וַיְהִ֤י הָֽאֶחָד֙ מַפִּ֣יל הַקֹּורָ֔ה וְאֶת־הַבַּרְזֶ֖ל נָפַ֣ל אֶל־הַמָּ֑יִם וַיִּצְעַ֥ק וַיֹּ֛אמֶר אֲהָ֥הּ אֲדֹנִ֖י וְה֥וּא שָׁאֽוּל׃
And it happened, as one was felling the beam, that the iron fell into the water, and he cried out and said, “Alas, my lord! And it was borrowed.”
Morphology
- וַיְהִי (va-yehi) – Root: היה; Form: Qal wayyiqtol 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “And it happened”; Notes: Introduces a narrative event.
- הָאֶחָד (ha-eḥad) – Root: אחד; Form: Definite noun masculine singular; Translation: “the one”; Notes: Refers to one of the group of prophets.
- מַפִּיל (mapil) – Root: נפל; Form: Hifil participle masculine singular; Translation: “was felling”; Notes: Causative action – he was causing the beam to fall.
- הַקֹּורָה (ha-qorah) – Root: קרר; Form: Definite noun feminine singular; Translation: “the beam”; Notes: Refers to a log or timber being cut.
- וְאֶת־הַבַּרְזֶל (ve-et-ha-barzel) – Root: ברזל; Form: Definite noun masculine singular with direct object marker; Translation: “and the iron”; Notes: Refers to the metal axehead.
- נָפַל (nafal) – Root: נפל; Form: Qal perfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “fell”; Notes: Main verb indicating the axehead’s fall.
- אֶל־הַמָּיִם (el-ha-mayim) – Root: מים; Form: Preposition + definite plural noun; Translation: “into the water”; Notes: Indicates the destination of the falling object.
- וַיִּצְעַק (va-yitsʿaq) – Root: צעק; Form: Qal wayyiqtol 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “and he cried out”; Notes: A sudden emotional reaction.
- וַיֹּאמֶר (va-yomer) – Root: אמר; Form: Qal wayyiqtol 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “and he said”; Notes: Introduces the speaker’s plea.
- אֲהָהּ (ʾahah) – Root: —; Form: Interjection; Translation: “Alas!”; Notes: Expresses distress or dismay.
- אֲדֹנִי (adoni) – Root: אדן; Form: Noun masculine singular with 1st person singular suffix; Translation: “my lord”; Notes: An address of respect, likely to Elisha.
- וְהוּא (ve-hu) – Root: —; Form: Independent pronoun masculine singular; Translation: “and it was”; Notes: Subject for the next clause.
- שָׁאוּל (shaʾul) – Root: שאל; Form: Passive participle masculine singular; Translation: “borrowed”; Notes: Indicates that the iron (axe) was not his own.