וַיֹּ֤אמֶר אֲלֵהֶם֙ רַב־שָׁקֵ֔ה אִמְרוּ־נָ֖א אֶל־חִזְקִיָּ֑הוּ כֹּֽה־אָמַ֞ר הַמֶּ֤לֶךְ הַגָּדֹול֙ מֶ֣לֶךְ אַשּׁ֔וּר מָ֧ה הַבִּטָּחֹ֛ון הַזֶּ֖ה אֲשֶׁ֥ר בָּטָֽחְתָּ׃
And Rav-shaqe said to them, “Please say to Ḥizqiyyahu, ‘Thus says the great king, the king of Ashshur: What is this trust in which you have trusted?
Morphology
- וַיֹּ֤אמֶר (va-yomer) – Root: אמר; Form: Qal wayyiqtol 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “And he said”; Notes: Introduces direct speech.
- אֲלֵהֶם֙ (alehem) – Root: אל; Form: Preposition + 3rd person masculine plural suffix; Translation: “to them”; Notes: Refers to the emissaries of Ḥizqiyyahu.
- רַב־שָׁקֵ֔ה (Rav-shaqeh) – Root: Possibly שקה; Form: Compound title; Translation: “Rab-shaqeh”; Notes: Likely “chief cupbearer” or Assyrian spokesman.
- אִמְרוּ־נָ֖א (imru-na) – Root: אמר; Form: Qal imperative masculine plural + particle of entreaty; Translation: “Please say”; Notes: Polite directive to deliver a message.
- אֶל־חִזְקִיָּ֑הוּ (el-Ḥizqiyyahu) – Root: אל, חזק; Form: Preposition + proper noun with suffix; Translation: “to Ḥizqiyyahu”; Notes: Directs the message to the Judean king.
- כֹּֽה־אָמַ֞ר (koh-amar) – Root: אמר; Form: Demonstrative adverb + Qal perfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “Thus says”; Notes: Standard formula for introducing a royal proclamation.
- הַמֶּ֤לֶךְ הַגָּדֹול֙ (ha-melekh ha-gadol) – Root: מלך, גדל; Form: Definite noun + definite adjective; Translation: “the great king”; Notes: Self-glorifying Assyrian royal title.
- מֶ֣לֶךְ אַשּׁ֔וּר (melekh Ashshur) – Root: מלך, אשׁור; Form: Construct noun + proper noun; Translation: “king of Ashshur”; Notes: Apposition to “the great king.”
- מָ֧ה (mah) – Root: —; Form: Interrogative pronoun; Translation: “What?”; Notes: Begins the rhetorical challenge.
- הַבִּטָּחֹ֛ון (ha-bittaḥon) – Root: בטח; Form: Definite noun masculine singular; Translation: “the trust”; Notes: Refers to reliance or confidence, possibly in Egypt or YHWH.
- הַזֶּ֖ה (ha-zeh) – Root: זה; Form: Demonstrative pronoun masculine singular; Translation: “this”; Notes: Specifies the nature of the trust being questioned.
- אֲשֶׁ֥ר (ʾasher) – Root: אשר; Form: Relative pronoun; Translation: “which”; Notes: Introduces the subordinate clause.
- בָּטָֽחְתָּ (bataḥta) – Root: בטח; Form: Qal perfect 2nd person masculine singular; Translation: “you have trusted”; Notes: Accusation of misplaced confidence.