Brown-Driver-Briggs (BDB)
BDB4266 H3808
BDB4265 | BIBLICAL HEBREW | BDB4267
לֹא or לוֺא adverb not (Arabic , Aramaic לָא, , Sabean לא, Ass. lâ; not in Ethiopic: compare Köii. 1. 236 WalkerAJSL 1896, 237 ff.) — לוֺא, according to Masora (FrMM 248), 35 t., besides בְּלוֺא 6 t., and הֲלוֺא, the orthography of which varies much (ib.p. 251), e.g. in Samuel always הֲלוֺא, in Chronicles always הֲלֹא, on the whole הֲלוֺא 141 t., הֲלֹא 128 t.; twice, according to Masora, written לו (Qr לֹא), 1Sam 2:16; 1Sam 20:2, once לה Deut 3:11 Kt: — not — denying objectively, like οὐ (not μὴ = אַל): — 1. in predication:
a. with a
verb; so most frequently, and nearly always
(
a) with the finite tenses, whether perfect (
Gen 2:5 b
Gen 4:5 etc.) or imperfect (
Gen 3:4;
Gen 8:21;
Gen 8:22 etc.); in short circumstantial clauses, as
Gen 44:4 לא הרחיקו,
Isa 40:20 לֹא יִמּוֺט, and with a final force
Isa 41:7;
Exod 28:32 (see
Ges«GKC:156»§ 156. 3 R. b, c
Dr§ 162). Governing two closely connected verbs (
Dr§ 115,
לא)
Exod 28:43 וְלֹא יִשְׂאוּ עָוֺן וָמֵתוּ,
Lev 19:12;
Lev 19:29b
Deut 7:25;
Deut 7:26;
Deut 19:10;
Deut 22:1 and elsewhere; and two parallel clauses (
Ges«GKC:152»§ 152. 3)
Isa 23:4b
Ps 9:19;
Ps 44:19;
Job 3:1 and elsewhere With the imperfect, especially with 2 person,
לֹא often expresses (not, like
אַל, a deprecation,
do not . . .,
let not . . ., but) a
prohibition, as
Gen 2:17 לֹא תאֹכַל מִמֶּנּוּ thou
shall not eat of it,
Gen 3:1;
Gen 3:3;
Exod 20:3 לֹאיִֿהְיֶה לְךָ there
shall not be to thee, etc., v
Exod 20:13 לא תגנב, etc. With the coh. and jussive moods (which are negatived regularly by
אַל), it occurs only exceptionally (
Ges«GKC:109»§ 109. 1 b R. 1),
Gen 24:8;
1Sam 14:36;
2Sam 17:12;
2Sam 18:14;
1Kgs 2:6;
Ezek 48:14.
(
b) with the infinitive (which is negatived by
בִּלְתִּי, q. v.), only once, in
בְּלֹא (
4 a), and with
לְ, in the sense of
cannot, or
must not;
Judg 1:19 כי לא להורישׁ for it
was not (possible)
to dispossess, etc.
