שַׁ֣עַר

Alphabet Analysis

The word

1. word🔊 שַׁ֣עַר

   SHA-ar

   of the gate
2. phraseyour reading level🔊 שַׁ֣עַר הָעִ֔יר

   SHA-ar ha-IR

   of the gate of the city
3. clause🔊 וְנָ֞ אֶל־אַחַ֣ת מֵהֶעָרִ֣ים הָאֵ֗לֶּה וְעָמַד֙ פֶּ֚תַח שַׁ֣עַר הָעִ֔יר וְדִבֶּ֛ר בְּאָזְנֵ֛י זִקְנֵ֥י־הָעִֽיר הַהִ֖יא אֶת־דְּבָרָ֑יו

   ve-NAS el-AKHAT me-he-a-RIM ha-e-LEH ve-a-MAD PE-taKH SHA-ar ha-IR ve-di-BER be-oz-NEI zik-NEI-ha-IR ha-HI et-de-va-RAV

   and shall flee to one from the cities these and shall stand entrance of the gate of the city and shall explain in the ears of the elders of the city that his words
4. sentence🔊 וְנָ֞ אֶל־אַחַ֣ת מֵהֶעָרִ֣ים הָאֵ֗לֶּה וְעָמַד֙ פֶּ֚תַח שַׁ֣עַר הָעִ֔יר וְדִבֶּ֛ר בְּאָזְנֵ֛י זִקְנֵ֥י־הָעִֽיר הַהִ֖יא אֶת־דְּבָרָ֑יו וְאָסְפ֨וּ אֹת֤וֹ הָעִ֙ירָה֙ אֲלֵיהֶ֔ם וְנָתְנוּ־ל֥וֹ מָק֖וֹם וְיָשַׁ֥ב עִמָּֽם׃

   ve-NAS el-AKHAT me-he-a-RIM ha-e-LEH ve-a-MAD PE-taKH SHA-ar ha-IR ve-di-BER be-oz-NEI zik-NEI-ha-IR ha-HI et-de-va-RAV ve-os-FU o-TO ha-i-RAH a-lei-HEM ve-nat-NU-LO ma-KOM ve-ya-SHAV im-MAM

   and shall flee to one from the cities these and shall stand entrance of the gate of the city and shall explain in the ears of the elders of the city that his words and they shall gather him into the city to them and they shall give him a place and he shall remain with them

Exegesis

The double construct phrase petach sha’ar ha-ir {פֶּתַח שַׁעַר הָעִיר | pē-ṭaḥ sha-ʿar hā-ʿîr} ‘entrance of the city gate’ precisely locates the appearance. The indirect object be-oznei ziknei ha-ir ‘before the city elders’ marks the formal hearing. The participles ve-asfu and ve-natnu delineate the elders’ active role in admitting and accommodating the fugitive, highlighting communal responsibility. The technical term makom conveys official asylum, and the locative immam denotes integration among the city’s inhabitants. English preserves the sequential connectors and formal register to reflect the ancient legal procedure.