:10 תִּהְיֶ֣ה Qal impf 3fs You shall make the fiftieth year holy, and proclaim liberty throughout the land to all its inhabitants. It shall be a jubilee to you; and each of you shall return to his own property, and each of you shall return to his family.
- Leviticus 25:11 תִּהְיֶ֣ה Qal impf 3fs That fiftieth year shall be a jubilee to you. In it you shall not sow, neither reap that which grows of itself, nor gather from the undressed vines.
- Leviticus 25:12 תִּהְיֶ֣ה Qal impf 3fs For it is a jubilee; it shall be holy to you. You shall eat of its increase out of the field.
- Leviticus 25:26 יִֽהְיֶה Qal impf 3ms If a man has no one to redeem it, and he becomes prosperous and finds sufficient means to redeem it;
- Leviticus 25:28 וְ/הָיָ֣ה conj + Qal wpf 3ms But if he isn't able to get it back for himself, then what he has sold shall remain in the hand of him who has bought it until the Year of Jubilee: and in the Jubilee it shall be released, and he shall return to his propery.
- Leviticus 25:29 וְ/הָיְתָה֙ תִּהְיֶ֥ה conj + Qal pf 3fs Qal impf 3fs "'If a man sells a dwelling house in a walled city, then he may redeem it within a whole year after it has been sold. For a full year he shall have the right of redemption.
- Leviticus 25:31 תִּהְיֶה Qal impf 3fs But the houses of the villages which have no wall round about them shall be reckoned with the fields of the country: they may be redeemed, and they shall be released in the Jubilee.
- Leviticus 25:32 תִּהְיֶ֥ה Qal impf 3fs "'Nevertheless the cities of the Levites, the houses in the cities of their possession, the Levites may redeem at any time.
- Leviticus 25:38 לִ/הְי֥וֹת prep + Qal inf.cs I am Yahweh your God, who brought you forth out of the land of Egypt, to give you the land of Canaan, and to be your God.
- Leviticus 25:40 יִהְיֶ֣ה Qal impf 3ms As a hired servant, and as a sojourner, he shall be with you; he shall serve with you until the Year of Jubilee:
- Leviticus 25:44 יִהְיוּ Qal impf 3mp "'As for your male and your female slaves, whom you may have; of the nations that are around you, from them you may buy male and female slaves.
- Leviticus 25:45 וְ/הָי֥וּ conj + Qal wpf 3cp Moreover of the children of the strangers who sojourn among you, of them you may buy, and of their families who are with you, which they have conceived in your land; and they will be your property.
- Leviticus 25:48 תִּהְיֶה Qal impf 3fs after he is sold he may be redeemed. One of his brothers may redeem him;
- Leviticus 25:50 וְ/הָיָ֞ה יִהְיֶ֥ה conj + Qal wpf 3ms Qal impf 3ms He shall reckon with him who bought him from the year that he sold himself to him to the Year of Jubilee: and the price of his sale shall be according to the number of years; according to the time of a hired servant shall he be with him.
- Leviticus 25:53 יִהְיֶ֣ה Qal impf 3ms As a servant hired year by year shall he be with him: he shall not rule with harshness over him in your sight.
- Leviticus 26:12 וְ/הָיִ֥יתִי תִּהְיוּ conj + Qal wpf 1cs Qal impf 2mp I will walk among you, and will be your God, and you will be my people.
- Leviticus 26:13 מִֽ/הְיֹ֥ת prep + Qal inf.cs I am Yahweh your God, who brought you forth out of the land of Egypt, that you should not be their slaves; and I have broken the bars of your yoke, and made you go upright.
- Leviticus 26:33 וְ/הָיְתָ֤ה יִהְי֥וּ conj + Qal wpf 3fs Qal impf 3mp I will scatter you among the nations, and I will draw out the sword after you: and your land will be a desolation, and your cities shall be a waste.
- Leviticus 26:37 תִֽהְיֶ֤ה Qal impf 3fs They will stumble over one another, as it were before the sword, when no one pursues: and you will have no power to stand before your enemies.
- Leviticus 26:44 בִּֽ/הְיוֹתָ֞/ם prep + Qal inf.cs + sfx pers 3mp Yet for all that, when they are in the land of their enemies, I will not reject them, neither will I abhor them, to destroy them utterly, and to break my covenant with them; for I am Yahweh their God;
- Leviticus 26:45 לִ/הְיֹ֥ת prep + Qal inf.cs but I will for their sake remember the covenant of their ancestors, whom I brought forth out of the land of Egypt in the sight of the nations, that I might be their God. I am Yahweh.'"
- Leviticus 27:3 וְ/הָיָ֤ה וְ/הָיָ֣ה conj + Qal wpf 3ms conj + Qal wpf 3ms Your valuation shall be of a male from twenty years old even to sixty years old, even your valuation shall be fifty shekels of silver, after the shekel of the sanctuary.
- Leviticus 27:4 וְ/הָיָ֥ה conj + Qal wpf 3ms If it is a female, then your valuation shall be thirty shekels.
- Leviticus 27:5 וְ/הָיָ֧ה conj + Qal wpf 3ms If the person is from five years old even to twenty years old, then your valuation shall be for a male twenty shekels, and for a female ten shekels.
- Leviticus 27:6 וְ/הָיָ֤ה conj + Qal wpf 3ms If the person is from a month old even to five years old, then your valuation shall be for a male five shekels of silver, and for a female your valuation shall be three shekels of silver.
- Leviticus 27:7 וְ/הָיָ֣ה conj + Qal wpf 3ms If the person is from sixty years old and upward; if it is a male, then your valuation shall be fifteen shekels, and for a female ten shekels.
- Leviticus 27:9 יִֽהְיֶה Qal impf 3ms "'If it is an animal, of which men offer an offering to Yahweh, all that any man gives of such to Yahweh becomes holy.
- Leviticus 27:10 וְ/הָֽיָה יִֽהְיֶה conj + Qal wpf 3ms Qal impf 3ms He shall not alter it, nor change it, a good for a bad, or a bad for a good: and if he shall at all change animal for animal, then both it and that for which it is changed shall be holy.
- Leviticus 27:12 יִהְיֶֽה Qal impf 3ms and the priest shall value it, whether it is good or bad. As you the priest values it, so shall it be.
- Leviticus 27:15 וְ/הָ֥יָה conj + Qal wpf 3ms If he who dedicates it will redeem his house, then he shall add the fifth part of the money of your valuation to it, and it shall be his.
About this entry
At a glance — auto-summarized from this page’s data, not written by a person. Every figure links to its source below. This summary describes the numbers; it doesn’t interpret them.
היה (hâyâh) is a Hebrew verb most often rendered “to be.” Older and newer Bibles part ways — “shall be” in the King James Version, “will be” (Berean Standard Bible) and “was” (unfoldingWord Literal Text) in modern versions. See the renderings breakdown. It turns up in 3,130 verses across 39 books, one of the most common footprint. Scripture first uses it in Genesis 1:2. Read the stem: it spans 2 stems, including Qal and Niphal. The sections below give every sense, occurrence, and version rendering.
