if: except
ki im is a conjunction that frames conditions and restricts a statement to an stated exception or sole alternative.
As a conjunction, ki im links clauses by presenting a condition or by narrowing a statement to a stated exception or sole alternative; the supplied verses show both functions within this single grammatical role.
Senses in use
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Conjunction marking conditions or restrictions · dominant
The form אִם, tagged Conjunction, introduces a condition in 1 Kings 20:6, where the APB renders the clause "But if at this time tomorrow I send my servants to you," and in 1 Samuel 20:9, where Jonathan frames what he would do on a stated condition. It also restricts what is included or permitted: in 1 Chronicles 15:2 the APB renders that the ark "must not be lifted except by the Levites," while 2 Kings 4:2 limits what is in the house to "a flask of oil."
In the Anselm Project Bible: The APB variously presents the conjunction through conditional wording such as "if" and restrictive wording such as "except" or "only." These renderings show the clauses' overall force rather than a fixed English equivalent for every token.