וֶֽאֱלִישָׁע֙ חָלָ֣ה אֶת־חָלְיֹ֔ו אֲשֶׁ֥ר יָמ֖וּת בֹּ֑ו וַיֵּ֨רֶד אֵלָ֜יו יֹואָ֣שׁ מֶֽלֶךְ־יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל וַיֵּ֤בְךְּ עַל־פָּנָיו֙ וַיֹּאמַ֔ר אָבִ֣י אָבִ֔י רֶ֥כֶב יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל וּפָרָשָֽׁיו׃
And Elisha became sick with the illness of which he would die, and Yoʾash king of Yisraʾel went down to him and wept over his face and said, “My father, my father, the chariot of Yisraʾel and its horsemen!”
Morphology
- וֶאֱלִישָׁע (ve-ʾElishaʿ) – Form: Conjunction + proper noun; Translation: “And Elishaʿ”; Notes: The prophet successor to Eliyahu.
- חָלָה (ḥalah) – Root: חלה (ḥ-l-h); Form: Qal perfect 3ms; Translation: “became sick”; Notes: Indicates serious or terminal illness.
- אֶת־חָלְיֹו (et-ḥolyō) – Root: חלי (ḥ-l-y); Form: Direct object marker + noun masculine singular with 3ms suffix; Translation: “with his illness”; Notes: Specific affliction that led to his death.
- אֲשֶׁר (ʾasher) – Form: Relative pronoun; Translation: “of which”; Notes: Introduces defining clause.
- יָמוּת (yamūt) – Root: מות (m-w-t); Form: Qal imperfect 3ms; Translation: “he would die”; Notes: Refers to the consequence of the illness.
- בֹּו (bo) – Form: Preposition + 3ms suffix; Translation: “in it”; Notes: Refers back to the illness.
- וַיֵּרֶד (va-yered) – Root: ירד (y-r-d); Form: Qal wayyiqtol 3ms; Translation: “and he went down”; Notes: Physical descent, likely from the capital.
- אֵלָיו (elav) – Form: Preposition + 3ms suffix; Translation: “to him”; Notes: Refers to Elishaʿ.
- יֹואָשׁ (Yoʾash) – Form: Proper noun; Translation: “Yoʾash”; Notes: King of Yisraʾel during Elishaʿ’s final days.
- מֶלֶךְ־יִשְׂרָאֵל (melekh-Yisraʾel) – Form: Construct noun + proper noun; Translation: “king of Yisraʾel”; Notes: Identifies the speaker.
- וַיֵּבְךְּ (va-yevk) – Root: בכה (b-k-h); Form: Qal wayyiqtol 3ms; Translation: “and he wept”; Notes: Expresses deep mourning.
- עַל־פָּנָיו (ʿal-panav) – Root: פנים (p-n-y); Form: Preposition + plural noun with 3ms suffix; Translation: “over his face”; Notes: Indicative of closeness and grief.
- וַיֹּאמַר (va-yomar) – Root: אמר (ʾ-m-r); Form: Qal wayyiqtol 3ms; Translation: “and he said”; Notes: Introduces direct speech.
- אָבִי אָבִי (avi avi) – Form: Noun with 1cs suffix repeated; Translation: “My father, my father!”; Notes: Expresses deep emotional reverence and sorrow.
- רֶכֶב יִשְׂרָאֵל (rekhev Yisraʾel) – Root: רכב (r-k-v); Form: Construct noun + proper noun; Translation: “chariot of Yisraʾel”; Notes: Metaphor for the prophetic power and defense.
- וּפָרָשָׁיו (u-farashav) – Root: פרש (p-r-sh); Form: Conjunction + noun plural with 3ms suffix; Translation: “and its horsemen”; Notes: Continues the military metaphor; honorific language recalling Eliyahu’s departure (2 Kings 2:12).