Lexical Summary yesh: There is, there are, existence, presence Original Word: יֵשׁ Strong's Exhaustive Concordance there are, he, it, shall, there, there may, there shall, there should be, Perhaps from an unused root meaning to stand out, or exist; entity; used adverbially or as a copula for the substantive verb (hayah); there is or are (or any other form of the verb to be, as may suit the connection) -- (there) are, (he, it, shall, there, there may, there shall, there should) be, thou do, had, hast, (which) hath, (I, shalt, that) have, (he, it, there) is, substance, it (there) was, (there) were, ye will, thou wilt, wouldest. see HEBREW hayah NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originof uncertain derivation Definition being, substance, existence, is NASB Translation any (1), Gaddi (1), going (1), had (1), has (4), have (17), owned (3), owns (1), sometimes (2), there (70), there are any (1), there is any (1), there any (5), there had been (1), wealth (1), will (1), would (1). Brown-Driver-Briggs יֵשׁ187 substantive being, substance, existence (on etymology see 2) — יֵשׁ Genesis 18:24 etc.; יֶשֿׁ Genesis 31:29 + often; הֲיֵשׁ Genesis 24:23 18t. (so אִשׁ 2 Samuel 14:19 , הַאִשׁ Micah 6:10 ), with suffix יֶשְׁךָ Genesis 24:42 2t.; יֶשְׁכֶם Genesis 24:49 ; הֲיִשְׁכֶם Deuteronomy 13:4 ; יֶשְׁנוֺ (Ol§ 97 b Sta§ 370 b) Deuteronomy 29:14; 1 Samuel 14:39 (+ 1 Samuel 14:41 ᵐ5 We Dr), 1 Samuel 23:23; Esther 3:8 ; — 1 substance, only Proverbs 8:21 לְהַנְחִיל אֹהֲבַי יֵשׁ 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 איתא, אית, a. with a predicate following, Genesis 28:16 במקום הזה ׳אכן ישׁ י surely Y. is (emphatic) in this place! Genesis 44:26 אִם יֵשׁ אָחִינוּ אִתְּכֶם; Exodus 17:7 הֲיֵשׁ יהוה בְּקִרְבֵּנוּ אִם אַיִן, Numbers 22:29 לו ישׁ חרב בידי Oh, that there were a sword in my hand! Deuteronomy 13:4 הֲיִשְׁכֶם אֹהֲבִים whether you do love, Deuteronomy 29:17 פן ישׁ בכם אישׁ, Deuteronomy 29:18; 1 Samuel 9:11f. and they said, Is the seer here? and they said יֵשׁ He is, 1 Samuel 20:8; 1 Samuel 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 Jeremiah 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 אולי ישׁ חמשׁים צדיקים בעיר perhaps there are fifty righteous in the city, Genesis 24:23 הישׁ בית אביך מקום לנו ללון, Genesis 42:1 כי ישׁ שׁבר ׳במצ that there was corn in Egypt, Judges 4:20 הישׁ פה אישׁ, 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 ישׁ מפזר ונוסף עוד, Proverbs 12:18; Proverbs 13:7,23; Proverbs 14:12; Proverbs 16:25; Proverbs 18:24; Proverbs 20:15; Ecclesiastes 2:21; Ecclesiastes 4:8; Ecclesiastes 5:12; Ecclesiastes 6:1,11; Ecclesiastes 7:15 (twice in verse); Ecclesiastes 8:14 (3 t. in verse); Ecclesiastes 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 אם ישׁ אישׁ if there is (emphatic) a man doing justice, etc. (compare Psalm 14:2), Psalm 14:22; Isaiah 44:8 הישׁ אלהים is there a god beside me? Psalm 7:4 אם ישׁ עול בכפי if there is iniquity in my hands! Psalm 73:11 is there knowledge in the Most High? Job 5:1; Job 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 אםיֿשׁךנֿא מצליח דרכי if thou art (really), prospering my way, Genesis 24:49; Genesis 43:4; Judges 6:36 (compare II. אין 2b). (b) יֵשׁ לְ = has (had), especially with pronouns יֵשׁ לִי, יֵשׁ לְךָ; etc., Genesis 33:9 יֶשׁלִֿי רָב I have plenty, Genesis 33:11; Genesis 43:7 הישׁ לכם אח, Genesis 44:20 ישׁ לנו אב זקן, 1 Samuel 17:40 that they may know כי ישׁ אלהים לישׂראל 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 ׃הישׁ למטר אב Genesis 39:5 (twice in verse); Genesis 39:8, * F f כל אשׁר יֶשׁלֿו all that had (Genesis 39:4 without אשׁר, probably error). (c) with infinitive and לְ, is it possible to... ? 2 Kings 4:13; הישׁ לדברלֿך can-1speak for thee to the king? 2 Chronicles 25:9; so אִשׁ לְ 2 Samuel 14:19 (compare אֵין לְ, below II. אַיִן 5). (d)... יֵשׁ אֲשֶׁר (if) it was that... Numbers 9:20,21; there were some who... (with participle) Nehemiah 5:2,3,4 (compare Syriac 7, p. 43. (f) 2 Kings 10:15 וָיֵשׁ and (if) it be... (compare וָלֹא 2 Kings 5:17; 2 Samuel 13:26); so Judges 6:13 אִתָּנוּ ׳וְיֵשׁ י. (g) pleonastic אֵין יֵשׁ Psalm 135:17. (h) לֹא יֵשׁ Job 9:33 (compare Topical Lexicon Overview Strong’s Hebrew 3426 (יֵשׁ, yesh) signals positive existence or possession: “there is,” “there are,” “there exists,” “there belongs.” Found about 138 times from Genesis to Ecclesiastes, the particle stands in deliberate contrast to the negative particle אֵין (ein, “there is not”). The two together form a theological polarity that anchors the Bible’s presentation of reality—what exists because God wills it, and what is ruled out because of His unique sovereignty. Existential Affirmation in the Narrative Books 1. Patriarchal accounts use yesh to confirm what is tangibly present. Divine Presence and Self-Revelation Yesh regularly affirms God’s nearness and exclusive deity: The positive particle secures the assertion that the covenant God truly exists and intervenes. By coupling with the negative (ein), prophets can declare both what is and what can never be: “There is (yesh) a Redeemer…there is not (ein) another.” Covenantal Assurance Use of yesh in oath-formulae and treaty language grounds promises in observable reality. For example, 1 Samuel 20:8 – “If there is guilt in me, put me to death yourself,” anchors Jonathan’s covenant with David in moral truthfulness, reinforcing that covenant obligations are not abstract ideals but concrete realities. Wisdom Literature and Human Experience Job, Proverbs, and Ecclesiastes employ yesh to probe life’s meaning. Prophetic Certainty and Eschatological Hope Prophets use yesh to pledge coming salvation: Liturgical and Devotional Usage In Psalms yesh frames both testimony and petition: Frequency and Distribution Approximate occurrences: The spread shows a consistent reliance on yesh across genres to assert factuality, underscoring Scripture’s unity. Doctrinal and Pastoral Implications 1. Reality Defined by God: What “is” or “is not” finds ultimate reference in God’s will. Christological Trajectory The Old Testament pattern of yesh anticipates the New Testament revelation in Jesus Christ, who embodies divine existence: “In Him was life” (John 1:4). The incarnation moves the biblical affirmation from “there is a Redeemer” to “the Redeemer has come,” grounding salvation history in the tangible presence of Christ. Key Representative Texts Genesis 28:16 – “Surely the LORD is in this place, and I did not know it!” Exodus 20:3 – “You shall have no other gods before Me.” (implied: none exist) 1 Samuel 17:46 – “That all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel.” 2 Chronicles 15:3 – “For a long time Israel was without the true God, without a priest to teach, and without the law.” Psalm 100:3 – “Know that the LORD is God.” Isaiah 40:28 – “Do you not know? