וַיַּ֥עַשׂ אַחְאָ֖ב אֶת־הָאֲשֵׁרָ֑ה וַיֹּ֨וסֶף אַחְאָ֜ב לַעֲשֹׂ֗ות לְהַכְעִיס֙ אֶת־יְהֹוָה֙ אֱלֹהֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל מִכֹּ֨ל מַלְכֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל אֲשֶׁ֥ר הָי֖וּ לְפָנָֽיו׃
And Aḥʾav made the Ashera, and Aḥʾav added to do more to provoke YHWH, the God of Yisraʾel, than all the kings of Yisraʾel who were before him.
Morphology
- וַיַּ֥עַשׂ (va-yaʿas) – Root: עשה (ʿasah); Form: Qal wayyiqtol 3ms; Translation: “and he made”; Notes: Narrative verb indicating Aḥʾav’s action.
- אַחְאָ֖ב (Aḥʾav) – Root: אחאב (Aḥʾav); Form: Proper noun; Translation: “Aḥʾav”; Notes: Subject of the clause, king of Yisraʾel.
- אֶת־הָאֲשֵׁרָ֑ה (et-ha-Asherah) – Root: אשרה (Asherah); Form: Direct object marker + definite noun, feminine singular; Translation: “the Asherah”; Notes: Sacred pole or idol associated with Canaanite fertility cult.
- וַיֹּ֨וסֶף (va-yosef) – Root: יסף (yasaf); Form: Hifil wayyiqtol 3ms; Translation: “and he added”; Notes: Indicates escalation in idolatrous acts.
- אַחְאָ֜ב (Aḥʾav) – Root: אחאב (Aḥʾav); Form: Proper noun; Translation: “Aḥʾav”; Notes: Subject repeated for emphasis.
- לַעֲשֹׂ֗ות (laʿasot) – Root: עשה (ʿasah); Form: Preposition + infinitive construct; Translation: “to do”; Notes: Verb of purpose.
- לְהַכְעִיס֙ (le-hakhʿis) – Root: כעס (kaʿas); Form: Hifil infinitive construct; Translation: “to provoke”; Notes: Provocation toward YHWH.
- אֶת־יְהֹוָה֙ (et-YHWH) – Root: יהוה (YHWH); Form: Direct object marker + proper noun; Translation: “YHWH”; Notes: Object of provocation.
- אֱלֹהֵ֣י (ʾElohei) – Root: אלה (ʾelohim); Form: Construct plural noun + 3ms suffix; Translation: “God of”; Notes: Possessive construct with Yisraʾel.
- יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל (Yisraʾel) – Root: ישראל (Yisraʾel); Form: Proper noun; Translation: “Yisraʾel”; Notes: Object of divine allegiance.
- מִכֹּ֨ל (mi-kol) – Root: כל (kol); Form: Preposition + noun, masculine singular; Translation: “more than all”; Notes: Comparative preposition.
- מַלְכֵ֣י (malkhei) – Root: מלך (melekh); Form: Construct plural noun; Translation: “kings of”; Notes: Refers to former rulers of the northern kingdom.
- יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל (Yisraʾel) – Root: ישראל (Yisraʾel); Form: Proper noun; Translation: “Yisraʾel”; Notes: Specifies kingdom.
- אֲשֶׁ֥ר (ʾasher) – Root: אשר (ʾasher); Form: Relative pronoun; Translation: “who”; Notes: Refers to kings preceding Aḥʾav.
- הָי֖וּ (hayu) – Root: היה (hayah); Form: Qal perfect 3cp; Translation: “were”; Notes: Past existence.
- לְפָנָֽיו (lefanav) – Root: פנה (panah); Form: Preposition + noun with 3ms suffix; Translation: “before him”; Notes: Refers to predecessors.