וַיָּבֹ֕אוּ לַעֲשֹׂ֖ות זְבָחִ֣ים וְעֹלֹ֑ות וְיֵה֞וּא שָׂם־לֹ֤ו בַחוּץ֙ שְׁמֹנִ֣ים אִ֔ישׁ וַיֹּ֗אמֶר הָאִ֤ישׁ אֲשֶׁר־יִמָּלֵט֙ מִן־הָאֲנָשִׁ֗ים אֲשֶׁ֤ר אֲנִי֙ מֵבִ֣יא עַל־יְדֵיכֶ֔ם נַפְשֹׁ֖ו תַּ֥חַת נַפְשֹֽׁו׃
And they came to offer sacrifices and burnt offerings, and Yehu set for himself eighty men outside, and he said, “The man who lets escape any of the men whom I am bringing into your hands, his life shall be for his life.”
Morphology
- וַיָּבֹאוּ (va-yavoʾu) – Root: בוא (b-v-ʾ); Form: Qal wayyiqtol 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “And they came”; Notes: Refers to the worshippers of Baʿal entering for the ritual.
- לַעֲשֹׂות (laʿasot) – Root: עשה (ʿ-s-h); Form: Preposition + Qal infinitive construct; Translation: “to offer” or “to do”; Notes: Introduces the purpose of their coming.
- זְבָחִים (zevaḥim) – Root: זבח (z-v-ḥ); Form: Noun masculine plural; Translation: “sacrifices”; Notes: Peace or fellowship offerings.
- וְעֹלֹות (ve-ʿolot) – Root: עלה (ʿ-l-h); Form: Conjunction + noun feminine plural; Translation: “and burnt offerings”; Notes: Offerings wholly consumed on the altar.
- וְיֵהוּא (ve-Yehu) – Form: Conjunction + proper noun; Translation: “and Yehu”; Notes: Subject of the next clause.
- שָׂם־לוֹ (sam-lo) – Root: שׂים (s-y-m); Form: Qal perfect 3rd person masculine singular + 3rd person suffix; Translation: “set for himself”; Notes: Indicates strategic placement.
- בַחוּץ (ba-ḥuts) – Root: חוץ (ḥ-w-ts); Form: Preposition + noun masculine singular; Translation: “outside”; Notes: Refers to positioning guards outside the temple.
- שְׁמֹנִים אִישׁ (shemonim ish) – Root: שׁמן (sh-m-n); Form: Cardinal number + noun masculine singular; Translation: “eighty men”; Notes: The number of guards stationed.
- וַיֹּאמֶר (va-yomer) – Root: אמר (ʾ-m-r); Form: Qal wayyiqtol 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “and he said”; Notes: Yehu addresses the guards.
- הָאִישׁ (ha-ish) – Root: איש (ʾ-ʾ-sh); Form: Definite noun masculine singular; Translation: “The man”; Notes: Refers to any individual guard.
- אֲשֶׁר־יִמָּלֵט (ʾasher-yimmalet) – Root: מלט (m-l-ṭ); Form: Relative pronoun + Niphal imperfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “who lets escape”; Notes: Allowing someone to flee is the offense.
- מִן־הָאֲנָשִׁים (min-haʾanashim) – Root: אנשׁ (ʾ-n-sh); Form: Preposition + definite noun masculine plural; Translation: “from the men”; Notes: Refers to the Baʿal worshippers targeted.
- אֲשֶׁר אֲנִי מֵבִיא (ʾasher ani mevi) – Root: בוא (b-v-ʾ); Form: Relative pronoun + pronoun + Hifil participle masculine singular; Translation: “whom I am bringing”; Notes: Yehu is delivering these men into the guards’ hands.
- עַל־יְדֵיכֶם (ʿal-yedekhem) – Root: יד (y-d); Form: Preposition + plural construct with 2nd person masculine plural suffix; Translation: “into your hands”; Notes: Indicates responsibility and control.
- נַפְשׁוֹ (nafsho) – Root: נפשׁ (n-p-sh); Form: Noun feminine singular + 3rd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “his life”; Notes: The penalty is life for life.
- תַּחַת נַפְשׁוֹ (taḥat nafsho) – Root: תחת (t-ḥ-t); Form: Preposition + noun with suffix; Translation: “in place of his life”; Notes: Lex talionis principle—substitute penalty.