kwrandolph wrote:I looked up in my dictionary, “sometimes used as a negation, that something will not happen again 1S 3:14”.
It’s not shorthand for a longer statement.
Karl W. Randolph.
It IS a short style of the swearing way.
The word אם doesn't have a definition of "Not".
If your dictionary says so, it is because of this short style.
That if I'd want to translate this short sentence, there is no problem to use "not" - but not as a definition, but only because this short sentence allows me to do so to clear things up.
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The swearing style is known - and it comes with a condition and with a result.
up to cases when only the body of the swearing alone stays.
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That is why that when there is a negative swearing - it uses אם (if).
And when there is a positive swearing - it uses אם לא (if not).
because the swearing always comes with the idea of "so would happen to me..."
and so:
Negative:
1. I swear I will not go =
So will happen to me IF I go
Positive:
2. I swear I will go =
so will happen to me IF I DON'T go