Lexicon :: Strong's H3808 - lō'

לֹא

Transliteration

lō'

Pronunciation

Part of Speech

adverb

Root Word (Etymology)

A primitive particle

Dictionary Aids

TWOT Reference: 1064

Strong's Info

Strong’s Definitions

לֹא lôʼ, lo; or לוֹא lôwʼ; or לֹה lôh; (Deuteronomy 3:11), a primitive particle; + not (the simple or abstract negation); by implication, no; often used with other particles:—× before, + or else, ere, + except, ig(-norant), much, less, nay, neither, never, no((-ne), -r, (-thing)), (× as though...,(can-), for) not (out of), of nought, otherwise, out of, + surely, + as truly as, + of a truth, + verily, for want, + whether, without.

KJV Translation Count — Total: 76x

The KJV translates Strong's H3808 in the following manner: not, no, none, nay, never, neither, ere, otherwise, before.

KJV Translation Count — Total: 76x

The KJV translates Strong's H3808 in the following manner: not, no, none, nay, never, neither, ere, otherwise, before.

Outline of Biblical Usage [?]

not, no
1. not (with verb - absolute prohibition)
2. not (with modifier - negation)
3. nothing (subst)
4. without (with particle)
5. before (of time)

Strong’s Definitions [?](Strong’s Definitions Legend)

Brown-Driver-Briggs Lexicon [?] (Jump to Scripture Index)

STRONGS H3808: Abbreviations

לֹא or לוֺא adverb not (Arabic , Aramaic H3809 לָא, , Sabean לא, Ass. lâ; not in Ethiopic: compare Kö^{ii. 1. 236} Walker^{AJSL 1896, 237 ff.}) — לוֺא, according to Masora (Fr^{MM 248}), + 35 times, besides בְּלוֺא + 6 times, and הֲלוֺא, the orthography of which varies much (ib.^{p. 251}), e.g. in Samuel always הֲלוֺא, in Chronicles always הֲלֹא, on the whole הֲלוֺא + 141 times, הֲלֹא + 128 times; twice, according to Masora, written לו (Qr לֹא), 1 Samuel 2:16; 1 Samuel 20:2, once לה Deuteronomy 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 (Genesis 2:5b; Genesis 4:5 etc.) or imperfect (Genesis 3:4; 8:21, 22 etc.); in short circumstantial clauses, as Genesis 44:4 לא הרחיקו, Isaiah 40:20 לֹא יִמּוֺט, and with a final force Isaiah 41:7; Exodus 28:32 (see Ges^{§ 156. 3 R. b, c} Dr^{§ 162}). Governing two closely connected verbs (Dr^{§ 115}, לא) Exodus 28:43 וְלֹא יִשְׂאוּ עָוֺן וָמֵתוּ, Leviticus 19:12, 29b Deuteronomy 7:25, 26; Deuteronomy 19:10; Deuteronomy 22:1 and elsewhere; and two parallel clauses (Ges^{§ 152. 3}) Isaiah 23:4b Psalm 9:19; Psalm 44:19; Job 3:1 and elsewhere. With the imperfect, especially with 2nd person singular, לֹא often expresses (not, like אַל, a deprecation, do not..., let not..., but) a prohibition, as Genesis 2:17 לֹא תאֹכַל מִמֶּנּוּ thou shall not eat of it, Genesis 3:1, 3; Exodus 20:3 לֹאיִֿהְיֶה לְךָ there shall not be to thee, etc., Exodus 20:13 לא תגנב, etc. With the cohortive and jussive moods (which are negatived regularly by אַל), it occurs only exceptionally (Ges^{§ 109. 1 b R. 1}), Genesis 24:8; 1 Samuel 14:36; 2 Samuel 17:12; 2 Samuel 18:14; 1 Kings 2:6; Ezekiel 48:14.

