Lexical Summary luwle': "if not," "unless" Original Word: לוּלֵא Strong's Exhaustive Concordance except, had not, if Or luwley {loo lay'}; from luw' and lo'; if not -- except, had not, if (...not), unless, were it not that. see HEBREW luw' see HEBREW lo' Brown-Driver-Briggs לוּלֵא Genesis 43:10; Judges 14:18; 2 Samuel 2:27; Psalm 27:13, elsewhere לוּלֵי10 if not, unless (from לוּ if, and לֵא, by dissimilation (Köii. 236, 489) for לֹא not; compare Arabic  ), the negative of לוּ, and used similarly: — a. followed by perfect, Judges 14:18 לולא חרשׁתם ֗֗֗ לא מצאתם unless ye had ploughed with my heifer, ye would not have found out my riddle, 1 Samuel 25:34 (second כי resumptive: כִּי 1d), Psalm 106:23; with apod, introd. by כִּי עַתָּה Genesis 31:42; Genesis 43:10; by אָז 2 Samuel 2:27 (כי resumptive); by כִּמְעַט Isaiah 1:9; with an aposiop. Psalm 27:13 if I had not believed ...! b. followed by imperfect Deuteronomy 32:27 אמרתי ֗֗֗ לולי אגור I should have said, &c . . . . except I dreaded, &c. c. followed by participle, 2 Kings 3:14. d. without a verb, Psalm 94:17 (apodosis כמעט), Psalm 119:92 (apodosis אָז). In the later language, Psalm 124:1; Psalm 124:2 -שֶׁ ׳לוּלֵי י (apodosis אֲזַי except that ... (compare Aramaic, Topical Lexicon Definition and Rhetorical Function The term introduces a counter-factual condition: “if not,” “unless,” or “had it not been.” In every setting it forces the reader to imagine a grim alternative that never came to pass, thereby spotlighting the mercy, providence, or restraint of God that averted that outcome. The device is therefore both logical and doxological—logically describing what might have happened, and doxologically calling attention to the One who prevented it. Distribution Across Scripture Fourteen occurrences form a deliberate thread that runs from the Patriarchal narratives (Genesis) through the Law (Deuteronomy), the Former Prophets (Judges, Samuel, Kings), the Psalter, and the Major Prophets (Isaiah). Each occurrence appears at a hinge point in the account or poem, marking the moment where disaster is averted, wrongdoing is exposed, or hope is affirmed. • Patriarchal deliverance: Genesis 31:42; 43:10 Narrative Usage 1. Genesis 31:42 records Jacob’s confession: “If the God of my father… had not been with me, surely by now you would have sent me away empty-handed.” The phrase seals the patriarch’s awareness that divine oversight, not human shrewdness, preserved his household. Poetic and Liturgical Usage In the Psalms the term becomes the worshiper’s refrain of deliverance: Psalm 27:13, though translated idiomatically in English (“Still I am certain to see the goodness of the LORD”), rests on the same construction, implying, “I would have lost heart, unless I had believed…” Prophetic Dimension Deuteronomy 32:27 and Isaiah 1:9 employ the construction to highlight the holiness of God in judgment and mercy. In the Song of Moses, the Lord restrains total destruction “lest their adversaries misunderstand,” protecting His name among the nations. Isaiah declares, “Unless the LORD of Hosts had left us a few survivors, we would have become like Sodom,” tying Judah’s survival to God’s covenant faithfulness, not human merit. Theological Themes 1. Divine Restraint: God actively withholds deserved judgment (Deuteronomy 32:27; Isaiah 1:9). Pastoral and Homiletic Value The particle teaches believers to frame testimony in terms of what God prevented as well as what He accomplished. Sermons and prayers drawn from these passages naturally lead to confession of sin, gratitude for mercy, and renewed trust in God’s sovereignty. It equips counselors to help the afflicted see hidden deliverances, fostering endurance and worship. Christological Reflection Every Old Testament “if not” anticipates the ultimate counter-factual of the Gospel: had Christ not come, lived, died, and risen, humanity would remain under wrath. Paul echoes the same logic, “But God, who is rich in mercy…” (Ephesians 2:4). The particle therefore lays conceptual groundwork for appreciating the cross as the decisive intervention that turned humanity’s “if not” into “now therefore.” Summary Statement Wherever it appears, the word confronts readers with a sobering alternative and then turns their eyes to the Lord who graciously nullifies it. It is the language of rescued sinners and a script for perpetual thanksgiving. Forms and Transliterations לׅׄוּלֵׅ֗ׄאׅׄ לוּלֵ֖א לוּלֵ֗י לוּלֵ֛י לוּלֵ֡י לוּלֵ֣א לוּלֵ֣י לוּלֵא֙ לוּלֵי֙ לולא לולי lū·lê luLe lūlê luLeiLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Genesis 31:42 HEB: לוּלֵ֡י אֱלֹהֵ֣י אָבִי֩ NAS: If the God of my father, KJV: Except the God of my father, INT: If the God of my father Genesis 43:10 Deuteronomy 32:27 Judges 14:18 1 Samuel 25:34 2 Samuel 2:27 2 Kings 3:14 Psalm 27:13 Psalm 94:17 Psalm 106:23 Psalm 119:92 Psalm 124:1 Psalm 124:2 Isaiah 1:9 14 Occurrences |
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