---
title: יַעַן — purpose · The Tanakh dictionary
description: יַעַן (3282), a word of Biblical Hebrew, used 99 times: purpose. BDB 1906: subst. purpose, intention prep. conj. on account of, because prep. conj. With 2 verses in Hebrew, word for word and JPS 1917.
---

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# יַעַן

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«יַעַן» in the Tanakh dictionary: **purpose** — how often it is used, MACULA's glosses, its meanings in the printed dictionaries and why they were chosen, and 2 verses in layers.

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**Used:** 99 times · **Key:** 3282 · **BDB:** יַ֫עַן²

### Glosses

because (93); because.of (3); cause (3)

### Meaning (OSHB)

purpose [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1497/3282/#m1)

### Meaning (BDB 1906)

subst. purpose, intention prep. conj. on account of, because prep. conj. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1497/3282/#m2)

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**The whole BDB entry:** proposes subst., purpose, intention, but always used as prep. or conj., on account of, because (for יַעֲנֶה, of the form יִצְהָר, etc., Sta§ 259 Köii. 403; cf. عَنَى mean, intend):— as prep., rarely with a subst., †Ez 5:9 יַעַן תּוֹעֲבוֹתֵיכֶם, Hg 1:9 יַעַן מָה, v 9 יַעַן בֵּיתִי; with a ptcp. Ez 36:13 יען אמרים because of men saying to you (but read prob. אָמְרָם, Co Toy Berthol); freq. with inf. c., 1 K 21:20 יַעַן הִתְמַכֶּרְךָ on account of thy having sold thyself, Am 5:11; Is 30:12; 37:29 (= 2 K 19:28) יַעַן הִתְרַגֶּזְךָ אֵלַי, Je 5:14; 7:13; 23:38; 48:7, and often (c. 18 times) in Ezek., as 5:7 (read יַעַן הַמְרֹֽתְכֶם), 13:8, 22; 25:3, 6, 8, 12. As conj.: יַעַן אֲשֶׁר (32 times), usually with pf., as Gn 22:16 יען אשׁר עשׂית זאת because that thou hast done this, Dt 1:36 (Jos 14:14), Ju 2:20; 1 S 30:22; 1 K 3:11; 8:18; Je 19:4; 25:8; 29:23 (not Is) +; with impf. (in frequent. sense) Ez 44:12. יַעַן כִּי, Nu 11:20 יַעַן כִּי מְאַסְתֶּם אֶת־י׳, 1 K 13:21; 21:29; Is 3:16; 7:5; 8:6; 29:13. יַעַן alone (23 times), with pf. Nu 20:12 יַעַן לֹא הֶאֱמַנְתֶּם בִּי, 1 S 15:23; 1 K 14:13; 20:42; 2 K 22:19; Ho 8:1; Is 61:1; 65:12; 66:4; with impf. (freq.) †Ez 34:21. Once יַעַן אֲשֶׁר of the fut. †Ez 12:12 because he shall not see, etc., (but 𝔊 Co לְמַעַן אשׁר לא יֵרָאֶה לָעַיִן). Usually the vb. follows immediately, but Ezek. sometimes puts the obj.first for emph., 5:11 יַעַן אֶת־מִקְדָּשִׁי טִמֵּאת, 20:16, 24; 36:6, cf. 34:21. יַעַן וּבְיַעַן, q. d. because and by the cause (that), sq. perf., Lv 26:43 (H) יען וביען בְּמִשְׁפָּטַי מָאָ֔סוּ, Ez 13:10; יַעַן בְּיַעַן sq. inf., Ez 36:3. (In all, reckoning יען (ו)ביען once each, 93 times, 20 in 1–2 K, 11 in Je, 38 in Ez; only 9 in Gn-2 S.)

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Why these entries: BDB: headword, part of speech not compared, 55 of its verses cited, 1 words shared with the glosses, lists its Strong's number (14 candidates); OSHB: headword, part of speech not compared, 1 words shared with the BDB entry, 0 with the glosses (9 candidates)

### Trees and pragmatics

[Every English meaning of «יַעַן» parsed by Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1497/3282/), each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.

### In the verses

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[Proverbs 1:24](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/ketuvim/PRO.1.24/)

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יַ֣עַן קָ֭רָאתִי וַתְּמָאֵ֑נוּ נָטִ֥יתִי יָ֝דִ֗י וְאֵ֣ין מַקְשִֽׁיב׃

*Word for word:* because I.called and you.refused I.stretched.out hand my and there.\[was\].not \[one.who\].paid.attention

*JPS 1917:* Because I have called, and ye refused, I have stretched out my hand, and no man attended,

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[Isaiah 7:5](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/neviim/ISA.7.5/)

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יַ֗עַן כִּֽי־יָעַ֥ץ עָלֶ֛יךָ אֲרָ֖ם רָעָ֑ה אֶפְרַ֥יִם וּבֶן־רְמַלְיָ֖הוּ לֵאמֹֽר׃

*Word for word:* because (dm) it.has.planned on you Aram harm Ephraim and the.son of.Remaliah (cmp)

*JPS 1917:* Because Aram hath counselled evil against thee, Ephraim also, and the son of Remaliah, saying:

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