STRONGS NUMBER H518

H518. im

אִם‎ conjunction (= Aramaic if [and in , אֶלָּא‎ = if not, except], Arabic if [and in = if not, except], Ethiopic (§mma) if = מָה‎ + אִם‎ ( + ) [and in (allâ) if not, but], Assyrian umma; also in Arabic 'An?' = , compare הַאִם‎: see Nö^{M p. 208, ZMG 1886, p. 739}; W^{AG i. § 367 e}) **ᵑ7‎^{Onk Jon} ᵑ7 אִם,‎^Hag אין‎.

1. hypothetical particle if.

a. construction (see more fully Dr^{§ 136-138, 143} Friedrich^{Die Hebr. Condit. sätze 1884}): (1) with

imperfect (continued by perfects & waw consecutive; apodosis usually begins with perfect & waw consecutive or bare imperfect; or, if necessary, with imperative or jussive) (a) of future time: Genesis 18:26 אִםאֶֿמְצָא‎ if I shall find 50 righteous in Sodom, וְנָשָׂאתִי‎ I will pardon, etc., 24:8; 32:9; Deuteronomy 19:8f.; 1 Kings 1:52; b 6:12; Psalm 89:31; Genesis 42:37; Judges 13:16; 1 Kings 1:52 a Psalm 132:12. (b) of past time (rare, but classical): Genesis 31:8 יאֹמַר אִם‎ if everhe said . . . וְיָָֽלְדִוּ‎ then they used to bear, etc., Exodus 40:37; & in the protestations Job 31:7, 13, 16, 25 etc. (alternating with pff., see below, & with jussives in apodosis) (c) assuming a purely imaginary case (with imperfect in both clauses, like the double optative in Greek), if, though: Genesis 13:16 so that אִםיֿוּכַל‎ if a man were able to number the stars, thy seed also יִמָּנֶה‎ might be numbered, Numbers 22:18; Isaiah 1:18 ח ׳אִםיִֿהְיוּ יַלְבִּינוּ כַּשָּׁנִים‎ though your sins were as scarlet, they should become white as snow, Amos 9:2-4 אִםיַֿחְתְּרוּ‎ though they were to dig into Sheôl, from thence תִּקָּחֵם‎ would my hand fetch them, Psalm 27:3; 139:8 +. (2) with

participle (expressing either a present process, or an approaching future: apodosis as 1 a) Genesis 24:42, 49; Judges 6:36; 9:15; 11:9 אַתֶּם מְשִׁיבִים אִם‎ if ye are going to bring me back . . . י ׳וְנָתַן‎ then ׳י‎ will, etc.; similarly with יֵשׁ‎ or אֵין‎ Genesis 44:26; Exodus 22:2; 1 Samuel 20:8; 23:23; & with no explicit copula Deuteronomy 22:2; 25:2; Leviticus 1:3, 14, etc. (3) with

perfect (a) of future or present time (continued by perfects & waw consecutive: apodosis as 1 a) Genesis 43:9 לְפָנֶיךָ וְהִצַּגְתִּיו אֵלֶיךָ הֲבִיאֹתִיו אִםלֹֿא‎ if I do not bring him back (si eum non reduxero) and set him before thee, I will be guilty for ever, 47:6 if thou knowest that there are men of worth among them וְשַׂמְתָּם‎ then make them, etc., Judges 16:17; 2 Samuel 15:33; 2 Kings 7:4; Psalm 41:7; 94:18; Job 7:4; 9:30f. 10:14 וּשְׁמַרְתָּ֑נִי חָטָאתִי אִם‎ if I sin, thou watchest me. On אִםנָֿא‎ Genesis 18:3 and elsewhere see נָא‎. (b) of past time, whether (a) in actual fact, or (β) in an assumed case (the perfect is here continued by the imperfect and waw consecutive; apodosis begins as before). (a) Judges 9:16-19 עֲשִׂיתֶם ֗֗֗ אִם‎ if ye have done honestly וַתַּמְלִיכוּ‎ and have made Abimelech king . . ., 1 Samuel 26:19; especially in protestations, as Psalm 7:4 זאת עָשִׂיתִי אִם‎ if I have done this . . ., let the enemy pursue my soul, etc. Jeremiah 33:25f.; Job 31:5f; 31:9, etc. (b) Numbers 5:27 if she have defiled herself וַתִּמְעֹל‎ and been faithless, וּבָאוּ‎ then shall they come, etc., 15:24; 35:22-24. (c) with bare perfect in apodosis, in sense of If ... had ..., only Deuteronomy 32:30 כִּי אִםלֹֿא‎ were it not that ..., Psalm 73:15. (לוּ‎ is more usual in such cases.) (4) with

infinitive once (si vera 1.) Job 9:27 אָמְרִי אִם‎ = if I say (literally if (there is) my saying). — Note that the verb following אִם‎ is often strengthened by the infinitive absolute, as Exodus 15:26; 19:5; 21:5; 22:3; 22:12; 22:16; 22:22; Judges 11:30; 14:12; 16:11 etc.; compare Dr^{Sm i. 20, 6}.

