וַיָּנֻ֨סוּ הַנֹּותָרִ֥ים אֲפֵקָה֮ אֶל־הָעִיר֒ וַתִּפֹּל֙ הַחֹומָ֔ה עַל־עֶשְׂרִ֨ים וְשִׁבְעָ֥ה אֶ֛לֶף אִ֖ישׁ הַנֹּותָרִ֑ים וּבֶן־הֲדַ֣ד נָ֔ס וַיָּבֹ֥א אֶל־הָעִ֖יר חֶ֥דֶר בְּחָֽדֶר׃ ס
And the survivors fled to Afeq, into the city, and the wall fell upon twenty-seven thousand men who were left; and Ben-hadad fled and came into the city, into an inner chamber within a chamber.
Morphology
- וַיָּנֻסוּ (va-yanusu) – Root: נוס (nus); Form: Qal wayyiqtol (narrative past) 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “and they fled”; Notes: The survivors from Aram attempt to escape into the city.
- הַנֹּותָרִים (ha-notarim) – Root: יתר (yatar); Form: Definite participle masculine plural; Translation: “the survivors”; Notes: Refers to the remaining forces of Aram after the battle loss.
- אֲפֵקָה (Afeqah) – Root: אפק (Afeq); Form: Proper noun with locative ה ending; Translation: “to Apheq”; Notes: The fortified city near the battle scene.
- אֶל־הָעִיר (el-haʿir) – Root: עיר (ʿir); Form: Preposition אֶל + definite noun feminine singular; Translation: “into the city”; Notes: Indicates the place of retreat.
- וַתִּפֹּל (va-tippol) – Root: נפל (nafal); Form: Qal wayyiqtol (narrative past) 3rd person feminine singular; Translation: “and it fell”; Notes: Refers to the collapse of the city wall.
- הַחֹומָה (ha-ḥomah) – Root: חמה (ḥomah); Form: Definite noun feminine singular; Translation: “the wall”; Notes: Defensive structure of Apheq causing the deaths.
- עַל־עֶשְׂרִים וְשִׁבְעָה (ʿal-esrim ve-shivʿah) – Root: עשרים (esrim) + שבע (shevaʿ); Form: Preposition עַל + numeral phrase; Translation: “upon twenty-seven”; Notes: The number of men killed by the falling wall.
- אֶלֶף (elef) – Root: אלף (elef); Form: Noun masculine singular; Translation: “thousand”; Notes: Completes the number twenty-seven thousand.
- אִישׁ (ish) – Root: אישׁ (ʾish); Form: Noun masculine singular; Translation: “men”; Notes: Individual soldiers.
- הַנֹּותָרִים (ha-notarim) – Root: יתר (yatar); Form: Definite participle masculine plural; Translation: “the survivors”; Notes: Specifies that these men were among those who initially escaped.
- וּבֶן־הֲדַד (u-ven-Hadad) – Root: בן (ben) + הדד (Hadad); Form: Conjunction וְ + construct chain; Translation: “and Ben-Hadad”; Notes: Focus shifts to the king of Aram.
- נָס (nas) – Root: נוס (nus); Form: Qal perfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “fled”; Notes: Describes Ben-hadad’s personal escape.
- וַיָּבֹא (va-yavo) – Root: בוא (bo); Form: Qal wayyiqtol (narrative past) 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “and he came”; Notes: Movement into the city for refuge.
- אֶל־הָעִיר (el-haʿir) – Root: עיר (ʿir); Form: Preposition אֶל + definite noun feminine singular; Translation: “into the city”; Notes: Repeated, emphasizing entry into an interior space.
- חֶדֶר בְּחָדֶר (ḥeder be-ḥader) – Root: חדר (ḥeder); Form: Noun masculine singular + preposition + noun masculine singular; Translation: “an inner chamber within a chamber”; Notes: Expression denoting deep hiding or the innermost room.