וַיָּשֻׁבוּ֮ וַיַּגִּ֣ידוּ לֹו֒ וַיֹּ֨אמֶר֙ דְּבַר־יְהוָ֣ה ה֔וּא אֲשֶׁ֣ר דִּבֶּ֗ר בְּיַד־עַבְדֹּ֛ו אֵלִיָּ֥הוּ הַתִּשְׁבִּ֖י לֵאמֹ֑ר בְּחֵ֣לֶק יִזְרְעֶ֔אל יֹאכְל֥וּ הַכְּלָבִ֖ים אֶת־בְּשַׂ֥ר אִיזָֽבֶל׃
And they returned and told him, and he said, “This is the word of YHWH, which He spoke by the hand of His servant Eliyyahu the Tishbite, saying, ‘In the portion of Yizreʿel the dogs shall eat the flesh of Izevel.
Morphology
- וַיָּשֻׁבוּ (va-yashuvu) – Root: שׁוב; Form: Qal wayyiqtol 3mp; Translation: “And they returned”; Notes: Refers to the men sent to bury Izevel returning with their report.
- וַיַּגִּידוּ (va-yaggidu) – Root: נגד; Form: Hifil wayyiqtol 3mp; Translation: “and they told”; Notes: Hifil stem indicates causing information to be known.
- לֹו (lo) – Root: ל; Form: Preposition + 3ms suffix; Translation: “to him”; Notes: Refers to Yehu.
- וַיֹּאמֶר (va-yomer) – Root: אמר; Form: Qal wayyiqtol 3ms; Translation: “and he said”; Notes: Yehu responds to the report.
- דְּבַר־יְהוָה (devar-YHWH) – Roots: דבר, יהוה; Form: Construct noun + proper noun; Translation: “the word of YHWH”; Notes: A prophetic fulfillment formula.
- הוּא (hu) – Form: Pronoun masculine singular; Translation: “it is”; Notes: Identifies the event as fulfillment of prophecy.
- אֲשֶׁר דִּבֶּר (asher dibber) – Roots: אמר; Form: Relative pronoun + Qal perfect 3ms; Translation: “which He spoke”; Notes: Refers to divine speech through a prophet.
- בְּיַד־עַבְדֹּו (be-yad avdo) – Roots: יד, עבד; Form: Preposition + construct noun + noun masculine singular + 3ms suffix; Translation: “by the hand of His servant”; Notes: Common idiom for prophetic agency.
- אֵלִיָּהוּ הַתִּשְׁבִּי (Eliyyahu ha-Tishbi) – Form: Proper noun + gentilic adjective; Translation: “Eliyyahu the Tishbite”; Notes: Reference to the prophet Elijah of Tishbe.
- לֵאמֹר (lemor) – Root: אמר; Form: Infinitive construct; Translation: “saying”; Notes: Introduces direct speech or quotation of the prophecy.
- בְּחֵלֶק יִזְרְעֶאל (be-ḥeleq Yizreʿel) – Roots: חלק, יזרעאל; Form: Preposition + noun construct + proper noun; Translation: “in the portion of Yizreʿel”; Notes: Geographic location of fulfillment.
- יֹאכְלוּ (yoʾkhelu) – Root: אכל; Form: Qal imperfect 3mp; Translation: “shall eat”; Notes: Describes future (now fulfilled) action by dogs.
- הַכְּלָבִים (ha-kelavim) – Root: כלב; Form: Definite noun masculine plural; Translation: “the dogs”; Notes: Carrion animals fulfilling the curse.
- אֶת־בְּשַׂר אִיזָבֶל (et-besar Izevel) – Roots: בשר, איזבל; Form: Direct object marker + noun + proper noun; Translation: “the flesh of Izevel”; Notes: Gruesome end prophesied by Eliyyahu.