לֹא
not
‘not’ is one of 6 main senses fuller range ↓
Full lexicon entry — Brown-Driver-Briggs (BDB)
From Brown-Driver-Briggs (BDB)
Where this word appears
Grammar key — what these labels mean
Part of speech
- Particle
- A short function word — article, negation, interrogative, the sign of the direct object, and the like.
Noun type
- Proper
- A name of a specific person, place, or people (e.g. Abraham, Zion, Israel).
Grammatical forms
- Particle, Negative 5,188 times (100%)
- Noun, Proper 2 times (0%)
- Preposition 1 time (0%)
Parsed forms decoded from the imported morphology (morphhb / Westminster Leningrad Codex — WLC text public domain, morphhb tagging CC BY 4.0), counted across 5,191 parsed occurrences — not distinct verses.
Page 14 of 20 — showing verses 2,601–2,800 of 3,966 distinct verses where H3808 appears, across 39 books. Click any verse to open its interlinear word-by-word view. Verse text shown in the World English Bible for context — . Each verse’s Hebrew form is shown with its reference; the English is not keyword-highlighted, since the data carries no word-level English alignment. Use “Compare translations” on any verse to read it across multiple English versions. This concordance covers the Hebrew Bible; Septuagint (Greek Old Testament) occurrences are not indexed here.
Psalms 266 verses
- Psalms 125:1 לֹא ptcl neg Those who trust in Yahweh are as Mount Zion, Which can't be moved, but remains forever.
- Psalms 125:3 לֹ֪א לֹא ptcl neg ptcl neg For the scepter of wickedness won't remain over the allotment of the righteous; So that the righteous won't use their hands to do evil.
- Psalms 127:1 לֹא לֹֽא ptcl neg ptcl neg Unless Yahweh builds the house, They labor in vain who build it. Unless Yahweh watches over the city, The watchman guards it in vain.
- Psalms 127:5 לֹֽא ptcl neg Happy is the man who has his quiver full of them. They won't be disappointed when they speak with their enemies in the gate.
- Psalms 129:2 לֹא ptcl neg Many times they have afflicted me from my youth up, Yet they have not prevailed against me.
- Psalms 129:7 שֶׁ/לֹּ֤א ptcl rel + ptcl neg With which the reaper doesn't fill his hand, Nor he who binds sheaves, his bosom.
- Psalms 129:8 וְ/לֹ֤א conj + ptcl neg Neither do those who go by say, "The blessing of Yahweh be on you. We bless you in the name of Yahweh."
- Psalms 131:1 לֹא וְ/לֹא וְ/לֹֽא ptcl neg conj + ptcl neg conj + ptcl neg Yahweh, my heart isn't haughty, nor my eyes lofty; Nor do I concern myself with great matters, Or things too wonderful for me.
- Psalms 131:2 לֹ֤א ptcl neg Surely I have stilled and quieted my soul, Like a weaned child with his mother, Like a weaned child is my soul within me.
- Psalms 132:11 לֹֽא ptcl neg Yahweh has sworn to David in truth. He will not turn from it: "I will set the fruit of your body on your throne.
- Psalms 135:16 וְ/לֹ֣א וְ/לֹ֣א conj + ptcl neg conj + ptcl neg They have mouths, but they can't speak; They have eyes, but they can't see;
- Psalms 135:17 וְ/לֹ֣א conj + ptcl neg They have ears, but they can't hear; Neither is there any breath in their mouths.
- Psalms 137:6 לֹ֪א לֹ֣א ptcl neg ptcl neg Let my tongue stick to the roof of my mouth if I don't remember you; If I don't prefer Jerusalem above my chief joy.
- Psalms 139:6 לֹא ptcl neg This knowledge is beyond me. It's lofty. I can't attain it.
- Psalms 139:12 לֹֽא ptcl neg Even the darkness doesn't hide from you, But the night shines as the day. The darkness is like light to you.
- Psalms 139:15 לֹא ptcl neg My frame wasn't hidden from you, When I was made in secret, Woven together in the depths of the earth.
- Psalms 139:16 ו/לא conj + ptcl neg Your eyes saw my body. In your book they were all written, The days that were ordained for me, When as yet there were none of them.
- Psalms 139:21 הֲ/לֽוֹא ptcl inter + ptcl neg Yahweh, don't I hate those who hate you? Am I not grieved with those who rise up against you?
- Psalms 143:2 לֹֽא ptcl neg Don't enter into judgment with your servant, For in your sight no man living is righteous.
- Psalms 147:10 לֹ֤א לֹֽא ptcl neg ptcl neg He doesn't delight in the strength of the horse. He takes no pleasure in the legs of a man.
- Psalms 147:20 לֹ֘א ptcl neg He has not done this for just any nation. They don't know his ordinances. Praise Yah!
- Psalms 148:6 וְ/לֹ֣א conj + ptcl neg He has also established them forever and ever. He has made a decree which will not pass away.
Proverbs 119 verses
- Proverbs 1:25 לֹ֣א ptcl neg But you have ignored all my counsel, And wanted none of my reproof;
- Proverbs 1:28 וְ/לֹ֣א וְ/לֹ֣א conj + ptcl neg conj + ptcl neg Then will they call on me, but I will not answer. They will seek me diligently, but they will not find me;
- Proverbs 1:29 לֹ֣א ptcl neg Because they hated knowledge, And didn't choose the fear of Yahweh.
- Proverbs 1:30 לֹא ptcl neg They wanted none of my counsel. They despised all my reproof.
- Proverbs 2:19 לֹ֣א וְ/לֹֽא ptcl neg conj + ptcl neg None who go to her return again, Neither do they attain to the paths of life:
- Proverbs 3:15 לֹ֣א ptcl neg She is more precious than rubies. None of the things you can desire are to be compared to her.
- Proverbs 3:23 לֹ֣א ptcl neg Then you shall walk in your way securely. Your foot won't stumble.
- Proverbs 3:24 לֹֽא ptcl neg When you lie down, you will not be afraid. Yes, you will lie down, and your sleep will be sweet.
- Proverbs 3:30 לֹ֖א ptcl neg Don't strive with a man without cause, If he has done you no harm.
- Proverbs 4:12 לֹא לֹ֣א ptcl neg ptcl neg When you go, your steps will not be hampered. When you run, you will not stumble.
- Proverbs 4:16 לֹ֣א לֹ֣א לֹ֥א ptcl neg ptcl neg ptcl neg For they don't sleep, unless they do evil. Their sleep is taken away, unless they make someone fall.
- Proverbs 4:19 לֹ֥א ptcl neg The way of the wicked is like darkness. They don't know what they stumble over.
- Proverbs 5:6 לֹ֣א ptcl neg She gives no thought to the way of life. Her ways are crooked, and she doesn't know it.
- Proverbs 5:13 וְֽ/לֹא לֹא conj + ptcl neg ptcl neg Neither have I obeyed the voice of my teachers, Nor turned my ear to those who instructed me!
- Proverbs 6:27 לֹ֣א ptcl neg Can a man scoop fire into his lap, And his clothes not be burned?
- Proverbs 6:28 לֹ֣א ptcl neg Or can one walk on hot coals, And his feet not be scorched?
- Proverbs 6:29 לֹ֥א ptcl neg So is he who goes in to his neighbor's wife. Whoever touches her will not be unpunished.
- Proverbs 6:30 לֹא ptcl neg Men don't despise a thief, If he steals to satisfy himself when he is hungry:
- Proverbs 6:33 לֹ֣א ptcl neg He will get wounds and dishonor. His reproach will not be wiped away.
- Proverbs 6:34 וְ/לֹֽא conj + ptcl neg For jealousy arouses the fury of the husband. He won't spare in the day of vengeance.
- Proverbs 6:35 לֹא וְ/לֹֽא ptcl neg conj + ptcl neg He won't regard any ransom, Neither will he rest content, though you give many gifts.
- Proverbs 7:11 לֹא ptcl neg She is loud and defiant. Her feet don't stay in her house.
- Proverbs 7:23 וְ/לֹֽא conj + ptcl neg Until an arrow strikes through his liver, As a bird hurries to the snare, And doesn't know that it will cost his life.
- Proverbs 8:1 הֲ/לֹֽא ptcl inter + ptcl neg Doesn't wisdom cry out? Doesn't understanding raise her voice?
- Proverbs 8:11 לֹ֣א ptcl neg For wisdom is better than rubies. All the things that may be desired can't be compared to it.
