H0552 H0552
An adverb meaning 'truly, indeed, really,' always used in rhetorical or incredulous questions.
An emphatic adverb expressing genuine surprise or rhetorical doubt, always appearing in questions. When Sarah laughs at the promise of a son, God asks Abraham: 'Shall Sarah indeed bear a child?' (Gen 18:13). Balak challenges Balaam with the same word (Num 22:37), and Solomon marvels whether God will 'truly' dwell on earth (1 Kgs 8:27). The translations capture this interrogative force: Spanish 'de verdad' and 'acaso,' French 'en vérité,' German 'fürwahr.'
Senses
1. sense 1 — An interrogative-emphatic adverb 'truly, indeed, really,' derived from 'omen with the adverbial ending -am. Used exclusively in questions that express wonder or incredulity. Genesis 18:13 marks the paradigmatic use: God's question about Sarah's doubt. The same rhetorical force appears in Balak's challenge (Num 22:37), Solomon's temple prayer (1 Kgs 8:27; 2 Chr 6:18), and the psalmist's confrontation of unjust judges (Ps 58:1). Spanish 'de verdad' and French 'en vérité' both convey the 'is it really so?' tone. 5×
AR["أَحَقًّا", "حَقًّا", "فِعْلًا"]·ben["-সত্যই-কি", "সচমুচ", "সত্যই-কি", "সত্যিই-কি"]·DE["[האמנם]", "fürwahr", "tatsaechlich", "wahrlich", "wirklich"]·EN["indeed", "truly"]·FR["[האמנם]", "en-effet", "en-vérité", "le-en-vérité"]·heb["אמנם", "ה-אמנם", "האומנם", "האמנם"]·HI["क्या-सचमुच", "वअस्तव-मे", "सचमुच"]·ID["apakah-benar", "benar", "benarkah", "sungguhkah"]·IT["[האמנם]", "invero", "veramente"]·jav["punapa-sayektos", "saestu", "sayektos", "sayektosè"]·KO["정녕", "진정으로", "참으로"]·PT["De-verdade", "Porventura", "verdadeiramente"]·RU["воистину", "действительно", "неужели-действительно", "разве-не"]·ES["acaso-ciertamente", "de-verdad", "en-verdad", "verdaderamente"]·SW["Je-kweli", "hakika", "je-kweli", "kweli"]·TR["gerçekten", "gerçekten-mi"]·urd["سچ-مچ", "واقعی", "کیا-واقعی", "ہَ-بیشَک"]
Related Senses
H3808 1. simple negation (not) (4839×)G1722 1. locative: in, within (2442×)H1004b 1. house, dwelling, building (2015×)G3756 1. not (negation particle) (1635×)H4480a 1. source or separation (1198×)H5892b 1. city, town (1093×)G1519 1. direction: into, to, toward (1061×)H3427 1. Qal: to dwell, inhabit (937×)G1537 1. from, out of (source/origin) (886×)H8034 1. Name (designation / identifier) (856×)G3361 1. subjective negation (not) (834×)G1909 1. on, upon (spatial surface) (757×)H0369 1. existential negation: there is not (738×)H5869a 1. in the eyes/sight of (evaluative) (734×)H5650 1. Servant, attendant, subject (723×)H0408 1. prohibitive negation do-not (712×)G2443 1. so that, in order that (purpose/result) (665×)G0575 1. from (649×)G1223 1. through, by means of (582×)H3541 1. thus, so, in this manner (569×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† אֻמְנָם adv. (from אֹמֶן by aff. ָם) verily, truly, indeed, always in interrog. Gn 18:13 (J), elsewhere הַאֻמְנָם Nu 22:37 (E) 1 K 8:27 2 Ch 6:18 ψ 58:2.