וַיִּגַּ֞שׁ אִ֣ישׁ הָאֱלֹהִ֗ים וַיֹּאמֶר֮ אֶל־מֶ֣לֶךְ יִשְׂרָאֵל֒ וַיֹּ֜אמֶר כֹּֽה־אָמַ֣ר יְהוָ֗ה יַ֠עַן אֲשֶׁ֨ר אָמְר֤וּ אֲרָם֙ אֱלֹהֵ֤י הָרִים֙ יְהוָ֔ה וְלֹֽא־אֱלֹהֵ֥י עֲמָקִ֖ים ה֑וּא וְ֠נָתַתִּי אֶת־כָּל־הֶהָמֹ֨ון הַגָּ֤דֹול הַזֶּה֙ בְּיָדֶ֔ךָ וִֽידַעְתֶּ֖ם כִּֽי־אֲנִ֥י יְהוָֽה׃
And the man of God approached and said to the king of Yisraʾel, and he said, “Thus says YHWH: ‘Because Aram has said, “YHWH is a God of the hills but not a God of the valleys,” therefore I will give all this great multitude into your hand, and you shall know that I am YHWH.’”
Morphology
- וַיִּגַּשׁ (va-yiggash) – Root: נגשׁ (nagash); Form: Qal wayyiqtol (narrative past) 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “And he approached”; Notes: Describes the action of the prophet moving toward the king.
- אִישׁ הָאֱלֹהִים (ish ha-Elohim) – Root: אישׁ (ʾish) + אלהים (ʾElohim); Form: Noun construct; Translation: “the man of God”; Notes: Title for a prophet, emphasizing divine commission.
- וַיֹּאמֶר (va-yomer) – Root: אמר (ʾamar); Form: Qal wayyiqtol (narrative past) 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “and he said”; Notes: Introduces the prophet’s message.
- אֶל־מֶלֶךְ יִשְׂרָאֵל (el-melekh Yisraʾel) – Root: מלך (melekh) + ישראל (Yisraʾel); Form: Preposition אֶל + construct chain; Translation: “to the king of Yisraʾel”; Notes: Recipient of the divine message.
- כֹּה־אָמַר (koh-amar) – Root: אמר (ʾamar); Form: Adverb כֹּה + Qal perfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “Thus says”; Notes: Formulaic introduction for divine speech.
- יְהוָה (YHWH) – Root: היה (hayah); Form: Proper noun (divine name); Translation: “YHWH”; Notes: The Tetragrammaton, the sacred name of the God of Yisraʾel.
- יַעַן (yaʿan) – Root: יען (yaʿan); Form: Conjunction; Translation: “because”; Notes: Introduces the reason for the divine decision.
- אֲשֶׁר (asher) – Root: אשר (ʾasher); Form: Relative pronoun; Translation: “that”; Notes: Connects reason to preceding action.
- אָמְרוּ (amru) – Root: אמר (ʾamar); Form: Qal perfect 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “they said”; Notes: Refers to the words spoken by the Arameans.
- אֲרָם (Aram) – Root: ארם (Aram); Form: Proper noun; Translation: “Aram”; Notes: The nation opposing Yisraʾel.
- אֱלֹהֵי הָרִים (elohei ha-harim) – Root: אלה (ʾelohim) + הר (har); Form: Construct chain; Translation: “God of the hills”; Notes: Aramean belief limiting YHWH’s power to mountains.
- יְהוָה (YHWH) – Root: היה (hayah); Form: Proper noun; Translation: “YHWH”; Notes: Reaffirming that YHWH is being discussed.
- וְלֹא־אֱלֹהֵי עֲמָקִים (ve-lo-elohei ʿamaqim) – Root: לא (lo) + אלה (ʾelohim) + עמק (ʿamaq); Form: Conjunction וְ + negative particle + construct chain; Translation: “and not a God of the valleys”; Notes: The false belief being corrected.
- הוּא (hu) – Root: הוא (hu); Form: Independent pronoun masculine singular; Translation: “he”; Notes: Referring back to YHWH.
- וְנָתַתִּי (ve-natatti) – Root: נתן (natan); Form: Qal perfect 1st person masculine singular with vav-consecutive; Translation: “and I will give”; Notes: Divine promise of victory.
- אֶת־כָּל־הֶהָמֹון הַגָּדֹול הַזֶּה (et-kol-hehamon ha-gadol ha-zeh) – Root: המה (hamon) + גדל (gadal) + זה (zeh); Form: Accusative phrase; Translation: “all this great multitude”; Notes: Refers to the large Aramean army.
- בְּיָדֶךָ (be-yadekha) – Root: יד (yad); Form: Preposition בְּ + noun feminine singular with 2nd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “into your hand”; Notes: Symbolic of delivering into one’s power.
- וִידַעְתֶּם (ve-yidaʿtem) – Root: ידע (yadaʿ); Form: Qal perfect 2nd person masculine plural with vav-consecutive; Translation: “and you shall know”; Notes: Purpose clause — to acknowledge YHWH’s power.
- כִּי־אֲנִי יְהוָה (ki-ani YHWH) – Root: היה (hayah); Form: Conjunction כִּי + independent pronoun אֲנִי + proper noun; Translation: “that I am YHWH”; Notes: Climactic assertion of YHWH’s sovereignty.