וַיַּרְא־גַּעַל֮ אֶת־הָעָם֒ וַיֹּ֣אמֶר אֶל־זְבֻ֔ל הִנֵּה־עָ֣ם יֹורֵ֔ד מֵרָאשֵׁ֖י הֶהָרִ֑ים וַיֹּ֤אמֶר אֵלָיו֙ זְבֻ֔ל אֵ֣ת צֵ֧ל הֶהָרִ֛ים אַתָּ֥ה רֹאֶ֖ה כָּאֲנָשִֽׁים׃ ס
And Gaʿal saw the people, and he said to Zevul, “Behold, people are coming down from the tops of the mountains!” And Zevul said to him, “You are seeing the shadow of the mountains as if they were men.”
Morphology
- וַיַּרְא־גַּעַל֮ (vayyarʾ-Gaal) – Root: ראה (raʾah); Form: Qal wayyiqtol 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “And Gaal saw”; Notes: Describes his observation.
- אֶת־הָעָם֒ (et-haʿam) – Root: עם (ʿam); Form: Noun, masculine singular absolute with definite article; Translation: “the people”; Notes: Refers to Abimelek’s forces.
- וַיֹּ֣אמֶר (vayyoʾmer) – Root: אמר (ʾamar); Form: Qal wayyiqtol 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “and he said”; Notes: Introduces speech.
- אֶל־זְבֻ֔ל (el-Zvul) – Root: זבול (Zvul); Form: Proper noun with preposition; Translation: “to Zebul”; Notes: The person being addressed.
- הִנֵּה־עָ֣ם (hinneh-ʿam) – Root: הנה (hinneh); Form: Interjection + noun; Translation: “Behold, people”; Notes: Calls attention.
- יֹורֵ֔ד (yored) – Root: ירד (yarad); Form: Qal participle masculine singular; Translation: “coming down”; Notes: Describes movement.
- מֵרָאשֵׁ֖י (meraʾshei) – Root: ראש (rosh); Form: Noun, masculine plural construct with preposition; Translation: “from the tops of”; Notes: Indicates origin.
- הֶהָרִ֑ים (heharim) – Root: הר (har); Form: Noun, masculine plural absolute with definite article; Translation: “the mountains”; Notes: Specifies location.
- וַיֹּ֤אמֶר (vayyoʾmer) – Root: אמר (ʾamar); Form: Qal wayyiqtol 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “And he said”; Notes: Introduces Zebul’s reply.
- אֵלָיו֙ (elav) – Root: אל (ʾel); Form: Preposition with 3rd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “to him”; Notes: Indicates the recipient of speech.
- זְבֻ֔ל (Zvul) – Root: זבול (Zvul); Form: Proper noun; Translation: “Zebul”; Notes: The speaker.
- אֵ֣ת (et) – Root: את (ʾet); Form: Definite direct object marker; Translation: “the”; Notes: Marks the following noun.
- צֵ֧ל (tzel) – Root: צל (tzel); Form: Noun, masculine singular absolute; Translation: “shadow”; Notes: The perceived illusion.
- הֶהָרִ֛ים (heharim) – Root: הר (har); Form: Noun, masculine plural absolute with definite article; Translation: “of the mountains”; Notes: What Zebul claims Gaal sees.
- אַתָּ֥ה (attah) – Root: אתה (attah); Form: Pronoun, 2nd person masculine singular; Translation: “you”; Notes: Addressing Gaal.
- רֹאֶ֖ה (roʾeh) – Root: ראה (raʾah); Form: Qal participle masculine singular; Translation: “see”; Notes: Action of perceiving.
- כָאֲנָשִֽׁים׃ (kaʾanashim) – Root: איש (ʾish); Form: Noun, masculine plural absolute with preposition; Translation: “as if they were men”; Notes: Zebul’s explanation.