Lexical Summary
hu or hi: this, same, who
Original Word:הוּא
Part of Speech:pronoun 3rd person singular
Transliteration:huw'
Pronunciation:hoo / hee
Phonetic Spelling:(hoo)
KJV: he, as for her, him(-self), it, the same, she (herself), such, that (it), these, they, this, those, which (is), who
NASB:this, same, who, which, himself, one
Word Origin:[a primitive word]
1. (the third person pronoun singular) he, she, or it (only expressed when emphatic or without a verb)
2. (intensively) self
3. (especially with the article) the same
4. (sometimes, as demonstrative) this or that
5. (occasionally, instead of copula) as or are
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
he, as for her, himself, it, the same, she herself, such, that
Of which the feminine (beyond the Pentateuch) is hiyw {he}; a primitive word, the third person pronoun singular, he (she or it); only expressed when emphatic or without a verb; also (intensively) self, or (especially with the article) the same; sometimes (as demonstrative) this or that; occasionally (instead of copula) as or are -- he, as for her, him(-self), it, the same, she (herself), such, that (...it), these, they, this, those, which (is), who.
NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Origina prim. pronoun
Definitionhe, she, it
NASB Translationanyone (1), far* (2), herself (4), Himself (11), himself (20), itself (2), one (6), part (1), same (28), such (3), these (2), this (33), this same (1), those (1), which (24), who (26).
Brown-Driver-Briggs
Jeremiah 29:23 Kt, see .
(plural masculine , ; feminine , [the latter only with prefixes]; see these words),
, (in both Genders) for the neuter it, Latinis, ea, id. (The is not orthographic merely, but radical, being written on Moabite and Phoenician inscriptions, though dropped in some of the later dialects. [In Hebrew onlyJeremiah 29:23 Kt, and in the proper name .] Moabite (MI6; 27) and Phoenician (often) ; Aramaic of Zinjirli , once (DHMInschr. von Sendschirli 55); , Syriac
,
; Arabic
,
(forh¥°a, h£°a, WSG 104); Ethiopic
we°§t¥, ye°§t£; perhaps also Assyrianšû, šî,himself, herself suffixšu, ši; compare demonstrativešuatu, šiati (see KraeBAS. i. 383 & references, WSG 98, 105 Dl§ 55b, 57). In the Pentateuch, is of common Gender, the feminine form occurring only 11 times, namelyGenesis 14:2;Genesis 20:5;Genesis 38:25 (see Masora here),Leviticus 11:39;Leviticus 13:10,21;Leviticus 16:31;Leviticus 20:17;Leviticus 21:9;Numbers 5:13,14. The punctuators, however, sought to assimilate the usage of the Pentateuch to that of the rest of the OT, and accordingly wherever was construed as a feminine pointed it (as aQr perpetuum). Outside the Pentateuch the same Qr occurs1 Kings 17:15;Isaiah 30:33;Job 31:11a — probably for the sake of removing gramm. anomalies: five instances of the converse change, namely of to be read as , occur for a similar reason,1 Kings 17:15 ( to be read as , on account of the feminine verb)Psalm 73:16;Job 31:11b ( to be read as ),Ecclesiastes 5:8;1 Chronicles 29:16. The origin of the peculiarity in the Pentateuch is uncertain. It can hardly be a real archaism : for the fact that arab., Aramaic, & Ethiopic have distinct forms for masculine & feminine shews that both must have formed part of the original Semitic stock, and consequently of Hebrew as well, from its earliest existence as an independent language. Nor is the peculiarity confined to the Pentateuch: in the Manuscript of the Later Prophets, of A.D. , now at St. Petersburg, published in facsimile by Strack (1876), the feminine occurs written (see the passages cited in theAdnotationes Criticae, p. 026). In Phoenician both masculine and feminine are alike written (CIS i.1 Chronicles 1:9 ,1 Chronicles 1:13 ,1 Chronicles 3:10 ,1 Chronicles 1:11 , 1Chron 93:2; 1Chron 94:2), though naturally this would beread ashu° orhi° as occasion required. Hence, as shews that in the older Hebrew MSS. thescriptio plena was not yet Generally introduced, it is probably that originally was written for both Genders in Hebrew likewise, and that the epicene in the Pentateuch originated at a comparatively late epoch in the transmission of the text — perhaps in connection with the assumption, which is partly borne out by facts (compare DeZKWL 1880, pp. 393-399), that in the older language feminine forms were more sparingly used than subsequently.)
