אוּלַי
ʼûwlay · oo-lah'ee
if not; hence perhaps
Lexicon
Derivation: or (shortened) אֻלַי; from H176 (אוֹ);
if not; hence perhaps
- if not
- hence, perhaps
Definition from Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (1890). Wording is Strong's own, including his etymological notes, which are not separate meanings.
KJV renderings: if so be, may be, peradventure, unless.
Letters
- אAlef1
Picture: ox head
- Concrete
- ox · bull · cattle
- Extended
- strength · leader · first · the one in front
- וVav6
Picture: tent peg or hook
- Concrete
- nail · peg · hook
- Extended
- to fasten · to secure · to establish · and (joining)
- לLamed30
Picture: shepherd's staff or goad
- Concrete
- staff · goad · yoke · cattle prod
- Extended
- authority · to lead · to teach · to bind · toward
- יYod10
Picture: arm and closed hand
- Concrete
- hand · arm · work
- Extended
- a deed · to make · to work · to throw or worship
Possible cultural reading (auto-composed)
strength, the leader › to fasten and establish › authority, the one who leads › the hand that works
Strength, the leader that works to fasten and establish of authority, the one who leads of the hand that works.
Interpretive, not lexical. The dictionary sense of אוּלַי above is the attested meaning; this pictographic reading is a tradition about how the sign-shapes may have been heard. Both can be held at once, they are answering different questions.
Usage
45 occurrences · 45 OT · 0 NT · 14 distinct forms
KJV renderings of this word, by how often each one is used.
- peradventure3 · 27%
- it may be3 · 27%
- it may1 · 9%
- unless1 · 9%
- if so be1 · 9%
- or peradventure1 · 9%
- if1 · 9%
Where it is used, by book.
Inflected forms found in the text.
Counts are computed from the tagged Hebrew and Greek text aligned to the King James Version, not from an estimate.