שֶׁ֑כֶם

Alphabet Analysis

The word

1. word🔊 שֶׁ֑כֶם

   SHE-khem

   as a shoulder
2. clause🔊 כִּֽי תְּשִׁיתֵ֣מוֹ שֶׁ֑כֶם

   KI te-shi-TE-mo SHE-khem

   for you will set them as a shoulder
3. sentence🔊 כִּֽי תְּשִׁיתֵ֣מוֹ שֶׁ֑כֶם בְּ֝מֵֽיתָרֶ֗יךָ תְּכוֹנֵ֥ן עַל־פְּנֵיהֶֽם׃

   KI te-shi-TE-mo SHE-khem be-MEI-ta-REI-kha te-kho-NEN al-pe-NEI-hem

   for you will set them as a shoulder with your bowstrings you will set against their faces

Exegesis

It features two parallel Qal imperfect verbs with second person subjects: teshitemo {תְשִׁיתֵמוֹ | tə-ši-tê-mō} ‘you will put them’ plus the noun shekhem {שֵׁכֶם | šê-ḵem} ‘shoulder’ functioning as a result accusative indicating flight, and tekhonen {תְּכוֹנֵן | tə-ḵō-nên} ‘you will aim’ with the instrument phrase bemeitarekha {בְּמֵיתָרֶיךָ | bə-mê-ṭā-rê-ḵā} ‘with your bowstrings’ and the tight prepositional unit al-peneihem {עַל־פְּנֵיהֶם | ʿal-pə-nê-hem} ‘against their faces’ marking the direct target. The maqqef binds the preposition to peneihem as a single unit. This parallel structure emphasizes the swift progression from enemy rout to divine judgment.

Root and etymology

ש־כ־ם🔊 sh-k-m

“shoulder, back”