וַיַּ֣רְא יֹואָ֗ב כִּֽי־הָיְתָ֤ה אֵלָיו֙ פְּנֵ֣י הַמִּלְחָמָ֔ה מִפָּנִ֖ים וּמֵֽאָחֹ֑ור וַיִּבְחַ֗ר מִכֹּל֙ בְּחוּרֵ֣י בִישְׂרָאֵ֔ל וַֽיַּעֲרֹ֖ךְ לִקְרַ֥את אֲרָֽם׃
And Yoʾav saw that the battle was set against him both in front and from behind, and he chose from all the chosen men of Yisraʾel, and he arranged for battle to meet Aram.
Morphology
- וַיַּ֣רְא (vayyaʾar) – Root: ראה (raʾah); Form: Qal wayyiqtol 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “And [he] saw”; Notes: Marks Yoʾav’s perception of the military situation.
- יֹואָ֗ב (Yoʾav) – Root: יואב (Yoʾav); Form: Proper noun; Translation: “Yoʾav”; Notes: Subject of the verb.
- כִּֽי־הָיְתָ֤ה (ki-hayetah) – Root: היה (hayah); Form: Conjunction + Qal perfect 3rd person feminine singular; Translation: “that it was”; Notes: Introduces the condition Yoʾav perceived.
- אֵלָיו֙ (elav) – Root: אל (ʾel); Form: Preposition + 3rd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “against him”; Notes: Refers to the direction of the attack.
- פְּנֵ֣י הַמִּלְחָמָ֔ה (penei ha-milḥamah) – Root: פנה (panah), לחם (laḥam); Form: Construct noun + noun with definite article; Translation: “the face of the battle”; Notes: Idiomatic for “the battle was directed.”
- מִפָּנִ֖ים (mippanim) – Root: פנים (panim); Form: Preposition + noun masculine plural; Translation: “from the front”; Notes: Indicates direction.
- וּמֵֽאָחֹ֑ור (umeʾaḥor) – Root: אחור (ʾaḥor); Form: Conjunction + preposition + noun; Translation: “and from behind”; Notes: Emphasizes surrounding threat.
- וַיִּבְחַ֗ר (vayyivḥar) – Root: בחר (baḥar); Form: Qal wayyiqtol 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “and he chose”; Notes: Yoʾav’s response to the tactical threat.
- מִכֹּל֙ (mikkol) – Root: כל (kol); Form: Preposition + noun masculine singular; Translation: “from all”; Notes: Indicates selection from the whole.
- בְּחוּרֵ֣י בִישְׂרָאֵ֔ל (beḥurei Yisraʾel) – Root: בחר (baḥur), ישראל (Yisraʾel); Form: Construct noun masculine plural + proper noun; Translation: “the chosen men of Yisraʾel”; Notes: Refers to elite or selected warriors.
- וַֽיַּעֲרֹ֖ךְ (vayyaʿarokh) – Root: ערך (ʿarakh); Form: Qal wayyiqtol 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “and he arranged”; Notes: Military deployment.
- לִקְרַ֥את (liqrat) – Root: קרא (qara); Form: Preposition + infinitive construct; Translation: “to meet”; Notes: Indicates purpose of arrangement.
- אֲרָֽם (Aram) – Root: ארם (Aram); Form: Proper noun; Translation: “Aram”; Notes: Refers to the Aramean enemy force.