וְאִ֗ישׁ מָשַׁ֤ךְ בַּקֶּ֨שֶׁת֙ לְתֻמֹּ֔ו וַיַּכֶּה֙ אֶת־מֶ֣לֶךְ יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל בֵּ֥ין הַדְּבָקִ֖ים וּבֵ֣ין הַשִּׁרְיָ֑ן וַיֹּ֣אמֶר לְרַכָּבֹ֗ו הֲפֹ֥ךְ יָדְךָ֛ וְהֹוצִיאֵ֥נִי מִן־הַֽמַּחֲנֶ֖ה כִּ֥י הָחֳלֵֽיתִי׃
And a man drew his bow at random and struck the king of Yisraʾel between the joints and between the armor. And he said to his charioteer, “Turn your hand and bring me out from the camp, for I am wounded.”
Morphology
- וְאִישׁ (ve-ish) – Root: אישׁ (ʾish); Form: Conjunction + noun masculine singular; Translation: “And a man”; Notes: Unnamed archer, pivotal to the narrative.
- מָשַׁךְ (mashakh) – Root: משך (mashakh); Form: Qal perfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “drew”; Notes: Refers to drawing a bowstring.
- בַּקֶּשֶׁת (ba-qeshet) – Root: קשׁת (qeshet); Form: Preposition + definite noun feminine singular; Translation: “with the bow”; Notes: Weapon of the unnamed archer.
- לְתֻמֹּו (le-tummo) – Root: תם (tum); Form: Preposition + noun masculine singular with 3rd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “at random” / “in his innocence”; Notes: Without deliberate aim—divine providence implied.
- וַיַּכֶּה (va-yakkeh) – Root: נכה (nakah); Form: Hiphil wayyiqtol 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “and struck”; Notes: Fatal blow described.
- אֶת־מֶלֶךְ יִשְׂרָאֵל (et-melekh Yisraʾel) – Root: מלך (melekh), ישראל (Yisraʾel); Form: Accusative marker + construct noun + proper noun; Translation: “the king of Yisraʾel”; Notes: Refers to Aḥav, mortally wounded.
- בֵּין הַדְּבָקִים (bein ha-devaqim) – Root: דבק (davaq); Form: Preposition + definite plural noun; Translation: “between the joints”; Notes: Vulnerable spot in armor, possibly between breastplate segments.
- וּבֵין הַשִּׁרְיָן (u-vein ha-shiryan) – Root: שריון (shiryan); Form: Conjunction + preposition + definite noun masculine singular; Translation: “and between the armor”; Notes: Parallel structure emphasizing fatal placement.
- וַיֹּאמֶר (va-yoʾmer) – Root: אמר (ʾamar); Form: Qal wayyiqtol 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “and he said”; Notes: Aḥav’s words to his driver.
- לְרַכָּבוֹ (le-rakkavo) – Root: רכב (rakev); Form: Preposition + noun with 3rd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “to his charioteer”; Notes: The driver of the royal chariot.
- הֲפֹךְ (hafoḵ) – Root: הפך (haphakh); Form: Qal imperative masculine singular; Translation: “Turn”; Notes: Urgent command to change direction.
- יָדְךָ (yadkha) – Root: יד (yad); Form: Noun + 2nd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “your hand”; Notes: Refers to control over the reins/chariot.
- וְהֹוצִיאֵנִי (ve-hotsiʾeni) – Root: יצא (yatsa); Form: Hiphil imperative masculine singular + 1st person singular suffix; Translation: “and bring me out”; Notes: Plea to withdraw him from combat.
- מִן־הַמַּחֲנֶה (min-ha-maḥaneh) – Root: חנה (ḥanah); Form: Preposition + definite noun masculine singular; Translation: “from the camp”; Notes: Refers to the battlefield or military encampment.
- כִּי הָחֳלֵיתִי (ki haḥoleiti) – Root: חלה (ḥalah); Form: Causal conjunction + Qal perfect 1st person singular; Translation: “for I am wounded”; Notes: Indicates serious injury—literally “I have become weak/sick.”