Difference between revisions of "There Is"

There Is <ref name="term_76569" />  

<p> <em> Yêsh </em> ( יֵשׁ, Strong'S #3426), “there is; substance; he/she/ it is/are.” Cognates of this word are attested in Ugaritic, Aramaic, Akkadian, Amorite, and Arabic. It appears about 137 times and in all periods of biblical Hebrew. </p> <p> This particle is used substantively only in Prov. 8:21: “… That I may cause those that love me to inherit substance; and I will fill their treasures.” </p> <p> In all other appearances the word asserts existence with emphasis. Sometimes <em> yêsh </em> appears with a predicate following, as it does in Gen. 28:16: “And [[Jacob]] awaked out of his sleep, and he said, Surely the Lord is in this place; and I knew it not.” In a few passages the word is used as a response to an inquiry: “Is the seer here? And they [the young maidens] answered them, and said, He is; behold, he is before you …” (1 Sam. 9:11-12). Used absolutely the word can mean “there is/are/was/were,” as it does in Gen. 18:24 (the first biblical appearance): “Peradventure there be fifty righteous within the city …?” In many contexts <em> yêsh </em> used in framing questions or protestations suggests doubt that the matter queried exists or is to be found: “As the Lord thy God liveth, there is no nation or kingdom, whither my lord hath not sent to seek thee: and when they said, He is not there; he took an oath of the kingdom and nation, that they found thee not” (1 Kings 18:10). This is especially clear in Jer. 5:1, where God commands the prophet to go and seek “if ye can find a man, if there be any that executeth judgment, that seeketh the truth.…” </p> <p> There are several other special uses of <em> yêsh. </em> Used with the particle <em> ‘im </em> and a participle, it emphasizes abiding intention: “And I came this day unto the well, and said, O Lord God of my master Abraham, if now thou do prosper my way which I go [literally, if there surely is a prospering of my way; or if it surely is that you intend to prosper] …” (Gen. 24:42). [[Possession]] is sometimes indicated by <em> yêsh </em> plus the preposition <em> le </em> : “And Esau said, I have enough, my brother …” (Gen. 33:9). Used with the infinitive and the preposition <em> le </em> , <em> yêsh </em> signifies possibility—Elisha told the [[Shunammite]] woman: “… Behold, thou hast been careful for us with all this care; what is to be done for thee? <em> Wouldest </em> thou be spoken for to the king, or to the captain of the host [is it possible that you want me to speak a word in your behalf to]?” (2 Kings 4:13). </p>

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