לֹ֥א

Alphabet Analysis

The word

1. word🔊 לֹ֥א

   LO

   not
2. phraseyour reading level🔊 לֹ֥א יִתָּכֵ֖ן

   LO yit-ta-KHEN

   not is established or is right
3. clause🔊 וַאֲמַרְתֶּ֕ם לֹ֥א יִתָּכֵ֖ן דֶּ֣רֶךְ אֲדֹנָ֑י

   va-a-MAR-tem LO yit-ta-KHEN DE-rekh a-do-NAI

   and you said not is established or is right way Lord
4. sentence🔊 וַאֲמַרְתֶּ֕ם לֹ֥א יִתָּכֵ֖ן דֶּ֣רֶךְ אֲדֹנָ֑י שִׁמְעוּ־נָא֙ בֵּ֣ית יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל הֲדַרְכִּי֙ לֹ֣א יִתָּכֵ֔ן הֲלֹ֥א דַרְכֵיכֶ֖ם לֹ֥א יִתָּכֵֽנוּ׃

   va-a-MAR-tem LO yit-ta-KHEN DE-rekh a-do-NAI shim-E-u-NA BET yis-re-EL ha-dar-KHI LO yit-ta-KHEN ha-LO dar-khe-KHEM LO yit-ta-KHE-nu

   and you said not is established or is right way Lord hear, please house of Israel is my way? not is established or is right is it not? your ways not are established or are right

Exegesis

The negative particle lo {לֹא | lōʾ} negates the Nifal imperfect yitakhen {יִתָּכֵן | yit-tā-ḵēn} ‘be established,’ emphasizing perceived injustice.

Two rhetorical questions—ha-dar-kī lo yitakhen {הֲדַרְכִּי לֹא יִתָּכֵן | ha-dar-kī lōʾ yit-tā-ḵēn} ‘Is my way not established?’

and ha-lō dar-ḵê-ḵem lo yitakhen {הֲלֹא דַרְכֵיכֶם לֹא יִתָּכֵנוּ | ha-lōʾ dar-ḵê-ḵem lōʾ yit-tā-ḵē-nu} ‘Is it not your ways that are not established?’—use repetition of yitakhen to underscore the contrast between divine and human justice.

Root and etymology

Root🔊 א־מ־רaleph–mem–resh

“to say, utter”

• 🔊 אָמַר’āmarhe saidGenesis 1:3