Numbers 23:8:2Num.23.8.W2TAB
אֶקֹּ֔ב
ekov
“shall I curse”
- Transliteration
- e-KOV
- Extended
- eh-KOHV
- IPA
- /ʔɛqˈːov/
Meaning by language
- English
- shall I curse
Hebrew · tap a syllable to hear it
Alphabet Analysis
| Aleph | silent — a glottal stop; holds vowel points | |
| Seghol | short 'eh' as in met | |
| Qof | q — deep k, uvular | |
| Holem | long 'oh' as in go | |
| Bet | b with dagesh; v without dagesh |
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The word
Word in context
- word
e-KOV
- phraseyour reading level
MAH e-KOV
- clause
MAH e-KOV LO ka-VO EL
- sentence
MAH e-KOV LO ka-VO EL u-MAH ez-OM LO za-AM Ye-ho-VAH
Exegesis
Each question features a Qal imperfect first person singular verb—ekkōv {אֶקֹּ֔ב | ʾeq-qōḇ} ‘shall I curse’ and ezʿōm {אֶזְעֹ֔ם | ʾez-ʿōm} ‘shall I denounce’—followed by the negative particle lo {לֹא | lōʾ} with a perfect verb—qab-bō {קַבֹּה | qab-bō} ‘has cursed’ and za-ʿam {זָעַם | za-ʿam} ‘has denounced’—forming stative perfects that assert completed divine decrees.
Root and etymology
ק־ב־ע
“to curse, bind by spell”
In context — Numbers 23:8
How can I curse those whom God has not cursed ? Or how can I denounce those whom the LORD has not denounced?
About this coordinate
Numbers 23:8:2 is a BCV:P reference — Book · Chapter · Verse · Word Position. It addresses word 2 of Numbers 23:8, so the Hebrew word אֶקֹּ֔ב (ekov) can be cited, linked and studied at exactly this position rather than somewhere in the verse. In the Biblical Knowledge Coordinate System the same position is written Num.23.8.W2, which extends further down to each syllable (Num.23.8.W2.S1) and character.