וְעַתָּ֣ה כָל־נְבִיאֵ֣י הַבַּ֡עַל כָּל־עֹבְדָ֣יו וְכָל־כֹּהֲנָיו֩ קִרְא֨וּ אֵלַ֜י אִ֣ישׁ אַל־יִפָּקֵ֗ד כִּי֩ זֶ֨בַח גָּדֹ֥ול לִי֙ לַבַּ֔עַל כֹּ֥ל אֲשֶׁר־יִפָּקֵ֖ד לֹ֣א יִֽחְיֶ֑ה וְיֵהוּא֙ עָשָׂ֣ה בְעָקְבָּ֔ה לְמַ֥עַן הַאֲבִ֖יד אֶת־עֹבְדֵ֥י הַבָּֽעַל׃
And now, all the prophets of the Baʿal, all his worshippers, and all his priests, call them to me; let no man be missing, for a great sacrifice I have for the Baʿal. Whoever is missing shall not live.” But Yehu acted in cunning in order to destroy the worshippers of the Baʿal.
Morphology
- וְעַתָּה (ve-ʿattah) – Root: עת (ʿ-t); Form: Conjunction + adverb; Translation: “And now”; Notes: Signals a turning point or call to action.
- כָל־נְבִיאֵי (khol-neviʾei) – Root: נבא (n-b-ʾ); Form: Construct plural; Translation: “all the prophets of”; Notes: Refers to false prophets of Baʿal.
- הַבַּעַל (ha-Baʿal) – Root: בעל (b-ʿ-l); Form: Definite noun; Translation: “the Baʿal”; Notes: Canaanite deity opposed to YHWH worship.
- כָל־עֹבְדָיו (khol-ʿovdav) – Root: עבד (ʿ-v-d); Form: Construct noun plural + 3rd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “all his worshippers”; Notes: Includes both laypeople and cult functionaries.
- וְכָל־כֹּהֲנָיו (ve-khol-kohanav) – Root: כהן (k-h-n); Form: Conjunction + construct noun plural with suffix; Translation: “and all his priests”; Notes: Religious leaders in the Baʿal cult.
- קִרְאוּ (kirʾu) – Root: קרא (q-r-ʾ); Form: Qal imperative masculine plural; Translation: “call”; Notes: Command to summon all Baʿal worshippers.
- אֵלַי (elai) – Root: אל (ʾ-l); Form: Preposition + 1st person singular suffix; Translation: “to me”; Notes: Indicates the target of the gathering.
- אִישׁ (ʾish) – Form: Noun masculine singular; Translation: “a man”; Notes: Subject of the next clause—“no man is to be missing.”
- אַל־יִפָּקֵד (ʾal-yippaqed) – Root: פקד (p-q-d); Form: Qal jussive 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “let him not be missing”; Notes: Strong negative command.
- כִּי (ki) – Form: Conjunction; Translation: “for”; Notes: Introduces reason for the command.
- זֶבַח גָּדֹול (zevaḥ gadol) – Root: זבח / גדל (z-v-ḥ / g-d-l); Form: Noun masculine singular + adjective masculine singular; Translation: “a great sacrifice”; Notes: Used deceptively by Yehu.
- לִי (li) – Form: Preposition + 1st person singular suffix; Translation: “for me”; Notes: Yehu speaks as if he were a Baʿal worshipper.
- לַבַּעַל (la-Baʿal) – Form: Preposition + definite noun; Translation: “to Baʿal”; Notes: Identifies the apparent recipient of the sacrifice.
- כֹּל אֲשֶׁר־יִפָּקֵד (kol ʾasher-yippaqed) – Root: פקד (p-q-d); Form: Construct noun + relative pronoun + Qal imperfect; Translation: “whoever is missing”; Notes: Sets up the penalty clause.
- לֹא יִחְיֶה (lo yiḥyeh) – Root: חיה (ḥ-y-h); Form: Negative particle + Qal imperfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “shall not live”; Notes: Threat of death for non-attendance.
- וְיֵהוּא (ve-Yehu) – Form: Conjunction + proper noun; Translation: “And Yehu”; Notes: Subject of the following verb, revealing his true intention.
- עָשָׂה (ʿasah) – Root: עשה (ʿ-s-h); Form: Qal perfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “did” or “acted”; Notes: Introduces Yehu’s strategy.
- בְעָקְבָּה (be-ʿaqbah) – Root: עקב (ʿ-q-v); Form: Preposition + noun feminine singular; Translation: “in cunning” or “with deceit”; Notes: Highlights the deceptive nature of the plan.
- לְמַעַן (le-maʿan) – Form: Preposition; Translation: “in order that”; Notes: Introduces the purpose clause.
- הַאֲבִיד (haʾavid) – Root: אבד (ʾ-v-d); Form: Hifil infinitive construct; Translation: “to destroy”; Notes: Intentional annihilation.
- אֶת־עֹבְדֵי (et-ʿovdei) – Root: עבד (ʿ-v-d); Form: Direct object + construct plural; Translation: “the worshippers of”; Notes: Direct object of the infinitive “to destroy.”
- הַבָּעַל (ha-Baʿal) – Form: Definite noun; Translation: “the Baʿal”; Notes: Final target of Yehu’s purge.