הָיָה
hâyâh · haw-yaw
to exist, i.e. be or become, come to pass (always emphatic, and not a mere copula or auxiliary)
Lexicon
Derivation: a primitive root (compare H1933 (הָוָא));
to exist, i.e. be or become, come to pass (always emphatic, and not a mere copula or auxiliary)
Definition from Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (1890). Wording is Strong's own, including his etymological notes, which are not separate meanings.
KJV renderings: beacon, [idiom] altogether, be(-come), accomplished, committed, like), break, cause, come (to pass), do, faint, fall, [phrase] follow, happen, [idiom] have, last, pertain, quit (one-) self, require, [idiom] use.
Letters
- הHe5
Picture: a person with both arms raised
- Concrete
- a man calling out · a window · breath
- Extended
- behold! · revelation · to reveal · the (definite article)
- יYod10
Picture: arm and closed hand
- Concrete
- hand · arm · work
- Extended
- a deed · to make · to work · to throw or worship
- הHe5
Picture: a person with both arms raised
- Concrete
- a man calling out · a window · breath
- Extended
- behold! · revelation · to reveal · the (definite article)
Possible cultural reading (auto-composed)
to reveal, behold › the hand that works › to reveal, behold
To reveal, behold of the hand that works that works to reveal, behold.
Interpretive, not lexical. The dictionary sense of הָיָה above is the attested meaning; this pictographic reading is a tradition about how the sign-shapes may have been heard. Both can be held at once, they are answering different questions.
Usage
3562 occurrences · 3562 OT · 0 NT · 698 distinct forms
KJV renderings of this word, by how often each one is used.
- shall be5 · 14%
- done2 · 5%
- and there shall be2 · 5%
- and be2 · 5%
- let there be2 · 5%
- be2 · 5%
- is2 · 5%
- was2 · 5%
- had2 · 5%
- had been1 · 3%
- of flies shall be1 · 3%
- to be1 · 3%
- and it shall come to pass1 · 3%
- came1 · 3%
- that i am1 · 3%
- i am1 · 3%
- kept1 · 3%
- thou shalt be1 · 3%
- hath been1 · 3%
- and it came to pass1 · 3%
- be thou1 · 3%
- as when there was1 · 3%
- should be1 · 3%
- you, and will be1 · 3%
- to you it shall be1 · 3%
Where it is used, by book.
- Genesis316
- Exodus235
- Leviticus147
- Numbers180
- Deuteronomy171
- Joshua145
- Judges122
- Ruth21
- 1 Samuel168
- 2 Samuel153
- 1 Kings197
- 2 Kings120
- 1 Chronicles105
- 2 Chronicles133
- Ezra5
Inflected forms found in the text.
Counts are computed from the tagged Hebrew and Greek text aligned to the King James Version, not from an estimate.