בָּ֣א

Alphabet Analysis

The word

1. word🔊 בָּ֣א

   BA

   are coming
2. phraseyour reading level🔊 בָּ֣א אֵלַ֔י

   BA E-lai

   are coming to me
3. clause🔊 וַיֹּ֤אמֶר דָּוִד֙ אֶל־הַפְּלִשְׁתִּ֔י אַתָּה֙ בָּ֣א אֵלַ֔י בְּחֶ֖רֶב וּבַחֲנִ֣ית וּבְכִיד֑וֹן

   va-YO-mer da-VID el-ha-pe-lish-TI a-TA BA E-lai be-KHE-rev u-va-kha-NIT u-ve-khi-DON

   and he said David to the Philistine you are coming to me with a sword and with a spear and with a javelin
4. sentence🔊 וַיֹּ֤אמֶר דָּוִד֙ אֶל־הַפְּלִשְׁתִּ֔י אַתָּה֙ בָּ֣א אֵלַ֔י בְּחֶ֖רֶב וּבַחֲנִ֣ית וּבְכִיד֑וֹן וְאָנֹכִ֣י בָֽא־אֵלֶ֗יךָ בְּשֵׁם֙ יְהוָ֣ה צְבָא֔וֹת אֱלֹהֵ֛י מַעַרְכ֥וֹת יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל אֲשֶׁ֥ר חֵרַֽפְתָּ׃

   va-YO-mer da-VID el-ha-pe-lish-TI a-TA BA E-lai be-KHE-rev u-va-kha-NIT u-ve-khi-DON ve-a-NO-khi BA-E-le-kha be-SHEM Ye-ho-VAH tse-va-OT e-lo-HE ma-ar-KHOT yis-ra-EL a-SHER KHE-rav-TA

   and he said David to the Philistine you are coming to me with a sword and with a spear and with a javelin but I am coming to you in the name of the LORD of hosts God of the battle-lines or armies of Israel whom or which you have reproached or defied

Exegesis

The emphatic conjunction wə-ʾānōḵî {וְאָנֹכִ֣י | wə-ʾānōḵî} “but I” and the parallel participle bāʾ-ʾēlêkā {בָֽא־אֵלֶ֗יךָ | bāʾ-ʾēlêkā} “I come to you” set up a rhetorical contrast.

The construct chain in bə-šēm {בְּשֵׁם | bə-šēm} “in the name” links to the divine titles Yəhôwāh ṣə-ḇāʾōt {יְהוָה צְבָאוֹת | Yəhôwāh ṣə-ḇāʾōt} and ʾĕlōhê maʿārḵōt yiśrāʾēl {אֱלֹהֵי מַעַרְכ֥וֹת יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל | ʾĕlōhê maʿārḵōt yiśrāʾēl}, grounding David’s confidence in divine authority.

Root and etymology

ts-b-ʾ🔊 צ־ב־אtsade–bet–aleph

“army, host”

• 🔊 צָבָאṣā-vāarmy, hostGenesis 2:1