וְלֹ֣א

Alphabet Analysis

The word

1. word🔊 וְלֹ֣א

   veh-LO

   and not
2. phraseyour reading level🔊 וְלֹ֣א תָשׁ֔וּב

   veh-LO ta-SHUV

   and not return
3. clause🔊 וְלֹ֣א תָשׁ֔וּב בַּדֶּ֖רֶךְ אֲשֶׁ֥ר הָלָֽכְתָּ׃

   veh-LO ta-SHUV bah-DE-rekh a-SHER ha-lakh-TA

   and not return by the way which went
4. sentence🔊 כִּֽי־כֵ֣ן צִוָּ֣ה אֹתִ֗י בִּדְבַ֤ר יְהוָה֙ לֵאמֹ֔ר לֹא־תֹ֥אכַל לֶ֖חֶם וְלֹ֣א תִשְׁתֶּה־מָּ֑יִם וְלֹ֣א תָשׁ֔וּב בַּדֶּ֖רֶךְ אֲשֶׁ֥ר הָלָֽכְתָּ׃

   kee-KEHN tsi-WA oh-TEE bid-VAR ye-ho-VAH leh-MOR loh-to-KHAL LE-khem veh-LO tish-teh-MAA-yim veh-LO ta-SHUV bah-DE-rekh a-SHER ha-lakh-TA

   for thus commanded me by the word of LORD saying not eat bread and not drink water and not return by the way which went

Exegesis

The infinitive לֵאמֹ֔ר {לֵאמֹר | lēʾmōr} introduces direct speech, after which three negated imperfects—לֹא־תֹ֥אכַל {לֹא־תֹאכַל | lōʾ-tōʾḵal}, וְלֹא תִשְׁתֶּה־מָּ֑יִם {וְלֹא תִשְׁתֶּה־מָּיִם | wə-lōʾ tiš-teh-mā-yim}, וְלֹ֣א תָשׁ֔וּב {וְלֹא תָשׁוּב | wə-lōʾ tāšûḇ}—create a rhythmic triad of prohibitions.