שָׁ֖ם

Alphabet Analysis

The word

1. word🔊 שָׁ֖ם

   SHAM

   there
2. phraseyour reading level🔊 אִם־אֶמְצָ֥א שָׁ֖ם

   im-em-TSA SHAM

   if I find there
3. clause🔊 וַיֹּ֙אמֶר֙ לֹ֣א אֽ͏ֶעֱשֶׂ֔ה אִם־אֶמְצָ֥א שָׁ֖ם שְׁלֹשִֽׁים׃

   va-yo-MER LO e-e-SE im-em-TSA SHAM she-lo-SHIM

   {And} he said not I will do if I find thirty there
4. sentence🔊 וַ֠יֹּאמֶר אַל־נָ֞א יִ֤חַר לֽ͏ַאדֹנָי֙ וַאֲדַבֵּ֔רָה אוּלַ֛י יִמָּצְא֥וּן שָׁ֖ם שְׁלֹשִׁ֑ים וַיֹּ֙אמֶר֙ לֹ֣א אֽ͏ֶעֱשֶׂ֔ה אִם־אֶמְצָ֥א שָׁ֖ם שְׁלֹשִֽׁים׃

   va-yo-MER al-NA yi-KHAR la-do-NAI va-a-da-BE-ra u-LAI yim-ma-tse-UN SHAM she-lo-SHIM va-yo-MER LO e-e-SE im-em-TSA SHAM she-lo-SHIM

   {And} he said Lord please do not be angry {And} let me speak perhaps thirty be found there {And} he said not I will do if I find thirty there

Exegesis

The adverb sham {שָׁם | šām} and numeral sheloshim {שְׁלֹשִׁים | šə-lō-šîm} ‘thirty’ define the location and specific count at this stage of the negotiation.

In the reply, lo e’eseh {לֹא אֶעֱשֶׂה | lōʾ ʾe-ʿe-śeh} ‘I will not do’ is conditioned by im emtsa {אִם־אֶמְצָא | ʾim-ʾem-ṣāʾ} ‘if I find’, forming a clear conditional protasis and apodosis, with sham sheloshim {שָׁם שְׁלֹשִׁים | šām šə-lō-šîm} again specifying “there, thirty.” The Hebrew discourse structure alternates respectful human petition with concise divine assurances, progressively narrowing the number while maintaining the pattern of conditional mercy.