1 Samuel 17:11:81 Sam.17.11.W8TAB
וַיִּֽרְא֖וּ
vayireu
“and they were afraid”
- Transliteration
- va-yir-E-u
- Extended
- vah-yihreh-EH-oo
- IPA
- /vaj.jirˈʔuː/
Meaning by language
- English
- and they were afraid
Hebrew · tap a syllable to hear it
Alphabet Analysis
| Vav | v as in vine; marks long ō / ū | |
| Patach | short 'ah' as in father | |
| Yod | y as in yes; marks long ī | |
| Hireq | 'ee' as in machine | |
| Resh | r guttural, like the French r | |
| Sheva | vocal sheva — a short 'e' (ə), begins a syllable | |
| Aleph | silent — a glottal stop; holds vowel points | |
| Vav | v as in vine; marks long ō / ū |
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The word
Word in context
- word
va-yir-E-u
- phraseyour reading level
va-ye-KHA-tu va-yir-E-u
- clause
va-ye-KHA-tu va-yir-E-u me-OD
- sentence
va-yish-MA sha-UL ve-KHOL-yis-ra-EL et-div-REI ha-pe-lish-TI ha-EL-le va-ye-KHA-tu va-yir-E-u me-OD
Exegesis
The narrative then employs two successive imperfect verbs: vayechattu {וַיֵּחַתּוּ | wayyaḥattu} ‘and they were dismayed’ (Nifal), expressing passive impact, followed by vayyeru {וַיִּרְא֖וּ | wayyirʾû} ‘and they were afraid’ (Qal), conveying active fear.
Root and etymology
Rootyod–resh–ayin
“to fear, be afraid”
In context — 1 Samuel 17:11
When Saul and all Israel heard these words of the Philistine, they were dismayed and greatly afraid.
About this coordinate
1 Samuel 17:11:8 is a BCV:P reference — Book · Chapter · Verse · Word Position. It addresses word 8 of 1 Samuel 17:11, so the Hebrew word וַיִּֽרְא֖וּ (vayireu) can be cited, linked and studied at exactly this position rather than somewhere in the verse. In the Biblical Knowledge Coordinate System the same position is written 1 Sam.17.11.W8, which extends further down to each syllable (1 Sam.17.11.W8.S1) and character.