וַיָּבֹ֜אוּ וַיָּצֻ֣רוּ עָלָ֗יו בְּאָבֵ֨לָה֙ בֵּ֣ית הַֽמַּעֲכָ֔ה וַיִּשְׁפְּכ֤וּ סֹֽלְלָה֙ אֶל־הָעִ֔יר וַֽתַּעֲמֹ֖ד בַּחֵ֑ל וְכָל־הָעָם֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר אֶת־יֹואָ֔ב מַשְׁחִיתִ֖ם לְהַפִּ֥יל הַחֹומָֽה׃
And they came and laid siege against him in Avel Beit Maʿakha, and they cast up a mound against the city, and it stood against the rampart. And all the people who were with Yoʾav were destroying to bring down the wall.
Morphology
- וַיָּבֹאוּ (vayyavoʾu) – Root: בוא; Form: Wayyiqtol Qal imperfect 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “And they came”; Notes: Narrative progression verb.
- וַיָּצֻרוּ (vayyatzuru) – Root: צור; Form: Wayyiqtol Qal imperfect 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “and they laid siege”; Notes: Military action.
- עָלָיו (ʿalav) – Root: על; Form: Preposition with 3rd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “against him”; Notes: Refers to Shevaʿ.
- בְּאָבֵלָה (be-Avelah) – Form: Preposition + proper noun; Translation: “in Avelah”; Notes: Short form of Avel Beit-Maʿakhah.
- בֵּית הַמַּעֲכָה (Beit ha-Maʿakhah) – Form: Construct noun + definite noun; Translation: “Beit Maʿakhah”; Notes: Place name in northern Yisraʾel.
- וַיִּשְׁפְּכוּ (vayyishpeku) – Root: שפך; Form: Wayyiqtol Qal imperfect 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “and they poured / cast up”; Notes: Refers to piling siege ramp.
- סֹלְלָה (solelah) – Root: סלל; Form: Noun, feminine singular; Translation: “mound / siege ramp”; Notes: Used in siege warfare.
- אֶל־הָעִיר (el-ha-ʿir) – Root: עיר; Form: Preposition + definite noun, feminine singular; Translation: “against the city”; Notes: Target of the siege.
- וַתַּעֲמֹד (vattaʿamod) – Root: עמד; Form: Wayyiqtol Qal imperfect 3rd feminine singular; Translation: “and it stood”; Notes: Refers to the ramp or siege works standing in place.
- בַּחֵל (ba-ḥel) – Root: חיל; Form: Preposition + definite noun; Translation: “against the rampart / outer wall”; Notes: Military term for defense structure.
- וְכָל־הָעָם (ve-khol-ha-ʿam) – Root: עם; Form: Conjunction + noun with definite article, masculine singular; Translation: “and all the people”; Notes: Collective subject.
- אֲשֶׁר (ʾasher) – Form: Relative pronoun; Translation: “who”; Notes: Introduces relative clause.
- אֶת־יֹואָב (et-Yoʾav) – Form: Direct object marker + proper noun; Translation: “with Yoʾav”; Notes: Companion of the people.
- מַשְׁחִיתִם (mashḥitim) – Root: שחת; Form: Hifil participle masculine plural with 3mp suffix; Translation: “were destroying”; Notes: Intensive action, ongoing destruction.
- לְהַפִּיל (le-happil) – Root: נפל; Form: Hifil infinitive construct; Translation: “to bring down / cause to fall”; Notes: Purpose of their destruction.
- הַחֹומָה (ha-ḥomah) – Root: חומה; Form: Definite noun, feminine singular; Translation: “the wall”; Notes: Target of the siege effort.