What does אוּלַי (ʾûlay) mean in the Bible?
אוּלַי (ʾûlay): Expresses cautious uncertainty or conditional possibility; tentatively entertains an outcome without asserting it
Hebrew · H194
אוּלַי
If not ; hence perhaps
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אוּלַי H194
Pronunciation ʾûlay
What does אוּלַי (ʾûlay) mean in the Bible?
אוּלַי (ʾûlay): Expresses cautious uncertainty or conditional possibility; tentatively entertains an outcome without asserting it
Full entry for אוּלַי (H194) · Open the biblical lexicon
Questions this entry answers
How does the BSB render H194?
The BSB source-word alignment has 45 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include perhaps (30), suppose (5), What if (4), and perhaps (2), Perhaps I may (2).
Where does אוּלַי (ʾûlay) appear in Scripture?
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at Genesis 16:2. Its strongest book concentrations include Genesis (12), Jeremiah (6), Numbers (5), 1 Kings (3).
Source Word Evidence
BSB source-word alignment connects this entry to exact verse rows, English rendering, source form, transliteration, and parsing.
How English Renders It perhaps 30× Genesis 16:2, Genesis 43:12, Exodus 32:30, Numbers 23:3
suppose 5× Genesis 18:28, Genesis 18:29, Genesis 18:30, Genesis 18:31
What if 4× Genesis 18:24, Genesis 24:5, Genesis 24:39, Genesis 27:12
and perhaps 2× Genesis 32:20, 1 Samuel 6:5
Perhaps I may 2× Numbers 22:6, Numbers 22:11
Even if 1× Hosea 8:7
If she had not 1× Numbers 22:33
Show sample aligned rows
Genesis 16:2 אוּלַ֥י to perhaps Adverb Genesis 18:24 אוּלַ֥י to What if Adverb Genesis 18:28 א֠וּלַי to suppose Adverb Genesis 18:29 אוּלַ֛י to Suppose Adverb Genesis 18:30 אוּלַ֛י to Suppose Adverb Genesis 18:31 אוּלַ֛י to suppose Adverb Genesis 18:32 אוּלַ֛י to Suppose Adverb Genesis 24:5 אוּלַי֙ to What if Adverb Genesis 24:39 אֻלַ֛י to What if Adverb Genesis 27:12 אוּלַ֤י to What if Adverb
Usage map
A compact distribution from source-word alignment before the full evidence tables.
First aligned row Genesis 16:2
Aligned rows 45
Books represented 17
Genesis 12 Exodus 1 Numbers 5 Joshua 2 1 Samuel 3 2 Samuel 2 1 Kings 3 2 Kings 1 Job 1 Isaiah 3 Jeremiah 6 Lamentations 1 Ezekiel 1 Hosea 1 Amos 1 Jonah 1 Zephaniah 1
Source forms
אוּלַ֛י 9x ’ū·lay Genesis 18:29, Genesis 18:30, Genesis 18:31, Genesis 18:32
אוּלַ֥י 6x ’ū·lay Genesis 16:2, Genesis 18:24, Genesis 43:12, Exodus 32:30
אוּלַי֙ 5x ’ū·lay Genesis 24:5, Numbers 22:33, 1 Samuel 9:6, Job 1:5
אוּלַ֤י 5x ’ū·lay Genesis 27:12, Numbers 22:6, Numbers 23:27, Jeremiah 20:10
אוּלַ֖י 4x ’ū·lay Genesis 32:20, 1 Kings 20:31, Jeremiah 51:8, Lamentations 3:29
אוּלַ֞י 3x ’ū·lay Numbers 23:3, Jeremiah 36:7, Jonah 1:6
אוּלַ֗י 3x ’ū·lay Joshua 9:7, 1 Samuel 6:5, Amos 5:15
אוּלַ֣י 3x ’ū·lay Jeremiah 26:3, Ezekiel 12:3, Hosea 8:7
Parsing patterns
Adverb 45x Genesis 16:2, Genesis 18:24, Genesis 18:28, Genesis 18:29
Evidence Summary
Hebrew word. Expresses cautious uncertainty or conditional possibility; tentatively entertains an outcome without asserting it
Source Gloss
if not ; hence perhaps
Extended definition Source: Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon + Brown-Driver-Briggs
Expresses cautious uncertainty or conditional possibility; tentatively entertains an outcome without asserting it
if not; hence perhaps BDB: peradventure Usage: if so be, may be, peradventure, unless.
Grammatical Forms
How this word appears across different grammatical cases and numbers.
Word Origins
אוּלַי is built from this root:
Sources
MorphGNT Strong's Dictionary XML — CC0 1.0 Public Domain
Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible (morphhb/OSHB) — CC BY 4.0
Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon — CC BY 4.0
Berean Standard Bible (BSB) source-word alignment - CC0 Public Domain