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 theConnect page. Screenshots are helpful.

אִםH518

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
If372×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 if95×Genesis 4:7, Genesis 20:7, Genesis 24:49, Genesis 34:17
or64×Genesis 27:21, Genesis 30:1, Genesis 31:50, Genesis 37:32
And if34×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
When21×Leviticus 15:28, Deuteronomy 32:41, Judges 21:21, 2 Chronicles 6:22
Though18×Job 20:6, Job 20:12, Job 27:14, Job 27:16
If, however17×Exodus 21:11, Leviticus 1:10, Leviticus 3:6, Leviticus 4:32
whether17×Genesis 24:21, Exodus 16:4, Exodus 19:13, Leviticus 3:1
I will not13×Genesis 14:23, 2 Samuel 11:11, 2 Kings 2:2, 2 Kings 2:4
Surely13×Joshua 14:9, Job 17:2, Job 22:20, Job 31:36
but10×Genesis 24:38, Deuteronomy 24:1, 1 Samuel 21:4, 1 Samuel 21:6
Even if9×Leviticus 25:54, Deuteronomy 30:4, Judges 13:16, 2 Samuel 18:3
Or if9×Leviticus 13:41, Leviticus 27:4, Leviticus 27:20, Numbers 11:22
unless7×Genesis 44:26, Deuteronomy 32:30, 2 Samuel 3:13, 2 Kings 4:24
Not6×Deuteronomy 1:35, Judges 5:8, 1 Samuel 14:45, 2 Samuel 14:11
Since5×Genesis 47:16, Numbers 22:20, Esther 6:13, Job 14:5
Can4×Job 6:30, Proverbs 6:28, Jeremiah 23:24, Jeremiah 30:6
no4×1 Samuel 25:34, 1 Samuel 28:10, 1 Kings 17:12, 1 Kings 18:10
that you will not4×Genesis 21:23, Genesis 26:29, 1 Samuel 24:21, 1 Samuel 30:15
Although3×1 Samuel 15:17, Jeremiah 5:2, Jeremiah 14:7
and3×Numbers 5:19, Joshua 22:23, Jeremiah 27:18
And though3×Ecclesiastes 4:12, Amos 9:2, Amos 9:3
if only3×Genesis 24:42, 1 Chronicles 4:10, Psalms 81:8
if you3×Genesis 15:5, Psalms 130:3, Proverbs 2:3
Now if3×Exodus 20:25, Leviticus 4:13, Leviticus 27:22
only3×Joshua 17:3, 2 Kings 7:10, 2 Kings 19:18
Only if3×Genesis 38:17, Jeremiah 31:36, Jeremiah 31:37
that3×Genesis 14:23, Genesis 31:52, 1 Samuel 24:6
and he will surely2×Job 1:11, Job 2:5
And if [the person is]2×Leviticus 27:5, Leviticus 27:7
And when2×Numbers 36:4, Isaiah 53:10
And whether2×Leviticus 15:23, Ezekiel 2:5
as long as2×Exodus 21:19, 1 Samuel 20:14
but only2×1 Samuel 2:15, 1 Kings 22:8
But when2×Leviticus 13:21, Leviticus 13:53
certainly2×Jeremiah 49:20, Jeremiah 50:45
Do not2×Song Of Solomon 2:7, Song Of Solomon 3:5
Has2×1 Kings 1:27, Micah 4:9
I will never2×1 Kings 2:8, Amos 8:7
Never2×Isaiah 62:8, Ezekiel 16:48
not one2×Numbers 14:23, Numbers 32:11
So if2×1 Kings 3:14, Esther 1:19
they could not2×Ezekiel 14:16, Ezekiel 14:20
to determine whether2×Exodus 22:8, Exodus 22:11
whether or2×Numbers 11:23, Deuteronomy 8:2
will not2×Job 27:4
[Is] there any1×Job 6:13
[Nevertheless,] if1×2 Kings 2:10
[or]1×1 Samuel 30:15
[they are]1×Psalms 1:4
[they will say]1×Jeremiah 23:8
about1×1 Kings 20:6
after1×Isaiah 24:13
Also, if1×Numbers 15:27
and I will surely1×Numbers 14:35
and such1×Job 11:2
as1×Micah 5:8
as if1×Isaiah 29:16
As surely1×2 Kings 9:26
As surely as1×Ezekiel 17:16
at least1×2 Kings 20:19
Because1×Judges 15:7
between1×1 Chronicles 21:12
but cannot [match]1×Job 39:13
but I will surely1×Jeremiah 22:6
But if anyone1×Numbers 35:22
But if you1×Ruth 4:4
But in fact1×Joshua 22:24
condition1×Genesis 34:15
David will not1×1 Samuel 19:6
Does1×Isaiah 10:15
exactly1×Numbers 14:28
except for1×Joshua 14:4
He who1×Psalms 94:9
I do not1×1 Samuel 17:55
I take no1×Ezekiel 33:11
I would not1×2 Kings 3:14
If [he vows]1×Leviticus 27:9
If [this]1×Joshua 22:22
if {I let}1×1 Samuel 25:22
If he is alone1×2 Samuel 18:25
if perhaps1×Esther 4:14
if they can1×Jeremiah 2:28
if we are strong1×Psalms 90:10
If what was stolen1×Exodus 22:4
If you refuse1×1 Samuel 2:16
If, however, [the owner]1×Leviticus 27:13
If, instead1×Leviticus 1:14
indeed1×1 Samuel 21:5
Is her1×Jeremiah 8:19
Is there1×Hosea 12:11
Likewise, if1×Numbers 35:20
My visitor1×Psalms 41:6
neither1×1 Kings 17:1
no one1×2 Samuel 14:19
nor1×Jeremiah 38:16
nor does1×Proverbs 27:24
nor will1×Isaiah 62:8
Now if [the person is]1×Leviticus 27:6
Now, if1×1 Samuel 20:21
O1×Psalms 139:19
of yours will never1×Isaiah 22:14
on1×Jeremiah 9:9
provided that1×1 Samuel 21:4
See if1×Malachi 3:10
shall never1×1 Samuel 3:14
Should1×Lamentations 2:20
so whenever1×Genesis 38:9
surely as1×Ezekiel 17:19
surely I will1×Jeremiah 15:11
Surely none1×Numbers 14:30
surely then1×1 Kings 20:23
that even if1×Numbers 24:13
that never1×Jeremiah 44:26
that surely1×Ezekiel 36:7
then even if1×Nehemiah 1:9
They shall never1×Psalms 95:11
to1×2 Samuel 20:20
until1×Proverbs 4:16
vvv1×Genesis 44:23
Was1×Habakkuk 3:8
Whenever1×Judges 6:3
where we will surely1×1 Kings 20:25
Whether [it is]1×Leviticus 27:26
whether the1×Joshua 24:15
Yet if1×Job 33:23
you1×Genesis 39:9
You must not1×Nehemiah 13:25
you shall not1×Genesis 42:15
you unless1×Joshua 7:12
you will no1×Ezekiel 18:3
you will surely1×Ezekiel 20:39
Show sample aligned rows
Usage map