- Proverbs 8:26 לֹ֣א ptcl neg While as yet he had not made the earth, nor the fields, Nor the beginning of the dust of the world.
- Proverbs 8:29 לֹ֣א ptcl neg When he gave to the sea its boundary, That the waters should not violate his commandment, When he marked out the foundations of the earth;
- Proverbs 9:18 וְֽ/לֹא conj + ptcl neg But he doesn't know that the dead are there, That her guests are in the depths of Sheol.
- Proverbs 10:2 לֹא ptcl neg Treasures of wickedness profit nothing, But righteousness delivers from death.
- Proverbs 10:3 לֹֽא ptcl neg Yahweh will not allow the soul of the righteous to go hungry, But he thrusts away the desire of the wicked.
- Proverbs 10:19 לֹ֣א ptcl neg In the multitude of words there is no lack of disobedience, But he who restrains his lips does wisely.
- Proverbs 10:22 וְ/לֹֽא conj + ptcl neg Yahweh's blessing brings wealth, And he adds no trouble to it.
- Proverbs 10:30 לֹ֣א ptcl neg The righteous will never be removed, But the wicked will not dwell in the land.
- Proverbs 11:4 לֹא ptcl neg Riches don't profit in the day of wrath, But righteousness delivers from death.
- Proverbs 11:21 לֹא ptcl neg Most assuredly, the evil man will not be unpunished, But the seed of the righteous will be delivered.
- Proverbs 12:3 לֹא ptcl neg A man shall not be established by wickedness, But the root of the righteous shall not be moved.
- Proverbs 12:21 לֹא ptcl neg No mischief shall happen to the righteous, But the wicked shall be filled with evil.
- Proverbs 12:27 לֹא ptcl neg The slothful man doesn't roast his game, But the possessions of diligent men are prized.
- Proverbs 13:1 לֹא ptcl neg A wise son listens to his father's instruction, But a scoffer doesn't listen to rebuke.
- Proverbs 13:8 לֹא ptcl neg The ransom of a man's life is his riches, But the poor hear no threats.
- Proverbs 13:23 בְּ/לֹ֣א prep + ptcl neg An abundance of food is in poor people's fields, But injustice sweeps it away.
- Proverbs 14:5 לֹ֣א ptcl neg A truthful witness will not lie, But a false witness pours out lies.
- Proverbs 14:10 לֹא ptcl neg The heart knows its own bitterness and joy; He will not share these with a stranger.
- Proverbs 14:22 הֲֽ/לוֹא ptcl inter + ptcl neg Don't they go astray who plot evil? But love and faithfulness belong to those who plan good.
- Proverbs 15:7 לֹא ptcl neg The lips of the wise spread knowledge; Not so with the heart of fools.
- Proverbs 15:12 לֹ֣א לֹ֣א ptcl neg ptcl neg A scoffer doesn't love to be reproved; He will not go to the wise.
- Proverbs 16:5 לֹ֣א ptcl neg Everyone who is proud in heart is an abomination to Yahweh: They shall assuredly not be unpunished.
- Proverbs 16:8 בְּ/לֹ֣א prep + ptcl neg Better is a little with righteousness, Than great revenues with injustice.
- Proverbs 16:10 לֹ֣א ptcl neg Inspired judgments are on the lips of the king. He shall not betray his mouth.
- Proverbs 16:29 לֹא ptcl neg A man of violence entices his neighbor, And leads him in a way that is not good.
- Proverbs 17:5 לֹ֣א ptcl neg Whoever mocks the poor reproaches his Maker. He who is glad at calamity shall not be unpunished.
- Proverbs 17:7 לֹא ptcl neg Arrogant speech isn't fitting for a fool, Much less do lying lips fit a prince.
- Proverbs 17:13 לֹא ptcl neg Whoever rewards evil for good, Evil shall not depart from his house.
- Proverbs 17:20 לֹ֣א ptcl neg One who has a perverse heart doesn't find prosperity, And one who has a deceitful tongue falls into trouble.
- Proverbs 17:21 וְ/לֹֽא conj + ptcl neg He who becomes the father of a fool grieves. The father of a fool has no joy.
- Proverbs 17:26 לֹא ptcl neg Also to punish the righteous is not good, Nor to flog officials for their integrity.
- Proverbs 18:2 לֹֽא ptcl neg A fool has no delight in understanding, But only in revealing his own opinion.
- Proverbs 18:5 לֹא ptcl neg To be partial to the faces of the wicked is not good, Nor to deprive the innocent of justice.
- Proverbs 19:2 בְּ/לֹא לֹא prep + ptcl neg ptcl neg It isn't good to have zeal without knowledge; Nor being hasty with one's feet and missing the way.
- Proverbs 19:5 לֹ֣א לֹ֣א ptcl neg ptcl neg A false witness shall not be unpunished. He who pours out lies shall not go free.
- Proverbs 19:7 לא ptcl neg All the relatives of the poor shun him: How much more do his friends avoid him! He pursues them with pleas, but they are gone.
- Proverbs 19:9 לֹ֣א ptcl neg A false witness shall not be unpunished. He who utters lies shall perish.
- Proverbs 19:10 לֹֽא ptcl neg Delicate living is not appropriate for a fool, Much less for a servant to have rule over princes.
- Proverbs 19:24 לֹ֣א ptcl neg The sluggard buries his hand in the dish; He will not so much as bring it to his mouth again.
- Proverbs 20:1 לֹ֣א ptcl neg Wine is a mocker, and beer is a brawler; Whoever is led astray by them is not wise.
- Proverbs 20:4 לֹא ptcl neg The sluggard will not plow by reason of the winter; Therefore he shall beg in harvest, and have nothing.
- Proverbs 20:19 לֹ֣א ptcl neg He who goes about as a tale-bearer reveals secrets; Therefore don't keep company with him who opens wide his lips.
- Proverbs 20:21 לֹ֣א ptcl neg An inheritance quickly gained at the beginning, Won't be blessed in the end.
- Proverbs 20:23 לֹא ptcl neg Yahweh detests differing weights, And dishonest scales are not pleasing.
- Proverbs 21:10 לֹא ptcl neg The soul of the wicked desires evil; His neighbor finds no mercy in his eyes.
- Proverbs 21:13 וְ/לֹ֣א conj + ptcl neg Whoever stops his ears at the cry of the poor, He will also cry out, but shall not be heard.
- Proverbs 21:17 לֹ֣א ptcl neg He who loves pleasure shall be a poor man: He who loves wine and oil shall not be rich.
- Proverbs 21:26 וְ/לֹ֣א conj + ptcl neg There are those who covet greedily all the day long; But the righteous give and don't withhold.
- Proverbs 22:6 לֹֽא ptcl neg Train up a child in the way he should go, And when he is old he will not depart from it.
- Proverbs 22:20 הֲ/לֹ֤א ptcl inter + ptcl neg Haven't I written to you thirty excellent things Of counsel and knowledge,
- Proverbs 22:24 לֹ֣א ptcl neg Don't befriend a hot-tempered man, And don't associate with one who harbors anger:
- Proverbs 23:13 לֹ֣א ptcl neg Don't withhold correction from a child. If you punish him with the rod, he will not die.
- Proverbs 23:18 לֹ֣א ptcl neg Indeed surely there is a future hope, And your hope will not be cut off.
- Proverbs 24:7 לֹ֣א ptcl neg Wisdom is too high for a fool: He doesn't open his mouth in the gate.
- Proverbs 24:12 לֹא הֲֽ/לֹא ptcl neg ptcl inter + ptcl neg If you say, "Behold, we didn't know this;" Doesn't he who weighs the hearts consider it? He who keeps your soul, doesn't he know it? Shall he not render to every man according to his work?
- Proverbs 24:14 לֹ֣א ptcl neg So you shall know wisdom to be to your soul; If you have found it, then there will be a reward, Your hope will not be cut off.
- Proverbs 24:20 לֹֽא ptcl neg For there will be no reward to the evil man; And the lamp of the wicked shall be snuffed out.
- Proverbs 25:10 לֹ֣א ptcl neg Lest one who hears it put you to shame, And your bad reputation never depart.
- Proverbs 25:27 לֹא ptcl neg It is not good to eat much honey; Nor is it honorable to seek one's own honor.
- Proverbs 26:1 לֹא ptcl neg Like snow in summer, and as rain in harvest, So honor is not fitting for a fool.
- Proverbs 26:2 לא ptcl neg Like a fluttering sparrow, Like a darting swallow, So the undeserved curse doesn't come to rest.
