וַיֹּ֨אמֶר

Alphabet Analysis

The word

1. word🔊 וַיֹּ֨אמֶר

   va-YO-mer

   and he said
2. phraseyour reading level🔊 וַיֹּ֨אמֶר שָׁא֜וּל

   va-YO-mer sha-UL

   and he said Saul
3. clause🔊 וַיֹּ֨אמֶר שָׁא֜וּל אֶל־דָּוִ֗ד הִנֵּה֩ בִתִּ֨י הַגְּדוֹלָ֤ה מֵרַב֙ אֹתָהּ֙ אֶתֶּן־לְךָ֣ לְאִשָּׁ֔ה אַ֚ךְ הֱיֵה־לִּ֣י לְבֶן־חַ֔יִל וְהִלָּחֵ֖ם מִלְחֲמ֣וֹת יְהוָ֑ה

   va-YO-mer sha-UL el-da-VID hi-NE bit-TI ha-ge-do-LA me-RAV o-TA e-TEN-le-KHA le-i-SHA AKH he-YE-lI le-ven-kha-YIL ve-hil-la-KHEM mil-kha-MOT ye-ho-VAH

   and he said Saul to David look, behold my daughter the great, the elder Merab her I will give to you for a wife only be for me as a son of valor, a valiant man and fight battles of the LORD
4. sentence🔊 וַיֹּ֨אמֶר שָׁא֜וּל אֶל־דָּוִ֗ד הִנֵּה֩ בִתִּ֨י הַגְּדוֹלָ֤ה מֵרַב֙ אֹתָהּ֙ אֶתֶּן־לְךָ֣ לְאִשָּׁ֔ה אַ֚ךְ הֱיֵה־לִּ֣י לְבֶן־חַ֔יִל וְהִלָּחֵ֖ם מִלְחֲמ֣וֹת יְהוָ֑ה וְשָׁא֣וּל אָמַ֗ר אַל־תְּהִ֤י יָדִי֙ בּ֔וֹ וּתְהִי־ב֖וֹ יַד־פְּלִשְׁתִּֽים׃

   va-YO-mer sha-UL el-da-VID hi-NE bit-TI ha-ge-do-LA me-RAV o-TA e-TEN-le-KHA le-i-SHA AKH he-YE-lI le-ven-kha-YIL ve-hil-la-KHEM mil-kha-MOT ye-ho-VAH ve-sha-UL a-MAR al-te-HI ya-DI BO u-te-HI-VO yad-pe-lish-TIM

   and he said Saul to David look, behold my daughter the great, the elder Merab her I will give to you for a wife only be for me as a son of valor, a valiant man and fight battles of the LORD and Saul said let not be my hand against him, in him but let be against him, and let be in him hand of the Philistines

Exegesis

The narrative begins with the vav-consecutive verb vayomer {וַיֹּ֨אמֶר | va-yō-mer} ‘and he said’, introducing Saul’s address to David {דָּוִ֗ד | dā-wid} via the particle hinneh {הִנֵּה֩ | hinnēh} ‘behold’.

Root and etymology

“to speak, say”

• 🔊 אִמְרָהimrahutteranceJeremiah 15:16