אָנֹכִ֕י שְׁלֻמֵ֖י אֱמוּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל אַתָּ֣ה מְבַקֵּ֗שׁ לְהָמִ֨ית עִ֤יר וְאֵם֙ בְּיִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל לָ֥מָּה תְבַלַּ֖ע נַחֲלַ֥ת יְהוָֽה׃ פ
I am one of the peaceable and faithful in Yisraʾel. You seek to destroy a city and a mother in Yisraʾel. Why would you swallow up the inheritance of YHWH?”
Morphology
- אָנֹכִי (anokhi) – Form: Independent pronoun, 1st person singular; Translation: “I”; Notes: Emphatic form of the first person pronoun.
- שְׁלֻמֵי (shelumei) – Root: שלם; Form: Construct plural masculine; Translation: “the peaceable”; Notes: Indicates those who pursue peace; used in construct with the following term.
- אֱמוּנֵי (emuney) – Root: אמן; Form: Construct plural masculine; Translation: “faithful”; Notes: Qualifies the speaker as trustworthy and loyal among Yisraʾel.
- יִשְׂרָאֵל (Yisraʾel) – Form: Proper noun; Translation: “Yisraʾel”; Notes: Refers to the nation or people of Israel.
- אַתָּה (attah) – Form: Independent pronoun, 2nd person masculine singular; Translation: “you”; Notes: Addressing Yoʾav.
- מְבַקֵּשׁ (mevaqqesh) – Root: בקש; Form: Piel participle masculine singular; Translation: “you seek”; Notes: Indicates active desire or intent.
- לְהָמִית (lehamit) – Root: מות; Form: Hifil infinitive construct; Translation: “to kill” or “to destroy”; Notes: Infinitive expressing intent.
- עִיר (ʿir) – Root: עיר; Form: Noun, feminine singular; Translation: “a city”; Notes: Refers to the city under siege.
- וְאֵם (ve-ʾem) – Root: אם; Form: Noun, feminine singular with conjunction; Translation: “and a mother”; Notes: Metaphorically refers to a central or nurturing city in Yisraʾel.
- בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל (be-Yisraʾel) – Root: ישראל; Form: Preposition + proper noun; Translation: “in Yisraʾel”; Notes: Locative phrase.
- לָמָּה (lammah) – Root: מה; Form: Interrogative particle; Translation: “Why”; Notes: Introduces a rhetorical question.
- תְבַלַּע (tevallaʿ) – Root: בלע; Form: Qal imperfect 2nd masculine singular; Translation: “would you swallow up”; Notes: Expresses impending action.
- נַחֲלַת (naḥalat) – Root: נחל; Form: Construct noun, feminine singular; Translation: “the inheritance of”; Notes: Refers to YHWH’s people or land.
- יְהוָה (YHWH) – Form: Proper noun; Translation: “YHWH”; Notes: The divine name of God.