וַיְחַ֥ל יְהֹואָחָ֖ז אֶת־פְּנֵ֣י יְהוָ֑ה וַיִּשְׁמַ֤ע אֵלָיו֙ יְהוָ֔ה כִּ֤י רָאָה֙ אֶת־לַ֣חַץ יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל כִּֽי־לָחַ֥ץ אֹתָ֖ם מֶ֥לֶךְ אֲרָֽם׃
And Yehōʾaḥaz entreated the face of YHWH, and YHWH listened to him, for He saw the oppression of Yisraʾel, because the king of Aram oppressed them.
Morphology
- וַיְחַ֥ל (va-yeḥal) – Root: חלל (ḥ-l-l); Form: Piel wayyiqtol 3ms; Translation: “And he entreated” or “began to plead”; Notes: In the Piel, the verb carries the sense of urgent supplication.
- יְהֹואָחָז (Yehōʾaḥaz) – Form: Proper noun; Translation: “Yehōʾaḥaz”; Notes: King of Yisraʾel under Aramean oppression.
- אֶת־פְּנֵי יְהוָה (et-penei YHWH) – Root: פנים (p-n-y); Form: Direct object marker + construct noun + divine name; Translation: “the face of YHWH”; Notes: Hebrew idiom for seeking favor or intercession.
- וַיִּשְׁמַע (va-yishmaʿ) – Root: שמע (sh-m-ʿ); Form: Qal wayyiqtol 3ms; Translation: “and He listened”; Notes: Refers to YHWH responding favorably.
- אֵלָיו (elav) – Root: אל (ʾ-l); Form: Preposition + 3ms suffix; Translation: “to him”; Notes: Refers back to Yehōʾaḥaz.
- יְהוָה (YHWH) – Form: Proper noun; Translation: “YHWH”; Notes: Subject of the verb “listened.”
- כִּי (ki) – Form: Conjunction; Translation: “for” or “because”; Notes: Introduces reason for divine response.
- רָאָה (raʾah) – Root: ראה (r-ʾ-h); Form: Qal perfect 3ms; Translation: “He saw”; Notes: Refers to YHWH’s perception of Israel’s distress.
- אֶת־לַחַץ יִשְׂרָאֵל (et-laḥats Yisraʾel) – Root: לחץ (l-ḥ-ts); Form: Direct object + noun masculine singular + proper noun; Translation: “the oppression of Yisraʾel”; Notes: Indicates the hardship inflicted on the nation.
- כִּי־לָחַץ (ki-laḥats) – Root: לחץ; Form: Conjunction + Qal perfect 3ms; Translation: “because he oppressed”; Notes: Provides the causal reason for YHWH’s response.
- אֹתָם (otam) – Form: Direct object pronoun 3mp; Translation: “them”; Notes: Refers to the people of Yisraʾel.
- מֶלֶךְ אֲרָם (melekh Aram) – Root: מלך (m-l-k); Form: Construct phrase; Translation: “the king of Aram”; Notes: The oppressor of Yisraʾel, likely Ḥazaʾel or Ben-Hadad.