וַיִּבְנֶ֧ה אֶת־הָאֲבָנִ֛ים מִזְבֵּ֖חַ בְּשֵׁ֣ם יְהוָ֑ה וַיַּ֣עַשׂ תְּעָלָ֗ה כְּבֵית֙ סָאתַ֣יִם זֶ֔רַע סָבִ֖יב לַמִּזְבֵּֽחַ׃
And he built the stones into an altar in the name of YHWH, and he made a trench, like the area of two seahs of seed, around the altar.
Morphology
- וַיִּבְנֶ֧ה (va-yivneh) – Root: בנה (banah); Form: Qal wayyiqtol 3ms; Translation: “And he built”; Notes: Refers to constructing the altar.
- אֶת־הָאֲבָנִ֛ים (et-haʾavanim) – Root: אבן (ʾeven); Form: Direct object marker + definite noun feminine plural; Translation: “the stones”; Notes: The previously mentioned twelve stones.
- מִזְבֵּ֖חַ (mizbeaḥ) – Root: זבח (zavaḥ); Form: Noun masculine singular; Translation: “altar”; Notes: Object constructed from the stones.
- בְּשֵׁ֣ם יְהוָ֑ה (be-shem YHWH) – Root: שם (shem), יהוה (YHWH); Form: Preposition + construct noun + proper noun; Translation: “in the name of YHWH”; Notes: Indicates dedication or authority.
- וַיַּ֣עַשׂ (va-yaʿas) – Root: עשה (ʿasah); Form: Qal wayyiqtol 3ms; Translation: “and he made”; Notes: A new construction action follows.
- תְּעָלָ֗ה (teʿalah) – Root: תעל (taʿal); Form: Noun feminine singular; Translation: “a trench”; Notes: Dug for collecting water or runoff.
- כְּבֵית֙ סָאתַ֣יִם (ke-beit saʾatayim) – Roots: בית (bayit), סאה (seʾah); Form: Preposition + construct noun + dual noun; Translation: “like the area of two seahs”; Notes: A measurement for area or volume.
- זֶ֔רַע (zeraʿ) – Root: זרע (zeraʿ); Form: Noun masculine singular; Translation: “of seed”; Notes: Refers to how much seed the trench would contain—used as a unit of measure.
- סָבִ֖יב (saviv) – Root: סבב (savav); Form: Adverb; Translation: “around”; Notes: Locative description.
- לַמִּזְבֵּֽחַ (la-mizbeaḥ) – Root: זבח (zavaḥ); Form: Preposition + definite noun masculine singular; Translation: “around the altar”; Notes: Describes the trench’s placement.