כִּי H3588b
Compound conjunction 'ki im': but/rather (adversative), except/unless (exceptive), for/because (causal), or surely/that (asseverative).
Formed from the conjunction ki and the particle im joined by makkeph, this compound particle carries surprisingly distinct functions depending on context. After a negative statement it most often means 'but' or 'rather,' correcting what precedes (Gen 32:28: 'Your name shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel'). When limiting a general claim, it signals 'except' or 'unless' (Gen 39:9: 'He has withheld nothing from me except you'). It can also introduce a reason ('for if you refuse,' Exod 10:4) or, more rarely, serve as an emphatic 'surely' in oath formulas (1 Sam 14:39). Translators across languages consistently distinguish these roles: Spanish sino for the adversative, sauf in French for the exceptive, and German denn for the causal.
Senses
1. but, rather (adversative) — Adversative 'but, rather' -- the most frequent use (~57x), typically following a negation to introduce the contrasting truth. Spanish sino and German sondern both confirm the strong adversative force. In Gen 32:28, Jacob is told his name will no longer be Jacob ki im Israel, and in Deut 7:5 Israel is commanded not to make treaties but rather to tear down altars. The pattern 'not X ki im Y' is the hallmark construction. 57×
AR["إلّا", "إِلّا", "بَل", "بَلْ", "بَلْ-", "لكِنْ", "لِأَنَّ", "لٰكِنْ", "لٰكِنْ-"]·ben["কারণ", "কারণ-", "কিন্তু", "কিন্তু-", "ছাড়া", "বরং"]·DE["aber", "aber-", "sondern"]·EN["but", "but-"]·FR["mais", "mais-"]·heb["כי"]·HI["कि", "की", "क्योंकि", "परन्तु-", "बल्कि"]·ID["Karena", "Melainkan", "Melainkan-", "Tetapi", "bahwa", "karena", "melainkan", "tetapi"]·IT["ma", "ma-"]·jav["Nanging", "amargi", "awit", "kajawi", "nanging"]·KO["그-", "그것은", "단지", "오직", "오히려", "왜냐하면", "이는"]·PT["Mas", "Pois-", "Porque", "mas", "pois", "porque", "senão", "¶ Mas"]·RU["Но", "Но-", "ибо", "но", "только"]·ES["Porque", "Sino", "sino", "sino-que"]·SW["Bali", "Lakini-", "bali", "hakika", "ila", "isipokuwa", "kwa", "lakini", "mwanao"]·TR["ama", "ancak", "fakat", "çünkü", "çünkü-"]·urd["بلکہ", "بلکہ-", "لیکن", "کہ", "کہ-", "کیونکہ"]
Gen 32:28, Gen 35:10, Exod 12:9, Num 24:22, Deut 7:5, Deut 12:5, Deut 12:14, Deut 12:18, Deut 16:6, 1 Sam 2:15, 1 Sam 8:19, 1 Kgs 8:19 (+38 more)
2. except, unless (exceptive) — Exceptive 'except, unless' (~48x), restricting a preceding general statement to carve out an exception. French sauf and German ausser both render this sense distinctly from the adversative. Gen 39:9 is paradigmatic: Potiphar has placed everything in Joseph's hands except (ki im) his wife. In Gen 32:26 Jacob will not release the angel unless he receives a blessing -- the conditional-restrictive nuance is clear. 48×
