Original Word: הֵן
Part of Speech: demonstrative adverb; interjection; hypothetical particle; conjunction
Transliteration: hen
Pronunciation: hane
Phonetic Spelling: (hane)
Definition: Behold, lo, see
Meaning: lo!, if

Word Origin: Primitive particle

Corresponding Greek / Hebrew Entries: - G2400 (ἰδού, idou) - Behold, lo

- G1492 (εἶδον, eidon) - See, behold

Usage: The Hebrew word "hen" is an interjection used to draw attention to something significant or to emphasize a point. It is often translated as "behold," "lo," or "see" in English. This word serves as a literary device to alert the reader or listener to pay attention to what follows, often introducing a statement of importance or a divine revelation.

Cultural and Historical Background: In ancient Hebrew culture, oral communication was a primary means of conveying information, and interjections like "hen" played a crucial role in capturing the audience's attention. The use of "hen" in the Hebrew Bible reflects the oral tradition of storytelling and teaching, where emphasis and focus were necessary to convey the gravity of divine messages or significant events.

Word Origin
a prim. interj.
Definition
lo! behold!
NASB Translation
behold (79), even (1), good (1), here (1), if (12), lo (1), look (1), see (1), since (1), though (1).

II. הֵן₁₀₀ (הֶןֿ Numbers 23:9,24; Job 8:19,20; Job 13:1; Job 26:14; Job 33:6,12,29; Job 36:5,22,26; הֵןֿ Job 13:15; Job 36:30; Job 41:1 +)

demonstrative adverb or

interjection lo! behold (on etymology see הִנֵּה), less widely used than הִנֵּה, and in prose mostly confined to calling attention to some fact upon which action is to be taken, or a conclusion based;

a. Genesis 3:22 הֵן הָאָדָם הָיָה behold the man is become as one of us, & now lest, etc., Genesis 4:14 behold, thou hast driven me forth etc., Genesis 11:6; Genesis 15:3; Genesis 19:34; Genesis 27:11; Genesis 29:7; Genesis 30:34 (nearly = yea), Exodus 5:5; Exodus 6:12,30; Leviticus 10:18,19; Numbers 17:27; Deuteronomy 5:21 (in prose only in Pentateuch (23 t.) and Ezekiel 18:4 in this usage); in poetry, used more freely, but chiefly in Isa² & Job, — Numbers 23:9,24 (Balaam) Isaiah 23:13; Isaiah 32:1; Isaiah 33:7; Psalm 51:7; Psalm 51:8; Psalm 68:34; Psalm 78:20; Psalm 139:4; Proverbs 11:31 (stating the premiss to a conclusion introduced by אַף כִּי, q. v.), Proverbs 24:12: elsewhere (except in senses b, c) only in Isa² (23 t.) & Job (31 t), as Isaiah 40:15 (twice in verse); Isaiah 41:11,24,29; Isaiah 50:1,2,9 (twice in verse); Isaiah 50:11; Job 4:18; Job 15:15; Job 25:5 (in these three passages before אַף or אַף כִּי), Job 9:1,12 etc. (see above).

b. as a hypothetical particle, propounding a possibility, if (so Late Hebrew, Biblical Aramaic, Mandean, Palmyrene (ZMG 1888, 404); on the contrary Syriac , Palestinian ᵑ7 אִין, also Palmyrene (ib. p. 415), Arabic with א), a special application or development of the use a: Exodus 4:1 והן לא יאמינו לי and behold ( = and suppose) they will not believe me ? etc., Leviticus 25:20 and if (וְכִי) ye say, What shall we eat the 7th year ? הֵן לֹא נִזְרַע behold, we shall not sow etc. (i.e. supposing we do not sow), Isaiah 54:15; Job 40:23; 2Chronicles 7:13 (twice in verse) (2Chronicles 7:13 b וְאִם); stating the ground on which a question is based, Exodus 8:22 (וְלֹא = הֲלֹא), Jeremiah 3:1; Haggai 2:12 (see הֵן Aramaic b).

c. if, whether, in an indirect question, Jeremiah 2:10 רְאוּ הֵן הָֽיְתָה כָּזֹאת (but Gr הֲנִהְיְתָה); compare אִם 2b, and הֵן Aramaic 3

הֵן conjunction if, whether (Biblical Hebrew הֵן, q. v.: Zenjirli, Egyptian Aramaic (S-C^{Pap. A 7} +), Palmyrene, Nabataean הן, Mandean הין if [ᵑ7^{Onk Jon} use אם, ᵑ7^Jer אין, Syriac ]); —

1 if, Daniel 2:6; Daniel 3:15,17; Daniel 4:24; Daniel 5:16; Ezra 4:13,16; Ezra 5:17, הֵן לָא ֗֗֗ Daniel 2:5,9; Daniel 3:15; Daniel 3:18 הֵן לָ֔א if not.

