וַיָּבֹ֖אוּ

Alphabet Analysis

The word

1. word🔊 וַיָּבֹ֖אוּ

   va-ya-VO-u

   and they came
2. clause🔊 וּבְנֵ֣י עַמּ֗וֹן נֶאֶסְפוּ֙ מֵעָ֣רֵיהֶ֔ם וַיָּבֹ֖אוּ לַמִּלְחָמָֽה׃

   u-ve-NE a-MON ne-es-FU me-a-re-HEM va-ya-VO-u lam-mil-kha-MA

   and the sons of Ammon were gathered from their cities and they came to the battle
3. sentence🔊 וַיִּשְׂכְּר֣וּ לָהֶ֡ם שְׁנַיִם֩ וּשְׁלֹשִׁ֨ים אֶ֜לֶף רֶ֗כֶב וְאֶת־מֶ֤לֶךְ מַעֲכָה֙ וְאֶת־עַמּ֔וֹ וַיָּבֹ֕אוּ וַֽיַּחֲנ֖וּ לִפְנֵ֣י מֵידְבָ֑א וּבְנֵ֣י עַמּ֗וֹן נֶאֶסְפוּ֙ מֵעָ֣רֵיהֶ֔ם וַיָּבֹ֖אוּ לַמִּלְחָמָֽה׃

   va-yis-ke-RU la-HEM she-NA-yim u-she-lo-SHIM E-lef RE-khev ve-ET-ME-lekh ma-a-KHA ve-ET-a-MO va-ya-VO-u va-ya-kha-NU lif-NE me-dev-BA u-ve-NE a-MON ne-es-FU me-a-re-HEM va-ya-VO-u lam-mil-kha-MA

   and they hired for themselves two and thirty thousand chariots and the king of Maacah and his people and they came and they camped before Medeba and the sons of Ammon were gathered from their cities and they came to the battle

Exegesis

The verse employs a vav-consecutive narrative sequence: vayyiskeru {וַיִּשְׂכְּרוּ֣ | wayyiškə-rû} ‘and they hired,’ vay-yā-ḇōʾû {וַיָּבֹ֕אוּ | vay-yā-ḇōʾû} ‘and they came,’ and vay-yaḥănû {וַֽיַּחֲנוּ | way-yaḥănû} ‘and they camped,’ marking progressive military actions.