thy father? Jud. 14:3 הַאֵין בִּבְנוֹר אַחֶיךָ אִשָּׁה is there not a woman among the daughters of thy brethren? Gen. 43:7; 44:19, Ex. 17:7, Jud. 4:20, 1 S. 9:11, 2 K. 4:13; 10:15. — 1 K. 22:7, 2 K. 3:11, Jer. 7:17.
Sometimes אִם (= num) is used as a lively denial, or when the idea in the question is repudiated or disapproved, Jud. 5:8, 1 K. 1:27, Is. 29:16, Lam. 2:20, Job 6:12, 28; 39:13; though in some cases the first half of a disjunctive question may be unexpressed, Am. 3:6.
§ 123. The neg. question is put by הֲלֹא, Gen. 13:9 הֲלֹא כָל־הָאָרֶץ לְפָנֶיךָ is not all the land before thee? 4:7; 20:5; 44:5, Ex. 14:12, Nu. 23:26, Deu. 31:17. Or by הַאֵין when the existence of the subj. is questioned, or when the pred. is a ptcp. (§ 100 d). 1 K. 22:7, Jud. 14:3 (§ 122 above), Am. 2:11, Jer. 7:17. Occasionally the elements of הלא are separated for the sake of emphasis, Gen. 18:25.
Rem. 1. The interrog. particle, pos. or neg., may be strengthened by other particles, as אַף Gen. 18:13, 24, Am. 2:11, Job 40:8, or גַּם Gen. 16:13.
Rem. 2. The part. הֲלֹא implying an affirmative answer is often = הִנֵּה, Gen. 37:13, Deu. 3:11 and often. In Chr. הנה is sometimes used for הלא of earlier Books, comp. 2 Chr. 16:11 with 1 K. 15:23. See 1 Chr. 29:29, 2 Chr. 27:7; 32:32, and Sep. ἰδού for הלא, Deu. 3:11, Jos. 1:9, Jud. 6:14, Est. 10:2, cf. 2 K. 15:21. So Ar. ˒alà, which may be used with imper. Jud. 14:15 is hardly to be read הֲלוֹם here (Targ.)
§ 124. The disjunctive or alternative question is put by הֲ in first clause, and אִם or וְאִם in second. Jos. 5:13 הֲלָנוּ אַתָּה אִם לְצָרֵינוּ art thou for us or for our enemies? 1 K. 22:15 הֲנֵלֵךְ אִם נֶחְדַּל shall we go or forbear? Or if neg. by אִם לֹא in second clause (or אִם אַיִן if יֵשׁ be in the first), Gen. 27:21 הַּֽאַתָּה זֶה בְּנִי אִם־לֹא art thou my son or not? (cf. § 7 c). Ex. 17:7 חֲיֵשׁ י׳ בְּקִרְבֵּנוּ אִם־אָיִן is Je.
