What does אַל mean in the Bible?
אַל is a Hebrew word meaning "not (the qualified negation, used as a deprecative); once (Job 24:25) as a noun, nothing".
Hebrew · H408
אַל
Not (the qualified negation, used as a deprecative); once (Job 24:25) as a noun, nothing
Reading a lexicon entry
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אַלH408
What does אַל mean in the Bible?
אַל is a Hebrew word meaning "not (the qualified negation, used as a deprecative); once (Job 24:25) as a noun, nothing".
Full entry for אַל (H408) · Open the biblical lexicon
Questions this entry answers
How does the BSB render H408?
The BSB source-word alignment has 724 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include Do not (400), . . . (50), and do not (41), not (26), no (24).
Where does אַל appear in Scripture?
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at Genesis 13:8. Its strongest book concentrations include Psalms (114), Proverbs (90), Jeremiah (89), Isaiah (45).
Source Word Evidence
BSB source-word alignment connects this entry to exact verse rows, English rendering, source form, transliteration, and parsing.
How English Renders ItDo not400×Genesis 15:1, Genesis 18:3, Genesis 19:8, Genesis 19:17
. . .50×Genesis 22:12, Genesis 37:22, Genesis 45:5, Leviticus 19:31
and do not41×Genesis 19:17, Numbers 14:9, Deuteronomy 21:8, Judges 13:7
not26×Genesis 18:30, Genesis 18:32, Exodus 34:3, Leviticus 16:2
no24×Genesis 13:8, Genesis 19:18, Genesis 33:10, Exodus 16:19
but do not11×Genesis 37:22, Exodus 20:19, Joshua 22:19, Ruth 3:3
nor10×Judges 13:14, Psalms 27:9, Isaiah 62:7, Jeremiah 9:23
Be not8×Psalms 22:11, Psalms 22:19, Psalms 28:1, Psalms 35:22
never8×Genesis 49:6, 2 Samuel 3:29, Job 16:18, Psalms 109:14
[or]7×Deuteronomy 2:9, Deuteronomy 20:3, Proverbs 4:14, Proverbs 23:10
and not7×Genesis 37:27, Deuteronomy 33:6, Judges 13:4, Psalms 69:28
Let no6×1 Samuel 17:32, Psalms 119:133, Isaiah 56:3, Hosea 4:4
do not let5×2 Chronicles 25:7, Psalms 9:19, Psalms 25:2, Psalms 66:7
let me not5×Psalms 25:20, Psalms 31:17, Psalms 119:31, Psalms 119:116
Let not5×1 Samuel 22:15, Psalms 35:19, Psalms 36:11, Psalms 69:15
and never4×Deuteronomy 9:7, Job 41:8, Proverbs 23:23, Ecclesiastes 9:8
must not4×Exodus 8:29, Exodus 19:24, 1 Samuel 20:3, 2 Samuel 13:32
or4×1 Kings 8:57, 2 Chronicles 35:21, Psalms 6:1, Psalms 27:9
should not4×1 Samuel 19:4, 1 Kings 20:11, 1 Kings 22:8, 2 Chronicles 18:7
vvv4×Genesis 45:20, Exodus 5:9, 1 Samuel 18:17, Job 3:4
You must not4×Leviticus 19:29, Leviticus 19:31, Leviticus 25:14, Job 1:12
{be} not3×Psalms 83:1
He will not3×Job 20:17, Psalms 85:8, Psalms 121:3
Let them not3×Psalms 35:25, Psalms 69:27
no one3×1 Samuel 21:2, Psalms 109:12
but never2×Isaiah 6:9
cannot2×Jeremiah 46:6
Do no2×1 Chronicles 16:22, Jeremiah 22:3
It is not2×Proverbs 31:4
let me never2×Psalms 31:1, Psalms 71:1
let no one2×Proverbs 28:17, Jeremiah 50:29
May it not2×Job 3:6, Job 3:9
without2×Genesis 45:9, Proverbs 25:9
and [if you] no1×Jeremiah 7:6
and allow no1×Job 11:14
and do not let them1×Psalms 35:24
and let me not1×Numbers 11:15
and need not1×Job 5:22
and pay no1×Jeremiah 18:18
and refuse1×Psalms 41:2
and will not1×Psalms 50:3
and you must not1×Ezekiel 20:7
are not1×Leviticus 10:9
avoid1×Hosea 4:15
away1×Psalms 36:11
But you should not1×Obadiah 1:12
Do not let me1×Psalms 25:2
does not1×2 Kings 6:27
