Word Study for H386 (אֵיתָן) | Strong's Concordance

ʼêythân /ay-thawn'/ Ask about this word

Rootor (shortened) אֵתָן · from an unused root (meaning to continue)

Meaningpermanence; hence (concrete) permanent; specifically a chieftain

KJV usagehard, mighty, rough, strength, strong.

Word Study

In depth

A plain-language study of ʼêythân — 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 Hebrew word ʼêythân, represented by H386, conveys concepts of permanence, strength, and hardness. Its definition includes terms like mighty, strong, hard, and rough. It appears 13 times across 13 unique verses in the Bible, used to describe things that are lasting, powerful, or rugged in nature.

Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis

In scripture, H386 is applied to both the natural world and human affairs. It describes the perpetual force of a mighty stream Amos 5:24 and the enduring strength of the sea Exodus 14:27. It is used to characterize the seemingly permanent foundations of a dwelling place, as when Balaam describes the Kenites' home as Strong Numbers 24:21. The term also defines the formidable power of a mighty nation Jeremiah 5:15 and the difficult path of transgressors, which is described as hard Proverbs 13:15. It can even depict the intensity of suffering, such as strong pain Job 33:19.

Related Words & Concepts

Several related words help illustrate the concept of enduring strength and permanence:

H4146 môwçâdâh (foundation): This word is used directly with H386 in Micah 6:2 to describe the "strong foundations of the earth," linking permanence to the very structure of creation.
H5158 nachal (stream, valley): This term appears alongside H386 to depict a "mighty stream" in Amos 5:24 and a "rough valley" in Deuteronomy 21:4, highlighting both the power of flowing water and the hardness of the terrain.
H5553 çelaʻ (a craggy rock, a fortress): In Numbers 24:21, the Kenites' dwelling is described as strong H386 because they put their nest in a rock H5553, connecting the idea of strength to the security of a rocky fortress.

Theological Significance

The theological weight of H386 is significant, often contrasting created strength with the Creator's ultimate power.

Enduring Divine Power: The word illustrates God's sovereignty over creation. He is the one who can cleave the fountain and the flood and dry up mighty H386 rivers Psalms 74:15, and the earth's strong foundations H386 are part of His divine order Micah 6:2.
The Unfailing Nature of Justice: In Amos 5:24, H386 is used metaphorically to command that judgment and righteousness flow with the constant, powerful force of a mighty stream, establishing justice as an enduring principle of God's kingdom.
The Limits of Human Might: While H386 describes mighty chieftains and nations (Job 12:19, Jeremiah 5:15), the context often reveals their frailty. God is the one who "overthroweth the mighty" Job 12:19, and the hard way of transgressors is a path leading to difficulty Proverbs 13:15.

Summary

In summary, H386 is a multifaceted word that signifies more than simple physical power. It represents enduring strength, whether in the relentless flow of a mighty river, the secure foundation of a mountain, or the formidable might of a nation. Theologically, it serves to draw a line between the temporal, created strength of the world and the eternal, sovereign power of God, who alone establishes what is truly permanent and can overturn any strength that stands apart from Him.

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 an adjective across 14 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.

אֵיתָן
אֵתָנִים
אֵיתָנ

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 13 verses across 10 of the 39 books. Most frequent in Jeremiah (3 verses); never once in the other 29.

Genesis

Exodus

Numbers

Deuteronomy

Job

Psalms

Proverbs

Jeremiah

Amos

Micah

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.