וַיִּכְתֹּ֣ב אֲלֵיהֶם֩ סֵ֨פֶר שֵׁנִ֜ית לֵאמֹ֗ר אִם־לִ֨י אַתֶּ֜ם וּלְקֹלִ֣י אַתֶּ֣ם שֹׁמְעִ֗ים קְחוּ֙ אֶת־רָאשֵׁי֙ אַנְשֵׁ֣י בְנֵֽי־אֲדֹנֵיכֶ֔ם וּבֹ֧אוּ אֵלַ֛י כָּעֵ֥ת מָחָ֖ר יִזְרְעֶ֑אלָה וּבְנֵ֤י הַמֶּ֨לֶךְ֙ שִׁבְעִ֣ים אִ֔ישׁ אֶת־גְּדֹלֵ֥י הָעִ֖יר מְגַדְּלִ֥ים אֹותָֽם׃
And he wrote to them a second letter, saying, “If you are for me and you are listening to my voice, take the heads of the men of the sons of your lord and come to me at this time tomorrow in Yizreʿela.” Now the sons of the king, seventy men, were being raised by the nobles of the city.
Morphology
- וַיִּכְתֹּב (va-yikhtov) – Root: כתב (k-t-v); Form: Qal wayyiqtol 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “And he wrote”; Notes: Introduces a continued series of written communications.
- אֲלֵיהֶם (ʾaleihem) – Root: אל (ʾ-l); Form: Preposition with 3rd person masculine plural suffix; Translation: “to them”; Notes: Refers to the elders and guardians in Shomeron.
- סֵפֶר (sefer) – Root: ספר (s-p-r); Form: Noun masculine singular; Translation: “letter”; Notes: Scroll or written message.
- שֵׁנִית (shenit) – Root: שני (sh-n-y); Form: Adverb (feminine form); Translation: “a second time”; Notes: Indicates repetition of correspondence.
- לֵאמֹר (leʾemor) – Root: אמר (ʾ-m-r); Form: Preposition + infinitive construct; Translation: “saying”; Notes: Introduces the content of the letter.
- אִם־לִי (ʾim-li) – Root: אם (ʾ-i-m); Form: Conditional particle + preposition with 1st person singular suffix; Translation: “if to me”; Notes: Indicates conditional allegiance.
- אַתֶּם (ʾattem) – Form: Independent pronoun 2nd person masculine plural; Translation: “you”; Notes: Subject of the conditional clause.
- וּלְקֹלִי (u-le-qoli) – Root: קול (q-v-l); Form: Conjunction + preposition + noun with 1st person singular suffix; Translation: “and to my voice”; Notes: A call to obedience.
- אַתֶּם (ʾattem) – Form: Repeated pronoun; Translation: “you”; Notes: Emphasizes the subject again.
- שֹׁמְעִים (shomʿim) – Root: שמע (sh-m-ʿ); Form: Qal participle masculine plural; Translation: “listening”; Notes: Present aspect, marks continual or active obedience.
- קְחוּ (qekḥu) – Root: לקח (l-q-ḥ); Form: Qal imperative masculine plural; Translation: “take”; Notes: Direct command to seize the princes.
- אֶת־רָאשֵׁי (et-rashei) – Root: ראשׁ (r-ʾ-sh); Form: Definite direct object + construct noun masculine plural; Translation: “the heads of”; Notes: May be literal (decapitation) or symbolic (leaders).
- אַנְשֵׁי (anshei) – Root: איש (ʾ-ish); Form: Construct masculine plural; Translation: “men of”; Notes: Modifies “sons of your lord.”
- בְנֵי־אֲדֹנֵיכֶם (benei-ʾadoneikhem) – Root: בן / אדן (b-n / ʾ-d-n); Form: Construct + noun with 2nd person masculine plural suffix; Translation: “sons of your lord”; Notes: Refers to royal heirs of Aḥʾav.
- וּבֹאוּ (u-voʾu) – Root: בוא (b-v-ʾ); Form: Conjunction + Qal imperative masculine plural; Translation: “and come”; Notes: Sequential command after seizing the princes.
- אֵלַי (elai) – Root: אל (ʾ-l); Form: Preposition with 1st person singular suffix; Translation: “to me”; Notes: Denotes Yehu as the one summoning them.
- כָּעֵת (ka-ʿet) – Root: עת (ʿ-e-t); Form: Preposition + noun feminine singular; Translation: “at this time”; Notes: A specific, urgent moment.
- מָחָר (maḥar) – Root: מחר (m-ḥ-r); Form: Adverb; Translation: “tomorrow”; Notes: Implies a 24-hour deadline.
- יִזְרְעֶאלָה (Yizreʿelah) – Root: יזרעאל (Yizreʿel); Form: Proper noun with directional ending ה (locative); Translation: “to Yizreʿel”; Notes: Final ה indicates motion toward the city.
- וּבְנֵי הַמֶּלֶךְ (u-venei ha-melekh) – Root: בן / מלך (b-n / m-l-k); Form: Conjunction + construct + definite noun; Translation: “and the sons of the king”; Notes: Subject of the following clause.
- שִׁבְעִים אִישׁ (shivʿim ish) – Root: שבע / איש (sh-v-ʿ / ʾ-i-sh); Form: Number + noun masculine singular; Translation: “seventy men”; Notes: Total number of royal sons.
- אֶת־גְּדֹלֵי (et-gedolei) – Root: גדל (g-d-l); Form: Definite direct object + construct masculine plural; Translation: “the nobles of”; Notes: Refers to elite city figures responsible for them.
- הָעִיר (ha-ʿir) – Root: עיר (ʿ-i-r); Form: Definite noun feminine singular; Translation: “the city”; Notes: Refers to Shomeron.
- מְגַדְּלִים (megaddelim) – Root: גדל (g-d-l); Form: Piel participle masculine plural; Translation: “raising”; Notes: Emphasizes ongoing responsibility for upbringing.
- אֹותָם (otam) – Root: –; Form: Direct object pronoun 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “them”; Notes: Refers to the seventy sons of the king.