כִּֽי־הָיָ֥ה

Alphabet Analysis

The word

1. word🔊 כִּֽי־הָיָ֥ה

   ki-ha-YA

   for it was
2. phraseyour reading level🔊 כִּֽי־הָיָ֥ה דְבַר־הַמֶּ֖לֶךְ

   ki-ha-YA de-var-ha-ME-lekh

   for it was the matter of the king
3. clause🔊 כִּ֣י גַֽם־חַרְבִּ֤י וְגַם־כֵּלַי֙ לֹֽא־לָקַ֤חְתִּי בְיָדִ֔י כִּֽי־הָיָ֥ה דְבַר־הַמֶּ֖לֶךְ נָח֥וּץ׃

   KI gam-khar-BI ve-gam-KE-lai lo-la-KHAKH-ti ve-ya-DI ki-ha-YA de-var-ha-ME-lekh na-KHUTS

   for also my sword and also my weapons or my gear I have not taken in my hand for it was the matter of the king hurried or urgent
4. sentence🔊 וַיֹּ֤אמֶר דָּוִד֙ לַאֲחִימֶ֔לֶךְ וְאֵ֣ין יֶשׁ־פֹּ֗ה תַּ֚חַת־יָ֣דְךָ֔ חֲנִ֖ית א֣וֹ־חֶ֑רֶב כִּ֣י גַֽם־חַרְבִּ֤י וְגַם־כֵּלַי֙ לֹֽא־לָקַ֤חְתִּי בְיָדִ֔י כִּֽי־הָיָ֥ה דְבַר־הַמֶּ֖לֶךְ נָח֥וּץ׃

   va-YO-mer da-VID la-a-khi-ME-lekh ve-EN yesh-PO TA-khat-YAD-kha kha-NIT o-KHE-rev KI gam-khar-BI ve-gam-KE-lai lo-la-KHAKH-ti ve-ya-DI ki-ha-YA de-var-ha-ME-lekh na-KHUTS

   and he said David to Ahimelech and is there not here at your hand a spear or a sword for also my sword and also my weapons or my gear I have not taken in my hand for it was the matter of the king hurried or urgent

Exegesis

The conjunction kî {כִּי | kî} ‘because’ introduces a genitive construct phrase ma‛ă-lat hamelekh {מַעֲלַת הַמֶּלֶךְ | ma‛ă-lāt ham-me-leḵ} ‘the king’s matter,’ modified by middhapeht {מִדַּחֶפֶת | mid-dá-ḥe-phet} ‘pressing necessity.’ This progression from question to confession to rationale highlights the urgency of the royal business.