Yea

Yea - (Webster's 1828 Dictionary)

YEA, adv. Ya.

1. Yes; a word that expresses affirmation or assent. Will you go? Yea. It sometimes introduces a subject, with the sense of indeed, verily, truly, it is so.

Yea, hath God said, ye shall not eat of every tree in the garden? Gen 3.

Let your communication be yea, yea; nay, nay. Mat 5.

2. It sometimes enforces the sense of something preceding; not only so, but more.

Therein I do rejoice; yea, and will rejoice. Phil 1.

3. In Scripture, it is used to denote certainty, consistency, harmony, and stability.

All the promises of God in him are yea, and in him are amen. 2 Cor 1.

[In this use, the word may be considered a noun.]

Yea is used only in the sacred and solemn style. [See Yes.]

ya.

1. In the Old Testament:

('aph, "also," "moreover," "yea" (1Sa 21:5 the King James Version; 1Sa 24:11, etc.), gam, "also," "likewise," "moreover," "yea" (2Ki 2:3; 16:3, etc.], ki, "inasmuch," "certainly," "doubtless," "yea" (Ps 102:13; 105:12, etc.)): Each of these words occurs frequently, especially the first two.

2. In the New Testament:

In the New Testament we have: nai, "verily," "yea," the usual particle of affirmation (Mt 5:37; 9:28, etc.); de, "however," "on the other hand" (Lu 2:35; Ac 20:34 the King James Version, etc.); alla, "however," "but" (Lu 24:22 the King James Version; Ro 3:31 the King James Version, etc.); kai, "also," "besides," "yea" (Ac 3:16; 7:43 the King James Version, etc.). Christ forbids the employment of any affirmation stronger than the solemn repetition of the first mentioned (Mt 5:37).

Frank E. Hirsch