Particle Affirmation

Summary

Affirmation particles express a sense of “addition to” or “affirmation of” something in a text.

Article

Biblical Hebrew contains three major particles that, used either individually or in combination, express an “affirmation of” or “addition to” some aspect of the text. These particles can have a scope as narrow as a single word or phrase, or as broad as an entire sentence or paragraph.

אַף

This word is flexible in meaning; sometimes it appears to function more like a Conjunction and sometimes more like an Adverb. This word does not have a single translation value, but must be translated with great sensitivity to its context. In English, אַף is often translated with a family of different words, including “also”, “even”, “only”, “truly”, and/or other terms that can convey the general concepts of affirmation or addition. Sometimes it is left untranslated, in instances where there is no satisfactory way to communicate the sense of the word as used in its specific context.

Example: ISA 40:24
אַ֣ף בַּל־נִטָּ֗עוּ אַ֚ף בַּל־זֹרָ֔עוּ אַ֛ף בַּל־שֹׁרֵ֥שׁ
בָּאָ֖רֶץ גִּזְעָ֑ם
‘af bal-nitta’u ‘af bal-zora’u ‘af bal-shoresh ba’arets
giz’am
Really not_they-are-planted really not_they-are-sown
really not_taken-root in-the-earth their-stem
See, they are barely planted; see, they are barely sown;
see, their stem has barely taken root in the earth
Example: PSA 65:14 (PSA 65:13 in Hebrew)
יִ֝תְרוֹעֲע֗וּ אַף־יָשִֽׁירוּ
yithro’a’u ‘af-yashiru
They-shout-for-joy yes_they-sing.
They shout for joy, and they sing.
Example: GEN 40:16
וַיֹּ֙אמֶר֙ אֶל־יוֹסֵ֔ף אַף־אֲנִי֙ בַּחֲלוֹמִ֔י
wayyomer ‘el-yosef ‘af-‘aniy bahalomi
and-he-said to_Joseph also_I in-my-dream
he also said to Joseph, “I also had a dream
Example: JOB 14:3
אַף־עַל־זֶ֭ה פָּקַ֣חְתָּ עֵינֶ֑ךָ
‘af-‘al-zeh paqahta ‘enekha
Even_on_this you-open your-eyes
Yahweh, why do you keep watching me to see if I am doing something
that is wrong?

גַּם

Like אַף, this word appears to function sometimes more like a Conjunction and sometimes more like an Adverb. This word does not have a single translation value, but must be translated with great sensitivity to its context. In English, גַּם is often translated with a family of different words, including “also”, “indeed”, “even”, and/or other terms that can convey the general concepts of affirmation or addition.

Example: GEN 27:33
גַּם־בָּר֖וּךְ יִהְיֶֽה
gam-barukh yihyeh
Indeed_blessed he.
Indeed, he will be blessed.
Example: JOB 21:7
מַדּ֣וּעַ רְשָׁעִ֣ים יִחְי֑וּ עָ֝תְק֗וּ גַּם־גָּ֥בְרוּ חָֽיִל
maddua’ resha’im yihyu ‘othqu gam-gavru hayil
Why wicked live become-old yes_become-mighty power?
Why do wicked people continue to live, become old, also grow
mighty in power?
Example: GEN 44:16
גַּם־אֲנַ֕חְנוּ גַּ֛ם אֲשֶׁר־נִמְצָ֥א הַגָּבִ֖יעַ בְּיָדֽוֹ׃
gam-‘anahnu gam ‘asher-nimtsa haggavia’ beyado
both_we and who it-was-found the-cup in-his-hand
both we and the one in whose sack the cup was found.
Example: GEN 3:6 –– here the word גַּם is left untranslated
וַתִּתֵּ֧ן גַּם־לְאִישָׁ֛הּ עִמָּ֖הּ וַיֹּאכַֽל׃
wattitten gam-le’ishah ‘immah wayyokhal
And-she-gave also to-her-husband with-her and-he-ate.
Then she gave some to her husband, and he ate it.

כִּי

Note

כִּי is one of the most flexible words in Biblical Hebrew in terms of its meaning. It can function either as a conjunction or as a particle, with many different potential meanings. If in doubt, it is recommended to always consult a dictionary or lexicon to confirm how the word is being used in any specific instance.

Example: EXO 3:12
וַיֹּ֙אמֶר֙ כִּֽי־אֶֽהְיֶ֣ה עִמָּ֔ךְ
wayyomer ki-‘eheyeh ‘immakh
And-he-said yes_I-will-be with-you.
God replied, “I will certainly be with you.”

אַף כִּי

When paired together, these two particles function as a single unit, expressing a strong sense of affirmation or addition. Again, this compound particle must be translated with extreme sensitivity to the context in order to convey its precise nuance.

Example: GEN 3:1
אַ֚ף כִּֽי־אָמַ֣ר אֱלֹהִ֔ים
‘af ki-‘amar ‘elohim
really_has-said God
has God really said

אִם (after oath formulas)

When the word אִם follows oath formulas, it functions as an affirmation particle to strengthen the force of the oath, either negatively (as אִם alone) or positively (as אִם־לֹא).

Example: GEN 42:15 —— expressing emphatic negation
חֵ֤י פַרְעֹה֙ אִם־תֵּצְא֣וּ מִזֶּ֔ה
he far’oh ‘im-tetse’u mizzeh
life-of pharaoh if_you-will-go-out from-this
by the life of Pharaoh, you will not leave here
Example: NUM 14:28 –– expressing emphatic affirmation
חַי־אָ֨נִי֙ נְאֻם־יְהוָ֔ה אִם־לֹ֕א
hay-‘aniy ne’um-yehwah ‘im-lo
alive_I saying-of_Yahweh if_not
as I live,’ says Yahweh, ‘(…) I will