What does לֹא · הָיָה · דָּבָר mean in the Bible?
לֹא · הָיָה · דָּבָר is a Hebrew phrase meaning "there was not a thing".
Hebrew · H3808, H1961, H1697
לֹא־הָיָה דָבָר
Not (the simple or abs. negation); by implication, no ; often used with other particles · to exist , i.e. be or become , come to pass (always emphatic, and not a mere copula or auxiliary) · a word ; by implication, a matter (as spoken of) or thing ; adverbially, a cause
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Words in this compound — expand to study each participant
לֹאH3808not (the simple or abs. negation); by implication, no ; often used with other particles
הָיָהH1961to exist , i.e. be or become , come to pass (always emphatic, and not a mere copula or auxiliary)
Pronunciationhāyāh
Emphatic existential verb emphasizing actual occurrence or becoming; never mere grammatical copula in Hebrew thought.
Open lexicon entry →דָּבָרH1697a word ; by implication, a matter (as spoken of) or thing ; adverbially, a cause
Pronunciationdāḇār
Word that moves from speech to action: what is spoken becomes a matter of real consequence and effect.
Open lexicon entry →What does לֹא־הָיָה דָבָר (lo-hayah davar) mean in the Bible?
לֹא · הָיָה · דָּבָר is a Hebrew phrase meaning "there was not a thing".
Full entry for לֹא־הָיָה דָבָר (H3808, H1961, H1697) · Open the biblical lexicon
Questions this entry answers
How many biblical occurrences are listed for H3808, H1961, H1697?
H3808, H1961, H1697 is connected to 10,221 lexical occurrence verses in the lexicon data.
Evidence Summary
Hebrew phrase. there was not a thing
Strong'sH3808, H1961, H1697
Lexical occurrences10,221 versesSource Gloss
there was not a thing
Grammatical Forms
How this word appears across different grammatical cases and numbers.