Deuteronomy 16:8:12Deut.16.8.W12TAB
מְלָאכָֽה׃
melakha
“work”
- Transliteration
- me-la-KHA
- Extended
- meh-lah-KHAH
- IPA
- /məlaˈxaː/
Meaning by language
- English
- work
Hebrew · tap a syllable to hear it
Alphabet Analysis
| Mem | m as in mother | |
| Sheva | vocal sheva — a short 'e' (ə), begins a syllable | |
| Lamed | l as in law | |
| Qamets | long 'ah' | |
| Aleph | silent — a glottal stop; holds vowel points | |
| Kaf | k with dagesh; kh without | |
| Qamets | long 'ah' | |
| He | h as in house; silent at word end |
Tap any letter to hear its name and sound
Now you try — trace the word:
The word
Word in context
- word
me-la-KHA
- clause
u-va-YOM hash-vi-I a-TSE-ret la-ye-ho-VAH e-lo-HE-kha LO ta-a-SE me-la-KHA
- sentence
SHE-shet ya-MIM to-a-KHAL mat-TSOT u-va-YOM hash-vi-I a-TSE-ret la-ye-ho-VAH e-lo-HE-kha LO ta-a-SE me-la-KHA
Exegesis
The negative lo {לֹא | lōʼ} ‘not’ precedes taʿaseh {תַעֲשֶׂה | ta-ʿă-seh} ‘you shall do’, with melakhah {מְלָאכָה | mə-lā-ḵā} ‘work’ forming a prohibition clause that contrasts with the eating instruction. The shift from affirmative directive to prohibition highlights the distinct sacred character of the seventh-day assembly.
Root and etymology
m-l-ʾ-khmem-lamed-aleph-kaf
“work; occupation”
In context — Deuteronomy 16:8
For six days you shall eat unleavened breads, and on the seventh day there shall be an assembly to the LORD your God ; you shall not do any work .
About this coordinate
Deuteronomy 16:8:12 is a BCV:P reference — Book · Chapter · Verse · Word Position. It addresses word 12 of Deuteronomy 16:8, so the Hebrew word מְלָאכָֽה׃ (melakha) 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 Deut.16.8.W12, which extends further down to each syllable (Deut.16.8.W12.S1) and character.