וַיִּכְתֹּ֥ב בַּסֵּ֖פֶר לֵאמֹ֑ר הָב֣וּ אֶת־אֽוּרִיָּ֗ה אֶל־מוּל֙ פְּנֵ֤י הַמִּלְחָמָה֙ הַֽחֲזָקָ֔ה וְשַׁבְתֶּ֥ם מֵאַחֲרָ֖יו וְנִכָּ֥ה וָמֵֽת׃ ס
And he wrote in the letter, saying, “Set Uriyya at the front of the fiercest battle, and draw back from behind him, so that he may be struck down and die.”
Morphology
- וַיִּכְתֹּ֥ב (vayyikhtov) – Root: כתב (katav); Form: Qal wayyiqtol 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “And he wrote”; Notes: Refers to Dawid writing the content of the letter.
- בַּסֵּ֖פֶר (ba-sefer) – Root: ספר (sefer); Form: Preposition + definite noun masculine singular; Translation: “in the letter”; Notes: The document already mentioned.
- לֵאמֹ֑ר (lemor) – Root: אמר (ʾamar); Form: Infinitive construct; Translation: “saying”; Notes: Introduces direct speech.
- הָב֣וּ (havu) – Root: הבה (havah); Form: Imperative masculine plural; Translation: “Set” or “Place”; Notes: Command given to Joʾav and his men.
- אֶת־אֽוּרִיָּ֗ה (et-Uriyyah) – Root: אוריה (Uriyyah); Form: Direct object marker + proper noun; Translation: “Uriyyah”; Notes: The object of the command.
- אֶל־מוּל֙ (el-mul) – Root: מול (mul); Form: Preposition + noun; Translation: “to the front of”; Notes: Indicates direction in battle.
- פְּנֵ֤י הַמִּלְחָמָה֙ (penei ha-milḥamah) – Root: פנה (paneh), מלחמה (milḥamah); Form: Construct plural + definite noun feminine singular; Translation: “the face of the battle”; Notes: Figurative for front lines.
- הַֽחֲזָקָ֔ה (ha-ḥazaqah) – Root: חזק (ḥazaq); Form: Adjective feminine singular with article; Translation: “the strongest”; Notes: Describes intensity of the battle.
- וְשַׁבְתֶּ֥ם (ve-shavtem) – Root: שוב (shuv); Form: Conjunction + Qal perfect 2nd person masculine plural; Translation: “and you shall draw back”; Notes: A tactical maneuver.
- מֵאַחֲרָ֖יו (me-aḥarav) – Root: אחר (ʾaḥar); Form: Preposition + noun with 3rd masculine singular suffix; Translation: “from behind him”; Notes: Uriyyah is left exposed.
- וְנִכָּ֥ה (ve-nikkah) – Root: נכה (nakhah); Form: Nifal imperfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “so that he may be struck”; Notes: Passive verb anticipating outcome.
- וָמֵֽת (va-met) – Root: מות (mut); Form: Conjunction + Qal perfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “and die”; Notes: The intended result of the plan.