וַיִּתְחָ֑ל

Alphabet Analysis

The word

1. word🔊 וַיִּתְחָ֑ל

   va-yit-KHAL

   and he made himself sick
2. clause🔊 וַיִּשְׁכַּ֥ב אַמְנ֖וֹן וַיִּתְחָ֑ל

   va-yish-KAV am-NON va-yit-KHAL

   and he lay down Amnon and he made himself sick
3. sentence🔊 וַיִּשְׁכַּ֥ב אַמְנ֖וֹן וַיִּתְחָ֑ל וַיָּבֹ֨א הַמֶּ֜לֶךְ לִרְאֹת֗וֹ וַיֹּ֨אמֶר אַמְנ֤וֹן אֶל־הַמֶּ֙לֶךְ֙ תָּֽבוֹא־נָ֞א תָּמָ֣ר אֲחֹתִ֗י וּתְלַבֵּ֤ב לְעֵינַי֙ שְׁתֵּ֣י לְבִב֔וֹת וְאֶבְרֶ֖ה מִיָּדָֽהּ׃

   va-yish-KAV am-NON va-yit-KHAL va-ya-VO ha-ME-lekh lir-o-TO va-YO-mer am-NON el-ha-ME-lekh ta-VO-na ta-MAR a-kho-TI u-te-la-BEV le-e-NAI she-TEI le-vi-VOT ve-ev-RE mi-ya-DA

   and he lay down Amnon and he made himself sick and he came the king to see him and he said Amnon to the king please let come Tamar my sister and let her make before my eyes two of cakes and I will eat from her hand

Exegesis

The verse employs a series of vav-consecutive narrative verbs to sustain action: wayyiškab {וַיִּשְׁכַּב | wayyiškab} ‘and he lay down’, wayyaṭḥal {וַיִּתְחָל | wayyaṭḥal} ‘and he made himself sick’, and wayyāḇō {וַיָּבֹא | wayyāḇō} ‘and he came’. This sequence underscores Amnon’s feigned illness.