Purpose and result לְמַעַן lema‘an
Hebrew says “in order to, so that” in several ways. The most common is לְ + infinitive construct (1:14 לְהַבְדִּיל “to divide”); when the purpose clause has its own subject, לְמַעַן + imperfect; for an outcome to be prevented, פֶּן. With no special word, וְ + cohortative after a command also says “so that.” Purpose and result use the same forms, and context tells them apart.
“so that, for the sake of” — לְ + מַעַן (sake)
Colour key blue = added at the front · orange = added at the end · purple = a mark inside (dot · doubled letter · changed vowel) · underline = the word this page is about
1What purpose and result clauses are
Purpose says “in order to, so that”; result says “and so it came about / will come about.” Biblical Hebrew does not keep the two strictly apart in its words: the same form can mean “in order to” or “so that (as a result),” and context decides.
There are several ways to express purpose. (1) The most common is לְ + infinitive construct, “to …” (1:14 לְהַבְדִּיל to divide). (2) לְמַעַן (lema‘an, “so that, for the sake of”) + imperfect or infinitive — 272 times in the OSHB. (3) בַּעֲבוּר (ba‘avur) + imperfect. (4) An outcome to be prevented is expressed by פֶּן (pen, “lest,” 133 times) and לְבִלְתִּי (levilti, “so as not to”). (5) With no special word, וְ + cohortative / jussive after a command also says “so that” (30:25, “send me, that I may go”).
Genesis 1–2 has only (1) — 1:14, 15, 17, 18, 2:5, 2:15, 2:19 and others. The Genesis 1 pages call this pattern 13, “לְ + infinitive construct: to ….”
2The names — לְ + infinitive · לְמַעַן lema‘an · פֶּן pen
לְ (le) is the attached preposition “to, toward.” Placed before the infinitive construct — the noun-like form of the verb (“…ing”) — it means “toward doing” → “to do, in order to.”
לְמַעַן (lema‘an) is לְ + מַעַן (ma‘an, “sake, purpose”) fused into one word. Before a noun it means “for the sake of” (18:24 לְמַעַן חֲמִשִּׁים הַצַּדִּיקִם “for the sake of the fifty righteous”); before a clause, “so that.”
פֶּן (pen) is a connector meaning “lest, so that … not,” often tied to the next word with a maqqef (פֶּן־תְּמֻתוּן). לְבִלְתִּי (levilti) is לְ + בִּלְתִּי (not, except), meaning “so as not to” before an infinitive.
Grammars speak of the purpose clause and the result clause, call לְ + infinitive the purpose infinitive, and write lema‘an, pen, levilti.
3At a glance — five marks of purpose and result
- לְ + infinitive constructA verb with no person prefix (י ת א נ) and לְ (לִ, לַ, לֵ) in front — לְהַבְדִּיל (1:14).
- לְמַעַןלְמַעַן + imperfect (יִיטַב) or infinitive (עֲשֹׂה) — “so that” (Gen 12:13 · 50:20).
- בַּעֲבוּרבַּעֲבוּר + imperfect — “so that” (Gen 27:4).
- Something to preventפֶּן + imperfect (3:3, “lest you die”) · לְבִלְתִּי + infinitive (4:15, “so that no one would strike”).
- וְ after a commandAfter an imperative or cohortative, וְ + cohortative / jussive / imperfect — “so that” (30:25 · 42:2).
4לְ before an infinitive — four shapes
The vowel of לְ changes with the next letter; the meaning is always the same. Every example below is a word actually used in Genesis 1–2.
| Shape | When | Word in the Bible | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| לְ | basic | לְהַבְדִּיל (1:14) | lehavdil | to divide |
| לִ | next letter has a shewa (two shewas cannot follow each other) | לִרְאוֹת (2:19) | lir’ot | to see |
| לַ | next letter has hatef patah (ֲ) | לַעֲבֹד (2:5) | la‘avod | to work |
| לֵ | the following א loses its sound | לֵאמֹר (1:22) | lemor | saying |
לֵאמֹר (saying) has the shape לְ + infinitive, but it does not express purpose; it opens speech (see the direct-speech page).
5לְ + infinitive construct — stem by stem
Standard forms of the model קטל (kill), with a word of the same stem actually used in Genesis. An infinitive has no person prefix, so the initial ה of the Hiphil, Niphal, and Hithpael remains visible.
