Genesis 17:18:4Gen.17.18.W4TAB
ל֥וּ
lu
“Oh that”
- Transliteration
- LU
- Extended
- LOO
- IPA
- /ˈluː/
Meaning by language
- English
- Oh that
Alphabet Analysis
| Lamed | l as in law | |
| Vav | v as in vine; marks long ō / ū |
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The word
Word in context
- word
LU
- phraseyour reading level
LU yish-ma-EL
- clause
LU yish-ma-EL yikh-YEH le-fa-NE-kha
- sentence
va-YO-mer av-ra-HAM el-ha-e-lo-HIM LU yish-ma-EL yikh-YEH le-fa-NE-kha
Exegesis
The reported speech consists of an optative clause headed by the particle lu {לוּ | lû}, which with an imperfect verb expresses a fervent wish or longing rather than a simple future prediction.
The internal word order of the wish clause is lu + subject + verb + prepositional phrase: lu Yishmaʿel yichyeh lefanekha {ל֥וּ יִשְׁמָעֵ֖אל יִחְיֶ֥ה לְפָנֶֽיךָ | lû yiš-mā-ʿēl yiḥ-yeh lə-fā-ne-kā}. Placing the particle first foregrounds the emotional tone (“O that…”), followed by Yishmaʿel to highlight Abraham’s concern.
In context — Genesis 17:18
Abraham said to God , “May Ishmael live before You !”
About this coordinate
Genesis 17:18:4 is a BCV:P reference — Book · Chapter · Verse · Word Position. It addresses word 4 of Genesis 17:18, so the Hebrew word ל֥וּ (lu) 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 Gen.17.18.W4, which extends further down to each syllable (Gen.17.18.W4.S1) and character.