Hebrew · H518

אִם

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

This lexicon entry is part of our ongoing editorial review. If you notice missing content, unclear wording, or a possible correction, please send us a note through the Connect page. Screenshots are helpful.

אִם H518

What does אִם mean in the Bible?

אִם is a Hebrew word meaning "used very widely as demonstrative, lo! ; interrogative, whether? ; or conditional, if , although ; also Oh that! , when ; hence, as a negative, not".

Full entry for אִם (H518) · Open the biblical lexicon

Questions this entry answers

What does אִם mean in the Bible?

אִם is a Hebrew word meaning "used very widely as demonstrative, lo! ; interrogative, whether?

How does the BSB render H518?

The BSB source-word alignment has 1,070 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include If (372), . . . (170), But if (95), or (64), And if (34).

Where does אִם appear in Scripture?

The source-word alignment first shows this entry at Genesis 4:7. Its strongest book concentrations include Job (109), Jeremiah (92), Leviticus (91), Genesis (76).

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
If 372× Genesis 4:7, Genesis 13:9, Genesis 13:16, Genesis 18:3
. . . 170× Genesis 15:4, Genesis 17:17, Genesis 24:19, Genesis 24:33
But if 95× Genesis 4:7, Genesis 20:7, Genesis 24:49, Genesis 34:17
or 64× Genesis 27:21, Genesis 30:1, Genesis 31:50, Genesis 37:32
And if 34× Genesis 24:8, Genesis 47:6, Exodus 13:13, Exodus 21:9
- 21× Genesis 28:15, Numbers 32:17, 2 Samuel 15:21, 2 Samuel 21:2
When 21× Leviticus 15:28, Deuteronomy 32:41, Judges 21:21, 2 Chronicles 6:22
Though 18× Job 20:6, Job 20:12, Job 27:14, Job 27:16
If, however 17× Exodus 21:11, Leviticus 1:10, Leviticus 3:6, Leviticus 4:32
whether 17× Genesis 24:21, Exodus 16:4, Exodus 19:13, Leviticus 3:1
I will not 13× Genesis 14:23, 2 Samuel 11:11, 2 Kings 2:2, 2 Kings 2:4
Surely 13× Joshua 14:9, Job 17:2, Job 22:20, Job 31:36
but 10× Genesis 24:38, Deuteronomy 24:1, 1 Samuel 21:4, 1 Samuel 21:6
Even if Leviticus 25:54, Deuteronomy 30:4, Judges 13:16, 2 Samuel 18:3
Or if Leviticus 13:41, Leviticus 27:4, Leviticus 27:20, Numbers 11:22
unless Genesis 44:26, Deuteronomy 32:30, 2 Samuel 3:13, 2 Kings 4:24
Not Deuteronomy 1:35, Judges 5:8, 1 Samuel 14:45, 2 Samuel 14:11
Since Genesis 47:16, Numbers 22:20, Esther 6:13, Job 14:5
Can Job 6:30, Proverbs 6:28, Jeremiah 23:24, Jeremiah 30:6
no 1 Samuel 25:34, 1 Samuel 28:10, 1 Kings 17:12, 1 Kings 18:10
that you will not Genesis 21:23, Genesis 26:29, 1 Samuel 24:21, 1 Samuel 30:15
Although 1 Samuel 15:17, Jeremiah 5:2, Jeremiah 14:7
and Numbers 5:19, Joshua 22:23, Jeremiah 27:18
And though Ecclesiastes 4:12, Amos 9:2, Amos 9:3
if only Genesis 24:42, 1 Chronicles 4:10, Psalms 81:8
if you Genesis 15:5, Psalms 130:3, Proverbs 2:3
Now if Exodus 20:25, Leviticus 4:13, Leviticus 27:22
only Joshua 17:3, 2 Kings 7:10, 2 Kings 19:18
Only if Genesis 38:17, Jeremiah 31:36, Jeremiah 31:37
that Genesis 14:23, Genesis 31:52, 1 Samuel 24:6
and he will surely Job 1:11, Job 2:5
And if [the person is] Leviticus 27:5, Leviticus 27:7
And when Numbers 36:4, Isaiah 53:10
And whether Leviticus 15:23, Ezekiel 2:5
as long as Exodus 21:19, 1 Samuel 20:14
but only 1 Samuel 2:15, 1 Kings 22:8
But when Leviticus 13:21, Leviticus 13:53
certainly Jeremiah 49:20, Jeremiah 50:45
Do not Song Of Solomon 2:7, Song Of Solomon 3:5
Has 1 Kings 1:27, Micah 4:9
I will never 1 Kings 2:8, Amos 8:7
Never Isaiah 62:8, Ezekiel 16:48
not one Numbers 14:23, Numbers 32:11
So if 1 Kings 3:14, Esther 1:19
they could not Ezekiel 14:16, Ezekiel 14:20
to determine whether Exodus 22:8, Exodus 22:11
whether or Numbers 11:23, Deuteronomy 8:2
will not Job 27:4
[Is] there any Job 6:13
[Nevertheless,] if 2 Kings 2:10
[or] 1 Samuel 30:15
[they are] Psalms 1:4
[they will say] Jeremiah 23:8
about 1 Kings 20:6
after Isaiah 24:13
Also, if Numbers 15:27
and I will surely Numbers 14:35
and such Job 11:2
as Micah 5:8
as if Isaiah 29:16
As surely 2 Kings 9:26
As surely as Ezekiel 17:16
at least 2 Kings 20:19
Because Judges 15:7
between 1 Chronicles 21:12
but cannot [match] Job 39:13
but I will surely Jeremiah 22:6
But if anyone Numbers 35:22
But if you Ruth 4:4
But in fact Joshua 22:24
condition Genesis 34:15
David will not 1 Samuel 19:6
Does Isaiah 10:15
exactly Numbers 14:28
except for Joshua 14:4
He who Psalms 94:9
I do not 1 Samuel 17:55
I take no Ezekiel 33:11
I would not 2 Kings 3:14
If [he vows] Leviticus 27:9
If [this] Joshua 22:22
if {I let} 1 Samuel 25:22
If he is alone 2 Samuel 18:25
if perhaps Esther 4:14
if they can Jeremiah 2:28
if we are strong Psalms 90:10
If what was stolen Exodus 22:4
If you refuse 1 Samuel 2:16
If, however, [the owner] Leviticus 27:13
If, instead Leviticus 1:14
indeed 1 Samuel 21:5
Is her Jeremiah 8:19
Is there Hosea 12:11
Likewise, if Numbers 35:20
My visitor Psalms 41:6
neither 1 Kings 17:1
no one 2 Samuel 14:19
nor Jeremiah 38:16
nor does Proverbs 27:24
nor will Isaiah 62:8
Now if [the person is] Leviticus 27:6
Now, if 1 Samuel 20:21
O Psalms 139:19
of yours will never Isaiah 22:14
on Jeremiah 9:9
provided that 1 Samuel 21:4
See if Malachi 3:10
shall never 1 Samuel 3:14
Should Lamentations 2:20
so whenever Genesis 38:9
surely as Ezekiel 17:19
surely I will Jeremiah 15:11
Surely none Numbers 14:30
surely then 1 Kings 20:23
that even if Numbers 24:13
that never Jeremiah 44:26
that surely Ezekiel 36:7
then even if Nehemiah 1:9
They shall never Psalms 95:11
to 2 Samuel 20:20
until Proverbs 4:16
vvv Genesis 44:23
Was Habakkuk 3:8
Whenever Judges 6:3
where we will surely 1 Kings 20:25
Whether [it is] Leviticus 27:26
whether the Joshua 24:15
Yet if Job 33:23
you Genesis 39:9
You must not Nehemiah 13:25
you shall not Genesis 42:15
you unless Joshua 7:12
you will no Ezekiel 18:3
you will surely Ezekiel 20:39
Show sample aligned rows
Usage map

