1 Samuel 21:8:151 Sam.21.8.W15TABWLC 1 Samuel 21:9
דְבַר־הַמֶּ֖לֶךְ
devarhamelekh
“the matter of the king”
- Transliteration
- de-var-ha-ME-lekh
- Extended
- deh-vahr-hah-MEH-lehkh
- IPA
- /dəvar.hamˈmɛ.lɛx/
Meaning by language
- English
- the matter of the king
Hebrew · tap a syllable to hear it
Alphabet Analysis
| Dalet | d as in door | |
| Sheva | vocal sheva — a short 'e' (ə), begins a syllable | |
| Bet | b with dagesh; v without dagesh | |
| Patach | short 'ah' as in father | |
| Resh | r guttural, like the French r | |
| He | h as in house; silent at word end | |
| Patach | short 'ah' as in father | |
| Mem | m as in mother | |
| Seghol | short 'eh' as in met | |
| Lamed | l as in law | |
| Seghol | short 'eh' as in met | |
| Kaf Sofit | final form of Kaf — at word end | |
| Sheva | silent sheva — no sound; closes the syllable |
Tap any letter to hear its name and sound
Now you try — trace the word:
The word
Word in context
- word
de-var-ha-ME-lekh
- phraseyour reading level
ki-ha-YA de-var-ha-ME-lekh
- clause
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
- sentence
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
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.
Root and etymology
d-b-r
“word, thing, matter”
In context — 1 Samuel 21:8
And David said to Ahimelech, “Is there no spear or sword under your hand? For I have brought neither my sword nor my weapons, because the king’s mission is urgent.”
About this coordinate
1 Samuel 21:8:15 is a BCV:P reference — Book · Chapter · Verse · Word Position. It addresses word 15 of 1 Samuel 21:8, so the Hebrew word דְבַר־הַמֶּ֖לֶךְ (devarhamelekh) can be cited, linked and studied at exactly this position rather than somewhere in the verse. In the Biblical Knowledge Coordinate System the same position is written 1 Sam.21.8.W15, which extends further down to each syllable (1 Sam.21.8.W15.S1) and character.