H3426. yesh

יֵשׁ‎₁₈₇ substantive being, substance, existence (on etymology see 2) — יֵשׁ‎ Genesis 18:24 etc.; יֶשֿׁ‎ 31:29 + often; הֲיֵשׁ‎ 24:23 18t. (so אִשׁ‎ 2 Samuel 14:19 , הַאִשׁ‎ Micah 6:10 ), with suffix יֶשְׁךָ‎ Genesis 24:42 2t.; יֶשְׁכֶם‎ 24:49 ; הֲיִשְׁכֶם‎ Deuteronomy 13:4 ; יֶשְׁנוֺ‎ (Ol^{§ 97 b} Sta^{§ 370 b}) 29:14; 1 Samuel 14:39 (+ 14:41 ᵐ5‎ We Dr), 23:23; Esther 3:8 ; —

1 substance, only Proverbs 8:21 יֵשׁ אֹהֲבַי לְהַנְחִיל‎ to cause them that love me to inherit substance (so Sir 42:3).

2 elsewhere (properly as a substantive in the stative construct), it asserts existence, and so corresponds to the verb substantive, is (are, was, were, will be), literally the being, presence of... (so Biblical Aramaic אִתַי‎; Aramaic אית איתא,‎, [whence (self-) existent, essence, substance], with לָא‎ contracted לֵית לַיִת,‎, ; Mandean לאיית עית, עת,‎; Arabic [with irregular ] (inflected as a verb, , , etc.; W^{AG i. § 182, ii. § 42}) is not ( is known only in two proverbial sayings, as a secondary form Fl^{Kl. Schr. i. 146 f.}); Assyrian išû, be, have Dl^{HWB 310}; with affix 1 singular la-a i-ša-a-ku, I have not, TP^{i. 57 f.}. On this word, see especially Nö^{M. § 213}, who exemplifies its different constructions in Semitic, and shews how it tends to pass into a verb; — (1) in Biblical Aramaic, Syriac, Babylonian ᵑ7‎, with possessive suffix; (2) in later Palestinian dialects, Jerusalem ᵑ7‎, Jerusalem Talmud, sometimes also in Babylonian ᵑ7‎ and Syriac, with independent personal pronoun (as הוא לית אנא, לית‎); (3) in Mandean, Babylonian Talmud, sometimes in Syriac and Arabic, and in Hebrew יֶשְׁנוֺ‎, with object. (verbal) suffix; (4) in Arabic, as a true verb. In Ethiopic literally therein, German es gibt, is similar in use (Di^{Gr. § 167, l}), though not of course in origin. In Hebrew the corresponding negative is אַיִן‎, q. v., the construction of which is quite similar) — is, are, was, were, etc., not, however, as a mere copula, but implying existence with emphasis (hence in English to be often represented by the substantive verb in italics):

a. with a predicate following, Genesis 28:16 י ישׁ ׳אכן הזה במקום‎ surely Y. is (emphatic) in this place! 44:26 אִתְּכֶם אָחִינוּ יֵשׁ אִם‎; Exodus 17:7 אַיִן אִם בְּקִרְבֵּנוּ יהוה הֲיֵשׁ‎, Numbers 22:29 בידי חרב ישׁ לו‎ Oh, that there were a sword in my hand! Deuteronomy 13:4 אֹהֲבִים הֲיִשְׁכֶם‎ whether you do love, 29:17 אישׁ בכם ישׁ פן‎, 29:18; 1 Samuel 9:11f. and they said, Is the seer here? and they said יֵשׁ‎ He is, 20:8; 23:23; Jeremiah 27:18. Alone, in answer to a question (asked with יֵשׁ‎), He (it) is: 1 Samuel 9:12; 2 Kings 10:15; Jeremiah 37:17. But 23:26 (where ישׁ‎ has no substantive or suffix) text must be corrupt: compare Gie.

