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חָיָה283 H2425
Conj-w | V-Qal-ConjPerf-3ms  |  20× in 1 sense
To live, be alive, remain alive — the basic Hebrew verb for possessing or sustaining life
The fundamental Hebrew verb for being alive and continuing in life. Its semantic range extends from sheer biological existence to the theological promise of life as divine gift. God warns Moses that no one can see his face and live (Exod 33:20); the tree of life would let humanity live forever (Gen 3:22); the patriarchal summaries record how long each figure lived (Gen 5:5; 25:7). In prophetic contexts, Jeremiah promises that those who surrender to Babylon 'shall live' (Jer 21:9; 38:2) — survival as covenant mercy. Spanish renders 'vivió/vivo,' German 'er lebte/lebendig,' confirming the consistent core meaning across all occurrences.

Senses
1. live, be alive Qal form of חָיָה: to live, be alive, remain alive, or continue living. Covers biological life (Gen 5:5, patriarchal lifespans), divine warning about the limits of mortal encounter with God (Exod 33:20, 'no man shall see me and live'), and prophetic promises of survival through obedience (Jer 21:9; 38:2). French 'et-il-devra-vivre' and German 'lebendig' both reflect the adjectival-verbal overlap inherent in this root, which can express both the state of being alive and the action of continuing to live. 20×
BODY_HEALTH Physiological Processes and States Life and Living
AR["حَيٌّ", "عَاشَ", "عَاشَهَا", "فَ-تَحْيَا", "وَ-حَيَا", "وَ-يَحيا", "وَ-يَحْيا", "وَ-يَحْيَا", "وَحَيَا", "وَيَحْيَا"]·ben["আর-জীবন-করবে?", "আর-জীবন-করে?", "আর-বাঁচবে", "এবং-বাঁচত", "এবং-বাঁচবে", "এবং-সে-বাঁচে", "ও-বাঁচবে", "জীবিত", "তিনি-বাঁচলেন", "তিনি-বেঁচেছিলেন"]·DE["[וחי]", "er-lebte", "lebendig", "und-er-lebt", "und-er-soll-leben", "und-lebe", "und-leben", "und-lebt", "und-lebte", "und-sie-lebt"]·EN["alive", "and-he-lives", "and-he-shall-live", "and-live", "and-lived", "and-lives", "and-shall-he-live", "and-she-lives", "he-lived"]·FR["[וחי]", "et-elle-vies", "et-il-devra-vivre", "et-il-vies", "et-il-vivra", "et-vies", "et-vivre", "et-vécut", "il-vécut", "vivant"]·heb["ו-חי", "ו-חיה", "חי"]·HI["और-जिएगा", "और-जिएगा-क्या", "और-जीए", "और-जीएगा", "और-जीवित-रहता", "और-जीवित-रहता-था", "और-जीवित-रहे", "और-जीवित-रहेगा", "जिवित", "जीया", "तोह-जीने-दो"]·ID["dan-dia-hidup", "dan-hidup", "dan-ia-hidup", "dia-hidup", "hidup", "ia-hidup", "maka-biarkanlah-hidup", "maka-dia-akan-hidup"]·IT["[וחי]", "e-egli-dovra-vivere", "e-egli-vive", "e-ella-lives", "e-visse", "e-vive", "e-vivere", "e-vivrà", "egli-visse", "vivo"]·jav["gesang", "lan-gesang", "lan-gesang.", "piyambakipun-gesang"]·KO["그리고-산다", "그리고-살", "그리고-살-것이다", "그리고-살겠느냐", "그리고-살리라", "그리고-살았느냐", "그리고-살았다", "살게-하라", "살아-있는", "살았다"]·PT["e-viva", "e-vive", "e-viveria", "e-viverá", "e-vivesse", "e-vivia", "viveu", "vivo"]·RU["жив", "жил", "и-будет-жить", "и-жив", "и-живёт", "и-жил", "и-жил-ли", "и-жить-ли", "и-оставался-жив", "и-останется-жив", "ими", "пусть-живёт"]·ES["vivió", "vivo", "y-viva", "y-vive", "y-vivirá", "y-vivía", "¿y-vivirá?"]·SW["aishi", "aliishi", "ataishi", "na-aishi", "na-akaishi", "na-anaishi", "na-ataishi", "na-kuishi", "yuko-hai"]·TR["diri", "ve-yaşadı", "ve-yaşar", "ve-yaşasın", "ve-yaşayacak", "ve-yaşayacak-mı", "yaşadı", "yüz"]·urd["اور-جیئے", "اور-جیئے-گا", "اور-جیتا", "اور-جیتا-رہے", "اور-جیتا-ہے", "اور-جیے", "اور-جیے-گا", "اور-زندہ-رہے", "تو-جیتی-رہے", "جیا", "زندہ-ہے"]

Related Senses
H7200 1. Qal: to see, perceive (1257×)G4771 2. you (singular address) (1077×)H8085 1. Qal: hear, perceive aurally (921×)H0859a 1. you (2nd person masculine singular pronoun) (743×)H0398 1. eat (consume food) (697×)H4191 1. die (Qal: natural/general death) (645×)G3708 1. see, perceive visually (419×)G0191 1. hear, perceive sound (360×)H???? 3. (352×)G3708 2. behold, look (exclamatory) (256×)H7272 1. foot (body part) (236×)H8354 1. drink, consume liquid (209×)H3205 1. Qal active: bear/give birth (female subject) (204×)H3205 2. Qal active: beget/father (male subject) (198×)H2421 1. Qal: live, be alive (177×)H8085 2. Qal: listen, heed, pay attention (172×)H2416a 1. alive, living (state/attribute) (146×)H2416e 1. life, lifespan, lifetime (145×)G2198 1. be alive, have life (133×)H8193 1. lip, lips (body part) (123×)

BDB / Lexicon Reference
חָיָה283 vb. live (NH Ph. id.; Arabic حَىَّ, حَيِىَ; Sab. חיו MordtZMG 1876, 28; Ethiopic ሐይወ Aramaic ܚܝܳܐ, חֲיָא; Palm. חיי life, life-time, Vog 32, 74)— Qal203 Pf. חָיָה Ec 6:6 + 4 times; יְ֯חָיָה Je 21:9; 38:2; חַי Gn 5:5 + 23 times (this and the following form are treated as ע״ע, the original weakness of the stem final י admitting of either ל״ה or ע״ע, Ges§ 761); וְחֵי Lv 25:36 (Bö§ 1181); 3