וַיֹּ֣אמֶר חֲזָאֵ֔ל מַדּ֖וּעַ אֲדֹנִ֣י בֹכֶ֑ה וַיֹּ֡אמֶר כִּֽי־יָדַ֡עְתִּי אֵ֣ת אֲשֶׁר־תַּעֲשֶׂה֩ לִבְנֵ֨י יִשְׂרָאֵ֜ל רָעָ֗ה מִבְצְרֵיהֶ֞ם תְּשַׁלַּ֤ח בָּאֵשׁ֙ וּבַחֻֽרֵיהֶם֙ בַּחֶ֣רֶב תַּהֲרֹ֔ג וְעֹלְלֵיהֶ֣ם תְּרַטֵּ֔שׁ וְהָרֹתֵיהֶ֖ם תְּבַקֵּֽעַ׃
And Ḥazaʾel said, “Why is my lord weeping?” And he said, “Because I know what you will do to the children of Yisraʾel — evil: their strongholds you will set on fire, and their young men you will slay with the sword, and their infants you will dash to pieces, and their pregnant women you will rip open.”
Morphology
- וַיֹּאמֶר (va-yomer) – Root: אמר; Form: Qal wayyiqtol 3ms; Translation: “And he said”; Notes: Introduction of direct speech from Ḥazaʾel.
- חֲזָאֵל (Ḥazaʾel) – Form: Proper noun; Translation: “Ḥazaʾel”; Notes: The servant of Ben-Hadad and future king of Aram.
- מַדּוּעַ (madduaʿ) – Root: ידע; Form: Interrogative adverb; Translation: “Why”; Notes: Introduces a question of cause.
- אֲדֹנִי (ʾadoni) – Root: אדן; Form: Noun masculine singular with 1cs suffix; Translation: “my lord”; Notes: Respectful address to the prophet.
- בֹכֶה (bocheh) – Root: בכה; Form: Qal participle masculine singular; Translation: “is weeping”; Notes: Describes Elisha’s emotional state.
- וַיֹּאמֶר (va-yomer) – Root: אמר; Form: Qal wayyiqtol 3ms; Translation: “And he said”; Notes: Elisha’s response to Ḥazaʾel.
- כִּי־יָדַעְתִּי (ki-yadaʿti) – Root: ידע; Form: Conjunction + Qal perfect 1cs; Translation: “Because I know”; Notes: Introduces the reason for Elisha’s grief.
- אֵת אֲשֶׁר־תַּעֲשֶׂה (et asher-taʿaseh) – Root: עשה; Form: Object marker + relative pronoun + Qal imperfect 2ms; Translation: “what you will do”; Notes: Refers to future actions of violence by Ḥazaʾel.
- לִבְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל (livnei Yisraʾel) – Root: בן; Form: Preposition + plural construct; Translation: “to the children of Yisraʾel”; Notes: Identifies the victims.
- רָעָה (raʿah) – Root: רעע; Form: Noun feminine singular; Translation: “evil”; Notes: The nature of the actions to be committed.
- מִבְצְרֵיהֶם (mivtzereihem) – Root: בצר; Form: Noun masculine plural with 3mp suffix; Translation: “their strongholds”; Notes: Refers to fortified cities or defenses.
- תְּשַׁלַּח (teshalleḥ) – Root: שלח; Form: Piel imperfect 2ms; Translation: “you will send”; Notes: Often in Piel implies causing destruction, here by fire.
- בָּאֵשׁ (ba-esh) – Root: אשׁ; Form: Preposition + noun feminine singular; Translation: “with fire”; Notes: Instrument of destruction.
- וּבַחֻרֵיהֶם (uvaḥureihem) – Root: בחר; Form: Preposition + plural noun + 3mp suffix; Translation: “and their young men”; Notes: Describes a segment of the population attacked.
- בַּחֶרֶב (ba-ḥerev) – Root: חרב; Form: Preposition + noun feminine singular; Translation: “with the sword”; Notes: Instrument of war and death.
- תַּהֲרֹג (taharog) – Root: הרג; Form: Qal imperfect 2ms; Translation: “you will slay”; Notes: Acts of violence attributed to Ḥazaʾel.
- וְעֹלְלֵיהֶם (ve-ʿolleihem) – Root: עולל; Form: Conjunction + plural noun + 3mp suffix; Translation: “and their infants”; Notes: The most vulnerable victims.
- תְּרַטֵּשׁ (teratteš) – Root: רטש; Form: Piel imperfect 2ms; Translation: “you will dash to pieces”; Notes: Violent action emphasizing brutality.
- וְהָרֹתֵיהֶם (ve-haroteihem) – Root: הרה; Form: Conjunction + participle feminine plural + 3mp suffix; Translation: “and their pregnant women”; Notes: Describes expecting mothers.
- תְּבַקֵּעַ (tevaqqeaʿ) – Root: בקע; Form: Piel imperfect 2ms; Translation: “you will rip open”; Notes: Depicts extreme violence, part of prophetic forewarning.