Genesis 17:15:7Gen.17.15.W7TAB
אֶת־שְׁמָ֖הּ
etshemah
“her name”
- Transliteration
- et-she-MAH
- Extended
- eht-sheh-MAAH
- IPA
- /ʔɛθ.ʃə.ˈmaːh/
Meaning by language
- English
- her name
Hebrew · tap a syllable to hear it
Alphabet Analysis
| Aleph | silent — a glottal stop; holds vowel points | |
| Seghol | short 'eh' as in met | |
| Tav | t as in top | |
| Shin | shin with right dot; sin with left dot | |
| Sheva | vocal sheva — a short 'e' (ə), begins a syllable | |
| Mem | m as in mother | |
| Qamets | long 'ah' | |
| He | h as in house; silent at word end |
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The word
Word in context
- word
et-she-MAH
- phraseyour reading level
lo-tik-RA et-she-MAH
- clause
va-YO-mer e-lo-HIM el-av-ra-HAM sa-RAI ish-te-KHA lo-tik-RA et-she-MAH sa-RAI
- sentence
va-YO-mer e-lo-HIM el-av-ra-HAM sa-RAI ish-te-KHA lo-tik-RA et-she-MAH sa-RAI KI sa-RA she-MAH
Exegesis
The accusative particle et {אֶת־ | ʾeṯ} introduces shemah {שְׁמָ֖הּ | šə-māh} ‘her name’, which is then specified appositionally by sarai {שָׂרָ֑י | śā-ray} in “her name, Sarai.”
The conjunction kî {כִּ֥י | kî} introduces an explanatory clause rather than a causal one, leading to sarah shemah {שָׂרָ֖ה שְׁמָֽהּ | śā-rāh šə-māh} ‘Sarah will be her name’, with the new name fronted for emphasis. The contrast between Sarai and Sarah constitutes a naming formula that marks the transition to a new identity and destiny.
In context — Genesis 17:15
And God said to Abraham, “As for your wife Sarai, you must not call her Sarai any longer; Sarah will be her name.”
About this coordinate
Genesis 17:15:7 is a BCV:P reference — Book · Chapter · Verse · Word Position. It addresses word 7 of Genesis 17:15, so the Hebrew word אֶת־שְׁמָ֖הּ (etshemah) 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.17.15.W7, which extends further down to each syllable (Gen.17.15.W7.S1) and character.