וַיֹּאמֶר֩ קַנֹּ֨א קִנֵּ֜אתִי לַיהוָ֣ה אֱלֹהֵ֣י צְבָאֹ֗ות כִּֽי־עָזְב֤וּ בְרִֽיתְךָ֙ בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל אֶת־מִזְבְּחֹתֶ֣יךָ הָרָ֔סוּ וְאֶת־נְבִיאֶ֖יךָ הָרְג֣וּ בֶחָ֑רֶב וָֽאִוָּתֵ֤ר אֲנִי֙ לְבַדִּ֔י וַיְבַקְשׁ֥וּ אֶת־נַפְשִׁ֖י לְקַחְתָּֽהּ׃
And he said, “I have been very zealous for YHWH, God of hosts, for the sons of Yisraʾel have forsaken Your covenant, Your altars they have torn down, and Your prophets they have killed with the sword, and I alone am left, and they seek my life to take it.”
Morphology
- וַיֹּאמֶר (va-yomer) – Root: אמר (ʾamar); Form: Qal wayyiqtol (narrative past) 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “And he said”; Notes: Introduces speech or narrative sequence.
- קַנֹּא (qanno) – Root: קנא (qanaʾ); Form: Infinitive absolute; Translation: “being zealous”; Notes: Emphasizes the intensity of the verb “I have been zealous.”
- קִנֵּאתִי (qinneʾti) – Root: קנא (qanaʾ); Form: Piel perfect 1st person common singular; Translation: “I have been zealous”; Notes: Piel intensifies the action of jealousy or zeal.
- לַיהוָה (la-YHWH) – Root: יהוה (YHWH); Form: Preposition with proper noun; Translation: “for YHWH”; Notes: Expresses devotion directed toward YHWH.
- אֱלֹהֵי (ʾelohei) – Root: אלה (ʾeloah); Form: Construct masculine plural; Translation: “God of”; Notes: Construct form links to the following noun (hosts).
- צְבָאֹות (tsevaʾot) – Root: צבא (tsavaʾ); Form: Noun, feminine plural; Translation: “hosts”; Notes: Refers to armies or heavenly forces.
- כִּי (ki) – Root: כי (ki); Form: Conjunction; Translation: “for”; Notes: Introduces the reason for his zeal.
- עָזְבוּ (ʿazvu) – Root: עזב (ʿazav); Form: Qal perfect 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “they have forsaken”; Notes: Simple action completed in the past.
- בְרִיתְךָ (beritkha) – Root: ברית (berit); Form: Noun, feminine singular with 2nd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “Your covenant”; Notes: Personal suffix highlights relationship between YHWH and Yisraʾel.
- בְּנֵי (bene) – Root: בן (ben); Form: Noun, masculine plural construct; Translation: “sons of”; Notes: Construct state connects to Yisraʾel.
- יִשְׂרָאֵל (Yisraʾel) – Root: ישראל (Yisraʾel); Form: Proper noun; Translation: “Yisraʾel”; Notes: Refers to the nation descended from Jacob.
- אֶת־מִזְבְּחֹתֶיךָ (et-mizbʿḥotekha) – Root: מזבח (mizbeaḥ); Form: Noun, masculine plural with 2nd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “Your altars”; Notes: Object marker את signals direct object.
- הָרָסוּ (harasu) – Root: הרס (haras); Form: Qal perfect 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “they have torn down”; Notes: Expresses completed destructive action.
- וְאֶת־נְבִיאֶיךָ (ve-et-neviʾekha) – Root: נבא (naviʾ); Form: Noun, masculine plural with 2nd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “and Your prophets”; Notes: וְ (ve) connects this to the previous direct object.
- הָרְגוּ (hargu) – Root: הרג (harag); Form: Qal perfect 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “they have killed”; Notes: Completed act of violence.
- בֶחָרֶב (be-ḥerev) – Root: חרב (ḥerev); Form: Preposition with noun, feminine singular; Translation: “with the sword”; Notes: Instrumental use of בְּ (be) preposition.
- וָאִוָּתֵר (va-ivater) – Root: יתר (yatar); Form: Nifal wayyiqtol (narrative past) 1st person common singular; Translation: “and I was left”; Notes: Passive form indicating being left behind.
- אֲנִי (ani) – Root: אנכי (anoki/ani); Form: Independent pronoun; Translation: “I”; Notes: Emphasizes the speaker’s isolation.
- לְבַדִּי (le-vaddi) – Root: בדד (badad); Form: Noun with 1st person common singular suffix; Translation: “alone”; Notes: From the root meaning “to be isolated.”
- וַיְבַקְשׁוּ (va-yevaqshu) – Root: בקשׁ (baqash); Form: Piel wayyiqtol (narrative past) 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “and they seek”; Notes: Piel intensifies the desire for action.
- אֶת־נַפְשִׁי (et-nafshi) – Root: נפשׁ (nefesh); Form: Noun, feminine singular with 1st person common singular suffix; Translation: “my life”; Notes: נפשׁ often represents the whole person or life.
- לְקַחְתָּהּ (le-qachtah) – Root: לקח (laqach); Form: Qal infinitive construct with 3rd person feminine singular suffix; Translation: “to take it”; Notes: Purpose clause indicating intent.