וַיִּשְׁתַּ֧חוּ

Alphabet Analysis

The word

1. word🔊 וַיִּשְׁתַּ֧חוּ

   va-yish-ta-KHU

   and he bowed down
2. phraseyour reading level🔊 וַיִּשְׁתַּ֧חוּ כוּשִׁ֛י

   va-yish-ta-KHU ku-SHI

   and he bowed down the Cushite
3. clause🔊 וַיִּשְׁתַּ֧חוּ כוּשִׁ֛י לְיוֹאָ֖ב וַיָּ֥רָץ׃

   va-yish-ta-KHU ku-SHI le-yo-AV va-YA-rats

   and he bowed down the Cushite to Joab and he ran
4. sentence🔊 וַיֹּ֤אמֶר יוֹאָב֙ לַכּוּשִׁ֔י לֵ֚ךְ הַגֵּ֥ד לַמֶּ֖לֶךְ אֲשֶׁ֣ר רָאִ֑יתָה וַיִּשְׁתַּ֧חוּ כוּשִׁ֛י לְיוֹאָ֖ב וַיָּ֥רָץ׃

   va-YO-mer yo-AV la-ku-SHI LEKH ha-GED la-ME-lekh a-SHER ra-I-ta va-yish-ta-KHU ku-SHI le-yo-AV va-YA-rats

   and he said Joab to the Cushite go tell to the king which you saw and he bowed down the Cushite to Joab and he ran

Exegesis

The Hithpael imperfect vayishtachu {וַיִּשְׁתַּחוּ | wa·yiš·taḥ·šû} ‘and he bowed down’ denotes submission, and the subsequent vav-consecutive Qal imperfect vayaratz {וַיָּרָץ | wa·yā·rāṣ} ‘and he ran’ marks immediate compliance. The English rendering preserves the sequence of command, respectful gesture, and swift departure to reflect the original cause-and-effect structure and cultural etiquette.