וַיָּבֹ֞א שָׁפָ֤ן הַסֹּפֵר֙ אֶל־הַמֶּ֔לֶךְ וַיָּ֥שֶׁב אֶת־הַמֶּ֖לֶךְ דָּבָ֑ר וַיֹּ֗אמֶר הִתִּ֤יכוּ עֲבָדֶ֨יךָ֙ אֶת־הַכֶּ֨סֶף֙ הַנִּמְצָ֣א בַבַּ֔יִת וַֽיִּתְּנֻ֗הוּ עַל־יַד֙ עֹשֵׂ֣י הַמְּלָאכָ֔ה הַמֻּפְקָדִ֖ים בֵּ֥ית יְהוָֽה׃
And Shafan the scribe came to the king, and he brought back word to the king and said, “Your servants have melted down the silver that was found in the house, and they have given it into the hand of the workmen who are appointed over the house of YHWH.”
Morphology
- וַיָּבֹ֞א (va-yavo) – Root: בוא (bo); Form: Qal wayyiqtol 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “And he came”; Notes: Introduces Shafan’s arrival to the king.
- שָׁפָ֤ן הַסֹּפֵר֙ (Shafan ha-sofer) – Root: שפן (Shafan), ספר (sofer); Form: Proper noun + definite noun; Translation: “Shafan the scribe”; Notes: Court official and narrator of the events.
- אֶל־הַמֶּ֔לֶךְ (el-ha-melekh) – Root: מלך (melekh); Form: Preposition + definite noun; Translation: “to the king”; Notes: Refers to King Yoshiyahu.
- וַיָּ֥שֶׁב (va-yashev) – Root: שוב (shuv); Form: Hifil wayyiqtol 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “and he brought back”; Notes: Used in the sense of delivering a report or answer.
- אֶת־הַמֶּ֖לֶךְ (et-ha-melekh) – Root: מלך (melekh); Form: Direct object marker + definite noun; Translation: “to the king”; Notes: Object of “returned word.”
- דָּבָ֑ר (davar) – Root: דבר (davar); Form: Noun masculine singular; Translation: “word” / “message”; Notes: Refers to the content of the report.
- וַיֹּ֗אמֶר (va-yomer) – Root: אמר (ʾamar); Form: Qal wayyiqtol 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “and he said”; Notes: Introduces direct speech.
- הִתִּ֤יכוּ (hittikhu) – Root: תוך (takhakh); Form: Hifil perfect 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “they have melted down”; Notes: Possibly refers to melting or smelting silver, though some read as “poured out” (verb debated in textual criticism).
- עֲבָדֶ֨יךָ֙ (ʿavadeikha) – Root: עבד (ʿeved); Form: Masculine plural noun with 2nd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “your servants”; Notes: Refers to Temple workers under the king’s authority.
- אֶת־הַכֶּ֨סֶף (et-ha-kesef) – Root: כסף (kesef); Form: Direct object marker + definite noun; Translation: “the silver”; Notes: Temple funds collected earlier.
- הַנִּמְצָ֣א (ha-nimtza) – Root: מצא (matza); Form: Nifal participle masculine singular; Translation: “that was found”; Notes: Refers to the silver discovered in the Temple.
- בַבַּ֔יִת (ba-bayit) – Root: בית (bayit); Form: Preposition + definite noun masculine singular; Translation: “in the house”; Notes: Refers to the Temple (House of YHWH).
- וַֽיִּתְּנֻ֗הוּ (va-yittenuhu) – Root: נתן (natan); Form: Qal wayyiqtol 3rd person masculine plural + 3rd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “and they gave it”; Notes: Refers to transferring the silver to the proper authorities.
- עַל־יַד (ʿal-yad) – Root: יד (yad); Form: Preposition + noun; Translation: “into the hand of”; Notes: Idiom for entrusting or assigning responsibility.
- עֹשֵׂ֣י הַמְּלָאכָ֔ה (ʿosei ha-melakhah) – Root: עשה (ʿasah), מלאכה (melakhah); Form: Participle masculine plural construct + definite noun; Translation: “the workmen”; Notes: Craftsmen or laborers engaged in Temple repairs.
- הַמֻּפְקָדִ֖ים (ha-mufqadim) – Root: פקד (paqad); Form: Pual participle masculine plural; Translation: “who are appointed”; Notes: Refers to supervisors or officials assigned over the project.
- בֵּ֥ית יְהוָֽה (beit YHWH) – Root: בית (bayit), יהוה (YHWH); Form: Construct noun + proper noun; Translation: “the house of YHWH”; Notes: Refers to the Temple in Yerushalayim.