AR["إلّا", "إِلاّ", "إِلَّا", "إِلّا", "لِأَنَّ"]·ben["কারণ", "কারণ-", "কিন্তু", "ছাড়া", "যদি-না"]·DE["aber", "ausser", "ausser-", "außer", "denn"]·EN["but", "except", "except-"]·FR["car", "mais", "sauf", "sauf-"]·heb["כי"]·HI["कि", "की", "क्योंकि", "जब-तक", "सिवअय", "सिवाय", "सिवाय-"]·ID["hanya", "kecuali", "kecuali-", "sebab"]·IT["eccetto", "except", "ma", "poiché", "tranne", "tranne-"]·jav["kajawi", "kejawi"]·KO["*", "그-것은", "다만", "단지", "때에", "오직", "왜냐하면", "참으로"]·PT["exceto", "pois", "porque", "senão"]·RU["если", "если-не", "ибо", "кроме", "кроме-как", "разве", "только"]·ES["a-menos-que", "sino"]·SW["bali", "ila", "isipokuwa"]·TR["ancak", "eğer", "ki", "sadece", "yalnızca", "çünkü"]·urd["جب-تک", "جب-تک-", "سوائے", "سوائے-", "مگر", "کیونکہ"]
3. for, because (causal) — Causal 'for, because, for if' (~37x), giving the ground or reason for what precedes, often introducing a conditional protasis. French car and German denn consistently mark this sense. The Exodus plague narratives use it repeatedly (Exod 8:21; 9:2; 10:4): 'for if you refuse to let my people go...' -- here ki retains its causal force while im adds the conditional element. 37×
AR["بَلْ", "كِي", "لأنَّ", "لِأَنَّ", "لِأَنَّكَ", "لِأَنَّكُمْ", "لِأَنَّكِ", "لِأَنَّنِي-", "لِأَنَّهُ", "لِأَنَّهُ-", "لٰكِنَّ-"]·ben["কারণ", "কেননা"]·DE["For", "denn", "fuer-", "fuer-wenn-"]·EN["But", "For", "For-", "but", "for", "for-", "for-if-"]·FR["Car", "car", "pour-", "pour-si-"]·heb["כי"]·HI["क्योंकि"]·ID["Karena", "Karena-jika-", "Melainkan", "Sebab", "karena", "melainkan", "sebab"]·IT["Per", "per-", "per-se-", "poiche", "poiché", "quando"]·jav["Amargi", "amargi"]·KO["만일", "오직", "왜냐하면", "왜냐하면-", "이는"]·PT["Pois", "Porque", "Porém", "pois", "porque"]·RU["Ибо", "а", "ибо", "но"]·ES["Pero", "Porque", "porque", "sino"]·SW["Bali", "Kwa-kuwa", "Kwa-maana", "Kwa-sababu", "Lakini", "kwa-maana", "kwa-sababu"]·TR["Cunku", "cunku", "Çünkü", "çünkü"]·urd["کیونکہ", "کیونکہ-"]
Exod 8:21, Exod 9:2, Exod 10:4, Exod 22:23, Exod 23:22, Num 10:30, Deut 11:22, Josh 23:12, Judg 15:7, 1 Sam 20:9, 1 Sam 21:5, 1 Sam 21:6 (+25 more)
4. that, surely (asseverative/content) — Asseverative or content-clause 'surely, that' (~6x), the rarest use, appearing in oath formulas and solemn declarations. In 1 Sam 14:39, Saul swears ki im ('surely') Jonathan shall die; in Jer 26:15 Jeremiah declares ki im ('truly/that') you are bringing innocent blood upon yourselves. Spanish ciertamente and German dass capture respectively the emphatic and content-clause poles of this sense. 6×
AR["أنَّ", "أَنَّ", "أَنَّكُمْ", "لأَنَّ", "لَ-", "وَ-إِنْ"]·ben["কারণ", "যে"]·DE["dass", "denn"]·EN["for", "surely", "that"]·FR["car", "ce", "que"]·heb["כי"]·HI["कि", "क्योंकि"]·ID["bahwa", "karena", "sekalipun"]·IT["che", "poiche", "quello"]·jav["bilih", "sanajan", "sayekti"]·KO["그것을", "반드시", "왜냐하면", "왜냐하면-", "참으로"]·PT["que"]·RU["даже-если", "ибо", "что", "что-"]·ES["ciertamente", "que"]·SW["hakika", "hata-kama-", "kwa-sababu", "kwamba"]·TR["elbette", "ki", "çünkü"]·urd["کہ"]
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
כִּי אִם־ (the אִם foll. by makkeph, except Gn 15:4 Nu 35:33 Ne 2:2, where כִּי־אִם is read by the Mass., Pr 2:3: FrMM 241)— 1. each part. retaining its independent force, and relating to a different clause: a. that if Je 26:15; after an oath (כִּי not translated: v. כִּי 1 c) if 1 S 14:39 Je 22:24, surely not (אִם 1 b 2) 2 S 3:35 1 S 25:34 (כִּי being resumptive of the כִּי before לוּלֵי: v.…