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בֵּין

𐤁𐤉𐤍

bêyn

H996 preposition

SILEX Entry

Root בין to perceive, to distinguish, to understand

Definition

A preposition and sometimes noun used to indicate spatial, temporal, or abstract separation, distinction, or interval between entities, persons, groups, or times. Primary meaning is 'between' or 'among,' extending to ideas such as 'in the midst of,' 'from among,' or 'distinction between.'

Semantic Range

between (spatial or figurative separation), among, distinguishing between, in the midst of, amid, asunder, from among, separating, within, at intervals, as a prepositional relation indicating distinction or interval

Root / Etymology

From the root בִּין (bin), meaning 'to understand, perceive, distinguish.' בֵּין is the construct form of an otherwise unrecorded nominal form, used as a preposition in Biblical Hebrew. The basic sense is of a space or concept that serves to separate or distinguish entities.

Historical & Contextual Notes

בֵּין occurs primarily as a preposition meaning 'between,' 'among,' or indicating intervals/distinctions. It appears frequently throughout all periods of the Hebrew Bible, often repeated for emphasis: 'בֵּין...בֵּין' ('between...and'). Sometimes plural forms occur (masculine: בֵּינִים; feminine: בֵּינוֹת), though singular preposition is most common. The term is especially significant in legal, cultic, genealogical, and narrative contexts to mark distinctions (e.g., between holy and profane, between people or tribes, between times). Standard English translations ('between,' 'among') capture the basic spatial or conceptual sense but may miss nuance in texts involving legal or ritual distinctions. Notably, the word derives from a root meaning 'to distinguish' or 'to understand,' reflecting the underlying idea of discerning separation.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

(sometimes in the plural masculine or feminine); properly, the constructive form of an otherwise unused noun from בִּין; a distinction; but used only as a preposition,; between (repeated before each noun, often with other particles); also as a conjunction, either...or; among, asunder, at, between (-twixt...and), [phrase] from (the widest), [idiom] in, out of, whether (it be...or), within.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

בין (b-y-n) — to perceive, distinguish, understand; separation, interval

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H1143 בֵּנַיִם the between-two space
H2985 יָבִין like Yavin
H8394 תָּבוּן in discernment
H946 בּוּנָה and Bunah
H995 בִּין I discern

Word Forms

31 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H996-03 בֵּ֥ין beyn HR between between 167
H996-20 וּ/בֵ֥ין uveyn HC/R and between and between 120
H996-11 בֵּינִ/י֙ beyni HR/Sp1cs between me between me 31
H996-22 וּ/בֵינֶ֑/ךָ uveynekha HC/R/Sp2ms and between you and between you 15
H996-17 מִ/בֵּ֣ין mibeyn HR/R from between from between 13
H996-26 וּ/בֵ֣ינֵי/כֶ֔ם uveyneykhem HC/R/Sp2mp and between you and between you (plural masculine) 10
H996-10 בֵּינֵ֣י/נוּ beyneynu HR/Sp1cp between us between us 5
H996-08 בֵּינֵי/הֶֽם beyneyhem HR/Sp3mp between them between them 4
H996-18 מִ/בֵּינ֣וֹת mibeynot HR/R from between from among 4
H996-19 וּ/מִ/בֵּ֖ין umibeyn HC/R/R and-from-between and from among 4

Occurrences in Scripture

410 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H996-03 Genesis 1:4 בֵּ֥ין beyn HR between between
H996-20 Genesis 1:4 וּ/בֵ֥ין uveyn HC/R and between and between
H996-03 Genesis 1:6 בֵּ֥ין beyn HR between between
H996-03 Genesis 1:7 בֵּ֤ין beyn HR between between
H996-20 Genesis 1:7 וּ/בֵ֣ין uveyn HC/R and between and between
H996-03 Genesis 1:14 בֵּ֥ין beyn HR between between
H996-20 Genesis 1:14 וּ/בֵ֣ין uveyn HC/R and between and between
H996-03 Genesis 1:18 בֵּ֥ין beyn HR between between
H996-20 Genesis 1:18 וּ/בֵ֣ין uveyn HC/R and between and between
H996-05 Genesis 3:15 בֵּֽינְ/ךָ֙ beynekha HR/Sp2ms between you between you
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