וַיִּשְׁמַ֣ע

Alphabet Analysis

The word

1. word🔊 וַיִּשְׁמַ֣ע

   va-yish-MA

   and he heard
2. phraseyour reading level🔊 וַיִּשְׁמַ֣ע דָּוִ֔יד

   va-yish-MA da-VID

   and he heard David
3. clause🔊 וַיִּשְׁמַ֣ע דָּוִ֔יד וַיֵּצֵ֖א לִפְנֵיהֶֽם׃

   va-yish-MA da-VID va-ye-TSE lif-ne-HEM

   and he heard David and he went out before them
4. sentence🔊 וַיִּשְׁמְע֣וּ פְלִשְׁתִּ֗ים כִּי־נִמְשַׁ֨ח דָּוִ֤יד לְמֶ֙לֶךְ֙ עַל־כָּל־יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל וַיַּעֲל֥וּ כָל־פְּלִשְׁתִּ֖ים לְבַקֵּ֣שׁ אֶת־דָּוִ֑יד וַיִּשְׁמַ֣ע דָּוִ֔יד וַיֵּצֵ֖א לִפְנֵיהֶֽם׃

   va-yish-me-U fe-lish-TIM ki-nim-SHAKH da-VID le-ME-lekh al-kol-yis-ra-EL va-ya-a-LU khol-fe-lish-TIM le-vak-KESH et-da-VID va-yish-MA da-VID va-ye-TSE lif-ne-HEM

   and they heard Philistines that he was anointed David as king over all Israel and they went up all the Philistines to seek David and he heard David and he went out before them

Exegesis

The repetition of wayyishma {וַיִּשְׁמַ֣ע | wayyišmaʿ} ‘and he heard’ and wayyeitze {וַיֵּצֵ֖א | wayyēṣēʾ} ‘and he went out’ sustains narrative momentum and underscores David’s immediate response.

Root and etymology

Root🔊 שׁ־מ־עshin–mem–ayin

“to hear”

• 🔊 שׁוֹמֵעַšōmēa‘listenerIsaiah 50:10