אַחֲרֵ֥י

Alphabet Analysis

The word

1. word🔊 אַחֲרֵ֥י

   a-kha-RE

   after
2. phraseyour reading level🔊 אַחֲרֵ֥י יוֹאָֽב׃

   a-kha-RE yo-AV

   after Joab
3. clause🔊 וַיֹּ֗אמֶר מִי֩ אֲשֶׁ֨ר חָפֵ֧ץ בְּיוֹאָ֛ב וּמִ֥י אֲשֶׁר־לְדָוִ֖ד אַחֲרֵ֥י יוֹאָֽב׃

   va-yo-MER MI a-SHER kha-FETS be-yo-AV u-MI a-sher-le-da-VID a-kha-RE yo-AV

   and he said who who or that delights in or favors in Joab and who who is for David after Joab
4. sentence🔊 וְאִישׁ֙ עָמַ֣ד עָלָ֔יו מִֽנַּעֲרֵ֖י יוֹאָ֑ב וַיֹּ֗אמֶר מִי֩ אֲשֶׁ֨ר חָפֵ֧ץ בְּיוֹאָ֛ב וּמִ֥י אֲשֶׁר־לְדָוִ֖ד אַחֲרֵ֥י יוֹאָֽב׃

   ve-ISH a-MAD a-LAV min-na-a-RE yo-AV va-yo-MER MI a-SHER kha-FETS be-yo-AV u-MI a-sher-le-da-VID a-kha-RE yo-AV

   and a man stood over him or by him from the young men of Joab and he said who who or that delights in or favors in Joab and who who is for David after Joab

Exegesis

Vav-consecutive vayomer {וַיֹּ֗אמֶר | wa-yō-mêr} introduces direct speech, followed by two parallel relative clauses mi asher chafetz be-Yoav {מִי֩ אֲשֶׁ֨ר חָפֵ֧ץ בְּיוֹאָ֛ב | mî ʾă-šer ḥā-p̄ēṣ bə-Yō-ʾāḇ} and u-mi asher-leDavid acharei Yoav {וּמִ֥י אֲשֶׁ֨ר־לְדָוִ֖ד אַחֲרֵ֥י יוֹאָֽב | ū-mî ʾă-šer lə-Dā-wîḏ ʾaḥ-ă-rê Yō-ʾāḇ}, creating a chiasmic appeal for allegiance.

The preposition acharei {אַחֲרֵי | ʾaḥ-ă-rê} conveys the imperative sense “follow,” captured in English by “let him follow” and “follow,” preserving the rhetorical force of the Hebrew summons.

Root and etymology

ʾ-kh-r🔊 aleph–ḥet–resh

“behind, after”

• 🔊 אַחֲרוֹןʼāḥarônlatterEcclesiastes 7:8