Exodus 20:15:1Exod.20.15.W1TAB
לֹ֣א
lo
“not”
- Transliteration
- LO
- Extended
- LOH
- IPA
- /ˈloː/
Meaning by language
- English
- not
Alphabet Analysis
| Lamed | l as in law | |
| Holem | long 'oh' as in go | |
| Aleph | silent — a glottal stop; holds vowel points |
Tap any letter to hear its name and sound
Now you try — trace the word:
The word
Word in context
- word
LO
- sentence
LO tig-NOV
Exegesis
The apodictic law syntax places the negative particle lo {לֹא | lōʾ} ‘not’ before the imperfect verb tignōḇ {תִּֿגְנֹֽ֔ב | ti·gnōḇ} ‘you steal,’ forming an absolute prohibition. The Qal imperfect second person masculine singular issues a timeless covenantal injunction. The fronted negation intensifies the command. English renderings mirror this structure with unambiguous negative imperatives—“shall not steal” in formal to reflect legal authority and “must not steal” in dynamic to emphasize moral obligation.
Root and etymology
l-ʾlamed–aleph
“not, negation”
In context — Exodus 20:15
You shall not steal .
About this coordinate
Exodus 20:15:1 is a BCV:P reference — Book · Chapter · Verse · Word Position. It addresses word 1 of Exodus 20:15, so the Hebrew word לֹ֣א (lo) can be cited, linked and studied at exactly this position rather than somewhere in the verse. In the Biblical Knowledge Coordinate System the same position is written Exod.20.15.W1, which extends further down to each syllable (Exod.20.15.W1.S1) and character.