In usage (feminine ; plural , , see ) is
an emphatic he (she, it, they), sometimes equivalent to himself (herself, itself, themselves), or (especially with the article) that (those):
Genesis 3:15he ( ) shall bruise thee as to the head (opposed to the followingthou),Genesis 3:20 forshe (and no one else) was the mother of all living (so often in causal sentences, where some emphasis on the subject is desirable asJudges 14:3;Psalm 24:2;Psalm 25:15;Psalm 33:9;Psalm 91:3;Psalm 103:14;Psalm 148:5;Job 5:18;Job 11:11;Job 28:24;Jeremiah 5:5;Jeremiah 34:7bHosea 6:1;Hosea 11:10 : Dr1Samuel 14:18),1 Samuel 4:20 Adah bare Jabalhe () was the father of tent-dwellers,1 Samuel 4:21;1 Samuel 10:8he began to be a mighty one in the earth,1 Samuel 20:5 (),Judges 13:5;Isaiah 32:7;Isaiah 33:22;2 Kings 14:7,22,25;Hosea 10:2he — the unseen observer of their thoughts and deeds (Che),Hosea 13:15 b (he, the foe figured by the east wind). (For its use thus in circumstantial clauses see Dr§ 157, 160, 168, 169.) And where the predicate is a substantive or participle,Genesis 2:11that is the one which encompasseth etc.,Genesis 2:13;Genesis 2:14;Genesis 10:12that is the great city. So in the explanatory notices,Genesis 14:3that is the salt sea,Genesis 14:8that is Zoar,Genesis 36:1 #NAME?
pointing back to the subj. and contrasting it with something else :Genesis 4:4 Abel,he also ...Genesis 4:26;Genesis 10:21;Genesis 20:5 and she,herself also said,Exodus 1:10 #NAME?
appended alone to averb (more rarely, but always with intentional emphasis),Exodus 4:14 I know thathe can speak,Exodus 4:16;1 Samuel 22:18 andhe (though none else would do it) smote the priests,1 Samuel 23:22 for one hath told me,He can deal subtilly,Ezekiel 12:12 (peculiarly), compare Dr§ 160 n.: very rarely indeed to a nounNumbers 18:23Isaiah 7:14 ,Esther 9:1 () being probably all the examples in the OT.
Genesis 13:1 and Abram came up out of Egypt,himself and his wife, and all that he had,Genesis 14:15he and his servants,Genesis 19:30; so very often
prefixed to a noun (very rare, and mostly late),Exodus 12:42bEzekiel 3:8 &Ezekiel 33:8 : to proper namesExodus 6:27 ,1 Chronicles 26:26that Shelomoth,1 Chronicles 27:6; 2Chronicles 28:22; 32:12 (different from2 Kings 18:22),2 Kings 18:30; 2Ki 33:23;Ezra 7:6: compareNehemiah 10:38 (compare in Syriac
, Nö§ 227): comparePsalm 87:5;1 Samuel 20:29.
It resumes the subject with emphasis:
when the predicate is averb (especially if it be separated from its subject by an intervening clause),Genesis 15:4 but one that shall come forth out of thine own bowels,he shall be thy heir,Genesis 3:12 the woman whom thou gavest to be with me,she gave to me,Genesis 24:7;Genesis 44:17 etc.Judges 7:4;2 Samuel 14:19 (throwing stress on )1 Chronicles 11:20;Isaiah 33:15-16;Isaiah 34:16;Isaiah 38:19;Isaiah 47:10;Isaiah 59:16;Isaiah 63:5;Hosea 7:8; often in Proverbs, asHosea 10:18;Hosea 10:22;Hosea 10:24;Hosea 11:28;Hosea 13:13; Hos 19:21; Hos 22:9; Hos 24:12;1 Samuel 1:13 (see Dr),Psalm 68:36.
