וַיָּבֹ֥א יֵה֛וּא וִיהֹונָדָ֥ב בֶּן־רֵכָ֖ב בֵּ֣ית הַבָּ֑עַל וַיֹּ֜אמֶר לְעֹבְדֵ֣י הַבַּ֗עַל חַפְּשׂ֤וּ וּרְאוּ֙ פֶּן־יֶשׁ־פֹּ֤ה עִמָּכֶם֙ מֵעַבְדֵ֣י יְהוָ֔ה כִּ֛י אִם־עֹבְדֵ֥י הַבַּ֖עַל לְבַדָּֽם׃
And Yehu and Yehonadav son of Rekhav came into the house of the Baʿal, and he said to the worshippers of the Baʿal, “Search and see lest there be here with you any of the servants of YHWH, but only the worshippers of the Baʿal alone.”
Morphology
- וַיָּבֹא (va-yavo) – Root: בוא (b-v-ʾ); Form: Qal wayyiqtol 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “And he came”; Notes: Refers to Yehu entering the temple.
- יֵהוּא (Yehu) – Form: Proper noun; Translation: “Yehu”; Notes: King of Yisraʾel and subject of the clause.
- וִיהֹונָדָב (vi-Yehonadav) – Form: Conjunction + proper noun; Translation: “and Yehonadav”; Notes: Companion of Yehu, son of Rekhav.
- בֶּן־רֵכָב (ben-Rekhav) – Root: רכב (r-kh-v); Form: Construct noun + proper noun; Translation: “son of Rekhav”; Notes: Identifies Yehonadav’s lineage.
- בֵּית הַבָּעַל (beit ha-Baʿal) – Root: בית / בעל (b-y-t / b-ʿ-l); Form: Construct noun + definite noun; Translation: “house of the Baʿal”; Notes: Refers to the Baʿal temple.
- וַיֹּאמֶר (va-yomer) – Root: אמר (ʾ-m-r); Form: Qal wayyiqtol 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “and he said”; Notes: Yehu addresses the Baʿal worshippers.
- לְעֹבְדֵי (le-ʿovdei) – Root: עבד (ʿ-v-d); Form: Preposition + construct plural; Translation: “to the worshippers of”; Notes: Direct audience of Yehu’s command.
- הַבַּעַל (ha-Baʿal) – Form: Definite noun; Translation: “the Baʿal”; Notes: Canaanite deity.
- חַפְּשׂוּ (ḥappesu) – Root: חפשׂ (ḥ-p-s); Form: Piel imperative masculine plural; Translation: “Search”; Notes: Command to examine or investigate carefully.
- וּרְאוּ (u-reʾu) – Root: ראה (r-ʾ-h); Form: Qal imperative masculine plural; Translation: “and see”; Notes: Further command to verify presence.
- פֶּן־יֵשׁ־פֹּה (pen-yesh-po) – Root: ישׁ (y-sh); Form: Interjection + existential + adverb; Translation: “lest there be here”; Notes: Expresses a precaution.
- עִמָּכֶם (ʿimmakhem) – Root: עם (ʿ-m); Form: Preposition + 2nd person masculine plural suffix; Translation: “with you”; Notes: Addressing the Baʿal worshippers.
- מֵעַבְדֵי (me-ʿavdei) – Root: עבד (ʿ-v-d); Form: Preposition + construct plural; Translation: “from the servants of”; Notes: A contrast is implied with the servants of YHWH.
- יְהוָה (YHWH) – Form: Proper divine name; Translation: “YHWH”; Notes: The God of Yisraʾel, contrasted with Baʿal.
- כִּי אִם (ki ʾim) – Form: Conjunction + restrictive particle; Translation: “but only”; Notes: Emphasizes exclusivity.
- עֹבְדֵי הַבַּעַל (ʿovdei ha-Baʿal) – As above; Translation: “the worshippers of the Baʿal”; Notes: Sole acceptable participants in Yehu’s trap.
- לְבַדָּם (levaddam) – Root: בדד (b-d-d); Form: Adverb + 3rd person masculine plural suffix; Translation: “alone”; Notes: No one else was to be present—part of Yehu’s ruse.