H3426. yesh
יֵשׁ187 substantive being, substance, existence (on etymology see 2) — יֵשׁ [Gen 18:24] etc.; יֶשֿׁ [31:29] + often; הֲיֵשׁ [24:23] [18]t. (so אִשׁ [2Sam 14:19] , הַאִשׁ [Micah 6:10] ), with suffix יֶשְׁךָ [Gen 24:42] [2]t.; יֶשְׁכֶם [24:49] ; הֲיִשְׁכֶם [Deut 13:4] ; יֶשְׁנוֺ (Ol§ 97 b Sta§ 370 b) [29:14]; [1Sam 14:39] (+ [14:41] ᵐ5 We Dr), [23:23]; [Est 3:8] ; —
1 substance, only [Prov 8:21] יֵשׁ אֹהֲבַי לְהַנְחִיל 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 אית איתא,, [whence (self-) existent, essence, substance], with לָא contracted לֵית לַיִת,, ; Mandean לאיית עית, עת,; Arabic [with irregular ] (inflected as a verb, , , etc.; WAG i. § 182, ii. § 42) is not ( is known only in two proverbial sayings, as a secondary form FlKl. Schr. i. 146 f.); Assyrian išû, be, have DlHWB 310; with affix 1 singular la-a i-ša-a-ku, I have not, TPi. 57 f.. On this word, see especially NöM. § 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 הוא לית אנא, לית); (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 (DiGr. § 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, [Gen 28:16] י ישׁ ׳אכן הזה במקום surely Y. is (emphatic) in this place! [44:26] אִתְּכֶם אָחִינוּ יֵשׁ אִם; [Exod 17:7] אַיִן אִם בְּקִרְבֵּנוּ יהוה הֲיֵשׁ, [Num 22:29] בידי חרב ישׁ לו Oh, that there were a sword in my hand! [Deut 13:4] אֹהֲבִים הֲיִשְׁכֶם whether you do love, [29:17] אישׁ בכם ישׁ פן, [29:18]; [1Sam 9:11]f. and they said, Is the seer here? and they said יֵשׁ He is, [20:8]; [23:23]; [Jer 27:18]. Alone, in answer to a question (asked with יֵשׁ), He (it) is: [1Sam 9:12]; [2Kin 10:15]; [Jer 37:17]. But [23:26] (where ישׁ has no substantive or suffix) text must be corrupt: compare Gie.
b. absolutely, there is (es. gibt, il y a), [Gen 18:24] בעיר צדיקים חמשׁים ישׁ אולי perhaps there are fifty righteous in the city, [24:23] ללון לנו מקום אביך בית הישׁ, [42:1] ׳במצ שׁבר ישׁ כי that there was corn in Egypt, [Judg 4:20] אישׁ פה הישׁ, [2Sam 9:1]; [2Kin 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., [Prov 11:24] עוד ונוסף מפזר ישׁ, [12:18]; [13:7], [23]; [14:12]; [16:25]; [18:24]; [20:15]; [Eccl 2:21]; [4:8]; [5:12]; [6:1], [11]; [7:15] (twice in verse); [8:14] (3 t. in verse); [10:5]. In questions, or protestations, יֵשׁ often implies a doubt whether what is asked about is to be found or exists: [1Kin 18:10]; [Jer 5:1] and see אישׁ ישׁ אם if there is (emphatic) a man doing justice, etc. (compare [Psa 14:2]), Psalm 14:22; [Isa 44:8] אלהים הישׁ is there a god beside me? [Psa 7:4] בכפי עול ישׁ אם if there is iniquity in my hands! [73:11] is there knowledge in the Most High? [Job 5:1]; [6:30]; [Lam 1:2].
c. special phrases: — (a) after אִם and a participle, where an abiding intention is to be emphasized, [Gen 24:42] דרכי מצליח אםיֿשׁךנֿא if thou art (really), prospering my way, [24:49]; [43:4]; [Judg 6:36] (compare II. אין
2b). (b) לְ יֵשׁ = has (had), especially with pronouns לְךָ יֵשׁ לִי, יֵשׁ; etc., [Gen 33:9] רָב יֶשׁלִֿי I have plenty, [33:11]; [43:7] אח לכם הישׁ, [44:20] זקן אב לנו ישׁ, [1Sam 17:40] that they may know לישׂראל אלהים ישׁ כי that Israel has (emphatic) a god, [2Kin 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 אב למטר ׃הישׁ [Gen 39:5] (twice in verse); [39:8], * F f יֶשׁלֿו אשׁר כל all that had ([39:4] without אשׁר, probably error). (c) with infinitive and לְ, is it possible to... ? [2Kin 4:13]; לדברלֿך הישׁ can-1speak for thee to the king? [2Chr 25:9]; so לְ אִשׁ [2Sam 14:19] (compare לְ אֵין, below II. אַיִן
5). (d)... אֲשֶׁר יֵשׁ (if) it was that... [Num 9:20-21], there were some who... (with participle) [Neh 5:2-3], [4] (compare Syriac for ὃ μὲν... ὃ δὲ ... [Matt 13:8]; PS172). (e) יָדִי יֶשׁלְֿאֵל [Gen 31:29] and elsewhere; see II. אֵל
7, p. 43. (f) [2Kin 10:15] וָיֵשׁ and (if) it be... (compare וָלֹא [5:17]; [2Sam 13:26]); so [Judg 6:13] י ׳וְיֵשׁ אִתָּנוּ. (g) pleonastic יֵשׁ אֵין [Psa 135:17]. (h) יֵשׁ לֹא [Job 9:33] (compare , : but ᵑ6 ᵐ5 Me and others לֻא). — As a rule, יֵשׁ precedes its substantive (from which, however, like אין, it may be separated: [Gen 24:23]; [43:7] אָח לָכֶם הֲיֵשׁ, [44:19-20], [1Sam 20:8] etc.); but occasionally, for greater emphasis, this is prefixed: [21:5] ישׁ קדשׁ לחם אם כי but holy bread there is! [Isa 43:8] the blind people, ישׁ ועינים though it has eyes, [Judg 19:19] לי ישׁ ויין לחם (compare אַיִן 2c).