וַיְהִי֩ בִשְׁנַ֨ת הַתְּשִׁיעִ֜ית לְמָלְכֹ֗ו בַּחֹ֣דֶשׁ הָעֲשִׂירִי֮ בֶּעָשֹׂ֣ור לַחֹדֶשׁ֒ בָּ֠א נְבֻכַדְנֶאצַּ֨ר מֶֽלֶךְ־בָּבֶ֜ל ה֧וּא וְכָל־חֵילֹ֛ו עַל־יְרוּשָׁלִַ֖ם וַיִּ֣חַן עָלֶ֑יהָ וַיִּבְנ֥וּ עָלֶ֖יהָ דָּיֵ֥ק סָבִֽיב׃
And it came to pass in the ninth year of his reign, in the tenth month, on the tenth of the month, Nevukhadnetstsar king of Bavel came—he and all his army—against Yerushalayim, and he camped against it, and they built siege works around it.
Morphology
- וַיְהִי֩ (va-yehi) – Root: היה; Form: Qal wayyiqtol 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “And it came to pass”; Notes: Common narrative opener in biblical Hebrew.
- בִשְׁנַ֨ת הַתְּשִׁיעִ֜ית (bi-shenat ha-teshiʿit) – Root: שנה + תשע; Form: Preposition + construct noun feminine singular + ordinal number feminine singular definite; Translation: “in the ninth year”; Notes: Refers to the ninth year of Tsidqiyahu’s reign.
- לְמָלְכֹ֗ו (le-malko) – Root: מלך; Form: Preposition + noun masculine singular with 3rd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “of his reign”; Notes: Specifies regnal context.
- בַּחֹ֣דֶשׁ הָעֲשִׂירִי (ba-ḥodesh ha-ʿasiri) – Root: חדש + עשר; Form: Preposition + noun masculine singular + ordinal number masculine singular definite; Translation: “in the tenth month”; Notes: The month of Tevet on the Hebrew calendar.
- בֶּעָשֹׂ֣ור לַחֹדֶשׁ (be-ʿasor la-ḥodesh) – Root: עשר + חדש; Form: Preposition + numeral masculine singular + preposition + noun masculine singular definite; Translation: “on the tenth of the month”; Notes: Precise date of the siege beginning.
- בָּ֠א (ba) – Root: בוא; Form: Qal perfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “came”; Notes: Refers to the arrival of the Babylonian king.
- נְבֻכַדְנֶאצַּ֨ר (Nevukhadnetstsar) – Root: Proper noun; Form: Name; Translation: “Nevukhadnetstsar”; Notes: King of Bavel.
- מֶֽלֶךְ־בָּבֶ֜ל (melekh-Bavel) – Root: מלך + בבל; Form: Construct noun masculine singular + proper noun; Translation: “king of Bavel”; Notes: Appositive clarification of subject.
- ה֧וּא (hu) – Root: הוא; Form: Independent pronoun masculine singular; Translation: “he”; Notes: Reinforces the subject as leader of the army.
- וְכָל־חֵילֹ֛ו (ve-khol-ḥeilo) – Root: חיל; Form: Conjunction + noun masculine singular construct + 3rd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “and all his army”; Notes: Refers to the military forces accompanying him.
- עַל־יְרוּשָׁלִַ֖ם (ʿal-Yerushalayim) – Root: Proper noun; Form: Preposition + proper noun; Translation: “against Yerushalayim”; Notes: Target of the campaign.
- וַיִּ֣חַן עָלֶ֑יהָ (va-yikhan aleha) – Root: חנה; Form: Qal wayyiqtol 3rd person masculine singular + preposition with 3rd feminine singular suffix; Translation: “and he camped against it”; Notes: Military encampment preceding siege.
- וַיִּבְנ֥וּ עָלֶ֖יהָ דָּיֵ֥ק (va-yivnu aleha dayeq) – Root: בנה; Form: Qal wayyiqtol 3rd person masculine plural + preposition + noun masculine singular; Translation: “and they built siege works against it”; Notes: “Dayeq” refers to a siege ramp or military fortification.
- סָבִֽיב (saviv) – Root: סבב; Form: Adverb; Translation: “around”; Notes: Indicates complete encirclement of the city.