לָֽחֶם׃

Alphabet Analysis

The word

1. word🔊 לָֽחֶם׃

   LA-khem

   bread or food
2. clause🔊 וַיֹּאֶל֩ שָׁא֨וּל אֶת־הָעָ֜ם לֵאמֹ֗ר אָר֣וּר הָ֠אִישׁ אֲשֶׁר־יֹ֨אכַל לֶ֜חֶם עַד־הָעֶ֗רֶב וְנִקַּמְתִּי֙ מֵאֹ֣יְבַ֔י וְלֹֽא טָעַ֥ם כָּל־הָעָ֖ם לָֽחֶם׃

   va-yo-EL sha-UL et-ha-AM le-MOR a-RUR ha-ISH a-sher-yo-KHAL LE-khem ad-ha-E-rev ve-nik-kam-TI me-o-VAI ve-LO TA-am kol-ha-AM LA-khem

   and he caused to swear or bound with an oath Saul {direct object marker} the people saying cursed the man who will eat bread or food until the evening and I will be avenged or take vengeance from my enemies and not tasted all the people bread or food
3. sentence🔊 וְאִֽישׁ־יִשְׂרָאֵ֥ל נִגַּ֖שׂ בַּיּ֣וֹם הַה֑וּא וַיֹּאֶל֩ שָׁא֨וּל אֶת־הָעָ֜ם לֵאמֹ֗ר אָר֣וּר הָ֠אִישׁ אֲשֶׁר־יֹ֨אכַל לֶ֜חֶם עַד־הָעֶ֗רֶב וְנִקַּמְתִּי֙ מֵאֹ֣יְבַ֔י וְלֹֽא טָעַ֥ם כָּל־הָעָ֖ם לָֽחֶם׃

   ve-ISH-yis-ra-EL ni-GAS ba-YOM ha-HU va-yo-EL sha-UL et-ha-AM le-MOR a-RUR ha-ISH a-sher-yo-KHAL LE-khem ad-ha-E-rev ve-nik-kam-TI me-o-VAI ve-LO TA-am kol-ha-AM LA-khem

   and a man of Israel was pressed or hard pressed on the day that and he caused to swear or bound with an oath Saul {direct object marker} the people saying cursed the man who will eat bread or food until the evening and I will be avenged or take vengeance from my enemies and not tasted all the people bread or food

Exegesis

The imprecation formula ʾārūr ha-ʾîš ʾăšer-yōḵāl leḥem {אָרוּר הָאִישׁ אֲשֶׁר־יֹאכַל לֶחֶם | ʾārūr ha-ʾîš ʾăšer-yōḵāl leḥem} sets a covenantal boundary with “cursed is the man who eats food.”

The construction wə-lōʾ ṭāʿam kol-ha-ʿāmm laḥem {וְלֹא טָעַם כָּל־הָעָם לָחֶם | wə-lōʾ ṭāʿam kol-ha-ʿāmm laḥem} uses a double negative to emphasize universal obedience and deprivation. The English rendering preserves narrative sequence and the legal force of the oath formula.

Root and etymology

Root🔊 ל־ח־םlamed–chet–mem

“food; bread; sustenance”

• 🔊 מִלְחָמָהmilḥâmahbattle; struggleNumbers 21:14