וְ/ל֥וּ
𐤅/𐤋𐤅
lûwʼ
and-oh-that
A conditional or optative particle, primarily signaling a hypothetical or unrealized condition or expressing a wish or longing. In most contexts, לּוּא introduces statements that are contrary to fact (i.e., unrealized wishes or hypothetical situations), corresponding in English to 'if only,' 'would that,' 'oh that.' Less commonly, it occurs as a conditional 'if' in sentences expressing hope or possibility, distinct from the usual conditional אִם ('if').
Numbers 20:3 · Word #7
Lexicon H3863
| Lemma | לוּא |
| Lemma (Paleo) | 𐤋𐤅𐤀 |
| Transliteration | lûwʼ |
| Strong's | H3863 |
| Definition | A conditional or optative particle, primarily signaling a hypothetical or unrealized condition or expressing a wish or longing. In most contexts, לּוּא introduces statements that are contrary to fact (i.e., unrealized wishes or hypothetical situations), corresponding in English to 'if only,' 'would that,' 'oh that.' Less commonly, it occurs as a conditional 'if' in sentences expressing hope or possibility, distinct from the usual conditional אִם ('if'). |
Morphology HC/C
All morphology codes
| Part of Speech | C — Conjunction — Connects words or clauses |
Common Translation
| Phrase | and-oh-that |
SIBI-P1 Translation H3863-04
and if only
| Morphological Notes | Conjunction וְ prefixed to independent conditional/optative particle לוּא; no inflection for gender or number. |
| Rendering Rationale | The conjunction וְ adds "and" to the optative/conditional particle לוּא, which primarily expresses an unrealized wish or hypothetical condition. "And if only" preserves both the conjunctive prefix and the particle’s core optative force. |
View full lexicon entry for H3863 →
SILEX v2
SIBI-P2 (Context-Aware)
and if only
| Same as P1 | Yes |
| Rationale | P1 correctly renders the optative force of the particle; no adjustment needed for context. |