Biblical Hebrew Forum

[Yigal Levin <Yigal.Levin AT biu.ac.il>]

Something more like "would it might be," "if only," or "Oh that". Not just "if".

 

And in modern Hebrew it means exactly the same thing.

 

Yigal Levin

 

From: b-hebrew-bounces AT lists.ibiblio.org [mailto:b-hebrew-bounces AT lists.ibiblio.org] On Behalf Of Mike Burke
Sent: Tuesday, May 14, 2013 4:15 AM
To: b-hebrew AT lists.ibiblio.org
Subject: [b-hebrew] לו luw {loo}

 

What exactly does ל֥וּ  mean in the following context?

 

וַיֹּ֥אמֶר  אַבְרָהָ֖ם אֶל־ הָֽאֱלֹהִ֑ים ל֥וּ יִשְׁמָעֵ֖אל יִחְיֶ֥ה לְפָנֶֽיךָ׃

 

Does it just mean "if," or does it mean something more like "would it might be," "if only," or "Oh that"?

 

And what does it mean in modern Hebrew?

 

Michael Gerard Burke