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unfoldingWord Hebrew Grammar ⌂ ©

Particle Negative

Summary

Negative particles are terms that negate some aspect of a sentence, either an individual word or an entire phrase.

Article

אַיִן or אֵין

This term is used in verbless clauses to negate an entire clause or sentence. It is sometimes classified as a noun but usually appears in the verbal position of normal word order. Literally, the term is translated in English as "there is no" or "there is not"; but the English translation is often simplified to "is not" (see example below).

Example: ISA 45:5
אֲנִ֤י יְהוָה֙ וְאֵ֣ין עֹ֔וד זוּלָתִ֖י אֵ֣ין אֱלֹהִ֑ים
'ani yehwah we'en 'owd zulathi 'en 'elohim
I Yahweh and-there-is-no beside apart-from-me there-is-no
God.
I am Yahweh, and there is no other; there is no God but me.

OET comparison: ISA 45:5: RV ISA 45:5 · LV ISA 45:5 · Read together ISA 45:5

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OET-RV ISA 45:5

 ⇔  5 I am Yahweh and there’s no one else.
 ⇔ ≈ Apart from me, there’s no other God.
 ⇔ Even though you don’t know me,
 ⇔ I will strengthen you

Word details: וְ,אֵ֣ין · אֵ֣ין · ׃

Example: 2KI 1:3
הַֽמִבְּלִ֤י אֵין־אֱלֹהִים֙ בְּיִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל
hamibbeli 'en-'elohim beyisra'el
For-nothing is-there-no_God in-Israel?
Is it because there is no God in Israel?

OET comparison: 2KI 1:3: RV KI2 1:3 · LV KI2 1:3 · Read together KI2 1:3

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OET-RV KI2 1:3

3 But Yahweh’s messenger told Eliyah (Elijah) (from Tishbeh), “Leave here and go and meet the Shomron king’s messengers and ask them, ‘Is it because there’s no god in Yisrael that you’re all going to inquire from Ekron’s god Ba’al-Zevuv?
Example: GEN 37:29
וְהִנֵּ֥ה אֵין־יוֹסֵ֖ף בַּבּ֑וֹר
wehinneh 'en-yosef babbor
and-behold there-is-no_Joseph in-the-pit
and, behold, Joseph was not in the pit

OET comparison: GEN 37:29: RV GEN 37:29 · LV GEN 37:29 · Read together GEN 37:29

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OET-RV GEN 37:29

29 Later on, Re’uven returned to the pit, but wow, Yosef wasn’t down there, so he tore his clothes in despair

Word details: אֵין

לֹא

The word לֹא is the standard negative particle in Biblical Hebrew. This term often negates verbs, but it has potential to negate other kinds of words as well. In English, it is usually translated as "no" or "not". When used with 2nd person imperfect verbs to express a negative command, this particle signifies a more emphatic command than the use of the negative particle אַל (with an imperfect verb).

Example: GEN 2:17
לֹ֥א תֹאכַ֖ל מִמֶּ֑נּוּ
lo thokhal mimmennu
not you-eat from-it
you may not eat from it

OET comparison: GEN 2:17: RV GEN 2:17 · LV GEN 2:17 · Read together GEN 2:17

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OET-RV GEN 2:17

17 but you mustn’t eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, because the day you eat its fruit you’ll certainly die.”

Word details: ׃

Example: JER 43:2
לֹֽא־תָבֹ֥אוּ מִצְרַ֖יִם לָג֥וּר שָֽׁם
lo-thavo'u mitsrayim lagur sham
not_you-go Egypt to-sojourn there
Do not go to Egypt to live there.

OET comparison: JER 43:2: RV JER 43:2 · LV JER 43:2 · Read together JER 43:2

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Word details: תָבֹ֥אוּ

אַל

The term אַַל is almost exclusively used to negate verbs; it is also the standard particle used to negate jussive and cohortative verbs. When used with 2nd person imperfect verbs to express a negative command, this particle signifies a less emphatic command than the use of the negative particle לֹא.

Example: GEN 21:16
אַל־אֶרְאֶ֖ה בְּמ֣וֹת הַיָּ֑לֶד
'al-'er'eh bemoth hayyaled
Not_I-will-look in-death-of the-child.
Let me not look upon the death of the child.

OET comparison: GEN 21:16: RV GEN 21:16 · LV GEN 21:16 · Read together GEN 21:16

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OET-RV GEN 21:16

16 and she went and she went a short distance away (about as far as a bow can shoot an arrow) and sat down there, because she said, “I don’t want to watch my child die.” And as she sat at a distance, she sobbed loudly.

בִּלְתִּי

This term is sometimes used (especially with לְ) to negate infinitive construct verbs, and is usually translated in English as "no" or "not".

Note

This term is most often used as a concessive conjunction; a dictionary or lexicon will indicate the specific use of this particle in each individual context.

Example: GEN 3:11
צִוִּיתִ֛יךָ לְבִלְתִּ֥י אֲכָל־מִמֶּ֖נּוּ
tsiwwithikha leviltiy 'akhol-mimmennu
I-commanded-you to-not eat_from-it
I commanded you to not eat from it

OET comparison: GEN 3:11: RV GEN 3:11 · LV GEN 3:11 · Read together GEN 3:11

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OET-RV GEN 3:11

11 “Who told you that you’re naked?” Yahweh God asked. “Have you eaten the fruit that I told you not to eat?”

Word details: לְ,בִלְתִּ֥י

בַּל or בְּלִי (sometimes בְּלֹא)

These particles are usually used in poetry and carry no special meaning other than to negate a word or concept within a sentence. In English, they are usually translated as "no" or "not".

Example: PSA 19:3 (PSA 19:4 in Hebrew)
בְּ֝לִ֗י נִשְׁמָ֥ע קוֹלָֽם
beli nishma' qolam
not is-heard their-voice
their voice is not heard

OET comparison: PSA 19:3: RV PSA 19:3 · LV PSA 19:4 · Read together PSA 19:3

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OET-RV PSA 19:3

3 There’s no speech or words spoken.
 ⇔ ≈ No voice can be heard
Example: NUM 35:23
בְּלֹ֣א רְא֔וֹת
belo re'oth
without seeing
without seeing

OET comparison: NUM 35:23: RV NUM 35:23 · LV NUM 35:23 · Read together NUM 35:23

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OET-RV NUM 35:23

23 or drops a rock without noticing someone, and they die but they weren’t that person’s enemy and no harm was intended,