Amos 6:10 לא ׳להזכיר בשׁם י,
1Chr 5:1;
1Chr 15:2 (
Dr§ 202. 2); compare Aramaic
לָא Dan 6:9;
Ezra 6:8. On its use with the participle, see
b c. (
c)
לא always negates properly the word immediately following: hence, in a verbal sentence, where this is not the verb, some special stress rests upon it,
Gen 32:29 לֹא יַעֲקֹב ׳יֵאָמֵר עוֺד וג not Jacob shall thy name be called any more, but Israel,
Gen 45:8 לֹא אַתֶּם שְׁלַחְתֶּם אֹתִי Not ye (in our idiom: It is not ye who) have sent me hither, but God,
Exod 16:8;
1Sam 8:7 כִּי לֹא ׳אֹתְךָ מָאָסוּ כִּי אֹתִי וג,
Ps 115:17 without a following correcting clause,
Gen 38:9;
Num 16:29 שְׁלָחָנִי׃ ׳לֹא י Not ׳י (but another) hath sent me,
Deut 32:27 לֹא פָּעַל זֹאת ׳י,
1Chr 17:4;
Deut 8:9;
Isa 28:28 לא לנצח ֗֗֗ not for ever (but only for a while) . . . (so
Isa 57:16;
Ps 9:19;
Ps 49:18;
Ps 103:9 but
Isa 13:20 לא תשׁב לנצח is, will
not be inhabited for ever),
Isa 43:22;
Job 13:16;
Job 32:9 hence rhetorically, insinuating something very different, not named,
2Kgs 6:10 not once, and
not twice (but repeatedly),
Ezra 10:13;
Jer 4:11 a wind
לֹא לְזָרוֺת וְלוֺא לְהַָבר׃ not to winnow, and
not to cleanse (but to exterminate),
Isa 45:13;
Isa 48:1b
Josh 24:12;
Dan 11:20;
Dan 11:29;
Job 34:20 לֹא בְיָד (but by a Divine agency: compare
Dan 2:34 also
Job 20:26 אֵשׁ לֹא נֻפָּ֑ךְ fire
not blown upon [but kindled from heaven],
Lam 4:6 and
אין Isa 47:14).
(
d) standing alone:
(
a)
אִםלֹֿא if not,
Gen 18:21 וְאִםלֹֿא אֵדָֽעָה׃,
Gen 29:49;
Gen 42:16;
Job 9:24;
Job 24:25 (
β)
הֲאִ֗֗֗םלֿא,
or not,
Gen 24:21 waiting to know
דַּרְכּוֺ אִםלֹֿא ׳הַהִצְלִיחַ י,
Gen 27:21;
Gen 37:32;
Exod 16:4;
Num 11:23;
Deut 8:2;
Judg 2:22 (compare
אִם אַיִן,
אַיִן 2 d β,
δ). In answer to a question or request, to deny, or decline,
Nay,
Nö:
Judg 12:5 ויאמר לא,
Hag 2:12 לא אדני Gen 23:11;
Gen 42:10;
1Sam 1:15 +; often followed by
כי,
Nö for . . . =
Nö but . . .,
Gen 18:15 ויאמר לֹא כִּי צָחָ֑קְתְּ,
Gen 19:2;
Josh 5:14;
Josh 24:21;
1Sam 2:16 Qr (see
Dr),
1Sam 10:19 (
ᵐ5 MSS),
2Sam 16:18;
2Sam 24:24;
1Kgs 3:22 (twice in verse) +;
Job 23:6 (strangely). (compare, in deprecation,
אַל.)
(
e) with an interrogative force, which however does not lie in
לא as such, but (as in other cases) in the contrast with a preceding clause, or in the tone of voice (compare
וְ 1 f;
Ew§ 324 a Ges«GKC:150»§ 150. 1
Dr1Sam 11:12):
Jonah 4:11 ׳אַתָּה חַסְתָּוַ֗֗֗אֲנִי לֹא אָחוּס וג,
Job 2:10;
Job 22:11;
Exod 8:22;
2Kgs 5:26;
Jer 49:9 (||
Obad 1:5 הֲלוֺא),
Mal 2:15;
Lam 3:38 and in passages, exegesis or text. doubtful (see Commentaries),
1Sam 20:14;
2Sam 23:5 (but see
Bu),
Hos 10:9 (
Ew We),
Hos 11:5 (
Ew),
Job 14:16b (but
ᵐ5 Ew Di תַעֲבֹר),
Lam 1:12 (
Ew Ke),
Lam 3:36 (
Ke Bä).
