וַיֵּלְכ֥וּ

Alphabet Analysis

The word

1. word🔊 וַיֵּלְכ֥וּ

   va-YEL-khu

   and they went
2. phraseyour reading level🔊 וַיֵּלְכ֥וּ בְנֵי־דָ֖ן

   va-YEL-khu be-NEI-DAN

   and they went sons of Dan
3. clause🔊 וַיֵּלְכ֥וּ בְנֵי־דָ֖ן לְדַרְכָּ֑ם

   va-YEL-khu be-NEI-DAN le-dar-KAM

   and they went sons of Dan to their way
4. sentence🔊 וַיֵּלְכ֥וּ בְנֵי־דָ֖ן לְדַרְכָּ֑ם וַיַּ֣רְא מִיכָ֗ה כִּי־חֲזָקִ֥ים הֵ֙מָּה֙ מִמֶּ֔נּוּ וַיִּ֖פֶן וַיָּ֥שָׁב אֶל־בֵּיתֽוֹ׃

   va-YEL-khu be-NEI-DAN le-dar-KAM va-YAR-e mi-KHA KI-kha-za-KIM HE-ma mi-ME-nu va-YI-fen va-ya-SHAV el-BEI-to

   and they went sons of Dan to their way and he saw Micah that strong they {were} from him and he turned and he returned to his house

Exegesis

The narrative sequence is driven by the vav-consecutive imperfect verbs vayelekhu {וַיֵּלְכוּ | wayyeleḵû} “and they went,” vayar {וַיַּרְא | wayyār’} “and he saw,” vayipen {וַיִּפֶן | wayyipen} “and he turned,” and vayashav {וַיָּשָׁב | wayyāšāḇ} “and he returned,” preserving a linear progression typical of Hebrew storytelling.