לוּלֵא
𐤋𐤅𐤋𐤀
lûwlêʼ
H3884 conjunction
SILEX Entry
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.
Semantic Range
if not, unless, were it not that, except, had not
Root / Etymology
לוּלֵא is a compound formed from לוּ (a particle introducing hypothetical or unreal conditions, 'if') and לֹא ('not'), thus literally 'if not.' The root of לוּ is uncertain but functions as a conditional marker, while לֹא is from the root לא ('not, no').
Historical & Contextual Notes
לוּלֵא appears primarily in poetic, wisdom, and narrative literature to introduce hypothetical statements about what might have happened, or would not have happened, if some condition were not in place (e.g., Genesis 31:42; Psalm 27:13). The construction typically signals that a negative scenario was averted or prevented. In many English translations, it is rendered variously as 'unless,' 'had not,' or 'if...not,' but these English equivalents sometimes obscure the nuance of a hypothetical past scenario avoided by actual events. The conjunction is less frequent in Late Biblical Hebrew, where ki im (כִּי אִם) may come to serve similar discourse functions. Usage does not shift meaningfully across patriarchal, monarchic, or post-exilic periods but is relatively rare and literary. Contrast with related particles such as לוּ ('if, O that') and לִמְרוּמַת ('lest'), which also indicate hypothetical or unrealized conditions, but serve different syntactic or pragmatic functions. The English 'unless' partially captures the scope of לוּלֵא, but the Hebrew term retains a greater sense of unreal condition attached to past or present circumstance.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
or לוּלֵי; from לוּא and לֹא; if not; except, had not, if (...not), unless, were it not that.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
לא (l-ʾ) — not, negation, denial
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H1093 | בְּלוֹ | and not |
| H3789 | כָּתַב | not |
| H3808 | לֹא | without |
| H3809 | לָא | is it not? |
| H3810 | לֹא דְבַר | not |
Word Forms
2 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H3884-02 |
לוּלֵ֡י | luley | HC |
Unless | if not | 10 |
H3884-01 |
לוּלֵ֣א | lule | HC |
if not | if not | 4 |
Occurrences in Scripture
14 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H3884-02 |
Genesis 31:42 | לוּלֵ֡י | luley | HC |
Unless | if not |
H3884-01 |
Genesis 43:10 | לוּלֵ֣א | lule | HC |
if we had not | if not |
H3884-02 |
Deuteronomy 32:27 | לוּלֵ֗י | luley | HC |
if not | if not |
H3884-01 |
Judges 14:18 | לוּלֵא֙ | lule | HC |
if not | if not |
H3884-02 |
1 Samuel 25:34 | לוּלֵ֣י | luley | HC |
unless | if not |
H3884-01 |
2 Samuel 2:27 | לוּלֵ֖א | lule | HC |
if not | if not |
H3884-02 |
2 Kings 3:14 | לוּלֵ֛י | luley | HC |
were it not | if not |
H3884-02 |
Isaiah 1:9 | לוּלֵי֙ | luley | HC |
Unless | if not |
H3884-01 |
Psalms 27:13 | לׅׄוּלֵׅׄ֗אׅׄ | lule | HC |
unless | if not |
H3884-02 |
Psalms 94:17 | לוּלֵ֣י | luley | HC |
Unless | if not |