H0637 H0637
Also, indeed, even, yea; an emphatic conjunction adding force, marking inclusion, or introducing a fortiori arguments.
One of Hebrew's most versatile rhetorical particles, ʾap functions as an intensifier that adds weight wherever it appears. It can simply mean 'also' (Gen 40:16), but it regularly escalates to 'indeed, surely' when launching emphatic declarations in poetry (Ps 16:6-9). In argument it powers the qal waḥomer ('how much more/less') pattern beloved by biblical and rabbinic reasoning (1 Sam 14:30; 2 Sam 16:11). Though prose prefers gam for plain addition, ʾap is the poet's and orator's chosen tool for rhetorical punch.
1. indeed, surely (emphatic) — The emphatic-affirmative use: 'indeed, surely, yea.' Comprising 51 occurrences, this sense launches forceful declarations, especially in poetry. Ps 16:6-9 stacks four ʾap clauses to build crescendo praise. Translations render it as 'indeed/ciertamente/aussi/ja,' each capturing rhetorical reinforcement rather than mere addition. 51×
AR["أَيْضًا-","بَلْ-","نَعَمْ-","وَ-أَيْضًا"]·ben["সত্যই-","হ্যাঁ-"]·DE["auch","ja-"]·EN["Indeed","also","also-","indeed","indeed-"]·FR["aussi"]·heb["אף","אף-"]·HI["भी-","हाँ-","हां-"]·ID["Juga-","bahkan-","juga","juga-","ya-"]·IT["anche"]·jav["Malah-","inggih-","malah-","ugi-"]·KO["또한-","참으로-"]·PT["Também-","até","sim","sim-","também-"]·RU["да-","даже","даже-","также-"]·ES["También-","aun","ciertamente","también","también-"]·SW["Naam-","hata-","naam","naam-","ndiyo-"]·TR["Evet-","evet-"]·urd["بلکہ","بھی","بھی-","بیشک","بے-شک","ہاں-"]
Gen 3:1, Ps 16:6, Ps 16:7, Ps 16:9, Ps 18:48, Ps 58:2, Ps 65:13, Ps 68:8, Ps 68:16, Ps 74:16, Ps 77:16, Ps 77:17 (+38 more)
▼ 6 more senses below
Senses
2. also, too (additive) — The additive-inclusive use: 'also, too.' With 44 occurrences, this is the plain conjunctive function, often as waʾap ('and also'). Lev 26 uses it repeatedly to pile up covenant consequences. BDB notes that gam is more common in prose for this function, making ʾap the more elevated or marked additive. Spanish 'también' and German 'auch' consistently appear here. 44×
AR["أَيضاً","أَيْضًا","أَيْضًا-","فَ-أَيْضًا-","قَبْلِي"]·ben["আরও","এছাড়া-","এমনকি","এমনকি-","তথাপি-","সত্যই-"]·DE["auch","auch-","ja"]·EN["also","also-","indeed","indeed-","surely"]·FR["aussi","aussi-"]·heb["אף"]·HI["भी","भी-"]·ID["Juga","Juga-","juga","juga-"]·IT["anche","anche-"]·jav["Mekaten-ugi-","Ugi","Ugi-","mekaten-ugi-","ugi","ugi-"]·KO["또한","또한-","참으로"]·PT["Também","Também-","também","também-"]·RU["воистину-","также","также-"]·ES["Ciertamente","Ciertamente-","También-","aun","también","también-"]·SW["Pia-","hakika","je","pia","pia-"]·TR["Ayrıca-","Gerçekten","Gerçekten-","ayrıca","ayrıca-","ben-de-","da-","evet","hatta"]·urd["بھی","بھی-","تو-بھی"]
3. how much more/less (a fortiori) — The a fortiori particle: 'how much more' or 'how much less,' typically in the pattern ʾap ki. This powers 22 arguments from lesser to greater — if David's men feared in Judah, 'how much more' in Keilah (1 Sam 23:3). Spanish 'cuánto más/menos' and German 'wie viel mehr' show translators recognizing the logical escalation structure. 22×
