Samuel_Kim_en_uhg/content/particle_affirmation.rst

:github_url: https://git.door43.org/Door43/en_uhg/src/branch/master/content/particle_affirmation.rst

.. _particle_affirmation:

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 :ref:`conjunction` and sometimes more like an :ref:`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.

-  ISA 40:24

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   אַ֣ף בַּל־נִטָּ֗עוּ **אַ֚ף** בַּל־זֹרָ֔עוּ **אַ֛ף** בַּל־שֹׁרֵ֥שׁ
   בָּאָ֖רֶץ גִּזְעָ֑ם

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   **'af** bal-nitta'u **'af** bal-zora'u **'af** bal-shoresh ba'arets
   giz'am

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   **Really** not\_they-are-planted **really** not\_they-are-sown
   **really** not\_taken-root in-the-earth their-stem

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   **See**, they are barely planted; **see**, they are barely sown;
   **see**, their stem has barely taken root in the earth

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-  PSA 65:14 (PSA 65:13 in Hebrew)

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   יִ֝תְרוֹעֲע֗וּ **אַף**\ ־יָשִֽׁירוּ

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   yithro'a'u **'af**-yashiru

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   They-shout-for-joy **yes**\ \_they-sing.

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   They shout for joy, **and** they sing.

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-  GEN 40:16

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   וַיֹּ֙אמֶר֙ אֶל־יוֹסֵ֔ף **אַף**\ ־אֲנִי֙ בַּחֲלוֹמִ֔י

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   wayyomer 'el-yosef **'af**-'aniy bahalomi

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   and-he-said to\_Joseph **also**\ \_I in-my-dream

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   he also said to Joseph, "I **also** had a dream

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-  JOB 14:3

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   אַף־עַל־זֶ֭ה פָּקַ֣חְתָּ עֵינֶ֑ךָ

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   **'af**-'al-zeh paqahta 'enekha

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   **Even**\ \_on\_this you-open your-eyes

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   Yahweh, why do you keep watching me to see if I am doing something
   that is wrong?

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גַּם
----

Like אַף, this word appears to function sometimes more like a
:ref:`conjunction` and sometimes more like an :ref:`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.

-  GEN 27:33

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   גַּם־בָּר֖וּךְ יִהְיֶֽה

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   **gam**-barukh yihyeh

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   **Indeed**\ \_blessed he.

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   **Indeed**, he will be blessed.

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-  JOB 21:7

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   מַדּ֣וּעַ רְשָׁעִ֣ים יִחְי֑וּ עָ֝תְק֗וּ **גַּם**\ ־גָּ֥בְרוּ חָֽיִל

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   maddua' resha'im yihyu 'othqu **gam**-gavru hayil

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   Why wicked live become-old **yes**\ \_become-mighty power?

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   Why do wicked people continue to live, become old, **also** grow
   mighty in power?

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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.

-  EXO 3:12

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   וַיֹּ֙אמֶר֙ **כִּֽי**\ ־אֶֽהְיֶ֣ה עִמָּ֔ךְ

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   wayyomer **ki**-'eheyeh 'immakh

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   And-he-said **yes**\ \_I-will-be with-you.

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   God replied, "I will **certainly** be with you."

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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.

-  GEN 3:1

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   אַ֚ף כִּֽי־אָמַ֣ר אֱלֹהִ֔ים

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   **'af ki**-'amar 'elohim

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   **really**\ \_has-said God

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   has God **really** said

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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).

-  GEN 42:15 —— expressing emphatic negation

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   חֵ֤י פַרְעֹה֙ **אִם**\ ־תֵּצְא֣וּ מִזֶּ֔ה

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   he far'oh **'im**-tetse'u mizzeh

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   life-of pharaoh **if**\ \_you-will-go-out from-this

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   **by** the life of Pharaoh, you will not leave here

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-  NUM 14:28 –– expressing emphatic affirmation

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   חַי־אָ֨נִי֙ נְאֻם־יְהוָ֔ה **אִם**\ ־לֹ֕א

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   hay-'aniy ne'um-yehwah **'im**-lo

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   alive\_I saying-of\_Yahweh **if**\ \_not

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   '**as** I live,' says Yahweh, '(...) I will

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