לָ֙נוּ֙

Alphabet Analysis

The word

1. word🔊 לָ֙נוּ֙

   la-NU

   for us
2. phraseyour reading level🔊 כִּ֣י ט֥וֹב לָ֙נוּ֙

   KI TOV la-NU

   for better for us
3. clause🔊 כִּ֣י ט֥וֹב לָ֙נוּ֙ עֲבֹ֣ד אֶת־מִצְרַ֔יִם מִמֻּתֵ֖נוּ בַּמִּדְבָּֽר׃

   KI TOV la-NU a-VOD et-mits-RA-yim mi-moo-TE-noo ba-mid-BAR

   for better for us to serve Egypt than our dying in the wilderness
4. sentence🔊 הֲלֹא־זֶ֣ה הַדָּבָ֗ר אֲשֶׁר֩ דִּבַּ֨רְנוּ אֵלֶ֤יךָ בְמִצְרַ֙יִם֙ לֵאמֹ֔ר חֲדַ֥ל מִמֶּ֖נּוּ וְנַֽעַבְדָ֣ה אֶת־מִצְרָ֑יִם כִּ֣י ט֥וֹב לָ֙נוּ֙ עֲבֹ֣ד אֶת־מִצְרַ֔יִם מִמֻּתֵ֖נוּ בַּמִּדְבָּֽר׃

   ha-lo-ZEH ha-da-VAR a-SHER di-BAR-noo e-LEY-kha be-mits-RA-yim le-MOR kha-DAL mi-MEN-noo ve-na-av-DA et-mits-RA-yim KI TOV la-NU a-VOD et-mits-RA-yim mi-moo-TE-noo ba-mid-BAR

   is this not the word that we spoke to you in Egypt saying leave us that we may serve Egypt for better for us to serve Egypt than our dying in the wilderness

Exegesis

The conjunction kî {כִּי | kî} introduces the comparative clause kî ṭōv lā‍nû ʿăvōd ʾet-miṭsrāyim mimmūtēnû ba-midbār {כִּי טוֹב לָנוּ עֲבֹד אֶת־מִצְרָיִם מִמֻּתֵּנוּ בַּמִּדְבָּר}, “for it would be good for us to serve the Egyptians rather than to die in the wilderness,” highlighting the contrast between bondage and death.