H5921b H5921b
Compound preposition 'because, for this reason'; emphatic causal particle reinforcing the ground of an assertion or action.
The phrase כִּי עַל כֵּן combines three particles into a single emphatic expression meaning 'because' or 'forasmuch as.' Found in a handful of memorable narrative moments, it reinforces the reason behind an action with a kind of pleonastic force -- literally 'for upon thus.' Abraham uses it when welcoming his three visitors at Mamre (Gen 18:5), and Lot echoes the construction when urging the angels to stay (Gen 19:8). Spanish translations capture the causal weight with 'por eso' and 'sobre,' while French renders it 'c'est pourquoi,' both confirming the grounding function. In one instance (Gen 33:10), Jacob's plea to Esau edges toward a consequential 'therefore,' drawing a conclusion rather than merely stating a cause.
Senses
1. Because / on account of (causal) — The dominant causal usage, 'because' or 'on account of,' where the phrase emphatically grounds an action in a stated reason. In Gen 18:5 Abraham offers bread because his guests have come his way; in Num 14:43 Moses warns that the Amalekites stand ready because Israel has turned from the LORD. The pleonastic layering of כִּי + עַל + כֵּן gives the expression more rhetorical weight than a simple כִּי alone. Spanish 'por eso' and English 'because' converge across all nine occurrences. 9×
AR["[عَلى]", "عَلى-", "عَلَى", "عَلَى-"]·ben["-এর-উপর", "-এর-জন্য", "-ওপরে-", "-জন্য", "[কারণে]", "উপর-", "উপরে", "বিরুদ্ধে-"]·DE["[because]", "darum", "darum-", "seit", "ueber", "weil-"]·EN["[because]", "because-", "since", "therefore-", "upon", "upon-"]·FR["[because]", "c'est-pourquoi-", "depuis", "parce-que-", "sur", "sur-"]·heb["[על]", "על", "על-"]·HI["इस-", "इसलिए-", "उस", "के-कारण-", "पर", "पर-"]·ID["[karena]", "atas", "atas-", "oleh-karena", "oleh-karena-", "oleh-sebab-"]·IT["[because]", "da", "perché-", "percio-", "sopra", "sopra-", "su"]·jav["[bab]", "amargi", "amargi-", "bab", "kangge-", "mila-", "tumrap-"]·KO["[위에-]", "~의-위에", "에-대하여", "에-대하여-", "에서", "위에-", "이-"]·PT["[sobre]", "por", "por-", "sobre", "sobre-"]·RU["[вариант]", "за-", "на-", "потому-что-", "поэтому", "так-"]·ES["[sobre]", "por", "por-", "por-eso", "sobre"]·SW["juu", "juu-ya", "juu-ya-", "kwa", "kwa-hiyo", "kwa-sababu", "kwa-sababu-", "kwa-sababu-ya"]·TR["-üzerine", "[üzerine]", "üzerinde-", "üzerine-"]·urd["(کے)-عین", "[اِس-پر]", "اسی-لیے", "پر", "پر-", "پس"]
2. Therefore (consequential / inferential) — A rarer consequential or inferential shade, 'therefore,' where the phrase draws a conclusion from prior context rather than merely citing a cause. Jacob tells Esau in Gen 33:10 that seeing his face is like seeing God's face -- therefore he urges him to accept the gift. The shift from backward-looking cause to forward-looking consequence is subtle but real, and French 'c'est pourquoi' captures the inferential nuance. 1×
AR["عَلَى"]·ben["-"]·DE["darum-"]·EN["therefore-"]·FR["c'est-pourquoi-"]·heb["על"]·HI["इसलिए"]·ID["oleh-karena"]·IT["perciò-"]·jav["mila-"]·KO["~의-위에"]·PT["sobre"]·RU["потому"]·ES["sobre"]·SW["na"]·TR["üzerinde"]·urd["پر"]
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
† כִּי עַל כֵּן forasmuch as, a peculiar phrase found Gn 18:5; 19:8; 33:10; 38:26 Nu 10:31; 14:43 Ju 6:22 2 S 18:20 Qr (rightly), Je 29:28; 38:4—lit. for therefore, emphasizing the ground pleonastically (Ew§ 353 a). The orig. force of the phrase is traceable in some of the passages in which it occurs, as Gn 18:5 let me fetch a morsel of bread, and comfort your heart; כִּי־עַל־כֵּן עֲבַרְתֶּם עַל…