Page:Introductory Hebrew Grammar- Hebrew Syntax (1902).djvu/191

 when the condition is conceived as realised and actual, the result depending on it may appear carried with it, so that two perfs. may be used.

The conditional particles are chiefly אִם  if, כִּי   when, if, supposing that, לוּ   if; less common אֲשֶׁר   when, if, and הֵן   if; neg. אִם לֹא  , אִם אַיִן   if not, לוּלֵא   if not, unless. These may be strengthened by other particles, כִּי אִם , גַּם כִּי   ( גם אם   rare, Eccl. 8:17).

§ 130. (a) When the supposition expresses a real contingency of any degree of possibility, the most common form is impf. in prot. and vav conv. perf. or simple impf. in apod., the impf. having any of the shades of sense proper to it (§ 43 seq.). The impf. must be used in apod. when the verbal form cannot stand first in the clause, as in a neg. sent., or when apod. precedes the protasis, cf. Am. 9:2–4. — Jud. 4:8 אִם תֵּֽלְכִי עִמִּי וְהָלָֽכְתִּי וְאִם־לֹא תֵֽלְכִי לֹא אֵלֵךְ  if thou wilt go with me I will go, but if thou wilt not go with me I will not go. 2 K. 4:29 כִּי תִמְצָא־אִישׁ לֹא תְבָֽרֲכֶנּוּ  if thou meetest anyone thou shalt not salute him. Gen. 18:28 לֹא אַשְׁחִית אִם־אֶמְצָא  I will not destroy if I find. 13:16 אִם יוּכַל אִישׁ לִמְנוֹת ··· גַּם זַרְעֲךָ יִמָּנֶה  if one could count the dust, thy seed also might be counted. Of course a ptcp. may take the place of impf., Gen. 43:4, 5 אִם־יֶשְׁךָ מְשַׁלֵּחַ נֵֽרְדָה וְאִם־אֵֽינְךָ מְשַׁלֵּחַ לֹא נֵרֵד  if thou wilt let go our brother we will go down, but if thou wilt not let him go, &c. Gen. 24:42, Ex. 8:17, Jud. 6:36, 37, 1 S. 19:11. So without ישׁ  Deu. 5:22, Jud. 9:15; 11:9, 1 S. 6:3; 7:3, 1 K. 21:6, 2 K. 10:6. But the prot. may be a purely nominal sent., and the apod. may take almost any form; 1 K. 18:21 אִם יהוה הָֽאֱלֹהִים לְכוּ אַֽחֲרָיו  if Jehovah be God, follow him; Ex. 7:27 אִם מָאֵן אַתָּה הִנֵּה אָֽנֹכִי נֹגֵף   if thou refuse, behold, I will smite. Gen. 42:19; 44:26, Ex. 1:16; 21:3, Jos. 17:15, Jud. 6:31, 2 K. 1:10; 10:6, Mal. 1:6.