וּמָ֣ה הָאָ֗רֶץ אֲשֶׁר־הוּא֙ יֹשֵׁ֣ב בָּ֔הּ הֲטֹובָ֥ה הִ֖וא אִם־רָעָ֑ה וּמָ֣ה הֶֽעָרִ֗ים אֲשֶׁר־הוּא֙ יֹושֵׁ֣ב בָּהֵ֔נָּה הַבְּמַֽחֲנִ֖ים אִ֥ם בְּמִבְצָרִֽים׃
And what is the land like in which he dwells? Is it good or bad? And what are the cities in which he dwells? Are they camps or fortifications?
Morphology
- וּמָ֣ה (umah) – Root: מה (m-h); Form: Conjunction + interrogative pronoun; Translation: “And what”; Notes: Initiates a question about the land.
- הָאָ֗רֶץ (haʾaretz) – Root: ארץ (ʾ-r-ṣ); Form: Definite feminine singular noun; Translation: “The land”; Notes: Refers to Kenaʿan.
- אֲשֶׁר־הוּא֙ (ʾasher-hu) – Root: אשר (ʾ-sh-r) + הוא (h-w); Form: Relative pronoun + 3rd person masculine singular pronoun; Translation: “That he”; Notes: Refers to the people dwelling in the land.
- יֹשֵׁ֣ב (yoshev) – Root: ישב (y-sh-v); Form: Qal active participle masculine singular; Translation: “Dwells”; Notes: Describes the inhabitants.
- בָּ֔הּ (bah) – Root: ב (b) + היא (h-y); Form: Preposition + 3rd person feminine singular pronoun; Translation: “In it”; Notes: Refers to the land.
- הֲטֹובָ֥ה (hatovah) – Root: טוב (ṭ-w-b); Form: Interrogative + definite feminine singular adjective; Translation: “Is it good?”; Notes: Evaluates the quality of the land.
- הִ֖וא (hi) – Root: היא (h-y); Form: 3rd person feminine singular pronoun; Translation: “It is”; Notes: Refers to the land.
- אִם־רָעָ֑ה (ʾim-raʿah) – Root: רעע (r-ʿ-ʿ); Form: Conditional particle + definite feminine singular adjective; Translation: “Or bad”; Notes: Contrasts with “good.”
- וּמָ֣ה (umah) – Root: מה (m-h); Form: Conjunction + interrogative pronoun; Translation: “And what”; Notes: Begins a question about the cities.
- הֶֽעָרִ֗ים (heʿarim) – Root: עיר (ʿ-y-r); Form: Definite masculine plural noun; Translation: “The cities”; Notes: Refers to the urban areas in the land.
- אֲשֶׁר־הוּא֙ (ʾasher-hu) – Root: אשר (ʾ-sh-r) + הוא (h-w); Form: Relative pronoun + 3rd person masculine singular pronoun; Translation: “That he”; Notes: Refers to the people dwelling in the cities.
- יֹושֵׁ֣ב (yoshev) – Root: ישב (y-sh-v); Form: Qal active participle masculine singular; Translation: “Dwells”; Notes: Describes the inhabitants.
- בָּהֵ֔נָּה (bahenna) – Root: ב (b) + הנה (h-n-h); Form: Preposition + 3rd person feminine plural pronoun; Translation: “In them”; Notes: Refers to the cities.
- הַבְּמַֽחֲנִ֖ים (habemmaḥanim) – Root: מחנה (m-ḥ-n-h); Form: Interrogative + definite masculine plural noun; Translation: “Are they camps?”; Notes: Asks about the structure of the cities.
- אִ֥ם בְּמִבְצָרִֽים (ʾim-bemivtsarim) – Root: מבצר (m-b-ts-r); Form: Conditional particle + preposition + masculine plural noun; Translation: “Or fortifications?”; Notes: Inquires if the cities are fortified.