עַי, H5857
Ai (Canaanite city); Ayyah (settlement in Nehemiah)
1. Ai (Canaanite city) — The ancient Canaanite city near Bethel, always appearing with the article (ha-Ai) in its primary form. Featured prominently in the conquest narrative: the failed first attack (Josh 7:2-5), the successful ambush and destruction (Josh 8:1-29), and referenced in the list of defeated kings (Josh 12:9). Also mentioned in Abraham's journeys (Gen 12:8, 13:3). Later references include the post-exilic lists (Ezra 2:28, Neh 7:32) and Jeremiah 49:3. The variant form Ayyat (Isa 10:28) describes the same location in the march against Jerusalem. Transliterations: Arabic al-Ay, German Ai, French Ai, Spanish Hai/Ai, Korean Ai, Hindi Ay/Ai. All auto-clusters (the Ai, and the Ai, Ai, Aiath) refer to the same geographical location in different syntactic frames or spelling variants. 39×
AR["العايَ","العايِ","الْ-عَايِ"]·ben["আয়","আয়-কে","আয়-তে","আয়ের"]·DE["Ai","der-Ai","von-der-Ai","zu-der-Ai"]·EN["of-the-Ai","the-Ai","to-the-Ai"]·FR["de-le-Aï","le-Ai","le-Aï","à-le-Aï"]·heb["ה-עי","ל-עי"]·HI["अय","अय-का","अय-के","ऐ"]·ID["Ai","Ai-itu"]·IT["a-il-Ai","di-il-Ai","il-Ai"]·jav["Ai","punika"]·KO["아이","아이로","아이를","아이의"]·PT["(a) Ha'Ai","Ay","Ha'Ai"]·RU["-Гаем","Гаем","Гай","Гаю","Гая","в-Гай","на-Гай","от-Гая"]·ES["Hai"]·SW["Ai"]·TR["-Ay'ın","Ay'a","Ay'ı","Ay'ın","için-Ay'ın"]·urd["عائی","عائی-کو","عائی-کی","عائی-کے"]
Gen 12:8, Gen 13:3, Josh 7:2, Josh 7:2, Josh 7:3, Josh 7:4, Josh 7:5, Josh 8:1, Josh 8:1, Josh 8:2, Josh 8:3, Josh 8:9 (+27 more)
▼ 1 more sense below
Senses
2. Ayyah (settlement in Nehemiah) — A variant place name Ayyah mentioned in Neh 11:31 among the settlements of Benjamin in the post-exilic resettlement list. While etymologically related to Ai, this form without the article and with the distinctive he-ending may indicate a separate or rebuilt settlement near the ancient site. Arabic Ayya, Korean Aya, Spanish Aja. Distinguished from the main Ai entry by its unique orthographic form and its appearance in a distinct literary context (post-exilic settlement list rather than conquest narrative). 1×
AR["وَ-عَيَّا"]·ben["আর-অয়ায়"]·DE["[ועיה]"]·EN["and-Ayyah"]·FR["[ועיה]"]·heb["ו-עיה"]·HI["और-अय्याह-में"]·ID["dan-Aya"]·IT["[ועיה]"]·jav["lan-Aya"]·KO["그리고-아야"]·PT["e-Ayah"]·RU["и-Айя"]·ES["y-Aja"]·SW["na-Aiya"]·TR["ve-Ayya"]·urd["اور-عیا"]
BDB / Lexicon Reference
עַי, עַיָּ֑ת, עַיָּה n.pr.loc. Αγγαι (Gn), Γαι: 1. old Canaanit. city, עַי always c. art. הָעַי (הָעָ֑י Gn 13:3 +), near Bethel to the SE. (exact site unknown, cf. Di Jos. 7:2 BuhlGeogr. 177), Gn 12:8 (J), 13:3 (J), Jos 7:2(×2), 3, 4, 5; 8:1(×2), 2, 3 + 18 times Jos 8 (+ Qr v 12, 16, but improb., Kt עיר, cf. Di), 9:3; 10:1(×2), 2 (all JE), 12:9 (D), Ezr 2:28 = Ne 7:32; = עַיָּת Is 10:28; עַיָּה…