1 Samuel 17:9:11 Sam.17.9.W1TAB
אִם־יוּכַ֞ל
imyukhal
“if he is able”
- Transliteration
- im-yu-KHAL
- Extended
- ihm-yoo-KHAAL
- IPA
- /ʔim.juˈχal/
Meaning by language
- English
- if he is able
Hebrew · tap a syllable to hear it
Alphabet Analysis
| Aleph | silent — a glottal stop; holds vowel points | |
| Hireq | 'ee' as in machine | |
| Mem Sofit | final form of Mem — at word end | |
| Yod | y as in yes; marks long ī | |
| Vav | v as in vine; marks long ō / ū | |
| Kaf | k with dagesh; kh without | |
| Patach | short 'ah' as in father | |
| Lamed | l as in law |
Tap any letter to hear its name and sound
Now you try — trace the word:
The word
Word in context
- word
im-yu-KHAL
- clause
im-yu-KHAL le-hil-la-KHEM i-TI ve-hik-KA-ni ve-ha-YI-nu la-KHEM la-a-va-DIM
- sentence
im-yu-KHAL le-hil-la-KHEM i-TI ve-hik-KA-ni ve-ha-YI-nu la-KHEM la-a-va-DIM ve-im-a-NI u-KHAL-LO ve-hik-KI-ti-v vi-he-YI-tem la-NU la-a-va-DIM va-a-vad-TEM o-TA-nu
Exegesis
The verse sets up a parallel conditional structure with im {אִם | ʾim} ‘if’ and veʾim {וְאִם | wə-ʾim} ‘and if,’ framing two opposite outcomes.
In the first protasis, the modal verb yukhal {יוּכַל | yū-kal} ‘he is able’ governs the Niphal infinitive lehilakhem {לְהִלָּחֵם | lə-ḥillâḥêm} ‘to fight’ with the suffix iti {אִתִּי | ʾit-tî} ‘with me,’ followed by the Hifil perfect vehikani {וְהִכָּנִי | wə-ḥī-ḵānî} ‘he struck me down.’
In context — 1 Samuel 17:9
If he can engage me in battle and strike me down, then we will be your servants ; but if I prevail against him and strike him down, then you will be our servants and serve us.
About this coordinate
1 Samuel 17:9:1 is a BCV:P reference — Book · Chapter · Verse · Word Position. It addresses word 1 of 1 Samuel 17:9, so the Hebrew word אִם־יוּכַ֞ל (imyukhal) can be cited, linked and studied at exactly this position rather than somewhere in the verse. In the Biblical Knowledge Coordinate System the same position is written 1 Sam.17.9.W1, which extends further down to each syllable (1 Sam.17.9.W1.S1) and character.