Ezekiel 13:4:5Ezek.13.4.W5TAB

הָיֽוּ׃

hayu

have been or were

Transliteration
ha-YU
Extended
haa-YOO
IPA
/haːˈjuː/

Meaning by language

English
have been or were

Hebrew · tap a syllable to hear it

Result
הָ + יֽוּ׃
ha + yu
hayu

Alphabet Analysis

Heh as in house; silent at word end
Qametslong 'ah'
Yody as in yes; marks long ī
Vavv as in vine; marks long ō / ū

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Vowels (Niqqud)

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The word

Word in context

  1. word

    ha-YU

  2. clause

    ne-vi-e-KHA yis-ra-EL ha-YU

  3. sentence

    ke-shu-a-LIM ba-kho-ra-VOT ne-vi-e-KHA yis-ra-EL ha-YU

Exegesis

The verb hayu {הָיוּ | hā-yû} ‘they have been’ in Qal perfect 3mp functions as a verbless predicate, linking the simile to the subject. The fronting of the simile intensifies the metaphorical critique, and the construct chain from baḥoravot to neviʾekha binds imagery to reproach. English retains the perfective nuance and reorders elements for clarity while preserving the Hebrew emphasis on metaphor and address.

In contextEzekiel 13:4

Israel, your prophets have been like foxes in the ruins .

About this coordinate

Ezekiel 13:4:5 is a BCV:P reference — Book · Chapter · Verse · Word Position. It addresses word 5 of Ezekiel 13:4, so the Hebrew word הָיֽוּ׃ (hayu) 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 Ezek.13.4.W5, which extends further down to each syllable (Ezek.13.4.W5.S1) and character.