(b) with the infinitive (which is negatived by בִּלְתִּי, which see), only once, in בְּלֹא (4a), and with לְ, in the sense of cannot, or must not; Judges 1:19 כי לא להורישׁ for it was not (possible) to dispossess, etc. Amos 6:10 לא להזכיר בשׁם י׳, 1 Chronicles 5:1; 1 Chronicles 15:2 (Dr^{§ 202. 2}); compare Aramaic לָא Daniel 6:9; Ezra 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, Genesis 32:29 לֹא יַעֲקֹב יֵאָמֵר עוֺד וג׳ not Jacob shall thy name be called any more, but Israel, Genesis 45:8 לֹא אַתֶּם שְׁלַחְתֶּם אֹתִי Not ye (in our idiom: It is not ye who) have sent me hither, but God, Exodus 16:8; 1 Samuel 8:7 כִּי לֹא אֹתְךָ מָאָסוּ כִּי אֹתִי וג׳, Psalm 115:17; without a following correcting clause, Genesis 38:9; Numbers 16:29 שְׁלָחָנִי׃ לֹא י׳ Not י׳ (but another) hath sent me, Deuteronomy 32:27 לֹא זֹאת פָּעַל י׳, 1 Chronicles 17:4; Deuteronomy 8:9; Isaiah 28:28 לא לנצח ֗֗֗ not for ever (but only for a while)... (so Isaiah 57:16; Psalm 9:19; Psalm 49:18; Psalm 103:9; but Isaiah 13:20 לא תשׁב לנצח is, will not be inhabited for ever), Isaiah 43:22; Job 13:16; Job 32:9; hence rhetorically, insinuating something very different, not named, 2 Kings 6:10 not once, and not twice (but repeatedly), Ezra 10:13; Jeremiah 4:11 a wind לֹא לְזָרוֺת וְלוֺא לְהַָֽֽֽבר׃ not to winnow, and not to cleanse (but to exterminate), Isaiah 45:13; Isaiah 48:1b Joshua 24:12; Daniel 11:20, 29; Job 34:20 לֹא בְיָד (but by a Divine agency: compare Daniel 2:34; also Job 20:26 נֻפָּ֑ח לֹא אֵשׁ fire not blown upon [but kindled from heaven], Lamentations 4:6; and אין Isaiah 47:14).

(d) standing alone:

(α) אִםלֹֿא if not, Genesis 18:21 וְאִםלֹֿא אֵדָֽעָה׃, Genesis 29:49; Genesis 42:16; Job 9:24; Job 24:25;

(β) אִם־לֹא֗֗֗הֲ, or not, Genesis 24:21 waiting to know דַּרְכּוֺ אִםלֹֿא הַהִצְלִיחַ י׳, Genesis 27:21; Genesis 37:32; Exodus 16:4; Numbers 11:23; Deuteronomy 8:2; Judges 2:22 (compare אִם אַיִן, אַיִן 2 d β, δ). In answer to a question or request, to deny, or decline, Nay, Nö: Judges 12:5 ויאמר לא, Haggai 2:12; לא אדני Genesis 23:11; Genesis 42:10; 1 Samuel 1:15 +; often followed by כי, Nö for... = Nö but..., Genesis 18:15 ויאמר לֹא כִּי צָחָ֑קְתְּ, Genesis 19:2; Joshua 5:14; Joshua 24:21; 1 Samuel 2:16 Qr (see Dr), 1 Samuel 10:19 ( MSS), 2 Samuel 16:18; 2 Samuel 24:24; 1 Kings 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} Dr^{1 8 11, 12}): Jonah 4:11 וג'אָחוּס לֹא וַאֲנִי֗֗֗חַסְתָּ אַתָּה, Job 2:10; Job 22:11; Exodus 8:22; 2 Kings 5:26; Jeremiah 49:9 (|| Obadiah 5 הֲלוֺא), Malachi 2:15; Lamentations 3:38; and in passages, exegesis or text. doubtful (see Commentaries), 1 Samuel 20:14; 2 Samuel 23:5 (but see Bu), Hosea 10:9 (Ew We), Hosea 11:5 (Ew), Job 14:16b (but Ew Di תַעֲבֹר), Lamentations 1:12 (Ew Ke), Lamentations 3:36 (Ke Bä).

