וַיִּשְׁלַ֥ח אֵלָ֛יו אֱלִישָׁ֖ע מַלְאָ֣ךְ לֵאמֹ֑ר הָלֹ֗וךְ וְרָחַצְתָּ֤ שֶֽׁבַע־פְּעָמִים֙ בַּיַּרְדֵּ֔ן וְיָשֹׁ֧ב בְּשָׂרְךָ֛ לְךָ֖ וּטְהָֽר׃
And Elisha sent a messenger to him, saying, “Go and wash seven times in the Yarden, and your flesh shall return to you, and you shall be clean.”
Morphology
- וַיִּשְׁלַח (va-yishlaḥ) – Root: שלח; Form: Qal wayyiqtol 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “And he sent”; Notes: Elisha sends someone instead of coming personally.
- אֵלָיו (elav) – Root: אל; Form: Preposition + 3rd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “to him”; Notes: Refers to Naʿaman.
- אֱלִישָׁע (ʾElishaʿ) – Root: —; Form: Proper noun; Translation: “Elisha”; Notes: The prophet acting on behalf of YHWH.
- מַלְאָךְ (malʾakh) – Root: לאך; Form: Noun masculine singular; Translation: “messenger”; Notes: A human envoy, not an angelic being.
- לֵאמֹר (leʾemor) – Root: אמר; Form: Infinitive construct; Translation: “saying”; Notes: Introduces quoted speech.
- הָלֹוךְ (halokh) – Root: הלך; Form: Qal infinitive absolute used as an imperative; Translation: “Go”; Notes: Emphatic command.
- וְרָחַצְתָּ (ve-raḥatsta) – Root: רחץ; Form: Qal perfect 2nd person masculine singular with vav-consecutive; Translation: “and wash”; Notes: Sequential action following the command to go.
- שֶׁבַע־פְּעָמִים (shevaʿ-peʿamim) – Root: שבע, פעם; Form: Cardinal number + plural noun feminine; Translation: “seven times”; Notes: Symbolic number indicating completeness.
- בַּיַּרְדֵּן (ba-Yarden) – Root: ירדן; Form: Preposition + definite proper noun; Translation: “in the Yarden”; Notes: Refers to the Jordan River.
- וְיָשֹׁב (ve-yashov) – Root: שוב; Form: Qal perfect 3rd person masculine singular with vav-consecutive; Translation: “and it shall return”; Notes: Refers to the flesh being restored.
- בְּשָׂרְךָ (besar-kha) – Root: בשר; Form: Noun masculine singular with 2nd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “your flesh”; Notes: Indicates bodily healing.
- לְךָ (lekha) – Root: ל; Form: Preposition + 2nd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “to you”; Notes: Dative of benefit—restored for your benefit.
- וּטְהָר (u-tehar) – Root: טהר; Form: Qal perfect 2nd person masculine singular with vav-consecutive; Translation: “and you shall be clean”; Notes: Ritual and physical purification from ṣaraʿat (leprosy).