וַיֹּ֣אכַל

Alphabet Analysis

The word

1. word🔊 וַיֹּ֣אכַל

   va-yo-KHAL

   and he ate
2. phraseyour reading level🔊 וַיֹּ֣אכַל וַיֵּ֔שְׁתְּ

   va-yo-KHAL va-YESH-te

   and he ate and he drank
3. clause🔊 וַיֹּ֣אכַל וַיֵּ֔שְׁתְּ וַיָּ֖שָׁב וַיִּשְׁכָּֽב׃

   va-yo-KHAL va-YESH-te va-ya-SHAV va-yish-KAV

   and he ate and he drank and he returned and he lay down
4. sentence🔊 וַיַּבֵּ֕ט וְהִנֵּ֧ה מְרַאֲשֹׁתָ֛יו עֻגַ֥ת רְצָפִ֖ים וְצַפַּ֣חַת מָ֑יִם וַיֹּ֣אכַל וַיֵּ֔שְׁתְּ וַיָּ֖שָׁב וַיִּשְׁכָּֽב׃

   va-yab-BET ve-hin-NE me-ra-a-sho-TAV u-GAT re-tsa-FIM ve-tsap-PA-khat MA-yim va-yo-KHAL va-YESH-te va-ya-SHAV va-yish-KAV

   and he looked and behold at his head or at his pillow a cake hot stones or coals and a jar of water and he ate and he drank and he returned and he lay down

Exegesis

The narrative unfolds through a series of vav-consecutive verbs—wayyabbet {וַיַּבֵּ֕ט | wayyabbēṭ} “and he looked,” wayyōʾăḵal {וַיֹּ֣אכַל | wayyōʾăḵal} “and he ate,” wayyēštə {וַיֵּ֔שְׁתְּ | wayyēštə} “and he drank,” wayyāšāḇ {וַיָּ֖שָׁב | wayyāšāḇ} “and he turned,” and wayyīškāḇ {וַיִּשְׁכָּֽב | wayyīškāḇ} “and he lay down”—preserving Hebrew narrative rhythm.