וַיֹּֽאמְרוּ֙ אִ֣ישׁ אֶל־רֵעֵ֔הוּ מִ֥י עָשָׂ֖ה הַדָּבָ֣ר הַזֶּ֑ה וַֽיִּדְרְשׁוּ֙ וַיְבַקְשׁ֔וּ וַיֹּ֣אמְר֔וּ גִּדְעֹון֙ בֶּן־יֹואָ֔שׁ עָשָׂ֖ה הַדָּבָ֥ר הַזֶּֽה׃
(Judges 6:29)
Literal English Translation
And they said, each man to his neighbor, “Who did this thing?” And they investigated and searched, and they said, “Gidʿon son of Yoʾash did this thing.”
Word-by-Word Explanation
- וַיֹּֽאמְרוּ – “And they said”Verb. From the root אָמַר (“to say”). The וַ prefix shows we’re in narrative mode—this is the vav-consecutive for a past action. The form is masculine plural: “they said.”
- אִישׁ – “a man” or “each man”Noun. Hebrew often uses אִישׁ generically to mean “a man,” but in context it can mean “each person.”
- אֶל־רֵעֵ֔הוּ – “to his neighbor”Preposition אֶל = “to”; רֵעַ = “companion/friend”; suffix ֵהוּ = “his.” Together: “to his neighbor.”
- מִי – “Who?”Interrogative. This little word introduces the big question! Hebrew puts the question word right where you’d expect.
- עָשָׂה – “did”Verb. Past tense (perfect) form of עָשָׂה, “to do/make.” Masculine singular—something one person did.
- הַדָּבָר – “the thing”Noun. Root: דָּבָר, meaning “thing,” “matter,” or “word.” With the הַ prefix = “the.”
- הַזֶּה – “this”Demonstrative pronoun. Masculine singular form. Goes with הַדָּבָר to form: “this thing.”
- וַיִּדְרְשׁוּ – “And they inquired”Verb. From דָּרַשׁ, “to seek out, investigate.” Masculine plural with וַ prefix = “and they investigated.”
- וַיְבַקְשׁוּ – “And they searched”Verb. From בָּקַשׁ, “to seek.” Like the previous verb, this shows intentional effort—perhaps interviewing or tracking clues.
- וַיֹּאמְרוּ – “And they said” (again)Same form as earlier. Hebrew often repeats to mark development—now they’ve got an answer!
- גִּדְעֹון – “Gidʿon”Proper name. The key suspect is named.
- בֶּן־יֹואָשׁ – “son of Yoʾash”This identifies Gidʿon more fully. בֶּן = “son”; יֹואָשׁ = a proper name. Hebrew often introduces people with their father’s name.
- עָשָׂה – “did” (repeated)Again from עָשָׂה. Hebrew is not afraid of repetition—it drives the point home.
- הַדָּבָר הַזֶּה – “this thing” (again)Same phrase as before. They’ve identified exactly who did the thing in question.
Word Order and Sentence Flow
This verse is a mini-drama. First comes the reaction to an event—something shocking has happened overnight (see the context in Judges 6). The structure follows a natural pattern:
1. Who is speaking? – “Each man to his neighbor”
2. What is asked? – “Who did this thing?”
3. What is done? – “They inquired and searched”
4. What is found? – “Gidʿon… did this thing.”
Hebrew uses verb-first order in narratives, making the sentence feel like it’s marching forward: And they said… And they inquired… And they searched…
Investigation Timeline: A Hebrew Action Sequence
| Stage | Hebrew Phrase | English Action |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | וַיֹּאמְרוּ אִישׁ אֶל־רֵעֵהוּ | They said to one another |
| 2 | מִי עָשָׂה הַדָּבָר הַזֶּה | “Who did this thing?” |
| 3 | וַיִּדְרְשׁוּ וַיְבַקְשׁוּ | They investigated and searched |
| 4 | וַיֹּאמְרוּ גִּדְעֹון בֶּן־יֹואָשׁ | They said, “Gidʿon son of Yoʾash…” |
| 5 | עָשָׂה הַדָּבָר הַזֶּה | “…did this thing.” |
Hebrew Unlocked!
“You’ve just read a real Hebrew narrative—investigation, question, discovery—all in the original words!”
You followed a full dialogue: who said what, what they searched for, and who got blamed. You saw verbs stack up with the famous Hebrew וַ prefix. You saw how Hebrew loves repetition, clarity, and movement.
This verse teaches you to read Biblical Hebrew as a story in motion—not just words on a page, but footsteps, questions, answers, and truth revealed.
Brick by brick, you’re becoming a Hebrew detective yourself.
