Word
לֹא
lôʼ · H3808 · Hebrew · 5,168 occurrences
Meanings
-
not, no
A marker negating a proposition
ExamplesGenesis 2:5 Now no shrub of the field was yet on the earth, and no plant of the field had yet sprouted, for the LORD God had not sent rain upon the earth, and there was no man to cultivate the ground.
Genesis 2:17 but from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for on the day that you eat from it you will certainly die.”
Genesis 2:18 Then the LORD God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone; I will make him a helper suitable for him.”
How it’s used In 4 roles
Every occurrence, grouped by the words it is grammatically related to.
the word studied the word it goes with
What is done to itIt is the object
4 occurrences in 4 groups
- יָדַעto know 1
- אָמַרto say 1
- עָשָׂהto do, to make 1
- רוּםto be high, to raise, to lift up 1
Second object ofSecond object
1 occurrences in 1 groups
- גָּמַלto repay, to wean 1
What is said to be itIt is the predicate
14 occurrences in 13 groups
- Other words · 13 groups that occur once or twice (14) 14
After prepositionsPrepositional phrases
1 occurrences in 1 groups
- לto/for 2
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.
In the other Testament 11 words
- οὐ ou · G3756 · not
- Both words serve as the primary absolute negative particle in their respective languages, denying propositions categorically. לֹא (lôʼ, H3808) לֹא is the standard Hebrew negative adverb, while οὐ (ou, G3756) οὐ is the Greek absolute negative adverb, and οὐ regularly renders לֹא in parallel negative constructions in the Septuagint.
- μή mḗ · G3361 · not
- לֹא (lôʼ, H3808) לֹא and μή (mḗ, G3361) μή are both primary negative particles in their respective languages, used to negate verbs, clauses, and other grammatical constructions. While they differ in specific syntactic environments (μή is typically used in non-indicative moods, prohibitions, and purpose clauses, whereas לֹא is the standard negator across most Hebrew contexts), both function as the core adverbial negators expressing "not" or "no" in their linguistic systems, making them genuine cross-linguistic equivalents.
- לָא lâʼ · H3809 · not, no
- לָא (lâʼ, H3809) is the Aramaic cognate reflex of Hebrew לֹא (lôʼ, H3808), both functioning as the primary negative particle ('not', 'no') in their respective languages with equivalent semantic scope and grammatical distribution.
- οὐ μή ou mḗ · G3364 · a double negative strengthening the denial; not at all
- οὐ μή (ou mḗ, G3364) represents an intensified Greek negation construction (double negative) that translates the Hebrew negative particle לֹא (lôʼ, H3808) in contexts requiring emphatic denial, functioning as a cross-linguistic equivalent where Greek grammar employs its own distinctive strengthening mechanism to render Hebrew negation.
- μηδέ mēdé · G3366 · and not, nor, neither
- Hebrew לֹא (lôʼ, H3808) is the standard negative particle (not, no); Greek μηδέ (mēdé, G3366) is the continuative negative conjunction (nor, and not, not even), typically extending a negation already introduced by μή or οὐ — the alignment reflects Greek translators rendering Hebrew negative structures with compound negative syntax, where לֹא appears in parallel or sequential negative clauses that Greek expresses via μηδέ's continuative function.
- οὐδέ oudé · G3761 · and not, nor, neither
- לֹא (lôʼ, H3808) serves as the standard Hebrew negative particle corresponding to Greek οὐδέ (oudé, G3761), which functions as an emphatic or coordinating negative ('neither,' 'nor,' 'not even'); both express negation, with οὐδέ typically carrying the additional nuance of joining negative clauses or intensifying the negation beyond a simple 'not.'
- οὐδείς oudeís · G3762 · no one, none, nothing
- Hebrew negative particle לֹא corresponds to Greek negative pronoun οὐδείς in contexts where Hebrew expresses absolute negation through particle + noun/pronoun constructions that Greek renders with its dedicated 'no one/nothing' pronoun forms.
- οὐκέτι oukéti · G3765 · no longer
- לֹא (lôʼ, H3808) is the primary Hebrew negation particle with broad application across all negative constructions, while οὐκέτι (oukéti, G3765) specifically expresses temporal cessation ('no longer/not yet'), representing a semantically narrower Greek compound that regularly translates Hebrew negative constructions where the context implies discontinuation or temporal boundaries.
