בְּתִשְׁעָ֣ה לַחֹ֔דֶשׁ וַיֶּחֱזַ֥ק הָרָעָ֖ב בָּעִ֑יר וְלֹא־הָ֥יָה לֶ֖חֶם לְעַ֥ם הָאָֽרֶץ׃
In the ninth of the month the famine became strong in the city, and there was no bread for the people of the land.
Morphology
- בְּתִשְׁעָה (be-tishʿah) – Root: תשע (tishʿah); Form: Preposition בְּ + numeral masculine singular; Translation: “in the ninth”; Notes: Refers to the ninth day of the month.
- לַחֹדֶשׁ (la-ḥodesh) – Root: חדש (ḥodesh); Form: Preposition לְ + definite noun masculine singular; Translation: “of the month”; Notes: Indicates the specific time within the month.
- וַיֶּחֱזַק (va-yeḥezaq) – Root: חזק (ḥazaq); Form: Qal wayyiqtol (narrative past) 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “and it became strong”; Notes: Describes the intensifying of the famine.
- הָרָעָב (ha-raʿav) – Root: רעב (raʿav); Form: Definite noun masculine singular; Translation: “the famine”; Notes: Subject of the verb; refers to the worsening condition.
- בָּעִיר (ba-ʿir) – Root: עיר (ʿir); Form: Preposition בְּ + definite noun feminine singular; Translation: “in the city”; Notes: Indicates the location affected by the famine.
- וְלֹא (ve-lo) – Root: לא (lo); Form: Conjunction + negative particle; Translation: “and no”; Notes: Introduces a negated clause.
- הָיָה (hayah) – Root: היה (hayah); Form: Qal perfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “there was”; Notes: Common existential expression in Biblical Hebrew.
- לֶחֶם (leḥem) – Root: לחם (leḥem); Form: Noun masculine singular; Translation: “bread”; Notes: Symbolic of food and sustenance in general.
- לְעַם (le-ʿam) – Root: עם (ʿam); Form: Preposition לְ + noun masculine singular; Translation: “for a people”; Notes: Object of the existential clause—those affected by the lack of bread.
- הָאָרֶץ (ha-ʾaretz) – Root: ארץ (ʾaretz); Form: Definite noun feminine singular; Translation: “the land”; Notes: Together with the previous word forms the phrase “people of the land,” referring to the common populace.