H3588a H3588a
that; because, for; when; but, rather; if; surely, indeed; though, even though
The most versatile conjunction in Biblical Hebrew, כִּי functions as the Swiss army knife of clause subordination. Its causal sense ('because, for') accounts for the vast majority of its nearly 4,300 occurrences, introducing the reason behind a preceding statement. But כִּי also serves as a complementizer ('that') after verbs of seeing, knowing, and saying — 'God saw that it was good' (Gen 1:4). Beyond these two pillars, it marks temporal clauses ('when'), adversative contrasts ('but, rather'), conditional protases ('if'), emphatic assertions ('surely'), and even concessive acknowledgments ('though'). The Moabite Mesha stele uses the same particle identically, confirming its deep Semitic pedigree.
Senses
1. causal: because, for — Causal conjunction: 'because, for' — introducing the reason for what precedes. Dominant across nearly 3,500 occurrences. Spanish 'porque,' French 'car,' and German 'denn' track the causal force. Genesis 3:10 has Adam explaining 'because I was afraid.' The particle anchors Hebrew's reasoning architecture. 3498×
AR["لأنَّ", "لِأَنَّ", "لِأَنَّ-", "لِأَنَّ-هُ", "لِأَنَّهَا", "لِأَنَّهُ", "لِأَنَّهُ-", "لِأَنِّي"]·ben["কারণ", "কারণ-", "কেননা-"]·DE["denn", "denn-", "fuer", "fuer-"]·EN["for", "for-"]·FR["pour", "pour-"]·heb["כי"]·HI["क्यõकि", "क्युनकि", "क्योंकि", "क्योंकि-"]·ID["Karena", "bahwa", "karena", "sebab"]·IT["per", "per-"]·jav["Amargi", "amargi", "amargi-"]·KO["*", "때문이다", "왜냐하면", "왜냐하면-", "이-라고", "이-왜냐하면"]·PT["pois", "pois-", "porque", "porque-", "que"]·RU["ибо", "ибо-"]·ES["porque", "porque-", "que"]·SW["kwa", "kwa-sababu", "kwa-sababu-", "kwamba"]·TR["ki", "Çünkü", "çünkü", "çünkü-"]·urd["کیونکہ"]
2. declarative: that — Declarative complementizer: 'that' — introducing content clauses after verbs of perception, speech, or knowledge. Genesis 1:4 inaugurates this use: 'God saw that it was good' (Spanish 'que,' French 'ce/que,' German 'dass'). Genesis 12:14 has the Egyptians seeing 'that' the woman was beautiful. This is the second-largest usage, functioning as the syntactic hinge between a mental verb and its object clause. 723×
AR["أَنَّ", "أَنَّ-", "أَنَّكُمْ", "أَنَّهَا", "أَنَّهُ", "لِأَنَّ", "لِأَنَّكَ-", "وَ-أَيْضًا-"]·ben["কারণ", "কারণ-", "কি", "যখন", "যে", "যে-"]·DE["dass", "dass-", "jenes", "jenes-"]·EN["that", "that-"]·FR["ce", "ce-"]·heb["כי", "כי-"]·HI["कि", "कि-", "क्योंकि-"]·ID["bahwa", "bahwa-", "sehingga-"]·IT["quello", "quello-"]·jav["amargi-", "bilih", "bilih-"]·KO["*", "-을", "that", "그", "때문이다", "때문이었다", "라고-", "왜냐하면", "왜냐하면-", "이-라고", "참으로"]·PT["de-que-", "pois", "que", "que-"]·RU["потому-что-", "что", "что-"]·ES["que", "que-"]·SW["kwa-kuwa", "kwa-sababu", "kwamba", "kwamba-"]·TR["ki", "ki-"]·urd["کہ"]
3. temporal: when — Temporal conjunction: 'when' — marking the time at which something occurs. Genesis 6:1 opens with 'when mankind began to multiply.' Spanish 'cuando,' French 'quand,' and German 'als/wenn' confirm the temporal reading. The shift from causal to temporal is natural: cause and occasion share a logical structure. 58×
