Exodus 20:16:1Exod.20.16.W1TAB
לֹֽא־תַעֲנֶ֥ה
lotaaneh
“must not testify”
- Transliteration
- lo-ta-a-NEH
- Extended
- loh-tah-ah-NEH
- IPA
- /loː.ta.ʕăˈnɛ/
Meaning by language
- English
- must not testify
Hebrew · tap a syllable to hear it
Alphabet Analysis
| Lamed | l as in law | |
| Holem | long 'oh' as in go | |
| Aleph | silent — a glottal stop; holds vowel points | |
| Tav | t as in top | |
| Patach | short 'ah' as in father | |
| Ayin | deep guttural stop, voiced pharyngeal | |
| Hateph Patach | reduced 'ah' | |
| Nun | n as in new | |
| Seghol | short 'eh' as in met | |
| He | h as in house; silent at word end |
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The word
Word in context
- word
lo-ta-a-NEH
- phraseyour reading level
lo-ta-a-NEH ve-re-a-KHA
- sentence
lo-ta-a-NEH ve-re-a-KHA ED SHA-ker
Exegesis
The direct prohibition is formed by lo-taaneh {לֹֽא־תַעֲנֶ֥ה | lōʾ-ta-ʿă-neh}, a fused negative particle plus imperfect second person masculine singular verb that issues a command.
Root and etymology
Rootayin–nun–he
“to answer”
In context — Exodus 20:16
You shall not testify against your neighbor as a false witness .
About this coordinate
Exodus 20:16:1 is a BCV:P reference — Book · Chapter · Verse · Word Position. It addresses word 1 of Exodus 20:16, so the Hebrew word לֹֽא־תַעֲנֶ֥ה (lotaaneh) 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.20.16.W1, which extends further down to each syllable (Exod.20.16.W1.S1) and character.