H0342 H0342
Enmity, hostility; deep personal or communal animosity, sometimes described as perpetual.
A feminine noun for deep-seated hostility, appearing at pivotal moments in Scripture. Its first occurrence in Genesis 3:15 — enmity between the serpent and the woman — establishes a cosmic conflict at the very foundation of the biblical narrative. Numbers 35:21-22 uses it to distinguish between murder motivated by personal hatred and accidental killing. Ezekiel twice speaks of an 'enmity of old' (25:15; 35:5) harbored by neighboring peoples against Israel. The multilingual evidence is consistent: Spanish 'enemistad,' French and German 'enmity' — all pointing to a relational hostility that runs deeper than momentary anger.
Senses
1. sense 1 — Enmity, deep hostility between persons or peoples. In Gen 3:15 it names the primal antagonism God sets between the serpent and the woman — the protoevangelium. In the homicide laws of Num 35:21-22 it distinguishes premeditated murder (motivated by enmity) from manslaughter. Ezekiel applies the phrase 'enmity of old' (אֵיבַת עוֹלָם) to the Philistines (25:15) and Edom (35:5) for their persistent hostility toward Israel. Spanish 'enemistad' and French 'enmity' both convey the relational depth — this is not passing anger but entrenched animosity. 5×
AR["بِعَدَاوَةٍ", "بِعَدَاوَةِ", "عَدَاوَةٍ", "عَدَاوَةَ", "وَ-عَدَاوَةً"]·ben["আর-শত্রুতা", "ব-শত্রুতায়", "শত্রুতা"]·DE["[איבת]", "enmity", "mit-enmity", "und-Feindschaft"]·EN["And-enmity", "enmity", "enmity-of", "enmity-of-", "with-enmity"]·FR["Et-enmity", "[איבת]", "avec-enmity", "enmity"]·heb["איבה", "איבת", "ב-איבה", "ו-איבה ׀"]·HI["और-बैर", "शत्रुता", "से-शत्रुता"]·ID["Dan-permusuhan", "dengan-permusuhan", "permusuhan"]·IT["And-enmity", "[איבת]", "con-enmity", "enmity"]·jav["lan-sesatron", "mawi-mengsah", "mengsah", "sesatron"]·KO["그리고-원수", "에-적대감으로", "원수가", "원수됨으로-", "적대감"]·PT["E-inimizade", "com-inimizade", "inimizade", "inimizade-de"]·RU["во-вражде", "вражда", "вражды", "и-вражду"]·ES["Y-enemistad", "con-enemistad", "enemistad", "enemistad-de"]·SW["Na-uadui", "kwa-uadui", "uadui", "uadui-wa"]·TR["-da-düşmanlıkla", "Ve-düşmanlık", "düşmanlık", "ittiyse-onu"]·urd["اور-دشمنی", "دشمنی", "دشمنی-کے", "سے-دشمنی"]
Related Senses
H4421 1. war, battle, armed conflict (319×)H0341 1. enemy, adversary, foe (284×)H3898a 1. Nifal: to fight, wage war (167×)H2026 1. kill, slay (active) (146×)H2451 1. wisdom, discernment (146×)H5483b 1. horse (the animal) (138×)H0006 1. to perish, be destroyed (105×)H7843 1. Hifil: destroy, annihilate (83×)H2491a 1. slain, fatally pierced (74×)H6862c 1. adversary, enemy, foe (69×)H8045 1. destroy, exterminate (69×)G0615 1. kill, put to death (60×)H6571b 1. horseman, cavalryman (52×)H8077a 1. desolation, waste (abstract state) (52×)G4678 1. of wisdom (51×)G4717 1. crucify, fasten to a cross (46×)H2763a 1. utterly destroy (Hifil active) (44×)G0622 1. perish, be destroyed (intransitive) (41×)H0006 2. to destroy, annihilate (Piel) (38×)H8074 1. be desolate, lie waste (36×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† אֵיבָה n.f. enmity—א׳ Gn 3:15 + 2 textual; cstr. אֵיבַת Ez 25:15; 35:5—enmity, personal hostility, betw. men Nu 35:21, 22 (P), betw. serpent & woman Gn 3:15 (J), betw. peoples אֵיבַת עוֹלָם Ez 25:15; 35:5.