בַּעֲלֵ֥י

Alphabet Analysis

The word

1. word🔊 בַּעֲלֵ֥י

   ba-a-LEI

   were allies
2. phraseyour reading level🔊 בַּעֲלֵ֥י בְרִית־אַבְרָֽם׃

   ba-a-LEI ve-rit-av-RAM

   were allies in covenant with Abram
3. clause🔊 וְהוּא֩ שֹׁכֵ֨ן בְּאֵֽלֹנֵ֜י מַמְרֵ֣א הָאֱמֹרִ֗י אֲחִ֤י אֶשְׁכֹּל֙ וַאֲחִ֣י עָנֵ֔ר וְהֵ֖ם בַּעֲלֵ֥י בְרִית־אַבְרָֽם׃

   ve-HU sho-KHEN be-e-lo-NEI ma-me-RE ha-e-mo-RI a-KHI e-she-KOL va-a-KHI a-NER ve-HEM ba-a-LEI ve-rit-av-RAM

   {And} he dwelt by the oaks of Mamre the Amorite brother of Eshcol and brother of Aner and they were allies in covenant with Abram
4. sentence🔊 וַיָּבֹא֙ הַפָּלִ֔יט וַיַּגֵּ֖ד לְאַבְרָ֣ם הָעִבְרִ֑י וְהוּא֩ שֹׁכֵ֨ן בְּאֵֽלֹנֵ֜י מַמְרֵ֣א הָאֱמֹרִ֗י אֲחִ֤י אֶשְׁכֹּל֙ וַאֲחִ֣י עָנֵ֔ר וְהֵ֖ם בַּעֲלֵ֥י בְרִית־אַבְרָֽם׃

   va-ya-VO ha-pa-LIT va-yag-GED le-av-RAM ha-iv-RI ve-HU sho-KHEN be-e-lo-NEI ma-me-RE ha-e-mo-RI a-KHI e-she-KOL va-a-KHI a-NER ve-HEM ba-a-LEI ve-rit-av-RAM

   the fugitive {And He} came {And} he told to Abram the Hebrew {And} he dwelt by the oaks of Mamre the Amorite brother of Eshcol and brother of Aner and they were allies in covenant with Abram

Exegesis

The phrase baalei brit-Avram {בַּעֲלֵי בְרִית־אַבְרָם | baʿălê bərît-ʾaḇrām} 'holders of a covenant with Abram' portrays a formal alliance grounded in treaty obligations. In translation, the wayyiqtol verbs are rendered as simple past narrative verbs ('came', 'reported'), the participial clause becomes a past progressive ('was living' / 'was staying'), and the construct chains are unpacked into prepositional and possessive phrases so that the web of location, kinship, and covenant alliances remains clear in English.