וַיֵּלֶךְ֩ רֹכֵ֨ב הַסּ֜וּס לִקְרָאתֹ֗ו וַיֹּ֨אמֶר֙ כֹּֽה־אָמַ֤ר הַמֶּ֨לֶךְ֙ הֲשָׁלֹ֔ום וַיֹּ֧אמֶר יֵה֛וּא מַה־לְּךָ֥ וּלְשָׁלֹ֖ום סֹ֣ב אֶֽל־אַחֲרָ֑י וַיַּגֵּ֤ד הַצֹּפֶה֙ לֵאמֹ֔ר בָּֽא־הַמַּלְאָ֥ךְ עַד־הֵ֖ם וְלֹֽא־שָֽׁב׃
And the rider on the horse went to meet him and said, “Thus says the king, Is it peace?” And Yehu said, “What do you have to do with peace? Turn behind me.” And the watchman reported, saying, “The messenger came up to them, but he does not return.”
Morphology
- וַיֵּלֶךְ (va-yelekh) – Root: הלך; Form: Qal wayyiqtol 3ms; Translation: “And he went”; Notes: Refers to the dispatched horseman.
- רֹכֵב הַסּוּס (rokhev ha-sus) – Roots: רכב, סוס; Form: Qal participle + definite noun; Translation: “the rider of the horse”; Notes: Describes the messenger by his mode of travel.
- לִקְרָאתוֹ (likrato) – Root: קרא; Form: Preposition + construct noun + 3ms suffix; Translation: “to meet him”; Notes: Directed toward Yehu.
- וַיֹּאמֶר (va-yomer) – Root: אמר; Form: Qal wayyiqtol 3ms; Translation: “and he said”; Notes: Introduces the message spoken by the rider.
- כֹּה־אָמַר הַמֶּלֶךְ (koh amar ha-melekh) – Roots: אמר, מלך; Form: Demonstrative + Qal perfect + definite noun; Translation: “Thus says the king”; Notes: Standard introductory formula to royal messages.
- הֲשָׁלוֹם (ha-shalom) – Root: שלום; Form: Interrogative particle + noun; Translation: “Is it peace?”; Notes: A question about intentions or state of affairs.
- וַיֹּאמֶר יֵהוּא (va-yomer Yehu) – Form: Qal wayyiqtol 3ms + proper noun; Translation: “And Yehu said”; Notes: His reply redirects the narrative.
- מַה־לְּךָ וּלְשָׁלוֹם (mah lekha u-le-shalom) – Roots: מה, לך, שלום; Form: Interrogative + preposition + pronoun + conjunction + noun; Translation: “What do you have to do with peace?”; Notes: A rhetorical dismissal of the rider’s mission.
- סֹב אֶל־אַחֲרָי (sov el-aḥarai) – Root: סבב; Form: Qal imperative + preposition + 1cs suffix; Translation: “Turn behind me”; Notes: Yehu commands the rider to join his company.
- וַיַּגֵּד הַצֹּפֶה (va-yagged ha-tsofeh) – Roots: נגד, צפה; Form: Hifil wayyiqtol 3ms + definite participle; Translation: “And the watchman reported”; Notes: He updates the situation to the palace.
- לֵאמֹר (leʾemor) – Root: אמר; Form: Infinitive construct; Translation: “saying”; Notes: Introduces direct speech.
- בָּא־הַמַּלְאָךְ (ba-ha-malʾakh) – Root: בוא, מלאך; Form: Perfect 3ms + definite noun; Translation: “The messenger came”; Notes: Arrival of the dispatched rider is confirmed.
- עַד־הֵם (ʿad-hem) – Root: עד; Form: Preposition + 3mp suffix; Translation: “up to them”; Notes: Reached Yehu’s company.
- וְלֹא־שָׁב (ve-lo shav) – Root: שוב; Form: Conjunction + negative + perfect 3ms; Translation: “but he does not return”; Notes: Suspicion builds as the messenger fails to report back.