Lexical Summary ethan: Enduring, Perpetual, Permanent, Strong Original Word: אֵיתָן Strong's Exhaustive Concordance hard, mighty, rough, strength, strong Or (shortened) ethan {ay-thawn'}; from an unused root (meaning to continue); permanence; hence (concrete) permanent; specifically a chieftain -- hard, mighty, rough, strength, strong. NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom an unused word Definition perennial, ever-flowing, permanence NASB Translation enduring (3), ever-flowing (2), firm (1), hard (1), normal state (1), perennially (2), running water (1), secure ones (1), unceasing (1). Brown-Driver-Briggs I. אֵיתָן, אֵתָן adjective perennial, ever-flowing, figurative permanent, as substantive steady flow, permanence; — absolute אֵיתָן Genesis 49:24 8t.; אֵתָן Job 33:19; suffix אֵיתָנוֺ Exodus 14:27; plural אֵיתָנִים Job 12:19; אֵתָנִים 1 Kings 8:2; Micah 6:2; (in form, an 'elative,' Ew§ 162 b = Arabic comparative and superlative); — 1 ever-flowing (opposed to אַכְזָב), נַחַל אֵיתָן Amos 5:24 an ever-flowing wady, Deuteronomy 21:4 (see Dr); as substantive in נַהֲרוֺת אֵיתָּן Psalm 74:15 rivers of steady flow; as substantive also Exodus 14:27 (J), the sea returned לְאֵיתָנוֺ to its steady flow, יֶרַת הָאֵיתָנִים 1 Kings 8:2 month of steady flowings = 7th mo., Oct.-;Nov. (post-Biblical Tisri). 2 figurative permanent, enduring גּוֺי אֵיתָן הוּא Jeremiah 5:15, i.e. a nation whose numbers never dwindle or fail, imperishable, ׳וְרִיב עֲצָמָיו א Job 33:19 Kt the strife of his bones is constant, Genesis 49:24 his bow abode ׳בְּא as an enduring, firm, one, מוֺשָֽׁבְךָ ׳א Numbers 24:21 ("" שִׂים בַּסֶּלַע), נְוֵה אֵיתָן Jeremiah 49:19 = Jeremiah 50:44 an abode of permanency (of Edom, and Babylon, suddenly depopulated by foe, figured as lion); האיתנים מוסדי ארץ Micah 6:2 ye ever-enduring ones, the foundations of the earth (but read probably with We הַאֲזִינוּ), Job 12:19 אֵיתָנִים יְסַלֵּף he subverteth them that are firmly seated (i.e. men established in hereditary offices or dignities). Very uncertain is Proverbs 13:15 דֶּרֶךְ בִּגְדִים אֵיתָן, perhaps firm, hard, rugged (Ew De Hi Now according to Str. the text is corrupt). Topical Lexicon Meaning and Thematic Overview אֵיתָן consistently conveys the idea of something that is enduring, forceful, or firmly established. Whether describing physical phenomena such as watercourses and seas, or personal qualities like steadfastness and might, the word paints a portrait of strength that does not ebb with time. Because Scripture regards the Lord as the ultimate source of all strength and permanence, occurrences of אֵיתָן frequently become windows into His character and ways. Occurrences in Narrative and Poetry • Genesis 49:24 retells Joseph’s trials: “Yet his bow remained steady, and his arms were made agile by the hands of the Mighty One of Jacob.” Joseph’s resilience under affliction is labeled אֵיתָן, linking human endurance to divine enablement. • Exodus 14:27 records the Red Sea miracle: “Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and at daybreak the sea returned to its normal depth.” The sea’s “normal” (אֵיתָן) power was temporarily restrained, underscoring God’s sovereignty over even the most relentless forces of creation. • Numbers 24:21 pictures the Kenites: “Your dwelling place is secure, and your nest is set in a rock.” Their settlement is אֵיתָן—safe and unassailable—until judged by God (verse 22), showing that true security is conditional on His favor. • Deuteronomy 21:4 