אַף

conj. denoting addition, especially of something greater, also, yea (so Ph. Aramaic ܐܳܦ, אַף, אוֹף; cf. فَ ). very rare in plain prose (in which גַּם is more usual): Gn 40:16 (with pron., as rather often) I also in my dream, Nu 16:14 Dt 2:11, 20 2 S 20:14 (v. Dr) 2 K 2:14 Est 5:12; more freq. in poetry, especially as introducing emphatically a new thought Dt 33:3, 20, 28 1 S 2:7 ψ 16:6, 7, 9; 18:49; 65:14 they shout for joy, yea, they sing! 68:9, 17; 74:16; 89:28; 93:1 Pr 22:19; 23:28 +; or in more elevated prose style, Lv 26:16, 24, 28, 41; and 25 times in the impassioned rhetoric of Is 2 (40:24–48:15), e.q. 40:24; 41:10, 26; 42:13; 43:7, 19; 46:11 yea, I have spoken, I will also bring it to pass; I have purposed, I will also do it! 48:12, 15. Implying something surprising or unexpected, even, indeed Jb 14:3; 15:4. וְאַף and also Lv 26:39, 40, 42, 44 Dt 15:17 Hb 2:15 ψ 68:19 1 Ch 8:32 = 9:38 2 Ch 12:5 Ne 2:18; 13:15; and even Jb 19:4 וְאַף־אָמְנָם שָׁגִיתִי and even indeed (if) I have erred … With הֲ, הַאַף indeed …? really …? †Gn 18:13, 23 wilt thou indeed sweep away the righteous with the wicked? v 24 Am 2:11 Jb 34:17; 40:8. In contrast to a preceding thought (expressed or implied) but, nay ψ 44:10; 58:3; cf. Ju 5:29. (Equally in prose and poetry) with ref. to a preceding sentence, yea, à fortiori, the more so (= how much more! after an affirm. clause; = how much less! after a neg. one): †2 S 4:10 f. when one told me, Saul is dead … I took hold of him and slew him … אַף כִּי־אֲנָשִׁים רְשָׁעִים הָרְגוּ וג׳ à fortiori, how much more (should I do so), when wicked men have slain a righteous person, etc.! Ez 14:21 (Ew Hi) 15:5 Pr 21:27 (in all these passages כִּי = when) Jb 4:19. So וְאַף †1 S 23:3 2 K 5:13 … וְאַף כִּי־אָמַר 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.), v. infr.