וַיִּשְׁלַ֥ח יֹואָ֛ב מַלְאָכִ֖ים אֶל־דָּוִ֑ד וַיֹּ֨אמֶר֙ נִלְחַ֣מְתִּי בְרַבָּ֔ה גַּם־לָכַ֖דְתִּי אֶת־עִ֥יר הַמָּֽיִם׃
And Yoʾav sent messengers to Dawid and said, “I have fought against Rabba, also I have captured the city of the waters.”
Morphology
- וַיִּשְׁלַ֥ח (vayyishlaḥ) – Root: שלח; Form: Qal wayyiqtol 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “And he sent”; Notes: Initiates Yoʾav’s message to Dawid.
- יֹואָ֛ב (Yoʾav) – Root: יואב; Form: Proper noun; Translation: “Yoʾav”; Notes: General of Dawid’s army.
- מַלְאָכִ֖ים (malʾakhim) – Root: מלאך; Form: Noun, masculine plural; Translation: “messengers”; Notes: Refers to those sent with a message.
- אֶל־דָּוִ֑ד (el-Dawid) – Root: אל, דוד; Form: Preposition + proper noun; Translation: “to Dawid”; Notes: Indicates the recipient of the message.
- וַיֹּ֨אמֶר (vayyomer) – Root: אמר; Form: Qal wayyiqtol 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “and he said”; Notes: Introduces direct speech.
- נִלְחַ֣מְתִּי (nilḥamti) – Root: לחם; Form: Nifal perfect 1st person common singular; Translation: “I have fought”; Notes: Nifal here denotes active engagement in battle by the speaker (Yoʾav).
- בְרַבָּ֔ה (ve-Rabbah) – Root: רבב; Form: Preposition + proper noun; Translation: “against Rabbah”; Notes: Capital city of the ʿAmmonites.
- גַּם־לָכַ֖דְתִּי (gam-lakhadti) – Root: לכד; Form: Qal perfect 1st person common singular with conjunction; Translation: “also I have captured”; Notes: Emphasizes an additional achievement.
- אֶת־עִ֥יר (et-ʿir) – Root: עיר; Form: Direct object marker + noun feminine singular; Translation: “the city”; Notes: Object of the verb “I have captured.”
- הַמָּֽיִם (ha-mayim) – Root: מים; Form: Noun, masculine plural (dual in origin), definite; Translation: “of the waters”; Notes: Likely refers to the city’s water supply or a strategic part of Rabbah.