וַיִּֽרְאוּ֙ מְאֹ֣ד מְאֹ֔ד וַיֹּ֣אמְר֔וּ הִנֵּה֙ שְׁנֵ֣י הַמְּלָכִ֔ים לֹ֥א עָמְד֖וּ לְפָנָ֑יו וְאֵ֖יךְ נַעֲמֹ֥ד אֲנָֽחְנוּ׃
And they were very very afraid, and they said, “Behold, the two kings did not stand before him, so how shall we stand?”
Morphology
- וַיִּרְאוּ (va-yirʾu) – Root: ראה (r-ʾ-h); Form: Qal wayyiqtol (narrative past) 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “And they saw”; Notes: Often implies perception or realization—here with emotional impact (fear).
- מְאֹד (meʾod) – Root: מאד (m-ʾ-d); Form: Adverb; Translation: “very”; Notes: Intensifies the degree of fear; doubled for emphasis.
- מְאֹד (meʾod) – Root: מאד (m-ʾ-d); Form: Adverb (repeated); Translation: “very”; Notes: Literary emphasis on their overwhelming dread.
- וַיֹּאמְרוּ (va-yomru) – Root: אמר (ʾ-m-r); Form: Qal wayyiqtol 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “and they said”; Notes: Marks their spoken reaction following fear.
- הִנֵּה (hinneh) – Root: הנה (h-n-h); Form: Demonstrative particle; Translation: “Behold”; Notes: Draws attention to the shocking or alarming observation.
- שְׁנֵי (shenei) – Root: שנים (sh-n-y-m); Form: Construct form of “two” masculine; Translation: “two of”; Notes: Construct with “kings.”
- הַמְּלָכִים (ha-melakhim) – Root: מלך (m-l-k); Form: Definite noun masculine plural; Translation: “the kings”; Notes: Refers to the two previous kings who had confronted Yehu.
- לֹא (lo) – Root: לא (l-ʾ); Form: Negative particle; Translation: “did not”; Notes: Negates the verb “stood.”
- עָמְדוּ (ʿamdu) – Root: עמד (ʿ-m-d); Form: Qal perfect 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “stand”; Notes: Describes their failure to oppose Yehu.
- לְפָנָיו (lefanav) – Root: פנה (p-n-h); Form: Preposition + noun with 3rd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “before him”; Notes: In the presence or confrontation of Yehu.
- וְאֵיךְ (veʾeikh) – Root: איך (ʾ-y-kh); Form: Conjunction + interrogative adverb; Translation: “and how”; Notes: Introduces a rhetorical question expressing helplessness.
- נַעֲמֹד (naʿamod) – Root: עמד (ʿ-m-d); Form: Qal imperfect 1st person common plural; Translation: “shall we stand”; Notes: Refers to their own expected defeat if they resist.
- אֲנָחְנוּ (anaḥnu) – Root: –; Form: Independent personal pronoun 1st person plural; Translation: “we”; Notes: Emphatic self-reference in the question.