Gloss history
Strong's 1890 vs modern scholarship
Strong's · 1890
beacon
Modern gloss
to be
Strong's 1890 sometimes compressed multiple senses — or homonymous roots — under one number, and used 19th-century English phrasing that no longer carries the same connotation. The modern gloss reflects current BDB scholarship; open the Lexicon Entry tab for the full sense breakdown.
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About this word
Strong's H1961 catalogs a Hebrew word from the Hebrew Old Testament.
These counts are not copied from any lexicon or concordance. They are computed here, from the morphology-tagged Hebrew Old Testament. What Lemma adds →
- 3,130
- distinct verses
- The word appears in 3,130 distinct verses.
- 39 / 39
- OT books
- The word appears in 39 of 39 Old Testament books.
- #11
- by frequency
- Top 25 most frequent Hebrew words (rank 11 of 8,640 Hebrew words by occurrence).
View all 3,130 occurrences in the concordance →
By section of the Old Testament
By traditional corpus
Conventional, traditional groupings — biblical authorship is debated, so this is a traditional corpus grouping, not an authorship claim. Each share is this word’s portion of its verses in that division of the Hebrew canon. Each figure is a share of the word’s 3,130 distinct verses.
- Prophets (Nevi'im) 1,662 verses · 53%
- Torah (Pentateuch) 919 verses · 29%
- Writings (Ketuvim) 549 verses · 18%
How translations render this word
Counts come from each version’s own published word-to-Strong’s tagging or interlinear alignment — an approximate guide to how each version renders this word, not a word-level alignment the data otherwise carries. Because each total is that version’s own tagged count, the per-version totals vary from one another and need not match the appearance or distinct-verse counts above. These counts may also differ from a printed concordance because Lemma counts each distinctly tagged rendering and does not collapse phrase taggings into a single head-word total. This is a fixed set of word-tagged versions (KJV, ASV, BSB, ULT) and does not change with the reading translation you choose elsewhere. Each version’s license is shown beside its name below (and on Sources).
- King James Version: Shall be 8×, Be 5×, Was 4×
- American Standard Version: Be 7×, Shall be 4×, Was 4×
- Berean Standard Bible: Will be 265×, Was 236×, Came 159×
- unfoldingWord Literal Text: Was 497×, Will be 433×, And 354×
King James Version Public Domain
Renders H1961 across 76 tagged occurrences — most commonly:
Plus 44 renderings that appear only once — usually multi-word phrases or single function words the recovered tagging swept in, not distinct renderings.
American Standard Version Public Domain
Renders H1961 across 76 tagged occurrences — most commonly:
Plus 45 renderings that appear only once — usually multi-word phrases or single function words the recovered tagging swept in, not distinct renderings.
Berean Standard Bible Public Domain
Renders H1961 across 2,843 tagged occurrences — most commonly:
Plus other, less common renderings. Plus 474 renderings that appear only once — usually multi-word phrases or single function words the recovered tagging swept in, not distinct renderings. Not rendered by a distinct English word in 693 further occurrences.
unfoldingWord Literal Text CC BY-SA 4.0
Renders H1961 across 4,104 tagged occurrences — most commonly:
Plus other, less common renderings. Plus 160 renderings that appear only once — usually multi-word phrases or single function words the recovered tagging swept in, not distinct renderings.
34 senses and sub-senses in the full BDB
Hebrew verbs can shift meaning by stem (binyan): Qal is the basic action, Niphal is often passive or reflexive, Piel often intensifies or makes it factitive, and Hiphil is typically causative. The senses below are grouped under the stem BDB assigns to each.
What do BDB’s symbols mean?
BDB uses these scholarly abbreviations:
| Symbol | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 𝔊 | the Septuagint (the ancient Greek translation, LXX) |
| 𝔙 | the Vulgate (the Latin translation) |
| 𝔖 | the Syriac version (the Peshitta) |
| 𝔗 | the Targum (the Aramaic translation) |
| ψ | the Psalms |
| √ | root (the underlying root or stem) |
| ‖ | parallel passage (a synonymous or contrasted parallel) |
| † | the dagger: every passage where the word occurs is cited |
The 34 senses and sub-senses the full Brown-Driver-Briggs lexicon distinguishes for this word, in lexicon order (not ranked by frequency), with BDB’s own verbatim wording and sub-sense lettering. Shown in Hebrew script with BDB’s own scholarly abbreviations. The condensed entry is in the Lexicon Entry tab. See also the Forms in the corpus table below.
Qal
- Pf. 3 ms. הָיָה Gn 3:1 +; וְהָיָה consec. Gn 4:14 +; 3 fs. הָֽיְתָה Gn 1:2 +; הָיָתָ֑ה Is 14:24 + 3 times; וְהָֽיְתָה consec. Gn 9:13 +; והית 2 K 9:37 Kt (Qr וְהָיְתָה); 2 ms. הָיִיתָ Dt 5:15 +; 1 s. הָיִיתִי Gn 31:40; 3 pl. הָיוּ Gn 6:4 +; 2 mpl. הֱיִיתֶם Ex 22:20 +; וִהְיִיתֶם consec. Gn 3:5 +; 1 pl. הָיִינוּ Is 1:9 +; etc.; Impf. 3 ms. יִהְיֶה Gn 1:29 +; juss. יְהִי Gn 1:3 +; יֶהִ֑י Ez 16:15; וִיהִי Gn 1:6 +; וַיְהִי Gn 1:3 +; וַיֶּהִ֑י ψ 33:9 Ez 16:19; 3 fs. תִּהְיֶה Gn 21:30 +; 1 s. אֶהְיֶה Ex 3:12 +; וָאֶהְיֶה 2 S 7:6 + 9 times; וָאֱהִי Ju 18:4 + 12 times; 3 mpl. יִהְיוּ Gn 6:19 +; 3 fpl. תִּהְיֶינָה Is 16:2 + 19 times; תִּהְיֶיןָ Gn 41:36 + 11 times; וְתִהְיֶנָה Je 18:21; 48:6; וַתִּהְיֶינָה 2 S 20:3 + 6 times; וַתִּהְיֶיןָ Gn 26:35; 1 S 25:43; וַתִּהְיֶנָה 1 Ch 7:15; 2 mpl. תִּהְיוּ Gn 34:15 +; תִּהְיוּן Ex 22:20; 1 pl. נִהְיֶה Gn 38:23 +; וַנִּהְיֶה 2 S 11:23; Je 44:17; וַנְּהִי Nu 13:33; Is 64:5, etc.; Imv. ms. הֱיֵה Ex 18:19 +; fs. הֲיִי Gn 24:60; mpl. הֱיוּ Ex 19:15; Nu 16:16, וִהְיוּ 1 S 4:9 + 6 times; Inf. abs. הָיוֹ Gn 18:18 + 3 times; הָיֹה 1 K 13:32 Ez 1:3; cstr. הֱיוֹת Gn 2:18 +, so read prob. also for הֱיֵה Ez 21:15 cf. Sm Köi p. 600 f. (Co em. היה־לה to הָהֵל shine, glitter); with pref. בִּהְיוֹת Ex 5:13 +, בִּהְיֹת Ex 19:16 +; לִהְיוֹת Gn 10:8 +, לִהְיֹת Ex 23:1 +; sf. הֱיוֹתִי Jon 4:2; הֱיוֹתְךָ Ju 18:19(×2); לִהְיֹתְךָ Dt 26:19, etc.; Pt. f. הוֹיָה Ex 9:3. e.g. Genesis 3:1
- I.
