אֵת
𐤀𐤕
ʼêth
H855 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
A metal agricultural implement used for breaking and turning soil, most commonly a plowshare or blade, but in some contexts could refer to a hoe or other digging tool. The term denotes an iron tool essential for tilling fields and, at times, is metaphorically opposed to weapons when instruments of war are described as being turned into instruments of cultivation or vice versa (e.g., plowshare to sword and sword to plowshare).
Semantic Range
plowshare, coulter, hoe, digging implement, iron blade for tilling soil
Root / Etymology
The exact etymology is uncertain. Some scholars speculate a relationship with Semitic cognates for agricultural or iron implements, but no definitive root in Hebrew has been established. It is a noun, likely of foreign or onomatopoetic origin, not clearly connected to other Hebrew roots for tools or agriculture.
Historical & Contextual Notes
The word אֵת occurs infrequently in the Hebrew Bible (notably in passages such as Isaiah 2:4 and Joel 4:10 [Eng. 3:10]), where it is often paired with other agricultural implements or weapons. Its significance is particularly evident in texts describing societal shifts from war to peace or peace to war, as in the imagery of transforming plowshares to swords or swords to plowshares. In the ancient Israelite context, the אֵת represented basic agricultural technology, signifying the capacity for self-sustenance and land cultivation. It is distinct from other implement terms like מַחֲרֵשָׁה (machăreshah, 'plow'), and is not to be confused with the particle אֵת used as a direct object marker. English translations as 'plowshare' or 'coulter' generally capture the intended tool but may not convey its cultural resonance or the full lexical nuance. Later rabbinic Hebrew preserved reference to the tool as a basic component of agricultural life.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
of uncertain derivation; a hoe or other digging implement; coulter, plowshare.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
את (ʾ-ê-t (uncertain)) — digging implement, earth-cutting blade, tilling tool
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H3487 | יַת | object-marker them |
| H5842 | עֵט | object-marker |
| H6256 | עֵת | object marker |
| H6261 | עִתִּי | with me |
| H853 | אֵת | object-marker |
Word Forms
4 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H855-03 |
לְ/אִתִּ֗ים | leitim | HR/Ncmpa |
into-plowshares | plow-blades | 2 |
H855-02 |
אִתֵּי/כֶם֙ | iteykhem | HNcmpc/Sp2mp |
your plowshares | your plow-blades | 1 |
H855-04 |
וְ/לָ֣/אֵתִ֔ים | velaetim | HC/Rd/Ncmpa |
and for the mattocks | plowshares | 1 |
H855-01 |
אֵת/וֹ֙ | eto | HNcmsc/Sp3ms |
his mattock | his plow-blade | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
5 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H855-01 |
1 Samuel 13:20 | אֵת/וֹ֙ | eto | HNcmsc/Sp3ms |
his mattock | his plow-blade |
H855-04 |
1 Samuel 13:21 | וְ/לָ֣/אֵתִ֔ים | velaetim | HC/Rd/Ncmpa |
and for the mattocks | plowshares |
H855-03 |
Isaiah 2:4 | לְ/אִתִּ֗ים | leitim | HR/Ncmpa |
into-plowshares | plow-blades |
H855-02 |
Joel 4:10 | אִתֵּי/כֶם֙ | iteykhem | HNcmpc/Sp2mp |
your plowshares | your plow-blades |
H855-03 |
Micah 4:3 | לְ/אִתִּ֗ים | leitim | HR/Ncmpa |
into-plowshares | plow-blades |