H0994 H0994
bi -- please, I pray; a particle of entreaty used when addressing a superior or making a humble request
The particle bi ('please, I pray') is a short interjection of polite entreaty, almost always attached to 'my lord' (adoni) or directed toward God. It softens a request, signaling deference and humility on the part of the speaker. Judah uses it when addressing Joseph in Egypt: 'Please, my lord' (Gen 43:20; 44:18). Moses employs it before God at the burning bush: 'Please, my Lord, I am not a man of words' (Exod 4:10, 13). The particle has no independent semantic content beyond its pragmatic function as a politeness marker, making it a pure discourse particle rather than a content word. Spanish por favor, French je t'en prie, and German bitte all reflect this single function of courteous appeal.
Senses
1. please — A discourse particle of polite entreaty, equivalent to 'please' or 'I pray,' used when addressing a superior (Gen 43:20; 44:18) or God (Exod 4:10, 13). It carries no independent meaning beyond marking deference and humility. Spanish por-favor, French je-t'en-prie, and German bitte all render its single pragmatic function. 12×
AR["أَرْجُوكَ", "أَسْأَلُكَ", "بي", "بِ-رِجَائِكَ", "بِي", "بِي-", "رَجَاءً"]·ben["অনুগ্রহ-করে", "অনুনয়-করি", "আমার-প্রভু", "তাঁকে", "হে", "হে-অনুগ্রহ-করি"]·DE["bitte"]·EN["please"]·FR["je-t'en-prie", "je-te-prie", "s'il-te-plaît"]·heb["ב-י", "בי", "בי-י"]·HI["कृपया", "मेरी", "हाय", "हे", "हे-मेरे"]·ID["Maaf", "Mohon", "ampun", "maafkanlah", "mohon", "ya"]·IT["prego", "ti-prego"]·jav["Nyuwun-pangapunten", "dhuh", "dèn-matur", "kula-nyuwun", "nyuwun-pangapunten", "nyuwun-sèwu", "sumangga"]·KO["-에-나", "다만", "부디", "오", "제발"]·PT["Por-favor", "por-favor"]·RU["О", "Прошу", "о", "прошу", "прошу-Тебя"]·ES["Por-favor", "por-favor"]·SW["bwana-wangu", "kwa", "mkubwa", "tafadhali"]·TR["-lütfen", "lütfen", "rica-ederim"]·urd["التجا", "التجا-ہے", "برائے-مہربانی", "براہ-کرم", "عرض-ہے", "معاف-کیجیے", "مہربانی"]
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
† בִּי part. of entreaty, craving permission to address a superior, always foll. by אֲדֹנִי (or אֲדֹנָי), and always (except Jos 7:8) at the beginning of a speech, I pray, excuse me—(not improb. from √ ביי; so that בִּי אֲדֹנִי will be literally a supplication of (i.e. to) my lord! cf. Wetzst l.c., who compares the Arabic دَخْلُ سَيِّدَى lit. a prayer to my lord! a standing formula = Pray, excuse…