הֲֽרָאִ֔יתָ כִּֽי־נִכְנַ֥ע אַחְאָ֖ב מִלְּפָנָ֑י יַ֜עַן כִּֽי־נִכְנַ֣ע מִפָּנַ֗י לֹֽא־אָבִיא הָֽרָעָה֙ בְּיָמָ֔יו בִּימֵ֣י בְנֹ֔ו אָבִ֥יא הָרָעָ֖ה עַל־בֵּיתֹֽו׃
“Have you seen how Aḥav has humbled himself before me? Because he has humbled himself before me, I will not bring the evil in his days; in the days of his son I will bring the evil upon his house.”
Morphology
- הֲרָאִיתָ (haraʾita) – Root: ראה (raʾah); Form: Qal perfect 2nd person masculine singular with interrogative הֲ; Translation: “Have you seen?”; Notes: Divine rhetorical question addressed to Eliyahu.
- כִּי־נִכְנַע (ki-nikhnaʿ) – Root: כנע (kanaʿ); Form: Nifal perfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “that he has humbled himself”; Notes: Passive-reflexive, indicating Aḥav’s repentance.
- אַחְאָב (Aḥav) – Root: אחאב (Aḥav); Form: Proper noun masculine singular; Translation: “Aḥav”; Notes: The king who showed repentance.
- מִלְּפָנַי (mil-lefanai) – Root: פנה (panah); Form: Preposition מִן + noun masculine plural construct + 1st person singular suffix; Translation: “before me”; Notes: Indicates humility shown toward YHWH.
- יַעַן (yaʿan) – Root: יען (yaʿan); Form: Preposition; Translation: “because”; Notes: Causal connector explaining the reason for divine mercy.
- כִּי־נִכְנַע (ki-nikhnaʿ) – Root: כנע (kanaʿ); Form: Nifal perfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “because he has humbled himself”; Notes: Repetition for emphasis.
- מִפָּנַי (mi-panai) – Root: פנה (panah); Form: Preposition מִן + noun masculine plural construct + 1st person singular suffix; Translation: “before me”; Notes: Highlights Aḥav’s direct posture of humility toward YHWH.
- לֹא־אָבִיא (lo-avi) – Root: בוא (boʾ); Form: Negative particle + Hiphil imperfect 1st person singular; Translation: “I will not bring”; Notes: YHWH’s deferment of judgment.
- הָרָעָה (ha-raʿah) – Root: רעע (raʿaʿ); Form: Definite noun feminine singular; Translation: “the evil”; Notes: Refers to the prophesied disaster or punishment.
- בְּיָמָיו (be-yamav) – Root: יום (yom); Form: Preposition בְּ + noun masculine plural construct with 3rd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “in his days”; Notes: During Aḥav’s lifetime.
- בִּימֵי (bi-yemei) – Root: יום (yom); Form: Preposition בְּ + construct noun masculine plural; Translation: “in the days of”; Notes: Transition to the next generation.
- בְנוֹ (veno) – Root: בן (ben); Form: Noun masculine singular construct + 3rd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “his son”; Notes: Refers to Aḥav’s offspring who will suffer the punishment.
- אָבִיא (avi) – Root: בוא (boʾ); Form: Hiphil imperfect 1st person singular; Translation: “I will bring”; Notes: Renewed promise of judgment, delayed to the son’s time.
- הָרָעָה (ha-raʿah) – Root: רעע (raʿaʿ); Form: Definite noun feminine singular; Translation: “the evil”; Notes: Repetition of the term for disaster/judgment.
- עַל־בֵּיתוֹ (ʿal-beitо) – Root: בית (bayit); Form: Preposition עַל + noun masculine singular with 3rd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “upon his house”; Notes: Refers to Aḥav’s dynasty or family line.