מָֽיִם׃

Alphabet Analysis

The word

1. word🔊 מָֽיִם׃

   MA-yim

   water
2. phraseyour reading level🔊 וְלֹא־מָ֥צְאוּ מָֽיִם׃

   ve-lo-MA-tse-u MA-yim

   {And} they did not find water
3. clause🔊 וַיֵּלְכ֧וּ שְׁלֹֽשֶׁת־יָמִ֛ים בַּמִּדְבָּ֖ר וְלֹא־מָ֥צְאוּ מָֽיִם׃

   va-ye-le-KHU she-lo-shet-ya-MIM ba-mid-BAR ve-lo-MA-tse-u MA-yim

   {And} they went three days in the wilderness {And} they did not find water
4. sentence🔊 וַיַּסַּ֨ע מֹשֶׁ֤ה אֶת־יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ מִיַּם־ס֔וּף וַיֵּצְא֖וּ אֶל־מִדְבַּר־שׁ֑וּר וַיֵּלְכ֧וּ שְׁלֹֽשֶׁת־יָמִ֛ים בַּמִּדְבָּ֖ר וְלֹא־מָ֥צְאוּ מָֽיִם׃

   va-yas-SA mo-SHE et-yis-ra-EL mi-yam-SUF va-ye-tse-U el-mid-bar-SHUR va-ye-le-KHU she-lo-shet-ya-MIM ba-mid-BAR ve-lo-MA-tse-u MA-yim

   Moses {And He} caused to set out Israel from the sea of reeds {And} they went out to the wilderness of Shur {And} they went three days in the wilderness {And} they did not find water

Exegesis

The negative result velomatse’u {וְלֹא־מָ֥צְאוּ | wə-lō-māts-ʼû} ‘and they did not find’ introduces the absence of mayim {מָֽיִם | mā-yim} ‘water.’ The accumulation of vav-consecutive clauses emphasizes uninterrupted progression and heightens the dramatic tension of scarcity.

Root and etymology

m-y-m🔊 מ-י-םmem–yod–mem

“water”

• 🔊 שָׁמַיִםsha-ma-yimheavensGenesis 1:8