וַיֹּ֣אמֶר אֵלָ֡יו הֶעָרִ֣ים אֲשֶׁר־לָֽקַח־אָבִי֩ מֵאֵ֨ת אָבִ֜יךָ אָשִׁ֗יב וְ֠חוּצֹות תָּשִׂ֨ים לְךָ֤ בְדַמֶּ֨שֶׂק֙ כַּאֲשֶׁר־שָׂ֤ם אָבִי֙ בְּשֹׁ֣מְרֹ֔ון וַאֲנִ֖י בַּבְּרִ֣ית אֲשַׁלְּחֶ֑ךָּ וַיִּכְרָת־לֹ֥ו בְרִ֖ית וַֽיְשַׁלְּחֵֽהוּ׃ ס
And he said to him, “The cities which my father took from your father I will restore; and you shall make streets for yourself in Dammeseq, as my father made in Shomeron; and I, for the covenant, will send you away.” And he made a covenant with him and sent him away.
Morphology
- וַיֹּאמֶר (va-yomer) – Root: אמר (ʾamar); Form: Qal wayyiqtol (narrative past) 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “And he said”; Notes: Refers to Ben-Hadad speaking to the king of Yisraʾel.
- אֵלָיו (elav) – Root: אל (el); Form: Preposition אֶל + third person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “to him”; Notes: Refers to the king of Yisraʾel.
- הֶעָרִים (he-ʿarim) – Root: עיר (ʿir); Form: Definite article + noun feminine plural; Translation: “the cities”; Notes: Cities previously captured by Ben-hadad’s father.
- אֲשֶׁר־לָקַח־אָבִי (asher-laqach-avi) – Root: לקח (laqach) + אב (av); Form: Relative pronoun + Qal perfect 3rd person masculine singular + noun masculine singular with 1st person singular suffix; Translation: “which my father took”; Notes: Refers to former conquests.
- מֵאֵת אָבִיךָ (me-et avikha) – Root: אב (av); Form: Preposition מִן + particle + noun masculine singular with 2nd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “from your father”; Notes: Refers to the father of the king of Yisraʾel.
- אָשִׁיב (ashiv) – Root: שוב (shuv); Form: Hifil imperfect 1st person masculine singular; Translation: “I will restore”; Notes: Promise of restoration.
- וְחוּצֹות (ve-ḥutsot) – Root: חוץ (ḥuts); Form: Conjunction וְ + noun feminine plural; Translation: “and streets”; Notes: Markets or areas for Yisraʾel’s use.
- תָּשִׂים (tasim) – Root: שׂים (sim); Form: Qal imperfect 2nd person masculine singular; Translation: “you shall set”; Notes: Permission given to establish commercial or administrative areas.
- לְךָ (lekha) – Root: ל (le) + אתה (ʾatah); Form: Preposition + 2nd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “for yourself”; Notes: Indicates personal rights granted.
- בְדַמֶּשֶׂק (be-Dammeseq) – Root: דמשק (Dammeseq); Form: Preposition בְּ + proper noun; Translation: “in Dammeseq”; Notes: Proper scholarly transliteration for the city known as Damascus.
- כַּאֲשֶׁר־שָׂם אָבִי (ka-asher-sam avi) – Root: שׂים (sim) + אב (av); Form: Preposition כְּ + relative pronoun + Qal perfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “as my father set”; Notes: Parallel to prior arrangements in Shomeron.
- בְּשֹׁמְרֹון (be-Shomeron) – Root: שמרון (Shomeron); Form: Preposition בְּ + proper noun; Translation: “in Shomeron”; Notes: Capital city of Yisraʾel (Samaria).
- וַאֲנִי (va-ani) – Root: אני (ʾani); Form: Conjunction וְ + independent pronoun; Translation: “and I”; Notes: Emphasizing Ben-Hadad’s personal role in the agreement.
- בַּבְּרִית (ba-brit) – Root: ברית (brit); Form: Preposition בְּ + definite noun feminine singular; Translation: “for the covenant”; Notes: The treaty agreement.
- אֲשַׁלְּחֶךָּ (ashallekha) – Root: שלח (shalaḥ); Form: Piel imperfect 1st person masculine singular + 2nd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “I will send you away”; Notes: Conditional upon covenant establishment.
- וַיִּכְרָת־לוֹ בְּרִית (va-yikrat-lo brit) – Root: כרת (karat); Form: Qal wayyiqtol 3rd person masculine singular + 3rd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “and he made a covenant with him”; Notes: Conclusion of a formal agreement.
- וַיְּשַׁלְּחֵהוּ (va-yeshalleḥehu) – Root: שלח (shalaḥ); Form: Piel wayyiqtol 3rd person masculine singular + 3rd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “and he sent him away”; Notes: Marks Ben-Hadad’s release under treaty terms.