נֶאֶסְפ֔וּ

Alphabet Analysis

The word

1. word🔊 נֶאֶסְפ֔וּ

   ne-es-FU

   were gathered
2. clause🔊 וְשָׁא֤וּל וְאִֽישׁ־יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ נֶאֶסְפ֔וּ וַֽיַּחֲנ֖וּ בְּעֵ֣מֶק הָאֵלָ֑ה

   ve-sha-UL ve-ISH-yis-ra-EL ne-es-FU va-ya-kha-NU be-E-mek ha-E-la

   and Saul and a man of Israel were gathered and they encamped in the valley of the Elah
3. sentence🔊 וְשָׁא֤וּל וְאִֽישׁ־יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ נֶאֶסְפ֔וּ וַֽיַּחֲנ֖וּ בְּעֵ֣מֶק הָאֵלָ֑ה וַיַּעַרְכ֥וּ מִלְחָמָ֖ה לִקְרַ֥את פְּלִשְׁתִּֽים׃

   ve-sha-UL ve-ISH-yis-ra-EL ne-es-FU va-ya-kha-NU be-E-mek ha-E-la va-ya-ar-KHU mil-kha-MA lik-ra-AT pe-lish-TIM

   and Saul and a man of Israel were gathered and they encamped in the valley of the Elah and they drew up battle line to meet, against the Philistines

Exegesis

The verse employs the vav-consecutive narrative sequence, beginning with ne’esfu {נֶאֶסְפוּ | neʾ-śə-pû} ‘they were gathered’ in the niphal perfect to indicate a completed assembly, followed by vayachanu {וַיַּחֲנוּ | way-yaḥă-nû} ‘and they camped’ in the qal imperfect with waw-consecutive marking the ensuing encampment.