מְקֹשֶׁ֜שֶׁת

Alphabet Analysis

The word

1. word🔊 מְקֹשֶׁ֜שֶׁת

   me-ko-SHE-shet

   am gathering
2. phraseyour reading level🔊 וְהִנְנִ֨י מְקֹשֶׁ֜שֶׁת

   ve-hin-NE me-ko-SHE-shet

   and behold, I am gathering
3. clause🔊 וְהִנְנִ֨י מְקֹשֶׁ֜שֶׁת שְׁנַ֣יִם עֵצִ֗ים וּבָ֙אתִי֙ וַעֲשִׂיתִ֙יהוּ֙ לִ֣י וְלִבְנִ֔י וַאֲכַלְנֻ֖הוּ וָמָֽתְנוּ׃

   ve-hin-NE me-ko-SHE-shet she-NA-yim E-tsim u-va-TI va-a-si-TI-hu LI ve-liv-NI va-a-khal-NU-hu va-MAT-nu

   and behold, I am gathering two sticks or pieces of wood and I will go in and I will prepare it for myself and for my son and we will eat it and we will die
4. sentence🔊 וַתֹּ֗אמֶר חַי־יְהוָ֤ה אֱלֹהֶ֙יךָ֙ אִם־יֶשׁ־לִ֣י מָע֔וֹג כִּ֣י אִם־מְלֹ֤א כַף־קֶ֙מַח֙ בַּכַּ֔ד וּמְעַט־שֶׁ֖מֶן בַּצַּפָּ֑חַת וְהִנְנִ֨י מְקֹשֶׁ֜שֶׁת שְׁנַ֣יִם עֵצִ֗ים וּבָ֙אתִי֙ וַעֲשִׂיתִ֙יהוּ֙ לִ֣י וְלִבְנִ֔י וַאֲכַלְנֻ֖הוּ וָמָֽתְנוּ׃

   va-to-MER KHAI-ye-ho-VAH e-lo-HE-kha im-yesh-LI ma-OG KI im-me-LO kaf-KE-makh ba-KAD u-me-AT-SHE-men ba-tsa-PA-khat ve-hin-NE me-ko-SHE-shet she-NA-yim E-tsim u-va-TI va-a-si-TI-hu LI ve-liv-NI va-a-khal-NU-hu va-MAT-nu

   and she said as the LORD lives your God if there is for me a cake or baked bread for only a handful of flour in the jar and a little oil in the jug and behold, I am gathering two sticks or pieces of wood and I will go in and I will prepare it for myself and for my son and we will eat it and we will die

Exegesis

The Piel participle mekosheshet {מְקֹשֶׁשֶת | mə-qō-šè-šet} plus etzim introduces a result clause culminating in consecutive perfect verbs u-vati, va-asiti-hu, va-akhalnuhu, and va-matnu, conveying her action plan and the inevitability of death, highlighting desperation without divine provision.

Root and etymology

q-š-š🔊 ק־שׁ־שׁ

“to gather”

• 🔊 קָשַׁשׁqāsēšhe gathered1 Samuel 22:33