לְמַֽאֲכָ֔ל

Alphabet Analysis

The word

1. word🔊 לְמַֽאֲכָ֔ל

   le-ma-a-KHAL

   for food
2. clause🔊 וְנָתַתִּ֤י אֶת־נִבְלָתָם֙ לְמַֽאֲכָ֔ל לְע֥וֹף הַשָּׁמַ֖יִם וּלְבֶהֱמַ֥ת הָאָֽרֶץ׃

   ve-na-TAT-ti et-niv-la-TAM le-ma-a-KHAL le-OF ha-sha-MA-yim u-le-ve-he-MAT ha-A-rets

   and I will give {direct object} their corpse for food for the bird of the heavens and for the beast of the earth
3. sentence🔊 וּ֠בַקֹּתִי אֶת־עֲצַ֨ת יְהוּדָ֤ה וִירוּשָׁלִַ֙ם֙ בַּמָּק֣וֹם הַזֶּ֔ה וְהִפַּלְתִּ֤ים בַּחֶ֙רֶב֙ לִפְנֵ֣י אֹֽיְבֵיהֶ֔ם וּבְיַ֖ד מְבַקְשֵׁ֣י נַפְשָׁ֑ם וְנָתַתִּ֤י אֶת־נִבְלָתָם֙ לְמַֽאֲכָ֔ל לְע֥וֹף הַשָּׁמַ֖יִם וּלְבֶהֱמַ֥ת הָאָֽרֶץ׃

   u-vak-KO-ti et-a-TSAT ye-hu-DA vi-ru-sha-LA-yim ba-ma-KOM ha-ZE ve-hip-PAL-tim ba-KHE-rev lif-NE o-ye-VE-hem u-ve-YAD me-vak-SHE naf-SHAM ve-na-TAT-ti et-niv-la-TAM le-ma-a-KHAL le-OF ha-sha-MA-yim u-le-ve-he-MAT ha-A-rets

   and I will make void {direct object} counsel of Judah and Jerusalem in the place this and I will cause them to fall by the sword before their enemies and by the hand of those seeking their life and I will give {direct object} their corpse for food for the bird of the heavens and for the beast of the earth

Exegesis

The final clause wə-nāṭat-tî ʾet-nivlā-tām {וְנָתַתִּי אֶת־נִבְלָתָם | wə·nā·ṭat·tî ʾet·niv·lā·tām} ‘and I will give their corpses’, and its recipients lə-maʾaḵal lə-ʿôf ha-šāmayim {לְמַאֲכָל לְעוֹף הַשָּׁמַיִם | lə·maʾ·a·ḵal lə·ʿôf ha·šā·ma·yim} ‘as food to the birds of the heavens’ and ū-lə-vəhemāt hā-ʾāreṣ {וּלְבֶהֱמַת הָאָרֶץ | ū·lə·və·hem·āt hā·ʾā·reṣ} ‘and to the beasts of the earth’, uses parallelism to underscore total divine retribution.

Root and etymology

ʾ-k-l🔊 א־כ־לaleph–kaph–lamed

“to eat”

• 🔊 מַאֲכָלma’akhalfoodGenesis 6:21