Original Word: אַף
Part of Speech: conjunction
Transliteration: aph
Pronunciation: ahf
Phonetic Spelling: (af)
KJV: also, + although, and (furthermore, yet), but, even, + how much less (more, rather than), moreover, with, yea
NASB: also, indeed, even, how, surely, how much less, how much more
Word Origin: [a primitive particle]

1. meaning accession (used as an adverb or conjunction)
2. (also) or yea
3. adversatively though

also, although, and furthermore, yet, but, even, how much less more, rather than,

A primitive particle; meaning accession (used as an adverb or conjunction); also or yea; adversatively though -- also, + although, and (furthermore, yet), but, even, + how much less (more, rather than), moreover, with, yea.

Word Origin
a prim. conjunction
Definition
also, yea
NASB Translation
all (1), also (42), even (10), furthermore (2), how (9), how much (1), how much less (7), how much more (4), indeed (20), indeed* (2), less (2), more (1), more* (1), much more* (8), much* (10), no (1), really (1), scarcely* (3), so (2), spite* (1), surely (9), surely* (1), then* (1), though (1), too (2), truly (2), turn (1), well (2), yes (2), yet (1).

II. אַף conjunction denoting addition, especially of something greater, also, yea (so Phoenician, Aramaic , אַף, אוֺף; compare ).

1 very rare in plain prose (in which גַּם is more usual): Genesis 40:16* (*with pronoun, as rather often) Ialso in my dream, Numbers 16:14; Deuteronomy 2:11*; Deuteronomy 2:20* 2 Samuel 20:14 (see Dr) 2 Kings 2:14 * Esther 5:12; more frequently in poetry, especially as introducing emphatically a new thought Deuteronomy 33:3,20,28; 1 Samuel 2:7; Psalm 16:6; Psalm 16:7; Psalm 16:9; Psalm 18:49; Psalm 65:14 they shout for joy, yea, they sing! Psalm 68:9; Psalm 68:17; Psalm 74:16; Psalm 89:28Psalm 1; Proverbs 22:19* Proverbs 23:28* +; or in more elevated prose style, Leviticus 26:16*; Leviticus 26:24*; Leviticus 26:28*; Leviticus 26:41*; and 25 t. in the impassioned rhetoric of Isa² (Isaiah 40:24-48:15), e.g. Isaiah 40:24; Isaiah 41:10,26; Isaiah 42:13; Isaiah 43:7,19; Isaiah 46:11 yea, I have spoken, I will also bring it to pass; I have purposed, I will also do it! Isaiah 48:12,15. Implying something surprising or unexpected, even, indeed Job 14:3; Job 15:4*. וְאַף and also Leviticus 26:39,40,42,44; Deuteronomy 15:17; Habakkuk 2:15; Psalm 68:19; 1 Chronicles 8:32* = 1 Chronicles 9:38* 2Chronicles 12:5* Nehemiah 2:18; Nehemiah 13:15; and even Job 19:4 וְאַףאָֿמְנָם שָׁגִיתִי and even indeed (if) I have erred . . . With הֲ, הַאַף indeed . . .? really . . .? Genesis 18:13,23 wilt thou indeed sweep away the righteous with the wicked? Genesis 18:24; Amos 2:11; Job 34:17; Job 40:8. In contrast to a preceding thought (expressed or implied) but, nay (imo) Psalm 44:10; Psalm 58:3; compare Judges 5:29*.

2 (Equally in prose and poetry) with reference to a preceding sentence, yea, à fortiori, the more so (= how much more! after an affirm. clause; = how much less! after a negative one): 2 Samuel 4:10f. when one told me, Saul is dead . . . I took hold of him and slew him . . . ׳אַף כִּיאֲֿנָשִׁים רְשָׁעִים הָרְגוּ וג à fortiori, how much more (should I do so when wicked men have slain a righteous person, etc.! Ezekiel 14:21 (Ew Hi) Ezekiel 15:5; Proverbs 21:27 (in all these passages כִּי = when) Job 4:19. So וְאַף 1 Samuel 23:3; 2 Kings 5:13 . . . וְאַף כִּיאָֿמַר אֵלֶיךָ and the more (= and how much rather), when he hath said to thee, etc. More commonly in this sense strengthened by כִּי (q. v.), see below

אַף כִּי

1 furthermore Ezekiel 23:40; Habakkuk 2:5 (Ges quin imo, quin etiam).

