אֵ֥ין

Alphabet Analysis

The word

1. word🔊 אֵ֥ין

   EN

   there is not
2. phraseyour reading level🔊 אֵ֥ין אִתָּֽךְ׃

   EN it-TAKH

   there is not with you
3. clause🔊 וַיֶּחֱרַ֨ד אֲחִימֶ֜לֶךְ לִקְרַ֣את דָּוִ֗ד וַיֹּ֤אמֶר ל֙וֹ מַדּ֤וּעַ אַתָּה֙ לְבַדֶּ֔ךָ וְאִ֖ישׁ אֵ֥ין אִתָּֽךְ׃

   va-ye-khe-RAD a-khi-ME-lekh lik-RA-et da-VID va-yo-MER LO ma-DU-a a-TA le-vad-DE-kha ve-ISH EN it-TAKH

   and trembled Ahimelech to meet David and said to him why you by yourself and a man there is not with you
4. sentence🔊 וַיָּבֹ֤א דָוִד֙ נֹ֔בֶה אֶל־אֲחִימֶ֖לֶךְ הַכֹּהֵ֑ן וַיֶּחֱרַ֨ד אֲחִימֶ֜לֶךְ לִקְרַ֣את דָּוִ֗ד וַיֹּ֤אמֶר ל֙וֹ מַדּ֤וּעַ אַתָּה֙ לְבַדֶּ֔ךָ וְאִ֖ישׁ אֵ֥ין אִתָּֽךְ׃

   va-ya-BO da-VID NO-ve el-a-khi-ME-lekh ha-ko-HEN va-ye-khe-RAD a-khi-ME-lekh lik-RA-et da-VID va-yo-MER LO ma-DU-a a-TA le-vad-DE-kha ve-ISH EN it-TAKH

   and came David to Nob to Ahimelech the priest and trembled Ahimelech to meet David and said to him why you by yourself and a man there is not with you

Exegesis

The interrogative madua {מַדּוּעַ | maddûaʿ} ‘why’ governs the clause, while the existential negation ve-ein {וְאֵין | wə-ʾên} ‘there is not’ in conjunction with ish {אִישׁ | ʾîš} ‘man’ emphasizes David’s isolation. In English, these vav verbs are rendered as independent clauses to preserve narrative clarity, and the existential clause becomes a coordinated question to maintain the original sense of inquiry.