בִּי particle of entreaty, craving permission to address a superior, always followed by אֲדֹנִי (or אֲדֹנָי), and always (except [Josh 7:8]) at the beginning of a speech, I pray, excuse me — (not improbable from √ ביי; so that בִּי אֲדֹנִי will be literally a supplication of (i.e. to my lord! compare Wetzst l.c., who compares the Arabic literally a prayer to my lord! a standing formula = Pray, excuse me, used exactly as בֹּי אֲדֹנִי. According to other contracted from בְּעִי, from בָּעָה to ask, and so literally a petition! compare Aramaic בְּבָעוּ, (e.g. [Gen 19:18] ᵑ7, [Num 12:13] ᵑ6); but ע is not often elided in Hebrew) — [Gen 44:18] בִּי אֲדֹנִי יְדַבֶּרנָֿא I pray, my lord, let thy servant speak, etc.; so [Num 12:11]; [Judg 6:13]; [1Sam 1:26]; [1Kgs 3:17]; [1Kgs 3:26], and following by a plural subject [Gen 43:20] יָרֹד יָרַדְנוּ ׳בִּי א Oh, my lord, we came down, etc.; בִּי אֲדֹנָי (to God) [Exod 4:10]; [Exod 4:13]; [Josh 7:8]; [Judg 6:15]; [Judg 13:8] (ᵐ5 in Pentateuch and Joshua δέομαι, δεόμεθα: in other books absurdly ἐν ἐμοί).
The Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew and English Lexicon
License: Public domain document; formatting developed for use in https://marvel.bible by Eliran Wong.
Source: provided by Tim Morton, the developer of Bible Analyzer