At the 2014 [International Bible Contest][1] for [Adults][2] ([חידון התנ"ך][3] הבינלאומי [למבוגרים][4] תשע"ה) [televised finals][5]<sup>1</sup>, celebrated grammarian<sup>2</sup> [Dr. Avshalom Kor][6] ([אבשלום קור][7]) [posed this question][8] among a series of short vignettes about "*Ma'oz Tzur*" that he presented while the next contestant was getting into place. He answered that the 'ו' preceding "his possessions" is an example of a "ו' שמסבירה" - a "vav that explains."<sup>3</sup> So, this 'ו' is more of a dash than an "and." Dr. Kor provided, as a Scriptural example of this construct, [Shmuel I 28:3][9], which says, of Shmuel: > ... וַיִּקְבְּרֻהוּ בָרָמָה **וּ**‏בְעִירוֹ ... > ... and buried him in Ramah, **וּ**‏ in his own city ... The 'וּ' here doesn't mean that they buried him twice, in Ramah **and** in his own city, but that they buried him in Ramah, **which was** his own city.<sup>4</sup> Similarly, here, the song says that they hung up Haman's sons, **who were** his possessions, not **as well as** his possessions. This explains the translation choices of *siddurim* documented in [Yosef's answer][10]. ---- <sup>1. In which one Alexander Heppenheimer, 42, [of Crown Heights][11], took second place. </sup> <sup>2. Yes, [according to Wikipedia][12], Israel has such a thing: "עקב קנאותו לשפה העברית וסלידתו משגיאות כתיב וטעויות דקדוקיות בדיבור הפך שמו לשם נרדף ליודע השפה העברית והלצות רבות על הדקדוק בעברית נקשרו בשמו."</sup> <sup>3. Or, as seen in footnote 1(b) to [Gesenius, §154a][13], *wāw explicativum*. (Thanks to msh210 for the reference.)</sup> <sup>4. It appears that this interpretation could be consistent with [that][14] of [Metzudat][15] David, but not [that][16] of [Rashi][17].</sup> [1]: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Bible_Contest [2]: http://cms.education.gov.il/educationcms/units/ibc/english/aindalet2014/thebook.htm [3]: http://he.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D7%97%D7%99%D7%93%D7%95%D7%9F_%D7%94%D7%AA%D7%A0%22%D7%9A [4]: http://cms.education.gov.il/EducationCMS/UNITS/ibc [5]: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nrz456W__3Q [6]: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Avshalom_Kor [7]: http://he.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D7%90%D7%91%D7%A9%D7%9C%D7%95%D7%9D_%D7%A7%D7%95%D7%A8 [8]: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nrz456W__3Q&t=1h28m46s [9]: http://www.sefaria.org/I_Samuel.28.3 [10]: http://judaism.stackexchange.com/a/4521/2 [11]: http://chat.stackexchange.com/transcript/468?m=19230297#19230297 [12]: http://he.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D7%90%D7%91%D7%A9%D7%9C%D7%95%D7%9D_%D7%A7%D7%95%D7%A8#.D7.A4.D7.A2.D7.99.D7.9C.D7.95.D7.AA.D7.95_.D7.94.D7.9C.D7.A9.D7.95.D7.A0.D7.99.D7.AA [13]: http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Gesenius'_Hebrew_Grammar/154 [14]: http://www.sefaria.org/Metzudat_David_on_I_Samuel.28.3.2 [15]: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jewish_commentaries_on_the_Bible#Acharonim_Later_.281600.E2.80.93.29 [16]: http://www.sefaria.org/Rashi_on_I_Samuel.28.3.2 [17]: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rashi