b. with
adjectives and
substantive:
(
a)
Gen 2:18 לֹא טוֺב הֱֶיוֺת הָאָדָם לְבַדֹּו not good is man's being alone,
Exod 18:17 + often
(
b)
Exod 4:16 לֹא אִישׁ דְּבָרִים אָנֹכִי,
Amos 7:14 לא נביא אנכי,
Num 23:9 לֹא אִישׁ אֵל וִיכַזֵּב,
Deut 17:15 (see
אשׁר 2. b)
Deut 20:20;
Deut 32:47;
1Sam 15:29;
2Sam 18:20 לֹא אִישׁ בְּשׂרָה אַתָּה הַיּוֺם,
2Sam 21:2;
1Kgs 22:33;
2Kgs 6:19 לא זִה הדרך,
Mic 2:10;
Isa 27:11;
Hos 8:6 והמה לא אלהים Jer 2:11;
Jer 16:20;
2Kgs 19:18;
1Kgs 19:11 (twice in verse)
לֹא ׳בָרַעַשׁ י,
Deut 30:12;
Deut 30:13;
Job 15:9;
Job 28:14 לֹא בִי הִיא (||
אֵין עִמָּדִי)s,
Ps 74:9;
Jer 5:10 המה ׳לוא לי,
Jer 10:16;
Deut 32:21 בָּנִים לֹא אֵמוּן בָּם,
Jer 10:14;
Hab 1:14;
Job 16:17;
Job 38:26 מִדְבָּר לֹא אָדָם בּוֺ;
1Kgs 22:17 לֹא אֲדֹנִים לָאֵלֶּה,
Jer 49:31;
Ps 22:3 וְלֹא דוּמִיָּה לִי,
Job 18:17;
Job 18:19;
Job 29:12 ולא עֹזֵר לו,
Job 30:13;
Job 33:9;
Jer 2:19 וְלֹא פַחְדָּתִי אֵלַיִךְ and (that) my terror reached not unto thee,
Job 21:9 absolute
Gen 29:7 לֹאעֵֿתִ הֵאָסֵף הַמִּקְנֶה (
Hag 1:2),
Num 20:5;
2Kgs 4:23 לא חדשׁ ולא שׁבת,
Isa 44:9;
Jer 5:12 ויאמרו לוא הוא,
Job 9:32;
Job 22:16;
Job 36:26;
Job 41:2;
Prov 19:7 (si vera lectio)
מְרַדֵּף אֲמָרִים לֹאהֵֿמָּה words which
are not, which
are nought. (
c) with the participle
לֹא is rare, a finite verb being usually preferred (
Exod 34:7 וְנַקִּה לֹא יְנַקֶּה:
Ew§ 320 c Dr§ 162):
2Sam 3:34 יָדֶיךָ לֹא אֲסֻרוֺת,
Ezek 4:14;
Ezek 22:24;
Deut 28:61;
Ps 38:15 כְּאִישׁ אֲשֶׁר לֹא שֹׁמֵעַ who is
not hearing,
Job 12:3;
Job 13:2 לֹא נֹפֵל אָנֹכִי מִכֶּם,
Zeph 3:5 (very anomalous);
1Kgs 10:21 לא is probably textual error In
וְהוּא לֹא שׂנֵא לוֺ or
לא שׂנא הוא לו,
Deut 4:42;
Deut 19:4;
Deut 19:6;
Josh 20:5 (compare
אֹיֵב Num 35:23),
שׂנֵא is best construed as a substantive, he being a
not-hater to him afore-time. — In most of the cases under
b, c,
אין could have been employed; but the negation by
לֹא is more pointed and forcible.
2. Not in predication:
a. coupled to an adjective to negative it, like the Greek
ἀ‐, but usually by way of litotes:
Hos 13:13 בן לאחֿכם an
unwise son,
Ps 36:5 דֶּרֶךְ לֹא טוֺב a way
not good,
Ps 43:1 גוי לא חסיד,
Prov 16:29;
Prov 30:25;
Prov 30:26;
Ezek 20:25;
2Chr 30:17 :
Isa 16:14 לוֺא כַבִּיר, compare
Isa 10:7 לֹא מְעַט.
