Lexical Summary in: Ephah Original Word: אִין Strong's Exhaustive Concordance not Apparently a shortened form of 'ayin; but (like 'aiyn) an interrogative: is it not? -- not. see HEBREW 'ayin see HEBREW 'aiyn NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originappar. a short. form of ayin Definition not. Brown-Driver-Briggs אִין 1 Samuel 21:9 וְאִין יֵשׁ ֗֗֗ probably irregular for) אֵין (so Ki Ges Ew§ 213 e, 286 h 1Sam 01:640 Sta§ 194 c) with יֵשׁ pleonastic (as Psalm 135:17); > dialect. = Aramaic  , אִין num? (De, but see DrSm on the passage) Topical Lexicon Scope and Setting The Hebrew particle אִין appears a single time in Scripture, 1 Samuel 21:9, during David’s urgent visit to the tabernacle at Nob. In that scene it conveys absolute exclusion—“there is no … but”—underscoring that only one sword, Goliath’s, was available to David. Narrative Significance 1 Samuel 21 records David’s flight from Saul, a moment of weakness and apparent lack. When the priest tells him, “there is no sword here but that one”, the emphatic אִין sets the stage for divine providence. The very weapon that once symbolized God’s victory over the Philistines is now the sole provision for the anointed king in exile. Thus, the word highlights how the Lord turns seeming scarcity into strategic supply. Historical and Cultural Insights • The sword of Goliath had been preserved “behind the ephod,” near the place of priestly intercession (1 Samuel 21:9). The negative particle draws attention to this relic’s uniqueness in Israel’s cultic setting. Theological Themes Uniqueness and Exclusivity: Scripture frequently stresses that “there is no God besides” the LORD (Deuteronomy 32:39; Isaiah 45:5). The lone occurrence of אִין echoes this motif, reinforcing that when all other options are exhausted, God’s provision stands alone. Providence in Crisis: David lacked ordinary weapons, yet the Lord had already arranged an extraordinary one. The emphatic “none” illuminates the principle that divine resources are often singular and unexpected, yet perfectly timed (cf. Philippians 4:19). Ministry Applications 1. Trust amid Lack: Believers confronted with apparent insufficiency may remember that God often works through the sole, unlikely means left at hand. Christological Foreshadowing David, the rejected yet rightful king, receives the only sword present, a reminder of his earlier victory that prefigures his future reign. Likewise, Jesus—rejected by His own—embraced the solitary path of the cross, the single means appointed for redemption (Acts 4:12). The exclusivity implied by אִין quietly anticipates the gospel’s declaration that salvation is found in no one else. Related Biblical Motifs • “There is none holy like the LORD” (1 Samuel 2:2). In each case, the language of “none” or “no other” magnifies divine uniqueness, a theme introduced in microcosm by the solitary occurrence of אִין at Nob. Conclusion Though only one Hebrew word in one verse, אִין powerfully frames a moment when God’s chosen king discovered that what seemed a deficiency was, in truth, an exclusive provision planned by the LORD. The term therefore stands as a linguistic monument to God’s singular sufficiency both in David’s account and in the life of every believer. Forms and Transliterations וְאִ֛ין ואין veIn wə’în wə·’înLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance 1 Samuel 21:9 HEB: דָּוִד֙ לַאֲחִימֶ֔לֶךְ וְאִ֛ין יֶשׁ־ פֹּ֥ה INT: and David Ahimelech not there are here |
    |