requires the heifer to be killed in “a valley with flowing water,” literally a valley of אֵיתָן. The setting, untouched by cultivation, evokes the untainted strength of nature and the seriousness of unresolved bloodguilt. • Job 12:19 says God “overthrows the mighty,” while Job 33:19 describes “unceasing pain” (אֵיתָן). Both texts remind sufferers that human fortitude and even relentless affliction are ultimately subject to God’s purposes. • Psalm 74:15 praises God who “dried up ever-flowing rivers.” The poet marvels that streams regarded as perpetual (אֵיתָן) yield at His command. • Proverbs 13:15 contrasts favor with the “hard path” (אֵיתָן) of the treacherous. What seems invincibly secure becomes a metaphor for the inescapable consequences of sin. • Jeremiah 5:15 warns of “a mighty nation” (אֵיתָן) sent as judgment; Jeremiah 49:19 and 50:44 compare Babylon’s invader to a lion emerging from a “perennial thicket.” Human empires borrow their apparent inexorability from the God who raises and removes them. • Amos 5:24 calls for justice to “roll on like waters and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.” The prophetic plea envisions societal righteousness possessing the same tireless momentum (אֵיתָן) found in God’s own nature. • Micah 6:2 summons the “enduring foundations of the earth” to witness the LORD’s lawsuit, rooting the covenant charges in creation’s ancient steadfastness. Symbolism of Perpetuity and Strength 1. Natural Forces: Seas, rivers, valleys, and meadows characterized as אֵיתָן highlight creation’s durability, yet each instance shows that enduring forces remain subordinate to the Creator. Applications in Worship and Prophecy Psalmists and prophets employ אֵיתָן to bridge past acts of God with present faith and future hope. Remembering the Red Sea, Israel could trust God’s power despite apparently unyielding opposition. Prophets used the term both to indict and to inspire: indicting when the people relied on their own supposedly “mighty” resources, inspiring when they were called to let righteousness become “ever-flowing.” Ethical and Devotional Lessons • Dependence on Divine Strength: Joseph’s endurance, the Red Sea’s restraint, and the overthrow of nations collectively teach that true stability resides only in God. Christological and Eschatological Trajectories The Old Testament’s portrait of unending strength finds ultimate fulfillment in Jesus Christ, the “Rock of Ages,” whose kingdom is described as eternal and unshakable. The river of living water in Revelation 22 reflects the prophetic longing that justice and life flow אֵיתָן forever. For the church, the word becomes a summons to stand firm in the faith, empowered by the One whose strength never falters. Forms and Transliterations אֵיתָ֔ן אֵיתָ֣ן אֵיתָֽן׃ אֵיתָן֒ אֵיתָן֙ אֵתָֽן׃ איתן איתן׃ אתן׃ בְּאֵיתָן֙ באיתן וְאֵֽתָנִ֣ים וְהָאֵתָנִ֖ים ואתנים והאתנים לְאֵ֣יתָנ֔וֹ לאיתנו ’ê·ṯān ’êṯān bə’êṯān bə·’ê·ṯān beeiTan eiTan eTan lə’êṯānōw lə·’ê·ṯā·nōw leEitaNo veetaNim vehaetaNim wə’êṯānîm wə·’ê·ṯā·nîm wə·hā·’ê·ṯā·nîm wəhā’êṯānîmLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Genesis 49:24 HEB: וַתֵּ֤שֶׁב בְּאֵיתָן֙ קַשְׁתּ֔וֹ וַיָּפֹ֖זּוּ NAS: remained firm, And his arms KJV: abode in strength, and the arms INT: remained firm his bow were agile Exodus 14:27 Numbers 24:21 Deuteronomy 21:4 Job 12:19 Job 33:19 Psalm 74:15 Proverbs 13:15 Jeremiah 5:15 Jeremiah 49:19 Jeremiah 50:44 Amos 5:24 Micah 6:2 13 Occurrences |
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