# הלוא



## fscottr0262

What is the meaning of הֲלוֹא (hălôw'), the first word in Joshua 1v9?


----------



## fscottr0262

I figured it out -- hă (?) and lôw' (not) so hălôw' is not?


----------



## ahshav

generally, it means "is it not." In this case, it's slightly different, something along the lines of "After all, I have commanded you..."


----------



## bball909

Is לוא a different word from לא in this context?


----------



## origumi

bball909 said:


> Is לוא a different word from לא in this context?


The Academia considers both as the same word:

הֲלֹא, הֲלוֹא – כתיב 
פרק 2 – משקלים וצורות: 2.4 שמות שונים – מין, נטייה וכתיב; סעיף 2.4.5 

הֲלֹא (בחולם חסר) או הֲלוֹא (בחולם מלא) – בהוראת 'הנה'.

הערות 

1. מן ההחלטה עולה שבכתיב חסר הניקוד אפשריים שני הכתיבים הלא, הלוא.
2. הלא כמילת שאלה (כגון "הלא כן?") ניקודה תמיד בחולם חסר; גם בכתיב חסר                              הניקוד היא נכתבת בלי וי"ו.

http://hebrew-academy.huji.ac.il/hahlatot/GrammarDecisions/TheNounRhymeAndshape/Pages/Ch2D105.aspx


----------



## arielipi

לאו
is "lav" - no, negativeץ
הלוא,הלא
is it not
both pronounced halo, without a soft w. A reminder - hebrew doesnt tend to soften words, their last syllable is mostly open and cut for euro-languages natives.​


----------



## JaiHare

The syllable הֲ attached to another word turns it into a yes/no question.

יָדַעְתָּ - you knew
הֲיָדַעְתָּ - did you know?

לֹא means "not" and the prefix of הֲ means "is it not?" or "does it not?" It turns "not" into a question, depending on the verb that it accompanies.

הֲלֹא יָדַעְתָּ - did you not know?


----------



## arielipi

not necessarily, it oculd also be to emphasize - 
הלא ידעת שאמרתי לך כך וכך


----------



## tirgumx

arielipi said:


> not necessarily, it oculd also be to emphasize -
> הלא ידעת שאמרתי לך כך וכך



that is most likely a later development... it would make sense that the set phrase originates from an earlier "is it not", and gained the narrative context meaning of "for ..." (as in the bible)


----------

