וְהָיָ֗ה אִֽם־תַּעֲלֶה֙ חֲמַ֣ת הַמֶּ֔לֶךְ וְאָמַ֣ר לְךָ֔ מַדּ֛וּעַ נִגַּשְׁתֶּ֥ם אֶל־הָעִ֖יר לְהִלָּחֵ֑ם הֲלֹ֣וא יְדַעְתֶּ֔ם אֵ֥ת אֲשֶׁר־יֹר֖וּ מֵעַ֥ל הַחֹומָֽה׃
and it shall be, if the king’s wrath arises and he says to you, ‘Why did you draw near to the city to fight? Did you not know that they would shoot from atop the wall?
Morphology
- וְהָיָ֗ה (ve-hayah) – Root: היה (hayah); Form: Qal perfect 3rd person masculine singular with vav-consecutive; Translation: “And it shall be”; Notes: Introduces a conditional or hypothetical clause.
- אִם־תַּעֲלֶה֙ (im-taʿaleh) – Root: עלה (ʿalah); Form: Conditional particle + Qal imperfect 3rd person feminine singular; Translation: “if it arises”; Notes: Refers here to wrath (חמה) as the subject.
- חֲמַ֣ת הַמֶּ֔לֶךְ (ḥamat ha-melekh) – Root: חמה (ḥemah), מלך (melekh); Form: Construct noun + definite noun; Translation: “the wrath of the king”; Notes: Subject of the conditional clause.
- וְאָמַ֣ר (ve-amar) – Root: אמר (ʾamar); Form: Qal perfect 3rd person masculine singular with vav-consecutive; Translation: “and he says”; Notes: Refers to the king speaking.
- לְךָ֔ (lekha) – Root: ל + אתה; Form: Preposition + 2nd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “to you”; Notes: Addressed to the messenger.
- מַדּ֛וּעַ (madduaʿ) – Root: דוע (yadaʿ, by derivation); Form: Interrogative adverb; Translation: “Why”; Notes: Introduces the king’s question.
- נִגַּשְׁתֶּ֥ם (niggashtem) – Root: נגשׁ (nigash); Form: Nifal perfect 2nd person masculine plural; Translation: “did you draw near”; Notes: Addressed to the military leaders or soldiers.
- אֶל־הָעִ֖יר (el-haʿir) – Root: עיר (ʿir); Form: Preposition + definite noun feminine singular; Translation: “to the city”; Notes: Refers to the besieged location.
- לְהִלָּחֵ֑ם (lehillachem) – Root: לחם (laḥam); Form: Nifal infinitive construct; Translation: “to fight”; Notes: Purpose clause.
- הֲלֹ֣וא (halo) – Form: Interrogative particle; Translation: “Did you not”; Notes: Rhetorical question expecting a “yes” answer.
- יְדַעְתֶּ֔ם (yedaʿtem) – Root: ידע (yadaʿ); Form: Qal perfect 2nd person masculine plural; Translation: “you knew”; Notes: Directed to those responsible for the tactical error.
- אֵ֥ת אֲשֶׁר־יֹר֖וּ (et asher-yoru) – Root: ירה (yarah); Form: Direct object + relative pronoun + Qal imperfect 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “that they shoot”; Notes: Refers to defenders atop the wall.
- מֵעַ֥ל הַחֹומָֽה (meʿal ha-ḥomah) – Roots: על (ʿal), חומה (ḥomah); Form: Preposition + noun with definite article; Translation: “from above the wall”; Notes: Common defense position in siege warfare.