A compact distribution from source-word alignment before the full evidence tables.

First aligned row Genesis 4:7
Aligned rows 1,070
Books represented 37
Genesis 76 Exodus 60 Leviticus 91 Numbers 66 Deuteronomy 34 Joshua 20 Judges 37 Ruth 9 1 Samuel 56 2 Samuel 37 1 Kings 39 2 Kings 40 1 Chronicles 16 2 Chronicles 21 Ezra 1 Nehemiah 11 Esther 16 Job 109 Psalms 45 Proverbs 31 Ecclesiastes 21 Song Of Solomon 10 Isaiah 40 Jeremiah 92 Lamentations 5 Ezekiel 37 Daniel 1 Hosea 3 Joel 2 Amos 17 Obadiah 5 Micah 4 Nahum 2 Habakkuk 3 Haggai 1 Zechariah 7 Malachi 5
Source forms
אִם־ 703x ’im- Genesis 4:7, Genesis 13:9, Genesis 13:16, Genesis 14:23
וְאִם־ 213x wə·’im- Genesis 13:9, Genesis 14:23, Genesis 18:21, Genesis 20:7
אִֽם־ 39x ’im- Exodus 22:4, Numbers 5:27, Numbers 32:20, Deuteronomy 12:5
וְאִם֙ 11x wə·’im Genesis 4:7, Leviticus 13:41, Leviticus 17:16, Leviticus 27:11
אִ֚ם 9x ’im Genesis 34:15, Joshua 2:14, 2 Samuel 15:33, 1 Kings 1:52
אִ֣ם 9x ’im Exodus 18:23, Leviticus 4:3, Leviticus 7:12, Numbers 11:22
אִ֥ם 9x ’im Numbers 13:19, Ezra 2:59, Nehemiah 7:61, Job 4:17
וְאִֽם־ 7x wə·’im- Leviticus 15:28, 1 Chronicles 12:17, 2 Chronicles 15:2, Ecclesiastes 4:12
Parsing patterns
Conjunction 1,070x Genesis 4:7, Genesis 13:9, Genesis 13:16, Genesis 14:23
Sources