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עַתָּ֫ה (at.tah)

at.tah

now

H6258 · Hebrew · Old Testament · 390 verses

H:Adv

Quick Reference

Language
Biblical Hebrew
Testament
Old Testament
Occurrences
390 verses
Root
—
Part of speech
H:Adv

Word Overview

The Hebrew word at.tah functions primarily as an adverb meaning "now" or "at this time." Derived from the root for "time," it anchors the reader in a specific moment, often contrasting sharply with what has passed or what is yet to come. With nearly four hundred occurrences in the Old Testament, it appears frequently in narrative and prophetic texts, serving as a linguistic pivot point that shifts focus to the present reality.

While its basic sense is temporal, at.tah carries significant rhetorical weight. It often introduces a decisive change or a new phase of action, as seen when Jacob declares his intent to reconcile with Esau in Genesis 32:5. The sources note that it can also function as an exclamation or incitement, urging immediate attention or action, such as in the prophetic calls found in Isaiah and Micah. In these contexts, the word transcends mere chronology to emphasize urgency and immediacy.

Translators typically render at.tah simply as "now," though its impact depends heavily on context. It can signal a permanent shift, as in Psalms 113:2 where it marks something continuing from this time forth, or it can highlight a sudden realization, such as when David acknowledges God’s protection in Genesis 22:12. The word consistently serves to bring the listener into the immediacy of the divine or human moment being described.

Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).

What This Word Means for Your Faith

The Hebrew word at.tah anchors us in the present moment. It is more than a simple marker of time; it signals a decisive shift from what has passed to what is happening right now. When biblical writers use this term, they are often highlighting a turning point where God’s action or human responsibility becomes immediate and urgent.

In your own life, this word invites you to pay attention to the current season. It reminds us that God is active in the present, not just in history or the future. Whether facing a difficult decision or celebrating a new beginning, at.tah encourages trust in the reality of today rather than anxiety about tomorrow.

This immediacy can bring comfort when we feel stuck in the past or overwhelmed by what lies ahead. The text shows God meeting people exactly where they are, offering clarity and direction for the moment at hand. It is an invitation to engage with faithfulness in the here and now.

How it's translated

How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 390 verses where it appears, by frequency.

  • now135×
  • and/ therefore133×
  • and/ now120×
  • from/ now11×
  • and/ now [must]1×

Forms in the text

The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.

  • וְ/עַתָּ֗ה75×
  • וְ/עַתָּה֙37×
  • וְ/עַתָּ֕ה24×
  • עַתָּה֙23×
  • וְ/עַתָּ֣ה23×
  • וְ/עַתָּ֖ה20×
  • עַתָּ֖ה19×
  • עַתָּ֣ה17×
  • עַתָּ֗ה17×
  • וְ/עַתָּ֡ה13×
  • וְ/עַתָּ֣ה\׀12×
  • וְ/עַתָּ֞ה11×

Key Verses

  • Genesis 22:12
    He said, “Don’t lay your hand on the boy or do anything to him. For now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from me.”

    This occurrence marks the pivotal moment where God confirms Abraham’s faith, shifting the narrative from testing to affirmation.

  • Genesis 3:22
    Yahweh God said, “Behold, the man has become like one of us, knowing good and evil. Now, lest he reach out his hand, and also take of the tree of life, and eat, and live forever—”

    Here the word introduces a critical divine decision regarding human mortality and access to eternal life.

  • Genesis 26:22
    He left that place, and dug another well. They didn’t argue over that one. So he called it Rehoboth. He said, “For now Yahweh has made room for us, and we will be fruitful in the land.”

    It signals a change in circumstance, acknowledging that God has finally provided space and peace after conflict.

  • Genesis 31:44
    Now come, let’s make a covenant, you and I. Let it be for a witness between me and you.”

    The term serves as an urgent call to action, initiating a covenant that establishes peace between two parties.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does the Hebrew word at.tah mean?

It is an adverb meaning 'now' or 'at this time.' It functions as a linguistic pivot that shifts focus from the past to the present moment, often emphasizing urgency or a decisive change in circumstances.

How is at.tah different from other words for time?

While other Hebrew words might refer to general seasons or long periods, at.tah pinpoints the immediate present. It often carries rhetorical weight, marking a specific turning point where action must be taken or a new reality is recognized.

Where does this word appear most frequently?

It appears in nearly four hundred verses throughout the Old Testament. You will find it frequently in narrative texts like Genesis, where it marks key decisions, and in prophetic books, where it calls for immediate response to God’s message.

Every Occurrence (390 verses across 29 books)

Genesis 38 verses
Genesis 3:22

Yahweh God said, “Behold, the man has become like one of us, knowing good and evil. Now, lest he reach out his hand,…

Genesis 4:11

Now you are cursed because of the ground, which has opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood from your hand.

