וַיֹּאמְר֤וּ כָל־הַנְּשִׂיאִים֙ אֶל־כָּל־הָ֣עֵדָ֔ה אֲנַ֨חְנוּ֙ נִשְׁבַּ֣עְנוּ לָהֶ֔ם בַּֽיהוָ֖ה אֱלֹהֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל וְעַתָּ֕ה לֹ֥א נוּכַ֖ל לִנְגֹּ֥עַ בָּהֶֽם׃
And all the chiefs said to all the assembly, “We have sworn to them by YHWH, the God of Yisraʾel, and now we cannot touch them.
Morphology
- וַיֹּאמְר֤וּ (vayyomru) – Root: אמר (ʾamar); Form: Qal wayyiqtol 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “And they said”; Notes: Narrative past tense.
- כָל־הַנְּשִׂיאִים֙ (kol-ha-nesiʾim) – Root: נשא (nasaʾ); Form: Noun, masculine plural with definite article; Translation: “all the chiefs”; Notes: Refers to the leaders.
- אֶל־כָּל־הָ֣עֵדָ֔ה (el-kol-ha-ʿedah) – Root: עדה (ʿedah); Form: Preposition + noun, feminine singular with definite article; Translation: “to all the assembly”; Notes: Refers to the congregation.
- אֲנַ֨חְנוּ֙ (anaḥnu) – Root: אנחנו (anaḥnu); Form: Pronoun, 1st person plural; Translation: “We”; Notes: Subject pronoun.
- נִשְׁבַּ֣עְנוּ (nishbaʿnu) – Root: שבע (shavaʿ); Form: Nifal perfect 1st person plural; Translation: “we have sworn”; Notes: Reflexive action.
- לָהֶ֔ם (lahem) – Root: הם (hem); Form: Preposition with 3rd person masculine plural suffix; Translation: “to them”; Notes: Indicates the object of the oath.
- בַּֽיהוָ֖ה (ba-YHWH) – Root: יהוה (YHWH); Form: Preposition with proper noun; Translation: “by YHWH”; Notes: Indicates the one by whom the oath was sworn.
- אֱלֹהֵ֣י (Elohei) – Root: אלה (eloah); Form: Noun, masculine plural construct; Translation: “God of”; Notes: Refers to the deity of Israel.
- יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל (Yisra’el) – Root: ישראל (Yisraʾel); Form: Proper noun; Translation: “Yisra’el”; Notes: Refers to the nation of Israel.
- וְעַתָּ֕ה (ve-ʿattah) – Root: עתה (ʿattah); Form: Adverb; Translation: “and now”; Notes: Temporal marker.
- לֹ֥א (lo) – Root: לא (lo); Form: Negative particle; Translation: “not”; Notes: Denotes negation.
- נוּכַ֖ל (nukhal) – Root: יכל (yakhol); Form: Qal imperfect 1st person plural; Translation: “we can”; Notes: Expresses ability.
- לִנְגֹּ֥עַ (lingoʿa) – Root: נגע (nagaʿ); Form: Qal infinitive construct; Translation: “to touch”; Notes: Verbal noun.
- בָּהֶֽם׃ (bahem) – Root: הם (hem); Form: Preposition with 3rd person masculine plural suffix; Translation: “them”; Notes: Object pronoun.