1 Samuel 17:23:181 Sam.17.23.W18TAB

וַיִּשְׁמַ֖ע

vayishma

and heard

Transliteration
va-yish-MA
Extended
vah-yihsh-MAH
IPA
/vaj.jiʃˈmaʕ/

Meaning by language

English
and heard

Hebrew · tap a syllable to hear it

Result
וַ + יִּשְׁ + מַ֖ע
va + yish + ma
vayishma

Alphabet Analysis

Vavv as in vine; marks long ō / ū
Patachshort 'ah' as in father
Yody as in yes; marks long ī
Hireq'ee' as in machine
Shinshin with right dot; sin with left dot
Shevasilent sheva — no sound; closes the syllable
Memm as in mother
Patachshort 'ah' as in father
Ayindeep guttural stop, voiced pharyngeal

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Vowels (Niqqud)

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The word

Word in context

  1. word

    va-yish-MA

  2. clause

    va-yish-MA da-VID

  3. sentence

    ve-HU me-da-BER i-MAM ve-hi-NE ISH ha-be-NA-yim o-LE gal-YAT ha-pe-li-shi-TI she-MO mi-GAT me-me-a-ROT mi-ma-ar-KHOT pe-li-shi-TIM va-ye-da-BER kad-de-va-RIM ha-E-le va-yish-MA da-VID

Exegesis

The narrative climaxes with the vav-consecutive Qal vayishma {וַיִּשְׁמַע | way-yiš-ma‘} ‘and he heard,’ highlighting David’s perception of Goliath’s challenge.

Root and etymology

š-m-‘

to hear

In context1 Samuel 17:23

While he was speaking with them, the champion emerged—Goliath the Philistine from Gath—from the ranks of the Philistines; he spoke the same words , and David heard.

About this coordinate

1 Samuel 17:23:18 is a BCV:P reference — Book · Chapter · Verse · Word Position. It addresses word 18 of 1 Samuel 17:23, so the Hebrew word וַיִּשְׁמַ֖ע (vayishma) 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.17.23.W18, which extends further down to each syllable (1 Sam.17.23.W18.S1) and character.