- Proverbs 26:17 לֹּֽא ptcl neg Like one who grabs a dog's ears Is one who passes by and meddles in a quarrel not his own.
- Proverbs 26:19 הֲֽ/לֹא ptcl inter + ptcl neg Is the man who deceives his neighbor and says, "Am I not joking?"
- Proverbs 27:1 לֹא ptcl neg Don't boast about tomorrow; For you don't know what a day may bring forth.
- Proverbs 27:2 וְ/לֹא conj + ptcl neg Let another man praise you, And not your own mouth; A stranger, and not your own lips.
- Proverbs 27:20 לֹ֣א לֹ֣א ptcl neg ptcl neg Sheol and Abaddon are never satisfied; And a man's eyes are never satisfied.
- Proverbs 27:22 לֹא ptcl neg Though you grind a fool in a mortar with a pestle along with grain, Yet his foolishness will not be removed from him.
- Proverbs 27:24 לֹ֣א ptcl neg For riches are not forever, Nor does even the crown endure to all generations.
- Proverbs 28:5 לֹא ptcl neg Evil men don't understand justice; But those who seek Yahweh understand it fully.
- Proverbs 28:13 לֹ֣א ptcl neg He who conceals his sins doesn't prosper, But whoever confesses and renounces them finds mercy.
- Proverbs 28:20 לֹ֣א ptcl neg A faithful man is rich with blessings; But one who is eager to be rich will not go unpunished.
- Proverbs 28:21 לֹא ptcl neg To show partiality is not good; Yet a man will do wrong for a piece of bread.
- Proverbs 28:22 וְ/לֹֽא conj + ptcl neg A stingy man hurries after riches, And doesn't know that poverty waits for him.
- Proverbs 29:7 לֹא ptcl neg The righteous care about justice for the poor. The wicked aren't concerned about knowledge.
- Proverbs 29:19 לֹא ptcl neg A servant can't be corrected by words. Though he understands, yet he will not respond.
- Proverbs 29:24 וְ/לֹ֣א conj + ptcl neg Whoever is an accomplice of a thief is an enemy of his own soul. He takes an oath, but dares not testify.
- Proverbs 30:2 וְ/לֹֽא conj + ptcl neg "Surely I am the most ignorant man, And don't have a man's understanding.
- Proverbs 30:3 וְ/לֹֽא conj + ptcl neg I have not learned wisdom, Neither do I have the knowledge of the Holy One.
- Proverbs 30:11 לֹ֣א ptcl neg There is a generation that curses their father, And doesn't bless their mother.
- Proverbs 30:12 לֹ֣א ptcl neg There is a generation that is pure in their own eyes, Yet are not washed from their filthiness.
- Proverbs 30:15 לֹ֣א לֹא ptcl neg ptcl neg "The leach has two daughters: 'Give, give.' "There are three things that are never satisfied; Four that don't say, 'Enough:'
- Proverbs 30:16 לֹא לֹא ptcl neg ptcl neg Sheol, The barren womb; The earth that is not satisfied with water; And the fire that doesn't say, 'Enough.'
- Proverbs 30:18 לֹ֣א ptcl neg "There are three things which are too amazing for me, Four which I don't understand:
- Proverbs 30:20 לֹֽא ptcl neg So is the way of an adulterous woman: She eats and wipes her mouth, And says, 'I have done nothing wrong.'
- Proverbs 30:21 לֹא ptcl neg "For three things the earth tremble, And under four, it can't bear up:
- Proverbs 30:25 לֹא ptcl neg The ants are not a strong people, Yet they provide their food in the summer;
- Proverbs 30:26 לֹא ptcl neg The conies are but a feeble folk, Yet make they their houses in the rocks;
- Proverbs 30:30 וְ/לֹא conj + ptcl neg The lion, which is mightiest among animals, And doesn't turn away for any;
- Proverbs 31:7 לֹ֣א ptcl neg Let him drink, and forget his poverty, And remember his misery no more.
- Proverbs 31:11 לֹ֣א ptcl neg The heart of her husband trusts in her. He shall have no lack of gain.
- Proverbs 31:12 וְ/לֹא conj + ptcl neg She does him good, and not harm, All the days of her life.
- Proverbs 31:18 לֹֽא ptcl neg She perceives that her merchandise is profitable. Her lamp doesn't go out by night.
- Proverbs 31:21 לֹא ptcl neg She is not afraid of the snow for her household; For all her household are clothed with scarlet.
- Proverbs 31:27 לֹ֣א ptcl neg She looks well to the ways of her household, And doesn't eat the bread of idleness.
Ecclesiastes 46 verses
- Ecclesiastes 1:8 לֹא לֹא וְ/לֹא ptcl neg ptcl neg conj + ptcl neg All things are full of weariness beyond uttering. The eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear filled with hearing.
- Ecclesiastes 1:11 לֹֽא ptcl neg There is no memory of the former; neither shall there be any memory of the latter that are to come, among those that shall come after.
- Ecclesiastes 1:15 לֹא לֹא ptcl neg ptcl neg That which is crooked can't be made straight; and that which is lacking can't be counted.
- Ecclesiastes 2:10 לֹ֥א לֹֽא ptcl neg ptcl neg Whatever my eyes desired, I didn't keep from them. I didn't withhold my heart from any joy, for my heart rejoiced because of all my labor, and this was my portion from all my labor.
- Ecclesiastes 2:21 שֶׁ/לֹּ֤א ptcl rel + ptcl neg For there is a man whose labor is with wisdom, with knowledge, and with skillfulness; yet he shall leave it for his portion to a man who has not labored for it. This also is vanity and a great evil.
- Ecclesiastes 2:23 לֹא ptcl neg For all his days are sorrows, and his travail is grief; yes, even in the night his heart takes no rest. This also is vanity.
- Ecclesiastes 3:11 לֹא ptcl neg He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in their hearts, yet so that man can't find out the work that God has done from the beginning even to the end.
- Ecclesiastes 4:3 לֹ֣א לֹֽא ptcl neg ptcl neg Yes, better than them both is him who has not yet been, who has not seen the evil work that is done under the sun.
- Ecclesiastes 4:8 לֹא ptcl neg There is one who is alone, and he has neither son nor brother. There is no end to all of his labor, neither are his eyes satisfied with wealth. For whom then, do I labor, and deprive my soul of enjoyment? This also is vanity, yes, it is a miserable business.
- Ecclesiastes 4:12 לֹ֥א ptcl neg If a man prevails against one who is alone, two shall withstand him; and a threefold cord is not quickly broken.
- Ecclesiastes 4:13 לֹא ptcl neg Better is a poor and wise youth than an old and foolish king who doesn't know how to receive admonition any more.
- Ecclesiastes 4:16 לֹ֣א ptcl neg There was no end of all the people, even of all them over whom he was--yet those who come after shall not rejoice in him. Surely this also is vanity and a chasing after wind.
- Ecclesiastes 5:5 לֹֽא וְ/לֹ֥א ptcl neg conj + ptcl neg It is better that you should not vow, than that you should vow and not pay.
- Ecclesiastes 5:10 לֹא לֹ֣א ptcl neg ptcl neg He who loves silver shall not be satisfied with silver; nor he who loves abundance, with increase: this also is vanity.
- Ecclesiastes 5:15 לֹא ptcl neg As he came forth from his mother's womb, naked shall he go again as he came, and shall take nothing for his labor, which he may carry away in his hand.
- Ecclesiastes 5:20 לֹ֣א ptcl neg For he shall not often reflect on the days of his life; because God occupies him with the joy of his heart.
- Ecclesiastes 6:2 וְ/לֹֽא conj + ptcl neg a man to whom God gives riches, wealth, and honor, so that he lacks nothing for his soul of all that he desires, yet God gives him no power to eat of it, but an alien eats it. This is vanity, and it is an evil disease.
- Ecclesiastes 6:3 לֹא לֹא ptcl neg ptcl neg If a man fathers a hundred children, and lives many years, so that the days of his years are many, but his soul is not filled with good, and moreover he has no burial; I say, that an untimely birth is better than he:
- Ecclesiastes 6:5 לֹא וְ/לֹ֣א ptcl neg conj + ptcl neg Moreover it has not seen the sun nor known it. This has rest rather than the other.
- Ecclesiastes 6:6 לֹ֣א הֲ/לֹ֛א ptcl neg ptcl inter + ptcl neg Yes, though he live a thousand years twice told, and yet fails to enjoy good, don't all go to one place?
- Ecclesiastes 6:7 לֹ֥א ptcl neg All the labor of man is for his mouth, and yet the appetite is not filled.
