וַיָּבֹ֤א בֵית־אָבִיו֙ עָפְרָ֔תָה וַֽיַּהֲרֹ֞ג אֶת־אֶחָ֧יו בְּנֵֽי־יְרֻבַּ֛עַל שִׁבְעִ֥ים אִ֖ישׁ עַל־אֶ֣בֶן אֶחָ֑ת וַיִּוָּתֵ֞ר יֹותָ֧ם בֶּן־יְרֻבַּ֛עַל הַקָּטֹ֖ן כִּ֥י נֶחְבָּֽא׃ ס
And he came to the house of his father at ʿOfra, and he killed his brothers, the sons of Yerubbaʿal, seventy men, upon one stone. But Yotam, the youngest son of Yerubbaʿal, remained, for he hid himself.
Morphology
- וַיָּבֹ֤א (vayyavo) – Root: בוא (bo); Form: Qal wayyiqtol (sequential imperfect) 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “And he came”; Notes: Describes Avimelekh’s arrival.
- בֵית־אָבִיו֙ (beit-aviv) – Root: בית, אב (bayit, av); Form: Noun, masculine singular construct with possessive suffix; Translation: “the house of his father”; Notes: Refers to the ancestral home.
- עָפְרָ֔תָה (ʿOfrah) – Root: עפר (ʿafar); Form: Proper noun; Translation: “ʿOfrah”; Notes: A city in Manasseh.
- וַֽיַּהֲרֹ֞ג (vayyaharog) – Root: הרג (harag); Form: Qal wayyiqtol (sequential imperfect) 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “And he killed”; Notes: Denotes mass murder.
- אֶת־אֶחָ֧יו (et-eḥav) – Root: אח (aḥ); Form: Noun, masculine plural with direct object marker; Translation: “his brothers”; Notes: Direct object of “killed.”
- בְּנֵֽי־יְרֻבַּ֛עַל (bene-Yerubbaʿal) – Root: בן, ירבעל (ben, Yerubbaʿal); Form: Noun, masculine plural construct with proper noun; Translation: “the sons of Yerubbaʿal”; Notes: Specifies lineage.
- שִׁבְעִ֥ים (shivʿim) – Root: שבע (shevaʿ); Form: Numeral; Translation: “seventy”; Notes: Specifies the number of victims.
- אִ֖ישׁ (ʾish) – Root: איש (ʾish); Form: Noun, masculine singular; Translation: “men”; Notes: Reinforces the quantity.
- עַל־אֶ֣בֶן אֶחָ֑ת (ʿal-even eḥat) – Root: אבן, אחד (even, eḥad); Form: Noun, feminine singular construct with adjective; Translation: “upon one stone”; Notes: Indicates the method of execution.
- וַיִּוָּתֵ֞ר (vayyivater) – Root: יתר (yatar); Form: Nifal wayyiqtol (sequential imperfect) 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “But he remained”; Notes: Marks exception.
- יֹותָ֧ם (Yotam) – Root: יותם (Yotam); Form: Proper noun; Translation: “Yotam”; Notes: The sole survivor.
- בֶּן־יְרֻבַּ֛עַל (ben-Yerubbaʿal) – Root: בן, ירבעל (ben, Yerubbaʿal); Form: Noun, masculine singular construct with proper noun; Translation: “the son of Yerubbaʿal”; Notes: Identifies his father.
- הַקָּטֹ֖ן (ha-qaton) – Root: קטן (qaton); Form: Adjective, masculine singular definite; Translation: “the youngest”; Notes: Describes Yotam’s status.
- כִּ֥י (ki) – Root: כי (ki); Form: Conjunction; Translation: “for”; Notes: Introduces explanation.
- נֶחְבָּֽא׃ (neḥba) – Root: חבא (ḥava); Form: Nifal perfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “he hid himself”; Notes: Explains his survival.