וַיֹּ֛אמֶר

Alphabet Analysis

The word

1. word🔊 וַיֹּ֛אמֶר

   va-YO-mer

   and he said
2. clause🔊 וַיֹּ֛אמֶר אִם־לְשָׁל֥וֹם יָצָ֖אוּ תִּפְשׂ֣וּם חַיִּ֑ים

   va-YO-mer im-le-sha-LOM ya-TSU tif-SUM kha-YIM

   and he said if for peace they have come out seize them alive
3. sentence🔊 וַיֹּ֛אמֶר אִם־לְשָׁל֥וֹם יָצָ֖אוּ תִּפְשׂ֣וּם חַיִּ֑ים וְאִ֧ם לְמִלְחָמָ֛ה יָצָ֖אוּ חַיִּ֥ים תִּפְשֽׂוּם׃

   va-YO-mer im-le-sha-LOM ya-TSU tif-SUM kha-YIM ve-IM le-mil-kha-MA ya-TSU kha-YIM tif-SUM

   and he said if for peace they have come out seize them alive and if for war they have come out alive seize them

Exegesis

The verse opens with vayomer {וַיֹּ֛אמֶר | wāyōmer} ‘and he said’, employing the vav-consecutive Qal imperfect to advance the narrative.

Root and etymology

’-m-r🔊 א־מ־רaleph–mem–resh

“to say, speak”

• 🔊 מְדַבֵּרmedabberspeakerExodus 4:10