don’t1×Genesis 19:7
I cannot1×Genesis 21:16
instead of1×Proverbs 8:10
it never1×Song Of Solomon 7:2
Let him not1×Job 15:31
let nothing1×Numbers 22:16
let there be no one1×Psalms 69:25
May He never1×1 Kings 8:57
may it never1×Job 3:6
may no1×Job 3:7
may they not1×Psalms 19:13
neither1×Proverbs 30:8
no more1×2 Kings 12:7
Nor should you1×Obadiah 1:14
nothing back1×Jeremiah 50:2
Overlook1×Deuteronomy 9:27
pay no1×Isaiah 43:18
Place no1×Psalms 62:10
Put not1×Psalms 146:3
shall never1×Psalms 34:5
shall take no1×Isaiah 62:6
She must not1×2 Kings 11:15
should pay no1×1 Samuel 25:25
show no1×Psalms 59:5
so do not1×Job 5:17
so that we will not1×1 Samuel 12:19
Stop1×Jeremiah 45:5
than1×Proverbs 17:12
then do not1×2 Kings 9:15
There is no need1×Joshua 7:3
they do not1×Jeremiah 14:17
They must not1×Jonah 3:7
to1×Jeremiah 47:6
to no1×Job 32:21
to nothing1×Job 24:25
we should not1×2 Samuel 13:25
will no1×Job 9:34
will not1×Psalms 121:3
yet do not1×Psalms 4:4
you need not1×Joshua 7:3
you not1×Genesis 42:22
You should not1×Obadiah 1:13
you will no1×Genesis 49:4
Show sample aligned rows
Genesis 13:8אַל־tonoAdverbGenesis 15:1אַל־toDo notAdverbGenesis 18:3אַל־todo notAdverbGenesis 18:30אַל־tonotAdverbGenesis 18:32אַל־tonotAdverbGenesis 19:7אַל־todon’tAdverbGenesis 19:8אַל־todo notAdverbGenesis 19:17אַל־toDo notAdverbGenesis 19:17וְאַֽל־toand do notConjunctive waw | AdverbGenesis 19:18אַל־toNoAdverb
Usage map
A compact distribution from source-word alignment before the full evidence tables.
First aligned rowGenesis 13:8
Aligned rows724
Books represented37
Genesis39Exodus19Leviticus11Numbers14Deuteronomy20Joshua19Judges17Ruth81 Samuel262 Samuel231 Kings132 Kings231 Chronicles72 Chronicles20Ezra2Nehemiah9Esther4Job25Psalms114Proverbs90Ecclesiastes21Song Of Solomon2Isaiah45Jeremiah89Lamentations5Ezekiel13Daniel3Hosea7Joel4Amos2Obadiah8Jonah5Micah6Zephaniah2Haggai1Zechariah7Malachi1
Source forms
אַל־502x’al-Genesis 13:8, Genesis 15:1, Genesis 18:3, Genesis 18:30
וְאַל־124xwə·’al-Genesis 22:12, Genesis 44:18, Genesis 45:5, Exodus 5:9
אַֽל־65x’al-Genesis 45:9, Genesis 45:24, Exodus 19:15, Exodus 23:7
וְאַֽל־14xwə·’al-Genesis 19:17, Numbers 16:26, Deuteronomy 20:3, 1 Kings 8:57
וְֽאַל־9xwə·’al-2 Samuel 3:29, Job 16:18, Psalms 4:4, Psalms 6:1
אַ֣ל2x’alRuth 1:13, Proverbs 31:4
אַ֖ל1x’al1 Samuel 2:24
אַ֗ל1x’al2 Kings 3:13
Parsing patterns
Adverb574xGenesis 13:8, Genesis 15:1, Genesis 18:3, Genesis 18:30
Conjunctive waw | Adverb148xGenesis 19:17, Genesis 22:12, Genesis 44:18, Genesis 45:5
Adverb - Negative particle1xRuth 3:17
Preposition-l | Adverb1xJob 24:25
Evidence Summary
Hebrew word. not (the qualified negation, used as a deprecative); once (Job 24:25) as a noun, nothing
Source Gloss
not (the qualified negation, used as a deprecative); once (Job 24:25) as a noun, nothing
Extended definitionSource: Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon + Brown-Driver-Briggs
not (the qualified negation, used as a deprecative); once (Job 24:25) as a noun, nothing Usage: nay, neither, + never, no, nor, not, nothing (worth), rather than.
Grammatical Forms
How this word appears across different grammatical cases and numbers.
Word Origins
אַל is built from this root:
Part of These Phrases
Compound and idiomatic phrases that include this word. Follow a link to study the phrase and how its parts work together.