Genesis 4:2:9Gen.4.2.W9TAB
הָיָ֖ה
haya
“was”
- Transliteration
- ha-YA
- Extended
- hah-YAA
- IPA
- /haː.ˈjaː/
Meaning by language
- English
- was
Hebrew · tap a syllable to hear it
Alphabet Analysis
| He | h as in house; silent at word end | |
| Qamets | long 'ah' | |
| Yod | y as in yes; marks long ī | |
| Qamets | long 'ah' | |
| He | h as in house; silent at word end |
Tap any letter to hear its name and sound
Now you try — trace the word:
The word
Word in context
- word
ha-YA
- clause
va-ye-hi-HE-vel RO-eh TSON ve-KAI-yin ha-YA o-VED a-da-MA
- sentence
va-TO-sef la-LE-det et-a-KHIV et-HE-vel va-ye-hi-HE-vel RO-eh TSON ve-KAI-yin ha-YA o-VED a-da-MA
Exegesis
In parallel, veqayin {וְקַיִן | wə·qa·yin} ‘and Cain’ introduces the adversative clause with hayah {הָיָה | hā·yāh} ‘he was’ plus the participle oved {עֹבֵד | ʿō·ḇēḏ} ‘worker’ and adamah {אֲדָמָה | ʾa·ḏā·māh} ‘ground’, contrasting Cain’s agricultural labor with Abel’s shepherding. English renders wayyiqtol as simple past and participles as stable titles.
In context — Genesis 4:2
She again gave birth to his brother Abel , and Abel became one who tended flocks, while Cain worked the soil.
About this coordinate
Genesis 4:2:9 is a BCV:P reference — Book · Chapter · Verse · Word Position. It addresses word 9 of Genesis 4:2, so the Hebrew word הָיָ֖ה (haya) can be cited, linked and studied at exactly this position rather than somewhere in the verse. In the Biblical Knowledge Coordinate System the same position is written Gen.4.2.W9, which extends further down to each syllable (Gen.4.2.W9.S1) and character.