when the predicate is anoun,Genesis 2:14 and the fourth river,it was the Euphrates,Genesis 2:19;Genesis 9:18;Genesis 15:2;Genesis 42:6 and Joseph,he was the ruler etc.: in sentences of the type , , ,Deuteronomy 3:22;Deuteronomy 4:35;Deuteronomy 7:9;Deuteronomy 10:9;Joshua 13:14,33;Isaiah 9:14;Isaiah 33:6;Hosea 11:5 (in these cases, to avoid stiffness, it is convenient often to drop the pronoun in translating, as 'And the fourth riverwas the Euphrates:' the pronoun, however, though it then corresponds to the substantive verb in English, does not reallyexpress it, the copula, as the examples shew, being in fact understood. Sts. in AV the pronoun is retained for emphasis, as Deuteronomyll. cc.) So
after in anaffirmative sentence,Genesis 9:3 all creeping things which are living,Leviticus 11:39;Numbers 9:13;Numbers 14:8;Numbers 35:31 who is guilty of death,Deuteronomy 20:20;1 Samuel 10:19;Haggai 1:9 and elsewhere (On
, compare Dr§ 199, withObs.)
Where, however, the pron.follows the predicate, its position gives it the minimum of emphasis, and it expresses (or resumes) the subject as unobtrusively as possible: thus
Genesis 12:18 why didst thou not tell me that she was thy wife ?Genesis 20:13;Genesis 21:13 for he is thy seed,Genesis 31:20 because he told him not ,Genesis 37:3 + often (the opposite order rare and emphatic:Genesis 24:65;Deuteronomy 4:6;Deuteronomy 30:20;Joshua 10:2;1 Kings 2:22;1 Kings 3:4;1 Kings 21:2;Hosea 2:4;Psalm 45:12).
resuming the subject,Genesis 31:16 all the wealth which God hath taken etc.,it is ours and our children's,Genesis 31:43 and all that thou seest,it is mine (or, omitting the pronoun, as not required in our idiom, simply)is mine,Genesis 41:26 the dream of Pharaohis one,Genesis 48:5 (),Exodus 3:5 for the place where on thou standest,it is holy ground,Numbers 13:32;Numbers 21:26;Deuteronomy 1:17;Joshua 5:15;Joshua 6:19;Job 3:19 + often;Genesis 23:15 , soPsalm 39:5;Isaiah 41:22 (); .... (unusual)Zephaniah 2:12. (In all such cases the predicate is not referred directly to the subject, but, the subject being made a casus pendens, it is resumed by the pronoun, and the predicate thus referred to it indirectly. By this means the sentence is lightened and relieved, especially if the subject consist of many words: inGenesis 31:16 for instance, the direct form of predicate would have been heavy and inelegant.) So
after in anegative sentence,Genesis 7:2;Genesis 17:12 which is not of thy seed,Numbers 17:5;Deuteronomy 17:5;1 Kings 8:41 (compare ).
peculiarly, as the subject of ,Jeremiah 5:12He is not; and as embracing its predicate in itself,Isaiah 18:2,7 a nation terrible (= ) from (the time that)it was,Nahum 2:9 from the days that (stative construct Ges§ 130. 4) asit was,2 Kings 7:7 they left the camp asit was (compare2 Kings 7:10). (On
, compare Dr§ 198, withObs.)
