שֵׁ֤ם

Alphabet Analysis

The word

1. word🔊 שֵׁ֤ם

   SHEM

   {the} name of
2. phraseyour reading level🔊 שֵׁ֤ם הַבְּכִירָה֙

   SHEM ha-be-khi-RA

   {the} name of the firstborn {female}
3. clause🔊 וְשֵׁם֙ שְׁתֵּ֣י בְנֹתָ֔יו שֵׁ֤ם הַבְּכִירָה֙ מֵרַ֔ב וְשֵׁ֥ם הַקְּטַנָּ֖ה מִיכַֽל׃

   ve-SHEM she-TE ve-no-TAV SHEM ha-be-khi-RA me-RAV ve-SHEM ha-ke-ta-NA mi-KHAL

   and {the} name of two {of} his daughters {the} name of the firstborn {female} Merab and {the} name of the younger {female} Michal
4. sentence🔊 וַיִּֽהְיוּ֙ בְּנֵ֣י שָׁא֔וּל יוֹנָתָ֥ן וְיִשְׁוִ֖י וּמַלְכִּי־שׁ֑וּעַ וְשֵׁם֙ שְׁתֵּ֣י בְנֹתָ֔יו שֵׁ֤ם הַבְּכִירָה֙ מֵרַ֔ב וְשֵׁ֥ם הַקְּטַנָּ֖ה מִיכַֽל׃

   va-yih-YU be-NE sha-UL yo-na-TAN ve-yish-VI u-mal-ki-SHU-a ve-SHEM she-TE ve-no-TAV SHEM ha-be-khi-RA me-RAV ve-SHEM ha-ke-ta-NA mi-KHAL

   and were sons of Saul Jonathan and Ishvi and Malchi-shua and {the} name of two {of} his daughters {the} name of the firstborn {female} Merab and {the} name of the younger {female} Michal

Exegesis

Each daughter’s name is introduced by šēm {שֵׁם} ‘name’ plus an absolute adjective (habbᵊḵîrâ, hakkᵉṭannâ) indicating birth order, creating parallelism that underscores family hierarchy. The English translations maintain this structure through parallel phrasing and birth-order designations.

Root and etymology

š-m🔊 שׁ-םshin–mem

“name”

• 🔊 שִׁמְעָהshimahhearingPsalm 98:1