לְתֻמּ֔וֹ

Alphabet Analysis

The word

1. word🔊 לְתֻמּ֔וֹ

   le-tum-MO

   in his innocence or at random
2. clause🔊 וְאִ֗ישׁ מָשַׁ֤ךְ בַּקֶּ֙שֶׁת֙ לְתֻמּ֔וֹ וַיַּךְ֙ אֶת־מֶ֣לֶךְ יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל בֵּ֥ין הַדְּבָקִ֖ים וּבֵ֣ין הַשִּׁרְיָ֑ן

   ve-ISH ma-SHAKH bak-KE-shet le-tum-MO va-YAKH et-ME-lekh yis-ra-EL BEN had-de-va-KIM u-VEN hash-shir-YAN

   and a man drew with the bow in his innocence or at random and struck {direct object} the king of Israel between the joints or the fastenings and between the coat of mail or armor
3. sentence🔊 וְאִ֗ישׁ מָשַׁ֤ךְ בַּקֶּ֙שֶׁת֙ לְתֻמּ֔וֹ וַיַּךְ֙ אֶת־מֶ֣לֶךְ יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל בֵּ֥ין הַדְּבָקִ֖ים וּבֵ֣ין הַשִּׁרְיָ֑ן וַיֹּ֣אמֶר לָֽרַכָּ֗ב הֲפֹ֧ךְ ידיך יָדְךָ֛ וְהוֹצֵאתַ֥נִי מִן־הַֽמַּחֲנֶ֖ה כִּ֥י הָחֳלֵֽיתִי׃

   ve-ISH ma-SHAKH bak-KE-shet le-tum-MO va-YAKH et-ME-lekh yis-ra-EL BEN had-de-va-KIM u-VEN hash-shir-YAN va-YO-mer la-rak-KAV ha-FOKH ya-DE-kha yod-KHA ve-ho-tse-TA-ni min-ham-ma-kha-NE KI kho-le-TI

   and a man drew with the bow in his innocence or at random and struck {direct object} the king of Israel between the joints or the fastenings and between the coat of mail or armor and he said to the chariot driver turn your hands your hand and bring me out from the camp or from the battle line for I am wounded or I am sickened

Exegesis

The opening subject veish {וְאִישׁ | wəʾîš} is indefinite (“a man”), keeping the agent anonymous, while letumo {לְתֻמּוֹ | ləṭummô} frames the shot as not deliberately aimed, heightening the irony of the outcome. The wound location is specified by the paired prepositional markers bein ...