וַיִּשְׁלַ֤ח יִפְתָּח֙ מַלְאָכִ֔ים אֶל־מֶ֥לֶךְ בְּנֵֽי־עַמֹּ֖ון לֵאמֹ֑ר מַה־לִּ֣י וָלָ֔ךְ כִּֽי־בָ֥אתָ אֵלַ֖י לְהִלָּחֵ֥ם בְּאַרְצִֽי׃
And Yiftaḥ sent messengers to the king of the sons of ʿAmmon, saying, “What is there between me and you, that you have come to me to fight against my land?”
Morphology
- וַיִּשְׁלַ֤ח (va-yishlaḥ) – Root: שלח (shalaḥ); Form: Qal wayyiqtol (preterite) 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “And he sent”; Notes: Narrative sequence action.
- יִפְתָּח֙ (Yiftaḥ) – Root: יפתח (Yiftaḥ); Form: Proper noun; Translation: “Yiftaḥ”; Notes: Subject of the verb.
- מַלְאָכִ֔ים (malʾakhim) – Root: מלאך (malʾakh); Form: Noun, masculine plural; Translation: “messengers”; Notes: Refers to envoys or emissaries.
- אֶל־מֶ֥לֶךְ (el-melekh) – Root: מלך (melekh); Form: Noun, masculine singular; Translation: “to the king of”; Notes: Recipient of the message.
- בְּנֵֽי־עַמֹּ֖ון (bene-ʿAmmon) – Root: בן (ben) + עמון (ʿAmmon); Form: Construct noun phrase, masculine plural; Translation: “the sons of ʿAmmon”; Notes: The nation of ʿAmmon.
- לֵאמֹ֑ר (leʾemor) – Root: אמר (ʾamar); Form: Infinitive construct; Translation: “saying”; Notes: Introduces direct speech.
- מַה־לִּ֣י וָלָ֔ךְ (mah-li va-lakh) – Root: מה (mah) + לי (li) + לך (lakh); Form: Interrogative phrase; Translation: “What is there between me and you?”; Notes: Expresses a challenge or inquiry.
- כִּֽי־בָ֥אתָ (ki-vata) – Root: בוא (bo); Form: Qal perfect 2nd person masculine singular; Translation: “that you have come”; Notes: Indicates cause.
- אֵלַ֖י (elai) – Root: אל (ʾel); Form: Preposition with 1st person singular suffix; Translation: “to me”; Notes: Directional phrase.
- לְהִלָּחֵ֥ם (le-hillaḥem) – Root: לחם (laḥam); Form: Nifal infinitive construct; Translation: “to fight”; Notes: Purpose clause.
- בְּאַרְצִֽי׃ (be-artzi) – Root: ארץ (erets); Form: Noun, feminine singular with 1st person singular suffix; Translation: “against my land”; Notes: Indicates possession and conflict.