אִם־לֹ֗א

Alphabet Analysis

The word

1. word🔊 אִם־לֹ֗א

   im-lo-O

   if not
2. clause🔊 כֹּ֣ה יַֽעֲשֶׂה־לִּ֤י אֱלֹהִים֙ וְכֹ֣ה יוֹסִ֔יף אִם־לֹ֗א שַׂר־צָבָ֤א תִּֽהְיֶה֙ לְפָנַ֔י כָּל־הַיָּמִ֖ים תַּ֥חַת יוֹאָֽב׃

   KO ya-a-SE-LI e-lo-HIM ve-KHO yo-SIF im-lo-O sar-tsa-VA ti-he-YE le-fa-NAI KOL-ha-ya-MIM TA-khat yo-AV

   thus may he do to me God and thus may he add if not commander of an army you will be before me all the days in place of Joab
3. sentence🔊 וְלַֽעֲמָשָׂ֙א תֹּ֣מְרוּ֔ הֲל֣וֹא עַצְמִ֥י וּבְשָׂרִ֖י אָ֑תָּה כֹּ֣ה יַֽעֲשֶׂה־לִּ֤י אֱלֹהִים֙ וְכֹ֣ה יוֹסִ֔יף אִם־לֹ֗א שַׂר־צָבָ֤א תִּֽהְיֶה֙ לְפָנַ֔י כָּל־הַיָּמִ֖ים תַּ֥חַת יוֹאָֽב׃

   ve-la-a-ma-SA TOM-re-U ha-lo-O A-ts-me u-ve-sa-RI A-TA KO ya-a-SE-LI e-lo-HIM ve-KHO yo-SIF im-lo-O sar-tsa-VA ti-he-YE le-fa-NAI KOL-ha-ya-MIM TA-khat yo-AV

   and to Amasa you shall say is it not my bone and my flesh you thus may he do to me God and thus may he add if not commander of an army you will be before me all the days in place of Joab

Exegesis

The conditional im lo {אִם לֹא} introduces the protasis, and the apodosis atah sar-hatsava tachat Yoav {אָתָּה שַׂר־הַצָּבָא תַּחַת יוֹאָב} maintains the construct chain sar-hatsava, emphasizing hierarchical succession.