שָׁמְע֣וּ

Alphabet Analysis

The word

1. word🔊 שָׁמְע֣וּ

   sha-me-U

   heard
2. phraseyour reading level🔊 שָׁמְע֣וּ לֵאמֹ֗ר

   sha-me-U le-MOR

   heard saying
3. clause🔊 וְכָל־יִשְׂרָאֵ֞ל שָׁמְע֣וּ לֵאמֹ֗ר הִכָּ֤ה שָׁאוּל֙ אֶת־נְצִ֣יב פְּלִשְׁתִּ֔ים וְגַם־נִבְאַשׁ‪ יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל בַּפְּלִשְׁתִּ֑ים

   ve-KHOL-yis-ra-EL sha-me-U le-MOR hi-KA sha-UL et-ne-TSIV pe-lish-TIM ve-gam-niv-ASH yis-ra-EL ba-pe-lish-TIM

   and all Israel heard saying struck Saul {direct object} garrison or pillar Philistines and also was made foul or became a stench Israel among the Philistines or to the Philistines
4. sentence🔊 וְכָל־יִשְׂרָאֵ֞ל שָׁמְע֣וּ לֵאמֹ֗ר הִכָּ֤ה שָׁאוּל֙ אֶת־נְצִ֣יב פְּלִשְׁתִּ֔ים וְגַם־נִבְאַשׁ‪ יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל בַּפְּלִשְׁתִּ֑ים וַיִּצָּעֲק֥וּ הָעָ֛ם אַחֲרֵ֥י שָׁא֖וּל הַגִּלְגָּֽל׃

   ve-KHOL-yis-ra-EL sha-me-U le-MOR hi-KA sha-UL et-ne-TSIV pe-lish-TIM ve-gam-niv-ASH yis-ra-EL ba-pe-lish-TIM va-yits-a-a-KU ha-AM a-kha-RE sha-UL ha-gil-GAL

   and all Israel heard saying struck Saul {direct object} garrison or pillar Philistines and also was made foul or became a stench Israel among the Philistines or to the Philistines and they cried out the people after Saul the Gilgal

Exegesis

The verse opens with və-kōl yiśrāʾēl šāməʿû ləʾmôr {וְכָל־יִשְׂרָאֵ֞ל שָׁמְע֣וּ לֵאמֹ֗ר | wə-kōl yiśrāʾēl šāməʿû ləʾmôr} ‘and all Israel heard to say’, where ləʾmôr functions as an infinitive construct marking reported speech.