וַיִּשְׁלַ֣ח מֶֽלֶךְ־אַשּׁ֡וּר אֶת־תַּרְתָּ֥ן וְאֶת־רַב־סָרִ֣יס וְאֶת־רַב־שָׁקֵ֨ה מִן־לָכִ֜ישׁ אֶל־הַמֶּ֧לֶךְ חִזְקִיָּ֛הוּ בְּחֵ֥יל כָּבֵ֖ד יְרוּשָׁלִָ֑ם וַֽיַּעֲלוּ֙ וַיָּבֹ֣אוּ יְרוּשָׁלִַ֔ם וַיַּעֲל֣וּ וַיָּבֹ֗אוּ וַיַּֽעַמְדוּ֙ בִּתְעָלַת֙ הַבְּרֵכָ֣ה הָֽעֶלְיֹונָ֔ה אֲשֶׁ֕ר בִּמְסִלַּ֖ת שְׂדֵ֥ה כֹובֵֽס׃
And the king of Ashshur sent Tartan and Rav-saris and Rav-shaqe from Lakhish to King Ḥizqiyyahu with a heavy army to Yerushalayim. And they went up and came to Yerushalayim, and they went up and came, and they stood by the conduit of the upper pool, which is on the highway of the launderer’s field.
Morphology
- וַיִּשְׁלַ֣ח (va-yishlaḥ) – Root: שלח; Form: Qal wayyiqtol 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “And he sent”; Notes: Refers to the Assyrian king’s official act of dispatching officers.
- מֶֽלֶךְ־אַשּׁ֡וּר (melekh-Ashshur) – Root: מלך, אשׁור; Form: Construct noun + proper noun; Translation: “king of Ashshur”; Notes: Assyrian ruler initiating the diplomatic/military move.
- אֶת־תַּרְתָּ֥ן (et-Tartan) – Root: —; Form: Accusative marker + proper noun/title; Translation: “Tartan”; Notes: Likely a title for a high-ranking military commander.
- וְאֶת־רַב־סָרִ֣יס (ve-et-Rav-Saris) – Root: רב, סריס; Form: Accusative marker + compound title; Translation: “and Rab-saris”; Notes: “Chief eunuch” or high official.
- וְאֶת־רַב־שָׁקֵ֨ה (ve-et-Rav-Shaqeh) – Root: רב, שקה; Form: Accusative marker + compound title; Translation: “and Rab-shaqeh”; Notes: Possibly “chief cupbearer” or spokesperson.
- מִן־לָכִ֜ישׁ (min-Lakhish) – Root: לכיש; Form: Preposition + proper noun; Translation: “from Lakhish”; Notes: City in Yehudah used as Assyrian base of operations.
- אֶל־הַמֶּ֧לֶךְ חִזְקִיָּ֛הוּ (el-ha-melekh Ḥizqiyyahu) – Root: אל, מלך, חזק; Form: Preposition + definite noun + proper noun; Translation: “to King Ḥizqiyyahu”; Notes: Recipient of the mission.
- בְּחֵ֥יל כָּבֵ֖ד (be-ḥeil kaved) – Root: חיל, כבד; Form: Preposition + noun masculine singular + adjective masculine singular; Translation: “with a heavy army”; Notes: Indicates military strength or force.
- יְרוּשָׁלִָ֑ם (Yerushalayim) – Root: —; Form: Proper noun; Translation: “Yerushalayim”; Notes: The capital of Yehudah, under siege threat.
- וַֽיַּעֲלוּ֙ (va-yaʿalu) – Root: עלה; Form: Qal wayyiqtol 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “and they went up”; Notes: Geographical ascent to Yerushalayim.
- וַיָּבֹ֣אוּ (va-yavoʾu) – Root: בוא; Form: Qal wayyiqtol 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “and they came”; Notes: Repetition for emphasis or poetic symmetry.
- יְרוּשָׁלִַ֔ם (Yerushalayim) – Root: —; Form: Proper noun; Translation: “Yerushalayim”; Notes: Repeated to mark the entry into the city.
- וַיַּעֲל֣וּ (va-yaʿalu) – Root: עלה; Form: Qal wayyiqtol 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “and they went up”; Notes: Echoes the march up to the city or to a position.
- וַיָּבֹ֗אוּ (va-yavoʾu) – Root: בוא; Form: Qal wayyiqtol 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “and they came”; Notes: Literary repetition.
- וַיַּֽעַמְדוּ֙ (va-yaʿamdu) – Root: עמד; Form: Qal wayyiqtol 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “and they stood”; Notes: Marks their positioning for the confrontation.
- בִּתְעָלַת֙ הַבְּרֵכָ֣ה הָֽעֶלְיֹונָ֔ה (bitʿalat ha-berekhah ha-ʿelyonah) – Root: תעלה, ברכה, עליון; Form: Preposition + definite construct + definite noun + definite adjective; Translation: “by the conduit of the upper pool”; Notes: A known location in Yerushalayim used in other royal encounters (cf. Isa. 7:3).
- אֲשֶׁ֕ר (ʾasher) – Root: אשר; Form: Relative pronoun; Translation: “which”; Notes: Connects the location to its description.
- בִּמְסִלַּ֖ת (bimesillat) – Root: מסלה; Form: Preposition + construct noun feminine singular; Translation: “on the highway of”; Notes: A path or causeway.
- שְׂדֵ֥ה כֹובֵֽס (sedeh kovēs) – Root: שדה, כבס; Form: Construct noun + active participle masculine singular; Translation: “the launderer’s field”; Notes: Landmark known for public washing area.