וַיָּשֻׁ֣בוּ אֵלָ֔יו וְה֖וּא יֹשֵׁ֣ב בִּירִיחֹ֑ו וַיֹּ֣אמֶר אֲלֵהֶ֔ם הֲלֹֽוא־אָמַ֥רְתִּי אֲלֵיכֶ֖ם אַל־תֵּלֵֽכוּ׃
And they returned to him, and he was sitting in Yericho, and he said to them, “Did I not say to you, ‘Do not go’?”
Morphology
- וַיָּשֻׁ֣בוּ (va-yashuvu) – Root: שׁוב (shuv); Form: Qal wayyiqtol 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “And they returned”; Notes: Refers to the fifty men returning from their search.
- אֵלָ֔יו (elav) – Root: אל (ʾel); Form: Preposition + 3rd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “to him”; Notes: They returned to Elisha.
- וְה֖וּא (ve-hu) – Root: הוא; Form: Conjunction + pronoun masculine singular; Translation: “and he”; Notes: Emphasizes the contrast—he had remained behind.
- יֹשֵׁ֣ב (yoshev) – Root: ישׁב (yashav); Form: Qal participle masculine singular; Translation: “was sitting”; Notes: Describes Elisha’s continued presence in Yericho.
- בִּירִיחֹ֑ו (bi-Yericho) – Root: יריחו; Form: Preposition + proper noun; Translation: “in Yericho”; Notes: The city of prophets where Elisha remained.
- וַיֹּ֣אמֶר (va-yomer) – Root: אמר (ʾamar); Form: Qal wayyiqtol 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “and he said”; Notes: Elisha speaks upon their return.
- אֲלֵהֶ֔ם (alehem) – Root: אל (ʾel); Form: Preposition + 3rd person masculine plural suffix; Translation: “to them”; Notes: Refers to the returning men.
- הֲלֹֽוא־אָמַ֥רְתִּי (halo amarti) – Root: אמר (ʾamar); Form: Interrogative + negative particle + Qal perfect 1st person singular; Translation: “Did I not say”; Notes: Rhetorical question expressing prior instruction.
- אֲלֵיכֶ֖ם (aleikhem) – Root: אל (ʾel); Form: Preposition + 2nd person masculine plural suffix; Translation: “to you”; Notes: Direct address to those who insisted on the search.
- אַל־תֵּלֵֽכוּ (al-telekhu) – Root: הלך (halakh); Form: Negative particle + Qal imperfect 2nd person masculine plural; Translation: “Do not go”; Notes: Elisha had previously advised them against searching.