Lexical Summary
lu: If only, Oh that, Would that
Original Word:לוּא
Part of Speech:Conjunction
Transliteration:luw'
Pronunciation:loo
Phonetic Spelling:(loo)
KJV: if (haply), peradventure, I pray thee, though, I would, would God (that)
NASB:if, if only, Oh, would, please
Word Origin:[a conditional particle]
1. if
2. (by implication) (interj. as a wish) would that!
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
if haply, peradventure, I pray thee, though, I would, would God that
Or lu {loo}; or luw {loo}; a conditional particle; if; by implication (interj. As a wish) would that! -- if (haply), peradventure, I pray thee, though, I would, would God (that).
NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Origina prim. conjunction
Definitionif, oh that
NASB Translationif (8), if only (4), Oh (4), please (1), would (3).
Brown-Driver-Briggs
2 Samuel 18:12 Kt (Qr ) if: see .
(√ of following, compare Arabic
(medial
)be thirsty,
a stony tract of land (see WetzstReisebericht 99)).
17 and (1 Samuel 14:30;Isaiah 48:18;Isaiah 63:19), also (Qr ),2 Samuel 18:12;2 Samuel 19:7 (Arabic
, Aramaic
, , Mishna , Assyrianlû, with optative force, Dl§§ 78 end, 93, 145; compare Köii. 333),
: —
if (stating a case which has not been, or is not likely to be, realized):
followed by perfect (so mostly),Deuteronomy 32:29if they had been wise (which they are not), they would understand this;Micah 2:11 (apodosis );Judges 8:19;Judges 13:23if J. had desired to slay us, he would not have taken, &c.;1 Samuel 14:30;2 Samuel 19:7.
followed by imperfectEzekiel 14:15if I were to send, &c. (but read probably , compareEzekiel 14:17;Ezekiel 14:19).
followed by participle,2 Samuel 18:12 andthough I should be weighing 1000 pieces of silver upon my hand, I would not, &c.;Psalm 81:14-17if my people were hearkening to me, . . . quickly would I bow down, &c.
followed byJob 16:4. — With the apodosis omitted,Genesis 50:15if Joseph were to hate us (how should we fare then ?).
If only ...! i.e.O that! would that! (compare , ) usually followed by perf., asNumbers 14:2 (twice in verse)if only we had died in the land of Egypt!Numbers 20:3;Joshua 7:7Isaiah 48:18;Isaiah 63:19; followed byNumbers 22:29; followed by imperfectGenesis 17:18O that Ishmael might live before thee!Job 6:2; followed by jussiveGenesis 30:34 ; followed by imperativeGenesis 23:13 if thou —O that thou wouldst hear me! (+ probablyGenesis 23:5 for , and similarlyGenesis 23:15). — Read also probably for MasoreticJudges 21:22 (with ),1 Samuel 13:13;1 Samuel 20:14 (twice in verse);Job 9:33 (followed by ); and perhapsJob 14:4 (Ew Kö).
Topical Lexicon
Summary of UsageThe particle occurs twenty-two times, each time carrying an intense wish, longing, or regret that the speaker projects onto an unrealized possibility. It is never casual; it always heightens emotion, whether that emotion is godly compassion, human intercession, bitter complaint, or sober reflection.
Personal Longing and Intercession
•Genesis 17:18 – Abraham pleads, “If only Ishmael might live under Your blessing!”, revealing paternal love subordinated to divine promise.
• Job’s laments (Job 6:2; 9:33; 16:4) show that the sufferer may pour out unfiltered yearning before God without forfeiting faith.
•1 Samuel 14:30 illustrates strategic hindsight: Jonathan mourns what could have been a greater victory had the troops been allowed to eat.
These texts teach believers to bring deepest desires to the Lord while submitting to His sovereignty.
Corporate Complaint or Crisis Speech
“ If only we had died in Egypt, or if only we had died in this wilderness!” the Israelites cry inNumbers 14:2 (repeated inNumbers 20:3). Joshua echoes the same note after Achan’s sin (Joshua 7:7). The particle frames collective panic that forgets God’s past deliverance. Preachers often use these episodes to warn against nostalgia for bondage and against letting fear rewrite redemptive history.
Ethical Reflection and Regret
Genesis 50:15 pictures Joseph’s brothers dreading retribution: “If Joseph bears a grudge against us, he will surely repay us for all the evil we did to him.”
David’s officers employ the particle twice during Absalom’s revolt (2 Samuel 18:12; 19:6), exposing conflicted loyalties in leadership.
Job weighs his anguish (Job 6:2) and longs for a mediator (Job 9:33), a theme fulfilled in the New Testament’s High Priest.
Such verses demonstrate that regret can drive either destructive self-pity or constructive repentance, depending on whether one turns to the Lord.
Divine Lament for Covenant Faithfulness
Deuteronomy 32:29: “If only they were wise, they would understand; they would discern their end.”
Psalm 81:13: “If only My people would listen to Me, if Israel would follow My ways,”
Isaiah 48:18: “If only you had paid attention to My commandments…”
Here the particle reveals God’s heart: He genuinely longs for His people’s welfare and obedience. This longing is not weakness but holy desire consistent with justice; it magnifies grace by showing what could have been if Israel had listened.
Prophetic Warning and Satire
Ezekiel 14:15 andMicah 2:11 use the construction hypothetically to unveil judgment or expose false prophecy. Micah mocks popular religion: If someone preached “of wine and of strong drink,” he would be “just the preacher for this people!” The wish particle thus becomes a rhetorical spotlight, forcing hearers to see their folly.
Narratives of Mercy and Providence
Judges 13:23 – Manoah’s wife comforts her husband with reasoned faith: if God had meant to kill them, He would not have accepted their offering.
Balaam’s rage (Numbers 22:29) and Gideon’s revenge (Judges 8:19) contrast sinful impulses with divine restraint. Each scene underscores providence overruling human passion.
Theological Significance
1. It exposes the gap between human perception and divine reality, inviting prayerful alignment with God’s will.
2. It affirms that God Himself expresses longing—in perfect consistency with His omniscience—thereby validating the genuine relational dimension of the covenant.
3. It anticipates the Gospel, for every unrealized “if only” finds resolution in Christ, who fulfills all righteousness and mediates every broken desire.
Ministry Implications
• Pastoral counseling can encourage believers to voice honest “if only” prayers, then guide them to trust the Lord’s wiser plan.
• Preaching may contrast Israel’s rebellious wishes with Christ’s submissive “Nevertheless, not My will, but Yours be done,” illustrating the proper channeling of desire.
• Corporate worship can employ lament psalms containing the particle to teach congregations how to mourn sin while embracing hope.
Spiritual Formation
Meditating on passages that contain this particle trains the conscience to recognize misplaced nostalgia, sanctifies ambition by yoking it to obedience, and fosters empathy for God’s own longing that His children walk in blessing.
Conclusion
Wherever it appears, this small Hebrew particle turns the spotlight on the heart—divine or human—and calls readers to weigh what might have been against what God still promises to accomplish.
Forms and Transliterations
וְל֥וּ וְל֨וּא וְלוּ֙ ולו ולוא ל֖וּ ל֗וּ ל֚וּ ל֣וּ ל֤וּ ל֤וּ־ ל֥וּ ל֥וּא לֹ֣א לֽוּ־ לא לו לוּ֩ לוּ־ לוּא֩ לו־ לוא lo lō lu lū lū- veLu wə·lū wəlū
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