וַיֹּ֗אמֶר אֵצֵא֙ וְהָיִ֨יתִי֙ ר֣וּחַ שֶׁ֔קֶר בְּפִ֖י כָּל־נְבִיאָ֑יו וַיֹּ֗אמֶר תְּפַתֶּה֙ וְגַם־תּוּכָ֔ל צֵ֖א וַעֲשֵׂה־כֵֽן׃
And he said, ‘I will go out and will be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets.’ And He said, ‘You shall entice and also you shall prevail. Go out and do so.’
Morphology
- וַיֹּאמֶר (va-yomer) – Root: אמר (ʾamar); Form: Qal wayyiqtol 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “And he said”; Notes: Refers to the spirit addressing YHWH.
- אֵצֵא (ʾetse) – Root: יצא (yatza); Form: Qal imperfect 1st person singular; Translation: “I will go out”; Notes: Declares intent to act on YHWH’s question.
- וְהָיִיתִי (ve-hayiti) – Root: היה (hayah); Form: Qal perfect 1st person singular with vav-consecutive; Translation: “and I will be”; Notes: Continues the plan of the spirit.
- רוּחַ שֶׁקֶר (ruaḥ sheqer) – Root: רוח (ruaḥ), שׁקר (sheqer); Form: Construct noun phrase; Translation: “a lying spirit”; Notes: The intended role for deception.
- בְּפִי (be-fi) – Root: פה (peh); Form: Preposition + noun with 3rd person plural suffix; Translation: “in the mouth of”; Notes: Refers to influence over speech.
- כָּל־נְבִיאָיו (kol-neviʾav) – Root: כל (kol), נבא (naviʾ); Form: Construct noun + masculine plural noun with 3rd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “all his prophets”; Notes: Refers to Aḥav’s prophetic entourage.
- וַיֹּאמֶר (va-yomer) – Root: אמר (ʾamar); Form: Qal wayyiqtol 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “And He said”; Notes: YHWH replies affirmatively to the spirit.
- תְּפַתֶּה (tefatteh) – Root: פתה (patah); Form: Piel imperfect 2nd person masculine singular; Translation: “You shall entice”; Notes: Grants permission to act as proposed.
- וְגַם־תּוּכָל (ve-gam-tukhal) – Root: יכל (yakhol); Form: Conjunction + adverb + Qal imperfect 2nd person masculine singular; Translation: “and you shall also prevail”; Notes: Expresses confidence in the spirit’s success.
- צֵא (tse) – Root: יצא (yatza); Form: Qal imperative masculine singular; Translation: “Go out”; Notes: Command to carry out the mission.
- וַעֲשֵׂה־כֵן (va-ʿaseh-khen) – Root: עשה (ʿasah); Form: Conjunction + Qal imperative masculine singular + adverb; Translation: “and do so”; Notes: Approval to implement the plan.