וַיֵּלֶךְ֩ מֶ֨לֶךְ יִשְׂרָאֵ֤ל וּמֶֽלֶך־יְהוּדָה֙ וּמֶ֣לֶךְ אֱדֹ֔ום וַיָּסֹ֕בּוּ דֶּ֖רֶךְ שִׁבְעַ֣ת יָמִ֑ים וְלֹא־הָיָ֨ה מַ֧יִם לַֽמַּחֲנֶ֛ה וְלַבְּהֵמָ֖ה אֲשֶׁ֥ר בְּרַגְלֵיהֶֽם׃
And the king of Yisraʾel went, and the king of Yehudah, and the king of Edom, and they circled around by the way of seven days, and there was no water for the camp and for the animals that were at their feet.
Morphology
- וַיֵּלֶךְ֩ (va-yelekh) – Root: הלך (halakh); Form: Qal wayyiqtol 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “And he went”; Notes: Refers to the movement of the kings beginning their journey.
- מֶ֨לֶךְ יִשְׂרָאֵ֤ל (melekh Yisraʾel) – Root: מלך + ישראל; Form: Construct noun + proper noun; Translation: “king of Yisraʾel”; Notes: Likely refers to Yehoram.
- וּמֶֽלֶך־יְהוּדָה֙ (u-melekh Yehudah) – Root: מלך + יהודה; Form: Conjunction + construct noun + proper noun; Translation: “and the king of Yehudah”; Notes: Refers to Yehoshafat.
- וּמֶ֣לֶךְ אֱדֹ֔ום (u-melekh Edom) – Root: מלך + אדום; Form: Conjunction + construct noun + proper noun; Translation: “and the king of Edom”; Notes: Refers to a local Edomite ruler allied with them.
- וַיָּסֹ֕בּוּ (va-yasovu) – Root: סבב (savav); Form: Qal wayyiqtol 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “and they circled”; Notes: Refers to their route through the wilderness.
- דֶּ֖רֶךְ שִׁבְעַ֣ת יָמִ֑ים (derekh shivʿat yamim) – Root: דרך + שבע + יום; Form: Noun + construct numeral + noun plural; Translation: “the way of seven days”; Notes: Describes the duration or distance of the route taken.
- וְלֹא־הָיָ֨ה (ve-lo hayah) – Root: היה (hayah); Form: Conjunction + negative particle + Qal perfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “and there was not”; Notes: Sets up the problem of lack of water.
- מַ֧יִם (mayim) – Root: מים; Form: Noun masculine plural in form (dual in sense); Translation: “water”; Notes: Refers to the essential need lacking in the journey.
- לַֽמַּחֲנֶ֛ה (la-maḥaneh) – Root: חנה; Form: Preposition + definite noun masculine singular; Translation: “for the camp”; Notes: Refers to the assembled military forces.
- וְלַבְּהֵמָ֖ה (ve-la-behemah) – Root: בהם; Form: Conjunction + preposition + definite noun feminine singular; Translation: “and for the animals”; Notes: Pack animals accompanying the army.
- אֲשֶׁ֥ר (asher) – Root: אשר; Form: Relative pronoun; Translation: “that”; Notes: Introduces the clause describing the animals.
- בְּרַגְלֵיהֶֽם (be-ragleihem) – Root: רגל; Form: Preposition + construct noun plural + 3rd person masculine plural suffix; Translation: “at their feet”; Notes: Indicates the animals that marched with the camp.