AR["إِنَّكُمْ-", "حينَ", "حِينَ-", "عِنْدَمَا", "عِنْدَمَا-", "لَمَّا-"]·ben["কেননা-", "যখন", "যখন-"]·DE["als", "als-", "wenn", "wenn-"]·EN["when", "when-"]·FR["quand", "quand-"]·heb["כי", "כי-", "כי־"]·HI["कि", "जब", "जब-", "यदि-"]·ID["Apabila-", "apabila", "apabila-", "bahwa-", "jika", "ketika", "ketika-"]·IT["quando", "quando-"]·jav["Awit-", "amargi-", "bilih-", "manawi-", "manàwi", "menawi-", "nalika", "nalika-"]·KO["(when)-", "(접속)-", "*", "때", "때-", "때-에", "때에-", "만일", "만일-", "왜냐하면", "이-라고"]·PT["Quando", "Quando-", "quando", "quando-"]·RU["Когда-", "если", "ибо", "когда-"]·ES["Cuando", "cuando", "cuando-", "porque", "que-"]·SW["Wakati-", "atakapo-", "mtakapokuwa-", "tulipo-", "wakati", "wakati-", "wakiwa-na", "watakapotoka-"]·TR["eğer-", "ki", "ki-", "ne-zaman-ki-"]·urd["جب", "جب-", "کہ", "کہ-جب", "کیونکہ-"]
Gen 6:1, Gen 12:12, Gen 43:21, Gen 46:33, Exod 1:10, Exod 12:25, Exod 12:26, Exod 13:5, Exod 13:11, Exod 13:14, Exod 13:15, Exod 18:16 (+38 more)
4. adversative: but, rather — Adversative conjunction: 'but, rather' — marking contrast or correction. Genesis 42:12 has Joseph insisting 'No, but you have come to see the nakedness of the land' (Spanish 'sino'). 1 Samuel 8:7 reveals 'they have not rejected you but me.' Spanish 'sino' and German 'sondern' carry the corrective force. 26×
AR["إِلاَّ-", "بَلْ", "بَلْ-", "كِي-", "لكِنَّهُم", "لِأَنَّ-", "وَالبِرِّ"]·ben["কারণ", "কারণ-", "কিন্তু", "কেন-", "বরং", "যদি-না-", "যে-"]·DE["aber-", "denn", "sondern"]·EN["and-also", "but", "but-", "except-", "for"]·FR["car", "mais-"]·heb["כי"]·HI["कि", "केवल", "क्योंकि", "परन्तु", "बल्कि", "सिवाय"]·ID["karena-", "kecuali-", "melainkan", "melainkan-karena", "sebab", "tetapi", "tetapi-"]·IT["che", "ma-", "poiche", "poiché"]·jav["amargi", "amargi-", "ananging", "ananging-", "awit", "awit-", "kajawi", "nanging", "nanging-amargi"]·KO["*", "그러나", "다만", "오직", "오히려", "오히려-", "왜냐하면", "왜냐하면-", "이는"]·PT["Mas", "antes", "mas", "pois", "pois-", "porque", "porque-", "senão"]·RU["ибо", "ибо-", "кроме-как", "но", "потому-что", "только-"]·ES["porque", "sino", "sino-", "sino-que"]·SW["bali", "bali-", "isipokuwa", "juu-ya", "kwamba", "lakini"]·TR["-dan-başka", "ancak", "cunku", "fakat-", "ki", "zıra-", "Çünkü", "çünkü", "çünkü-"]·urd["بلکہ", "مگر", "کہ", "کیونکہ", "کیونکہ-"]
Gen 42:12, Deut 5:3, Deut 29:15, Judg 15:13, 1 Sam 8:7, 1 Sam 12:12, 1 Kgs 11:22, 2 Chr 16:12, 2 Chr 18:7, 2 Chr 19:6, 2 Chr 20:15, Neh 2:2 (+14 more)
5. conditional: if, when — Conditional conjunction: 'if, when' — introducing contingent clauses in legal casuistic formulations. Exodus 21:2 ('if you buy a Hebrew slave') and 21:33 ('if a man opens a pit') frame case law. Spanish 'Cuando' and German 'als' reflect the conditional-temporal overlap typical of ancient Near Eastern legal discourse. 10×