- οὔπω oúpō · G3768 · not yet, still not
- Greek οὔπω specifically denotes temporal negation ('not yet'), whereas Hebrew לֹא is the general negation particle covering all semantic domains; οὔπω represents the aspectual subset of לֹא when negating completion or arrival at a temporal threshold.
- οὔτε oúte · G3777 · neither … nor
- Greek οὔτε (oúte, G3777) is a paired negative conjunction ('neither... nor'), whereas Hebrew לֹא is the standard simple negation particle. Greek tends to render Hebrew double negative constructions (לֹא...וְלֹא) with the paired pattern οὔτε...οὔτε, making οὔτε the usual rendering of that construction.
- οὐχί ouchí · G3780 · not, not indeed
- οὐχί (ouchí, G3780) functions as an emphatic or interrogative form of negation in Greek, corresponding to לֹא (lôʼ, H3808) as the standard Hebrew negative particle, both denoting negation across declarative, interrogative, and conditional contexts.
Semantic domains 1 entry
- Negators004006
- This is the ordinary Hebrew negative particle "not, no," so it belongs among words that negate a statement.
Word family 3 words
Words formed from the same root. They share a form, not always a meaning.
לֹאlôʼ · H3808לָא lâʼ · H3809 · not, no · 82×
Also from the root לֹא
Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon H3808. lo לֹא or לוֺא adverb not (Arabic , Aramaic לָא, , Sabean לא, Ass. lâ; not in…
H3808. lo
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 בְּלוֺא6t., and הֲלוֺא, the orthography of which varies much (ib.p. 251), e.g. in Samuel always הֲלוֺא, in Chronicles always הֲלֹא, on the whole הֲלוֺא141t., הֲלֹא128t.; twice, according to Masora, written לו (Qr לֹא), 1Sa 2:16; 1Sa 20:2, once לה Deu 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 8:21-22, etc.); in short circumstantial clauses, as Gen 44:4 הרחיקו לא, Isa 40:20 יִמּוֺט לֹא, and with a final force Isa 41:7; Exo 28:32 (see Ges§ 156. 3 R. b, c Dr§ 162). Governing two closely connected verbs (Dr§ 115, לא) Exo 28:43 וָמֵתוּ עָוֺן יִשְׂאוּ וְלֹא, Lev 19:12, Lev 19:29b Deu 7:25-26, Deu 19:10; Deu 22:1 and elsewhere; and two parallel clauses (Ges§ 152. 3) Isa 23:4b Psa 9:19; Psa 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 מִמֶּנּוּ תאֹכַל לֹא thou shall not eat of it, Gen 3:1, Gen 3:3; Exo 20:3 לְךָ לֹאיִֿהְיֶה there shall not be to thee, etc., Exo 20:13 תגנב לא, etc. With the coh. and jussive moods (which are negatived regularly by אַל), it occurs only exceptionally (Ges§ 109. 1 b R. 1), Gen 24:8; 1Sa 14:36; 2Sa 17:12; 2Sa 18:14; 1Ki 2:6; Eze 48:14. (b) with the infinitive (which is negatived by בִּלְתִּי, q. v.), only once, in בְּלֹא (4a), and with לְ, in the sense of cannot, or must not; Jdg 1:19 להורישׁ לא כי for it was not (possible) to dispossess, etc. Amo 6:10 י בשׁם ׳להזכיר לא, 1Ch 5:1; 1Ch 15:2 (Dr§ 202. 2); compare Aramaic לָא Dan 6:9; Ezr 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 וג עוֺד ׳יֵאָמֵר יַעֲקֹב לֹא not Jacob shall thy name be called any more, but Israel, Gen 45:8 אֹתִי שְׁלַחְתֶּם אַתֶּם לֹא Not ye (in our idiom: It is not ye who) have sent me hither, but God, Exo 16:8; 1Sa 8:7 וג אֹתִי כִּי מָאָסוּ ׳אֹתְךָ לֹא כִּי, Psa 115:17; without a following correcting clause, Gen 38:9; Num 16:29 י ׳לֹא שְׁלָחָנִי׃ Not ׳י (but another) hath sent me, Deu 32:27 ׳י זֹאת מָּעַל לֹא, 1Ch 17:4; Deu 8:9; Isa 28:28 ֗֗֗ לנצח לא not for ever (but