וַיִּ֤פֶן אַֽחֲרָיו֙ וַיִּרְאֵ֔ם וַֽיְקַלְלֵ֖ם בְּשֵׁ֣ם יְהוָ֑ה וַתֵּצֶ֨אנָה שְׁתַּ֤יִם דֻּבִּים֙ מִן־הַיַּ֔עַר וַתְּבַקַּ֣עְנָה מֵהֶ֔ם אַרְבָּעִ֥ים וּשְׁנֵ֖י יְלָדִֽים׃
And he turned behind him and saw them, and he cursed them in the name of YHWH. Then two bears came out of the forest and mauled forty-two of the boys.
Morphology
- וַיִּ֤פֶן (va-yifen) – Root: פנה (panah); Form: Qal wayyiqtol 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “And he turned”; Notes: Elisha turns in response to the boys’ mockery.
- אַֽחֲרָיו֙ (aḥarav) – Root: אחר (aḥar); Form: Preposition + 3rd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “behind him”; Notes: Indicates the direction of his turning.
- וַיִּרְאֵ֔ם (va-yireʾem) – Root: ראה (raʾah); Form: Qal wayyiqtol 3rd person masculine singular + 3rd person masculine plural suffix; Translation: “and he saw them”; Notes: Refers to the mocking boys.
- וַֽיְקַלְלֵ֖ם (va-yeqalelém) – Root: קלל (qalal); Form: Piel wayyiqtol 3rd person masculine singular + 3rd person masculine plural suffix; Translation: “and he cursed them”; Notes: A prophetic curse with divine authority.
- בְּשֵׁ֣ם יְהוָ֑ה (be-shem YHWH) – Root: שם + יהוה; Form: Preposition + noun masculine singular + proper noun; Translation: “in the name of YHWH”; Notes: Indicates divine authority backing the curse.
- וַתֵּצֶ֨אנָה (va-tetseʾnah) – Root: יצא (yatsa); Form: Qal wayyiqtol 3rd person feminine plural; Translation: “and there came out”; Notes: Describes the sudden emergence of the bears.
- שְׁתַּ֤יִם דֻּבִּים֙ (shetayim dubbim) – Root: שנים + דוב; Form: Numeral feminine + noun masculine plural; Translation: “two bears”; Notes: Agents of divine judgment.
- מִן־הַיַּ֔עַר (min-ha-yaʿar) – Root: יער (yaʿar); Form: Preposition + definite noun masculine singular; Translation: “from the forest”; Notes: Indicates their natural origin.
- וַתְּבַקַּ֣עְנָה (va-tevakkaʿnah) – Root: בקע (baqaʿ); Form: Piel wayyiqtol 3rd person feminine plural; Translation: “and they mauled”; Notes: Violent tearing apart; the bears’ action.
- מֵהֶ֔ם (mehem) – Root: מן (min); Form: Preposition + 3rd person masculine plural suffix; Translation: “of them”; Notes: Indicates the boys as victims.
- אַרְבָּעִ֥ים וּשְׁנֵ֖י (arbaʿim u-shenei) – Root: ארבע + שנים; Form: Numeral masculine plural + conjunction + numeral masculine dual; Translation: “forty-two”; Notes: The number of boys attacked.
- יְלָדִֽים (yeladim) – Root: ילד (yalad); Form: Noun masculine plural; Translation: “boys”; Notes: Victims of the mauling; term can range from children to youths.