b. Special uses: (1) repeated ... אִם אִם‎ whether ... or (sive ... sive) Exodus 19:13; Deuteronomy 18:3; 2 Samuel 15:21; similarly וְאִם ֗֗֗ אִם‎ Genesis 31:52; Jeremiah 42:6; Ezekiel 2:5; Ecclesiastes 11:3; 12:14 (compare ... , ... PS²⁵⁰; ... & ... ).(2) After an oath (expressed, or merely implied) אִם‎ (the formula of imprecation being omitted) becomes an emphatic negative, and אִםלֹֿא‎ an emphatic affirmative: 2 Samuel 11:11 by thy life הַזֶּה אֶתהַֿדָּבָר אִםאֶֿעֱשֶׂה‎ (may God bring all manner of evil upon me) if I do this thing! = surely I will not do this thing! (compare the full phrases in 1 Samuel 3:17; 2 Kings 6:31) Genesis 14:23; 42:15; Numbers 14:23; 1 Samuel 3:14; 19:6; 2 Kings 2:2; 3:14 & often; Isaiah 22:14; Psalm 89:36; 95:11; Job 6:28; אִםלֹֿא‎ Numbers 14:28; Joshua 14:9; 1 Kings 20:23; 2 Kings 9:26; Isaiah 5:9; 14:24; Jeremiah 15:11; 49:20; Job 1:11 +? Ezekiel; after a negative clause, emphasizing a contrasted idea, Genesis 24:38 (where the explanation by Aramaic אֶלָּא‎ is not supported by Hebrew usage), compare Jeremiah 22:6. Repeated, וְאִם ֗֗֗ אִם‎ 2 Samuel 20:20; 2 Kings 3:14; Isaiah 62:8; Jeremiah 38:16; Ezekiel 14:16. In adjurations (with 2nd or 3rd person) = that not Genesis 21:23; 26:29; 31:50; 1 Samuel 24:22; 1 Kings 1:51; Song of Solomon 2:7; 3:5 +. Of past or present time: 1 Samuel 25:34 as ׳י‎ liveth (I say) that, unless thou hadst hastened ..., נוֺתַר אִם כִּי‎ that surely there had not been left ...! 17:55 as thy soul liveth אִםיָֿדַעְתִּי‎ if I Know it! 1 Kings 17:12; 18:10 — both אִםיֵֿשׁ‎ (כִּי‎ here merely introduces the fact sworn to, & need not be translated; so 2 Samuel 3:35: see כִּי‎); Psalm 121:2 אִםלֹֿא‎ (after a negative clause: compare above Genesis 24:38). compare Str^{§ 90}.(3) Part, of wishing, if but ...! oh that ...! (rare) Psalm 81:9 If thou wouldest hearken to me! 95:7; 139:19; Proverbs 24:11. compare Exodus 32:32. With an imperative (si vera lectio) Job 34:16 וְאִםִֿבּינָה‎; and with an anacoluthon, Genesis 23:13 (P) שְׁמָעֵנִי לוּ אִםאַֿתָּה‎ if thou! — oh that thou wouldst hear me!(4) Nearly = when — with the perfect: (a) of past, 38:9; Numbers 21:9 וְרָאָה ֗֗֗ אִםנָֿשַׁךְ וְהָיָה‎ and it used to be, if or when a serpent had bitten a man, that he would look, etc., Judges 6:3; Psalm 78:34 (see Dr^{§ 136} δ Obs.); Amos 7:2. (b) of present or future, Isaiah 4:4 רָחַץ אִם‎ when the Lord shall have washed, 24:13; 28:25; compare Numbers 36:4 (with the imperfect)

