אִם־עָרִים֙

Alphabet Analysis

The word

1. word🔊 אִם־עָרִים֙

   im-a-RIM

   but only cities
2. phraseyour reading level🔊 כִּ֤י אִם־עָרִים֙

   KI im-a-RIM

   for but only cities
3. clause🔊 וְלֹֽא־נָתְנוּ֩ חֵ֨לֶק לַלְוִיִּ֜ם בָּאָ֗רֶץ כִּ֤י אִם־עָרִים֙ לָשֶׁ֔בֶת וּמִ֨גְרְשֵׁיהֶ֔ם לְמִקְנֵיהֶ֖ם וּלְקִנְיָנָֽם׃

   ve-LO-nat-NU KHE-lek lal-vi-YIM ba-A-retz KI im-a-RIM la-SHE-vet u-mig-re-SHE-hem le-mik-NE-hem u-le-kin-ya-NAM

   and no portion was given portion to the Levites in the land for but only cities to dwell in and their pasturelands for their livestock and for their substance
4. sentence🔊 כִּֽי־הָי֧וּ בְנֵֽי־יוֹסֵ֛ף שְׁנֵ֥י מַטּ֖וֹת מְנַשֶּׁ֣ה וְאֶפְרָ֑יִם וְלֹֽא־נָתְנוּ֩ חֵ֨לֶק לַלְוִיִּ֜ם בָּאָ֗רֶץ כִּ֤י אִם־עָרִים֙ לָשֶׁ֔בֶת וּמִ֨גְרְשֵׁיהֶ֔ם לְמִקְנֵיהֶ֖ם וּלְקִנְיָנָֽם׃

   ki-ha-YU ve-NEI-yo-SEF she-NEI mat-TOT me-na-SHEH ve-ef-RA-yim ve-LO-nat-NU KHE-lek lal-vi-YIM ba-A-retz KI im-a-RIM la-SHE-vet u-mig-re-SHE-hem le-mik-NE-hem u-le-kin-ya-NAM

   for were the sons of Joseph two tribes Manasseh and Ephraim and no portion was given portion to the Levites in the land for but only cities to dwell in and their pasturelands for their livestock and for their substance

Exegesis

The phrase ki ʾim {כִּ֤י אִם־ | kî ʾim} introduces a strong exceptive contrast (“instead/except”), narrowing what the Levites did receive to arim lashevet {אִם־עָרִים֙ לָשֶׁ֔בֶת | ʾim-ʿārîm lā-šeḇeṯ} and then a coordinated list of supporting resources: umigrsheihem… lemikneihem…