אַל
ʼal · H408 · Hebrew · 730 occurrences
Meanings
-
A negative particle expressing prohibition or strong negation, typically translated "do not," "let not," or "no."
Examples1 Chronicles 22:13 Then you will prosper, if you are careful to follow the statutes and the ordinances which the LORD commanded Moses concerning Israel. Be strong and courageous, do not fear nor be dismayed.
2 Samuel 1:20 Tell it not in Gath, Proclaim it not in the streets of Ashkelon, Or the daughters of the Philistines will rejoice, The daughters of the uncircumcised will celebrate.
1 Samuel 2:24 No, my sons; for the report is not good which I hear the LORD'S people circulating.
How it’s used In 2 roles
Every occurrence, grouped by the words it is grammatically related to.
the word studied the word it goes with
What is said to be itIt is the predicate
1 occurrences in 1 groups
- שָׁתָהto drink 1
After prepositionsPrepositional phrases
1 occurrences in 1 groups
- לto/for 1
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 4 words
- μή mḗ · G3361 · not
- Both אַל (ʼal, H408) and μή (mḗ, G3361) are the primary negative particles of prohibition and subjunctive negation in their respective languages. Hebrew אַל negates jussive, cohortative and imperative verbal forms, while Greek μή likewise negates subjunctive moods and imperatives and introduces negative purpose clauses. μή is the standard Septuagint rendering of אַל, capturing the same modal and prohibitive force.
- μηδέ mēdé · G3366 · and not, nor, neither
- μηδέ (mēdé, G3366) is the standard Greek negative particle for prohibitions and hypothetical negations ("neither," "nor," "not even"), serving as the direct functional equivalent of אַל (ʼal, H408) in contexts requiring negation of commands or wishes rather than simple declarative negation.
- μηδείς mēdeís · G3367 · no one, none, nothing
- אַל (ʼal, H408) is a negative adverb/particle used in prohibitions and negations; μηδείς (mēdeís, G3367) is the corresponding Greek negative pronoun ('no one/nothing') that functionally renders אַל (ʼal, H408)'s negating force in LXX contexts where the Hebrew prohibitive construction is translated into Greek negative-pronoun syntax.
- μὴ οὐκ mḕ ouk · G3378 · as interrogative and negative, is it not that?
- אַל (ʼal, H408) is a general negative particle prohibiting actions or states, while μὴ οὐκ (mḕ ouk, G3378) is a specialized compound negative interrogative expecting affirmative answers ('is it not that?'), representing a Greek rhetorical construction that occasionally renders Hebrew prohibitions in LXX contexts where translators recast negation as emphatic question.
Word family 3 words
Words formed from the same root. They share a form, not always a meaning.
Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon H408. al II. אַל adverb of negation (so Phoenician e.g. CISi.3, 4.5.8, Biblical Aramaic,…
II. אַל adverb of negation (so Phoenician e.g. CISi.3, 4.5.8, Biblical Aramaic, Sabean (DHMZMG 1875, 596), and in the Ethiopic albo, is not), denying however, not objectively as a fact (like לֹא οὐ), but subjectively as a wish (like μή), expressing therefore a deprecation or prohibition:
a. (a) with a verb, which is then always an imperfect (never an imperative), by preference in the cohortative or jussive mood, where this is in use, and may be of any person or number; Gen 15:1 and often אַלתִּֿירָא fear not! Gen 22:12 יָָֽדְךָ אַלתִּֿשְׁלַח put not forth thy hand, Gen 37:27 אַלתְּֿהִיבֿוֺ וְיָדֵנוּ and let not our hand be upon him, Gen 21:16 אַלאֶֿרְאֶה let me not look upon the death of the lad! Psa 25:2 אַלאֵֿבוֺשָׁה let me not be ashamed; with 1 plural (rare) 2Sa 13:25; Jer 18:18; Jon 1:14. In an imprecation: Gen 49:4 אַלתּֿוֺתַר have not thou the excellency! Psa 109:12; Job 3:4, Job 3:6. Sometimes strengthened by נָא : Gen 13:8; Gen 18:3 and elsewhere (b) without a verb, (α) 2Sa 1:21 let (there be) not dew & not rain upon you! Isa 62:6; Psa 83:1. (β) used absolutely, in deprecation Gen 19:18; 2Sa 13:16 (see below אוֺדָה) 2Ki 3:13; 2Ki 4:16; 2Ki 6:27 (see RVm: but possibly to be explained by Dr§ 152 iii; so Th Ke: hardly as Ew§ 355 b) Rth 1:13 בְּנֹתַי אַל Nay, my daughters, compare Jdg 19:23; (γ) after a preceding imperative Amo 5:14; Joe 2:13; Pro 8:10, a jussive Pro 27:2, an infinitive absolute Pro 27:2. (χ) in poetry אַל sometimes expresses vividly the emotion or sympathy of the poet (see Dr§ 56-8); Isa 2:9 לָהֶם וְאַלתִּֿשָּׂא and forgive them not! (with a touch of passion), Psa 41:3; Pro 3:25; Job 5:22; Psa 34:6 (but ᵑ6 ᵐ5 Ew Che here read וּפְנֵיכֶם, probably rightly); Psa 50:3 a may our God come יֶ֫חֱשָרשׁ וְאַלֿ and not be silent! (the psalmist identifying himself with a spectator of the scene Psa 50:2-3,b-c) Psa 121:3 (contrast Psa 121:4 לֹא) Jer 46:6 +.
b. once Pro 12:28 joined closely to a substantive (compare לֹא 2 b) to express with emphasis its negation: In the way of righteousness is life, and in the pathway therecf אַלמָֿוֶת there is no-death! i.e. immortality.
c. once Job 24:25 used in poetry as a substantive, And bring my words לְאַל to nought! — N.B. 1Sa 27:10 אַל הַיּוֺם, אַלמְּֿשַׁטְתֶּם with the perfect is against all analogy; and either אֶלמִֿי (with ᵐ5. ᵑ9), or better אָן whither? (with ᵑ7 ᵑ6 : see 1Sa 10:14) must be read.
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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