Hebrew Form Guide

וַיְבִיאֵ֙הוּ֙ (way·ḇî·’ê·hū) in 1 Samuel 16:12: Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular | third person masculine singular

וַיְבִיאֵ֙הוּ֙ (way·ḇî·’ê·hū) in 1 Samuel 16:12

Source Word

וַיְבִיאֵ֙הוּ֙way·ḇî·’ê·hūConjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular | third person masculine singular

1 Samuel 16:12 token 2 is וַיְבִיאֵ֙הוּ֙, H935, parsed Conj-w | V-Hifil-ConsecImperf-3ms | 3ms and aligned with and brought him in.

How The Form Affects Interpretation

The form gets David into the scene through Jesse's action, but the Lord's following declaration, not the morphology or appearance description, establishes the selection.

How To Communicate It

Teach subject and object tracking first, then place David's description beneath the passage's explicit contrast between appearance and the Lord's choice.

What Not To Say

  • Grammatical form should serve context, not override it.
  • The finite 3ms marks Jesse as subject, while the attached 3ms suffix marks David as object.
  • Causative movement does not itself establish coercion, divine approval, or election.
  • David's appearance must not be turned into a beauty hierarchy or the reason for God's choice.

What Does The Label Mean?

Profile

Hebrew-verb

Part of Speech

Verb

Form Label

Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular | third person masculine singular

Stem

Hifil

Aspect

Consecutive imperfect

Person

Third

Gender

Masculine

Number

Singular

Attached Prefixes

Conj-w

Suffix

Third person masculine singular

Aspect Note

The consecutive Hifil advances the scene by presenting Jesse as causing his youngest son to enter, while the attached suffix identifies the son as the one brought. The matching 3ms labels must be assigned by context, not merged into one participant.

Verse Role

The action places David before Samuel immediately before the Lord commands Samuel to rise and anoint him.

What The Form Does In This Verse

Attached To

The consecutive verb follows Jesse's sending and carries David into the next action of the anointing scene.

Governed By

The narrative sequence in which Jesse obeys Samuel's request and the Lord identifies the selected son.

Role In The Phrase

It presents Jesse as the one who brings David in and the attached suffix as the son brought before Samuel.

What It Is Not Doing

It does not make Jesse the chooser, turn David's appearance into the reason for election, or encode the Lord's approval in the Hifil stem.

How Much The Form Matters Here

Interpretive Weight

High: The double 3ms profile requires careful subject-object tracking at David's entrance into the anointing scene.

Syntax Profile

Consecutive Hifil with matching 3ms subject and object labels. presents Jesse as bringing David before Samuel. Attached to Jesse's sending of his youngest son. Governed by the sequence leading to the Lord's anointing command. Context assigns the two identical labels to different grammatical roles.

Reader Question

How can the form be third masculine singular twice? The first label describes Jesse, the finite verb's subject, and the suffix describes David, the masculine singular object.

Translation Effect

Direct: The Hifil and suffix directly support brought him in, while the prior clause identifies Jesse as the subject.

Where Caution Is Needed

Matching person-gender-number labels do not mean subject and object are the same person. The Hifil describes caused entry but does not determine willingness or coercion. The appearance description does not explain the Lord's choice.

Fallacies To Avoid

The two 3ms labels identify one participant: Assign the finite subject to Jesse and the suffix object to David from the clause sequence. Hifil proves coercion or approval: The stem presents Jesse bringing David in; other judgments require narrative evidence. beauty caused divine selection: The Lord's declaration identifies the chosen son, and the prior context rejects appearance as the human criterion.

How The Interpretation Is Derived

Textual Witness

1 Samuel 16:12 token 2 is וַיְבִיאֵ֙הוּ֙, H935, parsed Conj-w | V-Hifil-ConsecImperf-3ms | 3ms and aligned with and brought him in.

Lexical Identity

בּוֹא commonly describes coming or entering; the Hifil here presents Jesse bringing another person into the scene.

Grammar In Context

Jesse remains the subject after sending, and the suffix retrieves the youngest son as object. The following description concerns David, but the Lord's speech explicitly identifies him for anointing.

Passage Meaning

David is brought before Samuel, described, and then designated by the Lord as the one Samuel must anoint.

Canonical Fit

The preceding rejection of judging by outward appearance and the Lord's explicit command govern how David's presentation is interpreted.

Communication Use

Separate Jesse's grammatical agency from the Lord's choosing authority and refuse to make physical features a hierarchy of spiritual worth.

Do Not Derive

Do not use Hifil to prove coercion or use David's appearance as the grammatical or theological cause of his anointing.