- 1.
- a. Fall out, happen מֶה־הָיָה הַדָּבָר 1 S 4:16 how has the matter fallen out, (gone, turned out)? so 2 S 1:4; מֶה־הָיָה לוֹ Ex 32:1, 23 (both JE) what has happened to him? cf. 1 S 10:12; מִקְרֶה הוּא הָיָה לָנוּ 1 S 6:9 a chance it is that has befallen us; also וַיְהִי־לוֹ כֵּן 2 K 7:20 and so it happened to him, cf. וַיְהִי־כֵן infr. e.g. 1 Samuel 4:16
- b. occur, take place, come about, come to pass:—מַגֵּפָה גְדוֹלָה הָֽיְתָה בָּעָם 1 S 4:17 a great slaughter has taken place among the people, cf. 2 S 17:9; הַמִּלְחָמָה בְּיַעַר אֶפְרַיִם וַתְּהִי 2 S 18:6 and the battle took place in the wood of Ephraim (on אפרים cf. Klo Dr); Jos 22:17 (P; of plague); תְּהִי נָא אָלָה Gn 26:28 (J) let an oath take place (be taken) so Ju 21:5; cf. 2 K 17:7 (si vera l.), Ez 16:34; especially late, 2 Ch 29:36; 32:31; Ec 1:9, 10; 3:22; 8:7; 10:14 etc.; often of fulfilment of prediction, command, expectation, etc.:—כֵּן הָיָה Gn 41:3 (E) so it came to pass, 2 S 13:25, וַיְהִי־כֵן Ju 6:38 2 K 15:12 Is 29:5, & especially וַיְהִי־כֵן Gn 1:7, 9, 11, 15, 24, 30 (all P) +; יְהִי כִדְבָרֶ֑ךָ Gn 30:34 let it be as thou sayest, Zc 6:15, v. also לֹא תָקוּם וְלֹא יִהְיֶה Is 7:7 it shall not arise (be realized) & shall not come about, 14:24; (so often בּוֹא q.v. 2 c, p. 98 supr.) e.g. 1 Samuel 4:17
- 2. especially & very often, come about, come to pass sq. substantive (subj.) cl. almost always + modifying (usually temporal) cl. or phr.:
- a. (1) וַיְהִי and it came to pass that, most often (c. 292 times) foll. by (a) Impf. consec.: α. with Inf. c. כְּ temp. Gn 12:14; 19:17 (both J) + 75 times + Est 3:4 Qr (Hex chiefly J,—so always Gn,—& JE; P only Ex 16:10, D only Dt 5:20; 31:24 Jos 5:1; 9:1; 27 times in K),—somewhat diff. is 2 K 7:18; β. with Inf. c. בְּ Gn 4:8; 11:2 (both J) + 29 times + Est 3:4 Kt (in Hex 10 times JE; 3 times P, Gn 19:29; Ex 34:29; Nu 17:7; not in D); γ. with בְּ sq. nom. temp. (יוֹם, בֹּקֶר, etc.) Gn 21:22 (E) 26:32 (J) + 45 times (Hex 14 times JE; 3 times P, Ex 6:28; 16:13 Nu 7:1; not D); δ. לְ temp. 1 S 1:20; 2 S 13:23; 1 K 20:26; 1 Ch 20:1; ε. כְּ temp. Gn 39:11 1 S 25:38; ζ. מִן temp. viz.: מֵאָז Gn 39:5, מִיּוֹם 1 S 7:2 cf. 30:25, מִיָּמִים Ju 11:4; 15:1, מִקֵּץ Gn 4:3; 8:6 + 6 times, מִקְצֵה Jos 3:2 2 K 8:3 Ez 3:16, especially מִמָּחֳרָת Gn 19:34 Ex 18:13 + 11 times; η. כַּאֲשֶׁר temp. Gn 12:11 (J) 20:13 (E) + 31 times (Hex 13 times JE, Dt 2:16, not P), characteristic of Neh.’s memoirs, †Ne 3:33; 4:1, 6, 9; 6:1, 16; 7:1; 13:19; θ. with כִּי temp. Gn 6:1 (J) Ex 3:21 (E) + 14 times + Ju 16:25 Kt; ι. אַחֲרֵי temp. Gn 22:20 (J) + 13 times, אַחַר Gn 39:7 Jb 42:7, אַחֲרֵי־כֵן Ju 16:4 + 6 times; κ. sq. עַד temp. 1 S 14:19 (on which cf. Dr); comp. עַד־כֹּה וְעַד־כֹּה 1 K 18:45; λ. with combinations; as בְּ c. nom. temp. + בְּ Inf. Gn 34:25 Ex 19:16 1 S 25:37; בְּ Inf. + כְּ Inf. Jos 3:14; double prep. כְּמִשְּׁלשׁ חֳדָשִׁים Gn 38:24; מִקְצֵה + אַחֲרֵי אֲשֶׁר Jos 9:16; מִיָּמִים + id. 23:1; μ. other unusual constructions under this head are: those where temporal idea is expr. by a circumst. cl. Is 22:7 1 K 13:20 2 K 8:21 (Dr§ 165, & Obs.) = 2 Ch 21:9; those with indef. כֹּל 1 S 10:11; 2 S 2:23; 15:2, or with pt. = rel. cl. 1 S 11:1 (on all v. Dr§ 78 n. & Sm); quite unique is 1 K 16:31, with הֲנָקֵל לֶכְתּוֹ וגו׳ in place of temp. cl. (b) וַיְהִי sometimes sq. simple Pf., with a negative Gn 39:10 (c. כְּ Inf.), Ex 13:17 (c. בְּ Inf.) 2 K 12:7; 17:25 (both c. בְּ temp.); & without neg., Gn 8:13 (P) 14:1 +, usually c. בְּ temp. (38 times), Hex chiefly P; rarely c. other prep. & adv. as above; note especially מִדֵּי sq. Inf. 1 S 18:20 2 Ch 12:11; sometimes the subj. of foll. Pf. precedes it c. וְ, as Gn 22:1; 41:1; 1 S 18:19; 30:1; 2 K 2:9; 4:40 +; note especially 2 S 17:27 where several subj. & also several objects precede the Pf. (cf. Dr); in these cases the temporal modifier is occasionally a circumst. cl. 2 S 13:30; 1 K 8:10; 2 K 19:37 = Is 37:38; rarely subj. precedes Pf. without וְ 1 K 11:4; 21:1, comp. subj. preceding Pt. without וְ Ne 4:10; in 2 Ch 8:1 the obj. (with וְ) precedes what is appar. the principal vb. (c) וַיְהִי sq. וְהִנֵּה Gn 24:15 (J; טֶרֶם in temp. cl.), 29:25 (E), 38:27 (J, both בְּ temp.) v 29 (כְּ Pt.), 1 S 13:10 (כְּ Inf.); also 2 S 1:2; 13:36; 15:32 (circumst. cl.) 2 K 2:11 (id.), 3:20, 13:21 (circumst. cl.). (d) rarely וַיְהִי (in this sense) sq. other constructions: אָז יִתֵּן 1 K 9:10 (c. מִקְצֵה); Impf. frequentat. 14:28 (c. מִדֵּי־בֹּא, 2 K 4:8 (c. מִדֵּי עָבְרוֹ) Je 36:23 (c. כְּ Inf.); Pf. consec. frequentat. 2 Ch 24:11 (c. בְּ temp.). (2) really also Pf. c. וְ conj. וְהָיָה (cf. Dr§ 133) sq. Impf. consec. as subj. cl.: 1 S 1:12 (c. several circumst. cl.), 10:9 (c. כְּ Inf.) 2 K 3:15 (id.), 1 S 17:48 (c. כִּי), Je 37:11 (c. בְּ Inf.), Am 7:2 (c. אִם temp.); also Je 3:9 (appar. c. מִן causat., but obscure); 1 S 13:22 (c. בְּ temp.) is foll. by וְלֹא & Pf. as well as Impf. consec. e.g. Genesis 12:14
