פֶּן־133 H6435
Lest — conjunction introducing a negative purpose or apprehension clause, expressing fear that something undesirable may occur
Pen is a conjunction occurring 133 times, always introducing a clause that expresses something the speaker fears or wishes to prevent: 'lest you die' (Gen 3:3), 'lest we be scattered' (Gen 11:4), 'lest he stretch out his hand' (Gen 3:22). It regularly follows imperatives, warnings, or statements of precaution — take heed to yourself pen you forget (Deut 4:9; 6:12; 8:11). The force is consistently one of anxious avoidance or protective foresight. Its etymology is debated: some connect it to panah ('to turn') as 'for the turning aside of,' while others relate it to an Aramaic particle meaning 'perhaps.' Spanish renders the idea with 'no sea que,' French with 'de peur que,' and German with 'damit nicht.'
Senses
1. lest, so that not — Conjunction of negative purpose or apprehension, introducing the feared or unwanted outcome of an action: 'lest, for fear that, so that not.' It follows commands and warnings to mark what must be averted — 'do not eat from it, lest you die' (Gen 3:3); 'take heed lest you forget' (Deut 4:9; 8:11); 'lest he put out his hand' (Gen 3:22). The particle appears always with the imperfect verb, lending an air of anxious anticipation. Spanish 'no sea que,' French 'de peur que,' and German 'damit nicht' all require multi-word constructions, highlighting pen's efficiency as a single-particle negative-purpose marker in Hebrew. 133×
AR["لَعَلَّ", "لِئَلَّا", "لِئَلَّا-", "لِئَلّا"]·ben["পাছে", "পাছে-"]·DE["damit-nicht", "damit-nicht-", "dass-nicht-"]·EN["lest", "lest-"]·FR["de-peur-que", "de-peur-que-"]·heb["פן", "פן-", "פן־"]·HI["ऐस-न-हो-कि-", "कही̃", "कहीं", "कहीं-"]·ID["jangan-sampai", "jangan-sampai-", "supaya-jangan", "supaya-tidak", "supaya-tidak-"]·IT["affinché-non", "affinché-non-"]·jav["supados-boten", "supados-boten-", "supados-mboten", "supados-mboten-", "supados-sampun", "supados-sampun-"]·KO["-하지-않도록-", "알도록-", "혹시", "혹시-", "혹시라도"]·PT["Para-que-não-", "para-que-não", "para-que-não-", "que-não"]·RU["дабы-не-", "чтобы-не", "чтобы-не-"]·ES["no-sea-que", "no-sea-que-"]·SW["Wasije-", "asije", "asije-", "karibu", "kitendeka", "kusikika", "kwa", "labda", "msije-", "tusije-", "usije", "wasije-"]·TR["belki", "belki-", "yoksa", "yoksa-"]·urd["ایسا-نہ-ہو-کہ", "مبادا", "کہیں"]
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
פֶּן־133 (always with Makkeph except Gn 38:23; 44:34 Dt 7:25; 32:27 [not Gi], Is 27:3 Pr 25:8: Mandelkern Conc. s. v.) conj. (averting, or deprecating), lest (origin dub.: Thes Kö ii. 334 from פָּנָה, proposes subst. cstr. in accus. for the aversion of; but פָנָה is intrans.: NöM. 474 cps. the enclitic particle פּוֹן in 𝔗, then, ἄν, ‘etwa,’ thinking that a part. with the meaning ‘es möchte…