וְעָרֵ֥י

Alphabet Analysis

The word

1. word🔊 וְעָרֵ֥י

   ve-a-REI

   and {in} cities of
2. phraseyour reading level🔊 וְעָרֵ֥י מָדָֽי׃

   ve-a-REI ma-DAI

   and {in} cities of Media
3. clause🔊 וַיַּנְחֵ֞ם בַּחְלַ֧ח וּבְחָב֛וֹר נְהַ֥ר גּוֹזָ֖ן וְעָרֵ֥י מָדָֽי׃

   va-yan-KHEM ba-KHLA-akh u-ve-kha-VOR ne-HAR go-ZAN ve-a-REI ma-DAI

   and he settled them in Halah and in Habor river of Gozan and {in} cities of Media
4. sentence🔊 וַיֶּ֧גֶל מֶֽלֶךְ־אַשּׁ֛וּר אֶת־יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל אַשּׁ֑וּרָה וַיַּנְחֵ֞ם בַּחְלַ֧ח וּבְחָב֛וֹר נְהַ֥ר גּוֹזָ֖ן וְעָרֵ֥י מָדָֽי׃

   va-YE-gel ME-lekh-a-SHUR et-yis-ra-EL a-SHU-ra va-yan-KHEM ba-KHLA-akh u-ve-kha-VOR ne-HAR go-ZAN ve-a-REI ma-DAI

   and he exiled the king of Assyria {direct object} Israel to Assyria and he settled them in Halah and in Habor river of Gozan and {in} cities of Media

Exegesis

A second vav-consecutive Hiphil imperfect vayyanchēm {וַיַּנְחֵ֞ם | vayyanchēm} ‘and he settled them’ introduces a chain of locative phrases—ba-ḥalah {בַּחְלַ֧ח | ba-ḥalah} ‘in Halah’, uve-ḥabor {וּבְחָבּוֹר | uve-ḥabor} ‘and in Habor’, nehar Gozan {נְהַר גּוֹזָן | nehar Gozan} ‘the Gozan River’, ve-’arei Madai {וְעָרֵי מָדָֽי | ve-’arei Madai} ‘and the cities of Media’. The coordination of causative verbs and directional forms creates a flowing narrative that emphasizes the comprehensive nature of Israel’s forced migration and systematic resettlement.