b. with adjectives and substantive:

(a) Genesis 2:18 לְבַדֹּו הָאָדָם הֱיוֹת טוֺב לֹא not good is man's being alone, Exodus 18:17 + often

(b) Exodus 4:16 לֹא אִישׁ דְּבָרִים אָנֹכִי, Amos 7:14 לא נביא אנכי, Numbers 23:9 לֹא אִישׁ אֵל וִיכַזֵּב, Deuteronomy 17:15 (see אשׁר 2. b) Deuteronomy 20:20; Deuteronomy 32:47; 1 Samuel 15:29; 2 Samuel 18:20 לֹא אִישׁ בְּשׂרָה אַתָּה הַיּוֺם, 2 Samuel 21:2; 1 Kings 22:33; 2 Kings 6:19 לא זִה הדרך, Micah 2:10; Isaiah 27:11; Hosea 8:6; והמה לא אלהים Jeremiah 2:11; Jeremiah 16:20; 2 Kings 19:18; 1 Kings 19:11 (twice in verse) לֹא בָרַעַשׁ י׳, Deuteronomy 30:12, 13; Job 15:9; Job 28:14 לֹא בִי הִיא (|| אֵין עִמָּדִי), Psalm 74:9; Jeremiah 5:10 המה לוא לי׳, Jeremiah 10:16; Deuteronomy 32:21 בָּנִים לֹא אֵמוּן בָּם, Jeremiah 10:14; Habakkuk 1:14; Job 16:17; Job 38:26 מִדְבָּר לֹא אָדָם בּוֺ; 1 Kings 22:17 לֹא אֲדֹנִים לָאֵלֶּה, Jeremiah 49:31; Psalm 22:3 וְלֹא דוּמִיָּה לִי, Job 18:17, 19; Job 29:12 ולא עֹזֵר לו, Job 30:13; Job 33:9; Jeremiah 2:19 וְלֹא פַחְדָּתִי אֵלַיִךְ and (that) my terror reached not unto thee, Job 21:9; absolute Genesis 29:7 לֹאעֵֿתִ הֵאָסֵף הַמִּקְנֶה (Haggai 1:2), Numbers 20:5; 2 Kings 4:23 לא חדשׁ ולא שׁבת, Isaiah 44:9; Jeremiah 5:12 ויאמרו לוא הוא, Job 9:32; Job 22:16; Job 36:26; Job 41:2; Proverbs 19:7 (si vera lectio) מְרַדֵּף אֲמָרִים לֹאהֵֿמָּה words which are not, which are nought.

(c) with the participle לֹא is rare, a finite verb being usually preferred (Exodus 34:7 וְנַקִּה לֹא יְנַקֶּה : Ew^{§ 320 c} Dr^{§ 162}): 2 Samuel 3:34 יָדֶיךָ לֹא אֲסֻרוֺת, Ezekiel 4:14; Ezekiel 22:24; Deuteronomy 28:61; Psalm 38:15 כְּאִישׁ אֲשֶׁר לֹא שֹׁמֵעַ who is not hearing, Job 12:3; Job 13:2 לֹא נֹפֵל אָנֹכִי מִכֶּם, Zephaniah 3:5 (very anomalous); 1 Kings 10:21 לא is probably textual error In וְהוּא לֹא שׂנֵא לוֺ or לא שׂנא הוא לו, Deuteronomy 4:42; Deuteronomy 19:4, 6; Joshua 20:5 (compare אֹיֵב Numbers 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: Hosea 13:13 בן לאחֿכם an unwise son, Psalm 36:5 דֶּרֶךְ לֹא טוֺב a way not good, Psalm 43:1 גוי לא חסיד, Proverbs 16:29; Proverbs 30:25, 26; Ezekiel 20:25; 2 Chronicles 30:17 : Isaiah 16:14 לוֺא כַבִּיר, compare Isaiah 10:7 לֹא מְעַט.

