וַיְהִ֨י בַֽצָּהֳרַ֜יִם וַיְהַתֵּ֧ל בָּהֶ֣ם אֵלִיָּ֗הוּ וַיֹּ֨אמֶר֙ קִרְא֤וּ בְקֹול־גָּדֹול֙ כִּֽי־אֱלֹהִ֣ים ה֔וּא כִּ֣י שִׂ֧יחַ וְכִֽי־שִׂ֛יג לֹ֖ו וְכִֽי־דֶ֣רֶךְ לֹ֑ו אוּלַ֛י יָשֵׁ֥ן ה֖וּא וְיִקָֽץ׃
And it was at noon, and Eliyahu mocked them and said, “Call out with a loud voice, for he is a god; for he is talking, or he has wandered away, or he is on a journey; perhaps he is sleeping and will awaken.”
Morphology
- וַיְהִ֨י (va-yehi) – Root: היה (hayah); Form: Qal wayyiqtol 3ms; Translation: “And it was”; Notes: Introduces a new event.
- בַֽצָּהֳרַ֜יִם (ba-tsahorayim) – Root: צהר (tsahar); Form: Preposition + dual noun; Translation: “at noon”; Notes: Indicates the time of day.
- וַיְהַתֵּ֧ל (va-yehatel) – Root: הלל (hatel, Hifil form of *לָעֵג* in this usage); Form: Piel wayyiqtol 3ms; Translation: “and he mocked”; Notes: Eliyahu derides the prophets of Baʿal.
- בָּהֶ֣ם (bahem) – Root: הם (hem); Form: Preposition + 3mp suffix; Translation: “them”; Notes: Refers to the Baʿal prophets.
- אֵלִיָּ֗הוּ (Eliyahu) – Root: אליהו (Eliyahu); Form: Proper noun; Translation: “Eliyahu”; Notes: Subject of the sentence.
- וַיֹּ֨אמֶר (va-yomer) – Root: אמר (ʾamar); Form: Qal wayyiqtol 3ms; Translation: “and he said”; Notes: Introduces direct speech.
- קִרְא֤וּ (qirʾu) – Root: קרא (qara); Form: Qal imperative 2mp; Translation: “Call out”; Notes: Mocking suggestion.
- בְקֹול־גָּדֹול (be-qol gadol) – Roots: קול (qol), גדל (gadol); Form: Preposition + noun + adjective; Translation: “with a loud voice”; Notes: Ironic encouragement to shout louder.
- כִּֽי־אֱלֹהִ֣ים ה֔וּא (ki-Elohim hu) – Roots: כי (ki), אלהים (Elohim); Form: Conjunction + noun + pronoun; Translation: “for he is a god”; Notes: Sarcastic declaration.
- כִּ֣י שִׂ֧יחַ (ki siaḥ) – Root: שׂיח (siaḥ); Form: Conjunction + noun; Translation: “for he is talking”; Notes: Suggests divine distraction.
- וְכִֽי־שִׂ֛יג לֹ֖ו (ve-ki-sig lo) – Root: שׂוג (sug); Form: Conjunction + infinitive or noun + preposition + suffix; Translation: “or he has wandered away”; Notes: Possible mocking euphemism for relieving oneself.
- וְכִֽי־דֶ֣רֶךְ לֹ֑ו (ve-ki-derekh lo) – Roots: דרך (derekh); Form: Conjunction + noun + preposition + suffix; Translation: “or he is on a journey”; Notes: Continues sarcasm.
- אוּלַ֛י יָשֵׁ֥ן ה֖וּא (ulai yashen hu) – Root: ישן (yashen); Form: Adverb + Qal participle ms + pronoun; Translation: “perhaps he is sleeping”; Notes: Ironic explanation for Baʿal’s silence.
- וְיִקָֽץ (ve-yiqats) – Root: קיץ (quts); Form: Qal imperfect 3ms with vav; Translation: “and he will awaken”; Notes: Final jab in Eliyahu’s ridicule.