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

First aligned rowGenesis 4:7
Aligned rows1,070
Books represented37
Genesis76Exodus60Leviticus91Numbers66Deuteronomy34Joshua20Judges37Ruth91 Samuel562 Samuel371 Kings392 Kings401 Chronicles162 Chronicles21Ezra1Nehemiah11Esther16Job109Psalms45Proverbs31Ecclesiastes21Song Of Solomon10Isaiah40Jeremiah92Lamentations5Ezekiel37Daniel1Hosea3Joel2Amos17Obadiah5Micah4Nahum2Habakkuk3Haggai1Zechariah7Malachi5
Source forms
אִם־703x’im-Genesis 4:7, Genesis 13:9, Genesis 13:16, Genesis 14:23
וְאִם־213xwə·’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
וְאִם֙11xwə·’imGenesis 4:7, Leviticus 13:41, Leviticus 17:16, Leviticus 27:11
אִ֚ם9x’imGenesis 34:15, Joshua 2:14, 2 Samuel 15:33, 1 Kings 1:52
אִ֣ם9x’imExodus 18:23, Leviticus 4:3, Leviticus 7:12, Numbers 11:22
אִ֥ם9x’imNumbers 13:19, Ezra 2:59, Nehemiah 7:61, Job 4:17
וְאִֽם־7xwə·’im-Leviticus 15:28, 1 Chronicles 12:17, 2 Chronicles 15:2, Ecclesiastes 4:12
Parsing patterns
Conjunction1,070xGenesis 4:7, Genesis 13:9, Genesis 13:16, Genesis 14:23
Sources