פֶּ֚ן

Alphabet Analysis

The word

1. word🔊 פֶּ֚ן

   PEN

   lest
2. clause🔊 כִּֽי־אמר אָמְרֻ֣ו‪ פְלִשְׁתִּ֔ים פֶּ֚ן יַעֲשׂ֣וּ הָעִבְרִ֔ים חֶ֖רֶב א֥וֹ חֲנִֽית׃

   KI-a-MAR am-re-VU fe-lish-TIM PEN ya-a-SU ha-iv-RIM KHE-rev O kha-NIT

   for he said they said the Philistines lest they make the Hebrews a sword or a spear
3. sentence🔊 וְחָרָשׁ֙ לֹ֣א יִמָּצֵ֔א בְּכֹ֖ל אֶ֣רֶץ יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל כִּֽי־אמר אָמְרֻ֣ו‪ פְלִשְׁתִּ֔ים פֶּ֚ן יַעֲשׂ֣וּ הָעִבְרִ֔ים חֶ֖רֶב א֥וֹ חֲנִֽית׃

   ve-kha-RASH LO yim-ma-TSE be-KHOL E-rets yis-ra-EL KI-a-MAR am-re-VU fe-lish-TIM PEN ya-a-SU ha-iv-RIM KHE-rev O kha-NIT

   and a craftsman or smith not would be found in all land of Israel for he said they said the Philistines lest they make the Hebrews a sword or a spear

Exegesis

The purpose particle pen {פֶּ֚ן | pen} ‘lest’ governs the Qal imperfect ya-‘ă-śû {יַעֲשׂ֣וּ | ya-‘ă-śû} ‘they will make,’ with its object ha-‘i-vrîm {הָעִבְרִ֔ים | ha-‘i-vrîm} ‘the Hebrews’ and the disjunction ḥe-reḇ ’ô ḥa-nîṯ {חֶ֖רֶב א֥וֹ חֲנִֽית | ḥe-reḇ ’ô ḥa-nîṯ} ‘sword or spear.’ English SVO order preserves the negative existential, causal, and purpose relations while rendering Hebrew VSO into clear modern English.