1 Samuel 22:17:21 Sam.22.17.W2TAB
הַמֶּ֡לֶךְ
hamelekh
“the king”
- Transliteration
- ha-ME-lekh
- Extended
- hah-MEH-lehkh
- IPA
- /hamˈmɛlɛx/
Meaning by language
- English
- the king
Hebrew · tap a syllable to hear it
Alphabet Analysis
| 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 |
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The word
Word in context
- word
ha-ME-lekh
- phraseyour reading level
va-YO-mer ha-ME-lekh
- clause
va-YO-mer ha-ME-lekh la-ra-TSIM ha-ni-tsa-VIM a-LAV SO-bu ve-ha-MI-tu ko-ha-NEI ye-ho-VAH KI gam-ya-DAM im-da-VID ve-KI ya-de-U ki-bo-RE-akh HU ve-LO ga-LU et-oz-NO oz-NI
- sentence
va-YO-mer ha-ME-lekh la-ra-TSIM ha-ni-tsa-VIM a-LAV SO-bu ve-ha-MI-tu ko-ha-NEI ye-ho-VAH KI gam-ya-DAM im-da-VID ve-KI ya-de-U ki-bo-RE-akh HU ve-LO ga-LU et-oz-NO oz-NI ve-lo-A-VU av-DEI ha-ME-lekh lish-lo-AKH et-ya-DAM lif-GO-a be-kho-ha-NEI ye-ho-VAH
Exegesis
The subject hammélekh {הַמֶּ֡לֶךְ | hammélekh} is followed by the double apposition lārāṣîm hannitsābîm ʿālāw {לָרָצִים֩ הַנִּצָּבִים עָלָיו | lārāṣîm hannitsābîm ʿālāw} ‘to the runners, the ones standing over him,’ underscoring their role as couriers.
The subsequent wə-lōʾ-ʼāvû ʿavdê hammélekh {וְלֹֽא־אָב֞וּ עַבְדֵ֤י הַמֶּ֙לֶךְ֙ | wə-lōʾ-ʼāvû ʿavdê hammélekh} ‘and the king’s servants were unwilling’ signals moral reluctance.
Root and etymology
m-l-k
“to rule”
In context — 1 Samuel 22:17
And the king said to the runners standing before him, “Turn and put to death the priests of the LORD , for their hand also is with David, and because they knew that he was fleeing and did not report it to my ear .” But the servants of the king were not willing to send forth their hand to strike the priests of the LORD.
About this coordinate
1 Samuel 22:17:2 is a BCV:P reference — Book · Chapter · Verse · Word Position. It addresses word 2 of 1 Samuel 22:17, so the Hebrew word הַמֶּ֡לֶךְ (hamelekh) 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.22.17.W2, which extends further down to each syllable (1 Sam.22.17.W2.S1) and character.