What does אַל mean in the Bible?
אַל is a Hebrew word meaning "not (the qualified negation, used as a deprecative); once (Job 24:25) as a noun, nothing".
Hebrew · H408
אַל
Not (the qualified negation, used as a deprecative); once (Job 24:25) as a noun, nothing
Reading a lexicon entry
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אַל H408
What does אַל mean in the Bible?
אַל is a Hebrew word meaning "not (the qualified negation, used as a deprecative); once (Job 24:25) as a noun, nothing".
Full entry for אַל (H408) · Open the biblical lexicon
Questions this entry answers
How does the BSB render H408?
The BSB source-word alignment has 724 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include Do not (400), . . . (50), and do not (41), not (26), no (24).
Where does אַל appear in Scripture?
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at Genesis 13:8. Its strongest book concentrations include Psalms (114), Proverbs (90), Jeremiah (89), Isaiah (45).
Source Word Evidence
BSB source-word alignment connects this entry to exact verse rows, English rendering, source form, transliteration, and parsing.
How English Renders It Do not 400× Genesis 15:1, Genesis 18:3, Genesis 19:8, Genesis 19:17
. . . 50× Genesis 22:12, Genesis 37:22, Genesis 45:5, Leviticus 19:31
and do not 41× Genesis 19:17, Numbers 14:9, Deuteronomy 21:8, Judges 13:7
not 26× Genesis 18:30, Genesis 18:32, Exodus 34:3, Leviticus 16:2
no 24× Genesis 13:8, Genesis 19:18, Genesis 33:10, Exodus 16:19
but do not 11× Genesis 37:22, Exodus 20:19, Joshua 22:19, Ruth 3:3
nor 10× Judges 13:14, Psalms 27:9, Isaiah 62:7, Jeremiah 9:23
Be not 8× Psalms 22:11, Psalms 22:19, Psalms 28:1, Psalms 35:22
never 8× Genesis 49:6, 2 Samuel 3:29, Job 16:18, Psalms 109:14
[or] 7× Deuteronomy 2:9, Deuteronomy 20:3, Proverbs 4:14, Proverbs 23:10
and not 7× Genesis 37:27, Deuteronomy 33:6, Judges 13:4, Psalms 69:28
Let no 6× 1 Samuel 17:32, Psalms 119:133, Isaiah 56:3, Hosea 4:4
do not let 5× 2 Chronicles 25:7, Psalms 9:19, Psalms 25:2, Psalms 66:7
let me not 5× Psalms 25:20, Psalms 31:17, Psalms 119:31, Psalms 119:116
Let not 5× 1 Samuel 22:15, Psalms 35:19, Psalms 36:11, Psalms 69:15
and never 4× Deuteronomy 9:7, Job 41:8, Proverbs 23:23, Ecclesiastes 9:8
must not 4× Exodus 8:29, Exodus 19:24, 1 Samuel 20:3, 2 Samuel 13:32
or 4× 1 Kings 8:57, 2 Chronicles 35:21, Psalms 6:1, Psalms 27:9
should not 4× 1 Samuel 19:4, 1 Kings 20:11, 1 Kings 22:8, 2 Chronicles 18:7
vvv 4× Genesis 45:20, Exodus 5:9, 1 Samuel 18:17, Job 3:4
You must not 4× Leviticus 19:29, Leviticus 19:31, Leviticus 25:14, Job 1:12
{be} not 3× Psalms 83:1
He will not 3× Job 20:17, Psalms 85:8, Psalms 121:3
Let them not 3× Psalms 35:25, Psalms 69:27
no one 3× 1 Samuel 21:2, Psalms 109:12
but never 2× Isaiah 6:9
cannot 2× Jeremiah 46:6
Do no 2× 1 Chronicles 16:22, Jeremiah 22:3
It is not 2× Proverbs 31:4
let me never 2× Psalms 31:1, Psalms 71:1
let no one 2× Proverbs 28:17, Jeremiah 50:29
May it not 2× Job 3:6, Job 3:9
without 2× Genesis 45:9, Proverbs 25:9
and [if you] no 1× Jeremiah 7:6
and allow no 1× Job 11:14
and do not let them 1× Psalms 35:24
and let me not 1× Numbers 11:15
and need not 1× Job 5:22
and pay no 1× Jeremiah 18:18
and refuse 1× Psalms 41:2
and will not 1× Psalms 50:3
and you must not 1× Ezekiel 20:7
are not 1× Leviticus 10:9
avoid 1× Hosea 4:15
away 1× Psalms 36:11
But you should not 1× Obadiah 1:12
Do not let me 1× Psalms 25:2
does not 1× 2 Kings 6:27
don’t 1× Genesis 19:7
I cannot 1× Genesis 21:16
instead of 1× Proverbs 8:10
it never 1× Song Of Solomon 7:2
Let him not 1× Job 15:31
let nothing 1× Numbers 22:16
let there be no one 1× Psalms 69:25
May He never 1× 1 Kings 8:57
