בְּאָזְנֵ֣י

Alphabet Analysis

The word

1. word🔊 בְּאָזְנֵ֣י

   be-oz-NE

   in the ears of
2. phraseyour reading level🔊 בְּאָזְנֵ֣י הָעָ֔ם

   be-oz-NE ha-AM

   in the ears of the people
3. clause🔊 וְאַל־תְּדַבֵּ֤ר עִמָּ֙נוּ֙ יְהוּדִ֔ית בְּאָזְנֵ֣י הָעָ֔ם אֲשֶׁ֖ר עַל־הַחֹמָֽה׃

   ve-al-te-da-BER im-MA-nu ye-hu-DIT be-oz-NE ha-AM a-SHER al-ha-kho-MA

   and do not speak with us in Judean in the ears of the people who or which on the wall
4. sentence🔊 וַיֹּ֣אמֶר אֶלְיָקִ֣ים בֶּן־חִ֠לְקִיָּהוּ וְשֶׁבְנָ֨ה וְיוֹאָ֜ח אֶל־רַב־שָׁקֵ֗ה דַּבֶּר־נָ֤א אֶל־עֲבָדֶ֙יךָ֙ אֲרָמִ֔ית כִּ֥י שֹׁמְעִ֖ים אֲנָ֑חְנוּ וְאַל־תְּדַבֵּ֤ר עִמָּ֙נוּ֙ יְהוּדִ֔ית בְּאָזְנֵ֣י הָעָ֔ם אֲשֶׁ֖ר עַל־הַחֹמָֽה׃

   va-YO-mer el-ya-KIM ben-khil-ki-YA-hu ve-shev-NA ve-yo-AKH el-rav-sha-KE da-BER-na el-a-va-DE-kha a-ra-MIT KI sho-me-IM a-NA-khnu ve-al-te-da-BER im-MA-nu ye-hu-DIT be-oz-NE ha-AM a-SHER al-ha-kho-MA

   and he said Eliakim son of Hilkiah and Shebna and Joah to the Rabshakeh please speak to your servants in Aramaic for we are hearing we and do not speak with us in Judean in the ears of the people who or which on the wall

Exegesis

The prohibition ve-al tedabber immanu {וְאַל־תְּדַבֵּר עִמָּנוּ | wə-ʾal tə-dab-bēr ʿim-mā-nû} followed by the prepositional phrase be-oznei ha-am asher al-hachomah {בְּאָזְנֵי הָעָם אֲשֶׁר עַל־הַחֹמָה | bə-ʾōz-ney hā-ʿām ʾă-šer ʿal-hā-ḥō-māh} (‘in the ears of the people on the wall’) underscores concern for eavesdropping. The structure preserves Hebrew clause order of request, rationale, and prohibition while clarifying diplomatic strategy.