וְתִדְעָ֖ל

Alphabet Analysis

The word

1. word🔊 וְתִדְעָ֖ל

   ve-tid-AL

   and Tidal
2. clause🔊 כְּדָרְלָעֹ֙מֶר֙ מֶ֣לֶךְ עֵילָ֔ם וְתִדְעָ֖ל מֶ֥לֶךְ גּוֹיִֽם׃

   ke-dor-la-O-mer ME-lekh ei-LAM ve-tid-AL ME-lekh go-YIM

   Chedorlaomer king of Elam and Tidal king of Goiim
3. sentence🔊 וַיְהִ֗י בִּימֵי֙ אַמְרָפֶ֣ל מֶֽלֶךְ־שִׁנְעָ֔ר אַרְי֖וֹךְ מֶ֣לֶךְ אֶלָּסָ֑ר כְּדָרְלָעֹ֙מֶר֙ מֶ֣לֶךְ עֵילָ֔ם וְתִדְעָ֖ל מֶ֥לֶךְ גּוֹיִֽם׃

   va-ye-HI bi-MEI am-ra-FEL me-lekh-shin-AR ar-YOKH ME-lekh el-la-SAR ke-dor-la-O-mer ME-lekh ei-LAM ve-tid-AL ME-lekh go-YIM

   in the days of Amraphel king of Shinar Arioch king of Ellasar Chedorlaomer king of Elam and Tidal king of Goiim {And} it happened

Exegesis

The first royal designation, melech-shinar {מֶֽלֶךְ־שִׁנְעָ֔ר | me-leḵ-šin-ʿār} “king of Shinar,” uses a construct chain (melech + place) that becomes the pattern for each subsequent king: Aryokh {אַרְי֖וֹךְ | ʾar-yôḵ} “Arioch,” melech {מֶ֣לֶךְ | me-leḵ} “king” of Ellasar {אֶלָּסָ֑ר | ʾel-lā-sār}, Kedarlaomer {כְּדָרְלָעֹ֙מֶר֙ | kə-dar-la-ʿō-mer} “Kedorlaomer,” melech “king” of Elam {עֵילָ֔ם | ʿê-lām}, and finally Tidʿal {וְתִדְעָ֖ל | wə-tiḏ-ʿāl} “Tidal,” melech “king” of goyim {גּוֹיִֽם | gô-yim} “nations.” The repeated noun melech in construct position, followed by different territories, creates a stacked list that foregrounds political titles and geographic reach, setting the stage for an international conflict. The unusual expression melech goyim “king of nations,” instead of a single named territory, suggests a ruler over a coalition or multi-ethnic realm and thus broadens the scope of the narrative. In translation, this syntactic stacking is represented by parallel phrases (“king of Shinar … king of Ellasar …”) to maintain the rhythmic catalogue of powers and to convey the sense of a coordinated alliance. The verse functions as a historical heading for the following account by tightly linking time (“in the days of”) with place and authority (kings and their domains).