אֵלֶיךָ וְהִצַּגְתִּיו לְפָנֶיךָ if I do not bring him back ( si eum non reduxero ) and set him before thee, I will be guilty for ever, 47:6 if thou knowest
that there are men of worth among them וְשַׂמְתָּם then make them, etc., Ju 16:17 2 S 15:33 2 K 7:4 ψ 41:7 ; 94:18 Jb 7: 4; 9:30 f. 10:14 אִם חָטָאתִי וּשְׁמַרְתָּנִי if I sin, thou watchest me. On אִם־נָא Gn 18:3 al. v. נָא . ( b ) of past time, whether ( α ) in actual fact, or ( β ) in an assumed case (the pf. is here
continued by the
impf.
and waw
consec.
; apod. begins as before). (4)(
a
)
Ju 9:16–
19 עֲשִׂיתֶם
…
אִם
if ye have done
honestly
וַתַּמְלִיכוּ
and have made
Abimelech king …,
1 S 26:19
; especially in protestations, as
ψ 7:4
אִם עָשִׂיתִי זאת
if I have
done this …, let the enemy pursue my soul, etc.
Je 33:25
f. Jb 31:5 f
.,
9
, etc. (
b
)
Nu 5:27
if she have
defiled herself
וַתִּמְעֹל
and been
faithless,
וּבָאוּ
then shall
they come, etc.,
15:24
;
35:22–24
. (
c
) with bare
pf.
in apod., in sense of
If … had
…, only
Dt 32:30
אִם־לֹא כִּי
were
it
not that
…,
ψ 73:15
. (
לוּ
is more usual in such cases.) (5) with
inf.
once (
si vera l.
)
Jb 9:27
אִם אָמְרִי
=
if I say (lit. if (there is) my saying).—Note that the
vb.
following
אִם
is often strengthened by the
inf. abs
., as
Ex 15:26
;
19:5
;
21:5
;
22:3
,
12
,
16
,
22 Ju 11:30
;
14:12
;
16:11
etc.;
cf.
Dr
Sm i. 20, 6
.
b.
Special uses:
(1) repeated
…
אִם אִם
whether … or
(sive … sive)
Ex 19:13 Dt 18:3 2 S 15:2
1; similarly
וְאִם
…
אִם
Gn 31:52 Je 42:6 Ez 2:5 Ec 11:3
;
12:14
(
cf.
ܐܶܢ
(
˒en
) …
ܐܶܢ
,
ܘܶܐܢ
(
˒en, wen
) …
ܐܢ
(
˒n
)
PS
250;
وَإِنْ
(
wa˒in
) …
إِنْ
(
˒in
) &
وَإِمَّا
(
wa˒immā
) …
إِمَّا
(
˒immā
));
cf.
Pr 2:
3.
(2) After an oath (expressed, or merely implied)
אִם
(the formula of impreacation being omitted) becomes an emph. negative, and
אִם־לֹא
an emph. affirmative:
2 S 11:11
by thy life
אִם־אֶעֱשֶׂה אֶת־הַדָּבָר הַזֶּה
(may God bring all manner of evil upon me)
if
I do this thing!
=
surely I will not
do this thing! (
cf.
the full phrases in
1 S 3:17 2 K 6:3
1)
Gn 14:23
;
42:15 Nu 14:23 1 S 3:14
;
19:6 2 K 2:
2;
3:14
& often;
Is 22:14
ψ 89:36
;
95:11 Jb 6:2
8;
אִם־לֹא
Nu 14:28 Jos 14:9 1 K 20:23 2 K 9:26 Is 5:
9;
14:24 Je 15:1
1;
49:20 Jb 1:11
+
especially Ez; after a neg. clause, emphasizing a contrasted idea,
Gn 24:38
(where the expl. by Aramaic
אֶלָּא
is not supported by
Heb.
usage),
cf.
Je 22:
6. Repeated,
וְאִם
…
אִם
2 S 20:20 2 K 3:14 Is 62:8 Je 38:1
6;
Ez 14:16
. In adjurations (with 2nd or 3rd ps.)
=
that not
Gn 21:2
3;
26:29
;
31:50 1 S 24:22 1 K 1:51 Ct 2:
7;
3:5
+. Of past or present time:
1 S 25:34
as
י׳
liveth (I say) that, unless thou hadst hastened …,
נֹותַר כִּי אִם
that
surely there had not been
left …!
17:55
as thy soul liveth
אִם־יָדָֽעְתִּי
if
I know it!
1 K 17:12
;
PS R. Payne Smith, Thesaurus Syriacus.