מִפְּנֵי֙

Alphabet Analysis

The word

1. word🔊 מִפְּנֵי֙

   mi-pe-NEI

   from before
2. clause🔊 וּבְנֵ֨י עַמּ֤וֹן רָאוּ֙ כִּי־נָ֣ אֲרָ֔ם וַיָּנ֣וּסוּ גַם־הֵ֗ם מִפְּנֵי֙ אַבְשַׁ֣י אָחִ֔יו וַיָּבֹ֖אוּ הָעִ֑ירָה

   u-ve-NEI a-MON RA-u ki-NAS a-RAM va-ya-NU-su gam-HEM mi-pe-NEI av-SHAI a-KHI-v va-ya-VO-u ha-I-ra

   and sons of Ammon they saw that fled Aram or Syria then they fled also they from before Abishai his brother and they entered into the city
3. sentence🔊 וּבְנֵ֨י עַמּ֤וֹן רָאוּ֙ כִּי־נָ֣ אֲרָ֔ם וַיָּנ֣וּסוּ גַם־הֵ֗ם מִפְּנֵי֙ אַבְשַׁ֣י אָחִ֔יו וַיָּבֹ֖אוּ הָעִ֑ירָה וַיָּבֹ֥א יוֹאָ֖ב יְרוּשָׁלָֽ͏ִם׃

   u-ve-NEI a-MON RA-u ki-NAS a-RAM va-ya-NU-su gam-HEM mi-pe-NEI av-SHAI a-KHI-v va-ya-VO-u ha-I-ra va-ya-VO yo-AV ye-ru-sha-LIM

   and sons of Ammon they saw that fled Aram or Syria then they fled also they from before Abishai his brother and they entered into the city and came Joab Jerusalem

Exegesis

The prepositional phrase mippene avshay {מִפְּנֵי אַבְשַׁי | mip-pə-nê ʾav-šay}, “from before Abshai,” emphasizes Abshai’s leadership as the catalyst for the flight and city entry, and the final singular verb wayyavo marks Joab’s return to Jerusalem, shifting focus to the change in agency and location.