אֹתָ֑ם

Alphabet Analysis

The word

1. word🔊 אֹתָ֑ם

   o-TAM

   them
2. phraseyour reading level🔊 לִסְפֹּ֣ר אֹתָ֑ם

   lis-POR o-TAM

   to count them
3. clause🔊 וַיּוֹצֵ֨א אֹת֜וֹ הַח֗וּצָה וַיֹּ֙אמֶר֙ הַבֶּט־נָ֣א הַשָּׁמַ֗יְמָה וּסְפֹר֙ הַכּ֣וֹכָבִ֔ים אִם־תּוּכַ֖ל לִסְפֹּ֣ר אֹתָ֑ם

   va-yo-TSE o-TO ha-KHU-tsa va-YO-mer ha-bet-NA ha-sha-MAI-ma us-FOR ha-ko-kha-VIM im-tu-KHAL lis-POR o-TAM

   {And} he brought out him outside {And} he said look now toward the heavens {And} count the stars if you can to count them
4. sentence🔊 וַיּוֹצֵ֨א אֹת֜וֹ הַח֗וּצָה וַיֹּ֙אמֶר֙ הַבֶּט־נָ֣א הַשָּׁמַ֗יְמָה וּסְפֹר֙ הַכּ֣וֹכָבִ֔ים אִם־תּוּכַ֖ל לִסְפֹּ֣ר אֹתָ֑ם וַיֹּ֣אמֶר ל֔וֹ כֹּ֥ה יִהְיֶ֖ה זַרְעֶֽךָ׃

   va-yo-TSE o-TO ha-KHU-tsa va-YO-mer ha-bet-NA ha-sha-MAI-ma us-FOR ha-ko-kha-VIM im-tu-KHAL lis-POR o-TAM va-YO-mer LO KO yih-YE zar-E-kha

   {And} he brought out him outside {And} he said look now toward the heavens {And} count the stars if you can to count them {And} he said to him your offspring will be so

Exegesis

The second imperative usefor {וּסְפֹר | us-pōr} ‘and count’ is coordinated with hakochavim {הַכּוֹכָבִים | hak-kô-kā-vîm} ‘the stars’, and is immediately qualified by the conditional clause im-tukhal lispor otam {אִם־תּוּכַל לִסְפֹּר אֹתָם | ʾim-tû-kal lis-pōr ʾō-tām} ‘if you are able to count them’, forming a condition that is practically impossible to fulfill. This structure heightens the contrast between human limitation and divine promise.