מַכָּ֖ה

Alphabet Analysis

The word

1. word🔊 מַכָּ֖ה

   ma-KA

   a blow or wound
2. clause🔊 כִּי֩ שֶׁ֨בֶר גָּד֜וֹל נִשְׁבְּרָ֗ה בְּתוּלַת֙ בַּת־עַמִּ֔י מַכָּ֖ה נַחְלָ֥ה מְאֹֽד׃

   KI SHE-ver ga-DOL nish-be-RA be-tu-LAT bat-a-MI ma-KA nakh-LA me-OD

   for a fracture or breaking great she is broken or shattered virgin {of} or maiden {of} daughter of my people a blow or wound sick or grievous very
3. sentence🔊 וְאָמַרְתָּ֤ אֲלֵיהֶם֙ אֶת־הַדָּבָ֣ר הַזֶּ֔ה תֵּרַ֨דְנָה עֵינַ֥י דִּמְעָ֛ה לַ֥יְלָה וְיוֹמָ֖ם וְאַל־תִּדְמֶ֑ינָה כִּי֩ שֶׁ֨בֶר גָּד֜וֹל נִשְׁבְּרָ֗ה בְּתוּלַת֙ בַּת־עַמִּ֔י מַכָּ֖ה נַחְלָ֥ה מְאֹֽד׃

   ve-a-MAR-ta a-le-HEM et-ha-da-VAR ha-ZE te-RAD-na e-NAI dim-A LAI-la ve-yo-MAM ve-al-tid-me-NA KI SHE-ver ga-DOL nish-be-RA be-tu-LAT bat-a-MI ma-KA nakh-LA me-OD

   and you shall say to them {direct object} the word this let {them} run down my eyes a tear night and by day and let them not be still or cease for a fracture or breaking great she is broken or shattered virgin {of} or maiden {of} daughter of my people a blow or wound sick or grievous very

Exegesis

The coordinated noun phrases shever gadol {שֶׁבֶר גָּדֹול | še-ver gā-dōl} and makkah nachlah meod {מַכָּה נַחְלָה מְאֹד | makkāh naḥ-lāh me-ʾōd} detail the nature and severity of the affliction. The translation shifts from Hebrew VSO to English SVO while preserving parallelism and emotive progression.

Root and etymology

n-k-h🔊 נ־כ־הnun–kaf–he

“to strike”

• 🔊 הִכָּהhikkāhhe struckExodus 7:20