וַיִּֽתְחַבְּא֣וּ

Alphabet Analysis

The word

1. word🔊 וַיִּֽתְחַבְּא֣וּ

   va-yit-khav-be-U

   and they hid themselves
2. phraseyour reading level🔊 וַיִּֽתְחַבְּא֣וּ הָעָ֗ם

   va-yit-khav-be-U ha-AM

   and they hid themselves the people
3. clause🔊 וַיִּֽתְחַבְּא֣וּ הָעָ֗ם בַּמְּעָר֤וֹת וּבַֽחֲוָחִים֙ וּבַסְּלָעִ֔ים וּבַצְּרִחִ֖ים וּבַבֹּרֽוֹת׃

   va-yit-khav-be-U ha-AM bam-me-a-ROT u-va-kha-va-KHIM u-vas-se-la-IM u-vats-tse-ri-KHIM u-vab-bo-ROT

   and they hid themselves the people in the caves and in the holes and in the rocks and in the clefts and in the pits
4. sentence🔊 וְאִ֨ישׁ יִשְׂרָאֵ֤ל רָאוּ֙ כִּ֣י צַר־ל֔וֹ כִּ֥י נִגַּ֖שׂ הָעָ֑ם וַיִּֽתְחַבְּא֣וּ הָעָ֗ם בַּמְּעָר֤וֹת וּבַֽחֲוָחִים֙ וּבַסְּלָעִ֔ים וּבַצְּרִחִ֖ים וּבַבֹּרֽוֹת׃

   ve-ISH yis-ra-EL ra-U KI tsar-LO KI nig-GASH ha-AM va-yit-khav-be-U ha-AM bam-me-a-ROT u-va-kha-va-KHIM u-vas-se-la-IM u-vats-tse-ri-KHIM u-vab-bo-ROT

   and a man of Israel they saw that it was tight for him for was pressed hard the people and they hid themselves the people in the caves and in the holes and in the rocks and in the clefts and in the pits

Exegesis

The transition to vayitchabbe’u {וַיִּֽתְחַבְּא֣וּ | wayyit-khab-be-’û} ‘hid themselves’ in Hithpael imperfect with consecutive waw signals progression into a series of distributive prepositional phrases (ba-me’arot…u-va-borot) that amplify collective panic through repetition. The listing of hiding places reflects vivid landscape imagery and heightens dramatic tension.