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God.” Daniel 2:28 – “But there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries.” Malachi 2:10 – “Do we not all have one Father? Has not one God created us?” Conclusion Whenever Scripture wishes to impress upon readers the certainty of God’s presence, the reality of His promises, or the factual state of affairs in covenant history, it employs yesh. Recognizing this particle’s function deepens appreciation for the Bible’s testimony that ultimate reality is not fluid or subjective but grounded in the living God who truly “is.” Forms and Transliterations הֲיִשְׁכֶ֤ם הֲיֵ֛שׁ הֲיֵ֣שׁ הֲיֵ֤שׁ הֲיֵ֥שׁ הֲיֵ֧שׁ הֲיֵ֨שׁ הֲיֵֽשׁ־ הֲיֵשׁ־ היש היש־ הישכם וְיֵ֖שׁ וְיֵ֞שׁ וְיֵ֣שׁ וְיֵ֤שׁ וְיֵ֥שׁ וְיֵ֨שׁ וְיֵשׁ֙ וְיֵשׁ־ וְיֶשׁ־ וָיֵ֖שׁ ויש ויש־ יֵ֑שׁ יֵ֔שׁ יֵ֖שׁ יֵ֚שׁ יֵ֛שׁ יֵ֣שׁ יֵ֤שׁ יֵ֥שׁ יֵ֨שׁ יֵ֪שׁ יֵּ֖שׁ יֵּ֧שׁ יֵֽשׁ־ יֵשׁ֩ יֵשׁ־ יֶּשׁ־ יֶשְׁךָ֛ יֶשְׁךָ֞ יֶשְׁךָ־ יֶשְׁכֶ֨ם יֶשְׁנ֛וֹ יֶשְׁנ֜וֹ יֶשְׁנ֣וֹ יֶשׁ־ יש יש־ ישך ישך־ ישכם ישנו שֶׁיֵּ֥שׁ שיש hă·yêš hă·yêš- hă·yiš·ḵem hăyêš hăyêš- haYesh hayishChem hăyišḵem še·yêš šeyêš sheiYesh vaYesh veyesh wā·yêš wāyêš wə·yêš wə·yeš- wə·yêš- wəyêš wəyeš- wəyêš- yêš yeš- yêš- yeš·ḵā yeš·ḵā- yeš·ḵem yeš·nōw yesh yeshcha yeshChem yeshNo yešḵā yešḵā- yešḵem yešnōwLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Genesis 18:24 HEB: אוּלַ֥י יֵ֛שׁ חֲמִשִּׁ֥ים צַדִּיקִ֖ם NAS: Suppose there are fifty righteous KJV: Peradventure there be fifty righteous INT: Suppose there are fifty righteous Genesis 23:8 Genesis 24:23 Genesis 24:42 Genesis 24:49 Genesis 28:16 Genesis 31:29 Genesis 33:9 Genesis 33:11 Genesis 39:4 Genesis 39:5 Genesis 39:5 Genesis 39:8 Genesis 42:1 Genesis 42:2 Genesis 43:4 Genesis 43:7 Genesis 44:19 Genesis 44:20 Genesis 44:26 Genesis 47:6 Exodus 17:7 Numbers 9:20 Numbers 9:21 Numbers 13:20 138 Occurrences |
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[whence 
(self-) existent, 
essence, substance], with לָא contracted לַיִת, לֵית, 
; Mandean עת, עית, לאיית; Arabic [with irregular 
] 
(inflected as a verb, 
, 
, etc.; WAG i. § 182, ii. § 42) is not (
is known only in two proverbial sayings, as a secondary form FlKl. Schr. i. 146 f.); Assyrian išû, be, have DlHWB 310; with affix 1 singular la-a i-ša-a-ku, I have not, TPi. 57 f.. On this word, see especially NöM. § 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 לית אנא, לית הוא); (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 (DiGr. § 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): 
for ὃ μὲν... ὃ δὲ ... Matthew 13:8; 
PS172). (e) יֶשׁלְֿאֵל יָדִי 
, 
: but ᵐ5 ᵑ6 Me and others לֻא). — As a rule, יֵשׁ precedes its substantive (from which, however, like אין, it may be separated: