ברכו

Alphabet Analysis

The word

1. word🔊 ברכו

   ve-re-KHU

   his knees
2. phraseyour reading level🔊 בֵּ֥ין ברכו בִּרְכָּֽיו׃

   BEN ve-re-KHU bir-KAV

   between his knees his knees
3. clause🔊 וְאֵ֨לִיָּ֜הוּ עָלָ֨ה אֶל־רֹ֤אשׁ הַכַּרְמֶל֙ וַיִּגְהַ֣ר אַ֔רְצָה וַיָּ֥שֶׂם פָּנָ֖יו בֵּ֥ין ברכו בִּרְכָּֽיו׃

   ve-e-li-YA-hu a-LA el-ROSH ha-kar-MEL va-yig-HAR AR-tsa va-ya-SEM pa-NAV BEN ve-re-KHU bir-KAV

   and Elijah went up to the top of the Carmel and he crouched down to the ground and he put his face between his knees his knees
4. sentence🔊 וַיַּעֲלֶ֥ה אַחְאָ֖ב לֶאֱכֹ֣ל וְלִשְׁתּ֑וֹת וְאֵ֨לִיָּ֜הוּ עָלָ֨ה אֶל־רֹ֤אשׁ הַכַּרְמֶל֙ וַיִּגְהַ֣ר אַ֔רְצָה וַיָּ֥שֶׂם פָּנָ֖יו בֵּ֥ין ברכו בִּרְכָּֽיו׃

   va-ya-a-LE akh-AV le-e-KHOL ve-lish-TOT ve-e-li-YA-hu a-LA el-ROSH ha-kar-MEL va-yig-HAR AR-tsa va-ya-SEM pa-NAV BEN ve-re-KHU bir-KAV

   and he went up Ahab to eat and to drink and Elijah went up to the top of the Carmel and he crouched down to the ground and he put his face between his knees his knees

Exegesis

The final idiom “he put his face between his knees” is reinforced by the written brkho {ברכו | birkô} alongside the vocalized birkav {בִּרְכָּֽיו | birkāyw}, and the translation follows the sense conveyed by the vocalized reading (“knees”) as a conventional description of intense supplication.