6לְ + infinitive construct — “to …”
It tells what the action of the clause before is for. Who does it is set by the clause before.
lehavdil ben hayyom uven hallaylah — to divide between the day and the night
The clause before is “let there be lights” (יְהִי מְאֹרֹת). לְ (toward) + the Hiphil infinitive construct הַבְדִּיל (dividing) = “toward dividing” → “to divide.” It tells what the lights are for. An infinitive has no “who,” so the one dividing is the subject of the clause before (the lights). Being a verb, the infinitive governs בֵּין … וּבֵין (between … and …).
YLVAnd God said, "Let there be lights in the firmament of the heavens, to divide between the day and between the night; and let them be for signs (ot) and for appointed times (moadim), and for days and years;
leha’ir ‘al-ha’arets — to give light upon the earth
לְ + the Hiphil infinitive construct הָאִיר (giving light — root א-ו-ר “light”). The Hiphil ה, which disappears in the imperfect, is visible in the infinitive. The same לְהָאִיר עַל־הָאָרֶץ returns in 1:17, showing that he set them for the very purpose he had spoken.
YLVand let them be for lights in the firmament of the heavens, to give light upon the earth"; and it was so.
le‘ovdah uleshomrah — to work it and to keep it
The clause before: “and he put him in the garden of Eden” (וַיַּנִּחֵהוּ בְגַן־עֵדֶן). Two infinitives are joined by וְ — לְ + עָבְדָהּ (working/serving it) and וּלְ + שָׁמְרָהּ (keeping it). The final הּ (ה with a dot = it) refers to the garden. An infinitive has no person marker, so the suffix tells “what.”
YLVAnd YHWH God took Adam and put him in the garden of Eden to work (avad) it and to keep it.
lir’ot mah-yyiqra-lo — to see what he would call it
The clause before: “and he brought them to the man” (וַיָּבֵא אֶל־הָאָדָם). לִ + the Qal infinitive construct רְאוֹת (seeing — verbs ending in ה end in ־וֹת). רְ has a shewa, so לְ becomes לִ (two shewas cannot stand in a row). What he went “to see” is the question clause מַה־יִּקְרָא־לוֹ (what he would call it).
YLVAnd YHWH God formed out of the ground (adamah) every living thing (chai) of the field and every bird of the heavens, and brought it to Adam to see what he would call it; and whatever Adam called it, the living soul (nephesh), that was its name.
ve’adam ’ayin la‘avod ’et-ha’adamah — and there was no man to work the ground
The verbless clause וְאָדָם אַיִן (and there was no man) + לַ + the infinitive עֲבֹד (working) + object. ע has a hatef patah (ֲ), so לְ becomes לַ. There was no man for that work. In 2:15 this gap is filled with לְעָבְדָהּ from the same root ע-ב-ד.
YLVAnd every shrub of the field was not yet in the earth, and every herb of the field had not yet sprouted, for YHWH God had not caused it to rain upon the earth, and there was no man (adam) to work (avad) the ground (adamah).
7לְמַעַן · בַּעֲבוּר — “so that”
Common when the purpose clause has its own subject: an imperfect after it carries “who.”
lema‘an yitav-li va‘avurekh — that it may be well with me for your sake
The clause before is the imperative “say that you are my sister” (אִמְרִי־נָא אֲחֹתִי אָתְּ). לְמַעַן (so that) + the imperfect יִיטַב (it will be well) + לִי (to me) + בַעֲבוּרֵךְ (for your sake; ךְ = you). With an imperfect after לְמַעַן, the purpose clause has its own subject, carried by the imperfect.
YLVSay, I pray, that you are my sister, that it may be well with me for your sake, and my soul (nephesh) may live because of you."
lema‘an tevarekhkha nafshi — that my soul may bless you
Before it: “bring it to me, and I will eat” (הַגִּשָׁה לִּי וְאֹכְלָה). לְמַעַן + the Piel imperfect תְּבָרֶכְךָ (she will bless you; ךָ = you) + the subject נַפְשִׁי (my soul). נֶפֶשׁ is feminine, so the prefix is ת (she). In 27:4 the same thing is said with בַּעֲבוּר (below).
