וַיְהִי֩

Alphabet Analysis

The word

1. word🔊 וַיְהִי֩

   va-ye-HI

   and it was
2. phraseyour reading level🔊 וַיְהִי֩ בַיּ֨וֹם הַשְּׁלִישִׁ֜י

   va-ye-HI ba-YOM ha-SHE-li-SHEE

   and it was on the day the third
3. clause🔊 וַיְהִי֩ בַיּ֨וֹם הַשְּׁלִישִׁ֜י בִּֽהְיֹ֣ת הַבֹּ֗קֶר וַיְהִי֩ קֹלֹ֨ת וּבְרָקִ֜ים וְעָנָ֤ן כָּבֵד֙ עַל־הָהָ֔ר וְקֹ֥ל שֹׁפָ֖ר חָזָ֣ק מְאֹ֑ד

   va-ye-HI ba-YOM ha-SHE-li-SHEE bi-he-YOT ha-BO-ker va-ye-HI ko-LOT oo-be-ra-KEEM ve-a-NAAN ka-VED al-ha-HAR ve-KOL sho-FAR kha-ZAK me-OD

   and it was on the day the third when it was the morning and there was thunders and lightnings and a cloud thick upon the mountain and the sound of a trumpet strong very
4. sentence🔊 וַיְהִי֩ בַיּ֨וֹם הַשְּׁלִישִׁ֜י בִּֽהְיֹ֣ת הַבֹּ֗קֶר וַיְהִי֩ קֹלֹ֨ת וּבְרָקִ֜ים וְעָנָ֤ן כָּבֵד֙ עַל־הָהָ֔ר וְקֹ֥ל שֹׁפָ֖ר חָזָ֣ק מְאֹ֑ד וַיֶּחֱרַ֥ד כָּל־הָעָ֖ם אֲשֶׁ֥ר בַּֽמַּחֲנֶֽה׃

   va-ye-HI ba-YOM ha-SHE-li-SHEE bi-he-YOT ha-BO-ker va-ye-HI ko-LOT oo-be-ra-KEEM ve-a-NAAN ka-VED al-ha-HAR ve-KOL sho-FAR kha-ZAK me-OD va-ye-khe-RAD kol-ha-AM a-SHER ba-ma-kha-NEH

   and it was on the day the third when it was the morning and there was thunders and lightnings and a cloud thick upon the mountain and the sound of a trumpet strong very and trembled all the people who in the camp

Exegesis

The verse opens with vayhi {וַיְהִי | wa-yəhî} ‘and it was’, the narrative wayyiqtol marking.

A second vayhi {וַיְהִי | wa-yəhî} introduces the coordinated phenomena kolot {קֹלֹת | qō-lōṯ} ‘sounds’, uberakim {וּבְרָקִים | û-və-rā-qîm} ‘and lightnings’, and veanan kaved al-hahar {וְעָנָן כָּבֵד עַל־הָהָר | və-ʿā-nān kā-vē-ḏ ʿal-hā-hār} ‘and a heavy cloud upon the mountain’. The asyndetic list heightens the sensory portrayal.