הָיָה hayah

Hebrew word for “to be” · Strong’s H1961 · used 3,561 times in 3,132 verses

Explore it in the Word Atlas

Meaning

1) to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out;

How it is translated

Glosses given for hayah in context, with how often each is used:

• was 965
• will be 882
• will become 254
• were 212
• will belong 170
• came 140
• be 112
• belonged 110
• became 74
• have become 53
• has become 40
• have been 39

Where it is used

Also in 27 more books.

Chapters where it is used most

Leviticus 25 (20), Deuteronomy 28 (18), Genesis 1 (17), Exodus 12 (14), Leviticus 27 (14), 1 Kings 8 (14), 1 Kings 18 (14), Ezekiel 34 (14), Zechariah 14 (14), Genesis 39 (13)

Forms

• ויהי 816
• יהיה 421
• והיה 403
• היה 344
• היו 173
• תהיה 165
• והיו 118
• היתה 116
• ויהיו 116
• יהיו 115

Words used with it

Words that share verses with hayah more often than their overall frequency would suggest:

• דָּבָר davar “word” 316
• עַד ad “till” 210
• שָׁנָה shaneh “year” 176
• זֶה zeh “this” 192
• הֶם hem “them” 188
• עִם im “with” 178
• יָצָא yatsa “to come out” 175
• עִיר ir “city” 171
• כֶם khem “you” 141
• שָׁם sham “there” 154
• ךָּ ka “you” 144
• אַחַר achar “after” 146

Key verses

The verses using hayah that are most connected by cross-references (King James Version):

• Genesis 15:1 — After these things the word of the LORD came unto Abram in a vision, saying, Fear not, Abram: I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward.
• Genesis 17:1 — And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, the LORD appeared to Abram, and said unto him, I am the Almighty God; walk before me, and be thou perfect.
• Genesis 17:7 — And I will establish my covenant between me and thee and thy seed after thee in their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be a God unto thee, and to…
• Exodus 19:5 — Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people: for all the earth is mine:
• Isaiah 2:2 — And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the LORD’s house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above…
• Isaiah 9:6 — For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The…
• Isaiah 11:11 — And it shall come to pass in that day, that the Lord shall set his hand again the second time to recover the remnant of his people, which shall be left, from…
• Isaiah 49:6 — And he said, It is a light thing that thou shouldest be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the preserved of Israel: I will also give…
• Isaiah 55:6 — Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near:
• Jeremiah 31:33 — But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the LORD, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write…
• Micah 5:2 — But thou, Beth-lehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel;…
• Malachi 3:5 — And I will come near to you to judgment; and I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers, and against the adulterers, and against false swearers, and…

See all 3,132 verses in the Word Atlas

Hebrew and Greek text, tagging, glosses and lexicon definitions: STEPBible.org, Tyndale House Cambridge (TAHOT, TAGNT, TBESH, TBESG; CC BY 4.0), adapted. Counts follow King James verse numbering; a word counts each time it is written.