Genesis 10:9:3Gen.10.9.W3TAB
לִפְנֵ֣י
lifenei
“before the”
- Transliteration
- li-fe-NEI
- Extended
- lih-feh-NEE
- IPA
- /lif.ˈneː/
Meaning by language
- English
- before the
Hebrew · tap a syllable to hear it
Alphabet Analysis
| Lamed | l as in law | |
| Hireq | 'ee' as in machine | |
| Pe | p with dagesh; f without | |
| Sheva | vocal sheva — a short 'e' (ə), begins a syllable | |
| Nun | n as in new | |
| Tsere | long 'ey' as in they | |
| Yod | y as in yes; marks long ī |
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The word
Word in context
- word
li-fe-NEI
- phraseyour reading level
li-fe-NEI Ye-ho-VAH
- clause
hu-ha-YA gib-bor-TSA-yid li-fe-NEI Ye-ho-VAH
- sentence
hu-ha-YA gib-bor-TSA-yid li-fe-NEI Ye-ho-VAH al-KEN ye-a-MAR ke-nim-ROD gib-BOR TSA-yid li-fe-NEI Ye-ho-VAH
Exegesis
This description is further framed by the prepositional phrase lifnei YHWH {לִפְנֵ֣י יְהוָ֑ה | lip̄nê YHWH} “before the LORD,” which in Hebrew idiom conveys living and acting openly in God’s presence, implying both notoriety and accountability.
The following line, ke-Nimrod gibbor tsayid lifnei YHWH {כְּנִמְרֹ֛ד גִּבּ֥וֹר צַ֖יִד לִפְנֵ֥י יְהוָֽה | kə-nimrōḏ gibbôr ṣayiḏ lip̄nê YHWH}, is syntactically parallel to the first description, but framed as a quotation, marking how Nimrod became a benchmark for exceptional hunting prowess. In translation, the sequential Hebrew clauses are rendered as two sentences to distinguish the narrative statement from the reported proverb, while preserving the repetition of “before the LORD” to maintain the theological emphasis on divine observation.
Root and etymology
p-n-h
“to turn, face”
In context — Genesis 10:9
He was a mighty hunter before the LORD ; therefore it is said, “Like Nimrod, a mighty hunter before the LORD.”
About this coordinate
Genesis 10:9:3 is a BCV:P reference — Book · Chapter · Verse · Word Position. It addresses word 3 of Genesis 10:9, so the Hebrew word לִפְנֵ֣י (lifenei) 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 Gen.10.9.W3, which extends further down to each syllable (Gen.10.9.W3.S1) and character.