וְהוּא֙

Alphabet Analysis

The word

1. word🔊 וְהוּא֙

   ve-HU

   and he or it
2. clause🔊 וְהוּא֙ בֹּ֣נֶה חַ֔יִץ וְהִנָּ֛ם טָחִ֥ים אֹת֖וֹ תָּפֵֽל׃

   ve-HU BO-ne kha-YITS ve-hin-NAM ta-KHIM o-TO ta-FEL

   and he or it is building a wall and they are smearing it whitewash
3. sentence🔊 יַ֣עַן וּבְיַ֜עַן הִטְע֧וּ אֶת־עַמִּ֛י לֵאמֹ֥ר שָׁל֖וֹם וְאֵ֣ין שָׁל֑וֹם וְהוּא֙ בֹּ֣נֶה חַ֔יִץ וְהִנָּ֛ם טָחִ֥ים אֹת֖וֹ תָּפֵֽל׃

   YA-an u-ve-YA-an hit-E-u et-A-MI le-MOR sha-LOM ve-EN sha-LOM ve-HU BO-ne kha-YITS ve-hin-NAM ta-KHIM o-TO ta-FEL

   because and because they have led astray {direct object} my people saying peace and there is no peace and he or it is building a wall and they are smearing it whitewash

Exegesis

The focus shifts metaphorically with the Qal participle bōnēh {בֹּנֶה | bōnēh} ‘building’ in wə-hū bōnēh ḥayîṣ {וְהוּא בֹּנֶה חַיִץ | wə-hū bōnēh ḥayîṣ} ‘and he is building a wall’, followed by ṭāḥîm {טָחִים | ṭāḥîm} ‘plastering’ in wə-hinnām ṭāḥîm ʾôtô ṭāp̄ēl {וְהִנָּם טָחִים אֹתוֹ תָּפֵֽל | wə-hinnām ṭāḥîm ʾôtô ṭāp̄ēl} ‘and behold, they plaster it with plaster’. The use of Qal participles conveys ongoing, habitual action, emphasizing repeated deception and superficial remedies that mask structural faults.