אִם־לְפִ֥י

Alphabet Analysis

The word

1. word🔊 אִם־לְפִ֥י

   im-le-FI

   if not according to
2. phraseyour reading level🔊 אִם־לְפִ֥י דְבָרִֽי׃

   im-le-FI my word

   if not according to
3. clause🔊 כִּ֖י אִם־לְפִ֥י דְבָרִֽי׃

   KI im-le-FI my word

   except if not according to
4. sentence🔊 וַיֹּאמֶר֩ אֵלִיָּ֨הוּ הַתִּשְׁבִּ֜י מִתֹּשָׁבֵ֣י גִלְעָד֮ אֶל־אַחְאָב֒ חַי־יְהוָ֞ה אֱלֹהֵ֤י יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר עָמַ֣דְתִּי לְפָנָ֔יו אִם־יִהְיֶ֛ה הַשָּׁנִ֥ים הָאֵ֖לֶּה טַ֣ל וּמָטָ֑ר כִּ֖י אִם־לְפִ֥י דְבָרִֽי׃

   va-yo-MER e-li-YA-hu ha-tish-BI mi-to-sha-VE gil-AD el-akh-AV khai-ye-ho-VAH e-lo-HE yis-ra-EL a-SHER a-mad-TI le-fa-NAV im-yih-YE ha-sha-NIM ha-EL-le TAL u-ma-TAR KI im-le-FI my word

   and he said Elijah the Tishbite from the settlers of Gilead to Ahab as the LORD lives God of Israel whom I have stood before him if there will be the years these dew and rain except if not according to

Exegesis

The conditional protasis im-yihyeh {אִם־יִהְיֶ֛ה | ʾim-yi·hyeh} “if it will be” and the restrictive im-lefi devari {אִם־לְפִ֥י דְבָרִֽי | ʾim-lə·p̄î də·bārî} “except according to my word” frames tal umatar {טַל וּמָטָ֑ר | ṭal ū·mā·ṭār} “dew and rain” as a merism for all precipitation. The English retains Hebrew clause order and theological emphasis.