הֲוָא, H1934
Aramaic verb: to be, exist; to become or come to pass; also used as a periphrastic auxiliary with participles.
The standard Aramaic copula found throughout Daniel and Ezra, functioning as the counterpart to Hebrew הָיָה. It covers the full range of existential and copulative meanings: simple being ('it was,' 'it shall be'), becoming or transformation ('it became like chaff,' Dan 2:35), and happening ('what will come to pass,' Dan 2:28-29). Arabic translations helpfully distinguish the senses, using كَانَ for simple existence but صَارَ for transformative becoming. When paired with a participle, the verb forms periphrastic tenses expressing habitual or volitional action, as in Daniel 5:19 where Spanish renders it 'quería' (he wanted/wished).
Senses
1. to be, exist — The basic copulative and existential sense: to be, to exist, to stand in a certain state. This is the workhorse meaning across Daniel and Ezra, covering identity statements, existence assertions, and predication. Spanish 'será/estaba/estuve,' French 'être,' and German 'sein' all render it with their standard copula, confirming its simple stative function (Ezra 4:12-13; 6:9; Dan 4:26). 65×
AR["تَكُونُ","كُنْتُ","يَكُونُ"]·ben["ছিলাম","হবে"]·DE["sein","zu-er"]·EN["I-was","it-will-be","will-be"]·FR["pour-il","être"]·heb["הייתי","יהיה","תהיה"]·HI["था","रहा-था","होगा"]·ID["akan-menjadi","akan-terjadi","aku","aku-sedang","sedang"]·IT["a-egli","essere"]·jav["badhe-dados","kula-saged","kula-wonten","wonten"]·KO["나는이었다","될-것을","될-것이다","있었노라"]·PT["estava","será"]·RU["будет","был","был-я"]·ES["estaba","estuve","será"]·SW["litakuwa","nilikuwa","utakuwa"]·TR["idim","olacak"]·urd["تھا-میں","میں-تھا","ہو-گی","ہوگا"]
2. to be (periphrastic auxiliary) — Auxiliary use with a following participle to form periphrastic verb constructions expressing continuous, habitual, or volitional action. In Daniel 5:19, the verb combines with participles to yield 'whomever he wished he would slay/spare.' Spanish 'quería' (he wanted) and the contrast with simple 'was' in other languages reveal that the construction conveys volition or ongoing habit rather than mere existence. 4×
AR["كَانَ"]·ben["তিনি-ছিলেন"]·DE["sein"]·EN["he-was"]·FR["être"]·heb["היה"]·HI["चाहता-था"]·ID["-yang"]·IT["essere"]·jav["ingkang-dipunkersaaken"]·KO["원하시면"]·PT["queria"]·RU["хотел"]·ES["quería"]·SW["aliyemtaka"]·TR["oldu"]·urd["چاہتا-تھا"]
3. to become, turn into — Transformative sense: to become, to turn into, to come into being as something new. Distinguished from simple being by indicating a change of state. Arabic صَارَ (to become) rather than كَانَ (to be), Spanish 'se convirtió' (it turned into), and Hindi 'हो गया' (became) all confirm the shift in meaning. The classic passage is Daniel 2:35, where the stone 'became' a great mountain filling the earth. 2×
AR["صَارَ","وَ-صَارُوا"]·ben["এবং-হয়ে-গেল","হয়ে-গেল"]·DE["sein","und-sein"]·EN["and-became","became"]·FR["et-être","être"]·heb["היתה","ו-היו"]·HI["और-हो-गए","हो-गया"]·ID["dan-menjadi","menjadi"]·IT["e-essere","essere"]·jav["dados","lan-dados"]·KO["그리고-되었다","되었다"]·PT["e-tornaram-se","tornou-se"]·RU["и-стали","стал"]·ES["se-convirtió","y-fueron"]·SW["likawa","na-vikawa"]·TR["oldu","ve-oldular"]·urd["اور-ہو-گئے","بن-گیا"]
Related Senses
H1961 1. be, exist, was (Qal copular/existential) (3505×)G1510 1. copulative, linking predication (2095×)G1096 1. become, change state (421×)G1096 2. happen, occur, take place (158×)G1510 2. participial, being (circumstantial/attributive) (157×)H3426 1. there is, there are (existence) (129×)G1510 3. infinitival, to be (128×)G1510 4. subjunctive/imperative, may be / let be (83×)H1961 2. become, come to be (Qal inchoative) (55×)G5225 1. to be, to exist (45×)H0194 1. (45×)G1096 3. come, arrive, appear (28×)G1096 4. let it be, may it be done (22×)H0383 1. there is/are, to exist (Aramaic existential particle) (19×)G1096 5. may it never be! (16×)G2673 1. abolish, bring to an end (16×)G1510 5. existential, there is/exists (15×)G5225 2. possessions, property, goods (14×)G1096 6. be, exist, find oneself (13×)H7136a 1. happen, occur, befall (12×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
הֲוָא, הֲוָה, vb. come to pass, become, be (BH הָיָה);— Pe. Pf. 3 ms. הֲוָה Dn 4:26 +, הֲוָא Dn 5:19 +; 3 fs. הֲוַת Dn 2:35 הֲוָת Dn 7:19; 2 ms. הֲוַיְתָ Dn 2:31, 34; 1 s. הֲוֵית 4:1 +; 3 mpl. הֲווֹ Dn 2:35 +; Impf. 3 ms. לֶהֱוֵא (K§ 47, 1) b) Dr§ 204 Obs. NöM215 ff.; cf.D§ 61, 1 c) Dn 2:20 +; 3 fs. תֶּהֱוֵה Dn 4:24 +, א—ֵ Ezr 6:8 +, 3 mpl. לֶהֱוֹן Ezr 6:10 + 6 times, 3 fpl. לֶהֶוְיָן Dn 5:17;…