כִּֽי־עָזְב֣וּ

Alphabet Analysis

The word

1. word🔊 כִּֽי־עָזְב֣וּ

   ki-a-ZE-vu

   for they abandoned
2. phraseyour reading level🔊 כִּֽי־עָזְב֣וּ הַלְוִיִּ֗ם

   ki-a-ZE-vu hal-le-vi-IM

   for they abandoned the Levites
3. clause🔊 כִּֽי־עָזְב֣וּ הַלְוִיִּ֗ם אֶת־מִגְרְשֵׁיהֶם֙ וַאֲחֻזָּתָ֔ם וַיֵּלְכ֥וּ לִיהוּדָ֖ה וְלִֽירוּשָׁלָ֑͏ִם

   ki-a-ZE-vu hal-le-vi-IM et-mig-re-SHE-hem va-a-khu-za-TAM va-ye-le-KHU li-ye-hu-DA ve-li-ru-sha-LIM

   for they abandoned the Levites the pasture-lands of them and their possession and they went to Judah and to Jerusalem
4. sentence🔊 כִּֽי־עָזְב֣וּ הַלְוִיִּ֗ם אֶת־מִגְרְשֵׁיהֶם֙ וַאֲחֻזָּתָ֔ם וַיֵּלְכ֥וּ לִיהוּדָ֖ה וְלִֽירוּשָׁלָ֑͏ִם כִּֽי־הִזְנִיחָ֤ם יָֽרָבְעָם֙ וּבָנָ֔יו מִכַּהֵ֖ן לַיהוָֽה׃

   ki-a-ZE-vu hal-le-vi-IM et-mig-re-SHE-hem va-a-khu-za-TAM va-ye-le-KHU li-ye-hu-DA ve-li-ru-sha-LIM ki-hiz-ni-KHAM ya-ra-VA-am u-va-NA-v mik-ka-HEN la-ye-ho-VAH

   for they abandoned the Levites the pasture-lands of them and their possession and they went to Judah and to Jerusalem for he rejected them Jeroboam and his sons from serving as priest to the LORD

Exegesis

The narrative is structured by two clauses introduced by the causal conjunction ki {כִּי | kî} ‘because,’ linking the Levites’ abandonment to their exclusion.

The first clause uses the Qal perfect azvu {עָזְבוּ | ʿā-zə-vû} with a coordinated construct chain migresheihem ve’achuzatam {מִגְרְשֵׁיהֶם וַאֲחֻזָּתָם | mi-grě-šê-hêm və-’ă-ḥû-zā-tām} to enumerate what was relinquished.

Root and etymology

Root🔊 ע־ז־בʿayin–zayin–bet

“to leave, forsake”

• 🔊 יַעֲזֵבyā‘ăzēvhe will leaveGenesis 2:24