Genesis 17:4:6Gen.17.4.W6TAB
לְאַ֖ב
leav
“father of a”
- Transliteration
- le-AV
- Extended
- leh-AAV
- IPA
- /lə.ˈʔaːv/
Meaning by language
- English
- father of a
Hebrew · tap a syllable to hear it
Alphabet Analysis
| Lamed | l as in law | |
| Sheva | vocal sheva — a short 'e' (ə), begins a syllable | |
| Aleph | silent — a glottal stop; holds vowel points | |
| Patach | short 'ah' as in father | |
| Bet | b with dagesh; v without dagesh |
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The word
Word in context
- word
le-AV
- clause
ve-ha-YI-ta le-AV ha-MON go-YIM
- sentence
a-NI hin-NE ve-ri-TI it-TAKH ve-ha-YI-ta le-AV ha-MON go-YIM
Exegesis
The phrase leav {לְאַב | lə-ʾav} ‘for a father’ acts as the predicate complement, while the construct chain hamon goyim {הֲמוֹן גּוֹיִם | hă-môn gô-yim} ‘multitude of nations’ specifies the breadth of that role. The two-step Hebrew structure—first establishing the divine covenant relationship, then declaring the future vocation—is reflected in both translations to preserve the syntactic and theological flow.
Root and etymology
ʾ-baleph–bet
“father, ancestor”
In context — Genesis 17:4
As for Me , look: My covenant is with you, and you will become the father of a multitude of nations.
About this coordinate
Genesis 17:4:6 is a BCV:P reference — Book · Chapter · Verse · Word Position. It addresses word 6 of Genesis 17:4, so the Hebrew word לְאַ֖ב (leav) 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.17.4.W6, which extends further down to each syllable (Gen.17.4.W6.S1) and character.