קָר֙וּעַ֙

Alphabet Analysis

The word

1. word🔊 קָר֙וּעַ֙

   ka-RU-a

   torn
2. clause🔊 וְהִנֵּ֤ה לִקְרָאתוֹ֙ חוּשַׁ֣י הָאַרְכִּ֔י קָר֙וּעַ֙ כֻּתָּנְתּ֔וֹ וַאֲדָמָ֖ה עַל־רֹאשֽׁוֹ׃

   ve-hin-NE lik-ra-TO KHU-shai ha-ar-KI ka-RU-a ku-tan-TO va-a-da-MA al-RO-sho

   and behold to meet him Hushai the Archite torn his tunic and dirt on his head
3. sentence🔊 וַיְהִ֤י דָוִד֙ בָּ֣א עַד־הָרֹ֔אשׁ אֲשֶֽׁר־יִשְׁתַּחֲוֶ֥ה שָׁ֖ם לֵאלֹהִ֑ים וְהִנֵּ֤ה לִקְרָאתוֹ֙ חוּשַׁ֣י הָאַרְכִּ֔י קָר֙וּעַ֙ כֻּתָּנְתּ֔וֹ וַאֲדָמָ֖ה עַל־רֹאשֽׁוֹ׃

   va-ye-HI da-VID BA ad-ha-ROSH a-sher-yish-ta-kha-VE SHAM le-e-lo-HIM ve-hin-NE lik-ra-TO KHU-shai ha-ar-KI ka-RU-a ku-tan-TO va-a-da-MA al-RO-sho

   and it happened David came up to the summit where he would bow down there to God and behold to meet him Hushai the Archite torn his tunic and dirt on his head

Exegesis

The participle qārûaʿ {קָר֙וּעַ֙ | qārûaʿ} “torn” and noun wa·ă·ḏā·māh {וַאֲדָמָ֖ה | wa-ă-dā-māh} “dust” evoke lamentation customs, while the prepositional phrase ʿal-rōšō {עַל־רֹאשֽׁוֹ | ʿal-rōšō} “upon his head” indicates posture. The English structure shifts relative clauses for clarity but preserves the Hebrew sequence.