only for a while) . . . (so Isa 57:16; Psa 9:19; Psa 49:18; Psa 103:9; but Isa 13:20 לנצח תשׁב לא is, will not be inhabited for ever), Isa 43:22; Job 13:16; Job 32:9; hence rhetorically, insinuating something very different, not named, 2Ki 6:10 not once, and not twice (but repeatedly), Ezr 10:13; Jer 4:11 a wind לְהַָבר׃ וְלוֺא לְזָרוֺת לֹא not to winnow, and not to cleanse (but to exterminate), Isa 45:13; Isa 48:1b Jos 24:12; Dan 11:20, Dan 11:29; Job 34:20 בְיָד לֹא (but by a Divine agency: compare Dan 2:34; also Job 20:26 נֻמָּ֑ךְ לֹא אֵשׁ 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 אֵדָֽעָה׃ וְאִםלֹֿא, Genesis 29:49; Gen 42:16; Job 9:24; Job 24:25; (β) הֲאִ֗֗֗םלֿא, or not, Gen 24:21 waiting to know י ׳הַהִצְלִיחַ אִםלֹֿא דַּרְכּוֺ, Gen 27:21; Gen 37:32; Exo 16:4; Num 11:23; Deu 8:2; Jdg 2:22 (compare אַיִן אַיִן, אִם 2d β, δ). In answer to a question or request, to deny, or decline, Nay, Nö: Jdg 12:5 לא ויאמר, Hag 2:12; אדני לא Gen 23:11; Gen 42:10; 1Sa 1:15 +; often followed by כי, Nö for . . . = Nö but . . ., Gen 18:15 צָחָ֑קְתְּ כִּי לֹא ויאמר, Gen 19:2; Jos 5:14; Jos 24:21; 1Sa 2:16 Qr (see Dr), 1Sa 10:19 (ᵐ5 MSS), 2Sa 16:18; 2Sa 24:24; 1Ki 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§ 150. 1 Dr1Sa 11:12): Jon 4:11 וג אָחוּס לֹא חַסְתָּוַ֗֗֗אֲנִי ׳אַתָּה, Job 2:10; Job 22:11; Exo 8:22; 2Ki 5:26; Jer 49:9 (|| Obadiah 5 הֲלוֺא), Mal 2:15; Lam 3:38; and in passages, exegesis or text. doubtful (see Commentaries), 1Sa 20:14; 2Sa 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 לְבַדֹּו הָאָדָם הֱֶיוֺת טוֺב לֹא not good is man's being alone, Exo 18:17 + often (b) Exo 4:16 אָנֹכִי דְּבָרִים אִישׁ לֹא, Amo 7:14 אנכי נביא לא, Num 23:9 וִיכַזֵּב אֵל אִישׁ לֹא, Deu 17:15 (see אשׁר
2 b) Deu 20:20; Deu 32:47; 1Sa 15:29; 2Sa 18:20 הַיּוֺם אַתָּה בְּשׂרָה אִישׁ לֹא, 2Sa 21:2; 1Ki 22:33; 2Ki 6:19 הדרך זִה לא, Mic 2:10; Isa 27:11; Hos 8:6; אלהים לא והמה Jer 2:11; Jer 16:20; 2Ki 19:18; 1Ki 19:11 (twice in verse) י ׳בָרַעַשׁ לֹא, Deu 30:12-13, Job 15:9; Job 28:14 הִיא בִי לֹא (|| עִמָּדִי אֵין)s, Psa 74:9; Jer 5:10 לי ׳לוא המה, Jer 10:16; Deu 32:21 בָּם אֵמוּן לֹא בָּנִים, Jer 10:14; Hab 1:14; Job 16:17; Job 38:26 בּוֺ אָדָם לֹא מִדְבָּר; 1Ki 22:17 לָאֵלֶּה אֲדֹנִים לֹא, Jer 49:31; Psa 22:3 לִי דוּמִיָּה וְלֹא, Job 18:17, Job 18:19; Job 29:12 לו עֹזֵר ולא, Job 30:13; Job 33:9; Jer 2:19 אֵלַיִךְ פַחְדָּתִי וְלֹא and (that) my terror reached not unto thee, Job 21:9; absolute Gen 29:7 הַמִּקְנֶה הֵאָסֵף לֹאעֵֿתִ (Hag 1:2), Num 20:5; 2Ki 4:23 שׁבת ולא חדשׁ לא, Isa 44:9; Jer 5:12 הוא לוא ויאמרו, Job 9:32; Job 22:16; Job 36:26; Job 41:2; Pro 19:7 (si vera lectio) לֹאהֵֿמָּה אֲמָרִים מְרַדֵּף words which are not, which are nought. (c) with the participle לֹא is rare, a finite verb being usually preferred (Exo 34:7 יְנַקֶּה לֹא וְנַקִּה: Ew§ 320 c Dr§ 162): 2Sa 3:34 אֲסֻרוֺת לֹא יָדֶיךָ, Eze 4:14; Eze 22:24; Deu 28:61; Psa 38:15 שֹׁמֵעַ לֹא אֲשֶׁר כְּאִישׁ who is not hearing, Job 12:3; Job 13:2 מִכֶּם אָנֹכִי נֹפֵל לֹא, Zep 3:5 (very anomalous); 1Ki 10:21 לא is probably textual error In לוֺ שׂנֵא לֹא וְהוּא or לו הוא שׂנא לא, Deu 4:42; Deu 19:4, Deu 19:6; Jos 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 לאחֿכם בן an unwise son, Psa 36:5 טוֺב לֹא דֶּרֶךְ a way not good, Psa 43:1 חסיד לא גוי, Pro 16:29; Pro 30:25-26, Eze 20:25; 2Ch 30:17 : Isa 16:14 כַבִּיר לוֺא, compare Isa 10:7 מְעַט לֹא.
