Negative Sentence

Negative Sentence
§ 127. The neg. particles are ‏לֹא‎, ‏אַל‎ not, ‏אַיִן‎ there is, was, not, ‏פֶּן‎ lest, that not, ‏טֶרֶם‎ not yet, ‏אֶפֶס‎ no more, ‏לְבִלְתִּי‎ not (with infin.), and some others, chiefly poetical.
(a) The neg. ‏לֹא‎ is used in objective statements and in commands. Genesis 45:1-28. I ‏וְלֹא יָכֹל יוֹסֵף לְהִתְאַפֵּק‎ and J. was unable to restrain himself. Genesis 3:1 ‏לֹא תֹֽאכְלוּ מִכֹּל עֵץ הַגָּן‎ ye shall eat of no tree of the garden. On neg. interrog. ‏הְַלֹא‎ cf. § 123.—The particle ‏אַל‎ is the subjective neg., used sometimes in commands, oftener in dissuasion, deprecation, expression of a wish, &c. (see Juss. § 63). Genesis 19:7 ‏אַל־נָא אַחַי תָּרֵֽעוּ‎ do not my brethren do wrong, cf. Genesis 19:8. Genesis 43:23, 1 Samuel 17:32; 1 Samuel 26:20, 2 Kings 18:31, Jeremiah 7:4; Jeremiah 9:22, Psalms 51:11.
The usual place of the neg. is before the verb, but it may be placed before the emphatic word in the neg. clause. Genesis 45:8 ‏לֹא אַתֶּם שְׁלַחְתֶּם אֹתִי‎ it was not you that sent me. Genesis 32:28, Exodus 16:8, 1 Samuel 2:9; 1 Samuel 8:7, Numbers 16:29, Nehemiah 6:12, 1 Chronicles 17:4.
Both ‏לא‎ and ‏אל‎ are used only with perf. and impf., cf. e.g. Isaiah 5:27. On imper. with neg. § 60; ptcp. § 100d; infin. § 95.
On mode of expressing no, none, cf. § 11, R. 1b.
(b) The particle ‏אַיִן‎ is a noun which embraces the idea of to be, being, meaning therefore not-being (opposite of ‏יֵשׁ‎ being), i.e. there is, was, not. Its natural place is before the word (noun or pron.) which it denies, and in cons. state. Genesis 20:11 ‏אֵין יִרְאַת א׳ בַּמָּקוֹם הַזֶּה‎ there is not the fear of God, &c. Genesis 37:29; Genesis 39:11; Genesis 41:8, Numbers 14:42, Judges 21:25. The word denied may stand for emphasis before ‏אין‎, in which case the neg. is properly in the abs. in apposition. Genesis 2:5 ‏וְאָדָם אַיִן לַֽעְַבֹד‎ and man was not to till. 2 Kings 19:3 ‏וְכֹחַ אַיִן לְלֵדָה‎ there is not strength to bring forth, Numbers 20:5. But the cons. form, being now habitual, mostly remains in any place except at the end of a clause. Genesis 40:8 ‏וּפֹתֵר אֵין אֹתוֹ‎ there is no interpreter of it; Genesis 37:24; Genesis 47:13, Jeremiah 30:13, Proverbs 30:27.—Micah 7:2 ‏וְיָשָׁר בָּֽאָדָם אָיִן‎ one upright among men there is not. Exodus 17:7; Exodus 32:32, Leviticus 26:37, Judges 4:20; Judges 9:15, 1 Samuel 10:14, 1 Kings 18:10.
When pers. pron. is subj. it appears as suff. Exodus 5:10 ‏אֵינֶנִּי נֹתֵן לָכֶם תֶּבֶן‎ I will not give you straw. 2 Kings 17:26 ‏אֵינָם יֹֽדְעִים‎ they do not know. Genesis 20:7; Genesis 31:2; Genesis 39:9, Judges 3:25, Jeremiah 14:12. So when existence is denied absolutely, Genesis 5:24 ‏וְאֵינֶנּוּ‎ and he was not, Jeremiah 31:16; but a subst. is put in casus pendens, and resumed by suff., Genesis 42:36 ‏יוֹסֵף אֵינֶנּוּ‎ J. is not; Genesis 42:13; Genesis 37:30. With a clause, Genesis 37:29 ‏אֵין יוסף בַּבּוֹר‎ Jos. was not in the pit. Genesis 44:31, Numbers 14:42.