- b. less often וְהָיָה Pf. consec. and it shall come to pass, or frequentat., came to pass (repeatedly, etc.) usually (a) sq. simple Impf. (c. 100 times): α. c. בְּ temp. Dt 21:16; 25:19 + 37 times, (especially בַּיּוֹם הַהוּא Ho 2:18, 23 Is 7:18, 21, 23 + 21 times); β. c. בְּ loc. Ez 47:23 Zc 13:8 cf. also Ho 2:1 (בִּמְקוֹם אֲשֶׁר, but perhaps = instead of, cf. VB); γ. c. indef. rel. cl., or its equiv. (כֹּל indef., etc.), cf. Dr§ 121, Obs. 1: Gn 4:14; Nu 17:20; Dt 12:11; 18:19; Jos 7:14, 15; Ju 7:4; 1 S 2:36; 17:25; 2 S 15:35; 1 K 19:17; 20:6; Is 4:3; 24:18; Na 3:7; Je 27:8; 42:4; Ez 47:9; Zc 14:17; Jo 3:5; δ. c. כַּאֲשֶׁר Nu 33:56; Dt 28:63; Jos 23:15; Ju 7:17; Is 29:8; Je 31:28; Zc 8:13; ε. less often with other modif. phr.: כְּ Inf. Ex 33:8, 9 (both frequentat.), Jos 3:13; 8:8; Je 25:12; 51:63; בְּ Inf. Gn 9:14 (P) 2 K 4:10; Ez 44:17; אִם condit. Dt 20:11 (+ v 11 Dr§ 118 n.), also Jos 22:18, where the arrangement is peculiar, & the condit. is expressed without אִם (cf. Dr§ 155); לְ temp. Dt 23:12; מִקֵּץ Is 23:17; טֶרֶם Is 65:24; מִדֵּי חֹדֶשׁ בְּחָדְשׁוֹ Is 66:23, etc. (b) וְהָיָה sq. Pf. consec. (c. 85 times): α. most often + cl. c. כִּי temp. Gn 12:12; 46:33 (both J) Ex 1:10 (E) Dt 11:29; Is 8:21 + 25 times; β. c. אִם Ex 4:8, 9 Nu 15:24; Dt 11:13 + 14 times; also Gn 38:9; Nu 21:9 (both frequentat.); γ. c. בְּ temp. Gn 30:41 (frequentat.) 47:24 (but cf. Ol Di) Ex 16:5 + 11 times; δ. c. indef. rel. cl. or equivalent (Dr§ 121 Obs. 1): Gn 24:14; Nu 10:32 (Dr§ 118 n.) 21:18; Dt 21:3 Ju 11:31; 19:30; Zc 14:16; ε. occas. with other modif. phr.: כַּאֲשֶׁר Gn 27:40 +; כְּ Inf. Gn 44:31 +; בְּ Inf. Ex 33:22 +; מִקֵּץ 2 S 14:26; עֵקֶב causat. Dt 7:12; also (c) sq. וְלֹא + simple Impf. Ex 3:21 (c. כִּי temp.). (d) וְהָיָה sq. Imv. (very rare) Dt 6:10 (c. כִּי temp.), 1 S 10:7 (c. כִּי), cf. 29:10, cf. Pf. consec. in command 1 S 3:9 (c. אִם). (e) וְהָיָה sq. simple Pf. (also very rare) Dt 8:19 (c. אִם). (f) וְהָיָה sq. cl. without vb.: Gn 24:43 Jos 2:19 1 K 18:24 (all c. indef. rel. modifier, or equiv., v. (a) γ, (b) δ, supr.). (g) וְהָיָה (ו conj.) sq. Impf. consec. v. a. (e) supr. e.g. Deuteronomy 21:16
- 1.
- II. Come into being, become:—
- 1.
- a. abs., in lively narrative, arise, appear, come וַתְּהִי צְעָקָה גְדֹלָה Ex 12:30 (J) and there arose a great cry in Egypt; וַיְהִי־קוֹל Ez 1:25 (del. Co cf. Da), 37:7 (del. קוֹל 𝔊 Co); כִּי הָֽיְתָה הָֽרְוָחָה Ex 8:11 (J) Pharaoh saw that respite had come; Mi 7:4 now shall come their confusion (‖ בוא); also of concrete objects וְהָֽיְתָה הַקֶּשֶׁת בֶּעָנָן Gn 9:16 (P) and the bow shall appear in the clouds (‖ וְנִרְאֲתָה); וְרִמָּה לֹא הָֽיְתָה בּוֹ Ex 16:24 (P) and worms did not appear in it; of condition or action begun & continuing, as: famine Gn 12:10; 26:1, 1 (all J), 41:54 (E), Ru 1:1; 2 S 21:1; 2 K 6:25; strife Gn 13:7, 8 (J), Hb 1:3 (‖ מָדוֹן יִשָּׂא); often of action of the elements, as the coming of hail Ex 9:18, 24, 26 (all J), thunder & lightning, etc., Ex 19:16 (E), rain 1 K 18:45, storm Jon 1:4; especially of creative fiats יְהִי אוֹר וַיְהִי אוֹר Gn 1:3 let light appear, and light appeared, cf. v 5, 8, 13, 19, 23, 31 (all P); also arise, come on the stage or scene, וְאַחֲרָיו הָיָה שַׁמְגַּר Ju 3:31 and after him arose Shamgar (= וַיָּקָם 10:1); further וַעֲלָטָה הָיָה Gn 15:17 (JE) and darkness came on; הַבֹּקֶר הָיָה Ex 10:13 (J) the morning came, 19:16 (E); וַיְהִי הַיּוֹם †1 S 1:4 and the day came, when (v. Dr), 14:1 2 K 4:8, 11, 18 Jb 1:6, 13; 2:1. e.g. Exodus 12:30
