אֶת־יְהוָֽה׃

Alphabet Analysis

The word

1. word🔊 אֶת־יְהוָֽה׃

   et-ye-ho-VAH

   {direct object} the LORD
2. clause🔊 אִם־ישיב יָשׁ֨וֹב יְשִׁיבֵ֤נִי יְהוָה֙ יְר֣וּשָׁלִַ֔ם וְעָבַדְתִּ֖י אֶת־יְהוָֽה׃

   im-ya-SHIV ya-SHOV ye-shi-VE-ni ye-ho-VAH ye-ru-sha-LA-im ve-a-vad-TI et-ye-ho-VAH

   if he will bring back he will indeed return he will bring me back the LORD to Jerusalem then I will serve or worship {direct object} the LORD
3. sentence🔊 כִּי־נֵ֙דֶר֙ נָדַ֣ר עַבְדְּךָ֔ בְּשִׁבְתִּ֥י בִגְשׁ֛וּר בַּאֲרָ֖ם לֵאמֹ֑ר אִם־ישיב יָשׁ֨וֹב יְשִׁיבֵ֤נִי יְהוָה֙ יְר֣וּשָׁלִַ֔ם וְעָבַדְתִּ֖י אֶת־יְהוָֽה׃

   ki-NE-der na-DAR av-de-KHA be-shiv-TI vig-SHUR ba-a-RAM le-MOR im-ya-SHIV ya-SHOV ye-shi-VE-ni ye-ho-VAH ye-ru-sha-LA-im ve-a-vad-TI et-ye-ho-VAH

   for a vow he vowed your servant in my dwelling in Geshur in Aram saying if he will bring back he will indeed return he will bring me back the LORD to Jerusalem then I will serve or worship {direct object} the LORD

Exegesis

The repeated divine name YHWH {יְהוָה֙ | YHWH} frames both petition and pledge, and the vav-consecutive wə-ʿāvaḏtî {וְעָבַדְתִּ֖י | wə-ʿāvaḏtî} ‘and I will serve’ projects future commitment, with the direct object marker ʾet-YHWH {אֶת־יְהוָֽה׃ | ʾet-YHWH} marking God as the recipient of service. The English rendering preserves this cause-result and conditional sequence.

Root and etymology

heh–waw–heh🔊 ה־ו־ה

“to be, exist”

• 🔊 אֶהְיֶהehyehI AMExodus 3:14
• 🔊 יָהּYahthe LORDPsalm 68:4