The Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament says that this conjunction has at least ten distinctive usages in the Old Testament:
- Sometimes gam simply serves as a particle of addition or accumulation (Gen 7:3).
- When two or more persons or objects are viewed as functioning together, gam may serve as a comprehensive particle (Jud 9:49; Prov 17:15).
- Like the connective particle waw, gam may function conjunctively to join two nouns (Joel 1:12) or two verbs (Ps 137:1) or two clauses (Jud 5:4).
- Like ʾap, gam may serve as an intensive particle at the beginning of an emphatic statement (Prov 17:26; Joel 2:29 [H 3:2]).
- As an emphatic particle gam is used to stress a particular word within the sentence, especially pronouns and nouns with pronominal suffixes (Gen 4:26; 10:21; 27:34).
- In addition gam has a correlative use which indicates correspondence between two actions (Gen 20:6).
- Sometimes gam has a consequential force and is used to introduce an action which is a logical consequence of some antecedent action. gam is frequently used to introduce the just and appropriate response of God to transgression (Jud 2:21; Jer 4:12) or repentance (II Sam 12:13). In the same sense gam is used to indicate man’s reasonable response to God’s grace (Josh 24:18; I Sam 1:28).
- gam also has an adversative use in which it introduces contrariety or antithesis (Ezk 16:28; Ps 129:2).
- In its confirmatory use gam serves to underscore or confirm a direct statement or an impression which has just been made (Gen 29:30; Hos 9:12).
- gam is also used to indicate a climax (Gen 27:33; Deut 23:3–4).