Exodus 20:23:10Exod.20.23.W10TAB
לָכֶֽם׃
lakhem
“for yourselves”
- Transliteration
- la-KHEM
- Extended
- lah-KHEHM
- IPA
- /laː.ˈxɛm/
Meaning by language
- English
- for yourselves
Hebrew · tap a syllable to hear it
Alphabet Analysis
| Lamed | l as in law | |
| Qamets | long 'ah' | |
| Kaf | k with dagesh; kh without | |
| Seghol | short 'eh' as in met | |
| Mem Sofit | final form of Mem — at word end |
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The word
Word in context
- word
la-KHEM
- clause
e-lo-HEI KHE-sef ve-e-lo-HEI za-HAV LO ta-ah-SU la-KHEM
- sentence
LO ta-ah-SUN it-TI e-lo-HEI KHE-sef ve-e-lo-HEI za-HAV LO ta-ah-SU la-KHEM
Exegesis
The second clause echoes lo taasu {לֹא תַעֲשׂוּ | lōʾ ta-ʿă-śû} ‘do not make’ and adds lachem {לָכֶם | lā-ḵem} ‘for yourselves,’ broadening the ban from communal worship items to private devotion. This repetition and parallelism underscore the all-encompassing nature of the idolatry prohibition.
In context — Exodus 20:23
You must not make with Me gods of silver or gods of gold; you must not make them for yourselves.
About this coordinate
Exodus 20:23:10 is a BCV:P reference — Book · Chapter · Verse · Word Position. It addresses word 10 of Exodus 20:23, so the Hebrew word לָכֶֽם׃ (lakhem) 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.20.23.W10, which extends further down to each syllable (Exod.20.23.W10.S1) and character.