וַיֹּ֨אמֶר

Alphabet Analysis

The word

1. word🔊 וַיֹּ֨אמֶר

   va-yo-MER

   and he said
2. phraseyour reading level🔊 וַיֹּ֨אמֶר לָהֶ֜ם

   va-yo-MER la-HEM

   and he said to them
3. clause🔊 וַיֹּ֨אמֶר לָהֶ֜ם כֹּ֣ה אָמַ֣ר הָאֱלֹהִ֗ים לָמָה֩ אַתֶּ֨ם עֹבְרִ֜ים אֶת־מִצְוֺ֤ת יְהוָה֙ וְלֹ֣א תַצְלִ֔יחוּ כִּֽי־עֲזַבְתֶּ֥ם אֶת־יְהוָ֖ה וַיַּֽעֲזֹ֥ב אֶתְכֶֽם׃

   va-yo-MER la-HEM KO a-MAR ha-e-lo-HIM la-MA a-TEM o-ve-RIM et-mits-vo-T ye-ho-VAH ve-LO tats-li-KHU ki-a-zav-TEM et-ye-ho-VAH va-ya-ZOV et-khem

   and he said to them thus said the God why you {plural} are transgressing the commandments of the LORD and not will you prosper for you have forsaken the LORD and he forsook you {plural}
4. sentence🔊 וְר֣וּחַ אֱלֹהִ֗ים לָֽבְשָׁה֙ אֶת־זְכַרְיָה֙ בֶּן־יְהוֹיָדָ֣ע הַכֹּהֵ֔ן וַֽיַּעֲמֹ֖ד מֵעַ֣ל לָעָ֑ם וַיֹּ֨אמֶר לָהֶ֜ם כֹּ֣ה אָמַ֣ר הָאֱלֹהִ֗ים לָמָה֩ אַתֶּ֨ם עֹבְרִ֜ים אֶת־מִצְוֺ֤ת יְהוָה֙ וְלֹ֣א תַצְלִ֔יחוּ כִּֽי־עֲזַבְתֶּ֥ם אֶת־יְהוָ֖ה וַיַּֽעֲזֹ֥ב אֶתְכֶֽם׃

   ve-RU-akh e-lo-HIM la-ve-SHA et-ze-khar-ya ben-ye-ho-ya-DA ha-ko-HEN va-ya-a-MOD me-AL la-AM va-yo-MER la-HEM KO a-MAR ha-e-lo-HIM la-MA a-TEM o-ve-RIM et-mits-vo-T ye-ho-VAH ve-LO tats-li-KHU ki-a-zav-TEM et-ye-ho-VAH va-ya-ZOV et-khem

   and spirit of God clothed Zechariah son of Jehoiada the priest and he stood from above to the people and he said to them thus said the God why you {plural} are transgressing the commandments of the LORD and not will you prosper for you have forsaken the LORD and he forsook you {plural}

Exegesis

A vav-consecutive sequence wayya‘ămōḏ, wayyōmer, and wayya‘azōv {וַֽיַּעֲמֹ֖ד וַיֹּאמֶר וַיַּעֲזֹב | wayya‘ămōḏ wayyōmer wayya‘azōv} structures the narrative into proclamation and judgment.

Root and etymology

’-m-r🔊 א־מ־רaleph–mem–resh

“to speak”

• 🔊 אִמְרָהimrahutterancePsalm 119:11