אֱהִי (e.hi)
e.hi
where?
H:AdvQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 2 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:Adv
Word Overview
The Hebrew word ehi functions as an interrogative adverb meaning "where?" It is a concise term used to ask about location or origin, seeking to pinpoint the position of a person, object, or event within the narrative.
This word appears only twice in the Hebrew Bible, both instances found within the book of Hosea. In these brief occurrences, it serves a direct journalistic purpose, asking for specific geographical or situational details without additional rhetorical flourish.
Its extreme rarity makes it a specialized lexical item rather than a common conversational particle. Translators render it simply as "where," preserving the straightforward nature of the question asked by the prophet in those two verses.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word אֱהִי asks a simple question: "Where?" In Hosea, this short inquiry cuts through confusion to seek a specific location or source of help. It reminds us that faith is not about vague hopes but about knowing exactly where God stands in our lives.
When we feel lost, this word invites us to look for God's presence with clarity. It encourages us to stop searching in places that cannot save and instead focus on the One who offers true redemption and hope for every situation.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 2 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- where?3×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- אֱהִ֤י2×
- אֱהִ֨י1×
Key Verses
-
Hosea 13:10
Where is your king now, that he may save you in all your cities? And your judges, of whom you said, ‘Give me a king and princes’?
The prophet uses this word to challenge Israel's misplaced trust in human leaders by asking where their king is when trouble comes.
-
Hosea 13:14
I will ransom them from the power of Sheol. I will redeem them from death! Death, where are your plagues? Sheol, where is your destruction? “Compassion will be hidden from my eyes.
God turns the question back on death itself, asserting His power over Sheol by asking where its destructive force has gone.