- Ecclesiastes 6:10 וְ/לֹא conj + ptcl neg Whatever has been, its name was given long ago; and it is known what man is; neither can he contend with him who is mightier than he.
- Ecclesiastes 7:10 לֹ֥א ptcl neg Don't say, "Why were the former days better than these?" For you do not ask wisely about this.
- Ecclesiastes 7:14 שֶׁ/לֹּ֨א ptcl rel + ptcl neg In the day of prosperity be joyful, and in the day of adversity consider; yes, God has made the one side by side with the other, to the end that man should not find out anything after him.
- Ecclesiastes 7:17 בְּ/לֹ֥א prep + ptcl neg Don't be too wicked, neither be foolish. Why should you die before your time?
- Ecclesiastes 7:20 וְ/לֹ֥א conj + ptcl neg Surely there is not a righteous man on earth, who does good and doesn't sin.
- Ecclesiastes 7:21 לֹֽא ptcl neg Also don't take heed to all words that are spoken, lest you hear your servant curse you;
- Ecclesiastes 7:28 וְ/לֹ֣א לֹ֥א conj + ptcl neg ptcl neg which my soul still seeks; but I have not found: one man among a thousand have I found; but a woman among all those have I not found.
- Ecclesiastes 8:5 לֹ֥א ptcl neg Whoever keeps the commandment shall not come to harm, and his wise heart will know the time and procedure.
- Ecclesiastes 8:8 וְ/לֹֽא conj + ptcl neg There is no man who has power over the spirit to contain the spirit; neither does he have power over the day of death. There is no discharge in war; neither shall wickedness deliver those who practice it.
- Ecclesiastes 8:13 לֹֽא וְ/לֹֽא ptcl neg conj + ptcl neg But it shall not be well with the wicked, neither shall he lengthen days like a shadow; because he doesn't fear God.
- Ecclesiastes 8:17 לֹ֨א וְ/לֹ֣א לֹ֥א ptcl neg conj + ptcl neg ptcl neg then I saw all the work of God, that man can't find out the work that is done under the sun, because however much a man labors to seek it out, yet he won't find it. Yes even though a wise man thinks he can comprehend it, he won't be able to find it.
- Ecclesiastes 9:11 לֹא֩ וְ/לֹ֧א לֹ֣א לֹ֤א לֹ֥א ptcl neg conj + ptcl neg ptcl neg ptcl neg ptcl neg I returned, and saw under the sun, that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither yet bread to the wise, nor yet riches to men of understanding, nor yet favor to men of skill; but time and chance happen to them all.
- Ecclesiastes 9:12 לֹֽא ptcl neg For man also doesn't know his time. As the fish that are taken in an evil net, and as the birds that are caught in the snare, even so are the sons of men snared in an evil time, when it falls suddenly on them.
- Ecclesiastes 9:15 לֹ֣א ptcl neg Now a poor wise man was found in it, and he by his wisdom delivered the city; yet no man remembered that same poor man.
- Ecclesiastes 10:10 לֹא ptcl neg If the axe is blunt, and one doesn't sharpen the edge, then he must use more strength; but skill brings success.
- Ecclesiastes 10:11 בְּ/לוֹא prep + ptcl neg If the snake bites before it is charmed, then is there no profit for the charmer's tongue.
- Ecclesiastes 10:14 לֹא ptcl neg A fool also multiplies words. Man doesn't know what will be; and that which will be after him, who can tell him?
- Ecclesiastes 10:15 לֹֽא ptcl neg The labor of fools wearies every one of them; for he doesn't know how to go to the city.
- Ecclesiastes 10:17 וְ/לֹ֥א conj + ptcl neg Happy are you, land, when your king is the son of nobles, And your princes eat in due season, For strength, and not for drunkenness!
- Ecclesiastes 11:2 לֹ֣א ptcl neg Give a portion to seven, yes, even to eight; For you don't know what evil will be on the earth.
- Ecclesiastes 11:4 לֹ֣א לֹ֥א ptcl neg ptcl neg He who observes the wind won't sow; And he who regards the clouds won't reap.
- Ecclesiastes 11:5 לֹ֤א ptcl neg As you don't know what is the way of the wind, Nor how the bones grow in the womb of her who is with child; Even so you don't know the work of God who does all.
- Ecclesiastes 12:1 לֹא ptcl neg Remember also your Creator in the days of your youth, Before the evil days come, and the years draw near, When you will say, "I have no pleasure in them;"
- Ecclesiastes 12:2 לֹֽא ptcl neg Before the sun, the light, the moon, and the stars are darkened, And the clouds return after the rain;
- Ecclesiastes 12:6 לֹֽא ptcl neg Before the silver cord is severed, Or the golden bowl is broken, Or the pitcher is broken at the spring, Or the wheel broken at the cistern,
Song of Solomon 9 verses
- Song of Solomon 1:6 לֹ֥א ptcl neg Don't stare at me because I am dark, Because the sun has scorched me. My mother's sons were angry with me. They made me keeper of the vineyards. I haven't kept my own vineyard.
- Song of Solomon 1:8 לֹ֤א ptcl neg If you don't know, most beautiful among women, Follow the tracks of the sheep. Graze your young goats beside the shepherds' tents.
- Song of Solomon 3:1 וְ/לֹ֥א conj + ptcl neg By night on my bed, I sought him whom my soul loves. I sought him, but I didn't find him.
- Song of Solomon 3:2 וְ/לֹ֥א conj + ptcl neg I will get up now, and go about the city; In the streets and in the squares I will seek him whom my soul loves. I sought him, but I didn't find him.
- Song of Solomon 3:4 וְ/לֹ֣א conj + ptcl neg I had scarcely passed from them, When I found him whom my soul loves. I held him, and would not let him go, Until I had brought him into my mother's house, Into the chamber of her who conceived me.
- Song of Solomon 5:6 וְ/לֹ֣א וְ/לֹ֥א conj + ptcl neg conj + ptcl neg I opened to my beloved; But my beloved left; gone away. My heart went out when he spoke. I looked for him, but I didn't find him. I called him, but he didn't answer.
- Song of Solomon 6:12 לֹ֣א ptcl neg Without realizing it, My desire set me with my royal people's chariots. Friends
- Song of Solomon 8:1 לֹא ptcl neg Oh that you were like my brother, Who sucked the breasts of my mother! If I found you outside, I would kiss you; Yes, and no one would despise me.
- Song of Solomon 8:7 לֹ֤א לֹ֣א ptcl neg ptcl neg Many waters can't quench love, Neither can floods drown it. If a man would give all the wealth of his house for love, He would be utterly scorned. Friends
Isaiah 275 verses
- Isaiah 1:3 לֹ֣א לֹ֥א ptcl neg ptcl neg The ox knows his owner, And the donkey his master's crib; But Israel doesn't know, My people don't consider.
- Isaiah 1:6 לֹא וְ/לֹ֣א וְ/לֹ֥א ptcl neg conj + ptcl neg conj + ptcl neg From the sole of the foot even to the head there is no soundness in it: Wounds, welts, and open sores. They haven't been closed, neither bandaged, neither soothed with oil.
- Isaiah 1:11 לֹ֥א ptcl neg "What are the multitude of your sacrifices to me?," says Yahweh. "I have had enough of the burnt offerings of rams, And the fat of fed animals. I don't delight in the blood of bulls, Or of lambs, Or of male goats.
- Isaiah 1:13 לֹ֣א לֹא ptcl neg ptcl neg Bring no more vain offerings. Incense is an abomination to me; New moons, Sabbaths, and convocations: I can't bear with evil assemblies.
About this entry
At a glance — auto-summarized from this page’s data, not written by a person. Every figure links to its source below. This summary describes the numbers; it doesn’t interpret them.
At its core, לא (lôʼ) means “not.” Where the King James Version says “not,” newer translations reach for “no” (Berean Standard Bible); the renderings breakdown has the detail. It appears 3,966 verses across 39 books of the Hebrew Bible, among its most common vocabulary. First canonically at Genesis 2:5, it enters the text early. Carrying more than one sense, it rewards its full sense range. Each statement above links to its evidence; the full detail follows below.
Gloss history
Strong's 1890 vs modern scholarship
About this word
Strong's H3808 catalogs a Hebrew word from the Hebrew Old Testament.
These counts are not copied from any lexicon or concordance. They are computed here, from the morphology-tagged Hebrew Old Testament. What Lemma adds →
- 3,966
- distinct verses
- The word appears in 3,966 distinct verses.
