וַיֹּ֛אמֶר קַ֥ח הַחִצִּ֖ים וַיִּקָּ֑ח וַיֹּ֤אמֶר לְמֶֽלֶךְ־יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ הַךְ־אַ֔רְצָה וַיַּ֥ךְ שָֽׁלֹשׁ־פְּעָמִ֖ים וַֽיַּעֲמֹֽד׃
And he said, “Take the arrows,” and he took them. And he said to the king of Yisraʾel, “Strike the ground,” and he struck three times and stopped.
Morphology
- וַיֹּאמֶר (va-yomer) – Root: אמר (ʾ-m-r); Form: Qal wayyiqtol 3ms; Translation: “And he said”; Notes: Elishaʿ continues giving instructions.
- קַח (qaḥ) – Root: לקח (l-q-ḥ); Form: Qal imperative 2ms; Translation: “Take!”; Notes: Command to seize the arrows.
- הַחִצִּים (ha-ḥiṣṣim) – Root: חץ (ḥ-ts); Form: Definite noun masculine plural; Translation: “the arrows”; Notes: Plural form of “arrow.”
- וַיִּקָּח (va-yiqqaḥ) – Root: לקח (l-q-ḥ); Form: Qal wayyiqtol 3ms; Translation: “and he took”; Notes: The king obeys the prophet’s command.
- וַיֹּאמֶר (va-yomer) – Form: Repeated verb from earlier; Translation: “and he said”; Notes: Signals a new directive.
- לְמֶלֶךְ־יִשְׂרָאֵל (le-melekh Yisraʾel) – Form: Preposition + construct noun + proper noun; Translation: “to the king of Yisraʾel”; Notes: Directs the speech.
- הַךְ (haḵ) – Root: נכה (n-k-h); Form: Hifil imperative 2ms (shortened); Translation: “Strike!”; Notes: Command to shoot or strike the earth symbolically.
- אַ֔רְצָה (ʾartzah) – Root: ארץ (ʾ-r-ṣ); Form: Noun feminine singular with directional he; Translation: “the ground”; Notes: The directive “-ah” implies motion or contact.
- וַיַּךְ (va-yakh) – Root: נכה (n-k-h); Form: Hifil wayyiqtol 3ms (contracted); Translation: “and he struck”; Notes: The king fulfills the symbolic action.
- שָׁלֹשׁ־פְּעָמִים (shalosh peʿamim) – Root: שׁלשׁ (sh-l-sh) / פעם (p-ʿ-m); Form: Cardinal number + plural noun; Translation: “three times”; Notes: Frequency of the action, later shown to be inadequate.
- וַיַּעֲמֹד (va-yaʿamod) – Root: עמד (ʿ-m-d); Form: Qal wayyiqtol 3ms; Translation: “and he stopped”; Notes: Indicates he ceased instead of continuing, which leads to the prophet’s rebuke in the next verse.