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, [whence (self-) existent, essence, substance], with לָא contracted לַיִת, לֵית, ; Mandean עת, עית, לאיית; 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 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 (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 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 for ὃ μὲν... ὃ δὲ ... Matthew 13:8; PS¹⁷²). (e) יֶשׁלְֿאֵל יָדִי Genesis 31:29 and elsewhere; see II. אֵל

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 , : but ᵐ5 ᵑ6 Me and others לֻא). — As a rule, יֵשׁ precedes its substantive (from which, however, like אין, it may be separated: Genesis 24:23; Genesis 43:7 הֲיֵשׁ לָכֶם אָח, Genesis 44:19,20; 1 Samuel 20:8 etc.); but occasionally, for greater emphasis, this is prefixed: 1 Samuel 21:5 כי אם לחם קדשׁ ישׁ but holy bread there is! Isaiah 43:8 the blind people, ועינים ישׁ though it has eyes, Judges 19:19 לחם ויין ישׁ לי (compare אַיִן 2c).