YLVAnd he said, "Bring it near to me, and I will eat of the game of my son, so that my soul (nephesh) may bless you." And he brought it near to him, and he ate; and he brought him wine, and he drank.
lema‘an ‘asoh kayyom hazzeh lehaḥayot ‘am-rav — in order to do as it is this day, to keep many people alive
The clause before: “God meant it for good” (אֱלֹהִים חֲשָׁבָהּ לְטֹבָה). Here לְמַעַן is followed not by an imperfect but by the infinitive עֲשֹׂה (doing), and then לְ + the Hiphil infinitive הַחֲיֹת (keeping alive) spells out the purpose again. Both ways of saying purpose (לְמַעַן and לְ) stand in one verse.
YLVAnd you, you devised evil against me; God devised it for good, in order to do as it is this day, to keep alive a numerous people.
lema‘an ya’arikhun yamekha — that your days may be prolonged
Before it, the command “honor your father and your mother” (כַּבֵּד אֶת־אָבִיךָ וְאֶת־אִמֶּךָ). לְמַעַן + the Hiphil imperfect יַאֲרִיכֻן (they will lengthen — with an extra final ן) + the subject יָמֶיךָ (your days). Command + לְמַעַן + promise is a frequent build in the Torah; the verse adds וּלְמַעַן יִיטַב לָךְ (and that it may go well with you).
YLVHonor your father and your mother, as YHWH your God commanded you (tzivvah); so that your days may be prolonged, and so that it may go well with you, upon the ground (adamah) which YHWH your God is giving to you.
ba‘avur tevarekhkha nafshi — in order that my soul may bless you
בַּעֲבוּר (so that, for the sake of) + the Piel imperfect תְּבָרֶכְךָ + נַפְשִׁי. The rest is identical to לְמַעַן תְּבָרֶכְךָ נַפְשִׁי in 27:25 — in the same chapter בַּעֲבוּר and לְמַעַן do the same job. בַּעֲבוּר is בְּ + עֲבוּר (sake).
YLVand make for me savory food, such as I love, and bring it to me that I may eat, in order that my soul (nephesh) may bless you before I die."
ba‘avur tihyeh-li le‘edah — that it may be a witness for me
Before it: “take these seven ewe lambs from my hand.” בַּעֲבוּר + the imperfect תִּהְיֶה (it will be) + לִּי (for me) + לְעֵדָה (as a witness). It tells what the taking is meant to become. The following כִּי חָפַרְתִּי gives the content (that I dug this well).
YLVAnd he said, "For these seven ewe-lambs you shall take from my hand, that it may be for me a witness (edah) that I have dug this well."
8Preventing an outcome — פֶּן · לְבִלְתִּי · אֲשֶׁר לֹא
pen-temutun — lest you die
Before it, two prohibitions: “do not eat … and do not touch” (לֹא תֹאכְלוּ … וְלֹא תִגְּעוּ). פֶּן (lest) + the imperfect תְּמֻתוּן (you will die — with an extra final ן). פֶּן names the outcome to be prevented: “so that you do not die.”
YLVbut of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God has said, 'You shall not eat of it, nor shall you touch it, lest you die.'"
pen-nafuts ‘al-pene khol-ha’arets — lest we be scattered over the face of all the earth
Before it, cohortatives: “let us build a city and a tower, let us make a name” (נִבְנֶה, וְנַעֲשֶׂה). פֶּן + the imperfect נָפוּץ (we will be scattered; prefix נ = we). It says what they built to prevent.
YLVAnd they said, "Come, let us build for ourselves a city and a tower, and its top in the heavens; and let us make for ourselves a name, lest we be scattered upon the face of all the earth."
levilti hakkot-’oto kol-motse’o — so that no one finding him would strike him
The clause before: “and YHWH set a sign for Cain” (וַיָּשֶׂם יְהוָה לְקַיִן אוֹת). לְבִלְתִּי (so as not to) + the Hiphil infinitive construct הַכּוֹת (striking) + the object אֹתוֹ (him) + the infinitive’s subject כָּל־מֹצְאוֹ (everyone finding him). The negative of לְ + infinitive is made with בִּלְתִּי, not לֹא.
YLVAnd YHWH said to him, "Therefore, whoever kills Cain, vengeance shall be taken sevenfold." And YHWH set a sign (ot) for Cain, lest anyone finding him should strike him.
’asher lo yishme‘u ’ish sefat re‘ehu — that they may not understand one another’s language
Before it, cohortatives: “let us go down and confound their language” (נֵרְדָה וְנָבְלָה). The relative אֲשֶׁר here opens “so that” + לֹא + the imperfect יִשְׁמְעוּ (they will hear → understand). It is both the purpose and the result of confounding.
