בַּמֶּה֙

Alphabet Analysis

The word

1. word🔊 בַּמֶּה֙

   ba-ME

   in what
2. clause🔊 וַיַּעֲל֨וּ אֵלֶ֜יהָ סַרְנֵ֣י פְלִשְׁתִּ֗ים וַיֹּ֨אמְרוּ לָ֜הּ פַּתִּ֣י אוֹת֗וֹ וּרְאִי֙ בַּמֶּה֙ כֹּח֣וֹ גָד֔וֹל וּבַמֶּה֙ נ֣וּכַל ל֔וֹ וַאֲסַרְנֻ֖הוּ לְעַנֹּת֑וֹ

   va-ya-a-LU e-LE-ha sar-NE fe-lish-TIM va-yo-me-RU LAH pa-TI o-TO u-re-I ba-ME ko-KHO ga-DOL u-va-ME nu-KHAL LO va-a-sar-NU-hu le-a-NO-to

   and they went up to her the lords of the Philistines and they said to her entice him and see in what his strength is great and in what we can prevail over him and we will bind him to afflict him
3. sentence🔊 וַיַּעֲל֨וּ אֵלֶ֜יהָ סַרְנֵ֣י פְלִשְׁתִּ֗ים וַיֹּ֨אמְרוּ לָ֜הּ פַּתִּ֣י אוֹת֗וֹ וּרְאִי֙ בַּמֶּה֙ כֹּח֣וֹ גָד֔וֹל וּבַמֶּה֙ נ֣וּכַל ל֔וֹ וַאֲסַרְנֻ֖הוּ לְעַנֹּת֑וֹ וַאֲנַ֙חְנוּ֙ נִתַּן־לָ֔ךְ אִ֕ישׁ אֶ֥לֶף וּמֵאָ֖ה כָּֽסֶף׃

   va-ya-a-LU e-LE-ha sar-NE fe-lish-TIM va-yo-me-RU LAH pa-TI o-TO u-re-I ba-ME ko-KHO ga-DOL u-va-ME nu-KHAL LO va-a-sar-NU-hu le-a-NO-to va-a-NAKH-nu nit-TAN-LAKH ISH E-lef u-me-A KA-sef

   and they went up to her the lords of the Philistines and they said to her entice him and see in what his strength is great and in what we can prevail over him and we will bind him to afflict him and we will give to you each man a thousand and one hundred silver

Exegesis

The interrogative prepositional phrases bammêh kōaḥô {בַּמֶּה כֹּח֣וֹ | bammêh kōaḥô} “by what his strength” emphasize inquiry into Samson’s power, while ûbammêh nûḥal lō {וּבַמֶּה נ֣וּכַל ל֔וֹ | ûbammêh nûḥal lō} “and by what we may be able against him” marks determination of strategy. The shift from the planning verb nûḥal to the execution sequence va’asərnûhû lə’anôtô “we will bind him to afflict him” clarifies intent.