b. with a participle Jer 2:2 זרועה לא ארץ, Jer 18:15 (the finite verb is more common: see Isa 62:12 נֱעֶזָ֫בָה לֹא עִיר (compare Isa 54:11), Jer 6:8 נוֺשָׁ֫בָה לוֺא אֶרֶץ, Jer 15:18; Jer 22:6; Jer 31:18; Zep 2:1).
c. Gen 15:13 להם לא בארץ, Jer 5:19; Hab 1:6 לֹאלֿוֺ מִשְׁכָּנוֺת, Pro 26:17 לֹאלֿוֺ רִיב.
d. with a substantive, in poetry, forming a kind of compound, expressing pointedly its antithesis or negation (German un- is sometimes used similarly): Deu 32:5(?). 17. 21 a they made me jealous אֵל בְּלֹא with a not-God (with what in no respect deserved the name of God), vb עָם בְּלֹא i.e. with an unorganized horde, Amo 6:13 דָבָר לְלֹא הַשְּׂמֵחִים i.e. at a thing which is not, an unreality (of their boasted strength), Isa 10:15 עֵץ לֹא מַטֶּה כְּהָרִים like a rod's lifting up what is no wood (but the agent wielding it), Isa 31:8 אדם לא חרב אישׁ, לא חרב, Isa 55:2 לחם בלוא for what is not bread, לשׂבעה בלוא for what is not for satiety, Jer 5:7 אֱלֹהִים בְּלֹא וַיּשָּֽׁבְעוּ by not-gods, in late prose 2Ch 13:9 אֱלֹהִים לְלֹא כֹּהֵן; Psa 44:13 בְּלֹאהֿוֺן עַמְּךָ תִּמְכֹּר for no-value (i.e. cheaply), Pro 13:23; Job 10:12 סְדָרִים וְלֹא צלמות darkness and disorder; so לֹאעַֿמִּי Hos 1:9; Hosea 2:25: still more pregnantly Job 26:2 a לְלֹאכֹֿחַ מֶהעָֿזַרְתָּ (poetic for כח לו אין לאשׁר) the powerless, Job 26:2b; Job 26:3a (Ew§ 286 g Ges§ 152. 1 n.), Job 39:16 לָהּ לְלֹא בָּנֶיהָ הִקְשִׁיחַ useth hardly her young ones (making them) into none of hers; and even Hab 2:6 לֹאלֿוֺ הַמַּרְבֶּה what is not his own (compare Job 18:15 לוֺ מִבְּלִי). compare with a verb, and ellipse of אשׁר, Isa 65:1 שָׁאָ֑לוּ לְלֹא to those who have not asked, vb Jer 2:8 יוֺעִילוּ לֹא אַחֲרִי, Jer 2:11b; also רֻחָ֫מָה לֹא Hos 1:6, Hos 1:8; Hosea 2:25, and probably Job 31:31 נִשְׂבָּ֑ע לֹא (perfect in p.) one not satisfied.
e. in circumstantial clauses (Dr§ 164), in poetry and rare: qualifying a substantive, 2Sa 23:4 עָבוֺת לֹא בֹּקֶר a morning without clouds, Job 12:24 דֶרֶךְ לֹא בְּתֹהוּ in a pathless waste, Job 38:26a; and a verb Job 34:24 חֵקֶר לֹא כַּבִּרִים יָרֹעַ without inquiry, Psa 59:4 חטאתי ולא פשׁעי לא (compare Psa 59:4 עון בלי), in late prose, twice, 1Ch 2:30, 1Ch 2:32 בנים לא וימת (אֵין and בְּלִי, q. v., are more usual in such cases).
