כִּי H0518b
Compound particle ki im: if, only/except, but/rather, surely; used in conditions, restrictions, adversatives, and oaths
A two-particle compound (ki + im) whose meaning shifts dramatically depending on syntactic context. When each particle retains its independent force, ki im introduces a genuine conditional ('that if,' 'for if'). But in the vast majority of its roughly 140 occurrences, the two particles fuse into a restrictive or adversative unit: after a negation it means 'except, only, nothing but' (lo ... ki im, 'not ... but rather'), and in oath formulas it carries asseverative force — 'surely.' German splits these senses cleanly between wenn (conditional), nur/sondern (restrictive/adversative), and gewiss (asseverative), while French distinguishes si (conditional) from seulement (restrictive) and mais (adversative). The compound's versatility makes it one of Hebrew's most context-sensitive discourse markers.
Senses
1. conditional: if — The conditional sense where ki and im each retain independent force, introducing the protasis of a hypothetical clause ('if,' 'that if,' 'for if'). German wenn and French si map directly onto this use. Gen 32:26 ('I will not let you go unless [ki im] you bless me') and Gen 32:28 ('for you have striven with God and with men') show the conditional particle at work in the Jacob-at-Peniel narrative. Exod 8:17 and 9:2 ('for if you refuse to let my people go') illustrate the 'for if' combination in the plague sequence. 62×
AR["إنْ-", "إِذا-", "إِذَا", "إِذَا-", "إِذَا-فَقَطْ", "إِلَّا", "إِن-", "إِنْ", "إِنْ-", "قَبْلَ"]·ben["আগে", "পছন্দ-করতেন", "যদি", "যদি-", "যদি-না-"]·DE["Mutter", "wenn", "wenn-"]·EN["if", "if-"]·FR["si", "si-"]·heb["אם", "אם-", "אם־"]·HI["अगर", "अगर-", "कि-नहीं", "नहीं", "बस", "यदि", "यदि-"]·ID["jika", "jika-"]·IT["se", "se-"]·jav["manawi", "manawi-", "menawi", "menawi-", "ménawi-", "nanging", "sanadyan-", "saupami-"]·KO["만약", "만약-", "만일", "만일-", "만일-아니면", "아니라면", "아니면-", "오직"]·PT["se", "se-", "se-não"]·RU["если", "если-", "если-не", "если-не-", "не-"]·ES["que", "si", "si-"]·SW["akishamaliza", "hata-kama", "ikiwa", "ikiwa-", "kabla-ya", "kama", "kama-", "kwa-", "kwanza", "mfalme", "nyumba-ya", "ukimwokoa"]·TR["-dışında-", "ancak-", "başka", "değilse", "eger", "eğer", "eğer-"]·urd["اگر", "اگر-", "اگر-نہیں", "سوائے", "مگر", "کہ-نہیں-"]
2. restrictive: only, except — The restrictive or exceptive sense, typically following a negation, limiting the scope to a single alternative: 'only, except, nothing but, unless.' French seulement and German nur both encode this narrowing function. Gen 39:6 (Potiphar entrusted everything to Joseph and 'did not concern himself with anything except [ki im] the food he ate'), Gen 39:9 ('he has withheld nothing from me except [ki im] you'), and Lev 21:2, 14 (priestly purity laws listing exceptions) show how the compound funnels discourse down to one permitted alternative. 56×
AR["-", "أَمَامَ-", "إِلَى-", "إِلَّا", "إِلَّا-", "إِلّا", "إِنَّمَا-", "إِنْ-", "فَقَط", "فِي-"]·ben["যদি", "যদি-", "যদি-না-", "যদি-শুধু-"]·DE["nur", "wenn-"]·EN["if-", "only"]·FR["seulement", "si-"]·heb["אם", "אם-"]·HI["अगर-", "इम-", "केवल", "बस", "यदि-"]·ID["hanya", "hanya-", "memang-"]·IT["se-", "soltanto"]·jav["bilih-", "manawi", "menawi-", "menawi-namung", "namung", "namung-"]·KO["(if)-", "-", "-만", "다만", "만약-", "만일", "만일-", "오직"]·PT["apenas", "apenas-", "se", "se-", "se-não", "se-não-", "somente"]·RU["если-", "разве-", "только", "только-"]·ES["que", "si", "si-", "si-no-", "solo", "solo-"]·SW["bali-", "ila-", "isipokuwa-", "kama-", "kama-si-", "tu", "tu-"]·TR["-", "-de-", "ancak-", "eger-", "eğer-", "kesinlikle-", "sadece", "sadece-"]·urd["اِس-کے-", "اگر", "اگر-", "صرف", "صرف-", "مگر"]
3. adversative: but, rather — The adversative sense introducing a contrasting or corrective clause, often after a preceding negation: 'but, rather, on the contrary.' German sondern and aber, French mais, and Spanish sino all capture the contrastive pivot. Num 10:30 (Hobab says 'I will not go, but [ki im] I will go to my own land'), 2 Sam 13:33 ('let not my lord suppose that all the king's sons are dead, for [ki im] Amnon alone is dead'), and Job 42:8 ('my servant Job shall pray for you, for [ki im] him I will accept') show correction of a false assumption. 23×
