---
title: אוּלַי — if not · The Tanakh dictionary
description: אוּלַי (194), a word of Biblical Hebrew, used 45 times: if not. BDB 1906: adv. peradventure, perhaps. With 2 verses in Hebrew, word for word and JPS 1917.
---

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# אוּלַי

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«אוּלַי» in the Tanakh dictionary: **if not** — how often it is used, MACULA's glosses, its meanings in the printed dictionaries and why they were chosen, and 2 verses in layers.

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**Used:** 45 times · **Key:** 194 · **BDB:** אוּלַי²

### Glosses

perhaps (45)

### Meaning (OSHB)

if not [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1488/194/#m1)

### Meaning (BDB 1906)

adv. peradventure, perhaps [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1488/194/#m2)

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**The whole BDB entry:** and (Gn 24:39) אֻלַי adv. (perhaps from אוֹ \& לַי = לֵי, לֵא, as in לוּלֵא, = or not?) peradventure, perhaps; usually expressing a hope, as Gn 16:2 Nu 22:6, 11; 23:3 1 S 6:5 Je 20:10; but also a fear or doubt, as Gn 27:12 Jb 1:5, sq. לֹא Gn 24:5, 39; in mockery Is 47:12; Je 51:8. followed by another clause ἀσυνδέτως, it expresses virtually the protasis = if peradventure Gn 18:24, 28 (cf. v 29–32) Ho 8:7 the blade shall yield no meal; אוּלַי יַעֲשֶׂה זָרִים יִבְלָעֻהוּ if perchance it yield strangers shall swallow it up. in Nu 22:33 לוּלֵי (q.v.) must be read; unless she had turned aside from me, surely, etc.

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Why these entries: BDB: headword, part of speech not compared, 17 of its verses cited, 1 words shared with the glosses, lists its Strong's number (26 candidates); OSHB: headword, part of speech not compared, 1 words shared with the BDB entry, 0 with the glosses (20 candidates)

### Trees and pragmatics

[Every English meaning of «אוּלַי» parsed by Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1488/194/), each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.

### In the verses

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[Lamentations 3:29](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/ketuvim/LAM.3.29/)

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יִתֵּ֤ן בֶּֽעָפָר֙ פִּ֔יהוּ אוּלַ֖י יֵ֥שׁ תִּקְוָֽה׃

*Word for word:* let.him.put in the dust mouth his perhaps there.\[is\] hope

*JPS 1917:* Let him put his mouth in the dust, if so be there may be hope.

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[Genesis 24:39](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/torah/GEN.24.39/)

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וָאֹמַ֖ר אֶל־אֲדֹנִ֑י אֻלַ֛י לֹא־תֵלֵ֥ךְ הָאִשָּׁ֖ה אַחֲרָֽי׃

*Word for word:* and I.said to master my perhaps not she.will.go the woman after me

*JPS 1917:* And I said unto my master: Peradventure the woman will not follow me.

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