וְאַתָּ֣ה תִֽמְנֶה־לְךָ֣ חַ֡יִל כַּחַיִל֩ הַנֹּפֵ֨ל מֵאֹותָ֜ךְ וְס֣וּס כַּסּ֣וּס וְרֶ֣כֶב כָּרֶ֗כֶב וְנִֽלָּחֲמָ֤ה אֹותָם֙ בַּמִּישֹׁ֔ור אִם־לֹ֥א נֶחֱזַ֖ק מֵהֶ֑ם וַיִּשְׁמַ֥ע לְקֹלָ֖ם וַיַּ֥עַשׂ כֵּֽן׃ פ
And you shall muster for yourself a force like the force that fell from you, and horse for horse, and chariot for chariot; and we shall fight against them in the plain, and surely we shall be stronger than they.” And he listened to their voice and did so.
Morphology
- וְאַתָּה (ve-attah) – Root: אתה (attah); Form: Conjunction וְ + independent pronoun masculine singular; Translation: “And you”; Notes: Personal address to Ben-Hadad to act.
- תִמְנֶה (timneh) – Root: מנה (manah); Form: Qal imperfect 2nd person masculine singular; Translation: “you shall muster”; Notes: Command to assemble troops and resources.
- לְךָ (lekha) – Root: ל (le) + suffix; Form: Preposition לְ with 2nd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “for yourself”; Notes: Indicates for personal and strategic use.
- חַיִל (ḥayil) – Root: חיל (ḥayil); Form: Noun masculine singular; Translation: “a force”; Notes: Refers to military strength, troops.
- כַחַיִל (ka-ḥayil) – Root: חיל (ḥayil); Form: Preposition כְּ + noun masculine singular; Translation: “like the force”; Notes: Comparative structure — replacement force.
- הַנֹּפֵל (ha-nofel) – Root: נפל (nafal); Form: Definite Qal active participle masculine singular; Translation: “that fell”; Notes: Refers to troops lost in the previous defeat.
- מֵאֹותָךְ (me-otakh) – Root: אתה (attah/at); Form: Preposition מִן with 2nd person feminine singular suffix (used for city or collective); Translation: “from you”; Notes: Losses suffered from Ben-Hadad’s forces.
- וְסוּס (ve-sus) – Root: סוס (sus); Form: Conjunction וְ + noun masculine singular; Translation: “and horse”; Notes: Horse replacements are part of military rebuilding.
- כַסּוּס (ka-sus) – Root: סוס (sus); Form: Preposition כְּ + noun masculine singular; Translation: “like the horse”; Notes: Replaces lost cavalry.
- וְרֶכֶב (ve-rekhev) – Root: רכב (rekhev); Form: Conjunction וְ + noun masculine singular; Translation: “and chariot”; Notes: Important part of Aramean military strength.
- כָרֶכֶב (ka-rekhev) – Root: רכב (rekhev); Form: Preposition כְּ + noun masculine singular; Translation: “like the chariot”; Notes: Rebuilding of the chariotry lost in battle.
- וְנִלָּחֲמָה (ve-nillachemah) – Root: לחם (laḥam); Form: Nifal imperfect cohortative 1st person plural; Translation: “and we shall fight”; Notes: Encouragement to engage again, cohortative form expressing determination.
- אוֹתָם (otam) – Root: את (ʾet); Form: Accusative marker with 3rd person masculine plural suffix; Translation: “them”; Notes: Refers to the forces of Yisraʾel.
- בַּמִּישׁוֹר (ba-mishor) – Root: מישור (mishor); Form: Preposition בְּ + definite noun masculine singular; Translation: “in the plain”; Notes: Open terrain thought favorable to Aram’s forces.
- אִם־לֹא (im-lo) – Root: אם (im) + לא (lo); Form: Conditional particle + negative particle; Translation: “surely”; Notes: Idiomatic Hebrew construction to express certainty (“surely we shall be stronger”).
- נֶחֱזַק (neḥezaq) – Root: חזק (ḥazaq); Form: Nifal imperfect 1st person plural; Translation: “we shall be stronger”; Notes: Expresses confidence in victory if plan is followed.
- מֵהֶם (mehem) – Root: מן (min) + suffix; Form: Preposition מִן with 3rd person masculine plural suffix; Translation: “than they”; Notes: Comparative statement.
- וַיִּשְׁמַע (va-yishmaʿ) – Root: שמע (shamaʿ); Form: Qal wayyiqtol (narrative past) 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “and he listened”; Notes: Ben-Hadad accepting the advice given.
- לְקֹלָם (le-qolam) – Root: קול (qol); Form: Preposition לְ + noun masculine singular with 3rd person masculine plural suffix; Translation: “to their voice”; Notes: Refers to the counsel of his servants.
- וַיַּעַשׂ (va-yaʿas) – Root: עשה (ʿasah); Form: Qal wayyiqtol (narrative past) 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “and he did”; Notes: Action based on the advice received.
- כֵן (ken) – Root: כן (ken); Form: Adverb; Translation: “so”; Notes: Indicates full obedience to the suggested plan.