3 Once (according to many MSS), as a substantive, Job 6:21 לֹא הֱיִיתֶם כִּיעַֿתָּה for now are ye become nothing, Hi De Kö (compare Dan 4:32 (Aramaic) ᵑ7 חֲשִׁיבִין, כְּלָה here הֲוֵיתוּן כְּלָא, 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 אַכְזָב נַחַל of Job 24:15]; but even לוֺ yields a forced sense; and text is probably wrong: Mich Ew Ol Sgf Bu כֵּןלִ֗֗֗י (ᵑ6 ᵐ5 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 צדק בלאֿ ביתו בונה without justice (|| משׁפט בלא; so Eze 22:29; Pro 16:8), Isa 55:1 (twice in verse); Pro 19:2; Job 8:11 בִצָּה בְּלֹא הֲיִגְאֶהגֹּֿמֶא without mire || מים כלי, Job 30:28 חַמָּה בְּלֹא (=not through the sun), Lam 1:6 בלאכֿח וילכו, Num 35:22 צְדִיָּה בְּלֹא ֗֗֗ אֵיבָה בְּלֹא, Num 35:23 (followed by infinitive) רְאוֺת בְּלֹא, 2Ch 21:20; Ecc 10:11; Psa 17:1 מִרְמָה שִׂפְתֵי בְּלֹא תְּפִלָּתִי; used more freely in Chronicles, 1Ch 12:18 בְּכַמָּֽי׃ חָמָס בְּלֹא, v.1Ch 12:34 וָלֵב לֵב בְּלֹא, 2Ch 30:18 כַכָּתוּב בְּלֹא. With ellipse of rel., Lam 4:14 יִגְּעוּ יוּכְלוּ בְּלֹא without (that) men are able to touch, etc. (b) of time, in not, i.e. outside of, Lev 15:25 עֶתנִֿדָּתָהּ בלא, before Job 15:32 בלאיֿומו, Ecc 7:17 עִתֶּךְ׃ בְּלֹא. (c) where לֹא belongs to the following word, and is only accidentally preceded by ב (see above 2d), Deu 32:21 (twice in verse); Jer 5:7; Pro 13:23 משׁפט בלא through inju
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 בְּלוֺא6t., and הֲלוֺא, the orthography of which varies much (ib.p. 251), e.g. in Samuel always הֲלוֺא, in Chronicles always הֲלֹא, on the whole הֲלוֺא141t., הֲלֹא128t.; twice, according to Masora, written לו (Qr לֹא), 1Sa 2:16; 1Sa 20:2, once לה Deu 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 8:21-22, etc.); in short circumstantial clauses, as Gen 44:4 הרחיקו לא, Isa 40:20 יִמּוֺט לֹא, and with a final force Isa 41:7; Exo 28:32 (see Ges§ 156. 3 R. b, c Dr§ 162). Governing two closely connected verbs (Dr§ 115, לא) Exo 28:43 וָמֵתוּ עָוֺן יִשְׂאוּ וְלֹא, Lev 19:12, Lev 19:29b Deu 7:25-26, Deu 19:10; Deu 22:1 and elsewhere; and two parallel clauses (Ges§ 152. 3) Isa 23:4b Psa 9:19; Psa 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 מִמֶּנּוּ תאֹכַל לֹא thou shall not eat of it, Gen 3:1, Gen 3:3; Exo 20:3 לְךָ לֹאיִֿהְיֶה there shall not be to thee, etc., Exo 20:13 תגנב לא, etc. With the coh. and jussive moods (which are negatived regularly by אַל), it occurs only exceptionally (Ges§ 109. 