- b. sq. prep.: בְּ, וְיָדֵנוּ אַל־תְּהִי־בוֹ (Gn 37:27 (J) but out hand, let it not come upon him, of hand of י׳ 1 S 5:9; 7:13; 12:15 + (all in hostile sense); וַיְהִי בִּרְכַּת י׳ בְּכָל־אֲשֶׁר יֶשׁ־לוֹ Gn 39:5 (J) and the blessing of י׳ came into (on) all that he had; but also of plague Ex 12:13 (P); sq. עַל, וּמֵי הַמַּבּוּל הָיוּ עַל־הָאָרֶץ Gn 7:10 (J) that the waters of the flood came upon the earth; עָלַי הָיוּ כֻלָּ֑נָה Gn 42:36 (E) Gn 9:2 (P) fear shall come upon, cf. 35:5 (P) 2 Ch 14:13; 17:10; 20:29 +; of wrath Jos 22:20 1 K 3:27; so of Saul’s evil spirit from God 1 S 16:16, 23; 19:9 (אֶל); but sq. עַל also in good sense וַתְּהִי עָלָיו רוּחַ י׳ conferring strength & efficiency Ju 3:10; 11:29 (היה = צלח Ju 14:6 + often), cf. Nu 24:2 (JE) of prophetic power; (on וַתְּהִי עָלָיו יַד י׳ 2 K 3:15 Ez 3:22 and the like, vid. יָד); יַד אֱלֹהֵינוּ הָֽיְתָה עָלֵינוּ Ezr 8:31, so ψ 80:18; even וַתְּהִי עַל־רֹאשׁ דָּוִד 2 S 12:30 and it (the crown, עֲטֶרֶת) came (i.e. was put, set) on David’s head; with a diff. meaning וַנִּהְיֶה עֲלֵיהֶם עַד־פֶּתַח הַשָּׁ֑עַר 2 S 11:23 and we were close upon them even to the gateway (cf. We Dr); come, go, follow (sq. אַחֲרֵי) i.e. take the side of, adhere to, Ex 23:2 (JE) 1 S 12:14 2 S 2:10 1 K 12:20; 16:21; sq. לְ, of blessings Gn 49:26 (poem); of judgment, punishment Je 40:3; especially ויהי דבר … אֶל and the word of … came unto: word of Samuel 1 S 4:1; usually word of God (or י׳) Gn 15:1 1 S 15:10 +; constantly in prophets: Ho 1:1 Mi 1:1 etc.; especially Je & Ez: Je 1:4, 11, 13; 2:1; 13:8 +; Ez 3:16; 6:1; 7:1; 11:14, 17, 21, 26, 12:1, 8;+; so also abs. הָיָה הַמַּשָּׂא הַזֶּה Is 14:28 in the death-year of king Ahaz came this utterance; also sq. מִן; מַלְכֵי עַמִּים מִמֶּנָּה יִהְיוּ Gn 17:16 (P), וּקְהַל גּוֹיִם יִהְיֶה מִמֶּ֑ךָּ 35:11 (P), וְהָיָה אַדִּירוֹ מִמֶּנּוּ Je 30:21 (‖ מִקִּרְבּוֹ יֵצֵא); הַכֹּל הָיָה מִן־הֶעָפָר וְהַכֹּל שָׁב אֶל הֶעָפָר Ec 3:20 all came from the dust, & all return unto the dust; וַיְהִי קֶצֶף גָּדוֹל מֵאֵת י׳ צְבָאוֹת Zc 7:12. e.g. Genesis 37:27
- 2. become:
- a. sq. pred. noun (to be viewed as implicit accus. Dr§ 161, 3 n. according to the Arabic usage WAG ii, § 41.44.74): הִוא הָֽיְתָה אֵם כָּל־חָ֑י Gn 3:20 (J) it was she that became the mother of all living; וַיְהִי הֶבֶל רֹעֵה צֹאן וְקַיִן הָיָה עֹבֵד אֲדָמָה 4:2 (J) and Abel became a shepherd of flocks, while Cain became a tiller of ground; 2 S 8:14 Mi 2:11 + often e.g. Genesis 3:20
- b. sq. pred. adj. Gn 38:7; Ex 36:13 +; cf. Gn 37:20 let us see what his dream will become (turn out to be, signify); e.g. Genesis 38:7
- c. become like (כְּ), וִהְיִיתֶם כֵּאלֹהִים Gn 3:5 and ye shall become like gods cf. v 22, Nu 11:1 (JE), Ho 2:1; 7:11; Is 9:18; 1 K 7:8; Zc 9:7 +; cf. Gn 15:5 so (כֹּה) shall thy seed become; specif. of likeness in punishment Is 1:9 1 S 17:36 +; also with כְּ repeated וְהָיָה כָעָם כַּכֹּהֵן Ho 4:9 and the people shall become like the priest (lit., and the like of the people shall become the like of the priest), so especially Is 24:2 (6 pairs of words as above); וְהָיָה כַצַּדִּיק כָּרָשָׁע Gn 18:25 (J), v. כְּ. b + c Gn 27:23 his hands had become like the hands of Esau his brother, hairy. e.g. Genesis 3:5
- d. sq. pred. + לְ pers. וּתְהִי אִשָּׁה לְבֶן־אֲדֹנֶיךָ Gn 24:51 (J) and let her become wife to the son of thy lord, 1 S 16:21; 1 K 11:25 ψ 89:42; 1 Ch 18:6 +; = be instituted, established, וְהָיָה לָהֶם חָק־עוֹלָם Ex 30:21 (P) and it shall be established for them as a perpetual ordinance (cf. f infr.). e.g. Genesis 24:51
- e. sq. לְ pred.: וַיְהִי הָאָדָם לְנֶפֶשׁ חַיָּה Gn 2:7 (J) and the man became a living soul; וְהָיָה לְאַרְבָּעָה רָאשִׁים Gn 2:10 (J) and it became four heads; גַּם־הוּא יִהְיֶה־לְעָם Gn 48:19 (J) he too shall become a people; וִהְיוּ לַאֲנָשִׁים 1 S 4:9 and become (shew yourselves to be) men (‖ הִתְחַזְּקוּ; cf. with double לְ, f infr.); Zp 1:13; Ez 17:6; 47:12; Jb 16:8; וְהָיָה י׳ לְמֶלֶךְ עַל־כָּל־הָאָרֶץ Zc 14:9; וַיְהִי לְמַס עֹבֵד †Gn 49:15; Jos 16:10; so often; also in sense of turn into, be changed so as to become, וַיְהִי לְנָחָשׁ Ex 4:3 and it became a serpent, v 4; 7:10; Is 1:22; Dt 26:5 +; fig. וַיְהִי לְמָ֑יִם Jos 7:5 and it (their heart) turned to water, so וְהוּא הָיָה לְאֶבֶן 1 S 25:37; or, serve as וְהָיוּ לִמְאוֹרֹת Gn 1:15 (P) and they shall become (fulfil the function of, serve as) luminaries, cf. v 14; וְהָיָה לְאוֹת בְּרִית Gn 9:13; 17:11 (both P). e.g. Genesis 2:7
