עַד־כֶּ֤תֶף

Alphabet Analysis

The word

1. word🔊 עַד־כֶּ֤תֶף

   ad-KE-tef

   up to the shoulder or side
2. phraseyour reading level🔊 עַד־כֶּ֤תֶף הַבַּ֙יִת֙

   ad-KE-tef ha-BA-yit

   up to the shoulder or side of the house
3. clause🔊 וַיַּעֲמֵ֨ד אֶת־כָּל־הָעָ֜ם וְאִ֣ישׁ שִׁלְח֣וֹ בְיָד֗וֹ מִכֶּ֨תֶף הַבַּ֤יִת הַיְמָנִית֙ עַד־כֶּ֤תֶף הַבַּ֙יִת֙ הַשְּׂמָאלִ֔ית לַמִּזְבֵּ֖חַ וְלַבָּ֑יִת

   va-ya-a-MED et-KOL-ha-AM ve-ISH shil-KHO be-ya-DO mik-KE-tef ha-BA-yit ha-ye-ma-NIT ad-KE-tef ha-BA-yit has-se-ma-LIT lam-miz-BE-akh ve-la-BA-yit

   and he stationed the whole people and each man his weapon in his hand from the shoulder or side of the house the right side up to the shoulder or side of the house the left side to the altar and to the house
4. sentence🔊 וַיַּעֲמֵ֨ד אֶת־כָּל־הָעָ֜ם וְאִ֣ישׁ שִׁלְח֣וֹ בְיָד֗וֹ מִכֶּ֨תֶף הַבַּ֤יִת הַיְמָנִית֙ עַד־כֶּ֤תֶף הַבַּ֙יִת֙ הַשְּׂמָאלִ֔ית לַמִּזְבֵּ֖חַ וְלַבָּ֑יִת עַל־הַמֶּ֖לֶךְ סָבִֽיב׃

   va-ya-a-MED et-KOL-ha-AM ve-ISH shil-KHO be-ya-DO mik-KE-tef ha-BA-yit ha-ye-ma-NIT ad-KE-tef ha-BA-yit has-se-ma-LIT lam-miz-BE-akh ve-la-BA-yit al-ha-ME-lekh sa-VIV

   and he stationed the whole people and each man his weapon in his hand from the shoulder or side of the house the right side up to the shoulder or side of the house the left side to the altar and to the house around the king all around

Exegesis

The spatial range is marked by mikkéṯep ʿad ke-ṯef {מִכֶּ֨תֶף עַד־כֶּ֤תֶף | mi-kéṯep ʿad ke-ṯef} ‘from the right shoulder of the house to the left shoulder of the house’, combined with la-mizbēaḥ wə-la-bbayit {לַמִּזְבֵּ֖חַ וְלַבָּ֑יִת | la-miz-bē-aḥ wə-la-bayit} ‘to the altar and to the house’ before the framing phrase ʿal-ha-melekh sāviv {עַל־הַמֶּ֖לֶךְ סָבִֽיב | ʿal-ha-me-lekh sā-viv} ‘around the king’. The Hebrew vav-consecutive plus distributive syntax creates a vivid depiction of a protective encirclement around the monarch.