וַיֹּ֣אמְר֔וּ לָמָ֗ה יְהוָה֙ אֱלֹהֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל הָ֥יְתָה זֹּ֖את בְּיִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל לְהִפָּקֵ֥ד הַיֹּ֛ום מִיִּשְׂרָאֵ֖ל שֵׁ֥בֶט אֶחָֽד׃
And they said, “Why, O YHWH, God of Yisraʾel, has this happened in Yisraʾel, that today should be missing from Yisraʾel one tribe?”
Morphology
- וַיֹּ֣אמְר֔וּ (vayyomru) – Root: אמר (ʾamar); Form: Qal wayyiqtol 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “And they said”; Notes: Refers to the people of Yisraʾel speaking collectively.
- לָמָ֗ה (lamah) – Root: למה (lamah); Form: Interrogative adverb; Translation: “Why”; Notes: Introduces a question directed to YHWH.
- יְהוָה֙ (YHWH) – Root: יהוה (YHWH); Form: Proper noun; Translation: “YHWH”; Notes: The divine name of God.
- אֱלֹהֵ֣י (Elohei) – Root: אלוה (ʾEloah); Form: Noun, masculine plural construct; Translation: “Elohim of”; Notes: Refers to the God of Yisraʾel.
- יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל (Yisraʾel) – Root: ישראל (Yisraʾel); Form: Proper noun, masculine singular; Translation: “Yisraʾel”; Notes: Refers to the nation of Yisraʾel.
- הָ֥יְתָה (hayetah) – Root: היה (hayah); Form: Qal perfect 3rd person feminine singular; Translation: “has this happened”; Notes: Refers to the event of a tribe being missing.
- זֹּ֖את (zot) – Root: זה (zeh); Form: Demonstrative pronoun, feminine singular; Translation: “this”; Notes: Refers to the disaster befalling Yisraʾel.
- בְּיִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל (be-Yisraʾel) – Root: ישראל (Yisraʾel); Form: Proper noun with preposition; Translation: “in Yisraʾel”; Notes: Indicates that the event took place among the people of Yisraʾel.
- לְהִפָּקֵ֥ד (lehippaqed) – Root: פקד (paqad); Form: Nifal infinitive construct; Translation: “that should be missing”; Notes: Expresses a passive action.
- הַיֹּ֛ום (hayyom) – Root: יום (yom); Form: Noun, masculine singular with definite article; Translation: “today”; Notes: Specifies the timing of the event.
- מִיִּשְׂרָאֵ֖ל (mi-Yisraʾel) – Root: ישראל (Yisraʾel); Form: Proper noun with preposition; Translation: “from Yisraʾel”; Notes: Indicates the loss affecting the nation.
- שֵׁ֥בֶט (shevet) – Root: שבט (shevet); Form: Noun, masculine singular; Translation: “tribe”; Notes: Refers to one of the twelve tribes of Yisraʾel.
- אֶחָֽד׃ (eḥad) – Root: אחד (eḥad); Form: Adjective, masculine singular; Translation: “one”; Notes: Specifies the loss of a single tribe.