וַתִּשְׁלַ֤ח אִיזֶ֨בֶל֙ מַלְאָ֔ךְ אֶל־אֵלִיָּ֖הוּ לֵאמֹ֑ר כֹּֽה־יַעֲשׂ֤וּן אֱלֹהִים֙ וְכֹ֣ה יֹוסִפ֔וּן כִּֽי־כָעֵ֤ת מָחָר֙ אָשִׂ֣ים אֶֽת־נַפְשְׁךָ֔ כְּנֶ֖פֶשׁ אַחַ֥ד מֵהֶֽם׃
And Izevel sent a messenger to Eliyahu, saying, “Thus may the gods do, and thus may they add, if tomorrow at this time I do not make your life as the life of one of them.”
Morphology
- וַתִּשְׁלַ֤ח (va-tishlaḥ) – Root: שלח (shalaḥ); Form: Qal wayyiqtol 3fs; Translation: “And she sent”; Notes: Refers to Izevel’s action.
- אִיזֶ֨בֶל (Izevel) – Root: איזבל (Izevel); Form: Proper noun; Translation: “Izevel”; Notes: Queen of Yisraʾel, wife of Aḥʾav.
- מַלְאָ֔ךְ (malʾakh) – Root: מלאך (malʾakh); Form: Noun masculine singular; Translation: “messenger”; Notes: Human envoy rather than angelic being in this context.
- אֶל־אֵלִיָּ֖הוּ (el-Eliyahu) – Root: אל + אליהו; Form: Preposition + proper noun; Translation: “to Eliyahu”; Notes: Directs the message toward the prophet.
- לֵאמֹ֑ר (lemor) – Root: אמר (ʾamar); Form: Infinitive construct; Translation: “saying”; Notes: Introduces direct speech.
- כֹּֽה־יַעֲשׂ֤וּן (ko-yaʿasun) – Root: עשה (ʿasah); Form: Adverb + Qal imperfect 3cp; Translation: “Thus may they do”; Notes: Standard oath formula.
- אֱלֹהִים֙ (Elohim) – Root: אלה (ʾelohim); Form: Plural noun; Translation: “gods”; Notes: Refers here to pagan deities.
- וְכֹ֣ה יֹוסִפ֔וּן (ve-ko yosifun) – Root: יסף (yasaf); Form: Conjunction + adverb + Qal imperfect 3cp; Translation: “and thus may they add”; Notes: Standard part of curse formulas (“and more also”).
- כִּֽי־כָעֵ֤ת מָחָר֙ (ki-kaʿet maḥar) – Root: עת (ʿet), מחר (maḥar); Form: Conjunction + noun phrase; Translation: “if tomorrow at this time”; Notes: Specifies the time limit.
- אָשִׂ֣ים (asim) – Root: שׂים (sim); Form: Qal imperfect 1cs; Translation: “I do not make”; Notes: Verb of setting or causing.
- אֶת־נַפְשְׁךָ֔ (et-nafshekha) – Root: נפש (nefesh); Form: Direct object marker + noun with 2ms suffix; Translation: “your life”; Notes: Object of her intended action.
- כְּנֶ֖פֶשׁ (ke-nefesh) – Root: נפש (nefesh); Form: Preposition + noun; Translation: “like the life”; Notes: Comparative expression.
- אַחַ֥ד מֵהֶֽם (aḥad mehem) – Root: אחד (ʾaḥad); Form: Cardinal number + preposition + pronoun; Translation: “of one of them”; Notes: Refers to the slain prophets of Baʿal.