וַיְהִ֥י

Alphabet Analysis

The word

1. word🔊 וַיְהִ֥י

   va-ye-HI

   and he was
2. phraseyour reading level🔊 וַיְהִ֥י לְפָנָ֖יו

   va-ye-HI le-fa-NAV

   and he was before him
3. clause🔊 וַיָּבֵ֨א יְהוֹנָתָ֤ן אֶת־דָּוִד֙ אֶל־שָׁא֔וּל וַיְהִ֥י לְפָנָ֖יו כְּאֶתְמ֥וֹל שִׁלְשֽׁוֹם׃

   va-ya-VE ye-ho-na-TAN et-da-VID el-sha-UL va-ye-HI le-fa-NAV ke-et-MOL shil-SHOM

   and he brought Jonathan {direct object marker} David to Saul and he was before him as yesterday the day before yesterday
4. sentence🔊 וַיִּקְרָ֤א יְהוֹנָתָן֙ לְדָוִ֔ד וַיַּגֶּד־לוֹ֙ יְה֣וֹנָתָ֔ן אֵ֥ת כָּל־הַדְּבָרִ֖ים הָאֵ֑לֶּה וַיָּבֵ֨א יְהוֹנָתָ֤ן אֶת־דָּוִד֙ אֶל־שָׁא֔וּל וַיְהִ֥י לְפָנָ֖יו כְּאֶתְמ֥וֹל שִׁלְשֽׁוֹם׃

   va-yik-RA ye-ho-na-TAN le-da-VID va-yag-GED-LO ye-ho-na-TAN ET kol-ha-de-va-RIM ha-E-le va-ya-VE ye-ho-na-TAN et-da-VID el-sha-UL va-ye-HI le-fa-NAV ke-et-MOL shil-SHOM

   and he called Jonathan to David and he told him Jonathan {direct object marker} all the words these and he brought Jonathan {direct object marker} David to Saul and he was before him as yesterday the day before yesterday

Exegesis

The narrative employs a sequence of vav-consecutive imperfect verbs—beginning with vayyiqra {וַיִּקְרָ֤א | wayyē-qərāʼ} ‘and he called’, followed by vayyagged-lo {וַיַּגֶּד־לוֹ֙ | wayyaggēd-lō} ‘and he told him’, vayyabe {וַיָּבֵ֨א | wayyāḇēʾ} ‘and he brought’, and vayhi {וַיְהִ֥י | wayhî} ‘and he was’—to portray a rapid series of actions.