אֶת־נַפְשׁ֨וֹ

Alphabet Analysis

The word

1. word🔊 אֶת־נַפְשׁ֨וֹ

   et-naf-SHO

2. phraseyour reading level🔊 וַיָּשֶׂם֩ אֶת־נַפְשׁ֨וֹ בְכַפּ֜וֹ

   va-ya-SEM et-naf-SHO ve-kha-PO

   and he put in his palm
3. clause🔊 וַיָּשֶׂם֩ אֶת־נַפְשׁ֨וֹ בְכַפּ֜וֹ וַיַּ֣ךְ אֶת־הַפְּלִשְׁתִּ֗י וַיַּ֨עַשׂ יְהוָ֜ה תְּשׁוּעָ֤ה גְדוֹלָה֙ לְכָל־יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל רָאִ֖יתָ וַתִּשְׂמָ֑ח

   va-ya-SEM et-naf-SHO ve-kha-PO va-YAKH et-ha-pe-lish-TI va-ya-AS ye-ho-VAH te-shu-A ge-do-LA le-khol-yis-ra-EL ra-I-ta va-tis-MAKH

   and he put in his palm and he struck the Philistine and he made or did the LORD salvation great for all Israel you saw and you rejoiced
4. sentence🔊 וַיָּשֶׂם֩ אֶת־נַפְשׁ֨וֹ בְכַפּ֜וֹ וַיַּ֣ךְ אֶת־הַפְּלִשְׁתִּ֗י וַיַּ֨עַשׂ יְהוָ֜ה תְּשׁוּעָ֤ה גְדוֹלָה֙ לְכָל־יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל רָאִ֖יתָ וַתִּשְׂמָ֑ח וְלָ֤מָּה תֶֽחֱטָא֙ בְּדָ֣ם נָקִ֔י לְהָמִ֥ית אֶת־דָּוִ֖ד חִנָּֽם׃

   va-ya-SEM et-naf-SHO ve-kha-PO va-YAKH et-ha-pe-lish-TI va-ya-AS ye-ho-VAH te-shu-A ge-do-LA le-khol-yis-ra-EL ra-I-ta va-tis-MAKH ve-la-MA te-khe-TA be-DAM na-KI le-ha-MIT et-da-VID khi-NAM

   and he put in his palm and he struck the Philistine and he made or did the LORD salvation great for all Israel you saw and you rejoiced and why will you sin with blood innocent to put to death David without cause

Exegesis

The phrase nafsho {נַפְשׁוֹ | nepešô} ‘soul, life’ combined with bekappo {בְּכַפּוֹ | bə-kappô} ‘in his hand’ forms an idiom for risking one’s life.

The direct-object marker et {אֶת | ʾet} clearly introduces the object hap̄êlišṯî {הַפְּלִשְׁתִּי | hap̄êlišṯî} ‘the Philistine’.

Root and etymology

n-p-š🔊 n–p–š

“life, soul”