גָדֽוֹל׃

Alphabet Analysis

The word

1. word🔊 גָדֽוֹל׃

   ga-DOL

   great
2. phraseyour reading level🔊 א֥וֹ גָדֽוֹל׃

   O ga-DOL

   or great
3. clause🔊 אַל־יָשֵׂם֩ הַמֶּ֨לֶךְ בְּעַבְדּ֤וֹ דָבָר֙ בְּכָל־בֵּ֣ית אָבִ֔י כִּ֠י לֹֽא־יָדַ֤ע עַבְדְּךָ֙ בְּכָל־זֹ֔את דָּבָ֥ר קָטֹ֖ן א֥וֹ גָדֽוֹל׃

   al-ya-SEM ha-ME-lekh be-av-DO da-VAR be-khol-BET a-VI KI lo-ya-DA av-de-KHA be-khol-ZOT da-VAR ka-TON O ga-DOL

   let not he place the king against his servant a matter in all the house of my father for has not known your servant in all this a matter small or great
4. sentence🔊 הַיּ֧וֹם הַחִלֹּ֛תִי לשאול־לִשְׁאָל־ל֥וֹ בֵאלֹהִ֖ים חָלִ֣ילָה לִּ֑י אַל־יָשֵׂם֩ הַמֶּ֨לֶךְ בְּעַבְדּ֤וֹ דָבָר֙ בְּכָל־בֵּ֣ית אָבִ֔י כִּ֠י לֹֽא־יָדַ֤ע עַבְדְּךָ֙ בְּכָל־זֹ֔את דָּבָ֥ר קָטֹ֖ן א֥וֹ גָדֽוֹל׃

   ha-YOM ha-khi-lo-TI le-sha-ol-lish-AL-LO ve-e-lo-HIM kha-LI-la LI al-ya-SEM ha-ME-lekh be-av-DO da-VAR be-khol-BET a-VI KI lo-ya-DA av-de-KHA be-khol-ZOT da-VAR ka-TON O ga-DOL

   today have I begun to inquire to inquire for him in God far be it from me let not he place the king against his servant a matter in all the house of my father for has not known your servant in all this a matter small or great

Exegesis

The meristic phrase dāḇār qāṭōn ʾō gādôl {דָּבָ֥ר קָטֹ֖ן א֥וֹ גָדֽוֹל | dāḇār qāṭōn ʾō gādôl} ‘matter small or great’ encompasses all possibilities. The translation preserves the emphatic question structure, the prohibitive jussive, and the inclusive merism to mirror the source text’s force.