2 Samuel 21:4:152 Sam.21.4.W15TAB
מָֽה־אַתֶּ֥ם
maatem
“what are you”
- Transliteration
- MA-a-TEM
- Extended
- MAA-ah-TEM
- IPA
- /mɑː.ʔatˈtɛm/
Meaning by language
- English
- what are you
Hebrew · tap a syllable to hear it
Alphabet Analysis
| Mem | m as in mother | |
| Qamets | long 'ah' | |
| He | h as in house; silent at word end | |
| Aleph | silent — a glottal stop; holds vowel points | |
| Patach | short 'ah' as in father | |
| Tav | t as in top | |
| Seghol | short 'eh' as in met | |
| Mem Sofit | final form of Mem — at word end |
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The word
Word in context
- word
MA-a-TEM
- phraseyour reading level
MA-a-TEM o-me-RIM
- clause
va-yo-MER MA-a-TEM o-me-RIM e-e-SE LA-khem
- sentence
va-yo-ME-ru LO ha-giv-o-NIM EN-LI LA-nu KE-sef ve-za-HAV im-sha-UL ve-im-BE-to ve-EN-LA-nu ISH le-ha-MIT be-yis-ra-EL va-yo-MER MA-a-TEM o-me-RIM e-e-SE LA-khem
Exegesis
The second conjunction vayomer {וַיֹּאמֶר | vā-yō-mer} ‘and he said’ introduces David’s response, where mah-attem omrim {מָֽה־אַתֶּ֥ם אֹמְרִ֖ים | māʼ-ʼat-tem ʼomrîm} is rendered “Say what you require” in formal and “Tell me what you are asking” in dynamic, foregrounding the request.
In context — 2 Samuel 21:4
And the Gibeonites said to him, “We have no silver or gold with Saul or with his house, nor do we have any man to kill in Israel.” And he said, “Say what you require, and I will do it for you.”
About this coordinate
2 Samuel 21:4:15 is a BCV:P reference — Book · Chapter · Verse · Word Position. It addresses word 15 of 2 Samuel 21:4, so the Hebrew word מָֽה־אַתֶּ֥ם (maatem) can be cited, linked and studied at exactly this position rather than somewhere in the verse. In the Biblical Knowledge Coordinate System the same position is written 2 Sam.21.4.W15, which extends further down to each syllable (2 Sam.21.4.W15.S1) and character.