Lexical Definition

‎לוּא‎ lûwʼ (loo) if ^H:Intj
or לֻא luʼ (loo); or לוּ lûw (loo)

if (haply), peradventure, I pray thee, though, I would, would God (that).

• a conditional particle
• if
• by implication (interj. as a wish) would that!

1) if, oh that!, if only!
1a) if (unlikely condition)
1b) if only!, oh that!, would that!

See Greek: ὀφείλω

Brown-Driver-Briggs

‎לֻא‎ 2Sam 18:12 Kt (Qr ‎לוּ‎) if: see ‎לוּ‎.

‎לוּ‎₁₇ and ‎לוּא‎ ( 1Sam 14:30; Isa 48:18; Isa 63:19), also ‎לֻא‎ (Qr ‎לוּ‎), 2Sam 18:12; 2Sam 19:7* (Arabic , Aramaic , ‎לְוַי‎, Mishna ‎לְוַי‎, Assyrian lû, with optative force, Dl^{§§ 78 end, 93, 145}; compare Kö^{ii. 333}), conjunction if, O that: —

1. if (stating a case which has not been, or is not likely to be, realized):
a. followed by perfect (so mostly), Deut 32:29 ‎לו חכמו ישׂכילו זאת‎ if they had been wise (which they are not), they would understand this; Mic 2:11 (apodosis ‎וְהָיָה‎); Judg 8:19; Judg 13:23 ‎להמיתנו לא לקח לו‎ ‎׳‎‎חפץ י‎ if J. had desired to slay us, he would not have taken, &c.; 1Sam 14:30; 2Sam 19:7*.
b. followed by imperfect Ezek 14:15 if I were to send, &c. (but read probably ‎אוֺ‎, compare vEzek 14:17 vEzek 14:19).
c. followed by participle, 2Sam 18:12 ‎וְלֻא אָנֹכִי שֹׁקֵל‎ and though I should be weighing 1000 pieces of silver upon my hand, I would not, &c.; Ps 81:14*-17 ‎לו עמי שֹׁמֵעַ לי‎ if my people were hearkening to me, . . . quickly would I bow down, &c.
d. followed by ‎יֵשׁ‎ Job 16:4. — With the apodosis omitted, Gen 50:15 ‎לוּ יִשְׂטְמֵנוּ‎ if Joseph were to hate us (how should we fare then ?).

2. If only ...! i.e. O that! would that! (compare εἰ γάρ, εἴθε) usually followed by perf., as Num 14:2 (twice in verse) ‎לוּ מַתְנוּ‎ if only we had died in the land of Egypt! Num 20:3; Josh 7:7 ‎וְלוּ הוֺאַלְנוּ וַנֵּשֶׁב‎ Isa 48:18; Isa 63:19 followed by ‎יֵשׁ‎ Num 22:29 followed by imperfect Gen 17:18 ‎לו יחיה‎ O that Ishmael might live before thee! Job 6:2 followed by jussive Gen 30:34 ‎כדברך לו יהי‎; followed by imperative Gen 23:13 ‎אם אתה לוּ שׁמעני‎ if thou — O that thou wouldst hear me! (+ probably vGen 23:5 ‎לאמר ׃ לוּ שׁמעני‎ for ‎׳‎‎לאמרֹ לוֺ ׃ שׁ‎, and similarly vGen 23:15). — Read also probably ‎לֻא‎ for Masoretic ‎לֹא‎ Judg 21:22 (with ‎כִּי עַתָּה‎), 1Sam 13:13; 1Sam 20:14 (twice in verse); Job 9:33 (followed by ‎יֵשׁ‎); and perhaps Job 14:4 (Ew Kö).

Brown-Driver-Briggs References