וַיַּכּ֥וּ

Alphabet Analysis

The word

1. word🔊 וַיַּכּ֥וּ

   va-ya-KU

   and they struck
2. phraseyour reading level🔊 וַיַּכּ֥וּ אוֹתָ֖ם

   va-ya-KU o-TAM

   and they struck them
3. clause🔊 וְהֵ֨מָּה לָקְח֜וּ אֵ֧ת אֲשֶׁר־עָשָׂ֣ה מִיכָ֗ה וְֽאֶת־הַכֹּהֵן֮ אֲשֶׁ֣ר הָיָה־לוֹ֒ וַיָּבֹ֣אוּ עַל־לַ֗יִשׁ עַל־עַם֙ שֹׁקֵ֣ט וּבֹטֵ֔חַ וַיַּכּ֥וּ אוֹתָ֖ם לְפִי־חָ֑רֶב

   ve-HE-ma la-KHU ET a-SHER-a-SA mi-KHA ve-ET-ha-ko-HEN a-SHER ha-YA-lo va-ya-VO-u al-LA-yish al-AM sho-KET u-vo-TE-akh va-ya-KU o-TAM le-fi-KHA-rev

   and they took which he had made Micah and the priest who belonged to him or was his and they came against Laish against a people quiet and trusting or unsuspecting and they struck them by the mouth of the sword or with the edge of the sword
4. sentence🔊 וְהֵ֨מָּה לָקְח֜וּ אֵ֧ת אֲשֶׁר־עָשָׂ֣ה מִיכָ֗ה וְֽאֶת־הַכֹּהֵן֮ אֲשֶׁ֣ר הָיָה־לוֹ֒ וַיָּבֹ֣אוּ עַל־לַ֗יִשׁ עַל־עַם֙ שֹׁקֵ֣ט וּבֹטֵ֔חַ וַיַּכּ֥וּ אוֹתָ֖ם לְפִי־חָ֑רֶב וְאֶת־הָעִ֖יר שָׂרְפ֥וּ בָאֵֽשׁ׃

   ve-HE-ma la-KHU ET a-SHER-a-SA mi-KHA ve-ET-ha-ko-HEN a-SHER ha-YA-lo va-ya-VO-u al-LA-yish al-AM sho-KET u-vo-TE-akh va-ya-KU o-TAM le-fi-KHA-rev ve-ET-ha-IR sar-FU va-ESH

   and they took which he had made Micah and the priest who belonged to him or was his and they came against Laish against a people quiet and trusting or unsuspecting and they struck them by the mouth of the sword or with the edge of the sword and the city they burned with fire

Exegesis

The narrative employs a rapid succession of vav-consecutive verbs—laqkhu {לָקְחוּ | lāqəḥū} ‘took,’ wayyābōʾû {וַיָּבֹאוּ | wayyābōʾû} ‘they came,’ wayyakkû {וַיַּכּוּ | wayyakkû} ‘they struck,’ sārfū {שָׂרְפוּ | sārfū} ‘they burned’—to convey coordinated action.