וְכִֽי־יַכֶּ֨ה

Alphabet Analysis

The word

1. word🔊 וְכִֽי־יַכֶּ֨ה

   ve-khee-yak-KEH

   and if he strikes
2. phraseyour reading level🔊 וְכִֽי־יַכֶּ֨ה אִ֜ישׁ

   ve-khee-yak-KEH EESH

   and if he strikes a man
3. clause🔊 וְכִֽי־יַכֶּ֨ה אִ֜ישׁ אֶת־עֵ֥ין עַבְדּ֛וֹ אֽוֹ־אֶת־עֵ֥ין אֲמָת֖וֹ וְשִֽׁחֲתָ֑הּ

   ve-khee-yak-KEH EESH et-EEN av-DO oh-et-EEN a-ma-TO ve-shi-kha-TAH

   and if he strikes a man the eye of his male slave or the eye of his female slave and he destroys it
4. sentence🔊 וְכִֽי־יַכֶּ֨ה אִ֜ישׁ אֶת־עֵ֥ין עַבְדּ֛וֹ אֽוֹ־אֶת־עֵ֥ין אֲמָת֖וֹ וְשִֽׁחֲתָ֑הּ לַֽחָפְשִׁ֔י יְשַׁלְּחֶ֖נּוּ תַּ֥חַת עֵינֽוֹ׃

   ve-khee-yak-KEH EESH et-EEN av-DO oh-et-EEN a-ma-TO ve-shi-kha-TAH la-khof-SHEE ye-shal-le-KHEN-noo TA-khat ee-NO

   and if he strikes a man the eye of his male slave or the eye of his female slave and he destroys it free he shall let him go for his eye

Exegesis

The verse employs a protasis–apodosis structure introduced by the conditional conjunction vechi {וְכִי | wə-ḵî} ‘and if’, presenting a hypothetical legal case.

The Qal imperfect verb yakeh {יַכֶּה | ya-qeh} ‘he strikes’ forms the protasis. The parallel accusative phrases et eye of his male slave and et eye of his female slave underscore equal liability across genders.