וַיֹּאמְר֨וּ בְנֵי־יִשְׂרָאֵ֤ל אֶל־יְהוָה֙ חָטָ֔אנוּ עֲשֵׂה־אַתָּ֣ה לָ֔נוּ כְּכָל־הַטֹּ֖וב בְּעֵינֶ֑יךָ אַ֛ךְ הַצִּילֵ֥נוּ נָ֖א הַיֹּ֥ום הַזֶּֽה׃
And the children of Yisra’el said to YHWH, “We have sinned; do to us whatever is good in Your eyes. Only deliver us, please, this day.”
Morphology
- וַיֹּאמְר֨וּ (vayomru) – Root: אמר (ʾamar); Form: Qal wayyiqtol (sequential imperfect) 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “And they said”; Notes: Sequential narrative form.
- בְנֵי־יִשְׂרָאֵ֤ל (benei-Yisra’el) – Root: בן (ben) + ישראל (Yisra’el); Form: Construct chain, masculine plural; Translation: “The children of Yisra’el”; Notes: Subject of the verb.
- אֶל־יְהוָה֙ (el-YHWH) – Root: אל (ʾel) + יהוה (YHWH); Form: Preposition + proper noun; Translation: “to the LORD”; Notes: Directs the speech to YHWH.
- חָטָ֔אנוּ (ḥatanu) – Root: חטא (ḥṭʾ); Form: Qal perfect 1st person plural; Translation: “We have sinned”; Notes: Confession of sin.
- עֲשֵׂה־אַתָּ֣ה (ʿaseh-atta) – Root: עשה (ʿsh); Form: Qal imperative 2nd person masculine singular + pronoun; Translation: “Do You”; Notes: Imperative form directed to God.
- לָ֔נוּ (lanu) – Root: לנו (lanu); Form: Preposition + 1st person plural suffix; Translation: “to us”; Notes: Marks the recipient of the action.
- כְּכָל־הַטֹּ֖וב (ke-khol haṭov) – Root: טוב (ṭov); Form: Preposition + noun, masculine singular absolute; Translation: “as all the good”; Notes: Expresses submission to divine judgment.
- בְּעֵינֶ֑יךָ (be-ʿenekha) – Root: עין (ʿayin); Form: Preposition + noun, feminine dual construct with 2nd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “in Your eyes”; Notes: Refers to divine perspective.
- אַ֛ךְ (ʾakh) – Root: אך (ʾakh); Form: Adverb; Translation: “Only”; Notes: Introduces a plea.
- הַצִּילֵ֥נוּ (hatsilenu) – Root: נצל (nṣl); Form: Hifil imperative 2nd person masculine singular + 1st person plural suffix; Translation: “Deliver us”; Notes: A strong plea for rescue.
- נָ֖א (na) – Root: נא (na); Form: Particle of entreaty; Translation: “please”; Notes: Adds urgency to the request.
- הַיֹּ֥ום (ha-yom) – Root: יום (yom); Form: Noun, masculine singular absolute with definite article; Translation: “this day”; Notes: Specifies the time of urgency.
- הַזֶּֽה׃ (ha-zeh) – Root: זה (zeh); Form: Demonstrative pronoun, masculine singular; Translation: “this”; Notes: Reinforces immediacy.