וַיִּרְאוּ֙ בְּנֵ֣י עַמֹּ֔ון כִּ֥י נִבְאֲשׁ֖וּ בְּדָוִ֑ד וַיִּשְׁלְח֣וּ בְנֵֽי־עַמֹּ֡ון וַיִּשְׂכְּרוּ֩ אֶת־אֲרַ֨ם בֵּית־רְחֹ֜וב וְאֶת־אֲרַ֣ם צֹובָ֗א עֶשְׂרִ֥ים אֶ֨לֶף֙ רַגְלִ֔י וְאֶת־מֶ֤לֶךְ מַֽעֲכָה֙ אֶ֣לֶף אִ֔ישׁ וְאִ֣ישׁ טֹ֔וב שְׁנֵים־עָשָׂ֥ר אֶ֖לֶף אִֽישׁ׃
And the sons of ʿAmmon saw that they had become odious to Dawid, and the sons of ʿAmmon sent and hired Aram of Beit-reḥov and Aram Tsova—twenty thousand foot soldiers—and the king of Maʿakha, one thousand men, and Ish Tov, twelve thousand men.
Morphology
- וַיִּרְאוּ֙ (vayyirʾu) – Root: ראה (raʾah); Form: Qal wayyiqtol 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “And they saw”; Notes: Marks perception by the ʿAmmonites.
- בְּנֵ֣י עַמֹּ֔ון (benei ʿAmmon) – Root: בן (ben), עמון (ʿAmmon); Form: Construct noun + proper noun; Translation: “sons of ʿAmmon”; Notes: Subject of the verb.
- כִּ֥י (ki) – Root: כי (ki); Form: Conjunction; Translation: “that”; Notes: Introduces a reason or realization.
- נִבְאֲשׁ֖וּ (nivʾashu) – Root: באשׁ (baʾash); Form: Nifal perfect 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “they had become odious”; Notes: Passive/reflexive form indicating disfavor.
- בְּדָוִ֑ד (be-Dawid) – Root: דוד (Dawid); Form: Preposition + proper noun; Translation: “to Dawid”; Notes: The object of offense.
- וַיִּשְׁלְח֣וּ (vayyishleḥu) – Root: שלח (shalaḥ); Form: Qal wayyiqtol 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “and they sent”; Notes: Response action by the ʿAmmonites.
- בְנֵֽי־עַמֹּ֡ון (benei-ʿAmmon) – Root: בן (ben), עמון (ʿAmmon); Form: Construct noun + proper noun; Translation: “sons of ʿAmmon”; Notes: Repeated for emphasis as the acting subject.
- וַיִּשְׂכְּרוּ֩ (vayyiskeru) – Root: שכר (sakar); Form: Qal wayyiqtol 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “and they hired”; Notes: Introduces military hiring.
- אֶת־אֲרַ֨ם בֵּית־רְחֹ֜וב (et-Aram Beit-Reḥov) – Root: ארם (Aram), בית (beit), רחוב (Reḥov); Form: Definite direct object + proper noun with place name; Translation: “Aram of Beit-Reḥov”; Notes: One of the hired Aramean forces.
- וְאֶת־אֲרַ֣ם צֹובָ֗א (ve-et-Aram Tsovah) – Root: ארם (Aram), צובה (Tsovah); Form: Conjunction + definite direct object + proper noun; Translation: “and Aram of Tsovah”; Notes: Another Syrian (Aramean) kingdom.
- עֶשְׂרִ֥ים אֶ֨לֶף֙ רַגְלִ֔י (esrim elef ragli) – Root: עשרים (esrim), אלף (elef), רגל (regel); Form: Number + noun masculine plural + noun masculine singular in construct; Translation: “twenty thousand foot soldiers”; Notes: Total of Aramean troops.
- וְאֶת־מֶ֤לֶךְ מַֽעֲכָה֙ (ve-et-melekh Maʿakhah) – Root: מלך (melekh), מעכה (Maʿakhah); Form: Conjunction + definite direct object + noun + proper noun; Translation: “and the king of Maʿakhah”; Notes: Another ally of ʿAmmon.
- אֶ֣לֶף אִ֔ישׁ (elef ish) – Root: אלף (elef), איש (ish); Form: Number + noun masculine singular; Translation: “a thousand men”; Notes: Force from Maʿakhah.
- וְאִ֣ישׁ טֹ֔וב (ve-ish Tov) – Root: איש (ish), טוב (Tov); Form: Conjunction + noun + proper name; Translation: “and Ish-Tov”; Notes: Region or clan name meaning “man of good.”
- שְׁנֵים־עָשָׂ֥ר אֶ֖לֶף אִֽישׁ (shenayim-ʿasar elef ish) – Root: שנים (shenayim), עשר (ʿasar), אלף (elef), איש (ish); Form: Construct numeral + number + noun + noun; Translation: “twelve thousand men”; Notes: Troop count from Ish-Tov.