וַיָּבֹ֨א יִפְתָּ֣ח הַמִּצְפָּה֮ אֶל־בֵּיתֹו֒ וְהִנֵּ֤ה בִתֹּו֙ יֹצֵ֣את לִקְרָאתֹ֔ו בְתֻפִּ֖ים וּבִמְחֹלֹ֑ות וְרַק֙ הִ֣יא יְחִידָ֔ה אֵֽין־לֹ֥ו מִמֶּ֛נּוּ בֵּ֖ן אֹו־בַֽת׃
And Yiftaḥ came to the Mitzpa, to his house, and behold, his daughter was coming out to meet him with tambourines and with dances. And she was his only child; he had no son or daughter besides her.
Morphology
- וַיָּבֹ֨א (va-yavo) – Root: בוא (bo); Form: Qal wayyiqtol (preterite) 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “And he came”; Notes: Describes Yiftaḥ’s arrival.
- יִפְתָּ֣ח (Yiftaḥ) – Root: יפתח (Yiftaḥ); Form: Proper noun; Translation: “Yiftaḥ”; Notes: Subject of the sentence.
- הַמִּצְפָּה֮ (ha-Mitzpah) – Root: מצפה (Mitzpah); Form: Proper noun with definite article; Translation: “the Mitzpah”; Notes: Identifies the location.
- אֶל־בֵּיתֹו֒ (el-beito) – Root: בית (bayit); Form: Noun, masculine singular with 3rd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “to his house”; Notes: Specifies the destination.
- וְהִנֵּ֤ה (ve-hinneh) – Root: הנה (hinneh); Form: Interjection; Translation: “and behold”; Notes: Introduces an unexpected event.
- בִתֹּו֙ (bito) – Root: בת (bat); Form: Noun, feminine singular with 3rd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “his daughter”; Notes: Identifies the subject of the clause.
- יֹצֵ֣את (yotzeʾt) – Root: יצא (yatza); Form: Qal active participle feminine singular; Translation: “was coming out”; Notes: Describes the action of his daughter.
- לִקְרָאתֹ֔ו (likrato) – Root: קרא (qara); Form: Preposition + Qal infinitive construct + 3rd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “to meet him”; Notes: Expresses purpose.
- בְתֻפִּ֖ים (be-tuppim) – Root: תף (tof); Form: Noun, masculine plural; Translation: “with tambourines”; Notes: Indicates musical celebration.
- וּבִמְחֹלֹ֑ות (u-vi-meḥolot) – Root: מחול (maḥol); Form: Noun, feminine plural; Translation: “and with dances”; Notes: Describes the festive manner of her arrival.
- וְרַק֙ (ve-raq) – Root: רק (raq); Form: Adverb; Translation: “and only”; Notes: Emphasizes exclusivity.
- הִ֣יא (hi) – Root: הוא (hu); Form: Pronoun, 3rd person feminine singular; Translation: “she”; Notes: Refers to Yiftaḥ’s daughter.
- יְחִידָ֔ה (yeḥidah) – Root: יחד (yaḥad); Form: Adjective, feminine singular; Translation: “only”; Notes: Indicates that she was an only child.
- אֵֽין־לֹ֥ו (ein-lo) – Root: אין (ein); Form: Negative existential phrase; Translation: “he had no”; Notes: Expresses negation.
- מִמֶּ֛נּוּ (mimmenu) – Root: מן (min) + הוא (hu); Form: Preposition with 3rd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “besides her”; Notes: Reinforces exclusivity.
- בֵּ֖ן (ben) – Root: בן (ben); Form: Noun, masculine singular; Translation: “son”; Notes: Specifies male offspring.
- אֹו־בַֽת׃ (o-bat) – Root: בת (bat); Form: Noun, feminine singular; Translation: “or daughter”; Notes: Completes the contrast.