H3884 H3884
If not, unless, were it not that; a counterfactual conjunction introducing conditions contrary to fact.
A compound particle formed from lu ('if') and the negative le' (a dissimilated form of lo'), lule/lulei introduces hypothetical scenarios that did not actually occur, followed by what would have happened otherwise. Jacob warns Laban: 'unless the God of my father had been with me, you would have sent me away empty' (Gen 31:42). Samson taunts the Philistines: 'unless you had ploughed with my heifer, you would not have found my riddle' (Judg 14:18). The psalmist's broken-off cry in Psalm 27:13 -- 'had I not believed...' -- leaves the terrible alternative unspoken. Arabic lawla preserves the same construction.
Senses
1. if not, unless, were it not (counterfactual conjunction) — A counterfactual conditional conjunction meaning 'if not, unless, were it not that,' introducing hypothetical situations contrary to fact. Key passages include Jacob's warning to Laban (Gen 31:42), the delayed Egypt journey (Gen 43:10), Samson's taunt (Judg 14:18), Abigail's intervention (1 Sam 25:34), and the psalmist's aposiopesis leaving the dire consequence unspoken (Ps 27:13). 14×
AR["لَولا", "لَولَا", "لَوْ-لا", "لَوْلا", "لَوْلاَ", "لَوْلَا"]·ben["যদি-না"]·DE["[לולי]", "ausser", "es-sei-denn", "hatte-nicht", "waren-es-nicht", "wenn-nicht"]·EN["except", "had-not", "if-not", "unless", "were-it-not"]·FR["[לולי]", "sauf", "si-ne-pas", "si-pas", "à-moins-que", "à-sans", "étaient-cela-ne-pas"]·heb["לולא", "לולי"]·HI["यदि-न-", "यदि-न-होता", "यदि-नहीं", "यदि-नहीं-होता"]·ID["Kalau-bukan", "Seandainya", "Sekiranya", "jika-tidak", "kalau-bukan", "kalau-tidak", "seandainya", "seandainya-tidak", "sekiranya-tidak"]·IT["[לולי]", "a-meno-che", "furono-esso-non", "se-non", "tranne"]·jav["Menawi-boten", "Menawi-mboten", "Saumpami-boten", "Saumpami-sanes", "Saupami", "Saupami-mboten", "menawi-boten", "saumpami-boten", "saupami", "saupami-mboten"]·KO["만약-아니라면", "만일", "만일-아니", "만일-아니라면", "만일-아니면", "만일-아니었다면", "만일-아니었더라면", "만일-아니었더면", "아니라면"]·PT["Certamente", "Se", "Se-não", "Se-não-fosse", "se-não", "se-não-fosse"]·RU["Если-бы-не", "если-бы-не", "если-не"]·ES["Si-no", "si-no", "si-no-fuera-por", "si-no-fuera-porque", "si-no-fuera-que"]·SW["Isipokuwa", "Kama-si", "kama", "kama-si", "kama-si-kwa", "kama-usingesema"]·TR["Eğer-değilse", "[?]", "eger-degilse", "eğer", "eğer-değil", "eğer-değilse", "eğer-olmasa", "eğer-olmasaydı"]·urd["اگر", "اگر-نہ", "اگر-نہ-ہوتا", "اگر-نہ-ہوتی", "اگر-نہیں"]
Gen 31:42, Gen 43:10, Deut 32:27, Judg 14:18, 1 Sam 25:34, 2 Sam 2:27, 2 Kgs 3:14, Ps 27:13, Ps 94:17, Ps 106:23, Ps 119:92, Ps 124:1 (+2 more)
Related Senses
H3808 1. simple negation (not) (4839×)G1722 1. locative: in, within (2442×)H1004b 1. house, dwelling, building (2015×)G3756 1. not (negation particle) (1635×)H4480a 1. source or separation (1198×)H5892b 1. city, town (1093×)G1519 1. direction: into, to, toward (1061×)H3427 1. Qal: to dwell, inhabit (937×)G1537 1. from, out of (source/origin) (886×)H8034 1. Name (designation / identifier) (856×)G3361 1. subjective negation (not) (834×)G1909 1. on, upon (spatial surface) (757×)H0369 1. existential negation: there is not (738×)H5869a 1. in the eyes/sight of (evaluative) (734×)H5650 1. Servant, attendant, subject (723×)H0408 1. prohibitive negation do-not (712×)G2443 1. so that, in order that (purpose/result) (665×)G0575 1. from (649×)G1223 1. through, by means of (582×)H3541 1. thus, so, in this manner (569×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† לוּלֵא Gn 43:10; Ju 14:18; 2 S 2:27; ψ 27:13, elsewhere לוּלֵי10 if not, unless (from לוּ if, and לֵא, by dissim. (Köii 236, 489) for לֹא not; cf. Arabic لَوْلَا ), the neg. of לוּ, and used similarly:— a. sq. pf., Ju 14:18 לולא חרשׁתם … לא מצאתם unless ye had ploughed with my heifer, ye would not have found out my riddle, 1 S 25:34 (second כי resumptive: כִּי 1 d), ψ 106:23; with apod. introd.…