אַ֞ף כִּֽי־אֲנָשִׁ֣ים רְשָׁעִ֗ים הָרְג֧וּ אֶת־אִישׁ־צַדִּ֛יק בְּבֵיתֹ֖ו עַל־מִשְׁכָּבֹ֑ו וְעַתָּ֗ה הֲלֹ֨וא אֲבַקֵּ֤שׁ אֶת־דָּמֹו֙ מִיֶּדְכֶ֔ם וּבִעַרְתִּ֥י אֶתְכֶ֖ם מִן־הָאָֽרֶץ׃
Even though wicked men killed a righteous man in his house, on his bed—now, shall I not require his blood from your hand and remove you from the land?”
Morphology
- אַ֞ף (af) – Root: אף; Form: Adverb; Translation: “even”; Notes: Adds emphasis, often introducing a rhetorical point.
- כִּֽי־ (ki) – Root: כי; Form: Conjunction; Translation: “though” or “when”; Notes: Introduces a subordinate clause.
- אֲנָשִׁ֣ים (anashim) – Root: איש; Form: Noun masculine plural; Translation: “men”; Notes: Subject of the clause.
- רְשָׁעִ֗ים (reshaʿim) – Root: רשע; Form: Adjective masculine plural; Translation: “wicked”; Notes: Describes the character of the men.
- הָרְג֧וּ (hargu) – Root: הרג; Form: Qal perfect 3mp; Translation: “they killed”; Notes: Main action verb.
- אֶת־אִישׁ־צַדִּ֛יק (et-ish-tsaddiq) – Root: איש / צדיק; Form: Direct object marker + noun + adjective; Translation: “a righteous man”; Notes: Object of the verb “they killed.”
- בְּבֵיתֹ֖ו (be-veito) – Root: בית; Form: Preposition + noun masculine singular + 3ms suffix; Translation: “in his house”; Notes: Indicates location of the murder.
- עַל־מִשְׁכָּבֹ֑ו (ʿal-mishkavo) – Root: שכב; Form: Preposition + noun masculine singular + 3ms suffix; Translation: “on his bed”; Notes: Further describes the setting.
- וְעַתָּ֗ה (ve-ʿattah) – Root: עת; Form: Conjunction + adverb; Translation: “and now”; Notes: Transition to a new action.
- הֲלֹ֨וא (haloʾ) – Root: לא; Form: Interrogative particle; Translation: “surely” or “is it not”; Notes: Introduces a rhetorical question.
- אֲבַקֵּ֤שׁ (avaqqesh) – Root: בקש; Form: Piel imperfect 1cs; Translation: “shall I require”; Notes: Verb indicating pursuit or demand.
- אֶת־דָּמֹו֙ (et-damo) – Root: דם; Form: Direct object marker + noun masculine singular + 3ms suffix; Translation: “his blood”; Notes: Refers to the slain man’s blood.
- מִיֶּדְכֶ֔ם (mi-yedkhem) – Root: יד; Form: Preposition + noun + 2mp suffix; Translation: “from your hand”; Notes: Source or agent of punishment.
- וּבִעַרְתִּ֥י (uviʿarti) – Root: בער; Form: Conjunction + Piel perfect 1cs; Translation: “and I will remove”; Notes: Denotes purging or destroying.
- אֶתְכֶ֖ם (etkhem) – Root: אתם; Form: Direct object marker + 2mp pronoun; Translation: “you”; Notes: Object of the verb “remove.”
- מִן־הָאָֽרֶץ (min-haʾaretz) – Root: ארץ; Form: Preposition + noun feminine singular with article; Translation: “from the land”; Notes: Indicates expulsion or death.