Itanticipates (as it seems) the subject namely
(rare)Songs 6:9 one isshe, my dove my perfect one,Leviticus 25:11;Ezekiel 11:15;Ezekiel 21:16;Lamentations 1:18 (often so in Late Hebrew); EC Lam 6:10 and that which he, even man, is, is known (De Now); compare1 Samuel 6:19 an accident isit, (that) hath befallen us. (compare )
after pronouns — ()2 Samuel 7:28 Thou arthe — God,Psalm 44:5 thou arthe — my king,Isaiah 37:16;Isaiah 43:25 (),Isaiah 51:9,10,12;Isaiah 52:6;Jeremiah 14:22;Jeremiah 29:23 Kt +; compareJeremiah 49:12 and art thou he (that) shall be unpunished ? (with change of person , compareJudges 13:11;1 Chronicles 21:17;Ezekiel 38:17.) So Ew§ 297 b Müll§ 499. But others, as GesThes Roo§ 563 DeIsaiah 37:16; Psalms 44.. 5, treat as emphasizing the pronoun, 'Thou, he, art God' i.e. Thou and none else art God; 'Thou (emphatic) art my king.'. () , followed by a participle or substantiveGenesis 27:33;Psalm 24:10 who is he, then — the king of glory ? (according to others, as before, 'Who (emphatic), then, is the king of glory ?'); followed by a verbIsaiah 50:9 who is he (that) will condemn me ? (others 'Who (emphatic) will condemn me ?')Job 4:7;Job 13:19;Job 17:3;Job 41:2;Jeremiah 30:21 (so withGenesis 21:29,Zechariah 1:9;Zechariah 4:5). ()1 Chronicles 22:1 EC1 Chronicles 1:17; (frequently in Late Hebrew, where the two words coalesce into one ) . On the analogous ), see (). (compare Dr§ 200, 201)
As an emphatic predicate, of God, 'I am He,' i.e. I am He Whois (opposed to unreal gods, named in context, or to transitory world), the Unseen, yet Omni-present, and Self-consistent, Ruler of the world,Deuteronomy 32:39 I, I amhe, and beside me there is no God,Isaiah 41:4 (see Che)Isaiah 43:10,13 even from to-day I amhe,Isaiah 46:4;Isaiah 48:12;Psalm 102:28 (see Che) thou arthe, and thy years have no end ( usually : in Psalms ). So also, according to many,Job 3:19, but isa mere predicate of identity ? see rather
In a neuter sense,that, it (of an action, occurrence, matter, etc.) —
Joshua 2:21 according to your words, so beit;Genesis 42:14that is what I said,Exodus 16:23;Leviticus 10:3;2 Kings 9:36;Job 8:19 lothat (what has just been described) is the joy of his way,Job 13:16;Job 15:9;Job 31:28;Proverbs 7:23;Ecclesiastes 2:1;Ecclesiastes 3:22;Ecclesiastes 9:9;Esther 9:1b; similarly the feminine ,Judges 14:4 they knew not thatit was from ,Numbers 14:41;Joshua 10:13;Isaiah 14:24;Psalm 77:10it (this perplexity) is my sickness,Job 9:22;Proverbs 18:13;Jeremiah 22:16; 2Chronicles 25:20;Ecclesiastes 3:13; reference toAmos 7:6;Psalm 118:23;Job 5:27,Ecclesiastes 2:24. (Where there is a predicate, the Gender of this usually regulates the choice ofm. orf.: henceGenesis 34:14;Exodus 8:15;Numbers 15:25 (Eccl 5:5)Deuteronomy 4:6 +.)
affirming the presence or existence of something (rare) :2 Kings 18:36 =Isaiah 36:21 forit was the king's command, saying etc.,1 Samuel 20:33 (text dubious),Jeremiah 50:15,25;Jeremiah 51:6,11;Micah 2:3, perhapsJob 32:8. p. 241.
With the art. , , , , : so regularly when joined to a substantive defined itself by the article:Genesis 2:12that land,Genesis 19:35 and inthat night,Genesis 21:22 atthat time,Deuteronomy 1:19 . Only four times does there occur the anomalous constructionGenesis 19:33;Genesis 30:16;Genesis 32:23;1 Samuel 19:10.
Topical Lexicon
Basic Function in Hebrew Narrative and Poetryהוּא serves as the third-person independent personal pronoun (“he,” “she,” “it,” or “that one”) and, less frequently, as the copula “is.” Although often untranslatable in English, its presence carries weight in Hebrew style. Writers employ הוּא to slow the pace, create suspense, or place focus on a subject just introduced, as inGenesis 4:2, “Now Abel was a keeper of flocks, but Cain was a tiller of the ground. And in the course of time Cain brought an offering…” (implied הוּא). In narrative, its use after a noun (“Noah, he found favor…,”Genesis 6:8) individualizes the subject and highlights God’s sovereign choice.
