אוּלָם
ʼûwlâm · H199 · Hebrew · 19 occurrences
Meanings
-
but, however, nevertheless
Marker indicating that the information that follows is in contrast with what has preceded
ExamplesGenesis 28:19 Then he named that place Bethel; but previously the name of the city had been Luz.
Genesis 48:19 But his father refused and said, “I know, my son, I know; he also will become a people and he also will be great. However, his younger brother shall be greater than he, and his descendants shall become a multitude of nations.”
Exodus 9:16 “But indeed, for this reason I have allowed you to remain, in order to show you My power and in order to proclaim My name throughout the earth.
How it’s used
Every occurrence, grouped by the words it is grammatically related to.
When two words share a role, as in “Paul and Barnabas said”, the verse appears under each, so a section’s counts can add up to more than the number of occurrences.
MACULA Greek Linguistic Datasets, available at https://github.com/Clear-Bible/macula-greek/, licensed CC BY 4.0; MACULA Hebrew Linguistic Datasets © 2022-2024 by Biblica, Inc., CC BY 4.0. Westminster Leningrad Codex (tanach.us). OpenScriptures Hebrew Bible morphology (hb.openscriptures.org), CC BY 4.0.
Near synonyms 2 words
- רַק raq · H7535 · thin, fine, gaunt
- Both words are Hebrew particles that function as contrastive or restrictive markers (their overlapping sense includes "but," "howbeit," "surely"), and could substitute for each other in certain discourse contexts.
- אַךְ ʼak · H389 · only, just, mere
- Both are Hebrew discourse particles with genuine overlapping contrastive function (both glossed with "but," "howbeit"), suggesting real near-synonymy in at least the contrastive usage domain. However, אַךְ (ʼak, H389) shows much broader functional range (restrictive "only," affirmative "surely," temporal, identifier roles) across six domains vs. אוּלָם (ʼûwlâm, H199)'s narrower two-domain profile, so the synonymy is real but partial/scoped to the contrastive sense rather than fully equivalent across all uses.
In the other Testament 1 word
- ἀλλά allá · G235 · but, instead, on the contrary
- Hebrew discourse particle marking strong adversative or contrastive transition, regularly rendered by Greek ἀλλά in LXX translation contexts where contrast or counter-expectation is foregrounded.
Semantic domains 2 entries
- Contrastors004002
- אוּלָם introduces a contrast to what precedes, as “but previously the name of the city had been Luz” (Genesis 28:19).
- Names of People003001007
- The identical form is also attested as a personal name elsewhere in the genealogical records, Ulam among the descendants of Gilead (1 Chronicles 7:16, tagged under the related form אוּלָם (ʼÛwlâm, H198) rather than under this lexeme's own occurrences).
Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon H199. ulam III. אוּלָם and (Job 17:10, perhaps for sake of assonance with following…
III. אוּלָם and (Job 17:10, perhaps for sake of assonance with following כֻּלָּם) אֻלָּם
adverb but, but indeed, a strong adversative Job 2:5; Job 5:8; Job 13:3 (where ᵐ5 excellently οὐ μὴν ἀλλά). More usually with וְאוּלָם וְ, Gen 28:19 (compare Jdg 18:29) Gen 48:19 howbeit his younger brother shall be greater than he, Exo 9:16 but in very deed, Num 14:21 (compare 1Sa 20:3; 1Sa 25:34) 1Ki 20:23; Mic 3:8; Job 1:11; Job 11:5; Job 12:7; Job 13:4; Job 14:18; Job 17:10; Job 33:1.
I. און (compare Arabic (medial ) be fatigued, tired, weariness, sorrow, trouble). **On etymology, compare also BevJphil. xxvi. 300-2.
Brown, Driver and Briggs, A Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament (1906), public domain
Sources
eRhema lexical overview, based on the UBS Dictionary of Biblical Hebrew and the UBS Dictionary of the Greek New Testament (© United Bible Societies, CC BY-SA 4.0) and Macula Hebrew and Greek (Clear Bible, CC BY 4.0); released under CC BY-SA 4.0
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