the Week of Proper 28 / Ordinary 33
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Bible Lexicons
Old Testament Hebrew Lexical Dictionary Hebrew Lexicon
Strong's #994 - בִּי
- Brown-Driver-Briggs
- Strong
- if it please, pray excuse me, excuse me please
- used to introduce an entreaty or request
- Book
- Word
did not use
this Strong's Number
did not use
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did not use
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did not use
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1033) ib (בי BY) AC: Need CO: Empty AB: Sorrow: The pictograph b , a picture of the house represents what is inside. The i is the hand. When combined these mean "inside the hand". An empty hand desiring to be filled. This root is closely related to aband eb.
A) ib (בי BY) AC: ? CO: ? AB: ?
Nm ) ib (בי BY) - Excuse Me: Used as an introduction for an entreaty or request. KJV (12): O, oh, alas - Strongs: H994 (בִּי)
C) iba (אבי ABY) AC: ? CO: ? AB: Need: A void within oneself that desires to be filled.
cm) ifba (אבוי ABWY) - Sorrow: A pain of desire. KJV (1): sorrow - Strongs: H17 (אֲבוֹי)
jm) nfiba (אביונ ABYWN) - Poor: One who is in need. KJV (61): needy, poor, beggar - Strongs: H34 (אֶבְיוֹן)
jf1) enfiba (אביונה ABYWNH) - Desire: Something looking to be filled. KJV (1): desire - Strongs: H35 (אֲבִיּוֹנָה)
Jeff Benner, Ancient Hebrew Research Center Used by permission of the author.
literally a prayer to my lord! a standing formula = Pray, excuse me, used exactly as בֹּי אֲדֹנִי. According to other contracted from בְּעִי, from בָּעָה to ask, and so literally a petition! compare Aramaic בְּבָעוּ, 
(e.g. Genesis 19:18 ᵑ7, Numbers 12:13 ᵑ6); but ע is not often elided in Hebrew) — Genesis 44:18 בִּי אֲדֹנִי יְדַבֶּרנָֿא I pray, my lord, let thy servant speak, etc.; so Numbers 12:11; Judges 6:13; 1 Samuel 1:26; 1 Kings 3:17,26, and following by a plural subject Genesis 43:20 יָרֹד יָרַדְנוּ׳בִּי א Oh, my lord, we came down, etc.; בִּי אֲדֹנָי (to God) Exodus 4:10,13; Joshua 7:8; Judges 6:15; Judges 13:8 (ᵐ5 in Pentateuch and Joshua δέομαι, δεόμεθα: in other books absurdly ἐν ἐμοί).
בִּי (for בְּעִי from the root בָּעָה, as בֵּל for בְּעֵל), prayer, asking, and by the usage of the language in the acc., as a part. of entreaty, or rather of asking pardon, always followed by אֲדֹנִי, אֲדֹנָי, prop. with a petition, with asking, or with asking, requesting, we come to thee; as if pace tua, Germ. bitte! mit Erlaub=nib. Genesis 44:18, בִּי אֲדֹנִי יְרַבֶּר־נָא עַבְדְּךָ דָכָר בְּאָזִנֵי אֲדֹנִי “I pray, O lord, let thy servant speak one word to thee;” Exodus 4:10, 13 Numbers 12:11; Joshua 7:8; Judges 6:13, 15 Judges 6:15, 13:8 1 Samuel 1:26; 1 Kings 3:17, 26 1 Kings 3:26 also when more than one speak, Genesis 43:20, זַיּאֹמְרוּ בִּי אֲדֹנִי יָרֹד יָרַדְנוּ וגו׳ “and they said, we pray, O lord! we went down,” etc. Of the ancient versions, LXX. excellently δέομαι and δεόμεθα, Vulg. obsecro, oramus, Targg. בְּבָעוּ, Syr. ܒܒܳܥܘܽ, Judges 13:8, with asking, asking; all of which answer exactly to the Hebrew בִּי, and remarkably confirm the etymology proposed by me, and afterwards approved by Hartmann, Winer, and others. The opinions of others are discussed in Thes. p. 222.
