וַיֹּאמֶר֩ קַנֹּ֨א קִנֵּ֜אתִי לַיהוָ֣ה אֱלֹהֵ֣י צְבָאֹ֗ות כִּֽי־עָזְב֤וּ בְרִֽיתְךָ֙ בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל אֶת־מִזְבְּחֹתֶ֣יךָ הָרָ֔סוּ וְאֶת־נְבִיאֶ֖יךָ הָרְג֣וּ בֶחָ֑רֶב וָאִוָּתֵ֤ר אֲנִי֙ לְבַדִּ֔י וַיְבַקְשׁ֥וּ אֶת־נַפְשִׁ֖י לְקַחְתָּֽהּ׃ ס
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: Narrative connector introducing direct speech.
- קַנֹּא (qanno) – Root: קנא (qanaʾ); Form: Infinitive absolute; Translation: “being zealous”; Notes: Emphasizes the intensity of the following action.
- קִנֵּאתִי (qinneʾti) – Root: קנא (qanaʾ); Form: Piel perfect 1st person common singular; Translation: “I have been zealous”; Notes: Piel stem emphasizes strong emotion.
- לַיהוָה (la-YHWH) – Root: יהוה (YHWH); Form: Preposition ל with proper noun; Translation: “for YHWH”; Notes: Indicates direction of zeal or allegiance.
- אֱלֹהֵי (ʾelohei) – Root: אלה (ʾeloah); Form: Construct masculine plural; Translation: “God of”; Notes: Construct form linking to “hosts.”
- צְבָאֹות (tsevaʾot) – Root: צבא (tsavaʾ); Form: Noun, feminine plural; Translation: “hosts”; Notes: Refers to heavenly or earthly armies.
- כִּי (ki) – Root: כי (ki); Form: Conjunction; Translation: “for”; Notes: Introduces explanation or cause.
- עָזְבוּ (ʿazvu) – Root: עזב (ʿazav); Form: Qal perfect 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “they have forsaken”; Notes: Simple completed action.
- בְרִיתְךָ (beritkha) – Root: ברית (berit); Form: Noun, feminine singular with 2nd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “Your covenant”; Notes: Denotes the binding agreement between YHWH and Yisraʾel.
- בְּנֵי (bene) – Root: בן (ben); Form: Noun, masculine plural construct; Translation: “sons of”; Notes: Construct form leading to the following noun.
- יִשְׂרָאֵל (Yisraʾel) – Root: ישראל (Yisraʾel); Form: Proper noun; Translation: “Yisraʾel”; Notes: Refers to the covenant people of God.
- אֶת־מִזְבְּחֹתֶיךָ (et-mizbʿḥotekha) – Root: מזבח (mizbeaḥ); Form: Noun, masculine plural with 2nd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “Your altars”; Notes: The accusative marker אֶת signals direct object.
- הָרָסוּ (harasu) – Root: הרס (haras); Form: Qal perfect 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “they have torn down”; Notes: Completed action of destruction.
- וְאֶת־נְבִיאֶיךָ (ve-et-neviʾekha) – Root: נבא (naviʾ); Form: Noun, masculine plural with 2nd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “and Your prophets”; Notes: Continues the list of what was attacked.
- הָרְגוּ (hargu) – Root: הרג (harag); Form: Qal perfect 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “they have killed”; Notes: Completed action referring to the prophets’ death.
- בֶחָרֶב (be-ḥerev) – Root: חרב (ḥerev); Form: Preposition ב with noun, feminine singular; Translation: “with the sword”; Notes: Instrumental use of ב.
- 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 alone.
- אֲנִי (ani) – Root: אנכי (anoki/ani); Form: Independent pronoun; Translation: “I”; Notes: Emphasizes personal isolation.
- לְבַדִּי (le-vaddi) – Root: בדד (badad); Form: Noun with 1st person common singular suffix; Translation: “alone”; Notes: Indicates utter isolation.
- וַיְבַקְשׁוּ (va-yevaqshu) – Root: בקשׁ (baqash); Form: Piel wayyiqtol (narrative past) 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “and they seek”; Notes: Piel form intensifies the action.
- אֶת־נַפְשִׁי (et-nafshi) – Root: נפשׁ (nefesh); Form: Noun, feminine singular with 1st person common singular suffix; Translation: “my life”; Notes: נפשׁ often means both “soul” and “life” depending on context.
- 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 to kill.