כִּ֣י

Alphabet Analysis

The word

1. word🔊 כִּ֣י

   KI

   because
2. phraseyour reading level🔊 כִּ֣י יָרֵ֑אָה

   KI ya-RE-a

   because she was afraid
3. clause🔊 וַתְּכַחֵ֨שׁ שָׂרָ֧ה לֵאמֹ֛ר לֹ֥א צָחַ֖קְתִּי כִּ֣י יָרֵ֑אָה

   vat-te-kha-KHESH sa-RA le-a-MOR LO tsa-KHAK-ti KI ya-RE-a

   Sarah {But She} denied saying not I laughed because she was afraid
4. sentence🔊 וַתְּכַחֵ֨שׁ שָׂרָ֧ה לֵאמֹ֛ר לֹ֥א צָחַ֖קְתִּי כִּ֣י יָרֵ֑אָה וַיֹּ֥אמֶר לֹ֖א כִּ֥י צָחָֽקְתְּ׃

   vat-te-kha-KHESH sa-RA le-a-MOR LO tsa-KHAK-ti KI ya-RE-a va-YO-mer LO KI tsa-KHAKT

   Sarah {But She} denied saying not I laughed because she was afraid {And} He said No but you laughed

Exegesis

The conjunction ki {כִּי | kî} functions causally in ki yareah {כִּי יָרֵאָה | kî yā-rē-ʾāh} ‘because she was afraid,’ explaining her denial.

The compact lo ki tsachakt {לֹ֖א כִּ֥י צָחָקְתְּ | lōʾ kî ṣā-ḥaq-t} ‘not, but you laughed’ uses adversative structure and word order for emphasis. The translation divides the Hebrew clauses into natural English sentences and markers (“Then,” “But”) while preserving the narrative flow and the stark contrast between Sarah’s denial and the divine correction.