b. with a participle
Jer 2:2 ארץ לא זרועה,
Jer 18:15 (the finite verb is more common: see
Isa 62:12 עִיר לֹא נֱעֶזָ֫בָה (compare
Isa 54:11),
Jer 6:8 אֶרֶץ לוֺא נוֺשָׁ֫בָה,
Jer 15:18;
Jer 22:6;
Jer 31:18;
Zeph 2:1).
c. Gen 15:13 בארץ לא להם,
Jer 5:19;
Hab 1:6 מִשְׁכָּנוֺת לֹאלֿוֺ,
Prov 26:17 רִיב לֹאלֿוֺ.
d. with a substantive, in poetry, forming a kind of compound, expressing pointedly its antithesis or negation (German
un- is sometimes used similarly):
Deut 32:5(?). 17. 21 a they made me jealous
בְּלֹא אֵל with a
not-God (with what in no respect deserved the name of God), v
b בְּלֹא עָם i.e. with an unorganized horde,
Amos 6:13 הַשְּׂמֵחִים לְלֹא דָבָר i.e. at a thing which
is not, an unreality (of their boasted strength),
Isa 10:15 כְּהָרִים מַטֶּה לֹא עֵץ like a rod's lifting up
what is no wood (but the agent wielding it),
Isa 31:8 חרב לא אישׁ,
חרב לא אדם,
Isa 55:2 בלוא לחם for
what is not bread,
בלוא לשׂבעה for
what is not for satiety,
Jer 5:7 וַיּשָּֽׁבְעוּ בְּלֹא אֱלֹהִים by
not-gods, in late prose
2Chr 13:9 כֹּהֵן לְלֹא אֱלֹהִים;
Ps 44:13 תִּמְכֹּר עַמְּךָ בְּלֹאהֿוֺן for
no-value (i.e. cheaply),
Prov 13:23;
Job 10:12 צלמות וְלֹא סְדָרִים darkness and
disorder; so
לֹאעַֿמִּי Hos 1:9;
Hos 2:25: still more pregnantly
Job 26:2 a
מֶהעָֿזַרְתָּ לְלֹאכֹֿחַ (poetic for
לאשׁר אין לו כח) the
powerless, v
Job 26:2b; v
Job 26:3a (
Ew§ 286 g Ges«GKC:152»§ 152. 1 n.),
Job 39:16 הִקְשִׁיחַ בָּנֶיהָ לְלֹא לָהּ useth hardly her young ones (making them) into
none of hers; and even
Hab 2:6 הַמַּרְבֶּה לֹאלֿוֺ what is not his own (compare
Job 18:15 מִבְּלִי לוֺ). compare with a verb, and ellipse of
אשׁר,
Isa 65:1 לְלֹא שָׁאָ֑לוּ to those who have not asked, v
b Jer 2:8 אַחֲרִי לֹא יוֺעִילוּ, v
Jer 2:11b; also
לֹא רֻחָ֫מָה Hos 1:6;
Hos 1:8;
Hos 2:25, and probably
Job 31:31 לֹא נִשְׂבָּ֑ע (perfect in p.) one
not satisfied. e. in circumstantial clauses (
Dr§ 164), in poetry and rare: qualifying a substantive,
2Sam 23:4 בֹּקֶר לֹא עָבוֺת a morning
without clouds,
Job 12:24 בְּתֹהוּ לֹא דֶרֶךְ in a
pathless waste,
Job 38:26a; and a verb
Job 34:24 יָרֹעַ כַּבִּרִים לֹא חֵקֶר without inquiry,
Ps 59:4 לא פשׁעי ולא חטאתי (compare v
Ps 59:4 בלי עון), in late prose, twice,
1Chr 2:30;
1Chr 2:32 וימת לא בנים (
אֵין and
בְּלִי, q. v., are more usual in such cases).