- 39 / 39
- OT books
- The word appears in 39 of 39 Old Testament books.
- #8
- by frequency
- Top 10 most frequent Hebrew words (rank 8 of 8,640 Hebrew words by occurrence).
View all 3,966 occurrences in the concordance →
Most concentrated in
- Jeremiah 361 verses 9%
- Deuteronomy 305 verses 8%
- Isaiah 275 verses 7%
By section of the Old Testament
By traditional corpus
Conventional, traditional groupings — biblical authorship is debated, so this is a traditional corpus grouping, not an authorship claim. Each share is this word’s portion of its verses in that division of the Hebrew canon. Each figure is a share of the word’s 3,966 distinct verses.
- Prophets (Nevi'im) 1,865 verses · 47%
- Torah (Pentateuch) 1,052 verses · 27%
- Writings (Ketuvim) 1,049 verses · 26%
How translations render this word
Counts come from each version’s own published word-to-Strong’s tagging or interlinear alignment — an approximate guide to how each version renders this word, not a word-level alignment the data otherwise carries. Because each total is that version’s own tagged count, the per-version totals vary from one another and need not match the appearance or distinct-verse counts above. These counts may also differ from a printed concordance because Lemma counts each distinctly tagged rendering and does not collapse phrase taggings into a single head-word total. This is a fixed set of word-tagged versions (KJV, ASV, BSB, ULT) and does not change with the reading translation you choose elsewhere. Each version’s license is shown beside its name below (and on Sources).
- King James Version: Not 5×, Except 3×, Without 3×
- American Standard Version: Not 5×, Before 3×, Except 3×
- Berean Standard Bible: No 378×, Not 369×, Will not 207×
- unfoldingWord Literal Text: Not 4,071×, And 807×, But 248×
King James Version Public Domain
Renders H3808 across 73 tagged occurrences — most commonly:
Plus other, less common renderings. Plus 42 renderings that appear only once — usually multi-word phrases or single function words the recovered tagging swept in, not distinct renderings. Not rendered by a distinct English word in 3 further occurrences.
American Standard Version Public Domain
Renders H3808 across 72 tagged occurrences — most commonly:
Plus 46 renderings that appear only once — usually multi-word phrases or single function words the recovered tagging swept in, not distinct renderings.
Berean Standard Bible Public Domain
Renders H3808 across 4,657 tagged occurrences — most commonly:
Plus other, less common renderings. Plus 377 renderings that appear only once — usually multi-word phrases or single function words the recovered tagging swept in, not distinct renderings. Not rendered by a distinct English word in 456 further occurrences.
unfoldingWord Literal Text CC BY-SA 4.0
Renders H3808 across 6,227 tagged occurrences — most commonly:
Plus other, less common renderings. Plus 138 renderings that appear only once — usually multi-word phrases or single function words the recovered tagging swept in, not distinct renderings.
17 senses and sub-senses in the full BDB
What do BDB’s symbols mean?
BDB uses these scholarly abbreviations:
| Symbol | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 𝔊 | the Septuagint (the ancient Greek translation, LXX) |
| 𝔙 | the Vulgate (the Latin translation) |
| 𝔖 | the Syriac version (the Peshitta) |
| 𝔗 | the Targum (the Aramaic translation) |
| ψ | the Psalms |
| √ | root (the underlying root or stem) |
| ‖ | parallel passage (a synonymous or contrasted parallel) |
| † | the dagger: every passage where the word occurs is cited |
The 17 senses and sub-senses the full Brown-Driver-Briggs lexicon distinguishes for this word, in lexicon order (not ranked by frequency), with BDB’s own verbatim wording and sub-sense lettering. Shown in Hebrew script with BDB’s own scholarly abbreviations. The condensed entry is in the Lexicon Entry tab. See also the Forms in the corpus table below.
- 1. in predication:
- a. with a verb; so most freq., and nearly always (a) with the finite tenses, whether pf. (Gn 2:5b; 4:5 etc.) or impf. (3:4; 8:21, 22 etc.); in short circumst. clauses, as Gn 44:4 לא הרחיקו, Is 40:20 לֹא יִמּוֹט, and with a final force 41:7 Ex 28:32 (v. Ges§ 156. 3 R. b, c Dr§ 162). Governing two closely connected verbs (Dr§115, לא) Ex 28:43 וְלֹא יִשְׂאוּ עָוֹן וָמֵתוּ, Lv 19:12, 29 b Dt 7:25, 26; 19:10; 22:1 al.; and two parallel clauses (Ges§ 152. 3) Is 23:4b ψ 9:19; 44:19 Jb 3:11 al. With the impf., especially with 2 ps., לֹא often expresses (not, like אַל, a deprecation, do not …, let not …, but) a prohibition, as Gn 2:17 לֹא תֹאכַל מִמֶּנּוּ thou shalt not eat of it, 3:1, 3 Ex 20:3 לֹא־יִהְיֶה לְךָ there shall not be to thee, etc., v 13 לא תגנב, etc. With the coh. and juss. moods (which are negatived regularly by אַל), it occurs only exceptionally (Ges§109. 1 b R. 1), Gn 24:8 1 S 14:36 2 S 17:12; 18:14 1 K 2:6 Ez 48:14. (b) with the inf. (which is negatived by בִּלְתִּי, q.v.), only once, in בְּלֹא (4 a), and with לְ, in the sense of cannot, or must not; †Ju 1:19 כי לא להורושׁ for it was not (possible) to dispossess, etc. Am 6:10 לא להזכיר בשׁם י׳, 1 Ch 5:1; 15:2 (Dr§ 202. 