Lexical Summary ulay: Perhaps, maybe, possibly, if only Original Word: אוּלַי Strong's Exhaustive Concordance if so be, may be, peradventure, unless Or (shortened) rulay {oo-lah'ee}; from 'ow; if not; hence perhaps -- if so be, may be, peradventure, unless. see HEBREW 'ow NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Origina prim. root Definition perhaps NASB Translation if (1), perhaps (35), should (1), suppose (8). Brown-Driver-Briggs II. אוּלַי44 and (Genesis 24:39) אֻלַי adverb (perhaps from אוֺ & לַי = לֵי, לֵא, as in לוּלֵא, = or not ?). 1 peradventure, perhaps; usually expressing a hope, as Genesis 16:2; Numbers 22:6,11; Numbers 23:3; 1 Samuel 6:5; Jeremiah 20:10; but also a fear or doubt, as Genesis 27:12; Job 1:5, followed by לֹא Genesis 24:5,39; in mockery Isaiah 47:12; Jeremiah 51:8. 2 followed by another clause ἀσυνδέτως, it, it expresses vir-tually the protasis = if peradventure Genesis 18:24,28 (compare Genesis 18:29-32) Hosea 8:7 the blade shall yield no meal; אוּלַי יַעֲשֶׂה זָרִים יִבְלָעֻהוּ if perchance it yield, strangers shall swallow it up. 3 in Numbers 22:33 לוּלֵי (q.v) must be read; unless she had turned aside from me, surely, etc. Topical Lexicon Overviewאוּלַי frames human uncertainty before the certainty of God. The particle most often appears on the lips of people who know that final outcomes rest with the Lord but still act, plan, intercede, or repent in hope. Across roughly forty-five Old Testament occurrences the word gathers around four major themes: covenant longing, intercessory atonement, battle and deliverance, and prophetic calls to repentance. Covenant Longing in the Patriarchal Narratives 1. Desire for offspring 2. Securing a bride for Isaac 3. Fear of discovery Intercessory Atonement and Mercy 1. Moses on Sinai 2. Job’s priestly role 3. Hezekiah’s hope Battle, Deliverance, and Strategic Planning 1. Reconnaissance and provision 2. Faith on the battlefield 3. Military appeals to prophets Prophetic Calls to Repentance אוּלַי becomes a pastoral word in the mouths of prophets who urge a stubborn people to repent while time remains. • Jeremiah 26:3 – “Perhaps they will listen and each will turn from his evil way; then I will relent of the disaster.” In each setting אוּלַי appeals to divine compassion without questioning divine justice. The word guards against fatalism; because the character of God is consistent, repentance is never pointless. Ministry Significance 1. Encouragement to Intercede The recurring link between אוּלַי and priestly or prophetic prayer (Moses, Job, Hezekiah, Jeremiah) urges believers to stand in the gap. Uncertainty about outcomes is no excuse for prayerlessness; rather, it drives humble dependence. 2. Motivation for Evangelism and Preaching Prophets proclaim judgment yet hold out “perhaps” as a doorway to mercy. Gospel proclamation carries the same invitation: call all people to repentance, trusting that “the kindness of God leads you to repentance” (Romans 2:4). 3. Pastoral Care amid Suffering Давid’s flight (2 Samuel 16:12) records, “Perhaps the LORD will see my affliction and repay me with good for the cursing I receive today.” Sufferers may not know the immediate outcome, but they may entrust their cause to the righteous Judge. 4. Guardrail against Presumption Jonathan’s valor (1 Samuel 14) distinguishes faith from presumption. Believers may act boldly yet always concede the final decision to God. Summary אוּלַי gathers the hopes, fears, and petitions of God’s people into a single particle of possibility. It honors divine sovereignty, fuels prayer, encourages courageous obedience, and extends an open invitation to repentance. When Scripture says “perhaps,” it does not question God’s faithfulness; it invites human hearts to submit, seek, and hope in the One whose purposes are certain and whose mercies are new every morning. Forms and Transliterations א֠וּלַי אֻלַ֛י אוּלַ֖י אוּלַ֗י אוּלַ֛י אוּלַ֞י אוּלַ֡י אוּלַ֣י אוּלַ֣י ׀ אוּלַ֤י אוּלַ֥י אוּלַ֨י אוּלַי֙ אוּלַי֩ אולי אלי ’u·lay ’ū·lay ’ulay ’ūlay uLaiLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Genesis 16:2 HEB: אֶל־ שִׁפְחָתִ֔י אוּלַ֥י אִבָּנֶ֖ה מִמֶּ֑נָּה NAS: in to my maid; perhaps I will obtain children KJV: unto my maid; it may be that I may obtain children INT: to my maid perhaps will obtain through Genesis 18:24 Genesis 18:28 Genesis 18:29 Genesis 18:30 Genesis 18:31 Genesis 18:32 Genesis 24:5 Genesis 24:39 Genesis 27:12 Genesis 32:20 Genesis 43:12 Exodus 32:30 Numbers 22:6 Numbers 22:11 Numbers 22:33 Numbers 23:3 Numbers 23:27 Joshua 9:7 Joshua 14:12 1 Samuel 6:5 1 Samuel 9:6 1 Samuel 14:6 2 Samuel 14:15 2 Samuel 16:12 45 Occurrences |