וְיָבֵֽשׁ׃

Alphabet Analysis

The word

1. word🔊 וְיָבֵֽשׁ׃

   ve-ya-VESH

   and becomes dry
2. phraseyour reading level🔊 יֶחֱרַ֥ב וְיָבֵֽשׁ׃

   ye-khe-RAV ve-ya-VESH

   dries up and becomes dry
3. clause🔊 וְ֝נָהָ֗ר יֶחֱרַ֥ב וְיָבֵֽשׁ׃

   ve-na-HAR ye-khe-RAV ve-ya-VESH

   and a river dries up and becomes dry
4. sentence🔊 אָֽזְלוּ־מַ֭יִם מִנִּי־יָ֑ם וְ֝נָהָ֗ר יֶחֱרַ֥ב וְיָבֵֽשׁ׃

   AZ-lu-MA-yim mi-NI-YAM ve-na-HAR ye-khe-RAV ve-ya-VESH

   have flowed away waters from a sea or lake and a river dries up and becomes dry

Exegesis

The second clause parallels this with venahar {וְ֝נָהָ֗ר | wə-nā-hār} ‘and a river’ as subject, followed by two imperfect verbs yecherav {יֶחֱרַ֥ב | ye-ḥĕ-rav} ‘it dries up’ and veyavesh {וְיָבֵֽשׁ | wə-yā-vēš} ‘and it withers,’ advancing from initial drying to full desiccation. The imperfect forms imply a process rather than a discrete action, which English reflects by present-tense verbs (“dries up,” “withers”). The choice of azlu (“vanish”) underscores sudden disappearance, anticipating the metaphor of human mortality in Job’s reflection.

Root and etymology

consonants🔊 י־ב־שyod–bet–shin

“to be dry”