Definition

used very widely as demonstrative, lo!; interrogative, whether?; or conditional, if, although; also Oh that!, when; hence, as a negative, not

Etymology

a primitive particle;

Where the KJV renders it

• (and
• can-
• doubtless
• if
• that) (not)
• but
• either
• except
• more(-over if
• than)
• neither
• nevertheless
• nor
• oh that
• or
• save (only
• -ing)
• seeing
• since
• sith
• surely (no more
• none
• not)
• though
• of a truth
• unless
• verily
• when
• whereas
• whether
• while
• yet

Every distinct English word the King James Version uses to translate this Hebrew term. The variety shows what readers in English receive across many different surface words — the same underlying word, scattered across the English Bible under different names.

What the first audience heard

A deep-dive treatment of this word is in the works. The featured chapter above carries the long form of what this word meant to its first audience.