וַיַּעַרְכ֨וּ פְלִשְׁתִּ֜ים לִקְרַ֣את יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל וַתִּטֹּשׁ֙ הַמִּלְחָמָ֔ה וַיִּנָּ֥גֶף יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל לִפְנֵ֣י פְלִשְׁתִּ֑ים וַיַּכּ֤וּ בַמַּֽעֲרָכָה֙ בַּשָּׂדֶ֔ה כְּאַרְבַּ֥עַת אֲלָפִ֖ים אִֽישׁ׃
And the Pelishtim arrayed themselves against Yisraʾel, and the battle spread out, and Yisraʾel was defeated before the Pelishtim, and they struck down in the battle line in the field about four thousand men.
Morphology
- וַיַּעַרְכ֨וּ (va-yaʿarkhu) – Root: ערך (ʿarakh); Form: Qal consecutive imperfect 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “And they arrayed”; Notes: Refers to military formation.
- פְלִשְׁתִּ֜ים (Pelishtim) – Root: פלשתי (Pelishti); Form: Proper noun, plural; Translation: “the Pelishtim”; Notes: Refers to the Philistines.
- לִקְרַ֣את (likrat) – Root: קרא (qaraʾ); Form: Preposition with infinitive construct; Translation: “against”; Notes: Indicates confrontation.
- יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל (Yisraʾel) – Root: ישראל (Yisraʾel); Form: Proper noun, masculine singular; Translation: “Yisraʾel”; Notes: Refers to the Israelite army.
- וַתִּטֹּשׁ֙ (va-tittosh) – Root: נטש (natash); Form: Qal consecutive imperfect 3rd person feminine singular; Translation: “And it spread out”; Notes: Refers to the outbreak of battle.
- הַמִּלְחָמָ֔ה (ha-milḥamah) – Root: מלחמה (milḥamah); Form: Noun, feminine singular with definite article; Translation: “the battle”; Notes: Subject of the verb.
- וַיִּנָּ֥גֶף (va-yinnagef) – Root: נגף (nagaf); Form: Nifal consecutive imperfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “And he was defeated”; Notes: Refers to Yisraʾel’s loss.
- יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל (Yisraʾel) – Root: ישראל (Yisraʾel); Form: Proper noun, masculine singular; Translation: “Yisraʾel”; Notes: Subject of the verb.
- לִפְנֵ֣י (lifnei) – Root: פנים (panim); Form: Preposition with noun, masculine plural construct; Translation: “before”; Notes: Indicates subjugation.
- פְלִשְׁתִּ֑ים (Pelishtim) – Root: פלשתי (Pelishti); Form: Proper noun, plural; Translation: “the Pelishtim”; Notes: Refers to their enemies.
- וַיַּכּ֤וּ (va-yakku) – Root: נכה (nakah); Form: Hifil consecutive imperfect 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “And they struck down”; Notes: Refers to the Pelishtim inflicting casualties.
- בַמַּֽעֲרָכָה֙ (ba-maʿarakah) – Root: מערכה (maʿarakah); Form: Noun, feminine singular with definite article; Translation: “in the battle line”; Notes: Indicates the location of the casualties.
- בַּשָּׂדֶ֔ה (ba-sadeh) – Root: שדה (sadeh); Form: Noun, masculine singular with definite article; Translation: “in the field”; Notes: Specifies the battlefield.
- כְּאַרְבַּ֥עַת (ke-arbaʿat) – Root: ארבע (arbaʿ); Form: Cardinal number, masculine construct; Translation: “about four”; Notes: Indicates an approximate number.
- אֲלָפִ֖ים (alafim) – Root: אלף (elef); Form: Noun, masculine plural; Translation: “thousands”; Notes: Specifies the number of casualties.
- אִֽישׁ (ish) – Root: איש (ish); Form: Noun, masculine singular; Translation: “men”; Notes: Used collectively for soldiers.