וַיַּכּוּ֙ אִ֣ישׁ אִישֹׁ֔ו וַיָּנֻ֣סוּ אֲרָ֔ם וַֽיִּרְדְּפֵ֖ם יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל וַיִּמָּלֵ֗ט בֶּן־הֲדַד֙ מֶ֣לֶךְ אֲרָ֔ם עַל־ס֖וּס וּפָרָשִֽׁים׃
And they struck, each his man, and Aram fled, and Yisraʾel pursued them, and Ben-Hadad king of Aram escaped on a horse with horsemen.
Morphology
- וַיַּכּוּ (va-yakku) – Root: נכה (nakah); Form: Hifil wayyiqtol (narrative past) 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “And they struck”; Notes: Refers to Yisraʾel’s men defeating their enemies in hand-to-hand combat.
- אִישׁ (ish) – Root: אישׁ (ʾish); Form: Noun masculine singular; Translation: “a man”; Notes: Used here collectively for individual combatants.
- אִישׁוֹ (isho) – Root: אישׁ (ʾish); Form: Noun masculine singular with 3rd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “his man”; Notes: Each soldier engaged an enemy personally.
- וַיָּנֻסוּ (va-yanusu) – Root: נוס (nus); Form: Qal wayyiqtol (narrative past) 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “and they fled”; Notes: Refers to the Aramean forces retreating in panic.
- אֲרָם (Aram) – Root: ארם (Aram); Form: Proper noun; Translation: “Aram”; Notes: The nation opposing Yisraʾel.
- וַיִּרְדְּפֵם (va-yirddefem) – Root: רדף (radaf); Form: Qal wayyiqtol (narrative past) 3rd person masculine singular with 3rd person masculine plural suffix; Translation: “and he pursued them”; Notes: Refers to Yisraʾel’s army chasing the fleeing Arameans.
- יִשְׂרָאֵל (Yisraʾel) – Root: ישראל (Yisraʾel); Form: Proper noun; Translation: “Yisraʾel”; Notes: Represents the forces of the northern kingdom.
- וַיִּמָּלֵט (va-yimmalet) – Root: מלט (malat); Form: Nifal wayyiqtol (narrative past) 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “and he escaped”; Notes: Passive/reflexive form indicating flight from danger.
- בֶּן־הֲדַד (ben-Hadad) – Root: בן (ben) + הדד (Hadad); Form: Construct chain; Translation: “Ben-Hadad”; Notes: The king of Aram escaping personally.
- מֶלֶךְ אֲרָם (melekh Aram) – Root: מלך (melekh) + ארם (Aram); Form: Construct chain; Translation: “king of Aram”; Notes: Title specifying his royal role.
- עַל־סוּס (ʿal-sus) – Root: סוס (sus); Form: Preposition עַל with noun masculine singular; Translation: “on a horse”; Notes: Means of escape.
- וּפָרָשִׁים (u-farashim) – Root: פרשׁ (parash); Form: Conjunction וְ with noun masculine plural; Translation: “and horsemen”; Notes: His cavalry or accompanying mounted soldiers.