H6435. pen

מֶּןֿ‎₁₃₃ (always with Makkeph **except Genesis 38:23; 44:34; Deuteronomy 7:25; 32:27 [not Gi], Isaiah 27:3; Proverbs 25:8: Mandelkern^{Conc. under the word}.)

conjunction (averting, or deprecating), lest (origin dubious: Thes Kö^{ii. 334} from מָּנָה‎, properly substantive construct in accusative for the aversion of; but פָנָה‎ is intransitive: Nö^{M. 474} compares the enclitic particle מּוֺן‎ in ᵑ7‎, then ἄν, 'etwa,' thinking that a particle with the meaning 'es möchte etwa,' spoken in a tone of alarm, might readily acquire a deprecatory force); — lest:

1 with imperfect Genesis 3:3 ye shall not eat thereof . . . מֶּןתְּֿמֻתוּן‎ lest ye die, 11:4 let us build a city מֶּןנָֿפוּץ‎ lest we be scattered, 19:15, 17, 19; 38:23; Genesis 45: Exodus 1:10; 23:29; 23:33 etc., 2 Kings 10:23 (followed by יֵשׁ‎), Isaiah 6:10; 27:3; 28:22; 48:5, 7; Psalm 2:12; 7:3 etc.; often after הִשָׁמֶרלְֿךָ‎ take heed to thyself Genesis 24:6; 31:24, and especially in Deuteronomy, as Deuteronomy 4:9, 23; 6:12; 8:11 and elsewhere; after a verb of fearing Genesis 32:12, and once, even, of swearing Judges 15:12; deprecating pathetically, Genesis 44:34 how shall I go up, etc.? lest I look upon the evil that will befal my father. Once, unusually, preceding the principal clause, Proverbs 5:6 מֶּןתְּֿפַלֵּס חַיִּים אֹרַח‎ lest she should make level the path of life, her ways are unstable, etc. (Ew Be Now; see also Toy). Note especially

a. the idiom מֶּןֿ (אָמַרְתִּי) אָמַר כִּי‎ for he (I) said, Lest..., implying always that some precaution has been taken to avert the dreaded contingency, Genesis 26:9 for I said, Lest I die on account of her (to obviate which, Isaac had called Rebecca his sister), 31:31; 38:11; 42:4; Exodus 13:17; Numbers 16:34; 1 Samuel 13:19; 27:11 (לֵאמֹר‎), Psalm 38:17; with אמר כי‎ implied Genesis 26:7; compare, with an aposiop., 3:22 and now, lest he put forth his hand, etc. (implying that measures are taken to prevent this, see 3:23): compare Tob 8:9.

b. מֶּןֿ‎ at the beginning of a sentence, with a dissuasive force, (Beware) lest: + Isaiah 36:18 חזקיהו אֶתְכֶם מֶּןיַֿסִּית‎ (beware) lest Hezekiah deceive you, Deuteronomy 29:17 (twice in verse) (followed by יֵשׁ‎), Jeremiah 51:46; Job 32:13; 36:18.

2 with Perfect, the result feared being conceived as having possibly already taken place; 2 Samuel 20:6 pursue after him, וְהִצִּיל ֗֗֗ לוֺ מֶּןמָֿצָא‎ lest he have found him fenced cities, etc. (but the tense of והציל‎ makes יִמְצָא‎ probably, Dr^sm Bu Kö^{iii. 486}), 2 Kings 2:16 י רוּחַ ׳מֶּןנְֿשָׂאוֺ וגו ׳וַיַּשְׁלִכֵהוּ‎.