Exodus 18:21:10Exod.18.21.W10TAB
שָׂרֵ֤י אֲלָפִים֙
sarei alafim
“chiefs of thousands”
- Transliteration
- sa-REI a-la-FIM
- Extended
- sah-REI ah-lah-FIM
- IPA
- /saˈreː ʔaˈlafim/
Meaning by language
- English
- chiefs of thousands
Alphabet Analysis
| Shin | shin with right dot; sin with left dot | |
| Qamets | long 'ah' | |
| Resh | r guttural, like the French r | |
| Tsere | long 'ey' as in they | |
| Yod | y as in yes; marks long ī | |
| Aleph | silent — a glottal stop; holds vowel points | |
| Hateph Patach | reduced 'ah' | |
| Lamed | l as in law | |
| Qamets | long 'ah' | |
| Pe | p with dagesh; f without | |
| Hireq | 'ee' as in machine | |
| Yod | y as in yes; marks long ī | |
| Mem Sofit | final form of Mem — at word end |
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Now you try — trace the word:
The word
Word in context
- word
sa-REI a-la-FIM
- clause
ve-sam-TA a-le-HEM sa-REI a-la-FIM sa-REI meh-OT sa-REI kha-mi-SHIM ve-sa-REI a-sa-ROT
- sentence
ve-a-TA te-khe-ZE mi-KOL-ha-AM an-SHEI-KHAY-il yir-EI e-lo-HIM an-SHEI e-MET sohn-EI VAA-tsa ve-sam-TA a-le-HEM sa-REI a-la-FIM sa-REI meh-OT sa-REI kha-mi-SHIM ve-sa-REI a-sa-ROT
Exegesis
A descending numerical hierarchy—sarei alafim {שָׂרֵי אֲלָפִים | śā-rê ʾă-lā-p̄îm}, sarei me'ot {שָׂרֵי מֵאוֹת | śā-rê mê-ʾōṯ}, sarei chamishim {שָׂרֵי חֲמִשִּׁים | śā-rê ḥă-miš-šîm}, and vesarei asarot {וְשָׂרֵי עֲשָׂרֹת | wə-śā-rê ʿă-śā-rōṯ} presents a structured delegation pattern. In English, commas and relative clauses preserve the cumulative force and clarify each tier while maintaining the original’s rhythmic parallelism.
Root and etymology
Rootsin–resh–resh
“prince, official”
In context — Exodus 18:21
And you shall select from all the people men of ability , those who fear God , men of truth, those who hate dishonest gain; and you shall appoint them as leaders over thousands, leaders of hundreds, leaders of fifties, and leaders of tens.
About this coordinate
Exodus 18:21:10 is a BCV:P reference — Book · Chapter · Verse · Word Position. It addresses word 10 of Exodus 18:21, so the Hebrew word שָׂרֵ֤י אֲלָפִים֙ (sarei alafim) 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 Exod.18.21.W10, which extends further down to each syllable (Exod.18.21.W10.S1) and character.