וַיֹּאמְר֗וּ מָ֣ה הָאָשָׁם֮ אֲשֶׁ֣ר נָשִׁ֣יב לֹו֒ וַיֹּאמְר֗וּ מִסְפַּר֙ סַרְנֵ֣י פְלִשְׁתִּ֔ים חֲמִשָּׁה֙ עפלי זָהָ֔ב וַחֲמִשָּׁ֖ה עַכְבְּרֵ֣י זָהָ֑ב כִּֽי־מַגֵּפָ֥ה אַחַ֛ת לְכֻלָּ֖ם וּלְסַרְנֵיכֶֽם׃
And they said, “What is the guilt offering that we shall return to Him?” And they said, “According to the number of the lords of the Pelishtim—five golden tumors and five golden mice—for one plague was upon all of them and upon your lords.
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.
- מָ֣ה (mah) – Root: מה (mah); Form: Interrogative pronoun; Translation: “What”; Notes: Introduces a question.
- הָאָשָׁם֮ (ha-ʾasham) – Root: אשם (ʾasham); Form: Noun, masculine singular, definite; Translation: “the guilt offering”; Notes: Refers to an atonement or restitution offering.
- אֲשֶׁ֣ר (ʾasher) – Root: אשר (ʾasher); Form: Relative pronoun; Translation: “that”; Notes: Connects the clause.
- נָשִׁ֣יב (nashiv) – Root: שוב (shuv); Form: Hifil imperfect 1st person plural; Translation: “we shall return”; Notes: Indicates an action of restoration.
- לֹו֒ (lo) – Root: ל (l); Form: Preposition with pronoun suffix; Translation: “to Him”; Notes: Refers to YHWH.
- וַיֹּאמְר֗וּ (va-yomru) – Root: אמר (ʾamar); Form: Qal consecutive imperfect 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “And they said”; Notes: Repeated for emphasis.
- מִסְפַּר֙ (mispar) – Root: ספר (safar); Form: Noun, masculine singular construct; Translation: “According to the number of”; Notes: Indicates a count.
- סַרְנֵ֣י (sarnei) – Root: סר (sar); Form: Noun, masculine plural construct; Translation: “the lords of”; Notes: Refers to the rulers of the Philistines.
- פְלִשְׁתִּ֔ים (Pelishtim) – Root: פלשתי (Pelishti); Form: Proper noun, masculine plural; Translation: “the Philistines”; Notes: Refers to the Philistine people.
- חֲמִשָּׁה֙ (ḥamishah) – Root: חמש (ḥamesh); Form: Cardinal number, masculine; Translation: “five”; Notes: Quantity specification.
- עפלי (ʿaflei) – Root: עפל (ʿafel); Form: Noun, masculine plural construct; Translation: “tumors of”; Notes: Signifies the affliction sent by YHWH.
- זָהָ֔ב (zahav) – Root: זהב (zahav); Form: Noun, masculine singular absolute; Translation: “gold”; Notes: Material of the guilt offering.
- וַחֲמִשָּׁ֖ה (va-ḥamishah) – Root: חמש (ḥamesh); Form: Cardinal number, masculine; Translation: “and five”; Notes: Quantity specification.
- עַכְבְּרֵ֣י (ʿakberei) – Root: עכבר (ʿakbar); Form: Noun, masculine plural construct; Translation: “mice of”; Notes: Part of the guilt offering.
- זָהָ֑ב (zahav) – Root: זהב (zahav); Form: Noun, masculine singular absolute; Translation: “gold”; Notes: Indicates golden statues of mice.
- כִּֽי־מַגֵּפָ֥ה (ki-magefah) – Root: נגף (nagaf); Form: Noun, feminine singular absolute; Translation: “for one plague”; Notes: Refers to the divine affliction.
- אַחַ֛ת (aḥat) – Root: אחד (ʾeḥad); Form: Cardinal number, feminine singular; Translation: “one”; Notes: Refers to the singular nature of the plague.
- לְכֻלָּ֖ם (le-kullam) – Root: כל (kol); Form: Noun, masculine plural construct with 3rd person masculine plural suffix; Translation: “upon all of them”; Notes: Collective reference to the Philistines.
- וּלְסַרְנֵיכֶֽם׃ (u-le-sarneikhem) – Root: סר (sar); Form: Noun, masculine plural construct with 2nd person masculine plural suffix; Translation: “and upon your lords”; Notes: Refers to the Philistine rulers.