כִּי־עֵ֣ד

Alphabet Analysis

The word

1. word🔊 כִּי־עֵ֣ד

   ki-ED

   for a witness
2. phraseyour reading level🔊 כִּי־עֵ֣ד ה֔וּא

   ki-ED HU

   for a witness it is
3. clause🔊 וְאָמַ֡רְנוּ רְא֣וּ אֶת־תַּבְנִית֩ מִזְבַּ֨ח יְהוָ֜ה אֲשֶׁר־עָשׂ֣וּ אֲבוֹתֵ֗ינוּ לֹ֤א לְעוֹלָה֙ וְלֹ֣א לְזֶ֔בַח כִּי־עֵ֣ד ה֔וּא בֵּינֵ֖ינוּ וּבֵינֵיכֶֽם׃

   ve-a-MAR-nu re-U et-TAV-nit miz-BE-akh Ye-ho-VAH a-SHER-a-SU a-vo-TEI-nu LO le-o-LA ve-LO le-ZE-vakh ki-ED HU bei-NEI-nu u-vei-NEI-khem

   then we shall say see! the pattern of the altar of the LORD which made our fathers not for burnt offering and not for sacrifice for a witness it is between us and between you
4. sentence🔊 וַנֹּ֕אמֶר וְהָיָ֗ה כִּֽי־יֹאמְר֥וּ אֵלֵ֛ינוּ וְאֶל־דֹּרֹתֵ֖ינוּ מָחָ֑ר וְאָמַ֡רְנוּ רְא֣וּ אֶת־תַּבְנִית֩ מִזְבַּ֨ח יְהוָ֜ה אֲשֶׁר־עָשׂ֣וּ אֲבוֹתֵ֗ינוּ לֹ֤א לְעוֹלָה֙ וְלֹ֣א לְזֶ֔בַח כִּי־עֵ֣ד ה֔וּא בֵּינֵ֖ינוּ וּבֵינֵיכֶֽם׃

   va-NO-mer ve-ha-YA ki-YO-mru e-LEI-nu ve-EL-do-ro-TEI-nu ma-KHAR ve-a-MAR-nu re-U et-TAV-nit miz-BE-akh Ye-ho-VAH a-SHER-a-SU a-vo-TEI-nu LO le-o-LA ve-LO le-ZE-vakh ki-ED HU bei-NEI-nu u-vei-NEI-khem

   and we said and it will be when they say to us and to our generations tomorrow then we shall say see! the pattern of the altar of the LORD which made our fathers not for burnt offering and not for sacrifice for a witness it is between us and between you

Exegesis

The verse begins with vanomer {וַנֹּ֕אמֶר | vā-nō-mer} ‘and we said’ followed by vehayah {וְהָיָ֗ה | wə-hā-yāh} ‘and it will be’, which with the conditional ki {כִּֽי | kî} introduces a hypothetical protasis.

velo with leolah and lezevach shift focus from offerings to the altar’s function as ed {עֵ֣ד | ʿêd} ‘witness’.

Root and etymology

Root🔊 ע־ד־הayin–dalet–heh

“to testify, witness”

• 🔊 עֵדוּתʿê-dûṯtestimonyExodus 24:7