AR["إِلاّ-", "إِلَّا-", "إِنَّ", "إِنَّ-", "إِنَّمَا", "إِنَّمَا-", "إِنْ-"]·ben["বরং", "বাদে-", "যদি", "যদি-", "যদিনা"]·DE["Mutter", "aber", "sondern-", "wenn"]·EN["but", "but-", "for-", "if", "if-", "rather", "rather-", "there"]·FR["mais", "si"]·heb["אם", "אם-"]·HI["अगर-", "अवश्य", "केवल", "जब-तक", "नहीं", "बल्कि", "बल्कि-", "यदि-", "वरन", "सिवाय"]·ID["hanya", "hanya-", "jika", "jika-"]·IT["ma", "se"]·jav["kajawi-", "kangge-mirengaken", "mekaten-", "menawi-", "namung", "namung-", "nanging-", "sayekti-"]·KO["다만", "다만-", "단지-", "만약", "만약-", "만일", "만일-", "참으로", "하단-"]·PT["por", "se", "se-", "sim", "sim-", "somente"]·RU["если", "если-", "именно-", "не-", "но-", "только-"]·ES["Valle-de", "con", "esto", "más-bien-", "que", "que-", "que-si-", "si-", "sino", "solamente", "sí"]·SW["-", "bali", "furahini", "hata", "hili", "ikiwa-", "isipokuwa", "kama", "kwa", "kwa-hakika", "makapi", "maovu", "nimelipa", "tu-", "wataoa", "ya-"]·TR["ancak", "ancak-", "eger-", "eğer-", "sadece", "sadece-"]·urd["اگر", "اگر-", "اگر-نہیں-", "بس-", "بلکہ", "بلکہ-", "صرف", "صرف-", "مگر"]
4. asseverative: surely, indeed — The asseverative sense in oath formulas and solemn declarations, lending emphatic certainty: 'surely, indeed, certainly.' German gewiss and French certainement convey this oath-weight. 1 Sam 8:19 ('No! But [ki im] we will have a king over us'), 2 Sam 15:21 ('surely [ki im] wherever my lord the king shall be, whether for death or for life, there also will your servant be'), and Jer 51:14 ('surely [ki im] I will fill you with men') show the compound intensifying vows and divine oaths. 4×
AR["إِن-", "إِنَّمَا-", "إِنْ-"]·ben["অবশ্যই-", "নিশ্চয়-", "যদি-"]·DE["gewiss", "gewiss-", "wenn"]·EN["if-", "surely", "surely-"]·FR["certainement", "certainement-", "si"]·heb["אם", "אם-"]·HI["निश्चय-", "यदि", "यदि-कि"]·ID["jika", "pasti-", "sungguh-"]·IT["certamente", "certamente-", "se"]·jav["bilih-", "menawi", "namung-", "yèn-"]·KO["다만", "만일-"]·PT["certamente-", "se-não-", "sim", "somente"]·RU["если-", "непременно-", "только-"]·ES["ciertamente", "si-", "si-no"]·SW["-", "hakika", "hakika-", "mahali"]·TR["ancak-", "eğer-", "kesinlikle-"]·urd["اگر", "ضرور", "یقیناً-"]
5. sense 5 — A concessive nuance: 'even though, although' — acknowledging a condition that might be expected to prevent the main clause but does not. Spanish aunque and German obwohl capture this concessive force. Isa 10:22 ('for though [ki im] your people Israel be as the sand of the sea, only a remnant of them will return') pairs abundance with restriction. Mic 6:8 ('He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you but [ki im] to do justice') narrows expansive possibility to a single ethical demand. 2×
AR["أَنْ-", "وَ-إِنْ-"]·ben["যদিও", "শুধু-"]·DE["wenn"]·EN["if-"]·FR["si"]·heb["אם-"]·HI["यदि-", "सिवाय-"]·ID["hanya-", "sekalipun-"]·IT["se"]·jav["sanadyan-"]·KO["만일", "비록"]·PT["fazer", "se"]·RU["если-"]·ES["aunque", "si-no"]·SW["ila", "ingawa-"]·TR["eger-", "sadece-"]·urd["اگرچہ", "یہ-کہ-"]
6. sense 6 — A temporal sense ('when') where ki im introduces the moment or circumstance under which something occurs. German dass and Spanish cuando point to temporal framing rather than conditionality. Gen 42:15 ('By the life of Pharaoh, you shall not go from this place unless [ki im / when] your youngest brother comes here') uses the compound at the boundary between conditional and temporal, marking the point at which release becomes possible. 1×
AR["إِنْ-"]·ben["যদি"]·DE["dass"]·EN["when-"]·FR["quand-"]·heb["אם"]·HI["नहीं"]·ID["jika"]·IT["quando-"]·jav["menawi"]·KO["오직"]·PT["se-"]·RU["если-"]·ES["cuando"]·SW["huku"]·TR["eğer-"]·urd["اگر"]
Related Senses
G3588 1. definite article (18298×)H0853 1. definite direct object marker (10915×)G2532 1. (8312×)H3068 1. YHWH (the divine name) (6522×)H0834a 1. relative pronoun (who/which/that) (4839×)H3588a 1. causal: because, for (3498×)G1161 1. and (2806×)H3478 1. Israel (proper name and nation) (2507×)G4771 1. you (plural address) (1853×)H1931 1. personal pronoun he/she/it (1431×)G3739 1. relative pronoun who/which/that (1149×)H1732 1. David (proper name) (1075×)H2088 1. this, this one (demonstrative) (1059×)G1063 1. (1047×)G3778 1. this thing, these things (1003×)H???? 2. (1002×)G2424 1. (924×)G3754 1. that (content clause) (881×)H2009 1. presentative particle: behold, look (881×)H0589 1. I (first person singular pronoun) (874×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
כִּי אִם־ (the אִם foll. by makkeph, except Gn 15:4 Nu 35:33 Ne 2:2, where כִּי־אִם is read by the Mass., Pr 2:3: FrMM 241)— 1. each part. retaining its independent force, and relating to a different clause: a. that if Je 26:15; after an oath (כִּי not translated: v. כִּי 1 c) if 1 S 14:39 Je 22:24, surely not (אִם 1 b 2) 2 S 3:35 1 S 25:34 (כִּי being resumptive of the כִּי before לוּלֵי: v.…