וַיֹּ֣אמֶר אֶֽל־נַעֲרֹ֗ו עֲלֵֽה־נָא֙ הַבֵּ֣ט דֶּֽרֶךְ־יָ֔ם וַיַּ֨עַל֙ וַיַּבֵּ֔ט וַיֹּ֖אמֶר אֵ֣ין מְא֑וּמָה וַיֹּ֕אמֶר שֻׁ֖ב שֶׁ֥בַע פְּעָמִֽים׃
And he said to his servant, “Please go up, look toward the sea.” And he went up and looked, and he said, “There is nothing.” And he said, “Go back seven times.”
Morphology
- וַיֹּ֣אמֶר (va-yomer) – Root: אמר (ʾamar); Form: Qal wayyiqtol 3ms; Translation: “And he said”; Notes: Introduces Eliyahu’s instruction to his servant.
- אֶל־נַעֲרֹ֗ו (el-naʿaro) – Root: נער (naʿar); Form: Preposition + noun masculine singular with 3ms suffix; Translation: “to his servant”; Notes: Eliyahu’s attendant.
- עֲלֵֽה־נָא֙ (ʿaleh-na) – Root: עלה (ʿalah); Form: Qal imperative 2ms + particle of entreaty; Translation: “Please go up”; Notes: Courteous command.
- הַבֵּ֣ט (habbet) – Root: נבט (nabat); Form: Hifil imperative 2ms; Translation: “look”; Notes: Causative verb form, commanding him to look.
- דֶּֽרֶךְ־יָ֔ם (derekh-yam) – Root: דרך (derekh), ים (yam); Form: Construct phrase; Translation: “toward the sea”; Notes: Likely referring to the westward direction.
- וַיַּ֨עַל (va-yaʿal) – Root: עלה (ʿalah); Form: Qal wayyiqtol 3ms; Translation: “And he went up”; Notes: The servant obeys.
- וַיַּבֵּט (va-yabbet) – Root: נבט (nabat); Form: Hifil wayyiqtol 3ms; Translation: “and he looked”; Notes: Repetition of the earlier verb, now fulfilled.
- וַיֹּאמֶר (va-yomer) – Root: אמר (ʾamar); Form: Qal wayyiqtol 3ms; Translation: “and he said”; Notes: The servant replies.
- אֵ֣ין מְאוּמָה (ʾein meʾumah) – Roots: אין (ʾein), מאום (meʾumah); Form: Negative particle + indefinite noun; Translation: “there is nothing”; Notes: Emphatic denial of any visible sign.
- וַיֹּאמֶר (va-yomer) – Root: אמר (ʾamar); Form: Qal wayyiqtol 3ms (again); Translation: “and he said”; Notes: Eliyahu gives a second command.
- שֻׁ֖ב (shuv) – Root: שוב (shuv); Form: Qal imperative 2ms; Translation: “Return”; Notes: Command to repeat the action.
- שֶׁ֥בַע פְּעָמִֽים (shevaʿ peʿamim) – Root: שבע (shevaʿ), פעם (paʿam); Form: Cardinal number + plural noun; Translation: “seven times”; Notes: Symbolic number of completeness or divine fulfillment.