וַיָּחִ֣ילוּ עַד־בֹּ֔ושׁ וְהִנֵּ֛ה אֵינֶ֥נּוּ פֹתֵ֖חַ דַּלְתֹ֣ות הָֽעֲלִיָּ֑ה וַיִּקְח֤וּ אֶת־הַמַּפְתֵּ֨חַ֙ וַיִּפְתָּ֔חוּ וְהִנֵּה֙ אֲדֹ֣נֵיהֶ֔ם נֹפֵ֥ל אַ֖רְצָה מֵֽת׃
And they waited until they were ashamed, and behold, he did not open the doors of the upper chamber. So they took the key and opened them, and behold, their master was fallen to the ground, dead.
Morphology
- וַיָּחִ֣ילוּ (vayyaḥilu) – Root: חיל (ḥil); Form: Hifil wayyiqtol, 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “And they waited”; Notes: Indicates hesitation and delay.
- עַד־בֹּ֔ושׁ (ʿad-bosh) – Root: בוש (bosh); Form: Preposition with infinitive construct; Translation: “until they were ashamed”; Notes: Expresses embarrassment from prolonged waiting.
- וְהִנֵּ֛ה (vehineh) – Root: הנה (hineh); Form: Interjection; Translation: “and behold”; Notes: Emphasizes sudden realization.
- אֵינֶ֥נּוּ (einennu) – Root: אין (ʾeyn); Form: Negative particle with 3rd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “he was not”; Notes: Negates the expected action.
- פֹתֵ֖חַ (poteaḥ) – Root: פתח (pataḥ); Form: Qal participle, masculine singular; Translation: “opening”; Notes: Describes the missing action.
- דַּלְתֹ֣ות (daltot) – Root: דלת (delet); Form: Noun, feminine plural; Translation: “doors”; Notes: The object of the action.
- הָֽעֲלִיָּ֑ה (haʿaliyah) – Root: עלה (ʿalah); Form: Noun, feminine singular definite; Translation: “the upper chamber”; Notes: Specifies the location.
- וַיִּקְח֤וּ (vayyikḥu) – Root: לקח (laqach); Form: Qal wayyiqtol, 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “so they took”; Notes: Action taken by the servants.
- אֶת־הַמַּפְתֵּ֨חַ֙ (et-hammafteaḥ) – Root: מפתח (mafteaḥ); Form: Noun, masculine singular definite; Translation: “the key”; Notes: The tool used to open the doors.
- וַיִּפְתָּ֔חוּ (vayyiftahu) – Root: פתח (pataḥ); Form: Qal wayyiqtol, 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “and they opened”; Notes: Their action following the realization.
- וְהִנֵּה֙ (vehineh) – Root: הנה (hineh); Form: Interjection; Translation: “and behold”; Notes: Another sudden realization.
- אֲדֹ֣נֵיהֶ֔ם (adonayhem) – Root: אדן (adon); Form: Noun, masculine singular with 3rd person plural suffix; Translation: “their master”; Notes: Refers to King Eglon.
- נֹפֵ֥ל (nofel) – Root: נפל (nafal); Form: Qal participle, masculine singular; Translation: “fallen”; Notes: Describes his posture.
- אַ֖רְצָה (artzah) – Root: ארץ (ʾerets); Form: Noun, feminine singular with directional suffix; Translation: “to the ground”; Notes: Indicates the direction of his fall.
- מֵֽת (met) – Root: מות (mut); Form: Qal perfect, 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “dead”; Notes: Confirms his death.