may it never 1× Job 3:6
may no 1× Job 3:7
may they not 1× Psalms 19:13
neither 1× Proverbs 30:8
no more 1× 2 Kings 12:7
Nor should you 1× Obadiah 1:14
nothing back 1× Jeremiah 50:2
Overlook 1× Deuteronomy 9:27
pay no 1× Isaiah 43:18
Place no 1× Psalms 62:10
Put not 1× Psalms 146:3
shall never 1× Psalms 34:5
shall take no 1× Isaiah 62:6
She must not 1× 2 Kings 11:15
should pay no 1× 1 Samuel 25:25
show no 1× Psalms 59:5
so do not 1× Job 5:17
so that we will not 1× 1 Samuel 12:19
Stop 1× Jeremiah 45:5
than 1× Proverbs 17:12
then do not 1× 2 Kings 9:15
There is no need 1× Joshua 7:3
they do not 1× Jeremiah 14:17
They must not 1× Jonah 3:7
to 1× Jeremiah 47:6
to no 1× Job 32:21
to nothing 1× Job 24:25
we should not 1× 2 Samuel 13:25
will no 1× Job 9:34
will not 1× Psalms 121:3
yet do not 1× Psalms 4:4
you need not 1× Joshua 7:3
you not 1× Genesis 42:22
You should not 1× Obadiah 1:13
you will no 1× Genesis 49:4
Show sample aligned rows
Genesis 13:8 אַל־ to no Adverb Genesis 15:1 אַל־ to Do not Adverb Genesis 18:3 אַל־ to do not Adverb Genesis 18:30 אַל־ to not Adverb Genesis 18:32 אַל־ to not Adverb Genesis 19:7 אַל־ to don’t Adverb Genesis 19:8 אַל־ to do not Adverb Genesis 19:17 אַל־ to Do not Adverb Genesis 19:17 וְאַֽל־ to and do not Conjunctive waw | Adverb Genesis 19:18 אַל־ to No Adverb
Usage map
A compact distribution from source-word alignment before the full evidence tables.
First aligned row Genesis 13:8
Aligned rows 724
Books represented 37
Genesis 39 Exodus 19 Leviticus 11 Numbers 14 Deuteronomy 20 Joshua 19 Judges 17 Ruth 8 1 Samuel 26 2 Samuel 23 1 Kings 13 2 Kings 23 1 Chronicles 7 2 Chronicles 20 Ezra 2 Nehemiah 9 Esther 4 Job 25 Psalms 114 Proverbs 90 Ecclesiastes 21 Song Of Solomon 2 Isaiah 45 Jeremiah 89 Lamentations 5 Ezekiel 13 Daniel 3 Hosea 7 Joel 4 Amos 2 Obadiah 8 Jonah 5 Micah 6 Zephaniah 2 Haggai 1 Zechariah 7 Malachi 1
Source forms
אַל־ 502x ’al- Genesis 13:8, Genesis 15:1, Genesis 18:3, Genesis 18:30
וְאַל־ 124x wə·’al- Genesis 22:12, Genesis 44:18, Genesis 45:5, Exodus 5:9
אַֽל־ 65x ’al- Genesis 45:9, Genesis 45:24, Exodus 19:15, Exodus 23:7
וְאַֽל־ 14x wə·’al- Genesis 19:17, Numbers 16:26, Deuteronomy 20:3, 1 Kings 8:57
וְֽאַל־ 9x wə·’al- 2 Samuel 3:29, Job 16:18, Psalms 4:4, Psalms 6:1
אַ֣ל 2x ’al Ruth 1:13, Proverbs 31:4
אַ֖ל 1x ’al 1 Samuel 2:24
אַ֗ל 1x ’al 2 Kings 3:13
Parsing patterns
Adverb 574x Genesis 13:8, Genesis 15:1, Genesis 18:3, Genesis 18:30
Conjunctive waw | Adverb 148x Genesis 19:17, Genesis 22:12, Genesis 44:18, Genesis 45:5
Adverb - Negative particle 1x Ruth 3:17
Preposition-l | Adverb 1x Job 24:25
Evidence Summary
Hebrew word. not (the qualified negation, used as a deprecative); once (Job 24:25) as a noun, nothing
Source Gloss
not (the qualified negation, used as a deprecative); once (Job 24:25) as a noun, nothing
Extended definition Source: Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon + Brown-Driver-Briggs
not (the qualified negation, used as a deprecative); once (Job 24:25) as a noun, nothing Usage: nay, neither, + never, no, nor, not, nothing (worth), rather than.
Grammatical Forms
How this word appears across different grammatical cases and numbers.
Word Origins
אַל is built from this root:
Part of These Phrases
Compound and idiomatic phrases that include this word. Follow a link to study the phrase and how its parts work together.
Sources
MorphGNT Strong's Dictionary XML — CC0 1.0 Public Domain
Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible (morphhb/OSHB) — CC BY 4.0
Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon — CC BY 4.0
Berean Standard Bible (BSB) source-word alignment - CC0 Public Domain