וַיַּכֵּ֣הוּ

Alphabet Analysis

The word

1. word🔊 וַיַּכֵּ֣הוּ

   va-yak-KE-hu

   and he struck him
2. phraseyour reading level🔊 וַיַּכֵּ֣הוּ וַיְמִיתֵ֔הוּ

   va-yak-KE-hu va-ye-mi-TE-hu

   and he struck him and killed him
3. clause🔊 וַיָּבֹ֤א זִמְרִי֙ וַיַּכֵּ֣הוּ וַיְמִיתֵ֔הוּ בִּשְׁנַת֙ עֶשְׂרִ֣ים וָשֶׁ֔בַע לְאָסָ֖א מֶ֣לֶךְ יְהוּדָ֑ה

   va-ya-VO zim-RI va-yak-KE-hu va-ye-mi-TE-hu bish-naat e-se-RIM va-SHE-va le-a-SA ME-lekh ye-hu-DA

   and he came in Zimri and he struck him and killed him in year of twenty and seven to Asa king of Judah
4. sentence🔊 וַיָּבֹ֤א זִמְרִי֙ וַיַּכֵּ֣הוּ וַיְמִיתֵ֔הוּ בִּשְׁנַת֙ עֶשְׂרִ֣ים וָשֶׁ֔בַע לְאָסָ֖א מֶ֣לֶךְ יְהוּדָ֑ה וַיִּמְלֹ֖ךְ תַּחְתָּֽיו׃

   va-ya-VO zim-RI va-yak-KE-hu va-ye-mi-TE-hu bish-naat e-se-RIM va-SHE-va le-a-SA ME-lekh ye-hu-DA va-yim-LOKH takh-TAI-v

   and he came in Zimri and he struck him and killed him in year of twenty and seven to Asa king of Judah and he reigned in his place

Exegesis

The narrative employs three sequential vav-consecutive verbs—vayavo {וַיָּבֹא | wayyā-ḇōʾ} ‘and he came’, vayakkehu {וַיַּכֵּהוּ | wayyakkēhû} ‘and he struck him down’, and vayemitehu {וַיְמִיתֵהוּ | wayyəmîṯêhû} ‘and he killed him’—to depict swift palace violence.