רֶ֔כֶב

Alphabet Analysis

The word

1. word🔊 רֶ֔כֶב

   RE-khev

   chariotry or chariots
2. clause🔊 וַיָּ֣נָ אֲרָם֮ מִלִּפְנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵל֒ וַיַּהֲרֹ֨ג דָּוִ֜יד מֵאֲרָ֗ם שִׁבְעַ֤ת אֲלָפִים֙ רֶ֔כֶב וְאַרְבָּעִ֥ים אֶ֖לֶף אִ֣ישׁ רַגְלִ֑י

   va-NAHS a-RAM mi-lif-NE yis-ra-EL va-ya-ha-ROG da-VID me-a-RAM shiv-AT a-la-FIM RE-khev ve-ar-ba-IM E-lef ISH rag-LI

   and fled Aram or Syria from before Israel and killed David from Aram or Syria seven of thousands chariotry or chariots and forty thousand man or men footman or infantry
3. sentence🔊 וַיָּ֣נָ אֲרָם֮ מִלִּפְנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵל֒ וַיַּהֲרֹ֨ג דָּוִ֜יד מֵאֲרָ֗ם שִׁבְעַ֤ת אֲלָפִים֙ רֶ֔כֶב וְאַרְבָּעִ֥ים אֶ֖לֶף אִ֣ישׁ רַגְלִ֑י וְאֵ֛ת שׁוֹפַ֥ךְ שַֽׂר־הַצָּבָ֖א הֵמִֽית׃

   va-NAHS a-RAM mi-lif-NE yis-ra-EL va-ya-ha-ROG da-VID me-a-RAM shiv-AT a-la-FIM RE-khev ve-ar-ba-IM E-lef ISH rag-LI ve-ET sho-FAKH sar-ha-tsa-VA he-MIT

   and fled Aram or Syria from before Israel and killed David from Aram or Syria seven of thousands chariotry or chariots and forty thousand man or men footman or infantry and Shophach commander of the army he put to death

Exegesis

The construct chain shivat alafim {שִׁבְעַת אֲלָפִים | šivʿat ʾalāp̄īm} ‘seven thousand’ combines with rekev {רֶכֶב | reḵēḇ} ‘chariots’ to specify a military unit, paralleled by vearbaim elef {וְאַרְבָּעִים אֶלֶף | wəʾarbāʿīm ʾelep̄} ‘and forty thousand’ with ish ragli {אִישׁ רַגְלִי | ʼîš raglî} ‘foot soldier’ for infantry.

Root and etymology

r-k-b🔊 resh–kaph–bet

“to ride”

• 🔊 מֶרְכָּבָהmerkavâchariot2 Kings 2:11