וַתְּהִ֞י

Alphabet Analysis

The word

1. word🔊 וַתְּהִ֞י

   vat-te-HI

   and it was
2. clause🔊 וַתְּהִ֞י עַֽל־מַלְאֲכֵ֤י שָׁאוּל֙ ר֣וּחַ אֱלֹהִ֔ים וַיִּֽתְנַבְּא֖וּ גַּם־הֵֽמָּה׃

   vat-te-HI al-mal-a-KHE sha-UL RU-akh e-lo-HIM va-yit-na-be-U gam-HE-ma

   and it was upon the messengers of Saul spirit of God and they prophesied also they
3. sentence🔊 וַיִּשְׁלַ֨ח שָׁא֣וּל מַלְאָכִים֮ לָקַ֣חַת אֶת־דָּוִד֒ וַיַּ֗רְא אֶֽת־לַהֲקַ֤ת הַנְּבִיאִים֙ נִבְּאִ֔ים וּשְׁמוּאֵ֕ל עֹמֵ֥ד נִצָּ֖ב עֲלֵיהֶ֑ם וַתְּהִ֞י עַֽל־מַלְאֲכֵ֤י שָׁאוּל֙ ר֣וּחַ אֱלֹהִ֔ים וַיִּֽתְנַבְּא֖וּ גַּם־הֵֽמָּה׃

   va-yish-LAKH sha-UL mal-a-KHIM la-ka-KHAT et-da-VID va-yar-E et-la-ha-KAT han-ne-vi-IM nib-be-IM u-she-mu-EL o-MED nits-TSAV a-le-HEM vat-te-HI al-mal-a-KHE sha-UL RU-akh e-lo-HIM va-yit-na-be-U gam-HE-ma

   and he sent Saul messengers to take {direct object marker} David and he saw {direct object marker} the company of the prophets prophesying and Samuel standing stationed or standing over them and it was upon the messengers of Saul spirit of God and they prophesied also they

Exegesis

The experiential clause introduced by vattəhî {וַתְּהִ֞י | watt·ə·hî} leads to the prepositional phrase ʿal malkê šāʾûl {עַל־מַלְאֲכֵי שָׁאוּל | ʿal mal·ʾă·ḵê šāʾûl} ‘upon Saul’s messengers’ and the compound rūaḥ ʾĕ·lōhîm {רוּחַ אֱלֹהִים | rū·aḥ ʾĕ·lō·hîm} ‘Spirit of God’, indicating divine agency.