וַיְהִ֨י הַיֹּ֜ום וַיַּעֲבֹ֧ר אֱלִישָׁ֣ע אֶל־שׁוּנֵ֗ם וְשָׁם֙ אִשָּׁ֣ה גְדֹולָ֔ה וַתַּחֲזֶק־בֹּ֖ו לֶאֱכָל־לָ֑חֶם וַֽיְהִי֙ מִדֵּ֣י עָבְרֹ֔ו יָסֻ֥ר שָׁ֖מָּה לֶאֱכָל־לָֽחֶם׃
And it came to pass on a certain day that Elisha passed over to Shunem, and there was a prominent woman, and she constrained him to eat bread. And it was, as often as he passed by, he would turn in there to eat bread.
Morphology
- וַיְהִ֨י (va-yehi) – Root: היה (hayah); Form: Qal wayyiqtol 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “And it came to pass”; Notes: Narrative opening formula indicating a new event.
- הַיֹּ֜ום (ha-yom) – Root: יום (yom); Form: Definite noun masculine singular; Translation: “the day”; Notes: Marks a specific time.
- וַיַּעֲבֹ֧ר (va-yaʿavor) – Root: עבר (ʿavar); Form: Qal wayyiqtol 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “and he passed over”; Notes: Elisha is traveling through.
- אֱלִישָׁ֣ע (Elishaʿ) – Root: Proper noun; Form: Masculine singular; Translation: “Elisha”; Notes: The prophet.
- אֶל־שׁוּנֵם (el-Shunem) – Root: Proper noun; Form: Preposition + place name; Translation: “to Shunem”; Notes: A town in the territory of Yisraʾel.
- וְשָׁם (ve-sham) – Root: –; Form: Conjunction + adverb; Translation: “and there”; Notes: Introduces a new character/location.
- אִשָּׁה גְדֹולָה (ishah gedolah) – Root: אשה + גדל; Form: Noun feminine singular + adjective feminine singular; Translation: “a great woman”; Notes: Refers to her social prominence or wealth.
- וַתַּחֲזֶק־בֹּו (va-taḥazeq-bo) – Root: חזק (ḥazaq); Form: Qal wayyiqtol 3rd person feminine singular + preposition with 3rd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “and she constrained him”; Notes: Indicates persistent invitation.
- לֶאֱכָל־לָחֶם (leʾekhol-laḥem) – Root: אכל + לחם; Form: Infinitive construct with preposition + noun masculine singular; Translation: “to eat bread”; Notes: Hebrew idiom for sharing a meal.
- וַיְהִי (va-yehi) – Root: היה (hayah); Form: Qal wayyiqtol 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “and it was”; Notes: Repeated to introduce an ongoing habit.
- מִדֵּי (midei) – Root: די; Form: Preposition; Translation: “whenever” or “as often as”; Notes: Sets up recurring action.
- עָבְרֹו (ʿavro) – Root: עבר (ʿavar); Form: Qal infinitive construct with 3rd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “his passing”; Notes: Refers to his regular journeys.
- יָסֻר (yasur) – Root: סור (sur); Form: Qal imperfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “he would turn aside”; Notes: Indicates a repeated action.
- שָׁמָּה (shammah) – Root: –; Form: Adverb; Translation: “there”; Notes: Refers to her house.
- לֶאֱכָל־לָחֶם (leʾekhol-laḥem) – See above; Translation: “to eat bread”; Notes: Same idiomatic phrase for dining.