2); cf. Aramaic לָא Dan 6:9 Ezr 6:8. On its use with the ptcp., see b c. (c) לא always negatives properly the word immed. following: hence, in a verbal sentence, where this is not the verb, some special stress rests upon it, Gn 32:29 לֹא יַעֲקֹב יֵאָמֵר עוֹד וג׳ not Jacob shall thy name be called any more, but Israel, 45:8 לֹא אַתֶּם שְׁלַחְתֶּם אֹתִי Not ye (in our idiom: It is not ye who) have sent me hither, but God, Ex 16:8 1 S 8:7 כִּי לֹא אֹתְךָ מָאָסוּ כִּי אֹתִי וג׳, ψ 115:17; without a foll. correcting clause, Gn 38:9 Nu 16:29 לֹא י׳ שְׁלָחָנִי ׃ Not י׳ (but another) hath sent me, Dt 32:27 לֹא י׳ פָּעַל זֹאת, 1 Ch 17:4 Dt 8:9 Is 28:28 לא לנצח … not for ever (but only for a while) … (so 57:16 ψ 9:19; 49:20; 103:9; but Is 13:20 לא תשׁב לנצח is, will not be inhabited for ever), Is 43:22 Jb 13:16; 32:9; hence rhetorically, insinuating something very different, not named, 2 K 6:10 not once, and not twice (but repeatedly), Ezr 10:13 Je 4:11 a wind לֹא לְזָרוֹת וְלוֹא לְהָבַֽר׃ not to winnow, and not to cleanse (but to exterminate), Is 45:13; 48:1b Jos 24:12 Dn 11:20, 29 Jb 34:20 לֹא בְיָד (but by a Divine agency: cf. Dn 2:34; also Jb 20:26 אֵשׁ לֹא נֻפָּ֑ח fire not blown upon [but kindled from heaven], Lam 4:6; and אין Is 47:14). (d) standing alone: (a) אִם־לֹא if not, Gn 18:21 וְאִם־לֹא אֵדָֽעָה׃, 24:49; 42:16 Jb 9:24; 24:25; (β) הֲ … אִם־לֹא, or not, Gn 24:21 waiting to know הַהִצְלִיחַ י׳ דַּדְכּוֹ אִם־לֹא, 27:21; 37:32 Ex 16:4 Nu 11:23 Dt 8:2 Ju 2:22 (cf. אִם אַיִן, אַיִן 2 d β, δ). In answer to a question or request, to deny, or decline, Nay, No: Ju 12:5 ויאמר לא, Hg 2:12; לא אדני Gn 23:11; 42:10 1 S 1:15 +; often sq. כי, No: for … = No: but …, Gn 18:15 ויאמר לֹא כִּי צָחָ֑קְתְּ, 19:2 Jos 5:14; 24:21; 1 S 2:16 Qr (v. Dr), 10:19 (𝔊 MSS), 2 S 16:18; 24:24 1 K 3:22(×2) +; Jb 23:6 (strangely). (Cf., in deprecation, אַל.) (e) with an interrog. force, which however does not lie in לא as such, but (as in other cases) in the contrast with a preceding clause, or in the tone of voice (cf. וְ 1 f; Ew§ 324 a Ges§ 150. 1 Dr 1 S 11:12): Jon 4:11 אַתָּה חַסְתָּ … וַאֲנִי לֹא אָחוּס וג׳, Jb 2:10; 22:11; Ex 8:22; 2 K 5:26 Je 49:9 (‖ Ob 5 הֲלוֹא), Mal 2:15 La 3:38; and in passages, exeg. or text. doubtful (v. Comm.), 1 S 20:14 2 S 23:5 (but v. Bu), Ho 10:9 (Ew We), 11:5 (Ew), Jb 14:16b (but 𝔊 Ew Di תַעֲבֹר), La 1:12 (Ew Ke), 3:36 (Ke Bä). e.g. Genesis 2:5
- b. with adjs. and substs.: (a) Gn 2:18 לֹא טוֹב הֱיוֹת הָאָדָם לְבַדּוֹ not good is man’s being alone, Ex 18:17 + often (b) Ex 4:16 לֹא אִישׁ דְּבָרִים אָנֹכִי, Am 7:14 לא נביא אנכי, Nu 23:19 לֹא אִישׁ אֵל וִיכַזֵּב, Dt 17:15 (v. אשׁר 2 b) 20:20; 32:47 1 S 15:29 2 S 18:20 לֹא אִישׁ בְּשֹׂרָה אַתָּה הַיּוֹם, 21:2 1 K 22:33 2 K 6:19 לא זֹה הדרך, Mi 2:10 Is 27:11 Ho 8:6; והמה לא אלהים Je 2:11; 16:20 2 K 19:18; 1 K 19:11(×2) לֹא בָרַעַשׁ י׳, Dt 30:12, 13 Jb 15:9; 28:14 לֹא בִי הִיא (‖ אֵין עִמָּדִי), ψ 74:9 Je 5:10 לוא לי׳ המה, 10:16; Dt 32:21 בָּנִים לֹא אֵמוּן בָּם, Je 10:14 Hb 1:14 Jb 16:17; 38:26 מִדְבָּר לֹא אָדָם בּוֹ; 1 K 22:17 לֹא אֲדֹנִים לָאֵלֶּה, Je 49:31 ψ 22:3 וְלֹא דוּמִיָּה לִי, Jb 18:17, 19; 29:12 ולא עֹזֵר לו, 30:13; 33:9; Je 2:19 וְלֹא פַחְדָּתִי אֵלַיִךְ and (that) my terror reached not unto thee, Jb 21:9; abs. Gn 29:7 לֹא־עֵת הֵאָסֵף הַמִּקְנֶה (Hg 1:2), Nu 20:5 2 K 4:23 לא חדשׁ ולא שׁבת, Is 44:19 Je 5:12 ויאמרו לוא הוא, Jb 9:32; 22:16; 36:26 (?) 41:2; Pr 19:7 (si vera l.) מְרַדֵּף אֲמָרִים לֹא־הֵמָּה words which are not, which are nought. (c) with the ptcp. לֹא is rare, a finite vb. being usually preferred (Ex 34:7 וְנַקֵּה לֹא יְנַקֶּה: Ew§ 320 c Dr§ 162): 2 S 3:34 יָדֶיךָ לֹא אֲסֻרוֹת, Ez 4:14; 22:24 Dt 28:61 ψ 38:15 כְּאִישׁ אֲשֶׁר לֹא שֹׁמֵעַ who is not hearing, Jb 12:3; 13:2 לֹא נֹפֵל אָנֹכִי מִכֶּם, Zp 3:5 (very anom.); 1 K 10:21 לא is prob. textual error. In וְהוּא לֹא שֹׂנֵא לוֹ or לא שׂנא הוא לו, Dt 4:42; 19:4, 6 Jos 20:5 (cf. אֹיֵב Nu 35:23), שׂנֵא is best construed as a subst., he being a not-hater to him aforetime.—In most of the cases under b, c, אין could have been employed; but the negation by לֹא is more pointed and forcible. e.g. Genesis 2:18
- 2. Not in predication:
- a. coupled to an adj. to negative it, like the Gk. ἀ—, but usually by way of litotes: Ho 13:13 בן לא־חכם an unwise son, ψ 36:5 דֶּרֶךְ לֹא טוֹב a way not good, 43:1 גוי לא חסיד, Pr 16:29; 30:25, 26 Ez 20:25 2 Ch 30:17: Is 16:14 לוֹא כַבִּיר, cf. 10:7 לֹא מְעַט. e.g. Hosea 13:13
- b. with a ptcp. Je 2:2 ארץ לא זרועה, 18:15 (the finite verb is more common: see Is 62:12 עִיר לֹא נֶעֱזָ֫בָה (cf. 54:11), Je 6:8 אֶרֶץ לוֹא נוֹשָׁ֫בָה, 15:18; 22:6; 31:18 Zp 2:1). e.g. Jeremiah 2:2
- c. †Gn 15:13 בארץ לא להם, Je 5:19 Hab 1:6 מִשְׁכָּנוֹת לֹא־לוֹ, Pr 26:17 רִיב לֹא־לוֹ. e.g. Genesis 15:13
- d. with a subst., in poetry, forming a kind of compound, expressing pointedly its antithesis or negation (Germ. un- is sometimes used similarly): Dt 32:5 (?), 17, 21 a they made me jealous בְּלֹא אֵל with a not-God (with what in no respect deserved the name of God), v b בְּלֹא עָם i.e. with an unorganized horde, Am 6:13 הַשְּׂמֵחִים לְלֹא דָבָר i.e. at a thing wh. is not, an unreality (of their boasted strength), Is 10:15 כְּהָרִים מַטֶּה לֹא עֵץ like a rod’s lifting up what is no wood (but the agent wielding it), 31:8 חרב לא אישׁ, חרב לא אדם, 55:2 בלוא לחם for what is not bread, בלוא לשׂבעה for what is not for satiety, Je 5:7 וַיּשָּֽׁבְעוּ בְּלֹא אֱלֹהִים by not-goods, in late prose 2 Ch 13:9 כֹּהֵן לְלֹא אֱלֹהִים; ψ 44:13 תִּמְכֹּר עַמְּךָ בְּלֹא־הוֹן for no-value (i.e. cheaply), Pr 13:23 Jb 10:22 צלמות וְלֹא סְדָרִים darkness and disorder; so לֹא־עַמִּי Ho 1:9; 2:25: still more pregnantly Jb 26:2a מֶה־עָזַרְתָּ לְלֹא־כֹחַ (poet. for לאשׁר אין לו כח) the powerless, v 2b, 3a (Ew§ 286 g Ges§ 152. 1 n.), 39:16 הִקְשִׁיחַ בָּנֶיהָ לְלֹא לָהּ useth hardly her young ones (making them) into none of hers; and even Hb 2:6 הַמַּרְבֶּה לֹא־לוֹ what is not his own (cf. Jb 18:15 מִבְּלִי לוֹ). Cf. with a verb, and ellipse of אשׁר, Is 65:1 לְלֹא שָׁאָ֑לוּ to those who have not asked, v b Je 2:8 אַחֲרֵי לֹא יוֹעִילוּ, v 11b; also לֹא רֻחָ֫מָה Ho 1:6, 8; 2:25, and prob. Jb 31:31 לֹא נִשְׂבָּ֑ע (pf. in p.) one not satisfied. e.g. Deuteronomy 32:5
- e. in circ. clauses (Dr§ 164), poet. and rare: qualifying a subst., 2 S 23:4 בֹּקֶר לֹא עָבוֹת a morning without clouds, Job 12:24 בְּתֹהוּ לֹא דֶרֶךְ in a pathless waste, 38:26a; and a verb Jb 34:24 יָרֹעַ כַּבִּירִים לֹא חֵקֶר without inquiry, ψ 59:4 לא פשׁעי ולא חטאתי (cf. v 4 בלי עון), in late prose, twice, 1 Ch 2:30, 32 וימת לא בנים (אֵין and בְּלִי, q.v., are more usual in such cases). e.g. 2 Samuel 23:4