- f. often c. לְ pred. + לְ pers.: וַתְּהִי לָהֶם הַלְּבֵנָה לְאָ֑בֶן Gn 11:3 (J) and the bricks became (served as) stone for them; וַתְּהִי לִי לְאִשָּׁה Gn 20:12 (E) cf. 24:67 (J) +, וַתִּהְיֶינָה מַחְלָה וְחָגְלָה … לַבְנֵי דֹדֵיהֶן לְנָשִׁים Nu 36:11; וְהָיָה לְךָ וְלָהֶם לְאָכְלָה 6:21 (P), Ex 2:10; 15:2 Ju 8:27; וְהָיָה י׳ לִי לֵאלֹהִים Gn 28:21 (E); אֲנִי אֶהְיֶה לוֹ לְאָב וְהוּא יִהְיֶה־לִי לְבֵן 1 Ch 17:3 +; = shew or prove oneself as הֱיֵה־לִי לְבֶן־חַיִל 1 S 18:17 shew thyself for me a valiant man (cf. 1 S 4:9 e supr.); = be instituted, established (cf. e supr.) וְהָיָה לְאַהֲרֹן וּלְבָנָיו לְחָק־עוֹלָם Ex 29:28 and it shall be instituted for Aaron and his sons as a perpetual ordinance; cf. v 9 Lv 10:15; וְהָֽיְתָה לִהְיֹת לָהֶם מָשְׁחָתָם לִכְהֻנַּת עוֹלָם לְדֹרֹתָם Ex 40:15 (all P). e.g. Genesis 11:3
- g. with עַל and לְ 1 S 22:2 וַיְהִי עֲלֵיהֶם לְשָׂר and he became over them prince. e.g. 1 Samuel 22:2
- h. sometimes c. לְ pers. only = become the property of, come into the possession of וַיְהִי־לוֹ צֹאן־וּבָקָר וְגו׳ Gn 12:16 (J), and he came to have flocks and herds etc., 26:14; 30:43; לֹא לוֹ יִהְיֶה הַזָּ֑רַע Gn 38:9 not his should the seed become; וְהָיָה לי׳ Ju 11:31 it shall become Yahweh’s; Dt 10:9; Jos 13:29; 1 K 10:26; 11:3 + often; so of a woman, as wife תְּהִי־נָא לְךָ Ju 15:2 pray let her become thine, cf. also וַתְּהִי אֵשֶׁת שִׁמְשׁוֹן לְמֵרֵעֵהוּ 14:20, Ho 3:3 Ru 1:13 Lv 21:3; Dt 24:2; Je 3:1; Ez 16:8 (and also + לְאִשָּׁה, לְנָשִׁים v. f supr.) e.g. Genesis 12:16
- 1.
- III. Be (often with subordinate idea of becoming);—
- 1. exist, be in existence (i.e. orig. have come into existence), כָּל־הַיָּמִים אֲשֶׁר הָיָה 1 S 1:28 all the days which he shall have been (lived, = חַי Gn 5:5 etc., cf. DrSm), Jb 3:16, Is 23:13; often c. בְּ loc. וְכֹל שִׂיחַ הַשָּׂדֶה טֶרֶם יִהְיֶה בָאָרֶץ Gn 2:5 (J) and there was not yet in the earth any shrub of the field; וּבְאֵלֶּה לֹא הָיָה אִישׁ וגו׳ Nu 26:64 (P) and among them there was not a man to be found, etc.; also וְלֹא הָיָה כַּיּוֹם הַהוּא לְפָנָיו וְאַחֲרָיו Jos 10:14 (JE) & there hath not been a day like that before it nor since, cf. 2 S 14:25; 1 K 18:5; 21:25; 2 K 23:25; Ne 13:26 +; somewhat weaker, in the freq. introductory clause וַיְהִי אִישׁ now there was a man Ju 13:2; 1 S 1:1; 9:1; Nu 9:6 (P), Jb 1:1 +; on אֶהְיֶה אֲשֶׁר אֶהְיֶה Ex 3:14 v. יהוֹה. e.g. 1 Samuel 1:28
- 2. abide, remain, continue (with word of place or time) וַיְהִי מֹשֶׁה בָּהָר Ex 24:18 and Moses remained in the mount forty days, etc., so 34:28 (both JE), Ju 17:4, 12 1 S 6:1 1 K 11:20 2 K 11:3 = 2 Ch 22:12 +; also Lv 22:27; 25:28 (both H), etc.; sq. עַד temp. remain until Dt 22:2 1 K 11:40; 2 K 15:5; 2 Ch 5:9; 26:21; Dn 1:21 etc.; cf. הוּא יִהְיֶה לְעוֹלָם Ec 3:14; so also of space sq. עַד extend unto, as far as, Jos 19:10: of net beneath altar, Ex 27:5 shall reach as far as (עַד) the middle of the altar. e.g. Exodus 24:18
- 3. with word of locality, be in or at a place, be situated, stand, lie; בִּהְיוֹתָם בַּשָּׂדֶה Gn 4:8 (J) when they were in the field, הַמָּקוֹם אֲשֶׁר־הָיָה שָׁם אָהֳלֹה בַּתְּחִלָּה 13:3 (J) the place where his tent had stood at first; וְהָאָרֶץ תִּהְיֶה לִפְנֵיכֶם 34:10 and the land, it lieth before you; cf. Jos 19:1; Ju 7:1, 8; Mi 5:6, 7; sq. עַל be, be found or situated upon Is 30:25 and there shall be upon every high mountain etc., streams, water-courses; Ez 37:27 and my dwelling-place shall be over them; fig. of guilt וְהָיָה עָלָיךָ דָּמִים Dt 19:10 and blood (-guilt) be upon thee. e.g. Genesis 4:8
- 4. as copula, joining subj. & pred.:—
- a. sq. pred. adj. וַיִּהְיוּ שְׁנֵיהֶם עֲרוּמִּים Gn 2:25, וְהַנָּחָשׁ הָיָה עָרוּם 3:1, בִּהְיוֹתָם כֹּאֲבִים 34:25, וַיְהִי יוֹסֵף יְפֵה־תֹאַר 39:6; Dt 23:15; Jos 19:9; Ju 11:1; Jb 1:1, 3b 2 Ch 7:21. e.g. Genesis 2:25
- b. sq. pred. noun Gn 1:2; 9:18; 25:3; 36:14; 40:13; 1 S 17:34, 42 2 S 8:10; 20:26; 1 K 10:6; 2 K 3:4; 5:1(×2) 1 Ch 9:20; 11:20; 18:10; 26:10; 2 Ch 13:7; כִּי לֹא־הָיָה מֶלֶךְ יִשְׂרָאֵל 2 Ch 18:32 (‖ 1 K 22:33 כִּי־לֹא־מֶלֶךְ ישׂראל הוּא) +; often of age: וַיְהִי אַבְרָם בֶּן־תִּשְׁעִים שָׁנָה וְתֵשַׁע שָׁנִים Gn 17:1 (P) 2 K 8:17; 14:2; 15:2, 33; 18:2; 2 Ch 21:20; 27:8 +; sq. pred. Inf. abs. (very anomal.) וְהַמַּיִם הָיוּ הָלוֹךְ וְחָסוֹר Gn 8:5; = amount to, come to, in enum. of days of life, number of people, amounts of money, etc.: Gn 5:4, 5, 8, 11, 14; 9:29; 11:32; 23:1 +; Ex 38:24 Nu 1:46, etc. e.g. Genesis 1:2
- c. sq. adv. & adverbial phr.: לֹא־טוֹב הֱיוֹת הָאָדָם לְבַדּוֹ Gn 2:18 (J) it is not good that the man be alone; חָדַל לִהְיוֹת לְשָׂרָה אֹרַח כַּנָּשִׁים 18:11 (J). e.g. Genesis 2:18
