וַיִּשְׁמַ֤ע

Alphabet Analysis

The word

1. word🔊 וַיִּשְׁמַ֤ע

   va-yish-MA

   and he listened
2. phraseyour reading level🔊 וַיִּשְׁמַ֤ע אֵלָיו֙

   va-yish-MA e-LAV

   and he listened to him
3. clause🔊 וַיִּשְׁמַ֤ע אֵלָיו֙ מֶ֣לֶךְ אַשּׁ֔וּר וַיַּעַל֩ מֶ֨לֶךְ אַשּׁ֤וּר אֶל־דַּמֶּ֙שֶׂק֙ וַֽיִּתְפְּשֶׂ֔הָ וַיַּגְלֶ֖הָ קִ֑ירָה

   va-yish-MA e-LAV ME-lekh a-SHUR va-YA-al ME-lekh a-SHUR el-da-ME-sek va-yit-pe-SE-ha va-yag-le-HA KI-ra

   and he listened to him king of Assyria and he went up the king of Assyria to Damascus and he seized it and he exiled it to Kir
4. sentence🔊 וַיִּשְׁמַ֤ע אֵלָיו֙ מֶ֣לֶךְ אַשּׁ֔וּר וַיַּעַל֩ מֶ֨לֶךְ אַשּׁ֤וּר אֶל־דַּמֶּ֙שֶׂק֙ וַֽיִּתְפְּשֶׂ֔הָ וַיַּגְלֶ֖הָ קִ֑ירָה וְאֶת־רְצִ֖ין הֵמִֽית׃

   va-yish-MA e-LAV ME-lekh a-SHUR va-YA-al ME-lekh a-SHUR el-da-ME-sek va-yit-pe-SE-ha va-yag-le-HA KI-ra ve-ET-re-TSIN he-MIT

   and he listened to him king of Assyria and he went up the king of Assyria to Damascus and he seized it and he exiled it to Kir and Rezin he put to death

Exegesis

The initial vayishma {וַיִּשְׁמַע | wayyišmaʿ} ‘and he listened’ signals compliance, followed by vayyaal {וַיַּעַל | wayyāʿal} ‘and he marched’ marking the advance.

Root and etymology

sh-m-ʿ🔊 ש־מ־עshin–mem–ayin

“to hear, listen”