1 b R. 1), Gen 24:8; 1Sa 14:36; 2Sa 17:12; 2Sa 18:14; 1Ki 2:6; Eze 48:14. (b) with the infinitive (which is negatived by בִּלְתִּי, q. v.), only once, in בְּלֹא (4a), and with לְ, in the sense of cannot, or must not; Jdg 1:19 להורישׁ לא כי for it was not (possible) to dispossess, etc. Amo 6:10 י בשׁם ׳להזכיר לא, 1Ch 5:1; 1Ch 15:2 (Dr§ 202. 2); compare Aramaic לָא Dan 6:9; Ezr 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 וג עוֺד ׳יֵאָמֵר יַעֲקֹב לֹא not Jacob shall thy name be called any more, but Israel, Gen 45:8 אֹתִי שְׁלַחְתֶּם אַתֶּם לֹא Not ye (in our idiom: It is not ye who) have sent me hither, but God, Exo 16:8; 1Sa 8:7 וג אֹתִי כִּי מָאָסוּ ׳אֹתְךָ לֹא כִּי, Psa 115:17; without a following correcting clause, Gen 38:9; Num 16:29 י ׳לֹא שְׁלָחָנִי׃ Not ׳י (but another) hath sent me, Deu 32:27 ׳י זֹאת מָּעַל לֹא, 1Ch 17:4; Deu 8:9; Isa 28:28 ֗֗֗ לנצח לא not for ever (but only for a while) . . . (so Isa 57:16; Psa 9:19; Psa 49:18; Psa 103:9; but Isa 13:20 לנצח תשׁב לא is, will not be inhabited for ever), Isa 43:22; Job 13:16; Job 32:9; hence rhetorically, insinuating something very different, not named, 2Ki 6:10 not once, and not twice (but repeatedly), Ezr 10:13; Jer 4:11 a wind לְהַָבר׃ וְלוֺא לְזָרוֺת לֹא not to winnow, and not to cleanse (but to exterminate), Isa 45:13; Isa 48:1b Jos 24:12; Dan 11:20, Dan 11:29; Job 34:20 בְיָד לֹא (but by a Divine agency: compare Dan 2:34; also Job 20:26 נֻמָּ֑ךְ לֹא אֵשׁ 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 אֵדָֽעָה׃ וְאִםלֹֿא, Genesis 29:49; Gen 42:16; Job 9:24; Job 24:25; (β) הֲאִ֗֗֗םלֿא, or not, Gen 24:21 waiting to know י ׳הַהִצְלִיחַ אִםלֹֿא דַּרְכּוֺ, Gen 27:21; Gen 37:32; Exo 16:4; Num 11:23; Deu 8:2; Jdg 2:22 (compare אַיִן אַיִן, אִם 2d β, δ). In answer to a question or request, to deny, or decline, Nay, Nö: Jdg 12:5 לא ויאמר, Hag 2:12; אדני לא Gen 23:11; Gen 42:10; 1Sa 1:15 +; often followed by כי, Nö for . . . = Nö but . . ., Gen 18:15 צָחָ֑קְתְּ כִּי לֹא ויאמר, Gen 19:2; Jos 5:14; Jos 24:21; 1Sa 2:16 Qr (see Dr), 1Sa 10:19 (ᵐ5 MSS), 2Sa 16:18; 2Sa 24:24; 1Ki 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§ 150. 