הָי֤וּ

𐤄𐤉𐤅

hayu

were

a primitive root (compare הָוָא); to exist, i.e. be or become, come to pass (always emphatic, and not a mere copula or auxiliary); beacon, [idiom] altogether, be(-come), accomplished, committed, like), break, cause, come (to pass), do, faint, fall, [phrase] follow, happen, [idiom] have, last, pertain, quit (one-) self, require, [idiom] use.

H1961

1 Samuel 14:21 · Word #2

Lexicon H1961

Lemmaהָיָה
Lemma (Paleo)𐤄𐤉𐤄
Transliterationhâyâh
Strong'sH1961
In-contextwere

Morphology HVqp3cp All morphology codes

Part of Speech V — Verb — An action or state
Binyan q — Qal — Simple active
Conjugation p — Perfect — Completed action
Person 3 — 3rd person — Third person ("he/she/they")
Gender c — Common — Common (both genders)
Number p — Plural — Plural

SIBI-P1 H1961-22

they were

Rootה־י־ה (h-y-h)
Core Meaningsto be, to exist, to become, to happen, to occur, to come to pass
Semantic RangeThe root היה carries a broad semantic range including: (1) simple existence or being; (2) becoming or transformation; (3) occurrence or happening; (4) identity or identification; (5) emphasis in narrative progression. In the perfect tense, it typically denotes completed states or events in past time.
Conceptual SignificanceThe verb היה is foundational to biblical theology and grammar, occurring over 3,500 times in the Hebrew Bible. It forms the etymological basis for the divine name YHWH (יְהוָה), connecting God's eternal existence to His self-revelation. The verb emphasizes not mere copulative function but emphatic being and becoming, reflecting the dynamic nature of existence in Hebrew thought. Its frequent use in narrative creates temporal and causal progression throughout biblical history.
Morphological NotesHVqp3cp = Qal perfect, 3rd person common plural. The form הָיוּ represents the standard perfect conjugation of היה in the third person plural, appearing 167 times in the biblical text with consistent vocalization across multiple surface variants.
Rendering RationaleThe morphology HVqp3cp indicates Qal perfect, third person common plural, which in English is rendered as 'they were.' This preserves the root meaning of existence and being while accurately reflecting the plural third-person form. The Qal stem (simple active) conveys the straightforward sense of being or becoming without causative or intensive force.

AI-generated (perplexity/sonar-pro)

Words from Root ה־י־ה (to be, to exist, to become, to happen, to occur, to come to pass)

SILEX Code Transliteration SIBI-P1
H1961-20 hayoh it came to be

Word Usage (3575 occurrences of H1961)

Location Form Transliteration Meaning
Genesis 1:2 הָיְתָ֥ה hayetah was
Genesis 1:3 יְהִ֣י yehi let there be
Genesis 1:3 וַֽ/יְהִי vayehi and there was
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