Exodus 20:12:7Exod.20.12.W7TAB

עַ֚ל

al

upon

Transliteration
al
Extended
ahl
IPA
/ʕal/

Meaning by language

English
upon

Alphabet Analysis

Ayindeep guttural stop, voiced pharyngeal
Patachshort 'ah' as in father
Lamedl as in law

Tap any letter to hear its name and sound

Vowels (Niqqud)

Now you try — trace the word:

The word

Word in context

  1. word

    al

  2. clause

    le-MA-an ya-a-ri-KHOON ya-MEH-kha al ha-a-da-MAH a-sher-ye-ho-VAH e-lo-HE-kha no-TEN lakh

  3. sentence

    ka-BED et-a-VEE-kha veh-et-im-MEH-kha le-MA-an ya-a-ri-KHOON ya-MEH-kha al ha-a-da-MAH a-sher-ye-ho-VAH e-lo-HE-kha no-TEN lakh

Exegesis

The spatial phrase al ha’adamah {עַל הָאֲדָמָה | ʿal hā-ʾă-ḏā-māh} 'on the land' sets the arena of blessing, which is defined by the relative clause asher-yehō-wāh ʾĕ-lō-hê-kā nō-tēn lāḵ {אֲשֶׁר־יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ נֹתֵן לָךְ | ʾă-šer-Ye-hō-wāh-ʾĕ-lō-hê-kā nō-tēn lāḵ} 'that the LORD your God is giving to you'. The continuity of the promise is underlined by the present action of giving in this clause. This progression from imperative command through purpose clause to relative promise exemplifies Hebrew rhetorical structure binding duty with divine assurance.

In contextExodus 20:12

Honor your father and your mother, so that your days may be prolonged on the land that the LORD your God is giving to you.

About this coordinate

Exodus 20:12:7 is a BCV:P reference — Book · Chapter · Verse · Word Position. It addresses word 7 of Exodus 20:12, so the Hebrew word עַ֚ל (al) 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.20.12.W7, which extends further down to each syllable (Exod.20.12.W7.S1) and character.