וַיֵּלְכ֗וּ

Alphabet Analysis

The word

1. word🔊 וַיֵּלְכ֗וּ

   va-YEL-khu

   and they went
2. clause🔊 וְאָמַרְתָּ֣ אֲלֵיהֶ֗ם עַל֩ אֲשֶׁר־עָזְב֨וּ אֲבוֹתֵיכֶ֤ם אוֹתִי֙ נְאֻם־יְהוָ֔ה וַיֵּלְכ֗וּ אַֽחֲרֵי֙ אֱלֹהִ֣ים אֲחֵרִ֔ים וַיַּעַבְד֖וּם וַיִּשְׁתַּחֲו֣וּ לָהֶ֑ם

   ve-a-MAR-ta a-LE-hem AL a-sher-a-ZE-vu a-vo-te-KHEM o-TI ne-UM-ye-ho-VAH va-YEL-khu a-kha-RE e-lo-HIM a-khe-RIM va-ya-AV-dum va-yish-ta-kha-VU la-HEM

   and you said to them because of that they forsook your fathers me declaration of the LORD and they went after gods other and they served them and they bowed down to them
3. sentence🔊 וְאָמַרְתָּ֣ אֲלֵיהֶ֗ם עַל֩ אֲשֶׁר־עָזְב֨וּ אֲבוֹתֵיכֶ֤ם אוֹתִי֙ נְאֻם־יְהוָ֔ה וַיֵּלְכ֗וּ אַֽחֲרֵי֙ אֱלֹהִ֣ים אֲחֵרִ֔ים וַיַּעַבְד֖וּם וַיִּשְׁתַּחֲו֣וּ לָהֶ֑ם וְאֹתִ֣י עָזָ֔בוּ וְאֶת־תּוֹרָתִ֖י לֹ֥א שָׁמָֽרוּ׃

   ve-a-MAR-ta a-LE-hem AL a-sher-a-ZE-vu a-vo-te-KHEM o-TI ne-UM-ye-ho-VAH va-YEL-khu a-kha-RE e-lo-HIM a-khe-RIM va-ya-AV-dum va-yish-ta-kha-VU la-HEM ve-o-TI a-ZA-vu ve-et-to-ra-TI LO sha-MA-ru

   and you said to them because of that they forsook your fathers me declaration of the LORD and they went after gods other and they served them and they bowed down to them and me they forsook and my law not they kept

Exegesis

A series of waw-prefixed wayyiqtol verbs—vayelchu {וַיֵּלְכוּ | wə-ya-le-ḵû} ‘and they went,’ vayaavdum {וַיַּעַבְד֖וּם | wə-ya-ʿa-ḇə-ḏum} ‘and they served them,’ and vayishtachavu {וַיִּשְׁתַּחֲו֣וּ | wə-yiš-ta-ḥă-vû} ‘and they bowed down’—depicts progressive idolatry.