וַיְהִ֞י כִּרְאֹ֤ות זִמְרִי֙ כִּֽי־נִלְכְּדָ֣ה הָעִ֔יר וַיָּבֹ֖א אֶל־אַרְמֹ֣ון בֵּית־הַמֶּ֑לֶךְ וַיִּשְׂרֹ֨ף עָלָ֧יו אֶת־בֵּֽית־מֶ֛לֶךְ בָּאֵ֖שׁ וַיָּמֹֽת׃
And it happened, when Zimri saw that the city was taken, he went into the citadel of the king’s house, and he burned the king’s house over himself with fire, and he died.
Morphology
- וַיְהִ֞י (va-yehi) – Root: היה (hayah); Form: Qal wayyiqtol 3ms; Translation: “And it happened”; Notes: Introduces a narrative transition.
- כִּרְאֹ֤ות (kirʾot) – Root: ראה (raʾah); Form: Preposition + Qal infinitive construct; Translation: “when [he] saw”; Notes: Temporal clause indicating the timing of Zimri’s action.
- זִמְרִי֙ (Zimri) – Root: זמרי (Zimri); Form: Proper noun; Translation: “Zimri”; Notes: Subject of the temporal clause.
- כִּֽי־נִלְכְּדָ֣ה (ki-nilkedah) – Root: לכד (lakad); Form: Conjunction + Nifal perfect 3fs; Translation: “that it was taken”; Notes: Refers to the capture of Tirtsah.
- הָעִ֔יר (ha-ʿir) – Root: עיר (ʿir); Form: Definite noun, feminine singular; Translation: “the city”; Notes: Refers to the capital Tirtsah.
- וַיָּבֹ֖א (va-yavo) – Root: בוא (bo); Form: Qal wayyiqtol 3ms; Translation: “and he went in”; Notes: Describes Zimri’s next action.
- אֶל־אַרְמֹ֣ון (el-armon) – Root: ארמון (armon); Form: Preposition + noun, masculine singular; Translation: “into the citadel”; Notes: A fortified palace structure.
- בֵּית־הַמֶּ֑לֶךְ (beit-ha-melekh) – Root: בית (bayit), מלך (melekh); Form: Construct noun + definite noun; Translation: “of the king’s house”; Notes: Location of the action.
- וַיִּשְׂרֹ֨ף (va-yisrof) – Root: שרף (saraf); Form: Qal wayyiqtol 3ms; Translation: “and he burned”; Notes: Violent act of self-destruction.
- עָלָ֧יו (ʿalav) – Root: על (ʿal); Form: Preposition + 3ms suffix; Translation: “over himself”; Notes: Indicates he perished in the act.
- אֶת־בֵּֽית־מֶ֛לֶךְ (et-beit-melekh) – Root: בית (bayit), מלך (melekh); Form: Direct object marker + construct chain; Translation: “the king’s house”; Notes: Object of the verb “burned.”
- בָּאֵ֖שׁ (ba-ʾesh) – Root: אשׁ (ʾesh); Form: Preposition + definite noun, feminine singular; Translation: “with fire”; Notes: Instrumental phrase.
- וַיָּמֹֽת (va-yamot) – Root: מות (mut); Form: Qal wayyiqtol 3ms; Translation: “and he died”; Notes: Concludes the narrative with Zimri’s death.