כִּ֣י

Alphabet Analysis

The word

1. word🔊 כִּ֣י

   KI

   for
2. phraseyour reading level🔊 כִּ֣י זֶ֠בַח

   KI ZE-vakh

   for a sacrifice
3. clause🔊 כִּ֣י זֶ֠בַח הַיָּמִ֨ים שָׁ֥ם לְכָל־הַמִּשְׁפָּחָֽה׃

   KI ZE-vakh ha-ya-MIM SHAM le-KHOL-ha-mish-pa-KHA

   for a sacrifice of the days, that is, yearly there for all the clan or family
4. sentence🔊 אִם־פָּקֹ֥ד יִפְקְדֵ֖נִי אָבִ֣יךָ וְאָֽמַרְתָּ֗ נִשְׁאֹ֨ל נִשְׁאָ֤ל מִמֶּ֙נִּי֙ דָּוִ֔ד לָרוּ֥ץ בְּבֵית־לֶ֖חֶם עִיר֑וֹ כִּ֣י זֶ֠בַח הַיָּמִ֨ים שָׁ֥ם לְכָל־הַמִּשְׁפָּחָֽה׃

   IM-pa-KOD yif-ke-DE-ni a-VI-kha ve-a-MAR-ta nish-OL nish-AL mim-ME-ni da-VID la-RUTS be-VET-le-khem i-RO KI ZE-vakh ha-ya-MIM SHAM le-KHOL-ha-mish-pa-KHA

   if he indeed misses me your father then you shall say he earnestly asked asked from me David to run to Bethlehem his city for a sacrifice of the days, that is, yearly there for all the clan or family

Exegesis

The verse opens with the conditional particle im-ki {אִם־כִּי | ʾim-kī} ‘if indeed,’ marking a strong protasis.

The conjunction ki-sham {כִּי־שָׁם | kî-šām} opens the explanatory clause, where the construct zevach-chag {זֶבַח־חַג | ze-vaḥ-ḥag} identifies a festival sacrifice and the prepositional phrase le-khol-hamishpacha {לְכָל־הַמִּשְׁפָּחָה | lə-khol-ha-miš-pā-ḥā} extends it to the entire family. This structure creates a conditional–explanatory pattern underpinning the ruse of a religious observance.

Root and etymology

’-n-k🔊 א־נ־כaleph–nun–kaf

“I, myself”

• 🔊 אֲנַחְנוּ’ă-nakh-nuweGenesis 1:28