עֲוִ֑יל

Alphabet Analysis

The word

1. word🔊 עֲוִ֑יל

   a-VIL

   an unjust one or godless one
2. clause🔊 יַסְגִּירֵ֣נִי אֵ֭ל אֶ֣ל עֲוִ֑יל

   yas-gi-RE-ni EL EL a-VIL

   he gives me over God to an unjust one or godless one
3. sentence🔊 יַסְגִּירֵ֣נִי אֵ֭ל אֶ֣ל עֲוִ֑יל וְעַל־יְדֵ֖י רְשָׁעִ֣ים יִרְטֵֽנִי׃

   yas-gi-RE-ni EL EL a-VIL ve-al-ye-DE re-sha-IM yir-TE-ni

   he gives me over God to an unjust one or godless one and into the hands of wicked ones he casts me down or he throws me

Exegesis

The first prepositional phrase el {אֶ֣ל | ʾel} introduces a singular recipient, avil {עֲוִ֑יל | ʿă-wîl} ‘evil one,’ while the second line escalates the threat by shifting to a plural group, reshaim {רְשָׁעִ֣ים | rə-šā-ʿîm} ‘wicked ones,’ framed by the construct chain veal-yedei {וְעַל־יְדֵ֖י | wə-ʿal-yə-ḏê} ‘upon the hands of,’ an idiom for being placed under another’s power. English keeps the parallelism by using two coordinated actions (“gives me over … and hurls/throws me”) and preserves the singular-to-plural movement to reflect intensifying oppression.

Root and etymology

consonants🔊 עולayin–vav–lamed

“to act unjustly”