לָֽךְ׃

Alphabet Analysis

The word

1. word🔊 לָֽךְ׃

   LAKH

   to you
2. clause🔊 וַיֹּ֤אמֶר לוֹ֙ לֵ֣ךְ שׁ֔וּב כִּ֥י מֶה־עָשִׂ֖יתִי לָֽךְ׃

   va-YO-mer LO LEKH SHUV KI ME-a-SI-ti LAKH

   and he said to him go return for what have I done to you
3. sentence🔊 וַיַּעֲזֹ֣ב אֶת־הַבָּקָ֗ר וַיָּ֙רָץ֙ אַחֲרֵ֣י אֽ͏ֵלִיָּ֔הוּ וַיֹּ֗אמֶר אֶשְּׁקָה־נָּא֙ לְאָבִ֣י וּלְאִמִּ֔י וְאֵלְכָ֖ה אַחֲרֶ֑יךָ וַיֹּ֤אמֶר לוֹ֙ לֵ֣ךְ שׁ֔וּב כִּ֥י מֶה־עָשִׂ֖יתִי לָֽךְ׃

   va-ya-ZOV ET-ha-ba-KAR va-YA-rats a-kha-RE e-li-YA-hu va-YO-mer e-SHE-ka-NA le-a-VI u-le-i-MI ve-el-kha a-kha-RE-kha va-YO-mer LO LEKH SHUV KI ME-a-SI-ti LAKH

   and he left {the direct object} the cattle and he ran after Elijah and he said let me kiss, please to my father and to my mother and let me go after you and he said to him go return for what have I done to you

Exegesis

The cohortative ʾešqā-nāʾ {אֶשְׁקָה־נָּא | ʾeš-qāʾ-nāʾ} conveys a polite entreaty, and the imperatives lêkh {לֵךְ | lêkh} and šûḇ {שׁוּב | šûḇ}, framed by the interrogative clause mēh-ʿāśîṯî lāḵ {מֶה־עָשִׂיתִי לָךְ | mēh-ʿāśîṯî lāḵ} ‘what have I done to you’, underscore voluntary commitment contrasted with Elijah’s directive. This juxtaposition emphasizes the tension between familial bonds and prophetic calling.

Root and etymology

Root🔊 ה־ל־ךheh–lamed–kaph

“to walk”