1 Dr1Sa 11:12): Jon 4:11 וג אָחוּס לֹא חַסְתָּוַ֗֗֗אֲנִי ׳אַתָּה, Job 2:10; Job 22:11; Exo 8:22; 2Ki 5:26; Jer 49:9 (|| Obadiah 5 הֲלוֺא), Mal 2:15; Lam 3:38; and in passages, exegesis or text. doubtful (see Commentaries), 1Sa 20:14; 2Sa 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 לְבַדֹּו הָאָדָם הֱֶיוֺת טוֺב לֹא not good is man's being alone, Exo 18:17 + often (b) Exo 4:16 אָנֹכִי דְּבָרִים אִישׁ לֹא, Amo 7:14 אנכי נביא לא, Num 23:9 וִיכַזֵּב אֵל אִישׁ לֹא, Deu 17:15 (see אשׁר
2 b) Deu 20:20; Deu 32:47; 1Sa 15:29; 2Sa 18:20 הַיּוֺם אַתָּה בְּשׂרָה אִישׁ לֹא, 2Sa 21:2; 1Ki 22:33; 2Ki 6:19 הדרך זִה לא, Mic 2:10; Isa 27:11; Hos 8:6; אלהים לא והמה Jer 2:11; Jer 16:20; 2Ki 19:18; 1Ki 19:11 (twice in verse) י ׳בָרַעַשׁ לֹא, Deu 30:12-13, Job 15:9; Job 28:14 הִיא בִי לֹא (|| עִמָּדִי אֵין)s, Psa 74:9; Jer 5:10 לי ׳לוא המה, Jer 10:16; Deu 32:21 בָּם אֵמוּן לֹא בָּנִים, Jer 10:14; Hab 1:14; Job 16:17; Job 38:26 בּוֺ אָדָם לֹא מִדְבָּר; 1Ki 22:17 לָאֵלֶּה אֲדֹנִים לֹא, Jer 49:31; Psa 22:3 לִי דוּמִיָּה וְלֹא, Job 18:17, Job 18:19; Job 29:12 לו עֹזֵר ולא, Job 30:13; Job 33:9; Jer 2:19 אֵלַיִךְ פַחְדָּתִי וְלֹא and (that) my terror reached not unto thee, Job 21:9; absolute Gen 29:7 הַמִּקְנֶה הֵאָסֵף לֹאעֵֿתִ (Hag 1:2), Num 20:5; 2Ki 4:23 שׁבת ולא חדשׁ לא, Isa 44:9; Jer 5:12 הוא לוא ויאמרו, Job 9:32; Job 22:16; Job 36:26; Job 41:2; Pro 19:7 (si vera lectio) לֹאהֵֿמָּה אֲמָרִים מְרַדֵּף words which are not, which are nought. (c) with the participle לֹא is rare, a finite verb being usually preferred (Exo 34:7 יְנַקֶּה לֹא וְנַקִּה: Ew§ 320 c Dr§ 162): 2Sa 3:34 אֲסֻרוֺת לֹא יָדֶיךָ, Eze 4:14; Eze 22:24; Deu 28:61; Psa 38:15 שֹׁמֵעַ לֹא אֲשֶׁר כְּאִישׁ who is not hearing, Job 12:3; Job 13:2 מִכֶּם אָנֹכִי נֹפֵל לֹא, Zep 3:5 (very anomalous); 1Ki 10:21 לא is probably textual error In לוֺ שׂנֵא לֹא וְהוּא or לו הוא שׂנא לא, Deu 4:42; Deu 19:4, Deu 19:6; Jos 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 לאחֿכם בן an unwise son, Psa 36:5 טוֺב לֹא דֶּרֶךְ a way not good, Psa 43:1 חסיד לא גוי, Pro 16:29; Pro 30:25-26, Eze 20:25; 2Ch 30:17 : Isa 16:14 כַבִּיר לוֺא, compare Isa 10:7 מְעַט לֹא.
b. with a participle Jer 2:2 זרועה לא ארץ, Jer 18:15 (the finite verb is more common: see Isa 62:12 נֱעֶזָ֫בָה לֹא עִיר (compare Isa 54:11), Jer 6:8 נוֺשָׁ֫בָה לוֺא אֶרֶץ, Jer 15:18; Jer 22:6; Jer 31:18; Zep 2:1).
c. Gen 15:13 להם לא בארץ, Jer 5:19; Hab 1:6 לֹאלֿוֺ מִשְׁכָּנוֺת, Pro 26:17 לֹאלֿוֺ רִיב.