b. with a participle Jeremiah 2:2 ארץ לא זרועה, Jeremiah 18:15 (the finite verb is more common: see Isaiah 62:12 עִיר לֹא נֱעֶזָ֫בָה (compare Isaiah 54:11), Jeremiah 6:8 אֶרֶץ לוֺא נוֺשָׁ֫בָה, Jeremiah 15:18; Jeremiah 22:6; Jeremiah 31:18; Zephaniah 2:1).

c. †Genesis 15:13 בארץ לא להם, Jeremiah 5:19; Habakkuk 1:6 מִשְׁכָּנוֺת לֹאלֿוֺ, Proverbs 26:17 רִיב לֹאלֿוֺ.

d. with a substantive, in poetry, forming a kind of compound, expressing pointedly its antithesis or negation (German un- is sometimes used similarly): Deuteronomy 32:5 (?). Deuteronomy 32:17, Deuteronomy 32:21a they made me jealous בְּלֹא אֵל with a not-God (with what in no respect deserved the name of God), Deuteronomy 32:21b בְּלֹא עָם i.e. with an unorganized horde, Amos 6:13 הַשְּׂמֵחִים לְלֹא דָבָר i.e. at a thing which is not, an unreality (of their boasted strength), Isaiah 10:15 כְּהָרִים מַטֶּה לֹא עֵץ like a rod's lifting up what is no wood (but the agent wielding it), Isaiah 31:8 חרב לא אישׁ, חרב לא אדם, Isaiah 55:2 בלוא לחם for what is not bread, בלוא לשׂבעה for what is not for satiety, Jeremiah 5:7 וַיּשָּֽׁבְעוּ בְּלֹא אֱלֹהִים by not-gods, in late prose 2 Chronicles 13:9 כֹּהֵן לְלֹא אֱלֹהִים; Psalm 44:13 תִּמְכֹּר עַמְּךָ בְּלֹאהֿוֺן for no-value (i.e. cheaply), Proverbs 13:23; Job 10:12 צלמות וְלֹא סְדָרִים darkness and disorder; so לֹאעַֿמִּי Hosea 1:9; Hosea 2:25 [Hosea 2:23]: still more pregnantly Job 26:2a מֶהעָֿזַרְתָּ לְלֹאכֹֿחַ (poetic for לאשׁר אין לו כח) the powerless, Job 26:2b; Job 26:3a (Ew^{§ 286 g} Ges^{§ 152. 1 n.}), Job 39:16 הִקְשִׁיחַ בָּנֶיהָ לְלֹא לָהּ useth hardly her young ones (making them) into none of hers; and even Habakkuk 2:6 הַמַּרְבֶּה לֹאלֿוֺ what is not his own (compare Job 18:15 מִבְּלִי לוֺ). Compare with a verb, and ellipse of אשׁר, Isaiah 65:1 לְלֹא שָׁאָ֑לוּ to those who have not asked, Isaiah 65:1b Jeremiah 2:8 אַחֲרִי לֹא יוֺעִילוּ, Jeremiah 2:11b; also לֹא רֻחָ֫מָה Hosea 1:6, 8; Hosea 2:25 [Hosea 2:23], and probably Job 31:31 לֹא נִשְׂבָּ֑ע (perfect in P.) one not satisfied.

e. in circumstantial clauses (Dr^{§ 164}), in poetry and rare: qualifying a substantive, 2 Samuel 23:4 בֹּקֶר לֹא עָבוֺת a morning without clouds, Job 12:24 בְּתֹהוּ לֹא דֶרֶךְ in a pathless waste, Job 38:26a; and a verb Job 34:24 יָרֹעַ כַּבִּרִים לֹא חֵקֶר without inquiry, Psalm 59:4 לא פשׁעי ולא חטאתי (compare Psalm 59:4 בלי עון), in late prose, twice, 1 Chronicles 2:30, 32 וימת לא בנים (אֵין and בְּלִי, which see, are more usual in such cases).

