וַיָּ֨שָׁב

Alphabet Analysis

The word

1. word🔊 וַיָּ֨שָׁב

   va-ya-SHAV

   and he returned
2. phraseyour reading level🔊 וַיָּ֨שָׁב מֵאַחֲרָ֜יו

   va-ya-SHAV me-a-kha-RAV

   and he returned from after him
3. clause🔊 וַיָּ֨שָׁב מֵאַחֲרָ֜יו וַיִּקַּ֣ח אֶת־צֶ֧מֶד הַבָּקָ֣ר וַיִּזְבָּחֵ֗הוּ וּבִכְלִ֤י הַבָּקָר֙ בִּשְּׁלָ֣ם הַבָּשָׂ֔ר וַיִּתֵּ֥ן לָעָ֖ם וַיֹּאכֵ֑לוּ

   va-ya-SHAV me-a-kha-RAV va-yik-KAKH et-TSE-med ha-ba-KAR va-yiz-ba-KHE-hu u-vikh-LI ha-ba-KAR bish-she-LAM ha-ba-SAR va-yit-TEN la-AM va-yo-KHE-lu

   and he returned from after him and he took {direct object} a yoke of the oxen or cattle and he sacrificed him or it and with a vessel or instrument of the oxen or cattle he boiled them or cooked them the flesh and he gave to the people and they ate
4. sentence🔊 וַיָּ֨שָׁב מֵאַחֲרָ֜יו וַיִּקַּ֣ח אֶת־צֶ֧מֶד הַבָּקָ֣ר וַיִּזְבָּחֵ֗הוּ וּבִכְלִ֤י הַבָּקָר֙ בִּשְּׁלָ֣ם הַבָּשָׂ֔ר וַיִּתֵּ֥ן לָעָ֖ם וַיֹּאכֵ֑לוּ וַיָּ֗קָם וַיֵּ֛לֶךְ אַחֲרֵ֥י אֵלִיָּ֖הוּ וַיְשָׁרְתֵֽהוּ׃

   va-ya-SHAV me-a-kha-RAV va-yik-KAKH et-TSE-med ha-ba-KAR va-yiz-ba-KHE-hu u-vikh-LI ha-ba-KAR bish-she-LAM ha-ba-SAR va-yit-TEN la-AM va-yo-KHE-lu va-ya-KAM va-ye-LEKH a-kha-RE e-li-YA-hu va-ye-sha-re-TE-hu

   and he returned from after him and he took {direct object} a yoke of the oxen or cattle and he sacrificed him or it and with a vessel or instrument of the oxen or cattle he boiled them or cooked them the flesh and he gave to the people and they ate and he arose and he went after Elijah and he ministered to him or served him

Exegesis

The narrative is propelled by a series of prefixed imperfect verbs in the vav-consecutive form, such as vayyashav {וַיָּשָׁב | vayyāšāḇ} ‘and he returned’ and vayyikkāḥ {וַיִּקַּח | vayyikkāḥ} ‘and he took’, which create rapid sequential action.