וְכֹ֥חַ

Alphabet Analysis

The word

1. word🔊 וְכֹ֥חַ

   ve-KHO-akh

   and strength
2. phraseyour reading level🔊 וְכֹ֥חַ אַ֖יִן

   ve-KHO-akh A-yin

   and strength there is not
3. clause🔊 כִּ֣י בָ֤אוּ בָנִים֙ עַד־מַשְׁבֵּ֔ר וְכֹ֥חַ אַ֖יִן לְלֵדָֽה׃

   KI va-U va-NIM ad-mash-BER ve-KHO-akh A-yin le-LE-da

   for have come sons or children to the point of birthstool or breaking forth and strength there is not to give birth
4. sentence🔊 וַיֹּאמְר֣וּ אֵלָ֗יו כֹּ֚ה אָמַ֣ר חִזְקִיָּ֔הוּ יוֹם־צָרָ֧ה וְתוֹכֵחָ֛ה וּנְאָצָ֖ה הַיּ֣וֹם הַזֶּ֑ה כִּ֣י בָ֤אוּ בָנִים֙ עַד־מַשְׁבֵּ֔ר וְכֹ֥חַ אַ֖יִן לְלֵדָֽה׃

   va-yo-me-RU e-LA-yv KO a-MAR khiz-ki-YA-hu yom-tsa-RA ve-to-khe-KHA u-ne-a-TSA ha-YOM ha-ZE KI va-U va-NIM ad-mash-BER ve-KHO-akh A-yin le-LE-da

   and they said to him thus said Hezekiah a day of distress and of rebuke and of contempt or disgrace the day this for have come sons or children to the point of birthstool or breaking forth and strength there is not to give birth

Exegesis

The final clause vekoach ayin leledah {וְכֹחַ אַיִן לְלֵדָה | wəḵōaḥ ʾayin ləlēdâ} ‘and there is no strength for giving birth’ uses the nonexistence particle ʾayin to state total inability, sharpening the metaphor into a confession of helplessness at the critical moment.

Root and etymology

consonants🔊 י־כ־חyod–kaf–chet

“to decide, reprove”