3. Once (according to many
MSS), as a substantive,
Job 6:21 כִּיעַֿתָּה הֱיִיתֶם לֹא for now are ye become
nothing,
Hi De Kö (compare
Dan 4:32 (Aramaic)
כְּלָה חֲשִׁיבִין,
ᵑ7 here
כְּלָא הֲוֵיתוּן, and
אַל Job 24:25); but reading fluctuates (Orientals
לֹא,
Qr לו, Westerns,
Baer (see pp. 37, 56)
לוֺ ['now are ye become
that,' namely the
נַחַל אַכְזָב of v
Job 24:15]; but even
לוֺ yields a forced sense; and text is probably wrong:
Mich Ew Ol Sgf
Bu כֵּןלִ֗֗֗י (
ᵐ5 ᵑ6 also read
לִי);
Bö Di כִּילְ֗֗֗אָ֑יִן. compare
Köii. 1. 236 f.
4. With prefixes: —
a. בְּלֹא31 (chiefly in poetry or late), according to the varying significance of
בְּ:
(
a) usually
with not =
without,
Jer 22:13 בונה ביתו בלאֿ צדק without justice (||
בלא משׁפט; so
Ezek 22:29;
Prov 16:8),
Isa 55:1 (twice in verse);
Prov 19:2;
Job 8:11 הֲיִגְאֶהגֹּֿמֶא בְּלֹא בִצָּה without mire ||
כלי מים,
Job 30:28 בְּלֹא חַמָּה (=not
through the sun),
Lam 1:6 וילכו בלאכֿח,
Num 35:22 בְּלֹא אֵיבָה ֗֗֗ בְּלֹא צְדִיָּה, v
Num 35:23 (followed by infinitive)
בְּלֹא רְאוֺת,
2Chr 21:20;
Eccl 10:11;
Ps 17:1 תְּפִלָּתִי בְּלֹא שִׂפְתֵי מִרְמָה; used more freely in Chronicles,
1Chr 12:18 בְּלֹא חָמָס בְּכַפָּֽי׃, v.
1Chr 12:34 בְּלֹא לֵב וָלֵב,
2Chr 30:18 בְּלֹא כַכָּתוּב. With ellipse of rel.,
Lam 4:14 בְּלֹא יוּכְלוּ יִגְּעוּ without (that) men are able to touch, etc.
(
b) of time,
in not, i.e.
outside of,
Lev 15:25 בלא עֶתנִֿדָּתָהּ,
before Job 15:32 בלאיֿומו,
Eccl 7:17 בְּלֹא עִתֶּךְ׃.
(
c) where
לֹא belongs to the following word, and is only accidentally preceded by
ב (see above
2 d),
Deut 32:21 (twice in verse);
Jer 5:7;
Prov 13:23 בלא משׁפט through
injustice; with
בְּ pretii,
Ps 44:13;
Isa 55:2 (twice in verse);
Jer 2:11 בְּלוֺא יוֺעִיל for (that which)
profiteth not.
b. הֲלֹא nonne ? Gen 4:7 + often Inviting, as it does, an affirmative answer, it is often used,
(a) especially in conversation, for pointing to a fact in such a way as to arouse the interest of the person addressed, or to win his assent: Gen 13:19 Is not the whole land before thee ? Gen 19:20; Gen 20:5; Gen 27:36; Gen 29:25; Exod 4:11 Who maketh dumb or deaf, etc. Do not I ? Exod 33:16; Judg 4:6; Judg 4:14; Judg 8:2; Judg 9:28; Judg 9:38; 1Sam 9:20; 1Sam 9:21; 1Sam 15:17 etc.; with a verb in 1 person, Josh 1:9 הלא צויתיך, Judg 6:14 הלא שׁלחתיך, 1Sam 20:30; 2Sam 19:23; Ruth 2:9: similarly in a poetical or rhetorical style, Judg 5:30 הלא ימצאו יחלקו שׁלל, Isa 8:19; Isa 10:8; Isa 10:9; Isa 10:11; Isa 28:25; Isa 29:17; Isa 40:21; Isa 40:23; Isa 42:24; Isa 43:19 etc., Job 4:6; Job 