(c) The telic neg. ‏פֶּן‎ that not, lest, is usually joined to impf. and prefixed immediately to the verb. It expresses the motive of action in previous clause, and hence is much used: I. After imper. (juss., coh.) and neg. clause. Genesis 3:3 ‏לֹא תִגְּעוּ בּוֹ פֶּן־תְּמֻתוּן‎ ye shall not touch it lest ye die. Genesis 19:17; Genesis 38:23, Exodus 5:3, Judges 18:25, 2 Samuel 1:20, Isaiah 6:10. After words of fearing, expressed or understood. Genesis 32:11 I fear him ‏פֶּן־יָבוֹא וְהִכַּנִי‎ lest he come and smite me, Genesis 26:7, Genesis 26:9. Genesis 3:22 ‏וְעַתָּה פֶּן־יִשְׁלַח יָדוֹ‎, Genesis 19:19. Frequently in this sense after ‏אמר‎ to say, think. Genesis 38:11 ‏כִּי אָמַר פֶּן־יָמוּת גַּם הוּא‎ for he thought, Lest he die too, Genesis 31:31; Genesis 42:4, Numbers 16:34, Deuteronomy 32:27.—Also after beware, Genesis 31:24 ‏הִשָּֽׁמֶר לְךָ פֶּן־תְּדַבֵּר‎ beware not to speak; Genesis 24:6, Deuteronomy 4:23, and often in Deu.—Sometimes in the sense of Lat. ne in an independent sent., Exodus 34:15 ‏פֶּן־תִּכְרֹת בְּרִית‎ ne ineas pactum. Isaiah 36:18, Jeremiah 51:46, Job 32:13 say not!
(d) The neg. ‏טֶרֶם‎ not yet is usually joined to impf. even when referring to the past. Genesis 19:4 ‏טרם יּשְׁכָּבוּ‎ they were not yet lain down. Genesis 2:5; Genesis 24:45, Exodus 10:7, Joshua 2:8, 1 Samuel 3:3 (in v. 7 rd. perhaps ‏יֵדַע‎).—The word ‏אֶפֶס‎ (‏אָפֵס‎ to be done) means ceasing, being done, no more, nothing. Isaiah 5:8 ‏עַד אֶפֶס מָקוֹם‎ till there be no more place. 2 Samuel 9:3 ‏הַאֶפֶס עוֹד אִישׁ‎ is there none still remaining? Amos 6:10 ‏אָפֶס‎... ‏הַעוֹד עִמָּךְ‎ are there any still there? no more! With prep. Isaiah 52:4 for nothing, Isaiah 40:17 of nothing. Cf. Isaiah 45:14; Isaiah 46:9, Proverbs 26:20 (prep.). In Zephaniah 2:15, Isaiah 47:8, Isaiah 47:10 ‏אַפְסִי‎ has junctive vowel (not suff.), I am, and none besides (me).
§ 128. The double neg. adds force to the negation. Zephaniah 2:2 ‏בְּטֶרֶם לֹא־יָבוֹא‎ before it does not come. Exodus 14:11
‏הְַמִבְּלִי אֵין קְבָרִים‎ is it because there are no graves (‏מִן‎ is causative), 2 Kings 1:3, 2 Kings 1:6, 2 Kings 1:16. The prep. ‏מִן‎ away from, so as not to be, &c., has neg. force, and is often joined with pleonastic ‏אֵין‎. Isaiah 6:11 ‏מֵאֵין יוֹשֵׁב‎ so that there shall be no ( = without) inhabitant, Isaiah 5:9; Jeremiah 4:7. Cases like Isaiah 50:2 ‏מֵאֵין מַיִם‎, Jeremiah 7:32 ‏מֵאֵין מָקוֹם‎ are different: from there being (because there is) no water, &c., comp. Rem. 5. The text of 1 Kings 10:21 is not above suspicion, owing to use of ‏לא‎ with ptcp. (2 Chronicles 9:20 omits ‏לא‎).
Rem. 1. The neg. ‏לא‎ is used as privative in forming compounds: (a) with nouns, ‏לֹא אֵל‎ a no-god, Deuteronomy 32:21, cf. Deuteronomy 32:17; ‏לֹא אִישׁ‎ (one) not-man, Isaiah 31:8; ‏לֹא עֵץ‎ (what is) not-wood, Isaiah 10:15; ‏לֹא דָבָר‎ no-thing, Amos 6:13, cf. Hosea 1:9; Hosea 2:23. (5) With adj., as ‏לא חָכָם‎ unwise, Hosea 13:13, ‏לֹא חָסִיד‎ impious, Psalms 43:1, cf. Proverbs 30:25 not-strong, 2 Kings 7:9.—With prep. ‏בְּלֹא‎ without, Numbers 35:22-23 (inf.), Ezekiel 22:29, cf. Isaiah 55:1-2, Leviticus 15:25.—Job 26:2 ‏לְלֹא כֹחַ‎ the not-strength, strengthless, abstract noun for adj. (or to be resolved into ‏לַֽאְַשֶׁר לֹא־כֹחַ לוֹ‎), Isaiah 5:14.
