וַיֹּאמְר֗וּ אִֽם־מְשַׁלְּחִ֞ים אֶת־אֲרֹ֨ון אֱלֹהֵ֤י יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ אַל־תְּשַׁלְּח֤וּ אֹתֹו֙ רֵיקָ֔ם כִּֽי־הָשֵׁ֥ב תָּשִׁ֛יבוּ לֹ֖ו אָשָׁ֑ם אָ֤ז תֵּרָֽפְאוּ֙ וְנֹודַ֣ע לָכֶ֔ם לָ֛מָּה לֹא־תָס֥וּר יָדֹ֖ו מִכֶּֽם׃
And they said, “If you send away the Ark of the God of Yisraʾel, do not send it empty, but surely return to Him a guilt offering; then you shall be healed, and it shall be known to you why His hand has not been removed from you.”
Morphology
- וַיֹּאמְר֗וּ (va-yomru) – Root: אמר (ʾamar); Form: Qal consecutive imperfect 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “And they said”; Notes: Refers to the Philistines speaking.
- אִֽם־מְשַׁלְּחִ֞ים (ʾim-meshallaḥim) – Root: שלח (shalaḥ); Form: Piel participle masculine plural; Translation: “If you send away”; Notes: Conditional clause indicating action.
- אֶת־אֲרֹ֨ון (ʾet-ʾaron) – Root: ארון (ʾaron); Form: Noun, masculine singular in construct; Translation: “the Ark of”; Notes: Object of the verb.
- אֱלֹהֵ֤י (ʾElohei) – Root: אלוה (ʾeloah); Form: Noun, masculine plural construct; Translation: “the God of”; Notes: Possessive construction.
- יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ (Yisraʾel) – Root: ישראל (Yisraʾel); Form: Proper noun, masculine singular; Translation: “Yisraʾel”; Notes: Refers to the people of Israel.
- אַל־תְּשַׁלְּח֤וּ (ʾal-teshalleḥu) – Root: שלח (shalaḥ); Form: Piel imperfect 2nd person masculine plural; Translation: “Do not send it”; Notes: Negative imperative.
- אֹתֹו֙ (ʾoto) – Root: אות (ʾot); Form: Pronoun, 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “it”; Notes: Direct object of the verb.
- רֵיקָ֔ם (reiqam) – Root: ריק (req); Form: Adverb; Translation: “empty”; Notes: Describes the state of sending.
- כִּֽי־הָשֵׁ֥ב (ki-hashev) – Root: שוב (shuv); Form: Hifil infinitive absolute; Translation: “but surely return”; Notes: Emphatic repetition of the verb.
- תָּשִׁ֛יבוּ (tashivu) – Root: שוב (shuv); Form: Hifil imperfect 2nd person masculine plural; Translation: “you shall return”; Notes: Continuation of the instruction.
- לֹ֖ו (lo) – Root: ל (l); Form: Preposition with pronoun suffix; Translation: “to Him”; Notes: Refers to YHWH.
- אָשָׁ֑ם (ʾasham) – Root: אשם (ʾasham); Form: Noun, masculine singular; Translation: “a guilt offering”; Notes: Refers to a restitution sacrifice.
- אָ֤ז (ʾaz) – Root: אז (ʾaz); Form: Adverb; Translation: “then”; Notes: Introduces a result.
- תֵּרָֽפְאוּ֙ (terafeʾu) – Root: רפא (raphaʾ); Form: Nifal imperfect 2nd person masculine plural; Translation: “you shall be healed”; Notes: Passive form.
- וְנֹודַ֣ע (ve-nodaʿ) – Root: ידע (yadaʿ); Form: Nifal perfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “and it shall be known”; Notes: Passive form.
- לָכֶ֔ם (lachem) – Root: ל (l); Form: Preposition with pronoun suffix; Translation: “to you”; Notes: Addresses the Philistines.
- לָ֛מָּה (lammah) – Root: מה (mah); Form: Interrogative; Translation: “why”; Notes: Asks about causality.
- לֹא־תָס֥וּר (lo-tasur) – Root: סור (sur); Form: Qal imperfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “has not been removed”; Notes: Refers to the ongoing affliction.
- יָדֹ֖ו (yado) – Root: יד (yad); Form: Noun, feminine singular with 3rd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “His hand”; Notes: Symbolic of YHWH’s power.
- מִכֶּֽם׃ (mikkem) – Root: מן (min); Form: Preposition with pronoun suffix; Translation: “from you”; Notes: Refers to the Philistines.