פֶּֽן־יִנָּחֵ֥ם

Alphabet Analysis

The word

1. word🔊 פֶּֽן־יִנָּחֵ֥ם

   pen-yin-na-KHEM

   lest reconsider
2. phraseyour reading level🔊 פֶּֽן־יִנָּחֵ֥ם הָעָ֛ם

   pen-yin-na-KHEM ha-AM

   lest reconsider the people
3. clause🔊 כִּ֣י אָמַ֣ר אֱלֹהִ֗ים פֶּֽן־יִנָּחֵ֥ם הָעָ֛ם בִּרְאֹתָ֥ם מִלְחָמָ֖ה וְשָׁ֥בוּ מִצְרָֽיְמָה׃

   KI a-MAR e-lo-HIM pen-yin-na-KHEM ha-AM bir-o-TAM mil-kha-MA ve-sha-VU mits-rai-MA

   for God {He} said lest reconsider the people when they see war {And} return to Egypt
4. sentence🔊 וַיְהִ֗י בְּשַׁלַּ֣ח פַּרְעֹה֮ אֶת־הָעָם֒ וְלֹא־נָחָ֣ם אֱלֹהִ֗ים דֶּ֚רֶךְ אֶ֣רֶץ פְּלִשְׁתִּ֔ים כִּ֥י קָר֖וֹב ה֑וּא כִּ֣י אָמַ֣ר אֱלֹהִ֗ים פֶּֽן־יִנָּחֵ֥ם הָעָ֛ם בִּרְאֹתָ֥ם מִלְחָמָ֖ה וְשָׁ֥בוּ מִצְרָֽיְמָה׃

   va-ye-HI be-sha-LAKH par-O ET-ha-AM ve-lo-na-KHAM e-lo-HIM DE-rekh E-rets pe-lish-TEEM KI ka-ROV HU KI a-MAR e-lo-HIM pen-yin-na-KHEM ha-AM bir-o-TAM mil-kha-MA ve-sha-VU mits-rai-MA

   {And} it happened Pharaoh when sending away the people God {And He} did not lead way of land of Philistines for near it for God {He} said lest reconsider the people when they see war {And} return to Egypt

Exegesis

The negated Qal perfect nakham {נָחָ֣ם | nāḥām} ‘he relented’ signals divine withholding of a chosen path.

The conjunction ki {כִּ֣י | kî} precedes the speech marker amar {אָמַר | ʾāmar}, leading into a purpose clause with pen {פֶּן־ | pen} ‘lest’, governing the Nifal imperfect yinnakhem {יִנָּחֵ֥ם | yinnāḥēm} ‘they may relent’, and the infinitive biraotam {בִּרְאֹתָ֥ם | birʾōṯām} ‘upon seeing them’ introduces the circumstance milchamah {מִלְחָמָ֖ה | milḥāmâ} ‘war’.

Root and etymology

Root🔊 נ־ח־םnun–chet–mem

“to regret; to relent”