וְהֶחֱרִ֣ישׁוּ הָעָ֔ם וְלֹֽא־עָנ֥וּ אֹתֹ֖ו דָּבָ֑ר כִּי־מִצְוַ֨ת הַמֶּ֥לֶךְ הִ֛יא לֵאמֹ֖ר לֹ֥א תַעֲנֻֽהוּ׃
And the people were silent and did not answer him a word, for it was the command of the king, saying, “You shall not answer him.”
Morphology
- וְהֶחֱרִ֣ישׁוּ (ve-heḥerishu) – Root: חרשׁ; Form: Hifil perfect 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “And they were silent”; Notes: Indicates deliberate silence in obedience.
- הָעָ֔ם (ha-ʿam) – Root: עם; Form: Definite noun masculine singular; Translation: “the people”; Notes: Refers to the people on the wall or present at the scene.
- וְלֹֽא־עָנ֥וּ (ve-lo ʿanu) – Root: ענה; Form: Conjunction + negative particle + Qal perfect 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “and they did not answer”; Notes: Reinforces the restraint observed.
- אֹתֹ֖ו (oto) – Root: —; Form: Accusative marker + 3rd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “him”; Notes: Refers to Rab-shaqeh.
- דָּבָ֑ר (davar) – Root: דבר; Form: Noun masculine singular; Translation: “a word”; Notes: Indicates absolute silence, no response at all.
- כִּי־מִצְוַ֨ת (ki-mitsvat) – Root: כי, צוה; Form: Conjunction + construct noun feminine singular; Translation: “for [it was] the command”; Notes: Explains the reason for the silence.
- הַמֶּ֥לֶךְ (ha-melekh) – Root: מלך; Form: Definite noun masculine singular; Translation: “of the king”; Notes: Refers to Ḥizqiyyahu.
- הִ֛יא (hiʾ) – Root: —; Form: Pronoun feminine singular; Translation: “it is”; Notes: Predicate identifying the command.
- לֵאמֹ֖ר (lemor) – Root: אמר; Form: Preposition + Qal infinitive construct; Translation: “saying”; Notes: Introduces the content of the command.
- לֹ֥א תַעֲנֻֽהוּ (lo taʿanuhu) – Root: ענה; Form: Negative particle + Qal imperfect 2nd person masculine plural + 3rd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “You shall not answer him”; Notes: Direct command to maintain silence in the face of provocation.