Lexical Summary illu: If, though, unless Original Word: אִלּוּ Strong's Exhaustive Concordance but if, yea though Probably from 'al; nay, i.e. (softened) if -- but if, yea though. see HEBREW 'al NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originof uncertain derivation Definition if, though NASB Translation if (2). Brown-Driver-Briggs אִלּוּ conjunction (often in Mishnah; Aramaic אִילּוּ,  ,  from אִין,  , and לוּ) if, though, only in late Hebrew, Ecclesiastes 6:6; Esther 7:4. Topical Lexicon Strong’s Hebrew 432 – אִלּוּ Overview Encountered only in Esther 7:4 and Ecclesiastes 6:6, אִלּוּ introduces an unreal or hypothetical condition. In both settings it functions as a rhetorical device that exposes the limits of human power and the necessity of divine intervention. Form and Function in Hebrew Discourse The particle frames a contrary-to-fact premise (“if only…,” “even if…”) that sharpens the impact of the actual outcome. By imagining an alternative reality, the text presses readers to consider the moral and theological weight of what truly happens. Esther 7:4 – Hypothetical Mercy versus Actual Genocide Esther’s plea before Ahasuerus pivots on אִלּוּ: “For we have been sold, I and my people, to destruction and slaughter and annihilation. If only we were merely sold as male and female slaves, I would have remained silent, although such distress would not justify disturbing the king.” (Esther 7:4) 1. Contrast of Scenarios – Slavery, though severe, pales beside genocide; the particle magnifies the wickedness of Haman’s decree. Ecclesiastes 6:6 – Extended Life without Meaning “Even if he lives a thousand years twice, but fails to enjoy his prosperity, do not all go to the same place?” (Ecclesiastes 6:6) 1. Futility Exposed – Length of days cannot overcome the vanity of a joyless existence; אִלּוּ lays bare the insufficiency of earthly longevity. Theological Threads • Moral Clarity – Hypotheticals reveal true motives: Esther discloses Haman’s atrocity; Qoheleth unmasks hollow prosperity. Practical Ministry Insights • Preaching: Use אִלּוּ to illustrate how Scripture confronts “what if” thinking with God’s redemptive reality. Christological Perspective The ultimate answer to every hopeless “if only” is found in Jesus Christ. Where Esther’s hypothetical pointed to deliverance and Qoheleth’s pointed to dissatisfaction, the gospel proclaims an accomplished reality: “if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation” (2 Corinthians 5:17), removing both existential futility and the threat of destruction. Summary Though rare, אִלּוּ serves as a powerful literary hinge in Scripture, contrasting imagined alternatives with God’s actual, purposeful work. It invites readers to move from hypothetical musings to confident trust in the sovereign Lord who turns peril into preservation and vanity into victory. Forms and Transliterations וְ֠אִלּוּ וְאִלּ֣וּ ואלו Veillu wə’illū wə·’il·lūLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Esther 7:4 HEB: לַהֲר֣וֹג וּלְאַבֵּ֑ד וְ֠אִלּוּ לַעֲבָדִ֨ים וְלִשְׁפָח֤וֹת NAS: and to be annihilated. Now if we had only been sold KJV: and to perish. But if we had been sold INT: to be killed and to be annihilated now if bondmen and women Ecclesiastes 6:6 2 Occurrences |
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