Exodus 19:15:7Exod.19.15.W7TAB
אַֽל־תִּגְּשׁ֖וּ
altigshu
“do not go near”
- Transliteration
- al-tig-SHU
- Extended
- ahl-tig-SHOO
- IPA
- /ʔal.tig.ˈʃuː/
Meaning by language
- English
- do not go near
Hebrew · tap a syllable to hear it
Alphabet Analysis
| Aleph | silent — a glottal stop; holds vowel points | |
| Patach | short 'ah' as in father | |
| Lamed | l as in law | |
| Tav | t as in top | |
| Hireq | 'ee' as in machine | |
| Gimel | g as in good | |
| Sheva | silent sheva — no sound; closes the syllable | |
| Shin | shin with right dot; sin with left dot | |
| Vav | v as in vine; marks long ō / ū |
Tap any letter to hear its name and sound
Now you try — trace the word:
The word
Word in context
- word
al-tig-SHU
- clause
al-tig-SHU el-ish-SHA
- sentence
va-YO-mer el-ha-AM he-YU ne-kho-NIM lish-LO-shet ya-MIM al-tig-SHU el-ish-SHA
Exegesis
The prohibitive particle ʾal {אַל | ʾal} ‘do not’ plus the Qal imperfect tiggešū {תִּגְּשׁוּ | tig-ge-šû} ‘you approach’ issues a negative injunction.
Finally, the preposition ʾel {אֶל | ʾel} with ʾîššāh {אִשָּׁה | ʾiš-šāh} idiomatically denotes marital relations. The balanced structure frames ritual preparation alongside abstention, reflecting Moses’ mediation of divine commands.
Root and etymology
נ-ג-שׁ
“to draw near”
In context — Exodus 19:15
Moses said to the people, “Be prepared for three days; refrain from drawing near to a woman.”
About this coordinate
Exodus 19:15:7 is a BCV:P reference — Book · Chapter · Verse · Word Position. It addresses word 7 of Exodus 19:15, so the Hebrew word אַֽל־תִּגְּשׁ֖וּ (altigshu) 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.19.15.W7, which extends further down to each syllable (Exod.19.15.W7.S1) and character.