וַיְצַחֵק֙

Alphabet Analysis

The word

1. word🔊 וַיְצַחֵק֙

   va-ytsa-KHEK

   and he entertained
2. clause🔊 וַיִּקְרְא֨וּ לְשִׁמְשׁ֜וֹן מִבֵּ֣ית האסירים הָאֲסוּרִ֗ים וַיְצַחֵק֙ לִפְנֵיהֶ֔ם וַיַּעֲמִ֥ידוּ אוֹת֖וֹ בֵּ֥ין הָעַמּוּדִֽים׃

   va-yik-re-U le-shim-SHON mib-BET ha-a-si-RIM ha-a-su-RIM va-ytsa-KHEK lif-ne-HEM va-ya-a-mi-DU o-TO BEN ha-am-mu-DIM

   and they called to Samson from {the} house of the prisoners the bound ones and he entertained before them and they made stand him between the pillars
3. sentence🔊 וַֽיְהִי֙ כי טוב כְּט֣וֹב לִבָּ֔ם וַיֹּ֣אמְר֔וּ קִרְא֥וּ לְשִׁמְשׁ֖וֹן וִישַֽׂחֶק־לָ֑נוּ וַיִּקְרְא֨וּ לְשִׁמְשׁ֜וֹן מִבֵּ֣ית האסירים הָאֲסוּרִ֗ים וַיְצַחֵק֙ לִפְנֵיהֶ֔ם וַיַּעֲמִ֥ידוּ אוֹת֖וֹ בֵּ֥ין הָעַמּוּדִֽים׃

   va-ye-HI KI TOV ke-TOV lib-BAM va-yo-ME-ru kir-E-U le-shim-SHON vi-sa-KHEK-la-NU va-yik-re-U le-shim-SHON mib-BET ha-a-si-RIM ha-a-su-RIM va-ytsa-KHEK lif-ne-HEM va-ya-a-mi-DU o-TO BEN ha-am-mu-DIM

   and it happened that good when good their heart and they said call to Samson and he will entertain for us and they called to Samson from {the} house of the prisoners the bound ones and he entertained before them and they made stand him between the pillars

Exegesis

A return to the Piel imperfect in vayetsahek {וַיְצַחֵ֙ק | wayyəṣaḥēq} ‘he entertained’ underscores the performative act, and the Hiphil imperfect vayaʿamidu oto bein ha-amudim {וַיַּעֲמִ֥ידוּ אוֹת֖וֹ בֵּ֥ין הָעַמּוּדִֽים | wayyaʿəminiḏū ʾōṯô bêyn hā-ʿammûdîm} ‘they set him between the pillars’ establishes spatial orientation and dramatic suspense. The progression of verbal stems (Qal, Piel, Hiphil) and vav-consecutive sequences drives the narrative tension toward its climax.