- 3. Once (according to many MSS), as a subst., Jb 6:21 כִּי־עַתָּה הֱיִיתֶם לֹא for now are ye become nothing, Hi De Kö (cf. Dn 4:32 (Aramaic) כְּלָה חֲשִׁיבִין; 𝔗 here הֲוֵיתוּן כְּלָא, and אַל Jb 24:25); but reading fluctuates (Orientals לֹא, Qr לו, Westerns, Baer (v. pp. 37, 56) לוֹ [‘now are ye become that,’ viz. the נַחַל אַכְזָב of v 15]; but even לוֹ yields a forced sense; and text is prob. wrong: Mich Ew Ol Sgf Bu כֵּן … לִי (𝔊 𝔖 also read לִי); Bö Di כִּי … לְאָ֑יִן. Cf. Köii. 1. 236 f. e.g. Job 6:21
- 4. With prefixes:—
- a. †בְּלֹא31 (chiefly poet. or late), according to the varying signif. of בְּ: (a) usually with not = without, Je 22:13 בונה ביתו בלא־צדק without justice (‖ בלא משׁפט; so Ez 22:29 Pr 16:8), Is 55:1, 1 Pr 19:2, Jb 8:11 הֲיִגְאֶה־גֹּמֶא בְּלֹא בִצָּה without mire (‖ בלי מים), 30:28 בְּלֹא חַמָּה (= not through the sun), La 1:6 וילכו בלא־כח, Nu 35:22 בְּלֹא אֵיבָה … בְּלֹא צְדִיָּה, v 23 (sq. inf.) בְּלֹא רְאוֹת, 2 Ch 21:20 Ec 10:11; ψ 17:1 תְּפִלָּתִי בְּלֹא שִׂפְתֵי מִרְמָה; used more freely in Chr, 1 Ch 12:18 בְּלֹא חָמָס בְּכַפָּֽי׃, v 34 בְּלֹא לֵב וָלֵב, 2 Ch 30:18 בְּלֹא כַכָּתוּב. With ellipse of rel., La 4:14 בְּלֹא יוּכְלוּ יִגְּעוּ without (that) men are able to touch, etc. (b) of time, in not, i.e. outside of, Lv 15:25 בלא עֶת־נִדָּתָתּ, before Jb 15:32 בלא־יומו, Ec 7:17 בְּלֹא עִתֶּךְ ׃. (c) where לֹא belongs to the foll. word, and is only accidentally preceded by ב (v. supr. 2 d), Dt 32:21(×2) Je 5:7 Pr 13:23 בלא משׁפט through injustice; with בְּ pretii, ψ 44:13 Is 55:2(×2) Je 2:11 בְּלוֹא יוֹעִיל for (that which) profiteth not. e.g. Jeremiah 22:13
- b. הֲלֹא nonne? Gn 4:7 + often Inviting, as it does, an affirmative answer, it is often used, (a) especially in conversation, for pointing to a fact in such a way as to arouse the interest of the person addressed, or to win his assent: Gn 13:9 Is not the whole land before thee? 19:20; 20:5; 27:36; 29:25 Ex 4:11 Who maketh dumb or deaf, etc.? Do not I? 33:16 Ju 4:6, 14; 8:2; 9:28, 38 1 S 9:20, 21; 15:17 etc.; with a vb. in 1 ps., Jos 1:9 הלא צויתיך, Ju 6:14 הלא שׁלחתיך, 1 S 20:30; 2 S 19:23 Ru 2:9: similarly in a poet. or rhet. style, Ju 5:30 הלא ימצאו יחלקו שׁלל, Is 8:19; 10:8, 9, 11; 28:25; 29:17; 40:21, 23; 42:24; 43:19 etc., Jb 4:6, 21; 7:1; 10:10, 20, etc. (β) it has a tendency to become little more than an affirm. particle, declaring with some rhetor. emph. what is, or might be, well known: Dt 3:11 הֲלֹה הִיא בְרַבַּת בְּנֵי עַמּוֹן, 11:30 1 S 21:12 הלוא זה דוד וג׳ (cf. 29:3, 5 2 S 11:3), 23:19; 26:1 2 S 15:35; it is thus nearly = הִנֵּה (𝔊 sometimes represents it by ἰδού, as Jos 1:9 Ju 6:14 Ru 2:9 2 S 15:35); so especially in the phrase of the compiler of K, And the rest of the acts of … הֲלֹא הֵם (הֵמָּה) כְּתוּבִים are they not written in, etc.? 1 K 11:41; 14:29 + often (with which there interchanges הִנָּם כְּתוּבִים 1 K 14:19 2 K 15:11; 15:26, 31, which is gen. used by the Chr, 2 Ch 16:11; 20:34, etc.), Jos 10:13 (cf. 2 S 1:18 הִנֵּה), 1 K 8:53 𝔊, Est 10:2; ψ 56:14 (strangely: contr. 116:8).—הֲלֹא הִנֵּה †Hb 2:13 2 Ch 25:26 (הִנָּם).—On Ju 14:15, see הֲ 1 end. e.g. Genesis 4:7
- c. †וָלֹ֕א and not = and if not, 2 S 13:26 2 K 5:17. Comp. וָיֵשׁ. e.g. 2 Samuel 13:26
- d. †כְּלוֹא Ob 16 והיו כלוא היו, poet. for כאשׁר, as though they had not been. e.g. Obadiah 1:16
- e. †לְלֹא without, lit. in the condition of no … 2 Ch 15:3 (comp. לְאֵין, also in Chr). Elsewhere לא belongs to the foll. word, Am 6:13 2 Ch 13:9 Is 65:1(×2) Jb 26:2, 3; 39:16 (v. supr. 2 d). e.g. 2 Chronicles 15:3
- —Fifteen times, according to Mas. (v. De ψ 100:3 FrMM 247 Str Prol. Cr. 84), לא is written by error for לוֹ, viz. Ex 21:8 Lv 11:21; 25:30 1 S 2:3 2 S 16:18 2 K 8:10 Is 9:2; 63:9 ψ 100:3; 139:16 Jb 13:15; 41:4 Pr 19:7; 26:2 Ezr 4:2 (always with Qr לוֹ). The passages must be considered each upon its own merits: in some לוֹ yields a preferable sense; but this is not the case in all. There is the same קרי (rightly) on Is 49:5 1 Ch 11:20; but these were not considered to rest upon equal authority, and are hence not reckoned with the fifteen.—In Ju 21:22 (v. GFM), 1 S 13:13; 20:14(×2), and in Jb 9:33 (לֹא יֵשׁ), read prob. לֻא for לֹא. e.g. Psalms 100:3
Senses from the full Brown-Driver-Briggs lexicon (Brown, Driver, Briggs; Oxford 1906 — public domain), digitized via Sefaria, supplemented by the OpenScriptures HebrewLexicon (CC BY 4.0). Full attribution on Sources.
Word origin
or לוֹא adv. not (Arabic لَا, Aramaic לָא, ܠܴܐ, Sab. לא, Assyrian lâ; not in Ethiopic: cf. Köii. 1. 236 Walker AJSL 1896, 237 ff.)—לוֹא, according to Mass. (FrMM 248), 35 times, besides בְּלוֹא 6 times, and הֲלוֹא, the orthogr. of which varies much (ib.p. 251), e.g. in S always הֲלוֹא, in Chr always הֲלֹא, on the whole הֲלוֹא 141 times, הֲלֹא 128 times; twice, according to Mass, written לו (Qr לֹא), 1 S 2:16; 20:2, once לה Dt 3:11 Kt:—not—denying objectively, like οὐ (not μὴ = אַל):—
— Brown-Driver-Briggs (Oxford 1906, public domain), digitized via Sefaria, supplemented by the OpenScriptures HebrewLexicon (CC BY 4.0). See Sources.
Origin: a primitive particle
Jastrow Dictionary
A second Hebrew/Aramaic lexicon for comparison, covering Aramaic and post-biblical (Talmudic, Targumic, Midrashic) usage that the biblical-Hebrew BDB does not. Matched by lemma rather than by Strong’s number, so a lemma may carry more than one Jastrow headword (shown separately below), and the entries cover usage well beyond the Bible.
לֹא
- v. לַאי) not, no. Ber. I, 1 לא קרינו וכ׳ we have omitted to recite &c. Ib. III, 4 לא … ולא וכ׳ neither before nor after. Nidd. 5ᵃ לא אין להן וכ׳, no; it means &c., v. לַאו; a. v. fr.—וְלֹא indeed not? Ḥull. 4ᵇ ולא והכתיב וכ׳ indeed not (is it so that the verb הֵסִית never refers to persuasion by speech)? Do we not read &c.?; a. v. fr.—(מִצְוַת) לֹא תַעֲשֶׂה a prohibitory law, opp. עֲשֵׂה, a positive command; v. לַאו. Kidd. I, 7. Macc. 14ᵇ bot.; a. v. fr.—בְּלֹא without. Ber. 35ᵃ bot. ב׳ ברכה without pronouncing a benediction; a. v. fr.—והוא שלא, v. הוּא.