4:21; Job 7:1; Job 10:10; Job 10:20, etc. (β) it has a tendency to become little more than an affirm. particle, declaring with some rhetorical emphasis what is, or might be, well known: Deut 3:11 הֲלֹה הִיא בְרַבַּת בְּנֵי עַמּוֺן, Deut 11:30; 1Sam 21:12 הלוא ׳זה דוד וג (compare 1Sam 29:3; 1Sam 29:5; 2Sam 11:3), 2Sam 23:19; 2Sam 26:1; 2Sam 15:35 it is thus nearly = הִנֵּה (ᵐ5 sometimes represents it by ιδου, as Josh 1:9; Judg 6:14; Ruth 2:9; 2Sam 15:35); so especially in the phrase of the compiler of Kings, And the rest of the acts of . . ., הֲלֹא הֵם (הֵמָּה) כְּתוּבִים are they not written in, etc. ? 1Kgs 11:41; 1Kgs 14:29 + often (with which there interchanges הִנָּם כְּתוּבִים 1Kgs 14:19; 2Kgs 15:11; 2Kgs 15:26; 2Kgs 15:31, which is generally used by the Chronicles, 2Chr 16:11; 2Chr 20:34, etc.), Josh 10:13 (compare 2Sam 1:18 הִנֵּה), 1Kgs 8:53 ᵐ5, Esth 10:2; Ps 56:14 (strangely: contr. Ps 116:8). — הֲלֹא הִנֵּה Hab 2:13; 2Chr 25:26 (הִנָּם). — On Judg 14:15, see הֲ 1 end.
c. וָלֹ֕א and not=and if not, 2Sam 13:26; 2Kgs 5:17. compare וָּיֵשׁ.
d. כְּלוֺא Obad 1:16 והיו כלוא היו, poetic for כאשׁר, as though they had not been.
BDB4344 H3808
BDB4343 | BIBLICAL HEBREW | BDB4345
לוֺ (Kt 1Sam 2:16; 1Sam 20:2), לוֺא, see לֹא.
BDB9632 H3808 H3809
BDB9631 | BIBLICAL ARAMAIC | BDB9633
לָא (לָה Dan 4:32) adverb not (Biblical Hebrew לא; Aramaic of Têma, Egyptian, etc., לא; Nerab ל (Lzb301 CookG1. 67); ᵑ7 לָא; Syriac ); — not Jer 10:11; Dan 2:5; Dan 2:9; Dan 2:10, etc.; before a participle (so rarely in Biblical Hebrew, 1 b c), Dan 2:27; Dan 2:43; Dan 3:16; Dan 4:4; Dan 4:6; Dan 4:15 +, so v.Dan 4:32 וְכָלדָּֿאְרֵי אַרְעָא כְּלָה חֲשׁיבִין; are as men not accounted of (so Bev Behrm Marti, compare Isa 53:8 ᵑ7 בסירין ולא חשׁיבין; > most 'accounted as nothing,' for which no analogy, yet compare Ps 39:6 ᵑ7); followed by אִיתַי, see אִיתַי. With infinitive and לְ Dan 6:9 דִּי לָא לִהַשְׁנָיָה which it is not to alter = which is not to be altered (compare v.Dan 6:16), Ezra 6:8 (K§ 67, 1 Dr§ 202, 2.; compare Isa 35:6 ᵑ7, DAramaic Dialektproben, p. 1). With interr. הֲלָא Dan 3:24; Dan 4:27; Dan 6:13.
BDB9640 H3809 H3861 H518 H2006 H3808 H3588
BDB9639 | BIBLICAL ARAMAIC | BDB9641
II. לָהֵן conjunction except, but (from לָא and הֵן 'not if' (compare Hebrew אם לא Gen 24:38); so Nabataean and Egyptian Aramaic להן Cooke217, 219, 241 S-CPap. C 6, 7 +; lâinnî, however SocArab. Dial. see Marokko 44, Anm. 103; ᵑ7 אִילָּהֵין Gen 32:28; Gen 43:3 and elsewhere); — 2. without a negative:
however, but Ezra 5:12.