וּלְאַחְאָ֛ב שִׁבְעִ֥ים בָּנִ֖ים בְּשֹׁמְרֹ֑ון וַיִּכְתֹּב֩ יֵה֨וּא סְפָרִ֜ים וַיִּשְׁלַ֣ח שֹׁמְרֹ֗ון אֶל־שָׂרֵ֤י יִזְרְעֶאל֙ הַזְּקֵנִ֔ים וְאֶל־הָאֹמְנִ֥ים אַחְאָ֖ב לֵאמֹֽר׃
And Aḥʾav had seventy sons in Shomeron, and Yehu wrote letters and sent to Shomeron, to the chiefs of Yizreʿel, the elders, and to the guardians of Aḥʾav, saying,
Morphology
- וּלְאַחְאָב (u-le-Aḥʾav) – Root: אחאב (Aḥʾav); Form: Conjunction + preposition לְ + proper noun masculine singular; Translation: “And to Aḥʾav”; Notes: Introduces the subject connected to the upcoming information.
- שִׁבְעִים (shivʿim) – Root: שבע (sh-v-ʿ); Form: Cardinal number; Translation: “seventy”; Notes: Specifies the quantity of sons.
- בָּנִים (banim) – Root: בן (ben); Form: Noun masculine plural absolute; Translation: “sons”; Notes: Refers to male offspring or descendants.
- בְּשֹׁמְרֹון (be-Shomeron) – Root: שמרון (Shomeron); Form: Preposition בְּ + proper noun; Translation: “in Shomeron”; Notes: Refers to the capital of the northern kingdom, commonly rendered “Samaria.”
- וַיִּכְתֹּב (va-yikhtov) – Root: כתב (k-t-v); Form: Qal wayyiqtol (narrative past) 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “And he wrote”; Notes: Refers to Yehu’s action of writing letters.
- יֵהוּא (Yehu) – Root: יהוא (Yehu); Form: Proper noun masculine singular; Translation: “Yehu”; Notes: The king anointed to purge the house of Aḥʾav.
- סְפָרִים (sefarim) – Root: ספר (s-p-r); Form: Noun masculine plural; Translation: “letters”; Notes: Plural of “sefer”, often referring to scrolls or written documents.
- וַיִּשְׁלַח (va-yishlaḥ) – Root: שלח (sh-l-ḥ); Form: Qal wayyiqtol (narrative past) 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “and he sent”; Notes: Continuation of Yehu’s action in correspondence.
- שֹׁמְרֹון (Shomeron) – Root: שמרון (Shomeron); Form: Proper noun; Translation: “Shomeron”; Notes: Object of the verb “sent”; possibly referring to the city’s leadership.
- אֶל־שָׂרֵי (el-sarei) – Root: שר (sar); Form: Preposition אֶל + construct noun masculine plural; Translation: “to the chiefs of”; Notes: Construct form links the chiefs to Yizreʿel.
- יִזְרְעֶאל (Yizreʿel) – Root: יזרעאל (Yizreʿel); Form: Proper noun; Translation: “Yizreʿel”; Notes: A major city in the northern kingdom; used metonymically for its rulers.
- הַזְּקֵנִים (hazzeqenim) – Root: זקן (z-q-n); Form: Definite noun masculine plural; Translation: “the elders”; Notes: Leaders or influential men in the city or clan.
- וְאֶל־הָאֹמְנִים (ve-el-haʾomnim) – Root: אמן (ʾ-m-n); Form: Conjunction + preposition אֶל + definite noun masculine plural; Translation: “and to the guardians”; Notes: Those charged with raising or protecting the king’s sons.
- אַחְאָב (Aḥʾav) – Root: אחאב (Aḥʾav); Form: Proper noun; Translation: “Aḥʾav”; Notes: The name reappears for clarity regarding whose sons are being protected.
- לֵאמֹר (leʾemor) – Root: אמר (ʾ-m-r); Form: Infinitive construct with preposition לְ; Translation: “saying”; Notes: Introduces the contents of Yehu’s letter, which follows in the next verse.