Exodus 18:22:1Exod.18.22.W1TAB
וְשָׁפְט֣וּ
veshaftu
“and they shall judge”
- Transliteration
- ve-shaf-TU
- Extended
- veh-shahf-TOO
- IPA
- /vəʃafˈtuː/
Meaning by language
- English
- and they shall judge
Hebrew · tap a syllable to hear it
Alphabet Analysis
| Vav | v as in vine; marks long ō / ū | |
| Sheva | vocal sheva — a short 'e' (ə), begins a syllable | |
| Shin | shin with right dot; sin with left dot | |
| Qamets | long 'ah' | |
| Pe | p with dagesh; f without | |
| Sheva | silent sheva — no sound; closes the syllable | |
| Tet | t — emphatic | |
| Vav | v as in vine; marks long ō / ū |
Tap any letter to hear its name and sound
Now you try — trace the word:
The word
Word in context
- word
ve-shaf-TU
- phraseyour reading level
ve-shaf-TU ET-ha-AM
- clause
ve-shaf-TU ET-ha-AM be-KHOL-ET ve-ha-YA KOL-ha-da-VAR ha-ga-DOL ya-vee-U eh-LE-kha veh-KHOL-ha-da-VAR ha-ka-TON yish-pe-tu-HEM
- sentence
ve-shaf-TU ET-ha-AM be-KHOL-ET ve-ha-YA KOL-ha-da-VAR ha-ga-DOL ya-vee-U eh-LE-kha veh-KHOL-ha-da-VAR ha-ka-TON yish-pe-tu-HEM ve-ha-KEL meh-aa-LEH-khah ve-na-se-U it-TAKH
Exegesis
The verse begins with the vav-consecutive perfect of shafṭû {שָׁפְט֣וּ | wə-šāp̄-ṭû} ‘and they shall judge’, prescribing ongoing judicial oversight.
Root and etymology
Rootshin–pe–tet
“to judge, govern”
In context — Exodus 18:22
And they shall judge the people at all times; every great matter they shall bring to you, but every small matter they themselves shall decide. In this way it will be lighter for you, and they will bear it with you.
About this coordinate
Exodus 18:22:1 is a BCV:P reference — Book · Chapter · Verse · Word Position. It addresses word 1 of Exodus 18:22, so the Hebrew word וְשָׁפְט֣וּ (veshaftu) can be cited, linked and studied at exactly this position rather than somewhere in the verse. In the Biblical Knowledge Coordinate System the same position is written Exod.18.22.W1, which extends further down to each syllable (Exod.18.22.W1.S1) and character.