1 Samuel 21:8:31 Sam.21.8.W3TABWLC 1 Samuel 21:9

לַאֲחִימֶ֔לֶךְ

laakhimelekh

to Ahimelech

Transliteration
la-a-khi-ME-lekh
Extended
lah-ah-khee-MEH-lehkh
IPA
/la.ʔă.ħiːˈmɛ.lɛx/

Meaning by language

English
to Ahimelech

Hebrew · tap a syllable to hear it

Result
לַ + אֲ + חִי + מֶ֔ + לֶךְ
la + a + khi + me + lekh
laakhimelekh

Alphabet Analysis

Lamedl as in law
Patachshort 'ah' as in father
Alephsilent — a glottal stop; holds vowel points
Hateph Patachreduced 'ah'
Chetch — deep guttural, as in Scottish loch
Hireq'ee' as in machine
Yody as in yes; marks long ī
Memm as in mother
Segholshort 'eh' as in met
Lamedl as in law
Segholshort 'eh' as in met
Kaf Sofitfinal form of Kaf — at word end
Shevasilent sheva — no sound; closes the syllable

Tap any letter to hear its name and sound

Vowels (Niqqud)

Now you try — trace the word:

The word

Word in context

  1. word

    la-a-khi-ME-lekh

  2. clause

    va-YO-mer da-VID la-a-khi-ME-lekh ve-EN yesh-PO TA-khat-YAD-kha kha-NIT o-KHE-rev

  3. 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 coordinated conjunction va’ani khaser lo hibbē’tti {וַאֲנִי חָסֵר לֹא הִבֵּאתִי | wa-ʾăn-î ḥā-sēr lōʾ hib-bē-ʾ-tî} ‘and I, lacking, did not bring’ uses the first person perfect to convey David’s admission of unpreparedness.

Root and etymology

מ־ל־ך

ruler

In context1 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 21:8:3 is a BCV:P reference — Book · Chapter · Verse · Word Position. It addresses word 3 of 1 Samuel 21:8, so the Hebrew word לַאֲחִימֶ֔לֶךְ (laakhimelekh) 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.W3, which extends further down to each syllable (1 Sam.21.8.W3.S1) and character.