3. Once (according to many MSS), as a substantive, Job 6:21 כִּיעַֿתָּה הֱיִיתֶם לֹא for now are ye become nothing, Hi De Kö (compare Daniel 4:32 (Aramaic) כְּלָה חֲשִׁיבִין, here כְּלָא הֲוֵיתוּן, 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 נַחַל אַכְזָב of Job 24:15]; but even לוֺ yields a forced sense; and text is probably wrong: Mich Ew Ol Sgf Bu כֵּן֗֗֗לִי ( also read לִי); Bö Di כִּי֗֗֗לְאָ֑יִן. Compare Kö^{ii. 1. 236 f}.

4. With prefixes: —

a. †בְּלֹא ₃₁ (chiefly in poetry or late), according to the varying significance of בְּ :

(a) usually with not = without, Jeremiah 22:13 בונה ביתו בלאֿ צדק without justice (|| בלא משׁפט; so Ezekiel 22:29; Proverbs 16:8), Isaiah 55:1 (twice in verse); Proverbs 19:2; Job 8:11 הֲיִגְאֶהגֹּֿמֶא בְּלֹא בִצָּה without mire || כלי מים, Job 30:28 בְּלֹא חַמָּה (=not through the sun), Lamentations 1:6 וילכו בלאכֿח, Numbers 35:22 בְּלֹא אֵיבָה ֗֗֗ בְּלֹא צְדִיָּה, Numbers 35:23 (followed by infinitive) בְּלֹא רְאוֺת, 2 Chronicles 21:20; Ecclesiastes 10:11; Psalm 17:1 תְּפִלָּתִי בְּלֹא שִׂפְתֵי מִרְמָה; used more freely in Chronicles, 1 Chronicles 12:18 בְּכַפָּֽי׃ חָמָס בְּלֹא, 1 Chronicles 12:34 בְּלֹא לֵב וָלֵב, 2 Chronicles 30:18 בְּלֹא כַכָּתוּב. With ellipse of rel., Lamentations 4:14 בְּלֹא יוּכְלוּ יִגְּעוּ without (that) men are able to touch, etc.

(b) of time, in not, i.e. outside of, Leviticus 15:25 בלא עֶתנִֿדָּתָהּ, before Job 15:32 בלאיֿומו, Ecclesiastes 7:17 בְּלֹא עִתֶּךְ׃.

(c) where לֹא belongs to the following word, and is only accidentally preceded by ב (see above 2d), Deuteronomy 32:21 (twice in verse); Jeremiah 5:7; Proverbs 13:23 בלא משׁפט through injustice; with בְּ pretii, Psalm 44:13; Isaiah 55:2 (twice in verse); Jeremiah 2:11 בְּלוֺא יוֺעִיל for (that which) profiteth not.

b. הֲלֹא nonne ? Genesis 4:7 + often. Inviting, as it does, an affirmative answer, it is often used,

