שָׂרֵ֥י

Alphabet Analysis

The word

1. word🔊 שָׂרֵ֥י

   sa-RE

   commanders of
2. phraseyour reading level🔊 שָׂרֵ֥י אֲלָפִ֖ים

   sa-RE a-la-FIM

   commanders of thousands
3. clause🔊 גַּם־לְכֻלְּכֶ֗ם יִתֵּ֤ן בֶּן־יִשַׁי֙ שָׂד֣וֹת וּכְרָמִ֔ים לְכֻלְּכֶ֣ם יָשִׂ֔ים שָׂרֵ֥י אֲלָפִ֖ים וְשָׂרֵ֥י מֵאֽוֹת׃

   gam-le-khul-KEHM yit-TEN ben-yi-SHAI sa-DOT u-khe-ra-MIM le-khul-KEHM ya-SIM sa-RE a-la-FIM ve-sa-RE me-OT

   also to all of you will he give the son of Jesse fields and vineyards to all of you will he make or will he set commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds
4. sentence🔊 וַיֹּ֣אמֶר שָׁא֗וּל לַֽעֲבָדָיו֙ הַנִּצָּבִ֣ים עָלָ֔יו שִׁמְעוּ־נָ֖א בְּנֵ֣י יְמִינִ֑י גַּם־לְכֻלְּכֶ֗ם יִתֵּ֤ן בֶּן־יִשַׁי֙ שָׂד֣וֹת וּכְרָמִ֔ים לְכֻלְּכֶ֣ם יָשִׂ֔ים שָׂרֵ֥י אֲלָפִ֖ים וְשָׂרֵ֥י מֵאֽוֹת׃

   va-YO-mer sha-UL la-a-va-DAV ha-nit-tsa-VIM a-LAV shim-E-u-NA be-NE ye-mi-NI gam-le-khul-KEHM yit-TEN ben-yi-SHAI sa-DOT u-khe-ra-MIM le-khul-KEHM ya-SIM sa-RE a-la-FIM ve-sa-RE me-OT

   and he said Saul to his servants the ones standing around him or over him hear, please sons of Benjaminite also to all of you will he give the son of Jesse fields and vineyards to all of you will he make or will he set commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds

Exegesis

The series of rhetorical questions employ the imperfect verbs yitten {יִתֵּן | yit-tên} and yasim {יָשִׂם | yā-sîm} to project hypothetical doubt concerning ben-yishai {בֶּן־יִשַׁי | ben-yi-šāy} and his distribution of property (sadot u-kramim {שָׂדוֹת וּכְרָמִים | sā-dōt ū-kə-rā-mîm}) and rank (sarei alafim ve-sarei me’ot {שָׂרֵי אֲלָפִים וְשָׂרֵי מֵאוֹת | ṣā-rê ’ǎ-lā-p̄îm wə-ṣā-rê mê-’ōṯ}). The repetition of lə-kul-le-kem highlights Saul’s emphasis, and the asyndetic coordination heightens the incredulity of his challenge.

Root and etymology

shin–resh–resh🔊 ש־ר־ר

“leader, officer”

• 🔊 שְׂרָרִיםserarimprincesIsaiah 34:12