יָדַ֣יִם

Alphabet Analysis

The word

1. word🔊 יָדַ֣יִם

   ya-DA-yim

   hands
2. phraseyour reading level🔊 יָדַ֣יִם לִשְׁכָּֽב׃

   ya-DA-yim lish-KAV

   hands to lie down or to rest
3. clause🔊 מְעַ֓ט חִבֻּ֖ק יָדַ֣יִם לִשְׁכָּֽב׃

   me-AT khi-BUK ya-DA-yim lish-KAV

   a little folding hands to lie down or to rest
4. sentence🔊 מְעַ֣ט שֵׁ֭נוֹת מְעַ֣ט תְּנוּמ֑וֹת מְעַ֓ט חִבֻּ֖ק יָדַ֣יִם לִשְׁכָּֽב׃

   me-AT she-NOT me-AT te-nu-MOT me-AT khi-BUK ya-DA-yim lish-KAV

   a little sleep a little slumber a little folding hands to lie down or to rest

Exegesis

Each phrase consists of a noun—in the first two, shenot {שֵׁנוֹת | šê-nôṯ} ‘sleep’ and tenumot {תְּנוּמוֹת | tə-nū-môṯ} ‘slumber’—and, in the final phrase, chibuk {חִבֻּק | ḥîbbûq} ‘folding’ with its complement yada-yim {יָדַיִם | yāḏayim} ‘hands’ and the infinitive lishkav {לִשְׁכָּב | liškāḇ} ‘to lie down’. The repetition of me'at yields an iterative, cumulative structure. The pairing of shenot and tenumot functions as synonymous intensification. The construct relation between chibuk and yada-yim signals deliberate nonaction. The infinitive lishkav expresses purpose or habitual disposition. The Hebrew tricolon builds a climactic progression, and English translation preserves this paratactic list and intensification through parallel phrase structure.

Root and etymology

Root🔊 י־דyod-dalet

“hand, power”

• 🔊 יָדָהyādâto throw, shootJob 8:4