וַיֹּ֕אמֶר

Alphabet Analysis

The word

1. word🔊 וַיֹּ֕אמֶר

   va-YO-mer

   and he said
2. clause🔊 וַיָּבֹא֩ אַחְאָ֨ב אֶל־בֵּית֜וֹ סַ֣ר וְזָעֵ֗ף עַל־הַדָּבָר֙ אֲשֶׁר־דִּבֶּ֣ר אֵלָ֗יו נָבוֹת֙ הַיִּזְרְעֵאלִ֔י וַיֹּ֕אמֶר לֹֽא־אֶתֵּ֥ן לְךָ֖ אֶת־נַחֲלַ֣ת אֲבוֹתָ֑י

   va-BO akh-AV el-BE-to SAR ve-za-EF al-ha-da-VAR a-sher-di-BER e-LAV na-VOT ha-yiz-re-e-LI va-YO-mer lo-e-TEN le-KHA et-na-kha-LAT a-vo-TAI

   and he came Ahab to his house sullen or resentful and vexed or upset because of the matter which he spoke to him Naboth the Jezreelite and he said I will not give to you the inheritance of my fathers
3. sentence🔊 וַיָּבֹא֩ אַחְאָ֨ב אֶל־בֵּית֜וֹ סַ֣ר וְזָעֵ֗ף עַל־הַדָּבָר֙ אֲשֶׁר־דִּבֶּ֣ר אֵלָ֗יו נָבוֹת֙ הַיִּזְרְעֵאלִ֔י וַיֹּ֕אמֶר לֹֽא־אֶתֵּ֥ן לְךָ֖ אֶת־נַחֲלַ֣ת אֲבוֹתָ֑י וַיִּשְׁכַּב֙ עַל־מִטָּת֔וֹ וַיַּסֵּ֥ב אֶת־פָּנָ֖יו וְלֹֽא־אָ֥כַל לָֽחֶם׃

   va-BO akh-AV el-BE-to SAR ve-za-EF al-ha-da-VAR a-sher-di-BER e-LAV na-VOT ha-yiz-re-e-LI va-YO-mer lo-e-TEN le-KHA et-na-kha-LAT a-vo-TAI va-yish-KAV al-mi-TA-to va-ya-SEV et-pa-NAV ve-lo-A-khal LA-khem

   and he came Ahab to his house sullen or resentful and vexed or upset because of the matter which he spoke to him Naboth the Jezreelite and he said I will not give to you the inheritance of my fathers and he lay down on his bed and he turned his face and he did not eat bread

Exegesis

The narrative employs a series of vav-consecutive verbs—vayavo {וַיָּבֹא֩ | wayyāḇōʾ} “and he came,” vayomer {וַיֹּ֕אמֶר | vayyō’mer} “and he said,” vayishkav {וַיִּשְׁכַּב֙ | wayyišḵāḇ} “and he lay down,” and vayasev {וַיַּסֵּ֥ב | wayyassēḇ} “and he turned away”—to sequence Ahab’s actions.

Root and etymology

ʼ-m-r🔊 א־מ־ר

“to speak, utter”

• 🔊 אִמְרָהimrahutteranceJob 11:5