Biblical Lexicon

H2486 H2486

Interjection | 3fs | 21× in 1 sense

Far be it! — an exclamation of strong repudiation, rejecting something as profane or abhorrent

A forceful exclamation derived from the root meaning 'to profane,' literally something like 'to the profane place with that!' It expresses horrified rejection of a proposed action, functioning as a solemn oath of refusal. Abraham uses it twice when pleading with God over Sodom (Gen 18:25), Joseph's brothers invoke it to deny theft (Gen 44:7, 17), and David employs it when refusing to harm the Lord's anointed (1 Sam 26:11). Often strengthened by 'from the LORD' to underscore that the rejected act would violate divine order.

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Senses

1. far be — An interjection expressing vehement moral or religious repudiation — 'far be it from me/you/us!' Constructed with the locative -ah ending on a root associated with profanation, it casts the contemplated action into the realm of the utterly unacceptable. Typically paired with a lamed of person and min-plus-infinitive of the deprecated act. Spanish 'lejos sea' and French 'loin être cela' capture the distancing force. Used in covenant contexts (Gen 44:17; Josh 24:16), royal self-restraint (1 Sam 26:11; 2 Sam 23:17), and theological argument (Gen 18:25; Job 27:5). 21×

PHYSICAL_ACTION › Physical Impact › Striking and Reference

AR["حاشا", "حَاشَا", "حَالِيلَ"]·ben["কখনই-না", "দূরে-থাক", "দূরে-থাকুক", "হালিলা"]·DE["Far-sein-es", "[חלילה]", "[חללה]", "far-sein-es", "fern-sei-es", "fern-sein-es"]·EN["Far-be-it", "far-be-it"]·FR["Far-être-il", "loin-être-cela", "loin-être-il", "חלילה-elle", "חללה-elle"]·heb["חלילה", "חלילה-ה", "חללה-ה"]·HI["दुर-हो", "दूर-रहे", "दूर-हो", "दोओर-हो"]·ID["Jauh", "Jauh-dari-Ku", "Jauh-dari-itu", "Jauh-dari-kami", "dilarang", "haram", "jangan-sekali-kali", "jauh", "jauh-dari", "jauh-dari-aku", "jauh-dari-padaku", "jauh-lah"]·IT["Far-essere-esso", "far-be-it-sua", "far-essere-esso", "far-essere-esso-sua", "lontano-essere-esso"]·jav["Estu-mboten", "Mbok-bilih", "Mboten-nggih", "Mboten-saged", "Ngedoh", "adoh", "boten-sageda", "dhateng-kawula", "estu-mboten", "mbok-bilih", "mbok-bilih-mboten", "mboten-badhé", "mboten-saged", "sampun-ngantos", "tebih-saking-Aku"]·KO["결코", "결코-그렇지-않다", "결코-아니다", "금할-것이다", "내게-있을-수-없다", "멀리-있기를", "멀리-하소서", "멀리하기를", "멀리하라"]·PT["Longe", "Longe-de-mim", "Longe-esteja", "Longe-seja", "longe", "longe-de", "longe-de-mim", "longe-disso", "longe-esteja"]·RU["Да-не-будет", "Не-допусти", "да-не-будет", "не-дай-Бог", "не-дай-Боже", "не-дай-мне", "не-допусти", "не-допустим", "невозможно", "никогда", "никоим-образом", "сохрани-меня"]·ES["Lejos-de-nosotros", "Lejos-sea", "lejos-de-mí", "lejos-esté", "lejos-sea", "profanación", "¡Lejos-sea", "¡lejos-sea"]·SW["Hasha", "Iwe-mbali", "haba", "hasha", "hii", "iwe-mbali-nasi"]·TR["Allah-korusun", "Uzak-olsun", "hasa", "hayır", "hazır-olmaz", "uzak-olsun"]·urd["ایسا-نہ-ہو", "دور ہو", "دور-رہے", "دور-ہو", "دُور ہو", "دُور-ہو", "معاذ-اللہ"]

Gen 18:25, Gen 18:25, Gen 44:7, Gen 44:17, Josh 22:29, Josh 24:16, 1 Sam 2:30, 1 Sam 12:23, 1 Sam 14:45, 1 Sam 20:2, 1 Sam 20:9, 1 Sam 22:15 (+9 more)

BDB / Lexicon Reference

† חָלִילָה subst. c. ה loc., used as exclam. lit. ad profanum! i.e. far be it (for me, thee, etc.)! (v. BaNB 136)—ח׳ Gn 44:7 + 17 times, חָלִלָה Gn 18:25 + 2 times—alone, 1 S 14:45; 20:2; elsewhere c. לְ pers.: Gn 18:25b (J), 1 S 2:30; 20:9; 22:15; + מִן and inf. of act deprecated Gn 18:25a; 44:7, 17 (all J), Jos 24:16 (E), 1 S 12:23 2 S 23:17; + מִמֶּנּוּ ל (peculiarly) Jos 22:29 (P; = from it,…