וַיִּשָּׂ֨א

Alphabet Analysis

The word

1. word🔊 וַיִּשָּׂ֨א

   va-yis-SA

   {And He} lifted up
2. phraseyour reading level🔊 וַיִּשָּׂ֨א אַבְרָהָ֜ם

   va-yis-SA av-ra-HAM

   Abraham {And He} lifted up
3. clause🔊 וַיִּשָּׂ֨א אַבְרָהָ֜ם אֶת־עֵינָ֗יו וַיַּרְא֙ וְהִנֵּה־אַ֔יִל אַחַ֕ר נֶאֱחַ֥ז בַּסְּבַ֖ךְ בְּקַרְנָ֑יו

   va-yis-SA av-ra-HAM et-ey-NAV va-YAR ve-hin-neh-A-yil a-KHAR ne-e-KHAZ bas-se-VAKH be-kar-NAV

   Abraham {And He} lifted up his eyes {And} he saw and behold, a ram caught by its horns behind in the thicket
4. sentence🔊 וַיִּשָּׂ֨א אַבְרָהָ֜ם אֶת־עֵינָ֗יו וַיַּרְא֙ וְהִנֵּה־אַ֔יִל אַחַ֕ר נֶאֱחַ֥ז בַּסְּבַ֖ךְ בְּקַרְנָ֑יו וַיֵּ֤לֶךְ אַבְרָהָם֙ וַיִּקַּ֣ח אֶת־הָאַ֔יִל וַיַּעֲלֵ֥הוּ לְעֹלָ֖ה תַּ֥חַת בְּנֽוֹ׃

   va-yis-SA av-ra-HAM et-ey-NAV va-YAR ve-hin-neh-A-yil a-KHAR ne-e-KHAZ bas-se-VAKH be-kar-NAV va-YE-lekh av-ra-HAM va-yik-KAKH et-ha-A-yil va-ya-a-LE-hu le-o-LAH TA-khat be-NO

   Abraham {And He} lifted up his eyes {And} he saw and behold, a ram caught by its horns behind in the thicket Abraham {And He} went {And} he took the ram {And} he offered it up as a burnt offering instead of his son

Exegesis

The narrative unfolds through a chain of wayyiqtol verbs that drive the action: vayissa {וַיִּשְּׂא | wayyiśśāʾ} ‘and he lifted’, vayyar {וַיַּרְא | wayyarʾ} ‘and he saw’, vayelekh {וַיֵּלֶךְ | wayyēleḵ} ‘and he went’, vayikkakh {וַיִּקַּח | wayyiqqaḥ} ‘and he took’, and vayaʿălêhû {וַיַּעֲלֵהוּ | wayyaʿălêhû} ‘and he offered him up’. Abraham remains the explicit subject, emphasizing his obedience and decisive response.