AR["بَلْ","فَكَمْ","فَكَمْ-","فَكَمْ-بِالأَحْرى","فَكَيْفَ","كَم","كَمْ","وَ-أَيْضًا","وَبِالأَولى-","وَكَمْ","وَكَمْ-بِالْحَرِيِّ"]·ben["অথবা","আরও","আরো","এবং-আরো","এবং-কত","এবং-কত-বেশি","এবং-নিশ্চয়ই","এমনকি","কত","কিন্তু","তবে","তাহলে-আরও","সত্যই"]·DE["auch","und-wie-much-mehr","und-wie-viel-mehr","wie-viel-mehr"]·EN["and-how-much-more","how-much-less","how-much-more"]·FR["aussi","comment-beaucoup-plus","et-comment-beaucoup-plus","même"]·heb["אף","ו-אף"]·HI["और-कितना","और-कितना-अधिक","और-तो-भी","और-भी","कितना-","कितना-अधिक","तो","भी","हाँ"]·ID["Apalagi","apalagi","dan-apalagi"]·IT["anche","come-molto-più","e-come-molto-piu","e-come-molto-più"]·jav["Langkung-malih","Sànajan","apamanèh","kados-ta","lan-langkung-langkung","lan-langkung-malih","lan-malah","langkung","langkung-langkung","langkung-malih","sanajan"]·KO["그리고-또한","그리고-어찌","그리고-얼마나-더","더욱이","참으로","하물며"]·PT["Quanto-mais","ainda","ainda-que","e-ainda-mais","e-além-disso","e-certamente","e-quanto-mais","quanto-mais"]·RU["даже","и-насколько-более","и-тем-более","тем-более"]·ES["Ciertamente","Cuanto-más","Cuánto-menos","Cuánto-más","Y-cuánto-más","cuanto-más","cuánto","cuánto-menos","cuánto-más","y-cuánto-más","¡Cuánto","¿Cuánto"]·SW["Zaidi","achilia-mbali","hata","na-hata-zaidi","na-zaidi","na-zaidi-sana","naam","zaidi","zaidi-sana"]·TR["Gerçekten","Ne-kadar-daha","hele","iş-için","ne-kadar","ne-kadar-az","ne-kadar-çok","ve-hatta","ve-nasıl-","ve-ne-kadar-daha","ve-ne-kadar-çok"]·urd["اور-اگر","اور-کتنا-زیادہ","اور-کیسا","بھی","حتّٰی-کہ","پس","کتنا-زیادہ","کجا","کیا-خوب","کیا-کہنا"]
Deut 31:27, 1 Sam 14:30, 1 Sam 23:3, 2 Sam 4:11, 2 Sam 16:11, 1 Kgs 8:27, 2 Kgs 5:13, 2 Chr 6:18, 2 Chr 32:15, Job 4:19, Job 9:14, Job 15:16 (+10 more)
4. even (scalar/intensive) — The scalar-intensive use: 'even,' marking an extreme or unexpected case. Seven occurrences highlight something beyond expectation. Lev 26:44 assures that 'even' in exile God will not utterly reject Israel. Job 14:3 asks whether God would bring 'even' such a fragile creature to judgment. German 'sogar' and Spanish 'aun' pinpoint this scalar force. 7×
AR["أَيْضًا-","بَلْ","هُوَ-أَيْضًا","وَ-أَيْضًا-","وَ-حَتَّى-"]·ben["এও","এবং-তথাপি-","এবং-যদি-","এমনকি","এমনকি-","সত্যিই"]·DE["auch","sogar","und-auch","und-noch-"]·EN["and-even","and-yet-","even","even-"]·FR["aussi","et-aussi","et-encore-","même"]·heb["אף","ו-אף"]·HI["और-भी-","और-यदि","कितना-अधिक","यहां-तक-कि","वास्तव-में","हाँ-"]·ID["Bahkan","Dan-juga","bahkan","dan-bahkan"]·IT["anche","e-anche","e-ancora-"]·jav["Lan-ewadene-","Malah","lan-saèstu-","malah","ugi"]·KO["그리고-오히려","그리고-참으로-","심지어","심지어-","오히려","참으로-"]·PT["Certamente","E-mesmo-se","E-também","Mesmo","Também-","até","também"]·RU["даже","даже-","и-если-","и-также-"]·ES["Aun","También","Y-aun","Y-si-"]·SW["Na-hata-","hata","na-hata-kama","pia-"]·TR["hatta","hatta-","hele-","ve-hele-","ve-yine-de-"]·urd["اور-اگر-","اور-بھی","بلکہ","بھی"]