YLVCome, let us go down, and confound there their language, that they may not understand, each man (ish) the language of his neighbor."
9וְ + cohortative / jussive after a command — “so that”
“Do …, and I will ….” Even with no purpose word, a volitive form joined by וְ after a command expresses purpose or result.
shalleḥeni ve’elekhah — send me away, that I may go
The Piel imperative שַׁלְּחֵנִי (send me; נִי = me) + וְ + the cohortative אֵלְכָה (let me go; the final ה marks the cohortative): “send me — and I will go,” that is, “send me so that I may go.” Imperative + וְ + cohortative is a common way to express purpose.
YLVAnd it came to pass, when Rachel had borne Joseph, that Jacob said to Laban, "Send me away, that I may go to my place and to my land.
veniḥyeh velo namut — that we may live and not die
Before it, two imperatives: “go down there … and buy” (רְדוּ, וְשִׁבְרוּ). The following וְ + the 1st plural imperfect נִחְיֶה (we will live) means “so that” rather than plain “and.” Without a special purpose word, וְ + a volitive after a command expresses purpose.
YLVAnd he said, "Behold, I have heard that there is grain in Egypt; go down there and buy for us from there, that we may live and not die."
10Why it works this way — how purpose is built
- 1. An infinitive has no “who”The infinitive construct is the noun-like “…ing” form; it has no person or time. So the subject of לְ + infinitive is usually the subject of the clause before (1:14, the lights); when it differs it is set after the infinitive (4:15 כָּל־מֹצְאוֹ).
- 2. לְ means “toward”לְ is “to, toward”: “there toward dividing” is “there to divide.” Put בְּ (in) before the same infinitive and it means “when” (2:4 בְּהִבָּרְאָם) — the preposition decides the sense.
- 3. A different subject: לְמַעַן + imperfectWhen the purpose clause has a different subject, the imperfect, which carries “who,” is convenient — “(you) say …, so that (it) may go well with me” (12:13).
- 4. The negative is not לֹאלְ + infinitive is negated with לְבִלְתִּי (4:15). An outcome to be prevented, said as a clause, is פֶּן + imperfect (3:3).
- 5. וְ after a command means “so that”When a volitive (cohortative, jussive) follows a command with וְ, the second wish comes after the first command is done — hence “so that, then.”
11In Genesis 1–2 — לְ + infinitive construct
Leaving out לֵאמֹר (1:22, 2:16), which opens speech, Genesis 1–2 has eleven לְ + infinitive construct words (counted in the OSHB): 1:14 לְהַבְדִּיל · 1:15 לְהָאִיר · 1:17 לְהָאִיר · 1:18 וְלִמְשֹׁל · וּלֲהַבְדִּיל · 2:3 לַעֲשׂוֹת · 2:5 לַעֲבֹד · 2:10 לְהַשְׁקוֹת · 2:15 לְעָבְדָהּ · וּלְשָׁמְרָהּ · 2:19 לִרְאוֹת.
On Day Four (1:14–18) four infinitives say again and again what the lights are for — to divide, to give light, to rule, to divide. The gap of 2:5, “no man to work the ground” (לַעֲבֹד), is filled in 2:15 by לְעָבְדָהּ from the same root.
In 2:3, לַעֲשׂוֹת attaches to the verb before it, “created” (בָּרָא), and spells out that work — YLV “which God created to make.”
12Easy to confuse
לְ + noun is not a purpose infinitive. In 1:29, לְאָכְלָה (for food) is לְ + the noun אָכְלָה (food) — the OSHB tags it as a noun. It means “for food,” not “to eat.” First check whether the next word is an infinitive of a verb root.
לֵאמֹר is not purpose. Not “in order to say” but “saying” — it acts as quotation marks opening the words that follow (1:22, 2:16).
לְמַעַן / בַּעֲבוּר + noun mean “for the sake of, because of.” 18:24 לְמַעַן חֲמִשִּׁים הַצַּדִּיקִם (for the sake of the fifty righteous) · 3:17 בַּעֲבוּרֶךָ (because of you). Only with a clause (a verb) after them do they mean “so that.”
פֶּן means “lest,” not “perhaps.” What follows פֶּן is something the speaker does not want (3:3, death · 11:4, scattering · 3:22, eating from the tree of life).