אֵיתָן (e.tan)
e.tan
strong
H:AQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 13 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:A
Word Overview
The Hebrew word eitan describes something that is strong, enduring, or perpetual. It most commonly appears in poetic texts to characterize water that flows constantly and reliably. In Job 40:25, it modifies the river, suggesting a current that does not cease or dry up, providing a vivid image of unending power and stability.
While its primary sense is physical strength, the term often carries a figurative weight of permanence. It is used to describe entities that remain steadfast over time, contrasting with things that are fleeting or weak. This usage highlights a quality of resilience that persists through changing circumstances, anchoring the text in a sense of lasting reality.
Translators typically render eitan as "strong," "ever-flowing," or "perpetual" depending on the context. The word’s presence in Psalms and Jeremiah underscores its role in portraying divine constancy or natural order. By focusing on this enduring quality, the text invites readers to consider what remains firm when other things fade.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
When we encounter the Hebrew word eitan, we are looking at something defined by its strength and endurance. It is not a fleeting power, but one that remains steady through changing seasons. In the Bible, this term often describes rivers that flow without ceasing or structures built on solid rock. This imagery offers a quiet reassurance: just as these natural forces persist regardless of human circumstances, so too does the foundation of faith remain unshaken.
For your daily life, this word invites you to consider what truly lasts. While many things in our world feel temporary or fragile, eitan points toward a reality that is steadfast. It reminds us that we are anchored by something greater than our immediate struggles. Whether facing uncertainty or seeking stability, there is comfort in knowing that the divine strength behind us is as reliable as an ever-flowing river.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 13 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- ever-flowing3×
- an ever-flowing [stream]2×
- [is] enduring2×
- to/ normal [state]/ its1×
- in/ permanence1×
- enduring1×
- and/ [people] long established1×
- and/ O/ enduring [ones]1×
- [is] constant1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- אֵיתָֽן\׃3×
- אֵיתָן֒2×
- לְ/אֵ֣יתָנ֔/וֹ1×
- וְ/הָ/אֵתָנִ֖ים1×
- וְ/אֵֽתָנִ֣ים1×
- בְּ/אֵיתָן֙1×
- אֵתָֽן\׃1×
- אֵיתָן֙1×
- אֵיתָ֣ן1×
- אֵיתָ֔ן1×
Key Verses
-
Genesis 49:24
But his bow remained strong. The arms of his hands were made strong, by the hands of the Mighty One of Jacob, (from there is the shepherd, the stone of Israel),
This verse highlights how human strength is ultimately sustained by the 'Mighty One of Jacob,' showing that endurance comes from divine source rather than self-reliance.
-
Amos 5:24
But let justice roll on like rivers, and righteousness like a mighty stream.
Here, the word describes a mighty stream, using the image of constant water flow to illustrate how justice and righteousness should be persistent and unavoidable in life.
-
Jeremiah 50:44
Behold, the enemy will come up like a lion from the thickets of the Jordan against the strong habitation; for I will suddenly make them run away from it. Whoever is chosen, I will appoint him over it, for who is like me? Who will appoint me a time? Who is the shepherd who can stand before me?”
The enemy is compared to a lion attacking a strong habitation, emphasizing that eitan denotes a fortified position that requires significant force to overcome.