וְחָפ֥וּ

Alphabet Analysis

The word

1. word🔊 וְחָפ֥וּ

   ve-kha-FU

   and they covered
2. phraseyour reading level🔊 וְחָפ֥וּ רֹאשָֽׁם׃

   ve-kha-FU ro-SHAM

   and they covered their head
3. clause🔊 בָּ֣אוּ עַל־גֵּבִ֞ים לֹא־מָ֣צְאוּ מַ֗יִם שָׁ֤בוּ כְלֵיהֶם֙ רֵיקָ֔ם בֹּ֥שׁוּ וְהָכְלְמ֖וּ וְחָפ֥וּ רֹאשָֽׁם׃

   ba-U al-GE-vim lo-ma-tse-U MA-yim sha-VU khe-le-HEM re-KAM bo-SHU ve-ha-khel-MU ve-kha-FU ro-SHAM

   they came to the cisterns they did not find water they returned their vessels empty they were ashamed and they were humiliated and they covered their head
4. sentence🔊 וְאַדִּ֣רֵיהֶ֔ם שָׁלְח֥וּ צעוריהם צְעִירֵיהֶ֖ם לַמָּ֑יִם בָּ֣אוּ עַל־גֵּבִ֞ים לֹא־מָ֣צְאוּ מַ֗יִם שָׁ֤בוּ כְלֵיהֶם֙ רֵיקָ֔ם בֹּ֥שׁוּ וְהָכְלְמ֖וּ וְחָפ֥וּ רֹאשָֽׁם׃

   ve-a-di-re-HEM shal-khu tse-o-ri-HEM tse-i-re-HEM la-MA-yim ba-U al-GE-vim lo-ma-tse-U MA-yim sha-VU khe-le-HEM re-KAM bo-SHU ve-ha-khel-MU ve-kha-FU ro-SHAM

   and their nobles sent their young men their youths for the water they came to the cisterns they did not find water they returned their vessels empty they were ashamed and they were humiliated and they covered their head

Exegesis

The asyndetic triad boshu, vehoklemu, vechafu {בֹּשׁוּ וְהָכְלְמוּ וְחָפ֥וּ | bō-šū wə-hā-ḵlə-mū wə-ḥā-pū} ‘they were ashamed, were humiliated, and covered’ plus rosham {רֹאשָֽׁם | rō-šām} ‘their heads’ builds emotional intensity, framing communal despair.