אֶת־חֲלָלֵֽינוּ׃

Alphabet Analysis

The word

1. word🔊 אֶת־חֲלָלֵֽינוּ׃

   et-kha-la-LE-nu

   {direct object} our slain
2. clause🔊 כִּ֣י אָמְר֗וּ נָתַ֨ן אֱלֹהֵ֤ינוּ בְיָדֵ֙נוּ֙ אֶת־א֣וֹיְבֵ֔נוּ וְאֵת֙ מַחֲרִ֣יב אַרְצֵ֔נוּ וַאֲשֶׁ֥ר הִרְבָּ֖ה אֶת־חֲלָלֵֽינוּ׃

   KI am-RU na-TAN e-lo-HE-nu ve-ya-DE-nu et-o-ye-VE-nu ve-ET ma-kha-RIV ar-TSE-nu va-a-SHER hir-BA et-kha-la-LE-nu

   for they said he gave our god into our hand {direct object} our enemy and the one destroying our land and who multiplied {direct object} our slain
3. sentence🔊 וַיִּרְא֤וּ אֹתוֹ֙ הָעָ֔ם וַֽיְהַלְל֖וּ אֶת־אֱלֹהֵיהֶ֑ם כִּ֣י אָמְר֗וּ נָתַ֨ן אֱלֹהֵ֤ינוּ בְיָדֵ֙נוּ֙ אֶת־א֣וֹיְבֵ֔נוּ וְאֵת֙ מַחֲרִ֣יב אַרְצֵ֔נוּ וַאֲשֶׁ֥ר הִרְבָּ֖ה אֶת־חֲלָלֵֽינוּ׃

   va-yir-U o-TO ha-AM va-ye-hal-LU et-e-lo-HE-hem KI am-RU na-TAN e-lo-HE-nu ve-ya-DE-nu et-o-ye-VE-nu ve-ET ma-kha-RIV ar-TSE-nu va-a-SHER hir-BA et-kha-la-LE-nu

   and they saw him the people and they praised {direct object} their god or their gods for they said he gave our god into our hand {direct object} our enemy and the one destroying our land and who multiplied {direct object} our slain

Exegesis

The definite direct object marker ʾet {אֶת | ʾet} signals definiteness.

The Piel active participle maḥārîv {מַחֲרִיב | ma-ḥa-rîv} ‘devastator’ functions appositionally with ʾărṣênû {אַרְצֵנוּ | ʾăr-ṣê-nû} ‘our land,’ while the relative clause wa-ʾăšer {וַאֲשֶׁר | wa-ʾă-šer} plus Hifil perfect hîrbāh {הִרְבָּה | hîr-bāh} ‘he multiplied’ precedes ḥălālēnû {חֲלָלֵינוּ | ḥă-lā-lê-nû} ‘our slain,’ emphasizing the scale of loss. English renders these with past-tense narrative and coordinating conjunctions for smooth flow.

Root and etymology

“to pierce, kill”

• 🔊 חֲלָלִיםḥă-lā-lîmslain onesIsaiah 66:16