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אֵת

𐤀𐤕

ʼêth

H853 particle

SILEX Entry

Definition

A direct object marker indicating that the following noun or pronoun is the definite, specific recipient of a transitive verb's action, with no equivalent in standard English. Occasionally used independently as a pronoun meaning 'self' or 'entity' in rare passages. The default usage is grammatical, not semantic lexeme.

Semantic Range

(1) accusative direct object marker, (2) self/entity (rare, archaic usage), (3) accusative pronoun with suffixes (marginal)

Root / Etymology

From the root את (uncertain, though some connect it to אוֹת meaning 'sign' or 'mark', but etymological connection is debated; the function in biblical Hebrew is primarily grammatical rather than lexical). The form אֵת is also considered to be a particle without clear cognates in other Semitic languages.

Historical & Contextual Notes

The particle אֵת appears throughout the Hebrew Bible to indicate the definite direct object of a verb. It does not have a direct translation in English, and is not represented in most English translations, but is crucial for clarity in biblical Hebrew syntax. In rare cases (e.g., Isaiah 44:13, Job 19:27, Psalm 102:28), אֵת appears independently and can mean 'self' or 'entity', likely an archaic vestige. As a grammatical marker, אֵת distinguishes definite and specific objects from indefinite, a feature crucial for biblical narrative and legal texts. The related particle אֵת (with pronominal suffixes) can serve as an accusative pronoun ('me', 'you', 'him', etc.), but this is marginal. Later Hebrew phases (e.g., post-biblical, Mishnaic) regularize or lose the marker’s function. The possible derivation from אוֹת ('sign') in Strong's is speculative and not supported by most modern linguists. אֵת is distinct from the preposition אֵת ('with') despite identical spelling (distinction is made by context and vocalization). English renderings sometimes paraphrase with 'even' or 'namely', but these fail to reflect the function in Hebrew.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

apparent contracted from אוֹת in the demonstrative sense of entity; properly, self (but generally used to point out more definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or namely); (as such unrepresented in English).

Bantu Hebrew

No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been recorded for this word yet.

Root Family

את (Itay) — to indicate the definite direct object (grammatical marker)

Root את to mark, to indicate, (grammatical object marker; core meaning as a root is uncertain)
Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H3487 יַת object-marker them
H854 אֵת object-marker
H863 אִתַּי With-me

Word Forms

35 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2 Occurrences
H853-01 אֶת et HTo [direct object marker] object-marker [·] 7053
H853-25 וְ/אֶת veet HC/To and and object-marker [·] 2193
H853-22 אֹת֔/וֹ oto HTo/Sp3ms him him [·] 477
H853-12 אֹתָ֑/ם otam HTo/Sp3mp them them [·] 472
H853-04 אֶתְ/כֶם֙ etekhem HTo/Sp2mp you you marked as object [·] 297
H853-09 אֹתָ֖/הּ otah HTo/Sp3fs it her [·] 166
H853-21 אֹתִ֗/י oti HTo/Sp1cs me me (object‑marked) [·] 117
H853-18 אֹֽתְ/ךָ֙ otekha HTo/Sp2ms you you-marked [·] 48
H853-11 אוֹתָֽ/ךְ otakhe HTo/Sp2fs you you (object‑marked, feminine singular) [·] 44
H853-15 אֹתָ֖/נוּ otanu HTo/Sp1cp us us [·] 31

