אִ֣ישׁ

Alphabet Analysis

The word

1. word🔊 אִ֣ישׁ

   ISH

   a man
2. phraseyour reading level🔊 אִ֣ישׁ בְּלִיַּ֗עַל

   ISH be-li-YA-al

   a man worthless
3. clause🔊 וְשָׁ֨ם נִקְרָ֜א אִ֣ישׁ בְּלִיַּ֗עַל וּשְׁמ֛וֹ שֶׁ֥בַע בֶּן־בִּכְרִ֖י אִ֣ישׁ יְמִינִ֑י

   ve-SHAM nik-RA ISH be-li-YA-al u-she-MO SHE-va ben-BIKH-ri ISH ye-mi-NI

   and there was found or happened to be a man worthless and his name Sheba son of Bichri a man a Benjaminite
4. sentence🔊 וְשָׁ֨ם נִקְרָ֜א אִ֣ישׁ בְּלִיַּ֗עַל וּשְׁמ֛וֹ שֶׁ֥בַע בֶּן־בִּכְרִ֖י אִ֣ישׁ יְמִינִ֑י וַיִּתְקַ֣ע בַּשֹּׁפָ֗ר וַ֠יֹּאמֶר אֵֽין־לָ֨נוּ חֵ֜לֶק בְּדָוִ֗ד וְלֹ֤א נֽ͏ַחֲלָה־לָ֙נוּ֙ בְּבֶן־יִשַׁ֔י אִ֥ישׁ לְאֹהָלָ֖יו יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃

   ve-SHAM nik-RA ISH be-li-YA-al u-she-MO SHE-va ben-BIKH-ri ISH ye-mi-NI va-yit-KA ba-sho-FAR va-YO-mer EN-LA-nu KHE-lek be-da-VID ve-LO na-kha-LA-LA-nu be-ven-yish-AI ISH le-o-ha-LAV yis-ra-EL

   and there was found or happened to be a man worthless and his name Sheba son of Bichri a man a Benjaminite and he blew the trumpet or shofar and he said there is not to us a portion in David and not an inheritance to us in the son of Jesse each man to his tents Israel

Exegesis

The construct phrase ish beliyaal {אִישׁ בְּלִיַּעַל | ʾîš bə-lî-yaʿal} “man of worthlessness” employs a Hebrew construct chain to convey moral depravity.

The distributive call ish le-ohalav yisrael {אִישׁ לְאֹהָלָיו יִשְׂרָאֵל | ʾîš lə-ʾō-hā-lāw yiś-rā-ʾēl} dissolves national unity. The English preserves these rhetorical devices idiomatically while maintaining emphatic force.

Root and etymology

Root🔊 א־י־שʾ-y-š

“man, individual”

• 🔊 אֲנָשִׁיםʾǎ-nā-šîmmenGenesis 6:2