b. absolutely, there is (es. gibt, il y a), Genesis 18:24 בעיר צדיקים חמשׁים ישׁ אולי‎ perhaps there are fifty righteous in the city, 24:23 ללון לנו מקום אביך בית הישׁ‎, 42:1 ׳במצ שׁבר ישׁ כי‎ that there was corn in Egypt, Judges 4:20 אישׁ פה הישׁ‎, 2 Samuel 9:1; 2 Kings 5:8 he shall know that there is (emphatic) a prophet in Israel, Ruth 3:12 there is a kinsman nearer than I, Psalm 58:12 surely there are gods judging on the earth: so in aphorisms, asserting the existence of a particular character, quality, etc., Proverbs 11:24 עוד ונוסף מפזר ישׁ‎, 12:18; 13:7, 23; 14:12; 16:25; 18:24; 20:15; Ecclesiastes 2:21; 4:8; 5:12; 6:1, 11; 7:15 (twice in verse); 8:14 (3 t. in verse); 10:5. In questions, or protestations, יֵשׁ‎ often implies a doubt whether what is asked about is to be found or exists: 1 Kings 18:10; Jeremiah 5:1 and see אישׁ ישׁ אם‎ if there is (emphatic) a man doing justice, etc. (compare Psalm 14:2), Psalm 14:22; Isaiah 44:8 אלהים הישׁ‎ is there a god beside me? Psalm 7:4 בכפי עול ישׁ אם‎ if there is iniquity in my hands! 73:11 is there knowledge in the Most High? Job 5:1; 6:30; Lamentations 1:2.

c. special phrases: — (a) after אִם‎ and a participle, where an abiding intention is to be emphasized, Genesis 24:42 דרכי מצליח אםיֿשׁךנֿא‎ if thou art (really), prospering my way, 24:49; 43:4; Judges 6:36 (compare II. אין‎

2b). (b) לְ יֵשׁ‎ = has (had), especially with pronouns לְךָ יֵשׁ לִי, יֵשׁ‎; etc., Genesis 33:9 רָב יֶשׁלִֿי‎ I have plenty, 33:11; 43:7 אח לכם הישׁ‎, 44:20 זקן אב לנו ישׁ‎, 1 Samuel 17:40 that they may know לישׂראל אלהים ישׁ כי‎ that Israel has (emphatic) a god, 2 Kings 4:2 מַהיֶּֿשׁלָֿכְי‎ what hast thou ? Job 14:7 for a tree has (emphatic) hope (compare Ruth 1:12), Ruth 25:3; Ruth 28:1; Ruth 38:28 אב למטר ׃הישׁ‎ Genesis 39:5 (twice in verse); 39:8, * F f יֶשׁלֿו אשׁר כל‎ all that had (39:4 without אשׁר‎, probably error). (c) with infinitive and לְ‎, is it possible to... ? 2 Kings 4:13; לדברלֿך הישׁ‎ can-1speak for thee to the king? 2 Chronicles 25:9; so לְ אִשׁ‎ 2 Samuel 14:19 (compare לְ אֵין‎, below II. אַיִן‎

5). (d)... אֲשֶׁר יֵשׁ‎ (if) it was that... Numbers 9:20-21, there were some who... (with participle) Nehemiah 5:2-3, 4 (compare Syriac for ὃ μὲν... ὃ δὲ ... Matthew 13:8; PS¹⁷²). (e) יָדִי יֶשׁלְֿאֵל‎ Genesis 31:29 and elsewhere; see II. אֵל‎

7, p. 43. (f) 2 Kings 10:15 וָיֵשׁ‎ and (if) it be... (compare וָלֹא‎ 5:17; 2 Samuel 13:26); so Judges 6:13 י ׳וְיֵשׁ אִתָּנוּ‎. (g) pleonastic יֵשׁ אֵין‎ Psalm 135:17. (h) יֵשׁ לֹא‎ Job 9:33 (compare , : but ᵑ6 ᵐ5‎ Me and others לֻא‎). — As a rule, יֵשׁ‎ precedes its substantive (from which, however, like אין‎, it may be separated: Genesis 24:23; 43:7 אָח לָכֶם הֲיֵשׁ‎, 44:19-20, 1 Samuel 20:8 etc.); but occasionally, for greater emphasis, this is prefixed: 21:5 ישׁ קדשׁ לחם אם כי‎ but holy bread there is! Isaiah 43:8 the blind people, ישׁ ועינים‎ though it has eyes, Judges 19:19 לי ישׁ ויין לחם‎ (compare אַיִן‎ 2c).