וַיָּ֥שֶׂם

Alphabet Analysis

The word

1. word🔊 וַיָּ֥שֶׂם

   va-ya-SEM

   and he put
2. phraseyour reading level🔊 וַיָּ֥שֶׂם פָּנָ֖יו

   va-ya-SEM pa-NAV

   and he put his face
3. clause🔊 וְאֵ֨לִיָּ֜הוּ עָלָ֨ה אֶל־רֹ֤אשׁ הַכַּרְמֶל֙ וַיִּגְהַ֣ר אַ֔רְצָה וַיָּ֥שֶׂם פָּנָ֖יו בֵּ֥ין ברכו בִּרְכָּֽיו׃

   ve-e-li-YA-hu a-LA el-ROSH ha-kar-MEL va-yig-HAR AR-tsa va-ya-SEM pa-NAV BEN ve-re-KHU bir-KAV

   and Elijah went up to the top of the Carmel and he crouched down to the ground and he put his face between his knees his knees
4. sentence🔊 וַיַּעֲלֶ֥ה אַחְאָ֖ב לֶאֱכֹ֣ל וְלִשְׁתּ֑וֹת וְאֵ֨לִיָּ֜הוּ עָלָ֨ה אֶל־רֹ֤אשׁ הַכַּרְמֶל֙ וַיִּגְהַ֣ר אַ֔רְצָה וַיָּ֥שֶׂם פָּנָ֖יו בֵּ֥ין ברכו בִּרְכָּֽיו׃

   va-ya-a-LE akh-AV le-e-KHOL ve-lish-TOT ve-e-li-YA-hu a-LA el-ROSH ha-kar-MEL va-yig-HAR AR-tsa va-ya-SEM pa-NAV BEN ve-re-KHU bir-KAV

   and he went up Ahab to eat and to drink and Elijah went up to the top of the Carmel and he crouched down to the ground and he put his face between his knees his knees

Exegesis

The sequence then uses two more wayyiqtol verbs—vayyighar {וַיִּגְהַ֣ר | wayyighar} ‘and he crouched down’ and vayyasem {וַיָּ֥שֶׂם | wayyāśem} ‘and he put’—to portray a single continuous posture of humility.

Root and etymology

š-m🔊 ש־מ

“name, reputation”

• 🔊 שְׁמוֹתšēmôtnamesExodus 1:1