וָאָרִ֤יב

Alphabet Analysis

The word

1. word🔊 וָאָרִ֤יב

   va-A-riv

   and I contended
2. phraseyour reading level🔊 וָאָרִ֤יב עִמָּם֙

   va-A-riv i-MAM

   and I contended with them
3. clause🔊 וָאָרִ֤יב עִמָּם֙ וָאֲקַֽלְלֵ֔ם וָאַכֶּ֥ה מֵהֶ֛ם אֲנָשִׁ֖ים וָֽאֶמְרְטֵ֑ם

   va-A-riv i-MAM va-a-kal-LEM va-a-KKE me-HEM a-na-SHIM va-em-re-TEM

   and I contended with them and I cursed them and I struck from them men and I plucked them
4. sentence🔊 וָאָרִ֤יב עִמָּם֙ וָאֲקַֽלְלֵ֔ם וָאַכֶּ֥ה מֵהֶ֛ם אֲנָשִׁ֖ים וָֽאֶמְרְטֵ֑ם וָאַשְׁבִּיעֵ֣ם בֵּֽאלֹהִ֗ים אִם־תִּתְּנ֤וּ בְנֹֽתֵיכֶם֙ לִבְנֵיהֶ֔ם וְאִם־תִּשְׂאוּ֙ מִבְּנֹ֣תֵיהֶ֔ם לִבְנֵיכֶ֖ם וְלָכֶֽם׃

   va-A-riv i-MAM va-a-kal-LEM va-a-KKE me-HEM a-na-SHIM va-em-re-TEM va-ash-bi-EEM be-lo-HIM im-tit-NU ve-no-TE-khem liv-ne-HEM ve-im-tis-U mib-be-no-te-HEM liv-ne-KHEM ve-la-KHEM

   and I contended with them and I cursed them and I struck from them men and I plucked them and I made them swear by God if you give your daughters to their sons and if you take from their daughters for your sons and for yourselves

Exegesis

The verse opens with a succession of vav-consecutive imperfect verbs—va’ariv {וָאָרִ֤יב | wā·’ā·riḇ} ‘and I contended’, va’akallelem {וָאֲקַֽלְלֵ֔ם | wā·’a·qal·lē·lêm} ‘and I cursed them’, va’akke {וָאַכֶּ֥ה | wā·’a·kê} ‘and I struck’—highlighting Nehemiah’s escalating response from verbal rebuke to physical punishment.

Root and etymology

r-y-b🔊 ר־י־בresh–yod–bet

“to contend”

• 🔊 רִיבrîḇstrifeIsaiah 50:8