Word Study for H5870 (עַיִן) | Strong's Concordance

ʻayin /ah'-yin/ Ask about this word

Root(Aramaic) corresponding to עַיִן

Meaningan eye

KJV usageeye.

Word Study

In depth

A plain-language study of ʻayin — the range of meaning it carries, how Scripture actually uses it, and where it points. Written for readers who don’t know the original language.

Core Meaning & Semantic Range

The Aramaic word ʻayin, represented by H5870, corresponds to the term for eye. It appears 5 times across 4 unique verses, where it denotes both the physical organ of sight and the concept of perception or watchfulness.

Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis

In its biblical usage, H5870 is applied in both literal and symbolic contexts. It is used to describe an act of reverence and restored sanity when Nebuchadnezzar "lifted up" his eyes to heaven Daniel 4:34. In a protective sense, "the eye of their God was upon the elders of the Jews," preventing their enemies from stopping their work Ezra 5:5. Prophetically, it symbolizes intelligence and perception, as seen in Daniel's vision of a horn that had "eyes like the eyes of man" Daniel 7:8.

Related Words & Concepts

Several related words provide deeper context for the actions and concepts associated with the eye:

H1934 hâvâʼ (to exist; be): This word establishes the state of divine watchfulness, stating that the eye of God was upon the elders, signifying His constant presence and oversight Ezra 5:5.
H5191 nᵉṭal (to raise; take up): This verb describes the physical action connected with sight, as when Nebuchadnezzar lifted up his eyes toward heaven in a moment of clarity Daniel 4:34.
H2376 chêzêv (a sight; look, vision): This term is connected to the appearance of the horn in Daniel's vision, whose look was more stout than his fellows, emphasizing the power and intelligence conveyed by its eyes Daniel 7:20.
H6433 pum (the mouth): This word is used in parallel with H5870 to describe the prophetic horn, which had both eyes and a mouth that spoke great things, linking perception with expression (Daniel 7:8, Daniel 7:20).

Theological Significance

The theological weight of H5870 is seen in its varied applications, highlighting different forms of perception.

Divine Watchfulness: The "eye of God" represents His providential care and protection over His people, ensuring their purposes are fulfilled despite opposition Ezra 5:5.
Human Acknowledgment: The lifting of the eyes is portrayed as a pivotal moment of human recognition of divine authority, leading to restored understanding and praise Daniel 4:34.
Symbol of Intelligence: In prophetic visions, eyes on a symbolic figure like the horn denote cunning, awareness, and a human-like intelligence that characterizes a worldly power Daniel 7:8.

Summary

In summary, H5870 moves beyond its simple definition of eye to become a powerful symbol. It is a cornerstone for understanding themes of divine oversight, human repentance, and the nature of worldly wisdom in the Aramaic portions of Scripture. The word illustrates how sight can represent everything from a physical action to God's protective presence and the cunning intelligence of prophetic powers.

How the KJV Renders It

Translation

Strong’s lists the renderings but not their weight. These are counted from the King James text of the tagged verses — the bar under each is how often the translators actually reached for it. Select one to filter the occurrences below.

Grammatical Forms

Morphology

In the Hebrew Old Testament, this word appears as a noun across 5 occurrences, inflected in 3 grammatical forms — each row is one form, and the bar is how often it is that form. Select any form to read what each part of its name means, and to filter the occurrence list to it.

עַיְנִין
עַיְנַ
עֵין

Theographic Context

Context

The people, places, and span of history the verses containing this word touch on — drawn from the theographic tagging of Scripture. Select any name to isolate its verses in the occurrence list.

Biblical Distribution

Distribution

Appears in 4 verses across 2 of the 39 books. Most frequent in Daniel (3 verses); never once in the other 37.

Ezra

Daniel

Every Occurrence

Concordance

Every verse where the word is tagged in the King James text. Filter by book, by the English word the translators chose, by grammatical form, or search within the verses.

Sources. Definition and numbering: James Strong, Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible (1890). Morphology: STEPBible / Tyndale House (CC BY). Verse tagging: the King James text keyed to Strong’s numbers. Every count on this page is computed from the tagged corpus, not estimated.