וַיִּקַּ֣ח אֵלִיָּ֗הוּ שְׁתֵּ֤ים עֶשְׂרֵה֙ אֲבָנִ֔ים כְּמִסְפַּ֖ר שִׁבְטֵ֣י בְנֵֽי־יַעֲקֹ֑ב אֲשֶׁר֩ הָיָ֨ה דְבַר־יְהוָ֤ה אֵלָיו֙ לֵאמֹ֔ר יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל יִהְיֶ֥ה שְׁמֶֽךָ׃
And Eliyahu took twelve stones, according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Yaʿaqov, to whom the word of YHWH had come, saying, “Yisraʾel shall be your name.”
Morphology
- וַיִּקַּ֣ח (va-yiqqaḥ) – Root: לקח (laqach); Form: Qal wayyiqtol 3ms; Translation: “And he took”; Notes: Refers to Eliyahu’s ritual preparation.
- אֵלִיָּ֗הוּ (Eliyahu) – Root: אליהו (Eliyahu); Form: Proper noun; Translation: “Eliyahu”; Notes: Subject of the verse.
- שְׁתֵּ֤ים עֶשְׂרֵה֙ (shteim ʿesreh) – Roots: שנים (shenayim), עשר (ʿeser); Form: Numeral (feminine); Translation: “twelve”; Notes: Feminine to agree with אֲבָנִים.
- אֲבָנִ֔ים (ʾavanim) – Root: אבן (ʾeven); Form: Noun feminine plural; Translation: “stones”; Notes: Used for altar construction.
- כְּמִסְפַּ֖ר (ke-mispar) – Root: ספר (safar); Form: Preposition + noun masculine singular construct; Translation: “according to the number of”; Notes: Quantitative correspondence.
- שִׁבְטֵ֣י (shivtei) – Root: שׁבט (shevet); Form: Noun masculine plural construct; Translation: “the tribes of”; Notes: Governs the following noun.
- בְנֵֽי־יַעֲקֹ֑ב (benei-Yaʿaqov) – Roots: בן (ben), יעקב (Yaʿaqov); Form: Noun plural construct + proper noun; Translation: “sons of Yaʿaqov”; Notes: Patriarch of the tribes.
- אֲשֶׁר֩ (ʾasher) – Root: אשר (ʾasher); Form: Relative pronoun; Translation: “to whom”; Notes: Introduces a relative clause.
- הָיָ֨ה (hayah) – Root: היה (hayah); Form: Qal perfect 3ms; Translation: “had been”; Notes: Past action completed.
- דְבַר־יְהוָ֤ה (devar-YHWH) – Roots: דבר (davar), יהוה (YHWH); Form: Construct noun + proper noun; Translation: “the word of YHWH”; Notes: Refers to divine revelation.
- אֵלָיו֙ (elav) – Root: אל (ʾel); Form: Preposition + 3ms suffix; Translation: “to him”; Notes: Refers to Yaʿaqov.
- לֵאמֹ֔ר (lemor) – Root: אמר (ʾamar); Form: Infinitive construct; Translation: “saying”; Notes: Introduces the quotation.
- יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל (Yisraʾel) – Root: ישראל (Yisraʾel); Form: Proper noun; Translation: “Yisraʾel”; Notes: New covenantal name.
- יִהְיֶ֥ה (yihyeh) – Root: היה (hayah); Form: Qal imperfect 3ms; Translation: “shall be”; Notes: Future naming formula.
- שְׁמֶֽךָ (shmekha) – Root: שם (shem); Form: Noun masculine singular + 2ms suffix; Translation: “your name”; Notes: Directly addressed to Yaʿaqov.