וַיֹּ֨אמֶר אֵלִיָּ֜הוּ לִנְבִיאֵ֣י הַבַּ֗עַל בַּחֲר֨וּ לָכֶ֜ם הַפָּ֤ר הָֽאֶחָד֙ וַעֲשׂ֣וּ רִאשֹׁנָ֔ה כִּ֥י אַתֶּ֖ם הָרַבִּ֑ים וְקִרְאוּ֙ בְּשֵׁ֣ם אֱלֹהֵיכֶ֔ם וְאֵ֖שׁ לֹ֥א תָשִֽׂימוּ׃
And Eliyahu said to the prophets of the Baʿal, “Choose for yourselves one bull and prepare it first, for you are many, and call on the name of your god, but put no fire.”
Morphology
- וַיֹּ֨אמֶר (va-yomer) – Root: אמר (ʾamar); Form: Qal wayyiqtol 3ms; Translation: “And he said”; Notes: Introduces Eliyahu’s directive.
- אֵלִיָּ֜הוּ (Eliyahu) – Root: אליהו (Eliyahu); Form: Proper noun; Translation: “Eliyahu”; Notes: The speaker.
- לִנְבִיאֵ֣י (li-neviʾei) – Root: נבא (navaʾ); Form: Preposition + construct plural noun; Translation: “to the prophets of”; Notes: Marks the audience of the speech.
- הַבַּ֗עַל (ha-Baʿal) – Root: בעל (Baʿal); Form: Definite noun; Translation: “the Baʿal”; Notes: The false god of Canaanite worship.
- בַּחֲר֨וּ (baḥaru) – Root: בחר (baḥar); Form: Qal imperative 2mp; Translation: “choose”; Notes: Command to make their selection.
- לָכֶ֜ם (lakhem) – Root: ל (le); Form: Preposition + 2mp suffix; Translation: “for yourselves”; Notes: Indicates personal choice.
- הַפָּ֤ר הָֽאֶחָד֙ (ha-par ha-eḥad) – Roots: פר (par), אחד (eḥad); Form: Definite noun + numeral adjective; Translation: “the one bull”; Notes: The first of two animals in the test.
- וַעֲשׂ֣וּ (va-ʿasu) – Root: עשה (ʿasah); Form: Qal imperative 2mp with vav; Translation: “and prepare”; Notes: Refers to ritual preparation of the bull.
- רִאשֹׁנָ֔ה (riʾshonah) – Root: ראשׁ (rosh); Form: Adverb (feminine); Translation: “first”; Notes: Instruction for the prophets of Baʿal to go before Eliyahu.
- כִּ֥י אַתֶּ֖ם (ki atem) – Roots: כי (ki), אתם (atem); Form: Conjunction + independent pronoun 2mp; Translation: “for you”; Notes: Provides justification.
- הָרַבִּ֑ים (ha-rabbim) – Root: רבב (ravav); Form: Definite plural adjective; Translation: “the many”; Notes: Indicates numerical superiority of Baʿal’s prophets.
- וְקִרְאוּ֙ (ve-qirʾu) – Root: קרא (qara); Form: Qal imperative 2mp with vav; Translation: “and call”; Notes: Part of the ritual action.
- בְּשֵׁ֣ם (be-shem) – Root: שם (shem); Form: Preposition + noun construct; Translation: “on the name of”; Notes: Standard phrase for invoking a deity.
- אֱלֹהֵיכֶ֔ם (Eloheikhem) – Root: אלה (ʾeloha); Form: Plural noun + 2mp suffix; Translation: “your god”; Notes: Refers to Baʿal.
- וְאֵ֖שׁ לֹ֥א תָשִֽׂימוּ (ve-esh lo tasimu) – Root: שׂים (sim); Form: Conjunction + noun + negative + Qal imperfect 2mp; Translation: “but put no fire”; Notes: Crucial rule of the divine test.