וּבְנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל הָתְפָּקְדוּ֙ וְכָלְכְּל֔וּ וַיֵּלְכ֖וּ לִקְרָאתָ֑ם וַיַּחֲנ֨וּ בְנֵֽי־יִשְׂרָאֵ֜ל נֶגְדָּ֗ם כִּשְׁנֵי֙ חֲשִׂפֵ֣י עִזִּ֔ים וַאֲרָ֖ם מִלְא֥וּ אֶת־הָאָֽרֶץ׃
And the sons of Yisraʾel were mustered and provisioned, and they went to meet them; and the sons of Yisraʾel encamped before them like two small flocks of goats, but Aram filled the land.
Morphology
- וּבְנֵי (u-vene) – Root: בן (ben); Form: Conjunction וְ + noun masculine plural construct; Translation: “And the sons of”; Notes: Refers to the people of Yisraʾel.
- יִשְׂרָאֵל (Yisraʾel) – Root: ישראל (Yisraʾel); Form: Proper noun; Translation: “Yisraʾel”; Notes: The covenant nation preparing for battle.
- הָתְפָּקְדוּ (hotpaqdu) – Root: פקד (paqad); Form: Hitpael perfect 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “were mustered”; Notes: Reflexive — they were organized or counted for military service.
- וְכָלְכְּלוּ (ve-kolkelu) – Root: כלכל (kalkel); Form: Piel perfect 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “and they were provisioned”; Notes: Supplied with necessary resources for the campaign.
- וַיֵּלְכוּ (va-yelechu) – Root: הלך (halakh); Form: Qal wayyiqtol (narrative past) 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “and they went”; Notes: Movement toward battle.
- לִקְרָאתָם (likratam) – Root: קרא (qara); Form: Preposition לְ + noun feminine singular construct + 3rd person masculine plural suffix; Translation: “to meet them”; Notes: Facing the advancing Aramean army.
- וַיַּחֲנוּ (va-yaḥanu) – Root: חנה (ḥanah); Form: Qal wayyiqtol (narrative past) 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “and they encamped”; Notes: Military encampment in preparation for battle.
- בְנֵי־יִשְׂרָאֵל (vene-Yisraʾel) – Root: בן (ben) + ישראל (Yisraʾel); Form: Construct chain; Translation: “the sons of Yisraʾel”; Notes: Again referring to the Israelite forces.
- נֶגְדָּם (negdam) – Root: נגד (neged); Form: Preposition with 3rd person masculine plural suffix; Translation: “before them”; Notes: Opposing Aram face-to-face.
- כִּשְׁנֵי (kishnei) – Root: שנים (shenayim); Form: Preposition כְּ + dual construct; Translation: “like two”; Notes: Comparative description of smallness.
- חֲשִׂפֵי (ḥasifei) – Root: חשף (ḥasaf); Form: Noun masculine plural construct; Translation: “small flocks of”; Notes: Refers to vulnerable little goat flocks.
- עִזִּים (izzim) – Root: עז (ʿez); Form: Noun feminine plural; Translation: “goats”; Notes: Emphasizes the seeming insignificance of Yisraʾel’s army compared to Aram.
- וַאֲרָם (va-Aram) – Root: ארם (Aram); Form: Conjunction וְ + proper noun; Translation: “but Aram”; Notes: Shift to contrast Aram’s massive presence.
- מִלְאוּ (mileʾu) – Root: מלא (maleʾ); Form: Qal perfect 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “filled”; Notes: Describes the overwhelming numbers of Aram’s forces.
- אֶת־הָאָרֶץ (et-ha-aretz) – Root: ארץ (ʾerets); Form: Accusative marker אֶת + definite noun feminine singular; Translation: “the land”; Notes: Indicates full occupation by Aramean forces.