וַיֹּ֗אמֶר

Alphabet Analysis

The word

1. word🔊 וַיֹּ֗אמֶר

   va-yo-MER

   and said
2. clause🔊 וַיֹּ֗אמֶר אֵ֣י זֶ֤ה הַדֶּ֙רֶךְ֙ עָבַ֧ר רֽוּחַ־יְהוָ֛ה מֵאִתִּ֖י לְדַבֵּ֥ר אֹתָֽךְ׃

   va-yo-MER EI ZE ha-DE-rekh a-VAR RU-akh-ye-ho-VAH me-it-TI le-dab-BER o-TAKH

   and said where is this the way passed Spirit of the LORD from with me to speak you {feminine singular}
3. sentence🔊 וַיִּגַּשׁ֙ צִדְקִיָּ֣הוּ בֶֽן־כְּנַעֲנָ֔ה וַיַּ֥ךְ אֶת־מִיכָ֖יְהוּ עַל־הַלֶּ֑חִי וַיֹּ֗אמֶר אֵ֣י זֶ֤ה הַדֶּ֙רֶךְ֙ עָבַ֧ר רֽוּחַ־יְהוָ֛ה מֵאִתִּ֖י לְדַבֵּ֥ר אֹתָֽךְ׃

   va-yig-GASH tsid-ki-YA-hu ben-ke-na-a-NA va-YAKH et-mi-kha-YE-hu al-hal-LE-khi va-yo-MER EI ZE ha-DE-rekh a-VAR RU-akh-ye-ho-VAH me-it-TI le-dab-BER o-TAKH

   and he came near Zedekiah son of Chenaanah and struck {direct object marker} Micaiah on the cheek and said where is this the way passed Spirit of the LORD from with me to speak you {feminine singular}

Exegesis

The verb vayyōmer {וַיֹּ֗אמֶר | wayyōmer} ‘and he said’ transitions into the question framed by ʾē zeh haddereḵ {אֵ֣י זֶ֤ה הַדֶּ֙רֶךְ֙ | ʾē zeh haddereḵ} ‘which way is this,’ followed by ʿāvar {עָבַ֧ר | ʿāvar} ‘passed’ marking motion of the agent rūaḥ-YHWH {רֽוּחַ־יְהוָ֛ה | rūaḥ-YHWH} ‘Spirit of the LORD’ with source mēʾittî {מֵאִתִּ֖י | mēʾittî} ‘from me,’ and the infinitive ləḏabber {לְדַבֵּ֥ר | ləḏabber} ‘to speak’ plus pronoun ʾōṯāḵ {אֹתָֽךְ | ʾōṯāḵ} ‘to you,’ conveying the Spirit’s intention. This tight sequence of clauses underscores the prophet’s challenge to the source of divine inspiration.

Root and etymology

aleph–mem–resh🔊 א־מ־רaleph–mem–resh

“to say, speak”

• 🔊 אִמְרָהimrahutterancePsalm 119:11