18:10 —both אִם־יֵשׁ ( כִּי in 1 K 17:12 introduces the fact sworn to, & need not be translated; so 2 S 3:35 : v. כִּי ); ψ 131:2 אִם־לֹא (after a neg. clause: cf. supr. Gn 24:3 8). Cf. Str § 90.
(3) Part. of wishing, if but …! oh that …! (rare) ψ 81:9 If thou wouldest
hearken to me!
95:7
;
139:19 Pr 24:11 1 Ch 4:1
0.
Cf.
Ex 32:3
2. With
imv.
(
si vera
l.
)
Jb 34:16
וְאִם־בִּֽינָה
; and with an anacoluthon,
Gu
23:13
(
P
)
אִם־אַתָּה לוּ שְמָעֵנִי
if
thou!—oh that thou wouldst hear me!
(4) Nearly = when —with the pf. : ( a ) of past, Gn 38:9 Nu 21:9 וְהִבִּיט … וְהָיָה אִם־נָשַׁךְ and it used to be, if or when a serpent had bitten a man, that he would look, etc., Ju 6:3 ψ 78:34 ( v. Dr § 136 δ Obs.); Am 7:2 . ( b ) of pres. or
fut.,
Is 4:4
אִם רָחַץ
when
the Lord shall have washed,
24:13
;
28:25
;
cf.
Nu 36:4
(with the
impf.
)
c.
Compounded with other particles:—(
α
)
בִּלְתִּי אִם
except if, except
,
•
Gn 47:18 Ju 7:14 Am 3:
3,
4
. (
β
)
הֲלֹוא אִם
•2 K 20:19
(for which
Is 39:8
has simply
כִּי
), perhaps
Is it not
(good),
if
…? (
De D
i). (
γ
)
כִּי־אִם
,
q.v.
(
δ
)
עַד אִם
•Gn 24:1
9,
33 Is 30:17 Ru 2:2
1, &
עַד אֲשֶׁר אִם
•Gn 28:15 Nu 32:17 Is 6:11
,
until
, proposes
until if
or
when
. (
ε
)
רַק אִם
if only
(
v.
sub
רַק
).
אִם־לֹא
in
Ez 3:6b
is very difficult. The
Vrss
render
If I had sent
, etc., implying
לֻא
for
אִם־לֹא
(for
Ew
’s
אִם־לֻא
=
אִלּוּ
,
q.v.
, is precarious):
Ges Hi Co
‘but (
אִם־לֹא
after a neg.,
cf.
supr.
Gn 24:38
ψ 131:2
) unto
them
(Isr.) have I sent thee:
they
can understand thee’ (but
understand
is a
dub.
rendering of
שָׁמַע אֶל
).
2.
Interrog.
part.
a.
in direct
qu.
: (
a
) alone (not freq. and usually
=
Num?
expecting the answer
No
, especially in a rhet. style):
Gn 38:17 1 K 1:2
7;
Ju 5:8
מָגֵן אִם־יֵרָאֶה וָרֹמַח
was
there a shield to be seen or a spear …?
Is 29:16
; and repeated
Am 3:6 Je 48:27 Jb 6:1
2. (
b
) more freq. in disjunctive interrogation: (
α
)
אִם
…
הֲ
, expressing a real alternative
Jos 5:13
אִם־לְצָרֵינוּ הֲלָנוּ אַתָּה
art
thou for us, or for our enemies?
Ju 9:2 1 K 22:6
,
15
: more often expressing a merely formal alternative, especially in poetry (a rhetorical
Num?
)
Gn 37:8 Nu 11:1
2,
22 Ju 11:25b 2 S 19:36 Is 10:1
5;
66:8 Je 3:5 Hb 3:8
ψ 77:10
;
78:20 Jb 4:1
7;
6:5
,
6
;
10:4
,
5
;
11:7
etc. (
β
)
וְאִם
…
הֲ
(rarer than
אִם
…
הֲ
, but similar in use)
2 S 24:13
(a real alt.);
Is 49:24
;
50:2 Je 5:9
(
v
29 אִם
)
14:22 Jo 1:
2;
4:4 Jb 8:
3;
11:2
;
21:4
;
22:3
;
34:17
;
40:8f.
(formal);
Gn
Str H. L. Strack, Gram. d. bibl. Aramaic. Gu H. Guthe, rarely Stan. Guyard.
Ges W. Gesenius. qu. question.