2 in a question, indeed (is it) that . . .? Genesis 3:1 אַף כִּיאָֿמַר אֱלֹהִים indeed, that God has said . . .? i.e. has God really said . . .? (compare הַאַף above).

3 with reference to a preceding sentence (which is often introduced by הֵן or הִנֵּה), yea, that . . .! i.e. how much more (or less) ! Proverbs 11:31 lo, the righteous is recompensed in the earth ַ™אֹף כִּי רָשָׁע וְחוֺטֵא 'tis indeed that (= how much more) the wicked and the sinner! Proverbs 15:11; Proverbs 17:7; Proverbs 19:7,10; Job 9:14; Job 15:16; Job 25:6; 1 Samuel 14:30; 1 Kings 8:27 (= 2 Chronicles 6:18) lo, the heavens . . . cannot contain thee אַ֕ף כִּי הַבַּיִת הַזֶּה 'tis indeed that this house (cannot do so), i.e. how much less this house! 2 Chronicles 32:15. So וְאַף כִּי Deuteronomy 31:27; 1 Samuel 21:6 (perhaps; but see RS^{Semitic i. 436} Dr^{Sm 293}) 2 Samuel 16:11. (In Job 35:14 (Hi De) Nehemiah 9:18 אַף כִּי is simply = yea, when . . .)

אפד (existence & meaning dubious Thes MV and others identify with אָפַד gird on, but this denominative see below; Lag^{BN 178; GN 1890, p. 15} proposes , come as ambassador, as √ of אֵפוֺר).

אַף conjunction also (Biblical Hebrew אַף; Egyptian Aramaic, Palmyrene אף (S-C^Pap. Lzb²²⁴); ᵑ7 אַף, ᵑ7^J also אוֺף; Syriac ; — also, alwlays וְאַף Daniel 6:23; Ezra 5:10,14; Ezra 6:5.

Basic Sense and Distinction

אַף (Strong’s 637) is a coordinating-emphatic particle that strengthens, adds to, or heightens what follows. It must not be confused with אַף (Strong’s 639) meaning “nose / anger.” Though identical in spelling, the two are functionally and contextually distinct.

Frequency and Distribution

Approximately 134 times across the Hebrew canon, with concentrations in Genesis, Job, Psalms, Proverbs and the prophetic books. Its range extends from early patriarchal narratives (Genesis 3:1) to post-exilic writings (Malachi 2:15).

Functional Uses in Hebrew Syntax

1. Additive (“also, moreover”)
• Genesis 40:14 “But remember me when it is well with you, and please show me kindness; also mention me to Pharaoh…”
• Proverbs 19:2 “Even zeal is not good without knowledge, and he who hurries his feet sins.”

2. Intensifying (“indeed, certainly”)
• Genesis 18:23 “Will You indeed sweep away the righteous with the wicked?”
• Job 9:14 “How then can I answer Him or choose my arguments against Him?”

3. Adversative or concessive (“even though, yet”)
• Numbers 16:14 “Indeed, you have not brought us into a land flowing with milk and honey…”
• Leviticus 26:44 “Yet in spite of this, when they are in the land of their enemies, I will not reject them, nor will I abhor them…”

4. Rhetorical “how much more / how much less” constructions
• Job 4:19 “How much more those who dwell in houses of clay…”
• Proverbs 15:11 “Sheol and Abaddon lie open before the LORD—how much more the hearts of men!”

5. Introducing alternative or cumulative participants
• Joshua 2:4 “…The woman had taken the two men and hidden them. So she said, ‘Yes, the men came to me…’”

Key Theological Motifs

1. Integrity of God’s Word versus Satanic Subtlety

First appearance: Genesis 3:1 “Indeed, has God said…?” The particle signals the serpent’s cunning distortion of revelation, setting a paradigm for every later challenge to divine authority.

