עַ֣ל

Alphabet Analysis

The word

1. word🔊 עַ֣ל

   AL

   upon or according to
2. phraseyour reading level🔊 עַ֣ל שֶׁם־שֶׁ֔מֶר

   AL shem-SHE-mer

   upon or according to the name of Shemer
3. clause🔊 וַיִּ֙בֶן֙ אֶת־הָהָ֔ר וַיִּקְרָ֗א אֶת־שֵׁ֤ם הָעִיר֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר בָּנָ֔ה עַ֣ל שֶׁם־שֶׁ֔מֶר אֲדֹנֵ֖י הָהָ֥ר שֹׁמְרֽוֹן׃

   va-yi-VEN ET-ha-HAR va-yik-RA ET-SHEM ha-IR a-SHER ba-NA AL shem-SHE-mer a-do-NE ha-HAR sho-me-RON

   and he built {direct object} the hill and he called {direct object} the name of the city which he built upon or according to the name of Shemer owner of the hill Samaria
4. sentence🔊 וַיִּ֜קֶן אֶת־הָהָ֥ר שֹׁמְר֛וֹן מֵ֥אֶת שֶׁ֖מֶר בְּכִכְּרַ֣יִם כָּ֑סֶף וַיִּ֙בֶן֙ אֶת־הָהָ֔ר וַיִּקְרָ֗א אֶת־שֵׁ֤ם הָעִיר֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר בָּנָ֔ה עַ֣ל שֶׁם־שֶׁ֔מֶר אֲדֹנֵ֖י הָהָ֥ר שֹׁמְרֽוֹן׃

   va-yi-KEN ET-ha-HAR sho-me-RON me-ET SHE-mer be-khi-kka-RA-yim KA-sef va-yi-VEN ET-ha-HAR va-yik-RA ET-SHEM ha-IR a-SHER ba-NA AL shem-SHE-mer a-do-NE ha-HAR sho-me-RON

   and he bought {direct object} the hill Samaria from Shemer for two talents of silver and he built {direct object} the hill and he called {direct object} the name of the city which he built upon or according to the name of Shemer owner of the hill Samaria

Exegesis

The preposition ʿal {עַ֣ל | ʿal} expresses “after” in the naming formula, and the relative particle ʾăšer {אֲשֶׁ֣ר | ʾăšר} introduces the clause specifying the built city. English translation streamlines the repeated spatial term ‘hill’ by using “on it” for readability without loss of the Hebrew discourse structure.

Root and etymology

‛-l-h🔊 ע־ל־הʿayin–lamed–heh

“to go up, ascend”

• 🔊 מַעֲלָהma‛ālāhascentJudges 1:36