Lexical Summary
ayyeh: Where?
Original Word:אַיֵּה
Part of Speech:interrogative adverb
Transliteration:ayeh
Pronunciation:ah-YEH
Phonetic Spelling:(ah-yay')
KJV: where
NASB:where
Word Origin:[prolonged fromH335 (אַי - where)]
1. where?
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
where
Prolonged from'ay; where? -- where.
see HEBREW'ay
NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Originfrom
ayDefinitionwhere?
NASB Translationwhere (44).
Brown-Driver-Briggs
45 (lengthened from , compare & )
Where?Genesis 18:9;Genesis 19:5;Genesis 22:7; the most General term expressing this idea, used of both person & things (but never with averb [contrast ]); often in poetry or elevated style, where the answernowhere is expected,Isaiah 33:18;Isaiah 36:19;Isaiah 51:13;Jeremiah 2:28 (compareDeuteronomy 32:37 )Jeremiah 17:15;Jeremiah 37:19,Job 15:23 he wandereth abroad for bread (saying)Where is it ?Job 21:28;Zechariah 1:5 (); in the (iron.) phrasewhere is thy (their)God?Psalm 42:4;Psalm 42:11;Psalm 79:10;Psalm 115:2 ()Joel 2:17; rhetorically, of an earnest inquiryJeremiah 2:6,8;Job 35:10, or longingIsaiah 63:11,15;Judges 6:13.
Topical Lexicon
Overviewאַיֵּה (ayyeh) functions throughout the Hebrew Scriptures as an interrogative cry of location or presence—“Where?” In narrative, poetry, and prophecy it draws attention to perceived absence, forgotten covenant realities, or anticipated deliverance. Forty-six appearances span Torah, Former Prophets, Writings, and Latter Prophets, creating a thematic thread that moves from human lament to divine challenge and finally to eschatological triumph.
Distribution in Scripture
Pentateuch: Judges and Genesis traditions echoed in Gideon’s plea (Judges 6:13).
Historical Books: Seen from the wilderness wanderings remembered in Joshua through the ministries of Samuel, David, and Elisha (e.g.,1 Samuel 26:16;2 Kings 2:14).
Wisdom & Psalms: Frequent in prayers and taunts (Psalms 42:3; 79:10; 89:49; 115:2).
Major Prophets: Isaiah and Jeremiah repeatedly employ אַיֵּה to expose apostasy (Isaiah 63:11;Jeremiah 2:6).
Minor Prophets: Hosea and Zechariah turn the word toward hope and warning (Hosea 13:10-14;Zechariah 1:5).
Categories of Usage
1.Divine Inquiry and Confrontation
God or His prophets employ אַיֵּה to press covenant partners toward repentance:
• “Then they did not ask, ‘Where is the LORD who brought us up out of the land of Egypt?’” (Jeremiah 2:6).
• Isaiah recalls the Exodus: “Where is He who brought them through the sea…?” (Isaiah 63:11).
The question is not ignorance but summons—exposing spiritual amnesia.
2.Human Lament and Petition
Saints and sufferers express bewilderment over God’s perceived silence:
• Gideon: “Please, my lord…where are all His wonders our fathers told us about?” (Judges 6:13).
• Psalmist: “Why should the nations say, ‘Where is their God?’” (Psalm 79:10).
Such laments invite renewed trust, for the very prayer assumes God hears.
3.Prophetic Challenge to Idolatry
Apostate Israel and pagan nations are confronted:
• “Where are the gods of Hamath and Arpad?” (2 Kings 18:34).
• “Where are your wise men now?” (Isaiah 19:12).
אַיֵּה exposes the impotence of false deities and worldly counselors.
4.Taunt of Unbelief
Enemies deride God’s people with the same word:
• “While they say to me all day long, ‘Where is your God?’” (Psalm 42:3).
The mockery anticipates vindication when the LORD acts.
5.Eschatological Victory over Death
Hosea turns אַיֵּה against the last enemy: “O Death, where are your plagues? O Sheol, where is your sting?” (Hosea 13:14). Paul cites the Greek equivalent in1 Corinthians 15:55, declaring Christ’s resurrection as the answer.
Historical-Theological Significance
From the Exodus to the Exile, אַיֵּה punctuates moments when Israel questioned God’s nearness or when prophets exposed her forgetfulness. During Assyrian and Babylonian threats, the word underscored the contrast between impotent idols and the living God. Post-exilic usage (Zechariah 1:5) reminds a restored community that human leaders fade, but the LORD’s word endures.
Ministry Implications
•Preaching and Teaching – אַיֵּה offers a homiletical tool to confront modern complacency: “Where is your confidence placed today?”
•Pastoral Care – Laments that ask “Where is God?” are biblically legitimate, guiding believers from despair to hope.
•Apologetics – The prophetic use against idols supplies a framework for exposing contemporary substitutes for God.
•Worship – Psalms employing אַיֵּה legitimize corporate questioning while anchoring faith in God’s historic acts.
Christological and Eschatological Fulfillment
Jesus Christ embodies God’s definitive answer to אַיֵּה. Incarnation locates God among His people (John 1:14), crucifixion voices abandonment (“My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?”), and resurrection silences every taunt of absence. Hosea’s אַיֵּה finds ultimate resolution on the first Easter morning—death’s “where?” is forever answered by an empty tomb.
Representative Scripture Index
Judges 6:13
1 Samuel 26:16
2 Kings 2:14; 18:34
Psalm 42:3; 79:10; 89:49; 115:2
Isaiah 19:12; 63:11, 15
Jeremiah 2:6, 8
Hosea 13:10-14
Zechariah 1:5
Forms and Transliterations
אַיֵּ֕ה אַיֵּ֖ה אַיֵּ֗ה אַיֵּ֛ה אַיֵּ֞ה אַיֵּ֣ה אַיֵּ֣ה ׀ אַיֵּ֤ה אַיֵּ֤ה ׀ אַיֵּ֥ה אַיֵּ֧ה אַיֵּ֨ה אַיֵּ֪ה אַיֵּה֙ אַיֵּה֩ אַיֵּה־ אַיּ֖וֹ איה איה־ איו וְ֝אַיֵּ֗ה וְ֭אַיֵּה וְאַיֵּ֖ה וְאַיֵּ֣ה וְאַיֵּ֤ה וְאַיֵּ֥ה וְאַיּ֑וֹ וְאַיֵּה֙ וְאַיּֽוֹ׃ ואיה ואיו ואיו׃ ’ay·yêh ’ay·yêh- ’ay·yōw ’ayyêh ’ayyêh- ’ayyōw aiYeh aiYo veaiYeh veaiYo wə’ayyêh wə’ayyōw wə·’ay·yêh wə·’ay·yōw
Links
Interlinear Greek •
Interlinear Hebrew •
Strong's Numbers •
Englishman's Greek Concordance •
Englishman's Hebrew Concordance •
Parallel Texts
