לִ֖י

Alphabet Analysis

The word

1. word🔊 לִ֖י

   LI

   for me
2. phraseyour reading level🔊 ט֥וֹב לִ֖י

   TOV LI

   better for me
3. clause🔊 וַיֹּ֣אמֶר אַבְשָׁל֣וֹם אֶל־יוֹאָ֡ב הִנֵּ֣ה שָׁלַ֣חְתִּי אֵלֶ֣יךָ לֵאמֹ֡ר בֹּ֣א הֵ֠נָּה וְאֶשְׁלְחָה֩ אֹתְךָ֨ אֶל־הַמֶּ֜לֶךְ לֵאמֹ֗ר לָ֤מָּה בָּ֙אתִי֙ מִגְּשׁ֔וּר ט֥וֹב לִ֖י עֹ֣ד אֲנִי־שָׁ֑ם

   va-YO-mer av-sha-LOM el-yo-AV hi-NE sha-lakh-TI e-LE-kha le-MOR BO HE-na ve-esh-le-KHA o-te-KHA el-ha-ME-lekh le-MOR la-MA ba-TI mig-ge-SHUR TOV LI OD a-NI-SHAM

   and he said Absalom to Joab look, I sent to you to say come here and I will send you to the king to say why have I come from Geshur better for me still I there
4. sentence🔊 וַיֹּ֣אמֶר אַבְשָׁל֣וֹם אֶל־יוֹאָ֡ב הִנֵּ֣ה שָׁלַ֣חְתִּי אֵלֶ֣יךָ לֵאמֹ֡ר בֹּ֣א הֵ֠נָּה וְאֶשְׁלְחָה֩ אֹתְךָ֨ אֶל־הַמֶּ֜לֶךְ לֵאמֹ֗ר לָ֤מָּה בָּ֙אתִי֙ מִגְּשׁ֔וּר ט֥וֹב לִ֖י עֹ֣ד אֲנִי־שָׁ֑ם וְעַתָּ֗ה אֶרְאֶה֙ פְּנֵ֣י הַמֶּ֔לֶךְ וְאִם־יֶשׁ־בִּ֥י עָוֺ֖ן וֶהֱמִתָֽנִי׃

   va-YO-mer av-sha-LOM el-yo-AV hi-NE sha-lakh-TI e-LE-kha le-MOR BO HE-na ve-esh-le-KHA o-te-KHA el-ha-ME-lekh le-MOR la-MA ba-TI mig-ge-SHUR TOV LI OD a-NI-SHAM ve-a-TA e-re-E pe-NE ha-ME-lekh ve-im-yesh-BI a-VON ve-he-mi-TA-ni

   and he said Absalom to Joab look, I sent to you to say come here and I will send you to the king to say why have I come from Geshur better for me still I there and now let me see the face of the king and if there is in me guilt then let him put me to death

Exegesis

The verbless clause tov lī ʿōḏ ʾanî-šām {טוֹב לִ֖י עֹד אֲנִי־שָׁ֑ם | ṭōḇ lī ʿōḏ ʾanî-šām} conveys a counterfactual preference.

Root and etymology

possibly from y-r-š🔊 י-ר-שׁyod–resh–shin

“foundation of peace”