וַיִּ֨תֶּן־חַ֔יִל

Alphabet Analysis

The word

1. word🔊 וַיִּ֨תֶּן־חַ֔יִל

   va-yit-TEN-kha-YIL

   and he put or placed strength or forces
2. clause🔊 וַיִּ֨תֶּן־חַ֔יִל בְּכָל־עָרֵ֥י יְהוּדָ֖ה הַבְּצֻר֑וֹת

   va-yit-TEN-kha-YIL be-KHOL-a-RE ye-hu-DA ha-be-tsu-ROT

   and he put or placed strength or forces in all the cities of Judah the fortified {ones} or the fortified {cities}
3. sentence🔊 וַיִּ֨תֶּן־חַ֔יִל בְּכָל־עָרֵ֥י יְהוּדָ֖ה הַבְּצֻר֑וֹת וַיִּתֵּ֤ן נְצִיבִים֙ בְּאֶ֣רֶץ יְהוּדָ֔ה וּבְעָרֵ֣י אֶפְרַ֔יִם אֲשֶׁ֥ר לָכַ֖ד אָסָ֥א אָבִֽיו׃

   va-yit-TEN-kha-YIL be-KHOL-a-RE ye-hu-DA ha-be-tsu-ROT va-yit-TEN ne-tsi-VIM be-E-rets ye-hu-DA u-ve-a-RE e-fe-RA-yim a-SHER la-KHAD a-SA a-VI-v

   and he put or placed strength or forces in all the cities of Judah the fortified {ones} or the fortified {cities} and he put or set garrisons or officers in the land of Judah and in the cities of Ephraim which or that he captured Asa his father

Exegesis

The verse features the verb wayyiṯen {וַיִּתֵּן | wayyiṯen} twice, marking parallel deployments.

The term khayil {חַיִל | khayil} denotes a military unit, while the prepositional phrase bəkhol-’ārei-Yehudah-habeṣurōt {בְּכָל־עָרֵי יְהוּדָה הַבְּצֻר֑וֹת | bəkhol-’ārei-Yehudah habeṣurōt} constructs “in all the fortified cities of Judah.”

The repetition wayyiṯen nᵉṣīvīm {וַיִּתֵּ֤ן נְצִיבִים֙ | wayyiṯen nᵉṣīvīm} parallels appointing garrisons in two domains: bᵉʾereṣ-Yehudah {בְּאֶ֣רֶץ יְהוּדָ֔ה | bᵉʾereṣ-Yehudah} and u-bᵉ’ārei-’Ephrayim {וּבְעָרֵ֣י אֶפְרַ֔יִם | u-bᵉ’ārei ’Ephrayim}.

Root and etymology

ḥ-y-l🔊 Chet–Yod–Lamed

“strength, army”

• 🔊 מִלְחָמָהmilḥamahbattle2 Samuel 8:1