ל֔וֹ

Alphabet Analysis

The word

1. word🔊 ל֔וֹ

   LO

   to him
2. phraseyour reading level🔊 וְט֣וֹב ל֔וֹ

   ve-TOV LO

   and good to him
3. clause🔊 וְרָוַ֤ח לְשָׁאוּל֙ וְט֣וֹב ל֔וֹ וְסָ֥רָה מֵעָלָ֖יו ר֥וּחַ הָרָעָֽה׃

   ve-ra-VAKH le-sha-UL ve-TOV LO ve-sa-RA me-a-LAV RU-akh ha-ra-A

   and there was relief for Saul and good to him and it turned aside from upon him a spirit the evil {one or thing}
4. sentence🔊 וְהָיָ֗ה בִּֽהְי֤וֹת רֽוּחַ־אֱלֹהִים֙ אֶל־שָׁא֔וּל וְלָקַ֥ח דָּוִ֛ד אֶת־הַכִּנּ֖וֹר וְנִגֵּ֣ן בְּיָד֑וֹ וְרָוַ֤ח לְשָׁאוּל֙ וְט֣וֹב ל֔וֹ וְסָ֥רָה מֵעָלָ֖יו ר֥וּחַ הָרָעָֽה׃

   ve-ha-YA bi-he-YOT RU-akh-e-lo-HIM el-sha-UL ve-la-KHAKH da-VID et-ha-ki-NOR ve-ni-GEN be-ya-DO ve-ra-VAKH le-sha-UL ve-TOV LO ve-sa-RA me-a-LAV RU-akh ha-ra-A

   and it happened when being a spirit of God to Saul and he took David the lyre and he played with his hand and there was relief for Saul and good to him and it turned aside from upon him a spirit the evil {one or thing}

Exegesis

The contrast between vetov lo {וְטוֹב לוֹ | wə-ṭōḇ lō} and the adversative vesarah {וְסָרָה | wə-sā-rā} frames the removal of the adversarial hara’ah {הָרָעָה | hā-rā-ʿā}, reinforcing the transition from distress to relief.

Root and etymology

š-l-m🔊 shin–lamed–mem

“peace, completeness”

• 🔊 שָׁלֵםšā-lēmcompleteGenesis 33:18