(α) especially in conversation, for pointing to a fact in such a way as to arouse the interest of the person addressed, or to win his assent: Genesis 13:19 [Genesis 13:9] Is not the whole land before thee ? Genesis 19:20; Genesis 20:5; Genesis 27:36; Genesis 29:25; Exodus 4:11 Who maketh dumb or deaf, etc. Do not I ? Exodus 33:16; Judges 4:6, 14; Judges 8:2; Judges 9:28, 38; 1 Samuel 9:20, 21; 1 Samuel 15:17 etc.; with a verb in the 1st person, Joshua 1:9 הלא צויתיך, Judges 6:14 הלא שׁלחתיך, 1 Samuel 20:30; 2 Samuel 19:23; Ruth 2:9: similarly in a poetical or rhetorical style, Judges 5:30 הלא ימצאו יחלקו שׁלל, Isaiah 8:19; Isaiah 10:8, 9, 11; Isaiah 28:25; Isaiah 29:17; Isaiah 40:21, 23; Isaiah 42:24; Isaiah 43:19 etc., Job 4:6; Job 4:21; Job 7:1; Job 10:10; Job 10:20, etc.

(β) it has a tendency to become little more than an affirm. particle, declaring with some rhetorical emphasis what is, or might be, well known: Deuteronomy 3:11 הֲלֹה הִיא בְרַבַּת בְּנֵי עַמּוֺן, Deuteronomy 11:30; 1 Samuel 21:12 הלוא זה דוד וג׳ (compare 1 Samuel 29:3, 5; 2 Samuel 11:3), 1 Samuel 23:19; 1 Samuel 26:1; 2 Samuel 15:35; it is thus nearly = הִנֵּה ( sometimes represents it by ιδου, as Joshua 1:9; Judges 6:14; Ruth 2:9; 2 Samuel 15:35); so especially in the phrase of the compiler of Kings, And the rest of the acts of..., הֲלֹא הֵם (הֵמָּה) כְּתוּבִים are they not written in, etc. ? 1 Kings 11:41; 1 Kings 14:29 + often (with which there interchanges הִנָּם כְּתוּבִים 1 Kings 14:19; 2 Kings 15:11, 26, 31, which is generally used by the Chronicles, 2 Chronicles 16:11; 20:34, etc.), Joshua 10:13 (compare 2 Samuel 1:18 הִנֵּה), 1 Kings 8:53 , Esther 10:2; Psalm 56:14 [Psalm 56:13] (strangely: contr. Psalm 116:8). — הֲלֹא הִנֵּה Habakkuk 2:13; 2 Chronicles 25:26 (הִנָּם). — On Judges 14:15, see הֲ 1 end.

c. † וָלֹ֕א and not=and if not, 2 Samuel 13:26; 2 Kings 5:17. compare וָּיֵשׁ.

d. † כְּלוֺא Obadiah 16 והיו כלוא היו, poetic for כאשׁר, as though they had not been.

e. † לְלֹא without, literally in the condition of no... 2 Chronicles 15:3 (compare לְאֵין, also in Chronicles). Elsewhere לא belongs to the following word, Amos 6:13; 2 Chronicles 13:9; Isaiah 65:1 (twice in verse); Job 26:2, 3; Job 39:16 (see above 2 d).

Note. — Fifteen times, according to Masora (see De^{Psalms 100. 3} Fr^{MM 247} Str^{Prol. Cr. 84}), לא is written by error for לוֺ, namely Exodus 21:8; Leviticus 11:21; Leviticus 25:30; 1 Samuel 2:3; 2 Samuel 16:18; 2 Kings 8:10; Isaiah 9:2; Isaiah 63:9; Psalm 100:3; Psalm 139:16; Job 13:15; Job 41:4; Proverbs 19:7; Proverbs 26:2; Ezra 4:2 (always with Qr לוֺ). The passages must be considered each upon its own merits: in some לוֺ yields a preferable sense; but this is not the case in all. There is the same קרי (rightly) on Isaiah 49:5; 1 Chronicles 11:20; but these were not considered to rest upon equal authority, and are hence not reckoned with the fifteen. — In Judges 21:22 (see GFM), 1 Samuel 13:13; 1 Samuel 20:14 (twice in verse), and in Job 9:33 לֹא יֵשׁ, read probably לֻא for לֹא.
לוֺ (Kt 1 Samuel 2:16; 1 Samuel 20:2), לוֺא, see לֹא.

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