Genesis 9:23 — King James Version← Study notes

“And Shem and Japheth took a garment, and laid it upon both their shoulders, and went backward, and covered the nakedness of their father; and their faces were backward, and they saw not their father’s nakedness.”

Genesis 9:23 — Hebrew Interlinear

Hebrew · Genesis 9:2321 words

וַיִּקַּחwayiqaḥAnd take

שֵׁםšēmShem

וָיֶפֶתwāyep̄etAnd Jepheth

אֶתʾet—

הַשִּׂמְלָהhaśiməlāhThe dress

וַיָּשִׂימוּwayāśîmûAnd put

עַלʿalAbove

שְׁכֶםšəḵemNeck

שְׁנֵיהֶםšənêhemTwo

וַיֵּלְכוּwayēləḵûAnd walk

אֲחֹרַנִּיתʾăḥōranîtBackwards

וַיְכַסּוּwayəḵasûAnd plump

אֵתʾēt—

עֶרְוַתʿerəwatNudity

אֲבִיהֶםʾăvîhemFather

וּפְנֵיהֶםûp̄ənêhemAnd face

אֲחֹרַנִּיתʾăḥōranîtBackwards

וְעֶרְוַתwəʿerəwatAnd nudity

אֲבִיהֶםʾăvîhemFather

לֹאlōʾNot

רָאוּrāʾûSee

ℹWords read right to left. אֵת (ʾēṯ) is a direct object marker with no English equivalent, shown faded.

Word-by-word meanings

וַיִּקַּחwayiqaḥAnd take

שֵׁםšēmShem

וָיֶפֶתwāyep̄etAnd Jepheth

אֶתʾetdirect object marker (no translation)

הַשִּׂמְלָהhaśiməlāhThe dress

וַיָּשִׂימוּwayāśîmûAnd put

עַלʿalAbove

שְׁכֶםšəḵemNeck

שְׁנֵיהֶםšənêhemTwo

וַיֵּלְכוּwayēləḵûAnd walk

אֲחֹרַנִּיתʾăḥōranîtBackwards

וַיְכַסּוּwayəḵasûAnd plump

אֵתʾētdirect object marker (no translation)

עֶרְוַתʿerəwatNudity

אֲבִיהֶםʾăvîhemFather

וּפְנֵיהֶםûp̄ənêhemAnd face

אֲחֹרַנִּיתʾăḥōranîtBackwards

וְעֶרְוַתwəʿerəwatAnd nudity

אֲבִיהֶםʾăvîhemFather

לֹאlōʾNot

רָאוּrāʾûSee

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