- d. sq. prep.: (a) be with, accompany c. עִם, subj. most often י׳ or אלהים with added idea of protection, aid Gn 26:3; 31:3; 39:10; 48:21 Jos 1:3; 6:27; Ju 1:19; 2:18; 1 S 3:19; 18:12; 20:13; 1 K 1:37; 1 Ch 11:13; 2 Ch 17:3; sq. עִמָּדִי Gn 28:20; 31:5; 35:3; sq. עִם, human subj., of accompaniment וְהָיָה הַכֹּהֵן בֶּן־אַהֲרֹן עִם־הַלְוִיִּם Ne 10:39; 1 Ch 11:12, read also in ‖ 2 S 23:9 (Th We Dr); = be on the side of 1 K 1:8; c. עִם also = be near וּמַלְאַךְ י׳ הָיָה עִם־גֹּרֶן האורנה 2 S 24:16 (cf. Dr); also 2 S 13:20 implying sexual intercourse, so Gn 39:10 (perhaps gloss, cf. Di); peculiar uses with עִם are: וּדְבַר־אַבְנֵר הָיָה עִם־זִקְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל 2 S 3:17 and the speech of A. had been with the elders of Isr., cf. 1 K 1:7; וַיְהִי עִם־לְבַב דָּוִד אָבִי לִבְנוֹת 1 K 8:17 and it was with (i.e. in) the heart of David my father to build, = 2 Ch 6:7 cf. 1 K 8:18(×2) 1 Ch 22:7; 2 Ch 6:8(×2); 24:4; also 1 K 10:2 = 2 Ch 9:1; (b) be with, sq. אֶת, subj. י׳, אלהים, Gn 21:20; 39:2, 21 but also c. human subj. וּבָנָיו הָיוּ אֶת־מִקְנֵהוּ Gn 34:5, cf. 1 S 29:3 +; (c) sq. לְ of possessor כֶּרֶם הָיָה לִידִדִי Is 5:1 a vineyard had my beloved, Gn 30:30 cf. Ex 20:3 = Dt 5:7, Ju 18:27; 1 S 9:2; 1 K 5:6 + often (cf. I. 2 d, f, h); (d) sq. לְ + other prep.: of boundary וַיְהִי לָהֶם הַגְּבוּל מֵעֲרוֹעֵר Jos 13:16, cf. וַיְהִי גְבוּלָם מִמַּחֲנַיִם v 30; וַיְהִי לָהֶם הַגְּבוּל לִפְאַת צָפוֹנָה מִיַּרְדֵּן 18:12, etc.; (e) sq. בְּ be among, or of, Am 1:1 who was one of the herdsmen, 1 K 2:7 let them be among those eating, Pr 22:26; 23:20. e.g. Genesis 26:3
- 5. periphrastic conjug.:
- a. היה + pt., of continuous state, or condition, sometimes, especially late (cf. NH), of habit, c. וַיְהִי also of beginning and continuance (cf. Dr§ 135, (5)): pt. act. Gn 39:22 (J), Ex 3:1 (E), 1 S 2:11; 7:10; 18:9 (cf. Dr) v 14, 29 2 S 8:15 = 1 Ch 18:14, Dt 28:29; Is 30:20; 1 K 5:1, 15, 24 2 K 6:5; 9:14; 2 Ch 9:26; Ezr 4:4; Ne 1:4, 2:13; Dn 1:16 +; Gn 1:6 (P); הָיָה יָרֵא אֶת־י׳ 1 K 18:3; 2 K 4:1; 2 Ch 26:1; pt. pass. Jos 10:26; 1 K 13:24; 22:35 וְהַמֶּלֶךְ הָיָה מָעֳמָד בַּמֶּרְכָּבָה (‖ 2 Ch 18:34 הָיָה מַעֲמִיד), Is 2:2 = Mi 4:1, וְהָיָה סָגוּר Ez 44:2, ה׳ נַעֲשֶׂה Ne 5:18, וְאָהוּב לֵאלֹהָיו ה׳ 13:26;—on 2 S 13:32 cf. Dr e.g. Genesis 39:22
- b. sq. Inf. c. לְ (Dr§ 203, 204): וְהָיָה לְבָעֵר Is 5:5 and it shall be to burn (is to be, is destined to be burned) etc.; וַיְהִי הַשֶּׁמֶשׁ לָבוֹא Gn 15:12 and the sun was about to set; וַיְהִי הַשַּׁעַר לִסְגּוֹר Jos 2:5 and the gate was about to be shut; but also וַיְהִי לִדְרשׁ אֱלֹהִים 2 Ch 26:5 (nearly = וַיְהִי + Pt.) e.g. Isaiah 5:5
Niphal
- Pf. נִהְיָה 1 K 1:27 + 6 times + Mi 2:4 (cf. infr. ad fin.); 3 fs. נִהְיְתָה Ju 19:30 + 5 times, נִהְיָ֑תָה Ex 11:6 Je 48:19, וְנִהְיָ֑תָה consec. Ez 39:8 + 21:12 (del. B Codd 𝔊 Co); 2 ms. נִהְיֵיתָ Dt 27:9; 1 s. נִהְיֵיתִי Dn 8:27; Pt. fs. נִהְיָה Pr 13:19;— e.g. 1 Kings 1:27
- 1. became c. ל Dt 27:9. e.g. Deuteronomy 27:9
- 2. either, be done, or, come to pass: in the strong expressions אֲשֶׁר כָּמֹהוּ לֹא נ׳ וְכָמֹהוּ לֹא תֹסִף Ex 11:6 (J) a cry such as hath not occurred (been raised), and will not be again, cf. Dt 4:32 (be done; ‖ נִשְׁמַע), & Ju 19:30 (‖ נִרְאֲתָה);—but simply intrans. Jo 2:2; Dn 12:1 & appar. Ez 21:12 (‖ בָּאָ֫ה; on text, however, v. supr.) 39:8 (‖ id.);—also אֵיכָה נִהְיְתָה הָרָעָה הַזֹּאת Ju 20:3 how hath this wickedness been done? cf. v 12 Je 5:30; 48:19 also Ne 6:8; c. לֹא, existence denied לֹא נ׳ Zc 8:10 (‖ אֵינֶ֑נָּה); in all the above (except Jo 2:2; Dn 12:1 & Ez 21:12; 39:8) personal agency is clearly implied; it is expressed מֵאֵת אֲדֹנִי הַמֶּלֶךְ נ׳ הַדָּבָר הַזֶּה 1 K 1:27, so of divine agency (מֵאִתִּי) 1 K 12:24 = 2 Ch 11:4; further be attained, secured, of wages Zc 8:10 (c. לֹא, ‖ אֵינֶ֑נָּה); תַּאֲוָה נִהְיָה Pr 13:19 a desire come to pass, realized. e.g. Exodus 11:6
- 3. be done, finished, gone, only Dn וּשְׁנָתוֹ נִהְיְתָה עָלָיו Dn 2:1 and his sleep was finished upon him, i.e. left him (cf. Aramaic Dn 6:19); נִהְיֵיתִי 8:27 I came to an end, was exhausted (si vera l., del. 𝔊; ‖ נֶחֱלֵיתִי); נִהְיָה, in וְנָהָה נְהִי נִהְיָה Mi 2:4, is dub.; it is done, over, the ruin is come RobGes Ew Hi Ca Che RVm;? ZAW 1866, 122 f. cf. JBL1890, 74.77. e.g. Daniel 2:1
Senses from the full Brown-Driver-Briggs lexicon (Brown, Driver, Briggs; Oxford 1906 — public domain), digitized via Sefaria, supplemented by the OpenScriptures HebrewLexicon (CC BY 4.0). Full attribution on Sources.