d. with a substantive, in poetry, forming a kind of compound, expressing pointedly its antithesis or negation (German un- is sometimes used similarly): Deu 32:5(?). 17. 21 a they made me jealous אֵל בְּלֹא with a not-God (with what in no respect deserved the name of God), vb עָם בְּלֹא i.e. with an unorganized horde, Amo 6:13 דָבָר לְלֹא הַשְּׂמֵחִים i.e. at a thing which is not, an unreality (of their boasted strength), Isa 10:15 עֵץ לֹא מַטֶּה כְּהָרִים like a rod's lifting up what is no wood (but the agent wielding it), Isa 31:8 אדם לא חרב אישׁ, לא חרב, Isa 55:2 לחם בלוא for what is not bread, לשׂבעה בלוא for what is not for satiety, Jer 5:7 אֱלֹהִים בְּלֹא וַיּשָּֽׁבְעוּ by not-gods, in late prose 2Ch 13:9 אֱלֹהִים לְלֹא כֹּהֵן; Psa 44:13 בְּלֹאהֿוֺן עַמְּךָ תִּמְכֹּר for no-value (i.e. cheaply), Pro 13:23; Job 10:12 סְדָרִים וְלֹא צלמות darkness and disorder; so לֹאעַֿמִּי Hos 1:9; Hosea 2:25: still more pregnantly Job 26:2 a לְלֹאכֹֿחַ מֶהעָֿזַרְתָּ (poetic for כח לו אין לאשׁר) the powerless, Job 26:2b; Job 26:3a (Ew§ 286 g Ges§ 152. 1 n.), Job 39:16 לָהּ לְלֹא בָּנֶיהָ הִקְשִׁיחַ useth hardly her young ones (making them) into none of hers; and even Hab 2:6 לֹאלֿוֺ הַמַּרְבֶּה what is not his own (compare Job 18:15 לוֺ מִבְּלִי). compare with a verb, and ellipse of אשׁר, Isa 65:1 שָׁאָ֑לוּ לְלֹא to those who have not asked, vb Jer 2:8 יוֺעִילוּ לֹא אַחֲרִי, Jer 2:11b; also רֻחָ֫מָה לֹא Hos 1:6, Hos 1:8; Hosea 2:25, and probably Job 31:31 נִשְׂבָּ֑ע לֹא (perfect in p.) one not satisfied.
e. in circumstantial clauses (Dr§ 164), in poetry and rare: qualifying a substantive, 2Sa 23:4 עָבוֺת לֹא בֹּקֶר a morning without clouds, Job 12:24 דֶרֶךְ לֹא בְּתֹהוּ in a pathless waste, Job 38:26a; and a verb Job 34:24 חֵקֶר לֹא כַּבִּרִים יָרֹעַ without inquiry, Psa 59:4 חטאתי ולא פשׁעי לא (compare Psa 59:4 עון בלי), in late prose, twice, 1Ch 2:30, 1Ch 2:32 בנים לא וימת (אֵין and בְּלִי, q. v., are more usual in such cases).
3 Once (according to many MSS), as a substantive, Job 6:21 לֹא הֱיִיתֶם כִּיעַֿתָּה for now are ye become nothing, Hi De Kö (compare Dan 4:32 (Aramaic) ᵑ7 חֲשִׁיבִין, כְּלָה here הֲוֵיתוּן כְּלָא, 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 אַכְזָב נַחַל of Job 24:15]; but even לוֺ yields a forced sense; and text is probably wrong: Mich Ew Ol Sgf Bu כֵּןלִ֗֗֗י (ᵑ6 ᵐ5 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 צדק בלאֿ ביתו בונה without justice (|| משׁפט בלא; so Eze 22:29; Pro 16:8), Isa 55:1 (twice in verse); Pro 19:2; Job 8:11 בִצָּה בְּלֹא הֲיִגְאֶהגֹּֿמֶא without mire || מים כלי, Job 30:28 חַמָּה בְּלֹא (=not through the sun), Lam 1:6 בלאכֿח וילכו, Num 35:22 צְדִיָּה בְּלֹא ֗֗֗ אֵיבָה בְּלֹא, Num 35:23 (followed by infinitive) רְאוֺת בְּלֹא, 2Ch 21:20; Ecc 10:11; Psa 17:1 מִרְמָה שִׂפְתֵי בְּלֹא תְּפִלָּתִי; used more freely in Chronicles, 1Ch 12:18 בְּכַמָּֽי׃ חָמָס בְּלֹא, v.1Ch 12:34 וָלֵב לֵב בְּלֹא, 2Ch 30:18 כַכָּתוּב בְּלֹא. With ellipse of rel., Lam 4:14 יִגְּעוּ יוּכְלוּ בְּלֹא without (that) men are able to touch, etc. (b) of time, in not, i.e. outside of, Lev 15:25 עֶתנִֿדָּתָהּ בלא, before Job 15:32 בלאיֿומו, Ecc 7:17 עִתֶּךְ׃ בְּלֹא. (c) where לֹא belongs to the following word, and is only accidentally preceded by ב (see above 2d), Deu 32:21 (twice in verse); Jer 5:7; Pro 13:23 משׁפט בלא through inju
Brown, Driver and Briggs, A Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament (1906), public domain
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Meanings adapted from the UBS Dictionary of the Greek New Testament, © United Bible Societies, CC BY-SA 4.0 and the UBS Dictionary of Biblical Hebrew (from the Semantic Dictionary of Biblical Hebrew), © United Bible Societies, CC BY-SA 4.0; 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.
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