וְאִ֥ישׁ

Alphabet Analysis

The word

1. word🔊 וְאִ֥ישׁ

   ve-ISH

   and a man
2. phraseyour reading level🔊 וְאִ֥ישׁ מדונים מִ֝דְיָנִ֗ים

   ve-ISH me-do-NIM mi-de-ya-NIM

   and a man of strife of quarrels
3. clause🔊 וְאִ֥ישׁ מדונים מִ֝דְיָנִ֗ים לְחַרְחַר־רִֽיב׃

   ve-ISH me-do-NIM mi-de-ya-NIM le-khar-khar-RIV

   and a man of strife of quarrels to kindle strife
4. sentence🔊 פֶּחָ֣ם לְ֭גֶחָלִים וְעֵצִ֣ים לְאֵ֑שׁ וְאִ֥ישׁ מדונים מִ֝דְיָנִ֗ים לְחַרְחַר־רִֽיב׃

   pe-KHAM le-ge-kha-LIM ve-e-TSIM le-ESH ve-ISH me-do-NIM mi-de-ya-NIM le-khar-khar-RIV

   charcoal for embers and wood for fire and a man of strife of quarrels to kindle strife

Exegesis

The final clause aligns ish mĕdōnîm {אִישׁ מְדֹנִים | ʾîš mə-dō-nîm} ‘contentious man’ with the fuel images, followed by the Piel infinitive construct lə-ḥar-ḥar-rîb {לְחַרְחַר־רִיב | lə-ḥar-ḥar-rîb} ‘to kindle strife,’ where the maqqef binds verb and object into a purpose clause. This framing (A–lə–B and C–lə–D—so E—lə–F) emphasizes the inevitability of conflict when antagonistic behavior acts like combustible material.