וְחֵ֣י

Alphabet Analysis

The word

1. word🔊 וְחֵ֣י

   ve-KHEI

   and as lives
2. phraseyour reading level🔊 וְחֵ֣י נַפְשֶׁ֔ךָ

   ve-KHEI naf-SHE-kha

   and as lives your soul
3. clause🔊 וְאוּלָ֗ם חַי־יְהוָה֙ וְחֵ֣י נַפְשֶׁ֔ךָ כִּ֣י כְּפֶ֔שַׂע בֵּינִ֖י וּבֵ֥ין הַמָּֽוֶת׃

   ve-u-LAM KHAI-ye-ho-VAH ve-KHEI naf-SHE-kha KI ke-FE-sa be-NI u-VEIN ha-MA-vet

   but truly as the LORD lives and as lives your soul that as a step between me and between the death
4. sentence🔊 וַיִּשָּׁבַ֨ע ע֜וֹד דָּוִ֗ד וַיֹּ֙אמֶר֙ יָדֹ֤עַ יָדַ֙עַ֙ אָבִ֔יךָ כִּֽי־מָצָ֨אתִי חֵ֜ן בְּעֵינֶ֣יךָ וַיֹּ֣אמֶר אַל־יֵֽדַע־זֹאת יְהוֹנָתָ֖ן פֶּן־יֵֽעָצֵ֑ב וְאוּלָ֗ם חַי־יְהוָה֙ וְחֵ֣י נַפְשֶׁ֔ךָ כִּ֣י כְּפֶ֔שַׂע בֵּינִ֖י וּבֵ֥ין הַמָּֽוֶת׃

   va-yish-SHA-va OD da-VID va-YO-mer ya-DO-a ya-DA-a a-VI-kha KI-ma-TSA-ti KHEN be-e-NE-kha va-YO-mer AL-ye-DA-ZOT ye-ho-na-TAN PEN-ye-A-tsev ve-u-LAM KHAI-ye-ho-VAH ve-KHEI naf-SHE-kha KI ke-FE-sa be-NI u-VEIN ha-MA-vet

   and he swore again David and he said knowing well he knows your father that I have found favor in your eyes and he said let not this be known Jonathan lest he be grieved but truly as the LORD lives and as lives your soul that as a step between me and between the death

Exegesis

Finally, the oath formula wə’ānōkhî ḥāy {וְאָנֹכִי חַי | wəʾānōkhî ḥāy} “as I live” and the merism bēn-nap̄šî û-bēn ham-māweṯ {בֵּין־נַפְשִׁי וּבֵין הַמָּוֶת | bēn-nap̄šî û-bēn ham-māweṯ} “between my soul and death” underscore life’s precarious boundary.