וַיִּשְׁלַ֤ח אֵלָיו֙ בֶּן־הֲדַ֔ד וַיֹּ֕אמֶר כֹּֽה־יַעֲשׂ֥וּן לִ֛י אֱלֹהִ֖ים וְכֹ֣ה יֹוסִ֑פוּ אִם־יִשְׂפֹּק֙ עֲפַ֣ר שֹׁמְרֹ֔ון לִשְׁעָלִ֕ים לְכָל־הָעָ֖ם אֲשֶׁ֥ר בְּרַגְלָֽי׃
And Ben-hadad sent to him and said, “Thus may the gods do to me, and thus may they add, if the dust of Shomron shall suffice for handfuls for all the people who are at my feet.”
Morphology
- וַיִּשְׁלַח (va-yishlaḥ) – Root: שלח (shalaḥ); Form: Qal wayyiqtol (narrative past) 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “And he sent”; Notes: Refers to Ben-Hadad sending another message.
- אֵלָיו (elav) – Root: אל (el); Form: Preposition אֶל with 3rd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “to him”; Notes: Refers to Aḥʾav.
- בֶּן־הֲדַד (ben-Hadad) – Root: בן (ben) + הדד (Hadad); Form: Construct chain; Translation: “Ben-Hadad”; Notes: Name of the Aramean king.
- וַיֹּאמֶר (va-yomer) – Root: אמר (ʾamar); Form: Qal wayyiqtol (narrative past) 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “and he said”; Notes: Introduces direct speech.
- כֹּה (koh) – Root: כה (koh); Form: Adverb; Translation: “Thus”; Notes: Standard formula introducing a solemn oath or declaration.
- יַעֲשׂוּן (yaʿasun) – Root: עשה (ʿasah); Form: Qal imperfect 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “may they do”; Notes: Refers to the gods acting against the speaker if he fails.
- לִי (li) – Root: לי (li); Form: Preposition לְ with 1st person singular suffix; Translation: “to me”; Notes: Dative of disadvantage (may the gods harm me).
- אֱלֹהִים (Elohim) – Root: אלה (ʾelohim); Form: Noun masculine plural; Translation: “gods”; Notes: Plural used for multiple deities in this context.
- וְכֹה (ve-koh) – Root: כה (koh); Form: Conjunction וְ with adverb; Translation: “and thus”; Notes: Parallelism reinforcing the previous oath formula.
- יֹוסִפוּ (yosifu) – Root: יסף (yasaf); Form: Qal imperfect 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “may they add”; Notes: Wishes additional punishment if the oath is broken.
- אִם (im) – Root: אם (im); Form: Conditional particle; Translation: “if”; Notes: Introduces the conditional clause of the oath.
- יִשְׂפֹּק (yispoq) – Root: שפק (shafaq); Form: Qal imperfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “shall suffice”; Notes: Refers to the dust being sufficient for all the troops.
- עֲפַר (ʿafar) – Root: עפר (ʿafar); Form: Noun masculine singular; Translation: “dust”; Notes: Symbolic of total destruction or desolation.
- שֹׁמְרֹון (Shomron) – Root: שמרון (Shomron); Form: Proper noun; Translation: “Shomron”; Notes: Capital city of the northern kingdom of Yisraʾel.
- לִשְׁעָלִים (lishʿalim) – Root: שעל (shaʿal); Form: Preposition לְ with noun masculine plural; Translation: “for handfuls”; Notes: Handfuls or small portions.
- לְכָל־הָעָם (le-kol-ha-ʿam) – Root: כל (kol) + עם (ʿam); Form: Preposition לְ + totality כָּל + definite noun masculine singular; Translation: “for all the people”; Notes: Refers to the entirety of Ben-Hadad’s army.
- אֲשֶׁר (asher) – Root: אשר (ʾasher); Form: Relative pronoun; Translation: “who”; Notes: Introduces a clause specifying “the people.”
- בְּרַגְלָי (be-raglai) – Root: רגל (regel); Form: Preposition בְ with noun feminine plural construct + 1st person singular suffix; Translation: “at my feet”; Notes: Refers to those under Ben-Hadad’s command.