---
title: אַיִן — whence? · The Tanakh dictionary
description: אַיִן (370), a word of Biblical Hebrew, used 17 times: whence?. BDB 1906: adv. whence. With 2 verses in Hebrew, word for word and JPS 1917.
---

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# אַיִן

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«אַיִן» in the Tanakh dictionary: **whence?** — 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:** 17 times · **Key:** 370 · **BDB:** אַ֫יִן

### Glosses

where? (16); where (1)

### Meaning (OSHB)

whence? [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1488/370/#m1)

### Meaning (BDB 1906)

adv. whence [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1488/370/#m2)

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**The whole BDB entry:** adv. (from אַי; Ass. aina, ainu, Ara. أَيْنَ where? مِنْ أَيْنَ whence?) only in the compound מֵאַ֫יִן17 whence? Gn 29:4; 42:7 (syn. אֵי־מִזֶּה e.g. Gn 16:8 1 S 30:13) Ju 17:9; 19:17 Jb 1:7 (2:2 אֵי־מִזֶּה); used in a rhet. or poet. style (where אֵי־מִזֶּה would be too prosaic) Nu 11:13 מֵאַיִן לִי בָּשָׂר whence have I flesh etc.? 2 K 6:27 Je 30:7 Alas! for that day is great; מֵאַיִן כָּמוֹהוּ whence is its like? (see also II. אַיִן ad fin.) Na 3:7 ψ 121:1 Jb 28:12, 20; in an indirect sentence Jos 2:4 (cf. אֵי־מִזֶּה 1 S 25:11).

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Why these entries: BDB: headword, part of speech not compared, 12 of its verses cited, 0 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 «אַיִן» parsed by Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1488/370/), each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.

### In the verses

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[Job 28:12](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/ketuvim/JOB.28.12/)

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וְֽ֭הַחָכְמָה מֵאַ֣יִן תִּמָּצֵ֑א וְאֵ֥י זֶ֝ה מְק֣וֹם בִּינָֽה׃

*Word for word:* and (the) wisdom from where? will.it.be.found and where? this \[is.the\].place of.understanding

*JPS 1917:* But wisdom, where shall it be found? And where is the place of understanding?

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[Job 28:20](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/ketuvim/JOB.28.20/)

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וְֽ֭הַחָכְמָה מֵאַ֣יִן תָּב֑וֹא וְאֵ֥י זֶ֝֗ה מְק֣וֹם בִּינָֽה׃

*Word for word:* and (the) wisdom from where? does.it.come and where? this \[is.the\].place of.understanding

*JPS 1917:* Whence then cometh wisdom? And where is the place of understanding?

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