Occurrences in Scripture

10979 occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2
H853-01 Genesis 1:1 אֵ֥ת et HTo [direct object marker] object-marker [·]
H853-25 Genesis 1:1 וְ/אֵ֥ת veet HC/To and [direct object marker] and object-marker and [·]
H853-01 Genesis 1:4 אֶת et HTo [direct object marker] object-marker [·]
H853-01 Genesis 1:7 אֶת et HTo [direct object marker] object-marker [·]
H853-01 Genesis 1:16 אֶת et HTo object-marker [·]
H853-01 Genesis 1:16 אֶת et-2 HTo object-marker [·]
H853-25 Genesis 1:16 וְ/אֶת veet HC/To and and object-marker [·]
H853-25 Genesis 1:16 וְ/אֵ֖ת veet-2 HC/To and and object-marker [·]
H853-12 Genesis 1:17 אֹתָ֛/ם otam HTo/Sp3mp them them [·]
H853-01 Genesis 1:21 אֶת et HTo (direct object marker) object-marker [·]
H853-25 Genesis 1:21 וְ/אֵ֣ת veet HC/To and and object-marker [·]
H853-25 Genesis 1:21 וְ/אֵ֨ת veet-2 HC/To and and object-marker [·]
H853-12 Genesis 1:22 אֹתָ֛/ם otam HTo/Sp3mp them them [·]
H853-01 Genesis 1:22 אֶת et HTo the object-marker [·]
H853-01 Genesis 1:25 אֶת et HTo [direct object marker] object-marker [·]
H853-25 Genesis 1:25 וְ/אֶת veet HC/To and [direct object marker] and object-marker [·]
H853-25 Genesis 1:25 וְ/אֵ֛ת veet-2 HC/To and [direct object marker] and object-marker [·]
H853-01 Genesis 1:27 אֶת et HTo [direct object marker] object-marker [·]
H853-22 Genesis 1:27 אֹת֑/וֹ oto HTo/Sp3ms him him [·]
H853-12 Genesis 1:27 אֹתָֽ/ם otam HTo/Sp3mp them them [·]
H853-12 Genesis 1:28 אֹתָ/ם֮ otam HTo/Sp3mp them them [·]
H853-01 Genesis 1:28 אֶת et HTo the object-marker [·]
H853-01 Genesis 1:29 אֶת et HTo object-marker [·]
H853-25 Genesis 1:29 וְ/אֶת veet HC/To and and object-marker [·]
H853-01 Genesis 1:30 אֶת et HTo object-marker [·]
H853-01 Genesis 1:31 אֶת et HTo all object-marker [·]
H853-01 Genesis 2:3 אֶת et HTo [direct object marker] object-marker [·]
H853-22 Genesis 2:3 אֹת֑/וֹ oto HTo/Sp3ms it him [·]
H853-01 Genesis 2:5 אֶת et HTo [direct object marker] object-marker [·]
H853-01 Genesis 2:6 אֶֽת et HTo [direct object marker] object-marker [·]
H853-01 Genesis 2:7 אֶת et HTo [direct object marker] object-marker [·]
H853-01 Genesis 2:8 אֶת et HTo [direct object marker] object-marker [·]
H853-01 Genesis 2:10 אֶת et HTo [direct object marker] object-marker [·]
H853-01 Genesis 2:11 אֵ֚ת et HTo object-marker [·]
H853-01 Genesis 2:13 אֵ֖ת et HTo object-marker [·]
H853-01 Genesis 2:15 אֶת et HTo [direct object marker] object-marker [·]
H853-25 Genesis 2:19 וְ/אֵת֙ veet HC/To and and object-marker [·]
H853-01 Genesis 2:22 אֶֽת et HTo [direct object marker] object-marker [·]
H853-01 Genesis 2:24 אֶת et HTo (direct object marker) object-marker [·]
H853-25 Genesis 2:24 וְ/אֶת veet HC/To and and object-marker [·]
H853-01 Genesis 3:8 אֶת et HTo (direct object marker) object-marker [·]
H853-01 Genesis 3:10 אֶת et HTo [direct object marker] object-marker [·]
H853-01 Genesis 3:18 אֶת et HTo [direct object marker] object-marker [·]
H853-01 Genesis 3:23 אֶת et HTo (direct object marker) object-marker [·]
H853-01 Genesis 3:24 אֶת et HTo [direct object marker] object-marker [·]
H853-01 Genesis 3:24 אֶת et-2 HTo [direct object marker] object-marker [·]
H853-25 Genesis 3:24 וְ/אֵ֨ת veet HC/To and [direct object marker] and object-marker [·]
H853-01 Genesis 3:24 אֶת et-3 HTo [direct object marker] object-marker [·]
H853-01 Genesis 4:1 אֶת et HTo [direct object marker] object-marker [·]
H853-01 Genesis 4:1 אֶת et-2 HTo [direct object marker] object-marker [·]
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