c. Compounded with other particles: — (a) אִם בִּלְתִּי‎ except if, except, Genesis 47:18; Judges 7:14; Amos 3:3-4,. (β) אִם הֲלוֺא‎ 2 Kings 20:19 (for which Isaiah 39:7 has sim-ply כִּי‎), perhaps Is it not (good), if ...? (De Di). (γ) כִּיאִֿם‎, q. v. (δ) אִם עַד‎ Genesis 24:19, 33; Isaiah 30:17; Ruth 2:21, & אִם אֲשֶׁר עַד‎ Genesis 28:15; Numbers 32:17; Isaiah 6:11, until, properly until if or when. (ε) אִם רַק‎ if only (see below רַק‎). אִםלֹֿא‎ in Ezekiel 3:6b is very difficult. The Vrss render If I had sent, etc., implying לֻא‎ for אִםלֹֿא‎ (for Ew's אִםלֻֿא‎ = אִלּוּ‎, q. v., is precarious): Ges Hi Co 'but (אִםלֹֿא‎ after a negative, compare above Genesis 24:38; Psalm 131:2) unto them (Israel) have I sent thee: they can understand thee' (but understand is a dubious rendering of אֶל שָׁמַע‎).

2. Interrogative particle a. in direct question: (a) alone (not frequently and usually = Num? expecting the answer No, especially in a rhet. style): Genesis 38:17; 1 Kings 1:27; Judges 5:8 וָרֹמַח אִםיֵֿרָאֶה מָגֵן‎ was there a shield to be seen or a spear ...?Isaiah 29:16; and repeated Amos 3:6; Jeremiah 48:27; Job 6:12. (b) more frequently in disjunctive interrogation: (a) אִם ֗֗֗ הֲ‎, expressing a real alternative Joshua 5:13 אִםלְֿצָרֵינוּ אַתָּה הֲלָנוּ‎ art thou for us, or for our enemies? Judges 9:2; 1 Kings 22:6, 15: more often expressing a merely formal alternative, especially in poetry (a rhetorical Num?) Genesis 37:8; Numbers 11:12, 22; Judges 11:25b 2 Samuel 19:36; Isaiah 10:15; 66:8; Jeremiah 3:5; Habakkuk 3:8; Psalm 77:10; 78:20; Job 4:17; 6:5-6, 10:4-5, 11:7 etc. (β) וְאִם ֗֗֗ הֲ‎ (rarer than אִם ֗֗֗ הֲ‎, but similar in use) 2 Samuel 24:13 (a real alt.); Isaiah 49:24; 50:2; Jeremiah 5:9 (5:29 אִם‎) 14:22; Joel 1:2; Joel 4:4; Job 8:3; 11:2; 21:4; 22:3; 34:17; 40:8f. (formal); Genesis 17:17 P (with an anacoluthon) shall a child ...? תֵּלֵד שָׁנָה הֲבַתתִּֿשְׁעִים וְאִםשָֿׂרָה‎ or Sarah, — shall she that is 90 years old bear? Proverbs 27:24 (וְאִם‎ after negative clause),

b. in oblique interrogation, if, whether: (a) alone, after verbs of seeing, inquiring, etc. 2 Kings 1:2; Jeremiah 5:1; 30:6; Malachi 3:10; Psalm 139:24; Cant 7:13; Lamentations 1:12; Ezra 2:59; once אִם יוֺדֵעַ מִי‎ who knoweth if ...? i.e. (like haud scio an) perhaps Esther 4:14 (older synonym יוֺדֵעַ מִי‎ alone: see 2 Samuel 12:22; Joel 2:14; Jonah 3:9). (b) disjunctively אִם ֗֗֗ הֲ‎ Genesis 27:21; Numbers 13:18-20; so וְאִם ֗֗֗ אִם‎ Joshua 24:15.

c. compounded with הַאִם הֲ,‎ Numbers 17:28 לִגְוֺעַ תַּמְנוּ הַאִם‎ probably an emphatic Num? Shall we ever have finished dying? Job 6:13 difficult: perhaps Is it that my help is not in me? (a forcible means of expressing that that which might be thought impossible is nevertheless the case); Hi as an aposiop., If my help is not in me (am I still to wait) ? (The view that הַאִם‎ = הֲלֹא‎ nonne? is inconsistent with the fact that אִם‎ in a question has regularly the force of Num?)

אֵם‎ see אמם‎. Below

אֻמָּה אַמָּה,‎ see אמם‎.

אמה‎ (assumed as √ of following, which how-ever probably biliteral compare Sta^{§ 188}; see also Lag^{BN 82}).