Word origin
vb. fall out, come to pass, become, be (SI 1.6 היה, ib.3 הית; parallel form of הוה, Arabic هَوَى, Aramaic הֲוָא, ܗܘܳܐ; v. הָוָה supr.)—
— Brown-Driver-Briggs (Oxford 1906, public domain), digitized via Sefaria, supplemented by the OpenScriptures HebrewLexicon (CC BY 4.0). See Sources.
Derived from הוא (hâvâʼ) (H1933) — to be.
Jastrow Dictionary
A second Hebrew/Aramaic lexicon for comparison, covering Aramaic and post-biblical (Talmudic, Targumic, Midrashic) usage that the biblical-Hebrew BDB does not. Matched by lemma rather than by Strong’s number, so a lemma may carry more than one Jastrow headword (shown separately below), and the entries cover usage well beyond the Bible.
הוי
- (b. h.) to exist; to be, become; to occur, come to pass.—With part. ה׳ מביט he looked; ה׳ אומר he said, freq. used to say. Gen. R. s. 1, beg. אני הָיִיתִי וכ׳ I was the implement &c. Ib. ה׳ הקב"ה מביט וכ׳ the Lord looked into the Law (as often as a thing was to be created). Ab. I, 13 הוא ה׳ אומר the same used to say. Gen. R. s. 2 ה׳ ללמה ולא כלום became a nothing; a. v. fr.—Apocopate forms: אֱהִי, אֱהֵא, תְּהִי, תְּהֵא, יְהִי, יְהֵא; תְּהוּ (= תִּהְיוּ), יְהוּ (= יִהְיוּ). Yoma 66ᵇ אהא בשלום אני נכ׳ (Tosef. ib. IV (III), 14 נִהְיֶה) may I and you be as well; Y. ib. VI, 43ᶜ bot. כן תהו וכ׳ so may ye be well. B. Mets. 35ᵃ תהא במאמינו let this be (speak of a case) when he accepts his opponent’s statement; a. v. fr.—Part. הוֶֹה, הוֶֹוה
- 1. frequent, usual. Sabb. VI, 6 דברו חכמים בה׳ the scholars (in using the words ‘Arabian women’) speak of the ordinary custom (not to the exclusion of other people); a. fr.
- 2. existing, enduring. Pesik. R. s. 11, end הם הווִֹים ודומים [להקב"ה] they shall be existing for themselves (not merely as an attachment) and resembling [the Lord]; ib. אף הם הווים אש וכ׳ they, too, shall endure as a consuming fire.—Cant. R. to II, 13 עניות ירבה ויוקר הווה (read תרבה) poverty shall increase, and prices remain high (different in Snh. 97ᵃ a. Sot. 49ᵇ, v. אָמַר II). Imper. הֱוֵי, הֱוֵא; pl. הֱווּ. Ab. I, 4. Ib. II, 3; a. fr.—הֱוֵי אוֹמֵר, also elliptically הֱוֵי say, i.e. you must admit, this proves, that is meant by saying. Taan. 2ᵃ which is the service of the heart? ה׳ אומר זו תפלה you must admit, it is prayer. Tosef. Nidd. I, 6 ה׳ לא אמרום וכ׳ that is to say, the scholars have spoken &c. Cant. R. to I, 6 ה׳ כרמי שלי וכ׳ this is meant by ‘my vineyard &c.’—Y. Shebu. VII, 38ᶜ top הווי לא צורכה וכ׳ it is evident that it would not have been necessary &c.; a. fr.
- (v. הְוָיָה
- 1. to change one’s legal status, to dispose of. Keth. 40ᵇ (ref. to תהיה Deut. XXII, 19) במְהַוָּה עצמה וכ׳ the text speaks of a woman who can dispose of herself. e.g. Deuteronomy 22:19
- 2. to produce, make. Kidd. 58ᵃ (ref. to והיית, Deut. VII, 26) כל שאתה מְהַיֶּיה הימנה whatever thou makest out of it; Tem. 30ᵇ מְהַיֶּה ממנה; a. e. e.g. Deuteronomy 7:26
A Dictionary of the Targumim, the Talmud Babli and Yerushalmi, and the Midrashic Literature (Marcus Jastrow; London, Luzac, 1903) — Public Domain. Digitized via Sefaria. Digitized via Sefaria. Full attribution on Sources.
Forms in the corpus
The 681 distinct written forms H1961 takes in the Hebrew Bible, most frequent first — each parse links to that stem’s occurrences in the concordance. Hebrew forms include their vowel points and cantillation, so a single lemma takes many written forms.
The 60 most common forms are shown; 621 rarer forms follow in the full concordance.
Same root — word family
Other BDB entries built from the same root as H1961, grouped by Strong’s listed origin. These share a root / origin per the lexicon — not necessarily a shared meaning. Each links to that word’s own entry.
Derives from
Shares the same root
Proper names from this root
People and places named from this root — a name, not an additional meaning of the word.
Compare all same-root words → Showing 4 of 5 — not the complete family. 1 of the same-root words is a proper name (a person or place). They share a root, not necessarily a meaning.
Septuagint verse parallels
Most of the 3,130 Hebrew verses this word occurs in also exist in the Greek Old Testament (Septuagint), so the same passages can be read in Greek by switching the Old Testament edition to the Septuagint.
Read these verses in the Septuagint
- Genesis 1:2
- Exodus 1:5
- Leviticus 2:1
- Numbers 1:4
- Deuteronomy 1:3
- Joshua 1:1
- Judges 1:1
- Ruth 1:1
- 1 Samuel 1:1
- 2 Samuel 1:1
- 1 Kings 1:2
- 2 Kings 1:17
This is a verse-level parallel only — the same verses exist in both the Hebrew and Greek Old Testaments. No word-level Hebrew↔Greek correspondence is claimed: the data carries no such alignment, so no Greek word is shown as this Hebrew word’s translation. Coverage is not total — the Septuagint omits the deuterocanon and renumbers the Psalms, so some Hebrew verses have no direct Greek parallel.
