עַ֖ל

Alphabet Analysis

The word

1. word🔊 עַ֖ל

   al

   against or upon
2. clause🔊 וַיֹּאמְר֨וּ אֵלָ֜יו אַנְשֵׁ֣י הָעִ֗יר הַקֶּ֤בֶר אִישׁ־הָֽאֱלֹהִים֙ אֲשֶׁר־בָּ֣א מִֽיהוּדָ֔ה וַיִּקְרָ֗א אֶת־הַדְּבָרִ֤ים הָאֵ֙לֶּה֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר עָשִׂ֔יתָ עַ֖ל הַמִּזְבַּ֥ח בֵּֽית־אֵֽל׃

   va-yom-RU e-LAV an-SHE ha-IR hak-KE-ver ish-ha-e-lo-HIM a-sher-BA mi-ye-hu-DA va-yik-RA et-ha-de-va-RIM ha-EL-le a-SHER a-si-TA al ham-miz-BE-akh BET-EL

   and they said to him men of the city the grave or the tomb man of God who came from Judah and he proclaimed or called out {direct object} the words these which or that you did against or upon the altar Bethel
3. sentence🔊 וַיֹּ֕אמֶר מָ֚ה הַצִיּ֣וּן הַלָּ֔ז אֲשֶׁ֖ר אֲנִ֣י רֹאֶ֑ה וַיֹּאמְר֨וּ אֵלָ֜יו אַנְשֵׁ֣י הָעִ֗יר הַקֶּ֤בֶר אִישׁ־הָֽאֱלֹהִים֙ אֲשֶׁר־בָּ֣א מִֽיהוּדָ֔ה וַיִּקְרָ֗א אֶת־הַדְּבָרִ֤ים הָאֵ֙לֶּה֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר עָשִׂ֔יתָ עַ֖ל הַמִּזְבַּ֥ח בֵּֽית־אֵֽל׃

   va-yo-MER MA ha-tsi-YUN hal-LAZ a-SHER a-NI ro-E va-yom-RU e-LAV an-SHE ha-IR hak-KE-ver ish-ha-e-lo-HIM a-sher-BA mi-ye-hu-DA va-yik-RA et-ha-de-va-RIM ha-EL-le a-SHER a-si-TA al ham-miz-BE-akh BET-EL

   and he said what the memorial-mark or monument that which or that I am seeing and they said to him men of the city the grave or the tomb man of God who came from Judah and he proclaimed or called out {direct object} the words these which or that you did against or upon the altar Bethel

Exegesis

The final prepositional phrase al ha-mizbeach beit-El {עַ֖ל הַמִּזְבַּ֥ח בֵּֽית-אֵֽל | ʿal hammizbēaḥ bēṯʾēl} ‘against the altar at Bethel’ completes the construction. The interplay of question and answer frames the prophetic declaration.