ל֤וּ

Alphabet Analysis

The word

1. word🔊 ל֤וּ

   LU

   if only
2. phraseyour reading level🔊 ל֤וּ יֶשׁ־חֶ֙רֶב֙

   LU YESH-KHE-rev

   if only there were a sword
3. clause🔊 ל֤וּ יֶשׁ־חֶ֙רֶב֙ בְּיָדִ֔י כִּ֥י עַתָּ֖ה הֲרַגְתִּֽיךְ׃

   LU YESH-KHE-rev be-ya-DEE KI a-TA ha-rag-TIKH

   if only there were a sword in my hand for now I would have killed you
4. sentence🔊 וַיֹּ֤אמֶר בִּלְעָם֙ לָֽאָת֔וֹן כִּ֥י הִתְעַלַּ֖לְתְּ בִּ֑י ל֤וּ יֶשׁ־חֶ֙רֶב֙ בְּיָדִ֔י כִּ֥י עַתָּ֖ה הֲרַגְתִּֽיךְ׃

   va-YO-mer bil-AM la-a-TON KI hit-a-lal-TET BI LU YESH-KHE-rev be-ya-DEE KI a-TA ha-rag-TIKH

   and said Balaam to the donkey because you have made a fool of me if only there were a sword in my hand for now I would have killed you

Exegesis

Lu {לוּ | lū} signals an unrealized wish, leading into the hypothetical yesh-chereb {יֶשׁ־חֶרֶב | yēš-ḥereb} “there is a sword.”