וְנֶ֥פֶשׁ

Alphabet Analysis

The word

1. word🔊 וְנֶ֥פֶשׁ

   ve-NE-fesh

   and life of
2. phraseyour reading level🔊 וְנֶ֥פֶשׁ בֵּיתֶֽךָ׃

   ve-NE-fesh BEI-te-KHA

   and life of your household
3. clause🔊 פֶּֽן־יִפְגְּע֣וּ בָכֶ֗ם אֲנָשִׁים֙ מָ֣רֵי נֶ֔פֶשׁ וְאָסַפְתָּ֥ה נַפְשְׁךָ֖ וְנֶ֥פֶשׁ בֵּיתֶֽךָ׃

   pen-yif-ge-U va-KHEM a-na-SHIM ma-REI NE-fesh ve-a-saf-TA naf-she-KHA ve-NE-fesh BEI-te-KHA

   lest they strike upon you men lords of life and you would gather up your life and life of your household
4. sentence🔊 וַיֹּאמְר֤וּ אֵלָיו֙ בְּנֵי־דָ֔ן אַל־תַּשְׁמַ֥ע קוֹלְךָ֖ עִמָּ֑נוּ פֶּֽן־יִפְגְּע֣וּ בָכֶ֗ם אֲנָשִׁים֙ מָ֣רֵי נֶ֔פֶשׁ וְאָסַפְתָּ֥ה נַפְשְׁךָ֖ וְנֶ֥פֶשׁ בֵּיתֶֽךָ׃

   va-yo-ME-ru e-LAV be-NEI-DAN al-ta-shMA kol-KHA im-MA-nu pen-yif-ge-U va-KHEM a-na-SHIM ma-REI NE-fesh ve-a-saf-TA naf-she-KHA ve-NE-fesh BEI-te-KHA

   and they said to him sons of Dan do not let be heard your voice with us lest they strike upon you men lords of life and you would gather up your life and life of your household

Exegesis

Finally, the vav-consecutive perfect vesaphta{וְאָסַפְתָּ | wəʾāsaftā} ‘and you will bring upon’ governs the direct object nafshekha{נַפְשְׁךָ | nap̄šexā} ‘your life’ and the coordinated object venepeš{וְנֶפֶשׁ | wənepeš} ‘and life’, with betecha{בֵּיתֶךָ | bêṯexā} ‘of your household’ as a secondary object. Sequential progression from prohibition through threat to consequence heightens the verse’s coercive force.

Root and etymology

n-p-š🔊 נ–פ–ש

“life; soul”

• 🔊 נָשַׁףnāšap̄to breatheJob 4:9
• 🔊 מִשְׁנֶפֶתmišnēpeṯcummerbundIsaiah 3:24