---
title: אִלּוּ — if · The Tanakh dictionary
description: אִלּוּ (432), a word of Biblical Hebrew, used 2 times: if. BDB 1906: conj. if, though. With 2 verses in Hebrew, word for word and JPS 1917.
---

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# אִלּוּ

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«אִלּוּ» in the Tanakh dictionary: **if** — 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:** 2 times · **Key:** 432 · **BDB:** אִלּוּ

### Glosses

if (2)

### Meaning (OSHB)

if [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1488/432/#m1)

### Meaning (BDB 1906)

conj. if, though [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1488/432/#m2)

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**The whole BDB entry:** conj. (often in Mishnah; Aramaic אִילּוּ, ܐܶܠܘܽ, ࠀࠋࠅ: from אִין, ܐܶܢ, and לוּ) if, though, only in late Heb., Ec 6:6 Est 7:4.

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Why these entries: BDB: headword, part of speech not compared, 2 of its verses cited, 0 words shared with the glosses, lists its Strong's number (26 candidates); OSHB: headword, part of speech not compared, 0 words shared with the BDB entry, 0 with the glosses (20 candidates)

### Trees and pragmatics

[Every English meaning of «אִלּוּ» parsed by Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1488/432/), each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.

### In the verses

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[Ecclesiastes 6:6](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/ketuvim/ECC.6.6/)

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וְאִלּ֣וּ חָיָ֗ה אֶ֤לֶף שָׁנִים֙ פַּעֲמַ֔יִם וְטוֹבָ֖ה לֹ֣א רָאָ֑ה הֲלֹ֛א אֶל־מָק֥וֹם אֶחָ֖ד הַכֹּ֥ל הוֹלֵֽךְ׃

*Word for word:* and if he.lived a.thousand years two.times and good not he.saw ? not to a.place one \[are\].(the) all going

*JPS 1917:* yea, though he live a thousand years twice told, and enjoy no good; do not all go to one place?

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[Esther 7:4](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/ketuvim/EST.7.4/)

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כִּ֤י נִמְכַּ֙רְנוּ֙ אֲנִ֣י וְעַמִּ֔י לְהַשְׁמִ֖יד לַהֲר֣וֹג וּלְאַבֵּ֑ד וְ֠אִלּוּ לַעֲבָדִ֨ים וְלִשְׁפָח֤וֹת נִמְכַּ֙רְנוּ֙ הֶחֱרַ֔שְׁתִּי כִּ֣י אֵ֥ין הַצָּ֛ר שֹׁוֶ֖ה בְּנֵ֥זֶק הַמֶּֽלֶךְ׃ס

*Word for word:* (dm) we.have.been.sold I and people my to annihilate to kill and to destroy and if to male.slaves and to female.slaves we.had.been.sold I.kept.quiet (dm) not the distress \[is\].equal for the.injury of the.king

*JPS 1917:* for we are sold, I and my people, to be destroyed, to be slain, and to perish. But if we had been sold for bondmen and bondwomen, I had held my peace, for the adversary is not worthy that the king be endamaged.'

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