וּמָצָ֥א

Alphabet Analysis

The word

1. word🔊 וּמָצָ֥א

   u-ma-TSA

   and strikes
2. phraseyour reading level🔊 וּמָצָ֥א אֶת־רֵעֵ֖הוּ

   u-ma-TSA ET-re-EH-hu

   and strikes his neighbor
3. clause🔊 וַאֲשֶׁר֩ יָבֹ֨א אֶת־רֵעֵ֥הוּ בַיַּעַר֮ לַחְטֹ֣ב עֵצִים֒ וְנִדְּחָ֨ה יָד֤וֹ בַגַּרְזֶן֙ לִכְרֹ֣ת הָעֵ֔ץ וְנָשַׁ֤ל הַבַּרְזֶל֙ מִן־הָעֵ֔ץ וּמָצָ֥א אֶת־רֵעֵ֖הוּ וָמֵ֑ת

   va-a-SHER ya-VO ET-re-EH-hu ba-ya-AR lakh-TOV ei-TSIM ve-nid-KHAH ya-DO ba-gar-ZEN likh-ROT ha-ETS ve-na-SHAL ha-bar-ZEL min-ha-ETS u-ma-TSA ET-re-EH-hu va-MET

   and when he comes his neighbor into the forest to cut wood and his hand is thrust away his hand with the axe to cut down the tree and slips loose the iron {axehead} from the wood and strikes his neighbor and he dies
4. sentence🔊 וַאֲשֶׁר֩ יָבֹ֨א אֶת־רֵעֵ֥הוּ בַיַּעַר֮ לַחְטֹ֣ב עֵצִים֒ וְנִדְּחָ֨ה יָד֤וֹ בַגַּרְזֶן֙ לִכְרֹ֣ת הָעֵ֔ץ וְנָשַׁ֤ל הַבַּרְזֶל֙ מִן־הָעֵ֔ץ וּמָצָ֥א אֶת־רֵעֵ֖הוּ וָמֵ֑ת ה֗וּא יָנ֛וּ אֶל־אַחַ֥ת הֶעָרִים־הָאֵ֖לֶּה וָחָֽי׃

   va-a-SHER ya-VO ET-re-EH-hu ba-ya-AR lakh-TOV ei-TSIM ve-nid-KHAH ya-DO ba-gar-ZEN likh-ROT ha-ETS ve-na-SHAL ha-bar-ZEL min-ha-ETS u-ma-TSA ET-re-EH-hu va-MET HU ya-NUS el-a-KHAT he-a-RIM-ha-E-leh va-KHAI

   and when he comes his neighbor into the forest to cut wood and his hand is thrust away his hand with the axe to cut down the tree and slips loose the iron {axehead} from the wood and strikes his neighbor and he dies he may flee to one of these cities and live

Exegesis

The clause ve-nashal ha-barzel min-ha-etz {וְנָשַׁ֤ל הַבַּרְזֶל֙ מִן־הָעֵ֔ץ | wə·nā·šal ha·bar·zēl min·hā·’ēṣ} ‘and slips off the tree’ uses a Qal perfect to depict the axe head’s detachment, and u-matsa {וּמָצָ֥א | ū·mā·ṣā} ‘and strikes’ conveys the fatal impact on the neighbor.

Root and etymology

מ־צ־א🔊 mem–tsade–aleph

“to find; encounter”

• 🔊 וַיִּמְצָאmatsahe foundJudges 7:2