הֲלֹ֡א טֹוב֩ אֲבָנָה וּפַרְפַּ֜ר נַהֲרֹ֣ות דַּמֶּ֗שֶׂק מִכֹּל֙ מֵימֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל הֲלֹֽא־אֶרְחַ֥ץ בָּהֶ֖ם וְטָהָ֑רְתִּי וַיִּ֖פֶן וַיֵּ֥לֶךְ בְּחֵמָֽה׃
* כ: אֲבָנָה
* ק: אֲמָנָה
Are not Amana and Parpar, the rivers of Dammeseq, better than all the waters of Yisraʾel? Could I not wash in them and be clean?” So he turned and went away in rage.
Morphology
- הֲלֹא (halo) – Root: —; Form: Interrogative particle + negative; Translation: “Are not”; Notes: Introduces a rhetorical question.
- טֹוב (tov) – Root: טוב; Form: Adjective masculine singular absolute; Translation: “better”; Notes: Compares the quality of rivers.
- אֲבָנָה (ʾAvanah) – Root: —; Form: Proper noun; Translation: “Abanah”; Notes: A river of Dammeseq (Damascus), likely the Barada.
- וּפַרְפַּר (u-Farpar) – Root: —; Form: Conjunction + proper noun; Translation: “and Parpar”; Notes: Another river near Dammeseq, likely the Awaj.
- נַהֲרֹות (naharot) – Root: נהר; Form: Noun masculine plural; Translation: “rivers”; Notes: Subject of the rhetorical comparison.
- דַּמֶּשֶׂק (Dammeseq) – Root: —; Form: Proper noun; Translation: “Dammeseq”; Notes: The capital of Aram (Syria).
- מִכֹּל (mi-kol) – Root: כל; Form: Preposition + noun; Translation: “than all”; Notes: Comparative construction.
- מֵימֵי (mei-mei) – Root: מים; Form: Construct plural of noun masculine; Translation: “waters of”; Notes: Refers to the rivers or water sources of Yisraʾel.
- יִשְׂרָאֵל (Yisraʾel) – Root: —; Form: Proper noun; Translation: “Yisraʾel”; Notes: Country being negatively compared.
- הֲלֹא־אֶרְחַץ (halo-erḥatz) – Root: רחץ; Form: Interrogative + Qal imperfect 1st person singular; Translation: “Could I not wash”; Notes: Continuation of the rhetorical protest.
- בָּהֶם (bahem) – Root: ב; Form: Preposition + 3rd person masculine plural suffix; Translation: “in them”; Notes: Refers to Abanah and Parpar.
- וְטָהָרְתִּי (ve-taharti) – Root: טהר; Form: Qal perfect 1st person singular with vav-consecutive; Translation: “and be clean”; Notes: Expected result of ritual washing.
- וַיִּפֶן (va-yifen) – Root: פן; Form: Qal wayyiqtol 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “So he turned”; Notes: Indicates rejection or abruptness.
- וַיֵּלֶךְ (va-yelekh) – Root: הלך; Form: Qal wayyiqtol 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “and went”; Notes: Continued action of departure.
- בְּחֵמָה (be-ḥemah) – Root: חמה; Form: Noun feminine singular; Translation: “in rage”; Notes: Refers to Naʿaman’s intense anger.