לָא I
- Targ. Gen. II, 5; a. v. fr.—Pes. 10ᵇ מקמיה … אין בתר … לא before the time when it is forbidden, yes (he must search after leavened bread); after the time, no (he must not search). Ib. לא שנא there is no difference; a. v. fr.
לָא II
- (preced. wds.) particle, mote. Yoma 20ᵇ, v. חִרְגָּא. Midr. Till. to Ps. LXVIII, 3 כלא חשיבי they are like a mote.
לָא III
- La, abbrev. of אִילָא, הִילָא; v. Fr. M’bo, p. 75ᵇ.
A Dictionary of the Targumim, the Talmud Babli and Yerushalmi, and the Midrashic Literature (Marcus Jastrow; London, Luzac, 1903) — Public Domain. Digitized via Sefaria. Digitized via Sefaria. Full attribution on Sources.
Forms in the corpus
The 120 distinct written forms H3808 takes in the Hebrew Bible, most frequent first — each parse links to that state’s occurrences in the concordance. Hebrew forms include their vowel points and cantillation, so a single lemma takes many written forms.
| Form | Parsing | Example | Uses |
|---|---|---|---|
| לֹ֣א | Particle, Negative | Amos 1:3 | 824 |
| לֹא | Particle, Negative | Amos 2:14 | 725 |
| לֹֽא | Particle, Negative | Amos 4:7 | 674 |
| לֹ֥א | Particle, Negative | Amos 2:15 | 666 |
| וְ/לֹ֥א | Particle, Negative | Amos 1:9 | 416 |
| וְ/לֹֽא | Particle, Negative | Amos 3:10 | 353 |
| וְ/לֹ֣א | Particle, Negative | Amos 4:8 | 351 |
| וְ/לֹא | Particle, Negative | Amos 5:11 | 278 |
| לֹ֤א | Particle, Negative | Amos 7:16 | 195 |
| וְ/לֹ֤א | Particle, Negative | Daniel 1:19 | 90 |
| לֹ֖א | Particle, Negative | Amos 2:12 | 36 |
| הֲ/ל֣וֹא | Particle, Negative | Amos 6:13 | 32 |
| וְֽ/לֹא | Particle, Negative | Deuteronomy 1:29 | 32 |
| הֲ/לֹא | Particle, Negative | Amos 5:20 | 30 |
| לֹ֨א | Particle, Negative | Deuteronomy 22:2 | 28 |
| וְ/לֹ֖א | Particle, Negative | Deuteronomy 5:18 | 26 |
| לֹ֧א | Particle, Negative | Amos 3:7 | 22 |
| הֲ/לוֹא | Particle, Negative | Deuteronomy 32:6 | 18 |
| הֲ/לֹ֥א | Particle, Negative | Exodus 4:11 | 17 |
| הֲ/לֹ֣א | Particle, Negative | Ezekiel 26:15 | 16 |
| הֲ/ל֤וֹא | Particle, Negative | Ezekiel 13:7 | 15 |
| הֲ/לֽוֹא | Particle, Negative | Ezekiel 37:18 | 15 |
| לא | Particle, Negative | Exodus 21:8 | 15 |
| הֲ/לֹֽא | Particle, Negative | Ezekiel 24:19 | 14 |
| וְ/לֹ֨א | Particle, Negative | Amos 9:15 | 14 |
| הֲ/ל֥וֹא | Particle, Negative | Genesis 34:23 | 11 |
| הֲ/ל֨וֹא | Particle, Negative | 1 Samuel 9:21 | 11 |
| הֲ/לֹ֤א | Particle, Negative | Genesis 13:9 | 11 |
| בְּ/לֹ֣א | Particle, Negative | 2 Chronicles 21:20 | 10 |
| הֲ/לֹ֨א | Particle, Negative | Exodus 4:14 | 10 |
| וְ/לֹ֧א | Particle, Negative | Deuteronomy 16:16 | 10 |
| לֹא֩ | Particle, Negative | Ecclesiastes 9:11 | 9 |
| הֲ/ל֖וֹא | Particle, Negative | Exodus 33:16 | 8 |
| הֲ/ל֛וֹא | Particle, Negative | Ezekiel 18:23 | 8 |
| הֲ/ל֧וֹא | Particle, Negative | Genesis 31:15 | 8 |
| לֹ֕א | Particle, Negative | Genesis 24:49 | 8 |
| הֲ/לוֹא֙ | Particle, Negative | Ezekiel 13:12 | 7 |
| ל֥וֹא | Particle, Negative | Isaiah 16:14 | 7 |
| לֹ֗א | Particle, Negative | Ezekiel 5:11 | 7 |
| לֹ֚א | Particle, Negative | 1 Kings 22:31 | 7 |
| הֲ/ל֗וֹא | Particle, Negative | Ezekiel 24:25 | 6 |
| לֽוֹא | Particle, Negative | 1 Kings 22:18 | 6 |
| הֲ/לֹ֗א | Particle, Negative | Deuteronomy 31:17 | 5 |
| ו/לא | Particle, Negative | Ezra 4:2 | 5 |
| וְ/ל֥וֹא | Particle, Negative | Ezekiel 24:16 | 5 |
| ל֣וֹא | Particle, Negative | Jeremiah 3:3 | 5 |
| לְ/לֹ֣א | Particle, Negative | 2 Chronicles 15:3 | 4 |
| בְּ/לֹא | Particle, Negative | Deuteronomy 32:21 | 4 |
| הֲ/לוֹא֩ | Particle, Negative | Ezekiel 17:9 | 4 |
| לֹ֠א | Particle, Negative | Ezekiel 20:33 | 4 |
| לֹֽ֣א | Particle, Negative | Deuteronomy 5:8 | 4 |
| בְ/לֹא | Particle, Negative | Deuteronomy 32:21 | 3 |
| בְּ/לֹ֥א | Particle, Negative | Ecclesiastes 7:17 | 3 |
| הֲ/לֹא֙ | Particle, Negative | 1 Chronicles 21:3 | 3 |
| הֲֽ/לֹא | Particle, Negative | Job 22:12 | 3 |
| וְ/לֹא֙ | Particle, Negative | Deuteronomy 1:42 | 3 |
| לֹ֘א | Particle, Negative | Job 18:19 | 3 |
| לֹ֞א | Particle, Negative | Ezekiel 33:27 | 3 |
| לֹ֦א | Particle, Negative | 1 Kings 10:3 | 3 |
| לֹ֪א | Particle, Negative | Psalms 44:3 | 3 |
The 60 most common forms are shown; 60 rarer forms follow in the full concordance.
Same root — word family
Other BDB entries built from the same root as H3808, grouped by Strong’s listed origin. These share a root / origin per the lexicon — not necessarily a shared meaning. Each links to that word’s own entry.
Derived from this word
Proper names from this root
People and places named from this root — a name, not an additional meaning of the word.
- לא דבר Lôʼ Dᵉbar H3810 Lo-debar
- לא עמי Lôʼ ʻAmmîy H3818 Lo-ammi
- לא רחמה Lôʼ Ruchâmâh H3819 Lo-ruhamah
Compare all same-root words → Showing 4 of 5 — not the complete family. 3 of the same-root words are proper names (people or places). They share a root, not necessarily a meaning.
Septuagint verse parallels
Most of the 3,966 Hebrew verses this word occurs in also exist in the Greek Old Testament (Septuagint), so the same passages can be read in Greek by switching the Old Testament edition to the Septuagint.
Read these verses in the Septuagint
- Genesis 2:5
- Exodus 1:8
- Leviticus 1:17
- Numbers 1:47
- Deuteronomy 1:9
- Joshua 1:5
- Judges 1:19
- Ruth 2:8
- 1 Samuel 1:7
- 2 Samuel 1:10
- 1 Kings 1:1
- 2 Kings 1:4
This is a verse-level parallel only — the same verses exist in both the Hebrew and Greek Old Testaments. No word-level Hebrew↔Greek correspondence is claimed: the data carries no such alignment, so no Greek word is shown as this Hebrew word’s translation. Coverage is not total — the Septuagint omits the deuterocanon and renumbers the Psalms, so some Hebrew verses have no direct Greek parallel.
