וַיְהִ֡י כִּקְרֹא֩ מֶֽלֶךְ־יִשְׂרָאֵ֨ל אֶת־הַסֵּ֜פֶר וַיִּקְרַ֣ע בְּגָדָ֗יו וַיֹּ֨אמֶר֙ הַאֱלֹהִ֥ים אָ֨נִי֙ לְהָמִ֣ית וּֽלְהַחֲיֹ֔ות כִּֽי־זֶה֙ שֹׁלֵ֣חַ אֵלַ֔י לֶאֱסֹ֥ף אִ֖ישׁ מִצָּֽרַעְתֹּ֑ו כִּ֤י אַךְ־דְּעֽוּ־נָא֙ וּרְא֔וּ כִּֽי־מִתְאַנֶּ֥ה ה֖וּא לִֽי׃
And it came to pass, when the king of Yisraʾel read the letter, that he tore his garments and said, “Am I God, to kill and to make alive, that this man sends to me to gather a man out of his leprosy? But please consider and see that he is seeking a quarrel with me.”
Morphology
- וַיְהִי (va-yehi) – Root: היה; Form: Qal wayyiqtol 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “And it came to pass”; Notes: Introduces the narrative event.
- כִּקְרֹא (ki-qe-ro) – Root: קרא; Form: Conjunction + Qal infinitive construct; Translation: “when reading”; Notes: Temporal clause.
- מֶלֶךְ־יִשְׂרָאֵל (melekh-Yisraʾel) – Root: מלך, ישראל; Form: Construct noun + proper noun; Translation: “the king of Yisraʾel”; Notes: The subject of the main verb.
- אֶת־הַסֵּפֶר (et-ha-sefer) – Root: ספר; Form: Definite direct object marker + noun masculine singular; Translation: “the letter”; Notes: Object of the reading.
- וַיִּקְרַע (va-yiqraʿ) – Root: קרע; Form: Qal wayyiqtol 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “he tore”; Notes: Cultural sign of grief or distress.
- בְּגָדָיו (begadav) – Root: בגד; Form: Noun masculine plural with 3rd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “his garments”; Notes: Traditional act in response to blasphemy or grief.
- וַיֹּאמֶר (va-yomer) – Root: אמר; Form: Qal wayyiqtol 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “and he said”; Notes: Introduces direct speech.
- הַאֱלֹהִים (ha-Elohim) – Root: אלה; Form: Definite noun masculine plural in form but singular in meaning; Translation: “God”; Notes: Refers to the true God, singular in usage.
- אָנִי (ani) – Root: —; Form: Independent pronoun 1st person singular; Translation: “I”; Notes: Emphatic subject.
- לְהָמִית (le-hamit) – Root: מות; Form: Hifil infinitive construct; Translation: “to kill”; Notes: Infinitive used as object of rhetorical question.
- וּלְהַחֲיוֹת (u-le-haḥayot) – Root: חיה; Form: Hifil infinitive construct; Translation: “and to make alive”; Notes: Parallels “to kill,” forms a pair of divine actions.
- כִּי־זֶה (ki-zeh) – Root: —; Form: Conjunction + demonstrative pronoun; Translation: “that this”; Notes: Introduces the object of complaint.
- שֹׁלֵחַ (sholeaḥ) – Root: שלח; Form: Qal participle masculine singular; Translation: “sends”; Notes: Ongoing action of the Aramean king.
- אֵלַי (elai) – Root: אל; Form: Preposition + 1st person singular suffix; Translation: “to me”; Notes: Expresses direct action against the speaker.
- לֶאֱסֹף (leʾesof) – Root: אסף; Form: Qal infinitive construct; Translation: “to gather”; Notes: May imply healing or removing the disease.
- אִישׁ (ish) – Root: איש; Form: Noun masculine singular; Translation: “a man”; Notes: Refers to Naʿaman.
- מִצָּרַעְתּוֹ (mi-tsaʿaratto) – Root: צרע; Form: Preposition + noun feminine singular + 3rd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “from his leprosy”; Notes: The disease he suffers from.
- כִּי אַךְ (ki ʾakh) – Root: —; Form: Conjunction + adverb; Translation: “But surely”; Notes: Introduces the king’s suspicion.
- דְּעוּ־נָא (deʾu-na) – Root: ידע; Form: Qal imperative masculine plural + particle of entreaty; Translation: “please consider” or “know now”; Notes: Appeals to others to recognize his dilemma.
- וּרְאוּ (u-reʾu) – Root: ראה; Form: Qal imperative masculine plural; Translation: “and see”; Notes: Continues the appeal to observers.
- כִּי־מִתְאַנֶּה (ki-mitʾanneh) – Root: ענה; Form: Hitpael participle masculine singular; Translation: “that he is seeking a quarrel”; Notes: Reflexive/intensive form, indicates instigation.
- הוּא (hu) – Root: —; Form: Independent pronoun masculine singular; Translation: “he”; Notes: Emphatic subject.
- לִי (li) – Root: ל; Form: Preposition + 1st person singular suffix; Translation: “with me” or “against me”; Notes: Implies hostile intent directed at the king.