מֵאֲבֹתָֽי׃

Alphabet Analysis

The word

1. word🔊 מֵאֲבֹתָֽי׃

   me-a-vo-TAI

   from my fathers or than my fathers
2. clause🔊 וַיִּשְׁאַ֤ל אֶת־נַפְשׁוֹ֙ לָמ֔וּת וַיֹּ֣אמֶר רַ֗ב עַתָּ֤ה יְהוָה֙ קַ֣ח נַפְשִׁ֔י כִּֽי־לֹא־ט֥וֹב אָנֹכִ֖י מֵאֲבֹתָֽי׃

   va-yish-EAL ET-naf-SHO la-MUT va-yo-MER RAV a-TA Ye-ho-VAH KAKH naf-SHI ki-LO-TOv a-no-KHI me-a-vo-TAI

   and he asked his life {direct object marker plus his soul} to die and he said enough or much now LORD take my life or my soul for not good I from my fathers or than my fathers
3. sentence🔊 וְהֽוּא־הָלַ֤ךְ בַּמִּדְבָּר֙ דֶּ֣רֶךְ י֔וֹם וַיָּבֹ֕א וַיֵּ֕שֶׁב תַּ֖חַת רֹ֣תֶם אחת אֶחָ֑ד וַיִּשְׁאַ֤ל אֶת־נַפְשׁוֹ֙ לָמ֔וּת וַיֹּ֣אמֶר רַ֗ב עַתָּ֤ה יְהוָה֙ קַ֣ח נַפְשִׁ֔י כִּֽי־לֹא־ט֥וֹב אָנֹכִ֖י מֵאֲבֹתָֽי׃

   ve-HU-ha-LAKH ba-mid-BAR DE-rekh YOM va-ya-VO va-ye-SHEV TA-khat RO-tem a-KHAT e-KHAD va-yish-EAL ET-naf-SHO la-MUT va-yo-MER RAV a-TA Ye-ho-VAH KAKH naf-SHI ki-LO-TOv a-no-KHI me-a-vo-TAI

   and he went in the wilderness a way or journey a day and he came and he sat under a broom plant or broom tree one {feminine} one and he asked his life {direct object marker plus his soul} to die and he said enough or much now LORD take my life or my soul for not good I from my fathers or than my fathers

Exegesis

In his petition kach nafshi ki lo tov anokhi meavotai {קַח־נַפְשִׁי כִּי־לֹא־טוֹב אָנֹכִי מֵאֲבֹתָי | qaḥ·naf·shî kî·lō·tôv ʾā·nô·kî mē·ʾă·vō·tāy}, the imperative kach ‘take’ addressed to YHWH {יְהוָה | Yə·hō·wāh} and the comparative meavotai ‘than my fathers’ highlight the depth of his despair and self-deprecation.

Root and etymology

Root🔊 א־ב־תaleph–bet–tav

“father”