2. Covenant Mercy Extending Beyond Primary Heir

Genesis 17:20 “And as for Ishmael, I have heard you; I will also bless him…” underscores Yahweh’s gracious overflow beyond the covenant line, foreshadowing Gentile inclusion.

3. Divine Faithfulness Despite Human Failure

Leviticus 26:44 and Nehemiah 9:18 employ אַף to uphold unconditional covenant promises even amid transgression—assuring exiles (and modern readers) of unbroken redemptive purpose.

4. Heightened Judgment Pronouncements

Isaiah 10:12; Jeremiah 14:18; Ezekiel 7:13 use the particle to magnify certainty of approaching judgment, reinforcing the moral seriousness of sin.

5. “How Much More” Logic of Redemption

Hebrew wisdom literature regularly builds lesser-to-greater arguments with אַף, a rhetorical pattern carried into New Testament Greek (“how much more” in Matthew 7:11; Romans 5:9). The particle thus anticipates Christ-centered reasoning that moves from God’s lesser gifts to His greatest.

Role in Poetic Parallelism

In Psalms and Proverbs אַף frequently appears as the first word of a line, pairing with waw-consecutives to balance clauses:

Psalm 73:17–18

“Until I entered the sanctuary of God;

then I discerned their end.

Surely You set them on slippery ground…”

The initial “Surely” (אַף) anchors the psalmist’s turn from doubt to assurance.

Historical Observations

• Masoretic scribes preserved uniform vocalization, marking the particle as an independent lexical unit despite its brevity.
• Septuagint translators rendered it variously with καί (“and”), ἀλλά (“but”), μήτι (“indeed”), illustrating its flexible nuance.
• Post-biblical Hebrew retained the particle mainly in liturgical poetry, signaling its perceived solemnity.

Ministry Implications

1. Expository preaching can harness אַף to show the Spirit-inspired precision of Scripture—how a single particle can pivot meaning from doubt to faith or from promise to intensified promise.
2. Pastoral counseling finds assurance in Leviticus 26:44 and Jeremiah 31:37: divine “yet” and “indeed” override human “if only.”
3. Evangelistic witness may draw on Genesis 17:20; Isaiah 56:3 to emphasize that God’s blessing is “also” for those once outside the covenant.

Christological Foreshadowings

• The additive force (“also”) prepares readers to expect something beyond initial revelation—ultimately fulfilled in the “yes and Amen” that is in Jesus Christ (2 Corinthians 1:20).
• The intensifying use (“indeed”) anticipates Christ’s “truly, truly” declarations, reinforcing reliability of His words.

Practical Guidelines for Translators and Teachers

• Treat אַף as context-dependent: translate “also” or “even” where addition is primary, and “indeed” or “surely” where certainty is stressed.
• Preserve its rhetorical weight; suppressing it can flatten climactic turns in narrative or poetry.
• When explaining to modern audiences, illustrate with parallel English particles (“even,” “yet,” “indeed”) but note that Hebrew packs more force into fewer words.

Conclusion

Though small, אַף shapes major theological and rhetorical contours of the Old Testament. It deepens promises, heightens warnings, and foreshadows the fullness of grace revealed in Messiah—testifying that every inspired word, even the smallest particle, accomplishes the purpose for which God sends it.

אַ֕ף אַ֖ף אַ֗ף אַ֚ף אַ֛ף אַ֝֗ף אַ֞ף אַ֡ף אַ֣ף אַ֤ף אַ֤ף ׀ אַ֥ף אַ֭ף אַף־ אף אף־ הַ֭אַף הַאַ֣ף הַאַ֤ף הַאַ֥ף הַאַ֬ף האף וְ֠אַף וְאַ֕ף וְאַ֖ף וְאַ֗ף וְאַ֛ף וְאַ֣ף וְאַ֤ף וְאַ֥ף וְאַ֨ף וְאַף֙ וְאַף֩ וְאַף־ ואף ואף־ ’ap̄ ’ap̄- af ha’ap̄ ha·’ap̄ haAf veAf wə’ap̄ wə’ap̄- wə·’ap̄ wə·’ap̄-Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts