וַיְצַ֨ו מֶֽלֶךְ־אַשּׁ֜וּר לֵאמֹ֗ר הֹלִ֤יכוּ שָׁ֨מָּה֙ אֶחָ֤ד מֵהַכֹּֽהֲנִים֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר הִגְלִיתֶ֣ם מִשָּׁ֔ם וְיֵלְכ֖וּ וְיֵ֣שְׁבוּ שָׁ֑ם וְיֹרֵ֕ם אֶת־מִשְׁפַּ֖ט אֱלֹהֵ֥י הָאָֽרֶץ׃
And the king of Ashshur commanded, saying, “Bring there one of the priests whom you exiled from there, and let them go and dwell there, and let him teach them the judgment of the God of the land.”
Morphology
- וַיְצַו (va-yetsav) – Root: צוה (tsavah); Form: Piel wayyiqtol 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “And he commanded”; Notes: Strong imperative command from a royal authority.
- מֶלֶךְ־אַשּׁוּר (melekh-Ashshur) – Root: מלך (melekh) + אשׁור (Ashshur); Form: Construct noun + proper noun; Translation: “the king of Ashshur”; Notes: The Assyrian monarch giving the order.
- לֵאמֹר (leʾemor) – Root: אמר (ʾamar); Form: Infinitive construct; Translation: “saying”; Notes: Introduces the content of the command.
- הֹלִיכוּ (holikhu) – Root: הלך (halakh); Form: Hifil imperative masculine plural; Translation: “Bring” or “cause to go”; Notes: A command to relocate someone.
- שָׁמָּה (shammah) – Root: שם (sham); Form: Adverb of place with directional ending; Translation: “there”; Notes: Indicates the destination.
- אֶחָד (eḥad) – Root: אחד (ʾeḥad); Form: Cardinal number masculine singular; Translation: “one”; Notes: Refers to a single individual out of a group.
- מֵהַכֹּהֲנִים (me-ha-kohanim) – Root: כהן (kohen); Form: Preposition + definite plural noun; Translation: “from the priests”; Notes: The religious leaders of Yisraʾel.
- אֲשֶׁר (ʾasher) – Root: אשר (ʾasher); Form: Relative pronoun; Translation: “whom”; Notes: Introduces a clause modifying “priests.”
- הִגְלִיתֶם (higlitem) – Root: גלה (galah); Form: Hifil perfect 2nd person masculine plural; Translation: “you exiled”; Notes: Directed at Assyrian officials or agents.
- מִשָּׁם (mi-sham) – Root: שם (sham); Form: Preposition + adverb of place; Translation: “from there”; Notes: Refers to Shomeron or the northern kingdom.
- וְיֵלְכוּ (ve-yeleḵu) – Root: הלך (halakh); Form: Qal imperfect 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “and let them go”; Notes: Indicates the group traveling with the priest or a general plural instruction.
- וְיֵשְׁבוּ (ve-yeshvu) – Root: ישׁב (yashav); Form: Qal imperfect 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “and let them dwell”; Notes: Refers to resettlement or occupation.
- שָׁם (sham) – Root: שם (sham); Form: Adverb of place; Translation: “there”; Notes: Repetition for emphasis on location.
- וְיֹרֵם (ve-yorem) – Root: ירה (yarah); Form: Hifil imperfect 3rd person masculine singular + 3rd person masculine plural suffix; Translation: “and let him teach them”; Notes: Instruction in legal-religious matters.
- אֶת־מִשְׁפַּט (et-mishpat) – Root: שׁפט (shafat); Form: Direct object marker + noun masculine singular; Translation: “the judgment of”; Notes: Refers to divine law or religious observance.
- אֱלֹהֵי הָאָרֶץ (ʾElohei ha-aretz) – Root: אלוה (ʾEloah) + ארץ (ʾaretz); Form: Construct noun + definite noun; Translation: “the God of the land”; Notes: Reflects ancient understanding of local deities governing territory.