Emphatic Identification of YHWH
When paired with the divine name, הוּא marks absolute, exclusive deity.Deuteronomy 4:35 declares, “You were shown these things so that you would know that the LORD, He is God; there is no other besides Him.” The structure יהוה הוּא points the reader away from polytheistic confusion toward uncompromising monotheism. Similar formulae appear repeatedly (Deuteronomy 4:39;1 Kings 8:60;Isaiah 45:18), underscoring the covenant affirmation that Israel’s God alone “is” ― eternally self-existent and active.
Boundary Marker of True Prophecy
Prophets regularly employ הוּא to distinguish the genuine word of the LORD from vain imagination. A classic example isJeremiah 28:9: “As for the prophet who prophesies peace, only when the word of the prophet comes to pass will that prophet be recognized as one whom the LORD has truly sent.” Here, הוּא conveys final confirmation: the prophet whose oracle proves true ― he is the LORD’s spokesman. The pronoun thereby safeguards canonical authority and warns against deceptive voices.
Messianic Hints in Promise Formulas
In several covenantal pledges, הוּא singles out a coming descendant upon whom hope converges.Genesis 3:15 speaks of the woman’s seed: “He will crush your head.”Genesis 49:10 looks ahead to Judah’s royal heir: “The scepter will not depart from Judah… and to Him shall be the obedience of the nations.”2 Samuel 7:14 likewise isolates David’s greater son: “I will be his Father, and he will be My son.” By isolating an individual within a broader lineage, הוּא steers interpretation toward a singular Messianic fulfillment realized in Jesus Christ.
Covenant Assurance in Redemptive History
Throughout salvation history, הוּא reinforces divine continuity. The refrain “I am He” (Ani hu) inDeuteronomy 32:39 is reiterated by Isaiah: “Indeed, before the day was, I am He” (Isaiah 43:13). Such echoes confirm that the God who redeemed from Egypt remains the God who will deliver from exile and, ultimately, from sin. The Septuagint renders “I am He” with ἐγώ εἰμι, language Jesus later appropriates (John 8:24, 58), linking Old Testament revelation with New Testament fulfillment.
Anthropological and Relational Nuances
When used reflexively, הוּא illuminates human accountability. InLeviticus 5:17, “Though he did not know it, yet he is guilty and shall bear his iniquity,” the pronoun singles out personal responsibility despite ignorance. Conversely, inPsalm 100:3 the same device magnifies belonging: “It is He who made us, and we are His; we are His people, and the sheep of His pasture.” Thus הוּא can either isolate guilt or enshrine covenant intimacy.
Liturgical and Doxological Use
Within praise psalms, הוּא sustains focus on the object of worship.Psalm 102:27 proclaims, “But You remain the same, and Your years will never end.” Although English translations drop an explicit “He,” the Hebrew retains pronoun emphasis after the divine title. The liturgical formula “For He is good” (ki tov) in Psalms 106, 107, 118, and 136 places הוּא between the summons to praise and the recounting of steadfast love, encouraging congregational response.
Ethical and Pastoral Application
Pastors and teachers can leverage the subtle force of הוּא to illustrate the Bible’s God-centered worldview. Every time Scripture turns a spotlight on “He” without distraction, readers are reminded that the narrative of redemption is not man-centered. Preaching that observes the emphatic “He” phrases—“He is God,” “He will save,” “He forgives”—invites worshipers to root assurance in the immutable character of the Lord.
Summary for Ministry
1. Use the יהוה הוּא statements to defend biblical monotheism in apologetics.
2. Highlight Messianic pronoun shifts to demonstrate the unity of Old and New Testaments.
3. Point congregations to the personal nature of accountability and grace embedded in הוּא.
4. Employ doxological passages where הוּא appears to deepen corporate worship.
In roughly 1,877 places, הוּא quietly yet powerfully keeps attention fixed on the One who “is, and was, and is to come” (Revelation echoes). Recognizing its function enriches exegesis and fuels God-honoring proclamation.