5. indeed? (interrogative-emphatic) — The interrogative-emphatic use in questions: 'indeed? really?' Six occurrences appear with interrogative he, expressing surprise or challenge. Gen 18:13 asks 'Shall I indeed bear a child?' and Job 40:8 challenges 'Will you indeed annul my judgment?' The particle intensifies the question's rhetorical force beyond simple interrogation. 6×
AR["هَل","هَلْ-أَيْضًا","هَلْ-حَقًّا"]·ben["কি-না","কি-সত্যই","সত্যই-কি"]·DE["der-auch","soll-auch","willst-du-auch"]·EN["indeed","is-it-","will-you-indeed"]·FR["aussi","en-effet","le-aussi"]·heb["אף","ה-אף"]·HI["क्य-सचमे","क्या","क्या-सचमुच"]·ID["Apakah","Bukankah-memang","apakah-sungguh"]·IT["anche","il-anche","invero"]·jav["Punapa-malah","Punapa-saestunipun","menapa-sanget","menapa-ugi","punapa-sanes"]·KO["정말로","정말로-","참으로","참으로-또한"]·PT["Acaso","Por-acaso","Por-acaso-também","Será-que-também","Também"]·RU["неужели-даже","неужели-также","разве-вправду","разве-не","разве-также"]·ES["Acaso-también","acaso-también","¿Acaso","¿Acaso-no"]·SW["Je-kweli","Je-pia","Je-si","je","je-utabatilisha"]·TR["Gerçekten","değil-mi","gerçekten","gerçekten-mi","mi-gerçekten","mı-Gerçekten"]·urd["کیا","کیا-نہیں","کیا-واقعی"]
6. moreover, furthermore — The discourse-connective use: 'moreover, furthermore,' adding a supplementary point that strengthens the argument. Three occurrences (1 Chr 16:30; Esth 5:12; Ezek 23:40) use ʾap to append a climactic or additional detail. Spanish 'además' and English 'moreover' signal this connective-additive function. 3×
AR["أَيْضًا","بَلْ","وَفَوْقَ"]·ben["এবং-আরও","এমনকি","সত্যিই"]·DE["auch","und-auch"]·EN["and-moreover","indeed","moreover"]·FR["et-aussi","même"]·heb["אף","ו-אף"]·HI["और-बल्कि","निश्चय","बल्कि"]·ID["bahkan","dan-bahkan","juga"]·IT["anche","e-anche"]·jav["Lan-malah","ugi","ugi-"]·KO["그리고-심지어","또한"]·PT["E-ainda","também"]·RU["Даже","и-также","также-"]·ES["Y-aún","además","ciertamente-"]·SW["na-hakuleta","na-zaidi","naam-"]·TR["gerçekten-","hatta","ve-hatta"]·urd["اور-اس-کے-علاوہ","بھی"]
7. sense 7 — A single concessive use at Ps 44:9 rendered 'yet' in English and 'sin embargo' in Spanish, where the particle introduces a surprising reversal: despite all the preceding affirmations, God has rejected his people. This rare adversative shade shows ʾap can pivot from addition to contrast when context demands it. 1×
AR["لكِنْ"]·ben["তবুও-"]·DE["ja"]·EN["yet"]·FR["aussi"]·heb["אף-"]·HI["परन्तु"]·IT["anche"]·jav["Nanging"]·KO["그러나"]·PT["Mas"]·RU["но"]·ES["Sin-embargo"]·SW["Lakini"]·TR["Fakat-"]·urd["لیکن"]
BDB / Lexicon Reference
II. אַף conj. denoting addition, especially of something greater, also, yea (so Ph. Aramaic ܐܳܦ, אַף, אוֹף; cf. فَ ). 1. very rare in plain prose (in which גַּם is more usual): Gn 40:16 (with pron., as rather often) I also in my dream, Nu 16:14 Dt 2:11, 20 2 S 20:14 (v. Dr) 2 K 2:14 Est 5:12; more freq. in poetry, especially as introducing emphatically a new thought Dt 33:3, 20, 28 1 S 2:7 ψ…