וַיִּרְא֥וּ אַנְשֵֽׁי־אַשְׁדֹּ֖וד כִּֽי־כֵ֑ן וְאָמְר֗וּ לֹֽא־יֵשֵׁ֞ב אֲרֹ֨ון אֱלֹהֵ֤י יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ עִמָּ֔נוּ כִּֽי־קָשְׁתָ֤ה יָדֹו֙ עָלֵ֔ינוּ וְעַ֖ל דָּגֹ֥ון אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ׃
And the men of Ashdod saw that it was so, and they said, “The Ark of the God of Yisraʾel shall not dwell with us, for His hand is harsh upon us and upon Dagon, our god.”
Morphology
- וַיִּרְא֥וּ (va-yirʾu) – Root: ראה (raʾah); Form: Qal consecutive imperfect 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “And they saw”; Notes: Indicates perception or realization.
- אַנְשֵֽׁי־אַשְׁדֹּ֖וד (ʾanshei-Ashdod) – Root: איש (ʾish) + אשדוד (Ashdod); Form: Noun, masculine plural construct; Translation: “The men of Ashdod”; Notes: Refers to the people of the Philistine city.
- כִּֽי־כֵ֑ן (ki-khen) – Root: כן (ken); Form: Conjunction + adverb; Translation: “that it was so”; Notes: Affirmation of what they observed.
- וְאָמְר֗וּ (ve-ʾamru) – Root: אמר (ʾamar); Form: Qal consecutive imperfect 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “And they said”; Notes: Marks their decision.
- לֹֽא־יֵשֵׁ֞ב (lo-yeshev) – Root: ישב (yashav); Form: Qal imperfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “shall not dwell”; Notes: Expresses a refusal.
- אֲרֹ֨ון אֱלֹהֵ֤י יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ (ʾaron ʾElohei Yisraʾel) – Root: ארון (ʾaron) + אלהים (ʾElohim) + ישראל (Yisraʾel); Form: Noun construct phrase; Translation: “The Ark of the God of Yisraʾel”; Notes: Specifies the sacred object.
- עִמָּ֔נוּ (ʿimmanu) – Root: עם (ʿim); Form: Preposition with 1st person plural suffix; Translation: “with us”; Notes: Indicates presence.
- כִּֽי־קָשְׁתָ֤ה (ki-qashtah) – Root: קשׁה (qashah); Form: Qal perfect 3rd person feminine singular; Translation: “for it is harsh”; Notes: Refers to divine affliction.
- יָדֹו֙ (yado) – Root: יד (yad); Form: Noun, feminine singular with 3rd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “His hand”; Notes: Symbolic of power and judgment.
- עָלֵ֔ינוּ (ʿaleinu) – Root: על (ʿal); Form: Preposition with 1st person plural suffix; Translation: “upon us”; Notes: Expresses affliction.
- וְעַ֖ל (ve-ʿal) – Root: על (ʿal); Form: Conjunction + preposition; Translation: “and upon”; Notes: Extends affliction to another subject.
- דָּגֹ֥ון (Dagon) – Root: דגון (Dagon); Form: Proper noun; Translation: “Dagon”; Notes: The Philistine deity.
- אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ׃ (ʾEloheinu) – Root: אלהים (ʾElohim); Form: Noun, masculine plural with 1st person plural suffix; Translation: “our god”; Notes: Refers to their deity Dagon.