AR["إِذا", "إِذا-"]·ben["যখন", "যখন-"]·DE["als"]·EN["when"]·FR["quand"]·heb["כי", "כי-"]·HI["कि-", "जब", "जब-", "यदि", "यदि-"]·ID["Jika", "Jika-", "jika-"]·IT["quando"]·jav["Manawi", "manawi"]·KO["그", "만일", "왜냐하면"]·PT["Quando", "Quando-", "quando-"]·RU["Если", "Если-", "если", "если-", "когда-"]·ES["Cuando", "cuando"]·SW["Kwa-sababu", "kama", "kama-", "kwa-sababu"]·TR["ne-zaman-ki", "ne-zaman-ki-"]·urd["اگر", "اگر-", "جب", "کہ-"]
6. asseverative: surely, indeed — Asseverative particle: 'surely, indeed' — emphatically affirming truth. Deuteronomy 30:14 declares 'surely the word is very near you' (Spanish 'ciertamente'). Joshua 2:24 reports 'surely the LORD has given all the land.' French 'certainement' and German 'gewiss' capture the force. This is not subordination but affirmation. 10×
AR["إِنَّ-", "بَلْ-", "حَقّاً", "لِأَنَّ-"]·ben["কারণ-", "কি-", "কিন্তু-", "যে-"]·DE["dass-", "fuer-", "gewiss", "gewiss-"]·EN["for-", "surely", "surely-", "that-"]·FR["certainement", "certainement-", "pour-", "que-"]·heb["כִּי", "כי", "כי-", "כי־"]·HI["कि", "क्योंकि", "क्योंकि-"]·ID["Melainkan-", "Tetapi-", "bahwa-", "karena-", "sesungguhnya", "sesungguhnya-"]·IT["certamente", "certamente-", "che-", "per-"]·jav["Ananging", "Nanging-", "awit-", "bilih"]·KO["(접속)-", "그", "오직-", "왜냐하면", "이는"]·PT["Pois", "não-pois", "porque-", "que", "que-", "senão-", "¶ Porque-"]·RU["Ибо-", "Но", "ибо-", "но-", "только-", "что", "что-"]·ES["Porque-", "ciertamente", "que", "que-", "sino-que"]·SW["Bali", "Sulemani", "bali-", "hakika-", "kwa-sababu-"]·TR["Ancak-", "ki", "ki-", "çünkü-"]·urd["بلکہ", "بلکہ-", "کہ"]
7. concessive: though, yet — Concessive conjunction: 'though, even though' — acknowledging a circumstance despite which the main clause holds. Psalm 37:24 promises 'though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down.' Psalm 44:19,22 protest faithfulness despite suffering. The concessive use is rare but theologically charged, holding suffering and trust in tension. 4×
AR["إِنْ", "لأَنَّنا", "لكِنْ", "لِأنَّ-"]·ben["কারণ-", "যদিও", "যদিও-"]·DE["denn"]·EN["though", "yet"]·FR["car"]·heb["כי", "כי-"]·HI["परन्तु", "फिर-भी", "यदि", "यद्यपि"]·IT["poiche'"]·jav["Amargi", "Menawi", "Nanging", "amargi"]·KO["이는"]·PT["Pois", "Quando"]·RU["а", "ибо", "когда", "хотя-"]·ES["Aunque", "Ciertamente", "Cuando", "porque-"]·SW["Akianguka", "Hakika", "Ingawa"]·TR["Çünkü", "Çünkü-"]·urd["اگرچہ", "کیونکہ"]
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×)G1161 1. and (2806×)H3478 1. Israel (proper name and nation) (2507×)H3117 1. day, specific time (2231×)G4771 1. you (plural address) (1853×)H1931 1. personal pronoun he/she/it (1431×)H5704 1. until, unto, as far as (1238×)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×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
I. כִּי conj. that, for, when (Moab. id.: Ph. כ. Prob. from the same demonstr. basis found in ܟܳܐ here, and in certain pronouns, as Aramaic דֵּךְ this (WSG 110 f.); perhaps also ultim. akin with كَىْ that, in order that, and ܟܰܝ then, enclit., like Lat. nam in quisnam?)— 1. that (ὅτι, Germ. dass): a. prefixed to sentences depending on an active verb, and occupying to it the place of an accus.: so…