ב֖וֹ

Alphabet Analysis

The word

1. word🔊 ב֖וֹ

   VO

   in him
2. phraseyour reading level🔊 לֹא־הָ֥יָה ב֖וֹ

   lo-ha-YA VO

   there was not in him
3. clause🔊 מִכַּ֤ף רַגְלוֹ֙ וְעַ֣ד קָדְקֳד֔וֹ לֹא־הָ֥יָה ב֖וֹ מֽוּם׃

   mi-KAF rag-LO ve-AD kad-ke-DO lo-ha-YA VO MUM

   from the sole of his foot and unto his crown of head there was not in him blemish
4. sentence🔊 וּכְאַבְשָׁל֗וֹם לֹא־הָיָ֧ה אִישׁ־יָפֶ֛ה בְּכָל־יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל לְהַלֵּ֣ל מְאֹ֑ד מִכַּ֤ף רַגְלוֹ֙ וְעַ֣ד קָדְקֳד֔וֹ לֹא־הָ֥יָה ב֖וֹ מֽוּם׃

   u-khe-av-sha-LOM lo-ha-YA ish-ya-FE be-khol-yis-ra-EL le-hal-LEL me-OD mi-KAF rag-LO ve-AD kad-ke-DO lo-ha-YA VO MUM

   and like Absalom or and as for Absalom there was not a man handsome in all Israel to praise very from the sole of his foot and unto his crown of head there was not in him blemish

Exegesis

The final clause lo-hayah bo mum {לֹא־הָ֥יָה ב֖וֹ מֽוּם׃ | lōʾ hāyâ bô mūm} repeats negation to emphasize his flawless perfection. The English rendering preserves the Hebrew’s merism and emphatic parallelism to convey Absalom’s unparalleled beauty.