Genesis 11:6

Yahweh said, “Behold, they are one people, and they all have one language, and this is what they begin to do. Now…

Genesis 12:19

Why did you say, ‘She is my sister,’ so that I took her to be my wife? Now therefore, see your wife, take her, and go…

Genesis 19:9

They said, “Stand back!” Then they said, “This one fellow came in to live as a foreigner, and he appoints himself a…

Genesis 20:7

Now therefore, restore the man’s wife. For he is a prophet, and he will pray for you, and you will live. If you don’t…

Genesis 21:23

Now, therefore, swear to me here by God that you will not deal falsely with me, nor with my son, nor with my son’s son.…

Genesis 22:12

He said, “Don’t lay your hand on the boy or do anything to him. For now I know that you fear God, since you have not…

Genesis 24:49

Now if you will deal kindly and truly with my master, tell me. If not, tell me, that I may turn to the right hand, or…

Genesis 26:22

He left that place, and dug another well. They didn’t argue over that one. So he called it Rehoboth. He said, “For now…

Genesis 26:29

that you will do us no harm, as we have not touched you, and as we have done to you nothing but good, and have sent you…

Genesis 27:3

Now therefore, please take your weapons, your quiver and your bow, and go out to the field, and get me venison.

Genesis 27:8

Now therefore, my son, obey my voice according to that which I command you.

Genesis 27:36

He said, “Isn’t he rightly named Jacob? For he has supplanted me these two times. He took away my birthright. See, now…

Genesis 27:43

Now therefore, my son, obey my voice. Arise, flee to Laban, my brother, in Haran.

Genesis 29:32

Leah conceived, and bore a son, and she named him Reuben. For she said, “Because Yahweh has looked at my affliction;…

Genesis 29:34

She conceived again, and bore a son. She said, “Now this time my husband will be joined to me, because I have borne him…

Genesis 30:30

For it was little which you had before I came, and it has increased to a multitude. Yahweh has blessed you wherever I…

Genesis 31:13

I am the God of Bethel, where you anointed a pillar, where you vowed a vow to me. Now arise, get out from this land,…

Genesis 31:16

For all the riches which God has taken away from our father are ours and our children’s. Now then, whatever God has…

Genesis 31:28

and didn’t allow me to kiss my sons and my daughters? Now you have done foolishly.

Genesis 31:30

Now, you want to be gone, because you greatly longed for your father’s house, but why have you stolen my gods?”

Genesis 31:42

Unless the God of my father, the God of Abraham, and the fear of Isaac, had been with me, surely now you would have…

Genesis 31:44

Now come, let’s make a covenant, you and I. Let it be for a witness between me and you.”

Genesis 37:20

Come now therefore, and let’s kill him, and cast him into one of the pits, and we will say, ‘An evil animal has…

Genesis 41:33

“Now therefore let Pharaoh look for a discreet and wise man, and set him over the land of Egypt.

Genesis 43:10

for if we hadn’t delayed, surely we would have returned a second time by now.”

Genesis 44:10

He said, “Now also let it be according to your words. He with whom it is found will be my slave; and you will be…

Genesis 44:30

Now therefore when I come to your servant my father, and the boy is not with us; since his life is bound up in the…

Genesis 44:33

Now therefore, please let your servant stay instead of the boy, my lord’s slave; and let the boy go up with his…

Genesis 45:5

Now don’t be grieved, nor angry with yourselves, that you sold me here, for God sent me before you to preserve life.

Genesis 45:8

So now it wasn’t you who sent me here, but God, and he has made me a father to Pharaoh, lord of all his house, and…

Genesis 46:34

that you shall say, ‘Your servants have been keepers of livestock from our youth even until now, both we, and our…

Genesis 47:4

They also said to Pharaoh, “We have come to live as foreigners in the land, for there is no pasture for your servants’…

Genesis 48:5

Now your two sons, who were born to you in the land of Egypt before I came to you into Egypt, are mine; Ephraim and…

Genesis 50:5

‘My father made me swear, saying, “Behold, I am dying. Bury me in my grave which I have dug for myself in the land of…

Genesis 50:17

‘You shall tell Joseph, “Now please forgive the disobedience of your brothers, and their sin, because they did evil to…

Genesis 50:21

Now therefore don’t be afraid. I will provide for you and your little ones.” He comforted them, and spoke kindly to…

Exodus 20 verses
Numbers 15 verses
Deuteronomy 9 verses
Joshua 17 verses
Judges 24 verses
Ruth 4 verses
I Samuel 41 verses
II Samuel 25 verses
I Kings 20 verses
II Kings 21 verses
I Chronicles 13 verses
II Chronicles 26 verses
Ezra 6 verses
Nehemiah 4 verses
Job 18 verses
Psalms 10 verses
Proverbs 3 verses
Isaiah 24 verses
Jeremiah 16 verses
Daniel 7 verses
Hosea 10 verses
Joel 1 verse
Amos 2 verses
Jonah 1 verse
Micah 6 verses
Haggai 4 verses
Zechariah 2 verses
Malachi 3 verses