Rem. 2. The neg. ‏אַל‎ with juss. &c., sometimes expresses merely the subjective feeling and sympathy of the speaker with the act. Isaiah 2:9 ‏וְאַל־תִּשָּׂא לָהֶם‎ and thou canst not forgive them. Jeremiah 46:6, Psalms 41:1-13, Psalms 3:1-8; Psalms 50:3; Psalms 121:3; Psalms 141:5, Job 5:22; Job 20:17, Proverbs 3:25, Son_7:3, cf. the strong ex. Psalms 34:5. In strong deprecation with ‏אַל‎ the verb is occasionally suppressed or deferred to a second clause, 2 Samuel 13:12 ‏אַל־אָחִי‎ don't! my brother, 2 Samuel 13:25 ‏אַל־בְּנִי‎ nay! my son. Genesis 19:18, Judges 19:23, 2 Samuel 1:21, 2 Kings 4:16, Rth_1:13, Isaiah 62:6. In other cases the verb has to be supplied from the previous clause, Amos 5:14 seek good ‏וְאַל־רַע‎ and not evil! John 2:13, Proverbs 8:10; Proverbs 17:12. The word is used absolutely, in deprecation of something said, 2 Kings 3:13, Genesis 33:10.—2 Kings 6:27 ‏אַל־יֽוֹשִׁיעֵךְ‎ perhaps, if Je. help thee not! For ‏אלּ‎ 1 Samuel 27:10 rd. ‏אֶל־מִי‎ (Sep.) or ‏אָן‎ whither?—In composition ‏אל‎ is little used, Proverbs 12:28 ‏אַל־מָוֶת‎ not-death, immortality.
Rem. 3. The particle ‏אין‎ frequently forms abbreviated circums. clauses, as ‏אֵין מִסְפָּר‎ (there is) no number, without number, countless, § 140. In this sense ‏לֹא‎ in poetry, 2 Samuel 23:4 ‏בֹּקֶר לֹא עָבוֹת‎ a morning without clouds; Job 10:22 without order, Job 12:24; Job 38:26, Psalms 59:3; in prose, 1 Chronicles 2:30, 1 Chronicles 2:32 ‏לֹא בָנִים‎ childless.—Psalms 135:17 the stronger ‏אֵין יֵשׁ‎, 1 Samuel 21:8, cf. Job 9:33.—From the semiverbal force of ‏אין‎ a late writer can say ‏אֵין אֶתְכֶם‎, Haggai 2:17. In two passages, Jeremiah 38:5, Job 35:15, ‏אין‎ seems used with finite verb.—A contracted form is ‏אִי‎ in composition, 1 Samuel 4:21 ‏אִי־כָבוֹד‎ not-glory, inglorious, Job 22:30 ‏אִי־נָקִי‎ not innocent. This is the usual form of neg. in Eth. On ‏אין ל‎ with inf. § 95.
Rem. 4. The form ‏פֶּן־יֵשׁ‎ occurs owing to the verbal force of ‏ישׁ‎, Deuteronomy 29:17, 2 Kings 10:23. With perf. ‏פֶּן‎ expresses what is feared may have happened, 2 Kings 2:16; 2 Kings 10:23, 2 Samuel 20:6.
Rem. 5. In Poetry. ‏בַּל‎ = ‏לֹא‎ not, Hosea 7:2 ‏וּבַל יֹאמְרוּ‎ and they say not. Hosea 9:16, Isaiah 14:21; Isaiah 26:10-11, Isaiah 26:14, Isaiah 26:18. Often with niph. of ‏מוט‎, Psalms 10:6; Psalms 16:8; Psalms 21:8, &c. With inf. Psalms 32:9 ‏בַּל קְרוֹב‎ (when) there is not coming nigh (they do not come)—‏בְּלִי‎ = ‏לֹא‎ or ‏אֵין‎. With finite vb. Isaiah 14:6, Hosea 8:7; Hosea 9:16 (Cod. Petrop. ‏בל‎), Job 41:26 (once in prose, Genesis 31:20). With adj. 2 Samuel 1:21, ‏בְּלִי מָשִׁיחַ‎ un-anointed, Hosea 7:8 ptcp., Psalms 19:3. With noun = without, Job 8:11 ‏בְּלִי־מַיִם‎ without water, Job 24:10; Job 30:8; Job 31:39, Psalms 59:4; Psalms 63:2, Isaiah 28:8.
With a preceding prep. Deuteronomy 4:42 ‏בִּבְלִי דַעַת‎ without knowledge (unawares), cf. Isaiah 5:14, Job 38:41; Job 41:25.—‏מִבְּלִי‎ from lack of, Deuteronomy 9:28 ‏מִבְּלִי יְכֹלֶת‎ from not being able. Isaiah 5:13, Hosea 4:6, Lamentations 1:4. With another neg., cf. § 129 above.—In the same sense as ‏מֵאֵין‎ so that there is not, Jeremiah 2:15; Jeremiah 9:9, Zephaniah 3:6. In other cases = without Job 4:20; Job 6:6; Job 24:8.—The form ‏בִּלְתִּי‎ once with adj., 1 Samuel 20:26 not clean. With noun, Isaiah 14:6 without cessation; suff. 1 Samuel 2:2, Hosea 13:4 except me, thee.
Rem. 6. The neg. without being repeated often exerts its force over a succeeding clause, 1 Samuel 2:3, Numbers 23:19, Isaiah 23:4; Isaiah 28:27; Isaiah 38:18, Micah 7:1, Psalms 9:18; Psalms 44:19, Proverbs 30:3.