וַיָּ֣שֶׁב

Alphabet Analysis

The word

1. word🔊 וַיָּ֣שֶׁב

   va-ya-SHEV

   and he brought back
2. phraseyour reading level🔊 וַיָּ֣שֶׁב אֶת־הַצֵּ֗ל

   va-ya-SHEV et-ha-TSEL

   and he brought back the shadow
3. clause🔊 וַיָּ֣שֶׁב אֶת־הַצֵּ֗ל בַּֽ֠מַּעֲלוֹת אֲשֶׁ֨ר יָרְדָ֜ה בְּמַעֲל֥וֹת אָחָ֛ז אֲחֹֽרַנִּ֖ית עֶ֥שֶׂר מַעֲלֽוֹת׃

   va-ya-SHEV et-ha-TSEL ba-ma-a-LOT a-SHER yar-DA be-ma-a-LOT a-KHAZ a-kho-ra-NIT E-ser ma-a-LOT

   and he brought back the shadow on the steps which it had gone down on the steps of Ahaz backward ten steps
4. sentence🔊 וַיִּקְרָ֛א יְשַׁעְיָ֥הוּ הַנָּבִ֖יא אֶל־יְהוָ֑ה וַיָּ֣שֶׁב אֶת־הַצֵּ֗ל בַּֽ֠מַּעֲלוֹת אֲשֶׁ֨ר יָרְדָ֜ה בְּמַעֲל֥וֹת אָחָ֛ז אֲחֹֽרַנִּ֖ית עֶ֥שֶׂר מַעֲלֽוֹת׃

   va-yik-RA ye-sha-ya-HU ha-na-VI el-ye-ho-VAH va-ya-SHEV et-ha-TSEL ba-ma-a-LOT a-SHER yar-DA be-ma-a-LOT a-KHAZ a-kho-ra-NIT E-ser ma-a-LOT

   and he called Isaiah the prophet to the LORD and he brought back the shadow on the steps which it had gone down on the steps of Ahaz backward ten steps

Exegesis

The second clause’s Hiphil imperfect vav-consecutive wayyāšeb {וַיָּשֶׁב | wayyāšeb} ‘and he caused to return’ is followed by the adverb ʾăḥôrrannîṯ {אֲחֹרַנִּית | ʾăḥôrrannîṯ} ‘backward’ and the quantitative phrase ʿeśer ma‘ălôṯ {עֶשֶׂר מַעֲלֻת | ʿeśer maʿălôṯ} ‘ten steps’, illustrating how the tightly woven sequence of relative clauses and vav-consecutive forms emphasizes the reversal of the shadow’s prior descent.

Root and etymology

Root🔊 י־שׁ־בy-sh-b

“to sit, dwell, cause to return”

• 🔊 תְּשׁוּבָהtešûvāhrepentance, returnIsaiah 44:22