2 repeated, הֵן ֗֗֗ הֵן sive ... sive, whether ... or (compare Biblical Hebrew אִם, 1b 1), Ezra 7:26 (so Palmyrene^{Tariff ii.c.19}).

3 in indirect question, whether (compare אִם, 2b), Ezra 5:17b יִתְבַּקַּר ֗֗֗ הֵן אִיתַי ֗֗֗ . — See also לָהֵן. p. 50, 243, 1099

הַסִּק etc., see סלק Haph`el

הרהר (check of following, ᵑ7 הַרְהֵר, Late Hebrew הִרְהֵר reflect, brood impurely D^{WB 112}; Syriac is injure, irritate, quarrel PS).

behold, if, lo, though

A primitive particle; lo!; also (as expressing surprise) if -- behold, if, lo, though.

הִ֠נְנִי הִנְּךָ֤ הִנְּךָ֥ הִנְּךָ֨ הִנְּכָ֤ה הִנְנ֛וּ הִנְנ֣וּ הִנְנ֤וּ הִנְנִ֔י הִנְנִ֕י הִנְנִ֖י הִנְנִ֛י הִנְנִ֣י הִנְנִ֣י ׀ הִנְנִ֤י הִנְנִ֥י הִנְנִ֧י הִנְנִ֨י הִנְנִי֙ הִנְנִי֩ הִנְנִי־ הִנְנוּ֙ הִנֵּ֑נִי הִנֵּ֔נִי הִנֵּ֣נִי הִנֵּֽנִי׃ הִנֵּֽנוּ׃ הִנֶּ֗נּוּ הִנֶּֽךָּ׃ הִנֶּנּ֤וּ הִנָּ֑ם הִנָּ֕ם הִנָּ֣ךְ הִנָּ֣ם הִנָּ֤ךְ הִנָּ֤ם הִנָּ֥ךְ הִנָּ֥ם הִנָּ֨ךְ הִנָּם֙ הִנּ֣וֹ הִנּ֤וֹ הִנֵּ֤ה הֵ֑ן הֵ֚ן הֵ֛ן הֵ֣ן הֵ֣ן ׀ הֵ֤ן הֵ֥ן הֵ֧ן הֵן֩ הֵן֮ הֵן־ הֶן־ הן הן־ הנה הנו הנך הנך׃ הנכה הנם הננו הננו׃ הנני הנני־ הנני׃ וְהִנְּךָ֙ וְהִנְּךָ֤ וְהִנְּךָ֥ וְהִנְּכֶ֣ם וְהִנְנִ֣י וְהִנְנִ֥י וְהִנְנִ֨י וְהִנָּ֕ם וְהִנָּ֖ם וְהִנָּ֛ם וְהִנָּ֤ם וְהִנָּ֥ם וְהִנָּ֧ם וְהֵן֙ וְהֵן־ והן והן־ והנך והנכם והנם והנני hen hên hen- hên- hin·nāḵ hin·nām hin·ne·kā hin·nə·ḵā hin·nə·ḵāh hin·nê·nî hin·nê·nū hin·nêh hin·nen·nū hin·nî hin·nî- hin·nōw hin·nū hinNach hinnāḵ hinNam hinnām hinneCha hinneChah hinNeh hinnêh hinNeka hinnekā hinnəḵā hinnəḵāh hinNeni hinnênî hinnenNu hinnennū hinNenu hinnênū hinNi hinnî hinnî- hinNo hinnōw hinNu hinnū veHen vehinNam vehinneCha vehinneChem vehinNi wə·hên wə·hên- wə·hin·nām wə·hin·nə·ḵā wə·hin·nə·ḵem wə·hin·nî wəhên wəhên- wəhinnām wəhinnəḵā wəhinnəḵem wəhinnîInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts