א֥וֹ

Alphabet Analysis

The word

1. word🔊 א֥וֹ

   O

   or
2. phraseyour reading level🔊 א֥וֹ בִמְעָֽט׃

   O vim-e-AT

   or by few
3. clause🔊 כִּ֣י אֵ֤ין לַֽיהוָה֙ מַעְצ֔וֹר לְהוֹשִׁ֥יעַ בְּרַ֖ב א֥וֹ בִמְעָֽט׃

   KI EN la-ye-ho-VAH ma-e-TSOR le-ho-shi-A be-RAV O vim-e-AT

   for there is not for the LORD restraint to save by many or by few
4. sentence🔊 וַיֹּ֨אמֶר יְהוֹנָתָ֜ן אֶל־הַנַּ֣עַר נֹשֵׂ֣א כֵלָ֗יו לְכָה֙ וְנַעְבְּרָ֗ה אֶל־מַצַּב֙ הָעֲרֵלִ֣ים הָאֵ֔לֶּה אוּלַ֛י יַעֲשֶׂ֥ה יְהוָ֖ה לָ֑נוּ כִּ֣י אֵ֤ין לַֽיהוָה֙ מַעְצ֔וֹר לְהוֹשִׁ֥יעַ בְּרַ֖ב א֥וֹ בִמְעָֽט׃

   va-yo-MER ye-ho-na-TAN el-ha-NA-ar no-SE ke-LAV le-KHA ve-na-ve-RA el-mat-TSAV ha-a-re-LIM ha-E-le u-LAI ya-a-SE ye-ho-VAH LA-nu KI EN la-ye-ho-VAH ma-e-TSOR le-ho-shi-A be-RAV O vim-e-AT

   and he said Jonathan to the young man bearing his equipment come and let us cross over to the garrison the uncircumcised {ones} these perhaps he will do LORD for us for there is not for the LORD restraint to save by many or by few

Exegesis

The infinitive lə-hōšîaʿ {לְהוֹשִׁ֥יעַ | lə-hōšîaʿ} ‘to save’ indicates purpose, and the parallelism bimʿāṭ bə-rāḇ ʾō {בִמְעָֽט בְּרַ֖ב א֥וֹ | bimʿāṭ bə-rāḇ ʾō} ‘by few or by many’ underlines universality of divine deliverance. English word order follows the progression from command to hesitant hope to confident assurance.

Root and etymology

š-’-l🔊 ש־א־לshin–aleph–lamed

“asked for”

• 🔊 שׁאֵלšāʾēlasked1 Samuel 9:2