Forms and Transliterations
ה֑וּא ה֔וּא ה֕וּא ה֖וּא ה֗וּא ה֚וּא ה֛וּא ה֜וּא ה֝֗וּא ה֞וּא ה֠וּא ה֡וּא ה֣וּא ה֣וּא ׀ ה֤וּא ה֤וּא ׀ ה֥וּא ה֧וּא ה֨וּא ה֭וּא הִ֑וא הִ֑יא הִ֔וא הִ֔יא הִ֕וא הִ֕יא הִ֖וא הִ֖יא הִ֗וא הִ֗יא הִ֚וא הִ֚יא הִ֛וא הִ֛יא הִ֜וא הִ֜יא הִ֞יא הִ֣וא הִ֣יא הִ֣יא ׀ הִ֤וא הִ֤יא הִ֥וא הִ֥יא הִ֧יא הִ֨וא הִ֨יא הִ֭יא הִֽוא הִֽוא־ הִֽוא׃ הִֽיא־ הִֽיא׃ הִוא֒ הִוא֙ הִוא֩ הִוא־ הִיא֙ הִיא֩ הִיא־ הַ֝ה֗וּא הַ֠הִיא הַ֠הוּא הַ֭הוּא הַה֑וּא הַה֔וּא הַה֖וּא הַה֗וּא הַה֛וּא הַה֜וּא הַה֡וּא הַה֣וּא הַה֤וּא הַה֤וּא ׀ הַה֥וּא הַה֧וּא הַה֨וּא הַהִ֑וא הַהִ֑יא הַהִ֔וא הַהִ֔יא הַהִ֖וא הַהִ֖יא הַהִ֗וא הַהִ֗יא הַהִ֛וא הַהִ֜וא הַהִ֜יא הַהִ֡וא הַהִ֡יא הַהִ֣יא הַהִ֣יא ׀ הַהִ֤וא הַהִ֨יא הַהִֽוא׃ הַהִֽיא׃ הַהִוא֒ הַהִוא֙ הַהִיא֙ הַהִיא֩ הַהֽוּא׃ הַהוּא֒ הַהוּא֙ הַהוּא֮ הַיֹּודֵ֥עַ הֽוּא־ הֽוּא׃ ההוא ההוא׃ ההיא ההיא׃ הוּא֒ הוּא֙ הוּא֩ הוּא֮ הוּא־ הוא הוא־ הוא׃ היא היא־ היא׃ היודע וְ֝ה֗וּא וְ֝הִ֗יא וְ֠הִיא וְ֠הוּא וְ֭הוּא וְה֔וּא וְה֕וּא וְה֖וּא וְה֗וּא וְה֛וּא וְה֞וּא וְה֣וּא וְה֣וּא ׀ וְה֤וּא וְה֥וּא וְה֧וּא וְה֨וּא וְה֪וּא וְהִ֕וא וְהִ֕יא וְהִ֖וא וְהִ֖יא וְהִ֗יא וְהִ֛יא וְהִ֣וא וְהִ֣יא וְהִ֤וא וְהִ֤יא וְהִ֥יא וְהִ֧יא וְהִ֨יא וְהִֽיא־ וְהִיא֙ וְהֽוּא־ וְהוּא֙ וְהוּא֩ וְהוּא֮ וְהוּא־ וָה֑וּא וָה֛וּא וָהִֽיא׃ והוא והוא־ והיא והיא־ והיא׃ שֶׁה֥וּא שהוא ha·hî ha·hi·w ha·hū haHi hahî haHiv hahiw haHu hahū haiyoDea hay·yō·w·ḏê·a‘ hayyōwḏêa‘ hi hî hî- hu hū hū- še·hū šehū sheHu vaHi vaHu veHi veHiv veHu wā·hî wā·hū wāhî wāhū wə·hî wə·hî- wə·hi·w wə·hū wə·hū- wəhî wəhî- wəhiw wəhū wəhū-
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