Numbers 24:2:9Num.24.2.W9TAB
עָלָ֖יו
alav
“upon him”
- Transliteration
- a-LAV
- Extended
- ah-LAHV
- IPA
- /ʕaˈlav/
Meaning by language
- English
- upon him
Hebrew · tap a syllable to hear it
Alphabet Analysis
| Ayin | deep guttural stop, voiced pharyngeal | |
| Qamets | long 'ah' | |
| Lamed | l as in law | |
| Qamets | long 'ah' | |
| Yod | y as in yes; marks long ī | |
| Vav | v as in vine; marks long ō / ū |
Tap any letter to hear its name and sound
Now you try — trace the word:
The word
Word in context
- word
a-LAV
- phraseyour reading level
va-te-HI a-LAV
- clause
va-te-HI a-LAV RU-akh e-lo-HIM
- sentence
va-yis-SA bil-AM et-ey-NAV va-YAR et-yis-ra-EL sho-KHEN lish-va-TAV va-te-HI a-LAV RU-akh e-lo-HIM
Exegesis
The vav-consecutive wəṯtəhî {וַתְּהִ֥י | wəṯtəhî} ‘and-it-became’ introduces the result clause with ʿālāw {עָלָיו | ʿālāw} ‘upon-him’ + rūaḥ {ר֥וּחַ | rūaḥ} ‘spirit’ + ʾĕlōhîm {אֱלֹהִים | ʾĕ-lō-hîm} ‘God’, a standard Hebrew idiom for divine inspiration. This structure highlights Balaam’s observation leading directly to the Spirit’s arrival.
Root and etymology
ʿ-l-hayin-lamed-heh
“to rise up, be high”
In context — Numbers 24:2
And Balaam lifted his eyes and saw Israel dwelling by their tribes. Then the Spirit of God came upon him.
About this coordinate
Numbers 24:2:9 is a BCV:P reference — Book · Chapter · Verse · Word Position. It addresses word 9 of Numbers 24:2, so the Hebrew word עָלָ֖יו (alav) 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.24.2.W9, which extends further down to each syllable (Num.24.2.W9.S1) and character.