שֹׁמֵֽעַ׃

Alphabet Analysis

The word

1. word🔊 שֹׁמֵֽעַ׃

   sho-ME-a

   hear
2. clause🔊 וְק֣וֹל הַבָּקָ֔ר אֲשֶׁ֥ר אָנֹכִ֖י שֹׁמֵֽעַ׃

   ve-KOL ha-ba-KAR a-SHER a-no-KHI sho-ME-a

   and the sound of the cattle that I hear
3. sentence🔊 וַיֹּ֣אמֶר שְׁמוּאֵ֔ל וּמֶ֛ה קֽוֹל־הַצֹּ֥אן הַזֶּ֖ה בְּאָזְנָ֑י וְק֣וֹל הַבָּקָ֔ר אֲשֶׁ֥ר אָנֹכִ֖י שֹׁמֵֽעַ׃

   va-YO-mer she-mu-EL u-ME kol-ha-TSON ha-ZE be-oz-NAI ve-KOL ha-ba-KAR a-SHER a-no-KHI sho-ME-a

   Samuel said what the sound of the flock this in my ears and the sound of the cattle that I hear

Exegesis

Two parallel nominal clauses—qol ha-tson ha-zeh be-oznai {קוֹל-הַצֹּאן הַזֶּה בְּאָזְנָי | qōl ha-ṣōʾān ha-zēh bə-ʾōzānāy} and ve-qol ha-bakar asher anokhi shomea {וְקוֹל הַבָּקָר אֲשֶׁר אָנֹכִי שֹׁמֵעַ | wə-qōl ha-bā-qār ʾă-šer ʾā-nō-ḵî šō-mē-ʿā} employ the noun qol {קוֹל | qōl} in both clauses to create rhetorical symmetry.

The relative particle asher {אֲשֶׁר | ʾă-šer} links the second sound to the participle shomea {שֹׁמֵעַ | šō-mē-ʿā}, marking continuous action. English reorders elements for readability while preserving the dual-question format and the speaker’s personal perspective conveyed by the first person suffix in be-oznai. The repetition emphasizes the surprising report of animal noises following Saul’s reported victory.

Root and etymology

š-m-ʿ🔊 ש־מ־עshin–mem–ayin

“hear”

• 🔊 שְׁמַעshmahearDeuteronomy 6:4