וַֽיִּשְׁלְח֞וּ שִׁבְטֵ֤י יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ אֲנָשִׁ֔ים בְּכָל־שִׁבְטֵ֥י בִנְיָמִ֖ן לֵאמֹ֑ר מָ֚ה הָרָעָ֣ה הַזֹּ֔את אֲשֶׁ֥ר נִהְיְתָ֖ה בָּכֶֽם׃
And the tribes of Yisraʾel sent men throughout all the tribes of Binyamin, saying, “What is this evil that has happened among you?
Morphology
- וַֽיִּשְׁלְח֞וּ (vayyishleḥu) – Root: שלח (shalaḥ); Form: Qal wayyiqtol (sequential imperfect) 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “And they sent”; Notes: Expresses action taken by the tribes.
- שִׁבְטֵ֤י (shivtei) – Root: שבט (shevet); Form: Noun, masculine plural construct; Translation: “the tribes of”; Notes: Indicates subject of the verb.
- יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ (Yisraʾel) – Root: ישראל (Yisraʾel); Form: Proper noun, masculine singular; Translation: “Yisraʾel”; Notes: Specifies the national identity.
- אֲנָשִׁ֔ים (ʾanashim) – Root: אנש (enosh); Form: Noun, masculine plural; Translation: “men”; Notes: Direct object of “sent.”
- בְּכָל־שִׁבְטֵ֥י (be-khol shivtei) – Root: כל (kol) & שבט (shevet); Form: Noun, masculine plural construct; Translation: “throughout all the tribes of”; Notes: Indicates extent.
- בִנְיָמִ֖ן (Binyamin) – Root: בנימין (Binyamin); Form: Proper noun, masculine singular; Translation: “Binyamin”; Notes: Identifies the recipient tribes.
- לֵאמֹ֑ר (lemor) – Root: אמר (ʾamar); Form: Infinitive construct; Translation: “saying”; Notes: Introduces direct speech.
- מָ֚ה (mah) – Root: מה (mah); Form: Interrogative pronoun; Translation: “What”; Notes: Opens the question.
- הָרָעָ֣ה (ha-raʿah) – Root: רעע (raʿa); Form: Noun, feminine singular, definite; Translation: “the evil”; Notes: Subject of inquiry.
- הַזֹּ֔את (ha-zot) – Root: זה (zeh); Form: Demonstrative pronoun, feminine singular; Translation: “this”; Notes: Specifies the event.
- אֲשֶׁ֥ר (asher) – Root: אשר (ʾasher); Form: Relative pronoun; Translation: “that”; Notes: Introduces a subordinate clause.
- נִהְיְתָ֖ה (nihyetah) – Root: היה (hayah); Form: Nifal perfect 3rd person feminine singular; Translation: “has happened”; Notes: Describes the event.
- בָּכֶֽם׃ (bakhem) – Root: בכם (bakhem); Form: Preposition with 2nd person masculine plural suffix; Translation: “among you”; Notes: Directs question to recipients.