וַיְהִ֞י כִּרְאֹ֣ות מֶֽלֶךְ־הָעַ֗י וַֽיְמַהֲר֡וּ וַיַּשְׁכִּ֡ימוּ וַיֵּצְא֣וּ אַנְשֵֽׁי־הָעִ֣יר לִקְרַֽאת־֠יִשְׂרָאֵל לַֽמִּלְחָמָ֞ה ה֧וּא וְכָל־עַמֹּ֛ו לַמֹּועֵ֖ד לִפְנֵ֣י הָֽעֲרָבָ֑ה וְהוּא֙ לֹ֣א יָדַ֔ע כִּֽי־אֹרֵ֥ב לֹ֖ו מֵאַחֲרֵ֥י הָעִֽיר׃
And it came to pass, when the king of ʿAi saw it, they hurried and rose early and the men of the city went out to meet Yisraʾel for battle, he and all his people at the appointed time before the plain, but he did not know that an ambush was set for him behind the city.
Morphology
- וַיְהִ֞י (vayhi) – Root: היה (hayah); Form: Qal wayyiqtol 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “and it came to pass”; Notes: Introduces a narrative event.
- כִּרְאֹ֣ות (kirʾot) – Root: ראה (raʾah); Form: Qal infinitive construct with preposition; Translation: “when saw”; Notes: Temporal clause indicating the time of action.
- מֶֽלֶךְ־הָעַ֗י (melekh-haʿay) – Root: מלך (melek); Form: Noun, masculine singular construct with definite article; Translation: “the king of Haʿay”; Notes: Subject of the verb.
- וַֽיְמַהֲר֡וּ (vaymaharu) – Root: מהר (mahar); Form: Piel wayyiqtol 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “and they hurried”; Notes: Describes rapid movement.
- וַיַּשְׁכִּ֡ימוּ (vayyashkimu) – Root: שכם (shakem); Form: Hifil wayyiqtol 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “and they rose early”; Notes: Emphasizes early action.
- וַיֵּצְא֣וּ (vayyetseʾu) – Root: יצא (yatsaʾ); Form: Qal wayyiqtol 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “and they went out”; Notes: Refers to leaving the city.
- אַנְשֵֽׁי־הָעִ֣יר (ʾanshei-haʿir) – Root: אנש (ʾenosh) + עיר (ʿir); Form: Noun, masculine plural construct with definite article; Translation: “the men of the city”; Notes: Subject of the action.
- לִקְרַֽאת־יִשְׂרָאֵל (liqrat-Yisraʾel) – Root: קרה (qaraʾ) + ישראל (Yisraʾel); Form: Infinitive construct with preposition; Translation: “to meet Yisraʾel”; Notes: Describes their intent.
- לַֽמִּלְחָמָ֞ה (la-milḥamah) – Root: לחם (laḥam); Form: Noun, feminine singular with preposition and definite article; Translation: “for battle”; Notes: Purpose of their action.
- ה֧וּא (hu) – Root: הוא (hu); Form: Personal pronoun, 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “he”; Notes: Refers to the king of Haʿay.
- וְכָל־עַמֹּ֛ו (ve-khol-ʿammo) – Root: כל (kol) + עם (ʿam); Form: Noun, masculine singular construct with conjunction; Translation: “and all his people”; Notes: Refers to the king’s army.
- לַמֹּועֵ֖ד (la-moʿed) – Root: יעד (yaʿad); Form: Noun, masculine singular with preposition and definite article; Translation: “to the appointed time”; Notes: Indicates the scheduled battle time.
- לִפְנֵ֣י (lifnei) – Root: פנה (panah); Form: Preposition; Translation: “before”; Notes: Describes the location relative to the plain.
- הָֽעֲרָבָ֑ה (ha-ʿaravah) – Root: ערב (ʿarav); Form: Noun, feminine singular with definite article; Translation: “the plain”; Notes: The geographic location.
- וְהוּא֙ (ve-hu) – Root: הוא (hu); Form: Personal pronoun, 3rd person masculine singular with conjunction; Translation: “but he”; Notes: Refers to the king.
- לֹ֣א (lo) – Root: לא (lo); Form: Negative particle; Translation: “did not”; Notes: Negation.
- יָדַ֔ע (yadaʿ) – Root: ידע (yadaʿ); Form: Qal perfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “know”; Notes: Refers to the king’s ignorance.
- כִּֽי־אֹרֵ֥ב (ki-ʾorev) – Root: ארב (ʾarab); Form: Noun, masculine singular; Translation: “that an ambush”; Notes: Indicates the hidden danger.
- לֹ֖ו (lo) – Root: ל (le) + הוא (hu); Form: Preposition with 3rd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “for him”; Notes: Refers to the king.
- מֵאַחֲרֵ֥י (me-aḥarei) – Root: אחר (ʾaḥar); Form: Preposition; Translation: “behind”; Notes: Indicates the ambush location.
- הָעִֽיר׃ (haʿir) – Root: עיר (ʿir); Form: Noun, feminine singular with definite article; Translation: “the city”; Notes: Refers to Haʿay.