מֵעַ֥ל

Alphabet Analysis

The word

1. word🔊 מֵעַ֥ל

   me-AL

   from upon
2. phraseyour reading level🔊 מֵעַ֥ל יָדָֽיו׃

   me-AL ya-DAV

   from upon his hands
3. clause🔊 וַתִּצְלַ֨ח עָלָ֜יו ר֣וּחַ יְהוָ֗ה וַתִּהְיֶ֨ינָה הָעֲבֹתִ֜ים אֲשֶׁ֣ר עַל־זְרוֹעוֹתָ֗יו כַּפִּשְׁתִּים֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר בָּעֲר֣וּ בָאֵ֔שׁ וַיִּמַ֥סּוּ אֱסוּרָ֖יו מֵעַ֥ל יָדָֽיו׃

   va-tits-LAKH a-LAV RU-akh ye-ho-VAH va-tih-ye-NA ha-a-vo-TIM a-SHER al-ze-ro-o-TAV ka-pish-TIM a-SHER ba-a-RU va-ESH va-yi-MA-su e-su-RAV me-AL ya-DAV

   and rushed upon upon him Spirit of the LORD and they became the ropes which on his arms like flax which burned in the fire and melted his bonds from upon his hands
4. sentence🔊 הוּא־בָ֣א עַד־לֶ֔חִי וּפִלְשִׁתִּ֖ים הֵרִ֣יעוּ לִקְרָאת֑וֹ וַתִּצְלַ֨ח עָלָ֜יו ר֣וּחַ יְהוָ֗ה וַתִּהְיֶ֨ינָה הָעֲבֹתִ֜ים אֲשֶׁ֣ר עַל־זְרוֹעוֹתָ֗יו כַּפִּשְׁתִּים֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר בָּעֲר֣וּ בָאֵ֔שׁ וַיִּמַ֥סּוּ אֱסוּרָ֖יו מֵעַ֥ל יָדָֽיו׃

   hu-BA ad-le-KHI u-fil-she-TIM he-ri-U lik-ra-TO va-tits-LAKH a-LAV RU-akh ye-ho-VAH va-tih-ye-NA ha-a-vo-TIM a-SHER al-ze-ro-o-TAV ka-pish-TIM a-SHER ba-a-RU va-ESH va-yi-MA-su e-su-RAV me-AL ya-DAV

   he came as far as Lehi and the Philistines shouted to meet him and rushed upon upon him Spirit of the LORD and they became the ropes which on his arms like flax which burned in the fire and melted his bonds from upon his hands

Exegesis

The relative clause hā-ʿăvôṯîm ka-pištîm {הָעֲבֹתִים כַּפִּשְׁתִּים | hā-ʿăvôṯîm ka-pištîm} ‘the ropes like flax’, modified by ʾăšer bāʿărû ba-ʾēš {אֲשֶׁר בָּעֲרוּ בָאֵשׁ | ʾăšer bāʿărû ba-ʾēš} ‘that had burned in the fire’, employs simile to depict fragility, culminating in vayyimassû ʾăsūrāw mêʿal yādāw {וַיִּמַּסּוּ אֱסוּרָיו מֵעַל יָדָיו | vayyimassû ʾăsūrāw mêʿal yādāw} ‘they melted his bonds from upon his hands’, illustrating complete liberation. The structure contrasts Philistine aggression with divine deliverance through sequential verb forms and layered clauses.