לוּלֵ֣י
𐤋𐤅𐤋𐤉
lûwlêʼ
Had it not been
A particle introducing a contrary-to-fact or negative conditional statement, typically meaning 'if not,' 'unless,' or 'were it not that.' It is used to mark the hypothetical non-occurrence or prevention of an event, often as the premise for what would or would not have happened otherwise.
Psalms 124:2 · Word #1
Lexicon H3884
| Lemma | לוּלֵא |
| Lemma (Paleo) | 𐤋𐤅𐤋𐤀 |
| Transliteration | lûwlêʼ |
| Strong's | H3884 |
| Definition | A particle introducing a contrary-to-fact or negative conditional statement, typically meaning 'if not,' 'unless,' or 'were it not that.' It is used to mark the hypothetical non-occurrence or prevention of an event, often as the premise for what would or would not have happened otherwise. |
Morphology HC
All morphology codes
| Part of Speech | C — Conjunction — Connects words or clauses |
Common Translation
| Phrase | Had it not been |
SIBI-P1 Translation H3884-02
if not
| Morphological Notes | Conjunction; compound conditional-negative particle (לוּ + לֹא); introduces contrary-to-fact or prevented conditions. |
| Rendering Rationale | The form is a compound of לוּ (conditional "if") and לֹא ("not"), literally expressing a negative condition. "If not" preserves both the conditional force and the core negation of the root. |
View full lexicon entry for H3884 →
SILEX v2
SIBI-P2 (Context-Aware)
if not
| Same as P1 | Yes |
| Rationale | P1 rendering 'if not' accurately represents the negative conditional contextual sense indicated by the particle luley; maintains SILEX meaning and fits the flow of the verse. |