וַיְדַבֵּ֨ר אֵלָ֜יו כֹּֽה־אָמַ֣ר יְהוָ֗ה יַ֜עַן אֲשֶׁר־שָׁלַ֣חְתָּ מַלְאָכִים֮ לִדְרֹשׁ֮ בְּבַ֣עַל זְבוּב֮ אֱלֹהֵ֣י עֶקְרֹון֒ הַֽמִבְּלִ֤י אֵין־אֱלֹהִים֙ בְּיִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל לִדְרֹ֖שׁ בִּדְבָרֹ֑ו לָ֠כֵן הַמִּטָּ֞ה אֲשֶׁר־עָלִ֥יתָ שָּׁ֛ם לֹֽא־תֵרֵ֥ד מִמֶּ֖נָּה כִּֽי־מֹ֥ות תָּמֽוּת׃
And he spoke to him, “Thus says YHWH: ‘Because you have sent messengers to inquire of Baʿal-Zevuv, the god of ʿEqron—is it because there is no God in Yisraʾel to inquire of His word? Therefore, the bed upon which you have gone up—there you shall not come down from it, for you shall surely die.’”
Morphology
- וַיְדַבֵּ֨ר (va-yedabber) – Root: דבר (davar); Form: Piel wayyiqtol 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “And he spoke”; Notes: Refers to Eliyyah delivering YHWH’s message.
- אֵלָ֜יו (elav) – Root: אל (ʾel); Form: Preposition + 3rd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “to him”; Notes: Refers to the king.
- כֹּֽה־אָמַ֣ר (koh-amar) – Root: אמר (ʾamar); Form: Adverb + Qal perfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “Thus says”; Notes: Prophetic formula introducing divine speech.
- יְהוָ֗ה (YHWH) – Root: יהוה; Form: Proper noun; Translation: “YHWH”; Notes: The covenant name of the God of Yisraʾel.
- יַ֜עַן (yaʿan) – Root: יען (yaʿan); Form: Preposition; Translation: “Because”; Notes: Introduces a causal clause.
- אֲשֶׁר־שָׁלַ֣חְתָּ (asher-shalaḥta) – Root: שלח (shalaḥ); Form: Relative pronoun + Qal perfect 2nd person masculine singular; Translation: “that you sent”; Notes: Refers to the king’s messengers.
- מַלְאָכִים (malʾakhim) – Root: מלאך (malʾakh); Form: Noun masculine plural; Translation: “messengers”; Notes: Those sent to inquire of Baʿal-Zevuv.
- לִדְרֹשׁ (lidrosh) – Root: דרש (darash); Form: Preposition + Qal infinitive construct; Translation: “to inquire”; Notes: Refers to seeking oracles.
- בְּבַ֣עַל זְבוּב (be-Vaʿal Zevuv) – Root: בעל + זבוב; Form: Preposition + proper noun; Translation: “of Baʿal-Zevuv”; Notes: Pagan deity, “lord of the flies.”
- אֱלֹהֵ֣י עֶקְרֹון (Elohei ʿEqron) – Root: אלהים + עקרון; Form: Construct phrase; Translation: “the god of ʿEqron”; Notes: Pelishti city associated with idolatry.
- הַֽמִבְּלִי (ha-mibbli) – Root: בלי (bli); Form: Interrogative + article; Translation: “Is it because there is no…”; Notes: Rhetorical question expressing rebuke.
- אֵין־אֱלֹהִים (ein-Elohim) – Root: אין + אלהים; Form: Negative existential + noun masculine plural in form; Translation: “there is no God”; Notes: Rebuke for not seeking YHWH.
- בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל (be-Yisraʾel) – Root: ישראל; Form: Preposition + proper noun; Translation: “in Yisraʾel”; Notes: The covenant people and land.
- לִדְרֹשׁ (lidrosh) – Root: דרש (darash); Form: Preposition + Qal infinitive construct; Translation: “to inquire”; Notes: Repeats verb for emphasis.
- בִּדְבָרֹו (bi-dvaro) – Root: דבר (davar); Form: Preposition + noun masculine singular construct + 3rd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “of His word”; Notes: Refers to revelation from YHWH.
- לָכֵן (laken) – Root: כן; Form: Conjunction; Translation: “Therefore”; Notes: Introduces divine consequence.
- הַמִּטָּ֞ה (ha-mittah) – Root: מטה (mittah); Form: Definite noun feminine singular; Translation: “the bed”; Notes: The sickbed of the king.
- אֲשֶׁר־עָלִ֥יתָ (asher-ʿalitah) – Root: עלה (ʿalah); Form: Relative pronoun + Qal perfect 2nd person masculine singular; Translation: “upon which you have gone up”; Notes: Specifies the location.
- שָּׁם (sham) – Root: שׁם (sham); Form: Adverb of place; Translation: “there”; Notes: Refers to the bed’s location.
- לֹא־תֵרֵד (lo-tered) – Root: ירד (yarad); Form: Negative particle + Qal imperfect 2nd person masculine singular; Translation: “you shall not come down”; Notes: A divine decree.
- מִמֶּנָּה (mimmenah) – Root: מן (min); Form: Preposition + 3rd person feminine singular suffix; Translation: “from it”; Notes: Refers to the bed.
- כִּי־מֹות תָּמוּת (ki-mot tamut) – Root: מות (mut); Form: Conjunction + infinitive absolute + Qal imperfect 2nd person masculine singular; Translation: “for you shall surely die”; Notes: Standard Hebrew idiom expressing certainty of death.